In the show Dark Angel and Blade Runner 2046, nuclear weapons are detonated in orbit, causing EMP blast that knocks out the communications and computer networks of the First World temporarily... While most of the Northern Hemisphere is able to get networks and electricity in a few days, imagine the chaos that would take place in the aftermath...
How would they be able to get nuclear weapons? I think they would just nuke New York City, wouldn't that be more devastating? Like in some ATL I can't remember, where Osman Bin Lan basically got the nukes from the dying Soviet Union and destroys New York City with them.