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• Selected Authorities to Obtain DOD Personal Property [November 20, 2020]

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  From the Document: "Recent controversy in the United States over policing methods has focused attention on transfers of military equipment to police forces nationwide. Under certain circumstances, eligible federal, state, and local agencies may obtain Department of Defense (DOD) 'personal property' (e.g., equipment, clothing, vehicles, aircraft, weapons, ammunition) for use in law enforcement, counterdrug, counterterrorism, border security, and/or humanitarian activities. This In Focus describes statutory authorities that give these agencies the ability to obtain, either temporarily or permanently, DOD personal property."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Plagakis, Sofia; Blum, David A.; Mann, Christopher T.

  2020-11-20
• Georgia: Background and U.S. Policy [Updated October 23, 2020]

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  From the Summary: "Georgia is one of the United States' closest partners among the states that gained their independence after the USSR [Union of Soviet Socialist Republics] collapsed in 1991. With a history of strong economic aid and security cooperation, the United States has deepened its strategic partnership with Georgia since Russia's 2008 invasion of Georgia and 2014 invasion of Ukraine. U.S. policy expressly supports Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, and Georgia is a leading recipient of U.S. aid to Europe and Eurasia. Many observers consider Georgia to be one of the most democratic states in the post-Soviet region, even as the country faces ongoing governance challenges. The center-left Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia party (GD) holds a dominant political position, with about 61% of seats in parliament."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Welt, Cory

  2020-10-23
• Mexico's 2006 Elections [Updated October 3, 2006]

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  "Mexico held national elections for a new president and congress on July 2, 2006. Conservative Felipe Calderón of the National Action Party (PAN) narrowly defeated Andrés Manuel López Obrador of the leftist Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) in a highly contested election. Final results of the presidential election were only announced after all legal challenges had been settled. On September 5, 2006, the Elections Tribunal found that although business groups illegally interfered in the election, the effect of the interference was insufficient to warrant an annulment of the vote, and the tribunal declared PAN-candidate Felipe Calderón president-elect. PRD candidate López Obrador, who rejected the Tribunal's decision, was named the 'legitimate president' of Mexico by a National Democratic Convention on September 16. The electoral campaign touched on issues of interest to the United States including migration, border security, drug trafficking, energy policy, and the future of Mexican relations with Venezuela and Cuba."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  2006-10-03
• Mexico-U.S. Relations: Issues for Congress [Updated November 14, 2008]

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  "The United States and Mexico have a close and complex bilateral relationship, with extensive economic linkages as neighbors and partners under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Bilateral relations are generally friendly, although the U.S. enactment of border fence legislation in 2006 caused some tension in the relationship. Drug trafficking issues are prominent in relations since Mexico is the leading transit country for cocaine, a leading supplier of methamphetamine and heroin, and the leading foreign supplier of marijuana to the United States. In October 2007, the United States and Mexico proposed the Mérida Initiative to combat drug trafficking, gangs, and organized crime in Mexico and Central America. In legislative action in June 2008 on H.R. 2642 (P.L. 110-252), Congress appropriated $400 million for Mexico -- $352 million in FY2008 supplemental assistance and $48 million in FY2009 bridge fund supplemental assistance. Shortly after taking office in December 2006, President Felipe Calderón of the conservative National Action Party (PAN) launched operations against Mexican drug cartels. He has sent some 40,000 soldiers and 5,000 federal police to drug trafficking 'hot-spots,' and is contending with an escalation of drug violence throughout the country. Calderón has increased extraditions to the United States, and has demonstrated an unprecedented willingness to reach out for counternarcotics assistance from the United States while also calling for increased U.S. efforts on arms trafficking and a reduction in the U.S. demand for illicit drugs. In his first two years in office, President Calderón secured approval of several major reforms, including fiscal and pension reforms in 2007, and judicial and energy reforms in 2008. An unexpected challenge for Calderón is the effect of the recent global financial crisis on the Mexican economy, which already has led to a decline in the stock market, the value of the peso, and remittances from Mexicans abroad."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Sullivan, Mark P.; Cook, Colleen W.; Durand, Alessandra

  2008-11-14
• Mexico-U.S. Relations: Issues for the 108th Congress [Updated December 22, 2004]

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  "The United States and Mexico have a special relationship as neighbors and partners under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The friendly relationship has been strengthened by President Bush's meetings with President Fox but has been weakened by disagreements over Iraq and other issues. Major congressional issues are trade, migration/border security, drug trafficking, and political issues."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Storrs, K. Larry (Keith Larry), 1937-

  2004-12-22
• Immigration Legislation and Issues in the 116th Congress [June 12, 2020]

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  From the Introduction: "The 116th Congress has seen considerable committee and floor action on immigration legislation, particularly in the House. The House and/or the Senate have acted on bills addressing a range of immigration issue areas, including border security, immigration enforcement, legalization of unauthorized immigrants, temporary and permanent immigration, and humanitarian admissions. Some of these bills include amendments to the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), the basis of U.S. immigration law. Several immigration provisions were enacted as part of larger appropriations and defense authorization bills. These provisions variously address the H-2B [Temporary Non-Agricultural Workers] visa, U.S. refugee admissions, Afghan special immigrant visas, and the immigration status of Liberians who are long-time U.S. residents, among other issues. Through FY2019 and FY2020 consolidated appropriations measures, the 116th Congress extended the EB-5 [Employment Based Immigration- Fifth Preference] Regional Center Program for immigrant investors, the E-Verify employment eligibility verification system, and two other immigration programs, all of which are now authorized through September 30, 2020. The 116th Congress also enacted stand-alone measures concerning immigration in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and citizenship for children born abroad to parents who are U.S. military servicemembers or U.S. government employees. This report discusses these and other immigration-related measures that have received legislative action in the 116th Congress."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Bruno, Andorra; Kandel, William; Wilson, Jill, 1974-

  2020-06-12
• Organized Crime in the United States: Trends and Issues for Congress [December 22, 2010]

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  "On the national security front, experts and policymakers have expressed concern over a possible nexus between organized crime and terrorism. Despite the difference in motivation for organized crime (profit) and terrorism (ideology), the linking element for the two is money. Terrorists may potentially obtain funding for their operations from partnering directly with organized crime groups or modeling their profitable criminal acts. Even if organized crime groups and terrorist organizations do not form long-term alliances, the possibility of short-term business alliances may be of concern to policymakers. In light of these developments, several possible issues for Congress arise. One issue centers on whether the evolving nature of organized crime requires new enforcement tools. Some policymakers have suggested that current laws may not be effective at countering present threats from organized crime. As organized criminals threaten American society from both within and outside U.S. borders, should Congress expand law enforcement's extraterritorial jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute these criminals, and to what extent should Congress encourage multilateral--both domestic and international--crime fighting efforts? Another possible issue for Congress concerns whether the resources that the federal government allocates to organized crime matters are adequate and appropriately allocated to counter the threats organized crime poses. Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, national priorities and federal resources shifted away from more traditional crime fighting--including that of organized crime--toward counterterrorism and counterintelligence. For instance, the number of federal agents actually working on organized crime matters and the number of organized crime cases opened in FY2004 decreased relative to levels before September 11, 2001."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Finklea, Kristin M.

  2010-12-22
• Panama: Political and Economic Conditions and U.S. Relations [Updated November 1, 2006]

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  "The United States has close relations with Panama, stemming in large part from the extensive linkages developed when the Panama Canal was under U.S. control and Panama hosted major U.S. military installations. The current bilateral relationship is characterized by extensive cooperation on counternarcotics efforts, assistance to help Panama assure the security of the Canal and its border with Colombia, and negotiations for a bilateral free trade agreement. The United States provided Panama with $19 million in foreign aid in FY2005, and an estimated $14.4 million in FY2006. The FY2007 request is for $17.4 million, with $4 million under the Andean Counterdrug Initiative and $3.2 million in development assistance."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Sullivan, Mark P.

  2006-11-01
• Panama: Political and Economic Conditions and U.S. Relations [Updated September 22, 2006]

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  "The United States has close relations with Panama, stemming in large part from the extensive linkages developed when the Panama Canal was under U.S. control and Panama hosted major U.S. military installations. The current bilateral relationship is characterized by extensive cooperation on counternarcotics efforts, assistance to help Panama assure the security of the Canal and its border with Colombia, and negotiations for a bilateral free trade agreement. The United States provided Panama with $19 million in foreign aid in FY2005, and an estimated $14.4 million in FY2006. The FY2007 request is for $17.4 million, with $4 million under the Andean Counterdrug Initiative and $3.2 million in development assistance."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Sullivan, Mark P.

  2006-09-22
• Berne Union: An Overview [April 5, 2013]

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  "The Berne Union, or the International Union of Credit and Investment Insurers, is an international organization comprised of more than 70 public and private sector members that represent both public and private segments of the export credit and investment insurance industry. Members range from highly developed economies to emerging markets, from diverse geographical locations, and from a spectrum of viewpoints about approaches to export credit financing and investment insurance. Within the Berne Union, the United States is represented by the U.S. Export-Import Bank (Eximbank) and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) and four private-sector firms and by one observer. The main role of the Berne Union and its affiliated group, the Prague Club, is to work to facilitate cross-border trade by helping exporters mitigate risks through promoting internationally acceptable principles of export credit financing, strengthen the global financial structure, and facilitate foreign investments. Over the past decade, the growth and increased importance of global trade and financing have altered the agenda of the Berne Union from focusing primarily on concerns over country-specific political risk to concerns about global trade, international finance, global and regional security, and questions of business organization, civil society, transparency, and corporate responsibility. The 2008-2009 financial crisis and the economic recession that followed has altered export financing by making credit conditions tighter and by raising concerns over risks in the advanced economies. As a result, demands on official export credits have grown sharply. Congress, through its oversight of Eximbank and OPIC, as well as international trade and finance, has interests in the functioning of the Berne Union."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Jackson, James K., 1949-

  2013-04-05
• Georgia [Republic]: Recent Developments and U.S. Interests [June 21, 2013]

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  "The small Black Sea-bordering country of Georgia gained its independence at the end of 1991 with the dissolution of the former Soviet Union. The United States had an early interest in its fate, since the well-known former Soviet foreign minister, Eduard Shevardnadze, soon became its leader. Democratic and economic reforms faltered during his rule, however. New prospects for the country emerged after Shevardnadze was ousted in 2003 and the U.S.-educated Mikheil Saakashvili was elected president. Then-U.S. President George W. Bush visited Georgia in 2005, and praised the democratic and economic aims of the Saakashvili government while calling on it to deepen reforms. The August 2008 Russia-Georgia conflict caused much damage to Georgia's economy and military, as well as contributing to hundreds of casualties and tens of thousands of displaced persons in Georgia. The United States quickly pledged $1 billion in humanitarian and recovery assistance for Georgia. In early 2009, the United States and Georgia signed a Strategic Partnership Charter, which pledged U.S. support for democratization, economic development, and security reforms in Georgia. The Obama Administration has provided ongoing support for Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The United States has been Georgia's largest bilateral aid donor, budgeting cumulative aid of $3.37 billion in FY1992-FY2010 (all agencies and programs). Georgia has regularly ranked among the top world states in terms of per capita U.S. aid. U.S.-budgeted aid for Georgia in FY2012 was $85.5 million. The Administration has requested $62.0 million for foreign assistance for Georgia for FY2014 (data for FY2012 and FY2014 include 'Function 150' programs and exclude Defense and Energy Department funds; estimates for FY2013 are not yet available)."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Nichol, James P.

  2013-06-21
• Immigration Reform Issues in the 111th Congress [July 13, 2009]

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  "There is a broad-based consensus that the U.S. immigration system is broken. This consensus erodes, however, as soon as the options to reform the U.S. immigration system are debated. The number of foreign-born people residing in the United States is at the highest level in U.S. history and has reached a proportion of the U.S. population--12.6%--not seen since the early 20th century. Of the 38 million foreign-born residents in the United States, approximately one-third are naturalized citizens, one-third are legal permanent residents, and one-third are estimated to be unauthorized (illegal) residents. Some observers and policy experts maintain that the presence of an estimated 11 million unauthorized residents is evidence of flaws in the legal immigration system as well as failures of immigration control policies and practices. The 111th Congress is faced with strategic questions of whether to continue to build on incremental reforms of specific elements of immigration (e.g., employment verification, skilled migration, temporary workers, worksite enforcement, and legalization of certain categories of unauthorized residents) or whether to comprehensively reform the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). President Barack Obama has affirmed his support for comprehensive immigration reform legislation that includes increased enforcement as well as a pathway to legal residence for certain unauthorized residents. This report synthesizes the multi-tiered debate over immigration reform into key elements: legal immigration; legalization; immigration control; refugees, asylees, and humanitarian migrants; and, alien rights, benefits and responsibilities. It delineates the issues for the 111th Congress on permanent residence, temporary admissions, border security, worksite enforcement, employment eligibility verification, document fraud, criminal aliens, and the grounds for inadmissibility. Addressing these contentious policy reforms against the backdrop of economic crisis sharpens the social and business cleavages and narrows the range of options."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Wasem, Ruth Ellen

  2009-07-13
• Kosovo: Current Issues and U.S. Policy [May 7, 2013]

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  "On February 17, 2008, Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia. The United States and 22 of the 27 European Union countries have recognized Kosovo's independence. The Kosovo government claims that 98 countries in all have extended diplomatic recognition to it. EULEX, a European Union-led law-and-order mission, is tasked with improving the rule of law in Kosovo. KFOR, a NATO-led peacekeeping force that includes more than 700 U.S. soldiers, has the mission of providing a secure environment. Serbia strongly objects to Kosovo's declaration of independence. It has used diplomatic means to try to persuade countries to not recognize Kosovo. It has retained parallel governing institutions in Serb-majority areas in Kosovo. Since March 2011, the EU has mediated negotiations between Serbia and Kosovo. The agreements reached include ones on free movement of persons, customs stamps, recognition of university diplomas, cadastre (real estate) records, civil registries (which record births, deaths, marriages, etc. for legal purposes), integrated border/boundary management, and on regional cooperation. However, the accords have not been implemented or only partly implemented."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Woehrel, Steven J.

  2013-05-07
• Latin America: Terrorism Issues [July 11, 2013]

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  "U.S. attention to terrorism in Latin America intensified in the aftermath of the September 2001 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, with an increase in bilateral and regional cooperation. In its 2012 'Country Reports on Terrorism' (issued in May 2013), the State Department maintained that the threat of a transnational terrorist attack remained low for most countries in the hemisphere. It reported that the majority of terrorist attacks in the hemisphere were committed by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). With regard to Mexico, the State Department maintained that 'international terrorist organizations do not have a known operational presence in Mexico and no terrorist group targeted U.S. citizens in or from Mexican territory.' Cuba has remained on the State Department's list of state sponsors of terrorism since 1982 pursuant to Section 6(j) of the Export Administration Act. Both Cuba and Venezuela are on the State Department's annual list of countries determined to be not cooperating fully with U.S. antiterrorism efforts pursuant to Section 40A of the Arms Export Control Act. U.S. officials have expressed concerns over the past several years about Venezuela's lack of cooperation on antiterrorism efforts, its relations with Iran, and potential support for Colombian terrorist groups, although improved Venezuelan-Colombian relations have resulted in closer cooperation on antiterrorism and counternarcotics efforts and border security."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Sullivan, Mark P.; Beittel, June S.

  2013-07-11
• Guatemala: Political, Security, and Socio-Economic Conditions and U.S. Relations [August 7, 2014]

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  "Since the 1980s, Guatemala, the most populous country in Central America with a population of 15.5 million, has continued its transition from centuries of mostly autocratic rule toward representative government. A democratic constitution was adopted in 1985, and a democratically elected government was inaugurated in 1986. A violent 36-year civil war ended in 1996. This report provides an overview of Guatemala's current political and economic conditions, relations with the United States, and several issues likely to figure in future decisions by Congress and the Administration regarding Guatemala. With respect to continued cooperation and foreign assistance, these issues include security and governance; protection of human rights and human rights conditions on some U.S. military aid to Guatemala; support for the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala; combating narcotics trafficking and organized crime; trade relations; intercountry adoption; and unaccompanied children at the U.S. border."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Taft-Morales, Maureen

  2014-08-07
• Temporary Professional, Managerial, and Skilled Foreign Workers: Legislation in the 113th Congress [September 30, 2014]

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  "The admission of professional, managerial, and skilled foreign workers raises a complex set of policy issues as the United States competes internationally for the most talented workers in the world, without adversely effecting U.S. workers and U.S. students entering the labor market. Legislative proposals that Congress has considered include streamlining procedures that govern the admission of professional, managerial, and skilled foreign workers; increasing the number of temporary professional, managerial, and skilled foreign workers admitted each year; requiring employers of professional, managerial, and skilled foreign workers to make efforts to recruit U.S. workers and offer wages and benefits that are comparable to similarly employed U.S. workers; extending labor protections and worker rights to professional, managerial, and skilled foreign workers to prevent abuse or exploitation of the worker; enabling professional, managerial, and skilled foreign workers to have 'visa portability' so they can change jobs; and allowing professional, managerial, and skilled foreign workers to have 'dual intent'; that is, to apply for lawful permanent resident (LPR) status while seeking or renewing temporary visas. [...] The 113th Congress has acted on legislation that would make extensive revisions to nonimmigrant categories for professional specialty workers (H-1B visas), intra-company transferees (L visas), and other skilled temporary workers. The Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act (S. 744), as passed by the Senate, and the Supplying Knowledge-based Immigrants and Lifting Levels of STEM [Science, technology, engineering, or mathematics] Visas Act (SKILLS [Supplying Knowledge-based Immigrants and Lifting Levels] Visa Act, H.R. 2131), as ordered reported by the House Committee on the Judiciary, would substantially revise these visa categories. Both bills have provisions aimed at streamlining procedures, strengthening enforcement, and expanding admissions."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Wasem, Ruth Ellen

  2014-09-30
• Immigration Detainers: Legal Issues [October 6, 2014]

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  "An 'immigration detainer' is a document by which U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) advises other law enforcement agencies of its interest in individual aliens whom these agencies are detaining. ICE and its predecessor, the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), have used detainers as one means of obtaining custody of aliens for removal proceedings since at least 1950. However, the nationwide implementation of the Secure Communities program between 2008 and 2013 has prompted numerous questions about detainers. This program relies upon information sharing between various levels and agencies of government to identify potentially removable aliens. Detainers may then be issued for these aliens. Prior to 1986, the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) did not explicitly address detainers, and the INS appears to have issued detainers pursuant to its 'general authority' to guard U.S. borders and boundaries against the illegal entry of aliens, among other things. However, in 1986, Congress amended the INA to address the issuance of detainers for aliens arrested for controlled substance offenses. After the 1986 amendments, INS promulgated two regulations, one addressing the issuance of detainers for controlled substance offenses and the other addressing detainers for other offenses. These regulations were merged in 1997 and currently address various topics, including who may issue detainers and the temporary detention of aliens by other law enforcement agencies. There is also a standard detainer form (Form I-247) that allows ICE to indicate that it has taken actions that could lead to the alien's removal, and request that another agency take actions that could facilitate such removal (e.g., notify ICE before the alien's release)."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Manuel, Kate

  2014-10-06
• Smartphone Data Encryption: A Renewed Boundary for Law Enforcement? [October 17, 2014]

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  "Modern-day criminals constantly develop new techniques to facilitate their illicit activities. They have adapted to cross, circumvent, and exploit a number of boundaries--including geographic borders, law enforcement jurisdiction, turf, and cyberspace--which simultaneously present obstacles for the officials tasked with combating these malicious actors. In the fast-changing technology space that is today, law enforcement faces a renewed boundary in crime-fighting. According to Attorney General Eric Holder, '[r]ecent technological advances have the potential to greatly embolden online criminals, providing new methods ... to avoid detection.' [...] Policy makers may debate which is more advantageous for the nation on the whole: (1) increased security coupled with potentially fewer data breaches and possibly greater impediments to law enforcement investigations, or (2) increased access to data paired with potentially greater vulnerability to malicious actors."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Finklea, Kristin M.

  2014-10-17
• Federal Permitting and Oversight of Export of Fossil Fuels [August 4, 2014]

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  From the Summary: "Recent technological developments have led to an increase in domestic production of natural gas and crude oil. As a result, there is interest among some parties in exporting liquefied natural gas (LNG) and crude oil to take advantage of international markets. This has placed new attention on the laws and regulations governing, and in many cases restricting, the export of fossil fuels. In most cases, export of fossil fuels requires federal authorization of both the act of exporting the fuel and the facility that will be employed to export the fuel. For example, the export of natural gas is permitted by the Department of Energy's Office of Fossil Energy, while the construction and operation of the export facility must be authorized by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Oil exports are restricted, but an export that falls under one of several exemptions can be authorized by the Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security. Oil pipelines that cross international borders must be permitted by the State Department. Coal exports do not require special authorization specific to the commodity; however, as with natural gas and crude oil, other generally applicable federal statutes and regulations may apply to the export of coal."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Vann, Adam; Shedd, Daniel T.; Murrill, Brandon J.

  2014-08-04
• Obama Administration's November 2014 Immigration Initiatives: Questions and Answers [November 24, 2014]

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  "On November 20, 2014, President Obama delivered a televised address wherein he broadly described the steps that his administration is taking to 'fix' what he has repeatedly described as a 'broken immigration system.' Following the President's address, executive agencies made available intra-agency memoranda and fact sheets detailing specific actions that have already been taken, or will be taken in the future. These actions generally involve either border security, the current unlawfully present population, or future legal immigration. […] The most notable of these actions, for many commentators, are the initiatives to grant 'deferred action'--one type of relief from removal--to some unlawfully present aliens who were brought to the United States as children and raised here, or who have children who are U.S. citizens or lawfully permanent resident (LPR) aliens."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Manuel, Kate

  2014-11-24
• Latin America: Terrorism Issues [August 15, 2014]

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  "U.S. attention to terrorism in Latin America intensified in the aftermath of the September 2001 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, with an increase in bilateral and regional cooperation. In its 2013 'Country Reports on Terrorism' (issued in April 2014), the State Department maintained that the majority of terrorist attacks in the Western Hemisphere were committed by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The State Department asserted in that Latin American governments made modest improvements in their counterterrorism capabilities and border security, but that for some countries, corruption, weak government institutions, insufficient interagency cooperation, weak or nonexistent legislation, and a lack of resources impeded progress."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Sullivan, Mark P.; Beittel, June S.

  2014-08-15
• Obama Administration's November 20, 2014, Actions as to Immigration: Pending Legal Challenges One Year Later [November 20, 2015]

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  "On November 20, 2014, the Obama Administration announced that it was taking a number of actions to 'fix' what the President has repeatedly described as a 'broken' immigration system. These actions addressed various issues, from border security to legal immigration to enforcement priorities and policies, as well as providing certain relief from removal to some of the approximately 11 million aliens who are present in the United States without a legal immigration status. One year later, many of these actions have been implemented, or are being implemented, without any legal challenge to the Executive's authority to take such actions. However, several legal challenges are currently pending to actions directly or indirectly called for on November 20, 2014. This Sidebar provides a brief overview of the status of these challenges."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  2015-11-20
• Taliban Leadership Succession [May 26, 2016]

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  From the CRS (Congressional Research Service) Insight: "On May 23, President Obama confirmed that a U.S. unmanned aerial vehicle strike on a remote village just over the Pakistan border had killed the leader of the Afghan Taliban, Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour. The strike was conducted after U.S. intelligence reportedly tracked Mansour crossing back into Pakistan from Iran. U.S. officials asserted that Mansour posed an imminent threat to the approximately 9,800 U.S. forces in Afghanistan, who are training and advising the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) and conducting counter-terrorism missions against Al Qaeda and the local branch of the Islamic State, called the Islamic State--Khorasan Province (ISKP). On May 25, following several days of meetings among senior commanders and members of the movement, the Taliban confirmed Mansour's death and selected one of Mansour's deputies as its new leader, Mawlawi (honorific term for a level of religious scholarship) Haibatullah Akhunzadeh. Prior to his selection, Akhunzadeh, who is in his late 50s, had generally confined himself to religious issues and was not directly involved in the movement's command structure. [...] A major question is how the new Taliban leadership will approach the issue of peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government, if at all. On May 25, Akhunzadeh reportedly stated in an audio recording that the Taliban would not resume talks with the Afghan government. Many Taliban commanders continue to argue that victory over the Afghan government is attainable and that there is no need to negotiate a political settlement to the conflict. This view within the Taliban has been strengthened since the capture of the northern city of Konduz in September 2015 and the significant gains in Helmand Province and elsewhere in 2015-16."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Katzman, Kenneth

  2016-05-26
• Saudi Military Campaign in Yemen Draws Congressional Attention to U.S. Arms Sales [August 30, 2016]

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  "Some lawmakers have introduced legislation seeking to condition or prohibit the sale or transfer of certain munitions and the provision of some U.S. foreign assistance to Saudi Arabia. These proposals have come amid reports of Yemeni civilian casualties resulting from Saudi-led coalition military operations in Yemen, which resumed in August 2016. Some lawmakers suggest that U.S. arms sales and military support to Saudi Arabia are enabling alleged Saudi violations of international humanitarian law. Human rights organizations seek further investigations into the alleged Saudi violations, and some observers are calling for the suspension of U.S. arms sales and Yemen-related military support to Saudi Arabia. Proponents of proposed sales and continued U.S.-Saudi military cooperation have argued that the United States should provide more advanced U.S. technology and expanded training and intelligence sharing to improve Saudi operations. Some of these proponents point to Saudi actions to mitigate civilian casualties and investigate alleged violations, arguing that disrupting U.S. support could threaten Saudi security and jeopardize broader, long-standing defense and intelligence ties. Saudi officials acknowledge that their operations have caused undesired civilian casualties, while also alleging that their adversaries in Yemen intentionally use civilian facilities for military purposes. The Saudi government maintains that its military campaign is an act of legitimate self-defense, citing its Yemeni adversaries' repeated, deadly cross-border attacks, including ballistic missile attacks."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Blanchard, Christopher M.; Sharp, Jeremy Maxwell

  2016-08-30
• Latin America and the Caribbean: Issues for the 110th Congress [Updated June 22, 2007]

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  "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, while presidential elections are scheduled in Guatemala (September) and Argentina (October), and parliamentary elections are due by October in Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. 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 is focusing on continued counternarcotics efforts, especially in the Andean region; immigration reform 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 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.) . . .

  2007-06-22
• Latin America and the Caribbean: Issues for the 110th Congress [January 23, 2007]

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  "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, and in 2007, five other countries have elections scheduled. Although the region overall experienced an economic setback in 2002-2003, it has rebounded since 2004, and most recently experienced an average growth rate over 5% in 2006. Despite this progress, several nations face considerable challenges that threaten political stability or pose challenges for 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 will likely focus on continued counternarcotics efforts, especially in the Andean region; potential immigration reform and increased border security, which have been key issues in relations with Mexico; efforts to deal with potential 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; and trade issues, including the potential consideration of implementing legislation for free trade agreements (FTAs). Curbing the flow of illicit drugs from Mexico and South America into the United States has been a key component of U.S. relations with Latin America for almost two decades."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Sullivan, Mark P.; Cook, Colleen W.; Hornbeck, J. F. (John F.) . . .

  2007-01-23
• Iraq: Post-Saddam Governance and Security [Updated October 31, 2007]

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  "Operation Iraqi Freedom overthrew Saddam Hussein's regime, but much of Iraq remains violent because of Sunni Arab resentment and a related insurgency, compounded by Sunni-Shiite sectarian violence and increased violent competition among Shiite groups as well. Compounding the internal violence is growing tension on Iraq's northern border with Turkey; the north has been the one area of Iraq to experience peace and relative prosperity since the U.S. intervention in 2004. Mounting U.S. casualties and financial costs -- without clear movement toward national political reconciliation among Iraq's major communities -- have intensified a debate within the United States over whether to reduce U.S. involvement without completely accomplishing initial U.S. goals. In order to halt the apparent deterioration in conditions in Iraq in 2006 and to try to facilitate more unity and reconciliation in the central government, President Bush announced a new strategy on January 10, 2007 ('New Way Forward') consisting of deployment of an additional 28,500 U.S. forces ('troop surge') to help stabilize Baghdad and to take advantage of growing tribal support in Anbar Province for U.S. policy. The strategy was to create security conditions conducive to Iraqi government action on a series of key reconciliation initiatives that are viewed as 'benchmarks' of political progress."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Katzman, Kenneth

  2007-10-31
• Iraq: Post-Saddam Governance and Security [Updated November 30, 2007]

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  "Operation Iraqi Freedom overthrew Saddam Hussein's regime, but much of Iraq became violent because of Sunni Arab resentment and a related insurgency, compounded by Sunni-Shiite sectarian violence, violent competition among Shiite groups as well, and the failure of Iraq's government to equitably deliver services. Compounding the internal violence has been growing tension on Iraq's northern border with Turkey, and Iranian assistance to armed Shiite groups operating in southern Iraq and in Baghdad. Mounting U.S. casualties and financial costs -- without clear movement toward national political reconciliation among Iraq's major communities -- have intensified a debate within the United States over whether to reduce U.S. involvement without completely accomplishing initial U.S. goals. In late 2007, the Administration is claiming relative success in reversing the deterioration in security in 2006, attributing the gains to the strategy announced by President Bush on January 10, 2007 ('New Way Forward'). The centerpiece of the strategy was the deployment of an additional 28,500 U.S. forces ('troop surge') to help stabilize Baghdad and to take advantage of growing tribal support for U.S. policy in Anbar Province. However, critics say that the strategy was primarily intended to promote Iraqi government action on a series of key reconciliation initiatives that are viewed as 'benchmarks' of political progress."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Katzman, Kenneth

  2007-11-30
• Foreign Outsourcing: Economic Implications and Policy Responses [Updated June 21, 2005]

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  "Foreign outsourcing--the importing of some intermediate product […] that was once produced domestically--is not a new phenomenon, nor is it one that is economically distinct from other types of imports in terms of its basic economic consequences. A steadily rising level of trade in intermediate products is one of the salient characteristics of U.S. trade and world trade for the last 30 years. It has been estimated that as much as a third of the growth of world trade since 1970 has been the result of such outsourcing worldwide. While foreign outsourcing may seem different from traditional notions of trade in that it involves exchange of a productive resource (capital or labor) rather than an exchange of a final good and service, the ultimate economic outcome is exactly the same: a net increase in economic efficiency through the elimination of economic inefficiencies that occur when countries use only the productive resources found within their borders. […] The destructive aspects of foreign outsourcing are costly and distressing to those whose jobs are lost to increased imports. Therefore, matters of efficiency and equity are intertwined and one of the principal challenges for policymakers in the face of foreign outsourcing (and trade in general) is to find ways to ameliorate the associated harm, without sacrificing the economy-wide gains that such trade generates. Compensation for loss and adjustment assistance is thought by economists to offer the best chance for securing higher economic efficiency along with distributional equity. This report will be updated as events warrant."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Elwell, Craig Kent, 1947-

  2005-06-21
• Latin America: Terrorism Issues [April 5, 2013]

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  "U.S. attention to terrorism in Latin America intensified in the aftermath of the September 2001 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, with an increase in bilateral and regional cooperation. In its 2011 'Country Reports on Terrorism' (issued in July 2012), the State Department maintained that the threat of a transnational terrorist attack remained low for most countries in the hemisphere. It reported that the majority of terrorist attacks in the hemisphere were committed by two Colombian terrorist groups--the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the National Liberation Army (ELN)--and other radical groups in the Andean region. With regard to Mexico, the report asserted that there was no evidence of ties between Mexican drug trafficking organizations and terrorist groups, and no evidence 'that these criminal organizations had aims of political or territorial control, aside from seeking to protect and expand the impunity with which they conduct their criminal activity.' Cuba has remained on the State Department's list of state sponsors of terrorism since 1982 pursuant to Section 6(j) of the Export Administration Act. Both Cuba and Venezuela are on the State Department's annual list of countries determined to be not cooperating fully with U.S. antiterrorism efforts pursuant to Section 40A of the Arms Export Control Act. U.S. officials have expressed concerns over the past several years about Venezuela's lack of cooperation on antiterrorism efforts, its relations with Iran, and potential support for Colombian terrorist groups, although improved Venezuelan-Colombian relations have resulted in closer cooperation on antiterrorism and counter-narcotics efforts and border security."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Sullivan, Mark P.; Beittel, June S.

  2013-04-05