| Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty: Background and Current Developments |
23-Nov-2009 |
|
| Authors:
Jonathan Medalia; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
 | A comprehensive nuclear-test-ban treaty (CTBT) is the oldest item on the nuclear arms control agenda. Three treaties currently bar all but underground tests with a maximum force equal to 150,000 tons of TNT. The Natural Resources Defense Council states the United States conducted 1,030 nuclear tests, the Soviet Union 715, the United Kingdom 45, France 210, and China 45. The last U.S. test was held in 1992; Russia claims it ... |
|
| Strategic Arms Control After START: Issues and Options |
18-Nov-2009 |
|
| Authors:
Amy F Woolf; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| The United States and Soviet Union signed the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty in 1991; it entered into force in December 1994 and is due to expire in December 2009. The United States and Russia have held several meetings to discuss options for continuing their arms control relationship. They are currently negotiating a new Treaty that would replace START. START counts each deployed ICBM, SLBM, bomber as a single delivery vehicle ... |
|
| Iran's Nuclear Program: Tehran's Compliance with International Obligations |
17-Nov-2009 |
|
| Authors:
Paul K Kerr; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| In 2002, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) began investigating allegations that Iran had conducted clandestine nuclear activities. Ultimately, the agency reported that some of these activities had violated Tehran's IAEA safeguards agreement. The IAEA has not stated definitively that Iran has pursued nuclear weapons, but has also not yet been able to conclude that the country's nuclear program is exclusively for peaceful purposes. The IAEA Board of Governors referred ... |
|
| Strategic Arms Control After START: Issues and Options |
09-Oct-2009 |
|
| Authors:
Amy F Woolf; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| The United States and Soviet Union signed the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty in 1991; it entered into force in December 1994 and is due to expire in December 2009. The United States and Russia have held several meetings to discuss options for continuing their arms control relationship. They are currently negotiating a new Treaty that would replace START. START counts each deployed ICBM, SLBM, bomber as a single delivery vehicle ... |
|
| Iran's Nuclear Program: Tehran's Compliance with International Obligations |
01-Oct-2009 |
|
| Authors:
Paul K Kerr; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| In 2002, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) began investigating allegations that Iran had conducted clandestine nuclear activities. Ultimately, the agency reported that some of these activities had violated Tehran's IAEA safeguards agreement. The IAEA has not stated definitively that Iran has pursued nuclear weapons, but has also not yet been able to conclude that the country's nuclear program is exclusively for peaceful purposes. The IAEA Board of Governors referred ... |
|
| Taiwan: Major U.S. Arms Sales Since 1990 |
24-Sep-2009 |
|
| Authors:
Shirley A Kan; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| This report, updated as warranted, discusses U.S. security assistance to Taiwan, or Republic of China (ROC), including policy issues for Congress and legislation. Congress has oversight of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), P.L. 96-8, which has governed arms sales to Taiwan since 1979, when the United States recognized the People's Republic of China (PRC) instead of the ROC. Two other relevant parts of the one China policy are the August ... |
|
| Interrogation of Detainees: Requirements of the Detainee Treatment Act |
26-Aug-2009 |
|
| Authors:
Michael J Garcia; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| U.S. treatment of enemy combatants and terrorist suspects captured in Afghanistan, Iraq, and other locations has been a subject of long-standing debate, including whether such treatment complies with U.S. statutes and treaties such as the 1949 Geneva Conventions and the U.N. Convention Against Torture (CAT). In response to this controversy, Congress approved additional guidelines concerning the treatment of detainees via the Detainee Treatment Act (DTA), which was enacted pursuant to ... |
|
| Nonstrategic Nuclear Weapons |
10-Aug-2009 |
|
| Authors:
Amy F Woolf; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| Analysts have identified a number of issues with the continued deployment of U.S. and Russian nonstrategic nuclear weapons. These include questions about the safety and security of Russia's weapons and the possibility that some might be lost, stolen, or sold to another nation or group; questions about the role of these weapons in U.S. and Russian security policy, and the likelihood that either nation might use these weapons in a ... |
|
| U.S. Strategic Nuclear Forces: Background, Developments, and Issues |
14-Jul-2009 |
|
| Authors:
Army F Woolf; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| During the Cold War, the U.S. nuclear arsenal contained many types of delivery vehicles for nuclear weapons. The longer range systems, which included long-range missiles based on U.S. territory, long-range missiles based on submarines, and heavy bombers that could threaten Soviet targets from their bases in the United States, are known as strategic nuclear delivery vehicles. At the end of the Cold War, in 1991, the United States deployed more ... |
|
| U.S. Accession to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations? Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) |
13-Jul-2009 |
|
| Authors:
Wayne M Morrison; Mark E Manyin; Michael J Garcia; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| In February 2009, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced that the Obama Administration would launch its formal interagency process to pursue accession to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations' (ASEAN) Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC), one of the ten-nation organization's core documents. The Administration reportedly hopes to announce its accession at the ASEAN Regional Forum Foreign Ministerial meeting July 22-23, 2009. This report analyzes the legal and diplomatic ... |
|
| Strategic Arms Control After START: Issues and Options |
09-Jul-2009 |
|
| Authors:
Amy F Woolf; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| The United States and Soviet Union signed the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty in 1991; it entered into force in December 1994 and is due to expire in December 2009. The United States and Russia have held several meetings to discuss options for continuing their arms control relationship. They are currently negotiating a new Treaty that would replace START. START counts each deployed ICBM, SLBM, bomber as a single delivery vehicle ... |
|
| The Impact on Strategic Stability of Ballistic Missile Defense in Eastern Europe |
12-Jun-2009 |
169 pages |
| Authors:
Derek F Schin; ARMY COMMAND AND GENERAL STAFF COLL FORT LEAVENWORTH KS
|
 | While the United States and Russia have many disagreements, very few of these affect nuclear weapon policy. One that has recently done so, however, is the argument over ballistic missile defense systems in Europe. The United States has signed bilateral missile defense agreements with both Poland and the Czech Republic, but neither country has yet ratified the agreements. The uncertainty of the future of these systems, Russia's opposition to them, ... |
|
| Diverging Roads: 21st-Century U.S.-Thai Defense Relations (Strategic Forum, Number 241, June 2009) |
Jun-2009 |
9 pages |
| Authors:
Lewis M Stern; NATIONAL DEFENSE UNIV WASHINGTON DC INST FOR NATIONAL STRATEGIC STUDIES
|
| The 175th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Amity and Commerce in 2008 was seized by both Thailand and the United States as a reason for celebrating a long and mutually beneficial treaty alliance. This alliance has been defined by the shared though not uncomplicated commitment to democracy and human rights, and the common interest in free and fair trade, all of which inform the tradition of bilateral ... |
|
| China's Maritime Quest |
Jun-2009 |
4 pages |
| Authors:
David Lai; ARMY WAR COLL STRATEGIC STUDIES INST CARLISLE BARRACKS PA
|
| The Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) turned 60 on April 23, 2009. China held an unprecedented celebration on this occasion. For the first time in its history, China invited foreign navies to the PLAN's birthday event. Yet behind the smiling faces, the world saw an ambitious Chinese navy eager to edge its way to the center stage of world maritime affairs. At the strategic level, China has raised the ... |
|
| El Salvador and Guatemala: Security Sector Reform and Political Party System Effects on Organized Crime |
Jun-2009 |
101 pages |
| Authors:
Patrick J Moran; NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA
|
| Since the signing of peace treaties in El Salvador and Guatemala in 1992 and 1996 respectively, both countries have experienced exploding levels of crime and violence as a result of gangs, drug trafficking organizations, and organized crime. Because both nations share many common traits, a general perception is that the causes and effects of criminal activity are similar in both countries. The patterns, causes, and effects of criminal activity, however, ... |
|
| The Collins Center Update. Volume 11, Issue 3, April-June 2009 |
Jun-2009 |
5 pages |
| Authors:
John Auger; Dennis M Murphy; Kevin J Cogan; William O Waddell; James Kievit; Bernard E Griffard; John A Mowchan; ARMY WAR COLL CARLISLE BARRACKS PA CENTER FOR STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP
|
| This Issue contains the following articles: 1) Unified Quest 2009; 2) Talking the Talk: Why Warfighters Don't Understand Information Operations; 3) U.S. Army Central 2009 Land Forces Symposium: Land Forces' Challenges in a Full Spectrum Environment; 4) Allied Rapid Reaction Corps Public Affairs Symposium; 5) The Militarization of the Collective Security Treaty Organization; 6) Presentations on Command and Control. |
|
| The 'Torture Memos': A Failure of Strategic Leadership |
11-May-2009 |
37 pages |
| Authors:
K Krewer; ARMY WAR COLL CARLISLE BARRACKS PA
|
| This paper examines the development of U.S. interrogation policy, beginning with initial determinations concerning the application of the Geneva Conventions and continuing through several Department of Justice opinions collectively known as the torture memos. The paper examines the influence of these memos on policy formulation. The memos are reviewed in light of professional standards for attorneys and applicable international treaties, customary rules for prisoner treatment, and constitutional provisions relating to ... |
|
| Israel: Background and Relations with the United States |
02-Apr-2009 |
|
| Authors:
Carol Migadalovitz; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| On May 14, 1948, the State of Israel declared its independence and was immediately engaged in a war with all of its neighbors. Armed conflict has marked every decade of Israel's existence. Despite its unstable regional environment, Israel has developed a vibrant parliamentary democracy, albeit with relatively fragile governments. Early national elections were held on February 10, 2009. Although the Kadima Party placed first, parties holding 65 seats in the ... |
|
| A Nuclear Energy Renaissance: Challenges to Nuclear Weapon Nonproliferation |
30-Mar-2009 |
32 pages |
| Authors:
David A LaGraffe; ARMY WAR COLL CARLISLE BARRACKS PA
|
| The potential for explosive growth in the world's utilization of nuclear energy is looming on the horizon. Energy security and environmental concerns about burning fossil fuels are driving what could be the biggest expansion in nuclear power since the 1960s. This significant expansion, while beneficial to the world's nations, carries the risk of a rapid expansion in the number of nuclear weapons-capable nations. This is a real threat to future ... |
|
| Egypt: Background and U.S. Relations |
26-Mar-2009 |
|
| Authors:
Jeremy M Sharp; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| This report provides an overview of Egyptian politics and current issues in U.S.-Egyptian relations. It briefly provides a political history of modern Egypt, an overview of its political institutions, and a discussion of the prospects for democratization in Egypt. This report will be updated regularly. U.S. policy toward Egypt is aimed at maintaining regional stability, improving bilateral relations, continuing military cooperation, and sustaining the March 1979 Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty. Successive ... |
|
| NATO Enlargement: Why or Why Not? |
26-Mar-2009 |
40 pages |
| Authors:
Eric G Clayburn; ARMY WAR COLL CARLISLE BARRACKS PA
|
| The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was originally created in 1949 with twelve founding nations. The alliance currently has expanded to twenty-six members with two additional nations accepted and awaiting ratification from member nations while a third nation is close to acceptance. The original twelve member alliance is approaching thirty members. Enlargement of the alliance is open to all European nations and based on Article 10 of the Washington Treaty. ... |
|
| Mexico and Trilateral Air Defense, Is NORAD the Answer? |
20-Feb-2009 |
42 pages |
| Authors:
Greg Fernandez; ARMY WAR COLL STRATEGIC STUDIES INST CARLISLE BARRACKS PA
|
| Seven years following the worst asymmetric air attack in U.S. history, the time is right for a fresh examination of U.S. air defense strategy. The optimum solution to the air defense problem is defeating the threat as far from U.S. borders as possible. As a bilateral treaty with Canada, NORAD expands the umbrella of U.S. air defense thousands of miles to the north by utilizing Canadian air defense capabilities. However, ... |
|
| The United States' Use of Harsh Interrogation Practices |
20-Feb-2009 |
14 pages |
| Authors:
A J Goldberg; MARINE CORPS COMMAND AND STAFF COLL QUANTICO VA
|
| Since 9/11, American policy has been ambiguous regarding standards for gathering military intelligence in the context of interrogation techniques. American policy makers and the general public have disputed the use of aggressive interrogation methods for military intelligence. Public concern has heightened awareness of abuse by U.S. personnel at Abu Ghraib Prison and Guantanamo Bay and has led many to question the legality of such interrogations. The legislative, executive, and judicial ... |
|
| Strategic Arms Control After START: Issues and Options |
12-Feb-2009 |
|
| Authors:
Amy F Woolf; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| The United States and Soviet Union signed the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty in 1991; it entered into force in December 1994 and is due to expire in December 2009. The United States and Russia have held several meetings to discuss options for continuing their arms control relationship, but have not agreed on whether to extend START or how to replace it. START counts each deployed ICBM, SLBM, bomber as a ... |
|
| Arms Control and Nonproliferation: A Catalog of Treaties and Agreements |
10-Feb-2009 |
|
| Authors:
Mary Beth Nikitin; Amy F Woolf; Paul K Kerr; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| Arms control and nonproliferation efforts are two of the tools that have occasionally been used to implement U.S. national security strategy. Although some believe these tools do little to restrain the behavior of U.S. adversaries, while doing too much to restrain U.S. military forces and operations, many other analysts see them as an effective means to promote transparency, ease military planning, limit forces, and protect against uncertainty and surprise. Arms ... |
|
| Alliance Reborn: An Atlantic Compact for the 21st Century. The Washington NATO Project |
Feb-2009 |
83 pages |
| Authors:
Hans Binnendijk; James Townsend; Charles Barry; Julianne Smith; Daniel Hamilton; Stephen Flanagan; ATLANTIC COUNCIL OF THE UNITED STATES WASHINGTON DC
|
| In fall 2008 four U.S. think tanks - the Atlantic Council of the United States; the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS); the Center for Technology and National Security Policy (CTNSP) at the National Defense University (NDU); and the Center for Transatlantic Relations (CTR) at Johns Hopkins University's Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) - launched the Washington NATO Project to spark debate before and after ... |
|
| Alliance Reborn: An Atlantic Compact for the 21st Century. The Washington NATO Project. Executive Summary |
Feb-2009 |
7 pages |
| Authors:
ATLANTIC COUNCIL OF THE UNITED STATES WASHINGTON DC
|
| We have an open but fleeting moment to forge a more effective Atlantic partnership. We must seize it now. European and North American allies have allowed their relations become discordant, yet the times demand vigor and unity. Courageous decisions need to be taken to breathe new life and relevance into the Atlantic partnership, which must be recast to tackle a diverse range of serious challenges at home and abroad. Reaching ... |
|
| World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Treaty on the Protection of Broadcasting Organizations |
27-Jan-2009 |
|
| Authors:
Margaret M Lee; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| Existing international agreements relevant to broadcasting protections do not cover advancements in broadcasting technology that were not envisioned when they were concluded. Therefore, in 1998 the Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR) of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) decided to negotiate and draft a new treaty that would extend protection to new methods of broadcasting. The SCCR has not yet achieved consensus on a text. In recent ... |
|
| Interrogation of Detainees: Requirements of the Detainee Treatment Act |
23-Jan-2009 |
|
| Authors:
Michael J Garcia; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| U.S. treatment of enemy combatants and terrorist suspects captured in Afghanistan, Iraq, and other locations has been a subject of long-standing debate, including whether such treatment complies with U.S. statutes and treaties such as the 1949 Geneva Conventions and the Convention Against Torture (CAT). In response to this controversy, Congress approved additional guidelines concerning the treatment of detainees via the Detainee Treatment Act (DTA), which was enacted pursuant to both ... |
|
| Renditions: Constraints Imposed by Laws on Torture |
22-Jan-2009 |
|
| Authors:
Michael J Garcia; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| Persons suspected of criminal or terrorist activity may be transferred from one State (i.e., country) to another for arrest, detention, and/or interrogation. Commonly, this is done through extradition, by which one State surrenders a person within its jurisdiction to a requesting State via a formal legal process, typically established by treaty. Far less often, such transfers are effectuated through a process known as extraordinary rendition or irregular rendition. These terms ... |
|
| NATO Enlargement: Senate Advice and Consent |
16-Jan-2009 |
|
| Authors:
Michael J Garcia; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| Each enlargement of NATO has raised the question of whether Senate advice and consent is necessary. The North Atlantic Treaty itself simply provides that any enlargement must be approved by all of the member states in accordance with their respective constitutional processes. In giving its advice and consent to the treaty in 1949, the Senate did not impose a formal condition regarding its participation in future enlargements of NATO. But ... |
|
| America's Strategic Posture: The Final Report of the Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States. Advance Copy |
Jan-2009 |
181 pages |
| Authors:
John Foster; Ellen Williams; Morton Halperin; John Glenn; Ketih Payne; Fred Ikle; Harry Cartland; William J Perry; Bruce Tarter; James R Schlesinger; Lee Hamilton; James Woolsey; UNITED STATES INST OF PEACE WASHINGTON DC
|
| Congress authorized the formation of a commission to conduct a review of the strategic posture of the United States and to make recommendations on how to move forward. Congress then appointed a 12-person bipartisan group to conduct this review. The report proceeds as follows. It begins with a review of the security environment. Chapter 1 describes how that environment has evolved over recent decades and highlights the key factors in ... |
|
| Nuclear Heuristics: Selected Writings of Albert and Roberta Wohlstetter |
Jan-2009 |
684 pages |
| Authors:
Henry Sokolski; Robert Zarate; NONPROLIFERATION POLICY EDUCATION CENTER WASHINGTON DC
|
| This publication is an edited volume of Albert and Roberta Wohlstetters' key writings relating to nuclear proliferation and national security affairs, with commentaries by the Wohlstetters' colleagues and students. It also serves as a testament to the continuing relevance of the work of Albert and Roberta Wohlstetter in the fields of nuclear and security policy analysis. Albert and Roberta wrote hundreds of articles and studies on U.S. policy on the ... |
|
| Toward Cooperation or Conflict on the Moon? Considering Lunar Governance in Historical Perspective |
Jan-2009 |
23 pages |
| Authors:
James C Moltz; NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA DEPT OF NATIONAL SECURITY AFFAIRS
|
| The question of how the moon will be governed once humans return to it in about a decade and begin to establish permanent bases matters greatly to the future of international security. Already, a range of major powers have plans to participate in the moon's further scientific exploration, commercial exploitation, and possible permanent settlement. If we count both manned and robotic activities, this list currently includes the United States, China, ... |
|
| The Logic of the Nuclear Arsenal |
Jan-2009 |
15 pages |
| Authors:
Adam Lowther; AIR UNIV MAXWELL AFB AL AIR FORCE RESEARCH INST
|
| With the historic election of Barack Obama, the United States is likely to see an equally historic review of nuclear weapons policy. In 2009 alone, the new administration will undertake a nuclear posture review (NPR), expected in early 2010, and oversee the expiration or renegotiation of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), which expires 5 Dec 2009. Mr. Obama also will be responsible for ensuring compliance with obligations in the ... |
|
| Asymmetric Interdependence: Do America and Europe Need Each Other? |
Jan-2009 |
16 pages |
| Authors:
Beate Neuss; CHEMNITZ UNIV OF TECHNOLOGY (GERMANY)
|
| Under President Obama, the transatlantic allies are largely of one view about the tasks and threats that lie ahead in the 21st century. In the search for a correlation of interests -- whether it be in combating terrorism, shaping the world's financial systems, formulating climate policy, or dealing with matters of human rights, nonproliferation, or Middle East policy -- it soon becomes evident that there exists a greater congruency of ... |
|
| Strategic Arms Control After START: Issues and Options |
23-Dec-2008 |
|
| Authors:
Amy F Woolf; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| The United States and Soviet Union signed the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty in 1991; it entered into force in December 1994 and is due to expire in December 2009. The United States and Russia have held several meetings to discuss options for continuing their arms control relationship, but have not agreed on whether to extend START or how to replace it. START counts each deployed ICBM, SLBM, bomber as a ... |
|
| A Generation of Peace in the Sinai |
17-Dec-2008 |
35 pages |
| Authors:
Benjamin J Corell; ARMY WAR COLL CARLISLE BARRACKS PA
|
| Israel has faced persistent conflict from multiple external threats since its inception as a nation. Working collectively and over time, these external threats have overtly and covertly focused on isolating, weakening, and destroying the Israeli state. For a significant period of time, one of the major threats poised against Israel came from the nation of Egypt. Why is it that there now seems to be a sustained peace between the ... |
|
| The Persian Complex: A Centuries-Old Quest for Respect. Political Cultural and Religious Antecedents of the Iranian Worldview |
04-Dec-2008 |
|
| Authors:
Mary Ellen Connell; Julia V McQuaid; CENTER FOR NAVAL ANALYSES ALEXANDRIA VA
|
| In September 2008, CNA convened several of the country's leading experts on Persian history and contemporary Iran for a workshop to examine some of the factors shaping Iranians' view of themselves and of the West. In Iran, the past is very much present-tangibly, in the pre-Islamic and Islamic monuments, which are among the world's cultural treasures, and metaphorically, in the collective consciousness. Workshop speakers first focused on two aspects of ... |
|
| A Nuclear Iran: Does This Change Everything? |
31-Oct-2008 |
30 pages |
| Authors:
David W Bliesner; NAVAL WAR COLL NEWPORT RI JOINT MILITARY OPERATIONS DEPT
|
| Despite the relentless use of diplomatic, information, and economic instruments of power, it appears Iran is determined to enter the nuclear club as soon as possible. Iran has the motive, will, and know how to build and deliver a nuclear weapon. Its current intransigence in the face of international pressure seems to be aimed at giving Iran the one element it still needs, time. Engaging with the military instrument of ... |
|
| The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW): Congressional Issues |
28-Oct-2008 |
|
| Authors:
Luisa Blanchfield; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| The U.N. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women calls for Parties to eliminate discrimination against women in all areas of life, including healthcare, education, employment, domestic relations, law, commercial transactions, and political participation. As of February 15, 2008, the Convention was ratified or acceded to by 185 countries. President Jimmy Carter submitted the Convention to the Senate in 1980. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee held ... |
|
| Cyprus: Status of U.N. Negotiations and Related Issues |
02-Oct-2008 |
|
| Authors:
Carol Migdalovitz; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| Cyprus has been divided since 1974. Greek Cypriots, 76% of the population, live in the southern two-thirds of the island and lead the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus. Turkish Cypriots, 19% of the populace, live in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), recognized only by Turkey, with about 36,000 Turkish troops providing security. United Nations peacekeeping forces (UNFICYP) maintain a buffer zone between the two. Since the late 1970s, ... |
|
| Taiwan: Major U.S. Arms Sales Since 1990 |
25-Sep-2008 |
|
| Authors:
Shirley Kan; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| This report, updated as warranted, discusses U.S. security assistance to Taiwan, or Republic of China (ROC), including policy issues for Congress and legislation. Congress has oversight of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), P.L. 96-8, which has governed arms sales to Taiwan since 1979, when the United States recognized the People s Republic of China (PRC) instead of the ROC. Two other relevant parts of the "one China" policy are the ... |
|
| Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty: Background and Current Developments |
18-Sep-2008 |
|
| Authors:
Jonathan Medalia; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| A comprehensive nuclear-test-ban treaty (CTBT) is the oldest item on the nuclear arms control agenda. Three treaties currently bar all but underground tests with a maximum force equal to 150,000 tons of TNT. The Natural Resources Defense Council states the United States conducted 1,030 nuclear tests, the Soviet Union 715, the United Kingdom 45, France 210, and China 45. The last U.S. test was held in 1992; Russia claims it ... |
|
| Israel: Background and Relations With the United States |
08-Sep-2008 |
|
| Authors:
Carol Migdalovitz; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| On May 14, 1948, the State of Israel declared its independence and was immediately engaged in a war with all of its neighbors. Armed conflict has marked every decade of Israel's existence. Despite its unstable regional environment, Israel has developed a vibrant parliamentary democracy, albeit with relatively fragile governments. The Kadima Party placed first in the March 28, 2006, Knesset (parliament) election; Prime Minister Ehud Olmert formed a coalition government. ... |
|
| Getting Ready for Arctic Operations |
Sep-2008 |
7 pages |
| Authors:
Kurt A Hansen; Michael Inman; Michael Cerne; COAST GUARD RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER GROTON CT
|
| Currently the U.S. Coast Guard has no personnel or facilities permanently assigned north of the Arctic Circle. As the ice cover is reduced, the resulting additional shipping will require the performance of missions in areas never seen before. Before this happens, analysis needs to be done to determine how the service can best organize and execute its missions. The first major steps are being taken this year to determine what ... |
|
| A Crossroads of Military and Economic Interests |
Jul-2008 |
50 pages |
| Authors:
OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT VICE CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS WASHINGTON DC
|
| CONCLUSION: Cooperative Maritime Strategy focuses on: Opportunities -- not fear * Confidence -- not doubt. We can not meet 21st Century challenges alone -- We must rely on our maritime partners. Cooperative Maritime Strategy is a living document -- Must grow and evolve to meet future threats. |
|
| Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA): What Is It, and How Might One Be Utilized In Iraq |
16 JUN 2008 |
|
| Authors:
R. C. Mason; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE
|
| The United States has been party to multilateral and bilateral agreements addressing the status of U.S. armed forces while present in a foreign country. These agreements, commonly referred to as Status of Forces Agreements (SOFAs), generally establish the framework under which U.S. military personnel operate in a foreign country, addressing how the domestic laws of the foreign jurisdiction shall be applied toward U.S. personnel while in that country. In light ... |
|
| China's Anti-Satellite Test: A Precursor to Challenge U.S. Freedom to Maneuver in Space? |
13 JUN 2008 |
131 pages |
| Authors:
Fredrick W. Mahler; ARMY COMMAND AND GENERAL STAFF COLL FORT LEAVENWORTH KS
|
| On January 11, 2007, the People's Republic of China (PRC) launched a direct-ascent anti-satellite (ASAT) weapon and destroyed one of their satellites. Uncovering Chinese motivations for this action has been problematic because the Chinese government has given virtually no explanation for this act. China seems to be actively attempting to challenge other nations' freedom to maneuver in space. Thus, the central research question of this thesis is as follows: Is ... |
|
| Challenges of Regional Collective Security: Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Standby Force: A Case Study |
13 JUN 2008 |
71 pages |
| Authors:
Miftah O. Ibrahim; ARMY COMMAND AND GENERAL STAFF COLL FORT LEAVENWORTH KS
|
| Disputes and civil wars, with the attendant breakdown of law and order, and dire consequences for peace, security, and development, continue to plague the continent of Africa. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is a regional grouping of 16 West African countries founded on May 28, 1975, to promote cooperation and integration through the establishment of an economic union in West Africa to raise the living standards of ... |
|
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