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Daily Archives: January 6, 2010

International Terrorism and Transnational Crime: Security Threats, U.S. Policy, and Considerations for Congress

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CRS: International Terrorism and Transnational Crime: Security Threats, U.S. Policy, and Considerations for Congress, January 5, 2010.

  • “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. This report also discusses several international case studies to illustrate the range of crime-terrorism convergence and non-convergence, including Dawood Ibrahim’s D-Company; the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC); the 2004 Madrid bombers; the Taliban; Hezbollah; Al Qaeda; the 2005 London bombers; Al-Shabaab; as well as known or alleged crime-terrorism facilitators such as Viktor Bout, Monzer Al Kasser, and Abu Ghadiyah. Policy considerations discussed in this report include possible tensions between counterterrorism and anti-crime policy objectives, implications for U.S. foreign aid, gaps in human intelligence and analysis, the value of financial intelligence in combating the crime-terrorism nexus, impact of digital and physical safe havens and ungoverned spaces, implications for nuclear proliferation, and effects of crimeterrorism links in conflict and post-conflict zones.”

    • CRS: Afghanistan: Post-Taliban Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy

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    CRS Report – Afghanistan: Post-Taliban Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy, Kenneth Katzman Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs, December 30, 2009 “Upon taking office, the Obama Administration faced a deteriorating security environment in Afghanistan, despite a steady increase in U.S. forces there in recent years. Signs of deterioration have included an expanded area in which militants… Continue Reading

    Immigration Law Primer Posted Online by Federal Judicial Center

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    “The Federal Judicial Center has posted a monograph providing an introduction to, and overview of, immigration law, with a focus on issues that arise in litigation.” Immigration Law: A Primer, Michael A. Scaperlanda, Associate Dean for Scholarship and Research Professor of Law, Gene and Elaine Edwards Family Chair in Law, University of Oklahoma College of… Continue Reading

    Interior Launches Onshore Oil and Gas Leasing Reforms to Improve Certainty, Reduce Conflicts and Restore Balance on U.S. Lands

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    News release: “Citing a need to improve certainty and order in oil and gas leasing on U.S. public lands, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced several reforms that the Bureau of Land Management will undertake to improve protections for land, water, and wildlife and reduce potential conflicts that can lead to costly and… Continue Reading

    National Taxpayer Advocate Delivers Annual Report to Congress; Focuses on Taxpayer Service, Collection, Preparer Regulation

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    News release: “National Taxpayer Advocate Nina E. Olson today released her National Taxpayer Advocate’s 2009 Annual Report to Congress, warning that increased demands on the IRS have eroded the agency’s ability to meet taxpayer service needs and expressing concern that IRS collection practices are harming financially struggling taxpayers without producing significant revenue gains. In the… Continue Reading

    UK E-Borders Program

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    “The UK Border Agency is responsible for delivering the e-Borders programme, and we are doing so with the support of the police and HM Revenue & Customs. We are working closely with the travel industries, whose support is crucial to the programme’s success. Information will be gathered on all travellers, passengers and crew entering or… Continue Reading