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Islam: Sunnis and Shiites (open access)

Islam: Sunnis and Shiites

The majority of the world's Muslim population follows the Sunni branch of Islam, and approximately 10%-15% of all Muslims follow the Shiite (Shi'ite, Shi'a, Shia) branch. Shiite populations constitute a majority in Iran, Iraq, Bahrain, and Azerbaijan. Sunnis and Shiites share most basic religious tenets. However, their differences sometimes have been the basis for religious intolerance, political infighting, and sectarian violence. This report includes a historical background of the Sunni-Shiite split and discusses the differences in religious beliefs and practices between and within each Islamic sect as well as their similarities. The report also relates Sunni and Shiite religious beliefs to discussions of terrorism and sectarian violence that may be of interest to Congress.
Date: November 9, 2010
Creator: Blanchard, Christopher M.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses (open access)

Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses

Much of the debate over U.S. policy toward Iran has centered on the nature of the current regime; some believe that Iran, a country of about 70 million people, is a threat to U.S. interests because hardliners in Iran's regime dominate and set a policy direction intended to challenge U.S. influence and allies in the region. President George W. Bush, in his January 29, 2002, State of the Union message, labeled Iran part of an "axis of evil" along with Iraq and North Korea.
Date: September 22, 2010
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Intelligence Issues for Congress (open access)

Intelligence Issues for Congress

To address the challenges facing the U.S. intelligence community in the 21st century, congressional and executive branch initiatives have sought to improve coordination among the different agencies and to encourage better analysis. This report discusses these challenges and efforts the current and previous Administrations and Congresses have taken and are taking to address them. The report includes criticism of the intelligence community's efforts regarding Iraq, Iran, and other areas. Improved analysis remains a key goal in these discussions.
Date: October 14, 2010
Creator: Best, Richard A., Jr.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Management of Communal Conflict in the Middle East: The Case of the Kurds (open access)

Management of Communal Conflict in the Middle East: The Case of the Kurds

The objective of this study is to describe and analyze the management of communal conflict in the Middle East, focusing on the Kurds. To this end, an effort is made to examine (1) the means that have been used to manage the Kurdish conflict by Middle Eastern countries; (2) the degree of success or failure of applied measures and (3) possible explanations for the first two questions.
Date: December 1983
Creator: Khosrowshahi, Manouchehr Rostamy
Object Type: Thesis or Dissertation
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Comparative Study of Terrorism in Southwest Asia 1968-1982 (open access)

A Comparative Study of Terrorism in Southwest Asia 1968-1982

This study assumes that political terrorism results from conscious decision-making by groups opposing a governing system, policy or process. The kinds of terrorist activity employed depend upon such factors as the philosophy, goals, objectives, and needs of the terrorist group. This presents a comparative analysis of three types of terrorists in southwest Asia: Palestinians, Marxist-Leninists, and Muslims. The first section summarizes and compares the three groups' motivational causes, philosophies, histories and sources of inspiration. The second section compares their behavior from four perspectives: trends and patterns, level of violence, tactical preferences, and lethality. The third section identifies and categorizes socioeconomic, political and military variables associated with tactic selection and acts of terrorism.
Date: August 1990
Creator: Zonozy, Nassrullah Y. (Nassrullah Yeganeh)
Object Type: Thesis or Dissertation
System: The UNT Digital Library
Managing Water Resources in the Tigris and Euphrates Drainage Basin: An Inquiry into the Policy Process (open access)

Managing Water Resources in the Tigris and Euphrates Drainage Basin: An Inquiry into the Policy Process

The Tigris and Euphrates are international rivers vital to the four countries through which they flow: Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Iran. The population in the region has more than doubled in less than thirty years, and irrigated agriculture, hydroelectric power generation, industrialization, and urbanization have increased. All of these developments require more water, and the dependence of the riparian nations on the waters of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers has become apparent, as has the need for comprehensive, basin-wide management of water resources. At present the riparians have shown some concern about the management of water in the two rivers, although no consensus exists as to the precise nature of the problem or what should be done to resolve it. This policy-oriented dissertation attempts to help frame the policy issues of managing the waters of the Tigris and Euphrates basin. It also seeks to provide an understanding of the policy process and to meet the intelligence needs of policy-makers with regard to the future management of these international waterways. Finally, it provides strategies for developing and implementing a cooperative water policy for this international basin.
Date: August 1984
Creator: Al-Himyari, Abbas Hussien
Object Type: Thesis or Dissertation
System: The UNT Digital Library
Iraq Crisis and U.S. Policy (open access)

Iraq Crisis and U.S. Policy

This report analyzes the offensive in northern and central Iraq led by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, aka ISIS) -- a Sunni Islamist insurgent and terrorist group -- with a discussion of the offensive's implications, the U.S. response, and related issues.
Date: June 20, 2014
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth; Humud, Carla E.; Blanchard, Christopher M.; Margesson, Rhoda & Tiersky, Alex
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Iraq: Politics, Elections, and Benchmarks (open access)

Iraq: Politics, Elections, and Benchmarks

This report discusses Iraq's political system, which has been restructured through a U.S.-supported election process. The Iraqi government is increasingly characterized by peaceful competition rather than violence, but sectarianism and ethnic and factional infighting still remain. This report discusses issues relating to opponents of the Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and also discusses the atmosphere of nationwide provincial elections. The report also addresses the Obama Administration's plan to reduce the U.S. troop presence in Iraq by August 2010 and briefly addresses the Iranian influence in Iraq.
Date: June 2, 2009
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Kurds in Post-Saddam Iraq (open access)

The Kurds in Post-Saddam Iraq

This report discusses the state of the Kurdish-inhabited region of northern Iraq, which has been fairly peaceful since the fall of Saddam Hussein; however, the region is also home to friction with Christian and other minorities, with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and other Arab leaders of Iraq, and with neighboring Turkey and Iran. The report also addresses other general political issues and tensions in the Kurdish region, and how said tensions might affect and be affected by the projected U.S. drawdown of U.S. forces in Iraq between now and August 2010.
Date: June 3, 2009
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Iran's Activities and Influence in Iraq (open access)

Iran's Activities and Influence in Iraq

This report discusses the relationship between Iraq and Iran in the post-Saddam Hussein era, with particular focus on what Iran's intentions and/or long-term goals may be for increasing its influence in Iraq. The report explores the various strategies that Iran has used to spread its influence throughout Iraq's military and political spheres. The report also addresses the United States' concern over the Iran-Iraq relationship, especially as it concerns armed Shiite factions and U.S. efforts to stabilize Iraq.
Date: June 4, 2009
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Cost of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Other Global War on Terror Operations Since 9/11 (open access)

The Cost of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Other Global War on Terror Operations Since 9/11

This report analyzes war funding for the Department of Defense (DOD) and tracks funding for USAID and Veteran's Affairs (VA) Medical funding. Information on costs helps Congress to assess the FY2010 Supplemental for war costs for the Department of Defense (DOD) and State/USAID FY2011 war requests; conduct oversight of past war costs; and consider the longer-term costs implications of the buildup of troops in Afghanistan and potential problems in the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.
Date: March 29, 2011
Creator: Belasco, Amy
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Middle East and North Africa: Political Succession and Regime Stability (open access)

The Middle East and North Africa: Political Succession and Regime Stability

This report discusses the political future of various countries in the Middle East-North Africa (MENA) region. A change in the leadership in these countries could significantly affect their policies toward the United States and their willingness to cooperate with the United States in achieving the stability needed to advance U.S. interests in this important region.
Date: August 29, 2003
Creator: Thayer, Amy E. & Prados, Alfred B.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Islam: Sunnis and Shiites (open access)

Islam: Sunnis and Shiites

This report includes a historical background of the Sunni-Shiite split and discusses the differences in religious beliefs and practices between and within each Islamic sect as well as their similarities. The report also relates Sunni and Shiite religious beliefs to discussions of terrorism and sectarian violence that may be of interest during the 111th Congress.
Date: March 3, 2010
Creator: Blanchard, Christopher M.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Iran-Iraq Relations (open access)

Iran-Iraq Relations

This report provides background information on Iran's support to armed groups and Iranian political influence and specifically discusses the relationship between Iran and Iraq.
Date: April 15, 2010
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Defense Logistical Support Contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan: Issues for Congress (open access)

Defense Logistical Support Contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan: Issues for Congress

This report examines logistical support contracts for troop support services in Iraq and Afghanistan (for Afghanistan, beginning with LOGCAP IV) administered through the U.S. Army's Logistics Civil Augmentation Program (LOGCAP). LOGCAP is an initiative designed to manage the use of civilian contractors that perform services during times of war and other military mobilizations.
Date: January 27, 2010
Creator: Bailey Grasso, Valerie
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Iran's Activities and Influence in Iraq (open access)

Iran's Activities and Influence in Iraq

This report discusses the relationship between Iraq and Iran in the post-Saddam Hussein era, with particular focus on what Iran's intentions and/or long-term goals may be for increasing its influence in Iraq. The report explores the various strategies that Iran has used to spread its influence throughout Iraq's military and political spheres. The report also addresses the United States' concern over the Iran-Iraq relationship, especially as it concerns armed Shiite factions and U.S. efforts to stabilize Iraq.
Date: January 7, 2009
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Geology, Soil, and Climate at Specific Points Throughout the World, Volume 2: Europe, U.S.S.R., and Southwest Asia (open access)

Geology, Soil, and Climate at Specific Points Throughout the World, Volume 2: Europe, U.S.S.R., and Southwest Asia

This is part of a series of reports that cover the study of 202 sites throughout the world providing data on rock and soil to a depth of 100 feet and on climatic conditions. This volume discusses locations in Europe, the U.S.S.R. and Southwest Asia.
Date: October 1966
Creator: Ruane, Paul J.; Woo, C. C.; Gardner, Louis S.; Newton, Elisabeth G.; Reimer, Allen & Zarza, Ray
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Cross-National Study of the Correlates of Civil Strife in Middle Eastern Nations, 1960-73 (open access)

A Cross-National Study of the Correlates of Civil Strife in Middle Eastern Nations, 1960-73

The main objective of this research is to test some of the hypotheses linking economic development, social mobilization, legitimacy, and the coerciveness of the regime with internal political conflict. Each proposed hypothesis is to be tested across sixteen predominantly Islamic Middle Eastern nations for data from two time periods, 1960-66 and 1967-73. To check for the consistency and strength of the hypothesized relationships the test results for each hypothesis for the first period data will be compared with those of the second period.
Date: May 1981
Creator: Ganji, Ghorbanali
Object Type: Thesis or Dissertation
System: The UNT Digital Library
Iran’s Influence in Iraq (open access)

Iran’s Influence in Iraq

This report examines Iran's influence in Iraq post-Saddam. This is in large part because the dominant parties in Iraq have long-standing ideological, political, and religious sectarian ties to Tehran. A key U.S. concern is that Iran, seeking to ensure the political prospects of its proteges, supports Shiite militias that are committing sectarian violence. Since December 2006, the Administration has tried to reverse Iranian influence in Iraq while also engaging Iran diplomatically on Iraq.
Date: May 22, 2007
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Iran’s Activities and Influence in Iraq (open access)

Iran’s Activities and Influence in Iraq

This report outlines Iran's activities and influence in Iraq. Iran is materially assisting major Shiite Muslim political factions in Iraq, most of which have longstanding ideological, political, and religious ties to Tehran, and their armed militias.
Date: March 6, 2008
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Iran’s Influence in Iraq (open access)

Iran’s Influence in Iraq

This report describes Iran's influence over the post-Saddam government in Iraq. A key concern is that Iran is extending support for related militias in Iraq that are now responsible for much of the sectarian violence in Iraq.
Date: December 19, 2006
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Academic Year 1967-1968, Unit 5: Some Armed Forces of the Middle East and North Africa (open access)

Academic Year 1967-1968, Unit 5: Some Armed Forces of the Middle East and North Africa

This booklet is the fifth unit of a training course developed for Air Reserve personnel about the armed forces of non-communist countries. This unit discusses the Middle East and North Africa. It includes background information, review questions, and a list of readings for further study.
Date: January 1967
Creator: Air University (U.S.)
Object Type: Pamphlet
System: The Portal to Texas History
Middle East Elections 2009: Lebanon, Iran, Afghanistan, and Iraq (open access)

Middle East Elections 2009: Lebanon, Iran, Afghanistan, and Iraq

This report provides an overview of the election contests in Lebanon, Iran, Afghanistan, and Iraq, including possible outcomes and implications for U.S. policy. The strategic influence of Iran in the Middle East, the stability of Iraq, and the ongoing war in Afghanistan are at the forefront of U.S. policy and Congressional interest in the region.
Date: May 18, 2009
Creator: Addis, Casey L. & Katzman, Kenneth
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
War Powers Litigation Initiated by Members of Congress Since the Enactment of the War Powers Resolution (open access)

War Powers Litigation Initiated by Members of Congress Since the Enactment of the War Powers Resolution

This report summarizes the eight cases initiated by Members of Congress in which final rulings were reached, which concerned U.S. military activities in El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Grenada; military action taken during the Persian Gulf conflict between Iraq and Iran; U.S. activities in response to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait (prior to the congressional authorization); U.S. participation in NATO's action in Kosovo and Yugoslavia; and U.S. military action in Libya.
Date: February 17, 2012
Creator: Garcia, Michael John
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library