The measures were intended to plug the holes that had suddenly seemed to open up in America's defences.

ECONOMIST: In peril on the sea | The

However, the Kremlin has been spending heavily to prop up the rouble, bail out banks and plug holes in its budget.

ECONOMIST: The anti-West

The Department of Homeland Security, created in 2002, first set out to plug the holes in U.S. law enforcement and beef up manpower.

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