SECRETARY OF STATE CLINTON SPEAKS AT U.K PRIME MINISTER CAMERON'S LUNCHON

The following excerpt is from a U.S. State Department e-mail: 
Remarks at the Luncheon in Honor of UK Prime Minister David Cameron
Remarks Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State Benjamin Franklin Room
Washington, DC
March 14, 2012
Thank you all very much. Please be seated. Welcome to the State Department. We are thrilled and so pleased to host this luncheon for our very special guests, Prime Minister and Mrs. Cameron. It is wonderful to see all of you celebrating spring with us and knowing that our relationship, it’s always spring. It’s always being renewed, it is always durable, it is a cornerstone of both of our nations’ foreign policies, and it has such a great resonance between our two peoples.

Now I want to recognize our chef today. A native of Birmingham, England – not Alabama – (laughter) – who made herself a home in New York City as the executive chef of a couple of very hip restaurants. One, The Spotted Pig, the other The Breslin. So it’s really a delight to have April Bloomfield with us. She was just talking with the Prime Minister – (applause) – it was a very timely introduction because when the Prime Minister and President Obama exchanged gifts, President Obama gave the Prime Minister a barbeque. I mean a real, down-home American barbeque with a smoking compartment and everything else. So April stands ready to help, Prime Minister.

We joke about the special relationship, but that’s because we’re so comfortable with it. It means such a great deal to us. It is not just because of a wide range of shared interests, but our deeply rooted history and the unbreakable friendship between our countries. Now, of course the President did remind the Prime Minister at the White House ceremony this morning that we are at the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812. (Laughter.)
And I was pleased to tell my counterpart and friend, the Foreign Secretary, and also the Chancellor of the Exchequer, that it was my predecessor in one of my other lives, Dolly Madison, who actually saved the extraordinary portraits of George and Martha Washington. Having received word from her husband, who was truly been a commander-in-chief in the field, that unfortunately the British truly were coming. And – (laughter) – so she rushed from the White House, taking some treasures with her, leaving behind the meal that she had prepared for her husband and his officers. And the British officers ate the meal before they burned the White House. So – (laughter) – we are looking forward, but nevertheless, there are certain memories that are also of significance.

And how wonderful it is, here we are today and working together in so many important parts of the world: helping to bring peace and stability to Afghanistan; helping to promote successful transitions and democratic reforms in the Arab world. We worked alongside each other to end a dictator’s rule in Libya. We are now focused on helping the people of Syria realize a better future for themselves. We are grateful for the leadership that the Prime Minister and his government have shown on so many issues – just recently, I was in London for a conference on Somalia that they sponsored. No matter what the issue, we are standing together. So I know, Prime Minister and Samantha, that this is just a small measure of hospitality to try to demonstrate our commitment and appreciation for this relationship. We were so well treated when the President and I and our teams were on a state visit last year sponsored by the government, of course, her Majesty’s Government. So, we did the best we could with the weather. We think we pulled that off quite well. But it is now my great pleasure to welcome a dear friend, a great American, and a superb vice president, Joe Biden. (Applause.)

THREE NOBLE CORPORATE EXECUTIVES CHARGED BY SEC WITH BRIBERY

The following excerpt is from the SEC website:
March 14, 2012
SEC Charges Three Executives At Noble Corporation With Bribing Customs Officials In Nigeria
On February 24, 2012, the Securities and Exchange Commission today charged three Noble Corporation executives with violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) by participating in a bribery scheme to obtain illicit permits for oil rigs in Nigeria in order to retain business under lucrative drilling contracts.

The SEC alleges that former Noble CEO Mark A. Jackson along with James J. Ruehlen, who is the current Director and Division Manager of Noble’s subsidiary in Nigeria, bribed customs officials to process false paperwork purporting to show the export and re-import of oil rigs, when in fact the rigs never moved. The scheme was designed to save Noble Corporation from losing business and incurring significant costs associated with exporting rigs from Nigeria and then re-importing them under new permits. Bribes were paid through a customs agent for Noble’s Nigerian subsidiary with Jackson and Ruehlen’s approval.

The SEC separately charged Thomas F. O’Rourke, who was a former controller and head of internal audit at Noble. The SEC alleges that O’Rourke helped approve the bribe payments and allowed the bribes to be booked improperly as legitimate operating expenses for the company. O’Rourke agreed to settle the SEC’s charges and pay a penalty.
Noble Corporation was charged with FCPA violations as part of a sweep of the oil services industry in late 2010. The company cooperated with investigators and agreed to pay more than $8 million to settle civil and criminal cases.

According to the SEC’s complaint against Jackson and Ruehlen filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, the executives who perpetrated the scheme worked at Noble and Noble’s Nigerian subsidiary Noble Drilling (Nigeria) Ltd, whose rigs operated in Nigeria on the basis of temporary import permits granted by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS). These temporary permits allowed the rigs to be in the country for a one-year period. NCS had the discretion to grant up to three extensions lasting six months each, after which the rigs were required to be exported and re-imported under a new temporary permit or be permanently imported with the payment of sizeable duties.
The SEC alleges that Jackson and Ruehlen had a role in arranging, facilitating, approving, making, or concealing the bribe payments to induce Nigerian customs officials to grant new temporary permits illegally and favorably exercise or abuse their discretion to grant permit extensions. Together, Jackson and Ruehlen participated in paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes to obtain about 11 illicit permits and 29 permit extensions. Jackson approved the bribe payments and concealed the payments from Noble’s audit committee and auditors. Ruehlen prepared false documents, sought approval for the bribes, and processed and paid the bribes.

The SEC’s complaint against Jackson and Ruehlen alleges they directly violated the anti-bribery provisions of Section 30A of the Securities Exchange Act and the internal controls and false records provisions of Section 13(b)(5) and Rule 13b2-1 of the Exchange Act. The complaint alleges that they aided and abetted Noble’s violations of Section 30A and the books and records and internal controls provisions of Sections 13(b)(2)(A) and 13(b)(2)(B) of the Exchange Act. The complaint further alleges that Jackson directly violated Exchange Act Rule 13b2-2 by misleading auditors and Exchange Act Rule 13a-14 by signing false certifications of Noble’s financial statements. He also is liable as a control person under Section 20(a) of the Exchange Act for violations of the anti-bribery, books and records, and internal controls provisions by Noble, Ruehlen, and O’Rourke.

The SEC’s complaint against O’Rourke alleges that he aided and abetted Noble’s violations of the anti-bribery, books and records, and internal controls provisions of the Exchange Act, and that he directly violated the internal controls and false records provisions of the Exchange Act. Without admitting or denying the SEC’s allegations, O’Rourke consented to entry of a court order requiring him to pay a $35,000 penalty and permanently enjoining him from further violations of Sections 13(b)(2)(A), 13(b)(2)(B), 13(b)(5) and 30A of the Exchange Act and Rule 13b2-1.

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PANETTA GIVES INTERVIEW TO AL HURRA TELEVISION

The following excerpt is from a Department of  Defense e-mail:
Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta Interview with Al Hurra Television
             Q:  Mr. Secretary, thank you so much for being with Al Hurra.  I would like to start by asking you about what's the purpose of your visit to the UAE, and do you think that the GCC is concerned about Iran's influence -- Iran's nuclear program in the region?  (Continues in Arabic.)
            SECRETARY LEON PANETTA:  The purpose of my visit is to reaffirm the strong relationship that we have with the UAE [United Arab Emirates].  They're one of our strongest allies in the region.  We work very closely with them on a number of areas.  And what I'm here to do is to, again, confirm that relationship, talk with them about some of the issues that obviously are impacting the region.  You mentioned one of them, Iran, and that they have concerns with regards to the situation there.  And we'll have a good discussion on that as well as the situation in Syria.  I'm sure we'll discuss that as well.
             Q:  What do you think -- do you think the policy of sanctions -- what has this policy achieved in regards to the Iranian nuclear program?  (Continues in Arabic.)
             SEC. PANETTA:  You know, for the first time, I think, in a very long time, the international community is unified with regards to its policy towards Iran.  It's very -- it's very clear, the message from the international community, that Iran should not develop a nuclear weapon and that it must become part of the family of international nations and abide by international rules.  That's the main message.
             And the international community has said that because of the behavior of Iran, we're going to make very clear that that has to change.  So it's applied some very strong economic sanctions, very strong diplomatic sanctions, the strongest, I think, that have ever been applied against a nation.
             And the result is that it's impacting on Iran.  It's impacting on their economy, it's impacting on their quality of life, it's impacting on their business community, it's impacting on their energy community, and I think as a result, it is putting pressure on them, isolating them and making it very clear to them that they have to change their ways?
             Q:  When you say Iran shouldn't get the nuclear bomb, do you know if Iran is close to getting it, first?  And do you think the Iranian nuclear weapon is an imminent threat?  (Continues in Arabic.)
             SEC. PANETTA:  I think the intelligence is clear that they have not made a firm decision to proceed with the development of a nuclear weapon.  They do, however, continue to develop their nuclear processing capabilities.  They do enrichment, and they're continuing to locate additional enrichment facilities.  All of that concerns us.  We want to be able to have the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency], the nuclear agency, be able to go in, to be able to look at their facilities to determine whether or not they are abiding by international rules and international norms.
             They have resisted that ability to inspect those facilities.  We think they should.  If their purposes are peaceful, if their purposes are to develop nuclear power for domestic reasons, then they shouldn't be afraid to allow the IAEA to do its inspection.
             Q:  Mr. Secretary, Iran is not the only country in the region who has a nuclear weapon.  Pakistan has also a nuclear bomb.  Why not -- why the Obama administration cannot live with a nuclear Iran?  (Continues in Arabic.)
             SEC. PANETTA:  The concern is this, that Iran continues to try to destabilize nations, particularly in this region.  They promote terrorism. They have supported terrorist activities throughout the region.  They continue to be a destabilizing force in this area.  And because obviously their intent and their purpose is not to promote stability in this region, for them to obtain a nuclear weapon would be extremely dangerous because it would virtually allow terrorism, then, to have the ability to use a nuclear weapon.  That's dangerous.
             Q:  Mr. Secretary --
             Q:  Lately you were very specific about when Israel is going to attack Iran.  Do you think now the probability that Israel could attack Iran has increased?  (Continues in Arabic.)
             SEC. PANETTA:  I -- as the president -- President Obama has stated and I agree, we do not believe Israel has made a decision to do that.  And as you know, we've engaged in a number of hearings with Prime Minister Netanyahu and have been very clear to him that we have the same concerns as Israel with regards to Iran and their -- and their developing a nuclear weapon, but that the international community is unified in putting pressure on Iran and that Israel should operate with the international community in increasing that pressure on Iran.  That's the better way to go right now.
             We think we have the room and the space to try to conduct diplomacy.  Military action should always be a last resort.  That's our system.
             Q:  Are you confident that Israel will not go unilaterally and attack Iran?  And if Israel will go and attack Iran, does the United States -- will the United States intervene with Israel?  (Continues in Arabic.)
             SEC. PANETTA:  Obviously Israel is an independent country, and they'll make whatever decisions they make on their own based on what they think is in their national interests.  If they should make that decision, then obviously the United States will -- would take action to protect our facilities in this area and protect our interests in this area.
             Q:  Before going to another subject, discussing Syria, why is this impossible to reach a deal, solution with the Iranian government?  (Continues in Arabic.)
             SEC. PANETTA:  Well, there have been efforts to try and negotiate on these issues, and unfortunately they have led nowhere.  In order to be able to reach a deal, it takes two parties who are willing to engage in honest, direct and open discussions regarding this issue.  I think if they are willing to do that, if they are willing to really sit down and negotiate (in seriousness ?) over this very difficult and complicated issue, that obviously that would be the better approach.  But the window for that kind of diplomatic solution, as pointed out by the president and by the prime minister of England, that window is closing.  They have to -- they have to show a willingness to negotiate on these issues and do that soon.
             Q:  I would like to ask you about Syria.  Do you still believe that it's pretty much -- (inaudible) -- to intervene militarily in Syria?  (Continues in Arabic.)
             SEC. PANETTA:  Again, I believe that the best course of action is to maintain the international pressure against Syria.  Again, the international community has been unified, along with the Arab League, in applying sanctions against Syria, making very clear that Assad should step down and allow the Syrian people to control their destiny.  This is the main message.
             We should continue to apply that pressure, continue to use every avenue to try to make very clear to Assad that it is important for him to now step down, to allow the people of Syria to come together and develop the institutions of government that will allow their people to freely exercise the kind of rights that the Syrian people are entitled to.
             Q:  Mr. Secretary, historically the United States is -- has always or used to follow Turkey and Saudi Arabia in dealing with a regional crisis.
             Why not this time the United States didn't follow -- doesn't follow -- didn't follow the Saudi position in regards to arming the rebels in Syria?  (Continues in Arabic.)
             SEC. PANETTA:  Again, I think that the United States believes that it is -- the international community ought to decide what steps should be taken with regards to Syria.  The Arab League has provided leadership on this issue.  As with Libya, it was because the international community was unified, the Arab League was unified with the international community that we ultimately were able to bring down Gadhafi and allow the Libyan people to have Libya.  I think it's going to take that kind of international cooperation working with the Arab League to develop what steps need to be taken now to assure that Assad steps down.
             Q:  Now we are in the Gulf, in the -- in the -- in the UAE.  Would you -- would you ask the GCC to take the -- to take the initiative and create a military coalition to resolve the Syrian crisis?  (Continues in Arabic.)
             SEC. PANETTA:  Again, we think it's important to work with the Arab League in deciding what the next steps are.  We do believe that continuing to put pressure on Syria, both diplomatic and economic, is the better course right now.
             You know, anytime people talk about military action, you have to understand what are the consequences of that.  What -- who is the opposition in Syria?  Who do you help?  What are the -- what are the consequences of taking steps like that?  Those are -- those are serious considerations.
             It's not to say that, you know, options -- all options should be on the table.  But I think right now the better course is for the international community and the Arab League to continue to apply strong diplomatic, economic sanctions, to try to get the U.N. to agree that Assad should step down and that the people of Syria should have the opportunity to govern themselves.
             Q:  You've mentioned consequences.  Do you know what -- to what extent can Syria and Iran retaliate in case of a military intervention in Syria?  (Continues in Arabic.)
             SEC. PANETTA:  It's -- of course, anytime you contemplate military action, you have to consider what are the consequences, what are the ramifications.  And as I pointed out in testimony on -- in the Congress, if we were to -- there were suggestions in the Congress that we should do targeted bombing in Syria.  But Syria does have a very strong air defense system, and that would have to be taken out before you could do that.  That kind of system is located in populated areas, and clearly, there would be a lot of collateral damage if that took place.  So it's those kinds of considerations that have to be thought seriously about.  People who urge military action have to understand that before you take that step, you better understand where that -- where does -- where does that kind of action lead.
             Q:  You've met with the prime minister, Netanyahu, and the defense minister, Ehud Barak.  Have you noticed that Israel has -- is concerned a little bit about a regime change in Syria?  (Continues in Arabic.)
             SEC. PANETTA:  You know, anytime a leader steps like down like Assad, there are always questions about who will take that person's place.  But one thing is for sure, that by virtue of the Syrian government killing a large number of Syrian people that this government has been engaged in, that it has lost its legitimacy as a government, and Assad has lost his legitimacy as a leader.
             When you kill your own people, you reach a point where you have lost your ability to truly govern.  And I think that's happened in Syria.  And the result will be that opposing forces will then have to come together, as they did in Libya, to establish, hopefully, a coalition, a council that can ultimately help decide who should govern that country in the future. That would be much better for the Syrian people than the kind of killing that's going on right now.
             Q:  Are you concerned -- I have two last questions.  Are you concerned about the rise of the Islamists and the Salafists in Egypt and in Libya?  How do you see that?  (Continues in Arabic.)
               SEC. PANETTA:  You know, the one thing you learn is that when a country decides to move towards democracy and allow all people to participate in that government, there are going to be different views.  There are going to be different ideologies that may be represented in that government.  But at the same time, giving all people the ability to participate makes clear that even though there may be some extreme ideologies that are there, that ultimately people recognize that the best way to govern is close to the center, not to the extremes.
             Q:  Last question, Mr. Secretary.  It's about the Quran burning in Bagram base.  You know this incident had caused a lot of anger among -- not only among the Afghan people but with the Arab world.  How would you address that?  (Continues in Arabic.)
             SEC. PANETTA:  Yeah, this was a terrible -- a terrible incident that took place.  I think it was a terrible mistake that was made.  And both the president as well as I and the secretary of state have apologized to the Afghan people for what took place, and we made clear that we will fully investigate this matter and that we will take action against those that are involved and hold them accountable.
             This does not represent, I think, the vast majority of the good men and women in uniform that serve in Afghanistan and that serve alongside the Afghan army and their soldiers.  This is -- this is not reflective of the behavior of most of our men and women, who truly believe that we must respect the sovereignty and the culture of Afghanistan in order for it to be able to succeed as a country.
             Q:  Mr. Secretary, thank you so much for being with Al Hurra.
             SEC. PANETTA:  Thanks.

6 PLEAD GUILTY TO STEALING THE IDENTITIES OF DEAD PEOPLE

The following excerpt is from the Department of Justice website:
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Six Plead Guilty in Ohio to Tax and Mail Fraud Conspiracies Involving I.D. Theft of Deceased
Muaad Salem, Hanan Widdi, Najeh Widdi, Hazem Woodi, Daxesj Patel and Fahim Suleiman each entered guilty pleas before the Honorable James S. Gwin today to charges arising from a scheme to obtain false and fraudulent U.S. Treasury tax refund checks, the Justice Department, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced.   Specifically, Salem, Najeh Widdi and Woodi entered guilty pleas to conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to commit mail fraud and mail fraud; Hanan Widdi entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to defraud the United States and conspiracy to commit mail fraud; Patel entered a guilty plea to two counts of submitting false claims and one count of false statements; and Suleiman entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to commit mail fraud; mail fraud and aggravated identity theft.

According to the indictment, between April 15, 2009 to at least August 2011, Salem, Suleiman, Najeh Widdi, Hanan Widdi, Woodi, Patel and other unknown co-conspirators defrauded the United States by filing false and fraudulent tax returns, many in the names of recently deceased taxpayers, and directing refunds to controlled locations in the state of Florida.   The U.S. Treasury checks generated by the false and fraudulent returns were then sent by the U.S. mail to co-conspirators in Ohio who sold and distributed the checks for negotiation at various businesses and banking institutions.   As part of their plea agreements, the defendants admitted that the fraud loss caused by their conduct was between $1 and 2.5 million and that the offenses involved more than ten victims.

Sentencing is scheduled on May 29, 2012, for Najeh Widdi and Patel; on May 30, 2012, for Hanan Widdi and Woodi; and on June 1, 2012, for Salem and Suleiman.   Mail fraud is punishable by a maximum potential sentence of 20 years in prison; conspiracy to defraud the United States is punishable by a maximum potential sentence of 10 years; conspiracy to commit mail fraud, making a false claim against the United States and making a false statement are each punishable by a maximum potential sentence of five years in prison; aggravated identity theft is punishable by a mandatory minimum prison sentence of two years to follow conviction on any other offense.   All of the above sentences are also punishable by a fine of $250,000 for each count of conviction.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gary D. Arbeznik of the Northern District of Ohio and Trial Attorney Jessica W. Knight of the Justice Department’s Tax Division following investigation by the Cleveland Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the IRS-Criminal Investigation, and the United States Postal Service.

THE TOP 10 FACTS ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL ICE PATROL

The following photos and excerpt are from the Department of Defense website:

A Coast Guard C-130, based out of Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C., flies past an iceberg in the waters near Newfoundland, Canada. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Brandon Brewer. 



1. When was the International Ice Patrol formed?
Shipping areas in the North Atlantic have always been hazardous to navigate. The hazards of the North Atlantic captured global attention in April 1912 when the RMS Titanic sank after it struck an iceberg. The incident prompted maritime nations with ships transiting the Grand Banks off Newfoundland, Canada, to establish an iceberg patrol in the area. Since 1913, the U.S. Coast Guard has been tasked with the management and operation of the patrol. Except for the years of World Wars I and II, the ice patrol has been active each ice season since its inception.

2. What are the specific duties of the ice patrol?
Their mission is to monitor the iceberg danger near the Grand Banks of Newfoundland and provide the iceberg limit to the maritime community, including ice and current conditions.

3. Who makes up the ice patrol?
The ice patrol is a U.S. Coast Guard unit however the Canadian Ice Service, ice patrol and U.S. National Ice Center collaborate under the North American Ice Service. The ice patrol produces North American Ice service reports from February through July when icebergs may be present on the Grand Banks and the Canadian Ice Service produces the reports the rest of the year when icebergs are normally restricted to Canadian coastal waters.

4. Why aren’t there ice patrols in other areas other than the Grand Banks?
This is the only location in the world where icebergs endanger a major shipping route, and the ice patrol provides accurate and timely iceberg information to assist transatlantic mariners in avoiding them. Maritime traffic between Europe and North America typically follows routes that are intersected annually by an average of 500 icebergs.

5. What defines an “ice season” and when is it?
The ice season is the seasonal period when icebergs can be present on the Grand Banks. The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea the “ice season” as the period between February 15 and July 1, however the commander of the ice patrol can extend the period based on conditions.

6. What is the International Convention for Safety of Life at Sea?
SOLAS – or the International Convention for Safety of Life at Sea – is generally regarded as the most important of international treaties concerning the safety of merchant ships. The first version was adopted in 1914, in response to the sinking of the Titanic. The main objective of SOLAS is to specify minimum standards for the construction, equipment and operation of ships, compatible with their safety.

7. How did the Coast Guard patrol for icebergs in the past?
Iceberg detection in the past relied on visual sightings from boats on patrol in the area. As airplane performance improved however, the ice patrol integrated airplanes into reconnaissance operations and after 1960, surface patrol craft took a secondary role to aerial reconnaissance.

8. How does the Coast Guard patrol for icebergs now?
Iceberg reconnaissance is conducted primarily with aircrews from Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C., in an HC-130J Hercules airplane, the perfect platform for their mission. Using the airplane’s specialized sensors, radar and visual observations are employed for iceberg detection and identification.

9. Why do modern vessels still need the ice patrol?
Icebergs are not sea ice: they’re floating fragments of glaciers or ice shelves. National Science Foundation photo by of Patrick Rowe.
The seas where the North Atlantic shipping lanes pass near the Grand Banks are particularly challenging for mariners due to frequent fog and high seas. The combination can make it extremely difficult for even a modern vessel to detect an iceberg and avoid it. If there were no ice patrol, vessels would have to reduce risk of collision by either slowing speed considerably or avoiding the Grand Banks entirely. Every additional sea mile or hour adds to transportation costs and delivery time. In this age of “just in time” delivery, longer and more costly voyages equal higher costs and higher prices for consumers.

10. Are icebergs really still a danger?
As recently as 2010, a vessel ignoring the ice patrol’s warnings collided with an iceberg. Fortunately the damage was not catastrophic and the vessel was able to divert to a safe port. The vessel required considerable hull repairs and was unable to return to sea for some time. No vessel heeding ice patrol’s warnings has ever collided with an iceberg.

Icebergs are not sea ice: they’re floating fragments of glaciers or ice shelves. National Science Foundation photo by of Patrick Rowe. 

SEC CHARGES INVESTMENT ADVISER WITH GIVING INVESTORS EMBELLISHED AUDIT

The following excerpt is from the SEC website:
Washington, D.C., March 15, 2012 – The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged a San Francisco-area investment adviser with defrauding investors by giving them a bogus audit report that embellished the financial performance of the fund in which they were investing.

The SEC alleges that James Michael Murray raised more than $4.5 million from investors in his various funds including Market Neutral Trading LLC (MNT), a purported hedge fund that claimed to invest primarily in domestic equities. Murray provided MNT investors with a report purportedly prepared by independent auditor Jones, Moore & Associates (JMA). However, JMA is not a legitimate accounting firm but rather a shell company that Murray secretly created and controlled. The phony audit report misstated the financial condition and performance of MNT to investors.

“An independent financial audit is one of the best protections available to investors,” said Marc Fagel, Director of the SEC’s San Francisco Regional Office. “Murray conjured up an accounting firm and deliberately faked the audit to induce investors into believing the fund was in better shape than it actually was.”

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California also has filed criminal charges against Murray in a complaint unsealed yesterday.

According to the SEC’s complaint filed in federal court in San Francisco, Murray began raising the funds from investors in 2008. The following year, MNT distributed the phony audit report to investors claiming the audit was conducted by a legitimate third-party accounting firm. However, JMA is not registered or licensed as an accounting firm in Delaware, where it purports to do business. JMA’s website was paid for by a Murray-controlled entity and listed 12 professionals with specific degrees and licenses who supposedly work for JMA. However, at least five of these professionals do not exist, including the two named principals of the firm: “Richard Jones” and “Joseph Moore.” Murray has attempted to open brokerage accounts in the name of JMA, identified himself as JMA’s chief financial officer, and called brokerage firms falsely claiming to be the principal identified on most JMA documents.

The SEC alleges that the bogus audit report provided to investors understated the costs of MNT’s investments and thus overstated the fund’s investment gains by approximately 90 percent. The JMA audit report also overstated MNT’s income by approximately 35 percent, its member capital by approximately 18 percent, and its total assets by approximately 10 percent.

The SEC’s complaint charges Murray with violating an SEC rule prohibiting fraud by investment advisers on investors in a pooled investment vehicle. The complaint seeks injunctive relief and financial penalties from Murray.

The SEC’s investigation was conducted by Karen Kreuzkamp and Robert S. Leach of the San Francisco Regional Office following an examination of MNT conducted by Yvette Panetta and Doreen Piccirillo of the New York Regional Office’s broker-dealer examination program. The SEC’s litigation will be led by Robert L. Mitchell of the San Francisco Regional Office. The SEC thanks the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California and the U.S. Secret Service for their assistance in this matter.

THE PASSING OF COPTIC CHRISTIAN POPE SHENOUDA III

The following excerpt is from a U.S. State Department e-mail: 
On the Passing of Pope Shenouda III
Press Statement Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State Washington, DC
March 17, 2012
Today, Americans stand alongside Egyptians in offering our deepest condolences on the passing of Coptic Christian Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria, leader of the Coptic Orthodox Church for more than 40 years. Pope Shenouda III was a beloved leader of Egypt’s Coptic Christians and an advocate for national unity and religious cooperation. As we reflect on his life and legacy, we reaffirm our support to the future peace and prosperity of Egypt. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Egyptian people and all those who mourn Pope Shenouda III.

PENTAGON SAYS FORCES IN AFGHANISTAN ARE COMMITTED TO SUCCESS

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

Afghan Mission Maintains Momentum, Spokesman Says

By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 16, 2012 - Despite tragic incidents over the past several months in Afghanistan, the security strategy in that nation is working and coalition and Afghan forces are committed to its successful end, a Pentagon spokesman said here today.

Navy Capt. John Kirby noted a rise in recent months of Afghan forces firing on coalition members, known as "green-on-blue" deaths, the inadvertent Feb. 21 burning of Qurans at the Parwan detention facility, and the March 11 shooting rampage in which a U.S. soldier is accused of murdering Afghan civilians.

"As tragic as incidents like these are -- and there have been a string of tragic incidents in recent weeks -- it would be just as tragic, if not more, if we let it affect the overall mission," Kirby said.

"I think it's just as wrong to extrapolate from those incidents some sort of overarching belief or notion that [the strategy] is failing and that our soldiers or [Afghan] soldiers are not committed to it," he added, "because that's just not the case."

Kirby, who has been on temporary assignment to Kabul since Feb. 21, said the war in Afghanistan "has been a long, grueling struggle, there's no question about that. We've taken casualties, our Afghan partners have taken casualties, [and] coalition partners have taken casualties."

But during his stay in Afghanistan, Kirby said he talked to soldiers and Marines deployed there.

"I made two battlefield circulations with [International Security Assistance Force commander Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen] before I came back to the States," he said, "one to the East and one down South."

Kirby added, "Uniformly, the soldiers and Marines we talked to there are very committed to what they're doing. They believe in what they're doing and they're seeing the difference every day."

While in Helmand province, Kirby dropped in on his nephew, Marine Corps Cpl. Michael Kirby, who has been in Afghanistan since December and serves on an outpost not far from Marjah.

"He was very optimistic about what they're doing and the success they're having," Kirby said. "He said his Afghan counterparts were really good fighters and very reliable, very dependable and that they had a good working relationship."

The Pentagon spokesman said he found his nephew's attitude "instructive about the kind of good work that's going on across the country."

Afghan security forces are in the lead in many places in Afghanistan. About half the Afghan population now lives in areas that are led by Afghan security forces, officials have said.

"It's always been the goal here that the Afghans are [assuming] the lead for the security of their own country, for the protection of their own people, for safeguarding their own sovereignty," Kirby said. He added that "we all share" the strategy agreed upon at NATO's Lisbon summit in November 2010 that there will be a full transition of security responsibility to the Afghans by the end of 2014.

"And we certainly have made it clear that we expect to be taking more of a support role in terms of combat operations through 2013," Kirby said, "and at some time in 2013 we expect that, for combat operations, the Afghans will be in the lead."

He added, "We're all in agreement that the process of transition is the linchpin here in terms of the success of the strategy."
 

SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON SENDS BEST WISHES TO THE PEOPLE OF IRELAND

The following excerpt is from a U.S. State Department e-mail: 
On the Occasion of St. Patrick's Day
Press Statement Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of StateWashington, DC
March 16, 2012
On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I am delighted to send best wishes to the people of Ireland as you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this March 17. Today, we honor the rich history and cultural heritage of the Irish people and reflect on the bonds of friendship and family between our two nations.
Irish contributions to America have shaped American culture from the founding of our nation. Eight of the men who signed the Declaration of Independence were Irish-Americans and half of our American Presidents have been of Irish descent. Countless Irish-Americans fought bravely during the Civil War, giving their lives for a better America. Throughout our society, Irish Americans have contributed in ways large and small to the bedrock of American life.

The depth and scope of Irish influence throughout the world is immeasurable and exemplifies your rich history and culture. As you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in cities from Dublin to Detroit, know that the United States stands with you. Congratulations and best wishes for a year of peace and prosperity.

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION SITE SAYS BUTTERFLY POPULATION LOWER BECAUSE OF WEATHER

The photo to the right and following excerpt are from the National Science Foundation website:
March 15, 2012                                                       Credit: National Park Service  

Early snowmelt caused by climate change in the Colorado Rocky Mountains snowballs into two chains of events: a decrease in the number of flowers, which, in turn, decreases available nectar. The result is decline in a population of the Mormon Fritillary butterfly, Speyeria mormonia. 

                                                                 

Using long-term data on date of snowmelt, butterfly population sizes and flower numbers at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Carol Boggs, a biologist at Stanford University, and colleagues uncovered multiple effects of early snowmelt on the growth rate of an insect population.

"Predicting effects of climate change on organisms' population sizes will be difficult in some cases due to lack of knowledge of the species' biology," said Boggs, lead author of a paper reporting the results online in this week's journal Ecology Letters.
Taking into account the butterfly's life cycle and the factors determining egg production was important to the research.

Butterflies lay eggs (then die) in their first summer; the caterpillars from those eggs over-winter without eating and develop into adults in the second summer.
In laboratory experiments, the amount of nectar a female butterfly ate determined the number of eggs she laid. This suggested that flower availability might be important to changes in population size.

Early snowmelt in the first year leads to lower availability of the butterfly's preferred flower species, a result of newly developing plants being exposed to early-season frosts that kill flower buds.

The ecologists showed that reduced flower--and therefore nectar--availability per butterfly adversely affected butterfly population growth rate.
Early snowmelt in the second year of the butterfly life cycle worsened the effect, probably through direct killing of caterpillars during early-season frosts.
The combined effects of snowmelt in the two consecutive years explained more than four-fifths of the variation in population growth rate.

"Because species in natural communities are interconnected, the effects of climate change on any single species can easily be underestimated," said Saran Twombly, program director in the National Science Foundation's Division of Environmental Biology, which funded the research.

"This study combines long-term, data models, and an understanding of species interactions to underscore the complex effects climate change has on natural populations."
"It's very unusual for research to uncover a simple mechanism that can explain almost all the variation in growth rate of an insect population," said David Inouye, a biologist at the University of Maryland and co-author of the paper.

Indeed, "one climate parameter can have multiple effects on an organism's population growth," Boggs said. "This was previously not recognized for species such as butterflies that live for only one year.

"We can already predict that this coming summer will be a difficult one for the butterflies," she said, "because the very low snowpack in the mountains this winter makes it likely that there will be significant frost damage."

"Long-term studies such as ours are important to understanding the 'ecology of place,' and the effects of weather and possible climate change on population numbers," said Inouye.
"This research is critical to assessing the broader effects of weather on an ever-changing Earth," he said. "By facilitating long-term studies, field stations such as the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory are an invaluable asset."
Stanford University's Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education also funded the work.

U.S. PURSUING DIPLOMACY TO GET AID TO SYRIAN PEOPLE

The following excerpt is from a State Department e-mail: 
Humanitarian Relief for Syrians
Fact SheetOffice of the SpokespersonWashington, DC
March 15, 2012
The United States is pursuing every avenue to get humanitarian relief into Syria and is engaged in focused diplomatic efforts to secure safe access for humanitarian organizations to reach those in need. To that end, the United States is providing over $12 million in humanitarian assistance through the UN and other humanitarian organizations to support the people of Syria. This assistance is supporting international and non-governmental humanitarian partners, including:
$5.5 million to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR);
$3 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC);
$3 million to the World Food Program (WFP); and
$1 million to non-governmental organizations (NGO).

U.S. efforts also include bolstering existing regional stockpiles of humanitarian supplies and equipment to be delivered to vulnerable and besieged Syrian communities. These stockpiles of food and other emergency relief supplies are part of a growing international effort to rush humanitarian aid into Syria to alleviate suffering as access and conditions allow.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) are delivering critical medical services and supplies, food, water, blankets, hygiene kits, and heaters to the Syrian people. This funding will also provide support for host families who are sheltering displaced Syrians due to the ongoing violence and to those who have fled to neighboring countries.
On March 14, 2012, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) issued a special alert voicing serious concern over the state of food security, especially for vulnerable groups. The World Food Program (WFP) estimates that 1.4 million people have become food insecure as a result of the violence.

WFP plans to provide food aid to 100,000 people affected by the civil conflict in 11 governorates in Syria. The WFP operation provides rations to displaced Syrians and host families, households that have lost breadwinners or livelihoods, female-headed households, and unaccompanied minors. Since February 20, the World Food Program has delivered 16,850 family food rations—sufficient to feed approximately 84,000 people for one month—to Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) warehouses in 11 governorates in Syria. SARC has distributed 7,415 WFP food rations to beneficiaries this month, although several of the worst-affected areas within the governorates remain inaccessible due to insecurity.

GASTROENTERITIS DEATHS HAVE DOUBLED

The following excerpt is from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control website:
Deaths from gastroenteritis double
C. difficile and norovirus are the leading causes
The number of people who died from gastroenteritis (inflammation of the stomach and intestines that causes vomiting and diarrhea) more than doubled from 1999 to 2007, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The findings will be presented today at the International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases in Atlanta.

CDC scientists used data from the National Center for Health Statistics to identify gastroenteritis-associated deaths from 1999 to 2007 among all age groups in the United States.

“Gastroenteritis is a major cause of death worldwide,” said lead author Aron Hall, D.V.M., M.S.P.H., of the CDC’s Division of Viral Diseases. “By knowing the causes of gastroenteritis-associated deaths and who’s at risk, we can develop better treatments and help health care providers prevent people from getting sick.”

Over the eight-year study period, gastroenteritis-associated deaths from all causes increased from nearly 7,000 to more than 17,000 per year. Adults over 65 years old accounted for 83 percent of deaths. Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) and norovirus were the most common infectious causes of gastroenteritis-associated deaths.

There was a fivefold increase, from approximately 2,700 to 14,500 deaths per year, for C. difficile, a type of bacteria often associated with health care settings. C difficile, which causes diarrhea, accounted for two-thirds of the deaths. Much of the recent increase in the incidence and mortality of C. difficile is attributed to the emergence and spread of a hypervirulent, resistant strain of C. difficile.

Norovirus was associated with about 800 deaths annually, though there were 50 percent more deaths in years when epidemics were caused by new strains of the virus. Norovirus is highly contagious. It spreads through person-to-person contact and contaminated food, water, and surfaces. People can get norovirus illness throughout the year, but cases peaked between December-February. Norovirus causes more than 20 million illnesses annually, and it is the leading cause of gastroenteritis outbreaks in the United States.
 “While C. difficile continues to be the leading contributor to gastroenteritis-associated deaths, this study shows for the first time that norovirus is likely the second leading infectious cause,” said Hall. “Our findings highlight the need for effective measures to prevent, diagnose, and manage gastroenteritis, especially for C. difficile and norovirus among the elderly.”
###

SUSPECT IN BASTION AIRFIELD ATTACK HAS DIED

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

Suspect in Afghanistan Airfield Incident Dies

By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service

KABUL, Afghanistan, March 15, 2012 - The suspect in yesterday's car theft and possible attack at Bastion Airfield in Afghanistan's Helmand province died this morning while under medical care, the commander of International Security Assistance Force Joint Command said here today.

The incident took place around the time Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta's plane landed at the airfield for his first stop on his two-day visit to Afghanistan.

In a meeting with reporters traveling with the secretary, Army Lt. Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti said the suspect was an Afghan interpreter working under contract for coalition forces. While the general did not give a specific cause of death, he said the man had suffered extensive burns.

Defense Department spokesman Navy Capt. John Kirby said yesterday in Washington that the man was injured yesterday after allegedly stealing a small pickup truck from its driver and driving it onto an aircraft parking area. NATO officials confirmed that the driver from whom the vehicle was stolen, a British soldier, was injured during the theft, but did not report his condition.

The suspect apparently attempted to hit a group of Marines lined up on the ramp, Scaparrotti said, but overshot the group by about 100 yards and drove the vehicle into a ditch. A U.S. military official confirmed the Marines were at the airfield to greet Panetta as he arrived.

The general said as witnesses described the scene to him later, they then saw a puff of smoke, and the suspect came out of the vehicle engulfed in flames. The suspect may have accidentally set fire to himself while trying to burn the truck, the general said, noting that investigators found containers in the vehicle that may have held fuel.

Scaparrotti said that while he doesn't know the suspect's intent or motivation, "I personally don't believe it had any connection with the secretary's arrival. I think he had an intent to harm. I think he tried to hit people on the ramp."

A senior Defense Department official said a military working dog may have been involved in apprehending the suspect by pulling him from the vehicle, though that is not confirmed. The dog suffered slight burns, the official added.

NAVAL ADMIRAL SAYS REPEAL OF DON'T ASK DOES HAS NO AFFECT

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

Navy Leader Calls 'Don't Ask' Repeal 'Non-story'

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 16, 2012 - The Navy has not seen much difference following last fall's repeal of the Defense Department's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, the chief of naval operations told reporters here today.

Navy Adm. Jonathan W. Greenert said at a Defense Writers' Group meeting that the U.S. Navy checks the status of the fleet constantly, but there has been no uptick in conduct incidents since the repeal went into effect Sept. 20. He does not expect an increase.

The policy, which Congress approved in 1993, let gay and lesbian personnel serve, so long as they kept their sexual orientation secret.

Before repeal, some said letting gay and lesbian service members be open about their sexual preferences would destroy the cohesion of the force and ruin recruiting. That has not been the case, Greenert said.

It has been a "non-story," the admiral told reporters. "Still, we need to remain vigilant," he said.

The Navy wants to ensure there isn't a "slowly developing enclave of folks" who show preference due to sexual orientation, he said. But to date, this hasn't been the case.

There has been no impact of repeal on recruiting, Greenert said. The Navy continues to make 100 percent of its recruiting goal and the quality of recruits remains high.
 

ATTORNEY GENERAL SAYS RECORD NUMBER CHARGED WITH HUMAN TRAFFICKING

The following speech by Attorney General Eric Holder is from the Department of Justice website:
“For the Department of Justice, our commitment to preventing human trafficking, bringing traffickers to justice, and assisting victims has never been stronger – and our approach has never been more effective. Our work has sent a clear and critical message: that, in this country – and under this Administration – human trafficking crimes will not be tolerated. I’m proud to report that, this past year, we charged nearly 120 defendants – a record number – in human trafficking cases. And, over the last three years, we’ve achieved significant increases in human trafficking prosecutions – including a rise of more than 30 percent in the number of forced labor and adult sex trafficking prosecutions.

This work has saved lives, ensured freedom, and restored dignity to women, men, and children in virtually every corner of the country. We’ve liberated scores of victims; secured long prison sentences against individual traffickers; and dismantled large, transnational organized criminal enterprises.

The Department of Justice’s comprehensive approach to prevent human trafficking involves the work of many offices. That’s why the Attorney General formed the Anti-Trafficking Coordination Team – or “ACTeam” – Initiative, an interagency collaboration among the Departments of Justice, Homeland Security, and Labor aimed at streamlining federal criminal investigations and prosecutions of human trafficking offenses.

The scourge of human trafficking goes beyond our borders. The Department of Justice continues to work closely with our international counterparts. For instance, we’ve advanced the U.S.-Mexico Human Trafficking Bilateral Enforcement Initiative, in collaboration with DHS and Mexican law enforcement counterparts, to develop high-impact bilateral investigations and prosecutions to dismantle international human trafficking networks, resulting in landmark convictions in coordinated prosecutions under both U.S. and Mexican law.

Department officials have also shared their expertise and helped to train hundreds of prosecutors, investigators and law enforcement officials in partner countries abroad through our International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program (ICITAP). ICITAP supported the international anti-human trafficking effort through program activities in seven countries on three continents.
In addition to ensuring those who perpetuate these crimes are found and brought to justice, the department’s anti-trafficking grant programs, training and technical assistance initiatives continue to support communities in building capacity to combat human trafficking and assist victims.

These programs take a multidisciplinary approach to human trafficking prevention and encourage close partnerships among federal prosecutors, state and local law enforcement, victim service providers, and other federal partners, including the FBI, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and State.

Supplementing training and grant programs are resources like the Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force Strategy and Operations eGuide, a comprehensive online resource to assist anti-trafficking task forces in establishing, strengthening, and operating multidisciplinary response teams to identify and assist trafficking victims across the country.

To better understand trafficking, the National Institute of Justice continues to expand its research portfolio to understand how and why trafficking occurs, how to best help victims and examine the reasons why these crimes go under-reported in the United States.”

U.K. CITIZEN AND 2 AMERICANS CHARGED WITH CONSPIRACY TO DEFRAUD THE U.S. GOVERNMENT

The following excerpt is from the U.S. Department of Justice website:
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
WASHINGTON – United Kingdom citizen Ahmed Sarchil Kazzaz and his company, Leadstay Company, were charged in an indictment unsealed today in the Northern District of Alabama for their roles in a conspiracy to defraud the United States and pay kickbacks in exchange for receiving subcontracts for a Department of Defense program in Iraq, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance of the Northern District of Alabama.

Kazzaz, 45, and Leadstay were charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud and commit offenses against the United States; six counts of unlawful kickbacks; one count of wire fraud; and three counts of mail fraud.   Kazzaz was arrested on Feb. 14, 2012, in Los Angeles.   In addition, two informations filed in the Northern District of Alabama were unsealed today, charging Gaines R. Newell Jr., 52, and Billy Joe Hunt, 57, with conspiracy to commit the federal offenses of kickbacks, wire fraud and mail fraud, and with filing false tax returns.

According to the indictment, Kazzaz paid more than $947,500 in unlawful kickbacks to two employees of a prime contractor to the United States government in order to obtain lucrative subcontracts for himself and Leadstay, in connection with the Coalition Munitions Clearance Program (CMCP).   CMCP is operated in Iraq by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntsville Engineering and Support Center (HESC).   HESC, located in the Northern District of Alabama, operated the CMCP to clear out, store and dispose of weapons that were seized or abandoned in Iraq since the 2003 invasion.   HESC awarded a contract to perform this work to an international engineering and construction firm headquartered in Pasadena, Calif.

The indictment alleges that beginning in about March 2006, Kazzaz entered into a kickback agreement with the California prime contractor’s program manager and deputy program manager, who arranged for the award of subcontracts to Kazzaz and Leadstay to provide materials, heavy equipment and operators for equipment for the CMCP.   Kazzaz also allegedly obtained multiple funding increases to those subcontracts.   From April 2006 through August 2008, Kazzaz and Leadstay received more than $23 million in U.S. funds for services under the CMCP.

According to the two informations unsealed today, Newell was the program manager in Iraq for the California-based prime contractor to HESC, and Hunt was the deputy program manager.  Both are charged with conspiring to solicit and accept kickbacks to award subcontracts under the CMCP program and to commit mail and wire fraud by knowingly and intentionally devising a scheme to defraud the United States.   In addition, both are charged with failing to report the kickback income on their federal tax returns.

“Mr. Kazzaz allegedly paid kickbacks to two employees of a California-based contractor in order to secure subcontracts for Department of Defense programs in Iraq,” said Assistant Attorney General Breuer.   “Federal contracts must be won or lost based on the merits of the bid, and we will continue to take aggressive steps to hold accountable anyone who tries to play by their own set of rules instead.”

“Government contracts fraud is an insult to all law-abiding taxpayers,” said U.S. Attorney Vance.  “These defendants’ conduct was even worse in that they tried to illegally profit from defense contracts in Iraq, where American men and women were willing to put their lives on the line for freedom.”

“These charges clearly demonstrate that we will take firm action against those who make illegal payments while engaged in wartime contracting,” said Stuart W. Bowen, Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR).   “SIGIR and its investigative partners will continue our vigorous pursuit of those whose illegal acts undermined the U.S. government’s management of the stabilization and reconstruction effort in Iraq.”

“Individuals and businesses that illegally enrich themselves at the expense of the U.S. taxpayer, especially as wartime profiteers, or those who diminish the combat readiness or effectiveness of the U.S. military, will be aggressively investigated by DCIS and our investigative partners,” said Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) Special Agent in Charge Chris D. Hendrickson.  “The combined investigative effort, the Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s work demonstrate the combined federal commitment to combating fraud, waste and abuse.”

“IRS Criminal Investigation provides financial expertise with our law enforcement partners,” said Special Agent in Charge Leslie P. DeMarco of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI) Los Angeles Field Office.  “Today’s unsealing of these charges demonstrates our collective efforts in tracing illicit funds internationally to enforce the laws and ensure public trust.”

Kazzaz, Newell and Hunt are also facing criminal forfeiture proceedings.

The cases were investigated by the DCIS, IRS-CI, SIGIR, the FBI, and the U.S. Army Criminal Investigations Division.   The cases are being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Catherine Votaw, on detail from SIGIR to the Fraud Section of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Estes of the Northern District of Alabama.

An indictment and information contain charges, and defendants are innocent until proven guilty.

CONGOLESE MILITANT FOUND GUILTY OF USING CHILDREN AS SOLDIERS

The following excerpt is from a U.S. State Department e-mail:
ICC Conviction of Thomas Lubanga Dyilo
Press Statement Victoria Nuland
Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC
March 16, 2012
On March 14 2012, the International Criminal Court (ICC) convicted Thomas Lubanga Dyilo, former commander of the Patriotic Forces for the Liberation of the Congo militia and president of the Union of Congolese Patriots, for his responsibility for the war crimes of enlisting and conscripting children and using them to participate actively in hostilities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in 2002 and 2003. Congolese authorities referred the situation in the DRC to the ICC in 2004.

As the Court’s first conviction, this ruling is an historic and important step in providing justice and accountability for the Congolese people. The conviction is also significant for highlighting as an issue of paramount international concern the brutal practice of conscripting and using children to take a direct part in hostilities. These children are often sent to the front lines of combat or used as porters, guards, or sex slaves, and their conscription reverberates throughout entire communities. This conviction puts perpetrators and would-be perpetrators of unlawful child soldier recruitment and other atrocities on notice that they cannot expect their crimes to go unpunished.

Congolese institutions have a critical role to play in ending impunity in the DRC. The Congolese government has taken recent positive steps, such as the prosecution and conviction in national courts of several Congolese army officers for the mass rapes that took place in the town of Fizi on January 1, 2011. The United States continues to encourage the Congolese government to arrest other alleged human rights violators and abusers still at large.

BAGRAMI DISTRIC HELICOPTER CRASH

The following excerpt is from a Department of Defense e-mail:

Allen Expresses Condolences Over Helicopter Crash

From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release

WASHINGTON, March 16, 2012 - The commander of the International Security Assistance Force, Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen, expressed his condolences over the crash of an ISAF helicopter in the Bagrami district of Afghanistan's Kabul province today, military officials reported.

Twelve ISAF service members, all of whom were from Turkey, died as a result of the crash, officials said. Four Afghan civilians also died in the crash.

"My deepest sympathies go out to the families of these ISAF service members and the Afghan civilians who died as a result of this unfortunate incident," Allen said. "Turkey has been a steadfast ally and stalwart member of the NATO ISAF coalition from the beginning."

The deceased service members "put their lives on the line each day they donned the Turkish uniform in order to help build a better life for another proud and noble nation and I pay tribute to their service," Allen said. "I am honored to have led them in a mission for which their families can be incredibly proud."

Initial ISAF operational reporting showed no insurgent activity in the area at the time of the crash.
 

CDC SAYS IMPORTED FOODS INCREASING ILLNESSES IN U.S.

THE FOLLOWING EXCERPT IS FROM THE CDC WEBSITE:

CDC research shows outbreaks linked to imported foods increasing

Fish and spices the most common sources

Foodborne disease outbreaks caused by imported food appeared to rise in 2009 and 2010, and nearly half of the outbreaks implicated foods imported from areas which previously had not been associated with outbreaks, according to research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, presented today at the International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases in Atlanta.

“It's too early to say if the recent numbers represent a trend, but CDC officials are analyzing information from 2011 and will continue to monitor for these outbreaks in the future,” said Hannah Gould, Ph.D., an epidemiologist in CDC’s Division of Foodborne, Waterborne and Environmental Diseases and the lead author.

CDC experts reviewed outbreaks reported to CDC’s Foodborne Disease Outbreak Surveillance System from 2005-2010 for implicated foods that were imported into the United States. During that five-year period, 39 outbreaks and 2,348 illnesses were linked to imported food from 15 countries. Of those outbreaks, nearly half (17) occurred in 2009 and 2010. Overall, fish (17 outbreaks) were the most common source of implicated imported foodborne disease outbreaks, followed by spices (six outbreaks including five from fresh or dried peppers). Nearly 45 percent of the imported foods causing outbreaks came from Asia.

“As our food supply becomes more global, people are eating foods from all over the world, potentially exposing them to germs from all corners of the world, too,” Gould said. “We saw an increased number of outbreaks due to imported foods during recent years, and more types of foods from more countries causing outbreaks.”

According to a report by the Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service (ERS), U.S. food imports grew from $41 billion in 1998 to $78 billion in 2007.  Much of that growth has occurred in fruit and vegetables, seafood and processed food products.  The report estimated that as much as 85 percent of the seafood eaten in the United States is imported, and depending on the time of the year, up to 60 percent of fresh produce is imported. ERS also estimated that about 16 percent of all food eaten in the United States is imported. The types of food causing the outbreaks in this analysis aligned closely with the types of food that were most commonly imported.

Gould warned that the findings likely underestimate the true number of outbreaks due to imported foods as the origin of many foods causing outbreaks is either not known or not reported.

“We need better - and more - information about what foods are causing outbreaks and where those foods are coming from,” Gould said. "Knowing more about what is making people sick, will help focus prevention efforts on those foods that pose a higher risk of causing illness.”

Recently, the Food and Drug Administration has have stepped up its efforts to conduct environmental assessments to determine the root cause of outbreaks. With lessons learned from outbreaks, measures will be taken to prevent such outbreaks in the future.  The newly enacted FDA Food Safety Modernization Act is also a major step in establishing a prevention based food safety system that would address domestic as well as imported foods. CDC, FDA and USDA will continue to work together to prevent foodborne illness and stop harmful products from entering commerce.

THE ATTACK AT BASTION AIRFIELD IN AFGHANISTAN

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

Officials Offer More Detail on Failed Attack at Bastion

By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service

ABOARD A MILITARY AIRCRAFT, March 16, 2012 - The senior NATO International Security Assistance Force commander in southern Afghanistan's Helmand Province was among the welcoming party at Bastion Airfield threatened by the driver of a stolen vehicle, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little told reporters today.

Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Charles "Mark" Gurganus led the March 14 welcoming party for Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta, who visited Bastion and the adjacent Camp Leatherneck on the first stop of a two-day Afghanistan visit that concluded yesterday.

The group at Bastion airfield scattered when a local Afghan, who worked as an interpreter on the base, raced toward the party in a stolen vehicle, apparently attempting to run them down, a senior defense official traveling with the secretary told reporters. The official spoke on background because the event is still under ISAF investigation.

No one in the welcoming party was injured, the official said, but the attacker, who set himself ablaze while apparently attempting to ignite a fire in the stolen vehicle, died of severe burn injuries at around 1:30 local time yesterday morning.

ISAF investigators questioned three other Afghan employees at the base, the official said. Two of the three questioned are the father and brother of the man who died, and are also interpreters at the camp, the official added. The official noted there are no indications any of the three questioned had previous knowledge of the attack or of the secretary's planned visit.

Other details revealed during the investigation, according to a second official also speaking on background, include information on the vehicle theft. A white Hi-lux sport utility vehicle belonging to British forces at the camp was stolen from a British soldier at Camp Leatherneck about 30 minutes before the airfield incident, the second official said.

Investigators reported a British soldier was run over by the interpreter in the stolen vehicle, but it is unclear whether it was the same soldier from whom the vehicle was stolen. The latest update gave the injured soldier's condition as stable, the first official said.

The vehicle approached the welcoming party at the airfield while Panetta's plane was taxiing in, the first official added.

"It remains ISAF's view that it is unlikely that the individual [in the stolen vehicle] knew the secretary was on the plane," the first official said.

"We believe that he intended to cause harm to individuals ... [but] we don't know ... if he knew specifically who he was heading toward," the first official added.

DEXTRE THE SPACE ROBOT AND ROBONAUT 2

The following excerpt is from the NASA website:
WASHINGTON -- NASA's Robotic Refueling Mission (RRM) experiment aboard
the International Space Station has demonstrated remotely controlled
robots and specialized tools can perform precise satellite-servicing
tasks in space. The project marks a milestone in the use of the space
station as a technology test bed.

"We and our partners are making important technological
breakthroughs," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said. "As we move
ahead toward reaching our exploration goals, we will realize even
more benefits from humans and robots working together in space."

The Canadian Space Agency's (CSA) robotic handyman, Dextre,
successfully completed the tasks March 7-9 on the space station's
external RRM module, designed to demonstrate the tools, technologies
and techniques needed to robotically refuel and repair satellites.

"The Hubble servicing missions taught us the importance and value of
getting innovative, cutting-edge technologies to orbit quickly to
deliver great results," said Frank Cepollina, a veteran leader of
five Hubble Space Telescope servicing missions and associate director
of the Satellite Servicing Capabilities Office (SSCO) at NASA's
Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. "The impact of the
space station as a useful technology test bed cannot be overstated.
Fresh satellite-servicing technologies will be demonstrated in a real
space environment within months instead of years. This is huge. It
represents real progress in space technology advancement."

Before a satellite leaves the ground, technicians fill its fuel tank
through a valve that is sealed, covered and designed never to be
accessed again. The RRM experiment demonstrates a remote-controlled
robot can remove these barriers and refuel such satellites in space.

Dextre successfully retrieved and inspected RRM tools, released safety
launch locks on tool adapters, and used an RRM tool to cut extremely
thin satellite lock wire. These operations represent the first use of
RRM tools in orbit and Dextre's first participation in a research and
development project.

RRM was developed by SSCO and is a joint effort between NASA and CSA.
During the next two years, RRM and Dextre will conduct several
servicing tasks using RRM tools on satellite parts and interfaces
inside and covering the cube-shaped RRM module.

NASA expects the RRM results to reduce the risks associated with
satellite servicing. It will encourage future robotic servicing
missions by laying the foundation for them. Such future missions
could include the repair, refueling and repositioning of orbiting
satellites.

"We are especially grateful to CSA for their collaboration on this
venture," Cepollina said. "CSA has played a pivotal role in the
development of space robotics, from the early days of the space
shuttle to the work they are doing with Dextre on space station."

During the three-day RRM Gas Fittings Removal task, the 12-foot
(3.7-meter) Dextre performed the most intricate task ever attempted
by a space robot: cutting two separate "lock wires" 20 thousandths of
an inch (0.5 millimeters) in diameter using the RRM Wire Cutter Tool
(WCT). Deftly maneuvered by ground-based mission operators and
Dextre, the WCT smoothly slid its hook under the individual wires and
severed them with only a few millimeters of clearance. This
wire-cutting activity is a prerequisite to removing and servicing
various satellite parts during any future in-orbit missions.

RRM operations are scheduled to resume in May 2012 with the completion
of the gas fittings removal task. The RRM Refueling task is scheduled
for later this summer. NASA and CSA will present RRM results at the
Second International Workshop on on-Orbit Servicing, hosted by
Goddard May 30-31, 2012.

Dextre and RRM are an example of how robots are changing operations in
space. Another is Robonaut 2, or R2, a project of NASA and General
Motors. R2, the first human-like robot, was launched into space in
2011 and is a permanent resident of the International Space Station.

U.S. OFFICIALS'S REMARKS ON PUTIN'S ELECTION WIN AND IT'S IMPLICATIONS

The following excerpt is from a U.S. State Department e-mail:
Putin's Return: The Political and Commercial Implications for America
Remarks Philip H. Gordon
Assistant Secretary, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs Remarks at Bipartisan Policy Center
Washington, DC
March 15, 2012
Moderator: [in progress] lively debate over whether some new form of human rights sanction needs to immediately be put into effect were Congress to lift Jackson-Vanik. So first of all, can you give us a sense of where the administration is at in terms of the big picture positioning? Is there still a reset possible with President Putin returning to official power in the Kremlin? And in that context, where does this debate in Washington fit in?

Assistant Secretary Gordon: Thanks, Susan. I would be happy to do that. Indeed, I appreciate the invitation to put it in that broader context. This is an important thing we’re trying to do with Russia, but there are a lot of important things we’re trying to do with Russia and they are related.

Let me start, though, by saying how much I admire the report by the task force. As we head into this debate in Congress there is no doubt going to be a lot of polemics and politics and what is called for is a serious, thoughtful assessment with even some facts in it. I think that’s what you all have produced and it’s going to be very valuable and I would encourage members of Congress, the media and others to rely on it. I really think it’s an important contribution on this important issue.

I said I wanted to put this in context, Susan, and what I would say about that is, you all are very well familiar with the way we and the Obama administration have tried to approach the issue of Russia in general. The relationship was strained when the President took office, which he regretted, and thought was not in the U.S. interest because we have so many potential areas of common interest with Russia, whether that’s in the economic area or nonproliferation or counterterrorism. So what he set out to do was to find those areas of common interest, try to reach practical, real substantive agreements while also being very clear that there would be things we would disagree on and we wouldn’t sweep them under the carpet as we pursued these things.

We’re actually very proud of what, in three years, we have accomplished in that regard, whether it’s the New START Treaty or cooperation on Afghanistan which has been very significant to our efforts there; or the 123 Nuclear Agreement on civil nuclear cooperation; Russian support on North Korea; and, particularly Iran, to a degree that I don’t think was imaginable a few years before; the Bipartisan Presidential Commission which has strengthened our relations in areas from environment to sports and culture and business; and, then the WTO agreement which as you and the Secretary and others have said, has been on the agenda for a very long time. We worked very hard, in our own interest, to reach an agreement that we think would benefit -- much as Russia, and we think it would -- but ourselves and other members to the international community by providing greater opportunity for trade and bringing Russia into a binding organization governed by rule of law and open trade. So that, after 20 years of trying, both in the United States and in Russia, we think is a major accomplishment and very consistent with what I described as our overall effort with Russia.

So where does that leave us now? I can talk, and I’m sure you’ll have questions about the broader fate of the reset and how we’re doing in other issues, and I’m happy to engage on that, but since we’re really here to talk about Jackson-Vanik and the WTO, let me just give you the bottom line on that.

Having reached this agreement to bring Russia into the WTO it is in our interest to graduate Russia from Jackson-Vanik so that our firms will benefit, and I would say period. The President, especially in this tough economic climate is determined to do everything he can for American firms and American exports, and were we to fail to graduate Russia from Jackson-Vanik right now, we would be disadvantaging American companies, without costing Russia anything. It’s not in that sense at all a gift to Russia, it is in the fundamentally economic and security interest of the United States and I am quite confident that that’s what Senator Baucus will hear from the businesses today, which include the leadership of some major American companies that want to see this get done.
I think you cited some of the opposition figures in Russia who have said the same thing. The statement they put out last week said that leaving Jackson-Vanik on the books as it is and keeping it applying to Russia would “not be helpful in any way”, and we think that’s right: it would not be helpful in any way.
So, very straightforward and clear, it’s in our interest to graduate Russia from Jackson-Vanik.

I do want to say, though, because this issue is now debated in the context of what we’re doing on democracy and human rights in Russia. I want to be clear on that, too. Even as we’ve pursued this better relationship with Russia and concrete agreements with Russia we’ve been very clear about the importance of democracy, human rights, and civil society in our foreign policy. We’ve done quite a lot in that regard. Since 2009 we’ve spent more than $200 million seeking to promote democracy, human rights and civil society on the recent elections.

From the start we’ve said, the President said that even as we pursue these concrete agreements we will be clear when Russia is doing things that we don’t believe are in our interest or that we disagree with. We’ve done so on a range of issues, on the question of Georgia, and on the question of democracy. So in December when there were parliamentary elections that we did not think were entirely free and fair, we said so. The Russian government didn’t appreciate it, but I think we’ve been consistent to our principles on that issue.

We have proposed, as you know, using some of the resources that were generated from the U.S.-Russia investment fund and asked Congress to consider taking those resources which would be some $50 million and using it as a further effort to promote democracy, civil society and human rights in Russia.

On some of the specific measures in the Magnitsky Bill that has been referred to, which is sometimes linked to the question of lifting Jackson-Vanik, we have also been very clear that it is the policy of the United States to deny visas to people guilty of serious human rights violations. In the Presidential Proclamation last August in the Immigration and Nationality Act, we have the provisions to do that and we have done so and will do so.
So I want to be very clear, even as I say that Jackson-Vanik should be lifted simply unrelated to anything else because it’s in our interest, at the same time, of course, we strongly support the goals of the Cardin legislation. We have been very active on democracy on human rights, we will continue to be active on democracy and human rights, but the bottom line on the question of Jackson-Vanik: it is in our interest to graduate Russia as soon as possible.