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U.S. Citizens Kidnapped by the Islamic State

Description: This report briefly examines the kidnapping and killing of U.S. citizens by the terrorist group known as the Islamic State (IS).
Date: February 13, 2015
Creator: Rollins, John W. & Rosen, Liana
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Al Shabaab

Description: This report briefly examines Al Shabaab (aka Harakat Shabaab al Mujahidin, or Mujahidin Youth Movement) which is an insurgent and terrorist group that evolved out of a militant wing of Somalia’s Council of Islamic Courts in the mid-2000s.
Date: April 3, 2015
Creator: Ploch Blanchard, Lauren
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Foreign Heads of State Addressing Congress

Description: This report discusses the historical precedent for an addresses Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made before a joint meeting of Congress on March 3, 2015.
Date: February 27, 2015
Creator: Straus, Jacob R.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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In Re Terrorist Attacks on September 11, 2001: Claims Against Saudi Defendants Under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA)

Description: This report summarizes the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA) and jurisdiction in cases against foreign defendants and analyzes the court of appeals decision. It also discusses legislative efforts to address these issues(S. 1535 and H.R. 3143).
Date: January 22, 2015
Creator: Elsea, Jennifer K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Barriers Along the U.S. Borders: Key Authorities and Requirements

Description: This report discusses key statutory authorities and requirements governing the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) construction of barriers along the U.S. borders. It also includes appendixes listing federal laws that have been waived by DHS in furtherance of border construction projects.
Date: April 8, 2015
Creator: Garcia, Michael J.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Department of State and Foreign Operations Appropriations: A Fact Sheet on Legislation, FY1995-FY2015

Description: This report discusses the foreign affairs appropriations passed within the last 21 years; nearly all of them were passed within omnibus, consolidated, or full-year continuing resolutions, and usually after the start of the new fiscal year. Many foreign policy experts contend that stand-alone appropriation legislation would allow for a more rigorous debate on specific foreign policy activities. They also believe that the practice of delayed appropriations has constrained ongoing program operatin… more
Date: March 24, 2015
Creator: Epstein, Susan B.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)

Description: This report provides an overview of North American trade liberalization before NAFTA, an overview of NAFTA provisions, the economic effects of NAFTA, and policy considerations.
Date: April 16, 2015
Creator: Villarreal, M. Angeles & Fergusson, Ian F.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank

Description: This report discusses a new development bank, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), launched by China that is posing a challenge to U.S. policymakers.
Date: April 8, 2015
Creator: Weiss, Martin A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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European Security, Islamist Terrorism, and Returning Fighters

Description: This report discusses European concerns about Islamist terrorism, which have been heightened considerably by several attacks over the last year and the growing number of European citizens training and fighting with extremist groups in foreign conflicts (especially in Syria and Iraq).
Date: September 15, 2015
Creator: Archick, Kristin & Belkin, Paul
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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U.S. Foreign Assistance to the Middle East: Historical Background, Recent Trends, and the FY2016 Request

Description: This report is an overview of U.S. foreign assistance to the Middle East, including a brief historical review of foreign aid levels, a description of specific country programs, and an analysis of current foreign aid issues. The Middle East is perennially a major focus of interest as Congress exercises these powers.
Date: October 19, 2015
Creator: Sharp, Jeremy M. & Humud, Carla E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)

Description: This report provides an overview of North American trade liberalization before NAFTA, an overview of NAFTA provisions, the economic effects of NAFTA, and policy considerations.
Date: April 16, 2015
Creator: Villarreal, M. Angeles & Fergusson, Ian F.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
open access

European Fighters in Syria and Iraq: Assessments, Responses, and Issues for the United States

Description: This report discusses U.S. and European assessments of and responses to the foreign fighter phenomenon. It focuses on government policies primarily in Western European countries and analyzes EU measures to counter the foreign fighter threat given the EU's largely open internal borders and that 23 EU member states belong to the U.S. Visa Waiver Program.
Date: April 27, 2015
Creator: Archick, Kristin; Belkin, Paul; Blanchard, Christopher M.; Humud, Carla E. & Mix, Derek E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Cuba Sanctions: Legislative Restrictions Limiting the Normalization of Relations

Description: This report provides information on legislative provisions restricting relations with Cuba. It lists the various provisions of law comprising economic sanctions on Cuba, including key laws that are the statutory basis of the embargo, and provides information on the authority to lift or waive these restrictions.
Date: February 13, 2015
Creator: Rennack, Dianne E. & Sullivan, Mark P.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Terrorist Attack in Tunis: Implications

Description: This report briefly discusses the implications of the March 18 terrorist attack in Tunis which killed at least 20 foreign tourists visiting the national Bardo Museum, along with a Tunisian police officer.
Date: March 23, 2015
Creator: Arieff, Alexis & Humud, Carla E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The European Union (EU): Current Challenges and Future Prospects in Brief

Description: This report provides a brief history of the EU and the major simultaneous challenges currently facing the EU as an institution. It also discusses the potential implications both for the EU itself and for U.S.-EU relations.
Date: October 27, 2015
Creator: Archick, Kristin
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Russian Deployments in Syria Complicate U.S. Policy

Description: This report briefly discusses Russia's military presence in Syria. In recent weeks, Russia has moved military equipment and personnel to Syria, which could potentially be used to resupply the Asad regime or lead to a direct Russian intervention in the Syrian civil war.
Date: September 18, 2015
Creator: Humud, Carla E.; Woehrel, Steven; Mix, Derek E. & Blanchard, Christopher M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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President Obama's $1 Billion Foreign Aid Request for Central America

Description: This report discusses the Obama Administration's recent request for over $1 billion in foreign assistance in FY2016 to support a whole-of-government "U.S. Strategy for Engagement in Central America."
Date: November 25, 2015
Creator: Meyer, Peter J. & Ribando Seelke, Clare
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The November 2015 Terrorist Siege in Mali

Description: On November 20, 2015, gunmen laid siege to the Radisson Blu, a hotel popular with foreigners in Mali's capital, Bamako. This report discusses issues for Congress in the wake of the attack.
Date: November 23, 2015
Creator: Blanchard, Lauren P.; Renard, Emily & Arieff, Alexis
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Coalition Contributions to Countering the Islamic State

Description: This report discusses the formation of the Islamic State. Some 60 nations and partner organizations agreed to participate, contributing either military forces or resources (or both) to the campaign. In Brussels in December 2014, these 60 partners agreed to organize themselves along five "lines of effort," with at least two countries in the lead for each.
Date: November 18, 2015
Creator: McInnis, Kathleen J.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Dominican Republic: Tensions with Haiti over Citizenship and Migration Issues

Description: This report discusses the dispute between the Dominican Republic and Haiti regarding the citizenship status of some 200,000 Dominicans of Haitian descent, as well as undocumented migrants in the Dominican Republic, which threatens to exacerbate tensions between the two neighbors.
Date: July 15, 2015
Creator: Ribando Seelke, Clare; Margesson, Rhoda & Taft-Morales, Maureen
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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