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Report Alert is a semi-monthly abstract service
highlighting recent reports, official and non-official.
All items are hyperlinked to the full-text documents. Should you
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Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Post-War Governance, Security and U.S. Policy.
Kenneth Katzman. Library of Congress. Congressional Research
Service (CRS). Updated June 15, 2004
The war against Al Qaeda and the Taliban paved the way for the
success of a pre-existing U.N. effort to form a broad-based Afghan
government. The transitional government appears stable at the
national level, but major tensions still exist among factions of
the national government and between the central government and
leaders of Afghanistan’s various regions. Some argue that, in many
respects, “center-periphery” tension has existed throughout Afghan
history. An insurgency by Taliban, pro-Taliban, and Al Qaeda
remnants persists, but appears to be gaining little traction or
popular support. On the other hand, narcotics trafficking appears
to be a growing threat to Afghan development and stability. U.S.
stabilization measures focus on strengthening the central
government, which has been widely viewed as weak and unable to
control many regional and factional leaders. The United States and
other countries are building an Afghan National Army; deploying a
multinational International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) to
patrol Kabul and other cities; setting up regional enclaves to
create secure conditions for reconstruction (Provincial
Reconstruction Teams, PRTs), and disarming militia fighters. To
foster reconstruction, the United States is giving Afghanistan a
total of about $1.6 billion for FY2004, most of which ($1.2
billion) was provided in a supplemental appropriation (P.L.
108-106). The United Nations and the Bush Administration have
lifted sanctions imposed on Afghanistan during Taliban rule.
Africa
Sudan: the Crisis in Darfur. Ted Dagne. Library of
Congress. Congressional Research Service (CRS). June 16, 2004.
The ongoing crisis in Darfur Province in western Sudan has raised
serious concerns about a major humanitarian disaster, with an
estimated one million people displaced and more than 140,000
people forced into neighboring Chad. There are no reliable
estimates of the number of people killed as a result of the
conflict. The government of Sudan has denied or severely
restricted access to relief officials in Darfur. Some observers
and U.S. officials estimate that between 10,000-30,000 people have
been killed over the past twelve months. U.S. officials assert
that an estimated 320,000 could die by the end of 2004
irrespective of the international response. The crisis in Darfur
began in February 2003, when two rebel groups emerged to challenge
the National Islamic Front (NIF) government in Darfur. The Sudan
Liberation Army (SLA) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM)
claim that the government of Sudan discriminates against Muslim
African ethnic groups in Darfur. The government of Sudan dismisses
the SLA and JEM as terrorists. The conflict pits the three African
ethnic groups, the Fur, Zaghawa, and Massaleit, against nomadic
Arab ethnic groups. Periodic tensions between the largely
African-Muslim ethnic groups and the Arab inhabitants of Darfur
can be traced to the 1930s and most recently surfaced in the
1980s. Successive governments in Khartoum have long neglected the
African ethnic groups in Darfur and have done very little to
prevent or contain attacks by Arab militias against non-Arabs in
Darfur. Non-Arab groups took up arms against successive central
governments in Khartoum, albeit unsuccessfully. In the early
1990s, the NIF government, which came to power in 1989, began to
arm Arab militias and disarm the largely African ethnic groups.
Rising U.S. Stakes in Africa - Seven Proposals to Strengthen
U.S.-Africa Policy. CSIS - the Africa Policy Advisory
Panel. May 2004.
This report presents the results of the Africa Policy Advisory
Panel, initiated by CSIS and authorized by Congress in early 2003.
The Panel members and expert authors propose "seven high quality
policy initiatives", tied to evolving core U.S. national interests
in Africa, that should attract strong interest within the
administration, Congress, and the next administration. In brief,
they cover: 1. Postwar Sudan—the urgent security and other
challenges it will present; 2. Strengthening African capital
markets; 3. An elevated U.S. energy approach to Africa; 4. An
Africa conservation initiative; 5. Strengthening U.S.
counter-terrorism efforts; 6. Strengthening crisis diplomacy and
peace operations; 7. Sustaining U.S. leadership on HIV/AIDS.
AIDS
2004 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic. UNAIDS. July 6, 2004.
The global AIDS
epidemic expanded in 2003 with five million new infections and
three million deaths, according to a report released July 6 by the
Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). The new
infections represent "the greatest number in any one year since
the beginning of the epidemic," the report says. There are
currently 38 million people living with the virus worldwide, with
the greatest number -- 25 million -- in Africa. The report notes
the rapid expansion of the epidemic in Central Asia and Eastern
Europe, where there are about 1.3 million people living with HIV,
compared with about 160,000 in 1995. More than 80 percent are
under the age of 30. Estonia, Latvia, Russia and Ukraine are the
worst-affected countries, the UNAIDS report says, but HIV also
continues to spread in Belarus, Kazakhstan and Moldova. "The main
driving force behind the epidemic in this region is injecting drug
use," the report said, but in some countries "sexual transmission
is becoming increasingly common, especially among injecting drug
users and their partners." Russia remains one of the
worst-affected countries in the region, and women account for an
increasing share of newly diagnosed cases of HIV -- up from
one-in-four in 2001, to one-in-three in 2003. The report says
China, Indonesia and Vietnam experienced the most rapid increases
in HIV cases in 2003. "Home to 60 percent of the world's
population, the fast-growing Asian epidemic has huge implications
globally," the report says.
The Americas
Regional Seminar on Internal Displacement in the Americas.
Brookings-SAIS Project on Internal Displacement. Web-posted July
1, 2004.
There are an estimated 3.3 million internally displaced persons (IDPs)
in the Americas, the majority in Colombia, which now has the third
largest IDP population in the world. Numbers are much fewer in
Mexico, but their situation remains precarious and only recently
has it begun to receive attention. In Guatemala and Peru, many
IDPs continue to lack sustainable solutions even though the
conflicts ended several years back. Most IDPs in the Americas are
in need of humanitarian aid, protection, and support for
reintegration. Disproportionately affected by displacement are
Afro-Colombians and indigenous populations.
Arms
Control/Non-Proliferation
Securing the Bomb: An Agenda for Action. Matthew Bunn and
Anthony Wier. Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of
Government. May 24, 2004.
This report reviews actions already taken and steps now needed to
keep nuclear weapons out of the hands of terrorists and hostile
states, especially for the United States and Russia. The authors
find that programs to reduce this danger are making progress, but
there remains a potentially deadly gap between the urgency of the
threat and the scope and pace of efforts to address it. During
fiscal year (FY) 2003, U.S.-funded programs completed
comprehensive security and accounting upgrades on enough
weapons-usable nuclear material to make more than two thousand
nuclear weapons (35 tons of nuclear material), and over 30 tons of
highly enriched uranium (HEU) was permanently destroyed. However,
the 35 tons of potential bomb material secured last year is just
6% of the estimated 600 tons of potentially vulnerable nuclear
material in Russia alone. By the end of FY2003, comprehensive
security and accounting upgrades had been completed for only 22%
of this material, and initial “rapid upgrades” – bricking over
windows, installing detectors at doors – for only 43%. If progress
continues at last year’s rate of 35 tons per year, it will take 13
years to finish the job in just the former Soviet Union. With
Presidential action to break through the logjams, say the authors,
the work could be completed in four years.
China/East Asia/Pacific
Defusing China's Time Bomb: Sustaining the Momentum of China's
HIV/AIDS Response. A Report of the CSIS HIV/AIDS Delegation to
China, April 13–18, 2004. Center for Strategic &
International Studies (CSIS). June 17, 2004.
The report notes that China has made important advances in
outlook, policy, and resource commitments. New leaders have
emerged in China with a stronger commitment to improving social
welfare and to addressing HIV/AIDS in particular. China has
initiated a more proactive response to the HIV/AIDS challenge,
including a national treatment and care program. New policy
guidelines promote “four frees and one care:” free antiretroviral
drug treatment for poor citizens, free testing and counseling for
poor citizens, free treatment to prevent mother-to-child
transmission of HIV, free schooling for AIDS orphans, and care for
families affected by HIV/AIDS. Senior leaders have committed to
implementing harm reduction strategies, including condom
promotion, needle exchange, and methadone substitution therapy for
drug addicts. The authors also note that in spite of many positive
developments, daunting challenges—political, technical, and
normative—lie ahead for China to combat HIV/AIDS.
Learning from the Stones: A "Go" Approach to Mastering China's
Strategic Concept, "Shi". David Lai. United States Army
War College, Strategic Studies Institute. May 2004.
Most U.S. political and military leaders are aware of the
difference in strategic thinking and international behavior
between the United States and China. Many have also studied Sun
Tzu’s Art of War and can recite the Chinese master strategist’s
famous saying: “Know the enemy and know yourself, in a hundred
battles you will never be in peril.” The author maintains however,
that few really understand the essence of the difference. Lai
introduces a new approach to learning about different ways of
strategic thinking and interaction in Chinese culture: through
learning the Chinese board game called “go”. This game is a living
reflection of Chinese philosophy, culture, strategic thinking,
warfare, military tactics, and diplomatic bargaining. The author
also sheds light on the remarkable connection between go and the
strategic concepts in Sun Tzu’s Art of War. While not overstating
his case, Lai makes the modest claim that a little knowledge of
“go” will take U.S. leaders a long way in understanding the
essence of the Chinese way of war and diplomacy.
Democracy/Human Rights/Religious Freedom
The U.S. Department of Labor's 2003 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor.
United States Department of Labor, Bureau of International Labor Affairs. May
11, 2004.
The Department of Labor's 2003 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor was
prepared in response to a child labor reporting requirement under the Trade and
Development Act of 2000. Under this act, trade beneficiary countries and
territories are required to implement their international commitments to
eliminate the worst forms of child labor. The report presents information on the
nature and extent of the problem in 144 countries and territories and the
efforts being made by their governments to eliminate the worst forms of child
labor. The Bureau of International Labor Affairs’ International Child Labor
Program (ICLP) collected data from a wide variety of sources, including the
State Department, U.S. embassies and consulates, foreign governments,
nongovernmental organizations and international agencies. In addition, bureau
staff conducted field visits to many of the countries covered in the report.
U.S. Treatment of Prisoners in Iraq: Selected Legal Issues.
Jennifer K. Elsea. Library of Congress. Congressional Research
Service (CRS). May 24, 2004.
This report summarizes pertinent provisions of the Geneva
Conventions Relative to the Treatment of Victims of War (Geneva
Conventions) and other international agreements concerning the
treatment of certain types of prisoners. The report begins with a
discussion of international and U.S. standards regarding the
treatment of prisoners. A discussion of accountability in case of
breach of these standards follows, including potential means of
asserting jurisdiction over alleged violators, either in military
courts under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) or U.S.
federal courts, by applying U.S. criminal statutes that explicitly
apply extraterritorially or within the special maritime or
territorial jurisdiction of the United States (as defined in 18
U.S.C. § 7) or by means of the Military Extraterritorial
Jurisdiction Act (MEJA). Finally, the report discusses
international requirements to provide redress for those whose
treatment at the hands of U.S. officials may have fallen below the
standards outlined in the first section of the report.
Development
Investing in People: National Progress in Implementing the ICPD
[Cairo International Conference on Population and Development]
Programme of Action 1994-2004. United Nations Population
Fund (UNFPA). June 21, 2004.
This report includes survey responses from 169 countries on the
steps they have taken to implement the Cairo Programme of Action,
including measures related to population and development, gender
equality, women’s empowerment, reproductive rights and health and
HIV/AIDS. The report also presents actions these countries still
need to take to achieve the ICPD goals. According to the survey,
more than 90 per cent of countries have integrated family planning
and safe motherhood into their primary health care systems. A
similar percentage has taken measures to address adolescent
reproductive health, including integrating reproductive health
education into school curricula. Many of the survey respondents
have also established national AIDS commissions and programs to
deal with the impact of the pandemic. The survey also shows
growing attention to issues like migration and population ageing.
The survey highlights a number of obstacles to the Cairo goals.
The most notable of these is the lack of financial resources, with
more than 80 per cent of countries reporting that available
resources did not meet their reproductive health needs. In
addition, the survey shows that current financial commitments by
donor countries to developing countries are inadequate to make the
Cairo vision a reality. The survey also confirms the need to
protect funding for population and reproductive health in the face
of a number of new and competing priorities.
Environment/Energy
Nuclear Power's Changing Future. International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA). June 26, 2004.
IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei published this brief
report, issued as a press release, on the eve of the opening of
the “International Conference on Fifty Years of Nuclear Power -
the Next Fifty Years”, held in Obninsk, Russia from June 27 - July
2, 2004. Fifty years ago, on June 26, 1954, in the town of Obninsk,
near Moscow in the former USSR, the first nuclear power plant was
connected to an electricity grid to provide power to residences
and businesses. Nuclear energy had crossed the divide from
military uses to civilian applications. This report forecasts a
moderate growth in nuclear power in the near future, with the
greatest growth in new nuclear power plants (NPPs) arising in
Asia. “Of the new NPPs presently under construction, 18 of the 27
are located in Asia, while construction has virtually halted in
Western European and North American countries with long-standing
nuclear power programmes.” Due to the depletion of fossil-fuel
resources, however, as well as to other factors, the IAEA expects
to see a quadrupling of today’s nuclear power output by 2050.
Rivers at Risk. WWF. June 22, 2004.
This report identifies the top 21 rivers at risk from dams being
planned or under construction [Yangtze, La Plata, Tigris &
Euphrates, Salween, Kizilirmak, Ganges, Amazon, Mekong,
Brahmaputra, Xun Jiang (Pearl River), Danube, Huang He (Yellow
River), Kura-Araks, Yesil-Kelkit, Büyük Menderes, Çoruh, Simav,
Ebro, Indus, Qezel Owzan]. It shows that over 60 per cent of the
world’s 227 largest rivers have been fragmented by dams, which has
led to the destruction of wetlands, a decline in freshwater
species - including river dolphins, fish, and birds - and the
forced displacement of tens of millions of people. The report
highlights the Yangtze as the river at most risk with 46 large
dams planned or under construction. The Danube and Amazon rivers
are also included in the list. The report concludes that
governments are not applying the recommendations of the World
Commission on Dams (WCD) to their dam projects. As a result, the
benefits that dams provide - such as hydropower, irrigation, and
flood control services - are often overtaken by negative
environmental and social impacts. For example, much of the water
provided by dams is lost, mainly due to inefficient agriculture
irrigation systems - which globally waste up to 1,500 trillion
liters of water annually. This is equivalent to 10 times the
annual water consumption of the entire African continent.
Europe/Russia/NIS
Nations in Transit, 2004. Freedom House. May 24, 2004.
Europe is facing a widening and worrisome democracy gap, according
to this year’s Nations in Transit report from Freedom House. The
report is a comparative, multidimensional study focusing on 27
former Communist states. The data indicate that the enlargement of
the European Union on May 1 formalized a new divide between the
stable, democratic nations of Central Europe and the Baltics on
the one hand and the weaker post-Communist states that continue to
lag behind in key areas of democratic development on the other
hand. All the country reports, plus a new entry on Kosovo, are
available from a pull-down menu. The Democracy Score is an average
of ratings for Electoral Process (EP); Civil Society (CS);
Independent Media (IM); Governance (GOV); Constitutional,
Legislative and Judicial Framework (CLJF); and Corruption (CO).
Freedom House found that the non-Baltic post-Soviet states have
regressed over the life of the study. Russia has registered the
most significant decline in scores since last year, with
Azerbaijan, Moldova, and Ukraine also showing significant
downturns. Continued poor performance was documented throughout
the Central Asian countries.
Foreign Policy
World Factbook 2004. United States Central Intelligence
Agency (CIA). June 16, 2004.
This reference work provides a snapshot, as of 1 January 2004, of
wide-ranging information about the background, geography, people,
government, economy, communications, transportation, military, and
transnational issues for countries from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe.
The nine primary information categories and 134 subcategories for
most entities include geographic coordinates, Gross Domestic
Product, number of mobile cellular telephones, natural resources,
legal systems, political parties, illicit drugs, mortality rates,
and more. Included among the 268 geographic listings is one for
the "World," which incorporates data and other information
summarized where possible from the other 267 listings.
Health
Inheriting the World: the Atlas of Children's Health and the
Environment. Bruce Gordon, Richard Mackay and Eva Rehfuess.
World Health Organization (WHO). June 23, 2004.
Many of the world’s children are exposed to hazards in the very
places that should be safest, including their homes, schools and
local communities. Considering that their growing bodies are
particularly sensitive to environmental threats, the final burden
of childhood disease is substantial. Every year, according to WHO,
more than three million children die due to unhealthy
environments. The majority of these child deaths are caused by
unsafe water, lack of sanitation, indoor air pollution, and
mosquitoes bearing malaria. Other environmental hazards include
passive smoking, lead and pesticides, road traffic accidents, and
global environmental changes. Persistent poverty aggravates these
environmental threats. The children worst affected are those in
the developing world, and the enormous burden of ill-health
falling on their youngest citizens constrains the social and
economic development of these countries.
IT/E-Commerce
Piracy Study First Annual BSA and IDC Global Software. Business Software
Alliance and IDC Global Software. July 2004.
Thirty-six percent of the software in use worldwide is pirated, causing
revenue losses of $29 billion in 2003, a new industry study says. "For every two
dollars' worth of software purchased legitimately, one dollar's worth was
obtained illegally," said the study carried out by the research firm
International Data Corp (IDC) for the Business Software Alliance (BSA). Among
individual countries, China and Vietnam had the highest piracy rates of 92
percent each. Ukraine's piracy rate was 91 percent, Indonesia's 88 percent,
Russia's 87 percent and Zimbabwe's 87 percent. The United States had the lowest
piracy rate of 22 percent, followed by New Zealand at 23 percent, and Denmark at
26 percent. Austria and Sweden each had 27 percent piracy rates. By region, 53
percent of software on computers in Asia was pirated in 2003, 70 percent in
Eastern Europe, 63 percent in Latin America, 55 percent in the Middle East, 36
percent in Western Europe, and 23 percent in North America. In a July 7 news
release, BSA said that the greatest revenue losses were in Western Europe, where
the use of pirated software reduced industry revenues by $9.6 billion in 2003.
Losses in Asia were $7.5 billion, followed by the United States and Canada, with
combined losses of $7.2 billion. Overall, software worth almost $80 billion was
installed in 2003, although only $50 billion was purchased legitimately, the
study said.
Middle East
Democracy and Human Development in the Broader Middle East: A Transatlantic
Strategy for Partnership. The German Marshall Fund of the United States.
June 27, 2004.
The authors call for a dramatic shift in the approaches taken by Europe and by
the United States to the region. They focus more specifically on the issue of
increased democratization in the vast region known collectively as “the Middle
East”. The paper argues that an appropriate transatlantic approach to human
development and the growth of democracy in the region should be built on the
following principles: 1) Regional Ownership; 2) Engaging Rulers and Ruled; 3)
Islam and Democracy; 4) Tailored Policies. Also, say the authors, the West must
address questions related to its credibility gap in the Middle East. The three
pillars on which a new transatlantic policy towards the Middle East should be
based are, according to the authors: “First, it must aim to help strengthen the
forces for democratic change and stable liberal democratic politics within these
societies. Second, such a strategy must also work to create a more secure
regional foreign policy context that can facilitate democratic transformation.
Third and finally, the United States and Europe need to organize themselves
across the Atlantic and with partners in the region to effectively sustain these
policies for a generation or more.”
Palestinians and Middle East
Peace: Issues for the United States. Congressional Research Service
(CRS). Clyde Mark. Updated May 20, 2004.
According to the “road map” for the “quartet” peace proposal (Europe, Russia,
U.N., U.S.A.), presented on April 30, 2003, the Israelis and Palestinians must
take steps to implement the plan, but it was not clear if the steps were to be
sequential (the Israeli view) or in parallel (the Palestinian view). During
stage one of phase one, the Israelis will end attacks on Palestinian cities, end
house demolitions, end deportations, freeze settlement activity, and dismantle
settlements established since February 2001, and the
Palestinians will name a new cabinet (sworn in April 30, 2003), name a Prime
Minister, end violence against Israelis, and consolidate the Palestinian police
forces.
During stage two of phase one, the IDF will withdraw to the September 28, 2000
lines and freeze all settlement activity. The Palestinians and the Israelis will
sign a new security agreement. The Palestinians will hold elections for the
Palestinian Legislative Council. During Phase two, the quartet will establish a
monitoring system to monitor compliance with the agreement and will hold an
international conference on Palestinian economic recovery. The quartet also will
sponsor negotiations for a Palestinian state within provisional borders.
During phase three, scheduled to begin in 2004, Israel and the Palestinians will
agree on a provisional Palestinian state and, by the beginning of 2005, will
resume negotiations for permanent borders, Jerusalem, refugees, settlements, and
other issues.
Planning Considerations for International Involvement in an
Israeli Withdrawal from Palestinian Territory. Amjad
Atallah, Jarat Chopra, Yaser M. Dajani, Orit Gal, Joel Peters and
Mark Walsh. U.S. Army War College. Center for Strategic
Leadership. June 2004.
On 6-7 May 2004 -- in the wake of Likud's rejection of Sharon's
disengagement plan from the Gaza Strip and parts of the northern
West Bank -- a group of Israelis, Palestinians and international
officials and experts convened to address operational aspects of
third party involvement in a withdrawal process. Chaired by Jarat
Chopra and Mark Walsh, the meeting was hosted in Noordwijk aan Zee
by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, sponsored by the
Programme for Security in International Society at the University
of Cambridge Centre of International Studies and organized with
Strategic Assessments Initiative. The aim of the discussions was
to consider what can and cannot work from a functional
perspective, within the context of social and political realities.
The meeting explored a range of issues affecting the design of any
third party role during the period of an Israeli withdrawal from
Palestinian territory. The participants combined local and
regional expertise, direct knowledge of the parties' positions and
experience in complex peace operations, with humanitarian,
military and transitional political elements. This mixture of
individuals allowed the synthesis of area-specific information and
lessons of multi-dimensional missions to produce comprehensive
planning considerations. This report is a reflection of the issues
discussed, and incorporates many of the ideas contributed by the
participants. The report identifies current strategic aspects of
an Israeli withdrawal; describes the operating environment for a
third party; outlines the potential nature of international
involvement in the border regime, in Palestinian governance and in
the transfer of assets in the Gaza Strip; and concludes with
general planning factors and considerations.
Rebuilding Iraq: Resource, Security, Governance, Essential
Services, and Oversight Issues. United States General
Accounting Office (GAO). June 28, 2004.
Rebuilding Iraq is a U.S. national security and foreign policy
priority. According to the President, the United States intends to
help Iraq achieve democracy and freedom and has a vital national
interest in the success of free institutions in Iraq. As of April
30, 2004, billions of dollars in grants, loans, assets, and
revenues from various sources have been made available or pledged
to the reconstruction of Iraq. The United States, along with its
coalition partners and various international organizations and
donors, has embarked on a significant effort to rebuild Iraq
following multiple wars and decades of neglect by the former
regime. The Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA), established in
May 2003, was the U.N.-recognized coalition authority led by the
United States and the United Kingdom that was responsible for the
temporary governance of Iraq. On June 28, 2004, the CPA
transferred power to a sovereign Iraqi interim government, and the
CPA officially dissolved. This report focuses on issues associated
with (1) resources, (2) security, (3) governance, and (4)
essential services. For the essential services issue, GAO focused
on the Army Corps of Engineers' Restore Iraqi Electricity project,
a major component of the U.S. assistance effort to rebuild the
power sector.
South Asia
India/Pakistan Relations and Kashmir: Steps toward Peace.
[Asia Report No. 79] International Crisis Group (ICG). June 24,
2004.
The decision between Pakistan's president, Pervez Musharraf, and
India's new prime minister, Manmohan Singh, to continue talks on
all contentious issues including Kashmir has inspired optimism
about reduced tensions in South Asia. This report from the
International Crisis Group, welcomes recent progress in relations
between the two countries, but warns of the dangers of proceeding
too quickly on the most contentious issue. The report outlines
steps that ICG believes should be taken by the two nations in
order to give the normalization process a boost. The report
emphasizes confidence-building measures. In particular, they
stress that enabling greater interaction among the Indian and
Pakistani business communities and other civil society actors and
between Kashmiris across the Line of Control would increase the
stakeholders in stability and a Kashmir settlement.
Terrorism
Border Security: Agencies Need to Better Coordinate their
Strategies and Operations on Federal Lands. United States
General Accounting Office (GAO). June 16, 2004; Web-posted July 1,
2004.
Since the mid-1990s—and especially since September 11, 2001—the
government has focused attention and resources on preventing
illegal aliens, drug smugglers, and potential terrorists from
entering the United States across its land borders with Mexico and
Canada. The Border Patrol is responsible for protecting the
nation’s borders. However, a significant portion of the
borderlands are federal or tribal lands managed by the Bureau of
Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife
Service, National Park Service, and Forest Service. Illegal border
activities, including alien border crossings and drug smuggling,
on federal and tribal lands in Arizona have been increasing since
the mid- to late-1990s, creating law enforcement challenges for
land management agencies. [...] As of May 2004, the Border Patrol
had not issued detailed plans to ensure that interagency
coordination occurs, nor had it coordinated with land management
officials regarding funding for infrastructure and technology
improvements. Some coordination had occurred at the field level,
as officials from the various agencies had begun meeting to
improve operations and to share threat assessments in Arizona. GAO
is recommending that the Secretaries of Homeland Security, the
Interior, and Agriculture coordinate strategic and funding plans
with regard to federal borderlands.
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