Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports and Issue Briefs articles from March 2008

Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports and Issue Briefs archives from March 2008

Iraq: reconciliation and benchmarks.(CRS Report for Congress)(Report)
March 1, 2008... Summary The current government is the product of a U.S.-supported election process designed to produce a democracy, although many believe it produced a sectarian government incapable of reconciliation. The Administration says that, partly...

International illegal trade in wildlife: threats and U.S. policy.(CRS Report for Congress)(United States)(Report)
March 1, 2008... 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 commodities include tiger...

Iran's activities and influence in Iraq.(CRS Report for Congress)(Report)
March 1, 2008... Summary Iran is materially assisting major Shiite Muslim political factions in Iraq, most of which have longstanding ideological, political, and religious ties to Tehran, and their armed militias. Since late 2007, the Administration has...

China's economic conditions.(CRS Report for Congress)(Report)
March 1, 2008... Summary Since the initiation of economic reforms in 1979, China has become one of the world's fastest-growing economies. From 1979 to 2007 China's real gross domestic product (GDP) grew at an average annual rate of 9.8%. Real GDP grew...

China-U.S. trade issues.(CRS Report for Congress)(United States)(Report)
March 1, 2008... Summary U.S.-China economic ties have expanded substantially over the past several years. Total U.S.-China trade, which totaled only $5 billion in 1980, rose to $387 billion in 2007. China overtook Japan to become the third largest U.S....

China-U.S. relations: current issues and implications for U.S. policy.(CRS Report for Congress)(United States)(Report)
March 1, 2008... Summary U.S.-China relations were remarkably smooth for much of the George W. Bush Administration, although there are signs that U.S. China policy now is subject to competing reassessments. State Department officials in 2005 unveiled what...

Most recent developments.(China-U.S. Relations: Current Issues and Implications for U.S. Policy)(Brief article)(Calendar)
March 1, 2008... March 17, 2008--China's parliament appointed four new Vice Premiers: Li Keqiang, Hui Liangyu, Zhang Dejiang, and Wang Qishan. March 11, 2008--Monks in Lhasa launched a protest against Chinese rule on the 49th anniversary of a violent 1959...

Background and overview.(China-U.S. Relations: Current Issues and Implications for U.S. Policy)
March 1, 2008... Introduction U.S. relations with the People's Republic of China (PRC), remarkably smooth from 2001-2004, have shown signs of becoming somewhat more problematic again since 2005 as some U.S. policymakers appear to be adopting tougher...

Current issues and developments.(China-U.S. Relations: Current Issues and Implications for U.S. Policy)(Report)
March 1, 2008... Demonstrations in Tibet March 11, 2008, marked the 49th anniversary of an anti-Chinese uprising in Tibet in 1959 and the beginning of a series of increasing confrontations involving Tibetans and Chinese officials. The day before the...

U.S. policy implications.(China-U.S. Relations: Current Issues and Implications for U.S. Policy)(United States)
March 1, 2008... Some U.S. observers have become increasingly concerned about China's growing economic and political reach in the world, often referred to as "China's rise," and what it means for global U.S. economic and political interests, U.S.-China...

Chronology.(China-U.S. Relations: Current Issues and Implications for U.S. Policy)(Chronology)
March 1, 2008... 03/17/08--China's parliament appointed four new Vice Premiers: Li Keqiang, Hui Liangyu, Zhang Dejiang, and Wang Qishan. 03/11/08--Monks in Lhasa launched a protest against Chinese rule on the 49th anniversary of a...

Appendix A. Selected visits by U.S. and PRC officials.(China-U.S. Relations: Current Issues and Implications for U.S. Policy)(United States, People's Republic of China)(Calendar)
March 1, 2008... (For U.S.-PRC visits during the 109th Congress, see CRS Report RL32804.) February 23, 2008--Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice traveled to China, Korea, and Japan, holding a joint press conference with Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi on...

Appendix B. Selected U.S. government reporting requirements.(China-U.S. Relations: Current Issues and Implications for U.S. Policy)
March 1, 2008... Report on International Economic and Exchange Rate Policies (semiannual report) Most recent date available: December 19, 2007 Agency: U.S. Department of the Treasury Legislative authority: P.L. 100-418, the Omnibus Trade &...

Enlargement issues at NATO's Bucharest summit.(CRS Report for Congress)(North Atlantic Treaty Organization)(Report)
March 1, 2008... Summary NATO will hold a summit in Bucharest on April 2-4, 2008, and a principal issue will be the consideration of the candidacies for membership of Albania, Croatia, and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM, or the Republic...

Iraq: post-Saddam governance and security.(Saddam Hussein)(Report)
March 1, 2008... Summary Operation Iraqi Freedom overthrew Saddam Hussein's regime, but during 2004-2007 much of Iraq was highly violent because of Sunni Arab resentment and a related insurgency, resulting Sunni-Shiite sectarian violence, competition among...

Policy in the 1990s emphasized containment.(Iraq: Post-Saddam Governance and Security)(Decade overview)
March 1, 2008... 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)
March 1, 2008... 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)(Report)
March 1, 2008... According to statements by President Bush, U.S. goals are for an Iraq that can sustain, govern, and defend itself and is a partner in the global war on terrorism. Administration officials have, for the most part, dropped an earlier stated goal...

Security challenges and responses.(Iraq: Post-Saddam Governance and Security)
March 1, 2008... Since the fall of Saddam Hussein, the United States has employed a multifaceted approach to stabilizing Iraq, but in late 2006 the effort was determined by the Administration to be faltering. President Bush, in his January 10, 2007, speech on...

Iraq study group report, legislative proposals, and other options.(Iraq: Post-Saddam Governance and Securitg)(Report)
March 1, 2008... 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...

The war powers resolution: after thirty-four years.(Report)
March 1, 2008... Summary This report discusses and assesses the War Powers Resolution, its application since enactment in 1973, providing detailed background on a variety of cases where it was utilized, or issues of its applicability were raised. It will...

Introduction.(The War Powers Resolution: After Thirty-Four Years)(Report)
March 1, 2008... Under the Constitution, the war powers are divided between Congress and the President. Among other relevant grants, Congress has the power to declare war and raise and support the armed forces (Article I, section 8), while the President is...

Provisions of the War Powers Resolution (P.L. 93-148).(The War Powers Resolution: After Thirty-Four Years)
March 1, 2008... Title Section 1 establishes the title, "The War Powers Resolution." The law is frequently referred to as the "War Powers Act," the title of the measure passed by the Senate. Although the latter is not technically correct, it does serve to...

Constitutional questions raised.(The War Powers Resolution: After Thirty-Four Years)
March 1, 2008... From its inception, the War Powers Resolution was controversial because it operated on the national war powers, powers divided by the Constitution in no definitive fashion between the President and Congress. Congress adopted the resolution in...

Major cases and issues prior to the Persian Gulf War.(The War Powers Resolution: After Thirty-Four Years)
March 1, 2008... Perceptions of the War Powers Resolution tended to be set during the Cold War. During the 1970s the issues revolved largely around the adequacy of consultation. The 1980s raised more serious issues of Presidential compliance and congressional...

Major cases and issues in the Post-Cold War World: United Nations actions.(The War Powers Resolution: After Thirty-Four Years)
March 1, 2008... After the end of the Cold War in 1990, the United States began to move away from unilateral military actions toward actions authorized or supported by the United Nations. Under the auspices of U.N. Security Council resolutions, U.S. forces were...

Proposed amendments.(The War Powers Resolution: After Thirty-Four Years)
March 1, 2008... After 34 years of experience with it in practice, controversy continues over the War Powers Resolution's effectiveness and appropriateness as a system for maintaining a congressional role in the use of armed forces in conflict. One view is that...

Appendix A. Instances reported under the war powers resolution.(The War Powers Resolution: After Thirty-Four Years)
March 1, 2008... This appendix lists reports Presidents have made to Congress as the result of the War Powers Resolution. Each entry contains the President's reference to the War Powers Resolution. (97) The reports generally cite the President's authority to...

Appendix B. Instances not formally reported to the Congress under the war powers resolution.(The War Powers Resolution: After Thirty-Four Years)
March 1, 2008... In some instances where U.S. Armed Forces have been deployed in potentially hostile situations abroad, Presidents did not submit reports to Congress under the War Powers Resolution and the question of whether a report was required could be...

Appendix C. Text of the war powers resolution.(The War Powers Resolution: After Thirty-Four Years)
March 1, 2008... War Powers Resolution (107) Public Law 93-148 [H.J.Res. 542], 87 Stat. 555, passed over President's veto November 7, 1973 JOINT RESOLUTION Concerning the war powers of Congress and the President. Resolved by the Senate and House...

The NATO summit at Bucharest, 2008.(CRS Report for Congress)(North Atlantic Treaty Organization)
March 1, 2008... Summary NATO will hold a summit in Bucharest, Romania, April 2-4, 2008. The allies will seek to clarify NATO's mission, with special attention to the stabilization of Afghanistan. They will also debate how to counter new threats, such as...

Averting financial crisis.(CRS Report for Congress)(Report)
March 1, 2008... Summary There is no precise definition of "financial crisis," but a common view is that disruptions in financial markets rise to the level of a crisis when the flow of credit to households and businesses is constrained and the real economy...

Navy role in Global War on Terrorism (GWOT)--background and issues for Congress.(CRS Report for Congress)
March 1, 2008... Summary The Navy for several years has carried out a variety of activities related to what the Administration refers to as the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT). The Navy states that as of February 2008, more than 11,300 Navy sailors...

The FCC's broadcast media ownership rules.(Federal Communications Commission)
March 1, 2008... Summary The Federal Communications Commission's (FCC or Commission) broadcast media ownership rules are intended to foster the three long-standing goals of U.S. media policy--competition, localism, and diversity of voices. The FCC has the...

Georgia [Republic] and NATO enlargement: issues and implications.(North Atlantic Treaty Organization)
March 1, 2008... Summary This report examines the aspirations of Georgia [Republic] to be invited at the upcoming April 2008 NATO Summit to participate in a Membership Action Plan, a key stage of cooperation preparatory to possible Alliance Membership....

Russia's March 2008 presidential election: outcome and implications.
March 1, 2008... Summary This report discusses the campaign and results of Russia's March 2, 2008, presidential election and implications for Russia and U.S. interests. Popular outgoing President Vladimir Putin endorsed his First Deputy Prime Minister,...

Merida initiative: proposed U.S. anticrime and counterdrug assistance for Mexico and Central America.
March 1, 2008... Summary Increasing violence perpetrated by drug cartels, youth gangs, and other criminal groups is threatening citizen security and democracy in Mexico and Central America. Mexican and Central American government efforts to combat drug...

Organizing for Homeland Security: the Homeland Security Council reconsidered.
March 1, 2008... Summary In the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, President George W. Bush established the Office of Homeland Security and the Homeland Security Council (HSC). In his June 2002 proposal for a Department of...

North Korea's abduction of Japanese citizens and the Six-Party Talks.(CRS Report for Congress)
March 1, 2008... Summary The admission by North Korea in 2002 that it abducted several Japanese nationals--most of them nearly 30 years ago--continues to affect significantly the Six-Party Talks on North Korea's nuclear weapons program. This report...

International violence against women: U.S. response and policy issues.(CRS Report for Congress)
March 1, 2008... Summary In recent years, the international community has increasingly recognized international violence against women (VAW) as a significant human rights and global health issue. VAW, which can include both random acts of violence as well...

The Executive Office of the President: an historical overview.(Report)
March 1, 2008... Summary Established in 1939, the Executive Office of the President (EOP) consists of a group of federal agencies immediately serving the President. Among the oldest of these are the White House Office, where many of the President's...

Summary.(The North Korean Economy: Overview and Policy Analysis)
March 1, 2008... North Korea's dire economic straits provides one of the few levers to move the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) or North Korea to cooperate in attempts by the United States, China, South Korea, Japan, and Russia to halt and dismantle...

Major points.(The North Korean Economy: Overview and Policy Analysis)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... * The economy of the DPRK (North Korea) is one of the few levers the countries can use to induce Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear program. * The economy of the DPRK is in dire straits with a sizable share of its population on the edge of...

Introduction.(The North Korean Economy: Overview and Policy Analysis)(Country overview)
March 1, 2008... The Stalinist state of North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea or DPRK) faces a dilemma as its economy stagnates, goods are unequally distributed, and much of the population undergoes severe privation. In the ongoing Six-Party Talks...

Overview of the DPRK economy.(The North Korean Economy: Overview and Policy Analysis)(Democratic People's Republic of Korea)
March 1, 2008... The North Korean economy is one of the world's most isolated and bleak. (4) It was completely bypassed by the Asian "economic miracles" of the past three decades that brought modern economic growth and industrialization to South Korea, Taiwan,...

Economic philosophy.(The North Korean Economy: Overview and Policy Analysis)
March 1, 2008... The Pyongyang regime has pursued a policy of self-sufficiency and isolation from the world economy that they call juche or self-reliance. Juche goes beyond economics as it has been used since the 1950s to perpetuate power by the central...

Industrial sectors.(The North Korean Economy: Overview and Policy Analysis)
March 1, 2008... North Korea's industrial sectors are shifting rapidly. At the end of World War II, the DPRK represented the industrialized part of the Korean peninsula. Under Japanese colonialism, heavy industry, water power, and manufacturing were...

Economic reforms and free trade zones.(The North Korean Economy: Overview and Policy Analysis)
March 1, 2008... As with other isolationist economies in the contemporary world of globalization and interlinked societies, North Korea has been plagued with the negative effects of its attempts at self sufficiency: technological obsolescence, uncompetitive...

International trade.(The North Korean Economy: Overview and Policy Analysis)(Report)
March 1, 2008... Despite North Korea's isolation and emphasis on juche, it does trade with other countries. According to trade statistics compiled by the International Monetary Fund, the DPRK had at least some trade with 80 of the 182 countries or customs...

Other sources of foreign exchange.(The North Korean Economy: Overview and Policy Analysis)(Report)
March 1, 2008... North Korea's annual merchandise trade deficit of about $1.5 billion implies that Pyongyang must either be receiving imports without immediate payment required (aid and capital flows) or be generating foreign exchange through some means--either...

U.S.-DPRK trade relations.(The North Korean Economy: Overview and Policy Analysis)
March 1, 2008... U.S. trade with the DPRK is quite limited. The United States does not maintain any diplomatic, consular, or trade relations with North Korea, and the country does not have normal trade relations (most favored nation) status. This means that...

North-South Korean economic relations.(The North Korean Economy: Overview and Policy Analysis)
March 1, 2008... Economic relations have been a major route for opening relations between North and South Korea. Seoul has a major stake in relations with the DPRK and the outcome of the current Six-Party Talks. (108) It seeks a "soft landing" for the current...

China-DPRK economic relations.(North Korean foreign relations)
March 1, 2008... China remains North Korea's chief ally. In addition to sharing its status as one of the last communist regimes in the world, China views the Korean peninsula as vital to its strategic interests. Beijing values North Korea as a buffer between...

Japan-DPRK economic relations.(The North Korean Economy: Overview and Policy Analysis)
March 1, 2008... Japan's economic relations with North Korea have declined sharply as tension over Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs has spiked. After North Korea test launched several missiles in July 2006 and then detonated a nuclear device in October...

Russia-DPRK economic relations.(The North Korean Economy: Overview and Policy Analysis)
March 1, 2008... Russian reforms and the end of the Cold War greatly reduced the priority of the DPRK in the strategy of Russian foreign policy. Following Soviet support of North Korea in the Korean War, the USSR provided assistance to Pyongyang that helped...

U.S. interests, strategy, and policy.(The North Korean Economy: Overview and Policy Analysis)
March 1, 2008... The three legs of any grand strategy toward the DPRK include economic, diplomatic, and military means to accomplish U.S. goals and protect U.S. national interests. This report examines the economic side of this triad of strategic policy...

Legislative action.(The North Korean Economy: Overview and Policy Analysis)(Report)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Major congressional action with respect to security and human rights aspects of U.S.-DPRK relations is included in CRS Report RL33567, Korea-U.S. Relations: Issues for Congress, by Larry A. Niksch; North Korea's Nuclear Weapons: Latest...

The next generation bomber: background, oversight issues, and options for Congress.
March 1, 2008... Summary The Air Force is in the initial stages of formalizing a new bomber aircraft acquisition program. This program, in accordance with Department of Defense (DOD) and congressional mandates, is to produce a new long-range strike...

Satellite surveillance: domestic issues.
March 1, 2008... Summary Reconnaissance satellites, first deployed in the early 1960s to peer into denied regions of the Soviet Union and other secretive enemy states, have from time to time been used by civilian agencies of the federal government to...