Islamic State: Frequently Asked Questions, & More from CRS
New and updated reports from the Congressional Research Service that were issued last week — but withheld from public release — include the following.
The Islamic State — Frequently Asked Questions: Threats, Global Implications, and U.S. Policy Responses, November 19, 2015
The “Islamic State” and U.S. Policy, updated November 18, 2015 (and still using the quotation marks that have now been dropped in the titles of other CRS reports)
Coalition Contributions to Countering the Islamic State, updated November 18, 2015
Syrian Refugee Admissions and Resettlement in the United States: In Brief, November 19, 2015
Can States and Localities Bar the Resettlement of Syrian Refugees Within Their Jurisdictions?, CRS Legal Sidebar, November 18, 2015
Immigration: Visa Security Policies, updated November 18, 2015
Paris Attacks and “Going Dark”: Intelligence-Related Issues to Consider, CRS Insight, November 19, 2015
France: Efforts to Counter Islamist Terrorism and Radicalization, CRS Insight, updated November 18, 2015
The recent decision to deploy “fewer than 50” U.S. special operations personnel to Syria is addressed in the latest update of U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF): Background and Issues for Congress, November 19, 2015.
Over time, five countries have actually been removed from the lists of designated sponsors of terrorism, CRS noted in State Sponsors of Acts of International Terrorism–Legislative Parameters: In Brief, updated November 19, 2015.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP): In Brief, November 19, 2015
U.S. Agent Orange/Dioxin Assistance to Vietnam, November 13, 2015
Puerto Rico and Health Care Finance: Frequently Asked Questions, November 18, 2015
Malaysia: Background and U.S. Relations, updated November 19, 2015
Air travelers should not expect to catch direct flights between the United States and Iran any time soon, CRS said in Iran-U.S. Air Service Not Imminent, CRS Insight, November 18, 2015.
While it seems that the current political climate may not incentivize the use of evidence-based data sources for decision making, those of us who are passionate about ensuring results for the American people will continue to firmly stand on the belief that learning agendas are a crucial component to successfully navigate a changing future.
In recent months, we’ve seen much of these decades’ worth of progress erased. Contracts for evaluations of government programs were canceled, FFRDCs have been forced to lay off staff, and federal advisory committees have been disbanded.
This report outlines a framework relying on “Cooperative Technical Means” for effective arms control verification based on remote sensing, avoiding on-site inspections but maintaining a level of transparency that allows for immediate detection of changes in nuclear posture or a significant build-up above agreed limits.
At a recent workshop, we explored the nature of trust in specific government functions, the risk and implications of breaking trust in those systems, and how we’d known we were getting close to specific trust breaking points.