|
|
|
Jewish World Review Dec. 28, 2010 / 21 Teves, 5771 Glow, Little Glow Worm, Glow By Paul Greenberg
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
All the years of empty talk from Western diplomats, negotiators and various distinguished do-nothings have failed to stop Like the pundits who thought None of the bountiful verbiage out of
This worm's name is Stuxnet. It's of the computerized species, and reports indicate that somehow it's managed to set back How can that be? Because once little Stuxnet begins to worm its way into a computer system, there doesn't seem to be any way to get it out, such is its zest for replicating itself, prodigious little worm that it is. There may be nothing the Iranians can do to stamp it out -- short of destroying the whole, infected system. And having to start all over again. Which means the ayatollahs' plans for a nuke of their own would be set back to Square One, or maybe before. Not bad for a little worm. Let one According to Herr Langner, it may be too late by now for the Iranians to stop our lumbrical friend from duplicating its way right through their whole nuclear program, slowing the centrifuges to a crawl or maybe stopping them altogether. The best-laid plans of mullahs and men gang aft agley and all that. What a pity. But some of us have been able to contain our sorrow. Indeed, just thinking about this sad turn of events is enough to induce a quiet smile. The U.N.'s nuclear watchdog, the To quote "Here is the problem" for the Iranians, explains Herr Langner. "They should throw out every personal computer involved with the nuclear program and start over, but they can't do that. Moreover, they are completely dependent on outside companies for the construction and maintenance of their nuclear facilities. They should throw out their computers as well. But they can't. They will just continually re-infect themselves. With the best of expertise and equipment it would take another year for the plants to function normally again because it is so hard to get the worm out. It even hides in the backup system. But they can't do it." Not since the Lord God Almighty Himself set a little worm inside a gourd to teach old Jonah a little humility has the humble worm proved so useful. But who put Mr. Stuxnet up to this caper? How many of the world's intelligence agencies are capable of conceiving, planning and executing such wormwork? The CIA? Its history, despite some bright spots, argues against it. But there's always hope. If this really is the CIA's doing, there ought to be commendations and bonuses all around, maybe presented in a quiet ceremony. Very quiet. Indeed, top secret. The mark of a great accomplishment in espionage, sabotage and associated black arts is that researchers find out about it only when the archives are opened 50 or 100 years later. No sense boasting. How about our friends in The word around the kumsitz is that Who do you think dunnit? Once you've rounded up the usual suspects, only two countries in all, the field is pretty limited. Say, you don't think some anonymous altruist is responsible, do you? If so, let's nominate him, her or it for the next Nobel Peace Prize. Worms, as any biologist can tell you, do useful work.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here. JWR contributor Paul Greenberg, editorial page editor of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, has won the Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing. Send your comments by clicking here.
© 2006 Tribune Media Services, Inc. |
Arnold Ahlert | |||||||||||||
