U.S. Debated Cyberwarfare Against Libya

The New York Times:

Just before the American-led strikes against Libya in March, the Obama administration intensely debated whether to open the mission with a new kind of warfare: a cyberoffensive to disrupt and even disable the Qaddafi government’s air-defense system, which threatened allied warplanes.

While the exact techniques under consideration remain classified, the goal would have been to break through the firewalls of the Libyan government’s computer networks to sever military communications links and prevent the early-warning radars from gathering information and relaying it to missile batteries aiming at NATO warplanes.

Read the whole story: The New York Times

Comments

[Mikeeee]

09:50 AM on 10/18/2011

Like the one currently underway against Iran?

[waldopepper]

09:25 AM on 10/18/2011

Because it was not used (apparently that is) this shows that it was not needed.
Because it was not used the techniques available were not compromised.
Because the techniques were not compromised if the day comes in the future when such techniques are really needed, for example against (a more formidable/resilient) opposition then because they will remain at least somewhat of a mystery they will retain more of their effectiveness.

[AskMeLaterOK]

09:07 AM on 10/18/2011

Computer networks should be a demilitarized zone. This type of behavior should be condemned by all who value their networks and data.

[waldopepper]

09:29 AM on 10/18/2011

There are few avenues/techniques that are off limits militarily. None are globally rejected. Somewhere there is some military laboratory working on biological weapons. There are chemical, gas, nuclear weapons. Space is increasingly militarized. Once something is possible it happens. Your hope to create a cyber DMZ is unrealistically idealistic. I too wish it were not the case. But it is. Sorry.

[lqw]

08:01 AM on 10/18/2011

Weren't we told it was a NO FLY ZONE for humanitarian reason ? BIG LIE
Days not weeks..........Another lie.

[serz4u]

08:55 AM on 10/18/2011

I KNOW! It's TERRIBLE what happened in Libya. All that freedom. All those people saved from slaughter, and years of oppression. Just TERRIBLE!

[waldopepper]

09:44 AM on 10/18/2011

No you are wrong on two counts.
it was "all necessary means to protect Libyans civilians." Your stubborn refusal to understand the language of diplomacy sets you up for failure to see the reality of that language. It was written that way to allow just what happened. Those other permanent members of the security council who could have vetoed the resolution (Russia/China) are not naive. They have vast diplomatic corps and extensive experience. They knew the implications of this language. But they passed the resolution anyway. Why? Because they too wanted what happened to happen just as much as the Libyans themselves and NATO did. But they also wanted to appear to object to unfolding events for the sake of their own population and for their own alliance structure. it is complicated stuff.

Now on to your second false point. The oft repeated miss characterization of Obama's "days not weeks." What he said was ..."President Obama told a bipartisan group of members of Congress today that he expects the U.S. would be actively involved in any military action against Libya for "days, not weeks," after which he said the U.S. would take more of a supporting role, sources tell ABC News."

That is in fact what happened. The US was in MORE OF a supporting role for the duration of the conflict. But was not "actively involved" for anything more than a few weeks.

Sorry.

[NYC123]

07:49 AM on 10/18/2011

We love our little arsenal of war toys!

[lqw]

08:26 AM on 10/18/2011

Specially drones .

[NYC123]

11:51 AM on 10/19/2011

So detached from the acutal act of killing - 10,000 feet up there, and the remote specialist -- who knows how far away. While the locals have to depend on bombs strapped around anyone's chest that is willing.

[Ethernum]

07:48 AM on 10/18/2011

maybe it was not necessary to use cyberwarfare against Gaddafi, but China already use it every day against democracy.

http://www.channel4.com/news/china-admits-cyber-warfare-unit

[fairwayhill]

05:54 AM on 10/18/2011

The US / 2l0nist Stuxn3t w0rm has aIready opened the d0or for endIess nonstop cyberwarf­are.

[fairwayhill]

05:53 AM on 10/18/2011

The US / 2l0nist Stuxnet worm has already opened the door for endless non-stop cybervvarfare.

[fairwayhill]

05:49 AM on 10/18/2011

The US/NATO have given AI-Qaeda and the lsIamists an entire oil producing country in record time. AI-Qaeda is delighted with the US/NATO.

[vinny]

04:42 AM on 10/18/2011

um, US gove actually did block users from the US at least from viewing libyan websites.

didnt want US citizens seeing the horrible atrocities the "peaceful protesters" committed on libyan government workers.

[benjamingrant85]

03:48 AM on 10/18/2011

IMO this was the right decision by Obama. Preemptive cyber warfare sets a very dangerous precedent. This would have opened the door for cyber attacks from the Russians and Chinese on Western interests across the globe.

[fairwayhill]

05:51 AM on 10/18/2011

The "door" is already opened. Pandora's box was opened wit the US/2lonist Stuxnet worm. Nobody will ever close it again.

[waldopepper]

09:20 AM on 10/18/2011

Do you have any evidence at all that it the first use that opened the door, or is your opinion speculation without foundation?

[yoyodyne666]

01:50 AM on 10/18/2011

They were afraid of opening that can of worms ?????? Stuxnet was not an act of war? If it were done to the U.S. it would be......

[FalseConsciousness]

01:23 AM on 10/18/2011

In seeking to install a p.uppet regime in Libya, the imperialist powers have committed war _crimes against the Libyan people. Cities and towns across the country have been mercilessly b.ombed by NATO, k.illing scores of innocent civilians and destroying the country's infrastructure. These ph0ny "rebels" do not represent ordinary Libyans and will eventually be defeated.

[opprobrious]

02:19 AM on 10/18/2011

'cause Qaddafi was such a great man of the people? It's true. You really can type anything and post it on the internet.

[mdsman]

05:13 AM on 10/18/2011

following your logic, you supported the iraqi invasion?

[AlfredE69]

07:36 AM on 10/18/2011

Next up. Obama invades China!!

[serz4u]

08:57 AM on 10/18/2011

"hese ph0ny "rebels" do not represent ordinary Libyans and will eventually be defeated."

You know--it's just that the evidence from war correspondents on the ground doesn't seem to back you up... It's almost like you WANT the whole enterprise to be a fraud because that serves your political agenda. But I guess we'll learn in time.

[rottnkid]

12:39 AM on 10/18/2011

"..debated whether to open the mission with a new kind of warfare: a cyberoffensive to disrupt and even disable the Qaddafi government’s air-defense system, which threatened allied warplanes."

And we would have opened a big aa$$ can of worms and would be getting smo.ked by every hackivist that h8's the USA and watch them tear us a new one. Why? Because the Big Corps' exported our smarts over there!!.

[ema123]

12:56 AM on 10/18/2011

You think they arent already doing that now? As a civilian over there a cyber attack might be preferable to a drone bombing you A$$ off

[yoyodyne666]

01:55 AM on 10/18/2011

Yup shut off their electricity, water plants etc. .... starvation is always better than being bombed.

[KIVPossum]

12:32 AM on 10/18/2011

The US? But, but, but, this is a NATO war. Ask the hawks

[KenInd]

05:08 AM on 10/18/2011

Oh, come now. NATO is controlled by the US. This time we did not lead with the air attacks by jets, but we controlled the events. To think otherwise is delusional.