Government Documents for You

The Heidelberg Institute for International Conflict Research (HIIK) at the Department of Political Science at the University of Heidelberg is a private organization. The work is dedicated to research, document, and analyze national and international political conflicts. The HIIK continually updates the COSIMO-database. The research results are periodically published in the annual Conflict Barometer.

The HIIK annually publishes the Conflict Barometer, which describes recent trends in conflict development, escalations, settlements. This publication is freely available to the public in English from 1997, 2002-Present and can be found here: http://www.hiik.de/en/konfliktbarometer/index.html.

COSIMO (Conflict Simulation Model), is the raw data on national and international conflicts from 1945 - present. The first version of the database, COSIMO 1, comprises data on national and international conflicts from 1945 to 1998 (version 1.3). You can download the dataset as xls or csv. The additional codemanual is available at following link as doc. Data from 1998 - present has not yet been published.

The Information Office of the State Council of the People's Republic of China has provided English-translations of Government White Papers. White Papers are authoritative reports or guides that address issues and how to solve them. Some of the topics covered are:

National Defense
Ethnic Minorities
Energy
Environmental Protection
Democratic Reforms
Human Rights

These papers can be found at the following website: http://china.org.cn/e-white/index.htm

Preventing Genocide: A Blueprint for U.S. Policymakers is the final report from the Genocide Prevention Task Force of the United States Institute of Peace. This report outlines potential plans for the United States, along with international partners, to take preventive action in future cases of genocide and mass atrocities. The fundamental goal of this report is to identify practical steps to enhance the capacity of the U.S. government to prevent and respond to genocide and mass atrocities.

Preventing Genocide: A Blueprint for U.S. Policymakers can be found at: http://media.usip.org/reports/genocide_taskforce_report.pdf

The United Nations Office of Legal Affairs has launched the Audiovisual Library of International Law

http://www.un.org/law/avl

The Audiovisual Library aims to provide free, scholarly resources to students and practitioners around the world, particularly in regions where there are few resources for the study of international law.

The website has three main parts:

The Historic Archives present documents, photos, and digital film footage relating to the UN role in the development of international law. This section includes the texts of treaties, some General Assembly declarations, and certain Security Council resolutions. Each legal instrument also has a procedural history and/or related documents (travaux preparatoires).

The Lecture Series contains lectures by leading scholars on topics in international law, and includes a bibliography of related materials. The 100 lectures posted so far are each about an hour long and discuss various aspects of international law. Most are in English, but other official languages of the UN are also represented. Certain scholars contribute introductory texts for the Historic Archives as well as lectures.

The Research Library provides links to other web-based research resources in international law, including other UN sources, national treaty series, and selected scholarly articles provided by HeinOnline (still in pilot/beta).

The Office of Legal Affairs is digitizing the English version of UN documents related to the procedural histories, and more will be added to the site as resources allow.

**Information provided by Ms Susan Kurtas, Reference Team, Dag Hammarskjöld Library,
United Nations**

There is a great search engine hosted on Google for for students, faculty, researchers, and officials who are doing research in intergovernmental organization topics. The IGO Search searches across hundreds of IGO websites, enabling users to research topics such as active IGOs working on HIV/AIDS in Uganda.

Located at: http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=006748068166572874491:55ez0c3j3ey

**What is an Intergovernmental Organization (IGO)? Think United Nations or NATO.**

An independent task force, chaired by former Senators Daniel Coats and Charles Robb and sponsored by the Bipartisan Policy Center, recently released their report entitled "Meeting the Challenge: U.S. Policy Toward Iranian Nuclear Development."

This 94 page report is available directly from:
http://www.bipartisanpolicy.org/ht/a/GetDocumentAction/i/8448

or from their main website at: http://www.bipartisanpolicy.org/

Post on GovDoc-L from: Greta E. Marlatt, Information Services Manager & Homeland Security Digital Library Content Manager, Dudley Knox Library, Naval Postgraduate School

The Project on National Security Reform [PNSR] headed by James Locher III released their case studies volume today. This "Case Studies" volume one looks at: the decision to invade Iraq; the national counterintelligence mission; human trafficking; U.S.-India Civil Nuclear cooperation agreement; managing U.S.-China crises; Somalia; Bosnia and Kosovo and more.

This 650 page report is available directly at:
http://www.pnsr.org/data/files/pnsr%20weitz%20case%20studies%20vol%20i.pdf

The press release is available at:
http://www.pnsr.org/web/module/press/pressID/116/interior.asp

Other reports and related information [including literature reviews, articles and conference proceedings] can be found on their main website is http://www.pnsr.org/

The PNSR is a non-partisan group that was established to "assist the nation in identifying and implementing the kind of comprehensive reform that the government urgently needs."

Post on GovDoc-L from: Greta E. Marlatt, Information Services Manager & Homeland Security Digital Library Content Manager, Dudley Knox Library, Naval Postgraduate School

U.S.-Muslim Engagement Project in affiliation with the Search for Common Ground (SFCG) organization released its report today. The report is entitled "Changing Course: A New Direction for U.S. Relations with the Muslim World."

The report "represents the consensus of an exceptionally diverse, senior, bipartisan and inter-faith group of 34 American leaders who have worked together over the last 18 months. Their work was supported by Search for Common Ground and CBI, two organizations that specialize in building consensus on controversial public issues."

The report is available directly from
http://www.sfcg.org/programmes/us/pdf/Changing%20Course.pdf

OR

http://www.usmuslimengagement.org/storage/usme/documents/Changing_Course_-_A_New_Direction_for_US_Relations_with_the_Muslim_World.pdf

or as a link from SFCG website
http://www.sfcg.org/programmes/us/us_engagement.html

or from the

U.S.-Muslim Engagement Project website
http://www.usmuslimengagement.org/

For a list of the 34 Leaders go to
http://www.sfcg.org/programmes/us/pdf/USME%20Overview%209%2012%2008%20li
sting%20of%20LG%20only.pdf

Post on GovDoc-L from: Greta E. Marlatt, Information Services Manager & Homeland Security Digital Library Content Manager, Dudley Knox Library, Naval Postgraduate School

Soviet-American Relations: The Détente Years, 1969-1972. Supervisory editor, Edward C. Keefer, editors, David C. Geyer, Douglas E. Selvage. Washington, D.C.: G.P.O., 2007.
SUDOC: S 1.2:SO 8/15

This joint documentary publication, collected and compiled by historians from both the U.S. Department of State and the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, provided unprecedented insight into Soviet-American relations during a critical era in the history of the Cold War: the détente years (1969-1972). Henry Kissinger, the National Security Advisor, and Anatoly Dobrynin, the Soviet Ambassador to the United States, established a confidential channel to discuss the important issues of the day: arms control, Berlin, the Middle East, South Asia, China, and Vietnam. Through this dialogue, President Richard M. Nixon and General-Secretary Leonid Brezhnev were able to exchange ideas and information outside normal diplomatic and bureaucratic channels. This behind-the-scenes diplomacy helped to reduce tension in the Soviet-American relationship. This volume presents a selection of American and Soviet documents on the diplomacy that led to détente between the superpowers.

**Excerpt from book jacket**

The CIA World Factbook is an excellent resource to find out basic, but thorough information about a country. It is published annually and contains sections on: History, Geography, People, Government, Economy, Communications, Transportation, Military, and Transnational Issues.

It is located at:
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/

To learn more about the history of the CIA World Factbook check out the following resource:
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/docs/history.html

The WMD Report Card(s) that has been in the news lately is now available. The report - "WMD Report Care: Evaluating U.S. Policies to Prevent Nuclear, Chemical & Biological Terrorism Since 2005" was done by the Partnership for a Secure America, a bipartisan group.

The main page for the report and the components is:
http://www.psaonline.org/article.php?id=403

The full report card is available at:
http://www.psaonline.org/downloads/ReportCard%208-25-08.pdf

The nuclear report -- "Nuclear Terrorism: US Policies to Reduce the Threat of Nuclear Terror" is available at:
http://www.psaonline.org/downloads/NUCLEAR%20report%208-28-08.pdf

The biological report - "Biological Terrorism: US Policies to Reduce Global Biothreats" is available at:
http://www.psaonline.org/downloads/BIOLOGICAL%20report%208-28-08.pdf

The chemical report "Chemical Terrorism: US Policies to Reduce the Chemical Terror Threat" is available at:
http://www.psaonline.org/downloads/CHEMICAL%20report%208-28-08.pdf

Post on GovDoc-L from: Greta E. Marlatt, Information Services Manager & Homeland Security Digital Library Content Manager, Dudley Knox Library, Naval Postgraduate School

The Congressional Research Service has prepared two reports concerning the ongoing conflict between Georgia and Russia and how they impact the United States.

Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia: Political Developments and Implications for U.S. Interests
http://www.law.umaryland.edu/marshall/crsreports/crsdocuments/RL33453_08132008.pdf

Russia-Georgia Conflict in South Ossetia: Context and Implications for U.S. Interests
http://www.law.umaryland.edu/marshall/crsreports/crsdocuments/RL34618_08132008.pdf

For more information on the Russian-Georgian Conflict go to:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_South_Ossetia_war

**Image from Wikipedia**

Post on GovDoc-L from: Bill Sleeman, Assistant Director for Technical Services,
Thurgood Marshall Law Library, The University of Maryland School of Law

Gross, Max L. A Muslim Archipelago: Islam and Politics in Southeast Asia. Washington, D.C.: NDIC Press, 2007.
SUDOC: D 5.202:IS 4/2

*Abstract by Storming Media: http://www.stormingmedia.us/52/5266/A526674.html

Southeast Asia continues to beckon policymakers and scholars alike to revisit its history in spite of the tomes of appraisals already written, deconstructive or otherwise. Because of a significant presence of Muslims in the region, and particularly in the wake of 9/11, it invariably attracts the attention of foreign powers drawn by the specter of terrorism and focused on rooting out radical Islamist groups said to be working with al-Qaeda. Dr. Max Gross has written an impressive account of the role of Islam in the politics of Southeast Asia, anchored by a strong historical perspective and a comprehensive treatment of current affairs. The result is very much a post-9/11 book. The origins of Jemaah Islamiyah and its connections with al-Qaeda are carefully detailed. Yet, unlike much of the post-9/11 analysis of the Muslim world, Dr. Gross's research has been successful in placing the phenomenon of terrorism within a larger perspective. While recognizing that al-Qaeda's influence on regional terror networks remains unclear, it behooves us to be reminded that, regardless of the nature and extent of the linkages, to dismiss terrorism as a serious threat to security would be na ve to the point of recklessness. The Muslim Archipelago is a profoundly Islamic region, and Jemaah Islamiyah is only a small portion of this reality. The attention Dr. Gross pays to ABIM in Malaysia, of which I was a part, and the civil Islam movement in Indonesia, of which the late Nurcholish Madjid was a principal spokesman, is greatly appreciated. Those unfamiliar with the background and role of the traditional Islamic PAS party in Malaysia, as well as the Darul Islam movement in Indonesia, will find the author's account highly beneficial. The MNLF, the MILF, and Abu Sayyaf in the Philippines, as well as the various Islamic movements in southern Thailand, are also carefully explained.