Think along the lines of a special forces unit going deep into enemy territory with embedded geeks in the team, to dig up fibre-optic cable to be able to reach the systems that were supposed to be unreachable.

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Instead, Mr Zebari speaks of special missions behind enemy lines in which American special forces and Kurdish peshmergas will work together.

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Scotland Yard, which is co-ordinating the investigation, said it was following up 340 lines of inquiry and is in contact with 14 other police forces.

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