The document discusses several locations in South and Southeast Asia: - Bangladesh served as a base for Al-Qaeda operations and had a weak central government due to ISI influence. - Kolkata, India was historically very poor with scarce resources until improvements brought by the British railway system. - Burma was an area of expansion for both India and China, located along the Andaman Sea and ruled by the Thai prime minister. It had a commercial atmosphere. - Bangladesh, located east of China and north of the Bay of Bengal, was a meeting place for Al-Qaeda and had a weak central government, as evidenced by the port city of Barisal.

1. Monsoon: The Indian Ocean and the Future of the American Power Ivana Lopez Professor Arguello Summer 2011

2. Al-Qaeda Supported by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Ran many missions out of Bangladesh, including westernizing NGOs and implementing a weak central government to instill power.

3. Kolkata The capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, a very poverty stricken environment. A place that was the epitome of a place where: “the rich get richer and the poor get poorer” Scarce resources, of even the simplest necessities; was not recognized by the government, until the expansion of the British railway system to India, which brought more world leaders to be exposed to Kolkata’s problems. Robert Clive made a lot of difference in this city after traveling up the Bay of Bengal.

4. Burma As India expanded North and South, China expanded East and West. Their expansions met in an area known as Burma, located north of the Andaman Sea, which was the main source of many of Burmese resources, which was desired by both the Indian and Chinese. The Thai prime minister, SamakSundaravej was the ruler of Burmese people. This was a place that was known to consume people, meaning it was a place of commerce and trade, including romance and much moral catastrophe. This was a very city-like place and had a commercial atmosphere, similar to that of a downtown city.

5. Bangladesh Bangladesh is East of China and North of the Bay of Bengal. It was the meeting place of Al-Qaeda and the birth of a Central government that was deemed weak and inefficient. Barisal, a major river port located in the South part is a poster child for the vacuum, which is a reference to the weak central government