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dalton99a

(84,048 posts)
Sat Dec 23, 2017, 01:37 AM Dec 2017

Russian submarines are prowling around vital undersea cables. It's making NATO nervous. (WP) [View all]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/russian-submarines-are-prowling-around-vital-undersea-cables-its-making-nato-nervous/2017/12/22/d4c1f3da-e5d0-11e7-927a-e72eac1e73b6_story.html
Russian submarines are prowling around vital undersea cables. It’s making NATO nervous.
By Michael Birnbaum | December 22 at 6:56 PM

BRUSSELS — Russian submarines have dramatically stepped up activity around undersea data cables in the North Atlantic, part of a more aggressive naval posture that has driven NATO to revive a Cold War-era command, according to senior military officials.

The apparent Russian focus on the cables, which provide Internet and other communications connections to North America and Europe, could give the Kremlin the power to sever or tap into vital data lines, the officials said. Russian submarine activity has increased to levels unseen since the Cold War, they said, sparking hunts in recent months for the elusive watercraft.

“We are now seeing Russian underwater activity in the vicinity of undersea cables that I don’t believe we have ever seen,” said U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Andrew Lennon, the commander of NATO’s submarine forces. “Russia is clearly taking an interest in NATO and NATO nations’ undersea infrastructure.”

Britain’s top military commander also warned that Russia could imperil the cables that form the backbone of the modern global economy. The privately owned lines, laid along the some of the same corridors as the first transatlantic telegraph wire in 1858, carry nearly all of the communications on the Internet, facilitating trillions of dollars of daily trade. If severed, they could snarl the Web. If tapped, they could give Russia a valuable picture of the tide of the world’s Internet traffic.

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Not surprised. Demtexan Dec 2017 #1
'The apparent Russian focus on the cables, which provide Internet and other communications elleng Dec 2017 #2
Hmm, World Cyber War I a term I never AmericanActivist Dec 2017 #10
I made up 'World Cyber War I. elleng Dec 2017 #13
Just great. The Ruskies have never been trustworthy. Liberal In Texas Dec 2017 #3
Yes we are, it appears. elleng Dec 2017 #4
Not with what is living in the white house. Demtexan Dec 2017 #5
Maybe NATO will act. Sure won't be trump. elleng Dec 2017 #7
Democrats. n/t Liberal In Texas Dec 2017 #6
Here is a strange thought: world wide wally Dec 2017 #8
Gotta be Europe, or NATO+. elleng Dec 2017 #9
Torpedoes. dchill Dec 2017 #11
I agree. greytdemocrat Dec 2017 #31
The EDF is being revived DFW Dec 2017 #12
Thanks, DFW. elleng Dec 2017 #14
There will be a role for NATO for as long as it can be taken seriously. DFW Dec 2017 #16
Thanks for all the info, DFW. elleng Dec 2017 #18
They snoop around these cables to intercept all kinds of traffic. Liberal In Texas Dec 2017 #15
No, these days, they can just pick it up with the electronic version of a microphone DFW Dec 2017 #17
We need to make sure communicating through the print world is ready at any given moment. nt C Moon Dec 2017 #19
So they're just now catching up with the NSA? bitterross Dec 2017 #20
Why am I not surprised? Sedona Dec 2017 #21
I posted this as well before I saw your thread. MelissaB Dec 2017 #22
What kind of sneaky bastards pull this shit??? flotsam Dec 2017 #23
Why is the WH and Congress silent on this issue of potential national security? Roland99 Dec 2017 #24
Because we don't make public comments on submarine operations disalitervisum Dec 2017 #25
Someone isn't being silent. fescuerescue Dec 2017 #27
Those lines have absolutely already been tapped long ago fescuerescue Dec 2017 #26
Yawn. American submarines are also "prowling" around the oceans of the world. Same as it ever was. Fred Sanders Dec 2017 #28
It's one thing for a NATO commander to talk about Soviet submarine activity disalitervisum Dec 2017 #29
Were they nervous when US subs did the same thing? bitterross Dec 2017 #30
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