The council, composed of experts from U.S. security agencies, academia and business interests, predicts that, while the outlook for the United States is generally optimistic, terrorist attacks directed against the United States "will become increasingly sophisticated and designed to achieve mass casualties." Looking to possible threats to the United States in the next few years, the report warns of disturbing possibilities:

"A 'de facto geo-strategic alliance' among China, Russia and India to counterbalance U.S. influence. "A collapse in the U.S.-European alliance due to trade disputes, political differences and conflict over global security.

"Formation of an international terrorist coalition with 'diverse anti-Western objectives' and access to chemical, biological and even nuclear weapons.

"Serious Mideast upheaval, caused by eroding living standards in major Arab nations and a failure by Israel and the Palestinians to reach a peace accord."

With the end of the Cold War in the early 1990s, the United States and its Western allies have enjoyed a decade of peace and prosperity minus serious threats. It seems that other dangers are looming. As Franklin Roosevelt put it when talking of a previous threat: "The price of freedom is eternal vigilance." (Source: The Washington Post.) GN