Conclusions about Pakistan: “no money, no energy, no government.” However, they do have nuclear weapons and the missiles to deliver them thanks to help from China.
India, you had better start sweating bullets, because you are in serious trouble.
From the article:
A U.S. official who participated in drafting the top secret National Intelligence Estimate said it portrays [...]

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Uncle Sam is down on his knees, and some observers already are administering the last rites. But are they too quick to judge?
Eavesdrop on the two scenes for a moment.
“If money isn’t loosened up, this sucker could go down,” he said of the US economy, marshalling the inimitable eloquence of the President who has given [...]

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My website host, Dreamhost.Com, has started throttling (limiting resources) this site. Apparently, I’m using up too many resources.
I’m sorry to say that it looks like I’ll have to switch over to a subscription based model. I’ve been thinking about going to a subscription based model for some time now, because advertising doesn’t pay much. Donations [...]

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The Mafia are ingeniously silver-plating their glimmering stash of South Africa’s stolen gold. The disguise has allowed them to launder money in Swiss bank accounts. Investigations finger top Swiss Bank — UBS, and its subsidiary Metalor, who is the proven recipient of the ‘odd gold’. So shouldn’t Metalor have informed the authorities? Technically they’ve so [...]

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Taiwan had the opportunity to buy arms for several years, but chose not to do so because of internal conflict. A little more than half the island preferred to spend money on social programs instead of expensive military equipment.
From the article:
US says there is no pressing and compelling need at this moment for arms sales [...]

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A third of all money spent by the Russian government on its armed forces is lost to corruption, a senior Russian official has warned.
Aleksander Kanshin told reporters 16 generals and 180 colonels were prosecuted last year alone.
Read Me…

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U.S. counter terrorism officials say the alerts issued this week for U.S. and British citizens in the United Arab Emirates should be taken “very seriously.”
“It’s not something to take lightly, it’s worth paying attention to,” said one U.S. official. “That doesn’t necessarily mean it will come to fruition, but do note that [the U.A.E] [...]

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The Russian Navy’s shipbuilding plans are still mostly plans. For the last seventeen years, most of their construction effort went into finishing a few subs, and building for export. Currently building are three SSBNs (the new Borei class, for which the missile is not quite ready yet), one new SSN (attack sub, that has been [...]

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Beijing and Washington are geopolitical rivals and Beijing has used the gains from trade and investment to strengthen its capabilities. It has been foolish to allow China to amass its dollar hoard through an inattentive trade policy. It would be even more irresponsible to allow Beijing to use its money any way it pleases to [...]

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A building frenzy is raging in Asia, Russia and on the Persian Gulf. And cities like London and New York don’t have the money to compete. Will Western urban landscapes soon look outdated? By Ulrike Knöfel, Frank Hornig and Bernhard Zand more…

Photo Gallery: The East’s New Skylines
The Rise of Dubai: A Queue in the Sand
Unveiling [...]

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They called him “Angel.” He was the highest-ranking outside contact for the Colombian guerilla organization FARC. More and more details are now emerging that demonstrate the close relationship between Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and the jungle terrorists. By Jens Glüsing more…

The FARC Computer: German Left Wing May Have Ties to Colombian Extremists
No Ideology, Just Money [...]

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As recent reports make clear, Russia is now forcing its way back into the Middle East - and not necessarily in the most encouraging manner. By dangerously increasing its arms sales to the region, Moscow is seeking to restore prestige, bolster influence and - not least - to make money.
The latest example came with reports [...]

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Now, however, people in international financial circles detect a subtle shifting of the ground in confidence about the dollar. A few years ago, the suggestion that another currency could rival the dollar would have been ridiculed. Today, some economists say the dollar could begin surrendering some of the advantages of dominance to the euro [...]

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Surely only good can come from so much cash? Hardly. In the 1970s the Gulf’s money was a disaster for Latin America, for, recycled through Western banks, it caused a decade-long debt crisis. The Gulf itself suffered by inflicting stagflation on the West, thus causing a 20-year-long slump in oil prices. They built white elephants [...]

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