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Intel chief: Bad economy a security threat

The global economic crisis has national security implications, the U.S. intelligence czar warned Thursday.

Retired Adm. Dennis Blair, just two weeks on the job as President Obama’s national intelligence director, said economic woes make it harder for allies to fully meet their share of defense and humanitarian obligations. That places more of a burden on the U.S. to go it alone, which has implications in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere, he said.

Additionally, much of the world blames the U.S. for the global problems. “We are generally held to be responsible for it,” Blair said in testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee.

While financial stability is not an area of expertise for the former U.S. Pacific Command chief, Blair said U.S. intelligence analysts who report to him believe quick action on the economy is important to global security. “Time is probably our greatest threat,” he said. “The longer it takes for the recovery to begin, the greater the likelihood of serious damage to U.S. strategic interests.”

Blair estimated that one-fourth of the world is experiencing some instability because of the economic slowdown.

The chance that minor instability could threaten a government increases if an economic crisis persists for more than a year or two, Blair said.