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

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

Proposed funding for workforce development in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009.(Congressional Research Service)
February 1, 2009... February 2, 2009 SUMMARY: On January 28, 2009, the House of Representatives passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (H.R. 1)--ARRA. The Senate is currently considering similar economic stimulus legislation in its...

Iraq: post-Saddam governance and security.(Congressional Research Service)
February 1, 2009... February 5, 2009 SUMMARY As it left office, the Bush Administration claimed it was handing off to President Obama a security environment in Iraq that is vastly improved over that which prevailed during 2005-2007. It attributes that...

Policy in the 1990s emphasized containment.(Iraq: Post-Saddam Governance and Security)
February 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)
February 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)
February 1, 2009... According to statements by the Bush Administration, U.S. goals are 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 following sections discuss Iraq's...

Economic reconstruction and U.S. assistance.(Iraq: Post-Saddam Governance and Security)
February 1, 2009... The Bush Administration asserted that economic reconstruction would contribute to stability. (33) However, as violence began to diminish in late 2007 and 2008, the Bush Administration concurred with the substantial bipartisan sentiment that...

Security challenges and responses.(Iraq: Post-Saddam Governance and Security)
February 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)
February 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...

Foreign aid: an introduction to U.S. programs and policy.(Congressional Research Service)
February 1, 2009... February 10, 2009 SUMMARY Foreign assistance is a fundamental component of the international affairs budget and is viewed by many as an essential instrument of U.S. foreign policy. The focus of U.S. foreign aid policy has been...

Iraq: politics, elections, and benchmarks.(Congressional Research Service)
February 1, 2009... February 17, 2009 Summary Iraq's political system, the result of a U.S.-supported election process, is increasingly exhibiting peaceful competition but continues to be riven by sectarianism and ethnic and factional infighting. As 2009...

Afghanistan: post-Taliban governance, security, and U.S. policy.(Congressional Research Service)
February 1, 2009... February 9, 2009 Summary As U.S. and outside assessments of the effort to stabilize Afghanistan became increasingly negative throughout 2008, the Bush Administration conducted several reviews of U.S. strategy, and made actionable...

Background to recent developments.(Afghanistan: Post-Taliban Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy)
February 1, 2009... Prior to the founding of a monarchy in 1747 by Ahmad Shah Durrani, Afghanistan was territory inhabited by tribes and tribal confederations linked to neighboring nations, not a distinct entity. King Amanullah Khan (1919-1929) launched attacks on...

Post-war security operations and force capacity building.(Afghanistan: Post-Taliban Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy)
February 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)
February 1, 2009... Although most of Afghanistan's neighbors believe that the fall of the Taliban has stabilized the region, some experts believe that some neighboring governments are attempting to manipulate Afghanistan's factions to their advantage, even though...

U.S. and international aid to Afghanistan and development issues.(Afghanistan: Post-Taliban Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy)
February 1, 2009... Many experts believe that financial assistance and accelerating reconstruction would do more to improve the security situation--and to eliminate narcotics trafficking--than intensified anti-Taliban combat. Afghanistan's economy and society are...

Residual issues from past conflicts.(Afghanistan: Post-Taliban Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy)
February 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...

Appendix. U.S. and international sanctions lifted.(Afghanistan: Post-Taliban Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy)
February 1, 2009... Virtually all U.S. and international sanctions on Afghanistan, some imposed during the Soviet occupation era and others on the Taliban regime, have now been lifted. * On January 10, 2003, President Bush signed a proclamation making...

North Korea: terrorism list removal?(Congressional Research Service)
February 1, 2009... February 2, 2009 Summary The issue of North Korea's inclusion on the U.S. list of terrorism-supporting countries has been a major issue in U.S.-North Korean diplomacy since 2000, particularly in connection with negotiations over North...

Iran's ballistic missile programs: an overview.(Congressional Research Service)
February 1, 2009... February 4, 2009 Summary Iran has an active interest in developing, acquiring, and deploying a broad range of ballistic missiles, as well as developing a space launch capability. This was spotlighted several times since 2008. In...

Afghanistan: government formation and performance.(Congressional Research Service)
February 1, 2009... February 5, 2009 Summary The central government's limited writ and perceived corruption are helping sustain a Taliban insurgency, and feeding pessimism about the Afghanistan stabilization effort. However, ethnic disputes remain...

Iran's activities and influence in Iraq.(Congressional Research Service)
February 1, 2009... February 13, 2009 Summary With a conventional military and weapons of mass destruction (WMD) threat from Saddam Hussein's regime removed, Iran seeks to ensure that Iraq can never again become a threat to Iran, either with or without...

Preserving homeownership: foreclosure prevention initiatives.(Congressional Research Service)
February 1, 2009... February 9, 2009 Summary The foreclosure rate in the United States has been rising rapidly since the middle of 2006. Losing a home to foreclosure can hurt homeowners in many ways; for example, homeowners who have been through a...

Troubled asset relief program and foreclosures.(Congressional Research Service)
February 1, 2009... February 17, 2009 Summary Increasing foreclosure rates and problems in financial markets are some of the issues addressed in the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-343), which created the Troubled Asset Relief Plan...

U.S. energy: overview and selected facts and numbers.(Congressional Research Service)
February 1, 2009... February 3, 2009 Summary Energy supplies and prices are major economic factors in the United States, and energy markets are volatile and unpredictable. Thus, energy policy has been a recurring issue for Congress since the first major...

Biochar: examination of an emerging concept to mitigate climate change.(Congressional Research Service)
February 1, 2009... February 3, 2009 Summary Biochar is a charcoal produced under high temperatures using crop residues, animal manure, or any type of organic waste material. Biochar looks very similar to potting soil. The combined production and use of...

U.S.-Vietnam relations in 2009: current issues and implications for U.S. policy.(Congressional Research Service)
February 1, 2009... February 5, 2009 SUMMARY After communist North Vietnam's victory over U.S.-backed South Vietnam in 1975, U.S.-Vietnam relations remained essentially frozen until the mid-1990s. Since then, bilateral ties have expanded to the point...

Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP): status and issues.(Congressional Research Service)
February 1, 2009... February 5, 2009 Summary The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is a voluntary program that provides farmers with financial and technical assistance to plan and implement soil and water conservation practices. EQIP is the...

International illegal trade in wildlife: threats and U.S. Policy.(Congressional Research Service)
February 1, 2009... February 2, 2009 Summary Global trade in illegal wildlife is a growing illicit economy, estimated to be worth at least $5 billion and potentially in excess of $20 billion annually. Some of the most lucrative illicit wildlife...

The Iran Sanctions Act (ISA).(Congressional Research Service)
February 1, 2009... February 2, 2009 Summary International pressure on Iran to curb its nuclear program is increasing the hesitation of many major foreign firms to invest in Iran's energy sector, hindering Iran's efforts to expand oil production beyond...

U.S. economy in recession: similarities To and differences from the past.(Congressional Research Service)
February 1, 2009... February 5, 2009 Summary According to the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), the U.S. economy entered a recession in December 2007. This recession has already lasted longer than the median length of the 10 previous...

Alternative fuels and advanced technology vehicles: issues in congress.(Congressional Research Service)
February 1, 2009... February 13, 2009 Summary Alternative fuels and advanced technology vehicles are seen by proponents as integral to improving urban air quality, decreasing dependence on foreign oil, and reducing emissions of greenhouse gases. However,...

Fishery, aquaculture, and marine mammal issues in the 111th Congress.(Congressional Research Service)
February 1, 2009... February 19, 2009 Summary Fish and marine mammals are important resources in open ocean and nearshore coastal areas; many federal laws and regulations guide their management as well as the management of their habitat. Commercial...

Who regulates whom? An overview of U.S. financial supervision.(Congressional Research Service)
February 1, 2009... February 24, 2009 Summary Federal financial regulation in the United States has evolved through a series of piecemeal responses to developments and crises in the markets. This report provides an overview of current U.S. financial...

North Korean ballistic missile threat to the United States.(Congressional Research Service)
February 1, 2009... February 24, 2009 SUMMARY This report briefly reviews North Korea's ballistic missile program. In summer 2007, North Korea tested modern, short-range missiles. In February 2009, South Korea reported the DPRK had deployed a new...

Cuba: issues for the 111th Congress.(Congressional Research Service)
February 1, 2009... February 25, 2009 Summary Cuba, which remains a hard-line communist state with a poor record on human rights, commemorated the 50th anniversary of its revolution on January 1, 2009. Cuba's political succession from the long-ruling...

U.S. civilian space policy priorities: reflections 50 years after sputnik.(Congressional Research Service)
February 1, 2009... February 2, 2009 Summary The "space age" began on October 4, 1957, when the Soviet Union (USSR) launched Sputnik, the world's first artificial satellite. Some U.S. policymakers, concerned about the USSR's ability to launch a...

War powers resolution: presidential compliance.(Congressional Research Service)
February 1, 2009... February 2, 2009 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...

Science, technology, and American diplomacy: background and issues for congress.(Congressional Research Service)
February 1, 2009... February 3, 2009 Summary Science and engineering activities have always been international. Scientists, engineers, and health professionals frequently communicate and cooperate with one another without regard to national boundaries....

The Manhattan project, the Apollo program, and federal energy technology R&D programs: a comparative analysis.(Congressional Research Service)
February 1, 2009... February 4, 2009 Summary Some policymakers have concluded that the energy challenges facing the United States are so critical that a concentrated investment in energy research and development (R&D) should be undertaken. The Manhattan...

The global financial crisis: the role of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).(Congressional Research Service)
February 1, 2009... February 4, 2009 Summary This report discusses two potential roles the International Monetary Fund (IMF) may have in helping to resolve the current global financial crisis: (1) immediate crisis control through balance of payments...

Peacekeeping/stabilization and conflict transitions: background and congressional action on the civilian response/reserve corps and other civilian stabilization and reconstruction capabilities.(Congressional Research Service)
February 1, 2009... February 5, 2009 Summary The 111th Congress will face a number of issues regarding the development of civilian capabilities to carry out stabilization and reconstruction activities. In September 2008, Congress passed the...

Intellectual property rights and international trade.(Congressional Research Service)
February 1, 2009... February 5, 2009 Summary This report provides background on intellectual property rights (IPR) and discusses the role of U.S. international trade policy in enhancing IPR protection and enforcement abroad. IPR are legal rights granted...

The President's Office of Science and Technology Policy: Issues for Congress.(Congressional Research Service)
February 1, 2009... February 6, 2009 Summary Congress established the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) through the National Science and Technology Policy, Organization, and Priorities Act of 1976 (P.L. 94-282). The act states that "The...

The National Security Council: an organizational assessment.(Congressional Research Service)
February 1, 2009... February 6, 2009 Summary The National Security Council (NSC) was established by statute in 1947 to create an interdepartmental body to advise the President with respect to the integration of domestic, foreign, and military policies...

Ocean piracy and its impact on insurance.(Congressional Research Service)
February 1, 2009... February 6, 2009 Summary Many Members of 111th Congress are concerned about the sharp rise in pirate attacks in the strategic waterways in the Gulf of Aden off the East coast of Africa. The hijacking of a Saudi Arabia-owned oil tanker,...

Arms control and nonproliferation: a catalog of treaties and agreements.(Congressional Research Service)
February 1, 2009... February 10, 2009 Summary Arms control and nonproliferation efforts are two of the tools that have occasionally been used to implement U.S. national security strategy. Although some believe these tools do little to restrain the...

Introduction.(Arms Control and Nonproliferation: A Catalog of Treaties and Agreements)
February 1, 2009... For much of the past century, U.S. national security strategy focused on several core, interrelated objectives. These include enhancing U.S. security at home and abroad; promoting U.S. economic prosperity; and promoting free markets and...

Arms control between the United States and States of the former Soviet Union.(Arms Control and Nonproliferation: A Catalog of Treaties and Agreements)
February 1, 2009... The Early Years: Salt I and Salt II The United States and Soviet Union signed their first formal agreements limiting nuclear offensive and defensive weapons in May 1972. The Strategic Arms Limitation Talks, known as SALT, produced two...

Multilateral nuclear nonproliferation activities.(Arms Control and Nonproliferation: A Catalog of Treaties and Agreements)
February 1, 2009... The International Nuclear Nonproliferation Regime The United States is a leader of an international regime that attempts to limit the spread of nuclear weapons through treaties, export control coordination and enforcement, and U.N. Security...

Non-Nuclear multilateral endeavors.(Arms Control and Proliferation: A Catalog of Treaties and Agreements)
February 1, 2009... The international community has concluded a number of arms control agreements, conventions, and arrangements that affect non-nuclear weapons. Two of these, the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe Treaty (CFE) and the Open Skies Treaty were a...

Weapons elimination conventions.(Arms Control and Proliferation: A Catalog of Treaties and Agreements)
February 1, 2009... Chemical Weapons Convention The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) bans the development, production, transfer, stockpiling, and use of chemical and toxin weapons, mandates the destruction of all chemical weapons production facilities, and...

Appendix A. List of Treaties and Agreement.(Arms Control and Nonproliferation: A Catalog of Treaties and Agreements)
February 1, 2009... This appendix lists a wide range of arms control treaties and agreements. The date listed in each entry indicates the year in which the negotiations were completed. In some cases, entry into force occurred in a subsequent year. The Geneva...

Appendix B. The U.S. Treaty Ratification Process.(Arms Control and Nonproliferation: A Catalog of Treaties and Agreements)
February 1, 2009... Article II, Section 2, Clause 2 of the United States Constitution establishes responsibilities for treaty ratification. It provides that the President "shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties,...

Appendix C. Arms Control Organizations.(Arms Control and Nonproliferation: A Catalog of Treaties and Agreements)
February 1, 2009... Appendix C. Arms Control Organizations Bilateral (U.S.-Former Soviet Republics) Jurisdiction Standing Consultative ABM Treaty Commission (SCC) Special Verification INF Treaty Commission (SVC)...

Iran: U.S. concerns and policy responses.(Congressional Research Service)
February 1, 2009... February 20, 2009 Summary The Bush Administration characterized Iran as a "profound threat to U.S. national security interests," a perception generated primarily by Iran's nuclear program and its military assistance to armed groups in...

Political history.(Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses)
February 1, 2009... The United States was an ally of the late Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi ("the Shah"), who ruled from 1941 until his ouster in February 1979. The Shah assumed the throne when Britain and Russia forced his father, Reza Shah Pahlavi (Reza...

Regime structure, stability, and elections.(Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses)
February 1, 2009... February 20, 2009 About a decade after founding the Islamic republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini died on June 3, 1989. The regime he established, consisting of some elected and some appointed positions, has appeared relatively stable, but...

Human Rights and Dissent.(Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses)
February 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)
February 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)
February 1, 2009... Iran's foreign policy is a product of the ideology of Iran's Islamic revolution, blended with longstanding national interests, and is intended largely to overturn the "status quo" in the Middle East that Iran believes favors the United States,...

U.S. policy responses, options, and legislation.(Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses)
February 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)
February 1, 2009... Mistrust between the United States and Iran's Islamic regime has run deep for over two decades and many argue that it is unlikely to be quickly overcome, even if the Obama Administration initiates--and Iran accepts--comprehensive direct talks...

Presidential records: issues for the 111th Congress.(Congressional Research Service)
February 1, 2009... February 17, 2009 Summary Most records of recent former Presidents and former Vice Presidents are required by statute to be turned over to the National Archives and Records Administration at the end of each administration. These...

Strategic arms control after START: issues and options.(Congressional Research Service)
February 1, 2009... February 12, 2009 Summary The United States and Soviet Union signed the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty in 1991; it entered into force in December 1994 and is due to expire in December 2009. The United States and Russia have held...

The evolving broadband infrastructure: expansion, applications, and regulation.(Congressional Research Service)
February 1, 2009... February 19, 2009 Summary Over the past decade, the telecommunications sector has undergone a vast transformation fueled by rapid technological growth and subsequent evolution of the marketplace. Much of the U.S. policy debate over the...

Carbon tax and greenhouse gas control: options and considerations for Congress.(Congressional Research Service)
February 1, 2009... February 23, 2009 Summary Market-based mechanisms that limit greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions can be divided into two types: quantity control (e.g., cap-and-trade) and price control (e.g., carbon tax or fee). To some extent, a carbon...

Intelligence authorization legislation: status and challenges.(Congressional Research Service)
February 1, 2009... February 24, 2009 Summary Since FY2005, no annual intelligence authorization bill has been enacted. Although the National Security Act requires intelligence activities to be specifically authorized, this requirement has been satisfied...

Economic stimulus: issues and policies.(Congressional Research Service)
February 1, 2009... February 27, 2009 Summary Recent policies have sought to contain damages spilling over from housing and financial markets to the broader economy, including monetary policy, which is the responsibility of the Federal Reserve, and fiscal...

North Korea's nuclear weapons.(Congressional Research Service)
February 1, 2009... February 12, 2009 Summary This report summarizes what is known from open sources about the North Korean nuclear weapons program--including weapons-usable fissile material and warhead estimates--and assesses current developments in...

Japan's nuclear future: policy debate, prospects, and U.S. interests.(Congressional Research Service)
February 1, 2009... February 19, 2009 Summary Japan, traditionally one of the most prominent advocates of the international non-proliferation regime, has consistently pledged to forswear nuclear weapons. Nevertheless, evolving circumstances in Northeast...

International drug control policy.(Congressional Research Service)
February 1, 2009... February 9, 2009 Summary This report provides an overview of U.S. international drug control policy. It describes major international counternarcotics initiatives and evaluates the broad array of U.S. drug control policy tools...

China's foreign aid activities in Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia.(Congressional Research Service)
February 1, 2009... February 25, 2009 Summary In the past several years, the People's Republic of China (PRC) has bolstered its diplomatic presence and garnered international goodwill through its financing of infrastructure and natural resource...