Sometimes a Strong Defense Is Best Offense The world we live in has increasingly become more dangerous in recent years. Just tune to any news channel, and you will know that this is true. Whether it is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, saber-rattling in India, or a government war waged on Colombian rebel forces, fear of war has sparked a renewed evaluation of defensive military needs. The United States has appropriated a more than 15 percent increase in defense spending for the upcoming budget. This is the largest increase in defense spending in more than 20 years. Defense of the nation has become a top priority. The peace activist has been muted by 9/11, which gives credence to the notion that even without the Cold Warówhere traditional countries were at odds with each otheróeach nation needs to protect itself from a more complex or shadowy enemy. Fighting terrorism or protecting a nation requires intelligence and a strong arsenal of military equipment. Negotiating from a position of military power is becoming increasingly popular. With the ever-present media analyzing every military operation, countries are fully aware that the world is watching. Not only are nations concerned with winning a war, they are also concerned with avoiding criticism and not being accused of war crimes. This has added to the need for more high-tech equipment because not only is having a large stock of weaponry vital, but the accuracy of these weapons is also important. Precision weapons have been instrumental in reducing military casualties and collateral damage to a minimum, compared to wars of the past. The United States has by far the largest and most advanced military in the world, and foreign governments are looking to purchase military equipment from the same U.S. manufacturers that supply the U.S. military. Although many of these contractors are limited in what they can tell the media, there is a great deal of interest in this industry. We hope that this section offers some insight into the growing concerns of a strong defense industry in a world that is increasingly more security conscious and war weary. The time has come for defense coverage from a broad international perspective. We are introducing this Defense Section as the first of several biannual sections devoted to the topic. We expect this special section to attract a large portion of our readership who deal with matters of defense on a daily basis. Your input is valuable to us. If you have any suggestions or comments on this first defense issue, please email me at vshiblie@washdiplomat.com. Victor Shiblie Publisher, Editor in Chief