SUBSCRIPTION SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2013 RAJAB 9, 1434 AH www.kuwaittimes.net 1,258 traffic Pope, Merkel Bomb explodes Serena extends violators talk about a near 3 embassies winning streak to deported ‘strong’ Europe in Tripoli reach Rome final in one month2 7 13 18 US blasts Moscow Max 40º Min 25º High Tide over Syria weapons 06:59 & 17:45 Low Tide 12:22 40 PAGES NO: 15813 150 FILS Peace plans hit by diplomatic rifts BEIRUT: The United States chided Russia for sending missiles to the Syrian government as plans for a peace conference promoted by Washington and Moscow were hit by diplomatic rifts over its scope and purpose. Sectarian bloodshed in neighboring, a hacking attack on a Western newspaper by sympathizers of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and defiant comments by a rebel commander filmed eating a slain soldier’s flesh were all reminders of how the two-year-old civil war is metastasizing. But the divisions among world powers that have pre- vented a coordinated resolution were also again on dis- play, just 10 days after Russia and the United States agreed to bury differences and push for an urgent inter- national conference to end the war. The most senior US military officer, General Martin Dempsey, described Russia’s recent delivery of anti-ship missiles to Assad as “ill-timed and very unfortunate” and risked prolonging a war which has already killed more than 80,000 Syrians and which the UN said had driven 1.5 million abroad. While not responding directly to US assertions that it had sent Yakhont missiles, a spokesman for President Vladimir Putin said Russia would honor contracts to supply Syria, which has been a customer for Moscow’s weaponry since the Cold War. “It’s at the very least an unfortunate decision that will embolden the regime and prolong the suffering,” Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters. With a range of 300 km, the Yakhont could prove a threat to warships in the Mediterranean, should, for example, Western powers abandon their deep reserve and intervene to offer air support to the rebels, as they did in Libya two years ago. No date has yet been agreed for the international meeting, which appears to face growing obstacles. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon met Putin in Russia on Friday and said the conference should take place as soon as possible. But highlighting the diplomatic conundrum it poses, France spelled out explicitly on Friday that it would oppose any meeting if Assad’s regional ally Iran were invited - contrary to the Russian position that Tehran FAIRFIELD: Emergency workers arrive at the scene of a train collision in Fairfield, Conn. Two Metro North commuter trains serving New York City collided dur- should be part of a solution. The rebels and key Arab ing Friday’s evening rush hour, sending 60 people to the hospital, including five with critical injuries. — AP (See Page 10) and Western backers will meet in Amman on Continued on Page 13 North Korea fires 3 missiles SEOUL: North Korea yesterday launched three short- KN-02 surface-to-surface missile derived from the Soviet moved from their launch site. range missiles into the Sea of Japan, apparently as part era SS-21 that has a range of about 120 kilometers,” a Musudan missiles have an estimated range of 2,500 of a military drill, South Korea’s defense ministry said. US Seoul official told Yonhap news agency. Seoul criticized to 4,000 kilometers, enough to reach South Korea and and South Korean forces had been on heightened alert the launches, calling them “serious” provocations. “The Japan and potentially US military bases on the Pacific for a medium-range ballistic missile test in recent weeks international community will levy much tougher sanc- island of Guam. US and South Korean officials had been amid tensions triggered by North Korea’s nuclear test in tions against North Korea for its continued absurd worried that any test of the medium-range missiles February. provocation,” Min Hyun-Joo, spokeswoman of the ruling would trigger a fresh surge in tensions, which escalated “North Korea launched two guided missiles in the Saenuri Party, was quoted as saying by Yonhap. after the North carried out a nuclear test in February. morning and another one in the afternoon,” a defense “No compensations or benefits will be allowed if UN sanctions imposed after the test triggered a cycle ministry spokesman said. “The missiles landed in the North Korea fails to show changes in its policy toward of escalating military tensions on the Korean peninsula East Sea (Sea of Japan),” he said. South Korea was main- the right direction,” she added. The launches followed a that are only now beginning to subside. An aide to the taining intense surveillance of the North and keeping a joint South Korea-US naval exercise this week, slammed Japanese prime minister returned home from a contro- high-level of readiness to deal with any risky develop- by North Korea as a “wanton” provocation and rehearsal versial trip to North Korea yesterday, fuelling speculation ANKARA: Riot police detain a demonstrator as they ments, he added. North Korea sometimes launches for war. A US defense official said last week that two that Pyongyang may be trying to thaw icy relations with clash with demonstrators in Ankara yesterday. Public short-range missiles for tests or as part of military drills. North Korean Musudan medium-range missiles that had Japan. At the height of the tensions, Pyongyang threat- outrage over two car bombs that killed 51 people and “A more detailed analysis will be needed but the mis- been primed for firing as tensions flared in the run-up to ened pre-emptive nuclear strikes on the United States wounded over 100 near the border with Syria contin- siles launched may be a modified anti-ship missile or the the North’s national celebrations on April 15 had been and South Korea. — AFP ues a week after the bloody incident. — AP Cybersecurity experts Google’s wearable Glass fear the ‘unknowns’ WASHINGTON: Cybersecurity profes- League’s championship game, wit- gadget: Cool or creepy? sionals know a myriad of ways hackers nessed by tens of millions of viewers. can try to wreak havoc on critical infra- The outage was blamed on an electrical structure or infiltrate corporations to relay device not a cyber attack. “The SAN FRANCISCO: Google staged four discussions steal or spy, but it is the fear of the known unknown is what I worry about,” expounding on the finer points of its “Glass” wearable unknown that some say keeps them up US Secretary of Homeland Security computer during this week’s developer conference. at night. US security officials and pri- Janet Napolitano told the Summit. Missing from the agenda, however, was a session on eti- vate sector experts wonder what kinds “For example, we don’t have the quette when using the recording-capable gadget, of time-bombs can be - or have been - identity of all the adversaries who are which some attendees faithfully wore everywhere - embedded by malware into computer trying to either commit crimes or acts including to the crowded bathrooms. networks, just waiting to explode. over the cyber networks. The things we Google Glass, a cross between a mobile computer Cyber espionage is already “the know about, we can deal with. It’s the and eyeglasses that can both record video and surf the greatest transfer of wealth in history,” known unknown,” she added. The mili- Internet, is now available to a select few but is already National Security Agency Director Keith tary is a big target, something that Rear among the year’s most buzz-worthy new gadgets. The Alexander, the top US general in charge Admiral William Leigher, who is in device has geeks all aflutter but is unnerving everyone of cybersecurity said in Washington this charge of “information dominance” from lawmakers to casino operators worried about the week. “Disruptive and destructive with the US Navy, takes on board. “Our potential for hitherto unimagined privacy and policy attacks on our country will get worse,” networks see thousands of intrusion violations. he said. “Mark my words, it will get attempts every day...staying up with “I had a friend and we’re sitting at dinner and about worse.” Stealing software or money - the threat, making sure that our defen- 30 minutes into it she said, ‘You know those things freak like the $45 million lifted from two sive systems are up to par is probably me out,’” said Allen Firstenberg, a technology consultant Middle Eastern banks in a daring global one of the things that gets most of my at the Google developers conference. He has been plot revealed this month - might pale attention,” Leigher said. wearing Glass for about a week but offered to take next to an attack that could, for exam- To be sure, the United States has not them off for the comfort of his dinner companion. On ple, switch off the lights in a major US suffered the kind of destructive cyber another occasion, Firstenberg admitted to walking into city. attack that damaged some 30,000 com- a bathroom wearing his Glass without realizing it. “Most That was the fear in New Orleans in puters at Saudi Arabia’s oil company, of the day I totally forget it’s there,” he said. Many believe wearable computers represent the February when a power outage struck Saudi Aramco, last year. CALIFORNIA: An attendee tries Google Glass during the Google I/O developer next big shift in technology, just as smartphones the Super Bowl, the National Football Continued on Page 13 conference in San Francisco, California.