Wars Rage In 1/3rd Of World Nations...12/30/99

WASHINGTON (AP) - The century is coming to a close with a third of the world's 193 nations embroiled in conflict, nearly twice the Cold War level, a group that keeps track of battle zones reported Wednesday. In its annual report, the National Defense Council Foundation blamed rising military coups and a backlash against democracy, a trend it suggested could continue for several years. The foundation listed conflicts in 65 countries in 1999, up from 60 the year before. It nominated Afghanistan as the world's most unstable state for 2000 - followed closely by Somalia, Iraq, Angola and the breakaway Chechnya region of Russia. "It's going to be a very tough next 20 years," said retired Army Maj. Andy Messing Jr., executive director of the Alexandria, Va.-based foundation. He said the growing proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and an increasing world population add to the danger.