SECRETARY OF DEFENSE HAGEL ISSUES MESSAGE REGARDING INDEPENDENCE DAY

Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 
Hagel Issues Independence Day Message
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, July 3, 2013 - In his Independence Day message issued today, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel thanked U.S. troops and their families for their service to the nation.

Here is the text of the secretary's message:

On this Independence Day, I want to express my appreciation to the men and women and their families who serve our country across the nation and around the world. Thank you for everything you do to help keep our nation safe.

It's been 237 years since a small band of patriots signed the Declaration of Independence, in which they pledged their lives and their sacred honor to defend our unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Since then, generations of Americans have made that same pledge, boldly standing up in the face of tyranny, oppression, and persecution.

That legacy lives on today. This week marked the 40th anniversary of the all-volunteer force, a symbol of how our brave men and women in uniform continue to protect the freedoms declared by our founding fathers more than two centuries ago. Their devotion to duty is just as strong, as is their willingness to risk their lives for each other and our country. And their dedication is a reminder that the preservation of America's liberties does not come without cost.

Those who serve in our armed forces, and their families, have given much in the name of defending the ideals and free institutions we often take for granted. Today, as we celebrate our nation's birth, let us honor their dutiful service and strive to be worthy of their tremendous sacrifices.

God bless you, our great nation, and all who serve to protect it. Happy Fourth of July!

EPA ISSUES WARNING OF FIRE AND EXPLOSION RISKS WHEN USING REFRIGERANT SUBSTITUTES

FROM:  ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 
EPA Warns Against Use of Refrigerant Substitutes That Pose Fire and Explosion Risk

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is warning homeowners, propane manufacturers and sellers, home improvement contractors and air conditioning technicians of potential safety hazards related to the use of propane or other unapproved refrigerants in home air conditioning systems.

EPA is currently investigating instances where propane has been marketed and used as a substitute for HCFC-22 (R-22), a refrigerant that is widely used in home air conditioning systems.

Home air conditioning systems are not designed to handle propane or other similar flammable refrigerants. The use of these substances poses a potential fire or explosion hazard for homeowners and service technicians.  

EPA is aware of incidents that have occurred both overseas and in the U.S. where individuals have been injured as a result of the use of propane and other unapproved refrigerants in air conditioning systems. We are investigating and will take enforcement actions where appropriate. Other names for these unapproved refrigerants include R-290, 22a, 22-A, R-22a, HC-22a, and CARE 40.

At this time, EPA has not approved the use of propane refrigerant or other hydrocarbon refrigerants in any type of air conditioner. Homeowners and technicians are strongly recommended to limit use of propane or other hydrocarbons to only those appliances specifically designed for these substances and that are properly marked to alert technicians that the equipment contains a flammable substance. EPA has approved the use of propane as a substitute refrigerant for R-22 in industrial process refrigeration systems and in new, stand-alone retail food refrigerators and freezers that are specifically designed to use flammable hydrocarbon refrigerants.

R-22 is being phased out of production and importation under the Montreal Protocol, an environmental treaty ratified by every country in the world designed to reduce and eventually eliminate the use of ozone depleting substances. EPA’s Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) Program has already listed numerous refrigerants with improved environmental, health and safety profiles and continues to evaluate other refrigerants that can be used to replace R-22 and other ozone-depleting substances.

PRESIDENT OBAMA SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER TO HELP COMBAT WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING

FROM: THE WHITE HOUSE

FACT SHEET: U.S. Efforts to Combat Wildlife Trafficking

July 01, 2013

Wildlife trafficking is a multi-billion dollar illicit business that is decimating Africa’s iconic animal populations. Many species -- most notably elephants and rhinoceroses -- now face the risk of significant decline or even extinction. Like other forms of illicit trade, wildlife trafficking undermines security across nations. Well-armed, well-equipped, and well-organized networks of poachers, criminals, and corrupt officials exploit porous borders and weak institutions to profit from trading in illegally taken wildlife.


The United States is committed to combating wildlife trafficking, related corruption, and money laundering. With our international partners, we are working to reduce demand, strengthen enforcement, and building capacity to address these challenges bilaterally, regionally, and multilaterally.



A New Executive Order to Better Coordinate the U.S. Response

Today the President will sign an Executive Order (E.O.) to enhance coordination of U.S. Government efforts to combat wildlife trafficking and assist foreign governments in building the capacity needed to combat wildlife trafficking and related organized crime.

The E.O. establishes a Presidential Task Force on Wildlife Trafficking charged with developing a National Strategy for Combating Wildlife Trafficking. It also establishes an Advisory Council on Wildlife Trafficking comprised of eight individuals with relevant expertise from outside the Government to make recommendations to the Task Force.



New Assistance to Support Regional Partners

As the President will announce today in Tanzania, the U.S. Department of State will provide an additional $10 million in regional and bilateral training and technical assistance in Africa to combat wildlife trafficking. This will include approximately $3 million in bilateral assistance to South Africa, $3 million in bilateral assistance to Kenya, and $4 million in regional assistance throughout sub-Saharan Africa.

This training and technical assistance aims to:

1) Strengthen policies and legislative frameworks;

2) Enhance investigative and law enforcement functions;

3) Support regional cooperation among enforcement agencies; and,

4) Develop capacities to prosecute and adjudicate crimes related to wildlife trafficking.

In addition, USAID will launch a wildlife technology challenge, which will promote the use of innovative technologies like mobile phone applications and wildlife DNA analysis techniques to assist in combating wildlife trafficking.

The State Department, USAID, and the Department of Interior U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) will also assign a USFWS official to our Embassy in Dar es Salaam to support the Government of Tanzania's efforts to develop an overarching wildlife security strategy.



New U.S. Enforcement and Regulatory Efforts to Combat Wildlife Trafficking

The Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program, which was signed into law on January 2013, enables the Secretary of State to offer rewards up for information leading to the arrest, conviction, or identification of significant members of transnational criminal organizations who operate primarily outside the United States.

The law also allows for rewards for information that dismantles such organizations or leads to the disruption of their financial mechanisms. The United States intends to leverage this new authority, as appropriate, to combat the most significant perpetrators of wildlife trafficking.

In addition, the Department of Interior will enhance regulations that directly affect illegal wildlife trafficking of elephants and rhinoceroses. These regulations pertain to U.S. federal laws including the Endangered Species Act, the African Elephant Conservation Act, and the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act.



Successes to Date and Building on On-going Activities

These new commitments build on on-going efforts within the U.S. Government, and with foreign governments, international organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector to reduce demand and strengthen enforcement and institutional capabilities. Representative examples include:


Capacity Building from Asia to Africa

USAID supports over $12 million per year in counter-wildlife trafficking activities, including support for anti-poaching activities in Africa and Asia, capacity building, and demand reduction campaigns in Asia.
The State Department and Department of the Interior / USFWS support the International Law Enforcement Academy in Gaborone, Botswana, which has trained 350 law enforcement officers in wildlife crime investigations since 2002.
To specifically address transcontinental trafficking, USAID is funding a three-year program with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and the wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC to improve understanding of current trends in wildlife trafficking and identify priority wildlife trafficking issues on behalf of the broader law enforcement and security communities.
The State Department is providing more than $2 million to support investigation, interdiction, and prosecution efforts in East Asia and the Pacific, including park ranger training and special investigative training for wildlife managers at the U.S. International Law Enforcement Academy in Bangkok.
The USFWS is providing an additional $2 million annually to support the Wildlife Without Borders capacity building program, which aids government agencies and non-governmental partners in enhancing wildlife law enforcement training, promoting best practices for community stewardship of wildlife resources, and addressing other critical conservation needs.
The Department of Justice and the USFWS jointly investigate and prosecute wildlife trafficking cases, working alongside international partners, to provide training and state-of-the-art forensic support for investigating and prosecuting wildlife crimes.

Conservation and Demand Reduction

The USFWS provides $10 million annually to enhance and support wildlife conservation throughout Africa and Asia. The funds support essential wildlife protection activities in 25 African countries, including improving capacity to carry out investigations and prosecutions of wildlife crime; developing effective park law enforcement and management to deter illegal hunting; improving management of key wildlife species and protected areas; and developing community management schemes.
USAID invests $200 million a year in biodiversity conservation, $70 million of which is in Africa. These investments provide support for community-based approaches to natural resources management in Africa, including community-scouting and ranger programs.
In consumer nations in Asia, USFWS supports government partners in awareness and demand reduction campaigns, which include public outreach to discourage consumption, noting the cost to wildlife of purchased exotic items, and highlighting criminal consequences of consuming illegally trafficked or purchased wildlife products.

Building a Coalition of Partnerships

The United States is working with the International Consortium to Combat Wildlife Crime and other interested partners to support the creation of a global network of regional and national Wildlife Enforcement Networks to improve communication and strengthen response actions across enforcement agencies globally. USAID has invested $17 million since 2005 to specifically support improving these regional networks of wildlife enforcement officials, as well as increasing public awareness, reducing demand for wildlife products, and building political will. The United States is also supporting the creation of new networks in central Africa and the Horn of Africa, among others in Asia and South America.
Additionally, the United States encourages participation by governments, civil society, and the private sector in existing partnerships that combat wildlife crime, such as the Coalition Against Wildlife Trafficking (CAWT).

Raising the Issue in International Fora

The United States successfully co-sponsored a resolution at the 2013 UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice encouraging UN Member States to classify wildlife trafficking as a "serious" crime as defined in the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. This will facilitate further international cooperation among states that have ratified or acceded to the treaty, and will lead to increased penalties for traffickers.
Through U.S. advocacy, the 2012 APEC Leaders Declaration included commitments to address both the supply and demand for endangered and protected wildlife, including through capacity building and increased enforcement.

Have a Perfect Picnic

Have a Perfect Picnic

DOD Daily Press Briefing - July 3, 2013

Daily Press Briefing - July 3, 2013

THE 4OTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ALL-VOLUNTEER FORCE

FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT

Top Service Members Mark All-volunteer Force's Anniversary

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, July 2, 2013 - In a letter issued yesterday to the men and women of the armed forces, the nation's top two military officers and senior enlisted member marked the 40th anniversary of the all-volunteer force.


The letter -- signed by Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Navy Adm. James A. Winnefeld Jr., vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs; and Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Bryan B. Battaglia, senior enlisted advisor to the chairman -- reads as follows:

Since the Nation's founding, our sons and daughters have volunteered to leave the everyday comforts of their homes, their neighborhoods, and their families to join and serve a cause greater than themselves. They have joined a profession bound by honor, sacrifice, bravery, and -- in many cases -- danger. They serve a greater purpose -- protecting and defending the Constitution of the United States.

On 1 July 1973, the United States instituted the All-Volunteer Force. Those who choose to wear the cloth of our Nation do so with a great sense of pride and allegiance. To volunteer speaks volumes to the character, patriotism, and commitment of America's most precious resource -- our men and women who serve.

As we commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the All-Volunteer Force, we would like to pass our heartfelt appreciation to all those who have served and are serving in the United States Armed Forces. You are America's strength -- you honor our past, and you preserve our future.

Well done, Warriors -- thank you for your service!

DOD WORKS TOWARD NEW CYBER STRATEGY

Air Force Tech Sgt. Kevin Garner and Air Force Senior Airman David Solnok, cyber transport technicians assigned to the 354th Communications Squadron, hook cables in to the new Air Force Network router system at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, Jan. 26, 2012. The system enhanced cyber capabilities by providing network oversight to all U.S. Air Force installations. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Christopher Boitz

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
DOD at Work on New Cyber Strategy, Senior Military Advisor Says

By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, July 1, 2013 - The Defense Department released its first strategy for operating in cyberspace two years ago this month, and officials are at work on the next version, the senior military advisor for cyber to the undersecretary of defense for policy said in Baltimore last week.

Army Maj. Gen. John A. Davis spoke to a lunch audience at the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association International Cyber Symposium, noting that two years might equal 20 in the domain that accommodates distanceless travel.

"Senior leaders in the department and beyond the department understand that cyber is a problem [and] cyber is important. They've made cyber a priority, and there is a sense of urgency," the general said.

The strategy's five initiatives were to treat cyberspace as an operational domain, use new defense operating concepts to protect Defense Department networks, partner with other federal agencies and the private sector for a whole-of-government approach, partner with international allies for a global approach, and leverage the nation's ingenuity through an exceptional cyber workforce and technological innovation.

The department's method for implementing the strategy is called the cyber initiative group, the general said. "It's a process that includes engagement at all levels, from the action-officer level all the way to senior defense leadership," he explained.

A great deal of work remains, he added, "but we have made some really good progress in a number of areas under each of these strategy components." The process has been difficult and complex, he added, which reflects the complex interrelationships involved in the cyberspace arena.

Over the past two years, Davis said, the department has made progress in several areas. For example, he told the audience, DOD has:

-- Established service cyber components under U.S. Cyber Command;

-- Established joint cyber centers at each combatant command;

-- Implemented a military-orders process to handle cyber action as it is handled in other operational domains in a process supported by an emergency conferencing procedure that links key organizations and leaders from across DOD and government to quickly assess major cyber threats and make decisions;

-- Established an interim command-and-control framework for cyberspace operations across joint service and defense agency organizations;

-- Developed a force structure model for cyber force organizations;

-- Established a plan and developed orders to transition to a new network architecture called the Joint Information Environment, or JIE, that will make DOD networks more effective, defendable and efficient; and

-- Conducted two years of Cyber Flag exercises at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada that were joint, full-spectrum cyberspace operations exercises using live opposition forces and a virtual environment that mirrored current cyber threats.

DOD's mission is to defend the nation in all domains, but in cyberspace, the department shares its role with other members of the federal cybersecurity team, including the Justice Department and its FBI, the lead for investigation and law enforcement, the general said.

Other team members are the Department of Homeland Security -- the lead for protecting critical infrastructure and government systems outside the military -- and the intelligence community, which is responsible for threat intelligence and attribution, he added, noting that there are even roles and responsibilities for public-private and international partners.

DOD has begun to refine its role in defending the nation in cyberspace, Davis said.

"We have three main cyber missions, and three kinds of cyber forces will operate around the clock to conduct those missions," the general explained.

National mission forces will be prepared to counter adversary cyberattacks, he said. A second, larger set of combat mission forces will be prepared to support combatant commanders as they execute military missions, integrating cyber capabilities and effects into their military contingency plans and operations alongside traditional capabilities and effects, he added.

Still other cyber protection forces -- the largest set, Davis said, will operate and defend the networks that support military operations worldwide.

"We will deter, disrupt and deny adversary cyberspace operations that threaten vital U.S. interests when approved by the president and directed by the secretary of defense," he said. "If a crippling cyberattack is launched against our nation, the Department of Defense must be ready for an order from the commander in chief to act."

150th Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg

150th Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg

STATEMENT FROM EDUCATION SECRETARY DUNCAN ON TITLE VI ANNIVERSARY

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Statement by Secretary Arne Duncan on the Anniversary of Title VI

July 2, 2013

Today, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan released the following statement regarding the anniversary of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964:


"The 49th anniversary of the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is an opportunity to reflect on the importance of education in America's progress toward racial equality.

"Title VI has prohibited discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in any program or activity - including all elementary and secondary schools and colleges and universities, public or private - receiving Federal financial assistance.

"The Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights has used Title VI to promote equal access to college- and career-preparatory courses and programs and to combat school segregation, discriminatory discipline, harassment, and other barriers to equal education for students of different racial, ethnic and linguistic backgrounds.

"We still have a long way to go to achieve racial equity. Last week, in the Fisher case, the Supreme Court preserved the well-established legal principle that colleges and universities have a compelling interest in achieving the educational benefits that flow from a racially and ethnically diverse student body, and can pursue that interest in their admissions programs. Lack of access to college- and career preparatory school programs persist, and racial disparities in discipline deny equal opportunity to too many of our students of color. Many of our nation's schools are still racially isolated, and racial gaps continue to exist in important measurements of learning.

"Today, we at the Department of Education recommit ourselves to enforcing Title VI to help end illegal discrimination in our country's schools and promote equitable opportunities for all students. We salute the states, districts, communities and advocates across America that have worked tirelessly to ensure that racial discrimination is eliminated as a barrier to student learning and success."

Dernières images d'une icône

Dernières images d'une icône

SENATOR LEVIN'S STATEMENT ON GLEEPA

FROM: U.S. SENATOR LEVIN'S WEBSITE
Senate Floor Statement on the Introduction of the Great Lakes Ecological and Economic Protection Act of 2013

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, the Great Lakes are a magnificent resource and unique in the world. These water bodies, formed during the last ten thousand years, are the largest source of surface freshwater on the planet. The lakes shaped how people settled and secured resources for their survival. Native Americans, French explorers, early European settlers, immigrants flocking to new industrial cities, along with the current populations of today all rely on the lakes for their survival – providing food and drinking water, transportation, power, recreation, and magnificent beauty.


However, the vast resources the Great Lakes provide must not be taken for granted. We must do all we can to protect these waters and clean up the areas that have been harmed by toxic contaminants, polluted runoff, untreated wastewater, and destructive invasive species. That is why as co-chairs of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force, Senator Kirk and I, along with several of our colleagues, are introducing today the Great Lakes Ecological and Economic Protection Act of 2013, or GLEEPA.

This bill builds upon the work of a multitude of stakeholders -- environmental organizations; business associations; tribal governments; community leaders; and federal, state and local officials – who worked together to craft the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy, a 2005 plan to guide restoration and protection for the Great Lakes. The legislation we are introducing today would formally authorize the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), an inter-agency program designed to implement the plan articulated in the Collaboration Strategy.

The GLRI is an action-oriented, results-driven initiative targeting the most significant problems in the Great Lakes, including aquatic invasive species, toxics and contaminated sediment, nonpoint source pollution, and habitat and wildlife protection and restoration. While broadly authorized under the Clean Water Act, the GLRI should be specifically authorized in law to clarify its purpose and objectives and to demonstrate support from Congress. Since the GLRI was launched in fiscal year 2010 with $475 million in funding, real progress has been made to restore the health of the Great Lakes: More than a million cubic yards of contaminated sediments have been cleaned up. More than 20,000 acres of wetland, coastal, upland and island habitat have been restored or enhanced. New technologies are being developed to combat the sea lamprey. Asian carp have been prevented from establishing a sustaining population in the Great Lakes. Hundreds of river miles have been restored to enable free fish passage from the Great Lakes to their spawning grounds. Reduction of nutrient loading from agriculture runoff has lessened occurrences of harmful algal blooms.

In addition to authorization of the GLRI, this legislation would reauthorize two existing programs: (1) the Great Lakes Legacy program, which supports the removal of contaminated sediments at more than thirty Areas of Concern (AOCs) across the Great Lakes; and (2) the Great Lakes National Program Office, which handles Great Lakes matters for the EPA.

The health and vitality of the Great Lakes not only provide immense public health and environmental benefits, but they are also critical to the economic health of the region. For example, in Muskegon Lake, which is directly connected to Lake Michigan, cleanup of 430,000 cubic yards of sediment contaminated with mercury and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, also provided jobs to barge and dredge operators, truck drivers, biologists, chemists, toxicologists, and general laborers. The cleanup will help lift fish consumption advisories and restore fish habitat, which is vital to this area that is a popular fishing and boating destination.

Reports find a two to three dollar return for every dollar invested in cleanup and restoration activity. And preventing future damage to the lakes – from aquatic invasive species for example – could easily save the public hundreds of millions of dollars in future expenditures. With a $7 billion fishery, $16 billion in annual expenditures related to recreational boating, and about 37 million hunters, anglers and bird watchers enjoying the Great Lakes each year, we cannot afford to not protect and restore this precious resource.

The legislation we are introducing today includes important safeguards to ensure that tax dollars are wisely spent on activities that actually achieve results. Projects are directed to be selected so that they achieve strategic and measurable outcomes and which can be promptly implemented through leveraging additional non-federal resources. The bill would also authorize an inter-agency task force to coordinate federal resources in a way that most efficiently uses taxpayer funds, focusing on measurable outcomes such as cleaner water, improved public health, and sustainable fisheries in the Great Lakes.

Finally, state and local officials, tribal governments, business organizations, environmental organizations, and other stakeholders need an avenue to communicate on matters pertaining to Great Lakes restoration. Recently, the EPA created a board that advises the EPA and other federal agencies on Great Lakes cleanup and protection activities. This bill would make the advisory board permanent to ensure that the many voices across the Great Lakes region can have a direct conduit to the federal government.

Mr. President, the Great Lakes are home to more than 3,500 species of plants and animals and support 1.5 million direct jobs, $62 billion in wages and a $7 billion fishery. This legislation is needed to address the threat of invasive species such as Asian carp, polluted runoff that can harm aquatic and public health, toxic sediments, and harmful algal blooms that kill fish, foul coastlines, and threaten public health. The legislation will also help the United States implement its commitment to the bi-national 2012 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. We hope the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works will promptly act on this important legislation, as it did in 2010 when it approved similar legislation.

WATERSHEDS AFFECTED BY BARK BEETLES

 

Lodgepole Pines.  Credit:  Widimedia.

FROM: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Ghosts of Forests Past: Bark Beetles Kill Lodgepole Pines, Affecting Entire Watersheds

In mountains across the Western United States, scientists are racing against time--against a tiny beetle--to save the last lodgepole pines.


Forests are bleeding out from the effects of the beetles, their conifers' needles turning crimson before the trees die.

Now, researchers are also hurrying to preserve the region's water quality, affected by the deaths of the pines.

"When these trees die," says hydrologist Reed Maxwell of the Colorado School of Mines, "the loss of the forest canopy affects hydrology and the cycling of essential nutrients."

Maxwell and other scientists recently published results of their study in the journal Biogeochemistry.

Co-authors, in addition to Maxwell, are Kristin Mikkelson, Lindsay Bearup, John McCray and Jonathan Sharp of the Colorado School of Mines, and John Stednick of Colorado State University. Mikkelson is the paper's first author.


Bark beetle numbers: heating up
"The mountain pine beetle outbreak in Western states has reached epidemic proportions," says Maxwell.

Bark beetles, as they're known, are native to the United States. They're so-named as the beetles reproduce in the inner bark of trees. Some species, such as the mountain pine beetle, attack and kill live trees. Others live in dead, weakened or dying hosts.

Massive outbreaks of mountain pine beetles in western North America since the mid-2000s have felled millions of acres of forests from New Mexico to British Columbia, threatening increases in mudslides and wildfires.

Climate change could be to blame. The beetles' numbers were once kept in check by cold winter temperatures and trees that had plenty of water to use as a defense.

But winters have become warmer, and droughts have left trees water-stressed and less able to withstand an onslaught of winged invaders.

"A small change in temperature leads to a large change in the number of beetles--and now to a large change in water quality," says Tom Torgersen, director of the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Water, Sustainability and Climate (WSC) Program, which funded the research.

WSC is part of NSF's Science, Engineering and Education portfolio of investments.

"Bark beetles have killed 95 percent of mature lodgepole pines," says Maxwell.

Death of a lodgepole pine

But the trees don't die immediately.

When beetles invade, a blue fungus spreads inside a tree's trunk, choking off transpiration and killing the tree in about two years.

The trees turn blood-red, then the ashen gray of death, dropping their needles to the forest floor.

"Some of the most important effects of bark beetles may be changes in the hydrologic cycle," says Maxwell, "via snow accumulation under trees and water transpiration from trees and other plants."

Biogeochemical changes may be even more important, he says, with carbon and nitrogen cycles interrupted.

"We're studying these hydrologic and geochemical processes through a combination of field work, lab research and computer modeling," says Maxwell.


Whither the beetles, so the trees, forests...and waters
Changes in tree canopies affect snowpack development and snowmelt.

For example, a lack of needles on branches lets more snow fall through the canopy--snow that would otherwise be caught on branches. A tree without needles also has less shade beneath it.

The result is a shallower snowpack, earlier snowmelt and less water in spring.

"The real question," Maxwell says, "is how these processes translate from individual trees to hillslopes to large watersheds."

Dead trees don't transpire water. Once a forest has died, this important flow of moisture from the ground to the atmosphere ceases.

That can mean a loss of as much as 60 percent of the water budget, although increases in ground evaporation or transpiration from understory shrubs and bushes may compensate for some of the lack.

"Combined with what's happening to snowpack depth," says Maxwell, "it becomes a complicated relationship that can change the timing and magnitude of spring runoff from snowmelt--and an entire year's water resources."

Tree mortality also appears to affect forest carbon and nitrogen cycles through increases in dissolved organic carbon.

"We've seen changes in drinking water quality in beetle-affected watersheds that are almost certainly related to high dissolved organic carbon levels," says Maxwell.

As Maxwell, Mikkelson, Bearup and colleagues discovered, there's a lag time between beetle infestation and water quality declines, "so tree and forest water transport processes are very likely involved," says Maxwell.


All watersheds great and small
The observations prompted the researchers to study processes at the individual tree and hillslope scale to better understand what's happening in watersheds large and small.

"Watersheds are complex, interrelated systems," says Maxwell, "which makes understanding them more challenging.

"We're developing complex, numerical models of bark beetle-infested watersheds that include our best understanding of how and where water flows. The models are allowing us to isolate individual processes by turning them on and off in 'what-if' scenarios."

Along with on-the-ground observations, he says, "they're showing us more of the complex story of pine beetle effects on Western watersheds.

"We now know that healthy watersheds ultimately depend on healthy forests."

Western streams and rivers soon may be part of dead and dying forests, surrounded only by the ghosts of lodgepole pines past.

REMARKS BY PRESIDENT OBAMA AT DINNER IN DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE

Remarks by President Obama in an Exchange of Dinner Toasts -- Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

State House
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

8:58 PM EAT

PRESIDENT OBAMA: President Kikwete, Madam First Lady, distinguished guests -- on behalf of myself and Michelle, our delegation, our daughters -- we want to thank you for the incredible warmth and hospitality with which you've greeted us throughout the day. We could not be more grateful.

I am not the first American leader to visit this beautiful country. Other Presidents and prominent citizens have come before me. We just came from South Africa, where Robert Kennedy famously spoke of how every time we stand up for an ideal, we send out a "tiny ripple of hope." Less known is that after that trip to South Africa, Robert Kennedy also came here to Tanzania. It was a little different back then. Kennedy and his wife, Ethel, rode in the back of an open truck. The Secret Service has me and Michelle inside a fortified limousine. We call it "The Beast." (Laughter.) As Kennedy's truck made its way through the crowds, he picked up two boys and let them ride alongside them. The Secret Service doesn't let me do these things. (Laughter.) When Kennedy came, it was a public holiday here. I apologize to Tanzanians that you all had to work today. (Laughter.)

But while these times have changed, the good feelings stay the same. We've been deeply touched by the welcome and the warm wishes from the Tanzanian people along the streets as we came in here with you tonight. Dar es Salaam means "harbor of peace," and we thank you for sharing that sense of peace and brotherhood for which this country and its people have long been known.

Mr. President, you've shown wisdom and strength in seeking reforms so that more Tanzanians can enjoy progress, more opportunity. And like me, you're strengthened by a woman who is a leader in her own right. (Applause.) I am told that Mama Kikwete is fond of a traditional Tanzanian saying -- "My neighbor's child is my child." And that sentiment I think also captures the feeling, the partnership between -- our two countries must have. We live thousands of miles apart, but as fellow human beings, we share a sense of obligation to each other, especially to the youngest among us.

So you might say an American child is my child. We might say a Tanzanian child is my child. In this way, both of our nations will be looking after all of our children and we'll be living out the vision of President Nyerere. The core values that he proclaimed for Tanzania also describe what both our countries seek -- wisdom, unity, and peace -- Hekima, Umoja, na Amani. (Applause.)

So what I'd like to do is to propose a toast -- if I can get my water here -- to our gracious Tanzanian hosts, to our Tanzanian friends and to wisdom, unity and peace that we all seek in the world. Cheers.

Department of State Daily Press Briefing - July 2, 2013

Daily Press Briefing - July 2, 2013

DOD Contracts for July 02, 2013

Contracts for July 02, 2013

New Jersey Recovery From Superstorm Sandy: By The Numbers

New Jersey Recovery From Superstorm Sandy: By The Numbers

Meets With Staff and Families of Embassy Brunei

Meets With Staff and Families of Embassy Brunei

THREE ARRESTED FOR ROLES IN ALLEGED FRAUDULENT BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY SCHEME

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Monday, July 1, 2013

Three Florida Residents Arrested on Charges of Fraud

Indictment Alleges That Defendants Operated Fraudulent Companies for Years Despite December 2000 Court Order

Three individuals charged in connection with operating a series of fraudulent business opportunity companies were arrested Friday following their indictment by a federal grand jury in Miami on June 25, 2013, the Justice Department and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service announced today. Mitchell Berman (aka Brian Griffin), of Boca Raton, Fla., Robert Gallo (aka Bobby Pace, Vincent Pastone, Joe Barone, Bobby Marino, Anthony Russo), of Coconut Creek, Fla., and Steven Axelrod (aka Michael Hutton), of Wellington, Fla., were arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and mail fraud. Mitchell Berman was also charged with criminal contempt of court.


The indictment alleges that the defendants operated a series of fraudulent companies that sold coffee display racks business opportunities. Buyers were told they would receive display racks and packets of coffee, as well as assistance in establishing and maintaining a business selling the coffee.

Beginning in August 2000 and continuing through October 2011, the indictment charges that Berman, Gallo, and Axelrod operated a series of five coffee display rack business opportunity companies: Selective Services Business, Best Gourmet Coffee, Cambridge Coffee, Royal Gourmet Coffee and South Beach Coffee. The business opportunities the defendants sold cost a minimum of approximately $10,000. Each company operated for six months to a year, and after one company closed, the next opened.

The indictment alleges that Berman and Gallo ran the companies, while working as salesman together with Axelrod. All three defendants allegedly made numerous false statements to potential purchasers of the business opportunities to induce them to buy. Among the misrepresentations alleged in the indictment are that purchasers would likely earn substantial profits, that prior purchasers of the business opportunities were earning substantial profits, that purchasers would be given lucrative "commercial accounts," and that the company would provide assistance in establishing and maintaining the business. According to the indictment, purchasers made little to no money on their investments, were unable to find profitable locations or accounts, and were not provided the support promised by defendants. In making misrepresentations to potential purchasers, Berman was violating a December 2000 federal court order barring him from misrepresenting profits, locations, and other aspects of business opportunities.

According to the indictment, once purchasers began filing complaints with the Better Business Bureau or state authorities, the defendants shut down each of their companies in turn, and opened the next one. In order to evade detection, all the defendants allegedly used aliases and gave out false addresses for the company. The indictment alleges that Berman and Gallo also avoided listing their own names on corporate and promotional documents, and instead paid people who did not work at the companies to be titular presidents.

"The Department of Justice is committed to protecting consumers from business opportunity fraud schemes," said Stuart F. Delery, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Civil Division. "As this indictment demonstrates, we will continue to prosecute individuals who seek to swindle innocent Americans out of their hard-earned money."

All three defendants were charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud. In addition, Berman was charged with 8 counts of mail fraud and 9 counts of criminal contempt; Gallo was charged with 8 counts of mail fraud; and Axelrod was charged with 4 counts of mail fraud. If convicted, Berman, Gallo, and Axelrod face a maximum statutory term of 20 years in prison, a possible fine, and mandatory restitution on each conspiracy and mail fraud count. Berman faces a maximum statutory term of up to life in prison, a possible fine, and mandatory restitution on each of the criminal contempt counts.

"Business opportunity schemers use deceit to target and victimize hard-working Americans who are seeking opportunities to better provide for themselves and their families," said Wifredo A. Ferrer, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. "We will continue to vigorously pursue these individuals who seek to steal the American Dream from their victims."

"Cases like this one illustrate the Postal Inspection Service’s dedication to investigating business opportunity fraud that insidiously targets innocent victims," said Ronald Verocchio, U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge in Miami.

The charges in the indictment form part of the government’s continued nationwide crackdown on business opportunity fraud.

This case was brought in coordination with President Barack Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force. The task force was established 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. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions and other organizations. Over the past three fiscal years, the Justice Department has filed nearly 10,000 financial fraud cases against nearly 15,000 defendants.

Acting Assistant Attorney Stuart Delery commended the investigative efforts of the Postal Inspection Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant Director Richard Goldberg and Trial Attorney Cindy Cho of the Consumer Protection Branch of the Civil Division of the Department of Justice.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

President Obama Speaks at the University of Cape Town | The White House

President Obama Speaks at the University of Cape Town | The White House

RECENT U.S. NAVY PHOTOS

FROM: U.S. NAVY

130629-N-ZG290-010
ARABIAN GULF (June 29, 2013) Sonar Technician 2nd Class Brennan Lukas, from Ventura, Calif., prepares to test fire a surface vessel torpedo tube launcher aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Higgins (DDG 76). Higgins is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility promoting maritime security operations, theater security cooperation efforts and support missions for Operation Enduring Freedom. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Devin Wray/Released)

130627-N-QL471-099
ARABIAN GULF (June 27, 2013) The guided-missile cruiser USS Monterey (CG 61) fires a Close-In Weapons System (CIWS) during a live-fire exercise. Monterey is deployed in support of maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Billy Ho/Released)

ATTORNEY GENERAL HOLDER'S STATEMENT ON U.S. V. WINDSON

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Friday, June 28, 2013

Statement of Attorney General Eric Holder on the Implementation of the Supreme Court’s Decision in United States v. Windsor

Attorney General Eric Holder issued the following statement regarding the United States Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance to Federal agencies. On June 26, 2013, the Supreme Court issued a landmark decision in United States v. Windsor, holding Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act, known as DOMA, unconstitutional. As a result of this decision, the Federal government will now be able to extend benefits to Federal employees and annuitants who have legally married a spouse of the same sex.


"Today’s announcement represents a historic step toward equality for all American families. The Supreme Court ruled this week that Americans in same-sex marriages are entitled to equal protection and equal treatment under the law. By extending health insurance and other important benefits to federal employees and their families, regardless of whether they are in same-sex or opposite-sex marriages, the Obama Administration is making real the promise of this important decision.

"These initial changes in federal benefits will make a meaningful, positive difference in the lives of many. But this is only the beginning. As the President directed, the Department of Justice will continue to coordinate with other federal agencies to implement this ruling as swiftly and smoothly as possible. I look forward to sharing additional information as it becomes available. We will never stop fighting to ensure equality, opportunity, and – above all – justice for everyone in this country."

DVIDS - Video - Town Hall with Secretary of Defense

DVIDS - Video - Town Hall with Secretary of Defense

Gute Reise, Gaia!

Gute Reise, Gaia!

U.S. DEDICATES EMBASSY IN BELGRADE, SERBIA

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT

United States Dedicates New U.S. Embassy in Belgrade, Serbia
Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
July 1, 2013 　


In an important symbol of America’s commitment to an enduring friendship with the Republic of Serbia, U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Serbia, Michael D. Kirby, dedicated the new U.S. Embassy in Belgrade today.

Occupying a 10-acre site adjacent to the Beli Dvor, the $149 million multi-building complex provides a secure, state-of-the-art, environmentally-sustainable workplace for over 350 embassy personnel.

Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects, LLP was the concept design architect and The Louis Berger Group of Washington, D.C. was the architect of record. The project was constructed by Framaco International of Rye Brook, New York.

The new facility incorporates numerous sustainable features to reduce operating costs and conserve resources, most notably a storm water detention pond; solar hot water technology; low-flow plumbing fixtures; and the careful selection of plantings to reduce the amount of irrigation needed. The facility has been registered with the U.S. Green Building Council for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED^{®) certification.}

Since 1999, as part of the Department’s Capital Security Construction Program, OBO has completed 103 new diplomatic facilities and has an additional 39 projects in design or under construction.

OBO’s mission is to provide safe, secure, and functional facilities that represent the U.S. government to the host nation and support our staff in the achievement of U.S. foreign policy objectives. These facilities should represent American values and the best in American architecture, engineering, technology, sustainability, art, culture, and construction execution.

COMMUNICATIONS UPGRADE FOR B-52 STRATOFORTRESS BOMBERS

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE,
B-52s to receive communications upgrade
by Mike W. Ray
72nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs

6/28/2013 - TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. (AFNS) -- Installation of a communications system upgrade earmarked for the venerable U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bomber fleet is scheduled to start here in July.

The Combat Network Communications Technology system will enable aircrews to send and receive information via satellite links, allowing them to change mission plans and retarget weapons while in flight. In addition, pilots will be able to interact better with other aircraft and with ground forces. Currently, mission information must be uploaded to a B-52 before each flight.

Other improvements will include a state-of-the-art computing network with workstations at each crew position and an integrated digital interphone with increased capacity that will allow crew members to talk with each other over headsets equipped with noise-canceling technology.

The $76 million CONECT upgrade will be performed by Boeing and covers a low-rate initial production of the first CONECT kits, along with spare parts, maintenance and service at Tinker AFB here.

Low-rate initial production is the first effort in the production phase of the program. The first eight CONECT kits in lot 1 will establish an initial production base for the system and will permit an orderly increase in the production rate for the CONECT system that is sufficient to lead to full-rate production upon successful completion of operational testing.

The contract for lot 2 is projected to be awarded in May 2014, for 10 CONECT kits. Then the full-rate production contract, projected for award in January 2015, will be for 10 CONECT kits.

Ultimately, CONECT is expected to be installed on all B-52H in the fleet.

The first B-52H to receive a CONECT kit will enter programmed depot maintenance at Tinker AFB in July and is scheduled to depart PDM next April. Each upgrade will take an estimated nine months to complete.

A CONECT kit was installed in a modified B-52 at Edwards AFB, Calif., and has been field tested for several years, Boeing spokesperson Jennifer Hogan said.

The B-52H was delivered to the Air Force in 1961-62. The aircraft have been kept aloft through regular maintenance and periodic upgrades. For example, GPS capabilities were incorporated into their navigation systems in the late 1980s.

"We are bringing this amazing workhorse of a bomber into the digital age and giving our customer the infrastructure necessary for continued future improvements," said Scot Oathout, Boeing's B-52 program director.

Citing engineering studies, Air Force officials said the heavy bombers could keep flying for at least another quarter-century.

THE 400TH COMBAT SORTIE



Air Force Master Sgt. Brian Fahey performs preflight checks on a KC-10 Extender prior to a June 14, 2013, mission in Southwest Asia. A flight engineer assigned to the 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron, Fahey manages all systems on the aircraft throughout the flight. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Joshua J. Garcia

FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT

Face of Defense: Flight Engineer Reaches Combat Sortie Milestone

By Air Force Staff Sgt. Joshua J. Garcia
380th Air Expeditionary Wing

SOUTHWEST ASIA, June 28, 2013 - A flight engineer assigned to the 908th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron here flew his 400th combat sortie recently.

Air Force Master Sgt. Brian Fahey, who reached the milestone June 14, has accumulated his total flying on two different aircraft platforms. He flew his 255th combat sortie on the KC-10 Extender tanker jet in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Before that, he flew 145 combat missions as a flight engineer for the MH-60 Pave Low helicopter.

Fahey said he appreciates the opportunities he has had to support two distinct missions.

"Flying on the Pave Lows and being part of the Air Force Special Operations Command were the most challenging things I ever did in my life; their mission is so unique," he said. The KC-10 mission has provided him with a different perspective on the Air Force and a chance to see the world, he added.

As a flight engineer, Fahey monitors the engines and other critical flight systems while the aircraft is in flight. Working alongside his pilots, Fahey ensures the aircraft is fully functional throughout missions. The engineer must have mechanical and technical knowledge on the aircraft systems to provide quick response fixes to any issues while in flight. This knowledge lets the engineer work closely with maintenance personnel, debriefing them on issues an aircraft might have had.

Fahey is one of two flight engineers in the 908th EARS who have reached the milestone. He is the fourth flight engineer and the eighth member in the entire active KC-10 community to have accumulated more than 400 combat sorties.

"It is a significant achievement, one that symbolizes years of hard work through multiple deployments and long periods of separation from family," said Air Force Lt. Col. Mona Alexander, the 908th EARS commander. "Fahey has been flying for 13 years; he has more than 2,000 hours of combat time in the KC-10, and a total of over 4,200 hours flying in the MH-60 and KC-10."

Fahey, who is deployed from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., said he is humbled by the experience and continues to strive.

"This is so cool. It really is an awesome feeling hitting a milestone like this," he said. "It makes me reflect back to all the missions I have flown and gives me a feeling that I was part of something bigger than myself."

Fahey said he hopes that reaching this milestone will show younger airmen they can attain their goals.

"It is important to always stay mission ready; I was notified of this deployment a week and a half before I left," he said. "You need to be resilient. Deployments take their toll. By keeping a balance to my work and off-duty time, I am able to handle the stress that comes with flying so many missions."

Always moving forward and thinking about the next generation of leaders, Fahey said, he has entertained the notion of becoming a first sergeant.

"Being a first sergeant is something I have wanted to do since I was an airman," he said. "I had a really good 'shirt' who had a big impact on me. I would love to be able to give back and keep that tradition going."

Fahey said his accomplishments are not due to his work alone, but to the efforts of the entire unit.

"My crew has been awesome on this trip. They have made this deployment so easy to handle," he said. "I have to give my praise to the aircraft maintainers. They are phenomenal. They provide outstanding support day in and day out, regardless of the difficult environment that they are challenged to work in."

With options available, Fahey said, he'll approach the remainder of his military career in the same manner he reached 400 combat sorties: humbled by the experience, but seeing successes as stepping stones to bigger goals.



 

New START Treaty Aggregate Numbers of Strategic Offensive Arms

New START Treaty Aggregate Numbers of Strategic Offensive Arms

Riding unrestrained

Riding unrestrained

Connecting Continents: Remarks by the First Lady Michelle Obama | The White House

Connecting Continents: Remarks by the First Lady Michelle Obama | The White House

Daily Press Briefing - July 1, 2013

Daily Press Briefing - July 1, 2013

NSA LEADER WARNS OF CYBER ATTACKS AT CYBER SYMPOSIUM

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE,

Nation Must Defend Cyber Infrastructure, Alexander Says

By Claudette Roulo
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, June 28, 2013 - The United States must have a transparent debate on how it will protect itself in cyberspace, the director of the National Security Agency said yesterday.


"It is a debate that is going to have all the key elements of the executive branch -- that's DHS, FBI, DOD, Cyber Command, NSA, and other partners -- with our allies and with industry," Army Gen. Keith B. Alexander told an audience at the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association International Cyber Symposium in Baltimore.

Everyone involved must figure out how to work together as the cyber threat grows, said Alexander, who also commands U.S. Cyber Command.

In August, the Saudi Aramco oil company was hit with a destructive attack that destroyed the data on more than 30,000 systems, he said. In September, distributed denial of service attacks began on the U.S. financial sector, and a few hundred disruptive attacks have occurred since.

In March, destructive cyberattacks took place against South Korea, the general said.

"If you look at the statistics and what's going on, we're seeing an increase in the disruptive and destructive attacks. And I am concerned that those will continue," he said. "As a nation, we must be ready."

Over the past few years, there has been a convergence of analog and digital data streams, Alexander said. Now, everything is on one network -- information sent by terrorists, soldiers and school teachers travels through the same digital pipelines.

The cyber world is experiencing an exponential rate of change, he said. "It's wonderful," he added. "These capabilities, I think, are going to help us solve cancer. This is a wonderful opportunity."

But, he said, cyberspace also has vulnerabilities. "We're being attacked," Alexander said. "And we've got to figure out how to fix that."

The key to the nation's future in cyber is a defensible architecture, he said, embodied for the Defense Department by the Joint Information Environment. In that environment, mobile devices will securely connect with fixed infrastructure across the services in a way that allows the department to audit and take care of its data much better than it could do in the legacy systems, Alexander said.

The need to create one joint integrated cyber force is "a great reason for having NSA and Cyber Command collocated," Alexander said. Both are based on Fort Meade, Md.

"We can leverage the exceptional talent that the people at NSA have to help build that force," he added, "and that's superb."




　

RECENT U.S. NAVY PHOTOS

FROM: U.S. NAVY

Seaman Sophia Lam measures the bearing of navigational land marks during a strait transit aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3). Kearsarge is the flagship for the Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group and, with the embarked 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, is deployed in support of maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Corbin J. Shea (Released) 130622-N-SB587-014

A Marine from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (26th MEU) dives near the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) during a swim call after the conclusion of Exercise Eager Lion 2013. Eager Lion 2013 is an annual, multinational exercise designed to strengthen military-to-military relationships and enhance security and stability in the region. Kearsarge is the flagship for the Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group and, with the embarked 26th MEU, is deployed in support of maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Corbin J. Shea (Released) 130622-N-SB587-630

Diagnosticando el Alzheimer con la ayuda de la tecnología espacial

Diagnosticando el Alzheimer con la ayuda de la tecnología espacial

European Space Agency United Kingdom (EN) Update

European Space Agency United Kingdom (EN) Update

JAMES DOBBINS HOLDS PRESS CONFERENCE ON AFGHANISTAN IN NEW DELHI

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Press Conference in New Delhi
Press Conference
Ambassador James Dobbins, Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan
New Delhi, India
June 27, 2013

Ambassador Dobbins: Thank you. It’s a pleasure to be here in New Delhi. I’ve been in the job I currently hold for a month now. I’ve been touring the region for the last week. I went to Doha with Secretary Kerry for discussions there, and then met with President Karzai in Kabul on Monday and with Prime Minister Nawaz and other Pakistani officials on Tuesday. I arrived here yesterday and met with the Foreign Secretary and others from the Foreign Ministry yesterday evening. I’ll meet with the Indian Special Envoy for Afghanistan, Ambassador [Lamba] who is an old friend from a decade ago after this meeting.

I think the last time I was in New Delhi was in a similar capacity. I was the American Special Envoy for Afghanistan also in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 and represented the U.S. in the early diplomacy after 9/11 which led to the Bonn Conference and the establishment of an interim government in Afghanistan which ultimately led to the current constitution and current government in Afghanistan.

So I’ve come back at an interesting and pivotal time, a time when NATO and the United States are transitioning from a combat to an advisory and assistance role in Afghanistan, and maybe more importantly a time when Afghanistan will be going through its first peaceful democratic transition in its national history.

I’ve come to Delhi and hope to be able to come back regularly because India has an important stake in Afghanistan and it has important influence in Afghanistan, and it’s important that we understand Indian views and obviously that India understands our views and that we collaborate as closely as possible which I certainly did 10 years ago or 11 years ago when the Indian representative and I, Ambassador [Lamba] collaborated very closely, very effectively, in bringing about the emergence of an interim government in Afghanistan, and I anticipate that we’ll be able to continue to collaborate on a similar basis. So I’ll be glad to answer questions.

Press: What talks with the Indian [inaudible] the Special Envoy. What [were] talks?

Ambassador Dobbins: The talks pretty much covered all aspects of our relations with Afghanistan and also to some degree with Pakistan where I had just been, but the focus was on Afghanistan.

The issue that’s probably most topical because it’s been in the news lately is the efforts to begin a peace process and I would say that was probably the single, the topic that occupied the most time. But we also talked about other issues including the upcoming Afghan elections and the political transition. And I think while a lot of us concentrate on our attention on both the possible peace process on the one hand and the military situation and the reduction in NATO and American forces, those are not the most important things that are going on. The most important things that are going on, the thing that will shape Afghanistan’s future more than anything else is the political transition that will take place next year.

Press: What topics?

Ambassador Dobbins: I think we talked about the election process, about the international [inaudible], that it’s a free and fair process, and how we can encourage the Afghan political elites to coalesce around candidates who have broad non-sectarian or cross-sectarian appeal. Candidates who don’t just represent one sectarian community but bring together coalitions that will result in an administration that has support and appeal in Pashtun, Hazara, Tajik, Uzbek communities.

On the reconciliation there were a lot of questions about where we stand in terms of the possibilities of opening a Taliban office in Doha for the purpose of negotiating and I explained where that process stood.

Press: Could you summarize what the Indian view was to your [Doha] peace process and how you responded to what has widely been considered [inaudible] of great [inaudible]?

Ambassador Dobbins: They questioned me closely about what the prospects were, what the exact status was, and I hope that they were somewhat reassured as a result. They weren’t telling me they were opposed, they weren’t telling me that this was something we should stay away from, but they clearly had anxieties, anxieties that we all have. Nobody knows how this is going to progress and it’s certainly not a sure thing that it will result in a diminished violence and a successful evolution toward peace. But I didn’t get a sense that they thought it wasn’t worth trying.

I don’t really want to speak for the Indian side, however. I think they’re perfectly capable of doing that for themselves. For our standpoint we’re going into this process with open eyes and without naïve or excessive expectations of rapid progress or even a certainty that there will be any progress at all. Indeed, there’s no certainty that the process will even start since we’re still waiting for responses from the Taliban as to whether they’re prepared to operate under the conditions that the government of Qatar has set, whether they’re prepared to meet with us, and whether they’re prepared to meet with representatives of the Afghan High Peace Council. We haven’t yet received definitive responses on those questions.

Press: After the change of government in Islamabad, what is your assessment for improvement of India-Pakistan ties, and how important do you see that in terms of [Afghanistan’s situation] post 2014?

Ambassador Dobbins: I think that any improvement in India-Pakistan ties will almost automatically improve Afghanistan’s situation. I’ve met twice now in little more than two weeks with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The first time shortly before he became Prime Minister and then again the day before yesterday. My sense is that an improvement in relations with India is fairly high on his list of priorities. He’s got an overwhelming set of problems facing him, most immediately economic pressures, also significant domestic violence that he need to cope with.

But on the external front, and I think he understands that internal and external affairs are related, my sense is that improving relations with India seems to be his top priority.

Press: [What is the] concern [in] India? [Inaudible] talks with Taliban? Without [inaudible] of terrorists, do you believe that an improvement in Indo relations with Pakistan [or] Taliban [will pass]?

Ambassador Dobbins: We certainly agree that there’s no prospect for improvement in relations with the Taliban or any agreement with the Taliban unless the issue of terrorism is directly addressed. We set as a precondition for beginning talks with the Taliban that they make a statement that at least began to distance themselves from international terrorism and they did so. They made a statement a week ago Tuesday in which they said they opposed the use of Afghan territory for attacks on anybody else. But that’s I think from our standpoint sufficient to begin talking to them, but it’s not going to be sufficient as the basis for any agreement.

We’ve made clear, Secretary Kerry made clear when he was here that any agreement would need to include a cessation of hostilities, a respect for the Afghan constitution, and a severing of all ties with al-Qaida and similar terrorist organizations.

I would stress that the negotiations toward this objective will principally be negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban. Not between the United States and the Taliban. But we hope that our dialogue with them, if it begins, can contribute to that and we’ll be focused particularly on the topic that you raised which is severing their ties with al-Qaida. It will be one of the first issues we will raise is how do they intend to do that. Not just what they intend to say about it but how they actually intend to go about severing those ties.

Press: What exactly is the U.S. doing to get President Karzai on board with the peace process with the Taliban? [Inaudible] and I understand that President Karzai isn’t very happy about that. I was wondering [inaudible].

Ambassador Dobbins: Well, President Karzai wasn’t happy about it, quite aside from that we weren’t happy about it either. There’s I think an impression that we intervened with the Qataris only because President Karzai complained. We intervened with the Qataris well before President Karzai complained because the self-presentation of that office was inconsistent with the assurance that the Qataris had given us and that we had given President Karzai.

The government of Qatar responded very quickly. They took down the sign that said Islamic Emirates. They took down the flag. And they issued a public statement that this was not the Office of the Islamic Emirate, this was the political office of the Taliban.

So in terms of the specific things that Karzai was concerned about, I think those issues have been resolved. When I talked to President Karzai on Monday, he was perfectly content to move forward with this if the Taliban are prepared to do so on the basis that we had previously agreed

Press: Are you going back to Qatar?

Ambassador Dobbins: No. We’re still waiting to hear from the Taliban whether they’re willing to meet. I think they’re still debating among themselves as the result of the events of last Tuesday whether they want to go forward or not. I don’t know.

From here I’m going back to Washington via Europe.

Press: On the Taliban. You mentioned a statement by them a week ago saying the use of Afghan territory [inaudible]. And yet we saw a couple of days ago an attack on central Kabul targeting the Presidential Palace. How do you manage the process if you see in the coming months the attacks continuing in Afghanistan? What would your [inaudible] to do with that?

Ambassador Dobbins: You don’t hold peace talks after the war, you hold peace talks during wars. The Taliban haven’t asked us to stop fighting and we don’t expect them to stop fighting just because they’re talking. The objective of the talks obviously is a diminution of violence and ultimately an enduring peace, but we’re not naïve enough to think that’s going to come quickly and it’s certainly not a precondition for just talking.

Frankly, I anticipate that the Taliban will continue to try to negotiate from a position of strength. They’ll continue to mount attacks as will we and as will the Afghan government. The attacks that the Taliban have mounted over the past several months have been fairly severe and they’ve almost all failed. The Afghan armed forces are now taking the lead in combat operations. We’re no longer leading in combat. They are increasingly reliant on their own resources. And they’re performing well.

But I don’t think that’s going to lead to an immediate diminution in violence. I think the Taliban probably want to continue to put pressure on. They want to continue to make it look like the United States is retreating as a result of that pressure rather than as a result of its success in building a viable Afghan capacity for self-defense. And NATO, the United States, and in particular the Afghan Security Forces are going to continue not just to defend themselves, but to mount offensive operations against the Taliban, and not only seek to hold territory but to reclaim territory.

So I don’t anticipate that the beginning of negotiations will end the war. I do hope that negotiations will ultimately contribute to an end to the war. But that’s by no means certain. It’s simply something that’s worth trying.

BRUNEI DARUSSALAM'S DEPUTY DEFENSE MINISTER VISITS PENTAGON

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Carter Hosts Brunei Darussalam's Deputy Defense Minister

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, June 28, 2013 - Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter met at the Pentagon with Brunei Darussalam's deputy defense minister, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.


In a statement summarizing the meeting, Little said Carter complimented Dato Paduka Haji Mustappa bin Haji Sirat for Brunei's ongoing leadership during its chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

"The two leaders agreed that ASEAN continues to play a vital role in ensuring a spirit of cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region, which is essential to the promotion of shared security and prosperity," he said.

Carter congratulated Brunei on having recently concluded a historic multilateral exercise focusing on humanitarian assistance, disaster relief and military medicine, which the two leaders agreed demonstrates ASEAN's importance as a platform for regional nations to address shared security challenges, enhance interoperability and build trust, the press secretary said.

Carter and Dato Mustappa also discussed ways in which the United States and Brunei are deepening their bilateral relations, he added, and they talked about plans for the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting-Plus ministerial conference in August, which Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel will attend.

"Deputy Secretary Carter reiterated Secretary Hagel's offer to host all ASEAN defense ministers in the United States next year, and noted he looked forward to staying in close touch," Little said.

SEC COMMISSIONER WALTER'S SPEECH ON CORPORATE DISCLOSURE

FROM: U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Corporate Disclosure: The Stage, the Audience and the Players

by

Commissioner Elisse B. Walter

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

Stanford Directors College
Palo Alto, CA
June 25, 2013

Thank you, [Joe], for your kind introduction. Joe and I have much in common — the same alma mater and a working relationship at the SEC more years ago than either of us would like to admit. That adds to my pleasure at being here today at the 19th annual Stanford directors college.


As many of you know, I am nearing the end of my tenure as a Commissioner at the Securities and Exchange Commission. As a Commissioner, as Chair and as an SEC staffer, jobs spanning over two decades, I have delved into every aspect of the agency’s mission. And, looking back, it was my years in the Division of Corporation Finance that may have taught me the most important lesson: the cornerstone of securities regulation and investor protection is the timely disclosure to investors of accurate and complete information.

And by disclosure, I mean more than the numbers in the financial statements. I mean the information investors need to put those numbers into context — not just the "what?" and "how much?" but the "why?" And so today, in what may be one of the last speeches of my public career, I’d like to return to a subject that is an old favorite of mine: Management’s Discussion and Analysis, or MD&A. And I want to do that because I believe that you, as directors, need to take an active role in the company’s disclosure, and particularly the MD&A, and are in a special position to do so.

But before I get started, I do need to remind you that the views I express today are my own, and not those of the Commission, my fellow Commissioners or the Commission’s staff.

Comprehensive corporate disclosure is critical to maintaining and improving investor confidence in the markets. And investor confidence in the quality of financial disclosures is what makes our markets work.

As directors of public companies, you serve a critical function as stewards of the robust, transparent communication with your company’s shareholders that builds this confidence. This is not only a responsibility, but also an opportunity. As I’ve said many times, you should not view disclosure as an obligation; instead, view it as a chance to tell your story.

"Mend your speech a little, lest it may mar your fortunes." William Shakespeare wrote that sometime between 1603 and 1606 in his famous work, King Lear. Unfortunately, that approach to disclosure about affections didn’t work out so well for King Lear or his daughter Cordelia. And I certainly don’t mean for you to take King Lear’s approach in order for your considerations about corporate disclosure to be respected. Rather, my strongest desire is that companies and their shareholder-owners truly engage in an honest dialogue.

So, inspired by the Bard, I’d like to give you three things to think about when considering MD&A. First, set the stage. Second, know your audience. And finally, know your players.

"All the world’s a stage…." Shakespeare wrote that too. And I’m not even going to mention the one about lawyers.

When we talk about disclosure, SEC regulations merely set the stage. But they aren’t designed to tell the whole story. That’s where you and the managers you oversee come in — enter stage right.

Regulations are the floor but not the ceiling. They tell companies what, at a minimum, should be covered, but it’s up to the company to make sure the story gets told. That’s where MD&A becomes a real opportunity for the company to tell shareholders what’s really going on. And if the company’s management isn’t doing that, or isn’t doing it well, it’s up to the directors to ask questions, suggest changes, and require more information.

You should take this role very seriously. You are the investor’s voice and advocate, and they deserve a good story. Now, a good story may not always be a happy story. Shakespeare was a master of both tragedy and comedy. But the real story — and by that I mean the whole story — is the one that needs to be told.

I’m going to read you a comment that was actually issued by the staff of the Division of Corporation Finance to an issuer regarding its MD&A. Bear with me, it’s a little long:
We believe your current disclosures are too general in nature and do not provide your investor with a complete picture of your enterprise by segment and as a whole. In this regard, for each period presented and for each of your reportable segments, revise to:
Clearly disclose and quantify each material factor that contributed to the change in revenue and operating income, indicating the impact by geographic area;
Provide insight into the underlying business drivers or conditions that contributed to these changes;

***
Describe any other known trends or uncertainties that have had or you expect may reasonably have a material impact on your operations and if you believe that these trends are indicative of future performance.
This is not a comment a company (or a board) should be happy to see. This comment outlines very basic things that should have been covered by this MD&A, but weren’t — it reflects a play that no one would want to see because the stage has not been properly set.

No MD&A should be merely a recitation of the financial statements. Give investors the when, the where, the why and, perhaps most importantly, the what’s next.

Here’s another comment:
We note that you identify and quantify various factors that impacted the year to year trends of your results of operations and the related financial statement line items … but did not discuss the business developments or external events that underlie these factors. Please expand your MD&A to explain in greater detail what gave rise to the factors that you have identified, and indicate whether or not you expect them to have a continuing impact on your results of operations in the future.
This is another comment no one should be happy to receive. I’m told that sometimes companies will leave out disclosure and wait to see if the SEC staff will issue a comment. If that’s true, and I worry that it is, I must say that that is entirely the wrong approach. The staff is very good at asking the right questions to require better disclosure, but they are not insiders. They do not know your company the way that you do. Frankly, they should not be doing your job for you, nor should we expect them to.

Sometimes finding the right details to give investors is hard. Predicting the impact, either positive or negative, of a future event is even more challenging. It requires significant judgment and thoughtful consideration. But it’s a task that should be undertaken by the very insiders who have the information to make that call, so that investors have the complete story. The focus should always be on the investors.

And that brings me to my second point: know your audience.

Well, that’s easy enough. Your audience is your investors. And in my view, you should address your investors like they are your business partners, and the MD&A should reflect that perspective. You wouldn’t address a business partner with boilerplate. Your investors deserve the same respect.

They also deserve the whole story. As some of you know, I frequently use the example of my fictional Aunt Millie, the archetype of the retail investor. Well, Aunt Millie has been reading, or trying to read, corporate disclosure for years, and I’m not sure she has ever seen an MD&A that reads quite like one of her Agatha Christie novels — where Detective Hercule Poirot solves each and every mystery step by step. To be honest, I fear that my dear Aunt Millie might just leave this Earth without having ever seen the kind of truly informative and complete MD&A that I have dreamed of for years.

Please don’t let this happen to my dear Aunt Millie! Perhaps you’d even be willing to go back and read one of the more well-known Supreme Court cases about disclosure, TSC Industries. That case gives us the famous concept of evaluating disclosure by looking at the "total mix" of information, but it also says that doubts about whether disclosure is required should "be resolved in favor of those the statute is designed to protect."

I listed in a speech from 2010 (I told you I’d been talking about this for a while) some questions that investors probably still want to know the answers to after reading an MD&A. I think they are still quite relevant today:
What is the company’s business today?
How did it perform?
Where is the cash?
What are the company’s key business drivers?
What are the risks and uncertainties?
How flexibly can the company respond to change?
What do the company’s future prospects look like?
And of course there may be other questions to answer that are specific to your company. But the MD&A is the place to answer them clearly, thoroughly, and directly.

When I served as the Chairman of the Commission, there was a sign on my office door that read simply "How does it help investors?" It was a reminder that everything the Commission does should be focused on that goal.

Sometimes I think that every board meeting should prominently display a similar sign, one reading "What do investors want to know?" Let it serve as a reminder to everyone in the room that disclosure isn’t driven by what the company wants to disclose but by what the investors want to know. That should be front and center as you review the MD&A.

How the company gets to those answers brings me to my third point today: know your players.

In addition to examining the content of the MD&A, I believe the board should know the people and the processes involved in putting it together. First, what is the attitude of management towards disclosure? If they believe that robust, transparent disclosure is a good thing, then that tone will affect both the employees involved in providing information that is relevant to disclosure and to those designing controls and procedures to ensure that information is evaluated by management in a timely, thoughtful manner.

And I believe directors can influence that tone by being engaged, by reading the disclosure with a critical eye and by holding management’s feet to the fire when they believe there is more to the story that ought to be told. Ask yourself, what do I know about the company’s performance that cannot be reasonably inferred from the financial statements?

You are the investor’s voice and as the company’s stewards, you should also be their advocate as well. You play such a crucial role in ensuring that the company’s true story is told, and that’s the story that investors deserve to hear.

And disclosure has other positive effects. Full disclosure is a hallmark of good corporate governance — which should serve to help create the positive corporate culture that results in effective processes and procedures necessary to reveal the important information that your investors need to know. You can only be successful at good governance if you are also successful at disclosure.

Better disclosure equals better markets. It really can be that simple. I hope, as I conclude today, that you’ll always keep the investor — and of course, especially my dear Aunt Millie — at the forefront of your mind each and every time you embrace your important role in the disclosure process.

Thank you.