STATE DEPARTMENT ASSISTANT SECRETARY CARSON'S REMARKS ON MALI TO CONGRESS

Map Of Mali.  From:  CIA World Factbook.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
The Crisis in Mali: U.S. Interests and the International Response
Testimony
Johnnie Carson
Assistant Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs
Before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs (As Prepared)
Washington, DC
February 14, 2013

Thank you very much Chairman Royce, Ranking Member Engel, and Members of the Committee for the chance to testify before you on this important topic. The evolving crisis in Mali is one of the most difficult, complex, and urgent problems West Africa has faced in decades. Mali’s problems reflect the fragility of governance in the region, the lack of economic development – especially in northern Mali – the absence of meaningful opportunities for people to engage with their governments, and the widespread desperation that exists in an unforgiving, arid region with chronic food insecurity. The March 2012 coup and subsequent loss of northern Mali to Islamic extremists demonstrates all too clearly how quickly terrorists prey upon fragile states. Poor governance, weak democratic institutions, and a lack of development and economic opportunity create fertile ground for terrorism and instability.

As the Malian Government, regional partners, and the international community continue to respond vigorously to the ongoing crisis in Mali, we must be mindful of the four underlying challenges Mali continues to face: al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb’s (AQIM) continued presence in northern Mali, the restoration of democracy, the need to begin negotiations with northern groups that renounce terrorism and recognize the unity of the Malian state, and a significant ongoing humanitarian crisis. Failure to address these challenges – comprehensively and simultaneously – risks perpetuating the cycle of violence and insecurity that has plagued northern Mali for decades and threatened stability across the Sahel.

1. Threats from Terrorists in Mali and Beyond

The presence of extremists in northern Mali poses a threat to the entire Sahel region – and beyond. While the security situation in northern Mali has changed over the last month due to French intervention, we remain concerned about the continued presence of terrorist and extremist groups, including AQIM and the Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO). The French are disrupting and dislodging terrorist enclaves, and liberating northern towns and populations after more than a year of terrorist occupation. Neutralizing the full scope of the terrorist threat in Mali, however, is a long-term effort.

We also must remember that terrorism is a threat that knows no boundaries. We are partnering with countries throughout the region to support their efforts to strengthen border security and their capacity to respond to threats. Our regional counterterrorism support is coordinated through the Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership (TSCTP). The primary goal of this program is to address the threat of AQIM. As AQIM has expanded its reach through the flow of arms, supplies, and fighters from North Africa into the region, our assistance and support through the partnership continues to evolve to meet the changing threat.

We continue to work with regional and international partners to deny terrorists safe haven wherever they attempt to operate. And while a security response is critical, we must not forget the underlying causes that drive regional instability and create opportunities for violence to thrive. Terrorists and extremist groups exploited the political chaos created by the northern rebellion in Mali and the coup to expand their safe haven and impose their radical ideology on populations who have long considered such ideology abhorrent. Weak or nonexistent governance and a lack of development throughout the region make many countries vulnerable to such exploitation. We must therefore work collectively with the countries in the region to not only mount a strong and coordinated security response, but we must also reduce the underlying vulnerabilities to extremism by strengthening good governance and promoting economic development.

We commend and strongly support the ongoing French and African military operation in northern Mali. On December 20, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) adopted Resolution 2085, co-sponsored by the United States, which recognized Mali’s overlapping challenges; underscored the international community’s support for restoring peace, security, stability, and territorial integrity to Mali; and authorized the African-led International Support Mission in Mali (AFISMA). On January 10, extremist groups, including AQIM and Ansar al Dine, mounted a surprise attack into government-held territory and captured the village of Konna north of Mopti in central Mali. Responding to a request by the Malian Government, France launched Operation Serval to prevent AQIM from moving further south. From the very beginning and at the request of the Malian Government, we worked closely with the French to support their efforts and those of our African partners. We continue to support their efforts by sharing information, providing airlift support for personnel and equipment, and aerial refueling. My colleague Amanda Dory will go into more detail on Department of Defense support. We continue to coordinate closely at the highest levels with the French on a wide range of military and political efforts to promote long-term stability in Mali.

Following the start of French operations on January 11, AFISMA began expediting the deployment of African troops to Bamako. Troops from Nigeria, Niger, Benin, Togo, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Chad are already in Mali. Subject to Congressional notification, the Department of State intends to provide up to $96 million during Fiscal Year 2013 to support AFISMA. As part of this assistance effort, we provided strategic airlift for the deployment of the Togolese contingent to Mali and are providing logistics support for AFISMA troops deployed in Mali. We have sent teams from our Africa Contingency Operations Training and Assistance (ACOTA) program to those ECOWAS states that have pledged troops to AFISMA to identify gaps in training and equipment and to accelerate training and equipping of deploying troops.

We welcome the continued progress of French and African operations in Mali. And we agree that the challenge now is to stabilize northern Mali and protect civilians and human rights while maintaining pressure on terrorist groups and advancing the political track. We believe a transition to a UN-authorized and UN-led effort – which brings to bear all the UN comparative advantages of an integrated mission – would be suitable under the right conditions to solidify French gains on the ground. Such a transition will take time, as French and AFISMA operations on the ground continue, and as the UN plans, in consultation with Malian and African partners, for an integrated UN mission in Mali. But the goals of any UN mission would include helping to stabilize those parts of Mali where the French have successfully pushed out extremist and terrorist elements, supporting the Malian political transitional government in its efforts to implement a comprehensive political roadmap and build effective governing institutions, monitoring and reporting on human rights, and supporting regional and international efforts to address the humanitarian crisis.

It is critical that the Malian Defense and Security Forces be adequately trained and equipped to effectively partner with the international force. Consistent with applicable legal restrictions, we terminated our foreign assistance programs with the Government of Mali following the March 2012 military coup, including foreign assistance activities with the Government of Mali; with a few limited exceptions in election support, humanitarian work, and life-saving health programming, our full assistance programming with the government cannot resume until a democratically elected government is in place. The European Union (EU) is leading efforts to reform and rebuild the Malian military through an EU Training Mission which has already begun deploying to Mali. Many other countries have stepped up to provide support. During a January 30 donors’ conference attended by over 90 countries and international organizations, and organized by the African Union in Addis Ababa, countries pledged over $455.5 million in support for Mali, AFISMA, and regional development.

2. Restoring Democratically Elected Government

The gains achieved by French and African forces on the battlefield in northern Mali will be short-lived if not accompanied by elections, strengthened institutions, and national reconciliation to restore Mali’s tradition of democratic governance. Democratic elections will give the Malian Government the credibility it needs to effectively partner with regional militaries, negotiate with northern populations, and reassert civilian rule. We welcomed the Malian National Assembly’s January 29 unanimous approval of a political road map to restore democracy and promote national reconciliation. We also welcome interim Malian President Dioncounda Traore’s commitment to implement this roadmap and hold presidential elections by July 31, 2013. The road map is a critical first step towards legitimate and inclusive governance; an absolute necessity for any durable solution. We urge the interim Malian Government to implement the plan seriously and expeditiously.

The road map provides a framework to quickly move the political process forward, and clearly states that members of the current transitional government are not eligible to run for office, as called for by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). While the road map reflects an important commitment by many of Mali’s political actors to hasten the return to constitutional rule, we call on the Malian authorities to provide greater detail and clarity on the sequence of steps necessary to prepare for credible, free, transparent, and inclusive elections. We also urge the Malian Government to move ahead in developing the necessary legislation called for in the road map, including amendments to the electoral law.

Elections must be conducted free from intimidation and interference by military and security forces. We continue to unequivocally state that coup leader Captain Sanogo and the rest of the military junta members must remove themselves - completely and permanently - from Malian politics. We have imposed targeted travel sanctions on 87 individuals who were involved in the coup, who supported its authors, or who continue to impede the restoration of democracy. Any continued interference in Mali’s progress towards the restoration of democracy is unacceptable and risks the imposition of further sanctions from the United States, partner counties, and international organizations.

We have strongly condemned all human rights abuses in Mali by any group and call for the perpetrators to be held accountable. We support the statements from Malian officials and civil society leaders that that there will be no impunity for human rights abuses. All actors – military, rebel, and otherwise – in Mali have an obligation to adhere to applicable international law and respect human rights. We support the African Union’s commitment to send human rights monitors to Mali and welcome the Swiss Government’s pledge of $1 million to support the team’s deployment. Ensuring the protection of its own citizens must be the foundation of any credible and legitimate government.

3. Negotiations with the North

We condemn those in northern Mali who continue to align themselves with terrorists. There can be no dialogue with those who support terrorism. We also recognize that the indigenous populations of northern Mali, who have a history of resisting foreign Islamic extremists and have welcomed the arrival of French forces, have legitimate political, social, and economic grievances. The Tuareg rebellion that started in northern Mali in January 2012 is part of a longstanding cycle of rebellion and failed attempts to address these grievances. Stopping northern Mali’s cycle of instability will require a serious and sustained effort by Malian authorities, non-extremist northern groups, regional actors, and international partners to address the legitimate political and economic grievances of non-extremist northern groups from Timbuktu to Gao to Kidal. We applaud the political roadmap’s support for long-term negotiations and its openness to dialogue with those groups that renounce armed struggle, adhere to the principles of democracy and the rule of law, and accept without condition Mali’s territorial integrity. We call on Malian authorities to follow through on this commitment to address the political and economic needs of northern populations that reject terrorism and accept Mali’s territorial integrity.

We strongly support the resumption of negotiations with all parties who have cut ties to terrorist organizations, have renounced violence, and who recognize, without conditions, the unity and territorial integrity of the Malian state. We are encouraging the Malian Government to quickly establish the Commission for Negotiations, as called for in the roadmap. We commend Burkinabe President Compaore, the ECOWAS-appointed mediator, for his leadership in the negotiation process and support his continued efforts in this regard. We are also working closely with neighboring countries and the international community to lend support to the negotiating process. Any successful process must address the short-term need to restore Mali’s territorial integrity, while at the same time laying the foundation for the long term, open dialogue needed to address legitimate grievances, and build trust between the northern populations and their government.

4. Humanitarian Crisis

Mali and the rest of the Sahel region have long suffered from chronic food insecurity. The conflict in Mali exacerbated an already difficult humanitarian situation caused by drought and poor harvests followed by flooding. Since the start of the fighting in Mali, more than 400,000 people have become refugees or internally displaced. This includes over 240,000 people displaced within Mali and nearly 170,000 refugees in Mauritania, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Algeria. These numbers also include the more than 22,000 new refugees who have fled Mali and the more than 14,000 newly displaced persons within Mali since the extremist offensive and French counter operations began last month. We commend the neighboring countries that have welcomed Malian refugees despite their own food security challenges.

The United States continues to work to mitigate the effects of this humanitarian crisis. In fiscal year 2012 and to date in fiscal year 2013, the United States provided more than $120 million in humanitarian assistance to address the emergency in Mali. This is part of the more than $467 million in humanitarian assistance we have provided to the Sahel region in fiscal years 2012 and 2013. The humanitarian situation is and will likely remain very fluid, requiring strategies and programs to adapt in order to meet changing conditions on the ground.

We continue to call on the international community to support a comprehensive humanitarian response, including assistance for the displaced and conflict-affected in Mali and in the broader region. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs recently issued its 2013 consolidated appeal, seeking more than $370 million to assist 4.3 million vulnerable Malians countrywide. We are also urging the international community to respond comprehensively and adequately to the humanitarian needs across the whole Sahel region.

In closing, we must remember that any military success will be fleeting without a democratic and credible government that is responsive to the needs of all Malians. We will continue to urge the interim Malian Government to implement the political road map seriously and expeditiously. We are asking our partners to urge the same. Any military gains will be eroded if political instability and uncertainty return. The French and African intervention has created a valuable opportunity that must not be missed. We will work to ensure that military success can be translated into long-term stability by encouraging expedited elections, marginalizing the military junta, holding perpetrators accountable for human rights abuses, and supporting a national reconciliation process that addresses the longstanding and legitimate grievances of northern populations. By continuing to address Mali’s multiple challenges simultaneously and comprehensively, we aim to break the cycle of conflict in favor of a just, lasting, and prosperous peace.

Hear me out

Hear me out

U.S. State Department Daily Press Briefing - February 14, 2013

Daily Press Briefing - February 14, 2013

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending February 9, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 341,000, a decrease of 27,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 368,000. The 4-week moving average was 352,500, an increase of 1,500 from the previous week's revised average of 351,000.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.4 percent for the week ending February 2, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate. The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending February 2 was 3,114,000, a decrease of 130,000 from the preceding week's unrevised level of 3,244,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,187,250, a decrease of 28,750 from the preceding week's revised average of 3,216,000.
UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 359,428 in the week ending February 9, a decrease of 29,014 from the previous week. There were 365,014 initial claims in the comparable week in 2012.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.8 percent during the week ending February 2, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 3,640,033, a decrease of 103,381 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,743,414. A year earlier, the rate was 3.1 percent and the volume was 3,984,889.

The total number of people claiming benefits in all programs for the week ending January 26 was 5,918,156, an increase of 327,676 from the previous week. There were 7,681,411 persons claiming benefits in all programs in the comparable week in 2012.

Extended Benefits were not available in any state during the week ending January 26.

Initial claims for UI benefits filed by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,544 in the week ending February 2, an increase of 174 from the prior week. There were 2,695 initial claims filed by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 439 from the preceding week.

There were 23,522 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending January 26, an increase of 1,133 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 40,659, an increase of 851 from the prior week.

States reported 2,081,356 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending January 26, an increase of 255,258 from the prior week. There were 3,002,475 persons claiming EUC in the comparable week in 2012. EUC weekly claims include first, second, third, and fourth tier activity.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending January 26 were in Alaska (6.6), Pennsylvania (4.4), Montana (4.3), New Jersey (4.3), Puerto Rico (4.2), Wisconsin (4.2), Connecticut (4.0), Idaho (4.0), Rhode Island (4.0), Illinois (3.9), and Oregon (3.9).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending February 02 were in California (+11,784), Texas (+2,071), New York (+2,066), Florida (+2,050), and Oregon (+1,603), while the largest decreases were in North Carolina (-2,681), Tennessee (-2,003), Alabama (-1,248), Michigan (-1,011), and Connecticut (-676).

FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE CLINTON HONORED AT PENTAGON

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Panetta, Dempsey Honor Clinton for Leadership
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Feb. 14, 2013 - Each generation of Americans must earn the responsibility to lead, former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said at the Pentagon today as Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, presented her with awards and thanked her for her efforts to work with the military to extend America's leadership.

The threats Americans face require military power, but they also require diplomatic efforts and economic levers, Panetta said. Working together, he added, extends American power and influence.

Clinton joked that in the past, there was no love lost between the State and Defense departments. She praised former Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and former Joint Chiefs Chairman Navy Adm. Mike Mullen with reaching out to the diplomats in Foggy Bottom and stressing to Congress the need for fully funding the State Department.

Clinton took office in January 2009, and her time at State was tumultuous. During her term, she worked to reach out to new governments in wake of the Arab Spring. She helped to put together the coalition that toppled Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi, and she helped to build support for sanctions against Iran, Dempsey said.

Those in uniform very much appreciate this last, the chairman said, "so that we can avoid the use of force, although remaining ready to do so, if necessary."

The chairman said Clinton recognized the limits of military action, and that the United States needs both hard power and soft power. "You've harnessed innovative ways to accomplish engagement, including social media and global town halls, all the while remembering that it's the investment of your personal time that builds relationships," Dempsey said.

Panetta remarked that he has worked closely with Clinton for 20 years. "Because of her leadership, our nation's diplomats and our development experts are working toward a common mission with the men and women of the Department of Defense, and I'm confident that our successes will sustain the bonds that we have built between the Department of Defense and the State Department," he said.

DOD and State Department personnel serve side by side from Afghanistan to North Africa, from the Middle East to Asia Pacific, and are making "great personal sacrifices in order to prevent conflict, to advance the cause of peace and security, and to help achieve the American dream of giving our children a better life," Panetta said.

The U.S. national security apparatus must keep innovating and integrating, Clinton said. "We have to remain committed to upholding America's global leadership and our core values of freedom and opportunity," she said.

The United States is the indispensable nation, the former secretary said, and there is no real precedent in history for the role America plays or the responsibility shouldered. "But I often remind myself that our global leadership is not our birthright," she added. "It has to be earned by each successive generation, staying true to our values and living up to the best traditions of our nation. Secretaries and presidents come and go, but this responsibility remains constant. It truly must be our North Star."

Clinton told the junior officers and civilians in the audience that the country looks to them to carry the mission of American leadership forward.

"So thank you for this tremendous honor that has been bestowed on me by the chairman, and also the honor by the secretary," she said. "I thank you all for your service. ... Let's wish our country godspeed. And please extend to all with whom you serve my deepest gratitude, not as a retired public official, but as an American citizen."

U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT POSTING ON REDUCING GUN VIOLENCE

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Reducing Gun Violence and Preventing Future Tragedies
February 13th, 2013 Posted byTracy Russo
The following post appears courtesy of Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole. It was adapted from recent remarks made to the National District Attorneys Association Winter Conference.

Gun violence has touched every state, county, city and town in America. While we have seen the devastating examples of it over the years, since December’s horrific events in Newtown, Connecticut, the need to address this problem has been center stage. And we at the department — led by the Attorney General – have been working with Vice President Biden and agencies and departments across the Obama Administration to formulate concrete, common-sense recommendations for reducing gun violence and preventing future tragedies.

The Administration has proposed a range of legislative remedies – along with 23 executive actions – to address mass shootings and reduce gun violence. The Department of Justice is working to implement a number of those executive actions.

For example, we are working to strengthen the national background check system by addressing gaps in the federal and state records currently available in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). Those gaps significantly hinder the ability of NICS to quickly confirm whether a prospective purchaser is prohibited from acquiring a firearm as a felon.

There are also still 12 states with fewer than 10 mental health records in the system. To help fix this problem, we are providing $25 million in grants to states to assist them in finding ways to make more records available, especially mental health records.

We are also making it possible for local law enforcement officers to run a full NICS background check before returning a firearm to someone after the criminal investigation is finished. For example, when a stolen firearm recovered by police is returned to its original owner, the police need to be sure they are not returning that weapon to a prohibited person.

In addition, the ATF will soon be publishing instructions on how to trace recovered firearms. All it takes is a computer and an internet connection. We encourage local law enforcement officers to do this every time they recover a firearm. ATF will also be publishing an annual report on nationwide lost and stolen gun data. Making this data available gives us a great opportunity for us to work together, at all levels of government to use our limited resources as effectively as possible, to make our communities safer.

We’re also taking a hard look at our federal laws and our enforcement priorities to ensure that we are doing everything possible at the federal level to keep firearms away from traffickers and others who should not have them.

And while most of our efforts will be focused on keeping guns out of the wrong hands, we also want to help those on the ground prevent and mitigate violent situations when they do occur. To this end, the FBI will be providing a new specialized training course for active shooter situations for law enforcement officers, first responders, and school officials.

We recognize that it is not just a federal problem and our law enforcement partners at the state, local and tribal levels are doing some of the hardest and most important work to keep our people safe, and our cities, neighborhoods, and schools secure.

Working together, on these and other efforts, we will help reduce gun violence and prevent future tragedies.

TPC - Videos

TPC - Videos: Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs GEN Martin Dempsey presented two public service awards to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

U.S. State Department Daily Press Briefing - February 13, 2013

Daily Press Briefing - February 13, 2013

OUTGOING DEFENSE SECRETARY PANETTA LAUDS MILITARY MEMBERS, BLASTS CONGRESS FOR "MEANNESS"

Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta testifies on the Defense Department’s response to the attack on U.S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya, during a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee in Washington, D.C., Feb. 7, 2013. DOD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Strong Defense Rests on Strong Congress, Panetta Says
By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Feb. 13, 2013 - The current lack of effective partnership in government is his biggest disappointment as he leaves Washington after 50 years of public service, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said today.

Panetta told Pentagon reporters during what he called his final news conference here that his Defense Department team has achieved remarkable things.

"First and foremost, we've kept the country safe," he said. "Secondly, we have ... [dedicated] ourselves to bringing two wars to a conclusion, the war in Iraq and now we're well on the way to bringing the war in Afghanistan, hopefully, to a conclusion, as well."

Military members serving under him have weakened terrorism and strengthened cooperation with their counterparts in intelligence, he added. And together, he said, military and civilian defense leaders crafted and put in place a defense strategy that "really makes good sense for this country, in terms of the force we need for the 21st century."

The secretary added that as the son of Italian immigrants, he's also proud to have led the effort to "expand opportunities for everyone to serve in the military." Panetta's acts as secretary included expanding the number of jobs for servicewomen, and increasing the rights of same-sex couples with military members.

"And I'm proud of the care that we continue to provide for our wounded warriors and for their families," he said. "They are truly deserving of whatever we can provide because of the sacrifices they've made."

The secretary said he has put a lot of burdens on the military in working through tough decisions.

"And, you know, they always responded. They responded ... [with] dedication to country and dedication to the military. We've been able to do some historic things as a result of that," he said.

In turning to what threatens those achievements, Panetta expressed some frustration.

"I'm sorry about this, but I've got to say it," he said. "All of the work that we do here to try to make this country strong and develop a strong defense" depends on a strong partnership with Congress, the secretary said.

"What should be and what our forefathers, I think, envisioned as a strong bond between an administration, an executive branch, and a legislative branch ... is not as strong as it should be," he said. "Oftentimes, I feel like I don't have a full partnership with my former colleagues on the Hill in trying to do what's right for this country."

When he served in the House as a representative from California, Panetta said, there was a customary form of speech between members who disagreed: "With the greatest respect, I disagree with my friend."

What makes Congress work is that it's a place to fully debate political and ideological differences, he said.

"That's the whole purpose of our forefathers fashioning that legislative branch, to debate fully those differences," the secretary added. "But there are also some lines that are there that make that process work."

Without mutual respect and courtesy among those seeking to resolve differences, those lines break down, Panetta said.

"Everybody's got legitimate points, but there's a way to express it in a way that complements our democracy, doesn't demean our democracy," he said. "And I think, you know, what you see on display is too much meanness."

Panetta said he has spoken to leaders around the world during his extensive travels as secretary. Leaders everywhere, he said, see the United States as a nation with strong values and a strong military.

"I think what they worry about is what I worry about, which is whether or not ... we can govern and whether or not we can face the tough decisions that have to be made," he said.

Panetta noted he repeatedly has said the biggest threat to U.S. national security "is that budget uncertainty and that inability to govern and find solutions."

As a step toward better government and a better world perception of the nation, he said, "somehow the members both in the House and Senate side have to get back to a point where they really do respect the institution that they're a part of."

PRESIDENT OBAMA OUTLINES GOALS FOR EDUCATION

Education was one of the main themes in President Obama's State of the Union address. Official White House photo by Pete Souza.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

In a State of the Union address focused on growing a strong middle class, President Obama outlined a series of bold proposals that will increase access to high-quality education. Among them were initiatives to make quality early education accessible to every child, to tame the spiraling cost of college, and redesign the country’s high schools to meet the needs of the real world. The President called for a new College Scorecard to show parents and students "where you can get the most bang for your educational buck."

These proposals complemented other efforts to strengthen the middle class, including calls to raise the minimum wage and reform immigration. Education was one of the major themes of the President’s annual speech delivered to Congress and the country.


Educators and students were also well represented as guests to First Lady Michelle Obama. Here are the education excerpts from the speech:

Early Learning
Study after study shows that the sooner a child begins learning, the better he or she does down the road. But today, fewer than 3 in 10 four year-olds are enrolled in a high-quality preschool program. Most middle-class parents can’t afford a few hundred bucks a week for private preschool. And for poor kids who need help the most, this lack of access to preschool education can shadow them for the rest of their lives.
Tonight, I propose working with states to make high-quality preschool available to every child in America. Every dollar we invest in high-quality early education can save more than seven dollars later on – by boosting graduation rates, reducing teen pregnancy, even reducing violent crime.
In states that make it a priority to educate our youngest children, like Georgia or Oklahoma, studies show students grow up more likely to read and do math at grade level, graduate high school, hold a job, and form more stable families of their own. So let’s do what works, and make sure none of our children start the race of life already behind. Let’s give our kids that chance.
Building the Skills that Lead to High-Quality, High-Wage Jobs
Let’s also make sure that a high school diploma puts our kids on a path to a good job. Right now, countries like Germany focus on graduating their high school students with the equivalent of a technical degree from one of our community colleges, so that they’re ready for a job. At schools like P-Tech in Brooklyn, a collaboration between New York Public Schools, the City University of New York, and IBM, students will graduate with a high school diploma and an associate degree in computers or engineering.
In the President’s Plan for a Strong Middle Class & A Strong America, released in conjunction with the address, the President is calling on Congress to commit new resources to create a STEM Master Teacher Corps, enlisting 10,000 of America’s best science and math teachers to improve STEM education. The President continued by saying,
Four years ago, we started Race to the Top – a competition that convinced almost every state to develop smarter curricula and higher standards, for about 1 percent of what we spend on education each year. Tonight, I’m announcing a new challenge to redesign America’s high schools so they better equip graduates for the demands of a high-tech economy.
We’ll reward schools that develop new partnerships with colleges and employers, and create classes that focus on science, technology, engineering, and math – the skills today’s employers are looking for to fill jobs right now and in the future.
Holding Colleges Accountable for Cost, Value and Quality
Now, even with better high schools, most young people will need some higher education. It’s a simple fact: the more education you have, the more likely you are to have a job and work your way into the middle class. But today, skyrocketing costs price way too many young people out of a higher education, or saddle them with unsustainable debt.
Through tax credits, grants, and better loans, we have made college more affordable for millions of students and families over the last few years. But taxpayers cannot continue to subsidize the soaring cost of higher education. Colleges must do their part to keep costs down, and it’s our job to make sure they do.
Tonight, I ask Congress to change the Higher Education Act, so that affordability and value are included in determining which colleges receive certain types of federal aid. And tomorrow, my Administration will release a new "College Scorecard" that parents and students can use to compare schools based on a simple criteria: where you can get the most bang for your educational buck.

Rebuilding our Schools

The President also proposed a "Fix-It-First" program that would focus on urgent infrastructure repairs, which included schools.
And to make sure taxpayers don’t shoulder the whole burden, I’m also proposing a Partnership to Rebuild America that attracts private capital to upgrade what our businesses need most: modern ports to move our goods; modern pipelines to withstand a storm; modern schools worthy of our children.

RHINO SMUGGLING RING MEMBERS ARRESTED

Photo Credit:  U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service 

FROM: U.S DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Members of Rhino Smuggling Ring Arrested and Charged
Chinese Business Executive Arrested After Allegedly Offering Bribe

Three people have been charged this week in Newark, Miami and New York City with wildlife smuggling and related charges for their alleged roles in an international rhino horn smuggling ring, the Justice Department announced today. The arrests and charges are the result of "Operation Crash", a nationwide effort led by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) and the Justice Department to investigate and prosecute those involved in the black market trade of endangered rhinoceros horns.

Federal grand juries in Newark, N.J., and Miami have indicted Zhifei Li, in the international smuggling of rhinoceros horns. Shusen Wei, a 44 year old Chinese business executive and an associate of Li, has also been charged with offering to bribe a federal agent in the Li case. Qing Wang was charged today in a related criminal complaint in federal court in the Southern District of New York for his role in smuggling libation cups carved from rhinoceros horns from New York to Li via Hong Kong.

According to the indictment filed in Newark on Feb. 11, 2013, Li, a 28 year-old Chinese national, conspired to smuggle more than 20 raw rhinoceros horns from the United States to Hong Kong in 2011 and 2012. Li wired hundreds of thousands of dollars over at least a year to a co-conspirator in the United States to fund purchases of rhinoceros horns. Li’s co-conspirator smuggled the rhino horns in porcelain vases and mailed them to Hong Kong and China to a person other than Li, in an effort to evade detection by U.S. officials. Li and his co-conspirator bought many of the horns in New Jersey from other members of the conspiracy. Li was arrested in January on charges previously filed in New Jersey.

Li also was indicted on Feb. 12, 2013, in Miami on wildlife trafficking and smuggling charges. According to court records and government statements made in court, shortly after arriving in Florida in January 2013 for the Original Miami Beach Antique Show, Li purchased two endangered black rhinoceros horns from an undercover U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service agent in a Miami Beach hotel room for $59,000. Li asked if the undercover officer could procure additional rhinoceros horns and mail them to his company in Hong Kong.

Also arrested on a related criminal complaint filed in Miami was Shusen Wei, a Chinese business executive, who also was attending the antique show and sharing a hotel room with Li. According to documents filed in court in Miami, Wei was interviewed by agents after Li’s arrest and admitted to knowing about Li’s smuggling activities and to purchasing rhinoceros carvings from Li that apparently had been purchased in and smuggled from the United States. After being served with a grand jury subpoena to appear in New Jersey, Wei left Miami for New York en route to China. Prior to leaving Miami, Wei allegedly asked an undercover informant to invite a FWS special agent out to dinner in Miami and offer her money to assist Li. After a series of recorded phone calls and text messages, Wei was arrested as he attempted to board a flight bound for China at JFK International Airport in New York on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2013, on charges of bribing a federal official. According to documents filed in court, Wei proposed that the undercover informant offer the agent as much as $10,000.

Qing Wang is scheduled to appear in court today to face charges in a criminal complaint in the Southern District of New York for his role in smuggling libation cups carved from rhinoceros horns from New York to Li in Hong Kong. According to documents unsealed today, Wang was one of several that purchased items in the United States for Li. In China, there is a tradition dating back centuries of intricately carved rhinoceros horn cups . Drinking from such a cup was believed to bring good health and such carvings are highly prized by collectors. Wang is alleged to have been smuggling rhinoceros horn cups as well as ivory carvings to Li in Hong Kong.

An indictment or criminal complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

Rhinoceros are an herbivore species of prehistoric origin and one of the largest remaining mega-fauna on earth. They have no known predators other than humans. All species of rhinoceros are protected under United States and international law, and all black rhinoceros species are endangered. Since 1976, trade in rhinoceros horn has been regulated under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), a treaty signed by more than 175 countries around the world to protect fish, wildlife and plants that are or may become imperiled due to the demands of international markets. Nevertheless, the demand for rhinoceros horn and black market prices have skyrocketed in recent years due to the value that some cultures have placed on ornamental carvings, good luck charms or alleged medicinal purposes, leading to a decimation of the global rhinoceros population. As a result, rhino populations have declined by more than 90 percent since 1970. South Africa, for example, has witnessed a rapid escalation in poaching of live animals, rising from 13 in 2007 to more than 618 in 2012.

Operation Crash (named for the term used to describe a herd of rhinoceros) is an ongoing multi-agency effort to detect, deter and prosecute those engaged in the illegal killing of rhinoceros and the unlawful trafficking of rhinoceros horns. The investigation resulting in the charges announced today has been conducted by the Special Investigations Unit of the FWS Office of Law Enforcement, with assistance from the Department of Homeland Security. The Li case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the District of New Jersey by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen O’Leary. The Wei case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Watts-FitzGerald in the Southern District of Florida. The Wang case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Janis Echenberg in the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of New York. Senior Trial Attorney Richard A. Udell of the Environmental Crimes Section of the U.S. Department of Justice is assisting in and coordinating all of the prosecutions. Additional support has been provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of New York.

MAMMAL DIVERSITY AFTER THE DINOSAURS

Newborn Boston Terrior.  Credit:  Wikimedia Commons.

FROM: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Placental Mammal Diversity Blossomed After Age of Dinosaurs
Scientists build new 'tree of life' for placentals, visualize common ancestor

Scientists have reconstructed the common ancestor of placental mammals--an extremely diverse group including animals ranging from rodents to whales to humans--using the world's largest dataset of both genetic and physical traits.

In research results published today in the journal Science, the scientists reveal that, contrary to a commonly held theory, placental mammals did not diversify into their present-day lineages until after the extinction event that eliminated non-avian dinosaurs and about 70 percent of all species on Earth, some 65 million years ago.

This finding and the visualization of the placental ancestor, a small, insect-eating animal, was made with the help of a powerful cloud-based and publicly accessible database called MorphoBank.

The Science paper is the result of a multi-year collaborative project funded by the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Assembling the Tree of Life initiative.

"Molecular clock estimates and the fossil record do not agree on the time of origin and diversification of many modern and extinct biotic groups," said H. Richard Lane, program director in NSF's Division of Earth Sciences, which co-funded the research with NSF's Division of Environmental Biology. "Data from the NSF-supported Assembling the Tree of Life initiative have been the key to these conclusions."

Analysis of this massive dataset shows that placental mammals didn't originate during the Mesozoic Era, according to the paper's lead author, Maureen O'Leary of Stony Brook University and the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH).

"Species like rodents and primates did not share the Earth with non-avian dinosaurs but arose from a common ancestor--a small, insect-eating, scampering animal--shortly after the dinosaurs' demise."

There are two major types of data for building evolutionary trees of life: phenomic data, which includes observational traits such as anatomy and behavior, and genomic data encoded by DNA.

Some researchers have argued that integration of both is necessary for robust tree-building because examining only one type of data leaves out significant information.

The evolutionary history of placental mammals, for example, has been interpreted in very different ways depending on the data analyzed.

"This discovery about the diversification of placental mammals is remarkable, highlighting that resolution of the complete tree of life requires data from both molecules and morphology," said Robb Brumfield, program director in NSF's Division of Environmental Biology. "In this case, the inclusion of fossils was a key to understanding timing and branching history deep in the tree."

One leading analysis based on genomic data alone predicted that a number of placental mammal lineages existed in the Late Cretaceous and survived the Cretaceous-Paleogene (KPg) extinction that occurred about 66 million years ago.

Other analyses place the start of placental mammals near this boundary, and still others set their origin after this event.

"There are more than 5,100 living placental species and they exhibit enormous diversity, varying greatly in size, locomotor ability and brain size," said Nancy Simmons of the AMNH and a paper co-author.

"Given this diversity, it's of great interest to know when and how this clade first began evolving and diversifying."

The new study combines genomic and phenomic data in a simultaneous analysis for a more complete picture of the tree of life.

"Despite the considerable contributions of DNA sequence data to the study of species relationships, phenomic data have a major role in the direct reconstruction of trees," said Michael Novacek, a paleontologist at the AMNH and paper co-author.

"Such data include features preserved in fossils where DNA recovery may be impossible. The mammalian record is notably enriched with well-preserved fossils, and we don't want to build trees without using the direct evidence these fossils contribute."

"Discovering the tree of life is like piecing together a crime scene," said O'Leary.

"It's a story that happened in the past that you can't repeat. Just like with a crime scene, the new tools of DNA add important information, but so do other physical clues like a body or, in the scientific realm, fossils and anatomy. Combining all the evidence produces the most informed reconstruction of a past event."

The tree of life produced in this study shows that placental mammals arose rapidly after the KPg extinction, with the original ancestor speciating 200,000-400,000 years after the event.

"This is about 36 million years later than the prediction based on purely genetic data," said Marcelo Weksler, also a co-author and a researcher at the National Museum of Brazil.

The finding also contradicts a genomics-based model called the "Cretaceous-Terrestrial Revolution" that argues that the impetus for placental mammal speciation was the fragmentation of supercontinent Gondwana during the Jurassic and Cretaceous, millions of years earlier than the KPg event.

"The new tree indicates that the fragmentation of Gondwana came well before the origin of placental mammals and is an unrelated event," said John Wible of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History and paper co-author.

As part of the study, researchers used MorphoBank, an initiative funded primarily by NSF, with additional support from Stony Brook University, the American Museum of Natural History and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to record phenomic traits for 86 placental mammal species, of which 40 were fossil species.

The resulting dataset has more than 4,500 traits detailing characteristics such as the presence or absence of wings, teeth, certain bones, type of hair cover and structures found in the brain, as well as more than 12,000 supporting images, all publicly available online.

The dataset is 10 times larger than what has previously been used for studies of mammal relationships.

Because phenomic datasets are built on physical objects like fossils that are limited in number and take time to excavate, prepare and analyze, evolutionary trees based on anatomy usually don't exceed several hundred traits.

Large-scale collection of such data for tree-building is now being called "phylophenomics."

"Cyberinfrastructure for organizing molecular biology has historically outstripped infrastructure for phenomic data, but new technologies like MorphoBank allow scientists working with phenomic data to produce larger and more complex projects, and to enrich these databases with images, references and comments," said Andrea Cirranello, paper co-author and researcher at Stony Brook University and the AMNH.

The team reconstructed the anatomy of the placental common ancestor by mapping traits onto the tree most strongly supported by the combined phenomic and genomic data and comparing the features in placental mammals with those seen in their closest relatives.

This method, known as optimization, allowed the researchers to determine what features first appeared in the common ancestor of placental mammals, and also what traits were retained unchanged from more distant ancestors.

The researchers conclude that the common ancestor had features such as a two-horned uterus, a brain with a convoluted cerebral cortex and a placenta in which the maternal blood came in close contact with the membranes surrounding the fetus, as in humans.

In addition, the study reveals that a branch of the placental mammal tree called Afrotheria, whose living members include animals -- ranging from elephants to aardvarks-- that live in Africa today, did not originate on that continent but rather in the Americas.

"Determining how these animals first made it to Africa is now an important research question, along with many others that can be addressed using MorphoBank and the phylophenomic tree produced in this study," said co-author Fernando Perini of Minas Gerais Federal University in Brazil.

Added co-author Mary Silcox, an anthropologist at the University of Toronto Scarborough, "this project exposes a way forward to collect data on other phenomic systems and other species."

-NSF-

PRESIDENT OBAMA SAYS 34,000 TROOPS TO BE CUT FROM AFGHANISTAN

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Obama Announces 34,000 Cut to U.S. Force in Afghanistan
By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Feb. 12, 2013 - U.S. troops in Afghanistan will decrease by 34,000 over the coming year, President Barack Obama announced tonight in his annual State of the Union address.

"After a decade of grinding war, our brave men and women in uniform are coming home," he said early in his remarks to a joint session of Congress. Later in the speech, the commander in chief outlined his plan for troops in Afghanistan, now numbering about 66,000.

"Already, we have brought home 33,000 of our brave servicemen and women," he said. "This spring, our forces will move into a support role, while Afghan security forces take the lead. Tonight, I can announce that over the next year, another 34,000 American troops will come home from Afghanistan. This drawdown will continue. And by the end of next year, our war in Afghanistan will be over."

The president credited "the troops and civilians who sacrifice every day to protect us. Because of them, we can say with confidence that America will complete its mission in Afghanistan, and achieve our objective of defeating the core of al-Qaida."

America's commitment to a unified and sovereign Afghanistan will endure beyond 2014, Obama said, but the nature of that commitment will change.

"We're negotiating an agreement with the Afghan government that focuses on two missions: training and equipping Afghan forces so that the country does not again slip into chaos, and counter-terrorism efforts that allow us to pursue the remnants of al Qaeda and their affiliates," he noted.

Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta, in a statement, said he welcomes the commander in chief's announcement. The figure was based, he said, on Marine Corps Gen. John Allen's strategic recommendation of a phased approach to decreasing the force, now numbering about 62,000.

Allen turned over command of NATO's International Security Assistance Force and U.S. forces in Afghanistan to Marine Corps Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr. during a Feb. 10 ceremony in Kabul, Afghanistan.

The secretary said in his statement that in consultations with the president and his national security team, "I strongly supported General Allen's recommendation and I believe the president's decision puts us on the right path to succeed in Afghanistan."

Panetta said he is confident Dunford will have the combat power he needs to protect coalition forces, continue building up Afghan forces, and "achieve the goal of this campaign to deny al Qaeda a safe haven to attack our homeland."

Panetta noted the United States, NATO and the Afghan government agreed in Lisbon in 2010, and affirmed in Chicago in 2012, that Afghanistan will assume full responsibility for its security by the end of 2014.

"We are on track for that goal," he said, "and we will maintain a long-term commitment to Afghanistan including through the continued training and equipping of Afghan forces and counter-terrorism operations against al Qaeda and their affiliates."

The American people should never forget 9/11 is the reason their men and women are fighting in Afghanistan, Panetta said.

"After more than a decade of great sacrifice and hard-fought progress, we are now on a path to an Afghanistan that cannot be used as a launching pad for attacks against our nation," the secretary said.

"Our troops on the ground will continue to be in a tough fight, and they will continue to face real challenges, but our fundamental goal is now within sight," he concluded. "Thanks to their continued dedication and sacrifice, I believe we will prevail."

YELLOWSTONE ECOSYSTEM: NATURAL RELATIONSHIPS

Photo:  Yellowstone Beaver.  Credit: National Park Service.

FROM: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Yellowstone Ecosystem Needs Wolves and Willows, Elk and...Beavers?
Scientists plot crucial links among Yellowstone plant and animal species

Wolves and Yellowstone. In the public mind, and in nature, the two are inextricably linked.

Now, it turns out, they aren't alone on the ecological dance floor.

Elk and willows play a critical role in wolves' success in the Yellowstone ecosystem, willows serving as browse for elk--and elk as food for wolves.

But there's another species involved, one that's instrumental to these well-choreographed steps: the beaver.

"Beavers are the missing piece in this ecosystem," says ecologist Tom Hobbs of Colorado State University (CSU) in Fort Collins.

No wolves, no beavers

The loss of wolves caused far-reaching changes in the Yellowstone ecosystem: more elk and fewer willows. With no willows to slow stream flow, creeks flowed faster and faster. Beavers prefer slow-moving waters, so they disappeared with the willows.

"Putting wolves back isn't enough to reverse the extensive changes caused by their long absence," Hobbs and other scientists discovered in a decade-long research project.

The ecologists published results of their study this week in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B. In addition to Hobbs, co-authors are Kristin Marshall, formerly of CSU and now of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and David Cooper of CSU. Marshall is the paper's lead author.

"This research illustrates the value of long-term ecological experiments to understanding how species interactions cascade through food webs to determine ecosystem resilience," says Alan Tessier, program director in the National Science Foundation (NSF)'s Division of Environmental Biology, which funded the research.

"The results have immediate practical applications in restoring and protecting ecosystems such as that of Yellowstone."

Wolves aren't enough

Scientists had thought that the return of the wolf, leading to a cutback on elk numbers and willow-browsing, was central to restoring the Yellowstone ecosystem. "But Yellowstone also needs beavers," says Hobbs.

That's why bringing back wolves didn't work to quickly restore the ecosystem, the researchers believe.

Wolves hunted elk and brought down numbers of these ungulates. But removing elk-browsing wasn't enough for the willows. They needed the sluggish streams created by beavers. But the beavers were gone.

Streams: the missing link

Once, beavers had been abundant anywhere streams flowed through Yellowstone. And that was almost everywhere.

In the past, dams made by beavers were ubiquitous features of Yellowstone's stream network. A third of mainstream reaches show evidence of sediment deposition as a result of beaver dams, a process that's happened for millennia. That sediment offered willows a place to take root.

In the spring of 1921, scientist Edward Warren of the Roosevelt Wild Life Forest Experiment Station in Syracuse, N. Y., conducted a study of beavers in Yellowstone. Warren found beavers and their ponds scattered throughout the park.

Near the Elk Creek Bench Colony, for example, Warren spotted "a group of beaver ponds which present interesting features," he stated in a report published in the 1920s.

"The water supply is a small brook originating from springs in a boggy tract of several acres. The brook flows through a flat depression in a ridge, and it is in the swampy, springy ground just below the woods that most of the ponds are located."

It's a rare if not non-existent sight in Yellowstone today, especially on the park's northern range where Hobbs' team conducted its research.

"Excessive browsing of willows [by elk after wolves were gone] was implicated in the disappearance of beavers from streams during the twentieth century," Marshall, Hobbs and Cooper write in their paper. "The loss of beaver ponds from the stream network...compressed the area of bare, moist substrate needed for willow establishment."

Yellowstone ecosystem questions: answered by beavers?

Restoring an ecologically complete ecosystem in Yellowstone requires the return of willows--and with them, beavers.

There's a clear threshold for ecosystem recovery. Willow stands must be more than six feet tall, the scientists found. That height is important, says Marshall. Then willows are beyond the reach of browsing elk, and can serve as seed sources for new young willows.

Once willows have returned, beavers will gnaw down a certain number of them to build dams. The dams will further slow stream flow, allowing yet more willows to grow.

The results offer new insights on the role of wolf-driven trophic cascades in the Yellowstone ecosystem, says Hobbs.

Trophic cascades like that in Yellowstone occur when predators--or the lack thereof--in an ecosystem change the abundance or alter traits of their prey, in turn affecting the next lower trophic level.

"The reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone has contributed to improvements in the park's ecology, but clearly that ecology is a complicated one," says Marshall. "The take-home message is that we have to be careful not to remove predators in the first place."

First Meeting of the U.S. Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (USEITI) Advisory Committee

First Meeting of the U.S. Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (USEITI) Advisory Committee

Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dempsey to honor former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton

Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dempsey to honor former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton

Open for Questions: The State of the Union and the Economy | The White House

Open for Questions: The State of the Union and the Economy | The White House

Press Briefing by Secretary Panetta from the Pentagon

Press Briefing by Secretary Panetta from the Pentagon

CONGRESSMAN DAVE CAMP PUSHES THROUGH "NO BUDGET NO PAY ACT" FOR CONGRESS

FROM: CONGRESSMAN DAVE CAMP'S WEBSITE

Last week, the President signed into law the "No Budget No Pay Act," authored by Congressman Dave Camp (R-Midland) and Congresswoman Candice Miller (R-Harrison Twp.). The Act’s purpose is simple: if Members of Congress don’t do their jobs to produce a federal budget, they don’t get paid.

For the last two years the House of Representatives has passed a federal budget. However, the Senate has failed to do so for four years in a row – more than 1,300 days have passed without any budget from the Senate. It is time for both chambers of Congress – the House of Representatives and the Senate – to make the tough choices necessary to get Washington spending under control. If employees don’t do their jobs, their employer won’t pay them. It’s time for Congress to start living by that same simple rule.

BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM HAS A POSITIVE TEST

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE,
Aegis Missile Defense System Intercepts Target in Test
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Feb. 13, 2013 - The Missile Defense Agency and sailors aboard the USS Lake Erie conducted a successful flight test of the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense system today, resulting in the intercept of a medium-range ballistic missile target over the Pacific Ocean by a Standard Missile-3 Block IA guided missile.

At 4:10 a.m. EST, a unitary medium-range ballistic missile target was launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Kauai, Hawaii. The target flew northwest toward a broad area of the Pacific Ocean.

The in-orbit Space Tracking and Surveillance System-Demonstrators, or STSS-D, detected and tracked the target, and forwarded track data to the USS Lake Erie. The ship, equipped with the second-generation Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense weapon system, used "Launch on Remote" doctrine to engage the target.

The ship developed a fire control solution from the STSS-D track and launched the SM-3 Block IA guided missile about five minutes after target launch. The SM-3 maneuvered to a point in space and released its kinetic warhead. The warhead acquired the target re-entry vehicle, diverted into its path, and, using only the force of a direct impact, engaged and destroyed the target.

Initial indications are that all components performed as designed, officials said. Program officials will assess and evaluate system performance based upon telemetry and other data obtained during the test, they added.

Today's event, designated Flight Test Standard Missile-20, or FTM-20, was a demonstration of the ability of space-based assets to provide mid-course fire control quality data to an Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense ship, extending the battle space, providing the ability for longer-range intercepts and defense of larger areas, officials said.

FTM-20 is the 24th successful intercept in 30 flight test attempts for the Aegis BMD program since flight testing began in 2002. Across all Ballistic Missile Defense System programs, this is the 58th successful hit-to-kill intercept in 73 flight tests since 2001.

Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense is the sea-based component of the Missile Defense Agency's Ballistic Missile Defense System. The Aegis BMD engagement capability defeats short- to intermediate-range, unitary and separating, midcourse-phase ballistic missile threats with the SM-3, as well as short-range ballistic missiles in the terminal phase with the SM-2 Block IV missile.

The MDA and the Navy cooperatively manage the Aegis BMD program.

NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN FOR FEBRUARY 13, 2013

Partoling Afghanistan.  Credit:  U.S. Army.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Combined Force Kills Taliban Leader in Nangarhar Province
From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release

KABUL, Afghanistan, Feb. 13, 2013 - A combined Afghan and coalition force killed a Taliban leader in the Khugyani district of Afghanistan's Nangarhar province today, military officials reported.

Mojib, also known as Mansoor, conducted direct-fire attacks against Afghan government officials and Afghan and coalition forces. He was directly associated with Taliban senior leadership operating in Khugyani district and procured rocket-propelled grenades to be used in an attack on a coalition aircraft, officials said.

The security force seized assault rifles with associated gear as well as several grenades and a pistol in the operation.

Also today, a combined force in Khost province's Terayzai district arrested a Haqqani network leader who is accused of conducting attacks and kidnappings.

The security force also detained two suspected insurgents and seized grenades, an assault rifle with associated ammunition, an Afghan army uniform and two Afghan army identification cards in the operation.

In Afghanistan operations yesterday:

-- Afghan and coalition forces called in a precision airstrike in Helmand province's Nad-e Ali district that killed a Taliban leader responsible for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He also helped insurgents obtain heavy weapons. A post-strike assessment determined no civilians were harmed and no property was damaged in the operation.

-- A combined force called in a precision strike that killed two insurgents in Kunar province's Ghaziabad district. A post-operation assessment determined no civilians were harmed and no civilian property was damaged in the operation.

-- In Kandahar province's Maiwand district, a combined force arrested a Taliban facilitator believed responsible for coordinating and conducting insurgent operations.

Remarks With Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh After Their Meeting

Remarks With Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh After Their Meeting

LANDSAT DATA CONTINUITY MISSION PRELAUNCH

FROM: NASA
Landsat Data Continuity Mission Prelaunch
The United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket with the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) spacecraft onboard is seen on Sunday, Feb. 10, 2013 at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.

The Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) mission is a collaboration between NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey that will continue the Landsat program's 40-year data record of monitoring the Earth's landscapes from space. The spacecraft launched Feb. 11.

Photo Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

MAN GETS 30 MONTHS IN PRISON FOR SMUGGLING KICKBACK PROCEEDS FROM AFGHANISTAN

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Former Department of Defense Contractor Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Smuggling Kickback Proceeds from Afghanistan to the United States

Former employee of a Department of Defense contracting company at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, was sentenced today to serve 30 months in prison for attempting to smuggle $150,000 in kickback proceeds he received for steering U.S. government subcontracts to an Afghan company, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom of the District of Kansas.

Donald Gene Garst, 51, of Topeka, Kan., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Julie A. Robinson in Topeka. In addition to his prison term, Garst was sentenced to serve one year of supervised release and was ordered to pay a fine of $52,117. The department previously forfeited the $150,000 Garst had attempted to smuggle into the United States.

Garst pleaded guilty on Nov. 9, 2012, to a one-count information charging him with bulk cash smuggling. According to court documents, Garst was employed by a private U.S. company that was contracted by the U.S. government and its armed forces at Bagram Airfield from January 2009 to May 2011. Garst was involved in identifying, evaluating and monitoring subcontracts awarded to Afghan companies by his employer, and he used his position to meet executives of an Afghan construction company called Somo Logistics. Garst then entered into an agreement with the Afghans under which he would receive kickback payments on a contract-by-contract basis in return for treating Somo Logisitcs favorably in the contracting process.

In December 2010, Garst accepted a kickback for $60,000 on the first subcontract awarded to Somo Logistics. The subcontract was for the term lease of heavy equipment meant to be used for construction on Bagram Airfield. Garst hand-carried approximately $20,000 of the kickback proceeds into the United States, and he received the remainder via a series of structured wire transfers from Somo Logistics executives.

In May 2011, Garst accepted a $150,000 kickback for a second subcontract for the lease of heavy construction equipment. Garst shipped the $150,000 in cash to the United States, and his failure to declare the value of the shipment was discovered by law enforcement.

Garst had further agreed to receive $400,000 on a third subcontract, but his scheme was discovered by law enforcement before he could receive that payment.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag and Trial Attorney Wade Weems of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section. The case was investigated by Special Agents with the Army Criminal Investigations Division and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, with assistance from the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction and the FBI.

TPC - Videos

TPC - Videos: Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says Commander in Chief Barack Obama's decision to bring 34,000 troops back from Afghanistan was based on reccomendations from former ISAF Comamnder Gen John Allen.

European Space Agency United Kingdom (EN) Update

European Space Agency United Kingdom (EN) Update

FROM RUSSIA WITH CARGO

FROM: NASA
Russian Cargo Ship Heads to Station

The ISS Progress 50 resupply ship launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 9:41 a.m. EST (8:41 p.m. Kazakhstan time) Monday on an accelerated, four-orbit journey to rendezvous with the International Space Station.

GENERAL ODIERNO TELLS SENATE COMMITTEE THAT SEQUESTRATION WOULD HARM MILITARY READINESS

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Odierno: Sequestration Would Impact Army Readiness
By Cody Starken
Army News Service

WASHINGTON, Feb. 12, 2013 - Furloughs, budget cuts and curtailment of training would significantly impact Army readiness if the billions of dollars in spending cuts triggered by sequestration are allowed to take place March 1, Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Ray Odierno told lawmakers Tuesday.

Odierno, along with other senior defense and military leaders testified on the impact of sequestration before the Senate Armed Services Committee. "The fiscal outlook that the Army faces in fiscal year 13 is dire, and to my knowledge, unprecedented," Odierno said.

Since 2008, the total Army budget will have been reduced by 37 percent. If sequestration is enacted, it will be greater than 45 percent. This reduces the ability to reset the force, and delays modernization programs the Army currently funds, he said.

"We simply cannot take the readiness of our force for granted. If we do not have the resources to train and equip the force, our soldiers, our young men and women, are the ones who will pay the price, potentially with their lives," Odierno said.

The Army will also have constraints on military training and readiness, Odierno said. Even though current military personnel are spared, civilian employees will be affected through layoffs and furloughs. An Army-wide hiring freeze is already in effect, and about 3,100 temporary and term employees have been terminated.

Sequestration will mean curtailing training of 80 percent of ground forces, affecting basic war-fighting skills. It could also introduce a critical shortfall in areas such as aviation, intelligence and engineering, Odierno said.

Local business will be affected as well. "In the Army, we are going to have to reduce purchase orders from 3,000 small companies," said Odierno. "From an Army perspective, it will hit the small companies" an impact that he predicted would be devastating.

Gen. Frank Grass, chief of the Army National Guard told lawmakers "In the area of personnel: a government, civilian, and military-technician hiring freeze compounded by a 22-day furlough will limit our ability to train and maintain our National Guard forces."

Those testifying Tuesday urged lawmakers to prevent sequestration from occurring.

"I know what it takes to prepare this nation's sons and daughters for war. I know what it takes to grow leaders in our Army. I know what is required to send Soldiers into combat, and I've seen the consequences when they are sent unprepared," said Odierno.

U.S. EXPORT-IMPORT BANK TO FINACE EXPORT OF AIRCRAFT TO RUSSIA

Peter And Paul Fortress.  Credit:  CIA World Factbook.

FROM: U.S. EXPORT-IMPORT BANK
Ex-Im Approves more than $500 million to Finance Export of U.S. Aircraft to Russia

Washington, D.C. – The board of the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) voted to guarantee a loan of more than $500 million provided by Apple Bank for Savings to OJSC VEB Leasing (VEBL) of Moscow for the export of a fleet of Boeing 777 aircraft to Russia to be operated by Aeroflot Russian Airlines (Aeroflot).


Boeing delivered the first of the aircraft earlier this month.

Ex-Im Bank’s financing will support approximately 3,200 U.S. jobs, according to Bank estimates derived from Departments of Commerce and Labor data and methodology.

"The transaction showcases once again the wealth of opportunities for U.S. exporters in Russia," said Ex-Im Bank Chairman and President Fred P. Hochberg. "Moreover, the aircraft sale will support thousands of high-paying American jobs and provide Aeroflot with a top-of-the-line product."

VEBL, a subsidiary and leasing arm of the state-owned Vnesheconombank Group (VEB), will lease the aircraft to Aeroflot. It is the largest leasing company in the Russian Federation both in terms of its existing lease portfolio and new business volume. In line with VEB’s mandate, VEBL aims to increase the competiveness and diversification of the Russian economy and promote investment activity in key industries. Its portfolio is diversified over a number of different sectors, including, aviation, rail, sea and river vessels, heavy machinery, and automobiles.

"Aircraft financing is one of the main business activities of Vnesheconombank," said Vnesheconombank Deputy Chairman and Member of the Board Alexander S. Ivanov. "With this transaction we are happy to step into a promising and mutually beneficial partnership with Ex-Im Bank in this field."

Aeroflot, also of Moscow, is the flag carrier and largest airline of the Russian Federation. The company, which dates back to 1923, boasts one of the youngest fleets in Europe and is a member of the SkyTeam Alliance, which was founded by Delta Air Lines, Aeroméxico, Air France, and Korean Air. The new acquisition of the aircraft will contribute to the airline’s fleet renewal and route-network expansion. Additionally, the Aeroflot aircraft will share routes and flights with other members of the SkyTeam Alliance as part of the Alliance’s codeshare agreement.

"Boeing is very pleased that Aeroflot becomes Russia’s first airline to add the 777-300ER to its fleet," said Marty Bentrott, Boeing Commercial Airplanes sales vice president for the Middle East, Russian and Central Asia. "Russia is an important and growing market for aviation and aircraft financing. Ex-Im Bank's innovative financing structuring in this transaction facilitates Aeroflot selecting U.S.-built airplanes to help it succeed, while supporting U.S. exports and sustaining good-paying, high-skilled American aviation manufacturing jobs."

The 2013 State of the Union Address | The White House

The 2013 State of the Union Address | The White House