FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
USDA Solicits New Bids under the Feedstock Flexibility Program
WASHINGTON, Nov. 14, 2013 The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced that the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) is offering to sell its recently acquired sugar inventory for use as a feedstock for bio-energy production using the authority of the Feedstock Flexibility Program (FFP). CCC successfully sold 143,143 short tons under its previous FFP tenders.
CCC acquired 296,500 short tons of sugar on Oct. 1, 2013, in lieu of cash repayments on its remaining 2012 crop year sugar loans. The forfeiture of sugar, which was pledged as collateral by processors that receive nonrecourse commodity loans from CCC, was due to a severe reduction in sugar prices in FY 2013. This was caused by the U.S./Mexican sugar supply far exceeding demand in our common sugar market. CCC is prohibited by the 2008 Farm Bill from selling its sugar inventory for domestic human consumption unless there is an emergency sugar shortage.
CCC is increasing the minimum FFP bid to 50,000 short tons (100 million pounds) to provide the opportunity for commercial-scale sugar use in bio-energy production.
The Farm Service Agency’s invitation to purchase CCC sugar, as well as the results of earlier USDA sugar actions, can be found on the FSA Commodity Operations website at: www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp?area=home&subject=coop&topic=pas-sa.
Thursday, November 14, 2013
AG HOLDER MAKES REMARKS AT WHITE HOUSE TRIBAL NATIONS CONFERENCE
FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Attorney General Eric Holder Delivers Remarks at the White House Tribal Nations Conference
~ Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Good morning – and thank you all for such a warm welcome. I want to thank David [Gipp] for those kind words. And I’d particularly like to thank Secretary [Sally] Jewell and her colleagues at the Department of the Interior for hosting this important Conference.
It’s a pleasure to join them, President [Barack] Obama, my fellow Cabinet members, and leaders throughout the Administration in welcoming such a distinguished group to Washington. And it’s a privilege to stand with so many good friends, passionate advocates, dedicated tribal leaders, and essential Indian Country partners in reinforcing the ties that bind us to one another; renewing our commitment to working – with mutual trust and mutual respect – to address shared challenges; and reaffirming our dedication to fulfilling the great promise of our government’s relationships with sovereign tribes.
I want to personally commend every participant in this year’s Tribal Nations Conference for taking the time to be here – and moving our nation closer to its most treasured ideals: of equality, opportunity, and justice under law. Especially in recent years, countless tribal leaders – both in and beyond this room – have stepped to the forefront of our efforts to preserve cultural values, to enforce treaty obligations, and to secure the rights and benefits to which all American Indians and Alaska Natives must always be entitled.
Together, through many generations, you and your predecessors have faced down tremendous adversity – standing up to those who once sought to terminate the federal government’s relationships with tribes. You’ve galvanized support for the rights of American Indians to maintain tribal governments – and to have a seat at the table before major reforms are enacted. You’ve mobilized tribal nations to win passage of long-overdue laws not simply to regulate tribal affairs, but to allow all Native peoples to fulfill their own promise and chart their own paths. As the ranks of your partners have grown, you’ve raised awareness about obstacles to tribal sovereignty. And – with the assistance and support of public servants like my distinguished predecessor, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy – you’ve ushered in a new era of tribal self-determination that is now half a century old, and growing stronger every day.
As we gather for this year’s Tribal Nations Conference – here in our nation’s capital, during American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month – it’s appropriate that we celebrate these and other momentous achievements.
But it’s also necessary that we acknowledge that our relationships have not always been so constructive. Far too much of our history has been defined by violence and deprivation. Far too many promises have been broken. Far too many tribes have been told that their lands, religions, cultures, and languages were somehow not theirs to keep. That their rights could be abridged or denied without the guarantee of due process. That they could not vote. And that the only course of action available to them would be to move on, to give up, and – quite simply – to forget.
Today, we declare that we must never forget. We must never deny the injustice that – for decades upon decades – was inflicted on Native peoples. And we affirm that this painful past has informed, and given rise to, a sustained period of cooperation and self-determination – a period that began in a moment of national challenge, when the nation confronted a New Frontier.
Fifty years ago – in Bismarck, North Dakota – Attorney General Kennedy addressed the National Congress of American Indians. At the time – just as it is today – NCAI was the largest intertribal organization in the country, a leading voice for tribal sovereignty, and a key partner to the Justice Department. Robert Kennedy spoke of the vision that he and his brother, President John F. Kennedy, harbored for a more free, more just, and more equal nation. And, in what would become known as a historic speech, he told the assembled crowd that he stood before them at “a turning in the tide”:
“America,” he said, “. . . is moving forward, more rapidly and in more ways than ever before – moving toward the fulfillment of its destiny as the land of the free, a nation in which neither Indians nor any other racial or religious minority will live in underprivilege.”
Half a century later, it’s clear that this vision has yet to be fully realized. But it’s equally apparent that the last few decades – and especially the last five years – have been marked by significant steps forward: to keep a nation’s promise. To reclaim the brighter future that all of our citizens deserve. To confront urgent challenges. To move toward shared aspirations. And to bring about the remarkable, once-unimaginable progress for which so many have been fighting for so long. That which began in the New Frontier must continue, with increased vigor, into this new era for which we are all responsible.
For President Obama – and for me – this has always been more than a professional obligation. It’s a personal priority. As you heard during the video presentation, when I returned to the Justice Department as Attorney General in 2009, my colleagues and I made it a priority to listen to, to learn from, and to partner with tribal leaders. And this renewed commitment to cooperation has yielded results we can all be proud of.
Since January 2009, the Department’s Civil Rights Division, working with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, has prosecuted numerous defendants for victimizing Native Americans through sex trafficking, hate crimes, and police brutality. The Division has also been active in enforcing the voting rights of American Indians across the country – including the right, in some jurisdictions, to access voter information in Native languages.
Alongside our counterparts at other federal agencies, we have prioritized the protection of tribal resources and the resolution of longstanding legal disputes. Four years ago, the Departments of Justice and the Interior reached a historic settlement – totaling more than $3 billion, and approved by Congress as well as a federal court – which resolved the Cobell litigation, a class-action lawsuit that had been pending for a decade and a half.
More broadly, we’ve worked to protect water rights and natural resources on tribal lands. And we’ve vastly expanded our outreach to – and cooperation with – Indian tribes across the continent, institutionalizing ways to seek input on new policies; holding extensive training and listening sessions; and targeting precious resources to the areas where they’re needed most.
Through our Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation, we’ve streamlined the process allowing tribes to secure federal assistance – awarding nearly $440 million in grants to help address an array of tribal justice issues. These funds are supporting efforts to intervene in the lives of at-risk youth and prevent violence against women; to improve community policing and explore alternatives to incarceration.
But they’re only the beginning – because, as a former United States Attorney, I know from experience that it takes more than financial support to combat crime. Our ability to ensure just outcomes will always depend upon the sustained efforts of prosecutors, investigators, and victim services professionals on the ground – who work closely with, and genuinely understand, the communities they serve. Leaders like U.S. Attorney Tim Purdon; his predecessor as Chair of the Native American Issues Subcommittee, Brendan Johnson; and other U.S. Attorneys whose districts include Indian Country exemplify our commitment to this work. And this commitment is being strengthened every day by the tribal liaisons who have been appointed in each of the 48 U.S. Attorney’s Offices in districts that span Indian Country; by our dedicated FBI agents and victims specialists working full-time on tribal lands; and by the Tribal Nations Leadership Council we launched to advise me – and future Attorneys General – on issues of concern.
In July 2010, President Obama bolstered these efforts when he signed the Tribal Law and Order Act – which has strengthened tribal law enforcement, improved substance abuse prevention and treatment efforts, and enhanced our ability to prosecute crimes committed on tribal lands. It also ensured that the Office of Tribal Justice will be a permanent part of the Justice Department.
Taken together, these changes – along with programs like our National Indian Country Training Initiative, which has trained thousands of federal and tribal criminal justice professionals – have resulted in significant advances. And our prioritization of close cooperation between U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and tribal leaders has brought about a notable increase in overall law enforcement in Indian Country. In fact, in just the last three years, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices with responsibility for Indian Country prosecutions have seen their caseload of prosecutions for crimes committed on tribal lands increase by more than 54 percent.
This is an extremely promising indication. Yet there’s no denying that a great deal of work remains to be done. And if we are to seize this opportunity to build on the progress we’ve seen, every person in this room must resolve here and now – as Robert Kennedy and his contemporaries once did – to mark this event not merely as an occasion for reflection, but as a moment of renewal, a time for action and positive change.
We must recommit ourselves to collaboration on an unprecedented scale – no matter the obstacles we face. And we must declare – together – that, despite everything that’s been achieved, we will not rest as long as crime rates in so many tribal communities continue to exceed the national average.
We will not accept the shameful fact that American Indians are disproportionately likely to become victims of crime and violence.
And we will not tolerate a world in which nearly half of all Indian women and girls have experienced rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner. And where Indian women are murdered at a rate that – in some places – is more than ten times the national average.
We simply cannot stand for such an unjust and unacceptable status quo any longer. And, as our record proves, we will not stand for it.
Last year, I was proud to join President Obama at a ceremony where he signed the newly-reauthorized Violence Against Women Act into law. Thanks to the hard work – and fierce advocacy – of many of the people in this room, this reauthorization included tribal jurisdiction provisions to help tribal authorities combat violence against Native women – whether the perpetrators are Indian or non-Indian. Those provisions were drafted and publicly proposed by the Justice Department, but they never could have become law without your staunch and strenuous support. For that, I applaud you. As the President noted, VAWA 2013 represented a historic step forward for tribal sovereignty and jurisdiction. And all of us will keep moving forward together.
In August, I announced that – on the recommendation of the National Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence – the Department has launched a brand-new Task Force dedicated to addressing the unique challenges faced by children in Indian Country. Since then, the Task Force’s working group of federal officials has made real progress in improving educational and programmatic services in youth detention facilities in Indian Country. And today, I am pleased to announce that I have selected the Advisory Committee members who will help lead this new Task Force – including its distinguished co-chairs, former U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan and Grammy-winner, and member of the Iroquois Nation, Joanne Shenandoah, both of whom are here with us today. Preparations are currently underway for the Advisory Committee’s first public hearing, which will be held on December 9th in Bismarck, North Dakota. As the Task Force moves ahead, they’ll continue to work closely with a range of federal leaders to support and strengthen the work you are leading throughout tribal lands.
As a result of these partnerships – and the efforts of everyone here – our nation is poised to open a new era in our government-to-government relationships with sovereign tribes. Fifty years after Robert Kennedy stood before a similar group of leaders, I have the great honor to join you in pledging to take this work to a new level. And I am proud to announce today that the Justice Department will adopt a new Statement of Principles to guide all of the actions we take in working with federally recognized Indian tribes.
This proposed Statement will codify our determination to serve not as a patron – but as a partner – in fighting crime and enforcing the law in Indian Country. And it will institutionalize our commitment to Indian tribes – serving as a blueprint for reinforcing relationships, reforming the criminal justice system, and aggressively enforcing federal laws and civil rights protections.
Of course, this Statement of Principles will be meaningful only to the extent that it is crafted in consultation with leaders like you. That’s why we’ll make our draft available – today – on the Justice Department’s website, “justice.gov.” We’ll share it directly with the leaders of all 566 federally-recognized tribes – so we can gain the benefit of your insights, your expertise, and your goals and aspirations. Then, and only then, will we be in a position to finalize the Statement and publish it – by early next year – thereby establishing a set of core principles by which we can chart our future course.
Ultimately, however, I realize that our future will be shaped – and our progress determined – not merely by the values that guide us, but by the individual men and women who work to translate these values into action. Men and women who choose not to accept the world as it is, but fight to make real their vision of the world as it should be.
In order to support this work – and to inspire and cultivate a new generation of public servants to carry it forward – it is also my privilege to announce the creation of a new component of the Attorney General’s Honors Program – known as the Attorney General’s Indian Country Fellowship.
As some of you may know, I first joined the Justice Department – more than 35 years ago – as a young attorney in this same Honors Program. Throughout my career, I’ve seen just how important, and effective, it can be when it comes to attracting skilled lawyers to careers in public service – and developing leaders at every level of the Justice Department.
Under our new Indian Country Fellowship, highly-qualified law school graduates will have the chance to spend three years working on Indian Country cases – primarily in U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, but also with opportunities to be detailed to the offices of tribal prosecutors. This will create a new pipeline of legal talent with expertise and deep experience in federal Indian law, tribal law, and Indian Country issues. And it will help to build capacity, combat violent crime, and bolster public safety in each of the jurisdictions represented here.
This, after all, is our chief obligation: not to deny our past, but to rise above it. Not to minimize our tumultuous history, but to write a new chapter. Not to accept a reality that’s short of the ideal we envision, and the justice our citizens deserve – but to stand together, and speak with one voice, in order to bring about the changes we seek.
As I look around this room today – at so many passionate leaders and dedicated advocates from across the country – I can’t help but feel confident in our ability to do just that. To fulfill the commitments we’ve made. To ensure that good words are backed up by good deeds. And, above all, to keep moving forward together – in common cause, with mutual respect, and with shared purpose.
I am grateful, and humbled, to count you not merely as colleagues – but as essential partners – in the considerable work that lies ahead. I will always be proud to stand with you, and fight alongside you, in the struggle for tribal sovereignty, self-government, self-determination, civil rights, and equal justice. And I look forward to all that we will do – and achieve – in the months and years to come. This is my pledge. This must be our common endeavor.
Thank you.
Attorney General Eric Holder Delivers Remarks at the White House Tribal Nations Conference
~ Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Good morning – and thank you all for such a warm welcome. I want to thank David [Gipp] for those kind words. And I’d particularly like to thank Secretary [Sally] Jewell and her colleagues at the Department of the Interior for hosting this important Conference.
It’s a pleasure to join them, President [Barack] Obama, my fellow Cabinet members, and leaders throughout the Administration in welcoming such a distinguished group to Washington. And it’s a privilege to stand with so many good friends, passionate advocates, dedicated tribal leaders, and essential Indian Country partners in reinforcing the ties that bind us to one another; renewing our commitment to working – with mutual trust and mutual respect – to address shared challenges; and reaffirming our dedication to fulfilling the great promise of our government’s relationships with sovereign tribes.
I want to personally commend every participant in this year’s Tribal Nations Conference for taking the time to be here – and moving our nation closer to its most treasured ideals: of equality, opportunity, and justice under law. Especially in recent years, countless tribal leaders – both in and beyond this room – have stepped to the forefront of our efforts to preserve cultural values, to enforce treaty obligations, and to secure the rights and benefits to which all American Indians and Alaska Natives must always be entitled.
Together, through many generations, you and your predecessors have faced down tremendous adversity – standing up to those who once sought to terminate the federal government’s relationships with tribes. You’ve galvanized support for the rights of American Indians to maintain tribal governments – and to have a seat at the table before major reforms are enacted. You’ve mobilized tribal nations to win passage of long-overdue laws not simply to regulate tribal affairs, but to allow all Native peoples to fulfill their own promise and chart their own paths. As the ranks of your partners have grown, you’ve raised awareness about obstacles to tribal sovereignty. And – with the assistance and support of public servants like my distinguished predecessor, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy – you’ve ushered in a new era of tribal self-determination that is now half a century old, and growing stronger every day.
As we gather for this year’s Tribal Nations Conference – here in our nation’s capital, during American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month – it’s appropriate that we celebrate these and other momentous achievements.
But it’s also necessary that we acknowledge that our relationships have not always been so constructive. Far too much of our history has been defined by violence and deprivation. Far too many promises have been broken. Far too many tribes have been told that their lands, religions, cultures, and languages were somehow not theirs to keep. That their rights could be abridged or denied without the guarantee of due process. That they could not vote. And that the only course of action available to them would be to move on, to give up, and – quite simply – to forget.
Today, we declare that we must never forget. We must never deny the injustice that – for decades upon decades – was inflicted on Native peoples. And we affirm that this painful past has informed, and given rise to, a sustained period of cooperation and self-determination – a period that began in a moment of national challenge, when the nation confronted a New Frontier.
Fifty years ago – in Bismarck, North Dakota – Attorney General Kennedy addressed the National Congress of American Indians. At the time – just as it is today – NCAI was the largest intertribal organization in the country, a leading voice for tribal sovereignty, and a key partner to the Justice Department. Robert Kennedy spoke of the vision that he and his brother, President John F. Kennedy, harbored for a more free, more just, and more equal nation. And, in what would become known as a historic speech, he told the assembled crowd that he stood before them at “a turning in the tide”:
“America,” he said, “. . . is moving forward, more rapidly and in more ways than ever before – moving toward the fulfillment of its destiny as the land of the free, a nation in which neither Indians nor any other racial or religious minority will live in underprivilege.”
Half a century later, it’s clear that this vision has yet to be fully realized. But it’s equally apparent that the last few decades – and especially the last five years – have been marked by significant steps forward: to keep a nation’s promise. To reclaim the brighter future that all of our citizens deserve. To confront urgent challenges. To move toward shared aspirations. And to bring about the remarkable, once-unimaginable progress for which so many have been fighting for so long. That which began in the New Frontier must continue, with increased vigor, into this new era for which we are all responsible.
For President Obama – and for me – this has always been more than a professional obligation. It’s a personal priority. As you heard during the video presentation, when I returned to the Justice Department as Attorney General in 2009, my colleagues and I made it a priority to listen to, to learn from, and to partner with tribal leaders. And this renewed commitment to cooperation has yielded results we can all be proud of.
Since January 2009, the Department’s Civil Rights Division, working with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, has prosecuted numerous defendants for victimizing Native Americans through sex trafficking, hate crimes, and police brutality. The Division has also been active in enforcing the voting rights of American Indians across the country – including the right, in some jurisdictions, to access voter information in Native languages.
Alongside our counterparts at other federal agencies, we have prioritized the protection of tribal resources and the resolution of longstanding legal disputes. Four years ago, the Departments of Justice and the Interior reached a historic settlement – totaling more than $3 billion, and approved by Congress as well as a federal court – which resolved the Cobell litigation, a class-action lawsuit that had been pending for a decade and a half.
More broadly, we’ve worked to protect water rights and natural resources on tribal lands. And we’ve vastly expanded our outreach to – and cooperation with – Indian tribes across the continent, institutionalizing ways to seek input on new policies; holding extensive training and listening sessions; and targeting precious resources to the areas where they’re needed most.
Through our Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation, we’ve streamlined the process allowing tribes to secure federal assistance – awarding nearly $440 million in grants to help address an array of tribal justice issues. These funds are supporting efforts to intervene in the lives of at-risk youth and prevent violence against women; to improve community policing and explore alternatives to incarceration.
But they’re only the beginning – because, as a former United States Attorney, I know from experience that it takes more than financial support to combat crime. Our ability to ensure just outcomes will always depend upon the sustained efforts of prosecutors, investigators, and victim services professionals on the ground – who work closely with, and genuinely understand, the communities they serve. Leaders like U.S. Attorney Tim Purdon; his predecessor as Chair of the Native American Issues Subcommittee, Brendan Johnson; and other U.S. Attorneys whose districts include Indian Country exemplify our commitment to this work. And this commitment is being strengthened every day by the tribal liaisons who have been appointed in each of the 48 U.S. Attorney’s Offices in districts that span Indian Country; by our dedicated FBI agents and victims specialists working full-time on tribal lands; and by the Tribal Nations Leadership Council we launched to advise me – and future Attorneys General – on issues of concern.
In July 2010, President Obama bolstered these efforts when he signed the Tribal Law and Order Act – which has strengthened tribal law enforcement, improved substance abuse prevention and treatment efforts, and enhanced our ability to prosecute crimes committed on tribal lands. It also ensured that the Office of Tribal Justice will be a permanent part of the Justice Department.
Taken together, these changes – along with programs like our National Indian Country Training Initiative, which has trained thousands of federal and tribal criminal justice professionals – have resulted in significant advances. And our prioritization of close cooperation between U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and tribal leaders has brought about a notable increase in overall law enforcement in Indian Country. In fact, in just the last three years, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices with responsibility for Indian Country prosecutions have seen their caseload of prosecutions for crimes committed on tribal lands increase by more than 54 percent.
This is an extremely promising indication. Yet there’s no denying that a great deal of work remains to be done. And if we are to seize this opportunity to build on the progress we’ve seen, every person in this room must resolve here and now – as Robert Kennedy and his contemporaries once did – to mark this event not merely as an occasion for reflection, but as a moment of renewal, a time for action and positive change.
We must recommit ourselves to collaboration on an unprecedented scale – no matter the obstacles we face. And we must declare – together – that, despite everything that’s been achieved, we will not rest as long as crime rates in so many tribal communities continue to exceed the national average.
We will not accept the shameful fact that American Indians are disproportionately likely to become victims of crime and violence.
And we will not tolerate a world in which nearly half of all Indian women and girls have experienced rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner. And where Indian women are murdered at a rate that – in some places – is more than ten times the national average.
We simply cannot stand for such an unjust and unacceptable status quo any longer. And, as our record proves, we will not stand for it.
Last year, I was proud to join President Obama at a ceremony where he signed the newly-reauthorized Violence Against Women Act into law. Thanks to the hard work – and fierce advocacy – of many of the people in this room, this reauthorization included tribal jurisdiction provisions to help tribal authorities combat violence against Native women – whether the perpetrators are Indian or non-Indian. Those provisions were drafted and publicly proposed by the Justice Department, but they never could have become law without your staunch and strenuous support. For that, I applaud you. As the President noted, VAWA 2013 represented a historic step forward for tribal sovereignty and jurisdiction. And all of us will keep moving forward together.
In August, I announced that – on the recommendation of the National Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence – the Department has launched a brand-new Task Force dedicated to addressing the unique challenges faced by children in Indian Country. Since then, the Task Force’s working group of federal officials has made real progress in improving educational and programmatic services in youth detention facilities in Indian Country. And today, I am pleased to announce that I have selected the Advisory Committee members who will help lead this new Task Force – including its distinguished co-chairs, former U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan and Grammy-winner, and member of the Iroquois Nation, Joanne Shenandoah, both of whom are here with us today. Preparations are currently underway for the Advisory Committee’s first public hearing, which will be held on December 9th in Bismarck, North Dakota. As the Task Force moves ahead, they’ll continue to work closely with a range of federal leaders to support and strengthen the work you are leading throughout tribal lands.
As a result of these partnerships – and the efforts of everyone here – our nation is poised to open a new era in our government-to-government relationships with sovereign tribes. Fifty years after Robert Kennedy stood before a similar group of leaders, I have the great honor to join you in pledging to take this work to a new level. And I am proud to announce today that the Justice Department will adopt a new Statement of Principles to guide all of the actions we take in working with federally recognized Indian tribes.
This proposed Statement will codify our determination to serve not as a patron – but as a partner – in fighting crime and enforcing the law in Indian Country. And it will institutionalize our commitment to Indian tribes – serving as a blueprint for reinforcing relationships, reforming the criminal justice system, and aggressively enforcing federal laws and civil rights protections.
Of course, this Statement of Principles will be meaningful only to the extent that it is crafted in consultation with leaders like you. That’s why we’ll make our draft available – today – on the Justice Department’s website, “justice.gov.” We’ll share it directly with the leaders of all 566 federally-recognized tribes – so we can gain the benefit of your insights, your expertise, and your goals and aspirations. Then, and only then, will we be in a position to finalize the Statement and publish it – by early next year – thereby establishing a set of core principles by which we can chart our future course.
Ultimately, however, I realize that our future will be shaped – and our progress determined – not merely by the values that guide us, but by the individual men and women who work to translate these values into action. Men and women who choose not to accept the world as it is, but fight to make real their vision of the world as it should be.
In order to support this work – and to inspire and cultivate a new generation of public servants to carry it forward – it is also my privilege to announce the creation of a new component of the Attorney General’s Honors Program – known as the Attorney General’s Indian Country Fellowship.
As some of you may know, I first joined the Justice Department – more than 35 years ago – as a young attorney in this same Honors Program. Throughout my career, I’ve seen just how important, and effective, it can be when it comes to attracting skilled lawyers to careers in public service – and developing leaders at every level of the Justice Department.
Under our new Indian Country Fellowship, highly-qualified law school graduates will have the chance to spend three years working on Indian Country cases – primarily in U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, but also with opportunities to be detailed to the offices of tribal prosecutors. This will create a new pipeline of legal talent with expertise and deep experience in federal Indian law, tribal law, and Indian Country issues. And it will help to build capacity, combat violent crime, and bolster public safety in each of the jurisdictions represented here.
This, after all, is our chief obligation: not to deny our past, but to rise above it. Not to minimize our tumultuous history, but to write a new chapter. Not to accept a reality that’s short of the ideal we envision, and the justice our citizens deserve – but to stand together, and speak with one voice, in order to bring about the changes we seek.
As I look around this room today – at so many passionate leaders and dedicated advocates from across the country – I can’t help but feel confident in our ability to do just that. To fulfill the commitments we’ve made. To ensure that good words are backed up by good deeds. And, above all, to keep moving forward together – in common cause, with mutual respect, and with shared purpose.
I am grateful, and humbled, to count you not merely as colleagues – but as essential partners – in the considerable work that lies ahead. I will always be proud to stand with you, and fight alongside you, in the struggle for tribal sovereignty, self-government, self-determination, civil rights, and equal justice. And I look forward to all that we will do – and achieve – in the months and years to come. This is my pledge. This must be our common endeavor.
Thank you.
STATE DEPARTMENT BRIEFING BRIEFING ON TERRORIST ORGANIZATION DESIGNATIONS
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Background Briefing on Designation of Boko Haram and Ansaru as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and as Specially Designated Global Terrorists
Special Briefing
Senior Administration Officials
Via Teleconference
November 13, 2013
MODERATOR: Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for joining us for today’s call. Our participants today are [Senior Administration Official One]. And also briefing today is [Senior Administration Official Two]. This is just a reminder, this call is on background, so please be sure to use the described attributions when referencing our briefers. With that, I’ll turn it over to our Administration – senior Administration officials to make a few remarks and then we’ll open it up for questions.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: Good morning. We view today’s designation of Boko Haram and Ansaru as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists by the Secretary of State as part of our efforts to help Nigeria succeed in adopting a comprehensive approach to address its domestic terrorist threat. Nigeria’s comprehensive approach must include enhancing security force professionalism, building confidence in the people of northern Nigeria, by meeting their legitimate economic needs, and ensuring adherence to the rule of law and accountability. All of our assistance to Nigeria stresses the importance of protecting civilians, adhering to the rule of law, and respecting human rights.
So why have we taken this step? Nigeria is a strategic partner of the United States. It is Africa’s most populous country, with about 170 million people. It provides over 4,880 soldiers and police for peacekeeping missions, and it is a global supplier of oil – crucial global supplier. We consistently engage with Nigerian leaders at all levels to advance our mutual interests. President Obama met with President Jonathan on the margins of this year’s UN General Assembly. Under Secretary of State Wendy Sherman led a delegation to Abuja in mid-August of this year. And we also have regular senior interaction in Washington and in Nigeria with Nigerian officials, including federal, state, and local officials, as well as members of civil society.
We want to see an even stronger Nigeria that fulfills its ambitions to be a regional and a global leader. To that end, Nigeria must strengthen its democratic institutions, advance economic reform, control corruption, professionalize its security forces, and effectively counter the threat of terrorism, while respecting the human rights of all its citizens. I’d like (inaudible).
MODERATOR: Senior Administration Official Number Two will now make remarks.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: The designation to Boko Haram and Ansaru are an important step in supporting the Government of Nigeria’s efforts to counter violent extremism and address the security challenges in northern Nigeria. Boko Haram is a Nigeria-based violent extremist organization with links to al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, or AQIM. It’s responsible for thousands of deaths since its conception in 2009, including large-scale attacks against Muslim and Christian religious communities, and women and children.
Since 2009, Boko Haram has been conducting an ongoing and brutal campaign against Nigerian military government and civilian targets. Within the last year, Boko Haram has been behind numerous attacks on Nigerian schools, and was also responsible for the August 2011 suicide bombing of the UN building in Abuja that killed 21 people and injured dozens more.
Ansaru splintered from Boko Haram in January of 2012. Since its inception, Ansaru has committed multiple attacks of violence against civilians and Nigerian government officials and is responsible for the deaths of countless civilians and Nigerian security personnel. Ansaru also has links to AQIM.
The consequences of these designations include an asset freeze against Boko Haram and Ansaru, and a prohibition against knowingly providing material support to either organization. In addition to denying both groups access to the U.S. financial system, these designations will assist law enforcement efforts to pursue these groups and investigate and prosecute individuals associated with Boko Haram and Ansaru’s terror. These designations notify the world that the United States and Nigeria are jointly combatting the extremist violence of Boko Haram and Ansaru.
MODERATOR: Okay. And with that we are ready to turn our call over and take your questions.
OPERATOR: Thank you. And ladies and gentlemen, if you do wish to ask a question please press * and then 1 on your touchtone phone. You will hear a tone indicating that you’ve been placed in queue, and you may remove yourself from the queue at any time by pressing the # key. And if you are using a speaker phone, please pick up the handset before pressing the number. So again for your questions, please press * and then 1 at this time.
And our first question will come from Karen DeYoung with The Washington Post. Please go ahead.
QUESTION: Hi, thank you. Two things: I wonder if – excuse me – could you tell us what – I’m sorry – what the specific links are to AQIM that you’re aware of. And also, do either of these groups pose a threat to the U.S. homeland or U.S. persons? Thank you.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: Yes. So while we believe that Boko Haram remains primarily a Nigerian organization with its principle objectives in Nigeria, and that is true also of Ansaru, as I said in my opening remarks that it does – both these groups have links to AQIM.
Our assessment is that AQIM has helped provide some training to the groups and has provided limited financing.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: And as far as its – the relationship to Americans – to U.S. security, there is a very large American population in Nigeria, as you probably are aware, and a lot of U.S. investment – economic investment in Nigeria. So threats to Nigeria automatically impact U.S. economic and American citizen interests.
QUESTION: Can I – if I could just follow-up, do you have any indication that there are specific threats against U.S. persons or U.S. economic interests in Nigeria?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: We -- the United States recently designated at least one of Boko Haram’s leaders on a – in a Rewards for Justice program, and there are three other members of Boko Haram that have been also designated. And they have made threats to Westerners in Nigeria and Westerners in the region. So we consider ourselves to be part of that target group, and they are a security threat to American citizens that are in and about Nigeria.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: And of course, you’re aware of the attack on the UN facility in 2011 that killed 21 people and injured scores, others.
OPERATOR: Thank you. Our next question in queue will come from Deb Riechmann with the Associated Press. Please go ahead.
QUESTION: Sorry, I can’t pick up my handset, it seems to be broken. But I hope you can hear me. Can you hear me?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: Yes.
QUESTION: Okay. I have two questions. One: Why did it take so long to designate these two? They’ve been pretty brutal terrorist groups for quite a long time. And then I have another question.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: Sure. Well, as was just stated – I’ll just flag for you – that the State Department designated three of the organizations’ leaders in – more than a year ago in June of 2012 – Abubakar Shekau, Khalid al-Barnawi, and Abubakur Kambar. And then following that, of course, we have conducted an extensive process of review and research to determine the effectiveness of designating the groups Boko Haram and Ansaru as Foreign Terrorist Organizations. This is a process that takes a long time, and only after that review and consultations with the Nigerian Government and other partners, we determined that designating these groups is both appropriate and effective in helping advance our larger strategy.
QUESTION: Okay. And secondly, the Nigerian Government, I think so far, has taken a pretty heavy-handed kind of approach to these groups. It doesn’t really seem to be working. Is there a more effective way that the U.S. sees that could be used to control the groups?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: We have continued to talk to the Nigerian Government and urge the Nigerian Government to take a comprehensive approach to insecurity in northern Nigeria. And that approach, in our view, has to include addressing the region’s legitimate political, economic, and social needs, as well as implementing a professional security response that respects human rights.
We have repeatedly engaged senior Nigerian officials to offer our guidance to them on how best to fight Boko Haram through appropriate use of counterinsurgency doctrine. Our AFRICOM commander, General Rodriguez, and the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Linda Thomas-Greenfield, plan to travel to Nigeria in – later on this year to discuss this and some other issues. And we’ve also had meetings between the Under Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, who led a delegation to Abuja for the U.S.-Nigeria Bi-National Commission working group on regional security, dealing with information leading to the – it was the security working group.
The point being that in all of our discussions with Nigerian authorities, we have been stressing that you have to have a comprehensive approach, you have to address the way they’re handling the security measures.
QUESTION: Okay. Thank you.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: Thank you.
OPERATOR: Thank you. Our next question in queue will come from the line of Jo Biddle with AFP. Please go ahead.
QUESTION: Good morning. Thank you very much for doing the call. Can I just go back to the issue of why now? I mean, I believe one of the reasons given over the last past months for not designating Boko Haram as a FTO was because of fears of recruitment. Do you believe this is now not the case, that this designation will push more people to join Boko Haram’s ranks? And also, in your conversations with the Nigerian Government, are they on board with this decision, or were they still a bit wary of it? Thank you.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: So with respect to the recruitment question, I think that this designation sends an important signal to those who would be interested in – who are interested in becoming part of the organization or supporting the organization because it imposes a prohibition on knowingly providing material support to the organization. So in that respect, we think it is an important tool to add to our toolkit in countering violent extremism in northern Nigeria.
With respect to the Nigerian Government --
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: Oh.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: -- we did have consultations with them in advance of the designation.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: Yes, we have. We did have – and as you know, the – or you may know – the Nigerian Government itself declared Boko Haram a terrorist group earlier this year, I believe in the summer, probably around August.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: Last year.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: Let’s see. It was the – anyway, so the short answer to that second question is yes, the Nigerian Government would be on board, is on board with this – with our designation.
QUESTION: Thank you.
OPERATOR: Thank you. And we do have a follow-up from Karen DeYoung with The Washington Post. Please go ahead.
QUESTION: Hi. Thank you. Do you know of any assets of either of these groups in this country that you are now freezing as a result of this designation?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: I think you’d have to – I’d have to refer that question to the Treasury Department, but by and large we first have to have the FTO sanction in place before we can make that sort of determination.
OPERATOR: Thank you. At this time, I’ll turn the call back over to our hosts for any closing comments.
MODERATOR: Oh, I think that – let’s be sure that there are no more follow-up questions or any – that there are no more questions. And if there aren’t, we can go ahead and wrap up the call.
OPERATOR: Certainly. As a reminder, to queue up you may press * and then 1 at this time. Once again, *1 for any questions.
And we have a follow-up from Jo Biddle. Please go ahead.
QUESTION: Yes. Thank you very much. I just wanted to follow up a bit more on the notion that – of the links of AQIM. I wonder if one of the reasons why – despite the fact that this is a long process, one of the reasons why you’re going ahead with the designation now is because of concerns that increasingly, they are developing links with AQIM. Would that be a fair assessment?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: I think it would be fair to say that we conducted an extensive process of review to determine the effectiveness of the designation, and it was only after that process was completed that we went forward with the – that we’ve gone forward with the designation now. And as I mentioned earlier, we do know about the – we do assess the assistance to AQIM – we do assess AQIM as provided assistance in the form of training and some limited financing.
QUESTION: But is that increasing, or is it something that’s at a stable kind of level, the amount of assistance that comes from AQIM?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: Yeah, I don’t have anything more for you on levels on that.
QUESTION: Okay. Thank you.
OPERATOR: Thank you. Our next question in queue will come from Margaret Brennan with CBS News. Please go ahead.
QUESTION: Hi. Thanks for doing this. When we hear a lot about U.S. officials and their views on Africa right now, they often point to a – somewhat of a blind spot for the U.S. in terms of military assets, in terms of U.S. presence on a security basis. So what kind of training – can you go into more specifics about what the U.S. is actually trying to do now to counter the threat, beyond this designation? I mean, is there more government-to-government coordination, more military-to-military coordination, multinational efforts? Can you give us a bit more?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: Thank you for that question. We are really working very closely with the Nigerian Government and with the – and its neighbors in the region to address the threat specifically of Boko Haram and Ansaru, but we’re doing it – and we’re doing it in a comprehensive manner. In the – with Nigeria, we’re working to enhance security force professionalism, as I mentioned before; also to improve Nigeria’s forensics and investigative capacity, and to strengthen their criminal justice system. Our assistance also stresses the importance of protecting civilians in a manner that ensures that human rights are protected and respected.
In the region also we have the Trans-Saharan Counterterrorism program, which deals also – we’re working with civil society as well as military and police or national security forces in the countries in the region, particularly in Niger and in Chad, to develop their professionalism, to work on civilian military communication, and also to strengthen cross-border collaboration, Chadian, Nigerien, and Nigerian cooperation.
So, we – this is one of the tools in our – designation is one of the tools in our tool chest, but it does not exempt or any way – in any way – it complements the other kinds of active activities – other kinds of projects that we have going on in the region that deal with countering terrorism, countering violent extremism, and empowering civil society and governments to work together in order to counter the threat of terrorism.
QUESTION: When you mentioned cross-border collaboration there, I mean, where do you find these groups sort of taking haven? Is this really a cross-border issue, or are you just talking about the response being not just for the Nigerians to respond but other governments?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: As I think my colleague said a couple minutes ago, Boko Haram we assess to be primarily a Nigeria-focused terrorist group. When we say that there are links, however, obviously to AQIM, there’s got to be communication some way. So the entire region looks at – the entire region, particularly the border states to Nigeria -look at Boko Haram as a potential threat. And there have been instances, of course, of them perhaps transiting the Nigerian border to get to Mali or transiting – going into Chad. We know that Boko Haram or elements that then befriended Boko Haram were involved with the kidnapping of that French family in Cameroon, for example.
So the governments in the – of the region, the border states – let’s narrow it to the border states to Nigeria – have been in discussions and are in discussions with each other as to how to strengthen their own border security and what to do about – should there be arrests on one side or the other of the border, what to do about transferring or discussion of who these people are and finding out more about who these are. And we consider that collaboration to be positive, the information sharing among – in that region, because they need better collaboration in general.
OPERATOR: Thank you. And at this time, I’ll turn the call back over to [Moderator] for any closing comments.
MODERATOR: All right. Thank you, everyone, for joining us today. I certainly hope that this is very helpful to you. And with that, have a great afternoon.
Background Briefing on Designation of Boko Haram and Ansaru as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and as Specially Designated Global Terrorists
Special Briefing
Senior Administration Officials
Via Teleconference
November 13, 2013
MODERATOR: Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for joining us for today’s call. Our participants today are [Senior Administration Official One]. And also briefing today is [Senior Administration Official Two]. This is just a reminder, this call is on background, so please be sure to use the described attributions when referencing our briefers. With that, I’ll turn it over to our Administration – senior Administration officials to make a few remarks and then we’ll open it up for questions.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: Good morning. We view today’s designation of Boko Haram and Ansaru as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists by the Secretary of State as part of our efforts to help Nigeria succeed in adopting a comprehensive approach to address its domestic terrorist threat. Nigeria’s comprehensive approach must include enhancing security force professionalism, building confidence in the people of northern Nigeria, by meeting their legitimate economic needs, and ensuring adherence to the rule of law and accountability. All of our assistance to Nigeria stresses the importance of protecting civilians, adhering to the rule of law, and respecting human rights.
So why have we taken this step? Nigeria is a strategic partner of the United States. It is Africa’s most populous country, with about 170 million people. It provides over 4,880 soldiers and police for peacekeeping missions, and it is a global supplier of oil – crucial global supplier. We consistently engage with Nigerian leaders at all levels to advance our mutual interests. President Obama met with President Jonathan on the margins of this year’s UN General Assembly. Under Secretary of State Wendy Sherman led a delegation to Abuja in mid-August of this year. And we also have regular senior interaction in Washington and in Nigeria with Nigerian officials, including federal, state, and local officials, as well as members of civil society.
We want to see an even stronger Nigeria that fulfills its ambitions to be a regional and a global leader. To that end, Nigeria must strengthen its democratic institutions, advance economic reform, control corruption, professionalize its security forces, and effectively counter the threat of terrorism, while respecting the human rights of all its citizens. I’d like (inaudible).
MODERATOR: Senior Administration Official Number Two will now make remarks.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: The designation to Boko Haram and Ansaru are an important step in supporting the Government of Nigeria’s efforts to counter violent extremism and address the security challenges in northern Nigeria. Boko Haram is a Nigeria-based violent extremist organization with links to al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, or AQIM. It’s responsible for thousands of deaths since its conception in 2009, including large-scale attacks against Muslim and Christian religious communities, and women and children.
Since 2009, Boko Haram has been conducting an ongoing and brutal campaign against Nigerian military government and civilian targets. Within the last year, Boko Haram has been behind numerous attacks on Nigerian schools, and was also responsible for the August 2011 suicide bombing of the UN building in Abuja that killed 21 people and injured dozens more.
Ansaru splintered from Boko Haram in January of 2012. Since its inception, Ansaru has committed multiple attacks of violence against civilians and Nigerian government officials and is responsible for the deaths of countless civilians and Nigerian security personnel. Ansaru also has links to AQIM.
The consequences of these designations include an asset freeze against Boko Haram and Ansaru, and a prohibition against knowingly providing material support to either organization. In addition to denying both groups access to the U.S. financial system, these designations will assist law enforcement efforts to pursue these groups and investigate and prosecute individuals associated with Boko Haram and Ansaru’s terror. These designations notify the world that the United States and Nigeria are jointly combatting the extremist violence of Boko Haram and Ansaru.
MODERATOR: Okay. And with that we are ready to turn our call over and take your questions.
OPERATOR: Thank you. And ladies and gentlemen, if you do wish to ask a question please press * and then 1 on your touchtone phone. You will hear a tone indicating that you’ve been placed in queue, and you may remove yourself from the queue at any time by pressing the # key. And if you are using a speaker phone, please pick up the handset before pressing the number. So again for your questions, please press * and then 1 at this time.
And our first question will come from Karen DeYoung with The Washington Post. Please go ahead.
QUESTION: Hi, thank you. Two things: I wonder if – excuse me – could you tell us what – I’m sorry – what the specific links are to AQIM that you’re aware of. And also, do either of these groups pose a threat to the U.S. homeland or U.S. persons? Thank you.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: Yes. So while we believe that Boko Haram remains primarily a Nigerian organization with its principle objectives in Nigeria, and that is true also of Ansaru, as I said in my opening remarks that it does – both these groups have links to AQIM.
Our assessment is that AQIM has helped provide some training to the groups and has provided limited financing.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: And as far as its – the relationship to Americans – to U.S. security, there is a very large American population in Nigeria, as you probably are aware, and a lot of U.S. investment – economic investment in Nigeria. So threats to Nigeria automatically impact U.S. economic and American citizen interests.
QUESTION: Can I – if I could just follow-up, do you have any indication that there are specific threats against U.S. persons or U.S. economic interests in Nigeria?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: We -- the United States recently designated at least one of Boko Haram’s leaders on a – in a Rewards for Justice program, and there are three other members of Boko Haram that have been also designated. And they have made threats to Westerners in Nigeria and Westerners in the region. So we consider ourselves to be part of that target group, and they are a security threat to American citizens that are in and about Nigeria.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: And of course, you’re aware of the attack on the UN facility in 2011 that killed 21 people and injured scores, others.
OPERATOR: Thank you. Our next question in queue will come from Deb Riechmann with the Associated Press. Please go ahead.
QUESTION: Sorry, I can’t pick up my handset, it seems to be broken. But I hope you can hear me. Can you hear me?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: Yes.
QUESTION: Okay. I have two questions. One: Why did it take so long to designate these two? They’ve been pretty brutal terrorist groups for quite a long time. And then I have another question.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: Sure. Well, as was just stated – I’ll just flag for you – that the State Department designated three of the organizations’ leaders in – more than a year ago in June of 2012 – Abubakar Shekau, Khalid al-Barnawi, and Abubakur Kambar. And then following that, of course, we have conducted an extensive process of review and research to determine the effectiveness of designating the groups Boko Haram and Ansaru as Foreign Terrorist Organizations. This is a process that takes a long time, and only after that review and consultations with the Nigerian Government and other partners, we determined that designating these groups is both appropriate and effective in helping advance our larger strategy.
QUESTION: Okay. And secondly, the Nigerian Government, I think so far, has taken a pretty heavy-handed kind of approach to these groups. It doesn’t really seem to be working. Is there a more effective way that the U.S. sees that could be used to control the groups?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: We have continued to talk to the Nigerian Government and urge the Nigerian Government to take a comprehensive approach to insecurity in northern Nigeria. And that approach, in our view, has to include addressing the region’s legitimate political, economic, and social needs, as well as implementing a professional security response that respects human rights.
We have repeatedly engaged senior Nigerian officials to offer our guidance to them on how best to fight Boko Haram through appropriate use of counterinsurgency doctrine. Our AFRICOM commander, General Rodriguez, and the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Linda Thomas-Greenfield, plan to travel to Nigeria in – later on this year to discuss this and some other issues. And we’ve also had meetings between the Under Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, who led a delegation to Abuja for the U.S.-Nigeria Bi-National Commission working group on regional security, dealing with information leading to the – it was the security working group.
The point being that in all of our discussions with Nigerian authorities, we have been stressing that you have to have a comprehensive approach, you have to address the way they’re handling the security measures.
QUESTION: Okay. Thank you.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: Thank you.
OPERATOR: Thank you. Our next question in queue will come from the line of Jo Biddle with AFP. Please go ahead.
QUESTION: Good morning. Thank you very much for doing the call. Can I just go back to the issue of why now? I mean, I believe one of the reasons given over the last past months for not designating Boko Haram as a FTO was because of fears of recruitment. Do you believe this is now not the case, that this designation will push more people to join Boko Haram’s ranks? And also, in your conversations with the Nigerian Government, are they on board with this decision, or were they still a bit wary of it? Thank you.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: So with respect to the recruitment question, I think that this designation sends an important signal to those who would be interested in – who are interested in becoming part of the organization or supporting the organization because it imposes a prohibition on knowingly providing material support to the organization. So in that respect, we think it is an important tool to add to our toolkit in countering violent extremism in northern Nigeria.
With respect to the Nigerian Government --
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: Oh.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: -- we did have consultations with them in advance of the designation.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: Yes, we have. We did have – and as you know, the – or you may know – the Nigerian Government itself declared Boko Haram a terrorist group earlier this year, I believe in the summer, probably around August.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: Last year.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: Let’s see. It was the – anyway, so the short answer to that second question is yes, the Nigerian Government would be on board, is on board with this – with our designation.
QUESTION: Thank you.
OPERATOR: Thank you. And we do have a follow-up from Karen DeYoung with The Washington Post. Please go ahead.
QUESTION: Hi. Thank you. Do you know of any assets of either of these groups in this country that you are now freezing as a result of this designation?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: I think you’d have to – I’d have to refer that question to the Treasury Department, but by and large we first have to have the FTO sanction in place before we can make that sort of determination.
OPERATOR: Thank you. At this time, I’ll turn the call back over to our hosts for any closing comments.
MODERATOR: Oh, I think that – let’s be sure that there are no more follow-up questions or any – that there are no more questions. And if there aren’t, we can go ahead and wrap up the call.
OPERATOR: Certainly. As a reminder, to queue up you may press * and then 1 at this time. Once again, *1 for any questions.
And we have a follow-up from Jo Biddle. Please go ahead.
QUESTION: Yes. Thank you very much. I just wanted to follow up a bit more on the notion that – of the links of AQIM. I wonder if one of the reasons why – despite the fact that this is a long process, one of the reasons why you’re going ahead with the designation now is because of concerns that increasingly, they are developing links with AQIM. Would that be a fair assessment?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: I think it would be fair to say that we conducted an extensive process of review to determine the effectiveness of the designation, and it was only after that process was completed that we went forward with the – that we’ve gone forward with the designation now. And as I mentioned earlier, we do know about the – we do assess the assistance to AQIM – we do assess AQIM as provided assistance in the form of training and some limited financing.
QUESTION: But is that increasing, or is it something that’s at a stable kind of level, the amount of assistance that comes from AQIM?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: Yeah, I don’t have anything more for you on levels on that.
QUESTION: Okay. Thank you.
OPERATOR: Thank you. Our next question in queue will come from Margaret Brennan with CBS News. Please go ahead.
QUESTION: Hi. Thanks for doing this. When we hear a lot about U.S. officials and their views on Africa right now, they often point to a – somewhat of a blind spot for the U.S. in terms of military assets, in terms of U.S. presence on a security basis. So what kind of training – can you go into more specifics about what the U.S. is actually trying to do now to counter the threat, beyond this designation? I mean, is there more government-to-government coordination, more military-to-military coordination, multinational efforts? Can you give us a bit more?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: Thank you for that question. We are really working very closely with the Nigerian Government and with the – and its neighbors in the region to address the threat specifically of Boko Haram and Ansaru, but we’re doing it – and we’re doing it in a comprehensive manner. In the – with Nigeria, we’re working to enhance security force professionalism, as I mentioned before; also to improve Nigeria’s forensics and investigative capacity, and to strengthen their criminal justice system. Our assistance also stresses the importance of protecting civilians in a manner that ensures that human rights are protected and respected.
In the region also we have the Trans-Saharan Counterterrorism program, which deals also – we’re working with civil society as well as military and police or national security forces in the countries in the region, particularly in Niger and in Chad, to develop their professionalism, to work on civilian military communication, and also to strengthen cross-border collaboration, Chadian, Nigerien, and Nigerian cooperation.
So, we – this is one of the tools in our – designation is one of the tools in our tool chest, but it does not exempt or any way – in any way – it complements the other kinds of active activities – other kinds of projects that we have going on in the region that deal with countering terrorism, countering violent extremism, and empowering civil society and governments to work together in order to counter the threat of terrorism.
QUESTION: When you mentioned cross-border collaboration there, I mean, where do you find these groups sort of taking haven? Is this really a cross-border issue, or are you just talking about the response being not just for the Nigerians to respond but other governments?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: As I think my colleague said a couple minutes ago, Boko Haram we assess to be primarily a Nigeria-focused terrorist group. When we say that there are links, however, obviously to AQIM, there’s got to be communication some way. So the entire region looks at – the entire region, particularly the border states to Nigeria -look at Boko Haram as a potential threat. And there have been instances, of course, of them perhaps transiting the Nigerian border to get to Mali or transiting – going into Chad. We know that Boko Haram or elements that then befriended Boko Haram were involved with the kidnapping of that French family in Cameroon, for example.
So the governments in the – of the region, the border states – let’s narrow it to the border states to Nigeria – have been in discussions and are in discussions with each other as to how to strengthen their own border security and what to do about – should there be arrests on one side or the other of the border, what to do about transferring or discussion of who these people are and finding out more about who these are. And we consider that collaboration to be positive, the information sharing among – in that region, because they need better collaboration in general.
OPERATOR: Thank you. And at this time, I’ll turn the call back over to [Moderator] for any closing comments.
MODERATOR: All right. Thank you, everyone, for joining us today. I certainly hope that this is very helpful to you. And with that, have a great afternoon.
REMARKS BY SECRETARY OF STATE KERRY AND PANAMANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER NUNEZ FABREGA
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Remarks With Panamanian Foreign Minister Nunez Fabrega Before Their Meeting
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Treaty Room
Washington, DC
November 13, 2013
SECRETARY KERRY: Good morning, everybody. My great pleasure to welcome the Foreign Minister of Panama to the State Department and to the United States. He’s been having meetings for the last couple of days, and I’m happy to be able to meet with him, actually, for the first time. We are both looking forward to the visit of Vice President Biden to Panama in a few days – next week – and we are particularly grateful to Panama for its work with us on a number of important issues.
First of all, I want to thank Panama for recently establishing diplomatic relations with Kosovo, a very important step. We are particularly grateful to Panama for its cooperation on Syria chemical weapons. They’ve been important and supportive of that. We have also worked together closely on the issue of how to destroy some old World War II chemical weapons munitions that are on San Jose Island, and we’re working on that issue as well as cooperating on counter-narcotics initiatives.
So we have a lot of cooperative efforts with Panama, obviously a critical nation in terms of both its interests, its values, our work we do together, as well as its location – their very important interdiction of a North Korean ship with illicit cargo. Panama has been working hard to do the job, get the job done, and to be a cooperative partner, and we’re very grateful for that.
And as we look towards 2014, there are elections coming up in Panama. We obviously support their efforts to have a democratic process that people will know is accountable and transparent, and we are appreciative for all of their efforts. They’re a great partner and we’re happy to have them here to talk through some of these issues.
Welcome.
FOREIGN MINISTER FABREGA: Thank you very much. Well, I’m glad to be here. We’ve had a longstanding relationship with the United States. It has evolved after the transfer of the canal into a mutually rewarding relationship where we have the same goals and we have the same ideas on how to get and meet those goals. I think it’s important that we have a very good bilateral agenda that we have to run through, and of course, one of the major things is the visit of Vice President Biden, which will be arriving in Panama on the 18th at night, and we expect to show him the new locks of the new canal. And we continue to support all of the initiatives that jointly we have developed throughout these years, and I’m glad to be here.
SECRETARY KERRY: We’re happy to have you.
FOREIGN MINISTER FABREGA: Thank you.
SECRETARY KERRY: Welcome. Thank you. We’re going to go have a conversation. Thank you. Thank you very much.
Remarks With Panamanian Foreign Minister Nunez Fabrega Before Their Meeting
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Treaty Room
Washington, DC
November 13, 2013
SECRETARY KERRY: Good morning, everybody. My great pleasure to welcome the Foreign Minister of Panama to the State Department and to the United States. He’s been having meetings for the last couple of days, and I’m happy to be able to meet with him, actually, for the first time. We are both looking forward to the visit of Vice President Biden to Panama in a few days – next week – and we are particularly grateful to Panama for its work with us on a number of important issues.
First of all, I want to thank Panama for recently establishing diplomatic relations with Kosovo, a very important step. We are particularly grateful to Panama for its cooperation on Syria chemical weapons. They’ve been important and supportive of that. We have also worked together closely on the issue of how to destroy some old World War II chemical weapons munitions that are on San Jose Island, and we’re working on that issue as well as cooperating on counter-narcotics initiatives.
So we have a lot of cooperative efforts with Panama, obviously a critical nation in terms of both its interests, its values, our work we do together, as well as its location – their very important interdiction of a North Korean ship with illicit cargo. Panama has been working hard to do the job, get the job done, and to be a cooperative partner, and we’re very grateful for that.
And as we look towards 2014, there are elections coming up in Panama. We obviously support their efforts to have a democratic process that people will know is accountable and transparent, and we are appreciative for all of their efforts. They’re a great partner and we’re happy to have them here to talk through some of these issues.
Welcome.
FOREIGN MINISTER FABREGA: Thank you very much. Well, I’m glad to be here. We’ve had a longstanding relationship with the United States. It has evolved after the transfer of the canal into a mutually rewarding relationship where we have the same goals and we have the same ideas on how to get and meet those goals. I think it’s important that we have a very good bilateral agenda that we have to run through, and of course, one of the major things is the visit of Vice President Biden, which will be arriving in Panama on the 18th at night, and we expect to show him the new locks of the new canal. And we continue to support all of the initiatives that jointly we have developed throughout these years, and I’m glad to be here.
SECRETARY KERRY: We’re happy to have you.
FOREIGN MINISTER FABREGA: Thank you.
SECRETARY KERRY: Welcome. Thank you. We’re going to go have a conversation. Thank you. Thank you very much.
SECRETARY OF STATE KERRY'S STATEMENT ON REWARD OFFER FOR TRANSNATIONAL ORGANIZED CRIME INFORMATION
FROM: U.S STATE DEPARTMENT
First Reward Offer for Transnational Organized Crime Information
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
November 13, 2013
I am proud to announce the State Department’s first-ever reward for information leading to the dismantling of a transnational criminal organization, as part of our new Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program.
The involvement of sophisticated transnational criminal organizations in wildlife trafficking perpetuates corruption, threatens the rule of law and border security in fragile regions, and destabilizes communities that depend on wildlife for biodiversity and eco-tourism. Profits from wildlife trafficking, estimated at $8–10 billion per year, fund other illicit activities such as narcotics, arms, and human trafficking.
That is why the Department of State is offering a reward of up to $1 million for information leading to the dismantling of the Xaysavang Network.
Based in Laos—with affiliates in South Africa, Mozambique, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, and China—the Xaysavang Network facilitates the killing of endangered elephants, rhinos, and other species for products such as ivory.
Several major seizures of illegal wildlife products have been linked to the Xaysavang Network.
First Reward Offer for Transnational Organized Crime Information
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
November 13, 2013
I am proud to announce the State Department’s first-ever reward for information leading to the dismantling of a transnational criminal organization, as part of our new Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program.
The involvement of sophisticated transnational criminal organizations in wildlife trafficking perpetuates corruption, threatens the rule of law and border security in fragile regions, and destabilizes communities that depend on wildlife for biodiversity and eco-tourism. Profits from wildlife trafficking, estimated at $8–10 billion per year, fund other illicit activities such as narcotics, arms, and human trafficking.
That is why the Department of State is offering a reward of up to $1 million for information leading to the dismantling of the Xaysavang Network.
Based in Laos—with affiliates in South Africa, Mozambique, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, and China—the Xaysavang Network facilitates the killing of endangered elephants, rhinos, and other species for products such as ivory.
Several major seizures of illegal wildlife products have been linked to the Xaysavang Network.
CARL SAGAN, ANN DRUYAN ARCHIVE OFFICIALLY OPENS AT LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
FROM: U.S. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
November 12, 2013
News from the Library of Congress
Library of Congress Officially Opens The Seth MacFarlane Collection of Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan Archive
Librarian of Congress James H. Billington was joined by Emmy Award-winner Seth MacFarlane and Ann Druyan, the longtime collaborator and widow of astrobiologist Carl Sagan, to celebrate the official opening of The Seth MacFarlane Collection of the Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan Archive to the public at the Library of Congress.
Carl Sagan (1934-1996), a celebrated American astronomer, pioneering space scientist, astrobiologist, educator, and Pulitzer Prize-winning author, was a consummate communicator who bridged the gap between academe and popular culture. The processed collection comprises 1,705 archival boxes of materials and came to the Library through the generosity of Emmy Award-winner MacFarlane. It includes Sagan’s earliest notebooks and report cards, extensive correspondence with scientists and other major figures of the 20th century, drafts of scientific papers, books, articles, historical documents of the first 40 years of the space age and his laboratory research at Cornell University on subjects as varied as the origin of life, global warming and nuclear winter.
"It is exciting that the Sagan-Druyan Archive is joining other great collections of scientific knowledge from various time periods that are here at the national library," said Librarian of Congress James H. Billington. "Now, the information it contains will be available for the inspiration of the next generation of scientific thinkers and will represent an ongoing memorial to the great ‘science exciter,’ Carl Sagan."
Sagan and Druyan co-wrote several books and the Cosmos television series and were co-creators of the motion picture, "Contact." Druyan was the creative director of NASA’s Voyager Interstellar Record Project, complex messages affixed to the two Voyager spacecraft launched in 1977, to convey earth images and sounds to beings elsewhere in the galaxy (voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/spacecraft/goldenrec.html). Druyan is an executive producer and writer of the new series, "COSMOS: A SpaceTime Odyssey," a 13-part successor to the legendary original. The new program is being produced by her Ithaca, N.Y.-based Cosmos Studios in conjunction with FOX and the National Geographic Channel. Two asteroids named for Sagan and Druyan are in perpetual "wedding-ring orbit" around the sun.
MacFarlane has created some of the most popular content on television and film today while also expanding his career in the worlds of music, literature and philanthropy. He is the creator of Family Guy and American Dad!, voicing many characters on both shows. MacFarlane made his feature film directorial debut in 2012 with the highest-grossing original R-rated film of all time, "Ted." MacFarlane, like Druyan, is an executive producer of "COSMOS: A SpaceTime Odyssey." The new series will explore how human beings began to comprehend the laws of nature and find their place in space and time. By exposing never-before-told stories of the heroic quest for knowledge, the series aims to take viewers to other worlds and travel across the universe for a vision of the cosmos on the grandest scale. It will premiere on FOX on March 9, 2014. In 2009, MacFarlane created The Seth MacFarlane Foundation to focus his charitable efforts.
The Library of Congress, the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution and the largest library in the world, holds more than 155 million items in various languages, disciplines and formats.
November 12, 2013
News from the Library of Congress
Library of Congress Officially Opens The Seth MacFarlane Collection of Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan Archive
Librarian of Congress James H. Billington was joined by Emmy Award-winner Seth MacFarlane and Ann Druyan, the longtime collaborator and widow of astrobiologist Carl Sagan, to celebrate the official opening of The Seth MacFarlane Collection of the Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan Archive to the public at the Library of Congress.
Carl Sagan (1934-1996), a celebrated American astronomer, pioneering space scientist, astrobiologist, educator, and Pulitzer Prize-winning author, was a consummate communicator who bridged the gap between academe and popular culture. The processed collection comprises 1,705 archival boxes of materials and came to the Library through the generosity of Emmy Award-winner MacFarlane. It includes Sagan’s earliest notebooks and report cards, extensive correspondence with scientists and other major figures of the 20th century, drafts of scientific papers, books, articles, historical documents of the first 40 years of the space age and his laboratory research at Cornell University on subjects as varied as the origin of life, global warming and nuclear winter.
"It is exciting that the Sagan-Druyan Archive is joining other great collections of scientific knowledge from various time periods that are here at the national library," said Librarian of Congress James H. Billington. "Now, the information it contains will be available for the inspiration of the next generation of scientific thinkers and will represent an ongoing memorial to the great ‘science exciter,’ Carl Sagan."
Sagan and Druyan co-wrote several books and the Cosmos television series and were co-creators of the motion picture, "Contact." Druyan was the creative director of NASA’s Voyager Interstellar Record Project, complex messages affixed to the two Voyager spacecraft launched in 1977, to convey earth images and sounds to beings elsewhere in the galaxy (voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/spacecraft/goldenrec.html). Druyan is an executive producer and writer of the new series, "COSMOS: A SpaceTime Odyssey," a 13-part successor to the legendary original. The new program is being produced by her Ithaca, N.Y.-based Cosmos Studios in conjunction with FOX and the National Geographic Channel. Two asteroids named for Sagan and Druyan are in perpetual "wedding-ring orbit" around the sun.
MacFarlane has created some of the most popular content on television and film today while also expanding his career in the worlds of music, literature and philanthropy. He is the creator of Family Guy and American Dad!, voicing many characters on both shows. MacFarlane made his feature film directorial debut in 2012 with the highest-grossing original R-rated film of all time, "Ted." MacFarlane, like Druyan, is an executive producer of "COSMOS: A SpaceTime Odyssey." The new series will explore how human beings began to comprehend the laws of nature and find their place in space and time. By exposing never-before-told stories of the heroic quest for knowledge, the series aims to take viewers to other worlds and travel across the universe for a vision of the cosmos on the grandest scale. It will premiere on FOX on March 9, 2014. In 2009, MacFarlane created The Seth MacFarlane Foundation to focus his charitable efforts.
The Library of Congress, the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution and the largest library in the world, holds more than 155 million items in various languages, disciplines and formats.
FTC WARNS PUBLIC OF TYPHOON HAIYAN CHARITY SCAMS
FROM: FEDERAL TRACE COMMISSION
FTC Warns Consumers: Beware of Typhoon Haiyan Charity Scams
Tips are also available in Tagalog language
In the wake of the devastating typhoon that struck the Philippines, the Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency, reminds consumers that scams often follow disasters. If you’re asked to make a charitable donation to help people in disaster-affected areas, before you give, be sure your donations are going to a reputable organization that will use the money as promised.
Unfortunately, legitimate charities face competition from scammers who either collect for a charity that doesn’t exist or aren't honest about how their “charity” will use the money you give. Like legitimate charities, they might appeal for donations in person, by phone or mail, by e-mail, on websites, or on social networking sites. For more on the questions to ask and for a list of groups that can help you research a charity, go to Charity Scams.
If you’re asked to make a charitable donation to support victims of the typhoon, remember:
Donate to charities you know and trust. Be alert for charities that seem to have sprung up overnight in connection with current events, like a natural disaster.
Ask if a caller is a paid fundraiser, who they work for, and what percentage of your donation goes to the charity and to the fundraiser. If you don’t get a clear answer — or if you don’t like the answer you get — consider donating to a different organization.
Read the FTC’s How to Help Victims of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, also available in Tagalog, Paano Matutulungan ang mga Biktima ng Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) sa Pilipinas.
The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 2,000 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s website provides free information on a variety of consumer topics. Like the FTC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources.
FTC Warns Consumers: Beware of Typhoon Haiyan Charity Scams
Tips are also available in Tagalog language
In the wake of the devastating typhoon that struck the Philippines, the Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency, reminds consumers that scams often follow disasters. If you’re asked to make a charitable donation to help people in disaster-affected areas, before you give, be sure your donations are going to a reputable organization that will use the money as promised.
Unfortunately, legitimate charities face competition from scammers who either collect for a charity that doesn’t exist or aren't honest about how their “charity” will use the money you give. Like legitimate charities, they might appeal for donations in person, by phone or mail, by e-mail, on websites, or on social networking sites. For more on the questions to ask and for a list of groups that can help you research a charity, go to Charity Scams.
If you’re asked to make a charitable donation to support victims of the typhoon, remember:
Donate to charities you know and trust. Be alert for charities that seem to have sprung up overnight in connection with current events, like a natural disaster.
Ask if a caller is a paid fundraiser, who they work for, and what percentage of your donation goes to the charity and to the fundraiser. If you don’t get a clear answer — or if you don’t like the answer you get — consider donating to a different organization.
Read the FTC’s How to Help Victims of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, also available in Tagalog, Paano Matutulungan ang mga Biktima ng Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) sa Pilipinas.
The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 2,000 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s website provides free information on a variety of consumer topics. Like the FTC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources.
JUSTICE SAYS ALLEGED LEADER OF INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS TRAFFICKING ORGANIZATION EXTRADITED TO U.S.
FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Alleged Leader of Mexican Narcotics Trafficking Organization Extradited to U.S.
Organization Allegedly Transported Multi-Ton Quantities of Cocaine from Central America to Mexico for Mexican Cartels to Import into the U.S.
The alleged leader of a Mexican narcotics trafficking organization responsible for trafficking multi-ton quantities of cocaine, Juan Juarez Orosco, aka “El Abuelo,” was extradited to the United States from Panama on Nov. 8, 2013, and arraigned on Nov. 10, 2013, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lois Bloom in the Eastern District of New York.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Loretta E. Lynch of the Eastern District of New York, Special Agent in Charge James T. Hayes Jr. of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) and Special Agent in Charge Brian R. Crowell of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) New York Division made the announcement.
According to court documents, from the early 1990s until his arrest by Panamanian law enforcement in March 2012, Juarez allegedly led a large-scale maritime and land transportation operation that was responsible for trafficking multi-ton quantities of cocaine from Central America via ship to the coast of Mexico. Once the cocaine arrived in Mexico, Juarez and his co-conspirators would transport the cocaine from the coast to Mexico City, where it was then destined for the United States. Throughout the 2000s, Juarez allegedly worked with major narcotics traffickers based in Colombia and Mexico, including the Norte Valle Cartel, the Beltran-Leyva Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel. Through the mid-2000s, Juarez’s organization allegedly transported at least 35,000 kilograms of cocaine for the Beltran-Leyva organization alone. At the height of its activity, Juarez’s organization allegedly transported approximately eight tons a month in conjunction with the Sinaloa Cartel.
“As alleged in the indictment, Juarez’s trafficking organization was responsible for the importation of massive quantities of cocaine, across oceans and continents, into the United States,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Raman. “Juarez’s arrest and extradition are a testament to the tenacity of law enforcement officers across the world, and show what we can accomplish when we work together with our partners around the globe to capture major drug traffickers and bring them to justice.”
“There is no escape from the reach of the law, no matter where drug kingpins operate their poisonous trade,” said U.S. Attorney Lynch. “Juan Juarez Orosco may have operated an international drug trafficking network that stretched across the Western Hemisphere, but today he faces justice in a courtroom in Brooklyn. Thanks to our law enforcement partners in Panama, today’s extradition also shows that there is no safe haven for drug traffickers on the run.”
Juarez was indicted on March 15, 2012, and charged with international narcotics importation and distribution conspiracy. If convicted, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum penalty of life in prison.
The charges in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by ICE HIS and DEA. This case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Adrian Rosales of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drugs Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gina M. Parlovecchio and Tiana Demas of the Eastern District of New York, with the assistance of the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs.
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Alleged Leader of Mexican Narcotics Trafficking Organization Extradited to U.S.
Organization Allegedly Transported Multi-Ton Quantities of Cocaine from Central America to Mexico for Mexican Cartels to Import into the U.S.
The alleged leader of a Mexican narcotics trafficking organization responsible for trafficking multi-ton quantities of cocaine, Juan Juarez Orosco, aka “El Abuelo,” was extradited to the United States from Panama on Nov. 8, 2013, and arraigned on Nov. 10, 2013, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lois Bloom in the Eastern District of New York.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Loretta E. Lynch of the Eastern District of New York, Special Agent in Charge James T. Hayes Jr. of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) and Special Agent in Charge Brian R. Crowell of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) New York Division made the announcement.
According to court documents, from the early 1990s until his arrest by Panamanian law enforcement in March 2012, Juarez allegedly led a large-scale maritime and land transportation operation that was responsible for trafficking multi-ton quantities of cocaine from Central America via ship to the coast of Mexico. Once the cocaine arrived in Mexico, Juarez and his co-conspirators would transport the cocaine from the coast to Mexico City, where it was then destined for the United States. Throughout the 2000s, Juarez allegedly worked with major narcotics traffickers based in Colombia and Mexico, including the Norte Valle Cartel, the Beltran-Leyva Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel. Through the mid-2000s, Juarez’s organization allegedly transported at least 35,000 kilograms of cocaine for the Beltran-Leyva organization alone. At the height of its activity, Juarez’s organization allegedly transported approximately eight tons a month in conjunction with the Sinaloa Cartel.
“As alleged in the indictment, Juarez’s trafficking organization was responsible for the importation of massive quantities of cocaine, across oceans and continents, into the United States,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Raman. “Juarez’s arrest and extradition are a testament to the tenacity of law enforcement officers across the world, and show what we can accomplish when we work together with our partners around the globe to capture major drug traffickers and bring them to justice.”
“There is no escape from the reach of the law, no matter where drug kingpins operate their poisonous trade,” said U.S. Attorney Lynch. “Juan Juarez Orosco may have operated an international drug trafficking network that stretched across the Western Hemisphere, but today he faces justice in a courtroom in Brooklyn. Thanks to our law enforcement partners in Panama, today’s extradition also shows that there is no safe haven for drug traffickers on the run.”
Juarez was indicted on March 15, 2012, and charged with international narcotics importation and distribution conspiracy. If convicted, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum penalty of life in prison.
The charges in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by ICE HIS and DEA. This case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Adrian Rosales of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drugs Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gina M. Parlovecchio and Tiana Demas of the Eastern District of New York, with the assistance of the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs.
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
U.S. DEFENSE CONTRACTS FOR NOVEMBER 13, 2013
FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
CONTRACTS
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Cardinal Health 200 Inc., McGaw Park, Ill., has been awarded a maximum $1,019,313,488 modification (P00036) exercising the first 20-month option period on a 20-month base contract (SPM2DV-11-D-0001) with two 20-month option periods for prime vendor medical and surgical supplies. This is a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. Locations of performance are Illinois, Massachusetts, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Louisiana, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Washington, Arkansas, and Texas with an Aug. 15, 2015, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 through fiscal 2015 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa.
Owens & Minor Distribution Inc., Mechanicsville, Va., has been awarded a maximum $240,332,793 modification (P00032) exercising the first 20-month option period on a 20-month base contract (SPM2DV-11-D-0002) with two 20-month option periods for prime vendor medical and surgical supplies. This is a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. Locations of performance are Virginia, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Texas, Maryland, Maine, North Carolina, Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, Colorado, Iowa, Michigan, Florida, Indiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee, California, Minnesota, Louisiana, Nebraska, Arizona, Oregon, North Carolina, Utah, Washington, Oklahoma, and New Jersey with an Aug. 15, 2015 performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 through fiscal 2015 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa.
Tyco Healthcare Group LP, doing business as Covidien, Mansfield, Mass., has been awarded a maximum $42,239,073 modification (P00007) exercising the second one-year option period on a one-year base contract (SPM2D0-11-D-0012) with seven one-year option periods for various medical and surgical products. This is a fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. Location of performance is Massachusetts with a Nov. 16, 2014, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 warstopper funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa.
CareFusion 203 Inc., Minneapolis, Minn., has been awarded a maximum $23,409,878 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment contract for various ventilators and accessories. This contract is a competitive acquisition and 24 offers were received. Location of performance is Minnesota with a Nov. 12, 2014, performance completion date. This contract is a five-year base with no option year periods. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa.; (SPM2D1-14-D-8202).
Allan Baker, Inc.*, Louisville, Ky., has been awarded a maximum $20,269,744 modification (P00006) exercising the third one-year option period on a one-year base contract (SPM2DE-11-D-7546) with four one-year option periods for optical lenses. This is a fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment contract. Location of performance is Kentucky with a Nov. 30, 2014, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa.
NAVY
ManTech Systems Engineering Corp., Fairfax, Va., is being awarded a $24,248,855 modification to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00421-13-D-0002) to exercise an option for the procurement of warfare analysis and assessments, modeling and simulation, advanced concept development and acquisition analysis support for the Naval Air Systems Command’s Warfare Analysis and Integration Department. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Md., and is expected to be completed in November 2014. Funds are not being obligated at time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual delivery orders as they are issued. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
AIR FORCE
Honeywell International Inc., Aerospace-Clearwater (Space), Clearwater, Fla., has been awarded a $7,279,938 modification (P00048) to an existing cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (FA9453-08-C-0263) for the Strategic Systems and Launch Technologies (SSLT) program. The contract modification is for an in-scope add work to Option III for additional work required to identify, test, and modify the design to develop a radiation hardened loop closure Application Specific Integration Circuit for the Strategic Fiber Optic Gyro. Work will be performed at Clearwater, Fla., and is expected to be completed by Oct. 17, 2016. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2013 through 2016 procurement funds. Funds to be obligated at time of award are fiscal 2013 in the amount of $2,966,100. Detachment 8, Air Force Research Laboratory, Space Vehicles Contracting Division, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., is the contracting activity.
*Small Business
CONTRACTS
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Cardinal Health 200 Inc., McGaw Park, Ill., has been awarded a maximum $1,019,313,488 modification (P00036) exercising the first 20-month option period on a 20-month base contract (SPM2DV-11-D-0001) with two 20-month option periods for prime vendor medical and surgical supplies. This is a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. Locations of performance are Illinois, Massachusetts, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Louisiana, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Washington, Arkansas, and Texas with an Aug. 15, 2015, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 through fiscal 2015 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa.
Owens & Minor Distribution Inc., Mechanicsville, Va., has been awarded a maximum $240,332,793 modification (P00032) exercising the first 20-month option period on a 20-month base contract (SPM2DV-11-D-0002) with two 20-month option periods for prime vendor medical and surgical supplies. This is a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. Locations of performance are Virginia, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Texas, Maryland, Maine, North Carolina, Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, Colorado, Iowa, Michigan, Florida, Indiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee, California, Minnesota, Louisiana, Nebraska, Arizona, Oregon, North Carolina, Utah, Washington, Oklahoma, and New Jersey with an Aug. 15, 2015 performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 through fiscal 2015 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa.
Tyco Healthcare Group LP, doing business as Covidien, Mansfield, Mass., has been awarded a maximum $42,239,073 modification (P00007) exercising the second one-year option period on a one-year base contract (SPM2D0-11-D-0012) with seven one-year option periods for various medical and surgical products. This is a fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. Location of performance is Massachusetts with a Nov. 16, 2014, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 warstopper funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa.
CareFusion 203 Inc., Minneapolis, Minn., has been awarded a maximum $23,409,878 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment contract for various ventilators and accessories. This contract is a competitive acquisition and 24 offers were received. Location of performance is Minnesota with a Nov. 12, 2014, performance completion date. This contract is a five-year base with no option year periods. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa.; (SPM2D1-14-D-8202).
Allan Baker, Inc.*, Louisville, Ky., has been awarded a maximum $20,269,744 modification (P00006) exercising the third one-year option period on a one-year base contract (SPM2DE-11-D-7546) with four one-year option periods for optical lenses. This is a fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment contract. Location of performance is Kentucky with a Nov. 30, 2014, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa.
NAVY
ManTech Systems Engineering Corp., Fairfax, Va., is being awarded a $24,248,855 modification to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00421-13-D-0002) to exercise an option for the procurement of warfare analysis and assessments, modeling and simulation, advanced concept development and acquisition analysis support for the Naval Air Systems Command’s Warfare Analysis and Integration Department. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Md., and is expected to be completed in November 2014. Funds are not being obligated at time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual delivery orders as they are issued. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
AIR FORCE
Honeywell International Inc., Aerospace-Clearwater (Space), Clearwater, Fla., has been awarded a $7,279,938 modification (P00048) to an existing cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (FA9453-08-C-0263) for the Strategic Systems and Launch Technologies (SSLT) program. The contract modification is for an in-scope add work to Option III for additional work required to identify, test, and modify the design to develop a radiation hardened loop closure Application Specific Integration Circuit for the Strategic Fiber Optic Gyro. Work will be performed at Clearwater, Fla., and is expected to be completed by Oct. 17, 2016. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2013 through 2016 procurement funds. Funds to be obligated at time of award are fiscal 2013 in the amount of $2,966,100. Detachment 8, Air Force Research Laboratory, Space Vehicles Contracting Division, Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., is the contracting activity.
*Small Business
HHS ANNOUNCES OVER 100,000 AMERICANS SELECTED HEALTH PLANS IN FIRST REPORTING PERIOD
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
106,185 Americans selected health plans in first reporting period of open enrollment
975,407 customers through the process but have not yet selected a plan; an additional 396,261
assessed or determined eligible for Medicaid or CHIP
Detailing results of the first reporting period (Oct. 1-Nov. 2, 2013) of the Health Insurance Marketplace’s Open Enrollment, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced today that 106,185 individuals have selected plans from the Marketplace, and another 975,407 have made it through the process by applying and receiving an eligibility determination, but have not yet selected a plan. An additional 396,261 have been determined or assessed eligible for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
“The promise of quality affordable coverage is increasingly becoming reality for this first wave of applicants to the Health Insurance Marketplaces,” Secretary Sebelius said. “There is no doubt the level of interest is strong. We expect enrollment will grow substantially throughout the next five months, mirroring the pattern that Massachusetts experienced. We also expect that the numbers will grow as the website, HealthCare.gov, continues to make steady improvements.”
The following key findings are among many newly available data reported today in an issue brief from HHS that highlights national and state-level enrollment-related information:
502,466 Americans, in just the first month of implementation, are positioned to have health coverage in 2014;
Of those, 106,185 Americans have selected plans from the state and federal Marketplaces; and
396,261 Americans have been determined or assessed eligible for Medicaid or CHIP;
975,407 have made it through the process by applying and receiving an eligibility determination and have not yet selected a plan.
Today’s report includes breakouts of enrollment-related data by state, including each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The report groups the states into the Federally-facilitated Marketplace (FFM) (defined as those states where HHS is running the Marketplace or states where HHS is doing so in partnership), and state-based Marketplaces (SBMs). In some cases only a partial SBM dataset was available.
In total, 106,185 Americans selected a Qualified Health Plan (QHP) through the Marketplace during the first reporting period of Open Enrollment. Enrollment figures include those who have selected a plan and have or have not yet paid the first month’s premium. Of the people who have selected a plan, 79,391 (74.8 percent) enrolled though a SBM, while the other 26,794 people (25.2 percent) enrolled through the FFM. Additionally, 396,261 Americans have been assessed or determined eligible for Medicaid or CHIP. SBMs that provided data for the report accounted for 212,865 (53.7 percent) of those determinations, while the FFM accounted for 183,396 (46.3 percent) of them. Forthcoming data will enumerate those who applied directly to a state Medicaid/CHIP office.
The report characterizes past experiences in health insurance enrollment patterns, noting typical low initial enrollment in, for example, the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program Medicare Part D, Massachusetts’ Commonwealth Care, the Children’s Health Insurance Program and the Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan created under the Affordable Care Act.
The report also addresses Marketplace customer service, outreach and web traffic. It found that there have been an estimated 26,876,527 visitors on the SBM and FFM websites. There have also been an estimated 3,158,436 calls to the SBM and FFM call centers.
106,185 Americans selected health plans in first reporting period of open enrollment
975,407 customers through the process but have not yet selected a plan; an additional 396,261
assessed or determined eligible for Medicaid or CHIP
Detailing results of the first reporting period (Oct. 1-Nov. 2, 2013) of the Health Insurance Marketplace’s Open Enrollment, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced today that 106,185 individuals have selected plans from the Marketplace, and another 975,407 have made it through the process by applying and receiving an eligibility determination, but have not yet selected a plan. An additional 396,261 have been determined or assessed eligible for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
“The promise of quality affordable coverage is increasingly becoming reality for this first wave of applicants to the Health Insurance Marketplaces,” Secretary Sebelius said. “There is no doubt the level of interest is strong. We expect enrollment will grow substantially throughout the next five months, mirroring the pattern that Massachusetts experienced. We also expect that the numbers will grow as the website, HealthCare.gov, continues to make steady improvements.”
The following key findings are among many newly available data reported today in an issue brief from HHS that highlights national and state-level enrollment-related information:
502,466 Americans, in just the first month of implementation, are positioned to have health coverage in 2014;
Of those, 106,185 Americans have selected plans from the state and federal Marketplaces; and
396,261 Americans have been determined or assessed eligible for Medicaid or CHIP;
975,407 have made it through the process by applying and receiving an eligibility determination and have not yet selected a plan.
Today’s report includes breakouts of enrollment-related data by state, including each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The report groups the states into the Federally-facilitated Marketplace (FFM) (defined as those states where HHS is running the Marketplace or states where HHS is doing so in partnership), and state-based Marketplaces (SBMs). In some cases only a partial SBM dataset was available.
In total, 106,185 Americans selected a Qualified Health Plan (QHP) through the Marketplace during the first reporting period of Open Enrollment. Enrollment figures include those who have selected a plan and have or have not yet paid the first month’s premium. Of the people who have selected a plan, 79,391 (74.8 percent) enrolled though a SBM, while the other 26,794 people (25.2 percent) enrolled through the FFM. Additionally, 396,261 Americans have been assessed or determined eligible for Medicaid or CHIP. SBMs that provided data for the report accounted for 212,865 (53.7 percent) of those determinations, while the FFM accounted for 183,396 (46.3 percent) of them. Forthcoming data will enumerate those who applied directly to a state Medicaid/CHIP office.
The report characterizes past experiences in health insurance enrollment patterns, noting typical low initial enrollment in, for example, the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program Medicare Part D, Massachusetts’ Commonwealth Care, the Children’s Health Insurance Program and the Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan created under the Affordable Care Act.
The report also addresses Marketplace customer service, outreach and web traffic. It found that there have been an estimated 26,876,527 visitors on the SBM and FFM websites. There have also been an estimated 3,158,436 calls to the SBM and FFM call centers.
SECRETARY OF STATE KERRY'S REMARKS AT RECEPTION HONORING AMBASSADOR CAROLINE KENNEDY
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Remarks at Reception in Honor of U.S. Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Japanese Ambassador's Residence
Washington, DC
November 12, 2013
SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you very much. For all those of you who don’t speak Japanese, she said, “See you in Japan.” (Laughter.) And since I don’t speak Japanese, I got a quick interpretation like she did. (Laughter.) Anyway, those young ladies were absolutely spectacular. Thank you very, very much. (Applause.) Wow, what a beautiful, beautiful job, and I think it’s – this is really fun.
This is a special, special evening. I reminded Caroline earlier this afternoon that the first time I met her was when she was four and a half years old, and I was visiting, having – I was working for Teddy Kennedy in his campaign back then, 1962, and was visiting, and she was about to go riding on Macaroni – I remember the pony, and all of us do – and I managed to back into her and step on her foot sufficiently that she broke into wild tears. And I thought I would never be welcome again near her. (Laughter.) So somehow, she forgave me, and we are here on a very, very special occasion.
Ambassador Sasae, thank you, and I notice – I don’t know how many of you noticed – I knew she had invited the whole Kennedy family when I saw the traffic jam out there, guys. (Laughter.) I said, “This could be a big do.” But this is special.
Ambassador Sasae, thank you for all your help and work on our relationship. We’re so grateful to you. I’ve been now already to Japan twice in the last months, and most recently with Secretary Hagel. We had what we call in the vernacular a 2+2 meeting – Defense and State – and we re-signaled the importance of our relationship with Japan. And we could not be more excited or more pleased with the incredible efforts of Prime Minister Abe and the way in which they are taking hold of a new and stronger role in the region. And Ambassador Kennedy is going to contribute to that, we know, in so many significant ways.
I think it is true – and I think everybody here knows this – that because of her family and because of the road she has traveled – it’s hardly the road less traveled – but she has done so with special grace and with the captured imaginations of all Americans who, from the time she was ye high, have watched her. And in many ways, she’s been an ambassador all her life. She has worked so brilliantly in New York City – the work that she did with the New York schools, bringing people together, a convener, not content to simply be who she was by birth, but be who she was going to be by definition of her own choice. And so she’s always done that – written the books, went to law school, but – not a practicer – but used the experience to apply to everything else that she does. Her work with the Kennedy Library, which I got to know so well, is beyond special.
And I think that everybody here would agree that she has superbly carried into public life and her life the ethos of her family, which her father so expressed, which is sort of reach out beyond yourself, live beyond your own persona in an effort to try to make a difference. And I know how proud Uncle Teddy would be if he were here. I joked with her earlier this afternoon about those “forced march” camping trips during the summer where they’d all be piled into a van and they’d go to Mount Vernon or they go to the Civil War battlefields and Teddy would arrange for somebody to take them around and tell them about the history and make sure everybody had a sense of history. And now, Ambassador Kennedy will join a remarkable period of history by leading our relationship to still a stronger place.
It’s pretty remarkable – the daughter of a heroic lieutenant in World War II will be the first woman in the next generation after the war to represent our country in a relationship that symbolizes so much more than just a normal diplomatic relationship. This is a symbol of reconciliation, a symbol of possibilities, a symbol of people who know how to put the past behind them and look to the future and build a future together. That is, in today’s world, both remarkable and beautiful
And so I am really excited, as the President is, that Caroline’s going to be heading over there to represent this relationship at a critical time – the rebalanced Asia, the global marketplace and competition therein, the efforts to deal with North Korea to try to reconcile even more so with the Republic of Korea, the challenges of the South China Sea, the challenges of climate change and of communications. These are huge, huge issues, and I know from my own experience with Caroline her ability to step up and undertake this great challenge.
I’m blessed to have had her campaign for me in Massachusetts way back when she was in high school, and many times since. President Obama could not be more grateful for her support and her efforts and leadership as chair of his campaign, the work that she has done. So Japan, Mr. Ambassador, knows that it is getting an envoy who has the ear of the President, the respect of the President, the affection of the President. And that, as we all know, is a vital thing in the conduct of foreign policy.
Caroline joins Jean Kennedy Smith and her grandfather in serving as Ambassador by an ironic twist of history. I’m proud to say that my grandfather’s cousin was Ambassador to Japan, and today, I have a cousin who is working in the Embassy in Japan, will be working for you, who is working for the Tomodachi youth program, while her husband is serving in the United States Navy as a pilot defending the region. So I’m going to look out for you over there. (Laughter.)
Let me just say to all of you that this historic occasion does send a powerful message, I think, to countries. When Caroline was 20, Teddy took her over there – I think it was Teddy who took her over there – and laid a wreath at Hiroshima. And at that young age, Caroline, I think, forged a bond with Japan and the Japanese, and I want you to know it will not be an accident, Caroline, that when you get there, all the baseball teams will sing Sweet Caroline, so – (laughter) – in honor of the Red Sox, of course. (Laughter.)
So tonight, folks, we celebrate a lot. We celebrate the march of history and the march of time. We celebrate a superb new Ambassador. And we most of all, I want you to – you don’t have glasses, do you? We’re supposed to raise our glasses. We’ll fake it. And we’ll – Mr. Ambassador, would you come up here with Caroline, and we will drink a toast, if we may, and celebrate our new Ambassador, to celebrate our history – Ed – and Mr. Ambassador, we drink to the strength of the relationship between the United States and Japan, and to continue history we will write together. Thank you so much. (Applause.)
Remarks at Reception in Honor of U.S. Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Japanese Ambassador's Residence
Washington, DC
November 12, 2013
SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you very much. For all those of you who don’t speak Japanese, she said, “See you in Japan.” (Laughter.) And since I don’t speak Japanese, I got a quick interpretation like she did. (Laughter.) Anyway, those young ladies were absolutely spectacular. Thank you very, very much. (Applause.) Wow, what a beautiful, beautiful job, and I think it’s – this is really fun.
This is a special, special evening. I reminded Caroline earlier this afternoon that the first time I met her was when she was four and a half years old, and I was visiting, having – I was working for Teddy Kennedy in his campaign back then, 1962, and was visiting, and she was about to go riding on Macaroni – I remember the pony, and all of us do – and I managed to back into her and step on her foot sufficiently that she broke into wild tears. And I thought I would never be welcome again near her. (Laughter.) So somehow, she forgave me, and we are here on a very, very special occasion.
Ambassador Sasae, thank you, and I notice – I don’t know how many of you noticed – I knew she had invited the whole Kennedy family when I saw the traffic jam out there, guys. (Laughter.) I said, “This could be a big do.” But this is special.
Ambassador Sasae, thank you for all your help and work on our relationship. We’re so grateful to you. I’ve been now already to Japan twice in the last months, and most recently with Secretary Hagel. We had what we call in the vernacular a 2+2 meeting – Defense and State – and we re-signaled the importance of our relationship with Japan. And we could not be more excited or more pleased with the incredible efforts of Prime Minister Abe and the way in which they are taking hold of a new and stronger role in the region. And Ambassador Kennedy is going to contribute to that, we know, in so many significant ways.
I think it is true – and I think everybody here knows this – that because of her family and because of the road she has traveled – it’s hardly the road less traveled – but she has done so with special grace and with the captured imaginations of all Americans who, from the time she was ye high, have watched her. And in many ways, she’s been an ambassador all her life. She has worked so brilliantly in New York City – the work that she did with the New York schools, bringing people together, a convener, not content to simply be who she was by birth, but be who she was going to be by definition of her own choice. And so she’s always done that – written the books, went to law school, but – not a practicer – but used the experience to apply to everything else that she does. Her work with the Kennedy Library, which I got to know so well, is beyond special.
And I think that everybody here would agree that she has superbly carried into public life and her life the ethos of her family, which her father so expressed, which is sort of reach out beyond yourself, live beyond your own persona in an effort to try to make a difference. And I know how proud Uncle Teddy would be if he were here. I joked with her earlier this afternoon about those “forced march” camping trips during the summer where they’d all be piled into a van and they’d go to Mount Vernon or they go to the Civil War battlefields and Teddy would arrange for somebody to take them around and tell them about the history and make sure everybody had a sense of history. And now, Ambassador Kennedy will join a remarkable period of history by leading our relationship to still a stronger place.
It’s pretty remarkable – the daughter of a heroic lieutenant in World War II will be the first woman in the next generation after the war to represent our country in a relationship that symbolizes so much more than just a normal diplomatic relationship. This is a symbol of reconciliation, a symbol of possibilities, a symbol of people who know how to put the past behind them and look to the future and build a future together. That is, in today’s world, both remarkable and beautiful
And so I am really excited, as the President is, that Caroline’s going to be heading over there to represent this relationship at a critical time – the rebalanced Asia, the global marketplace and competition therein, the efforts to deal with North Korea to try to reconcile even more so with the Republic of Korea, the challenges of the South China Sea, the challenges of climate change and of communications. These are huge, huge issues, and I know from my own experience with Caroline her ability to step up and undertake this great challenge.
I’m blessed to have had her campaign for me in Massachusetts way back when she was in high school, and many times since. President Obama could not be more grateful for her support and her efforts and leadership as chair of his campaign, the work that she has done. So Japan, Mr. Ambassador, knows that it is getting an envoy who has the ear of the President, the respect of the President, the affection of the President. And that, as we all know, is a vital thing in the conduct of foreign policy.
Caroline joins Jean Kennedy Smith and her grandfather in serving as Ambassador by an ironic twist of history. I’m proud to say that my grandfather’s cousin was Ambassador to Japan, and today, I have a cousin who is working in the Embassy in Japan, will be working for you, who is working for the Tomodachi youth program, while her husband is serving in the United States Navy as a pilot defending the region. So I’m going to look out for you over there. (Laughter.)
Let me just say to all of you that this historic occasion does send a powerful message, I think, to countries. When Caroline was 20, Teddy took her over there – I think it was Teddy who took her over there – and laid a wreath at Hiroshima. And at that young age, Caroline, I think, forged a bond with Japan and the Japanese, and I want you to know it will not be an accident, Caroline, that when you get there, all the baseball teams will sing Sweet Caroline, so – (laughter) – in honor of the Red Sox, of course. (Laughter.)
So tonight, folks, we celebrate a lot. We celebrate the march of history and the march of time. We celebrate a superb new Ambassador. And we most of all, I want you to – you don’t have glasses, do you? We’re supposed to raise our glasses. We’ll fake it. And we’ll – Mr. Ambassador, would you come up here with Caroline, and we will drink a toast, if we may, and celebrate our new Ambassador, to celebrate our history – Ed – and Mr. Ambassador, we drink to the strength of the relationship between the United States and Japan, and to continue history we will write together. Thank you so much. (Applause.)
IRS AUTHORIZED TO ISSUE SUMMONSES FOR OFFSHORE BANK ACCOUNTS
FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Court Authorizes IRS to Issue Summonses for Records Relating to U.S. Taxpayers with Offshore Bank Accounts
Five Banks Directed to Produce Records for Accounts at Zurcher Kantonalbank, The Bank of
N.T. Butterfield & Son Limited and Affiliates
U.S. District Judge Kimba M. Wood of the Southern District of New York entered an order on Nov. 7, 2013, authorizing the IRS to issue summonses requiring Bank of New York Mellon (Mellon) and Citibank NA (Citibank) to produce information about U.S. taxpayers who may be evading or have evaded federal taxes by holding interests in undisclosed accounts at Zurcher Kantonalbank and its affiliates (collectively, ZKB) in Switzerland; and U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman of the Southern District of New York entered an order today authorizing the IRS to issue summonses requiring Mellon, Citibank, JPMorgan Chase Bank NA (JPMorgan), HSBC Bank USA NA (HSBC), and Bank of America NA (Bank of America) to produce similar information in connection with undisclosed accounts at The Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son Limited and its affiliates (collectively, Butterfield) in the Bahamas, Barbados, Cayman Islands, Guernsey, Hong Kong, Malta, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Tax Division Kathryn Keneally, and Acting Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Danny Werfel made the announcement today.
In these actions, the Court granted the IRS permission to serve what are known as “John Doe” summonses on Mellon, Citibank, JPMorgan, HSBC, and Bank of America. The IRS uses John Doe summonses to obtain information about possible tax fraud by individuals whose identities are unknown. The John Doe summonses approved today direct these five banks to produce records identifying U.S. taxpayers with accounts at ZKB, Butterfield and their affiliates, including other foreign banks that used ZKB and Butterfield’s U.S. correspondent accounts at Mellon, Citibank, JPMorgan, HSBC, and Bank of America to service U.S. clients.
“These cases once again demonstrate the department’s resolve to uncover and identify taxpayers who tried to hide money overseas as a way to avoid federal taxes,” said Assistant Attorney General Keneally. “These John Doe summonses will provide information about individuals using financial institutions from Switzerland to the Cayman Islands to Hong Kong to avoid their U.S. tax obligations. U.S. taxpayers still holding accounts who have not come clean should come forward and do the right thing before it’s too late.”
“Today’s action show that the use of foreign banks for tax evasion remains a high investigative priority of this office and U.S. citizens should understand that loud and clear,” said U.S. Attorney Bharara. “By issuing these John Doe summonses, we continue our joint efforts with the IRS to identify and hold accountable those who try to evade their legal responsibility to pay taxes.”
“International issues remain a major focus for the IRS, and we are continuing our efforts to fight tax evaders who use offshore accounts to skirt the law,” said IRS Acting Commissioner Werfel. “These John Doe summonses for correspondent account records show our determination to pursue evaders using offshore accounts, even if the person hiding money overseas chooses a bank that has no offices on U.S. soil.”
IRS Offshore Voluntary Disclosure programs and initiatives enable U.S. taxpayers to resolve their tax liabilities and minimize their chances of criminal prosecution by voluntarily disclosing previously undisclosed foreign accounts and income. To date, U.S. taxpayers have identified 371 previously undisclosed accounts at ZKB and 81 such accounts at Butterfield. In addition, a number of U.S. taxpayers with beneficial ownership and control over funds held in accounts at ZKB and Butterfield have admitted failing to report income earned from their offshore accounts on their federal tax returns. The IRS has reason to believe that other U.S. taxpayers who held or presently hold similar accounts at ZKB, Butterfield, and their affiliates have done the same in violation of federal tax law. In December 2012, three employees of ZKB were indicted for conspiring with U.S. taxpayers and others to hide at least $423 million from the IRS in secret Swiss bank accounts.
Federal tax law requires U.S. taxpayers to pay taxes on all income earned worldwide. U.S. taxpayers must also report foreign financial accounts if the total value of the accounts exceeds $10,000 at any time during the calendar year. Willful failure to report a foreign account can result in a fine of up to 50 percent of the amount in the account at the time of the violation.
These cases are being handled by the Office’s Tax and Bankruptcy Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tomoko Onozawa is in charge of the Butterfield case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher B. Harwood is in charge of the ZKB case.
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Court Authorizes IRS to Issue Summonses for Records Relating to U.S. Taxpayers with Offshore Bank Accounts
Five Banks Directed to Produce Records for Accounts at Zurcher Kantonalbank, The Bank of
N.T. Butterfield & Son Limited and Affiliates
U.S. District Judge Kimba M. Wood of the Southern District of New York entered an order on Nov. 7, 2013, authorizing the IRS to issue summonses requiring Bank of New York Mellon (Mellon) and Citibank NA (Citibank) to produce information about U.S. taxpayers who may be evading or have evaded federal taxes by holding interests in undisclosed accounts at Zurcher Kantonalbank and its affiliates (collectively, ZKB) in Switzerland; and U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman of the Southern District of New York entered an order today authorizing the IRS to issue summonses requiring Mellon, Citibank, JPMorgan Chase Bank NA (JPMorgan), HSBC Bank USA NA (HSBC), and Bank of America NA (Bank of America) to produce similar information in connection with undisclosed accounts at The Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son Limited and its affiliates (collectively, Butterfield) in the Bahamas, Barbados, Cayman Islands, Guernsey, Hong Kong, Malta, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Tax Division Kathryn Keneally, and Acting Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Danny Werfel made the announcement today.
In these actions, the Court granted the IRS permission to serve what are known as “John Doe” summonses on Mellon, Citibank, JPMorgan, HSBC, and Bank of America. The IRS uses John Doe summonses to obtain information about possible tax fraud by individuals whose identities are unknown. The John Doe summonses approved today direct these five banks to produce records identifying U.S. taxpayers with accounts at ZKB, Butterfield and their affiliates, including other foreign banks that used ZKB and Butterfield’s U.S. correspondent accounts at Mellon, Citibank, JPMorgan, HSBC, and Bank of America to service U.S. clients.
“These cases once again demonstrate the department’s resolve to uncover and identify taxpayers who tried to hide money overseas as a way to avoid federal taxes,” said Assistant Attorney General Keneally. “These John Doe summonses will provide information about individuals using financial institutions from Switzerland to the Cayman Islands to Hong Kong to avoid their U.S. tax obligations. U.S. taxpayers still holding accounts who have not come clean should come forward and do the right thing before it’s too late.”
“Today’s action show that the use of foreign banks for tax evasion remains a high investigative priority of this office and U.S. citizens should understand that loud and clear,” said U.S. Attorney Bharara. “By issuing these John Doe summonses, we continue our joint efforts with the IRS to identify and hold accountable those who try to evade their legal responsibility to pay taxes.”
“International issues remain a major focus for the IRS, and we are continuing our efforts to fight tax evaders who use offshore accounts to skirt the law,” said IRS Acting Commissioner Werfel. “These John Doe summonses for correspondent account records show our determination to pursue evaders using offshore accounts, even if the person hiding money overseas chooses a bank that has no offices on U.S. soil.”
IRS Offshore Voluntary Disclosure programs and initiatives enable U.S. taxpayers to resolve their tax liabilities and minimize their chances of criminal prosecution by voluntarily disclosing previously undisclosed foreign accounts and income. To date, U.S. taxpayers have identified 371 previously undisclosed accounts at ZKB and 81 such accounts at Butterfield. In addition, a number of U.S. taxpayers with beneficial ownership and control over funds held in accounts at ZKB and Butterfield have admitted failing to report income earned from their offshore accounts on their federal tax returns. The IRS has reason to believe that other U.S. taxpayers who held or presently hold similar accounts at ZKB, Butterfield, and their affiliates have done the same in violation of federal tax law. In December 2012, three employees of ZKB were indicted for conspiring with U.S. taxpayers and others to hide at least $423 million from the IRS in secret Swiss bank accounts.
Federal tax law requires U.S. taxpayers to pay taxes on all income earned worldwide. U.S. taxpayers must also report foreign financial accounts if the total value of the accounts exceeds $10,000 at any time during the calendar year. Willful failure to report a foreign account can result in a fine of up to 50 percent of the amount in the account at the time of the violation.
These cases are being handled by the Office’s Tax and Bankruptcy Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tomoko Onozawa is in charge of the Butterfield case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher B. Harwood is in charge of the ZKB case.
U.S. TARGETS TRANSNATIONAL ORGANIZED CRIME WITH REWARDS PROGRAM
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program: Targeting Global Criminal Networks
Fact Sheet
Bureau of Public Affairs
November 12, 2013
This rewards program “will promote the leads and tips needed to hobble transnational organized crime, the movement of international criminals . . . and transnational criminal organizations that pose threats not only abroad, but right in our own back yard.” - Secretary of State John Kerry
The United States established the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program in order to assist efforts to dismantle transnational criminal organizations and bring their leaders and members to justice.
The program gives the Secretary of State statutory authority to offer rewards for information that helps:
Dismantle transnational criminal organizations
Identify or locate key leaders
Disrupt financial mechanisms
Lead to the arrest or conviction of members and leaders
The program complements the Narcotics Rewards Program by offering rewards up to $5 million for information on significant transnational criminal organizations involved in activities beyond drug trafficking, such as human trafficking, money laundering, maritime piracy, and trafficking in arms, counterfeits, and other illicit goods.
Combating Transnational Crime
The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) manages the program with U.S. federal law enforcement agencies. It is a key element of the White House Strategy to Combat Transnational Organized Crime, which recognizes that transnational criminal networks are expanding in size and scope, and diversifying their illicit activities.
How the Rewards Work
Proposals to pay rewards are submitted to the Department of State by U.S. agencies or U.S. Embassies overseas. Reward proposals are carefully reviewed by an interagency committee, which makes a recommendation for a reward payment to the Secretary of State. Only the Secretary of State has the authority to determine if a reward should be paid. In cases where there is U.S. federal criminal jurisdiction, the Secretary must obtain the concurrence of the Attorney General.
Contact Information
Overseas, individuals wishing to provide information on major transnational criminal organizations may contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. In the United States, individuals should contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), or the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Government officials and employees are not eligible for rewards.
All communications regarding information provided will be held in the strictest confidence.
For more information about the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program and current reward offers, please visit: www.state.gov/TOCrewards
Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program: Targeting Global Criminal Networks
Fact Sheet
Bureau of Public Affairs
November 12, 2013
This rewards program “will promote the leads and tips needed to hobble transnational organized crime, the movement of international criminals . . . and transnational criminal organizations that pose threats not only abroad, but right in our own back yard.” - Secretary of State John Kerry
The United States established the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program in order to assist efforts to dismantle transnational criminal organizations and bring their leaders and members to justice.
The program gives the Secretary of State statutory authority to offer rewards for information that helps:
Dismantle transnational criminal organizations
Identify or locate key leaders
Disrupt financial mechanisms
Lead to the arrest or conviction of members and leaders
The program complements the Narcotics Rewards Program by offering rewards up to $5 million for information on significant transnational criminal organizations involved in activities beyond drug trafficking, such as human trafficking, money laundering, maritime piracy, and trafficking in arms, counterfeits, and other illicit goods.
Combating Transnational Crime
The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) manages the program with U.S. federal law enforcement agencies. It is a key element of the White House Strategy to Combat Transnational Organized Crime, which recognizes that transnational criminal networks are expanding in size and scope, and diversifying their illicit activities.
How the Rewards Work
Proposals to pay rewards are submitted to the Department of State by U.S. agencies or U.S. Embassies overseas. Reward proposals are carefully reviewed by an interagency committee, which makes a recommendation for a reward payment to the Secretary of State. Only the Secretary of State has the authority to determine if a reward should be paid. In cases where there is U.S. federal criminal jurisdiction, the Secretary must obtain the concurrence of the Attorney General.
Contact Information
Overseas, individuals wishing to provide information on major transnational criminal organizations may contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. In the United States, individuals should contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), or the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Government officials and employees are not eligible for rewards.
All communications regarding information provided will be held in the strictest confidence.
For more information about the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program and current reward offers, please visit: www.state.gov/TOCrewards
HHS REPORTS THAT POVERTY AFFECTS BRAIN GROWTH IN CHILDREN
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Poverty, parenting, and kids’ brains
From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.
Researchers say poverty can interfere with a child’s brain growth – but that attentive parenting can offset at least some of the damage. Child psychiatrist Joan Luby of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis saw this in data on brain scans of 145 8- to 12-year-olds.
Luby says poor children tended to have smaller hippocampuses, important in learning and memory – possibly from stresses of poverty on the developing brain. But she says her study indicates the main driver was how nurturing parents were:
“It suggests that even in circumstances of great adversity, supportive parenting can be an important protective factor.”
The study in the journal JAMA Pediatrics was supported by the National Institutes of Health.
Poverty, parenting, and kids’ brains
From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.
Researchers say poverty can interfere with a child’s brain growth – but that attentive parenting can offset at least some of the damage. Child psychiatrist Joan Luby of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis saw this in data on brain scans of 145 8- to 12-year-olds.
Luby says poor children tended to have smaller hippocampuses, important in learning and memory – possibly from stresses of poverty on the developing brain. But she says her study indicates the main driver was how nurturing parents were:
“It suggests that even in circumstances of great adversity, supportive parenting can be an important protective factor.”
The study in the journal JAMA Pediatrics was supported by the National Institutes of Health.
FORMER DEFENSE CONTRACTOR AND WIFE PLEAD GUILTY FOR PARTICIPATION IN PROCUREMENT FRAUD SCHEME
FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Former Defense Contractor Employee and Wife Plead Guilty to Conspiring to Defraud Millions in Scheme Involving Supplies to Afghan National Army
Keith Johnson, 46, and his wife, Angela Johnson, 44, of Maryville, Tenn., pleaded guilty today to their roles in a $9.7 million procurement fraud scheme.
Mythili Raman, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Dana J. Boente, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; Robert E. Craig, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) Special Agent in Charge of Mid-Atlantic Field Office; John Sopko, Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR); and Frank Robey, Director of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command’s Major Procurement Fraud Unit (MPFU), made the announcement after the pleas were accepted by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema of the Eastern District of Virginia.
The Johnsons were indicted on July 16, 2013, by a federal grand jury on conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud charges. Keith Johnson faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and Angela Johnson faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison when they are sentenced on Feb. 14, 2014.
In a statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, Keith Johnson admitted to serving as the program manager for a Department of Defense contractor that operated a central maintenance facility (CMF) in Kabul, Afghanistan, and other facilities in that country to maintain and repair vehicles used by the Afghan National Army. In his position during 2007 to 2008, Keith Johnson was involved in purchasing vehicle parts from vendors. The Johnsons formed a company in Tennessee, Military Logistics Support (MLS), and listed only the names of relatives as officials in the documents filed. Angela Johnson operated the company. When Keith Johnson’s company solicited quotes for different vehicle parts that were needed, Angela Johnson, using her maiden name of “Angela Gregory” to conceal her relationship to Keith Johnson, responded with quotes based on parts that she was able to purchase from other vendors of vehicle parts. Keith Johnson used his position as program manager to write letters justifying awards of purchase orders for parts to MLS without seeking competitive quotes, and in instances in which there had been competitive quotes, approving recommendations that the awards be made to MLS.
The Johnsons also conspired with John Eisner and Jerry Kieffer, two individuals who worked at the CMF as subcontractors to Keith Johnson’s company, to have Keith Johnson similarly steer purchase orders for other types of vehicle parts to Eisner’s and Kieffer’s separate company, Taurus Holdings. Eisner submitted the quotes for Taurus using a fake name to conceal his connection to the subcontractor. Eisner and Kieffer paid kickbacks to the Johnsons and on occasion engaged in collusive bidding with the Johnsons so that MLS could win competitions for certain purchase orders. Eisner and Kieffer previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy and will be sentenced on Dec. 18, 2013.
As a result of the scheme, Keith Johnson’s company awarded MLS at least $9.7 million worth of purchase orders for vehicle parts by Keith Johnson’s company.
This case was investigated by DCIS, FBI, SIGAR and Army MPFU. Trial Attorney Daniel Butler of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant United States Attorneys Jack Hanly and Ryan Faulconer of the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Former Defense Contractor Employee and Wife Plead Guilty to Conspiring to Defraud Millions in Scheme Involving Supplies to Afghan National Army
Keith Johnson, 46, and his wife, Angela Johnson, 44, of Maryville, Tenn., pleaded guilty today to their roles in a $9.7 million procurement fraud scheme.
Mythili Raman, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Dana J. Boente, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; Robert E. Craig, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) Special Agent in Charge of Mid-Atlantic Field Office; John Sopko, Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR); and Frank Robey, Director of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command’s Major Procurement Fraud Unit (MPFU), made the announcement after the pleas were accepted by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema of the Eastern District of Virginia.
The Johnsons were indicted on July 16, 2013, by a federal grand jury on conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud charges. Keith Johnson faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and Angela Johnson faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison when they are sentenced on Feb. 14, 2014.
In a statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, Keith Johnson admitted to serving as the program manager for a Department of Defense contractor that operated a central maintenance facility (CMF) in Kabul, Afghanistan, and other facilities in that country to maintain and repair vehicles used by the Afghan National Army. In his position during 2007 to 2008, Keith Johnson was involved in purchasing vehicle parts from vendors. The Johnsons formed a company in Tennessee, Military Logistics Support (MLS), and listed only the names of relatives as officials in the documents filed. Angela Johnson operated the company. When Keith Johnson’s company solicited quotes for different vehicle parts that were needed, Angela Johnson, using her maiden name of “Angela Gregory” to conceal her relationship to Keith Johnson, responded with quotes based on parts that she was able to purchase from other vendors of vehicle parts. Keith Johnson used his position as program manager to write letters justifying awards of purchase orders for parts to MLS without seeking competitive quotes, and in instances in which there had been competitive quotes, approving recommendations that the awards be made to MLS.
The Johnsons also conspired with John Eisner and Jerry Kieffer, two individuals who worked at the CMF as subcontractors to Keith Johnson’s company, to have Keith Johnson similarly steer purchase orders for other types of vehicle parts to Eisner’s and Kieffer’s separate company, Taurus Holdings. Eisner submitted the quotes for Taurus using a fake name to conceal his connection to the subcontractor. Eisner and Kieffer paid kickbacks to the Johnsons and on occasion engaged in collusive bidding with the Johnsons so that MLS could win competitions for certain purchase orders. Eisner and Kieffer previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy and will be sentenced on Dec. 18, 2013.
As a result of the scheme, Keith Johnson’s company awarded MLS at least $9.7 million worth of purchase orders for vehicle parts by Keith Johnson’s company.
This case was investigated by DCIS, FBI, SIGAR and Army MPFU. Trial Attorney Daniel Butler of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant United States Attorneys Jack Hanly and Ryan Faulconer of the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
JUSTICE SAYS AIRLINE MERGER SETTLEMENT WILL "ENHANCE" COMPETITION
FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
TO DIVEST FACILITIES AT SEVEN KEY AIRPORTS TO ENHANCE
SYSTEM-WIDE COMPETITION AND SETTLE MERGER CHALLENGE
Divestitures at Airports in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York and Near Washington, D.C. Opens Door for Low Cost Carriers to Compete Resulting in More Choices and More Competitive Airfares for Consumers
WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice today announced that it is requiring US Airways Group Inc. and American Airlines’ parent corporation, AMR Corp. to divest slots and gates at key constrained airports across the country to low cost carrier airlines (LCCs) in order to enhance system-wide competition in the airline industry resulting in more choices and more competitive airfares for consumers.
The department said the proposed settlement will increase the presence of the LCCs at Boston Logan International, Chicago O’Hare International, Dallas Love Field, Los Angeles International, Miami International, New York LaGuardia International and Ronald Reagan Washington National. Providing the LCCs with the incentive and ability to invest in new capacity and permitting them to compete more extensively nationwide will enhance meaningful competition in the industry and benefit airline travelers.
“This agreement has the potential to shift the landscape of the airline industry. By guaranteeing a bigger foothold for low-cost carriers at key U.S. airports, this settlement ensures airline passengers will see more competition on nonstop and connecting routes throughout the country,” said Attorney General Eric Holder. “The department’s ultimate goal has remained steadfast throughout this process - to ensure vigorous competition in airline travel. This is vital to millions of consumers who will benefit from both more competitive prices and enhanced travel options.”
Six state attorneys general–Arizona, Florida, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Tennessee and Virginia–and the District of Columbia joined in the department’s proposed settlement, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. If approved by the court, the settlement will resolve the department’s competitive concerns and the lawsuit.
“The extensive slot and gate divestitures at these key airports are groundbreaking and they will dramatically enhance the ability of LCCs to compete system-wide,” said Assistant Attorney General Bill Baer of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division. “This settlement will disrupt the cozy relationships among the incumbent legacy carriers, increase access to key congested airports and provide consumers with more choices and more competitive airfares on flights all across the country.”
On Aug. 13, 2013, the department, six state attorneys general and the District of Columbia filed an antitrust lawsuit against US Airways and American alleging that US Airway’s $11 billion acquisition of American would have substantially lessened competition for commercial air travel in local markets throughout the United States. The department alleged that the transaction would result in passengers paying higher airfares and receiving less service. In addition, the department alleged that the transaction would entrench the merged airline as the dominant carrier at Reagan National, where it would control 69 percent of take-off and landing slots, thus effectively foreclosing entry or expansion by competing airlines.
The settlement requires US Airways and American to divest slots, gates and ground facilities at key airports around the country. Specifically, the settlement requires the companies to divest or transfer to low cost carrier purchasers approved by the department:
All 104 air carrier slots (i.e. slots not reserved for use only by smaller, commuter planes) at Reagan National and rights and interest in other facilities at the airport necessary to support the use of the slots;
Thirty-four slots at LaGuardia and rights and interest in other facilities at the airport necessary to support the use of the slots; and
Rights and interests to two airport gates and associated ground facilities at each of Boston Logan, Chicago O’Hare, Dallas Love Field, Los Angeles International and Miami International.
The Reagan National and LaGuardia slots will be sold under procedures approved by the department. Under the terms of the settlement, JetBlue at Reagan National and Southwest at LaGuardia will be given the opportunity to acquire the slots they currently lease from American. The remaining 88 slots at Reagan National and 24 slots at LaGuardia plus any JetBlue or Southwest decline to acquire will be grouped into bundles, taking into account specific slot times to ensure commercially viable and competitive patterns of service for the recipients of the divested slots. The parties will divest these slot bundles and all rights and interests in any gates and other ground facilities (e.g., ticket counters, baggage handling facilities, office space and loading bridges) as necessary to support the use of the purchased slots.
The gates at the five airports will be transferred on commercially reasonable terms to the new acquirers. The acquirers of the slot and gate divestitures also require approval of the department. Preference will be given to airlines at each airport that do not currently operate a large share of slots or gates.
The proposed settlement allows the department to appoint a monitoring trustee to oversee the divestitures or transfers of the slots and gates. The settlement also prohibits the merged company from reacquiring an ownership interest in the divested slots or gates during the term of the settlement. The companies must also provide advance notice of any future slot acquisition at Reagan National regardless of whether or not it is a reportable transaction under the premerger notification law and further provides for waiting periods and opportunities for the department to obtain additional information in order to review the transaction.
AMR is a Delaware corporation with its principal place of business in Fort Worth, Texas. AMR is the parent company of American Airlines. Last year American flew more than 80 million passengers to more than 250 destinations worldwide and took in more than $24 billion in revenue. In November 2011, American filed for bankruptcy reorganization.
US Airways is a Delaware corporation with its principal place of business in Tempe, Ariz. Last year US Airways flew more than 50 million passengers to more than 200 destinations worldwide and took in more than $13 billion in revenue.
TO DIVEST FACILITIES AT SEVEN KEY AIRPORTS TO ENHANCE
SYSTEM-WIDE COMPETITION AND SETTLE MERGER CHALLENGE
Divestitures at Airports in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York and Near Washington, D.C. Opens Door for Low Cost Carriers to Compete Resulting in More Choices and More Competitive Airfares for Consumers
WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice today announced that it is requiring US Airways Group Inc. and American Airlines’ parent corporation, AMR Corp. to divest slots and gates at key constrained airports across the country to low cost carrier airlines (LCCs) in order to enhance system-wide competition in the airline industry resulting in more choices and more competitive airfares for consumers.
The department said the proposed settlement will increase the presence of the LCCs at Boston Logan International, Chicago O’Hare International, Dallas Love Field, Los Angeles International, Miami International, New York LaGuardia International and Ronald Reagan Washington National. Providing the LCCs with the incentive and ability to invest in new capacity and permitting them to compete more extensively nationwide will enhance meaningful competition in the industry and benefit airline travelers.
“This agreement has the potential to shift the landscape of the airline industry. By guaranteeing a bigger foothold for low-cost carriers at key U.S. airports, this settlement ensures airline passengers will see more competition on nonstop and connecting routes throughout the country,” said Attorney General Eric Holder. “The department’s ultimate goal has remained steadfast throughout this process - to ensure vigorous competition in airline travel. This is vital to millions of consumers who will benefit from both more competitive prices and enhanced travel options.”
Six state attorneys general–Arizona, Florida, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Tennessee and Virginia–and the District of Columbia joined in the department’s proposed settlement, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. If approved by the court, the settlement will resolve the department’s competitive concerns and the lawsuit.
“The extensive slot and gate divestitures at these key airports are groundbreaking and they will dramatically enhance the ability of LCCs to compete system-wide,” said Assistant Attorney General Bill Baer of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division. “This settlement will disrupt the cozy relationships among the incumbent legacy carriers, increase access to key congested airports and provide consumers with more choices and more competitive airfares on flights all across the country.”
On Aug. 13, 2013, the department, six state attorneys general and the District of Columbia filed an antitrust lawsuit against US Airways and American alleging that US Airway’s $11 billion acquisition of American would have substantially lessened competition for commercial air travel in local markets throughout the United States. The department alleged that the transaction would result in passengers paying higher airfares and receiving less service. In addition, the department alleged that the transaction would entrench the merged airline as the dominant carrier at Reagan National, where it would control 69 percent of take-off and landing slots, thus effectively foreclosing entry or expansion by competing airlines.
The settlement requires US Airways and American to divest slots, gates and ground facilities at key airports around the country. Specifically, the settlement requires the companies to divest or transfer to low cost carrier purchasers approved by the department:
All 104 air carrier slots (i.e. slots not reserved for use only by smaller, commuter planes) at Reagan National and rights and interest in other facilities at the airport necessary to support the use of the slots;
Thirty-four slots at LaGuardia and rights and interest in other facilities at the airport necessary to support the use of the slots; and
Rights and interests to two airport gates and associated ground facilities at each of Boston Logan, Chicago O’Hare, Dallas Love Field, Los Angeles International and Miami International.
The Reagan National and LaGuardia slots will be sold under procedures approved by the department. Under the terms of the settlement, JetBlue at Reagan National and Southwest at LaGuardia will be given the opportunity to acquire the slots they currently lease from American. The remaining 88 slots at Reagan National and 24 slots at LaGuardia plus any JetBlue or Southwest decline to acquire will be grouped into bundles, taking into account specific slot times to ensure commercially viable and competitive patterns of service for the recipients of the divested slots. The parties will divest these slot bundles and all rights and interests in any gates and other ground facilities (e.g., ticket counters, baggage handling facilities, office space and loading bridges) as necessary to support the use of the purchased slots.
The gates at the five airports will be transferred on commercially reasonable terms to the new acquirers. The acquirers of the slot and gate divestitures also require approval of the department. Preference will be given to airlines at each airport that do not currently operate a large share of slots or gates.
The proposed settlement allows the department to appoint a monitoring trustee to oversee the divestitures or transfers of the slots and gates. The settlement also prohibits the merged company from reacquiring an ownership interest in the divested slots or gates during the term of the settlement. The companies must also provide advance notice of any future slot acquisition at Reagan National regardless of whether or not it is a reportable transaction under the premerger notification law and further provides for waiting periods and opportunities for the department to obtain additional information in order to review the transaction.
AMR is a Delaware corporation with its principal place of business in Fort Worth, Texas. AMR is the parent company of American Airlines. Last year American flew more than 80 million passengers to more than 250 destinations worldwide and took in more than $24 billion in revenue. In November 2011, American filed for bankruptcy reorganization.
US Airways is a Delaware corporation with its principal place of business in Tempe, Ariz. Last year US Airways flew more than 50 million passengers to more than 200 destinations worldwide and took in more than $13 billion in revenue.
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT CONTRACTS FOR NOVEMBER 12, 2013
FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
CONTRACTS
NAVY
Maersk Line Ltd., Norfolk, Va., is being awarded a $73,677,038 firm-fixed-price contract for the time charter of one U.S.-flagged, twin-shaft vessel, which shall function as a maritime support vessel. This contract includes four 12-month option periods, which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $143,149,058. Work will be performed at sea worldwide, and is expected to be completed November 2014. If all options are exercised, work will continue through October 2018. Working capital contract funds in the amount of $73,677,038 are obligated for fiscal 2014, and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with over 200 proposals solicited via a solicitation posted to the Military Sealift Command and Federal Business Opportunities websites, with 13 offers received. The Military Sealift Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00033-14-C-2015).
General Dynamics Information Technology, Falls Church, Va., is being awarded a $49,999,999 cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for approximately 600,000 hours of integrated logistics services in support of technical analysis and investigation of Foreign Military Sales Programs. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Md. (59 percent); Annandale, Va. (9 percent); Philadelphia, Pa. (7 percent); Jacksonville, Fla. (6 percent); Kuwait (6 percent); Australia (5 percent); Arlington, Va. (4 percent); Egypt (1 percent); Japan (1 percent); Malaysia (1 percent); and Taiwan (1 percent), and is expected to be completed in November 2014. Funds are not being obligated at time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual delivery orders as they are issued. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to FAR 6.302-1. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity (N00421-14-D-0002).
TRANSPORTATION COMMAND
Federal Express Charter Programs Team Arrangement, Memphis, Tenn., is being awarded an estimated $145,223,956 modification to previously awarded contract HTC711-13-D-CC02 for international airlift services. Team members include: Air Transport International LLC, Little Rock, Ark.; Atlas Air, Inc., Purchase, N.Y.; Delta Air Lines, Inc., Atlanta, Ga.; Federal Express Corp.; Polar Air Cargo Worldwide, Inc., Purchase, N.Y.; and MN Airlines, LLC, doing business as Sun Country Airlines, Mendota Heights, Minn. Work will be performed at worldwide locations, and is expected to be completed Sept. 30, 2014. Fiscal 2014 Transportation Working Capital Funds are being obligated on individual task orders. The U.S. Transportation Command Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Ill., is the contracting activity.
National Air Cargo Group, Inc., doing business as National Airlines of Orlando, Fla., is being awarded an estimated $12,267,057 firm-fixed-price contract modification to increase the estimated contract value under previously awarded contract HTC711-13-D-CC08 for international airlift services. Work will be performed at worldwide locations and is expected to be completed Sept. 30, 2014. Fiscal 2014 Transportation Working Capital Funds are being obligated on individual task orders. The U.S. Transportation Command Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Ill., is the contracting activity.
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Bethpage, N.Y., has been awarded a maximum $37,484,783 firm-fixed-price contract for procurement of weapons system outer wing panels. This contract is a sole-source acquisition. Location of performance is New York, with a Nov. 31, 2017 performance completion date. This contract is a four-year base with no option-year periods. Using military service is Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 Navy working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM4AX-12-D-9401-THA5).
Quality Fruit and Vegetable LLC*, El Paso, Texas, has been awarded a maximum $30,000,000 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-quantity contract for fresh fruit and vegetable support. This contract is a competitive acquisition, and two offers were received. Location of performance is Texas with a May 17, 2015 performance completion date. This contract is an 18-month base period with two 18-month option-year periods. Using military services are Army and Department of Agriculture school customers. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 through fiscal 2015 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa., (SPE300-14-D-P231).
ARMY
BAE Systems - Land and Armaments LP, York, Pa., was awarded a $26,484,767 modification (P00001) to an existing fixed-price-incentive, option-included contract (W56HZV-14-C-0002) to exercise the option for Paladin Integrated Management low rate initial production technical data package and electronic technical manuals. Work will be performed in York; Sterling Heights, Mich.; and Santa Clara, Calif.; with an estimated completion date of Oct. 31, 2016. Fiscal 2014 procurement funds are being obligated on this award. The Army Contracting Command, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity.
AIR FORCE
A-YZ Corp., Winchester Mass., has been awarded a $7,166,660 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to create the capability to perform inference on real-world problems with 100 times “bigger” models than previously known to be achievable. “Bigger” models can translate into orders of magnitude, less training data required, less computation required for inference, and more accurate results. The contractor will develop and deliver a software prototype that will offer inference performance equal to or greater than 1e6-1e9 Metropolis-Hastings Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MH MCMC) samples per second and approximately 1e2-1e5 greater inference performance than existing systems. The innovations that will enable this capability are new forms of map-reduce based parallel inference on the cloud leveraging both a diversity of existing solvers as well as exploring the assimilation of certain core solvers into a more mathematically integrated and computationally efficient form. Work will be performed at Winchester, Mass., and is expected to be complete by Aug. 30, 2017. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition via an open Broad Agency Announcement, DARPA BAA No. 13-31; offers were solicited electronically, and 78 offers were received. Fiscal 2013 research and development funds in the amount of $311,842 are being obligated at time of award. Air Force Research Laboratory/RIKF, Rome N.Y., is the contracting activity (FA8750-14-C-0001).
CONTRACTS
NAVY
Maersk Line Ltd., Norfolk, Va., is being awarded a $73,677,038 firm-fixed-price contract for the time charter of one U.S.-flagged, twin-shaft vessel, which shall function as a maritime support vessel. This contract includes four 12-month option periods, which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $143,149,058. Work will be performed at sea worldwide, and is expected to be completed November 2014. If all options are exercised, work will continue through October 2018. Working capital contract funds in the amount of $73,677,038 are obligated for fiscal 2014, and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with over 200 proposals solicited via a solicitation posted to the Military Sealift Command and Federal Business Opportunities websites, with 13 offers received. The Military Sealift Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00033-14-C-2015).
General Dynamics Information Technology, Falls Church, Va., is being awarded a $49,999,999 cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for approximately 600,000 hours of integrated logistics services in support of technical analysis and investigation of Foreign Military Sales Programs. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Md. (59 percent); Annandale, Va. (9 percent); Philadelphia, Pa. (7 percent); Jacksonville, Fla. (6 percent); Kuwait (6 percent); Australia (5 percent); Arlington, Va. (4 percent); Egypt (1 percent); Japan (1 percent); Malaysia (1 percent); and Taiwan (1 percent), and is expected to be completed in November 2014. Funds are not being obligated at time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual delivery orders as they are issued. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to FAR 6.302-1. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity (N00421-14-D-0002).
TRANSPORTATION COMMAND
Federal Express Charter Programs Team Arrangement, Memphis, Tenn., is being awarded an estimated $145,223,956 modification to previously awarded contract HTC711-13-D-CC02 for international airlift services. Team members include: Air Transport International LLC, Little Rock, Ark.; Atlas Air, Inc., Purchase, N.Y.; Delta Air Lines, Inc., Atlanta, Ga.; Federal Express Corp.; Polar Air Cargo Worldwide, Inc., Purchase, N.Y.; and MN Airlines, LLC, doing business as Sun Country Airlines, Mendota Heights, Minn. Work will be performed at worldwide locations, and is expected to be completed Sept. 30, 2014. Fiscal 2014 Transportation Working Capital Funds are being obligated on individual task orders. The U.S. Transportation Command Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Ill., is the contracting activity.
National Air Cargo Group, Inc., doing business as National Airlines of Orlando, Fla., is being awarded an estimated $12,267,057 firm-fixed-price contract modification to increase the estimated contract value under previously awarded contract HTC711-13-D-CC08 for international airlift services. Work will be performed at worldwide locations and is expected to be completed Sept. 30, 2014. Fiscal 2014 Transportation Working Capital Funds are being obligated on individual task orders. The U.S. Transportation Command Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Ill., is the contracting activity.
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Bethpage, N.Y., has been awarded a maximum $37,484,783 firm-fixed-price contract for procurement of weapons system outer wing panels. This contract is a sole-source acquisition. Location of performance is New York, with a Nov. 31, 2017 performance completion date. This contract is a four-year base with no option-year periods. Using military service is Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 Navy working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM4AX-12-D-9401-THA5).
Quality Fruit and Vegetable LLC*, El Paso, Texas, has been awarded a maximum $30,000,000 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-quantity contract for fresh fruit and vegetable support. This contract is a competitive acquisition, and two offers were received. Location of performance is Texas with a May 17, 2015 performance completion date. This contract is an 18-month base period with two 18-month option-year periods. Using military services are Army and Department of Agriculture school customers. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 through fiscal 2015 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa., (SPE300-14-D-P231).
ARMY
BAE Systems - Land and Armaments LP, York, Pa., was awarded a $26,484,767 modification (P00001) to an existing fixed-price-incentive, option-included contract (W56HZV-14-C-0002) to exercise the option for Paladin Integrated Management low rate initial production technical data package and electronic technical manuals. Work will be performed in York; Sterling Heights, Mich.; and Santa Clara, Calif.; with an estimated completion date of Oct. 31, 2016. Fiscal 2014 procurement funds are being obligated on this award. The Army Contracting Command, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity.
AIR FORCE
A-YZ Corp., Winchester Mass., has been awarded a $7,166,660 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to create the capability to perform inference on real-world problems with 100 times “bigger” models than previously known to be achievable. “Bigger” models can translate into orders of magnitude, less training data required, less computation required for inference, and more accurate results. The contractor will develop and deliver a software prototype that will offer inference performance equal to or greater than 1e6-1e9 Metropolis-Hastings Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MH MCMC) samples per second and approximately 1e2-1e5 greater inference performance than existing systems. The innovations that will enable this capability are new forms of map-reduce based parallel inference on the cloud leveraging both a diversity of existing solvers as well as exploring the assimilation of certain core solvers into a more mathematically integrated and computationally efficient form. Work will be performed at Winchester, Mass., and is expected to be complete by Aug. 30, 2017. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition via an open Broad Agency Announcement, DARPA BAA No. 13-31; offers were solicited electronically, and 78 offers were received. Fiscal 2013 research and development funds in the amount of $311,842 are being obligated at time of award. Air Force Research Laboratory/RIKF, Rome N.Y., is the contracting activity (FA8750-14-C-0001).
RECENT NAVY PHOTOS OF UNMANNED COMBAT AIR SYSTEM DEMONSTRATOR X-47B
FROM: U.S. NAVY
ATLANTIC OCEAN (Nov. 10, 2013) The experimental X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System Demonstrator (UCAS-D) launches from the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71). Theodore Roosevelt is the third carrier to test the tailless, unmanned autonomous aircraft's ability to integrate with the carrier environment. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Sean Weir/Released)
ALANTIC OCEAN (Nov. 9, 2013) The experimental X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System Demonstrator (UCAS-D) conducts an arrested landing aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71). Theodore Roosevelt is the third carrier to test the tailless, unmanned autonomous air craft's ability to integrate with carrier environment. (US Navy photo By Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Anthony N. Hilkowski/Released)
SUMMIT HELD IN WASHINGTON D.C. TO PROMOTE "DOING BUSINESS IN THE USA"
FROM: U.S. LABOR DEPARTMENT
Doing Business in the USA
Secretary Perez meets with SelectUSA attendees to discuss our talented, diverse and resilient workforce. The local level is where economic development partnerships are forged, Secretary Perez, who has been a local elected official, noted at the SelectUSA 2013 Investment Summit. These local workforces are talented, diverse and resilient and, having met workers across the country, Perez said, "they are raring to go!" Perez spoke on Oct. 31 at the summit, which connects businesses and investors from around the world with state, regional and local economic development organizations. The summit, held in Washington, D.C., was hosted by the U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration and SelectUSA, and attracted more than 3,000 business leaders, entrepreneurs, government officials and others. Earlier in the day, President Obama addressed the summit on the importance of doing business in America, where "you'll find some of the world's best workers, some of the world's most innovative entrepreneurs. You'll find a government, and a president who is committed to helping you create more good jobs for the middle class, and helping you succeed well into the 21st century." Other participants included Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker, Treasury Secretary Jack Lew, Secretary of State John Kerry, U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman, and the chair of the Council of Economic Advisors, Jason Furman.
Doing Business in the USA
Secretary Perez meets with SelectUSA attendees to discuss our talented, diverse and resilient workforce. The local level is where economic development partnerships are forged, Secretary Perez, who has been a local elected official, noted at the SelectUSA 2013 Investment Summit. These local workforces are talented, diverse and resilient and, having met workers across the country, Perez said, "they are raring to go!" Perez spoke on Oct. 31 at the summit, which connects businesses and investors from around the world with state, regional and local economic development organizations. The summit, held in Washington, D.C., was hosted by the U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration and SelectUSA, and attracted more than 3,000 business leaders, entrepreneurs, government officials and others. Earlier in the day, President Obama addressed the summit on the importance of doing business in America, where "you'll find some of the world's best workers, some of the world's most innovative entrepreneurs. You'll find a government, and a president who is committed to helping you create more good jobs for the middle class, and helping you succeed well into the 21st century." Other participants included Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker, Treasury Secretary Jack Lew, Secretary of State John Kerry, U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman, and the chair of the Council of Economic Advisors, Jason Furman.
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