World faces growing risk of conflict: US intelligence chief

Posted by Matt in October 31st, 2008 | no comment

Published in Asia, War, Challenges, Conflict, Director Of National Intelligence, Food And Fuel, Intel, Intel Chief, Intelligence Chief, Michael Mcconnell, Reuters, Risk, Weapons Of Mass Destruction

The world faces a growing risk of conflict over the next 20 to 30 years amid an unprecedented transfer of wealth and power from West to East, the US intelligence chief has said.
Michael McConnell, the director of national intelligence, predicted rising demand for scarce supplies of food and fuel, strategic competition over new technologies, and [...]

Iranian Nuke Scientist: Weekend Quake was a Nuclear Test

Posted by Matt in October 30th, 2008 | no comment

Published in Iran, Nuclear, Bomb Test, Earthquake In Iran, Epicenter, Iran Nuclear, Israel, Israel Insider, Kilometers, Nine Days, Nuclear Bomb, Nuclear Scientist, Nuclear Test, Nuke, Quake, Richter Scale, Tremor

A weekend 5.0 Richter earthquake in Iran was actually a nuclear bomb test, says an Iranian nuclear scientist claiming to be working on the project.
…
Israel Insider adds that the test/quake was actually the second in a series. Nine days ago, a 4.8 Richter scale event occurred, with its epicenter only five kilometers away from the [...]

Stratfor Fourth Quarter Forecast 2008

Posted by Matt in October 30th, 2008 | no comment

Published in general, Absorption, Asian Goods, Debacle, East Asia, Export Demand, Forecast, Fourth Quarter, Global Financial Crisis, Lame Duck, Legs, Liquidity Shortage, Lockdown, Meltdown, Midst, Presidential Election, Recession, Remediation, Rest Of The World, Resurgence, Roots, Second Quarter

Three issues will dominate the final quarter of 2008: the global financial crisis, U.S. self-absorption and the Russian resurgence.
The financial crisis has its roots in an American liquidity meltdown. But as the days flow by, it will become obvious that the crisis is evolving as it spreads to the rest of the world, and its [...]

Evidence found for Syrian nuke probe

Posted by Matt in October 29th, 2008 | no comment

Published in Nuclear, Syria, Air Samples, Israel, Nuclear Reactor, Nuke, Soil, Suspicion, Western Diplomats

Freshly evaluated soil and air samples from a Syrian site bombed by Israel on suspicion it was a covert nuclear reactor provide enough evidence for a UN probe, Western diplomats said yesterday.
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U.S. nuclear weapons need update, Gates says

Posted by Matt in October 29th, 2008 | no comment

Published in Nuclear, U.S., arsenal, Defense Secretary, Nuclear Weapons, Robert Gates, Safety And Reliability, Secretary Robert, Term Safety, United States, Warhead

Unless the United States modernizes its inventory of nuclear weapons and develops a replacement warhead, the arsenal’s long-term safety and reliability will deteriorate, Defense Secretary Robert Gates warned Tuesday.
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Bankrupt Rogues: Beware Failing Foes

Posted by Matt in October 29th, 2008 | no comment

Published in Economy, Russia, Bankrupt States, Catastrophes, Economic Disasters, Financial Crisis, Foes, Global Financial Crisis, Gulag, Mao, Nazi Germany, putin, Rogue States, Rogues, Sick Economy, Soviet Communism, Weimar Republic

Successful states may generate trouble, but failures produce catastrophes: Nazi Germany erupted from the bankrupt Weimar Republic; Soviet Communism’s economic disasters swelled the Gulag; a feckless state with unpaid armies enabled Mao’s rise.
Putin might treat sick economy with war.
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South Africa: The Next Failed State?

Posted by Matt in October 27th, 2008 | no comment

Published in Africa, Accountability, Africa South, Botswana Africa, Brother, Confidence, Control Corruption, Crossroads, Failed State, Foreign Policy, Future Crime, Impartiality, Judiciary, Rocky Road, South Africa, State Utilities, Sub Saharan Africa, Unruly Elements, Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Africa

Will South Africa follow its brother Zimbabwe?
South Africa is at a crossroads. There is a growing crisis of confidence in the country’s future. Crime is out of control; corruption in high places is endemic (accountability practically nonexistent); state utilities are collapsing; the impartiality of the judiciary is threatened by unruly elements bent on imposing their [...]

Rising Ambitions, Sinking Population

Posted by Matt in October 25th, 2008 | no comment

Published in Demographics, Russia, Ambitions, Dangerous Period, Disaster, Doorstep, End Of Communism, Exit Strategy, Fortunes, Foundations, Immigration, kremlin, Lows, Midst, Nuclear Weapons, Oil And Gas, Parlous, Rulers, Russia Population, Russian Federation, Russian Nation, Windfall Profits

Russia is in the midst of a genuine demographic disaster from which its rulers have no obvious exit strategy. Although the Russia’s fortunes (and the Kremlin’s ambitions) have waxed on a decade of windfall profits from oil and gas, the human foundations of the Russian nation — the ultimate sources of the country’s wealth and [...]

Europe and America in the shadows as a new era dawns

Posted by Matt in October 25th, 2008 | no comment

Published in Uncategorized, Array, Centuries, Cold-War, Collapse Of The Soviet Union, Economic Domination, Emperor Augustus, Europe And America, Europeans, Global Economy, New Era, Roman Empire, superpower, Truth, Unique Power, United States, Watershed, World History

‘The United States is not just a superpower. It is a super-dooper power,” I was told shortly after the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union. There was considerable truth in this claim. Never since the Roman Empire, under the Emperor Augustus 2,000 years ago, had one state appeared so [...]

China’s prime potential enemies

Posted by Matt in October 25th, 2008 | no comment

Published in China, Army Documents, China Military, China S Military, Deployment, Enemies, India, Japan, Likelihood, Military Engagement, Military Preparedness, NATO, People S Liberation Army, Russia, Southeast Asia, Taiwan, United States, Vietnam, Weaponry

China’s military preparedness and strategic deployment of weaponry take into consideration a whole range of potential enemies, an analysis of internal People’s Liberation Army documents has revealed.
In order of importance – that is, the likelihood of actual military engagement – those enemies are Taiwan, the United States and Japan (as potential defenders of Taiwan), India, [...]