[FYI] (Fwd) FC: London Sunday Times reports on Y2K martial law p

[Horns@t-online.de (Axel H. Horns)]

------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
Date:          Wed, 21 Jul 1999 11:43:54 -0400
To:            politech@vorlon.mit.edu
From:          Declan McCullagh <declan@well.com>
Subject:       FC: London Sunday Times reports on Y2K martial law plans
Reply-to:      declan@well.com

[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" <freenet@globalnet.co.uk>
>To: "Declan McCullagh" <declan@well.com>
>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Half the combat troops are to be withdrawn from Kosovo by the end of August,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
> 

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