Advanced search Help
Searching for terms: ALL ("human AND trafficking") in: full text and any metadata
Clear all search criteria
Only 2/3! You are seeing results from the Public Collection, not the complete Full Collection. Sign in to search everything (see eligibility).
-
Future of Democracy in Hong Kong, Hearing Before the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, One Hundred Thirteenth Congress, Second Session, November 20, 2014
This is the November 20, 2014 hearing "Future of Democracy in Hong Kong" held before the Congressional-Executive Commission on China. From the opening statement of Sherrod Brown: "The People's Republic of China made a promise to the international community and to the people of Hong Kong that they would enjoy certain freedoms and could freely elect their leaders. It is those freedoms and autonomy that have ensured Hong Kong's--in many ways--miraculous stability and prosperity. But now the People's Republic of China is backtracking on these promises, not only that, some in China are seeking to distract from this issue by claiming that the United States is behind these protests. No straight right-thinking person really believes that, although that continues to be put out in some quarters, apparently, of the Chinese Government. The desire of the people of Hong Kong for freedom and for democracy is genuine. By holding this hearing, we urge China to respect their calls for democracy and to make good on its promise." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Christopher Patten, Victoria Tin-bor Hui, Mark P. Lagon, and Richard C. Bush.
United States. Government Publishing Office
2015
-
China's Far West: Conditions in Xinjiang One Year After Demonstrations and Riots, Roundtable Before the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, One Hundred Eleventh Congress, Second Session, July 19, 2010
This is the July 19, 2010 roundtable "China's Far West: Conditions in Xinjiang One Year After Demonstrations and Riots" held before the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC). From the opening statement of Charlotte Oldham-Moore: "At this CECC roundtable panelists will examine conditions in the far western region of Xinjiang one year after demonstrations and rioting occurred there. Events in July 2009 exposed long-standing tensions in the region and Uyghurs' grievances toward government policies that threatened their basic rights. Authorities pledged, in 2010, to improve economic conditions in Xinjiang and appointed a new Party secretary for the region. The questions that will be examined at today's roundtable are: How will these new developments shape Xinjiang's future? Is the government effectively addressing Uyghur grievances? How have government controls over the free flow of information affected our understanding of events in the region?" Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Shirley A. Kan, Stanley W. Toops, and Sophie Richardson.
United States. Government Printing Office
2010
-
Southwest Border: CBP Needs to Increase Oversight of Funds, Medical Care, and Reporting of Deaths, Report to Congressional Requesters
From the Highlights: "Three children died in CBP [U.S. Customs and Border Protection] custody between December 2018 and May 2019, prompting questions about CBP's medical care for those in its custody. In July 2019, an emergency supplemental appropriations act was enacted, providing additional funds to CBP, including funds for consumables and medical care. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review CBP's medical efforts for individuals in its custody along the southwest border. This report examines (1) the extent to which CBP obligated and oversaw funds for consumables and medical care, (2) steps CBP took to enhance medical care, (3) the extent to which CBP implemented and oversaw its medical care efforts, and (4) the extent to which CBP has reliable information on, and reported, deaths, serious injuries, and suicide attempts of individuals in custody."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-07
-
Targeting Federal Funds: Information on Funding to Areas with Persistent or High Poverty, Report to Congressional Addressees
From the GAO [Government Accountability Office] Highlights: "The '10-20-30 formula' has been applied to appropriations for some federal programs since 2009. It requires that agencies use at least 10 percent of designated program funds in counties that have had poverty rates of at least 20 percent over the last 30 years (also known as 'persistent-poverty counties'). Legislation proposed in 2019 (H.R. 2055) would apply the formula to more programs for funds appropriated over the next 10 years. It also would require these programs to increase funding in 'high-poverty areas'-- census tracts with a poverty rate of at least 20 percent over the last 5 years. GAO identified 247 programs across 14 agencies that may fall within the scope of this bill. GAO was asked to review federal funding allocated to persistent-poverty counties and high-poverty areas. This report examines (1) characteristics of areas with persistent or high poverty, and (2) the percentage of funds that programs included in H.R. 2055 used in persistent-poverty counties and high-poverty areas in fiscal years 2017-2019."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2020-07
-
Gagging the Lawyers: China's Crackdown on Human Rights Lawyers and Implications for U.S.-China Relations, Hearing Before the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, One Hundred Fifteenth Congress, First Session, June 28, 2017
This is the June 28, 2017 hearing titled "Gagging the Lawyers: China's Crackdown on Human Rights Lawyers and Implications for U.S.-China Relations," held before the Congressional-Executive Commission on China. From the opening statement of Christopher Smith: "Chinese officials repeatedly tell me that I should focus more on the positive aspects of China and not dwell so much on the negative. I have heard it from diplomats, I have heard it from people when I have traveled in China Beijing as well as in Shanghai. That is an extremely difficult task when you read the horrifying and sadistic accounts of torture and enforced disappearances experienced by lawyers and rights advocates. It is hard to be positive when you contemplate Liu Xiaobo's cancer diagnosis and the fact that China effectively silenced its most brilliant democracy advocate." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Terence Halliday, Biao Teng, Chongyu Xia, and Xiaorong Li.
United States. Government Publishing Office
2018
-
Religion with 'Chinese Characteristics': Persecution and Control in Xi Jinping's China, Hearing Before the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, One Hundred Fourteenth Congress, First Session, July 23, 2015
This is the July 23, 2015 hearing "Religion with 'Chinese Characteristics': Persecution and Control in Xi Jinping's China" held before the Congressional-Executive Commission on China. From the opening statement of Christopher Smith: "The freedom of religion is the most fundamental and the most elemental of all human rights. It is clearly the first freedom from which all the others flow. It allows each citizen the precious right to follow their conscience peacefully and without fear. It protects the critical part of who we are as human beings to seek, to speak, and to act out our fundamental beliefs. When this freedom is protected, the very well-being of society is enhanced. No government should deny or suppress this essential claim to conscience. The reality is, and the tragic reality is, governments and terrorist groups do restrict the freedom of religion, sometimes in the most brutal and public ways. The freedom of religion today, as it has been for a number of years, is under siege in many places in the world, including and especially in China, which is of course the subject of today's hearing." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Anastasia Lin, Bob Fu, Rebiya Kadeer, and Losang Gyatso.
United States. Government Publishing Office
2016
-
Rising Stakes of Refugee Issues in China, Roundtable Before the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, One Hundred Eleventh Congress, First Session, May 1, 2009
This is the May 1, 2009 roundtable "Rising Stakes of Refugee Issues in China" held before the Congressional-Executive Commission on China. From the opening statement of Toy Reid: "The focus of today's roundtable is an important one, not only because the issue of refugees is so often overlooked in conversations about China's growing role in the international system, but also because it provides a useful test case. What, if anything, does China's record with regard to fulfilling its obligations to refugees tell us about its general willingness to comply with international laws and norms? China has reaped substantial benefits from its integration into the international system and its power and influence within the system continue to rise. But questions remain regarding the strength and depth of China's commitment to key aspects of the international system and whether it will seek to reshape the system in ways that might modify or dilute longstanding norms and practices. For these and other reasons, the Commission is drawn to consider the question of whether China has made progress toward fulfilling its obligations to refugees under international law." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Joel Charny, Suzanne Scholte, Mary Beth Markey, and Sean R. Roberts.
United States. Government Printing Office
2009
-
Future of Defense Task Force Report 2020
From the Executive Summary: "To remain economically and militarily competitive, and to ensure American leadership into the next century, policy makers and the Pentagon must navigate a major course correction in how we invest in national security. This will require a paradigm shift in our defense posture from heavy, expensive, and antiquated, to lean, adaptive, and integrated. This strategy will require a whole-of-nation approach, one that embraces emerging technologies, aggressively divests of aging and expensive platforms, and more effectively harnesses ingenuity and innovation from the private sector. The Future of Defense Task Force was established to investigate and assess how to address these challenges. Our findings and recommendations are intended as a roadmap for the greater national security community, and whereas our report should be considered a white paper, it builds upon the extensive work of the House Armed Services Committee, Department of Defense, military services, private industry, think tanks, and academia. This report is neither exhaustive nor conclusive; rather, it is the beginning of a difficult yet necessary conversation. Congress and the American people must recognize that we face a decisive moment as a nation and as the world's leading democracy, both of which are in peril until we alter the future of our defense to ensure the future of our peace."
United States. Congress. House. Committee on Armed Services
2020-09-23
-
Destroying Sacred Sites and Erasing Tribal Culture: The Trump Administration's Construction of the Border Wall, Oversight Hearing Before the Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States of the Committee on Natural Resources, U.S. House of Representatives, One Hundred Sixteenth Congress, Second Session, February 26, 2020
This is the February 26, 2020 hearing on "Destroying Sacred Sites and Erasing Tribal Culture: The Trump Administration's Construction of the Border Wall," held before the U.S. House Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States of the Committee on Natural Resources. From the opening statement of Ruben Gallego: "As we will learn today, this Administration has blasted and bulldozed multiple sites, including burial grounds, along the southern border that are sacred to the religion and culture of the Tohono O'odham Nation without any kind of meaningful tribal consultation, and often without advanced notice." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Scott Cameron, Steve Hodapp, Sarah Krakoff, Ned Norris, Jr., Shannon Keller O'Loughlin, and Anna Maria Ortiz.
United States. Government Publishing Office
2020
-
Update on American Diplomacy to Advance Our National Security Strategy, Hearing Before the Committee on Foreign Relations, United States Senate, One Hundred Fifteenth Congress, Second Session, July 25, 2018
This is the July 25, 2018 hearing on "Update on American Diplomacy to Advance Our National Security Strategy," held before the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. From the Opening Statement of Bob Corker: "You come before a group of Senators today who are filled with serious doubts about this White House and its conduct of American foreign policy. There are a number of reasons to be concerned. Among them is the lack of information the administration has provided to members of this committee. It is our hope that you will reduce our level of concern by providing us with clear answers that might help convince us that those at the White House know what they are doing and that, to be candid, you know what they are doing." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Mike Pompeo.
United States. Government Publishing Office
2020
-
Immigration Raids: Impacts and Aftermath on Mississippi Communities, Field Hearing Before the Committee on Homeland Security, House of Representatives, One Hundred Sixteenth Congress, First Session, November 7, 2019
This is the November 7, 2019 field hearing "Immigration Raids: Impacts and Aftermath on Mississippi Communities" held before the House Committee on Homeland Security. From the opening statement of Bennie G. Thompson: The committee is meeting today to receive testimony on immigration raids' impacts and aftermath in Mississippi communities." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Cliff Johnson, Odel Medina, Constance Slaughter-Harvey, Lorena Quiroz-Lewis, Jere T. Miles, Mike Lee, and William Truly, Jr.
United States. Government Publishing Office
2020
-
Refugees and Asylum Seekers Can Help US Rebuild After COVID-19
From the Document: "When we think of refugees and asylum seekers, we often think of destitute individuals who are fleeing war or other crises. We also tend to think of these individuals as only needing help, not the extent that they can help us. But those fleeing war, persecution, and other crises have long been an important part of American society and have greatly contributed to our economic growth. They can be an important part of our economy and society as we move forward from the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] crisis."
Utah State University. Center for Growth and Opportunity
Peters, Margaret E., 1980-
2020-06
-
Potential Standards and Methods for the National Guard's Homeland Response Force
From the thesis abstract: "In 2009, the Office of the Secretary of Defense directed the creation of 10 National Guard Homeland Response Force (HRF) units to provide regional chemical biological radiological nuclear and explosive (CBRNE) and disaster response in each of the 10 FEMA [Federal Emergency Management Agency] regions beginning in September 2011. The HRF was selected to fill a regional CBRNE capability gap. The HRF concept is a 566-person National Guard unit tasked to provide command, CBRNE assessment, decontamination, casualty care, logistics, security, and rescue in support of civilian officials during a regional-level CBRNE event or disaster. With domestic response mission and overseas deployment requirements, the HRF faces the difficult challenge of meeting both civilian response and military battlefield standards. Although some DoD [Department of Defense] organizations have had similar domestic response missions, no precedent for the HRF exists. The HRF reflects an evolution of military units with CBRNE and disaster related missions beginning in the 1990s. Government and private criticisms of these previous DoD CBRNE include wasted tax dollars, poor training strategies, and poor links to National Planning Scenarios. This thesis provides lessons learned from case studies of previous U.S. and Israeli CBRNE and disaster response organizations while recommending standards that the new HRF can use for improved implementation."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Van Alstyne, Christian M.
2011-09
-
Regaining U.S. Global Leadership on Anticorruption
From the Introduction: "U.S. policymakers used to view international corruption largely as an issue relating to economic development. However, in recent years, they have come to recognize that it in fact affects a much wider set of U.S. interests. The United States' main geopolitical competitors are deploying corruption as a hybrid weapon: China seeks to win influence in Africa and other parts of the world dealing with weak governance, and Russia aims to undermine its neighbors' sovereignty. Globally, corruption-riddled governance drives migration and drug trafficking, while hindering the ability of border officials to enforce the law. Violent extremists exploit grievances around corruption to fuel recruitment and enable operations, while counterterrorism units are undermined by self-dealing. Corruption also slows progress on climate change: regulations can be bypassed through bribery, and massive energy projects are vulnerable to leakage."
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Bellows, Abigail
2020-07
-
Unique Needs and Challenges of Border Law Enforcement 'and Promising Practices for Establishing a Criminal Interdiction Unit'
From the Document: "The U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) and the National Sheriffs' Association (NSA) hosted a series of roundtable and focus groups, supplemented by a needs assessment, to determine the needs, promising practices, and challenges of sheriffs' offices along the northern and southern borders of the United States. This report summarizes the findings of those discussions. Border sheriffs' primary needs are for personnel; updated equipment and infrastructure, particularly along the northern border; and support in information sharing and communication across all levels of government. The report also focuses on a widely shared promising practice--the establishment of dedicated interdiction units. A COPS Office / NSA training on rural interdiction is summarized, along with lessons learned from an interdiction unit in North Texas."
United States. Department of Justice. Office of Community Oriented Policing Services
Barksdale, Kristi; Yount, Tully
2020
-
Trump on China: Putting America First: A Collection of Speeches Laying Out the Most Significant United States Foreign Policy Shift in a Generation
From the Introduction: "President Trump made plain in his May speech, 'The United States wants an open and constructive relationship with China, but achieving that relationship requires us to vigorously defend our national interests.' This book explains what President Trump means by his call for a vigorous defense of our national interests vis a vis China. [...] Taken together, the speeches herein are similar to U.S. diplomat George Kennan's 1946 'Long Telegram' to the State Department that outlined his views on the Soviet Union. This book is different from the 'Long Telegram' in two important respects. First, unlike Kennan's case, written by an envoy at post, this book contains the words and policies of the President and his most senior officials. Second, given China's population size, economic prowess, and historic global ambitions, the People's Republic of China is a more capable competitor than the Soviet Union at its height."
United States. White House Office
2020-10-09
-
Securing the Northern Maritime Border through Maritime Domain Awareness
From the thesis abstract: "Since September 11, 2001, both the United States and the Canadian governments have established plans and initiatives to improve maritime domain awareness (MDA) in their nations' ports and maritime approaches. Agencies entrusted with maritime homeland security for the United States are challenged to push detection, identification, and surveillance of maritime threats away from the U.S. shoreline. In the Great Lakes region, the proximity of the U.S.--Canada border complicates these efforts. A system-wide approach to homeland security on the Great Lakes is needed. Creation of a formal U.S.--Canada joint organizational entity with full-time representation from each federal agency, state, and province adjoining the Great Lakes would establish a binational MDA common operating picture while facilitating a timely, effective flow of information, intelligence, and resources. This research project describes the unique maritime homeland security issues confronting the Great Lakes, discusses requirements to achieve complete MDA and establish a common operating picture (COP), and reviews several models currently utilized for binational and port-centric collaboration. Finally, it recommends combining the port-centric concept of interagency operations centers required by the SAFE [Security and Accountability For Every] Port Act of 2006 with binational collaboration into a system-wide approach for a Great Lakes Maritime Operations Center."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Westling, Jeffrey C.
2010-09
-
Oversight of ICE Detention Facilities: Is DHS Doing Enough? Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Oversight, Management, and Accountability of the Committee on Homeland Security, House of Representatives, One Hundred Sixteenth Congress, First Session, September 26, 2019
This is the September 26, 2019 hearing "Oversight of ICE [U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement] Detention Facilities: Is DHS Doing Enough?" held before the Subcommittee on Oversight, Management, and Accountability of the House Committee on Homeland Security. From the opening statement of Xochitl Torres Small: "We are here to discuss the Oversight of Immigration and Customs Enforcement's detention facilities and whether DHS is doing enough to ensure that ICE's own detention standards are being met." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Jenni Nakamoto, Katherine Hawkins, Diana R. Shaw, and Tae Johnson.
United States. Government Publishing Office
2020
-
HERO Pilot (Fiscal Year 2018 Report to Congress)
From the Executive Summary: "The Human Exploitation Rescue Operative (HERO) Child Rescue Corps recruits and trains wounded, ill, or injured active-duty service members; transitioning active-duty service members; and military veterans to support law enforcement in the areas of child-exploitation investigations, child-victim identification, traveling child-sex-offender investigations, and computer forensics. The yearlong unpaid internship is managed by ICE Homeland Security Investigations' (HSI) Cyber Crimes Center (C3), the National Organization to Protect Children, and the U.S. Department of Defense's Special Operations Command. The HERO Child Rescue Corps honors the Nation's commitment to its veterans, and enables those veterans to contribute to HSI's mission. The primary goal of the HERO Program is to recruit, train, and hire veterans, and to retain them as General Schedule (GS)-1801 Computer Forensic Analysts (CFA). [...] The FY 2018 DHS Appropriations Act (P.L. 115-141) designated $2 million to train and hire 10 CFAs. In FY 2018, HSI's C3 Computer Forensics Unit hired 25 CFAs who had been trained in last year's HERO Program. An additional 17 HEROs completed their classroom training and are currently in the field training portion of their internships. They will complete the training program and be eligible for employment in March 2019."
United States. Department of Homeland Security
2018-10-23
-
MMWR: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, November 27, 2020
The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Series is prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). [It] is the agency's primary vehicle for scientific publication of timely, reliable, authoritative, accurate, objective, and useful public health information and recommendations. This issue of MMWR contains the following: "Sexual Violence in the Media: An Exploration of Traditional Print Media Reporting in the United States, 2014-2017"; "Decline in SARS-CoV-2 [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2] Antibodies After Mild Infection Among Frontline Health Care Personnel in a Multistate Hospital Network -- 12 States, April-August 2020"; "Implementation of Hospital Practices Supportive of Breastfeeding in the Context of COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] -- United States, July 15-August 20, 2020"; "COVID-19 Outbreak Associated with a 10-Day Motorcycle Rally in a Neighboring State -- Minnesota, August-September 2020"; "Trends in County-Level COVID-19 Incidence in Counties With and Without a Mask Mandate -- Kansas, June 1-August 23, 2020"; "The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices' Ethical Principles for Allocating Initial Supplies of COVID-19 Vaccine -- United States, 2020"; "Timing of Introduction of Complementary Foods -- United States, 2016-2018"; "Prevalence and Trends in Cigarette Smoking Among Adults with Epilepsy -- United States, 2010-2017"; and "'QuickStats': Percentage of Adults Aged ≥20 Years Who Had Chronic Pain, by Veteran Status and Age Group -- National Health Interview Survey, United States, 2019." Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables from this issue can be accessed at the following link: [http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/index2020.html].
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.)
2020-11-27
-
Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses [January 19, 2011]
This Congressional Research Service (CRS) report discusses U.S. concerns and policy responses to Iran. "The Obama Administration views Iran as a major threat to U.S. national security interests, a perception generated not only by Iran's nuclear program but also by its military assistance to armed groups in Iraq and Afghanistan, to the Palestinian group Hamas, and to Lebanese Hezbollah. Particularly in its first year, the Obama Administration altered the previous U.S. approach by offering Iran's leaders consistent and sustained engagement with the potential for closer integration with and acceptance by the West. To try to convince Iranian leaders of peaceful U.S. intent and respect for Iran's history and stature in the region, the Obama Administration downplayed discussion of potential U.S. military action against Iranian nuclear facilities and repeatedly insisted that it did not seek to change Iran's regime. It held to this position even at the height of the protests by the domestic opposition 'Green movement' that took place for the six months following Iran's June 12, 2009, presidential election but largely ceased in 2010. [...] Congressional resolutions and legislation since mid-2009 show growing congressional support for steps to enhance the opposition's prospects, or, at the very least, to sharply increase international criticism of Iran's human rights practices. Some observers believe that initiatives in the 112th Congress are likely to focus on providing additional help to those in Iran who want to change the regime. However, Obama Administration officials say they believe that the opposition's prospects are enhanced by a muting of U.S. public support for the opposition."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth
2011-01-19
-
Belarus: Background and U.S. Policy Concerns [February 1, 2011]
"Congress has responded to the situation in Belarus with legislation. The Belarus Democracy Act (P.L. 108-347) authorized aid for pro-democracy forces in Belarus and funding for increased U.S.-sponsored broadcasting to Belarus. The bill supported sanctions on Belarus and top leaders of the Lukashenko regime until Belarus met specific democratic and human rights criteria. The bill also required the President to report to Congress on the sale by Belarus of weapons or weapons-related assistance to regimes supporting terrorism, and on the personal wealth of Lukashenko and other senior Belarusian leaders. The 109th Congress passed several resolutions criticizing human rights abuses and calling on Belarus to hold free and fair elections. In January 2007, President Bush signed the Belarus Democracy Reauthorization Act (P.L. 109-480), which reauthorized and updated the provisions of the original Belarus Democracy Act. On January 26, 2011, Representative Chris Smith introduced H.R. 515, which would reauthorize the Belarus Democracy Act."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Woehrel, Steven J.
2011-02-01
-
Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses [March 4, 2011]
"The Obama Administration views Iran as a major threat to U.S. national security interests, a perception generated not only by Iran's nuclear program but also by its military assistance to armed groups in Iraq and Afghanistan, to the Palestinian group Hamas, and to Lebanese Hezbollah. Particularly in its first year, the Obama Administration altered the previous U.S. approach by offering Iran's leaders consistent and sustained engagement with the potential for closer integration with and acceptance by the West. To try to convince Iranian leaders of peaceful U.S. intent and respect for Iran's history and stature in the region, the Obama Administration downplayed any discussion of potential U.S. military action against Iranian nuclear facilities or efforts to try to change Iran's regime. The Administration held to this position even at the height of the protests by the domestic opposition 'Green movement' that took place for the six months following Iran's June 12, 2009, presidential election but largely ceased in 2010. However, as of February 2011, the Administration may be shifting to increased support of the Green movement. No nuclear agreement appears within reach with Iran, the Green movement has reactivated in the wake of the February 2011 ousting of Egyptian President Mubarak by a youth-led democracy movement similar to the Green movement, and many in the 112th Congress believe the United States should support virtually all popular democracy movements in the Middle East, including in Iran."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth
2011-03-04
-
Kyrgyzstan: Recent Developments and U.S. Interests [May 11, 2011]
"Kyrgyzstan is a small and poor Central Asian country that gained independence in 1991 with the breakup of the Soviet Union. The United States has been interested in helping Kyrgyzstan to enhance its sovereignty and territorial integrity, increase democratic participation and civil society, bolster economic reform and development, strengthen human rights, prevent weapons proliferation, and more effectively combat transnational terrorism and trafficking in persons and narcotics. The United States has pursued these interests throughout Central Asia, with special strategic attention to oil-rich Kazakhstan and somewhat less to Kyrgyzstan. The significance of Kyrgyzstan to the United States increased after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States. Kyrgyzstan offered to host U.S. forces at an airbase at the Manas international airport outside of the capital, Bishkek, and it opened in December 2001. The U.S. military repaired and later upgraded the air field for aerial refueling, airlift and airdrop, medical evacuation, and support for U.S. and coalition personnel and cargo transiting in and out of Afghanistan. The Kyrgyz government threatened to close down the airbase in early 2009, but renewed the lease on the airbase (renamed the Manas Transit Center) in June 2009 after the United States agreed to higher lease and other payments. Current President Roza Otunbayeva has declared that the interim government will support the continued presence of the transit center, although some changes to the lease may be sought in the future, in recognition that ongoing instability in Afghanistan jeopardizes Kyrgyzstan and wider regional security. In 2011, the Manas Transit Center hosted about 850 U.S. troops and 750 contractors and a fleet of KC-135 refueling tankers."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Nichol, James P.
2011-05-11
-
Iraq: Politics, Governance, and Human Rights [April 1, 2011]
"Iraq's political system is increasingly characterized by peaceful competition and formation of cross-sectarian alliances, although ethnic and sectarian infighting continues, sometimes involving the questionable use of key levers of power and legal institutions. This infighting--and the belief that holding political power may mean the difference between life and death for the various political communities--significantly delayed agreement on a new government that was to be selected following the March 7, 2010, national elections for the Council of Representatives (COR, parliament). With U.S. diplomatic intervention, on November 10, 2010, major ethnic and sectarian factions agreed on a framework for a new government, breaking the long deadlock. Their agreement, under which Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki serves a second term, was implemented in the formation of a broad-based cabinet on December 21, 2010. The participation of all major factions in the new government was considered stabilizing politically and created some political momentum to act on key outstanding legislation crucial to attracting foreign investment, such as national hydrocarbon laws. The new government took action on some long-stalled initiatives, including year-long tensions over Kurdish exports of oil. However, the lack of a broader and sustained focus on governance, or on improving key services, such as electricity, created popular frustration that manifested as protests since February 2011. The protests were possibly inspired by the wave of unrest that has broken out in many other Middle Eastern countries but were not centered on overthrowing the regime or wholesale political change. Some force was used to suppress them, but the major effect was to renew tensions among and within major factions rather than to inspire new attempts to improve government performance."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth
2011-04-01
-
Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses [April 18, 2011]
"The Obama Administration views Iran as a major threat to U.S. national security interests, a perception generated not only by Iran's nuclear program but also by its materiel assistance to armed groups in Iraq and Afghanistan, to the Palestinian group Hamas, and to Lebanese Hezbollah. Throughout its first year, the Obama Administration altered the previous U.S. approach by offering Iran's leaders consistent and sustained engagement with the potential for closer integration with and acceptance by the West. To try to convince Iranian leaders of peaceful U.S. intent and respect for Iran's history and stature in the region, the Obama Administration downplayed any discussion of potential U.S. military action against Iranian nuclear facilities or efforts to try to change Iran's regime. The Administration held to this position even at the height of the protests by the domestic opposition 'Green movement' that took place for the six months following Iran's June 12, 2009, presidential election but largely ceased in 2010. Without obtaining agreement from Iran to implement a compromise outlined on October 1, 2009, during 2010 the Administration worked to expand international economic sanctions against Iran. Major sanctions were imposed on Iran by U.N. Security Council (Resolution 1929), as well as related 'national measures' by the European Union, Japan, South Korea, and other countries. Additional measures designed to compel foreign firms to exit the Iranian market were contained in U.S. legislation passed in June 2010 (the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act, P.L. 111-195). Still, the Administration and its partners assert that these sanctions were intended to support diplomacy with Iran to limit its nuclear program. Iran attended December 6-7, 2010, talks in Geneva with the six powers negotiating with Iran, but no substantive progress was reported."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth
2011-04-18
-
Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses [June 9, 2011]
"The Obama Administration views Iran as a major threat to U.S. national security interests, a perception generated not only by Iran's nuclear program but also by its materiel assistance to armed groups in Iraq and Afghanistan, to the Palestinian group Hamas, and to Lebanese Hezbollah. Throughout its first year, the Obama Administration offered Iran's leaders consistent and sustained engagement with the potential for closer integration with and acceptance by the West. To try to convince Iranian leaders of peaceful U.S. intent, the Obama Administration downplayed any discussion of potential U.S. military action against Iranian nuclear facilities or efforts to try to change Iran's regime. […] Others in and outside the 112th Congress believe that the U.S. focus should remain on pressing Iran economically and diplomatically. Sanctions, by some accounts, have slowed Iran's nuclear program directly and may be contributing to a widening schism between Iran's Supreme Leader and its President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad but have not evidently caused Iran to fundamentally rethink its nuclear negotiating position. The apparent slowing of Iran's nuclear program has, at least temporarily, quieted discussion in Israeli and U.S. expert circles about using military action to set Iran's nuclear program back. The Administration has stepped up arms sales to regional states that share the U.S. suspicions of Iran's intentions."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth
2011-06-09
-
Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses [February 14, 2011]
"The Obama Administration views Iran as a major threat to U.S. national security interests, a perception generated not only by Iran's nuclear program but also by its military assistance to armed groups in Iraq and Afghanistan, to the Palestinian group Hamas, and to Lebanese Hezbollah. Particularly in its first year, the Obama Administration altered the previous U.S. approach by offering Iran's leaders consistent and sustained engagement with the potential for closer integration with and acceptance by the West. To try to convince Iranian leaders of peaceful U.S. intent and respect for Iran's history and stature in the region, the Obama Administration downplayed any discussion of potential U.S. military action against Iranian nuclear facilities or efforts to try to change Iran's regime. It held to this position even at the height of the protests by the domestic opposition 'Green movement' that took place for the six months following Iran's June 12, 2009, presidential election but largely ceased in 2010."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth
2011-02-14
-
Economics and National Security: Issues and Implications for U.S. Policy [January 4, 2011]
"As the world begins the second decade of the twenty-first century, the United States holds what should be a winning hand of a preeminent military, large economy, strong alliances, and democratic values. The nation's security should be secure. Yet the debate over national security seems to be both intensifying and broadening. The problem appears not only in the difficulty of finding a winning strategy in the long war against acts of terrorism but having to face economic constraints that loom large in the public debate. In addition, the global financial crisis and recession have highlighted the trade-off between spending to protect against external threats and spending to provide jobs and income for citizens at home. The United States has long been accustomed to pursuing a 'rich man's' approach to national security. The country could field an overwhelming fighting force and combine it with economic power and leadership in global affairs to bring to bear far greater resources than any other country against any threat to the nation's security. The economy has always been there both to provide the funds and materiel for defense and to provide economic security for most households. Policies for economic growth and issues such as unemployment have been viewed as domestic problems largely separate from considerations of national security."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Nanto, Dick Kazuyuki
2011-01-04
-
Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses [December 22, 2010]
"The Obama Administration views Iran as a major threat to U.S. national security interests, a perception generated not only by Iran's nuclear program but also by its military assistance to armed groups in Iraq and Afghanistan, to the Palestinian group Hamas, and to Lebanese Hezbollah. Particularly in its first year, the Obama Administration altered the previous U.S. approach by offering Iran's leaders consistent and sustained engagement with the potential for closer integration with and acceptance by the West. To try to convince Iranian leaders of peaceful U.S. intent and respect for Iran's history and stature in the region, the Obama Administration downplayed discussion of potential U.S. military action against Iranian nuclear facilities and repeatedly insisted that it did not seek to change Iran's regime. It held to this position even at the height of the protests by the domestic opposition 'Green movement' that emerged following Iran's June 12, 2009, presidential election. [...] There is broad agreement that the U.S., U.N. [United Nations], and other sanctions enacted since mid-2010 are pressing Iran economically. However, because the sanctions have not and might not cause Iran to fundamentally alter its commitment to its nuclear program, some are pressing the Administration not to de-emphasize military action as a means of setting Iran's nuclear program back. The Administration has stepped up arms sales and engagement with regional states that might be helpful to contain Iranian power, were Iran's nuclear program to advance dramatically. Some believe that only a victory by the domestic opposition in Iran, which in late 2009 appeared to pose a potentially serious challenge to the regime's grip on power, can permanently reduce the multiplicity of threats posed by Iran's regime. Congressional resolutions and legislation since mid-2009 show growing congressional support for steps to enhance the opposition's prospects, or, at the very least, to sharply increase international criticism of Iran's human rights practices. However, Obama Administration officials say they believe that the opposition's prospects are enhanced by a muting of U.S. public support for the opposition."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth
2010-12-22
