I'm curious, and I'm wondering if anyone else perceive's this as I do. Suddenly , it seem's, that there is a concerted effort to warn the populace of a massive threat to our national security. Take for example the following quotes from a front page ariticle April 12 1998 Milwaukee Journal ---by Frank A. Aukofer. He wrote " ......John Carlin, another information warfare authority, wrote recently that Iraq's Saddam Hussien could recruit a brilliant scientist, get commercially available equipment and instruct the scientist to steal the electronic systems that run the power supply in Dallas,the water supply in Miami and the spy satellites of the National Security Agency." The article went on to say this also " " This { information warfare } is a huge, monumetal threat to the national security of the United States, say's Brigadier General Robert F. Behler, director of command, control, communications and computer systems for the U.S Strategic Command at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb." " This country makes decisions in micro-sections--everything from the stock market to air traffic control, to early warning strategic command to the heating and air-conditioning in your home," Brig. Gen. Behler says " If someone dissrupts air traffic control, it could be catastrophic" The article went on to say this " The vulnerabilities are everywhere: bridges, dams, power and telephones switches, and satellite communications for the U.S. intelligence community, says Robert D. Steele, who describes himself as a former spy, is chief executive officer of Open Source Solutions in Fairfax , Va., which provides information services and systems to corporations and government agencies. Most vulnerable of all, he says, are the data managed by financial institutions. The best way to { mess } with a capitolist is to make records of his money vanish, and to do so anonymously , Steel says." On April 5 1998 an article in Parade Magazine was devoted to Sec. of Defense William S. Cohen. He went on to say this : " We live in a dangerous world, threats range from chemical and biological weapons unleashed in American cities to cyber-terrorism, where our own computers could be turned against us, even shutting down the stock market ." I don't know, but it seems odd that, all of a sudden there is a lot of talk of cyber-terrorists and electronic Pearl Harbor's and of the tremendously vulnerable computer infrastructure. If our economy is left in shambles and we enter into a deep recession would our current administration likely admit to failure in the y2k remediation effort, or would they look for a conveniant scapegoat? You decide. Hugo

-- hugo fitzduane (hugofitzduane@usa.net), April 12, 1998

Answers

Dear Hugo:

When you consider that this administration blames everyone else for what happens on thier watch, what you propose is excellent. I fear that the American public would buy it in a New York minute a la, "wag the dog" What irony to think that Sadaam will get blamed for y2k. I get most of my information on y2k from the English, Canadian and Australian newspapers. They are admitting the problem and are pretty open about it. Do you think that "rascally" Sadaam is also sabotaging their computers? If Clinton gets away with it here, Europe and the rest of the world might jump on the band wagon too.

-- Bill Solorzano (notaclue@webtv.net), April 12, 1998.