#strategic-reserve

#strategic-reserve

"It's scandalous that we don't have a rare earth strategic reserve," Siegel told CNBC's Squawk Box Monday, calling it a major security failure. "We let China monopolize 90% of refining rare earth materials. Where were we, realizing the importance of these?" Siegel urged the U.S. to build a rare earth stockpile similar to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which was created in 1975 after the Arab oil embargo left the country exposed to geopolitical blackmail.

It has been suggested that Vladimir Putin could be preparing for war with NATO and the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) think tank said 292,000 recruits signed contract between January and September this year, according to a Russian source. The ISW said the Russian source has "consistently provided accurate reports about changes in the Russian military command". Several thousand of the new recruits have joined reserve forces and since July Putin has been quietly building this up.