COMMANDER U.S. CYBER COMMAND DISCUSSES CYBER DEFENSE AND OFFENSE

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT

Right:  Navy Adm. Michael S. Rogers, commander of U.S. Cyber Command and director of the National Security Agency, spoke to cadets, staff and faculty during a Leader Professional Development Session at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., Jan. 9, 2015. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Jeremy Bunkley.  

Rogers Discusses Cyber Operations, ISIL, Deterrence
By Cheryl Pellerin
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, March 2, 2015 – Navy Adm. Michael S. Rogers, commander of U.S. Cyber Command, took questions here recently on many topics -- cyber defense and offense, finding the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant on the dark Web and cyber deterrence -- during a New America Foundation cybersecurity conference.

Rogers, who’s also director of the National Security Agency, spoke with CNN national security correspondent Jim Sciutto and took questions from the audience and from Twitter and other social media outlets.

Rogers often says, as he did at this conference, that he believes in appearing publicly and putting no restrictions on questions asked of him.

“You can ask me anything,” he said, “because we have got to be willing as a nation to have a dialogue” on cyber issues.

Cyberspace as a Domain of War

On a question about whether the United States is positioned effectively to address cyberspace as a domain of warfare, Rogers said the nation is in a better position in many ways than most of its counterparts around the world.
“We've put a lot of thought into this as a department,” he added. “U.S. Cyber Command, for example, will celebrate our fifth anniversary this year. This is a topic the department has been thinking about for some time.”

But the admiral said he doesn’t think Cybercom is where it should be yet in preparation for fully engaging in cyberspace.

“Part of that is just my culture,” he explained. “My culture as a military guy always is about striving for the best, striving to achieve objectives. You push yourself.”

Defending the Networks

From a defensive standpoint it’s difficult to defend a network infrastructure that has been built over decades, Rogers said, noting that most of it was created at a time when there was no critical cyberthreat.

“We're trying to defend infrastructure in which redundancy, resiliency and defensibility were never design characteristics,” he said. “It was all about ‘build me a network that connects me in the most efficient and effective way with a host of people and lets me do my job.’” Rogers noted that concerns about an adversary’s ability to penetrate the network and manipulate or steal data was not a primary factor at the time.

The department is working to change its network structure to incorporate core security characteristics, the admiral said.

On the offensive side, Cybercom is “working its way,” Rogers said, and doing this within a broader structure that dovetails with the law of armed conflict.
Cyber as an Offensive Tool

“Remember,” he said, “when you look at the application of cyber as an offensive tool, it must fit within a broader legal framework -- the law of armed conflict, international law, the norms we have come to take for granted in some ways in the application of kinetic force.”

Cybercom must do the same thing in the offensive world, the admiral said, “and we're clearly not there yet.”

Like many nations around the world, the United States has capabilities in cyber.
“The key for us is to ensure that such capabilities are employed in a very lawful, very formulated, very regimented manner,” Rogers said.

Legal Framework for Cyberspace

In January 2014, in Presidential Policy Directive 28, Rogers said President Barack Obama laid out the framework he wanted used in the conduct of signals intelligence.

Today, the admiral said, “all that remains applicable.”

Another question from the audience referenced ISIL’s use of the dark Web to raise money through Bitcoin, a form of digital currency.

The questioner described the dark Web as “a bunch of anonymous computers -- a bunch of anonymous users -- that are still able to find each other” using a browser that protects users’ anonymity, no matter what a user is doing there.
Nature of the Business

On collecting intelligence from the dark Web, Rogers said, “We spend a lot of time looking for people who don't want to be found.”

In some ways, he added, that is the nature of the business, particularly involving terrorists or individuals engaged in espionage against the United States or against its allies and friends.

Such activities, the admiral said, are a national concern.

“ISIL's ability to generate resources, to generate funding, is something that we're paying attention to,” Rogers said.

Focusing on ISIL

“It's something of concern to us,” he noted, “because it talks about ISIL’s ability to sustain themselves over time [and] about their ability to empower the activity we're watching on the ground in Iraq, in Syria, in Libya [and] in other places.”
Such activities also are of concern to a host of nations, the admiral said, adding, “I won't get into the specifics of exactly what we're doing, other than to say this is an area that we are focusing attention on.”

When asked about deterring America’s adversaries from carrying out cyberattacks, Rogers said the concept of deterrence in the cyber domain is relatively immature.

“This is still the early stages of cyber in many ways,” he said, “so we're going to have to work our way through this” by developing and accepting norms of behavior in cyberspace that will underlie and support the notion of deterrence.

ADM. GEENERT SAYS CHINA RAPIDLY MODERNIZING NAVY

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Greenert: China Moving Quickly to Modernize Navy

By Claudette Roulo

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

ASPEN, Colo., July 26, 2014 – China’s naval modernization program is moving at a rapid pace, the chief of U.S. naval operations said here yesterday.
Navy Adm. Jonathan W. Greenert spoke at the Aspen Security Forum on his way home from meetings with his Chinese counterpart, Adm. Wu Shengli.

China is participating in this year’s Rim of the Pacific Exercises. “They're doing about average compared to all the other fleets, which is interesting,” Greenert said. “… Average is good -- it's good enough; it's not what they thought. It's a little difficult, multinational exercises.”

China expressed interest in continuing to develop the military-to-military relationship through exercises and personnel exchanges, he said.

The two leaders discussed the need for developing maritime protocols for their navies and civilian mariners, the admiral said.

“It was a good visit, it was frank, it was respectful,” he said.

Greenert said he was the first U.S. service member to be allowed aboard China’s first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, something he wasn’t sure would happen on this trip. He also met with some of the carrier’s crew.

The Liaoning is a refitted Russian aircraft carrier.

“We went, not stem-to-stern, but throughout a lot of it,” Greenert said. “Then we went to a submarine. Then we went to a destroyer -- about a 2,000-ton ... almost the length of a football field -- and then on one of their patrol craft.”
The Chinese aircraft carrier is “very Russian,” Greenert said.

“That means it's big, it's heavy and it's onerous,” he explained.

But, the admiral said, the Chinese have completely upgraded their carrier. They stripped out all the old Russian-style equipment “and everything they put in is very modern and Chinese.”

The carrier is still being worked on at a shipyard in Dalian, in northeast China, he said.

China will build another carrier like the Liaoning relatively soon, Greenert said.
“It'll look just like this one, they said -- ski ramp, about the same tonnage, 65,000-70,000 tons. … They're moving on a pace that is extraordinary,” the admiral said.
Greenert said Wu told him the ship is the basis for research and development of what will be a blue-water, aircraft-carrier-focused navy.

"I think that he may be wanting to do this on his watch,” he said. “He's got about four-and-a-half more years to ... have this carrier out to sea like we do, with a series of destroyers around it and the ability to launch and recover aircraft in the tens and maybe twenties. But I'm not overly concerned right now, they have a lot of work to do."

DARPA SEEKS TECHNOLOGY THAT CHANGES OUTCOMES

Above:  The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is seeking to develop the next generation of search technologies to revolutionize the discovery, organization and presentation of search results. The Memex program ultimately would apply to any public-domain content. Initially, DARPA plans to develop Memex to address a key Defense Department mission: fighting human trafficking. An index curated for the countertrafficking domain, along with configurable interfaces for search and analysis, would enable new opportunities to uncover and defeat trafficking enterprises, officials explained. DARPA photo.

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT  

DARPA Sows Seeds of Technological Surprise, Director Says

By Cheryl Pellerin

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, April 30, 2014 – Many of the advances that contribute to national security resulted from early investment in developing new technologies, the director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency told Congress yesterday.

Dr. Arati Prabhakar represented the Defense Department at a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing called to address concern that the national investment in research and development had shrunk since 2001, along with the education pipeline for young scientists and engineers.

The directors of the Office of Science and Technology Policy of the Executive Office of the President, the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health and the Energy Department also testified at the hearing.

“DARPA is part of Defense Department science and technology investments,” Prabhakar said. “We're also part of this much larger national ecosystem for R&D. But within those communities, we have one very specific role: to make the pivotal early investments that change what's possible so we can take big steps forward in our national security capabilities.”

DARPA’s output is technology, but the organization counts its mission complete only when the technologies change outcomes, she added.

“Every time a stealth fighter evades an air defense system, every time a soldier on the ground is able to place himself precisely with GPS and get the data he needs, every time a radar on an aircraft carrier allows us to see a threat to a carrier strike group before it sees us -- that's when we count our mission complete,” Prabhakar said.

In every case, DARPA made a pivotal early investment that showed the technologies were possible, and what followed from that, Prabhakar said, was equally important.

“That was the investment, often by our partners in other parts of the Defense Department and the military services -- their science and technology investments, their development investments or their acquisition programs,” the director said. “Of course,” she added, “many in industry were involved deeply in those efforts, and ultimately to make those technologies into real capabilities for our warfighters.”

Along the way, as DARPA focused on its mission of investments for national security, the organization’s scientists and engineers planted some of the seeds that formed the technology base that the U.S. commercial sector has built layer on layer above the foundation, Prabhakar said.

“Every time you pick up your cell phone and do something as mundane and miraculous as check a social networking site, you're living on top of a set of technologies that trace back to that early work we did,” she added. “Public investment laid that foundation. Billions of dollars of private investment and enormous entrepreneurship is what built those industries and ended up changing how we live and work with these technologies.”

DARPA’s mission of creating breakthrough technologies for national security is unchanged across more than five decades, she told the panel, but the world in which DARPA invests and pursues its mission continues to change, and so do the things DARPA does that reflect the national security and technology context in which the organization must operate today.

“In one arena, we see information at massive scale affecting every aspect of national security,” the director said. “So if you look in our portfolio today, you will find game-changing investments in cyber and in big-data programs.” One example is work DARPA is doing to tackle the networks that drive human trafficking around the world, she added.

In another arena, Prabhakar said, DARPA is looking at what's happening with the cost and complexity of military systems today.

“We recognize that [such systems] are becoming too costly and too inflexible to be effective for the next generation of threats we will face around the world,” Prabhakar explained, “so at DARPA we are investing in programs that are fundamentally rethinking complex military systems.”

DARPA is investing in technology its experts believe will lead to powerful new approaches for radar, communications, weapons and navigation, she said.
“And in a range of research areas, we can see the new seeds of technological surprise,” Prabhakar said. “One example is where biology is intersecting with engineering today, and in areas like that, we are making investments that will lead to new technologies like synthetic biology and neurotechnology.”
Another expert who testified before the committee, National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Francis S. Collins, mentioned a breakthrough neuroscience project that Stanford University is working on with funding from NIH and DARPA and the National Science Foundation.

“Traditionally, researchers have studied the postmortem brain by cutting a specimen into slim slices. While all that slicing generates neat, two-dimensional images, it also makes it impossible to reconstruct the connections of the brain's tens of billions of neurons,” Collins said. “What if we could study the details of the wiring and the location of specific proteins in transparent 3-D?

“Using a chemical cocktail,” he continued, “researchers at Stanford University -- supported by NIH, NSF and DARPA -- have figured out a way to do just that. They've dubbed their technique ‘Clarity,’ and in an extraordinary technical feat, the team made possible a 3-D tour of an intact mouse brain illuminated by a green dye that marks the neurons.”

Clarity is now being applied to human brains, he added, and undoubtedly will advance the BRAIN Initiative, a research effort unveiled by President Barack Obama and Collins in April 2013. In his State of the Union message last year, the president addressed research and development and its value to the nation.
“If we want to make the best products, we also have to invest in the best ideas,” Obama said. “Every dollar we invested to map the human genome returned $140 to our economy -- every dollar. Today, our scientists are mapping the human brain to unlock the answers to Alzheimer’s. They’re developing drugs to regenerate damaged organs, devising new material to make batteries 10 times more powerful.
“Now is not the time to gut these job-creating investments in science and innovation,” Obama added. “Now is the time to reach a level of research and development not seen since the height of the space race.”

During her testimony yesterday, Prabhakar also discussed the nature of the world today and its relation to research and development.

“In many ways we are living in very challenging times,” she said. “Technology is getting more and more complex, [and] it's moving at a very rapid pace. Other nations are jockeying for position in global affairs, and many of them … are making their own aggressive moves to build their own science and technology capabilities.”

Meanwhile, here at home, she added, many are dealing with constrained resources, and many agencies are dealing with the corrosive effects of sequestration.

“But when I step back and look at what we have done over many decades in this country, I would observe that we have had a long and very successful commitment to investing in R&D as a nation,” the director told the panel. “And when we make that investment in R&D, we are investing in two things that are deeply American.”
One is the kind of creativity sparked by the open society that is the hallmark of the United States, she said, and in this case the nation is investing in the creativity of its scientists and engineers.

“The second thing is this drive to create a better future,” Prabhakar added. “And in a sense, this is the most productive kind of restlessness you could possibly imagine.”

PRESIDENT OBAMA, PRIME MINISTER OF MALAYSIA ISSUE JOINT STATEMENT

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 

Joint Statement By President Obama And Prime Minister Najib Of Malaysia

 The Honorable Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak, Prime Minister of Malaysia and The Honorable Barack Obama, President of the United States of America held a bilateral meeting on 27 April 2014 in Putrajaya, Malaysia.

The two leaders reflected on the historic nature of President Obama’s State Visit to Malaysia, the first Presidential visit in 48 years, and the resilience of bilateral relations between Malaysia and the United States.  Both leaders reaffirmed their mutual commitment to further enhance Malaysia – U.S. engagement on issues of bilateral, regional and international importance.

Reflecting on the search for missing flight MH370 which carried passengers and crew from 14 nations, including Malaysia and the United States, the Prime Minister expressed Malaysia’s gratitude to President Obama for the United States' unwavering support.  Malaysia is heartened by the presence of the United States from day one in the ongoing operations to locate flight MH370.  The support received exemplifies the strong ties of friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

Recognizing the growing cooperation between the two countries in a wide range of areas, Prime Minister Najib and President Obama decided to elevate the Malaysia – U.S. relationship to a Comprehensive Partnership with the aim of advancing the two countries’ common interests and the shared values of the people of the United States and Malaysia.  Under the Comprehensive Partnership, both countries commit to further strengthening dialogue mechanisms in key areas including political and diplomatic cooperation, trade and investment, education and people-to-people ties, security and defense cooperation, as well as collaboration on the environment, science and technology, and energy.

Political and Diplomatic Cooperation

The Prime Minister and the President welcomed the increasing high-level interaction between the two countries in recent years, including the numerous Cabinet-level exchanges of visits, and encouraged continued dialogue at various levels. Both sides also committed to reinvigorate the Malaysia – U.S. Senior Officials Dialogue as a key forum to pursue the implementation of the Comprehensive Partnership through regular consultations.

The Prime Minister appreciated the United States’ presence in Asia which contributes to peace, stability and prosperity in the region. President Obama reiterated the United States’ strong support for the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the importance of East Asian regional institutions. President Obama also welcomed Malaysia’s upcoming chairmanship of ASEAN in 2015 and expressed confidence that under Malaysia’s stewardship, ASEAN would further its regional ambition of economic integration.

The Prime Minister and the President acknowledged the importance of peace and stability for the security and economic prosperity of nations.  The leaders exchanged views on recent developments in the South China Sea and affirmed the importance of safeguarding maritime security and ensuring freedom of navigation and over flight throughout the region, including critical waterways in the South China Sea. The two leaders underscored the importance of all parties concerned resolving their territorial and maritime disputes through peaceful means, including international arbitration, as warranted, and in accordance with universally recognized principles of international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The two leaders highlighted the importance of all parties concerned avoiding the use of force, intimidation, or coercion, and exercising self-restraint in the conduct of activities.

The Prime Minister and the President reaffirmed the importance of the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) in enhancing mutual trust and confidence amongst all parties concerned and recognized the need for ASEAN and China to work expeditiously towards the establishment of an effective Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC).

The two leaders underscored their commitment to promoting respect for human rights, as well as the importance of a vibrant and independent civil society consistent with the Charter of the United Nations and international human rights law.  Respect for diversity, respect for the freedom to express different views and practice different faiths, respect for all religions and respect for the rights of all in the populations are essential to healthy and prosperous democracies.

Both leaders welcomed efforts to promote tolerance and inter-faith understanding and counter violence and extremism. In relation to this, the two leaders also appreciated the goals of the Global Movement of Moderates to promote greater understanding and moderation among people of all faiths by expanding government-to-government and people-to-people engagement.

President Obama commended Malaysia’s leading role in facilitating the Southern Philippines Bangsamoro peace process that led to the recent signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro.

Both leaders welcomed the bilateral work agreement on the gainful employment of spouses of embassy and consulate officials which provides benefits for diplomatic families of both sides as well as the host country.

Economic and Trade Cooperation

Prime Minister Najib and President Obama celebrated the strong economic links between Malaysia and the United States, including bilateral trade amounting to U.S. $40 billion annually.  Prime Minister Najib and President Obama applauded the progress made so far in the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement negotiations.  They reaffirmed their commitment to work together to resolve the remaining issues and conclude the high-standard agreement as soon as possible so that both countries’ businesses, workers, farmers, and consumers could begin benefitting.   Both leaders also discussed the importance of enhancing multilateral cooperation to promote trade, investment and inclusive growth in fora such as ASEAN, the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Noting that the United States was the largest source of foreign investment in Malaysia in 2013, the Prime Minister acknowledged the beneficial and significant role of U.S. investors in the development of Malaysia’s economy. This close cooperation has resulted in support for Malaysian Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) through linkages between U.S. companies and Malaysian SMEs, sharing technology, promoting innovation and contributing to Malaysia’s economic transformation agenda.

The President similarly highlighted the United States’ openness to foreign investment, and noted the mutually beneficial nature of Malaysian investment in the United States.  The President encouraged Malaysian participation in SelectUSA, a U.S. Government initiative to promote and facilitate inbound business investment and a key partner and support system for potential Malaysian investors, including SMEs, seeking investment opportunities in the United States.

Both leaders emphasized the importance of a strong intellectual property rights regime, to promote innovation and for the mutual benefit of innovators and consumers. Such a regime has already helped support investments in new growth areas including in emerging and high technology sectors as well as high value-added, knowledge-based and skills-intensive industries which should generate more high income job opportunities in both countries and support Malaysia’s aspiration to become a developed nation by the year 2020. The two leaders expressed confidence that the ongoing economic reforms in Malaysia and the economic recovery of the United States would accelerate economic growth, opening greater opportunities for trade and creating employment in both countries.

Education and People-to-People

Recognizing people-to-people relations as the foundation of strong bilateral ties, the two leaders affirmed their shared intention to foster better understanding, goodwill and friendship between the peoples of both countries.

Reflecting the Prime Minister and President Obama’s shared aspiration to enhance people-to-people interaction first discussed in 2010, the two leaders celebrated the success of the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) Program.  Likening the spirit of the Fulbright ETA program to the Peace Corps program, which ran for two decades in Malaysia, Prime Minister Najib and President Obama announced that the governments of Malaysia and the United States have extended the Fulbright ETA Program for another three years.

The two leaders applauded the network of eight Lincoln Corners in six different Malaysian states and Kuala Lumpur that host hundreds of educational programs and promote connections between Malaysia and the United States. Both leaders also recognized the value of sharing the rich cultural heritages of our two countries through exchanges of displays in art galleries and museums in both countries.

The Prime Minister and President Obama welcomed the establishment of the Malaysia-America Foundation and the exploring of opportunities to establish sister city relationships between the two sides.

Prime Minister Najib and President Obama acknowledged that university level linkages between the United States and Malaysia continue to grow. Both sides encouraged the expansion of research and study partnerships between U.S. and Malaysian institutions of higher education.

Both leaders emphasized the importance of youth empowerment, particularly in promoting entrepreneurship, environmental protection, education, and civic participation in Malaysia and across the region, including through such programs as the Malaysian Global Innovation and Creativity Centre (MaGIC) and activities under the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI).

Defense and Security

President Obama welcomed Malaysia’s commitment to counter the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction with the endorsement of the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) Statement of Interdiction Principles.

The two leaders reaffirmed the longstanding military-to-military cooperation between Malaysia and the United States which provides a solid foundation for enhancements across a broad front. Both leaders acknowledged the value of continuous dialogue on regional and global security challenges as well as coordination on military matters through the Malaysia – U.S. Strategic Talks (MUSST) and the Bilateral Training and Consultative Group (BiTACG).

Prime Minister Najib and President Obama decided to continue discussions on opportunities for practical future cooperation in the maritime domain, including ways the United States could support the development of Malaysia’s maritime enforcement capacity through the provision of training, equipment and expertise.

President Obama applauded Malaysia’s troop contributions to peacekeeping in United Nations missions, including in Afghanistan and Lebanon and thanked Malaysia for its successful deployment of a military medical team in Afghanistan.  Both sides committed to strengthen cooperation in peacekeeping training under the Global Peace Operations Initiative (GPOI) and welcomed U.S. support for the Malaysian Peacekeeping Training Centre.

The two leaders welcomed the expansion of ties between the defense industries of Malaysia and the United States, which contribute to Malaysia’s economic development. Both sides committed to work further to nurture and deepen defence bilateral engagements, including promoting the interoperability between the two armed forces.

Malaysia and the United States noted with satisfaction the progress in various ongoing scientific sectors, including cooperation to raise awareness and capacity in biosecurity laboratories and research facilities in Malaysia dealing with biological threats.   These activities reflect a shared commitment to the Global Health Security Agenda, which seeks to accelerate progress toward a world safe and secure from threats posed by infectious disease.

Prime Minister Najib and President Obama expressed a firm commitment towards enhancing cooperation between their two countries in trade and investment.  Among the areas of interest are customs administrative matters and to this end would therefore encourage officials engaged in the negotiations to expedite the early conclusion of the Customs Mutual Assistance Agreement. The two leaders are also committed to work toward finalizing the memorandum of understanding on immigration information exchange.

Prime Minister Najib and President Obama also decided to consult on Malaysia’s interest in meeting the statutory requirements for participation in the Visa Waiver Program.  As a first step, the United States has committed to provide technical briefings on security requirements and information sharing agreements this year.

Recalling the Memorandum of Understanding on Transnational Crime signed by both sides in 2012, the two leaders look forward to convening the inaugural Joint Working Group Meeting to review the efficiency and effectiveness of our law enforcement cooperation.

The two leaders decided that Malaysia and the United States would strengthen cooperation in humanitarian assistance, disaster relief and management, including exploring capacity building initiatives to increase preparedness in handling natural and man-made disasters.

Environment, Science and Technology, and Energy Cooperation

The Prime Minister and President Obama welcomed the active cooperation between Malaysia and the United States in science and technology following the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on Science and Technology Cooperation in 2010. Pursuant to the MOU, the leaders noted the establishment of focus areas on biotechnology, marine science, climate studies, conservation science and management under the Joint Committee of Science and Technology.

The Prime Minister highlighted to President Obama the initiatives under the Global Science and Innovation Advisory Council (GSIAC), a joint New York Academy of Sciences and Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT) forum with a mandate to develop science, technology and innovation strategies to achieve Malaysia’s vision 2020.

Malaysia recognized the U.S. Government’s tremendous role as an important partner of the Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI). The Prime Minister conveyed his appreciation to President Obama for United States’ contributions of more than U.S $60 million in technical and financial assistance and capacity building programs to CTI member countries.

Noting the shared visions of the two countries to develop a stronger bio-based economy to ensure sustainable growth, both leaders recognized expanded private sector research collaboration and cooperation in biotechnology.

The Prime Minister sought the United States’ support to build Malaysian knowledge and expertise to develop green technology and thanked President Obama for U.S. assistance in creating Malaysia’s newly announced green technology development strategy and clean energy cooperation to date under the U.S. Asia Pacific Comprehensive Energy Partnership.

The Prime Minister and President Obama reiterated a common commitment to the conservation of biodiversity and agreed to strengthen cooperation in addressing illegal wildlife trade.

Conclusion

Looking ahead, both leaders pledged their commitment to elevate the Malaysia – U.S. bilateral cooperation to a Comprehensive Partnership that would cover wide-ranging areas for the expansion of trade and investment, security and defense, education, science and technology, energy, and people-to-people relations, for the collective benefit of both countries.

STATEMENT: U.S.-RUSSIA BILATERAL PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION JOINT REPORT

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 
Statement by NSC Spokesperson Caitlin Hayden on the U.S.–Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission Joint Report

The United States of America and the Russian Federation launched the U.S.–Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission (BPC) four years ago to reaffirm our commitment to cooperation and collaboration based on shared interests.  Since its creation, the Commission has embraced a whole-of-government approach to advance this goal, finding common ground on arms control and international security; fostering closer defense ties; increasing bilateral trade and investment opportunities; countering terrorism and narcotics trafficking; promoting advances in science, technology, and energy; and enhancing people-to-people and cultural ties between our societies.

Today we received from Secretary of State John Kerry the submission of the 2013 BPC Joint Report, which comprehensively highlights the Commission’s accomplishments since Spring 2012.

President Obama encourages the Commission’s working groups to deepen and expand their engagement with Russia in order to remove barriers to trade and investment, increase security, and ensure that advances in science and innovation continue.  By partnering with American and Russian civil society and private enterprise, the Commission’s working groups can have an enduring impact that yields a brighter future for Russians, Americans, and people around the world.

U.S.-JAPAN MAKE AGREEMENT ON SECURITY AND DEFENSE COOPERATION

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

U.S., Japan Agree to Expand Security, Defense Cooperation

By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service

TOKYO, Oct. 3, 2013 - In a joint statement today, U.S. and Japanese diplomatic and military leaders agreed to revise the 1997 Guidelines for U.S.-Japan Defense Cooperation, increase security and defense collaboration in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond, and advance the realignment of American troops in Japan.

Secretary of State John F. Kerry and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel met with their counterparts, Japanese Foreign Affairs Minister Fumio Kishida and Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera, in a series of meetings today that culminated in a "two-plus-two" engagement. At a news conference following the engagement, Hagle said all four discussed, "Our goal ... [of] a more balanced and effective alliance, where our two militaries are full partners working side-by-side with each other, and with other regional partners, to enhance peace and security."

Kerry and Hagel are the first U.S. secretaries of state and defense to attend such a meeting here together. The gathering was highlighted by intense interest in Japan as the nation's government is reportedly considering expanding the role of its self-defense forces.

Hagel said during the news conference that after 16 years, revising the defense guidelines makes sense. The close alliance between the two countries, rising security threats in the region and the increasingly global nature of those threats, he said, all urge a reexamination of the agreement governing each nation's roles and responsibilities in defense and contingency operations.

Other key agreements the four ministers announced include:

A second Army Navy Transportable Radar Surveillance system, or AN-TPY-2, will be placed at the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force base at Kyogamisaki, where it will augment one previously set up in Shariki on the northern part of Honshu Island.

-- The new radar will "close the gaps," a U.S. official said, and will increase protection for the United States while defending Japan against possible North Korean missile strikes.

The "Tippy-Two," as it's commonly known, is an X-band, high-resolution, phased-array radar designed specifically for ballistic missile defense. It searches for and tracks inbound threats, and can be integrated with the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense system and ground-based interceptors.

-- Increase bilateral cooperation in the region on space and cyberspace; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; planning, use of facilities, extended deterrence, information security, training and exercises.

-- Reinforce trilateral and multilateral cooperation "that preserves and promotes a peaceful, prosperous and secure Asia-Pacific region." The statement adds, "Our mutual cooperation is to expand over time, and we are committed to working in partnership with other like-minded countries to build sustainable patterns of cooperation."

-- Implement agreements on realignment of U.S. forces in Japan "as soon as possible while ensuring operational capability, including training capability, throughout the process."

The realignment plan will relocate U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, now in the center of Okinawa's Ginowan City, to a more remote area of the island. It also moves a Marine Corps squadron of KC-130 Hercules aircraft from Futenma to MCAS Iwakuni, transfers elements of the Navy's Carrier Air Wing 5 from Atsugi Air Facility to Iwakuni, and shifts thousands of Marines from Okinawa to Guam in the first half of the 2020s.

-- Deploy more advanced U.S. capabilities to Japan such as the U.S. Marines' MV-22 Osprey aircraft, two squadrons of which are here and will be training with Japanese self-defense forces. Other equipment headed to Japan in the coming years includes Navy P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, in what will be its first deployment outside the United States; rotational deployment of Global Hawk unmanned aircraft; and, in another first deployment outside the United States in 2017, the F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing joint strike fighter variant for the Marine Corps.

The four ministers also addressed territorial disputes in the East China Sea, where Japan and China both claim rights to the Senkaku Islands.

While U.S. policy is that sovereignty in such disputes is an issue for the disputing nations to resolve, Hagel reiterated a statement he made in April: since they are under the administrative control of Japan, they fall under U.S. treaty obligations to Japan.

"We strongly oppose any unilateral or coercive action that seeks to undermine Japan's administrative control," he said. "We will continue to consult especially closely on this issue."

Hagel closed his statement at today's news conference with a strong endorsement of the alliance.

"The United States-Japan relationship has underwritten the peace, stability, and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region for more than half a century," he said. "Today, we have helped ensure this alliance continues to do so in the 21st century."

The secretary also thanked U.S. troops serving here. He will visit some of them tomorrow, before concluding his weeklong trip that also took him to South Korea.

Following the press conference, Hagel and Kerry were scheduled to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE HAGEL SPEAKS AT 2013 SOREF SYMPOSIUM

 

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel speaks at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy's 2013 Soref Symposium in Washington, D.C., May 9, 2013. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Hagel Stresses Regional Cooperation on Middle East Issues
By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 9, 2013 - The United States faces "astounding challenges" surrounding its strategic interests in the Middle East, but is working with allies and partners to comprehensively address the political, economic and security uncertainty, and the threats of extremism and proliferation, that beset the region, America's defense chief said today.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel traveled to Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates in late April. Tonight he offered an audience his views on the issues he discussed with those countries' leaders. During a speech at the 2013 Soref Symposium, an event hosted by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Hagel said America's Middle East strategy is founded on and framed around its commitment to Israel.

"Israel is America's closest friend and ally in the Middle East," Hagel said, noting that he attended a series of meetings in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem with Israeli President Shimon Peres, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister of Defense Moshe Yaalon.

During those meetings, "I conveyed our continued commitment to enhancing defense cooperation with Israel - which has reached unprecedented levels in recent years," Hagel said.

A core principle of U.S.-Israel security cooperation is America's commitment to or what Hagel called "its capacity to defeat any threat or combination of threats from state or non-state actors."

The Defense Department works closely with Isreal's Ministry of Defense to develop and field the versatile range of advanced capabilities Israel needs to defend its people and interests, Hagel said. The rocket and missile defense efforts Iron Dome, Arrow, and David's Sling demonstrate the department's involvement, he said, but DOD has also worked for more than a year to increase Israel's options against to a range of other threats.

"These efforts culminated in our announcement last month that the United States has agreed to release a package of advanced new capabilities, including anti-radiation missiles and more effective radars for [Israel's] fleet of fighter jets, KC-135 refueling aircraft and the V-22 Osprey," Hagel said. "Along with Israel's status as the only Mid-Eastern nation participating in the Joint Strike Fighter program, this new capabilities package will significantly upgrade their qualitative military edge."

Hagel noted Israel's security, like America's, also relies on strong U.S. partnerships with other regional countries from Jordan and Egypt to Saudi Arabia and the UAE. In meeting with those countries' leaders, he said, he frequently discussed two other factors he termed central to current U.S. Middle East strategy: ongoing turmoil in Syria and Iran's destabilizing influence in the region.

"Syria's civil war is putting its stockpiles of chemical weapons and advanced conventional weapons at risk, and the escalation of violence threatens to spill across its borders," Hagel said.

Hagel said that while he was in Jordan, which borders Syria, "I reassured the Jordanians that the United States is committed to the stability of Jordan, and to deepening our close defense cooperation and joint contingency planning with the Jordanian military."

The civil war in Syria was a focus of his discussions in Amman, the secretary said. Hagel summarized U.S. involvement: organizing and applying sanctions against the Assad regime; providing humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people, which now totals nearly $510 million; and giving non-lethal assistance to the Syrian opposition.

"We are also urging Russia and China to do more to help resolve this conflict, because it is also clearly in their interests to end the war," he said.

Hagel noted that Secretary of State John Kerry, in Moscow this week, announced along with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that "they will seek to convene an international conference, with representatives of the Syrian government and the opposition, to determine how to implement a political transition in Syria."

Using the full range of tools, he said, the United States will continue to work toward achieving its goal of ending the violence and helping the Syrian people transition to a post-Assad authority.

"This will help restore stability, peace, and hope for all Syrian people," he said. "That goal is shared by our allies in the region - not only those bordering Syria, but also our partners in the Gulf."

In Saudi Arabia and UAE, he said, "Concerns over Iran's support for the Assad regime, its destabilizing activities, and its nuclear program were at the top of the agenda."

The secretary noted President Barack Obama has stated U.S. policy is to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

"I stressed that point during my discussions in the Gulf," Hagel noted, adding that "building a cooperative defense network" is a key pillar of U.S. efforts against Iranian threats -- "raising the military capabilities of our partners in the Gulf who share our commitment to regional security and our concerns about Iran and violent extremism on the Arabian Peninsula."

Agreements finalized during his stops in Saudi Arabia and UAE will give those nations "access to significant new capabilities," Hagel noted: Saudi Arabia will buy 84 Boeing F-15SA fighter aircraft, and the UAE plans to purchase 25 F-16 Desert Falcons.

"Along with other common efforts with Gulf States in areas such as missile defense, this new arrangement ensures that we are coordinating effectively against Iran and other shared security challenges," Hagel said.

The secretary emphasized that U.S. strategy sees the Middle East as critical to its security interests, and a robust presence will remain.

"We have made a determined effort to position high-end air, missile defense, and naval assets to deter Iranian aggression and respond to other contingencies," he said, noting U.S. F-22 fighters, ballistic missile defense ships and sophisticated radars, mine countermeasure assets, and advanced intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft are all part of the nation's regional presence.

"Even as we put our presence on a more sustainable long-term footing, our capabilities in the region will far exceed those that were in place September 11, 2001," he said. "Our defense relationships are also much stronger and far more robust."

The Middle East, made up of very different nations, faces a number of common challenges from Iran, Syria, and the continuing threat of al-Qaida and other terrorist groups, he said.

"These common challenges must be met through the force of coalitions of common interests, which include Israel and our other allies in the region," Hagel added. The most enduring and effective solutions to the challenges facing the region are political, not military, he said, and America's role is to influence and shape the course of events through diplomatic, economic, humanitarian, intelligence and security tools "in coordination with all of our allies."

During his travels in the region, Hagel said, "I thought about what's possible ... if these democratic transitions in the Middle East can succeed, and if a sustainable and comprehensive peace between Israel and the Palestinians is ultimately achieved."

That would bring new possibilities to an old region, the secretary noted.

The best hope for Middle Eastern stability is for countries like Egypt, Libya and Syria to transition to democratic rule, supported by institutions and legal frameworks that respect human life and liberties, he said.

"To assist these nations in achieving these goals, the United States will remain engaged in helping shape the new order, but we must engage wisely," Hagel said. "This will require a clear understanding of our national interests, our limitations, and an appreciation for the complexities of this unpredictable, contradictory, yet hopeful region of the world."

DEFENSE OFFICIALS REQUEST BUDGET TO COVER MISSILE DEFENSE MODERNIZATION

FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Officials Call for Continued Ballistic Missile Defense Modernization
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 9, 2013 - Senior defense officials underscored the importance of ballistic missile defense modernization efforts requested in the fiscal 2014 budget proposal during testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee today.

The budget requests $9.2 billion in fiscal 2014 and $45.7 billion over future years to develop and deploy missile defense capabilities.

Madelyn Creedon, assistant secretary of defense for global strategic affairs, told the panel these capabilities will both protect the U.S. homeland and strengthen regional missile defenses.

Navy Vice Adm. J.D. Syring, director of the Missile Defense Agency, joined Creedon during the afternoon hearing in citing disturbing trends in Iran, North Korea, Syria and elsewhere around the globe.

"The threat continues to grow as our potential adversaries are acquiring a greater number of ballistic missiles, increasing their range and making them more complex, survivable, reliable and accurate," he reported. "The missile defense mission is becoming more challenging as potential adversaries incorporate [ballistic missile defense] countermeasures."

The administration remains committed to developing proven and cost-effective missile defense capabilities through the phased advance approach to regional missile defense, Creedon noted in her written statement.

"This approach puts emphasis on a flexible military toolkit with forces that are mobile and scalable," she said. As a result, "they underwrite deterrence in peacetime, but can be surged in crisis to meet defense requirements," she said.

Creeden reported on progress on three policy priorities: sustaining a strong homeland defense, strengthening regional missile defense and fostering increased international cooperation and participation.

She emphasized the importance of continually improving the Ground-based Midcourse Defense system in place to protect the U.S. homeland against potential limited intercontinental ballistic missile attacks.

The budget request, she said, supports this effort as well as enhancement of ground-based interceptors and deployment improved sensors, she said. The proposal also includes funding to implement regional missile defense approaches that Creedon said will be tailored to the unique deterrence and defense requirements of Europe, the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific regions.

Missile defense, she noted, is an integral part of a comprehensive U.S. effort to strengthen regional deterrence, and plays a central role in DOD's strategic guidance released in January 2012.

While promoting these efforts, the United States is striving to build stronger relationships with allies and partners to cooperatively address the ballistic missile threat, and to help build partner capacity to do so, she said.

Syring reported, for example, that the Missile Defense Agency "is engaged either bilaterally or multilaterally with nearly two dozen countries and international organizations," including NATO and the Gulf Cooperation Council. "We have made good progress in our work with our international partners, and I want to continue those important efforts," he said.

"We have had some very significant successes over the last several years, ... but we cannot afford to stand still," echoed Creedon. "To the contrary, we need to reevaluate the threat continually and adapt as necessary."

The fiscal 2014 budget request reflects DOD's goals of retaining the flexibility to adjust and to enhance its defenses as the threat and technologies evolve, she said.

"Our most vital security commitments – the defense of the United States and the protection of our allies and partners and our forces around the world – demand nothing less," she said.

CYBERCOMMAND ON OFFENSE AND DEFENSE

Credit:  U.S. Navy.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Cybercom Builds Teams for Offense, Defense in Cyberspace
By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 12, 2013 - As escalating rounds of exploits and attacks mar the strategic landscape of cyberspace, U.S. Cyber Command is standing up a highly trained cadre focused on national defense in that domain, the Cybercom commander told Congress today.

Army Gen. Keith B. Alexander told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the command is developing teams that will protect the nation's interests in cyberspace, along with tactics, techniques and procedures, and doctrine describing how the teams will work in that environment.

"These defend-the-nation teams are not defensive teams, these are offensive teams that the Defense Department would use to defend the nation if it were attacked in cyberspace," said Alexander, who also serves as National Security Agency director. "Thirteen of the teams we're creating are for that mission set alone. We're also creating 27 teams that would support combatant commands and their planning process for offensive cyber capabilities."

Cybercom also has a series of teams that will defend DOD networks in cyberspace, the general said.

The intent at Cybercom is to stand up roughly one-third of the teams by September, the next third by September 2014, and the final third by September 2015, he added.

"Those three sets of teams are the core construct for what we're working on with the services to develop our cyber cadre," he said, adding that the effort is on track thanks to efforts by the service chiefs, who are pushing the initiative.

Training is key to the teams' development, the general said. "The most important partnership we have with NSA and others is in ensuring that training standards are at the highest level," he added.

Alexander told the panel that, from Cybercom's perspective, the environment on the strategic landscape of cyberspace is becoming more contentious.

"Cyber effects are growing. We've seen attacks on Wall Street -- 140 over the last six months -- grow significantly. In August, we saw a destructive attack on Saudi Aramco, where data on over 30,000 systems was destroyed," he said.

In industry, the antivirus community of companies believes attacks will increase this year, Alexander said, "and there's a lot we need to do to prepare for this."

The general said command and control is an important part of Cybercom's cyber strategy. Combatant commands and service chiefs are looking at the command and control of working together, he said.

"We've done a lot of work on that, and have ironed out how the joint cyber centers at each combatant command will work with Cyber Command, how we push information back and forth, and how we'll have operational and direct support of teams operating in their areas," Alexander said. "We'll have more to do on this as the teams come online."

Another important part of the strategy is situational awareness, the general said, or seeing an attack unfold in cyberspace.

"Today, seeing that attack is almost impossible for the Defense Department," he said. "We would probably not see an attack on Wall Street -- it's going to be seen by the private sector first, and that [highlights] a key need for information sharing."

Such sharing has to be real-time from Internet service providers to the Defense Department, the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI, all at the same time, the general said.

"If we're going to see [an attack] in time to make a difference, we have to see it in real time," he said. And companies that are sharing the information with the Defense Department have to have protection against privacy lawsuits from customers and other potential liabilities, he added.

Legislation that would have provided some of these protections along with a national cybersecurity framework failed to pass the Senate in August, and in an Executive Order signed Feb. 12, President Barack Obama directed federal departments and agencies to use existing authorities to provide better cybersecurity for the nation.

"The Executive Order issued last month is a step in the right direction, but it does not take away the need for cyber legislation," Alexander said, pointing out that that civil liberties, oversight and compliance are critical for Cyber Command and NSA in operating in cyberspace.

"We take that requirement sincerely and to heart, ... [and] we can do both -- protect civil liberties and privacy and protect our nation in cyberspace," he said. "That's one of the things we need to educate the American people about."

Cyber Command experts also are building an operational picture the command would share with combatant commands, the DHS, the FBI and other national leaders, and the command also is working hard on authorities and policies related to DOD activities in cyberspace, Alexander said.

"This is a new area for many of our folks, especially within the administration, within Congress and for the American people," he acknowledged. "We're being cautious in ensuring that we're doing that exactly right and sharing the information we have with Congress."

No one actor, the general added, "is to blame for our current level of preparedness in cyberspace."

"We must address this as a team, sharing unique insights across government and with the private sector," he added. "We must leverage the nation's ingenuity through an exceptional cyber workforce and rapid technological innovation."

The U.S. government has made significant strides in defining cyber doctrine, organizing cyber capabilities and building cyber capacity, Alexander told the panel.

"We must do much more to sustain our momentum," he added, "in an environment where adversary capabilities continue to evolve as fast as or faster than our own."