U.S.-BULGARIA RELATIONS

Map:  Bulgaria.  Credit:  CIA World Factbook.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
The United States established diplomatic relations with Bulgaria in 1903. A Consular Agency was established in Sofia on January 12, 1912. It reported to the Consulate General in Bucharest. The first American Consular Agent in Bulgaria was actually a Bulgarian national, Asen Kermekchiev (later Ace Kermek), a businessman, physician, and journalist. Kermekchiev served the United States Government even while working as a field doctor for Bulgaria in the First Balkan War, and was praised for protecting American lives and property while at the front. He also founded the first American Chamber of Commerce in Sofia. Bulgaria was allied with Germany in World War II, and became a satellite of the Soviet Union at the war's end. As Bulgaria emerged from communism in the 1990s, the United States moved to encourage development of multi-party democracy and a market economy.

Bulgaria is a reliable ally in an area of strategic importance to the United States. The U.S.-Bulgarian Defense Cooperation Agreement gives the United States military access to and shared use of several Bulgarian military facilities. The access facilitates joint training between the U.S. military and the Bulgarian and Romanian militaries. Bulgaria has participated in North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), European Union (EU), and coalition operations, including in Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo, and Bosnia.

We work closely with the government of Bulgaria in strengthening the rule of law and have strong cooperation in law enforcement.

On any given day, there are approximately 7,000 Americans in Bulgaria. In 2011, approximately 5,900 Bulgarians visited the United States.

The American University of Bulgaria in Blagoevgrad draws students from throughout southeast Europe and beyond, and is the only U.S.-accredited university in the region.

U.S. Assistance to Bulgaria

U.S. Government investment in modernization and NATO interoperability for Bulgaria’s military helps create stronger, more effective Bulgarian military units that can deploy alongside U.S. forces when needed.

Bilateral Economic Relations

Bulgaria is a member of the European Union. Upon its accession to the EU, the country adopted regulations and standards that conform to EU norms. U.S. companies conduct business across the major industry sectors, and the business climate is generally positive. The top foreign investor in Bulgaria is a U.S. company. The United States and Bulgaria have a treaty on avoidance of double taxation and a bilateral investment treaty. U.S. citizens traveling on a U.S. passport for business or tourism purposes can enter and stay in Bulgaria for up to 90 days in a 6-month period without requiring issuance of a visa.

Bulgaria's Membership in International Organizations

Bulgaria and the United States belong to a number of the same international organizations, including the United Nations, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organization. Bulgaria also is an observer to the Organization of American States.

Locator Map:  Bulgaria.  Credit:  CIA World Factbook.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM CIA WORLD FACTBOOK

The Bulgars, a Central Asian Turkic tribe, merged with the local Slavic inhabitants in the late 7th century to form the first Bulgarian state. In succeeding centuries, Bulgaria struggled with the Byzantine Empire to assert its place in the Balkans, but by the end of the 14th century the country was overrun by the Ottoman Turks. Northern Bulgaria attained autonomy in 1878 and all of Bulgaria became independent from the Ottoman Empire in 1908. Having fought on the losing side in both World Wars, Bulgaria fell within the Soviet sphere of influence and became a People's Republic in 1946. Communist domination ended in 1990, when Bulgaria held its first multiparty election since World War II and began the contentious process of moving toward political democracy and a market economy while combating inflation, unemployment, corruption, and crime. The country joined NATO in 2004 and the EU in 2007.

PRESIDENT OBAMA NOMINATES NEW DEFENSE SECRETARY AND CIA DIRECTOR

 

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Obama Announces Nominees for Next Defense Secretary, CIA Director
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 7, 2013 - President Barack Obama today announced his nominations to serve as the next leaders of the Defense Department and Central Intelligence Agency.

At a White House news conference, Obama announced his selection of Chuck Hagel to be next defense secretary and John Brennan as the next CIA director.

If confirmed by the Senate, Hagel will replace Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta, who today confirmed his plans to retire. Brennan, if confirmed, will replace David H. Petraeus, who resigned as CIA director in November.

"Chuck Hagel is the leader that our troops deserve," Obama said. "He is an American patriot. He enlisted in the Army and volunteered for Vietnam. As a young private, and then sergeant, he served with honor alongside his own brother."

Hagel, 66, a former U.S. senator from Nebraska, earned two Purple Hearts as an infantry squad leader in the Vietnam War. He later co-founded a cellular telephone company.

Obama said Hagel's brother rescued him when he was injured by shrapnel, and that Hagel did the same when his brother was wounded later, noting that his nominee to lead the Pentagon still "bears the scars and shrapnel for battles he fought in our name."

"Chuck Hagel's leadership of our military would be historic," the president said. "He'd be the first person of enlisted rank to serve as secretary of defense, one of the few secretaries who have been wounded in war, and the first Vietnam veteran to lead the department."

Obama noted Hagel's dedication to service members and their families, and said his experiences give him the ability to relate to troops.

"In Chuck Hagel, our troops see a decorated combat veteran of character and strength – they see one of their own," Obama said. "Chuck is a champion of our troops, veterans and our military families. With Chuck, our troops will always know -- just like Sergeant Hagel was there for his own brother -- Secretary Hagel will be there for you," he said.

Hagel's experience includes stints as deputy administrator for the Veterans Administration -- now the Veterans Affairs Department -- and as CEO and president of the USO. He served in the Senate from 1997 to 2009, where he was a member of the foreign relations and intelligence committees.

Hagel currently is a professor at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. He is also chairman of the Atlantic Council and co-chairman of the President's Intelligence Advisory Board.

Obama called Brennan "one of our nation's most skilled and respected intelligence professionals." The president said Brennan's 25 years of service in the CIA provides him with the knowledge of what the nation's security demands are: "intelligence that provides our lawmakers with the facts, strong analytic insight and the keen understanding of a dynamic world."

Brennan, a 57-year-old New Jersey native, is the deputy national security advisor for homeland security and counterterrorism. During his years at the CIA, he worked as a Near East and South Asia analyst, served as station chief in Saudi Arabia, and directed the National Counterterrorism Center.

"Having held senior management, analytic and operational positions at the agency, John's committed to investing in the range of intelligence capabilities we need," Obama said.

"John has an invaluable perspective on the forces, the history, the culture, the politics, economics, [and] the desire for human dignity driving so much of the changes in today's world," he added.

Obama said the primary criteria in making his choices was a simple question -- "Who is going to do the best job in securing America? These two leaders have dedicated their lives to protecting our country. I am confident they will do an outstanding job."

Obama congratulated Hagel and Brennan on their nominations and urged the U.S. Senate to act promptly to confirm them.

"When it comes to national security, we don't like to leave a lot of gaps between the time that one set of leaders transitions out and another transitions in," he said. "So we need to get moving quickly on this."

'NORAD NEXT'

U.S. Army Gen. Charles Jacoby, Jr., commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command, is greeted by an honor guard while visiting the Canadian NORAD Region headquarters at Canadian Forces Base Winnipeg, Canada, Jan. 24, 2012. U.S. and Canadian leaders plan to study the way ahead for North American Aerospace Defense Command under a concept called "NORAD Next." Canadian Forces photo by Cpl. Piotr Figiel

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
U.S., Canada Think Ahead to 'NORAD Next'
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo., Jan. 7, 2013 - More than a half century since it was established to confront the Cold War threat, North American Aerospace Defense Command is at a new crossroads as officials in the United States and Canada determine the capabilities it will need to confront emerging challenges and threats in the decades ahead.

Members of the Permanent Joint Board of Defense, the highest-level defense and security forum between the two countries, discussed the so-called "NORAD Next" concept during their meeting in Colorado Springs, Colo., last month, Royal Canadian Air Force Lt. Gen. J.A.J. "Alain" Parent, NORAD's deputy commander, told American Forces Press Service.

The discussion was a first step toward a broad analysis to identify what threats and challenges the United States and Canada will face in the 2025-to-2030 timeframe -- and what steps need to be taken now to prepare for them, Parent said.

NORAD Next is largely a vision at this point, Parent emphasized, and any changes to the binational NORAD agreement would require both countries' approval. But vast changes in the security landscape have produced broad agreement that NORAD must continually evolve to meet challenges to North America, he said.

Throughout its history, adaptation has been one of NORAD's hallmarks, enabling it to remain relevant even as the geostrategic environment has changed, Parent noted.

The United States and Canada formed North American Air Defense Command in 1958, merging their air defense capabilities to provide a continental-scale ability to detect and intercept Soviet bombers, presumably carrying nuclear weapons, explained Lance Blyth, the NORAD command historian.

That same framework -- warning systems that ran across Canada and Alaska, fighter bases with interceptor aircraft and a command-and-control system that tied them together and with national command authorities -- adapted as intercontinental ballistic missiles became the more pressing threat, Blyth said.

This expanded mission led to NORAD's name change in 1981 to North American Aerospace Defense Command.

The command continued to provide aerospace warning and control for North America after the fall of the Berlin Wall, but also began to contribute its capabilities to counterdrug missions, predominantly focusing on airborne trafficking into the United States and Canada.

NORAD's sensors and interceptors supported this new law enforcement mission, providing intelligence to law enforcement agencies and serving as a catalyst for the close interagency collaboration that underpins NORAD's operations today, Blyth explained.

The 9/11 terrorist attacks shook NORAD to its very core, challenging the bedrock assumption on which it had been founded: that an attack on either of the two countries would emanate from outside their borders, he said.

Within hours of the attack, NORAD already had the go-ahead to stand up Operation Noble Eagle. Under this ongoing homeland defense mission, NORAD monitors and intercepts aircraft of interest within both U.S. and Canadian territory, and provides security support for major events ranging from G8 summits, political conventions to even the Super Bowl.

Operation Noble Eagle represented a sea change at NORAD, broadening its focus for the first time to address both internal as well as external threats against North America.

"We weren't postured to be looking inside the continent as we are today," Royal Canadian Air Force Brig. Gen. A.D. "Al" Meinzinger, deputy director of strategy in the NORAD and U.S. Northern Command policy and plans directorate, told American Forces Press Service. "But as a consequence of 9/11, we stood up a whole enterprise to be poised and positioned to deal with the internal threats," he added. "And we all understand that we need to be ready to respond on a moment's notice."

Another major step in that evolution took place in 2006, when U.S. and Canadian authorities expanded NORAD's mandate to address seaborne threats. This maritime-warning mission applies the command's capabilities to identify and track vessels of interest approaching either country's coast, and passing that intelligence to authorities that would intercept them.

More than a decade after 9/11, NORAD officials are widening their field of vision yet again as they discuss roles the command could play in addressing threats from a broad array of domains: air, space, sea, land and even cyberspace.

They also are working to identify what warning systems and processes will be required to address these threats, particularly as the life cycles of many of the current radars expire in the 2020-2025 timeframe.

"We need to think about what is beyond 2015, what the strategic environment will be, and what we need to be doing to move the command into that future," Meinzinger said.

NORAD Next, he said, will be the bumper sticker for that next big step in NORAD's evolution.

"NORAD Next will ensure that NORAD remains forever relevant and ever evolving," Parent said. "If we want to outpace the threats, we have to think in advance of them.

"The important thing," he continued, "is that we maintain relevancy and don't get surprises. The stakes are too big for our two counties to get surprised."

SENATE HEARING ON MAKING SENSE OF CREDIT REPORTS

http://banking.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.LiveStream&Hearing_id=4c58691d-a918-4d10-9bd9-3d2a64c33f2f

2013 is your year

2013 is your year

NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN FOR JANUARY 7, 2012

Midnight Snack - A U.S. paratrooper heats noodles over a fire on Joint Security Station Hasan in the Gilan district in southern Afghanistan's Ghazni province, June 12, 2012. The soldier is assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division's 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Michael J. MacLeod

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Combined Force Detains Taliban Leader in Ghazni Province
Compiled from International Security Assistance Force and ISAF Joint Command News Releases

WASHINGTON, Jan. 7, 2013 - A combined Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader, and detained a suspected insurgent in the Andar district of Afghanistan's Ghazni province today, military officials reported.

The leader commanded a group who organized and executed attacks against Afghan and coalition forces, along with overseeing the placement of improvised explosive devices, officials said.
In other Afghanistan operations today:

-- A combined force in Helmand province's Nahr-e Saraj district arrested a senior Taliban leader who played a major role in narcotics trafficking to fund Taliban operations and commanded insurgent fighters who attack Afghan and coalition forces. The security force also detained a suspected insurgent.
In operations yesterday:

-- A combined force arrested the senior Taliban leader for Helmand province's Nad-e Ali district during a security operation in the province's Now Zad district. The leader provided operational guidance to Taliban insurgents and acquired and distributed homemade explosives, weapons and ammunition to suicide bombers. The security force also detained several suspected insurgents and seized firearms.

-- In Nangarhar province's Khugyani district, a combined force detained a suspected insurgent and seized numerous weapons during a search for a Taliban leader who directs attacks against Afghan government officials and Afghan and coalition forces.

In Jan. 4 operations:
-- A combined force in Helmand province's Nahr-e Saraj district arrested a Taliban leader who planned and executed attacks against Afghan and coalition forces and oversaw acquisition and distribution of weapons, ammunition and bombs to insurgent fighters. The security force also detained two suspected insurgents.
-- In Logar province's Pul-e Alam district, security combined force arrested a member of the Haqqani network who planned attacks against Afghan government officials. He also organized and managed the delivery of weapons and materials to Haqqani insurgents for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. The security force also detained a suspected insurgent.

FINAL JUDGMENT ENTERED AGAINST DEFENDANT IN RHODE ISLAND-BASED OFFERING FRAUD

Credit:  Wikimedia..

FROM: U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
The Securities and Exchange Commission announced today the resolution of an enforcement action filed by the Commission on October 19, 2010 in federal district court in Rhode Island against defendants David G. Stern and Online-Registries, Inc. (d/b/a Online Medical Registries) ("OMR") and relief defendant Michele Ritter. The court entered final judgment by consent against Stern on December 5, 2012 and entered a stipulation of dismissal of the claims against the relief defendant on December 27, 2012. The court previously had entered a final judgment by default against OMR on September 25, 2012.

The Commission's complaint alleged that Stern and OMR made false and misleading statements to investors in OMR, a web-based company founded and controlled by Stern, in connection with investors' purchase of stock in OMR. The misrepresentations generally related to OMR's business ventures, the status of its technology, its number of customers, and Stern's personal background, consisting of disbarment from the practice of law and a prior criminal conviction in federal district court in Massachusetts relating to financial wrongdoing. Based upon these and other allegations, including the misuse of investor funds, the Commission obtained a temporary restraining order and asset freeze on October 20, 2010, and a stipulated preliminary injunction on February 28, 2011 against Stern and OMR. On April 3, 2012, the court held Stern in contempt for violations of the preliminary injunction.

Without admitting or denying the allegations in the Commission's complaint, Stern agreed to the entry of a final judgment that: (i) permanently enjoins him from violating Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 (the "Securities Act") and Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act") and Rule 10b-5 thereunder; (ii) holds him liable for disgorgement of $197,875, representing amounts received as a result of the conduct alleged in the Commission's complaint, together with prejudgment interest thereon in the amount of $27,800.71, for a total of $225,675.71; and (iii) waives the payment of disgorgement and prejudgment interest and does not impose a civil penalty based upon the representations in Stern's sworn statement of financial condition. The final judgment by default entered against OMR (i) enjoins OMR from violating Section 17(a) of the Securities Act and Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act and Rule 10b-5 thereunder and (ii) orders OMR to pay disgorgement of $197,875 and prejudgment interest in the amount of $24,997.22. The Commission had initially charged that relief defendant Michele Ritter received some investor funds from Stern and sought the return of those funds. The Commission has now agreed to dismiss its charges against relief defendant Michele Ritter.

RECENT U.S. NAVY PHOTOS

FROM: U.S. NAVY
121228-N-LV331-157
U.S. 5TH FLEET AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY (Dec. 28, 2012) The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Mobile Bay (CG 53) approaches the Military Sealift Command fleet replenishment oiler USNS Joshua Humphreys (T-AO 188) for a replenishment-at-sea. Mobile Bay is deployed with the John C. Stennis Strike Group to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility conducting maritime security operations, theater security cooperation efforts and support missions for Operation Enduring Freedom. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Armando Gonzales/Released)

121228-N-YT478-002
NORFOLK (Dec. 28, 2012) The guided-missile destroyer USS Mahan (DDG 72) prepares to depart Naval Station Norfolk for a ballistic missile defense deployment to the U.S. 6th Fleet area of responsibility. This is Mahan's first deployment after receiving the ballistic missile defense upgrade last year. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Lolita Lewis/Released)

SLEEP APNEA TESTER GETS $15.3 MILLION FINE FOR IMPROPER BILLING

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Thursday, January 3, 2013

Florida-Based American Sleep Medicine to Pay $15.3 Million for Improperly Billing Medicare and Other Federal Healthcare Programs

Facilities in Alabama, California, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia
Florida-based American Sleep Medicine LLC has agreed to pay $15,301,341 to resolve allegations that it billed Medicare, TRICARE – the health care program for Uniformed Service members, retirees and their families worldwide – and the Railroad Retirement Medicare Program for sleep diagnostic services that were not eligible for payment, the Justice Department announced today.

American Sleep, headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., owns and operates 19 diagnostic sleep testing centers throughout the United States, including in Alabama, California, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. The company’s primary business is to provide testing for patients suffering from sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea. The test results are used by doctors to determine the most appropriate course of treatment for patients. The most common tool used to diagnose sleep disorders, particularly sleep apnea, is a procedure called polysomnographic diagnostic sleep testing. Under federal program requirements for the reimbursement of claims submitted for sleep disorder testing, initial sleep studies must be conducted by technicians who are licensed or certified by a state or national credentialing body as sleep test technicians.

The United States contend that Medicare and TRICARE claims submitted by American Sleep during this period were false because the diagnostic testing services were performed by technicians who lacked the required credentials or certifications, when it knew this violated the law. American Sleep submitted false claims to Medicare and TRICARE between Jan. 1, 2004, and Dec. 31, 2011, according to the United States’ allegations.

"Medicare patients and military families deserve to be treated by appropriately credentialed professionals when seeking medical care," said Stuart F. Delery, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Civil Division. "When companies providing those services seek to skirt the rules, there will be a steep price to pay."

"Pursuing health care fraud is a priority of my office and the Department of Justice. We will continue to work with the Department of Health and Human Services and the public to ensure that fraudulent claims are investigated and those responsible are required to pay," stated David J. Hale, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky. "Medical providers who overbill Medicare defraud the taxpayers and drive up the cost of health care for us all. Recovering taxpayer dollars lost to fraud helps keep strong those critical public health care programs so many people depend on."

"Patients seeking care from licensed professionals deserve to receive exactly what was represented, and the taxpayer-funded Medicare program expects no less," said Derrick Jackson, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General Region IV, which includes Kentucky. "The company has agreed to Federal monitoring and reporting requirements designed to avoid such problems in the future."

The allegations covered by today’s settlement were raised in a lawsuit filed against American Sleep under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act. United States ex rel. Daniel Purnell v. American Sleep Medicine LLC, no. 3:07-cv-12-S (W.D. Ky.). The act allows private citizens with knowledge of fraud to bring civil actions on behalf of the United States and share in any recovery. Relator Daniel Purnell will receive $2,601,228 as part of today’s settlement.

In addition to the $15.3 million payment, American Sleep entered into a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement with the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services. The agreement requires enhanced accountability and wide-ranging monitoring activities conducted by both internal and independent external reviewers.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Delery thanked the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, the Medicare Railroad Retirement Program, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky and the Commercial Litigation Branch for the collaboration that resulted in today’s settlement. The claims settled by this agreement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

This resolution is part of the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud and another step for the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT) initiative, which was announced by Attorney General Eric Holder and Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services in May 2009. The partnership between the two departments has focused efforts to reduce and prevent Medicare and Medicaid financial fraud through enhanced cooperation. One of the most powerful tools in that effort is the False Claims Act, which the Justice Department has used to recover $10.1 billion since January 2009 in cases involving fraud against federal health care programs. The Justice Department’s total recoveries in False Claims Act cases since January 2009 are over $13.9 billion.

FORMER FINANCIAL SERVICES BROKER SENTENCED TO SERVE

FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DELPARTMENT
WASHINGTON — A former financial services broker was sentenced today in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, for his participation in conspiracies related to bidding for contracts for the investment of municipal bond proceeds and other municipal finance contracts, the Department of Justice announced.

Adrian Scott-Jones, of Morriston, Fla. , a former broker for Tradition N.A. , was sentenced by District Court Judge Harold Baer Jr. for his role in the conspiracies. Scott-Jones was sentenced to serve 18 months in prison and to pay a $12,500 criminal fine.

"From soliciting intentionally losing bids for investment agreements to paying out kickbacks to manipulate the competitive bidding process, the conspirators went to great lengths to defraud municipalities across the country," said Scott D. Hammond, Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division's criminal enforcement program. "Today's sentence sends a clear message that the division will continue to hold executives accountable for their anticompetitive conduct. "

On Sept. 8, 2010, Scott-Jones pleaded guilty to participating in multiple conspiracies with executives of General Electric Co. (GE) affiliates, from as early as 1999 until 2006. According to the charges, GE and other financial institutions and insurance companies (providers), offered a type of contract, known as an investment agreement, to state, county and local governments and agencies throughout the United States. The public entities hired brokers like Scott-Jones and Tradition to conduct bidding for contracts to invest money from a variety of sources, primarily the proceeds of municipal bonds issued to raise money for, among other things, public projects. Scott-Jones also participated in a conspiracy with representatives of a second provider located in New York City.

According to court documents, in each conspiracy, Scott-Jones gave co-conspirators information about the prices, price levels or conditions in competitors' bids, a practice known as a "last look," which is explicitly prohibited by U.S. Treasury regulations. Scott-Jones also solicited and received intentionally losing bids for certain investment agreements and other municipal finance contracts. As a result of Scott-Jones’ role in corrupting the bidding process for investment agreements, he and his co-conspirators deprived the municipalities of competitive interest rates for the investment of tax-exempt bond proceeds used by municipalities for various public works projects, such as water pollution abatement projects and low-cost housing. The department said that the conspiracies cost municipalities around the country millions of dollars.

"Today's sentencing reaffirms the ongoing success of our efforts to weed out corruption in the municipal bond market," said George Venizelos, Acting Director in Charge of the FBI in New York. "The FBI will continue to work closely with our partners from the Antitrust Division to protect the integrity of the competitive bidding process in public finance. "

"Individuals who manipulate the competitive bidding system to benefit themselves will be held accountable for their criminal activity," said Richard Weber, Chief, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). "Quite simply, Mr. Scott-Jones profited at the expense of the towns and cities that needed the money for important public works projects. IRS Criminal Investigation is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to uncover this kind of corruption and secure justice for American taxpayers. "

A total of 20 individuals have been charged as a result of the department's ongoing municipal bonds investigation, 19 of whom have been convicted at trial or pleaded guilty; one is currently awaiting trial. Additionally, one company has pleaded guilty.

The sentences announced today resulted from an ongoing investigation conducted by the Antitrust Division's New York Office, the FBI and IRS-CI. The division is coordinating its investigation with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Today's convictions are part of efforts underway by President Obama's Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force (FFETF), which was created in November 2009 to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. Attorneys' offices and state and local partners, it's the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud.

CLEAN AIR COOKING AND HEALTH IN AFRICA

Map:  Ghana.  Credit:  CIA World Factbook.

FROM: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

Discovery
Cooking Up Clean Air in Africa
Reducing air pollution and meningitis risk in Ghana
They're little more than a pile of burning sticks with a stewpot atop them.

But these open fires or basic cookstoves have been linked to the premature deaths of 4 million people annually, many of them young children.

Three billion people around the world rely on wood, charcoal, agricultural waste, animal dung and coal for household cooking needs. They often burn these fuels inside their homes in poorly ventilated stoves or in open fires.

The resulting miasma exposes families to air pollution levels as much as 50 times greater than World Health Organization guidelines for clean air, setting the stage for heart and lung disease.

Household air pollution can also lead to pneumonia in children and low birth weight in infants.

Now researchers believe the smoke may be a contributing factor in bacterial meningitis outbreaks in countries such as Ghana, whose northern region is located in Africa's "meningitis belt."

An estimated 300 million people live in the meningitis belt, which includes part or all of The Gambia, Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Central African Republic, Sudan, South Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia and Eritrea.

Those exposed to indoor air pollution from cooking over open flames are nine times more likely to contract meningitis, studies show.

Meningitis, a potentially deadly disease, is an inflammation of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. Most cases are caused by a viral infection, but bacterial and fungal infections are also culprits. Bacterial meningitis is the most dangerous form.

Outbreaks usually happen in the dry, dusty season, and end with the onset of the seasonal rains.

The dust and dryness may irritate sensitive human membranes, making victims vulnerable to infection. Cooking smoke may play a similar role, increasing susceptibility to meningitis.

"Smoke from cooking practices may irritate the lining of the mucosa, allowing bacteria to become invasive," says Christine Wiedinmyer of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colo.

Links among cookstoves, air pollution and human health

Wiedinmyer and colleagues have been awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Coupled Natural and Human Systems (CNH) Program to study the effects of cookstoves in northern Ghana.

CNH is part of NSF's Science, Engineering and Education for Sustainability (SEES) investment, and is supported by NSF's Directorates for Geosciences; Biological Sciences; and Social, Behavioral & Economic Sciences.

The study is breaking new ground by bringing together atmospheric scientists, engineers, statisticians and social scientists.

Researchers are analyzing the effects of smoke from traditional cooking methods on households, villages and entire regions--and whether introducing more modern cookstoves will help.

They hope their findings will reach across the African Sahel, the semi-arid zone between the Sahara Desert in the north and the savannas of Sudan in the south.

Integrating the physical, social and health sciences

"The adoption of more efficient cookstoves could lead to significant improvements in public health and environmental quality," says Sarah Ruth, a CNH program director at NSF, "but research has usually focused on the effects on individual households, local air quality, or the weather and climate system.

"By integrating the physical, social and health sciences, these scientists are providing a more complete analysis of the costs and benefits of improved cookstoves."

An overview of the research was presented at NSF in November, 2012, as part of a forum featuring NCAR research.

The results will provide critical information to policy-makers and health officials in countries where open-fire cooking or inefficient cooking practices are common.

"When you visit remote villages during the dry season," says Wiedinmyer, an atmospheric chemist, "there's a lot of smoke in the air from cooking and other burning practices.

"We need to understand how these pollutants are affecting public health and regional air quality and, in the bigger picture, climate."

To find out, the scientists are using a combination of local and regional air quality measurements; new instruments with specialized smartphone applications that are more mobile than traditional air quality sensors; and computer models of weather, air quality and climate.

"The project involves exploring new technologies to improve human health and well-being while also improving environmental quality," says Tom Baerwald, an NSF program director for CNH.

"By looking at this problem from social, cultural, economic, health and atmospheric science perspectives, these researchers are developing a framework that will help people in many other regions."

Scientists and local communities working together

The scientists are surveying villagers to obtain their views on possible connections between open-fire cooking and disease--and whether community members are willing to adopt different cooking methods.

Cooking fires are a major source of particulates, and of carbon monoxide and other gases that lead to smog.

The fires also emit heat-trapping gases such as carbon dioxide that, when mixed into the global atmosphere, can affect climate.

Widespread use of more efficient, or "clean," cookstoves--which can produce less smoke than open fires--may lower these toxic emissions.

"Newer, more efficient cookstoves could reduce disease and result in improved regional air quality," Wiedinmyer says.

To find out, the scientists are introducing upgraded cookstoves into randomly selected households across the Kassena-Nankana District of Ghana.

In addition to determining whether the clean cookstoves improve air quality and human health, the researchers are exploring the social and economic factors that encourage or discourage such cookstove use.

It takes a village

They're asking villagers for help.

"Community members will assist with measuring air quality and reporting disease," says social scientist Katie Dickinson of NCAR.

Dickinson, Wiedinmyer and others are working with townspeople to develop scenarios in which realistic changes in cooking practices interact with climate processes to improve air quality and reduce respiratory illness and bacterial meningitis.

"We hope this project will alleviate a major health problem," says Mary Hayden, a medical anthropologist at NCAR, "one that extends across the entire Sahel."

U.S.-INDIA RELATIONS



Map:  India.  Credit:  CIA World Factbook. 

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
President Obama has called India one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century, one which will be vital to U.S. strategic interests in Asia-Pacific and across the globe. Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama all visited India, underscoring the increasing importance of the bilateral relationship. Our relationship is rooted in common values, including the rule of law, respect for diversity, and democratic government. We have a shared interest in promoting global security, stability, and economic prosperity through trade, investment, and connectivity. The United States and India have a common interest in the free flow of global trade and commerce, including through the vital sea lanes of the Indian Ocean.

The U.S. supports India's critical role as a leader in maintaining regional stability. Security ties are robust and growing with bilateral defense and counterterrorism cooperation reaching unprecedented levels. The United States and India also look continue to develop their defense partnership through military sales and joint research, co-production and co-development efforts.

The U.S.-India Strategic Dialogue, launched in 2009, provides opportunities to strengthen collaboration in areas including energy, climate change, trade, education, and counterterrorism. The third annual meeting was held in June 2012. In 2012 alone, seven Cabinet-level officials made visits to India to deepen bilateral ties.

The strength of people to people linkages between the United States and India has come to define the indispensable relationship between our two countries. The increased cooperation of state and local officials to create ties has enhanced engagement in education. Additionally, state to state and city to city engagements have created new partnerships in business and the private sector and enhance our robust government to government engagement.

Bilateral Economic Relations

The United States is one of India's largest trade and investment partners. U.S.- India bilateral trade in goods and services has increased four and a half times over the last decade, to more than $86 billion in 2011. Bilateral trade between our two countries is up 40 percent since we began our Strategic Dialogue three years ago. The stock of Indian FDI in the United States has increased from $227 million in 2002 to almost $4.9 billion in 2011, supporting thousands of U.S. jobs.

The United States and India are negotiating a bilateral investment treaty as a key part of the effort to deepen the economic relationship, improve investor confidence, and support economic growth in both countries. India continues to move forward, albeit haltingly, with market-oriented economic reforms that began in 1991. Recent reforms have included an increasingly liberal foreign investment regime in many sectors.

On energy cooperation, the United States and India also share a strong commitment to work collaboratively in bilateral and multilateral fora to help ensure mutual energy security, combat global climate change, and support the development of low-carbon economies that will create opportunities and fuel job growth in both countries. The two countries consult regularly on the future of global oil and gas markets, expanding sustainable energy access to support jobs and economic growth in both countries, collaborating in research and technology, and increasing U.S. exports of clean energy technology.

U.S. exports to India include diamonds and gold, machinery, oil, and fertilizers. U.S. imports from India include diamonds, pharmaceutical products, oil, agricultural products, organic chemicals, and apparel. U.S. direct investment in India is led by the information, professional, scientific, and technical services, and manufacturing sectors. India direct investment in the U.S. is primarily concentrated in the professional, scientific, and technical services sector.

India's Membership in International Organizations

India and the United States share membership in a variety of international organizations, including the United Nations, G-20, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Forum, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organization. The United States supports a reformed UN Security Council that includes India as a permanent member. India is an ASEAN dialogue partner, an Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development partner under its Enhanced Engagement program, and an observer to the Organization of American States. India is also a member and the current chair of the Indian Ocean Rim-Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC). In November 2012, the United States was admitted as a dialogue partner in the IOR-ARC with India’s support.

The Ganges River forms the largest tide-dominated delta in the world where it empties into the Bay of Bengal. This false-color satellite image vividly displays the large amount of sediment (violet), carried from as far away as the Himalayas, that precipitates when it abruptly encounters the sea. The delta is largely covered with a swamp forest known as the Sunderbans, which is home to the Royal Bengal Tiger. Image courtesy of USGS. Credit: CIA World Factbook.

FROM CIA WORLD FACTBOOK
The Indus Valley civilization, one of the world's oldest, flourished during the 3rd and 2nd millennia B.C. and extended into northwestern India. Aryan tribes from the northwest infiltrated onto the Indian subcontinent about 1500 B.C.; their merger with the earlier Dravidian inhabitants created the classical Indian culture. The Maurya Empire of the 4th and 3rd centuries B.C. - which reached its zenith under ASHOKA - united much of South Asia. The Golden Age ushered in by the Gupta dynasty (4th to 6th centuries A.D.) saw a flowering of Indian science, art, and culture. Islam spread across the subcontinent over a period of 700 years. In the 10th and 11th centuries, Turks and Afghans invaded India and established the Delhi Sultanate. In the early 16th century, the Emperor BABUR established the Mughal Dynasty which ruled India for more than three centuries. European explorers began establishing footholds in India during the 16th century. By the 19th century, Great Britain had become the dominant political power on the subcontinent. The British Indian Army played a vital role in both World Wars. Nonviolent resistance to British rule, led by Mohandas GANDHI and Jawaharlal NEHRU, eventually brought about independence in 1947. Communal violence led to the subcontinent's bloody partition, which resulted in the creation of two separate states, India and Pakistan. The two countries have fought three wars since independence, the last of which in 1971 resulted in East Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh. India's nuclear weapons tests in 1998 caused Pakistan to conduct its own tests that same year. In November 2008, terrorists originating from Pakistan conducted a series of coordinated attacks in Mumbai, India's financial capital. In January 2011, India assumed a nonpermanent seat in the UN Security Council for the 2011-12 term. Despite pressing problems such as significant overpopulation, environmental degradation, extensive poverty, and widespread corruption, rapid economic development is fueling India's rise on the world stage.

CV-22 OSPREY AT WORK DURING OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM

FROM: U.S. AIR FORCE
U.S. Air Force CV-22 Osprey from the 8th Special Operations Squadron, Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla., prepares to take off on a night mission in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan on April 28, 2010. (U.S. Army photo)(Released)

A U.S. Air Force CV-22 Osprey from the 8th Special Operations Squadron, Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla., flies a night mission in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan on April 28, 2010. (U.S. Army photo)(Released)

VIDEO OF JOHN GLENN'S HISTORIC 1962 ORBITAL FLIGHT

FROM: NASA

Archival films document John Glenn's historic Feb. 20, 1962 Mercury flight in his Friendship 7, in which he became the first American to orbit the Earth. Clips include boarding the capsule, splashdown and recovery, and receiving an award from President Kennedy

"Band of Brothers" descendent brings Vandenberg Airman lost family heirloom

"Band of Brothers" descendent brings Vandenberg Airman lost family heirloom

SYRIAN PRESIDENT ASAD'S SPEECH DRAWS CRITICISM FROM THE U.S.

Syria´s President Hafez al-Asad (sitting on the right side) signing the Federation of Arab Republics in Benghazi, Libya, on April 18, 1971 with President Anwar al-Sadat (sitting left) of Egypt and Colonel Muammar al-Qaddafi of Libya (sitting in the centre). The agreement never materialized into a federal union between the three Arab states. From: Wikimedia Commons.

Asad's Speech
Press Statement

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Victoria Nuland
Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
January 6, 2013

Bashar al-Asad’s speech today is yet another attempt by the regime to cling to power and does nothing to advance the Syrian people’s goal of a political transition. His initiative is detached from reality, undermines the efforts of Joint Special Representative Lakhdar Brahimi, and would only allow the regime to further perpetuate its bloody oppression of the Syrian people.

For nearly two years, the Asad regime has brutalized its own people. Even today, as Asad speaks of dialogue, the regime is deliberately stoking sectarian tensions and continuing to kill its own people by attacking Sunni towns and villages in the mixed areas of Jabal Akrad and Jabal Turkmen in Lattakia province.

AsadBrahimi to build international unity behind it and to urge all parties in Syria to take meaningful steps toward its implementation.

U.S. SECRETARY OF LABOR SOLIS COMMENTS ON UNEMPLOYMENT NUMBERS

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LAOR
Statement of Labor Secretary Hilda L. Solis on December employment numbers

WASHINGTON — Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis issued the following statement on the December 2012 Employment Situation report released today:

"December's report marks 34 straight months of private sector job growth, which have added close to 5.8 million jobs. For nearly three years, steady gains have occurred across different sectors of the economy, and December finishes a strong year of consistent growth with average increases of about 160,000 private sector jobs per month in 2012.

"The economy continued to show signs of strength and resilience throughout a month of fiscal uncertainty. This week's bipartisan agreement extending tax cuts to protect 98 percent of families and 97 percent of small businesses from any income tax increase is an important step in the right direction, as is the extension of crucial Unemployment Insurance benefits that serve as a necessary lifeline for millions of Americans still struggling to find employment, as well as generate $2 in economic activity for each dollar spent.

"There is more work to do to ensure that the steady growth experienced in 2012 continues into the new year. Now is not the time to slow this recovery by failing to address our fiscal challenges and introducing further uncertainty into the economy. As we move forward to address our ongoing fiscal challenges, both spending cuts and continuing to ask the wealthy to do a little more will be part of a balanced approach.We must continue to grow our economy, create jobs and strengthen our middle class by making investments in training, education and infrastructure."

7 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TAX DEAL

FROM: THE WHITE HOUSE
The Seven Things You Need to Know About the Tax Deal

On the beginning of the New Year, Republicans and Democrats in the House of Representatives joined the Senate in passing the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012. That means middle-class families won't see an increase in their income tax rates. We've avoided the fiscal cliff.

On January 1st, President Obama described the agreement as, "one step in the broader effort to strengthen our economy and broaden opportunity for everybody."

"Under this law, more than 98 percent of Americans and 97 percent of small businesses will not see their income taxes go up," he said. "Millions of families will continue to receive tax credits to help raise their kids and send them to college. Companies will continue to receive tax credits for the research that they do, the investments they make, and the clean energy jobs that they create. And 2 million Americans who are out of work but out there looking, pounding the pavement every day, are going to continue to receive unemployment benefits as long as they’re actively looking for a job."

We know that that a lot of people have questions about the deal, so we've pulled together some of the most important facts. Here are the seven things you need to know:

PET RESCUE AFTER HURRICANE SANDY

FROM: FEMA
Staten Island, N.Y., Dec. 28, 2012 -- FEMA partners, Guardians of Rescue, are providing assistance to residents and pet owners of Staten Island, NY, who were affected by Hurricane Sandy. Many pets are receiving veterinary care at Boulevard Veterinary Group in Staten Island, NY. Andre R. Aragon/FEMA

Girls in STEM: A New Generation of Women and Science | The White House

Girls in STEM: A New Generation of Women and Science | The White House

FLIGHT SURGEON FLIES

Air Force Col. Donald Majercik, state flight surgeon with the Vermont Air National Guard, surpassed 1,000 hours of flying time in the F-16 Fighting Falcon at the Burlington International Airport, South Burlington, Vt., Nov. 29, 2012. Majercik has served with the Vermont Air National Guard for more than 40 years. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Sarah Mattison

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Face of Defense: Flight Surgeon Notches 1,000 F-16 Hours
By Air Force Senior Airman Victoria Greenia
158th Fighter Wing

SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt., Jan. 4, 2013 - When back in August people began telling Air Force Col. Donald Majercik, a flight surgeon here at the Vermont Air National Guard, that he was 20 hours short of 1,000 flight hours he didn't think too much about it.

But as time marched closer to his February 2013 retirement, Majercik began to view the 1,000 hours as a goal.

"I wanted to do something special before I left the Guard," he said.

True to his word, Majercik hit the 1,000-hour milestone on Nov. 29, 2012. Returning from the blue skies with his long-time flying partner and friend, Air Force Lt. Col. Terry Moultroup, the flight surgeon met both his goal and an unexpected group of admirers.

While he had been in the air a coworker on the ground had contacted people, like Wing Commander Air Force Col. David Baczeweski, retired former Wing Commander Air Force Col. Phil Murdock, retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Richard Kinney, and many others. They all came to witness the auspicious moment of his return. Most importantly, Majercik's wife was standing in front of the crowd waving an American flag.

While Majercik said he was surprised by the welcome back, at the same time he was filled with a sense of accomplishment in the belief that he is the first flight surgeon to have completed 1,000 hours in an F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft.

It takes dedication to put that much time into flying.

"The 1,000 hours of flying time represents only a small fraction of the time that it takes to reach that goal," Majercik said. "Each hour of flying requires four to five hours of additional time and effort in order to accomplish that flight."

Flight surgeons are required to log flight hours as part of their aerospace medicine practice. Most, however, do not amass the overwhelming number of hours that Majercik has under his military belt, especially in an F-16.

Another interesting fact is that flight surgeons do not have to be pilots but Majercik is also an avid pilot in his civilian life so he often was able to fly the F-16, not just ride in it.

"We've been flying together for a long time," Moultroup said of Majercik. "I've been here since the early 1980s when we flew the F-4s, and I remember when he was the only flight surgeon the base had. He carried that responsibility all by himself for a long time."

Majercik joined the Vermont Air National Guard when he was an intern in surgery and the Vietnam War was in full swing. He knew it was likely he would be asked to serve in the military in one way or another, and was introduced to the National Guard by William Fagan, who was serving in the Vermont Army National Guard at the time.

For Majercik, the Vermont Air National Guard has given him an amazing legacy. And now he's given the VTANG a legacy as well.

"This achievement is important to the 158 Fighter Wing because it represents a milestone not reached by any other unit," he said. "Over the years, the base has set the benchmark for excellence in all of its endeavors. Its performance in inspections, in theater, and at home has been nothing short of outstanding. Throughout my career I have been privileged to be a part of this."

As his service in the military comes to a close, Majercik said he feels like he can leave knowing he's accomplished something few ever will.

But it isn't without sadness that he says goodbye to his brothers and sisters.

"The best thing about being a flight surgeon here for more than 40 years is all the wonderful people I've had the opportunity to know," Majercik said. "The second best thing is flying the F-16s. The future is bright for the 158th, and as time goes on, I hope to maintain close contact with all of those that are making it so strong. It has and always will be a significant part of my life."

DETROIT ADULT DAY CARE OWNER PLEADS GUILTY FOR ROLE IN PSYCHOTHERAPY FRAUD SCHEME

Photo:  Hart Plaza.  Credit:  Wikmedia Commons.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Thursday, January 3, 2013
Owner of Detroit Adult Day Care Centers Pleads Guilty in Connection with Medicare Psychotherapy Fraud Scheme

WASHINGTON – The owner of several Detroit-area adult day care centers pleaded guilty today for her role in a $13.2 million psychotherapy fraud scheme, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan Barbara L. McQuade, Special Agent in Charge Robert D. Foley III of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Lamont Pugh III of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Chicago Regional Office.

Beth Jenkins, 48, of Farmington Hills, Mich., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and five counts of health care fraud, before U.S. District Judge Stephen J. Murphy III in the Eastern District of Michigan.

Jenkins admitted that she and others conspired to defraud Medicare through Quality Recreation & Rehabilitation LLC (QRR) and Procare Rehabilitation Inc., two adult day care centers she owned and operated with alleged co-conspirators. According to court documents, Jenkins and her alleged co-conspirators owned and operated several Detroit-area adult foster care homes (AFCs) that housed severely mentally-disabled Medicare recipients. Court documents allege that Medicare beneficiaries living at AFCs, some of which were owned and operated by Jenkins and her alleged co-conspirators, were transported to QRR and Procare by Jenkins and others. According to court documents, Jenkins and her alleged co-conspirators used the AFC residents’ Medicare information to bill Medicare for group and individual psychotherapy that was never provided.

From 2004 through 2011, Jenkins and her alleged co-conspirators submitted more than 185,000 claims to Medicare totaling more than $13.2 million for group and individual psychotherapy that was not provided. According to court documents, Medicare paid $4,777,792 on these claims.

At sentencing, scheduled for April 19, 2013, Jenkins faces a maximum penalty of 60 years in prison and a $1,500,000 fine.

Jenkins’s co-defendants, Dr. Alphonso Berry and Marcus Jenkins, Beth Jenkins’s husband, are scheduled for trial on Jan. 8, 2013. They are presumed innocent until proven guilty at trial.

This case is being prosecuted by William G. Kanellis and Tarek Helou of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section. It was investigated by the FBI and HHS-OIG, and was 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.

DOD TARGETS HUMAN TRAFFICKING

FROM: U.S. AIR FORCE

DOD heightens training, prevention to target human trafficking
By Amaani Lyle
American Forces Press Service
1/2/2013 - WAWSHINGTON (AFNS) -- To spark awareness and vigilance against a growing global human rights crisis, President Barack Obama has proclaimed January as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month.

Linda Dixon, the Defense Department's program manager for combating trafficking in persons, told the Pentagon Channel and American Forces Press Service in a recent interview that DOD has strengthened training modules and reporting avenues to combat trafficking in persons, a criminal enterprise that generates roughly $32 billion per year worldwide.

"That's the second-largest source of revenue for criminal enterprises, and it's growing," Dixon said. "Trafficking is a zero-tolerance policy; it's not only immoral, but it is illegal."

The United Nations International Labor organization estimates more than 12 million human trafficking victims worldwide, with an estimated 600,000 to 800,000 new victims each year.

Some victims are Americans, Dixon said, but most victims come from elsewhere.

"Source countries are usually areas that are poverty-stricken," she said, "but trafficking is everywhere."

The Trafficking Victim Protection Act defines trafficking in persons as the use of force, fraud or coercion to compel a person to provide labor or services or commercial sex.

The crime, Dixon explained, can run the gamut of exploitation, and includes elements of recruiting, harboring, transportation, providing or obtaining a person for the purpose of exploitation.

State Department officials said the three most common forms of trafficking are labor trafficking, sex trafficking and child soldiering.

Child soldiering entails the unlawful recruitment of minors who, as young as age 7, are sexually and physically abused and forced to commit atrocities in more than 57 armed conflicts worldwide, according to State Department officials.

DOD's demand-reduction and prevention program is a mechanism to report violations and thwart offenses, Dixon said.

In addition to a general awareness training module, she added, the program also includes law enforcement, contractor and leadership-specific training modules.

"We have put together training modules ... (and) a clause in our contracts to prohibit contractors from being involved in trafficking," Dixon said. "All of the agencies have a (trafficking in persons) point of contact -- the services, the combatant commands (and) defense agencies."

Indicators include heavily guarded areas where workers appear intimidated or are being escorted from a facility to their home, or who lack personal documents such as passports or other identification, Dixon explained.

"You should report it to your local authorities; report it through your chain of command," Dixon said.

If DOD personnel are involved in trafficking offenses, she added, the inspector general investigates the type and scope of the offense to determine a course of action.

Noting that 2013 marks the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, Dixon said the year will feature summits, events and conferences to sharpen awareness and eradicate trafficking.

"In DOD, we're charged with making sure that we protect our country's security, and trafficking in persons is a threat to that security," she said.

Dixon said great strides have been made at the highest level to stop this modern-day slavery and restore human dignity.

"There's an education process that's taking place, not only with people in general, but with our law enforcement, to recognize it, understand and know that it is a chargeable offense," Dixon said. "It is a danger to our troops. It's a danger to national security."

RECENT U.S. NAVY PHOTOS

FROM: U.S. NAVY
The guided-missile destroyer USS Gonzalez (DDG 66) departs Naval Station Norfolk. Gonzalez deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility to participate in anti-piracy and maritime security operations. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kayla Jo Finley (Released) 130104-N-YF783-073

130103-N-DH124-007 SAN DIEGO (Jan. 3, 2013) The guided-missile cruiser USS Antietam (CG 54) departs San Diego to conduct a hull swap with guided-missile cruiser USS Cowpens (CG 53) in Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan. Antietam helps provide deterrence, promote peace and security, preserve freedom of the seas, and humanitarian/disaster response within the U.S. 3rd Fleet's 50-million square mile area of responsibility in the Eastern Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Rosalie Garcia/Released)

U.S.-ANDORRA RELATIONS



Map:  Andorra.  Credit:  CIA World Factbook.

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
The United States established diplomatic relations with Andorra in 1995, following Andorra's 1993 adoption of a constitution establishing the country as a sovereign parliamentary democracy. It retains as its heads of state two co-princes -- the Bishop of Urgell (Spain) and the French president.

The United States and Andorra enjoy excellent relations based on common values including the promotion of democracy and human rights.

Since 2000, Andorra has participated in the Fulbright Exchange Program. The two countries have also signed a Bilateral Work Agreement for dependents of members of diplomatic missions and consular posts assigned to official duty in the respective countries and will soon conclude an agreement on the sharing of confiscated proceeds and instrumentalities of crimes.

Andorra supports U.S. foreign policy positions and objectives, such as voting for U.S. candidates to international organizations.

The U.S. Ambassador to Spain is also accredited as Ambassador to Andorra. The U.S. Consul General based in Barcelona is responsible for the day-to-day management of relations with Andorra. She travels regularly to Andorra to carry out diplomatic demarches, represent U.S. interests, and administer consular services.

U.S. Assistance to Andorra

The United States provides no development assistance to Andorra.

Bilateral Economic Relations

The United States has no significant trade or investment with Andorra. The new investment law approved in mid- 2012 opens the country to foreign investment and this foreign investors will be able for the first time to gain full ownership of a business. The investment climate in the country has changed significantly with this new legislation liberalizing the Andorran economy.

Andorra participates in the Visa Waiver Program, which allows nationals of participating countries to travel to the United States for certain business or tourism purposes for stays of 90 days or less without obtaining a visa.

Andorra's Membership in International Organizations

Andorra and the United States belong to a number of the same international organizations, including the United Nations and Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe; as well as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the World Health Organization (WHO). Andorra also is an observer to the World Trade Organization. A member of the Council of Europe, from November 2012 to May 2013, Andorra will chair its Committee of Ministers.

Since 1991, Andorra has had a special agreement with the European Union




Locator Map:  Andorra.  Credit:  CIA World Factbook.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM CIA WORLD FACTBOOK
For 715 years, from 1278 to 1993, Andorrans lived under a unique co-principality, ruled by French and Spanish leaders (from 1607 onward, the French chief of state and the Spanish bishop of Seu d'Urgell). In 1993, this feudal system was modified with the titular heads of state retained, but the government transformed into a parliamentary democracy. For decades Andorra enjoyed its status as a small refuge of fiscal and banking freedom and benefitted from Spanish and French tourists attracted to the country's duty-free shopping. The situation has changed in recent years as Andorra started to tax foreign investment and other sectors. Tourism accounts for over 80% of Andorra's gross domestic product.