Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports and Issue Briefs articles from November 2007

Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports and Issue Briefs archives from November 2007

Director of national intelligence statutory authorities: status and proposals.
November 1, 2007... November 2, 2007 Summary In passing the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (P.L. 108-458) in 2004, Congress approved the most comprehensive reform of the U.S. Intelligence Community since its establishment over...

The MS-13 and 18th street gangs: emerging transnational gang threats?
November 1, 2007... November 2, 2007 Summary Two predominantly Latino gangs, Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and the 18th Street gang (M-18), have raised concern among policy makers for several reasons: (1) membership in these gangs has spread from the Los...

Pakistan's political crisis and state of emergency.
November 1, 2007... November 6, 2007 Summary On November 3, 2007, Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf suspended the country's constitution and assumed emergency powers in his role as both president and army chief. The move came just over eight...

U.S. arms sales to Pakistan.
November 1, 2007... Summary This report briefly reviews the issue of U.S. arms sales to Pakistan. It provides background details regarding recent major weapons transactions between the United States and Pakistan, as well as the rationale given for such sales....

National Special Security Events.
November 1, 2007... Summary Major events that are considered to be nationally significant may be designated by the President--or his representative, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)--as National Special Security Events (NSSE)....

Managing the nuclear fuel cycle: policy implications of expanding global access to nuclear power.
November 1, 2007... Summary After several decades of decline and disfavor, nuclear power is attracting renewed interest. New permit applications for 30 reactors have been filed in the United States, and another 150 are planned or proposed globally, with about...

Iran's ballistic missile programs: an overview.
November 1, 2007... Summary Iran is acknowledged to have an active interest in developing, acquiring, and deploying a broad range of ballistic missiles. But there remains considerable uncertainty and disagreement over specifics. This short report1 seeks to...

Iraq: government formation and benchmarks.
November 1, 2007... Summary Elections in 2005 produced a permanent constitution and a broad-based but Shiiteled government that has been unwilling or unable to reduce Sunni popular resentment and is showing signs of fragmentation. The lack of progress on...

Trade promotion authority and fast-track negotiating authority for trade agreements: major votes.
November 1, 2007... Summary This report profiles significant legislation from 1974 to the present that authorizes the use of presidential Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), previously known as fast-track trade negotiating authority. It identifies significant...

Voluntary carbon offsets: overview and assessment.
November 1, 2007... November 7, 2007 Summary Businesses and individuals are buying carbon offsets to reduce their "carbon footprint" or to categorize an activity as "carbon neutral." A carbon offset is a measurable avoidance, reduction, or sequestration...

Foreign aid reform: issues for Congress and policy options.
November 1, 2007... November 7, 2007 Summary Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the role of foreign assistance as a tool of foreign policy has come into sharper focus. The President elevated global development as a third pillar of...

U.S.-Peru Economic Relations and the U.S.-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement.
November 1, 2007... Summary On December 7, 2005, the United States and Peru concluded negotiations on the U.S.-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement (PTPA). President Bush notified the Congress of the United States' intention to enter into the PTPA on January 6,...

China-U.S. relations: current issues and implications for U.S. policy.(Report)
November 1, 2007... Updated November 9, 2007 Summary U.S.-China relations have been remarkably smooth since late 2001, although there are signs that U.S. China policy now is subject to competing reassessments. State Department officials in 2005 unveiled...

Executive order 13,438: blocking property of certain persons who threaten stabilization efforts in Iraq.
November 1, 2007... November 16, 2007 Summary On July 17, 2007, President Bush issued Executive Order No. 13,438, "Blocking Property of Certain Persons Who Threaten Stabilization Efforts in Iraq." It is the latest in a series of executive orders based on...

North Korea's nuclear weapons: latest developments.(Report)
November 1, 2007... 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 verifying dismantlement of...

The Central African Republic.(Report)
November 1, 2007... Summary In March 2003, a rebellion led by former Army Chief of Staff Francois Bozize ousted President Ange Patasse from power. In 2005, the Bozize government organized presidential and legislative elections. In May 2005, Bozize defeated...

Afghanistan: post-war governance, security, and U.S. policy.(Report)
November 1, 2007... Updated November 1, 2007 Summary Assessments of the U.S. effort to stabilize Afghanistan are mixed and subject to debate. The political transition was completed with the convening of a parliament in December 2005; a new constitution...

Background to recent developments.(Afghanistan: Post-War Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy)
November 1, 2007... 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 stabilization and reconstruction (5).(Afghanistan: Post-War Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy)(Report)
November 1, 2007... The war paved the way for the success of a decade-long U.N. effort to form a broad-based Afghan government; the United Nations was viewed as a credible mediator by all sides largely because of its role in ending the Soviet occupation. During...

Post-war security operations and force capacity building.(Afghanistan: Post-War Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy)
November 1, 2007... The top security priority of the Administration has been to prevent Al Qaeda and the Taliban from challenging the Afghan government. The pillars of the U.S. security effort are: (1) continuing combat operations by U.S. and other coalition...

Regional context.(Afghanistan: Post-War Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy)(Report)
November 1, 2007... 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.(Afghanistan: Post-War Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy)
November 1, 2007... Many experts believe that financial assistance and accelerating reconstruction would do more to improve the security situation than intensified anti-Taliban combat. Afghanistan's economy and society are still fragile after decades of warfare...

Residual issues from past conflicts.(Afghanistan: Post-War Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy)(Table)
November 1, 2007... 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 2,000...

Appendix 1: U.S. and international sanctions lifted.(Afghanistan: Post-War Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy)(Chronology)
November 1, 2007... 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...

Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia: political developments and implications for U.S. interests.
November 1, 2007... Updated November 7, 2007 Summary The United States recognized the independence of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia when the former Soviet Union broke up at the end of 1991. The United States has fostered these states' ties with the...

Iraq: post-Saddam governance and security.(Saddam Hussein)(Report)
November 1, 2007... Updated November 30, 2007 Summary Operation Iraqi Freedom overthrew Saddam Hussein's regime, but much of Iraq became violent because of Sunni Arab resentment and a related insurgency, compounded by Sunni-Shiite sectarian violence,...

Policy in the 1990s emphasized containment.(Iraq: Post-Saddam Governance and Security)
November 1, 2007... 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)
November 1, 2007... 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)
November 1, 2007... 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)
November 1, 2007... 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. The Iraq Study Group said in its December 6, 2006,...

Iraq Study Group report, legislative proposals, and other options.(Iraq: Post-Saddam Governance and Security)
November 1, 2007... 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...

Iran's activities and influence in Iraq.
November 1, 2007... Summary Iran is actively assisting the major Shiite Muslim political factions in Iraq, most of which have longstanding ideological, political, and religious sectarian ties to Tehran. A more pressing U.S. concern is that Iran is purportedly...

Climate change: issues underlying negotiations at the Bali conference of parties.
November 1, 2007... November 26, 2007 Summary As climate change has gained widespread attention as a critical issue facing the nations of the world, the negotiations to be held in Bali, Indonesia, December 3-14, 2007, are widely regarded as a critical...

Russian energy policy toward neighboring countries.
November 1, 2007... November 27, 2007 Summary Russian oil and natural gas industries are increasingly important players in the global energy market, particularly in Europe and Eurasia. Another trend has been the increasing concentration of these...

Climate change: science update 2007.
November 1, 2007... November 29, 2007 Summary In 2007, the fourth major assessment of technical information on climate change by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was published in November. The year also saw continued release of new...

Botnets, cybercrime, and cyberterrorism: vulnerabilities and policy issues for Congress.
November 1, 2007... Updated November 15, 2007 Summary Cybercrime is becoming more organized and established as a transnational business. High technology online skills are now available for rent to a variety of customers, possibly including nation states,...

The cost of Iraq, Afghanistan, and other global war on terror operations since 9/11.(Table)(Essay)
November 1, 2007... Updated November 9, 2007 Summary With enactment of the FY2007 supplemental on May 25, 2007, Congress has approved a total of about $609 billion for military operations, base security, reconstruction, foreign aid, embassy costs, and...

Defense contracting in Iraq: issues and options for Congress.
November 1, 2007... Updated November 15, 2007 Summary This report will examine logistical support contracts for troop support services in Iraq primarily administered through the United States'(U.S.)Army's Logistics Civil Augmentation Program (LOGCAP)....

Defense: FY2008 authorization and appropriations.
November 1, 2007... The annual consideration of appropriations bills (regular, continuing, and supplemental) by Congress is part of a complex set of budget processes that also encompasses the consideration of budget resolutions, revenue and debt-limit legislation,...

Most recent developments.(Defense: FY2008 Authorization and Appropriations)
November 1, 2007... On November 13, the President signed into law the conference report on the FY2008 Defense Appropriations bill (H.R. 3222; P.L. 110-114), which would provide $460.3 billion in new budget authority for activities of the Department of Defense. The...

Defense appropriations: conference report.(Defense: FY2008 Authorization and Appropriations)(Conference notes)
November 1, 2007... The conference report on H.R. 3222 would provide $460.3 billion to cover the cost of all DOD activities in FY2008 except for military construction (which routinely is funded in separate legislation) and the cost of ongoing military operations...

Status of legislation.(Defense: FY2008 Authorization and Appropriations)(Table)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... Congress began action on the annual defense authorization bill with the House Armed Services Committee approving its version of the bill (H.R. 1585) in a session that began May 9, and with House passage on May 17. The Senate Armed Services...

Facts and figures: congressional action on the FY2008 defense budget request.(Defense: FY2008 Authorization and Appropriations)(Table)
November 1, 2007... The following tables provide a quick reference to congressional action on defense budget totals. Additional details will be added as congressional action on the FY2008 defense funding bills proceeds. * Table 2 shows the Administration's...

FY2008 defense budget request and outyear plans: questions of affordability and balance.(Defense: FY2008 Authorization and Appropriations)(Essay)
November 1, 2007... Several aspects of the Department's FY2008 budget request and its projected budgets through FY2013 raise questions about the affordability of DOD's plan as a whole and about the balance of spending among major elements of the defense budget....

Issues in the FY2008 global war on terror request (9).(Defense: FY2008 Authorization and Appropriations)(Report)
November 1, 2007... For the seventh year of war operations since the 9/11 attacks, DOD originally requested $141.7 billion, 29% of the amount it is requesting for all routine DOD activity in FY2008. For the first time since the 9/11 attacks, the Administration has...

Potential issues in the FY2008 base budget request.(Defense: FY2008 Authorization and Appropriations)
November 1, 2007... Following is a brief summary of some of the other issues that may emerge during congressional action on the FY2008 defense authorization and appropriations bills, based on congressional action on the FY2007 funding bills and early debate...

Bill-by-bill synopsis of congressional action to date.(Defense: FY2008 Authorization and Appropriations)(Report)
November 1, 2007... Congressional Budget Resolution Congress has completed, work on the annual congressional budget resolution, which includes recommended ceilings for FY2008 and the following four fiscal years on budget authority and outlays for national...

For additional reading.(Defense: FY2008 Authorization and Appropriations)(Recommended readings)
November 1, 2007... Overall Defense Budget CRS Report 98-756, Defense Authorization and Appropriations Bills: FY1970-FY2007, by Thomas Coipuram Jr. FY2008 Defense Budget: Issues for Congress--Seminar Slides, by Stephen Daggett, Ronald O'Rourke, David F....

Appendix: funding tables.(Defense: FY2008 Authorization and Appropriations)(Table)
November 1, 2007... Appendix: Funding Tables Table A1. Congressional Action on Selected Army and Marine Corps Programs: FY2008 Authorization (amounts in millions of dollars) Request ...

National strategy for combating terrorism: background and issues for Congress.
November 1, 2007... Summary On September 5, 2006, the White House released the 2006 National Strategy for Combating Terrorism. This report examines the Strategy in the context of its predecessor, released in 2003, and identifies issues and options for...

Pakistan's nuclear weapons: proliferation and security issues.
November 1, 2007... Summary Pakistan's nuclear arsenal consists of approximately 60 nuclear warheads. Pakistan continues fissile material production for weapons, and is adding to its weapons production facilities and delivery vehicles. Pakistan reportedly...

Weak and failing states: evolving security threats and U.S. policy.
November 1, 2007... Summary Although long a component of U.S. foreign policy, strengthening weak and failing states has increasingly emerged as a high-priority U.S. national security goal since the end of the Cold War. The past three U.S. National Security...