Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Iranian missile blitz takes down AWS data centers in Bahrain and Dubai

tomshardware.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

121–130 of 179 posts

Re: Iranian missile blitz takes down AWS data centers in Bahrain and Dubai

#121

Post by RobertoG »

bawolff wrote: post #9

I do think there is some irony that the Iran war took down all the AWS datacenters in the middle east except the one (or 3 i guess) in Israel, which is still chugging along. Like as a strategy its kind of weird. Iran plans to force Israel to stop by wrecking the economies of a bunch of countries that are basically frenemies of Israel? I suppose its meant to pressure USA, it just seems like a terrible strategy.

I think Israel is the dessert. First they need the Americans to back off.

In the end game, they are going to need some leverage over Israel, that is stuck there with them. If they destroy everything now, they will not have anything to threaten them with.

Re: Iranian missile blitz takes down AWS data centers in Bahrain and Dubai

#122

Post by surgical_fire »

geraneum wrote: post #77
guerrilla wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You need to think that all the way through. The answer is obviously yes. Yemen is a perfect example. Iran is obviously as well. Afghanistan another great case. It is certainly possible to resist US pressure. Iran is asking the gulf countries to do that. Imagine how much better they would all be able to resist the US together as well, better than each alone.

> The answer is obviously yes. Of course it isn't. In reality, being able to resist requires power. Power that's gained more or less independently such as Iran's. Gulf states should be in a position of power to able to resist US presence. The power they have right now is mostly gained through the help of USA and its allies. It's not the same as Iran. Not even close.

You are very wrong.

To keep a military base in a country you either need to be allowed to do so, or you have to do so by force, by occupying the country.

Occupation is doable, but very costly. The US did it recently in Afghanistan (which is barely a functioning country itself).

So yeah, it keeping military bases abroad via occupation is doable for some time, but not very feasible. It is more realistic to have a system of allied countries.

It's sort of a meme how people in the US imagine all middle eastern countries to be a bunch of mud huts in the world's largest gravel quarry.

Re: Iranian missile blitz takes down AWS data centers in Bahrain and Dubai

#123

Post by lemoncookiechip »

tiew9Vii wrote: post #13
VoidWarranty wrote: post #2

Not to be insensitive about the humanitarian and economic situation, but, I am curious why there are data centers in that region at all? It just seems horribly inefficient from a cooling and electricity standpoint. Not to mention water. My pessimistic assumption is that Amazon said "yes" to handouts from regional government efforts to be relevant in tech, and that those data centers dont really matter to anyone but l…

Middle East isn’t some 3rd world. If you can imagine futuristic cities, rich Middle East countries are already living in them with all the oil wealth. They have phones, computers, digital services just like the US and Europe. Makes sense they want a data center in the region, close to them just like the US and Europe have data enters close to their users.

Americans seem to think the middle-east is some dystopian place where everyone is near poverty living in mudhuts, when places like Iran have a higher level of literacy than the USA, with more female college graduates.

There's definitely a lot of issues that need to be addressed at a cultural and social-economical level in places like Dubai exploiting migrant workers like slaves, the UAE, etc... but America has plenty of issues back home at a state by state case. Poverty, infrastructure falling apart, lack of education, lack of affordable health care, lack of job opportunity, high criminality, drug epidemics, etc... Some states feel like entirely different countries when compared to something like New Hampshire.

Even places like NYC and California which are economic hubs have this wide disparity of class, with entire communities of homeless populating the streets at crazy numbers that would make other nations blush (Cali has well over 100k).

Re: Iranian missile blitz takes down AWS data centers in Bahrain and Dubai

#124

Post by ignoramous »

r0yadar wrote: post #115

Does this count as offensive cyber?

While Iran and Israel don't 'have the backbone to disagree & commit', while there's much 'earn trust' between Saudia/Bahrain/UAE & Iran to do, and while Amazon should 'insist on higher standards' from CENTCOM, it must also 'think big' military things as 'success and scale bring broad responsibility' and most certainly 'dive deep' in to new-age ew/autonomous tech and 'deliver results' through "AWS air & land" weapons systems of their own; and not forget to 'hire & develop the best' mercenaries who would show 'bias for action' & operate with ruthlessness hitherto unknown to humankind. Wouldn't that make Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie proud.

Re: Iranian missile blitz takes down AWS data centers in Bahrain and Dubai

#126

Post by geraneum »

surgical_fire wrote: post #122
geraneum wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The answer is obviously yes. Of course it isn't. In reality, being able to resist requires power. Power that's gained more or less independently such as Iran's. Gulf states should be in a position of power to able to resist US presence. The power they have right now is mostly gained through the help of USA and its allies. It's not the same as Iran. Not even close.

You are very wrong. To keep a military base in a country you either need to be allowed to do so, or you have to do so by force, by occupying the country. Occupation is doable, but very costly. The US did it recently in Afghanistan (which is barely a functioning country itself). So yeah, it keeping military bases abroad via occupation is doable for some time, but not very feasible. It is more realistic to have a syste…

> To keep a military base in a country you either need to be allowed to do so, or you have to do so by force, by occupying the country.

There are all sorts of levers US, China, Russia can pull to in order to put pressure on a country for such things. There's occupation, mutual benefits, long standing agreements post wars, soft power, sanctions, etc. Geopolitics is complicated.

Re: Iranian missile blitz takes down AWS data centers in Bahrain and Dubai

#127

Post by guerrilla »

geraneum wrote: post #116
guerrilla wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Of course it isn't. In reality, being able to resist requires power. I gave examples of it actually happening. If sandal-wearing Houthis can resist, then well-funded oil states can as well. The Taliban beat the US. In fact, very few people have failed at ejecting the US from the country when they tried if you think back. The US tends to lose a lot.

> I gave examples of it actually happening. Ironically Yemen (Houthis) are fighting not only with US but against other gulf sates like Saudi Arabia as well. It's not really an example that demonstrates unity in gulf. > The Taliban beat the US. Taliban, brought to you by US of A to combat Soviet Union's influence! Well, it seems they are done beating US and are now busy beating Afghan women. > The US tends to lose a l…

> Do they really?

Yes, really. The US has rarely achieved its objectives.

Re: Iranian missile blitz takes down AWS data centers in Bahrain and Dubai

#128

Post by defrost »

squibonpig wrote: post #107
tiew9Vii wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Middle East isn’t some 3rd world. If you can imagine futuristic cities, rich Middle East countries are already living in them with all the oil wealth. They have phones, computers, digital services just like the US and Europe. Makes sense they want a data center in the region, close to them just like the US and Europe have data enters close to their users.

As I understand it in most cases they have enormous wealth disparities, so like the rich in Dubai have pampered tourist experiences but there's also serious issues with like lacking basic sewer infrastructure for ordinary people.

Indeed.

It's much like the USofA in that regard.

Re: Iranian missile blitz takes down AWS data centers in Bahrain and Dubai

#129

Post by detourdog »

ceejayoz wrote: post #64
detourdog wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think you really understand Middle East countries. 94% of Iranians are literate. They are a very sophisticated culture that dates back to pre-history. They certainly may appear backwards from our western culture but that is only superficial. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Iran

It's possible to be both literate and backwards.

IF there literacy rate is 94% then it makes sense that Amazon wants them as customers.

Re: Iranian missile blitz takes down AWS data centers in Bahrain and Dubai

#130

Post by surgical_fire »

geraneum wrote: post #126
surgical_fire wrote: post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are very wrong. To keep a military base in a country you either need to be allowed to do so, or you have to do so by force, by occupying the country. Occupation is doable, but very costly. The US did it recently in Afghanistan (which is barely a functioning country itself). So yeah, it keeping military bases abroad via occupation is doable for some time, but not very feasible. It is more realistic to have a syste…

> To keep a military base in a country you either need to be allowed to do so, or you have to do so by force, by occupying the country. There are all sorts of levers US, China, Russia can pull to in order to put pressure on a country for such things. There's occupation, mutual benefits, long standing agreements post wars, soft power, sanctions, etc. Geopolitics is complicated.

And this is all is part of what "allowing" means. If a country is unwilling to allow for it, the only thing is left is either accepting is as a reality or trying to do so by force.
Post reply on HN