Exposed: 6 Places Most Essential to National Security, And for Odd Reasons

The latest Wikileaks cables, released Saturday, included a list of places abroad that are essential to US national security, compiled in 2009 at the behest of the State Department in order"to strengthen national preparedness, timely response, and rapid recovery in the event of an attack, natural disaster or other emergency". The fascinating transmission excludes military posts, focusing on “critical infrastructure and key resources within their host country which, if destroyed, disrupted or exploited, would likely have an immediate and deleterious effect on the United States.” It reveals how reliant we are upon the scientific innovations foreign countries––an interconnectedness that is compelling and kind of beautiful, too––and is thus far one of the most controversial cables. British foreign secretary William Hague called the release "particularly reprehensible," while a former British foreign secretary, Malcolm Rifkind, said it was "further evidence that they have been generally irresponsible, bordering on criminal. This is the kind of information terrorists are interested in knowing." The majority of the locations listed are undersea cables, pipelines and mines, but here are a few of the more interesting spots.

1. Melbourne, Australia: Sole suppliers of Crotalid Polyvalent Antivenin (CroFab)

CroFab is an antivenom for bites from rattlesnakes, copperheads and water moccasins, and the only approved remedy in the States. It's widely used thanks to its low side effects and relative safety.

2. Siemens AG, Erlangen, Germany: Essentially irreplaceable production of key chemicals

It doesn't elaborate, but they're probably not being hyperbolic.

3. Copenhagen, Denmark: DTaP (including D and T components) pediatric version

Manufactured for kids, DTaP is a powerful triple vaccine that protects against diphtheria, whooping cough and tetanus.

4. Presont, Lancashire, United Kingdom: Critical to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter

Nestled in a list of several minor UK locations essential to various US weapons, it's interesting to see how crucial British manufacturers are to American artillery. In this case, it's a Lockheed Martin stealth fighter plane.

5. Qatar: Ras Laffan Industrial Center: By 2012 Qatar will be the largest source of imported LNG to U.S.

LNG stands for “liquified natural gas,” and is used as fuel.

6. Hydro Quebec, Quebec: Critical irreplaceable source of power to portions of Northeast US

Irreplaceable! And it's owned by the Canadian government. Socialism at work.

Read the whole list here.