VICTIMS OF TERRORISM AND THE GLOBAL COUNTER-TERRORISM FORUM

Map Credit:  U.S. State Department 
FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Victims of Terrorism
Remarks Maria Otero
Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights Madrid, Spain
July 9, 2012
Good morning. It’s a pleasure and indeed an honor to be with you all today, as we kick off the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF) High-Level Conference on Victims of Terrorism. On behalf of Secretary Hillary Clinton, I want to thank Foreign Minister Garcia-Margallo and Interior Minister Antonio Alonso for hosting this important meeting, which I know they first discussed this past February. I also want to acknowledge my colleagues, Ambassador Fernandez and Assistant Secretary Pressman, whose presence highlights the broad and deep commitment of the United States to this work.

Like the United States and so many countries around the world, Spain has experienced firsthand the pain that terrorism inflicts on society. You are to be commended for turning that pain into action by focusing on the people who suffer the most from terrorist acts.

Around the world, terrorists make their mark on the world through acts of hate. They proclaim their values with a deep and disturbing indifference to human life.

Those of you here today stand in stark contrast to terrorists, not only by condemning their acts but by countering their indifference with honor, dignity, and compassion for victims of terrorism.

So let me start by first thanking you for being here and for the work that you are doing on behalf of victims everywhere.

To the victims of terrorism that are with us this morning, I also thank you for your courage and your perseverance. Each of you is a testament to the fact that the human spirit cannot be easily broken. You are an inspiration to all of us, and we are honored to work not just on your behalf but alongside you in this important work.

Today we begin an important discussion within the Global Counterterrorism Forum—or GCTF – which offers a unique venue for bringing together governments, victims, and other interested stakeholders to share experiences and good practices in this critical and emotionally charged area.

Over the next several days, we will deliberate how states can increase their support of victims of terrorism, and how we can better integrate victims into the global effort to counter extremist narratives.

To start our discussion, I want to touch on four areas that the United States believes should be part of our comprehensive strategy to address the needs of victims and also integrate their voices into counter-terrorist efforts.

First, governments must be sure that victims of terrorism have the information they need and access to resources available from the state and the international community. The road to recovery is long, but it is made all the easier by accessible information and resources—from medical care to legal representation to psychological services. Governments should also ensure that the families of victims have access to these services, so that they can support the survivor’s recovery process.

Second, victims should have the opportunity to participate in the accountability process that follows any terrorist attack. They should have access to the perpetrators’ court proceedings, and be afforded protection if necessary, so that they may work towards recovery. For example, To help victims and survivors of mass violence and terrorism, some courts have ordered the closed-circuit transmission of trial proceedings to multiple locations so that victims may more easily participate in the trial process.

Victims often play an important role in supporting efforts to bring terrorist to justice, both as witnesses and as advocates for accountability. We must strive to protect and foster victim-participation in accountability efforts, while remaining respectful of the psychological challenges such a process can present.

Third, we must provide an environment for support and recovery of victims of terrorism. They should have the chance to meet other survivors and share experiences as each person advances his or her own healing. In order to create such an environment and network of support, we in the international community must foster an understanding of the unique and diverse needs of survivors.

And fourth, governments must listen to victims. In their process of healing and recovery, survivors can inform the global fight against terrorism. We need to elevate their voices and stories while also incorporating their wisdom into our counter-terrorism efforts.

We should ensure that those survivors who wish to share their stories have the opportunity to do so on the world stage. By magnifying the voices of survivors, especially through international media, we have a unique chance to educate the world about the pain inflicted by terrorists. Though such awareness is tainted with pain and suffering, it is all the more powerful in discouraging radicalized individuals and empowering other victims to speak up against violent extremism.

Last September at the official launch of the Global Counterterrorism Forum, I had the privilege to introduce the premier of a film “Hear their Voices”, which tells the stories of eleven survivors of terrorist attacks from Pakistan, Jordan, Northern Ireland, Uganda, Turkey, Indonesia, India, Spain, Columbia and the United States. The film, which was produced by the Global Survivors Network, is a powerful plea for audiences around the world, especially those sympathetic to the grievances expressed by extremists, to recognize the human cost of terrorism and I am delighted that our Spanish hosts are planning on showing this film here later this afternoon.

Over the course of the next two days we look forward to hearing about the inspiring efforts of victims, victims’ associations, and other civil society actors from around the globe working to prevent future terrorist acts. This includes the work of Sisters against Violent Extremism, which is bringing together the survivors of terrorist attacks, their relatives, activists and policy makers in addition to launching innovative campaigns such as Schools and Students Against Violent Extremism! and Mothers for Change!.

Moving forward, it is our hope that these and similar efforts will reach every victim of terrorism on the road to recovery and on our shared path of countering violent extremism in all of forms the world over.

In closing, I want to reiterate my thanks, on behalf of Secretary Clinton and President Obama, for the important work that you are doing. In the aftermath of a terrorist attack, we often turn our immediate attention to the perpetrators, while traumatized victims and survivors grieve and suffer in silence. But today, that changes. We look forward to the adoption of the forward looking declaration and action plan at the end of this conference that will reaffirm our hope that no victim suffers alone and set us on a course to mobilize additional resources and expertise to provide more victims with the training and other tools they need to more effectively put forward their own counter-narratives to messages touting violent extremism. Together with our GCTF partners , international and regional organizations, NGOs, and the media, we will ensure victims receive the respect and support they deserve, and we will advance efforts to counter violent extremism.
Thank you.

ISAF NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN

Photo:  F-15E refueling over Afghanistan.   Credit:  U.S. Air Force.
FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
Combined Force Detains Haqqani Leader
Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases
WASHINGTON, July 9, 2012 - An Afghan and coalition security force detained a Haqqani network leader in the Terayzai district of Afghanistan's Khost province today, military officials reported.
The detained Haqqani leader specializes in high-profile attacks and reported directly to senior Haqqani leaders, officials said.
At the time of his arrest, officials said, the Haqqani leader was equipping his followers with military uniforms for a planned attack on an Afghan government facility. The security force also detained several suspected insurgents and seized multiple firearms during the operation, officials said.

In other Afghanistan news today:
-- A combined force detained a Taliban leader and also detained multiple suspects and seized bomb-making materials in the Imam Sahib district of Kunduz province. The insurgent leader coordinated Taliban attacks throughout northern Kunduz province, specializing in the use of improvised explosive device attacks and the recruitment and training of suicide attackers.

-- A combined force detained a Taliban explosives expert and two other suspects in the Panjwai district of Kandahar province. The detained insurgent acquired, constructed, and emplaced IEDs for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.
-- In the Musa Qalah district of Helmand province, a combined force detained multiple suspects and seized explosives and weapons during a search for a senior Taliban leader. The sought-after Taliban leader is responsible for planning and executing IED attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

-- A combined force called in an airstrike that killed an insurgent during a search for a senior Taliban leader in the Maidan Shahr district of Wardak province. The security force confirmed the airstrike had not injured any civilians.
-- A combined force found and cleared an IED in Ghazni province's Gelan district.
-- A combined force detained an insurgent in the Khost district of Khost province.
-- In Khost province's Terezayi district, a combined force found and cleared an IED.
-- A combined force found and cleared an IED in Laghman province's Mehtar Lam district.
-- In Logar province's Muhammad Aghah district, a combined force found and cleared an IED.

-- In Nangarhar province, a combined force found and cleared two IEDs in the Shinwar district and one in the Surkh Rod district.
-- In Nangarhar province's Shinwar district, a combined force detained an insurgent.
In operations yesterday:
-- Coalition forces detained numerous suspects and seized about 3,500 pounds of opium and 17 pounds of heroin in the Garm Ser district of Helmand province.
-- A combined force detained several suspects during a search for a senior Taliban recruiter in the Now Zad district of Helmand province. The insurgent recruiter serves as a Taliban leader in the Washer district and operates with other Taliban leaders.
-- A combined force detained a suspect during a search for a Taliban leader in the Rashidan district of Ghazni province. The sought-after Taliban leader controls more than 50 insurgents and has directed attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.
In July 7 operations:

-- A combined force seized and destroyed more than 3,300 pounds of opium and hashish and detained numerous suspected drug traffickers in the Registan district of Kandahar province.

-- A combined force detained several suspects during a search for an Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan leader in the Kunduz district of Kunduz province. The IMU leader is an explosives expert who specializes in making IEDs and other devices for use in suicide and other types of attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.
-- A combined force detained several suspects during a search for a Taliban explosives specialist in the Zharay district of Kandahar province.
-- In the Gelan district of Ghazni province, a combined force detained an insurgent, found a cache contained small-arms ammunition, grenades and other IED-making materials, and cleared an IED.

-- In Ghazni province's Ghazni district, a combined force found and cleared an IED.
-- A combined force detained an insurgent and seized a cache containing small-arms ammunition, military items and IED-making materials in Khost province's Khost district.
-- A combined force found and cleared an IED in the Gurbuz district of Khost province.
-- In Khost province's Sabari district, a combined force detained seven insurgents.
-- A combined force found and cleared an IED in Laghman province's Mehtar Lam district.

-- In Paktika province's Sar Rowzah district, a combined force found and cleared an IED.
-- A combined force found and cleared an IED in Paktia province's Shwak district.

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INTERIOR DEPARTMENT REPORTS CONTRIBUTION OF $385 BILLION TO THE U.S. ECONOMY

Photo:  Stock Glacier National Park.
FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
New Report: Interior Activities Contributed $385 Billion to Economy, Supported Over 2 Million Jobs in FY 2011
Economic Engines for Local Communities Include Energy Development and Outdoor Recreation
Date: July 9, 2012
WASHINGTON -- From facilitating energy development to managing America’s public lands for tourism and outdoor recreation to assisting Indian tribes with education and economic growth, the activities of the Department of the Interior contributed $385 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 2 million jobs in 2011, according to a new report released today.

“The Interior Department has a uniquely diverse mission that benefits the American people by promoting tourism, outdoor recreation, energy development and other economic activities that fuel local economies,” said Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. “This report underscores that there are real, lasting impacts on communities and small businesses across the country where Interior is helping to strengthen economies and support families.”

The report, The Department of the Interior’s Economic Contributions, highlights the impacts of the Department’s broad mission, including land and water management; energy and mineral development on public lands; encouraging tourism and outdoor recreation at national parks, monuments and refuges; wildlife conservation, hunting and fishing; support for American Indian tribal communities and Insular Areas; and scientific research and innovation.

Prepared by Interior’s Office of Policy Analysis, today’s report underscores the findings of other studies on the economic impacts of Interior Department lands and programs. For example, an earlier study found that recreation in national parks, refuges, and other public lands alone led to nearly $47 billion in economic contribution and 388,000 jobs in 2010.

Another report recently released by the Outdoor Industry Association showed that 140 million Americans spent $646 billion on hunting, fishing, hiking, and other outdoor recreation on public and private lands, including on the 500 million acres of public lands managed by Interior agencies.

“Under President Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors initiative, we are seeking to connect Americans, especially young Americans, to nature by providing more outdoor recreation opportunities. The President has also launched a major initiative to work with states and communities across the country to promote domestic and international tourism – America’s #1 export – at places such as national parks and national wildlife refuges,” said Salazar. “President Obama’s focus on expanding responsible domestic energy development is working alongside our 21st century conservation, travel and tourism agendas to reinvigorate local communities – particularly in rural America.”

The major highlights of the Department of the Interior’s Economic Contributions report include:
The 435 million recreational visits to Interior-managed lands in 2011 supported about 403,000 jobs nationwide and contributed nearly $48.7 billion in economic activity.

Many jobs associated with recreation on Interior lands are located in rural communities, including 18,000 jobs in Utah, 16,000 jobs in Wyoming, 14,000 jobs in Arizona and 10,000 jobs in Colorado.
Energy development and mining on Interior-managed lands and offshore areas supported about 1.5 million jobs and $275 billion in economic activity. Most of these jobs are in Texas, Wyoming, Louisiana, New Mexico, California, and Florida.

Interior provides services to 1.7 million American Indians and Alaska Natives from 566 federally recognized tribes. Activities on tribal lands contributed around $12 billion in economic output and supported nearly 126,000 jobs. Support for tribal governments through loan guarantees and other aid contributed an additional $1.2 billion in economic output and about 9,500 jobs.

Interior’s water supply, forage and timber activities, primarily on public lands in the West, supported about 290,000 jobs and $41 billion in economic activity.

Investments in construction and maintenance totaled approximately $2.6 billion, which contributed about $7.2 billion in economic activity and supported almost 49,000 jobs.

Interior administers a variety of grants and payments programs. These programs support activities such as reclamation of abandoned mine lands, historic preservation, conservation activities, and tribal governments. Grants and payments totaling $4.2 billion in 2011 contributed about $10 billion worth of economic activity and supported about 84,000 jobs.

SEC. OF STATE CLINTON MEETS WITH U.S. AFGHANISTAN EMBASSY STAFF

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Meeting with Embassy Staff in Kabul
Remarks Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State U.S. Embassy Atrium
Kabul, Afghanistan
July 7, 2012
Well, thank you all. And it is great to see you early in the morning here. I am delighted that I was able to come by and eyeball all of you and thank you, once again, for your service.
I am also very pleased to thank Ambassador Crocker for his service to this mission, his sixth ambassadorship in a distinguished career. And it is certainly to all of our benefit that we persuaded him to come out of retirement and come to Kabul to assume this post. He has deep affection, as you know, for Afghanistan, having hitch-hiked through the country when he was a much younger man. And he was telling me today on the ride from the airport to the embassy that he would hitch-hike around Afghanistan in 1970. And when drivers would pick him up it wouldn't be just for a ride, it would be for lunch, for dinner, to spend the night, to get to know the people. And so he came back with great affection.

Like me, he is a long-suffering Chicago Cubs fan. (Laughter.) Yes, I know, I know. And he and I sat through yet another loss at Wrigley Field, along with General Allen. We tried to put a good face on it. But I think if you are masochistic enough to be a Cubs fan, you are drawn to assignments like this, and what I do for everyday, and the like. And I want to thank you, Ryan, for your leadership and your vision. We will miss you when you try to retire again in a few weeks. But we will certainly build on your progress.

And I want to thank Ambassador Cunningham and the entire team here who have done such a great job. And it is wonderful to see General Allen again. General Allen threw out the first pitch at Wrigley Field. I don't know if you have seen it on YouTube, but it is pretty good. He did a lot of practicing for that, I am told.

I want to thank you all for everything each of you has done. This is a whole-of-government effort. The entire United States Government, in addition to all of our great Afghan team members, have really helped to lay the transition and the progress that we know Afghanistan will make in the decade ahead. We are calling it the Decade of Transformation, because we think we have laid a very strong foundation. The strategic partnership agreement that we signed will guide the enduring partnership between the United States and Afghanistan.

I am going to be announcing formally with President Karzai in just a little bit that President Obama has officially designated Afghanistan as what is called a Major Non-NATO Ally of the United States. There is a very small number of countries that fit into that category. The international community has made concrete commitments to fund the Afghan national security forces. And tomorrow in Tokyo I will be representing the United States at a conference to talk about what we will commit to the civilian side of the equation for Afghanistan's economic development and further progress in governance.

Today, the responsibility for Afghanistan's future rests squarely where it belongs, with the Afghan people themselves. They alone can make the hard choices and the reforms needed to foster peace and stability, unity, and progress. But we can help them as they do that. And each of you is here because you are a believer in this country's future. None of us has any illusions about how hard the road ahead will be. After 2 attacks on the embassy in 12 months, you know the dangers that come with this job. And you know the challenges, as well. But you also know the rewards and the satisfaction that accrue to those who are working hand in hand with the people of Afghanistan.

We like to say that our strategy is fight, talk, build. Well, what does that mean? That means that military professionals, diplomats, development experts, everyone working together in a professional, highly-integrated way. Anything short of that just isn't good enough. And it is hard to do. It is hard to get everybody on that one team for that one fight. But I think this embassy has succeeded brilliantly. At the start of this Administration we laid out the strategic mission: to surge our military and civilian efforts simultaneously and in a coordinated manner. And you have really executed that. And I know it has been at some sacrifice, leaving behind family and friends, working 14, 18, 20-hour days, living in shipping containers, all because you know how much is at stake for the people of this country and for the American people.

Look, I am aware that there are naysayers and cynics who are quick to criticize what we do here. And, unfortunately, the steady progress that you are making doesn't grab the headlines. I am kind of an expert on that. (Laughter.) And I want you to know that a lot of people who count know what you do every single day. Anyone who saw Ambassador Crocker's op ed piece in the Washington Post yesterday knows how valuable you are. And I am proud to share stories of your success everywhere I go.

Look what happened just a few days ago, on July 4th, as we celebrated our own independence. Several tankers exploded at the oil and gas depot here in Kabul. And ISAF forces responded with firefighters and medics. The Afghan Minister of Health reached out to our USAID team to help more than 80 injured people. You responded instantly and expertly. And, because of that, you saved lives and sent yet again a clear message about our commitment to the Afghan people and their futures.

Or look at the women of Helmand who, thanks to you, have learned to organize and advocate on their own behalf. One of our foreign service officers started a dialogue that, over time, grew to include women from throughout the province. They talked about peace-building, reintegration, and how to ensure that their daughters and their sons receive a good education. First they shared their concerns with each other, then with the governor of Helmand Province. They successfully pushed for action for stalled projects. They realized their own power to bring about peaceful change that will benefit them and their families. And those women understand how important your work is.

Ten years ago, Afghanistan did not have a single paved street that wasn't severely damaged. You have helped build roads all over the country that foster connections to new markets. When problems with insurance policies threaten to stop all international flights in and out of Kabul Airport earlier this year, American experts from the Department of Transportation helped the Afghan Government find a solution to keep those commercial flights going. Every person who was able to fly in and out of Afghanistan knows how important your work is.

Our development experts are working outside the wire to help Afghan farmers replace their poppy fields with high-value crops. One farmer recently showed off new fields of grapes and explained how he had already made a profit, much sooner than he had ever expected. Now he has enough money to build his first home. And that farmer and his family know how important your work is.
In eastern Afghanistan we have trained instructors and begun facilitating a program to teach 200 madrasas high school students, half of them women, basic computer and Internet skills. Those students and every Afghan benefiting from our scholarships, our exchanges, our training programs, knows how important your work is.

And I am well aware that some of you have put your lives on the line. When I was here in 2009 I gave the Department of State Award for Heroism to a foreign service officer named Matt Sherman. Matt was on a mission with military colleagues when the lead convoy vehicle struck an IED and flipped. And Matt didn't hesitate; he raced out from the safety of his own vehicle to help the wounded U.S. soldiers. That is the kind of everyday heroism that we see among our embassy staff.

I also want, in particular, to recognize all of our Afghan team members. They risk their lives every day to make their country a better place. And let me mention just one person out of all who are here: Taj. Where is Taj? Taj. (Applause.) Taj has worked for the United States Government for more than 23 years. And when the Taliban fell in 2001, he was our first foreign service national to come back and help reopen the embassy. And today he organizes speaker programs for imams to discuss religious tolerance and women's rights under the Qu'ran, countering extremist voices. He has faced threats, but he has never failed to keep pressing on. And I want to thank you, Taj, for your dedication to your country and your work. (Applause.)

Now, each of you -- we could spend all day hearing each of your stories. Some of you bring potable water for drinking to urban neighborhoods or vaccines to rural communities. Some of you help victims of human trafficking find legal aid and counseling. Some of you work to hammer out agreements that are critical to our future relationship. But no matter which of the 18 U.S. Government departments or agencies you represent, whether you are foreign service or civil service or local Afghan staff, you are all part of the success of this mission here.

We ask a lot of you. I think it is fair to say that nowhere in the world do we face tougher problems, or encounter more unforeseen challenges. To walk a mile in your shoes or to sleep a night in your can takes strength and resolve. I have slept in those cans, and I am aware that this mission is filled with people who wake up every day clear-eyed about the task ahead, but asking, "What can I do today to make a difference," and you have. You have made a difference.

So, on behalf of President Obama and the American people and certainly myself and our entire team in Washington, I want to thank you for all of your work. I am very, very proud to be your colleague and to work alongside you as we help the people of Afghanistan build their own future, and by doing so, help our own country have the kind of future and the kind of world that we want to see happen. It is a great personal honor to serve with you. You make me proud. Thank you all very much. (Applause.)

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ESA Portal - Czech Republic - Upozornění pro média: ESA na aerosalónu ve Farnborough

MAJORITY OF U.S. STATES APPROVED FOR WAIVER REGARDING NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND

Photo Credit:  Wikimedia.
FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Obama Administration Approves Two More States For Nclb Flexibility – More Than Half of the Country Now Approved for Waivers, More to Follow
26 States Approved So Far; 10 States and Washington, D.C., Currently Under Review: Other States Can Still Apply 

The Obama administration approved Washington and Wisconsin today for flexibility from key provisions of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) in exchange for state-developed plans to prepare all students for college and career, focus aid on the neediest students, and support effective teaching and leadership.

This announcement brings to 26 the number of states that have been approved for waivers from NCLB, whose rigid, top-down prescriptions for reform, while well-intentioned, proved burdensome for many states.

Federal education law has been due for congressional reauthorization since 2007. In the face of congressional inaction, President Obama announced in September of 2011 that the Obama Administration would grant waivers from NCLB to qualified states.

The first requests for waivers were granted in February of 2012. Eleven additional requests are still under review, and there is still time for other states to apply.

"It is a remarkable milestone that in only five months, more than half of the states in the country have adopted state-developed, next-generation education reforms to improve student learning and classroom instruction, while ensuring that resources are targeted to the students that need them most," said U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan. "A strong, bipartisan reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act remains the best path forward in education reform, but as 26 states have now demonstrated, our kids can't wait any longer for Congress to act."

The 26 states that have been approved for waivers from NCLB include: Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

The 10 other states (plus Washington, D.C.) with outstanding requests for waivers include: Arizona, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Mississippi, Nevada, Oregon and South Carolina.

The 14 states (plus Puerto Rico) that have not yet requested a waiver through this process include: Alabama, Alaska, California, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Texas, Vermont (request withdrawn), West Virginia and Wyoming.

States have until Sept. 6 to apply for the next round of waivers.

FEMA RESPONSE TEAM IN FLORIDA HELPING WITH DISASTER ASSISTANCE AFTER TROPICAL STORM DEBBY

Photo:  Tropical Storm Debby Flooding.  Credit:  FEMA, David Fine. 
FROM:   FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY
ATLANTA, Ga. --  Florida’s State Emergency Response Team and the Federal Emergency Management Agency community relations teams are in the 11 declared counties going door to door with disaster assistance information to help survivors recover from Tropical Storm Debby.

Anyone representing the SERT or FEMA, including FEMA-contracted home and property damage inspectors, carries a photo ID ensuring they are easily identifiable. FEMA and SERT teams wear agency shirts.

The teams are visiting with individuals to provide information on resources that are available and to identify people who need assistance in the federally designated counties of Baker, Bradford, Clay, Columbia, Franklin, Hernando, Highlands, Pasco, Pinellas, Suwannee and Wakulla.

Officials with the FEMA and SERT teams will not request personal information such as Social Security or bank account numbers. Survivors will be asked to provide personal information only when calling FEMA to register the first time.

Once a survivor has registered with FEMA, an inspector will call and set up an appointment to see the damaged property. The inspector will ask for identification and proof of ownership and occupancy (for homeowners) or occupancy only (for renters).

Official FEMA-contracted housing inspectors assess damage, but do not determine cost estimates. They do not charge a survivor for this inspection service. FEMA contractors are not allowed to endorse a contractor or to hire someone on behalf of the survivor.

Suspicions of fraud or attempts to scam survivors should be reported to local law enforcement immediately. People who suspect anyone of committing contractor fraud should contact the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation by calling 866-532-1440 or by emailing ULA@dbpr.state.fl.us.

Survivors are encouraged to register with FEMA by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362), going online to www.DisasterAssistance.gov or using the FEMA app or m.FEMA.gov with a smart phone or tablet.

REFUELING A SEA HAWK HELICOPTER AT SEA

FROM:  U.S. NAVY
Sailors perform in-flight refueling with an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78). Porter is deployed as part of Enterprise Carrier Strike Group, supporting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Alex Forster (Released) 120629-N-WO496-258

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ESA Portal - France - Un mont qui devient île à grande marée : le Mont Saint-Michel

HHS SECRETARY SEBELIUS'S REMARKS ON FDA SAFETY AND INNOVATION ACT

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Statement from HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on the signing of the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act
Today, the President signed into law S. 3187, the “Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act.”  This legislation, which passed both the House and Senate with overwhelming bipartisan majorities, will help speed safe and effective medical products to patients and maintain our Nation’s role as a leader in biomedical innovation.

S. 3187 is the culmination of the work of the administration and Congress, in partnership with patients, the pharmaceutical and medical device industries, the clinical community, and other stakeholders, to provide the Food and Drug Administration with the tools needed to continue to bring drugs and devices to market safely and quickly and promote innovation in the biomedical industry, and to help secure the jobs supported by drug and device development.

This legislation will drive timely review of new innovator drugs and medical devices, implement the program proposed in the 2013 President’s Budget to accelerate approval of lower-cost generic drugs, and fund the new approval pathway for biosimilar biologics created by the Affordable Care Act.  These new programs are important to increasing patient access to affordable medicines.

S. 3187 also enhances the tools available to the FDA to combat drug shortages by requiring manufacturers of certain drugs to notify the FDA when they experience circumstances that could lead to a potential drug shortage.  This is consistent with the administration’s request to Congress to complement the actions directed by the 2011 Executive Order to address this significant public health issue.

Provisions in the legislation also will help enhance the safety of the drug supply chain in an increasingly globalized market, increase incentives for the development of new antibiotics, renew mechanisms to ensure that children’s medicines are appropriately tested and labeled, and expedite the development and review of certain drugs for the treatment of serious or life-threatening diseases and conditions.

While enactment of S. 3187 marks an important moment for innovators across industry, research and clinical care settings, its most important beneficiaries are the patients and families that will be helped by the next generation of affordable medical products this bill will help to foster.

SEC. OF STATE CLINTON SPEECH AT TOKYO CONFERENCE ON AFGHANISTAN

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Intervention at the Tokyo Conference on Afghanistan
Remarks Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State Prince Park Tower Hotel
Tokyo, Japan
July 8, 2012
Thank you, Foreign Minister Gemba. We also thank Prime Minister Noda, Madam Ogata, and the Japanese Government not only for welcoming us here but for the great generosity and leadership Japan continues to show in helping Afghanistan move forward into the transformation decade. We also recognize Secretary General Ban, President Karzai, our Afghan Co-chairs Foreign Minister Rassoul and Finance Minister Zakhilwal, along with representatives of Afghanistan’s civil society who are here, because after all, what we are talking about is the future of the men, women, and children of Afghanistan. And I am delighted they are part of this conference.

I also want to commend all who have produced the three principles of the document, starting with the Afghanistan strategic vision for the transformation decade called Towards Self-Reliance. I really compliment our Afghan friends for an excellent job. And then the Tokyo Declaration and the Tokyo Mutual Accountability Framework are translating our goals and our commitments into a path that we can follow together and help hold each other accountable.

This conference represents the culmination of nearly two years of intensive work. Beginning in 2010 in Lisbon, continuing in Istanbul last fall, Bonn in December, Chicago in May, and Kabul just a few weeks ago, Afghanistan and the international partners have charted a responsible end to the war and the transfer of full responsibility for security back to Afghanistan.

Together, we have made pledges to meet the needs of the Afghan National Security Forces. Like a number of countries represented here, the United States and Afghanistan signed a Strategic Partnership Agreement that went into effect four days ago. And I was pleased to meet with President Karzai in Kabul yesterday morning, where I announced that Afghanistan is now officially designated a major non-NATO ally of the United States. As President Karzai said, we have to make the security gains and the transition irreversible, and the United States is committed to this enduring partnership.

Now, here in Tokyo we are focused on the economic development and governance advances that we hope to make together. Because we know Afghanistan’s security cannot only be measured by the absence of war; it has to be measured by whether people have jobs and economic opportunity, whether they believe their government is serving their needs, whether political reconciliation proceeds and succeeds.

And Afghanistan has made substantial progress with the help of the international community, as Madame Ogata and others have already outlined. But now we have to ensure the strongest possible collaboration among four groups so that this decade of transformation can produce results: the Afghan Government and people, first and foremost; the international community; Afghanistan’s neighbors; and the private sector. This collaboration depends on mutual accountability, and all sides have work to do and responsibilities to uphold.

As President Obama has said, as Afghanistan stands up, it will not stand alone. Let me speak briefly about each group’s role.

Obviously, the future of Afghanistan belongs to its government and its people. And I welcome the clear vision presented by President Karzai and the Afghan Government today for unlocking Afghanistan’s economic potential by achieving a stable democratic future. That must include fighting corruption, improving governance, strengthening the rule of law, increasing access to economic opportunity for all Afghans, especially for women.

On this point, let me emphasize that the United States believes strongly that no nation can achieve sustainable peace, reconciliation, stability, and economic growth if half the population is not empowered. All citizens need to have the chance to benefit from and contribute to Afghanistan’s progress, and the United States will continue to stand strongly by the women of Afghanistan.

President Karzai has made a strong public commitment to stamping out corruption, implementing key reforms, and building Afghanistan’s institutions. We will support him and the government in that endeavor to enable Afghanistan to move toward self-reliance and away from dependence on donor assistance.

As Afghans do their part, the international community must do ours, by making concrete pledges of economic support to ensure that Afghanistan meets its fiscal needs in the critical post-transition period.

I am very pleased that Prime Minister Noda has confirmed that $16 billion is available from the international community through 2015. This is sustained economic support that will help Afghanistan meet its fiscal needs even as assistance declines. The United States will request from our Congress assistance for Afghanistan at or near the levels of the past decade through the year 2017. And our assistance will create incentives to help the Afghan Government meet mutually agreed reform goals.

In addition to the international community, Afghanistan’s neighbors have an especially key role to play. I’ve spoken before of the vision of a New Silk Road in which Afghanistan is firmly embedded in the economic life of a thriving South and Central Asia. Nothing offers a more credible alternative to insurgency than the jobs and opportunities that come with foreign investment and the expansion of markets. Increasing regional trade will open up new sources of raw materials, energy, and agricultural products—not just for Afghanistan but for all nations in the region. And we are delighted to see this vision coming to light through the Istanbul Process and various regional trade and transit agreements.

The last essential ingredient to a successful economic transition and transformation is the private sector, because that will be key for driving growth, creating jobs, and supporting the kind of reform that needs to be sustainable. We look to the Afghan Government to follow through on their reform commitments, and we look to the international community to do what we can to draw business and investment to Afghanistan. Last month in new Delhi, in anticipation of today’s conference, hundreds of companies attended an investment summit.

So the key pieces are there. The private sector interest is there. The Afghan Government’s commitment to fight corruption and strengthen the rule of law is there. The international community’s support, as evidenced by this conference, is there as well. And the growing partnership between Afghanistan and its neighbors is also growing.

We need to put those commitments together in order to achieve the future that is worthy of the sacrifice of the Afghan people and many nations represented around this table. The future has got to be what the Afghan people have forged for themselves, and we need to make sure that we do everything to make that a reality.
Thank you very much. (Applause.)

U.S. DEPUTY SECRETARY BURN'S REMARKS AFTER MEETING WITH EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT MORSI

Map Credit:  U.S. Department of State
FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Remarks Following Meeting With Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi
Remarks William J. Burns
Deputy Secretary Cairo, Egypt
July 8, 2012
It is a pleasure to be back in Cairo. Ambassador Patterson and I just finished a very constructive meeting with President Morsi. I conveyed a message of congratulations from President Obama, emphasizing America’s strong commitment to building a new partnership with a new, democratic Egypt, founded on common interest and mutual respect.

While in Cairo, I am also meeting with a broad range of Egyptian leaders, political figures, civil society representatives, and members of the business community. These discussions help prepare for Secretary Clinton’s visit to Egypt later this month, which will highlight U.S. support for Egypt’s democratic transition and economic revival. I’ll add just a few brief points.

First, let me take this opportunity to congratulate the people of Egypt on what is truly an historic set of achievements. A peaceful revolution. Competitive elections. The first democratically-elected civilian president in Egypt's history. For all the very real problems that remain, not all nations who rose up alongside you last year have been so fortunate. Not all nations carry Egypt’s strategic and historic weight. And not all nations can have such an important impact on the entire region through the success of their democratic transition, and through their continued role as a strong pillar of peace, security, and prosperity.

Second, the United States will do all we can to help ensure a successful transition in Egypt, which offers the best path to realize the aspirations of the Egyptian people for dignity, for opportunity, for security, and for a voice in their own affairs. Egyptians know far better than we do that their aspirations are not yet fully realized, but they can count on America’s partnership on the complicated road ahead.

Third, we are mindful that many of the Egyptian people's most pressing concerns today are economic in nature. We are fully committed to tangible initiatives to help Egypt deal with its economic challenges, including meeting immediate financial concerns, providing debt relief, helping to create jobs and educational opportunities, and encouraging U.S. investment and tourism. For all the obvious challenges, Egypt clearly has the potential for economic revival and inclusive growth.

Fourth, in a very short time, Egypt has traveled a remarkable distance, but a great deal of work remains to build the strong, durable democratic system for which the Egyptian people launched their revolution. It will be critical to see a democratically elected parliament in place, and an inclusive process to draft a new constitution that upholds universal rights. The challenge remains of building institutions which will ensure that no matter who wins an election in any particular year, the rights of all Egyptians will always be protected. This challenge belongs not just to Egypt's leaders but to its citizens as well.

Finally, tens of millions of Egyptians will be looking to President Morsi and the Cabinet he forms to take needed steps to advance national unity and build an inclusive government that embraces all of Egypt's faiths and respects the rights of women and secular members of society. So will the international community. We are fully committed to working with Egypt's President, its new government and all parties to sustain our partnership and advance our shared interest in a strong, democratic, and economically vibrant Egypt that is a force for peace and stability in the region.

Thank you very much.

U.S. AMBASSADOR TO AFGHANISTAN TALKS TO THE WASHINGTON POST

Map Credit:  U.S. State Department.
FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Unsung in Afghanistan
Op-EdRyan C. Crocker
Ambassador to Afghanistan The Washington Post
July 6, 2012
I do two things each week at our management meeting: Read aloud the names of colleagues, mostly military but occasionally civilian, who have given their lives in service of our country; and welcome those recently arrived to serve the State Department, the U.S. Agency for International Development and other agencies. These volunteers leave homes, family and sometimes careers to work 16-plus hours a day, six to seven days a week, living in shipping containers. All are aware of the threats we face at the embassy and the more frequent indiscriminate fire against field positions.

These are tough jobs, in a tough place, under even tougher conditions. One cannot underestimate our civilian volunteers’ contributions to achieving our goal of creating a peaceful, stable, self-sustaining Afghanistan that can no longer harbor terrorists who would attack the United States. Since I arrived last July, Afghan forces have begun to take the lead on security for about 75 percent of the population. Never before have so many Afghans had access to health care and education, both boys and girls.

In April, it was Afghan forces who repelled simultaneous attacks in four provinces and Kabul. In May, our countries’ presidents signed a Strategic Partnership Agreement with mutual commitments that ensure we will be allies well into the future.

While work remains, none of this would have been possible without the American men and women who volunteered to serve here. People like Paul Folmsbee, our senior officer in regional command east, and Karl Rios, head of the Provincial Reconstruction Team in Logar Province. Both work closely with local government, security, business, civil and religious leaders. On April 15, during a meeting with the provincial governor, Karl and Paul spent 12 hours under heavy fire. They sent me a stream of updates and at 2 a.m., still under fire, Paul was evacuated with a badly wounded Afghan soldier. Karl remained on site until dawn, when Afghan forces suppressed the last of the attackers. And once they got the all-clear, both returned to work.

This team is motivated by a desire to make a difference for others. A civilian officer in the east is helping facilitate a program to teach 200 madrassa high school students basic computer and Internet skills to better connect them to job opportunities and to the outside world. “When I touched the mouse for the first time and put my eyes on the monitor screen,” said one student, Fatima, “I felt that I was flying to the sky and seeing a new world of brightness, which gave my heart much happiness.”

While our civilian employees are considered targets, we have not simply hunkered down. Regional security officers and drivers risk their lives to support more than a hundred daily engagements, essential to diplomacy, between Americans and Afghans in Kabul and beyond. I was humbled by their work during the attacks against our embassy in September and April, when I joined them in the operations room.

Despite the danger, our civilian and military personnel, working with their Afghan counterparts, regularly travel “outside the wire,” helping Afghans refurbish homes, canals and irrigation systems left dormant or damaged by the insurgency. For International Women’s Day, civilian Jessica Brandt and her military counterpart, Lt. Col. Barbara Crawford, worked with female Afghan partners to stage an empowerment event for more than 400 women.

The U.S. commander, Gen. Marine John Allen, also recognizes the commitment of our civilians. “Many of the men and women of the State Department serve out in the field, riding in the same vehicles as our Marines and soldiers, living in very austere forward operating bases, exposed to the same hardships and the same dangers that our military personnel face. And yet they go unarmed,” he said. “I cannot praise them highly enough. Without them and this close relationship, we would not be able to accomplish all we have so far.”

I’d also like to thank the 859 Afghan staffers who risk their lives every day to work for the betterment of their country and ours. It takes a special kind of heroism for them to serve alongside us. Taj, for instance, has worked for the U.S. government for more than 20 years; he returned from Pakistan after the fall of Taliban as the first local staffer in the reopened embassy. His outreach to imams to discuss religious tolerance and women’s rights under the Koran is achieving measurable results in fighting extremism. Reza helps connect embassy leadership with politicians and thought leaders, supporters and critics, to hear their concerns and ideas.

Working alongside some of the most committed and determined people that Afghanistan and the United States have to offer has deeply enriched the last assignment I will take in the service of my country. It has left me confident about the future of their nation and ours. I have served in a lot of hard places, with a lot of very good people. None has been better than those I have been privileged to call my colleagues here.

Space Salvaging

Space Salvaging

U.S.-NAMIBIA RELATIONS

Map Credit:  U.S. State Department 
FROM:  US. STATE DEPARTMENT
U.S. Relations With Namibia
Bureau of African Affairs
Fact Sheet
June 21, 2012
U.S.-NAMIBIA RELATIONS
U.S.-Namibian relations are friendly. The United States participated in the diplomatic efforts to bring about Namibia's 1990 independence from South Africa and has since provided assistance to improve the well being of the Namibian people. The bilateral relationship is characterized by a shared commitment to democratic principles, including the rule of law and respect for human rights, and has been strengthened through programs to alleviate poverty and promote greater trade ties. The United States and Namibia are partners in the effort to improve health services, strengthen education, and expand trade and development opportunities.

U.S. Assistance to Namibia
Namibia is a focus country under the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), and the United States and Namibia have signed a PEPFAR Partnership Framework. A strategy to implement the Global Health Initiative was also recently completed. USAID and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are the primary implementers of these programs. A five-year Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) Compact to reduce poverty and accelerate economic growth entered into force in September 2009. It aims to reduce poverty through economic growth and funds development projects in the sectors of education, tourism, and agriculture. On average, there are 100-120 Peace Corps volunteers present in Namibia. The Department of Defense has provided professional development training to the Namibian Defence Force.

Bilateral Economic Relations
Namibia seeks to diversify its trading relationships which, for historical reasons, were tied to South African goods and services. The country is eligible for preferential trade benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). Namibia belongs to the Southern African Customs Union, which has signed a Trade, Investment, and Development Cooperative Agreement (TIDCA) with the United States. The TIDCA establishes a forum for consultative discussions, cooperative work, and possible agreements on a wide range of trade issues, with a special focus on customs and trade facilitation, technical barriers to trade, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, and trade and investment promotion.

Namibia's Membership in International Organizations
Namibia’s foreign policy is heavily influenced by the positions taken by the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), the African Union, and the Non-Aligned Movement, of which it is a member. Namibia 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.

Bilateral Representation
The U.S. Ambassador to Namibia is Wanda Nesbit

WWII BATAAN DEATH MARCH SURVIVOR

FROM: U.S. AIR FORCE
James Bollich, World War II veteran and Bataan Death March survivor, stands in his home next to a framed American flag that his grandson, an Airman, had flown over a U.S. military installation in his honor. Bollich spent three and a half years a prisoner of war in Manchuria from 1942 until the end of WWII. (U.S. Air Force photo by Kate Blais)

Bataan Death March survivor shares story
by Kate Blais
Air Force Global Strike Command Public Affairs

7/5/2012 - LAFAYETTE, La.(AFNS) -- Fewer and fewer Americans today can recall where they were when they heard the news that Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, had been attacked by the Japanese on Dec. 7, 1941. As the number of first-hand accounts from World War II continues to decrease and new conflicts of the current era arise, earlier struggles begin to fade away, making it ever more important to preserve our nation's living history.

At his home in Lafayette, La., in the midst of countless books and homemade art, one WWII veteran and former prisoner of war shares his experience of the war, one that is slightly different than most.

Like many of his peers, James Bollich, barely out of his teenage years, joined the U.S. military in the midst of another world conflict brewing overseas.

"It was about the time Germany occupied Paris, everybody at school was talking about the Army, and nobody was really studying like they should've been," recalled Bollich. "That's when I decided that before long we would be in the war and just like a young kid, I wanted to be part of it and I wanted the air corps."

Against his mother's wishes, Bollich joined the U.S. Army Air Corps on Aug. 23, 1940, in Bossier City, La., at what was then Barksdale Field, and was assigned to the 16th Bomb Squadron, 27th Bomb Group.

Bollich spent time at a base in Savannah, Ga., and then reported to technical school in Dallas, where he studied airplane mechanics and took part in maneuvers and exercises at an air field in Lake Charles, La., all before heading overseas.

"As soon as the maneuvers ended we were shipped overseas," he said. "We left San Francisco November 1 and arrived in the Philippines on November 20, and 18 days later we were already at war with Japan."

Four months later, 20-year-old Corporal Bollich would become a prisoner of war.

When word got back to Bollich and his outfit that the Japanese had made a major landing about 35 miles from where they were, they were instructed to quickly pack-up and told that they would be evacuated, by boat, from Manila to the Bataan Peninsula across Manila Bay.

Thousands of American and Filipino troops now occupied the Bataan Peninsula, leaving the U.S. Army responsible for feeding everyone. In the meantime the Japanese controlled the surrounding seas and skies, making it difficult for American support to resupply these men.

"We were running out of food," Bollich said frankly. "That's when we tried to get extra food by going up into the mountains. People ate monkeys, snakes, lizards, just about anything that they could find."

When most food sources were exhausted, including mules, "essentially what we were living on was a slice of bread made out of rice flour, covered with gravy made out of water and rice flour. We were essentially starving to death and weren't in any shape to fight and the Japanese easily broke through our front lines," he said.

When their front lines did eventually break, they were ordered to retreat to the tip of the Bataan Peninsula, where they eventually surrendered to the Japanese.

"We were told to destroy all of our arms and ammunition. Finally here came the [Japanese]. They lined us up, counted us and started us out on what is now known as the [Bataan] Death March."

For the next five and a half days, thousands of American and Filipino troops walked day and night enduring exhaustion and physical pain.

"We had no idea what was ahead," said Bollich. "I'll never forget our old first sergeant, when the surrender came he said, 'we survived the war, the Japanese are going to take us and put us in a prison camp. We'll get fed, have water and rest and just sit and wait out the war.' That guy was dead within three weeks after we were captured. It didn't turn out that way at all."

Bollich recalled marching out of the peninsula with Japanese guards on either side of the line of prisoners.

"They took our wallets, anybody who had a ring they took those, took our dog tags. Then they began to beat us. They beat us with rifle butts, sabers, clubs, anything they could get their hands on. That went on all day long. They wouldn't let anybody have a drink of water or let us rest and they didn't feed us.

"And then I think it was around the middle of the second day that people began to collapse. We hadn't had water in a day and a half and in the tropics it's almost beyond what you can take. And of course once anybody collapsed, the Japanese immediately killed them, it looked like they were really trying to kill us all."

Upon arrival at the first prison camp, Camp O'Donnell, a former Philippine Army training camp, Bollich said the soldiers were met by the general who had called for their surrender. General King spoke in front of the crowd, assuring his men that he would take full responsibility for the surrender and for his troops not to feel bad.

"Then the Japanese commander got up and laid down the rules of the camp," said Bollich. "He said that if any were broken, the person would be shot, which are words we expected to hear. But he was speaking through an interpreter and the interpreter said that you have come here to die. At first I didn't believe it and that he'd misquoted the Japanese commander, but it didn't take us long to realize that he was telling the truth."

Bollich admitted that the exact number of Americans who died on the march remains unknown, but is estimated anywhere between 800 to 2,000 troops. However, Bollich is sure of the death toll of the first 40 days of being in Camp O'Donnell, because he witnessed it. His best estimate is approximately another 1,800 Americans in that time period, averaging about 45 per day.

"All we were doing was burying the dead," remembered Bollich. "I remember looking around and deciding that the way people were dying that within a few weeks we would all be dead. Our food was nothing but a handful of cooked rice a day. The barracks we stayed in were made out of bamboo with thatched roofs, no doors or windows. At night the mosquitos would chew us alive and during the day time the flies would get all over us. The big killer was dysentery. They had open latrines that had flies by the billions, covering our camp. Once you caught dysentery you were gone."

Bollich recalled that within the first four weeks of confinement at Camp O'Donnell, three men escaped to find food and were caught trying to sneak back into the camp. For breaking the rules, the men were tortured for days until all the prisoners were called out to an area in the camp where the three men had dug their own graves and witnessed each man get executed.

Bollich became one of 2,000 prisoners selected to be transported to Japan for confinement in another POW camp. He described the packed ship as having two holds, one in the front and one in the back, each holding 1,000 men.

"We were only allowed two guys at a time to crawl up the steel ladder to go top side to use the latrine," he said. "A lot of the guys had dysentery and within a matter of a few hours, the place was already like a cesspool."

He went on to describe the atmosphere below deck.

"At night the hold was completely dark. There'd be crying and screaming and praying. And inevitably in the morning when the Japanese would open up the hold there'd be one or two POWs that had died. We'd just hand them up to the Japanese and the Japanese would just throw them over board."

Conditions below deck got so bad that the ship docked in Taiwan so that the POWs could be taken off the ship and hosed down.

"That was about seven months from the time we had surrendered and we were still in the same clothes that we surrendered in. That was the first water we had on our bodies in all that length of time," he said.

After what seemed like many more days at sea, the boat reached its final destination: Pusan, Korea. Once everyone was pulled out of the ship, the POWs were put into trucks and transported to a military camp situated on the shore.

The ones who were in weak physical condition stayed until they were strong enough to move again.

"Of the 80 or 90 of us that stayed there [in the military camp] about 30 or 35 of us survived, the rest died and were taken out each day and cremated and their ashes were brought back and given to us," said Bollich.

When the surviving POWs were strong enough to leave, they boarded trains and headed off to Mukden, Manchuria, which according to Bollich was "one of the coldest places in the world and that's where I stayed until the war ended."

Once at the POW camp in Mukden when he became physically well enough to work, Bollich was sent to a factory originally set-up to manufacture automobile parts. In the midst of dozens of unopened crates containing American machines, the POWs were instructed to cement the factory floor, make sturdy foundations for the machines, set them up and start production.

In his book, "Bataan Death March: A Soldier's Story," Bollich mentioned that although he and his fellow POWs were ordered to correctly perform certain tasks in the factory, they took the opportunity to be discreetly insubordinate. For example, he wrote that the men discovered smaller but important machine parts, such as handles, knobs, dials and screws, in empty crates. Once the small but necessary items were discovered, the POWs defiantly disposed of them in the holes they had dug, quickly filling them in with concrete and making it impossible for the machines to function.

His life continued with little food and walking what he estimated as five miles either way to and from the factory day after day until the day the air raid sirens rang. Off in the distance, Bollich recalls seeing miles of contrails and big black planes flying toward the factory.

When Japanese fighters took off to defend their positions, in his book Bollich describes the scene: "From the ground it looked like a swarm of mosquitoes going after a flock of geese and the comparison is good, because that is about how effective the Japanese fighters were."

"They were B-29s," he continued. "[At the time] we didn't know what B-29s were, but we were happy to see them. After all that time, finally it looked like the war was maybe coming to an end. Those B-29s, I've never seen anything like it, it just looked like the sky was black with bombs."

The B-29 bombs fell in December 1944, and eight months later Mukden POW camp was liberated. After three and a half years of confinement, Bollich was free and heading home. He and the remaining POWs were taken to a nearby railroad station and transported to Port Arthur, China, where they boarded a ship for their journey back to the U.S.

They finally docked in San Francisco, the same port Bollich left nearly four years earlier.

Bollich rested in a hospital for five to six weeks before returning home to Louisiana. He described his return home as less than the jovial occasion he had dreamed about, as he learned that two of his brothers had been killed in the war, and his mother was devastated.

Today, Bollich is part of a group that gets smaller as time passes.

"As far as World War II, all my friends are gone. In my outfit I only know of one other guy who's still alive," he said.

When asked how he managed to survive the Bataan Death March and then life in a prison camp, he has a very clear answer, "I couldn't imagine people going to my mother and saying that [I'd] died. I think that's what kept most young people alive, the fact that they had families to go to."

Had he decided to give up, he's sure he could have found a quick end to the misery.

"Everybody prayed, and apparently it didn't work for everybody. But maybe it did. I think things got so bad that a lot of guys prayed to die and if you wanted to give up you could die in a hurry. There were two or three times in my confinement that if I had decided to die I could of died within a couple of days," admitted Bollich.

After Bollich returned home, he decided to remain in the reserves for three years, taking the time to decide if after his experience as a POW he could still stay in the military. He ultimately decided to pursue higher education, a choice he said helped him deal with the dreams of confinement that ensued upon his return to the states.

"The thing about it," he said, "in prison camp, when you went to bed at night you'd dream about being free and then you woke up and you were still in that POW camp. When you got back home, at night when I'd go to bed, I'd dream I was back in POW camp, so I didn't want to sleep. And that really helped my studies, because instead of just staying up and doing nothing, I studied. So going to school helped a lot."

After his experience as a POW and survivor of the death march, when asked what advice he'd give to young servicemembers facing challenges in their personal and professional lives, he suggests considering what veterans went through.

"Talk to some of the old soldiers," he said. "Some of those Marines who fought in the Pacific and the soldiers who fought in Europe, look at what they went through."

Bollich reflects on the decision to drop the atomic bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which effectively led to Japan's surrender in WWII, and wonders what would have happened had U.S. forces conducted a land invasion of the country instead.

He said toward the end of the war, the Japanese higher command put out a directive to all of the POW camps saying the minute it was learned the Americans had landed on Japanese soil, the commander was to kill all of the POWs under their control.

Bollich continued, "There was no doubt in my mind that had we not dropped the atomic bomb and we invaded Japan, not a single POW would have gotten home."

And being honest about what may have been his fate, Bollich understands that, "of course, that includes me."

Bollich has authored 11 books, including "Bataan Death March: A Soldier's Story," about his time as a POW.

U.S. SEC. OF STATE CLINTON AND JAPAN FOREIGN MINISTER KOICHIRO GEMBA

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Remarks With Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba
Remarks Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State Iikura Guest House
Tokyo, Japan
July 8, 2012
MODERATOR: (Via interpreter) Ladies and gentlemen, we would like to commence the press conference with Minister Gemba and Secretary Clinton. First of all Minister Gemba will speak, and then Secretary Clinton will follow.
Minister, the floor is yours.

FOREIGN MINISTER GEMBA: (Via interpreter) Thank you very much. I would like to make my initial statement. Today, in the time available during the Tokyo Conference on Afghanistan, I was able to exchange views thoroughly with Secretary Clinton on matters not only about Tokyo Conference itself, but also the follow-up of our Prime Minister’s recent visit to the U.S., ASEAN-related foreign ministerial meetings due next week, the Asia Pacific situation including North Korea, and the challenges such as Iran.
First on Afghanistan, substantive discussion is being developed in this Tokyo Conference, which makes me feel that combined with the outcome of the NATO Chicago Summit meeting which has been led of the United States – led by the United States, a way could be paved for the independent and sustainable nation building of Afghanistan during the transformation decade in both security and development aspects.

I have shared this perception with Secretary Clinton and confirmed that we will continue to partner and collaborate closely so as to ensure the follow-up on the outcome of the Tokyo Conference, such as the concepts of our mutual commitment and regular review process going forward. So we will continue to have close collaboration between the two countries.

Next, on Japan-U.S. relations, we confirmed that with a view to deepening that U.S. alliance, U.S.-Japan alliance, befitting the 21st century, we will solidly follow up the outcome of our Prime Minister’s recent visit to the U.S..

On U.S. Forces realignment, Secretary Clinton and I, based upon the joint statement from the recent 2+2 meeting, confirmed to accelerate our works so that certain outcome can be achieved by the end of this year on questions such as: one, relocation of Marines in Okinawa and Guam; two, return of the land south of Kadena; and three, improvement of the training facilities in Guam and Northern Mariana in order to concretize Japan-U.S. dynamic defense cooperation. We also reconfirmed to work continuously on Futenma Air Station relocation to Henoko.

On the question of Osprey, I have sought the continued cooperation from the U.S. side regarding the further provision of information on the accidents. Prompt and sufficient information provision is something that I have requested for U.S. cooperation, so that not only the people of Okinawa but the Japanese citizens at large can feel reassured on the safety question, to which Secretary Clinton gave us her understanding.

On Iran, I explained our position once again that we support the EU3+3 approach towards the peaceful, diplomatic solutions of the issue, and we promote collaboration of international community based on the approach of dialogue and pressure. Japan wishes to continue our efforts to closely coordinate with the U.S. and the international community.
Asia Pacific: We exchanged our views on the Asia Pacific situation. In particular on DPRK, once again we confirmed to maintain close coordination between Japan and U.S. and among Japan, U.S., and South Korea.
So that is all for my initial remarks.

MODERATOR: Thank you very much, Minister. Secretary Clinton, the floor is yours.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you very much, Minister Gemba, and I am delighted that we had a chance to have a broad, comprehensive discussion. I want to begin by congratulating the Government of Japan for the excellent preparation and execution of the Tokyo Conference. As the Minister said, here we have agreed that we need a different kind of long-term economic partnership, one built on Afghan progress in meeting its goals, in fighting corruption, in carrying out reform, and providing good governance.
After intensive effort with the international community, Japan has announced that $16 billion has been pledged to support Afghanistan’s development over the next four years – more than enough to meet the World Bank’s estimated requirements. And we thank Japan for its generous pledge.

For our part, the United States will be working with Congress to provide assistance at or near the levels of the past decade through 2017, both to help secure Afghanistan’s gains and to protect the already considerable investment that the United States has made not only in financial terms but in the sacrifice of our men and women in the last decade.
We must ensure that the transition is irreversible and that Afghanistan can never again be a safe haven for international terrorism. Just as we met in Chicago three months ago to safeguard Afghanistan’s security future, today we have charted a way forward on Afghanistan’s economic requirements. So I believe that we have really made a good commitment to putting Afghanistan on a path to economic self-sufficiency. As Afghan capacity and revenues increase, our contributions can decline.

We emphasized key factors about the role of the Afghan Government and people in stepping up to meet the challenges that they have ahead of them; the role of the international community to support its commitments and to do so within the Tokyo Framework of Mutual Accountability; the role of the neighbors to work together to build a prosperous, interconnected zone of commerce and trade across South and Central Asia; and the role of the private sector in helping bring investment, training, and jobs.
This morning I also had the opportunity to meet with Pakistani Foreign Minister Khar to discuss our many shared interests, including the fight against extremism and terrorism; a successful resolution to the Afghan conflict; promotion of civil society and democratic institutions; and greater economic and trade opportunities.

Later today Foreign Minister Khar and I will join Afghan Foreign Minister Rassoul when we convene the first minister-level Core Group meeting among the three countries. We will reaffirm the Core Group’s goal of enhanced cooperation in support of an Afghan peace and reconciliation process, and jointly we will reiterate our call for the armed opposition to abandon violence and enter into a dialogue with the Afghan Government.
The Foreign Minister and I also discussed a range of bilateral and regional concerns. We are looking forward to both attending the ASEAN Regional Forum in Cambodia, where we will have an opportunity for a trilateral meeting with the Republic of Korea. Among the items to be discussed there will be pressing Pyongyang to meet its international obligations. I reaffirmed the United States commitment to Japan’s defense and security. We’re moving forward on the vision that we laid out in April on the future of our alliance. We’re addressing new challenges on the high seas, in space, and cyberspace.
And I want to say a word about the issue that the Minister raised with me concerning the Osprey aircraft. Meeting our security requirements requires the right equipment, including military aircraft. And I understand and appreciate the concern raised here in Japan, and in particular on Okinawa, about the Osprey. The United States cares deeply about the safety of the Japanese people, just as we care deeply about the safety of the men and women in the U.S. military. And we will work closely with our Japanese partners to ensure that any American military equipment brought into Japan will meet the highest safety standards. And I assured the Minister that when the investigation is complete, the results will be shared with Japan.

We also discussed the opportunity to strengthen our economic relationship, and the United States welcomes Japan’s interest in the Trans Pacific Partnership, which we think will connect economies throughout the region, making trade and investment easier, spurring exports, creating jobs. The TPP is just one element of our increased focus on the Asia Pacific, but it is important that we recognize that the Japanese-American relationship is really at the cornerstone of everything we are doing in the Asia Pacific. We are not only treaty allies; we are friends and partners with common interests and shared values.
When I leave Japan, I will be traveling to Mongolia, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, where I will deliver a common message: The United States is a partner in the Pacific working not only to promote security, but also to create greater economic opportunity, support democratic reform, spark innovation, and strengthen the ties between and among our people.

Finally, to turn briefly to another part of the world, yesterday the people of Libya went to the polls to choose their representatives for the Libya National Congress, and we congratulate them on this historic milestone. After more than four decades of authoritarian rule, men and women from every corner of Libya are beginning to determine their own future. And it will be the will of the people, not the whim of a dictator.
But of course, now the hard work really begins to build an effective, transparent government that unifies the country and delivers for the Libyan people. And the United States stands ready to assist Libyans in their transition to a free, democratic Libya at peace with your neighbors and where every Libyan has a chance to fulfill his or her God-given potential.

So again, thank you, Minister. And I appreciate greatly our very strong consultation and partnership.

MODERATOR: Questions. If you are designated, please identify yourself by stating your name and affiliation. Proceed to your questions. First, the Japanese media.

QUESTION: (Via interpreter) Thank you. Nishida from Mainichi newspaper company. I have questions to both of you. During the meeting you have exchanged views regarding regional situation. Tough security situation continues in Asia, so I have a question about that. As you mentioned, in a couple of days ARF ES/EAS-related meetings will be held in Cambodia. Major theme will be South China Sea related issues. During your conference, what kind of discussion did you have? Also between ASEAN and China, legally binding Code of Conduct is something which is being debated. So between Japan and the U.S., the collaboration is taken in certain approaches. May I have comments from both of you?

MODERATOR: First of all, Minister Gemba.

FOREIGN MINISTER GEMBA: Thank you very much, Mr. Nishida. Your question was regarding the situation pertaining to South China Sea. United Nations has a Convention on the Law of the Sea as well as other related international laws. We must be abided by the international laws and then we should be making rules. I think it’s very important to do the rulemaking in accordance to international laws. It’s a basic thinking.
On top of that, through dialogue, in a peaceful way we must resolve the problems. That is the basic thinking I have. Based upon that thinking, I discussed it with Secretary Clinton. Among others, as you indicated, COC, Code of Conduct, was included in our discussion. Thank you.

MODERATOR: Secretary Clinton.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, I think it’s important to reiterate what the Minister said. We believe that we have a national interest, as every nation does, in the freedom of navigation, in the maintenance of peace and stability, respect for international law, and unimpeded, lawful commerce in the South China Sea. And therefore we believe the nations of the Asia Pacific region should work collaboratively and diplomatically to resolve their disputes without coercion, without intimidation, without threats, and without conflict.

We want to see all parties with claims – whether they are land or maritime claims – pursue them in accordance with international law, including as reflected in the Law of the Sea Convention. And we urge progress between the ASEAN nations and China on the Code of Conduct for the South China Sea. And certainly when we go to Cambodia for the ASEAN Regional Forum, both the Minister and I will be urging that progress be made on such a Code of Conduct.

MODERATOR: U.S. media.

QUESTION: Yes, Brad Klapper from Associated Press. In an interview he gave today, UN mediator Kofi Annan conceded that his Syria peace plan was failing. Yet just a couple days ago, you were still trying to pressure Assad into implementing the ceasefire and the plan for political transition. Do you have any hope left, any at all, that Assad might do these things? Thank you.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, Bradley, I think what Kofi Annan said should be a wakeup call to everyone, because he acknowledged that there has not been movement by the Syrian regime in accordance with his six-point plan or the more specific communiqué out of Geneva’s Action Group meeting.

And therefore the parties, principally the government, have to ask themselves: What is the alternative? The violence is increasing. June was the deadliest month for the Syrian people in terms of the thousands of Syrians killed and injured. There are 1.5 million displaced people within Syria. There are tens of thousands of refugees crossing the border. There’s already been an incident affecting Turkey because of military action by the Syrian Government. There was just yesterday an unfortunate incident across the Lebanese border. There is no doubt that the opposition is getting more effective in their defense of themselves and in going on the offense against the Syrian military and the Syrian Government’s militias.

So the future, to me, should be abundantly clear to those who support the Assad regime: The days are numbered; and the sooner there can be an end to the violence and a beginning of a political transition process, not only will fewer people die, but there’s a chance to save the Syrian state from a catastrophic assault that would be very dangerous not only to Syria but to the region.

So I think Special Envoy Annan was admitting the obvious, that as of today he’s not been able to convince the Syrian Government and those supporting it to wake up and recognize the path they are on, but that there is still time. And as we saw with the recent high-level defection, with the increasing numbers of defections, the sand is running out of the hourglass. And we want to make clear to the Syrian regime that they need to be willing to end the violence and start the serious business of a political transition.
MODERATOR: Japanese media, please.

QUESTION: (Via interpreter) Kikwaji from Nippon Television Network. Now, Osprey is something that I want to ask you. Minister Gemba and Secretary Clinton, my question is to both of you. Accidents happened, one after another, so mainly in Okinawa but elsewhere too there is a call for the revision of the plan. So other than information provision, Minister Gemba, did you ask for any concrete measures? As of now, do you think that deployment of Osprey is possible?

MODERATOR: Secretary Clinton, this question. This may affect the Japanese relationship with the U.S.. How do you see the implication and the impact, and is there any plan for information provision? Minister Gemba first.

FOREIGN MINISTER GEMBA: Thank you very much for your question, Mr. Kikwaji. A question regarding Osprey. As I said earlier on, in Iwakuni and in Okinawa and elsewhere in Japan, a lot of people are showing very harsh reaction regarding the deployment of Osprey. I was very frank about it and I conveyed this point to Secretary Clinton.

Having done so, we have coordinated and collaborated until the very last of possibilities. It is a fact that we have done the closest coordination that we can do, and still the reaction is very harsh. That is what I told Secretary Clinton about. And later on, Secretary made – referred to it. She said that situation that should give reassurance to the Japanese people, the information would be provided which will reassure Japanese people. Especially the local people have serious concern. In order to remove any possible concerns, what is needed? We have to consider what is possible that we can do in order to remove any worries. That is something that we wish to seriously study. It is – situation is serious, so I was very frank about this with Secretary Clinton.
Thank you.

MODERATOR: Secretary Clinton.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Let me reiterate that the United States cares deeply about the safety of the Japanese people and we will take every measure to ensure that any equipment brought to Japan for Japan’s defense by the U.S. military meets the highest safety standards. Overall, the MV-22 Osprey has an excellent safety record, and we believe that basing it in Okinawa will significantly strengthen our ability in providing for Japan’s defense, performing humanitarian assistance, disaster relief operations, and other duties as a key ally.

But in recognition of the concerns that the Minister has just described, the defense ministries of both of our countries have agreed that they will wait until the results of the safety investigation are presented to the Japanese Government and confirmed, because it is very important to the United States that Japan shares our confidence in the safety of the Osprey. So we will work to ensure that the Japanese Government is satisfied that the Osprey is safe to fly in Japan.

MODERATOR: In the interest of time, last question from the U.S. media.

QUESTION: Thank you very much, Madam Secretary. Jo Biddle from AFP. Following your meeting with Foreign Minister Khar, how confident are you that the United States and Pakistan have put aside the difficulties that we’ve seen in the relationships – in the relationship over the past year? And more specifically, could you tell us how you believe that the reopening of the Pakistan border posts will help in counterterrorism efforts? Thank you very much.

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, thank you. As I said, we had a very broad-ranging, constructive discussion as a follow-up to our recent work in resolving some of the disputes around the opening of the lines of communication in Pakistan. We are both encouraged that we’ve been able to put the recent difficulties behind us so we can focus on the many challenges still ahead of us. And we want to use the positive momentum generated by our recent agreement to take tangible, visible steps on our many shared core interests.

First and foremost, we focused on the necessity of defeating the terror networks that threaten the stability of both Pakistan and Afghanistan as well as interests of the United States, along with our allies and partners. And we discussed Afghan reconciliation efforts and the importance that both the United States and Pakistan support this Afghan-led process. So I am pleased we will have a chance to discuss that trilaterally later this afternoon and look toward how we can better coordinate our efforts. We also discussed economic support for Pakistan and the goal of moving toward more trade than aid as part of our economic relationship.

So we discussed a number of important issues, and obviously there’s a lot of follow-up work that has to be done. I’ve said many times that this is a challenging but essential relationship. It remains so. And I have no reason to believe it will not continue to raise hard questions for us both, but it is something that I think is in the interest of the United States as well as the interest of Pakistan.

MODERATOR: Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen of the press. This completes the joint press conference of Minister Gemba and Secretary Clinton. Thank you very much.

THE CONSTITUTION TAKES BOSTON HARBOR

FROM:  U.S. NAVY
120704-N-KP312-005 BOSTON (July 4, 2012) USS Constitution sails up Boston Harbor during Boston Navy Week. Boston Navy Week is one of 15 signature events planned across America in 2012. The eight-day long event commemorates the Bicentennial of the War of 1812, hosting service members from the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard and coalition ships from around the world. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class David P. Coleman/Released)

USS Constitution Celebrates Independence Day, War Of 1812 Bicentennial Underway
CHARLESTOWN, Mass. (NNS) -- USS Constitution and her crew got underway for her annual July 4th turnaround cruise in Boston Harbor, July 4.

The cruise was Constitution's second of 2012 and one of the last major events of Boston Navy Week, June 28-July 5.

"There is simply no better way to celebrate Independence Day than being on board Constitution," said Cmdr. Matthew Bonner, Constitution's 72nd commanding officer. "And this year is made even more special by celebrating the commemoration of the War of 1812 and sailing with USCGC Eagle to honor the nation."

The ship got underway shortly after 11 a.m. with 499 guests in attendance. Many of them were winners of Constitution's 2012 lottery drawing. Chief of Naval Operations for Denmark Rear Adm. Finn Hansen and four of Constitution's former commanding officers were also aboard.

"The Fourth of July is all about history and heritage," said Sonar Technician (Submarine) 1st Class (SS) Mark Comeiro, a Boston native, and Constitution's officer of the deck for the underway. "As such, it couldn't be more appropriate for our ship to get underway today. This ship is very special to a lot of people from this city, state and country. I am so proud to serve aboard her."

At 11:45 a.m., retired Cmdr. Bob Gillen, Constitution's 59th commanding officer, and representatives of the Bellingham Bell company unveiled Constitution's new shipboard bell. The inscription on the bell commemorates the bicentennial of the War of 1812, a war in which Constitution won three major victories. It's also the fourth bell in the ship's 214-year history.

At noon, Constitution performed a 21-gun salute near Fort Independence on Castle Island. Fort Independence is a state park that served as a defense post for Boston Harbor at one time.

"It was a very moving experience to be aboard this ship on the Fourth of July," said Seamus Daly, one of Constitution's lottery winners. "The three salutes the Constitution performed and the flyover was simply fantastic."

At 12:20 p.m., Constitution passed amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) and rendered honors with a 19-gun salute, which culminated with a flyover demonstration by the Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron Blue Angels.

Sailors performed a final 17-gun salute to the city of Boston near Coast Guard Station Boston, the former site of the Edmund Hartt Shipyard where Constitution was built. The shots honored the 16 states that comprised America when Constitution launched in 1797 and one in honor of the ship. She returned to her berth at approximately 1:30 p.m.

Additionally, Constitution's color guard detail will present the colors at the annual Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular at Boston's Hatch Shell at 8:30 p.m. tonight.

This is the sixth of eight Navy Weeks Constitution Sailors are scheduled to participate in throughout 2012, celebrating the bicentennial of the War of 1812. Boston Navy Week is being held in conjunction with Boston Harborfest, a festival that showcases the colonial and maritime heritage of Boston.

The primary purpose of Navy Week is to increase Navy awareness by presenting the Navy to Americans who live in cities that normally do not have a significant naval presence. Boston Navy Week will showcase the mission, capabilities and achievements of the U.S. Navy and provide residents the opportunity to meet Sailors firsthand.

Constitution is the world's oldest commissioned warship afloat and welcomes more than 500,000 visitors per year. She defended the sea lanes against threat from 1797 to 1855, much like the mission of today's Navy. America's Navy: Keeping the sea free for more than 200 years.

Constitution's mission today is to offer community outreach and education about the ship's history.

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