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The Middle East Peace Talks

Description: This report discusses the Middle East peace talks, including the new peace process with the most recent developments,and the war against terrorism.
Date: January 13, 2006
Creator: Migdalovitz, Carol
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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U.S.-Iraw Withdrawal/Status of Forces Agreement: Issues for Congressional Oversight

Description: This report begins by discussing the historical legal framework governing U.S. military operations in Iraq. The report then provides a general background as to the contents of agreements traditionally considered Status of Forces Agreements (SOFAs). Finally, the report discusses specific aspects of the SOFA, highlighting issues that may require continued congressional oversight.
Date: July 13, 2009
Creator: Mason, R. Chuck
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Why Certain Trade Agreements Are Approved as Congressional-Executive Agreements Rather Than as Treaties

Description: This report briefly discusses the process used to enact U.S. trade agreements such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), World Trade Organization agreements, and bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs). In each case these agreements have been approved by majority vote of each house rather than by two-thirds vote of the Senate - that is, they have been treated as congressional-executive agreements rather than as treaties.
Date: July 13, 2012
Creator: Grimmett, Jeanne J.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Proposed U.S.-Panama Free Trade Agreement

Description: This report presents a summary of trade negotiations and the proposed U.S.-Panama free trade agreement (FTA). The proposed U.S.-Panama FTA is a comprehensive agreement. Some 88% of U.S. commercial and industrial exports would become duty-free upon implementation, with remaining tariffs phased out over a 10-year period.
Date: April 13, 2011
Creator: Hornbeck, J. F.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Iran Sanctions

Description: This report analyzes U.S. and international sanctions against Iran and provides examples of companies and countries that conduct business with Iran, based on a wide range of open-source reporting.
Date: September 13, 2012
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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International Drug Control Policy: Background and U.S. Responses

Description: The report provides background information on drug cultivation, drug trafficking and the consequences of drug trade. This report discusses challenges created by the global illegal drug trade, including: undermining political and regional stability, bolstering the role and capabilities of transnational criminal organizations in the drug trade, and the burden caused by drug use an addition on local communities and economic development. In addition, this report discusses U.S. policy efforts to thw… more
Date: August 13, 2013
Creator: Wyler, Liana Sun
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: January 13, 2010
Creator: Woolf, Amy F.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Border Security: The Role of the U.S. Border Patrol

Description: This report discusses the United States Border Patrol's history as our nation's first line of defense against unauthorized migration. Today, the USBP's primary mission is to detect and prevent the entry of terrorists, weapons of mass destruction, and illegal aliens into the country, and to interdict drug smugglers and other criminals along the border. The Homeland Security Act of 2002 dissolved the Immigration and Naturalization Service and placed the USBP within the Department of Homeland Secu… more
Date: August 13, 2010
Creator: Haddal, Chad C.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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United Nations Peacekeeping: Issues for Congress

Description: A major issue facing the United Nations, the United States, and the 111th Congress is the extent to which the United Nations has the capacity to restore or keep the peace in the changing world environment. Associated with this issue is the expressed need for a reliable source of funding and other resources for peacekeeping and improved efficiencies of operation. This report serves as a tracking report for action by Congress on United Nations peacekeeping. Funding and provisioning issues are exa… more
Date: August 13, 2010
Creator: Browne, Marjorie Ann
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Piracy: A Legal Definition

Description: This report first examines the historical development of the offense of piracy, as defined by Congress and codified in the United States Code. The focus then turns to how contemporary international agreements define piracy. Finally, the report highlights developments in two trials involving charges of piracy in the federal district court in Norfolk, VA, United States v. Said and United States v. Hasan, specifically focusing on how the courts interpreted the definition of piracy under 18 U.S.C. … more
Date: December 13, 2010
Creator: Mason, R. Chuck
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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People Crossing Borders: An Analysis of U.S. Border Protection Policies

Description: This report provides an overview of the current border protection framework and its operationally oriented strategic elements and measures their effectiveness. The report draws on documents from Congress and the Administration, as well as other publications, to pull together an overarching picture of protection at the border. This overview includes a historical background and a definition of what "border protection" means in a contemporary context. Building on this definition, the report provid… more
Date: May 13, 2010
Creator: Haddal, Chad C.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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U.S.-EU Cooperation Against Terrorism

Description: This report examines the evolution of counterterrorism cooperation between the United States and the European Union (EU), particularly since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. It includes a discussion of U.S.-EU cooperation progress and ongoing challenges, as well as perspectives and issues for Congress.
Date: May 13, 2010
Creator: Archick, Kristin
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Balancing Tourism against Terrorism: The Visa Waiver Program

Description: This report briefly discusses Congress's concern that some foreign fighters might exploit the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) to enter the United States and commit acts of terrorism. The VWP allows eligible visitors from 38 European nations and a few prosperous Asia-Pacific countries to enter the United States for short business or leisure stays without first obtaining a visa from a U.S. consulate abroad.
Date: March 13, 2015
Creator: Platzer, Michaela D. & Siskin, Alison
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Science, Technology, and American Diplomacy: Background and Issues for Congress

Description: is report analyzes China's mixed record on human rights -- major human rights problems, new human rights legislation, and the development of civil society, legal awareness, and social and political activism. This report discusses major areas of interest but does not provide an exhaustive account of all human rights abuses or related incidents.
Date: July 13, 2009
Creator: Lum, Thomas & Fischer, Hannah
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Military Base Closures: Socioeconomic Impacts

Description: This report provides background on military base closures and an analysis of community economic impacts, planning for economic redevelopment, and environmental cleanup following closures. The most recent Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission rejected 13 of the initial Department of Defense recommendations, significantly modified the recommendations for 13 other installations, and approved 22 major closures.
Date: January 13, 2009
Creator: Cowan, Tadlock & Gonzales, Oscar R.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Russian Compliance with the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty: Background and Issues for Congress

Description: This report describes the current status of the INF Treaty and highlights issues that Congress may address as the United States pursues its compliance concerns with Russia. It includes a historical overview and summary of the provisions of the INF Treaty and Russia's concerns with U.S. compliance with the treaty and concludes with a discussion of options that the United States might pursue to address its concerns with Russia's activities and options that it might pursue if Russia deploys new IN… more
Date: October 13, 2015
Creator: Woolf, Amy F.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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NAFTA at Ten: Lessons from Recent Studies

Description: This report provides an analytical summary of the economic lessons reached in support of Congress's role in the trade policy process. On January 1, 2004, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) completed its tenth year and most of its provisions are now implemented. NAFTA is a free trade agreement (FTA) that effectively added Mexico to the U.S.-Canada FTA completed in 1989. Its anniversary has sparked numerous evaluations, which are particularly relevant as the United States pursues fre… more
Date: February 13, 2004
Creator: Hornbeck, J. F.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Islamic State's Acolytes and the Challenges They Pose to U.S. Law Enforcement

Description: This report provides an analysis of publicly available information on homegrown violent jihadist activity in the United States since September 11, 2001, which suggests that the Islamic State (IS) and its acolytes may pose broad challenges to domestic law enforcement and homeland security efforts.
Date: June 13, 2016
Creator: Bjelopera, Jerome P.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Sifting Domestic Terrorism from Hate Crime and Homegrown Violent Extremism

Description: This report examines the differences between domestic terrorism, hate crime, and homegrown violent extremism. Federal law enforcement agencies use these three distinct concepts to categorize key types of criminals whose illegal activities are at least partly ideologically motivated.
Date: June 13, 2016
Creator: Bjelopera, Jerome P.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Congress and the Reversion of Okinawa

Description: This report discusses the agreement between President Nixon and Prime Minister Sato of Japan for control of the Ryukyu Island chain (of which Okinawa is the chief island) to revert to Japan in 1972. Congressional actions related to the agreement and the issue of Congressional approval for executive actions which alter existing treaties are discussed.
Date: August 13, 1970
Creator: Niksch, Larry A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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