STATE DEPARTMENT SAYS 39 NATIONS HAVE ADEQUATE MEASURES TO PROTECT SEA TURTLES FROM SHRIMP TRAWL FISHING

Photo:  Kemps-Ridley Sea Turtle on Padre Island.  Credit:  U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.  

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Sea Turtle Conservation and Shrimp Imports
Media Note Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC
June 8, 2012
On April 19, the Department of State certified 39 nations and one economy as having adequate measures in place to protect sea turtles during the course of shrimp trawl fishing, which permits those countries to export wild-caught shrimp to the United States under Section 609 of Public Law 101-162 (Section 609). Section 609 bans the import of wild-caught shrimp and shrimp products harvested in ways that may adversely affect some sea turtle species unless the Department of State certifies to Congress that the government of the harvesting nation has taken measures to reduce the incidental catch of sea turtles in its shrimp trawl fisheries, such as through the use of turtle excluder devices (TEDs), or that the fishing environment of the harvesting nation does not threaten sea turtles. The Department makes certifications annually by May 1 and bases them in part on the results of verification visits by State Department and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) teams to exporting countries. For more information on the 2012 certification, see the Federal Register Notice on the 2012 Certification published at 77 FR 31062 on May 24: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-05-24/pdf/2012-12635.pdf.

Implementation of Section 609 of Public Law 101-162 has provided considerable benefits to endangered sea turtles species. Six of the seven species of marine turtles are listed as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Well-designed and installed TEDs reduce the mortality of sea turtles incidentally caught in shrimp trawl nets by up to 97 percent without appreciable loss of shrimp. The United States Government is currently providing technology and capacity building assistance to a variety of nations in the hope they can contribute to the recovery of sea turtle species and be certified under Section 609. For more information on United States Government sea turtle conservation efforts,

U.S. HUMANITARIAN AID TO SRYIA AND NEIGHBORS

Map Credit:  Central Intelligence Agency.
FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
U.S. Humanitarian Aid Reaching Syria and Neighboring Countries
Fact Sheet Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC
June 8, 2012
The United States is pursuing every avenue to provide humanitarian relief to those affected by the violence in Syria and is engaged in focused diplomatic efforts to secure full and unfettered access for humanitarian organizations to reach those in need. The United States is providing an additional $12.8 million in humanitarian assistance to support the people of Syria, bringing the total amount of U.S. emergency aid to just over $52 million during the current fiscal year for this crisis. Our assistance continues to reach those affected by the violence through our contributions to international and non-governmental humanitarian partners, including:
$16.5 million to the World Food Program (WFP);
$14.9 million to non-governmental organizations (NGOs);
$8.5 million to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR);
$8 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC);
$3 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA);
$750,000 to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and
$500,000 to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs.

Within Syria:
The UN estimates that at least 1 million people in Syria are in need of assistance, with the number of internally displaced Syrians estimated at approximately 300,000. These, as well as other vulnerable and besieged communities, have received U.S. assistance in the form of medical supplies and other humanitarian relief. Humanitarian assistance is provided on the basis of need, not political affiliation, and is being distributed to the most vulnerable through UN agencies, international and local non-governmental organizations. Working together, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) and ICRC, as well as UNICEF, WFP and other international and local NGOs are providing substantial assistance to Syrians and other civilians under great risk.

Nearly 45,000 needy people in Homs, some 15,000 people in Hama, and 14,500 people in Idlib and rural Damascus have received food and other essentials over the last two weeks from the SARC, with ICRC support. ICRC has established teams inside Syria to more efficiently deliver assistance to those most in need. The ICRC provided the SARC branches in Damascus, Rural Damascus, Idlib and Homs with enough medical supplies to treat 200 casualties. Additionally, 2,000 displaced persons will benefit from improved water and sanitation at 10 public buildings in Homs. UN and NGO partners are delivering critical medical services and supplies, food, water, blankets, hygiene kits, and household items to the Syrian people targeting more than 400,000 people.

In Neighboring Countries:
We recognize the generosity of the Governments of Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, and Iraq, who have kept their borders open and are hosting and providing assistance to those fleeing the violence in Syria.

According to the Government of Turkey, as of June 5, 2012, there were more than 26,700 displaced Syrians in camps in Turkey. The Turkish government, with the help of the Turkish Red Crescent, provides camp-based humanitarian assistance that exceeds international standards. At the Turkish government’s request, UNHCR provides technical assistance to Turkish authorities on protection issues including camp management, voluntary repatriation, and registration. In 2012, UNHCR has provided 3,100 family tents and 23,880 blankets in support of the Turkish government’s humanitarian response to the displaced Syrians in Turkey; UNHCR preparations are underway to provide an additional 2,000 family tents, 10,000 blankets, and 2,000 kitchen sets.

In Lebanon, more than 26,000 Syrians are being assisted throughout the country. More than 13,500 have been registered by UNHCR and Lebanon’s High Relief Commission in the North. UNHCR and partners are registering and assisting an additional 3,000 in Tripoli, 900 in the Beirut area, and 7,500 in the Bekaa valley. Ongoing security incidents have impeded assistance in the North, due to road closures, limited movement and inhibited access to affected communities.

Partners distributed 17,000 core relief items, more than 15,500 food kits, and more than 13,000 hygiene kits in north Lebanon. Additionally, UNHCR and partners have distributed clothing, baby kits and heating fuel coupons. WFP will distribute food parcels for 1,300 families in north Lebanon in June 2012.

NGOs have rehabilitated the homes of 29 host families in Lebanon by providing cash grants; and have rehabilitated 19 collective centers. An additional 35 homes are currently being rehabilitated, with 51 more dwellings in line to be renovated. Collective centers have also been identified for future rehabilitation, and technical assessments on the rehabilitation of 30 unfinished buildings in the Bekaa were completed. ICRC and the Lebanese Red Cross have provided medical training to a number of hospitals.

In Jordan, approximately 24,000 displaced Syrians have been registered by UNHCR, with another 2,500 scheduled for registration. Local organizations have identified 35,000 Syrians in need of assistance in Jordan. The Government of Jordan has provided a much higher number of 115,000 Syrians present in country, as many who entered have not registered with UNHCR.

A range of UN agencies are providing relief assistance, education, and health support to displaced Syrians in Jordan in coordination with various Jordanian Ministries. Nearly 2,600 individuals received out-patient health services through UNHCR and its implementing partners since April 1, 2012. Three clinics, in the cities where most Syrians are located, provide free health services to Syrians. Additionally, mobile medical units are also free of charge and travel to newly arrived Syrian populations in need. Some 400 individuals have received non-food items, such as blankets, mattresses, cooking sets and other items. WFP distributed food rations through partners to 12,615 Syrians who are living in host communities. Additionally, WFP provided more than 30,315 hot meals in transit centers since April 19, 2012.

In Iraq, UNHCR has registered more than 4,600 Syrians, with 425 individuals awaiting registration. Many families are staying with relatives and do not immediately seek registration; the most destitute of arrivals have relocated to Domiz camp, where the number of residents has reached more than 3,425 individuals. As of May 30, Domiz camp comprised 254 family tents and 35 tents for individuals. Water and septic tanks have been installed and connected, and the construction of 125 individual cooking areas has begun.

U.S. EXPORTS IN APRIL HIT $182.9 BILLION

FROM:  U.S. EXPORT-IMPORT BANK
Friday, June 08, 2012
U.S. Exports in April Hit $182.9 Billion
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The United States exported $182.9 billion in goods and services in April 2012, according to data released today by the Bureau of Economic Analysis of the U.S. Commerce Department. Compared to the same time period in 2011, there has been increased activity in Australia ($9.9 billion, +26.3%), the Middle East ($2.1 billion, +23.1%), and China ($3.5 billion, +4.3%). Additionally, fiscal year-to-date authorizations through May 31 for the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) are up from $20.4 billion in 2011 to $21.9 billion in 2012.

“These results demonstrate that U.S. exports remain strong even though there has been economic uncertainty throughout Europe, said Fred P. Hochberg, the chairman and president of Ex-Im Bank. “Exports continue to offer American companies extraordinary opportunities to boost sales to the 95 percent of the world's customers that are located outside the U.S."

Exports of goods and services over the last twelve months totaled $2.145 trillion, which is 35.8 percent above the level of exports in 2009 and a record for the United States. Over the last twelve months, exports have been growing at an annualized rate of 14.0 percent when compared to 2009.

Over the last twelve months, the major export markets with the largest annualized increase in U.S. goods purchases were Panama (37.2 percent), Turkey (33.0 percent), Argentina (29.8 percent), Chile (29.5 percent), Honduras (29.4 percent), Hong Kong (28.9 percent), Peru (27.9 percent), Russia (27.0 percent), Brazil (24.6 percent), and Ecuador (23.0 percent). Of these, Brazil and Turkey are among the nine countries that Ex-Im has identified as having the greatest sales potential for U.S. companies. The other seven countries are Brazil, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria, South Africa, and Vietnam.

U.S. OFFICIAL REMARKS WITH JAPANESE MINISTER

FROM:  U.S. NAVY
The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS McCampbell (DDG 85), right, conducts a replenishment at sea with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Towada-class fast-combat support ship JS Hamana (AOE 424) during Pacific Bond 2012. With the two ships are the Hatakaze-class destroyer JS Shimakaze (DDG 172) and the Royal Australian Navy Anzac-class frigate HMAS Ballarat (FFH 155). Pacific Bond 2012 is a U.S. Navy, Royal Australian Navy, and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force maritime exercise intended to improve interoperability and further relations between the nations. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Declan Barnes (Released) 


FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Remarks to the Media Prior to and After Their Meeting
Remarks
Robert R. King
Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights Issues Japanese Minister for the Abduction Issue Jin Matsubara
Tokyo, Japan
June 8, 2012
MINISTER MATSUBARA (Interpreted from Japanese): As far as Japan's position on the abduction issue is concerned, as clearly stated by Prime Minister Noda in his responses to questions that were raised in Diet sessions, we take the position that no normalization of Japan's relations with North Korea (is possible) without the resolution of the abduction issue.
Furthermore,
we share the recognition that it is extremely difficult to provide any humanitarian assistance without resolution of the abduction issue. The other side of the point, though, is if we see progress on the abduction issue from them it allows us to be in a position to provide humanitarian aid.

At any rate, I believe that the issue of abductees by the DPRK is a very grave humanitarian issue and of human rights. I think it is a race against time because of the aging of the families and the abductees. Symbolically speaking, I believe that Japanese as a whole would really sense that the abduction issue has been resolved when they see a scene of the Yokotas embracing Megumi Yokota.

So I would again like to reiterate my welcome to you, Ambassador, and I would also like to request for your continued support in the resolution of this issue.

AMBASSADOR KING: Mr. Minister, as you know, the United States has been very supportive of Japanese efforts to see the return of these abductees. We will continue to follow that policy and are supportive of what you're doing in terms of seeing the enactment of these returns. Japan is a key partner to the United States, and with South Korea, as we seek to resolve the problems and difficulties in our relationship with North Korea, we want to make sure that we coordinate and cooperate with your government on our policy towards North Korea

ATTORNEY GENERAL HOLDER'S REMARKS ON LEAK INVESTIGATIONS

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Friday, June 8, 2012
Statement of Attorney General Eric Holder on the Assignment of U.S. Attorneys to Lead Investigations of Possible Unauthorized Disclosures of Classified Information
Attorney General Eric Holder issued the following statement today on the assignment of U.S. Attorneys to lead investigations of possible unauthorized disclosures of classified information:

“Today, I assigned U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Ronald C. Machen Jr. and U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein to lead criminal investigations into recent instances of possible unauthorized disclosures of classified information.

“These two highly-respected and experienced prosecutors will be directing separate investigations currently being conducted by the FBI.   I have every confidence in their abilities to doggedly follow the facts and the evidence in the pursuit of justice wherever it leads.

“In carrying out their assignments, U.S. Attorneys Machen and Rosenstein are fully authorized to prosecute criminal violations discovered as a result of their investigations and matters related to those violations, consult with members of the Intelligence Community and follow all appropriate investigative leads within the Executive and Legislative branches of government.

“I have notified members of Congress and plan to provide more information, as appropriate, to members of the Judiciary and Intelligence Committees.

“The unauthorized disclosure of classified information can compromise the security of this country and all Americans, and it will not be tolerated.    The Justice Department takes seriously cases in which government employees and contractors entrusted with classified information are suspected of willfully disclosing such classified information to those not entitled to it, and we will do so in these cases as well.”

JUDGE REFUSES TO THROW OUT CHARGES AGAINST ACCUSED WIKILEAKER PFC. BRADLEY MANNING

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
Judge Upholds Charges Against Alleged Document Leaker
By Donna Miles
FORT MEADE, Md., June 8, 2012 - The military judge trying the case of alleged WikiLeaker Army Pfc. Bradley Manning today rejected a defense motion to throw out 10 of the 22 charges against him.

Army Col. Denise Lind refused the defense's argument that eight of the charges are unconstitutionally vague and overly broad.

She also upheld two other charges that Manning had exceeded his authorized access to classified Defense Department networks. Lind did announce, however, that she would use a narrow interpretation of the statute in this case. This raises the standard for what the prosecution will need to prove for Manning to be found guilty, a military lawyer told reporters.

The judge also announced that Manning's trial, initially scheduled to begin Sept. 21, likely will be delayed until November or possibly January. The defense team had asked for more time to review documents associated with the case and prepare its arguments.
The rulings came at the end of a three-day hearing here leading up to what's expected to be a three-week trial.

Manning, 24, is accused of the largest intelligence leak in U.S. history while deployed to Iraq as a military intelligence analyst. The former 10th Mountain Division soldier is accused of installing unauthorized software onto government computers to extract classified information, unlawfully downloading it, improperly storing it, and transmitting the data to the whistle-blowing group WikiLeaks.

WikiLeaks, in turn, released thousands of these documents, including classified records about military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, on its website.

Manning is charged with aiding the enemy, wrongfully causing intelligence to be published on the Internet knowing that it is accessible to the enemy, theft of public property or records, transmitting defense information, and fraud and related activity in connection with computers. The charges also include violation of Army Regulations 25-2 "Information Assurance" and 380-5 "Department of the Army Information Security Program."
If found guilty, Manning could receive up to life in prison. He also could be reduced to E-1, the lowest enlisted grade, and face a total forfeiture of all pay and allowances and dishonorable discharge.

Much of this week's pre-trial hearing, one of several to iron out issues related to the case, centered around what documents are being made available, and how quickly, for the defense to prepare for the trial.

Manning's civilian attorney, David Coombs, complained of getting discovery documents too slowly, in a piecemeal fashion or with so many sections redacted – meaning parts of them have been blacked out – that they're of little value.

The defense team hopes to use these documents to show that Manning caused little or no damage.

Yesterday, three State Department officials called by the defense testified that the department stood up three different teams after the leaks occurred to do damage control, identify people considered to be at risk because of the disclosures and improve computer security. The witnesses did not testify about what damages may have been caused.

In an effort to keep the proceedings as close to the projected schedule as possible, Lind announced this week that she would add additional pretrial hearings to assess progress and break through any logjams.

Lind announced that the next hearing will be June 25. At that session, both the prosecution and defense teams are scheduled to submit recommended instructions for the court to give the panel at the trial.

The defense team will have the choice of having the case decided by Lind alone, a military panel, or a jury.

UPDATE ON U.S. APPROACH TO MISSILE DEFENSE IN EUROPE

Photo:  Missile Interceptor Test Launch.  Credit:  U.S. Navy.
FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Reinforcing Stability Through Missile Defense
Remarks Frank A. Rose
Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance OSCE Forum for Security Cooperation
Vienna, Austria
June 6, 2012
Thank you so much for inviting me to speak today. This venue provides an opportunity for constructive dialogue on current security issues, and in this context, I will share an update on the U.S. approach to missile defense. At the State Department, I am responsible for overseeing a wide range of defense policy issues, including missile defense. In that capacity, it was my responsibility to negotiate the details of the Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) agreements with Poland, Romania, and Turkey that will enable the United States to implement the European Phased Adaptive Approach. I will touch more on this later in my presentation, but suffice to say that I have been focused over the last couple of years on ensuring that we are able to meet the vision President Obama laid out in his 2009 announcement regarding the European Phased Adaptive Approach.

Missile Defense Policy
Today, the threat from short-, medium-, and intermediate-range ballistic missiles to our deployed forces, allies, and partners is growing. This regional threat is likely to increase in both quantitative and qualitative terms in the coming years, as some states are increasing their inventories, and making their ballistic missiles more accurate, reliable, mobile, and survivable.

Recognizing the seriousness of the ballistic missile threat, the United States seeks to create an environment, based on strong cooperation with allies and partners, which will diminish an adversary’s confidence in the effectiveness of ballistic missile attacks. This will devalue ballistic missiles and provide a disincentive for their development, acquisition, deployment, and use. To that end, President Obama has made international cooperation on missile defense a key priority, and we are pursuing a region-by-region approach based on the following three principles:

First, the United States will strengthen regional deterrence architectures built upon solid cooperative relationships with an eye toward efficiently incorporating assets and structures that our partners already have today or are seeking.

Second, the United States is pursuing phased adaptive approaches (PAAs) to missile defense within key regions that are tailored to their unique deterrence requirements and threats, including the scale, scope, and pace of their development, and the capabilities available and most suited for deployment. Specifically, we will phase in the best available technology to meet existing and evolving threats, and adapt to situations that evolve in the future.

Third, recognizing that our supply of missile defense assets cannot meet the global demand we face, the United States is developing mobile capabilities that can be relocated to adapt to a changing threat and provide surge defense capabilities where they are most needed.

Missile defense plays an important role in the broader U.S. international security strategy, supporting both deterrence and diplomacy. Missile defense assures our allies and partners that the United States has the will and the means to deter and, if necessary, defeat a limited ballistic missile attack against the U.S. homeland and regional ballistic missile attacks against our deployed forces, allies, and partners.

NATO and European Missile Defense
Today I will focus on our work in Europe, which continues to receive a great deal of attention. In order to augment the defense of the United States against a future long-range threat and provide more comprehensive and more rapid protection to our deployed forces and European Allies against the current threat, President Obama outlined a four-phase approach for European missile defense called the European Phased Adaptive Approach or EPAA. Through the EPAA, the United States will deploy increasingly capable BMD assets to defend Europe against a ballistic missile threat from the Middle East that is increasing both quantitatively and qualitatively.

The EPAA is designed to protect our deployed forces and Allies in Europe, as well as improve protection of the U.S. homeland against potential ICBMs from the Middle East. As part of Phase 1, we have deployed to Turkey, a missile defense radar, referred to as the AN/TPY-2 radar. Also, as part of Phase 1, the United States deployed a BMD-capable Aegis ship to the Mediterranean Sea in March of 2011, and has maintained a BMD-capable ship presence in the region ever since.

Slightly more than a year ago, we concluded negotiations with Romania to host a U.S. land-based SM-3 BMD interceptor site, designed to extend missile defense protection to a greater portion of Europe. The land-based SM-3 system to be deployed to Romania is anticipated to become operational in the 2015 timeframe. We also reached an agreement with Poland to place a similar U.S. BMD interceptor site there in the 2018 timeframe, which will extend missile defense protection to all of NATO Europe.

The Obama Administration is implementing the EPAA within the NATO context. At the 2010 Lisbon Summit, NATO Heads of State and Government approved a new Strategic Concept and took the historic decision to develop the capability to defend NATO European populations and territory against the growing threat from ballistic missile proliferation. The Allies also welcomed the EPAA as a U.S. national contribution to the new NATO territorial missile defense capability, in support of our commitment to the collective defense of the Alliance under Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty. At the Lisbon Summit, NATO Heads of State and Government also decided to expand the scope of the NATO Active Layered Theatre Ballistic Missile Defense (ALTBMD) program to serve as the command, control, and communications network to support this new capability. NATO allies have committed to investing over $1 billion for command, control, and communications infrastructure to support NATO missile defense.

On May 20-21, the NATO Heads of State and Government met in Chicago for the NATO Summit and announced that NATO has achieved an interim BMD capability. This means that the Alliance has an operationally meaningful standing peacetime ballistic missile defense capability. NATO also agreed on the command and control procedures for ballistic missile defense, designated Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) as the commander for this mission, and demonstrated an interoperable command and control capability funded by all Allies. To support this interim BMD capability, the United States will offer EPAA assets to the Alliance as voluntary national contributions to the BMD mission, and will welcome contributions by other Allies. For example, President Obama announced in Chicago that he has directed the transfer of the AN/TPY-2 radar deployed in Turkey to NATO operational control. The EPAA also includes BMD-capable Aegis ships that can perform many roles besides BMD. If conditions warrant, we will transfer BMD-capable Aegis ships to NATO operational control.

These decisions have created a framework for Allies to contribute and optimize their own BMD assets for our collective defense, and the United States welcomes contributions from other Allies. Several NATO Allies possess land- and sea-based sensors that could be linked into the system, as well as lower tier systems that can be integrated and used to provide point defense. For example, the Netherlands has indicated that it will spend close to 250 million Euros to modify the radars on its frigates to detect and track ballistic missiles at long ranges and has indicated it will contribute its Patriot BMD systems to the NATO missile defense mission.

Russia
An update on missile defense cooperation with Europe should also include a discussion of our efforts to pursue cooperation with the Russian Federation. Missile defense cooperation with Russia is a Presidential priority, as it has been for several Administrations going back to President George H.W. Bush in the early 1990s.

When President Obama announced his new vision for missile defense in Europe in September 2009, he stated that “we welcome Russia’s cooperation to bring its missile defense capabilities into a broader defense of our common strategic interests.” Missile defense cooperation with Russia will not only strengthen our bilateral and NATO-Russia relationships, but also could enhance NATO’s missile defense capabilities. Successful missile defense cooperation would provide concrete benefits to Russia, our NATO Allies, and the United States and will strengthen – not weaken – strategic stability over the long term.

This means it is important to get the Russian Federation inside the missile defense tent now, working alongside the United States and NATO, while we are in the early stages of our efforts. Close cooperation between Russia and the United States and NATO is the best and most enduring way for Russia to gain the assurance that European missile defenses cannot and will not undermine its strategic deterrent.

Through this cooperation, Russia would see firsthand that this system is designed for the ballistic missile threat from outside the Euro-Atlantic area, and that NATO missile defense systems will not undermine Russia’s strategic nuclear deterrent capabilities. Working together on missile defense would also send a strong message to proliferators that the United States, NATO, and Russia are working to counter their efforts. And in Chicago, the NATO Allies in our Summit Declaration stated that “Through ongoing efforts in the NATO-Russia Council, we seek to determine how independent NATO and Russian missile defence systems can work together to enhance European security. We look forward to establishing the proposed joint NATO-Russia Missile Data Fusion Centre and the joint Planning Operations Centre to cooperate on missile defence.”

That said, Russia has raised the issue of wanting a legal guarantee with a set of “military-technical criteria” that could, in effect, create limitations on our ability to develop and deploy future missile defense systems against regional ballistic missile threats such as those presented by Iran and North Korea. We have made it clear that we cannot and will not accept limitations on our ability to defend ourselves, our allies, and our partners, including where we deploy our BMD-capable Aegis ships. These are multi-mission ships that are used for a variety of purposes around the world, not just for missile defense.

While we seek to develop ways to cooperate with Russia on missile defense, it is important to remember that under the terms of Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, NATO alone bears responsibility for defending the Alliance from the ballistic missile threat. This is why the United States and NATO cannot agree to Russia’s proposal for “sectoral” missile defense. Just as Russia must ensure the defense of Russian territory, NATO must ensure the defense of NATO territory. NATO cannot and will not outsource its Article 5 commitments.

We would, however, be willing to agree to a political framework including a statement that our missile defenses are not directed at Russia. Any such statement would be politically binding and would publicly proclaim our intent to work together and chart the direction for cooperation.

As the NATO Declaration issued at the Chicago summit stated: “We propose to develop a transparency regime based upon a regular exchange of information about the current respective missile defence capabilities of NATO and Russia. Such concrete missile defence cooperation is the best means to provide Russia with the assurances it seeks regarding NATO’s missile defence plans and capabilities. In this regard, we today reaffirm that the NATO missile defence in Europe will not undermine strategic stability. NATO missile defence is not directed against Russia and will not undermine Russia’s strategic deterrence capabilities. NATO missile defence is intended to defend against potential threats emanating from outside the Euro-Atlantic area. ”

We look forward to continuing discussions with the Russian Federation to develop a mutually agreed framework for missile defense cooperation.

Conclusion
Today’s ballistic missile threats continue to increase in number and sophistication. This increasing threat reinforces the importance of our collaborative missile defense efforts with allies and partners around the world, which not only strengthen regional stability, but also provide protection for our forces serving abroad and augment the defense of the United States. At the same time we are continuing to work with Russia and appreciate the statements of President Putin, Prime Minister Medvedev, and other Russian officials that we should continue to work to find common ground to resolve our differences.
Thank you for your time and attention. I look forward to your questions.

NASA to Host News Teleconference About NuSTAR Launch

NASA to Host News Teleconference About NuSTAR Launch

CIVIL RIGHTS AND SERVICE MEMBERS

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Civil Rights Protections for Service Members
June 7th, 2012 Posted by Tracy Russo
 The following post appears courtesy of Assistant Attorney General Tom Perez for the Civil Rights Division.
Last month I had the opportunity to meet with approximately 200 members of the 101st Airborne Division at Ft. Campbell to discuss the many way the Department of Justice protects the civil rights of service members.

It was particularly appropriate that our visit to Fort Campbell coincided with the 58th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education. Brown v. Board unanimously outlawed “separate but equal” schools and called for the desegregation of schools throughout the nation.  The 101st Airborne Division’s extraordinary accomplishments around the world on behalf of democracy and freedom are well known, but few know they also include a critical role during the Civil Rights Movement, when its soldiers escorted and protected the “Little Rock Nine” as they attended classes at the all-white Little Rock Central High School.  Members of the 101st Airborne Division also deployed to Oxford, Mississippi, when James Meredith became the University of Mississippi’s first African-American student.  These important missions were highlighted during our tour of the Don F. Pratt Museum.

During my visit, I discussed with Ft. Campbell’s soldiers and their families how the Civil Rights Division enforces laws designed to protect the rights of service members and their families. These laws ensure their brave and selfless service never puts them at risk of losing their jobs at home. They make sure members of the military and their families never have to forfeit their right to vote because they may be stationed far from home. They also protect military families when they act as consumers and make sure they are not penalized for their courageous decision to serve.  In addition, I shared the ways the Americans with Disabilities Act protects the rights of individuals with disabilities, and can help those who return from combat with new disabilities.

I heard directly from the men and women serving our nation about the challenges they confront and I reminded Ft. Campbell’s soldiers they may seek advice from their Staff Judge Advocate office about their rights under these laws. They can also report violations of their rights to their Staff Judge Advocate.

EPA ANNOUNCES GRANTS TO CLEAN UP CONTAMINATED SITES IN ST. PAUL

FROM:  US. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

EPA Announces $1.8 million in Grants to Clean Up Contaminated Sites in St. Paul; State to Receive a total of $2,650,000 in Grants and Loans

(CHICAGO – June 6, 2012) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Regional Administrator Susan Hedman today joined Mayor Chris Coleman and Port President Louis Jambois at the new River of Goods and Terrybear building to announce $1.8 million in grants to redevelop contaminated properties, create jobs and protect public health in St. Paul. These EPA “brownfield grants” will be used by St. Paul and the St. Paul Port Authority to assess and clean up abandoned industrial and commercial properties.

"EPA's brownfield grants will help clean up contaminated sites in St. Paul so that they can be used again," said EPA Region 5 Administrator Susan Hedman. “The grants will help to revitalize neighborhoods and help businesses create jobs.”

St. Paul will receive a $200,000 brownfield grant to clean up the Trillium Central site at 179 E. Maryland Ave. The site was part of a rail yard from the late 1800s through the 1970s and included several storage structures and storage areas. It is contaminated with petroleum compounds from years of petroleum storage, handling and transfer operations. The Trillium Central site represents 8.7 acres of the city’s proposed 45-acre Trillium Nature Sanctuary.

"In St. Paul, we've seen how investing in revitalizing brownfields has paid off. By taking underutilized sites and transforming them into useful, productive spaces, formerly polluted and abandoned land can again be a prosperous part of our city," Mayor Chris Coleman said.

The St. Paul Port Authority will receive $1.6 million in brownfield grants. The Port Authority will use $400,000 for environmental assessments in areas that are targeted for redevelopment around the city. Two cleanup grants of $200,000 each will focus efforts to clean up hazardous substance in soil and soil gas at two former 3M Corp. parcels at or near 900 Bush Ave. Both sites were used for industrial and commercial purposes from the late 1800s through 2009. Soil and ground water at both sites are contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, diesel range organics and volatile organic compounds. When 3M Corp relocated from its main campus to the neighboring suburb of Maplewood, the Port Authority took over redevelopment of the 46-acre site.

An $800,000 supplemental Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund grant will help the Port Authority continue to provide low-interest loans for the cleanup of brownfield sites. The Port Authority has been successfully preparing properties for redevelopment with Revolving Loan Fund grants since 2003, with an emphasis on creating and keeping jobs.

"Brownfield redevelopment is a partnership process. It requires participation of every level of government and the private sector to be successful," Jambois said. "We're very appreciative of the EPA's energy and commitment to redeveloping core cities.”

The St. Paul grants are part of the EPA’s $69.3 million 2012 nationwide brownfields grants. Since 2003, EPA has awarded $13 million to St. Paul.

GEN. DEMPSEY UNHAPPY WITH PAKISTANI ACTIONS AGAINST HAQQANI NETWORK

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE

Dempsey: 'Extraordinarily Dissatisfied' With Pakistani Action Against Haqqani Network

By Claudette Roulo

WASHINGTON, June 7, 2012 - The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin E. Dempsey joined Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta today in expressing unhappiness with Pakistan's progress in battling the Haqqani network's use of safe havens in Pakistan.

Pakistan is working to battle other threats within the federally administered tribal area, or FATA, Dempsey told reporters.

"Although we are extraordinarily dissatisfied with the effect that Pakistan has had on the Haqqani [network], we are also mindful that they are conducting military operations, at great loss ... elsewhere," Dempsey said.

During a news conference earlier today in Kabul, Panetta said the United States was reaching the limits of its patience with Pakistan following an attack on Forward Operating Base Salerno in Khost province, Afghanistan, earlier this week. One contractor and dozens of service members were wounded in the attack, attributed to the Haqqani network.

Regional Command East, which includes Khost and Logar provinces, has seen an uptick in activity, largely due increased activity by the Haqqani network, Dempsey said.

A report of civilian deaths following an airstrike in Afghanistan's Logar province is under investigation, Dempsey said. The strike followed a call for assistance from troops who came in contact with the enemy.

Dempsey said two wounded civilians came forward immediately following the airstrike saying they were wounded by the attack. U.S. troops who searched the area found no other injured or dead, he added, but an Afghan provincial leader said further searches found civilian casualties.

"We do our very best to avoid civilian casualties," Dempsey said. "This investigation will try to determine if there were civilian casualties and then we will take the appropriate actions."

The Haqqani network is as big a threat to Pakistan as it is to Afghanistan and the United States, Dempsey said. He added that the U.S. will continue to work with Pakistan to find common ground on ways to deal with the cross-border threat posed by the Haqqani network and other groups.

In addition to the recent activity by the Haqqani network, Dempsey said al-Qaida remains a threat in Pakistan, particularly within the FATA, and to a lesser extent within Afghanistan. Coalition efforts have been very successful in eliminating al-Qaida leaders, though others continue to take their place, he added.

Dempsey cited the June 4 death of Abu Yahya Al-Libi, al-Qaida's second in command, as an example of those successes, calling it a significant loss for the terror group.

"He had longstanding credibility and he had operational skills that are tough to grow overnight, and so that will be something that affects ... the al-Qaida network globally, not just in south Asia," Dempsey said.

"Most of those who 10 years ago we began tracking are no longer a part of al-Qaida, they're no longer part of any organization," Dempsey said. "We are at war with al-Qaida and ... we will pursue them wherever we find them," he said.

EXPORT-IMPORT BANK APPROVES LOAN GUARANTEE FOR 200,000 FORD VEHICLES

Photo:  Detroit, Hart Plaza.  Credit:  U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
FROM:  U.S. EXPORT-IMPORT BANK
Ex-Im Bank Approves Increased Loan Guarantee For Over 200,000 Ford Motor Company Vehicles, Export Sales Top $8.5 Billion
WASHINGTON, DC – Ford Motor Company of Dearborn, Michigan was recently approved by the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) board of directors for a working capital loan guarantee of $300 million. This represents a $50 million increase compared to an existing $250 million guarantee which was approved by the board in 2010 and will expire later this year. Given its success, the new increased Loan Facility will support the Company’s growing sales in existing markets, as well as developing ones.

The new guarantee will support growing sales to buyers in Canada and Mexico (markets covered by the existing guarantee), as well as global markets in Asia and South America. This will support U.S. automobile manufacturing jobs and indirectly jobs at Ford’s suppliers for the export of over 200,000 vehicles valued at $8.5 billion.

“Ford Motor Company experienced what we hope for all U.S. companies – success overseas by expanding into new markets and increasing sales in existing ones,” said Fred P. Hochberg, chairman and president of Ex-Im Bank. “This additional export financing will not only support American jobs, but also the development of emerging markets with high-quality, new automobiles.”

“We are pleased to continue working with Ex-Im Bank,” said Neil Schloss, vice president and treasurer, Ford Motor Company. “This guarantee supports low-cost financing for our exports from the U.S., which in turn supports jobs in the U.S.”

Models to be exported using the Ex-Im Bank loan guarantee include the E-Series van, the Escape, Expedition, Explorer, and Navigator SUVs, the F-150 pickup, and the Taurus car. These exports will be manufactured in plants located in Avon Lake, Ohio; Chicago, Illinois; Dearborn, Michigan; Kansas City, Missouri; and Louisville, Kentucky. The Private Export Funding Corporation (PEFCO) will provide the funding for the revolving $300 million Loan Facility which will be backed by Ex-Im Bank's guarantee.

NAVY USING RESEARCH TO IMPROVE WEATHER PREDICTIONS

Photo Credit:  NASA.
FROM:  U.S. NAVY
Navy Researchers Seek To Improve Weather Prediction For Global Operations 
ARLINGTON, Va. (NNS) -- With the Atlantic hurricane season officially beginning this month, the Office of Naval Research (ONR) is pursuing a number of projects to help Navy forecasters and meteorologists around the world predict storms better.

ONR's efforts in funding ocean research are yielding enhanced weather and ocean prediction models-highlighted in a new video-that help Navy leaders understand how to route ships around the globe to avoid storms, reduce fuel consumption, avoid Arctic ice flows and promote safety at sea.

"Weather is one of the most significant factors affecting naval operations at sea," said Chief of Naval Research Rear Adm. Matthew Klunder. "ONR-funded research in weather prediction is improving the Navy's forecasting capability and accuracy for any location around the world where our Sailors and Marines are conducting missions."

At the Fleet Weather Center in Norfolk, Va., Navy meteorologists depend on ONR-developed weather models and tools to provide timely, comprehensive and tactically-relevant products and services to support fleet training and operations. "We use real-time sensing data, observations from ships and combine that with modeling outputs to try and get as far ahead of the bad weather as possible," said Cmdr. Adam Newton, operations officer. "This information improves safety at sea and can give the fleet a real warfighting advantage."

While the Navy forecasters focus on supporting Fleet operations around the world, ONR often partners with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) because the same data and weather models that Navy forecasters use also help NOAA to provide accurate weather prediction and storm warnings across the country.

"There is a concerted effort to link various atmospheric and oceanic models together to attain more accurate weather forecasts," said Dan Eleuterio, an ONR program officer. Eleuterio is working on a new computer model called the Tropical Cyclone Coupled Ocean/Atmospheric Mesoscale Prediction System, or TC-COAMPS, which allows scientists to forecast storms' track and strength in real time at high resolution. It was the first dynamic model to demonstrate better skill than statistical approaches at NOAA's National Hurricane Center, and is one of several Navy and NOAA models being evaluated by the National Weather Service's Hurricane Forecast Improvement Program.

"Up until now, predicting the intensity of storms was done with statistical-dynamical models," said Eleuterio. "What that means is that forecasters would look at several decades of observed data and they would simply say that if a storm is in this place this season, it is most likely going to get stronger or weaker or change. It wasn't an actual prediction, and TC-COAMPS will change that as a next-generation weather prediction model."

ONR researchers work with underwater autonomous vehicles, ocean gliders and other sensors to collect information about how much the ocean environment drives global weather patterns. That data helps scientists improve mathematical equations for computer models that predict weather, ocean, sea, and even Arctic ice conditions.

The Navy has a long history of conducting missions in the Arctic for research and military purposes, and in 2009 published the Navy Arctic Roadmap to help ensure naval readiness and capability and promote maritime security in the Arctic region. Developed by the Navy's Task Force Climate Change, the plan includes increasing operational experience, promoting cooperative partnerships and improving environmental understanding.

"The Arctic ice flows are retreating, and that has strategic implications for our country and naval operations in that region of the world as sea lanes open for shipping," said Rear Adm. David Titley, director of the Navy's Task Force Climate Change. "ONR research is helping us understand the Arctic environment, which helps us predict conditions and design future Navy ships better suited for that tough mission."

Tracking the sea ice cover is the responsibility of the National Ice Center (NIC), a multi-agency organization operated by the Navy, NOAA and the United States Coast Guard in Suitland, Md. "Weather modeling is really key to better understanding and forecasting of changing ice conditions in the Arctic," said Pablo Clemente-Col?n, NIC's chief scientist.

In the future, ONR researchers hope to combine multiple weather prediction models to create a comprehensive coupled global model that will greatly extend prediction capability, accuracy and our understanding of the world's environment.

The Department of the Navy's Office of Naval Research (ONR) provides the science and technology necessary to maintain the Navy and Marine Corps' technological advantage. Through its affiliates, ONR is a leader in science and technology with engagement in 50 states, 70 countries, 1,035 institutions of higher learning and 914 industry partners. ONR employs approximately 1,400 people, comprising uniformed, civilian and contract personnel, with additional employees at the Naval Research Lab in Washington, D.C.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY TARGETS DRUG KINGPINS

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY
Sanctions directed against a Son and Wife of Chapo Guzman Loera
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) today announced the designation of two key Sinaloa Cartel operatives, Maria Alejandrina Salazar Hernandez  and Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar, a wife and son of drug lord Joaquin “Chapo” Guzman Loera, respectively.  Today’s action, pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act), prohibits U.S. persons from conducting financial or commercial transactions with these two individuals, and also freezes any assets they may have under U.S. jurisdiction.

“Today marks the sixth time in the past year that OFAC has targeted and exposed operatives of the Chapo Guzman organization,” said OFAC Director Adam J. Szubin.  “This action builds on Treasury’s aggressive efforts, alongside its law enforcement partners, to target individuals who facilitate Chapo Guzman’s drug trafficking operations and to pursue the eventual dismantlement of his organization, which is culpable in untold violence.”

OFAC is designating Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar and Maria Alejandrina Salazar Hernandez for their roles in the operations of Guzman Loera’s drug trafficking organization and the Sinaloa Cartel.  Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar, along with his father Joaquin “Chapo” Guzman Loera, was indicted on multiple drug trafficking charges in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in August 2009.  Maria Alejandrina Salazar Hernandez provides material support to the drug trafficking activities of her husband Guzman Loera and the Sinaloa Cartel.

Guzman Loera and the Sinaloa Cartel were identified by the President as significant foreign narcotics traffickers pursuant to the Kingpin Act in 2001 and 2009, respectively.
Today’s action would not have been possible without the key support of the Drug Enforcement Administration as well as that of the ICE Homeland Security Investigations directorate.

Internationally, OFAC has designated more than 1,100 businesses and individuals linked to 97 drug kingpins since June 2000.  Penalties for violations of the Kingpin Act range from civil penalties of up to $1.075 million per violation to more severe criminal penalties.  Criminal penalties for corporate officers may include up to 30 years in prison and fines up to $5 million. Criminal fines for corporations may reach $10 million.  Other individuals could face up to 10 years in prison and fines pursuant to Title 18 of the United States Code for criminal violations of the Kingpin Act.

DEVELOPING TECHNOLOGIES TO SUPPORT MISSIONS

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
U.S. Southern Command's Science, Technology and Experimentation program is committed to providing technical capabilities to enhance U.S. and partner nation capabilities in the region. In this Oct. 10, 2011, file photo, Colombian military members explain their water purification and jungle survival techniques to U.S. Marines during Amphibious-Southern Partnership Station near Turbo, Colombia. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Juancarlos Paz  



Southcom Program Plugs Science, Technology Gaps
By Donna Miles
MIAMI, June 6, 2012 - A little-known office here at the U.S. Southern Command headquarters is making a big impact by identifying technical capabilities to support the mission, and lacking them, helping develop new ones.

Southcom stood up its Science, Technology and Experimentation program in 2002 to strengthen its support to Colombia's war on drugs and drug cartels. The problem, explained Juan Hurtado, the command's science advisor, was that existing capabilities, even in light of $1.3 billion in U.S. funding, weren't sufficient to meet Colombia's counterdrug operational challenges.

"As the money ... to support Plan Colombia came in, we realized that a broad spectrum of the capabilities we needed to support Colombia and other partner nations were not available," Hurtado told American Forces Press Service. Among the gaps, he said, were the tools to promote situational awareness and communication, particularly in deep jungles, and to share information.

All, he noted, are essential to both U.S. and interagency efforts and partner-nation counterdrug interdiction operations.

"So it wasn't about money. It was about having the right tool sets to do the job," Hurtado said. "Some capabilities didn't exist and you could not buy them."

Modeled on a similar program at U.S. Pacific Command, Southcom's Science, Technology and Experimentation office set out to find ways to get those technology-related capabilities. Its mission, Hurtado said, was "to find ways to do things better or do things cheaper."

That boils down to taking gaps and requirements as identified by U.S. forces and partner nations in the theater, converting them into technical requirements, then going out to the science and technology community for solutions.

DOD's own advanced technology arms -- the Office of the Secretary of Defense's Rapid Fielding Directorate; the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency; the Army Research, Development and Engineering Command; the Office of Naval Research; and the Air Force Research Laboratory, among them -- typically get first shot at the proposals. "We work through the DOD technical community and bring back something cheaper, something that helps us do things more effectively or creates new capability," Hurtado said.

But increasingly, Southcom is broadening its net to include other advanced technology programs. For example, the command hosts an annual science, technology and experimentation conference that brings together the most innovative minds in the defense, interagency, industry, academic and international communities and encourages them to pursue projects to support recognized capability gaps.

The program has been highly successful, although Hurtado admits that most of its best achievements are classified and can't be divulged publicly.

He did, however, offer a sneak peek into some of the new technologies being developed, tested or put to use in the theater. These include:

-- New radars that enable U.S. and partner nations' militaries and law enforcement officials to increase situational awareness of activities in jungle environments. In the past, the heavy foliage found in the jungles provided the perfect camouflage for illicit trafficking activities and the infrastructure that supports them. The new radars have the potential to provide "information superiority" Hurtado said, ultimately reducing sanctuaries for bad actors to operate freely.

-- Robotics, communication devices and low-light cameras able to detect mines and improvised explosive devices. Among the places where this technology may be applied is Colombia, which Hurtado said faces a troubling IED problem.

-- The All Partners Access Network, which is designed to be as user-friendly as Facebook and enables regional partners to share information and collaborate as they deal with common threats.

-- New power-generation, communications and water-purification kits that forces can use to better support a broad spectrum of operations in isolated areas.

-- An intercoastal and riverine monitoring system able to differentiate between illicit trafficking and legal commerce transiting waterways that constitute major supply routes in much of the region. This system was tested last fall in Belize, with participation from the U.S. Navy, Colombian navy, Guatemalan foreign ministry and Mexican special forces.

-- Nano satellites that can be launched far less expensively than traditional satellites and provide dependable communications capability at a fraction of the cost. This initiative, being developed by Army Space and Missile Defense Command, is expected to be "transformational" for operational forces, Hurtado said.

As the Southcom staff continues to seek out technologies to support current missions, Hurtado said they're keeping a steady fix on the horizon as well.

"We are the team who looks out to the future with an eye on improving our capability and support to our partner nations by enabling advanced technologies -- not just for the near term, but 10 to 15 years out," he said.

FACT SHEET: U.S.-ZIMBABWE RELATIONS

Photo:  Sickle Bush in Zimbabwe.  Credit:  Wikimedia. 
FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
U.S. Relations With Zimbabwe
Bureau of African Affairs
Fact Sheet
June 7, 2012
The United Kingdom formally granted independence to Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia) in 1980, following years of conflict between minority white rulers and majority black guerilla movements. The United States was the first nation to open an embassy in the country, and it initially pledged assistance toward the Zimbabwean Government's goals of postwar reconstruction, distribution and development of land, and the development of skilled manpower.

Robert Gabriel Mugabe was elected as Zimbabwe’s first prime minister in 1980 and became president in 1987 after changes to the constitution created an executive presidency. He has remained in power ever since and is now Africa’s third longest serving leader behind Angola and Equatorial Guinea. Beginning in 2000, the United States took a leading role in condemning the Zimbabwean Government's increasing assault on human rights and the rule of law, and joined much of the world community in calling for the Government of Zimbabwe to embrace a peaceful democratic evolution. The United States seeks a stable, democratic, and prosperous Zimbabwe with freedom and empowerment for all Zimbabweans. It looks to the ongoing constitutional and electoral reform process, begun in 2008, to create an environment in which democratic institutions are strengthened, human rights are protected, and Zimbabwe’s rich resources are harnessed to create a flourishing economy for its people.

In 2001, the United States began imposing targeted measures on the Government of Zimbabwe, including restrictions on U.S. support for multilateral financing, financial sanctions against selected individuals and entities, travel sanctions against selected individuals, a ban on transfers of defense items and services, and a suspension of non-humanitarian government-to-government assistance. Despite strained political relations, the United States is a leading provider of humanitarian assistance to the people of Zimbabwe.

U.S. Assistance to Zimbabwe
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) assistance to Zimbabwe since 2002 has focused on HIV/AIDS prevention, democracy and governance programs, humanitarian assistance, economic growth and agriculture, and investing in people. In 2000, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) began a direct assistance program. CDC's program consists of prevention of HIV transmission; improved care of persons with HIV/AIDS; surveillance, monitoring, and evaluation of the epidemic; and health sector infrastructure support.

Bilateral Economic Relations
Within the confines of the targeted sanctions program, the U.S. Government works to promote Zimbabwe's economic recovery following years of decline, and to highlight opportunities for investment that will benefit U.S. and Zimbabwean businesses alike. The U.S. Government provides guidance to U.S. businesses about how they can take advantage of opportunities in Zimbabwe while complying with U.S. law.

Zimbabwe's Membership in International Organizations
Since independence, Zimbabwe has enunciated and follows a policy of "active nonalignment." Zimbabwe and the United States belong to a number of the same international organizations, including the United Nations, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organization.

VIEW OF THE FRIENDSHIP BRIDGE AT THE SUEZ CANAL

FROM:  U.S. NAVY
The guided-missile destroyer USS James E. Williams (DDG 95) passes underneath the Friendship Bridge during a Suez Canal transit. James E. Williams is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility conducting maritime security operations, theater security cooperation efforts and support missions as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Daniel J. Meshel (Released) 120604-N-NL401-117

Em nome do GMES

Em nome do GMES

U.S. RELATIONS STRAINED WITH PAKISTAN OVER SAFE HAVENS

Map:  Pakistan-Afghanistan Border.  Credit:  Wikimedia. 

FROM:  U.S. AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE

U.S. Reaching Limit of Patience With Pakistan on Safe Havens

By Jim Garamone

KABUL, Afghanistan, June 7, 2012 - The United States is reaching the limits of its patience with Pakistan serving as a safe haven for terrorists attacking American forces in Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said here today.

"We are reaching the limits of our patience, and for that reason it is extremely important that Pakistan take action to prevent this kind of safe haven," the secretary said.

Panetta was particularly incensed about the Haqqani network using the Federally Administered Tribal Area in Pakistan as a safe haven. The Haqqanis most recent outrage was an attack on Forward Operating Base Salerno in Regional Command-East. The attack on June 1 killed an American contractor and wounded dozens of service members.

Panetta spoke during a news conference with Afghan Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak in the Chai House on the grounds of the Defense Ministry.

The secretary said he will continue to push the Pakistanis to deal with the Haqqani network. "We will continue to make it clear that it is an intolerable situation," he said. "We will take whatever steps necessary to protect our forces -- that's a principle that we always stand by. To make that happen we have to have the cooperation of Pakistan to take steps to control the Haqqani threat on their side of the border."

While there has been an uptick in attacks inside Afghanistan, the level of violence is lower than in the past, officials said. The secretary noted that there have been difficult challenges, setbacks and heartbreak. But "there is no denying the fact that we have moved closer to achieving our objectives" he said.

Both Panetta and Wardak said the Taliban has lost the momentum, and that International Security Assistance Force service members and Afghan forces have maintained pressure on the Taliban, denying them the ability to regain lost territory.

The Afghan security forces are increasing in quality as well as size -- up to 352,000 shortly -- and they are increasingly in the lead, officials said.

"Every day, they are improving their capability to secure the areas they are assigned," Panetta said.

Afghan forces already provide security for more than 50 percent of the population, said officials, noting this will increase to 75 percent this year. Afghans will be in the lead in all areas by the middle of next year. This will enable U.S. and other coalition forces to evolve from conventional formations to advisory teams. All ISAF combat troops will be out of Afghanistan by the end of 2014.

But the international community will not just let Afghanistan sink or swim. The recent NATO Summit in Chicago, Panetta said, sends a strong signal "that we have an enduring commitment to the security and stability of Afghanistan and that we will support the ANSF not just now but over the long term."

Panetta hopes the Taliban hears this loud and clear. "The resolve of the international community to stand with Afghanistan sends a very strong message to the Taliban that we are committed to the long term in Afghanistan, we're not going anywhere and that time not on their side," he said.

VENUS PASSES BY THE SUN

FROM:  NASA
This image from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory shows Venus as it nears the disk of
The sun on June 5, 2012.  Venus’s 2012 transit will be the last such event until 2117. Photo:  NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory.

U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT OFFEERS REWARDS FOR LEADERS OF SOMALI BASED TERRORIST ORGANIZATION

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Rewards for Justice - al-Shabaab Leaders Reward Offers
Media Note Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC
June 7, 2012
For the first time, the Department’s Rewards for Justice program is offering rewards for information on seven key leaders of the Somalia-based al-Shabaab terrorist organization, also known as Harakat Shabaab al-Mujahidin.

The U.S. Department of State has authorized a reward of up to $7 million for information leading to the location of al-Shabaab founder Ahmed Abdi aw-Mohamed; up to $5 million each for information leading to the location of his associates Ibrahim Haji Jama, Fuad Mohamed Khalaf, Bashir Mohamed Mahamoud, and Mukhtar Robow; and up to $3 million each for information leading to the location of additional al-Shabaab leaders Zakariya Ismail Ahmed Hersi and Abdullahi Yare.

Since 2006, al-Shabaab has claimed responsibility for several bombings—including suicide attacks—in central and northern Somalia and in the capital of Mogadishu. The group is responsible for the killing of thousands of Somali civilians, Somali peace activists, international aid workers, journalists, and African Union peacekeepers. The group also has threatened terrorist attacks against U.S., Kenyan, and Burundian interests in the region and has launched attacks against neighboring Uganda. Al-Shabaab was responsible for the July 11, 2010 suicide bombings in Kampala, Uganda, which killed more than 70 people, including one American citizen; and the September 2009 suicide bombing of the African Union peacekeeping mission in Mogadishu that killed more than 20 people and damaged the offices of a U.S. firm that was providing support to the peacekeepers.

In February 2012, al-Shabaab’s emir in Somalia, Ahmed Abdi aw-Mohamed, and al-Qaida’s leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, released a joint video to formally announce a merger of the two organizations.

The al-Shabaab organization’s terrorist activities pose a threat to the stability of East Africa and to the national security interests of the United States. The U.S. Secretary of State named al-Shabaab a Foreign Terrorist Organization under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act on February 26, 2008, and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity pursuant to Section 1(b) of Executive Order 13224 on February 29, 2008.
The seven individuals named above are key leaders of the al-Shabaab terrorist organization. Aw-Mohamed, born July 10, 1977, in Hargeysa, is the operational commander of al-Shabaab in Somalia. Jama is a key leader from Somaliland who helped form the Harakat Shabaab al-Mujahidin movement and reportedly trained and fought in Afghanistan. Khalaf, a dual Somali and Swedish national, has raised funds for the organization and helped direct attacks in Somalia. Mahamoud, believed to have been born between 1979 and 1982, is an al-Shabaab military commander and coordinator for al-Qaida operations in Somalia. Robow, born in 1969, has served as an al-Shabaab spokesperson and also has also served as the group’s spiritual leader. Hersi acts as al-Shabaab’s head of intelligence. Yare is the head of al-Shabaab’s media operations, and is also deputy to Aw-Mohamed.

More information about these individuals is located on the Rewards for Justice web site at www.rewardsforjustice.net. We encourage anyone with information on these individuals to contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate, any U.S. military commander, or the Rewards for Justice office via the website (www.rewardsforjustice.net), e-mail (RFJ@state.gov) or mail (Rewards for Justice, Washington, DC 20520-0303, USA). All information will be kept strictly confidential.

The Rewards for Justice program is administered by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security. Since its inception in 1984, the program has paid more than $100 million to more than 70 persons who provided actionable information that put terrorists behind bars or prevented acts of international terrorism worldwide.

SECRETARY OF LABOR SOLIS ON LGBT PRIDE MONTH

Illustration: Labor Symbols.
FROM: U.S. LABOR DEPARTMENT Statement by Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis on LGBT Pride Month

WASHINGTON — Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today issued the following statement celebrating Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month:

"This month, Americans continue our march to a more perfect union by proudly celebrating our many victories in the fight for LGBT equality.

"We are proud to live in a country where gays and lesbians can now serve openly in the armed forces, just as we are proud that our military is led by a commander-in-chief who understands that sexual orientation has nothing to do with one's fitness to serve.

"We are proud of our president's history-making support for the right to marry regardless of sexual orientation, just as we are proud that he refuses to use taxpayer dollars to defend the Defense of Marriage Act.

"We are proud of our country's leadership at home and abroad in protecting Americans from violence, hate crimes, bullying and harassment.

"We are proud that we've now enshrined into our laws the rights of our LGBT friends to receive the same health care benefits as their straight neighbors, and we are proud that our government has said to America's federally funded hospitals that they may no longer separate loving same-sex couples when they are sick and need each other the most.

"At the Department of Labor, we are proud to have clarified that the Family and Medical Leave Act applies to all kinds of families. Two million children are being raised by parents in same-sex relationships, and our action ensures that, regardless of a parent's legal relationship to his or her child, he or she can take leave to care for the child in the event of a medical emergency. In other words: If you act like a parent, do the work of a parent and raise a child like a parent, then you are a parent, as far as the Department of Labor is concerned.

"Like all of the great civil rights victories in our nation's history, this hard-won progress was forged by the determined advocacy of so many pioneers who refused to settle for second-class citizenship based on who they love. While we know many battles lie ahead in the fight to secure full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans, this June, let's pause to reflect on the many barriers we've overcome as we strive to realize the promise of equal justice under law for every LGBT American."

CFTC ALLEGES MAN AND CO. RAN A $90 MILLION SILVER BULLION PONZI SCHEME

FROM:  COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION
CFTC Charges Ronnie Gene Wilson of South Carolina and His Company, Atlantic Bullion & Coin, Inc., with Operating a $90 Million Silver Bullion Ponzi Scheme

Defendants are allegedly to have fraudulently sold contracts of sale of silver in a nationwide scheme
Washington, DC – The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) today announced the filing of a federal civil enforcement action charging defendants Ronnie Gene Wilson (Wilson) and Atlantic Bullion & Coin, Inc. (AB&C), both of Easley, S.C., with fraud in connection with operating a $90 million Ponzi scheme, in violation of the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) and CFTC regulations.

The CFTC’s complaint charges violations under the agency’s new Dodd-Frank authority prohibiting the use of any manipulative or deceptive device, scheme, or contrivance to defraud in connection with a contract of sale of any commodity in interstate commerce in violation of Section 6(c)(1) of the CEA, as amended, to be codified at 7 U.S.C. §§ 9, 15 and the CFTC’s implementing Regulation 180.1 (a). The complaint was filed on June 6, 2012, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of South Carolina, Anderson Division.

According to the complaint, since at least 2001 through February 29, 2012, Wilson and AB&C operated a Ponzi scheme, and, as part of the scheme, fraudulently offered contracts of sale of silver, a commodity in interstate commerce. Through their 11-year long scheme, the defendants allegedly fraudulently obtained at least $90.1 million from at least 945 investors for the purchase of silver.

From August 15, 2011, through February 29, 2012 – the time period during which the CFTC has had jurisdiction over the defendants’ actions under new provisions contained in the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 – the defendants allegedly fraudulently obtained at least $11.53 million from at least 237 investors in 16 states for the purchase of contracts of sale of silver. The complaint further alleges that during this period, the defendants failed to purchase any silver whatsoever. Instead, the defendants allegedly misappropriated all of the investors’ funds and to conceal their fraud, issued phony account statements to investors.

In its continuing litigation, the CFTC seeks restitution to defrauded investors, a return of ill-gotten gains, civil monetary penalties, trading and registration bans, and permanent injunctions against further violations of the federal commodities laws.

The CFTC appreciates the cooperation and assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Greenville, S.C., and the U.S. Secret Service.

CFTC Division of Enforcement staff responsible for this case are A. Daniel Ullman II, George H. Malas, Antoinette Chance, John Einstman, Richard Foelber, Paul G. Hayeck, and Joan M. Manley.