VA SECRETARY SHINSEKI SAYS VA IMPROVING CLAIMS SERVICES

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Shinseki: VA on Track to Break Claims Backlog By Donna Miles American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, April 2, 2012 - Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki says VA is on track toward meeting one of the top priorities he set on arrival at the department three years ago: breaking the back of the disability claims backlog. VA spent the last two years creating an automated tool to make claims determinations faster and more accurate, he said. "Our intent is to have no claim over 125 days," Shinseki told American Forces Press Service. "And every claims decision that we put out the door [will be] at a 98-percent quality mark." Toward that end, VA has been testing the new Veterans Benefit Management System in Providence, R.I., and Salt Lake City. Shinseki told Congress last month he believes this technology is helping VA "approach the tipping point in ending the backlog in disability claims." He stopped by the Salt Lake City office last week to assess progress there as the department prepares to take the system nationwide beginning this fall. The rollout will begin at 16 regional offices in September, with all 56 VA regional offices to receive it by the end of fiscal 2013, Shinseki said. This advance is expected to go a long way in helping VA reduce the time veterans must wait for disability claims decisions, the secretary said. "We know we can do it manually," Shinseki said. "But we plan to layer this automation tool on top of that, and have the people who did the manual work now armed with an automation tool. I think we will be able to improve our productivity in ways that we will be able to take that backlog down quickly." Shinseki noted the monumental challenge VA has been up against. During 2009, VA produced 900,000 claims decisions, but also received 1 million new claims. The next year, VA increased its claims decisions to 1 million, but received 1.2 million new claims. "Last year, we produced another 1 million claims decisions and got 1.3 million claims in," Shinseki said. "So the backlog isn't static. The backlog is a bigger number than we would like, but it is not the same number as three years ago." Once the automated system is in place, Shinseki said, he believes the 125-day, 98-percent accuracy goals he set are achievable. "There is a lot on the line here," he said. "And that is why this rollout in September is an important one." His confidence, he said, comes from the successes he's seen automation bring to VA's processing of Post-9/11 GI Bill claims. Shinseki recalled arriving at VA in 2009 just as the new program was being launched and having to implement it on the fly, with no automation tools. Within about nine months, he said, VA was able to prepare the manual process of getting about 173,000 people into schools by the fall 2009 term. "It was pretty rocky," he acknowledged. But today, with the process now automated, VA is able to process more than 600,000 Post-9/11 GI Bill claims faster, and with fewer mistakes, the secretary said. That experience demonstrated the importance of keeping manual processing going as automation is being rolled in, then gradually moving all the processes toward automation, he added. "The lessons we got out of that were tremendously important," he said. "It educated our efforts with the automation tool for the [disability] claims process, and we are doing the same things, step-by-step, that we learned how to do through with the [Post-9/11 GI Bill]." The new system is just one initiative VA has taken to break the claims backlog. Another effort focuses on fundamentally changing the relationship between veterans and VA, making VA an advocate in putting together a strong claims package. VA began giving veterans a checklist of what's needed to file a claim, and also did its own digging to produce whatever documentation veterans couldn't find. This effort reduces the time needed to put a claims package together. Another pilot program focuses on making claims processing more efficient by simplifying the process and improving communication among the entities that process a claim to reduce procedural delays, the secretary said. Shinseki said he wanted to focus on getting the bugs out of the claims process before increasing automation. "We didn't want to automate bad processes and just get lousy decisions faster," he told a Paralyzed Veterans of America gathering. "So we broke the complex, convoluted claims process down into its component pieces to improve each part before putting them back together."

LILIANA FACCIOLI PINTOZZI OF SKY TG-24 INTERVIEW WITH U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT E-MAIL
Interview With Liliana Faccioli Pintozzi of Sky TG-24
Interview Philip H. Gordon
Assistant Secretary, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs Rome, Italy
March 30, 2012
QUESTION: Assistant Secretary, Mr. Gordon, this is not your first trip to Italy but what’s your view of Italy’s latest reform efforts?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY GORDON: Let me first say how delighted I am to be in Italy. I have long-standing relations with this country and Italy plays a major role in our partnership with Europe. And we are very impressed by the recent developments. President Monti, of course, was recently in Washington. He met in the Oval Office with President Obama and I can tell you that President Obama was enormously impressed with his commitment to reform, his knowledge of the economy, and the steps he has taken. One of the reasons I’m here is to form a personal sense of the significance of the reforms and my sense is that they are real, and are in the process of transforming Italy in a way that’s going to have a profound and positive effect.

QUESTION: What can be the US commitment in supporting Italy in this process?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY GORDON: Well, the United States does not have a direct role in the euro crisis. We don’t vote in the Central Bank, we don’t vote in the European Council. We have said that this is largely a European lead. We support the process in general through our contributions to the IMF, but otherwise it is something that we trust that the European leadership has the means and the will and the commitment to undertake. We have an enormous stake in the outcome, so we’re following it closely and the President and Secretary Geithner are very closely in touch with their counterparts and we have views on what needs to be done. We’re encouraged that President Monti, among others, has pushed the growth agenda alongside the austerity agenda because we believe - just as in the United States - you need to be creating growth and creating jobs even as you consolidate the fiscal position. So once again that’s why we’re so impressed with what President Monti is doing in Italy – yes getting a handle on the debt and deficits which is part of the problem, but also reforming and liberalizing in a way that will lead to future growth.

QUESTION: Any ideas that you can use in the United States?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY GORDON: Any ideas that we can use in the United States? We welcome ideas from knowledgeable partners and yes, obviously the situations are different but a core similarity is that we also need to cut our deficits and debt while also seeking to create growth. And one of the things that I think we can both do is look for ways to be more efficient and to liberalize, including in trade and mutual investment and that’s part of the agenda as well.

QUESTION: Apart from the debt crisis, currently what is the most important issue in Europe for the United States?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY GORDON: Well, we have so many because the world is so challenging right now given the challenges we face in Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Libya. And the way we think about these issues is that we know we need strong partners to deal with them. The United States knows it can’t deal with all of these things alone. And when we think about where might those partners be, they are invariably our European partners and Italy is certainly one of the most important and that’s why we value the contributions Italy is making even at this time of difficult economic situation. What Italy is doing with its troops in Afghanistan, what Italy is doing to support the common approach on Iran, including sanctions, including in the energy sector which we know is very difficult for Italy. The role it played in Libya in getting rid of a dictator who was attacking his own people, the way Italy joins us on Syria. On this entire global agenda where we need strong partners Italy is among the best partners that we have and I can tell you that we very much appreciate that in Washington.

QUESTION: Regarding Afghanistan, what can we expect from the NATO summit in Chicago? Any news on the strategy for withdrawal from Afghanistan?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY GORDON: I think so. And you’re right that Afghanistan will be at the top of the agenda in Chicago. President Obama will be proud to host a NATO summit in his home town and I think Afghanistan will be at the core of the decisions taken there. We know what we want to do and I think we have a consensus to do it. We want to stick to the timetable on troops that was agreed in Lisbon, which is getting our combat troops out by the end of 2014 and transitioning to a full Afghan leadership for its own security. Now to do that we need to remain committed, we need to remain engaged, we need to agree on how we’re going to support the Afghan national security forces after 2014 because what we don’t want to do is squander an investment that we have made over ten difficult years. And we all know the sacrifices that countries like Italy have made and the troops they have lost there and the money that has been spent there. And we just want to make sure that after investing so much in our common challenge of trying to stabilize Afghanistan and frankly do something for the Afghan people. As Secretary Clinton often points out, the need to get the Taliban to distance itself from al-Qaeda, to renounce violence, to respect the constitution, including support for women. We owe it to the Afghan people, we owe it to our soldiers who have committed so much to not squander that investment and we think we are making real progress. And as long as we all stick together, and it’s not just the United States – I think there are some 47 countries involved in ISAF – we think we can get all of our combat troops out and leave Afghanistan in a much better place.

QUESTION: Do you think Kabul and Washington will be able to sign the agreement before the summit?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY GORDON: I think so. We’re making progress. It’s difficult. Afghanistan obviously wants to underscore its own sovereignty and they have their own perspectives. We have issues that are important to us as well and have had difficult discussions but I think we’re making progress and I believe we will be in a position to sign the partnership agreement.

QUESTION: How did the Kandahar episode and the Koran episode change the mission?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY GORDON: Not fundamentally. If you heard what President Obama said when Prime Minister Cameron of Britain was visiting two weeks ago in the wake of these tragic and difficult incidents it doesn’t change the overall strategy. People have raised questions: “Should we get out sooner? Are we still committed?” The answer is yes we are committed. The Lisbon timetable is the right one. Allies have agreed to it even under difficult circumstances because we know that we want to leave Afghanistan in a place where Afghans can be responsible for their own security. If we let an incident like this, however tragic or unfortunate, divert us from that and we throw up our hands and we give up, then we would really risk squandering everything we’ve done and invested in that country. We know we’re not going to turn Afghanistan into Switzerland but we do think that we can leave it in a place where human rights would be more respected and individuals would be more secure and we wouldn’t be threatened from the terrorism that once emanated from Afghan soil.

QUESTION: Going back to Syria, Europe is with the U.S. on sanctions and huge pressure on Assad. Do you think that after the common declaration in the Security Council it will be possible to have a common resolution? Or will Beijing and Moscow will still be against it?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY GORDON: I think we’re making progress and you’re right to note that we were pretty close to an international consensus before. And the vote in the Security Council was 13 to 2. And the vote in the General Assembly not long after that was something like 137 to 13 and when you look at the countries in that smaller group, I think that’s not the group that Russia and China should want to be voting with. So there’s already close to an international consensus. We made progress in the presidential statement from the Security Council in the support for the Annan six-point plan and we continue our bilateral dialogue with Russia to convince them that we really need to send a message, that pressure needs to be applied to the Assad regime, that ultimately the future of that country can’t be in his hands, that people won’t stand for it after the wanton violence that he has used against his own people. And I think we’re unified as the international community. I think you’ll see that in Istanbul this weekend when the Friends of the Syrian People meet at a ministerial level to underscore the international community’s determination. It’s different from Libya. We’re not talking about using military force, we’re not planning a NATO operation. Every case is different. But what’s similar to Libya is that the people in the country decided that they could no longer support the violent autocrat dictator using violence on people. The international community came together and supported those people. We saw a transition in Libya and I’m confident we’re going to see a transition in Syria as well. We need to.

QUESTION: The last question is about Iran. We saw in the New York Times the report about the Pentagon simulation of a possible attack on the part of Israel against Iran and an Iranian attack against the United States. I don’t want to ask you if you are ready to attack Iran, but I want to ask you how do you see the next six months? What could be the developments in the situation between Israel, Tehran, Washington?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY GORDON: Here again I’m impressed with the degree of international consensus and growing international consensus on this issue and in particular trans-Atlantic consensus. President Obama is determined to continue to increase pressure on Iran, to persuade it that there are real costs to its refusal to abide by Security Council resolutions and to reject the international community’s view that it needs to come clean on its nuclear program and what we suspect is a nuclear weapons program. And we have succeeded in increasing that pressure very significantly and the European Union is shoulder to shoulder with us. The arms embargo, which we know is difficult, especially for countries like Italy that used to import oil from Iran are in a difficult situation. But the European Union has come together to do that, to impose financial sanctions on the Iranian Central Bank and the banking sector in general. And it’s having a real impact on Iran. I think the Iranians are now understanding that there is a real consequence to flouting the international community. It’s also a message, by the way, to other countries that might think about going in this direction that they can’t do so without paying a very significant price. So we’re pleased at the degree of international consensus and trans-Atlantic consensus but we’re also serious about the diplomatic track. And we’re telling Iran that if they come back to the table there is a way for them to reassure the international community and have a civil nuclear energy program which we would support. So that’s what we’re trying to do. We’re doing it together with the European Union and just like so many of the other international questions we have just discussed – Afghanistan, Libya and Syria – we have a real trans-Atlantic partnership here and we have a hugely important US-Italy partnership as well.

QUESTION: You don’t see any kind of deadline?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY GORDON: Well, it can’t go on forever. We are concerned about several timetables. One is if the Iranians continue to enrich uranium at the current rate they will soon have enough highly enriched uranium to create a nuclear weapon, so that puts some deadline pressure on. And we all know that Israel would consider the use of force because they find this to be an existential threat and one of the things President Obama has made clear is that we want to increase the diplomatic and financial pressure before Israel might feel the need to act militarily. So I’m not saying that this can go on indefinitely but I am saying that given the progress we’re making we have reason to believe that’s the right approach and that’s why we’re so determined to carry on with it.
QUESTION: This is really the last question: This is an electoral year. Do you think that we will have just an economic election campaign or will foreign policy be part of the campaign?

ASSISTANT SECRETARY GORDON: In the US elections coming up? The economy is always the overwhelmingly important variable, especially in the wake of such a massive financial crisis and the difficult economic situation that this President inherited and the difficult economic situation we continue to face. So, no question, economy first and foremost. Fortunately or happily, things seem to be looking up on that score. We’ve seen a lot of job creation in the last couple of months. The stock market is up and business confidence is up – all of which leads us to believe and hope that things are really moving in the right direction and the President’s policies are paying off so I’m optimistic on that score. But of course foreign policy also plays a role in a US election. And there too I think we’ve seen significant support of the American people for this President’s foreign policies, for his actions in the area of counterterrorism, getting Bin Laden, succeeding in re-establishing some of our important global partnerships so I think we’re feeling good on both of those scores.
Question: Thank you.

ASSISTANT SECRETARY GORDON: Pleasure to be here.

NASA LOGO FOUND DURING SPACEWALK

FROM NASA
STS-116 astronaut Bob Curbeam met the NASA logo up close on his Dec. 14, 2006, spacewalk, during which he performed tasks to complete the International Space Station. During space shuttle Discovery’s mission to the station, the STS-116 crew added the P5 spacer truss segment and rewired the station’s power system, preparing it to support the station’s final configuration and the arrival of additional science modules. A fourth and final spacewalk was added to allow the crew to retract solar arrays that had folded improperly. Curbeam was selected as an astronaut in 1994 and subsequently flew on three space shuttle missions. During the STS-116 mission, he became the first shuttle astronaut to conduct four spacewalks in a single mission. Curbeam also flew on STS-85 in August 1997 and STS-98 in February 2001. He accumulated 45 hours and 34 minutes of spacewalking time and more than 900 hours in space. Image Credit: NASA

REMARKS BY AMBASSADOR RICE AT U.N.

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Remarks by Ambassador Susan E. Rice, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, at the Security Council Stakeout following a Briefing by Joint Special Envoy Kofi Annan, April 2, 2012
Susan E. Rice
U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations
U.S. Mission to the United Nations New York, NYApril 2, 2012
AS DELIVERED
Ambassador Rice: Good afternoon, everyone. Let me provide you with a read-out of the Council’s meeting this morning with Joint Special Envoy Kofi Annan. The Joint Special Envoy reviewed for the Security Council his efforts so far to address the crisis in Syria. He expressed gratitude for the recent Presidential Statement and for the Security Council unity that it represented. Joint Special Envoy Annan said that in his discussions with the Syrian regime, he emphasized the urgency of the situation and pressed the government to cease troop movements, cease the use of heavy weapons, and pull out of population centers. Mr. Annan reported that the Syrian foreign minister sent him a letter yesterday, in which he said that the Syrian military will begin immediately, and by April 10th will complete, the cessation of all forward deployment and use of heavy weapons and will complete its withdrawal from population centers. These are steps A through C in the Six-Point Plan, item 2.

Mr. Annan said that he wished that he had this confirmation of action sooner, in other words, that the April 10th deadline would ideally have been earlier than it is. But he urged the government of Syria to start immediately and to ensure that forces move no further into population centers. And, as he related, that commitment was provided by the Syrian authorities. Mr. Annan reported that he’s expecting details from the Syrian government very shortly on the other aspects of his Six-Point Plan, including key requests for humanitarian access, the two-hour daily humanitarian pause, as well as access for the media, and of course, the political process. Mr. Annan’s deputy, Nassar al-Qidwa, has also had constructive exchanges with the opposition to urge them to cease their operations within 48 hours of a complete cessation of government hostilities, in other words, their fulfillment of steps A through C.

Mr. Annan said that a DPKO team joined by some of his staff will travel again to Syria this week to continue preparations for a potential monitoring and supervisory mission of the UN. And finally, Mr. Annan asked the Security Council to support the April 10 deadline and, given the urgency of the situation, to begin consideration of a potential UN monitoring mission. Under-Secretary-General Ladsous then briefed in very short terms on DPKO’s early-stage contingency planning for such a monitoring mission. All members of the Security Council expressed full support for Joint Special Envoy Annan and called for his Six-Point Plan to be implemented immediately, including a political process leading to a transition that meets the aspirations of the Syrian people for democracy, a key point reiterated more than once by the Joint Special Envoy.

Some members of the Security Council expressed concern that the government of Syria not use the next days to intensify the violence and expressed some skepticism about the bona fides of the government in this regard. But, in general, Council members expressed a willingness to consider Mr. Annan’s plan for a monitoring mission if indeed a cessation of violence is achieved.
I’m happy to take a couple of questions.

Ambassador Rice: Excuse me. One at a time.

Reporter: Can you give us an idea of—did Mr. Ladsous make it clear how long it would take? I mean, that you could move rapidly to get a monitoring mission in there, how big it was, any of the details of what it would do?

Ambassador Rice: Let me, on the subject of Mr. Ladsous’s briefing, I think DPKO can provide you with the details of their thinking. Essentially, they’re looking at a phased approach with the aim of trying to get in a small core of initial monitors that might be drawn with the consent of governments from some of the missions in the nearby region. It will take some time to ramp up to full strength, and I think it better to give DPKO the opportunity to provide the details of their thinking.

Reporter: Was there any discussion—was there any discussion of the announcement by some of the Friends of Syria that they would begin to pay salaries to the Free Syrian Army or other rebels? And can you also say—the U.S. offered to provide communications equipment. Can you specify a little bit who would get it, whether it could have any lethal usage, and what safeguards are in place?

Ambassador Rice: Well, let me in my capacity as president be clear in saying, I think, if I’m not mistaken, only one delegation raised that issue. Most were focused on the contents of the Joint Special Envoy’s briefing today. From the U.S. point of view—now speaking in my national capacity—as you know, we announced our readiness not only to increase our humanitarian assistance now to $25 million but also to begin to provide non-lethal assistance to the opposition, including in the form of communications equipment. That communications equipment is by its nature and by its definition non-lethal, and we will continue to work with other partners in the Friends of Democratic Syria, as was agreed in Tunis, to strengthen our efforts to support the effectiveness and coherence of the opposition.

Reporter: Ambassador, can you clarify who is going to be actually monitoring the fulfillment of these promises from here until April 10th, given that you do not have a mechanism for peacekeeping or any such monitoring on the ground? And secondly, can you also clarify if there has been any type of preconditions or conditions attached by the Syrian government to this agreement for April 10 deadline for full-out and whether all the troops will go back to their barracks?

Ambassador Rice: Joint Special Envoy Annan, to answer your second question first, did not specify any preconditions nor was the Council aware of preconditions that had been put in front of that planned withdrawal. The action was to have begun yesterday, on April 1st, consistent with the commitment that Joint Special Envoy Annan received and be implemented over the course of the subsequent ten days. In terms of monitoring, I mean, you know the issue. There is no independent monitoring mechanism on the ground because that hasn’t been permitted by the circumstances, by the lack of violence, and by the posture of the Syrian authorities. There is also obviously a challenge with access for journalists and other independent observers, so we will need to rely on the same sources of information that we have been relying on over the course of the last many months—some of which are formal, some of which are informal—to assess the degree of implementation.

Reporter: Has Syria totally accepted the April 10th deadline? I mean, it’s said there is no hesitation, according to Annan?

Ambassador Rice: As I just said in answer to Raghida, as it was briefed to us, there were no conditions or preconditions specified by the Syrians that we’re aware of for implementation of the commitments that it made some days prior to April 1. Now, let’s be realistic. We’ve—now speaking in my national capacity—we have seen over the course of the last many months promises made and promises broken. We have seen commitments to end the violence followed by massive intensification of violence. So the United States, for one, would look at these commitments and say, yet again, that the proof is in the actions, not in the words. And past experience would lead us to be skeptical and to worry that, over the next several days, that rather than the diminution of the violence we might yet again see an escalation of the violence. We certainly hope that is not so. We hope that the Syrian authorities will implement fully the commitments that they have made without any conditions or codicils, and should they do so, we will expect the opposition to follow suit within 48 hours, as specified by Joint Special Envoy Annan.
Thank you very much.

DENSO CORPORATION EXECUTIVE AGREES TO PLEAD GUILTY TO PRICE FIXING AND BID RIGGING

The following excerpt is from the Department of Justice Antitrust website:
WASHINGTON — An executive of Japan-based DENSO Corporation, has agreed to plead guilty and to serve time in prison for his role in a conspiracy to fix prices and rig bids for heater control panels (HCPs) installed in U.S. cars, the Department of Justice announced today.

According to a one-count felony charge filed today in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan in Detroit, Norihiro Imai, a Japanese national, along with co-conspirators, engaged in a conspiracy to rig bids for and to fix, stabilize and maintain the prices of HCPs sold to customers in the United States and elsewhere. According to the charge, Imai’s involvement in the conspiracy lasted from at least as early as August 2006 until at least June 2009. According to the plea agreement, which is subject to court approval, Imai has agreed to serve one year and one day in a U.S. prison, to pay a $20,000 criminal fine and to cooperate with the department’s ongoing investigation.

“Today’s guilty plea demonstrates the Antitrust Division’s commitment to hold executives accountable for engaging in illegal conduct that leads to higher prices for American businesses and consumers,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Sharis A. Pozen in charge of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division. “Criminal antitrust enforcement is a top priority, and the division will continue to work with its law enforcement partners in the ongoing investigation in the auto parts industry.”

DENSO manufactures and sells a variety of automotive electrical parts, including HCPs. HCPs are located in the center console of an automobile and control the temperature of the interior environment of a vehicle. According to the charge, Imai and his co-conspirators carried out the conspiracy by, among other things, agreeing during meetings and discussions to coordinate bids submitted to, and price adjustments requested by, automobile manufacturers.

Including Imai, eight individuals and three companies have been charged in the government’s ongoing investigation into price fixing and bid rigging in the auto parts industry. DENSO pleaded guilty on March 5, 2012, and was sentenced to pay a $78 million criminal fine. Yazaki Corporation, another Japanese automotive electrical component supplier, pleaded guilty on March 1, 2012, and was sentenced to pay a $470 million criminal fine. Additionally, four Yazaki executives were charged on Jan. 30, 2012, and have agreed to plead guilty. On Nov. 14, 2011, Furukawa Electric Co. Ltd. pleaded guilty and was sentenced to pay a $200 million fine. Three of Furukawa’s executives also pleaded guilty and were sentenced to serve prison sentences in the United States ranging from a year and a day to 18 months.

Imai is charged with price fixing in violation of the Sherman Act, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $1 million criminal fine for individuals. The maximum fine for an individual may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime, if either of those amounts is greater than the statutory maximum fine.

TROPICAL STORM DAPHNE ON APRIL 3, 2012

FROM:  NASA
NASA Infrared Image Sees a Stronger Tropical Storm Daphne
Tropical Storm Daphne strengthened overnight and was captured in an infrared image from NASA's Terra satellite. Daphne moved away from the Fiji islands and remains north of New Zealand in the South Pacific on April 3, 2012.

NASA's Terra satellite passed over Daphne at 1014 UTC (6:14 a.m. EDT or 10:14 p.m. local time, Auckland, New Zealand), and used infrared imagery from the Moderate Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument to visualize its cloud extent. Like the infrared goggles used to see at night infrared satellite imagery can see cloud cover of tropical cyclones from space. The MODIS image showed Daphne to be more rounded and less elongated than it appeared in satellite imagery on April 2, indicating that wind shear had lessened. At that time, its minimum central pressure was 986 millibars.

On April 3 at 0300 UTC (April 2 at 11 a.m. EDT/3 p.m. local time, Auckland, New Zealand time), Tropical Storm Daphne had maximum sustained winds near 50 knots (57.5 mph/92.6 kph), up from 35 knots (40 mph/64 kph) on April 2. Daphne was located 744 nautical miles (856 miles/1378 km) east of Kingston Island, near 27.8 South and 178.0 West. Daphne was speeding to the southeast at 25 knots (28.7 mph/46.3 kph). As Daphne has moved, it has grown in size. Tropical-storm-force winds now extend as far as 300 nautical miles (345.2 miles/555.6 km) from the center, especially in the east and southern quadrants. Tropical-storm-force winds in the other quadrants appear to extend just further than 100 nautical miles (115 miles/185 km).

All warnings have been dropped for Fiji land areas, but mariners can expect rough seas between Fiji and New Zealand as Daphne continues moving southeast.

Forecasters at the Fleet Weather Center in Norfolk, Virginia are currently maintaining forecasts for tropical cyclones in the South Pacific. The current forecast takes Daphne on a south-southeasterly track over the next several days and keeps it away from New Zealand. Forecasters expect Daphne to begin weakening as it continues to move southeast as wind shear will increase and sea surface temperatures will drop.

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE NEWS BRIEFING

FROM:  DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
DOD News Briefing with George Little
            GEORGE LITTLE:  Good afternoon.  I have no announcements to make today, so I will go straight to your questions.
            Yes, sir.  
            Q:  Yes.  Thank you.
            Or, Bob --
            Q:  No, no, please.
            Q:  OK.  Thank you.  
            MR. LITTLE:  You all can vie for your place, if you want.
            Q:  My question is as far as opening the doors of Pakistan's -- the supply route to Afghanistan for the U.S., Secretary Panetta also spoke very clearly about this, that Pakistan is now sending a mixed signal rather than a clear policy or clear -- what they want.  
            But what Pakistan is saying -- that really that if the civilian government opens the route for the U.S. for supply and they have threats from the religious organizations and terrorist organizations that if they -- if the civilian government opens the route, then they will march to Islamabad -- and so what's happening?  What's going on?
            And also, ongoing violence in Karachi also is a threat to the stability in Pakistan.
            MR. LITTLE:  Well, let me break apart that question into a couple of answers, if I may.  First, with respect to the ground supply routes into Afghanistan, we remain hopeful that those routes will be reopened in the near future, and discussions with the Pakistanis continue on a range of issues.  General Allen and General Mattis had a very good session with General Kayani and other Pakistani officials recently, and we look forward to future discussions.  
            As I've said on repeated occasion to all of you, the relationship with Pakistan remains very important to the United States and we're always looking for ways to explore further cooperation.  And it's important to recognize that cooperation does continue on a variety of fronts, and that includes the issue of counterterrorism and also coordination along the border with Afghanistan.
            So we think that we are -- the relationship is settling and, even though we've been through a rocky period, we can get through it.
            On the issue of terrorism, the Pakistanis have been the victims of very devastating violence inflicted by terrorists, so we share a common cause in thwarting al-Qaida and other terrorist groups that are operating in the region, and we're going to continue to try to work closely with our Pakistani counterparts to prevent terrorist attacks against Pakistani interests, against American interests and those of our allies.
            Q:  (Off mic) -- quickly, that if Secretary Panetta has said that Pakistan think or Pakistanis told him that India's a threat to Pakistan.  That's why maybe this problem is going on.
            MR. LITTLE:  I'm not quite sure --
            Q:  If Secretary Panetta has said in his interviews or in his remarks, I believe, that Pakistanis told him that India is a threat to Pakistan.
            MR. LITTLE:  I'm not going to get into private discussions that the secretary may or may not have had at various points.  But everyone recognizes that there have been tensions in that region for some time. We recognize those, and we believe that -- and to the extent that we can do so, we will -- we'll try to forge our greater cooperation to prevent unintended consequences of historic tensions from creating greater conflict.
            Barbara.
            Q:  George, why -- can you walk us through why the coalition and the United States is negotiating an agreement with the Afghan government right now governing how night raids are conducted in the war in Afghanistan?  Why are you doing it?  Why is it important?  And then I want to ask you a follow-up, since you brought up the Allen-Mattis meeting.
            MR. LITTLE:  OK.  Well, first, on the issue of night raids, this has been a concern of the Afghan government for some time.  We recognize that.  We recognize the effectiveness as well that night operations have had over time.  And that's why we're working through an agreement with our Afghan partners.  We believe we're making progress in heading toward an agreement on this and a broad range of other issues.
            It's important to recognize too, Barbara that at this point in time we're working hand in hand -- ISAF forces are working hand in hand with our Afghan partners on night operations, and they are highly effective.  And many of them don't take place with a shot being fired.
            So we're working closely with our Afghan partners.  We're making progress.  And that's reflective, I think, of the progress we're making overall.
            Q:  Right, but what I don't understand, and maybe you can explain, is why do you -- if they're working and they're effective, why do you need an agreement?  What is the -- if you can't say what's in it, which I'm assuming you can't, what is the scope of it?
            What it is intended to address?
            MR. LITTLE:  I wouldn't get into the scope of a prospective agreement and get out ahead of what actually may come out on paper at the end of the day.  
            But there are agreements that we make with our Afghan partners and our -- and other partners around the world all the time when there are concerns expressed, when they want to determine how particular operations are going to move forward into the future.  And it's important to realize that this will be, at the end of the day, something that they're responsible for -- when we move toward an enduring presence as part of our -- the transition process, and codifying that, we think, could benefit Afghanistan, the United States and our coalition partners.
            Q:  I'm sorry -- (inaudible).
            MR. LITTLE:  It makes sense.
            Q:  This is -- this is post-2014, or would it go into effect --
            MR. LITTLE:  I'm not going to get into timing at this stage.  I'm merely pointing out the fact that creating a template for giving the Afghans more responsibility for their own security, to include in certain operations, is, we think, something that is a sign of progress.  And again, without getting into timing, that cooperation is essential, and we're going to work with them to try to help move the transition process forward.
Q:  Do you expect U.S. forces to maintain a role in night operations?
            MR. LITTLE:  I'm not going to get out ahead of what may or may not be in an agreement.
            Jim.
            Q:  You mentioned early on that you're doing these night operations -- (inaudible) -- with the Afghan allies.  Do you have a percentage?  Do you happen to know how many of these operations are done with Afghans participating?
            MR. LITTLE:  Jim, it's not an insignificant number.  I don't have the precise number for you, but I can definitely assure you that we're working hand in hand with our Afghan partners on this and a wide range of other operations, and they are having an effect.
            Q:  Do you think it's more than half?
            MR. LITTLE:  We'll get back to you on that since I don't have a precise number, but I think it's in the ballpark.
            Q:  OK.  Great.  Thanks.
            Q:  (Inaudible.)  Regarding North Korean planned missile launch, what do you assess could be the worst-case scenario?  And what can the Pentagon do to prevent that worst- case scenario?
            MR. LITTLE:  Well, I'm not going to get into speculation on scenarios. The important thing, we believe, is to emphasize with our partners around the world that the North Koreans should not violate their international obligations by conducting a missile launch, which they have announced they might do.  So the focus at this point is on reinforcing to the North Koreans that this is something that the international community objects to.
            Q:  Can I follow on that, George?  There's reports out of South Korea that the North Koreans are working on an even bigger missile than the Taepo Dong II, there are suggestions that there's satellite imagery out there, and that this bigger missile could have a range that could reach the U.S.  
            Do you have any evidence that they're working on such a missile, and any comment no that?
            MR. LITTLE:  I'll have to take a look at those press reports coming out of the region, but I would just merely say that this is something we're working with our partners on.  The secretary had a very good phone call with his Japanese counterpart this morning.  And this is, you know, an issue of importance, we realize, to the United States, to our partners in the region.  And the main point, again, is to try to emphasize very clearly to the North Koreans that they have international obligations that they must uphold.
            Q:  At this point, what is your assessment of their longest range in terms of their missile?
            MR. LITTLE:  Yeah, so I'm not going to get into those specifics, Justin.  But you know, again, we're monitoring all of this very closely.
            Q:  Quick follow-up?
            Q:  What specifically is the U.S. military doing to prepare for this rocket launch?  Are you moving any assets into the region?
            MR. LITTLE:  I'm not going to get into specifics.  But we, along with our partners in the region, are monitoring developments very closely.  And that's where I'll leave it.
            Q:  And does the U.S. -- (inaudible) -- provide food aid to the North Korea even if the missile launching?
            MR. LITTLE:  On the issue of food aid, I would ask that you touch base with the State Department.  But without commenting specifically on food aid, I would say that, you know, North Korea, you know, must do the right thing.  And that's what we're calling on them to do.  And we are asking that they not move forward with a violation of their international obligations.  And that's something that we just -- we can't countenance.
            Q:  (Off mic.)
            MR. LITTLE:  Yes, ma'am.
            Q:  (Inaudible.)
            MR. LITTLE:  OK.  
            Q:  Yeah, South Korean long-range missile went 1,000 kilometers. U.S. and South Korea do compromise -- did that issue?
            MR. LITTLE:  I'm sorry.  Say that again.
            Q:  The Koreans with the missile -- long-range missile distance, 1,000 kilometers, upgraded to South Korean missile range.
            MR. LITTLE:  Uh-huh.  Well, we're -- I'm not going to get into the -- into specifics on that.  But obviously, we are, you know, in constant dialogue with our Republic of Korea allies on ways of shoring up their capabilities.  And we continue to work closely with them.  We have an unwavering commitment to the defense of South Korea, and we are going to continue to work closely with our allies.
            Yeah.  OK, yeah.
            Q:  Yeah, I'd -- George, I wanted to see if you could comment on reports coming out of Canada regarding the Joint Strike Fighter program.
            Apparently, there was an audit general report saying that costs were basically under assumed, I guess, and there is now reconsideration of the country's participation in the effort.  One, yeah, can you comment on the report?  And two, what would the effect be if Canada would have if it were to leave the program?
            MR. LITTLE:  The secretary had a very positive meeting recently in Ottawa, as you know, trilateral discussions with our Canadian allies and the government of Mexico as well.  And you probably saw Minister MacKay speak publicly to this issue and represent the government of Canada's views on the F-35.
            I'm not going to speak for our Canadian allies, obviously, but what I can say is that we are strongly committed to the F-35.  We believe the design is showing great potential and that it can deliver the needed advanced capability for the U.S. and for our international partners.  We remain focused on completing development and testing so that we can put the aircraft in service, and for a long time.
            We believe we're making significant strides on the F-35.  Yes, there have been issues in the past with respect to development and testing and with respect to cost.  And it's been a priority of this secretary and his leadership team to advance development and testing as well as control costs.  And we believe that we're doing that.
            I would also say that we're pleased with the emerging appearance of stability in the manufacturing flow at Lockheed-Martin, Pratt & Whitney and in their supplier teams.  Building test aircraft has given way now to beginning deliveries of a low-rate initial production jets. And that's a sign of progress.
            Q:  George --
            Q:  That said -- but with the trouble that Canadians are having, the British are considering dropping their buys of the program.  What does that say to the international partners for the program?  I mean, it seems like they're running into a lot of difficulties, aside from the difficulties that have been going on: on the U.S. side.
            MR. LITTLE:  Again, without speaking to or about or for other countries, we realize that there are certain pressures right now, including budget pressures, in certain parts of the world.  But the important issue remains that this is a fifth-generation advanced strike fighter.  And it's important, we believe, not only to the security of the United States, but to the capabilities of our partners as well.  And we are committed to this program.
            And we have made progress.  It has had issues from time to time. But we are -- believe that we will get over the goal line with F-35. We're moving into production, and this is a clear sign that even though there have been issues in the past, that we can move beyond them.
            Tony .
            Q:  Just to follow up, the program office -- (inaudible) --
            MR. LITTLE:  You would never have an F-35 question.  
            Q:  I might have a Kentucky question.
            MR. LITTLE:  OK.  All right.    I'll go for that one.
            Q:  Yeah.  (Inaudible) -- almost didn't cover the spread, but --   On the F-35, the program manager on Friday acknowledged that there is about 9 percent growth in the overall program from 1.3 trillion (dollars), which is a hell of a lot, to 1.51 trillion (dollars), which is a lot.  Nine percent, in relative terms, that's a lot of money for that program.  But is it -- are you -- is the DOD concerned at that amount of growth at this point?  Or are you looking at that as, hey, it could have been worse, and this is -- this shows some signs of stability?
            MR. LITTLE:  We do believe that we're achieving stability over time with respect to development and testing and with respect to cost.
            We continue to address the issue of the large overlap of testing and production, and -- you know, and the concurrency issue.  And making critical changes to aircraft after accepting the cost burden -- you know, for instance, that is challenging.
            As you know, there's a new lot, Lot 5, that begins a business arrangement that shares this burden with industry in future years -- will continue until discovery from testing recedes.  So I think this is something that we have to get our arms around, where we're serious about cost control.  The secretary has asked very emphatically that we try to tighten up, especially as we look to a constrained defense budget going forward.  And he believes that we're settling down, I think.
            Q:  This recent cost increase of 9 percent, while not great -- you're not seeing it -- there's not -- that's not cause for alarm within OSD?
            MR. LITTLE:  I think that -- look, we don't like to see cost increases.  But no, we're committed to this program.  And we're committed to cost controls.  And we are not -- we are not running to the exits on F-35.  On the contrary, we are running with enthusiasm toward the prospect of putting this airplane into full production, again, for us and for our partners.
            Q:  You're not saying this is a slam dunk, though, at this point, are you?
            MR. LITTLE:  I am -- I'm a very happy man these days.  If you're going to use a basketball analogy, given that my team won last night -- a great game, for all you Kansas fans -- don't want to cause problems in the ranks.
            Q:  George, Ambassador Crocker recently made some comments that suggested there was a greater danger of al-Qaida using Afghanistan to launch 9/11-style attacks on other Western cities.  Have you seen a rise in the number of al-Qaida fighters in Afghanistan, or has it remained relatively steady?
            MR. LITTLE:  I'm not going to get into specific numbers, Chris, on fighters associated with al-Qaida.  I mean, the important thing to remember about al-Qaida is that even they may -- even though they may be smaller than some other groups in the region, it's about their objectives.  And one of their objectives -- even though they are damaged from serious pressure that's been brought to bear against them, one of their objectives remains to attack the United States and our allies.  So we have to keep the pressure up.  We have to make sure that they don't have the ability to strike us again.
            And look, if you take their raw numbers, whatever that number may be, they're part of a bad stew of militant groups in the region, and they continue to try to forge relationships with those groups.  Now, some of those relationships have been disrupted, and that's a good thing, obviously.  So we have to -- but we have to keep our eye on the ball.  And we can't continue to -- or we can't let up the pressure.
            Q:  Well, just -- NATO officials put the number at about a hundred.  But I wasn't asking you for a specific number.  I was saying, has the number remained relatively steady, or have you seen a rise in the number of suspected al-Qaida fighters in Afghanistan?
            MR. LITTLE:  I would probably, you know, ask that you touch base with my colleagues in Afghanistan.  I'm unaware of a steep rise in the number of al-Qaida.  But again, this is about a group that has attacked the United States, and we need to continue to do everything we can to keep up the pressure.  This is -- this is a continuing problem, and again, not just because of al-Qaida, but because of their relationships.
            And that's why on the Afghan side of the border, we need to continue to put pressure on them and their militant allies, and on the Pakistani side of the border we need to work closely with the Pakistanis to ramp up efforts against them.
            Q:  George, have ISAF and the Afghans come to an agreement on a number for the ANSF post the 352,000 surge?  And if not, when do you expect an announcement on that number?  And what -- you know, obviously it's going to be lower.  Can you give us a range of anything -- or a specific number?
            MR. LITTLE:  It's a good question.  I don't have a specific number to provide today.  We are in discussions with our Afghan partners about what the enduring number of ANSF personnel will be and what the funding will be.  I don't have any announcements to make today.
            What I would say about the ANSF more broadly is that, you know, there's been a lot of discussion recently, and rightfully so, about some tragic and recent incidents, but this is one of the untold success stories, I think, or it's a story that hasn't been told enough, and that's the success of the ANSF.  They are now in the 330,000 range, maybe even higher now, in number, and they're doing great work, on their own and with us and with our allies.
            And I think that's -- you know, even though we have seen recent incidents that have been problematic, there's an arc of -- over- arching progress that continues to expand.  And this is a testament to our Afghan allies' commitment to taking the fight on themselves, providing for their own security, and we're going to continue to stick with them to try to enhance their capabilities.  This is important.
            Now, to your question, Justin, will the number be lower at some point?  Maybe.  But that's something for us to work out with the Afghans.  Again, I'm not going to get into the -- into specifics.  We need to have an enduring and sustainable ANSF that can again provide for the security of the Afghan people.  This is about giving the Afghan people responsibility for governing their own country and for providing security for their own citizens.
            Q:  Do commanders in the field dictate that number?  Or does funding ultimately dictate that final number?
            MR. LITTLE:  There are a number of factors that go into discussions of this sort.  I'm not going to get into what's part of the calculus, but the important thing is to be able to ensure that the Afghans have a number of ANSF personnel, army and local police, that can sustain the gains that they have made working closely with ISAF forces.  And that's going to be the -- that's going to be the key factor, I think.
            Are there resource discussions to be had?  Of course.  You can't field a force of hundreds of thousands, potentially, and not look at the resource equation.  So that's going to have to be part of the discussion.
            But the important principle here is to get the ANSF to where it needs to be, and we think they're moving in absolutely the right direction.  They have worked closely with us, even in the aftermath of recent incidents, and that's something that we're very grateful for and is a sign of the progress they're making.
Yes, in the back.
            Q:  George, is it the position of the department that the aid that was agreed on Syria, the aid that was agreed to last week, that is totally a State Department function?
            Because it appears that some of the equipment that the opposition will be getting is night-vision equipment, military night-vision equipment. Does the U.S. military have any involvement in that?
            MR. LITTLE:  This is a State Department-led effort.  The, I think, $25 million in humanitarian assistance is something that the State Department is managing.  The secretary of state, I believe yesterday, spoke at some length about the nature of this assistance and, I believe, used the word "nonmilitary" at one point.  So I would refer you to her comments.
            On Syria writ large, we remain very concerned about continuing violence in that country.  We're working closely with our partners in the region to try to determine what can be done.  And again, we believe that -- I would just reiterate the policy of this administration, and that is that President Assad needs to step aside.
            Yes.
            Q:  George, the recent commitment of President Obama, President Calderon and Prime Minister Harper in regards to fighting the organized crime implies a new strategy or more resources or training for Mexico and all the countries affected by this tragedy ?
            MR. LITTLE:  I'm not sure that I have any specific agreements or accords or other instruments of international law to point to.  But what I can say, that it was a remarkably productive discussion, a historic dialogue, the first of its kind to discuss hemispheric security issues, to include narco-trafficking, trafficking in illicit goods and a range of other issues.  So we hope that this dialogue can continue in the future.  We look forward to working with our Canadian and Mexican counterparts to try to set up future forums such as this.
            And we're always looking for ways to explore deeper cooperation with our allies to the north and south.
            Courtney.
            Q:  On the Quran burning incident, has -- there obviously hasn't been a investigation publicly released.  Has Secretary Panetta been briefed on any findings yet?  Or can you update us on where the U.S. and/or the U.S. joint Afghan investigation stands?
            MR. LITTLE:  The -- this is an incident that we obviously have taken very seriously and have undertaken a deliberate process to investigate.  As I understand it, the investigation is not yet complete, but we're working toward completion.  And beyond that, I don't have anything to report at this stage.  But I'll certainly keep you posted.
            Q:  So Secretary Panetta has not been updated at all on the progress or any findings or anything like that on this investigation after all this time still?
            MR. LITTLE:  He has taken, for obvious reasons, a strong interest in the progress of the investigation and where it stands.  I'm not going to get out ahead, though, of what the investigation might yield. Again, this is something that needs to come from Afghanistan first, from our commanders, General Allen there, and then we'll move forward. The -- we understand the concerns that this issue or incident raised, and we're committed to addressing it, and General Allen has in Afghanistan.
            Q:  But just to be clear, when you say that the investigation is not yet complete, do you mean, though, the U.S.-Afghan joint one, or do you mean the U.S. -- wasn't there a U.S. one -- as well like at 15-6 investigation?
            MR. LITTLE:  We're obviously taking a look at this ourselves. And to my knowledge, that investigation has not been completed.  The -- as far as the joint investigation goes, I'll have to get back to you on that.
            All right, couple more questions, and then I'll take -- I'll take leave.
            Q:  Can I follow up on Pakistan?
            MR. LITTLE:  OK.
            Q:  The U.S. had a 10 million (dollar) bounty on Lashkar-e-Taiba leader Hafiz Saeed.  And Hafiz Saeed is blamed for having some sort of support from Pakistani intelligence.  Don't you think it will affect those ongoing efforts being made by intelligence officials from both sides to improve the strained relationship?
            MR. LITTLE:  I'm not going to comment on reported ties between the -- elements of the Pakistani government and certain groups inside Pakistan.  The LET, from the U.S. perspective, is a very dangerous group that has mounted operations externally and continues to plot attacks.  This is a very serious issue for us, and I think that's why you saw this announcement.  You know, we believe that this group remains a threat, remains a threat to people in the region and to us.
            Q:  Can I follow up on this quickly?
            MR. LITTLE:  OK.
            Q:  The U.S. military says that it has good contacts with the Pakistani military.  The generals were here a couple -- a few days ago.  So what is the feedback that you are getting from the Pakistani military on this issue?  Because this man, who has killed dozens of Indians and six American citizens, is roaming free in Pakistan.  So what is the feedback that you are getting from your military counterparts?
            MR. LITTLE:  I'm not going to get into the specifics of our discussions with our foreign counterparts.  The focus with the military in Pakistan right now is continuing to look for ways to cooperate.
            That's an essential part of the relationship, to cooperate on a number of levels, political being one and of course military being another, and there are other means of cooperation as well.
            So I think the government of Pakistan understands our long- standing concerns about LET and I'll -- I think I'll leave it there.
            Final question.  Yes.
            Q:  Your briefing already mentioned about that this morning for Secretary Panetta and the Japanese defense minister's meeting -- I mean the telephone conference.  Could you just give us a little more detailed information about that?  And did they talk anything about other than North Korea missile launch?
            MR. LITTLE:  As you know -- well, I'm not going to get into specifics of their conversation, but they did address the prospect of a North Korean missile launch and both expressed concern about the possibility of that occurring in the near future.  And of course we both hope that it doesn't.
            The United States has regular dialogue and the secretary thoroughly enjoys speaking on a relatively frequent basis with his Japanese counterparts.  And so they discuss a wide range of issues.
            We understand the concerns that our Japanese allies have about this prospective launch, the potential impact on the security of the region, and this was a call to share common concerns over the North Korean missile launch, among other reasons.
            Q:  George -- I mean, the reality is, while everyone's concerned, what does the U.S. do about it, other than sit back and take it when it happens, to see what -- where it all lands? I mean, isn't that really the reality here?
            MR. LITTLE:  I think I said "last question," but I'll make this one -- the last.
            MR. LITTLE:  And I'm really not going to get into speculation on it, Barbara.  I mean, this is something that we take very seriously, the prospect of a North Korean missile launch.  What we may or may not do is something that I'll leave to others to hypothesize on.
            All right?  Thank you, everyone.

U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT DAILY PRESS BRIEFING

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Victoria Nuland
Spokesperson
Daily Press Briefing
Washington, DC
April 3, 2012
TRANSCRIPT:
12:31 p.m. EDT
MS. NULAND: All right. Happy Tuesday, everyone. I have a brief statement on Mali at the top, and then we’ll go to what’s on your minds. And we will also be putting this statement out right after the briefing.

The United States remains deeply concerned about the ongoing political crisis in Mali. Mali’s territorial integrity is at stake, and its political institutions will be further weakened if Captain Amadou Sanogo and his supporters do not release their illegitimate grip on Mali and its people immediately. We commend the ongoing leadership of the ECOWAS group to restore full civilian and constitutional rule, and we echo ECOWAS’s call – that’s hard, echo ECOWAS’s call – on Captain Sanogo and his supporters to return to power – return power to the civilian leadership, consistent with Mali’s constitution.

At the same time, the United States urgently calls on all armed rebels in the north of Mali to cease military operations that compromise the Republic of Mali’s territorial integrity, and we exhort all parties in the north to ensure the safety and security of Mali’s northern populations. As civilian leadership is restored in Mali, we also urge all armed rebels to engage in dialogue with the civilian leaders in Bamako to find a nonviolent path forward for national elections and peaceful coexistence.
Let’s go to what’s on your minds.

QUESTION: Well, just on that, before, when this was a – before the coup, weren’t you fully supportive of the fight against the Tuaregs? And now you’re saying they should talk to the – they should talk to whoever’s in control?

MS. NULAND: Well, the concern has been that as the security forces of Mali have split, some of them joining the junta leaders, some of them still supporting the elected government, they have stopped fighting the Tuaregs in the north. We’ve seen the result of that, that the Tuaregs have made a march not only on Gao but on Timbuktu, that the situation has become considerably worse. We have always said that the government in Mali needed not only to be fighting, but also to be providing an opportunity to address legitimate political grievances in the north.

So our call now is obviously not only for the civilian government to be restored, but for the Tuaregs to cease their violence, and once we get back to a civilian government, for that government and those with grievances in the north to engage in dialogue rather than to be trying to settle these issues by violence.

QUESTION: Did you ever figure out how much aid you suspended?

MS. NULAND: I have to say to you, Matt, that we are continuing to work through these programs one by one. It is relatively complicated because we want to continue the humanitarian aid while we cut off anything that provides support to the government. So we’re still continuing to work through that, but we are also looking at other ways we can bring pressure to bear on Captain Sanogo.

QUESTION: Well, okay. Like what?

MS. NULAND: We will have more to say about that in coming days.

QUESTION: The French, for instance, are saying that they think it’s time for the UN Security Council to get involved. Is that something the United States supports?

MS. NULAND: My understanding is that the Security Council is discussing Mali today, and in fact there may well be a presidency statement, whether it’s today or in coming days, and we would strongly support that.

QUESTION: Syria?

QUESTION: No. Wait a sec. Just – you said relatively complicated? I mean, okay, relatively complicated I can understand – one day, two day, three days, four days, maybe even five days. But it’s now been 10, at least. It’s that complicated? That would seem to be more than relatively complicated. That would seem to be a, I don’t know, a problem of such immense proportion that the entire building, or whoever’s in charge of it, is unable to come up with this in 10, 12 days.

MS. NULAND: Well, my understanding is that the agencies that manage these programs were given about a week to report exactly what they’re doing, what the programs, one by one, fund. So for about a week of this, we were waiting for accurate information to come in to Washington. Now we’re going through the policy and the legal review, and we also have to notify the Congress. So I’m frustrated, I know you’re frustrated, but that’s what’s happing.
Okay.

QUESTION: Just following up on that, ECOWAS, one of the things they’ve talked about is an embargo, an embargo on Mali in the wake of the coup. Is that something the United States supports, and is there anything the United States can do to make that a reality?

MS. NULAND: Well, my understanding is that ECOWAS, as you know, they had threatened sanctions about a week ago, that today they actually did impose their sanctions, including closing borders, suspending flights, those kinds of things. We very much support their efforts, as well, to pressure Captian Sanogo to relinquish power.

QUESTION: The AU also today imposed travel bans and various other sanctions --

MS. NULAND: Yes.

QUESTION: -- on Sanogo and others. Is that something the United States supports and will follow, or --

MS. NULAND: Those are the kinds of things that we’re looking at.

QUESTION: Okay.

QUESTION: What would a presidential statement at this point do or achieve, from the Security Council?

MS. NULAND: Well, I think we have to see the text, but usually a presidency statement is the first step in the council expressing its concern. Let’s see what the text says, but obviously, thereafter one can do more of a punitive nature.
Please.

QUESTION: Syria?

MS. NULAND: Yeah.

QUESTION: Yes. Today, the Foreign Minister Walid Muallem issued a statement that they are cooperating with the International Committee of the Red Cross and facilitating their access to all the areas that need to be accessed, and they are cooperating with them. Do you know anything about that?

MS. NULAND: Well, our understanding is that, throughout this crisis, the ICRC has had some limited access. You know that we had given an initial $10 million in humanitarian aid. We decided to increase our aid on the humanitarian side – we’re up to some 25 million – because we were seeing some of that aid flowing to the Syrian people in need. Our concern had been that the humanitarian organizations had not been getting to the areas in greatest need, particularly when they’re under assault. I would refer you to the ICRC for their view of how they are doing, but our understanding is their access if far from complete.

More importantly, however, as you know, the assertion to Kofi Annan was that Assad would start implementing his commitments immediately to withdraw from cities. I want to advise that we have seen no evidence today that he is implementing any of those commitments.

QUESTION: Although they did make a statement that they are, in fact, withdrawing from the cities. They’re taking their mechanized units from certain areas in Homs and Idlib and many other areas. You have no way of verifying that?

MS. NULAND: In fact, our information is the opposite - that nothing has changed.
QUESTION: So there has been more deployment into these areas, these crowded areas where the demonstrations are taking place?

MS. NULAND: I can’t speak to whether there has been increased deployment, but certainly, through our own means, we have been able to verify no withdrawal of mechanized units, which is what he’s claiming credit for today.

QUESTION: So you don’t have confidence that the Syrian Government will fulfill its commitment to pull out by April 10th?

MS. NULAND: Well, as we’ve said consistently, including again tomorrow at the Security – yesterday at the Security Council, we’re going to judge this by – this guy by his actions, not by his words.

QUESTION: One thing that came out yesterday in the discussion, the – Kofi Annan’s report to the Security Council was the Russian position, and Foreign Minister Lavrov has told Interfax that they now explicitly back the demand on Assad to take the first step in withdrawing his troops. Do you read that as a change in their position? And do you think that’s an important sign, as the international community tries to sort of get a coherent view on this?

MS. NULAND: Well, I’ll let the Russians speak for themselves as to whether their position has changed in the last 24 hours. I think you do know that we have been feeling convergence on the Security Council for some two weeks now. Certainly that was highlighted by the presidency statement that endorsed the Kofi Annan six-point plan. And everybody was together yesterday in agreeing that there needed to be this timeline, and that we were waiting for the regime to demonstrate its good faith.
Please.

QUESTION: But the plans to send 250 monitors after the – April 10th is still on. Are you – when are you going to decide to send this mission?

MS. NULAND: Well, I think as Ambassador Rice said yesterday in New York at her press
event, the DPKO, the peacekeeping arm of the UN, is preparing to be able to send monitors in the event that Assad keeps his word and we are able to get a ceasefire so that they could move immediately in and provide eyes and witness, et cetera, and give comfort to the people of Syria. So that – we’re at the preparatory stage with DPKO, but obviously they can’t deploy unless we have movement on the ending of the violence.

QUESTION: Could – just to follow up on your monitoring of the situation in Syria?

MS. NULAND: Yeah.

QUESTION: With the embassy not there, with people like Amnesty International or Human Rights Watch have no presence in Syria, and all the diplomatic missions have really lowered their presence almost to nil, nothing, how do you keep on top of the situation? How do you stay – let’s say – how do you get verifiable information on what’s going on?

MS. NULAND: Well, as you know, we maintain broad contacts with folks inside Syria. Robert Ford, Fred Hof, speak to people in Syria every single day in different parts of the country. In addition, we work with our allies and partners who live in the same neighborhood and have their own contacts. And then, as you know, we have other means for evaluating things like troops movements.

QUESTION: What’s the title of Mr. Hof?

MS. NULAND: He’s special advisor to the Secretary for Syria. I’ll get the precise title, Samir. Yeah.

QUESTION: Can we go to a different topic?

MS. NULAND: Yeah. Please.

QUESTION: Burma, Myanmar.

MS. NULAND: Yeah.

QUESTION: Following up on your response to Andy’s question yesterday, is there a timeline for the United States to decide any further steps? Is the United States waiting, for example, for Aung San Suu Kyi and NLD supporters to actually enter parliament? Is there any timeline for when the U.S. could take further steps?

MS. NULAND: Well, first of all, as we said yesterday, we congratulate all who participated, and it does appear to be a big victory for the NLD in these elections. The – we have the preliminary results, and our statements were based on that. Our understanding is that over the next few days, those results will be confirmed in final. As we’ve said, we are prepared to match positive steps of reform in Burma with steps of our own. We are now looking at what might come next on the U.S. side. I don’t have anything to announce, but I would look for more movement from us on this in the coming weeks.

QUESTION: And is there something specific you’re waiting for, or is it just an internal process to --

MS. NULAND: No. We’re doing some internal work. We’re also consulting with partners in ASEAN, partners in the EU who may be making similar steps to coordinate them.

QUESTION: Change of topic?

QUESTION: A follow-up?

MS. NULAND: Still on Burma? Anybody? No?

QUESTION: Yeah. Let me just follow up.

MS. NULAND: Yeah.

QUESTION: Thank you. Madam, this ruling party backed by the military government was shocked and surprised about the size of victory that Aung San Suu Kyi had in her party. Now, the situation is this time as it was in 1990, but her election in 1990 was annulled by the military government. Now, will – is she going to get some kind of place there so it will not be the situation of 1990? That’s what many Burmese are asking there and here.

MS. NULAND: Well, our expectation is that the government will honor the results as they are certified. As you know, the initial reporting is that she won her own seat, so she’ll be able to join the party. And then she has 42 other members of her party who appear to have won their seats. So our expectation is that these results will be honored and that the parliament will now reflect the results of these elections.

QUESTION: Is U.S. going to back or ask the ruling military party and government that they should have now – a kind of a free and fair general election, national election, so now she can have a place in – like as a prime minister or so?

MS. NULAND: Well, as the Secretary said – I think was on Sunday when we were in Istanbul – it’s now going to be critical for Burmese authorities to continue to work on reform of the electoral system so that it fully meets international standards, including transparency, and it expeditiously looks into any irregularities. But we are obviously hoping for a continuing evolution of the Burmese political system heading towards the next scheduled elections, which I think are 2015, right?

QUESTION: And finally, a quick one. Have you spoken – or any action or reaction from
India or China? Because they both were supporting the previous government in Burma.

MS. NULAND: Well, I think you know Under Secretary Sherman is in India today. I don’t have a full report, but I’m expecting that she’s obviously talking to Indian authorities about Burma, among other subjects.

QUESTION: Thank you.

QUESTION: Was there a – Palestinian issue --

MS. NULAND: Yeah. Ros.

QUESTION: Lashkar e-Tayyiba. The U.S. has put out a $10 million reward for the arrest and prosecution of Hafiz Saeed, who is the head of the affiliated charitable organization. He’s suspected of being the mastermind behind the Mumbai killings. Why now? That happened more than three years ago, and his organization, as well as Lashkar e-Tayyiba, have already been on this – the U.S.’s terrorist list.

MS. NULAND: Well, this effort to arrange a Rewards for Justice bounty, if you will, for Hafiz Mohammad Saeed and also for Abdul Rahman Makki has been in the works for quite a number of months. These things are somewhat complicated to work through all of the details. So the announcements were only able to be posted when the process was complete. But there was – we’ve been working on this for some time.

QUESTION: More than a few months? More, less than a year? Can you characterize?

MS. NULAND: I think less than a year but more than three or four months.


QUESTION: Can you explain exactly what it is about – what’s so complicated about offering money for some of – what – printing the posters? What is it that’s so complicated?

MS. NULAND: Well, there is a review process to determine, in the first instance, whether offering a bounty of this kind – in this case, it’s $10 million for Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, it’s $2 million for Abdul Rahman Makki – is likely to lead to any results in the case. So there has to be an intelligence evaluation, there has to be a policy evaluation, there has to be a discussion with Congress. This is a lot of money for the U.S. taxpayer to put up. And so that process takes some time. Things have to be correlated. There is an entire review process. There’s an interagency rewards committee that has to look through this. And then the Secretary has to approve it.

QUESTION: Right. But if it’s only started a couple months ago – Mumbai was quite a – when did the process begin?

MS. NULAND: I can’t speak to whether, right after the bombing, we looked at this at that time. But I think sometimes what happens is intelligence and other information comes later with regards to whereabouts of individuals, which leads one to think that offering a reward might cause citizens who know where they are to come forward. And sometimes that isn’t evident right at the time of the crimes. So sometimes it comes up later. As you may know, one of these individuals has been appearing on television and has been quite brazen. So I think the sense has been over the last few months that this kind of a reward might hasten the judicial process, if you will.

QUESTION: So you’re saying --

QUESTION: (Inaudible) you know his television appearances, he did speak to Al Jazeera today about this bounty being placed on him. And he suggested that this is being done because he has been putting pressure on the government in Islamabad to not reopen the southern transport routes for supplies to NATO ISAF forces. Is there anything to that, or is this specifically because of his suspected involvement in the Mumbai attacks?

MS. NULAND: No, it has everything to do with Mumbai and his brazen flouting of the justice system.

QUESTION: Just to --


QUESTION: As he lives more or less openly in Pakistan, has there been communication with the Pakistani Government, the Pakistani authorities, seeking for his arrest?

MS. NULAND: Absolutely. We have been in communication with Pakistan on this issue.

QUESTION: And he is wanted --

QUESTION: Have they acceded to his placement on this list? Because there’s been some analysis suggesting that doing so could put even more strain on the U.S.-Pakistani relationship. And to follow up on that, is that something that Deputy Secretary Nides would be dealing with in his meetings in Islamabad on Wednesday?

MS. NULAND: Well, on the latter question, the full range of issues related to international terrorism, terrorist threats in Pakistan internationally, is obviously one of the subjects that Deputy Secretary Nides will be talking about. We have continued to impress on the Government of Pakistan that we believe it has a special responsibility to fully investigate and bring those to – those responsible to justice, to the extent that it can. The Government of Pakistan has regularly, in our conversations with them, pledged its cooperation in the investigations. We fully expect that it will follow through on those commitments. I would guess that this case probably will come up.

QUESTION: Is this reward has been – in the consultation of the Indian Government?

MS. NULAND: My understanding is that the primary work that is done before we offer these rewards is internal, that we do advise affected governments that we intend to do this, but it’s not a consultative process, per se.
QUESTION: Thank you, ma’am. Can we change topics?

MS. NULAND: Yeah.

QUESTION: No. It’s – the reward is for information that leads to the conviction of – conviction where?

MS. NULAND: Wherever he can be found. It’s not specific in the way that it goes --

QUESTION: You’re trying to charge – has he been charged with the murder of the six Americans in Mumbai?

MS. NULAND: I don’t have any back --

QUESTION: I guess I’m just trying to find out, why is it for the United States to offer a reward for this guy? Is that the reason?

MS. NULAND: Well, it’s because we want to see him brought to justice. I believe that he has been charged, but I don’t have the – I’ll get you some more on that.

QUESTION: But do you – I mean, you want him brought to justice here? In India? In Pakistan? Where is it that – I mean, what – if I gave you information that he was on such street corner and he gets picked up and arrested, how do I –

MS. NULAND: My understanding --

QUESTION: -- where does he have to be convicted so I can get the money?

MS. NULAND: Okay. Let us get you some more information. But my understanding of
this – and I may have it wrong – is that he’s actually been charged in India --

QUESTION: Yeah.


MS. NULAND: -- in connection with this case, that he has been at large --

QUESTION: Right.

MS. NULAND: -- and has not been able to be either arrested --

QUESTION: Right.

MS. NULAND: -- or brought to trial.

QUESTION: Right.

MS. NULAND: So the precise formulation in the Rewards for Justice announcement is $10 million for information leading to the arrest or the conviction of either – of this individual, $2 million for the other individual.

QUESTION: How much are the Indians offering for this?

MS. NULAND: I don’t know the answer to that.

QUESTION: Are they offering anything, do you know?
MS. NULAND: I do not.

QUESTION: I’m just curious as to why it’s the U.S. job to offer a reward for this guy when --

MS. NULAND: Well, we have Americans killed and it’s only cooperate --

QUESTION: I understand. Six Americans were killed.

MS. NULAND: Correct.

QUESTION: But you also have Americans killed in other places where you’re not offering any rewards or --

MS. NULAND: Well this program, as you know, we have --

QUESTION: Well, it seems to be that the vast amount of damage that this guy and his group has done is to India, and I’m not aware that they’re offering any rewards. So I want to know why the U.S. taxpayer is offering a reward. That’s --

MS. NULAND: Well, I can’t speak to whether India has its own Rewards for Justice-type program. I’m going to refer you to the Indians with regard to that. This is a program that we’ve had for a long --

QUESTION: I understand that, but --

MS. NULAND: Can I finish my point? We’ve had for a long time, when we are concerned that people who have killed Americans overseas are not being able to be brought to justice. So again, this is a case that’s been going on for a long time. This is with regard to justice being served on people who have killed Americans --

QUESTION: Right. Can you --

MS. NULAND: -- so that there is no impunity for them anywhere in the world.

QUESTION: Can we – can you find out, though, where it is that this guy has to be convicted for the reward to be --

MS. NULAND: We will get you a little bit more information on that, Matt.

QUESTION: Thank you.

MS. NULAND: Okay.

QUESTION: One more about the overall program?

MS. NULAND: Yeah.

QUESTION: It’s been noted that upwards of $100 million have been paid. Is there a breakdown by amounts, since I understand that there’s no revelation of the people who get the rewards? Is there a breakdown per case, how much was paid out, and when they were paid out?

MS. NULAND: I’m going to take that, Ros. As you know, to protect those who come forward, we don’t generally advertise these things. How much – whether we do an accounting of how much has been authorized under the program and for what cases, I’m not sure. So let me take it.

QUESTION: Okay.

MS. NULAND: Okay?
Said.

QUESTION: Can we go to the Palestinian issue?

MS. NULAND: Yeah.

QUESTION: Yesterday, there was a meeting between Deputy Secretary Burns and a member of the PLO Executive Committee Hanan Ashrawi. Could you tell us what has transpired as a result of the meeting?

MS. NULAND: I’m going to take that one too, Said. I don’t have a debrief on that.

QUESTION: Thank you.

MS. NULAND: Okay. Please.

QUESTION: Egypt?

MS. NULAND: Yeah.

QUESTION: Members of the Freedom and Justice Party, which is the political arm of the Muslim Brothers, and one of them is a member of the parliament, are in town. It’s the first level – this level visit to Washington that will meet different people. Is there any meeting going on – to take place in this building or not?

MS. NULAND: I don’t know whether we’re meeting this delegation at any level in this building. Let me take that one as well. We’ll get back to you.

QUESTION: Thank you.

MS. NULAND: Please, Scott.

QUESTION: Can you speak today on the release of the hostages in Colombia? And what the United States hopes happens next between the government and FARC?

MS. NULAND: Yes. And thank you for your patience yesterday. As you know, the operation was ongoing and we wanted to be careful vis-a-vis the Colombians and the Brazilians, to let them complete the operation.

So the United States is pleased that these Colombian officials, some of whom were unjustly held for up to 14 years by the FARC, are now free and that they’ve been reunited with their families. We commend the ICRC, the Government of Brazil, for the positive roles that they played in this release.

As you know, President Santos of Colombia has welcomed this release and has, in addition, again called for the FARC to renounce all violence and lawlessness and to release all remaining hostages as essential conditions to move forward with a durable peace. I think he used the term that this was positive but insufficient, and we certainly want to see further progress in this regard as well.

QUESTION: Do you believe that the FARC continues to have support from other governments in that region?

MS. NULAND: Well, you know that we’ve had historic concerns about this. I don’t think that those concerns have changed.
Anything else? Please.

QUESTION: On Pakistan?

MS. NULAND: Yeah.

QUESTION: Two questions, quick. One, are you worried about ongoing violence, especially in Karachi? And second, Pakistan is now deporting three wives of Usama bin Ladin, two to Saudi Arabia, one to Yemen. If – you had access to them because they had vital information about Usama bin Ladin’s activities?

MS. NULAND: Well, I’m not going to speak to our intelligence relationship with Pakistan. I think it’s now an internal matter between Pakistan and those governments about the disposition of the wives.
Elise.

QUESTION: And violence – ongoing violence in Karachi?

MS. NULAND: I don’t have anything in particular on that. If we have anything to say,
we’ll let you know.

QUESTION: Thank you.

MS. NULAND: Elise.

QUESTION: There have been reports that North Korea is – in addition to the launch that you’re expecting, is also preparing even bigger, long-range missile tests, and there have been some reports that U.S. officials are quoted that it could be even more concerning than originally thought. Do you have anything on this?

MS. NULAND: I don’t have anything new on that. Any kind of missile launch of any kind is of great concern and would be a violation, in our view, of UN Security Council resolutions.

QUESTION: Iraq?

QUESTION: On the --

MS. NULAND: Yeah, Iraq.

QUESTION: On Iraq?

MS. NULAND: Yeah.

QUESTION: Yes. Massoud Barzani, the president of the northern region of Kurdistan, is in town. I asked Mark last week – he is to meet with Deputy Secretary Burns, I guess. Why is he not meeting with the Secretary of State?

MS. NULAND: Well, he’s being hosted, as you know, by the Vice President, so his senior interlocutor will be the Vice President, and then in this building, he’ll have a chance to talk with Deputy Secretary Burns.

Please.

QUESTION: Quick one on Iran, the Secretary in her comments at VMI today again references the expectation that there’ll be these talks next month. Do you have any clarity yet on this?

QUESTION: This month.

QUESTION: This month, sorry.

MS. NULAND: This month, it’s April, right?

QUESTION: Yes, we’re --

MS. NULAND: We’re – life is ticking by.

QUESTION: I’m just wondering if that’s actually been nailed down, when and where.

MS. NULAND: I think we are still where we were yesterday – that we have made a proposal, we think it’s an appropriate proposal, and we are awaiting Iranian confirmation.
QUESTION: On Russia?

MS. NULAND: Yes.

QUESTION: There was a new statement from a senior Russian official criticizing U.S. funding on democracy. Does the United – I mean, arguing that it distorts the Russian domestic process – does the United States have anything new to say to these charges leveled by the Russians?

MS. NULAND: Well, first, I would call your attention to the interview that the Secretary gave to Jill Dougherty of CNN over the weekend. I think we put out the transcript yesterday where she spoke very clearly about our support for Russians’ right to work and speak openly about their interest in more freedom, more democracy, more transparency, more openness.

We have, as the Secretary affirmed, proposed to Congress the creation of a new fund to empower Russian civil society, to protect human rights, to enhance a free and diverse information environment to work with NGOs to create the – increase the dialogue that they have with American NGOs to support the development of political leadership among young people. This would be a $50 million fund that would be drawn from liquidated assets from the former U.S.-Russia Investment Fund. We’re working with Congress on this.

And again, this is designed to support a vibrant civil society in Russia and to allow us to work with those Russian NGOs who want to work with us, to develop their skills and their voice and their ability to represent the aspirations of Russians to increasingly deepen and strengthen their democracy.

QUESTION: Quickly, going back to Iran P-5+1 --

MS. NULAND: Yeah.

QUESTION: -- in your proposal, did you also include Istanbul as a --

MS. NULAND: Yes.

QUESTION: -- venue?

MS. NULAND: Yes, yes.

QUESTION: Did you all take any position on the Palestinian bid for membership in the ICC?

MS. NULAND: With regard to the --

QUESTION: Criminal court – International Criminal Court.

MS. NULAND: To the criminal court? Well, I think – we’ve seen, obviously, the announcement by the prosecutor. This is within his mandate, obviously, to decide, so our focus is obviously, as it has been straight along, just to --

QUESTION: Oh, I know, but you know that countries take positions on things like this.

MS. NULAND: To my knowledge, we did not take any position.

QUESTION: Okay.

MS. NULAND: Okay. All right. Thanks, everybody.

QUESTION: Thank you.

MS. NULAND: I will now be off. Have a great holiday week. Mark will be on the podium tomorrow and Thursday.
QUESTION: Oh, yeah.

MS. NULAND: (Laughter.)

QUESTION: Have a great trip.