IRC Newsletter

AIDS IN SOUTH ASIA: UNDERSTANDING AND RESPONDING TO A HETEROGENEOUS EPIDEMIC
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development The World Bank December 2006.

South Asia’s HIV epidemic is severe, but its spread is preventable South Asia is a heterogeneous and highly mobile, poverty-stricken region This review focuses on the following countries: Bangladesh; India; Nepal; Pakistan; and Sri Lanka A two-pronged approach can greatly curb the epidemic First, a broad and effective HIV prevention program targeted at sex workers (both male and female) must be implemented Secondly, address the socioeconomic determinants of the epidemic by reducing the stigma of the disease and by not discriminating against people who engage in high-risk behavior and those who live with HIV/AIDS.

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]
Full Text [pdf format, 131 pages]

BEYOND AL-QAEDA, PART 1: THE GLOBAL JIHADIST MOVEMENT: PART 2: THE OUTER RINGS OF THE TERRORIST UNIVERSE
Project Air Force Rand Corporation Web posted December 13, 2006.

The objective of this study was to better understand al-Qaeda and other extremist organizations The authors looked at four specific areas: How al-Qaeda has changed since September 11, with the loss of its operating base in Afghanistan and the death of many of its key operatives; Terrorist groups that may not be part of al-Qaeda; Violent Islamist and non-Islamist terrorist and insurgent groups that have no link to al-Qaeda; and The connection between terrorism and organized crime. Part 1 looks at al-Qaeda and how it has changed Countering al-Qaeda is likely to preoccupy U.S security issues at least to the end of the decade. Part 2 examines Islamic groups, non-Islamic terrorist groups and criminal organizations that pose a threat to the U.S., its interests, and its allies.

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]
Full Text: Part 1 [pdf format, 228 pages] | Part 2 [pdf format, 216 pages]

COUNTER-NARCOTICS POLICY
Doris Buddenberg and William A Byrd, editors United Nations and the World Bank November 28, 2006.

The magnitude and importance of Afghanistan’s opium economy are unprecedented and unique Opium provides income and employment, supports the balance of payments and is a massive source of corruption, and undermines public institutions This volume is a first attempt to look at and analyze the opium economy beyond the rural household level The authors urge that “this volume’s findings and conclusions must be considered preliminary, and subject to further verification, adjustment, or correction through additional research.”

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]
Full Report [pdf format, 223 pages]

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT PROMOTION IN SOUTHEAST EUROPE CSIS
New European Democracies Project, Southeast European Economic Development Foundation (SEED), and Rochester Institute of Technology December 2006.

After the break-up of Yugoslavia, the West Balkans faced destruction, wars and large-scale population displacement The final status of Kosovo should be the full independence of Kosovo with full recognition to provide stability, security and mutual respect This was the conclusion of an international conference hosted by the New European Democracies Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the Southeast Europe Economic Development Foundation (SEED), and the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). Three proposals were recommended: 1) a region-wide free trade agreement needs to be finalized; 2) a regional energy market in Southeast Europe must be interconnected and expanded through multinational energy companies; and 3) all the West Balkan states need to create more favorable conditions for foreign direct investment.

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]
Full Text [pdf format, 65 pages]

AIDS EPIDEMIC UPDATE
World Health Organization December 2006 Web posted November 21, 2006

Although promising developments have been made in recent years, the number of people living with HIV continues to grow A total of 39.5 million people are living with HIV worldwide in 2006 including 4.3 million adults and children newly infected in 2006 (a concentration of the newly infected are young adults aged 15-24 years old Sub-Saharan Africa continues to bear the brunt of the global epidemic with 63% of all adults and children with HIV and almost three quarters of all adult and child deaths are due to AIDS In the past two years, the number of people living with HIV increased in every region of the world with the most striking increases in East Asia and Eastern Europe—over 21% higher than 2004

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]
Full Report [pdf format, 94 pages]

GENE PATENTS: A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ISSUES
Wendy H Schacht Library of Congress, Congressional Research Service October 3, 2006

Under U.S law, a product of nature (a preexisting substance that is found in the wild) may not be patented, per se However, the courts have also determined that such a product of nature may be patentable if significant artificial changes are made By purifying, isolating, or otherwise altering a naturally occurring product, an inventor may obtain a patent on the product in its altered form Thus, “one cannot patent a naturally occurring gene or protein as it exists in the body, but one can patent a gene or protein that has been isolated from the body and is useful in that form as a pharmaceutical drug, screening assay or other application.”

Full Report [pdf format, 6 pages]

REPORT ON NEW PAYMENT METHODS [MONEY LAUNDERING]
Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (FATF)/OECD October 13, 2006

This report is one in a series of thematic studies carried out by the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (FATF) to provide an in-depth look at money laundering and terrorist financing typologies In the report FATF examines the ways in which money can be laundered through the exploitation of new payment technologies (prepaid cards, Internet payment systems, mobile payments, and digital precious metals) The study analyzes these payment methods in order to: 1) Identify trends in the adoption of new payment technologies; 2) Assess money laundering (ML) and terrorist financing (TF) vulnerabilities; and (3) Determine whether the FATF Forty Recommendations and Nine Special Recommendations (40 + 9) adequately address any potential vulnerabilities [Note: See the original 40 Recommendations ; and the 9 Special recommendations.]

[Note: Contains copyrighted material.]
Full Report [pdf format, 44 pages]

STATEVOTE 2006 [POST-ELECTION PARTISAN COMPOSITION OF STATE LEGISLATURES]
National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Web-posted November 8, 2006

Wresting control from the Republicans, the Democrats now control more state legislatures than at any time since 1994 Not since then, when Republicans overwhelmed the Democrats in states as well as national elections, have so many of the chamber switches gone one way Democrats now control legislatures in 23 states; Republicans in 15; and 10 are split Pennsylvania is undecided [Nebraska’s seats, in a unicameral legislature, are all non-partisan.] This site allows users to click on any state to see the new makeup of the state legislature Other ballot measures, including referenda, are also included in the state profiles

Visit Site [tables, charts and narratives, html format, various sizes]

UNITED STATES CODE: 2000 EDITION, SUPPLEMENT 4
United States House of Representatives, Office of the Law Revision Counsel Web-posted November 9, 2006

The United States Code (USC) is the codification by subject matter of the general and permanent laws of the United States based on what is printed in the Statutes at Large It is divided by broad subjects into 50 titles and published by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the U.S House of Representatives Since 1926, the United States Code has been published in its entirety every six years Between editions, annual cumulative supplements are published in order to present the most current information With the addition of Supplement 4, the USC on the GPOAccess website includes the general and permanent laws that are in effect as of January 3, 2005 Documents are available only as ASCII text files

Search [records in txt format, various pagings]
Browse [records in txt format, various pagings]

THE NATO-RUSSIAN PARTNERSHIP: A MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE OR A TROUBLED RELATIONSHIP?
Stephen J Blank Strategic Studies Institute U S Army War College November 14, 2006.

After the attacks on September 11, Russian President Vladimir Putin pledged support on the war on terrorism This support led to a Russo-North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) rapprochement and Russian membership in the newly formed NATO-Russia Council Since 2002, when the Council was formed, East-West relations have deteriorated; and the stresses of the partnership seem to outweigh the benefits This paper focuses on the Russian side of the relationship and seeks to uncover and analyze the reasons for Russia’s ambivalence toward NATO This monograph is the first of a series of studies on Russian defense and its foreign policy

Full Text [pdf format, 102 pages]

JORDAN AND IRAQ: BETWEEN COOPERATION AND CRISIS
Scott Lasensky United States Institute of Peace Web posted November 2006.

Jordon is the only neighbor with close ties to both Iraq and the United States, but Jordan wants and needs a strong, stable, moderate, and unified Iraq Jordon is now less secure and it worries that Iraq has become a haven for terrorist groups Additionally, Jordon has lost the sizable oil subsidies it had received from Iraq, thus its economy has become increasingly vulnerable to energy demands Consequently, a strategic relationship with the U.S has become the centerpiece of Jordan’s foreign policy

Full Text [pdf format, 20 pages]

IRAN, IRAQ, AND THE UNITED STATES: THE NEW TRIANGLE’S IMPACT ON SECTARIANISM AND THE NUCLEAR THREAT
Sherifa D Zuhur Strategic Studies Institute U.S Army War College November 28, 2006.

“What is the best possible response to growing Iranian influence in Iraq? How does this issue relate to the crisis over Iran’s efforts to obtain nuclear capabilities? These are only two of the questions this report tries to analyze It also offers recommendations and tries to clarify the new developments in this area “Perhaps there is no optimal response to an Iran determined to acquire nuclear capabilities, nor to an Iraq Shi`i revival fostered or enhanced by Iranian “soft power.” Still, to understand the dire predictions about the growth of Shi`a power, or to offer constructive advice about the trilateral relations of Iran, Iraq, and the United States, we must consider Iraqi-Iranian popular, religious, and state-level dynamics If we appreciate the strongly varying interests and political experience of the Shi`a of Iraq and Iran, our fears of the dire scenarios predicted in the Arab world may diminish.”

Full Text [pdf format, 88 pages]

U.S CRUDE OIL, NATURAL GAS, AND NATURAL GAS LIQUIDS RESERVES—2005 ANNUAL REPORT
John H Wood, Steven G Grape, Rafi Zeinalpour, and Rhonda S Green Office of Oil and Gas, Energy Information Administration, U.S Department of Energy Web posted December 5, 2006.

This annual report is used by Congress, federal and state agencies, industry, and other parties to obtain estimates of the nation’s proved reserves of crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids The data showed that “reserves additions replaced 164 percent of 2005 dry gas production as U.S gas reserves increased for the seventh year in a row Proved reserves of natural gas increased by 6 percent, the largest annual increase in natural gas proved reserves since 1970.” Additions of crude oil replaced 122 percent of the 2005 product and crude oil proved reserves increased by 2 percent

Full Text [pdf format, 168 pages]

RUSSIA, IRAN AND THE NUCLEAR QUESTION: THE PUTIN RECORD
Robert O Freedman Strategic Studies Institute U.S War College Web posted December 6, 2006.

This paper is another in the series of papers from the conference entitled “The U.S and Russia: Regional Security Issues and Interest.” This monograph analyzes the Russo-Iranian relationship which is important to U.S foreign policy and its relationship with Moscow “The Russo-American dimension of the Iranian crisis adds to the complexity of the myriad issues and regional challenges to security, and the enduring difficulties in the Russo-American relationship.” Vladimir Putin inherited a strong Russian-Iranian relationship Boris Yeltsin had made major arms agreements and sold Tehran jet planes, tanks, and submarines, and helped build a nuclear reactor The two countries also cooperated on regional issues such as Tajikistan and Afghanistan Putin strengthened the relationship and Iran emerged as Putin’s most important ally in the Middle East Moscow became Iran’s protector against sanctions by the U.S and the European Union

Full Text [pdf format, 62 pages]

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