Subj: Russia's nukes & Y2K - THE DEAD HAND
Date: 12/26/99 6:08:28 PM Pacific Standard Time

>On November 13, 1984, the Soviet Union fired two long-range missiles 40
minutes apart. American intelligence agents tracked the trajectory of the
missiles. It was not an ordinary missile test.
>
>The Soviet Union was testing the Dead Hand.
>
>It is a Doomsday Machine that will automatically launch a nuclear strike
against the United States without any input by human beings. The Dead Hand
is a Computer housed deep inside the massive underground bunker in a
mountain in Siberia translated as the Evil mountain.
>
>When the computer believes that Russia's military commanders are dead, it
is programmed to automatically launch the nuclear arsenal. The system was
designed to be a deterrent to the U.S., believing the Americans would
hesitate to launch a retaliatory attack.
>
>Upon electronically registering a break in communications above ground, the
Dead Hand will transmit launch orders into emergency communications rockets
hidden in SS-17 silos. After automatically launching themselves, the
communication rockets would fire themselves on trajectories that cover all
the nuclear fields in Russia. During their 30-minute automatic launch orders
to nuclear-armed intercontinental missiles in silos and on mobile railroad
cars.
>
>There are three features in the Dead Hand that should heighten everybody's
concern for the Year 2000. First, the Dead Hand is a completely computerized
system. Any nuclear-launch system that is 100% computer-based is
frightening. Second, it bypasses human beings. Once it is activated, the
system automatically sets in sequence the firing instructions to Russia's
nuclear arsenal. Third, the firing signals are transmitted when there is a
break in electronic communications.
>
>If computer screens go dark on January 1, 2000 could this activate the Dead
Hand. What if the Dead Hand loses communication with the sensors above
ground? Will it assume everybody above ground is dead? Will it proceed to
launch the rockets?
>
>If you answered FALSE to the question "Do you believe Clinton's statement -
Nuclear missiles require human intervention to launched" at our Y2K poll,
then you were correct.
>
>Whether intentional or accidental, a nuclear war is a real threat in 2000.
In 1995, President Yeltsin came within six minutes of launching nuclear
missiles against the United States. The Russians mistakenly identified a
Norwegian weather research rocket as an approaching American Trident
ballistic missile. The fact that the United States came within six minutes
of an accidental nuclear war should make everybody ponder the uncertainty
the Year 2000 computer crisis will bring to the world.