U.S. Could Use Crisis to Wage 'Financial Warfare'

By Noah Shachtman March 16, 2009 | 7:17:00 AM

There's growing concern in defense and intelligence circles that the global recession has the potential to threaten America's national interests. But a small group of academics and Pentagon policy-makers believe that the U.S. could benefit from the financial havoc.

With economies around the world on edge, they argue, a weakened-but-still-gargantuan USA has new opportunities to pressure adversaries through the strategic application of market trades and bank transfers. They call their theory "financial warfare." (more)