GIBSON GUITAR CORP. RESOLVES CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION WITH JUSTICE DEPARTMENT

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Monday, August 6, 2012
Gibson Guitar Corp. Agrees to Resolve Investigation into Lacey Act Violations
Gibson Guitar Corp. entered into a criminal enforcement agreement with the United States today resolving a criminal investigation into allegations that the company violated the Lacey Act by illegally purchasing and importing ebony wood from Madagascar and rosewood and ebony from India.
The agreement was announced today by Assistant Attorney General Ignacia S. Moreno of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, Jerry Martin, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee and Dan Ashe, Director of the Department of the Interior’s U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
The criminal enforcement agreement defers prosecution for criminal violations of the Lacey Act and requires Gibson to pay a penalty amount of $300,000. The agreement further provides for a community service payment of $50,000 to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to be used to promote the conservation, identification and propagation of protected tree species used in the musical instrument industry and the forests where those species are found. Gibson will also implement a compliance program designed to strengthen its compliance controls and procedures. In related civil forfeiture actions, Gibson will withdraw its claims to the wood seized in the course of the criminal investigation, including Madagascar ebony from shipments with a total invoice value of $261,844.
In light of Gibson’s acknowledgement of its conduct, its duties under the Lacey Act and its promised cooperation and remedial actions, the government will decline charging Gibson criminally in connection with Gibson’s order, purchase or importation of ebony from Madagascar and ebony and rosewood from India, provided that Gibson fully carries out its obligations under the agreement, and commits no future violations of law, including Lacey Act violations.
"As a result of this investigation and criminal enforcement agreement, Gibson has acknowledged that it failed to act on information that the Madagascar ebony it was purchasing may have violated laws intended to limit overharvesting and conserve valuable wood species from Madagascar, a country which has been severely impacted by deforestation," said Assistant Attorney General Moreno. "Gibson has ceased acquisitions of wood species from Madagascar and recognizes its duty under the U.S. Lacey Act to guard against the acquisition of wood of illegal origin by verifying the circumstances of its harvest and export, which is good for American business and American consumers."
"The Department of Justice is committed to enforcing the laws enacted by Congress," said U.S. Attorney Martin. "Failure to do so harms those who play by the rules and follow the law. This criminal enforcement agreement goes a long way in demonstrating the government’s commitment to protecting the world’s natural resources. The agreement is fair and just in that it assesses serious penalties for Gibson’s behavior while allowing Gibson to continue to focus on the business of making guitars."
"The Lacey Act’s illegal logging provisions were enacted with bipartisan support in Congress to protect vanishing foreign species and forest ecosystems, while ensuring a level playing field for America’s forest products industry and the people and communities who depend on it," said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Ashe. "We’re pleased that Gibson Guitar Corp. has recognized its duties under the Lacey Act to guard against the acquisition of wood of illegal origin from threatened forests and has taken responsibility for actions that may have contributed to the unlawful export and exploitation of wood from some of the world’s most threatened forests."
Since May 2008, it has been illegal under the Lacey Act to import into the United States plants and plant products (including wood) that have been harvested and exported in violation of the laws of another country. Congress extended the protections of the Lacey Act, the nation’s oldest resource protection law, to these products in an effort to address the environmental and economic impact of illegal logging around the world.
The criminal enforcement agreement includes a detailed statement of facts describing the conduct for which Gibson accepts and acknowledges responsibility. The facts establish the following:
Madagascar Ebony is a slow-growing tree species and supplies are considered threatened in its native environment due to over-exploitation. Both legal and illegal logging of Madagascar Ebony and other tree species have significantly reduced Madagascar’s forest cover. Madagascar’s forests are home to many rare endemic species of plants and animals . The harvest of ebony in and export of unfinished ebony from, Madagascar has been banned since 2006.
Gibson purchased "fingerboard blanks," consisting of sawn boards of Madagascar ebony, for use in manufacturing guitars. The Madagascar ebony fingerboard blanks were ordered from a supplier who obtained them from an exporter in Madagascar. Gibson’s supplier continued to receive Madagascar ebony fingerboard blanks from its Madagascar exporter after the 2006 ban. The Madagascar exporter did not have authority to export ebony fingerboard blanks after the law issued in Madagascar in 2006.
In 2008, an employee of Gibson participated in a trip to Madagascar, sponsored by a non-profit organization. Participants on the trip, including the Gibson employee, were told that a law passed in 2006 in Madagascar banned the harvest of ebony and the export of any ebony products that were not in finished form. They were further told by trip organizers that instrument parts, such as fingerboard blanks, would be considered unfinished and therefore illegal to export under the 2006 law. Participants also visited the facility of the exporter in Madagascar, from which Gibson’s supplier sourced its Madagascar ebony, and were informed that the wood at the facility was under seizure at that time and could not be moved.
After the Gibson employee returned from Madagascar with this information, he conveyed the information to superiors and others at Gibson. The information received by the Gibson employee during the June 2008 trip, and sent to company management by the employee and others following the June 2008 trip, was not further investigated or acted upon prior to Gibson continuing to place orders with its supplier. Gibson received four shipments of Madagascar ebony fingerboard blanks from its supplier between October 2008 and September 2009.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with assistance from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The case was handled by the Environmental Crimes Section of the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee.

U.S.-CAMBODIA RELATIONS

Map Credit:  U.S. State Department
FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT

Over the last several decades of the 20th century, the United States and Cambodia established, broke off, and reestablished relations as a result of armed conflict and government changes in Cambodia.

 Full diplomatic relations were established after the freely elected Royal Government of Cambodia was formed in 1993. In recent years, bilateral relations between the U.S. and Cambodia have deepened and broadened. The two countries have worked together to increase trade and address challenges from promoting regional security and democracy to expanding global health and development. The U.S. supports efforts in Cambodia to combat terrorism, reduce the prevalence of HIV/AIDS, build democratic institutions, promote human rights, foster economic development, eliminate corruption and trafficking in persons, achieve the fullest possible accounting for Americans missing from the Indochina conflict in the 1960s and 1970s, and to bring to justice those most responsible for serious violations of international humanitarian law committed under the 1975-79 Khmer Rouge regime.

U.S. Assistance to CambodiaCambodia is at peace after decades of conflict, although important challenges remain. Cambodia relies heavily on foreign assistance--about half of the central government budget depends on donor aid. U.S. assistance makes significant contributions to the country’s development. In 2010, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)-administered assistance was approximately $70 million for programs in health, education, governance, and economic growth.

Bilateral Economic RelationsCambodia's economy suffers from the legacy of decades of war and internal strife. The economy is heavily dollarized; the dollar and riel can be used interchangeably. The U.S. normalized economic relations with the country in 1992 and is one of Cambodia's major trading partners. Manufacturing output is concentrated in the garment sector, and garments dominate Cambodia's exports, especially to the U.S. and the European Union.

Cambodia's Membership in International OrganizationsCambodia became a member of the United Nations in 1955 following independence from France in 1953. Cambodia and the United States belong to a number of the same international organizations, including the UN, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organization

U.S. DOJ REACHES AGREEMENT WITH ALABAMA SCHOOL DISTRICT ON RACE BASED EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Friday, August 3, 2012

Justice Department Reaches Agreement with Alabama School District to End the Use of Race in Extracurricular Activities

The Justice Department announced today that it reached an out-of-court agreement with the Escambia County School District in Alabama to end the use of race-based selection criteria for homecoming courts and other student activities in two of the district’s high schools.

In response to the department’s inquiry earlier this year, the district indicated that two of its high schools considered race in certain student elections. Escambia County High School permitted students to elect two homecoming queens and two homecoming attendants, one African-American and one not. Another school, W.S. Neal High School, had a similar longstanding practice of using race-based criteria for election of students to its Valentine’s Day courts.

To resolve the department’s concerns over these practices, the Escambia County Board of Education voluntarily adopted a district-wide non-discrimination policy for extracurricular activities. The policy will end the use of race-based election and selection criteria in all student activities. The agreement requires the district to fully implement and enforce its new non-discrimination policy, to notify parents and students of changes to student election practices and to provide compliance reports to the department for at least one year.

"We commend the Escambia County Board of Education for acting swiftly to abolish the use of race in student activities and to ensure that no student is denied participation in any extracurricular activity based on race," said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. "It is time for the once common practice of segregating students by race in school activities to come to an end."

The use of race-based selection and election criteria in public schools’ extracurricular activities, including homecoming courts, proms and similar activities is prohibited by Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bars public school districts, colleges and universities from discriminating against students on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex and religion. The department has challenged such practices in a number of school districts over the years, including, most recently, settling with the Nettleton School District in Mississippi in 2011 to abolish race-based selection and election procedures for class officers, homecoming courts and student superlatives.

30TH ANNIVERSARY OF LAUNCH OF DSCS SATELLITE

FROM: U.S. AIR FORCE SLPACE COMMAND
AFSPC Milestone: First DSCS Satellite Launch
8/5/2012 - Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. -- As Air Force Space Command approaches its 30th Anniversary on 1 Sep, here is a significant milestone from the command's history...

On 30 October 1982, the first Defense Satellite Communications System (DSCS-III) satellite was launched from Cape Canaveral AFS, Fla. As the backbone of the U.S. military's global satellite communications capabilities, the DSCS constellation provides nuclear-hardened, anti-jam, high data rate, long-haul communications to users worldwide.

DSCS supports the defense communications system, the Army's ground mobile forces, the Air Force's airborne terminals, Navy ships at sea, the White House Communications Agency, the State Department, and special users. Overall DSCS responsibility resides in the United States Strategic Command, but is supported by the 3rd Space Operations Squadron at Schriever AFB, Colo.

36 "GREEN" VEHICLES IN HAWAII

120730-N-UZ680-041 JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii (July 30, 2012) Capt. John Coronado, commanding officer of Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Hawaii, takes a two-passenger Vantage electric cargo van slow-moving vehicle (SMV) for a spin around the command's main transportation compound. The truck is one of 36 SMVs NAVFAC Hawaii purchased to replace the aging vehicles currently in service. (U.S. Navy photo by Thomas Obungen/Released)

FROM: U.S. NAVY
NAVFAC Hawaii Adds 36 Electric Vehicles to JBPHH Inventory
By Thomas Obungen, Naval Facilities Engineering Command Hawaii

Pearl Harbor (NNS) -- Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Hawaii, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam's (JBPHH) installation transportation manager, officially added 36 electric Slow-Moving Vehicles (SMVs) to its inventory, July 30.

"These SMVs offer a safer and smarter alternative to the smaller, outdated neighborhood electric vehicles that have been in use for the past 10 years," said Capt. John Coronado, NAVFAC Hawaii commanding officer. "A range of 40 miles and maximum speed of 25 mph make them perfect for commuting in and around JBPHH, transporting people, tools, and supplies to keep our fleet ready."

The models, manufactured by Vantage Vehicle International, Inc., include two- and four-passenger trucks and cargo vans and have virtually the same capability as full-size automobiles. They also have hard doors, windshield wipers, air conditioning/heat, radio, and instrument gauges, which other SMVs do not. Vantage SMVs use conventional 110-volt charging cables; however, each one is also equipped with a roof-mounted solar panel to reduce time and resources at the charging station, while extending battery life and usage.

Distribution of the new vehicles will first be to commands that already have SMVs and power stations in place. NAVFAC Hawaii plans to purchase more vehicles in the future to keep up with the president's fossil fuel reduction mandate.

In addition, new charging stations supplemented by photovoltaic systems on their roofs are on track for installation at NAVFAC Hawaii's main transportation compound off USS Russell Avenue within the next year.

TASK FORCE ON CHILDREN EXPOSED TO VIOLENCE GOES BEFORE CONGRESS

Task Force co-chairs Robert Listenbee, Jr. and Joe Torre, and Melodee Hanes, Acting Administrator, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Photo Credit: U.S. Department of Justice.FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Attorney General Eric Holder’s Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence Briefs Congress
August 6th, 2012 Posted by Tracy Russo
The following post appears courtesy of Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs, Mary Lou Leary
Over the last year, the Attorney General’s Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence has traveled the country, listening to practitioners, policymakers, academics, concerned citizens, and victims. Its goal was to find out how violence and abuse are affecting our kids and our communities and to explore what actions we can take to prevent children’s exposure to violence and mitigate its effects. The problem is an urgent one, one Attorney General Eric Holder says "we can’t afford to ignore."
On Wednesday, July 25 the Task Force Co-Chairs went to Congress to report on its progress – to a standing-room only crowd of more than 100 people eager to learn how to stop the national epidemic of children’s exposure to violence.
Task force co-chairs Joe Torre, Yankee legend and executive vice president of baseball operations for Major League Baseball, and Robert Listenbee, Jr., chief of the Juvenile Unit of the Defender Association of Philadelphia, led the briefing, describing their comprehensive work since the task force launch in October 2011. They discussed many lessons learned through four public hearings in Baltimore, Albuquerque, Miami and Detroit and three listening sessions in Anchorage, Oakland and Joint Base Lewis-McChord outside Tacoma, WA.
The variety of sites gave the task force members the big picture of violence in America. "People think violence is an urban problem, but tribal area statistics are sometimes worse…while rural areas have difficulty getting resources," noted Co-chair Listenbee. The task force heard personal testimony from 65 people from 27 states and the District of Columbia. These included survivors of violence, young people, social service providers, medical personnel, researchers, practitioners, advocates, tribal and local officials, private foundation representatives, and community residents.
Torre, who established the Joe Torre Safe At Home Foundation to give children relief from violence in their homes, had everyone’s rapt attention when he described the impact of witnessing abuse as a child:
"It took decades before I finally started to talk about the violence in my childhood," he said. "And as the task force has heard from one person after another, things haven’t changed enough. Every child deserves a safe home, a safe school, and a safe community….They need our help. And we need their help. Children are a part of the solution. Awareness is a part of the solution. Some people think it’s just a part of society that we can’t do anything about. But we can do something about it. It’s our responsibility to take care of our kids. Even if they don’t have the same last name, they’re our kids."
The Attorney General often says that children’s exposure to violence is not an issue the Department of Justice – or any one agency or organization – can take on alone. It will take all of us – working together. And with the momentum we’ve generated through our Defending Childhood Initiative, the information and insights we’ve gained through the Task Force, and the tremendous support and leadership shown by everyone here, I know we will find a way to make America safer for our children.

TO ALL MARTIANS: WE COME IN PEACE TO BLAST YOUR PLANET WITH A LASER

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
FROM: LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABORATORY
Los Alamos Laser Instrument Arrives on Red Planet’s Surface
LANL ChemCam to be tested soon and will begin probing Mars mysteries

LOS ALAMOS, NEW MEXICO, August 6, 2012—Los Alamos National Laboratory scientists are elated by Sunday’s successful landing of NASA’s Curiosity rover on Mars, and are ready to begin a nearly two-year-long mission that will use a rock-zapping laser device mounted on the mast of the SUV-sized rover to help unravel mysteries of the Red Planet. The ChemCam laser characterization instrument was developed at LANL and the French space institute, IRAP.

"I can’t describe the feeling when we realized that Curiosity had landed safely on the planet," said LANL planetary scientist Roger Wiens, principal investigator of the Mars Science Laboratory mission’s ChemCam team. "My own curiosity about Mars began when I was a boy, and having an instrument that I’ve handled land on the Martian surface fulfills a lifelong dream that started long ago with a backyard telescope. This is an extremely happy, fulfilling moment."

The ChemCam system is one of 10 instruments mounted on the MSL mission’s Curiosity rover—a six-wheeled mobile laboratory that will roam more than 12 miles of the planet’s surface during the course of one Martian year (98 Earth weeks). When ChemCam fires its extremely powerful laser pulse, it briefly focuses the energy of a million light bulbs onto an area the size of a pinhead. The laser blast vaporizes part of its target up to seven meters (23 feet) away.

The resultant flash of glowing plasma is viewed by the system’s 4.3-inch aperture telescope, which records the colors of light within the flash. These spectral colors are then interpreted by a spectrometer, enabling scientists to determine the elemental composition of the vaporized material. ChemCam also has a high-resolution camera that provides close-up images of an analyzed location. It can image a human hair from seven feet away.

The core ChemCam team is comprised of Los Alamos National Laboratory researchers and scientists from IRAP, a partner institution in Toulouse, France. Scientists from around the U.S., France, Canada, and the United Kingdom, along with post-doctoral researchers and students from LANL, round out the entire 45-person team.

Sometime around August 10 (sol 4 in Martian days after landing), the ChemCam team expects to take images of calibration targets mounted on the Rover. These initial tests will help scientists determine the integrity of the ChemCam system and the pointing capability of the rover’s mast, which supports ChemCam’s laser and telescope.

The ChemCam instrument is the first to perform active remote sensing on the surface of the Red Planet. It can deliver three laser pulses each second to a single area, or it can quickly zap multiple areas, providing researchers with great versatility for sampling the surface of the planet. The first few laser pulses remove dust that would otherwise obscure the target surface, enabling scientists to observe the underlying sample. In that sense, the laser is like a long arm that can reach out more than twenty feet and brush off a sample before analysis.

The laser can profile through and study surface coatings on rocks, which, Earth scientists have learned, can often provide important clues to climate and water interaction, and can indicate biological interaction with surface materials. ChemCam is designed to look for lighter elements such as hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen, all of which are crucial for life, as well as to determine abundances of other elements.

After firing its laser, the ChemCam system looks at the entire visible spectrum as well as portions on either side (the infrared and ultraviolet), which gives the instrument the ability to see any element in the periodic table. Researchers expect to take the first analyses of the Martian surface sometime on or after sol 11 or 12 (August 17-18). The system is designed to capture as many as 14,000 observations throughout the mission.

Curiosity is expected to investigate the Gale Crater located close to the equator near the boundary between the southern highlands and the more featureless northern low plains of Mars. The massive crater spans 96 miles in diameter, an area roughly equivalent to the size of Connecticut and Rhode Island combined. A towering mountain, informally named Mount Sharp, rises up nearly three miles above the crater floor. This mammoth feature will provide opportunities for ChemCam to sample geologic layers on the mountainside.

"The amazing thing about the mountain in Gale crater is that it appears from orbit to be entirely sedimentary material," said Nina Lanza, a post-doctoral researcher in LANL’s International, Space, and Response (ISR) division. "This is a collection of sedimentary layers that is nearly three times higher than the Grand Canyon is deep."

Probing this stratified geology with ChemCam could help researchers understand how the Red Planet transformed over time into a drier, less hospitable climate.

Los Alamos also has roles in other aspects of the Mars Science Laboratory. Dave Vaniman of LANL’s Earth and Environmental Sciences Division is deputy leader of another instrument called CheMin, which uses X-ray diffraction to determine the composition of mineral samples collected and dropped into a funnel on the Curiosity rover.

Los Alamos also provided radioisotope fuel processing and encapsulation for the rover's electrical power generator and heat source, called a Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG). The generator keeps the rover's battery charged night and day, giving Curiosity the potential of being the longest-operating, farthest-traveling, most-productive Mars surface mission in history.

Weighing nearly a ton, Curiosity is the largest rover ever deployed to another planet. Previously, NASA sent a pair of much smaller rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, to Mars in January 2004. Both rovers gathered a wide range of rock and soil data that have helped provide important information about the wet environments on ancient Mars that may have been favorable to supporting microbial life. The Opportunity rover continues to gather data and send images and information back to Earth—surpassing its planned mission by many years

FORMER ALABAMA GOVERNOR SIEGELMAN RE-SENTENCED FOR VARIOUS CRIMES

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Friday, August 3, 2012
Former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman Re-Sentenced on Bribery, Conspiracy, Fraud and Obstruction of Justice Charges

WASHINGTON – Former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman was resentenced today to serve 78 months in prison for his role in bribery, conspiracy, fraud and obstruction of justice charges involving former HealthSouth CEO Richard M. Scrushy, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Louis V. Franklin Sr. of the Middle District of Alabama.

At a hearing today in Montgomery, Ala., in addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Mark Fuller ordered Siegelman to serve three years of supervised release and to pay a $50,000 fine. Siegelman was originally convicted by a federal jury in June 2006 of seven counts of an indictment, involving bribery, conspiracy to commit honest services mail fraud, honest services mail fraud and obstruction of justice.

In June 2007, Siegelman began serving a prison term on those convictions, but was released on bond in March 2008, pending an appeal in which two honest services mail fraud counts were reversed. All of the five remaining counts were upheld in two opinions of the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court denied further appellate review. The district court reviewed and denied all of Siegelman’s various claims for a new trial prior to his re-sentencing today.

Siegelman stands convicted of bribery, conspiracy and honest services mail fraud arising from a scheme in which Scrushy paid $500,000 to control a seat on the state regulatory board governing HealthSouth. Siegelman further stands convicted of obstruction of justice arising from a federal investigation of an alleged pay-to-play scheme with Alabama businessman Clayton "Lanny" Young.

"The outcome of this case reflects the unflagging commitment of the Department of Justice to hold public officials accountable for corruption," said Assistant Attorney General Breuer. "The Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section is determined to continue to vigorously pursue bribery cases involving federal, state and local officials."

"Today’s sentence is another welcomed step toward closure to a dark chapter in Alabama politics. Six years after the trial jury rendered its verdict, and the appellate courts reviewed the evidence, former Governor Don Siegelman remains convicted for the serious felonious crimes he committed while serving as governor of Alabama. The verdict, the appellate review and the sentence have energized my faith in our legal system and renewed my commitment to prosecute politicians who commit bribery, honest services mail fraud, conspiracy and obstruction of justice. I am very proud of the courage displayed by everyone who assisted in the prosecution of this very significant and important case," said Acting U.S. Attorney Franklin.

The case is currently being prosecuted by Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama Louis V. Franklin Sr., a senior career prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and Richard C. Pilger, Director of the Election Crimes Branch of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section.

After the cancer

After the cancer

NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN AUGUST 6, 2012

120327-M-VH365-057 MANAS AIR FORCE BASE, Kyrgyzstan (March 27, 2012) U.S. Marines and Sailors assigned to Headquarters and Service Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 6, are seated in a U.S. Air Force Boeing C-17 Globe Master III military transport aircraft at Manas Air Force Base, Manas, Kyrgyzstan. Marines and Sailors were in transition to Afghanistan to begin a 7-month deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Sean M. Searfus/Released)

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Airstrike Kills Several Insurgents in AfghanistanCompiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases

WASHINGTON, Aug. 6, 2012 - A coalition airstrike killed several insurgents during a search for a Taliban leader in the Achin district of Afghanistan's Nangarhar province today, military officials reported.

During the operation, an armed group of insurgents attempted to attack the Afghan and coalition troops, officials said. The security force positively identified the armed insurgents and engaged them with a precision airstrike.

While conducting a post-strike assessment, the security force confirmed the strike had killed several of the insurgent attackers, officials said. The security force also confirmed the strike had not injured any civilians or damaged any civilian property. The security force detained one suspected insurgent.

Also today in the Terayzai district of Khost province, an Afghan-led, coalition-supported force detained several suspects during a search for a Haqqani leader. The sought-after Haqqani leader has conducted several attacks against Afghan and coalition forces in recent months. He also is responsible for acquiring weapons for insurgents in the province.

In operations yesterday:

-- Haqqani network leader Hakimi was killed by a coalition airstrike in the Muhammad Aghah district of Logar province. Hakimi had served directly under the Haqqani leader for the Muhammad Aghah district and was directly involved in the transport of explosives and weapons to insurgents throughout the region. The airstrike did not injure any civilians or damage civilian property.

-- A coalition airstrike killed several insurgents during a search for a Haqqani leader in the Tsamkani district of Paktia province. The airstrike did not injure any civilians or damage any civilian property.

-- In Ghanzi province, a combined force found and cleared an improvised explosive device in the Gelan district and cleared another IED in the Ghazni district.

-- A combined force detained five insurgents who were emplacing an IED in Khost province's Sabari district.

-- A combined force detained five insurgents in Khost province's Gurbuz district.

-- A combined force discovered an ammunition cache in Khost province's Sabari district.

-- In Nangarhar province, a combined force detained two insurgents who were emplacing an IED in the Bati Kot district.

-- A combined force killed two insurgents and wounded two others in the Jani Khel district of Paktika province.

-- In Wardak province, a combined force found and cleared an IED in the Sayyidabad district and another in the Maidan Shahr district.

-- A combined force detained an insurgent who was found with IED-making materials in Wardak province's Maidan Shahr district.

-- In the Baraki Barak district of Logar province, a combined force killed an insurgent, detained several suspects and seized multiple weapons during an operation to arrest a Taliban leader.

In other news, Mufti Assad, also known as Mufti Punjabi, Abdul Qudus and Sufyan, the al-Qaida network leader for Kunar province, was killed Aug. 3 in an airstrike in the Watahpur district of Kunar province. Assad led dozens of al-Qaida affiliated fighters throughout eastern Afghanistan and provided IED training to insurgents. Yusuf, Assad's al-Qaida network deputy, also was killed in the airstrike. Yusuf, also known as Omar and Rayhman, was an IED expert who directed insurgent attacks across eastern Afghanistan.

CURIOSITY REPORT AFTER LANDING ON MARS

FROM: NASA
NASA's most advanced Mars rover, Curiosity, has landed on the Red Planet. The one-ton rover, hanging by ropes from a rocket backpack, touched down onto Mars early Monday EDT to end a 36-week flight and begin a two-year investigation. President Obama said the landing "will stand as a point of national pride far into the future."
After seven dramatic minutes of entry, descent, and landing, everyone will want to know: did Curiosity survive? There’s a possibility we won’t know. At least not right away.

During its descent through the atmosphere, Curiosity must switch to a new antenna for each transformation it makes. At each switch, we could lose lock on the signal for a short time. That won’t hurt the rover. It just means we won’t know what’s happening right way.

Even with a solid signal, the communications link direct to Earth only works during the first half of the rover’s descent. Why? Like Earth, Mars is spinning – and during landing, Curiosity and its landing site will disappear from view, like the sun setting.

Out of sight equals the end of direct radio contact.

BUT…NASA has two spacecraft orbiting Mars that can help.

For the second half of Curiosity’s descent, the Mars Odyssey orbiter is in a good place to pick up the rover’s signal and send it right back to Earth. To best hear Curiosity’s signal, Odyssey must rotate about an hour before landing.

That sounds easy, but engineers are asking Odyssey to perform a maneuver it’s never tried before. Will it work? Probably. But it’s not a sure thing.

If Odyssey doesn’t rotate successfully, never fear! The rover won’t be affected whatsoever! Once again, it just means we have to wait longer to hear from the rover.

Odyssey could perform as hoped, but we’re still not home free! Engineers always think of ‘what ifs.’ For instance, what if the rover lands on a slope? If so, the low flying Odyssey orbiter might not be able to pick up its signal.

Even if everything goes according to plan with Odyssey, there’s a final challenge: time. The rover may be standing safe on Mars, but Odyssey has to be quick in getting the signal. Odyssey is moving fast. It will only be in the line of sight to hear from the rover for a few minutes--perhaps no more than 5.

So the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter plays the role of backup. It will also fly overhead to capture what happens and then store the landing data it collects onboard, for playback to Earth a few hours later. Engineers then have to decode the data, which takes several hours.

Sometime in the middle of the night for Curiosity’s mission team, it’s possible that the orbiter could tell us the rover’s fate.

Or, there are other scenarios where the rover might be perfectly safe, but we might not hear from it for three days.

That’s all to say: Curiosity’s landing is filled with drama and we’ll need lots of patience. No wonder they call this ‘rocket science.’


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U.S. Department of Defense Armed with Science Update

U.S. Department of Defense Armed with Science Update