Even before the Scrin invaded, GDI and Nod were at war with each other since March 2047. GDI only managed to gain the upper hand after they drove Nod out of the Blue Zones and besieged Temple Prime. Kane placed a Liquid Tiberium Bomb deep in the basement of the Temple and provoked GDI to use their Ion Cannon against Temple Prime, obliterating all forces present and turning Eastern Europe into a Red Zone. The blast attracted the attention of the Scrin and made planetfall. However, GDI Director Boyle panicked and ordered the Ion Cannon network to fire on the invaders. This resulted in the aliens committing violent attacks on the major cities around the world.