Three undersea fiber-optic cables get cut in just one week, and the conspiracy crowd is already convinced this is the prelude to World War III--or at the very least, a United States bombing assault on Iran.
Truth be told, I'm not ready to dismiss their paranoia completely. Yes, they are nuts but they're not entirely crazy. Look, outside of a handful of Washington insiders, how many of you really thought after September 11 that we'd be in control of Iraq, come winter 2008?
The cable cuts knocked out Internet service in a good chunk of the Middle East and South Asia. (There are reports of a fourth cable out of service but so far that's unconfirmed.) What's behind the disruptions? Two of the cables are owned by Flag Telecom, the other by a consortium of telcos. At this point, the companies suggest the most likely culprit is Mother Nature.
In the absence of further details, that's as plausible an answer as any. But the official explanation has been drowned out by a more cynical take in the blogosphere and some regional news outlets.
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