SECRECY NEWS
from the FAS Project on Government Secrecy
Volume 2019, Issue No. 29
July 19, 2019

Secrecy News Blog: https://fas.org/blogs/secrecy/

USE OF US ARMED FORCES ABROAD, 1798-2019

There are only nineteen years since 1798 when the U.S. did *not* have armed forces engaged in military operations abroad, according to an updated tally from the Congressional Research Service. See Instances of Use of United States Armed Forces Abroad, 1798-2019, updated July 17, 2019.

The most recent year in which U.S. military forces were not used in a foreign conflict was 1979, according to the CRS. The CRS account does not reflect covert action, disaster relief, or training activities involving U.S. forces abroad.

Though there have only been 11 formal declarations of war, there have been hundreds of military actions including "extended military engagements that might be considered undeclared wars."

"These cases vary greatly in size of operation, legal authorization, and significance," CRS said. "Some actions were of short duration, and some lasted a number of years. In some examples, a military officer acted without authorization; some actions were conducted solely under the President's powers as Chief Executive or Commander in Chief; other instances were authorized by Congress in some fashion."

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Other noteworthy new publications from the Congressional Research Service include the following.

Critical Infrastructure: Emerging Trends and Policy Considerations for Congress, July 8, 2019:

DOD's Cloud Strategy and the JEDI Cloud Procurement, CRS In Focus, updated July 16, 2019:

U.S. Strategy for Engagement in Central America: An Overview, CRS In Focus, updated July 17, 2019:

Immigration: Alternatives to Detention (ATD) Programs, July 8, 2019:

Beneficial Ownership Transparency in Corporate Formation, Shell Companies, Real Estate, and Financial Transactions, July 8, 2019:

Hypersonic Weapons: Background and Issues for Congress, July 11, 2019:

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Secrecy News is written by Steven Aftergood and published by the Federation of American Scientists.

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