FROM: STATE DEPARTMENT
Remarks at the U.S.-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Pakistan's National Security and Foreign Affairs Advisor Sartaj Aziz
Ben Franklin Room
Washington, DC
January 27, 2014
SECRETARY KERRY: Please, everybody.
Well, good morning to all, to our friends from Pakistan, As-Salaam Alaikum. We’re very happy to welcome you here to Washington. A little cold, but at least it’s not snowing today.
It’s a great pleasure for me to welcome Mr. Aziz and his team to the State Department for this strategic dialogue. And today is a – it’s another opportunity for our two countries to build on what we have achieved during Prime Minister Sharif’s visit here to Washington last October, and also for me to return the favor of the hospitality that you afforded me during my visit to Pakistan last summer.
I’m delighted not only to welcome this important, high-level, impressive delegation, but all my interagency colleagues who are here with us over on the other side of the table here. And their presence really demonstrates our commitment on the part of the United States to strengthen and to deepen our relationship, and to try to build as constructively as possible. We all know there’ve been occasional hiccups and challenges, but we really believe that there are fundamental interests that we need to unite around, and particularly in economic and security spheres. I’m particularly happy to welcome our Ambassador Olson back in Washington. He’s one of our most accomplished diplomats, and we’re glad that throughout your visit during the week, you’re going to have an opportunity to be able to meet with a lot of high-level administration personnel: Secretary Hagel, National Security Advisor Rice, and Energy Secretary Moniz. So I think we have a good series of meetings planned.
I want you to know – I want to emphasize to you – I think many of you know this, but building stronger ties with the people of Pakistan – I emphasize, with the people of Pakistan broadly writ – has been a personal commitment of mine for some period of time. I was privileged to sponsor what became known as the Kerry-Lugar-Berman bill in the Congress, which provided significant economic assistance and still does – I checked even as of this morning, we are continuing. There is a latest recommendation from the Secretary of Defense, which is before the Congress now, and so we are continuing to provide a connection between the people of the United States and the people of Pakistan.
Particularly since I was nominated by President Obama to serve as Secretary of State, I’ve been pleased to work to elevate this relationship to a true partnership. And the strategic dialogue that we’re engaged in now is really just the latest indication of our common commitment to escalating shared prosperity and helping to resolve some of the economic challenges that Pakistan faces, and also to recognize the importance of the strength and vitality of our security relationship.
Since Pakistan’s historic election last May, we have enjoyed even greater cooperation and a strengthening of ties across the entire spectrum of issues, from energy to security to education. And I want to commend the tough choices the prime minister and his cabinet have made to reinvigorate Pakistan’s economy and the commitment that you have made to engage in serious reforms that will help to tap into the enormous potential of the people of Pakistan. The United States has no doubt that Prime Minister Sharif’s policies will put Pakistan on a path towards a more prosperous future, and we fully support his goal of making Pakistan’s marketplace a tiger economy for the 21st century. Indeed, greater trade and investment between the United States and Pakistan will make both of our countries more prosperous, and it’s really a critical part of our efforts this week.
Our energy-related ties are a preview of our economic relationship’s potential. Since the fall of 2009 the United States has already helped to add 1,000 megawatts of capacity to Pakistan’s grid, and we’ve been able to do much of it with renewable energy. We believe there are additional areas where we can collaborate in order to support greater energy production, and also improve distribution and reforms that will attract greater investment.
The United States has also partnered with Pakistan to make significant investments in traditional infrastructure, including the construction of 900 kilometers of roadways in regions that border Afghanistan, including the four main trade routes between the two countries. More broadly, the United States and Pakistan continue to have a vital, shared, strategic interest in pursuit of a Pakistan that is at the center of an economically diverse region and a dynamic South Asian marketplace.
Our two nations understand that the most important road to prosperity for the next generation is education. In keeping with that commitment, the United States now invests more in our Fulbright program in Pakistan than anywhere else in the world. We have also built and renovated over 600 schools in Pakistan and provided 12,000 students with scholarships in order to attend local universities. All of this comes on top of the partnership between our universities, and their shared collaboration and investments in research, development, and innovation.
At the same time, the U.S.-Pakistan Women’s Council is also fostering cooperation between our citizens in order to promote women’s economic advancement. Our U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Women’s Focus Issues[1], Cathy Russell, will be in Pakistan shortly in order to listen to your government officials in order to listen to leaders in civil society, and leading businesswomen who are working to bring citizens of both countries together in order to empower women and create opportunity across our societies.
We believe very strongly that Pakistan is stronger for the diversity and dynamism of its people, and is strongest when every man and woman in Pakistan, regardless of religion or sect or gender, participates in full in society. We appreciate the efforts of the Pakistani Government and the civil society to stand up against extremists, and your struggle to develop a Pakistan where every Pakistani has a say and a stake in Pakistan’s success against extremism.
When few – I think few have suffered more at the hands of terrorists and extremists than the people of Pakistan. Many people in the world are not aware of how many of your citizens you have lost in this struggle. And we also have a common cause and a common obligation to be partners for one another’s prosperity in the fight against those who want to limit opportunity and take Pakistan backwards. That is also why it remains essential for the United States and Pakistan to continue to find avenues of cooperation on counterterrorism, on nuclear security.
We recognize that Pakistan is a vital partner in supporting a secure Afghanistan, and we know how closely Pakistan’s own security is linked to Afghanistan’s success. That’s why addressing the threats posed to both Pakistan and Afghanistan by cross-border militancy is a key aspect of our conversations this week.
The reinvigoration of this Strategic Dialogue, we believe, is a important symbol of our strengthening ties across a broad spectrum of our mutual interests. And where we have differences, we pledge to work through them, as friends and as partners do, in an effort to make our relationship stronger and more open for the long term. We really do look forward to strengthening our relationship with the people of Pakistan. You know how many Pakistanis live here in our country. We have an enormous American-Pakistan diaspora. We are proud of their contributions to our country. And I know you are proud of their continued affection and ties to Pakistan.
So we look forward to working together in the days to come, and I think this dialogue is a very important continuation of our effort to understand our common interests, to define our differences where they exist, and to work to try to minimize them.
So with that, Mr. Advisor on National Security and Mr. Foreign Minister, I welcome you here. We’re really delighted to have you back, and I look forward to our continued conversation.
MR. AZIZ: (Inaudible) Secretary Kerry, members of the U.S. delegation, ladies and gentlemen, may I begin by thanking Secretary Kerry for a very positive and constructive opening statement. I’ll also like to convey my deep appreciation to Secretary Kerry for convening this session of the Strategic Dialogue, and for providing this opportunity to review all elements of the U.S.-Pakistan bilateral relations, regional concerns, and to further build the positive momentum for taking this relationship to a new and higher plane.
Your commitment and dedication for strengthening Pakistan-U.S. relationship, Secretary Kerry, over the years, is widely acknowledged in Pakistan. As you and your colleagues are aware, the Strategic Dialogue at ministerial level was initiated in 2010, and three sessions were held in quick succession in March, July, and October that year. But after 2011, a succession of events and irritants interrupted the process. The resumption of this dialogue after a gap of three years symbolizes the inherent resilience and significance of this relationship, and the commitment of both sides not to let transient irritants or disagreements overshadow the strategic relevance and enduring utility of this relationship of both countries.
We are fully conscious that this resumed ministerial review is taking place in the backdrop of significant developments within Pakistan, in U.S.-Pakistan bilateral relation, and in the region as a whole. The historic democratic transition in Pakistan in May 2013, as you mentioned, has opened numerous doors of cooperation between our two countries. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s landmark visit to the U.S. in October last year, and the comprehensive joint statement issued thereafter not only provided the vision and future direction of this relationship, but also laid out a comprehensive framework for mutually beneficial collaboration based on common goals of democracy, freedom and respect for human rights.
The ongoing drawdown of ISAF forces in Afghanistan also creates new challenges and new opportunities for cooperation. In pursuing this goal of a responsible end to the long war in Afghanistan, we have to ensure that Afghanistan successfully transitions into a period of stability and that past mistakes are not repeated. Pakistan is therefore very keen to work together with the U.S. and other countries in the region to encourage an Afghan-led reconciliation process for a peaceful and stable Afghanistan. This then is the overbearing and sobering background in which we are meeting to explore ways and means for transforming the post-2014 U.S.-Pakistan transactional relationship into a strategic partnership.
Ever since your important visit to Pakistan in August 2013, I’ve been thinking as hard as I could to discover the real meaning of this strategic partnership. At what stage does a normal transactional relationship become strategic? Are there one or more thresholds that must be crossed before a relationship can qualify as a strategic partnership? In this search, I’ve carefully read the minutes of the first three sessions of this dialogue that took place in 2010. Let me share with you, Secretary Kerry, my preliminary conclusions.
The most important prerequisite for a strategic partnership, in my view, is mutual trust at all levels and among all key institutions. Once this trust is restored, then any unexpected incident or accident or disagreement on a policy or a tactic will not be able to derail the relationship, as happened in 2011 and 2012.
The second most important element from our perspective is the expectation that U.S. will not look at Pakistan from the two specific lenses of Afghanistan and terrorism. These are legitimate U.S. concerns, but these must be balanced by giving due importance to Pakistan’s own security concerns. There is, in fact, need for a careful attention to the long-term effect of U.S. policies on Pakistan’s security. I’m sure most of you will agree that historically Pakistan’s security concerns were not taken into account when the U.S. decided to withdraw from Afghanistan in the early ’90s after the defeat of the Soviet forces with Pakistan’s active support, or even when invaded Afghanistan after 9/11.
Similarly, there’s a strong perception in Pakistan that a lot of pressure is exerted on Pakistan on issues of concern to India. Our legitimate concerns are not conveyed to India with the same intensity. If these important prerequisites are met, then the contribution of other elements of this important relationship, such as expanded trade, high level of private investment, long-term partnership on some major projects, will become far more significant and mutually reinforcing.
An important manifestation of such a partnership will be closer contacts among the people of the two countries because, as you just said, all enduring relationship have to be built on the feelings and attitudes of the people and their chosen representative. That is why President Obama and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif agreed that our interaction should focus on people-centered initiatives and result-oriented outcomes. Mr. Secretary Kerry, the challenge for all of us as we assemble in this room, we on our part are ready to take up this challenge if you are.
I’m confident that our exchanges during this ministerial review would enable us to comprehensively review the status of implementation of the decision taken both at the summit meeting in October and the working group meetings already held and provide guidance and directions for the future. In the past three months, the three working groups on energy, security, strategic stability, and nuclear nonproliferation and defense consultative groups have met under the revived Strategic Dialogue process. The other two working groups will also be meeting shortly and, we’ll be previewing them today.
In this context, may I also suggest, since you just emphasized the importance of education, that we might revive the sixth working group on education to provide a more systematic framework for cooperation in this important field.
Gentlemen and – ladies and gentlemen, the government is committed to effectively tackle the whole range of economic, security and energy-related challenges that we confront today. As Secretary Kerry said, the Prime Minister’s team believes in a good and accountable governance and are determined to turn around the economy, work on the energy crisis, and seek peace and security in the region.
We have a lot to show for the six months that we have been in office so far. Just to name a few: improved economic indicators, better fiscal management, rising investment flows, a resurgent stock market, some respite in the energy crisis through the addition of 1,700 megawatts of electricity onto the national grid, peace and friendship initiatives in our neighborhood.
The – we are happy to see that there is better appreciation vote both bilaterally and regionally of the step that Pakistan has already taken and which the government wishes to move in the future. We are confident that the U.S. has been a country to be an important ally and partner in helping Pakistan achieve its national priorities and advancing goals for promoting peace, prosperity, and greater economic integration in the region.
Recognizing the seriousness of the energy crisis that we face in Pakistan, we are hopeful that U.S. will respond urgently by sending the much-needed help that we need in the sector, especially in developing our hydrogen resources. Our government also firmly believes in expanded trade opportunities as the key for economic resurgence and revival of Pakistan. In this regard we are grateful for the help extended by the European Union over the last decade and recently accorded GSP-plus status to Pakistan.
We do hope that U.S., as a key ally and close partner, would also help by extending preferential access to Pakistani export to the U.S. market. This will go a long way in helping Pakistan turn around its economy, which is already crucial in fighting terrorism and extremism as well as in reducing poverty. While taking stock of how far we have come, we should also endeavor to lay down a forward-looking agenda for the next year.
Ladies and gentlemen, Pakistan has on its part paid a very heavy price in flesh and blood in fighting terrorism over the last decade and remains committed to bringing this fight to an end through all available means, both internally as well as regionally. Although the war in Afghanistan may be winding down, just as in the past Pakistan will have to face the brunt of any instability that may engulf Afghanistan after 2014. The people of Pakistan have continued to sacrifice in this war against extremist elements. And despite its heavy toll on our people, Pakistan has supported the international community because a stable and peaceful Afghanistan is in the interest of the region and Pakistan.
We support, as you said, an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process, and at the same time hope that our security concerns are comprehensively addressed. Pakistan is ready to help in every possible way in facilitating peace and stability in Afghanistan, including through a comprehensive reconciliation process. We remain committed to facilitate a smooth and responsible U.S. drawdown from Afghanistan, and a continued flow of the lines of communication.
The overwhelming majority of the people in Pakistan support the normalization of our relations with India and believe that the resolution of the Kashmir dispute would result in achieving this goal. The prime minister’s bold vision of normalizing relations with India is being pursued with full commitment.
Ladies and gentlemen, 2013 was a significant year of our bilateral relationship. The progress we have made, particularly in the past six months, should be a source of satisfaction for all of us. 2014 promises to be a more important year for the relationship as Pakistan takes steps to further consolidate democracy and overcome various internal challenges. We look forward to the U.S. for meaningful support. The Strategic Dialogue process will therefore provide the most suitable mechanism for this cooperation.
Let me conclude by once again expressing our gratitude to you, Secretary Kerry, and your colleagues for hosting us today. I am confident that today’s meetings and my other interactions during this visit will open new avenues of cooperation between our two countries.
Thank you.
SECRETARY KERRY: Well, thank you very much, Sartaj. I really appreciate your very constructive comments. And I must say I take note of the progress that you’ve cited and also the suggestion conceivably about adding education as an area.
[1] Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issue
Monday, January 27, 2014
U.S. CONDEMNS ATTACKS IN CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
FROM: STATE DEPARTMENT
U.S. Condemns Renewed Violence in Central African Republic
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
January 26, 2014
The United States is deeply concerned by renewed inter-religious violence in the Central African Republic (CAR). We condemn attacks by both anti-Balaka and Seleka groups in Bangui and the provinces. We are also deeply disturbed by reports that some CAR leaders may be supporting attacks by anti-Balaka and Seleka, respectively, instead of working for peace and reconciliation.
Preventing the violence from gaining further momentum and costing more lives will require all of CAR’s leaders, past and present, to be clear in condemning it. We urge CAR’s past and present political leaders – including senior officials in the previous Bozize and Djotodia administrations such as Francois Bozize and Noureddine Adam – to call on their supporters to cease any and all attacks on civilians. The United States is prepared to consider targeted sanctions against those who further destabilize the situation, or pursue their own selfish ends by abetting or encouraging the violence. We will continue to work tirelessly with our international partners to hold accountable all those responsible for atrocities committed in CAR.
Last week’s selection of a transitional government offers the people of CAR an opportunity to rebuild their society and restore their tradition of tolerance. Today, I reiterate President Obama’s call for the citizens of CAR to follow a path of peace, rather than one of violence and retribution. The United States stands with Transitional President Samba-Panza as she seeks to bring all the parties together to end the violence foster reconciliation, and move her country toward elections not later than February 2015.
Restoring security in CAR is vital to stopping the violence and ending the dire humanitarian crisis jeopardizing the lives of the millions throughout the country. We continue to support efforts by the African Union, regional leaders, and our French allies to disarm all armed groups. We are transporting, equipping, training, and providing logistical support to African-led International Support Mission (MISCA) troops and have committed up to $101 million to do so.
We commend the commitment of the French, regional leaders of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the African Union, and other members of the international community to helping to restore stability to CAR. We urge all neighboring countries to ensure that no arms or other support to armed groups in the CAR transits their borders, and to take steps to prevent individuals on their territory from fueling the conflict.
U.S. Condemns Renewed Violence in Central African Republic
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
January 26, 2014
The United States is deeply concerned by renewed inter-religious violence in the Central African Republic (CAR). We condemn attacks by both anti-Balaka and Seleka groups in Bangui and the provinces. We are also deeply disturbed by reports that some CAR leaders may be supporting attacks by anti-Balaka and Seleka, respectively, instead of working for peace and reconciliation.
Preventing the violence from gaining further momentum and costing more lives will require all of CAR’s leaders, past and present, to be clear in condemning it. We urge CAR’s past and present political leaders – including senior officials in the previous Bozize and Djotodia administrations such as Francois Bozize and Noureddine Adam – to call on their supporters to cease any and all attacks on civilians. The United States is prepared to consider targeted sanctions against those who further destabilize the situation, or pursue their own selfish ends by abetting or encouraging the violence. We will continue to work tirelessly with our international partners to hold accountable all those responsible for atrocities committed in CAR.
Last week’s selection of a transitional government offers the people of CAR an opportunity to rebuild their society and restore their tradition of tolerance. Today, I reiterate President Obama’s call for the citizens of CAR to follow a path of peace, rather than one of violence and retribution. The United States stands with Transitional President Samba-Panza as she seeks to bring all the parties together to end the violence foster reconciliation, and move her country toward elections not later than February 2015.
Restoring security in CAR is vital to stopping the violence and ending the dire humanitarian crisis jeopardizing the lives of the millions throughout the country. We continue to support efforts by the African Union, regional leaders, and our French allies to disarm all armed groups. We are transporting, equipping, training, and providing logistical support to African-led International Support Mission (MISCA) troops and have committed up to $101 million to do so.
We commend the commitment of the French, regional leaders of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the African Union, and other members of the international community to helping to restore stability to CAR. We urge all neighboring countries to ensure that no arms or other support to armed groups in the CAR transits their borders, and to take steps to prevent individuals on their territory from fueling the conflict.
INTERIOR SECRETARY, SENATORS HOST PUBLIC MEETING IN CENTRAL NEW MEXICO
FROM: INTERIOR DEPARTMENT
Secretary Jewell Visits Iconic New Mexico Landscapes
Joins Public Meeting hosted by Senators Udall, Heinrich to Hear from Community on Proposals to Protect and Enhance Public Lands in Doña Ana County and to Boost Tourism, Outdoor Recreation Economy
01/24/2014
LAS CRUCES, NM - Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell today wrapped up a two-day visit to south central New Mexico where she joined Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich for a public meeting to hear from the community about its vision for the management of public lands in Doña Ana County. The visit builds on the Secretary’s work to support locally driven efforts to preserve and protect places that hold special meaning to communities across the country.
“This morning I had the opportunity to hike part of Broad Canyon and look back over Las Cruces, and it’s immediately clear why New Mexico is known as the ‘Land of Enchantment,’” said Jewell. “Doña Ana County is a place rich with history, culture, wildlife and opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors – whether that’s hunting or hiking. Over the past few years we’ve seen a groundswell of support from many in the community to ensure that these landscapes are celebrated and passed on to the generations of New Mexicans to come. Those efforts also have the potential to drive significant economic benefits to the region through a boost in tourism and outdoor recreation.”
Jewell visited New Mexico at the invitation of Senators Udall and Heinrich, who have introduced legislation to establish the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument. The proposal would conserve and enhance scenic, recreational and culturally significant lands that are managed by Interior’s Bureau of Land Management – including the Organ, Doña Ana, Potrillo, Robledo and Uvas mountains surrounding Las Cruces.
A recent independent study estimates that a new national monument could generate $7.4 million in new economic activity annually from new visitors and business opportunities.
“Passing the Organ Mountains Desert Peaks Conservation Act would help create jobs and build a stronger economy here in Southern New Mexico. I'm very glad we had the opportunity to show off this special area for Secretary Jewell,” Udall said. “The Organ Mountains Desert Peaks region is beloved in the community, and it was important for the Secretary to hear from a diverse group of people here in Las Cruces about their vision for the future of this region. I thank the Secretary for taking time out to learn more about this incredible asset and to hear directly from New Mexicans.”
"I’m grateful for the opportunity to host Secretary Jewell in our state and to hear directly from the community about their vision for managing our treasured public lands,” said Heinrich. “New Mexicans have a deep connection to the outdoors – whether for hunting or hiking or other traditions both new and old. The Organ, Sierra de Las Uvas, Potrillo, and Robledo Mountains are among some of the most scenic landscapes in our state and define Doña Ana County’s rich culture. Designating this natural treasure a national monument would help promote tourism in the region, foster recreational opportunities, and preserve our outdoor heritage for us now and for future generations of Americans to enjoy."
Jewell also participated in a meeting with senior officials at the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Border Patrol yesterday to underscore Interior’s continued commitment to cooperate in providing law enforcement and border security in the area.
“We appreciate the productive working relationship we have with our colleagues at the Department of Homeland Security and local law enforcement,” BLM Principal Deputy Director Neil Kornze said. “I applaud Senators Udall and Heinrich for ensuring that access, flexibility and cooperation with federal and local law enforcement officials are a cornerstone of their proposal.”
The BLM Las Cruces District Office currently manages over 500,000 acres in the proposed monument for multiple uses, including conservation of natural and archeological resources and outdoor recreation, such as hiking, biking, camping and hunting. State-wide, BLM-New Mexico hosted 2.9 million visitors at 28 recreation sites in fiscal year 2013. Recreation on BLM-managed lands and waters in New Mexico supported more than 1,600 jobs and contributed more than $140 million to the state’s economy in fiscal year 2011.
The Organ Mountains provide a spectacular backdrop for the City of Las Cruces, with steep, angular rock outcroppings reminiscent of organ pipes rising to nearly 9,000 feet in elevation
and extending for 20 miles, running generally north and south. This high-desert landscape within the Chihuahuan Desert contains a multitude of biological zones – mixed desert shrubs and grasslands in the lowlands ascending to piñon and juniper woodlands, and finally to ponderosa pines at the highest elevations.
The area is home to a high diversity of animal life, including deer, pronghorn antelope, mountain lions, peregrine falcons and other raptors as well as rare plants, some found nowhere else in the world, such as the Organ Mountains pincushion cactus. The area also contains more than 5,000 archeologically and culturally significant sites, including a site containing the earliest known cultivated corn in the United States, Geronimo's Cave, Billy the Kid's Outlaw Rock, Spanish settlement sites, and numerous petroglyphs and pictographs, some dating back 8,000 years. The Organ Mountains are a popular recreation area, with multiple hiking trails, a popular campground, and opportunities for hunting, mountain biking, rock climbing, and other recreation.
On the west side of Las Cruces, the Desert Peaks area contains mountain ranges and peaks of the Robledo Mountains and Sierra de las Uvas. These landscapes contain many mesas and buttes interspersed with deep canyons and arroyos. Prehistoric cultural sites of the classic Mimbres and El Paso phases are located throughout this region along with historic sites associated with more recent settlements, including the Butterfield Stagecoach Trail. This area is also home to the unusual Night-blooming Cereus, with a one-night-a-year bloom.
To the southwest of Las Cruces is the Potrillo Mountains Complex, characterized by cinder cones, volcanic craters, and basalt lava flows in the open desert landscape. They too have abundant wildlife, significant prehistoric cultural and historic sites, and serve as a popular destination for outdoor recreation.
The Bureau of Land Management’s National Conservation Lands contain some of the West’s most spectacular landscapes. They include more than 887 federally recognized areas comprising approximately 27 million acres of National Monuments, National Conservation Areas, Wilderness Areas, Wilderness Study Areas, Wild and Scenic Rivers, National Scenic and Historic Trails, and Conservation Lands of the
Secretary Jewell Visits Iconic New Mexico Landscapes
Joins Public Meeting hosted by Senators Udall, Heinrich to Hear from Community on Proposals to Protect and Enhance Public Lands in Doña Ana County and to Boost Tourism, Outdoor Recreation Economy
01/24/2014
LAS CRUCES, NM - Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell today wrapped up a two-day visit to south central New Mexico where she joined Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich for a public meeting to hear from the community about its vision for the management of public lands in Doña Ana County. The visit builds on the Secretary’s work to support locally driven efforts to preserve and protect places that hold special meaning to communities across the country.
“This morning I had the opportunity to hike part of Broad Canyon and look back over Las Cruces, and it’s immediately clear why New Mexico is known as the ‘Land of Enchantment,’” said Jewell. “Doña Ana County is a place rich with history, culture, wildlife and opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors – whether that’s hunting or hiking. Over the past few years we’ve seen a groundswell of support from many in the community to ensure that these landscapes are celebrated and passed on to the generations of New Mexicans to come. Those efforts also have the potential to drive significant economic benefits to the region through a boost in tourism and outdoor recreation.”
Jewell visited New Mexico at the invitation of Senators Udall and Heinrich, who have introduced legislation to establish the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument. The proposal would conserve and enhance scenic, recreational and culturally significant lands that are managed by Interior’s Bureau of Land Management – including the Organ, Doña Ana, Potrillo, Robledo and Uvas mountains surrounding Las Cruces.
A recent independent study estimates that a new national monument could generate $7.4 million in new economic activity annually from new visitors and business opportunities.
“Passing the Organ Mountains Desert Peaks Conservation Act would help create jobs and build a stronger economy here in Southern New Mexico. I'm very glad we had the opportunity to show off this special area for Secretary Jewell,” Udall said. “The Organ Mountains Desert Peaks region is beloved in the community, and it was important for the Secretary to hear from a diverse group of people here in Las Cruces about their vision for the future of this region. I thank the Secretary for taking time out to learn more about this incredible asset and to hear directly from New Mexicans.”
"I’m grateful for the opportunity to host Secretary Jewell in our state and to hear directly from the community about their vision for managing our treasured public lands,” said Heinrich. “New Mexicans have a deep connection to the outdoors – whether for hunting or hiking or other traditions both new and old. The Organ, Sierra de Las Uvas, Potrillo, and Robledo Mountains are among some of the most scenic landscapes in our state and define Doña Ana County’s rich culture. Designating this natural treasure a national monument would help promote tourism in the region, foster recreational opportunities, and preserve our outdoor heritage for us now and for future generations of Americans to enjoy."
Jewell also participated in a meeting with senior officials at the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Border Patrol yesterday to underscore Interior’s continued commitment to cooperate in providing law enforcement and border security in the area.
“We appreciate the productive working relationship we have with our colleagues at the Department of Homeland Security and local law enforcement,” BLM Principal Deputy Director Neil Kornze said. “I applaud Senators Udall and Heinrich for ensuring that access, flexibility and cooperation with federal and local law enforcement officials are a cornerstone of their proposal.”
The BLM Las Cruces District Office currently manages over 500,000 acres in the proposed monument for multiple uses, including conservation of natural and archeological resources and outdoor recreation, such as hiking, biking, camping and hunting. State-wide, BLM-New Mexico hosted 2.9 million visitors at 28 recreation sites in fiscal year 2013. Recreation on BLM-managed lands and waters in New Mexico supported more than 1,600 jobs and contributed more than $140 million to the state’s economy in fiscal year 2011.
The Organ Mountains provide a spectacular backdrop for the City of Las Cruces, with steep, angular rock outcroppings reminiscent of organ pipes rising to nearly 9,000 feet in elevation
and extending for 20 miles, running generally north and south. This high-desert landscape within the Chihuahuan Desert contains a multitude of biological zones – mixed desert shrubs and grasslands in the lowlands ascending to piñon and juniper woodlands, and finally to ponderosa pines at the highest elevations.
The area is home to a high diversity of animal life, including deer, pronghorn antelope, mountain lions, peregrine falcons and other raptors as well as rare plants, some found nowhere else in the world, such as the Organ Mountains pincushion cactus. The area also contains more than 5,000 archeologically and culturally significant sites, including a site containing the earliest known cultivated corn in the United States, Geronimo's Cave, Billy the Kid's Outlaw Rock, Spanish settlement sites, and numerous petroglyphs and pictographs, some dating back 8,000 years. The Organ Mountains are a popular recreation area, with multiple hiking trails, a popular campground, and opportunities for hunting, mountain biking, rock climbing, and other recreation.
On the west side of Las Cruces, the Desert Peaks area contains mountain ranges and peaks of the Robledo Mountains and Sierra de las Uvas. These landscapes contain many mesas and buttes interspersed with deep canyons and arroyos. Prehistoric cultural sites of the classic Mimbres and El Paso phases are located throughout this region along with historic sites associated with more recent settlements, including the Butterfield Stagecoach Trail. This area is also home to the unusual Night-blooming Cereus, with a one-night-a-year bloom.
To the southwest of Las Cruces is the Potrillo Mountains Complex, characterized by cinder cones, volcanic craters, and basalt lava flows in the open desert landscape. They too have abundant wildlife, significant prehistoric cultural and historic sites, and serve as a popular destination for outdoor recreation.
The Bureau of Land Management’s National Conservation Lands contain some of the West’s most spectacular landscapes. They include more than 887 federally recognized areas comprising approximately 27 million acres of National Monuments, National Conservation Areas, Wilderness Areas, Wilderness Study Areas, Wild and Scenic Rivers, National Scenic and Historic Trails, and Conservation Lands of the
RECENT U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTOS
FROM: U.S. AIR FORCE
Airmen from the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Combat Camera Squadron use smoke for cover as they cross through a field during the tactical portion of the Ability to Survive and Operate exercise Jan. 14, 2014, at North Auxiliary Air Field, S.C. The 1st Combat Camera Squadron located at Joint Base Charleston, S.C., hosted the exercise from Jan. 6 through 17. (U.S. Air Force photo-Senior Airman Dennis Sloan)
Airmen assigned to the 455th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron remove the engine from an F-16 Fighting Falcon Jan. 22, 2014, at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. The engine was removed due to a defective hydraulic line. (U.S. Air Force photo-Senior Airman Kayla Newman).
COMMERCE SECRETARY PRITZKER ATTENDS WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM IN DAVOS, SWITZERLAND
FROM: DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Secretary Pritzker Takes “Open For Business Agenda” to World Economic Forum
Submitted on January 24, 2014 - 6:00pm
This week Secretary Pritzker was in Davos, Switzerland at the World Economic Forum (WEF). Her participation in WEF highlighted the importance of innovation and entrepreneurship as part of the Commerce Department’s “Open for Business Agenda.” The Department of Commerce is responsible for promoting the ideas and policies that support innovation and entrepreneurship, which help America maintain its competitive edge, spur wage and job growth, and strengthen the U.S. economy.
Secretary Pritzker participated in a plenary session on the US Economic Outlook with Treasury Secretary Jack Lew and US Trade Representative Michael Froman. During the panel Secretary Pritzker said she was optimistic and bullish about America’s future because the economy and American competitiveness have regained traction. The economy has created 8 million jobs in past 4 years, including more than 2.2 million private sector jobs last year, and nearly 600,000 new jobs in manufacturing. With 10 straight quarters of GDP growth, the recovery is starting to take hold and economists expect continued strong growth in the year ahead.
Secretary Pritzker also reiterated the need for increased trade and investment. Since 95% of consumers live outside of our borders, it is important that we continue to pursue free trade agreements since they have proved to be one of the best ways to open up foreign markets to U.S. exporters. That is why the Obama Administration is pursuing additional trade agreements that will cover 60% of the global GDP and open up new markets to American businesses. The Secretary also promoted SelectUSA, the Administration’s aggressive effort to seek potential investors.
Secretary Pritzker pushed for a sustained recovery built upon real wage growth. She called for aggressively addressing income inequality by lifting incomes and helping long-term unemployed through increasing the minimum wage and extending unemployment insurance. Pritzker noted that business and government leaders have a moral responsibility to support their workers and thereby strengthen their middle class – in an increasingly interconnected, competitive global economy.
Secretary Pritzker Takes “Open For Business Agenda” to World Economic Forum
Submitted on January 24, 2014 - 6:00pm
This week Secretary Pritzker was in Davos, Switzerland at the World Economic Forum (WEF). Her participation in WEF highlighted the importance of innovation and entrepreneurship as part of the Commerce Department’s “Open for Business Agenda.” The Department of Commerce is responsible for promoting the ideas and policies that support innovation and entrepreneurship, which help America maintain its competitive edge, spur wage and job growth, and strengthen the U.S. economy.
Secretary Pritzker participated in a plenary session on the US Economic Outlook with Treasury Secretary Jack Lew and US Trade Representative Michael Froman. During the panel Secretary Pritzker said she was optimistic and bullish about America’s future because the economy and American competitiveness have regained traction. The economy has created 8 million jobs in past 4 years, including more than 2.2 million private sector jobs last year, and nearly 600,000 new jobs in manufacturing. With 10 straight quarters of GDP growth, the recovery is starting to take hold and economists expect continued strong growth in the year ahead.
Secretary Pritzker also reiterated the need for increased trade and investment. Since 95% of consumers live outside of our borders, it is important that we continue to pursue free trade agreements since they have proved to be one of the best ways to open up foreign markets to U.S. exporters. That is why the Obama Administration is pursuing additional trade agreements that will cover 60% of the global GDP and open up new markets to American businesses. The Secretary also promoted SelectUSA, the Administration’s aggressive effort to seek potential investors.
Secretary Pritzker pushed for a sustained recovery built upon real wage growth. She called for aggressively addressing income inequality by lifting incomes and helping long-term unemployed through increasing the minimum wage and extending unemployment insurance. Pritzker noted that business and government leaders have a moral responsibility to support their workers and thereby strengthen their middle class – in an increasingly interconnected, competitive global economy.
TWO SENTENCED IN RACIALLY MOTIVATED ARSON CASE
FROM: JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Missouri Man and Woman Sentenced for Violating Civil Rights of Family in Racially Motivated Arson
Acting Assistant Attorney General Jocelyn Samuels for the Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Tammy Dickinson for the Western District of Missouri announced that a man and a woman, both from Independence, Mo., were sentenced in federal court today for violating the civil rights of an African-American family by setting fire to their residence.
On Aug. 28, 2013, Logan J. Smith, 25, and Victoria A. Cheek Herrera, 34, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to one count of conspiring to threaten and intimidate a family in Independence from exercising their constitutional right to reside in their home because of their race or color and one count of a civil rights violation for committing a racially-motivated arson. At the sentencing hearing today, Judge Wimes sentenced Smith to serve 63 months in prison and Cheek Herrera to serve 77 months in prison.
Smith and Cheek Herrera previously admitted that on June 26, 2008, they conspired to injure, oppress, threaten and intimidate an African-American couple and their children in the free exercise of their constitutional rights to occupy and rent their home in Independence, and that they committed this crime because of the victims’ race and color. According to the defendants’ plea agreements, the incident began when the defendants discussed their desire to set the victim family’s home on fire and they drew a swastika and wrote the words “White Power” on the driveway. The defendants then asked a juvenile acquaintance for gasoline and created a Molotov cocktail by filling a glass bottle with gasoline and inserting a rag into the bottle to serve as a wick. The defendants then lit the wick and threw the bottle into the side of the house, which set the residence on fire.
“Every person in America has the right to occupy a home free from racially-motivated violence and threats,” said Assistant Attorney General Samuels. “Today’s sentences reflect the Civil Rights Division’s commitment to work together with our United States Attorneys and the FBI to ensure that this right is aggressively enforced.”
“Today’s tough sentences send a strong message that racially-motivated violence and threats will not be tolerated in our community,” said U.S. Attorney Dickinson. “No American should feel unwelcome or unsafe in any neighborhood because of their race or color. We will bring to justice those who violate the civil rights of others and hold them accountable for their actions.”
This case is being prosecuted by First Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Ketchmark and Trial Attorney Shan Patel of the Civil Rights Division. It was investigated by the FBI.
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Missouri Man and Woman Sentenced for Violating Civil Rights of Family in Racially Motivated Arson
Acting Assistant Attorney General Jocelyn Samuels for the Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Tammy Dickinson for the Western District of Missouri announced that a man and a woman, both from Independence, Mo., were sentenced in federal court today for violating the civil rights of an African-American family by setting fire to their residence.
On Aug. 28, 2013, Logan J. Smith, 25, and Victoria A. Cheek Herrera, 34, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to one count of conspiring to threaten and intimidate a family in Independence from exercising their constitutional right to reside in their home because of their race or color and one count of a civil rights violation for committing a racially-motivated arson. At the sentencing hearing today, Judge Wimes sentenced Smith to serve 63 months in prison and Cheek Herrera to serve 77 months in prison.
Smith and Cheek Herrera previously admitted that on June 26, 2008, they conspired to injure, oppress, threaten and intimidate an African-American couple and their children in the free exercise of their constitutional rights to occupy and rent their home in Independence, and that they committed this crime because of the victims’ race and color. According to the defendants’ plea agreements, the incident began when the defendants discussed their desire to set the victim family’s home on fire and they drew a swastika and wrote the words “White Power” on the driveway. The defendants then asked a juvenile acquaintance for gasoline and created a Molotov cocktail by filling a glass bottle with gasoline and inserting a rag into the bottle to serve as a wick. The defendants then lit the wick and threw the bottle into the side of the house, which set the residence on fire.
“Every person in America has the right to occupy a home free from racially-motivated violence and threats,” said Assistant Attorney General Samuels. “Today’s sentences reflect the Civil Rights Division’s commitment to work together with our United States Attorneys and the FBI to ensure that this right is aggressively enforced.”
“Today’s tough sentences send a strong message that racially-motivated violence and threats will not be tolerated in our community,” said U.S. Attorney Dickinson. “No American should feel unwelcome or unsafe in any neighborhood because of their race or color. We will bring to justice those who violate the civil rights of others and hold them accountable for their actions.”
This case is being prosecuted by First Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Ketchmark and Trial Attorney Shan Patel of the Civil Rights Division. It was investigated by the FBI.
INTERIOR DEPARTMENT SAYS BAT WHITE-NOSE SYNDROME HAS UNKNOWN RISKS TO HUMANS
FROM: INTERIOR DEPARTMENT
White-Nose Syndrome
What is White-Nose Syndrome?
White-nose Syndrome (WNS) is a fungal disease that has killed more than five million bats across the northeast and mid-Atlantic United States during the past six years and continues unchecked. Bats with WNS may exhibit a white fungus that is found around the muzzle, ears, or wings of affected individuals. Other bat symptoms include moving to the entrance of the caves and often coming out of the caves and flying around in the middle of the day during winter months. Bats displaying this abnormal behavior have reduced fat reserves. Although it is normal for bats to occasionally interrupt their winter roosting, they are not equipped to withstand the drain on their fat reserves resulting from flying more often and during the day, a behavior thought to be caused by the irritation of the fungus. Many bats are non-responsive and many have been found dead both inside and outside caves.
What causes the bats to die?
Bats affected by WNS are basically starving to death, but scientists don’t know what is triggering the starvation. Studies are under way to determine if the bats are going into hibernation underweight or if they lose their body fat at an accelerated rate during hibernation. If bats lose more body fat than normal during hibernation, they do not have the energy reserves to survive until spring. If they are going into hibernation underweight, scientists will explore the possible reasons for this.
How is White-Nose Syndrome Spread?
Bat to Bat - Bat to bat transmission of Geomyces destructans has been documented in lab conditions and the geographic pattern of spread appears to support lab findings. It is also possible that other unknown agents associated with WNS are spread bat to bat.
Cave to Humans to Bats - Aspects of the geographic spread suggest that humans may transmit WNS from infected sites to clean sites. This kind of spread is most likely occurring from clothing and equipment that are not properly cleaned and decontaminated between sites. Formal testing of human-spread WNS is ongoing. Because of the devastating effects of WNS, it is critical that people assume responsibility for the potential spread of WNS.
Does White-Nose Syndrome pose a risk to human health?
WNS is in caves and mines that have been visited by hundreds of people during the past five years, yet there have been no reported illnesses attributable to it. However, because scientists are still learning about WNS, we do not know if there is a risk to humans from contact with affected bats, and we cannot advise you about human health risk.
White-Nose Syndrome
What is White-Nose Syndrome?
White-nose Syndrome (WNS) is a fungal disease that has killed more than five million bats across the northeast and mid-Atlantic United States during the past six years and continues unchecked. Bats with WNS may exhibit a white fungus that is found around the muzzle, ears, or wings of affected individuals. Other bat symptoms include moving to the entrance of the caves and often coming out of the caves and flying around in the middle of the day during winter months. Bats displaying this abnormal behavior have reduced fat reserves. Although it is normal for bats to occasionally interrupt their winter roosting, they are not equipped to withstand the drain on their fat reserves resulting from flying more often and during the day, a behavior thought to be caused by the irritation of the fungus. Many bats are non-responsive and many have been found dead both inside and outside caves.
What causes the bats to die?
Bats affected by WNS are basically starving to death, but scientists don’t know what is triggering the starvation. Studies are under way to determine if the bats are going into hibernation underweight or if they lose their body fat at an accelerated rate during hibernation. If bats lose more body fat than normal during hibernation, they do not have the energy reserves to survive until spring. If they are going into hibernation underweight, scientists will explore the possible reasons for this.
How is White-Nose Syndrome Spread?
Bat to Bat - Bat to bat transmission of Geomyces destructans has been documented in lab conditions and the geographic pattern of spread appears to support lab findings. It is also possible that other unknown agents associated with WNS are spread bat to bat.
Cave to Humans to Bats - Aspects of the geographic spread suggest that humans may transmit WNS from infected sites to clean sites. This kind of spread is most likely occurring from clothing and equipment that are not properly cleaned and decontaminated between sites. Formal testing of human-spread WNS is ongoing. Because of the devastating effects of WNS, it is critical that people assume responsibility for the potential spread of WNS.
Does White-Nose Syndrome pose a risk to human health?
WNS is in caves and mines that have been visited by hundreds of people during the past five years, yet there have been no reported illnesses attributable to it. However, because scientists are still learning about WNS, we do not know if there is a risk to humans from contact with affected bats, and we cannot advise you about human health risk.
BACK WAGES TO BE PAID FOR UNIFORM,PARKING CHARGES BY RESTAURANT CHAIN
FROM: LABOR DEPARTMENT
Arizona Eatery to Pay Employees for Wage Violations
Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery, a restaurant chain headquartered in Tempe, Ariz., agreed to pay $32,087 in minimum and overtime back wages due to 250 employees working at two establishments in Tempe and Phoenix. An investigation by the Wage and Hour Division found that the company made improper deductions from tipped server wages to cover the cost of uniforms. The restaurant routinely deducted up to $40 each pay period until the servers paid the full price of the uniforms, which cost up to $160. Server pay also was deducted for employee parking. The division's Phoenix District Office conducted investigations of three other independently owned Tilted Kilt franchises in the Phoenix metro area. As a result, an additional $12,462 in back wages was found due to 149 employees for minimum wage and overtime violations.
Arizona Eatery to Pay Employees for Wage Violations
Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery, a restaurant chain headquartered in Tempe, Ariz., agreed to pay $32,087 in minimum and overtime back wages due to 250 employees working at two establishments in Tempe and Phoenix. An investigation by the Wage and Hour Division found that the company made improper deductions from tipped server wages to cover the cost of uniforms. The restaurant routinely deducted up to $40 each pay period until the servers paid the full price of the uniforms, which cost up to $160. Server pay also was deducted for employee parking. The division's Phoenix District Office conducted investigations of three other independently owned Tilted Kilt franchises in the Phoenix metro area. As a result, an additional $12,462 in back wages was found due to 149 employees for minimum wage and overtime violations.
NSF ON EARLY COSMOS AND HEAVY METAL
FROM: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Heavy metal in the early cosmos
Simulations shed light on the formation and explosion of stars in the earliest galaxies
Ab initio: "From the beginning."
It is a term that's used in science to describe calculations that rely on established mathematical laws of nature, or "first principles," without additional assumptions or special models.
But when it comes to the phenomena that Milos Milosavljevic is interested in calculating, we're talking really ab initio, as in: from the beginning of time onward.
Things were different in the early eons of the universe. The cosmos experienced rapid inflation; electrons and protons floated free from each other; the universe transitioned from complete darkness to light; and enormous stars formed and exploded to start a cascade of events leading to our present-day universe.
Working with Chalence Safranek-Shrader and Volker Bromm at the University of Texas at Austin, Milosavljevic recently reported the results of several massive numerical simulations charting the forces of the universe in its first hundreds of millions of years using some of the world's most powerful supercomputers, including the National Science Foundation-supported Stampede, Lonestar and Ranger systems at the Texas Advanced Computing Center.
The results, described in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society in January 2014, refine how the first galaxies formed, and in particular, how metals in the stellar nurseries influenced the characteristics of the stars in the first galaxies.
"The universe formed at first with just hydrogen and helium," said Milosavljevic. "But then the very first stars cooked metals and after those stars exploded, the metals were dispersed into ambient space."
Eventually the ejected metals fell back into the gravitational fields of the dark matter haloes, where they formed the second generation of stars. However, the first generation of metals ejected from supernovae did not mix in space uniformly.
"It's as if you have coffee and cream but you don't stir it, and you don't wait for a long enough time," he explained. "You would drink some cream and coffee but not coffee with cream. There will be thin sheets of coffee and cream."
According to Milosavljevic, subtle effects like these governed the evolution of early galaxies. Some stars formed that were rich in metals, while others were metal-poor. Generally there was a spread in stellar chemical abundances because of the incomplete mixing.
Another factor that influenced the evolution of galaxies was how the heavier elements emerged from the originating blast. Instead of the neat spherical blast wave that researchers presumed before, the ejection of metals from a supernova was most likely a messy process, with blobs of shrapnel shooting in every direction.
"Modeling these blobs properly is very important for understanding where metals ultimately go," Milosavljevic said.
Predicting future observations
In astronomical terms, early in the universe translates to very far away. Those fugitive first galaxies are unbelievably distant from us now, if they haven't been incorporated into more recently-formed galaxies already. But many believe the early galaxies lie at a distance that we will be able to observe with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), set to launch in 2018. This makes Milosavljevic and his team's cosmological simulations timely.
"Should the James Webb Space Telescope integrate the image in one spot for a long time or should it mosaic its survey to look at a larger area?" Milosavljevic said. "We want to recommend strategies for the JWST."
Telescopes on the ground will perform follow-up studies of the phenomena that JWST detects. But to do so, scientists need to know how to interpret JWST's observations and develop a protocol for following up with ground-based telescopes.
Milosavljevic and others' cosmological simulations will help determine where the Space Telescope will look, what it will look for, and what to do once a given signal is observed.
Distant objects, born at a given moment in cosmic history, have tell-tale signature--spectra or light curves. Like isotopes in carbon dating, these signatures help astronomers recognize and date phenomenon in deep space. In the absence of any observations, simulations are the best way of predicting these light signatures.
"We are anticipating observations until they become available in the future," he said.
If done correctly, such simulations can mimic the dynamics of the universe over billions of years, and emerge with results that look something like what we see... or hope to see with new farther-reaching telescopes.
"This is a really exciting time for the field of cosmology," astronomer and Nobel Laureate Saul Perlmutter said in his keynote address at the Supercomputing '13 conference in November. "We are now ready to collect, simulate and analyze the next level of precision data... There's more to high performance computing science than we have yet accomplished."
Understanding our place in the universe
In addition to the practical goals of guiding the James Webb Space Telescope, the effort to understand these very early stars in the first galaxies has another function: to help tell the story of how our solar system came to be.
The current state of the universe is determined by the violent evolutions of the generations of stars that came before. Each generation of stars (or "population," in astronomy terms) has its own characteristics, based on the environment it was created in.
The Population III stars, the earliest that formed, are thought to have been massive and gaseous, consisting initially of hydrogen and helium. These stars ultimately collapsed and seeded new, smaller, stars that clustered into the first galaxies. These in turn exploded again, creating the conditions of Population I stars like our own, chock full of materials that enable life. How stars and galaxies evolved from one stage to another is still a much-debated question.
"All of this was happening when the universe was very young, only a few hundred million years old," Milosavljevic said. "And to make things more difficult, stars--like people--change. Every hundred million years, every 10 million years--it's like a kid growing up, all the time something new is happening."
Simulating the universe from birth to its current age, Milosavljevic and his team's investigations help disentangle how galaxies changed over time, and provide a better sense of what came before us and how we came to be.
Said Nigel Sharp, program director in the Division of Astronomical Sciences at the National Science Foundation: "These are novel studies using methods often ignored by other efforts, but of great importance as they impact so much of what happens in later cosmology and galaxy studies."
Investigators
Volker Bromm
Milos Milosavljevic
Chalence Safranek-Shrader
Related Institutions/Organizations
University of Texas at Austin
Locations
Austin , Texas
Heavy metal in the early cosmos
Simulations shed light on the formation and explosion of stars in the earliest galaxies
Ab initio: "From the beginning."
It is a term that's used in science to describe calculations that rely on established mathematical laws of nature, or "first principles," without additional assumptions or special models.
But when it comes to the phenomena that Milos Milosavljevic is interested in calculating, we're talking really ab initio, as in: from the beginning of time onward.
Things were different in the early eons of the universe. The cosmos experienced rapid inflation; electrons and protons floated free from each other; the universe transitioned from complete darkness to light; and enormous stars formed and exploded to start a cascade of events leading to our present-day universe.
Working with Chalence Safranek-Shrader and Volker Bromm at the University of Texas at Austin, Milosavljevic recently reported the results of several massive numerical simulations charting the forces of the universe in its first hundreds of millions of years using some of the world's most powerful supercomputers, including the National Science Foundation-supported Stampede, Lonestar and Ranger systems at the Texas Advanced Computing Center.
The results, described in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society in January 2014, refine how the first galaxies formed, and in particular, how metals in the stellar nurseries influenced the characteristics of the stars in the first galaxies.
"The universe formed at first with just hydrogen and helium," said Milosavljevic. "But then the very first stars cooked metals and after those stars exploded, the metals were dispersed into ambient space."
Eventually the ejected metals fell back into the gravitational fields of the dark matter haloes, where they formed the second generation of stars. However, the first generation of metals ejected from supernovae did not mix in space uniformly.
"It's as if you have coffee and cream but you don't stir it, and you don't wait for a long enough time," he explained. "You would drink some cream and coffee but not coffee with cream. There will be thin sheets of coffee and cream."
According to Milosavljevic, subtle effects like these governed the evolution of early galaxies. Some stars formed that were rich in metals, while others were metal-poor. Generally there was a spread in stellar chemical abundances because of the incomplete mixing.
Another factor that influenced the evolution of galaxies was how the heavier elements emerged from the originating blast. Instead of the neat spherical blast wave that researchers presumed before, the ejection of metals from a supernova was most likely a messy process, with blobs of shrapnel shooting in every direction.
"Modeling these blobs properly is very important for understanding where metals ultimately go," Milosavljevic said.
Predicting future observations
In astronomical terms, early in the universe translates to very far away. Those fugitive first galaxies are unbelievably distant from us now, if they haven't been incorporated into more recently-formed galaxies already. But many believe the early galaxies lie at a distance that we will be able to observe with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), set to launch in 2018. This makes Milosavljevic and his team's cosmological simulations timely.
"Should the James Webb Space Telescope integrate the image in one spot for a long time or should it mosaic its survey to look at a larger area?" Milosavljevic said. "We want to recommend strategies for the JWST."
Telescopes on the ground will perform follow-up studies of the phenomena that JWST detects. But to do so, scientists need to know how to interpret JWST's observations and develop a protocol for following up with ground-based telescopes.
Milosavljevic and others' cosmological simulations will help determine where the Space Telescope will look, what it will look for, and what to do once a given signal is observed.
Distant objects, born at a given moment in cosmic history, have tell-tale signature--spectra or light curves. Like isotopes in carbon dating, these signatures help astronomers recognize and date phenomenon in deep space. In the absence of any observations, simulations are the best way of predicting these light signatures.
"We are anticipating observations until they become available in the future," he said.
If done correctly, such simulations can mimic the dynamics of the universe over billions of years, and emerge with results that look something like what we see... or hope to see with new farther-reaching telescopes.
"This is a really exciting time for the field of cosmology," astronomer and Nobel Laureate Saul Perlmutter said in his keynote address at the Supercomputing '13 conference in November. "We are now ready to collect, simulate and analyze the next level of precision data... There's more to high performance computing science than we have yet accomplished."
Understanding our place in the universe
In addition to the practical goals of guiding the James Webb Space Telescope, the effort to understand these very early stars in the first galaxies has another function: to help tell the story of how our solar system came to be.
The current state of the universe is determined by the violent evolutions of the generations of stars that came before. Each generation of stars (or "population," in astronomy terms) has its own characteristics, based on the environment it was created in.
The Population III stars, the earliest that formed, are thought to have been massive and gaseous, consisting initially of hydrogen and helium. These stars ultimately collapsed and seeded new, smaller, stars that clustered into the first galaxies. These in turn exploded again, creating the conditions of Population I stars like our own, chock full of materials that enable life. How stars and galaxies evolved from one stage to another is still a much-debated question.
"All of this was happening when the universe was very young, only a few hundred million years old," Milosavljevic said. "And to make things more difficult, stars--like people--change. Every hundred million years, every 10 million years--it's like a kid growing up, all the time something new is happening."
Simulating the universe from birth to its current age, Milosavljevic and his team's investigations help disentangle how galaxies changed over time, and provide a better sense of what came before us and how we came to be.
Said Nigel Sharp, program director in the Division of Astronomical Sciences at the National Science Foundation: "These are novel studies using methods often ignored by other efforts, but of great importance as they impact so much of what happens in later cosmology and galaxy studies."
Investigators
Volker Bromm
Milos Milosavljevic
Chalence Safranek-Shrader
Related Institutions/Organizations
University of Texas at Austin
Locations
Austin , Texas
Sunday, January 26, 2014
DETROIT HOME HEALTH AGENCY OWNER SENTENCED FOR ROLE IN MEDICARE FRAUD SCHEME
FROM: JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Friday, January 24, 2014
Home Health Agency Owner Sentenced for Role in $11 Million Detroit Medicare Fraud Scheme
A home health agency owner who participated in a Medicare fraud scheme that totaled almost $11 million was sentenced in Detroit today to serve 120 months in prison.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan Barbara L. McQuade, Special Agent in Charge Robert D. Foley III of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Lamont Pugh III of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Chicago Regional Office made the announcement.
Chiradeep Gupta, 39, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Denise Page Hood in the Eastern District of Michigan. In addition to his prison term, Gupta was sentenced to serve three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay more than $10 million in restitution, jointly and severally with his co-defendants.
On Oct. 26, 2012, Gupta, a physical therapist and part-owner of All American, a home health care company located in Oak Park, Mich., was found guilty at trial of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and three substantive counts of money laundering.
According to evidence presented at trial, Gupta and his co-conspirators caused the submission of false and fraudulent claims to Medicare through All American and Patient Choice, another Oak Park-based home health care company, which purported to provide skilled nursing and physical therapy services to Medicare beneficiaries in the greater Detroit area.
The evidence showed that Gupta and his co-conspirators used patient recruiters, who paid Medicare beneficiaries to sign blank documents for physical therapy services that were never provided and/or medically unnecessary. The owners of Patient Choice and All American paid physicians to sign referrals and other therapy documents necessary to bill Medicare. Physical therapists and physical therapist assistants provided through contractors, including two owned by Gupta, would then create fake medical records using the blank, pre-signed forms obtained by the patient recruiters to make it appear as if physical therapy services had actually been rendered, when, in fact, the services had not been rendered.
According to evidence presented at trial, Gupta provided to Patient Choice and All American physical therapists and physical therapist assistants who created fake patient files using blank, pre-signed forms obtained by patient recruiters to make it appear as if the physical therapy services billed to Medicare had actually been provided. Gupta also doctored and directed the doctoring of fake patient files. The evidence at trial showed that Gupta laundered the proceeds of the fraud through multiple shell companies.
This case was investigated by the FBI, HHS-OIG and the Internal Revenue Service and was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, under the supervision of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan. This case was prosecuted by Deputy Chief Gejaa Gobena, Assistant Chief Catherine Dick and Trial Attorney Niall O’Donnell of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.
Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged more than 1,700 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $5.5 billion. In addition, HHS’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, is taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers
Friday, January 24, 2014
Home Health Agency Owner Sentenced for Role in $11 Million Detroit Medicare Fraud Scheme
A home health agency owner who participated in a Medicare fraud scheme that totaled almost $11 million was sentenced in Detroit today to serve 120 months in prison.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan Barbara L. McQuade, Special Agent in Charge Robert D. Foley III of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Lamont Pugh III of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Chicago Regional Office made the announcement.
Chiradeep Gupta, 39, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Denise Page Hood in the Eastern District of Michigan. In addition to his prison term, Gupta was sentenced to serve three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay more than $10 million in restitution, jointly and severally with his co-defendants.
On Oct. 26, 2012, Gupta, a physical therapist and part-owner of All American, a home health care company located in Oak Park, Mich., was found guilty at trial of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and three substantive counts of money laundering.
According to evidence presented at trial, Gupta and his co-conspirators caused the submission of false and fraudulent claims to Medicare through All American and Patient Choice, another Oak Park-based home health care company, which purported to provide skilled nursing and physical therapy services to Medicare beneficiaries in the greater Detroit area.
The evidence showed that Gupta and his co-conspirators used patient recruiters, who paid Medicare beneficiaries to sign blank documents for physical therapy services that were never provided and/or medically unnecessary. The owners of Patient Choice and All American paid physicians to sign referrals and other therapy documents necessary to bill Medicare. Physical therapists and physical therapist assistants provided through contractors, including two owned by Gupta, would then create fake medical records using the blank, pre-signed forms obtained by the patient recruiters to make it appear as if physical therapy services had actually been rendered, when, in fact, the services had not been rendered.
According to evidence presented at trial, Gupta provided to Patient Choice and All American physical therapists and physical therapist assistants who created fake patient files using blank, pre-signed forms obtained by patient recruiters to make it appear as if the physical therapy services billed to Medicare had actually been provided. Gupta also doctored and directed the doctoring of fake patient files. The evidence at trial showed that Gupta laundered the proceeds of the fraud through multiple shell companies.
This case was investigated by the FBI, HHS-OIG and the Internal Revenue Service and was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, under the supervision of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan. This case was prosecuted by Deputy Chief Gejaa Gobena, Assistant Chief Catherine Dick and Trial Attorney Niall O’Donnell of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.
Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged more than 1,700 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $5.5 billion. In addition, HHS’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, is taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers
CDC REPORTS ON VIRAL SUPPRESSION OF HIV INFECTION
FROM: CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL
Prevalence and Predictors of Viral Suppression Among Persons with Diagnosed HIV Infection Retained in Care — Georgia, 2010
Not all persons with HIV who are receiving and remain in medical care achieve the goal of viral suppression, and fewer persons diagnosed with early stage disease achieve viral suppression compared with persons diagnosed with late stage disease. Health-care providers and community-based organizations should implement the national HIV treatment guidelines by initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART) at any stage of disease and explain to patients the benefits of taking ART earlier and regularly to achieve viral suppression. Early diagnosis of HIV infection and treatment to achieve viral suppression can benefit patients by improving their health status and the community by reducing HIV transmission. This analysis in Georgia, however, found that some persons who receive and remain in care don’t achieve viral suppression. In addition, the analysis found fewer persons diagnosed with early stage disease achieved viral suppression compared with persons diagnosed with late stage disease.
Prevalence and Predictors of Viral Suppression Among Persons with Diagnosed HIV Infection Retained in Care — Georgia, 2010
Not all persons with HIV who are receiving and remain in medical care achieve the goal of viral suppression, and fewer persons diagnosed with early stage disease achieve viral suppression compared with persons diagnosed with late stage disease. Health-care providers and community-based organizations should implement the national HIV treatment guidelines by initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART) at any stage of disease and explain to patients the benefits of taking ART earlier and regularly to achieve viral suppression. Early diagnosis of HIV infection and treatment to achieve viral suppression can benefit patients by improving their health status and the community by reducing HIV transmission. This analysis in Georgia, however, found that some persons who receive and remain in care don’t achieve viral suppression. In addition, the analysis found fewer persons diagnosed with early stage disease achieved viral suppression compared with persons diagnosed with late stage disease.
CAMPAIGN WORKERS IN TEXAS CHARGED WITH BUYING VOTES
FROM: JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Three Campaign Workers Charged with Buying Votes in a Donna, Texas School Board Election
A campaign worker was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury in the Southern District of Texas for allegedly paying voters to vote in a Donna, Texas school board election. Two other campaign workers were indicted on similar charged last week for alleged vote-buying in the election.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson of the Southern District of Texas made the announcement.
The three indictments charge Donna residents Diana Balderas Castaneda, 48; Guadalupe Zapata Escamilla, 72; and Rebecca Gonzalez, 44, with one count each of vote-buying. They face a maximum penalty of five years in prison upon conviction.
According to the indictments, a general election was held in Donna on Nov. 6, 2012, which included candidates for the presidential election, as well as for various state, county and local offices, including Donna School Board. The three defendants are alleged to have assisted in the campaign to elect the Democratic candidates to the Donna School Board. In the course of that work, the three women are accused of knowingly and willfully paying and offering to pay voters for voting in this election.
An indictment is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
This case was investigated by the FBI. Trial Attorneys Monique Abrishami and Jennifer Blackwell of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant.
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Three Campaign Workers Charged with Buying Votes in a Donna, Texas School Board Election
A campaign worker was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury in the Southern District of Texas for allegedly paying voters to vote in a Donna, Texas school board election. Two other campaign workers were indicted on similar charged last week for alleged vote-buying in the election.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson of the Southern District of Texas made the announcement.
The three indictments charge Donna residents Diana Balderas Castaneda, 48; Guadalupe Zapata Escamilla, 72; and Rebecca Gonzalez, 44, with one count each of vote-buying. They face a maximum penalty of five years in prison upon conviction.
According to the indictments, a general election was held in Donna on Nov. 6, 2012, which included candidates for the presidential election, as well as for various state, county and local offices, including Donna School Board. The three defendants are alleged to have assisted in the campaign to elect the Democratic candidates to the Donna School Board. In the course of that work, the three women are accused of knowingly and willfully paying and offering to pay voters for voting in this election.
An indictment is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
This case was investigated by the FBI. Trial Attorneys Monique Abrishami and Jennifer Blackwell of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant.
U.S. EXPORT-IMPORT BANK TOUTS RECORD YEAR FOR SMALL BUSINESSES
FROM: EXPORT-IMPORT BANK
Highlights from the last Six Months
Ex-Im Bank Annual Report Outlines Record Year for Small Businesses
Ex-Im Bank released its Fiscal Year 2013 Annual Report highlighting its approval of more than $27 billion in authorizations that supported an estimated 205,000 American jobs. The Bank also approved more than 3,400 small-business authorizations, a new record.
"I am proud to announce that nearly 90 percent of the Bank's transactions in FY 13 were for small businesses – an all-time high," said Chairman Hochberg. "Ex-Im Bank employees have done a remarkable job of ensuring that American entrepreneurs have the tools they need to succeed in international markets. Whether it's providing export-credit insurance to first-time exporters or working-capital guarantees to returning customers, Ex-Im Bank will continue to fulfill its mission of creating U.S. jobs."
Among the highlights from the 2013 Annual Report:
Ex-Im financing created or supported an estimated 205,000 export-related U.S. jobs.
In the last five years (FY 09 to FY 13), Ex-Im Bank has assisted in financing more than
$188 billion of U.S. exports and supported 1.2 million American jobs.
In FY 13, Ex-Im Bank authorized financing for a record high 3,842 export transactions,
which totaled an estimated export value of $37.4 billion.
In FY 13, Ex-Im Bank approved 3,413 small-business authorizations – an all-time high.
Non-aircraft manufacturing was the industry with the highest authorized amount at
$8.5 billion, surpassing aircraft for the first time since 1997.
Approximately one in five transactions involved women- or minority-owned small businesses.
Ex-Im Bank Announces More Than $1 Billion in Revenues Generated for Taxpayers in FY 2013
Ex-Im Bank transferred more than $1 billion in revenues to the U.S. Treasury's General Fund for fiscal year 2013. This revenue, generated for U.S. taxpayers from fees and services, is what the Bank earned above its operating costs and loan loss reserves.
“From supporting jobs to helping reduce our deficit, the Export-Import Bank is making a difference for our economy and working for the American taxpayer,” said Chairman Hochberg. “In addition to sustaining hundreds of thousands of American jobs, Ex-Im Bank also generated more than $1 billion dollars for the U.S. Treasury last year alone. These numbers are a testament to the dedication and hard work of Ex-Im Bank’s staff and I want to take this opportunity to thank them for their service."
Highlights from the last Six Months
Ex-Im Bank Annual Report Outlines Record Year for Small Businesses
Ex-Im Bank released its Fiscal Year 2013 Annual Report highlighting its approval of more than $27 billion in authorizations that supported an estimated 205,000 American jobs. The Bank also approved more than 3,400 small-business authorizations, a new record.
"I am proud to announce that nearly 90 percent of the Bank's transactions in FY 13 were for small businesses – an all-time high," said Chairman Hochberg. "Ex-Im Bank employees have done a remarkable job of ensuring that American entrepreneurs have the tools they need to succeed in international markets. Whether it's providing export-credit insurance to first-time exporters or working-capital guarantees to returning customers, Ex-Im Bank will continue to fulfill its mission of creating U.S. jobs."
Among the highlights from the 2013 Annual Report:
Ex-Im financing created or supported an estimated 205,000 export-related U.S. jobs.
In the last five years (FY 09 to FY 13), Ex-Im Bank has assisted in financing more than
$188 billion of U.S. exports and supported 1.2 million American jobs.
In FY 13, Ex-Im Bank authorized financing for a record high 3,842 export transactions,
which totaled an estimated export value of $37.4 billion.
In FY 13, Ex-Im Bank approved 3,413 small-business authorizations – an all-time high.
Non-aircraft manufacturing was the industry with the highest authorized amount at
$8.5 billion, surpassing aircraft for the first time since 1997.
Approximately one in five transactions involved women- or minority-owned small businesses.
Ex-Im Bank Announces More Than $1 Billion in Revenues Generated for Taxpayers in FY 2013
Ex-Im Bank transferred more than $1 billion in revenues to the U.S. Treasury's General Fund for fiscal year 2013. This revenue, generated for U.S. taxpayers from fees and services, is what the Bank earned above its operating costs and loan loss reserves.
“From supporting jobs to helping reduce our deficit, the Export-Import Bank is making a difference for our economy and working for the American taxpayer,” said Chairman Hochberg. “In addition to sustaining hundreds of thousands of American jobs, Ex-Im Bank also generated more than $1 billion dollars for the U.S. Treasury last year alone. These numbers are a testament to the dedication and hard work of Ex-Im Bank’s staff and I want to take this opportunity to thank them for their service."
U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT PHOTOS FROM AFGHANISTAN
FROM: DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
U.S. Special Forces soldiers fire a recoilless rifle toward an enemy fighting position during a clearing operation with Afghan commandos in Dewai Kalay village in the Maiwand district in Afghanistan's Kandahar province, Jan. 14, 2014. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Bertha A. Flores.
U.S. soldiers prepare to conduct an air assault in Tarin Kowt, Afghanistan, Jan. 11, 2014, as part of an exercise to receive validation as the theater reserve force. The soldiers are assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division's Company C, 1st Squadron, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team. U.S. Army photo by Cpl. Alex Flynn.
DIRECTOR OF NURSING AT HOME HEALTH AGENCY ARRESTED FOR FRAUD
FROM: JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Home Health Agency Owner and Director of Nursing Indicted
The operator and director of nursing of a home health agency based in Richmond, Texas, was arrested yesterday for her alleged role in a Medicare fraud scheme and a conspiracy to structure bank withdrawals. The owner and operator of the same home health agency was also arrested yesterday for his alleged role in the conspiracy to structure bank withdrawals.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson of the Southern District of Texas, Special Agent in Charge Stephen L. Morris of the FBI’s Houston Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Lucy Cruz of the Houston Field Office of the IRS-Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI), Special Agent in Charge William Fergus of the Chicago Regional Office of the United States Railroad Retirement Board-Office of Inspector General (RRB-OIG), Special Agent in Charge Mike Fields of the Dallas Regional Office of HHS’s Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and the Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) made the announcement.
The director of nursing, Stella Maduka, 49, of Richmond, was charged with one count of healthcare fraud and eight counts of structuring withdrawals, which each carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, and one count of making false statements relating to healthcare matters and one count of conspiracy to structure bank withdrawals to avoid reporting requirements, which each carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison. The owner, Felix Maduka, 54, of Richmond, who is also Stella Maduka’s husband, was charged with one count of conspiracy to structure bank withdrawals to avoid reporting requirements and eight counts of structuring bank withdrawals.
According to the indictment, Stella Maduka used a Texas-based billing service to bill Medicare for home health services that were never provided and, in many instances, not medically necessary. Stella Maduka also created phony medical records to perpetrate the healthcare fraud. Stella Maduka and Felix Maduka structured more than $100,000 in cash withdrawals from the bank accounts where they received Medicare payments to avoid detection by the federal government.
An indictment is merely a formal accusation. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case was investigated by the FBI, IRS-CI, RRB-OIG, HHS-OIG, and MFCU under the supervision of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney William S.W. Chang of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.
Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged more than 1,700 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $5.5 billion. In addition, Health and Human Services’ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with Health and Human Services-Office of the Inspector General, is taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Home Health Agency Owner and Director of Nursing Indicted
The operator and director of nursing of a home health agency based in Richmond, Texas, was arrested yesterday for her alleged role in a Medicare fraud scheme and a conspiracy to structure bank withdrawals. The owner and operator of the same home health agency was also arrested yesterday for his alleged role in the conspiracy to structure bank withdrawals.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson of the Southern District of Texas, Special Agent in Charge Stephen L. Morris of the FBI’s Houston Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Lucy Cruz of the Houston Field Office of the IRS-Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI), Special Agent in Charge William Fergus of the Chicago Regional Office of the United States Railroad Retirement Board-Office of Inspector General (RRB-OIG), Special Agent in Charge Mike Fields of the Dallas Regional Office of HHS’s Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and the Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) made the announcement.
The director of nursing, Stella Maduka, 49, of Richmond, was charged with one count of healthcare fraud and eight counts of structuring withdrawals, which each carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, and one count of making false statements relating to healthcare matters and one count of conspiracy to structure bank withdrawals to avoid reporting requirements, which each carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison. The owner, Felix Maduka, 54, of Richmond, who is also Stella Maduka’s husband, was charged with one count of conspiracy to structure bank withdrawals to avoid reporting requirements and eight counts of structuring bank withdrawals.
According to the indictment, Stella Maduka used a Texas-based billing service to bill Medicare for home health services that were never provided and, in many instances, not medically necessary. Stella Maduka also created phony medical records to perpetrate the healthcare fraud. Stella Maduka and Felix Maduka structured more than $100,000 in cash withdrawals from the bank accounts where they received Medicare payments to avoid detection by the federal government.
An indictment is merely a formal accusation. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case was investigated by the FBI, IRS-CI, RRB-OIG, HHS-OIG, and MFCU under the supervision of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney William S.W. Chang of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.
Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged more than 1,700 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $5.5 billion. In addition, Health and Human Services’ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with Health and Human Services-Office of the Inspector General, is taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.
LABOR DEPARTMENT LISTENS TO OPINIONS ON IMMIGRATION REFORM
FROM: LABOR DEPARTMENT
Hearing Firsthand About the Need for Immigration Reform
During U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez's jam-packed trip to San Francisco on Jan. 22, the topic on everyone's mind was the need to pass comprehensive immigration reform. Throughout the day, Perez heard from community leaders, culinary entrepreneurs, and CEOs representing some of the largest technology companies about the contributions that immigrants have made to the U.S. economy. Perez toured La Cocina, a San Francisco-based food business incubator that helps low-income entrepreneurs secure kitchen space, technical expertise and market access. Many, having come from immigrant families themselves, are eager to start their own businesses in the San Francisco area. Perez learned about the struggles and successes of these hard-working individuals, including Donna who, thanks to help from La Cocina, now sells her product "Love & Hummus" to Whole Foods Market. "It's impossible not to spend time here and be anything other than inspired," said Perez of the dedication and talent he saw at La Cocina. His next stop was Dolores Street Community Services for a meeting on immigrant integration and the workforce. Community leaders and advocates recounted personal stories and discussed the positive impact immigration reform will have on the economy. Perez emphasized that "immigration has always been bipartisan" and has had broad support from business and faith leaders. In the Silicon Valley, CEOs and senior executives from the technology industry met with Perez to discuss the contributions of the immigrant community, which comprises 36 percent of California's business owners and generates $34.3 billion in income for the state each year. Later on, Perez met with students at the Treasure Island Job Corps Center, a top-performing program. The center, one student told Perez, has "given me a second chance."
Hearing Firsthand About the Need for Immigration Reform
During U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez's jam-packed trip to San Francisco on Jan. 22, the topic on everyone's mind was the need to pass comprehensive immigration reform. Throughout the day, Perez heard from community leaders, culinary entrepreneurs, and CEOs representing some of the largest technology companies about the contributions that immigrants have made to the U.S. economy. Perez toured La Cocina, a San Francisco-based food business incubator that helps low-income entrepreneurs secure kitchen space, technical expertise and market access. Many, having come from immigrant families themselves, are eager to start their own businesses in the San Francisco area. Perez learned about the struggles and successes of these hard-working individuals, including Donna who, thanks to help from La Cocina, now sells her product "Love & Hummus" to Whole Foods Market. "It's impossible not to spend time here and be anything other than inspired," said Perez of the dedication and talent he saw at La Cocina. His next stop was Dolores Street Community Services for a meeting on immigrant integration and the workforce. Community leaders and advocates recounted personal stories and discussed the positive impact immigration reform will have on the economy. Perez emphasized that "immigration has always been bipartisan" and has had broad support from business and faith leaders. In the Silicon Valley, CEOs and senior executives from the technology industry met with Perez to discuss the contributions of the immigrant community, which comprises 36 percent of California's business owners and generates $34.3 billion in income for the state each year. Later on, Perez met with students at the Treasure Island Job Corps Center, a top-performing program. The center, one student told Perez, has "given me a second chance."
STATE DEPARTMENT BRIEFING: SOCHI OLYMPICS
FROM: STATE DEPARTMENT
Background Briefing on Security at the Sochi Olympics
Special Briefing
Office of the Spokesperson
Senior Administration Officials
Teleconference
January 24, 2014
MODERATOR: Thank you so much, and thank you, everyone, for joining the call on a late Friday afternoon. I know it’s a topic we are all very interested in.
So I will introduce the folks who will be giving some brief opening remarks and who will be available to answer questions. I will let you know who these four senior Administration officials are. This is a call on background, so after I give you their names, from here on out they will be referred to as senior Administration officials.
The first speaker will be [Senior Administration Official One]. That’s Senior Administration Official One. The second speaker will be [Senior Administration Official Two], Senior Administration Official Two. The third senior Administration official we will have is [Senior Administration Official Three]. And the fourth senior Administration official we have, who won’t be making opening remarks but who’s here to answer questions, is [Senior Administration Official Four].
So with that, I will turn it over – after our folks give some opening remarks, then we will open it up for questions.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: Great. Thanks. Well, we are now two weeks away from the opening of the Sochi Olympics. We are extremely proud of our U.S. athletes, and we look forward to cheering them on as they compete in the best traditions of the Olympic spirit. We know they will showcase to the world the best of America, which is diversity, determination, and teamwork.
In the run-up to the Games, we know that in addition to the focus on the athletes, there is increasing attention on security and reports of threats to the Games. Our expectation is that we’ll see more reports in the coming weeks, and we know that people have questions about this issue. So we wanted to offer you an overview of the U.S. Government’s preparations, including specifically on security issues. So I want to start by giving you an overview of U.S. participation. Then we’ll turn to the issue of U.S. Government involvement, and then give you a status report on security concerns.
On U.S. participation, I would break this down into three categories: athletes, our official delegation, and the general public attending. On the athletes, we expect a U.S. team of 230, with 270 coaches and support staff. For our delegation, the President has asked former DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano to lead our official delegation to the opening ceremonies, and there will be four others joining her: Billie Jean King, Brian Boitano, Rob Nabors, and Ambassador Mike McFaul. Deputy Secretary of State Burns and former Olympians Caitlin Cahow, Eric Heiden, and Bonnie Blair will represent the United States at the closing ceremonies. There will also, of course, be a large contingent of corporate sponsors and private American spectators.
The U.S. Olympic Committee has made it clear that the safety and security of Team USA is its top priority. As is always the case, USOC is working with the U.S. Department of State, the local organizers, and the relevant law enforcement agencies in an effort to ensure that our delegation and other Americans traveling to Sochi are safe. For the U.S. Government’s official delegation, we are also working with USOC and the Russian Government on accreditation, logistics, and security.
On the general public, there are estimates that as many as 10,000 Americans may attend the Olympic Games as spectators. As private citizens, these individuals are responsible for their own tickets, travel, reservations, visas, and overall logistics. That said, the U.S. consular services will be in Sochi in force. And in fact, indeed U.S. officials already are on location in Sochi to provide information, support, and appropriate services for Americans visiting a foreign country.
On U.S. Government involvement, I would like to turn at this point over to my colleagues from the State Department for their comments.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: Good afternoon. We break this down into roughly three categories: support to the U.S. citizens attending the Games, assistance to the Russian Government – let me rephrase that – cooperation with and liaison with the Russian Government, and security contingency planning efforts that we’ve had underway for quite some time.
I’d like to turn it over to [Senior Administration Official Three] for a moment to talk about the consular services and the State Department efforts towards regular American citizens that are out there.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL THREE: Thank you. This is [Senior Administration Official Three]. Good afternoon, everybody. As noted earlier, we will have consular officials on the ground in Sochi. We have been very much part of the planning efforts towards the Games. And one of our – the cornerstones of our efforts to protect American citizens traveling and residing abroad is our consular information program, and that’s no different here. To make sure that Americans have good information to make sound decisions about their travel and their activities while they’re at the Games, we’ve put out a Sochi fact sheet, and we’ve also recently issued a Russian Federation Travel Alert, which, again, provides information that we think American citizens need to know before they travel to the Games. We – again, we will have consular officials on the ground, and we are strongly encouraging people traveling to the Games to enroll their visits in our Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, which is accessible through our website.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: On other types of support, U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service leads an interagency group that we call the ISEG, which is the International Security Event Group, and we have been working long and hard prior to the Olympics to liaise with the Russian Government, Russian security services, and Russian forces that are there to ensure the safety and security of our Olympic team, to ensure the security of the sponsors that are out there that are American companies, American citizens, and then also to work closely with consular for the safety and security of American citizens that are there.
We will have a fairly large contingent of personnel in Sochi as well as we obviously have the United States Embassy in Moscow, which plays a huge role in this. In Sochi, we have Diplomatic Security agents and representatives from other agencies in the federal government, including the FBI and others. We will have people on the ground manning what we call a joint operations center, which is an information hub for all of us. We will be passing information out through OSAC, the Overseas Security Advisory Council, to American businesses and subscribers. We will be passing information directly to the U.S. Olympic Committee when we think that there is security information that needs to be passed. And we will be working closely with consular as well.
On the ground in Sochi, we will have enough American diplomatic security agents so that they will be accompanying the American teams to all of the venues. They’ll be on site at all times. They’ll be available to liaise with the Russian Government security services that are there. They’ll be an interface for the Olympic Committee. And they’ll be overseeing generally the levels of security that we’re getting and making sure that our Olympic teams and our Olympic participants are as safe and secure as they can be.
I think that at this point we might want to turn it over to discussion of the threat picture, and I’ll turn that back to – who do I go back to on the threat picture?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: We’ll take it back here.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: All right, [Senior Administration Official One].
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: Thanks. So on the overall security picture, I’m going to state the obvious here, but everyone knows we’ve seen an uptick in threat reporting. Obviously, we’re closely following events, and will continue to do so for the duration of the Winter Olympic Games and also for the Paralympic Games.
We are aware of reports of potential threats that may occur during the Olympic Games, including the media accounts we’ve seen of female suicide bombers and a video posted online claiming responsibility for the tragic bombings in Volgograd that also promised more attacks during the Sochi Games. We take all such threats seriously.
The United States continues to work with Russian and international security partners to look into these reports, and we will continue to update our security information for American citizens as new information becomes available.
In terms of contingency planning, the United States relies first and foremost on the host country, as is the case with every Olympic Games. But obviously, both the State and Defense Departments are doing prudent planning and ensuring appropriate assets are available should they be needed by the U.S. Government or requested by the Russian Government.
So I want to reiterate that the safety and security of our athletes, our delegation, and all Americans in Sochi is our highest priority. We know that Americans have questions about security issues, given recent press reports, and although we’ve seen an increase in threat reporting, which is concerning to us, it is not entirely unusual for a major international event like this. We are ensuring that the full resources of the U.S. Government are aligned in support of our athletes, our delegation, and Americans attending the Olympics.
And I’ll turn it back over to [Moderator].
MODERATOR: Great, thank you. If the operator could remind folks on the call how to ask a question in the queue now.
OPERATOR: Certainly. Ladies and gentlemen, again it is *1 for questions. And you may remove yourself from the queue by pressing the # key. But again, *1 for questions.
We’ll go first to the line of Devlin Barrett with The Wall Street Journal. Please go ahead.
QUESTION: Hi. Thanks for doing the call. We’re told by the athletes that the State Department issued a warning to the athletes not to wear team colors or the team uniforms outside of accredited areas. I just want to understand – what is the rationale behind that warning, and has that sort of warning been issued in any past Olympics?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: Hi, this is [Senior Administration Official Two]. I’ll take this. That advice was actually given by the security coordinator for the U.S. Olympic team. I think it reflects just good common sense if, in fact, there are threats of terrorism. And I think most of us agree with many of the outside security experts that have decided that it’s probably more likely that things may be happening at soft targets outside the actual Olympic events. I think it makes sense to give people some advice in terms of how to handle themselves when they’re traveling. And I think it’s just common sense that perhaps if you’re an American Olympic athlete, you perhaps don’t want to advertise that so much directly outside of the – or far outside of the venues.
But as I say, this was advice that was given by the U.S. Olympic Committee’s security coordinator, and quite frankly, I concur with it. It’s just good common sense.
QUESTION: And just to the second issue of – has that been done before for any past Olympics?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: I’m trying to think back. I don’t think we did it in London. I am not sure about previous to that, but I think given the threats that we’re hearing about, we’re not sure of whether they’re actually true or not, how serious they are, but given those threats, I think it’s reasonable advice.
OPERATOR: Our next question --
MODERATOR: Great. Thank you. Oh, go ahead. Yeah.
OPERATOR: Our next question from Andrea Mitchell with NBC News.
QUESTION: Thank you very much for the call. Can you talk to us about the level of cooperation at the granular level between the Russian security and the U.S. security? And under what protocols would you be more engaged? Do you have enough people on the ground? Are you getting enough from the Russians in comparison to previous Olympics, such as London and Greece, and I guess Beijing as well? Thank you.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: Thanks. The cooperation between the United States and Russia on the Sochi Olympics goes back now quite some time. The – and in many venues. We have been discussing counterterrorism cooperation in our standard venues for discussing these issues, like – we have a working group under the Bilateral Presidential Commission, and as you may have seen in our readout, the issue was also discussed in the call between the presidents this week. This is repeatedly discussed at high levels between counterparts in the U.S. and Russian Government.
But then specifically on the Sochi preparations, Embassy Moscow has been leading an effort to engage with the Russian Government directly on issues of security in Sochi, to work to make sure that our liaison officers do have the right credentials and will have access to be able to do what they’re able to do within their competences at the site. And it’s been – it’s not just something that’s popped up in the last couple of weeks or in the last month. The preparations have been ongoing for quite some time.
Now, of course we always wish our partners will share more information with us, and we are always asking for more information, but the United States has many sources of information that we’re using to assess the situation and assess ourselves independently what we see the threats are or how we view the credibility of threats that we do hear about. One of the most important venues for our cooperation in this regard is with our Five Eyes partners. We have been coordinating very closely with them on the Sochi Olympics as well. So we have lots of different venues and different possibilities to get ourselves the very best information, and to convey that information as well to those for whom it would be actionable to improve the security situation at the Olympics.
In terms of comparison to past events, I wasn’t involved in them so I can’t speak directly to it. But I will say that my understanding from colleagues who have been working on this for many years is that this is a common theme in working with host governments. Different governments are set up in different ways, and so there’s always a process of working institutionally with partners. And so the form of that cooperation always varies by event, and obviously, we have closer cooperation with countries such as the UK, who is a Five Eyes member, than we do with a partner like Russia or probably with China. We don’t worry too much about those comparisons. We’re focused on doing the very best we can in each case, and that’s what we’re focused on right now with the Olympics coming up.
OPERATOR: Our next question is from Barbara Starr with CNN.
QUESTION: Thank you. I have two questions, first for [Senior Administration Official Four]. As you know, Secretary Hagel just said, and I’m quoting him, “If we need to extract our citizens, we will have appropriate arrangements with the Russians to do that.” Can you clarify, are those – has – Hagel said he had spoken to his counterpart. So have those arrangements now been put into place on a standby basis if there is a reason for the U.S. military to go in? Because Hagel says there will be appropriate arrangements.
And my second question: I’m not sure who can answer on Diplomatic Security, but I believe I heard you say DS will accompany teams to all the venues and all of their events. And I just didn’t know, has that also been typical in the past for DS to accompany the teams?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL FOUR: I think what the Secretary is referring to is simply the broad-level discussions that he has had with his counterpart, and General Dempsey had with his counterpart, and a mutual understanding between the two defense establishments that obviously, if there was a need to do something, we would be able to coordinate and consult on that and do it in a proper way. I think that’s what he was referring to. He did speak, and I can get back to you, Barb, on when the conversation was. I understand it was earlier this month, but I can get back to you on a more accurate answer.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: Barbara, this is [Senior Administration Official Two]. On your second question, yes, that’s typically what we do. That’s our role out there. That’s why we asked for the accreditation passes. That’s why we asked for the agents to be accredited, field the numbers of people that we do. And I’m not going to go into exactly the numbers, but it’s to make sure that we’ve got eyes on the teams and eyes on the events.
MODERATOR: Great, thanks. Let’s go to the next question.
OPERATOR: Our next question is from Justin Fishel with Fox News.
QUESTION: Hey. My question was basically just the same as Barbara’s, but – I mean, so Secretary – about what Secretary Hagel just said in suggesting that we will have appropriate plans to extract Americans if need be. So in other words, does – are there plans right now? I mean, I realize the Games haven’t started, but has the planning started, or would the planning only start if there was a need to extract them?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL FOUR: Justin, there are no specific evacuation plans for the Olympics per se, but as you know, our combatant commanders have on the shelf American citizen evacuation plans and general guidelines just as a rule. But as I said from the podium yesterday, there is no request to have a specific plan to evacuate right now, and if we’re called on to do that in – certainly in coordination with the State Department who makes these decisions – and we’ll be prepared to do it – but there’s no Sochi Olympics evacuation plan on the shelf that we’re ready to just pull off.
And as I also said, and this is not – and this is a key point – I mean, our commanders are doing what you expect them to do, which is to be prepared just in case. And so they’re taking a look at the assets they have available to them – General Breedlove specifically – that he has throughout the region in case he needs it for any purpose. And so that’s just part of what we do. It’s all about being prepared to act if you’re called on to act.
MODERATOR: Great, thanks. Let’s go to the next question.
OPERATOR: Our next question from Adam Goldman with The Washington Post.
QUESTION: Hey, this goes to the level of cooperation. I guess, [Senior Administration Official Two], maybe you can answer this. Were you aware that there was a suicide bomber, this Black Widow, on the loose? Did the Russians tell you that beforehand? Or did you just find out about it through the media?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: I think that particular report came to us through the media. I – we have been aware for some time that in the entire region, that that is a type of attack that has been used before. I don’t think it surprised us that that came up on the radar screen at all. In determining what levels of security, you look at what types of threats are presented, and that’s clearly one of the ones that was presented.
The specifics of the Russians putting out what I would call a “be on the lookout” for a specific person, I think that we got that just about the same time that the press got it.
MODERATOR: Great. Next question, please.
OPERATOR: Thank you. That would be from Howard LaFranchi with the Christian Science Monitor. One moment while I get his line open here. Mr. LaFranchi, your line should be open at this point.
QUESTION: Great. Okay, thank you. Yeah, there was mention earlier of General Dempsey meeting his counterpart, I believe, earlier this week. And at that meeting he spoke of potential sharing of counterterrorism technology. I wonder if there’s any update on that in terms of – I think it was IED detection and jamming technology and equipment, and that that could be shared if it was found to be compatible. I was wondering if there was any update on that.
MODERATOR: Yeah, we can take that here.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: Well, I’ll defer to [Senior Administration Official Four], but U.S.-Russian defense cooperation on different specific projects, including among them counter-IED, are actually – I wouldn’t say longstanding, but they predate the issue of Sochi. So there’s really very good defense cooperation between the U.S. military and Russian military in specific areas, and this happens to be one of the areas that we’ve cooperated on because of our common broader interests in cooperating on counterterrorism.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL FOUR: Yeah. The only thing I would jump in is, again, that we’ve simply had generic conversations with them about this technology and some of the lessons we’ve learned in Iraq and Afghanistan, as recently as this week when General Dempsey was over there, but it wasn’t done necessarily or specifically was related to the Olympics. There was no formal request by the Russians for counter-IED technology with respect to the Olympics, and there was no offer made of that technology or assistance, again, with respect to the Olympics.
But as was said earlier, and this is spot on, we have these conversations in general about the technologies and the capability.
MODERATOR: Great, thanks. Let’s go to the next question.
OPERATOR: That would be from Eli Lake with The Daily Beast.
QUESTION: Hi. Can you say anything more about the information sharing with the Russians? I mean, I think you got into it with the Black Widow answer, but there was, I guess, an allegation that was made on the Sunday shows by Chairman Mike McCaul. And if you can just add any more to that about the nature of it and anything else that he might have been talking about, about information that was not shared.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: We can’t really speak to specific conversations we have in all our channels between counterpart organizations. But we – again, I’ll repeat, we have been talking to the Russians about the regional security concerns we have. These are longstanding concerns about the North Caucasus. We have – in recent weeks as we’ve gotten closer to the Olympics, we’ve continued to have those conversations and sought information from the Russian Government. This is a tough issue because it’s an issue of intelligence. We have good relations, we have good conversations, but we always want to know more.
And so what you’re hearing is frustration that we don’t know everything. We’re frustrated we don’t know everything too, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that we aren’t working with the Russians to identify – to get better information about the threat reporting we’re seeing.
MODERATOR: Great. Let’s go to the next question, please.
OPERATOR: That would be from Kevin Johnson with USA Today. Please go ahead.
QUESTION: Hi. Thanks for the call. Somebody had mentioned earlier that these – the threat stream is common in the run-up to the Games. But I wonder in this case, how does this threat stream compare to, say, Athens, Salt Lake, and others, right after 9/11?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: It’s a different environment. Every situation is a different situation, and so we can’t – again, I don’t want to compare among them. It just – it’s not really – I appreciate the question but it’s not a meaningful question. I think we should be focusing on what we need to know and what we need to work with the Russian Government to focus on the specifics of this instance. And in that regard, I just want to reiterate that we’ve been engaged with the Russian Government for months if not years on understanding the arrangements for the Games. We’ve seen the Russians take this very seriously. They are devoting significant resources to security in the region. And so we’ll deal with this one on its own terms as appropriate.
MODERATOR: Great, thanks. Lets’ go to the next question, please.
OPERATOR: Next question from Rosalind Jordan with Al Jazeera English Television.
QUESTION: Hi. Thanks for the call. I have two questions and they might be most appropriate for officials number one and number two. The first question: Can you give a little more detail about what kind of legal access needs to be provided to U.S. Government officials in order to help provide security for the athletes, be available to respond in case of any crisis? If, heaven forbid, something were to take place, would U.S. officials be able to go into country and the paperwork be handled later?
And then the second question, which might be more appropriate for official number one: Given that you just expressed your frustration that there’s a lot of detail that the U.S. Government simply does not know, there’s not enough intelligence that you’ve been able to access for whatever reason, would you advise the 10,000 or so Americans who have made plans to attend these Olympics in two weeks’ time to actually go, or is the risk any higher than it would have been, say, four years ago for the Summer Olympics in Beijing?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: Hi, this is [Senior Administration Official Two]. I’ll take the first portion of that. I don’t think that we’re looking to flood large amounts of American officials in. I think you have to go back to the context of this, is that this is the Olympics in Russia. We’re relying on the Russian Government for the security for the most part. We are relying on their great efforts that they are making on this. We’re there in a liaison role.
The components that we have on site, including Diplomatic Security and the FBI and others, do bring very good capabilities should the Russians ever ask for them. I’m not sure that we think that they will be, because the Russian capabilities in many cases are quite good as well. But we have experts on scene that can help in terms of counterterrorism, in terms of IEDs, in terms of intelligence and other types of things, should we be asked. And I guess it’s true that should we be asked, like in many other cases in countries when something happens, if an official request is made to the United States, we can add other people, but I’ll tell you the truth, we’re not anticipating that.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: Yeah, I would just emphasize – [Senior Administration Official Two] did a good job, but I want to emphasize because we’re closely lashed up here back in Washington with the Embassy. And the Embassy has done a fantastic job of making sure we have the right U.S. – the right planning for exactly the contingencies you talked about. The consular services are in – partly in place. There are plans to surge more U.S. officials down into Sochi and with backup back in Moscow. The kind of contingencies you raised are exactly the kinds of contingencies in terms of legal assistance, helping people who find themselves in different kinds of situations, medical situations. That planning has been done and those resources are in place in Moscow at the Embassy and also in Sochi. So yes, that’s a big piece of what we’ve been working on.
On – I’m sorry, I suddenly forgot the second piece of the question.
MODERATOR: Whether you (inaudible) --
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: Oh, the – I want to clarify. I said I was – that we’re – sure we’re frustrated we don’t know everything. I didn't say we were frustrated with the Russian Government. I said we’re frustrated we don’t know everything. We always want more information, and you always want to – that’s in any situation, not just dealing with the Sochi Olympics. It’s a – so I guess what I’m saying is, certainly there is uncertainty. There’s uncertainty in any kind of big event like this. But what I’m reassuring you, or what I am confirming to you, is that we understand the information requirements. We’re pursuing every venue and every opportunity we have for satisfying our own requirements, whether that’s in partnership with the Russian Government or in partnership with other countries, or in our own efforts to understand what’s going on and how that will let us provide for a safe and secure and enjoyable environment for the Americans who will be attending or participating in the Olympics.
MODERATOR: And just to chime in here for a second, the travel information we put out from the State Department is very clear about people should be on the lookout, they should be aware of their surroundings, but it doesn’t – we are very clear it’s not telling people not to go. I think that was your question, right: What would you say to the 10,000 people that have private plans to go? Well, look at the travel information. It very clearly lays out what they should do. And if we need to update it because of new information, we always will. So I think that’s something important to keep in mind.
Let’s go to the next question, please.
OPERATOR: That’ll be from Tim Phelps with the LA Times.
QUESTION: Hello. Could you elaborate just a little bit on what you mean by an uptick in threat reporting? Are you talking about intelligence or are you talking about public media reports? Can you tell us anything about these threats?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: All of the above. We’ve seen uptick in all those categories that you listed, and we are paying close attention to them and tracking them down and assessing them with heightened scrutiny and great attention.
MODERATOR: Great, thanks. Next question, please.
OPERATOR: The next question is from Paul Shinkman with U.S. News & World Report.
QUESTION: Yes, thanks very much for doing this call. Can you give us a sense, as specifically as you can, about how many more additional American personnel there are currently and going to be on the ground in Russia who weren’t there in the lead-up to the Olympic Games and how that compares to security preparations in previous Olympics?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: We’re not going to get into talking exact (inaudible) people we have. We work these out very carefully with the Russians. It is appropriate to what we need. As we said, we’ve addressed consular issues, we’ve addressed Overseas Security Advisory Council and private industry, we’ve addressed the sponsors, we’re addressing the athletes and the U.S. Olympic team, we’re addressing private Americans that are there. Prior to the Olympics, prior to about six months ago, there were no Americans in there. This isn’t the location of a consulate or an embassy. But we have, I would say, the appropriate numbers and they’re about the same numbers as we’ve had in Olympics in the past in other countries.
MODERATOR: Okay, let’s go ahead to the next question.
OPERATOR: That will come from Courtney Kube with NBC News.
QUESTION: Hi, this is Jim Miklaszewski with NBC, Courtney’s colleague. I just wanted to clarify or try to clarify one more time Secretary Hagel’s remarks that if we need to extract Americans, we will have appropriate arrangements in place. Now, does that mean that U.S. military aircraft personnel would be able to go land in Sochi and take Americans out, or would we still depend on the Russians to extract the Americans and put them somewhere, somehow, into American hands? Thank you.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL FOUR: Mick, I’m going to obviously defer to my State colleagues because issues of American citizens being evacuated are really coordinated at that level. As you know, sometimes evacuations are done using other assets, not military assets, whether it’s other – charter air or commercial air, and not always is the military called upon.
What I will tell you – and I’ll go back to what we said before – was that the European Command commander, General Breedlove, wants to ensure that he has complete visibility on the assets in his region that – to know what he has available, including potential airlift and perhaps even sealift if he’s called upon for that kind of a mission. We haven’t been tasked to do anything specific in that regard. Clearly, we take our lead from the State Department and only if not only does the State Department believe there’s a need that we’re answering but that they – but they, the State Department, want to use military assets to do so.
Again, all we’re doing at this point is the kind of prudent planning and research into the assets available to make sure we have a good handle on what we have and where we have it just in case we’re called. That’s the limit of what we’ve been doing right now.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: This is [Senior Administration Official Two]. I think without going deeply into all of the contingencies that we look at, I think it’s safe to say that all through the years when we’ve looked at evacuating Americans out of different situations: (a) it depends what the situation is; (b) it depends what the situation is on the ground, and we work very closely with the host government; (c) we look at a variety of assets. Everybody seems to be keying solely on DOD. DOD is an excellent asset if it has to be called, and they’ve got contingency plans in place and will work with us if that’s the need.
But we also keep track of things like regular commercial flights that are going out of there. We know that many of these delegations are coming in with their own chartered aircraft. We look at the chartered aircraft market, spot market, to determine what’s available for us to lease. And we’ll be looking at all of these contingencies as we go through this, but it’s really very event-specific and it’s – you make large-scale contingency plans and then you pick off the shelf what’s your best available options if and when something happens, which we all hope that nothing happens here at all.
MODERATOR: And we have one more thing from our end on this. Go ahead.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: And I just want to emphasize and remind everyone again, as the host country, Russia has primary responsibility – and primary capability, I would add – for dealing with the kinds of contingencies we’ve just been speculating about. Russia and a big part of what the U.S. Government has been doing is working with and liaison and discussing with the Russian Government about its assets and its capabilities for if there are medical situations or worse, the ones that are inspiring some of these questions.
So first and foremost, Russia has the responsibility in responding to and coping with situations that might affect the safety, security, and the presence of their guests. And that’s what all the American citizens there are their guests. And so the U.S. Government will work with the Russian Government on the various options should they need to be implemented that we’ve just been talking about.
MODERATOR: Great, thanks. Let’s go to the next question.
OPERATOR: That will be from Major Garrett with CBS News.
QUESTION: All right, thanks for doing the call. Can you hear me?
MODERATOR: Yes, we can hear you, Major.
QUESTION: This came up at the White House, so forgive me if it was answered previously at State or Pentagon. In all these situations, should they occur, after-action reports always talk about the need to have a point person, a central, organized, core leader onsite. And I’m wondering if, as a contingency for Sochi, either Pentagon or State has put together a team or a person in charge who is the regular instantaneous liaison with the Russian Government and is the point person for any contingency that may arrive. I’m just trying to get this into a slightly higher bureaucratic level to understand, if something goes wrong, is there a person, is there a team on a 24-hour basis that’s already identified and maybe an additional bureaucratic layer there on scene to handle whatever may arise?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: That’s a great question, and yes, that’s exactly what there is in Sochi. There is an American operations center that is staffed with exactly the array of experts, subject matter experts and officials that you would need to cope with any of the contingencies we’ve been talking about, and there is definitely a chain of command, and someone at the top of that chain of command who is responsible for exactly what you’ve just laid out.
MODERATOR: I think we just have time for a few more questions, so let’s go to the next question.
OPERATOR: Very well. That will come from Jose DelReal with Politico.
QUESTION: Hey, guys. Thanks for hosting this call. So, not to keep pushing this point on contingencies, but on the ground, how would those sorts of notifications go out? How would Americans be notified what steps they could take should they need to be evacuated?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL THREE: This is [Senior Administration Official Three]. That’s the reason why we encourage people to enroll their presence in Russia or in Sochi with us through our Smart Traveler Enrollment Program. We’re able to use that mechanism, then, to push out information, whether it’s new threat reporting or – threat information, or here’s where we want you to go to do X, Y, or Z. So the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, again, accessible through our website.
MODERATOR: Okay. Great. I think we probably have time for one more question. So Operator, who’s the lucky last person to ask?
OPERATOR: That will be from Taurean Barnwell with NHK.
QUESTION: Hi. I have a question that maybe Senior Administration Official Number Four can answer. I want to know if you can tell us what kind of ships the Navy is dispatching to the Black Sea, and also, in the case of any contingencies, will those ships provide any evacuation services for non-Americans?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL FOUR: We’re not going to get into identifying the ships just yet. It’s our policy with respect to transits in and out of that body of water that we don’t talk about identifying them or their schedules until they’re in the Black Sea. They are not at this point. But as you know, all our ships to some degree have multi-mission capability. They’re all designed for more than one thing depending on the class of ship, and they’re capable of lots of things, including helicopter lift if required. Certainly our ships have some limited medical capability on board.
As for the specifics of your question on non-Americans, again, we – when it comes to evacuations, we very much take our lead from the State Department in that regard, and as was said earlier, the State Department has a wide range of assets that they look at and arrangements that they make in this, and so I simply would not be able to speculate about that. And I’d have to refer to my State Department colleagues to talk about that.
MODERATOR: I can jump here. Just generally speaking, I know in the past, obviously, it depends on the situation, but we have been able to extend our capabilities to non-American citizens, but every situation’s different and I don’t want to speculate on what might happen here under some hypothetical contingency. But we have a variety of capabilities, and again, I don’t want to speculate.
So I thank you all for joining the call. For folks who jumped on late, this is all on background. Everyone was senior Administration officials. I know we’ll be talking all about this a lot in the coming weeks, but everyone have a great weekend, and thanks for jumping
Background Briefing on Security at the Sochi Olympics
Special Briefing
Office of the Spokesperson
Senior Administration Officials
Teleconference
January 24, 2014
MODERATOR: Thank you so much, and thank you, everyone, for joining the call on a late Friday afternoon. I know it’s a topic we are all very interested in.
So I will introduce the folks who will be giving some brief opening remarks and who will be available to answer questions. I will let you know who these four senior Administration officials are. This is a call on background, so after I give you their names, from here on out they will be referred to as senior Administration officials.
The first speaker will be [Senior Administration Official One]. That’s Senior Administration Official One. The second speaker will be [Senior Administration Official Two], Senior Administration Official Two. The third senior Administration official we will have is [Senior Administration Official Three]. And the fourth senior Administration official we have, who won’t be making opening remarks but who’s here to answer questions, is [Senior Administration Official Four].
So with that, I will turn it over – after our folks give some opening remarks, then we will open it up for questions.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: Great. Thanks. Well, we are now two weeks away from the opening of the Sochi Olympics. We are extremely proud of our U.S. athletes, and we look forward to cheering them on as they compete in the best traditions of the Olympic spirit. We know they will showcase to the world the best of America, which is diversity, determination, and teamwork.
In the run-up to the Games, we know that in addition to the focus on the athletes, there is increasing attention on security and reports of threats to the Games. Our expectation is that we’ll see more reports in the coming weeks, and we know that people have questions about this issue. So we wanted to offer you an overview of the U.S. Government’s preparations, including specifically on security issues. So I want to start by giving you an overview of U.S. participation. Then we’ll turn to the issue of U.S. Government involvement, and then give you a status report on security concerns.
On U.S. participation, I would break this down into three categories: athletes, our official delegation, and the general public attending. On the athletes, we expect a U.S. team of 230, with 270 coaches and support staff. For our delegation, the President has asked former DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano to lead our official delegation to the opening ceremonies, and there will be four others joining her: Billie Jean King, Brian Boitano, Rob Nabors, and Ambassador Mike McFaul. Deputy Secretary of State Burns and former Olympians Caitlin Cahow, Eric Heiden, and Bonnie Blair will represent the United States at the closing ceremonies. There will also, of course, be a large contingent of corporate sponsors and private American spectators.
The U.S. Olympic Committee has made it clear that the safety and security of Team USA is its top priority. As is always the case, USOC is working with the U.S. Department of State, the local organizers, and the relevant law enforcement agencies in an effort to ensure that our delegation and other Americans traveling to Sochi are safe. For the U.S. Government’s official delegation, we are also working with USOC and the Russian Government on accreditation, logistics, and security.
On the general public, there are estimates that as many as 10,000 Americans may attend the Olympic Games as spectators. As private citizens, these individuals are responsible for their own tickets, travel, reservations, visas, and overall logistics. That said, the U.S. consular services will be in Sochi in force. And in fact, indeed U.S. officials already are on location in Sochi to provide information, support, and appropriate services for Americans visiting a foreign country.
On U.S. Government involvement, I would like to turn at this point over to my colleagues from the State Department for their comments.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: Good afternoon. We break this down into roughly three categories: support to the U.S. citizens attending the Games, assistance to the Russian Government – let me rephrase that – cooperation with and liaison with the Russian Government, and security contingency planning efforts that we’ve had underway for quite some time.
I’d like to turn it over to [Senior Administration Official Three] for a moment to talk about the consular services and the State Department efforts towards regular American citizens that are out there.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL THREE: Thank you. This is [Senior Administration Official Three]. Good afternoon, everybody. As noted earlier, we will have consular officials on the ground in Sochi. We have been very much part of the planning efforts towards the Games. And one of our – the cornerstones of our efforts to protect American citizens traveling and residing abroad is our consular information program, and that’s no different here. To make sure that Americans have good information to make sound decisions about their travel and their activities while they’re at the Games, we’ve put out a Sochi fact sheet, and we’ve also recently issued a Russian Federation Travel Alert, which, again, provides information that we think American citizens need to know before they travel to the Games. We – again, we will have consular officials on the ground, and we are strongly encouraging people traveling to the Games to enroll their visits in our Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, which is accessible through our website.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: On other types of support, U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service leads an interagency group that we call the ISEG, which is the International Security Event Group, and we have been working long and hard prior to the Olympics to liaise with the Russian Government, Russian security services, and Russian forces that are there to ensure the safety and security of our Olympic team, to ensure the security of the sponsors that are out there that are American companies, American citizens, and then also to work closely with consular for the safety and security of American citizens that are there.
We will have a fairly large contingent of personnel in Sochi as well as we obviously have the United States Embassy in Moscow, which plays a huge role in this. In Sochi, we have Diplomatic Security agents and representatives from other agencies in the federal government, including the FBI and others. We will have people on the ground manning what we call a joint operations center, which is an information hub for all of us. We will be passing information out through OSAC, the Overseas Security Advisory Council, to American businesses and subscribers. We will be passing information directly to the U.S. Olympic Committee when we think that there is security information that needs to be passed. And we will be working closely with consular as well.
On the ground in Sochi, we will have enough American diplomatic security agents so that they will be accompanying the American teams to all of the venues. They’ll be on site at all times. They’ll be available to liaise with the Russian Government security services that are there. They’ll be an interface for the Olympic Committee. And they’ll be overseeing generally the levels of security that we’re getting and making sure that our Olympic teams and our Olympic participants are as safe and secure as they can be.
I think that at this point we might want to turn it over to discussion of the threat picture, and I’ll turn that back to – who do I go back to on the threat picture?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: We’ll take it back here.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: All right, [Senior Administration Official One].
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: Thanks. So on the overall security picture, I’m going to state the obvious here, but everyone knows we’ve seen an uptick in threat reporting. Obviously, we’re closely following events, and will continue to do so for the duration of the Winter Olympic Games and also for the Paralympic Games.
We are aware of reports of potential threats that may occur during the Olympic Games, including the media accounts we’ve seen of female suicide bombers and a video posted online claiming responsibility for the tragic bombings in Volgograd that also promised more attacks during the Sochi Games. We take all such threats seriously.
The United States continues to work with Russian and international security partners to look into these reports, and we will continue to update our security information for American citizens as new information becomes available.
In terms of contingency planning, the United States relies first and foremost on the host country, as is the case with every Olympic Games. But obviously, both the State and Defense Departments are doing prudent planning and ensuring appropriate assets are available should they be needed by the U.S. Government or requested by the Russian Government.
So I want to reiterate that the safety and security of our athletes, our delegation, and all Americans in Sochi is our highest priority. We know that Americans have questions about security issues, given recent press reports, and although we’ve seen an increase in threat reporting, which is concerning to us, it is not entirely unusual for a major international event like this. We are ensuring that the full resources of the U.S. Government are aligned in support of our athletes, our delegation, and Americans attending the Olympics.
And I’ll turn it back over to [Moderator].
MODERATOR: Great, thank you. If the operator could remind folks on the call how to ask a question in the queue now.
OPERATOR: Certainly. Ladies and gentlemen, again it is *1 for questions. And you may remove yourself from the queue by pressing the # key. But again, *1 for questions.
We’ll go first to the line of Devlin Barrett with The Wall Street Journal. Please go ahead.
QUESTION: Hi. Thanks for doing the call. We’re told by the athletes that the State Department issued a warning to the athletes not to wear team colors or the team uniforms outside of accredited areas. I just want to understand – what is the rationale behind that warning, and has that sort of warning been issued in any past Olympics?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: Hi, this is [Senior Administration Official Two]. I’ll take this. That advice was actually given by the security coordinator for the U.S. Olympic team. I think it reflects just good common sense if, in fact, there are threats of terrorism. And I think most of us agree with many of the outside security experts that have decided that it’s probably more likely that things may be happening at soft targets outside the actual Olympic events. I think it makes sense to give people some advice in terms of how to handle themselves when they’re traveling. And I think it’s just common sense that perhaps if you’re an American Olympic athlete, you perhaps don’t want to advertise that so much directly outside of the – or far outside of the venues.
But as I say, this was advice that was given by the U.S. Olympic Committee’s security coordinator, and quite frankly, I concur with it. It’s just good common sense.
QUESTION: And just to the second issue of – has that been done before for any past Olympics?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: I’m trying to think back. I don’t think we did it in London. I am not sure about previous to that, but I think given the threats that we’re hearing about, we’re not sure of whether they’re actually true or not, how serious they are, but given those threats, I think it’s reasonable advice.
OPERATOR: Our next question --
MODERATOR: Great. Thank you. Oh, go ahead. Yeah.
OPERATOR: Our next question from Andrea Mitchell with NBC News.
QUESTION: Thank you very much for the call. Can you talk to us about the level of cooperation at the granular level between the Russian security and the U.S. security? And under what protocols would you be more engaged? Do you have enough people on the ground? Are you getting enough from the Russians in comparison to previous Olympics, such as London and Greece, and I guess Beijing as well? Thank you.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: Thanks. The cooperation between the United States and Russia on the Sochi Olympics goes back now quite some time. The – and in many venues. We have been discussing counterterrorism cooperation in our standard venues for discussing these issues, like – we have a working group under the Bilateral Presidential Commission, and as you may have seen in our readout, the issue was also discussed in the call between the presidents this week. This is repeatedly discussed at high levels between counterparts in the U.S. and Russian Government.
But then specifically on the Sochi preparations, Embassy Moscow has been leading an effort to engage with the Russian Government directly on issues of security in Sochi, to work to make sure that our liaison officers do have the right credentials and will have access to be able to do what they’re able to do within their competences at the site. And it’s been – it’s not just something that’s popped up in the last couple of weeks or in the last month. The preparations have been ongoing for quite some time.
Now, of course we always wish our partners will share more information with us, and we are always asking for more information, but the United States has many sources of information that we’re using to assess the situation and assess ourselves independently what we see the threats are or how we view the credibility of threats that we do hear about. One of the most important venues for our cooperation in this regard is with our Five Eyes partners. We have been coordinating very closely with them on the Sochi Olympics as well. So we have lots of different venues and different possibilities to get ourselves the very best information, and to convey that information as well to those for whom it would be actionable to improve the security situation at the Olympics.
In terms of comparison to past events, I wasn’t involved in them so I can’t speak directly to it. But I will say that my understanding from colleagues who have been working on this for many years is that this is a common theme in working with host governments. Different governments are set up in different ways, and so there’s always a process of working institutionally with partners. And so the form of that cooperation always varies by event, and obviously, we have closer cooperation with countries such as the UK, who is a Five Eyes member, than we do with a partner like Russia or probably with China. We don’t worry too much about those comparisons. We’re focused on doing the very best we can in each case, and that’s what we’re focused on right now with the Olympics coming up.
OPERATOR: Our next question is from Barbara Starr with CNN.
QUESTION: Thank you. I have two questions, first for [Senior Administration Official Four]. As you know, Secretary Hagel just said, and I’m quoting him, “If we need to extract our citizens, we will have appropriate arrangements with the Russians to do that.” Can you clarify, are those – has – Hagel said he had spoken to his counterpart. So have those arrangements now been put into place on a standby basis if there is a reason for the U.S. military to go in? Because Hagel says there will be appropriate arrangements.
And my second question: I’m not sure who can answer on Diplomatic Security, but I believe I heard you say DS will accompany teams to all the venues and all of their events. And I just didn’t know, has that also been typical in the past for DS to accompany the teams?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL FOUR: I think what the Secretary is referring to is simply the broad-level discussions that he has had with his counterpart, and General Dempsey had with his counterpart, and a mutual understanding between the two defense establishments that obviously, if there was a need to do something, we would be able to coordinate and consult on that and do it in a proper way. I think that’s what he was referring to. He did speak, and I can get back to you, Barb, on when the conversation was. I understand it was earlier this month, but I can get back to you on a more accurate answer.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: Barbara, this is [Senior Administration Official Two]. On your second question, yes, that’s typically what we do. That’s our role out there. That’s why we asked for the accreditation passes. That’s why we asked for the agents to be accredited, field the numbers of people that we do. And I’m not going to go into exactly the numbers, but it’s to make sure that we’ve got eyes on the teams and eyes on the events.
MODERATOR: Great, thanks. Let’s go to the next question.
OPERATOR: Our next question is from Justin Fishel with Fox News.
QUESTION: Hey. My question was basically just the same as Barbara’s, but – I mean, so Secretary – about what Secretary Hagel just said in suggesting that we will have appropriate plans to extract Americans if need be. So in other words, does – are there plans right now? I mean, I realize the Games haven’t started, but has the planning started, or would the planning only start if there was a need to extract them?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL FOUR: Justin, there are no specific evacuation plans for the Olympics per se, but as you know, our combatant commanders have on the shelf American citizen evacuation plans and general guidelines just as a rule. But as I said from the podium yesterday, there is no request to have a specific plan to evacuate right now, and if we’re called on to do that in – certainly in coordination with the State Department who makes these decisions – and we’ll be prepared to do it – but there’s no Sochi Olympics evacuation plan on the shelf that we’re ready to just pull off.
And as I also said, and this is not – and this is a key point – I mean, our commanders are doing what you expect them to do, which is to be prepared just in case. And so they’re taking a look at the assets they have available to them – General Breedlove specifically – that he has throughout the region in case he needs it for any purpose. And so that’s just part of what we do. It’s all about being prepared to act if you’re called on to act.
MODERATOR: Great, thanks. Let’s go to the next question.
OPERATOR: Our next question from Adam Goldman with The Washington Post.
QUESTION: Hey, this goes to the level of cooperation. I guess, [Senior Administration Official Two], maybe you can answer this. Were you aware that there was a suicide bomber, this Black Widow, on the loose? Did the Russians tell you that beforehand? Or did you just find out about it through the media?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: I think that particular report came to us through the media. I – we have been aware for some time that in the entire region, that that is a type of attack that has been used before. I don’t think it surprised us that that came up on the radar screen at all. In determining what levels of security, you look at what types of threats are presented, and that’s clearly one of the ones that was presented.
The specifics of the Russians putting out what I would call a “be on the lookout” for a specific person, I think that we got that just about the same time that the press got it.
MODERATOR: Great. Next question, please.
OPERATOR: Thank you. That would be from Howard LaFranchi with the Christian Science Monitor. One moment while I get his line open here. Mr. LaFranchi, your line should be open at this point.
QUESTION: Great. Okay, thank you. Yeah, there was mention earlier of General Dempsey meeting his counterpart, I believe, earlier this week. And at that meeting he spoke of potential sharing of counterterrorism technology. I wonder if there’s any update on that in terms of – I think it was IED detection and jamming technology and equipment, and that that could be shared if it was found to be compatible. I was wondering if there was any update on that.
MODERATOR: Yeah, we can take that here.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: Well, I’ll defer to [Senior Administration Official Four], but U.S.-Russian defense cooperation on different specific projects, including among them counter-IED, are actually – I wouldn’t say longstanding, but they predate the issue of Sochi. So there’s really very good defense cooperation between the U.S. military and Russian military in specific areas, and this happens to be one of the areas that we’ve cooperated on because of our common broader interests in cooperating on counterterrorism.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL FOUR: Yeah. The only thing I would jump in is, again, that we’ve simply had generic conversations with them about this technology and some of the lessons we’ve learned in Iraq and Afghanistan, as recently as this week when General Dempsey was over there, but it wasn’t done necessarily or specifically was related to the Olympics. There was no formal request by the Russians for counter-IED technology with respect to the Olympics, and there was no offer made of that technology or assistance, again, with respect to the Olympics.
But as was said earlier, and this is spot on, we have these conversations in general about the technologies and the capability.
MODERATOR: Great, thanks. Let’s go to the next question.
OPERATOR: That would be from Eli Lake with The Daily Beast.
QUESTION: Hi. Can you say anything more about the information sharing with the Russians? I mean, I think you got into it with the Black Widow answer, but there was, I guess, an allegation that was made on the Sunday shows by Chairman Mike McCaul. And if you can just add any more to that about the nature of it and anything else that he might have been talking about, about information that was not shared.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: We can’t really speak to specific conversations we have in all our channels between counterpart organizations. But we – again, I’ll repeat, we have been talking to the Russians about the regional security concerns we have. These are longstanding concerns about the North Caucasus. We have – in recent weeks as we’ve gotten closer to the Olympics, we’ve continued to have those conversations and sought information from the Russian Government. This is a tough issue because it’s an issue of intelligence. We have good relations, we have good conversations, but we always want to know more.
And so what you’re hearing is frustration that we don’t know everything. We’re frustrated we don’t know everything too, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that we aren’t working with the Russians to identify – to get better information about the threat reporting we’re seeing.
MODERATOR: Great. Let’s go to the next question, please.
OPERATOR: That would be from Kevin Johnson with USA Today. Please go ahead.
QUESTION: Hi. Thanks for the call. Somebody had mentioned earlier that these – the threat stream is common in the run-up to the Games. But I wonder in this case, how does this threat stream compare to, say, Athens, Salt Lake, and others, right after 9/11?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: It’s a different environment. Every situation is a different situation, and so we can’t – again, I don’t want to compare among them. It just – it’s not really – I appreciate the question but it’s not a meaningful question. I think we should be focusing on what we need to know and what we need to work with the Russian Government to focus on the specifics of this instance. And in that regard, I just want to reiterate that we’ve been engaged with the Russian Government for months if not years on understanding the arrangements for the Games. We’ve seen the Russians take this very seriously. They are devoting significant resources to security in the region. And so we’ll deal with this one on its own terms as appropriate.
MODERATOR: Great, thanks. Lets’ go to the next question, please.
OPERATOR: Next question from Rosalind Jordan with Al Jazeera English Television.
QUESTION: Hi. Thanks for the call. I have two questions and they might be most appropriate for officials number one and number two. The first question: Can you give a little more detail about what kind of legal access needs to be provided to U.S. Government officials in order to help provide security for the athletes, be available to respond in case of any crisis? If, heaven forbid, something were to take place, would U.S. officials be able to go into country and the paperwork be handled later?
And then the second question, which might be more appropriate for official number one: Given that you just expressed your frustration that there’s a lot of detail that the U.S. Government simply does not know, there’s not enough intelligence that you’ve been able to access for whatever reason, would you advise the 10,000 or so Americans who have made plans to attend these Olympics in two weeks’ time to actually go, or is the risk any higher than it would have been, say, four years ago for the Summer Olympics in Beijing?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: Hi, this is [Senior Administration Official Two]. I’ll take the first portion of that. I don’t think that we’re looking to flood large amounts of American officials in. I think you have to go back to the context of this, is that this is the Olympics in Russia. We’re relying on the Russian Government for the security for the most part. We are relying on their great efforts that they are making on this. We’re there in a liaison role.
The components that we have on site, including Diplomatic Security and the FBI and others, do bring very good capabilities should the Russians ever ask for them. I’m not sure that we think that they will be, because the Russian capabilities in many cases are quite good as well. But we have experts on scene that can help in terms of counterterrorism, in terms of IEDs, in terms of intelligence and other types of things, should we be asked. And I guess it’s true that should we be asked, like in many other cases in countries when something happens, if an official request is made to the United States, we can add other people, but I’ll tell you the truth, we’re not anticipating that.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: Yeah, I would just emphasize – [Senior Administration Official Two] did a good job, but I want to emphasize because we’re closely lashed up here back in Washington with the Embassy. And the Embassy has done a fantastic job of making sure we have the right U.S. – the right planning for exactly the contingencies you talked about. The consular services are in – partly in place. There are plans to surge more U.S. officials down into Sochi and with backup back in Moscow. The kind of contingencies you raised are exactly the kinds of contingencies in terms of legal assistance, helping people who find themselves in different kinds of situations, medical situations. That planning has been done and those resources are in place in Moscow at the Embassy and also in Sochi. So yes, that’s a big piece of what we’ve been working on.
On – I’m sorry, I suddenly forgot the second piece of the question.
MODERATOR: Whether you (inaudible) --
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: Oh, the – I want to clarify. I said I was – that we’re – sure we’re frustrated we don’t know everything. I didn't say we were frustrated with the Russian Government. I said we’re frustrated we don’t know everything. We always want more information, and you always want to – that’s in any situation, not just dealing with the Sochi Olympics. It’s a – so I guess what I’m saying is, certainly there is uncertainty. There’s uncertainty in any kind of big event like this. But what I’m reassuring you, or what I am confirming to you, is that we understand the information requirements. We’re pursuing every venue and every opportunity we have for satisfying our own requirements, whether that’s in partnership with the Russian Government or in partnership with other countries, or in our own efforts to understand what’s going on and how that will let us provide for a safe and secure and enjoyable environment for the Americans who will be attending or participating in the Olympics.
MODERATOR: And just to chime in here for a second, the travel information we put out from the State Department is very clear about people should be on the lookout, they should be aware of their surroundings, but it doesn’t – we are very clear it’s not telling people not to go. I think that was your question, right: What would you say to the 10,000 people that have private plans to go? Well, look at the travel information. It very clearly lays out what they should do. And if we need to update it because of new information, we always will. So I think that’s something important to keep in mind.
Let’s go to the next question, please.
OPERATOR: That’ll be from Tim Phelps with the LA Times.
QUESTION: Hello. Could you elaborate just a little bit on what you mean by an uptick in threat reporting? Are you talking about intelligence or are you talking about public media reports? Can you tell us anything about these threats?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: All of the above. We’ve seen uptick in all those categories that you listed, and we are paying close attention to them and tracking them down and assessing them with heightened scrutiny and great attention.
MODERATOR: Great, thanks. Next question, please.
OPERATOR: The next question is from Paul Shinkman with U.S. News & World Report.
QUESTION: Yes, thanks very much for doing this call. Can you give us a sense, as specifically as you can, about how many more additional American personnel there are currently and going to be on the ground in Russia who weren’t there in the lead-up to the Olympic Games and how that compares to security preparations in previous Olympics?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: We’re not going to get into talking exact (inaudible) people we have. We work these out very carefully with the Russians. It is appropriate to what we need. As we said, we’ve addressed consular issues, we’ve addressed Overseas Security Advisory Council and private industry, we’ve addressed the sponsors, we’re addressing the athletes and the U.S. Olympic team, we’re addressing private Americans that are there. Prior to the Olympics, prior to about six months ago, there were no Americans in there. This isn’t the location of a consulate or an embassy. But we have, I would say, the appropriate numbers and they’re about the same numbers as we’ve had in Olympics in the past in other countries.
MODERATOR: Okay, let’s go ahead to the next question.
OPERATOR: That will come from Courtney Kube with NBC News.
QUESTION: Hi, this is Jim Miklaszewski with NBC, Courtney’s colleague. I just wanted to clarify or try to clarify one more time Secretary Hagel’s remarks that if we need to extract Americans, we will have appropriate arrangements in place. Now, does that mean that U.S. military aircraft personnel would be able to go land in Sochi and take Americans out, or would we still depend on the Russians to extract the Americans and put them somewhere, somehow, into American hands? Thank you.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL FOUR: Mick, I’m going to obviously defer to my State colleagues because issues of American citizens being evacuated are really coordinated at that level. As you know, sometimes evacuations are done using other assets, not military assets, whether it’s other – charter air or commercial air, and not always is the military called upon.
What I will tell you – and I’ll go back to what we said before – was that the European Command commander, General Breedlove, wants to ensure that he has complete visibility on the assets in his region that – to know what he has available, including potential airlift and perhaps even sealift if he’s called upon for that kind of a mission. We haven’t been tasked to do anything specific in that regard. Clearly, we take our lead from the State Department and only if not only does the State Department believe there’s a need that we’re answering but that they – but they, the State Department, want to use military assets to do so.
Again, all we’re doing at this point is the kind of prudent planning and research into the assets available to make sure we have a good handle on what we have and where we have it just in case we’re called. That’s the limit of what we’ve been doing right now.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: This is [Senior Administration Official Two]. I think without going deeply into all of the contingencies that we look at, I think it’s safe to say that all through the years when we’ve looked at evacuating Americans out of different situations: (a) it depends what the situation is; (b) it depends what the situation is on the ground, and we work very closely with the host government; (c) we look at a variety of assets. Everybody seems to be keying solely on DOD. DOD is an excellent asset if it has to be called, and they’ve got contingency plans in place and will work with us if that’s the need.
But we also keep track of things like regular commercial flights that are going out of there. We know that many of these delegations are coming in with their own chartered aircraft. We look at the chartered aircraft market, spot market, to determine what’s available for us to lease. And we’ll be looking at all of these contingencies as we go through this, but it’s really very event-specific and it’s – you make large-scale contingency plans and then you pick off the shelf what’s your best available options if and when something happens, which we all hope that nothing happens here at all.
MODERATOR: And we have one more thing from our end on this. Go ahead.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: And I just want to emphasize and remind everyone again, as the host country, Russia has primary responsibility – and primary capability, I would add – for dealing with the kinds of contingencies we’ve just been speculating about. Russia and a big part of what the U.S. Government has been doing is working with and liaison and discussing with the Russian Government about its assets and its capabilities for if there are medical situations or worse, the ones that are inspiring some of these questions.
So first and foremost, Russia has the responsibility in responding to and coping with situations that might affect the safety, security, and the presence of their guests. And that’s what all the American citizens there are their guests. And so the U.S. Government will work with the Russian Government on the various options should they need to be implemented that we’ve just been talking about.
MODERATOR: Great, thanks. Let’s go to the next question.
OPERATOR: That will be from Major Garrett with CBS News.
QUESTION: All right, thanks for doing the call. Can you hear me?
MODERATOR: Yes, we can hear you, Major.
QUESTION: This came up at the White House, so forgive me if it was answered previously at State or Pentagon. In all these situations, should they occur, after-action reports always talk about the need to have a point person, a central, organized, core leader onsite. And I’m wondering if, as a contingency for Sochi, either Pentagon or State has put together a team or a person in charge who is the regular instantaneous liaison with the Russian Government and is the point person for any contingency that may arrive. I’m just trying to get this into a slightly higher bureaucratic level to understand, if something goes wrong, is there a person, is there a team on a 24-hour basis that’s already identified and maybe an additional bureaucratic layer there on scene to handle whatever may arise?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: That’s a great question, and yes, that’s exactly what there is in Sochi. There is an American operations center that is staffed with exactly the array of experts, subject matter experts and officials that you would need to cope with any of the contingencies we’ve been talking about, and there is definitely a chain of command, and someone at the top of that chain of command who is responsible for exactly what you’ve just laid out.
MODERATOR: I think we just have time for a few more questions, so let’s go to the next question.
OPERATOR: Very well. That will come from Jose DelReal with Politico.
QUESTION: Hey, guys. Thanks for hosting this call. So, not to keep pushing this point on contingencies, but on the ground, how would those sorts of notifications go out? How would Americans be notified what steps they could take should they need to be evacuated?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL THREE: This is [Senior Administration Official Three]. That’s the reason why we encourage people to enroll their presence in Russia or in Sochi with us through our Smart Traveler Enrollment Program. We’re able to use that mechanism, then, to push out information, whether it’s new threat reporting or – threat information, or here’s where we want you to go to do X, Y, or Z. So the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, again, accessible through our website.
MODERATOR: Okay. Great. I think we probably have time for one more question. So Operator, who’s the lucky last person to ask?
OPERATOR: That will be from Taurean Barnwell with NHK.
QUESTION: Hi. I have a question that maybe Senior Administration Official Number Four can answer. I want to know if you can tell us what kind of ships the Navy is dispatching to the Black Sea, and also, in the case of any contingencies, will those ships provide any evacuation services for non-Americans?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL FOUR: We’re not going to get into identifying the ships just yet. It’s our policy with respect to transits in and out of that body of water that we don’t talk about identifying them or their schedules until they’re in the Black Sea. They are not at this point. But as you know, all our ships to some degree have multi-mission capability. They’re all designed for more than one thing depending on the class of ship, and they’re capable of lots of things, including helicopter lift if required. Certainly our ships have some limited medical capability on board.
As for the specifics of your question on non-Americans, again, we – when it comes to evacuations, we very much take our lead from the State Department in that regard, and as was said earlier, the State Department has a wide range of assets that they look at and arrangements that they make in this, and so I simply would not be able to speculate about that. And I’d have to refer to my State Department colleagues to talk about that.
MODERATOR: I can jump here. Just generally speaking, I know in the past, obviously, it depends on the situation, but we have been able to extend our capabilities to non-American citizens, but every situation’s different and I don’t want to speculate on what might happen here under some hypothetical contingency. But we have a variety of capabilities, and again, I don’t want to speculate.
So I thank you all for joining the call. For folks who jumped on late, this is all on background. Everyone was senior Administration officials. I know we’ll be talking all about this a lot in the coming weeks, but everyone have a great weekend, and thanks for jumping
IRS WARNS OF TAX SCAMS USING IRS NAME
FROM: INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE
WASHINGTON — With the start of the 2014 tax season approaching on Jan. 31, the Internal Revenue Service urged taxpayers to be aware that tax-related scams using the IRS name proliferate during this time of year.
Tax scams can take many forms, with perpetrators posing as the IRS in everything from e-mail refund schemes to phone impersonators. The IRS warned taxpayers to be vigilant of any unexpected communication that is purportedly from the IRS at the start of tax season.
The IRS encourages taxpayers to be on the lookout for phone and email scams that use the IRS as a lure. The IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email to request personal or financial information. This includes any type of electronic communication, such as text messages and social media channels. The IRS also does not ask for personal identification numbers (PINs), passwords or similar confidential access information for credit card, bank or other financial accounts. Recipients should not open any attachments or click on any links contained in the message.
WASHINGTON — With the start of the 2014 tax season approaching on Jan. 31, the Internal Revenue Service urged taxpayers to be aware that tax-related scams using the IRS name proliferate during this time of year.
Tax scams can take many forms, with perpetrators posing as the IRS in everything from e-mail refund schemes to phone impersonators. The IRS warned taxpayers to be vigilant of any unexpected communication that is purportedly from the IRS at the start of tax season.
The IRS encourages taxpayers to be on the lookout for phone and email scams that use the IRS as a lure. The IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email to request personal or financial information. This includes any type of electronic communication, such as text messages and social media channels. The IRS also does not ask for personal identification numbers (PINs), passwords or similar confidential access information for credit card, bank or other financial accounts. Recipients should not open any attachments or click on any links contained in the message.
U.S. SENDS BEST WISHES TO PEOPLE OF AUSTRALIA ON AUSTRALIA DAY
FROM: STATE DEPARTMENT
Australia's National Day
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
January 23, 2014
On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I am delighted to send best wishes to the people of Australia as you celebrate Australia Day on January 26.
Though we live in different hemispheres and at opposite ends of the globe, the relationship between the United States and Australia really is as close as it gets.
Many years ago, as a young Naval Officer in Vietnam, I saw the strength of our partnership firsthand. And I see it again today. From the mountains of Afghanistan to the icy waters off Antarctica, Australia and the United States are working diligently, side by side, to create a better world for all people.
Our nations are bound by common values and aspirations for freedom, democracy, and shared prosperity. That’s why we are working together to complete an historic Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement that will grow our economies and create thousands of jobs in both our countries.
And that’s why we are strengthening our partnership to address critical global challenges, from climate change to promoting the peaceful denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula to supporting good governance and gender equality throughout Southeast Asia.
As you celebrate Australia Day, the United States stands with you as an unwavering partner and ally. I wish all Australians peace and prosperity in the coming year and continued success to your great nation.
Australia's National Day
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
January 23, 2014
On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I am delighted to send best wishes to the people of Australia as you celebrate Australia Day on January 26.
Though we live in different hemispheres and at opposite ends of the globe, the relationship between the United States and Australia really is as close as it gets.
Many years ago, as a young Naval Officer in Vietnam, I saw the strength of our partnership firsthand. And I see it again today. From the mountains of Afghanistan to the icy waters off Antarctica, Australia and the United States are working diligently, side by side, to create a better world for all people.
Our nations are bound by common values and aspirations for freedom, democracy, and shared prosperity. That’s why we are working together to complete an historic Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement that will grow our economies and create thousands of jobs in both our countries.
And that’s why we are strengthening our partnership to address critical global challenges, from climate change to promoting the peaceful denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula to supporting good governance and gender equality throughout Southeast Asia.
As you celebrate Australia Day, the United States stands with you as an unwavering partner and ally. I wish all Australians peace and prosperity in the coming year and continued success to your great nation.
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