Dennis Blair: Economic crisis top threat

WASHINGTON, Feb. 13 (UPI) -- The dismal global economy has replaced terrorism as the top threat facing the United States, Dennis Blair, the director of national intelligence, said Friday.

Blair said the economic downturn is "the primary near-term security concern" for the country, The New York Times reported Friday.

Blair said the economic turmoil could ignite instability, making that the most urgent threat facing the United States, the Times said.

The crisis that started in U.S. markets already "increased questioning of U.S. stewardship of the global economy," Blair said in prepared remarks to the Senate Intelligence Committee.

"The longer it takes for the recovery to begin, the greater the likelihood of serious damage to U.S. strategic interests," he said.

Blair said significant improvement in Afghanistan would not be possible unless Pakistan gained control of its border areas. But, he said, Pakistan's government was losing authority over that territory, the Times said.

Turning to North Korea, Blair cited concern among intelligence officials that the country may be using a covert uranium enrichment program to produce material that could be used to build nuclear weapons.

Iran, Blair said, was nearing mastery of advanced missile technology, one aspect of what he called Iran's "dogged development of a deliverable nuclear weapon."