DOD News Briefing with George Little from the Pentagon

DOD News Briefing with George Little from the Pentagon

NEWS FROM AFGHAISTAN SEPTEMBER 13, 2012

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Airstrike Kills Insurgent Transporting WeaponsFrom an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release

KABUL, Afghanistan , Sept. 13, 2012 - A precision airstrike in the Mota Khan district of Afghanistan's Paktika province yesterday killed an armed insurgent transporting weapons, military officials reported.

An Afghan and coalition security force identified the insurgent transporting weapons, including a heavy machine gun, toward a populated area, officials said, and ordered the strike after ensuring no civilians were nearby.

A post-strike assessment determined no civilian property was damaged and no civilians were harmed, officials said.

In an operation today, a combined force in the Baraki Barak district of Logar province detained several suspected insurgents during an operation to arrest a Taliban leader suspected of commanding dozens of insurgents and directing them in attacks against Afghan and coalition security forces. The security force also seized and destroyed a rocket-propelled grenade launcher, several RPGs and ammunition for assault rifles and heavy machine guns.

Also today, coalition forces confirmed they killed Taliban insurgent leader Maulawi Matin in Helmand province's Marjah district in a Sept. 11 airstrike. He is believed to have led a large cell of fighters and was involved in the facilitation of weapons, ammunition and bomb components throughout Helmand. He also had links to other key insurgent leaders in the region, operating as a liaison with higher-level Taliban leadership based in Pakistan, officials said.

Officials also confirmed today that Afghan and coalition security forces in the Pul-e Alam district of Logar

In an operation yesterday, Afghan special police from the provincial response company in Wardak province found and destroyed munitions, bomb-making materials and other insurgent equipment during a search with coalition advisors in the province's Shahr district. The search yielded artillery rounds, rocket-propelled grenades, rockets, mortar rounds, fragmentation grenades, improvised explosive devices and a large amount of shrapnel for use in roadside bombs. The special police also found Afghan national security forces uniforms and cell phones.

U.S.-SWITZERLAND RELATIONS

Photo Credit:  U.S. State Department.
FROM:  U.S. STATE DELPARTMENTThe United States established diplomatic relations with Switzerland in 1853 following the formation of a unified Swiss state. Switzerland is a democratic country subscribing to the fundamental ideals with which the United States also is identified. The country is politically stable with an essentially strong economy. It has played an increasingly important role in supporting the spread of democratic institutions and values worldwide, as well as providing humanitarian relief and economic development assistance. U.S. policy toward Switzerland takes these factors into account and seeks to cooperate with Switzerland to the extent consistent with Swiss neutrality.

The United States and Switzerland have signed a number of agreements creating mechanisms that deepen cooperation and improve the relationship: the Enhanced Political Cooperation Framework, the Trade and Investment Cooperation Forum, and the revised Operative Working Arrangement on Law Enforcement Cooperation on Counterterrorism. The centerpiece of the Enhanced Political Cooperation Framework is an annual senior-level meeting, the Joint Working Group. Another vehicle for bilateral cooperation is the U.S.-Swiss Joint Economic Commission, which covers anti-money laundering efforts, counterterrorism, regulatory cooperation, and intellectual property rights, among other topics.

U.S. Assistance to Switzerland

The United States provides no development assistance to Switzerland.

Bilateral Economic Relations

Switzerland is a member of the European Free Trade Association, whose countries are significant markets for U.S. exporters and investors. The two countries have a long history of cooperation both bilaterally and within the World Trade Organization. The United States is one of the top destinations for Swiss investment and is one of the largest foreign investors in Switzerland. The United States and Switzerland have signed an agreement creating a trade and investment forum to assess areas where the two governments could facilitate greater trade and investment flows.

U.S. exports to Switzerland include gold, pharmaceutical products, art and antiques, optic and medical instruments, machinery, and agricultural products. U.S. imports from Switzerland include pharmaceutical products, optic and medical instruments, clocks and watches, machinery, jewelry and diamonds, and agricultural products. Per capita, Switzerland is among the countries with the most visitors to the United States every year. Switzerland participates in the Visa Waiver Program, which allows nationals of participating countries to travel to the United States for certain business or tourism purposes for stays of 90 days or less without obtaining a visa.

Switzerland's Membership in International Organizations

Switzerland and the United States belong to a number of the same international organizations, including the United Nations, Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organization. Switzerland is also a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) Partnership for Peace program and is an observer to the Organization of American States.

DETAILS OF ATTACK IN BENGHAZI

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Official Details Benghazi Attack, Vows to Support LibyaBy Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Sept. 12, 2012 - A senior government official today revealed details of yesterday's deadly attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, that killed four State Department officials and wounded three others.

Today, President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta all condemned the attack and the senseless deaths of Americans, and extended their deepest sympathies to the families and colleagues of those who were killed and wounded in Benghazi.

During a teleconference given on background to reporters, the official described the scene of an attack whose elements are unclear or unknown but that killed U.S. Amb. J. Christopher Stevens, Foreign Service information management officer Sean Smith and two others whose names are being withheld until State Department officials notify their families. Three other Americans were wounded in the attack.

All Benghazi consulate personnel have been evacuated to the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli in a series of flights that included the three wounded personnel and the remains of the fallen State Department officials, the official said.

The Benghazi consulate staff will be transported to Germany, she said.

"The staff that is well is going to stay in Europe on standby while we assess the security situation," she said. "The wounded will be treated [at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center] in Germany, and the remains will come home."

In the meantime, the official said, "we have taken our embassy in Tripoli down to emergency staffing levels and ... we have requested increased support from the Libyans while we access the security situation."

Last night, she said, State Department officials ordered all diplomatic posts around the world to review their security posture and to take all necessary steps to enhance that posture.

During the briefing, warning that details may change as the attack is investigated, the official offered a timeline of events surrounding the attack.

The consulate in Benghazi is an interim facility acquired before the fall of Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi. It consists of a main building, several ancillary buildings, and an annex a little further away, she said.

"At about 4 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time yesterday, which was about 10 p.m. in Libya, the compound ... in Benghazi began taking fire from unidentified Libyan extremists. By about 4:15 p.m. attackers gained access to the compound and began firing into the main building, setting it on fire," she said, "and the Libyan guard force and mission security personnel responded."

At the time, three people were inside the building -- Ambassador Stevens, a regional security officer, and Smith -- and while trying to evacuate they became separated by heavy, dark smoke.

"The regional security officer made it outside and then he and other security personnel returned into the burning building in an attempt to rescue Chris and Sean," the official said.

They found Smith, who had died, and pulled him from the building. They were unable to locate Stevens before fire, smoke and small-arms fire drove them from the building, the official said.

"At about 4:45 p.m. Washington time, U.S. security personnel assigned to the mission annex tried to regain the main building but that group also took heavy fire and had to return to the mission annex," the official said.

"At about 5:20 p.m.," she added, "Libyan security personnel made another attempt and that time were able to regain and secure the main building."

The rest of the staff were evacuated to the nearby annex, which itself came under fire at around 6 p.m. Washington time and continued under fire for about two hours, she said.

During that ongoing attack, the official said, two more U.S. personnel were killed and two more were wounded.

At about 8:30 p.m. Washington time, or 2 a.m. in Libya, Libyan security forces helped regain control of the situation, she said.

"At some point in all of this, and frankly we do not know when, we believe that Ambassador Stevens got out of the building and was taken to a hospital in Benghazi," she said, adding, "We do not have any information about his condition at that time. His body was later returned to U.S. personnel at the Benghazi airport."

The official said Stevens made regular and frequent trips to Benghazi to check on developments in the east.

"He had been the secretary's and the president's representative to the Transitional National Council before the fall of Gadhafi and had spent a lot of time in Benghazi and built deep contacts there," she explained. "So this was one of his regular visits."

She said security in Benghazi included a local guard force outside the compound, "which is similar to the way we are postured all over the world. We had a physical perimeter barrier and ... a robust American security presence inside the compound, including a strong component of regional security officers."

About the protests, the official said, "We frankly don't have a full picture of what may have been going on outside the compound walls before the firing began [and] ... we are not in a position to speak any further to the perpetrators of this attack."

The complex attack will require a full investigation, she added.

"We are committed to working with the Libyans both on the investigation and to ensure that we bring the perpetrators to justice," the official said. "The FBI is already committed to assisting in that but it's just too early to speak to who [the attackers] were and if they might have been otherwise affiliated beyond Libya."

As Clinton said very clearly today, the official added, "We are as committed today as we have ever been to a free and stable Libya that is still in America's interest, and we are going to continue to work very strongly to help them have the future that they want and they deserve."

She added, "I would simply note how quickly and how strongly senior members of the Libyan government came forward to condemn this attack, to offer support to us.

She noted that the consulate's Libyan security forces stood with U.S. security forces in defending the consulate buildings.

"One of the local militias that was friendly to the embassy came to assist as well," the official added, "and I think that really speaks to the relationship that we have built with Libya."

Also here this afternoon, Libyan ambassador to the United States Ali Suleiman Aujali held a press conference to condemn the attack on the Benghazi consulate and the deaths of embassy personnel.

"It is a sad day in my life. I knew Chris personally. He's my tennis partner. He comes to my house. We have breakfast together. I've known him for more than six years. He may be the first American diplomat to [have arrived] in Tripoli ... after the revolution. He's very welcomed by the people. He visited the Libyans. He [ate] with them. He [sat] with them," Aujali said.

Aujali also offered his country's "deep condolences" to the American people, to the families, and the president.

"We are very sorry for what happened," Aujali said. "We will do everything possible ... to [ensure] that we have better relations, better protection [for] the American diplomats and [for] the international community ... working in our country."

TASK FORCE TO MONITOR NUTRIENT REDUCTION IN MISSISSIPPI RIVER/GULF OF MEXICO WATERSHED

Photo Credit: Wikimedia.
FROM: U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

Hypoxia Task Force Launches New Monitoring Efforts to Track Water Quality Improvements

DES MOINES, IOWA – The Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient (Hypoxia) Task Force announced today that it is launching two new efforts to monitor reductions in nutrients – nitrogen and phosphorus – throughout the watershed. The joint federal, state and tribal task force, chaired by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the State of Iowa, has established the Mississippi River Monitoring Collaborative to evaluate progress toward reducing the amount of nutrients entering local waterways and ultimately to the Gulf of Mexico. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). a member of the Task Force is also preparing to update its technical standard for water quality monitoring to better measure the amount of nutrients coming from farm fields.

Nutrient runoff from agricultural, urban and industrial sources has polluted waterways for decades and contributed to the hypoxic zone in the Gulf of Mexico – an area of low oxygen that is largely uninhabitable by fish and other marine life. Federal, state and local agencies, together with private landowners and water users, have been working to reduce the amount of nutrients that reaches the Gulf.

"Farmers, ranchers and other land managers, with help from federal, state and local funding sources and technical assistance, are investing in conservation projects on their lands in the Mississippi River Basin," said Nancy Stoner, acting Assistant Administrator for Water at EPA and co-chair of the Task Force. "Working together to expand monitoring will give us critical insight into the progress of conservation projects and help us improve activities on the ground and in the water."

The new Mississippi River Monitoring Collaborative, made up of federal and state agencies, is identifying streams with long-term nutrient monitoring and streamflow records. So far, the team has collected more than 670,000 nutrient data records from 12 states in the Mississippi River Basin, which it will use to evaluate where conservation practices and policies are working, and where new or enhanced nutrient reduction strategies need to be developed.

"It is important we continue to have strong cooperation as we work together to monitor the progress cities, industries and farmers are making as they work to make changes and address water quality concerns," said Bill Northey, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture and co-chair of the Task Force.

USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), with assistance from EPA, the U.S. Geological Survey and many state partners, are working to improve monitoring through pilot programs of the Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative (MRBI). One of the primary goals of the MRBI is to improve water quality in small priority watersheds of the Mississippi River Basin. NRCS and its partners have sought to capture the benefits of MRBI by measuring water quality at the edge-of-field, in stream and at the outlet of a watershed. This year NRCS reviewed progress in 15 small watersheds with MRBI projects in order to update its technical standard for water quality monitoring.

The Task Force consists of five federal agencies, 12 states and the tribes within the Mississippi/ Atchafalaya River Basin (MARB). The Task Force was established in 1997 to reduce and control hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico.

MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS TREATMENT APPROVED

Photo Credit:  FDA
FROM: U.S. FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION

FDA approves new multiple sclerosis treatment AubagioThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Aubagio (teriflunomide), a once-a-day tablet for the treatment of adults with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS).

"In a clinical trial, the relapse rate for patients using Aubagio was about 30 percent lower than the rate for those taking a placebo," said Russell Katz, M.D., director of the Division of Neurology Products in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. "Multiple sclerosis can impair movement, sensation, and thinking, so it is important to have a variety of treatment options available to patients."

MS is a chronic, inflammatory, autoimmune disease of the central nervous system that disrupts communication between the brain and other parts of the body. It is among the most common causes of neurological disability in young adults and occurs at least twice as frequently in women as in men. For most people with MS, episodes of worsening function (relapses) are initially followed by recovery periods (remissions). Over time, recovery periods may be incomplete, leading to progressive decline.

The most common side effects of Aubagio experienced by patients in clinical trials include diarrhea, abnormal liver tests, nausea, and hair loss.

The drug contains a Boxed Warning to alert prescribers and patients to the risk of liver problems, including death, and a risk of birth defects. Physicians should do blood tests to check liver function before a patient starts taking Aubagio and periodically during treatment.

Also included in the Boxed Warning is an alert noting that, based on animal studies, the drug may cause fetal harm. For this reason, Aubagio is labeled as Pregnancy Category X, which means women of childbearing age must have a negative pregnancy test before starting the drug and use effective birth control during treatment.

Aubagio will be dispensed with a patient Medication Guide that provides important instructions on its use and drug safety information.

Aubagio is made by Bridgewater, N.J.-based Sanofi Aventis.

Seeing the alcohol ads in youth magazines

Seeing the alcohol ads

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PANNETTA CONDEMNS ATTACKS IN LIBYA

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Panetta Strongly Condemns Benghazi Attack

By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Sept. 12, 2012 - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta condemned yesterday's attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi in the "strongest possible terms," a senior government official said today.

"The secretary also extends his deepest sympathies to the families of the victims and to the entire State Department family," the official said.

Panetta joined President Barack Obama and Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton in condemning the attacks that killed U.S. Ambassador to Libya J. Christopher Stevens, Foreign Service information management officer Sean Smith and two others whose names are being withheld until State Department officials notify their families. Three other Americans were wounded in the attack.

"The Department of Defense is ready to respond with additional military measures as directed by the president," the official added.

Army Gen. Carter F. Ham, commander of the U.S. Africa Command based in Stuttgart, Germany, briefed Panetta last night on the situation in Benghazi, the official said. The secretary has since received regular updates.

"DOD is working closely with the White House and the State Department to provide all necessary resources to support the security of U.S. personnel in Libya," the official said.

"This support includes a Marine Corps fleet antiterrorism security team based out of Europe," he said, adding that the team's mission is to secure the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli and protect U.S. citizens.

DOD is also providing support to evacuate American personnel and casualties out of Libya, the official added.

"Those individuals and the remains of our fallen colleagues will arrive, if they haven't already done so, at Ramstein [Air Base] and Landstuhl [Regional Medical Center] in Germany," the official said.

This morning, the official said, Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, placed a call to Pastor Terry Jones about a film by a U.S. producer that is insulting to the Prophet Mohammed.

Jones, pastor of the fundamentalist Christian Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Fla., is known for his 2010 plan to burn Qur'ans, the scripture of the Islamic religion, on the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. According to news reports, he also supports the recent film.

The film also was reported to have caused protests by angry crowds yesterday at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo.

"I can confirm that the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Gen. Martin Dempsey, spoke by phone this morning with Pastor Jones," the official said.

"This was a brief call in which Gen. Dempsey expressed his concerns over the nature of the film, the tensions it could inflame and the violence it could cause, and he asked Mr. Jones to consider withdrawing his support for the film," he said.

Jones did listen to the chairman's concerns but was noncommittal, the official said.

GSA ESTIMATES CLOUD MIGRATING EMAIL ACCOUNTS WILL SAVE $15 MILLION

FROM: U.S. GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

Creating Comprehensive Cloud Solutions
Posted by Mary Davie, Assistant Commissioner, Office of Integrated Technology Services on September 12th, 2012
Recently GSA announced the availability of our cloud email solution,
the Email as a Service (EaaS) Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPA), which will allow agencies to order pre-approved cloud based tools for email, office automation, and electronic records management, as well as the migration and integration services necessary for a swift transition leading to rapid savings. The BPAs offer government recurring purchasing options at a reduced cost that are also convenient and efficient.

Cloud based email services support the Obama Administration’s efforts to bring cloud services into the federal government and reduce federal data centers, which save taxpayer dollars. The implementation of 25 Point Federal IT Reform Plan, and "Cloud First" mandates require federal agencies to consider cloud-based solutions the new default IT solution. Everything agencies need to move to the cloud is available through GSA.

Cloud IT represents an innovative way for government to do more with less at a time when federal budgets are shrinking. Agencies can leverage cloud services to become more efficient. We estimate that agencies that use cloud based email will save 50 percent, about $1 million, annually for every 7,500 users migrated. Last year GSA was the first federal agency to make the move to cloud migrating 17,000 email accounts, saving $2 million to date, with an estimated savings of $15 million over five years.

What makes EaaS even more exciting is that it will leverage GSA’s innovative security program, Federal Risk Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP), which uses a "do once, use many times" approach to save agencies time and money by providing a standardized approach to security assessment, authorization, and continuous monitoring.
These new BPAs are the latest cloud offering from GSA, however, we have been working in collaboration with government and industry for years to provide government agencies with a comprehensivecloud solutions portfolio for use by government agencies to save millions of taxpayer dollars. In fact, GSA’s history of providing cloud solutions dates back to 2009.
The move to the cloud has not been easy and there have been some growing pains in the process for both government and private industry providers. Government is experiencing slower migrations to the cloud than anticipated and industry is learning what it takes to meet government mandated security controls. Transitioning to cloud IT is a major shift in the way government conducts business, which means that we are constantly learning lessons and making improvements. And out of those lessons we get great solutions, like FedRAMP, which will make sure that every agency, no matter their mission, can rely on the security of their cloud solutions; and the millions spent by agencies conducting their own security assessments can be avoided.

GSA views technology, specifically cloud technology, as a primary driver to transform how government works while saving millions of taxpayer dollars and driving efficient collaboration. We envision a great government through technology and cloud IT is helping us take a giant leap in that direction.

PRESIDENT BOOSTS SECURITY AT DIPLOMATIC POSTS

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Obama Directs Security Boost at U.S. Diplomatic Posts

By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Sept. 12, 2012 - The United States condemns in the strongest terms the outrageous and shocking attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, that killed U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three other American personnel, President Barack Obama said this morning.

Also killed were Foreign Service Information Management Officer Sean Smith and two others whose names are being withheld until State Department officials notify their families.

"We're working with the government of Libya to secure our diplomats," Obama said. "I've also directed my administration to increase our security at diplomatic posts around the world. And make no mistake -- we will work with the Libyan government to bring to justice the killers who attacked our people."

At the Defense Department, Pentagon spokeswoman Navy Cmdr. Wendy Snyder said, "We are saddened by this tragic loss at the Embassy in Benghazi. We are working closely with the State Department and standing by to provide whatever support that may be needed."

Standing in the White House Rose Garden with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, the president said the United States, since its founding, has been a nation that respects all faiths.

"We reject all efforts to denigrate the religious beliefs of others," he added. "But there is absolutely no justification for this type of senseless violence -- none. The world must stand together to unequivocally reject these brutal acts."

Already, Obama said, many Libyans have joined the United States in rejecting the acts. The attack will not break the bonds between the United States and Libya, he added.

"Libyan security personnel fought back against the attackers alongside Americans," Obama said. "Libyans helped some of our diplomats find safety, and they carried Ambassador Stevens' body to the hospital, where we tragically learned that he had died."

Obama said it's especially tragic that Stevens died in Benghazi, because it is a city that the fallen diplomat had helped to save.

"At the height of the Libyan revolution, Chris led our diplomatic post in Benghazi," the president said. "With characteristic skill, courage and resolve, he built partnerships with Libyan revolutionaries and helped them as they planned to build a new Libya."

When Moammar Gadhafi's regime came to an end, Stevens served as U.S. ambassador to the new Libya and worked tirelessly to support the young democracy, Obama said.

"I think both Secretary Clinton and I have relied deeply on his knowledge of the situation on the ground there," he added. "He was a role model to all who worked with him and to the young diplomats who aspire to walk in his footsteps."

Stevens and his colleagues died in a country that is still striving to emerge from the recent experience of war, the president said.



Freedom is only sustained "because there are people who are willing to fight for it, stand up for it and, in some cases, lay down their lives for it," Obama said.

"We mourn for more Americans who represent the very best of the United States of America," the president said. "We will not waver in our commitment to see that justice is done for this terrible act. And make no mistake -- justice will be done."

After making his statement, a White House official said, the president visited the State Department, meeting with employees there to express his solidarity with U.S. diplomats stationed around the world.

"At this difficult time," the official said, "he will give thanks for the service and sacrifices that our civilians make, and pay tribute to those who were lost."

DRY ICE FALLS LIKE SNOW ON MARS

MARS SOUTHERN POLE. CREDIT:  NASA 

FROM: NASA
NASA Orbiter Observations Point to 'Dry Ice' Snowfall on Mars

PASADENA, Calif. -- NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) data have given scientists the clearest evidence yet of carbon dioxide snowfalls on Mars. This reveals the only known example of carbon dioxide snow falling anywhere in our solar system.

Frozen carbon dioxide, better known as "dry ice," requires temperatures of about minus 193 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 125 Celsius), which is much colder than needed for freezing water. Carbon dioxide snow reminds scientists that although some parts of Mars may look quite Earth-like, the Red Planet is very different. The report is being published in the Journal of Geophysical Research.

"These are the first definitive detections of carbon dioxide snow clouds," said the report's lead author Paul Hayne of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Calif. "We firmly establish the clouds are composed of carbon dioxide -- flakes of Martian air -- and they are thick enough to result in snowfall accumulation at the surface."

The snow falls occurred from clouds around the Red Planet's south pole in winter. The presence of carbon dioxide ice in Mars' seasonal and residual southern polar caps has been known for decades. Also, NASA's Phoenix Lander mission in 2008 observed falling water-ice snow on northern Mars.

Hayne and six co-authors analyzed data gained by looking at clouds straight overhead and sideways with the Mars Climate Sounder, one of six instruments on MRO. This instrument records brightness in nine wavebands of visible and infrared light as a way to examine particles and gases in the Martian atmosphere.

The data provide information about temperatures, particle sizes and their concentrations. The new analysis is based on data from observations in the south polar region during southern Mars winter in 2006-2007, identifying a tall carbon dioxide cloud about 300 miles (500 kilometers) in diameter persisting over the pole and smaller, shorter-lived, lower-altitude carbon dioxide ice clouds at latitudes from 70 to 80 degrees south.

"One line of evidence for snow is that the carbon dioxide ice particles in the clouds are large enough to fall to the ground during the lifespan of the clouds," co-author David Kass of JPL said. "Another comes from observations when the instrument is pointed toward the horizon, instead of down at the surface. The infrared spectra signature of the clouds viewed from this angle is clearly carbon dioxide ice particles and they extend to the surface. By observing this way, the Mars Climate Sounder is able to distinguish the particles in the atmosphere from the dry ice on the surface."

Mars' south polar residual ice cap is the only place on Mars where frozen carbon dioxide persists on the surface year-round. Just how the carbon dioxide from Mars' atmosphere gets deposited has been in question. It is unclear whether it occurs as snow or by freezing out at ground level as frost. These results show snowfall is especially vigorous on top of the residual cap.

"The finding of snowfall could mean that the type of deposition -- snow or frost -- is somehow linked to the year-to-year preservation of the residual cap," Hayne said.

JPL provided the Mars Climate Sounder instrument and manages the MRO Project for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington.

U.S. OFFICIAL'S REMARKS TO THE "FREEDOM ONLINE" CONFERENCE

Photo Credit:  CENTRAL INTELAGENCE AGENCY
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Remarks to the "Freedom Online" Conference

Remarks
Michael H. Posner
Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
Second Freedom Online Conference
Nairobi, Kenya
September 5, 2012
I am delighted to be back in Kenya, a country I know well and where I have many friends and have spent considerable time. I want to commend the Kenyan government for hosting this conference and for the leadership role you are playing on Internet and information technology issues. I had the privilege of meeting with Minister Poghisio last December at the launch of the Coalition, and I am honored to be speaking after him today.

Kenya now has well over 15 million Internet users, and leads East Africa in mobile penetration, with more than two-thirds of all Kenyans now connected. The fact that so many African countries are participating in this conference is a tribute to Kenya’s leadership and convening power.

Kenya is not alone in embracing mobile and digital technologies. In neighboring Tanzania, for example, more than half of its citizens are using mobile phones. In Ghana, mobile penetration is now over 90%. These are statistics that were unimaginable a decade ago, and are cause for reflection and celebration.

Across Africa today, there is a new kind of race – a race to connect as many citizens as quickly as possible. By doing so, we are changing the development paradigm in ways none of us yet fully understand.

But while our technologies change, our fundamental principles and our development challenges do not. And so today I would like to say a few words about the role of Internet freedom, and how the free flow of information has implications for human rights and development.

Credit:  U.S. CIA World factbook

I believe it’s futile in the long run to try to separate one kind of freedom from another, to attempt to distinguish online freedoms from freedoms we enjoy in the physical world, or to try to keep the Internet open for business in a given country but closed for free expression. Because, as Secretary Clinton said at the first Freedom Online conference in The Hague in December, "There isn’t an economic Internet and a social Internet and a political Internet: there’s just the Internet."

Yet we continue to see attempts by countries to harness the economic power of the Internet while controlling political and cultural content. Some countries are devoting great resources to attempting to purge their online space or, like Iran, attempting to isolate their people inside what amounts to a national intra-net – a digital bubble. Such attempts may succeed for a limited time in some places; but at a cost to a nation’s education system, its political stability, its social mobility, and its economic potential.

These are costs that no nation can afford. Whether developed or developing, the economies of the 21st century must compete to attract capital, to spark innovation, to nurture the entrepreneurial spirit of our people and provide the climate in which they develop enterprises that can provide jobs and sustainable growth.

Around the world, some groups tend to focus more on erasing the digital divide, extending Internet access that last difficult mile, and putting into the hands of the next two billion users a mobile device that also provides access to banking and education, medical and agricultural advice and so much more. Meanwhile, other groups tend to focus more on Internet freedom, ensuring that the evolving information and communication technologies remain the foundation of an open, global platform for exchange, where people can exercise their rights, and not a tool used to spy on or silence citizens.

Today, the world has not one but two digital divides – the divide between the two billion of us who have some form of Internet access and the five billion who have yet to get it, and also a divide between those who enjoy the free use of their connectivity, and those whose experience of the Internet is restricted by censorship of the information they can receive and fear of retaliation for the information they transmit. The access divide is narrowing, thanks to the efforts of people around the world and the hard work of people in this room. But the second divide, the freedom divide, is widening.

We must continue to work together to erase both divides, and these interests must be pursued in tandem.

This is a world in which citizens of democratic nations can have uncensored Internet access and thus membership in a global community that exchanges news, information, ideas, products, innovations and services. At the same time it’s a world where citizens of some other countries remain trapped and isolated behind firewalls that stunt not just their political freedom but ultimately their economic opportunities. We must do everything possible to oppose what amounts to information curtain created by national governments that do not want their own people to have full and free access to the Internet.

There are no magic bullets that will erase this divide overnight, but the United States is committed to helping expand the benefits of information and communications technologies to other nations as an integral part of both our human rights and our development policies.

As President Obama wrote last week – in response to a question put to him during an Internet chat — "We will fight hard to make sure that the Internet remains the open forum for everybody — from those who are expressing an idea to those [who] want to start a business."

The United States takes a holistic approach to these issues. We recognize the linkages between broad-based access to 21st century communications and inclusive economic growth, and in turn between inclusive economic development and human rights. We know that human rights do not begin after breakfast. People need both. Without breakfast, few people have the energy to make full use of their rights. And after breakfast, they need both political and economic freedom to build profitable businesses and peaceful societies.

What does that mean in practice? It means the U.S. government is involved in a wide range of Information & Communication Technology development efforts from a variety of different agencies, from USAID to the National Science Foundation.

As a first step, companies, governments and civil society groups are starting to come together to work on this crucial issue. The goal is to find ways to achieve the UN target of providing entry-level broadband service for less than 5% of average monthly income. We recognize that governments have a role to play in creating the right incentives, ensuring healthy market competition, and supporting investment and continued infrastructure development that brings the Internet and mobile technology to more people in more places.

On the openness side, we have expanded our funding for Internet freedom advocacy and programming, for which the US Congress has allocated $100 million since 2008 to projects that provide technologies and knowledge to millions of people whose freedoms online are repressed. We are thrilled to be launching at this conference the Digital Defenders partnership, an unprecedented collaboration among governments to provide support for digital activists under threat.

But just as we support individuals who are targeted every day for exercising their rights online, we are conscious of a broader threat to the future of Internet openness. Right now, in various international forums, some countries are working to change how the Internet is governed. They want to replace the current multi-stakeholder approach, which supports the free flow of information in a global network, and includes governments, the private sector, and citizens. In its place, they aim to impose a system that expands control over Internet resources, institutions, and content, and centralizes that control in the hands of governments. These debates will play out in forums over the next few months and years.

The United States supports preserving and deepening the current multi-stakeholder approach because it brings together the best of governments, the private sector and civil society to manage the network, and it works. The multi-stakeholder system has kept the Internet up and running for years, all over the world. We want the next generation of Internet users — whether small business owners or independent journalists – to be involved in shaping the future of the platform.

That next generation of users will not just be in the United States. Many of them will be here in Africa. That is why we need to ensure that stakeholders in Africa and the rest of the developing world are able to participate in the various multi-stakeholder forums where Internet governance issues are decided. And that is why we value our partnership with the governments of the Coalition and welcome Kenya’s leadership, which leads by example in demonstrating that the right way to foster both access and openness – to harness the potential of these new technologies — is through inclusion and collaboration with everyone in this room.

U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT JOINS ADA LAWSUIT AGAINST LAW SCHOOL ADMISSION COUNCIL

FROM:   U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Thursday, September 6, 2012
Justice Department Seeks to Intervene in Lawsuit Against Law School Admission Council to Protect Rights of Individuals with Disabilities

The Justice Department announced today that it seeks to intervene in a class action lawsuit against the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) in federal court in San Francisco to remedy violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The lawsuit, The Department of Fair Employment and Housing v. LSAC, Inc., et al., charges LSAC with widespread and systemic deficiencies in the way it processes requests by people with disabilities for testing accommodations for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). As a result, the lawsuit alleges, LSAC fails to provide accommodations where needed to best ensure that those test takers can demonstrate their aptitude and achievement level rather than their disability.

The department’s proposed complaint identifies additional victims of LSAC’s discriminatory policies and details LSAC’s routine denial of accommodation requests, even in cases where applicants have submitted thorough supporting documentation from qualified professionals and demonstrated a history of testing accommodations.

The department further alleges that LSAC discriminates against prospective law students with disabilities by unnecessarily "flagging" test scores obtained with certain testing accommodations in a way that identifies the test taker as a person with a disability and discloses otherwise confidential disability-related information to law schools during the admissions process. LSAC’s practice of singling out persons with disabilities by flagging their scores – essentially announcing to law schools that examinees who exercise their civil right to the testing accommodation of extended time may not deserve the scores they received – is discrimination prohibited by the ADA. The department’s proposed complaint seeks declaratory and injunctive relief, compensatory damages and a civil penalty against LSAC.

"Credentialing examinations, such as the LSAT, are increasingly the gateway to educational and employment opportunities, and the ADA demands that each individual with a disability have the opportunity to fairly demonstrate their abilities so they can pursue their dreams," said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. "The Justice Department’s participation in this action is critical to protecting the public interest in the important issues raised in this case."

One of the victims identified in the complaint, for example, has severe visual impairments and previously received special education services at a school for people who are blind. Even though she provided LSAC with extensive medical documentation of her conditions, as well as proof that she had received testing accommodations since kindergarten, LSAC denied nearly all her requested accommodations, and even refused to provide her a large print test book. When she tried to appeal the denial, LSAC informed her that she had missed the deadline for reconsideration. She then reapplied two more times for testing accommodations, resubmitting all the information previously provided to LSAC, as well as additional medical documentation. Despite her extensive history of receiving the very same testing accommodations throughout her educational career and on standardized tests, and in disregard of the recommendations of a qualified professional, LSAC refused her requested testing accommodations on three separate occasions.

"The action taken in this case demonstrates the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s commitment to ensuring equal access to educational opportunities for everyone," said U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California.

Title III of the ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by public accommodations and by entities that offer examinations or courses related to applications, licensing, certification, or credentialing for secondary or postsecondary education, professional, or trade purposes. The ADA mandates that testing entities administer examinations in an accessible manner. This requires testing entities to administer examinations, such as the LSAT, so as to best ensure that, when the examination is administered to a person with a disability, the examination results accurately reflect his or her aptitude or achievement level, or whatever other factor the examination purports to measure, rather than the individual’s disability. In addition, Title V of the ADA prohibits any entity from coercing, intimidating, threatening, or interfering with an individual’s exercise or enjoyment of a right granted by the ADA.

MARS ROVER: THE BELLY OF THE BEAST

FROM: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

September 11, 2012

Sol 35 update on Curiosity from USGS Scientist Ken Herkenhoff: Belly of the Rover

There were more cheers and applause when MAHLI images of the belly of the rover were displayed. The camera, which can focus at distances from 2 cm to infinity, is working perfectly! It also took pictures of its calibration target, which includes a 1909 Lincoln penny. The arm checkout also went well, leaving the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) facing its calibration target for a long integration. Unfortunately, ChemCam suffered a command error on Sol 34 and was shut down by the rover computer. This also prevented the rest of the planned remote sensing observations from being acquired that sol, and the remote sensing mast (RSM) from being used on Sol 35. So the Sol 35 plan was rather simple, including more APXS integration on its calibration target followed by retraction of the arm. Even though we couldn't use the RSM, we could still plan a test of Mastcam's video capability, as it doesn't matter where the cameras are pointed for this test. We are all hoping that recovery from the ChemCam error will be rapid, and that we will be able to use it and the rest of the instruments on the RSM tomorrow.

NEW YORK CITY ELECTIONS TO BE MONITORED BY JUSTICE DEPARTMENT

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Justice Department to Monitor Elections in New York
The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor elections on Sept. 13, 2012, in the Bronx, Manhattan and Queens, N.Y., to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Voting Rights Act prohibits discrimination in the election process on the basis of race, color or membership in a minority language group.

Under the Voting Rights Act, the Justice Department is authorized to ask the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to send federal observers to jurisdictions that are certified by the attorney general or by a federal court order. Federal observers will be assigned to monitor polling place activities in the Bronx and Manhattan based on the attorney general’s certification. The observers will watch and record activities during voting hours at polling locations in these jurisdictions, and Civil Rights Division attorneys will coordinate the federal activities and maintain contact with local election officials.

In addition, Justice Department personnel will monitor polling place activities in Queens. A Civil Rights Division attorney will coordinate federal activities and maintain contact with local election officials.

Each year, the Justice Department deploys hundreds of federal observers from OPM, as well as departmental staff, to monitor elections across the country. To file complaints about discriminatory voting practices, including acts of harassment or intimidation, voters may call the Voting Section of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division at 1-800-253-3931.

RECENT U.S. NAVY PHOTOS

FROM:  U.S. NAVY
Cmdr. Jeff Saville, a Navy chaplain, tours his son around the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill (CG 52) during a family day cruise. Bunker Hill hosted more than 180 guests to show them the operational capabilities and life aboard the ship. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Karolina A. Martinez (Released) 120907-N-JN664-516

Aircraft land aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65) during nighttime flight operations in the Arabian Sea. Enterprise is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility conducting maritime security operations, theater security cooperation efforts and support missions as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. U.S. Navy photo by Information Systems Technician Stephen Wolff (Released) 120908-N-ZZ999-001

U.S. AIR FORCE AND POLLUTION PREVENTION WEEK

FROM: U.S. AIR FORCE
An Airman with the 1st Special Operations Civil Engineer Squadron drives a street sweeper at Hurlburt Field, Fla., Aug. 8, 2012. Street sweeping is effective at removing microscopic pollutants that collect on streets and parking lots, and helps with the Air Force's overall pollution prevention goals. U.S. Air Force Photo-Airman 1st Class Hayden K. Hyatt

Air Force continues pollution prevention efforts

by Eric Grill
Air Force Center for Engineering and the Environment
9/11/2012 - JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas (AFNS) -- The Air Force joins the nation for Pollution Prevention Week on Sept. 17-24.

The service continues its efforts to educate the public about pollution prevention and reducing the contamination of air, soil and water by eliminating pollution at its source.

Observed during the third full week in September, Pollution Prevention Week presents an annual opportunity for individuals, businesses and government agencies to highlight past successes, expand current initiatives and commit to new ways to protect the environment.

Pollution prevention, or P2, is reducing or eliminating waste at the source by modifying production processes, promoting the use of non-toxic or less-toxic substances, implementing conservation techniques and reusing materials rather than adding them to the waste stream.

A policy memo co-signed April 27, 2012, by then Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Philip Breedlove and Assistant Secretary for Installations, Environment and Logistics Terry Yonkers, spotlighted the service-wide pollution prevention focus.

"P2 and waste minimization opportunities are excellent ways to conserve resources, protect Air Force people and their environment, reduce logistical and compliance burdens, and streamline processes to become more efficient," the memo stated.

The heart of the policy is a set of new P2 and waste minimization goals to be accomplished by 2020:

- Achieve a 20-percent reduction of the 2008-2010 average of recurring hazardous waste
- Divert 65 percent, by weight, of non-hazardous solid waste from landfill disposal, excluding construction and demolition debris;
- Reduce toxic release inventory releases by 35 percent from a 2006 baseline

Each goal has interim milestones to reach in 2015 and 2018 to ensure installations are on track to meet the overall 2020 goal.

"Air Force pollution prevention policy requires installations to minimize the adverse impacts on air, water and land from all aspects of the Air Force mission through implementation of an environmental management system," said Kevin Gabos, P2 subject matter expert at the Air Force Center for Engineering and the Environment.

One of the overarching tenants of an EMS is continuous improvement. Installations make improvements by following the P2 hierarchy, which is to first substitute materials or reengineer processes to reduce or eliminate environmental impacts. When it's not possible to achieve reduction at the source, the policy instructs commanders to emphasize reuse and recycling.

The message is simple, Gabos said. If there are opportunities for improvement, "take them."

For example, at Hurlburt Field, Fla., street sweepers are used to help prevent pollution.

"When the street sweepers remove trash, sediment build-up and debris from roads and curb gutters, they are also removing and preventing it from getting into our creeks, rivers, jurisdictional wetlands and Santa Rosa Sound," said Amy Tharp, 1st Special Operations Civil Engineer Squadron storm water program manager, in a recent commentary.

"Street sweeping is not only effective at removing microscopic pollutants that collect on our streets and parking lots, it's also an effective method of removing larger debris that can block storm water facilities, causing localized flooding during heavy rains," Tharp said.

Removing debris before it accumulates within storm catch basins also helps minimize storm system maintenance required to keep storm conveyances clean and open, she added.

As a result of Hurlburt Field's street sweeping efforts in the last year, about 100 cubic yards of debris -- equaling about 240,000 pounds -- was collected, keeping the associated pollution out of the installation's protected waterways.

DANGERS OF TATTOO INFECTIONS

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
The bottom photo shows a tattoo infected with a nontuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM) bacteria. It is provided courtesy of Matthew J. Mahlberg, M.D., Dermatology Associates of Colorado, Englewood, Colo., and was obtained by Sarah Jackson, MPH, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

Contaminated Tattoo Inks can Cause Dangerous Infections
Tattoo inks and the pigments used to color them can become contaminated by bacteria, mold, and fungi. In the last year, inks contaminated with a family of bacteria called nontuberculous Mycobacteria have caused serious infections in at least four states. Some bacteria in this family can cause lung disease, joint infection, eye problems and other organ infections. The skin ointments provided by tattoo parlors are not effective against them.

Typical symptoms appear 2-3 weeks after tattooing: a red rash with swelling in the tattooed area, possibly accompanied by itching or pain. It often just looks like an allergic reaction, but without prompt and proper treatment, an infection could spread beyond the tattoo or become complicated by a secondary infection.

If you suspect you may have a tattoo-related infection, the Food and Drug Administration recommends you:
Contact your health care professional
Report the problem to the tattoo artist
Report the problem to MedWatch, on the Web or at 1-800-332-1088

Tattoo artists can minimize the risk of infection by using inks that have been formulated or processed to ensure they are free from disease-causing bacteria, while also avoiding the use of non-sterile water to dilute the inks or wash the skin. Non-sterile water includes tap, bottled, filtered or distilled water.

OFFROAD VEHICLE MANUFACTURER TO PAY $885,000 FOR CLEAN AIR ACT VIOLATIONS

Photo Credit: Wikimedia.
FROM: U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

Recreational Vehicle Manufacturer to Pay $885,000 Penalty to Resolve Violations of the Clean Air Act
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a settlement with recreational vehicle manufacturer, American Suzuki Motor Corporation and Suzuki Motor Corporation, to pay an $885,000 penalty for allegedly importing and selling 25,458 uncertified all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and off-road motorcycles in the United States. ATVs and motorcycles that are not certified may be operating without proper emissions controls and can emit excess hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides that can cause respiratory illnesses, aggravate asthma and contribute to the formation of ground level ozone, or smog.

"EPA’s vehicle emission standards are vital safeguards that protect our nation’s air quality," said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. "By taking action to deter the importation and sale of non-compliant engines, EPA is not only protecting people’s health, but is also ensuring a level playing field for manufacturers that play by the rules."

The Suzuki ATVs and off-road motorcycles were uncertified because they were manufactured with an undisclosed electronic emission control configuration that would allow the vehicles to be modified for increased horsepower through the installation of an aftermarket part. This type of modification could lead to increased emissions of hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides. Design features that may effect emissions must be disclosed in certificate applications. Vehicles that do not conform to the design specifications in their certificate applications are not covered by a certificate. The violations were identified and self-disclosed by Suzuki.

The Clean Air Act (CAA) prohibits any vehicle or engine from being imported into or sold in the United States unless it is covered by a valid, EPA-issued certificate of conformity indicating that the vehicle or engine meets applicable federal emission standards. The certificate of conformity is the primary way EPA ensures that vehicles and engines meet emission standards. This enforcement action is part of an ongoing effort by EPA to ensure that all imported vehicles and engines comply with the CAA’s requirements.

The settlement requires Suzuki to implement three emission mitigation projects to reduce hydrocarbon emissions by 210 tons or more. The projects include replacing older unregulated gas cans with gas cans that meet current evaporative emission requirements, discontinuing the sale of high-permeability fuel line hoses, and installing evaporative emission control devices on certain models of highway motorcycles sold throughout the United States.

Suzuki also will modify its warranty policy and owner’s manual for ATVs and off-road motorcycles to increase awareness of modifications to emissions control systems, environmental regulations, prohibited modifications, and acts that could result in loss of warranty coverage.

CALIFORNIA LANDLORD SETTLES SEXUAL HARASSMENT LAWSUIT FOR $2.13 MILLION

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Tuesday, September 11, 2012

California Landlord Settles Sexual Harassment Lawsuit for $2.13 Million

The Justice Department today announced that Rawland Leon Sorensen, the owner and manager of dozens of residential rental properties in Bakersfield, Calif., will be obligated to pay more than $2 million in monetary damages and civil penalties to settle a Fair Housing Act lawsuit alleging that he sexually harassed women tenants and prospective tenants.

The department’s complaint alleges that Sorensen sexually harassed the women by making unwelcome sexual comments and advances, exposing his genitals to women tenants, touching women without their consent, granting and denying housing benefits based on sex and taking adverse actions against women who refused his sexual advances. Sorensen has operated his rental business for more than 30 years. This represents the largest monetary settlement ever agreed to in a sexual harassment lawsuit brought by the Justice Department under the Fair Housing Act.

The consent decree, which is subject to approval by the U.S. District Court, will result in a judgment against Sorensen requiring him to pay $2,075,000 in monetary damages to 25 individuals identified by the United States as victims of his discriminatory conduct. That amount includes court costs and attorneys’ fees for two of the victims who are private plaintiffs. In addition, Sorensen must also pay a $55,000 civil penalty to the United States, the maximum penalty available under the Fair Housing Act. The consent decree requires Sorensen to hire an independent manager to manage his rental properties and imposes strict limits on his ability to have contact with current and future tenants.

"The conduct in this case was egregious," said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. "Women have the right to feel safe in their homes and not to be subjected to sexual harassment just because their families need housing. The Justice Department can and will vigorously prosecute landlords who violate those rights."

"The Eastern District of California is committed to enforcing the civil rights of all persons in the District," said Benjamin B. Wagner, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California. "This case involved a course of conduct that spanned several years and affected many vulnerable persons. The decree sends a strong message to property owners that discrimination will not be tolerated."

Fighting illegal housing discrimination is a top priority of the Justice Department. The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and familial status.