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Agreement Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Republic of Poland on Cooperation on Border Security and Immigration
This document contains an agreement between the government of the United States of America and the government of the Republic of Poland on cooperation on border security and Immigration.
United States. Department of State
2019-08-16
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Selected Homeland Security Issues in the 116th Congress [Updated August 14, 2019]
From the Document: "Initially, homeland security was largely seen as counterterrorism activities. Today, homeland security is a broad and complex network of interrelated issues, in policymaking terms. For example, in its executive summary, the Quadrennial Homeland Security Review issued in 2014 delineated the missions of the homeland security enterprise as follows: prevent terrorism and enhance security; secure and manage the borders; enforce and administer immigration laws; safeguard and secure cyberspace; and strengthen national preparedness and resilience."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Painter, William L.
2019-08-14
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Low-Flying Aircraft Detection Along the Northern Border (Fiscal Year 2018 Report to Congress)
From the Document: "The report was compiled pursuant to the language set forth in the Joint Explanatory Statement, which accompanies the Fiscal Year 2018 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Appropriations Act (P.L. 115-141). The report describes DHS's persistent wide-area domain awareness capabilities and highlights CBP's [U.S. Customs and Border Protection] investments that optimize air surveillance system performance to meet our homeland security mission needs better. The report outlines DHS's near-term plan to establish a Northern Border Test Bed to employ and test capabilities that address low-flying aircraft along the Northern Border. The report also outlines DHS's and CBP's planned way forward to leverage new, more affordable air surveillance technologies. In conjunction with the Spectrum Efficient National Surveillance Radar program's assessment of candidate technical solutions, some of the technical solutions will be analyzed at the Northern Border Test Bed. The Test Bed should result in the identification of technologies that provide a significantly improved domestic air surveillance network that would allow DHS, for the first time ever, to be aware of small, low-altitude aircraft, including drones, as well as larger, higher flying noncooperative aircraft across the Northern and Southern Border regions persistently. This surveillance will enhance DHS's overall border security posture significantly."
United States. Department of Homeland Security
2019-08-09
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Future Years Homeland Security Program (FYHSP): Fiscal Years 2020-2024 Executive Summary (Fiscal Year 2019 Report to Congress)
From the Executive Summary: "This report incorporates the current Administration's priorities to improve DHS's capacity to enforce border security laws, as well as the ability to execute the other statutory and legislative requirements of the Department through its many operational and support Components. An overview of the Department's organizational and strategic structure is provided, including the operational and support offices, the programs that constitute each Component, and time-phased resource requirements aligned to the Department's Component structure and strategy."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Office of the Chief Financial Officer
2019-08-06
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Land Ports of Entry: CBP Should Update Policies and Enhance Analysis of Inspections, Report to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, U.S. Senate
From the Highlights: "CBP [U.S. Customs and Border Protection], within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), is the lead federal agency charged with a dual mission of facilitating the flow of legitimate travel and trade at the nation's borders while keeping terrorists and their weapons, criminals and their contraband, and inadmissible aliens out of the country. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review CBP's process for inspecting passenger vehicles, pedestrians, and commercial vehicles at land POEs [ports of entry] to secure the border. This report examines to what extent CBP (1) has processes and policies for inspections, (2) monitors inspection activities, and (3) has measures to assess its efforts to detect illegal activity of passengers, pedestrians, and commercial vehicles at land POEs. To address these questions, GAO analyzed CBP documents and data related to inbound inspections; interviewed officials; and observed operations at a non-generalizable sample of seven land POEs, selected to reflect a range of traffic volumes and geographic locations, among other things. This is a public version of a sensitive report that GAO issued in June 2019. Information that DHS deemed sensitive has been omitted."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2019-08
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Illicit Drug Flows and Seizures in the United States: In Focus [August 1, 2019]
From the Document: "Policy discussions around issues such as border security, drug trafficking, and the opioid epidemic include questions about illicit drug flows into the United States. While there are numerous data points involved in understanding the trafficking of illicit drugs into the country, these data are often estimated, incomplete, imperfect, or lack nuance."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Finklea, Kristin M.
2019-08-01
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Intellectual Property Rights, Fiscal Year 2018 Seizure Statistics
From the Executive Summary: "Products that infringe U.S. trademarks and copyrights are subject to exclusion orders issued by the United States International Trade Commission threaten the health and safety of American consumers and pose risks to our national interests. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations' (HSI) enforcement of intellectual property rights (IPR) mitigates the financial and welfare risks posed by imports of illicit products. [...] In fiscal year (FY) 2018, the number of IPR seizures decreased by 333 seizures to 33,810 from 34,143 in FY 2017. The total estimated manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) of the seized goods, had they been genuine, increased to nearly $1.4 billion from over $1.2 billion in FY 2017. In FY 2018, ICE-HSI arrested 381 individuals, obtained 296 indictments, and received 260 convictions related to intellectual property crimes."
U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Office of Trade
2019-08?
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Homeland Security Implications of the Opioid Crisis, Joint Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Intelligence and Counterterrorism and the Subcommittee on Border Security, Facilitation, and Operations, House of Representatives, One Hundred Sixteenth Congress, First Session, July 25, 2019
This is the July 25, 2019 hearing titled "Homeland Security Implications of the Opioid Crisis" before the House Subcommittee on Intelligence and Counterterrorism and the Subcommittee on Border Security, Facilitation, and Operations. From the opening statement of Max Rose: "[In] New York City, the Centers for Disease Control indicates that in a 12-year span, from 2000 to 2012, fentanyl was identified in 2 percent of all drug overdose deaths. Sadly, by 2016, that number had risen to 44 percent. What is critical, as we look at this on a high level, is we have to make sure that we are not just fighting the last war. So much of our focus here in Congress when it comes to the opioid epidemic is on prescription pills. That focus is justified, but as we see more and more fentanyl in our streets and it being harder and harder to get pills, more people will be moving to fentanyl-laced products." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Sondra Mc Cauley, Bridget G. Brennan, Bryce Pardo, and James Edward Hinson.
United States. Government Publishing Office
2019-07-25
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Iran's Foreign and Defense Policies [Updated July 23, 2019]
From the Introduction: "Successive Administrations have identified Iran as a key national security challenge. The Trump Administration assessed the threat posed by Iran in a September 2018 State Department report entitled 'Outlaw Regime: A Chronicle of Iran's Destructive Activities,' which outlined Iran's a litany of Iranian actions that the Administration terms 'the Iranian regime's destructive behavior at home and abroad.' The U.S. intelligence community testified in January 2019 that 'Iran's regional ambitions and improved military capabilities almost certainly will threaten U.S. interests in the coming year, driven by Tehran's perception of increasing U.S., Saudi, and Israeli hostility, as well as continuing border insecurity, and the influence of hardliners.' An annual Defense Department report on Iran's military power required by successive National Defense Authorization Acts (NDAAs) generally contain assessments similar to those presented by the intelligence community."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Katzman, Kenneth
2019-07-23
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Correcting the Record About the Trump Administration's Efforts to Address the Security and Humanitarian Crisis at the Southern Border, Minority Staff Report, Committee on Oversight and Reform, U.S. House of Representatives, July 18, 2019
From the Executive Summary: "For months, Democrats in Congress ridiculed the notion of a security and humanitarian crisis at the southern border. They called it a 'fake' and 'false' emergency, a crisis meant to 'stoke fear and divert attention' away from 'turmoil' in the Trump Administration. Now, many of these same Democrats accuse the Trump Administration of ignoring this very crisis--even saying that the President himself is responsible for it. This hyper-partisan rhetoric ignores the reality and the gravity of the situation at the southern border."
United States. Government Publishing Office
2019-07-18
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Border Security: Assessment of the Department of Homeland Security's Border Security Improvement Plan
From the Document: "Within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is the lead law enforcement agency responsible for border security. CBP manages approximately 7,000 miles of land border and 95,000 miles of shoreline. CBP is also responsible for managing the flow of trade and travel through 328 land, air, and maritime ports of entry. Several offices within CBP help carry out this mission, including the U.S. Border Patrol, Air and Marine Operations, and Office of Field Operations. The DHS Appropriations Act, 2018, required the Secretary of Homeland Security to concurrently submit to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees and Comptroller General a riskbased plan for improving security along the borders of the United States, including how CBP intends to use personnel, fencing, other forms of tactical infrastructure, and technology. The act requires us to evaluate this plan and report to the appropriations committees on the strengths and weaknesses of the plan not later than 120 days after receiving it."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2019-07-16
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Testimony of Acting Inspector General Jennifer L. Costello Before the Committee on Oversight and Reform, U.S. House of Representatives: 'The Trump Administration's Child Separation Policy: Substantiated Allegations of Mistreatment'
From the Document: "In 2016, in response to concerns raised about conditions for aliens in U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, DHS OIG [Office of Inspector General] began conducting unannounced inspections of CBP and ICE detention facilities to observe conditions and determine whether aliens were being held in compliance with applicable detention standards. In fiscal year 2019, we continued this important work, inspecting dozens of detention facilities, including CBP facilities on the Southwest Border. [...] In May and June of this year, teams of DHS OIG inspectors observed dangerous overcrowding and prolonged detention in CBP facilities in both El Paso and the Rio Grande Valley. The teams also documented additional instances of non-compliance with applicable detention standards. These included non-compliance with standards applicable to the detention of alien children, including lack of access to hot meals, showers, and a change of clothes. [...] This overcrowding and prolonged detention poses a risk to the health and safety to both DHS personnel and detainees, and requires immediate action."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Office of Inspector General
Costello, Jennifer L.
2019-07-12
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Exposed Data Highlights Law Enforcement Use of Selected Technologies [July 10, 2019]
From the Document: "Official use of image capturing and facial recognition technology--particularly by law enforcement--has been the subject of recent congressional attention. Specifically, there is interest in facial recognition's accuracy, the databases against which faces are compared, which individual data are subject to collection and retention, how agencies ensure data security, and public notification regarding the use of facial recognition and other image capturing technology. Many of these issues were highlighted following a recently acknowledged breach of certain data held by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) subcontractor. The breach was not of a CBP network. Notably, available information on developments related to the breach remains incomplete. Early speculation about the nature, origins, extent, and implications of the data breach may change, and some media reporting may conflict with official statements."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Finklea, Kristin M.
2019-07-10
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Comparing DHS Component Funding, FY2019: In Brief [Updated July 9, 2019]
From the Document: "Generally, the homeland security appropriations bill includes all annual appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), providing resources to every departmental component. This report reviews the budget authority provided to DHS for FY2018, requested by the Trump Administration for FY2019, as well as the funding levels proposed in Senate and House Appropriations Committee-reported legislation for FY2019 and enacted in P.L. 116-6, which included the FY2019 DHS Appropriations Act as Division A. It also includes information on DHS funding from two enacted supplemental appropriations measures: P.L. 116- 20, a disaster relief supplemental, and P.L. 116-26, a supplemental appropriations bill funding humanitarian and security operations at the U.S.-Mexico border. The report examines net discretionary annual appropriations for DHS--a perspective on the net impact of legislation funding DHS on congressionally tracked budget totals--and also provides a more inclusive look at the resources available to DHS components to perform their missions."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Painter, William L.
2019-07-09
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H. Doc. 116-46: Designation of Funding as an Emergency Requirement
From the Document: "In accordance with section 504 of the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Humanitarian Assistance and Security at the Southern Border Act, 2019 (H.R. 3401; the 'Act'), I hereby designate as emergency requirements all funding so designated by the Congress in the Act pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as outlined in the enclosed list of accounts. The details of this action are set forth in the enclosed memorandum from the Acting Director of the Office of Management and Budget."
United States. Government Publishing Office
Trump, Donald, 1946-
2019-07-02
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Management Alert - DHS Needs to Address Dangerous Overcrowding and Prolonged Detention of Children and Adults in the Rio Grande Valley (Redacted)
From the Document: "This management alert addresses overcrowding at four of the five Border Patrol facilities, and prolonged detention at all five facilities, we visited in the Rio Grande Valley. While our prior management alert on an El Paso facility identified similar issues with respect to the single adults detained in that facility, this alert highlights additional concerns with respect to UACs [unaccompanied alien children] and families being detained in the Rio Grande Valley facilities we visited. This alert also addresses security incidents in these facilities that reflect an escalation of the security concerns raised in our prior alert."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Office of Inspector General
2019-07-02
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Public Law 116-26: Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Humanitarian Assistance and Security at the Southern Border Act, 2019
From the Document: "An Act [m]aking emergency supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, and for other purposes."
United States. Government Publishing Office
2019-07-01
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A Joint Review of Law Enforcement Cooperation on the
Southwest Border between the Federal Bureau of Investigation
and Homeland Security Investigations
"The U.S. Southwest border with Mexico spans nearly 2,000 miles. The region presents unique challenges to law enforcement, and, because multiple law enforcement agencies engage in investigative activity along the Southwest border, effective cooperation among such agencies is important to ensure that all agencies perform their work without jeopardizing the safety of law enforcement and the public. The U.S. Department of Justice's (DOJ) Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) are among the largest U.S. federal investigative law enforcement agencies. [...] For this review, the DOJ Office of the Inspector General (DOJ OIG) and the DHS Office of Inspector General (DHS OIG) jointly evaluated cooperation between the FBI and HSI on Southwest border criminal investigations."
United States. Department of Justice. Office of the Inspector General; United States. Department of Homeland Security. Office of Inspector General
2019-07
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CBP Trade and Travel Report, Fiscal Year 2018
From the Introduction: "U.S. Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) dual mission of protecting the borders of the United States and facilitating legitimate trade and travel is not only a critical component of national security, but also of the nation's economic prosperity. In fiscal year 2018, CBP facilitated record levels of lawful trade and travel; enhanced screening and vetting; implemented the 'Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act'; focused on faster processing in the air, pedestrian, vehicle, and cargo environments; and completed the final step in automating its cargo processing system."
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
2019-07
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CRCL Newsletter (July 2019)
This issue of the CRCL (Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties) Newsletter contains the following articles: "CRCL Monitors Conditions in US Border Patrol Custody in El Paso"; "CRCL Attends 2019 Homeland Security Conference"; "CRCL Hosts Open House and First-Ever Partnership Awards"; "CRCL Hosts Annual Informational Briefing for Hajj Pilgrimage Travelers"; "CRCL Participates in 2019 Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom"; "CRCL Leads Efforts to Promote Inclusion and Equal Access for Persons with Disabilities"; and "CRCL on the Road, July."
United States. Department of Homeland Security
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
2019-07
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations Annual Review (2018)
From the Document: "I am pleased to present the Air and Marine Operations (AMO) Annual Review, Fiscal Year 2018 edition. This year's achievements, milestones, and award winners demonstrate commitment to safety and operational excellence. One incredible example is the P-3 aircraft represented on the cover of this year's Annual Review. In Fiscal Year 2018, AMO's National Air Security Operations P-3 program was instrumental in the disruption of the most cocaine in the history of the program's existence -- 258,296 lbs of cocaine were disrupted as a result of the illicit traffic our P-3 aircrews detected and tracked beyond our nation's borders. While that is an impressive feat, it was done in a year when the U.S. government's overall cocaine seizures declined. The dynamic of those two facts is a significant statement on the effectiveness by which AMO manages and safely uses our unique resources against threats. I truly believe in the philosophy that safe and effective operations can be conducted simultaneously. In 2018, I introduced the initial elements of AMO's Safety Management System, a comprehensive approach to safety that combines the very best safety practices that have proven effective across diverse organizations and industries. I am excited and encouraged by the safety innovation and adaptation being developed and implemented at our organization."
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
2019-07
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Mexico: Evolution of the Mérida Initiative, 2007-2020 [Updated June 28, 2019]
From the Document: "Violent criminal organizations have threatened security and governance in parts of Mexico for more than a decade. This situation affects U.S. security interests, particularly in the Southwest border region. Although the illicit drug trade has long been prevalent in Mexico, violence has escalated as transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) have fought for control of smuggling routes into the United States. In 2007, Mexico and the United States created the Mérida Initiative, a security and rule-of-law partnership to address drug trafficking and crime. Through this partnership, which has since been the centerpiece of bilateral security cooperation, both countries have invested in a broad range of efforts to combat transnational crime and its consequences. U.S. appropriations for the Mérida Initiative since FY2008 (some $3.0 billion) have constituted only 2% of Mexico's total security budget but have enabled the U.S. government to help shape Mexico's policies."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Seelke, Clare Ribando
2019-06-28
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Kazakhstan [Updated June 21, 2019]
From the Overview: "Kazakhstan, a U.S. partner in areas such as counterterrorism, regional security, and nuclear nonproliferation, is a strategically situated country endowed with significant hydrocarbon and mineral resources. It shares long borders with Russia to the north and China to the east. Although sparsely populated, Kazakhstan is the world's ninth largest country by area. Previously a republic of the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan became independent in 1991. Since then, the country's authoritarian government has introduced significant market reforms, developed the energy sector, and moved to diversify its economy. Kazakhstan pursues a 'multi-vector' foreign policy, seeking to balance relations with major powers while actively participating in international organizations."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Blackwood, Maria A.
2019-06-21
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: S. 1900: Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Humanitarian Assistance and Security at the Southern Border Act, 2019
From the Document: "S. 1900 would provide supplemental appropriations for fiscal year 2019 to expand federal agencies' capacity to respond to the large number of foreign nationals attempting to enter the United States through the southern border and to provide humanitarian assistance--including food, shelter, and medical services--to such individuals. The bill would designate those amounts as emergency requirements pursuant to section 251 of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985. The limits on discretionary budget authority established by the Budget Control Act of 2011 (P.L. 112-25), as amended, would be adjusted to accommodate the funding"
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2019-06-21
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Federal Court Temporarily Blocks a Portion of the Administration's Border Wall Funding [June 17, 2019]
From the Document: "In recent months, the Trump Administration has taken steps to secure additional funds to pay for the construction of barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border, and various entities have brought suits challenging the lawfulness of those actions. On May 24, 2019, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California issued a preliminary injunction in one lawsuit, 'Sierra Club v. Trump,' barring the Administration from using funds reprogrammed under Section 8005 of the 2019 Department of Defense Appropriations Act to pay for specified barrier construction projects in New Mexico and Arizona while the lawsuit is pending. But the court declined to issue a preliminary injunction with respect to any construction project not involved in that lawsuit (even if Section 8005 is used to fund the project) or to opine on the lawfulness of the Trump Administration's other proposed funding sources. This Sidebar discusses the district court's determination that Section 8005 does not authorize the transfer of funds for border wall construction. Next, it addresses how the court dealt with the Administration's use of other funding sources. Finally, the Sidebar identifies potential considerations for Congress."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Liu, Edward C.; Hayes, Benjamin
2019-06-17
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Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate: H.R. 2083, Homeland Procurement Reform Act
From the Document: "H.R. 2083 would require (to the extent possible) that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ensure contracts with small businesses constitute one-third of the department's spending to procure uniforms and certain protective gear for selected components of the department (including Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement). The act's provisions would apply to contracts signed on or after October 1, 2020. Currently, uniforms and protective gear made by small businesses account for roughly 40 percent of DHS spending on the items affected by H.R. 2083. Thus, CBO [Congressional Budget Office] estimates that implementing the act would not significantly affect the department's spending on uniforms and protective gear for the affected agencies."
United States. Congressional Budget Office
2019-06-14
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Nature of the Boko Haram Security Crisis in the Lake Chad Basin
From the Thesis Abstract: "Boko Haram, a religious extremist organization opposed to western influences in the Nigerian society was created in 2002 in Bornu state by Mohammed Yusuf an extremist Muslim preacher. Due to an inappropriate management of this religious issue, the organization gained importance and rapidly came to control large territories in the North east of Nigeria, with active presence on Chadian, Cameroonian and Nigerien bordering regions. After almost a decade of fights, Boko Haram is still able to attack military bases, civilian populations and public services. The insecurity climate is real, despite important military efforts from these countries and partners. Therefore, the regional and national strategies implemented so far need to be assessed. The identification of the nature of Boko Haram in the Lake Chad region is the first step. This study has revealed Boko Haram is an insurgency in Nigeria, but is a security crisis that did not turned into an insurgency in Cameroon, Niger and Chad; This difference on the nature of threats induces a difference of approaches at the national and at the regional levels."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College
Amboh, Esaie Beng
2019-06-14
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Alliance Strikes Back: Using Multi Domain Operations to Counter Russian Hybrid Warfare in the Baltics
From the Thesis Abstract: "As a result of the space age and the Information Revolution, warfare is extending to new domains and being fought with new emerging technologies. Meanwhile, a resurgent Russia has been using hybrid warfare--a combination of non-violent subversion, covert violent action, and conventional military forces--to pursue its national interests outside of its borders. NATO's most acute challenge is how best to innovate and adapt in order to deliver collective security to the Baltic States. This paper will explore whether or not NATO should adopt the new U.S. Multi Domain Operations concept. This paper concludes that, while the Multi Domain Operations concept could counter, if not defeat, Russian hybrid warfare in the Baltics, that NATO should not adopt the concept because of low suitability. Of particular concern is the concept's lack of focus on preventing Russia using local populations as a tool of destabilization, the time it will likely take to penetrate Russian A2/AD [Anti Access/Area Denial] systems using the 'stimulate-see-strike' process, and the detrimental effect that synchronizing actions across domains could have on one of NATO's key overmatch capabilities--the Mission Command philosophy."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College
Stafford, Nicholas J.
2019-06-14
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U.S. Military Defends the Homeland
From the Thesis Abstract: "The southwest border remains a complex problem defending against resourceful drug trafficking organizations. This southern border supports the world's largest legal immigration and $832 billion worth of trade through thirty-three ports of entry. The drug trafficking organizations exploit the porous border and distribute drugs into the U.S. Street gangs within every major U.S. city conduct retail level distribution saturating communities with drugs. Illicit drug sales generate an estimated annual $136 billion dollars. Gangs ship drug proceeds and weapons back across Mexico fueling the next cycle of drug trafficking operations. The U.S. Customs Border Protection agents vigilantly defend the southwest border, but the drugs still make it into the U.S. streets. The border security problem requires additional resources. The U.S. Military may provide the critical capabilities necessary to defend the homeland."
U.S. Army Command and General Staff College
Imboden, Jason D.
2019-06-14
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Iran and Israel: Tension Over Syria [Updated June 5, 2019]
From the Document: "Iranian military operations in support of the Syrian government since 2011 have exacerbated longstanding tensions between Iran and Israel. These tensions have worsened considerably since late 2016 as Iran has helped Syria's government regain key territory, and in turn has sought a more permanent military presence in Syria. Israeli officials have described the deployment of Iran-backed forces in Syria--particularly in the southwest, near Israel's northern border--as a significant security threat compelling Israeli action. In January 2019, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said that Israel had struck Iranian and Hezbollah targets in Syria 'hundreds of times.' In 2018, Israeli and Iranian forces repeatedly targeted one another in and over Syrian- and Israeli-controlled areas. While Israel had conducted numerous air strikes inside Syria since 2012--mostly on targets linked to weapons shipments to Lebanese Hezbollah--the 2018 strikes appeared for the first time to have directly targeted Iranian infrastructure in Syria, and reportedly killed dozens of Iranian personnel. In articulating their 'redlines,' Israeli leaders indicated that Israel would act in Syria to prevent Iran from establishing permanent military bases or weapons factories, and opening new 'terror fronts' against Israel. They also suggested that Israel might attack Iran directly if Iran-backed attacks target major Israeli cities."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Humud, Carla E.; Katzman, Kenneth; Zanotti, Jim
2019-06-05
