http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/R40835_20090929.pdf

As of June 2009 there were over 18,000 armed private security contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan. Recent contracting trends suggest that the numbers will continue to increase. This report examines current private security contractor trends in Iraq and Afghanistan, steps the Department of Defense has taken to improve oversight and management, and the extent to which DOD has incorporated the role of security contractors into its doctrine and strategy. From the Congressional Research Service, posted by OpenCRS.org.

http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/RS21922_20091001.pdf

Analyzes the 2009 elections, the charges of corruption, and the aftermath for the Karzai regime. Also looks at the performance of the government, issues relating to human rights, and the efforts to expand local governance. From the Congressional Research Service, posted by OpenCRS.org.

http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d101.pdf

Subtitled: DOD, State, and USAID continue to face challenges in tracking contractor personnel and contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Examines (1) the status of agency efforts to track information on contracts and contractor personnel, (2) the number of contractor personnel, (3) the number of killed and wounded contractors, and (4) the number and value of contracts awarded and whether they were awarded competitively. From the Government Accountability Office.

http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/documents/Assessment_Redacted_092109.pdf?sid=ST2009092003140

Text of the assessment that the current situation in Afghanistan is serious and deteriorating by Stanley McChrystal, Commander of the U.S. Forces in Afghanistan and the International Security Assistance Force. From the Washington Post.

http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/RS22163_20090805.pdf

Assesses the current state of U.S.-European relations and such key issues as economic relations, climate change, relations with Russia and Iran, counterterrorism, and conflicts in Afghanistan and the Middle East. From the Congressional Research Service, posted by OpenCRS.org.

http://www.unodc.org/documents/crop-monitoring/Afghanistan/Afghanistan_opium_survey_2009_summary.pdf

Claims that opium cultivation in Afghanistan in 2009 decreased by 22% from 2008. Provides detailed data tables on cultivation and eradication by province. From the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/row/R40747.pdf

Examines the mandate, structure and functioning of the UNAMA mission, the obstacles the organization faces in coordinating international efforts, and policy considerations for the 111th Congress. From the Congressional Research Service, posted by the Federation of American Scientists.

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/R40764.pdf

Examines current contractor trends in Iraq and Afghanistan, steps taken by the Defense Department to improve contract management and oversight, and the extent to which contractors are included in military doctrine and strategy. From the Congressional Research Service, posted by the Federation of American Scientists

http://www.usip.org/files/afghanistan_police.pdf

Details the past failures and current challenges facing the international police assistance program in Afghanistan. Based on a May 2009 conference. From the United States Institute of Peace.

http://www.sigar.mil/reports/quarterlyreports/Jul09/pdf/Report_-_July_2009.pdf

Latest in a series of quarterly reports on U.S. reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan, especially the effort to rebuild the Afghan Security Forces and to prepare for the August 20, 2009 elections. From the Office of the Special Inspector General

http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/R40699_20090714.pdf

Provides information on the types and amounts of foreign assistance provided to Afghanistan by the U.S. since 2001, the agencies providing the assistance, and what the agencies are doing in Afghanistan. From the Congressional Research Service, posted by OpenCRS.org.