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Bahrain: Reform, Security, and U.S. Policy

Description: This report discusses the current state of Bahrain, which has undergone substantial political reforms since the late 1990s, but which still suffers from tension between the Shiite majority and the Sunni-led government. This report focuses particularly on Bahrain's relationship with Iran and Bahrain's relationship with the United States.
Date: December 18, 2009
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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U.S. Public Diplomacy: Background and Current Issues

Description: This report discusses background information on U.S. public diplomacy, the current structure of public diplomacy within the Department of State as well as its budget and personnel levels, overview of some of the major related policy issues, and proposed legislation intended to reform and improve U.S. public diplomacy.
Date: December 18, 2009
Creator: Nakamura, Kennon H. & Weed, Matthew C.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Iraq: Politics, Elections, and Benchmarks

Description: This report provides an overview of Iraq's political transition from the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein to a plural polity that encompasses varying sects and ideological and political factions. This report also addresses ongoing governmental instabilities and their causes, as well as U.S. concerns about possible Iranian influence in Iraq as U.S. forces depart the country.
Date: November 18, 2009
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Qatar: Background and U.S. Relations

Description: This report presents an overview of Qatar's history and recent economic and political developments. The report discusses U.S. relations with Qatar, U.S. military cooperation and foreign assistance, political reform and elections, as well as human rights and social issues.
Date: November 18, 2009
Creator: Blanchard, Christopher M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Strategic Arms Control After START: Issues and Options

Description: The United States and Soviet Union signed the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty in 1991; it entered into force in December 1994 and expired in December 2009. This report provides background information about the START Treaty and reviews the discussions about a possible successor to START. It also presents a range of alternatives that the United States and Russia might consider if they choose to follow START with a new framework for the arms control process.
Date: November 18, 2009
Creator: Woolf, Amy F.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Iran's Nuclear Program: Status

Description: This report looks at the background of Iran's nuclear policy. It covers the current status of Iran's nuclear facilities, and current controversy surrounding them, as well as the effects of international sanctions on Iran, recent sabotages on the Iran Enrichment Program, an estimated timeline of Iran's nuclear weapon capabilities, and whether or not Iran even has a nuclear weapons program.
Date: September 18, 2009
Creator: Kerr, Paul K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Brazil-U.S. Relations

Description: This report analyzes Brazil's political, economic, and social conditions, and how those conditions affect its role in the region and its relationship with the United States.
Date: August 18, 2009
Creator: Meyer, Peter J. & Seelke, Clare Ribando
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Iran Sanctions

Description: This report focuses on the United States' relationship with Iran and how the Obama Administration is handling prior administrations' economic sanctions against Iran. The Obama Administration's policy approach toward Iran has contrasted with the Bush Administration's by attempting to couple the imposition of sanctions to an active and direct U.S. effort to negotiate with Iran on the nuclear issue.
Date: August 18, 2009
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Afghanistan and Pakistan Reconstruction Opportunity Zones (ROZs), H.R. 1318/H.R.1886/H.R. 2410 and S. 496: Issues and Arguments

Description: This report discusses legislation related to the Pakistan Enduring Assistance and Cooperation Enhancement Act (H.R. 1886), the Afghanistan-Pakistan Security and Prosperity Enhancement Act (H.R. 1318), and the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 2010 and 2011 (H.R. 2410). It also discusses the Afghanistan and Pakistan Reconstruction Opportunity Zones Act (S. 496). The report also discusses how this legislation represents a political and symbolic importance for U.S. relationships wi… more
Date: June 18, 2009
Creator: Bolle, Mary Jane
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Afghanistan: Narcotics and U.S. Policy

Description: Opium poppy cultivation and drug trafficking have eroded Afghanistan's fragile political and economic order over the last 30 years. This report provides current statistical information, profiles the narcotics trade's participants, explores linkages between narcotics, insecurity, and corruption, and reviews U.S. and international policy responses since late 2001. The report also considers ongoing policy debates regarding the counternarcotics role of coalition military forces, poppy eradication, … more
Date: June 18, 2009
Creator: Blanchard, Christopher M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Afghanistan: Post-Taliban Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy

Description: This report discusses the current political state of Afghanistan, focusing particularly on the influence of the Taliban and other militant groups and on the leadership of Afghan President Hamid Karzai. This report also discusses the U.S.-Afghanistan relationship and U.S. efforts under the Obama Administration to provide military, reconstructive, and stabilization aid.
Date: June 18, 2009
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The European Union: Questions and Answers

Description: This report provides a brief overview of the European Union (EU), an economic and political partnership between 27 sovereign member states. The report describes the formation of the EU, the three main institutions of the EU, and the EU's relationship with the United States.
Date: May 18, 2009
Creator: Archick, Kristin & Mix, Derek E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Middle East Elections 2009: Lebanon, Iran, Afghanistan, and Iraq

Description: This report provides an overview of the election contests in Lebanon, Iran, Afghanistan, and Iraq, including possible outcomes and implications for U.S. policy. The strategic influence of Iran in the Middle East, the stability of Iraq, and the ongoing war in Afghanistan are at the forefront of U.S. policy and Congressional interest in the region.
Date: May 18, 2009
Creator: Addis, Casey L. & Katzman, Kenneth
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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El Salvador: Political, Economic, and Social Conditions and U.S. Relations

Description: This report discusses the state of the El Salvadoran government and recently elected President Mauricio Funes. This report also discusses the relationship between El Salvador and the United States, notably U.S. efforts to restore democracy and initiate economic reform in El Salvador. This report also briefly addresses the effects of the current financial crisis on El Salvador's economy, poverty levels, and crime rates.
Date: March 18, 2009
Creator: Seelke, Clare Ribando & Meyer, Peter J.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Somalia: Current Conditions and Prospects for a Lasting Peace

Description: This report discusses the political climate of Somalia, which has undergone extreme unrest for years. The report focuses on events since October 2002. The report also discusses the U.S. relationship with Somalia under the Obama Administration, including U.S. economic assistance given to Somalia and U.S. efforts to contain Somalian terrorist groups.
Date: February 18, 2009
Creator: Dagne, Ted
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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