Il est de plus en plus manifeste que le rapport annuel des services de renseignement pr\u00e9sent\u00e9 par l’amiral Blair le 12 f\u00e9vrier dernier (nous en avons parl\u00e9 les 13 f\u00e9vrier<\/a>, 14 f\u00e9vrier<\/a> et 16 f\u00e9vrier<\/a>) a soulev\u00e9 une importante question de s\u00e9curit\u00e9 nationale \u00e0 Washington; ou, dirions-nous plut\u00f4t, le rapport a servi de r\u00e9v\u00e9lateur \u00e0 une perception sous-jacente, \u00e9videmment n\u00e9e avec la crise \u00e9conomique.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \tAssociated Press publie une analyse l\u00e0-dessus, ce 26 f\u00e9vrier<\/a>, mettant en \u00e9vidence ce ph\u00e9nom\u00e8ne. La question de la s\u00e9curit\u00e9 \u00e9conomique, avec son annexe de la s\u00e9curit\u00e9 financi\u00e8re, \u00e9tait jusqu’ici per\u00e7ue en termes policiers et militaires, face \u00e0 une menace du m\u00eame type caract\u00e9ris\u00e9e par la violence, notamment, la sempiternelle menace terroriste, sous la forme violente qu’on lui conna\u00eet. Ainsi craignait-on une attaque d’Al Qa\u00efda sous forme d’attentat contre Wall Street. D\u00e9sormais, les descriptions de la menace financi\u00e8re sont directement d’ordre financier, cette menace cons\u00e9cutive \u00e0 la crise et permise par la fragilit\u00e9 financi\u00e8re am\u00e9ricaniste cr\u00e9\u00e9e par la crise; m\u00eame si l’\u00e9tiquette terrorisme est brandie, cela n’a plus rien de commun avec ce que cette menace repr\u00e9sentait jusqu’alors. Le texte d’AP cite un expert de ce domaine: \u00abWe have set the stage for a catastrophe, said James Rickards, a financial consultant at the research firm Omnis Inc. of McLean, Va., who provides security research for the Pentagon and others in the intelligence field.<\/em>\u00bb.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \tUn peu plus loin, une de ces hypoth\u00e8ses d’une menace financi\u00e8re est d\u00e9taill\u00e9e.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \t\u00abIf terrorists or countries wanted to send U.S. financial markets into a tailspin, they would not need an explosion. Several financial doomsday scenarios have circulated in intelligence and financial circles. One goes like this: A foreign government or a terrorist group with substantial financial backing sets up several overseas hedge funds. Acting together, they dump U.S. stocks, perhaps by short-selling a major financial index or by targeting key U.S. companies. The attack begins slowly, picking up speed over several hours as it creates panic and confusion in the market.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n \t\u00bbThe U.S. is more susceptible to such an attack today, analysts say, because Wall Street is so shaky. For instance, after the 2001 terrorist attacks, the government pumped money into the banking system to bolster the economy. Doing so again wouldn’t be as easy. The government has already spent trillions on bank bailouts and short-term lending to try to prop up banks, with mixed results. Now, if the stock market crashes, banks are not going to be in a position to jump in. We’re on our own, Rickards said.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n \t\u00bbTo pay for the bailout and stimulus plans, the government must issue bonds, many of which will be bought by China and other countries. Beijing could use those bonds as a weapon. Selling them in bulk would send U.S. interest rates rising, providing a new drag on the economy. Such a move could backfire on China because the economies of the two countries are closely tied. But U.S. officials have expressed fear about the threat. In January 2008, the Congressional Research Service said the best way for the government to allay those fears would be to stop spending so much and start saving more.<\/em>\u00bb<\/p>\n<\/p>\n