Bunkers ready for Italy's Y2K

BY RICHARD OWEN IN ROME ITALY, which has been under fire for months from other Western countries for failing to take swift action to avert the threat of the millennium bug, yesterday announced its emergency arrangements.

The plan provides for the transfer by helicopter of Massimo D'Alema, the Prime Minister, and other senior political, defence and health officials from Palazzo Chigi in Rome to Fort Braschi, north of the Vatican. Professor Ernesto Bettinelli, head of the Italian Y2K Committee, said apocalyptic visions were fanciful. He said tens of thousands of experts and officials would be on duty on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day to ensure electricity, water and telephone systems did not collapse.

Mariella Gramaglia, head of the Rome city council Y2K commitee, said that whereas urban systems in other Western countries were controlled by advanced computers, Italy still had old fashioned technology in many sectors. This would prove an advantage, she said.

But other officials said there was a high risk that electricity and telephone systems would fail and back-up systems had been set up with their nerve centre at Fort Braschi. One British assessment has put Italian preparedness on a par with that of Peru and Honduras.

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Oh yeah, Italy is ready all right....yup, yup, yup, uh huh !!!

-- Ynott (Ynott@incorruptible.com), December 16, 1999

Answers

Ynott:

A simple analysis:

"BY RICHARD OWEN IN ROME ITALY, which has been under fire for months from other Western countries for failing to take swift action to avert the threat of the millennium bug, yesterday announced its emergency arrangements.

The plan provides for the transfer by helicopter of Massimo D'Alema, the Prime Minister, and other senior political, defence and health officials from Palazzo Chigi in Rome to Fort Braschi, north of the Vatican. Professor Ernesto Bettinelli, head of the Italian Y2K Committee, said apocalyptic visions were fanciful. He said tens of thousands of experts and officials would be on duty on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day to ensure electricity, water and telephone systems did not collapse. "

This seems an elaborate scheme if no problems are expected. I understand planing, but this seems overboard.

"Mariella Gramaglia, head of the Rome city council Y2K commitee, said that whereas urban systems in other Western countries were controlled by advanced computers, Italy still had old fashioned technology in many sectors. This would prove an advantage, she said."

The Italy is really a third world county agruement. I don't think so. Seems a ploy to not hurt tourist trade.

"But other officials said there was a high risk that electricity and telephone systems would fail and back-up systems had been set up with their nerve centre at Fort Braschi. One British assessment has put Italian preparedness on a par with that of Peru and Honduras."

Who really knows?

Bes

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), December 16, 1999.

What a concerning report. Where is Llama man when you need him? Probably 'goaltending' his balls again...

-- (@ .), December 16, 1999.

for "simple analysis" Bes~

I'm sorry, I found your analysis (interesting terminology for whatever it was you said) a bit too simple for me...didn't even follow it.

I live here. The report was accurate. What is your background?

Who knows? Well nobody does really...but one can make observations based on what we DO know....that is what this article was about. The folks in the KNOW seem to feel a "bug out" helicopter to be in order to a military base....hmmmmm? Could they possibly know something. Who knows? Well, it would seem SOMEBODY sure SUSPECTS something will be amiss.

Read my previous posts on the two Italys....I was going to say something that after reading it seemed way too harsh... so, I'll leave it at that..

-- Ynott (Ynott@incorruptible.com), December 16, 1999.

Thanks Ynott.

-- ghost (fading into the@background.com), December 16, 1999.

I support their flight. No comment on their destination, however...

Given the large number of Catholics taking a pilgrimage to Rome, and the Project Magiddo report as well as US State Dept warnings, Rome is the last place I would be at rollover, second to Times Square MAYBE. I think it is wise for the leaders of Rome to vacate on those warnings alone, even if they have no other info. When I think about it, the one consistent warning the US feds are giving is to avoid large gatherings.

-- Hokie (nn@va.com), December 16, 1999.

Ynott:

Bes?LOL. That was the first part of best wishes, which was cut off by the software. I was agreeing with you. I thought that would be obvious. No, I don't live there, but I have many colleagues who do [they not only live there, they are natives]. I communicate with them on a daily basis. They also agree with you. Is that clear enough? Bes: ;-).

Best wishes,,,,,

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), December 16, 1999.

Z1X4Y7~ Jeez, what a moniker! Can I call you Z?

Sorry if I took your post the wrong way...still don't understand it, but hey, if you meant well, then who am I to judge...

I like bes better..... You are not related to the star formerly known as Prince by any chance are you?

;0)

Ynott

-- Ynott (Ynott@incorruptible.com), December 17, 1999.

Incorruptiable one:

"You are not related to the star formerly known as Prince by any chance are you? "

It is obvious that you haven't dealt much with AOL. They rejected all of my reasonable suggestions and told me to choose a name that included both numbers and letters. This one has mathematical sym. to it. Formerly known as Prince was already taken ;-).

Best wishes,,,,

Z

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), December 17, 1999.