Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports and Issue Briefs articles from April 2009

Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports and Issue Briefs archives from April 2009

Iraq: post-Saddam governance and security.
April 1, 2009... April 2, 2009 Iraq has not previously had experience with a democratic form of government, although parliamentary elections were held during the period of British rule under a League of Nations mandate (from 1920 until Iraq's independence in...

Policy in the 1990s emphasized containment.(Iraq: Post-Saddam Governance and Security)
April 1, 2009... Prior to the January 16, 1991, launch of Operation Desert Storm to reverse Iraq's August 1990 invasion of Kuwait, President George H.W. Bush called on the Iraqi people to overthrow Saddam. That Administration decided not to try to do so...

Post-September 11, 2001: regime change and war.(Iraq: Post-Saddam Governance and Security)
April 1, 2009... Several senior Bush Administration officials had long been advocates of a regime change policy toward Iraq, but the difficulty of that strategy led the Bush Administration initially to continue its predecessor's containment policy. (11) Some...

Post-Saddam transition and governance.(Iraq: Post-Saddam Governance and Security)(Saddam Hussein)
April 1, 2009... The U.S. goals for Iraq during the Bush Administration--and not altered by the Obama Administration--were for a unified, democratic, and federal Iraq that can sustain, govern, and defend itself and is an ally in the global war on terrorism. The...

Economic reconstruction and U.S. assistance.(Iraq: Post-Saddam Governance and Security)(Report)
April 1, 2009... The Bush Administration asserted that economic reconstruction would contribute to stabiliry.3s However, as violence began to diminish in late 2007 and 2008, the Bush Administration concurred with the substantial bipartisan sentiment that Iraq,...

Security challenges and responses.(Iraq: Post-Saddam Governance and Security)
April 1, 2009... Since the fall of Saddam Hussein, the United States has employed a multi-faceted approach to securing Iraq. In late 2006, the effort was determined by the Administration to be faltering as violence and U.S. casualties escalated. In announcing a...

Iraq Study Group report, legislative proposals, and options for the Obama Administration.(Iraq: Post-Saddam Governance and Security)
April 1, 2009... In formulating the "troop surge" strategy announced on January 10, 2007, President Bush said he weighed the December 6, 2006, report of the Iraq Study Group, as well as input from several other reviews, including one directed by the Joint Chiefs...

U.S. security assistance to Lebanon.(Report)
April 1, 2009... Contents Background U.S. Security Assistance to Lebanon U.S. Military Assistance to the LAF International Military and Education Training (IMET) Section 1206 . Foreign Military Financing (FMF) U.S. Military Assistance to...

Israel: background and relations with the United States.
April 1, 2009... Contents Most Recent Developments Domestic Politics Election Results and Analysis Government Formation New Government Peace Process with the Palestinians Iran U.S. Policy Historical Overview of Israel Government and Politics...

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child: background and policy issues.(Report)
April 1, 2009... Contents Introduction Evolution of the Convention Objectives and Structure Committee on the Rights of the Child Optional Protocols on Children in Armed Conflict and the Sale of Children U.S. Actions Barack Obama Administration...

Direct Overt U.S. Aid and Military Reimbursements to Pakistan, FY2002-FY2009.(Statistical table)
April 1, 2009... Direct Overt U.S. Aid and Military Reimbursements to Pakistan, FY2002-FY2009 (rounded to the nearest millions of dollars) Prepared for the Congressional Research Service by K. Alan Kronstadt, Specialist in South Asian Affairs, 4/20/09 Program...

The National Intelligence Council: issues and options for Congress.(Organization overview)
April 1, 2009... Contents Background: What is the NIC? The NIC's Evolving Role Congressional Options and the NIC Conclusion Appendixes Appendix A. 50 USC 403-3b (extract) Appendix B. Heads of the Board of National Estimates and the National Intelligence...

Bosnia: current issues and U.S. policy.(Report)
April 1, 2009... Contents Background Current Situation Political Situation Economic Situation International Role in Bosnia U.S. Policy Policy Concerns and Issues for Congress April 1, 2009 Background Before the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1991,...

The United Arab Emirates nuclear program and proposed U.S. nuclear cooperation.(Report)
April 1, 2009... Contents The United Arab Emirates: Background and U.S Relations The United Arab Emirates Nuclear Program Rationale Development Plans Current Infrastructure and Regulatory Regime Proposed U.S.-UAE Cooperation Memorandum of...

China-U.S. relations: current issues and implications for U.S. policy.(Report)
April 1, 2009... Contents Most Recent Developments Background and Overview China's Importance and Implications for U.S. Policy Current Issues in U.S.-China Relations Global Financial Crisis Military and National Security Issues ...

China and the global financial crisis: implications for the United States.(Report)
April 1, 2009... Contents China's Stake in the Current Crisis China's Exposure to the Global Financial Crisis China's Response to the Crisis China's Potential Role and Implications for the United States April 2, 2009 China's Stake in the Current Crisis ...

Taiwan-U.S. relations: developments and policy implications.(Report)
April 1, 2009... Contents Recent Developments Key U.S. Policy Questions Brief Background to Taiwan's Political Landscape Fundamentals of U.S. Policy The Taiwan Relations Act (P.L. 96-8) Changing Political Dynamics in Taiwan Key...

The global financial crisis: analysis and policy implications.(Report)
April 1, 2009... Contents Recent Developments and Analysis The Global Financial Crisis and U.S. Interests Four Phases of the Global Financial Crisis Contain the Contagion and Strengthen Financial Sectors Coping with Macroeconomic Effects ...

The global financial crisis: foreign and trade policy effects.(Report)
April 1, 2009... Contents The Issue and Role of Congress Two Indicators of the Severity of the Crisis: Growth and Trade Political and Foreign Policy Effects of the Crisis Effects on Political Leadership; Regimes; Perceived Countries of ...

Iran's activities and influence in Iraq.(Report)
April 1, 2009... Contents Background Assertions of Iranian Support to Armed Groups Shiite Internecine Combat The Decline of Sadr and Implications for Iran Implications of the Provincial Elections for Iranian Influence U.S....

Iraq: politics, elections, and benchmarks.(Report)
April 1, 2009... Contents Overview of the Political Transition January 2005 National Assembly and Provincial Elections Permanent Constitution December 15, 2005 Elections Benchmarks, Reconciliation, and Provincial and Future Elections ...

Federal advisory committees: an overview.(Report)
April 1, 2009... Contents Introduction History The Department of Justice Congressional Action The President and the Executive Branch Congressional Reaction The Federal Advisory Committee Act Subsequent Amendments ...

Piracy off the horn of Africa.(Report)
April 1, 2009... Contents Recent Developments Background Piracy off the Horn of Africa: Profile The Pirates Motives Tactics and Demands Piracy off the Horn of Africa: Impact Threats to Commercial Shipping and...

Airport passenger screening: background and issues for congress.(Report)
April 1, 2009... Contents Policy Issues for Airport Passenger Screening Airline Passenger Traffic Growth Screening Efficiency and Passenger Wait Times Space Constraints at Airports Improving Explosives Detection at Passenger Checkpoints...

Authoritative resources on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).(Report)
April 1, 2009... Contents Full Text Of The Law Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Cost Estimates White House Information Fact Sheets Recovery.gov Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Guidance Congressional Sources Federal Agency...

China's currency: a summary of the economic issues.(Report)
April 1, 2009... Contents Introduction China Reforms the Peg U.S. Concerns Over China's Currency Policy China's Concerns Over Modifying Its Currency Policy Implications of China's Currency Policy for its Economy Implications of China's Currency...

NATO enlargement: Albania, Croatia, and possible future candidates.(North Atlantic Treaty Organization)(Report)
April 1, 2009... Contents Introduction Process The New Member States Albania Domestic Reforms Public Support for NATO Membership Defense Reforms and Ability to Contribute to Allied Missions Regional Issues ...

State health reform strategies.(Report)
April 1, 2009... Contents Introduction Selection of State Health Insurance Reforms Consumer Reforms Individual Mandate Young Adult Coverage Employment-based Reforms Cafeteria/Section 125 Plans Employer Mandate...

Health care reform: an introduction.(Report)
April 1, 2009... Contents Introduction Three Predominant Concerns Coverage Cost and Spending Quality Some Likely Legislative Issues The Scope of Reform Public or Private Insurance Employment-Based Insurance The Role of...

Organized crime in the United States: trends and issues for congress.(Report)
April 1, 2009... Contents Introduction Definitions of Organized Crime Statutory Definition Background Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act The Organized Crime Control Act and RICO Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Statutes...

Electric power transmission: background and policy issues.(Report)
April 1, 2009... Contents Introduction and Organization Overview of the Electric Power System Physical and Technical Features of the Power System Regulatory Framework State Regulation and Self-Governing Public Power Federal...

Insolvency of systemically significant financial companies: bankruptcy vs. conservatorship/receivership.(Report)
April 1, 2009... Contents Introduction Comparison of Depository Institutions and Systemically Significant Financial Institutions Differences Between the FDIC's Conservatorship/Receivership Powers and the Bankruptcy Code Overall Objectives...

State, foreign operations, and related programs: FY2009 appropriations.
April 1, 2009... Contents Recent Developments Congressional Action Regular State-Foreign Operations Appropriations Previous House Action Previous Senate Action The Economic Stimulus Package, H.R. 1, the American Recovery and ...

U.S.-Mexico economic relations: trends, issues, and implications.(Report)
April 1, 2009... Contents Introduction U.S.-Mexico Economic Trends U.S.-Mexico Merchandise Trade Mexico-U.S. Bilateral Foreign Direct Investment Mexico's Export-Oriented Assembly Plants Worker Remittances to Mexico Security...

Sea-based ballistic missile defense--background and issues for congress.(Report)
April 1, 2009... April 3, 2009 As part of its effort to develop a global ballistic missile defense (BMD) system, the Department of Defense (DOD) has modified three Navy cruisers and 15 Navy destroyers for BMD operations, and has deployed a large BMD...

Introduction.(Sea-Based Ballistic Missile Defense--Background and Issues for Congress)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... As part of its effort to develop a global ballistic missile defense (BMD) system, the Department of Defense (DOD) has modified three Navy cruisers and 15 Navy destroyers for BMD operations, and has deployed a large BMD radar--the Sea-Based...

Background.(Sea-Based Ballistic Missile Defense--Background and Issues for Congress)(Report)
April 1, 2009... Rationale for Sea-Based BMD Systems DOD's overall BMD plan includes ground-based, sea-based, airborne, and space-based systems, each of which have potential strengths and limitations. DOD believes that a combination of these systems will...

Potential issues for congress.(Sea-Based Ballistic Missile Defense--Background and Issues for Congress)(Report)
April 1, 2009... Technical Risk How much technical risk is there in the Aegis BMD program? One potential oversight issue for Congress is how much technical risk there is in the Aegis BMD program. A March 2009 Government Accountability Office (GAO)...

Legislative Activity for FY2009.(Sea-Based Ballistic Missile Defense--Background and Issues for Congress)(Report)
April 1, 2009... FY2009 Defense Authorization Bill (S. 3001/P.L. 110-417) House The House Armed Services Committee, in its report (H.Rept. 110-652 of May 16, 2008) on the FY2009 defense authorization bill (H.R. 5658), recommended a total of $111...

Economic stimulus: issues and policies.
April 1, 2009... Contents The Current State of the Economy The 2009 Stimulus Package Preliminary Discussions House Proposal Senate Proposal The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Discussion Issues Surrounding Fiscal...

Stability in Russia's Chechnya and other regions of the North Caucasus: recent developments.
April 1, 2009... Contents Introduction Impact of the August 2008 Russia-Georgia Conflict Recent Developments in the North Caucasus Chechnya Ingushetia Dagestan Other Areas of the North Caucasus Contributions to Instability...

Kuwait: security, reform, and U.S. policy.
April 1, 2009... Contents Governmental Changes and Political Reform Executive-Legislative Disputes Most Recent Crisis Human Rights Issues U.S.-Kuwait Relations and Cooperation on Iraq Foreign Policy Issues Cooperation Against...

Iraq: U.S. casualties.(Report)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... April 3, 2009 The following casualty data was compiled by the Department of Defense (DOD), as tallied from the agency's press releases. Table 1 provides statistics on fatalities during Operation Iraqi Freedom, which began on March 19,...

The Kurds in post-Saddam Iraq.(Report)
April 1, 2009... Contents Pre-War Background Post-Saddam Period/The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Upcoming KRG Elections Current Major Issues Participation in the Central Government Political Orientation of the Kurds The...

The debt limit: history and recent increases.(Report)
April 1, 2009... Contents Introduction The Debt Limit and the Treasury Why Have a Debt Limit? A Brief History of the Federal Debt Limit Origins of the Federal Debt Limit World War II and After The Debt Ceiling in the Last Decade ...

Assistance to North Korea.(Report)
April 1, 2009... Contents Introduction Congress' Role in U.S. Assistance to North Korea Congress and Energy Assistance Congress and Food Assistance Energy Assistance Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization (KEDO) Assistance...

Strategic arms control after START: issues and options.(Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty)(Report)
April 1, 2009... Contents Introduction The START Treaty Key Provisions Central Limits Counting Rules Collateral Constraints Monitoring and Verification Access Measures Information Exchanges ...

Operation Iraqi freedom: strategies, approaches, results, and issues for congress.
April 1, 2009... April 2, 2009 Summary Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), the U.S.-led coalition military operation in Iraq, was launched on March 20, 2003, with the immediate stated goal of removing Saddam Hussein's regime and destroying its ability to...

Overview.(Operation Iraqi Freedom: Strategies, Approaches, Results, and Issues for Congress)(Report)
April 1, 2009... In 2009, the war in Iraq appears to be winding down, as security gains made since the height of the insurgency in 2006 and 2007 continue to be sustained, and as Iraqis increasingly seek management of their own affairs. A new U.S.-Iraqi...

Decision to go to war in Iraq.(Operation Iraqi Freedom: Strategies, Approaches, Results, and Issues for Congress)
April 1, 2009... The Administration's decision to launch Operation Iraqi Freedom had antecedents stretching back to the 1991 Gulf War and its aftermath. Antecedents in the 1990s In the 1990's, the United States shared with other countries a concern...

War planning.(Operation Iraqi Freedom: Strategies, Approaches, Results, and Issues for Congress)(Report)
April 1, 2009... As the Prussian military theorist Karl von Clausewitz wrote, war planning includes articulation of both intended goals and how they will be achieved. (119) In the case of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Administration goals included both short-term...

Major combat operations.(Operation Iraqi Freedom: Strategies, Approaches, Results, and Issues for Congress)(Report)
April 1, 2009... Major combat operations in Iraq, launched in March 2003, roughly followed the course that had been outlined at the CENTCOM Component Commanders Conference in January that year. The coalition force was both joint--with representatives from all...

Post-major combat: basis and organization.(Operation Iraqi Freedom: Strategies, Approaches, Results, and Issues for Congress)(Report)
April 1, 2009... This Report uses the term "post-major combat" to refer to the period from the President's announcement of the end of major combat, on May 1, 2003, to the present. This period has not been monolithic--it has included evolutions in national and...

Post-major combat: the force.(Operation Iraqi Freedom: Strategies, Approaches, Results, and Issues for Congress)(Report)
April 1, 2009... The Multi-National Force-Iraq (MNF-I), like its predecessor CJTF-7, is a joint, combined force. It includes some Department of Defense civil servants, and it is supported by civilian contractors. Structure and Footprint The MNF-I...

Post-major combat: security situation.(Operation Iraqi Freedom: Strategies, Approaches, Results, and Issues for Congress)(Report)
April 1, 2009... The security situation in Iraq is multi-faceted, geographically varied, and constantly evolving. In a society where the rule of law is not completely established, politics--the struggle for power, resources and influence--more readily and...

Post-major combat: military strategy and operations.(Operation Iraqi Freedom: Strategies, Approaches, Results, and Issues for Congress)
April 1, 2009... Over time, U.S. military strategy for Iraq--and thus also operations on the ground--have been adapted to support evolving U.S. national strategy. In turn, national strategy has directly drawn some lessons from OIF operational experience....

Iraqi Security Forces (ISF).(Operation Iraqi Freedom: Strategies, Approaches, Results, and Issues for Congress)(Report)
April 1, 2009... As of the beginning of 2009, the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) consisted of three major groups: the Army, Navy and Air Force under the Ministry of Defense (MoD); the Iraqi Police Service, the National Police, and the Department of Border...

Iraqi population: "reconciliation".(Operation Iraqi Freedom: Strategies, Approaches, Results, and Issues for Congress)(Report)
April 1, 2009... A central tenet of counter-insurgency is reaching out to the local population and securing at least their acceptance, if not their active support. In Iraq, a number of U.S. military commanders have pointed to changes in the attitudes and...

Civil/military partnership in governance and economics.(Operation Iraqi Freedom: Strategies, Approaches, Results, and Issues for Congress)(Report)
April 1, 2009... From the earliest days after major combat operations, civilian and military coalition leaders in Iraq recognized the central importance of the governance and economics "lines of operation"--indeed, military commanders have consistently viewed...

Assessing security trends.(Operation Iraqi Freedom: Strategies, Approaches, Results, and Issues for Congress)(Report)
April 1, 2009... Strategically based decision-making about the United States' next steps in Iraq and its future relations with that country requires a clear assessment of trends to date in security conditions, and a clear evaluation of the factors that...

Additional CRS reports.(Operation Iraqi Freedom: Strategies, Approaches, Results, and Issues for Congress)(Bibliography)
April 1, 2009... For further information about Iraq-related issues, see CRS Report RL33110, The Cost of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Other Global War on Terror Operations Since 9111, by Amy Belasco; CRS Report RL34064, Iraq: Oil and Gas Legislation, Revenue...

Iran: U.S. concerns and policy responses.(Report)
April 1, 2009... Summary President Obama has said his Administration shares the goals of the previous Administration on Iran, but the Obama Administration officials is formulating strategies and approaches to achieve those goals that differ from those of...

Political history.(Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses)(Report)
April 1, 2009... Much of the debate over U.S. policy toward Iran has centered on the nature of the current regime; some believe that Iran, a country of about 70 million people, is a threat to U.S. interests because hardliners in Iran's regime dominate and set...

Regime structure, stability, and elections.(Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses)
April 1, 2009... About a decade after founding the Islamic republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini died on June 3, 1989. The regime he established--enshrined in an Islamic republican constitution adopted in 1980 and amended in 1989--consists of some elected and...

Human rights and dissent.(Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses)(Report)
April 1, 2009... The regime appears to have a relatively firm grip on power, in part because it vigorously suppresses dissent. However, Iranian opinion is hard to gauge and even seemingly low level unrest has the potential to spiral into a potential threat to...

Iran's strategic capabilities and weapons of mass destruction programs.(Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses)(Report)
April 1, 2009... The Bush Administration's "National Security Strategy" document released March 16, 2006 said the United States "may face no greater challenge from a single country than from Iran." The perception, which many in the Obama Administration are...

Foreign policy and support for terrorist groups.(Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses)
April 1, 2009... Iran's foreign policy is a product of the ideology of Iran's Islamic revolution, blended with long standing national interests, and is intended largely to overturn the "status quo" in the Middle East that Iran believes favors the United...

U.S. policy responses, options, and legislation.(Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses)(Report)
April 1, 2009... The February 11, 1979 fall of the Shah of Iran, a key U.S. ally, opened the long and deep rift in U.S.-Iranian relations. On November 4, 1979, radical "students" seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and held its diplomats hostage until minutes...

Conclusion.(Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses)(Report)
April 1, 2009... Mistrust between the United States and Iran's Islamic regime has run deep almost three decades and many argue that it is unlikely to be quickly overcome, even if the Obama Administration initiates--and Iran accepts--comprehensive direct talks...

Afghanistan: post-Taliban governance, security, and U.S. policy.
April 1, 2009... April 30, 2009 Summary Upon taking office, President Obama's Administration faced a deteriorating security environment in Afghanistan, including an expanding militant presence in some areas previously considered secure, increased...

Background.(Afghanistan: Post-Taliban Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy)(Report)
April 1, 2009... From Early History to the 19th Century From the third to the eighth century, A.D., Buddhism was the dominant religion in Afghanistan. In the 10th century, Muslim rulers called Samanids, from Bukhara (in what is now Uzbekistan), extended...

Post Taliban nation building (8). (Afghanistan: Post-Taliban Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy).(Report)
April 1, 2009... With Afghanistan devastated after more than 20 years of warfare, the fall of the Taliban paved the way for the success of a long-stalled U.N. effort to form a broad-based Afghan government and for a U.S.-led coalition to begin building...

Post-war security operations and force capacity building.(Afghanistan: Post-Taliban Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy)(Report)
April 1, 2009... One major question among experts is what is the U.S. definition of "winning" the "war" in Afghanistan. While that might be debated, the top security priority of the United States articulated since 2001 has been to prevent the Taliban and its...

Regional context.(Afghanistan: Post-Taliban Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy)(Report)
April 1, 2009... Most of Afghanistan's neighbors believed that the fall of the Taliban would stabilize the region, but it remains unstable as like-minded militants now threaten the government of Pakistan. Six of Afghanistan's neighbors signed a...

U.S. and international aid to Afghanistan and development issues.(Afghanistan: Post-Taliban Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy)(Report)
April 1, 2009... Many experts have long believed that accelerating economic development would do more to improve the security situation--and to eliminate narcotics trafficking-than intensified anti-Taliban combat. This belief appears to underpin the Obama...

Residual issues from past conflicts.(Afghanistan: Post-Taliban Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy)(Report)
April 1, 2009... A few issues remain unresolved from Afghanistan's many years of conflict, such as Stinger retrieval and mine eradication. Stinger Retrieval Beginning in late 1985 following internal debate, the Reagan Administration provided about...

Foreign operations appropriations: general provisions.(Report)
April 1, 2009... Contents Introduction How to Read the Table Tables Tables Table 1. Foreign Operations Appropriations Appendixes Appendix. Short Titles and Popular Names of Laws Cited in the Table (in chronological order) Contacts Author...