Top 5 Threats to U.S. National Security in 2012

The U.S. military, intelligence services, FBI, and numerous other organizations exist to protect national security in America. Countless budget dollars every year are poured into this endeavor and it is the one thing that is truly a non-partisan issue in Washington. Politicians may at times disagree about the approach, but all Americans agree on the need for a sound, competent, and effective national security policy. In order to determine which policies should be implement and how dollars and resources are best used to achieve this task, it is fundamentally important to understand what threats exist. This is IDGA’s list of the top 5 threats that currently exist to national security. 5. Border Security The United States has been blessed with an excellent geographic position on the globe that has allowed it to prosper through trade using both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. It also has abundant natural resources that span a large landmass to include agriculture, oil, fresh water, and all types of raw materials. But one of the downsides of its unique position on the North American continent is the huge amount of territory that could potentially be vulnerable to threats. The United States has two long coastlines that are difficult to completely protect and monitor due to sheer size. Smuggling of any type of contraband including weapons or persons with hostile intent is always a danger. Also, the United States grapples with securing two giant land borders that are among the longest of any in the world. Border violence and the narcotics trade are constant antagonists on the southern border and the northern border. Both these land borders are potential points where dangerous weapons and persons could slip into the United States undetected with malicious intent. 4. Cyber Attacks Computer viruses like Stuxnet have shown that cyber threats are real and are growing in sophistication and frequency. The world is becoming more dependent on computers, the internet, and technology for managing everything from communications to banking to the power grid. Although Stuxnet was malware that targeted industrial infrastructure and primarily affected Iran, an enemy of the United States, this incident shows that the possibility of this type of cyber-attack is no longer speculation. America’s enemies are consistently gaining more advanced computer technology and it is only a matter of time before one of them develops code with the intent and ability to destabilize infrastructure in the United States. Attacks on the power grid, water supplies, or the banking system would cause panic and possibly lead to social disorder if left unchecked or unresolved for too long. The U.S. is a top cyber power and it needs to remain so in order to deflect or defeat the increasingly likelihood of cyber-attacks against American targets. 3. CBRNE Attack The so called weapons of mass destruction are a constant worry for DHS, the FBI, and other agencies entrusted to safeguard domestic interests, cities, and citizens. Although a dirty bomb or nuclear weapon are the most feared they are also the most difficult to manufacture and smuggle into the United States due to complex mechanisms or radioactive components. This however, is still a concern as nations hostile to the United States like Iran and North Korea continue to enrich uranium, a key component in creating this type of weapon. But chemical and biological weapons are something different that can more easily be procured, manufactured, or smuggled by a creative terrorist. While these types of weapons don’t have the outright destructive power of a nuclear blast, they have an excellent ability to instill fear and create panic in major cities. Targeting water supplies or transportation systems with this type of weapon is a huge concern for security forces and law enforcement as an attack could send metropolitan areas into hysteria. 2. Nuclear Iran China and North Korea give the United States cause for worry on certain issues, but nothing compares to the concern over a nuclear equipped Iran. Neither China nor North Korea have shown an inclination or tendency for a pre-emptive strike on the U.S or an ally. Iran is much more uncertain. It is unknown what a nuclear armed Iran will do or how it will react. Its leadership often makes incendiary comments towards Israel, a strong American ally, and has given reason to believe it may be bold enough to launch a first strike on Israel out of pure hatred. This scenario is a disaster for the United States who would likely be brought into an all-out war with the Persians and potentially a large part of the Muslim world that could rally against Israel and America. Even if Iran doesn’t use the bomb, just having it could create a new arms race in the Middle East as the balance of power shifts and countries like Saudi Arabia become much more vulnerable to a far mightier Iran. None of these scenarios bode well for the U.S. and its national security objectives. 1. Global Financial Crisis The great recession in the United States and Europe’s current convulsions could be minor tremors leading up to a much larger quake. Sovereign nations under mountains of debt, speculative gambling and massive leveraging by major financial institutions, and an expanding world population place increasingly uncomfortable pressure on the world’s natural resources. If these trends continue forth unchanged on a global scale for too long a meltdown is inevitable. So far the crises have been isolated and contained to certain nations and regions. Certain parts of the world have been spared or have even experienced growth that has averted a worldwide crash. But as the world system continues to become more integrated, a global collapse becomes an increasing threat as the exposure to toxic assets permeates the entire system. This problem is easily avoidable by world leaders cooperating and using coordinated efforts to implement sound fiscal policy and not living beyond their means. At present, however, there seems very little appetite for this type of medicine and many economies are plugging along as usual hoping someone else will be left holding the bag if things fall apart. A financial collapse on a global scale could create mass panic, chaos, and might destabilize many parts of the world. A world that includes multiple nations lacking stability and social order is the United State’s largest threat to National Security.

Top 5 Threats to U.S. National Security in 2012

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