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India-U.S. Relations [Updated October 2, 2007]
"Long considered a 'strategic backwater' from Washington's perspective, South Asia has emerged in the 21st century as increasingly vital to core U.S. foreign policy interests. India, the region's dominant actor with more than one billion citizens, is now recognized as a nascent major power and 'natural partner' of the United States, one that many analysts view as a potential counterweight to China's growing clout. Washington and New Delhi have since 2004 been pursuing a 'strategic partnership' based on shared values such as democracy, pluralism, and rule of law. Numerous economic, security, and global initiatives, including plans for 'full civilian nuclear energy cooperation,' are underway. This latter initiative, launched by President Bush in July 2005 and provisionally endorsed by the 109th Congress in 2006 (P.L. 109-401, the 'Hyde Act'), reverses three decades of U.S. nonproliferation policy. It requires, among other steps, conclusion of a peaceful nuclear agreement between the United States and India, which would itself enter into force only after a Joint Resolution of Approval by Congress. Also in 2005, the United States and India signed a ten-year defense framework agreement that calls for expanding bilateral security cooperation. Since 2002, the two countries have engaged in numerous and unprecedented combined military exercises. The issue of major U.S. arms sales to India may come before the 110th Congress. The influence of a growing and relatively wealthy Indian- American community of more than two million is reflected in Congress's largest country-specific caucus. Further U.S. interest in South Asia focuses on ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan rooted in unfinished business from the 1947 Partition, competing claims to the Kashmir region, and, in more recent years, 'cross-border terrorism' in both Kashmir and major Indian cities."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Kronstadt, K. Alan
2007-10-02
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Pakistan-U.S. Relations [Updated October 1, 2007]
"A stable, democratic, prosperous Pakistan is considered vital to U.S. interests. U.S. concerns regarding Pakistan include regional and global terrorism; Afghan stability; democratization and human rights protection; the ongoing Kashmir problem and Pakistan-India tensions; and economic development. A U.S.-Pakistan relationship marked by periods of both cooperation 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 counterterrorism efforts. Top U.S. officials regularly praise Pakistan for its ongoing cooperation, although doubts exist about Islamabad's commitment to some core U.S. interests. […]. More recently, the United States has been troubled by evidence of the transfer of Pakistani nuclear technologies and materials to third parties, including North Korea, Iran, and Libya. Such evidence became stark in 2004. Pakistan's macroeconomic indicators have turned positive since 2001, with some meaningful poverty reduction seen in this still poor country. President Bush seeks to expand U.S.-Pakistan trade and investment relations. Democracy has fared poorly in Pakistan; the country has endured direct military rule for more than half of its existence. […].The United States urges restoration of full democracy, expecting Pakistan's planned late 2007 or early 2008 elections to be free, fair, and transparent. Congress has annually granted one-year presidential authority to waive coup-related aid sanctions. Pakistan is among the world's leading recipients of U.S. aid, obtaining nearly $4 billion in direct U.S. assistance for FY2002-FY2007, including more than $1.5 billion in security related aid. "
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Kronstadt, K. Alan
2007-10-01
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Immigration Legislation and Issues in the 110th Congress [October 1, 2007]
"Comprehensive immigration reform was the subject of much discussion at the start of the 110th Congress. In the spring of 2007, the Senate considered several broad immigration reform measures aimed at addressing a host of perceived problems with the U.S. immigration system. These measures combined border security and interior enforcement provisions with provisions on temporary workers, permanent admissions, and unauthorized aliens. In June 2007, the Senate voted on a motion to invoke cloture on one of these measures (S. 1639), which, if approved, would have ultimately brought the bill to a vote. The motion failed, however, and the bill was subsequently pulled from the Senate floor. It is unclear whether the 110th Congress will again take up comprehensive immigration reform legislation. […] Among the other immigration-related issues that the 110th Congress may address are state and local enforcement of immigration laws, employment eligibility verification and worksite enforcement, Iraqi refugees, and documentary requirements for admission. At the same time, the 110th Congress has enacted some immigration-related provisions. Among them are refugee-related provisions included in the FY2007 Revised Continuing Appropriations Resolution; the U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act; and a measure to increase the number of Iraqi and Afghani translators and interpreters who may be admitted to the United States as special immigrants. The 110th Congress also has enacted provisions on border security and the Visa Waiver Program as part of a law providing for the implementation of the recommendations of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States. This report discusses these and other immigration-related issues that have seen legislative action or are of significant congressional interest. […]"
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Wasem, Ruth Ellen; Siskin, Alison; Bruno, Andorra
2007-10-01
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: S. 1703, Trafficking in Persons Accountability Act of 2007
"CBO [Congressional Budget Office] estimates that implementing S. 1703 would have no significant cost to the federal government. Enacting the bill could affect direct spending and revenues, but CBO estimates that any such effects would not be significant. S. 1703 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would not affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal governments. The bill would expand the jurisdiction of federal courts in certain human trafficking cases. Human trafficking involves the recruitment and smuggling of foreign nationals into the United States or other countries to force or coerce them into labor or prostitution. Under the bill, federal courts would have extraterritorial jurisdiction over human-trafficking crimes involving an alleged offender or victim who is a national of the United States or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence. The courts also would have jurisdiction over human-trafficking cases committed abroad if the alleged offender is present in the United States, irrespective of nationality. If a foreign government prosecutes a person for human trafficking, S. 1703 would prohibit prosecution by the United States without the approval of the Attorney General or Deputy Attorney General."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2007-10-01
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Limits of Friendship: U.S. Security Cooperation in Central Asia
"This research paper explores the history of US security- cooperation programs in Central Asia from 1993 to the present, identifying five distinct phases of development as those programs sought to achieve US objectives in denuclearization and proliferation prevention, democratization and military reform, regional cooperation, and improvement of military capabilities. These security-cooperation efforts were limited by a variety of factors, including the lack of political and economic reform in the region, Russian influence through bilateral cooperation agreements and multilateral security institutions, constrained resources, diffuse objectives and multiplying recipients, and US policies that restrained commitment to Central Asia. Each of the programs available to US planners had strengths and weaknesses, but these programs were not always integrated in a fashion to achieve the best results. The linkages between the specific activities and the ultimate objectives have not always been constant and still may not always be clear. As a result, the United States has had mixed results in building relationships, developing capabilities, and providing access. The United States should focus its efforts on Kazakhstan, more closely integrate the existing security-cooperation programs within the Defense Department and across the US government, leverage the assistance programs of North Atlantic Treaty Organization partners, and seek to employ a strategy of persistent engagement against a limited number of clearly defined objectives."
Air University (U.S.). Press
McCarthy, Michael J.
2007-10
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National Southwest Border Counternarcotics Strategy [Unclassified Summary]
"The President's National Drug Control Strategy seeks to disrupt the illicit drug industry as close to the source as possible. As a companion to the National Drug Control Strategy, this Strategy directs U.S. efforts to intercept drug shipments that manage to evade the robust international counterdrug efforts in the source zone and transit zone, thereby contributing to a layered defense of the homeland. This Strategy aims to improve Federal counterdrug efforts on the Southwest Border in the following areas: intelligence collection and information sharing, interdiction at and between ports of entry, aerial surveillance and interdiction of smuggling aircraft, investigations and prosecutions, countering financial crime, and cooperation with Mexico."
United States. Office of National Drug Control Policy
2007-10
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U.S.-Vietnam Relations: Background and Issues for Congress [Updated September 28, 2007]
"After communist North Vietnam's victory over U.S.-backed South Vietnam in 1975, U.S.-Vietnam relations remained essentially frozen for over 15 years. Since then, bilateral ties have expanded remarkably, to the point where the relationship has been virtually normalized. Congress played a significant role in this process, and continues to influence the state of bilateral relations. Some argue that improvements in bilateral relations should be conditioned upon Vietnam's authoritarian government improving its record on human rights, particularly in the Central Highlands region. Voices favoring improved relations have included those reflecting U.S. business interests in Vietnam's reforming economy and U.S. strategic interests in expanding cooperation with a populous country […] that has an ambivalent relationship with China. In recent years, Vietnamese leaders have sought to upgrade relations with the United States, perhaps because of worries about China's expanding influence in Southeast Asia and the need for U.S. support for Vietnam's ultimately successful bid to enter the World Trade Organization (WTO). Many argue, however, that there is little evidence that Hanoi seeks to balance Beijing's rising power. Also, some Vietnamese remain suspicious that the United States' long-term goal is to end the Vietnamese communist party's monopoly on power through a 'peaceful evolution' strategy. Economic ties are perhaps the most mature aspect of the bilateral relationship. Since the United States extended conditional normal trade relations (NTR) to Vietnam in 2001, bilateral trade -- primarily imports from Vietnam -- has increased more than sixfold, to the point where the United States is now Vietnam's largest export market."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Manyin, Mark E.
2007-09-28
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North Korean Refugees in China and Human Rights Issues: International Response and U.S. Policy Options [September 26, 2007]
"This report examines both the situation of North Korean refugees in China and human rights issues because they are frequently raised simultaneously, particularly in a congressional context. Although the issues surrounding those North Koreans seeking to leave their country and the situation for those who remain inside its borders pose different questions and may call for separate responses, both also focus on the regime in Pyongyang. Critics of the North Korean government have raised both issues together to put pressure on the regime, particularly when nuclear weapons program negotiations stalled, Some advocates decry the practice of linking refugee and human rights issues, claiming that former calls for a quieter, cooperative approach, while the latter requires a more outspoken response to the North Korean government's practices. Although some policy experts insist the United States has a moral imperative to stand up for he oppressed, others say that this creates obstacles in the nuclear disarmament negotiations. In 2007, the Bush administration entered into bilateral talks with North Korea and linked the prospect of diplomatic relations and Pyongyang's re-entry into the international community with only the nuclear issue, leaving out human rights and refugee concerns."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Margesson, Rhoda; Bruno, Andorra; Chanlett-Avery, Emma
2007-09-26
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Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses [Updated September 25, 2007]
"Much of the debate over U.S. policy toward Iran has centered on the nature of the current regime. Some experts believe that Iran, a country of almost 70 million people, is a threat to U.S. interests because hardliners in Iran's regime dominate and set a policy direction intended to challenge U.S. influence and allies in the region. President Bush, in his January 29, 2002, State of the Union message, labeled Iran part of an 'axis of evil' along with Iraq and North Korea."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth
2007-09-25
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President Bush Addresses the United Nations General Assembly [September 25, 2007]
President Bush addresses the United Nations Assembly on September 25, 2007 in regards to issues of protecting human rights.
United States. Office of the White House Press Secretary
Bush, George W. (George Walker), 1946-
2007-09-25
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U.N. Population Fund: Background and the U.S. Funding Debate [September 20, 2007]
"The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), established in 1969, is the world's largest source of population and reproductive health programs and the principal unit within the United Nations for global population issues. In 2006, the organization provided services in some 154 developing and transition countries, with funds totaling $605.5 million, drawn exclusively from voluntary contributions made by 180 nations and some foundations. The United States, with strong support from Congress, was an important actor in the launch of UNFPA in 1969. During the mid-to-late 1960s, Congress began to express heightened concern over the impact of rapid population growth on development prospects in poor countries. In 1967, Congress earmarked funds for population assistance programs, urging the United States to channel family planning resources through the United Nations and other international organizations. […] In 14 of the past 23 years, the United States has not contributed to the organization as a result of executive branch determinations that UNFPA's program in China was in violation of the Kemp-Kasten amendment banning U.S. aid to organizations involved in the management of coercive family planning programs. For the past five years, the Bush Administration has transferred UNFPA appropriations to other foreign aid activities. While UNFPA receives voluntary contributions from many countries and some private foundations, most of its income comes from a handful of donors. The Netherlands and Japan recently have been the largest contributors. Throughout the last decade, when the United States has contributed to UNFPA programs, the U.S. contributions have represented about 8% of UNFPA's regular budget. This report, originally drafted by Larry Nowels, will be updated as policy changes or congressional actions warrant."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Blanchfield, Luisa
2007-09-20
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Statement of David M. Walker, Comptroller General of the United States before the Committee on Homeland Security, House of Representatives: Department of Homeland Security: Progress Report on Implementation of Mission and Management Functions
"The Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) recent 4 year anniversary provides an opportunity to reflect on the progress DHS has made. As one of the largest federal reorganizations in the last several decades, GAO has reported that the creation of DHS was an enormous management challenge and that the size, complexity, and importance of the effort made the challenge especially daunting and critical to the nation's security. Our prior work on mergers and acquisitions found that successful transformations of large organizations, even those faced with less strenuous reorganizations than DHS, can take at least 5 to 7 years to achieve. This testimony is based on our August 2007 report evaluating DHS's progress over the past 4 years. Specifically, it addresses DHS's progress across 14 mission and management areas and key themes that have affected DHS's implementation efforts. To assess DHS's progress for the report, GAO identified performance expectations for each mission and management area based on legislation, homeland security presidential directives, DHS and component agencies' strategic plans, and other sources. GAO analyzed these documents to identify responsibilities for DHS and obtained and incorporated feedback from DHS officials on the performance expectations. On the basis of GAO's and the DHS Office of Inspector General's (IG) prior work and updated information provided by DHS, GAO judged the extent to which DHS has taken actions to generally achieve each performance expectation."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Walker, David M. (David Michael), 1951-
2007-09-18
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Central Asia: Regional Developments and Implications for U.S. Interests [Updated September 14, 2007]
"After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the United States recognized the independence of all the former Central Asian republics, supported their admission into Western organizations, and elicited Turkish support to counter 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. Soon 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 hosted coalition troops and provided access to airbases. In 2003, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan also endorsed coalition military action in Iraq, and Kazakhstan provided about two dozen troops for rebuilding. U.S. policy has emphasized bolstering the security of the Central Asian "front-line" states to help them combat terrorism, proliferation, and arms trafficking. Other strategic U.S. objectives have included promoting free markets, democratization, human rights, and energy development. Such policies aim to help the states become what the Administration considers to be responsible members of the international community rather than to degenerate into xenophobic, extremist, and anti-Western regimes that threaten international peace and stability. […] The 110th Congress is likely to continue to be at the forefront in advocating increased U.S. ties with Central Asia, and in providing backing for use of the region as a staging area for supporting U.S.-led stabilization efforts in Afghanistan. The 110th Congress is likely to pursue these goals through hearings and legislation on humanitarian assistance, economic development, security issues, human rights, and democratization."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Nichol, James P.
2007-09-14
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Extraterritorial Application of American Criminal Law [Updated September 10, 2007]
"Crime is usually territorial. It is a matter of the law of the place where it occurs. Nevertheless, a surprising number of American criminal laws apply outside of the United States. Application is generally a question of legislative intent, expressed or implied. In either case, it most often involves crimes committed aboard a ship or airplane, crimes condemned by international treaty, crimes committed against government employees or property, or crimes that have an impact in this country even if planned or committed in part elsewhere. Although the crimes over which the United States has extraterritorial jurisdiction may be many, so are the obstacles to their enforcement. For both practical and diplomatic reasons, criminal investigations within another country require the acquiescence, consent, or preferably the assistance, of the authorities of the host country. The United States has mutual legal assistance treaties with several countries designed to formalize such cooperative law enforcement assistance. Searches and interrogations carried out on our behalf by foreign officials, certainly if they involve Americans, must be conducted within the confines of the Fourth and Fifth Amendments. And the Sixth Amendment imposes limits upon the use in American criminal trials of depositions taken abroad. […] Our recently negotiated extradition treaties address some of the features of our earlier agreements which complicate extradition for extraterritorial offenses, i.e., dual criminality requirements, reluctance to recognize extraterritorial jurisdiction, and exemptions on the basis of nationality or political offenses. To further facilitate the prosecution of federal crimes with extraterritorial application Congress has enacted special venue, statute of limitations, and evidentiary statutes."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Doyle, Charles
2007-09-10
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Afghanistan: Post-War Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy [Updated September 10, 2007]
From the Summary: "Assessments of the U.S. effort to stabilize Afghanistan are mixed. The political transition was completed with the convening of a parliament in December 2005, but since 2006 insurgent threats to Afghanistan's government have escalated. In the political process, a new constitution was adopted in January 2004, successful presidential elections were held on October 9, 2004, and parliamentary elections took place on September 18, 2005. The parliament has become an arena for factions that have fought each other for nearly three decades to debate and peacefully resolve differences. […] In 2006 and 2007, the insurgency led by remnants of the former Taliban regime has escalated after four years of relatively minor violence. Contributing to the renewed violence is popular frustration with lack of economic development, official corruption, and the failure to extend Afghan government authority into rural areas. […] U.S. and partner stabilization measures include strengthening the central government and its security forces. The United States and other countries are building an Afghan National Army, deploying a 39,000 troop NATO [North Atlantic Treaty Organization]-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) that now commands peacekeeping throughout Afghanistan, and running regional enclaves to secure reconstruction (Provincial Reconstruction Teams, PRTs). Approximately 27,000 U.S. troops are in Afghanistan, of which all but about 12,000 are under NATO/ISAF command. To build security institutions and assist reconstruction, the United States has given Afghanistan over $21 billion since the fall of the Taliban, including funds to equip and train Afghan security forces. Breakdowns are shown in the several tables at the end of this paper. Pending legislation, H.R. 2446, would reauthorize the Afghanistan Freedom Support Act of 2002."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth
2007-09-10
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Comments from DHS: Department of Homeland Security, Progress Report on Implementation of Mission and Management Functions
These comments were prepared in response to the GAO report, Department of Homeland Security: Progress Report on Implementation of Mission and Management Functions, in which GAO found that DHS "generally achieved" 78 of its 171 performance expectations; 83 expectations were "generally not achieved" and 10 expectations were "not assessed." These comments respond to 42 performance expectations identified as "major areas of concern for the Department." DHS disagreed with the methodology and used and assessments made in the GAO report.
United States. Department of Homeland Security
2007-09-06
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Testimony of David M. Walker, Comptroller General of the United States before the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, U.S. Senate: Department of Homeland Security: Progress Report on Implementation of Mission and Management Functions
"I appreciate the opportunity to appear today to discuss the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) efforts to implement its major mission and management functions. At your request we issued a report last month evaluating progress DHS has made since March 2003. This report defines specific actions DHS is to achieve based on legislation, homeland security presidential directives, DHS strategic planning documents, and other sources and reports the progress the department has made in implementing programmatic and management activities based on its achievement of these actions. However, the assessments of progress are not indicative of the extent to which DHS's actions have made the nation more secure in each area. Moreover, our assessments do not imply that DHS would have or should have achieved all of the actions we identified. On the other hand, failure to effectively implement these actions could have serious consequences for our homeland security, and it is important for Congress and other stakeholders to have a sense of the department's accomplishments to date as well as areas for further focus to help inform oversight and investment decisions. Prior to the creation of DHS, we testified on whether the reorganization of government agencies might better address the nation's homeland security needs. At that time, we testified that the nation had a unique opportunity to create an effective and performance-based organization to strengthen the nation's ability to protect its borders and citizens."
United States. Government Accountability Office
Walker, David M. (David Michael), 1951-
2007-09-06
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Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses [Updated September 5, 2007]
"According to the Administration's 'National Security Strategy' document released on March 16, 2006, the United States 'may face no greater challenge from a single country than Iran.' That perception continues, generated primarily by Iran's nuclear program and intensified by Iran's military assistance to armed groups in Iraq and Afghanistan and to Lebanese Hezbollah. In part to direct regional attention to that view but also to engage Iran on an Iraq solution, the Administration attended regional conferences on Iraq on March 10, 2007, and May 3-4, 2007, both attended by Iran (and Syria), and subsequently held bilateral meetings with Iran in Baghdad on May 28 and July 24, agreeing in the latter meeting to form a working group on Iraq security issues, which met for the first time on August 6. The Bush Administration is pursuing several approaches to attempt to contain the potential threat posed by Iran, but the U.S. emphasis is now on multilateral economic sanctions on Iran. Iran has not complied with repeated U.N. Security Council deadlines since August 2006 to cease uranium enrichment. […] To strengthen its diplomacy, the Administration has added components to efforts to contain Iran, including a consistent large naval presence in the Persian Gulf; arrests of Iranian agents in Iraq. The Administration strongly denies it is planning on military action against Iran, but has refused to rule it out."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth
2007-09-05
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Venezuela: Political Conditions and U.S. Policy [Updated September 4, 2007]
"The United States traditionally has had close relations with Venezuela, the fourth major supplier of foreign oil to the United States, but there has been friction in relations with the Chávez government. U.S. officials have expressed concerns about President Chávez's military arms purchases, his relations with such countries as Cuba and Iran, his efforts to export his brand of populism to other Latin American countries, and concerns about the state of democracy. Declining cooperation on antidrug and anti-terrorism efforts has also been a U.S. concern. In 2005 and 2006, President Bush designated Venezuela as a country that has failed demonstrably to adhere to its obligations under international narcotics agreements, and in 2006, the Department of State prohibited the sale of defense articles and services to Venezuela because of its lack of cooperation on anti-terrorism efforts."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sullivan, Mark P.; Olhero, Nelson
2007-09-04
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Integration of Virtual Public-Private Partnerships into Local Enforcement to Achieve Enhanced Intelligence-Led Policing
From the thesis Abstract: "In light of the recent emergence of fusion centers and centralized intelligence units, and the move to develop intelligence capacity within local law enforcement agencies in the United States, intelligence-led policing (ILP) is well-positioned to be on the nation's law enforcement agenda for the next decade. ILP relies on robust data collection from a wide range of sources to create intelligence products that can influence decision makers, and ultimately, impact the criminal environment. Virtual public-private partnerships (VP3s) offer local law enforcement agencies an effective and efficient way to leverage a vast and resourceful private sector for the purpose of enhancing ILP. A VP3 can exponentially enhance data collection capacity, facilitate the utilization of the private sector as a force multiplier, and provide the means by which local policing agencies can begin to instill a culture of preparedness in the citizens they serve. This thesis includes case studies of three VP3s -- Citizen Observer, NYPD Shield, and the Nassau County Security/Police Information Network (SPIN). In addition, virtual communities and social capital are examined with an eye towards the potential impact on crime, homeland security, and ILP. The findings of this thesis form the framework for a VP3-enhanced model of intelligence-led policing." A 7-minute, 33-second video interview on this thesis is also available at the following link: [https://www.hsdl.org/?abstract&did=36618]
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Simeone, Matthew J., Jr.
2007-09
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United States Attorneys' Bulletin: Money Laundering, Volume 55 Number 5, September 2007
This edition of the United States Attorneys' Bulletin covers money laundering. The following articles are included: "Suspicious Activity Reports Disclosure and Protection"; "Money Laundering Trends"; "The Money Laundering Statutes (18 U.S.C. §§ 1956 and 1957)."; "One-Hour Money Laundering: Prosecuting Unlicensed Money Transmitting Businesses Using Section 1960"; "Bulk Cash Smuggling"; "Sources of Information in a Financial Investigation"; "Criminal Prosecution of Banks Under the Bank Secrecy Act."
Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys
Donovan, Jim
2007-09
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Shaping the Security Environment
"Newport Paper No. 29, Shaping the Security Environment […] is intended to explore the notion of shaping in its various aspects, both generally and in several regional contexts. The changing role of the regional COCOMs (formerly CINCs) over the last dozen years or so is the focus of a paper by General Anthony Zinni […]Papers by Commander Alan Lee Boyer, USN (Ret.), and Stephen A. Emerson examine maritime and regional security cooperation from the perspective of the U.S. European Command on the one hand and, on the other, the Combined Task Force--Horn of Africa, a joint organization headquartered in Djibouti that has played a critical role in recent years in strengthening the capabilities of countries throughout the region to improve their own security and counter terrorism. Two further chapters examine aspects of shaping from a global perspective. Ronald E. Ratcliffe provides a searching analysis of the 'thousand-ship navy' initiative proposed several years ago by outgoing Chief of Naval Operations Michael Mullen, including the difficulties the U.S. Navy has had in operationalizing this concept--and the difficulties some of our allies and partners continue to have in coming to terms with it. Ratcliffe makes a number of useful recommendations as to how the Navy can make headway in the area of maritime security cooperation in the coming years, which is likely to figure prominently in the new maritime strategy the Navy is currently developing. Finally, Dennis Lynn looks at 'strategic communication,' also a relatively new concept that is intended to bring greater coherence to the way the U.S. military thinks about the overall impact of its words and actions abroad and how it can better craft messages to shape the environment--friendly as well as adversarial-- in which it finds itself today."
Naval War College (U.S.)
2007-09
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Detect and Defeat - The Complexities of Accomplishing the HLS Mission with Existing Intelligence Collection Practices
From the thesis abstract: "Since the tragic events of 11 September 2001, it has been argued that accurate and well-vetted intelligence is critical to securing the Homeland; but over five years after the historic day, the realm of creating an "effective" domestic intelligence platform falls short of meeting desired milestones. The distinct threat of radicalism incubating within our smaller communities (townships, rural community) still exists and the lack of intelligence collection efforts at the local level may be fueling this threat. As a result of interviewing small townships and rural communities dispersed across the United States, it was discovered that though law enforcement resources of our smaller populations have been recognized as critical assets in the realms of Homeland Security (HLS), small townships and countryside communities still experience shortfalls in available resources and HLS related training. More times than none, these deficits revolve around domestic intelligence collection, processing, and dissemination. This research project will review the shortfalls plaguing the environment of intelligence collection and sharing. This project will also offer a cost effective strategy to mitigate the identified intelligence discrepancies and propose a solution to improve information sharing between Homeland Security stakeholders."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Robertson, Jeffrey T.
2007-09
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Assessment of U.S. Government Efforts to Combat Trafficking in Persons in Fiscal Year 2006
"Trafficking in persons (TIP) is a regrettably widespread form of modern-day slavery. The United States is among the nations leading the fight against this terrible crime. At the center of U.S. Government efforts is the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA), Pub. L. 106-386, signed into law on October 28, 2000. The TVPA enhanced three aspects of federal government activity to combat TIP: protection, prosecution, and prevention. The TVPA provided for a range of new protections and assistance for victims of trafficking in persons; it expanded the crimes and enhanced the penalties available to federal investigators and prosecutors pursuing traffickers; and it expanded the U.S. Government's international activities to prevent victims from being trafficked. The TVPA was reauthorized in 2003 (TVPRA 2003) and 2005 (TVPRA 2005), at which time Congress added responsibilities to the U.S. Government's anti-trafficking portfolio including refinements to the federal criminal law provisions; a new civil action that allows trafficking victims to sue their traffickers in federal district court; grant programs to assist state and local law enforcement efforts in combating TIP and to expand victim assistance programs to U.S. citizens or resident aliens subjected to trafficking; pilot programs to establish residential rehabilitative facilities for trafficking victims, including one program aimed at juveniles; and extraterritorial jurisdiction over trafficking offenses committed overseas by persons employed by or accompanying the federal government. This Assessment is the fifth to analyze the practical effect of U.S. Government activities to combat trafficking in persons."
United States. Department of Justice
2007-09
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Not in Our Own Backyard: Posse Comitatus and the Challenge of Government Reorganization
"Traditional and classic military threats to national security will endure, as will traditional criminal threats to domestic law and order. Those general areas are not the focus of this paper. The rapidly emerging and exceedingly capable new class of transnational threats that do not neatly fit into either of these categories are a new class of non-state threats that show all the ability to challenge the very literal security of the state as if they were an equivalent or greater opposing military force. This paper will describe the nature and character of this threat and posit in the modern context the Department of Defense is best suited to serve as lead federal agency to address this global threat, regardless of former geography-based definitions anchored to domestic and foreign, national and international, etc. As a nation, we must fight to preserve and protect the civil liberties that make the U.S. great, and do so in a way that does not cling to our memory of a comfortable past. New threats require new strategies, ironically firmly anchored to the most basic foundation set in place by the nation's Founding Fathers. […]. The entire government must move forward, depending on the strength of its genesis documents, and equally employing the benefits of globalization along side government reform and reorganization."
USAF Counterproliferation Center; Air University (U.S.)
Harvey, James P.
2007-09
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Latin America and the Caribbean: Issues for the 110th Congress [Updated August 31, 2007]
"Over the past two decades, the Latin America and Caribbean region has made enormous strides in terms of political and economic development. Twelve countries held successful elections for head of government in 2006, including a close election in Mexico. To date in 2007, the Bahamas held elections in May; elections are scheduled for Jamaica and Guatemala in September, Argentina in October, and are due to be called in Trinidad and Tobago by October. Although the region overall experienced an economic setback in 2002-2003, it has rebounded since 2004, most recently experiencing a growth rate over 5% in 2006. Despite this progress, several nations face considerable challenges that affect U.S. interests and policy in the region. These include persistent poverty, violent guerrilla conflicts, autocratic leaders, drug trafficking, increasing crime, and the rise of a new form of populism in several countries. In the 110th Congress, legislative and oversight attention to Latin America and the Caribbean has focused on continued counternarcotics efforts, especially in the Andean region; immigration reform (which stalled in June 2007) and increased border security, which have been key issues in relations with Mexico; efforts to deal with threats to democracy and the rise of populism in such nations as Venezuela, Bolivia, and Ecuador; debate over the best means to foster political change in Communist Cuba; trade issues, including the extension of Andean trade preferences and potential consideration of implementing legislation for free trade agreements (FTAs); and continued efforts to support stability and poverty alleviation in Haiti."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Sullivan, Mark P.; Cook, Colleen W.; Hornbeck, J. F. (John F.)
2007-08-31
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Central Asia: Regional Developments and Implications for U.S. Interests [Updated August 30, 2007]
"After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the United States recognized the independence of all the former Central Asian republics, supported their admission into Western organizations, and elicited Turkish support to counter 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. Soon 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 hosted coalition troops and provided access to airbases. In 2003, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan also endorsed coalition military action in Iraq, and Kazakhstan provided about two dozen troops for rebuilding. U.S. policy has emphasized bolstering the security of the Central Asian 'front-line' states to help them combat terrorism, proliferation, and arms trafficking. Other strategic U.S. objectives have included promoting free markets, democratization, human rights, and energy development. Such policies aim to help the states become what the Administration considers to be responsible members of the international community rather than to degenerate into xenophobic, extremist, and anti-Western regimes that threaten international peace and stability. The Administration's diverse goals in Central Asia have reflected the differing characteristics of these states. U.S. interests in Kazakhstan have included securing and eliminating Soviet-era nuclear and biological weapons materials and facilities. In Tajikistan, U.S. aid has focused on economic reconstruction. U.S. energy firms have invested in oil and natural gas development in Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Nichol, James P.
2007-08-30
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Pakistan-U.S. Relations [Updated August 24, 2007]
"A stable, democratic, economically thriving Pakistan is considered vital to U.S. interests. U.S. concerns regarding Pakistan include regional and global terrorism; Afghan stability; human rights protection and democratization; the ongoing Kashmir problem and Pakistan-India tensions; and economic development. A U.S.-Pakistan relationship marked by periods of both cooperation 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 counterterrorism efforts. Top U.S. officials regularly praise Pakistan for its ongoing cooperation, although doubts exist about Islamabad's commitment to some core U.S. interests. Pakistan is identified as a base for terrorist groups and their supporters operating in Kashmir, India, and Afghanistan. In 2003, Pakistan's army began conducting unprecedented counterterrorism operations in the country's western tribal areas. Islamabad later shifted to a strategy of negotiation with the region's pro-Taliban militants (combined with longer-term economic and infrastructure development in the region), a tack that elicited skepticism in Western capitals and that appears to have failed in its central purposes. Separatist violence in India's Muslim-majority Jammu and Kashmir state has continued unabated since 1989, with some notable relative decline in recent years. India blames Pakistan for the infiltration of Islamic militants into Indian Kashmir, a charge Islamabad denies. The United States and India have received pledges from Islamabad that all 'cross-border terrorism' would cease and that any terrorist facilities in Pakistani-controlled areas would be closed."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Kronstadt, K. Alan
2007-08-24
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U.S.-Vietnam Relations: Background and Issues for Congress [Updated August 22, 2007]
"After communist North Vietnam's victory over U.S.-backed South Vietnam in 1975, U.S.-Vietnam relations remained essentially frozen for over 15 years. Since then, bilateral ties have expanded remarkably, to the point where the relationship has been virtually normalized. Congress played a significant role in this process, and continues to influence the state of bilateral relations. Some argue that improvements in bilateral relations should be conditioned upon Vietnam's authoritarian government improving its record on human rights, particularly in the Central Highlands region. Voices favoring improved relations have included those reflecting U.S. business interests in Vietnam's reforming economy and U.S. strategic interests in expanding cooperation with a populous country-Vietnam has around 85 million people-that has an ambivalent relationship with China. In recent years, Vietnamese leaders have sought to upgrade relations with the United States, perhaps because of worries about China's expanding influence in Southeast Asia and the need for U.S. support for Vietnam's ultimately successful bid to enter the World Trade Organization (WTO). Many argue, however, that there is little evidence that Hanoi seeks to balance Beijing's rising power. Also, some Vietnamese remain suspicious that the United States' long-term goal is to end the Vietnamese communist party's monopoly on power through a 'peaceful evolution' strategy. Economic ties are perhaps the most mature aspect of the bilateral relationship. Since the United States extended conditional normal trade relations (NTR) to Vietnam in 2001, bilateral trade-primarily imports from Vietnam-has increased more than sixfold, to the point where the United States is now Vietnam's largest export market."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Manyin, Mark E.
2007-08-22
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U.S. Foreign Aid to East and South Asia: Selected Recipients [Updated August 22, 2007]
From the Summary: "This report analyzes annual budget justifications and legislation for foreign operations and discusses U.S. foreign aid trends, programs, and restrictions in 16 East Asian and South Asian countries. This report does not cover aid to Pacific Island nations, North Korea, and Afghanistan. Since the war on terrorism began in 2001 and the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) and Global HIV/AIDS Initiative (GHAI) were launched in 2004, the United States has increased foreign aid spending dramatically in some regions. The United States has raised military, economic, and development assistance primarily for counterterrorism objectives in the East Asia-Pacific (EAP) and South Asia regions, with Pakistan, India, the Philippines, and Indonesia receiving the bulk of the increases. Average annual funding for the EAP region (excluding North Korea) during 2002-2006 was $494 million compared to $368 million in 2001. Annual foreign aid spending for South Asia (excluding Afghanistan) during 2002-2006 averaged $953 million compared to $201 million in 2001. The new Strategic Framework for U.S. Foreign Assistance groups foreign aid objectives into five categories as part of the Bush Administration's overarching goal of 'transformational diplomacy': peace and security; governing justly and democratically; investing in people; economic growth; and humanitarian assistance. Counterterrorism efforts, democracy building, and the MCA are major, complimentary components of the Administration's foreign aid policy, which promotes good governance as a crucial condition for both development and global security. The United States has restricted foreign assistance to many countries in East and South Asia in order to encourage democracy."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Lum, Thomas G. (Thomas Gong), 1961-
2007-08-22
