Speaking at the first Global Security Conference in New Delhi today, with the President of India in attendance, international attorney Robert Amsterdam discussed the critical role of India as a democracy in that part of the world, which is saturated with authoritarian regimes.

Amsterdam, who addressed representatives of private security organizations whose members total over 7 million in India (more than the U.S. military) said that people in the audience he had addressed are currently riveted on the American role in Afghanistan and worry that 'Talibanization' will not stop as a result of the latest U.S. troop surge, but may eventually spread to the Indian-Muslim population, which is almost 200 million people. This would pose a major security threat inside their country.

Indians are also concerned as to whether the U.S. troop surge is enough to make a difference in Afghanistan and doubt whether the timetable will work.

Speaking on the Montel Williams show, Amsterdam was also asked about Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin hinting that he may run again for President in 2012. "None of this is any surprise. He's looking like a man who needs to throw his hat in the ring to stay relevant. Russia has tremendous problems. There was a terrorist bombing on a train last week. A Russian lawyer who criticized the Russian police 'accidentally' died in jail a few weeks ago and two senior judges on the Russian court had to resign for criticizing the lack of rule of law in Russia. The Putin model is broken. He needs to try to remain relevant. His four-hour television performance yesterday was not greeted in the way his performances in the past have be greeted." Amsterdam added that Putin is the one who is driving the Moscow-Tehran-Caracas triad, but noted that energy czar, deputy prime minister Igor Sechin is the one to keep an eye on. "He is the one who led to the destruction of the Yukos oil company. The U.S. needs to pay more attention to him."

'Tis the season for holiday stress once again. In fact, more heart attacks take place on Christmas Day and New Years' Day than any other day of the year. To remedy the Yuletide pressure, Dr. Carol Scott offered ideas from her new book, Optimal Stress (Wiley Publishing, November) on the Montel Williams Show today. "First and foremost, give kids the gift of certainty," she said. The American Psychiatric Association recently surveyed kids between the ages of 8-18. Only 30% of parents thought their kids were stressed, but surprisingly, the survey showed that 60% of children expressed feeling stressed. On the anniversary of 9/11, children who might not even had been born at the time of the original attack, see planes flying in to buildings and experience stress. Kids who see the movie '2012' come home worried that the world is going to end. Kids all over the country are hearing their parents talk about losing their jobs and not having enough money for groceries or healthcare. "We need to let kids know that we love them and care for them and want to make the world a safer and better place for them," said Dr. Scott.

"Give yourself the gift of life," she continued. Twenty-five hundred people a day die of heart-attacks but during the Christmas season, there is a 5% excess of deaths from heart disease. "If you have hypertension, diabetes or heart issues and you are not feeling well, don't delay in getting medical care just because its a holiday. Also, we overeat and overdrink during the holidays. To prevent excess deaths, push back from the table and go to the gym to work out. Also, the H1N1 virus is causing residual lung problems and respiratory infections weaken your immune system, so stay away from smoke."

Know your stressers and triggers and take action to reduce emotional stress through meditation, yoga, spirituality and exercise, especially over the holiday season.

On Air America’s Montel Williams show today, international attorney, Robert Amsterdam discussed a wide number of topics, ranging from the Honduran Presidential elections to the budding relationship between Iran, Russia and Venezuela. Amsterdam strongly believes that Spain will inevitably recognize the new Honduran government, elected on Sunday and that the U.S. will also step up to recognize it; however Venezuela, Chile and the ALBA organization of nations will not. Honduras, he continued, now has a far superior situation than the Micheletti interim government, and the election symbolizes a sound defeat for Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez who had tried to influence the prolonged tenure of Manuel Zelaya through the overturn the Honduran constitution. Amsterdam continued, the army of Zelaya's supporters are fewer and fewer in number and this election was something approaching a fair vote and a big step for democracy.

Montel Williams asked about the Russians development of arms plants in Caracas, Venezuela to build weapons, like the AK-43.

Amsterdam stated that "we represent political prisoner Eligo Cedeno in Venezuela. I understand the situation there, and Venezuela is a direct security menace to the United States and its allies in South America. They're bulking up on Russian arms, over six billion dollars worth. This matter should be on the first level of the United States' radar."

Mr. Williams then asked if US troops should be sent to South America. Amsterdam responded that hard power such as troops was not required, but rather, “soft power,” including solidifying the relationship with Brazil to make sure that Lula is more interested in the United States than in Chavez.”

The current state department, under President Obama, he cited, does not deal effectively with more than one problem at a time. "Whereas Canada has made Latin America a focus, the United States needs to put more emphasis on the same thing… The President is living in a mess of problems but with the dramatic deterioration of the situation in Mexico, and another leftist win in Uruguay Monday, he needs to shift focus to the situation in Latin America."

Ahmadinejad was in Caracas last week, announcing the creation of ten new nuclear sites in Tehran. “If we attack Iran,” Mr. Amsterdam predicts, “Iran will counter through the use of South American proxies.”