Analysis

Violence related to the drug trade is rampant in Mexico, where gunmen are every bit as brutal as the death squads in Iraq. The Mexico Security Memo is a weekly summary report concerning instability and key incidents. (With Stratfor Interactive Map) [more]

Belarus might have miscalculated in its high-stakes game with Russia. [more]

The U.S. subprime crisis that initiated a worldwide credit crunch is triggering a much deeper -- and pre-existing -- European problem. [more]

Israeli Prime Minister-designate Tzipi Livni negotiated a deal Oct. 12 that would put the Kadima coalition just a few seats away from holding a majority in the Knesset. [more]

A shift in the agenda at the Chinese Communist Party Plenum highlights China's ongoing rural-urban dilemma. [more]

Training tribal militias as well as government troops could be part of a new U.S. strategy in Afghanistan while Pakistan may be willing to work with NATO on border security. [more]

The G-7, which is meeting Oct. 10 in Washington to strategize regarding the global economic crisis, is holding a private session with a former member that helped make up the G-8: Russia. [more]

The following is an internal Stratfor document produced to provide high-level guidance to our analysts. This document is not a forecast, but rather a series of guidelines for understanding and evaluating events, as well as suggestions on areas for focus. [more]

The finance ministers of the G-7 countries are meeting in Washington. Some basic decisions will have to be made. [more]

The milk scandal that has roiled China extends beyond questions of product quality control and government accountability. [more]

Pakistan is asking Iran and Saudi Arabia for economic assistance -- which could come with political strings attached. [more]

The British government has invoked an anti-terrorism law in a bid to freeze the assets of Icelandic companies in the United Kingdom. [more]

Many states are starting to tinker with their banking sectors by lowering reserve requirements. [more]

Stratfor examines the roots of the international financial crisis in the U.S. subprime mortgage meltdown. [more]

Stratfor looks at the economy differently than economists do. (A companion piece to an upcoming series on the global financial crisis.) [more]

Syria's agenda for Lebanon may have Turkish and Israeli backing. [more]

The United States has said it is open to reconciliation with the Taliban -- which would essentially signal the beginning of the end of the war in Afghanistan. [more]

The Ukrainian parliament has dissolved, triggering early elections that will come during a pivotal time in Russo-Ukrainian relations. [more]

Syria reportedly has increased the number of its troops on the Lebanese border. [more]

A weekly approximation of the current locations of U.S. Carrier Strike Groups and Expeditionary Strike Groups, based on available open-source information. (With Stratfor map) [more]