FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
06/02/2015 11:38 AM EDT
Remarks at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab Future City Workshop
Remarks
Charles H. Rivkin
Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs
Taiwan Air Force (TAF) Innovation Base
Taipei, Taiwan
June 2, 2015
Mr. Premier, Mr. Deputy Minister, distinguished guests, and ladies and gentlemen.
It’s an honor to be part of today’s ceremony. And as a former businessman myself, it’s a pleasure to speak with innovators and aspiring entrepreneurs like you.
Before I was Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs, I was the U.S. Ambassador to France, and before that I spent 20 years working as President and CEO in the entertainment industry in California.
I ran an award-winning entertainment companies such as The Jim Henson Company, which created the world-famous “Muppets.” I also worked at a company called Wildbrain, which created an innovative educational TV series called “Yo Gabba Gabba!”
I want to tell you a quick story about that program. When I worked at Wildbrain, I met these young, creative entrepreneurs in Southern California that wanted to reinvent children’s television. They were parents that didn’t want to watch shows with their children that they couldn’t stand. They wanted to put the “cool” back in preschool.
They created a show that brought in young indie rock bands like the Ting Tings, the Shins, the Roots, Weezer, and Devo. They even had beatboxer Biz Markie teaching counting. So guess what… no one wanted to buy it. They were scared. It was different. No one had seen anything like it before. What if the show failed?
These entrepreneurs borrowed money to produce one episode and put it up on their own website. Traffic was so high that the server crashed. They moved it to YouTube and received millions of hits. Now networks called us begging to pick up the show they had passed on.
Being an entrepreneur means you don’t listen to “no.” You keep pushing. If you fail, you learn from your failure.
Having shared that story, I am profoundly aware that the world has changed in so many ways, especially for people like you. You’re part of a generation that has grown up with two seemingly opposed realities.
One is the idea that the internet, technology and other hallmarks of modern life have made things easier, more accessible and easier to connect with a global community.
But the other reality is this: When it comes to finding economic opportunity, whether that’s finding a job or building a business, there is nothing easy at all. You’re on your own.
So what does a young person do in a world where the only message seems to be: “Create it yourself”? I think we all know the answer to that question. I certainly did as a businessman in California: It’s about being an entrepreneur.
But being an entrepreneur isn’t enough. You can dream about what you want. But you also need support in many different ways.
That can include a business education – I received an MBA myself – or start-up money so you can launch your business. It can be an incubator where you can develop your idea, and in the larger sense, a government that adopts policies that support the aspirations of people like you.
It can also be a reliable and respected system of patents, copyrights, trademarks and trade secret protection to promote the products of your innovation and hard work.
As you heard from Dr. Larson, it can mean support from a university that understands the importance of the links between education, innovation, and economic opportunity – and the importance of supporting entrepreneurs so that societies can benefit and prosper.
MIT has been educating leaders since 1861 – when the industrial revolution was at full tilt. Now it’s a leader in the next revolution.
Today, faculty members, research staff, and students at the Media Lab work in more than 25 research groups on more than 350 projects. They include digital approaches for treating neurological disorders, creating stackable electric cars for sustainable cities, and creating new imaging technologies that can “see around a corner.”
Media Lab entrepreneurship programs have already resulted in more than 130 spin-offs – so I am sure you are proud and excited to be part of this. Even the building in which we’re sitting reflects the can-do spirit that is so obviously encouraged here. It used to be an Air Force facility. Now it’s the TAF Innovation Base.
But I’m not only here as a former businessman. I’m also here to tell you that my government – and my Bureau – are working in many different ways to support entrepreneurs and innovators in the Asia-Pacific region and around the world.
Through various efforts such as our Global Entrepreneurship Program – or GEP – we work with the private sector and other partners within the U.S. government to train and empower thousands of aspiring entrepreneurs.
We create programs and workshops similar to this one, and make tools and networks available to you. We help small businesses expand into new markets. We help mobilize new investments.
We connect emerging innovators with mentors and networks, and we expand access to capital.
As we support entrepreneurs in hands-on ways, we also work with other economies to create better environments for innovators like you. That includes working to implement and enforce intellectual property rights so no one can steal your ideas or new products. By protecting innovators and creators, we also reassure their investors to take those risks which propel innovation.
We are happy to be long-term and like-minded partners with Taiwan on IPR protection – not only bilaterally but through organizations like the WTO and APEC.
We undertake these policies not only to protect creators but to generate revenue and create jobs.
And that’s why today, I am pleased to announce the launch of a joint strategy on IPR and innovation, dedicated to enhancing this climate for innovation.
In fact, I am joined today by U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Senior Counsel Mark Cohen, who’s part of a team of U.S. and Taiwan partners focused on precisely that.
In a world where the message is “Create it yourself,” it’s critical to make sure that what you create isn’t just protected but rewarded.
So as this new joint strategy shows, we are very much in your corner as innovators. I would like to share three big reasons why we support you.
First of all, each one of you is a winner. That’s why you’re here today. We know that when you back winners, they tend to spread their success around. They grow communities and economies. That’s why entrepreneurs and small to medium businesses are the backbone of virtually every economy in the world.
Secondly, young people are an enormous human resource in the world, and they’re not being supported enough.
Third, as I mentioned earlier, young people around the world have grown up on the internet and connective technology. We need to harness that potential so they can build businesses, distribute their works, network with others, identify funding sources, and succeed.
When we do that, we help to empower a new generation of problem solvers – which is critical, given the challenges we face around the world.
We have a choice. Do we stand by and let economic frustrations grow? Or do we find ways to support young people, so they can build and develop their ideas and grow their communities and their national economies, and their regional partnerships?
There is really only one answer.
One of the great – I would even say magical – effects of entrepreneurism is its power to ripple outwards.
When you create a new product or service, and then build a business around it, it isn’t just you that benefits. It’s the people you hire. They get a salary that will help their families. It’s also the customers who win from the service or the product or the social benefit you are offering. And when other entrepreneurs do similar things, whole communities begin to see the benefits and prosper.
Imagine what we can do when we empower more entrepreneurs like you to work, not only for yourselves but across this region. You’ll be able to identify common challenges that no economy can meet by itself, like lifting people out of poverty, combating climate change, or preventing the spread of disease. You can share your best ideas and your most inspired works. You can communicate in new ways with people across cultures and between faiths. In writing your own futures, you’ll write better ones for everybody.
President Obama was recently talking with entrepreneurs and he said: “I believe that entrepreneurs like you can make the world a better place, one idea at a time. You are going to be how change happens – one person, one step, one business, one city, one country at a time.”
As I look at you, I can see that’s true. And before I conclude, I want to share a quote from Thomas Edison. As you probably know, he was one of America’s most famous entrepreneurs, who invented so many things, from movie cameras to lightbulbs. He once said: “I haven’t failed. I just found 10,000 ways that don’t work.”
Looking around this room, I see the kind of people who have already found a way that works for them. All you need is a little support. And here under this new partnership between the Taiwan Air Force Innovation Park and the MIT Media Lab, you are in good hands.
So, my sincere congratulations on being part of this fantastic program, and we all look forward to seeing what you can achieve – and how that will contribute to Taiwan’s future, and the world’s future, in the months and years to come. Thank you.
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
SEC CHARGES INVESTMENT ADVISER WITH DEFRAUDING TEACHERS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS
FROM: U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
06/01/2015 05:55 PM EDT
The Securities and Exchange Commission charged an investment adviser in Miami with siphoning money from his investment fund and defrauding investors, including several local teachers and law enforcement officers.
The SEC alleges that Phil Donnahue Williamson conducted a Ponzi scheme with money he raised for the Sterling Investment Fund, which purportedly invested in mortgages and properties in Florida and Georgia. Many of Williamson’s investors were public sector retirees such as teachers and law enforcement officers who sought safe investments for their retirement savings. Williamson assured investors there was no risk involved and they would receive annual returns of 8 to 12 percent. But rather than invest their money as promised, he used the majority of fund assets to pay his personal expenses and make supposed returns to investors. Williamson created fictitious valuations that were sent to investors.
“We allege that Williamson lured retired teachers, law enforcement officers, and others into believing that the Sterling Investment Fund was a safe investment generating significant returns,” said Eric I. Bustillo, Director of the SEC’s Miami Regional Office. “Investors entrusted him with their retirement savings, and he spent it as his own money.”
According to the SEC’s complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, one retired Miami-Dade County school teacher and church pastor invested $125,000 in the fund. That same day, Williamson transferred himself $10,000 to pay his credit card bill and make a car payment to BMW among other personal expenditures. Williamson later paid $24,400 to other investors in the fund as purported distributions, and transferred himself another $24,000 to pay additional personal expenses.
In a parallel action, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida today announced criminal charges against Williamson.
Williamson has agreed to settle the SEC’s charges and is liable for $748,050.01 in disgorgement. He also agreed to be permanently prevented from violating the antifraud provisions of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, including misleading clients or prospective clients about investment strategies, the use of client funds, or his qualifications to advise clients. The settlement is subject to court approval.
The SEC’s investigation was conducted by Casey Cohen and Margaret Vizzi in the Miami office, and the case was supervised by Assistant Regional Director Jason R. Berkowitz and Associate Regional Director Glenn S. Gordon. The litigation will be handled by Andrew O. Schiff. The SEC appreciates the assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Florida Office of Financial Regulation.
06/01/2015 05:55 PM EDT
The Securities and Exchange Commission charged an investment adviser in Miami with siphoning money from his investment fund and defrauding investors, including several local teachers and law enforcement officers.
The SEC alleges that Phil Donnahue Williamson conducted a Ponzi scheme with money he raised for the Sterling Investment Fund, which purportedly invested in mortgages and properties in Florida and Georgia. Many of Williamson’s investors were public sector retirees such as teachers and law enforcement officers who sought safe investments for their retirement savings. Williamson assured investors there was no risk involved and they would receive annual returns of 8 to 12 percent. But rather than invest their money as promised, he used the majority of fund assets to pay his personal expenses and make supposed returns to investors. Williamson created fictitious valuations that were sent to investors.
“We allege that Williamson lured retired teachers, law enforcement officers, and others into believing that the Sterling Investment Fund was a safe investment generating significant returns,” said Eric I. Bustillo, Director of the SEC’s Miami Regional Office. “Investors entrusted him with their retirement savings, and he spent it as his own money.”
According to the SEC’s complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, one retired Miami-Dade County school teacher and church pastor invested $125,000 in the fund. That same day, Williamson transferred himself $10,000 to pay his credit card bill and make a car payment to BMW among other personal expenditures. Williamson later paid $24,400 to other investors in the fund as purported distributions, and transferred himself another $24,000 to pay additional personal expenses.
In a parallel action, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida today announced criminal charges against Williamson.
Williamson has agreed to settle the SEC’s charges and is liable for $748,050.01 in disgorgement. He also agreed to be permanently prevented from violating the antifraud provisions of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, including misleading clients or prospective clients about investment strategies, the use of client funds, or his qualifications to advise clients. The settlement is subject to court approval.
The SEC’s investigation was conducted by Casey Cohen and Margaret Vizzi in the Miami office, and the case was supervised by Assistant Regional Director Jason R. Berkowitz and Associate Regional Director Glenn S. Gordon. The litigation will be handled by Andrew O. Schiff. The SEC appreciates the assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Florida Office of Financial Regulation.
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
U.S. CONGRATULATES PEOPLE OF THE KINGDOM OF TONGA ON THEIR INDEPENDENCE DAY
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
The Kingdom of Tonga Independence Day
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
June 2, 2015
On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I offer our warmest congratulations to the people of the Kingdom of Tonga on the 45th anniversary of Tonga’s independence on June 4th. The advent of your Independence Day makes us mindful of Tonga’s proud culture and heritage. The people of the United States deeply appreciate the friendship of the people of Tonga and the contributions that Tongan-Americans have made to our own cultural tapestry.
As you celebrate the Kingdom’s independence this year, know that the United States stands with you in the spirit of our shared values and continuing cooperation. In coming years, we hope to further expand our cooperation in mitigating the effects of climate change, enhancing maritime security, improving economic opportunity, and many other areas of mutual interest.
Congratulations and warm wishes for peace and prosperity throughout the year to come.
The Kingdom of Tonga Independence Day
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
June 2, 2015
On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I offer our warmest congratulations to the people of the Kingdom of Tonga on the 45th anniversary of Tonga’s independence on June 4th. The advent of your Independence Day makes us mindful of Tonga’s proud culture and heritage. The people of the United States deeply appreciate the friendship of the people of Tonga and the contributions that Tongan-Americans have made to our own cultural tapestry.
As you celebrate the Kingdom’s independence this year, know that the United States stands with you in the spirit of our shared values and continuing cooperation. In coming years, we hope to further expand our cooperation in mitigating the effects of climate change, enhancing maritime security, improving economic opportunity, and many other areas of mutual interest.
Congratulations and warm wishes for peace and prosperity throughout the year to come.
PRESS AVAILABILITY: ANTONY BLINKEN, IRAQI PRIME MINISTER HAIDER AL-ABADI, FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER LAURENT FABIUS
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Press Availability With Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius
Press Availability
Antony J. Blinken
Deputy Secretary of State
Quai d'Orsay
Paris, France
June 2, 2015
FOREIGN MINISTER FABIUS: (Via interpreter) (In progress) – Iraq, and a representative for the United States of America, Mr. Blinken, in the absence of Mr. Kerry to report on the work we’ve done this morning and over lunch. This press conference won’t be too long because the prime minister from Iraq has a meeting at the Elysee at 3:00 p.m. and I shall have to answer a certain number of questions at our national assembly.
First of all, let me explain the meeting. You know that the international coalition against Daesh, which brings together over 60 countries, is very much engaged in Iraq. And it just met as a small group, as it is called – it’s 25 countries, the UN and the European Union – to coordinate at a political level our strategy against Daesh. And so there is a regular follow-up of the coalition’s efforts.
And it was all the more important to meet since recent events made the meeting essential. For nine months now, progress has been made in order to push back the terrorist group Daesh, especially in the Salah ad Din and Diyala provinces in Iraq, but also in Syria. And at the same time – and this is something we all recognize this morning – there have been new pushes on the part of Daesh, and therefore, it was all the more necessary to take stock of the situation, together with the prime minister of Iraq and the – and Secretary Tony Blinken. I chaired the meeting and we had Mr. Kerry on the phone, and he sounded quite sprightly, and I told him he should have listened to Churchill, who said, “No sport.”
Now what I take away from our discussions is this, before I hand over to the prime minister and then Mr. Antony Blinken. Now, first thing, what I see is that our conversation has made it possible to reaffirm our common resolve to fight the Daesh fighters. And I often say of them that they are false holy men but true hooligans. And what you have to know is that it is a long battle that we are waging in Iraq. We supported the Iraqi forces with airstrikes and supplying equipment and training, allowing the Iraqi forces to find the necessary scope to strike back against Daesh. And the effort will be focusing mainly on the Al Anbar province to recapture Ramadi, but there are other objectives as well, and the Iraqi Government announced a plan to bring together the tribal forces in the province, and that is a plan which was supported by the coalition. That’s the first thing.
Now another thing that struck me in this morning’s conversations is that the military strategy cannot be taken without the reconciliation policy and plans in Iraq. Everything is related. And this morning, we were able to reconfirm the necessary commitment on the part of the Iraqi Government in order to implement the reforms planned in order to meet the expectations of all Iraqis and to join them in the fight against Daesh.
The third point that struck me, and this was also discussed this morning, is that stabilization in Iraq will not be totally possible without political transition in Syria, because indeed, Daesh’s actions now straddle the border between the two countries. Daesh ignores frontiers, and the increasing chaos in Syria has a direct impact on the effectiveness of actions in Iraq. What happened in Palmyra recently showed that there was neither the ability nor the true desire to protect the territory against the extremist advance. So we have to show determination with a view to political transition, which is essential.
And finally, last point, I should like to stress that the coalition now intends to include the protection of endangered communities and heritage – endangered heritage – and we saw this with Mrs. Irina Bokova, director general of UNESCO. And one of the things I said in March at the Security Council is now part and parcel of the coalition’s strategy, and it is difficult – and reasons were given – but it is imperative. And France, in the autumn, intends to organize a high-level conference on this matter – in general, the communities which are being persecuted.
So that is what I wanted to say very briefly. As to the concrete outcomes of today’s meeting, which, with a great deal of lucidity, was an opportunity to join further the members of the coalition around a joint determination to fight Daesh, the fight will take a long time, but determination is there.
PRIME MINISTER ABADI: (Via interpreter) I would like to thank the foreign minister, Mr. Fabius. I would like to thank France for having organized this very important conference fighting terrorism together with Iraq. To fight terrorism, we have decided to attend this meeting, and we are fighting Daesh on various fronts. We have been victorious on some fronts. Whatever the war, there are always setbacks; whatever the fights, there are always setbacks. Ramadi was one of those setbacks where Daesh, this terrorist movement, took control of this city and where our forces had to withdraw. We launched an inquiry and are waiting for the results of this inquiry. We haven’t been defeated; we want to take over Ramadi and we are developing a plan.
Our forces are now moving towards Nineveh, and the Nineveh operation has already started. We have now a new military commander, and our inclusive Iraqi Government wishes to go ahead. We have already gone ahead from a political and economic standpoint. Other measures are still to be developed. But as we speak, they are discussed by the council of ministers with a view to take decisions and introduce new bills.
Daesh is not only a threat for us, for Europe, but also for the rest of the world. We need to fight Daesh, and we need to fight Daesh not only in Iraq and the whole region, but throughout the world. We’ve been invited by Mr. Fabius, a very generous invitation; we’re going to meet with President Hollande with a view to strengthen the relations between Iraq and the coalition. But we need more support to Iraqi forces fighting on the ground.
Two-thirds of this war is a psychological war. They are trying to introduce a false narrative, and therefore we need to face also this psychological war. We need to develop a psychological campaign. We need to counter Daesh in the region but also throughout the world.
There is a true war against Daesh, Daesh which is a dangerous movement threatening the region and the world. Most of the combatants are coming from all over the world. They do not come from Iraq only. Therefore endeavors of the international community need to go on. We need to continue those endeavors. We need to disrupt the flow of international combatants. We also need to dry the financing sources – oil trafficking, heritage, antiquities trafficking, and a great number of sites destroyed by Daesh – Daesh having already sold antiquities to get more money. We need to fight all this.
Today we’ve heard all the member countries of the coalition. We’ve heard them reiterate their support to Iraq. They are determined to continue to help Iraq. We need to find a political solution. We need to put an end to this very serious humanitarian problem.
And as you know, Daesh was not born in Iraq, was not developed in Iraq, but in Syria because of events that have nothing to do with the situation in Iraq. They are supported by means from outside Iraq by external combatants. We can make sacrifices to fight Daesh, but as I said, the international community, the international coalition, has to support us, has to support us destroying Daesh, Daesh which is a threat not only for Iraq but for the rest of the world.
DEPUTY SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you very much for the meeting and especially for France’s leadership in this coalition against Daesh. As the foreign minister described, we had a very good discussion today, a candid discussion that was honest about the gains that we’ve made as well as the setbacks that we’ve incurred. I think we heard a range of views from our partners, but I took away a number of points similar to the ones the foreign minister underscored.
First, this will be, as we have said, a long campaign. But we will succeed if we remain united, determined, and focused. And we are united, determined, and focused. The coalition is the most effective vehicle for getting to the success that we seek.
Second, every line of effort in what we’re doing is critical and mutually reinforcing: the military campaign, but also the efforts we’re making against foreign fighters, against financing, to combat the narrative that Daesh is putting out there, the humanitarian situation, and stabilization of newly liberated communities.
Third, we have made real gains in the nine months since this coalition has come together. Daesh now controls 25 percent less territory in Iraq than it did when this first started, and it has lost significant numbers of men and materiel. And we have proof of concept that what we’re doing works around Al Asad, where we’re present, and in the north with the Kurdish forces.
But fourth, we also acknowledge that Daesh remains extremely resilient, ruthless, and capable of taking the initiative. We have to learn from and act on our setbacks. In Iraq right now, we have the right strategy: a combination of coalition airstrikes; training, equipping, assisting; and effective local partners. That is the winning strategy, but only if both sides of the equation are present.
What we heard today is that Prime Minister Abadi’s side of the equation is present and adjusting to the challenges that we’re seeing in places like Anbar. He described for us in detail the Anbar action plan that he recently passed through his council of ministers, and I think we concluded that it is the right plan both militarily and politically for Iraq at this time.
We support the plan. It calls for accelerating the training and equipping of local tribes in coordination with Anbar authorities, strengthening the provision of and streamlining the provision of weapons, expanding recruitment into the Iraqi Army, recalling and refitting the local police, ensuring that all associated forces in Iraq act under Iraqi command, and supporting a new development fund for stabilization to get immediate assistance to areas that are cleared of Daesh.
The prime minister knows, as we do and as we’ve heard him say, that the struggle against Daesh must be won by the Iraqi people, just as Syrians must ultimately lead the fight in their land. We must therefore do all that we can as quickly as we can to help Iraq bring fully capable and inclusive national security forces that will operate professionally and under a unified chain of command.
One immediate step that we’re taking is to ship anti-tank rockets for use against the kind of suicide vehicles that were deployed in Ramadi to such terrible effect. The first tranche of these rockets will arrive as early as this week, and we’re also continuing, of course, our air missions in Anbar and elsewhere to keep the pressure on Daesh. And we are moving forward as well and we heard good reports today with each of the lines of effort that are at the heart of the work of this coalition: to shrink Daesh’s territory, to cut its funding, to curb its recruiting, and to expose the gigantic gap between what Daesh claims to be and what it actually is.
We’re also doing all that we can to aid the region’s victims of violence, who include millions of refugees and displaced persons from both Syria and Iraq. The United States has provided $3.7 billion in humanitarian aid to those affected by the war in Syria, and more than $407 million for displaced Iraqis. The magnitude and duration of the regional crisis have stretched the global response capabilities to its limits, but there are times – and this is one of them – when normal limitations have to be set aside. More funds are urgently needed to alleviate suffering and shield the innocent from harm.
Finally, we share the emphasis that Foreign Minister Fabius placed on the urgency of a political transition in Syria, and we will redouble our efforts to help achieve it. It becomes clearer every single day that Daesh stands for nothing and depends on people who will fall for anything. I emerged from this meeting confident that we will defeat them through our unity, our determination, and our commitment to create a future of opportunity and peace for people in Iraq, in Syria, and indeed in the entire region.
Thank you very much.
FOREIGN MINISTER FABIUS: Merci. (Via interpreter) Just three questions. I hope you’ll forgive us, because we shall have to leave very shortly.
Yes, you were the first.
QUESTION: This question is for Mr. Blinken.
FOREIGN MINISTER FABIUS: Wait a minute. We have a mike which is coming.
QUESTION: This question is for – Jamey Keaten, Associated Press. This question is for Mr. Blinken. We understand that you have – the United States may have told Iraq that they will be able to buy weapons from Russia and Iran. Is that indeed the U.S. position, and are you willing to put that in writing? Thank you.
DEPUTY SECRETARY BLINKEN: What we are working on with the entire coalition is a plan that Iraq has put in place, the prime minister has put in place, to streamline the provision of weapons to the forces that need them, including in Anbar, from coalition partners. That is exactly what we’re working on now.
PARTICIPANT: (In French.)
PARTICIPANT: Madam?
PARTICIPANT: Bonjour.
PARTICIPANT: (Off-mike.)
PARTICIPANT: Pardon.
PARTICIPANT: (In French.)
QUESTION: (Via interpreter) (inaudible) Television -- it’s a U.S. television in Arabic. I’d like to know, for Syria – about Syria. Mr. Fabius, have you spoken about Syria? It seems that there is a small change in the French position concerning Syria. Are you going to combat Daesh in Iraq only? What is that going to lead up to?
FOREIGN MINISTER FABIUS: (Via interpreter) No, there is no change in the French position. Quite obviously we’ve spoken about Syria for a very simple reason, as underlined by my colleagues: Daesh is present in Syria and in Iraq. So from that standpoint, there is a relationship between both. You do know the French position. We believe that on the one hand, we must fight Daesh and terrorist groups, and on the other hand, Mr. Bashar al-Assad. And terrorist groups are part and parcel of the same coin. And the future of Syria is not Mr. Bashar al-Assad.
So we are speaking about a political transition. We’ve had Geneva I, and in this new government, there would be people from the regime – because it is out of the question for the Syrian state to collapse, which would have very serious consequences – but also people from the opposition, both. So around a project for a united Syria, recognizing the different communities – we are working at it. It requires programs, train and equip, and a political will.
Now, we do have these discussions with our Arabic colleagues, but also with our friends from the United States, but also with the Russians, who have an important role to play. And they cannot hope for Syria falling into a chaos, because we must avoid a situation where Daesh would have taken over Palmyra and then take Damascus. And the position of our colleagues was to say, “Let us work towards a rapid political transition in Syria which will also help Iraq.”
QUESTION: (Via interpreter) Question to the three of you: You all use the word “unity” in the fight against Daesh. There’s a Turkish paper which published pictures of arms being delivered to the Syrian border. Have you discussed the matter with your Turkish partners and allies to find out some more about these weapons, which seem to be going to radical Sunni groups?
FOREIGN MINISTER FABIUS: (Via interpreter) Now, the Turkish representative was there; now, I don’t know whether such a question was put to him, but – I don’t know if you’ve been able to ask him, but regarding France and our colleagues, there is absolutely no question of launching into arms deliveries. But maybe you’d like to add something.
DEPUTY SECRETARY BLINKEN: What we focused on today were the efforts that we’re undertaking together, including with Turkey, to stop the flow of foreign fighters and foreign equipment across the border into Turkey-- from Turkey into Syria, and then from Syria into Iraq. This is a critical component of the campaign, and I think we’ve made and we heard today we’re making real progress, but we clearly have more work to do.
MODERATOR: Ah, okay. You are the last one, dear.
QUESTION: (Via interpreter) I represent Mayadeen, the TV channel. Prime Minister, today we know that terrorists are entering Iraq through the neighboring countries – Syria, Turkey, and so forth – but have the coalition countries committed to stop the entry of these terrorists through the neighbor countries? Those countries were here in Paris today. Have they made a commitment to putting a stop to this infiltration of combatants?
PRIME MINISTER ABADI: (Via interpreter) Yes, we stated that these movements must indeed stop, and the members of the coalition today all renewed their commitment to be instrumental in doing just that and the – implement the UN resolution. The same thing applies to illegal petroleum sales and illegal sales of antiquities; in other words, all of these means by which Daesh has been financing itself. The slightest drop of petroleum that crosses the border is also a drop of blood, and each month there are something like 400 terrorist attacks carried out by foreigners against Iraqis. This is a crime not just against the Iraqi people, but against the entire world. And so today we did indeed talk about putting a stop to the infiltration of combatants and drying up their sources of financing, whatever those sources may be.
Press Availability With Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius
Press Availability
Antony J. Blinken
Deputy Secretary of State
Quai d'Orsay
Paris, France
June 2, 2015
FOREIGN MINISTER FABIUS: (Via interpreter) (In progress) – Iraq, and a representative for the United States of America, Mr. Blinken, in the absence of Mr. Kerry to report on the work we’ve done this morning and over lunch. This press conference won’t be too long because the prime minister from Iraq has a meeting at the Elysee at 3:00 p.m. and I shall have to answer a certain number of questions at our national assembly.
First of all, let me explain the meeting. You know that the international coalition against Daesh, which brings together over 60 countries, is very much engaged in Iraq. And it just met as a small group, as it is called – it’s 25 countries, the UN and the European Union – to coordinate at a political level our strategy against Daesh. And so there is a regular follow-up of the coalition’s efforts.
And it was all the more important to meet since recent events made the meeting essential. For nine months now, progress has been made in order to push back the terrorist group Daesh, especially in the Salah ad Din and Diyala provinces in Iraq, but also in Syria. And at the same time – and this is something we all recognize this morning – there have been new pushes on the part of Daesh, and therefore, it was all the more necessary to take stock of the situation, together with the prime minister of Iraq and the – and Secretary Tony Blinken. I chaired the meeting and we had Mr. Kerry on the phone, and he sounded quite sprightly, and I told him he should have listened to Churchill, who said, “No sport.”
Now what I take away from our discussions is this, before I hand over to the prime minister and then Mr. Antony Blinken. Now, first thing, what I see is that our conversation has made it possible to reaffirm our common resolve to fight the Daesh fighters. And I often say of them that they are false holy men but true hooligans. And what you have to know is that it is a long battle that we are waging in Iraq. We supported the Iraqi forces with airstrikes and supplying equipment and training, allowing the Iraqi forces to find the necessary scope to strike back against Daesh. And the effort will be focusing mainly on the Al Anbar province to recapture Ramadi, but there are other objectives as well, and the Iraqi Government announced a plan to bring together the tribal forces in the province, and that is a plan which was supported by the coalition. That’s the first thing.
Now another thing that struck me in this morning’s conversations is that the military strategy cannot be taken without the reconciliation policy and plans in Iraq. Everything is related. And this morning, we were able to reconfirm the necessary commitment on the part of the Iraqi Government in order to implement the reforms planned in order to meet the expectations of all Iraqis and to join them in the fight against Daesh.
The third point that struck me, and this was also discussed this morning, is that stabilization in Iraq will not be totally possible without political transition in Syria, because indeed, Daesh’s actions now straddle the border between the two countries. Daesh ignores frontiers, and the increasing chaos in Syria has a direct impact on the effectiveness of actions in Iraq. What happened in Palmyra recently showed that there was neither the ability nor the true desire to protect the territory against the extremist advance. So we have to show determination with a view to political transition, which is essential.
And finally, last point, I should like to stress that the coalition now intends to include the protection of endangered communities and heritage – endangered heritage – and we saw this with Mrs. Irina Bokova, director general of UNESCO. And one of the things I said in March at the Security Council is now part and parcel of the coalition’s strategy, and it is difficult – and reasons were given – but it is imperative. And France, in the autumn, intends to organize a high-level conference on this matter – in general, the communities which are being persecuted.
So that is what I wanted to say very briefly. As to the concrete outcomes of today’s meeting, which, with a great deal of lucidity, was an opportunity to join further the members of the coalition around a joint determination to fight Daesh, the fight will take a long time, but determination is there.
PRIME MINISTER ABADI: (Via interpreter) I would like to thank the foreign minister, Mr. Fabius. I would like to thank France for having organized this very important conference fighting terrorism together with Iraq. To fight terrorism, we have decided to attend this meeting, and we are fighting Daesh on various fronts. We have been victorious on some fronts. Whatever the war, there are always setbacks; whatever the fights, there are always setbacks. Ramadi was one of those setbacks where Daesh, this terrorist movement, took control of this city and where our forces had to withdraw. We launched an inquiry and are waiting for the results of this inquiry. We haven’t been defeated; we want to take over Ramadi and we are developing a plan.
Our forces are now moving towards Nineveh, and the Nineveh operation has already started. We have now a new military commander, and our inclusive Iraqi Government wishes to go ahead. We have already gone ahead from a political and economic standpoint. Other measures are still to be developed. But as we speak, they are discussed by the council of ministers with a view to take decisions and introduce new bills.
Daesh is not only a threat for us, for Europe, but also for the rest of the world. We need to fight Daesh, and we need to fight Daesh not only in Iraq and the whole region, but throughout the world. We’ve been invited by Mr. Fabius, a very generous invitation; we’re going to meet with President Hollande with a view to strengthen the relations between Iraq and the coalition. But we need more support to Iraqi forces fighting on the ground.
Two-thirds of this war is a psychological war. They are trying to introduce a false narrative, and therefore we need to face also this psychological war. We need to develop a psychological campaign. We need to counter Daesh in the region but also throughout the world.
There is a true war against Daesh, Daesh which is a dangerous movement threatening the region and the world. Most of the combatants are coming from all over the world. They do not come from Iraq only. Therefore endeavors of the international community need to go on. We need to continue those endeavors. We need to disrupt the flow of international combatants. We also need to dry the financing sources – oil trafficking, heritage, antiquities trafficking, and a great number of sites destroyed by Daesh – Daesh having already sold antiquities to get more money. We need to fight all this.
Today we’ve heard all the member countries of the coalition. We’ve heard them reiterate their support to Iraq. They are determined to continue to help Iraq. We need to find a political solution. We need to put an end to this very serious humanitarian problem.
And as you know, Daesh was not born in Iraq, was not developed in Iraq, but in Syria because of events that have nothing to do with the situation in Iraq. They are supported by means from outside Iraq by external combatants. We can make sacrifices to fight Daesh, but as I said, the international community, the international coalition, has to support us, has to support us destroying Daesh, Daesh which is a threat not only for Iraq but for the rest of the world.
DEPUTY SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you very much for the meeting and especially for France’s leadership in this coalition against Daesh. As the foreign minister described, we had a very good discussion today, a candid discussion that was honest about the gains that we’ve made as well as the setbacks that we’ve incurred. I think we heard a range of views from our partners, but I took away a number of points similar to the ones the foreign minister underscored.
First, this will be, as we have said, a long campaign. But we will succeed if we remain united, determined, and focused. And we are united, determined, and focused. The coalition is the most effective vehicle for getting to the success that we seek.
Second, every line of effort in what we’re doing is critical and mutually reinforcing: the military campaign, but also the efforts we’re making against foreign fighters, against financing, to combat the narrative that Daesh is putting out there, the humanitarian situation, and stabilization of newly liberated communities.
Third, we have made real gains in the nine months since this coalition has come together. Daesh now controls 25 percent less territory in Iraq than it did when this first started, and it has lost significant numbers of men and materiel. And we have proof of concept that what we’re doing works around Al Asad, where we’re present, and in the north with the Kurdish forces.
But fourth, we also acknowledge that Daesh remains extremely resilient, ruthless, and capable of taking the initiative. We have to learn from and act on our setbacks. In Iraq right now, we have the right strategy: a combination of coalition airstrikes; training, equipping, assisting; and effective local partners. That is the winning strategy, but only if both sides of the equation are present.
What we heard today is that Prime Minister Abadi’s side of the equation is present and adjusting to the challenges that we’re seeing in places like Anbar. He described for us in detail the Anbar action plan that he recently passed through his council of ministers, and I think we concluded that it is the right plan both militarily and politically for Iraq at this time.
We support the plan. It calls for accelerating the training and equipping of local tribes in coordination with Anbar authorities, strengthening the provision of and streamlining the provision of weapons, expanding recruitment into the Iraqi Army, recalling and refitting the local police, ensuring that all associated forces in Iraq act under Iraqi command, and supporting a new development fund for stabilization to get immediate assistance to areas that are cleared of Daesh.
The prime minister knows, as we do and as we’ve heard him say, that the struggle against Daesh must be won by the Iraqi people, just as Syrians must ultimately lead the fight in their land. We must therefore do all that we can as quickly as we can to help Iraq bring fully capable and inclusive national security forces that will operate professionally and under a unified chain of command.
One immediate step that we’re taking is to ship anti-tank rockets for use against the kind of suicide vehicles that were deployed in Ramadi to such terrible effect. The first tranche of these rockets will arrive as early as this week, and we’re also continuing, of course, our air missions in Anbar and elsewhere to keep the pressure on Daesh. And we are moving forward as well and we heard good reports today with each of the lines of effort that are at the heart of the work of this coalition: to shrink Daesh’s territory, to cut its funding, to curb its recruiting, and to expose the gigantic gap between what Daesh claims to be and what it actually is.
We’re also doing all that we can to aid the region’s victims of violence, who include millions of refugees and displaced persons from both Syria and Iraq. The United States has provided $3.7 billion in humanitarian aid to those affected by the war in Syria, and more than $407 million for displaced Iraqis. The magnitude and duration of the regional crisis have stretched the global response capabilities to its limits, but there are times – and this is one of them – when normal limitations have to be set aside. More funds are urgently needed to alleviate suffering and shield the innocent from harm.
Finally, we share the emphasis that Foreign Minister Fabius placed on the urgency of a political transition in Syria, and we will redouble our efforts to help achieve it. It becomes clearer every single day that Daesh stands for nothing and depends on people who will fall for anything. I emerged from this meeting confident that we will defeat them through our unity, our determination, and our commitment to create a future of opportunity and peace for people in Iraq, in Syria, and indeed in the entire region.
Thank you very much.
FOREIGN MINISTER FABIUS: Merci. (Via interpreter) Just three questions. I hope you’ll forgive us, because we shall have to leave very shortly.
Yes, you were the first.
QUESTION: This question is for Mr. Blinken.
FOREIGN MINISTER FABIUS: Wait a minute. We have a mike which is coming.
QUESTION: This question is for – Jamey Keaten, Associated Press. This question is for Mr. Blinken. We understand that you have – the United States may have told Iraq that they will be able to buy weapons from Russia and Iran. Is that indeed the U.S. position, and are you willing to put that in writing? Thank you.
DEPUTY SECRETARY BLINKEN: What we are working on with the entire coalition is a plan that Iraq has put in place, the prime minister has put in place, to streamline the provision of weapons to the forces that need them, including in Anbar, from coalition partners. That is exactly what we’re working on now.
PARTICIPANT: (In French.)
PARTICIPANT: Madam?
PARTICIPANT: Bonjour.
PARTICIPANT: (Off-mike.)
PARTICIPANT: Pardon.
PARTICIPANT: (In French.)
QUESTION: (Via interpreter) (inaudible) Television -- it’s a U.S. television in Arabic. I’d like to know, for Syria – about Syria. Mr. Fabius, have you spoken about Syria? It seems that there is a small change in the French position concerning Syria. Are you going to combat Daesh in Iraq only? What is that going to lead up to?
FOREIGN MINISTER FABIUS: (Via interpreter) No, there is no change in the French position. Quite obviously we’ve spoken about Syria for a very simple reason, as underlined by my colleagues: Daesh is present in Syria and in Iraq. So from that standpoint, there is a relationship between both. You do know the French position. We believe that on the one hand, we must fight Daesh and terrorist groups, and on the other hand, Mr. Bashar al-Assad. And terrorist groups are part and parcel of the same coin. And the future of Syria is not Mr. Bashar al-Assad.
So we are speaking about a political transition. We’ve had Geneva I, and in this new government, there would be people from the regime – because it is out of the question for the Syrian state to collapse, which would have very serious consequences – but also people from the opposition, both. So around a project for a united Syria, recognizing the different communities – we are working at it. It requires programs, train and equip, and a political will.
Now, we do have these discussions with our Arabic colleagues, but also with our friends from the United States, but also with the Russians, who have an important role to play. And they cannot hope for Syria falling into a chaos, because we must avoid a situation where Daesh would have taken over Palmyra and then take Damascus. And the position of our colleagues was to say, “Let us work towards a rapid political transition in Syria which will also help Iraq.”
QUESTION: (Via interpreter) Question to the three of you: You all use the word “unity” in the fight against Daesh. There’s a Turkish paper which published pictures of arms being delivered to the Syrian border. Have you discussed the matter with your Turkish partners and allies to find out some more about these weapons, which seem to be going to radical Sunni groups?
FOREIGN MINISTER FABIUS: (Via interpreter) Now, the Turkish representative was there; now, I don’t know whether such a question was put to him, but – I don’t know if you’ve been able to ask him, but regarding France and our colleagues, there is absolutely no question of launching into arms deliveries. But maybe you’d like to add something.
DEPUTY SECRETARY BLINKEN: What we focused on today were the efforts that we’re undertaking together, including with Turkey, to stop the flow of foreign fighters and foreign equipment across the border into Turkey-- from Turkey into Syria, and then from Syria into Iraq. This is a critical component of the campaign, and I think we’ve made and we heard today we’re making real progress, but we clearly have more work to do.
MODERATOR: Ah, okay. You are the last one, dear.
QUESTION: (Via interpreter) I represent Mayadeen, the TV channel. Prime Minister, today we know that terrorists are entering Iraq through the neighboring countries – Syria, Turkey, and so forth – but have the coalition countries committed to stop the entry of these terrorists through the neighbor countries? Those countries were here in Paris today. Have they made a commitment to putting a stop to this infiltration of combatants?
PRIME MINISTER ABADI: (Via interpreter) Yes, we stated that these movements must indeed stop, and the members of the coalition today all renewed their commitment to be instrumental in doing just that and the – implement the UN resolution. The same thing applies to illegal petroleum sales and illegal sales of antiquities; in other words, all of these means by which Daesh has been financing itself. The slightest drop of petroleum that crosses the border is also a drop of blood, and each month there are something like 400 terrorist attacks carried out by foreigners against Iraqis. This is a crime not just against the Iraqi people, but against the entire world. And so today we did indeed talk about putting a stop to the infiltration of combatants and drying up their sources of financing, whatever those sources may be.
U.S. EXTENDS CONGRATULATIONS TO PEOPLE OF SAMOA ON THEIR INDEPENDENCE DAY
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Samoa's Independence Day
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
June 2, 2015
On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I extend my congratulations and best wishes to the people of the Independent State of Samoa as you celebrate the 53nd anniversary of your nation’s independence.
Our mutually held values and shared interests form the basis for our enduring relationship. We cooperate to safeguard our oceans and environment, strengthen the rule of law and democratic institutions, address the effects of climate change, and promote sustainable development in the Pacific. The United States looks forward to continuing our excellent relations with Samoa.
May all Samoans everywhere enjoy a happy Independence Day celebration as well as a peaceful and successful 2015.
Samoa's Independence Day
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
June 2, 2015
On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I extend my congratulations and best wishes to the people of the Independent State of Samoa as you celebrate the 53nd anniversary of your nation’s independence.
Our mutually held values and shared interests form the basis for our enduring relationship. We cooperate to safeguard our oceans and environment, strengthen the rule of law and democratic institutions, address the effects of climate change, and promote sustainable development in the Pacific. The United States looks forward to continuing our excellent relations with Samoa.
May all Samoans everywhere enjoy a happy Independence Day celebration as well as a peaceful and successful 2015.
AIRSTRIKES AGAINST ISIL CONTINUE IN JUNE
FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Airstrikes Hit ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq
DoD News, Defense Media Activity
SOUTHWEST ASIA, June 1, 2015 – U.S. and coalition military forces have 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
Attack, bomber and fighter aircraft conducted 13 airstrikes in Syria:
-- Near Hasakah, nine airstrikes struck eight ISIL tactical units, destroying seven ISIL fighting positions, two ISIL vehicles and an ISIL weapons cache.
-- Near Raqqah, one airstrike struck an ISIL airfield.
-- Near Kobani, three airstrikes struck an ISIL tactical unit, destroying 13 ISIL fighting positions.
Airstrikes in Iraq
Attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 10 airstrikes in Iraq, approved by the Iraqi Ministry of Defense:
-- Near Beiji, two airstrikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and land features denying ISIL a tactical advantage, destroying an ISIL resupply vehicle.
-- Near Fallujah, two airstrikes struck two ISIL tactical units, destroying two ISIL staging areas, an ISIL fighting position and an ISIL heavy machine gun.
-- Near Mosul, two airstrikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and an ISIL vehicle-borne, improvised explosive device facility, destroying two ISIL buildings, an ISIL heavy machine gun, an ISIL mortar system and an ISIL rocket launcher.
-- Near Ramadi, one airstrike destroyed an ISIL crane.
-- Near Sinjar, one airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit, destroying two ISIL buildings and an ISIL heavy machine gun.
-- Near Tal Afar, two airstrikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and two ISIL mortar positions, destroying two ISIL heavy machine guns and an ISIL building.
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.
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, Canada, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Airstrikes Hit ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq
DoD News, Defense Media Activity
SOUTHWEST ASIA, June 1, 2015 – U.S. and coalition military forces have 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
Attack, bomber and fighter aircraft conducted 13 airstrikes in Syria:
-- Near Hasakah, nine airstrikes struck eight ISIL tactical units, destroying seven ISIL fighting positions, two ISIL vehicles and an ISIL weapons cache.
-- Near Raqqah, one airstrike struck an ISIL airfield.
-- Near Kobani, three airstrikes struck an ISIL tactical unit, destroying 13 ISIL fighting positions.
Airstrikes in Iraq
Attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 10 airstrikes in Iraq, approved by the Iraqi Ministry of Defense:
-- Near Beiji, two airstrikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and land features denying ISIL a tactical advantage, destroying an ISIL resupply vehicle.
-- Near Fallujah, two airstrikes struck two ISIL tactical units, destroying two ISIL staging areas, an ISIL fighting position and an ISIL heavy machine gun.
-- Near Mosul, two airstrikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and an ISIL vehicle-borne, improvised explosive device facility, destroying two ISIL buildings, an ISIL heavy machine gun, an ISIL mortar system and an ISIL rocket launcher.
-- Near Ramadi, one airstrike destroyed an ISIL crane.
-- Near Sinjar, one airstrike struck an ISIL tactical unit, destroying two ISIL buildings and an ISIL heavy machine gun.
-- Near Tal Afar, two airstrikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and two ISIL mortar positions, destroying two ISIL heavy machine guns and an ISIL building.
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.
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, Canada, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
U.S. CONGRATULATES PEOPLE OF ITALY ON THEIR REPUBLIC DAY
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
On the Occasion of Italy's Republic Day
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
May 29, 2015
On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate the people of Italy on your Republic Day on June 2.
Italy is a grand and glorious country, blessed with natural beauty and a vibrant culture. I have been fortunate to visit your country throughout my life and several times as Secretary of State, and each time is as breathtaking as the first.
The United States stands with Italy in our commitment to representative government, personal freedoms, and human rights. The United States also looks to you as a trusted friend and transatlantic partner. We address the most challenging issues of our time – from fighting violent extremism, to combatting climate change, to creating economic growth and prosperity.
The strength and resolve of the Italian people will be on display as the world comes together at the Milan Expo 2015 to find solutions to worldwide agricultural and nutrition challenges. I look forward to my own visit to mark this occasion.
In the spirit of our centuries-old friendship, I extend best wishes as you celebrate the 69th anniversary of your Republic Day. I look forward to continuing our proud tradition of cooperation and friendship in the coming year.
On the Occasion of Italy's Republic Day
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
May 29, 2015
On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate the people of Italy on your Republic Day on June 2.
Italy is a grand and glorious country, blessed with natural beauty and a vibrant culture. I have been fortunate to visit your country throughout my life and several times as Secretary of State, and each time is as breathtaking as the first.
The United States stands with Italy in our commitment to representative government, personal freedoms, and human rights. The United States also looks to you as a trusted friend and transatlantic partner. We address the most challenging issues of our time – from fighting violent extremism, to combatting climate change, to creating economic growth and prosperity.
The strength and resolve of the Italian people will be on display as the world comes together at the Milan Expo 2015 to find solutions to worldwide agricultural and nutrition challenges. I look forward to my own visit to mark this occasion.
In the spirit of our centuries-old friendship, I extend best wishes as you celebrate the 69th anniversary of your Republic Day. I look forward to continuing our proud tradition of cooperation and friendship in the coming year.
RESEARCH SHOWS MEDIA EXPOSURE TO TERROR MAY INCREASE STRESS RELATED SYMPTOMS
FROM: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Responding to terror (again): A study of the Boston Marathon bombing
Media exposure to prior tragedies may sensitize people to new disasters
The city of Boston endured one of the worst terrorist attacks on U.S. soil in April 2013, when two pressure-cooker bombs exploded near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. While emergency workers responded to the chaos and law enforcement agencies began a manhunt for the perpetrators, Americans fixed their attention to television screens, Internet news sites and forums, and Twitter, Facebook and other social media.
In doing so, some of those people may have been raising their acute stress levels, with a corresponding increase in symptoms such as difficulty sleeping, a sense of emotional numbness, or re-experiencing their trauma. Such responses, exhibited shortly after exposure to a trauma, have been linked with long-term negative health effects.
A trio of researchers in psychology and social behavior and nursing science at the University of California (UC), Irvine--supported by the Social Psychology Program in the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences Directorate--released a paper last year finding that for some individuals, intense exposure to the Boston marathon bombing through media coverage could be associated with more stress symptoms than those who had direct exposure to the attack. Their latest research article, published this month, finds that the likelihood of those symptoms developing also increases with multiple exposures to prior trauma.
In other words, the more hours you spend following disasters and tragedies in the media, the more sensitized you may become.
"Media-based exposure to these large, collective traumas--these community disasters--can have cumulative effects on people," said Dana Rose Garfin, one of the paper's authors. "More prior indirect exposures are associated with higher stress responses following subsequent traumatic events."
Garfin, E. Alison Holman and Roxane Cohen Silver used survey results from residents of metropolitan Boston and New York City collected within weeks of the Marathon bombing to examine the relationship between how they responded to the attack and their media-based exposure to three previous traumatic events: the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Superstorm Sandy and the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
"We were able to specifically explore the accumulation of exposure to collective disasters," Silver said. "We looked at three different, collective events to which people on the East Coast--and in particular New York and Boston--have been exposed."
The researchers looked at levels of acute stress in Boston and New York residents within a month after the marathon bombing. The Boston residents were much closer to that act of terrorism, but the researchers did not find that proximity necessarily correlated with higher stress levels. According to their report, New Yorkers already had somewhat heightened stress levels, due to their exposure to Superstorm Sandy, 9/11 and the Sandy Hook shooting, making their responses to the Marathon bombing comparable to those of Bostonians.
These findings do not imply that merely reading one article or watching a single program about a community trauma will necessarily increase stress. The research team's first paper found that acute stress symptoms increased as the number of hours per day of bombing-related media exposure in the week following the bombing increased. People who reported three or more hours per day of media exposure reported higher stress symptoms than those who reported less than one hour per day, and individuals who reported six or more hours a day reported the highest levels of symptoms.
Their latest paper also notes that the effects of cumulative indirect trauma exposure aren't universal.
"There's variability in how this happens," Holman said. "And that's another research question that has to be addressed--to understand what leads to those differences, why some people have sensitivities and others don't."
There are other limits on the findings. The data were correlational--they showed a relationship between increased media exposure to traumatic events and the development of stress symptoms, but they don't provide a direct causal link. Still, based on the evidence the researchers have reviewed thus far, coupled with the findings from a similar study they conducted about exposure to media after the 9/11 attacks, the team members have recommendations for news consumers.
"My recommendation is to turn off the TV and not expose yourself too much through social media or other media sources," Holman said. "Find out what you need to know from the news, but don't overexpose yourself."
Garfin emphasized that overexposure is the key factor.
"I wouldn't say don't stay informed or tune out the news," she said. "It's the repeated exposure to things, which probably isn't giving you new information. We're not saying turn off the TV totally. Stay informed, then go on with your daily life."
The researchers are likely to yield much more in the way of results on the topic. The latest paper represents the first wave of data collection they performed. There are four more following. Their next article, they said, will examine how specific types of media--such as television or social media--are associated with acute stress levels.
-- Robert J. Margetta,
Investigators
Dana Rose Garfin
Ellen Holman
Roxane Silver
Responding to terror (again): A study of the Boston Marathon bombing
Media exposure to prior tragedies may sensitize people to new disasters
The city of Boston endured one of the worst terrorist attacks on U.S. soil in April 2013, when two pressure-cooker bombs exploded near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. While emergency workers responded to the chaos and law enforcement agencies began a manhunt for the perpetrators, Americans fixed their attention to television screens, Internet news sites and forums, and Twitter, Facebook and other social media.
In doing so, some of those people may have been raising their acute stress levels, with a corresponding increase in symptoms such as difficulty sleeping, a sense of emotional numbness, or re-experiencing their trauma. Such responses, exhibited shortly after exposure to a trauma, have been linked with long-term negative health effects.
A trio of researchers in psychology and social behavior and nursing science at the University of California (UC), Irvine--supported by the Social Psychology Program in the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences Directorate--released a paper last year finding that for some individuals, intense exposure to the Boston marathon bombing through media coverage could be associated with more stress symptoms than those who had direct exposure to the attack. Their latest research article, published this month, finds that the likelihood of those symptoms developing also increases with multiple exposures to prior trauma.
In other words, the more hours you spend following disasters and tragedies in the media, the more sensitized you may become.
"Media-based exposure to these large, collective traumas--these community disasters--can have cumulative effects on people," said Dana Rose Garfin, one of the paper's authors. "More prior indirect exposures are associated with higher stress responses following subsequent traumatic events."
Garfin, E. Alison Holman and Roxane Cohen Silver used survey results from residents of metropolitan Boston and New York City collected within weeks of the Marathon bombing to examine the relationship between how they responded to the attack and their media-based exposure to three previous traumatic events: the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Superstorm Sandy and the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
"We were able to specifically explore the accumulation of exposure to collective disasters," Silver said. "We looked at three different, collective events to which people on the East Coast--and in particular New York and Boston--have been exposed."
The researchers looked at levels of acute stress in Boston and New York residents within a month after the marathon bombing. The Boston residents were much closer to that act of terrorism, but the researchers did not find that proximity necessarily correlated with higher stress levels. According to their report, New Yorkers already had somewhat heightened stress levels, due to their exposure to Superstorm Sandy, 9/11 and the Sandy Hook shooting, making their responses to the Marathon bombing comparable to those of Bostonians.
These findings do not imply that merely reading one article or watching a single program about a community trauma will necessarily increase stress. The research team's first paper found that acute stress symptoms increased as the number of hours per day of bombing-related media exposure in the week following the bombing increased. People who reported three or more hours per day of media exposure reported higher stress symptoms than those who reported less than one hour per day, and individuals who reported six or more hours a day reported the highest levels of symptoms.
Their latest paper also notes that the effects of cumulative indirect trauma exposure aren't universal.
"There's variability in how this happens," Holman said. "And that's another research question that has to be addressed--to understand what leads to those differences, why some people have sensitivities and others don't."
There are other limits on the findings. The data were correlational--they showed a relationship between increased media exposure to traumatic events and the development of stress symptoms, but they don't provide a direct causal link. Still, based on the evidence the researchers have reviewed thus far, coupled with the findings from a similar study they conducted about exposure to media after the 9/11 attacks, the team members have recommendations for news consumers.
"My recommendation is to turn off the TV and not expose yourself too much through social media or other media sources," Holman said. "Find out what you need to know from the news, but don't overexpose yourself."
Garfin emphasized that overexposure is the key factor.
"I wouldn't say don't stay informed or tune out the news," she said. "It's the repeated exposure to things, which probably isn't giving you new information. We're not saying turn off the TV totally. Stay informed, then go on with your daily life."
The researchers are likely to yield much more in the way of results on the topic. The latest paper represents the first wave of data collection they performed. There are four more following. Their next article, they said, will examine how specific types of media--such as television or social media--are associated with acute stress levels.
-- Robert J. Margetta,
Investigators
Dana Rose Garfin
Ellen Holman
Roxane Silver
Monday, June 1, 2015
PRESIDENT'S REMARKS WITH KING WILLEM-ALEXANDER OF THE NETHERLANDS
FROM: THE WHITE HOUSE
June 01, 2015
Remarks by President Obama and King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands After Meeting
Oval Office
11:37 A.M. EDT
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, it is a great honor to welcome His and Her Majesties, Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima. They have been wonderful friends to myself and Michelle and the girls, personally. I want to thank once and again the people of the Netherlands for the incredible hospitality they had shown us in the past, including most recently during the Nuclear Security Summit that took place in Amsterdam and The Hague.
We have 400 years of history between our two countries. In Europe, that doesn’t mean a lot, but in the United States that is as old as it gets. And so the Dutch are some of our oldest and more precious allies. That continues to this day.
We’ve had the opportunity to discuss the shared work that we do through NATO in making sure that the transatlantic relationship stays strong. We discussed the continuing challenges in Ukraine and the importance of making sure that the Minsk agreement moves forward. And I continue to make the solemn commitment to support the Dutch in the investigation of the Malaysia Airlines tragedy, and to make sure that not only is the truth brought forward, but there’s accountability for what took place.
We discussed our shared concerns in other parts of the world, including in the Middle East, where Dutch troops work alongside U.S. and other coalition members to help defeat ISIL and to stabilize Iraq.
We talked about the excellent work that the United States partnered with the Dutch when it comes to Ebola, and the work that still remains to be done around establishing the kind of health infrastructure that’s going to be so important to preventing diseases in the future.
I was particularly impressed with the outstanding work that Her Majesty the Queen is doing with the United Nations around inclusive financing. One of the things that we know is that all around the world there is enormous human potential that so often is locked up because of the difficulty of accessing capital. And the creative work that Her Majesty is doing in providing micro-loans and new mechanisms for credit, again, is making an enormous difference, particularly, I should add, when it is provided equally to women, who so often are even facing greater challenges in accessing capital.
And we discussed the ongoing work that we’ll be doing to build on the progress that’s been made over the last several years through the Nuclear Security Summit and the importance of non-proliferation.
So whether it’s in Afghanistan, whether it’s in public health issues, whether it’s in Europe and the need for us to maintain solidarity and uphold the principles that have been central to building a unified and peaceful Europe, the Netherlands has consistently been one of our greatest allies. And I think for His Majesty the King and Queen to have gone to Arlington and to honor not only the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, but to meet some of that Greatest Generation who helped to liberate Europe and the Netherlands and to usher in this era of peace and prosperity is extraordinarily significant.
So many of our World War II veterans during the 70-year anniversary are at the twilight of their lives, and for them to hear directly from such important people how much of a difference they made and to get that recognition is truly significant. So I’m grateful, Your Majesty, for that, and even more grateful for the continuing friendship that the Dutch people have shown the United States of America.
KING WILLEM-ALEXANDER: Well, thank you very much, Mr. President, for your warm words of welcome here. On behalf of my wife and myself, we’re very thankful to be back at the White House. Great to see you again since last year at the Nuclear Security Summit.
First of all, I’d like to express my sympathy to the people in Texas and Oklahoma for their suffering in such severe weather conditions right now. The floodings are terrible. The victims and families are going through a rough time. And if we can help as the Netherlands, of course we are willing to help.
Second of all, my heartfelt condolences for Vice President Biden for a second big tragedy in his life, now losing a son while he is serving as best he can as Vice President here in the United States.
The main reason for our visit obviously was to thank the United States for what you’d done for us 70 years ago. Especially the 82nd and 101 Airborne have played a major role in liberating our country, taking away the Nazi oppression and giving us back justice and rule of law and freedom. And ever since that moment, we are grateful. And as long as the Netherlands exist, we will be grateful for the United States for giving that to us.
This morning, at Arlington, the wreath-laying ceremony, we honored those people that gave their utmost, their life, for our country. And speaking with the veterans and the Rosies was very impressive for us -- veterans that have liberated my country; the Rosies that took the place in the industry here and that kept this country running so that the men could fight on the other side of the ocean. Very, very impressive, I must say. And once again, USA, thank you very much for liberating us.
Those values that you stood for at the time and that were not available to us and we regained, we now stand shoulder by shoulder fighting ISIL -- “shoulder by shoulder,” meaning a small shoulder and a big shoulder. But still, we stand next to each other and we have the same values we want to defend facing ISIL.
So having said that, the next part of our visit will be also looking back at the Dutch history. First, Hudson of 1609, and then the first salutes to the American flag from the Island of Statia in November, 1776. When the Andrew Doria sailed there, the Dutch saluted the flag. And ever since, we’ve had a great bond with your country. Four and a half million Americans are from Dutch descent. You are the largest investor in our country; we are the third largest in your country. So this is really worthwhile to continue our relationship, and that’s what we are working on these days.
We’re going off to Michigan, to Holland, Michigan, to Grand Rapids, to see a lot of these descendants, and we’re going to Chicago, where we hope to have a party -- your hometown, obviously. But also the origin of House -- the House of Orange is hoping to see some good music there at Millennium Park and also look at some serious topics as healthy aging, urban farming, solar, and there a lot of things that we can learn from each other.
But once again, Mr. President, thank you very much for receiving my wife and myself here. It is great to see you again. All the best of luck for the United States.
END
June 01, 2015
Remarks by President Obama and King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands After Meeting
Oval Office
11:37 A.M. EDT
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, it is a great honor to welcome His and Her Majesties, Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima. They have been wonderful friends to myself and Michelle and the girls, personally. I want to thank once and again the people of the Netherlands for the incredible hospitality they had shown us in the past, including most recently during the Nuclear Security Summit that took place in Amsterdam and The Hague.
We have 400 years of history between our two countries. In Europe, that doesn’t mean a lot, but in the United States that is as old as it gets. And so the Dutch are some of our oldest and more precious allies. That continues to this day.
We’ve had the opportunity to discuss the shared work that we do through NATO in making sure that the transatlantic relationship stays strong. We discussed the continuing challenges in Ukraine and the importance of making sure that the Minsk agreement moves forward. And I continue to make the solemn commitment to support the Dutch in the investigation of the Malaysia Airlines tragedy, and to make sure that not only is the truth brought forward, but there’s accountability for what took place.
We discussed our shared concerns in other parts of the world, including in the Middle East, where Dutch troops work alongside U.S. and other coalition members to help defeat ISIL and to stabilize Iraq.
We talked about the excellent work that the United States partnered with the Dutch when it comes to Ebola, and the work that still remains to be done around establishing the kind of health infrastructure that’s going to be so important to preventing diseases in the future.
I was particularly impressed with the outstanding work that Her Majesty the Queen is doing with the United Nations around inclusive financing. One of the things that we know is that all around the world there is enormous human potential that so often is locked up because of the difficulty of accessing capital. And the creative work that Her Majesty is doing in providing micro-loans and new mechanisms for credit, again, is making an enormous difference, particularly, I should add, when it is provided equally to women, who so often are even facing greater challenges in accessing capital.
And we discussed the ongoing work that we’ll be doing to build on the progress that’s been made over the last several years through the Nuclear Security Summit and the importance of non-proliferation.
So whether it’s in Afghanistan, whether it’s in public health issues, whether it’s in Europe and the need for us to maintain solidarity and uphold the principles that have been central to building a unified and peaceful Europe, the Netherlands has consistently been one of our greatest allies. And I think for His Majesty the King and Queen to have gone to Arlington and to honor not only the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, but to meet some of that Greatest Generation who helped to liberate Europe and the Netherlands and to usher in this era of peace and prosperity is extraordinarily significant.
So many of our World War II veterans during the 70-year anniversary are at the twilight of their lives, and for them to hear directly from such important people how much of a difference they made and to get that recognition is truly significant. So I’m grateful, Your Majesty, for that, and even more grateful for the continuing friendship that the Dutch people have shown the United States of America.
KING WILLEM-ALEXANDER: Well, thank you very much, Mr. President, for your warm words of welcome here. On behalf of my wife and myself, we’re very thankful to be back at the White House. Great to see you again since last year at the Nuclear Security Summit.
First of all, I’d like to express my sympathy to the people in Texas and Oklahoma for their suffering in such severe weather conditions right now. The floodings are terrible. The victims and families are going through a rough time. And if we can help as the Netherlands, of course we are willing to help.
Second of all, my heartfelt condolences for Vice President Biden for a second big tragedy in his life, now losing a son while he is serving as best he can as Vice President here in the United States.
The main reason for our visit obviously was to thank the United States for what you’d done for us 70 years ago. Especially the 82nd and 101 Airborne have played a major role in liberating our country, taking away the Nazi oppression and giving us back justice and rule of law and freedom. And ever since that moment, we are grateful. And as long as the Netherlands exist, we will be grateful for the United States for giving that to us.
This morning, at Arlington, the wreath-laying ceremony, we honored those people that gave their utmost, their life, for our country. And speaking with the veterans and the Rosies was very impressive for us -- veterans that have liberated my country; the Rosies that took the place in the industry here and that kept this country running so that the men could fight on the other side of the ocean. Very, very impressive, I must say. And once again, USA, thank you very much for liberating us.
Those values that you stood for at the time and that were not available to us and we regained, we now stand shoulder by shoulder fighting ISIL -- “shoulder by shoulder,” meaning a small shoulder and a big shoulder. But still, we stand next to each other and we have the same values we want to defend facing ISIL.
So having said that, the next part of our visit will be also looking back at the Dutch history. First, Hudson of 1609, and then the first salutes to the American flag from the Island of Statia in November, 1776. When the Andrew Doria sailed there, the Dutch saluted the flag. And ever since, we’ve had a great bond with your country. Four and a half million Americans are from Dutch descent. You are the largest investor in our country; we are the third largest in your country. So this is really worthwhile to continue our relationship, and that’s what we are working on these days.
We’re going off to Michigan, to Holland, Michigan, to Grand Rapids, to see a lot of these descendants, and we’re going to Chicago, where we hope to have a party -- your hometown, obviously. But also the origin of House -- the House of Orange is hoping to see some good music there at Millennium Park and also look at some serious topics as healthy aging, urban farming, solar, and there a lot of things that we can learn from each other.
But once again, Mr. President, thank you very much for receiving my wife and myself here. It is great to see you again. All the best of luck for the United States.
END
DHS AND USDA BREAK GROUND ON $1.25 BILLION BIOCONTAINMENT FACILITY
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
DHS and USDA Break Ground for National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility
Release Date: May 27, 2015
For Immediate Release
DHS Press Office
MANHATTAN, KS – Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack today broke ground to officially begin construction of the National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) main laboratory structure in Manhattan, Kansas.
"The NBAF laboratory will provide the nation with cutting edge, state-of-the-art, lab capabilities and help protect our food supply and the nation’s public health,” said Secretary Johnson. “NBAF addresses a serious vulnerability. The economic impact of a bio agricultural threat – deliberate or natural – could have a substantial effect on the food supply of this Nation and have serious human health consequences. We will soon be able to ensure availability of vaccines and other rapid response capabilities to curb an outbreak. With the NBAF, our Nation will have the first Bio Level 4 lab facility of its kind – a state-of-the-art bio-containment facility for the study of foreign animal and emerging diseases.”
When completed and fully operational in 2022, the $1.25 billion NBAF will be a 570,000 sq.ft, biocontainment facility for the study of foreign animal and emerging zoonotic (transmitted from animals to humans) diseases that threaten animal agriculture and public health in the United States.
“This innovative new facility is capable of producing the research needed to protect our nation’s farmers, food supply, public health and the rural economy. It has been a national priority for USDA, DHS, and our other partners as we work to replace aging facilities,” said U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
Secretaries Johnson and Vilsack were joined by DHS Under Secretary for Science and Technology Dr. Reginald Brothers, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback, Sens. Pat Roberts and Jerry Moran of Kansas, Reps. Tim Huelskamp, Kevin Yoder and Lynn Jenkins of Kansas, Mayor of Manhattan Karen McCulloh, and Kansas State University President Dr. Kirk Schulz. A unique partnership among DHS, the State of Kansas, and the City of Manhattan came together to construct this facility.
NBAF, located in the Kansas City Animal Health Corridor—the largest concentration of animal health companies in the world, will replace the Plum Island Animal Disease Center (PIADC) in New York, providing capabilities that exceed those of PIADC. Specifically, NBAF will boast a maximum biocontainment (ABSL-4) laboratory space. The first laboratory facility in the United States of its kind, this facility will allow researchers to study zoonotic diseases that affect livestock and other large animals. Underscoring the need for this research is the knowledge that approximately 75 percent of new and emerging infectious diseases over the last 30 years have been zoonotic diseases.
Similar to the work at PIADC, NBAF will be a strategic national asset, providing modern laboratory space for DHS and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to carry out their unique yet complementary missions. The key functions of the NBAF laboratory space will include basic research, sample receipt testing and diagnosis, veterinarian training, countermeasures and vaccine candidate development, and vaccine efficacy trials.
DHS and USDA Break Ground for National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility
Release Date: May 27, 2015
For Immediate Release
DHS Press Office
MANHATTAN, KS – Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack today broke ground to officially begin construction of the National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) main laboratory structure in Manhattan, Kansas.
"The NBAF laboratory will provide the nation with cutting edge, state-of-the-art, lab capabilities and help protect our food supply and the nation’s public health,” said Secretary Johnson. “NBAF addresses a serious vulnerability. The economic impact of a bio agricultural threat – deliberate or natural – could have a substantial effect on the food supply of this Nation and have serious human health consequences. We will soon be able to ensure availability of vaccines and other rapid response capabilities to curb an outbreak. With the NBAF, our Nation will have the first Bio Level 4 lab facility of its kind – a state-of-the-art bio-containment facility for the study of foreign animal and emerging diseases.”
When completed and fully operational in 2022, the $1.25 billion NBAF will be a 570,000 sq.ft, biocontainment facility for the study of foreign animal and emerging zoonotic (transmitted from animals to humans) diseases that threaten animal agriculture and public health in the United States.
“This innovative new facility is capable of producing the research needed to protect our nation’s farmers, food supply, public health and the rural economy. It has been a national priority for USDA, DHS, and our other partners as we work to replace aging facilities,” said U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
Secretaries Johnson and Vilsack were joined by DHS Under Secretary for Science and Technology Dr. Reginald Brothers, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback, Sens. Pat Roberts and Jerry Moran of Kansas, Reps. Tim Huelskamp, Kevin Yoder and Lynn Jenkins of Kansas, Mayor of Manhattan Karen McCulloh, and Kansas State University President Dr. Kirk Schulz. A unique partnership among DHS, the State of Kansas, and the City of Manhattan came together to construct this facility.
NBAF, located in the Kansas City Animal Health Corridor—the largest concentration of animal health companies in the world, will replace the Plum Island Animal Disease Center (PIADC) in New York, providing capabilities that exceed those of PIADC. Specifically, NBAF will boast a maximum biocontainment (ABSL-4) laboratory space. The first laboratory facility in the United States of its kind, this facility will allow researchers to study zoonotic diseases that affect livestock and other large animals. Underscoring the need for this research is the knowledge that approximately 75 percent of new and emerging infectious diseases over the last 30 years have been zoonotic diseases.
Similar to the work at PIADC, NBAF will be a strategic national asset, providing modern laboratory space for DHS and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to carry out their unique yet complementary missions. The key functions of the NBAF laboratory space will include basic research, sample receipt testing and diagnosis, veterinarian training, countermeasures and vaccine candidate development, and vaccine efficacy trials.
NAVY ME WORKS TO IDENTIFY HUMAN REMAINS
FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Medical Examiner Explains Identification Process
By Amaani Lyle
DoD News, Defense Media Activity
JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii, May 29, 2015 – A glass-walled lab offers a brightly lit view of tables displaying hundreds of meticulously placed bone fragments and other human remains, aligned much like military formations.
The lab has a sterile, silent feel, yet the scientists and lab technicians studying and handling the remains don’t seem detached as much as they seem focused.
Navy Capt. (Dr.) Edward Reedy, the first medical examiner for the newly reorganized Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, said he and his team use multiple lines of evidence -- circumstances, forensic anthropology, odontology and more -- to effectively identify service members.
Their Reason for Working
“This is not just a job,” he said. “It’s not some place just to come to work for eight hours and then go home. This is literally their reason for working.”
The captain noted that lab technicians and scientists understand deeply the importance of providing answers to next of kin, if only through trace evidence, decades later. He likened walking into the lab to walking into a church.
“It’s sacred ground to people,” he said.
With World War II alone having left more than 73,000 unaccounted for, many of them in the Asia-Pacific region, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency seeks to further enhance DNA testing techniques at the largest forensic anthropology facility and one of the largest pool of anthropologists in the world.
“We take a tremendous amount of pride in the scientific product and the ability to return missing American service people to their loved ones,” Reedy said. “We will periodically go back into our evidence and see if there’s any other material that has previously been unable to be identified because of its small size to be resubmitted for DNA.”
This process, the captain said, helps scientists try to identify even especially small bone fragments.
Less is More Through Technology
In the early 1990s, scientists had a minimum sample submission requirement of about 3 to 5 grams, with each gram about the size of a raisin.
“We’ve reduced that requirement now to less than 1 gram,” Reedy said. “So now 0.8 grams is the minimum sample size required for DNA extraction.”
The recovery process time frame can be daunting. It ranges from as few as six to nine months to decades, depending on the quality of the remains, which can vary depending on climate changes and the soil type where they were found. “For example, in Southeast Asia, the soil there is extremely acidic and will degrade the bone to the point where very little DNA is able to be extracted,” Reedy said.
Some remains, however, come with built-in protective covering, Reedy explained.
“Tooth enamel is the hardest substance in the human body, and it will literally survive decades,” Reedy said. The enamel protects the tooth material, which can significantly aid the identification process, he added.
It’s important to give a family answers about their missing relative, no matter how much time has passed, Reedy said.
Different Incarnations
Previously known as the Central Identification Laboratory, the facility has existed under several different incarnations since the end of World War II, but the science in earlier days was largely absent, Reedy explained.
“Back in the late ’40s and up until the early ’90s, there was no such thing as DNA technology,” he said. Scientists relied instead on anthropological techniques to identify recovered remains through race, stature or identifying marks or fractures, particularly on the bones, Reedy said.
But by about 1992, he added, advances in DNA technology occurred, allowing scientists to extract mitochondrial DNA from “ancient remains,” or skeletal material in which the decomposition process has already taken place.
Exponential Advances
“Mitochondrial DNA was the first technology method that was used to help in the identification process,” Reedy said.
Science overall has advanced exponentially, which has inherently yielded important partnerships with organizations such as the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, Reedy noted.
“AFDIL has really been a pioneer in advancing DNA technology -- not just for this laboratory, but the entire world,” the captain said.
While AFDIL scientists developed the extraction technique of DNA from bone, DPAA pushed for the evolution, Reedy said. “We were the driving force to make those advancements, to progress the science to the point where we could reliably identify individuals,” he added.
AFDIL developed demineralization protocol that completely removed all the calcium from submitted material, which releases the DNA in a sample during testing. “So not only is mitochondrial DNA released, but autosomal, nuclear DNA,” Reedy said.
Efforts Benefit Diplomacy
Reedy described DPAA’s worldwide, humanitarian mission as one that, in exchange for access to a country, can bring first-class medical care to a remote area, sometimes to villages that may have been deprived of treatment for years.
“It’s another extension of the Department of Defense’s mission to provide the best care to the world,” Reedy said. “That’s an advantage the country’s government can provide to their people.”
Reedy, also a forensic pathologist, said taking care of someone who is deceased is a task he values and treats reverentially.
“This mission really dovetails well into my training,” he said. “It’s very personal for me.”
Medical Examiner Explains Identification Process
By Amaani Lyle
DoD News, Defense Media Activity
JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii, May 29, 2015 – A glass-walled lab offers a brightly lit view of tables displaying hundreds of meticulously placed bone fragments and other human remains, aligned much like military formations.
The lab has a sterile, silent feel, yet the scientists and lab technicians studying and handling the remains don’t seem detached as much as they seem focused.
Navy Capt. (Dr.) Edward Reedy, the first medical examiner for the newly reorganized Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, said he and his team use multiple lines of evidence -- circumstances, forensic anthropology, odontology and more -- to effectively identify service members.
Their Reason for Working
“This is not just a job,” he said. “It’s not some place just to come to work for eight hours and then go home. This is literally their reason for working.”
The captain noted that lab technicians and scientists understand deeply the importance of providing answers to next of kin, if only through trace evidence, decades later. He likened walking into the lab to walking into a church.
“It’s sacred ground to people,” he said.
With World War II alone having left more than 73,000 unaccounted for, many of them in the Asia-Pacific region, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency seeks to further enhance DNA testing techniques at the largest forensic anthropology facility and one of the largest pool of anthropologists in the world.
“We take a tremendous amount of pride in the scientific product and the ability to return missing American service people to their loved ones,” Reedy said. “We will periodically go back into our evidence and see if there’s any other material that has previously been unable to be identified because of its small size to be resubmitted for DNA.”
This process, the captain said, helps scientists try to identify even especially small bone fragments.
Less is More Through Technology
In the early 1990s, scientists had a minimum sample submission requirement of about 3 to 5 grams, with each gram about the size of a raisin.
“We’ve reduced that requirement now to less than 1 gram,” Reedy said. “So now 0.8 grams is the minimum sample size required for DNA extraction.”
The recovery process time frame can be daunting. It ranges from as few as six to nine months to decades, depending on the quality of the remains, which can vary depending on climate changes and the soil type where they were found. “For example, in Southeast Asia, the soil there is extremely acidic and will degrade the bone to the point where very little DNA is able to be extracted,” Reedy said.
Some remains, however, come with built-in protective covering, Reedy explained.
“Tooth enamel is the hardest substance in the human body, and it will literally survive decades,” Reedy said. The enamel protects the tooth material, which can significantly aid the identification process, he added.
It’s important to give a family answers about their missing relative, no matter how much time has passed, Reedy said.
Different Incarnations
Previously known as the Central Identification Laboratory, the facility has existed under several different incarnations since the end of World War II, but the science in earlier days was largely absent, Reedy explained.
“Back in the late ’40s and up until the early ’90s, there was no such thing as DNA technology,” he said. Scientists relied instead on anthropological techniques to identify recovered remains through race, stature or identifying marks or fractures, particularly on the bones, Reedy said.
But by about 1992, he added, advances in DNA technology occurred, allowing scientists to extract mitochondrial DNA from “ancient remains,” or skeletal material in which the decomposition process has already taken place.
Exponential Advances
“Mitochondrial DNA was the first technology method that was used to help in the identification process,” Reedy said.
Science overall has advanced exponentially, which has inherently yielded important partnerships with organizations such as the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, Reedy noted.
“AFDIL has really been a pioneer in advancing DNA technology -- not just for this laboratory, but the entire world,” the captain said.
While AFDIL scientists developed the extraction technique of DNA from bone, DPAA pushed for the evolution, Reedy said. “We were the driving force to make those advancements, to progress the science to the point where we could reliably identify individuals,” he added.
AFDIL developed demineralization protocol that completely removed all the calcium from submitted material, which releases the DNA in a sample during testing. “So not only is mitochondrial DNA released, but autosomal, nuclear DNA,” Reedy said.
Efforts Benefit Diplomacy
Reedy described DPAA’s worldwide, humanitarian mission as one that, in exchange for access to a country, can bring first-class medical care to a remote area, sometimes to villages that may have been deprived of treatment for years.
“It’s another extension of the Department of Defense’s mission to provide the best care to the world,” Reedy said. “That’s an advantage the country’s government can provide to their people.”
Reedy, also a forensic pathologist, said taking care of someone who is deceased is a task he values and treats reverentially.
“This mission really dovetails well into my training,” he said. “It’s very personal for me.”
SEC CHARGES TWO PENNY STOCK PROMOTERS WITH MANIPULATING TWO MICROCAP STOCKS
FROM: U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged a pair of penny stock promoters in Canada with manipulating two microcap stocks to create the false appearance of market interest.
The SEC alleges that Mike Taxon and Itamar Cohen distributed promotional mailings of glossy “newsletters” with fake publication names like “Stock Trend Report” and “Global Investor Watch” in order to tout the stocks of purported gold and silver exploration company Raven Gold Corporation (RVNG) and natural gas production company Kentucky USA Energy (KYUS). The newsletters misled investors with purportedly positive – but fake – price and volume trends for these stocks and other false information about the promoters’ identity, compensation, and control of the stock. In reality, most of the touted market activity was generated by Taxon, Cohen, and their associates who controlled large blocks of the companies’ stocks. Earlier this week, the SEC charged attorney Adam Gottbetter for his role in the scheme involving Kentucky USA Energy stock.
In a parallel action, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey today announced criminal charges against Taxon and Cohen.
“Taxon and Cohen lured investors to these stocks by depicting the illusion of an active market and positive market trends,” said Andrew M. Calamari, Director of the SEC’s New York Regional Office.
The SEC’s complaint filed in federal court in New Jersey alleges that Taxon and Cohen violated Sections 5(a), 5(c) and 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, and violated and aided and abetted violations of Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5.
Taxon and Cohen agreed to partial settlements of the SEC’s charges, with monetary sanctions to be determined by the court at a later date. They consented to the entry of a judgment enjoining them from future violations and barring them from participating in penny stock offerings. The partial settlements are subject to court approval.
The SEC’s investigation has been conducted by Simona Suh of the Market Abuse Unit and Nancy A. Brown and Elzbieta Wraga of the New York office. The case is being supervised by Amelia A. Cottrell and Michael J. Osnato Jr. The SEC appreciates the assistance of the Newark Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.
The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged a pair of penny stock promoters in Canada with manipulating two microcap stocks to create the false appearance of market interest.
The SEC alleges that Mike Taxon and Itamar Cohen distributed promotional mailings of glossy “newsletters” with fake publication names like “Stock Trend Report” and “Global Investor Watch” in order to tout the stocks of purported gold and silver exploration company Raven Gold Corporation (RVNG) and natural gas production company Kentucky USA Energy (KYUS). The newsletters misled investors with purportedly positive – but fake – price and volume trends for these stocks and other false information about the promoters’ identity, compensation, and control of the stock. In reality, most of the touted market activity was generated by Taxon, Cohen, and their associates who controlled large blocks of the companies’ stocks. Earlier this week, the SEC charged attorney Adam Gottbetter for his role in the scheme involving Kentucky USA Energy stock.
In a parallel action, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey today announced criminal charges against Taxon and Cohen.
“Taxon and Cohen lured investors to these stocks by depicting the illusion of an active market and positive market trends,” said Andrew M. Calamari, Director of the SEC’s New York Regional Office.
The SEC’s complaint filed in federal court in New Jersey alleges that Taxon and Cohen violated Sections 5(a), 5(c) and 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, and violated and aided and abetted violations of Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5.
Taxon and Cohen agreed to partial settlements of the SEC’s charges, with monetary sanctions to be determined by the court at a later date. They consented to the entry of a judgment enjoining them from future violations and barring them from participating in penny stock offerings. The partial settlements are subject to court approval.
The SEC’s investigation has been conducted by Simona Suh of the Market Abuse Unit and Nancy A. Brown and Elzbieta Wraga of the New York office. The case is being supervised by Amelia A. Cottrell and Michael J. Osnato Jr. The SEC appreciates the assistance of the Newark Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.
Sunday, May 31, 2015
SECRETARY OF STATE KERRY'S STATEMENT ON BEAU BIDEN'S DEATH
FROM: THE STATE DEPARTMENT
5/31/2015 09:47 AM EDT
Statement on the Passing of Beau Biden
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
May 31, 2015
Teresa and I are heartbroken for Hallie, Hunter, Ashley, Jill, and Joe, and particularly for Beau and Hallie’s two remarkable children, Hunter and Natalie. Beau’s loss is crushing for everyone lucky enough to have known him and the whole Biden family, because you can’t know them without feeling their overwhelming love for each other – for family.
For the Bidens, being there for each other was and is everything. Any real conversation with Joe was about family and how much he and Jill loved their children and grandchildren.
Life for them is family.
I’ll never forget what Joe Biden said to me about Beau while he was serving his country in Iraq. Beau had just turned down what some considered the opportunity of a lifetime, to be appointed to the Senate seat his Dad had held for almost 40 years.
"Beau is just so good," Joe said. "He's so good."
What an all-encompassing statement about how much Joe loved his eldest son and how much Beau loved his Dad.
Beau Biden was a son any father might hope to raise, and Joe Biden is the kind of father any boy would want. It made their relationship special. Beau also was special.
I got to know him just listening to Joe talk in the Senate cloakroom about his boys. Then I was fortunate to spend time with Beau when he first ran for Attorney General in 2006. He went off to war two years later. He didn't have to go. He didn't have to do any of it. But he was filled with a sense of honor, duty, and humility – to the core. He was a class act, period, ingrained with integrity, compassion, a sense of moral obligation to help others, and especially people who were hurting.
All that and more has long been ingrained in the Biden family, which has experienced pain before and come out stronger at the broken places, as Hemingway wrote so poignantly.
As we know, there are some things only God can explain. The tragic loss of the good, the young and the brave has haunted me for a long, long time now – and again today, with Beau's passing.
A few years ago, Joe, who, tragically, was already speaking from experience, described the period after losing a loved one as akin to "that black hole you feel in your chest, like you're being sucked back into it." But Joe has also said there comes a day "when the thought of your son or daughter, or your husband or wife, brings a smile to your lips before it brings a tear to your eyes."
As usual, Joe said it better than anyone else could. And while I know it may not come soon, Teresa and I wish that same peace for the Biden family, and all those who love them.
That's the solace we all rely on as we mourn Beau Biden and extend our profound shared sorrow to all the Biden family.
5/31/2015 09:47 AM EDT
Statement on the Passing of Beau Biden
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
May 31, 2015
Teresa and I are heartbroken for Hallie, Hunter, Ashley, Jill, and Joe, and particularly for Beau and Hallie’s two remarkable children, Hunter and Natalie. Beau’s loss is crushing for everyone lucky enough to have known him and the whole Biden family, because you can’t know them without feeling their overwhelming love for each other – for family.
For the Bidens, being there for each other was and is everything. Any real conversation with Joe was about family and how much he and Jill loved their children and grandchildren.
Life for them is family.
I’ll never forget what Joe Biden said to me about Beau while he was serving his country in Iraq. Beau had just turned down what some considered the opportunity of a lifetime, to be appointed to the Senate seat his Dad had held for almost 40 years.
"Beau is just so good," Joe said. "He's so good."
What an all-encompassing statement about how much Joe loved his eldest son and how much Beau loved his Dad.
Beau Biden was a son any father might hope to raise, and Joe Biden is the kind of father any boy would want. It made their relationship special. Beau also was special.
I got to know him just listening to Joe talk in the Senate cloakroom about his boys. Then I was fortunate to spend time with Beau when he first ran for Attorney General in 2006. He went off to war two years later. He didn't have to go. He didn't have to do any of it. But he was filled with a sense of honor, duty, and humility – to the core. He was a class act, period, ingrained with integrity, compassion, a sense of moral obligation to help others, and especially people who were hurting.
All that and more has long been ingrained in the Biden family, which has experienced pain before and come out stronger at the broken places, as Hemingway wrote so poignantly.
As we know, there are some things only God can explain. The tragic loss of the good, the young and the brave has haunted me for a long, long time now – and again today, with Beau's passing.
A few years ago, Joe, who, tragically, was already speaking from experience, described the period after losing a loved one as akin to "that black hole you feel in your chest, like you're being sucked back into it." But Joe has also said there comes a day "when the thought of your son or daughter, or your husband or wife, brings a smile to your lips before it brings a tear to your eyes."
As usual, Joe said it better than anyone else could. And while I know it may not come soon, Teresa and I wish that same peace for the Biden family, and all those who love them.
That's the solace we all rely on as we mourn Beau Biden and extend our profound shared sorrow to all the Biden family.
TEXAS ARMY NATIONAL GUARD AT WORK DURING FLOODS
FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
 |
| Soldiers and local first responders rescue three people from a stalled vehicle stuck in water near Granbury, Texas, May 27, 2015. The soldiers are engineers assigned to the Texas Army National Guard's 111th Engineer Battalion. Texas National Guard photo by U.S. Army 1st Lt. Max Perez. |
 |
| Texas Army National Guardsmen rehearse water rescues with first responders while waiting to assist with problems from flooding in the North Texas region, Texas, May 16, 2015. The guardsmen provided light medium tactical vehicles to emplace TXTF-1 inflatable boats in flood waters to simulate potential flood victim rescues in controlled conditions. The responders are assigned to Texas Task Force 1. Texas National Guard photo by U.S. Army Capt. Maria Mengrone - |
U.S. AND ALLIED NAVIES CONDUCT EXERCISES SOUTH OF KOREAN PENINSULA
FROM: U.S. NAVY
 |
| WATERS TO THE SOUTH OF THE KOREAN PENINSULA (May 25, 2015) The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Lassen (DDG 82), front, conducts a trilateral naval exercise with the Turkish navy frigate FTCD Gediz (F-495) and the Republic of Korea navy destroyers Seoae Ryu Seong-ryong (DDG 993) and Gang Gam-chan (DDH 979) in support of theater security operations. Lassen is on routine patrol in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Naval Air Crewman (Helicopter) 2nd Class Evan Kenny/Released) |
150525-N-ZZ999-006
USS Lassen Conducts Multilateral Exercises with Allied Navies
Story Number: NNS150527-01Release Date: 5/27/2015 9:02:00 AM
From Commander, Naval Forces Korea Public Affairs
BUSAN, Republic of Korea (NNS) -- The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Lassen (DDG 82) and ships from the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) conducted separate one-day multilateral naval exercises with France and Turkey in the waters south of the Korean peninsula May 23 and 25.
The exercises, conducted with French frigate FS Aconit (F-713) May 23 and Turkish frigate TCG Gediz (F-495) May 25, were designed to increase maritime interoperability and strengthen long-standing partnerships with these participating United Nations Sending States.
France and Turkey are two of the 17 nations that have reaffirmed their national commitment as Sending States to the United Nations Command with a promise to return to Korea should the armistice agreement fail.
"It is an incredible experience to conduct high-speed tactical drills with the French, Turkish and ROK navies," said Lt. j.g. Gerie Palanca, the signals warfare officer aboard Lassen. "During both exercises, it was obvious that their ship handling skills were flawless and the communication was very professional. We always look forward to interacting with our partners."
The exercises took place in international waters around the Korean peninsula and consisted of tactical maneuvering drills, non-maneuvering voice drills and signal communication training.
"Through multilateral training, the participating navies can improve operational proficiency and integration," said Cmdr. Lee, Jong-Sik, of the Republic of Korea Fleet Headquarters in Busan. "By working with our allied partners, we help ensure the continued peace and stability throughout the region."
Lassen, one of seven destroyers assigned to Destroyer Squadron 15, is on patrol in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.
FORMER U.S. SENATE COMMITTEE STAFFER CHARGED WITH WIRE FRAUD
FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Thursday, May 28, 2015
Former Senate Staffer Charged with Wire Fraud
A former staff member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation was charged by indictment in the Eastern District of Virginia with defrauding at least three women of approximately $500,000, announced Assistant Attorney General Leslie Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente of the Eastern District of Virginia.
The indictment charges Robert Lee Foster, 65, of De Pere, Wisconsin, with nine counts of wire fraud.
According to the indictment, from 2008 through May 2015, Foster devised a scheme to fraudulently obtain money and property from at least three women, whom Foster targeted because of their age, health, marital or family status, or other personal circumstances. The indictment alleges that Foster used his affiliation with the U.S. Senate to gain the victims’ trust and confidence, and that he made various false and fraudulent representations to the victims, which prompted them to send Foster money, which funds he then used for his own personal benefit.
An indictment is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
This case was investigated by the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Kevin Driscoll and Peter Halpern of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamar Walker of the Eastern District of Virginia.
Thursday, May 28, 2015
Former Senate Staffer Charged with Wire Fraud
A former staff member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation was charged by indictment in the Eastern District of Virginia with defrauding at least three women of approximately $500,000, announced Assistant Attorney General Leslie Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente of the Eastern District of Virginia.
The indictment charges Robert Lee Foster, 65, of De Pere, Wisconsin, with nine counts of wire fraud.
According to the indictment, from 2008 through May 2015, Foster devised a scheme to fraudulently obtain money and property from at least three women, whom Foster targeted because of their age, health, marital or family status, or other personal circumstances. The indictment alleges that Foster used his affiliation with the U.S. Senate to gain the victims’ trust and confidence, and that he made various false and fraudulent representations to the victims, which prompted them to send Foster money, which funds he then used for his own personal benefit.
An indictment is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
This case was investigated by the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Kevin Driscoll and Peter Halpern of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamar Walker of the Eastern District of Virginia.
CDC REPORTS WORKER-FATALITY RATE IN OIL/GAS EXTRACTION INDUSTRY DECLINED DURING GROWTH PERIOD
FROM: CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION
Occupational Fatalities During an Oil and Gas Boom — United States, 2003–2013
The worker-fatality rate in the oil and gas extraction industry significantly decreased during 2003-2013, a time of dramatic growth, despite an increase in the number of fatalities. A new NIOSH analysis found the oil and gas extraction industry experienced a 36% decrease in the worker fatality rate among workers from 2003-2013, despite a time of dramatic growth and an increase in the number of worker fatalities. NIOSH analyzed data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to describe trends in worker deaths in the U.S. oil and gas extraction industry. During 2003-2013, the workforce more than doubled and the number of drilling rigs increased by 71%. The worker fatality rate resulting from contact with objects and equipment experienced the greatest decrease while transportation incidents continue to be the leading cause of death. NIOSH recommends implementing effective safety measures that target the most frequent fatal events and enhancing surveillance activities in this industry.
Occupational Fatalities During an Oil and Gas Boom — United States, 2003–2013
The worker-fatality rate in the oil and gas extraction industry significantly decreased during 2003-2013, a time of dramatic growth, despite an increase in the number of fatalities. A new NIOSH analysis found the oil and gas extraction industry experienced a 36% decrease in the worker fatality rate among workers from 2003-2013, despite a time of dramatic growth and an increase in the number of worker fatalities. NIOSH analyzed data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to describe trends in worker deaths in the U.S. oil and gas extraction industry. During 2003-2013, the workforce more than doubled and the number of drilling rigs increased by 71%. The worker fatality rate resulting from contact with objects and equipment experienced the greatest decrease while transportation incidents continue to be the leading cause of death. NIOSH recommends implementing effective safety measures that target the most frequent fatal events and enhancing surveillance activities in this industry.
HHS WORKS WITH HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS TO REDUCE RISK OF HEART DISEASE AND STROKE
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
May 28, 2015
New Affordable Care Act payment model seeks to reduce cardiovascular disease
Speaking today at the White House Conference on Aging regional forum in Boston, Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell announced a unique opportunity for health care providers to decrease cardiovascular disease risk for tens of thousands of Medicare beneficiaries by assessing an individual patient’s risks for heart attack or stroke and working with them to reduce those risks.
Heart attacks and strokes are a leading cause of death and disability. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 610,000 people die of heart disease in the United States every year – accounting for one in every four deaths and costing an estimated $315.4 billion annually. The Million Hearts® Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Risk Reduction model proposes an innovative way of lowering those risks. Currently, providers are paid to meet specific blood pressure, cholesterol or other targets for their patients as a group. In a new approach, the Million Hearts® model will use a data-driven, widely accepted predictive modelling approach to generate personalized risk scores and modification plans for patients.
“The Million Hearts initiative is a part of our efforts to promote better care and smarter practices in our health care system,” said Secretary Burwell. “It recognizes that giving doctors more one-on-one time with their patients to prevent illness leads to better outcomes, and that greater access to health information helps empower patients to be active participants in their care.”
Beginning today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is accepting applications for the Million Hearts® CVD Risk Reduction model. Health care providers who participate in the model will work with Medicare beneficiaries to determine their individual risk for a heart attack or stroke in the next ten years (for example, 25 percent). Then, providers will work with patients to identify the best approach to reduce their individual risk —for example, stopping smoking, reducing blood pressure, or taking cholesterol-lowering drugs or aspirin—and show them the benefits of each approach. Each patient will get a personalized risk modification plan that will target their specific risk factors. Providers will be paid for reducing the absolute risk for heart disease or stroke among their high-risk patients.
The Million Hearts® CVD Risk Reduction model will operate for five years and aims to enroll over 300,000 Medicare beneficiaries and 720 diverse practices, varying in size and patient case mix; and including providers in general/family practice, general internal medicine, geriatric medicine, multi-specialty care, or cardiovascular care.
Million Hearts® is a broad national initiative to prevent one million heart attacks and strokes by 2017. Million Hearts® brings together communities, health systems, nonprofit organizations, federal agencies, and private-sector partners from across the country to fight heart disease and stroke.
May 28, 2015
New Affordable Care Act payment model seeks to reduce cardiovascular disease
Speaking today at the White House Conference on Aging regional forum in Boston, Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell announced a unique opportunity for health care providers to decrease cardiovascular disease risk for tens of thousands of Medicare beneficiaries by assessing an individual patient’s risks for heart attack or stroke and working with them to reduce those risks.
Heart attacks and strokes are a leading cause of death and disability. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 610,000 people die of heart disease in the United States every year – accounting for one in every four deaths and costing an estimated $315.4 billion annually. The Million Hearts® Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Risk Reduction model proposes an innovative way of lowering those risks. Currently, providers are paid to meet specific blood pressure, cholesterol or other targets for their patients as a group. In a new approach, the Million Hearts® model will use a data-driven, widely accepted predictive modelling approach to generate personalized risk scores and modification plans for patients.
“The Million Hearts initiative is a part of our efforts to promote better care and smarter practices in our health care system,” said Secretary Burwell. “It recognizes that giving doctors more one-on-one time with their patients to prevent illness leads to better outcomes, and that greater access to health information helps empower patients to be active participants in their care.”
Beginning today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is accepting applications for the Million Hearts® CVD Risk Reduction model. Health care providers who participate in the model will work with Medicare beneficiaries to determine their individual risk for a heart attack or stroke in the next ten years (for example, 25 percent). Then, providers will work with patients to identify the best approach to reduce their individual risk —for example, stopping smoking, reducing blood pressure, or taking cholesterol-lowering drugs or aspirin—and show them the benefits of each approach. Each patient will get a personalized risk modification plan that will target their specific risk factors. Providers will be paid for reducing the absolute risk for heart disease or stroke among their high-risk patients.
The Million Hearts® CVD Risk Reduction model will operate for five years and aims to enroll over 300,000 Medicare beneficiaries and 720 diverse practices, varying in size and patient case mix; and including providers in general/family practice, general internal medicine, geriatric medicine, multi-specialty care, or cardiovascular care.
Million Hearts® is a broad national initiative to prevent one million heart attacks and strokes by 2017. Million Hearts® brings together communities, health systems, nonprofit organizations, federal agencies, and private-sector partners from across the country to fight heart disease and stroke.
SCIENCE/MATH HAVE LIMITS PREDICTING NATURAL DISASTERS LIKE EARTHQUAKES
FROM: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Earthquakes expose limits of scientific predictions
But math and science are refining ways to predict, limit impact of disasters
In 2012, six Italian seismologists were sent to prison because they failed to predict the 2009 L'Aquila 6.3 magnitude earthquake.
To some that may seem absurd but it points to the faith so many have come to place in science's ability to predict and prevent tragedies. Experts had for decades predicted that Nepal would experience a massive earthquake, but were unable to provide a more precise warning about the recent 7.8-magnitude quake that devastated the country. The Italian seismologists had similarly predicted earthquake probabilities but could not give an exact date.
Science and mathematics have not reached a point where they can forecast with certainty the exact time and specific severity of these cataclysmic events--and may never do so.
"The best we can do is make an assessment of there being a heightened risk in a certain geographic area over a certain window of time," said William Newman, a theoretical physicist at the University of California, Los Angeles, who has received funding from the National Sceince Foundation (NSF) for his work aimed at improving natural hazard predictions. "We can determine a sense of what is likely to occur, but we will never know exactly."
Newman has spent much of his 35-year career working in computational and applied mathematics but also has employed mathematics in applications to probe natural disaster issues such as earthquakes and climate change.
These days, mathematicians seem to be able to model almost anything, but, as Newman points out, the devil is not only in the details but in creating models that can be used for accurate prediction. In the case of tectonic plates, the randomness of their interaction limits the certainty of predictions, and those predictions become less certain as time passes. In much the same way that a weather forecaster can be more certain about predicting tomorrow's weather than next month's, Newman believes earthquake prediction accuracy has the potential to fall off.
"For mathematicians, three aspects come to mind," Newman said. "We like to think of the equations being well posed, well defined, and that we can run with them. In [Edward] Lorenz's case (whose model of turbulence celebrated its 50th anniversary recently), his equations about atmospheric behavior were, by and large, eminently reasonable. He supersimplified and saw that if he perturbed the initial conditions, after a certain amount of time, he could predict nothing."
Yes, you read that right: nothing.
The problem for mathematicians is that forecasting accuracy can only weaken as more variables cloud the equations and models they build. In the case of earthquakes, Newman says the prospects for good predictions are even more dismal than for atmospheric ones. Chaotic dynamics and complexity prevail.
In Los Angeles, where Newman lives, mathematicians and geophysicists have worked together and determined that sometime in the next 30 years, the area is likely to see a substantial earthquake due to its proximity to the San Andreas Fault. And as each year passes, the risk increases in this window of time. The mathematicians can only put so many pre-determined variables into their equations, including the patterns of tectonic plate changes and the environmental conditions that coincide with earthquake occurrences.
"We have to go into this realizing there are bounds," Newman said. "We are looking at complex systems that can produce patterns we just don't understand."
Additionally, while the news focuses on an earthquake and its aftershocks, there are also "foreshocks." But recognizing a a foreshock is impossible without seeing the seismic event that follows. So trying to formulate day-to-day seismologic predictions after any earthquake event can also be confounding.
Why even try to predict earthquakes?
One could easily draw the conclusion at this point that we walk away from the issue, shaking our heads. But mathematicians, computer scientists, physicists, geologists, engineers, and social scientists working together on this issue do provide value, each adding something that could improve the scientific community's understanding of this obviously complex issue.
As instruments become increasingly refined and data proliferate around the world, scientists also gain a better understanding of the consequences of earthquakes.
"It is true that scientists know very little about earthquake predictions," said Junping Wang, program director in NSF's mathematics division. "But this is exactly why we need to support earthquake research. Researching is the only way we can ever hope to build models that help to improve earthquake prediction and build a resilient society."
As they conduct more research in seismology, scientists are able to gain more and better knowledge that can benefit local policymakers looking to enhance preparedness and emergency response to earthquakes and cascading disasters.
"There are still plenty of opportunities where scientific and mathematical research can improve our knowledge," Wang said. "Understanding why an earthquake happened and how it happened helps us build better models, even if they can't tell us a specific date and time. With increased knowledge comes better preparedness."
Earthquake advice from a mathematician
"We can only tell people that there is a certain risk in a certain window of time," Newman said. "Then it's a matter of preparedness."
He cites the example of the Northridge earthquake that rocked the UCLA Mathematical Sciences Building in 1994. Architects designed expansion joints in different sections of the building because they knew that, at some point, it would have to cope with the trauma of earthquakes. In that case, some of the offices went through an "unexpected expansion," but Newman notes that ultimately the repairs were "essentially cosmetic."
Newman, who carries the distinction of being a member of UCLA's mathematics, physics and geology departments, routinely takes students to the San Andreas Fault--and specifically Vazquez Rocks, a set of formations exposed by seismic activity--for their research. He emphasizes that to prevent the fallout of earthquakes like the recent one in Nepal, policymaking that establishes building codes and individual preparedness are essential.
"If you live here, you have to earthquake-proof your home and your business. You need to be able to take care of yourself," he said. "And then when an earthquake does occur, hopefully, it will just be an inconvenience."
-- Ivy F. Kupec,
Investigators
William Newman
Vladimir Keilis-Borok
Related Institutions/Organizations
University of California-Los Angeles
Earthquakes expose limits of scientific predictions
But math and science are refining ways to predict, limit impact of disasters
In 2012, six Italian seismologists were sent to prison because they failed to predict the 2009 L'Aquila 6.3 magnitude earthquake.
To some that may seem absurd but it points to the faith so many have come to place in science's ability to predict and prevent tragedies. Experts had for decades predicted that Nepal would experience a massive earthquake, but were unable to provide a more precise warning about the recent 7.8-magnitude quake that devastated the country. The Italian seismologists had similarly predicted earthquake probabilities but could not give an exact date.
Science and mathematics have not reached a point where they can forecast with certainty the exact time and specific severity of these cataclysmic events--and may never do so.
"The best we can do is make an assessment of there being a heightened risk in a certain geographic area over a certain window of time," said William Newman, a theoretical physicist at the University of California, Los Angeles, who has received funding from the National Sceince Foundation (NSF) for his work aimed at improving natural hazard predictions. "We can determine a sense of what is likely to occur, but we will never know exactly."
Newman has spent much of his 35-year career working in computational and applied mathematics but also has employed mathematics in applications to probe natural disaster issues such as earthquakes and climate change.
These days, mathematicians seem to be able to model almost anything, but, as Newman points out, the devil is not only in the details but in creating models that can be used for accurate prediction. In the case of tectonic plates, the randomness of their interaction limits the certainty of predictions, and those predictions become less certain as time passes. In much the same way that a weather forecaster can be more certain about predicting tomorrow's weather than next month's, Newman believes earthquake prediction accuracy has the potential to fall off.
"For mathematicians, three aspects come to mind," Newman said. "We like to think of the equations being well posed, well defined, and that we can run with them. In [Edward] Lorenz's case (whose model of turbulence celebrated its 50th anniversary recently), his equations about atmospheric behavior were, by and large, eminently reasonable. He supersimplified and saw that if he perturbed the initial conditions, after a certain amount of time, he could predict nothing."
Yes, you read that right: nothing.
The problem for mathematicians is that forecasting accuracy can only weaken as more variables cloud the equations and models they build. In the case of earthquakes, Newman says the prospects for good predictions are even more dismal than for atmospheric ones. Chaotic dynamics and complexity prevail.
In Los Angeles, where Newman lives, mathematicians and geophysicists have worked together and determined that sometime in the next 30 years, the area is likely to see a substantial earthquake due to its proximity to the San Andreas Fault. And as each year passes, the risk increases in this window of time. The mathematicians can only put so many pre-determined variables into their equations, including the patterns of tectonic plate changes and the environmental conditions that coincide with earthquake occurrences.
"We have to go into this realizing there are bounds," Newman said. "We are looking at complex systems that can produce patterns we just don't understand."
Additionally, while the news focuses on an earthquake and its aftershocks, there are also "foreshocks." But recognizing a a foreshock is impossible without seeing the seismic event that follows. So trying to formulate day-to-day seismologic predictions after any earthquake event can also be confounding.
Why even try to predict earthquakes?
One could easily draw the conclusion at this point that we walk away from the issue, shaking our heads. But mathematicians, computer scientists, physicists, geologists, engineers, and social scientists working together on this issue do provide value, each adding something that could improve the scientific community's understanding of this obviously complex issue.
As instruments become increasingly refined and data proliferate around the world, scientists also gain a better understanding of the consequences of earthquakes.
"It is true that scientists know very little about earthquake predictions," said Junping Wang, program director in NSF's mathematics division. "But this is exactly why we need to support earthquake research. Researching is the only way we can ever hope to build models that help to improve earthquake prediction and build a resilient society."
As they conduct more research in seismology, scientists are able to gain more and better knowledge that can benefit local policymakers looking to enhance preparedness and emergency response to earthquakes and cascading disasters.
"There are still plenty of opportunities where scientific and mathematical research can improve our knowledge," Wang said. "Understanding why an earthquake happened and how it happened helps us build better models, even if they can't tell us a specific date and time. With increased knowledge comes better preparedness."
Earthquake advice from a mathematician
"We can only tell people that there is a certain risk in a certain window of time," Newman said. "Then it's a matter of preparedness."
He cites the example of the Northridge earthquake that rocked the UCLA Mathematical Sciences Building in 1994. Architects designed expansion joints in different sections of the building because they knew that, at some point, it would have to cope with the trauma of earthquakes. In that case, some of the offices went through an "unexpected expansion," but Newman notes that ultimately the repairs were "essentially cosmetic."
Newman, who carries the distinction of being a member of UCLA's mathematics, physics and geology departments, routinely takes students to the San Andreas Fault--and specifically Vazquez Rocks, a set of formations exposed by seismic activity--for their research. He emphasizes that to prevent the fallout of earthquakes like the recent one in Nepal, policymaking that establishes building codes and individual preparedness are essential.
"If you live here, you have to earthquake-proof your home and your business. You need to be able to take care of yourself," he said. "And then when an earthquake does occur, hopefully, it will just be an inconvenience."
-- Ivy F. Kupec,
Investigators
William Newman
Vladimir Keilis-Borok
Related Institutions/Organizations
University of California-Los Angeles
U.S. OFFICIAL'S REMARKS AT HELMETS FOR KIDS EVENT IN HANOI, VIETNAM
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Remarks at Helmets For Kids Ceremony
Remarks
Charles H. Rivkin
Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs
20 October Kindergarten
Hanoi, Vietnam
May 27, 2015
Thank you for that introduction.
I am thrilled to be here with you today on my first visit to Vietnam. I would like to recognize the honorable ministers of the Government of Vietnam, members of the press, members of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hanoi, and the leadership and staff members of the Asia Injury Prevention – or AIP – Foundation.
Let me also extend greetings to the children and teachers from the 20 October kindergarten. When Secretary Kerry joined with former President Clinton to help launch AIP Foundation’s Helmets for Kids program 15 years ago, he visited this school.
He was a Senator then, and I was a businessman in California. Things have changed. He is now the Secretary of State (and my boss!). It is an honor to serve him, and to convey the abiding good wishes of our government, as we celebrate 20 years of extraordinary economic and diplomatic progress between our two countries.
What better way to kick off that celebration than showing how our two governments and businesses can work together to build our people-to-people ties and grow our shared prosperity?
If I may, I would like to relive a very decisive moment that occurred in the lives of three Vietnamese children, all living in different parts of the country: a boy named Hung; another boy named Trung, and a girl named Yen.
At this decisive moment, they did what approximately seven million other young schoolchildren do every day: they hopped on to the back of a motorbike, and draped their tiny hands around the back of a parent or loved one.
What they didn’t realize was – statistically – they were sitting in the most dangerous place a child could be. Every year, more people between the ages of 15 and 29 die on the road than from any other cause. It’s the second highest reason for a child’s death between 5 and 14.
About 22,000 Vietnamese of all ages die in road traffic crashes every single year, according to the World Health Organization. And more than 433,000 Vietnamese are injured.
On that particular day, Hung, Trung and Yen – three Vietnamese children who didn’t know each other – were hit by careless drivers on other motorbikes. All three would almost certainly have died if they weren’t wearing protective helmets.
Those helmets – made by Protec, an American non-profit social enterprise – were part of a program of public awareness that the AIP Foundation has created and maintained in Vietnam for the past 15 years. That program includes targeted education programs, public awareness campaigns, as well as global and legislative advocacy.
Today, I’m here to help launch a public-private partnership between the AIP Foundation and the Department of State that will build on the AIP Foundation’s example, through road safety training and many more child helmets.
This initiative highlights our recognition that our American companies have an ethical responsibility and, frankly, a profitable incentive, to support better lives for the communities where we do business.
American companies working in Vietnam will be helping to distribute up to 25,000 child helmets. Each helmet will carry the U.S. company name as well as a logo commemorating the 20th anniversary between our two countries. And they will be distributed at kindergartens and primary schools in 15 provinces throughout Vietnam.
Right now, most adults in Vietnam wear helmets, but only 38 percent of children in the cities do. Many parents believe – mistakenly – that helmets hurt children’s spines.
But as AIP Foundation President Greig Craft will tell you, it’s urban legend. It’s simply not true. The Vietnamese people deserve better information – and their children deserve better protection. By encouraging more child helmets and providing communities with education on road safety, we believe we can help turn those numbers around.
The late Nelson Mandela once said: “There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.”
As we commemorate 20 years of diplomatic and economic engagement, and hope for many years more, we believe we must look to the future’s most precious and growing asset: our children.
Helmets for Kids is one way that we can help do that, by addressing a problem that is damaging in many ways.
Each death on the road does more than steal children from their families and communities in personal ways. It also takes its toll on the economy. In 2010, Vietnam lost more than $3 billion due to traffic crashes – that’s more than ten times what the country receives in development assistance.
There is also the incalculable cost of a young life interrupted. Each of these children could have grown up to be a productive member of their communities and the economy at large.
By ushering in a growing generation of safer road users, we can give every Vietnamese boy and every Vietnamese girl the best chance possible to participate in their country’s future.
That, in turn, will help to grow our mutual prosperity and extend our ties so that we will see many more commemorative celebrations like the one we celebrate this year.
Thank you.
Remarks at Helmets For Kids Ceremony
Remarks
Charles H. Rivkin
Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs
20 October Kindergarten
Hanoi, Vietnam
May 27, 2015
Thank you for that introduction.
I am thrilled to be here with you today on my first visit to Vietnam. I would like to recognize the honorable ministers of the Government of Vietnam, members of the press, members of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hanoi, and the leadership and staff members of the Asia Injury Prevention – or AIP – Foundation.
Let me also extend greetings to the children and teachers from the 20 October kindergarten. When Secretary Kerry joined with former President Clinton to help launch AIP Foundation’s Helmets for Kids program 15 years ago, he visited this school.
He was a Senator then, and I was a businessman in California. Things have changed. He is now the Secretary of State (and my boss!). It is an honor to serve him, and to convey the abiding good wishes of our government, as we celebrate 20 years of extraordinary economic and diplomatic progress between our two countries.
What better way to kick off that celebration than showing how our two governments and businesses can work together to build our people-to-people ties and grow our shared prosperity?
If I may, I would like to relive a very decisive moment that occurred in the lives of three Vietnamese children, all living in different parts of the country: a boy named Hung; another boy named Trung, and a girl named Yen.
At this decisive moment, they did what approximately seven million other young schoolchildren do every day: they hopped on to the back of a motorbike, and draped their tiny hands around the back of a parent or loved one.
What they didn’t realize was – statistically – they were sitting in the most dangerous place a child could be. Every year, more people between the ages of 15 and 29 die on the road than from any other cause. It’s the second highest reason for a child’s death between 5 and 14.
About 22,000 Vietnamese of all ages die in road traffic crashes every single year, according to the World Health Organization. And more than 433,000 Vietnamese are injured.
On that particular day, Hung, Trung and Yen – three Vietnamese children who didn’t know each other – were hit by careless drivers on other motorbikes. All three would almost certainly have died if they weren’t wearing protective helmets.
Those helmets – made by Protec, an American non-profit social enterprise – were part of a program of public awareness that the AIP Foundation has created and maintained in Vietnam for the past 15 years. That program includes targeted education programs, public awareness campaigns, as well as global and legislative advocacy.
Today, I’m here to help launch a public-private partnership between the AIP Foundation and the Department of State that will build on the AIP Foundation’s example, through road safety training and many more child helmets.
This initiative highlights our recognition that our American companies have an ethical responsibility and, frankly, a profitable incentive, to support better lives for the communities where we do business.
American companies working in Vietnam will be helping to distribute up to 25,000 child helmets. Each helmet will carry the U.S. company name as well as a logo commemorating the 20th anniversary between our two countries. And they will be distributed at kindergartens and primary schools in 15 provinces throughout Vietnam.
Right now, most adults in Vietnam wear helmets, but only 38 percent of children in the cities do. Many parents believe – mistakenly – that helmets hurt children’s spines.
But as AIP Foundation President Greig Craft will tell you, it’s urban legend. It’s simply not true. The Vietnamese people deserve better information – and their children deserve better protection. By encouraging more child helmets and providing communities with education on road safety, we believe we can help turn those numbers around.
The late Nelson Mandela once said: “There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.”
As we commemorate 20 years of diplomatic and economic engagement, and hope for many years more, we believe we must look to the future’s most precious and growing asset: our children.
Helmets for Kids is one way that we can help do that, by addressing a problem that is damaging in many ways.
Each death on the road does more than steal children from their families and communities in personal ways. It also takes its toll on the economy. In 2010, Vietnam lost more than $3 billion due to traffic crashes – that’s more than ten times what the country receives in development assistance.
There is also the incalculable cost of a young life interrupted. Each of these children could have grown up to be a productive member of their communities and the economy at large.
By ushering in a growing generation of safer road users, we can give every Vietnamese boy and every Vietnamese girl the best chance possible to participate in their country’s future.
That, in turn, will help to grow our mutual prosperity and extend our ties so that we will see many more commemorative celebrations like the one we celebrate this year.
Thank you.
SAMANTHA POWER'S REMARKS ON FREEDOM OF THE PRESS AND PROTECTION OF JOURNALISTS
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Remarks at a UN Security Council Open Debate on the Protection of Journalists in Conflict Situations
Samantha Power
U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations
New York, NY
May 27, 2015
AS DELIVERED
Thank you, Foreign Minister Linkevicius, for chairing this session and for Lithuania’s consistent effort to integrate the issue of press freedom – and threats to it – across the work we do at the Council. I also want to thank our guest briefers, Mr. Deloire and Ms. Pearl, for your powerful words today, and for the tremendous work that you are doing to advance this most critical cause. Ms. Pearl, you have been a tremendous force for good in the world. As a mother and a former journalist I’m in awe of your strength. And a special thanks to your son Adam for being here today. You’re the best reminder – he’s paying attention – you’re the best reminder we have for why we need to do more to protect journalists, so thank you for being here.
Nearly two years ago, in July 2013, when the Council last met to discuss the issue of protection of journalists, the United States raised the case of Mazen Darwish, the head of the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression. Darwish had been held incommunicado since February 2012, when he was detained by regime officials along with several colleagues. Today, he remains behind bars along with two fellow staff members, Hani Al-Zantani and Hussein Ghrer. On May 13th, earlier this month, their trial was suspended for the 24th time – little surprise given that their only “crime” was to report the truth about the Assad regime’s atrocities. Since the beginning of this month, the whereabouts of the three men have been unknown.
Mazen’s brave wife, Yara Badr, who has lead the Center since his arrest and campaigned all around the globe for his release, is here with us in the chamber today. Thank you, Yara, for all that you’re doing.
Darwish’s case exemplifies the first of three challenges I want to highlight today with respect to the protection of journalists: How does the international community protect journalists from parties that deliberately target them? In the four-plus years since the Syrian conflict began, more than 80 journalists have been killed, and at least 90 more abducted, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, CPJ. Countless more have been threatened, attacked, wounded, barrel-bombed or disappeared.
They have been targeted by both the Assad regime and violent extremist groups like ISIL, whose grotesque executions of journalists – alongside humanitarian aid workers, foreign soldiers, and people of different religions or political beliefs – seem aimed both at using their victims’ suffering as a recruiting tool, and at dissuading other journalists from covering the conflict. Unfortunately, their tactics seem to be working, as the videos of their executions are widely disseminated on social media, while both international and national coverage of the Syrian conflict itself has declined dramatically.
What the Assad regime, ISIL, and other State and non-State actors like them that target journalists have in common is that they do not want people to see them for what they really are – whether that is a regime willing to torture, bomb, gas, and starve its people in order to hold onto power, or a group masquerading as religious that routinely desecrates the basic dignity of human beings. That is why the Mazen Darwishes, James Foleys and Daniel Pearls of the world are so dangerous to these groups and governments. Their reporting strips away the façade and shows us what lies beneath.
This brings me to the second challenge: How do we protect journalists and, more broadly, press freedoms, in situations in which violence is escalating and there is a risk of mass atrocities? This is important, as we know that a robust press can play a key role in helping prevent crises from metastasizing into full-blown conflicts and mitigating the conditions in which grave human rights violations tend to occur.
We are seeing this right now in Burundi. After the ruling party’s announcement of the candidacy of President Nkurunziza for what would be his third term, despite the explicit two-term limit set by the Arusha Agreement, there were large public protests. The government responded by shuttering the country’s most important media outlets.
Not long after members of the military attempted to oust the Nkurunziza government, the offices and equipment of at least four independent radio stations – which have generally been critical of the Nkurunziza government – were attacked and their equipment destroyed.
Since the unlawful attempt to seize power was quashed, several independent journalists report being told that they are on a list of people to be arrested, and many more reportedly have been threatened with death, torture, and disappearance, leading them to go into hiding. One Burundian journalist said in an interview, “no journalists feel safe enough to look for information.” That is right now, in Burundi.
Even in countries that are not experiencing conflicts or at imminent risk of sliding into unrest, the erosion of press freedoms is often a harbinger of the rolling back of human rights that are critical to healthy democracies. This is the third challenge I’d like to raise: How do we – and by we I mean the UN, bodies such as the Security Council, and our individual Member States – push back against the erosion of press freedoms by governments intent on silencing critical voices and other key outlets of free expression?
Look to any region, and you will see alarming warning signs of how the crackdown on press freedom is coupled with a broader crackdown on civil and political rights. Take Ethiopia, where nine journalists, six of them bloggers from the collective Zone 9, which covers political and social news, have been imprisoned since April 2014 under Ethiopia’s Anti-Terrorism Proclamation. After 20 administrative hearings, their trial finally began on March 30th. If convicted under the Proclamation, they could face up to more than a dozen years in prison.
Take Azerbaijan, where Khadija Ismayilova, a contributor to Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty’s Azerbaijani Service, remains incarcerated on charges widely viewed as politically motivated. Ismayilova is known for her reporting on corruption.
After arresting her in December 2014 on charges of inciting a man to commit suicide, authorities raided RFE/RL’s Baku office, interrogated its staff, confiscated reporting notes, and sealed the newsroom. New charges have been added to Ismayilova’s case as she awaits her trial, including embezzlement, illegal business, and abuse of power.
It is worth noting that all around the world, for every individual or group targeted through prosecution, attacks and threats, there are countless more impacted – people who, seeing the risks, either begin to self-censor, go into hiding, or flee the countries that so desperately need their independent voices.
Given the critical importance of press freedoms in advancing so many of the goals of this Council, let me make four recommendations in closing as to how we can meet these challenges.
First, we must condemn the governments and non-State actors that attack journalists, as well as the overly restrictive laws and regulations that undermine their freedom. It is much easier to prevent these spaces from closing than it is to fight to reopen them.
Second, we must give the journalists the tools they need to protect themselves, particularly working in conflict zones and repressive societies. The $100 million that the United States has invested in training more than 10,000 at-risk journalists and human rights defenders in digital safety, and in providing them with anti-censorship tools, is one example. Another is the training provided by civil society groups such as the Institute for War and Peace Reporting, whose director in Iraq, Ammar al-Shahbander, was killed by a car bomb on May 2nd – a devastating loss for his family, the community of journalists he mentored, and his nation.
Third, we can be sure that the people who attack journalists are actually held accountable for their crimes. The failure to effectively investigate and prosecute these crimes sends a clear message to perpetrators that they can continue to commit these crimes without any consequences.
Fourth, and finally, we can help create programs to protect journalists operating in conflict zones, particularly those targeted for their work. Colombia shows how this can be done. The National Protection Unit established by the government in 2011 is empowered to protect nineteen vulnerable groups, including journalists and human rights defenders. As of last year, more than 80 journalists – this is extraordinary – were receiving protection measures ranging from cell phones and transport subsidies to bodyguards and armored cars. The program has an annual budget of $160 million, which speaks to Colombia’s commitment to protecting these individuals, and the country’s recognition of the crucial role that these groups play.
One of the journalists who has received protection is Jineth Bedoya Lima. In 2000, when Bedoya was 26 years old, she was heading into one of the country’s most dangerous prisons to report on paramilitary groups when she was abducted, drugged, and driven to a hideout, where she was raped and beaten by three men. As they were abusing her, one of her captors told her, “We are sending a message to the press in Colombia.” Later, they left Bedoya, bound, by a trash dump. She fled the country soon after.
Today, Bedoya is back in Colombia, reporting stories with the protection of bodyguards from Colombia’s unit. She still feels fear, but she perseveres, driven by a commitment to tell the stories that otherwise would go untold. And that includes her own. In speaking out about her own experience, Bedoya has helped make the serious – and seriously underreported – problem of sexual assault in Colombia’s long-running conflict more visible. And she has become a leading advocate of accountability, even as several of her own attackers continue to roam free. Bedoya also led a country-wide campaign to establish a National Day for the Dignity of Women Victims of Sexual Violence, which, last year, Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos, agreed to establish. Colombia just honored the day for the first time two days ago, on Monday, May 25th.
There are few greater living testaments to the value of protecting journalists than Bedoya’s story. We must not allow voices like hers to be silenced. Thank you.
Remarks at a UN Security Council Open Debate on the Protection of Journalists in Conflict Situations
Samantha Power
U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations
New York, NY
May 27, 2015
AS DELIVERED
Thank you, Foreign Minister Linkevicius, for chairing this session and for Lithuania’s consistent effort to integrate the issue of press freedom – and threats to it – across the work we do at the Council. I also want to thank our guest briefers, Mr. Deloire and Ms. Pearl, for your powerful words today, and for the tremendous work that you are doing to advance this most critical cause. Ms. Pearl, you have been a tremendous force for good in the world. As a mother and a former journalist I’m in awe of your strength. And a special thanks to your son Adam for being here today. You’re the best reminder – he’s paying attention – you’re the best reminder we have for why we need to do more to protect journalists, so thank you for being here.
Nearly two years ago, in July 2013, when the Council last met to discuss the issue of protection of journalists, the United States raised the case of Mazen Darwish, the head of the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression. Darwish had been held incommunicado since February 2012, when he was detained by regime officials along with several colleagues. Today, he remains behind bars along with two fellow staff members, Hani Al-Zantani and Hussein Ghrer. On May 13th, earlier this month, their trial was suspended for the 24th time – little surprise given that their only “crime” was to report the truth about the Assad regime’s atrocities. Since the beginning of this month, the whereabouts of the three men have been unknown.
Mazen’s brave wife, Yara Badr, who has lead the Center since his arrest and campaigned all around the globe for his release, is here with us in the chamber today. Thank you, Yara, for all that you’re doing.
Darwish’s case exemplifies the first of three challenges I want to highlight today with respect to the protection of journalists: How does the international community protect journalists from parties that deliberately target them? In the four-plus years since the Syrian conflict began, more than 80 journalists have been killed, and at least 90 more abducted, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, CPJ. Countless more have been threatened, attacked, wounded, barrel-bombed or disappeared.
They have been targeted by both the Assad regime and violent extremist groups like ISIL, whose grotesque executions of journalists – alongside humanitarian aid workers, foreign soldiers, and people of different religions or political beliefs – seem aimed both at using their victims’ suffering as a recruiting tool, and at dissuading other journalists from covering the conflict. Unfortunately, their tactics seem to be working, as the videos of their executions are widely disseminated on social media, while both international and national coverage of the Syrian conflict itself has declined dramatically.
What the Assad regime, ISIL, and other State and non-State actors like them that target journalists have in common is that they do not want people to see them for what they really are – whether that is a regime willing to torture, bomb, gas, and starve its people in order to hold onto power, or a group masquerading as religious that routinely desecrates the basic dignity of human beings. That is why the Mazen Darwishes, James Foleys and Daniel Pearls of the world are so dangerous to these groups and governments. Their reporting strips away the façade and shows us what lies beneath.
This brings me to the second challenge: How do we protect journalists and, more broadly, press freedoms, in situations in which violence is escalating and there is a risk of mass atrocities? This is important, as we know that a robust press can play a key role in helping prevent crises from metastasizing into full-blown conflicts and mitigating the conditions in which grave human rights violations tend to occur.
We are seeing this right now in Burundi. After the ruling party’s announcement of the candidacy of President Nkurunziza for what would be his third term, despite the explicit two-term limit set by the Arusha Agreement, there were large public protests. The government responded by shuttering the country’s most important media outlets.
Not long after members of the military attempted to oust the Nkurunziza government, the offices and equipment of at least four independent radio stations – which have generally been critical of the Nkurunziza government – were attacked and their equipment destroyed.
Since the unlawful attempt to seize power was quashed, several independent journalists report being told that they are on a list of people to be arrested, and many more reportedly have been threatened with death, torture, and disappearance, leading them to go into hiding. One Burundian journalist said in an interview, “no journalists feel safe enough to look for information.” That is right now, in Burundi.
Even in countries that are not experiencing conflicts or at imminent risk of sliding into unrest, the erosion of press freedoms is often a harbinger of the rolling back of human rights that are critical to healthy democracies. This is the third challenge I’d like to raise: How do we – and by we I mean the UN, bodies such as the Security Council, and our individual Member States – push back against the erosion of press freedoms by governments intent on silencing critical voices and other key outlets of free expression?
Look to any region, and you will see alarming warning signs of how the crackdown on press freedom is coupled with a broader crackdown on civil and political rights. Take Ethiopia, where nine journalists, six of them bloggers from the collective Zone 9, which covers political and social news, have been imprisoned since April 2014 under Ethiopia’s Anti-Terrorism Proclamation. After 20 administrative hearings, their trial finally began on March 30th. If convicted under the Proclamation, they could face up to more than a dozen years in prison.
Take Azerbaijan, where Khadija Ismayilova, a contributor to Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty’s Azerbaijani Service, remains incarcerated on charges widely viewed as politically motivated. Ismayilova is known for her reporting on corruption.
After arresting her in December 2014 on charges of inciting a man to commit suicide, authorities raided RFE/RL’s Baku office, interrogated its staff, confiscated reporting notes, and sealed the newsroom. New charges have been added to Ismayilova’s case as she awaits her trial, including embezzlement, illegal business, and abuse of power.
It is worth noting that all around the world, for every individual or group targeted through prosecution, attacks and threats, there are countless more impacted – people who, seeing the risks, either begin to self-censor, go into hiding, or flee the countries that so desperately need their independent voices.
Given the critical importance of press freedoms in advancing so many of the goals of this Council, let me make four recommendations in closing as to how we can meet these challenges.
First, we must condemn the governments and non-State actors that attack journalists, as well as the overly restrictive laws and regulations that undermine their freedom. It is much easier to prevent these spaces from closing than it is to fight to reopen them.
Second, we must give the journalists the tools they need to protect themselves, particularly working in conflict zones and repressive societies. The $100 million that the United States has invested in training more than 10,000 at-risk journalists and human rights defenders in digital safety, and in providing them with anti-censorship tools, is one example. Another is the training provided by civil society groups such as the Institute for War and Peace Reporting, whose director in Iraq, Ammar al-Shahbander, was killed by a car bomb on May 2nd – a devastating loss for his family, the community of journalists he mentored, and his nation.
Third, we can be sure that the people who attack journalists are actually held accountable for their crimes. The failure to effectively investigate and prosecute these crimes sends a clear message to perpetrators that they can continue to commit these crimes without any consequences.
Fourth, and finally, we can help create programs to protect journalists operating in conflict zones, particularly those targeted for their work. Colombia shows how this can be done. The National Protection Unit established by the government in 2011 is empowered to protect nineteen vulnerable groups, including journalists and human rights defenders. As of last year, more than 80 journalists – this is extraordinary – were receiving protection measures ranging from cell phones and transport subsidies to bodyguards and armored cars. The program has an annual budget of $160 million, which speaks to Colombia’s commitment to protecting these individuals, and the country’s recognition of the crucial role that these groups play.
One of the journalists who has received protection is Jineth Bedoya Lima. In 2000, when Bedoya was 26 years old, she was heading into one of the country’s most dangerous prisons to report on paramilitary groups when she was abducted, drugged, and driven to a hideout, where she was raped and beaten by three men. As they were abusing her, one of her captors told her, “We are sending a message to the press in Colombia.” Later, they left Bedoya, bound, by a trash dump. She fled the country soon after.
Today, Bedoya is back in Colombia, reporting stories with the protection of bodyguards from Colombia’s unit. She still feels fear, but she perseveres, driven by a commitment to tell the stories that otherwise would go untold. And that includes her own. In speaking out about her own experience, Bedoya has helped make the serious – and seriously underreported – problem of sexual assault in Colombia’s long-running conflict more visible. And she has become a leading advocate of accountability, even as several of her own attackers continue to roam free. Bedoya also led a country-wide campaign to establish a National Day for the Dignity of Women Victims of Sexual Violence, which, last year, Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos, agreed to establish. Colombia just honored the day for the first time two days ago, on Monday, May 25th.
There are few greater living testaments to the value of protecting journalists than Bedoya’s story. We must not allow voices like hers to be silenced. Thank you.
Saturday, May 30, 2015
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