NEW STEALTH FIGHTER AIRCRAFT

FROM: U.S. AIR FORCE

An F-35A Lightning II joint strike fighter from the 33rd Fighter Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., flies over the Emerald Coast Sept. 19, 2012. (U.S. Air Force photo-Master Sgt. Jeremy T. Lock)

by Marine Corps Cpl. Daniel Wetzel
Defense Media Activity

10/16/2012 - EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFNS) -- The engines roared overhead as an F-35A fell into formation. Although this is a basic maneuver for the test pilots, the possibilities for combat environments created by these elite aircraft working together are anything but mundane.

The F-35, which features three variants to be used by the Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy, is a single-seat aircraft capable of stealthy operations, equipped with an enhanced computer technology system. The Marine Corps B variant is also capable of performing short takeoffs and vertical-landings while maintaining the conventional operations of other airplanes.

The F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter program started in 1997. The program includes plans to replace the Air Force's aging F-16 Fighting Falcon and A-10 Thunderbolt II, the Marine Corps' short takeoff, vertical landing AV-8B Harrier and dogfighting and air-to-ground attacking F/A-18 Hornet and the Navy's stock of legacy Hornets.

"The F-35 is a fifth-generation fighter; but it's more than just a stealthy airplane," said Marine Corps Col. Art Tomassetti, a pilot who has been with the JSF program since 1998. "It goes beyond stealth and low observable capability. It brings together everything that today's computer and digital age can bring to how the airplane flies and how it's maintained."

The F-35 is an ideal combination of stealth, sensor fusion and a robust digital flight control system making it, not only easy for a pilot to fly, but easy to identify and engage targets in the battlespace. Along with ease of flight, the F-35 also allows pilots greater situational awareness.

"When you look at the F-35, you can't look at it as a single airplane against another single airplane," Tomassetti said. "You have to look at a group of F-35s working together, then you really get to take advantage of what the F-35 brings to the battle space. The ability of the airplanes to use a variety of sensors to gather information and share the information they gather between planes is truly incredible."

With the F-35, pilots can access information about possible targets and threats from supporting F-35 aircraft via data links, which allows them to see more and identify more of what is happening in the battle space, Tomassetti said.

Currently, the military is only training seasoned pilots on the new airplane at Eglin Air Force Base.

When new pilots are allowed into the program, they will find themselves in a unique training environment along with enlisted aircraft maintainers and mechanics from all three branches of service and also coalition partners from several foreign nations.

These service members will learn how to operate and maintain the F-35 through a digital training environment. This kinetic learning system allows the learning to occur through touching and doing, rather than seeing and hearing.

"The fact that we're starting with the same airframe, same formations, same weapons capabilities, I think that already puts us at a better starting point when we show up to a combat theater together," said Lt. Col. Lee Kloos, squadron commander for the 58th Fighter Squadron, of the integration of forces with the F-35.

Kloos, who has more 2,100 hours flying the F-16, said having the Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy field the same airframe allows a common frame of reference for pilots regardless of service.

The aircraft is also a joy to fly, Kloos said. Despite the advanced technology and complexity of the aircraft, it's a very easy aircraft to fly, and basic pilot actions remain the same as in any fighter aircraft.

"Pull back on the stick and the trees get smaller, push forward and the trees get bigger," Kloos said. It is a stable and well-balanced plane designed for today's generation who grew up playing video games, he said.

Comparatively speaking, the F-35 has a clean cockpit. Instead of a multitude of switches inherent of many aircraft, the F-35 has two touch screens with interfaces similar to a tablet computer.

For the maintainers, things are a little tougher.

"I was working on the F-15 C and D models," said Staff Sgt. Matthew Reed, F-35 A maintainer. "The F-35 is a completely different aircraft. The technology is challenging at times."

Since the F-35 is still in operational testing, the maintainers and pilots work through all the bugs together. On a continuous basis, personnel are testing the aircraft in new maneuvers and capabilities. Once these are monitored and assessed, the pilots are cleared to perform them in their daily flight operations.

"Today our training consists of the basics of takeoff, landing, navigation and basic formation as we wait for the flight clearance to expand and allow us to train specific mission sets," Tomassetti said.

Air Force maintainers, the first service members to work on the F-35, use the maintenance side of the computer to do preventative diagnostics and pinpoint possible problems.

With the pilots and maintainers working together, the Air Force and Marine Corps have flown hundreds of training sorties since their first flight in 2011. They continue to fly daily to bring the F-35 A, the Air Force's conventional landing and take-off variant, F-35 B, the Marine Corps' STOVL variant, and F-35 C, the Navy's carrier-based variant, closer to combat operations.

USS JOHN C. STENNIS STRIKE GROUP TAKES PLACE IN U.S. 5TH FLEET

FROM: U.S. NAVYWarfighting: John C. Stennis Strike Group Enters US 5th Fleet

John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group Public Affairs

JOHN C. STENNIS, At Sea (NNS) -- The John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group (JCSSG), entered the U.S. 5th Fleet Area of Responsibility (AOR), Oct. 17.

The JCSSG takes the place of the Enterprise Carrier Strike Group, which departed U.S. 5th Fleet AOR to return to the United States where flagship USS Enterprise (CVN 65) will be deactivated after more than 50 years of service.

"We're looking forward to working with our partner nations and ensuring the vital sea lanes of this region remain free for all maritime traffic," said Rear Adm. Chuck Gaouette, commander, JCSSG. "We have trained for a wide variety of contingencies, from supporting coalition ground troops in Afghanistan to conducting humanitarian assistance operations, and I'm confident this strike group will accomplish any mission that we are asked to execute."

JCSSG deployed four months ahead of schedule, to support combatant commander requirements for U.S. assets in the region.

While en route to 5th Fleet, the JCSSG conducted integrated training within the strike group, as well as combined operations in the U.S. 7th Fleet with the George Washington Carrier Strike Group. The JCSSG also had two port visits in 7th Fleet, Sepangar, Malaysia and Phuket, Thailand.

The JCSSG consists of the aircraft carrier USS John. C. Stennis (CVN 74), Carrier Air Wing 9, Destroyer Squadron 21 and guided-missile cruiser USS Mobile Bay (CG 53).

INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION NEWS FOR OCTOBER 18, 2012

FROM:  NASA

DOD News Briefing on Efforts to Enhance the Financial Health of the Force with Secretary Panetta, Assistant Director Petraeus, and Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary Milam from the Pentagon

DOD News Briefing on Efforts to Enhance the Financial Health of the Force with Secretary Panetta, Assistant Director Petraeus, and Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary Milam from the Pentagon

USS BAINBRIDGE CREW RECEIVE ARLEIGH BURKE FLEET AWARD

FROM: U.S. NAVY
Adm. Bill Gortney, left, commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command, presents the Arleigh Burke Fleet Award to the crew of the guided-missile destroyer USS Bainbridge (DDG 96). The award is given annually to the most improved battle-efficient ship or aircraft squadron from both the Atlantic and Pacific Fleet. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kayla Jo Finley (Released) 121016-N-YF783-004

ASHTON B. CARTER ON MIDDLE EAST







FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

U.S. Must Stay Committed to Middle East, Carter Says

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.
American Forces Press Service

SOUTHWEST ASIA, Oct. 18, 2012 - It is important for the U.S. to maintain its commitments to the Middle East, even as the nation's defense strategy starts to shift focus away from the region, the deputy defense secretary told troops on a military installation here today.

Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter spoke to approximately 200 U.S. service members about the transition of the nation's defense strategy, but emphasized remaining engaged in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.

"You, right here, right now, are at the fulcrum of so much of our national security thinking," he said. "We did put together a good defense strategy last year. We're going from the era of Iraq and Afghanistan where we all were totally riveted [daily] on supporting the fight in Iraq and Afghanistan."

Carter noted that Afghanistan operations continue.

"We're still in there, and will be now for two [more] hard fighting seasons, and then an enduring presence there after," He said.

The secretary called the drawdown in Afghanistan "a realistic plan" requiring "us to keep going hard for another couple of years."

"You all are an important part of that effort. But, this is where the transition comes in. You can see the ending of that era. [The] first, post-9/11 era of focus on Iraq and Afghanistan. You can see that era coming to an end," Carter said.

"So all of us are picking our heads up out of that foxhole, and looking around, looking forward, looking ahead," he said. "[We're] asking ourselves what are the security challenges that are going to define our future?"

Carter said many people are familiar with the shift in focus toward the Asia-Pacific, but added "there's a second part of that."

"[It] is to retain our commitment to this CENTCOM [area of responsibility], and it's changing set of issues which are just as weighty as Iraq and Afghanistan," he said. "They're just different."

Yes, we still have to continue to support Afghanistan, Carter said, because it's still happening. This means both sending stuff in there, and getting stuff out.

"But looking beyond that, what do we have?" Carter asked. "Iran – very serious. All of the problems that you see didn't begin with the Arab Spring. They are made visible by the Arab Spring. All the tension in this region."

The secretary talked about changes in the military's approach to dealing with conflict from the "old days" to now.

"In the old days, you could wind up real slowly before you delivered a punch," Carter said. "That was okay. For Desert Storm, we took months getting ready, bringing stuff in. All the while saying 'brother, in six months, you're going to be sorry you messed around with the United States.'"

"Now you have to be postured," he said, "where it's 'brother, you're going to be sorry in six hours that you messed with the United States.'"

Carter said the "velocity of conflict" has increased, but so has the opportunity to "snuff" that conflict out.

"[It's] got to happen very fast, and so the presence, what we have here daily, matters in a way, strategically, that it didn't matter 20 years ago," he said. "So, you all are in a critical place, at a time where when we're asking you to do an entirely new set of things."

"A hugely important set of things, Carter said. "And we're counting on you back in the [United] States. We'll come as soon as we can, but the reality is you're it."

The secretary said it's "trivial" to talk about jointness, but it is "truly impressive" to see such team effort.

"The fact that you're able to operate as a joint force is a huge advantage," Carter said. "It's something that is like anything else in life, particularly, military affairs."

"It doesn't come for free – it comes from working at relationships," he said. "Practicing, making the whole sum of the parts do that."

This, Carter said, is why the U.S. has the best military in the world.

"Thanks to you all for what you're doing here," he said. "It is much appreciated. And that's why ... Kuwait looks to us for security."

"We have an excellent relationship with the Kuwaitis, and I thank you all for what you do to keep that going," Carter said.

U.S.-RUSSIA BILATERAL ADOPTION AGREEMENT

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

United States - Russia Bilateral Adoption Agreement

Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
October 18, 2012

The Department of State and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) are pleased to announce that the Agreement between the United States of America and the Russian Federation Regarding Cooperation in Adoption of Children will enter into force on November 1, 2012, following an exchange of diplomatic notes between the U.S. and Russian governments.

The Department of State and USCIS work to promote a safe, ethical, and transparent adoption process for prospective adoptive parents, birth families, and children involved in intercountry adoptions.

Each year, thousands of children find loving, nurturing homes through intercountry adoptions, and the lives of thousands of American families have been enriched by welcoming Russian orphans into their homes. In April 2010, the U.S. and Russian governments began negotiating the Agreement to strengthen procedural safeguards in the adoption process between the United States and Russia.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov signed the Agreement on July 13, 2011 in Washington, D.C. The Russian Duma approved the Agreement on July 10, 2012 and the Russian Federation Council approved the Agreement on July 18, 2012. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the Agreement into law on July 28, 2012.

The full text of the Agreement, as well as a detailed FAQ can be found online at http://adoption.state.gov.

MAN PLEADS GUILTY IN PLOT TO ASSASSINATE SAUDI AMBASSADOR TO THE U.S.

FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Man Pleads Guilty in New York to Conspiring with Iranian Military Officials to Assassinate Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the United States

Manssor Arbabsiar, aka Mansour Arbabsiar, pleaded guilty today in federal court in the Southern District of New York to participating in a plot to murder the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the United States while the Ambassador was in the United States. Arbabsiar, a 58-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen holding both Iranian and U.S. passports, was arrested on Sept. 29, 2011, at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. He pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge John F. Keenan.

The guilty plea was announced by Attorney General Eric Holder; Michele M. Leonhart, Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration ( DEA); Lisa Monaco, Assistant Attorney General for National Security; Preet Bharara, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York; and Stephen L. Morris, FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge.

Arbabsiar pleaded guilty to a superseding information that charges him with three counts. Count one charges Arbabsiar with traveling in foreign commerce and using interstate and foreign commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire. Count two charges him with conspiring to do so. Count three charges Arbabsiar with conspiring to commit an offense against the United States, namely, an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries. He faces a maximum potential sentence of 25 years in prison (10 years on counts one and two, and five years on count three). Arbabsiar is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Keenan on Jan. 23, 2013, at 11:30 a.m.

In connection with his guilty plea, Arbabsiar admitted that, from the spring of 2011 to the fall of 2011, he conspired with officials in the Iranian military who were based in Iran, to cause the assassination of the Saudi Arabian Ambassador while the Ambassador was in the United States. Arbabsiar acknowledged that at the direction of these co-conspirators, he traveled to Mexico on several occasions during 2011 in order to arrange the assassination of the Ambassador. Arbabsiar admitted that, with his co-conspirators’ approval, he had arranged to hire a DEA confidential source (CS-1), who claimed to be a representative of a drug cartel, and CS-1’s criminal associates, to murder the Ambassador. Arbabsiar further admitted that he agreed to pay $1.5 million to CS-1 and had discussed with CS-1 a plan to murder the Ambassador at a restaurant in Washington, D.C. -- a plan that was approved by Arbabsiar’s co-conspirators. Arbabsiar then arranged for a $100,000 down payment, in two installments, to be wired to CS-1.

As noted in the complaint and indictment previously filed in Manhattan federal court, t he Qods Force is a branch of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The Qods Force conducts sensitive covert operations abroad, including terrorist attacks, assassinations and kidnappings, and is believed to have sponsored attacks against Coalition Forces in Iraq. In October 2007, the U.S. Treasury Department designated the Qods Force under Executive Order 13224 for providing material support to the Taliban and other terrorist organizations.

"A little more than a year after his arrest, Manssor Arbabsiar has admitted to his role in a deadly plot approved by members of the Iranian military to assassinate a sitting foreign Ambassador on U.S. soil," said Attorney General Holder. "Today’s plea and the disruption of this plot should serve as a reminder of the exceptional efforts of our law enforcement and intelligence agencies in protecting America against terrorist attacks and in holding accountable those who plan such actions."

"The dangerous connection between drug trafficking and terrorism cannot be overstated, and this case is yet another example of DEA’s unique role in identifying potentially deadly networks that wish to harm innocent Americans and our allies worldwide," said DEA Administrator Leonhart. "Using DEA’s elaborate and sophisticated investigative expertise to infiltrate violent drug and terror organizations globally, we successfully identified this threat and worked closely with the FBI to prevent a potentially deadly outcome." ‪

"Thanks to the collaborative efforts of many U.S. law enforcement and intelligence professionals, this international assassination plot hatched in Iran was thwarted before anyone was harmed and a key conspirator has pleaded guilty. This case underscores the evolving threat environment we face and the need for continued vigilance at home and abroad," said Assistant Attorney General Monaco.

U.S. Attorney Bharara stated: "As was originally charged, and as Arbabsiar has now admitted, he was the extended murderous hand of his co-conspirators, officials of the Iranian military based in Iran, who plotted to kill the Saudi Ambassador in the United States and were willing to kill as many bystanders as necessary to do so. Arbabsiar traveled to and from the United States, Mexico and Iran and was in telephone contact with his Iranian confederates while he brokered an audacious plot. The audacity of the plot should not cause doubt, but rather vigilance regarding others like Arbabsiar, who are enlisted as the violent emissaries of plotting foreign officials. This office will continue to pursue the co-conspirators in this plot and others in Iran or elsewhere who try to export murder. Thanks to the great work of the FBI, DEA and the prosecutors in this office, Mr. Arbabsiar must now answer for his conduct."

"Today’s guilty plea entered by Mr. Arababsiar is the culmination of exceptional intelligence and law enforcement efforts," said FBI Special Agent in Charge Morris. "I would like to thank the investigators, analysts and task force officers at the FBI and DEA in Houston, our Legal Attaché Office in Mexico City, and all partners in the Intelligence Community who worked tirelessly on this case. Of special note I’d like to recognize the exemplary leadership from Department of Justice’s National Security Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York."

According to the complaint and indictment filed in Manhattan federal court, as well as the information to which Arbabsiar pleaded:

Arbabsiar met with CS-1 in Mexico on multiple occasions between May 2011 and July 2011. During the course of these meetings, Arbabsiar inquired as to CS-1’s knowledge with respect to explosives and explained that he was interested in, among other things, attacking an embassy of Saudi Arabia and the murder of the Saudi Ambassador to the United States. In a July 14, 2011, meeting in Mexico, CS-1 told Arbabsiar that he would need to use at least four men to carry out the Ambassador’s murder and that his price for carrying out the murder was $1.5 million. Arbabsiar agreed and stated that the murder of the Ambassador should be handled first, before the execution of other attacks that Arbabsiar had discussed with CS-1. Arbabsiar also indicated that he and his associates had $100,000 in Iran to pay CS-1 as a first payment toward the assassination.

During the same meeting, Arbabsiar also described to CS-1 his cousin in Iran, who he said had requested that Arbabsiar find someone to carry out the Ambassador’s assassination. Arbabsiar indicated that his cousin was a "big general" in the Iranian military; that he focuses on matters outside of Iran and that he had taken certain unspecified actions related to a bombing in Iraq.

In a July 17, 2011, meeting in Mexico, CS-1 noted to Arbabsiar that one of his workers had already traveled to Washington, D.C., to surveil the Ambassador. CS-1 also raised the possibility of innocent bystander casualties. Arbabsiar made it clear that the assassination needed to go forward, despite mass casualties, telling CS-1, "They want that guy [the Ambassador] done [killed], if the hundred go with him f**k ‘em." CS-1 and Arbabsiar discussed bombing a restaurant in the United States that the Ambassador frequented. When CS-1 noted that others could be killed in the attack, including U.S. senators who dine at the restaurant, Arbabsiar dismissed these concerns as "no big deal."

On Aug. 1 and Aug. 9, 2011, Arbabsiar caused two overseas wire transfers totaling approximately $100,000 to be sent to an FBI undercover account as a down payment for CS-1 to carry out the assassination. Later, Arbabsiar explained to CS-1 that he would provide the remainder of the $1.5 million after the assassination. On Sept. 20, 2011, CS-1 told Arbabsiar that the operation was ready and requested that Arbabsiar either pay one half the agreed upon price ($1.5 million) for the murder or that Arbabsiar personally travel to Mexico as collateral for the final payment of the fee. Arbabsiar agreed to travel to Mexico to guarantee final payment for the murder.

On Sept. 28, 2011, Arbabsiar flew to Mexico. Arbabsiar was refused entry into Mexico and was placed on a return flight destined for his last point of departure. On Sept. 29, 2011, Arbabsiar was arrested by federal agents during a flight layover at JFK International Airport in New York. Several hours after his arrest, Arbabsiar was advised of his Miranda rights and he agreed to waive those rights and speak with law enforcement agents. During a series of Mirandized interviews, Arbabsiar confessed to his participation in the murder plot.

Arbabsiar also admitted to agents that, in connection with this plot, he was recruited, funded, and directed by men he understood to be senior officials in Iran’s Qods Force. He said these Iranian officials were aware of and approved of the use of CS-1 in connection with the plot; as well as payments to CS-1; the means by which the Ambassador would be killed in the United States and the casualties that would likely result.

Arbabsiar also told agents that his cousin, who he had long understood to be a senior member of the Qods Force, had approached him in the early spring of 2011 about recruiting narco-traffickers to kidnap the Ambassador. Arbabsiar told agents that he then met with CS-1 in Mexico and discussed assassinating the Ambassador. Arbabsiar said that, afterwards, he met several times in Iran with Gholam Shakuri, aka "Ali Gholam Shakuri," a co-conspirator and Iran-based member of the Qods Force, and another senior Qods Force official, where Arbabsiar explained that the plan was to blow up a restaurant in the United States frequented by the Ambassador and that numerous bystanders would be killed. The plan was approved by these officials.

In October 2011, after his arrest, Arbabsiar made phone calls at the direction of law enforcement to Shakuri in Iran that were monitored. During these phone calls, Shakuri confirmed that Arbabsiar should move forward with the plot to murder the Ambassador and that he should accomplish the task as quickly as possible, stating on Oct. 5, 2011, "[j]ust do it quickly, it’s late…" Shakuri also told Arbabsiar that he would consult with his superiors about whether they would be willing to pay CS-1 additional money. Shakuri, who was also charged in the plot, remains at large. The charges against Shakuri are merely accusations, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT REP. DAVIES ANSWERS QUESTIONS ON NORTH KOREA

Map: North Korea. Credit: CIA World Factbook

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT

Remarks at Narita AirportRemarks

Glyn Davies
Special Representative for North Korea Policy
Tokyo, Japan
October 16, 2012

AMBASSADOR DAVIES: It's wonderful to be back in Tokyo. I'm here for meetings with Japanese counterparts and then also a trilateral meeting tomorrow morning with Korean counterparts and Japanese counterparts. My host for this visit is Director General Sugiyama, and I want to thank him very much in advance for his hospitality.

I look forward to having good conversations with Japanese Government officials, and this is the first stop on a week-long trip to North Asia. I go on from here to Korea and then from there to China, for talks with those governments. And with that, I'm happy to try to answer your questions.

QUESTION: What are your expectations for the trilateral talks tomorrow?

AMBASSADOR DAVIES: This trilateral meeting, this is not the first time we've done this. We do this every few months, this is very much a follow-up to the trilateral ministerial meeting that occurred in New York between the Foreign Ministers of Japan, Korea, and the United States just a few weeks ago at the United Nations General Assembly.

They discussed North Korea, among other issues, and we will follow up on those conversations. So the purpose of it is really to deepen our understanding of the issues, exchange views, and coordinate. This is particularly important given the fact that we are all coming up on political transitions, so we're very much looking forward to having these conversations.

QUESTION: I understand that you're not directly in charge of the territorial disputes, but with the current situation, do you have any concerns about the territorial disputes, that they might have a negative impact in terms of the unity of the trilateral meeting?

AMBASSADOR DAVIES: Well, I've found that on the North Korea issue, actually our coordination has been quite strong, and quite good, bilaterally obviously but then trilaterally with Korea as well. So I don't expect there to be any impact on our discussions. You know our basic position in the United States, which is that we hope very much and look to Japan, and China, and Korea to work these issues out between them. Thank you.

QUESTION: Just one more question. What is your current assessment of the North Korean situation in terms of nuclear development, missile development?

AMBASSADOR DAVIES: Well, we're in a somewhat troubling moment, because the North Koreans have been saying things that make it appear as if they are considering moving away from their long-standing obligation to denuclearize, which is spelled out best in the September 2005 Joint Statement.

This would be, we think, a big mistake for North Korea to make. Denuclearization is essential, from the standpoint of maintaining the Six Party Talks, it is the core reason why have Six Party Talks, is to work to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula.

And I think the other important thing is that North Korea will never have strong and full diplomatic, political, and economic relations with the outside world as long as it remains a nuclear outlaw. So it's very important that they take seriously their commitment to denuclearize and they follow up on it. That's one of the things we'll be talking about here today. Anyways, the flight was a little bit late, I've got to get to the hotel and then go to my meetings. So thank you very much.

THE INFUSION THERAPY SCHEME

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Clinic Owners Plead Guilty in Detroit-Area Infusion Therapy Scheme

WASHINGTON – Two owners and operators of clinics that claimed to specialize in treating HIV and other conditions pleaded guilty today for their roles in an infusion therapy scheme carried out at two Detroit-area clinics that submitted millions of dollars in fraudulent claims to Medicare.

The guilty pleas were announced by Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Barbara L. McQuade of the Eastern District of Michigan; Special Agent in Charge Robert Foley III of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Lamont Pugh III of the HHS Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Chicago Regional Office.

Raymond Arias, 40, and his wife, Emelitza Arias, 25, of Troy, Mich., each pleaded guilty, before U.S. District Judge Paul D. Borman of the Eastern District of Michigan, to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. At sentencing, the defendants each face a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is currently scheduled for Feb. 12, 2013.

According to plea documents, Raymond Arias conceived of and oversaw fraud schemes at two clinics for which he was a beneficial owner: Elite Wellness LLC, and Carefirst Occupational & Rehabilitation Center Inc. He admitted to paying physicians to refer Medicare beneficiaries to Elite Wellness, and to purchasing Medicare beneficiary identifications for the purpose of submitting fraudulent claims to Medicare for expensive infusion therapy services that were not rendered as claimed by Carefirst.

According to court documents, Raymond Arias attempted to hide the Elite Wellness scheme from law enforcement by directing a nominee owner to assume control of the claims submitted and the bank account into which Medicare payments were deposited. After the nominee owner became involved, Raymond Arias and his alleged co-conspirators submitted approximately $10 million in claims over a 3-month period beginning in August 2010.

According to court documents, Raymond Arias directed this nominee to transfer approximately $2.6 million in Medicare payments offshore to Panama and Mexico.

Between approximately October 2009 and October 2010, Raymond Arias admitted, he and his alleged co-conspirators at Elite Wellness submitted or caused to be submitted approximately $12.5 million in fraudulent claims to the Medicare program for infusion therapy services that were not rendered. Medicare paid approximately $5.4 million of those claims.

According to plea documents, Emelitza Arias participated with her husband in a scheme to defraud Medicare by submitting claims for expensive infusion therapy services that were not rendered by Carefirst, of which she was also an owner. In an attempt to create an appearance that Carefirst was a legitimate enterprise, Emelitza Arias injected Medicare beneficiaries with vitamins. Emelitza Arias also assumed responsibility for the claims submitted by Carefirst, and managed the bank account into which the fraud proceeds were deposited.

Between approximately July 2010 and June 2011, Raymond and Emelitza Arias and their alleged co-conspirators at Carefirst submitted or caused to be submitted more than $900,000 in fraudulent claims to the Medicare program for infusion therapy services that were not rendered. Medicare paid approximately $530,000 of those claims.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Ross of the Eastern District of Michigan and Trial Attorney Catherine K. Dick of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section. The case was investigated by the FBI and HHS-OIG and brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, supervised by the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan.

Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged more than 1,480 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $4.8 billion. In addition, HHS’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, is taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.

MENINGITIS AND SEPTIC ARTHRITIS

FROM: U.S. CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL,

Case Definitions for Meningitis and Septic Arthritis

Probable Case
A person who received a methylprednisolone acetate (MPA) injection, with MPA that was definitely or likely produced by the New England Compounding Center (NECC), and subsequently developed any of the following
<sup>Meningitis1 of unknown etiology following epidural or para-spinal injection 2 after May 21, 2012;
Posterior circulation stroke without a cardioembolic source and without documentation of a normal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) profile, following epidural or para-spinal injection2 after May 21, 2012;3
Osteomyelitis or abscess of unknown etiology in the spinal or para-spinal structures at the site of injection following epidural or para-spinal injection2 after May 21, 2012; or
Osteomyelitis or worsening inflammatory arthritis of a peripheral joint (e.g., knee, shoulder, or ankle) of unknown etiology diagnosed following joint injection after May 21, 2012.
1 Clinically diagnosed meningitis with one or more of the following symptoms: headache, fever, stiff neck, or photophobia, in addition to a CSF profile showing pleocytosis (>5 white blood cells, adjusting for presence of red blood cells by subtracting 1 white blood cell for every 500 red blood cells present) regardless of glucose or protein levels.

2 Para-spinal injections include, but are not limited to, spinal facet joint injection, sacroiliac joint injection, spinal or para-spinal nerve root/ganglion block, or blood patch.

3 Patients in this category who do not have any documented CSF results should have a lumbar puncture performed if possible.

Confirmed Case
A probable case with evidence (by culture, histopathology, or molecular assay) of a fungal pathogen associated with the clinical syndrome.

Post-ProceduralIinfection in Patients Exposed to Non-MPA NECC Products
A patient who developed an infection in a normally sterile site4 following use of one or more products labeled as sterile and prepared by NECC, excluding MPA.

4 Normally sterile sites include blood, CSF, pleural fluid, peritoneal fluid, pericardial fluid, surgical aspirate, bone, joint fluid, or internal body site (e.g., lymph node or brain).


　


　

　</sup>

NEW YORK AIR NATIONAL GUARD VISIT THE BOTTOM OF THE WORLD

FROM: U.S. AIR FORCE
New York Air National Guard supports Antarctic research
Master Sgt. Carmello Modesto loads equipment sleds destined for the U.S. Antarctic Program's South Pole research station into the back of an LC-130 Hercules at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, Nov. 30, 2004. (U.S. Air Force photo/Benjamin Carr)

10/16/2012 - STRATTON AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, SCOTIA , N.Y. (AFNS) -- The New York Air National Guard's 109th Airlift Wing kicks off its annual support for the National Science Foundation in Antarctica as ski-equipped LC-130 Hercules aircraft head for Antarctica on Oct. 16 and 17.

These aircraft will support the National Science Foundation's research in the Antarctic, running supplies and people to field camps across the continent and the South Pole station.

Two aircraft will depart on the five-day, 11,000-mile trip to Antarctica on each day. A total of six ski-equipped LC-130 aircraft will be on the ice from October to February. About 120 members of the New York Air National Guard will be deployed to Antarctica throughout the support season. The Airmen deploy for 30 to 60 days each, working two 12-hour shifts to cover 24-hour operations, six days each week. They work a half-day on Sunday.

The ski-equipped LC-130s operated by the 109th AW are the only aircraft in the U.S. military capable of landing on snow and ice, according to officials. This is the 24th year that the 109th will support operations in Antarctica.

Based at the United States Antarctic Program base at McMurdo Station, the 109th AW is slated fly more than 350 missions across the continent, with more than half of those moving passengers, cargo and fuel to the South Pole, officials said. The majority of supplies that reach the United States Amundsen-Scott Base at the South Pole are ferried there by the 109th AW.

Despite the cold, the maintenance crews normally attain a high reliability rate for each aircraft, allowing the flight crews to carry as much cargo as possible to remote Antarctic outposts. The wing accumulates roughly 3,000 hours of flying time in the 16-week season. This is almost as much as most Air National Guard C-130 units fly in a year, officials said.

All maintenance performed on the aircraft is done outside on the snow and ice without the use of hangars. This requires maintainers to undergo specialized training for both maintenance procedures and personal extreme weather survival training.

U.S. military support for Operation Deep Freeze is a Pacific Command responsibility organized as Joint Task Force -Support Forces Antarctica. The Joint Task Force includes cargo and fuel tanker ships provided by Military Sealift Command; active- duty and Reserve C-17 Globemaster III support from the 62nd and 446th Airlift Wings at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.; the ski-equipped LC-130 Hercules flown by the 109th Airlift Wing of the New York Air National Guard; and Coast Guard icebreakers and the Navy Cargo Handling Battalion One to provide critical port services at McMurdo Station.

The airlift part of Operation Deep Freeze operates from two primary locations, with C-17s situated at Christchurch, New Zealand, and LC-130 Hercules forward based at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, beginning in late October.


　

ALLEGED 9/11 MASTERMIND CONDEMNED THE MILITARY COMMISSION PROCESS

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

9/11 Defendant Condemns Military Tribunal Process
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

FORT MEADE, Md., Oct. 17, 2012 - The self-described mastermind in the 9/11 terrorist attacks condemned the military commissions process for the second time since the pre-trial hearings for him and four other codefendants began this week.

Army Col. James Pohl, the judge overseeing the case of Khalid Sheik Mohammed and four others charged with planning and conducting the 9/11 attacks, gave Mohammed the
opportunity to address the court at Naval Air Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The defendant, wearing a camouflage vest Pohl granted him permission to wear and arriving late for court today after initially electing to skip it, unexpectedly raised his hand during the afternoon session indicating that he wanted to speak.

Pohl called a recess so his defense team could ascertain their client's intention before giving Mohammed the floor.

Speaking through an interpreter, Mohammed accused the U.S. government of using national security concerns as a guise to circumvent a legitimate legal process. He said the prosecution is being subjective about what activities it conducts and information it protects in the interest of national security.

"The president can take someone and throw them in the sea in the name of national security," he said, a reference to al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden's burial at sea. Mohammed went on to charge that the U.S. government is so focused on the 3,000 people killed on 9/11 that it has justified killing "millions" in the name of national security.

"Your blood is not made out of gold and ours out of water," he charged.

Pohl, clearly not anticipating the tirade, made clear that it won't tolerate others. "This is a one-time occurrence," he told David Nevin, Mohammed's learned counsel, after Mohammed finished speaking.

Pohl emphasized that he would never allow the court proceedings to be disrupted again to allow any of the defendants to express their personal thoughts about how the proceedings are going.
He also underscored that his failure to interrupt Mohammed should not be construed as an endorsement of anything he said.

Mohammed's commentary was the second time this week that he condemned the military commission process. During the first day of pre-trial hearings, he told Pohl, "I don't think there's any justice in this court."

Mohammed's comments came at the end of a day in which only one of the five 9/11 defendants, Ali Abdul Aziz Ali, initially elected to attend court. Mohammed skipped yesterday's session and initially opted do the same today. However, he informed the guards that he had changed his mind and appeared in court an hour-and-a-half into today's session.

Three other defendants, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak bin Attash, Ramzi Binalshibh and Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi, waived their right to attend today's hearing.

All five of the defendants were captured in Pakistan between 2002 and 2003 and have been confined at Guantanamo Bay since 2006.

They were charged during their arraignment in May with terrorism, conspiracy, attacking civilians, attacking civilian objects, intentionally causing serious bodily injury, murder in violation of the law of war, destruction of property in violation of the law of war, hijacking or hazarding a vessel or aircraft.

The third day of their pretrial hearings continued to focus today on the balance between protecting classified information that, if made public, could jeopardize U.S. national security, and the constitutional mandate to make court proceedings public.

Hina Shamsi, representing the American Civil Liberties Union, argued this morning that the proceedings should be open, objecting to measures she called "categorical suppression of information that has largely been made public."

Shami called the closed sessions, and a 40-second delay in the audio feed, an attempt to censor the defendants' testimony about their torture and detention while in U.S. custody, particularly by the CIA.

Later in the day, the court security officer demonstrated how this works, cutting the microphone to Navy Lt. Cdr. Kevin Bogucki, Binalshibh's military counsel, when Bogucki referred to enhanced interrogation methods. As it became clear that Bogucki was speaking in hypothetical terms, the CSO restored the audio and Pohl asked Bogucki to repeat what he had said for the court record.

James Connell, Ali's learned counsel, told Pohl he believes the defense teams has the right and obligation to challenge the classification of information relevant to their cases. He said previous questions to the convening authority about why some information is classified have been met with "silence."

Department of Justice attorney Joanna Baltes argued that protective measures are required so the government can prosecute the case without disclosing classified information that threatens U.S. national security. She said these measures, including the audio delay and soundproof gallery for court observers, are the only reason the sessions can be as open as they are.

Baltes also defended a protective order the prosecution has requested to ensure that the U.S. government is able to prosecute the case without compromising national security interests.

Pohl is expected to rule on a protective order tomorrow.

NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN FOR OCTOBER 18, 2012

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
  U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Benjamin Cool (left) ties a detonation cord as Lance Cpl. Josh Czerepka places several blocks of explosives into an insurgent firing position at a location in Afghanistan on March 5, 2012. Cool and Czerepka are combat engineers assigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment. DoD photo by Sgt. James Mercure, U.S. Marine Corps. (Released)


Afghan, Coalition Force Arrests Taliban Leader
From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release

KABUL, Afghanistan, Oct. 18, 2012 - An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader today in Afghanistan's Kandahar province, military officials reported.

The arrested insurgent leader facilitated the use of homemade explosives and bomb-making materials across Afghan borders into Helmand province.

The security force also detained two suspected insurgents and found explosive residue.

In other International Security Assistance Force news throughout Afghanistan:

Afghan and coalition forces today confirmed the death of Taliban leader Faizani during a security operation in Helmand province, Sept. 28. Faizani, also known as Kirahmat or Abdul Wasay, coordinated the movement of Taliban fighters and weapons within northern Helmand province.

Also today, an Afghan and coalition force in Logar province detained several insurgents during a search for an improvised explosive device expert.

In other news from Afghanistan, more than 20 residents of a village in Kandahar province's Maruf district volunteered Oct. 16 to become members of the Afghan Local Police. The Mirokheyl village elders, the Maruf chief of police and the district governor vetted the candidates to help in mitigating insider threats and Taliban infiltration, officials said.

MARINES: AN ADMINISTRATOR'S PRESPECTIVE

Administration personnel chief Marine Sgt. Sean A. Walker serves the more than 40 Marines attached to the naval command. Photo by Marine Cpl. Tyler J. Bolken

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Face of Defense: Admin Marine Knows Job's Impact on People
By Marine Corps Cpl. Tyler J. Bolken
Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point

WASHINGTON, Oct. 16, 2012 - The cornerstone of administration is behind a desk, making keystrokes and mouse clicks that affect Marines' pay, living arrangements and food -- in other words, their livelihood.

Marine Corps Sgt. Sean A. Walker, a native of Port Lavaca, Texas, an administration personnel chief at Fleet Readiness Center East here, serves the more than 40 Marines attached to the naval command. Because the center is a standalone unit, Walker said, he is required to have a much broader spectrum of knowledge of the administrative field than he'd normally need.

"It was challenging initially," he acknowledged. But by being the catch-all for Marines' administrative needs, he said, he is able to build much more of a one-on-one customer service relationship.

"I see most of these guys every day, they're not just a number," he said. "I'm able to tailor the support I need to provide for the individual."

Building those relationships with the Marines is what he enjoys the most about his job, Walker said, but the traveling opportunities aren't bad, either.

"We are literally worldwide assignable," he said. "I've been to Bangkok, Thailand, the Great Wall of China, Singapore and Germany."

But while he's here, Walker said, he will continue to make sure that pay, housing and food don't worry the Marines at Fleet Readiness Center East.

COOKING: THE NEEDS OF THE MANY

FROM: U.S DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Latrice Walker chops vegetables in the ship's galley aboard amphibious dock landing ship USS Tortuga, Sept. 16, 2012. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Karen Blankenship

Face of Defense: Las Vegas Native Cooks for Sailors, Marines

By Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Karen Blankenship
Amphibious Squadron 11

PHILIPPINE SEA, Oct. 15, 2012 - Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Latrice Walker, a Las Vegas native, is serving aboard amphibious dock landing ship USS Tortuga while on deployment in the Western Pacific.

As a culinary specialist, Walker is responsible for providing the ship's crew and embarked Marines with three meals a day.

Walker said her rise through the ranks from seaman recruit to a third class petty officer has involved a lot of hard work.

"You have to do the grunt work," she said. "I've worked in the chief's mess and the wardroom. I've also worked as a damage control petty officer. I've pretty much done everything."

Walker said that the fact that she stays busy throughout the day is her favorite part of her job.

"We work throughout breakfast, lunch and dinner," she said. "You're never confused about what you're going to do. Your day is pretty much taken up until it's time for you to get off."

The 21-year-old sailor said she joined the Navy to take advantage of the educational benefits. She is attending Central Texas College and hopes to become an optometrist and open her own practice. Meanwhile, she's enjoying the travel that's part of Navy life.

"I like the fact that we visit all these countries," she said. "We go from Guam to Thailand. I've also been to Palau and Saipan. I like traveling, meeting new people, seeing new things and experiencing the different cultures."

Tortuga is part of the forward-deployed Bonhomme Richard Amphibious Ready Group operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations

HOUSTON AMBULANCE COMPANY PLEADS GUILTY TO EMERGENCY MEDICARE FRAUD

FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT

Monday, October 15, 2012
Houston Ambulance Company Administrator Pleads Guilty to Fraud

WASHINGTON – The administrator of CardioMax EMS, a Houston-based ambulance company, pleaded guilty today to charges that he submitted approximately $1,734,550 in fraudulent claims to Medicare, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson of the Southern District of Texas; Special Agent-In-Charge Elvis McBride of the FBI’s Houston Field Office; Special Agent-in-Charge Mike Fields of the Dallas Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service’s Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG); and the Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU).

Okechukwu Ofoegbu, 31, of Houston, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Texas to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.

Ofoegbu was the administrator of Cardiomax EMS, a Houston-based ambulance company that primarily transported patients to community mental health centers. According to Ofoegbu’s plea agreement, from January 2011 through December 2011, Ofoegbu and others at Cardiomax were involved in transporting patients that did not meet the requirements for ambulance transport under Medicare regulations, falsifying ambulance run sheets that described patients’ conditions and using the falsified run sheets to file claims with Medicare. Ofoegbu admitted in his plea agreement that he conspired to submit claims to Medicare for ambulance services that he knew were miscoded, not medically necessary and, in some cases, not provided.

As part of the plea agreement, Ofoegbu has agreed to pay $553,002 in restitution to the United States. At sentencing, scheduled for Jan. 24, 2013, Ofoegbu faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

Ofoegbu was originally indicted as part of a nationwide takedown on May 2, 2012, that resulted in charges against 107 individuals, including doctors, nurses and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in Medicare fraud schemes involving approximately $452 million in false billing.

The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Laura M.K. Cordova, Special Trial Attorney James S. Seaman, Special Trial Attorney Ronald Cummings and Deputy Chief Sam S. Sheldon of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section. The case was investigated by HHS-OIG, FBI and the Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, as part the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, supervised by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas and the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.

Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged more than 1,480 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $4.8 billion. In addition, HHS’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, is taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.

U.S. GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION AIMS TO SAVE MONEY THROUGH INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES

LEFT:  As Acting Administrator of the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), Daniel M. Tangherlini serves a vital role in President Obama’s agenda to build a more sustainable, responsible and effective government for the American people. GSA is responsible for improving the government’s workplace by managing assets, delivering maximum value in acquisitions, preserving historic property, and implementing technology solutions.

　
FROM: GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
GSA Tests Innovative Building Technologies, Aims for Savings

Emerging technologies increase efficiency and reduce costs in federal buildings

September 26, 2012
WASHINGTON — The U.S. General Services Administration released two new reports today as part of the Green Proving Ground program, unveiling technologies that reduce energy use in federal buildings and have significant savings potential if widely implemented. GSA works with the Department of Energy’s National Laboratories to test the viability of energy efficient technologies that can be installed in buildings across the country. GSA is also announcing today that it will test and evaluate 12 additional sustainable building technologies in GSA’s federal buildings.

The technologies for the Green Proving Ground program are selected for their potential to help reduce operating costs and to meet the sustainability goals in President Obama’s Executive Order on environmental, energy and economic performance.

"This innovative program is another example of GSA leading the way for the federal government," said Dorothy Robyn, Commissioner of GSA’s Public Buildings Service. "By testing the effectiveness of these technologies, GSA is finding new ways that federal buildings across the nation can save both energy and taxpayer dollars."

The two studies released today include an evaluation of responsive lighting systems and plug load control.

The Responsive Lighting study evaluated the performance of new workstation-specific lighting systems. The study was conducted in five federal buildings in California and Nevada that represented a diverse set of agencies, occupancy patterns, work styles, and lighting. Results showed energy savings that ranged from approximately 27 to 63 percent over baseline conditions depending on the work space’s normal use. Lighting accounts for 39 percent of electricity costs in office buildings.

The Plug Load Control study evaluated advanced power strips (APS) in eight GSA buildings in the MidAtlantic region. These power strips save energy by controlling plug-in devices according to a schedule or based on a given device crossing a power threshold. Results showed the APS’ schedule based capability to be highly effective, reducing plug loads at workstations by 26 percent, and nearly 50 percent in kitchens and printer rooms. This technology could significantly reduce costs, as plug-loads account for roughly 25 percent of total electricity consumed within office buildings.

GSA is also announcing today that it will test and evaluate 12 additional emerging sustainable building technologies in select federal facilities. Results from these evaluations will continue to increase performance of GSA’s buildings by reducing operational costs, increasing environmental efficiency, and assisting industry in deploying new technologies and practices into the broader market. This year’s technologies include wireless lighting controls, LED luminaires, glazing retrofit coatings, wireless pneumatic thermostats, solar thermal collectors and water saving landscape irrigation systems.

GSA owns and leases 9,600 buildings across the country and has the real estate portfolio needed to broadly test and install these technologies.

RECENT U.S. NAVY PHOTOS

FROM: U.S. NAVY
121013-N-WW409-192 ANDAMAN SEA (Oct. 13, 2012) The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) is underway beside the guided-missile frigate USS Vandegrift (FFG 48), and the Royal Malaysian Navy ships RMN Jebat (FF 29) and RMN Lekiu (FF 30) in the Andaman Sea. George Washington and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5 provide a combat-ready force that protects and defends the collective maritime interest of the U.S. and its allies and partners in the Asia-Pacific region. The U.S. Navy is constantly deployed to preserve peace, protect commerce, and deter aggression through forward presence. Join the conversation on social media using #warfighting. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Jennifer A. Villalovos/Released)

121014-M-IT765-005 MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. (Oct. 14, 2012) F/A-18C Hornets assigned to the U.S. Navy flight demonstration squadron, the Blue Angels, fly in formation at the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar 2012 Air Show. The U.S. Navy has a 237-year heritage of defending freedom and projecting and protecting U.S. interests around the globe. Join the conversation on social media using #warfighting. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Matthew R. Howe/Released)

DIALOGUE ON THE INDIA-U.S. STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP

Varanasi, located on the west bank of the River Ganges in the state of Uttar Pradesh, is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and is often referred to as the religious capital of India. Pilgrims journey to Varanasi to cleanse their spirits in the river. Photo Credit: U.S. CIA World Factbook.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Remarks at the Brookings-FICCI Dialogue on the India-U.S. Strategic Partnership

Remarks
Geoffrey Pyatt
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs

New Delhi, India
October 10, 2012
I’d like to say first of all, what an enormous pleasure and honor it is for me to be here speaking, and especially before such a distinguished audience of very senior Indian retired and current officials.

I want to offer two particular acknowledgements. First of all, to our host R. V. Kanoria, and to note in particular the indispensable role that he has played over the past decade in building the architecture for the new U.S.-India relationship. Initiatives like the Indo-U.S. Parliamentary Forum which began here in this building and played an absolutely critical role in establishing the channels of communication that are so important to the strategic partnership that we’re seeking to build.

The second acknowledgement is to someone who’s not here but whose passing I wanted to note and that’s Brajesh Mishra, somebody to whom I think all of us who have worked on the U.S.-India relationship over the past decade have to look and in many ways everything that we’re doing today together stands on his shoulders and the strategic vision that he first enunciated.

The one big idea I’d like to highlight for everybody this morning is simply to underline the degree to which for the United States our engagement with India, going back to the period that Strobe Talbott documents in his "Engaging India" manuscript, is the result of a deliberate, considerate strategy founded on the judgment that the rise of India, the emergence of India as a more consequential and powerful actor in the international system is good for U.S. interests and good for the international system, good for the global economy. That’s a line of approach which began in President Clinton’s administration, was sustained by President Bush, and very much informs the approach that President Obama has brought to the task before us.

In the Obama administration there has been a considered presidential review of our approach to India policy and it is a review that has reaffirmed the conclusion that this is a strategic relationship of abiding importance to the United States in which our governments have prepared to make a broad and enduring investment.

One of the advantages of the U.S.-India relationship in the transformative phase that Ambassador Mishra was involved with was the fact that it focused on a single big issue -- the U.S.-India nuclear deal -- which captured everybody’s attention and made clear that we were changing the rules of engagement. I think one of the tasks which those of us who are now engaged in the relationship have to work on is the fact that rather than one big thing, we have a multiplicity of activities in which we are working together, trying to forge an international partnership.

I would just highlight six specific areas that reflect the strategic bet that the United States has made on the future of our partnership with India [in the expectation my co-panelists will cover those I’ve overlooked].

1) ECONOMIC RELATIONSHIP: First and foremost, I would highlight the economic relationship which will be of enduring importance. And it’s worth remembering that about a decade after Ambassador Blackwell’s famous "flat as a Chapati" speech, we have managed to grow the U.S.-India trade account by a factor of four. Investment has grown by a factor of ten. Government can take relatively little credit for that accomplishment. Most of the growth has resulted from decisions made by investors and business people here in India and in the United States. But certainly it has been our task to remove the obstacles. We have been engaged on the task of dealing with high technology trade, working through the High Technology Group and other mechanisms to remove regulatory and other barriers to the high end partnership that characterizes and distinguishes this economic relationship.

The U.S.-India economic relationship is really set apart from others that we enjoy by the fact that this is an engagement that takes place at the high end of both of our economies in areas like services, advanced technologies, bio technology. These are the technologies and the knowledge-based industries of the future.

Yes, there are issues that remain to be resolved across this economic spectrum, but I would argue that in the context of the expanded volume of trade, and expanded volume of interaction, it is quite natural that there are issues that have to be addressed as we grow this bilateral economic engagement. But I think what stands apart for me is the level of comfort certainly on the Washington side, with India as an economic partner. This is not a relationship revival; this is a relationship of complementary and comparative advantage.

2) STRATEGIC DIALOGUE: The second major basket I would flag is the spectrum of strategic consultation that has emerged between our two governments on a broad array of diplomatic tasks that confront us. The vehicle for this in the Obama administration has been the Strategic Dialogue, which Secretary Clinton has chaired, but it really has become part of the day-to-day practice of American diplomacy in particular in the region that I’m responsible for: South and Central Asia. It reflects the convergence of our interests. It also reflects the commitment to candor and engagement on both sides of the discussion.

The foremost example I would cite is Afghanistan. I would simply highlight the trilateral meeting in New York about ten days ago as the encapsulation of the commitment on the part of the United States to working intensively with India as we manage the transitions that are underway in Afghanistan, and also as we look to our enduring engagement there, an engagement in which we expect India to be a foremost partner of the United States.

But I would go further than that. First of all, in Afghanistan, I would note the appreciation both in Washington and elsewhere for the role that India has played. It was quite striking to me in July at the Tokyo Conference to look around the room at all the foreign ministers assembled there and to realize that the largest delegation in the room after the United States was India. I think it’s a reflection of the commitment that this government has made to the success of the democratic transition in Afghanistan and the fact that the Indian presence there was not just the foreign minister, not just your distinguished Ambassador in Kabul, Gautam Mukhopadhyay, but was also representative of the Indian private sector which is going to be so important to Afghanistan’s long term future and prosperity.

I would flag another few examples, particularly in this region where Indian advice and Indian approaches have significantly informed American policy and have helped to shape our approach. For instance, to the transition in the Maldives, to the crisis that occurred there in February and the question of how to preserve Maldivian democracy; to the political transitions in Nepal, in Sri Lanka. Looking further abroad to Central Asia where India has been an enthusiastic supporter of the New Silk Road Vision for regional integration that Secretary Clinton has enunciated. But India is also, and I say this from my own consultations with Central Asian governments, India is a preferred partner for the Central Asians as they look at how to manage their uniquely complicated geopolitical situation and look at how to access international markets for the Central Asians and through projects like the Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India Pipeline (TAPI), India is a highly attractive marketplace, but it’s also a model of what can be achieved in terms of engagement with the global economy and development thereunder.

Multilaterally, as I learned through three years of working very closely with my Indian counterparts in Vienna, in the IAEA, in the other UN institutions, we’ve developed a habit of routine consultation and collaboration. It’s been very visible, again, in Vienna on the Iran File where India’s voice has been absolutely critical to maintaining pressure on Iran to come into compliance with its Security Council and IAEA obligations. But critically, India, because it’s part of groups with which the United States is not a part, for instance the non-aligned movement, India has an ability to shape the larger narrative in a way that helps to drive towards the multilateral goals that we both hold.

The nomenclature on the Middle East or West Asia illustrates that there are still differences that need to be bridged, but certainly my experience has been that by and large, more often than not, American and Indian perspectives will converge, and we’ve developed the habit of working with each other in order to achieve common objectives.

Four other quick areas that I would highlight:

3) PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE TIES: An absolutely critical one from the American perspective is our people-to-people ties. Don Lu, our Charge, is here and I know how hard the embassy is working to manage the expansion of our people-to-people relations both in terms of educational partnerships in terms of visa services, in terms of travel back and forth. But I would also flag from the U.S. side the critical role that the Indian Diaspora is playing in shaping the narrative around India in the United States. That’s a story that’s just begun, but it’s worth paying attention to as you see more and more Indian Americans succeeding in our political system, the rise of governors like Nikki Hailey, Bobby Jindal in Louisiana. We have multiple Indian-Americans running for our Congress this year. These are part of the sinews of people-to-people ties that really distinguish the bilateral relationship and will certainly provide stability and ballast over the long term.

4) DEFENSE: Defense has been referred to previously. I would just highlight that the critical importance of our defense partnership looking forward, not just in terms of the sort of strategic consultation that I described earlier, but also in terms of defense sales, interoperability. I would highlight the initiative that Deputy Secretary of Defense, Ash Carter, launched during the course of his visit to India earlier this year. It’s the only place in the world where the United States is undertaking the kind of initiative that Dr. Carter is leading in our system to identify the avenues of expanding our defense cooperative relationship, our defense sales relationship, looking at issues like co-production, co-development, placing India on par with our closest allies and partners in terms of the technologies and the systems which we share with India. And then looking at how to leverage the commercial relationships, the business relationships that are emerging as India’s own private sector moves into areas like aerospace and defense technology, offering an attractive partnership to the top U.S. companies that are already deeply committed here. I think as a defense partner one of the things that sets the United States apart is the presence in India that companies like Boeing and Lockheed Martin and Honeywell and Raytheon have all established. They’re all in Hyderabad and Bangalore and across the country, and they’ve put down roots here. They see India as a long-term place to do business, not just as a partner, but as a source of technology, a source of expertise, and as part of their global supply chains.

The last two issues:

5) ENERGY: First of all energy. I was deeply, deeply impressed by the energy dialogue that took place in Washington last week, the role that Energy Secretary Dr. Steven Chu has played in mobilizing our laboratories, our experts to work with Indian counterparts to develop the emerging technologies will be critical in areas as diverse as solar, gas, clean coal, also the strategic energy dialogue that bleeds into the issues that we discussed earlier.

6) COUNTER-TERRORISM: Finally, counter-terrorism cooperation. The Obama administration of course took office just a few weeks after the tragedy in Mumbai and the administration has made a strong commitment to an intensive, largely unspoken dialogue aimed at both ensuring that justice for those who were involved in the Mumbai attacks, but also working as hard as we possibly can almost every single day to prevent a recurrence of that kind of catastrophic terrorist attack.

CONCLUSION
I would conclude with two thoughts. One, I think from where I sit the greatest risk to the U.S.-India strategic relationship looking forward is complacency. I think on both sides we have complicated democratic systems and certainly those of us who have been in the trenches of building this bilateral relationship have relied on the vision and political commitment of our leaderships on both sides. I think that’s something which will continue to be necessary.

Then I would flag, the importance of India’s continued process of economic reform and economic modernization. We understand that the issues that are now in play in the Delhi papers-- the questions of retail market opening and the other reforms --these are issues that have to be worked through India’s own democratic process. We are no more than interested observers, but we have an enormous interest in the success of this experiment. And as we look to the future, an India, which, by 2025, will be the third largest economy in the world, we expect to be a preferred partner. We expect that our companies and our economic fates will continue to become deeply intertwined with each other. So from that perspective it’s entirely appropriate that we’re having this broad strategic conversation here at FICCI House with business people on both sides that I think are going to play an important role in shaping the kind of relationship that we have looking to the future.

Thank you.

U.S.-ISRAEL JOIN TOGETHER FOR EXERCISE AUSTERE CHALLENGE 2012

Jerusalem at night viewed from the Mount of Olives. From: CIA World Factbook.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
U.S. Partners With Israel for Exercise Austere Challenge

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Oct. 17, 2012 - More than 3,500 American service members will join with Israeli allies for Exercise Austere Challenge 2012 in Israel next week, U.S. and Israeli officials said today.

The exercise will be conducted throughout Israel and off-shore, U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Craig A. Franklin and Israel Defense Forces Brig. Gen. Nitzan Nuriel said during a teleconference with reporters. Franklin commands the 3rd Air Force and is the senior U.S. commander for the exercise. Nuriel is the Israeli lead planner.

More than 1,000 U.S. military personnel are arriving in Israel for the exercise, Franklin said. "They will be in a variety of locations across the country for the next several weeks," he said. The exercise will build on the long-standing relationship between the two countries, test the cooperative missile defense of Israel, and promote regional stability.

U.S. service members will man Patriot anti-missile systems, an Aegis ballistic missile defense ship and various other air defense systems. The Israelis will put more than 1,000 service members into the field and will test the Iron Dome and Arrow 2 systems. The Israelis will also tie the developing David's Sling system into the scenarios.

Most of the three-week exercise will be simulation, but some training will entail live-fire, Nuriel said.

Austere Challenge 2012 is the largest U.S.-Israeli military exercise to date, Franklin said, and it is the latest in a long line of such exercises. The scenario for the exercise is not aimed at any specific threat or country in the region, both Franklin and Nuriel said.

"This exercise is purely about improving our combined U.S.-Israeli capabilities," the U.S. general said. "It's about military teamwork. It is not related to national elections nor any perceived tensions in the Middle East. We are military professionals coming together to train for a defensive mission."

The U.S. has pledged $30 million to the exercise and the Israelis pegged their exercise costs at 30 million shekels --around $7.9 million.

U.S. UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT FOR WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 6, 2012

Photo:  Cooking.  Credit:  U.S. Navy 

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending October 6, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 339,000, a decrease of 30,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 369,000. The 4-week moving average was 364,000, a decrease of 11,500 from the previous week's revised average of 375,500.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.6 percent for the week ending September 29, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate. The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending September 29 was 3,273,000, a decrease of 15,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,288,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,279,250, a decrease of 7,750 from the preceding week's revised average of 3,287,000.
UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 327,063 in the week ending October 6, an increase of 25,990 from the previous week. There were 405,906 initial claims in the comparable week in 2011.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.2 percent during the week ending September 29, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 2,778,396, a decrease of 42,837 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.5 percent and the volume was 3,113,245.

The total number of people claiming benefits in all programs for the week ending September 22 was 5,044,649, a decrease of 43,970 from the previous week. There were 6,819,938 persons claiming benefits in all programs in the comparable week in 2011.

Extended Benefits were only available in New York during the week ending September 22.

Initial claims for UI benefits by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,545 in the week ending September 29, an increase of 230 from the prior week. There were 2,514 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 4 from the preceding week.

There were 17,283 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending September 22, an increase of 704 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 38,511, a decrease of 18 from the prior week.

States reported 2,106,072 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending September 22, a decrease of 36,977 from the prior week. There were 3,016,035 persons claiming EUC in the comparable week in 2011. EUC weekly claims include first, second, third, and fourth tier activity.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending September 22 were in Puerto Rico (3.9), Alaska (3.7), Virgin Islands (3.7), Pennsylvania (3.2), New Jersey (3.1), California (3.1), Connecticut (2.9), Nevada (2.7), and Oregon (2.7).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending September 29 were in New York (+2,764), California (+2,069), North Carolina (+1,217), Pennsylvania (+989), and Arkansas (+538), while the largest decreases were in Mississippi (-3,393), Michigan (-2,639), Florida (-1,972), Ohio (-1,723), and Oregon (-1,135).

Noroviruses get around

Noroviruses get around