[science fiction] botnets and zombies attack root machines

A handful of the 13 machines that work as the internet's traffic cops were struck last night as Asian hackers overwhelmed them in a co-ordinated strike. According to our report, the attacks lasted 12 hours but failed to completely immobilise the servers in question.

Using botnets and zombie machines, the hackers tried to overwhelm the root servers in what was effectively a massive denial-of-service strike. But security experts say ordinary internet users wouldn't have noticed any real difference, despite the fact that Graham Cluley of Sophos likened the attack to '"twenty hippos trying to get through a revolving door at the same time".

Any idea why the Asians wished to do this? Who were the goodies in this and who the baddies? Any significance in the number 13? Who are these root servers?