Fiber Optic Cables Cut in California

April 10th, 2009

There is a concerted effort to call this vandalism. That’s hilarious.

Here’s my distinction between false flag operations and war:

How will you know the difference between false flag operations and war?

False flag operations are symbolic. The main goal is to create fear and obedience to state authorities through the use of propaganda in the aftermath of the event. The driving propaganda, after the fact, is the main payload, not the event itself. While it is possible that imbeciles will target individual executives for assassination or use improvised explosives to create work for janitors in corporate lobbies, these types of attacks are likely to be acts of state because of their utility for propaganda purposes. Think about it: Who benefits from attacks like these? The stoned white Rastafarian, soy people with Bozo the Clown wigs and Fair Trade hacky sacks will get the blame. It’s all “the terrorists,” right?

War, on the other hand, targets critical infrastructure. Examples: Financial transaction clearing is shut down. Stock markets are shut down. Communications systems are damaged or destroyed. Energy distribution systems are damaged or destroyed.

While it’s possible that attacks of this nature could be false flag, it’s not likely because unmanageable, cascading effects could result.

Here’s a taste of Cryptogon circa 2002: “The physical nature of information systems is their main vulnerability.” Some of that might sound pretty familiar to people who were caught up in the follow on effects of this attack.

The fact that the term “vandalism” is being used in a deliberate, rehearsed manner indicates that this attack vector is the ultimate pants shitter for the people tasked with maintaining normal operations. I realized that when I was in college, in the mid 1990s, as I was studying infrastructure defense in terms of asymmetric warfare. I was finding that you could only talk about infrastructure defense if you pretended that the physical layer didn’t exist! HAHA. Once you factor in the physical layer, well, the shit sandwich takes on unbelievable proportions. I abandoned my interest in the subject right there. I didn’t see any point in making up a bunch on nonsense that ignored the 800 pound gorilla in the room—all of that undefended fiber. Besides, Rand Corporation was putting out lots of nonsense along those lines already. And what happens to people who address the issues with the physical layer, in detail? Ask Sean Gorman.

Via: San Francisco Chronicle:

Vandals cut fiber-optic cable lines belonging to AT&T at two locations early today, knocking out phones and access to 911 emergency services to thousands of residential customers and businesses in southern Santa Clara County, in Santa Cruz and San Benito counties and along the Peninsula, authorities said.

Four AT&T fiber-optic cables in an underground vault were severed shortly before 1:30 a.m. along Monterey Highway north of Blossom Hill Road in south San Jose, police Sgt. Ronnie Lopez said. Four more underground cables, at least two of which belong to AT&T, were cut about two hours later along Old County Road near Bing Street in San Carlos, authorities said.

John Britton, spokesman for AT&T, said, “Clearly, we have some vandalism. Someone purposefully and deliberately cut the wires.”

He added, “We can’t speculate about any connection, but the method of operation appears to be the same.”

Britton said the four cables that were cut in San Jose were about the width of a silver dollar and were encased in tough plastic sheath. One cable contained 360 fibers, and the other three had 48 fibers each.

In both instances, saboteurs had to use a piece of equipment to lift heavy manhole covers and climb down several feet to get to the cables. They would have to have been equipped with heavy-duty cutting equipment to slice through the thick cable coating.

Police in San Jose and San Carlos are sharing information, said Cmdr. Rich Cinfio, a spokesman for San Carlos police. Investigators said they had no suspects in either act of vandalism. AT&T announced a $100,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of the perpetrators.

Verizon, which depends on AT&T cables in the South Bay, said its 52,000 landline customers who lost service in southern Santa Clara County came back online just before 4:30 p.m. Britton said AT&T hoped to have all service restored by 7 p.m.

Landlines, cell phones and the Internet were all affected. The outage knocked out 911 service, and officials said anyone without phone access who needs emergency help should get to a police or fire station or hospital on their own or flag down a law enforcement vehicle.

Extra sheriff’s deputies, firefighters and police officers were on the streets in the affected areas, authorities said. Additional ambulances were on hand at St. Louise Hospital in Gilroy.

“We’re having a more visual presence out there in the field,” said Sgt. Don Morrissey, Santa Clara County sheriff’s spokesman. “We’re out there to be the conduit, if you will. We’re trying to bridge that communication gap between emergency services and citizens.”

The outage was nearly tragic in at least a couple of instances.

Destiny Evans of Gilroy began blacking out this morning at her job as an office manager at Ortho Sports in Gilroy. Her boss, Joseph Abmont, called 911 on a landline and cell phone, but couldn’t get through.

So he put Evans in his car and drove her to St. Louise Hospital in Gilroy, where she was diagnosed with a kidney infection.

“He was my savior,” Evans said as she left the hospital later in the day with her boyfriend.

Florance Lijon of Gilroy was at home when her 84-year-old mother began to feel ill. She tried to call 911 to summon an ambulance. “I couldn’t call nowhere,” Lijon said. “I couldn’t use my home phone, I couldn’t use my cell phone, I couldn’t use my computer. I was miserable.”

Finally she drove her mom to the hospital.

“I worry about people that don’t have a car,” Lijon said. “It’s a good thing I could take her. I was going to call the ambulance, but I couldn’t.”

St. Louise spokeswoman Jasmine Nguyen said the hospital was rescheduling elective surgeries out of concern that if something went wrong, would be no way to contact doctors.

Hospital personnel were driving to doctors’ houses to get word to them if they were needed. They were also using a satellite phone and walkie-talkies to communicate.

“We literally feel like were on an island right now,” Nguyen said. “It’s bringing us back to the Stone Age.”

Most of the service outages were caused by the San Jose vandalism. Among those affected were customers of Verizon, Verizon Wireless and Sprint wireless, which rely on AT&T to carry their phone traffic back to their networks.

Verizon spokesman Jon Davies said the outage was first reported to the company at 1:25 a.m. He said about 52,000 of the company’s landline customers were affected in the Gilroy and Morgan Hill areas. Verizon is the sole provider of landlines in southern Santa Clara County.

Verizon Wireless customers were also affected in southern Santa Clara County and from Watsonville to Scotts Valley in Santa Cruz County.

At least one of the severed San Carlos lines belongs to Sprint, which lost service for several thousand landline business customers. Crystal Davis, a crisis communications manager for Sprint, said the company was able to restore service to some of its customers by rerouting traffic.

Davis said she couldn’t recall the last time a concerted effort was made to attack multiple phone lines.

“Fiber cuts happen all the time, usually by accident. Someone is drilling for a water line or a power line,” she said. “But a specific act of vandalism, I can’t say that I recall it.”

The vandalism comes as AT&T is in talks with the Communications Workers of America for a contract covering more than 80,000 employees, who have been working under their old deal since it expired at 11:59 p.m. Saturday. Union members voted in late March to authorize a strike but have not scheduled one.

Candice Johnson, spokeswoman for the CWA, said union members were not involved in the incidents.

“I can state that CWA members have nothing to do with this at all,” Johnson said. “There is an investigation going on and we’ll fully cooperate. But our members are working. They’re on the job.”

In 2004, 1,200 Bay Area customers temporarily lost service after vandals cut wires at SBC telephone boxes in Oakland, Alameda, San Leandro and Vallejo. The vandalism took place during a four-day CWA strike of SBC, which became AT&T.

Britton said AT&T has a good relationship with the CWA and was continuing to negotiate with the union on their contract.

More: Local Emergency Declared in Santa Clara County

Research Credit: JL

3 Responses to “Fiber Optic Cables Cut in California”

  1. ltcolonelnemo says:

    Interesting that they would choose the term “vandals” as opposed to “terrorists.” I guess they don’t want to give anyone any ideas.

  2. Ann says:

    “a piece of equipment” to lift the man-hole covers…hmm, like a crowbar, you mean?
    “heavy-duty cutting equipment”…hmm, like box cutters or commercial pruning shears, avaialable at any garden center?
    No, they don’t want to give anyone any ideas, now do they?
    Some people don’t need anyone to give them any ideas.

  3. Aaron says:

    Not that I ever doubted what you were saying Kevin, but the spin they’ve put on this event really does prove your point in a revealing way.

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