Government Documents for You

The National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) is a U.S. Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence, tasked by the Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate with using state-of-the-art theories, methods, and data from the social and behavioral sciences to improve understanding of the origins, dynamics, and social and psychological impacts of terrorism. START, based at the University of Maryland, College Park, aims to provide timely guidance on how to disrupt terrorist networks, reduce the incidence of terrorism, and enhance the resilience of U.S. society in the face of the terrorist threat.

START published a research report entitled "Public Response to Terrorism: Findings from the National Survey of Disaster Experiences and Preparedness." A national survey was conducted to study people’s experiences with, preparedness and mitigation actions for, and perceptions related to terrorism and other disasters. The report examines fifteen different questions, with some listed below:

How prepared is the public for future disasters?
What have people done to prepare for terrorism?
What are people avoiding because of terrorism?
What do people know about terrorism and other related topics?
What do people think about the possibility of a future terrorist attack?
How Prepared is the Nation?

"Public Response to Terrorism: Findings from the National Survey of Disaster Experiences and Preparedness" can be found at: http://www.ph.ucla.edu/sciprc/pdf/NC+START+Descriptive+Report.pdf

Other START publications can be found here: http://www.start.umd.edu/start/publications/

The Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism was created in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. The mandate of the Commission is to build on the work of the 9/11 Commission and complete a critical task: to assess our nation’s progress in preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and terrorism, and to provide a road-map to greater security with concrete recommendations for improvement. The Commission examines the government’s current policies and programs, identifying gaps in its prevention strategy and recommending ways to close them. These recommendations were recently released in a new report - World at Risk.

Here are some of the statements and recommendations from the report:

-Ours remains a world at risk and our margin of safety is shrinking, not growing. The Commission believes that unless the world community acts decisively and with great urgency, it is likely that a weapon of mass destruction will be used in a terrorist attack somewhere in the world by the end of 2013.

-Radically revamp our strategic policy on Pakistan. Conditions in that country pose a serious challenge to America’s short-term and medium-term national security interests.

-Develop a new blueprint to prevent biological weapons proliferation and bioterrorism.

-Reinvigorate the nuclear non-proliferation agenda. Nuclear terrorism is still a preventable catastrophe and it is our duty to stop nuclear trafficking and reaffirm the vision of a world free of nuclear weapons.

The Commission's website: http://www.preventwmd.org/

Press Release on Report: http://www.preventwmd.gov/12_2_2008/

This report can be downloaded directly from http://documents.scribd.com/docs/2avb51ejt0uadzxm2wpt.pdf

The report can be viewed or downloaded as a whole as in its various parts at the following website: http://www.preventwmd.gov/report/

Post on GovDoc-L from: Greta E. Marlatt, Information Services Manager & Homeland Security Digital Library Content Manager, Dudley Knox Library, Naval Postgraduate School
**Text taken from Commission's website and press release.**

The House Armed Services Committee - Subcommittee on Oversight & Investigations has posted its report "Joint Improvised Explosive Device Organization: DOD's Fight Against IEDs Today and Tomorrow."

Available on the Internet:
http://armedservices.house.gov/pdfs/Reports/JIEDDOReport111908.pdf

**Press Release from Sub-Committee, November 19, 2008**

“We have to keep asking how we’re doing in this fight against IEDs,” Subcommittee Chairman Vic Snyder (D-AR) said. “We’ve made a huge investment in countering and defeating IEDs, but we still can’t say that the effort has been successful. We owe it to the men and women facing this threat everyday to provide them the best tools and training to keep them safe and defeat IEDs.”

"The Joint IED Defeat Organization has played an important role in helping our troops fight back against insurgents using IED's to terrorize civilians and military alike in Iraq and Afghanistan, said Subcommittee Ranking Member Todd Akin (R-MO). “JIEDDO was created as an agile and temporary organization to fight an emerging threat. The question now before us is where JIEDDO as an organization should go next. This report will hopefully help move that conversation forward thoughtfully."

Press Release: http://www.house.gov/list/press/armedsvc_dem/SnyderAkinPR111908.shtml

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

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) has released it newest report - "Global Trends 2025: A Transformed World." This is the 4th unclassified report from the National Intelligence Council in the past few years that gives a long-term view of the future.

**Statement from the Chairman of the National Intelligence Council**

"Global Trends 2025: A Transformed World" is the fourth unclassified report prepared by the National Intelligence Council (NIC) in recent years that takes a long-term view of the future. It offers a fresh look at how key global trends might develop over the next 15 years to influence world events. Our report is not meant to be an exercise in prediction or crystal ball-gazing. Mindful that there are many possible "futures," we offer a range of possibilities and potential discontinuities, as a way of opening our minds to developments we might otherwise miss.

Some of our preliminary assessments are highlighted below:

* The whole international system—as constructed following WWII—will be revolutionized. Not only will new players—Brazil, Russia, India and China— have a seat at the international high table, they will bring new stakes and rules of the game.

* The unprecedented transfer of wealth roughly from West to East now under way will continue for the foreseeable future.

* Unprecedented economic growth, coupled with 1.5 billion more people, will put pressure on resources—particularly energy, food, and water—raising the specter of scarcities emerging as demand outstrips supply.

* The potential for conflict will increase owing partly to political turbulence in parts of the greater Middle East.

As with the earlier NIC efforts—such as Mapping The Global Future 2020—the project's primary goal is to provide US policymakers with a view of how world developments could evolve, identifying opportunities and potentially negative developments that might warrant policy action. We also hope this paper stimulates a broader discussion of value to educational and policy institutions at home and abroad.

This and the other reports are available from
http://www.dni.gov/nic/NIC_2025_project.html

Latest Report: Global Trends 2025: A Transformed World --
http://www.dni.gov/nic/PDF_2025/2025_Global_Trends_Final_Report.pdf

Earlier Reports:

Mapping the Global Future: Report of the National Intelligence Council's 2020 Project
http://www.foia.cia.gov/2020/2020.pdf

GLOBAL TRENDS 2015: A Dialogue About the Future With Nongovernment Experts
http://www.dni.gov/nic/PDF_GIF_global/globaltrend2015.pdf

Global Trends 2010
http://www.dni.gov/nic/special_globaltrends2010.html

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. - CHINA COMMISSION CITES CHINESE CYBER ATTACKS, AUTHORITARIAN RULE, AND TRADE VIOLATIONS AS IMPEDIMENTS TO U.S. ECONOMIC AND NATIONAL SECURITY INTERESTS - Year-Long Study Offers 45 Recommendations to Congress

WASHINGTON, DC (November 20, 2008) - China relies on heavy-handed government control over its economy to maintain an export advantage over other countries. The result: China has amassed nearly $2 trillion in foreign exchange and has increasingly used its hoard to manipulate currency trading and diplomatic relations with other nations. These are among the conclusions in the sixth Annual Report to Congress of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission. "Rather than use this money for the benefit of its citizens-by funding pensions and erecting hospitals and schools, for example--China has been using the funds to seek political and economic influence over other nations," said Larry Wortzel, chairman of the Commission, at the official release of the group's 2008 report to Congress on Thursday.

The bipartisan Commission, established by Congress to analyze the economic and national security relationship of the two nations, made 45 recommendations to Congress for further action. The 393-page report was unanimously approved by the 12 Commissioners. The Commission held eight hearings; travelled to China, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan; commissioned original research; and consulted with the U.S. intellegence community.

The report acknowledges some progress by China. Its adherence to non-proliferation agreements has continued to improve. China's involvement in the Six Party Talks assisted the negotiations to dismantle North Korea's nuclear weapons production capacity. Yet China has stepped up its capacity to penetrate U.S. computer networks to extract sensitive government and private information. Beijing's "continuing arms sales and military support to rogue regimes, namely Sudan, Burma, and Iran, threaten the stability of fragile regions and hinder U.S. and international efforts to address international crises, such as the genocide in Darfur," the report notes.

The report is critical of China's use of prison labor to produce goods for export and of China's refusal, despite promises, to allow inspections of prisons by advancing the specious claim that forced labor constitutes "reeducation" rather than punishment. The Commission also notes that China's government "has created an information control regime intended to regulate nearly every venue that might transmit information to China's citizens: the print and broadcast media, the Internet, popular entertainment, cultural activities, and education."

The Commission warns Congress that fish imported into the U.S. from Chinese fish farms "pose a health risk because of the unsanitary conditions . . . including water polluted by untreated sewage; fish contaminated by bacteria, viruses, and parasites; and fish treated with antibiotics and other veterinary medicines that are banned in the United States as dangerous to human health." The Commission recommends greater powers for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The report and its key findings, analysis, and recommendations to Congress are available on the Commission's Web Site: http://www.uscc.gov/index.php

2008 Report: http://www.uscc.gov/annual_report/2008/annual_report_full_08.pdf

Post on GovDoc-L from: Michael A. Yared, Librarian, Institute for Defense Analyses

The Defense Science Board has posted its new report - "Defense Imperatives for the New Administration."

The direct link is
http://www.acq.osd.mil/dsb/reports/2008-11-Defense_Imperatives.pdf

or if can be found at http://www.acq.osd.mil/dsb/reports.htm

The subjects tackled in this report include:
**Protect and defending the homeland
**Maintaining capability to project for around the world to deter or defeat
**Bringing stability to states and regions
**Thwarting terrorism and bringing terrorists to justice, anytime and anywhere
**Supporting state and local authorities in providing domestic catastrophe relief

A variety of interesting graphs and charts are included.

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

Warfare in the Age of Non-State Actors: Implications for the US Army. The Proceedings of the Combat Studies Institute 2007 Military History Symposium. Fort Leavenworth, KS: Combat Studies Institute Press, 2007.
SUDOC: D 110.16:2007

This book explores the challenges associated with conflict between nation-states and transnational religious, ethnic, or criminal groups. It also examined the historical experiences of both the United States and other nations in this most asymmetric of environments in an attempt to distill the insights from the past can provide us guidance into the future.

Available on the Internet at: http://usacac.army.mil/CAC2/CSI/CSISymposium-2007.pdf

The annual Combat Studies Institute Military History Symposium provides a forum for the interchange of ideas on historical topics pertinent to the current doctrinal concerns of the United States Army. Furthermore, the Symposium solicits input from a diverse group of military personnel, government historians, civilian academicians, journalists, and thinkers in a setting that promotes the exchange of ideas and information.

Previous reports are available at: http://purl.access.gpo.gov/GPO/LPS93670

**Text taken from book's preface**

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

**Description taken from the Thurgood Marshall Law Library website**

The Congressional Research Service, an arm of the Library of Congress, serves the legislative process by providing Congress with non-partisan and in-depth legislative research and analysis on a variety of topics. CRS produces or updates more than 3,000 studies and other publications each year, none of which are distributed to the public. Because CRS reports are created using public money and are not readily accessible to the research community, the Thurgood Marshall Law Library has created an online collection in the subject areas of Homeland Security/Terrorism and Health Law and Policy.

http://www.law.umaryland.edu/marshall/crsreports/index.html?AlphaStart=R

CACI International Inc (CACI) and the National Defense University (NDU)have released a report entitled " Dealing With Today's Asymmetric Threat to U.S. and Global Security: The Need for an Integrated National Asymmetric Threat Strategy"

The report is an executive summary of a May 2008 symposium. It is hoped the report will stimulate conversation about the need to develop a new national defense and homeland security strategy which will address the threats related to everything from Islamic extremism to natural disaster.

The report can be found at
http://www.caci.com/announcement/CACI_Asymmetric_Threat_paper.pdf

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

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.

This just released Rand report has been in the news a lot today

How Terrorist Groups End: Lessons for Countering al Qa'ida

Abstract: All terrorist groups eventually end. But how do they end? The evidence since 1968 indicates that most groups have ended because (1)they joined the political process (43 percent) or (2) local police and intelligence agencies arrested or killed key members (40 percent). Military force has rarely been the primary reason for the end of terrorist groups, and few groups within this time frame have achieved victory. This has significant implications for dealing with al Qa'ida and suggests fundamentally rethinking post-9/11 U.S. counterterrorism strategy: Policymakers need to understand where to prioritize their efforts with limited resources and attention. The authors report that religious terrorist groups take longer to eliminate than other groups and rarely achieve their objectives. The largest groups achieve their goals more often and last longer than the smallest ones do. Finally,groups from upper-income countries are more likely to be left-wing or nationalist and less likely to have religion as their motivation. The authors conclude that policing and intelligence, rather than military force, should form the backbone of U.S. efforts against al Qa'ida. And U.S. policymakers should end the use of the phrase "war on terrorism" since there is no battlefield solution to defeating al Qa'ida.

PDF of report -- http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2008/RAND_MG741.pdf

News release -- http://www.rand.org/news/press/2008/07/29/

Congressional briefing --
http://www.rand.org/congress/activities/2008/07/29/

Research brief -- http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB9351/

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

The Combating Terrorism Center at West Point is pleased to announce the release of its second report of al-Qa'ida's foreign fighters in Iraq: Bombers, Bank Accounts, and Bleedout: al-Qa`ida's Road in and Out of Iraq. The report expands on an analysis of al-Qa'ida in Iraq personnel records conducted by the CTC in December 2007. The report can be accessed at:

http://www.ctc.usma.edu/harmony/pdf/Sinjar_2_July_23.pdf

New Raw Data

Bombers, Bank Accounts, and Bleedout not only expands on the analysis of the Sinjar Records conducted in the first report, it also introduces a host of new data, including:

*Statistics on the exact number and nationality of foreign fighters held by the US at Camp Bucca in Iraq.

*Contracts signed by AQI's foreign suicide bombers

*Contracts signed by AQI fighters entering and leaving Iraq

*Accounting sheets signed by various fighters that indicate funding sources and expenditures

*Several narratives describing AQI's network in Syria, personnel problems, and ties to Fatah al-Islam in Lebanon

*Weapons reports, etc.

Findings

The report has several major new findings:

*Foreign Fighters were an important source of funds for AQI;Saudi Fighters contributed far more money than any other nationality

*Far more Syrians and Egyptians are held at Camp Bucca than were listed in the Sinjar Records, which likely reflects the demographic shift away from those nationalities

*Approximately 75% of suicide bombings in Iraq between August 2006 and August 2007 can be attributed to fighters listed in the Sinjar Records.

*"Bleedout" of fighters from Iraq is occurring, but in relatively small numbers. Nonetheless, these individual fighters will likely be well-trained and very dangerous. The primary threat from these fighters is to Arab states, Af-Pak, and perhaps Somalia.

*Smuggling of all kinds across the Syrian/Iraqi border has long been linked to corruption in both Syria and Iraq, which limits both government's ability to crackdown.

*Fighters that contributed money to AQI were more likely to become suicide bombers.

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