Five years after the fall of the Taliban, a joint US Defense Department and US State Department report found that the police in Afghanistan were incapable of carrying out routine law enforcement work.

– (PT) Mr President, the publication of classified US diplomatic correspondence by WikiLeaks and by respected international media is only possible because of a colossal failure within the US security system, due to the excessive enlargement of the circles of distribution of the State Department and the Department of Defence.

Welcomes the Commission’s new smartphone application, which provides information on passenger rights in several languages and in a format accessible to passengers with disabilities; calls on the Member States and carriers to press ahead with the development and use of similar modern technologies (including SMS and the use of social networks, video-based sign language services, and text-based services to ensure the inclusion of deaf, hard-of-hearing and speech-disabled users); calls on public authorities, consumer protection bodies and organisations representing the interests of all passengers to launch similar initiatives; invites the Commission, furthermore, to take account at all moments of the circumstances of elderly people, who are ...[+++]not always equipped with modern technology when travelling; takes the view, moreover, that consideration should be given to making the internet available free of charge at airports, stations and other major departure points, so as to enable fuller use of these services;

In its Quadrennial Defense Review Report from February 2006 the US Department of Defense reports that of the major and emerging powers, China has the greatest potential to compete militarily with the United States, adds that the pace and scope of China’s military build-up already puts regional military balances at risk, and states: “U.S. policy remains focussed on encouraging China to play a constructive, peaceful role in the Asia-Pacific region and to serve as a partner in addressing common security challenges, including terrorism, p ...[+++]roliferation, narcotics and piracy”.

Since October 1993, when the Memorandum of Understanding between the American Department of Defense and the NATO Member Countries for access to the GPS encrypted navigation service was signed, a dozen non-NATO countries and a few civilian administrations (American federal agencies and the Norwegian police, for example) have had access to the service.

In particular, the contract volume from the US Department of Defence alone is three times higher than the total public spending in Europe, and the total US public spending more than five times higher.