Analysts say economy could fuel terrorism

The global economic downturn will weaken governments in terror-prone countries and hurt the United States' ability to respond to security threats, analysts say.

As economies worsen in countries in Asia and elsewhere with pro-Western governments such as Pakistan, and the United States is forced to cut back on defense spending, terrorists will become emboldened to probe for new weaknesses, The Washington Post reported Saturday.

This scenario is already "being accelerated by the current global financial crisis," Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell said in a recent speech, warning that deep cuts in military and intelligence budgets could undermine America's ability to anticipate and defend against new threats, the Post reported.

Security analysts told the newspaper Pakistan, for instance, has already seen its national currency devalued and its hard-currency reserves nearly wiped out, in addition to being battered by inflation and unemployment.

Quickly falling crude oil prices also are putting pressure on countries such as Yemen, which has a history of supporting hard-line Islamic militants and is facing large-scale unemployment, the Post said.