From CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Worldwide economic jitters are ranking high on the CIA's list of priorities.
Migrant workers in China demolish walls to get usable brick. East Asia is among the regions that are in crisis because of the economy.
The spy agency has started briefing the White House daily about the global financial crisis, and its ripple effects on the stability of various countries.
The CIA is now giving an "Economic Intelligence Briefing" to top officials, in addition to the daily roundup of terrorist attacks and surveillance reports. This suggests the global economic crisis is a top concern when it comes to our national security.
CIA director Leon Panetta says the White House requested the daily economic briefing. He talked about the impact of the recession throughout the world and said now U.S. officials won't be surprised by the aftershocks from bank failures and rising unemployment elsewhere. The agency is focusing on many areas – including East Asia and Latin America – that are in crisis because of the economy.
Dennis Blair, the new Director of National Intelligence, said earlier this month that economic issues have pretty much replaced terrorism as the country's top security challenge. He pointed out that three European governments have fallen because of economic issues.
The economic crunch overseas now joins a long list of global concerns confronting President Obama... including the resurgence of al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan, winding down the war in Iraq, and the never-ending conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians.
Here’s my question to you: Which is a bigger threat to America's national security: the global financial crisis or terrorism?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Brittany from Palm Beach, Florida writes:
When things get this close to a boiling point, I am sad to say I fear the financial crisis more than terrorism. I have more of a day-to-day fear of people having tough times and resorting to robbery, homelessness or other crimes than I do of terrorism. When things were more stable, the lofty thoughts of what was going on in the rest of the world were much easier. Now I can't take my eyes off my bank account.
Gerry from Toronto writes:
One begets the other; it’s like a merry-go-round. The U.S. pays through the nose for oil imported from the Middle East, borrows money from China to pay for it and the profits from the oil and borrowing pay for terrorism.
Jaz from San Francisco writes:
Jack, It's all so interlinked that they are equal threats. Poverty and economic upheaval are a big part of what drives so many young men to turn to al Qaeda and their ilk. And our own woes could potentially render us unable to detect, prepare for, and fight the next major attack. President Obama is doing the right thing trying to deal with both these issues at the same time.
George from Dunedin, Florida writes:
That's a no-brainer, and the people that caused this problem are too. If we can't fix things financially, we won't be able to afford a war on terrorism. You see bin Laden accomplished what he set out to do, and that was to put a hurting on our financial system, and with the help of Bush, and all of the greedy crooks in the finance system, he has accomplished just that.
David from Natchez, Mississippi writes:
Isn't the global financial crisis terrorism? I am being attacked from all fronts. My job, my investments, my home, my taxes. Time for the Bill Gates and Warren Buffetts of the world to Rambo up and come to the rescue.