http://nt.excite.com/news/r/990305/00/tech-millennium

Panel Details Y2k Plans For Americans Overseas

(Last updated 12:28 AM ET March 5) WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government is drawing up contingency plans for Americans traveling or living overseas next Jan. 1 should the year 2000 computer bug cause widespread problems, according to a Senate panel.

The Senate's special committee on the millennium computer glitch said the State Department was prepared to issue travel warnings to Americans if conditions in certain countries deteriorated.

In case of more severe problems, the department may urge American nationals living abroad to return home, the committee said in a memorandum, which will be released at a Senate hearing Friday.

The millennium problem arises because many older computers record dates using only the last two digits of the year. If left uncorrected, such systems could treat the year 2000 as the year 1900, generating errors or system crashes next Jan. 1.

The Senate committee, chaired by Utah Republican Sen. Robert Bennett, issued a report earlier this week that warned that the year 2000 computer bug could set off civil unrest in poor countries, and undermine economic growth in Asia, Latin America and Africa.

The committee will hold a hearing Friday specifically on these Y2K threats. Officials with the State and Commerce departments and the Central Intelligence Agency were scheduled to testify.

In the memo, the committee offered details of how the U.S. government was preparing for the computer glitch outside the United States.

It said the State Department was taking steps to ready foreign posts, such as asking all U.S. embassies to stock up on 30-days worth of supplies in case they get cut off.

To reduce the risk of an accidental missile launch next Jan. 1, the committee said the Clinton administration may invite Russian and Chinese officials to witness the millennium change from monitoring stations within the United States.

"Panic over Y2K concerns may cause investors to withdraw financial support," the memo said. "Lack of confidence in a country's infrastructure could cause multinational companies to close their operations."

"The results could topple a fragile economy or a struggling foreign government," it said. ---------------------------------------------------------------------

-- Kevin (mixesmusic@worldnet.att.net), March 05, 1999

Answers

Thanks Kevin; It sure makes sense to be self-reliant at home.

-- Watchful (seethesea@msn.com), March 05, 1999.

"The results could topple a fragile economy or a struggling foreign government."

I'm about sick of this disconnect with reality. If Japan, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, all of South America, Germany, France, China, just to name a few bit the big one, which is looking VERY likely, we are economic toast reguardless of whatever else happens. Where is Paule Milne when you need him, he could tear this to shreds.

Got Oil?

Got Trading Partners?

Got Foreign debt payments?

Got overseas stocks?

Got gold backed currency?

Got International communications?

-- Nikoli Krushev (doomsday@y2000.com), March 05, 1999.