U.S. DEFENSE TO MOVE AGGRESSIVELY TO MODERNIZE WEAPONS AND CAPABILITIES

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT

Deputy Secretary of Defense Bob Work speaks at the McAleese/Credit Suisse Defense Programs Conference held at the Newseum in Washington, March 17, 2015. Photo by Air Force Master Sgt. Adrian Cadiz.  

DoD to Boost Modernization of Weapons, Capabilities
By Cheryl Pellerin
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, March 17, 2015 – This year, the Defense Department will move aggressively to reverse the trend of chronic underinvestment in weapons and capabilities, the deputy defense secretary said here today.

Bob Work spoke this morning about defense modernization and the department’s proposed fiscal year 2016 budget before an audience attending the McAleese/Credit Suisse Defense Programs Conference.

The bottom line, he said in prepared remarks, is that “because of budget uncertainty and restrictions imposed by Congress, and because of our unrelenting focus on the readiness of forward deployed forces, we're chronically underinvesting in new weapons and capabilities.”

Work added, “That should give all of us pause because our technological dominance is no longer assured.”

Modernization = Technological Superiority

The U.S. military’s technological superiority is directly related to its modernization accounts, the deputy secretary said, so this year the department is moving to redress the long-deferred modernization to stay ahead of competitors and potential aggressor nations.

Work said the White House has helped by approving about $21 billion in added requirements over the Future Years Defense Program.

“This came with added funding, which has allowed us to make targeted investments in space control and launch capabilities, missile defense, cyber, and advanced sensors, communications, and munitions -– all of which are critical for power projection in contested environments,” he said.

The White House also added funding to help the department modernize its aging nuclear deterrent force, Work said.

Supporting Ongoing Operations

The department’s fiscal 2016 base budget request is $534 billion, or $36 billion above the FY16 sequestration caps, he said, adding that it’s “only the first year of a five-year Future Years Defense Program. When considering fiscal years 2016 through 2020, our planned program is approximately $154 billion over the sequestration caps.”

The department also is asking for $51 billion in overseas contingency operations funding, Work said, “to support our campaign against the extremist [Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant], ongoing operations in Afghanistan, and other operations in the Central Command area of responsibility.”

The global demand for U.S. forces remains high, particularly for deployable headquarters units, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets, missile defense, and naval and aerospace forces. The global operating tempo also remains high, he added.

Together, the deputy secretary said, these requests provide funding needed to recover readiness over the next several years, invest in long-deferred recapitalization and modernization, and meet global demands placed on the military by the National Security Strategy.

The Ragged Edge

“The leaders of this department believe firmly that any significant reduction in funding below what is in the president's budget, or a broad denial of the reform initiatives that we have proposed to Congress, would mean the risks to our defense strategy would become unmanageable,” the deputy secretary said.

“Quite frankly,” he added, “we’re at the ragged edge of what is manageable.”
Adding to the pressure on defense systems, potential competitors are developing capabilities that challenge the U.S. military in all domains that put space assets and the command and control system at risk, Work said.

“We see several nations developing capabilities that threaten to erode our long-assured technological overmatch and our ability to project power,” he added.

These include new and advanced anti-ship and anti-air missiles, and new counter-space, cyber, electronic warfare, undersea and air attack capabilities, Work said.

Erosion of Technical Superiority

In some areas, he added, “we see levels of new weapons development that we haven’t seen since the mid-1980s, near the peak of the Soviet Union’s surge in Cold War defense spending.”

The department, Work said, is addressing the erosion of U.S. technological superiority through the Defense Innovation Initiative, a broad effort to improve business operations and find innovative ways to sustain and advance America’s military dominance for the 21st century.

“The DII’s leading focus is to identify, develop and field breakthrough technologies and systems,” he said, “and to develop innovative operational concepts to help us use our current capabilities in new and creative ways.”
The ultimate aim is to help craft a third offset strategy, he added.
Third Offset Strategy

After World War II the United States used nuclear weapons development to offset Soviet numerical and geographic advantage in the central front, and again changed the game in the 1970s and 1980s with networked precision strike, stealth and surveillance for conventional forces, Work explained.

Now, he said, “we will seek to identify new technologies and concepts that will keep the operational advantage firmly in the hands of America’s conventional forces, today and in the future.”

Central to the effort is a new Long-Range Research & Development Planning Program, the deputy secretary said.

The LRRDP was created to identify weapons and systems in the force that can be used in more innovative ways, promising technologies that can be pulled forward and long-range science and technology investments that can be made now for a future payoff.

Invitation to the Table

Technologies that might be associated with a new offset strategy are being driven by the commercial sector, he said.

These include robotics; autonomous operating, guidance and control systems; visualization; biotechnology; miniaturization; advanced computing and big data; and additive manufacturing like 3-D printing.

“The third offset strategy is an open invitation for everyone to come to the table … to creatively disrupt our defense ecosystem. Because we'll either creatively disrupt ourselves or be disrupted by someone else,” Work said.
Game-changing New Technologies

Funding dedicated to the effort includes the department’s annual $12 billion in science and technology accounts, and the FY 2016 budget request creates a reserve account to resource projects expected to emerge from the DII, he said.

“The FY 2016 budget submission also invests in some fantastic, potentially game-changing new technologies that we can more quickly get into the force,” Work added, “as well as longer-range research efforts.”

Over the Future Years Defense Program, for example, the department is investing $149 million in unmanned undersea vehicles, $77 million in advanced sea mines, $473 million in high-speed strike weapons, $706 million in rail gun technology, and $239 million in high-energy lasers.

And, he said, a new Aerospace Innovation Initiative will bring people together to develop a wide range of advanced aeronautical capabilities to maintain U.S. military air dominance.

Solving Operational Challenges

Work said the department’s innovation must be “broad-based and rooted in realistic war gaming –- a big priority of mine -– more experimentation, and new concept and leadership development to enable our people to adapt to situations we can’t yet imagine.”

The third offset strategy is looking to solve specific operational challenges, the deputy secretary said, using the electromagnetic spectrum as an example.

“Electronic Warfare is often regarded as a combat enabler, but more and more it is at the actual forefront of any conflict,” he said. “To ensure we remain ahead in this increasingly important space, today I’m signing out a memo that establishes an Electronic Warfare, or EW, Programs Council.”

Electronic Warfare Programs Council

The senior-level oversight council will have the lead in establishing and coordinating DoD’s EW policy and will be co-chaired by Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Frank Kendall and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. James A. Winnefeld Jr., he said.

Compared to the platforms that carry EW suites, the deputy secretary added, it is a relatively small investment but has the potential for a very high payoff.

“Our potential competitors seek to contest the EW space, an area where we retain a decided lead,” Work said. “But that lead is tenuous, and we believe that there has been insufficient focus on EW across the department.”

JOHN ALLEN'S REMARKS ON STABILIZING IRAQI TERRITORIES

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Stabilizing Iraqi Territories
Remarks
John Allen
Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition To Counter ISIL
Prime Minister's Guest House
Baghdad, Iraq
March 16, 2015

It is good to be back in Baghdad and to see so many familiar faces. I want to thank the Prime Minister and COMSEC for hosting us today. I also want to thank the Iraqi deputy ministers, Dr. Hamid, Dr. Turki, German Charge Milan Simandl and leaders who have come together to discuss a series of efforts that are vital to the peaceful and prosperous future of Iraq.

We also have a team today from the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, the UN, and the EU to learn from you today. We will bring your message back to the other Coalition partners who will meet in Berlin on Wednesday.

When I was here last, Prime Minister Abadi and I spoke about the importance of planning for Stabilization Operations. I have come to Baghdad today with a team of experts because we agreed that Stabilization planning must begin in earnest. Today and tomorrow our team will learn and understand how the Coalition can best support the Iraqi plan for stabilizing territories your country will take back from Daesh.

As Daesh is defeated in population centers and the military forces must move on to other objectives, there will be an immediate need for policing and public security efforts to set the conditions for essential service delivery. Populations that have fled the fighting will need shelter, assistance, and security, until they can return home. In many cases facilities will have been destroyed or made insecure by IEDs. Providers will need to rapidly assess and respond with basic medical care, water, electricity and other municipal services. All first responders, whether civil or military, should be sensitized to the special needs of those who’ve suffered under Daesh, especially women and girls.

A successful stabilization effort begins with fair treatment during military operations. We applaud Iraqi leaders, including His Eminence Ayatollah Sistani, who publicly called for the protection of civilians and warned against acts of revenge, recrimination, or abuse against civilians or prisoners. It also means protecting the schools, hospitals, water treatment facilities and securing antiquities and, libraries. These measures begin the process of reunifying Iraq and building trust between liberated communities and the Government of Iraq.

It is also critical for military and civilian ministries to work together from the beginning. Military forces need to understand how civilian stabilization operations will follow military operations. As part of our team today, we have experts on the provision of health services, restoring water and electricity, on policing and civilian-military planning, and on addressing the specific needs of women, children and vulnerable populations. Over the next two days they will work with you to identify how to synchronize civilian and military plans, and identify how the Coalition can work with you.

As I see it, there are four components to the counter-offensive that must be synchronized.

First, is the clearing element when the Iraqi Army and the Popular Mobilization Forces remove Daesh from a town or city.

Second is the security and policing element that deals with crime and provides general security so life can return to normal. This will likely come from a combination of PMF units, local tribes, and police.

Third is restoring local governance which will be difficult because many officials are in exile, were killed, or cooperated with Daesh.

Fourth, is providing for essential services including short-term restoration of services such as health, water, electricity, and rebuilding critical infrastructure.

These four components will be applied differently to the circumstances found in each liberated area. It is important that you plan uniquely for each city and town, and prepare the necessary resources.

Several Coalition partners have expressed a specific interest in offering technical and planning support to assist Iraq by filling any gaps in implementing Iraqi-led stabilization efforts. We will look to the leadership of Dr. Hamid and Dr. Turki to identify where assistance is needed and to communicate the Iraqi stabilization plan to the Coalition partners.

After this visit to Baghdad I will go to Berlin, where Germany and the United Arab Emirates will launch the Coalition Stabilization Working Group. This Working Group will work with the Government of Iraq to organize Coalition support to stabilization operations and identify resources.

It is difficult to overstate the importance of these critical activities. The stabilization effort will be the most important signal of the intentions of this government towards any and all Iraqi’s who have been victims of Daesh and those who have been driven from their homes. Iraq’s future as a unified nation depends upon how the liberating force treats those living under Daesh rule.

Stabilization operations can be expensive and require dedicated resources. We applaud the inclusion in the budget of $2 billion for recovery funding and support of displaced Iraqis. It will be essential to move resources quickly to the liberated areas most in need. As you continue to clarify stabilization and recovery needs, we will work with the United Nations to further develop the concept of a trust fund and find appropriate support. The Coalition does not have the resources to resource all of Iraq’s needs. We will work together to assist and support Iraq as we are able.

The recovery of Iraqis from under Daesh’s control is now beginning in earnest. We are already seeing the results of your early work in Diyala, and hopefully soon in Tikrit. Today, we want to hear from you about what you have seen to date, what lessons we can learn from the last few months, and what you anticipate the requirements are to stabilize liberated areas.

I look forward to learning more about Iraq’s efforts to bring stability to liberated areas from today’s conversation and to identify future actions necessary to ensure success in the days and months to come.

And now I would like to hand it over to my German partner, Charge Milan Simandl, whose nation is energetically engaged in this important effort.

LIFE BENEATH THE SEAFLOOR

FROM:  NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
No limit to life in deep sediment of ocean's "deadest" region

Marine scientists find microbes from seafloor to igneous basement below
"Who in his wildest dreams could have imagined that, beneath the crust of our Earth, there could exist a real ocean...a sea that has given shelter to species unknown?"

So wrote Jules Verne almost 150 years ago in A Journey to the Center of the Earth.

He was correct: Ocean deeps are anything but dead.

Now, scientists have found oxygen and oxygen-breathing microbes all the way through the sediment from the seafloor to the igneous basement at seven sites in the South Pacific gyre, considered the "deadest" location in the ocean.

Findings contrast with previous studies

Their findings contrast with previous discoveries that oxygen was absent from all but the top few millimeters to decimeters of sediment in biologically productive regions of the ocean.

The results are published today in a paper in the journal Nature Geoscience.

"Our objective was to understand the microbial community and microbial habitability of sediment in the deadest part of the ocean," said scientist Steven D'Hondt of the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography, lead author of the paper.

"Our results overturn a 60-year-old conclusion that the depth limit to life is in the sediment just meters below the seafloor in such regions.

"We found that there is no limit to life in this sediment. Oxygen and aerobic microbes hang in there all the way to the igneous basement, to at least 75 meters below the seafloor."

Under the seafloor, life all the way down

Based on the researchers' predictive model and core samples they collected in 2010 from the research drillship JOIDES Resolution, they believe that oxygen and aerobic microbes occur throughout the sediment in up to 37 percent of the world's oceans and 44 percent of the Pacific Ocean.

They found that the best indicators of oxygen penetration to the igneous basement are a low sedimentation accumulation rate and a relatively thin sediment layer.

Sediment accumulates at just a few decimeters to meters per million years in the regions where the core samples were collected.

In the remaining 63 percent of the ocean, most of the sediment beneath the seafloor is expected to lack dissolved oxygen and to contain anaerobic communities.

While the researchers found evidence of life throughout the sediment, they did not detect a great deal of it.

Life in the slow lane

The team found extremely slow rates of respiration and approximately 1,000 cells per cubic centimeter of subseafloor sediment in the South Pacific gyre--rates and quantities that had been nearly undetectable.

"It's really hard to find life when it's not very active and is in extremely low concentrations," said D'Hondt.

According to D'Hondt and co-author Fumio Inagaki of the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, the discovery of oxygen throughout the sediment may have significant implications for Earth's chemical evolution.

The oxidized sediment is likely carried into the mantle at subduction zones, regions of the seafloor where tectonic plates collide, forcing one plate beneath the other.

"Subduction of these big regions where oxygen penetrates through the sediment and into the igneous basement introduces oxidized minerals to the mantle, which may affect the chemistry of the upper mantle and the long-term evolution of Earth's surface oxidation," D'Hondt said.

Holistic approach to study of subseafloor biosphere

The principal research funders were the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

"We take a holistic approach to the subseafloor biosphere," said Rick Murray, co-author of the paper. Murray is on leave from Boston University, currently serving as director of the NSF Division of Ocean Sciences.

"Our team includes microbiologists, geochemists, sedimentologists, physical properties specialists and others--a hallmark of interdisciplinary research."

The research involved 35 scientists from 12 countries.

The project is part of the NSF-funded Center for Dark Energy Biosphere Investigations (C-DEBI), which explores life beneath the seafloor.

The research is also part of the Deep Carbon Observatory, a decade-long international science initiative to investigate the 90 percent of Earth's carbon located deep inside the planet.

The Nature Geoscience paper is available online.

-NSF-

NET WORTH NO LONGER ELIGIBILITY FACTOR FOR VET HEALTH CARE SAYS VA

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
VA Eliminates Net Worth as Health Care Eligibility Factor
March 17, 2015, 02:01:00 PM
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VA Eliminates Net Worth as Health Care Eligibility Factor

Elimination of Net Worth Makes More Veterans Eligible for Health Care
Washington – The Department of Veterans Affairs is updating the way it determines eligibility for VA health care, a change that will result in more Veterans having access to the health care benefits they’ve earned and deserve.
Effective 2015, VA eliminated the use of net worth as a determining factor for both health care programs and copayment responsibilities. This change makes VA health care benefits more accessible to lower-income Veterans and brings VA policies in line with Secretary Robert A. McDonald’s MyVA initiative which reorients VA around Veterans’ needs.

“Everything that we do and every decision we make has to be focused on the Veterans we serve,” said VA Secretary Robert A. McDonald. “We are working every day to earn their trust. Changing the way we determine eligibility to make the process easier for Veterans is part of our promise to our Veterans.”

Instead of combining the sum of Veterans’ income with their assets to determine eligibility for medical care and copayment obligations, VA will now only consider a Veteran’s gross household income and deductible expenses from the previous year. Elimination of the consideration of net worth for VA health care enrollment means that certain lower-income, non-service-connected Veterans will have less out-of- pocket costs. Over a 5-year period, it is estimated that 190,000 Veterans will become eligible for reduced costs of their health care services.

In March 2014, VA eliminated the annual requirement for updated financial information. VA now uses information from the Internal Revenue Service and Social Security Administration to automatically match individual Veterans’ income information which reduces the burden on Veterans to keep their healthcare eligibility up to date. That change better aligned VA’s health care financial assessment program with other federal health care organizations.

VICE CHAIRMAN JOINT CHIEFS SAYS NATION AT GREATER RISK IF BUDGET CUT

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Winnefeld Gives Blunt Assessment of Budget Options
By Jim Garamone
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, March 17, 2015 – The U.S. defense budget is strategy driven and the nation will be at greater risk if the budget is cut or if sequestration is triggered this year, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here today.
Speaking at the McAleese/Credit Suisse Defense Programs Conference held at the Newseum, Navy Adm. James A. Winnefeld Jr. said the president’s fiscal year 2016 budget proposal allows the DoD to defend America’s national interests.
The budget request is $35 billion more than envisioned under sequestration, a law requiring major spending cuts that will take effect in October unless Congress changes it. Even at that number, the department will be at the edge of acceptable risk, the admiral said.

Winnefeld delineated the strategic necessities of the United States and their priority. “Such a list enables a more meaningful discussion about strategy because it’s a powerful way to support the recommendations we are expected to make referenc[ing] allocations of scarce resources, assessing risk and the use of force,” he said. “It’s especially valuable because it is prioritized, which some people in this town don’t like, because that unlocks the door to very difficult decisions.”

The difference between threats and the ability to mitigate them is called risk, Winnefeld said. “Clearly we want to keep risk lowest in the most highly ranked security interests,” he said. “It’s a simple concept, but it’s very difficult to apply in the daily press of daily crises.”

Balancing Priorities

The first national security interest is the survival of the United States. This means the DoD must maintain a safe, reliable and effective strategic deterrent.
The second priority is the prevention of catastrophic attacks on the U.S. “This implies protection from a major terrorist attack or a rogue state’s nuclear weapon or a cyberattack on our infrastructure,” the vice chairman explained.

Winnefeld said the third priority is protection of the global economic system. This means providing security for the physical flow of goods and services and the virtual flow of information. “We rank it highly because it is the driver of American prosperity and a key foundation of American power,” he said.

Fourth is maintaining secure, confident and reliable partners and allies. The United States has the most extensive system of allies and partners in history, the admiral said, and they count on American leadership and support.

“Our power and prosperity are deeply linked with theirs,” he added. “In protecting our allies against potential mischief, we’ve always counted on the overmatch on capability and capacity to offset the challenges we have in initiative and distance. We aren’t going to start a fight and we have a long way to go to get to one.

Winnefeld noted that the overmatch is now narrowing, as potential adversaries invest in new capabilities and additional capacities.

The next interest is looking after the security of American citizens abroad, he said.

Finally, “we believe we have a role in protecting international boundaries,” he said. “In a rules-based international order, these are fundamental to who we are as a nation. A great deal of our moral power is derived from our continued support and adherence to these values, even if some of our competitors don’t seem to do the same.”

Aligning Resources With Important Interests

These priorities maintain the overall goal of maintaining American leadership and freedom of action across the globe, he said.

The problem comes with the budget. “We can’t buy all the capability, capacity and readiness we need to perfectly protect all of these interests all at once,” the admiral said.

The Defense Department is facing a trillion dollar budget cut over 10 years, and leaders can turn to this list to make choices to ensure resource decisions are aligned with the most important security interests, Winnefeld said.

“Under the president’s budget submission we can do all of this under manageable risk –- but we’re on the edge,” he said. “Anything less than that –- and I’m not talking about sequester, I’m talking about anything less than our budget submission – and we will have to make tough choices.”

Defense leaders will not compromise on protecting the homeland or conducting counterterror operations, he said.

“But our forward presence is either going to have to be at the same level in fewer regions, or at a lower level in the same regions,” the admiral said.

“If you look at a chart depicting almost any force element we own alongside our daily demand and our surge demand, you will see gaps are beginning to open between supply and demand,” he said. “The military ends of our strategy … are going to have to change if we go below the president’s budget submission and even more if we go to sequestration.”

Remarks by the President to the City Club of Cleveland

SECRETARY KERRY'S REMARKS ON ATTACK IN TUNIS, TUNISIA

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Attack on the National Bardo Museum in Tunis, Tunisia
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
March 18, 2015

The United States condemns in the strongest possible terms today’s deadly terrorist attack at the National Bardo Museum in Tunis, where gunmen killed 19 people and wounded more than 20 others. We extend our heartfelt sympathy to the victims’ families and loved ones. We commend Tunisian authorities’ rapid response to today’s wanton violence and their efforts to resolve the hostage situation and restore calm. The United States stands with the Tunisian people at this difficult time and continues to support the Tunisian government’s efforts to advance a secure, prosperous, and democratic Tunisia.

LISA KUBISKE MAKES REMARKS ON U.S. INVESTMENT TREATIES

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
U.S. Investment Treaties: Working For Investors and Government
Remarks
Lisa J. Kubiske
Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Finance and Development, Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs
OECD Conference Center
Paris, France
March 16, 2015
As prepared

I thank the OECD for hosting this workshop on international investment agreements and treaties, and am pleased to share the U.S. experience with you. I’ll make three points.

The first is that we use our international investment agreements both to promote fair treatment for investors, and to leverage investment to support economic growth.

Taking the latter (growth) first, we know that investment is vital to the global economy. OECD research shows that multinational enterprises employ nearly 80 million people worldwide and their global sales are roughly double world exports. A third of global trade is intra-firm trade. Approximately 18 percent of U.S. merchandise exports are sent by U.S. parent companies to their foreign affiliates.

Investment also supports sustainable development. I am involved in the US Government’s preparation for the UN Financing for Development conference in Addis Ababa in July. A key focus will be mobilizing international resources for development, including foreign direct investment and other private investment flows. This is critical, because official development assistance alone cannot meet all the challenges facing the developing world.

Strong investment agreements help create a healthy investment environment. They contain core investor protections that help countries compete for foreign direct investment by supporting transparency, predictability, and openness to investment. Businessmen tell us they consider these factors when deciding where and how much to invest. This healthy environment creates opportunity and broadly shared prosperity. Remember the 80 million jobs?

Also, in our experience, investment agreements often complement countries’ efforts toward economic reform.

A key aspect of ensuring the fair treatment of investors is having strong investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provisions, which allows for the fair and efficient resolution of disputes. In the days before BITs, disputes frequently became tense bilateral diplomatic issues. ISDS has served to depoliticize investment disputes.

The United States now has 50 investment agreements in place, and we are actively negotiating new ones, including a BIT with China, and investment chapters in TPP and TTIP.

My second point is that it is possible to strike a balance in investment agreements between investor interests and governments’ regulatory ones.

Stakeholders have raised some valid concerns with certain provisions of some BITs.

We have held extensive public consultations to develop our current – 2012 – model BIT. These consultations were further informed by the experiences of our U.S. investors abroad, our efforts to attract investment into the United States, and what we have learned to date as a State defending ourselves against arbitration claims.

Our current model includes several important innovations that help improve the ISDS process and avoid inappropriate claims. For example:

We provide greater clarification of key obligations, such as “fair & equitable treatment” and “expropriation;”
We build in mechanisms to dismiss frivolous claims early in the process;
There also are mechanisms for the Parties to help ensure that tribunals interpret the treaty correctly;
We provide for full transparency of ISDS proceedings, requiring public documents and open hearings, and affording the opportunity for outside parties to submit amicus curiae submissions.

These advancements are intended to create a process that investors can rely on, and also one that is transparent and not subject to abuse.

Third and final point: there are various ways to manage the existing network of investment treaties/agreements to ensure that both investor and government interests are preserved. We can, for example:

Improve countries’ capacity to meet their international obligations,
Monitor developments in investor-State arbitration, and
Foster dialogue and mutual understanding on key issues.

We value open, inclusive, and multilateral dialogue on investment rules – such as we are having today.

Thank you.

AG HOLDER'S REMARKS ON MY BROTHER'S KEEPER

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Attorney General Holder Delivers Remarks on My Brother's Keeper at the Center for American Progress
Washington, DCUnited States ~ Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Remarks as prepared for delivery

Thank you, Neera [Tanden], for that kind introduction.  It’s a pleasure to be here with you today, and a privilege to join so many passionate citizens, committed public servants and dedicated advocates as we mark the one-year anniversary of the president’s groundbreaking My Brother’s Keeper initiative.  There is no place I would rather be in my closing days as Attorney General than with all of you.  Or, at least, these should be my closing days.  Given the Senate’s delays in scheduling Loretta Lynch’s nomination for a vote, it’s almost as if the Republicans in Congress have discovered a new fondness for me.  Where was all this affection the last six years?

But seriously, it’s fitting that one of my final events as Attorney General will be about My Brother’s Keeper because it speaks to issues that have been at the forefront of my work and at the center of my thoughts throughout my professional career.

During my time as a judge on the Superior Court in Washington, D.C., I saw how people who were convicted of crimes too often had been previously trapped in a cycle of poverty, familial instability, juvenile criminality and adult incarceration.  I observed how this cycle could weaken communities, tear already weak family structures apart and ultimately destroy individual lives.  And day after day, I watched lines of young people—most often young men of color—stream through my courtroom.  I began to recognize their faces, and to recall their too-common and recurring stories, because too many of the people I sentenced served their time, were released from prison, and sooner or later returned to the same behavior that had led them to my courtroom in the first place.

Many of these individuals were not fundamentally different from me, or from the people I grew up with in East Elmhurst, in Queens, New York City—friends, classmates, neighbors and peers—some of whom didn’t catch the same breaks, made mistakes or poor choices, and got involved in the criminal justice system with no real ability to reclaim their lives or recast their futures.  So when I returned to the Department of Justice, I insisted on doing my part to make our criminal justice system more efficient, more effective and more fair—as U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, as Deputy Attorney General and, for the last six years, as Attorney General of the United States.

During my tenure in the Obama Administration, particularly through the Smart on Crime initiative, we have worked to reform our criminal justice system at every level.  Our primary responsibility—which we have never lost sight of—is public safety and individual accountability.  But we have reduced our reliance on draconian mandatory minimum sentencing, increased our use of rehabilitation programs like drug courts and veterans courts, and expanded assistance for formerly incarcerated individuals as they re-enter society.

These are important improvements, and all available results demonstrate that our approach has been extremely effective.  But in addition to modifying the way we charge, sentence and release men and women who are involved in crimes, we also have a vital role to play in preventing people from coming into contact with the criminal justice system in the first place.  That means ending the school-to-prison pipeline that sends too many children on a well-worn path from the schoolhouse to the jailhouse.  It means employing a developmentally-informed approach to prevent violence against children and to alleviate the devastating harm that comes from abuse.  And it means addressing persistent opportunity gaps faced by boys and young men of color through initiatives like My Brother’s Keeper and ensuring that all our young people can reach their full potential.

The fundamental idea behind this initiative is that every child in America should have the opportunity to grow, to succeed, and to contribute to their community and their country.  Because it is clear that, despite our best efforts, some children still face significant opportunity gaps that put them at a disadvantage—that make them less likely to graduate from high school; less likely to get a well-paying job; and less likely to join the middle class.  It makes them more likely to slip below the poverty line, or to stay there; more likely to suffer violence and abuse; and more likely to become involved in the criminal justice system.

The My Brother’s Keeper initiative is designed to support the progress of these individuals—with mentorships, with support networks and with public-private partnerships that help our young people develop the skills they need to find a good job, to go to college, to raise a family and to succeed.  Most importantly, on a fundamental level, My Brother’s Keeper sends a message that these young people matter to us.  They matter to their country.  They matter to their president.  And they matter to me—an Attorney General who is so much like them.  We as a nation will never give up on them—and we must refuse to let them give up on themselves.

Over the last year, we have made significant progress.  We have joined with cities and towns, businesses, and foundations that are taking steps to connect young people to the resources they need to get a good education, to improve their lives and to work their way into the middle class.  We have launched the My Brother’s Keeper Community Challenge—an important call for communities to implement long-term strategies for improving the life outcomes of all young people.  And we have established the National Initiative for Building Community Trust and Justice—a nationwide program designed to enhance procedural justice, reduce implicit bias and support racial reconciliation.

Just last week, I was proud to announce six cities selected to serve as pilot sites under this initiative—to develop programs that will work to dispel the mistrust that plagues too many neighborhoods, and to create innovative new efforts that will help build and maintain the bonds between law enforcement officers and the communities they serve, wherever those bonds have been broken.  Those six cities—Birmingham, Alabama; Stockton, California; Gary, Indiana; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Fort Worth, Texas—will stand on the front lines of this effort.  And by helping to develop programs that serve their own diverse experiences, these cities will provide trailblazing insight and essential information for our ongoing efforts to confront pressing, similar issues in other communities across the country.

As you know, these are not abstract concepts—they are vital steps that we must take to improve our communities, to strengthen our public safety programs and to save lives.  Recently, we’ve received painful reminders about the importance of initiatives like this one.  We’ve endured sudden, rancorous challenges to the idea that we are one united people.  And we’ve seen how quickly and how easily a split-second local incident can give way to enduring national strife and tragedy—to parents who are left without their children; to young people forever deprived of a role model; to brave officers killed while serving their communities; and to citizens across the country who fear walking their neighborhoods and cops who fear patrolling their beats.

That is a reality that is incompatible with the spirit of this country—a country founded on the notion of brotherhood; of shared vision and common effort.  A country that views “we the people” as a declaration of the inextricable links that connect us to one another.  As then-State Senator Obama said in a convention hall in Boston just over a decade ago, “it is that fundamental belief—I am my brother’s keeper, I am my sister’s keeper—that makes this country work.”

Now, our society has not always lived up to that promise.  America has been sorely tested—by long-ago injustices that nearly split our Union, and by systemic biases that still fester in too many institutions today.  But over nearly 250 years of debate, of argument and of slow and deliberate progress, there can be no doubt that we have moved closer to our highest ideals; that we have advanced toward a brighter horizon; and that we have bent the arc of the moral universe—haltingly, but with great determination and clarity of purpose—toward justice.

From revolution to emancipation; from the suffragists to the Freedom Riders; from Selma to Stonewall, countless men, women and children of strong character and enduring faith have pulled this country forward, toward a new day when all Americans can succeed no matter who they are, no matter what they look like, no matter where they’re from, and no matter whom they love—whether they are rich or poor, young or old, gay or straight, famous or unknown.  Whether they are an individual born with all the advantages this country has to offer, or a young man of color faced with difficult choices and an uncertain future.  We’re not there yet.  But today—right now—it is up to all of us to take up that challenge, to continue that effort and to resume the march that so many have sacrificed so much to advance.

I know that this work will not always be simple.  Longstanding inequities will not be easily corrected, historic divides will not be healed overnight, and leaders in government, no matter how committed, cannot do this work alone.  That is why the private partnerships being forged in response to My Brother’s Keeper are so crucial, and why I have been proud to work with—and in some cases, to help establish—extraordinary nonprofit organizations that extend a hand to at-risk youth across the country—organizations like the See Forever Foundation, Safe Shores, and The Alliance for Concerned Men.

In conversations with public safety officers, community and business leaders, activists, and young people across the country—in Atlanta, Cleveland, Memphis, Chicago, Philadelphia, Oakland, and San Francisco—I have found broad agreement that we can work together to create safer, more prosperous communities.  I have encountered an overriding desire to collaborate toward that end.  And I have been struck not by our divisions, but by our common interest in creating the more just society that all Americans deserve.

As I look around this room today—at the dedicated citizens who have a hand in this country’s direction and the young people who will guide it for years to come—I cannot help being optimistic.  I cannot help anticipating that brighter day.  And I cannot help feeling confident about all that we will achieve together.

In the coming days, my tenure as Attorney General of the United States will come to an end.  But whenever I do depart the Obama Administration, I will never leave this work.  I will never abandon this mission.  And I will never relinquish this effort to help build the more equal country—and the more just society—that all Americans deserve.  I look forward to continuing to work with all of you as we seek to make our Union more perfect.

REFUND CHECKS SENT TO PERSONS WHO LOST MONEY BUYING ADVACAL CALCIUM SUPPLEMENT

FROM:  U.S. FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
FTC Sending Refund Checks Totaling Nearly $955,000 to Consumers Who Lost Money Buying Lane Labs’ AdvaCAL Calcium Supplement
More Than 17,600 Checks Are Being Mailed Starting Today
FOR RELEASE
March 18, 2015

The Federal Trade Commission is mailing 17,606 refund checks totaling $954,828.31 starting today to consumers who lost money buying a supposedly superior calcium supplement marketed by Lane Labs-USA Inc. and its president Andrew Lane. The amount each consumer receives will vary based on how much they lost.

The refunds are being made from money collected under a 2010 U.S. Court of Appeals ruling and 2011 district court decision finding Lane Labs in contempt of a 2000 order, based on the company’s false and unsubstantiated claims for its calcium supplement, AdvaCAL. Lane Labs claimed that AdvaCAL was the only calcium supplement that could increase bone density, and was on par or superior to prescription drugs used to treat osteoporosis.

Gilardi & Co., LLC, the redress administrator for this matter, will mail refund checks to eligible consumers beginning today. The checks must be cashed by May 18, 2015 or they will become void. Recipients should note that the FTC never requires consumers to pay money or provide information before redress checks can be cashed.

The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 2,000 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s website provides free information on a variety of consumer topics. Like the FTC on Facebook (link is external), follow us on Twitter (link is external), and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources.

WHITE HOUSE VIDEO: OPEN GOVERNMENT WORKSHOP

VIDEO AND TRANSCRIPT: THIS WEEK AT INTERIOR MARCH 13, 2015

FROM:  U.S. INTERIOR DEPARTMENT

This Week at Interior March 13, 2015

March 13, 2015

Interior is now closer to its goal of one million volunteers on public lands, thanks to a $5m donation from American Express; Secretary Jewell releases the 2015 fire season strategy to protect and restore sagebrush lands in the west; and bat researchers at USGS, the National Park Service, and the Fish and Wildlife Service are honored for their conservation efforts.

Transcript
THIS WEEK AT INTERIOR...

BIG NEWS IN THE BIG APPLE THIS WEEK… INTERIOR IS NOW ONE STEP CLOSER TO ITS GOAL OF GETTING ONE MILLION VOLUNTEERS ON AMERICA’S PUBLIC LANDS ANNUALLY, THANKS TO A NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH AMERICAN EXPRESS. THE COMPANY IS INVESTING FIVE MILLION DOLLARS THAT WILL GO TOWARD BUILDING COALITIONS IN 50 CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY… PART OF A GOAL TO *TRIPLE* THE NUMBER OF VOLUNTEERS CURRENTLY CARING FOR PARKS AND OTHER PUBLIC LANDS. COMPANY AND NEW YORK CITY OFFICIALS JOINED SECRETARY JEWELL AT THE ANNOUNCEMENT CEREMONY AT THE CASTLE CLINTON NATIONAL MONUMENT IN BATTERY PARK.

WE WON’T HAVE ADVOCACY FOR OUR PUBLIC LANDS AND OUR OPEN SPACES IF OUR CITIZENRY DOESN’T VALUE THEM, IF THE FUTURE MAYORS AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND COMMISSIONERS AREN’T AWARE, BECAUSE THERE WILL NEVER BE ENOUGH MONEY TO GO AROUND.

VOLUNTEER SERVICE IS CRITICAL TO ENSURING A VIABLE FUTURE FOR OUR NATIONAL PARKS AND PUBLIC LANDS. AND WE WANT TO HELP PRESERVE THESE TREASURES AND AMERICA’S RICH CULTURAL HERITAGE.

AFTER THE CEREMONY THE SECRETARY JOINED VOLUNTEERS FOR A SERVICE PROJECT AT THE CASTLE CLINTON GARDENS OF REMEMBRANCE. NEW YORK CITY WAS SELECTED AS THE FIRST OF 50 CITIES FOR THIS NEW NATIONWIDE EFFORT.  THE SECRETARY THEN TRAVELED TO MIAMI AND ATLANTA, THE NEXT TWO CITIES TO BE IDENTIFIED FOR THE VOLUNTEER NETWORK.  THE SECRETARY ALSO ANNOUNCED THAT BOSTON, WASHINGTON, DC, DENVER, LOS ANGELES, MINNEAPOLIS, SAN FRANCISCO, ST. LOUIS AND ST. PAUL HAVE ALSO BEEN IDENTIFIED AND WILL RECEIVE A CITY COORDINATOR TO HELP THESE EFFORTS .  STAY TUNED FOR ADDITIONAL CITIES TO BE SELECTED LATER THIS YEAR… FIND OUT MORE AT DOI.GOV.

SECRETARY JEWELL THIS WEEK RELEASED A STRATEGY TO PROTECT AND RESTORE SAGEBRUSH LANDS FOR THE 2015 FIRE SEASON… THE REPORT ADVANCES WORK WITH FEDERAL, STATE, TRIBAL AND NON GOVERNMENT PARTNERS, TO PROTECT ECONOMIC ACTIVITY AND WILDLIFE HABITAT VITAL TO THE WAY OF LIFE IN THE WESTERN UNITED STATES… THE SECRETARY SAYS THE RECOMMENDED ACTIONS WILL HELP ENSURE OUR PREPAREDNESS, RESPONSE AND RECOVERY AS THE FIRE SEASON APPROACHES… YOU CAN SEE THE COMPLETE REPORT AT DOI.GOV

AND USGS, NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, AND FISH AND WILDLIFE BAT CONSERVATION RESEARCHERS AND THEIR PARTNERS WERE RECOGNIZED THIS WEEK BY THE U-S FOREST SERVICE… THE BAT TEAM RECEIVED THE SERVICE’S *WINGS ACROSS THE AMERICAS RESEARCH AWARD* FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE NORTH AMERICAN BAT MONITORING PROGRAM. USGS SAYS BAT RESEARCH IS NOT ONLY VITAL TO THE WELL-BEING OF THESE NIGHT FLYING MAMMALS AND THE ECOSYSTEM THEY SERVE… IT’S ALSO VITAL TO THE ENVIRONMENT, WHEN YOU FACTOR IN THE KEY ROLE BATS PLAY IN PEST CONTROL AND PLANT POLLINATION.

THATS THIS WEEK, AT INTERIOR.

AG HOLDER MAKES COMMENTS ON RIGHT TO COUNSEL SETTLEMENT WITH NEW YORK STATE

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Monday, March 16, 2015
Attorney General Holder Applauds Settlement to Improve Right to Counsel in New York State

Attorney General Eric Holder on Monday hailed the outcome in a lawsuit challenging the lack of funding for public defender programs in five counties in New York State, calling the finalized settlement in the case a “major step forward.”

In September 2014, the Justice Department had filed a statement of interest in the case, known as Hurrell-Harring v. State of New York.  This represented the first time the department addressed the constructive denial of counsel in state courts.  After extensive negotiations, the parties reached a settlement, which Judge Gerald Connolly of the Supreme Court of the State of New York, Albany County, has now signed.  The settlement agreement, which applies to five New York counties, guarantees that indigent criminal defendants will have legal counsel at arraignment, establishes and implements caseload and workload standards for public defenders, provides for effective supervision and training of public defenders and sets new indigency standards for determining whether a defendant is entitled to public counsel.

“This settlement marks a major step forward in the safeguarding of the essential right to effective legal representation, which stands at the core of America’s criminal justice system,” said Attorney General Eric Holder.  “It is simply unacceptable that, today – more than half a century after the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Gideon v. Wainright affirmed the right to counsel for low-income defendants – America’s indigent defense systems continue to exist in a state of crisis, and inequities remain all too common.  That’s why, especially in recent years, the Department of Justice has fought tirelessly to ensure effective representation for all who are charged with crimes.  With this settlement, we send a clear message that this fight will continue.  And we will never waver in our commitment to ensuring that all Americans receive the rights and protections to which they are entitled.”

“This important settlement agreement is a model, not just for the five counties named in the case, but for all of New York State, and for the country,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta of the Civil Rights Division.  “The right to counsel is one of the core guarantees of the Bill of Rights, and yet, as countless cases and studies show, indigent defense systems across the county are facing significant challenges in meeting their Sixth Amendment obligations.”

In Hurrell-Harring the plaintiffs alleged that a lack of funding for indigent defense deprives public defenders of the time or resources to prepare cases or meaningfully represent their clients and amounts to the denial of counsel in violation of Gideon v. Wainwright and the Sixth Amendment.  In its statement of interest, the department advised the court that under resourcing public defense may force even otherwise competent and well-intentioned public defenders into a position where they are, in effect, a lawyer in name only.  The statement of interest added that if the court finds that the plaintiffs have been constructively denied the right to counsel on a systemic basis, the court has broad injunctive authority to remedy those constitutional violations.

The Hurrell-Harring case was filed in 2007 and brought by former indigent defendants who faced criminal charges in Onondaga, Ontario, Schuyler, Suffolk and Washington counties in the state of New York.

VANGUARD I SATELLITE

FROM:  NASA

One of the Vanguard satellites is checked out at Cape Canaveral, Florida in 1958. Vanguard 1, the world’s first solar-powered satellite, launched on St. Patrick’s Day (March 17) 1958. It was designed to test the launch capabilities of a three-stage launch vehicle and the effects of the environment on a satellite and its systems in Earth orbit. Vanguard 1 was the second U.S. satellite in orbit, following Explorer 1, and remains the oldest artificial object orbiting Earth to this day. Vanguard began as a program at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington and transferred over to NASA (along with many of its personnel) after the agency was founded by the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958.  Image Credit: NASA.

STORAGE COMPANY SUED BY DOJ FOR SELLING SERVICE MEMBERS' PERSONAL PROPERTY

FROM:  U.S.  JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Monday, March 16, 2015
Department of Justice Files Suit Against Storage Company for Unlawfully Selling Service Members' Belongings

The Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit to recover damages from a storage company that allegedly violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) when it sold service members’ personal property without obtaining the necessary court orders.  The defendants in this lawsuit are Daniel E. Homan and Horoy Inc., doing business as Across Town Movers—a San Diego, California, storage company.  Homan is the President and sole owner of Horoy Inc.

The SCRA protects the rights of service members while on active duty by suspending or modifying certain civil obligations.  The law states that a storage lien may not be enforced against service members during, or 90 days subsequent to, their period of military service without a court order.  The Department of Justice’s complaint alleges that, since 2011, Across Town Movers sold the personal property of 11 service members without obtaining a required court order.

The complaint further alleges that after illegally selling one of the service member’s personal property, Across Town Movers continued to receive regular payments from the United States for storage of the sold property.  That service member is U.S. Navy Master Chief Petty Officer Thomas E. Ward.

In 2006, Master Chief Ward, a 30-year veteran, was deployed overseas.  He placed his valuable car parts and many household items into storage, and entrusted Across Town Movers to keep his personal property safe until he returned.  Just before he returned home, he learned that Across Town Movers had auctioned all of his stored personal property, including vintage original car parts.

“Federal law does not allow storage companies to sell the contents of a service member’s storage lot without a court order,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta of the Civil Rights Division.  “Storage companies should check the Defense Department’s military database and other resources before conducting any auction to see if the customer is protected by the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act.  The Department of Justice is committed to protecting the rights of the men and women who serve in our Armed Forces and we will continue to devote time and resources to make sure that they are given the legal protections they deserve.”

“Service members, especially when deployed overseas, should be able to focus on protecting our county and shouldn’t have to worry about losing their personal property,” said U.S. Attorney Laura E. Duffy of the Southern District of California.  “Congress enacted the SCRA for this purpose, and we will pursue all appropriate remedies to ensure that our service members’ rights are protected.  Whether large or small, businesses will be held accountable for violating those rights.”

In addition to seeking damages for the value of the auctioned goods, the SCRA provides for civil monetary penalties of up to $55,000 for the first offense and $110,000 for each subsequent offense.  The Department of Justice will also seek injunctive relief.

This lawsuit was filed today in the Southern District of California.  This matter resulted from a referral to the Justice Department by the U.S. Navy.

Service members and their dependents who believe that their SCRA rights have been violated should contact the nearest Armed Forces Legal Assistance Program office.  Office locations may be found at http://legalassistance.law.af.mil/content/locator.php.  Additional information on the Justice Department’s enforcement of the SCRA and other laws protecting service members is available at www.servicemembers.gov.

This matter is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dylan M. Aste and Leslie M. Gardner of the Southern District of California.

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE DEPUTY DIRECTOR TOURS CENTER FOR INFORMATION DOMINANCE (CID)

FROM:  U.S. NAVY
Deputy Director of Naval Intelligence gets first-hand look at cyber training
Story Number: NNS150316-23Release Date: 3/16/2015 3:37:00 PM
By Thom Seith,
Center for Information Dominance Public Affairs

PENSACOLA, Fla. (NNS) -- The deputy director of Naval Intelligence, Lynn Wright, toured and visited with students in various cyber, intelligence and information systems classes at the Center for Information Dominance (CID) March 10.

Wright was briefed on cyber training and visited with students from various military branches attending the Joint Cyber Analysis, the Information Systems Technician and the Ship's Signal Exploitation Equipment (SSEE) Increment "F" courses. She also participated in a question and answer session with students and instructors during her tour.

"I am extremely impressed with the caliber and technical abilities of our young Sailors," said Wright. "These are 21st century Sailors learning their craft to become experts in their fields. They are the key to the success of the dynamic missions, both at the service and the national level, which they will be called upon to perform for our country."

The Ship's Signal Exploitation Equipment (SSEE) Increment "F" course provides training in conducting signals processing functions necessary to acquire, identify, locate, and analyze signals for external and internal information.

The Information Systems Technician course teaches network administration, database management, along with computer hardware and software implementation. Graduates are able to operate and maintain Navy global satellite telecommunications systems, serve as administrators on mainframe computers and network systems throughout the fleet.

The Joint Cyber Analysis Course is designed to take joint service members who have minimal computer experience and make them proficient in cyber-analysis within six months. The course is divided into 10 modules and covers 25 topics ranging from computer fundamentals to programming to forensics methodology and malware analysis.

Commanding Officer of CID, Capt. Maureen Fox, noted that this was an opportunity for Wright to gain insight into how high-caliber cyber, cryptology, and information technology training is developed and delivered to future information dominance corps warriors.

"Today's visit is another illustration of the way-ahead for our training and I'm pleased to have the opportunity to showcase all of these processes", said Fox. "Realizing the increased demand for this type of training, CID is ready and able to provide a competitive edge in all cyber-domain mission areas."

Based at Corry Station in Pensacola, Florida, CID is the Navy's learning center that leads, manages and delivers Navy and joint forces training in information operations, information warfare, information technology, cryptology and intelligence.

With nearly 1,300 military, civilian and contracted staff members, CID provides training for approximately 24,000 members of the U.S. Armed Services and allied forces each year. CID oversees the development and administration of 226 courses at four commands, two detachments, and 14 learning sites throughout the United States and Japan.

PRESIDENT OBAMA'S REMARKS REGARDING THE COUNCIL OF THE GREAT CITY SCHOOLS MEETING

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE
March 16, 2015
Remarks by the President After Meeting with the Council of the Great City Schools
Roosevelt Room

11:51 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  I want to thank the Council of the Great City Schools.  This is an organization that represents the superintendents, the board members and educators from some of the largest school districts in the country.  And we just had a terrific conversation about some of the extraordinary progress that’s being made at the local levels.

The good news is that we are seeing, as a consequence of some of the reforms that we’ve initiated and partnered with at the state and local levels, we’re seeing improved reading scores, improved math scores, improved graduation rates.  We’re seeing improvement in some of the previously lowest-performing schools.

And this organization I think has taken on the challenge and has been able to begin a process of turning school districts around and making sure that young people are getting the kind of education that they need to be able to compete in the 21st century.  That’s the good news.

The challenge that we face is that this is a monumental task and it requires resources.  And I’m very proud of what we’ve been able to do in terms of helping schools to initiate improvements in how they train teachers, in how they engage kids in the classroom, in how they start moving education around math and science and technology; how they reach populations that are particularly difficult to reach; how they’re bringing new technology into the classroom.  But all that is dependent on a budget and approach at the federal level that says we care about all kids and not just some.

Now, the Republican House and Senate are about to put forward their budget.  My hope is that their budget reflects the priorities of educating every child.  But I can tell you that if the budget maintains sequester-level funding, then we would actually be spending less on pre-K to 12th grade in America’s schools in terms of federal support than we were back in 2000.  And that’s adjusting for inflation.  The notion that we would be going backwards instead of forwards in how we’re devoting resources to educating our kids makes absolutely no sense.

In addition, we’ve got a major debate obviously taking place about the reauthorization of the major education act that shapes federal policy towards our schools.  There is, I think, some useful conversations taking place between the chairman of relevant committee, Lamar Alexander, and Patty Murray.  But there’s some core principles that all the leaders here believe in:  Making sure that we continue to provide resources to the poorest school districts and not creating a situation where we can suddenly shift dollars from wealthy districts -- or from poorer districts to wealthy districts, or alternatively, that education aid suddenly can start going to sport stadiums or tax cuts at the state level.  That's something that these school districts feel very strongly about

Making sure that we continue to focus on low-performing schools and that they are getting additional resources.  Making sure that we are continuing to assess in a smart way, on an annual basis, how young people are performing, and that we're disaggregating so that we can see in various subgroups how young people are performing, to make sure they’re on track.  That's something that people here care very much about.

Making sure that we've got high standards and high expectations for all our kids, and making sure that we are providing the resources to teachers and principals to meet those high standards.  That's going to be important.

Making sure that we are investing in special education and English learning for large portions of our student population that may need extra help.  That's going to be critically important.

So the set of principles that are reflected in my budget and I hope will be reflected in the Republican budget -- but if it is not, then we're going to have to have a major debate.  We are making too much progress now in terms of graduation rates, improved reading scores, improved math scores, increasing standards, increasing access to the resources the kids need for us to be going backwards now.  And this is something worth fighting for.

So I am very grateful for all the folks here for the work they’re doing.  I hope that people get familiar with some of the stories of progress that have been made.  If you look at what’s happened in the D.C. public schools, or you look at the efforts that are being made in places like Fresno, which it’s a poor city in a poor school district, but despite that is seeing real strides; if you look at what’s going on in Cleveland where I'll be visiting tomorrow [Wednesday] -- these are school districts that, despite enormous challenges, have made real progress.

And the idea that we go backwards on that progress, in some cases for ideological reasons, as opposed to because of what the evidence says, that's something that -- that's not the kind of legacy we want to leave for the next generation.  And I'm going to continue to fight to make sure that this progress continues.

So I want to thank everybody who’s around this table and know that they’re going to have a strong partner in my administration.

All right?  Thank you very much, everybody.

END
11:59 A.M. EDT

3/17/15: White House Press Briefing

President Obama Meets with the Prime Minister of Ireland

3/16/15: WHITE HOUSE PRESS BRIEFING

COASTAL RIVERINE SQUADRON ONE SUPPORTING COMBINED JOINT TASK FORCE HORN OF AFRICA

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT

Sailors Patrol Port Of Djibouti

Camp, Djibouti

℠2015 - Sailors from Coastal Riverine Squadron One patrol the waters of East Africa, providing security for service members supporting Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa.

U.S. PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE TO UN MAKES REMARKS ON AFGHANISTAN

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Samantha Power
U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations
New York, NY
March 16, 2015
AS DELIVERED

Special Representative Haysom, Ambassador Tanin thank you for your observations today. And on behalf of the United States, I would like to thank you, SRSG Haysom and your team for your dedicated and humane work to help the Afghan people improve their lives, their institutions, and their nation. Today’s unanimous renewal of UNAMA’s mandate shows the Council’s ongoing support for your efforts and for your country.

As we mark the beginning of Afghanistan’s Transformation Decade, we have seen both encouraging advances and enduring challenges. Last year, we saw Afghans take real risks and conquer fear to cast their ballots in an election. We saw two candidates put the country’s future first – forming a unity government and sustaining it as they confront shared challenges, including cabinet formation, electoral reform, and peace and reconciliation. The United States calls on the leaders to put forward urgently a full slate of cabinet nominees who meet the rigorous requirements that they established and who can obtain parliamentary approval.

We commend President Ghani and CEO Abdullah’s shared commitment to prioritizing electoral reform. Last year’s election exposed chronic weaknesses in Afghanistan’s electoral system. Promptly identifying the necessary reforms and implementing them urgently and in a manner consistent with international standards is critical, including to ensure successful parliamentary and district council elections. Establishing the Special Electoral Reform Commission, which the two leaders agreed upon last fall, would be an important step toward that end.

Making fundamental changes to a country’s political and electoral system is challenging under any circumstances. Yet Afghans are undertaking this extraordinary task amid continued attacks by insurgents who seek to destabilize the country.

UNAMA’s exceptional reporting on the toll on civilians – a model for other missions – testifies to the impact of this violence on Afghan society, particularly some of its most vulnerable members. Compared to 2013, civilian casualties increased by 22 percent in 2014. Civilian deaths rose by 25 percent. The number of women casualties increased by 21 percent, and the number of children casualties by 40 percent. 714 children were killed in 2014. 714 kids. UNAMA’s reporting attributes roughly 75 percent of all civilian casualties to the Taliban and affiliated groups.

What statistics cannot capture is the immeasurable impact on the families of those wounded and killed. For example, UNAMA’s report tells us that women left as sole income-providers after their husbands were killed or maimed experienced lasting consequences, “with poverty forcing many women to give their daughters in marriage in exchange for debts or to take their children out of school often to work.” And this does not even capture the emotion and the pain of all the losses.

Afghanistan’s leaders understand the far-reaching impact of violence on the Afghan people, which is one of the many reasons they have committed to bringing peace to their country – a goal we strongly support. We see tremendous bravery exhibited by many Afghans. One unheralded group is de-miners. De-miners venture out day after day to clear minefields so that their fellow citizens are not maimed as they harvest their land or walk to school. Thirty-four de-miners were killed last year, including eleven who were killed on December 13th by insurgents, while they were clearing unexploded ordnance in Helmand province. We see similar dedication in the legions of Afghan teachers who show up to their classrooms every day, despite threats and harassments, to give boys and girls the education they need to build their future, and the future of their country. We also honor Afghan security forces who risk their lives – and in far too many cases, give their lives – protecting their fellow citizens.

The resolve and capabilities of these Afghan forces has improved a great deal. Continued professionalization of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces – with robust, sustained international support, including through NATO’s Resolute Support Mission – is crucial both to improve effectiveness, and ensure more faithful adherence to international human rights standards.

The abusive tactics reported to UNAMA and catalogued in its recent report on the treatment of Afghan detainees have no place in the pursuit of justice. Nor does the complicity of justice officials who – according to the same report – “overwhelmingly” rely on confessions from defendants in criminal prosecutions, even when credible evidence suggests such confessions may have been obtained through abusive tactics. That is why we applaud the Afghan government’s commitment to eliminate the use of torture.

As you all know, last week we marked International Women’s Day. It was a day for marking a number of inspiring stories from around the world, including Afghanistan – a country where, under Taliban rule, women could not walk outside without a male relative and a burqa.

Last week, members of the Afghanistan Women’s National Cycling team were not only walking outside, they were racing down the country’s roads on their bikes. Team members are pinched for resources, but big on courage. Some drivers yell at them and threaten them, but they ride on. One day, a man on a motorcycle reached out and tried to grab at the captain, causing her to crash and hurt her back.

But today she is back on her bike, leading more than 40 other women training with the team. Imagine what it must feel like to be a little girl, sitting in a car, and to suddenly drive by those 40 women, in a single file, flying down the road. Imagine how inspiring that must be.

One of the team members, Malika Yousufi, wants to become the first Afghan woman to complete the Tour de France. She told a reporter, “Nothing will stop us.” We believe that, if she is given the chance, and if her country stays on the brave but difficult path it has charted, Malika is right. Nothing will stop them. There is so much to lose, and so much left to gain in these difficult days, and the United States will support the Afghan people in every step of their journey to take their place as a stable, peaceful, independent, and democratic nation. Thank you.

DOD: MORE AIRSTRIKES REPORTED AGAINST ISIL IN SYRIA, IRAQ

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Coalition Continues Airstrikes Against ISIL Targets in Syria, Iraq
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

SOUTHWEST ASIA, March 15, 2015 – U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

Officials reported details of the latest strikes, which took place between 8 a.m. yesterday and 8 a.m. today, local time, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Airstrikes in Syria

Fighter and bomber aircraft conducted four airstrikes in Syria:

-- Near Kobani, four airstrikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed nine ISIL fighting positions and an ISIL vehicle
Airstrikes in Iraq

Attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted seven airstrikes in Iraq:

-- Near Al Asad, an airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit.
-- Near Al Hawayjah, an airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle.
-- Near Al Qaim, an airstrike destroyed an ISIL excavator.
-- Near Fallujah, an airstrike destroyed an ISIL vehicle.
-- Near Ramadi, two airstrikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and an ISIL staging area.
-- Near Tal Afar, an airstrike destroyed an ISIL excavator.

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat they pose to Iraq, Syria, the region, and the wider international community. The destruction of ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the terrorist group's ability to project terror and conduct operations, officials said.

Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Syria include the United States, Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

MORE MONEY RETURNED TO CRAMMING VICTIMS OF INC21

FROM:  U.S FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
FTC Returns More Than $2.9 Million to Inc21 Cramming Victims In Second Round of Refunds to Consumers

The Federal Trade Commission is mailing a second round of 58,239 checks totaling more than $2.9 million to consumers and businesses who were victimized by a massive fraudulent operation that placed unwanted charges on their telephone bills.

In 2010, the FTC stopped the scam, which was led by Inc21, an internet services company. Inc21 had third-party billing aggregators place charges on phone bills. In most cases, the victims were either never contacted by the company or deceived about why they were contacted, or denied the services for which they were billed. The FTC’s Criminal Liaison Unit cooperated with criminal law enforcement partners at the Department of Justice, the Internal Revenue Service, and United States Postal Inspection Service, leading to the prosecution and conviction of Inc21’s owners.

Consumers who receive the checks from the FTC’s refund administrator should deposit or cash them within 60 days of the mailing date. The FTC never requires consumers to pay money or to provide information before refund checks can be cashed. The average amount of the refunds will be approximately $51; amounts will vary based on how much money was lost.

The checks will be mailed by Epiq Systems, Inc., who is the redress administrator for this matter. Consumers who receive checks and have questions about the redress can contact Epiq Systems directly at 1-866-328-1992. More information about the FTC’s refund program is available on the FTC’s website.

DOD'S SEA SERVICES RELEASES NEW MARITIME STRATEGY

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Sea Services Release Revised Maritime Strategy
U.S. Navy Chief of Information Office

WASHINGTON, March 13, 2015 – The sea services today released a new maritime strategy, a plan that describes how the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard will design, organize, and employ naval forces in support of national security interests and homeland security objectives.

The new strategy, titled, “A Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower: Forward, Engaged, Ready,” accounts for changes in the global security environment, new strategic guidance, and a changed fiscal environment.

The essential functions of the maritime strategy released in 2007 were adjusted to include a new function called "all domain access" which underscores the challenges forces face in accessing and operating in contested environments.
The new strategy emphasizes operating forward and engaging partners across the globe, especially in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.

Increasing Navy’s Forward Presence

The strategy calls for increasing the Navy's forward presence to 120 ships by 2020, up from about 97 ships today. This includes forward-basing four ballistic missile defense destroyers in Spain and stationing another attack submarine in Guam by the end of 2015.

The Navy is scheduled to increase presence in the Middle East from 30 ships today to 40 by 2020.

The strategy reinforces the continued need to strengthen partnerships and alliances by stressing the importance of operating in NATO maritime groups and participating in international training exercises.

Additionally, the strategy outlines plans to maintain readiness by implementing the Navy's Optimized Fleet Response Plan, which improves readiness and leads to a predictable cycle for maintaining, training and deploying carrier strike groups and amphibious ships.

The document features four sections: global security environment, forward presence and partnership, seapower in support of national security, and force design: building the future force.

MYVA ADVISORY COMMITTEE ESTABLISHED TO HELP REORIENT VA TO BETTER MEET VET NEEDS

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
VA Establishes MyVA Advisory Committee
Highly Respected Group of Outside Leaders to Advise VA Secretary

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) today announced the establishment of the MyVA Advisory Committee (MVAC). The Committee brings together skilled experts from the private, non-profit and government sectors to assist in reorienting the Department to better meet the needs of Veterans. This Committee is charged with advising the Secretary of Veterans Affairs with a focus on improving customer service, Veteran outcomes and setting the course for long-term reform and excellence.

The Advisory Committee will meet multiple times per year and will engage in periodic reviews to ensure the Department achieves the goals of MyVA.  The Committee will provide advice on competing short-term and long-range plans, priorities and strategies to improve the operational functions, services, processes and outputs of the Department, and will also advise on appropriate levels of support and funding necessary to achieve objectives. Further, the Committee will review implementation of recommended improvements and suggest any necessary course corrections.

Members of the Committee have extensive experience in customer service, large- scale organizational change and advocacy for Veterans.

“The success of MyVA will be Veterans who are better served by VA, so the work of this committee is incredibly important,” said VA Secretary Robert A. McDonald.  “The collective wisdom of our committee members is invaluable and each of them understands that VA must improve customer service and focus the Department on the needs of our Veterans. They are dedicated to that mission and I am grateful for their principled service to our Veterans.”

The biographies of Committee members are below. The group will hold their first meeting in April.

CELEBRATION OF ST. PATRICK'S DAY

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
On the Occasion of St. Patrick's Day in Ireland
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
March 16, 2015

The entire world celebrates the rich history and heritage of the people of Ireland each year on St. Patrick's Day.

It is rightfully so.

The Irish community is 34 million people strong in the United States. They and their ancestors have left an indelible mark on our country.

From Boston to Chicago to California, they have made rich contributions to the culture, politics, literature, and art of the United States. Back in my hometown of Boston, Massachusetts, this day is always special because it celebrates the city's vibrant Irish-American heritage.

But today's celebration is not just about what the Irish have brought to the United States. It's also about how the United States feels a special kinship with Ireland, its people, its government, and its history.

The Irish have rightly earned a global reputation as a people committed to social justice, economic opportunity, and peaceful coexistence.

As Ireland and the United States celebrate 90 years of diplomatic relations this year, today also stands as a reminder of the deep bonds of friendship that unite our two peoples in common cause.

On this special day, I join the entire world in celebrating all peoples of the Emerald Isle.

Erin go bragh!

CIA HEAD SAYS TERRORISM "MORPHING" INTO THEATS LIKE CYBERATTACKS

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
CIA Chief: Terrorism Morphing Into Different Threats
By Jim Garamone
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, March 16, 2015 – Terrorism is morphing into different types of threats, including cyberattacks that can impact nations across the globe, the director of central intelligence said in New York last week.

John Brennan told the Council on Foreign Relations that terror attacks in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia show the terror threat is changing. The CIA working with foreign partners is key to defeating the terror threat, he added.
“These attacks underscore a disturbing trend that we have been monitoring for some time -- the emergence of a terrorist threat that is increasingly decentralized, difficult to track and even more difficult to thwart,” Brennan said.

Though the United States and its partners have had considerable success in attacking core al-Qaida, affiliates have risen, said Brennan, pointing to al-Qaida groups in Libya, Egypt, Somalia, Nigeria “and especially Yemen where al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula has demonstrated a capability to plot attacks well beyond Yemen’s borders, including in our homeland.”

ISIL a ‘Serious Danger’ Beyond Region

But the heartland of terror, the director said, now operates in Syria and Iraq where the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant is waging a campaign of unspeakable brutality against the local population and anyone who does not share its ideology.

Left unchecked, ISIL poses a serious danger not only to Syria and Iraq, but to the wider region and beyond, including the threat of attacks on the U.S. homeland and the homelands of its partners, Brennan said.

The intelligence chief echoed DoD leaders in saying the fight against ISIL will be a long one. “If there is one thing we have learned over the years, it is that success against terrorism requires patience and determination,” he said. “Clearly our country will be dealing with terrorism in one form or another for many years to come.”

Threats in the Cyber Realm

Modern communications technologies complicate the fight against ISIL and its ilk, Brennan said. “New technologies can help groups like ISIL coordinate operations, attract new recruits, disseminate propaganda and inspire sympathizers across the globe to act in their name,” he said. “The overall threat of terrorism is greatly amplified by today’s interconnected world where an incident in one corner of the globe can instantly spark a reaction thousands of miles away, and where a lone extremist can go online and learn how to carry out an attack without ever leaving home.”

The cyber domain brings tremendous benefits, but also brings tremendous dangers, he said.

“Threats in the cyber realm are an urgent national security priority, as America has no equivalent to the two wide oceans that have helped safeguard our country’s physical, maritime and aviation domains for centuries,” Brennan added.

Nations, terrorist organizations, criminals and hackers are trying to penetrate U.S. digital networks, he said.

“Government institutions are under constant assault, and private companies are spending enormous sums of money to defend against hacking attempts, denial of service attacks and other efforts to disrupt their networks,” Brennan said.
The North Korean attack on Sony last year highlighted the cyber threat, he said.
“CIA is working with our partners across the federal government to strengthen cyber defenses, to share expertise and to collaborate with the private sector to mitigate these threats,” Brennan said. “Together we have advanced our understanding of the threats in the cyber realm.”

AG HOLDER'S STATEMENT ON ARREST OF OFFICER SHOOTING SUSPECT IN FERGUSON

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Sunday, March 15, 2015
Statement by Attorney General Holder on Arrest in Officer Shootings in Ferguson, Missouri

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder released the following statement Sunday regarding the arrest of Jeffrey Williams in the shooting of two law enforcement officers outside the Ferguson, Missouri Police Department on Thursday:

“This arrest sends a clear message that acts of violence against our law enforcement personnel will never be tolerated.  The swiftness of this action is a credit to the significant cooperation between federal authorities and the St. Louis County Police Department.  The ATF’s ballistic imaging technology has played a critical role in the ongoing investigation.  I commend both the ATF and St. Louis police for their tremendous work in identifying this suspect.

“In the days ahead, we will continue to partner with the authorities in St. Louis County to secure justice for all those affected by this heinous and cowardly crime.  And we will continue to stand vigilant in support of public safety officers and the communities they serve.”

NASA VIDEO: A MOMENT WITH SCOTT KELLY

CONCRETIONS NEAR FRAM CRATER, MARS

FROM:  NASA
Martian Concretions Near Fram Crater

The small spherules on the Martian surface in this close-up image are near Fram Crater, visited by NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity during April 2004. The area shown is 1.2 inches (3 centimeters) across. The view comes from the microscopic imager on Opportunity's robotic arm, with color information added from the rover's panoramic camera.

These are examples of the mineral concretions nicknamed "blueberries." Opportunity's investigation of the hematite-rich concretions during the rover's three-month prime mission in early 2004 provided evidence of a watery ancient environment.

This image was taken during the 84th Martian day, or sol, of the rover's work on Mars (April 19, 2004). The location is beside Fram Crater, which Opportunity passed on its way from Eagle Crater, where it landed, toward Endurance Crater, where it spent most of the rest of 2004. Image Credit: NASA-JPL-Caltech-Cornell-USGS.

DEPUTY SECRETARY BLINKEN'S REMARKS AT RECEPTION COMMEMORATING SYRIAN UPRISING

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Reception to Commemorate the Fourth Anniversary of the Syrian Uprising
Remarks
Antony J. Blinken
Deputy Secretary of State
Washington, DC
March 13, 2015

Thank you very much. And, I’m really grateful that all of you could be here, and grateful too for the extraordinary work that Daniel’s been doing every single day. No one has been working harder, no one has been trying harder, no one has been pushing us harder than Daniel to try to get to a better place on this incredibly challenging and incredibly heart wrenching situation that we face in Syria. So thank you.

I’m glad to see everyone here today, but I especially want to say welcome to the dedicated representatives of the Syrian opposition and the Syrian-American diaspora community.

Your leadership, your persistence, your strength in the face of relentless hardship and struggle have given hope to countless Syrians through four long and deeply, deeply tragic years. And, this is an occasion, as somber as it is, to honor your efforts and to honor your commitment.

This anniversary marks the moment when peaceful calls for freedom and dignity were met with bullets and barrel bombs.

When Assad went to war against his own people and lay siege to a proud nation’s rich history and heritage.

Four years ago, Syria was a middle class country of engineers and scholars; of scientists and entrepreneurs; of doctors and teachers.

Today, whole neighborhoods have been bombed out of existence; eleven million people have been forced to flee their communities. In all, nearly half of Syria’s pre-war population has been displaced.

Parents have been robbed of their children; and children have been robbed of their future. In a nation with a strong tradition of education, one of the most heart wrenching things, of the many heart wrenching things, is to know that so many of Syria’s school-aged boys and girls have not been able to step foot in a classroom for more than three years.

Four-fifths of Syrians are now living below the national poverty line. Life expectancy has been reduced by 20 years—from 79 years in 2010 to 55 last year.

And, as you know better than anyone, this humanitarian catastrophe is exacerbated further still by the Assad regime’s intentional and deadly obstruction of life-saving aid.

The regime leverages food and water as a weapon of war. It removes medical and surgical supplies from humanitarian convoys, even as those shipments are authorized for delivery.

The United States holds the Assad regime accountable for these abhorrent actions that violate our most basic humanitarian principles and terrorize the Syrian people every single day.

In this vast sea of suffering, we are grateful for the bravery and commitment that each of you and the organizations that you represent have brought to bear.

Tireless efforts embody that the spirit of compassion and volunteerism that is at the very core our common values. And for that reason, I want to especially recognize Dr. Zaher Sahloul and the Syrian American Medical Society for your truly heroic work to provide medical care inside of Syria. Doctor, are you here? Please.

We’re privileged to support, in ways that we can your work, and we know the extraordinary risks that you and your colleagues face to save lives every single day.

Just yesterday, I was looking at a report that over 600 medical staff have been killed in Syria—97 percent of them by the regime. This is a devastating statistic for a country that once prided itself on its medical education. And indeed, one of Syria’s great exports before the war, were doctors, including doctors to this country, to the United States.

I would also like to recognize, if I may, Ms. Mirna Barq and the Syrian American Council—and also Dr. Yehya Basha and the Coalition for a Democratic Syria—for your tremendous activism and service as an educational resource for the American people and for our government.

We stand with you in your efforts to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people, just as we stand with the activists, local leaders, and members of the opposition who fight for peace, who fight for justice, and for a comprehensive political solution to the conflict.

Today, I can announce a modest step forward that the Administration is working with Congress to provide nearly $70 million in new foreign assistance to continue our full range of support to the moderate Syrian opposition.

With this additional funding, the United States will have committed nearly $400 million to support the opposition since the start of the revolution. And in two weeks, we will again step up to pledge generously at the conference in Kuwait to fund humanitarian assistance for displaced Syrians and refugees in neighboring states.

So, today, even as we commemorate this fourth anniversary, we all know one thing – it’s four anniversaries too many.

This is a time to pause and to honor and remember those who have sacrificed everything to usher in a better future for their country and their fellow citizens.

We remain committed, as challenging and as difficult as it is, to help Syrians obtain their future through a genuine political solution to the conflict.

We’re committed to degrading and defeating ISIL, which has found fertile ground in this chaos—hijacking the cause of the Syrian people to advance its own agenda and its own agenda of terror.

And we pledge to continue to work together—as partners—to end this war, restore a nation, allow it to welcome home its citizens, respects their rights, and brighten their futures.

Let me just conclude by saying this. These statistics are powerful. They tell us a lot. We try to make sense of them. We try to digest them. But, behind every single statistic is a human being. And I know for the people in the room, these human beings are your friends, your family, your loved ones. And, nothing we can say or do can fully express the pain I know all of you feel every day when faced with this conflict and this tragedy. And I know, too, the tremendous frustration that I would imagine virtually all of you feel at the fact that we are four years in, and it endures. It is a small consolation that many of us share that same frustration, that we continue, as Daniel said, to work at this every day, and we will continue to work at it every day until we get it right.

Thank you. Thank you for everything you’re doing.

G7 MEETING IN BERLIN DISCUSSES WORKER RIGHTS, WORKING CONDITIONS

FROM:  U.S. LABOR DEPARTMENT
International Scene
Berlin Hosts G7 International Stakeholder Conference

"Promoting Decent Work Worldwide through Sustainable Supply Chains" was the topic of a G7 international stakeholder conference hosted jointly by Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs. Eric Biel, associate deputy undersecretary of labor for international affairs, joined government, business, labor and civil society leaders in Berlin on March 11 and 12 to discuss a range of issues pertaining to worker rights and working conditions. The two-day event included a keynote address by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Kailash Satyarthi, who emphasized the importance of the department's funding and research that shines a light on poor labor practices around the world. The session also featured comments from German Ministers Andrea Nahles and Gerd Müller; Jim Yong Kim of the World Bank; Angel Gurría of the OECD, and Guy Ryder, the Director-General of the International Labour Organization.

RETIRED NATIONAL GUARD COLONEL AND SERGEANT PLEAD GUILTY FOR ROLES IN RECRUITING FRAUD SCHEME

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Thursday, March 12, 2015
Retired National Guard Colonel and Former National Guard Sergeant Plead Guilty in Connection with Recruiting Fraud Scheme

A retired colonel and a former sergeant from the U.S. Army National Guard both pleaded guilty today for their roles in a recruiting fraud scheme that caused approximately $14,000 in losses to the U.S. National Guard Bureau, announced Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.

Retired Colonel Isaac Alvarado, 75, and former Sergeant First Class Travis Nau, 41, both of Albuquerque, New Mexico, pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of wire fraud before Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen B. Molzen of the District of New Mexico.  Sentencing hearings will be scheduled at a later date, and will take place before U.S. District Judge Judith C. Herrera of the District of New Mexico.

According to court documents, in approximately September 2005, the National Guard Bureau created the Guard Recruiting Assistance Program (G-RAP), which was designed to offer monetary incentives to soldiers who recruited others to join the National Guard.  Through this program, a participating soldier, known as a recruiting assistant, could receive bonus payments for referring another individual to join the National Guard.

According to the plea agreements entered today, between February 2008 and February 2012, Alvarado served as a recruiting assistant in the G-RAP.  During that time, Nau, who is Alvarado’s son-in-law, worked in a National Guard recruiting office and assisted individuals who were interested in joining the military.  The defendants admitted that Nau provided Alvarado with the personal identifying information of potential soldiers, including their names and Social Security numbers.  Alvarado then used that information to falsely claim that he was responsible for referring the soldiers to join the military, and to fraudulently claim referral bonuses through the G-RAP.  In addition, Alvarado and Nau admitted that Nau advised at least two potential soldiers to falsely report that Alvarado had assisted in their recruitment even though he had not.  As a result, Alvarado received approximately $12,000 in fraudulent recruiting bonuses.

The case is being investigated by the Fort Bliss Army Criminal Investigation Command.  This case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Sean F. Mulryne and Heidi Boutros Gesch of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section.