[Heck, maybe the conspiracy theorists at last week's conference I wrote about ("TWA Crash 800 Coverup") ("NATO and the New World Order") had it right. --Declan] >From: "Alan Docherty" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: "Declan McCullagh" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: Y2K martial law in UK >Date: Sun, 18 Jul 1999 14:21:41 +0100 > >Declan, > >This is from London's Sunday Times (subscription still required, I think.) >It's an extraordinary situation, only weeks ago we were assured in a mass >publicity campaign that Y2K would cause minimal problems in Britain. > >Regards, > >Alan > > > >July 18 1999 BRITAIN > >Soldiers pull out of Kosovo to deal with millennium bug chaos > >by Hugh McManners >Defence Correspondent > > >THE SAS and other special services are to deal with outbreaks of civil >disorder and the collapse of utilities under secret plans being drawn up by >the armed forces to cope with the millennium bug. > >The plans, codenamed Operation Surety, will see the special forces and other >armed troops deployed to protect not only key government sites but also >civilian installations such as banks, airports and power stations if their >security systems fail. > >The extent of the military's role has been disclosed as the armed services >prepare for the critical date of September 9, or 9/9/99, when the scale of >the computer chaos could become apparent. > >Half the combat troops are to be withdrawn from Kosovo by the end of August, >a total of up to 2,000 soldiers. > >A Ministry of Defence (MoD) source said Operation Surety, drawn up over 18 >months by a small team of specialists at the Permanent Joint Headquarters in >Northwood, Middlesex, had been given the highest military priority after >active operations in Kosovo. > >"The operation is designed to ensure that essential government and civilian >functions can continue between September and February next year, which is >the period of danger. It's a real threat and highly classified," said the >source. > >Soldiers would also support the emergency services in handling disruption >and accidents caused by the failure of electricity, water supplies or >telephones through the inability of many computer systems to cope with the >date change from 1999 to 2000. > >Planners fear that computer failures could leave installations vulnerable to >criminal or terrorist attack. Armed troops, some with light tanks and heavy >weapons, will be deployed to guard likely targets such as airports. In the >worst scenario, some form of martial law might be necessary in localised >areas. > >Eight leading financial institutions have asked the MoD for protection. >Individual chief constables will call for military back-up if security >system failures lead to looting and civil disorder. > >The army will provide transport, communications, medical help and food >supplies, as well as armed security. Fifty military postmen will ensure that >government mail gets through. Army motorcycle dispatch riders will deliver >secret government documents by hand if electronic transmissions are >disrupted. [...] >http://www.the-times.co.uk/news/pages/Sunday-Times/frontpage.html?2294202 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- POLITECH -- the moderated mailing list of politics and technology To subscribe: send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with this text: subscribe politech More information is at http://www.well.com/~declan/politech/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------
