In The News: Massive Cyber Attack Act I Of Israeli Strike?

Massive Cyberattack: Act I?

Talk in Israel of a military strike on Iranian nuclear facilities has reached a fever pitch. Last week brought the news of an alleged "war plan"leaked to a blogger. This week, a well-informed military correspondent in Jerusalem reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is "determined" to attack Iran before the U.S. election. Two weeks ago, an outgoing government minister told Israelis to prepare for a war that would last 30 days.

In any case, it's clear there's a lot of war thinking going on in Jerusalem.

The alleged war plan that was recently leaked said an Israeli strike would begin with an unprecedented cyberattack designed to paralyze the Iranian regime and blind it to what was happening on its territory. The Internet, telephones, radio and television transmissions, the electrical grid would all be taken out.

That's an attention grabber: The world has never seen a cyberattack remotely that dramatic.

John Bumgarner, chief technology officer at the U.S. Cyber Consequences Unit, says the plan does make sense, at least in theory.

"Israel has very good cybercapabilities. Some of the best computer scientists in the world come out of the Israeli military and intelligence branch," he says. "Some of the best cybertools that are currently used in the world come out of Israel."

Egypt Deployed U.S. Made Tanks, SAMs In Sinai

Egypt has deployed U.S.-made surface-to-air missiles and tanks near the border with Israel, in a breach of the 1979 peace treaty, reports the World Tribune.

Western defense sources said the Egyptian Army has deployed "a range of assets supplied by the United States." They cited main battle tanks (MBTs) and surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), particularly in the northeastern Sinai area, between the coastal city of El Arish and the border with Israel and Gaza.

“Right now, all of the [Egyptian] heavy weapons have been deployed along the Israeli border,” a defense source said.

Israel has demanded that Egypt withdraw the American MBTs and missiles from eastern Sinai. The United States has acknowledged discussions with Cairo and Jerusalem over the Egyptian military deployment in Sinai. On Aug. 23, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton telephoned her Egyptian counterpart to review Israeli complaintsover violations of the demilitarization of the peninsula.

Meanwhile, the United States Department of Defense has awarded an $8.7 millioncontract to United Technologies for support of F100-PW-229 engines for Egypt’s order of 20 F-16 Block 52 multi-role fighters. The Tribune said that the Egyptian Air Force has flown at least two F-16s near the Israeli border in August.

Abbas Denies Jewish Temple And Christian Theology

Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas frequently refers to the “alleged” Jewish Temple, but if it was not Jewish, there is no basis for Christian belief, as written in the New Testament in Matthew (21:12), that Jewish “moneychangers" chased Jesus from the Holy Temple. However, Christians so far have not reacted to the implicit denial of their belief.

The PA campaign to eradicate Jewish history at the Temple Mount , as well as in the rest of Israel, has escalated sharply in the past two years.

China Develops New Generation ICBMs And Submarine Missiles, Ups Ability To Reach U.S.

China has developed a new generation ofinter-continental and Submarine launched missiles capable of carrying as many as 10 nuclear warheads, increasing its ability to reach US and to overwhelm missile defence systems.

The US military and intelligence officials say that China has developed the new long range Dongfeng-41 ICBM withmobile launching system making it harder to find and destroy the missile before it is launched, the New York Times said.

Merkel Wants EU Treaty Convention By End Of Year

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is pressing for a new EU treaty convention by December, despite opposition from many countries,Der Spiegel reports in its latest print edition on Monday (27 August).

Merkel's push for a new EU treaty is in line with her demand for a true political union in return for debt being pooled in the eurozone and Germany's own constitution being changed to allow for more power transfers to Brussels.

According to Der Spiegel, Merkel's EU affairs advisor Nikolaus Meyer-Landrut has "made it clear" during talks in Brussels that the German government wants the convention to be formed by the end of the year, with a first meeting to be agreed at an EU summit in December. Meyer-Landrut was spokesperson for the 2002-2003 convention, which drew up the European Constitution.

Earthquake Update:

Massive Earthquake Off El Salvador Coast

Latest Breaking News On Central America Earthquake

A strong magnitude-7.4 earthquake struck off the coast of El Salvador followed an hour later by a magnitude-5.4 aftershock, authorities reported. There were no immediate reports of damages or injuries.

A tsunami warning was put into effect for Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Panama and Mexico after the quake struck at 10:37 p.m. Sunday. The warning was later rescinded -

Powerful Earthquake Swarm In Southern California

California Border Hit By Earthquake Swarm

Imperial County was hit by more than a dozen small earthquakes Sunday, including a 5.4 quake near the Mexican border.

The first quake -- a magnitude 3.9 temblor -- occurred at 10:02 a.m. northwest of Brawley and was followed by a series of other quakes in the same general area, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. There were no immediate reports of serious damage or injuries, authorities said.

The quakes could be felt in the press box at the Del Mar Race Track in neighboring San Diego County, where the $1-million Pacific Classic is scheduled later Sunday.

Between 10 a.m. and 12:50 p.m., the same general area was shaken by quakes ranging in magnitude from 2.0 to 5.4, the USGS reported.

The burst of quakes took place roughly 16 miles from El Centro and 92 miles from Tijuana. In the last 10 days, there have been six earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby.