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In this week's edition of CQ Weekly, I examined the recent statements of Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair that the economic crisis was the "primary near-term security concern" of the United States.
He made the remarks weeks ago, and it got headlines. But no one, it seemed, had asked the next question: OK, what are the ramifications of that?
So I set about asking, and found that some people disagreed with the premise. Many saw a link between the economy and security -- after all, Al Qaeda has long made the connection, with Osama bin Laden pledging a "bleed-until-bankruptcy" strategy in 2004 -- but not to the degree Blair did. What's more, some questioned what good it would do for the intelligence community to involve itself in the question. Almost everyone I called -- some quoted in the piece, some not -- told me, "I'm so glad someone is asking these questions. I don't understand why no one has yet."
If you're not in the United States, the issue may still have ramifications for you, too. So, consider reading the piece, linked above, then if you're an early riser in the U.S., check me out on C-SPAN talking about all of it Monday at 8:30 a.m. EST. Failing that, C-SPAN's website rebroadcasts its programming on its website. |
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