EXPORT CONTROL REFORM: REMARKS BY STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 
The Path Forward on Export Control Reform
Remarks
Tom Kelly
Acting Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs
Center for Strategic and International Studies
Washington, DC
February 4, 2014

Good morning, great to the here with you today. As Acting Assistant Secretary for Political-Military Affairs, I lead the Bureau charged with implementing most of the State Department’s part of the Export Control Reform initiative.

When it comes to implementing ECR, the Administration is focused on creating an export control system that keeps pace with new technologies and supply chain globalization. At the same time, we don’t want this process to sacrifice critical national security and foreign policy objectives, from nonproliferation to supporting human rights.

ECR will streamline U.S. Government decision-making on strategic exports and create a more transparent, predictable system. What it will not do is alter the primacy of foreign policy in the decision-making process for arms exports. Our Foreign Military Sales program, Direct Commercial Sales authorizations, and all exports of munitions from the U.S. will continue to be authorized based on a coordinated review of the foreign policy risks and rewards associated with the transaction. Our newly revised and publicly available Conventional Arms Transfer Policy guides this review. It affirms that the U.S. does not simply allow arms to flow from its borders in response to global demand; we authorize exports that support U.S. foreign policy and national security objectives.

Over the past four months we achieved the first milestones in implementing ECR. In October 2013, the first major revisions to our export control lists went into effect, transferring controls on certain aircraft and gas turbine engines as well as their parts and components from the control of the Department of State to the Department of Commerce. These two categories potentially represent more than $20 billion in annual exports. And this January, new controls on military vehicles and ships went into effect.

Our allies and partners are responding positively to these changes and see many of their concerns related to security of supply addressed by these reforms. The U.S. defense export community is also supportive.

I do want to take this opportunity to – once again – dispel the myth that ECR equals decontrol of arms exports. Any item that is no longer controlled on the U.S. Munitions List is now controlled on the Commerce Control List.

The goal is an agile, dynamic export control regime responsive to today’s and tomorrow’s national security and foreign policy challenges. These new controls reduce bureaucracy, accelerate goods to market for our close allies and security partners, and still maintain a high level of scrutiny over arms exports. Though the full measure of success remains ahead of us, we’re confident that we are on the right path.

DEFENSE SECRETARY HAGEL SUPPORTS OBAMA'S NSA SPEECH

FROM:  DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
Statement by Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel on President Obama's Speech Friday, January 17, 2014

I fully support the reforms to signals intelligence programs that President Obama outlined today - not only as Secretary of Defense, but as former co-chair of the President's Intelligence Advisory Board and a former member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.  These programs must always balance the need to defend our national security with the responsibility to preserve America's individual liberties, and the President's decisions and recommendations will do that.  They will help restore the confidence of the American people and our allies and partners.  They will preserve important capabilities that keep us safe.  And they will help the men and women of America's military continue to accomplish their missions all over the world.

MAN CHARGED WITH TRYING TO EXPLODE CAR BOMB AT WICHITA AREA AIRPORT

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT 
Friday, December 13, 2013
Kansas Man Charged in Plot to Explode Car Bomb at Airport

A man has been charged in federal court with attempting to explode a car bomb at Wichita Mid Continent Airport, Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security, John Carlin and U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom announced today. The defendant was arrested as part of an FBI undercover investigation, and the device used by the defendant was, in fact, inert and at no time posed a danger to the public.

Terry Lee Loewen, 58, of Wichita, Kan., is charged in a criminal complaint filed today in U.S. District Court in Wichita with one count of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction, one count of attempting to damage property by means of an explosive and one count of attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.

“There was no breach of Mid-Continent’s Airport’s security,” said U.S. Attorney Grissom.  “At no time was the safety of travelers or members of the public placed in jeopardy.”

Loewen, who works as an avionics technician, is alleged to have spent months developing a plan that involved using his access card to airport grounds to drive a van loaded with explosives to the terminal.  He planned to pull the trigger on the explosives himself and die in the explosion.

Agents arrested Loewen about 5:40 a.m. Friday after he attempted to enter the airport tarmac and deliver a vehicle loaded with what he believed were high explosives.  Members of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) took him into custody without incident.

Loewen has been under investigation by the Wichita Joint Terrorism Task Force since early summer 2013. It is alleged that, prior to his attempted attack, he made statements that he was resolved to commit an act of violent jihad against the United States. Over a period of months, he took a series of actions to advance the plot. According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, Loewen:

studied the layout of the airport and took photographs of access points;
researched flight schedules;  
assisted in acquiring components for the car bomb;
and talked about his commitment to trigger the device and martyr himself.

On Friday, Loewen went to Mid-Continent Airport to detonate the car bomb.  He was taken into custody when he attempted to open a security access gate. FBI Evidence Response Teams are executing search warrants related to the case.  Although the investigation is ongoing, no additional arrests are anticipated.

“Lone wolves - home grown violent extremists remain a very serious threat to our nation’s security, said FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael Kaste.  “Today’s arrest emphasizes the continual need for the public to remain vigilant as law enforcement relies on the public’s assistance.”

If convicted, Loewen would face a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.

The investigation was conducted by the Wichita FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, which includes members from the FBI, Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office and Kansas Highway Patrol. Assisting with the investigation were the FBI Kansas City Division, the Transportation Security Administration, the Wichita Airport Authority, and the Wichita Police Department.

The case is being handled by prosecutors from the United States Attorney’s Office and the Justice Department’s National Security Division.
 
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The charges merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.

JUSTICE OFFICIALS TESTIFY BEFORE SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE ABOUT FISA COURT

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT 
Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole, Director Keith B. Alexander and General Counsel Robert S. Litt Testify Before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee

Washington, D.C. ~ Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Thank you for inviting us to continue our discussions with this Committee on our efforts to enhance public confidence in the important intelligence collection programs that have been the subject of unauthorized disclosures since earlier this year: the collection of bulk telephony metadata under the business records provision found in Section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act, and the targeting of non-U.S. persons overseas under Section 702 of FISA. As we have emphasized in previous appearances before this and other Committees, we remain committed, as we review any modifications to these authorities, both to protecting privacy and civil liberties in the conduct of our intelligence activities, in a manner consistent with the Constitution, the law and our values, and to ensuring that we continue to have the authorities we need to collect important foreign intelligence to protect the country from terrorism and other threats to national security. We also remain committed to working closely with this Committee as any modifications to these activities are considered.

A key step in promoting greater public confidence in these intelligence activities is to provide greater transparency so that the American people, as well as ordinary citizens around the world, understand what the activities are, how they function, and how they are overseen. As you know, many of the reports appearing in the media concerning the scope of the Government’s intelligence collection efforts have been inaccurate, including with respect to the collection carried out under Sections 215 and 702. In response, the Administration has released substantial information since June to increase transparency and public understanding, while also working to ensure that these releases are consistent with national security. We welcome the opportunity to discuss ways to make more information about intelligence activities conducted under FISA available to the public in a meaningful and responsible way. At the same time, we are mindful of the need not to publicly disclose information that our adversaries could exploit to evade surveillance and harm our national security. There is no doubt that the recent unauthorized disclosures about our surveillance capabilities risk causing substantial damage to our national security, and it is essential that we not take steps that will increase that damage.

In keeping with this balance, in June the President directed the Intelligence Community to make as much information about the Section 215 and Section 702 programs available to the public as possible, consistent with the need to protect national security and sensitive sources and methods. Since then, the Director of National Intelligence has declassified and publicly released substantial information in order to facilitate informed public debate about these programs. Among other things, the Government has declassified and disclosed the primary and secondary orders from the FISA Court that describe in detail how the bulk telephony metadata collection program operates and the important restrictions on how the data collected under the program are accessed, retained, and disseminated. The Government has also released two recent FISA Court opinions, as well as an Administration white paper, that articulate in detail the legal authority and rationale for this program. We have also declassified and released to the public several other FISA Court opinions and orders concerning the two programs, including detailed discussions of compliance issues that have arisen during the programs’ history and the Government’s responses to these incidents. We have declassified and released extensive materials that were provided to the Congress in conjunction with its oversight and reauthorization of these authorities. Finally, just this week we have declassified and released additional materials, including FISA Court opinions relating to a separate program (no longer in operation) to collect certain internet metadata in bulk pursuant to court orders issued under the pen register/trap and trace provision of FISA (Section 402). Our efforts to promote greater transparency through declassification and public release of relevant documents are not yet complete. We will continue our efforts to promote greater transparency through declassification and public release of relevant documents, while carefully protecting information that we cannot responsibly release because of national  security concerns. These efforts are an important means of enhancing public confidence that the Intelligence Community is using its legal authorities appropriately, which has become increasingly important in the wake of confusion, concerns, and misunderstandings caused by the recent and continuing unauthorized disclosures of classified information.

As part of our ongoing efforts to increase transparency, the Director of National Intelligence has also committed to providing annual public reports that include nationwide statistical data on the Intelligence Community’s use of certain FISA authorities. Specifically, for each of the following categories of FISA and related authorities, beginning in January 2014 and on an annual basis thereafter, the Intelligence Community will release to the public the total number of orders issued during the prior twelve-month period and the number of targets affected by these orders:

FISA orders based on probable cause (Titles I and III and Sections 703 and 704 of FISA).
Directives under Section 702 of FISA.
FISA Business Records orders (Title V of FISA).
FISA Pen Register/Trap and Trace orders (Title IV of FISA).
National Security Letters issued pursuant to 12 U.S.C. § 3414(a)(5), 15 U.S.C.
This information will enable the public to understand how often the Intelligence Community uses these authorities nationwide, how many persons or entities are targeted by these efforts, and how these figures change over time. The Director of National Intelligence has concluded that providing this information on a nationwide basis is an acceptable course in light of the goal of public transparency, without unduly risking national security.

We also understand the concerns that specific companies have expressed as to their ability to inform their customers of how often data is provided to the Government in response to  legal process. In light of those concerns, we have authorized companies to report within certain ranges the total number of federal, state, and local law enforcement and national security legal demands they receive on a nationwide basis, and the number of user accounts affected by such orders. This allows companies to illustrate that those demands affect only a tiny percentage of their users, even taking all of the demands together, and thus to refute inaccurate reports that companies cooperate with the Government in dragnet surveillance of all of their customers. At the same time, this approach avoids the disclosure of information to our adversaries regarding the extent or existence of FISA coverage of services or communications platforms provided by particular companies

The scope of the voluntary disclosures by the Executive Branch concerning sensitive intelligence collection activities carried out under FISA is unprecedented. We hope that the information we have released, and will continue to release, will allow the public to understand better how our intelligence collection authorities are used. We also hope the public will appreciate the rigorous oversight conducted by all three branches of government over our intelligence activities, a whole of government approach that is unique and exacting in comparison to the many governments that conduct similar intercept programs with substantially less stringent oversight. The extensive oversight that we conduct helps to ensure that our activities protect national security, balance important privacy considerations, and operate lawfully.

In addition to the unprecedented steps we have taken to promote transparency, we are open to working with Congress on legislation designed to increase public confidence in these intelligence activities and enhance the protection of privacy and civil liberties. Regarding Section 215, we would consider statutory restrictions on querying the data that are compatible with operational needs, including perhaps greater limits on contact chaining than what the current FISA Court orders permit. We could also consider a different approach to retention periods for the data—consistent with operational needs—and enhanced statutory oversight and transparency measures, such as annual reporting on the number of identifiers used to query the data. To be clear, we believe the manner in which the bulk telephony metadata collection program has been carried out is lawful, and existing oversight mechanisms protect both privacy and security. However, there are some changes that we believe could be made that would enhance privacy and civil liberties as well as public confidence in the program, consistent with our national security needs.

On the issue of FISA Court reform, we believe that the ex parte nature of proceedings before the FISA Court is fundamentally sound and has worked well for decades in adjudicating the Government’s applications for authority to conduct electronic surveillance or physical searches in the national security context under FISA. However, we understand the concerns that have been raised about the lack of independent views in certain cases, such as cases involving bulk collection, that affect the privacy and civil liberties interests of the American people as a whole.

Therefore, we would be open to discussing legislation authorizing the FISA Court to appoint an amicus , at its discretion, in appropriate cases, such as those that present novel and significant questions of law and that involve the acquisition and retention of information concerning a substantial number of U.S. persons. Establishing a mechanism whereby the FISA Court could solicit independent views of an amicus in cases that raise broader privacy and civil liberties questions, but without compromising classified information, may further assist the Court in making informed and balanced decisions and may also serve to enhance public confidence in the FISA Court process.

While we remain open to working with Congress to effectuate meaningful reforms along the lines just described, we do not support legislation that would have the effect of ending the Section 215 program, which the Government continues to find valuable in protecting national security. And, while we support increased transparency, we do not support legislation that would require or permit public reporting of information concerning intelligence activities under FISA that could be used by our adversaries to evade surveillance, or which otherwise raises practical and operational concerns. The bill approved by the Senate Intelligence Committee includes a number of constructive provisions that we support and that we think will enhance protections for privacy and civil liberties without harming national security.

Finally, we want to address the Committee’s interest in the legal standard for collection of records under Section 215. As the Administration explained in a white paper that it published in August, the telephony metadata program satisfies the statutory requirement that there be “reasonable grounds to believe” that the records collected are “relevant to an authorized investigation . . . to obtain foreign intelligence information . . . or to protect against international terrorist or clandestine intelligence activities.” The text of Section 215, considered in light of the well-developed understanding of “relevance” in the context of civil discovery and criminal and administrative subpoenas, as well as the broader purposes of the statute, indicates that there are “reasonable grounds to believe” that the records at issue here are “relevant to an authorized investigation.” Specifically, in the circumstance where the Government has reason to believe  that conducting a search of a broad collection of telephony metadata records will produce counterterrorism information—and that it is necessary to collect a large volume of data in order to employ the analytic tools needed to identify that information—the standard of relevance under Section 215 is satisfied, particularly in light of the strict limitations on the use of the data collected and the extensive oversight of the program.

As noted above, two decisions of the FISA Court that have recently been declassified by the Government and released publicly by the Court explain why the collection of telephony metadata in bulk is constitutional and is authorized under the statute. These opinions reflect the independent conclusions of two federal judges serving on the FISA Court that the Government’s request for the production of call detail records under Section 215 meets the relevance standard and all other statutory requirements. Moreover, these opinions conclude that because the Government seeks only the production of telephony metadata, and not the content of communications, there are no Fourth Amendment impediments to the collection. Indeed, 15 separate judges of the FISA Court have held on 35 occasions that Section 215 authorizes the collection of telephony metadata in bulk in support of counterterrorism investigations. Last week, a district court in a criminal case in California also held that the collection of telephony metadata in bulk under Section 215 is consistent with the Fourth Amendment.

We appreciate that privacy concerns persist about the telephony metadata collection program, even considering the limited data the Government receives, the stringent constraints set by the FISA Court on how it is used, and the aforementioned legal rulings that have consistently upheld its legality. But we hope you will weigh those concerns against the increased risks to national security if this capability were terminated with no equivalent program that addresses what the 9/11 Commission pointed out as a critical gap in the ability of the intelligence community to detect and “connect the dots” for foreign terror plots against our homeland. This program fills a significant gap in our ability to identify terrorist communications and, together with other authorities, can help us identify and disrupt terrorist plots, thus fulfilling the vision of the 9/11 Commission, which implored the Government to undertake mechanisms and collaboration which would prevent the recurrence of another 9/11.

We look forward to answering any questions you might have about these important intelligence collection programs and related issues. We understand that there are a variety of views in the Congress and among the American people about these activities, and we look forward to discussing these issues with this Committee as new legislation concerning these activities is considered. We hope that, with the assistance of this Committee, we can ensure that these programs are on the strongest possible footing, from the perspective of both national security and privacy, so that they will continue to enjoy Congressional support in the future. Thank you.

AG HOLDER'S REMARKS AT CIVIL DIVISION AWARDS CEREMONY

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT 
Attorney General Eric Holder Delivers Remarks at the Civil Division Awards Ceremony
~ Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Thank you, Stuart [Delery], for those kind words, and for your exceptional leadership as Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division.  It’s a pleasure to share the stage with you today – as we come together to recognize so many dedicated colleagues; as we call attention to the progress that each of them has made possible; and as we thank them for their tireless work over the past year: in support of this Department, in pursuit of justice, and in service of the American people.

It’s a great privilege to join you in congratulating our 2013 Civil Division award recipients.  And it’s an honor to help welcome all of the proud family members, friends, and distinguished guests who have taken the time to be here in the Great Hall, and whose support – and sacrifices – have been essential to everything that our awardees have accomplished.  Make no mistake: every one of you shares in the recognitions that we are about to bestow.

From the robust enforcement of federal consumer protection laws, to record-setting recoveries under the False Claims Act, this year’s award recipients have secured billions of precious taxpayer dollars through affirmative litigation.  By enforcing regulations to ensure the safety of medicines and food products – and by administering essential public health programs – you have helped to protect the American people.  By taking on numerous cases concerning sensitive matters related to national security, you’ve fought to keep our nation both safe and strong.  And you’ve done it all in a time of unprecedented budgetary difficulties – while contending with the unnecessary cuts imposed by sequestration, and even the personal hardships brought on by a government shutdown.

Despite these obstacles, the award recipients before me – and your colleagues throughout the Civil Division – have achieved extraordinary results.  You’ve made your country, your Department – and this Attorney General – proud.  And you have risen to the most pressing challenges of our time, confronting some of the most significant and complex legal issues this Department has faced.

Many of your successes have been covered extensively by the press.  Others have received less public fanfare, but are no less critical to the operations of the federal government or the well-being of your fellow citizens.  From the attorneys and contractors who sift through endless document, record, and data collections in search of crucial evidence; to the paralegals and other support staff members who work late into the night to assist in emergency filings; to the technology experts who address daily concerns and keep this Division working smoothly – every part of this team is essential to its overall mission.  And every one of your contributions exemplifies the most rigorous standards of professionalism, reflects the highest integrity – and embodies the very best of what it means to be a public servant.

Of course, I recognize that this hasn’t been easy.  And I know you’ve been called upon, on many occasions, to spend long hours in the office, sacrificing time with family and friends in order to advance the critical work with which the American people have entrusted us.  So I want you to know how much President Obama and I value your extraordinary work ethic, your surpassing commitment to the mission we share, and your collective dedication to the ideals that have always defined the Department of Justice.  I consider it a tremendous honor to count each of you as a colleague – and to serve alongside you as we strive, in every case and circumstance, to fight for the interests of the United States – and to see that justice is done.

Before we begin our formal awards presentations, I’d like to take a moment to congratulate Frankie Free on receiving this year’s Stanley Rose Memorial Award, in recognition of his distinguished service to our country over the last 23 years.  Thank you, Frankie, for all that you do.

I’d also like to recognize Robert Kirshman and Mary Mason, the recipients of this year’s Michael Hertz Memorial Award, for their outstanding work.  Like many of you, I had the privilege of working with Mike Hertz during his nearly four-decade-long career here at the Department.  And although we lost him last year – far too soon – I am deeply gratified to know that the spirit of excellence that defined his work will live on not only in the award that bears his name, but in the efforts of all who continue the tradition of service he established.

It’s clear, as we come together today, that your work has in some ways never been more challenging. But it’s also never been more important.  That’s why, as we pause to reflect upon your successes – and to celebrate the achievements of the award recipients who have gone above and beyond the call of duty – we also must recommit ourselves to carrying this work into the future.  We must resolve to keep building on the momentum that each of you has set in motion.  And we must never stop reaching for, and working toward, the better and brighter future that all of our citizens deserve – a future founded on the enduring promise of equal justice for all.

I congratulate you, once again, on these prestigious and well-deserved awards.  I thank you for everything that you do.  And I urge you to keep up the great work.

FORMER HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL EMPLOYEE DEBARRED FOR VIOLATIONS OF EXPORT LAWS

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 
State Department Debars Former Honeywell International Employee for Export Violations
Bureau of Political-Military Affairs
November 27, 2013

The State Department issued an order administratively debarring LeAnne Lesmeister, former compliance officer at Honeywell International, Inc. (Honeywell), from participating in any activities that are subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR)(22 C.F.R. parts 120-130) for violations of the Arms Export Controls Act (AECA)(22 U.S.C. § 2778) and the ITAR.

Honeywell voluntarily disclosed to the Department numerous ITAR violations carried out by Ms. Lesmeister, its senior export compliance officer in Clearwater, Florida, between 2008 and 2012. Ms. Lesmeister, who had worked in export compliance at Honeywell for twenty-seven years, used her position to circumvent Honeywell’s export compliance program in the fabrication of various export control documents that Ms. Lesmeister presented as Department of State authorizations. Relying on these falsified authorizations, Honeywell exported defense articles, including technical data, and provided defense services to various foreign persons without Department approval in violation of the AECA and ITAR.

The State Department’s Office of Defense Trade Controls Compliance in the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs performed an extensive compliance review of the disclosed violations. The results of that review indicated no direct harm to U.S. foreign policy or national security. The nature of the violations, however, prompted the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Defense Trade Controls in the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs to formally charge Ms. Lesmeister with twenty-one violations of the AECA and ITAR in connection with her creation and use of Department authorizations, containing false statements or omitting and misrepresenting material facts for the purpose of exporting, retransferring, or furnishing defense articles, technical data, or defense services, and causing the unauthorized export of technical data and provision of defense services.

This administrative debarment is the result of the Department’s first institution of an administrative proceeding by referral of a charging letter before an Administrative Law Judge for consideration pursuant to ITAR § 128.4. The referral and debarment followed Ms. Lesmeister's failure to answer the formal charges.

Acknowledging the serious nature of the violations, Honeywell cooperated fully with the Department’s review and implemented remedial measures to resolve the conditions that allowed the misconduct of one employee, in a position of authority, to bring about significant export compliance violations.

This administrative proceeding highlights the range of potential penalties that may be imposed by the Department on entities or individuals for ITAR violations. Individuals, if found culpable, may not be shielded by their employers for their independent violations. Those persons tasked with an entity’s export responsibilities, should be vigilant in their compliance with all export control regulations.

Under the terms of the administrative debarment, Ms. Lesmeister will be prevented from participating directly or indirectly in any activities that are subject to ITAR for a period of three years and until an application for reinstatement is submitted and approved by the Department. The Department determined that civil penalties were not appropriate at this time.

PRESIDENT OBAMA'S MESSAGE ON CONTINUING EO REGARDING COLOMBIAN NARCOTICS TRAFFICKERS

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE
Message to the Congress -- Colombia Traffickers

TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES:

Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act, 50 U.S.C. 1622(d), provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless, within 90 days prior to the anniversary date of its declaration, the President publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to the Congress a notice stating that the emergency is to continue in effect beyond the anniversary date. In accordance with this provision, I have sent to the Federal Register for publication the enclosed notice stating that the national emergency with respect to significant narcotics traffickers centered in Colombia declared in Executive Order 12978 of October 21, 1995, is to continue in effect beyond October 21, 2013.

The circumstances that led to the declaration on October 21, 1995, of a national emergency have not been resolved. The actions of significant narcotics traffickers centered in Colombia continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States and to cause an extreme level of violence, corruption, and harm in the United States and abroad. For these reasons, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency declared in Executive Order 12978 with respect to significant narcotics traffickers centered in Colombia.

BARACK OBAMA

THE WHITE HOUSE,
October 16, 2013.

DOD READINESS AND WORKFORCE DIVERSITY

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 
Official: DOD Readiness Depends on Workforce Diversity
By Terri Moon Cronk
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Sept. 16, 2013 - The Defense Department's commitment to equity and inclusion is rooted in the belief that diversity is a readiness imperative that gives a strategic advantage, a senior DOD official said recently during the 10th annual National Latina Style symposium.

Nearing the eve of National Hispanic Heritage Month, observed from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, Army Lt. Gen. Michael S. Linnington, military deputy to the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, addressed a largely Latina audience of about 300 people at the symposium and a DOD Distinguished Military Service Awards luncheon.

"Your military remains the most effective fighting force on the globe," Linnington said. "We recognize that diversity goes well beyond race and gender and we rely on the diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and expertise of our people to successfully respond to the many complex challenges of the 21st century national security landscape."

The Defense Department appreciates that its total force stems from a rich tapestry of America, the general said. "And we believe our all-volunteer force is better when it reflects the nation it serves," he added.

Linnington said diversity progress continues, and women and minorities in the military make "tremendous contributions" in roles critical to national defense.

"But actions speak louder than words," he said, citing DOD's January rescinding of the policy that excluded women from serving in direct combat roles.

"This is a huge step for our armed forces," the general said. "Today, nearly 200,000 women serve ... and make up nearly 15 percent of the force. Under the new policy, DOD will ensure the mission is met with the best qualified and most capable people, regardless of gender."

For Latinas and other women in uniform, the opening of combat roles to women is a chance to continue meeting and exceeding new challenges and paving the way for future leadership success, Linnington said.

"Our military workforce has grown to about 35 percent minorities and 15 percent women, with minorities comprising about 29 percent of our civilian workforce and women over a third of our civilians," he said. The number of Latina officers has more than doubled in the last decade, he noted, with more than 2,000 serving across the armed forces.

Yet, while DOD celebrates its progress and the great strides it's made, work remains to be done, Linnington said, stressing the need to increase diversity in DOD's civilian positions and in senior leadership.

"For this and other efforts, we look toward partner organizations, like Latina Style, to work with us to continue progress and improvement," he said of increasing minority representation in the civilian workforce.

An important factor that affects advancement and retention of top talent is mentorship, Linnington said.

"When groups of diverse talent gather together, we learn a great deal from one another and build relationships that carry us into the future," the general explained. "We must continue to look toward the future. Let's take a moment to ask ourselves, 'Where do we go from here?' In the audience today are key influencers from our society. ... Each of you is a mentor, and I call on you to help increase awareness of what DOD has to offer by sharing with young people the value of public service, ... either in the military ranks or as civil servants."

The Defense Department gives people the opportunities to develop leadership skills that cannot be found anywhere else and offers a full range of choices and opportunities for Latinas to fulfill great potential, Linnington added.

"Every individual here is in a unique position to help us address many of our challenges and ... help us build a more diverse and inclusive total force ... that not only possesses the diverse backgrounds and experiences to conquer global challenges, but also reflect the changing face of our nation," he said.

This month provides an excellent opportunity for DOD and other organizations to take time to recognize the immeasurable contributions made by the nation's Hispanic-Americans and reflect on diversity and inclusiveness, Linnington noted.

"We are not going to solve our challenges overnight, but together, we can continue our progress," he said.

SECRETARY OF STATE HAGEL SAYS SPECIAL OPS FORCES VALUABLE TO SECURITY

FROM:   U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 
Hagel Stresses Value of Special Operations Forces to Security
By Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Steven Fox
U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C., July 18, 2013 - Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel highlighted the value of special operations forces during a visit with Marines at the Stone Bay facility here yesterday.

The secretary told Marines and sailors of U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command that MARSOC's strength lies in its seasoned Marines who are capable of dealing with developing situations in a complex operational environment.

"Special operations are going to continue to be a critical, critical component of our national security," Hagel said. "I see a tremendous future. We can learn a lot from what special operations does. It's going to be a main piece of our national defense strategy."

Defense Department officials said the purpose of Hagel's visit was to candidly engage with Marines and sailors here on military budget cut impacts and to gain understanding of how MARSOC plans to posture an enabled Marine Special Operations Company for current and future operations.

In meeting with service members here, the secretary expressed his appreciation to them and their families for their continued sacrifice.

"I understand that I'm the first secretary of defense to visit MARSOC, and let me just say thank you," he said. "I try to come out to better understand my job so that I can better support you."

Hagel also stressed that current budget realities in a dangerous world require the Defense Department to learn to do more with less.

"The last 10 or 12 years, the defense budget has been unchallenged, and those days are over," he said. "We have to be more agile and flexible."

TRIAL BEGINS FOR ACCUSED WIKILEAK'S LEAKER PFC. BRADLEY MANING

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Trial Begins for Soldier Accused of Classified Leaks

By David Vergun
Army News Service

FORT MEADE, Md., June 4, 2013 - With the prosecution accusing Army Pfc. Bradley Manning of causing immeasurable harm to national security and Manning's attorney portraying the soldier as "young and naïve, but good-intentioned," Manning's court-martial in what has become known as "the WikiLeaks case" began here yesterday.

Manning, 25 is charged with committing various crimes, including aiding the enemy, by leaking classified information to the WikiLeaks website while assigned to Iraq as an intelligence analyst in 2009 and 2010. If convicted, Manning could be sentenced to life in prison.

In his opening statement, Army Capt. Joe Morrow, the prosecutor, called the leaks the "biggest ever" in U.S. history, involving hundreds of thousands of classified documents, and that they provided "potentially actionable information for targeting U.S. forces."

David Coombs, Manning's attorney, said in his opening statement that Manning was selective about the documents he released and "was hoping to make the world a better place" by doing so.

The judge, Army Col. Denise Lind, asked Manning if he wanted to reconsider trial by a military judge alone, herself, rather than by jury, which is termed a "panel" by the military. Manning declined.

In the afternoon, the prosecutor called the first witness, Army Sgt. 1st Class Thomas Smith, who was the senior enlisted Criminal Investigative Division agent at the time. He and another case agent, Tony Graham, were the first to investigate the "scene of the crime," as Smith called the sensitive compartmented information facility where Manning worked in Iraq. Smith discussed the procedures they used to collect evidence and conduct interviews.

The prosecutor will call more witnesses and use sworn statements as evidence as its case proceeds. The defense will present its arguments in the coming days.

SECRETARY OF STATE KERRY'S STATEMENT ON PRESIDENT OBAMA'S SPEECH

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Statement from Secretary Kerry on President Obama's Speech
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
May 23, 2013
　

Today President Obama laid out a clear vision to help ensure that we are meeting the ever-evolving threats to our national security at home and abroad. The struggle against extremism has evolved enormously in the nearly 12 years since 9/11 and so too must our defenses, but the danger is not new.

We fly our flag high because we are a symbol of hope to people everywhere, but that too has been a target for those who know only hate. The memorial wall in the lobby of the State Department is a sober, solemn, and daily reminder of our duty to protect the people who have taken up the mantle of promoting peace in sometimes-dangerous lands. On my first day as Secretary, a suicide bomber attacked our embassy in Ankara killing a local guard, and of course, last September we lost Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other brave Americans who were forcing light in the darkness. But still, for our mission to succeed, we cannot retreat behind higher walls.

Diplomacy and security are not at cross purposes. Our flag must continue to fly because we show up in the places where others won’t go. We will not back down in the face of violent extremism – because perseverance is in our diplomatic DNA. Building people to people relationships is in our national interest because it means we can solve problems before they turn into ‘boots on the ground’ crises. As we build trust, it will be necessary to make clear our criteria for deploying drones overseas and to finish the work of closing the Guantanamo detention center. These are vital objectives in showing the world that we are who we say we are.

NEWLY DEPLOYED LASER WEAPONS HIGHLIGHT NEED FOR HIGH-VOLTAGE POWER GENERATION

FROM: U.S. NAVY

Lasers Bring New Urgency to Electric Power Research
Date: 4/25/2013 3:14:00 PM
By David Smalley, Office of Naval Research

ARLINGTON, Va. (NNS) -- In the wake of the recent announcement that laser weapons will be put on U.S. Navy ships, the need for reliable, high-voltage shipboard power has become a matter of national security, officials said at this week's Electric Ship Technologies Symposium outside Washington, D.C.

The Office of Naval Research (ONR)-sponsored event featured some of the world's top scientists and engineers in power systems, who agree that a new era in electric power is within sight.

"The work being done in this area is vital," said Dr. Thomas Killion, who heads ONR's Office of Transition. "As the upcoming deployment of a shipboard laser weapon reminds us, we need power generation and power management systems with greater-than-ever capabilities, but from devices that are smaller than ever."

Earlier this month, Chief of Naval Operations Jonathan Greenert announced that for the first time a laser weapon system (LaWS) will be placed onboard a deployed ship, USS Ponce, for testing in the Persian Gulf in 2014. The announcement underscored the need for accessible high-power electric generation, capable of meeting the substantial demands that will be needed to power laser systems and other high-power weapon systems.

As the technology advances, and faced with rising and unpredictable fossil fuel costs, the Navy's next-generation surface combatant ship will leverage electric ship technologies in its design.
While electric ships already exist, design characteristics of a combatant ship are more complex with regard to weight, speed, maneuverability-and now, directed energy weapons.

ONR-supported scientists are focused on cutting-edge technologies that include silicon carbide (SiC)-based transistors, transformers and power converters.
"SiC is important because it improves power quality and reduces size and weight of components by as much as 90 percent," said Sharon Beerman-Curtin, ONR's power and energy science and technology lead. "This is a critical technology enabler for future Navy combatant ships that require massive amounts of highly controlled electricity to power advanced sensors, propulsion and weapons such as lasers and the electromagnetic railgun."

Killion said that a lighter, smaller footprint on ships will contribute to the substantial increase in energy efficiency that is predicted from breakthroughs in electric power research.

"The enhanced capabilities and potential cost savings of increased power at reduced size cannot be overemphasized," he said. "This is the future."

Improved power systems could have enormous impact in both military and civilian sectors. Concerns by engineers over an aging power grid in the United States and elsewhere, for instance, have grown in recent years.

The Navy's power and engineering efforts that will further naval power hold similar promise for civilian benefit. ONR sponsors the Electric Ship Research and Development Consortium (ESRDC), composed of eight leading universities. The ESRDC is focused on afloat power systems, and leads efforts to address a national shortage of electric power engineers, and ensure U.S. superiority in electric systems.

Some of the critical technologies ONR is working on include power-dense electronics; new power conversion capabilities; energy storage; and sensors, weapons and protection. Killion said all of these areas deserve support because they are of naval and national importance.

"A key challenge in designing an all-electric future naval combatant ship is enabling technologies that can provide power agility with minimal energy storage needs," said Beermann-Curtin. "We are making truly noteworthy progress toward those goals."

At the symposium, Killion also announced the pending Fiscal Year 2013 Small Business Innovation Research solicitation opportunities in the power and energy area, including continued development of automated methods for design of cooling systems; alternative power supplies; ship energy use monitoring and analysis methods; compact connectors; and compact power for radio frequency sources.

INTEL OFFICIAL SAYS SEQUESTRATION CAUSED INTELLIGENCE DEGRADATION WILL BE "INSIDIOUS"

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Cuts Make Intelligence Failures Likely, Top Intel Official Says
By Claudette Roulo
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, April 18, 2013 - Speaking to a Senate panel about the effects of sequestration on the national security environment, the director of national intelligence said today that he's "seen this movie before."

During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on current and future worldwide threats, James R. Clapper said he served through the last round of budget cuts 20 years ago.

"And we were then enjoined to reap the peace dividend occasioned by the end of the Cold War," he said. "We reduced the intelligence community by about 23 percent. During the mid and late '90s, we closed many CIA stations, reduced [human intelligence] collectors, cut analysts, allowed our overhead architecture to atrophy, neglected basic infrastructure needs such as power, space and cooling, and let our facilities decay. And most damagingly, we badly distorted the workforce."

The intelligence community has spent the last decade rebuilding, Clapper said, but, with sequestration, another damaging downward spiral looms.

"Sequestration forces the intelligence community to reduce all intelligence activities and functions without regard to impact on our mission," the nation's senior intelligence officersaid, adding that the cuts jeopardize the nation's safety and security, and that the jeopardy will increase over time.

"Unlike more directly observable sequestration impacts like shorter hours at the parks or longer security lines at airports," he said, "the degradation to intelligence will be insidious. It will be gradual and almost invisible until, of course, we have an intelligence failure."

In his 50 years of intelligence experience, Clapper told the senators, the country has never "confronted a more diverse array of threats, crises and challenges around the world."

This makes the mandatory budget cuts imposed by sequestration "incongruous," he added.

The world is changing, Clapper said, and the threat environment along with it. "Threats are more interconnected and viral," he said. "Events which, at first blush, seem local and irrelevant can quickly set off transnational disruptions that affect U.S. national interests."

Threats in the cyber realm can come from both state and nonstate actors, he said, and their danger to global security "cannot be overstated."

Climate, disease and competition for natural resources have huge national security implications, Clapper said

"Many countries important to U.S. interests are living with extreme water and food stress that can destabilize governments, force human migrations and trigger conflicts," he said.

And while al-Qaida and the potential for a massive coordinated attack on the United States may be diminished, he said, the jihadist movement is now more diffuse and still determined to attack.

The rise of new governments and ongoing unrest in the Arab world creates openings for extremists, Clapper told the senators. Opportunistic individuals and groups can take advantage of diminished counterterrorism capabilities, porous borders, easy availability of weapons and internal stresses, he explained.

In Iran, the technical expertise to enrich uranium and build nuclear reactors and ballistic missiles continues to develop, Clapper said. Tehran has the scientific, technical and industrial capability to build missile-deliverable nuclear weapons, he continued, but the central question is whether it has the political will to do so.

"Such a decision, we believe, will be made by the [Iranian government's] supreme leader, and at this point we don't know if he'll eventually decide to build nuclear weapons," Clapper said.

"The increasingly beleaguered [Syrian] regime, having found that its escalation of violence through conventional means is not working, appears quite willing to use chemical weapons against its own people," he said. "We receive many claims of chemical warfare use in Syria each day and we take them all seriously, and we do all we can to investigate them."

Countries throughout the Middle East and North Africa are experiencing violence and political turmoil, he said, leading to civilian casualties and economic dislocation. Some 3.6 million Syrians have been displaced, and an additional 1.3 million have fled the country, Clapper said, noting that the refugee flow is placing pressure on neighboring countries.

"Moving to Asia, the Taliban-led insurgency has diminished in some areas of Afghanistan but is still resilient and capable of challenging U.S. international goals," he said. "The coalition drawdown will have an impact on Afghanistan's economy, which is likely to decline after 2014."

And in Pakistan, which faces no real prospects for sustainable economic growth, Clapper said, "the government has not instituted much-needed policy and tax reforms." On a more positive note, he continued, the Pakistani military continues its efforts to eliminate the al-Qaida and Taliban safe havens in the federally administered tribal areas.

China continues to supplement its military capabilities by strengthening its maritime law enforcement efforts in support of its claims in the South and East China Seas, he said.

"Closer to home," Clapper continued, "despite positive trends toward democracy and economic development, Latin America and the Caribbean contend with weak institutions, slow recovery from devastating natural disasters and drug-related violence and trafficking."

The intelligence director concluded his testimony by repeating his warning about sequestration spending cuts.

"So in sum, given the magnitude and complexity of our global responsibilities, insightful, persistent and comprehensive intelligence, at least in my mind, has never been more important or more urgent," he said. "So I have trouble reconciling this imperative with sequestration."

ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE BURKE SAYS CLEAN ENERGY IS NATIONAL SECURITY INTEREST

Photo:  Wind Turbines.  Credit:  Wikimedia Commons.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Clean Energy Tied to National Security, Official Says
By Claudette Roulo
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7, 2013 - The changing U.S. and international energy pictures have a profound effect on security, a senior Pentagon official said here yesterday.

Sharon E. Burke, the assistant secretary of defense for Operational Energy Plans and Programs, told industry partners and congressional leaders at the American Council on Renewable Energy's National Renewable Energy Policy Forum that the motivation for seeking out clean energy sources is strongly rooted in national security interests.

The International Energy Agency's world energy outlook, released in November, is "the shot heard 'round the world," Burke said. According to the report, she said, the world will need $37 trillion dollars in new investment in the energy supply system from now to 2035.

Even as mature economies increase their energy efficiency, switch fuels and reduce their petroleum demand, the thirst for oil among the world's economies -- particularly developing economies -- will continue to grow apace, Burke said.

"China will account for something like 50 percent of that [growth]," she told the audience. "When you add in India and the Middle East, you're talking about 60 percent."

The United States is affecting the most change on the world energy picture, she said. The IEA estimates that by 2020, the United States is going to outstrip Saudi Arabia as an oil producer. Another report predicts that the U.S. will succeed Russia as a natural gas producer, she added.

This means the possibility exists that North America could be energy self-sufficient by 2035, Burke said. "Even as everyone else in the world has growing demand and contracting supply, we're bucking the trend," she said.

This possibility has generated a lot of justifiable excitement, and for a variety of reasons, Burke said. There are positive consequences for the U.S. economy, for jobs and for the manufacturing sector, she said. But the Defense Department is most interested in the second-order geostrategic effects, Burke noted.

A danger in all this enthusiasm, she said, is that it overlooks the fact that the United States will still be part of a highly volatile global energy market, "and the world's supply and demand trends are going to continue to shape our own prosperity here at home."

The energy security variables have implications that aren't yet understood, Burke said. For example, she asked, what will happen if Saudi Arabia -- already the largest single consumer of petroleum in the Middle East -- becomes a net importer?

Iran is suspected to have been behind two attacks on Saudi Aramco: a cyberattack in 2012 that damaged 85 percent of the company's computers, and a two-vehicle suicide-bomb attack in 2006, Burke said. Both attacks failed to disable oil and gas production, but they were clearly intended to do so, she added.

Last month, Iran conducted naval exercises in the Strait of Hormuz, which it has repeatedly threatened to close, she said.

"I know a lot of people who think those are empty threats, because such a closure would certainly hurt the Iranian people most of all, but this is 20 percent of the global oil market," Burke said. "It would cripple the global economy, so certainly at DOD we take those threats seriously."

Territorial disputes pose a different kind of threat, she said. Tensions flared recently between China and Japan over the Senkaku Islands, due in part to the expected presence of oil there, Burke said. In the Arctic, global climate change has made more oil and gas accessible, driving bordering nations to stake claims on formerly ice-bound geologic provinces.

The Defense Department has a history of looking at how the effects of climate change -- droughts, floods, population migration, sea level rise and shifts in arable land -- are an accelerant to instability, she said. In May, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta called climate change a threat to national security, Burke added.

The need for clean energy and energy efficiency has an enduring security angle, she said, adding that it's the only way to break out of the paradigm of foreign energy dependence and its associated instability.

The Defense Department's changing mission also has energy security implications, Burke said. In January 2012, Panetta and President Barack Obama released new strategic guidance that called for a rebalance of focus to the Asia-Pacific region.

Considering that the Defense Department already is the single largest consumer of fuel in the country, if not the world, she said, it's "sobering" to think about what the rebalance means for fuel consumption. Last year, the department used 4.3 billion gallons of petroleum, and spent about $20 billion on fuel, Burke said.

Beyond the rebalance and the long supply lines that it implies, the strategy articulates a changing security environment, Burke said, including rising powers, weapons of mass destruction, anti-access/area-denial and violent extremism. "We are organizing to meet these challenges," she said, but the ability to do so hinges on maintaining energy security.

Everything from cyber to special operations to large-scale humanitarian assistance efforts requires a lot of energy, Burke noted.

"Consider this ability to disperse, to maneuver, to operate over long distances in remote locations, and to be aware that people are going to try to interdict your movements, try to prevent you," she said. "That's a fuel challenge, and it's a fuel logistics challenge, and we have to get our arms around it."

The department has to apply the lessons it learned over the past decade of war, Burke said. An average of 45 million gallons of fuel is consumed each month in Afghanistan, she said.

"Delivering all that fuel takes a toll on a lot of different things," Burke said. "It takes a toll on helicopters, aircraft [and] trucks that are moving the fuel, and that's a bill that's going to come due, because we need all those things for other missions in the future, and their life has been shortened."

The Army and Marine Corps have documented thousands of casualties related to fuel movements in Afghanistan and Iraq, Burke said. U.S. forces can protect those lines, she added, but the cost in people and resources is higher than it needs to be.

Maintaining a military that's ready for missions everywhere means it's vital to use energy better and use better energy, Burke said, noting that the Defense Department is looking at a variety of energy efficiencies and renewable energy sources for military systems.

The conflicts of the last decade have made it clear that individuals are themselves a military system, Burke said. "Because they carry so much electronic gear now, it gives them great capabilities, ... but it all requires power. It requires batteries," she explained.

According to one Army estimate, soldiers walking a three-day foot patrol in Afghanistan may be carrying anywhere from 10 to 18 pounds of batteries, Burke told the audience. "We want to look at how we can power that particular system -- the human system -- better," she said.

Other systems that require large amounts of energy are combat outposts and forward operating bases, Burke said. These bases serve as hubs for troops when they operate -- they project power from there, fight from there, live there, get intelligence from there and communicate from there. These activities are all powered by diesel generators, she said.

Fuel for those generators is delivered by truck convoys, helicopters, airdrops and even by donkey, Burke said. "Whatever it takes to get it there," she said.

"The next system ... is what I would call 'big movers,'" she said. "The individual on the base may be very critical to the operation, but the big volume is in ships and vehicles and aircraft. They go through an enormous amount of fuel." They also provide the U.S. military with one of its biggest advantages -- the ability to move people and things anywhere at any time, Burke said.

The final system, "game-changers," is a bit different from the others, she said.

"For example," Burke said, "we're seeing a lot of unmanned systems come into the force in all domains -- underwater, on the ground, in the air -- and those radically change how much energy you consume and they also give you a lot of flexibility for the kind of energy you consume."

For each of those systems, the department is investing in new, more efficient technologies, she said, including the technology of efficiency itself.

"I recognize efficiency isn't a technology, it's a suite of technologies, but for us, it's an extremely important investment, Burke said.

For example, she said, power management and distribution for forward operating bases is critical to reducing fuel use, but generators at those bases are often oversized and underloaded. The department is working to use generators more efficiently, including by stringing together several to create a microgrid, Burke said.

Those oversized generators burn a lot of fuel heating and cooling non-insulated structures, she said, so the department is looking at more efficient tents and other shelters.

"Heating and air conditioning is one of the biggest power users on the battlefield," she added. "We've put a lot of money into research and development lately for how to get more innovative in heating and cooling for these environments."

A second technology area of interest is energy storage, Burke said. "We're interested in a whole range of battery technologies," she said, "from Nano batteries for sensing, to more efficient lightweight batteries, to power equipment for the troops to large scale energy storage."

Solar energy is being put to some promising uses, Burke said. At the troop level, she said, flexible solar rechargers are already out on the battlefield.

"We're also interested in ruggedized solar that can generate power at forward bases ... [and] we've tested unmanned aerial systems using solar [power]," Burke said. In one such test, she said, the aircraft was aloft for two straight weeks without refueling.

Other technological developments the department is looking into, Burke said, include waste-to-energy and fuel cells for troops on the move and for unmanned systems.

The department is investing in alternative energy technologies because it makes strategic sense, Burke said.

"These are technologies that we think are going to help the troops do their missions better," she said. "At the end of the day, in some respects we're technology agnostic. This is not an exhaustive list. We want anything that's going to help our troops meet the mission and to do their jobs better."

OBAMA ADMINISTRATION AND GLOBAL ADVANCEMENT OF RIGHTS FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Presidential Memorandum on Promoting Gender Equality and Empowering Women and Girls Globally
Press Statement
Washington, DC
January 31, 2013
　

The Obama Administration has made it clear that advancing the rights of women and girls is critical to the foreign policy of the United States. This is a matter of national security as much as it is an issue of morality or fairness. President Obama’s National Security Strategy explicitly recognizes that "countries are more peaceful and prosperous when women are accorded full and equal rights and opportunity. When those rights and opportunities are denied, countries lag behind."

That’s why I’m so pleased about the Presidential Memorandum that President Obama signed yesterday, which institutionalizes an elevated focus on global women’s issues at the State Department and USAID and ensures coordination on these issues across the federal government. And it is so important that incoming Secretary of State John Kerry has expressed his support for the continued elevation of these issues in our foreign policy.

As I have said many times, protecting and advancing the rights of women are critical to solving virtually every challenge we face as individual nations and as a community of nations. We have made great progress, but there is more to do. This is the unfinished business of the 21st Century, and it is essential that it remains central to our foreign policy for years to come.

DOD COMPTROLER SAYS NEED MORE STABILITY IN BUDGET SIZE, PROCESS

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
DOD Comptroller: Budget Stability Key to National Security
By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 8, 2013 - Stability in the size of the Defense Department's budget -- and especially in the process of funding it -- is critical to maintaining national security, DOD Comptroller Robert F. Hale said here yesterday.

During a keynote address at the Brookings Institution here, Hale discussed three steps that must be taken to accommodate lean budget times.

Two of the steps already are in place, he said: determining a defense strategy to guide spending and instituting initiatives that stretch defense dollars.

"And third, we need -- I would say desperately need -- more stability, both in terms of budget size and, maybe particularly, budget process," Hale added.

In more than three decades of working in and around the defense budget, he said, he has never seen a period featuring greater budgetary uncertainty than the next few months present.

Meanwhile, Hale said, he hopes to submit the fifth defense budget he's overseen as comptroller.

"The first two [budgets] featured increases in the top line," he said. "The third one, in February 2011, featured substantial top-line reduction, and the last one featured a significant reduction: about $260 billion over a five-year period relative to our planned $487 billion [reduction] over 10 years. And we may not be done."

The 2012 American Taxpayer Relief Act, which Congress passed Jan. 1, may force further reductions, Hale said. Although the law avoided activating a "sequestration" mechanism in a budget law passed last year, the threat of that mechanism's automatic across-the-board cuts now looms beginning March 1, he added.

"We're still working on the details, but the total sequestration for DOD appears to be roughly $45 billion if it all goes into effect -- about 9 percent of our budget," Hale explained.

"That is less than the sequestration [amount of about $62 billion] we faced before passage of the New Year's Day act. That could have been as much as 12 percent. But we also have two fewer months in which to accommodate those changes," he said.

At a time when U.S. national security challenges have never been more complex, Hale said, the lack of budgetary stability and the reliance on continuing resolutions, which fund only a portion of the fiscal year budget at a time, makes it very hard to plan and extremely hard to plan well.

"We also cannot rule out an extension of the continuing resolution throughout the rest of this year, and that would sharply reduce the operation and maintenance funds that we have available and that we need to maintain readiness," one of the department's highest priorities, the comptroller said.

And while U.S. troops are in Afghanistan, protecting funds for wartime operations means even larger cuts in base budget dollars available for readiness, he noted.

"I think the nation's security would be better served if Congress adopted and then stayed with a more stable budget plan," Hale said.

The department hasn't enjoyed much budget-process stability during his tenure as comptroller, Hale added.

"I have personally coordinated four shutdown drills," he said. "During two of them, I was sitting in my office at 8 at night, not knowing whether at midnight we would shut down the department or not. Fortunately, we didn't in either case."

Continuing resolutions -- the nation is operating under one right now, he pointed out -- "really hogtie the department and its ability to manage," Hale added.

A questioner asked Hale how industry can help the department navigate in a leaner budget environment. "We need you to sharpen your pencils as much as we are trying to do with regard to your overhead and anything else that would help us hold down costs," he replied.

The department's Better Buying Power initiative, established in 2010, was directed at improving efficiency and productivity for the $400 billion DOD spends annually on goods and services. Part of the initiative seeks to work "more closely with industry to see what you can do there. In return, we owe you some stability, and ... we're not there yet," Hale said.

"My hope is that in the next two months, all of us in the leadership of the nation and the Congress can work together to provide that stability," he added. "Our national security demands no less."

DEBRISTREK, THE FRONTIER WE FEAR

Orbital debris, or space junk, is any man-made object in orbit around the Earth that no longer serves a useful purpose. This image was made from a model used to track debris in low-Earth orbit. NASA image

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE,

Next DOD Space Policy Addresses Safety, Security, Access
By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 21, 2012 - The new Defense Department space policy, updated to reflect the fast-growing use and sometimes misuse of the space domain, addresses issues of safety, sustainability and security in space for the 21st century and beyond.

The policy, signed Oct. 18, 2012, by Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter, follows the release in 2010 of President Barack Obama's National Space Policy, and in 2011 of the National Security Space Strategy, the first such strategy to be cosigned by the defense secretary and the director of national intelligence.

DOD's space policy also reflects the 2012 DOD Strategic Guidance, which acknowledged growth in the number of spacefaring nations and threats.

According to the guidance, the United States will continue to lead global efforts with allies and partners to assure access to and use of the global commons of space by strengthening international norms of responsible behavior and maintaining interoperable military capabilities.

"Space capabilities have long provided strategic national security advantages for the United States," Carter said in a statement.

"This updated space policy," he added, "institutionalizes the changes the department has made in an increasingly constrained budget environment to address the complex set of space-related opportunities and challenges."

For DOD, space systems are critical to ground navigation, smart bomb precision, and to relay unmanned aerial vehicle feeds to troops. Space also is necessary for early warnings of missile launches and for keeping the president connected to U.S. nuclear forces.

In an interview with the Pentagon Channel and American Forces Press Service, Dr. John F. Plumb, acting deputy assistant secretary of defense for space policy, described the policy's main points.

"One is that the Department of Defense will deter attacks on our space systems and the systems of our allies, and [the policy] lays out some ways we're going to do that," Plumb said.

Methods to deter disruptions or attacks against space-based systems, according to the policy, include supporting the development of international norms of responsible behavior related to the space domain, building coalitions to enhance collective security, enhancing the resilience of the U.S. space enterprise, and being able to respond to an attack on U.S. or allied space systems using all elements of national power.

The policy also "makes a declaration of how the United States will view interference with our space systems," the acting deputy assistant secretary said, adding that such interference would be seen as an infringement of U.S. rights and would be "irresponsible in peacetime and during a crisis could be escalatory."

Plumb noted, "The policy states this very clearly and it's a message we want to make sure people understand."

One of the international norms of responsible behavior will target a growing problem for spacefaring nations -- space debris.

"Today there are 60 countries operating in space [and] there are thousands of pieces of debris, pieces of [derelict] rockets or old satellites ... flying around in space," he said.

According to the NASA Orbital Debris Program Office, more than 21,000 pieces of orbital debris larger than 10 centimeters exist in orbit, along with 500,000 smaller pieces and more than 1 million pieces smaller than 1 centimeter.

"We need to have an international system of norms of responsible behavior for operating in space to mitigate debris," Plumb said. "That's something we're working on and it's something the strategy points toward."

Generally, the policy identifies how DOD will promote international cooperation and commercial partnerships, drive changes within DOD space architectures and acquisition processes, and work to shape the space environment.

Saving money on expensive space assets is another goal of the department, Plumb said, and working with allies and commercial partners can help accomplish this.

The Defense Department has begun to work with commercial space companies to reduce department costs and to help energize the industrial base.

"We [also] need to make sure that U.S. companies are able to compete fairly for international contracts," Plumb added, referring to satellites and many systems, subsystems, parts and components that are controlled by the U.S. government for security reasons but that already are being sold commercially by companies around the world.

In April, for example, officials from the Defense and State departments released a report that urged Congress to move communications and some remote-sensing satellites off the tightly controlled U.S. Munitions List and into the commercial enterprise.

The policy also directs DOD to expand international cooperation in space matters, Plumb said, which "allows you to leverage capabilities together so instead of having to build your own system you can use somebody else's system."

He added, "It also buys you a sense of collective security. If you're operating as a coalition in space, you have more partners relying on the same assets. An attack on those space assets by an adversary would no longer necessarily be against you but against a coalition."

As an example, during a trip to Perth, Australia, last week, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta announced that the United States would place two key space systems in Australia.

One system, an Air Force C-band space-surveillance radar, will track space assets and debris, increase the security of space-based systems and increase coverage of space objects in the Southern Hemisphere.

The other system is an advanced U.S. space surveillance telescope designed and built by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. In Australia, the system will help to leverage space surveillance capabilities for both nations, officials said.

DOD also must be ready to mitigate the effects of attacks on its space systems, Plumb said. One way to do that, spelled out in the policy, is to plan for resilience in space systems, he added.

"Resilience means being able to survive an attack," the acting deputy assistant secretary said, and it means strategically distributing space capabilities among different satellites rather than putting many on one satellite.

"If that [one] satellite goes down," he said, "whether it's due to a solar flare or an attack or bad wiring, we don't want to lose all these mission capabilities. These things are very expensive, so resilient architecture would be more distributed."

The second part "of mitigating the ability of an adversary to attack us would be to make sure that we can operate effectively on the battlefield even if our space capabilities are being degraded," Plumb added.

The growing threat to U.S. and allied space systems, he said, is real.

"Other nations and nonstate actors are developing direct ascent anti-satellite weapons, jammers and ground-based lasers, all designed to interfere with or destroy satellites," Plumb said.

"We need to be prepared and enhance our resilience so these types of capabilities don't prevent us from operating in space," he added. "So we need to move forward with the way we operate in space, for future conflicts in particular. This space policy gives us a good pathway forward."

GOVERNMENT, INDUSTRY, ALLIES NEED TO WORK TOGETHER FOR CYBERSECURITY

GEN Keith B. Alexander United States Army

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Cybersecurity Involves Federal, Industry Partners, Allies
By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Nov. 8, 2012 - The $110 billion-a-year cyber economy has never been more vulnerable to crime and other threats, and securing the Internet against attacks demands the expertise of government agencies, industry and allies, the commander of U.S. Cyber Command said here yesterday.

Army Gen. Keith B. Alexander, Cybercom chief and director of the National Security Agency, spoke before a large audience at the Symantec 2012 Government Symposium.

The symposium examines a fundamental question: How to protect sensitive information while enabling collaboration across jurisdictions, nations, citizens and the private sector?

"Government ... operations depend on the network. If we lose that network we can't communicate, [and] ... what happens when [adversaries] disrupt our network or the power grid or our banking institutions?" Alexander said, adding that the U.S. must work with its partners in industry and its allies to solve the problem.

"Many will ask about the roles of [the National Security Agency and Cybercom] in this, and how can we ensure civil liberties and privacy [as well as] the security of cyberspace? We can do both," he said.

One of the first things industry and government must decide is how to make sure all companies involved in U.S. critical infrastructure -- including financial and information services and the defense industrial base -- institute the highest possible levels of computer security.

"How many companies in the United States and among our allies are at this level?" Alexander asked.

"We actually do inspections," he added. "We inspect our government networks to see how many are at 100 percent. And the answer is, very few."

Companies in some sectors, like banking and the high end of the defense industrial base, are "right there at the top" of computer security, the general said.

"Then you go out to some companies that are being [attacked by adversaries in cyberspace] and they don't know what the threat looks like nor what they should do, and some of them are in critical infrastructure," he added.

Nobody wants to make such an effort hard, costly or bureaucratic, Alexander said.

"The question is how do we help them?" he said. "What's the right forum for government and industry to work together to help those companies get to the right level of security?"

Another imperative for government-industry collaboration involves gaps in computer security exploited by what are called "zero-day" attacks -- those that exploit vulnerabilities in computer applications.

Eventually, patches are created to plug the security holes, but not before adversaries have entered and damaged the network or stolen intellectual property.

Alexander used an analogy to explain how Cybercom or the NSA could help industry identify what the general called "bad packets," or those that carry destructive payloads out on the Internet.

"Internet service providers see packets out there. We want them to be able to see bad packets and do something about them. We'll have [an examination process] for every packet. And we'll say, 'Did you see a bad packet in the network? Tell us where it's coming from and going to, and stop it because [it's carrying] a destructive payload,'" the general explained.

"When they see that bad packet, we don't need to know what was in the communications," he added. "All we need to know is a dangerous packet went from point A to point B right now, and that we may need to act."

The federal government "is not looking at the traffic," Alexander said.

"Industry is looking at the traffic and they have to do that to own and operate these networks. We're going to help them with signatures and other things, and they need to tell us when they need our help. But it's got to be done in time for us to help, and that's part of the key issue."

At Cybercom, the general said, experts are training the cyber workforce of the future, determining roles and responsibilities of the federal agencies involved in cybersecurity and exploring a defensible architecture for the Defense Department.

"The DOD architecture, in my opinion, is not defensible per se. We're doing our best to defend it, but we've made this really hard," Alexander said. The department has 15,000 enclaves, each run by separate system administrators and each with its own firewalls, he added.

"What that means is we need to come up with a defensible architecture," the general said, adding that "a ... virtual cloud is key to our success for a couple of areas for the Defense Department," including for a growing number of mobile users.

Cybercom and other agencies are also working on issues related to their authority to respond to a problem, Alexander said.

The key question, he added, is what can the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, Cybercom and the NSA do to defend the country against a cyberattack, and when can they do it?

Alexander said that he, DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano, and FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III "have laid out lanes in the road for the government entities."

The FBI is responsible for investigation, attribution and domestic problems. DHS is responsible, along with partners like NSA, the National Institute for Standards and Technology and the SANS Institute, for cybersecurity standards.

NSA and Cybercom have a couple of roles and responsibilities, Alexander said, including foreign intelligence.

"NSA has the best folks in the world," the general said. "They have special skills and we want to leverage those skills to help secure cyberspace for our country and for our allies."

Cybercom's role "is not only to operate and defend DOD networks but to defend the country," he said, noting Cybercom would step in if America came under cyberattack.

In the meantime, the general said, he's concerned that attacks like the destructive August attack on computers at Saudi Arabia's government-owned oil company Aramco are happening and "we're spending a lot of time talking about what we should do and when we should do it."

While there is still time, he said, "while you're all in the room together with us ... we ought to argue it out just like we did in the election [on Tuesday], come to a solution and then get going."