The Americas

In the United States, Iraq no longer dominates the front pages of the national newspapers; although Baghdad’s political institutions remain fragile, overall security appears to be improving. In Afghanistan however, there has been an increase in violence, with coalition forces particularly concerned about the rise in improvised explosive device (IED) attacks.

It will be up to the new Obama administration to create a defining strategy in an increasingly complex 21st century security environment. Whether this will mean a decrease in arms procurement over Obama’s tenure, as the controversy over the US F-22 order hints it might, or that heightening tensions between North Korea and Iran may mean continued spend to come remains to be seen.

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