http://headlines.about.com/news/1999/12/27/up/0000-0804-us-y2k-pentagon.html

US Military on Alert for Y2k

United Press International - December 27, 1999

WASHINGTON, Dec. 26 (UPI) The U.S. military is ready for any Year 2000-related acts of terrorism, cyberterrorism and any accidents with nuclear weapons.

Speaking on ABC's ``This Week,'' Sunday, Deputy Secretary of Defense John Hamre said: ``Although U.S. military bases around the world are on a worldwide alert, this is a normal procedure. We'll be watching on the Year 2000 rollover just to make sure we don't have problems. We don't anticipate any.''

Hamre, who for the last 18 months has been readying the military for Y2K, said. ``Every one of our installations has a posture, a force protection posture that they look at every day, and it's varied depending on circumstances and conditions. We have not made any changes just specifically for Y2K.''

He said the U.S. military has fixed all of its computer systems and that, ``Americans should feel very confident we'll be able to defend the country.''

``There are obviously things we can't anticipate, terrorist activities, for example, and those are ones where we take normal prudent steps to be ready if we have to. We're doing that, but we do that on a day to day basis, actually.''

Hamre downplayed the Dec. 11 warning by the State Department that the U.S. government has credible information that terrorists were planning attacks against Americans and said it was not out of the ordinary.

``We've had many times when we've had to be at a stronger posture to be able to support local law enforcement, and we're doing those things right now,'' he said.

Hamre said the Pentagon has been monitoring the activities of hackers and cyberterrorists, and the creation of viruses that could infiltrate and damage the governments computer systems.

``We've been monitoring it now for several months. We have been working with the software companies that write the protective anti-virus software. We're ready for that. We've already caught a number of things. And we'll be ready for that for New Year's.''

Hamre also said the Defense Department has been working with the Department of Energy to ensure nuclear plants have Y2K ready backup systems in case of any computer glitches.

Regarding the accidental launch or explosion of a nuclear missile he said, ``We're very confident that the missiles are just not going to be launched.''

``We're confident that if there are problems, it's not going to lead to a launch condition, it's going to lead to a don't launch condition.''

However he said, ``What we're worried about was the early warning radars, and the early warning satellites, that they not give (the Russians) confusing information. We don't think they'll show them launches or anything.''

He said the U.S. military officials will be sitting ``side by side'' with Russian military officials at Colorado Springs, Colo., ``for days'' monitoring the U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenal.

``We have set up and tested each of the hotlines with Russia, and have them into the command center over there as well. So each of we have five different independent ways of communicating, and those will all be functioning during that time.

``We spent $10 million in helping in Russia, revolving specifically around their stewardship control of nuclear weapons.''

Copyright 1999 by United Press International. All rights reserved

-- Uncle Bob (UNCLB0B@AOL.COM), December 27, 1999

Answers

Any way to find out what DefCon level we will be on?

-- Hawk (flyin@high.again), December 27, 1999.

we are at "C"

-- Rubicon (Notmy@ddress.net), December 27, 1999.

Rubicon, you said "C". How often are we at "C", and do you know the last time we were?

-- sally (united1000@yahoo.com), December 27, 1999.

Sally, Rubicon is playing games. There's no such thing as DefCon C. It has to be a number from 1 to 5.

-- Hawk (flyin@high.again), December 27, 1999.

DEFCON 1-5 refers to status of a possible nuclear strike. However, THREATCON Alpha, Baker, Charlie etc. refer to the possibility of terrorist activities. Up until last week, the US.mil have been at THREATCON Alpha for about the last year or so. TC-A means credible evidence of unspecified terrorist activies, with unspecified targets. One may extropolate from there...

-- Spindoc' (spindoc_99_2000@HeadDown.Now), December 27, 1999.

Spindoc is right...Threat Level Delta: Terrorist Attack in Progress. ("Oh shit! Incoming!")Threat Level Echo: Terrorist Attack Over, Clean up and Eval. ("What the hell was that?")

-- Billy Boy (Rakkasan101st@Aol.com), December 28, 1999.

Do you really think terrorists would strike when we are expecting it? Wouldn't you think they would hit when we are NOT expecting it?

-- (Here@today.com), December 28, 1999.

So, are we at threat level C? And, what does that mean? Anyone have an answer to Sally's question of when was the last time we were at this level?

-- (RUOK@yesiam.com), December 28, 1999.