Pakistan Is Helping

In recent days there has been a lessening of violence in upper Northeast Afghanistan,because of the success of the Pakistan military in Peshawar,Pakistan,which is next door.There has been a 20-30% uptick in enemy activity so far this year,however,compared with 2007.General Schloesser encourages the Pakistan military to expand its operations.I do believe they're doing their best to get after it,the general said.It's a slow win.It's not the way the Afghan and American people would like to see us win the war.I'd like to do it in a more robust way,General Schloesser admitted.

Special Access:With the General

Thursday is the seventh anniversary of the 9-11 attacks on the United States.Those attacks set off the recession of 2001.National security has a definite economic impact,so I am observing this anniversary with a military update on the Global War on Terror.Major General Jeffrey Schloesser,U.S. Army,is Commander,Combined Joint Task Force 101 in Afghanistan.In a teleconference with reporters at the Pentagon,General Schloesser,wearing his camouflage uniform,noted that there are several Islamic militant groups fighting in Afghanistan.Even the LET,a Kashmiri terrorist group from India,is among them.Al Qaida is serving as ideological ringleader and helping with funding the groups.These militants join together in their quest for a radical Islamic regime in Afghanistan,from where the 9-11 attacks were planned,prepared and directed.There are 7,000-11,000 of them in Eastern Afghanistan.Some of them are expected to remain in the country over the winter,so that they can resume their attacks more quickly when spring arrives.We are not losing the war,General Schloesser feels,though we need to proceed in a more timely manner.The enemy cannot win-even with what we have now.

Insurance Firms Strong

According to Steve Weisbart of the Insurance Institute,insurance companies have plenty of capital.Premiums have gone up because re-insurance went up dramatically in the wake of hurricanes.Re-insurance is the insurance that insurers buy to cover big payouts.It's hard to know how subprime has affected insurers,Mr.Weisbart thinks.The subprime problem has probably affected them very little.They tend to be very conservative investors,the insurance expert revealed.

Shop Talk

I advertised in Singapore this week.A special greeting to you in one of the great financial centers of the world.Sunday is Google's tenth anniversary.Happy anniversary to one of the Web's most essential firms.It has given me a lot of assistance,and I appreciate that.

Intel Expands Leading Edge

Stacy Smith is Intel's Chief Financial Officer.He describes himself as an enthusiastic generalist,not an engineer.Mr.Smith has seen Intel's operating profit rise more than 60%.Intel is working on efficiency and reducing costs.The weak dollar has helped its sales around the world,Mr.Smith revealed.Despite the economic uncertainty,we've seen relatively strong business,he added.Companies are investing for productivity even in economic uncertainty.The shift toward mobile pcs benefits us.We did five billion dollars U.S. of buybacks in the first half of the year.We get a lot of free cash flow in our business.We've seen a pretty normal climate across our business through the second quarter.Every year,we're putting in more capacity at that leading edge,so we can continue to innovate,the CFO noted.The company employs 81,800 people worldwide.It is the world's largest semiconductor manufacturer.Besides The Widget Channel,it has begun research on electricity generation and transmission.As well,Intel has partnered with Dreamworks on a 3D animation project.

Inside Intel:The Widget Channel

The long-sought integration of the Web with TV may soon become reality.Yahoo(YHOO) and Intel(INTC) have partnered to promote an offering called The Widget Channel.It consists of icons of widgets that scroll across the bottom of a TV screen.If you click on an icon,you will see Web content such as eBay auctions or weather reports on the left side of the screen.This service is enabled by a new Intel chip and Yahoo software.It is expected to be avilable by early next year.Even if your TV provider hasn't endorsed the service,you will be able to purchase a device that connects to a cable box and use it anyway,Intel says.

Newfoundland's New Field

The Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador has finalized arrangements for development of its Hebron oil field,which is about 217 miles-or 350 kilometers-off its southeast coast.Hebron follows the province's three other oil fields of Hibernia,White Rose and Terra Nova.Project leader is Chevron(CVX),with a 26.63% stake.Also involved is Exxon Mobil(XOM),with the majority 36.04% stake.The province itself owns a 4.9% stake.The field is expected to yield 700 million barrels over 20-25 years,generating revenues of 20 billion dollars Canadian at 87 dollars U.S. a barrel.Hebron may be operational by 2016.