When Putin and other Russian officials refer to Russia as an energy superpower, they seem to mean a country that possesses a bounty of energy and will use its resources to ensure Moscow’s influence on the world’s stage. In contrast, the true picture of Russia’s energy resources and the attempted politicization of their uses is [...]

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South Korean and U.S. Intelligence authorities are analyzing the background of the “sharp increase” in North Korea’s military maneuvers involving armored vehicles and fighter jets in recent months, a report said Feb. 10.
The increased military maneuvers by the North arouse suspicions the communist state may have diverted oil aid provided by participating nations at [...]

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Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, speaking to crowds celebrating the 29th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, said Iran plans to fire two more rockets into space as part of a nascent satellite program.
The rockets will follow the launch of a device earlier this month, which prompted international criticism. Ahmadinejad said the rocket trials will precede [...]

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When a caterer working for the United States Olympic Committee went to a supermarket in China last year, he encountered a piece of chicken — half of a breast — that measured 14 inches. “Enough to feed a family of eight,” said Frank Puleo, a caterer from Staten Island who has traveled to China to [...]

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A recent Pravda headline stated, “USA absolutely defenseless against possible attack from Russia or China.” Of course, this headline seems ludicrous to most Americans.
But there is nothing ludicrous about it. In 1998 a leading Russian military defector told me that Russia and China could combine to defeat the United States in a future war. Yes, [...]

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MUNICH: North Korea remains a nuclear proliferation risk and China’s military programme lacks transparency, Japan’s Foreign Minister Masahiko Koumura warned here Saturday.
“The North Korean issues have made the regional security environment extremely difficult since the beginning of the 1990s,” Koumura told an international security conference in this southern German city. “The international community must continue [...]

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Is Hugo Chávez crashing?
It’s hard to believe that a strongman who commands more than $40 billion in annual petroleum revenue, who has been granted the right to rule by decree by a rubber-stamp parliament, who controls his country’s courts and television media, and who has recently spent billions on new weapons for his army [...]

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The alliance’s faltering military campaign in Afghanistan shows how far its capabilities have declined.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was once a force to reckon with. During the Cold War, it possessed formidable capabilities and real cohesion. No more. As a serious military enterprise, the alliance has all but ceased to exist. The “other” NATO — [...]

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