Since the turn of the 21st century, American foreign policy and military muscle have been focused on the Middle East, and justifiably so. Between the USS Cole, the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, the ongoing Israel-Palestinian conflict and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Muslim extremists in the region have pitted themselves against the West, and particularly the United States. This fighting war has cost the United States its treasure and its youth and has dominated the media and politics for five-and-a-half years. Yet the threat from Muslim extremism is not the only danger confronting America. Terrifyingly enough, it may not even be the gravest. A new Cold War is emerging, with two equally dangerous nations confronting America and the free world: China and Russia. These nations hold permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council but conduct themselves with irresponsible apathy to the cause of peace. China possesses more than 100 nuclear warheads while Russia totes thousands, and each in its own way is demonstrably hostile to the West. China possesses the world's fourth-largest economy with a staggering growth rate of 10 percent per annum, yet it increasingly utilizes its clout for malevolent aims such as space weaponization, propping up inhumane regimes for oil and bribing nations to reject Taiwan's claim to sovereignty. Just this month, China tested the KT-2 "satellite killer" without warning the international community of its intentions. They have spent years building infrastructure and selling arms to Sudan, all the while threatening to veto any United Nations Security Council resolution to stop the genocide in Sudan with increased force. They do this simply to secure favorable oil deals with Sudan's corrupt regime. Also, they generously give economic aid to Latin American nations in exchange for their vote on the Taiwan issue. The People's Republic of China is quietly luring weak democratic nations away from their peaceful but embryonic roots while exacerbating existing evils, such as the genocide in Sudan. In the event of a confrontation with the United States over Taiwan, China not only possesses the ability to destroy U.S. military satellites, but they have long been developing electronic warfare capabilities targeted at American interests that can disrupt everything from the energy sector to e-commerce, transportation and banking. Of course, they also have a conventional military of 2.25 million, more than twice the size of U.S. armed forces. Russia also poses substantial threats to the international community. As the world's second largest oil producer and with the largest gas reserves, it has been leveraging its energy resources against both strong and weak nations for political gain. While former Soviet states, such as Ukraine, attempt to modernize and grow closer to the West, Russia has demonstrated its willingness to cut off oil and gas supplies or greatly increase prices to shock and destabilize its neighbors' markets. President Putin cannot be accused of subtlety as he sends his blatant message to his neighbors and the world: Do not forget Mother Russia. In a throwback to the last Cold War, Russia is aggressively challenging the United States by proxy as it engages in arms dealing with Iran. They are not dealing with your usual military items sold throughout the third world, such as AK-47s; they are selling powerful offensive weapons, such as advanced missile systems and combat aircraft to this sponsor of terror. Last summer, Russian-manufactured weapons were used by Hezbollah in the war against Israel, smuggled in from Iran. To Russia, the economic importance of arms dealing to Iran is small but the political importance is great: Russia is seeking to test the United States' conviction in maintaining a nuclear-free Iran, as well as the resolve of our alliance with Israel. So what does this all mean? It means that our direct clash with radical Islam is not our only theater of combat. China and Russia are actively engaging us, and the international community as a whole in political and economic combat, with a real military threat casting a wide shadow. Their goals are to unseat the United States as the lone superpower or to at least climb up beside us. China poses a credible threat to be an equal rival in half a century. Russia's rapidly growing wealth will make her a formidable foe before long. Both are capable of significantly disrupting the United States' international agenda of promoting democracy, human rights and peace, especially in the Middle East. What should the United States do? With less than two years before its next presidential election, the United States must select a president with the intelligence and diplomatic skills in the international arena to maneuver the West into a formidable collation capable of confronting China and Russia, not just militarily but economically and politically. But first the United States must expose the new gathering storm to an unsuspecting world. While it may not make the nightly news today, the new cold war is emerging and only the United States can break the chill. Will Smith ([email protected]) is a freshman majoring in political science and religions studies.