Worldwide Threat Assessment Brief to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Statement for the Record,
Abstract
This report outlines the threats to the United States and its interests now and into the next century. We still call this the post-Cold War world. Among the opportunities and challenges of our time, there is not yet one dominant enough to define the era on its own terms and give it a name. Looking beyond our borders, we see much that is uncertain: --The stability of many regions of the world is threatened by ethnic turmoil and humanitarian crises. --Two great powers, Russia and China, are in the process of metamorphosis and their final shape is still very much in question. --Free nations of the world are threatened by rogue nations - - Iran, Iraq, North Korea, and Libya, that have built up significant military forces and seek to acquire weapons of mass destruction. --The world community is under assault from those who deal in proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, terrorism, drugs and crime. --And the interdependence of the world economy has made us more vulnerable to economic shocks beyond our borders. The strategic threat to our continent is reduced, but the potential for surprise is greater than it was in the days when we could focus our energies on the well-recognized instruments of Soviet power. No one challenge today is yet as formidable as the threat from the former Soviet Union. If nurtured by neglect on our part, these new challenges could expand to threaten the growth of democracy and free markets. All the tools of national security -- diplomacy, the military, and intelligence -- must remain sharp. It is the task of the Intelligence Community to provide policymakers and military commanders with early warning of emerging problems -- warning that can allow us to avoid crisis or military conflict. We must continuously monitor and assess the threats so that our leaders can manage these wisely.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 22, 1996
- Accession Number
- ADA312173
Entities
People
- John Deutch
Organizations
- Central Intelligence Agency