Something to think about

Unrest in Egypt leads to a unique development:

Reports are coming in that Egypt is now under an Internet and SMS blackout, just hours before a new series of major protests are planned against the regime of President Hosni Mubarak.

Sebone, a major Egyptian service provider based in Italy, is reporting that no Internet traffic is entering or exiting the country as of 12:30 AM Egyptian time. Reporters and citizens on-the-ground are also reporting that they are experiencing Internet and SMS outages.

Egypt has been enveloped in unrest over the presidency of Hosni Mubarak, who has been in power since 1981. The protests have been partly inspired by the successful revolution in Tunisia that forced President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali out of power after 23 years. Facebook, Twitter and social media were key communication tools used by protesters to organize rallies.

Communication and information are half of the military's "C3I" shorthand (Command, control, communication and intelligence). Is it any wonder a heavy-handed regime will seek to deny these elements to their opponents?

Hey, here's an idea: wouldn't it be just great if the U.S. President could shut off the Internet during an 'emergency?' ...