SOBERING: The World’s Most Dangerous Countries; How Will America Respond?

Last week I presented a list of Islamic terrorist groups. This week I focus on the most dangerous countries in the world.

— Iran. The world’s biggest sponsor of terrorism, including Hezbollah. It also has its Shiite militias in Iraq. And of course, it is attempting to have nuclear weapons, which in all likelihood will be used to “wipe Israel off the map.” And who’s to say that Iran wouldn’t hesitate to launch a nuclear strike against the United States or any of its allies?

— Pakistan. A Muslim nation with nuclear weapons, not to mention the fact that its intelligence service — the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) — has ties with the Taliban. It should be noted that the madrasas (Islamic schools) in Pakistan were the spiritual birthplaces for the Taliban’s fundamentalist views. And of course, Pakistan was where Bin Laden had been hiding when the Navy Seals killed him.

— Saudi Arabia. Its wealthy royals have an influence (via the petrodollars) in business and world politics. One particular example is Prince Al-Waleed Bin Talal, who owns stock in various companies (e.g. News Corporation — the parent company of Fox News). Saudi Arabia is also said to be a major sponsor of terrorism (even more than Iran by some estimates). And keep in mind the Bin Laden family resides there (although they emigrated from Yemen).

— China. The world’s largest communist nation and another nuclear power. They seem to be manufacturing everything found in stores today. They have their share of hackers and spies (as do other dangerous countries). They also desire to occupy Taiwan and become the dominant nation in the Asia-Pacific rim (if not the World).

— North Korea. The most Stalinist nation in the communist bloc. Its people are starving and have little (if any) access to other common goods while its government has turned the country into a nuclear power. North Korea seeks to take over South Korea, while also being a threat to Japan and the United States.

— Russia. Although the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, communism did not go away in the post-Soviet Russia. The Communists there desire a return to power, but other authoritarian forces rival them (as do any pro-democracy supporters). At any rate, authoritarianism has managed to make its way back into Russia’s political structure. Russian spies have been apprehended in America in recent years, while the Russian military has shown signs of aggression (e.g. Georgia, Ukraine). And given the various conflicts going on across the globe, Russia appears to be taking of advantage of them while pursuing its own ambitions — hence its own international game of chess. The same could be said for the other nations previously mentioned.

Needless to say, these threats need to be dealt with. And doing so requires strong leadership. Unfortunately, the Obama Administration does not have that quality. Hopefully, the next administration will.

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/75491103@N00/3579905705/