Syria's internet is down - 0% activity

[TheIronRuler]

Source. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/internet-shutdown-in-syria-sparks-panic-creates-information-void/2012/11/29/bd35a5d0-3a64-11e2-b01f-5f55b193f58f_story.html]
Source2. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2012/11/29/the-three-big-questions-on-syrias-internet-blackout/]

Alright, this is the deal-
Syria had been suffering from civil unrest ever since April 2011. These protests were similar to the ones made in Egypt, Tunis and Yemen (among others) calling for a new government. It was a time called 'The Arab Spring'. Well, now comes the winter of Syria. For over a year and a half now armed resistance against the country intensified, with the turning point being not too long ago with over 6 gulf states recognizing the newly formed resistance-coalition as the government of Syria, with France to follow. The death toll had reached over 40 thousand now and is rising at an alarming rate. So far we have seen the horrors of war provided to us by private individuals (and also the organizations resisting Assad), along with updates of what is happening on the field, etc. etc.

Now it's all gone. All of the internet is gone.
Syrian nationalist forces had already done similar acts before - but it was only regional, in areas that they were about to hit. With this new information blackout, I fear the worst is to come out of this.

What are your thoughts about this situation?

(Anonymous was probably too busy with Gaza to notice)

 

[krazykidd]

I world without internet! How will they survive!

OT: hope they get their internet back? I guess? Sorry i'm not too keen on wars and their implications.

 

[SonicWaffle]

Syrian nationalist forces had already done similar acts before - but it was only regional, in areas that they were about to hit. With this new information blackout, I fear the worst is to come out of this.

What are your thoughts about this situation?

Depending on your position (pro- or anti-Assad) this is either a good sign or a bad one. The most likely reason for the total in-country blackout - remember, outsiders have still managed to speak to Syrian contacts via satellite - is because recently the rebel forces have been pushing further and further into Damascus and closer to the heart of the regime. Current opinion is that the regime have shut down communications in an attempt to stop rebels planning their attacks.

So if you're in favour of the rebels, this is a good sign because a total blackout coupled with recent events shows that Assad and his chums are genuinely worried about losing despite what the state-run TV news may be saying. If you're an Assad backer, it's bad news because it shows your team is getting desperate.

Personally, I'm not yet decided. The current regime seem like bastards, but then so do many of the rebels. Torture and war crimes from both sides, as well as the all-but-confirmed reports of Islamic fighters entering the country and fighting for what they hope will eventually become another Islamic state. Whichever way things go down, it'll probably end up being quite bad for everyone.

 

[IamQ]

Not the internet! Have you not done enough as it is! Take the children, but not the internet!

 

[repeating integers]

Captcha: question everything. Appropriate.

That graph in the second link is slightly scary.

How much do the rebels use the internet for communication with each other? Will this affect them much?

 

[TheIronRuler]

Captcha: question everything. Appropriate.

That graph in the second link is slightly scary.

How much do the rebels use the internet for communication with each other? Will this affect them much?

.
As I said before - The loyalists would cut the internet to an area they would attack the rebels in. Now that ALL of Syria is out of internet, what does that say of the current situation?