U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY PANETTA APPOINTS COMMANDERS IN PREPARATION OF HURRICANE SANDY

FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Panetta Appoints 'Dual' Commanders for Hurricane Relief

American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Oct. 28, 2012 - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta has appointed "dual status" commanders – those authorized to command both federal and state National Guard forces – in preparation for Hurricane Sandy.

As federal and state officials prepare for Sandy to make landfall between the Delaware and New York coasts tomorrow, Panetta agreed with the governors of several northeast coastal states to appoint the commanders "with the goal of helping to save lives and property during the storm," a Pentagon spokesman said in a press release issued yesterday.

"This special authority enables [the commanders] to effectively integrate the defense support operations and capabilities that governors request," the official said. Panetta made the appointments at the request of the governors of Maryland, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, he said.

"The secretary is prepared to quickly agree to similar requests from other states," he said.

The dual-status commander concept was created in 2009 and the first commander designees were appointed in August 2011 to prepare for Hurricane Irene, according to a Pentagon press release then.

DOD also is supporting Hurricane Sandy preparedness with its U.S. Northern Command, which has put aviation assets such as light- and medium-lift helicopters and rescue teams on 24-hour status to prepare to deploy in response to the storm, the release says. Northcom also is providing military installations for the Federal Emergency Management Agency to use in its response operations, it says.

The National Guard Bureau is coordinating with the adjutants general and their disaster response teams in every East Coast state, the release says.

NATO FLAGSHIP ATTACKED BY PIRATES, PIRATE VESSEL DESTROYED

Map: Somalia. Credit: CIA World Factbook.

FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Counterpiracy Flagship Comes Under Fire Off Somalia's Coast

From a Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe News Release

MONS, Belgium, Oct. 25, 2012 - The flagship for NATO's Ocean Shield counterpiracy mission came under sustained fire from suspected pirates off Somalia's coast yesterday, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe officials reported today.

The Dutch warship HNMLS Rotterdam was attacked while conducting routine surveillance, officials said.

A boarding team from Rotterdam was approaching a suspect dhow near the coast when they came under fire from ashore and from the dhow itself. When Rotterdam returned fire in accordance with rules of engagement, officials said, the dhow ignited and crew members were seen leaping into the water. One dhow crew member was killed in this action, and 25 people were subsequently rescued from the water by Rotterdam crew members, officials said.

Commodore Ben Bekkering of the Dutch navy, commander of the NATO Task Force, said that the Rotterdam and her boats remained under sustained fire from the shore throughout the incident, even while attempting to rescue the crew of the stricken dhow. One of Rotterdam's rigid inflatable boats was damaged, he said.

Those rescued were transferred to the NATO flagship, where those who required it were given prompt medical attention. No Rotterdam crew members were injured.

"We know that pirates are increasingly using larger dhows as mother ships," Bekkering said. "Therefore, we routinely inspect them. In this instance, the pirates openly choose confrontation. This does not happen often, and it indicates that we are, indeed, impeding their operations and in doing so, pushing them to take more extreme options."

Bekkering praised the "calm professionalism" of the Rotterdam crew and said this incident, together with Rotterdam's successful Oct. 11 interdiction of seven pirates, made two things very clear.

"Firstly, it is obvious that the scourge of piracy has not gone away, and we need to maintain our vigilance," he said. "Secondly, the risks to the pirates themselves are becoming much greater, and while we regret any loss of life, we will deal with any threat we encounter in a firm, robust, but always proportionate, manner."

NATIVE OF CUBA NOW SERVES IN WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD

FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT

Army Command Sgt. Maj. Rafael Conde speaks to 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team soldiers following a Feb. 4, 2012, sendoff ceremony for the Wisconsin National Guard's 82nd Agribusiness Development Team at Hartford Union High School in Hartford, Wis. U.S. Army photo by 1st Sgt. Vaughn R. Larson

Face of Defense: Cuba Native Takes Pride in Guard Service
By Army 1st Sgt. Vaughn R. Larson
112th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

MADISON, Wis., Oct. 17, 2012 - Command Sgt. Maj. Rafael Conde, the top enlisted soldier with the Wisconsin Army National Guard's 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, was 5 years old when his parents fled communist Cuba on one of the last "Freedom Flights" in April 1968.

"My dad was working for a bakery company," Conde said. "They made Cuban bread and pastries. A couple of years after Fidel [Castro] took over, my uncle's company was taken away from him. At that time, my dad was asked to become part of the local communist party. He refused, saying he wasn't a political kind of person. Within a month, he was fired."

With few options available, Conde's father went underground, buying and selling different goods. All the while, his family worried that he would be sent to the grueling sugar cane fields. Conde said his parents applied to leave Cuba to provide better opportunities for their children.

"My dad was 48, and my mom was 42 when they left," Conde said. "They basically left everything they'd worked for in Cuba. They didn't get money for their house or their car -- they left with nothing. I'm 49 -- if I had to start all over, ... it brings you back to reality."

Conde's family settled in south Florida's Cuban community. After graduating from high school in 1980, Conde attended college in Minnesota and joined the Minnesota Army National Guard in 1983.

"What drove me to join the National Guard was I was going to school, and that would give me some extra cash. But that was only 20 percent of it," Conde said. "I looked at the opportunities this country has given me, all the freedoms and liberties you get. Many of us don't understand, I think, what it means to be an American, to live in the U.S. How do you give back? Military service is the way I chose."

Conde moved to Wisconsin in 1986 and joined the Wisconsin Army National Guard. He also served with the Florida Army National Guard in 1991 and 1992. As the command sergeant major for 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry, he deployed to Iraq in 2005 for a convoy escort mission. In April 2009, he deployed to Afghanistan with an embedded training team, and five months later was assigned to Regional Support Team North Afghanistan as the senior noncommissioned officer for the Afghanistan national security forces development and infrastructure growth.

Living in River Falls in northern Wisconsin has coaxed the Cuban accent mostly out of Conde, but his heritage remains.

"I am who I am," he observed. "Cuban people are very hard-working and passionate about what they believe in. That's part of my Cuban heritage."

America, he said, is the land of opportunity.

"If you look long enough and work hard enough, you'll succeed," Conde said.

"There are great people in America, no matter what heritage they are," he explained. "We Americans need to understand that while there are differences and differences are good, we are better as a nation when we fully engage and understand what all heritages bring to the nation. Diversity means we understand what everybody can bring to the organization.

"I'm proud to say I was born in Cuba and earned the right to be an American citizen," he continued. "I'm proud of my service to this country."

U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PANETTA'S SPEECH ON DEFENDING NATION AGAINST CYBER ATTACKS

FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT

"Defending the Nation from Cyber Attack" (Business Executives for National Security)

As Delivered by Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta, New York, New York, Thursday, October 11, 2012
Thank you. Thank you very much.

Thank you so much for this wonderful evening and the chance to enjoy such terrific company and be able to express my deepest gratitude to this organization for all of the great things that it does on behalf of those that serve in our military.

Bruce, my greatest thanks to you for your kind remarks and for your leadership here.

And I -- I accept this award, not so much for myself but I accept it on behalf of the men and women in uniform who are putting their lives on the line every night, every day in order to protect this country.

I want to congratulate the troops from the 82nd, they're -- they're the very best.

I also want to congratulate Frank for receiving this reward, the great service that he does in helping to -- to find jobs for those that are returning so that they can be part of -- of their community after serving this country, to protect their community is outstanding. And besides that, and perhaps most importantly, he's Italian. It's nice to have another Italian honored this evening.

I also want to thank Fran Townsend. She's a great friend and, obviously, a tremendous Master of Ceremonies this evening. And the reason I -- the reason I asked Fran to serve on the board is because she is bright. She is capable. She's dedicated. She -- she's a straight talker, she knows what she's talking about. She's dedicated to this country and in a room of a lot of ugly old guys, she's not bad to look at.

General Meigs, thank you for your leadership as well and for your distinguished service to this country.

I am truly honored to be with you this evening. We gather in the midst of a very important national contest. It's one that will continue to play out over the coming weeks in unpredictable ways before a final decision is reached. And in fact, some of the key players are dueling tonight.

So I want to be very clear about where my loyalties lie in this contest, I have always been and always will be for the New York Yankees.

And I think the score is 1-to-1. Right?

In all seriousness, I really do appreciate the opportunity to come back to this great city. This is -- New York is a special place for me and I'll tell you why. I am -- I'm the son of Italian immigrants and both of my parents came through New York, came through Ellis Island like so many millions of others. That made this a special place for me.

I also had the opportunity to be here and work as an Executive Assistant to the Mayor of New York City, a guy named John Lindsay at the time.

I also had the opportunity to work very closely with the delegation in Congress. As a matter of fact, in Washington.

I lived with Chuck Schumer and a group of other members of Congress in what was well known as Animal House in Washington. And you can't live with Schumer and not develop an appreciation for New York City.

I also served on the Board of the New York Stock Exchange for six years. And I was on the board when 9/11 took place and I want you to know how much at that time I appreciated the great courage of the people of New York in the face of that attack. And I remembered that courage when I had a chance to lead the operation that went after Bin Laden.

We sent a very clear message to the world. We sent a very clear message to terrorists that in fact, don't ever attack this country because you will not get away with it.



U.S. CYBER BRIGADE


I've long appreciated, from my own experience, New York's role as the center of gravity for our nation's economy. This is where it's at. And for that reason, it's an honor to be able to speak before this kind of distinguished audience of business leaders and innovators because you understand what a strong national defense is all about and you understand that a strong national defense and a strong economy go hand in hand.

With that in mind, tonight I'd like to discuss with you an issue that I think is at the very nexus of business and national security: the threats facing the United States in cyberspace and the role that the Defense Department must play in defending this country from those kinds of threats.

We're on an aircraft carrier, a famous and great aircraft carrier and it's a fitting and appropriate venue to have this discussion. This ship and the technology that's on display at this museum, attests to one of the central achievements of the United States in the 20th century, our ability to project power and strength across the land, across the high seas, across the skies and across outer space.

We secured those domains. Securing them helped ensure that they were used to advance peace and prosperity and were not used to promote war and aggression.

It is with that same goal in mind, today we have to address a new domain that we must secure to have peace and prosperity in the world of tomorrow.

Cyberspace has fundamentally transformed the global economy. It's transformed our way of life, providing two billion people across the world with instant access to information to communication, to economic opportunities.

Cyberspace is the new frontier, full of possibilities to advance security and prosperity in the 21st century. And yet, with these possibilities, also come new perils and new dangers.

The Internet is open. It's highly accessible, as it should be. But that also presents a new terrain for warfare. It is a battlefield of the future where adversaries can seek to do harm to our country, to our economy, and to our citizens.

I know that when people think of cybersecurity today, they worry about hackers and criminals who prowl the Internet, steal people's identities, steal sensitive business information, steal even national security secrets. Those threats are real and they exist today.

But the even greater danger -- the greater danger facing us in cyberspace goes beyond crime and it goes beyond harassment. A cyber attack perpetrated by nation states are violent extremists groups could be as destructive as the terrorist attack on 9/11. Such a destructive cyber-terrorist attack could virtually paralyze the nation.

Let me give you some examples of the kinds of attacks that we have already experienced.

In recent weeks, as many of you know, some large U.S. financial institutions were hit by so-called Distributed Denial of Service attacks. These attacks delayed or disrupted services on customer websites. While this kind of tactic isn't new, the scale and speed with which it happened was unprecedented.

But even more alarming is an attack that happened two months ago when a very sophisticated virus called Shamoon infected computers in the Saudi Arabian State Oil Company Aramco. Shamoon included a routine called a 'wiper', coded to self-execute. This routine replaced crucial systems files with an image of a burning U.S. flag. But it also put additional garbage data that overwrote all the real data on the machine. More than 30,000 computers that it infected were rendered useless and had to be replaced. It virtually destroyed 30,000 computers.

Then just days after this incident, there was a similar attack on RasGas of Qatar, a major energy company in the region. All told, the Shamoon virus was probably the most destructive attack that the private sector has seen to date.

Imagine the impact an attack like that would have on your company or your business.

These attacks mark a significant escalation of the cyber threat and they have renewed concerns about still more destructive scenarios that could unfold.

For example, we know that foreign cyber actors are probing America's critical infrastructure networks. They are targeting the computer control systems that operate chemical, electricity and water plants and those that guide transportation throughout this country.

We know of specific instances where intruders have successfully gained access to these control systems.

We also know that they are seeking to create advanced tools to attack these systems and cause panic and destruction and even the loss of life.

Let me explain how this could unfold. An aggressor nation or extremist group could use these kinds of cyber tools to gain control of critical switches. They could, for example, derail passenger trains or even more dangerous, derail trains loaded with lethal chemicals.

They could contaminate the water supply in major cities or shutdown the power grid across large parts of the country.

The most destructive scenarios involve cyber actors launching several attacks on our critical infrastructure at one time, in combination with a physical attack on our country. Attackers could also seek to disable or degrade critical military systems and communication networks.

The collective result of these kinds of attacks could be a "cyber Pearl Harbor:" an attack that would cause physical destruction and the loss of life. In fact, it would paralyze and shock the nation and create a new, profound sense of vulnerability.

As director of the CIA and now Secretary of Defense, I have understood that cyber attacks are every bit as real as the more well-known threats like terrorism, nuclear weapons proliferation and the turmoil that we see in the Middle East.

And the cyber threats facing this country are growing. With dramatic advances, this is an area of dramatic developments in cyber technology. With that happening, potential aggressors are exploiting vulnerabilities in our security. But the good news is this, we are aware of this potential. Our eyes are wide open to these kinds of threats and we are a nation that, thank God, is on the cutting edge of this new technology. We are the best and we have to stay there.

The Department of Defense, in large part through the capabilities of the National Security Agency, NSA, has develop the world's most sophisticated system to detect cyber intruders and attackers.

We are acting aggressively to get ahead of this problem, putting in place measures to stop cyber attacks dead in their tracks. We are doing this as part of a broad whole of government effort to confront cyber threats.

The Department of Homeland Security has the lead for domestic cybersecurity, the FBI also has a key part to play and investigating and preventing cyber-attacks. And our intelligence agencies, of course, are focused on this potential threat as well.

The State Department is trying to forge international consensus on the roles and responsibilities of nations to help secure cyberspace.

The Department of Defense also has a role. It is a supporting role but it is an essential role. And tonight I want to explain what that means. But first let me make clear what it does not mean.

It does not mean that the Department of Defense will monitor citizens' personal computers. We're not interested in personal communication or in e-mails or in providing the day to day security of private and commercial networks. That is not our goal. That is not our job. That is not our mission.

Our mission is to defend the nation. We defend. We deter, and if called upon, we take decisive action to protect our citizens. In the past, we have done so thorough operations on land and at sea, in the skies and in space. In this century, the United States military must help defend the nation in cyberspace as well.

If a foreign adversary attacked U.S. soil, the American people have every right to expect their national defense forces to respond.

If a crippling cyber attack were launched against our nation, the American people must be protected. And if the Commander in Chief orders a response, the Defense Department must be ready to obey that order and to act.

To ensure that we fulfill our role to defend the nation in cyberspace, the department is focusing on three main tracks.

One, developing new capabilities.

Two, putting in place the policies and organizations we need to execute our mission.

And three, building much more effective cooperation with industry and with our international partners.

Let me briefly talk about each of these.

First, developing new capabilities. DoD is investing more than $3 billion annually in cybersecurity because we have to retain that cutting edge capability in the field.

Following our new defense strategy, the department is continuing to increase key investments in cybersecurity even in an era of fiscal restraint.

Our most important investment is in skilled cyber warriors needed to conduct operations in cyberspace.

Just as DoD developed the world's finest counterterrorism force over the past decade, we need to build and maintain the finest cyber force and operations. We're recruiting, we're training, we're retaining the best and the brightest in order to stay ahead of other nations.

It's no secret that Russia and China have advanced cyber capabilities. Iran has also undertaken a concerted effort to use cyberspace to its advantage.

Moreover, DoD is already in an intense daily struggle against thousands of cyber actors who probe the Defense Department's networks, millions of time a day. Throughout the innovative efforts of our cyber operators, we've been trying to enhance the department's cyber-defense programs.

These systems rely on sensors; they rely on software to hunt down the malicious code before it harms our systems. We actively share our own experience defending our systems with those running the nation's critical private sector networks.

In addition to defending the department's networks, we also help deter attacks. Our cyber adversaries will be far less likely to hit us if they know that we will be able to link to the attack or that their effort will fail against our strong defenses.

The department has made significant advances in solving a problem that makes deterring cyber adversaries more complex: the difficulty of identifying the origins of that attack.

Over the last two years, DoD has made significant investments in forensics to address this problem of attribution and we're seeing the returns on that investment.

Potential aggressors should be aware that the United States has the capacity to locate them and to hold them accountable for their actions that may try to harm America.

But we won't succeed in preventing a cyber attack through improved defenses alone. If we detect an imminent threat of attack that will cause significant, physical destruction in the United States or kill American citizens, we need to have the option to take action against those who would attack us to defend this nation when directed by the president.

For these kinds of scenarios, the department has developed that capability to conduct effective operations to counter threats to our national interests in cyberspace.

Let me clear that we will only do so to defend our nation, to defend our interests, to defend our allies and we will only do so in a manner that is consistent with the policy principles and legal frameworks that the department follows for other domains including the law of armed conflict.

Which brings me to the second area of focus, policies and organization. Responding to the cyber threat requires the right policies and organizations across the federal government.

For the past year, the Department of Defense has been working very closely with other agencies to understand where are the lines of responsibility when it comes to cyber defense. Where do we draw those lines? And how do those responsibilities get executed?

As part of that effort, the department is now finalizing the most comprehensive change to our rules of engagement in cyberspace in seven years. The new rules will make clear that the department has a responsibility, not only to defend DoD's networks, but also to be prepared to defend the nation and our national interests against an attack in or through cyberspace.

These new rules make the department more agile and provide us with the ability to confront major threats quickly.

To execute these responsibilities, we must have strong organization structures in place.

Three years ago, the department took a major step forward by establishing the United States Cyber Command. Under the leadership of General Keith Alexander, a four-star officer who also serves as the director of the National Security Agency.

Cyber Command has matured into what I believe is a world-class organization.

It has the capacity to conduct a full range of missions inside cyberspace. And it's also working to develop a common, real-time understanding of the threats in cyberspace. The threat picture could be quickly shared with DoD's geographic and functional combatant commanders, with DHS, with FBI and with other agencies in government. After all, we need to see an attack coming in order to defend against that attack.

And we're looking at ways to strengthen Cyber Command as well. We must ensure that hit has the resources, that it has the authorities, that it has the capabilities required to perform this growing mission. And it must also be able to react quickly to events unfolding in cyberspace and help fully integrate cyber into all of the department's plans and activities.

And finally, the third area is to build stronger partnerships.

As I've made clear, securing cyberspace is not the sole responsibility of the United States military or even the sole responsibility of the United States government. The private sector, government, military, our allies - all share the same global infrastructure and we all share the responsibility to protect it.

Therefore, we are deepening cooperation with our closest allies with the goal of sharing threat information, maximizing shared capabilities and determining malicious activities. The president, the vice president, Secretary of State and I have made cyber a major topic of discussion in nearly all of our bilateral meetings with foreign counterparts.

I recently met with our Chinese military counterparts just a few weeks ago. As I mentioned earlier, China is rapidly growing its cyber capabilities.

In my visit to Beijing, I underscored the need to increase communication and transparency with each other so that we could avoid a misunderstanding or a miscalculation in cyberspace. This is in the interest of the United States, but it's also in the interest of China.

Ultimately, no one has a greater interest in cybersecurity than the businesses that depend on a safe, secure and resilient global, digital infrastructure.

Particularly those who operate the critical networks that we must help defend. To defend those networks more effectively, we must share information between the government and the private sector about threats in cyberspace.

We've made real progress in sharing information with the private sector. But very frankly, we need Congress to act to ensure that this sharing is timely and comprehensive.

Companies should be able to share specific threat information with the government, without the prospect of lawsuits hanging over their head. And a key principle must be to protect the fundamental liberties and privacy in cyberspace that we are all duty bound to uphold.

Information sharing alone is not sufficient. We've got to work with the business community to develop baseline standards for our most critical private-sector infrastructure, our power plants, our water treatment facilities, our gas pipelines. This would help ensure that companies take proactive measures to secure themselves against sophisticated threats, but also take common sense steps against basic threats. Although awareness is growing, the reality is that too few companies have invested in even basic cybersecurity.

The fact is that to fully provide the necessary protection in our democracy, cybersecurity legislation must be passed by the Congress. Without it, we are and we will be vulnerable.

Congress must act and it must act now on a comprehensive bill such as the bipartisan Cybersecurity Act of 2012 co-sponsored by Senators Lieberman, Collins, Rockefeller and Feinstein.

This legislation has bipartisan support, but is victim to legislative and political gridlock like so much else in Washington. That frankly is unacceptable and it should be unacceptable not just to me, but to you and to anyone concerned with safeguarding our national security.

While we wait for Congress to act, the administration is looking to enhance cybersecurity measures under existing authorities, by working with the private sector to promote best practices, increase information sharing.

They are considering issuing an Executive Order as one option to try to deal with the situation, but very frankly there is no substitute for comprehensive legislation and we need to move as far as we can in the meantime. We have no choice because the threat that we face, as I've said, is already here.

Congress has a responsibility to act and the President of the United States has constitutional responsibility to defend our country.

I want to urge each of you to add your voice to those who support stronger cyber defenses for our country.

In closing, let me say something that I know the people of New York, along with all Americans, will appreciate.

Before September 11, 2001, the warning signs were there. We weren't organized. We weren't ready and we suffered terribly for that lack of attention.

NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN, SEPTEMBER 28, 2012

Photo Credit:  U.S. Air Force.

FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Combined Force Kills Multiple Insurgents
From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release

KABUL, Afghanistan, Sept. 28, 2012 - An Afghan and coalition security force killed multiple armed insurgents during an operation to arrest a senior Haqqani facilitator in the Gelan district of Ghazni province today, military officials reported.

As the security force approached the Haqqani facilitator's suspected location, armed insurgents attacked the Afghan and coalition troops with heavy machine gun fire, officials said. The coalition troops returned fire, killing several armed insurgents. No civilians were harmed in the exchange.

The sought-after Haqqani facilitator is believed to be directly involved in several attacks throughout the region, many involving improvised explosive devices, and suicide bombers, resulting in civilian casualties, officials said.

The security force also detained two suspects and seized multiple assault rifles, a heavy machine gun and several explosives, including rocket-propelled grenades, officials said. The weapons and explosives were destroyed.

In other operations today:

-- A combined force detained a number of suspects during an operation to arrest a Taliban leader in the Maiwand district of Kandahar province. The sought-after Taliban leader is suspected of facilitating the movement of weapons throughout the region and reported directly to senior Taliban leaders in order to coordinate insurgent attacks.

-- A combined force detained one suspect and seized several pounds of illegal narcotics during a search for a Taliban leader in the Washer district of Helmand province. The sought-after insurgent leader is alleged to serve as a link between senior Taliban leaders and local attack cells, directing insurgent activity throughout the district.

-- A combined force arrested one Haqqani network leader and detained two suspects in the Sharan district of Paktika province. The arrested Haqqani leader is suspected of being directly involved in the planning of insurgent attacks and acquiring weapons and explosives for Haqqani fighters.

-- An Afghan-led, coalition-supported force arrested a Haqqani explosives facilitator, detained one suspect and seized IED-making equipment in the Bak district of Khost province. The arrested facilitator is alleged to be directly involved in the acquisition and emplacement of improvised explosive devices and rockets for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

-- A combined force arrested a number of suspects and seized several firearms during a search for a senior Haqqani leader in the Sayyid Karam district of Paktiya province. The sought-after Haqqani leader is suspected of directing attacks and coordinating the acquisition of weapons and funding for insurgent activity.

-- A combined force detained a number of suspects and seized multiple firearms during a search for a Haqqani IED attack leader in the Sharan district of Paktika province. The sought-after Haqqani leader is believed to be directly involved in the acquisition and emplacement of IEDs for insurgent attacks.

In Sept. 27 operations:

-- An International Security Assistance Force patrol rescued three Afghans who were being held hostage by Taliban insurgents in the Panjwa'i district of Kandahar province. The ISAF unit, Task Force Arrowhead, observed a number of insurgents load three men, bound and blindfolded, onto a trailer towed by a tractor. The ISAF patrol pursued and stopped the tractor, at which point the insurgents attempted to flee. Task Force Arrowhead troops freed the hostages and detained three of their captors, who were later identified as Taliban members. ISAF learned the three captives had been held by the Taliban for up to six days. The freed men were released by ISAF to Panjwa'i district officials.

COMMANDER OF U.S. SPECIAL OPERATIONS CONCERNED ABOUT POLITICISING THE MILITARY

Photo:  Raising Flag After Taking Enemy Base In Afghanistan.   Credit:  U.S. Marine Corps.
FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT

McRaven Warns Special Ops Community about Disclosing Classified Information
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Aug. 24, 2012 - The commander of U.S. Special Operations is expressing concern about former members of the community who he said "are using their 'celebrity status' to advance their personal or professional agendas," and warned those who divulge classified information will be held accountable.

Navy Adm. William McRaven raised the issue in an email sent to the entire special operations community following several recent incidents involving former special operators. The latest was the announcement that a former Navy SEAL who participated in the raid that killed Osama bin Laden will publish a first-person account of the operation without first getting the book reviewed by the Defense Department for clearance.

"While as retired or former service members, they are well within their rights to advocate for certain causes or write books about their adventures, it is disappointing when these actions either try to represent the broader S.O.F. community, or expose sensitive information that could threaten the lives of their fellow warriors," McRaven wrote.

At the Pentagon Friday, Spokesman George Little told reporters defense officials have not read the book, but do expect to "assess it for the potential that it contains classified information." Any possible prosecution over leaked material would be up to the Justice Department, he said.

Adm. McRaven acknowledged the benefit of reading other special operators' stories. He noted that his thesis while attending the Naval Postgraduate School was based on "a rigorous examination of available literature" and provided background for his own book, "the Theory of Special Operations."

"Most of these books were wonderful accounts of courage, leadership, tough decision making, and martial skill, all of which benefited me as I tried to understand our past and how it could affect missions in the future," he said in his email.

McRaven also recognized the value of movies that provide insight into the lives of special operations professionals, noting that seeing John Wayne's appearance in "The Green Berets" influenced his own decision to become a special operator. "Countless stories have been told through the medium of film that needed to be told and I am thankful that they were," he wrote.

But he drew a distinct line between what he called "recounting a story for the purposes of education or entertainment and telling a story that exposes sensitive activities just to garner greater readership and personal profit." It's a line he said must be respected – even after leaving the military.

"Every member of the special operations community with a security clearance signed a nondisclosure agreement that was binding during and after service in the military," he said in his email. "If the U.S. Special Operations Command finds that an active duty, retired or former service member violated that agreement and that exposure of information was detrimental to the safety of U.S. forces, then we will pursue every option available to hold members accountable, including criminal prosecution where appropriate."

Current and former special operators have both a moral obligation and legal duty to submit their works for pre-publication security review. "We are fully prepared to work with any author who is looking to tell his story and wants a straightforward assessment of the potential security impacts of their work," he wrote.

Addressing a related issue, McRaven expressed concern over "the growing trend of using the special operations 'brand,' our seal, symbols and unit names, as part of any political or special interest campaign."

"Let me be completely clear on this issue: U.S.S.O.C.O.M. does not endorse any political viewpoint, opinion or special interest," he wrote.

McRaven said he strongly encourages active-duty special operators to participate in the political process, as appropriate under ethics rules, and for retired members to do the same. "However, when a group brands itself as special operations for the purpose of pushing a specific agenda, then they have misrepresented the entire nature of S.O.F. and life in the military," he said.

"Our promise to the American people is that we, the military, are nonpartisan, apolitical and will serve the president of the United States regardless of his political party," McRaven emphasized. "By attaching a special operation's moniker or a unit or service name to a political agenda, those individuals have now violated the most basic of our military principles."

McRaven encouraged former special operators to "voice their concerns from the highest hilltop" when acting as private citizens. However, by claiming to represent a broader SOF constituency as they do so, "they do a disservice to all of their S.O.F. teammates who serve quietly and respectfully in support of this great nation," he wrote.

"Our reputation with the American people is as high as it has ever been," McRaventold the special operations community. "The sacrifices of our men and women downrange have earned us that respect. Let us not diminish that respect by using our service in special operations to benefit a few at the expense of the many."

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PANETTA ATTENDS FISHER HOUSE FUNDING EVENT

FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Presenter: Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta August 19, 2012
　

Remarks by Secretary Panetta at Gooding Car Auction, Monterey, Calif.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE LEON E. PANETTA: Thank you, David. I appreciate your generosity in hosting this and Jay, thank you for your generosity in providing the -- the little Italian car that will be sold here.
　
This is -- it's a great honor for me to have this opportunity and I -- I appreciate that fact that it's taking place here in my hometown of Monterey, gives me chance to get the hell out of Washington and be able to come home. (Applause.)
　
I -- I am very proud as -- as Secretary of Defense to represent probably the most powerful military force in the world. And we have, as many of you know, we have great -- great weapons, great fighters, great carriers, great technology -- cutting edge technology and so much, and yet the most important thing we have, none of that is worth much, most important thing we have are men and women in uniform who are willing to serve this country and put their lives on the line. (Applause.)
　
I -- I can't -- I can't tell you how -- how important it is in our country that there are those that are willing to -- to be in the battle.
　
As we speak, there are those in Afghanistan who are fighting, and yes, some are dying in order to protect this country.
　
And so, it is -- it is truly an honor to be able to be at an event that is going to help fund the Fisher House.
　
We've had a lot of seriously wounded individuals. And I was at Bethesda yesterday, and these kids are stepping on IEDs, on mines and getting the most serious injuries you can image. But because of the Fisher House Foundation, they are able to provide the kind of rehabilitation and help that gives all of these kids a chance to be able to continue their lives, to go back to the communities and really be able to become good, solid Americans by virtue of the generosity of the Fisher House and all it does.
　
So I am really thankful to Jay for -- for his willingness to -- to put this little Italian car up for sale. As Ray said, it's Odierno, it's Panetta, it's Leno, you better damn well bid on this Italian car and make it a good bid.
　
Thank you. (Applause.)

ISAF NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN AUGUST 14, 2012

Photo:  Troops On C-17

Globemaster III En Route To Afghanistan.  Credit:  U.S. Marine Corps Photo

FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Combined Force Arrests Taliban Weapons Dealer
From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release
KABUL, Afghanistan, Aug. 14, 2012 - An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban weapons dealer and detained two suspected insurgents in the Panjwai district of Afghanistan's Kandahar province today, military officials reported.
　
The weapons dealer provided Taliban fighters with weapons, ammunition and improvised explosive device material for use in attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. At the time of his arrest, officials said, he was trying to arrange weapons training for insurgents in the province.
　
In other news today:
-- In the Now Zad district of Helmand province, a combined force found and destroyed 16 IEDs and more than 4,100 pounds of wet opium.
　
-- Afghan and coalition security force officials confirmed that a Haqqani network leader responsible for numerous attacks against Afghan and coalition forces was one of those detained during an Aug. 9 operation in the Shwak district of Paktia province.
　
In operations yesterday:
-- In the Chimtal district of Balkh province, a combined force arrested a Taliban weapons supplier who provided machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades and IEDs to insurgents for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces in and around the district. The weapons supplier also placed IEDs along local roads.
　
-- During an operation in the Watahpur district of Kunar province, a combined force conducted a precision airstrike against a group of armed insurgents. The force confirmed the strike had killed multiple insurgents and had not injured civilians or damaged civilian property.
　
-- In the Sabari district of Khost province, a combined force arrested a Haqqani weapons supplier. The supplier smuggled assault rifles into the district and tried to acquire grenades for a planned attack against Afghan and coalition forces. He is also responsible for coordinating multiple attacks against security forces. The combined force also detained several suspected insurgents and seized firearms.
　
In Aug. 12 operations:
--In the Pul-e Alam district of Logar province, a combined force arrested a Haqqani network leader who directed and conducted numerous attacks against Afghan and coalition forces in the province. Before his arrest, the Haqqani leader tried to acquire IED components for additional attacks. The security force also detained three suspected insurgents.
　
-- An Afghan security force, supported by coalition troops, arrested senior Taliban leader Mawawi Akbar in the Surobi district of Kabul province. Before his arrest, Akbar was one of the most senior Taliban insurgents operating in Surobi, and he was responsible for facilitating the movement of suicide bombers throughout the province.

ISAF NEWS FROM AFGANISTAN AUGUST 10, 2012

011226-N-2383B-506 KANDAHAR (December 26, 2001) -- A U.S. Marine continues to stand watch as the sun sets at a forward operating base in Kandahar, Afghanistan. U.S. Marines are deployed to the U.S. Central Command region in support of Operation Enduring Freedom U.S. Navy Photo by Chief Photographer's Mate Johnny Bivera (Released)
　
FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Combined Force Detains Numerous Suspected Insurgents

Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases

WASHINGTON, Aug. 10, 2012 - An Afghan and coalition security force detained numerous suspected insurgents during an operation to arrest a Haqqani leader in the Shwak district of Afghanistan's Paktiya province today, military officials reported.

The Haqqani leader is responsible for facilitating attacks against Afghan and coalition forces throughout the district, officials said.

Also today, a combined force detained one suspect during an operation to arrest a Taliban leader in the Chimtal district of Balkh province. The sought-after Taliban leader directs attacks against Afghan security forces throughout the region. He is also responsible for conducting attacks against reconstruction projects in the province.

In Aug. 9 operations:
-- A combined force found and cleared an improvised explosive device in Ghanzi province's Ghazni district.

-- A combined force killed an insurgent in Kapisa province's Tagab district.

-- A combined force detained two insurgents in Khowst province's Gurbuz district.

-- A combined force killed one insurgent and detained two others in Laghman province's Mehtar Lam district.

-- A combined force detained an insurgent who was emplacing an IED in Logar province's Muhammad Aghah district.

-- In Nangarhar province, a combined force found and cleared one IED in the Jalalabad district and another in the Khugyani district.

-- In Paktika province, a combined force found and cleared an IED in the Sar Rowzah district.

-- In Paktiya province, a combined force found and cleared an IED in the Zurmat district.

-- In Parwan province, a combined force discovered a weapons cache containing 18 rockets in the Bagram district.

-- A combined force found and cleared an IED in Wardak province's Sayyidabad district.

CIVILIAN SKILLS A "FORCE MULTIPLIER" IN THE MILITARY SERVICE

Army Spc. Ed Lewis prepares to monitor a training site at the 2012 Combat Support Training Exercise on Fort McCoy, Wis., July 30, 2012. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Michael McDevitt
FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Face of Defense: Reservist's Civilian Skills Benefit Unit Safety
By Army Spc. Phillip Scaringi
78th Training Division
FORT McCOY, Wis., Aug. 1, 2012 - The Army Reserve has a unique ability to integrate professional civilian skills that its citizen-soldiers have acquired and use them to assist the unit in completing its mission.

Reservists who bring their civilian skills to the Army Reserve are known as "force multipliers." Reserve units see it as imperative to recognize civilian job skills and use them as effectively as possible.

Spc. Ed Lewis is an Army Reserve soldier from Orange, N.Y., who serves with G Company, 3rd Battalion, 78th Training Division, based out of Horseheads, N.Y. He is mobilized here to support the unit's Combat Support Training Exercise, one of the largest annual training exercises conducted by the Army Reserve. Lewis, a supply specialist in the Army Reserve, works as a volunteer emergency medical technician and assistant fire chief back home. These civilian job skills on safety procedures and first aid made him a premier candidate to become a task force safety officer during the exercise.

Safety officers ensure soldiers comply with safety standards. Lewis keeps a watchful eye on all aspects of the training; from M16 rifle ranges and convoy operations to troop movement around the various training areas. Lewis and his team inform and direct soldiers to key locations such as medical and hydration stations, and they educate units on best safety practices while training in the field.

The importance of safety is a focus of all people in uniform. Having soldiers like Lewis working in this key role, allow units to prepare for war while minimizing hazards, officials here said.

OFFICIALS SAY SOURSE OF PHYSIOLOGICAL PROBLEMS IDENTIFIED

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT

An F-22 Raptor from the Hawaii Air National Guard's 199th Fighter Squadron returns to a training mission after refueling March 27, 2012, over the Pacific Ocean. Air Force officials have determined the source of previously unexplained physiological incidents involving the fifth-generation fighter jet. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Michael Holzworth

Air Force Assures F-22 Readiness Following Extensive Testing


By Amaani Lyle
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1, 2012 - Following months of life support systems components testing in the F-22 Raptor fighter jet, officials have "determined with confidence" the source of previously unexplained physiological incidents, the director of operations for the Air Force's Air Combat Command said yesterday at a Pentagon news conference.

Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta last week approved a gradual lifting of restrictions he placed on F-22 flights in May.

The combined medical disciplines of flight medicine, toxicology, physiology, human factors and occupational health have enabled the service to assemble "pieces of the mosaic" that reside in the cockpit, Maj. Gen. Charles W. Lyon, designated by Air Force Secretary Michael B. Donley in January to lead an investigative task force, said at yesterday's news conference. The general pinpointed the upper pressure garment, oxygen delivery hoses, quick connection points and on occasion, the air filter canister, as root causes of previously unexplained physiological incidents in which some pilots complained of hypoxia-like symptoms.

"As we completed end-to-end testing in the life support systems components, we are able to piece together the contributing factors for our previously unexplained incidents," Lyon said, crediting an "integrated, collaborative approach by government and industry" in helping the Air Force develop its findings. The task force, Lyon said, leveraged the investigative efforts of numerous safety investigation boards and the Air Force's Scientific Advisory Board to eliminate contamination as the root cause of the incidents.

Air Force officials used intensive altitude chamber and centrifuge protocols to isolate variables in the flight gear and cockpit connections, the general said. They also analyzed thousands of samples of gases, volatile and semi-volatile compounds, solids and liquids, and compared that data to occupational hazard standard levels.

"Managing risks to our F-22 force has always been pre-eminent as we work through this complex set of factors," Lyon said. "In the end, there is no 'smoking gun.'"

The fleet, grounded for five months last year, has flown nearly 8,000 sorties totaling more than 10,000 flight hours since its last reported unexplained incident in March, Lyon said.

In a recent update to Panetta that led to the decision to roll back the restrictions, Air Force officials said the service employed thorough, in-depth analysis to eliminate contamination as a contributing factor to its most recent incident and charted a path to eliminate all significant contributing factors today and in the future.

"We left no stone unturned in the investigative process," Lyon said, adding that the service will continue to move forward with enhancements and fixes as NASA primes to conduct an independent investigation.

The Air Force's investigative process also involved canvassing the F-22 communities to gauge pilot, maintainer and family member confidence in the aircraft's safety, Lyon said.

"I recently visited our F-22 bases, and I can tell you, their confidence is high," he said, noting that no hybrid high-altitude flight operations and high-maneuverability aircraft could be completely immune to such incidents. "There's no other aircraft our pilots would rather fly in the service of our nation," he added.

Panetta has authorized the deployment of a squadron of F-22 aircraft to Kadena Air Base, Japan, under altitude restrictions using the northern Pacific transit route. Upon completion of that mission, the Air Force likely will approve most long-duration flights, service officials said.

JOINT U.S.-ISRAEL PRESS CONFERENCE

FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
U.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta, right center, meets with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak, left center, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Aug. 1, 2012. Panetta is on a five-day trip to the region to meet with leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, Israel and Jordan. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo
　

Joint Press Conference with Secretary Panetta and Minister Barak in Israel

STAFF: Ladies and gentlemen, hi. And the Minister of Defense will start with a short statement.

ISRAELI DEFENSE MINISTER EHUD BARAK: Defense Secretary Panetta, welcome to Iron Dome Ashkelon.

I would like to thank the United States administration for its generous assistance, and in particular its latest investment in Iron Dome project.

The relationship between our defense establishments is extraordinary. Much of the credit for this genuinely special relationship must be given to my friend and counterpart, Secretary Leon Panetta, and of course to President Obama.

Our ties with the United States have extended in a range of areas, including intelligence, high-tech, and securing the qualitative military edge of Israel. The defense relationship underpins greater and wider cooperation between the two countries. It also highlights the undeniable mutual commitment that exists between Israel and America.

The American administration recently allocated additional $70 million to equip Israel with more of Iron Dome. During the recent (inaudible) the Iron Dome system has been proven to be an extremely successful technological and operational project, extremely effective intercepting more than 80 percent of incoming missiles, neglecting those who are not going to hit real targets, and already intercepted more than 100 real missiles and rockets from the Gaza Strip.

We want to thank the administration for these funds that have already been transferred to Israel defense establishment. The region, our region, the Middle East is subject to dynamic changes (inaudible). Israel and America are vigilantly monitoring all of the regional developments.

Like any relationship, from time to time there are disagreements and differences of opinion. However, with true friendship these disagreements can never alter the fundamental depth and special nature of the United States-Israel relationship. We are determined to keep it this way.

Thank you very much, Secretary Panetta, and have a successful visit here. Thank you.

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE LEON E. PANETTA: Thank you very much, Minister Barak, my good friend Ehud, and good morning everyone. It's a real pleasure to be here on my second visit to Israel as Secretary of Defense. This is about my fifth visit to the country since joining the Obama administration in 2009.

It's also a great honor to be standing here alongside my friend Ehud, who I deeply respect as a leader, as a statesman and as a warrior.

The first call I received from a foreign counterpart after I was sworn in as Secretary of Defense was from Ehud, and I have met with him more than any other Minister of Defense.

I agree with what he has said. The U.S.-Israel defense relationship is stronger than it has ever been before. And I share his commitment to strengthening that relationship even further.

Let me begin by publicly expressing my condolences to the people of Israel for the five Israeli citizens who were murdered this month while vacationing in Bulgaria, and the many others who were injured in that attack.

The attack is a reminder that both the United States and Israel continue to be threatened by violent extremism simply because of the values that we share.

The Israeli people should know that the United States stands with them in this fight and in the fight to ensure peace in this region, and that we have a rock-solid commitment to Israel's security and the security of its citizens.

This commitment, this partnership is more important than ever because of the real security challenges that we see emanating from this region, which are a focus of my discussions with Israeli leaders during this visit and a focus of this trip to the region.

On Israel's northern shore, its northern border, the Assad regime is engaged in brutal violence against its citizens, which is both an affront to our values and a threat to regional stability.

At the same time, Iran's pursuit of nuclear capabilities and its destabilizing activities, including its support for Assad, for Hezbollah and for international terrorism, poses a threat not only to Israel, but to the entire region.

The United States is also a focus of that threat as indeed the rest of the world.

On Syria, we firmly believe that a political transition is the best way forward, and we are urgently working with like-minded nations to pressure Assad and find a political solution in order to bring the violence, terrible violence, as well as the regime to an end.

On Iran, the United States and Israel share the same goal: preventing a nuclear-armed Iran. The most effective way to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon is for the international community to be united, proving to Iran that it will only make itself less secure if it continues to try to pursue a nuclear weapon.

We have been steadily applying more and more pressure against Tehran, focusing on diplomatic and economic sanctions, and I believe these steps are having an effect. But it is clear that we need to continue to apply maximum pressure. And make no mistake, we will.

Just yesterday, President Obama announced additional sanctions to further penalize and isolate Iran, building on the toughest sanctions that Iran has ever faced.

It's my responsibility as Secretary of Defense to provide the president with a full range of options, including military options, should diplomacy fail. President Obama has made clear that preventing a nuclear-armed Iran is a top national security priority by the United States and that all options -- all options -- are on the table.

The United States has made an enduring commitment to Israel's security, backed not only by our words, but by our deeds. The Iron Dome facility that you see behind me is one example of that commitment. Since Iron Dome has been deployed, it has been a game-changer for Israel's security. It has saved Israeli lives and it has achieved a better than 80 percent success rate against rockets fired on Israeli population centers.

Last March, there were 12 rocket attacks in this area -- 12 -- and this battery successfully intercepted every one of them, saving lives and preventing further escalation of conflict.

When I met with Prime Minister Netanyahu in Washington last March, he told me something that I think makes the point: These missile shields do not start wars, they prevent wars. I strongly agree with the prime minister, and for that reason I'm proud of the Obama administration's strong record of support for Iron Dome and other rocket and missile defense systems.

We've already provided more than $200 million for Israel to acquire additional batteries. And last week the president announced an additional $70 million is being transferred to Israel for the current fiscal year.

We will seek additional funding in the years ahead, based on an annual assessment that we will make together of Israel's security requirements against this threat. My goal is to ensure -- to ensure that Israel has the funding it needs each year in order to produce these batteries that protect its citizens.

This cooperation on Iron Dome is only one part of our commitment to preserving and enhancing Israel's qualitative military edge, the bedrock principle guiding our defense relationship.

One other very important way that we are -- that we are involved with is through Israel's participation in the Joint Strike Fighter program. Israel is the only country, the only country in the Middle East participating in this program. And DoD's Joint Strike Fighter programs is working closely with Israel and Lockheed Martin on a package of enhancements to their Joint Strike Fighter. This will ensure Israel's unquestioned air superiority for years to come.

Let me close by noting that I am coming to the end of a trip that has also taken me to Tunisia and Egypt. This is clearly a time of dramatic change and upheaval in the Middle East and in Africa.

This time of change is also a time of opportunity -- opportunity for Israel to benefit from the development of other democracies in the region. The challenge for the United States is to try to help the people of this region achieve their goal of greater freedom and greater prosperity and to ensure the security of Israel and the region.

One important way to do that is to work towards a sustainable, comprehensive Middle East peace with a two-state solution.

Each time I visit Israel, I come away inspired by the extraordinary challenges the Jewish people have overcome in establishing this state and sustaining it in the face of war and in the face of other threats. There should be no doubt about the commitment of the United States to Israel's future security and to our deepening defense partnership.

Thank you once again, Ehud, for your partnership and for your friendship.

MIN. BARAK: Thank you. I will give you words in Hebrew with your permission.

(SPEAKING IN HEBREW)

Q: -- (inaudible) -- from Israeli Channel 10.

Mr. Secretary, you've made it clear time and again that you see no U.S. interest in Israel launching a military strike on Iran this year. Still, the Israel leadership is counting on U.S. support, diplomatic and military, should it decide to launch a strike in the coming weeks.

Can they count on it? Would the U.S. provide Israel with the required military and diplomatic umbrella if it launches a strike on Iran?

SEC. PANETTA: Look, I think we've said very clearly that we respect Israel's sovereignty and their independence, and the, you know, the -- their -- their effort to decide what is in their national security interest is something that must be left up to the Israelis.

As to future contingencies and future hypotheticals, I -- I don't -- I just don't want to engage in speculating what we will or won't do. I guess my hope is that, working together, since we have a common cause here, we are both interested in preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, and we have been working together and we will continue, hopefully, to work together to ensure that that never happens.

Q: Hello. Kevin Baron from Foreign Policy magazine.

Both of you today have expressed the closeness of the military relationship, and, Mr. Secretary, you said there should be no doubt about the U.S. commitment to Israel's security.

But there are doubts. And Governor Romney, representing large parts of the U.S. electorate, was just here saying that the U.S. should be doing more to protect Israel and more with its military to put pressure on Iran.

So for Mr. Barak, do you agree with those characterizations? Is the U.S. doing enough in your eyes or would you like to see more?

And since I'm pretty sure I know the answer from Mr. Panetta, why is the military not doing more? What are the reasons in your mind for -- for holding the line like you have?

MIN. BARAK: I noticed, I believe that you mentioned the candidate for presidency as well as the administration. And following the American code, I would not recommend on the different positions of competitors running -- people for -- for election in America.

I think that we have a long tradition of friendship with America running many administrations. I can count probably eight of them since Carter where I've been exposed to it personally and have seen it going deeper and deeper along the year, no matter which part of the -- which side of the political aisle in America was in power.

But (inaudible) that the relationship now with regard to our security is extremely deep and strong. Of course we expect it to be continued by the next administration upon the American election results. And we -- we strongly believe that it stems out of a deep background of shared values by our peoples and stems out from the very feeling of the American people. And I can witness here or bring my witness that it's the same on this side of the Atlantic. We also feel the same.

And I think that we are extremely thankful to the administration and to Secretary Panetta for what they are doing now. And we keep looking and watching developments all around the area, and as the Secretary said, Israel is always seeing the very crucial issues of its security and future as something that ultimately the Israeli government and only the Israeli government has to make decisions upon.

But we are not blind. We -- we are looking around. We watch all developments and try to predict most of the consequences. And of course taking into account the -- the American views, the -- the European views and the views of our neighborhood. But always (inaudible) to keep on and making sure that Iran will not turn nuclear. And when we say all the options are on the table, when the American's say all the options are on the table, we mean it and I believe that Americans means -- means it as well.

SEC. PANETTA: I think -- I think Minister Barak has said it. The United States and Israel have the strongest relationship when it comes to the military area that we have ever had. And that's true in a number of areas. We -- we continue to have very strong communications between the Defense Minister and I on almost every issue that is confronting this region, and beyond that, that is confronting the world. And we continue to have discussions not only with us, but between our military and the Israeli military.

We continue to have assistance, military aid that continues to be -- and financing that has -- that continues to be provided to the Israelis. We continue to strengthen their quality area in terms of their equipment to ensure that they always have a qualitative edge, and that -- that is made clear by the fact that they're purchasing the Joint Strike Fighter and the only country to be doing that in this region.

In addition to that, we've provided additional funding on Iron Dome and we will continue to provide funding for that so that Israel can develop its missile defenses. And in addition to that, we continue to have joint exercises between our militaries that -- that strengthen both sides.

So this is -- this is the strongest alliance that we have. They are -- they are a friend. We are Israel's friend. And we will continue to strengthen the military relationship, particularly at a time when we face so many threats abroad.

Q: Hello. (Inaudible) from the (inaudible) Daily, Israel. I would like to ask Secretary Panetta about Pollard. After 27 years in jail, Israeli spy Pollard (inaudible) U.S. security, if he will be released?

And I would like to ask both of you about talks with Iran. Isn't it time to declare that the talks of the P-5-plus-1 with Iran has failed?

Thank you.

SEC. PANETTA: With regards to the first issue, obviously that -- that rests with the -- with the administration to make a judgment as to what will or will not happen with regards to that individual. There's been a great deal of opposition about him being released because of what he did. But again that -- that decision rests with the -- with the White House as to what will or will not happen.

With regards to the issue of -- of -- of the effort to bring pressure on Iran and to try to draw them to the -- the table in order to negotiate a resolution, I think -- I think we have to exhaust -- and the prime minister has made this point -- we have to exhaust every -- every option, every effort, you know, before we resort to military action. I think that's important.

And to do that, you know, we have -- we have applied, the international community has applied very strong sanctions against them. We are ratcheting up those sanctions, as -- as made clear by the president's executive order and made clear by the European countries and others that are applying additional sanctions on Iran.

It's biting. It's having an impact there. And the result is that we did initiate the P-5-plus-1 negotiations. We have not, obviously, been able to reach any kind of agreement. But the key here is to keep putting the pressure on them to negotiate.

They have a choice. They have a choice to make. They can either negotiate in a way that tries to resolve these issues and has them abiding by international rules and requirements and -- and giving up on their effort to develop their -- their nuclear capability. That -- that's an effort we would be interested in working with them to try to negotiate.

But if they don't, and if they continue, and if they make the decision to proceed with a nuclear weapon, as the minister has pointed out, we have options that we are prepared to implement to ensure that that does not happen.

MIN. BARAK: We see both the sanctions and diplomacy going further than in the past and they have clearly certain impacts.

But to tell you the truth, we in Israel see the probability that it will lead the ayatollahs to gather around the table, look at each other eyes and tell each other that -- that the game is over, we have to give up our nuclear military program, the probability of this happening is very, extremely low.

And it's important to -- to notice that while sanctions are taking place and diplomacy takes -- takes place, it takes time, and in the meantime the Iranians are keeping enriching daily uranium, not just to -- to enlarge the -- the amount of (inaudible) enriched uranium they have, they are coming very close to having uranium enriched to 20 percent in an amount that comes closer to -- to the amount needed for a weapon. And they're continuing every day.

So it's not just a -- a -- a kind of passive symmetry. We are trying. We have nothing to lose. We have clearly something to lose by this stretched time upon which sanctions and diplomacy takes place because the Iranians are moving forward not -- not just in enrichment.

Thank you.

Q: Hello, (inaudible) with BBC News.

Secretary Panetta, is there an obligation, an understood obligation on the part of the U.S., if Israel were attacked by Iran?

And Minister Barak, Naftali Bennett has said to the BBC this morning that it seems like the Obama administration is more concerned with stopping Israel than stopping an Iranian bomb and only a credible U.S. threat would prevent an attack and Israel hasn't seen that yet. Can you respond?

SEC. PANETTA: Let me make clear that -- that we're committed to -- to the defense of Israel and to their security. And beyond that, I'm not going to discuss what contingencies we would or would not engage in were that to happen.

MIN. BARAK: I made it clear that the government of Israel and only the government of Israel will make the decisions about any issue that -- that touches the very core of our security interests and our future. I think that that's the way it should be run and that's the way we are going to run it. And beyond, -- (inaudible) Naftali Bennett?

That's it. Before we are delayed late.

ALL OPTIONS OPEN TO STOP A NUCLEAR IRAN SAYS SEC. OF DEFENSE PANETTA

Photo Credit:  U.S. Army
FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Panetta: All Options Open to Stop Iran's Nuke Program
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
CARTHAGE, Tunisia, July 30, 2012 - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta reiterated here today that the United States "is prepared to exercise all options" to prevent Iran from developing atomic weapons.

Panetta spoke during a news conference at the North Africa American Cemetery and Memorial.
Panetta would not go into specifics about the options, but he did say the U.S. government believes the United Nations-imposed sanctions on Iran still have time to work.

"The international community has been strongly unified in imposing some strong sanctions on Iran," he said. "The international community will increase the impact of those sanctions in the next couple of months."

The sanctions are having a serious impact on Iran's economy. While the results of that may not be obvious at the moment, Panetta said, the Iranians have expressed a willingness to negotiate.
"What we all need to do is continue the pressure on Iran economically and diplomatically," Panetta said. The international community must convince Iran's leaders to take the right steps and negotiate, to stop developing nuclear weapons and to rejoin the community of nations, he added.
"We believe the best course of action is to continue that pressure and to continue that unity to convince them to do what's right," he said.

FORMER NAVY SEABEE HELPS DEVELOP AFGHAN AGRIBUSINESS

FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENTArmy Spc. Michael Hilario measures wood before cutting it in southern Afghanistan, May 4, 2012. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Paul Evans
Face of Defense: Guardsman Uses Seabee Skills in AfghanistanBy Army Staff Sgt. Paul Evans
Kentucky National Guard

FORWARD OPERATING BASE PASAB, Afghanistan, July 25, 2012 - A former Navy Seabee who now serves with the Kentucky National Guard is putting his old skills to work as part of an agribusiness development team in Afghanistan.

"No matter what we have to go through and the hard things we have to deal with, to be able to know that you're here to help others, it's a way of life just because it's the way I was raised," said Army Spc. Michael Hilario, a 47-year-old Virginia Beach, Va., native, who resides in Lexington, Ky.

Hilario is deployed with the Kentucky Guard's Agribusiness Development Team 4.

Back in Kentucky, Hilario has served as an electrician with the Army National Guard's 149th Vertical Engineering Detachment, 201st Engineer Battalion, in Cynthiana, Ky., since leaving the Navy Reserve in 2008. During his 10 years with the Navy, Hilario deployed to Iraq twice as a Seabee, earning the Seabee Combat Warfare device and Fleet Marine Force Ribbon.

"I was active for right at two years," he said. "I was on the USS Kittyhawk for a little bit, and the USS Antietam out west in California, [then] I was out of the service for a very short period of time and wanted to get back into the Seabees. ... I've been an electrician for over 18 years. I'm a general contractor. That's what I do best, so I got with the Seabees and went to Ramadi, Fallujah and Baghdad."

In Iraq, he added, his construction battalion built airstrips, medical evacuation hospitals and schools. "It's quite a good feeling to know you can go over and help people like that," he said.

In Afghanistan, Hilario has put his past as a Seabee to good use by helping with the agribusiness development team's construction projects and serving as a liaison with the Seabees here.

"Things that we've needed, I've been able to go over and obtain," he said. "The things that they've needed, I've been able to help them as well. It's brotherhood taking care of brotherhood here. It's all family. ... I believe in helping others. That's the way I was raised."

"It's pretty evident that he knows how to do electric work pretty good," said Army Master Sgt. John Black, a 45-year-old Lawrenceburg, Ky., resident who works as a supervisor to Hilario on construction projects. "He's [also] a jack of all trades."

Hilario said service is in his bloodlines, as his father retired from the Navy as a chief petty officer, and his grandfather was a master chief petty officer.

"I wanted to be a part of the agribusiness development team because I knew they were doing some good things here," he said.

Hilario has three children at home. Two are teenagers who have learned to deal with his deployments.

"My oldest two -- Britney, 21, Michael, 18, -- they've been through it a couple of times. They know it's hard, but they're military children," he said. "It's gotten hard the first couple of times, but now they're understanding how things are, what we're here for, what we're here to do, and they know this is part of daddy's life as well as theirs."

His youngest child is almost 3, he said, and isn't old enough yet to understand. "I'm sure the video I sent him made him aware -- let him know where dad's going," he said. "He'll look back on it in the years to come. We'll sit down and we'll talk about it too."

After this deployment, Hilario said, he'll probably go home for a couple months and take it easy. But he'll be glad to return if necessary, he added.

"If they need me back, I'd go back again," he said. "I wouldn't hesitate."

Helping people is a family tradition, Hilario said.

"There's no amount of money that can ever replace the feeling that you get when you're able to help out people in your community and your country," he said. "There's nothing like the feeling of going and helping people."

SEC. OF DEFENSE SPEAKS BEFORE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON MEETING NEEDS OF VETERANS

FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Spoken Statement on DOD-VA Collaboration before the House Armed Services and Veterans Affairs Committees
As Delivered by Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta, Washington D.C., Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Thank you very much.
Chairman McKeon, Chairman Miller, Ranking Member Smith and Ranking Member Filner, dear former colleagues of mine, I appreciate the opportunity to be here. And I also want to pay my respects to the members of both committees. This is a unique event. It's an important event.

And first and foremost, I want to thank all of the members of both the Armed Services Committee and Veterans Committee for the support that you provide the Department of Defense, our men and women in uniform, and our veterans. We could simply not do the work that needs to be done in protecting this country and in serving those who are our warriors and their families – we just could not do it without the partnership that we have with all of you. And for that reason, let me just express my personal appreciation to all of you for your dedication and for your commitment to those areas.

I also want to thank you for the opportunity to appear this morning alongside Secretary Shinseki. He is a great public servant, a great military leader and a great friend to me and to our nation's veterans, and I appreciate the opportunity to appear alongside of him.

I'm pleased to have this chance to discuss the ways that the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs are working together to try to meet the needs of our service members, our veterans and their families. This hearing comes at a very important time for our nation and for collaboration between our two Departments.

DoD and VA are in the process of building an integrated military and veteran support system. It's something that should have been done a long time ago, but we are in the process of trying to make that happen and develop a support system that's fundamentally different and a lot more robust than it's been in the past.

Today, after a decade of war, a new generation of service members, of veterans, are coming home. Our nation has made a lifetime commitment to them for their service and for their sacrifice, for their willingness to put their lives on the line for this country. These men and women have shouldered a very heavy burden. They've been deployed, as you know, time and time and time again.

They've fought battles in Iraq. They've fought battles in Afghanistan. They've been targeted by terrorists and by IEDs. They've been deployed from Kuwait to South Korea, from the Pacific to the Middle East. Many are dealing with serious wounds, as well as with complex and difficult problems, both seen and unseen. They fought, and many have died, to protect this country, and we need to fight to protect them.

We owe it to those returning service members and to the veterans to provide them with a seamless support system so that they can put their lives back together, so that they can pursue their goals, so that they can not only go back to their communities but be able to give back to their communities and to help strengthen our nation in many ways.

None of this is easy. It takes tremendous commitment on the part of all Americans – those in government, those in the military. It takes tremendous commitment on the part of those in the private sector, our business leaders and frankly all citizens across our country.

There is no doubt that DoD and VA are working more closely together than we have before. But frankly, we have much more to do to try to reach a level of cooperation to better meet the needs of those who have served our nation in uniform, especially our wounded warriors.

Since I became Secretary a little over a year ago, Secretary Shinseki and I have met on a regular basis in order to personally guide efforts to share resources and expand cooperation between our departments. The partnership between our departments extends to all levels, led by a joint committee co-chaired by the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness and the Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Senior military leaders have been deeply committed to this effort. This is about the care of their troops, but it's also about recruiting and retaining the very best military force in the world. When it comes down to it, caring for those who have served and their families is not only a moral imperative, it is a national security imperative as well.

For those who have fought for their nation, we need to protect their care and their benefits, but we also need to protect their integrity and their honor. It's for that reason that before I discuss the specifics about DoD and VA collaboration, I want to announce an important step that my Department is taking in order to help maintain the integrity of the awards and honors that are earned by our service members and their veterans.

You're all aware of the Supreme Court decision that determined that free speech allows someone to lie about military awards and honors. Free speech is one thing, but dishonoring those who have been honored on the battlefield is something else.

For that reason, today we are posting a new page on the Defense Department's website that will list those service members and veterans who have earned our nation's highest military awards for valor. Initially the website will list the names of those who have earned the Medal of Honor since 9/11, but in the near term, it will include the recipients of the Services Crosses and the Silver Star since 9/11. We'll look at expanding that information available on the website over time.

This effort will help raise public awareness about our nation's heroes and help deter those who might falsely claim military honors, which I know has been a source of great concern for many veterans and members of these committees and members of the Congress. I want to thank you for your concerns and for your leadership on this issue. And our hope is that this will help protect the honor of those who serve the United States in battle.

Now let me discuss the five priority areas that DoD and VA are trying to work on to enhance collaboration.

The first is this transition program, the Transition GPS program. At the Department of Defense, our goal is to provide a comprehensive transition assistance program that prepares those who are leaving the service for the next step – whether that is pursuing additional education, whether it's trying to find a job in the public sector or the private sector, or whether it's starting their own business.

On Monday, the President announced the new "Transition GPS program" that will extend transition preparation through the entire span of each service member's military career. The program will ensure that every service member develops their own individual transition plan, meets new career readiness standards and is prepared to apply their valuable military experience however and wherever they choose.

The second area that we focused on is trying to integrate the Disability Evaluation System. We've overhauled the legacy disability evaluation system in trying to make improvements with regards to developing a new system. In the past, as you know, service members with medical conditions preventing them from doing their military jobs had to navigate separate disability evaluation systems at both DoD and VA. We've replaced that legacy system with a single integrated Disability Evaluation System that enables our departments to work in tandem. Under the new system currently in use, service members and veterans have to deal with fewer layers of bureaucracy, and they are able to receive VA disability compensation sooner after separating from the military.

But let's understand as we try to do this, this is a tough challenge to try to make this work in a way that can respond to our veterans effectively. After all, veterans have rights. They have the right to ensure that their claims are carefully adjudicated. But at the same time, we need to expedite the process, and to ensure that as we do that we protect their benefits. And that's what we're trying to do with this system.

The third area is to try to integrate – as was pointed out – a new Electronic Health Record system. We're working on a major initiative to try to do that. For too long, efforts to achieve a real seamless transition between our health care systems have been hamstrung by separate legacy health record systems. In response to the challenge that was issued by the President – and frankly, presidents in the past who have tried to address this issue – DoD and VA is finally working steadily to build an integrated Electronic Health Record system. When operational, that system will be the single source for service members and veterans to access their medical history and for clinicians to use that history at any DoD and VA medical facility.

Again, this is not easy, and so the way we're approaching it is to try to see if we can complete this process at two places – San Antonio and Hampton Roads – and then try to expand it to every other hospital. It's tough, but if we can achieve this, it would be a very significant achievement that I think could be a model not only for the hospitals that we run but for hospitals in the private sector as well.

Fourthly, we need greater collaboration on mental and behavioral health. Beyond these specific initiatives that I mentioned, we are trying to focus on enhancing collaboration in areas that involve some of the toughest challenges we face now, related to mental and behavioral health. Post-traumatic stress has emerged as a signature unseen wound of this last decade of war. Its impact will be felt for decades to come, and both the DoD and VA must therefore improve our ability to identify and treat this condition, as well as all mental and behavioral health conditions, and to better equip our system to deal with the unique challenges these conditions can present.

For example, I've been very concerned about reports of problems with modifying diagnoses for post-traumatic stress in the military disability evaluation system. Many of these issues were brought to my attention by members of Congress – and I appreciate their doing that – particularly the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Patty Murray, who addressed this issue because it happened in her own state in a particular way.

To address these concerns, I've directed a review across all of the uniformed services. This review, led by the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, Erin Conaton, will help ensure that we are delivering on our commitment to care for our service members. The review will be analytically sound, it will be action-oriented and it will provide hopefully the least disruptive impact to behavioral health services for service members. The effort here is to determine where those diagnoses take place, why they were downgraded downward, what took place, so that we know exactly what has happened. I hope that the entire review will be completed within approximately 18 months.

The last area is an area that has really concerned me, which is the area of trying to prevent military suicides. We've strongly focused on doing what we can to try to deal with this issue, which I've said is one of the most frustrating problems I have come across as Secretary of Defense. Despite increased efforts and attention by both DoD and VA, the suicide trends among service members and veterans continues to move in a very troubling and tragic direction. In part, it is reflective of the larger society. The fact is, numbers are increasing now within the military.

In close cooperation with the VA, DoD is taking aggressive steps to try to address this issue, including promoting a culture to try to get people to seek the kind of help that they need, to improve access to mental and behavioral health care, to emphasize mental fitness and to work to better understand the issue of suicide with the help of other agencies, including the VA.

One of the things that I'm trying to stress is that we have got to improve the ability of leadership within the military to see these issues, to see them coming and to do something to try to prevent it from happening. Our efforts to deliver the best possible services depend on the dedication of our DoD and VA professionals who work extremely hard every day on behalf of those who have served in uniform, and I extend my thanks to all who help support our men and women in uniform today, to our veterans and to our families.

Let me just say, we are one family. We have to be one family at the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs, a family that supports one another and all those who have answered the call to defend our country. Together, we will do everything possible to ensure that the bond between our two Departments and between our country and those who have defended it only grows stronger in the future.

Let me also say this. As a former Congressman – now as Secretary of Defense – and someone who's spent over 40 years involved in government in some capacity or another, I am well aware that too often the very best intentions for caring for our veterans can get trapped in bureaucratic infighting. It gets trapped by conflicting rules and regulations. It gets trapped by frustrating levels of responsibility.

This cannot be an excuse for not dealing with these issues. It should be a challenge for both the VA and DoD, for the Congress and for the Administration to try to meet that challenge together.

Our warriors are trained not to fail on the battlefield. We must be committed not to fail them on the homefront. I realize that there have been a lot of good words and a lot of good will and a lot of good intentions. But I can assure you that my interest is in results, not words. I'm grateful for the support of the Congress and particularly these two committees. And I thank you and look forward to your questions.