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Protecting Our Perimeter: 'Border Searches' under the Fourth Amendment [Updated May 14, 2003]
"Many border security initiatives were developed after the events of September 11, 2001. Because security initiatives often maintain a search and seizure component, Fourth Amendment implications may arise. The Fourth Amendment establishes that a search or seizure conducted by a governmental agent must be reasonable, and that probable cause support any judicially granted warrant. An invalid 'search' is an infringement of an expectation of privacy that society is prepared to consider reasonable. A 'seizure' of a person occurs when a government official makes an individual reasonably believe that he or she is not at liberty to ignore the governments presence in view of all the circumstances surrounding the incident. The Court has interpreted the Fourth Amendment to include a presumptive warrant requirement on all searches and seizures conducted by the government, and has ruled that any violations of this standard will result in the suppression of any information derived therefrom [sic]. The Court, however, has also recognized situations that render the obtainment of a warrant impractical or against the public's interest, and has accordingly crafted various exceptions to the warrant and probable cause requirements of the Fourth Amendment."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Viña, Stephen R.
2003-05-14
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Free Trade Area of the Americas: Status of Negotiations and Major Policy Issues [Updated May 14, 2003]
"At the second Summit of the Americas in Santiago, Chile (April 1998), 34 Western Hemisphere nations agreed to initiate formal negotiations to create a Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) by 2005. The process so far has led to two draft texts, the second completed for the November 1, 2002 trade ministerial in Quito, Ecuador. A year later, the third draft is expected at the eighth trade ministerial scheduled for November 17-21, 2003 in Miami. Although implementing legislation is not anticipated until the next Congress, for an FTAA to be signed in January 2005, the 108th Congress will play a crucial role during this last phase of the negotiations given its expanded consultative and oversight authority as defined in the Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) provisions of the Trade Act of 2002 (P.L. 107-210). This report will be updated periodically."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Hornbeck, J. F. (John F.)
2003-05-14
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Military Transformation: Issues for Congress and Status of Effort [May 14, 2003]
"This report assesses the status of military transformation across the Department of Defense and indicates issues of potential interest to Congress. The push for transformation refines and accelerates a process underway for more than a decade. Dramatic advances in technology associated with the new field of information operations has formed a common thread binding most of the individual Services efforts in recent years. Research and experimentation have contributed to the potential range of possibilities available to the 21st century warfighter. Each Service department has approached transformation with its own vision and priority has been assigned to organizing those visions with an eye toward jointness and interoperability."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
DeSerisy, Lloyd
2003-05-14
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Israeli-United States Relations [Updated May 14, 2003]
"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 for Israel has been foreign aid; Israel currently receives about $3 billion per year in economic and military grants, refugee settlement assistance, and other aid. Congress has monitored the aid issue closely along with other issues in bilateral relations, and its concerns have affected Administration's policies. U.S.-Israeli relations have evolved from an initial American policy of sympathy and support for the creation of a Jewish homeland in 1948 to an unusual partnership that links a small but militarily powerful Israel, dependent on the United States for its economic and military strength, with the U.S. superpower trying to balance competing interests in the region. Some in the United States question the levels of aid and general commitment to Israel, and argue that a U.S. bias toward Israel operates at the expense of improved U.S. relations with various Arab states. Others maintain that democratic Israel is a strategic ally, and that U.S. relations with Israel strengthens the U.S. presence in the Middle East."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Mark, Clyde R.
2003-05-14
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Israel: U.S. Foreign Assistance [Updated May 14, 2003]
"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 the largest annual recipient of U.S. foreign assistance, and is the largest cumulative recipient since World War II. In addition to U.S. assistance, it is estimated that Israel receives about $1 billion annually through philanthropy, an equal amount through short- and long- term commercial loans, and around $1 billion in Israel Bonds proceeds. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu told a joint session of Congress on July 10, 1996, that Israel would reduce its need for U.S. aid over the next four years. In January 1998, Finance Minister Neeman proposed eliminating the $1.2 billion economic aid and increasing the $1.8 billion in military aid by $60 million per year during a 10-year period beginning in the year 2000. The FY1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002 appropriations bills included cuts of $120 million in economic aid and an increases of $60 million in military aid for each year."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Mark, Clyde R.
2003-05-14
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Iraq: U.S. Military Operations [Updated May 14, 2003]
"Iraq's chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons programs, together with Iraqi long-range missile development and support for terrorism, are the primary justifications put forward for military action. On March 17, 2003 President Bush issued an ultimatum demanding that Saddam Hussein and his sons depart from Iraq within 48 hours. On March 19, offensive operations began with air strikes against Iraqi leadership positions. By April 15, after 27 days of operations, coalition forces were in relative control of all major Iraqi cities. Iraqi political and military leadership had disintegrated. The major challenge to coalition forces is now the restoration of civil order and the provision of basic services to the urban population. As the U.S. ground offensive approached Baghdad, DOD civilian leadership came under criticism for not permitting the deployment of sufficient U.S. ground forces to maintain the offensive, protect lines of supply, and secure rear areas where sporadic Iraqi resistance continues. With the fall of Baghdad, Mosul, and Kirkuk, this criticism muted. There was no use of chemical or biological (CB) weapons, and no CB weapons stockpiles have been found, though two mobile labs believed to be biological agent production facilities have been discovered."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Bowman, Steve
2003-05-14
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Syria: U.S. Relations and Bilateral Issues [Updated May 13, 2003]
"Although U.S.-Syrian relations improved somewhat in the 1990s, further strains appeared after the breakdown in Syrian-Israeli negotiations in 2000 and Syria's opposition to a U.S. military campaign in Iraq. Members of Congress have periodically introduced legislation to tighten U.S. sanctions against Syria or to condition relaxation of existing restrictions on further changes in Syrian policy. Recent U.S. Administrations, though not inclined to lift sanctions on Syria at this time, tend to believe it is in U.S. interests to encourage Syria to play a positive role in the Arab-Israeli peace process and support other U.S. initiatives. The issue for U.S. policy makers is the degree to which the United States should work for better relations with Syria in an effort to enlist Syrian cooperation on regional issues."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Prados, Alfred B.
2003-05-13
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Iraq's Agriculture: Background and Status [May 13, 2003]
From the Summary: "Iraq's agricultural sector represents a small, but vital component of Iraq's economy. Over the past several decades agriculture's role in the economy has been heavily influenced by Iraq's involvement in military conflicts, particularly the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq War and the 1991 Gulf War, and by varying degrees of government efforts to promote and/or control agricultural production. In the mid-1980s, agriculture accounted for only about 14 percent of the national GDP [gross domestic product]. After the imposition of U.N. sanctions and the Iraqi government's non-compliance with a proposed U.N. Oil-for-Food program in 1991, agriculture's share of GDP is estimated to have risen to 35 percent by 1992. Rapid population growth during the past three decades, coupled with limited arable land and a general stagnation in agricultural productivity, has steadily increased dependence on imports to meet domestic food needs since the mid-1960s. By 1980 Iraq was importing about half of its food supply. By 2002, between 80 and 100 percent of many basic staples-- wheat, rice, sugar, vegetable oil, and protein meals-- were imported. This report will be updated if events warrant."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Schnepf, Randall Dean, 1954-
2003-05-13
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Trade and the Americas [Updated May 12, 2003]
"At the Summit of the Americas held in December 1994, 34 hemispheric democracies agreed to create a 'Free Trade Area of the Americas' (FTAA) no later than the year 2005. If created, the FTAA would be a $13 trillion market of 34 countries (Cuba is not included) and nearly 800 million people. The population alone would make it the largest free trade area in the world with more than twice the 375 million of the now 15-nation European Union. In the eight years following the 1994 summit, Western Hemisphere trade ministers have met seven times to advance the negotiating process. At the sixth meeting in Buenos Aires in April 2001, ministers made public a draft FTAA agreement that included preliminary chapters on all nine negotiating groups: market access, agriculture, intellectual property rights, services, investment, government procurement, competition policy, dispute settlement, and subsidies. At the seventh Ministerial held in Quito, Ecuador in November 2002, trade ministers agreed to specific mileposts for the markets access portion of the negotiations."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Ahearn, Raymond J.
2003-05-12
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U.S.-European Union Trade Relations: Issues and Policy Challenges [Updated May 12, 2003]
"Resolution of U.S.-EU disputes has become increasingly difficult in recent years. Part of the problem may be due to the fact that the U.S. and the EU are of roughly equal economic strength and neither side has the ability to impose concessions on the other. Another factor may be that many bilateral disputes now involve clashes in domestic values, priorities, and regulatory systems where the international rules of the road are inadequate to provide a basis for effective and timely dispute resolution. [...] The major U.S.-EU trade and investment policy challenges can be grouped into six categories: (1) avoiding a 'big ticket' trade dispute associated with tax breaks for U.S. exporters; (2) resolving longstanding trade disputes involving protection for domestic producers of airplanes and steel; (3) dealing with different public concerns over new technologies and new industries (4) fostering a receptive climate for mergers and acquisitions; (5) strengthening the multilateral trading system; and (6) reaching understandings on foreign policy sanctions that have a trade impact."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Ahearn, Raymond J.
2003-05-12
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House Resolutions of Inquiry [May 12, 2003]
"The resolution of inquiry is a House procedure that seeks factual information from the executive branch. The resolution is privileged and may be considered at any time after it is properly reported or discharged from committee. It applies only to requests for facts--not opinions--within the Administration's control. This report explains the history, procedure, specific uses of resolutions of inquiry, and identifies the use thus far in the 108th Congress (H.Res. 68). The examples in this report demonstrate that even when a resolution of inquiry is reported adversely from a committee and tabled on the floor, it frequently leads to the release of a substantial amount of information from the Administration. The quality and quantity of executive branch material discharged by a resolution of inquiry is often the very reason for reporting it adversely and tabling it, because the sponsor of the amendment has received everything requested. For other CRS [Congressional Research Service] reports regarding legislative techniques for obtaining information from the executive branch, see CRS Report RL30966, Congressional Access to Executive Branch Information: Legislative Tools, by Louis Fisher; and CRS Report RL31836, Congressional Investigations: Subpoenas and Contempt Power, by Louis Fisher. For legal analysis, see CRS Report 95-464A, Investigative Oversight: An Introduction to the Law, Practice, and Procedure of Congressional Inquiry, by Morton Rosenberg, and CRS Report RS30319, Presidential Claims of Executive Privilege: History, Law, Practice and Recent Developments, by Morton Rosenberg. For a general report on oversight methods, see CRS Report RL30240, Congressional Oversight Manual."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Fisher, Louis
2003-05-12
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India-U.S. Relations [Updated May 9, 2003]
"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 India-Pakistan rivalry. Recent years, however, have witnessed a sea change in bilateral relations, with more positive interactions becoming the norm. India's swift offer of full support for U.S.-led anti-terrorism operations after the September 2001 attacks on the United States is widely viewed as reflective of such change. Continuing U.S. concern in South Asia focuses especially on the historic and ongoing tensions between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan, tensions rooted in unfinished business from the 1947 Partition, and competing claims to the former princely state of Kashmir. The United States also seeks to prevent the regional proliferation of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. Both India and Pakistan have so far resisted U.S. and international pressure to sign the major international nonproliferation treaties."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Kronstadt, K. Alan
2003-05-09
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Iraq: U.S. Regime Change Efforts and Post-War Governance [Updated May 9, 2003]
"The United States has been attempting to change Iraq's regime since the 1991 Persian Gulf war, although achieving this goal was not declared policy until 1998. In November 1998, amid a crisis with Iraq over U.N. weapons of mass destruction (WMD) inspections, the Clinton Administration stated that the United States would seek to go beyond containment to promoting a change of regime. A regime change policy was endorsed by the Iraq Liberation Act (P.L. 105-338, October 31, 1998). Bush Administration officials have emphasized regime change as the cornerstone of U.S. policy toward Iraq since shortly after the September 11, 2001, attacks, well before the launch of Operation Iraqi Freedom on March 17, 2003."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth
2003-05-09
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United Nations Peacekeeping: Issues for Congress [May 7, 2003]
"A major issue facing the United Nations, the United States, and Congress concerning United Nations peacekeeping is the extent to which the United Nations has the capacity to restore or keep the peace in the changing world environment. Associated with this issue is the expressed need for a reliable source of funding and other resources for peacekeeping and improved efficiencies of operation. For the United States, major congressional considerations on U.N. peacekeeping stem from executive branch commitments made in the U.N. Security Council. The concern with these commitments, made through votes in the Council, is the extent to which they bind the United States, both militarily and financially, to fund and to participate in some way in an operation. This includes placing U.S. military personnel under the control of foreign commanders. Since 1948, the United Nations (U.N.) has launched 55 peacekeeping operations, of which 13 are currently active. U.N. estimated peacekeeping expenditures went down from$3.4 billion in calendar year 1995 to $1.2 billion in 1997. Ongoing U.N. peacekeeping expenditures were estimated at $2.2 billion for the year starting on July 1, 2000, and $2.63 billion for the year starting on July 1, 2002. U.S. payments in calendar year 2000 were $518.6 million and $1.3 billion in CY2001. Peacekeeping has come to constitute more than just the placement of military forces into a cease-fire situation with the consent of all the parties. Military peace- keepers may be disarming or seizing weapons, aggressively protecting humanitarian assistance, and clearing land mines. Peacekeeping operations also now involve more non-military tasks such as maintaining law and order (police), election monitoring, and human rights monitoring."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Browne, Marjorie Ann
2003-05-07
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Weapons of Mass Destruction: Trade Between North Korea and Pakistan [Updated May 7, 2003]
From the Summary: "In October 2002, North Korea reportedly admitted it had a clandestine uranium enrichment program, and the press reported that Pakistan had exchanged centrifuge enrichment technology for North Korean help in developing longer range missiles. On March 24 and 27, 2003, the Bush Administration imposed sanctions on North Korean and Pakistani entities involved in missile cooperation, but did not impose sanctions for nuclear cooperation. This report describes the nature and evidence of the cooperation between North Korea and Pakistan in pursuing weapons of mass destruction (WMD), the impact of cooperation on their WMD programs, and the apparent impact on the international nonproliferation regime. It will be updated as events warrant."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Squassoni, Sharon A.
2003-05-07
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Critical Infrastructures: Background, Policy, and Implementation [Updated May 6, 2003]
From the 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 critical infrastructures (e.g. electricity, the power plants that generate it, and the electric grid upon which it is distributed). Computers and communications, themselves critical infrastructures, are increasingly tying these infrastructures together. There is concern that this reliance on computers and computer networks raises the vulnerability of the nation's critical infrastructures to 'cyber' attacks. In May 1998, President Clinton released Presidential Decision Directive No. 63. The Directive set up groups within the federal government to develop and implement plans that would protect government-operated infrastructures and called for a dialogue between government and the private sector to develop a National Infrastructure Assurance Plan that would protect all of the nation's critical infrastructures by the year 2003. While the Directive called for both physical and cyber protection from both man-made and natural events, implementation focused on cyber protection against man-made cyber events (i.e. computer hackers). Those advocating the need for greater cyber security felt that this was a new vulnerability not fully appreciated by system owners and operators in either the private or public sectors. However, given the impact of the September 11 attacks on the communications, finance, and transportation infrastructures, physical protections of critical infrastructures may receive more attention."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Moteff, John D.
2003-05-06
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Pakistan-U.S. Relations [Updated May 6, 2003]
"Major areas of U.S. concern regarding Pakistan include regional terrorism; weapons proliferation; the ongoing Kashmir dispute and Pakistan-India tensions; human rights protection; and economic development. A U.S.-Pakistan relationship marked by distance and discord was transformed by the September 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States and the ensuing enlistment of Pakistan as a key ally in U.S.-led anti-terrorism efforts. Top U.S. officials regularly praise Pakistan for its ongoing cooperation, although there exist renewed doubts about Islamabad' s commitment to core U.S. concerns in the region. A potential Pakistan-India nuclear arms race continues to be the focus of U.S. nonproliferation efforts in South Asia. Attention to this issue intensified following nuclear tests by both countries in May 1998. South Asia is viewed by many analysts as an arena for the possible use of such weapons, as both countries have deployed nuclear-capable ballistic missiles and institutionalized nuclear command structures. India and Pakistan have fought three full-scale wars since 1947."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Kronstadt, K. Alan
2003-05-06
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South Korean Politics and Rising 'Anti-Americanism': Implications for U.S. Policy toward North Korea [May 6, 2003]
In December 2002, South Koreans elected Roh Moo-hyun, a little-known, self-educated lawyer, as their president. Roh ran on a platform of reform, pledging to make South Korean politics more transparent and accountable, to make the economy more equitable, and to make South Korea a more equal partner in its alliance with the United States. During the campaign, Roh pledged to continue his predecessor, Kim Dae Jung's, "sunshine policy" of engaging North Korea, and harshly criticized the Bush Administration's approach to Pyongyang. Roh was favored by voters under the age of 45, who emerged during the election as an anti-status quo force. The National Assembly is controlled by the opposition, right-of-center Grand National Party (GNP). This report details the political regionalism in South Korea, and explains how trends exhibited therein could hold implications for the future of relations between the U.S. and North Korea.
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Manyin, Mark E.
2003-05-06
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NATO Enlargement [Updated May 5, 2003]
"This report provides a brief summary of the last round of NATO enlargement. The
report analyzes the key military and political issues in the debate over seven prospective members named at NATO's Prague summit. It then provides an overview of the positions of the allies and that of Russia on the topic of enlargement, citing the effects of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 on the United States. It concludes with a discussion of recent legislation on enlargement and future security prospects. This report will be updated as needed. See also CRS Report RS21354, "The NATO Summit at Prague, 2002", CRS Report RL30168, "NATO Applicant States: A Status Report", and CRS Report RS21510, 'NATO's Decision-Making Procedure'."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Gallis, Paul E.
2003-05-05
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Palestinians and Middle East Peace: Issues for the United States [Updated May 5, 2003]
"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 peace, and renounced terrorism. The United States continues its contacts with the PLO and the Palestinian Authority elected in January 1996, and is an active broker in the continuing Middle East peace process. […] On May 4, 1994, Israel and the PLO signed an agreement providing for the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and Jericho (withdrawal completed May 11, 1994). The Interim Agreement signed on September 28, 1995 (also called Oslo II or the Taba Agreement), provided for elections for the 88-seat Palestinian Assembly, the release of Israeli-held prisoners, Israeli withdrawal from six West Bank cities, and other issues. The Israelis withdrew from the West Bank cities by the end of 1995, and the Palestinian Assembly was elected on January 20, 1996, and sworn in on March 7, 1996. Israel and the Palestinians agreed to an Israeli withdrawal from Hebron in January 1997, and on October 23, 1998 signed the Wye agreement to meet previous commitments. The peace talks stalled at Camp David in July 2000, and remain suspended since the Palestinian uprising began in September. Some 1,493 Palestinians and 585 Israelis have died in the continuing confrontation."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Mark, Clyde R.
2003-05-05
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Latin America and the Caribbean: Issues for the 108th Congress [Updated May 5, 2003]
"This report, which will be updated periodically, examines issues in U.S. policy toward Latin America and the Caribbean, focusing especially on the role of Congress and congressional concerns. For more details and discussion, see the listed CRS [Congressional Research Service] products after each section. The Latin American and Caribbean region has made enormous strides over the past two decades in political development, with all countries but Cuba led by democratically-elected heads of state. But several nations face considerable challenges that threaten political stability, including economic decline and rising poverty, violent guerrilla conflicts, drug trafficking, and increasing crime. Bush Administration officials maintain that U.S. policy toward Latin America has three overarching goals: strengthening security; promoting democracy and good governance; and stimulating economic development. Some observers argue that the Administration has not been paying enough attention to the region and to instability in such countries as Argentina and Venezuela. They maintain that the United States, faced with other pressing foreign policy problems like the war in Iraq and the global anti-terrorist campaign, has fallen back to a policy of benign neglect of the region. In contrast, others maintain that the United States has an active policy toward Latin America and point to the considerable assistance and support provided to Colombia and its neighbors as they combat drug trafficking and terrorist groups. They also point to the momentum toward free trade in the region through negotiation of free trade agreements, and to increased bilateral and regional cooperation on security issues."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sullivan, Mark P.; Hornbeck, J. F. (John F.); Serafino, Nina M. . . .
2003-05-05
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NATO's Decision-Making Procedure [Updated May 5, 2003]
"This report provides a brief analysis of NATO's decision-making procedures, with several examples of how the allies have handled sensitive issues in the past. It describes the February 2003 dispute over providing NATO defense planning and equipment to Turkey, and analyzes the debate over the decision-making process, including possible alterations of that process. This report will be periodically updated."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Gallis, Paul E.
2003-05-05
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Export Administration Act: Evolution, Provisions, and Debate [Updated May 5, 2005]
"The 109th Congress again may consider legislation to rewrite or to reauthorize the Export Administration Act (EAA). In the 108th Congress, H.R. 55 was introduced on January 7, 2003, yet no action was taken on the proposed legislation. Through the EAA, Congress delegates to the executive branch its express constitutional authority to regulate foreign commerce by controlling exports. The EAA provides the statutory authority for export controls on sensitive dual-use goods and technologies: items that have both civilian and military applications, including those items that can contribute to the proliferation of nuclear, biological, and chemical weaponry. The EAA, which originally expired in 1989, periodically has been reauthorized for short periods of time, with the last incremental extension expiring in August 2001. At other times and currently, the export licensing system created under the authority of EAA has been continued by the invocation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). EAA confers upon the President the power to control exports for national security, foreign policy or short supply purposes. It also authorizes the President to establish export licensing mechanisms for items detailed on the Commerce Control List (CCL), and it provides some guidance and places certain limits on that authority. The CCL currently provides detailed specifications for about 2,400 dual-use items including equipment, materials, software, and technology (including data and know-how) likely requiring some type of export license from the Commerce Departments Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS). BIS administers the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), which, in addition to the CCL, describe licensing policy and procedures such as commodity classification, license applications, and interagency dispute resolution procedures. In the absence of a currently authorized EAA, the EAR is maintained under IEEPA authority."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Fergusson, Ian F.
2003-05-05
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Egypt-United States Relations [May 5, 2003]
"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 Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty, and continuing U.S. foreign assistance to Egypt. Experience gained from Egyptian-U.S. joint military exercises proved valuable in easing coordination during the February 1991 Desert Storm operation reversing Iraqi aggression against Kuwait. Egypt is a leader and moderating influence among many Arab, African, Islamic, and Third World states. Among the current issues in U.S.-Egyptian relations are the shared concerns over the terrorist attacks against Egyptian police, religious, government, and tourist facilities, and what those attacks may signal for Egypt's domestic stability. The two nations may disagree over Egypt's interpretation of applying human rights practices to Islamic terrorists. The two countries disagree over the speed and depth, but not the need for some of Egypt's economic reforms. Egypt and the United States agree on the importance of the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty, the need to continue current Arab-Israel peace talks, and the need for regional stability. The two nations agree on Egypt's determination to introduce democratic reforms to Egypt. The United States has provided Egypt with an annual average of over $2 billion in economic and military foreign assistance since 1979. The United States will reduce Economic Support Funds (ESF) to about $400 million per year by 2008 in keeping with a plan to reduce aid to Israel. The Administration requested $655 million in economic grants and $1.3 billion in military grants for FY2002 for Egypt."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Mark, Clyde R.
2003-05-05
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Department of Homeland Security: State and Local Preparedness Issues [Updated May 5, 2003]
The Homeland Security Act transferred several federal entities administering preparedness programs to the new department of Homeland Security. In addition, the Justice Department's Office for Domestic Preparedness (ODP) will be transferred to the Border and Transportation Security directorate. ODP provides training, equipment grants, and technical assistance to states and localities. At least two bills have been introduced in the 108th Congress that would restructure DHS entities administering preparedness programs. The department's Office of State and Local Government Coordination, however, may have the necessary authority to develop a department-wide approach.The Homeland Security Act instructs FEMA to maintain its all-hazards focus, but some observers contend that, with the threat of terrorism, this approach may no longer apply.
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Canada, Ben
2003-05-05
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NATO Enlargement: Senate Advice and Consent [Updated May 2, 2003]
"The Senate is expected to vote on the resolution for NATO enlargement sometime
in early to mid-May. The enlargement of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
(NATO) in 1998 to include Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic, and the
invitations extended at the NATO summit in November, 2002, to seven additional states have raised questions about whether Senate advice and consent is necessary when new states join NATO. This report describes the process that has been used in previous enlargements - Greece and Turkey (1952), the Federal Republic of Germany (1955), Spain (1982), and Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic (1998) - and finds that Senate advice and consent has been sought and given in every instance. The report also discusses the reunification of Germany in 1990. For more on NATO applicants, see CRS Report RL30168. This report will be updated as needed."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Ackerman, David M.
2003-05-02
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Afghanistan: Current Issues and U.S. Policy [Updated May 2, 2003]
"Afghanistan is stabilizing after more than 22 years of warfare, including a U.S.- led war that brought the current government to power. Before the U.S. military campaign against the Taliban began on October 7, 2001, Afghanistan had been mired in conflict since the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. The Taliban ruled most of Afghanistan from 1996 until its collapse in December 2001 at the hands of the U.S.-led military campaign. The defeat of the Taliban enabled the United States and its coalition partners to send forces throughout Afghanistan to search for Taliban and Al Qaeda fighters and leaders that remain at large, including Al Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden. Since the fall of the Taliban, Afghan citizens are enjoying new personal freedoms that were forbidden under the Taliban, about 2 million Afghan refugees have returned, and women have returned to schools, the workforce, and participation in politics. On May 1, the United States and the Afghan government declared major U.S.- led combat to have ended and that U.S.-led forces would henceforth concentrate on stabilization. U.S. stabilization measures include training and extending the writ of the national government, building a new Afghan national army, supporting an international security force (ISAF), and setting up regional enclaves to create secure conditions for reconstruction. To help foster development, the United Nations and the Bush Administration have lifted most sanctions imposed on Afghanistan since the Soviet occupation. The United States gave Afghanistan a total of over $815 million in aid during FY2002."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth
2003-05-02
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War On Drugs: Legislation in the 108th Congress and Related Developments [Updated May 1, 2003]
"In recent years, Congress has taken an increasingly punitive stance toward drug addicts and casual users alike. A different approach has been taken by certain countries in Europe and elsewhere that are experimenting with less restrictive policies such as decriminalization and 'harm reduction' programs. The 108th Congress will receive strong encouragement from the Executive Branch to continue on its current path. [...] Other issues could also be the subject of congressional studies, investigations, and oversight hearings, if not legislation. These include state ballot initiatives regarding medical marijuana and drug treatment in lieu of incarceration, the effects of state budget deficits on the states' drug control efforts, and the impact of the anti-terrorism effort on the drug war. Other current developments concerning the war on drugs, both in the Executive Branch and elsewhere, are of likely interest to the 108th Congress. These include the President's drug-control strategy for FY2004, the success of the drug war as measured by national surveys of drug use, and actions taken by DEA [Drug Enforcement Administration] against industrial hemp products and medical marijuana providers."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Eddy, Mark
2003-05-01
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North Korea's Nuclear Weapons Program [Updated May 1, 2003]
"North Korea's decisions to restart nuclear installations at Yongbyon that were shut down under the U.S.-North Korean Agreed Framework of 1994 and withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty create an acute foreign policy problem for the United States. North Korea's major motive appears to be to escalate pressure on the Bush Administration to negotiate over Pyongyang's proposed nonaggression pact and/or a new nuclear agreement that would provide new U.S. benefits to North Korea. However, re-starting the Yongbyon facilities opens up a possible North Korean intent to stage a 'nuclear breakout' of its nuclear program and openly produce nuclear weapons within six months. North Korea's actions follow the disclosure in October 2002 that North Korea is operating a secret nuclear program based on uranium enrichment and the decision by the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization (KEDO) in November 2002 to suspend shipments of heavy oil to North Korea. North Korea claimed in April 2003 that it had nuclear weapons and that it had nearly completed reprocessing of 8,000 nuclear fuel rods. The main elements of Bush Administration policy are (1) terminating the Agreed Framework; (2) no bilateral negotiations with North Korea until it satisfies U.S. concerns over its nuclear program; (3) assembling an international coalition to pressure North Korea; and (4) proposing multilateral talks involving North Korea and other countries, possibly under United Nations auspices; (5) warning and planning for future economic sanctions against North Korea; and (6) warning North Korea not to reprocess nuclear weapons-grade plutonium, including asserting that 'all options are open,' including military options."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Niksch, Larry A.
2003-05-01
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Korea: U.S.-Korean Relations - Issues for Congress [Updated May 1, 2003
"North Korea's decision in December 2002 to restart nuclear installations at Yongbyon that were shut down under the U.S.-North Korean Agreed Framework of 1994 and its announced withdrawal from the Nuclear Non- Proliferation Treaty creates an acute foreign policy problem for the United States. North Korea's major motive appears to be to escalate pressure on the Bush Administration to negotiate a nuclear agreement that would provide new U.S. political and economic benefits to North Korea, starting with Pyongyang's proposed non-aggression pact. […] The main elements of Bush Administration policy are (1) terminating the Agreed Framework; (2) no negotiations with North Korea until it dismantles its nuclear program; (3) assembling an international coalition to apply economic pressure on North Korea; (4) planning for future economic sanctions and military interdiction against North Korea; and (5) warning North Korea not to reprocess nuclear weapons-grade plutonium, asserting that 'all options are open,' including military options. China, South Korea, and Russia have criticized the Bush Administration for not negotiating with North Korea, and they voice opposition to economic sanctions and the use of force against Pyongyang. However, Administration diplomacy has made progress in persuading Japan and South Korea to support economic sanctions if North Korea escalates provocations."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Niksch, Larry A.
2003-05-01
