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Non-Tech : The Y2K Newspaper -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: hunchback who wrote (165)	12/3/1999 8:57:00 AM
From: hunchback	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 198

New Nuclear Powers May Not Be Y2K Ready, Analysts Say Posted on Thu, 02 Dec 1999 14:43:34 GMT The United States and Russia have set up a Y2K station to monitor false alarms that could lead to nuclear war when the New Year arrives. But two of the world's newest nuclear powers have security analysts worried about a doomsday scenario elsewhere on the globe. Barely a month before the turn of the year, it is still unclear whether two longtime foes have completely eliminated the possibility of a computer glitch leading to nuclear war. Unlike the United States and Russia, India and Pakistan have not coordinated efforts to prevent a Y2K-triggered false alarm from leading to war, according to Reuters. Analysts say the longtime enemies' inability to get along could have deadly consequences. The two South Asian nations' nuclear ages dawned in 1998 after tit-for-tat underground tests. Since then, their constant bickering has worried world leaders about a potential nuclear catastrophe. The two countries came close to their fourth war this year when Indian troops fought off intruders from the Pakistani side of disputed Kashmir, and it's no surprise that their bitter relationship makes cooperation on Y2K issues difficult. Although the CIA has told Congress it is "highly confident" Y2K computer failures will not lead to the accidental launch of a ballistic missile by any country, experts worry that a false alarm could trigger a deadly retaliation in South Asia. In the past, the two enemies have taken small steps to prevent false alarms from starting a war, such as installing a telephone hotline between their two Army headquarters. But as Y2K approaches, analysts worry that mistrust could prompt one of the countrys to launch a retaliatory bomb before confirming whether or not an alarm is erroneous. "The real problem with Y2K is the uncertainty it creates which could lead to increased chances of accidental launch," Tim McDonald of the British American Security Information Council told Reuters. "India and Pakistan have very unsophisticated radar systems, and they are such close neighbors they have much less time to respond to potential attacks." The refusal by both countries to admit that they even have stockpiles of nuclear warheads has added to the uneasiness about their Y2K readiness. An Indian official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Reuters that India's missiles -- capable of carrying all types of warheads -- are Y2K compliant. But both India and Pakistan officials have failed to comment on nuclear warheads. However, Dr. Kul Rai, a professor of political science at Southern Connecticut State University and an expert in Pakistan-India relations, said that both countries have likely fixed all their potential Y2K nuclear problems. "Both are quite underdeveloped in the field of computers so there's not that much for them to take care of for Y2K," he said. Still, analysts say that countries can't be too careful when it comes to taking safeguards that could avoid a nuclear war. That concern is what prompted the former Super Powers to set up a system that will prevent false alarms from starting a war. The center is especially crucial for Russia where warning systems are expected to fail and could erroneously signal that an attack has begun. Russian officials will join U.S. officials at the Center for Year 2000 Strategic Stability in Colorado Springs, Colo. Together, the two countries will monitor computer screens that provide a global view of possible missile launches. The center was modeled after the joint Cold War-era Berlin air traffic control center, in which Russian, French, English and American air traffic controllers worked side by side to guide commercial aircraft through the air corridors leading to Berlin. Written by Stephanie Kriner, Staff Writer, DisasterRelief.org disasterrelief.org