Here we go again!!!

http://more.abcnews.go.com/sections/us/DailyNews/y2k_riot990831.html

_____________________________ Feds Prepare for Y2K Riots

Preparing Contingency Plans for Many Scenarios

W A S H I N G T O N, Aug. 31  The U.S. government is preparing for possible violence from cults, guerrillas, hate groups and end-of-world-fearing zealots as 2000 approaches. Law enforcement officials are working on contingency plans to cope with everything from cyber attacks to bombs at New Years Eve parties, though they say they lack knowledge of specific, credible threats. The Federal Bureau of Investigation expects to see increased and possibly violent activities among certain domestic groups related to the millennium, a top FBI official warned Congress in July. Michael Vatis, head of a new FBI-led interagency center to protect critical U.S. infrastructure, cited in particular a fringe view among white supremacists that the world is on the verge of a final apocalyptic struggle.

Apocalyptic Scenarios This requires the faithful to prepare for the Second Coming of Christ by taking violent action against their enemies, Vat told a special Senate panel in July on the Y2K technology glitch. The panel is looking into pitfalls of the Y2K problem, a coding glitch that could cause computers to misread 2000 as 1900 and trigger shutdowns. Vatis did not cite possible targets but FBI Director Louis Freeh has said they included Jews, non-whites and their establishment allies, i.e. the federal government. The FBI counter-terrorism section has been planning for any violent activity by such groups, said Vatis, who is leading a separate drive to thwart cyber attacks that could disrupt the economy or government. At issue is the fear that Jan. 1, 2000, may seem like a watershed date for fanatics ready to put end-of-world rhetoric into action.

Concerned About Racist Action Robert Blitzer, who retired last November as head of the FBIs domestic counter-terrorism arm, cited the case of Buford Furrow Jr., the white supremacist who pleaded not guilty on Monday to killing a Filipino-American letter carrier after shooting up a Jewish community center in the Los Angeles area. Furrow turned himself in to the FBI after the Aug. 10 attacks. He allegedly told authorities the shooting was a wake-up call to America to kill Jews. Groups with similar views or apocalyptic cults like Heavens Gate, 30 of whose members committed mass suicide in 1997, may deem the rollover to 2000 a good time for them to make their mark on history, said Blitzer. I know there are still continuing to be serious threats from abroad, added Blitzer, who now consults on counter-terrorism at the Science Applications International Corporation in McLean, Virginia. He was unaware of any specific credible threats but said foreign foes had already shown what they were capable of in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing in New York. Freeh has warned Congress that white supremacist extremists may stage armed robberies to finance what some view as the coming Battle of Armageddon between the forces of good and evil. Some of these extremists believe that this entails whites fighting Satans heirs, the FBI chief told a Senate Appropriations panel on Feb. 4. In such a world view, he said, Satans heirs were defined as Jews, non-whites and their supposed allies in the federal government, John Gordon, deputy director of the U.S. intelligence community, said the CIA and its 12 sister spy outfits were tightening their drills to monitor events at the date change.

Preparing for the Worst We are strengthening the communications processes between centers, he told a Senate Armed Services panel on Feb. 24. We are preparing for the potential that there may be situations erupting worldwide and within our own systems environment. In addition to the perceived threat from within, U.S. officials fear anti-Western guerrilla groups and others may try to take advantage of the federal stretch to keep tabs on any Y2K-related failures. The White House is setting up a $40 million information coordination center to help policymakers with Year 2000 issues and coordinate any emergency responses. In some instances, it may not be immediately apparent whether a service outage is the result of the millennium bug or a computer intrusion, Vatis testified. Such uncertainty could make Y2K an inviting date for malicious strikes, officials said. Together with a Pentagon task force for computer network defense, Vatiss National Infrastructure Protection Center will hold a classified, two-day conference called Preparing for Cyberwar, including Y2K contingencies, in early October.

Copyright 1999 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

-- helium (heliumavid@yahoo.com), September 04, 1999

Answers

I'd be interested in Michael Vatis' source of information. I have never heard of any established church or cult that has taught that you get ready for Christ's return by killing people.

There may indeed be riots, but I suspect it will be the hungry people who listened to the "just-prepare-as-you-would-for-a-three-day- weekend" line.

gene

-- gene (ekbaker@essex1.com), September 04, 1999.

Couldn't have said it better Gene.

-- Norm (Prez22@aol.com), September 04, 1999.

I was just about to write a thread on one of my biggest concerns at the moment and I believe this is related. Our conservative (not politically), "everything is fine, don't worry, USA is #1!" government has spent an inordinate amount of effort recently informing the American people of its fears of cyberterrorism, bioterrorism, all kinds of terrorism that they expect around Jan. 1. They have been holding conferences (State of Florida had one last month)and drills and spitting out quotes that "it's not a matter of if but when" it will happen. These articles are getting big play in the media.

With my diminished (read "nonexistent) faith in our government, I believe it's possible that all this is a planned excuse for anything that happens at rollover. Look what a great story it makes, not our fault, we had everything done, but you don't have electricity because these damn Arabs/Chinese/fill in the blank broke into our computers and shut them down. Build up the fear of anti-government factions now and then lay the blame at their feet post-rollover. If the sheeple fall for this, there will be no justice.

Look forward to other opinions.

-- dakota (none@thistime.com), September 04, 1999.

If there are no problems with the rollover, and Clinton actually leaves the White House in January 2001, I'll throw the biggest "Conservative Doomer turns Polly Liberal" Party in history. Of course, it would be the first of its kind in history, but you'd all be invited. However, Dakota, I think, is correct.

Zev

-- Zev Barak (zev@msn.com), September 04, 1999.

Gene and Norm,

60 Minutes did have a piece a few weeks ago that interviewed militant Christians in Jerusalem. These "Christians" stated their goal is to blow up the mosque on the Rock to make room for the new Kewish Temple as prophesied for the End Times.

-- Bill P (porterwn@one.net), September 04, 1999.

Please forgive my poor typing skills.

-- Bill P (porterwn@one.net), September 04, 1999.

Gene - you asked about Vatis' source of information. It may very well have been from Blitzer (great name) at the PRIVATE Science Applications International Corporation. Note that Blitzer "retired last November as head of the FBIs domestic counter-terrorism arm". Counter-terrorism is big, BIG, business. "TERRORISM" - the idea, the fear, sells programs.. BIG programs. Just as we have often heard about a "revolving door" leading congresscritters from "public service" into PRIVATE big business lobbying positions, so there also seems to be a revolving door leading ex-FBI/CIA/NSA/Navy Seal types into PRIVATE security firms like the Science Applications International Corporation and Global Options. A year or so ago we had a few FAKE anthrax scares, then William Cohen did the news and talk show scene with his 5# sack of sugar, and then there is an exclusive contract to immunize the whole military with untested vaccines. A few months ago Global Options *advised* the Senate or Congress about the threat of Y2K terrorism, and then you get William Cohen's "scary letter" and then massive plans for Y2K bunkers and Big Brother snooping. It is big, BIG, business. Your tax dollars at work. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you!

-- Linda (lwmb@psln.com), September 05, 1999.