FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Joint Press Availability With Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh
Press Availability
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Amman, Jordan
November 7, 2013
FOREIGN MINISTER JUDEH: (Via interpreter) In the name of Allah, I am very pleased to welcome His Excellency, the Secretary of State of USA. He is very close friend for His Majesty the King, and a friend of Jordan and a friend of mine, personally. And his visit – which I believe it is the fifth or the sixth visit for him to Jordan since the beginning of his term as Secretary of State, and I think this is the seventh or eighth visit to the region. This shows his keenness to communicate with His Majesty the King and with the leaders and the senior officials in the region, especially concerning the important files which require consultation and communication and constant contact.
We were honored to meet His Majesty the King, and we have very plain and frank dialogue, comprehensive and in-depth, about all the issues of – common issues, and you know that a few days ago before His Excellency started his visit, there was a phone call with His Majesty, and before the 10 days, there was a meeting with His Excellency in Washington. I met him there and the call of the speech or the theme of the speech before was involving about the nature of this tour and the issues to be debated with the leaders and officials in the region. There was a prolonged speech at the phone call, and before that, Mr. Kerry visited the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Egypt, and today, he has just arrived from the Palestinian Territories and Israel, where he met the officials there. Many developments, and we were very pleased in our meeting with His Majesty a while ago.
And in our bilateral negotiations here, we listened to detailed discussions about the negotiations made by Mr. Kerry in the countries that he visited, and we discussed all the common issues – the Syrian issue, the peace process, and other issues in addition to our bilateral (inaudible) relationships, and these distinguished relationships that can be performed by two parties to enhance them in the future.
Many issues happened in the region since Mr. Kerry visited Jordan last time at the summer of this year, starting the negotiations between the Palestinians and Israel about the final peace settlement, and which came as intensive efforts exerted by Mr. Kerry to launch these negotiations under the auspices of the Americans. Our position in the Hashemite Kingdom with the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah, we have affirmed this and – which is linked to the two-state solutions that can result of a Palestinian independent and viable state, which has full sovereignty on its territories and the capital is East Jerusalem, and addressing all the issues of the final settlement to establish this state on the territory – on the Palestinian Territories. And this comes within the framework of the two-state statement, and then the framework of the Arab Peace Initiative.
And here, I would like to point out that His Excellency is very keen to communicate not just with the leaders, but with the committee of the Arab Peace Initiative. We have met for four times in Washington and in the region and in Paris. This shows his keenness to update the committee member about the latest developments in the negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis, and to focus upon the positive points that will be witnessed for the people and for the countries in the region by applying the items of the Arab Peace Initiative which guarantees peace and security for all, including Israel, including a relationship not just with the Arab states but also with the Islamic states and the whole world, so that all the countries in the region will enjoy peace and security and stability.
We have talked about the latest issues, and there would be a meeting with the Palestinian President this evening, and we have talked about the negotiations and the atmosphere of the negotiations, and we agreed since the beginning when Mr. Kerry launched his efforts for these negotiations to be – to have a reference for this discussion for the media with the American Administration and to be away from the (inaudible) in order to achieve the aspired results. And I think until now, this has been committed to and it proved success in leaving the negotiators to perform the required role and to achieve the required results.
We reaffirm our stance in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan that the settlement is impeding peace, it is illegal, and illegitimate. That is why we have to accelerate the negotiations to address through talking about the final peace settlement – a basic item which is the borders, which will terminate settlements forever, where the globe agrees that it is illegal and illegitimate. And we have a stance concerning the unilateral procedures, especially in the occupied Jerusalem, and the violations we see that would not serve the exerted efforts for the success of the negotiations between the two sides.
We reaffirm always that in Jordan, we have a national interest in achieving peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis. We have interest in establishing a viable Palestinian state. We are not monitoring our mediators, but we have interest also in these matters. This is reaffirmed with His Excellency Mr. Kerry and with the USA. So we support the efforts of Mr. Kerry and we reaffirm also the necessity that these negotiations would meet in success.
Since we met in Amman, there were development in the Syrian issues. There was an agreement between Russia and America concerning the chemical weapons in Syria. And we always say that as a neighboring state for Syria, we warned always from the risks of these chemicals and using them not just on the Palestinian people, but on the people of the region. And we reconfirm here that settling this file would serve our interest also. But we have to focus on the political settlement, which will restore peace, stability, and security and put an end to violence and destruction and killing in Syria within the efforts exerted by Mr. Kerry with the Russian side and with other countries to convene Geneva 2 conference, which hopefully would open the road for applying the peaceful settlement, and Jordan stance that the peaceful negotiations will guarantee the unity of the Syrian territories and put an end to violence.
We are very pleased with this visit. We reaffirm our support for these efforts and for the personal effort exerted by Mr. Secretary.
(In English.) (Inaudible) and to say that we had an extremely productive audience with His Majesty earlier on today, and I believe that your lengthy phone call with His Majesty before embarking on your current trip was extremely productive. We salute your efforts in terms of the peace negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis. We salute your commitment and your dedication. And thank you for briefing us today on the latest on that front. We also salute your efforts on bringing about a political solution to the ongoing crisis in Syria and your efforts towards convening Geneva 2 with the intention, as we are all in agreement, of implementing what was agreed upon in Geneva 1. And I believe that your visit at this time is extremely critical in that regard, and the efforts that are conducted by you and by your colleagues are ones that we support and encourage you to continue trying to bring the parties together at the conference that will herald a political solution that will end the violence and end the killing and end the danger that is ever present on our border.
In this regard, we discussed today the presence of 600,000 Syrian refugees on Jordanian soil, as well as 700,000 others who were there from before the crisis, a total of 1.3 million Syrians, almost 21 percent of the population, and the burden that Jordan is shouldering on behalf of the international community. And we addressed the need for the international community to help Jordan in hosting these refugees and in carrying this burden on behalf of the international community.
So our economy is already challenged, as all of you know, and this extra burden is not making things any easier. And I want to thank the Secretary of State for his understanding of this predicament that we find ourselves in, and for his support and his country’s support for Jordan in this regard.
We discussed bilateral relations, and I want to thank the United States of America through the Secretary of State for the assistance that it provides to Jordan. I had extremely productive meetings in Washington when I was there, across the spectrum – the Administration, on Capitol Hill, both sides – and there was so much goodwill, and there is always so much goodwill towards His Majesty and towards Jordan. It’s truly a special relationship that I am always careful to remind is a relationship that goes beyond friendship into a true partnership, and the commonality of interests that we have and the common challenges that we all face, and a relationship that is over 60 years old and continues to grow stronger by the day.
Thank you for your friendship, Mr. Secretary. Thank you for your efforts and for your dedication. Thank you for your visit.
SECRETARY KERRY: Well, Foreign Minister Judeh – I got it right this time. (Laughter.) He lacks confidence in me. (Laughter.) Foreign Minister Judeh, my friend, Nasser, I really appreciate your warm welcome, your generous comments, and I appreciate your terrific food. Thank you for a wonderful lunch.
Nasser is really one of the foreign ministers I have come to know the best over these last months, and I’m particularly grateful to him for his constant willingness to engage and help all of the parties. Not just with respect to the peace talks, but in the region, he has been particularly creative, particularly engaged. And I especially want to thank His Majesty, His Royal Highness King Abdullah II for his tremendous engagement, his creative engagement in this process. We had a very constructive conversation this morning. His Majesty put a number of ideas on the table that have possibilities, and was really engaged in a very important way in this.
And I want to emphasize there is a reason why I have come here to Jordan as many times. Jordan is not just a neighbor, not a passive bystander in this process. Jordan is integrally involved in and has high stakes in the outcome of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the questions of peace. Jordan has a long border with Israel and the West Bank, the Palestinian Territories, and Jordan has been a partner for peace with Israel, with the United States, and with all those people who are looking for stability and peace and an end of conflict in this region. Jordan is already engaged in a major security relationship with the parties, and whatever resolution there is with respect to the issue of peace between Israel and the Palestinians, Jordan will be a partner in that process.
So it is important for the President of the United States, and through me to him, for the United States to be able to be engaged in this process with Jordan. And I came here today to Amman on President Obama’s behalf directly from Jerusalem and Bethlehem, where I held meetings with both Prime Minister Netanyahu and with President Abbas. The meetings obviously are about the critical question of how we can bring peace to Palestinians and Israelis – long overdue, long consuming, now, generations.
And I’m pleased to say, that despite difficulties – and we all understand what they are – these discussions were productive, and they will continue even today. Tonight, I will see President Abbas yet again, and tomorrow morning, as I leave the region, I will have breakfast with Prime Minister Netanyahu. And the purpose of this is not just to have a meeting for the sake of a meeting. The purpose is to explore and discuss and examine the various possibilities of how we can resolve very complicated issues in ways that meet the needs of both parties, in ways that lead us to the kind of compromise that will be necessary in order to achieve peace. President Obama and the United States are deeply committed to this peace effort, and we are committed to a peaceful, prosperous future for the people of Israel and the people of Palestine.
Now, both Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Abbas reaffirmed their commitment to these negotiations despite the fact that at moments, there are obviously tensions over one happening or another in one place or another, whether it’s in Israel or in the territories. No secret that these negotiations are always difficult, particularly this kind. But I want to say something that I think is important for Palestinians and Israelis to really think about.
What is the alternative to peace? Prolonged, continued conflict? The absence of peace really means you have a sort of low-grade kind of conflict, war, whatever you want to call it. And as long as the aspirations of people are held down one way or the other in one place or another, whether it’s the aspirations of the people of Israel to be free from violence, free from rockets, free from the diversion of their lives to the energy of maintaining security, or whether it’s the aspirations of young Palestinians who want to go to school, get an education, have a job, have a future – as long as there is this conflict, and if the conflict frustrates yet again so that people cannot find a solution, the possibilities of violence, of other kinds of confrontation, of other alternatives, become more real. This region has been there before, and this region consciously has made decisions and choices to try to move away from that in a different direction.
So this is really important. It’s important not just for the Palestinian Territories or for Israel, but it’s important to people all through the region, which is why there is an Arab Peace Initiative. It’s why the follow-on committee of the Arab League has been taking time to meet, I think four or five times now. It’s why they have reaffirmed their commitment to peace. It’s why they have said that if we can achieve peace, they are ready to make peace with Israel.
The stakes here are huge, and obviously, the lack of peace confronts everybody with choices, frankly, that nobody wants to contemplate. This region does not benefit by continued conflict. The possibility of a peace agreement with 22 Arab countries and 35 Muslim nations, 57 countries in all, brings a whole new economic possibility to this region. At one of the meetings we had recently, I heard one Arab minister, foreign minister, say to his fellow ministers at the meeting that if peace could be made between Israel and the Palestinians, that this region would be one of the wealthiest regions in the world, one of the most visited regions in the world, with economic opportunity that dwarfs the imagination today.
So that’s what these stakes are. That’s what we are pursuing. And nothing, I think, is more worthy of our time. We will continue this work in the days ahead with the close cooperation of King Abdullah II, who is following in his father’s great legacy of seeking peace through the important work of the Arab League as a whole, as well as the Arab Peace Initiative Follow-up Committee.
Foreign Minister Judeh and I, as I know he just shared with you, also discussed the question of Syria. We understand in the United States how impactful what is happening in Syria is on Jordan. And we care about Jordan. Jordan is not just a partner; Jordan is a great friend, and we’re grateful to the Jordanian people for their commitment not just to peace, but to their efforts in the region to take in refugees to try to deal with other crises. And so we feel that it is very important for us to respect the generosity that has led Jordanians to open their doors to refugees despite the fact that it is difficult and complicated for the people of Jordan. It’s a heavy toll on the economy. It’s the right thing to do. At lunch, I learned today how a huge number of children – how many in total?
FOREIGN MINISTER JUDEH: 78,000.
SECRETARY KERRY: 78,000 Syrian children are not being left in a camp or left to their own devices; they’re in schools. Jordan has made its schools open and available for Syrian children so that their education and opportunities will not be cut off as a fact of this war. That is amazingly generous and very difficult and very trying for teachers and for the schools and for the systems. So we applaud that, and that’s why the United States is very proud that we are the number-one donor to the humanitarian crisis of Syria. And we will continue to work with our Jordanian partners in this effort.
We discussed today the humanitarian crisis, which has received insufficient attention from the global community. The world needs to be outraged at the unbelievable consequences of Assad’s brutality, where families are forced from their homes, are displaced within their own nation, forced to eat stray dogs or cats, and struggle for survival on a day-to-day basis, while the regime blocks humanitarian aid and engages in starvation as a tactic of war. So we believe that even as winter approaches, it is more compelling for us to try to find a way to address this humanitarian challenge.
And we cannot forget that this war in Syria has much bigger stakes than just Bashar al-Assad. It has to deal with the entire question of tens of thousands of families who’ve lost loved ones, lost their homes, and don’t want to lose their great country to an endless conflict and killing. So the global community needs to step up. We will continue to work with our partner, Jordan, in order to try to get to Geneva 2 so we can have the negotiation that is really the only way to end this conflict. We discussed trying to get there as rapidly as possible, and both Jordan and the United States will continue to work together to do that.
So, Mr. Foreign Minister, we also touched a little bit on Iran and Egypt, both issues of concern to all of us. And we pledged to continue to consult with our friends in Jordan with respect to those issues as we go forward.
Finally, I’ll just say that Nasser mentioned the work he’s done on the Hill, and he’s grateful for the relationship there. I think that His Majesty King Abdullah and Foreign Minister Judeh have done as effective a job of reaching out and building friendships and relationships for their country, and helping to give people a sense of the stakes in this region, as any head of state or foreign minister that I’ve met. And I thank them for those efforts, and I particularly thank them on behalf of President Obama for their highly valued friendship and partnership. Thank you.
FOREIGN MINISTER JUDEH: Thank you very much, John. I think the Secretary needs to get ready for his meeting this evening, so we’ll take three questions if I’m not mistaken. We’ll start with the Jordanian side. Let’s see who’s – and then take the U.S. I love press conferences where there are no questions. (Laughter.)
QUESTION: (Via interpreter) Good evening. I’m Majed al-Dabbas from Ammon news agency. His Majesty The King said that Jordan would take procedures to protect its interest in case the situation escalated in Syria. Do you have understandings about the nature of these procedures or measures taken by Jordan?
My question to Mr. Kerry: Some people think that the Syrian – the Russian policy has overcame the American policy. How do you evaluate this thing?
FOREIGN MINISTER JUDEH: (Via interpreter) First of all, concerning His Majesty’s speech and the speech at the throne, this is not the first time where His Majesty confirm our stance concerning the flow of the Syrian refugees to Jordan, and His Majesty’s speech is very clear. It doesn’t need clarification from myself.
What is reiterated by His Majesty that we open our heart and our country to receive our brothers from Syria who sought shelter in Jordan, fleeing away from destruction and killing. And this is the history of Jordan and of which we are very proud. Our obligation performed in fully, as His Majesty says, that there is no country in the whole world, whatever its economy or political situation, as strong or acquire natural resources can tolerate an increase of 20 to 21 percent of its population during a period which does not exceed two years.
Jordan is continuing to perform its obligation and ask for the international community to bear its responsibility for the humanitarian effort performed by Jordan on behalf of the international community. The problem is not related to the Jordan location, as a neighbor to Syria, but it is a humanitarian crisis that needs the whole world to take responsibility in it. And in the absence of this support to Jordan and which enables Jordan to show that – this responsibility, His Majesty said that all options are open to Jordan to select whatever possible to protect our interest and our people.
However, there are many countries and many international organizations that extended help to Jordan, whether directly by opening the camp at that time and the infrastructure for Zaatari camp, or through extending aids to Jordan, which is still less – far less than what we bear of social and economical and a political burden on Jordan. So the international community has to bear its responsibility towards Jordan performing this mission on behalf of the international community.
SECRETARY KERRY: With respect to your question about Russia (inaudible), obviously, the United States and Russia differ with respect to Assad. Russia is supporting Assad, and the United States believes that Assad has lost any legitimacy for the governance of Syria and must go.
But Russia and the United States are two countries, both members of the Permanent Five of the United Nations, and important countries that need to be able to work together, cooperate together where we can, and find ways to help solve problems. So we were very pleased to join in an initiative, which our presidents talked about in St. Petersburg, and which Sergey Lavrov and I talked about several times, to try to remove the weapons of mass destruction – the chemical weapons – from Syria. And we have joined together in that effort, as we have joined together to help call for Geneva 2 in order to implement Geneva 1.
So that is a shared priority, a shared sense of responsibility, and we welcome the work with Russia in an effort to try to provide stability and peace. So I don’t think it’s a question of one besting the other. Those are unnecessary judgments to be made about relationships. Sometimes, countries can find mutual interests that have very positive impact, and in this case that is precisely what we are doing. And I think it’s very good, not just for the beneficiaries directly, but for the rest of the world to see our two nations working together in that effect.
FOREIGN MINISTER JUDEH: We’ll take a question from the U.S. side, perhaps.
SECRETARY KERRY: Karen DeYoung.
FOREIGN MINISTER JUDEH: Karen, yeah.
SECRETARY KERRY: Karen DeYoung, Washington Post, yep.
FOREIGN MINISTER JUDEH: Good to see you again, Karen.
QUESTION: For the Secretary, when you began the peace process, you said your objective was to achieve final status agreements over the course of nine months, and you rejected suggestions that only a partial or interim agreement was acceptable. Do you still think that that’s possible? On the current trip, you told King Abdullah this morning that you thought some clarity had been achieved during your meetings over the past two days. Can you provide us of any sense of what is clearer now than it was when you arrived?
And to the Minister, two stops on this trip for Secretary Kerry, both Saudi Arabia and Israel, have cautioned the Obama Administration about accepting what they called a partial nuclear agreement with Iran. Do you share their concerns? And if you do, what have you learned today from Secretary Kerry about the first-phase agreement that was described yesterday by negotiators in Geneva? And has that assuaged your concerns?
And if I can just ask both of you, on Syria, it now looks like the Geneva 2 meeting will not take place at least until December. That meeting, as you know, has been repeatedly postponed since it was first proposed earlier this year. What makes you think that the problems that led to the earlier postponements are any different now than they were before? Thank you.
SECRETARY KERRY: Well, let me answer the last part first and then come back to the first part of your question on the peace process.
With respect to the movement, I understand it might be moved by a week or something like that. The date has not been set, incidentally, and part of the reason for that is that I think – what is today, the 7th – two days from now, the opposition is meeting and they’re having a vote, and people are trying to respect their process appropriately.
So I’m confident that somewhere in the next days a date is going to be set. And whether it’s a week later or seven days – eight days or whatever it is, two weeks later – is not – it’s going to give people time to prepare, it’s going to open up more opportunity for, I think, the variations of options to be able to be explored, and some pre-work to be done by the parties after they are named by Special Envoy Brahimi.
So I think a lot of clarity will come in the next days, and I’m not deterred by that at all. I think it’s good that it is as much on everybody’s minds as it is. We had a good meeting in Geneva two days ago with our – with Under Secretary Wendy Sherman and Deputy Bogdanov of Russian, together with Brahimi, and I think we’re heading in the right direction.
With respect to the peace process and clarity, do I believe, with respect to a final status element – absolutely. An interim agreement, only if it embraces the concept of the final status, might be a step along the way, but you cannot just do an interim agreement and pretend you are dealing with the problem. We’ve been there before. We’ve had interim agreements. We’ve had roadmaps. But if you leave the main issues hanging out there, mischief-makers will make the most of that and bad things will happen in the interval that then make it even harder to get to the final status. It is imperative that we keep final status and settle this before it can’t be settled because events on the ground or other events interfere with that possibility.
So I remain absolutely committed to this ability to get a final status solution. And do I think it is possible to do it? The answer is yes. I believe when I say clarity is coming to things, as we surface ideas in discussions with the leaders, we begin to see what range they have for moving or what possibilities there are for another alternative, or for something you haven’t thought of. And that brings a clarity to the range of choices that you have and therefore it defines in a sense the needle that you have to thread as you are proceeding forward. So I think listening to everybody – frankly, we made significant progress in our discussions about a couple of the areas of concern in the panorama of concerns that exist. But these are some of the principal ones.
And so I have promised I’m not going to go into the details of the negotiation. By agreement, all the parties are not going to discuss what we are discussing. And since I’m the one who invoked that rule, I’m not going to stand up here and break it. But it is important for us to be able to proceed carefully, quietly, and secretly, frankly. And that’s what gives the leaders the ability to be able to explore different possibilities. But I’m convinced, in my own judgment, that what happened here over the course of the last day, and it’s not over yet, has opened up a number of different possibilities for things that could be included as we proceed forward, and that’s a constructive way in which this goes on.
Now I can’t tell you precisely – maybe in a few weeks I can give you a better sense of timing about what we’re thinking about one thing or another, but for the moment we still have a nine-month period. We’re only three months into this. So we have a considerable amount of discussion that has taken place, and we’ve got, obviously, a decent road ahead of us to continue to march down, and we intend to continue to march down it.
FOREIGN MINISTER JUDEH: Thank you very much for that. And if I may just add a comment on what John has just said, first of all, I agree that he shouldn’t break his own rule, and one of the secrets for the success of this – I hesitate to say process, because we’ve had too many processes in the past. But this is a serious negotiating process, the success of which depends on avoiding these negotiations across the airwaves, as we have seen in the past. So this is a rule, I think, that all parties are accepting and respecting, and it’s important that it continues.
Now on your question, Karen, I don’t know what you mean by “partial solutions.” I – whether it’s the Palestinian-Israeli conflict or any other dispute, partial solutions, in my book, that leave issues hanging which could potentially come back and fly at our throats in the future, are not solutions. And therefore when we talk about the Middle East, and I don’t want to go back to nuances of U.S. foreign policy at different milestones by talking about linkage or no linkage, but everything in the Middle East is connected. So there may not be a linkage when it comes to a certain file with another file that happened to be parallel, but there is a connection somehow. This is the Middle East. Everything is connected. And the overall picture is certainly one that consists of many dots that have to be connected.
We have always said that the – a diplomatic solution, through dialogue and diplomacy, to the Iranian nuclear file is something that not only we welcome but something that we support and appreciate. I mean, look at the last three months. Look at the agreements that have come out of intensive diplomacy conducted by the United States and the Russian Federation, an agreement to eliminate the chemical weapons arsenal in Syria, an agreement to go to Geneva 2 to implement Geneva 1, overtures that took place on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly that resulted in a high-level contact between a senior U.S. official and a senior Iranian official. And there was an effort of the P5+1, and Cathy Ashton, that was ongoing for a number of years, and it has been given new impetus. And therefore the end of that line would be a solution to that file that satisfies everyone.
I mean, there is a threat of a nuclear arms race in the region, there’s a threat of instability, because of that nuclear file, to the Gulf region, to the hinterland inside. There’s a threat of military strikes that would cause further instability in this region. We’ve always said we want to avoid further factors of instability. So a diplomatic solution is not only welcome, but it has to be one that is comprehensive and that alleviates the fears of everyone concerned and bring back peace and potential peace of mind for this entire region.
QUESTION: (Via interpreter) You said we are not observing or not mediators. How can we get our rights while we have continuous settlement and the problem of Jerusalem is still continuing? So we are facing a full Israeli rejection. Do you think that we have practical steps to face such rejection and reluctance by the side of Israel? And is there any American assistance concerning the Syrian refugees?
FOREIGN MINISTER JUDEH: (Via interpreter) The most important issue when talking about (inaudible) is that there is a timeframe. This timeframe work mentioned by Mr. Kerry for nine years started in July last year – this year, and has been there for four months. And there is an end for this road after these nine months when both sides look for the comprehensive pictures, although we have bilateral procedures on the ground that handle the peace process, but there is an end for this road. And this is expressed by Mr. Kerry frankly and clearly and with commitment.
The settlement is illegal and illegitimate. This is the position of the whole world, including the USA, and we have heard the speech of Mr. Kerry. Although the settlement should stop, but it should be solved from the root through the negotiations and whether we like or not. But we like that whether the settlement is continuing because of the occupation, the occupation should be end. And the negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis have gone through real examination through some declaration of settlements and some violations for the sacred places and resulted in some killing and death. However, the more comprehensive framework and the commitment from the USA for final settlement, this would put an end for this rejection and for the suffering, and we are full of hope that this would happen.
Concerning the American assistance for the Syria refugees, it is continuing, and the USA was among the first countries that provided assistance to Jordan. And there was a visit by President Obama at the beginning of the year, and we have received assistance in this year concerning, in particular, the Syrian refugees. And also among the issues that discussed between His Majesty with Secretary Kerry about this assistance of which the USA is understanding in full the burden shouldered by Jordan. So we appreciate and value the assistance provided to Jordan.
Thank you very much.
Thursday, November 7, 2013
FDA SEEKS TO STOP 7,000 DEATHS PER YEAR BY ELIMINATING TRANS FATS FROM AMERICAN DIET
FROM: U.S. FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION
FDA Targets Trans Fat in Processed Foods
More than decade ago, a sea change began in the American diet, with consumers starting to avoid foods with trans fat and companies responding by reducing the amount of trans fat in their products.
This evolution began when FDA first proposed in 1999 that manufacturers be required to declare the amount of trans fat on Nutrition Facts labels because of public health concerns. That requirement became effective in 2006.
However, there are still many processed foods made with partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs), the major dietary source of trans fat in processed food. Trans fat has been linked to an increased risk of coronary heart disease, in which plaque builds up inside the arteries and may cause a heart attack.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that a further reduction of trans fat in the food supply can prevent an additional 7,000 deaths from heart disease each year and up to 20,000 heart attacks each year.
Part of the FDA's responsibility to the public is to ensure that food in the American food supply is safe. Therefore, due to the risks associated with consuming PHOs, FDA has issued a Federal Register notice with its preliminary determination that PHOs are no longer "generally recognized as safe," or GRAS, for short. If this preliminary determination is finalized, then PHOs would become food additives subject to premarket approval by FDA. Foods containing unapproved food additives are considered adulterated under U.S. law, meaning they cannot legally be sold.
If FDA determines that PHOs are not GRAS, it could, in effect, mean the end of artificial, industrially-produced trans fat in foods, says Dennis M. Keefe, Ph.D., director of FDA's Office of Food Additive Safety. FDA is soliciting comments on how such an action would impact small businesses and how to ensure a smooth transition if a final determination is issued.
Trans fat wouldn't be completely gone, Keefe notes, because it also occurs naturally in small amounts in meat and dairy products. It is also present at very low levels in other edible oils, such as fully hydrogenated oils, where it is unavoidably produced during the manufacturing process.
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About Trans Fat and PHOs
PHOs are found in many popular processed foods, like baked goods and frozen foods that time-crunched Americans use to feed their families. They have been widely used as ingredients since the 1950s to increase the shelf-life and flavor stability of foods.
But over time, various studies have linked trans fat—produced when hydrogen is added to vegetable oil to make it more solid—to heart disease. A 2002 report by the National Academy of Science's Institute of Medicine found a direct correlation between intake of trans fat and increased levels of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, commonly referred to as "bad" cholesterol, and, therefore, increased risk of heart disease.
Keefe says that even though the FDA requirement that trans fat be listed on the Nutrition Facts label took effect in January 2006, consumers took the health warnings to heart early. They started turning away from foods with trans fat soon after publication of FDA's final rule in 2003. Taking the lead from consumers, many processed food manufacturers followed suit and voluntarily changed their food formulations to reduce or eliminate trans fat.
However, Mical E. Honigfort, a consumer safety officer at FDA, says that trans fat can still be found in such processed foods as:
crackers, cookies, cakes, frozen pies and other baked goods
snack foods (such as microwave popcorn)
frozen pizza
vegetable shortenings and stick margarines
coffee creamers
refrigerated dough products (such as biscuits and cinnamon rolls)
ready-to-use frostings
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About GRAS
Under section 409 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, any substance intentionally added to food is a food additive subject to premarket approval and review by FDA, with some exceptions. The exceptions include substances "generally recognized as safe," or GRAS, because they are generally recognized by qualified experts as safe under the conditions of intended use.
The most widely used PHOs have long been considered GRAS ingredients by the food industry. Keefe explains that companies may voluntarily notify FDA that they have determined that the use of an ingredient is GRAS, but there is no legal requirement for food manufacturers to submit a GRAS notification before going to market. If FDA ultimately determines that PHOs are not GRAS, food manufacturers would have to obtain premarket approval by FDA before adding PHOs to food.
FDA can act when it believes an ingredient is, in fact, not GRAS. And that's what the agency's preliminary determination is doing now with partially hydrogenated oils. A Federal Register notice was published on Nov., 7 2013 announcing the preliminary determination that PHOs are not GRAS, which includes the opening of a 60-day public comment period.
If FDA makes a final determination that PHOs are not GRAS, the agency and food industry would have to figure out a way to phase out the use of PHOs over time. To help address this concern in an appropriate manner, the Federal Register notice calls for comment on how long it would take the food industry to phase out its use of PHOs.
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What Should the Consumer Do?
In the meantime, what should the average consumer do if he or she picks up a favorite food and sees that it has trans fat on the Nutrition Facts label? The best thing to do is to consider the amounts of saturated fat, cholesterol and trans fat. Choose the product that has the lowest combined amount of these nutrients, Keefe says.
Even if a food claims on its packaging to have "0 grams trans fat," it's a good idea to look at the ingredients, says Honigfort. Under current regulations, companies can make that claim if the food contains less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving. But if there is partially hydrogenated oil listed with the ingredients, there might be a small amount of trans fat. Selecting foods with even small amounts of trans fat can add up to a significant intake.
This article appears on FDA's Consumer Updates page, which features the latest on all FDA-regulated products.
Nov. 7, 2013
FDA Targets Trans Fat in Processed Foods
More than decade ago, a sea change began in the American diet, with consumers starting to avoid foods with trans fat and companies responding by reducing the amount of trans fat in their products.
This evolution began when FDA first proposed in 1999 that manufacturers be required to declare the amount of trans fat on Nutrition Facts labels because of public health concerns. That requirement became effective in 2006.
However, there are still many processed foods made with partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs), the major dietary source of trans fat in processed food. Trans fat has been linked to an increased risk of coronary heart disease, in which plaque builds up inside the arteries and may cause a heart attack.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that a further reduction of trans fat in the food supply can prevent an additional 7,000 deaths from heart disease each year and up to 20,000 heart attacks each year.
Part of the FDA's responsibility to the public is to ensure that food in the American food supply is safe. Therefore, due to the risks associated with consuming PHOs, FDA has issued a Federal Register notice with its preliminary determination that PHOs are no longer "generally recognized as safe," or GRAS, for short. If this preliminary determination is finalized, then PHOs would become food additives subject to premarket approval by FDA. Foods containing unapproved food additives are considered adulterated under U.S. law, meaning they cannot legally be sold.
If FDA determines that PHOs are not GRAS, it could, in effect, mean the end of artificial, industrially-produced trans fat in foods, says Dennis M. Keefe, Ph.D., director of FDA's Office of Food Additive Safety. FDA is soliciting comments on how such an action would impact small businesses and how to ensure a smooth transition if a final determination is issued.
Trans fat wouldn't be completely gone, Keefe notes, because it also occurs naturally in small amounts in meat and dairy products. It is also present at very low levels in other edible oils, such as fully hydrogenated oils, where it is unavoidably produced during the manufacturing process.
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About Trans Fat and PHOs
PHOs are found in many popular processed foods, like baked goods and frozen foods that time-crunched Americans use to feed their families. They have been widely used as ingredients since the 1950s to increase the shelf-life and flavor stability of foods.
But over time, various studies have linked trans fat—produced when hydrogen is added to vegetable oil to make it more solid—to heart disease. A 2002 report by the National Academy of Science's Institute of Medicine found a direct correlation between intake of trans fat and increased levels of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, commonly referred to as "bad" cholesterol, and, therefore, increased risk of heart disease.
Keefe says that even though the FDA requirement that trans fat be listed on the Nutrition Facts label took effect in January 2006, consumers took the health warnings to heart early. They started turning away from foods with trans fat soon after publication of FDA's final rule in 2003. Taking the lead from consumers, many processed food manufacturers followed suit and voluntarily changed their food formulations to reduce or eliminate trans fat.
However, Mical E. Honigfort, a consumer safety officer at FDA, says that trans fat can still be found in such processed foods as:
crackers, cookies, cakes, frozen pies and other baked goods
snack foods (such as microwave popcorn)
frozen pizza
vegetable shortenings and stick margarines
coffee creamers
refrigerated dough products (such as biscuits and cinnamon rolls)
ready-to-use frostings
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About GRAS
Under section 409 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, any substance intentionally added to food is a food additive subject to premarket approval and review by FDA, with some exceptions. The exceptions include substances "generally recognized as safe," or GRAS, because they are generally recognized by qualified experts as safe under the conditions of intended use.
The most widely used PHOs have long been considered GRAS ingredients by the food industry. Keefe explains that companies may voluntarily notify FDA that they have determined that the use of an ingredient is GRAS, but there is no legal requirement for food manufacturers to submit a GRAS notification before going to market. If FDA ultimately determines that PHOs are not GRAS, food manufacturers would have to obtain premarket approval by FDA before adding PHOs to food.
FDA can act when it believes an ingredient is, in fact, not GRAS. And that's what the agency's preliminary determination is doing now with partially hydrogenated oils. A Federal Register notice was published on Nov., 7 2013 announcing the preliminary determination that PHOs are not GRAS, which includes the opening of a 60-day public comment period.
If FDA makes a final determination that PHOs are not GRAS, the agency and food industry would have to figure out a way to phase out the use of PHOs over time. To help address this concern in an appropriate manner, the Federal Register notice calls for comment on how long it would take the food industry to phase out its use of PHOs.
back to top
What Should the Consumer Do?
In the meantime, what should the average consumer do if he or she picks up a favorite food and sees that it has trans fat on the Nutrition Facts label? The best thing to do is to consider the amounts of saturated fat, cholesterol and trans fat. Choose the product that has the lowest combined amount of these nutrients, Keefe says.
Even if a food claims on its packaging to have "0 grams trans fat," it's a good idea to look at the ingredients, says Honigfort. Under current regulations, companies can make that claim if the food contains less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving. But if there is partially hydrogenated oil listed with the ingredients, there might be a small amount of trans fat. Selecting foods with even small amounts of trans fat can add up to a significant intake.
This article appears on FDA's Consumer Updates page, which features the latest on all FDA-regulated products.
Nov. 7, 2013
CHECK CASHING COMPANY OWNER PLEADS GUILTY RELATED TO $19 MILLION MONEY LAUNDERING SCHEME
FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
New York Check Cashing Company and Owner Plead Guilty for Roles in $19 Million Scheme
Belair Payroll Services Inc. (Belair), a multi-branch check cashing company in Flushing, N.Y., and its owner, Craig Panzera, 47, pleaded guilty today for failing to follow reporting and anti-money laundering requirements for more than $19 million in transactions, in violation of the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA). Panzera also pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States by willfully failing to pay income and payroll taxes.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch of the Eastern District of New York, Acting Director John Sandweg of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Chief Richard Weber of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) made the announcement.
As part of the guilty plea, Belair will forfeit $3,267,252.10, and Panzera will pay restitution in the amount of $946,841.17 to the IRS. Sentencing for Belair and Panzera will be determined at a later date.
According to court records, from in or about June 2009 through June 2011, certain individuals presented to Belair’s manager and other employees checks to be cashed at Belair. The checks were written on accounts of shell corporations that appeared to be health care related, but in fact, the corporations did no legitimate business. The shell corporations and their corresponding bank accounts on which the checks were written were established in the names of foreign nationals, many of whom were no longer in the United States.
Belair accepted these checks and provided cash in excess of $10,000 to the individuals. Panzera and others at Belair never obtained any identification documents or information from those individuals. Belair filed currency transaction reports (CTRs) that falsely stated the checks were cashed by the foreign nationals who set up the shell corporations, and in certain CTRs, Belair failed to indicate the full amount of cash provided to the individuals. The individuals cashed more than $19 million through Belair during the course of the scheme. Panzera and Belair willfully failed to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program by cashing these checks.
The charges in the indictment against Panzera’s and Belair’s co-defendants remain pending and are merely accusations. Those defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The cases are being investigated by agents from ICE Homeland Security Investigations and IRS-CI. These cases are being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Claiborne W. Porter and Kevin G. Mosley of the Criminal Division’s Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section’s (AFMLS) Money Laundering and Bank Integrity Unit, Trial Attorney Darrin McCullough of AFMLS’s Forfeiture Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Notopoulos of the Eastern District of New York.
The Money Laundering and Bank Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes complex, multi-district and international criminal cases involving financial institutions and individuals who violate the money laundering statutes, the Bank Secrecy Act and other related statutes. The Unit’s prosecutions generally focus on three types of violators: financial institutions, including their officers, managers and employees, whose actions threaten the integrity of the individual institution or the wider financial system; professional money launderers and gatekeepers who provide their services to serious criminal organizations; and individuals and entities engaged in using the latest and most sophisticated money laundering techniques and tools.
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
New York Check Cashing Company and Owner Plead Guilty for Roles in $19 Million Scheme
Belair Payroll Services Inc. (Belair), a multi-branch check cashing company in Flushing, N.Y., and its owner, Craig Panzera, 47, pleaded guilty today for failing to follow reporting and anti-money laundering requirements for more than $19 million in transactions, in violation of the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA). Panzera also pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States by willfully failing to pay income and payroll taxes.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch of the Eastern District of New York, Acting Director John Sandweg of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Chief Richard Weber of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) made the announcement.
As part of the guilty plea, Belair will forfeit $3,267,252.10, and Panzera will pay restitution in the amount of $946,841.17 to the IRS. Sentencing for Belair and Panzera will be determined at a later date.
According to court records, from in or about June 2009 through June 2011, certain individuals presented to Belair’s manager and other employees checks to be cashed at Belair. The checks were written on accounts of shell corporations that appeared to be health care related, but in fact, the corporations did no legitimate business. The shell corporations and their corresponding bank accounts on which the checks were written were established in the names of foreign nationals, many of whom were no longer in the United States.
Belair accepted these checks and provided cash in excess of $10,000 to the individuals. Panzera and others at Belair never obtained any identification documents or information from those individuals. Belair filed currency transaction reports (CTRs) that falsely stated the checks were cashed by the foreign nationals who set up the shell corporations, and in certain CTRs, Belair failed to indicate the full amount of cash provided to the individuals. The individuals cashed more than $19 million through Belair during the course of the scheme. Panzera and Belair willfully failed to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program by cashing these checks.
The charges in the indictment against Panzera’s and Belair’s co-defendants remain pending and are merely accusations. Those defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The cases are being investigated by agents from ICE Homeland Security Investigations and IRS-CI. These cases are being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Claiborne W. Porter and Kevin G. Mosley of the Criminal Division’s Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section’s (AFMLS) Money Laundering and Bank Integrity Unit, Trial Attorney Darrin McCullough of AFMLS’s Forfeiture Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Notopoulos of the Eastern District of New York.
The Money Laundering and Bank Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes complex, multi-district and international criminal cases involving financial institutions and individuals who violate the money laundering statutes, the Bank Secrecy Act and other related statutes. The Unit’s prosecutions generally focus on three types of violators: financial institutions, including their officers, managers and employees, whose actions threaten the integrity of the individual institution or the wider financial system; professional money launderers and gatekeepers who provide their services to serious criminal organizations; and individuals and entities engaged in using the latest and most sophisticated money laundering techniques and tools.
SECRETARY OF STATE KERRY MAKES REMARKS WITH ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU BEFORE MEETING
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Remarks With Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Before Their Meeting
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Jerusalem
November 6, 2013
PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU: Well, good morning. It’s my pleasure to welcome my friend John Kerry to Jerusalem. We have two big items on our agenda every time we meet, and this time again.
The first is Iran. We just marked the event 34 years ago when the American Embassy was seized and we heard the chants, “Death to America.” We heard that two days ago again in Tehran, and this is, I believe, the true face of this regime or the person who controls this regime, the so-called Supreme Leader. I think that this attitude buttressed by a policy of terror worldwide supporting Hezbollah, Hamas, and all the forces that are against peace participating in a mass murder in Syria – I think such a regime must not have the world’s most dangerous weapons.
We’ve spoken about it many times, and I believe that as long as they continue their goal to enrich uranium to get nuclear weapons, the pressure should be maintained and even increased because they’re increasing enrichment. And I believe that it’s possible, with intense pressure because of the sanctions regime led in large part by the United States, to get Iran to fully dismantle its nuclear weapons program. And that’s really what we’re seeking – a full, peaceful, complete dismantling of Iran’s nuclear weapons capability, end of all enrichment, end of all centrifuges, end of the plutonium reactor.
If this is achieved, I’d welcome it. I’d be very worried of any partial deals that enable Iran to maintain those capabilities but begin to reduce sanctions because this could have – I think this could undermine the longevity and durability of the sanctions regime.
We seek peace with the Palestinians. We’ve spoken, John, many, many times about this, and because of your efforts, we launched several months ago an initiative to seek a peaceful agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. I want peace with the Palestinians; Israel wants peace with the Palestinians. We agreed three months ago on certain terms. We stand by those terms. We abide scrupulously by the terms of the agreement and the understanding on which we launched the negotiations.
I’m concerned about their progress because I see the Palestinians continuing with incitement, continuing to create artificial crises, continuing to avoid, run away from the historic decisions that are needed to make a genuine peace. I hope that your visit will help steer them back to a place where we could achieve the historical peace that we seek and that our people deserve.
And I welcome you again. Thank you.
SECRETARY KERRY: Well, Prime Minister, thank you very much. Thank you, Bibi, for again making time and being here to be part of this really critical process.
We are in the Rabin Suite here, and last night I had the privilege of visiting the site where violence took the life of a great prime minister who was moving towards peace. And I’d often heard President Clinton talk about the meaning of that loss and that moment to the loss of an opportunity for peace.
So I’m honored to be in the Rabin Suite meeting with the Prime Minister of Israel at a moment where we are in critical talks with respect to the possibilities of a long, long sought goal here in the Middle East. Israel deserves security, deserves to live in peace. The Palestinians deserve a state and deserve to live in peace, and that is what we are working towards.
This is a moment where there are many issues of great consequence on the table. As I sit here, a team is arriving in Geneva and they will be negotiating tomorrow with the P5+1 on Iran, on the very topic that Bibi just raised. Our goal is an Iran that has only a peaceful nuclear program, and indeed we must make certain – it is incumbent on us, a responsibility of the world to know with certainty that it is a peaceful program and there is no capacity to produce a weapon of mass destruction. That’s our goal. And as I have said many times, no deal is better than a bad deal. We will not make a bad deal if a deal can be made at all. And we will be pursuing that carefully.
Even as we are here, we’re also meeting in Geneva and in other efforts to try to move forward on Syria. The impact of Syria on this region cannot be overstated. Massive numbers of refugees, enormous violence, now the potential of disease – polio – a breakdown of the health system – perhaps even if we don’t succeed, the destruction of the state of Syria with all of those dangerous implications.
And then of course, finally, this issue of peace between Israel and the Palestinians. We are now three months into this negotiation. There are always difficulties, always tensions. I’m very confident of our ability to work through them. That’s why I’m here. We will spend serious time this morning. I will meet with President Abbas this afternoon. Again this evening, the Prime Minister and I and his team will share a working dinner, and we’ll work as late as it takes. And again tomorrow, I will be here in the region and working on this.
So I hope that we will continue in the good faith that brought the parties together in the first place that this can be achieved. With good faith, with a serious effort on both sides to make real compromises and hard decisions, this can be achieved. President Obama sees the road ahead, as do I, and we share a belief in this process or we wouldn’t put this time into it. So I look forward to the conversations we’ll have beginning today, and I respect everybody’s patience with us that we are not talking every day about what we’re doing. We need the space to negotiate privately, secretly, quietly, and we will continue to do that. We have six months ahead of us on the timetable we’ve set for ourselves, and I’m confident that we have the ability to make progress.
PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU: Thank you, John.
Remarks With Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Before Their Meeting
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Jerusalem
November 6, 2013
PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU: Well, good morning. It’s my pleasure to welcome my friend John Kerry to Jerusalem. We have two big items on our agenda every time we meet, and this time again.
The first is Iran. We just marked the event 34 years ago when the American Embassy was seized and we heard the chants, “Death to America.” We heard that two days ago again in Tehran, and this is, I believe, the true face of this regime or the person who controls this regime, the so-called Supreme Leader. I think that this attitude buttressed by a policy of terror worldwide supporting Hezbollah, Hamas, and all the forces that are against peace participating in a mass murder in Syria – I think such a regime must not have the world’s most dangerous weapons.
We’ve spoken about it many times, and I believe that as long as they continue their goal to enrich uranium to get nuclear weapons, the pressure should be maintained and even increased because they’re increasing enrichment. And I believe that it’s possible, with intense pressure because of the sanctions regime led in large part by the United States, to get Iran to fully dismantle its nuclear weapons program. And that’s really what we’re seeking – a full, peaceful, complete dismantling of Iran’s nuclear weapons capability, end of all enrichment, end of all centrifuges, end of the plutonium reactor.
If this is achieved, I’d welcome it. I’d be very worried of any partial deals that enable Iran to maintain those capabilities but begin to reduce sanctions because this could have – I think this could undermine the longevity and durability of the sanctions regime.
We seek peace with the Palestinians. We’ve spoken, John, many, many times about this, and because of your efforts, we launched several months ago an initiative to seek a peaceful agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. I want peace with the Palestinians; Israel wants peace with the Palestinians. We agreed three months ago on certain terms. We stand by those terms. We abide scrupulously by the terms of the agreement and the understanding on which we launched the negotiations.
I’m concerned about their progress because I see the Palestinians continuing with incitement, continuing to create artificial crises, continuing to avoid, run away from the historic decisions that are needed to make a genuine peace. I hope that your visit will help steer them back to a place where we could achieve the historical peace that we seek and that our people deserve.
And I welcome you again. Thank you.
SECRETARY KERRY: Well, Prime Minister, thank you very much. Thank you, Bibi, for again making time and being here to be part of this really critical process.
We are in the Rabin Suite here, and last night I had the privilege of visiting the site where violence took the life of a great prime minister who was moving towards peace. And I’d often heard President Clinton talk about the meaning of that loss and that moment to the loss of an opportunity for peace.
So I’m honored to be in the Rabin Suite meeting with the Prime Minister of Israel at a moment where we are in critical talks with respect to the possibilities of a long, long sought goal here in the Middle East. Israel deserves security, deserves to live in peace. The Palestinians deserve a state and deserve to live in peace, and that is what we are working towards.
This is a moment where there are many issues of great consequence on the table. As I sit here, a team is arriving in Geneva and they will be negotiating tomorrow with the P5+1 on Iran, on the very topic that Bibi just raised. Our goal is an Iran that has only a peaceful nuclear program, and indeed we must make certain – it is incumbent on us, a responsibility of the world to know with certainty that it is a peaceful program and there is no capacity to produce a weapon of mass destruction. That’s our goal. And as I have said many times, no deal is better than a bad deal. We will not make a bad deal if a deal can be made at all. And we will be pursuing that carefully.
Even as we are here, we’re also meeting in Geneva and in other efforts to try to move forward on Syria. The impact of Syria on this region cannot be overstated. Massive numbers of refugees, enormous violence, now the potential of disease – polio – a breakdown of the health system – perhaps even if we don’t succeed, the destruction of the state of Syria with all of those dangerous implications.
And then of course, finally, this issue of peace between Israel and the Palestinians. We are now three months into this negotiation. There are always difficulties, always tensions. I’m very confident of our ability to work through them. That’s why I’m here. We will spend serious time this morning. I will meet with President Abbas this afternoon. Again this evening, the Prime Minister and I and his team will share a working dinner, and we’ll work as late as it takes. And again tomorrow, I will be here in the region and working on this.
So I hope that we will continue in the good faith that brought the parties together in the first place that this can be achieved. With good faith, with a serious effort on both sides to make real compromises and hard decisions, this can be achieved. President Obama sees the road ahead, as do I, and we share a belief in this process or we wouldn’t put this time into it. So I look forward to the conversations we’ll have beginning today, and I respect everybody’s patience with us that we are not talking every day about what we’re doing. We need the space to negotiate privately, secretly, quietly, and we will continue to do that. We have six months ahead of us on the timetable we’ve set for ourselves, and I’m confident that we have the ability to make progress.
PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU: Thank you, John.
FDA WARNS OF RISKS TO PETS TAKING PAIN MEDICATION
FROM: U.S. FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION
Pain Medicines for Pets: Know the Risks
Your 9-year-old German Shepherd is limping, and you think that arthritis may be setting in. A trip to the veterinarian proves that you’re right—it’s osteoarthritis, a degeneration of the cartilage and bone that affects joints. The veterinarian prescribes a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID).
NSAIDs are a class of drugs extensively used in both human and veterinary medicine for their anti-fever, anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties, and they are the most commonly prescribed pain relievers for animals. Inflammation—the body’s response to irritation or injury—is characterized by redness, warmth, swelling, and pain. NSAIDs work by blocking the production of chemicals produced by the body that play a role in inflammation.
“Scientists consider NSAIDs the cornerstone of osteoarthritis therapy in dogs,” says Melanie McLean, D.V.M., a veterinarian at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Some NSAIDS are also used to manage pain after surgery in both dogs and cats. No NSAID has been approved for long-term use in cats.
NSAIDs carry risks as well as benefits, however, and all dogs and cats should undergo a thorough physical examination by a veterinarian—including a discussion of the pet’s medical history— before beginning NSAID therapy. McLean notes that it’s also important that you talk to your veterinarian about possible side effects, including those that could signal danger.
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Risks and Side Effects
NSAIDS are associated with gastrointestinal ulcers/perforations, kidney, and liver toxicity (damage done by exposure to medications or chemicals) and must be used cautiously in animals with pre-existing kidney or liver problems.
Because most liver-associated toxicities occur during the first three weeks, it’s especially important to closely monitor the results of blood tests during the early stages of long-term NSAID treatment in dogs. Also, before starting long-term treatment with NSAIDs in dogs, blood tests should be conducted to establish baseline data and then repeated on a regular basis. McLean recommends that you talk with your veterinarian about how often this blood work should be done.
Some of the most common side effects of NSAIDS in animals reported to FDA are:
vomiting
decreased to no appetite
decreased activity level
diarrhea
While your animal is taking NSAIDs, continuously monitor the pet for these side effects as well as looking for blood in the feces, tar-like stools, yellowing of the whites of the eyes, or yellowing of the gums. If you see these, call your veterinarian immediately, McLean says. Other reported side effects include stomach and intestinal ulcers, intestinal perforation (a hole in the wall of the intestine), kidney failure, liver failure and death.
Giving two NSAIDs at the same time, or giving an NSAID with a steroid, such as prednisone, can significantly increase the risk and severity of side effects, especially gastrointestinal toxicity.
Risks associated with NSAIDs are detailed on the package inserts and the client information sheets that accompany all FDA-approved veterinary oral NSAIDs.
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Are OTC Meds for People Safe for Pets?
McLean says that it’s not unusual for pet owners to want to give their animals NSAIDs or acetaminophen (Tylenol and other brands, which are not NSAIDs) straight from their own medicine cabinets. “Many people don’t realize that a medicine that’s safe for people may not be safe for dogs or cats, or that a dose that is safe for people may not be safe for their pets,” she notes.
In fact, some over-the-counter (OTC) human pain relievers can be toxic, or even deadly, in pets. McLean suggests that you check with your veterinarian first if you want to give your animal OTC human drugs.
“You should always check with your veterinarian first before giving your animal any kind of medication, prescription or over-the-counter,” she notes. Similarly, pet owners should not assume that a medicine that is safe for one animal is necessarily safe for another.
Communication with your veterinarian is essential. Before giving your animal an NSAID:
Make sure you know what the medication is being prescribed for, how much to give and how long to give it.
Discuss possible side effects and symptoms, especially those that require an immediate call to the vet.
Tell your veterinarian if the pet has a history of gastrointestinal problems, such as stomach ulcers, or surgery on the stomach or intestines.
Tell your veterinarian if your pet is on any other medications or supplements.
This article appears on FDA's Consumer Updates page, which features the latest on all FDA-regulated products.
Pain Medicines for Pets: Know the Risks
Your 9-year-old German Shepherd is limping, and you think that arthritis may be setting in. A trip to the veterinarian proves that you’re right—it’s osteoarthritis, a degeneration of the cartilage and bone that affects joints. The veterinarian prescribes a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID).
NSAIDs are a class of drugs extensively used in both human and veterinary medicine for their anti-fever, anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties, and they are the most commonly prescribed pain relievers for animals. Inflammation—the body’s response to irritation or injury—is characterized by redness, warmth, swelling, and pain. NSAIDs work by blocking the production of chemicals produced by the body that play a role in inflammation.
“Scientists consider NSAIDs the cornerstone of osteoarthritis therapy in dogs,” says Melanie McLean, D.V.M., a veterinarian at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Some NSAIDS are also used to manage pain after surgery in both dogs and cats. No NSAID has been approved for long-term use in cats.
NSAIDs carry risks as well as benefits, however, and all dogs and cats should undergo a thorough physical examination by a veterinarian—including a discussion of the pet’s medical history— before beginning NSAID therapy. McLean notes that it’s also important that you talk to your veterinarian about possible side effects, including those that could signal danger.
back to top
Risks and Side Effects
NSAIDS are associated with gastrointestinal ulcers/perforations, kidney, and liver toxicity (damage done by exposure to medications or chemicals) and must be used cautiously in animals with pre-existing kidney or liver problems.
Because most liver-associated toxicities occur during the first three weeks, it’s especially important to closely monitor the results of blood tests during the early stages of long-term NSAID treatment in dogs. Also, before starting long-term treatment with NSAIDs in dogs, blood tests should be conducted to establish baseline data and then repeated on a regular basis. McLean recommends that you talk with your veterinarian about how often this blood work should be done.
Some of the most common side effects of NSAIDS in animals reported to FDA are:
vomiting
decreased to no appetite
decreased activity level
diarrhea
While your animal is taking NSAIDs, continuously monitor the pet for these side effects as well as looking for blood in the feces, tar-like stools, yellowing of the whites of the eyes, or yellowing of the gums. If you see these, call your veterinarian immediately, McLean says. Other reported side effects include stomach and intestinal ulcers, intestinal perforation (a hole in the wall of the intestine), kidney failure, liver failure and death.
Giving two NSAIDs at the same time, or giving an NSAID with a steroid, such as prednisone, can significantly increase the risk and severity of side effects, especially gastrointestinal toxicity.
Risks associated with NSAIDs are detailed on the package inserts and the client information sheets that accompany all FDA-approved veterinary oral NSAIDs.
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Are OTC Meds for People Safe for Pets?
McLean says that it’s not unusual for pet owners to want to give their animals NSAIDs or acetaminophen (Tylenol and other brands, which are not NSAIDs) straight from their own medicine cabinets. “Many people don’t realize that a medicine that’s safe for people may not be safe for dogs or cats, or that a dose that is safe for people may not be safe for their pets,” she notes.
In fact, some over-the-counter (OTC) human pain relievers can be toxic, or even deadly, in pets. McLean suggests that you check with your veterinarian first if you want to give your animal OTC human drugs.
“You should always check with your veterinarian first before giving your animal any kind of medication, prescription or over-the-counter,” she notes. Similarly, pet owners should not assume that a medicine that is safe for one animal is necessarily safe for another.
Communication with your veterinarian is essential. Before giving your animal an NSAID:
Make sure you know what the medication is being prescribed for, how much to give and how long to give it.
Discuss possible side effects and symptoms, especially those that require an immediate call to the vet.
Tell your veterinarian if the pet has a history of gastrointestinal problems, such as stomach ulcers, or surgery on the stomach or intestines.
Tell your veterinarian if your pet is on any other medications or supplements.
This article appears on FDA's Consumer Updates page, which features the latest on all FDA-regulated products.
NAVY COMMANDER, DEFENSE CONTRACTOR CHARGED IN CASH AND PROSTITUTES BRIBERY SCHEME
FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Navy Commander Charged with Accepting $100,000 Cash and Prostitutes in Widening International Bribery Scheme
Third Navy Official Charged Along with Owner of Singapore-based Glenn Defense Marine Asia
A third senior U.S. Navy official has been charged in a complaint unsealed today with accepting prostitutes, luxury travel and $100,000 cash from a foreign defense contractor in exchange for classified and internal U.S. Navy information, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Laura E. Duffy of the Southern District of California.
U.S. Navy Commander Jose Luis Sanchez, 41, was arrested in Tampa, Fla., Tuesday evening and made his initial appearance in federal court in the Middle District of Florida this morning. Also named in a complaint unsealed today is Leonard Glenn Francis, 49, of Malaysia, the CEO of Glenn Defense Marine Asia (GDMA), who was arrested on Sept. 16, 2013, in San Diego.
Two other senior Navy officials – Commander Michael Vannak Khem Misiewicz, 46, and Naval Criminal Investigative Service Supervisory Special Agent John Bertrand Beliveau II, 44 – have been charged separately in connection with bribery allegations. GDMA executive Alex Wisidagama, 40, of Singapore, has also been charged with participating in a related scheme to overbill the Navy for services provided in ports throughout Southeast Asia.
“As described in the corruption charges unsealed today, senior officials with the United States Navy abused their trusted positions as leaders in our armed forces by peddling favorable treatment -- and even classified government information -- for their personal benefit,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Raman. “In turn, the GDMA executives who illicitly sought information and favors from those Navy officials boasted about their unlawful access to those officials and then traded on the influence that they illegally bought. Day by day, this massive Navy fraud and bribery investigation continues to widen, and as the charges announced today show, we will follow the evidence wherever it takes us.”
“According to the allegations in this case, a number of officials were willing to sacrifice their integrity and millions of taxpayer dollars for personal gratification,” said U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy. “While the overwhelming majority of the 400,000 active duty Navy personnel conduct themselves in a manner that is beyond reproach, we and our law enforcement partners at Naval Criminal Investigative Service and Defense Criminal Investigative Service continue to investigate the allegations of fraud and corruption that tarnish the stellar reputation of the U.S. Navy.”
“The arrest and criminal complaint against Commander Sanchez is the result of an ongoing investigation by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and its law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute those individuals who would abuse their positions of trust within the Department of Defense,” said Special Agent In Charge Chris D. Hendrickson of the Office of the Inspector General, Department of Defense, Defense Criminal Investigative Service Western Field Office. “Allegations like these against Commander Sanchez can tarnish the reputation of honest and hardworking government personnel and put military personnel defending our nation around the globe at risk. The mission of DCIS is to ‘Protect America’s Warfighters’ and we will continue to relentlessly identify and investigate those individuals seeking to enrich themselves at the expense of the U.S. taxpayers.”
According to the complaint, Sanchez received bribes in return for sending sensitive U.S. Navy information to Francis, and making recommendations within the Navy to benefit Francis’s company, GDMA. GDMA is a multinational corporation and longtime government contractor based in Singapore, which provides hundreds of millions of dollars of “husbanding” services for the U.S. Navy in at least a dozen countries throughout the Pacific. Husbanding involves supplying food, water, fuel, tugboats and fenders, security, transportation, trash and liquid waste removal, and other goods and services to ships and submarines in foreign ports.
Like Sanchez, Misiewicz is accused of providing sensitive Navy information to Francis and secretly working on behalf of GDMA in exchange for prostitutes and luxury travel. GDMA, which has operating locations in Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Korea, India, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Australia, Philippines, Sri Lanka and the United States, allegedly overcharged the Navy and submitted bogus invoices for millions of dollars in services. Beliveau, the NCIS agent, is charged in another complaint with illegally supplying Francis with sensitive information, including reports of investigations by NCIS into possible frauds committed by GDMA in billing the U.S. Navy under its contracts. Wisidagama is charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States related to the overbilling.
According to court records, Sanchez allegedly provided Francis with internal Navy information, such as U.S. Navy ship schedules – some of which were classified – and information about husbanding issues that could affect GDMA, in order to help GDMA win and maintain Navy business. Court records allege that Sanchez regularly emailed Francis internal Navy discussions about GDMA, including legal opinions, and made recommendations in GDMA’s favor about port visits and Navy personnel assignments. In return, Francis gave Sanchez over $100,000 in cash, together with travel expenses and prostitutes. Court records allege that the conspiracy started in January 2009, when Sanchez was the Deputy Logistics Officer for the Commander of the U.S. Navy Seventh Fleet in Yokosuka, Japan, and continued when he was transferred to serve as Director of Operations for Fleet Logistics Command in Singapore, until he transferred to Florida in April 2013.
Sanchez and Francis allegedly communicated regularly via email and Facebook. Sanchez referred to Francis as “Lion King” and “Boss” in the emails, while Francis called Sanchez “brudda.”
For his part, Francis allegedly hired female escorts for Sanchez and friends on multiple occasions, on one occasion emailing one escort: “Hey Love Jose is in Manila at the DIAMOND Hotel go and see him he needs some love asap.”
According to court records, in an email exchange on Oct. 16, 2009, Sanchez and Francis allegedly discussed a trip Sanchez planned to take to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore with Navy friends he called his “Wolf Pack.” They discussed the number of rooms the “Wolf Pack” needed, and Sanchez asked Francis for pictures of prostitutes for “motivation.” Francis replied: “J, got it we will hook up after the FLAG dinner, will arrange a nest for you guys and some birds [women].” A few days later, on Oct. 19, 2009, Sanchez sent a Facebook message to Francis saying, “Yummy . . . daddy like.” In an Oct. 23, 2009, Facebook message, Sanchez asked Francis, “Where r we staying in KL [Kuala Lumpur]? No pictures to get our spirits up?”
Between Aug. 26 and 28, 2011, Francis allegedly communicated through email to the address of an escort whom Francis had previously hired for Sanchez. Francis wrote: “Hey Love, Jose is in Manila at the Diamond Hotel go and see him he needs some love asap room.” The escort responded to Francis, “Papi, I'm here jose's fon is not answering. I'm here [h]aving dri[n]ks at the lobby. Call him:: (( maybe his sleeping?” Later that day, she emailed Francis, “I'm with h[i]m already heehhe.”
Court records alleges that Francis sent an email on Oct. 20, 2011, asking Sanchez to help “swing” business his way regarding a U.S. Navy ship’s need to refuel at a port in Thailand. The Navy can use “sea cards” to purchase fuel for its ships at a price negotiated by the Defense Logistics Agency for Energy, as opposed to procuring fuel at usually higher prices from the husbanding contractor. In an email from Sanchez the next day, he told Francis: “Ask and you shall receive...we worked this out this morning…” According to court records, the USS Mustin did conduct a port visit to Laem Chabang, Thailand, during which it purchased fuel from GDMA, not via “sea cards.” As a result, the USS Mustin allegedly paid more than $1 million for fuel – more than twice what the fuel would have cost through use of the “sea card.”
The criminal complaint alleges that in an alleged Dec. 2, 2011, email discussion in which Sanchez told Francis about the status of an investigation of GDMA, Francis replied: “I have inside Intel from NCIS and read all the reports. I will show you a copy of a Classified Command File on me from NCIS ha ha.”
This ongoing investigation is being conducted by NCIS, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Defense Contract Audit Agency, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in this matter, and the Royal Thai Police and the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau Singapore also provided law enforcement assistance. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Pletcher and Robert Huie of the Southern District of California, and Catherine Votaw, Director of Procurement Fraud, and Brian Young, Trial Attorney, of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.
The details contained in the criminal complaints are allegations. The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Navy Commander Charged with Accepting $100,000 Cash and Prostitutes in Widening International Bribery Scheme
Third Navy Official Charged Along with Owner of Singapore-based Glenn Defense Marine Asia
A third senior U.S. Navy official has been charged in a complaint unsealed today with accepting prostitutes, luxury travel and $100,000 cash from a foreign defense contractor in exchange for classified and internal U.S. Navy information, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Laura E. Duffy of the Southern District of California.
U.S. Navy Commander Jose Luis Sanchez, 41, was arrested in Tampa, Fla., Tuesday evening and made his initial appearance in federal court in the Middle District of Florida this morning. Also named in a complaint unsealed today is Leonard Glenn Francis, 49, of Malaysia, the CEO of Glenn Defense Marine Asia (GDMA), who was arrested on Sept. 16, 2013, in San Diego.
Two other senior Navy officials – Commander Michael Vannak Khem Misiewicz, 46, and Naval Criminal Investigative Service Supervisory Special Agent John Bertrand Beliveau II, 44 – have been charged separately in connection with bribery allegations. GDMA executive Alex Wisidagama, 40, of Singapore, has also been charged with participating in a related scheme to overbill the Navy for services provided in ports throughout Southeast Asia.
“As described in the corruption charges unsealed today, senior officials with the United States Navy abused their trusted positions as leaders in our armed forces by peddling favorable treatment -- and even classified government information -- for their personal benefit,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Raman. “In turn, the GDMA executives who illicitly sought information and favors from those Navy officials boasted about their unlawful access to those officials and then traded on the influence that they illegally bought. Day by day, this massive Navy fraud and bribery investigation continues to widen, and as the charges announced today show, we will follow the evidence wherever it takes us.”
“According to the allegations in this case, a number of officials were willing to sacrifice their integrity and millions of taxpayer dollars for personal gratification,” said U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy. “While the overwhelming majority of the 400,000 active duty Navy personnel conduct themselves in a manner that is beyond reproach, we and our law enforcement partners at Naval Criminal Investigative Service and Defense Criminal Investigative Service continue to investigate the allegations of fraud and corruption that tarnish the stellar reputation of the U.S. Navy.”
“The arrest and criminal complaint against Commander Sanchez is the result of an ongoing investigation by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and its law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute those individuals who would abuse their positions of trust within the Department of Defense,” said Special Agent In Charge Chris D. Hendrickson of the Office of the Inspector General, Department of Defense, Defense Criminal Investigative Service Western Field Office. “Allegations like these against Commander Sanchez can tarnish the reputation of honest and hardworking government personnel and put military personnel defending our nation around the globe at risk. The mission of DCIS is to ‘Protect America’s Warfighters’ and we will continue to relentlessly identify and investigate those individuals seeking to enrich themselves at the expense of the U.S. taxpayers.”
According to the complaint, Sanchez received bribes in return for sending sensitive U.S. Navy information to Francis, and making recommendations within the Navy to benefit Francis’s company, GDMA. GDMA is a multinational corporation and longtime government contractor based in Singapore, which provides hundreds of millions of dollars of “husbanding” services for the U.S. Navy in at least a dozen countries throughout the Pacific. Husbanding involves supplying food, water, fuel, tugboats and fenders, security, transportation, trash and liquid waste removal, and other goods and services to ships and submarines in foreign ports.
Like Sanchez, Misiewicz is accused of providing sensitive Navy information to Francis and secretly working on behalf of GDMA in exchange for prostitutes and luxury travel. GDMA, which has operating locations in Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Korea, India, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Australia, Philippines, Sri Lanka and the United States, allegedly overcharged the Navy and submitted bogus invoices for millions of dollars in services. Beliveau, the NCIS agent, is charged in another complaint with illegally supplying Francis with sensitive information, including reports of investigations by NCIS into possible frauds committed by GDMA in billing the U.S. Navy under its contracts. Wisidagama is charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States related to the overbilling.
According to court records, Sanchez allegedly provided Francis with internal Navy information, such as U.S. Navy ship schedules – some of which were classified – and information about husbanding issues that could affect GDMA, in order to help GDMA win and maintain Navy business. Court records allege that Sanchez regularly emailed Francis internal Navy discussions about GDMA, including legal opinions, and made recommendations in GDMA’s favor about port visits and Navy personnel assignments. In return, Francis gave Sanchez over $100,000 in cash, together with travel expenses and prostitutes. Court records allege that the conspiracy started in January 2009, when Sanchez was the Deputy Logistics Officer for the Commander of the U.S. Navy Seventh Fleet in Yokosuka, Japan, and continued when he was transferred to serve as Director of Operations for Fleet Logistics Command in Singapore, until he transferred to Florida in April 2013.
Sanchez and Francis allegedly communicated regularly via email and Facebook. Sanchez referred to Francis as “Lion King” and “Boss” in the emails, while Francis called Sanchez “brudda.”
For his part, Francis allegedly hired female escorts for Sanchez and friends on multiple occasions, on one occasion emailing one escort: “Hey Love Jose is in Manila at the DIAMOND Hotel go and see him he needs some love asap.”
According to court records, in an email exchange on Oct. 16, 2009, Sanchez and Francis allegedly discussed a trip Sanchez planned to take to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore with Navy friends he called his “Wolf Pack.” They discussed the number of rooms the “Wolf Pack” needed, and Sanchez asked Francis for pictures of prostitutes for “motivation.” Francis replied: “J, got it we will hook up after the FLAG dinner, will arrange a nest for you guys and some birds [women].” A few days later, on Oct. 19, 2009, Sanchez sent a Facebook message to Francis saying, “Yummy . . . daddy like.” In an Oct. 23, 2009, Facebook message, Sanchez asked Francis, “Where r we staying in KL [Kuala Lumpur]? No pictures to get our spirits up?”
Between Aug. 26 and 28, 2011, Francis allegedly communicated through email to the address of an escort whom Francis had previously hired for Sanchez. Francis wrote: “Hey Love, Jose is in Manila at the Diamond Hotel go and see him he needs some love asap room.” The escort responded to Francis, “Papi, I'm here jose's fon is not answering. I'm here [h]aving dri[n]ks at the lobby. Call him:: (( maybe his sleeping?” Later that day, she emailed Francis, “I'm with h[i]m already heehhe.”
Court records alleges that Francis sent an email on Oct. 20, 2011, asking Sanchez to help “swing” business his way regarding a U.S. Navy ship’s need to refuel at a port in Thailand. The Navy can use “sea cards” to purchase fuel for its ships at a price negotiated by the Defense Logistics Agency for Energy, as opposed to procuring fuel at usually higher prices from the husbanding contractor. In an email from Sanchez the next day, he told Francis: “Ask and you shall receive...we worked this out this morning…” According to court records, the USS Mustin did conduct a port visit to Laem Chabang, Thailand, during which it purchased fuel from GDMA, not via “sea cards.” As a result, the USS Mustin allegedly paid more than $1 million for fuel – more than twice what the fuel would have cost through use of the “sea card.”
The criminal complaint alleges that in an alleged Dec. 2, 2011, email discussion in which Sanchez told Francis about the status of an investigation of GDMA, Francis replied: “I have inside Intel from NCIS and read all the reports. I will show you a copy of a Classified Command File on me from NCIS ha ha.”
This ongoing investigation is being conducted by NCIS, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Defense Contract Audit Agency, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in this matter, and the Royal Thai Police and the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau Singapore also provided law enforcement assistance. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Pletcher and Robert Huie of the Southern District of California, and Catherine Votaw, Director of Procurement Fraud, and Brian Young, Trial Attorney, of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.
The details contained in the criminal complaints are allegations. The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
SECRETARY KERRY MAKES REMARKS WITH ISRAELI PRESIDENT SHIMON PERES
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Remarks With Israeli President Shimon Peres Before Their Meeting
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Jerusalem
November 6, 2013
SECRETARY KERRY: Well, thank you very much – very, very much – Mr. President, Shimon. You really are both a good friend, but equally importantly for me, you are both a mentor and an inspiration. And I think you know how much I respect your journey, your many initiatives, your incredible patience, yourself, and commitment to this effort. So I’m really honored to be both sitting with you and working in the same cause with you in this effort.
Last night, I had the privilege – when I arrived here, I was taken to that infamous site, which you know too well, where you were the night that Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated. And you were right there. And I know that the two of you had just finished singing a song together, Don’t Whisper a Prayer, Sing a Song of Peace in a Loud Voice.
PRESIDENT PERES: Let the Sun Shine.
SECRETARY KERRY: And it was very moving. Dalia was there, and I was very touched that members of the family came. But most importantly, I was inspired because that was 18 years ago and he dared to fight for peace then; the least we can do – any of us – in following his example and inspiration is to continue and to try to find the goal line here.
I am convinced from my conversations today with Prime Minister Netanyahu as well as with President Abbas that this is not mission impossible; this can happen. It will require both leaders to make big, historic, difficult decisions. But I am also convinced that those are decisions that are absolutely, totally in the interests of their country, Israel and their country-to-be, Palestine, and in the interests of both peoples.
As you said a moment ago, there is no alternative. There will be chaos, violence, turmoil, confrontation, in the absence of peace. You cannot live with perpetual war, particularly in the Middle East, and not find huge complications. So President Obama has asked me to put this time into this effort. He is deeply committed to this cause. We believe that over the next months, with good effort we can hopefully make some progress.
Obviously, on Iran, our eyes are wide open. We appreciate your comments and we certainly appreciate your support for exhausting the possibilities of diplomacy. And our hope is that Iran will understand that this is a simple obligation: Show the world that you are pursuing a peaceful program. It’s not that hard. Lots of other nations do it. So we will remember our friends and their interests, and we will be very thoughtful and careful as we proceed. But I’m very grateful to you, again, for your support for our diplomatic effort.
So as always, Mr. President, it is a great honor and a special moment for me to visit with you, and I look forward to our conversation.
PRESIDENT PERES: Thank you so much.
SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you, sir.
Remarks With Israeli President Shimon Peres Before Their Meeting
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Jerusalem
November 6, 2013
SECRETARY KERRY: Well, thank you very much – very, very much – Mr. President, Shimon. You really are both a good friend, but equally importantly for me, you are both a mentor and an inspiration. And I think you know how much I respect your journey, your many initiatives, your incredible patience, yourself, and commitment to this effort. So I’m really honored to be both sitting with you and working in the same cause with you in this effort.
Last night, I had the privilege – when I arrived here, I was taken to that infamous site, which you know too well, where you were the night that Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated. And you were right there. And I know that the two of you had just finished singing a song together, Don’t Whisper a Prayer, Sing a Song of Peace in a Loud Voice.
PRESIDENT PERES: Let the Sun Shine.
SECRETARY KERRY: And it was very moving. Dalia was there, and I was very touched that members of the family came. But most importantly, I was inspired because that was 18 years ago and he dared to fight for peace then; the least we can do – any of us – in following his example and inspiration is to continue and to try to find the goal line here.
I am convinced from my conversations today with Prime Minister Netanyahu as well as with President Abbas that this is not mission impossible; this can happen. It will require both leaders to make big, historic, difficult decisions. But I am also convinced that those are decisions that are absolutely, totally in the interests of their country, Israel and their country-to-be, Palestine, and in the interests of both peoples.
As you said a moment ago, there is no alternative. There will be chaos, violence, turmoil, confrontation, in the absence of peace. You cannot live with perpetual war, particularly in the Middle East, and not find huge complications. So President Obama has asked me to put this time into this effort. He is deeply committed to this cause. We believe that over the next months, with good effort we can hopefully make some progress.
Obviously, on Iran, our eyes are wide open. We appreciate your comments and we certainly appreciate your support for exhausting the possibilities of diplomacy. And our hope is that Iran will understand that this is a simple obligation: Show the world that you are pursuing a peaceful program. It’s not that hard. Lots of other nations do it. So we will remember our friends and their interests, and we will be very thoughtful and careful as we proceed. But I’m very grateful to you, again, for your support for our diplomatic effort.
So as always, Mr. President, it is a great honor and a special moment for me to visit with you, and I look forward to our conversation.
PRESIDENT PERES: Thank you so much.
SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you, sir.
NSF EXPLORES CREATIVITY
FROM: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Hunting the spark of creativity
In his 1937 book, "Think and Grow Rich," author Napoleon Hill identified 13 steps to success, one of which was the power of the mastermind. "No two minds ever come together without thereby creating a third, invisible, intangible force, which may be likened to a third mind," Hill wrote.
He included the step to explain a principle of achievement--the standard idea that two heads, or a group of heads, are better than one at creating innovations. More than 75 years later, new research aims to put Hill's mastermind idea on steroids.
Until recently, decision makers could only effectively harness shared creativity from relatively small mastermind groups such as boards, panels or committees. Data from these could be placed in pre-organized, well-structured and well-categorized "buckets" to extract creative knowledge.
The relatively recent growth and development of the Internet, however, along with social network technology, provides an opportunity to expand the mastermind concept to hundreds, or thousands or even hundreds of thousands of geographically distant people.
University of Cincinnati complex systems scientist Ali Minai and a team of researchers funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) are attempting to do just that--to develop computer-based tools to mine the Internet and communities of social media for creative insights.
But first, the researchers must clearly define the highly personal subject of creativity by types, kinds and categories to successfully identify it online. In addition, they must find a way to organize large amounts of unstructured, creative data--intermixed collections of text, video, images and other information.
To do that, the researchers are examining creativity in neural networks in the human brain; social networks related to interactions among people and networks of knowledge that develop in groups. And according to some observers, if successful, the project could be a game changer.
"It could be a huge, big deal," said Penn State University's Jack Matson, author of the book "Innovate or Die: A Personal Perspective on the Art of Innovation."
"Basically, cultures are innovation driven," he said noting the market interconnectivity of nations like China and the United States. "Now that we're virtually connected, the ability to innovate is going to make or break countries and societies."
"The future of societies will depend more than ever on their innovativeness, and this will be enabled by connectivity," said Minai. "I think that Professor Matson's statement is absolutely correct. The issue is how we can exploit the immense amount of knowledge that is latent in the networks that connect us and which is growing every minute."
An interesting desire: Detecting creativity with computers
The project, "The Hunting of the Spark: A Systematic Study of Natural Creativity in Human Networks," is one of 40 projects funded in the first round of an NSF initiative that addresses extremely complicated and pressing scientific problems. Called INSPIRE, the initiative funds potentially transformative research that doesn't fit into any one, scientific field, but crosses disciplinary boundaries.
"There really is not one place in NSF for this type of research," said Betty Tuller, program director for perception, action and cognition in NSF's Social, Behavioral and Economics Sciences Directorate, which contributed to the funding. "This is especially true for research that doesn't focus on a single, specific domain but instead aims at understanding the role of human and organizational networks in creativity per se."
The team, whose research has been ongoing since September 2012, includes researchers from four universities with extensive expertise in social psychology, computational neuroscience, cognitive science, computer science, engineering and network theory.
"One of the interesting things is their desire to automatically detect creativity using a system of human-centered computing," said Kevin Crowston, a program director in NSF's division of information and intelligent systems in its Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering, which also funds the research. "There is a lot of interest in computationally mining the large corpora of text data from social networks for signals of innovation. I'd like to see how this turns out."
Social networks: A better understanding
"Being able to extract ideas from social networks is very much the ultimate goal of our research, but a major issue is which real-world networks we can access for this purpose," said Minai.
In recent years, social media networks have been increasingly difficult to access. Because of structural and privacy concerns, accessing Facebook content for research purposes is extremely challenging. While Twitter is more accessible, only a fraction of the data stream can be collected and even then a lot of the data is just "noise."
These noisy data streams make the goals of the project harder to achieve. But Minai already has a group of University of Cincinnati graduate students, funded by a previous NSF grant, working to mine meaningful information from Twitter and other online sources.
He anticipates the two projects eventually will help open vast possibilities for shared creativity and innovation among the millions that use social media. He also anticipates the research could help many modern institutions, including elections, parliaments, governing boards, free markets and businesses. This is especially true of institutions that innovate using online presences.
ModCloth: An example
"Social has been a part of the 'DNA' of ModCloth since its inception," said Jennifer Grasso, director of Product Management for ModCloth. "We recognized early on that creating a social experience on and off ModCloth enables customers to feel a much closer affinity with our brand."
ModCloth is a wildly successful online retailer that credits the collaborative approach of its social media network for spurring company growth to more than $100 million in revenue in 2012. It specializes in vintage, retro-inspired and indie clothing and decor. Fast Company business magazine ranked its use of social media as 2013's fourth most innovative and ranked ModCloth as one of the top 50 most innovative companies overall.
"ModCloth allows users to post reviews for every product they purchase, and to date, 83 percent of our products have customer reviews on the site," said Grasso providing an example of how Minai and colleagues research into understanding the process of creativity, network interactions and analysis of unstructured data could benefit the company.
"These reviews are full of personal anecdotes about why an item did or didn't work. Comments about fit, quality, construction, personal style and a range of other information may be included in any given review. In customer research, we hear frequently from customers who tell us how useful these reviews are in helping them make a purchase decision.
"As a business, ModCloth could benefit from the ability to 'mine' the very varied, subjective information coming from these reviews. Are there trends we can elevate from this information around style concerns, fit issues or quality problems that can help us create a better shopping experience, sell more relevant products, or better meet our customers' needs?"
Subjective creativity: "How do we mine it?"
Grasso acknowledges, however, that creativity is incredibly subjective. She wonders, "How do we mine this type of data--not linear, not structured--and organize it into actionable insights for our business?"
She puts her finger on the nub of a major concern for the project's researchers. However, based on recent advances in computational linguistics and complex network analysis, the researchers may have a way to solve the problem. One potentially fruitful approach, they believe, is to look at structural elements within human and knowledge networks to uncover components of creativity.
The idea is to identify smaller sub-networks or modules within larger networks that people use to exchange information--that is identify modules that self-organize, carry out discrete functions and are strongly linked within themselves but weakly linked to other sub-networks in the larger group.
For example, among a group of engineering students, some may form a sub-network related to civil engineering, while others may form a module related to bioengineering. Though it may not seem like civil engineers and bioengineers have much in common, all are engineers.
Minai and team are looking for similar modules in neural networks, knowledge networks and social networks. Once these modules are identified, whether online or in person, the researchers believe they can analyze them to determine the network's inherent "meaning," or in this case, study them for constituent creativity. Being able to take raw, unorganized data and analyze it in this way could allow organized mining of large amounts of unstructured creative data.
A core concern: Catching creativity in the act
The researchers say relatively little data is available on how the creative process develops over time in real-world groups, and what the key dynamics are in producing the most innovative ideas or products. They hope the insights gained from their work will provide both a theoretical and practical basis for understanding the process of natural creativity in individuals and networks.
"A core concern of our research is the desire to catch creativity 'in the act,'" said Minai.
The researchers are using a combination of field and laboratory studies to improve their understanding. Field studies use intelligent analysis and data mining to discover natural patterns of innovation in diverse communities of test subjects, e.g., research scholars or engineers. Co-principal investigator and Stony Brook University Electrical and Computer Engineering professor Alex Doboli, who is an expert on data mining and innovation in engineering, will help develop a standard framework for such studies.
Minai and Hofstra University Computer Science professor Simona Doboli, also a co-principal investigator and an expert on brainstorming and neural networks, will generate computer models to analyze data from both laboratory groups and online sources. The models generated then will be tested more specifically in laboratory studies conducted by Paul Paulus and Jared Kenworthy, both co-principal investigators and psychology professors at the University of Texas at Arlington.
"What they're trying to do is make a fairly enormous leap in human ability to innovate by taking mass data from all these sites and trying to tweak where the innovations are, what's happening, where the trends are and how the remixing is going from culture to culture," said Matson, who recently headed a Coursera Massively Open Online Course on "Creativity, Innovation, and Change" that had more than 125,000 participants when it began in early September.
"In order for them to figure it out, it's going to take a lot of iterations, a lot of trial and error and I hope they are looking at it that way," he said.
"We would like people to see this research as an attempt to look at something that is the very essence of being human--creativity--but which is very difficult to study quantitatively," said Minai. "They should also understand that we approach this task with equal measures of excitement and humility."
Hunting the spark of creativity
In his 1937 book, "Think and Grow Rich," author Napoleon Hill identified 13 steps to success, one of which was the power of the mastermind. "No two minds ever come together without thereby creating a third, invisible, intangible force, which may be likened to a third mind," Hill wrote.
He included the step to explain a principle of achievement--the standard idea that two heads, or a group of heads, are better than one at creating innovations. More than 75 years later, new research aims to put Hill's mastermind idea on steroids.
Until recently, decision makers could only effectively harness shared creativity from relatively small mastermind groups such as boards, panels or committees. Data from these could be placed in pre-organized, well-structured and well-categorized "buckets" to extract creative knowledge.
The relatively recent growth and development of the Internet, however, along with social network technology, provides an opportunity to expand the mastermind concept to hundreds, or thousands or even hundreds of thousands of geographically distant people.
University of Cincinnati complex systems scientist Ali Minai and a team of researchers funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) are attempting to do just that--to develop computer-based tools to mine the Internet and communities of social media for creative insights.
But first, the researchers must clearly define the highly personal subject of creativity by types, kinds and categories to successfully identify it online. In addition, they must find a way to organize large amounts of unstructured, creative data--intermixed collections of text, video, images and other information.
To do that, the researchers are examining creativity in neural networks in the human brain; social networks related to interactions among people and networks of knowledge that develop in groups. And according to some observers, if successful, the project could be a game changer.
"It could be a huge, big deal," said Penn State University's Jack Matson, author of the book "Innovate or Die: A Personal Perspective on the Art of Innovation."
"Basically, cultures are innovation driven," he said noting the market interconnectivity of nations like China and the United States. "Now that we're virtually connected, the ability to innovate is going to make or break countries and societies."
"The future of societies will depend more than ever on their innovativeness, and this will be enabled by connectivity," said Minai. "I think that Professor Matson's statement is absolutely correct. The issue is how we can exploit the immense amount of knowledge that is latent in the networks that connect us and which is growing every minute."
An interesting desire: Detecting creativity with computers
The project, "The Hunting of the Spark: A Systematic Study of Natural Creativity in Human Networks," is one of 40 projects funded in the first round of an NSF initiative that addresses extremely complicated and pressing scientific problems. Called INSPIRE, the initiative funds potentially transformative research that doesn't fit into any one, scientific field, but crosses disciplinary boundaries.
"There really is not one place in NSF for this type of research," said Betty Tuller, program director for perception, action and cognition in NSF's Social, Behavioral and Economics Sciences Directorate, which contributed to the funding. "This is especially true for research that doesn't focus on a single, specific domain but instead aims at understanding the role of human and organizational networks in creativity per se."
The team, whose research has been ongoing since September 2012, includes researchers from four universities with extensive expertise in social psychology, computational neuroscience, cognitive science, computer science, engineering and network theory.
"One of the interesting things is their desire to automatically detect creativity using a system of human-centered computing," said Kevin Crowston, a program director in NSF's division of information and intelligent systems in its Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering, which also funds the research. "There is a lot of interest in computationally mining the large corpora of text data from social networks for signals of innovation. I'd like to see how this turns out."
Social networks: A better understanding
"Being able to extract ideas from social networks is very much the ultimate goal of our research, but a major issue is which real-world networks we can access for this purpose," said Minai.
In recent years, social media networks have been increasingly difficult to access. Because of structural and privacy concerns, accessing Facebook content for research purposes is extremely challenging. While Twitter is more accessible, only a fraction of the data stream can be collected and even then a lot of the data is just "noise."
These noisy data streams make the goals of the project harder to achieve. But Minai already has a group of University of Cincinnati graduate students, funded by a previous NSF grant, working to mine meaningful information from Twitter and other online sources.
He anticipates the two projects eventually will help open vast possibilities for shared creativity and innovation among the millions that use social media. He also anticipates the research could help many modern institutions, including elections, parliaments, governing boards, free markets and businesses. This is especially true of institutions that innovate using online presences.
ModCloth: An example
"Social has been a part of the 'DNA' of ModCloth since its inception," said Jennifer Grasso, director of Product Management for ModCloth. "We recognized early on that creating a social experience on and off ModCloth enables customers to feel a much closer affinity with our brand."
ModCloth is a wildly successful online retailer that credits the collaborative approach of its social media network for spurring company growth to more than $100 million in revenue in 2012. It specializes in vintage, retro-inspired and indie clothing and decor. Fast Company business magazine ranked its use of social media as 2013's fourth most innovative and ranked ModCloth as one of the top 50 most innovative companies overall.
"ModCloth allows users to post reviews for every product they purchase, and to date, 83 percent of our products have customer reviews on the site," said Grasso providing an example of how Minai and colleagues research into understanding the process of creativity, network interactions and analysis of unstructured data could benefit the company.
"These reviews are full of personal anecdotes about why an item did or didn't work. Comments about fit, quality, construction, personal style and a range of other information may be included in any given review. In customer research, we hear frequently from customers who tell us how useful these reviews are in helping them make a purchase decision.
"As a business, ModCloth could benefit from the ability to 'mine' the very varied, subjective information coming from these reviews. Are there trends we can elevate from this information around style concerns, fit issues or quality problems that can help us create a better shopping experience, sell more relevant products, or better meet our customers' needs?"
Subjective creativity: "How do we mine it?"
Grasso acknowledges, however, that creativity is incredibly subjective. She wonders, "How do we mine this type of data--not linear, not structured--and organize it into actionable insights for our business?"
She puts her finger on the nub of a major concern for the project's researchers. However, based on recent advances in computational linguistics and complex network analysis, the researchers may have a way to solve the problem. One potentially fruitful approach, they believe, is to look at structural elements within human and knowledge networks to uncover components of creativity.
The idea is to identify smaller sub-networks or modules within larger networks that people use to exchange information--that is identify modules that self-organize, carry out discrete functions and are strongly linked within themselves but weakly linked to other sub-networks in the larger group.
For example, among a group of engineering students, some may form a sub-network related to civil engineering, while others may form a module related to bioengineering. Though it may not seem like civil engineers and bioengineers have much in common, all are engineers.
Minai and team are looking for similar modules in neural networks, knowledge networks and social networks. Once these modules are identified, whether online or in person, the researchers believe they can analyze them to determine the network's inherent "meaning," or in this case, study them for constituent creativity. Being able to take raw, unorganized data and analyze it in this way could allow organized mining of large amounts of unstructured creative data.
A core concern: Catching creativity in the act
The researchers say relatively little data is available on how the creative process develops over time in real-world groups, and what the key dynamics are in producing the most innovative ideas or products. They hope the insights gained from their work will provide both a theoretical and practical basis for understanding the process of natural creativity in individuals and networks.
"A core concern of our research is the desire to catch creativity 'in the act,'" said Minai.
The researchers are using a combination of field and laboratory studies to improve their understanding. Field studies use intelligent analysis and data mining to discover natural patterns of innovation in diverse communities of test subjects, e.g., research scholars or engineers. Co-principal investigator and Stony Brook University Electrical and Computer Engineering professor Alex Doboli, who is an expert on data mining and innovation in engineering, will help develop a standard framework for such studies.
Minai and Hofstra University Computer Science professor Simona Doboli, also a co-principal investigator and an expert on brainstorming and neural networks, will generate computer models to analyze data from both laboratory groups and online sources. The models generated then will be tested more specifically in laboratory studies conducted by Paul Paulus and Jared Kenworthy, both co-principal investigators and psychology professors at the University of Texas at Arlington.
"What they're trying to do is make a fairly enormous leap in human ability to innovate by taking mass data from all these sites and trying to tweak where the innovations are, what's happening, where the trends are and how the remixing is going from culture to culture," said Matson, who recently headed a Coursera Massively Open Online Course on "Creativity, Innovation, and Change" that had more than 125,000 participants when it began in early September.
"In order for them to figure it out, it's going to take a lot of iterations, a lot of trial and error and I hope they are looking at it that way," he said.
"We would like people to see this research as an attempt to look at something that is the very essence of being human--creativity--but which is very difficult to study quantitatively," said Minai. "They should also understand that we approach this task with equal measures of excitement and humility."
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
SEC CHARGES MUNICIPAL ISSUER WITH MISLEADING INVESTORS IN BOND OFFERING
FROM: U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
The Securities and Exchange Commission charged a municipal issuer in the state of Washington’s Wenatchee Valley region with misleading investors in a bond offering that financed the construction of a regional events center and ice hockey arena. The SEC also charged the underwriter and outside developer of the project and three individuals involved in the offering.
The Greater Wenatchee Regional Events Center Public Facilities District agreed to settle the SEC’s charges by paying a $20,000 penalty and undertaking remedial actions. It is the first time that the SEC has assessed a financial penalty against a municipal issuer.
The issuer is a municipal corporation formed by nine Washington cities and counties in 2006 to fund the Town Toyota Center, located in the city of Wenatchee. An SEC investigation found inaccuracies in the primary disclosure document accompanying the issuer’s offering of bond anticipation notes in 2008. The document, called the “official statement,” stated there had been no independent reviews of the financial projections for the events center. However, an independent consultant twice examined the projections and raised questions about the center’s economic viability. The official statement failed to disclose that financial projections had been revised upward based in part upon optimistic assurances by civic leaders that the community would support the project. The document also omitted key information about the possibility that the City of Wenatchee’s remaining debt capacity of $19.3 million would limit its ability to support any future long-term bonds.
“Financial penalties against municipal issuers are appropriate for sanctioning and deterring misconduct when, as here, they can be paid from operating funds without directly impacting taxpayers,” said Andrew Ceresney, co-director of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement. “This municipal issuer is paying an appropriate price for withholding negative information from its primary offering document and giving investors a false picture of the future performance of the project.”
The Greater Wenatchee Regional Events Center Public Facilities District issued $41.77 million in bond anticipation notes in 2008, and defaulted on its principal payments in December 2011.
The SEC’s settled administrative proceedings also name the developer Global Entertainment and its then-president and CEO Richard Kozuback, the underwriter Piper Jaffray & Co. and its lead investment banker Jane Towery, and Allison Williams, a senior staff member for the Greater Wenatchee Regional Events Center Public Facilities District who certified the accuracy of the official statement.
“An underwriter’s due diligence obligation is critical, particularly when financing a startup revenue project. Piper Jaffray & Co. failed to develop a reasonable basis for believing the accuracy of key representations made in the official statement,” said Mark Zehner, deputy chief of the SEC Enforcement Division’s Municipal Securities and Public Pensions Unit.
In settling the SEC’s charges, Piper Jaffray & Co. and Towery agreed to be censured and pay penalties of $300,000 and $25,000 respectively. Global Entertainment and Kozuback each agreed to pay penalties of $10,000. Williams consented to a cease-and-desist order and the issuer agreed to remedial actions, including training for personnel involved in the offering and disclosure process. The issuer also agreed to adopt written policies for disclosures in municipal offerings and continuing disclosure obligations, and to designate an individual responsible for ensuring compliance with those obligations. The respondents neither admit nor deny the SEC’s findings.
The SEC’s order requires Piper Jaffray & Co. to retain an independent consultant to conduct a review of the firm’s municipal underwriting due diligence policies and procedures as well as its supervisory policies and procedures relating to municipal underwriting due diligence. Towery agreed to limit her activities as an associated person of a broker-dealer or municipal advisor for one year by refraining from any contact with any existing or prospective municipal issuer client for the purpose of conducting, maintaining, or developing business or for the purpose of making decisions on behalf of a broker-dealer in connection with any due diligence activities.
The SEC’s investigation was conducted by Monique C. Winkler in the San Francisco Regional Office, who is a member of the Municipal Securities and Public Pensions Unit. The case was supervised by Cary Robnett, an assistant director in the San Francisco office.
The Securities and Exchange Commission charged a municipal issuer in the state of Washington’s Wenatchee Valley region with misleading investors in a bond offering that financed the construction of a regional events center and ice hockey arena. The SEC also charged the underwriter and outside developer of the project and three individuals involved in the offering.
The Greater Wenatchee Regional Events Center Public Facilities District agreed to settle the SEC’s charges by paying a $20,000 penalty and undertaking remedial actions. It is the first time that the SEC has assessed a financial penalty against a municipal issuer.
The issuer is a municipal corporation formed by nine Washington cities and counties in 2006 to fund the Town Toyota Center, located in the city of Wenatchee. An SEC investigation found inaccuracies in the primary disclosure document accompanying the issuer’s offering of bond anticipation notes in 2008. The document, called the “official statement,” stated there had been no independent reviews of the financial projections for the events center. However, an independent consultant twice examined the projections and raised questions about the center’s economic viability. The official statement failed to disclose that financial projections had been revised upward based in part upon optimistic assurances by civic leaders that the community would support the project. The document also omitted key information about the possibility that the City of Wenatchee’s remaining debt capacity of $19.3 million would limit its ability to support any future long-term bonds.
“Financial penalties against municipal issuers are appropriate for sanctioning and deterring misconduct when, as here, they can be paid from operating funds without directly impacting taxpayers,” said Andrew Ceresney, co-director of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement. “This municipal issuer is paying an appropriate price for withholding negative information from its primary offering document and giving investors a false picture of the future performance of the project.”
The Greater Wenatchee Regional Events Center Public Facilities District issued $41.77 million in bond anticipation notes in 2008, and defaulted on its principal payments in December 2011.
The SEC’s settled administrative proceedings also name the developer Global Entertainment and its then-president and CEO Richard Kozuback, the underwriter Piper Jaffray & Co. and its lead investment banker Jane Towery, and Allison Williams, a senior staff member for the Greater Wenatchee Regional Events Center Public Facilities District who certified the accuracy of the official statement.
“An underwriter’s due diligence obligation is critical, particularly when financing a startup revenue project. Piper Jaffray & Co. failed to develop a reasonable basis for believing the accuracy of key representations made in the official statement,” said Mark Zehner, deputy chief of the SEC Enforcement Division’s Municipal Securities and Public Pensions Unit.
In settling the SEC’s charges, Piper Jaffray & Co. and Towery agreed to be censured and pay penalties of $300,000 and $25,000 respectively. Global Entertainment and Kozuback each agreed to pay penalties of $10,000. Williams consented to a cease-and-desist order and the issuer agreed to remedial actions, including training for personnel involved in the offering and disclosure process. The issuer also agreed to adopt written policies for disclosures in municipal offerings and continuing disclosure obligations, and to designate an individual responsible for ensuring compliance with those obligations. The respondents neither admit nor deny the SEC’s findings.
The SEC’s order requires Piper Jaffray & Co. to retain an independent consultant to conduct a review of the firm’s municipal underwriting due diligence policies and procedures as well as its supervisory policies and procedures relating to municipal underwriting due diligence. Towery agreed to limit her activities as an associated person of a broker-dealer or municipal advisor for one year by refraining from any contact with any existing or prospective municipal issuer client for the purpose of conducting, maintaining, or developing business or for the purpose of making decisions on behalf of a broker-dealer in connection with any due diligence activities.
The SEC’s investigation was conducted by Monique C. Winkler in the San Francisco Regional Office, who is a member of the Municipal Securities and Public Pensions Unit. The case was supervised by Cary Robnett, an assistant director in the San Francisco office.
SECRETARY KERRY'S REMARKS AFTER MEETING WITH PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT ABBAS
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Remarks After a Meeting With President Mahmoud Abbas
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Bethlehem
November 6, 2013
Well, good afternoon, everybody. Thank you very much for your patience. We just had a very, very good meeting with President Abbas and an excellent lunch and a great conversation about the process. Let me state unequivocally that President Abbas is 100 percent committed to these talks. He has committed that the Palestinians will not go to the United Nations during the period of time of these talks in exchange for the prisoners that are being released by Israel. That was the agreement.
Let me emphasize at this point the position of the United States of America on the settlements is that we consider now and have always considered the settlements to be illegitimate. And I want to make it extremely clear that at no time did the Palestinians in any way agree, as a matter of going back to the talks, that they somehow condone or accept the settlements. The Palestinians believe that the settlements are illegal. The United States has said that they believe the settlements are not helpful and are illegitimate. And there should be no connection. That is not to say that they weren’t aware or we weren’t aware that there would be construction. But that construction, importantly, in our judgment, would be much better off limited as much as possible in an effort to help create a climate for these talks to be able to proceed effectively.
I am convinced that President Abbas is serious about these talks. I’m convinced that he wants to find peace and that he understands that we require compromise by all the parties. And he has restated to me today his own willingness to compromise in an effort to find a fair and just peace.
So I thank him for his hospitality today. I’m particularly excited that today we were able, in Bethlehem, to make the announcement of $75 million that will be added to an already committed 25 million for $100 million of high-impact infrastructure investment by the United States to immediately have an impact on the day-to-day life of Palestinians. In addition to that, we have significant contributions that will be made by other countries, all of whom are interested in trying to support the peace process here.
So I look forward tonight to continuing my conversations with Prime Minister Netanyahu, and again tomorrow in Amman, I will have a chance to meet His Majesty King Abdullah, as well as again with President Abbas. So hopefully in the course of all this, we can find the goodwill and a good purpose and a good faith to make progress on behalf of two proud peoples who deserve, each of them, to live in their states in peace. That’s our objective and that’s what we will continue to work for. Thank you very much.
Remarks After a Meeting With President Mahmoud Abbas
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Bethlehem
November 6, 2013
Well, good afternoon, everybody. Thank you very much for your patience. We just had a very, very good meeting with President Abbas and an excellent lunch and a great conversation about the process. Let me state unequivocally that President Abbas is 100 percent committed to these talks. He has committed that the Palestinians will not go to the United Nations during the period of time of these talks in exchange for the prisoners that are being released by Israel. That was the agreement.
Let me emphasize at this point the position of the United States of America on the settlements is that we consider now and have always considered the settlements to be illegitimate. And I want to make it extremely clear that at no time did the Palestinians in any way agree, as a matter of going back to the talks, that they somehow condone or accept the settlements. The Palestinians believe that the settlements are illegal. The United States has said that they believe the settlements are not helpful and are illegitimate. And there should be no connection. That is not to say that they weren’t aware or we weren’t aware that there would be construction. But that construction, importantly, in our judgment, would be much better off limited as much as possible in an effort to help create a climate for these talks to be able to proceed effectively.
I am convinced that President Abbas is serious about these talks. I’m convinced that he wants to find peace and that he understands that we require compromise by all the parties. And he has restated to me today his own willingness to compromise in an effort to find a fair and just peace.
So I thank him for his hospitality today. I’m particularly excited that today we were able, in Bethlehem, to make the announcement of $75 million that will be added to an already committed 25 million for $100 million of high-impact infrastructure investment by the United States to immediately have an impact on the day-to-day life of Palestinians. In addition to that, we have significant contributions that will be made by other countries, all of whom are interested in trying to support the peace process here.
So I look forward tonight to continuing my conversations with Prime Minister Netanyahu, and again tomorrow in Amman, I will have a chance to meet His Majesty King Abdullah, as well as again with President Abbas. So hopefully in the course of all this, we can find the goodwill and a good purpose and a good faith to make progress on behalf of two proud peoples who deserve, each of them, to live in their states in peace. That’s our objective and that’s what we will continue to work for. Thank you very much.
U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT CONTRACTS FOR NOVEMBER 6, 2013
FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
CONTRACTS
AIR FORCE
DRS-Sustainment Systems, Inc., St. Louis, Mo., has been awarded a $391,100,000 (estimated) hybrid firm-fixed-price, fixed-price-incentive-firm-target, cost-reimbursable-no fee (travel only), requirements-type “D” contract for the Tunner 60K Aircraft Cargo Loader Performance-Based-Logistics (PBL) program. This requirement is for Level 3 PBL support for 318 Tunner aircraft cargo loaders at over 80 worldwide locations. The Level 3 PBL availability metric ensures maximum cargo velocity support is provided to Air Mobility Command. There are six elements of support that comprise this requirement: material management (MM) parts, MM infrastructure, program engineering support, overhaul, unscheduled depot level maintenance and modifications. Work will be performed at West Plains, Mo., and is expected to be completed by July 31, 2024. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition. Unlimited offers were solicited, and two offers were received. Fiscal 2014 working capital funds, centralized asset management, Air Force Reserve Command and Air National Guard funds will be obligated being obligated upon availability. This is not a multiyear contract. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center/WNKBBA, Robins Air Force Base, Ga., is the contracting activity (FA8519-14-D-0001).
General Electric Co., GE Global Research, Niskayuna N.Y., has been awarded a not-to-exceed $19,970,000, cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide research and development pertaining to the development and implementation of condition-based maintenance plus structural integrity. The contractor will develop and demonstrate a probabilistic, risk-based, flight-by-flight individual aircraft tracking (IAT) framework to replace the baseline deterministic IAT framework currently used for legacy aircraft. The program will identify key uncertainty drivers and promising areas for future research and will assess the feasibility of the approach for application to legacy fleets. Deliverables will include technical reports and may include hardware and software. Work will be performed at Niskayuna, N.Y., and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and is expected to be complete by Feb. 1, 2020. The award is a result of a competitive acquisition. Unlimited offers were solicited and four offers were received. Fiscal 2013 research and development funds in the amount of $654,932 are being obligated at time of award. This is not a multiyear contract. Air Force Research Laboratory/RQKPD, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8650-14-D-2443).
ARMY
Oshkosh Corp., Oshkosh, Wis., was awarded a $74,086,915 modification (000717) to firm-fixed-price contract W56HZV-09-D-0159. The contract adds 246 medium tactical vehicles (FMTV), and applicable federal retail excise tax to the contract. Work location is Oshkosh, Wis., with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2014. Fiscal 2013 procurement funds in the amount of $19,851,017 are being obligated at the time of the award. Bids were solicited via the Internet with three received. Army Contracting Command (Tank and Automotive), Warren, Mich., is the contracting agency.
Fidelity Technologies Corp., Reading, Pa., was awarded a $23,562,700 modification (P00008) to firm-fixed-price contract W56HZV-13-C-0052. The contract awards options for armor kits for the Heavy Mobility Tactical Truck A4, Palletized Load System A1, Heavy Mobility Tactical Truck A4 Tanker Armor Module Kit and the M915A5. Work location is Reading, Pa., with an estimated completion date of May 25, 2014. Fiscal 2013 procurement funds in the amount of $8,763,071 are being obligated at the time of the award. Bids were solicited via the internet with nine received. Army Contracting Command (Tank and Automotive), Warren, Mich., is the contracting agency.
ISO Group, West Melbourne, Fla., was awarded a $7,635,520 firm-fixed-price, foreign military sales contract for providing M60 spare parts to the Sultanate of Oman. Work location is West Melbourne, Fla., with an estimated completion date of June 30, 2014. Fiscal 2013 procurement funds in the amount of $7,635,520 are being obligated at the time of the award. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Army Contracting Command (Tank and Automotive), Warren, Mich., is the contracting agency (W56HZV-14-C-0028).
NAVY
Heil Trailer International, Gatesville, Texas, is being awarded $9,721,600 for firm-fixed-price delivery order 0014 under a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (M67854-10-D-5069). This delivery order is for the purchase of 70 Flatrack Refueling Capability (FRC) Full Rate Production units. The FRC is a self-contained and transportable fueling system. The FRC fuels tactical vehicles, stationary equipment, and dispense and remove fuel from fixed and rotary wing aircraft. The primary mission for the FRC will be to distribute fuel in the Marine Air-Ground Task Force Expeditionary and combat environment. Work and production will be performed in Gatesville, Texas, and work is expected to be completed by March 31, 2015. The contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website. Fiscal 2013 procurement, Marine Corps contract funds in the amount of $9,721,600 will be obligated at the time of award, and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity.
Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Charlottesville, Va., is being awarded an $8,917,999 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee, performance based contract with provisions for firm-fixed-price orders, The contract is for the procurement of engineering and technical services consisting of parts procurement, repair, field, and marine repair services, software, and engineering support for the AN/WSN-7/7A Ring Laser Gyro Navigation (RLGN) systems, AN/WSN-7B Ring Laser Gyrocompass (RLGN), Integrated Bridge System (IBS)/Voice Management System and Navigation and Search Radar Systems. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value (ceiling) of the contract to an estimated $27,526,385. This contract action merely establishes a potential ceiling value and does not obligate the Navy to fund to the ceiling. Work will be performed in Charlottesville, Va., (85 percent); Charleston, S.C., (10 percent); and other locations outside the continental United States (5 percent). Work is expected to be completed by October 2014. If all options are exercised, work could continue until October 2016. Fiscal 2012 shipbuilding and conversion, Navy contract funds in the amount of $240,359 will be obligated at the time of award, and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contract was not competitively procured pursuant to 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1). Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Atlantic, Charleston, S.C., is the contracting activity (N65236-14-D-2813).
General Electric Co., Lynn, Mass., is being awarded an $8,048,888 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-11-C-0045) to procure long lead material for the F414-GE-400 engines in support of the F/A-18E/F/G aircraft. Work will be performed in Lynn, Mass. (59 percent); Hooksett, N.H. (18 percent); Rutland, Vt. (12 percent); and Madisonville, Ky. (11 percent), and is expected to be completed in October 2015. Fiscal 2013 aircraft procurement, Navy, advanced procurement funding in the amount of $8,048,888 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
Huntington Ingalls Inc., Newport News, Va., is being awarded a $7,319,933 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-12-C-2101) for planning and design yard functions for standard Navy valves in support of nuclear-powered submarines. Work will be performed in Newport News, Va., and is expected to be completed by September 2014. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance, Navy funds in the amount of $7,319,933 are being obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
API, LLC, Comerio, Puerto Rico, has been awarded a maximum $32,859,542 modification (P00011) exercising the second one-year option period on a one-year base contract (SPM1C1-12-D-1006) with three one-year option periods for duffel bags. This is a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. Location of performance is Puerto Rico with a Nov. 8, 2014, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa.
CORRECTION: The contract (SPM300-14-D-3735) to Pacific Unlimited Inc., originally announced on Nov. 4, 2013, was not awarded.
CONTRACTS
AIR FORCE
DRS-Sustainment Systems, Inc., St. Louis, Mo., has been awarded a $391,100,000 (estimated) hybrid firm-fixed-price, fixed-price-incentive-firm-target, cost-reimbursable-no fee (travel only), requirements-type “D” contract for the Tunner 60K Aircraft Cargo Loader Performance-Based-Logistics (PBL) program. This requirement is for Level 3 PBL support for 318 Tunner aircraft cargo loaders at over 80 worldwide locations. The Level 3 PBL availability metric ensures maximum cargo velocity support is provided to Air Mobility Command. There are six elements of support that comprise this requirement: material management (MM) parts, MM infrastructure, program engineering support, overhaul, unscheduled depot level maintenance and modifications. Work will be performed at West Plains, Mo., and is expected to be completed by July 31, 2024. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition. Unlimited offers were solicited, and two offers were received. Fiscal 2014 working capital funds, centralized asset management, Air Force Reserve Command and Air National Guard funds will be obligated being obligated upon availability. This is not a multiyear contract. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center/WNKBBA, Robins Air Force Base, Ga., is the contracting activity (FA8519-14-D-0001).
General Electric Co., GE Global Research, Niskayuna N.Y., has been awarded a not-to-exceed $19,970,000, cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide research and development pertaining to the development and implementation of condition-based maintenance plus structural integrity. The contractor will develop and demonstrate a probabilistic, risk-based, flight-by-flight individual aircraft tracking (IAT) framework to replace the baseline deterministic IAT framework currently used for legacy aircraft. The program will identify key uncertainty drivers and promising areas for future research and will assess the feasibility of the approach for application to legacy fleets. Deliverables will include technical reports and may include hardware and software. Work will be performed at Niskayuna, N.Y., and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and is expected to be complete by Feb. 1, 2020. The award is a result of a competitive acquisition. Unlimited offers were solicited and four offers were received. Fiscal 2013 research and development funds in the amount of $654,932 are being obligated at time of award. This is not a multiyear contract. Air Force Research Laboratory/RQKPD, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8650-14-D-2443).
ARMY
Oshkosh Corp., Oshkosh, Wis., was awarded a $74,086,915 modification (000717) to firm-fixed-price contract W56HZV-09-D-0159. The contract adds 246 medium tactical vehicles (FMTV), and applicable federal retail excise tax to the contract. Work location is Oshkosh, Wis., with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2014. Fiscal 2013 procurement funds in the amount of $19,851,017 are being obligated at the time of the award. Bids were solicited via the Internet with three received. Army Contracting Command (Tank and Automotive), Warren, Mich., is the contracting agency.
Fidelity Technologies Corp., Reading, Pa., was awarded a $23,562,700 modification (P00008) to firm-fixed-price contract W56HZV-13-C-0052. The contract awards options for armor kits for the Heavy Mobility Tactical Truck A4, Palletized Load System A1, Heavy Mobility Tactical Truck A4 Tanker Armor Module Kit and the M915A5. Work location is Reading, Pa., with an estimated completion date of May 25, 2014. Fiscal 2013 procurement funds in the amount of $8,763,071 are being obligated at the time of the award. Bids were solicited via the internet with nine received. Army Contracting Command (Tank and Automotive), Warren, Mich., is the contracting agency.
ISO Group, West Melbourne, Fla., was awarded a $7,635,520 firm-fixed-price, foreign military sales contract for providing M60 spare parts to the Sultanate of Oman. Work location is West Melbourne, Fla., with an estimated completion date of June 30, 2014. Fiscal 2013 procurement funds in the amount of $7,635,520 are being obligated at the time of the award. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Army Contracting Command (Tank and Automotive), Warren, Mich., is the contracting agency (W56HZV-14-C-0028).
NAVY
Heil Trailer International, Gatesville, Texas, is being awarded $9,721,600 for firm-fixed-price delivery order 0014 under a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (M67854-10-D-5069). This delivery order is for the purchase of 70 Flatrack Refueling Capability (FRC) Full Rate Production units. The FRC is a self-contained and transportable fueling system. The FRC fuels tactical vehicles, stationary equipment, and dispense and remove fuel from fixed and rotary wing aircraft. The primary mission for the FRC will be to distribute fuel in the Marine Air-Ground Task Force Expeditionary and combat environment. Work and production will be performed in Gatesville, Texas, and work is expected to be completed by March 31, 2015. The contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website. Fiscal 2013 procurement, Marine Corps contract funds in the amount of $9,721,600 will be obligated at the time of award, and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity.
Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Charlottesville, Va., is being awarded an $8,917,999 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee, performance based contract with provisions for firm-fixed-price orders, The contract is for the procurement of engineering and technical services consisting of parts procurement, repair, field, and marine repair services, software, and engineering support for the AN/WSN-7/7A Ring Laser Gyro Navigation (RLGN) systems, AN/WSN-7B Ring Laser Gyrocompass (RLGN), Integrated Bridge System (IBS)/Voice Management System and Navigation and Search Radar Systems. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value (ceiling) of the contract to an estimated $27,526,385. This contract action merely establishes a potential ceiling value and does not obligate the Navy to fund to the ceiling. Work will be performed in Charlottesville, Va., (85 percent); Charleston, S.C., (10 percent); and other locations outside the continental United States (5 percent). Work is expected to be completed by October 2014. If all options are exercised, work could continue until October 2016. Fiscal 2012 shipbuilding and conversion, Navy contract funds in the amount of $240,359 will be obligated at the time of award, and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contract was not competitively procured pursuant to 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1). Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Atlantic, Charleston, S.C., is the contracting activity (N65236-14-D-2813).
General Electric Co., Lynn, Mass., is being awarded an $8,048,888 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-11-C-0045) to procure long lead material for the F414-GE-400 engines in support of the F/A-18E/F/G aircraft. Work will be performed in Lynn, Mass. (59 percent); Hooksett, N.H. (18 percent); Rutland, Vt. (12 percent); and Madisonville, Ky. (11 percent), and is expected to be completed in October 2015. Fiscal 2013 aircraft procurement, Navy, advanced procurement funding in the amount of $8,048,888 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
Huntington Ingalls Inc., Newport News, Va., is being awarded a $7,319,933 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-12-C-2101) for planning and design yard functions for standard Navy valves in support of nuclear-powered submarines. Work will be performed in Newport News, Va., and is expected to be completed by September 2014. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance, Navy funds in the amount of $7,319,933 are being obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
API, LLC, Comerio, Puerto Rico, has been awarded a maximum $32,859,542 modification (P00011) exercising the second one-year option period on a one-year base contract (SPM1C1-12-D-1006) with three one-year option periods for duffel bags. This is a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. Location of performance is Puerto Rico with a Nov. 8, 2014, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa.
CORRECTION: The contract (SPM300-14-D-3735) to Pacific Unlimited Inc., originally announced on Nov. 4, 2013, was not awarded.
CDC SAYS RATE OF COLORECTAL CANCER SCREENING REMAINS LOW DESPITE LIFE SAVING BENEFITS
FROM: CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL
CDC Press Release: Colorectal cancer screening rates remain low
Greater use of all recommended tests could increase screening rates and reduce deaths. About one in three adults aged 50 to 75 years have not been tested for colorectal cancer as recommended by the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), according to a new Vital Signs report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Despite research that shows colorectal cancer screening tests saves lives, screening rates remain too low.
“There are more than 20 million adults in this country who haven’t had any recommended screening for colorectal cancer and who may therefore get cancer and die from a preventable tragedy,” said CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. “Screening for colorectal cancer is effective and can save your life.”
Colorectal cancer is the second leading cancer killer among men and women in the United States, after lung cancer. Screening tests can prevent cancer or detect it at an early stage, when treatment can be highly effective. Adults aged 50 years and older should get tested with one or a combination of these screening tests:
Fecal occult blood test (FOBT) or fecal immunochemical test (FIT) done at home every year,
Flexible sigmoidoscopy, done every five years, with FOBT/FIT done every three years, Colonoscopy done every 10 years. A colonoscopy can detect cancer early, and it can find precancerous polyps so they can be removed before they turn into cancer. An FOBT/FIT is a simple at-home test that can detect cancer early by identifying blood in the stool, a possible sign of cancer. People are not always offered a choice of colorectal cancer tests, but studies have shown that people who are able to choose the test they prefer are more likely to get the test done.
CDC researchers reviewed colorectal cancer screening data from CDC’s 2012 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to estimate the percentage of people aged 50 to 75 years who reported getting screened as recommended by type of test.
Major findings:
Among adults who were screened as recommended, colonoscopy was by far the most common screening test (62 percent). Use of the other USPSTF-recommended tests was much lower: fecal occult blood test (10 percent), and flexible sigmoidoscopy in combination with FOBT/FIT (less than 1 percent).
The highest percentage of adults who were up-to-date with colorectal cancer screening was in Massachusetts (76 percent).
The percentage of people screened for colorectal cancer using the fecal occult blood test within one year was more than twice as high in California (20 percent) when compared with most states.
Blacks and whites had similar screening rates, but a higher percentage of blacks across all income and education levels used FOBT.
The authors noted that increasing use of all tests may increase screening rates. Furthermore, research shows that more people may get tested if health care providers used an organized approach to identify people who need to be screened; contact them at their home or community setting; advise them of each test; and carefully monitor to make sure they complete their test.
Through the Affordable Care Act, more Americans will have access to health coverage and preventive services like colorectal cancer screening tests. The tests will be available at no additional cost. Visit Healthcare.gov or call 1-800-318-2596 (TTY/TDD 1-855-889-4325) to learn more. Open enrollment in the Marketplace began October 1 and ends March 31, 2014. For those enrolled by December 15, 2013, coverage starts as early as January 1, 2014.
CDC provides funding to 25 states and four tribal organizations across the United States to help increase colorectal cancer screening rates among men and women aged 50 years and older through organized screening methods.
CDC Press Release: Colorectal cancer screening rates remain low
Greater use of all recommended tests could increase screening rates and reduce deaths. About one in three adults aged 50 to 75 years have not been tested for colorectal cancer as recommended by the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), according to a new Vital Signs report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Despite research that shows colorectal cancer screening tests saves lives, screening rates remain too low.
“There are more than 20 million adults in this country who haven’t had any recommended screening for colorectal cancer and who may therefore get cancer and die from a preventable tragedy,” said CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. “Screening for colorectal cancer is effective and can save your life.”
Colorectal cancer is the second leading cancer killer among men and women in the United States, after lung cancer. Screening tests can prevent cancer or detect it at an early stage, when treatment can be highly effective. Adults aged 50 years and older should get tested with one or a combination of these screening tests:
Fecal occult blood test (FOBT) or fecal immunochemical test (FIT) done at home every year,
Flexible sigmoidoscopy, done every five years, with FOBT/FIT done every three years, Colonoscopy done every 10 years. A colonoscopy can detect cancer early, and it can find precancerous polyps so they can be removed before they turn into cancer. An FOBT/FIT is a simple at-home test that can detect cancer early by identifying blood in the stool, a possible sign of cancer. People are not always offered a choice of colorectal cancer tests, but studies have shown that people who are able to choose the test they prefer are more likely to get the test done.
CDC researchers reviewed colorectal cancer screening data from CDC’s 2012 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to estimate the percentage of people aged 50 to 75 years who reported getting screened as recommended by type of test.
Major findings:
Among adults who were screened as recommended, colonoscopy was by far the most common screening test (62 percent). Use of the other USPSTF-recommended tests was much lower: fecal occult blood test (10 percent), and flexible sigmoidoscopy in combination with FOBT/FIT (less than 1 percent).
The highest percentage of adults who were up-to-date with colorectal cancer screening was in Massachusetts (76 percent).
The percentage of people screened for colorectal cancer using the fecal occult blood test within one year was more than twice as high in California (20 percent) when compared with most states.
Blacks and whites had similar screening rates, but a higher percentage of blacks across all income and education levels used FOBT.
The authors noted that increasing use of all tests may increase screening rates. Furthermore, research shows that more people may get tested if health care providers used an organized approach to identify people who need to be screened; contact them at their home or community setting; advise them of each test; and carefully monitor to make sure they complete their test.
Through the Affordable Care Act, more Americans will have access to health coverage and preventive services like colorectal cancer screening tests. The tests will be available at no additional cost. Visit Healthcare.gov or call 1-800-318-2596 (TTY/TDD 1-855-889-4325) to learn more. Open enrollment in the Marketplace began October 1 and ends March 31, 2014. For those enrolled by December 15, 2013, coverage starts as early as January 1, 2014.
CDC provides funding to 25 states and four tribal organizations across the United States to help increase colorectal cancer screening rates among men and women aged 50 years and older through organized screening methods.
DEBT COLLECTOR AND SON-IN-LAW RECEIVE PRISON TIME FOR IDENTITY THEFT
FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Monday, November 4, 2013
Debt Collection Employee and Son-in-Law Sent to Prison for Identity Theft Tax Scheme
Quentin Collick of Montgomery, Ala., and Deatrice Williams of Duluth, Ga., were sentenced Nov. 1, 2013, to serve 85 and 51 months in prison, respectively, announced Assistant Attorney General Kathryn Keneally of the Justice Department's Tax Division and U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama George L. Beck Jr. Collick and Williams were previously found guilty by a jury in the Middle District of Alabama of conspiring to file false claims, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. Collick was also convicted of three counts of theft of public funds. Corey Thompson, a co-conspirator, previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to serve 30 months in jail.
Based on evidence introduced at trial and court filings, Williams worked for a debt collection company located in Norcross, Ga. As an employee, Williams had access to a database that stored names, social security numbers and dates of birth of individuals who owed medical debts. Williams stole the identities of a number of these individuals and provided the stolen information to Collick, her son-in-law.
Collick and Thompson used stolen identities to file false tax returns and fraudulently claim tax refunds. In 2011 and 2012, Thompson worked as an independent contractor for a cable company installing cable and internet access for customers. To conceal the filing of the false tax returns, Thompson used his specialized knowledge and equipment to shut down and hijack his customers’ internet service, and along with Collick, filed false tax returns using the customers’ internet access, making it appear as if the false tax returns were being filed by the customers. Thompson and Collick then directed the tax refunds to be placed on pre-paid debit cards, which were mailed to Montgomery, Ala. However, those cards were intercepted by the U.S. Postal Service. Several tax refund checks were also mailed by the IRS, based upon the fraudulent returns, which Collick retrieved and cashed.
This case was investigated by special agents of IRS - Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by Tax Division Trial Attorneys Michael Boteler, Jason H. Poole and Alexander Effendi
Monday, November 4, 2013
Debt Collection Employee and Son-in-Law Sent to Prison for Identity Theft Tax Scheme
Quentin Collick of Montgomery, Ala., and Deatrice Williams of Duluth, Ga., were sentenced Nov. 1, 2013, to serve 85 and 51 months in prison, respectively, announced Assistant Attorney General Kathryn Keneally of the Justice Department's Tax Division and U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama George L. Beck Jr. Collick and Williams were previously found guilty by a jury in the Middle District of Alabama of conspiring to file false claims, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. Collick was also convicted of three counts of theft of public funds. Corey Thompson, a co-conspirator, previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to serve 30 months in jail.
Based on evidence introduced at trial and court filings, Williams worked for a debt collection company located in Norcross, Ga. As an employee, Williams had access to a database that stored names, social security numbers and dates of birth of individuals who owed medical debts. Williams stole the identities of a number of these individuals and provided the stolen information to Collick, her son-in-law.
Collick and Thompson used stolen identities to file false tax returns and fraudulently claim tax refunds. In 2011 and 2012, Thompson worked as an independent contractor for a cable company installing cable and internet access for customers. To conceal the filing of the false tax returns, Thompson used his specialized knowledge and equipment to shut down and hijack his customers’ internet service, and along with Collick, filed false tax returns using the customers’ internet access, making it appear as if the false tax returns were being filed by the customers. Thompson and Collick then directed the tax refunds to be placed on pre-paid debit cards, which were mailed to Montgomery, Ala. However, those cards were intercepted by the U.S. Postal Service. Several tax refund checks were also mailed by the IRS, based upon the fraudulent returns, which Collick retrieved and cashed.
This case was investigated by special agents of IRS - Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by Tax Division Trial Attorneys Michael Boteler, Jason H. Poole and Alexander Effendi
LA MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO TAX CRIME RELATED TO CONCEALING BANK ACCOUNTS IN ISRAEL
FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Monday, November 4, 2013
Los Angeles Businessman Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Defraud the United States by Concealing Israeli Bank Accounts
Defendant is Latest in a Series of Defendants Charged with Failing to Report Income from Undeclared Accounts in Israel
David Raminfard of Los Angeles pleaded guilty today in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California to conspiracy to defraud the United States, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) announced.
According to court documents, Raminfard, a U.S. citizen, maintained undeclared bank accounts at an international bank headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel, identified in court documents as Bank A. The accounts were held in the names of nominees in order to keep them secret from the U.S. government. One of the accounts was held in the name of Westrose Limited, a nominee entity formed in the Turks and Caicos Islands. To further ensure that his undeclared accounts remained secret, Raminfard placed a mail hold on his accounts. Rather than having his account statements mailed to him, Raminfard would receive them from an international accounts manager with Bank A in Israel, who brought the statements to Los Angeles and reviewed them with Raminfard during meetings at a hotel.
In or about 2000, Raminfard began secretly using the funds in his undeclared accounts as collateral for back-to-back loans obtained from the Los Angeles branch of Bank A. Raminfard used one of the loans to purchase commercial real estate in Los Angeles. By using back-to-back loans, Raminfard was able to access his funds in Israel without the U.S. Government finding out about his undeclared accounts. These loans also enabled Raminfard to claim the interest paid on the loans as a business expense on his companies’ business tax returns, while not reporting the interest earned in Israel as income on his individual income tax returns filed with the IRS. For tax years 2005 through 2010, Raminfard failed to report approximately $521,000 in income. The highest balance in Raminfard’s undeclared accounts was approximately $3 million.
Raminfard is the latest in a series of defendants charged in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California with conspiring to defraud the United States in connection with using undeclared bank accounts in Israel to obtain back-to-back loans in the United States.
U.S. citizens and residents who have an interest in, or signature or other authority over, a financial account in a foreign country with assets in excess of $10,000 are required to disclose the existence of such account on Schedule B, Part III, of their individual income tax returns. Additionally, U.S. citizens and residents must file a Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Reports (FBAR) with the U.S. Treasury disclosing any financial account in a foreign country with assets in excess of $10,000 in which they have a financial interest or over which they have signature or other authority.
Raminfard faces a potential maximum prison term of five years and a maximum fine of $250,000. In addition, Raminfard has agreed to pay a civil penalty to the IRS in the amount of 50 percent of the high balance of his undeclared accounts for failing to file FBARs.
Assistant Attorney General Kathryn Keneally of the Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California André Birotte Jr. thanked special agents of IRS-CI, who investigated the cases, Tax Division Senior Litigation Counsel John E. Sullivan and Assistant Chief Elizabeth C. Hadden, who prosecuted the cases, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra A. Brown of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, who assisted with the prosecutions.
Monday, November 4, 2013
Los Angeles Businessman Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Defraud the United States by Concealing Israeli Bank Accounts
Defendant is Latest in a Series of Defendants Charged with Failing to Report Income from Undeclared Accounts in Israel
David Raminfard of Los Angeles pleaded guilty today in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California to conspiracy to defraud the United States, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) announced.
According to court documents, Raminfard, a U.S. citizen, maintained undeclared bank accounts at an international bank headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel, identified in court documents as Bank A. The accounts were held in the names of nominees in order to keep them secret from the U.S. government. One of the accounts was held in the name of Westrose Limited, a nominee entity formed in the Turks and Caicos Islands. To further ensure that his undeclared accounts remained secret, Raminfard placed a mail hold on his accounts. Rather than having his account statements mailed to him, Raminfard would receive them from an international accounts manager with Bank A in Israel, who brought the statements to Los Angeles and reviewed them with Raminfard during meetings at a hotel.
In or about 2000, Raminfard began secretly using the funds in his undeclared accounts as collateral for back-to-back loans obtained from the Los Angeles branch of Bank A. Raminfard used one of the loans to purchase commercial real estate in Los Angeles. By using back-to-back loans, Raminfard was able to access his funds in Israel without the U.S. Government finding out about his undeclared accounts. These loans also enabled Raminfard to claim the interest paid on the loans as a business expense on his companies’ business tax returns, while not reporting the interest earned in Israel as income on his individual income tax returns filed with the IRS. For tax years 2005 through 2010, Raminfard failed to report approximately $521,000 in income. The highest balance in Raminfard’s undeclared accounts was approximately $3 million.
Raminfard is the latest in a series of defendants charged in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California with conspiring to defraud the United States in connection with using undeclared bank accounts in Israel to obtain back-to-back loans in the United States.
U.S. citizens and residents who have an interest in, or signature or other authority over, a financial account in a foreign country with assets in excess of $10,000 are required to disclose the existence of such account on Schedule B, Part III, of their individual income tax returns. Additionally, U.S. citizens and residents must file a Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Reports (FBAR) with the U.S. Treasury disclosing any financial account in a foreign country with assets in excess of $10,000 in which they have a financial interest or over which they have signature or other authority.
Raminfard faces a potential maximum prison term of five years and a maximum fine of $250,000. In addition, Raminfard has agreed to pay a civil penalty to the IRS in the amount of 50 percent of the high balance of his undeclared accounts for failing to file FBARs.
Assistant Attorney General Kathryn Keneally of the Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California André Birotte Jr. thanked special agents of IRS-CI, who investigated the cases, Tax Division Senior Litigation Counsel John E. Sullivan and Assistant Chief Elizabeth C. Hadden, who prosecuted the cases, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra A. Brown of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, who assisted with the prosecutions.
EDUCATION TO INFORM STUDENT BORROWERS OF REPAYMENT OPTIONS
FROM: U.S. EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
U.S. Department of Education Announces Additional Efforts to Inform Student Borrowers of Repayment Options
NOVEMBER 4, 2013
As part of the Obama administration's agenda to make college more affordable, the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) is announcing today an outreach campaign to groups of federal student loan borrowers to make sure they know and understand all their repayment options. This past weekend, FSA began contacting groups of borrowers via e-mail to ensure they are enrolled in the best available repayment plan.
This new outreach augments the day-to-day communications provided by borrowers' student loan servicers. FSA's campaign is aimed at reducing borrower delinquency and default, and improving awareness of income-driven repayment plans. Income-driven repayment plans allow borrowers to repay their student debt on a sliding scale that adjusts their payments based on their income and family size.
"Reaching out to borrowers to ensure that they have the information they need to manage their student loan debt is an important part of the administration's proposals to improve college value and affordability," U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said. "Thanks to this outreach, coupled with ongoing outreach provided by student loan servicers, borrowers have the opportunity to learn more about their options to lower monthly loan payments and stay on track of their student loans."
The outreach will target federal student loan borrowers who can benefit the most from an income-driven repayment plan. Approximately 3.5 million borrowers will be contacted from now until mid-December. Concurrent with this outreach, FSA will conduct a social media campaign on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter geared toward recent college grads and borrowers. The campaign will focus on loan repayment options, common mistakes and general student loan advice.
The outreach campaign will target borrowers whose grace periods will end soon, borrowers who have fallen behind on their student loan payments, borrowers with higher-than-average debts, and borrowers in deferment or forbearance because of financial hardship or unemployment.
Borrowers who are contacted via e-mail will be prompted to access resources designed to educate them on repayment options, apply for an income-driven repayment plan, or contact their federal student loan servicer for additional information.
In addition to contacting groups of borrowers, FSA will soon launch a "one-stop shop" financial aid toolkit aimed at guidance counselors and other advisers who assist students through the process of selecting and financing their higher education, like staff or volunteers at community-based organizations. The toolkit will include resources covering the entire financial aid lifecycle, from applying for financial aid to repaying loans. The toolkit will also offer professional development information such as training opportunities and resources for self-instruction. More information about the toolkit will be provided closer to its launch date later this year.
The outreach this fall builds on ongoing efforts by the administration to improve college affordability. Thanks to President Obama and Secretary Duncan's leadership, Congress ended student loan subsidies for private financial institutions and banks and shifted billions in savings back to students; capped loan repayments at 10 percent of monthly income for many borrowers who are trying to responsibly manage their federal student loan debt; and worked with Congress to keep student loan rates from doubling this year -- saving typical undergraduates more than $1,500 for this year's loans.
Additionally, borrowers can use existing resources, like the Department's online IBR calculator and repayment calculator, to determine how best to pay back their student loans.
As part of the administration's overall agenda to address rising college costs and make college more affordable for American families, the Department announced last week that it will host four public forums across the country to gather public input about its proposals.
U.S. Department of Education Announces Additional Efforts to Inform Student Borrowers of Repayment Options
NOVEMBER 4, 2013
As part of the Obama administration's agenda to make college more affordable, the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) is announcing today an outreach campaign to groups of federal student loan borrowers to make sure they know and understand all their repayment options. This past weekend, FSA began contacting groups of borrowers via e-mail to ensure they are enrolled in the best available repayment plan.
This new outreach augments the day-to-day communications provided by borrowers' student loan servicers. FSA's campaign is aimed at reducing borrower delinquency and default, and improving awareness of income-driven repayment plans. Income-driven repayment plans allow borrowers to repay their student debt on a sliding scale that adjusts their payments based on their income and family size.
"Reaching out to borrowers to ensure that they have the information they need to manage their student loan debt is an important part of the administration's proposals to improve college value and affordability," U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said. "Thanks to this outreach, coupled with ongoing outreach provided by student loan servicers, borrowers have the opportunity to learn more about their options to lower monthly loan payments and stay on track of their student loans."
The outreach will target federal student loan borrowers who can benefit the most from an income-driven repayment plan. Approximately 3.5 million borrowers will be contacted from now until mid-December. Concurrent with this outreach, FSA will conduct a social media campaign on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter geared toward recent college grads and borrowers. The campaign will focus on loan repayment options, common mistakes and general student loan advice.
The outreach campaign will target borrowers whose grace periods will end soon, borrowers who have fallen behind on their student loan payments, borrowers with higher-than-average debts, and borrowers in deferment or forbearance because of financial hardship or unemployment.
Borrowers who are contacted via e-mail will be prompted to access resources designed to educate them on repayment options, apply for an income-driven repayment plan, or contact their federal student loan servicer for additional information.
In addition to contacting groups of borrowers, FSA will soon launch a "one-stop shop" financial aid toolkit aimed at guidance counselors and other advisers who assist students through the process of selecting and financing their higher education, like staff or volunteers at community-based organizations. The toolkit will include resources covering the entire financial aid lifecycle, from applying for financial aid to repaying loans. The toolkit will also offer professional development information such as training opportunities and resources for self-instruction. More information about the toolkit will be provided closer to its launch date later this year.
The outreach this fall builds on ongoing efforts by the administration to improve college affordability. Thanks to President Obama and Secretary Duncan's leadership, Congress ended student loan subsidies for private financial institutions and banks and shifted billions in savings back to students; capped loan repayments at 10 percent of monthly income for many borrowers who are trying to responsibly manage their federal student loan debt; and worked with Congress to keep student loan rates from doubling this year -- saving typical undergraduates more than $1,500 for this year's loans.
Additionally, borrowers can use existing resources, like the Department's online IBR calculator and repayment calculator, to determine how best to pay back their student loans.
As part of the administration's overall agenda to address rising college costs and make college more affordable for American families, the Department announced last week that it will host four public forums across the country to gather public input about its proposals.
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