Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports and Issue Briefs articles from July 2006

Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports and Issue Briefs archives from July 2006

Iraq: post-Saddam governance and security.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... Updated July 5, 2006 Summary Operation Iraqi Freedom succeeded in overthrowing Saddam Hussein, but Iraq remains unstable because of Sunni Arab resentment and a related insurgency, compounded by burgeoning sectarian violence. According...

United Nations peacekeeping: issues for Congress.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... CONTENTS SUMMARY MOST RECENT DEVELOPMENTS BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS Current Funding Situation Basic Information Other Peacekeeping Issues A Peacekeeping Response to International Humanitarian Distress The Role of U.N....

War on drugs: the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... Summary Authorization of the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, a multi-media federal program to persuade America's youth not to use drugs, expired at the end of FY2002. H.R. 2829 (passed by the House on March 13, 2006) and S. 2560...

Post-war Iraq: foreign contributions to training, peacekeeping, and reconstruction.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... Updated July 7, 2006 Summary Securing and maintaining foreign contributions to the reconstruction and stabilization of Iraq has been a major priority for U.S. policymakers since the launch of Operation Iraqi Freedom in March 2003....

Qualifying Industrial Zones in Jordan and Egypt.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... Summary In 1996, Congress authorized the creation of Qualifying Industrial Zones (QIZs), thereby entitling goods jointly produced by Israel and either Jordan or Egypt to enter the United States duty free. The QIZ creation vehicle was an...

Combat aircraft sales to South Asia: potential implications.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... July 6, 2006 Summary On June 28, 2006, the Bush Administration announced its proposal to sell 36 F-16 C/D Block 50/52 Falcon combat aircraft to Pakistan at an estimated case value of $3 billion. The F-16 Falcon is a single engine...

Middle East free trade area: progress report.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... Updated July 3, 2006 Summary On May 9, 2003, the Bush Administration proposed the establishment of a U.S. Middle East Free Trade Area (MEFTA) within a decade (by about 2013). This proposal came a year and a half after the September 11,...

World Trade Organization negotiations: the Doha Development Agenda.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... Summary The World Trade Organization was established in 1995 and is the principal international organization governing world trade. It has 149 member countries, representing over 95% of world trade. On November 9-14, 2001, trade...

Proposed U.S.-Oman free trade agreement.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... Proposed U.S.-Oman Free Trade Agreement Summary In aiming to fight terrorism with trade, the United States has negotiated and the President signed on January 19, 2006, the U.S.'s fifth bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) in the...

Trends in terrorism: 2006.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... July 21, 2006 Summary On April 28, 2006, the Department of State sent to Congress its annual report on global terrorism: Country Reports on Global Terrorism 2005. The 262-page report provides an annual strategic assessment of trends...

FEMA reorganization legislation in the 109th Congress.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... July 7, 2006 Summary Members of Congress have introduced legislation in both the House and Senate to alter federal emergency management organizational structures and responsibilities, amend authorities that guide federal action,...

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR): Controversies for the 109th Congress.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... July 7, 2006 Summary One part of the energy debate is whether to approve energy development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in northeastern Alaska, and if so, under what conditions, or whether to continue to prohibit...

Gasoline prices: new legislation and proposals.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... July 7, 2006 Summary The high price of gasoline was an important consideration during the debate on the Energy Policy Act of 2005, H.R. 6 (P.L. 109-58). As prices continued to surge, the continuing crisis renewed attention on some...

Iran's nuclear program: recent developments.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... Summary International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspections since 2003 have revealed almost two decades' worth of undeclared nuclear activities in Iran, including uranium enrichment and plutonium separation efforts. Iran agreed in 2003...

Iran: U.S. concerns and policy responses.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... Updated July 31, 2006 Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses Summary According to the Administration's "National Security Strategy" document released on March 16, 2006, the United States "may face no greater challenge from a...

Pakistan-U.S. relations.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... Updated July 27, 2006 Summary A stable, democratic, economically thriving Pakistan is considered vital to U.S. interests. U.S. concerns regarding Pakistan include regional terrorism; Pakistan-Afghanistan relations; weapons...

India-U.S. relations.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... Updated July 31, 2006 Summary The end of the Cold War freed India-U.S. relations from the constraints of global bipolarity, but interactions continued for a decade to be affected by the burden of history, most notably the longstanding...

Lebanon.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... Updated July 24, 2006 Lebanon Summary The United States and Lebanon continue to enjoy good relations. Prominent current issues between the United States and Lebanon include progress toward a Lebanon-Israel peace treaty, U.S. aid...

Israel: background and relations with the United States.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... Updated July 26, 2006 Summary On May 14, 1948, the State of Israel declared its independence and was immediately engaged in a war with all of its neighbors. Armed conflict has marked every decade of Israel's existence. Despite its...

Israeli-Arab negotiations: background, conflicts, and U.S. policy.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... Updated July 25, 2006 Summary After the first Gulf war, in 1991, a new peace process involved bilateral negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon. On September 13, 1993, Israel and the Palestine...

Syria: U.S. relations and bilateral issues.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... Updated July 27, 2006 Summary An array of bilateral issues continue to affect relations between the United States and Syria: the course of Arab-Israeli talks; questions of arms proliferation; Syrian connections with terrorist activity;...

Saudi Arabia: current issues and U.S. relations.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... July 11, 2006 Summary Saudi Arabia, a monarchy ruled by the Saud dynasty, enjoys special importance in much of the international community because of its unique association with the Islamic religion and its oil wealth. The United...

Monetary policy: current policy and conditions.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... Contents What is Monetary Policy? Is Monetary Policy Important? Monetary vs. Fiscal Policy Short Run vs. Longer Run Indicators of Monetary Policy Money Supply Growth Interest Rates The Recent and Current Posture...

European approaches to homeland security and counterterrorism.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... Contents Introduction Belgium Belgian Homeland Security/Counterterrorism Efforts: Background Policies, Budget, and Institutional Structure Belgium's Homeland Security Functions and Agencies Civil Defense ...

China and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and missiles: policy issues.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... Summary Congress has long been concerned about whether U.S. policy advances the national 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...

International drug trade and U.S. foreign policy.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... Summary Efforts to significantly reduce the flow of illicit drugs from abroad into the United States have so far not succeeded. Moreover, over the past decade, worldwide production of illicit drugs has risen dramatically: opium and...

Human cloning.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... Summary In December 2005, an investigation by Seoul National University, South Korea, found that scientist Hwang Woo Suk had fabricated results on deriving patient-matched stem cells from cloned embryos--a major setback for the field. In...

Europe: rising economic nationalism?(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... Summary Several members of the European Union (EU) over the past year have been erecting barriers to cross-border mergers and acquisitions, possibly in violation of their Single Market commitments. The main focus of these anti-competitive...

Energy tax policy: history and current issues.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... Summary Historically, U.S. federal energy tax policy promoted the supply of oil and gas. However, the 1970s witnessed (1) a significant cutback in the oil and gas industry's tax preferences, (2) the imposition of new excise taxes on oil,...

Current economic conditions and selected forecasts.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... Updated July 28, 2006 Current Economic Conditions and Selected Forecasts Summary U.S. real GDP growth has been positive for 18 consecutive quarters, and the economy is considered to be in an "expansion" phase. As of the second...

Climate change: The European Union's Emissions Trading System (EU-ETS).(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... July 31, 2006 Summary The European Union's (EU's) Emissions Trading System (ETS) is a cornerstone of the EU's efforts to meet its obligation under the Kyoto Protocol. It covers more than 11,500 energy intensive facilities across the...

China-U.S. relations: current issues and implications for U.S. policy.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... Updated July 14, 2006 Summary Throughout much of the George W. Bush Administration, U.S.-China relations have remained unusually smooth and stable. But U.S. policy toward China now appears to be subject to competing reassessments....

China's economic conditions.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... July 12, 2006 Summary Since the initiation of economic reforms in 1979, China has become one of the world's fastest-growing economies. From 1979 to 2005 China's real GDP grew at an average annual rate of 9.7%; it grew by 9.9% in 2005....

Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia: political developments and implications for U.S. interests.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... Updated July 24, 2006 Summary The United States recognized the independence of all the former Soviet republics by the end of 1991, including the South Caucasus states of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. The United States has fostered...

AIDS in Africa.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... July 27, 2006 Summary Sub-Saharan Africa ("Africa" hereafter) has been more severely affected by AIDS than any other part of the world. In 2005, the United Nations reports, there were in the range of 24.5 million HIV-positive persons...

Afghanistan: post-war governance, security, and U.S. policy.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... Updated July 27, 2006 Summary Afghanistan's planned political transition was completed with the convening of a parliament in December 2005, but insurgent threats to Afghanistan's government have escalated in 2006 to the point that...

Nuclear energy policy.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... July 20, 2006 Summary Nuclear energy policy issues facing Congress include the implementation of federal incentives for new commercial reactors, radioactive waste management policy, research and development priorities, power plant...

Peacekeeping and related stability operations: issues of U.S. military involvement.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... July 13, 2006 Summary The second session of the 109th Congress has begun to face decisions regarding the preparation of U.S. military forces for stability missions, a major subset of which is peace operations. A November 28, 2005,...

Russia's accession to the WTO.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... Contents The WTO and the Accession Process The Soviet Union and the GATT/WTO Russian Economic Conditions and Reform: An Impetus for Joining the WTO Domestic Economic Conditions Russian Foreign Trade, Investment, and Debt ...

Sudan: humanitarian crisis, peace talks, terrorism, and U.S. policy.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... Contents Historical Context The Crisis in Darfur: Background Recent Developments in Darfur Darfur Developments: Accountability for Atrocities Prospects for a Negotiated Settlement in Darfur The Humanitarian Situation and the...

Taiwan: recent developments and U.S. policy choices.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... July 1, 2006 Summary Early in its tenure, the George W. Bush Administration seemed to abandon the long-standing U.S. policy of "strategic ambiguity" on Taiwan in favor of "strategic clarity" that placed more emphasis on Taiwan's...

Trade negotiations during the 109th Congress.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... Updated July 6, 2006 Summary The Bush Administration has made bilateral and regional free-trade agreements (FTAs) more important elements of U.S. trade policy, a strategy known as "competitive liberalization." This strategy, it...

Trafficking in persons: the U.S. and international response.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... Updated July 7, 2006 Summary Trafficking in people for prostitution and forced labor is one of the most prolific areas of international criminal activity and is of significant concern to the United States and the international...

U.S. international trade: trends and forecasts.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... July 21, 2006 Summary This report provides an overview of the current status, trends, and forecasts for U.S. international trade. The purpose of this report is to provide current data and brief explanations for the various types of...

The United States and Europe: current issues.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... Summary The United States and Europe share a long and intertwined history. Both sides of the Atlantic face a common set of international concerns, have few other comparable partners, and share a deep economic relationship. Despite much...

The public health and medical response to disasters: federal authority and funding.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... July 28, 2006 Summary When catastrophes overwhelm the response capability of state and local authorities, the President can provide certain assets and personnel to aid stricken communities, and can provide funding to individuals,...

Africa: U.S. foreign assistance issues.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... Summary U.S. aid to Africa reached a peak in 1985, when global competition with the Soviet Union was at a high point. As the Cold War eased, security assistance Levels for Africa began to drop. In 1995, at the outset of the 104th Congress,...

Alternative fuels and advanced technology vehicles: issues in Congress.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... 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, major...

Background and legal issues related to stem cell research.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... Summary In August 2001, President Bush announced that federal funds, with certain restrictions, may be used to conduct research on human embryonic stem cells. Federal research is limited to "the more than 60" existing stem cell lines that...

Campaign finance: an overview.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... July 31, 2006 Summary Concerns over financing federal elections have become a seemingly perennial aspect of our political system, long centered on the enduring issues of high campaign costs and reliance on interest groups for needed...

Jordan: U.S. relations and bilateral issues.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... July 14, 2006 Summary This report provides an overview of Jordanian politics and current issues in U.S.-Jordanian relations. It provides a brief overview of Jordan's government and economy and of its cooperation in promoting...

Nigeria in political transition.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... July 28, 2006 Summary On June 8, 1998, General Sani Abacha, the military leader who took power in Nigeria in 1993, died of a reported heart attack and was replaced by General Abdulsalam Abubakar. On July 7, 1998, Moshood Abiola, the...

Permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) status for Russia and U.S.-Russian economic ties.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... Summary At several meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin, President George W. Bush stated that his administration will work with the Congress to grant Russia permanent "normal trade relations" (PNTR) status. The change in Russia's...

Trade conflict and the U.S.-European union economic relationship.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... Updated July 26, 2006 Summary The United States and the European Union (EU) share a huge, dynamic, and mutually beneficial economic partnership. Not only is the U.S.-EU trade and investment relationship the largest in the world, but...

War powers resolution: presidential compliance.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... 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...

The Department of Defense rules for military commissions: analysis of procedural rules and comparison with proposed legislation and the uniform code of military justice.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... Updated July 25, 2006 Summary November 13, 2001, President Bush issued a Military Order (M.O.) pertaining to the detention, treatment, and trial of certain non-citizens in the war against terrorism. Military commissions pursuant to...

Intelligence issues for Congress.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... July 12, 2006 Summary To address the challenges facing the U.S. Intelligence Community in the 21st century, congressional and executive branch initiatives have sought to improve coordination among the different agencies and to...

Lebanon: the Israel-Hamas-Hezbollah conflict.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... Updated August 14, 2006 Summary This report analyzes the current conflict between Israel and two U.S. State Department-designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs), the Lebanese Shiite Muslim group Hezbollah and the radical...

North Korean ballistic missile threat to the United States.(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... Summary This report updates recent information concerning, specifically, North Korea's long-range ballistic missile program. On July 4-5, 2006, North Korea test-launched seven ballistic missiles, including a new Taepo Dong 2 that failed...

Hamdan v. Rumsfeld: military commissions in the "Global War on Terrosism".(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... Summary The Supreme Court ruled 5-3 that President Bush's military order on the Detention, Treatment, and Trial of Certain Non-Citizens in the War Against Terrorism exceeded his authority. The Court found that Congress did not strip the...

Treasury's Terrorist Finance Program's access to information held by the society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT).(CRS Report for Congress: Received through the CRS Web)
July 1, 2006... Summary Recent press reports have raised questions about the Department of the Treasury's Terrorist Finance Tracking Program's access to information on international financial transactions held by the Society for Worldwide Interbank...

Treasury's Terrorist Finance Program's access to information held by the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT).
July 7, 2006... Summary Recent press reports have raised questions about the Department of the Treasury's Terrorist Finance Tracking Program's access to information on international financial transactions held by the Society for Worldwide Interbank...