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[FYI] (Fwd) FC: Canadian government is planning for Y2K martial



------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
Date:          Sun, 13 Dec 1998 00:11:07 -0500
To:            politech@vorlon.mit.edu
From:          Declan McCullagh <declan@well.com>
Subject:       FC: Canadian government is planning for Y2K martial law
Reply-to:      declan@well.com

I don't know about you, but I tend to get a little spooked when
government officials start secretly planning for martial law.

Robert Bennett (R-Utah), chair of the Senate's Y2K committee, has
asked the US military of its plans for martial law in the event of
Year 2000 disruptions. I've temporarily placed the transcript of that
June 1998 hearing online so you can read it yourself in full.

My article:
  http://www.well.com/user/declan/y2k/martiallaw.0698.txt
The transcript:
  http://www.well.com/user/declan/y2k/senate.y2k.0698.txt

"Inter arma silent leges."

-Declan

*********

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/national/981212/2098082.html

'Martial law' rushed for Y2K chaos
Report warns government to be ready to invoke federal Emergencies Act

Saturday 12 December 1998

   David Pugliese
   The Ottawa Citizen

   The federal government should consider invoking the Emergencies
   Act, the successor to the War Measures Act, if the millennium bug
   causes widespread chaos, according to newly obtained government
   documents.

   The report, by the Year 2000 contingency planning group of
   Emergency Preparedness Canada, calls for orders and regulations for
   the Emergencies Act to be ready by the end of March. [...]

   "Among the activities that must be done to meet the problems
   resulting from Y2000 failures is development of relevant emergency
   orders and regulations required for the invocation of emergency
   provisions under the Emergencies Act." [...]

   In the reports, military officials also raise concern that their
   ability to help out if the millennium bug causes widespread
   problems relies heavily on Canada's electrical, transportation,
   food and water and sewage systems having their own Year 2000
   problems under control: "The ability of the (Canadian Forces) to
   provide civil assistance is highly dependent on the state of
   preparedness of these infrastructure items since the CF, like
   everyone else, is highly dependent on smooth delivery of these
   supplies and services," the documents state. "Without aggressive
   action in these industrial and service sectors, the (Canadian
   Forces) may not be able to make a significant impact across the
   nation as a force of last resort."

   Military officials point out that more than 16,000 troops were
   needed to deal with the effects of the ice storm that hit Ontario
   and Quebec this year. But the millennium bug, the report states,
   "has the potential of creating a demand orders of magnitude greater
   than this, which are well beyond the CF's capability to respond."
   [...]




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