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Iraq: Oil-for-Food Program, Illicit Trade, and Investigations

Description: The “oil-for-food” program (OFFP) was the centerpiece of a long-standing U.N. Security Council effort to alleviate human suffering in Iraq while maintaining key elements of the 1991 Gulf war-related sanctions regime. In order to ensure that Iraq remained contained and that only humanitarian needs were served by the program, the program imposed controls on Iraqi oil exports and humanitarian imports. All Iraqi oil revenues legally earned under the program were held in a U.N.-controlled escrow acc… more
Date: January 9, 2006
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth & Blanchard, Christopher M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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China/Taiwan: Evolution of the "One China" Policy - Key Statements from Washington, Beijing, and Taipei

Description: In Part I, this CRS report discusses the policy on “one China” since the United States began in 1971 to reach understandings with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) government in Beijing. Part II documents the evolution of the “one China” principle as articulated in key statements by Washington, Beijing, and Taipei. The U.S. policy on “one China” has evolved to cover three issues: sovereignty, peaceful resolution, and cross-strait dialogue.
Date: June 1, 2004
Creator: Kan, Shirley A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Russia

Description: Vladimir Putin won reelection as Russian President in March 2004, in an exercise in “managed democracy” in which he took 71% of the vote and faced no serious competition. The pro-Putin Unified Russia party similarly swept the parliamentary election in December 2003 and controls more than two-thirds of the seats in the Duma. Also in March, Putin replaced long-serving Premier Kasyanov with a little-known bureaucrat, Mikhail Fradkov, indicating Putin’s intent to take the reins of the government ev… more
Date: January 6, 2006
Creator: Goldman, Stuart D.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Syria: U.S. Relations and Bilateral Issues

Description: Syria, governed by President Hafiz al-Asad from 1970 until his death in June 2000, is a prominent player in the Middle East scene. Within the region, a number of borders disputes, problems of resource allocation, and political rivalries have caused frequent tensions between Syria and its neighbors. In particular, the Syrian Golan Heights territory, which Israel has occupied since 1967, has been one of the most intractable issues in the Arab-Israeli dispute.
Date: January 19, 2006
Creator: Prados, Alfred B.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Lebanon

Description: The United States and Lebanon continue to enjoy good relations. Prominent current issues between the United States and Lebanon include progress toward a Lebanon-Israel a peace treaty, U.S. aid to Lebanon, and Lebanon’s capacity to stop Hizballah militia attacks on Israel. The United States supports Lebanon’s independence and favored the end of Israeli and Syrian occupation of parts of Lebanon. Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon on May 23, 2000, and Syria completed withdrawing its forces on A… more
Date: January 19, 2006
Creator: Prados, Alfred B.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Bosnia: Overview of Issues Ten Years After Dayton

Description: On November 21-22, 2005, the United States will host a meeting with Bosnia’s collective leadership to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Dayton accords, an agreement brokered under U.S. leadership that ended the 1992-1995 conflict in Bosnia- Herzegovina. Since early 2005, the Bush Administration has given renewed emphasis to “unfinished business” in the western Balkan region, such as the unresolved status of Kosovo, a U.N.-run province of Serbia. The United States also seeks to bolster Bos… more
Date: November 14, 2005
Creator: Kim, Julie
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Ecuador: Political and Economic Situation and U.S. Relations

Description: In January 2003, Lucio Gutierrez of the Patriotic Society Party (PSP), a former army Colonel who was part of the junta that toppled the government of Jamil Mahuad in January 2000, became the country’s sixth president in seven years. Early in his presidency, President Gutierrez abandoned his populist rhetoric and adopted some market-friendly economic reforms in order to secure support from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). His power was severely limited, however, by opposition parties that … more
Date: January 11, 2005
Creator: Ribando, Clare
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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China's Currency: Brief Overview of U.S. Opinions

Description: Many are concerned that China’s currency is undervalued and that this injures the U.S. economy. The Chinese authorities say they are not manipulating their currency and they want to move as soon as possible to a market-based yuan. A new exchange rate procedure was announced in July 2005 but has not resulted in meaningful changes in the yuan’s international value. This report reviews the issues and discusses alternative approaches the United States might take to encourage more rapid reform.
Date: November 29, 2005
Creator: Sanford, Jonathan E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Moldova: Background and U.S. Policy

Description: This report provides information and analysis on Moldova, including its political and economic situation, foreign policy, and on U.S. policy toward Moldova.
Date: December 17, 2004
Creator: Woehrel, Steven
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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China and "Falun Gong"

Description: This report discusses the “Falun Gong” movement, which led to the largest and most protracted public demonstrations in China since the democracy movement of 1989. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) government, fearful of a political challenge and the spread of social unrest, outlawed Falun Gong in July 1999. Despite a massive government campaign against them and harsh punishments meted out to many followers, Falun Gong members continued to stage demonstrations for over two years.
Date: January 23, 2004
Creator: Lum, Thomas
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Internet Development and Information Control in the People's Republic of China

Description: Since its founding in 1949, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has exerted great effort in manipulating the flow of information and prohibiting the dissemination of viewpoints that criticize the government or stray from the official Communist party view. The introduction of Internet technology in the mid-1990’s presented a challenge to government control over news sources, and by extension, over public opinion. While the Internet has developed rapidly, broadened access to news, and facilitate… more
Date: November 22, 2005
Creator: Lau, Michelle W.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Drug Crop Eradication and Alternative Development in the Andes

Description: The United States has supported drug crop eradication and alternative development programs in the Andes for decades. Colombia, Bolivia, and Peru collectively produce nearly the entire global supply of cocaine. In addition, Colombia has become a producer of high quality heroin, most of it destined for the United States and Europe. The United States provides counternarcotics assistance through the Andean Counterdrug Initiative (ACI). The program supports a number of missions, including interdicti… more
Date: November 18, 2005
Creator: Veillette, Connie & Navarrete-Frías, Carolina
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Immunities Accorded to Foreign Diplomats, Consular Officers, and Employees of International Organizations Under U.S. Law

Description: This report describes the the privileges that are given to foreign diplomats, consular, and international organization personnel. It also summarizes the different privileges and exemptions for different organizations, with charts.
Date: November 8, 2005
Creator: Garcia, Michael John
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Libya: Background and U.S. Relations

Description: This report provides background information on Libya and U.S.-Libyan relations; profiles Libyan leader Muammar al Qadhafi; discusses Libya’s political and economic reform efforts; and reviews current issues of potential congressional interest.
Date: November 4, 2005
Creator: Blanchard, Christopher M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Homeland Security: Banking and Financial Infrastructure Continuity

Description: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has many responsibilities for ensuring the continuity of the “real” economy: production, distribution, and consumption of public and private goods and services. Other agencies, however, have long had similar responsibilities for the “financial” sectors of the economy, which interact with the sectors DHS oversees pursuant to P.L. 107-296. DHS has some responsibilities for financial sectors, directly and through Treasury Department links. Financial agenci… more
Date: December 10, 2004
Creator: Jackson, William D.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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U.S. Trade and Investment Relationship with Sub-Saharan Africa: The African Growth and Opportunity Act and Beyond

Description: Following the end of the apartheid era in South Africa in the early 1990s, the The United States sought to increase economic relations with sub-Saharan Africa. President Clinton instituted several measures that dealt with investment, debt relief, and trade. Congress required the President to develop a trade and development policy for Africa.
Date: October 19, 2005
Creator: Fergusson, Ian F. & Langton, Danielle
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Iraq: U.S. Regime Change Efforts and Post-Saddam Governance

Description: Operation Iraqi Freedom succeeded in overthrowing Saddam Hussein, but replacing his regime with a stable, moderate, democratic political structure has been complicated by Sunni Arab resentment and a related insurgency. The Bush Administration says that U.S. forces will remain in Iraq until the stated mission is complete: the establishment of a stable democracy that will not host radical Islamist forces and would serve as a model for democratic reform throughout the Middle East. However, a growi… more
Date: October 24, 2005
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Afghanistan: Post-War Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy

Description: The United States and its allies are helping Afghanistan emerging from more than 22 years of warfare, although substantial risk to Afghan stability remains. Before the U.S. military campaign against the orthodox Islamist Taliban movement began on October 7, 2001, Afghanistan had been mired in conflict since the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. The defeat of the Taliban has enabled the United States and its coalition partners to send forces throughout Afghanistan to search for Taliban and… more
Date: December 16, 2004
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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