RECENT U.S. NAVY PHOTOS

FROM: U.S. NAVY
130402-N-XQ474-080 NORTH ARABIAN SEA (April 2, 2013) Sailors use an aircraft elevator to transport mail from the flight deck to the hangar bay aboard the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69). Dwight D. Eisenhower is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility promoting maritime security operations, theater security cooperation efforts and support missions as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Andrew Schneider/Released)

130403-N-IC228-012 FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. (April 3, 2013) The Navy's only MZ-3A manned airship launches from the Fernandina Beach Municipal Airport for a flight demonstration for U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, from Florida. The airship is visiting U.S. 4th Fleet headquarters for a capabilities demonstration as a potential search and detect platform for counter transnational organized crime operations in South and Central America and the Caribbean Sea. (U.S. Navy photo by Lt Cmdr. Corey Barker/Released)

 

ISAF NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN FOR APRIL 4, 2013



Afghan border policemen deploy a heavy machine gun while setting up a new checkpoint in the Spin Boldak district of Afghanistan's Kandahar province, March 25, 2013. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Shane Hamann

 
　
FROM: DPEARTMENT OF DEFENSED
Afghan, Coalition Troops Arrest Taliban Facilitator
From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release

KABUL, Afghanistan, April 4, 2013 - A combined Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban facilitator in the Dand district of Afghanistan's Kandahar province today, military officials reported.

The facilitator is believed to have arranged transportation of weapons and improvised explosive devices throughout the province for use in attacks against Afghan and coalition forces, officials said. He also allegedly has ordered executions and kidnappings of Afghan civilians working with government officials.

Also today, a combined force in Wardak province's Sayyidabad district detained several insurgents during a search for a Taliban leader who is believed to direct attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He also is an expert in the construction and use of IEDs and has directed acquisition and distribution of weapons to insurgents.

In Jowzjan province's Shibirghan district yesterday, a combined force killed an insurgent during a search for a Taliban facilitator responsible for providing financial aid throughout multiple provinces, collecting taxes for the Taliban, overseeing a network of Taliban tax collectors and coordinating financial matters with other Taliban leaders. He also is involved in providing weapons for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

TREASURY LIFTS SANCTIONS ON COLOMBIAN SOCCER TEAM FORMERLY TIED TO CALI CARTEL

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced today the removal of the Colombian professional soccer team America de Cali (also known as Corporacion Deportiva America) from the list of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN List). Treasury designated the America de Cali team on June 8, 1999, pursuant to Executive Order 12978 of 1995, "Blocking Assets and Prohibiting Transactions with Significant Narcotics Traffickers," because it was under the ownership or control of Cali Cartel leaders Miguel and Gilberto Rodriguez Orejuela and other designated individuals. Because that is no longer the case, the Treasury Department today is delisting America de Cali and U.S. persons will now be allowed to enter into financial transactions with the ownership of the team and any assets that they may have had in the U.S. are now unblocked.

"Today’s lifting of the designation of America de Cali is a testament to the enormous efforts made in recent years by both the team and the Colombian government to completely break with the criminal influences that have overshadowed the team in the past," said Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David S. Cohen. "As we continue our work with the Colombian government to combat the threat of narcotics trafficking, we will use our authorities to target those responsible for illicit behavior just as we will lift sanctions in cases where there has been a concrete change in behavior."

The soccer team’s corporate entity recently completed a transparent process of restructuring and bankruptcy procedures under the oversight of the Colombian government that included a vigorous due diligence process on all prospective shareholders and corporate officers. The results of this process demonstrated that America de Cali has cut its ties with designated parties, allowing Treasury to proceed with removing the team from the SDN List.

The removal of America de Cali from the SDN List demonstrates that entities may be, and regularly are, removed from the SDN List when circumstances warrant. A designated party may petition Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for the removal of its name from the SDN List. In general, proof of changes in circumstances and behavior is key to OFAC removing a person or entity from the SDN List.

THE ALGAE BLOOM OF DOOM

Lake Erie , Photo by Lynn Betts, USDA/Wikipedia Commons

FROM: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Exxtreme Algae Blooms: The New Normal?
A 2011 record-breaking algae bloom in Lake Erie was triggered by long-term agricultural practices coupled with extreme precipitation, followed by weak lake circulation and warm temperatures, scientists have discovered.

The researchers also predict that, unless agricultural policies change, the lake will continue to experience extreme blooms.

"The factors that led to this explosion of algal blooms are all related to humans and our interaction with the environment," says Bruce Hamilton, program director at the National Science Foundation (NSF), which funded the research through its Water, Sustainability and Climate (WSC) Program.

WSC is part of NSF's Science, Engineering and Education for Sustainability (SEES) initiative.

"Population growth, changes in agricultural practices and climate change are all part of the equation," says Hamilton. "These findings show us where we need to focus our attention in the future."

Results of the research are published in this week's online early edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

Algae overtakes a lake in Iowa.  Credit:  Wikimedia Commons.

"The 'perfect storm' of weather events and agricultural practices that occurred in 2011 is unfortunately consistent with ongoing trends," says Anna Michalak, the paper's lead author and a scientist at the Carnegie Institution for Science's Department of Global Ecology, located at Stanford University.

"That means that more huge algal blooms can be expected in the future, unless a scientifically-guided management plan is implemented for the region."

Freshwater algal blooms may result when high amounts of phosphorus and nitrogen are added to the water, usually as runoff from fertilizer.

These excess nutrients encourage unusual growth of algae and aquatic plants.

When the plants and algae die, decomposers in the water that feed on them use up oxygen, which can drop to levels too low for aquatic life to thrive.

At first the Lake Erie algae were almost entirely Microcystis, an organism that produces a liver toxin and can cause skin irritation.

The scientists combined sampling and satellite-based observations of the lake with computer simulations to track the bloom.

It began in the lake's Western region in mid-July and covered an area of 230 square miles.

At its peak in October, the bloom had expanded to more than 1,930 square miles. Its peak intensity was more than three times greater than any other bloom on record.

The researchers looked at numerous factors that could have contributed to the bloom, including land-use, agricultural practices, runoff, wind, temperature, precipitation and circulation.

They found that three agriculture management practices in the area can lead to increased nutrient runoff: autumn fertilization, broadcast fertilization (uniform distribution of fertilizer over the whole cropped field), and reduced tillage.

These practices have increased in the region over the last decade.

Conditions in the fall of 2010 were ideal for harvesting and preparing fields and increasing fertilizer application for spring planting.

A series of strong storms the following spring caused large amounts of phosphorus to flow into the lake.

In May alone rainfall was more than 6.5 inches, a level more than 75 percent above the prior 20-year average for the month.

This onslaught resulted in one of the largest spring phosphorus loads since 1975, when intensive monitoring began.

Lake Erie was not unusually calm and warm before the bloom. But after the bloom began, warmer water and weaker currents encouraged a more productive bloom than in prior years.

The longer period of weak circulation and warmer temperatures helped incubate the bloom and allowed the Microcystis to remain near the top of the water column. That had the added effect of preventing the nutrients from being flushed out of the system.

The researchers' data did not support the idea that land-use and crop choices contributed to the increase in nutrient run-off that fueled the bloom.

To determine the likelihood of future mega-blooms, the scientists analyzed climate model simulations under both past and future climate conditions.

They found that severe storms become more likely in the future, with a 50 percent increase in the frequency of precipitation events of .80 inch or more of rain.

Stronger storms, with greater than 1.2 inch of rain, could be twice as frequent.

The researchers believe that future calm conditions with weak lake circulation after a bloom's onset are also likely to continue, since current trends show decreasing wind speeds across the United States.

That would result in longer-lasting blooms and decreased mixing in the water column.

"Although future strong storms may be part of the new normal," says Michalak, "better management practices could be implemented to provide some relief to the problem."

The research was also supported by the NOAA Center for Sponsored Coastal Ocean Research and the Lake Erie Protection Fund.

-NSF-

DOD SAYS RECRUITING ON TRACK

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Recruiting Remains on Track in Latest Statistics
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, April 3, 2013 - All four active services met or exceeded their numerical accession goals for fiscal year 2013 through February, Defense Department officials announced yesterday.

Here are the recruiting numbers for each service over the first five months of fiscal 2013, which began Oct. 1 and runs through September:

-- Army: 26,978 accessions, 101 percent of its goal of 26,795;

-- Navy: 14,007 accessions, 100 percent of its goal of 14,007;

-- Marine Corps: 11,131 accessions, 100 percent of its goal of 11,112; and

-- Air Force: 11,874 accessions, 100 percent of its goal of 11,874.

The Army, Air Force and Marine Corps exhibited strong fiscal 2013 retention numbers through February, officials said. The Navy had strong retention in the mid-career and career categories, and its 88 percent retention rate in the initial category is a result of the transition from a downsizing posture to a stabilizing posture, they added.

Five of the six reserve components met or exceeded their fiscal 2013 recruiting goals through February. The Army Reserve finished 1,410 accessions short of its goal.

Here are the reserve component numbers:

-- Army National Guard: 21,186 accessions, 103 percent of its goal of 20,664;

-- Army Reserve: 10,531 accessions, 88 percent of its goal of 11,941;

-- Navy Reserve: 2,237 accessions, 100 percent of its goal of 2,237;

-- Marine Corps Reserve: 3,894 accessions, 101 percent of its goal of 3,853;

-- Air National Guard: 3,960 accessions, 100 percent of its goal of 3,960; and

-- Air Force Reserve: 3,085 accessions, 100 percent of its goal of 3,085.

All reserve components met their fiscal year attrition goals through January, and current trends are expected to continue, officials said. This indicator lags behind recruiting statistics by a month due to data availability, they added.

THE ALASKAN MOUNTAINS PHOTO FROM NASA

FROM: NASA
Alaskan Mountains Seen During IceBridge Transit
Alaskan mountains seen from high altitude aboard the NASA P-3B during the IceBridge transit flight from Thule to Fairbanks on March 21, 2013.

NASA's Operation IceBridge is an airborne science mission to study Earth's polar ice. Image Credit: NASA/Goddard/Christy Hansen

FORMER POLICE DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEE ARRESTED FOR IMPERSONATING A U.S. MARSHAL

FROM: U.S. MARSHALS SERVICE
Pretend U.S. Marshal Caught by Real U.S. Marshals Task Force

Memphis, TN -- A man alleged to have represented himself falsely as a deputy U.S. marshal was arrested today by the U.S. Marshal’s Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force.

Averick Nickson was indicted Thursday by a federal grand jury for falsely assuming the identity of a deputy U.S. marshal. Nickson had on at least two occasions allegedly identified himself to law enforcement officers as an employee of the U.S. Marshals Service. On one occasion he reportedly did so to avoid the possible issuance of a speeding ticket.

Nickson was arrested at his home in Memphis. During the execution of the warrant a sizable amount of police equipment was found, including but not limited to guns, tactical vests, badges and identification cards, and radios. His personal car was also equipped with emergency lights.

Nickson is a former employee of the Dresden, TN Police Department and the Weakly County Sheriff’s Office. He was transported to the federal building downtown without incident where he had his initial court appearance.

The U.S. Marshals Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force is a multi-agency task force with divisions in Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. The Western Tennessee Division of the GCRFTF has offices in Memphis and Jackson, and its membership is primarily composed of Deputy U.S. Marshals, Shelby County Sheriff’s Deputies, Madison County Sheriff’s Deputies, Jackson Police Officers, and the Tennessee Department of Corrections Special Agents. The primary mission of the Task Force is to arrest violent offenders and sexual predators

SECRETARY OF STATE KERRY ANNOUNCES WAR CRIMES REWARD PROGRAM

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Secretary Kerry on Bringing War Criminals to Justice Through Expansion of the War Crimes Rewards Program
Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
April 3, 2013

Secretary of State John Kerry today announced the expansion of the State Department’s War Crimes Rewards Program, implementing legislation that then-Senator Kerry authored and passed last year as Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, the last piece of Kerry legislation to be signed into law by President Obama.

Below is the text of a contribution by Secretary of State John Kerry that appeared in the Huffington Post on April 3, 2013.

Begin text:

More Work to Bring War Criminals to Justice

Imagine for a moment that you are a child growing up in central Africa. Instead of sleeping at home with your family each night, you take shelter with dozens of other children. You hope you'll find safety in numbers. You pray that you will not be pulled out of your bed and abducted in the night by an armed militia -- conscripted into a life of violence, forced to brutalize your own family members, used as a sex slave, condemned to a life on the run from the authorities.

It's a living nightmare -- but thanks in part to last year's Kony video about the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), it's a reality that millions of Americans now know that for almost twenty years has tormented and terrorized children across Uganda, the DRC, the Central African Republic, and South Sudan.

It has to stop.

Last April at this exact time, I came to the Huffington Post and I talked directly with you about some common sense steps we could take to help end the horror of thugs like Kony. I was chairing the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and introducing new legislation which I asked you to help pass into law. You responded -- we mobilized the grassroots -- Congress moved quickly -- and the very last piece of legislation I passed as a Senator was the bill we'd talked about right here. As I was awaiting confirmation to become Secretary of State, the bill came to President Obama's desk and he signed it into law.

So the last piece of legislation I passed as a Senator is one of the first I'm now ready to deploy on an issue we care about deeply. Today I return to Huffington Post to announce the new steps the State Department is taking in order to tighten the screws on murderers like Kony -- and you should know you helped to make it happen.

Today, I am announcing a new weapon in our fight. Through the expansion of the War Crimes Rewards Program, the Department of State is offering up to $5 million for information that leads to the arrest, transfer, and conviction of the top three leaders of the LRA: Joseph Kony, Okot Odhiambo, and Dominic Ongwen. All three are charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Kony and his cronies have eluded capture for years. The LRA is broken down into small bands of rebels, scattered throughout dense jungle, hidden by dense canopy, controlling territory through tactics of fear and intimidation. We know they will not be easy to find.

But we know that rewards have a proven track record of generating tips that help authorities find fugitives and hold them accountable -- just look at the example of criminals and butchers from conflicts in Sierra Leone, the former Yugoslavia, and Rwanda, all brought to justice in part through the use of rewards.

Of course, Joseph Kony and the LRA are not the only fugitive criminals we are targeting in Africa. So today I'm also announcing a $5 million reward for Sylvestre Mudacumura, who has committed and ordered brutal attacks on civilians as the military commander the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR). Several individuals accused of carrying out the 1994 Rwandan genocide belong to the FDLR.

Nineteen years after nearly one million Rwandans were killed in the 1994 genocide, nine of the men wanted by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda for allegedly planning, organizing, and carrying out the genocide remain free. Today, I also want to remind people around the world that the United States government still offers rewards of up to $5 million leading to the arrest of these fugitives. Their names are Felicien Kabuga, Protais Mpiranya, Augustin Bizimana, Fulgence Kayishema, Pheneas Munyarugarama, Aloys Ndimbati, Ladislas Ntaganzwa, Charles Ryandikayo, and Charles Sikubwabo.

I know coming forward takes guts, particularly when we are asking for information about notorious criminals like Kony. Let me assure you that the security of our informants is a priority of the War Crimes Rewards Program. The United States does not announce the names of informants even when a reward payment has been made -- and we always make good on our payments. In the past three years alone, we have made 14 reward payments to individuals who have provided critical information.

Anyone with information can help bring these criminals to justice. Simply contact the U.S. government through any of our embassies or through our secure website.  Stephen Rapp, our Ambassador at Large for War Crimes Issues and his staff in the office of Global Criminal Justice are ready to receive and respond to tips.
To be clear, this is not a dead-or-alive bounty program. Information must lead to the secure arrest, transfer, or conviction of these people men in a court of law. We want these men to look into the eyes of their victims and answer for their actions.

Can it work? You bet it can. Two weeks ago, one of the most notorious and brutal rebels in the DRC voluntarily surrendered to our Embassy in Rwanda shortly after being named to the War Crimes Reward Programs list. Now Bosco Ntaganda is charged by the International Criminal Court with war crimes and crimes against humanity. I would have been announcing a reward for him today, but instead, he is sitting in a cell at The Hague. He realized it was better to face justice under the law than live on the run as a wanted man any longer.

I refuse to accept a world where those responsible for crimes of this magnitude live in impunity. We will keep working to hold them accountable and deliver justice to all the people they have hurt.

Nowhere will thugs and war criminals who terrorize children be safe -- not for long anyways.

And starting today, their lives on the run -- always looking over their shoulder -- include an even greater prize on their head.

Impunity is the enemy of peace. Accountability is essential to preventing atrocities from taking place in the future. We are putting all those who would violate these simple principles on notice: Your days are numbered.

Now, to all of you here who helped me push for action last April -- this April let's renew our commitment to bring every war criminal to justice. Onward.

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE HAGEL HOSTS KOREAN FOREIGN MINISTER YUN BYUNG-SE

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Hagel Hosts Korean Foreign Minister at Pentagon
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, April 3, 2013 - The U.S. commitment to its alliance with South Korea was the key topic in a Pentagon meeting today between Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and South Korea's new minister of foreign affairs, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.

Hagel also congratulated Yun Byung-se on his appointment, Little said.

"The secretary expressed his gratitude to Minister Yun for hosting Deputy Secretary of Defense Ash Carter during his recent trip to South Korea and told the minister he is encouraged by the high level of consultation between both governments," the press secretary said in a statement released after the meeting.

Hagel reaffirmed to Yun that the enduring U.S. defense and extended deterrence commitments to South Korea will not change, "and that it is our duty to remain vigilant during this time of heightened tension on the Korean Peninsula," Little said.

"The two leaders discussed the importance of the recent U.N. Security Council resolutions that are designed to limit North Korea's progress on its nuclear and missile programs," he added. "While the Department of Defense remains focused on fulfilling security commitments, Secretary Hagel stated that diplomatic efforts are fundamental to encouraging North Korea to pursue the path of peace."

Hagel also thanked Yun for his friendship and his continued commitment to the South Korea-U.S. relationship and the defense of the Korean Peninsula, Little said.

STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL'S REMARKS ON PROCTECTING SPACE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS

Photo:  Watching Space.  Credit:  U.S. Airforce

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Protecting Space for Future Generations is in the Vital Interests of the Global Community
Space Security Conference 2013:
Panel on "Space Security Threats: Exploring Current Vulnerabilities in Outer Space" United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research
Remarks of Frank A. Rose,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Space and Defense Policy.

Geneva,
April 2, 2013

Introduction
Thank you, Theresa Hitchens, for your kind introduction. It is a pleasure to be participating with these distinguished speakers and attendees at this UNIDIR space security conference in Geneva. This is my third year of participating in this annual conference, and I welcome the opportunity to explore and discuss this year’s topic, "enhancing confidence, securing space stability."

In my talk today, I’d like to focus on the following three topics:

• The importance of space capabilities in today’s world
• The challenges created by an increasingly congested and contested space environment
• Opportunities for international cooperation to respond to these challenges

The Importance of Space Capabilities

For over five and a half decades, nations around the globe have derived increasing benefits from the peaceful use of outer space. Satellites contribute to increased transparency and stability among nations and provide a vital communications path for avoiding potential conflicts. The utilization of space has helped save lives by improving our warning of natural disasters and making recovery efforts faster and more effective. Space systems have created new markets and new tools to monitor climate change and support sustainable development. In short, space systems allow people and governments around the world to see with clarity, communicate with certainty, navigate with accuracy, and operate with assurance.

As one of many examples of how satellites contribute to maintaining international peace and security, it is worth recalling that this year marks the fiftieth anniversary of both the Limited Test Ban Treaty and the launch of the first nuclear detonation detection (NUDET) satellites, called "Vela." The first two U.S. Vela satellites were launched on October 16, 1963, six days after the "Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapon Tests in the Atmosphere, in Outer Space and Under Water" went into effect. These and other Vela satellites successfully monitored compliance with the Treaty and provided scientific data on natural sources of space radiation for over two decades.

Today, NUDET sensors on Global Positioning System (GPS) and other spacecraft provide a worldwide, highly durable capability to detect, locate, and report any nuclear detonations in the earth’s atmosphere or in near space in near-real time – contributing to crisis stability as well as to treaty monitoring.

Threats to Space Services

As more nations and non-state actors recognize these benefits and seek their own space or counterspace capabilities, we are faced with new challenges in the space domain.

Now there are approximately sixty nations and government consortia that own and operate satellites, in addition to numerous commercial and academic satellite operators. This increasing use — coupled with space debris resulting from past launches, space operations, orbital accidents, and testing of destructive ASATs which generated long-lived debris – has resulting in increased orbital congestion, complicating space operations for all those that seek to benefit from space. Another area of increasing congestion is the radiofrequency spectrum. As the demand for bandwidth increases and more transponders are placed in service, the greater the probability of radiofrequency interference and the strains on international processes to minimize that interference.

In addition to the challenges resulting from space debris and radiofrequency interference, space is also becoming increasingly contested. From the U.S. perspective, concerns about threats were recently noted in an assessment issued last month by James Clapper, the U.S. Director of National Intelligence.

"Space systems and their supporting infrastructures enable a wide range of services, including communication; position, navigation, and timing; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; and meteorology, which provide vital national, military, civil, scientific, and economic benefits. Other nations recognize these benefits to the United States and seek to counter the US strategic advantage by pursuing capabilities to deny or destroy our access to space services. Threats to vital US space services will increase during the next decade as disruptive and destructive counterspace capabilities are developed."

Responding through International Cooperation

In response to these challenges, the United States continues to be guided by the principles and goals of the National Space Policy that was signed by President Obama in June 2010. The policy places increased emphasis on international cooperation to deal with the challenges of the 21st Century.

To address the hazards of an increasingly congested space environment, the United States has expanded efforts to share space situational awareness services, including notifications to government and commercial satellite operators of close approaches that could result in satellite collisions. These and other "best practices" can form the basis for the development of a set of guidelines for the long-term sustainability of space activities. Long-term sustainability of space activities is a topic being addressed by a working group of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, which will be discussed in greater detail by Dr. Peter Martinez, the working group chair, later today.

To address threats to space activities in the increasingly contested space environment, the United States continues to pursue a range of measures to strengthen stability in space. In doing so, we expect to increase the security and resilience of space capabilities, continue to conduct Space Security Dialogues with our friends and partners, and pursue transparency and confidence building measures, or TCBMs.

First, the United States will pursue efforts to increase assurance and resilience of mission-essential functions against disruption, degradation, and destruction. These efforts include expanded cooperation with the private sector, allies, and partners around the globe to maintain continuity of services, including efforts to enhance the security and resilience of space networks and supporting ground infrastructures. Related efforts seek to improve domestic and international coordination of responses to purposeful interference — which the United States considers an infringement of a nation’s rights.

Specific examples include discussions in trans-Atlantic fora, including the U.S.-European Union space security dialogue that I lead. They also include efforts by government and commercial satellite operators to improve information sharing for spaceflight safety and geolocation of intentional satellite communications uplink jamming, topics that will be addressed in greater detail in later sessions of this conference.

Second, the United States is pursuing bilateral Space Security Dialogues with traditional partners as well as with other established and emerging space-faring nations as part of its pursuit of TCBMs. The United States believes TCBMs should be pragmatic, voluntary, near-term actions that aim to increase trust and prevent misperceptions, miscalculations, and mistrust between nations. To overcome these dangers and risks requires, in part, building confidence between nations. This can be achieved with transparency, openness, and predictability through, for example, information-sharing.

In that vein, our Space Security Dialogues provide an opportunity for constructive exchanges on emerging threats to shared space interests, national security space policies and doctrine, and opportunities for further bilateral cooperation. In addition to the direct outcomes from these dialogues, bilateral exchanges themselves serve as important TCBMs which can be considered for adoption and implementation at a multilateral level. Given the complex and interrelated nature of space activities, the willingness of partners to engage in serious and substantive discussions in "whole of government" dialogues is what economists call a "leading indicator" of their commitment to multilateral discussions of space security.

With regard to the third area – multilateral TCBMs — you will be hearing later today from Ambassador Jacek Bylica and Victor Vasiliev on two of the most important efforts — an International Code of Conduct for Outer Space Activities, or "Code," and the UN Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) study of outer space TCBMs. While I will defer to them for specific details on these efforts, I will note that the United States is a strong supporter of both activities, as well as other multilateral efforts in specific regions – such as a workshop on space security that commenced last December within the framework of the ASEAN Regional Forum.

In January 2012, then-Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced the U.S. decision to work with the European Union (EU) and other space-faring nations to develop an International Code of Conduct for Outer Space Activities. In announcing this decision, the United States noted that "[a] Code of Conduct will help maintain the long-term sustainability, safety, stability, and security of space by establishing guidelines for the responsible use of space."

As you will hear later today from Ambassador Bylica, the European Union is leading efforts to develop a text that would be open to participation by all States on a voluntary basis. The United States believes the EU’s latest draft is a useful foundation and constructive starting point for developing a consensus on an International Code. We look forward to participating in the open-ended consultative meeting that the EU and Ukraine will be convening in Kiev next month. These consultations, to which all UN member states will be invited, will provide an opportunity to address all elements of the draft Code. Along with our partners in the EU, the United States’ aim remains to find agreement on a text that is acceptable to all interested States and that can produce effective security benefits in a relatively short time.

Another multilateral effort to pursue TCBMs is the study by the UN Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) on Outer Space TCBMs, on which I am privileged to serve as the United States Expert. Under the capable chairmanship of our distinguished colleague Victor Vasiliev of Russia, the GGE offers an opportunity to advance a range of voluntary and non-legally binding TCBMs in space that have the potential to mitigate dangers and risks to space security.

The GGE intends to develop a consensus report to the UN Secretary General that outlines a list of voluntary and pragmatic space TCBMs that States could adopt on a unilateral, bilateral, or multilateral basis. As part of its effort to draw upon as much expertise as possible, the GGE has welcomed written contributions from intergovernmental bodies, industry and private sector, civil society, and other UN Member States not already represented in the GGE. We believe the GGE serves as a real opportunity to move forward with pragmatic steps to strengthen stability in space.

Summary

In summary, the United States takes seriously the challenges of an increasingly congested and contested space environment and is pursuing a range of measures to increase assurance and resilience mission-essential functions and to strengthen stability in space, including through cooperation with the full range of space-faring nations. We are increasingly reliant on space, not only when disasters strike, but also for our day-to-day life. However, our ability to continue to use space for these benefits is at serious risk. Accidents or irresponsible acts against space systems would not only harm the space environment, but would also disrupt services on which the international community depends. As a result, we must take action now and pursue TCBMs in space, including the ones that I discussed today. These TCBMs will enhance the long-term sustainability, stability, safety, and security of the space environment. Protecting the space environment for future generations is in the vital interests of the entire global community.

U.S. State Department Daily Press Briefing - April 3, 2013

Daily Press Briefing - April 3, 2013

Detetives cósmicos

Detetives cósmicos

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE HAGEL CONGRATULATES NEW CHINESE DEFENSE MINISTER WANQUAN

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMET OF DEFENSE
Hagel Congratulates New Chinese Defense Minister
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, April 3, 2013 – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel offered best wishes to China’s new defense minister in a phone call yesterday, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.

In a statement released after the call, Little said Hagel congratulated Gen. Chang Wanquan on his new position.

The leaders both expressed their intention to work together to continue to build a military-to-military relationship that serves the vision of both President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Little said.

"The secretary discussed the importance of focusing on areas of sustained dialogue, practical areas of cooperation, and risk-reducing measures," the press secretary added, and emphasized the growing threat to the United States and its allies posed by North Korea's aggressive pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.

Hagel also expressed to Chang the importance of sustained U.S.-China dialogue and cooperation on these issues, he said.

Little noted that Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will visit China later this month, and said Hagel told Chang he looks forward to hearing the results of the visit.

The secretary also invited Chang to visit the United States later this year to continue senior-level military-to-military consultations, Little added.

Remarks by Secretary Hagel at the National Defense University, Ft. McNair, Washington, D.C

Remarks by Secretary Hagel at the National Defense University, Ft. McNair, Washington, D.C

FEMA RELEASES NEW JERSERY DISASTER RELIEF NUMBERS

Long Beach, N.J., March 20, 2013 -- A contractor digs to replace sewer and water pipes for an apartment complex as part of the recovery and rebuilding process after Hurricane Sandy. Rosanna Arias-FEMA

FROM: FEMA, NEW JERSEY DISASTER ASSISTANCE
New Jersey Recovery From Hurricane Sandy: By The Numbers
Release date:
March 29, 2013

TRENTON, N.J. -- Disaster assistance to New Jersey survivors of Hurricane Sandy by the numbers as of April 1:
$376.4 million in FEMA grants approved for individuals and households
$324.7 million for housing assistance
$51.6 million for other needs $680.2 million in SBA disaster loans approved for homeowners, renters and businesses
$241.5 million approved in FEMA Public Assistance grants to communities and some nonprofit organizations that serve the public
$3.1 billion in total National Flood Insurance Program payments made on claims to date
259,578 people contacted FEMA for help or information
124,778 housing inspections completed
85,724 visits to Disaster Recovery Centers
Nine centers are open to assist survivors who have recovery questions.
Survivors can register online and check on the status of their applications at DisasterAssistance.gov, via smartphone or tablet at m.fema.gov. They also can call 800-621-3362 or TTY 800-462-7585.Those who use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services can call 800-621-3362. Recovery assistants remain available daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. The deadline to register with FEMA is May 1.

Survivors can ask questions about their SBA disaster home or business loan applications by calling 800-659-2955 or TTY 800-877-8339 or emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.

Survivors who have questions about flood insurance claims and the appeals process can call 800-427-4661.

Additional resources are available online at FEMA.gov/SandyNJ and SBA.gov/Sandy.

FEMA's mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

EPA VOIDS APROVAL CERTIFICATES FOR OVER 70,000 IMPORTED VEHICLES FROM CHINA

FROM: U.S. EVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
EPA Voids Certificates Approving Import of Over 70,000 Small Recreational Vehicles

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that it is withdrawing approval of the import and sale of up to 74,000 gas-powered on- and off-road motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles from China. The agency believes that it received either incomplete or falsified certification information.

EPA issued the vehicle certificates from 2006 to 2012 to two companies which operate as Snyder Technology, Inc. and Snyder Computer Systems, Inc. (doing business as Wildfire Motors Corporation). As a result of a lengthy investigation, the agency believes that the applications for the certificates contained misleading information and must be voided.

All vehicles imported into or manufactured in the United States are required to have certificates of conformity. Manufacturers or importers must submit an application to EPA that describes the vehicle and its emission control system. It must also provide emissions data demonstrating that the vehicle will meet federal emission standards for certain pollutants, including oxides of nitrogen (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), and total hydrocarbons (HC)--all of which can harm public health and the environment. These pollutants can contribute to soot (fine particles) and smog (ground-level ozone), which are associated with asthma and heart attacks, increased emergency room visits and premature death.

In the cases of Snyder and Wildfire, EPA believes the manufacturers failed to accurately test the emissions from their own products, all of which were imported from China. Without proper emission controls, these vehicles can emit substantially more pollution than allowable under Clean Air Act standards.

SEC REPORT SAYS COMPANIES CAN USE SOCIAL MEDIA TO ANNOUNCE COMPLIANCE WITH REGULATION FD INFORMATION

FROM: U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C., April 2, 2013 — The Securities and Exchange Commission today issued a report that makes clear that companies can use social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter to announce key information in compliance with Regulation Fair Disclosure (Regulation FD) so long as investors have been alerted about which social media will be used to disseminate such information.

The SEC’s report of investigation confirms that Regulation FD applies to social media and other emerging means of communication used by public companies the same way it applies to company websites. The SEC issued guidance in 2008 clarifying that websites can serve as an effective means for disseminating information to investors if they’ve been made aware that’s where to look for it. Today’s report clarifies that company communications made through social media channels could constitute selective disclosures and, therefore, require careful Regulation FD analysis.

"One set of shareholders should not be able to get a jump on other shareholders just because the company is selectively disclosing important information," said George Canellos, Acting Director of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement. "Most social media are perfectly suitable methods for communicating with investors, but not if the access is restricted or if investors don’t know that’s where they need to turn to get the latest news."

Regulation FD requires companies to distribute material information in a manner reasonably designed to get that information out to the general public broadly and non-exclusively. It is intended to ensure that all investors have the ability to gain access to material information at the same time.

Lona Nallengara, Acting Director of the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance, added, "Companies should review the Commission’s existing guidance — it is flexible enough to address questions that arise for companies that choose to communicate through social media, and the guidance does so in a straightforward manner."

The SEC’s report of investigation stems from an inquiry the Division of Enforcement launched into a post by Netflix CEO Reed Hastings on his personal Facebook page stating that Netflix’s monthly online viewing had exceeded one billion hours for the first time. Netflix did not report this information to investors through a press release or Form 8-K filing, and a subsequent company press release later that day did not include this information. Neither Hastings nor Netflix had previously used his Facebook page to announce company metrics, and they had never before taken steps to alert investors that Hastings’ personal Facebook page might be used as a medium for communicating information about Netflix. Netflix’s stock price had begun rising before the posting, and increased from $70.45 at the time of the Facebook post to $81.72 at the close of the following trading day.

The SEC did not initiate an enforcement action or allege wrongdoing by Hastings or Netflix. Recognizing that there has been market uncertainty about the application of Regulation FD to social media, the SEC issued the report of investigation pursuant to Section 21(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

The report of investigation explains that although every case must be evaluated on its own facts, disclosure of material, nonpublic information on the personal social media site of an individual corporate officer — without advance notice to investors that the site may be used for this purpose — is unlikely to qualify as an acceptable method of disclosure under the securities laws. Personal social media sites of individuals employed by a public company would not ordinarily be assumed to be channels through which the company would disclose material corporate information.

The SEC’s inquiry was conducted by Cameron P. Hoffman, Michael E. Liftik, and Assistant Regional Director Cary S. Robnett in the San Francisco Regional Office.

CDC SAYS MEAT AND POULTRY ACCOUNT FOR NEARLY A QUARTER OF FOODBORNE ILLNESSES

Credit:  Cattle.  Credit:  USDA

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Nicholas Garlow with HHS HealthBeat.

A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says meat and poultry account for nearly a quarter of all foodborne illnesses. Beef, what some may think is a common cause of foodborne illness, accounted for only a slice of that.

Dr. John Painter is an epidemiologist at the CDC.

"Beef is now less contaminated to start with, and most fast food restaurants are cooking burgers well so, beef was the source of fewer than seven percent of food-related illnesses and fewer than four percent of deaths."

You still need to be careful to cook beef, especially ground beef, thoroughly. If not completely cooked, contaminated meat and poultry can cause diarrhea.

"And it can be prevented through thoroughly cleaning hands, knives, cutting boards, counters, and sinks after working with raw meat and poultry."

ISAF NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN FOR APRIL 3, 2013

U.S. Army Sgt. Justin R. Pereira, right, and Laika 5, a military working dog trained to detect tactical explosives, provide security as Afghan border police break ground on a new checkpoint in the Spin Boldak district of Afghanistan's Kandahar province, March 25, 2013. Pereira and Laika 5 are assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division's 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 4th Striker Brigade Combat Team. The border police moved to the new location to block an insurgent nfiltration route. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Shane Hamann

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Combined Force Arrests Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan Leader
From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release

KABUL, Afghanistan, April 3, 2013 - A combined Afghan and coalition security force arrested an Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan leader in the Burkah district of Afghanistan's Baghlan province today, military officials reported.

The leader has allegedly led a cell of insurgent fighters in multiple attacks against Afghan and coalition forces, officials said. He also is accused of training insurgent fighters and serves a vital role in intelligence and improvised explosive device operations, they added.

In other Afghanistan operations today:

-- A combined force in Kandahar province's Dand district detained two insurgents while searching for a Taliban facilitator believed to have arranged the transportation of weapons and IEDs throughout Kandahar for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He also allegedly has ordered subordinates to commit executions and kidnappings against Afghan civilians working with government officials. The security force also seized a machine gun and a grenade.

-- In Helmand province's Nad-e Ali district, a combined force detained several insurgents while searching for a senior Taliban leader who allegedly commands numerous cells of Taliban fighters. He and his subordinates are believed to have participated in numerous attacks against Afghan and coalition forces, and he also is believed to have plotted the assassination of Afghan government officials. The security force seized an assault rifle and two ammunition magazines.

-- A combined force detained a Taliban leader and several other insurgents in Logar province's Pul-e Alam district. The leader is believed to be responsible for the movement and coordination of insurgent fighters throughout the province and for procuring and distributing weapons for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

TPC - Videos: THE BRAIN MAP

TPC - Videos

DOD News Briefing with George Little from the Pentagon

DOD News Briefing with George Little from the Pentagon

CHINESE BUSINESSMAN AND WIFE AGREE TO SETTLE INSIDER TRADING CHARGES

FROM: U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C., March 29, 2013 — The Securities and Exchange Commission announced that a Chinese businessman and his wife whose trading accounts were frozen last year as part of a major insider trading case have agreed to settle charges that they loaded up on the securities of Nexen Inc. while in possession of nonpublic information about an impending announcement that the company was being acquired by China-based CNOOC Ltd.

The SEC obtained an emergency court order in July 2012 to freeze multiple Hong Kong and Singapore-based trading accounts just days after the Nexen acquisition was announced and suspicious trading in Nexen stock was detected. The SEC’s complaint alleged that in the days leading up to the announcement, Hong Kong-based firm Well Advantage Limited and other unknown traders purchased Nexen stock based on confidential details about the acquisition.

The SEC’s investigation has identified Ren Feng and his wife Zeng Huiyu as previously unknown traders charged in the complaint as well as Ren’s private investment company CT Prime Assets Limited and four of Zeng’s brokerage customers on whose behalf she traded. They made a combined $2.3 million in illegal profits from Nexen stock trades made by Ren and Zeng.

The settlement, which is subject to court approval, requires the traders to pay more than $3.3 million combined.

"This settlement requires full disgorgement of the insider trading profits of this group of foreign traders, and Ren and Zeng must additionally pay sizeable penalties," said Sanjay Wadhwa, Senior Associate Director of the SEC’s New York Regional Office. "This should send a stern warning to anyone contemplating insider trading in U.S. markets from abroad that the SEC uncovers such misconduct and the end result is a severe financial setback rather than a windfall."

In October 2012, the SEC announced a settlement with Well Advantage, which agreed to pay more than $14.2 million to settle the insider trading charges. U.S. District Court Judge Richard J. Sullivan of the Southern District of New York approved that settlement.

This proposed settlement with Ren, Zeng, and the others also must be approved by Judge Sullivan.

Ren and CT Prime agreed to the entry of a final judgment requiring them to jointly pay disgorgement of their ill-gotten gains of $839,714.57 plus a penalty of $839,714.57, and permanently enjoining them from future violations of Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5.

Zeng agreed to the entry of a final judgment requiring her to pay disgorgement of her ill-gotten gains of $202,030.22 plus a penalty of $202,030.22, and permanently enjoining her from future violations of Section 10(b) of the Exchange Act and Rule 10b-5.

Zeng also traded on behalf of four of her brokerage customers, who have agreed to disgorgement of the ill-gotten gains. Wong Chi Yu and her company Giant East Investments Limited agreed to jointly pay disgorgement of $641,057.94. Wang Wei agreed to pay disgorgement of $137,369.56. Wang Zhi Hua agreed to pay disgorgement of $466,169.15.

The defendants neither admit nor deny the SEC’s allegations.

The SEC’s investigation, which is continuing, has been conducted by Simona Suh, Charles D. Riely, Michael P. Holland, and Joseph G. Sansone of the Market Abuse Unit as well as Elzbieta Wraga and Aaron Arnzen of the New York Regional Office. The case has been supervised by Daniel M. Hawke and Sanjay Wadhwa. The SEC appreciates the assistance of the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).

REMARKS BY SECRETARY OF STATE KERRY AND PHILIPPINE FOREIGN SECRETARY ROSARIO

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Remarks With Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert Del Rosario Before Their Meeting
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Treaty Room
Washington, DC
April 2, 2013
　

SECRETARY KERRY: Good morning, everybody. I’m really pleased to welcome Foreign Secretary Albert Del Rosario, the Foreign Secretary of the Philippines, a country that I’ve had a great deal to do with when I was – in my years in the Senate, very involved in the democracy transition that took place with Cory Aquino, President Aquino, and now with her son, President Aquino. And it’s wonderful to welcome the Foreign Secretary here.

The Philippines is one of our five Asia-Pacific allies, and a very, very important relationship at this point in time when there are tensions over the South China Sea, where we support a code of conduct, and we are deeply concerned some of those tensions and would like to see it worked out through a process of arbitration.

In addition, the Foreign Secretary and I will talk about the important trade relationship, and particularly the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the TPP, which we both have interest in. And I look forward to having a very good conversation with him about that.

So we’re happy to welcome him. We couldn’t have a stronger relationship than at this moment in time, and we look forward to discussing the ways in which we can even strengthen that and work towards the ASEAN meeting and our common interests.

So thank you for visiting.

FOREIGN SECRETARY DEL ROSARIO: Thank you. Good morning. I want to thank the Secretary for his kind invitation. At the very outset, I’d like to express how much we value the Secretary’s extensive experience in foreign relations, his understanding of Asia, and as he mentioned, his personal stake in terms of having our democracy restored for us in 1986 when he was there as a member of the international election monitoring team.

The Secretary has spoken of the various challenges, and I know that he’s been following developments closely. And as he looks at the Philippines, I know that he will appreciate the many good things that’s happening there. And as well as he has said, we do have many emerging challenges in the region, which should be addressed.

I think that said, I’d like to say – I’d like to add further that the Secretary and I are committed to working together in order to be able to strengthen our treaty alliance and to be able to enhance our strategic partnership. So thank you very much.

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you. You’re welcome. Glad to have you here.

I should have mentioned that he spent a lot of time in New York at school, so he knows us well. Thank you.

Today's HealthBeat: Watching What The Kids Watch

Today's HealthBeat

NEW YORK CITY FROM SPACE

 

FROM: NASA

One of the Expedition 35 crew members aboard the Earth-orbiting International Space Station exposed this 400 millimeter night image of the greater New York City metropolitan area on March 23, 2103.For orientation purposes, note that Manhattan runs horizontal through the frame from left to the midpoint. Central Park is just a little to the left of frame center.Image Credit: NASA

SECRETARY OF STATE KERRY'S COMMENTS ON THE ARMS TRADE TREATY CONFERENCE

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Historic Outcome of the Arms Trade Treaty Conference
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
April 2, 2013
　

The United States is pleased that the United Nations General Assembly has approved a strong, effective and implementable Arms Trade Treaty that can strengthen global security while protecting the sovereign right of states to conduct legitimate arms trade.

The Treaty adopted today will establish a common international standard for the national regulation of the international trade in conventional arms and require all states to develop and implement the kind of systems that the United States already has in place. It will help reduce the risk that international transfers of conventional arms will be used to carry out the world’s worst crimes, including terrorism, genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. At the same time, the treaty preserves the principle that the international conventional arms trade is, and will continue to be, a legitimate commercial activity that allows nations to acquire the arms they need for their own security.

By its own terms, this treaty applies only to international trade, and reaffirms the sovereign right of any State to regulate arms within its territory. As the United States has required from the outset of these negotiations, nothing in this treaty could ever infringe on the rights of American citizens under our domestic law or the Constitution, including the Second Amendment.

Press Briefing | The White House

Press Briefing | The White House

ISAF NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN

 

An Afghan soldier carries a simulated casualty to a casualty collection point for further treatment during medical training on Forward Operating Base Joyce in Afghanistan's Kunar province, March 18, 2013. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Ryan Hallgarth

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Combined Force Arrests Haqqani Facilitator in Paktia
Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases

WASHINGTON, April 2, 2013 - A combined Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Haqqani network facilitator today in the Zurmat district of Afghanistan's Paktia province, military officials reported.

The facilitator is believed to have procured, transported and distributed weapons to insurgents in Paktia and Khost provinces. He also allegedly planted improvised explosive devices for attacks on Afghan and coalition forces.

In other recent Afghanistan operations:

-- A combined force killed a Taliban leader named Mukhlis in Helmand province's Washer district yesterday. Mukhlis exercised control over a cell of fighters responsible for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces and facilitated the movement of insurgent weapons.

-- Abdullah Wakil, the leading Taliban official in Kandahar province's Panjwai district, was killed in a March 31 operation. He and his network were responsible for the assassination of Afghan civilians, facilitating weapons for insurgents and attacking Afghan and coalition forces.

-- A senior Taliban leader was arrested in Helmand province's Nad-e Ali district March 30. He allegedly was plotting a campaign of sustained military attacks against Afghan and coalition forces, and he and

THE WHITE HOUSE PUSHES BRAIN RESEARCH WITH NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

FROM: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
National Science Foundation Participates in White House Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative
April 2, 2013

President Obama today announced that the National Science Foundation (NSF) will participate in a White House initiative called Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN), which is designed to revolutionize our understanding of the human brain. NSF Acting Director Cora Marrett took part in the announcement at the White House, which also included the National Institutes of Health and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, as well as private sector representatives.

"NSF is ideally positioned to support the BRAIN Initiative because of the broad scope of science and engineering research funding we provide to the nation," Marrett said. "NSF's neuroscience and cognitive science research portfolio is expansive, and this initiative enhances efforts that are already underway to explore neurological connections from the cellular to human behavioral levels."

NSF intends to support approximately $20 million in research that will advance this $100 million, 10-year initiative. The Foundation's contributions will include research into the development of molecular-scale probes that can sense and record the activity of neural networks; advances in "Big Data" that are necessary to analyze the huge amounts of information that will be generated; and increased understanding of how thoughts, emotions, actions and memories are represented in the brain.

Some of NSF's current investments in neuroscience research include:
Studies employing species comparative approaches on how the nervous system develops and coordinates complex functions are generating the computational models of neuronal networks that are essential for understanding the emergent properties of the nervous system and how network plasticity influences behavior.
Research on the chemical and physical principles governing the activity of neural systems is leading to mechanistic and predictive models of cellular behavior and to new approaches for understanding system-wide effects of external stimuli such as pharmacological agents and anesthetics, genetic modifiers and the environment.
Principles underlying microelectronics, optics, optobiology and nanosystems provide key platforms for addressing the temporal and spatial characteristics of functional brain mapping.
Converging research in machine learning, big data, computational neuroscience, human-centered computing and informatics is essential for mapping and understanding brain activity on a large scale.
Frameworks that link brain activity patterns to a diverse range of cognitive and behavioral functions carried out in specific ecological, evolutionary, developmental and social contexts are being developed. At the same time social science theory, methods, and approaches are enabling patterns of brain activity be linked to individual behaviors making this knowledge relevant to the human experience.
For more information, go to www.whitehouse.gov/blog.

-NSF-

FIVE MONTHS AFTER HURRICANE SANDY

 

FROM: FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY

N.J., March 28, 2013 -- Damaged to homes along the beach in Mantoloking; New Jersey left by Hurricane Sandy five months after the storm. Taken from a miniature Quadcopter along the coast of Mantoloking, New Jersey. Photo by Wendell A. Davis Jr.-FEMA

Mantoloking, N.J., March 28, 2013 -- Damaged homes along the beach in Mantoloking; New Jersey left by Hurricane Sandy fiver months after the storm. Taken from a miniature Quadcopter along the coast of Mantoloking, New Jersey. Photo by Wendell A. Davis Jr./FEMA'
 

DOD EXPLAINS HOMELAND DEFENSE AND CIVIL SUPPORT STRATEGY

FROM: U.S DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Official Explains New Homeland Defense/Civil Support Strategy
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, April 1, 2013 - The Defense Department incorporated hard lessons learned when it codified its new homeland defense and civil support strategy, said Todd M. Rosenblum, DOD's top homeland defense official.

Rosenblum, the acting assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense and Americas' security affairs, said the new strategy is a recognition that the operating environment has changed.

"We face new threats, we have new vulnerabilities, we have new dependencies, most importantly we have a new way to do business," Rosenblum said during a Pentagon interview. "We have to capture that and make sure the department is prepared and directed toward being more effective and efficient as we can be."

The Defense Department is charged with defending the homeland from attack. U.S. Northern Command is further charged with working with state and local entities and other federal agencies to provide support in times of natural or man-made disasters. In the first instance, DOD has the lead. In the second, another federal agency -- such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency -- has the lead.

The strategy, released in February, looks at the lessons learned from past experiences. DOD officials charted lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina through Hurricane Sandy.

They also looked at changes including the growth of network and communication dependence on private-sector capabilities and "the rising expectations from the president and from the secretary and certainly from the American people that we will be prepared to provide support to civil authorities within a 24- to 48-hour window to provide life-saving, life-sustaining support," Rosenblum said.

This is an incredibly short period of time, he said, and it forces a change in the relationship between DOD and other agencies. The old paradigm was to have civil partners "pull assistance" from DOD, to one where DOD actually "pushes assistance" where it is needed.

"So we are postured to provide assistance as fast and rapidly as possible," Rosenblum said.

The change between Katrina in 2005 and Sandy in 2013 shows the effectiveness of the new strategy, he said.

"We were more efficient, timely and effective in our support to Hurricane Sandy," Rosenblum said. "This is because we did integrated planning within DOD, with our federal partners, and with our state partners. We recognized the need to not wait to be called upon, but to pre-position our support capabilities knowing there's going to be audibles and ad hoc requests."

Planning is at the heart of the strategy, he said. Integrated planning -- with state and local officials, with other federal agencies, with non-governmental entities -- has increased visibility and prominence. The National Guard -- an organization that bridges state/federal efforts -- continues to play a crucial role. But the strategy recognizes that response to disasters requires an all-of-government approach.

The homeland defense mission codifies requirements to provide cyberdefense, Rosenblum said.

"The threats to networks and critical infrastructure increase when we are engaged in operations overseas," he said. "The physical effects of cyberattacks can impact our military operation capabilities and response capabilities."

The attacks themselves, he said, also could produce the type of man-made disaster that would require DOD assistance.

The fiscal environment impacts this -- and all other -- strategies.

"The sequester is real and effecting DOD through readiness, training," Rosenblum said. "It is difficult for the department to plan and budget intelligently, when we don't have budget certainty."

Officials devised the strategy when the department had already committed to $487 billion in reductions over 10 years.

"Sequester has changed the calculus tremendously," Rosenblum said. "But this strategy is not about buying new capabilities: It's about our planning, our processes and our integration."

FORMER ARMY CAPTAIN SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR ACCEPTING ILLEGAL GRATUITIES FROM CONTRACTORS IN IRAQ

Map:  Iraq.  Credit:  CIA World Factbook. 

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Monday, April 1, 2013
Former U.S. Army Captain Sentenced in Oklahoma City to 23 Months in Prison for Conspiracy to Accept Illegal Gratuities

A former U.S. Army Captain was sentenced today in Oklahoma City to serve 23 months in prison for conspiracy to accept thousands of dollars in gratuities from contractors during his deployment to Baghdad, Iraq, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma Sanford C. Coats.

Sean Patrick O’Brien, 38, of Lawton, Okla., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen P. Friot in the Western District of Oklahoma. In addition to his prison term, O’Brien was sentenced to serve three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $37,500 in restitution to the United States.

O’Brien pleaded guilty on Nov. 9, 2012, to a criminal information charging him with two counts of conspiracy to accept illegal gratuities.

According to court documents, O’Brien, formerly a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army, assisted in the contracting process of U.S. government funds, and was therefore considered a public official. It is a violation of federal law for officers to accept gratuities from contractors dependent upon them for contracts.

According to court documents, from mid-2008 through January 2009, O’Brien, with the assistance of two alleged co-conspirators, unlawfully sought, received and accepted illegal gratuities for helping Iraqi contractors in connection with U.S. government. O’Brien accepted approximately $37,500 in cash payments and jewelry while stationed in Iraq, which he has repatriated to the United States. One of the alleged co-conspirators also offered O’Brien a vacation to a private island.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott E. Williams of the Western District of Oklahoma and by Special Trial Attorney Mark Grider of the Justice Department Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, on detail from the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR). The case was investigated by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Major Procurement Fraud Unit of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command, and SIGIR.

EPA, DOMINION ENERGY SETTLEMENT TO REDUCED HARMFUL POLLUTION IN THREE STATES

FROM: U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Settlement with Dominion Energy Reduces Harmful Pollution in Three States and Downwind Communities

WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that Dominion Energy has agreed to pay a $3.4 million civil penalty and spend approximately $9.8 million on environmental mitigation projects to resolve Clean Air Act (CAA) violations.

The settlement will result in reductions of nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and particulate matter by more than 70,000 tons per year, across three of the utility’s coal-fired power plants, located in Kincaid, Ill., State Line, Ind., and Somerset, Mass.

"Today’s settlement substantially reduces harmful pollution from coal-fired power plants in and around communities with significant air pollution concerns," said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. "Along with the pollution reductions at the three power plants covered by the agreement, the settlement also requires Dominion to invest over $9 million in pollution reducing projects in neighboring communities."

"This settlement will improve air quality in states in the Midwest and Northeast by eliminating tens of thousands of tons of harmful air pollution each year," said Ignacia S. Moreno, assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. "These reductions mark the latest step in our continuing efforts, along with EPA, to protect public health and the environment through rigorous enforcement of the Clean Air Act."

Under the settlement, Dominion must install or upgrade pollution control technology on two plants, and permanently retire a third plant. Dominion will be required to continuously operate the new and existing pollution controls, and will be required to comply with stringent emission rates and annual tonnage limitations. The actions taken by Dominion to comply with this settlement will result in annual reductions at the Brayon Point and Kincaid plants of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides emissions by 52,000 tons from 2010 levels. The retirement of the State Line plant will result in an additional reduction of 18,000 tons of Sulfor dioxide and nitrogen oxides.

The settlement also requires Dominion to spend $9.75 million on projects that will benefit the environment and human health in communities located near the Dominion facilities. A total of $9 million will be spent on such projects as ; 1) wood stove changeouts, including $2 million for changeouts in southeastern Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and eastern Connecticut; 2) switcher locomotive idle reduction for Chicago rail yards, 3) land acquisition and restoration adjacent to, or near, the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, 4) energy efficiency and geothermal/solar projects for local schools and food banks, and 5) clean diesel engine retrofits for municipalities and school districts. Dominion must also pay a total of $750,000 to the United States Forest Service and the National Park Service, to be used on projects to address the damage done from Dominion’s alleged excess emissions.

Reducing air pollution from the largest sources of emissions, including coal-fired power plants, is one of EPA’s National Enforcement Initiatives for 2011-2013. Sulfor dioxide and nitrogen oxides, two key pollutants emitted from power plants, have numerous adverse effects on human health and are significant contributors to acid rain, smog, and haze. These pollutants are converted in the air to fine particles of particulate matter that can cause severe respiratory and cardiovascular impacts, and premature death. Reducing these harmful air pollutants will benefit the communities located near Dominion facilities, particularly communities disproportionately impacted by environmental risks and vulnerable populations, including children. Because air pollution from power plants can travel significant distances downwind, this settlement will also reduce air pollution outside the immediate region. The total combined sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides emission reductions secured from all power plant settlements to date will exceed nearly 2 million tons each year once all the required pollution controls have been installed and implemented.

The settlement was lodged today in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois, and is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval.