US Finds Itself in an Elite Company - The Most Violent

June 1, 2007 (LPAC) A study to determine the least peaceful nations in the world by The Economist Intelligence Unit , issued on May 31, finds that of the 121 nations evaluated, the United States came out holding the 96th position, one position ahead of the "axis of evil" nation, Iran. Israel, a strong ally of the United States, finished third from the bottom, just ahead of Sudan and Iraq. By contrast, Syria, who is regularly accused of being a nation that indulges in violence with a steadfast devotion, ended up 19 positions ahead of the United States and 37 positions ahead of Israel.

Some two dozen indicators were factored into the calculations. Among them were wars fought in the last five years, arms sales, political stability, relations with neighboring countries, human rights, overall percentage of state budget devoted to military causes, number of women in parliament, freedom of the press, immigration figures, male-to-female ratio, prison populations and incidence of crime.

The data were drawn from the United Nations, the World Bank, peace groups and the intelligence unit's own assessments, said Andrew Williamson, director for economic research, in an interview with Israel News .