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ID:
123294
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| Publication |
2013.
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| Summary/Abstract |
Moscow recently has made development of its isolated eastern territories, especially the Russian Far East (RFE) a high national priority, and the success-or failure-of these efforts will have significant security implications for the Asia-Pacific community. The region's vast size, rich resource base and proximity to ambitious Asia-Pacific powers accentuate its strategic importance, which seems likely to grow with time. How regional geopolitics interacts with Russian national policies will affect the RFE's course of development as well as the power balance in northeast Asia. The United States has an historical and security interest in preventing the domination of the RFE by any outside nation, and in fostering stability, open access, and growth in this vital region.
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| 2 |
ID:
085234
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| Publication |
2008.
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| Summary/Abstract |
The Triborder region of South America, where the borders of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay intersect, comprises a population of approximately 700,000 inhabitants, among them 15,000-20,000 are Arabs, mostly of Lebanese descent. The region has gained a reputation as a hub of illegal activities, ranging from sales of pirated electronic goods and software to trafficking in drugs, weapons and illegal migrants. Also, the Triborder's relatively unregulated financial sector launders tens of billions of dollars of criminal funds and causes flight of capital annually. Reports that the region is a terrorist haven and staging area seem exaggerated; yet Arabs' extensive participation in the Triborder underground economy is believed to generate funds on behalf of Islamic extremists in the Middle East, especially Hezbollah and Hamas. Efforts to crack down on pirate businesses and alleged terrorist financiers have been constrained by government apathy, widespread police and judicial corruption and a lack of effective anti-terrorist legislation. Also, the dependence of many of the Triborder's inhabitants on the underground economy represents an effective constraint on enforcement action.
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