Congressional Research Service, Kyrgyzstan

April 2010 Coup in Kyrgyzstan: Context and Implications for U.S. Interests

Kyrgyzstan is a small and poor country in Central Asia that gained independence in 1991 with the breakup of the Soviet Union (see Figure A-1). It has developed a notable but fragile civil society. Progress in democratization has been set back by problematic elections (one of which helped precipitate a coup in 2005 that brought Kurmanbek Bakiyev to power), contention over constitutions, and corruption. The April 2010 coup appears to have been triggered by popular discontent over rising utility prices and government repression. After two days of popular unrest in the capital of Bishkek and other cities, opposition politicians ousted the Bakiyev administration on April 8 and declared an interim government pending a new presidential election in six months. Roza Otunbayeva, a former foreign minister and ambassador to the United States, was declared the acting prime minister.

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Congressional Research Service

Latin America and the Caribbean: Illicit Drug Trafficking and U.S. Counterdrug Programs

Drug trafficking is viewed as a primary threat to citizen security and U.S. interests in Latin America and the Caribbean despite decades of anti-drug efforts by the United States and partner governments. The production and trafficking of popular illicit drugs—cocaine, marijuana, opiates, and methamphetamine—generates a multi-billion dollar black market in which Latin American criminal and terrorist organizations thrive. These groups challenge state authority in source and transit countries where governments are often fragile and easily corrupted. Mexican drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) largely control the U.S. illicit drug market and have been identified by the U.S. Department of Justice as the “greatest organized crime threat to the United States.” Drug trafficking-related crime and violence in the region has escalated in recent years, raising the drug issue to the forefront of U.S. foreign policy concerns.

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Afghanistan, U.S. Marine Corps

(U//FOUO) USMC Intelligence: Helmand Provincial Politics and Corruption Report

Helmand Province‟s political scene is perhaps unique in Afghanistan due to several atypical tribal dynamics produced by the unintended consequences of Western development activities. Projects, like the Helmand Valley Development Authority, led to an uneven tribal resettlement process that introduced outsider ethnic groups into the central portion of the province where they had never resided previously. Second, the potential wealth of the illegal opium industry associated with the reclaimed land from the development project and tribal desires to control it has also been a factor in the development of conflict.

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Afghanistan, U.S. Navy

(U//FOUO) Captured Taliban 2009 Mujahideen Rules and Regulations Booklet

The recent capture of the Taliban’s code of conduct manifesto, “Rules and Regulations for Mujahidin,” has offered analysts critical clues into how the Taliban intend to operate as well as how the movement is structured according to the Taliban. Importantly, the new document provides Coalition and Afghan forces a catalog of weak points, vulnerabilities and fears currently entrenched within the Taliban organization and its top echelon of leadership. A thorough examination of the document reveals the Taliban’s attempt to wage a guerrilla campaign implementing a rudimentary population-centric strategy; while calling upon elements of Pashtunwali and Shariat (Islamic) Law into the doctrine as well.

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Department of Defense

(U//FOUO) Synchronized Predeployment & Operational Tracker Government Organization User Workbook

The Department of Defense (DoD) has implemented the Synchronized Predeployment & Operational Tracker (SPOT) as the single source to track deployed personnel supporting DoD military operations worldwide. SPOT is a scalable, net-centric, Web-based application that provides the capability to maintain accountability and report status for deployed personnel across the military, civilian, and contractor communities.

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International Monetary Fund

IMF Report: Fiscal Rules for Sustainable Public Debt

The sharp increase in fiscal deficits and public debt in most advanced and several developing economies has raised concerns about the sustainability of public finances and highlighted the need for a significant adjustment over the medium term. This paper assesses the usefulness of fiscal rules in supporting fiscal consolidation, discusses the design and implementation of rules based on a new data base spanning the whole Fund membership, and explores the fiscal framework that could be adopted as countries emerge from the crisis.

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U.S. Army

U.S. Army Improvised Explosive Device Effects Simulator (IEDES) Program

The IED Effects Simulator (IEDES) kit is a Training Aids Device that will assist the Army in training the joint and individual service on operational support tasks, conditions, and standards needed to achieve U.S. Military IED objectives. The IEDES is configured to simulate a Small, Medium, Large, and Extra Large explosive signature. The IEDES is designed to train key tasks of Explosive Hazards (EHs) defeat, to predict, prevent, detect, classify, neutralize, mark, report and record EH and to protect personnel, equipment and facilities from EH effects.

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