A proposito di think tank, una notizia che conferma la rilevanza e l’importanza di queste strutture di ricerca di alto livello e che li rende, per questo motivo, bersagli ideali di attività di spionaggio ed influenza:

American think tanks are key targets in a “furious wave of cyber-espionage” aimed at U.S. government and business by China and other countries, according to the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.
Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., told USA TODAY that the hacking is part of a campaign by China and other nations to obtain valuable information on a number of fronts, from policy deliberations and pending litigation to national defense and private product development.
Think tanks provide important research, strategy and support on policy formulation for U.S. leaders in the White House, Pentagon, Congress, State Department and federal agencies. Their ranks of scholars are populated by former and potentially future government officials.[…] think tanks, consulting organizations and law firms — all of which play roles in shaping U.S. policy and strategy — have long been prized targets of foreign espionage operations.

PS… dimenticavo: sui think tank statunitensi è stato da poco pubblicato un interessantissimo saggio: “Think Tanks in America“, di Thomas Medvez.