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Cluster Munitions: Background and Issues for Congress

Description: This report discusses the background of cluster munitions in the U.S. military, and the current Department of Defense (DOD) and Obama Administration stances on the topic. It also discusses the two major international initiatives to address cluster munitions: the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) and negotiations under the U.N. Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW).
Date: January 28, 2009
Creator: Feickert, Andrew
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty: Background and Current Developments

Description: This report discusses the history of a comprehensive nuclear-test-ban treaty, and addresses nuclear weapon issues in the annual National Defense Authorization Act and the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act. Congress is considering the Stockpile Stewardship Program (listed as Weapons Activities), which seeks to maintain nuclear weapons without testing.
Date: January 28, 2009
Creator: Medalia, Jonathan
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Foreign Tax Credit's Interest Allocation Rules

Description: This report discusses the "worldwide" allocation of interest rule, which was a provision of the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 (P.L. 108-357; the Jobs Act). The provision relates to the taxation of multi-national corporations and allows more generous rules for multinationals to use in allocating interest expense for purposes of the U.S. foreign tax credit.
Date: January 28, 2009
Creator: Gravelle, Jane G. & Marples, Donald J.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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International Violence Against Women: U.S. Response and Policy Issues

Description: This report addresses causes, prevalence, and consequences of violence against women. It provides examples of U.S. activities that address VAW directly or include anti-VAW components. It outlines possible policy considerations for the 111th Congress, including the scope and effectiveness of U.S. programs; further integrating anti-VAW programs into U.S. assistance and foreign policy mechanisms; and strengthening U.S. government coordination of anti-VAW activities.
Date: January 28, 2009
Creator: Blanchfield, Luisa; Ribando Seelke, Clare; Serafino, Nina M.; Margesson, Rhoda & Salaam-Blyther, Tiaji
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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International Violence Against Women: U.S. Response and Policy Issues

Description: This report addresses causes, prevalence, and consequences of violence against women (VAW). It provides examples of U.S. activities that address VAW directly or include anti-VAW components. It also outlines possible policy considerations for the 111th Congress, including the scope and effectiveness of U.S. programs; further integrating anti-VAW programs into U.S. assistance and foreign policy mechanisms; and strengthening U.S. government coordination of anti-VAW activities.
Date: January 28, 2009
Creator: Blanchfield, Luisa; Ribando Seelke, Clare; Serafino, Nina M.; Margesson, Rhoda & Salaam-Blyther, Tiaji
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses

Description: This report discusses the reasons that Iran is considered a threat to U.S. security, including Iran's nuclear program, involvement with terrorist organizations, and involvement with neighboring countries' local governments. The report also discusses ways which the U.S. hopes to modify Iran's behavior with sanctions, and the effectiveness of these sanctions.
Date: January 28, 2009
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Islam: Sunnis and Shiites

Description: This report includes a historical background of the Sunni-Shiite split and discusses the differences in religious beliefs and practices between and within each Islamic sect as well as their similarities. The report also relates Sunni and Shiite religious beliefs to discussions of terrorism and sectarian violence that may be of interest during the 111th Congress.
Date: January 28, 2009
Creator: Blanchard, Christopher M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Nonstrategic Nuclear Weapons

Description: This report provides basic information about U.S. and Russian nonstrategic nuclear weapons. It includes a brief discussion of the differences between strategic and nonstrategic nuclear weapons; provides some historical background about nonstrategic nuclear weapons deployed by both nations during the Cold War and in the past decade; reviews the issues that have been raised regarding the continued deployment of these weapons; and concludes with a review of policy options that might be explored b… more
Date: January 28, 2009
Creator: Woolf, Amy F.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Transportation Security: Issues for the 111th Congress

Description: This report discusses how best to construct and finance a system of deterrence, protection, and response that effectively reduces the possibility and consequences of another terrorist attack without unduly interfering with travel, commerce, and civil liberties.
Date: January 28, 2009
Creator: Peterman, David R.; Elias, Bart & Frittelli, John
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Stem Cell Research: Ethical Issues

Description: This report discusses the ethical arguments that surround human embryonic stem cell research (ESR). Human stem cell research is controversial not because of its goals, but rather because of the means of obtaining some of the cells.
Date: April 28, 2009
Creator: Williams, Erin D. & Johnson, Judith A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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U.S. Military Stop Loss Program: Key Questions and Answers

Description: Stop Loss is a frequently misunderstood DOD force management program that retains servicemembers beyond their contractually agreed-to separation date. Because of the involuntary nature of this extension, some critics have referred to the program as a "backdoor draft" or "involuntary servitude". This report outlines the history of Stop Loss, current issues relating to Stop Loss, and the possible future directions of the program.
Date: April 28, 2009
Creator: Henning, Charles A.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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FDA Tobacco Regulation: The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009

Description: This report focuses on the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. It includes a brief discussion of the contrasting views of FDA tobacco regulation held by the public health community and the industry, and provides some analysis of a number of key regulatory issues that the bill raises.
Date: May 28, 2009
Creator: Redhead, C. Stephen
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Intellectual Property Rights and Access to Medicines: International Trade Issues

Description: This report focuses on the relationship between intellectual property right (IPR) provisions in international and U.S. trade policy and access to medicines. This issue represents one component of a broader debate about the relationship between trade policy and public health.
Date: May 28, 2009
Creator: Ilias, Shayerah
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Iraq: U.S. Casualties

Description: This report consists of a brief table summarizing casualty data compiled by the Department of Defense (DOD), including fatalities during Operation Iraqi Freedom since March 19, 2003, and since May 1, 2003, including statistics on those wounded, but not killed, since March 19, 2003.
Date: May 28, 2009
Creator: Chesser, Susan G.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The State Secrets Privilege and Other Limits on Litigation Involving Classified Information

Description: This report provides an overview of the protections afforded to government organizations and officials by the state secrets privilege. The state secrets privilege, derived from common law, is an evidentiary privilege that allows the government to resist court-ordered disclosure of information during litigation if there is a reasonable danger that such disclosure would harm the national security of the United States.
Date: May 28, 2009
Creator: Liu, Edward C.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Vietnamese Victims of Agent Orange and U.S.-Vietnam Relations

Description: This report examines various estimates of the effects that the herbicide Agent Orange has had on Vietnam's people and environment, the history of U.S. policy on the issue, the current clean up efforts in Vietnam, the various forms of assistance -- including U.S. assistance -- provided to people with medical conditions associated with dioxin exposure, and the implications for bilateral relations. It concludes with a brief discussion of possible congressional responses to the issue.
Date: May 28, 2009
Creator: Martin, Michael F.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Africa Command: U.S. Strategic Interests and the Role of the U.S. Military in Africa

Description: This report provides information on Africa Command's (AFRICOM) mission, structure, interagency coordination, and its basing and manpower requirements. The report also gives a broad overview of U.S. strategic interests in Africa and the role of U.S. military efforts on the continent as they pertain to the creation of Africa Command.
Date: July 28, 2009
Creator: Ploch, Lauren
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Air Force C-17 Aircraft Procurement: Background and Issues for Congress

Description: This report provides background information on the C-17 Aircraft program, including previous appropriations, related programs, and issues for Congress. The primary issue for Congress in FY2010 is whether to procure additional C-17s. An additional issue is whether to pass legislation relating to the airlift aircraft force structure. Congress's decisions on these issues could affect DOD capabilities and funding requirements and the U.S. military aircraft industrial base.
Date: July 28, 2009
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Border Searches of Laptop Computers and Other Electronic Storage Devices

Description: This report discusses a developing issue in the law of search and seizure: whether the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution permits warrantless searches of the content of laptop computers and other electronic storage devices at U.S. borders. The federal courts that have addressed this issue have held that the border search exception to the Fourth Amendment applies to these searches, making warrantless searches permissible.
Date: July 28, 2009
Creator: Kim, Yule
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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