SENATORS URGE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION TO INVESTIGATE FOREIGN TRADE PRACTICES

Photo Credit:  Wikipedia.
FROM:  U.S. SENATOR CARL LEVIN’S WEBSITE
Ohio, Michigan Senators Urge Obama Administration to Investigate Foreign Trade Practices, Defend Manufacturing Jobs at Whirlpool Corporation
Whirlpool, based in Benton Harbor, has largest U.S. factory in Clyde, Ohio
Tuesday, June 5, 2012

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ohio and Michigan U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Rob Portman (R-OH), Carl Levin (D-MI), and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) this week urged the Obama Administration to investigate unfair foreign trade practices and defend manufacturing jobs at the Whirlpool Corporation.

The senators sent a letter to the U.S. Commerce Department asking the agency to enforce trade laws that level the playing field for companies like Whirlpool. In December 2011, Whirlpool—which is based in Benton Harbor, Michigan, and whose largest American factory is in Clyde, Ohio—filed a case with the Commerce Department regarding the dumping of large residential washers, made in South Korea and Mexico, into the U.S. market. These unfairly dumped imports place companies that manufacture their product in America, like Whirlpool, at an unfair disadvantage.

“In order to create an environment to encourage [the] repatriation [of jobs], we must ensure that companies that do bring jobs home to the United States, such as Whirlpool, are not handicapped by unfair trade practices perpetrated by their foreign competitors,” the senators wrote. “When companies engage in dumping and benefit from unfair foreign government subsidies, it harms American companies and workers and the communities in which they operate.”

“Whirlpool Corporation has nine manufacturing plants in the United States – and five of them are located in Ohio. We know why—because of our state’s strong manufacturing heritage and because our workers are second-to-none.  And our companies, like Whirlpool, can compete with anyone in the world when there is a level playing field,” said Brown, who visited Whirlpool’s Clyde plant this week. “But what’s happening to Whirlpool has happened to too many American industries—our manufacturers are being undermined and undercut by illegal trade practices carried out by our trading partners. Unfairly-subsidized imports harm our ability to innovate and compete.

“Our workers don’t mind competition. Competition is healthy. It breeds innovation, and it’s the American way. But it’s not competing when foreign competitors dump their products in our market, undercutting the products made here in Clyde—it’s cheating,” Brown added. “Today, I am urging the Obama Administration to be aggressive in investigating the unfair trade practices of Whirlpool’s competitors, who make their products in South Korea and Mexico. If we want to encourage companies like Whirlpool to continue moving jobs back to the U.S., then we also have to get tough on countries that don’t play by the rules.”

“Ohio companies who play by the rules should not be penalized by the unfair practices of foreign competitors,” said Portman. “Manufacturers such as Whirlpool, who provide good jobs for hardworking Ohioans, can compete with anyone as long as trade rules are being enforced. The Obama administration should continue to investigate the harmful practices of foreign companies who cut corners and put domestic companies at a competitive disadvantage.”

“Workers at Whirlpool and other American manufacturers can compete and win against any in the world – if the playing field is level,” Levin said. “Taking action against foreign competitors engaged in dumping is vital to maintaining that level playing field for companies and their workers making products in the United States.”
“American workers and businesses can out-compete anyone as long as there is an even playing field,” said Stabenow.  “Michigan-based Whirlpool became the global leader in major home appliances through hard work and innovation.  We need to make sure foreign competitors are playing by the rules and not engaging in anti-competitive trade practices that undermine our businesses.”

The senators asked the Commerce Department to strongly enforce trade law in Whirlpool’s case, applying antidumping and countervailing duties on these washers if need be, in order to create a level playing field and ensure that Whirlpool’s American manufacturing footprint can be preserved. In the letter, the senators state that in order to encourage the creation of new jobs, Whirlpool—which has previously brought jobs to the United States from overseas—should be able to trade on a fair global market. According to the company, the Whirlpool Corporation has more U.S. manufacturing jobs than all its major competitors combined, and more than 80 percent of the products it sells in America are made in the U.S.

The text of the letter is below.
The Honorable John Bryson
Secretary of Commerce
U.S. Department of Commerce
Washington, D.C. 20230
Dear Secretary Bryson,
We write to urge the strong enforcement of trade laws in the ongoing antidumping and countervailing duty investigations requested by Whirlpool Corporation involving U.S. imports of large residential washers (“LRWs”) from South Korea and Mexico.

Whirlpool – which has more than 22,000 employees in the United States -- celebrated its l00th anniversary of manufacturing in the United States in 2011. Whirlpool has long been known as a leader in the home appliance industry, and with its signature quality products and innovation, has been the largest major appliances manufacturer for many years.  While Whirlpool is a global company, in recent years it has increasingly repatriated production to the United States.  Today, 80 percent of what Whirlpool sells in America is manufactured in America, while its foreign competitors make no appliances here.

LRWs are a case in point.  In 2010, Whirlpool brought the production of front load washer production home to its plant in Clyde, Ohio.  In a volatile period, that move secured 500 jobs on the line and more in support in the nearby communities. Clyde employment reached approximately 3,600 at the end of 2010.

Manufacturing lies at the heart of the economies of Ohio and Michigan.  The continued repatriation of manufacturing jobs is essential to strengthening our states’ economies and creating opportunities for workers and their families in our communities.

However, in order to create an environment to encourage repatriation, we must ensure that companies that do bring jobs home to the United States, such as Whirlpool, are not handicapped by unfair trade practices perpetrated by their foreign competitors.
It is imperative that the Department of Commerce vigorously and carefully enforce the trade laws to ensure that companies like Whirlpool are provided a level playing field on which to compete -- both for their current U.S. production, and when they bring overseas production home and invest in America.

When companies engage in dumping and benefit from unfair foreign government subsidies, it harms American companies and workers and the communities in which they operate. The Department’s work on these cases has important real world implications with substantial consequences for workers and communities in our states.  While there will no doubt be many issues that will arise as these cases move forward, at this stage in the proceedings, we encourage the Department to focus closely, as required under the antidumping and countervailing duty laws,  on:

Ensuring that the Respondent companies fully and accurately report their prices net of all rebates and discounts, as well as their costs of production and adjustments to price.
Exploring the ways in which the Korean chaebol system and the relationships between the large South Korean conglomerates and their much smaller suppliers may mask the true measure of prices and costs.
Utilizing whatever public information that the Department gleaned in the recently completed bottom mount refrigerator freezer (“BMRF”) investigations to inform and advance the Department’s efforts to develop a full and transparent record in these investigations.

Prices, costs, supplier relationships, and accurate reporting are always important issues in antidumping and countervailing duty cases, and these cases are no exception.  With the Department’s vigilance, however, a clear record can be developed and any unfair trade practices can be effectively addressed.
Thank you for your careful consideration of this matter.

NATIONAL GUARD STILL BATTLING WESTERN WILDFIRES

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
A UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter from the Colorado Army National Guard's 2nd Battalion, 135th General Support Aviation, drops 500 gallons of water from a specialized bucket onto the Lower North Fork Fire in the vicinity of Conifer Colo. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Bethany Fehringer  


Guard Members Battle Western Wildfires
By Army Sgt. Darron Salzer
National Guard Bureau
ARLINGTON, Va., June 13, 2012 - Citizen-soldiers and airmen from five states are working alongside civilian first responders as they continue to battle wildfires in Colorado and New Mexico, according to National Guard officials.

New Mexico Army National Guard members are still battling the Little Bear wildfire near Ruidoso, N.M., which is approximately 35 percent contained, officials said.
The number of New Mexico Guard members has increased from 117 to approximately 218 since June 11, officials said. The New Mexico Guard has deployed three UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, two equipped with Bambi buckets and one on standby for medical evacuations.

Guard members in New Mexico are also performing roving walking patrols, setting up traffic control points, and handing out information to residents who could be affected by the wildfire, officials said.

Guard members in Colorado are continuing to battle the High Peak wildfire near Fort Collins, officials said.

There are approximately 90 Colorado National Guard soldiers and airmen providing support and performing missions such as communication support, refueling, and security.
Additionally, the Colorado Guard has deployed UH-60 helicopters equipped with Bambi buckets, said officials, who said the fire has destroyed approximately 46,600 acres.

The Kansas National Guard and Nebraska National Guard are also assisting with wildfire suppression in Colorado, each sending one UH-60 helicopter equipped with a Bambi bucket and a crew of nine and four soldiers respectively.

Wildfire suppression operations in Wyoming have concluded in Guernsey State Park, Guard officials said. Currently, two Wyoming Air National Guard members are working in the communications center augmenting civilian first responders.

Wyoming is also scheduled to send one UH-60 helicopter equipped with a Bambi bucket, and a crew of four, to assist with the Colorado wildfires, officials said.

THE GREAT GREEN FLEET FLOATS WITH BIOFUELS

FROM:  U.S. NAVY
100610-N-5319A-212 PACIFIC OCEAN (June 10, 2010) The amphibious transport dock ship USS New Orleans pulls alongside the Military Sealift Command fleet replenishment oiler USNS Henry J. Kaiser (T-AO 187) for refueling during a scheduled three-month deployment. New Orleans and embarked Navy and Marine Corps units are participating in Southern Partnership Station 2010, an annual deployment of U.S. military training teams to the U.S. Southern Command areas of responsibility in the Caribbean and Latin America. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Brien Aho/Released) 

USNS Henry J. Kaiser Loads Biofuel For RIMPAC 2012'S Great Green Fleet Demo
By Sarah Burford, Sealift Logistics Command Pacific, Public Affairs
SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- Military Sealift Command (MSC) fleet replenishment oiler USNS Henry J. Kaiser (T-AO 187) commenced the load of 900,000 gallons of a 50/50 blend of advanced biofuels and traditional petroleum-based fuel at Defense Fuel Support Point, Manchester, Wash. June 13.

Kaiser will deliver the biofuel to the platforms participating in the Great Green Fleet demonstration, which will take place in July during the 2012 Rim of the Pacific exercise.

This demonstration allows the Navy to test, evaluate, and demonstrate the cross-platform utility and functionality of advanced biofuels in an operational setting, and will achieve one of the five energy goals established by Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus: to demonstrate a Great Green Fleet in local operations by 2012.

"The Navy has been at the forefront of energy innovation throughout its history," said Mabus. "From sail to coal-fired steam to oil and nuclear powered submarines and carriers, we have sought and achieved technological advancement in how we power the fleet because it has made us better warfighters. The Great Green Fleet demonstration is a significant milestone in the Navy's progress to greater energy security."

Kaiser will take on 700,000 gallons of hydro-treated renewable diesel fuel, or HRD76, and 200,000 gallons of hydro-treated renewable aviation fuel, or HRJ5. Both fuels are a 50/50 blend of traditional petroleum-based fuel and biofuel comprised of a mix of waste cooking oil and algae oil.

While underway, Kaiser will transfer the HRJ5 fuel to U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68), and the HRD76 fuel to the Navy's guided-missile cruiser USS Princeton (CG 59) and destroyers USS Chung-Hoon (DDG 93) and USS Chaffee (DDG 90).

Military Sealift Command operates approximately 110 noncombatant, civilian-crewed ships that replenish U.S. Navy ships, conduct specialized missions, strategically preposition combat cargo at sea around the world and move military cargo and supplies used by deployed U.S. forces and coalition partners.

"Our mission is service to the fleet," said Navy Capt. Sylvester Moore, commander, Military Sealift Command Pacific. "Delivering advanced biofuel to the fleet is a great opportunity to demonstrate our capabilities, and to be a part of the continued efforts of the Navy to develop new technologies that will advance mission capabilities."

COURT ORDERS CHICAGO-AREA INVESTMENT SERVICE PROVIDER TO REPLACE $1.2 MILLION TO WORKER RETIREMENT PLAN

Photo:  Justice and Humanity.  Credit:  Wikimedia.
FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
US Labor Department suit results in court order requiring Chicago-area investment service provider to restore $1.2 million to worker retirement plans
CHICAGO — Following an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor and resulting lawsuit, a federal court has issued a default judgment against the co-founder and director of the now defunct Elmhurst-based investment management company Results One Financial LLC. Steven Salutric has been ordered to restore $1,211,902.25 to four pension plan client accounts from which he allegedly withdrew funds from 2005 through 2009 in violation of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.

"It is particularly egregious when those entrusted with protecting workers' retirement assets jeopardize them by committing illegal acts for personal gain," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "The Labor Department is committed to taking all necessary actions to ensure that workers' hard-earned income and benefits are protected. America's workers deserve and are entitled to keep what they have rightfully earned for themselves and their families."

The department's suit, filed in federal district court in Chicago, alleged that Salutric misdirected the assets of client plans to entities in which he had an interest, including a film distribution company, a restaurant and a real estate partnership, and to a church where he served as treasurer. Results One Financial LLC was a registered investment advisory company that provided services to a wide range of clients, including ERISA-covered employee benefit plans.

"Worker retirement savings accounts were given special protections by Congress due to the significant role they play in providing a secure retirement," said Phyllis C. Borzi, assistant secretary of labor for employee benefits security. "The Labor Department's Employee Benefits Security Administration will continue to help workers understand their rights and fight to protect their assets."

The court order requires Salutric to restore all losses, including lost opportunity costs, to the four pension plan clients and to correct the prohibited transactions involved. The judgment also bars Salutric from serving as a fiduciary or service provider to any employee benefit plan governed by ERISA in the future.

EBSA's Chicago Regional Office investigated the case in coordination with the Chicago Regional Office of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Employers and workers can contact EBSA's Chicago office at 312-353-0900 or the agency's toll-free number at 866-444-3272 for help with problems related to private sector health and pension plans.

CO-OWNER OF HOUSTON-AREA HEALTH CARE AGENCY GOES TO PRISON FOR MEDICARE FRAUD

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Co-Owner of Houston-Area Home Health Care Agency Sentenced to 108 Months in Prison for Role in $5.2 Million Medicare Fraud

WASHINGTON – The former co-owner of a Houston-area home health care company was sentenced today in Houston to 108 months in prison for his participation in a $5.2 million Medicare fraud scheme, announced the Department of Justice, the FBI and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Clifford Ubani, a former co-owner and chief financial officer at Family Healthcare Group, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Nancy Atlas in the Southern District of Texas.  In addition to his prison term, Ubani was sentenced to three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $4.2 million in restitution jointly and severally with his co-defendants.  In January 2011, Ubani pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, one count of conspiracy to pay illegal kickbacks to patient recruiters and 16 counts of paying such illegal kickbacks.

According to court documents and other evidence presented to the court, Family Healthcare Group, a Houston home health care company, purported to provide skilled nursing to Medicare beneficiaries.  According to court documents and other evidence, Clifford Ubani paid co-conspirators to recruit Medicare beneficiaries for the purpose of Family Healthcare Group filing claims with Medicare for skilled nursing that was medically unnecessary or not provided.  Ubani’s co-conspirators would then falsify documents to support the fraudulent payments from Medicare.  Ubani also paid co-conspirators to sign fraudulent plans of care stating that the beneficiaries needed home health care when in fact they knew the beneficiaries were not home-bound and not in need of skilled nursing.
Ubani is the eighth defendant sentenced in connection with this scheme.  Two other defendants, co-owner Princewill Njoku and patient recruiter Cynthia Garza Williams, await sentencing.

The sentences were announced by Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson of the Southern District of Texas; Special Agent-In-Charge Stephen L. Morris of the FBI’s Houston Field Office; Special Agent-in-Charge Mike Fields of the Dallas Regional Office of HHS’s Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG); and the Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (OAG-MFCU).

This case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Charles D. Reed and Deputy Chief Sam S. Sheldon of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.  The case was investigated by the FBI, HHS-OIG, Texas OAG-MFCU and the Federal Railroad Retirement Board-OIG, and was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, supervised by the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas.

Since their inception in March 2007, Medicare Fraud Strike Force operations in nine locations have charged more than 1,330 defendants who collectively have falsely billed the Medicare program for more than $4 billion.  In addition, the HHS Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PANETTA SAYS A SENSE OF URGENCY IS NEEDED REGARDING CYBER ATTACKS

Photo Credit:   Los Alamos National Laboratory.

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE

Panetta: Sense of Urgency Needed to Defend Against Cyber Attacks

By Jim Garamone

WASHINGTON, June 13, 2012 - The increasing threat of cyber attacks against the nation's computer networks requires a commensurate growth in resources dedicated to protecting them, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta told Congress today.

"I think there has to be a greater sense of urgency with regards to the cyber potential, not only now but in the future," Panetta told the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on defense. "Obviously it's a rapidly developing area."

Enemies launch hundreds of thousands of attacks every day on U.S. computer networks, government and non-government alike. "I'm very concerned at the potential in cyber to be able to cripple our power grid, to be able to cripple our government systems, to be able to cripple our financial systems," Panetta said. "It would virtually paralyze this country. And as far as I'm concerned, that represents the potential for another Pearl Harbor ... using cyber."

Testifying alongside Panetta, Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the nature of cyber attacks has changed quickly. A few years ago, he said, hackers launched denial of service attacks on computer systems. Today, sophisticated users, criminal groups and even nations participate in intellectual property and technology theft and have progressed to destructive cyber attacks. "I can't overstate my personal sense of urgency about that," he said.

Panetta feels "very good" about DOD's ability to defend its computer systems, but he is concerned about the security of non-governmental systems. "I think that's the area where we have to deal with the additional authorities," he said.

Dempsey stressed that he, too, supports legislation that encourages information sharing with civilian systems.

The chairman said the department has the authority it needs in the cyber world, but must develop rules of engagement that work at network speed.

"This is not something where we can afford to ... convene a study after someone has knocked out the East Coast power grid," he said.

OPENING OF U.S. CONSULATE IN HERAT (WESTERN AFGHANISTAN)

Map:  Afghanistan.  Credit:  U.S. State Department.
FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Remarks at the Ceremony to Open the U.S. Consulate in Herat
Remarks William J. Burns
Deputy Secretary Herat , Afghanistan
June 13, 2012
Thank you very much, Mr. Ambassador. And thank you, Governor Saba, for your commitment to a strong partnership between the United States and Afghanistan.
I am truly honored to mark the opening of the U.S. Consulate in Herat, the first American consulate in Afghanistan. As a city with a rich cultural history and considerable economic potential, Herat is a vital place for the United States to have a diplomatic presence. The opening of this consulate reaffirms our long-term commitment to Afghanistan’s success and the enduring bonds of friendship between our peoples.

The opening of this consulate builds on a long history of American engagement in western Afghanistan. In the 1950s and 1960s, American educators assisted the new teacher training institute in Herat, which is now the Faculty of Education at Herat University. In the 1960s and early 70s, American Peace Corps volunteers served here. After the fall of the Taliban, the United States undertook a number of projects and programs in Herat, such as the construction of the Department of Women’s Affairs office and the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission building.

U.S. interest and involvement in this region flourishes today. The Ring Road that we drove in from the airport on was funded and constructed by USAID. The basic health services available to almost all citizens of Herat province are funded by on-budget support to your Ministry of Public Health. In the last ten years, more than 100 of your best and brightest professionals and students have traveled to the United States on education exchange programs. There are exciting partnerships between American universities and Herat University to advance education in agriculture, engineering, journalism, English, law and political science. And the single largest cultural preservation project the U.S. government has ever funded through the Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation is right here in Herat – the preservation of the citadel.

And so we are here to celebrate the opening of the consulate -- this remarkable refurbished facility, leased from the Municipality of Herat. This was truly a community effort – we purchased local products to use in the refurbishment, some of which you can see on display in the waiting room next door. World-class quality, Chesht-e-Sharif marble now graces some of the floors. Every week, on average, more than 70 Afghans contributed their time and skills to the consulate’s construction. One expert carpenter turned plain packing crates into beautifully carved room dividers. And artwork produced by students from Herat University is displayed on the walls of the consulate.

President Obama and President Karzai signed the Strategic Partnership Agreement last month to signal that America will remain by your side for years to come. The SPA protects the gains of the last decade. It is a positive vision for the future of the U.S.-Afghanistan relationship that contrasts starkly with the vision of violence and extremism offered by the Taliban and al-Qaida.

This agreement comes at a time when we have made significant progress toward defeating al-Qaida, transitioning security responsibility to Afghan forces, and denying extremists a safe-haven from which to threaten the United States. Let me discuss briefly our strategy moving forward.

First, we have begun a transition to Afghan responsibility for security. Already, nearly half the Afghan people live in areas where Afghan Security Forces are moving into the lead, and this number will rise to 75 percent by summer’s end. Herat City has been under the security responsibility of Afghanistan for almost one year, and I am pleased to see first-hand the progress you all have made in that time.

Second, we are training Afghan Security Forces to get the job done. As our troops draw down, Afghan forces have surged and become more capable.

Third, we are building an enduring partnership with Afghanistan. The SPA sends a clear message to the Afghan people: as you stand up, you will not stand alone.

Fourth, we are supporting Afghan-led reconciliation. In coordination with the Afghan government, our redlines are clear - if the Taliban wants to be a part of Afghanistan’s future, they will need to break with al-Qaida, renounce violence, and abide by the Afghan constitution. Many members of the Taliban – from foot soldiers to leaders – have indicated an interest in a settlement. A pathway to peace is now set before them. Those who refuse to walk that path will have to contend with strong Afghan Security Forces, backed by the United States and our allies.

And finally, we are building an international consensus to support peace, stability and a sense of economic hope for the people of South and Central Asia. Tomorrow, I will take part in the latest round of the Istanbul Process, where Afghanistan’s neighbors and near neighbors will affirm their significant commitments to developing regional security and economic development. I commend the Government of Afghanistan for the strong leadership it has shown in this process.

This consulate, built with so many Afghan hands and so much Afghan talent, is a small reminder of what the people of Herat can accomplish. And it gives us hope for the greater effort facing Afghans—which is not merely the building of a single structure, but the building of an entire nation that deserves a future better than its recent past. Let this building stand as a sign of our commitment: As you build this future, one day at a time, you can count on the steadfast support and friendship of the United States of America.

Thank you.

IN AFGHANISTAN: DRUG CACHES OF HASHISH FOUND AND ORDER ISSUED TO HALT AERIAL STRIKES OF HOMES

Photo:  Predator Drone.  Credit:  U.S. Air Force.
FROM:  AMEICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE 
Combined Forces Seize Large Hashish Caches
Compiled from International Security Assistance Force and ISAF Joint Command News Releases
WASHINGTON, June 13, 2012 - Combined Afghan-coalition forces seized 1,180 pounds of hashish during operations conducted over the past two days in the Panjwai district of Afghanistan's Kandahar province, military officials reported.
An Afghan-coalition patrol discovered more than 220 pounds of hashish in the Panjwai district today, officials said.

Yesterday, officials said, combined patrols discovered drug caches totaling more than 960 pounds of hashish and detained one suspected insurgent in the same district.
Drug samples were collected and the hashish was burned at both sites, officials said.

Also yesterday, Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen, commander of the International Security Assistance Force and U.S. Forces-Afghanistan, gave the order to coalition forces that no aerial munitions will be delivered against civilian dwellings in Afghanistan. This measure, officials said, is a further step in U.S.-coalition efforts to protect the lives of Afghan civilians.

Other conventional methods will be deployed against the insurgents, in coordination with Afghan National Security Forces, officials said.

As always, Afghan and coalition forces retain the inherent right to use aerial munitions in self-defense if no other options are available, officials said.

U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY CLINTON OP-ED ON U.S.-INDIA RELATIONS

Photo Credit:  Wikimedia.
FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
India and the United States: A Focus on the Fundamentals
Media Note Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC
June 13, 2012
The following op-ed written by Secretary Clinton is appearing in print in India Abroad.
This week, leaders from India and the United States will gather in Washington to discuss our expanding cooperation on everything from trade to technology to terrorism. There also will be issues on which we don't see eye to eye, and some of those may dominate the media coverage. But if we look at the trend-lines as well as the headlines, a much more important story emerges: The strategic fundamentals of our relationship – shared democratic values, economic imperatives and diplomatic priorities – are pushing both countries' interests into closer convergence. The world's oldest democracy and the world's largest democracy are entering a new, more mature phase in our relationship.

The most important bond between our two nations continues to be our common democratic heritage. We are both big, diverse, noisy democracies, committed to pluralism, freedom, and opportunity. Yet, for many decades, our economic and strategic policies often diverged. Only after the end of the Cold War, with India's rapid economic development and growing regional leadership, did the trajectory of our relationship begin to change.

India's expanding GDP, thriving private sector, emerging consumer class, and increasing diplomatic clout have all combined to make it a global power with a big stake in maintaining international security and prosperity. As a result, we find ourselves sharing more than just common values and political systems -- we also increasingly share common interests in an open, free, fair, and transparent global economic system; peace and prosperity in South Asia and the Asia-Pacific; and a coordinated international response to violent extremism and other shared global challenges.

A bipartisan commitment across successive American and Indian administrations has driven a steady improvement in relations, marked by high-profile visits like the one my husband took to India in 2000 and achievements such as President Bush's landmark civilian nuclear cooperation agreement. Today, under President Obama and Prime Minister Singh's leadership, we are continuing those efforts. There is less need for dramatic breakthroughs and more need for steady, focused cooperation. So together, we are building a mature partnership defined by near-constant consultation aimed at working through our differences and advancing the interests and values we share. This kind of daily collaboration isn't always glamorous, but it is strategically significant -- and a long way from the old days of the Cold War.

Let's look at three examples of how this works.
First, on the economic front. Two decades after it began to open its economy, India's industries and innovators have gone global, investing and trading all over the world. Like American businesses, they have come to see that further growth depends on open markets, transparent regulations, and fair mechanisms to settle disputes. And while people in both India and America have important and sometimes conflicting concerns about market access and the effects of globalisation, the benefits of growing economic ties are clear: bilateral trade and investment has reached $100 billion a year, creating jobs and opportunities for Americans and Indians alike. There is much room for growth, and so we need to keep up the momentum, further reducing barriers to trade and investment in areas like multi-brand retail and creating hospitable environments for companies to do business. Because the world's two biggest democracies should have one of the world's most robust and consequential economic relationships.

Second, on Asia. For years, Pakistan and South Asia were a chief focus of India's strategic thinkers. Today, India is also looking east, and playing a larger role in the broader Asia-Pacific. Both India and the United States recognise the strategic and economic significance of the waterways that connect the Indian Ocean through to the Pacific, and the necessity of protecting freedom of navigation. So we are working together and through multilateral institutions such as the East Asia Summit to build a regional architecture that will boost economic growth, settle disputes peacefully, and uphold universal rights and norms. And we are exploring ways to ensure a constructive relationship among the United States, India, and China. Effective cooperation between all three countries will be essential to tackling many of the greatest challenges in the 21st century.

Third, on global challenges like terrorism, climate change, human rights, and nuclear proliferation. Both India and the United States have been targeted by violent extremists, and we understand that defeating terrorist networks takes international coordination and a comprehensive approach that goes after recruits, safe havens, and finances. We also both know that addressing cross-cutting challenges like climate change will require developed and developing countries alike to work together. Even on issues where we have at times disagreed, like human rights in Burma or sanctions on Iran, you can see our new habits of cooperation paying off. India understands the importance of denying Iran a nuclear weapon and supports efforts to ensure Iran's compliance with its international obligations. And India has taken steps to diversify its sources of imported crude by reducing purchases of Iranian oil. At the same time, the US recognises India's energy needs, and we're working together, along with other partners around the world, to ensure stable oil markets that can meet global demand. And that's what a good partnership is all about -- respecting each other's interests and needs and working to find mutually-acceptable approaches to common challenges.

These are just three of the most significant areas in which the strategic fundamentals of our relationship are redefining the US-India partnership. On issue after issue, we find that India's interests and America's interests are lining up.

The effectiveness of this partnership will hinge on our ability together to convert common interests into common action. It's not enough to talk about cooperating on civilian nuclear energy or attracting more US investment in India or defending human rights, we have to follow through so that our people can see the results. And we recognise that some Indians still fear that working closely with the United States will undermine their "strategic autonomy." But at the end of the day, a strategic partnership isn't about one country supporting the policies or priorities of the other. It's about working together on shared goals and preventing short-term disagreements from derailing long-term cooperation.
The United States is determined to keep this partnership going and growing. And that means working together -- including through mechanisms like this week's US-India Strategic Dialogue -- to build trust and deepen the habits of cooperation that will help break through areas of disagreement and bring benefits to the people of both countries.
Together, we can turn strategic fundamentals into strategic partnership.

Hillary Clinton

U.S. SEC. OF DEFENSE PANETTA SAYS NATO IS CRITICAL TO U.S. SECURITY

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE 
Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta testifies before the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on defense, June 13, 2012. DOD photo by Glenn Fawcett  
NATO is Crucial to U.S. Security, Panetta Tells Senators
By Jim Garamone
WASHINGTON, June 13, 2012 - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta told a Senate panel today the NATO alliance is crucial to American security, but that NATO countries need to spend more on defense.

"We can't do it alone. We've got to be able to have alliances like NATO be able to work with us in confronting the many challenges that we face in the world," he said, during testimony on the 2013 defense budget request at the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on defense.

U.S. defense officials have repeatedly raised concerns that some NATO nations are not investing enough in their militaries. NATO's goal is for members to spend roughly 2 percent of their gross domestic product on defense. Most have not met that goal. NATO nations must continue developing their capabilities and improving their defense postures, the secretary said.

At NATO's summit in Chicago last month, leaders agreed to develop greater capabilities in missile defense, in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and in air-to-air refueling, among other things.

But with Europe going through an economic downturn, the United States has concerns that many European nations will "constantly go back to defense and seek further savings there, which I think would be dangerous," Panetta said.

This has already eroded some capabilities. Panetta said that during last year's Libya operation, the United States provided roughly 60 percent of the support, and that NATO officials told him if the mission were today, the United States would have to pick up about 80 percent.

MALARIA: FOCUSING ON THE TOP KILLER IN AFRICA

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Melissa McGaughey delivers mosquito bed nets to residents of Debaka Debobesa, Ethiopia, March 15, 2012. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. James Brock  

New Malaria Task Forces Will Address Top Africa Killer
By Donna Miles
STUTTGART, Germany, June 13, 2012 - Two new task forces being stood up by U.S. Africa Command have set their sights on one of the biggest killers on the continent: the mosquito.

Malaria -- that same affliction that decimated Roman legions,
Revolutionary War and Civil War soldiers and a scourge in the South Pacific during World War II -- continues to plague Africa, particularly the sub-Saharan region. Ninety percent of the world's malaria-related deaths are reported in Africa, and the disease kills some 600,000 African children each year.

The toll is so devastating that it overshadows Africa's other medical challenges, including HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, Army Col. (Dr.) John Andrus, Africom's deputy surgeon and medical logistics division chief, told American Forces Press Service.

And beyond the pure humanitarian toll, there's an operational one, too. Last year, during Africom's World Malaria Day observance, a soldier from an African partner nation told Andrus malaria is one of the biggest concerns among his troops deploying for peacekeeping operations across the continent. "This was a real eye opener to us," he said.
Africom incorporates malaria prevention into much of its theater engagement, distributing mosquito nets and teaching new diagnostic techniques during training events throughout Africa.

But at the African soldier's suggestion, Africom went to work to establish regional task forces to help partner nations create a unified front against the problem. The command stood up the East African Malaria Task Force in December with plans to form a similar task force in West Africa by the year's end, Andrus reported.

The East African task force includes Burundi, Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, Rwanda and Tanzania. The United States is a member, but has no leadership role, Andrus said. "The task force is led by the African partners who are members," he said.

The task force plans to meet in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in late July to discuss their battle plan for combating the disease, Andrus said. They're expected to identify ways to encourage self-protection while promoting improved surveillance, diagnosis and treatment.

"This will give them an opportunity to move forward against a very challenging disease in a very positive way," he said.

Meanwhile, the first meeting of the new West Africa Malaria Task Force is scheduled for November.

Andrus called the task forces an example of the command's goal of helping African nations confront African problems.

"This is a wonderful example of what it means to work with our partners, assist them in coming up with solutions to their own challenges, and then to be a partner with them as we move toward addressing those challenges," he said.

Ultimately, this supports the concept of "stability through health," Andrus said. Helping partner nations protect their military forces against disease supports the bigger goal of establishing professional militaries that are trusted by their populations and able to respond to crises, he explained.
It also builds confidence within partner-nation militaries that they will be taken care of when they are called on to carry out their missions, he said. "If they can deploy forward, knowing that they are able to receive the health care they need, it gives them confidence they need to be able to perform in a way that promotes stability on the continent," he said.
While helping partner nations confront malaria, Africom also ensures U.S. service members who deploy to Africa are protected, Andrus said.

The Kelley Health Clinic here recently celebrated its one-year anniversary as a one-stop shop for Africom members traveling to the continent. It provides health screenings, immunizations, malaria prophylaxis and mosquito repellents.

"The first step is to get to know who you're fighting," said Lt. Col. (Dr.) Steven Baty, a veterinary epidemiologist for Public Health Command Region -- Europe. "If we can identify the mosquitoes in the area that are going to carry malaria, then we can look at prevention programs."

Because Africom personnel often travel in small groups to the continent, officials recognize the importance of keeping them healthy.

"Each person is critical," said Army Lt. Col Jose Nunez, chief of the command's health protection branch. "If you have one person go down, that person can't do his or her job."

PANETTA AND MILITARY LEADERS WANT CONGRESS TO KEEP 2012 BUDGET REQUEST

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
DOD Leaders Strongly Urge Congress to Preserve 2012 Budget Request
By Karen Parrish
WASHINGTON, June 13, 2012 - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta cautioned Congress today against dismantling the strategic framework that supports the 2012 defense budget request.

Testifying along with Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, the secretary said some changes to the request could undermine the careful balance department leaders built into military spending projections.

"Some of the [Congressional] committees have ... made changes with regard to our recommendations that we're concerned about," Panetta said.
He listed three areas DOD leaders have targeted for cuts, and which some members of Congress have challenged during defense budget consideration.

"Some of the bills seek to reverse the decisions to eliminate aging and lower-priority ships and aircraft," the secretary noted. "My concern is that if these decisions are totally reversed, then I've got to find money somewhere ... to maintain this old stuff."

Keeping outdated equipment in service would rob needed funds from other areas, he said. That, he added, would lead to what he has long called a "hollow force" – a military that is not trained, manned or equipped to meet current and future threats.

"We've got to be able to retire what is aged and what we can achieve some savings on," Panetta said.

Some in Congress have also objected to "the measured and gradual reductions in end strength that we've proposed for the Army and the Marine Corps," he added.
Panetta noted under current plans, DOD will reduce the active Army from roughly 560,000 to 490,000, while the Marine Corps will downsize from 202,000 to 182,000 over five years.

"Again, if I have a large force and I don't have the money to maintain that large force, I'm going to end up hollowing it out because I can't provide the training, I can't provide the equipment," the secretary said. "So that's why, if we're going to reduce the force, then I've got to be able to do it in a responsible way."

The third spending area he discussed involves military compensation and health care. The budget request includes some additional fees for retiree health care, and limits active-duty pay raises after 2013. Panetta and Dempsey both emphasized that the department does not plan to cut pay, but that compensation cost growth must be controlled to meet budget constraints.

"If I suddenly wind up with no reductions in that area, I've got to reach someplace to find the money to maintain those programs," the secretary said. "... Every low-priority program or overhead cost that is retained will have to be offset by cuts in higher-priority investments in order to comply with the Budget Control Act."

Panetta noted that act, which mandated the defense spending cuts reflected in the 2012 request, also holds a more dire threat to military spending: sequestration. That provision will trigger another $500 billion across-the-board cut in defense spending over the next decade if Congress doesn't identify an equivalent level of spending cuts by January.
"Obviously, this is a great concern," he said, calling sequestration a "meat-axe approach."
"It would guarantee that we hollow out our force and inflict severe damage on our national defense," the secretary asserted.

Dempsey also spoke about the damage changes to defense spending plans could cause.
The strategy-based budget request, the chairman said, "ensures we retain our conventional overmatch while divesting capabilities not required in the active force -- or at all."
The spending plan reflects choices that maintain a needed balance among force structure, modernization, readiness, pay and benefits, he added.

"Different choices will produce a different balance," the chairman cautioned. "So before giving us weapons we don't need or giving up on reforms that we do need, I'd only ask you to make sure it's the right choice, not for our armed forces but for our nation.
"Sequestration is absolutely certain to upend this balance," he continued. "It would lead to further end-strength reductions, the potential cancellation of major weapons systems and the disruption of global operations."

Dempsey said slashing another half-trillion dollars from defense funding over the next 10 years under sequestration would transform U.S. forces "from being unquestionably powerful everywhere to being less visible globally and presenting less of an overmatch to our adversaries."

That transformation would, in turn, change the nation's deterrent stance and potentially increase the likelihood of conflict, the chairman said.

The general noted that because the law allows defense leaders to cut spending in only certain areas, only three broad areas would be available to service chiefs faced with sequestration: training, maintenance and modernization.

"That's it. There's no magic in the budget at that point," Dempsey said. "And those three accounts will be subjected to all of the cuts mandated by sequestration."
Panetta appealed to the senators to take action to avert a "potential disaster" by preserving the strategy-based defense spending plan submitted in February.

"I know the members of this committee are committed to working together to stop sequester, and I want you to know that we are prepared to work with you to try to do what is necessary to avoid that crisis," he said.