The world... gets Y2K ready.

Diane

France plans 60,000-strong police force on New Year's Eve

Monday, December 6, 1999

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/1999/12/06/international0843EST0502.DTL

[Fair Use: For Educational/Research Purposes Only]

(12-06) 05:43 PST PARIS (AP) -- France plans to put more than 60,000 police in the streets on New Year's Eve to fend off any trouble and help assure a smooth glide into 2000, the interior minister said Monday.

About 11,000 extra riot police and mobile units will be added to those already in place for street duty, said Interior Minister Jean-Pierre Chevenement. An additional 1,600 soldiers will help survey airports and train stations, already under special watch, he said.

The stepped-up security is aimed mainly at avoiding ``crowd movements,'' assuring minimal problems due to any failure caused by the Y2K computer bug and stopping all risks of attack by terrorist groups, Chevenement said.

The higher security is comparable to that deployed during last year's monthlong World Cup soccer championship.

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), December 06, 1999

Answers

"...and stopping all risks of attack by terrorist groups"

Wow - it's that easy? Somebody should tell BJ Clinton!

-- Anonymous999 (Anonymous999@Anonymous999.xxx), December 06, 1999.

Wouldn't want to be in Paris at the rollover.

Based on my own experiences in Paris, I believe that the French dearly LOVE to bark orders & herd people around in a rude manner. No doubt all 60,000 are looking forward to this in a BIG way.

-- oh well (you've@been.warned), December 06, 1999.

In the meantime, France is now claiming that Y2K will have no effect on its economy...

http://infoseek.go.com/Content?arn=a0739LBY315reulb-19991206&qt=% 22year+2000% 22+bug*+glitch*+y2k&sv=IS&lk=noframes&col=NX&kt=A&ak=news1486

[Fair Use: For Educational/Research Purposes Only]

France's Sautter says Y2K should not hurt growth

05:42 a.m. Dec 06, 1999 Eastern

PARIS, Dec 6 (Reuters) - French Finance Minister Christian Sautter said on Monday the so-called millennium bug should not have any effect on France's growth rate next year.

He told journalists that France would have one of the strongest growth rates among leading industrialisted countries. ``I don't think the bug will weigh on that,'' he said.

French state-owned bank Caisse des Depots et Consignations on Monday released a November economic growth forecast in line with Sautter's government outlook of a 2.7 percent rise in gross domestic product (GDP) in 1999.

The EU Commission has forecast growth at 2.9 percent for 2000 for France, below analysts' expectations which range between 3.5 and 4.0 percent.

Sautter added that France was as prepared as it could be for the changeover to the year 2000.

((Paris newsroom +33 1 4221 5146, fax +33 1 4236 1072, email paris.newsroom+reuters.com))

Copyright 1999 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.

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-- Linkmeister (link@librarian.edu), December 06, 1999.