"There is an image of a great power that doesn't take any risks, " said el-Baz, adding Egypt itself was under tremendous pressure because of what he called U.S. trepidation to get heavily involved in the conflict.

CNN: El-Baz

Then there is the power amplifier market and other areas where TI isn't even a player.

CNN: Business: Inside the Semiconductor Boom

He faced criticism from former Energy Secretary Lord Jenkin of Roding who said "there is an attitude that the UK doesn't care about nuclear power any more".

BBC: Huhne sets out UK nuclear energy future

"The power to do this is still there, but the market isn't, " says Mr. Ward, the lawyer.

WSJ: Battle of the Beach

"I don't think anyone in the elite would try to grab power because there is a well-established check-and-balance system, " said Chang Yong-seok, senior researcher at the Institute for Peace and Unification Studies at Seoul National University.

WSJ: North Korean Media Images Hint at Stable Transition

The design and production of high performance jet engines are key technologies that China hasn't mastered, and there is speculation that Beijing wants the Su-35 engines to power its stealth fighters.

WSJ: Review & Outlook: Asia's Great Rivalry