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China's Relations with Central Asian States and Problems with Terrorism [Updated October 7, 2002]
"This report provides an overview of the Muslim separatist movement in China's northwestern Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, China's attempts to stifle activities which it considers terrorism, and implications for U.S. policy. Some analysts suggest that the U.S.-led campaign against terrorism may make it difficult to pressure the Chinese government on human rights and religious freedoms, particularly as they relate to Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
McNeal, Dewardric L.; Dumbaugh, Kerry
2002-10-07
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Foreign Support of the U.S. War on Terrorism [Updated October 7, 2002]
From the Summary: "In response to the terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001, a number of countries and organizations pledged various forms of support to the United States in its campaign against the al Qaeda network and the Taliban in Afghanistan. This report summarizes support for the U.S. war against terrorism from open source material. It will be updated as necessary. Please see the appendix for internet links regarding abbreviations mentioned throughout the text. For additional information on the U.S. response to terrorism, as well as further country and regional information, see the CRS Terrorism Electronic Briefing Book at: [http://www.congress.gov/brbk/html/ebter1.html]."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Bockman, Johanna; Marshall, Meaghan; Sandhu, Anjula
2002-10-07
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First Responder Initiative: Policy Issues and Options [Updated October 7, 2002]
"In its FY2003 budget request, the Administration proposed a new grant program, called the 'First Responder Initiative,' to help state and local first responders prepare for possible terrorist attacks. The Federal Emergency Management Agency would administer the program, which, if approved, would provide $3.5 billion to states and localities. The Administrations primary goal for the program is to improve the ability of first responders (police, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel) to respond to terrorist attacks involving weapons of mass destruction. The proposed program would fund a broad range of activities in the areas of planning, training, exercises, and equipment. On October 1, 2002, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committed approved S. 2664, the First Responder Terrorism Preparedness Act of 2002. The bill contains several features proposed by the Administration, including a 25% matching requirement, a wide range of eligible activities, and a requirement that states distribute 75% of funds to sub-state regions. S. 2664 also contains some provisions not specified in the Administration proposal, such as establishing standards for training and equipment and prohibiting the use of funds for overtime expenses."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Canada, Ben
2002-10-07
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Central Asia's New States: Political Developments and Implications for U.S. Interests [October 4, 2002]
"After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the United States recognized the independence of all the former Central Asian republics and established diplomatic relations with each by mid-March 1992. The United States also supported their admission to the Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and other Western organizations, and elicited Turkish support in countering Iranian influence in the region. Congress was at the forefront in urging the formation of coherent U.S. policies for aiding these and other Eurasian states of the former Soviet Union, and approved the Freedom Support Act and other legislation for this purpose. After the terrorist attacks on America on September 11, 2001, all the Central Asian states offered overflight and other support to coalition anti-terrorist efforts in Afghanistan. Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan have hosted coalition troops and provided access to airbases. Since then, the United States has boosted its security assistance throughout the region for anti-terrorism, counter-narcotics, non-proliferation, border and customs, and defense cooperation programs, while also increasing aid for democratization and free market reforms. U.S. policy goals in Central Asia include fostering stability, democratization, free market economies, free trade and transport throughout the Eurasian corridor, denuclearization in the non-Russian states, and adherence to international human rights standards."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Nichol, James P.
2002-10-04
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Maritime and Port Security: A Comparison of Major Provisions of S. 1214 and H.R. 3983 [Updated October 4, 2002]
"Congress is considering legislation to enhance security at U.S. seaports. The September 11 terrorist attack has raised concerns that a sea container could be used to transport a weapon of mass destruction. An interagency commission on crime and security at U.S. ports found that with a few exceptions, the level of security at U.S. ports was poor to fair. This report compares major provisions in S. 1214, which passed the Senate with an amendment, and H.R. 3983, which passed the House as amended. Five areas of the legislation are examined: federal funding, plans and programs for coordinating security, efforts to enhance foreign seaport security, cargo security provisions, and restrictions on access to certain areas within a port. As of October 4, 2002 conferees were working to resolve a dispute over how to pay for enhanced security measures. There is disagreement over whether proposed charges on waterborne imports and exports are a 'user fee' or a tax. Although both bills cover many of the same issues, there are differences in emphasis."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Frittelli, John
2002-10-04
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Iraq: U.S. Efforts to Change the Regime [Updated October 3, 2002]
"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. [Public Law] 105-338, October 31, 1998). Bush Administration officials have emphasized regime change as the cornerstone of U.S. policy toward Iraq. This paper discusses past and current U.S. efforts to oust Saddam Hussein and the current debate over the implementation of that policy."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth
2002-10-03
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Saudi Arabia: Current Issues and U.S. Relations [Updated October 3, 2002]
"Saudi Arabia, a monarchy ruled by the Saudi dynasty, enjoys special importance in the international community because of its unique association with the Islamic religion and its oil wealth. Since the establishment of the modern Saudi kingdom in 1932, it has benefitted from a stable political system based on a smooth process of succession to the throne and an increasingly prosperous economy dominated by the oil sector. Decrees by King Fahd in March 1992 establishing an appointive consultative council and provincial councils and promulgating a basic law providing for certain citizens' rights could signal a gradual trend toward a more open political system. […] The United States and Saudi Arabia have long-standing economic and defense ties. A series of informal agreements, statements by successive U.S. administrations, and military deployments have demonstrated a strong U.S. security commitment to Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia was a key member of the allied coalition that expelled Iraqi forces from Kuwait in 1991, and over 5,000 U.S. troops remain in the country. […] U.S. officials have cited Saudi support in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks, including intelligence sharing, law enforcement activities, and tracking of terrorist financing. Some commentators maintain that Saudi domestic and foreign policies have created a climate that may have contributed to terrorist acts by Islamic radicals. Saudi officials reject this viewpoint and maintain that they are working with the United States to combat terrorism. Principal issues of bilateral interest include the Saudi position on the Arab-Israeli conflict, security in the post-war Gulf region, arms transfers to Saudi Arabia, Saudi external aid programs, bilateral trade relationships, and Saudi policies involving human rights and democracy. In early 2002, Crown Prince Abdullah proposed a peace initiative based on Israeli withdrawal from occupied territories in return for normal relations between Arab states and Israel."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Prados, Alfred B.
2002-10-03
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Iraq: Divergent Views on Military Action [Updated October 3, 2002]
"Officials of the Bush Administration believe military action against Iraq may be necessary to eliminate threats posed by the Iraqi regime to the U.S. and international communities. President Bush has asked Congress to pass a joint resolution giving the President authority to use force if necessary to eliminate threats posed by Saddam Hussein's Iraq. Some Members of Congress, commentators, and analysts question the Administration's rationale for such action and its feasibility. This report summarizes arguments advanced by the Administration and by critics of the Administration's position. It will be updated as the situation continues to develop."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Prados, Alfred B.
2002-10-03
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Critical Infrastructure: Control Systems and the Terrorist Threat [Updated October 1, 2002]
"Much of the U. S. critical infrastructure is potentially vulnerable to cyber-attack. Industrial control computer systems involved in this infrastructure are specific points of vulnerability, as cyber-security for these systems has not been perceived as a high priority. Industries potentially affected by a cyber-attack on industrial control systems include the electrical, telephone, water, chemical and energy sectors. The federal government has issued a warning regarding an increase in terrorist interest in the cyber-security of industrial control systems, citing both interest by international terrorist organizations in critical infrastructure and increases in cyberattack on critical infrastructure computer systems. The potential consequences of a successful cyber-attack on critical infrastructure industrial control systems could be high, ranging from a temporary loss of service to catastrophic infrastructure failure affecting multiple states for an extended duration. A draft version of The National Strategy for Securing Cyberspace has been released. Contained within are a number of suggestions regarding security measures for control systems. A focus on the further integration of public/private partnerships and information sharing is described, along with suggestions that Department of Energy standards for securing control systems be implemented. Possible policy options for congressional consideration include further development of uniform standards for infrastructure cyber-protection, growth in research into encryption methods for industrial control systems, enhancing information sharing between industry and government representatives, potentially through expanded exemptions to the Freedom of Information Act, and mandating assessments by industry to determine and reduce cyber-vulnerabilities."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Shea, Dana A.
2002-10-01
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Comparative Analysis of the Immigration Functions in the Major Homeland Security Bills [September 30, 2002]
"The House passed the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (H.R. 5005) on July 26, 2002. On July 25, 2002, the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee approved a modified amendment in the nature of a substitute to the text of the National Homeland Security and Combating Terrorism Act of 2002 (S. 2452). On September 3, 2002, the Senate began debate on H.R. 5005. On that date, the text of S. 2452 as approved by the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee was submitted as an amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 5005 (S.Amdt. 4471). Legislative action on H.R. 5005 and the Senate amendment was prompted by the June 6, 2002 proposal made by President Bush to create a new Department of Homeland Security (DHS), as well as previous congressional initiatives in this area. The President's proposal includes the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) under its Border Security and Transportation Division. The key immigration differences in the bills are: (1) whether only the immigration enforcement function or all of INS should be transferred to DHS; and (2) whether those immigration functions transferred to DHS should be housed in their own directorate or as part of a border security division. H.R. 5005 and the Senate amendment would effectively abolish INS. H.R. 5005 would transfer INS's enforcement function to a newly created DHS under a Border Security Division, but would leave intact INS's service function in the Department of Justice (DOJ) under a newly created Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Wasem, Ruth Ellen; Seghetti, Lisa M.
2002-09-30
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Kashmiri Separatists: Origins, Competing Ideologies, and Prospects for Resolution of the Conflict [September 30, 2002]
From the Document: "The recent military standoff and threatened nuclear exchange between India and Pakistan have lately focused congressional attention on the longstanding territorial dispute over the former princely state of Kashmir. This report focuses exclusively on the uprising in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir, which has been disputed since both countries became independent in 1947. By many accounts the uprising began when anger over an allegedly rigged election in 1987 became a militant insurgency by 1989. Since the end of the 1999 fighting in Kargil, which U.S. officials say came close to becoming a full scale war. Examining both the Indian and Pakistani strategies and perspectives in Kashmir, this report outlines the various parties to the conflict, including descriptions of the main militant groups active in Kashmir, and provides an analysis of three possible settlements that policy makers have recently proposed for the region. Many have argued that militant forces and political leaders in the Kashmir insurgency have, in recent years, begun to fall into two competing groups. The first group has a Kashmiri nationalist, or Kashmiriyat, vision of the former princely state. The second group, originating in the 'jihadi' subculture in Pakistan and Afghanistan, sees the Kashmir dispute as a religious conflict to free an oppressed Islamic population from the rule of neo-colonial powers. The report outlines the battle that has emerged between the members of these groups and the effect that it has had on the uprising as a whole."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Leather, Kaia
2002-09-30
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Economic Effects of 9/11: A Retrospective Assessment [September 27, 2002]
This retrospective review will attempt to write dispassionately and objectively about the events of September 11 effect on the U.S. economy. The loss of lives and property on 9/11 was not large enough to have had a measurable effect on the productive capacity of the United States even though it had a very significant localized effect on New York City and, to a lesser degree, on the greater Washington, D.C. area. It was initially thought that aggregate demand was seriously affected, for while the existing data showed that GDP growth was low in the first half of 2001, data published in October showed that GDP had contracted during the 3rd quarter. We now know, based on revised data, this is not so. At the time of 9/11 the economy was in its third consecutive quarter of contraction; positive growth resumed in the 4th quarter. This would suggest that any effects from 9/11 on demand were short lived. While this may be true, several events took place before, on, and shortly after 9/11, that made recovery either more rapid than it might have been or made it possible to take place. Thus, it can be argued, timely action contained the short run economic effects of 9/11 on the overall economy. Over the longer run 9/11 will adversely affect U.S. productivity growth because resources are being and will be used to ensure the security of production, distribution, finance, and communication.
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Makinen, Gail E.
2002-09-27
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Combating Terrorism: 2001 Congressional Debate on Emergency Supplemental Allocations [Updated September 27, 2002]
"Within days of the September 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, Congress approved a $40 billion emergency supplemental appropriations (P.L. 107-38/H.R. 2888) to aid victims of the terrorist attacks, to bolster security at airports and other sites, to pursue the investigation and prosecution of those responsible, and to support national security. The appropriation measure partitioned the $40 billion into three clusters. The first $10 billion was available immediately for allocation by the President. The second $10 billion was available 15 days after the President notified Congress about how he would distribute the funds. The final $20 billion would be allocated within an enacted FY2002 appropriation bill. Through notifications beginning on September 21, the Administration fully allocated the first $20 billion over the following five months. Between February and August 2002, the White House has made some adjustments to these earlier distributions, primarily to provide additional funds for the Transportation Security Administration. Congress allocated the final $20 billion as a separate title in the FY2002 Defense Department Appropriation (P.L. 107-117; H.R. 3338), cleared for the White House on December 20."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Belasco, Amy; Nowels, Larry Q.
2002-09-27
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Iraq: Weapons Threat, Compliance, Sanctions, and U.S. Policy [Updated September 27, 2002]
"In recent years, the United States has been unable to maintain an international consensus for strict enforcement of all applicable U.N. Security Council resolutions on Iraq, but it has largely succeeded in preventing Iraq from reemerging as an immediate strategic threat to the region. There is U.S. concern about the long-term threat posed by Iraq and, in the wake of the September 11 attacks, the Bush Administration has emphasized regime change as the cornerstone of U.S. policy. The exact means to implement that objective has not been announced, whether it be through international sanctions and diplomacy, military action, or covert action. The regime change policy is not openly supported by many other governments, particularly if it involves major military action, but many governments support U.S. action through the United Nations to enforce Security Council resolutions requiring Iraqi disarmament of its mass destruction weapons (WMD) programs."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth
2002-09-27
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Iraq: Oil-For-Food Program, International Sanctions, and Illicit Trade [Updated September 26, 2002]
The "oil-for-food" program is the centerpiece of the long-standing U.N. Security Council effort to alleviate human suffering in Iraq while maintaining key elements of the Gulf war-related sanctions regime. In order to ensure that Iraq remains contained and that only humanitarian needs are served by the program, U.N. Security Council resolutions have mandated substantial controls on Iraqi oil exports and humanitarian imports.
Seeking to improve international unity on containment of Iraq, the Bush Administration devised a "smart sanctions" plan that it said would speed the flow of civilian goods to Iraq and thereby improve living conditions for the Iraqi people.
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth
2002-09-26
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Indonesian Separatist Movement in Aceh [Updated September 25, 2002]
"Indonesia faces a major separatist insurgency in the province of Aceh in northern Sumatra. The Indonesian government has proposed autonomy for Aceh, but insurgents demand independence. Two years of negotiations have been unsuccessful. Indonesian civilian leaders have been unable to control the Indonesian military, whose aggressive actions in Aceh produce frequent reports of human rights abuses and alienation of the populace. The Bush Administration has urged Indonesia to seek a political settlement; but it has been hesitant to deal with the military's actions and seeks renewed ties with the military in order to cooperate against terrorism."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Niksch, Larry A.
2002-09-25
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Pakistan-U.S. Relations [Updated September 24, 2002]
"The major areas of U.S. concern in Pakistan include: nuclear nonproliferation; counterterrorism; regional stability; democratization and human rights; and economic reform and development. An ongoing Pakistan-India nuclear arms race, fueled by rivalry over Kashmir, continues to be the focus of U.S. nonproliferation efforts in South Asia and a major issue in U.S. relations with both countries. This attention intensified following nuclear tests by both India and Pakistan in May 1998. South Asia is viewed by some observers as a likely prospect for use of such weapons. India has developed short- and intermediate-range missiles, and Pakistan has acquired short-range missiles from China and medium-range missiles from North Korea. India and Pakistan have fought three wars since 1947. […] In October 1999, the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was overturned in a bloodless coup led by Chief of Army Staff Pervez Musharraf, who suspended the parliament and declared himself chief executive. In June 2001, General Musharraf assumed the post of president. The United States has strongly urged the Pakistan military government to restore the country to civilian democratic rule. President Musharraf has pledged to honor a Pakistan Supreme Court ruling ordering parliamentary elections to be held by late 2002. The Musharraf government has begun to address Pakistan's many pressing and longstanding problems, including the beleaguered economy, corruption, terrorism, and poor governance. Pakistan will receive well over one billion dollars in U.S. assistance and several billion dollars from international organizations to help strengthen the country as a key member of the U.S.-led anti-terrorism coalition."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Kronstadt, K. Alan
2002-09-24
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Terrorism at Home and Abroad: Applicable Federal and State Criminal Laws [Updated September 24, 2001]
"Terrorists' attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, the Murrah building in Oklahoma City and the American Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania have stimulated demands that the terrorists responsible and those like them be brought to justice. American criminal law already proscribes many of these acts of terrorism and there have been proposals to expand that coverage. This is a brief overview of the state and federal laws which now prohibit terrorism in this country and abroad."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Doyle, Charles
2002-09-24
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Agricultural Trade Issues in the 107th Congress [updated September 24, 2002]
"The 107th Congress has been considering a variety of trade issues with implications for the U.S. agricultural sector. Trade in agricultural commodities and food products affects farm income and rural employment, and it also generates economic activity beyond the farm gate. With agricultural export sales the equivalent of about 25% of gross farm income, some policymakers view U.S. efforts to develop market opportunities overseas as vital to the sector's financial health. Decisions by the Bush Administration, and actions taken by Congress, thus could affect the outlook for agricultural trade. U.S. agricultural exports are forecast to improve through FY2003. Agricultural groups and their supporters in Congress believe that the pace of improvements depends partly on U.S. trade policies that: (1) aggressively reduce foreign-imposed barriers to U.S. farm products, (2) hold other countries accountable for commitments they have already made in existing trade agreements, (3) resolve festering disputes with major trading partners, and (4) fully use U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) export and food aid programs. On the other hand, some continue to press for restrictions on various agricultural imports, to protect U.S. producers from what they view as unfair foreign competition."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Hanrahan, Charles; Becker, Geoffrey S.; Jurenas, Remy
2002-09-24
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Middle East Peace Talks [Updated September 24, 2002]
"Since the founding of Israel, Arab-Israeli conflict marked every decade until the 1990s. With each clash, issues separating the parties multiplied and became more intractable. The creation of the State of Israel in 1948 provided a home for the Jewish people, but the ensuing conflict made refugees of thousands of Arab residents of the formerly British Palestine, with consequences troubling for Arabs and Israelis alike. The 1967 war ended with Israel occupying territory of Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. Egypt and Syria fought the 1973 war, in part, to regain their lands. In 1982, Israel invaded southern Lebanon to prevent terrorist incursions; it withdrew in 1985, retaining control of a 9-mile 'security zone' over which Lebanon seeks to reclaim. Middle East peace has been a U.S. and international diplomatic goal throughout the years of conflict. The 1978 Camp David talks, the only previous direct Arab-Israeli negotiations, brought about the 1979 Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Migdalovitz, Carol
2002-09-24
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Africa: U.S. Foreign Assistance Issues [Updated September 23, 2002]
"The Bush Administration is requesting just over $1 billion in Development Assistance (DA) for sub-Saharan Africa in FY2003, as compared with an estimated $887 million going to the region in FY2002. The request for aid through the Economic Support Fund (ESF), however, has dropped to $77 million from estimated ESF assistance of $100 million in FY2002. […] U.S. assistance finds its way to Africa through a variety of channels, including the USAID-administered DA program, food aid programs, and indirect aid provided through international financial institutions and the United Nations. U.S. assistance through all such channels, though problematic to calculate, will probably total well above $2 billion in FY2002. […] USAID Administrator Andrew Natsios has testified that the Bush Administration is focusing on conflict prevention and resolution, working with NGOs [Non-Governmental Organizations] and faith-based organizations, poverty reduction, agricultural development, and health, including HIV/AIDS. In August 2002, at the World Summit on Sustainable Development, the Administration announced new initiatives on access to potable water, clean energy, reducing hunger, and development and conservation in the Congo River basin. The initiatives would make extensive use of public-private partnerships. The level of funding and other aspects of these initiatives have become subjects of debate. Other issues in 2002 may include the eligibility of African countries to participate in the Administration's proposed Millennium Challenge Account, and U.S. support for the New Partnership for Africa's Development, an African initiative linking increased aid with policy reform."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Copson, Raymond W.
2002-09-23
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Trade and the Americas [Updated September 20, 2002]
"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 have 34 members (Cuba is not included) with over 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 seven plus years following the 1994 summit, Western Hemisphere trade ministers have met six 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. The seventh Ministerial will be held in Quito, Ecuador starting November 2, 2002. The United States and Brazil will assume co-chairmanship of the negotiations following the Quito meeting. Assessments differ on whether the movement toward hemispheric free trade is 'on-track' or 'off-track.' The former perspective holds that a solid foundation and structure for the negotiations has been agreed to, draft chapters have been submitted, and that a schedule for tariff negotiations starting December 15, 2002 is in place. The latter perspective holds that political and economic turbulence in Latin America are impeding efforts to achieve freer trade."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Ahearn, Raymond J.
2002-09-20
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Iraq: Weapons Threat, Compliance, Sanctions, and U.S. Policy [Updated September 20, 2002]
"In recent years, the United States has been unable to maintain an international consensus for strict enforcement of all applicable U.N. Security Council resolutions on Iraq, but it has largely succeeded in preventing Iraq from reemerging as an immediate strategic threat to the region. There is U.S. concern about the long-term threat posed by Iraq and, in the wake of the September 11 attacks, the Bush Administration has emphasized regime change as the cornerstone of U.S. policy. The exact means to implement that objective has not been announced, whether it be through international sanctions and diplomacy, military action, or covert action. The regime change policy is considered risky and difficult and is not openly supported by many other governments, particularly if it involves major military action."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth
2002-09-20
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Special Acquisition Authorities Contained in the House and Senate Proposals to Create a Department of Homeland Security [Updated September 20, 2002]
"H.R.5005, as passed the House, and Senate Amendment 4471, each of which propose the creation of a Department of Homeland Security, would grant special acquisition authorities generally aimed at speeding up and/or simplifying certain acquisitions during an organizational or transition period (five years in the House proposal and one year in the Senate proposal). These authorities would affect the procurement of research and development, personal services, and anti-terrorist technologies. Procurement would be streamlined through expanded use of the micropurchase threshold, simplified acquisition procedures, and an amended definition of commercial item. The House bill would only grant these authorities to the new Department, whereas the Senate proposal would grant most of them to all executive agencies."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Luckey, John R.
2002-09-20
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Federal Research and Development Organization, Policy, and Funding for Counterterrorism [September 19, 2002]
From the Summary: "The Office of Homeland Security (OHS), created by Executive Order 13228, does not list R&D [Research and Development] among its major responsibilities, but R&D is a topic of one of the interagency Policy Coordination Committees attached to the Homeland Security Council (HSC), OHS's interagency group. The director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) was not named to participate in OHS activities, but an OSTP staff member is filling the HSC interagency R&D policy coordination role. Proposals have been made to expand the interagency Technical Support Working Group and the Defense Department's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, which have funded counterterrorism R&D in the past. S. 2452, the Lieberman substitute agreed to by the Governmental Affairs Committee, would give broader R&D authority to a national homeland security department."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Knezo, Genevieve Johanna
2002-09-19
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Nuclear Nonproliferation Issues [Updated September 19, 2002]
"The United States has been a leader of worldwide efforts to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. To this end, the international community and many individual states have agreed to a range of treaties, laws, and agreements, known collectively as the nuclear nonproliferation regime, aimed at keeping nations that do not have nuclear weapons from acquiring them. The nonproliferation regime has also been concerned with preventing terrorists from obtaining a nuclear weapon or the materials to craft one. The attacks on New York and Washington September 11 added a new level of reality to the threat that terrorists might acquire a nuclear weapon and explode it in a populated area. Other nonproliferation concerns include a number of regional crisis points: the India- Pakistan arms race, North Korea, and the Middle East, primarily Iraq, Iran, and Israel. There is concern about China's actions in expanding its nuclear force, and of Chinese and Russian activities that may encourage proliferation in the other regions. Disposing of plutonium and highly enriched uranium from dismantled Russian nuclear weapons, while preventing it from falling into the hands of terrorists or other proliferators, is another current focus of nonproliferation activities. In the longer term, the major question is fulfilling the pledge in the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) by the nuclear weapons states, including the United States, to pursue complete nuclear disarmament, in the face of skepticism about the possibility, or even the wisdom, of achieving that goal."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Behrens, Carl E.
2002-09-19
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U.S. Use of Preemptive Military Force [September 18, 2002]
From the Summary: "This report reviews the historical record regarding the uses of U.S. military force in a 'preemptive' manner, an issue that has emerged due to the possible use of U.S. military force against Iraq. It examines and comments on military actions taken by the United States that could be reasonably interpreted as 'preemptive' in nature. For purposes of this analysis we consider a 'preemptive' use of military force to be the taking of military action by the United States against another nation so as to prevent or mitigate a presumed 'military' attack or use of force by that nation against the United States. This review includes all noteworthy uses of military force by the United States since the establishment of the Republic."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Grimmett, Richard F.
2002-09-18
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Intelligence Issues for Congress [Updated September 17, 2002]
"The U.S. Intelligence Community continues to adjust to the post-Cold War environment. Congressional and executive branch initiatives have emphasized enhancing cooperation among the different agencies that comprise the Community by giving greater managerial authority to the Director of Central Intelligence (DCI). Priority continues to be placed on intelligence support to military operations and on involvement in efforts to combat narcotics trafficking and, especially since September 11, 2001, international terrorism. Growing concerns about transnational threats are leading to increasingly close cooperation between intelligence and law enforcement agencies. This relationship is complicated, however, by differing roles and missions as well as statutory charters."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Best, Richard A.
2002-09-17
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Department of Homeland Security: Appropriations Transfer Authority [Updated September 16, 2002]
"The establishment of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), as proposed by President George W. Bush and Members of Congress, involves in large part the transfer to the new department of existing functions carried out by many different agencies and programs. Along with the authority to transfer functions, the legislative proposals include authority to transfer the personnel, assets (including appropriations), and other items connected with these functions. The proposals for appropriations transfer authority for the new department have engendered controversy with regard to the appropriate balance between providing executive flexibility and retaining congressional control over spending. [...] With regard to general transfer authority, which would be provided to the Secretary of Homeland Security following the establishment of the department and would cover transfers between accounts within the department's budget, the Administration proposed permanent authority, subject to a 5% limit on the amount that may be transferred from any appropriation and a 15-day notice-requirement to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees. The House Appropriations Committee, and leaders of the Senate Appropriations Committee, strongly objected to the proposed general transfer authority, maintaining that sufficient transfer authority could be provided on an ongoing basis through the annual appropriations process. As passed by the House on July 26, 2002, H.R. 5005 would reduce the general transfer authority limit to 2% and sunset the transfer authority after 2 years. The Senate began consideration of H.R. 5005 on September 3. Lieberman amendment #4471, a substitute amendment offered by Senator Joseph Lieberman, chairman of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, does not contain a grant of general transfer authority."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Keith, Robert
2002-09-16
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Syria: U.S. Relations and Bilateral Issues [Updated September 13, 2002]
"U.S.-Syrian relations, frequently strained by longstanding disagreements over regional and international policy, have warmed somewhat as a result of several developments: the collapse of the Soviet Union, Syria's participation in the allied coalition against Iraq in 1990-91, and Syrian agreement to participate in Arab-Israeli peace talks. This thaw in bilateral relations led some Members of Congress to inquire whether U.S. Administrations had made any private commitments to Syria, such as an undertaking to relax economic sanctions, in return for Syrian support on regional issues. Several legislative proposals have sought to condition relaxation of aid and trade 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. 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.
2002-09-13
