Syria cuts off internet

[The Don]

Akamai, a firm that monitors global traffic, said internet traffic stopped from 1026 GMT, and that this supports the observation from another IT firm, Renesys, "that Syria is effectively off the Internet".
The internet going down coincided with reports that Syrian troops on Thursday evening had launched a major offensive in southeastern Damascus along the airport road.
The army attacked rebel strongholds in a string of towns along the highway and near the airport, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP by phone.


http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02413/graphic_2413915c.jpg


According to activists, sudden communication cuts regularly occur before major military offensives.

Definitely can't be a good sign. Obviously the government wants to limit communication to the outside world for a reason... I hope this resolves quickly.

[FlyingJesus]

Speculation I've seen is that Bashar al Assad is fleeing the country, probably because the US/UN are supposedly actually getting involved at last

[-:Undertaker:-]

I wouldn't give the 'Free Syrian Army' all that much praise either, the stories, videos and pictures i've seen that are apparently down to them paint them as just as bad as the regime; if not worse. Interesting however that on the day the Syrian government terminates the internet, we have the Leveson inquiry advising state censorship of the press with the European Commission (our unelected government which creates 50%+ of our laws) openly backing the report.

As they say, don't throw stones in glass houses.

[Catchy]

Omfg think everyone in this country would legit have a meltdown if that ever happened

[Mikey]

No internet? What is this!

On a serious note, glad it's not like that here - trying to limit what they see from international press and what they send out of the country. Madness.

[Inseriousity.]

Omfg think everyone in this country would legit have a meltdown if that ever happened

lolol you first. ;)
me second though probably. had a powercut once and nearly died of boredom.

[Doughnut]

If I had the internet taken away, my life would actually be pointless.

This rings alarm bells in my head tbh. Imo, they're planning something big...

[OldLoveSong]

i can't imagine what that would be like if that happened here ._.

[Chippiewill]

Google and Twitter have also relaunched their voice to tweet service so that Syrians can get their message out.