PRESIDENT OBAMA STRENGTHENS U.S. ABILITY TO DEAL WITH GENOCIDE AND MASS ATROCITIES

FROM AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE

Obama Announces Strategy to Counter Atrocities

By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, April 23, 2012 - President Barack Obama today announced a strategy to strengthen the U.S. government's ability to foresee, prevent, and respond to genocide and mass atrocities, and extended U.S. troops' efforts to do just that in Central Africa.

During a visit to the Holocaust Memorial Museum here, Obama said preventing mass atrocities and genocide is a core national security interest and a core moral responsibility for the United States.

"That does not mean that we intervene militarily every time there's an injustice in the world," the president said. "We cannot and should not. It does mean we possess many tools, diplomatic and political and economic and financial and intelligence and law enforcement, and our moral suasion."

Obama's strategy calls for the Defense Department to develop doctrine and increase training and planning efforts emphasizing mass atrocity prevention and response.

Obama announced the creation of the Atrocities Prevention Board, which will include Defense Department representatives as well as those from the departments of State, Treasury, Justice, and Homeland Security; the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, the office of the director of National Intelligence, the CIA, and the office of the vice president, according to White House officials.

The board will help identify and address atrocity threats, and will oversee institutional changes to make the U.S. government "more nimble and effective" is response to such threats, administration officials said.

The strategy also increases diplomatic and intelligence efforts to identify and respond to atrocities, they said.

Obama said the United States over the past three years has helped to counter mass atrocities in Libya, South Sudan and Cote d'Ivoire.

The military mission to help counter the Lord's Resistance Army, a terrorist group in central Africa led by Joseph Kony, demonstrated how U.S. forces can support national and international efforts to quell atrocities, Obama said.

About a hundred U.S. military advisors, mostly from the Army's Special Forces, have been working since October with the militaries of Uganda, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan to capture or kill Kony and other LRA commanders under an Obama executive order.

When he announced that mission, the president directed the National Security Council to review its progress after 150 days.

Today, Obama said, "I can announce that our advisers will continue their efforts to bring this madman to justice and to save lives. It is part of our regional strategy ... to end the scourge that is the LRA and help realize a future where no African child is stolen from their family and no girl is raped and no boy is turned into a child soldier."

The LRA is composed mostly of kidnapped children forced to execute Kony's terrorist tactics over the past 20 years, administration officials have said. Tens of thousands of people have been murdered and as many as 1.8 million have been displaced by the LRA, they said.

Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. John Kirby told reporters today the U.S. advisors in central Africa have had "a significant impact ... improving the capabilities of indigenous forces there to put pressure on the LRA."

The advisors' role, Kirby emphasized, is training and assistance, not combat. He added that the U.S. assistance is helping.

"We've seen indications that [Kony] and his followers are less active and less effective," he said.

PRESIDENT OBAMA TALKS TO UNEMPLOYED

FROM:  WHITE HOUSE
President Barack Obama participates in a roundtable with unemployed workers who are students in Lorain County Community College job training programs, at Lorain Community College in Elyria, Ohio, April 18, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

President Obama was in Elyria, Ohio today where he met with students at Lorain County Community College. The President was there to talk about the Administration’s job training initiatives to help more Americans get back to work and connect unemployed Americans with the skills training they need to find jobs in high-demand, high-growth industries, including the Community College to Career Fund. He told the students that taking classes at community colleges and getting new skills doesn't just benefit students and their future employers but adds economic value to the entire region:

Investing in a community college, just like investing in a new road or a new highway or broadband lines that go into rural communities, these investments are not part of some grand scheme to redistribute wealth. They’ve been made by Democrats and Republicans for generations because they benefit all of us. That's what leads to strong, durable economic growth. That's how America became an economic superpower. That's how we built the Transcontinental Railroad. That's why we’ve got the best universities and colleges in the world. That's why we have cutting-edge research that takes place here, and that then gets translated into new jobs and new businesses, because somebody did the groundwork.  We created a foundation for those of us to prosper.

When you take classes at a community college like this one and you learn the skills that you need to get a job right away, that does not just benefit you; it benefits the company that ends up hiring and profiting from your skills.  It makes the entire region stronger economically.  It makes this country stronger economically.
In this country, prosperity does not trickle down; prosperity grows from the bottom up.  And it grows from a strong middle class out.  That’s how we grow this economy.

PRESIDENT OBAMA AND NASCAR CHAMPION

FROM:  WHITE HOUSE
President Barack Obama looks at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship trophy as he approaches Tony Stewart's car during an event on the South Lawn of the White House, April 17, 2012. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers Tony Stewart, center, Kyle Busch, and Ryan Newman, right, watch nearby. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

PRESIDENT OBAMA AT THE CEO SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS PANEL DISCUSSION

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE

President Barack Obama participates in the CEO Summit of the Americas panel discussion at the Hilton Hotel, Cartagena, Colombia, April 14, 2012. President of Brazil Dilma Rousseff and President of Colombia Juan Manuel Santos took part. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

April 14, 2012
Remarks by President Obama at CEO Summit of the Americas
Gran Salon Bolivar
Hilton Hotel
Cartagena, Colombia
10:43 A.M. COT
PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Well, first of all, I want to thank President Santos and the people of Colombia for the extraordinary hospitality in the beautiful city of Cartagena.  We're having a wonderful time.  And usually when I take these summit trips, part of my job is to scout out where I may want to bring Michelle back later for vacation.  So we'll make sure to come back sometime in the near future.  (Applause.)
I want to acknowledge Luis Moreno of IDB, as well as Luis Villegas of the National Business Association of Colombia, for helping to set this up, and everybody who's participating.

As President Rousseff indicated, obviously we've gone through some very challenging times.  These last three years have been as difficult for the world economy as anything that we've seen in our lifetimes.  And it is both a result of globalization and it is also a result of shifts in technology.  The days when we could think of each of our economies in isolation, those days are long gone.  What happens in Wall Street has an impact in Rio. What happens in Bogota has an impact in Beijing.

And so I think the challenge for all of our countries, and certainly the challenge for this hemisphere, is how do we make sure that that globalization and that integration is benefiting a broad base of people, that economic growth is sustainable and robust, and that it is also giving opportunity to a growing, wider circle of people, and giving businesses opportunities to thrive and create new products and new services and enjoy this global marketplace.

Now, I think the good news is this hemisphere is very well positioned in this global economy.  It is remarkable to see the changes that have been taking place in a relatively short period of time in Latin and Central America and in the Caribbean.  When you look at the extraordinary growth that's taken place in Brazil, first under President Lula and now under President Rousseff, when you think about the enormous progress that's been made here in Colombia under President Santos and his predecessor, what you see is that a lot of the old arguments on the left and the right no longer apply.

And what people are asking is, what works?  How do we think in practical terms about delivering prosperity, training our people so that they can compete in the global economy?  How do we create rule of law that allows businesses to invest with some sense of security and transparency?  How do we invest in science and technology?  How do we make sure that we have open and free trade at the same time as we're making sure that the benefits of free trade are distributed both between nations but also within nations?
And the good news is I think that, through various international organizations and organizations here within the hemisphere, we've seen enormous progress.  Trade between the United States and Latin, Central -- South America, Central America and the Caribbean has expanded 46 percent since I came into office -- 46 percent.

Before I came to Cartagena, I stopped in Tampa, Florida, which is the largest port in Florida.  And they are booming and expanding.  And the reason is, is because of the enormous expansion of trade and commerce with this region.  It's creating jobs in Florida, and it's creating jobs in Colombia, and it's creating jobs in Brazil and throughout the region.  Businesses are seeing that if they have an outstanding product or an outstanding service, they don’t have to restrict themselves to one market, they now have a regional market and ultimately a global market in which they can sell their goods and succeed.

A couple of things that I think will help further facilitate this productive integration:  Number one, the free trade agreement that we've negotiated between Colombia and the United States is an example of a free trade agreement that benefits both sides.  It's a win-win.  It has high standards -- (applause) -- it's a high-standards agreement.  It's not a race to the bottom, but rather it says each country is abiding by everything from strong rules around labor and the environment to intellectual property protection.  And so I have confidence that as we implement this plan, what we're going to see is extraordinary opportunities for both U.S. and Colombian businesses.

So trade agreements of the sort that we have negotiated, thanks to the leadership of President Santos and his administration, I think point the way to the future.

In addition, I think there is the capacity for us to cooperate on problems that all countries face, and I'll take just one example -- the issue of energy.  All of us recognize that if we're going to continue to grow our economies effectively, then we're going to have to adapt to the fact that fossil fuels are a finite resource and demand is going up much faster than supply.  There are also, obviously, significant environmental concerns that we have to deal with.  So for us to cooperate on something like joint electrification and electric grid integration, so that a country like Brazil, that is doing outstanding work in biofuels or hydro-energy, has the ability to export that energy but also teach best practices to countries within the region, create new markets for clean energy throughout the region -- which benefits those customers who need electricity but also benefit those countries that are top producers of energy -- that's another example of the kind of progress that we can make together.

On the education front, every country in the region recognizes that if we're going to compete with Asia, if we're going to compete with Europe, we've got to up our game.  We have to make sure that we've got the best-trained workers in the world, we've got the best education system in the world.  And so the work that President Rousseff and I are doing together to try to significantly expand educational exchanges and send young people who are studying science and engineering and computer science to the United States to study if they're Brazilian, down to Brazil to study best practices in clean energy in Brazil -- there's enormous opportunity for us to work together to train our young people so that this hemisphere is filled with outstanding entrepreneurs and workers, and allows us to compete more effectively.

So there are a number of areas where I think cooperation is proceeding.  Sometimes it's not flashy.  I think that oftentimes in the press the attention in summits like this ends up focusing on where are the controversies.  Sometimes those controversies date back to before I was born.  (Laughter.)  And sometimes I feel as if in some of these discussions or at least the press reports we're caught in a time warp, going back to the 1950s and gunboat diplomacy and Yanquis and the Cold War, and this and that and the other.  That's not the world we live in today.

And my hope is, is that we all recognize this enormous opportunity that we've got.  And I know the business leaders who are here today, they understand it; they understand that we're in a new world, and we have to think in new ways.

Last point I want to make -- I think when you think about the extraordinary success in Brazil, the success in Colombia, a big piece of that is governance.  You can't, I believe, have, over the long term, successful economies if you don't have some basic principles that are being followed:  democracy and rule of law, human rights being observed, freedom of expression.  And I think -- and also personal security, the capacity for people to feel as if they work hard then they're able to achieve, and they have motivation to start a business and to know that their own work will pay off.

And I just want to compliment both Brazil and Colombia, coming from different political traditions, but part of the reason why you've seen sustained growth is governments have worked effectively in each country.  And I think that when we look at how we're going to integrate further and take advantage of increased opportunity in the future, it's very important for us not to ignore how important it is to have a clean, transparent, open government that is working on behalf of its people.

And that's important to business as well.  The days when a business feels good working in a place where people are being oppressed -- ultimately that's an unstable environment for you to do business.  You do business well when you know that it's a well-functioning society and that there's a legitimate government in place that is going to be looking out for its people.

So I just want to thank both of my outstanding partners here.  They're true leaders in the region.  And I can speak, I think, for the United States to say that we've never been more excited about the prospects of working as equal partners with our brothers and sisters in Latin America and the Caribbean, because that's going to be the key to our success.  (Applause.)

* * * *
MR. MATTHEWS:  President Santos, I guess there are some issues in America -- we have a very large Hispanic population.  Ten percent of our electorate is going to be Hispanic in background.  We are the second-largest Spanish-speaking country in the world after Mexico.  People have dual languages in the United States, of course, but there is so much Spanish speaking. You have the chance to sit next to President Obama now.  Do you want to ask him about the ways you think the United States could help your country in the drug war?
* * * *
PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Do you want me to respond?

MR. MATTHEWS:  Yes, sir.

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Well, this is a conversation that I've had with President Santos and others.  Just as the world economy is integrated, so, unfortunately, the drug trade is integrated.  And we can't look at the issue of supply in Latin America without also looking at the issue of demand in the United States.  (Applause.)

And so whether it's working with President Santos or supporting the courageous work that President Calderón is doing in Mexico, I, personally, and my administration and I think the American people understand that the toll of narco-trafficking on the societies of Central America, Caribbean, and parts of South America are brutal, and undermining the capacity of those countries to protect their citizens, and eroding institutions and corrupting institutions in ways that are ultimately bad for everybody.

So this is part of the reason why we've invested, Chris, about $30 billion in prevention programs, drug treatment programs looking at the drug issue not just from a law enforcement and interdiction issue, but also from a public health perspective. This is why we've worked in unprecedented fashion in cooperation with countries like Mexico on not just drugs coming north, but also guns and cash going south.

This is one of the reasons why we have continued to invest in programs like Plan Colombia, but also now are working with Colombia, given their best practices around issues of citizen security, to have not just the United States but Colombia provide technical assistance and training to countries in Central America and the Caribbean in finding ways that they can duplicate some of the success that we've seen in Colombia.
So we're mindful of our responsibilities on this issue.  And I think it is entirely legitimate to have a conversation about whether the laws in place are ones that are doing more harm than good in certain places.

I personally, and my administration's position, is that legalization is not the answer; that, in fact, if you think about how it would end up operating, that the capacity of a large-scale drug trade to dominate certain countries if they were allowed to operate legally without any constraint could be just as corrupting if not more corrupting then the status quo.

Nevertheless, I'm a big believer in looking at the evidence, having a debate.  I think ultimately what we're going to find is, is that the way to solve this problem is both in the United States, us dealing with demand in a more effective way, but it's also going to be strengthening institutions at home.

You mentioned earlier, the biggest thing that's on everybody's minds -- whether it's the United States, Canada, Brazil, Colombia, Jamaica -- is, can I find a job that allows me to support my family and allows my children to advance and feel secure.  And in those societies where you've got strong institutions, you've got strong business investment, you've got rule of law, you have a law enforcement infrastructure that is sound, and an economy that's growing -- that country is going to be like a healthy body that is more immune than countries that have weak institutions and high unemployment, in which kids see their only future as participating in the drug trade because nobody has actually trained them to get a job with Google, or Pepsi, or start their own small business.

And so I think that it's important for us not to think that if somehow we look at the drug issue in isolation, in the absence of dealing with some of these other challenges -- institutional challenges and barriers to growth and opportunity and the capacity for people to climb their way out of poverty, that we're going to be able to solve this problem.  The drug issue in this region is, in some ways, a cause, but it's also, in some ways, an effect of some broader and underlying problems.  And we as the United States have an obligation not only to get our own house in order but also to help countries in a partnership to try to see if we can move in a better direction.  (Applause.)
* * * *
MR. MATTHEWS: Mr. President, do you want to respond?  I think the question that seems to be apparent here in the last couple of days is, first of all, tremendous enthusiasm, a zeitgeist here that's almost unusual in the world for positive optimism about the development in this part of the world.  It's not like it was -- just isn't the way it was we grew up with.

The challenge I think you just heard from the President of Brazil was the notion that Latin America is not interested in being our complementary economy anymore -- the agricultural end while we do the industrial end; they do the provision of raw materials and we do the finest and highest-level high-tech work. How do we either respond to Brazil's demand, really, to be partners and rivals -- they want to use our educational resources, they want to come north to learn how to compete with us -- right, Madam President?  You want to be equals.  You want to learn everything we know, and then take it back and shove it at us, right?  (Laughter.)  Isn't that it?

Well, anyway, that's the response -- I'd ask you for your response.  (Laughter.)

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Chris, I'm not sure you're characterizing what President Rousseff said -- (laughter) -- but this is what happens when you get some of our U.S. political commentators moderating a panel.  (Laughter.)  They try to stir up things that may not always be there.  (Applause.)  And Chris is good at it.  He's one of the best.  (Laughter.)
But, look, this is already happening.  This is already happening.  Brazil has changed, Colombia has changed -- and we welcome the change.  The notion somehow that we see this as a problem is just not the case, because if we've got a strong, growing, prosperous middle class in Latin America, those are new customers for our businesses.  (Applause.)
Brazil is growing and that opportunity is broad-based, then suddenly they're interested in buying iPads, and they're interested in buying Boeing airplanes and -- (laughter.)

PRESIDENT ROUSSEFF:  Boeing -- Embraer.  (Laughter and applause.)

PRESIDENT OBAMA:  I was just trying to see how she'd respond to that.  (Laughter.)  But the point is, is that that's a market for us.  So we in the United States should welcome not just growth, but broad-based growth, of the sort that President Rousseff described.
I'll give you just -- I said I was in Tampa.  All those containers that are coming in, they have, in some cases, commodities coming from Latin America, but they also have finished products that are coming in from Latin America.  We have commodities that are going into Latin America that we're sending back on those containers, as well as finished products.  And so this is a two-way street.

When I came into office, one of my first decisions was to say that the G20 was not a temporary thing to respond to the world economic crisis; this should be the permanent forum for determining and coordinating direction in the world economy.  And frankly, there were some folks who were members of the G8 who were upset with me about that determination, but realistically you can't coordinate world economic issues if you don't have China and Brazil and India and South Africa at the table -- and Mexico.  That's not possible.

So the world has changed.  I think the United States and U.S. businesses stand to benefit from those changes.  But it does mean that we have to adapt to that competitive environment.  And all the advantages that President Rousseff mentioned we have as the United States -- its flexibility, our scientific edge, our well-educated workforce, our top universities -- those are the things that we continue to have to build and get better at.  And that's true for every country here.
Every one of the businesses here are going to be making determinations about where you locate based on the quality of the workforce, how much investment you have to make in training somebody to handle a million-dollar piece of equipment.  Do you feel as if your intellectual property is going to be protected?  Do you feel as if there's a good infrastructure to be able to get your products to market?  And so I think this is a healthy competition that we should be encouraging.

And what I've said at the first summit that I came to, Summit of the Americas that I came to, was we do not believe there are junior partners and senior partners in this situation. We believe there are partners.  And Brazil is in many ways ahead of us on something like biofuels; we should learn from them.  And if we're going to be trying to mount a regional initiative, let's make sure that Brazil is taking the lead.  It doesn’t have to be us in every situation.

Now, the flip side is -- and I'll close with this -- I think in Latin America, part of the change in mentality is also not always looking to the United States as the reason for everything that happens that goes wrong.  (Applause.)

I was in an interview -- several interviews yesterday.  These were actually with Spanish-speaking television stations that have broadcast back in the United States.  And the first interviewer said, why hasn't the United States done more to promote democracy in the region, because you've done a lot in the Arab Spring but it seems as if you're not dealing with some of the problems here in Latin America.  The next questioner said, why are you being so hard on Cuba and promoting democracy all the time?  (Laughter and applause.)  That’s an example, I think, of some of the challenges we face that are rooted in legitimate historical grievances.  But it gets -- it becomes a habit.

When it comes to economic integration and exchanges, I am completely sympathetic to the fact that there are challenges around monetary policy in developed and less-developed countries. And Brazil, for example, has seen the Real appreciate in ways that had been hurtful.  I would argue a lot of that has to do with the failure of some other countries to engage in rebalancing, not the United States.  But having said that, I think there's not a country in Latin America who doesn’t want to see the United States grow rapidly because we're your major export market.

And so most of these issues end up being complicated issues. Typically, they involve both actions in the United States as well as actions in the other countries if we're going to optimize the kind of growth and prosperity and broad-based opportunity that both President Santos and President Rousseff have spoken about.

And the United States comes here and says:  We're ready to do business.  We are open to a partnership.  We don’t expect to be able to dictate the terms of that partnership, we expect it to be a negotiation based on mutual interest and mutual respect.  And I think we're all going to benefit as a consequence of that. (Applause.)

MR. MATTHEWS:  Thank you very much, President Rousseff, President Santos, and my President, President Obama.  Thank you. It's been an honor.
END

PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES NEW UNCONVENTIONAL NATURAL GAS AND OIL RESEARCH PARTNERSHIP

FROM:  EPA
Obama Administration Announces New Partnership on Unconventional Natural Gas and Oil Research
WASHINGTON – Today, three federal agencies announced a formal partnership to coordinate and align all research associated with development of our nation’s abundant unconventional natural gas and oil resources. The partnership exemplifies the cross-government coordination required under President Obama’s executive order released earlier today, which created a new Interagency Working Group to Support Safe and Responsible Development of Unconventional Domestic Natural Gas Resources. This new partnership will help coordinate current and future research and scientific studies undertaken by the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of the Interior – better positioning the Obama Administration to ensure that continued expansion of natural gas and oil production happens safely and responsibly as part of an all-of-the-above approach to American energy in which science plays a guiding and critical role.

As the president has made clear, domestic natural gas and oil resources will continue to play a key role in America’s energy future. Already, technological advancements like hydraulic fracturing – innovation supported by public research – have allowed development of previously uneconomic natural gas and oil deposits. In fact, since 2008, U.S. oil and natural gas production has increased each year. In 2011, U.S. crude oil production reached its highest level in 8 years, increasing by an estimated 110,000 barrels per day over 2010 levels to 5.59 million barrels per day. And U.S. natural gas production grew in 2011 as well – the largest year-over-year volumetric increase in history – easily eclipsing the previous all-time production record set in 1973. Overall, oil imports have been falling since 2005, and oil import dependence declined from 57 percent in 2008 to 45 percent in 2011 – the lowest level since 1995.

As the United States continues to expand domestic natural gas and oil production, it is critical that the public has full confidence that the right safety and environmental protections are in place – guided by the best available science. Leveraging each agency’s core competencies and strengths will enhance efforts to explore the significant new resource development opportunities made possible in recent years by hydraulic fracturing and other new technologies, and meet high-priority challenges in a coordinated and common-sense way.

“Science, research and innovation continue to play a vital role in our efforts to further expand oil and gas production in the United States and make sure it’s done safely and responsibly,” said Department of the Interior Deputy Secretary David J. Hayes. “Improvements in technologies like hydraulic fracturing are responsible for greatly increasing our capacity to develop America’s abundant unconventional resources in recent years. Through a close collaboration across the government that reduces redundancy and streamlines our research, we are positioning the Obama Administration to best meet the critical need of increasing public understanding and public confidence of these critical technologies so that we can continue safe and responsible exploration and production for many decades to come.”

“The development of American shale gas resources is having a transformative impact on the U.S. energy landscape, helping to improve our energy security while spurring economic development and job creation around the country,” said Acting Under Secretary of Energy Arun Majumdar. “The Energy Department remains committed to the safe and responsible development of this American resource, and continued cooperation between government and private industry partners under President Obama’s all-of-the-above approach to American energy.”

"We are moving into a new era of American energy, one that has the potential to create jobs, strengthen our energy independence and security, and cut pollution. President Obama has created this interagency working group to ensure that these energy innovations happen safely and responsibly, without compromising the environment or the health of the American people," said EPA Deputy Administrator Bob Perciasepe. "We will continue to rely on the best available science to oversee the responsible development of these energy sources."

A primary goal of this effort will be to identify research topics where collaboration among the three agencies can be most effectively and efficiently conducted to provide results and technologies that support sound policy decisions by the agencies responsible for ensuring the prudent development of energy sources while promoting safe practices and human health. The new research partnership is an example of the Obama Administration’s effort to coordinate activities across the federal government to support development of our abundant domestic natural gas resources in a safe and responsible way. Today the administration announced that a broader set of activities will be coordinated under an executive order issued by President Obama to create a new Interagency Working Group to Support Safe and Responsible Development of Unconventional Domestic Natural Gas Resources.

PRESIDENT OBAMA DOES PUSH-UPS

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE
President Barack Obama does push-ups on the White House Basketball Court after a member of the Harlem Globetrotters made a shot, April 9, 2012. The President participated in "Shoot for Strength", a game where children did push-ups for every basketball shot made by the pros, during the 2012 White House Easter Egg Roll festivities. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

WHITE HOUSE PASSOVER SEDER DINNER 2012

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama host a Passover Seder Dinner for family, staff and friends, in the Old Family Dining Room of the White House, April 6, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA CALLS REPUBLICAN BUDGET A "TROJAN HORSE"

FROM THE WHITE HOUSE
President Barack Obama delivers remarks at the Associated Press (AP) Luncheon at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C., April 3, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

The President believes this is a make or break moment for the middle class and those working to reach it.  That’s why he has put forward a blueprint for an economy built to last - one where everyone gets a fair shot, everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same rules.

Today at the Associated Press Luncheon, the President discussed how his vision differs with the radical vision laid out in the House Republican Budget:

“This Congressional Republican budget, however, is something different altogether.  It’s a Trojan Horse.  Disguised as deficit reduction plan, it’s really an attempt to impose a radical vision on our country.  It’s nothing but thinly-veiled Social Darwinism.  It’s antithetical to our entire history as a land of opportunity and upward mobility for everyone who’s willing to work for it – a place where prosperity doesn’t trickle down from the top, but grows outward from the heart of the middle class.  And by gutting the very things we need to grow an economy that’s built to last – education and training; research and development – it’s a prescription for decline.”

The President’s approach to reducing our deficit is a balanced approach that asks the wealthiest to pay their fair share, achieves significant health savings and enacts sensible spending cuts while making the investments we need to have a strong middle class.
Take a look at how the President’s approach and the Congressional Republican policies stack up side by side:

Side by Side - The President’s Budget vs. Republican Budget
It’s a test of fairness.  The Congressional Republican budget gives every millionaire and billionaire a tax cut of at least $150,000 paid for by ending Medicare as we know it and gutting programs that help the middle class and our economy.  This graphic shows just what that $150,000 means to those programs our economic recovery depends on:

The House Republican Budget – The Budget Fails the Test of Balance, Fairness, and Shared Responsibility
By standing by massive tax cuts we can’t afford paid for by the middle class and seniors, the Republican establishment has rubber stamped the economic policies of the past that caused the financial crisis in the first place.   Just take a look at how much the Republican policies of the past added to our deficit:

 Changes in Deficit Projections Since January 2001
At this critical moment for our economy and the middle class, the President will continue to stand by a policy of fairness that reflects our core values as a nation.
Dan Pfeiffer is the White House Communications Director

PRESIDENT OBAMA AT NUCLEAR SECURITY SUMMIT

The following except is from an American Forces Press Service e-mail:  

President Cites Progress at Nuclear Security Summit

By Elaine Sanchez
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 27, 2012 - While progress has been made toward security and peace, it's "undeniable" that a nuclear terror threat remains, President Barack Obama said in Seoul, South Korea, today.

"There are still too many bad actors in search of these dangerous materials, and these dangerous materials are still vulnerable in too many places," Obama said at the opening session of the Nuclear Security Summit in South Korea's capital city, where leaders from more than 50 nations have gathered.

"It would not take much -- just a handful or so of these materials -- to kill hundreds of thousands of innocent people," he added. "And that's not an exaggeration; that's the reality that we face."

Obama recalled hosting the first Nuclear Security Summit two years ago in Washington. "There were those who questioned whether our nations could summon the will to confront one of the gravest dangers of our time," he said. "In part because it involves a lot of technical issues, in part because the world was still grappling with a whole host of other issues like the economy and the global recession, there was some skepticism that we would be able to sustain an effort around this topic. But that's exactly what we've done."

Leaders agreed that nuclear terrorism is one of the most urgent and serious threats to global security, Obama said, and they agreed to the goal of securing the world's nuclear materials in four years. They knew this goal would require sustained and effective international cooperation, the president said, and an architecture in which they could share best practices, sustain commitments and ensure ongoing progress.

Over the past two years, they've backed their words up with deeds, Obama said.

"We are improving security at our nuclear facilities. We are forging new partnerships. We are removing nuclear materials, and in some cases, getting rid of these materials entirely," he said. "And as a result, more of the world's nuclear materials will never fall into the hands of terrorists who would gladly use them against us."

However, one nation can't tackle this challenge alone, the president said. It will require working together as an international community.

"What we did in Washington, what we're now doing in Korea, becomes part of a larger global architecture designed to reduce the dangers of nuclear weapons and nuclear terrorism, but also allows us then to more safely and effectively pursue peaceful uses of nuclear energy," he said.

Once again, nations have gathered to make commitments, and to take "more real, tangible steps," the president noted. And, as a consequence, more people will be safeguarded from the danger posed by nuclear terrorism.

"We've come a long way in a very short time, and that should encourage us," Obama said. "And that should not lead us to complacency, however; it should fortify our will as we continue to deal with these issues.

"I believe we can maintain that will and that focus," he continued. "I believe we must, because the security of the world depends on the actions that we take."

U.S. TO EXPAND SECURITY MISSION IN PACIFIC

The following excerpt is form a U.S. Department of State American Forces Press Service e-mail:

U.S. to Expand Security Role in Pacific Region

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 26, 2012 - President Barack Obama today reaffirmed the U.S. intention to take a larger role in the future of security in the Asia-Pacific region.

During a news conference with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak in conjunction with the Nuclear Security Summit in South Korea's capital of Seoul, Obama talked about upcoming plans for the Asia-Pacific region.

"My visit to Korea reflects the fact that the United States is leading again in the Asia-Pacific -- a region that will affect American security and prosperity in the 21st century like no other," he said.

The president noted that in a November speech to the Australian parliament, he said the United States, as a Pacific nation, will play a larger and long-term role in shaping the region and its future. "And the cornerstone of our efforts is our strong alliances, including our alliance with the Republic of Korea," he added.

Obama said South Korea is on track to assume operational control on the Korean peninsula for the alliance in 2015.

"We reviewed our ongoing efforts to modernize our security alliance," he said. "We agreed to have our foreign and defense ministers meet in June to discuss concrete measures we can take to continue strengthening that alliance."

Obama also said he and Lee discussed the future in light of fiscal constraints that will reduce U.S. defense spending.

"I reaffirmed, as I said in Australia, that reductions in U.S. defense spending will not come at the expense of the Asia Pacific -- and that includes South Korea," he said. "America's armed forces are going to stay ready for the full range of contingencies and threats. And the alliance between the United States and the Republic of Korea remains unshakable."

Obama said he and Lee also discussed regional security, which starts with the issue of North Korea. Lee said he and Obama will continue to enhance and strengthen the two nations' combined defense capabilities, and he called on North Korea to end its pursuit of a nuclear weapon.

"We will firmly respond to any threats or provocations from the North," the South Korean president said. Both countries can work together along with the international community, he added, if North Korea gives up nuclear weapon and missile development.

Both presidents noted North Korea's contradiction of its own recent commitments to the international community.

"Last month, North Korea agreed to a series of steps, including a moratorium on long-range missile launches," Obama said. "This month, North Korea announced its intention to conduct a missile launch. This would constitute a direct violation of Pyongyang's own commitments and its international obligations. Moreover, it would only deepen North Korea's isolation, damage further its relations with its neighbors, and seriously undermine the prospect of future negotiations."

Lee said the United States and South Korea agree that North Korea's announcement that it will test-fire its long-range missile is a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions, not to mention the latest agreement between the U.S. and North Korea.

"Therefore," he said, "President Obama and I both agreed that North Korea must immediately repeal its decision and abide by its international obligations."

Noting that he and Obama reaffirmed the value and importance of the U.S.-South Korean alliance in their meeting today, Lee said they also discussed their vision of the partnership's future.

"Following the adoption of the future vision of the alliance, which was adopted in June 2009, our alliance is evolving into a truly global partnership where we are working shoulder-to-shoulder to resolve global challenges," he said.

PRESIDENT OBAMA VISITS U.S. TROOPS IN SOUTH KOREA

The following excerpt is from the Department of Defense American Forces Press Service:

Obama Praises U.S. Troops' Legacy in South Korea

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 25, 2012 - Visiting with U.S. troops stationed in South Korea near the demilitarized zone yesterday, President Barack Obama lauded their historic security role that assisted South Korea as it transformed itself into a democratic and prosperous nation in the years following the Korean War.

"When you think about the transformation that has taken place in South Korea during my lifetime, it is directly attributable to this long line of soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines [and] coast guardsmen who were willing to create the space and the opportunity for freedom and prosperity," said Obama, who's in South Korea to attend a Nuclear Security Summit in the capital city of Seoul.

At Camp Bonifas, located near the demilitarized zone that has divided North and South Korea since the Korean War armistice was signed in 1953, Obama told the troops they're serving on "freedom's frontier." About 28,000 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea today.

"And the contrast between South Korea and North Korea could not be clearer, could not be starker, both in terms of freedom, but also in terms of prosperity," Obama said.

The president attributed South Korea's success to the "incredible" resilience, talents and hard work of their people.

"But it also has to do with you guys," Obama told troops. "And so my main message is the same, obviously, to every base that I go to ... all around the world, which is, I could not be prouder of what you're doing. Everybody back home could not be prouder of what you guys do each and every day -- the dedication, the professionalism that you show.

"But there's something about this spot in particular," he continued, "where there's such a clear line and there's such an obvious impact that you have for the good each and every day that should make all of you proud."

The president shared an anecdote of a conversation he'd had with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak.

"Last time I was here, I was having lunch with the president of South Korea, President Lee," Obama said. "And he talked about how he was a small child when the Korean War was taking place, and its aftermath, and the brutal poverty, the fact that they had nothing.

"And he went on to be an auto executive, and ultimately, the president of his country, and watch it grow," Obama continued. "And he specifically said to me -- and this was a private moment; he didn't say this in front of the press, ... he said, 'The only reason that was able to happen -- and I still think back to all those American soldiers and the sacrifices that they made.'"

Obama expressed his pride in the job U.S. troops have done in South Korea and said he is grateful for the legacy they are carrying on.

"We're proud of you," Obama told the U.S. service members, "and I hope that all your family back home knows how proud your commander-in-chief is of you."
 

PRESIDENT OBAMA TAKES SERIOUSLY MARCH 11 MURDERS IN AFGHANISTAN

The following excerpt is from a Department of Defense American Forces Press Service e-mail:

Obama Promises Full Investigation of Afghanistan Shootings

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 13, 2012 - President Barack Obama today said the United States takes seriously the March 11 murder of Afghan civilians and promised Afghan leaders a full investigation into the incident.

"We're heartbroken over the loss of innocent life," Obama said of the incident in Kandahar province where an American soldier allegedly left his combat outpost and murdered Afghan civilians.

The Afghan government says 17 people were killed in the incident, and U.S. officials are going along with that number. "We are not in a position to dispute the numbers put out by the Afghan government," said Navy Capt. John Kirby, a Pentagon spokesman.

Obama called Afghan President Hamid Karzai and spoke about the incident, which he addressed today at a White House news briefing centered mostly about trade with China. "The killing of innocent civilians is outrageous, and it's unacceptable," the president said. "It's not who we are as a country, and it does not represent our military."

The president directed the Pentagon to spare no effort in conducting a full investigation. "I can assure the American people and the Afghan people that we will follow the facts wherever they lead us, and we will make sure that anybody who was involved is held fully accountable with the full force of the law," he said.

International Security Assistance Force commander Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen and the U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Ryan Crocker are in Washington on a prearranged trip and met with the president. "I have extraordinary confidence in them and in the many Americans who are serving in Afghanistan ... and who have made extraordinary sacrifices to be there," Obama said.

The United States will stick by its strategy in Afghanistan, the president said. "We're steadily transitioning to the Afghans, who are moving into the lead," he said. "And that's going to allow us to bring our troops home."

The United States already has withdrawn 10,000 troops from Afghanistan and plans to redeploy 23,000 more by the end of the summer. "Meanwhile, we will continue the work of devastating al-Qaida's leadership and denying them a safe haven," the president said.

Obama said he is confident the United States can meet its objectives in Afghanistan and responsibly bring the troops home, despite difficulties there.

The shooting suspect remains in U.S. custody, Kirby said. DOD, he added, is not releasing his name "unless or until charges are preferred against the individual."

The Army's Criminal Investigation Division is in charge of the case. Once they finish their investigation they will send the findings to the chain of command, who will then make judicial process decisions, Kirby said.

There have been protests in Afghanistan in response to the shooting. While militants fired on an Afghan delegation that visited the village where the shooting occurred, it otherwise has been "peaceful and stable with respect to this tragic action," Kirby said.

Kirby added that "investigators have the full support of the chain of command to talk to whoever they need to and let the investigation take them wherever they need to go."

The suspect was based at a combat outpost in Afghanistan's Panjwai district. The outpost provided village support operations, which primarily is provided by special operations forces, Kirby said.

Still, he said, the soldier in custody "is not a member of special operations forces and is a conventional soldier working in support of the units at the COP."

U.S. GOVERNMENT WANTS TO HAVE 100,000 U.S. STUDENTS STUDYING IN LATIN AMERICA

The following excerpt is from a U.S. Department of State e-mail:

"100,000 Strong in the Americas

Fact Sheet

Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs

February 21, 2012

   

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"…the United States will work with partners in this region, including the private sector, to in­crease the number of U.S. students studying in Latin America to 100,000, and the number of Latin American students studying in the United States to 100,000."
—President Barack Obama
La Moneda, Santiago, Chile, March 21, 2011

In March 2011, President Barack Obama launched "100,000 Strong in the Americas," an initiative to increase international study in the Western Hemi­sphere. The purpose of 100,000 Strong is to foster region-wide prosperity through greater international exchange of students, who are our future lead­ers and innovators. Increasing understanding in the Western Hemisphere and building closer people-to-people ties will help the State Department work to­gether with the people of the Western Hemisphere to address common chal­lenges including citizen security, economic opportunity, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability.
Partnerships
The Department of State is working to im­plement 100,000 Strong in the Americas through partner­ships – with foreign governments, with universities and colleges, and with the private sector. EducationUSA (educationusa.state.gov), a network of more than 100 U.S.-Government-supported advising centers throughout the Hemisphere, is a centerpiece of our partnership and outreach efforts.
Universities and Colleges
We are working with institu­tions in the United States and throughout the Hemisphere to encourage expanded exchanges and closer partner­ships between U.S. and Latin American universities and colleges.
Private Sector
The U.S. Government, in partnership with governments in the region, strongly supports exchanges through Fulbright, Gilman, and other scholarship pro­grams. Reaching beyond these programs, we seek con­tributions from the private sector to support scholarships. Any such funding will go directly to the organization ad­ministering the program the donor wishes to support.
Foreign Governments
Most governments in the region provide scholarships to enable top students to study abroad. Brazil’s "Science without Borders" scholarship program plans to send 75,000 Brazilians to study abroad over the next four years, with up to half coming to the United States. The United States has worked closely with Brazil to coordinate the U.S. portion of this program. We seek opportunities to cooperate with other governments on student advising, assistance with placement, and co­ordination to ensure timely access to educational and visa services.
Diversity
We are promoting a more diverse profile of stu­dents who participate in educational exchanges and their destinations. The Department of State is reaching out to diverse institutions throughout the United States includ­ing Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, Native American Tribal colleges, and community colleges. We are working with Latin American and Caribbean governments, universities, and the private sector to provide international study opportunities for stu­dents from disadvantaged backgrounds

"