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Osama bin Laden's Death: Implications and Considerations

Description: This report discusses issues and questions related to the killing of Osama bin Laden (OBL), which are multifaceted and may have operational, regional, and policy implications. Operational policy issues include congressional notification, legal considerations, and current and future military activities.
Date: May 5, 2011
Creator: Rollins, John
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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2012-2013 Presidential Election Period: National Security Considerations and Options

Description: This report discusses historical national security-related presidential transition activities, provides a representative sampling of national security issues a new Administration may encounter, and offers considerations and options relevant to each of the five phases of the presidential election period. Each phase has distinct challenges and opportunities for the incoming Administration, the outgoing Administration, and Congress. This report is intended to provide a framework for national secur… more
Date: October 5, 2012
Creator: Rollins, John
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Cybersecurity: Current Legislation, Executive Branch Initiatives, and Options for Congress

Description: This report identifies cybersecurity policy issues that have been proposed for priority consideration. The report lists and synopsizes current legislation that has been developed to address various aspects of the cybersecurity problem. It then lists the current status of the legislation and compares legislation with existing executive branch initiatives. Finally, analysis of information contained in executive branch initiatives and congressional legislation is used to further highlight related … more
Date: January 12, 2010
Creator: Theohary, Catherine A. & Rollins, John
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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U.S. Citizens Kidnapped by the Islamic State

Description: This report briefly discusses the Islamic State's (IS, or alternatively, Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, ISIL, or Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, ISIS) kidnapping of American citizens and the implications for congressional response.
Date: October 17, 2014
Creator: Rollins, John W. & Rosen, Liana
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Terrorism and Transnational Crime: Foreign Policy Issues for Congress

Description: This report provides an overview of transnational security issues related to patterns of interaction among international terrorist and crime groups. In addition, the report discusses the U.S. government's perception of and response to the threat. It concludes with an analysis of foreign policy options.
Date: June 11, 2013
Creator: Rollins, John & Wyler, Liana Sun
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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International Terrorism and Transnational Crime: Security Threats, U.S. Policy, and Considerations for Congress

Description: This report provides a primer on the confluence of transnational terrorist and criminal groups and related activities abroad. It evaluates possible motivations and disincentives for cooperation between terrorist and criminal organizations, variations in the scope of crime-terrorism links, and the types of criminal activities--fundraising, material and logistics support, and exploitation of corruption and gaps in the rule of law--used by terrorist organizations to sustain operations.
Date: March 18, 2010
Creator: Rollins, John & Wyler, Liana Sun
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Terrorism and Transnational Crime: Foreign Policy Issues for Congress

Description: This report provides an overview of transnational security issues related to patterns of interaction among international terrorist and crime groups. In addition, the report discusses the U.S. government's perception of and response to the threat. It concludes with an analysis of foreign policy options.
Date: October 19, 2012
Creator: Rollins, John & Wyler, Liana Sun
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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NSA Surveillance Leaks: Background and Issues for Congress

Description: This report discusses the specifics of these two NSA collection programs. The first program collects in bulk the phone records--including the number that was dialed from, the number that was dialed to, and the date and duration of the call--of customers of Verizon and possibly other U.S. telephone service providers. The second program targets the electronic communications, including content, of foreign targets overseas whose communications flow through American networks.
Date: September 4, 2013
Creator: Rollins, John W. & Liu, Edward C.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The 2016 Olympic Games: Health, Security, Environmental, and Doping Issues

Description: This report discusses a variety of issues might pose risks to the health, safety, and general well-being of athletes and their families, team personnel, and spectators participating in or attending the 2016 Olympic Games. Chief among these are the Zika virus, public safety threats, security concerns, and environmental conditions. The report also discusses the possible implications of hosting the Olympics for Brazil and the issue of doping.
Date: August 8, 2016
Creator: Halchin, L. Elaine & Rollins, John W.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Cyberwarfare and Cyberterrorism: In Brief

Description: This report discusses current domestic legal framework surrounding cyber warfare and cyber terrorism. It also points out cyber warfare ecosystem and Use of the Military: Offensive Cyberspace Operations.
Date: March 27, 2015
Creator: Theohary, Catherine A. & Rollins, John W.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Islamic State--Frequently Asked Questions: Threats, Global Implications, and U.S. Policy Responses

Description: With the attacks in Beirut, over Egypt, and in Paris, the Islamic State has demonstrated a transnational capability that suggests its strategic objectives and tactics have evolved. The response to these attacks by the United States and other nations continues to evolve as the threat posed by IS changes. This report poses frequently asked questions with answers excerpted from other CRS products.
Date: November 25, 2015
Creator: Rollins, John W. & Peters, Heidi M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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International Terrorism and Transnational Crime: Security Threats, U.S. Policy, and Considerations for Congress

Description: This report provides a primer on the confluence of transnational terrorist and criminal groups and related activities abroad. It evaluates possible motivations and disincentives for cooperation between terrorist and criminal organizations, variations in the scope of crime-terrorism links, and the types of criminal activities--fundraising, material and logistics support, and exploitation of corruption and gaps in the rule of law--used by terrorist organizations to sustain operations.
Date: January 5, 2010
Creator: Rollins, John; Wyler, Liana Sun & Rosen, Seth
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Stuxnet Computer Worm: Harbinger of an Emerging Warfare Capability

Description: In September 2010, media reports emerged about a new form of cyber attack that appeared to target Iran, although the actual target, if any, is unknown. This report discusses this cyber attack, a malicious software program known as Stuxnet, which infected computer systems that were used to control the functioning of a nuclear power plant. Once inside the system, Stuxnet had the ability to degrade or destroy the software on which it operated. Although early reports focused on the impact on facili… more
Date: December 9, 2010
Creator: Kerr, Paul K.; Rollins, John & Theohary, Catherine A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The 2013 Cybersecurity Executive Order: Overview and Considerations for Congress

Description: This report provides background information regarding the threats and consequences of cybersecurity. The federal legislative framework for cybersecurity is complex, with more than 50 statutes addressing various aspects of it either directly or indirectly.
Date: November 8, 2013
Creator: Fischer, Eric A.; Liu, Edward C.; Rollins, John W. & Theohary, Catherine A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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North Korean Cyber Capabilities: In Brief

Description: This report discusses how as North Korea has accelerated its missile and nuclear programs in spite of international sanctions, Congress and the Trump Administration have elevated North Korea to a top U.S. foreign policy priority. Legislation such as the North Korea Sanctions and Policy Enhancement Act of 2016 (P.L. 114-122) and international sanctions imposed by the United Nations Security Council have focused on North Korea's WMD and ballistic missile programs and human rights abuses. North Ko… more
Date: August 3, 2017
Creator: Chanlett-Avery, Emma; Rosen, Liana W.; Rollins, John W. & Theohary, Catherine A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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