U.S.-AUSTRALIA DEFENSE COOPERATION DISCUSSED IN 30-MINUTE MEETING

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT

Right:  U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work, left center, meets with Australian Assistant Minister for Defense Stuart Robert, right center, to discuss matters of mutual importance at the Pentagon, April 27, 2015. DoD photo by U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Adrian Cadiz.  

Leaders Discuss U.S.-Australia Defense Cooperation
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, April 28, 2015 – Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work met yesterday with Australian Assistant Minister for Defense Stuart Robert at the Pentagon to discuss the deep bilateral defense cooperation between the U.S. and Australia, according to a Defense Department news release.

During the 30-minute meeting, Work conveyed his gratitude for Australia’s current and past contributions in Iraq and Afghanistan, the release said.

The deputy secretary and assistant minister discussed opportunities for collaboration on the department’s Defense Innovation Initiative, progress on Australia’s 2015 Defence White Paper, and business reforms within their respective organizations, according to the release.

The two leaders also discussed progress implementing the U.S. force posture initiatives in Australia’s Northern Territory, the release said.

This was Work’s first meeting with Robert, according to the release.

U.S. EXTENDS WARMEST REGARDS TO AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND ON ANZAC DAY

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) Day
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
April 23, 2015

On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States of America, it is my pleasure to extend our warmest regards, this April 25th, to the people of Australia and New Zealand on this very special ANZAC Day.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of Allied forces landing on the Gallipoli peninsula. The countless acts of bravery and heroism, demonstrated over ten months of battle on shores thousands of miles away, ultimately gave rise to a new national consciousness in Australia and New Zealand.

This ANZAC spirit, one defined by endurance, courage, and ‘mateship,’ still lives on in a shared commitment to individual rights and the rule of law, open and fair economic systems, and democratic freedoms. The United States is proud of our enduring cooperation with Australia and New Zealand in pursuit of these common ideals. We continue to work together on a wide range of issues, such as providing disaster relief and supporting good governance in the Pacific; promoting free trade and prosperity through the Trans-Pacific Partnership; and countering violent extremism and defending fundamental liberties at home and abroad.

As we honor all members of the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps, past and present, know that the United States stands firmly with Australia and New Zealand as a true friend and partner. We will forever remember the heroic efforts of 1915 and the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of freedom.

I wish you the best on this 100th ANZAC Day. May we forever uphold the ANZAC spirit in our pursuit of peace and prosperity around the world.

SECURITY DISCUSSED BY GEN. DEMPSEY, AUSTRALIAN CHIEF OF DEFENSE FORCE

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Dempsey, Australian Defense Chief Discuss Security Issues
By Lisa Ferdinando
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

SYDNEY, Feb. 23, 2015 – The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and his Australian counterpart met here today to examine security challenges and find ways to further strengthen ties as the U.S. military rebalances to the Pacific.
The day-long meeting between Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey and the Australian chief of the Defense Force, Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin, was the second Defense Chiefs Strategic Dialogue held between the United States and Australia. The first DCSD was held in Washington in 2013.

A Complex Global Security Environment

Dempsey said the meeting was an important opportunity for both nations to discuss today’s complex global security environment. He cited diverse challenges including Iran, Russian aggression in Ukraine, and the campaign against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists.

"We really have to keep our eye on the future while dealing with the issues of the present," the chairman said at the meeting.

There needs to be talk about the long-term threat posed by violent extremists, Dempsey said. The terrorist attack in a café in Sydney in December in which two hostages were killed was a "terrible tragedy," the chairman said.

Australia is a strong U.S. partner and ally that has made incredible contributions to stability efforts in the Pacific and around the globe, said Dempsey's spokesman, Air Force Col. Ed Thomas.

"The United States and Australia have a shared worldview that is governed by international law that has been the foundation for peace and security in the region," Thomas said. "Today's dialogue and the commitment it represents are important as we continue to rebalance to the Pacific."

The defense chiefs, along with their senior staff, talked candidly about the challenges each nation faces and how their militaries can continue to strengthen relations and interoperability, the colonel said.

Expanding Security Partnership

A key aspect of the U.S.-Australian alliance is the expanding security relationship, supported by the Force Posture Agreement, which provides an "enduring foundation for regional security and complements the initiatives upon which the two governments have embarked since 2011," Thomas explained.
Currently, there’s a 1,150-member rotational presence of U.S. Marines in Darwin, Australia, he said. And the growing cooperation between the countries' air forces, he added, is a "tangible measure of the strength of the U.S.-Australia defense alliance and our shared vision for regional security.”

The basis of the military relationship between the United States and Australia is the 1951 Australia, New Zealand, United States Security Treaty, or ANZUS Treaty, Thomas said.

Australia invoked the treaty once -- in response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States.

JAPAN, AUSTRALIA PROVIDING MAINTENANCE SITES FOR F-35

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT

An F-35C Lightning II joint strike fighter carrier variant prepares to launch from the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz in the Pacific Ocean, Nov. 6, 2014. U.S. Navy photo, courtesy of Lockheed Martin by Andy Wolfe . 

Japan, Australia to Provide F-35 Maintenance Sites in Pacific Region
By Claudette Roulo
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Dec. 17, 2014 – Japan and Australia will be sharing maintenance and upgrade duties for the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter based or operating in the Pacific region, the program executive officer for the aircraft announced today.

F-35 heavy air frame maintenance, repair, overhaul and upgrade capabilities will be provided by Japan in the northern Pacific and Australia in the southern Pacific, Air Force Lt. Gen. Christopher C. Bogdan told reporters. Both countries are expected to have their facilities operational no later than 2018.

Initial heavy engine maintenance capability will be provided by Australia by early 2018, he said, and Japan will provide additional capability 3 to 5 years later.

Once Japan’s heavy engine capability is achieved, Bogdan said, the program office will look at the footprint and distribution of F-35's in the Pacific to “see if these decisions are still appropriate and if we have to make any kind of adjustments in terms of the assignment capabilities and moving forward.”
Similar Process in Europe

A similar process will take place in Europe, and all of the assignments will be reviewed every three to five years, he added.

Over the next two years, assignments for other components, systems and repair capabilities will be determined for both Europe and the Pacific, Bogdan noted.
Japan’s final assembly and check-out facility will be quite different from the facilities in Italy and Fort Worth, Texas, the general said.

“Both the plant at Fort Worth and the plant in Italy are expansive in terms of distance on the ground,” he said, but Japan is building vertically. Manufacturing will take place on a number of different floors, Bogdan said, and the aircraft will move through the facility on elevators as it is assembled.

Efficiencies learned through experience at the Fort Worth facility are being incorporated into the Japanese facility as it is constructed, he said.

Just like in Europe, he said, Japan is responsible for the funding and construction of their facility, which will be operated by a Japanese company. Lockheed-Martin will oversee technical aspects of production in Italy and Japan, Bogdan noted, and the U.S. government will oversee security.

Factors Drove Decisions

Geography and operational necessity played a considerable role in the Defense Department’s final decision to place air frame facilities in two locations, the general said.

Seven thousand miles separate the two primary areas where F-35s will be concentrated in the Pacific, Bogdan said. Moving entire aircraft over that distance would require significant amounts of fuel and other support, he said, making it uneconomical. And, he said, “Quite often, some of those airplanes that have to be inducted into a depot are going in there because they need upgrades or there's something wrong.”

Operationally, it didn’t make sense to introduce a long transportation delay into the MRO&U process, the general said.

“If you're having airplanes in the northern Pacific that need a rapid upgrade to respond to a new threat, having to move them 7,000 miles to do that mod in Australia, or vice versa, has an operational impact, because the war fighter won't get the airplane as quickly as he needed to,” he explained.

Geography wasn’t as serious an initial consideration for engines, Bogdan said.
Easier, Quicker, Cheaper

“You can break the engines down into modules, and when you break them down into modules, transportation is much easier, quicker and cheaper,” he said.
As more aircraft arrive in the Pacific theater, Australia’s heavy engine maintenance, repair, overhaul and upgrades capability will eventually be supplemented by Japan, the general said.

“Bringing a Japanese capability online after that represents the fact that as more airplanes come to the Pacific over time, we want to make sure we have enough throughput to get all the engines done in the region in a timely way.”

“This is another example of the continuing expansion of global sustainment opportunities for the international F-35 community,” Bogdan said in a release that accompanied today’s announcement.

“The F-35 international users will remain a vital part of the support structure of the program,” he said. “Their continuing participation is critical to driving down cost and getting the best value for the F-35 team and improving the strength of the global sustainment base for many years to come."

WHITE HOUSE FACT SHEET ON THE G-20 BRISBANE SUMMIT

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 
November 16, 2014
FACT SHEET: The G-20 Brisbane Summit

The G-20 is the world’s premier forum for economic policy cooperation – where Leaders representing economies generating 85 percent of global GDP assemble around the table to promote strong, sustainable and balanced growth and to address urgent global economic challenges.

The Brisbane G-20 Summit – the eighth that President Obama has attended since taking office – focused on growth and jobs.  With the global economic recovery still fragile, G-20 Leaders sent a clear signal of their commitment to take decisive steps, recognizing that the global economy is being held back by a shortfall in demand.  G-20 Leaders announced a Brisbane Action Plan of individual country commitments and collective actions that could increase the G-20’s combined output by 2.1 percent or more over the next five years.

Leaders agreed on a number of specific steps to strengthen the resilience of the global economy and to address challenges such as climate change.  These include new initiatives on infrastructure investment, female labor force participation, combating corruption, and remittances.  Leaders also issued a separate statement about Ebola and global health security.

Among the most significant agreements were:

launching the Global Infrastructure Initiative to unlock private financing for infrastructure investment worldwide, including the creation of a Global Infrastructure Hub to support best practices and coordination;

a commitment by each country to close the gap between its male and female labor-force participation rates by 25% by 2025; this will bring an estimated 100 million additional women into the labor force by that year;

principles that would help prevent the abuse of anonymous shell companies to facilitate illicit financial flows stemming from corruption, tax evasion, and money laundering a commitment to addressing the challenge of climate change including communicating post-2020 domestic climate targets as soon as possible and preferably by the first quarter of 2015.  G-20 leaders also stressed the importance of climate finance, including additional contributions to the Green Climate Fund following the United States’ $3 billion commitment to the GCF;

an Energy Efficiency Action Plan that includes, among other initiatives, a program to increase fuel quality and reduce carbon emissions by heavy-duty vehicles;

advancing the implementation of the international financial reform agenda;
agreement to complete by the end of 2015 an implementation plan on combating tax avoidance by multinational companies; and agreement on principles on energy markets that could serve as the basis for ongoing discussions on reform of the international energy architecture.

Building a Stronger Global Economy through Jobs and Growth

The United States is a major source of strength in the global economy, with 56 straight months of private sector job growth creating 10.6 million jobs.  The Administration’s comprehensive response to the economic crisis — including through macroeconomic and structural policies — has laid the foundation for growth in the United States.

The pace of global economic growth and job creation, however, has disappointed since the recovery from recession began in 2009.  Economic activity in advanced countries has been particularly weak, while growth in emerging markets is uneven.  As the G-20 Leaders acknowledged, there is a shortfall in global demand.

To help strengthen medium-term potential growth, G-20 Leaders endorsed the Brisbane Action Plan to boost collective G-20 growth by 2 percent or more over the next five years.  The Action Plan includes a U.S. Growth Strategy based on Administration priorities such as infrastructure investment, raising household income, increasing access to quality skills development, increasing trade, comprehensive immigration reform, and assisting working families.  The U.S. reform commitments were critical in allowing the G-20 to meet its 2 percent goal.

Increasing Infrastructure Investment

A key constraint to growth across the G-20 is inadequate infrastructure.  At the same time, infrastructure investment creates construction jobs and can provide a strong impetus to growth. This year, the G-20 launched a Global Infrastructure Initiative, paired with a new Global Infrastructure Hub that will be based here in Australia, to help tap into the large pool of potential private financing for infrastructure investment.

We’ve also made significant advances in expanding the amount of money that the World Bank and other multilateral development banks can deploy to emerging economies through more efficient use of their existing balance sheets.
Female Labor Force Participation

The G-20 made a new commitment to bring more women into the workforce and improve the quality of their jobs.  All G-20 countries committed to reduce the gap between the share of men and women in the workforce by 25 percent by 2025.  That would bring an additional 100 million women into the formal workforce and increase global GDP.

Fighting corruption

The G-20 has taken significant steps over the last four years to fight the scourge of corruption in our own countries and overseas.  In Brisbane, Leaders adopted a two-year plan to strengthen enforcement, enhance transparency, and facilitate the recovery of assets stolen by corrupt officials.  This includes meaningful steps to ensure that corrupt actors cannot exploit our financial and legal systems.  The G-20 also reached a significant agreement to end the abuse of anonymous shell companies by endorsing implementation of “Beneficial Ownership” principles.  The G-20 will work to ensure that corrupt actors can no longer use these shell companies to evade taxes or launder the proceeds of their crimes, and the Administration has proposed legislation to end the use of anonymous shell companies in the United States.

Remittances and Financial inclusion

G-20 leaders today agreed on a set of concrete steps that will reduce the cost of sending money home for people working overseas.  These remittances are a life-line for millions of people in the developing world and a critical source of development financing for emerging and developing economies.  This action plan will lower the cost of remittances to an average of 5 percent by increasing competition and expanding access to money transfer services, making the financial system more inclusive for billions of people and again demonstrating the G-20’s capacity to make the global economy work better for everyone.
Enhancing Energy Efficiency and Addressing Climate Change

G-20 leaders increased their commitment to energy and climate change through energy deliverables and a strong endorsement of the need for action to address climate change. Leaders agreed to:

Endorse a new set of Principles on Energy Collaboration that outline key elements for future G-20 energy and climate change work.  These principles can set the agenda for future discussions of how we should adapt the global energy architecture to reflect recent transformations in the world’s energy markets – including the energy revolution in the United States.

An Energy Efficiency Action Plan that will guide efficiency work in six important sectors.  Central to this Action Plan is an agreement to develop country-specific plans in 2015 to improve efficiency of heavy-duty vehicles – trucks, buses, and other large vehicles which account for as much as half of all vehicle emissions even though they represent only 10 percent of all vehicles.  Three quarters of these vehicles globally are sold in G-20 countries.  The plan will lead to cleaner fuel, lower fuel consumption and carbon emissions, and reduced public health costs.  The United States is a global leader in heavy-duty vehicles standards for tailpipe emissions, fuel quality and efficiency, as well as green freight programs.

Reaffirm the G-20 commitment to rationalize and phase out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies.  The United States, China, and Germany have committed to undergo fossil fuel subsidy peer reviews, which can help countries assess their subsidies and provide recommendations for reform.  The European Union has also offered to participate as a reviewer.

Send a clear signal that G-20 Leaders support strong and effective action to address climate change by reaffirming their resolve to adopt a protocol, another legal instrument or an agreed outcome with legal force at the UN climate negotiations in Paris in 2015.  In order to accomplish this, G-20 Leaders committed to communicate their post-2020 domestic climate targets as soon as possible and preferably by early 2015.  They also stressed the importance of contributions to the Green Climate Fund, and the United States announced a $3 billion commitment to the GCF.

Ebola and Global Health Security

The G-20 also demonstrated its ability to respond to new and fast-breaking challenges to the global economy, such as the threat posed by the Ebola epidemic.  In a statement released yesterday, G-20 leaders called for faster action to end the Ebola epidemic in West Africa.  Participating countries also committed to take steps to build the capacity to prevent, detect, and rapidly respond to future outbreaks – before they become epidemics.  And to make sure these aren’t just idle promises, the G-20 will review progress in building that capacity in at a major international meeting next May.  These steps are consistent with the Global Health Security Agenda, which the United States helped launch in February and the President hosted for an event at the White House in September.

For the three countries whose economies have been devastated by this epidemic, G-20 leaders also endorsed an IMF initiative to provide them with $300 million in low-cost or no-cost financing and debt relief.

Strengthening the Global Financial System and addressing tax evasion and avoidance

The G-20 came into being during the financial crisis, and repairing and strengthening the resilience of the global financial system has been one of the most important elements of our cooperation.  While there is critical work to be done, this year we are close to finalizing the majority of the work on new rules to strengthen the financial system, end too-big-too fail, and promote a level playing field around the world.

U.S. leadership has played a transformational role by engaging others in a “race to the top” to improve the quality of regulation and level the playing field across major and emerging financial centers.  The United States led the way in this area with our Dodd-Frank reforms.  Now the key is for all G-20 countries to implement these commitments.  After the damage wrought by the financial crisis, we owe it to our citizens to complete our work in creating a safer and more resilient financial system.

This year, the G-20 took significant steps forward to strengthening bank capital and liquidity by reducing leverage, addressing “too big to fail” by ensuring tax payers will not have to bear the costs of resolution for large financial institutions, committing to make the derivatives markets more transparent and safe, and addressing the systemic risks posed by shadow banking.

WHITE HOUSE FACT SHEET: U.S.-AUSTRALIA ALLIANCE

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE KOREA 

November 10, 2014

FACT SHEET: The U.S.-Australia Alliance

Reinforcing our long history of close cooperation and partnership, President Obama and Prime Minister Abbott today reviewed a series of initiatives to expand and deepen collaboration between the United States and Australia.

Security and Defense Cooperation

The U.S.-Australia alliance is an anchor of peace and stability not only in the Asia-Pacific region but around the world.  The United States and Australia will work together – bilaterally, in regional bodies, and through the UN – to advance peace and security from the coast of Somalia to Afghanistan and to confront international challenges, such as Syria; Russia’s military aggression in Ukraine; and North Korea.

In responding to the threat posed by ISIL and foreign terrorist fighters, the United States and Australia are working together with an international coalition to degrade and defeat ISIL by providing military support to Iraq, cutting off ISIL’s funding, countering its warped ideology, and stemming the flow of foreign terrorist fighters into its ranks.  The United States and Australia are coordinating closely through the Global Counterterrorism Forum.  Australia supported U.S.-drafted United Nations Security Council Resolution 2178, which condemns violent extremism and underscores the need to stem support for foreign terrorist fighters, and the two countries will work together toward its implementation.  Additionally, together, we continue to provide critical humanitarian support to the victims of conflict in Syria and Iraq.

In Afghanistan, the United States and Australia have worked to together to enable the Afghan government to provide effective security across the country and develop the new Afghan security forces to ensure Afghanistan can never again become a safe haven for terrorists.  The United States and Afghanistan will continue this close partnership, focused on the development and sustainment of Afghan security forces and institutions, after the combat mission ends in Afghanistan this year and the Resolute Support Mission begins.

The U.S.-Australian Force Posture Agreement, announced by the President and Prime Minister in June and signed in August, deepens our long-standing defense cooperation and the advancement of a peaceful, secure, and prosperous Asia-Pacific region.  While implementing the force posture initiatives jointly announced in 2011, the United States and Australia continuously seek opportunities to strengthen our interoperability, coordination, and cooperation.

As Pacific nations,  the United States and Australia share an abiding interest in peaceful resolution of disputes in the maritime domain; respect for international law and unimpeded lawful commerce; and preserving freedom of navigation and overflight.  Both countries oppose the use of intimidation, coercion, or force to advance territorial or maritime claims in the East and South China Seas.  In their June 2014 joint op-ed, the two leaders called on claimants to clarify and pursue claims in accordance with international law, including the Law of the Sea Convention, and expressed support for the rights of claimants to seek peaceful resolution of disputes through legal mechanisms, including arbitration, under the Convention.  Both countries continue to call for ASEAN and China to reach early agreement on a meaningful Code of Conduct in the South China Sea.

The United States and Australia are responding to the Ebola epidemic in West Africa and supporting the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) to accelerate measureable progress toward a world safe and secure from infectious disease threats.

The United States congratulates Australia as it nears the end of its two years on the United Nations Security Council, during which time Australia has been a powerful and important voice on a range of issues relating to international peace and security, especially the ongoing conflict in Syria and the global threat posed by terrorism.

Cooperation for Economic Growth and Prosperity

The United States and Australia share a commitment to deepening further economic ties, including by concluding the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a high-standard, 21st century agreement that will promote economic growth and job creation in both countries and around the region.  In January 2015, the Australia-U.S. Free Trade Agreement will celebrate ten years of facilitating trade and investment between our two countries, having nearly doubled our goods trade and increased our services trade by more than 122 percent.

The United States remains the largest foreign investor in Australia, accounting for over a quarter of its foreign investment.  The United States and Australia also work closely in multilateral institutions such as APEC to promote sustainable growth and shared prosperity in the region.

A vital aspect of economic growth is promoting greater gender equality.  The United States and Australia are working together to enhance women’s political and economic participation.  As founding members of the Equal Futures Partnership, our two nations continue to collaborate to expand economic opportunities for women and increase women’s participation in leadership positions in politics, civic society, and economic life.

The United States and Australia recognize the threat of climate change, including in the Pacific, and the need to take bold steps to boost clean energy, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and help ensure a successful and ambitious global climate change agreement in Paris next year.  The United States underscored the importance of submitting ambitious post-2020 climate commitments for the new agreement as soon as possible and preferably by the end of March 2015.   Both countries are collaborating with Pacific Island countries to promote sustainable development practices.

The President congratulated Prime Minister Abbott on the preparations for the G20 Summit, and noted he looks forward to the important and vibrant discussions ahead.

Science, Technology, and Innovation

U.S.-Australia science, technology, and innovation cooperation will strengthen our work on cutting edge issues, ranging from neuroscience to clean energy to information technology.  Under the auspices of the U.S.-Australia Science and Technology Agreement, our two countries collaborate on clean energy, marine, and health research.

Through the Ambassador of the United States’ Innovation Roundtables, the United States and Australia are creating an additional platform to leverage U.S.-Australia innovation partnerships and strengthen our interactions in innovative areas and promote a positive, future-oriented vision of our bilateral relationship.

The United States and Australia are two of the founding partners of the new $200 million Global Innovation Fund (GIF), which will invest in social innovations that aim to improve the lives of and opportunities for millions of people in the developing world.

People-to-People Ties

The U.S.-Australia Alliance is based on a long tradition of cooperation at all levels of government, business and civil society.

In partnership with the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney and the Perth USAsia Centre at the University of Western Australia, the United States established the “Alliance 21 Fellowship,” a three-year exchange of senior scholars and policy analysts that will further examine the shared interests and mutual benefits of the U.S.-Australia alliance through research and public engagement.

The United States and Australia form a partnership that is key to the future of both countries and peace and prosperity around the globe.

SECRETARY KERRY'S REMARKS WITH AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER ABBOT

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 

Remarks With Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott Before Their Meeting

Remarks

John Kerry

Secretary of State

Jakarta, Indonesia

October 20, 2014

PRIME MINISTER ABBOTT: Well, John, look, it's terrific to have yourself here to talk and to share (inaudible) very important issues, from the situation in the Middle East to the situation (inaudible) to all the other areas where the United States and Australia have a very, very close relationship. I appreciate the tremendous leadership the United States shows with the world. I'm grateful for (inaudible) today, because I think it's (inaudible) and that you can be here to help honor the incoming Indonesian President. Australia has had a long, strong relationship with Indonesia. Prime Minister Howard attended the inauguration of President (inaudible) back in 2004. And I hope the tradition that's now been established of Australian prime ministers attending the inaugurations of Indonesian presidents, and perhaps a similar tradition (inaudible) established (inaudible) secretaries of state.

But it's good to be with you, and I'm looking forward to (inaudible).

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, thank you, Prime Minister. It's a privilege to (inaudible), and I appreciate enormously your taking a moment to share (inaudible), and I bring you President Obama's strong greetings and great gratitude of him and all of (inaudible) Australians major stepping up with respect to the coalition. As we said when Secretary Hagel and I were in Sydney, we couldn't have a stronger partner, and we're very, very grateful for Australia's consistent willingness to step up and stand for values, as well as (inaudible) that are important to us.

We couldn't agree more about the inauguration today, the meaning of this, not just in Indonesia, but in the region. It's very, very important, obviously: you're here and, while the President couldn't come, he was very anxious to make sure we were represented at a high level here.

I do want to say that your efforts with respect to foreign fighters, which you regrettably have to experience even at a lower level, brings home to everybody how important it is for this to be a global coalition, and for all of us to understand the stakes. We were well served in the last couple of days as the Iraqis themselves chose a minister of interior and a minister of defense. That's particularly helpful for the planning and implementing of our efforts.

So, I look forward to talk with to you about that, about Iran (inaudible), Afghanistan, the DPRK, the South China Sea. There are a lot of issues for us to chat about. So again, it's good to be with you, and thank you so much for (inaudible).

DOD NEWS NOW VIDEO: 1100 OCTOBER 10, 2014

THE F-35 LIGHTNING II: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENTS NEWEST FIGHTER PROGRAM

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Right:  Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel speaks with reporters after touring the 33rd Fighter Wing and the F-35 Lightning II integrated training center at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., July 10, 2014. During his visit, Hagel met with Eglin service members for 45 minutes to praise their work in the Defense Department’s newest fighter program. U.S. Air Force photo by Samuel King Jr.  

Kendall: F-35 Rollout Marks U.S.-Australia Partnership Milestone
By Cheryl Pellerin
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, July 25, 2014 – The official rollout of the first two F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter aircraft for the Royal Australian Air Force is a milestone in the U.S.-Australia partnership, the undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics said yesterday.

Frank Kendall spoke during a ceremony held on the flightline at the Lockheed Martin aviation facility in Fort Worth, Texas.

"We join Australia, as one of our original partners, to celebrate this delivery and the numerous Australian contributions to the joint strike fighter program," Kendall said.

"For both our nations," he added, "this program represents an exponential leap in capability on the cutting edge of technology, and an integral component of our ongoing joint commitment to stability and peace in the Asia-Pacific."
The two F-35A aircraft, known as AU-1 and AU-2, are scheduled for delivery to the Australian air force later this year. They will be based at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona and used for Australian and partner-country pilot training beginning next year. The first F-35s to operate in Australia are expected by 2017.
The F-35 Lightning II program consists of a series of single-seat, single-engine, multirole fighters designed with stealth capability to perform ground attack, reconnaissance and air defense missions. The three variants of the F-35 include the F-35A, a conventional takeoff and landing variant; the F-35B, a short take-off and vertical-landing variant; and the F-35C, a carrier-based variant.
Joining Kendall as members of the official party were Australian Finance Minister and Senator Matthias Cormann, Air Marshal Geoff Brown, chief of the Royal Australian Air Force, and Lockheed Martin CEO Marillyn Hewson.
Kendall told an audience of about 300 that it takes a community to accomplish something as significant as the F-35.

"In this case it takes a community of nations, it takes a community of companies, it takes a community of militaries and departments within the U.S. and around the world, and all of our partners. It takes a community of industry to come together," the undersecretary added. "This aircraft is a testimony to our ability to do that."
Kendall described a time two decades ago when he served at the Pentagon as director of tactical warfare programs under then-Deputy Defense Secretary John M. Deutch.

"John got a number of us together one day,” he recalled, “and said that he'd decided [to] start a new technology program called the joint strike technology program that would lead to a common set of aircraft, of which there would be three variants: one for the Marine Corps, one for the Air Force and one for the Navy."
Kendall said he didn't think it would work, because the communities would never agree on what to do, or stay together on the agreement long enough to develop three such aircraft.
"Now if John had said, 'Also, we're going to make it a little more interesting by bringing on eight international partners at the same time,' I would have just thrown my hands up in the air and said, 'Forget about it.'" he added.

Admitting he was wrong, Kendall said the “fundamental reason [for the program’s success] is the capability that we've been able to develop and the cutting-edge capability we're offering to all the partners, all the services, all the nations involved in the F-35."

The program's eight partner nations and two Foreign Military Sales countries already have announced plans to procure nearly 700 F-35s. The program of record outlines the acquisition of more than 3,000 aircraft, defense officials say.
Many partners have ordered their first aircraft, and pilots and maintainers from the United Kingdom and the Netherlands have taken delivery of their first F-35 aircraft at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, where they're training with U.S. counterparts.

The communities supporting the F-35 have stayed together because of common values and shared interests, Kendall said, and because they are committed to having next-generation capability and a multirole fighter that all partners need and will be able to depend on for decades.

In his remarks, Kendall explored the nature of the F-35, which has overcome many issues since its first flight in 2006, by discussing the 1981 nonfiction book he's reading, author

Tracy Kidder's “The Soul of a New Machine.”

The Pulitzer Prize- and American Book Award-winning story is an account of the efforts of a team of researchers at now-defunct Data General, one of the first late-1960s microcomputer firms, to create a new 32-bit superminicomputer.
"At the time, Data General was in trouble,” Kendall said. “A company called Digital Equipment Corp. had introduced something called the VAX. They were cutting-edge in their day, and Data General had to respond to this threat, so they launched a crash program to develop a new design."
Telling the story, Kendall explained the point in the book he considers relevant today.

"The program manager, the chief designer for Data General, realized the computer he was building was too complex to be understood by a single individual," the undersecretary said. But the designer realized that no single person could possibly grasp all the complexity involved in the design they were creating, he added, and the designer had to trust many others to design their parts successfully and bring the machine together.

"It's that complexity that led to a very successful product, and they were successful at the time," Kendall said. "It's that complexity that characterizes the product behind me," referring to a gleaming new F-35.

During one of Kendall's first office calls several years ago with then-Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta, the undersecretary recalled, "[Panetta] said, 'Frank, why can't we make more things like the [mine resistant, ambush-protected vehicle]? Why is the F-35 taking so long and costing so much?'

"My answer was one word," Kendall said. "Complexity."

The undersecretary listed several of the factors that make the F-35 so complex: "Millions of lines of code, an incredibly integrated design that brings together stealth, a number of characteristics, very advanced sensors, advanced radars, advanced [infrared] sensors, incredibly capable electronic warfare capability, integration of weapons and integration across the force of multiple aircraft and multiple sensors to work together as a team."

All of that integrated technology is unprecedented, he said. "You're talking about something that no one has ever done before, which will put us all a decade or more ahead of anybody else out there. And [it will] keep us ahead for some time to come as we continue to upgrade the F-35," he added.

Such complexity has led to the cost and the time it has taken to design and build the F-35, Kendall said, but also to the capability it represents. “That's why we're all still together,” he added. “That's why all the communities I talked about have stayed with this aircraft."

As he ended his remarks, Kendall asked for a round of applause for the engineers and production workers who made the F-35 possible.

TWO STORMS BRINGING TROUBLE TO AUSTRALIA

FROM:  NASA 
Right:  NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Queensland on March 10 at 04:00 UTC and captured Tropical Cyclones Gillian (left) in the Gulf of Carpentaria, just west of Queensland's York Peninsula, and Hadi (right) in the Coral Sea, east of Queensland. Image Credit: NASA Goddard MODIS Rapid Response Team
Gillian and Hadi Spell Double Tropical Trouble Around Queensland

On Friday, March 7 there were two tropical lows located east and west of Queensland, Australia. Those lows organized and intensified into Tropical Cyclone Gillian and Hadi and were caught together in one amazing image from NASA's Aqua satellite. While Gillian has already made one landfall and is expected to make another, Hadi is turning tail and running from the mainland.
NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Queensland on March 10 at 04:00 UTC and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer instrument known as MODIS captured Tropical Cyclones Gillian in the Gulf of Carpentaria, just west of Queensland's York Peninsula, and Hadi in the Coral Sea, east of Queensland.
On March 10 at 0300 UTC, Tropical Cyclone Gillian, formerly known as the low pressure area "System 98P" had maximum sustained winds near 35 knots/40 mph/62 kph. It was located about 230 nautical miles northeast of Mornington Island. Gillian is moving to the southeast at 5 knots/5.7 mph/9.2 kph, but is expected to re-curve to the southwest.

The Joint Typhoon Warning Center or JTWC noted that animated multi-spectral satellite imagery and radar from Weipa showed that the center made landfall in the northwestern coast of the York Peninsula.  Gillian's center is also being battered by moderate northeasterly vertical wind shear, which is preventing any further intensification, but that's expected to change as Gillian turns back toward the Gulf.  The JTWC expects Gillian to re-emerge in the Gulf of Carpentaria and head in a southwesterly direction, passing west of Mornington Island (located in the southern Gulf). JTWC forecasts Gillian to make its second and final landfall on the mainland near the Northern Territory/Queensland border on March 13.
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology noted on March 10, that residents from Burketown to the Queensland / Northern Territory border, including Mornington Island and Sweers Island should consider what action they will need to take if the cyclone threat increases.

Tropical Cyclone Hadi, formerly tropical low pressure area "System 96P" lingered off the coast of eastern Queensland near Willis Island on March 8 and 9 and is now being pushed northeast and out to sea.

On March 10 at 0900 UTC/5 a.m. EDT, Tropical Cyclone Hadi had maximum sustained winds near 35 knots/40 mph/62 kph. It was located about 176 nautical miles east-southeast of Willis Island, near 18.8 south and 151.3 east. Hadi was moving slowly to the east-southeast at 4 knots/4.6 mph/7.4 kph.

Satellite imagery showed moderate to strong vertical wind shear, between 20 and 30 knots/23.0 and 34.5 mph / 37.0 and 55.5 kph pushed the strongest thunderstorms south of the center of circulation. The JTWC expects Hadi to strengthen to 55 knots/63.2 mph/101.9 kph as it tracks to the northeast over the next several days.

WATCHING EDNA, STUBBORN FLETCHER FROM SPACE

Right:  This infrared image of Tropical Storm Edna was taken by NOAA's polar orbiting satellite, NOAA-19 on Feb. 4 at 1443 UTC/9:43 a.m.
Image Credit: NRL/NOAA
FROM:  NASA 

NASA Satellite Catches Australia's Newborn Tropical Storm Edna and Stubborn Fletcher

Northeastern Australia has been watching two tropical low pressure areas over the last several days, and NASA's Aqua satellite captured both in one infrared image. Tropical Storm Edna developed on February 4, while Fletcher, known also as System 94P continued to have a medium chance for development.
On February 3 at 15:53 UTC/10:53 a.m. EST, NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Queensland, Australia and the AIRS or Atmospheric Infrared Sounder instrument captured infrared data on both storms. System 94P/Fletcher was in the Gulf of Carpentaria and over the Northwest region of
Queensland, while newborn Edna formed in the South Pacific Ocean east of Queensland.

Tropical Storm Edna Moving Toward New Caledonia

System 93P strengthened between February 3 and 4 into Tropical Depression 12P and then Tropical Storm Edna, northwest New Caledonia. By 1500 UTC/10 a.m. EST Edna was about 392 nautical miles northwest of New Caledonia, near 17.2 south latitude and 161.5 east longitude. Edna had maximum sustained winds near 35 knots/40 mph/62 kph. It was moving to the southeast at 19 knots/21.8 mph/35.1 kph.

NASA's AIRS data showed very cold cloud top temperatures in powerful thunderstorms within Edna that have the potential for heavy rainfall. Infrared data also showed that Edna's circulation has consolidated and convection has deepened/strengthened with bands of thunderstorms, mostly north of the center, were wrapping more tightly into the low-level center of circulation.
AIRS data also showed that sea surface temperatures were around 28C/82.4F, warm enough to contribute to strengthening the system. Sea surface temperatures need to be at least 26.6C/80F in order for a tropical cyclone to maintain intensity. Warmer temperatures than that can help in increased evaporation with the formation of thunderstorms that make up a tropical cyclone. However, as Edna continues tracking southward, the storm will run into cooler sea surface temperatures that will squelch any significant intensification.
Text credit:  Rob Gutro

NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

EXPORT-IMPORT BANK SUPPORTS $694 MILLION FINANCING FOR EXPORTS TO AUSTRALIA

FROM:  U.S. EXPORT-IMPORT BANK 
Ex-Im Bank Approves $694 Million to Finance Export of U.S. Mining 
and Rail Equipment to Australia 
Transaction Supports 3,400 U.S. Jobs

Washington, D.C. – In a decision that will support thousands of U.S. jobs, the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) has authorized a $694.4 million loan to Roy Hill Holdings of Australia contingent upon the purchase of U.S. mining and rail equipment from Caterpillar Inc., GE, and Atlas Copco.

According to Bank estimates derived from Departments of Commerce and Labor data and methodology, the credit will support 3,400 U.S. jobs across America. Furthermore, an estimated 20 percent of the job support will benefit small-business jobs.

“After a comprehensive review, the Bank determined that this transaction represents a significant opportunity for American exporters to create and sustain American jobs,” said Ex-Im Bank Chairman and President Fred P. Hochberg. “Our financing positions American companies on a level playing field so they can close the sales and expand their homegrown workforces. Projects this size can be difficult to finance—that’s where Ex-Im comes in. And I am proud that today’s action will support 3,400 jobs across the country, many of them at small businesses.”

Export credit agencies of several other countries have obtained preliminary or final approvals for the Roy Hill transaction as well.

The exported equipment will contribute to the development of the Roy Hill iron ore mine, an open-pit surface mine in the Pilbara region of northwestern Australia. The mine sits approximately 280 kilometers south of Port Hedland.

Ex-Im Bank’s loan increases the likelihood that Caterpillar, a leading equipment manufacturer based in Peoria, Ill., will provide surface-mining equipment for the project.

“Caterpillar applauds Ex-Im Bank for approving the long-term financing request for the Roy Hill’s Australian iron-ore project,” said Steve Wunning, group president with responsibility for the Resource Industries Group, Caterpillar Inc. “By backing this project, Ex-Im Bank is bolstering U.S. manufacturing competitiveness, supporting American jobs and promoting exports. Ex-Im Bank is also providing Caterpillar and other U.S. suppliers with the opportunity to support Roy Hill with mining equipment that may have otherwise been supplied by non-U.S. competitors using their countries’ export credit agencies. We appreciate the support of Chairman Hochberg and all the Ex-Im Bank officials who worked so hard to get us to this point.”

The financing also increases the likelihood that GE will furnish locomotives to transport the iron ore to the port.

“Ex-Im Bank’s support of the Roy Hill’s Australian iron-ore project represents a major milestone for the mining industry and U.S. job growth,” said Russell Stokes, president and chief executive officer, GE Transportation. “Further, it’s testament to the great outcomes that can be achieved through collaboration of federal and private sector leadership. We’re thrilled to have our locomotives leading the charge and enabling transport efficiencies.”

In line with its economic-impact procedures, Ex-Im Bank performed a detailed economic-impact analysis and found that the transaction will likely have a significant net positive effect on the U.S. economy. Additionally, Ex-Im Bank obtained a market-based supplemental analysis prepared by a third party that also yielded a positive finding.

SATELLITE VIEW OF LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OFF SOUTHEAST COAST OF AUSTRALIA

FROM:  NASA

In late July 2013, a low pressure system off Australia’s southeast coast and moist onshore winds combined to create unsettled weather across central Australia – and a striking image of a broad cloud band across the stark winter landscape. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Terra satellite captured this true-color image on July 22 at 01:05 UTC (10:35 a.m. Australian Central Standard Time). To the west of the low pressure trough the skies are clear and dry. To the east, the broad band of bright white clouds obscures the landscape. The system brought wind, precipitation and cooler temperatures to the region. Image Credit: NASA/Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC

U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE CLINTON'S REMARKS AT TECHPORT AUSTRAILIA

Koala And Joey.  Credit:  CIA World Factbook. 

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT      
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Adelaide, South Australia
November 15, 2012
 Thank you. First, let me say what a great pleasure it is to visit Adelaide and South Australia for the first time. I'm proud to be the first Secretary of State ever to do so. And the others did not know what they were missing. Adelaide is, from our perspective, one of the great, critical industrial centers in the world, the heart of Australia's defense manufacturing, and a place where American and Australian companies work in close partnership every day.

This city, this place showcases two of the strongest elements of the U.S.-Australia relationship: our security alliance, and our economic ties. I want to thank Rod Equid and AWD Alliance for hosting us. I want to thank Senator Wang, Penny, thank you for being here, back home for you. And I want to thank the Premier. Premier Weatherill has been a very great visionary when it comes to understanding the partnership, the public-private partnership that is essential for advanced manufacturing to be successful, not only here in Australia, but around the world.

Techport, this world-class maritime industrial hub is where you can see the future of the Royal Australian Navy being built, including the next generation of Air Warfare Destroyers. Now, this work is obviously critical to Australia's continued defense, your ability to provide security for yourselves and throughout the region, and to maintain and advance your role as a global force for peace and stability.

Now, these are goals that the United States shares with Australia, and we are deeply committed to your continued security. We are proud to work with Australia across a range of regional and global security challenges, including standing shoulder to shoulder in Afghanistan and fighting piracy together in the Horn of Africa. So I am greatly impressed by the work being done here to keep Australia strong at home and abroad and very proud of the role that American companies are playing in this effort.

In 2011 alone, U.S. military sales to Australia came to nearly $4 billion making Australia one of our top defense trading partners. And that partnership just received a major boost. Your parliament passed the bill to implement the Defense, Trade, and Cooperation Treaty between our two countries, which the Governor-General assented to this week.

Our leaders signed this treaty back in 2007. The United States Senate passed it in 2010, and now that it has passed your parliament, U.S. and Australian forces will be able to cooperate even more closely and swiftly for our mutual defense. They will be building on a strong foundation. American defense manufacturers are helping to modernize Australia's defense forces through programs like the Joint Strike Fighter project, the Growler upgrades to your Super Hornets, Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning and P-8 anti-submarine warfare aircraft, C-17 and C-27 transport aircraft, MH-60 helicopters for your navy, and the AEGIS weapons systems for you new Air Warfare Destroyers built right here.

But this is a two-way street, because Australian defense manufacturers in turn are contributing to our U.S. defense projects. I just saw the turrets that are manufactured and then exported to the United States for us to be using in our defense. We're also working with you and getting your help in our littoral combat ships. So this is a mutual partnership where we both look out for each other, and we both benefit.

But I want to emphasize that all the work happening here at Techport Australia and at other manufacturing hubs across both our countries is not only about defense and security as important as that is. It's about jobs. It's about trade and investment. It's about putting people to work, and I see some of the high-skilled workers here in front of me.

Now, this economic relationship is just as vital to both of our nations' continued strength as our defense partnership, because in today's world, power is increasingly measured and exercised in economic terms. So it is critical that Australia and the United States keep seeking every opportunity to increase trade and investment between us, to build economic partnerships, to share innovation and technological advances so we can continue not only to lead in the global economy, but more importantly to provide a rising standard of living to the hardworking people in both our countries.

We're on the right path. Since the U.S.-Australia Free Trade Agreement entered into force seven years ago, bilateral trade and investment between our countries has steadily increased, and we're very proud to be Australia's third largest trade partner and your leading investment partner. Now, sometimes it may not always be reflected in the press, but American investment is the biggest source of investment in Australia.

American firms have $136 billion in direct investment in Australia ranging across many industries, including Chevron's gas projects off the cost of Western Australia, and I heard a lot about that in Perth yesterday, or the IBM data centers across Australia, or Boeing, GE, Citigroup, Exxon Mobile, dozens of other American companies whose names I have seen both here in Adelaide and in Perth and of course in Melbourne and Sydney and Canberra on previous visits.

Australia is also a growing market for growing exports even as we welcome more trade from you. In fact, our exports to Australia jumped more than 40 percent between 2009 and 2011 raising from under 20 billion to more than 27 billion, and in the first nine months of this year, they're up another 20 percent. President Obama set a goal of doubling U.S. exports within five years, and we've seen extraordinary progress in our relationship with Australia.

So it's fair to say that our economies are entwined, and we need to keep upping our game both bilaterally and with partners across the region through agreements like the Trans-Pacific Partnership or TPP. Australia is a critical partner. This TPP sets the gold standard in trade agreements to open free, transparent, fair trade, the kind of environment that has the rule of law and a level playing field. And when negotiated, this agreement will cover 40 percent of the world's total trade and build in strong protections for workers and the environment.

That's key, because we know from experience, and of course research proves it, that respecting workers' rights leads to positive long-term economic outcomes, better jobs with higher wages and safer working conditions. And including everybody in that, those who have been previously left out of the formal economy will help build a strong middle class, not only here in Australia or in our country, but across Asia. And that will be good for us.

If we do this right, and that's what we're trying to do, then globalization, which is inevitable, can become a race to the top with rising standards of living and more broadly shared prosperity. Now, this is what I call jobs diplomacy, and that's what I've been focused on in part as Secretary of State. And that's one of the reasons that I wanted to come here to Adelaide and come to this impressive facility.

But for me, and I think for most Americans, it's not only about security, and it's not only about our economy. So let me close with a word about our alliance. These last three days have reinforced for me the indispensability of the U.S.-Australia partnership, indispensible to our shared prosperity, yes, and to our shared security for sure, but also indispensible for our shared values. We are cooperating everywhere together, in businesses, in shipbuilding, from the mountains of Afghanistan to the atolls of the Pacific to the thriving cities of Asia.

But I know there are some who present a false choice, that Australia needs to choose between its longstanding ties to the United States and its emerging links with China. Well, that kind of zero-sum thinking only leads to negative-sum results. We support Australia having strong, multifaceted ties with every nation in the Asia Pacific, indeed in the world, including China just as we seek the same. And I have said repeatedly the Pacific is big enough for all of us.

But for both of us, the U.S.-Australia alliance is not a matter of calculation or cost-benefit analysis, though the benefits are clear. It is much deeper than that. It is in our DNA. It is rooted in shared history and shared struggles to overcome adversity and build a better future for ourselves, our families, and future generations. We are not fair-weather friends. We've been there for each other for decades, and we will keep being there to deliver greater security, greater prosperity, greater opportunity, and the chance for all Australians and Americans alike to live up to our God-given potential in this, the Pacific century. God bless you. And God bless Australia and our relationship forever. Thank you. (Applause.)

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PANETTA'S REMARKS AT THE ASEAN MEETING

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta, center, tours Angkor Wat with U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia William E. Todd, right, and David L. Carden, left, U.S. Ambassador to the U.S. Mission to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, in Siem Reap, Cambodia, Nov. 16, 2012. Angkor Wat is the largest Hindu temple complex in the world. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo

FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT

Presenter: Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta November 16, 2012
Remarks by Secretary Panetta at ASEAN Meeting, Siem Reap, Cambodia


SECRETARY OF DEFENSE LEON E. PANETTA: Well, good afternoon to everyone.

It has been a real pleasure for me to have the opportunity to be here in Cambodia for my first visit as secretary of defense.

I want to thank the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, ASEAN. We had the opportunity to sit down together at lunch, and then in a more formal session, to exchange our views.

And I want to express in particular my thanks to Cambodia's minister of national defense, who has been such a gracious host.

This is my final stop on my trip to Southeast Asia. This trip has taken me to Australia, and then to Thailand, and now to Cambodia. And the message that I have conveyed on this visit, and my other visits, is that the United States's rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region is real, it is sustainable, and it will be ongoing for a long period of time into the future.

The United States military has been working with friends and partners and allies in the Asia-Pacific region for over 70 years. Americans have fought and died in this region, and our goal has always been to try to promote peace and prosperity throughout this region. And we have tried to foster conditions that would lead to economic growth, more effective governance, and an effort to help lift millions from property and create a better future for generations to come.

And we are deepening our military engagement with our allies and partners in this region, in order to ensure that we are able to promote security and prosperity for many years to come.

But our increased military engagement in the region is but one part of the effort by the United States to rebalance. This effort includes not just military, but diplomatic, economic and cultural engagement across the region. And I know that President Obama looks forward to discussing each of these elements of our rebalance when he arrives here for the East Asia Summit later this week.

Today, we reaffirm the importance of ASEAN unity for building regional stability, and also the United States's support for ASEAN-led defense cooperation in a number of critical areas to the region, including humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, maritime security, nonproliferation and counterterrorism.

I also want to underscore, and I stressed this in meetings that I participated in, the support of the United States for the protection of human rights, of civilian oversight of the military, of respect for the rule of law, and for the right of full and fair participation in the political process here in Cambodia and throughout Southeast Asia.

And as I said last year in Indonesia, and I stress again, we are committed to further strengthening the U.S.-ASEAN relationship. And as a reflection of that commitment, the United States will increase the size and number of exercises that we participate in in the Pacific with our Southeast Asia partners. And we are devoting new funding to this goal.

In addition, we're pleased to see progress toward action-oriented cooperation in the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting-Plus. And the United States looks forward to participating in three ADMM-Plus exercises in 2013, including a humanitarian and disaster relief exercise that will be hosted by Brunei, a counterterrorism exercise that we are cosponsoring with Indonesia, and a maritime security exercise co-chaired by Malaysia and Australia.

I expressed to my counterparts that I am impressed by the continuing development of ASEAN-led efforts to enhance security. As I stated at the last meeting, we in the Pacific are part of one family of nations, and we may not agree on all issues, but we are committed to work together to ensure the security of that family.

Let me conclude by saying that this is in many ways a new era in the U.S. relationship in this region. It is based on the principles of the rule of law. It is based on our presence to try to help develop the capabilities of nations. It is based on partnership. And it is based on the common goal of advancing peace and prosperity and opportunity for all people in all nations in the Asia-Pacific region.

Thank you.

REMARKS BY U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE CLINTON AT PERTH USASIA CENTRE

Photo:  Koalas.  Credit:  CIA World Factbook.

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Remarks at the Launch of the Perth USAsia Centre

Remarks
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
University of Western Australia
Perth, Australia
November 13, 2012

Thank you very much, Minister Evans and thanks also to Premier Barnett, hereafter known as Premier Sputnik – (laughter) – and Chancellor Chaney, our excellent two ambassadors – your alumnus, Kim Beazley, who served you so well in Washington, and our Ambassador, Jeff Bleich, who I think knows more Australians than most Australians do at this point – and Dr. Gill, thank you for your primary work at the U.S. Studies Centre.

This is a wonderful opportunity for me to be here at the University of Western Australia, a campus that looks remarkably like Stanford University, where my daughter attended, and to be in this fabulous art gallery that I will not get a chance perhaps to see, but which certainly piques my interest, and to be part of helping to launch this center that will shape strategic thinking in this dynamic region.

This is my first visit to Perth, but I heard much about it, not least of all from your ambassador, and Stephen Smith, your Defense Minister. And one story in particular stands out because from the time I was a little girl, Premier, I was fascinated by space exploration, and you and I are of a vintage where we can actually remember Sputnik going over. And I even wrote to NASA, our space administration, when I was about 13 and asked what I needed to do to become an astronaut myself. I unfortunately received an answer that said they weren’t taking women. Thankfully, that has changed in the years since.

But I was riveted by the space program, and certainly when my friend and a great American, John Glenn, became the first American to orbit the earth in 1962, it was so exciting to know that the people of Perth were literally with him and cheering him on, because, as you know so well, when John’s capsule passed overhead, every light in this city came on to signal support for his mission. And I will tell you that he never forgot the gesture of friendship from the city of light.

So for me to be here is a dream come true, and I suppose if one were to go up into space today and look down at Perth, you would see a city that is sitting on a very strategic part of our planet, Australia’s gateway to the vibrant trade and energy routes that connect the Indian Ocean to the Pacific, the oil, the natural gas, the iron ore produced here that flows through those trade routes to the entire world. It is no surprise that foreign investment is soaring, including more than $100 billion from the United States, because increasingly, these waters are at the heart of the global economy and a key focus of America’s expanding engagement in the region, what we sometimes call our pivot to Asia.

We never actually left Asia; we’ve always been here and been a presence here. We consider ourselves a Pacific power. But in the 21st century, it’s important that we make absolutely clear we are here to stay. And how we think about the Asia Pacific or the Indo Pacific region is going to be critical to our future as well as yours. We’ve made it a strategic priority to support India’s Look East policy and to encourage Delhi to play a larger role in Asian institutions and affairs. And it’s exciting to see the developments as the world’s largest democracy and a dynamic emerging economy begin to contribute more broadly to the region.

It’s also important to see the burgeoning relationship between Australia and India. And we support a Look West policy here in Australia, and certainly applaud the Australian Government’s strategic white paper on Asian policy. We would welcome joint Australia-Indian naval vessel exercises in the future, and we’re eager to work together in the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation which Australia will chair in 2013 and which the United States has now joined as a dialogue partner.

I’m here for what are called the AUSMIN meetings. These are annual meetings that our Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense hold with our counterparts, Stephen Smith and Bob Carr. We will be reviewing implementation of the military agreements that Prime Minister Gillard and President Obama reached last November, including the rotational deployment of U.S. marines in Darwin and improving interoperability between our two navies. These steps will help both countries safeguard commerce and respond to natural disasters in the sea lanes connecting the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

So here at the University of Western Australia, you are at the leading edge of a crucial strategic shift linking two great oceans and strengthening an historic alliance. And I hope that the work that you do here will help to light the way just as Perth did for John Glenn 50 years ago, because when one stops to ponder it, our commercial, cultural, and personal relationships are really at the core of how we see and hope the world will develop in this century. Commercially, it’s already been set. We have deep and growing ties. Culturally, we also share the values that democracies share. We share the values of freedom and human rights, the dignity of every person. And personally, the connections between us only grow stronger.

So opening this center, and so well named the Perth USAsia Centre, will give an additional impetus to exploring how we can broaden and deepen our commercial, cultural, and personal relationships. It shouldn’t be any surprise that the United States is just as interested in Australia as you seem to be interested in us. We’re constantly following your sports. You seem to have a flood of entertainers who take the American market by storm. The kinds of connections that we have between us are ones that we highly value.

Now of course, we’re living in a region that is changing so quickly, and there are other countries whose interests and profiles are equally important for each of us. We look for ways to support the peaceful rise of China, to support China becoming a responsible stakeholder in the international community, and hope to see gradual but consistent opening up of a Chinese society and political system that will more closely give the Chinese people the opportunities that we in the United States and Australia are lucky to take for granted.

We have great relationships with our other friends and allies from Japan and South Korea, Thailand, and the Philippines. Of course, we both enjoy close and growing relations with Indonesia. So as we think about how this region will change, it’s important that Australia and the United States work together, look to see how we can contribute to the kind of region and world we hope to see for both of us to give our young people the opportunities that they so richly deserve.

So I thank you for your steadfast commitment to the U.S.-Australia partnership. It is a partnership that is of itself of importance to each of us, but is also a partnership that must remain at the core of the kind of engagement we have in the Asia Pacific, Indo Pacific regions for now and for the future.

Thank you all. (Applause.)

TOP LAW ENFORCEMENT FROM U.S. CANADA, NEW ZEALAND, THE UNITED KINGDOM AND AUSTRALIA MEET

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Attorney General Eric Holder was in Ottawa today for meetings with Attorneys General and Justice Ministers from Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Australia.

Today’s meeting of the Quintet of Attorneys General was the fourth to be held since the inaugural Quintet meeting in the United Kingdom in 2009 and the first to be hosted in Canada. The Attorneys General discussed legal issues of mutual interest, including cybercrime, national security and legal cooperation.

Continuing their discussion from last year’s Quintet meeting in Sydney, the Attorneys General discussed ways that law enforcement agencies could improve their ability to combat terrorism, cybercrime, and transnational organized crime — including through mutual legal assistance. The global nature of these crimes makes cooperation with our key allies a critical component of response efforts.

Discussions on cybercrime, forced marriages, digital copyright enforcement, data protection and deferred prosecution agreements were also held.

The 2012 Quintet was attended by:

• Eric H. Holder, Jr. – Attorney General, United States of America        
• Hon. Rob Nicholson P.C., Q.C., M.P. – Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
• Hon. Chris Finlayson – Attorney General, New Zealand
• Rt. Hon. Dominic Grieve Q.C., M.P. – Attorney General, United Kingdom
• Hon. Jason Clare, M.P. – Minister for Home Affairs and Justice, Australia, representing the Attorney-General of Australia

EX-IM BANK APPROVES NEARLY $3 BILLION IN EXPORT FINANCING FOR U.S. GOODS AND SERVICES TO AUSTRALIA PACIFIC LNG PROJECT

FROM:  EXPORT-IMPORT BANK
WASHINGTON, D.C.: The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) has authorized a $2.95 billion direct loan to support U.S. exports to the Australia Pacific liquefied natural gas (LNG) project. The transaction is Ex-Im’s second-largest single-project financing in history and is also the Bank’s first LNG project in Australia.

The project on Curtis Island in south-central Queensland will produce natural gas from coal-seam wells and will have total capacity of nine million metric tons per year. China Petroleum and Chemical Corp. (Sinopec) and Kansai Electric Power Co. Inc. of Japan will purchase most of the LNG produced. China Ex-Im Bank and commercial lenders are also providing debt financing for the project.

Ex-Im’s financing is expected to support an estimated 11,000 American jobs. Principal U.S. exporters are ConocoPhillips Co. and Bechtel International, both of Houston, Texas. Additional exporters and suppliers include numerous small businesses in Texas, Colorado, Nevada, California, Oregon and Oklahoma.

“Our authorization paves the way for U.S. companies to export equipment and services to this major LNG project and, in so doing, to maintain thousands of American jobs across the country,” said Ex-Im Bank Chairman and President Fred P. Hochberg. “This financing also demonstrates how the United States and China can work together for our mutual benefit to foster trade and develop critically needed energy resources.”

The transaction, approved by Ex-Im’s board of directors on May 3, was announced following Chairman Hochberg’s trip to China, where he participated in the fourth round of the Strategic and Economic Development Dialogue (S&ED) with Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner and other officials. The S&ED was held in Beijing on May 3-4.

Bechtel official Jay C. Farrar, who manages the company’s office in Washington, D.C., cited the importance of Ex-Im’s financing for U.S. exporters to large international projects. “Since 1992, Ex-Im Bank has been instrumental in the successful awarding and completion of projects involving Bechtel that have supported thousands of jobs for highly skilled employees at our company. The Bank’s financing also has helped to maintain thousands of additional jobs related to the supply chain for these projects,” Farrar said. Bechtel Corp. is an international engineering, construction and project management company.

The Australia Pacific LNG project will involve development of coal-seam natural-gas fields, two gas transmission lines to a collection hub, a natural gas liquefaction plant and an adjacent marine shipping export terminal on Curtis Island near the city of Gladstone.

STORM SYSTEM SEEN FROM SATELLITE LIES ABOUT 190 MILES NORTH OF DARWIN, AUSTRALIA

FROM:  NASA
This image of System 99P was captured on April 20, 2012 at 04:55 UTC (12:55 a.m. EDT) by the MODIS instrument onboard NASA's Aqua satellite. It was centered about 190 nautical miles north-northeast of Darwin, Australia and showed some areas of strong thunderstorms west of its center of circulation.
Credit: NASA Goddard MODIS Rapid Response

This image of System 99P was captured on April 20, 2012 at 04:55 UTC (12:55 a.m. EDT) by the MODIS instrument onboard NASA's Aqua satellite. It was centered about 190 nautical miles north-northeast of Darwin, Australia and showed some areas of strong thunderstorms west of its center of circulation.
Credit: NASA Goddard MODIS Rapid ResponseNASA Sees Slow-Developing System 99P Dogging Northern Australia

NASA satellites have been monitoring the slow-to-develop low pressure area called System 99P for four days as it lingers in the Arafura Sea, north Australia's Northern Territory. Satellite data indicates that System 99P is likely to continue struggling because of weak organization and nearby dry air.

System 99P was captured in an infrared image on April 20, 2012 at 04:55 UTC (12:55 a.m. EDT) by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument that flies onboard NASA's Aqua satellite. At that time, System 99P was centered about 190 nautical miles (218.6 miles/ 352 km) north-northeast of Darwin, Australia, near 9.9 South latitude and 132.6 East longitude. The western-most extent of System 99P was now entering the Timor Sea (located west of the Arafura Sea). In fact, today's (April 20) MODIS infrared imagery revealed that System 99P showed some areas of strong thunderstorms west of its center of circulation, over the eastern edge of the Timor Sea. However, those thunderstorms remain disorganized and the low-level circulation is weak.

The TRMM satellite, managed by NASA and JAXA also gathered data from struggling System 99P. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite passed over April 19 at 1142 UTC (7:42 a.m. EDT), and revealed curved banding of thunderstorms wrapping weakly into the center of the low. Total precipitable water products currently indicate there is sufficient moisture associated with the low, and that's the fuel for the tropical cyclone.

Even though there's a good amount of moisture available, dry air lingers nearby. Dry air can sap the life's blood (moisture) from a developing tropical cyclone. Satellite data shows dry air west of 130 East. In addition, an upper-air sounding from Darwin, Australia indicated dry air in its recent moisture profile.

The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) is the entity that forecasts tropical cyclones in this part of the world and has been continuously gathering and analyzing data to determine if System 99P will further develop. JTWC cited surface observations from McCluer Island, which is located 65 nautical miles (74.8 miles/120.4 km) south-southeast of 99P's center. The island's weather observation noted northeasterly winds at 15-20 knots (17.3 - 23.0 mph / 27.7-37.0 kph). and sea level pressure near 1006 millibars.

Looking back, on April 19, System 99P was centered near 9.0S 132.8E, about 240 miles NE of Darwin, Australia and visible MODIS imagery from NASA's Terra satellite showed deep convection/t-storms flaring on western quadrant. At that time, maximum sustained winds were near 15 knots (17.3 mph/27.7 kph). On April 18 the MODIS image on NASA's Aqua satellite showed disorganized cloud cover as System 99P was still struggling. Its maximum sustained winds were 15 knots (17.3 mph/27.7 kph). When NASA passed over System 99P on the date of its birth, April 17, 2012, it was having a difficult time getting organized because of wind shear. It was located in the Arafura Sea, between northern Australia and Irian Jaya, Indonesia.

As of April 20, the forecasters at the JTWC said, "There is no significant model development due [in the next 24 hours] to the overall marginal environment and weak organization."

TROPICAL STORM DAPHNE ON APRIL 3, 2012

FROM:  NASA
NASA Infrared Image Sees a Stronger Tropical Storm Daphne
Tropical Storm Daphne strengthened overnight and was captured in an infrared image from NASA's Terra satellite. Daphne moved away from the Fiji islands and remains north of New Zealand in the South Pacific on April 3, 2012.

NASA's Terra satellite passed over Daphne at 1014 UTC (6:14 a.m. EDT or 10:14 p.m. local time, Auckland, New Zealand), and used infrared imagery from the Moderate Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument to visualize its cloud extent. Like the infrared goggles used to see at night infrared satellite imagery can see cloud cover of tropical cyclones from space. The MODIS image showed Daphne to be more rounded and less elongated than it appeared in satellite imagery on April 2, indicating that wind shear had lessened. At that time, its minimum central pressure was 986 millibars.

On April 3 at 0300 UTC (April 2 at 11 a.m. EDT/3 p.m. local time, Auckland, New Zealand time), Tropical Storm Daphne had maximum sustained winds near 50 knots (57.5 mph/92.6 kph), up from 35 knots (40 mph/64 kph) on April 2. Daphne was located 744 nautical miles (856 miles/1378 km) east of Kingston Island, near 27.8 South and 178.0 West. Daphne was speeding to the southeast at 25 knots (28.7 mph/46.3 kph). As Daphne has moved, it has grown in size. Tropical-storm-force winds now extend as far as 300 nautical miles (345.2 miles/555.6 km) from the center, especially in the east and southern quadrants. Tropical-storm-force winds in the other quadrants appear to extend just further than 100 nautical miles (115 miles/185 km).

All warnings have been dropped for Fiji land areas, but mariners can expect rough seas between Fiji and New Zealand as Daphne continues moving southeast.

Forecasters at the Fleet Weather Center in Norfolk, Virginia are currently maintaining forecasts for tropical cyclones in the South Pacific. The current forecast takes Daphne on a south-southeasterly track over the next several days and keeps it away from New Zealand. Forecasters expect Daphne to begin weakening as it continues to move southeast as wind shear will increase and sea surface temperatures will drop.