Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports and Issue Briefs articles from December 2002

Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports and Issue Briefs archives from December 2002

Iran: current developments and U.S. policy.
December 26, 2002... SUMMARY Even before Iran's tacit cooperation with post-September 11 U.S. efforts to defeat Afghanistan's Taliban regime, signs of moderation in Iran had stimulated the United States to try to engage Iran in official talks. Iran, still...

Iraq: weapons threat, compliance, sanctions, and U.S. policy.
December 24, 2002... SUMMARY In recent years, the United States has been unable to maintain an international consensus for strict enforcement of all applicable U.N. Security Council resolutions on Iraq, but it has largely succeeded in preventing Iraq from...

Syria: U.S. relations and bilateral issues.
December 24, 2002... SUMMARY U.S.-Syrian relations have warmed somewhat in recent years as a result of the collapse of the Soviet Union, Syria's participation in the allied coalition against Iraq in 1991, and Syrian agreement to participate in Arab-Israeli...

India-U.S. relations.
December 19, 2002... SUMMARY Although the end of the cold war freed India-U.S. relations from the constraints of global bipolarity, New Delhi-Washington relations continued for a decade to be affected by the burden of history, most notably the longstanding...

Saudi Arabia: current issues and U.S. relations.
December 19, 2002... SUMMARY Saudi Arabia, a monarchy ruled by the Saudi dynasty, enjoys special importance in the international community because of its unique association with the Islamic religion and its oil wealth. Since the establishment of the modern...

The Persian Gulf: issues for U.S. policy, 2003.
December 19, 2002... Summary The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States have expanded the security challenges facing the United States in the Persian Gulf region, although no major crises have occurred in the Gulf since 1998. Since U.N....

Israel: U.S. foreign assistance.
December 18, 2002... SUMMARY Israel is not economically self-sufficient, and relies on foreign assistance and borrowing to maintain its economy. Since 1985, the United States has provided $3 billion in grants annually to Israel. Since 1976, Israel has been...

Critical infrastructures: background, policy, and implementation.
December 17, 2002... Summary The nation's health, wealth, and security rely on the production and distribution of certain goods and services. The array of physical assets, processes and organizations across which these goods and services move are called...

NATO enlargement.
December 17, 2002... Summary This report provides a brief summary of the last round of NATO enlargement, then sketches recent events culminating in the NATO summit in Prague on November 21-22, 2002. The report analyzes the key military and political issues...

Intelligence issues for Congress.
December 16, 2002... SUMMARY The U.S. Intelligence Community continues to adjust to the post-Cold War environment. Congressional and executive branch initiatives have emphasized enhancing cooperation among the different agencies that comprise the Community...

U.S.-European Union trade relations: issues and policy challenges.
December 16, 2002... SUMMARY The United States and European Union (EU) share a huge and mutually beneficial economic partnership. Not only is the U.S.-EU trade and investment relationship the largest in the world, it is arguably the most important. Agreement...

Egypt-United States relations.
December 12, 2002... SUMMARY U.S.-Egyptian relations are tied to maintaining regional stability, improving bilateral relations focused on Egyptian economic development and military cooperation, developing Egypt's democracy, sustaining the March 1979...

Terrorism, the future, and U.S. foreign policy.
December 12, 2002... SUMMARY International terrorism has long been recognized as a foreign and domestic security threat. The tragic events of September 11 in New York, the Washington, D.C., area, and Pennsylvania have dramatically re-energized the nation's...

The Middle East peace talks.
December 12, 2002... SUMMARY The end of the Cold War, the decline of the Soviet Union, and the U.S.-led victory in the Gulf war facilitated the beginning of a new peace process in 1991. Israel and the Palestinians discussed a 5-year period of interim...

Taiwan: major U.S. arms sales since 1990.
December 12, 2002... Summary This CRS Report discusses U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, or Republic of China (ROC), including policy issues for Congress and legislation. The Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), P.L. 96-8, has governed U.S. arms sales to Taiwan since 1979,...

Central Asia's new states: political developments and implications for U.S. interests.
December 11, 2002... SUMMARY After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the United States recognized the independence of all the former Central Asian republics and established diplomatic relations with each by mid-March 1992. The United States also...

Nuclear weapons: comprehensive test ban treaty.
December 11, 2002... SUMMARY A comprehensive test ban treaty, or CTBT, is the oldest item on the nuclear arms control agenda. Three treaties currently limit testing to underground only, with a maximum force equal to 150,000 tons of TNT. According to the...

Pakistan-U.S. relations.
December 11, 2002... SUMMARY Major areas of U.S. concern in Pakistan include the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; counter-terrorism; settlement of the Kashmir dispute; democratization and human rights; and economic reform and development. A...

Palestinians and Middle East peace: issues for the United States.
December 11, 2002... SUMMARY The United States began contacts with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in December 1988, after the PLO accepted Israel's right to exist, accepted U.N. Resolutions 242 and 338 that call for an exchange of land for...

Sudan: humanitarian crisis, peace talks, terrorism, and U.S. policy.
December 11, 2002... SUMMARY Sudan, geographically the largest country in Africa, has been ravaged by civil war intermittently for 4 decades. An estimated 2 million people have died over the past decade due to war-related causes and famine, and millions have...

Immigration and naturalization service: restructuring proposals in the 107th Congress.
December 11, 2002... Summary The events of September 11 brought the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) to the forefront of the nation's attention. Although all 19 hijackers entered the country legally, three overstayed their visas. And, on March...

Iraq: weapons threat, compliance, sanctions, and U.S. policy.
December 10, 2002... SUMMARY In recent years, the United States has been unable to maintain an international consensus for strict enforcement of all applicable U.N. Security Council resolutions on Iraq, but it has largely succeeded in preventing Iraq from...

Mexico-U.S. relations: issues for congress.
December 10, 2002... SUMMARY The United States and Mexico have a special relationship under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which removes trade and investment barriers between the countries. The friendly relationship has been strengthened by...

War powers resolution: presidential compliance.
December 10, 2002... SUMMARY Two separate but closely related issues confront Congress each time the President introduces armed forces into a situation abroad that conceivably could lead to their involvement in hostilities. One issue concerns the division of...

Iraq: U.S. efforts to change the regime.
December 10, 2002... Summary In his January 29, 2002 State of the Union message, President Bush characterized Iraq as part of an "axis of evil," along with Iran and North Korea. The President identified the key threat from Iraq as its development of weapons...

Israel: U.S. foreign assistance.
December 6, 2002... SUMMARY Israel is not economically self-sufficient, and relies on foreign assistance and borrowing to maintain its economy. Since 1985, the United States has provided $3 billion in grants annually to Israel. Since 1976, Israel has been...

Korea: U.S.-Korean relations--issues for Congress.
December 6, 2002... SUMMARY The United States maintains a strong, multifaceted alliance relationship with South Korea that has for decades served vital interests of both sides. Against the background of continuing difficulties in dealing with North Korea...

Latin America and the Caribbean: legislative issues in 2001-2002.
December 6, 2002... Summary This report provides an overview of the major legislative issues Congress dealt with in 2001 and 2002 relating to Latin America and the Caribbean. Organized by the regions and subregions of the Western Hemisphere, the report...

Israeli-United States relations.
December 5, 2002... SUMMARY Israeli-U.S. relations are an important factor in U.S. policy in the Middle East, and Congress has placed considerable importance on the maintenance of a close and supportive relationship. The main vehicle for expressing support...

Congressional action on Iraq 1990-2002: a compilation of legislation.
December 5, 2002... Summary This report is a compilation of legislation on Iraq from 1990 to the present. The list is composed of resolutions and public laws relating to military action or diplomatic pressure to be taken against Iraq. (1) The list does not...

Elections in Kashmir.
December 5, 2002... Summary The United States welcomed the successful October conclusion of 2002 elections in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, where nearly half of the electorate cast ballots. The elections resulted in the ousting of the long-dominant...

Russia.
December 4, 2002... SUMMARY Vladimir Putin, catapulted into the Kremlin by Boris Yeltsin's resignation, was elected President on March 26, 2000 by a solid majority that embraced his military campaign in Chechnya. Parties backing Putin did well in the...

China and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and missiles: policy issues.
December 4, 2002... Summary Congress has long been concerned about whether U.S. policy advances the U.S. interest in reducing the role of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and missiles that could...

Afghanistan: current issues and U.S. policy.
December 3, 2002... Summary The United States and its allies are helping Afghanistan emerging from more than 22 years of warfare, although substantial risk to Afghan stability remains. Before the U.S. military campaign against the orthodox Islamist Taliban...

Africa: U.S. foreign assistance issues.
December 3, 2002... SUMMARY The Bush Administration is requesting just over $1 billion in Development Assistance (DA) for sub-Saharan Africa for FY2003, as compared with an estimated $887 million going to the region in FY2002. The request for aid through...

Terrorism, the future, and U.S. foreign policy.
December 3, 2002... SUMMARY International terrorism has long been recognized as a foreign and domestic security threat. The tragic events of September 11 in New York, the Washington, D.C., area, and Pennsylvania have dramatically re-energized the nation's...

Intelligence and law enforcement: countering transnational threats to the U.S.
December 3, 2002... Summary In the post-Cold War world, terrorism, narcotics trafficking, and related money laundering are perceived both as criminal matters and as threats to the nation's security. Often collectively termed transnational threats, these...

AIDS in Africa.
December 2, 2002... SUMMARY Sub-Saharan Africa has been far more severely affected by AIDS than any other part of the world. The United Nations reports that 29.4 million adults and children are infected with the HIV virus in the region, which has about 10%...

Japan-U.S. relations: issues for the 107th Congress.
December 2, 2002... SUMMARY The United States has long worked closely with Japan to build a strong, multifaceted relationship based on shared democratic values and mutual interest in Asian and global stability and development. Although the Bush...

Taiwan: major U.S. arms sales since 1990.
December 2, 2002... Summary This CRS Report discusses U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, or Republic of China (ROC), including policy issues for Congress and legislation. The Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), P.L. 96-8, has governed U.S. arms sales to Taiwan since 1979,...