U.S. SOLDIERS WILL BE HEADING TO LONDON OLYMPICS

Photo:  Buckingham Palace, London, England.  Credit:  Wikimedia.
FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
Team USA loaded With Soldiers for London Olympic Games
By Tim Hipps
Army Installation Management Command
EUGENE, Ore., June 25, 2012 - The U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program will send what it describes as its strongest contingent of athletes and coaches ever to the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

Eleven WCAP coaches and athletes have already qualified to participate. Several more are competing for spots on Team USA at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Team trials here, which began June 21 and conclude July 1.

WCAP provides soldier-athletes the support and training needed to successfully compete in Olympic sports on the national and international levels, including the winter and summer Olympics, Pan American Games, world championships and Conseil International du Sport Militaire's Military World Games.

The soldier-athletes serve as ambassadors for the Army by promoting it to the world and assisting with recruiting and retention efforts. Since 1948, more than 600 soldiers have represented the United States as Olympic athletes and coaches. They have collected more than 140 medals in a variety of sports, including boxing, wrestling, rowing, shooting, bobsled and track and field.

WCAP wrestling head coach Shon Lewis, a retired staff sergeant who has led the Army to 11 national team titles in Greco-Roman wrestling, will lead three of his wrestlers to London as an assistant coach for Team USA.

As a WCAP athlete, Lewis, 45, of Oakland, Calif., is a 12-time armed forces champion and a 10-time national team member. He was named Greco-Roman Coach of the Year five times by USA Wrestling, the governing body for wrestling in the United States.
Two-time Olympian Sgt. 1st Class Dremiel Byers, 37, of Kings Mountain, N.C., will wrestle in the 120-kilogram/264.5-pound Greco-Roman division. A world champion in 2002, Byers, a 10-time national champion, is the only U.S. wrestler who has won gold, silver and bronze medals at the world championships. He also is the only American wrestler to win gold at both the open and military world championships.

Spc. Justin Lester is a strong medal contender in the 66-kilogram/145.5 pound Greco-Roman division. Lester, 28, a native of Akron, Ohio, heads to England as USA Wrestling's reigning Greco-Roman Wrestler of the Year. A two-time bronze medalist at the world championships, Lester has more than ample motivation to succeed in London. "I've had two bronze medals, and they're all right, but I need an Olympic gold medal," he said. "That's eating at me more than anything, that I don't have that gold medal."
Two-time Olympian Sgt. Spenser Mango, 25, of St. Louis, will compete in the 55-kilogram/121-pound Greco-Roman class. A four-time national champion, Mango is eager to return to the Olympics. "The first time, I'll admit, I was surprised myself," Mango recalled of his Olympic debut in Beijing. "I knew I could do it, but I hadn't done it yet. This time, it's all business – need to bring home some medals. I've wrestled almost all the top guys in the world in my weight class. I know what I need to do – just get out there and really get after it."

Four-time Olympian Sgt. 1st Class Daryl Szarenski, 44, of Saginaw, Mich., will compete in both the 50-meter free pistol and 10-meter air pistol. He struck gold with the air pistol and silver with the free pistol at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico.  Szarenski finished 13th at the Olympics in Athens, Greece, in 2004 and 13th in Beijing in 2008. He's aiming for a shot at the podium in London."I'm hoping to keep wearing them down and get in there and get a medal out of it," Szarenski said. "I think the training regimen that I have now is a lot better than what it was in the past. I've changed a couple technical issues and I think I'm heading in the right direction. I feel that I'm shooting the best now that I've ever shot."

Two-time Olympian Sgt. 1st Class Keith Sanderson, 37, of San Antonio, will compete in the 25-meter rapid-fire pistol event. He set an Olympic record during the qualification rounds in Beijing but left China without a medal. He hopes to improve upon that fifth-place result in London.  "I remember the excitement," Sanderson said. "That was more than I was ready for. It's faded a little bit, but I remember it was awesome. It was more than I could control. I'm looking forward to feeling that again. ... It was something that words can't describe, and to this day, words can't describe it. I didn't sleep for two or three days after I competed – not a wink – from all of the adrenalin."
Four-time Olympian Maj. David Johnson, 48, of Hampton, Va., has coached three athletes to Olympic medals and led shooters to 25 medals in World Cup events. He will again coach Team USA's rifle shooters in London.

Two-time Olympian Staff Sgt. John Nunn, 34, of Evansville, Ind., already qualified for the 50-meter race walk and might attempt to qualify in the 20-kilometer race walk on June 30 at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Team Trials in Eugene, Ore.   Nunn competed in the 20-kilometer event at the 2004 Olympics in Athens but did not make Team USA for the 2008 Beijing Games. His personal best in the 20K race walk is 1 hour, 22 minutes, 31 seconds.

Spc. Dennis Bowsher, 29, of Dallas, will compete in modern pentathlon, a five-sport event that includes fencing, swimming, equestrian show jumping, cross country and laser pistol shooting all in the same day. Bowsher finished fourth in both the 2011 Military World Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, where he secured an Olympic berth.

Staff Sgt. Charles Leverette, 39, of Brent, Ala., will serve as Team USA's assistant boxing coach in London. A former WCAP heavyweight boxer, Leverette was a bronze medalist at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Boxing Team Trials.

Staff Sgt. Joe Guzman, 32, of Eloy, Ariz., will serve as the trainer and help work the corners for Team USA's boxers in London. As a WCAP boxer, Guzman was a three-time armed forces champion.

Four-time Olympian Basheer Abdullah, a retired staff sergeant and head coach of the WCAP boxing team from St. Louis, will serve as Team USA's head boxing coach in London. He also led the U.S. boxing team in the 2004 Athens Games and served as a technical advisor for Team USA at the Olympics in 2000 and 2008.
Several other WCAP soldiers are vying for Olympic berths at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Team trials here.

WCAP also features a Paralympic program for wounded warriors and expects to qualify at least one soldier for the London Paralympic Games. Sights are set on qualifying several more for the 2014 Paralympic Games in Sochi, Russia, and the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

MILITARY COOPERATION IN AFRICA

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
Army Major General David R. Hogg , center, commander of U.S. Army Africa, and Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces Lt. Col. A.B. Conteh inspect Sierra Leone troops during a deployment ceremony, May 20, 2012. U.S. Army Africa photo.   

Signs of Military Professionalism, Cooperation On Rise in Africa
By Donna Miles
STUTTGART, Germany, June 26, 2012 – Dotting the African continent are promising examples of the capable, professional military forces U.S. Africa Command is working to promote.

As Tunisia spawned what became known as the Arab Spring in December 2010, its military opposed then-President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali’s order to use force against the pro-democracy protesters who ultimately brought down his regime.

The Ugandan army has become a professional force and plays a key role in advancing regional peace and security, conducting humanitarian operations at home while contributing thousands of troops to counterterrorism and peacekeeping efforts in neighboring Somalia.

Uganda is also among four African nations -- also including South Sudan, Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo -- that have come together to fight the Lord’s Resistance Army, one of Africa’s most violent and persistent rebel groups which has brutalized civilians in the region for a quarter-century.

Meanwhile, Uganda, Burundi and Djibouti are contributing forces under the banner of the African Union Mission in Somalia, or AMISOM, to help Somalia deal with the al-Shabab terrorist organization that threatens its transitional government.

And in Liberia -- a nation long wracked by civil war and instability -- the military once discredited as the puppet of former president and convicted war criminal Charles Taylor has become a respected organization under the direction of the democratically elected civilian leadership.

Officials at Africom, the United States’ newest combatant command focused on Africa, see these and other developments as a sign of positive trends they’re helping to shape on the continent.

Strengthening the defense capabilities of African countries and encouraging them to work together to confront common security threats and challenges has been a cornerstone of Africom’s work since its standup in 2008.

Africom has been instrumental in supporting other promising developments, Army Maj. Gen. Charles J. Hooper, Africom’s director of strategy, plans and programs, told American Forces Press Service. “We see increasing trends toward democracy, rule of law and respect for human rights,” he said. “And I think Africom has played a very positive role in supporting those trends.”

Hooper pointed to the role U.S. military advisors and mentors have played in rebuilding the Armed Forces of Liberia through a five-year, State-Department funded Africom program known as Operation Onward Liberty. For the past two years, Marine Forces Africa has led the joint Marine-Army-Air Force effort aimed at helping professionalize the Liberian military and ensuring it's able to defend the country’s borders and come to the aid of its neighbors if needed.

“This small training and education mission [is] focused on developing a cohesive Liberian armed force,” said Hooper. “I saw our Operation Onward Liberty mentors assisting them in everything from [establishing] a fair military justice system and teaching the military police to serve, to working in the clinics, all the way to assisting the young soldiers in the Liberian army who volunteered and started an elementary school on their base,” he said.

Particularly encouraging, he said, was the Liberian military’s new focus on internal development. Engineering units, for example, were using their equipment to build roads and rebuild infrastructure ravaged during years of civil war.

Hooper said he was impressed by the Liberian force that has emerged. “What I saw there was a Liberian military that had a renewed faith in itself, a renewed enthusiasm about being a force for good in its country and serving the people,” he said.
Michael Casciaro, Africom’s security cooperation programs division chief, reported similar promise in Uganda, where the command is providing training and equipment to build capability and capacity.

Casciaro said he received favorable feedback about the transformation taking place in the Ugandan military from the unlikeliest of sources: an opposition leader. “What he told us was, ‘I see the difference in Americans operating in my country… I see the impact of Americans working with the Ugandans because now they … go out and do humanitarian things for their own country, and are being used in a different way,’” Casciaro said.

In 2007, Uganda stepped up to support the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia, followed by Burundi; both remain today as the primary troop-contributing nations. “A major objective of ours has been to prepare Africans to go into Somalia to create stability,” Casciaro said. “And [the African militaries] have been instrumental in clearing a prominent terrorist group out of Mogadishu,” a first step toward expanding the effort north to regain control of the country.

Army Brig. Gen. Arnold Gordon-Bray, Africom’s deputy operations director, called the mission in Somalia “one of the best examples of Africans helping themselves that we are involved in.”

The African Union established its African Union Mission to Somalia with a clear vision that a failed Somalia would impact the entire continent, Bray said.

“This collective grouping is epitomizing what Africom is able to do, working with the State Department, working with other international partners, working by, with and through African partners to bring stability,” he said. “It is a great mission. It is symbolic of all the great things we are trying to do.”

A full range of peacekeeping training and instruction falls under the Africa Contingency Operations Training and Assistance, a program funded and managed by the U.S. State Department. It is designed to improve African militaries’ capabilities by providing selected training and equipment required to execute multinational peace support operations. U.S. military trainers play a supporting role, providing mentorship and specialized instruction in areas such as bomb detection or deployment logistics.

Army Gen. Carter F. Ham, the Africom commander, told Congress earlier this year he’s also encouraged by “an increasingly collaborative approach” among African nations standing together against al-Shabab. As they rallied to Somalia’s aid, the U.S. State Department responded to their requests for help in training and equipping those forces so they would be able to deploy to conduct their operations.

Ham called this effort a model of what U.S. Africa Command is all about: a command able to tap into the full range of U.S. government capabilities to help African nations better provide for their own security.

“And it is starting now to have significant benefit… We are seeing those African forces being more and more successful against al-Shabab each and every day,” he said. “This is one example of how building partner capacity really yields a decisive result in Africa,” he said.

Ham cited similar success in helping Africans in their fight against the Lord’s Resistance Army.

U.S. Special Forces advisors working with the four nations on the ground “are having a very positive effect,” he told the House Armed Services Committee in February. “We’re assisting in intelligence fusion, in facilitating long-range communications, logistics operations to sustain forces in the field for long periods of time and increased intelligence collection.”

“So I’m optimistic,” he told the House panel. “But I’m not yet to the point where we see the end in sight.”

The result, Ham said, is fulfillment of Africom’s goal of enabling Africans to solve African problems.

“If that is successful -- and I believe the trend line is pretty good right now -- that means that’s an area where the United States would not have to commit sizable forces to address a security situation,” Ham told the House panel. “And that’s really what we’re trying to do. That’s the essence of building partner capability in this collaborative approach with state and defense.”

ESA Portal - Belgium - Français - L’espace au service des “douceurs” belges

ESA Portal - Belgium - Français - L’espace au service des “douceurs” belges

U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL HOLDER SPEAKS ON PROTECTING CIVIL RIGHTS

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Attorney General Eric Holder Speaks at the Protecting Civil Rights Symposium Boston ~ Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Thank you, Carmen, for those kind words; for your outstanding leadership as United States Attorney, and as a member of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee; and for all that you and your staff have done to bring us together to discuss – and to address – some of the most critical civil rights issues facing our nation.

It’s a pleasure to be back in Boston – and a privilege to join with so many friends, colleagues, attorneys, advocates, military service members, law enforcement officials, and community leaders in exploring strategies for taking our collective work to a new level.   I’d particularly like to thank Theodore Landsmark – along with my friend, Cheryl Brown Henderson – for lending their voices to this important dialogue.   And I’d like to thank each of our expert panelists and breakout session leaders for sharing their unique perspectives with us today.

This symposium presents a chance to reflect upon the progress that’s been made in recent years to honor our country’s most basic principles – of inclusion, opportunity, equal treatment, and fair representation.   It’s also an important opportunity to consider the work that’s currently underway – here in Boston and across the country – and to seek out innovative strategies for building on the record of achievement that many of you have helped to establish.

I especially am proud of the work that Carmen and her team are leading.   With the creation of the Civil Rights Enforcement Team, this office has strengthened its ability to identify, and respond to, civil rights violations in every corner of this Commonwealth.   Especially over the past three years, you’ve led the way in protecting the citizens we are privileged to serve, and in promoting tolerance and fairness.   And you’ve called on your partners – in both the public and private sectors – to remember that, for all that’s been done throughout our history to expand core rights, freedoms, and opportunities to include people of color, women, LGBT individuals, and so many others – our nation still has more to do, and further to go.   Taking the next steps forward – and carrying this legacy of progress into the future – is up to each and every one of us.

This enduring message was shared – on this very date, nearly half a century ago – by one of this state’s favorite sons, and my most famous predecessor, Robert Kennedy – when he testified before a House of Representatives committee on the urgency of passing the Civil Rights Act of 1963.   In an age defined by sit-ins and marches – as Americans of all races and backgrounds came together, to confront grave dangers and to overturn an unjust status quo – Attorney General Kennedy assured Congressional leaders that, already, much had been done to help secure civil rights for all.   “But,” he said, “much more must be done – both because the American people are clearly demanding it and because, by any moral standard, it is right.”

Although exactly 49 years have passed since the day these words were spoken, they remain as relevant – and as true – as ever.   Here in Boston, and all across our country, it’s impossible to ignore the growing concerns from citizens who feel – often for the first time in their lives – that the hard-won progress of the Civil Rights era has come under renewed threat.   Even in America’s most vibrant cities, too many neighborhoods continue to be afflicted by the same disparities, divisions, and problems that – decades ago – so many struggled, sacrificed, fought, and even died to address.

During my time as a prosecutor, judge, Deputy Attorney General, and now Attorney General, I’ve seen all too clearly that the sacred ideal of “liberty and justice for all” has yet to be fully realized.   And one need only look at the Justice Department’s ongoing – and expanding – civil rights enforcement efforts to see how vital this work continues to be – even today, in 2012.

Over the last three years – under the outstanding leadership of Assistant Attorney General Tom Perez – our Civil Rights Division has been busier than ever.   We’ve led the way in combating bias, intimidation, and violence – filing more criminal civil rights cases than ever before, including record numbers of police misconduct, hate crimes, and human trafficking cases.  We’ve engaged with attorneys, investigators, and federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners to promote and ensure the highest standards of integrity and professionalism across our nation’s law enforcement community.    And we’ve established a remarkable record of achievement in ensuring that the rights of all Americans are protected – in our workplaces and military bases; in our housing and lending markets; in our schools and places of worship; in our voting booths and our immigrant communities.

I know that many of you – along with the rest of the nation – have been closely following the case that led to yesterday’s decision, by the Supreme Court, to strike down major provisions of an Arizona law that would have effectively criminalized unlawful status in that state.   While I’m pleased that the Court confirmed the serious constitutional questions we raised about this law, I do remain concerned about the law’s potential impact – and, specifically, about the requirement for law enforcement officials to verify the immigration status of any person lawfully stopped or detained when they have reason to suspect that the person is here unlawfully.   Above all, I want to assure communities – in Arizona and around the country – that the Department of Justice will continue to vigorously enforce federal prohibitions against racial and ethnic discrimination.  We are committed – as President Obama stated yesterday – to “uphold[ing] our tradition as a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants.”   And we’ll continue to take every possibly step – and utilize every available resource – to prevent and combat any and all forms of discrimination.

One area where we’ve already proven this is in our efforts to ensure fairness in our housing and lending markets.  By developing groundbreaking initiatives – and dedicating new resources – we’re combating predatory and discriminatory practices like never before.   We’re working to promote fair lending and treatment for all borrowers, and have established important protections for communities of color, military service members and veterans, and other vulnerable populations that – too often – have been targeted and victimized.   In fact, just last year, the Civil Rights Division’s Fair Lending Unit settled or filed a record number of cases – including the largest fair lending settlement in history, totaling more than $330 million – to hold financial institutions accountable for discriminating against African and Hispanic Americans.

Beyond these efforts, the Department has taken decisive action to prevent and combat hate crimes, utilizing a range of new tools and authorities to investigate and prosecute them.   Last year alone, we obtained more convictions for defendants charged with hate crimes than any other year in more than a decade.   Over the past three fiscal years, we prosecuted 35 percent more hate crime cases than during the preceding three-year period.   And thanks to new protections included in the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act – which President Obama signed into law in 2009 – we’ve strengthened our ability to achieve justice on behalf of all those who are victimized simply because of who they are – including those who are targeted because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

In conjunction with these efforts, the Department also has enhanced our collaboration with a wide range of allies – including federal agencies like the Department of Education – to coordinate significant, Administration-wide initiatives to combat bullying.   By forging partnerships with educators, school administrators, community leaders, faith-based organizations, researchers, and law enforcement officials, we are exploring new ways to reach out to students who feel unsafe or have been victimized.   And we are working to engage entire communities in promoting healthy environments for all of our nation’s young people.

At the same time, we’re dedicated to working harder than ever to combat the despicable practice of human trafficking.   As a result of the anti-trafficking training programs that the Justice Department has helped to create – and thanks to our reinvigorated partnerships with state, local, and international authorities – we’ve seen record numbers of human trafficking cases over the last three years, including a rise of more than 30 percent in the number of forced labor and adult sex trafficking prosecutions.   These successes have sent a strong message, and a clear warning – that those who commit these offenses will be stopped; they will be held accountable; and they will be punished to the fullest extent of the law.

In this work, and in all of our daily efforts, the men and women serving in our Civil Rights Division – and in our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide – are driven by three guiding principles in their enforcement efforts: the need to expand opportunity and access for every citizen; to ensure the effective infrastructure of our democracy; and to safeguard the most vulnerable among us from violence, exploitation, and discrimination.   I am proud of all that the Department has done to honor and extend the legacy of achievement that our predecessors have established.   Nowhere is this more clear than in our work to safeguard the single most fundamental, and most powerful, right of American citizenship: the right to vote .

Over the last 18 months, we’ve seen an alarming rise in voting-related measures at the state level, some of which could make it extremely difficult for many eligible voters to cast ballots this year.   In response, the Justice Department has initiated careful, thorough, and independent reviews of a number of these proposed changes – examining redistricting plans in certain jurisdictions, as well as early voting procedures, photo identification requirements, and changes affecting third party registration organizations – in order to guard against disenfranchisement and to ensure compliance with critical laws like the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

In addition to our enforcement of this important measure , we’re also working hand-in-hand with several jurisdictions – through outreach and education – to ensure consistent compliance with its provisions.   We’re vigorously defending its constitutionality in court.   And we’re fighting to protect the voting rights of Americans living abroad, citizens with disabilities, language minorities, and U.S. service members and veterans.   During the 2010 election cycle, the Civil Rights Division obtained court orders, court-approved consent decrees, or out-of-court agreements in 14 jurisdictions, which ensured that thousands of military and overseas voters had the opportunity to vote and to have that vote counted.  And in just the past four months, we've filed three different lawsuits – in Alabama, Wisconsin, and California – to protect the voting rights of service members and overseas citizens.

As we build on these vital efforts – and all of the Civil Rights Division’s essential work – I believe it’s clear – despite the fiscal constraints and nearly unprecedented budgetary challenges we face – that the Justice Department’s commitment to protecting the rights and freedoms of every citizen has never been stronger.   For me – both personally and professionally – our record of achievement is a source of great pride.   But I also recognize that, for all that we’ve accomplished, we cannot yet be satisfied.

Of course, all of you are here today because you already know what we’re up against – and you understand what’s at stake.    So, as you move through this program, I ask that you remember Robert Kennedy’s enduring words, and bear in mind that – although no one can doubt that we’ve come a long way together – the struggle for civil rights is far from over.   Our nation’s journey is not yet complete.   And the responsibility to carry these efforts into the future now rests with each of us.

Thank you, once again, for your ongoing commitment to this work.   I look forward to where you must – and will – help to lead this great nation from here.

HEDGE FUND MANAGER IN CIVIL CONTEMPT FOR FAILING TO PAY MORE THAN $12 MILLION IN DISGORGEMENT

FROM:  U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
June 25, 2012
The Securities and Exchange Commission (“Commission”) announces that on June 20, 2012, an Order Finding Defendants In Civil Contempt was issued by a judge in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California against defendants Lawrence R. Goldfarb (“Goldfarb”) and Baystar Capital Management, LLC (“Baystar Capital”) in the proceeding entitledSecurities and Exchange Commission v. Lawrence R. Goldfarb, et. al, Case No. C-11-00938-WHA. The Order found that defendants failed to pay disgorgement in compliance with the provisions of a Final Judgment entered against them on March 16, 2011 and furthermore failed to demonstrate that they reasonably attempted to comply with their disgorgement obligations.

Previously, on March 1, 2011, the Commission filed a Complaint against investment advisers Goldfarb and Baystar Capital alleging that they violated Sections 206(1) and 206(2) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 by engaging in a fraudulent scheme with respect to their funds [15 U.S.C. §§ 80b-6(1), (2)]. The Complaint also alleged that Goldfarb and Baystar Capital made material misstatements and omissions, and engaged in a fraudulent scheme, with respect to investors in a pooled investment vehicle in violation of Sections 206(4) and Rule 206(4)-8 of the Advisers Act [15 U.S.C. § 80b-6(4); 17 C.F.R. § 275.206(4)-8]. These violations were based upon allegations that defendants took $12 million in proceeds from an investment under their management and misappropriated those proceeds for their own use, rather than distributing those proceeds to investors.

At the same time that it filed the Complaint, the Commission also filed the written Consents of Goldfarb and of Baystar Capital to the entry of a Final Judgment against them. Without admitting or denying the Complaint’s allegations, defendants agreed, among other things, to pay $12,112,416 in disgorgement and $1,967,371 in prejudgment interest to the court’s registry within 365 days of entry of the Final Judgment. Defendants also agreed to make four progress payments, including a $1.025 million payment due within 180 days of entry of the Final Judgment. Defendants eventually made three progress payments totaling $80,000 in disgorgement, but failed to make the $1.025 million progress payment or the final payment.

In April 2012, the Commission filed an Application with the Court for an order for defendants to show cause why they should not be found in civil contempt of the Final Judgment.

In its Order dated June 20, 2012, the Court found that the defendants were in breach of the Final Judgment by failing to pay the disgorgement amounts ordered. The Court also found that defendants had failed to establish a good faith effort to fulfill their disgorgement obligations because, among other things, they used available funds for large personal expenses such as courtside seats to Golden State Warriors games, charters of aircraft for personal trips, Goldfarb’s mortgage payment and numerous personal vacations, rather than to pay disgorgement.

In the Order, the Court also approved the appointment of a receiver over defendants’ assets and reaffirmed its prior order limiting Goldfarb’s monthly spending.

U.S.-MEXICO RELATIONS

Map Credit:  Wikimedia.
FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
U.S. Relations With Mexico
Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs
Fact Sheet
June 25, 2012
U.S. relations with Mexico are important and complex. The two countries share a 2,000-mile border, and relations between the two have a direct impact on the lives and livelihoods of millions of Americans--whether the issue is trade and economic reform, homeland security, drug control, migration, or the environment. The U.S. and Mexico, along with Canada, are partners in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and enjoy a broad and expanding trade relationship. Through the North American Leaders’ Summits, the United States, Canada, and Mexico cooperate to improve North American competitiveness, ensure the safety of their citizens, and promote clean energy and a healthy environment. The three nations also cooperate on hemispheric and global challenges, such as managing transborder infectious diseases and seeking greater integration to respond to challenges of transnational organized crime.

U.S. relations with Mexico are important and complex. U.S. relations with Mexico have a direct impact on the lives and livelihoods of millions of Americans – whether the issue is trade and economic reform, homeland security drug control, migration, or the environment. The scope of U.S.-Mexican relations is broad and goes beyond diplomatic and official contacts. It entails extensive commercial, cultural, and educational ties, with over 1.25 billion dollars worth of two-way trade and roughly one million legal border crossings each day. In addition, a million American citizens live in Mexico and approximately 10 million Americans visit Mexico every year. More than 18,000 companies with U.S. investment have operations in Mexico, and U.S. companies have invested $145 billion in Mexico since 2000.

Cooperation between the United States and Mexico along the 2,000-mile common border includes state and local problem-solving mechanisms; transportation planning; and institutions to address resource, environment and health issues. Presidents Obama and Calderon created a high level Executive Steering Committee for 21st Century Border Management in 2010 to spur advancements in creating a modern, secure, and efficient border. The multi-agency U.S.-Mexico Binational Group on Bridges and Border Crossings meets twice yearly to improve the efficiency of existing crossings and coordinate planning for new ones. The ten U.S. and Mexican border states are active participants in these meetings. Chaired by U.S. and Mexican consuls, Border Liaison Mechanisms operate in "sister city" pairs and have proven to be an effective means of dealing with a variety of local issues including border infrastructure, accidental violation of sovereignty by law enforcement officials, charges of mistreatment of foreign nationals, and cooperation in public health matters.

The United States and Mexico have a long history of cooperation on environmental and natural resource issues, particularly in the border area, where there are serious environmental problems caused by rapid population growth, urbanization, and industrialization. Cooperative activities between the U.S. and Mexico take place under a number of arrangements such as the International Boundary and Water Commission; the La Paz Agreement, the U.S.-Mexico Border 2012/2020 Program; the North American Development Bank and the Border Environment Cooperation Commission; the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation; the Border Health Commission; and a variety of other agreements that address border health, wildlife and migratory birds, national parks, forests, and marine and atmospheric resources. The International Boundary and Water Commission, United States and Mexico, is an international organization responsible for managing a wide variety of water resource and boundary preservation issues.

The two countries also have cooperated on telecommunications services in the border area for more than 50 years. There are 39 bilateral agreements that govern shared use of the radio spectrum. When the United States completed the transition to digital television in 2009, a high percentage of Mexican border cities did the same, well ahead of Mexico’s deadline to complete the transition by 2021. Recent border agreements also cover mobile broadband services, including smartphones, and similar devices. The High Level Consultative Commission on Telecommunications continues to serve as the primary bilateral arena for both governments to promote growth in the sector and to ensure compatible services in the border area. The United States and Mexico have also signed an agreement to improve cross-border public security communications in the border area.

U.S. Cooperation with Mexico
The Merida Initiative is an unprecedented partnership between the United States and Mexico to fight organized crime and associated violence while furthering respect for human rights and the rule of law. Since 2010, our Merida Initiative cooperation has been organized under four strategic pillars. The first pillar aims to disrupt the capacity of organized crime to operate by capturing criminal groups and their leaders and reducing their revenues through better investigations, successful prosecutions, and shipment interdictions. The initiative’s second pillar focuses on enhancing the capacity of Mexico’s government and institutions to sustain the rule of law. The Merida Initiative’s third pillar aims to improve border management to facilitate legitimate trade and movement of people while thwarting the flow of drugs, arms, and cash. Finally, the fourth pillar seeks to build strong and resilient communities.

U.S. cooperation with Mexico under the Merida Initiative directly supports programs to help Mexico train its police forces in modern investigative techniques, promote a culture of lawfulness, and implement key justice reforms. Merida Initiative assistance also supports Mexico's efforts to reform its judicial sector and professionalize its police forces reflect its commitment to promote the rule of law and build strong law enforcement institutions to counter the threat posed by organized crime. The U.S. Congress has appropriated $1.9 billion for the Merida Initiative since it began.

U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) programs support Mexican efforts to address key challenges to improving citizen security and well-being, with program approaches specifically geared to the U.S.-Mexico relationship. Programs under the Merida Initiative develop and test models to mitigate the community-level impact of crime and violence, and support Mexico’s implementation of criminal justice constitutional reforms that protect citizens’ rights. Additional USAID programs support Mexico’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and to enhancing economic competitiveness to improve citizens’ lives.

Bilateral Economic Relations
Mexico is the United States’ second-largest export market (after Canada) and third-largest trading partner (after Canada and China). Mexico's exports rely heavily on supplying the U.S. market, but the country has also sought to diversify its export destinations. Nearly 80 percent of Mexico’s exports in 2011 went to the United States. In 2011, Mexico was the second-largest supplier of oil to the United States. Top U.S. exports to Mexico include mechanical machinery, electronic equipment, motor vehicle parts, mineral fuels and oils, and plastics. Trade matters are generally settled through direct negotiations between the two countries or addressed via World Trade Organization or NAFTA formal dispute settlement procedures.

Mexican investment in the United States has grown by over 35 percent the past five years. It is the seventh fastest growing investor country in the United States.

Mexico is a major recipient of remittances, sent mostly from Mexicans in the United States. Remittances are a major source of foreign currency, totaling over $22.73 billion in 2011. Most remittances are used for immediate consumption -- food, housing, health care, education -- but some collective remittances, sent from Mexican migrants in the U.S. to their community of origin, are used for shared projects and infrastructure improvements under Mexico’s 3 for 1 program that matches contributions with federal, state and local funds.

Mexico is making progress in its intellectual property rights enforcement efforts, although piracy and counterfeiting rates remain high. Mexico appeared on the Watch List in the 2012 Special 301 report. The U.S. continues to work with the Mexican Government to implement its commitment to improving intellectual property protection.

Mexico's Membership in International Organizations
Mexico is a strong supporter of the United Nations (UN) and Organization of American States (OAS) systems, and hosted the G-20 Leaders’ Summit in June 2012. Mexico and the United States belong to a number of the same international organizations, including the UN, OAS, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, G-20, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank (WB), and World Trade Organization (WTO). In January 2012, Mexico became a member of the Wassenaar Arrangement, a multilateral export control regime for conventional arms and dual-use goods.

SEC. PANETTA'S COMMENTS AT U.S. OLYMPIC COMMITTEE WARRIOR PRECOGNITION CEREMONY

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Presenter: Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta June 25, 2012
Remarks by Defense Secretary Panetta at the Defense Department and U.S. Olympic Committee Warrior Recognition Ceremony
            SECRETARY OF DEFENSE LEON E. PANETTA: Thanks very much.  (Applause.)
            Thanks very much, Charlie. And thanks for your leadership and thanks for your guidance and thanks for your dedication.

            It's -- this is a remarkable program, and it obviously reflects your commitment to everything that is good about America.

            Ray Odierno, Mike Donley, General Schwartz, all of the guests that are here, ladies and gentlemen, it is for me a real pleasure to have the opportunity to be with you today, and especially to be with our warrior athletes and with their families.
            It's an honor for me to be able to celebrate the remarkable achievements that all of you have done -- and also to celebrate your resilience.

            I can't tell you -- I cannot tell you how much you inspire us with your courage, with your determination, with your athletic prowess, with your physical strength, it's an incredible inspiration.

            These men and women who overcome immense odds to suddenly come out and compete in these games represents I believe the strength, the integrity, the character of many American service members who have persevered -- persevered in the face of huge challenges, challenges that they've had to recover from the wounds of war. Their stories represent the fighting spirit of the brave men and women who serve on the front lines around the world.

            Take for example, Navy Lieutenant Brad Snyder who's with us here today. While serving as a bomb disposal technician in Afghanistan last year, he was blinded by an IED explosion. But Brad was determined to not let the loss of his sight stop him.
            Last month, he competed in the Warrior Games winning a total of seven gold medals. Including three in track -- (Applause.)

            Seven gold medals, three in track, four in swimming. And at last week's U.S. Paralympic swimming trials, Brad won all five events he competed in and set a new world best time for vision impaired athletes in both the 100 meter and the 400 meter freestyle.  (Applause.)

            When Brad steps up to the blocks in London on September 7th to compete in the Paralympic games, it will be one year to the day since his injury.

            Brad, we're all in awe of your determination and your personal spirit, and all of us are going to be cheering your success in London. God bless you.  (Applause.)

            His story -- his story is an example of what I see when I visit our wounded warriors at medical centers around the world. And I'll be visiting Brooke Hospital in Texas this week, on Wednesday. Many of these brave men and women have incurred horrible wounds, faced lengthy recoveries, but I never fail -- never fail to come away from all of those visits inspired and motivated by their grit and by their spirit. Nothing -- absolutely nothing will stop them.

            I often meet these extraordinary young men and women just days after they've been wounded in battle. In that acute phase of recovery, I know that it's hard for some to imagine ever competing for an athletic event. And yet the will -- the sheer guts to overcome the wounds, to overcome the obstacles that face these warrior athletes, their determination to return to a new normal is not just inspiring. It is nothing short of a miracle -- a miracle of emotional and physical and mental strength.

            We owe it to you to never forget your service and your sacrifice. For all of the members of this next generation who return home with the wounds of war, the department is fully committed to helping them return to service or to transition to civilian life.

            The American people and communities throughout our nation must be partners in this effort, and they are. I'd like to take just a moment to thank some of those who make these Warrior Games possible, particularly the United States Olympic committee that puts on these games. I'd also like to thank the United Services Organization, the Fisher House Foundation, the Bob Woodruff Foundation, the Semper Fi Fund, and the team Semper Fi Army Homefront Fund for their efforts on behalf of our warriors here today and their families.

            In the past decade of war, we've learned a lot about treating our wounded warriors -- including the value of sports, or competition, of recreation, in strengthening minds and in strengthening bodies.

            And I'm glad that with the support of these organizations and those here today, we're able to provide access to world class coaches, mentors, facilities, and a growing network of adaptive sports experts.

            We owe these brave young people no less than the very best. As a nation -- as a nation we are truly blessed by the men and women in uniform who are willing to put their lives on the line to protect this country.

            We have sent a very clear message to our enemies that no one -- no one -- attacks the United States of America and gets away with it -- no one. And you, our wounded warriors, have sent an equally tough message to our enemies: You can wound me, and you can hurt me, but you can never take my life, my spirit or my hope away.

            What all of you are doing together is a powerful miracle that shows us the triumph of the great American spirit that makes our country and makes our military the strongest on Earth.

4 MINE COUNTERMEASURE SHIPS ARRIVE IN BAHRAIN

FROM:  U.S. NAVY
Tugboats pull the mine counter measure ship USS Devastator (MCM 6) into position as Devastator and three other mine counter measure ships arrived in Bahrain. Devastator is assigned to Commander, Task Force 52, supporting mine countermeasure operations in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jayme Pastoric (Released) 120623-N-XD935-134

LANDMARK $10.5 MILLION DISABILITY HOUSING LAWSUIT SETTLED

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Monday, June 25, 2012
Justice Department Obtains Landmark $10.5 Million Settlement to Resolve Disability-Based Housing Discrimination Lawsuit
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department today announced its largest-ever disability-based housing discrimination settlement fund to resolve allegations that JPI Construction L.P. and six other JPI entities (collectively “JPI”) based in Irving, Texas, discriminated on the basis of disability in the design and construction of multifamily housing complexes throughout the United States.

Under the settlement, which was approved today by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, JPI will pay $10,250,000 into an accessibility fund to provide retrofits at properties built by JPI and to increase the stock of accessible housing in the communities where these properties are located.  The settlement also requires JPI to pay a $250,000 civil penalty.  This is the largest civil penalty the Justice Department has obtained in any Fair Housing Act case.

“Today’s historic settlement demonstrates the Justice Department’s commitment to protecting the fair housing rights of persons with disabilities,” said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division.  “Builders of multifamily housing must consider accessibility at the outset, or they risk significantly greater expense to retrofit properties.  As a result of this settlement, multifamily housing complexes will be retrofitted to comply with the Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, and persons with physical disabilities will be afforded an equal opportunity to live in and visit these properties.”

“Equal access to housing for persons with disabilities is an important right protected by federal law,” said U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Sarah R. Saldaña.  “This settlement will help eliminate barriers and send a clear message that disability discrimination will not be tolerated.  Disabled residents should know that this district remains committed to protecting their fair housing rights.”

The lawsuit was filed in March 2009, after the Justice Department conducted an investigation and found accessibility barriers at various JPI properties.  Since 1991, JPI and its affiliates built 210 multifamily properties in 26 states and the District of Columbia; trial involving 32 of JPI’s properties was scheduled to begin July 9, 2012.

In addition to the $10.5 million payment, the consent order prohibits JPI from discriminating on the basis of disability in the future and from interfering with or preventing the retrofitting that will take place at the JPI properties.  Although JPI is no longer in the multifamily development and construction business, if JPI reenters the business, it is required to design and construct covered multifamily dwellings to fully comply with the requirements of the Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The JPI entities that are responsible for paying the settlement amount are: JPI Construction L.P.; Multifamily Construction L.L.C.; JPI Apartment Development L.P., dba JPI Campus Quarters; Lifestyle Apartment Development Service L.L.C.; Jefferson Bend L.P., dba Jefferson at Mission Gate Apartments; Jefferson Lake Creek L.P., dba Jefferson Center Apartments; and Apartment Community Realty L.L.C.
The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and familial status.  Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of housing discrimination should call the Housing Discrimination Tip Line (1-800-896-7743) or email the Justice Department at fairhousing@usdoj.gov.  Such persons may also contact the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development at 1-800-669-9777.

ESA Portal - Czech Republic - Ve stínu saturnových prstenců

ESA Portal - Czech Republic - Ve stínu saturnových prstenců

STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL SPEAKS ON CRIME-TERROR PIPELINES

Photo:   Army Sgt. David Smitt Maintains Watch In Afghanistan.    Credit: U.S. Army.
FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Trans-Atlantic Dialogue on Combating Crime-Terror Pipelines
Remarks Maria Otero
Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights National Defense University
Washington, DC
June 25, 2012

Good morning.
Thank you, Mr. Miklaucic, for your kind introduction, and to the Center for Complex Operations for hosting this Dialogue. The National Defense University continues to make great contributions to research and programs dedicated to enhancing civilian security and the stability of institutions against threats such as terrorism and organized crime. It is my pleasure to welcome everyone today to this beautiful campus.

I would like to thank the State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs and the Department of Defense’s Office of the Secretary of Defense for Policy for their sponsorship of this Dialogue and their leadership in helping to combat today’s national security threats across the globe.

I also would like to commend our partner, the United Kingdom and, in particular, the Home Office, which continues to be an active leader in realizing the joint commitment of Prime Minister Cameron and President Obama to work together to combat transnational threats. We look forward to continuing our collaborative efforts to ensure that the Dialogue we advance today is an ongoing one that yields results.

In the spirit of partnership, I would also like to extend a warm welcome to our colleagues who have traveled here from Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia to offer both their expertise and experience to this workshop in support of their commitment to dismantle crime-terror pipelines. On behalf of the United States Government, I commend your efforts to defeat threat networks and safeguard our states, economies, and societies.

Protecting communities around the world from harm and exploitation at the hands of organized crime and terrorist networks requires collective action. Those of you here today recognize the need for broad collaboration—not only within governments and between governments but with a wide array of partners outside of government.

Nearly one year ago, President Obama released the National Security Strategy to Combat Transnational Organized Crime. The Strategy challenges the U.S. government and our international partners to work together to combat crime networks and terrorists not as separate threats, but as interlocking groups that use common tools and strategies to inflict harm on society.

From the FARC in Colombia to the Taliban in Afghanistan to al-Shabaab in Kenya, we are witnessing how terrorists and insurgents turn to transnational organized crime as they finance and carry out violent acts. With each act, they intend to destabilize democratic governments and intimidate civilian populations. The same forces of globalization that have stimulated economic growth and the movement of people and goods throughout the global economy also present new opportunities that terrorists and criminals can exploit. The convergence of these criminal and terrorist threats undermines good governance, development, the rule of law, and the integrity of competitive markets.

Terrorists and criminals also take advantage of cultures of corruption to further their illicit enterprises. From corrupt public officials to courts that tolerate impunity, criminals and terrorists thrive where accountability falters and good governance fails. It is vital that we fight corruption and empower citizens to promote transparency and accountability in their communities. The Open Government Partnership, which the United States launched with the United Kingdom and many other countries last year, is one innovative way that we are increasing reforms around accountability and transparency so that criminal actors have less room to operate.

As we devote more attention to the threat of crime-terror interaction, we shrink the space in which terrorists and criminals maneuver. Beginning today, we will redouble our efforts to enhance international cooperation to fight against these threat networks, and against those who conspire to harm our governments, our economies, and our communities.

So thank you for your efforts in this important area. I now have the pleasure of passing the microphone to Philip Barton, the Deputy Head of Mission of the United Kingdom here in Washington.

PANETTA RECOGNIZE PARALYMPIC WARRIORS

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta congratulates Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Ronald Sullivan at the 2012 Warrior Games recognition ceremony held in the Pentagon courtyard, June 25, 2012. DOD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley  

Panetta, Army Chief Recognize Paralympic Warriors' Achievements
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.
WASHINGTON, June 25, 2012 - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta today led a Pentagon celebration for wounded warriors who competed in Paralympic sports during the upcoming 2012 Warrior Games.
"It is, for me, a real pleasure to have
 the opportunity to be with you today, and to especially be with our warrior athletes and their families," Panetta said. "It's an honor for me to be able to celebrate the remarkable achievements that all of you have done, [and] your resilience.

"I cannot tell you how much you inspire us with your courage, with your determination, with athletic prowess, [and] with your physical strength," he added. "It's an incredible inspiration."

Panetta was joined by Gen. Ray Odierno, Army chief of staff, and Charlie Huebner, chief of Paralympics for the U.S. Olympic Committee.

"It's an important day for all of us," Odierno said. "We recognize incredibly inspirational and motivated young men and women."

The Army chief noted that 50 world-class athletes representing the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps, as well as U.S. Special Operations Command and the Coast Guard, were on hand for the ceremony to represent the 220 total participants in the Warrior Games, held in Colorado Springs, Colo., April 30 to May 5. The Marines, Odierno said, won the coveted Chairman's Cup with a total of 89 medals.

"Athletics has always been key to our military culture," Odierno said. "In 1928, Army Gen. Douglas MacArthur was given a leave of absence authorized by the 12th Army chief of staff, Gen. Charles Summerall, to serve as the president of the American Olympic Committee – predecessor of the U.S. Olympic Committee."

MacArthur went on to lead the U.S. Olympic team to winning the most medals at the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam, Odierno said. Women were allowed to compete officially for the first time in those games, he noted.

Panetta praised the perseverance of all the wounded warriors for their ability to overcome immense odds.

"I believe the strength, the integrity, the character of many American service members who have persevered in the face of huge challenges," he said. "Their stories represent the fighting spirit of the brave men and women who serve on the front lines around the world."

Panetta referred to Navy Lt. Brad Snyder, who was present at the celebration, as an example. Snyder was blinded while serving as an explosive ordnance disposal technician, the secretary said, but he refused to give up hope.

"He was determined not to let the loss of his sight stop him," Panetta said, noting that Snyder has competed at a high level in track and swimming, earning three gold medals in track and four in swimming during the games. Additionally, the secretary said, Snyder won all five of his swimming events during the U.S. Paralympic swimming trials and set a world-best time for vision-impaired athletes in the 100- and 200-meter freestyle events.

"When Brad steps up to the blocks in London on Sept. 7 to compete in the Paralympic games, it will be one year to the day since his injury," Panetta said. "Brad, we're all in awe of your determination and personal spirit, and all of us are going to be cheering your success in London."

The secretary noted that he often meets hospitalized warriors just days after they've been wounded in battle. "In that acute phase of recovery," he said, "I know that it's hard for some to imagine ever competing for an athletic event."

Panetta lauded the "sheer guts" these warrior athletes displayed in overcoming their mental and physical obstacles and called it "a miracle of emotional, physical and mental strength."

The defense secretary said the nation owes it to all of its wounded warriors to never forget their service and sacrifice, and that the Defense Department is committed to helping them to return to service or transition to civilian life.

"The American people and communities throughout our nation must be partners in this effort, and they are," Panetta said. "In the past decade of war, we've learned a lot about treating our wounded warriors, including the value of sports, competition, of recreation and strengthening minds and strengthening bodies. We owe these brave young people no less than the very best. As a nation, we are truly blessed by the men and women in uniform who are willing to put their lives on the line to protect this country."