Thursday, March 22, 2012
LOS ALAMOS PRODUCED MAGNETIC FIELD 2 MILLION TIMES GREATER THAN THE EARTH'S
The following excerpt is from the Los Alamos National Laboratory website:
Magnetic Field Researchers Target Hundred-Tesla Goal
Previous world record shattered during six-experiment pulse
LOS ALAMOS, NEW MEXICO, March 22, 2012—Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory’s biggest magnet facility today met the grand challenge of producing magnetic fields in excess of 100 tesla while conducting six different experiments. The hundred-tesla level is roughly equivalent to 2 million times Earth’s magnetic field.
“This is our moon shot, we’ve worked toward this for a decade and a half,” said Chuck Mielke, director of the Pulsed Field Facility at Los Alamos.
The team used the 100-tesla pulsed, multi-shot magnet, a combination of seven coils sets weighing nearly 18,000 pounds and powered by a massive 1,200-megajoule motor generator. There are higher magnetic fields produced elsewhere, but the magnets that create such fields blow themselves to bits in the process. The system at Los Alamos is instead designed to work nondestructively, in the intense 100-tesla realm, on a regular basis. The Los Alamos facility is one of three campuses forming the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (NHMFL).
Today’s 100.75-tesla performance produced research results for scientific teams from Rutgers University, École Nationale Supérieure d’Ingénieurs de Caen (ENSICAEN), McMaster University, University of Puerto Rico, University of Minnesota, Cambridge University, University of British Columbia, and Oxford University. The science that we expect to come out varies with the experiment, but can be summarized as:
Quantum Phase transitions and new ultra high field magnetic states
Electronic Structure determination
Topologically protected states of matter
“Congratulations to the Los Alamos team and our collaborators,” said LANL Director Charlie McMillan. “Their innovations and creativity are not only breaking barriers in science, but solving national problems in the process.”
In recent experiments, said Mielke, “the new magnet has allowed our users and staff to pin down the upper critical field of a new form of superconductor, discover two new magnetically ordered states in a material that has eluded scientists for nearly 30 years, observe magneto-quantum oscillations in a high temperature superconductor to unprecedented resolution, determine a topological state of a new material, and discover a new form of magnetic ordering in an advanced magnetic material.”
The LANL team set on August 18 last year a new world record for the strongest magnetic field ever delivered by a nondestructive magnet. The scientists achieved an enormous 97.4 tesla—a magnetic field nearly 100 times more powerful than the giant junkyard car-lifting magnets, and some 30 times stronger than the field delivered during a medical MRI scan. That record was broken this morning as the team ramped up the big magnet again, reaching 98.35 T, with an eye toward the afternoon’s 3-digit event.
Mielke said that since the team’s latest foray into magnetic fields above 90 tesla, they’ve demonstrated that they can measure:
Upper critical fields of superconductors—radio frequency contactless conductivity
Quantum magnetic transitions—magnetic susceptibility
Electrical resistivity—magnetotransport
Optical spectroscopy—visible light transmission
Crystallographic length change—fiber-optic dilatometry
“Now, at 100 tesla, we can focusing our efforts to get multiple user experiments completed in single magnet runs on the big magnets since they are so oversubscribed. More than a dozen people are working together to make this happen here at the Laboratory,” said Mielke.
The ability to create pulses of extremely high magnetic fields nondestructively provides researchers with an unprecedented tool for studying a range of scientific questions: from how materials behave under the influence of very high magnetic fields, to research into the quantum behavior of phase transitions in solids.
Researchers can explore extremes of low temperature and high magnetic field, which will contribute to our understanding of superconductivity, magnetic-field-induced phase transitions, and so-called quantum critical points, in which small changes in materials properties at very low temperature have dramatic effects on physical behavior. The magnet could also be used as a nanoscale microscope.
The Pulsed Field Facility at Los Alamos is one of three campuses of the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, the other two being at Florida State University, Tallahassee (continuous fields, magnetic resonance, and general headquarters) and the University of Florida Gainesville (ultra-low temperatures at high magnetic fields). The NHMFL is sponsored primarily by the National Science Foundation, Division of Materials Research, with additional support from the State of Florida and the U.S. Department of Energy.
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT ALLEGES GANG STOLE $4.6 MILLION IN JEWELRY
The following excerpt is from the Department of Justice website:
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Alleged Members of Jewelry Theft Ring Arrested
Atf-Led Investigation Ties Richmond, Va.-Based Ring to Alleged $4.6 Million in Thefts
WASHINGTON – Seven alleged members of a jewelry theft ring were arrested yesterday on charges related to their alleged roles in a highly sophisticated and violent organization that has stolen more than $4.6 million worth of jewelry from traveling jewelry sales representatives throughout Virginia and at least six other states. Charges against the individuals were unsealed today after the defendants made initial court appearances in Newport News, Va.
The arrests and charges were announced by Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Neil H. MacBride for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Daniel Kumor, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division.
“According to the charges unsealed today, members of this organized criminal group stole more than $4.6 million in jewelry from victims in Virginia and at least six other states,” said Assistant Attorney General Breuer. “The defendants allegedly operated their sophisticated scheme for more than two years, using intimidation and violence to carry it out. Organized criminal groups pose a serious threat to the safety and security of our communities, and we will continue to do everything in our power to bring them to justice.”
“This tight-knit group is accused of violently attacking traveling salesmen to rob them of more than $4.6 million in jewelry,” said U.S. Attorney MacBride. “This group did their homework. We allege they were dangerous, patient, extremely mobile and struck swiftly. We are grateful that the ATF and our law enforcement partners were just as patient, mobile and able to strike swiftly once we had identified those believed to be involved.”
“These arrests highlight the outstanding work that dedicated ATF agents and our law enforcement partners do to keep our streets safe,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Kumor. “This investigation required a lot of long hours and excellent coordination among investigators, prosecutors and agencies throughout the region, and epitomizes the fine work law enforcement does every day.”
According to court records, Alexander Cuadros-Garcia, aka “Alex,” “Brujo,” “Aleto” and “Manuel Gonzalez”, 37, of Richmond, Va., is accused of leading a team of individuals who specialized in conducting surveillance on jewelry stores to identify and then rob jewelry sales representatives and couriers. The ring is believed to have committed and attempted robberies since March 2010 in Prince William County, Henrico County, Virginia Beach, Williamsburg, McLean, Charlottesville, Harrisonburg and Roanoke in Virginia, as well as locations in New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, Maryland, Tennessee and California.
Court documents allege the ring has ties to South American theft groups, which are transnational criminal groups typically of Colombian nationality that work in teams to steal jewelry, gems and precious metals from individuals carrying hundreds of thousands of dollars in merchandise at one time.
The alleged members of the Richmond-based ring regularly conducted lengthy surveillance on jewelry stores to identify vulnerable individuals and then follow their targets back to the individuals’ hotel or home. In most of the alleged robberies, several men would suddenly appear as the victims approached or entered their car, punch out the car’s windows, threaten the victims at knife-point and steal the victims’ merchandise. In addition, the thieves would puncture the victims’ car tires and steal their cell phone to reduce the chance of pursuit or apprehension.
After a successful robbery, members of the ring allegedly traveled to New York to sell the merchandise to businessmen, who acted as “fences” and coordinated re-selling the stolen property or melting it down for future use.
In addition to Cuadros-Garcia, those arrested yesterday include the following:
Leonardo Ortiz, 41, aka “Luis Angel Arana-Garcia,” of North Chesterfield, Va., who allegedly participated in most of the robberies, conducted surveillance, structured cash and made numerous trips to New York to meet with the “fences.”
Lucesita Argueta, 32, aka “Lucy,” of Richmond, who allegedly participated in several robberies, conducted surveillance and coordinating with the “fences.”
Francisco Javier Montesrein-Rodriguez, 32, aka “Lois K,” “Lex” and “Luis Rodriguez,” of Henrico, Va., who allegedly participated in several robberies and heavily assisted with the surveillance activities of the theft ring.
Raul Antonio Escobar-Martinez, 37, aka “Tony,” of Richmond, who allegedly assisted with surveillance of theft victims and potential victims.
Jose Alfredo Rivero-Garcia, 51, aka “Alfredo” and “Jose Ribero,” of Richmond, who allegedly participated in the surveillance of prospective robbery victims.
Juanita Diaz, 42, of Henrico, Va., the ex-wife of Cuadros-Garcia, who allegedly assisted in structuring proceeds from the sale of the stolen property, registered cars used by conspirators and provided other assistance to the theft ring.
Cuadros Garcia, Ortiz, Argueta, Montesrein-Rodriguez and Rivero were arrested yesterday in the Fredericksburg, Va.,- area, while Diaz was arrested in Richmond and Escobar-Martinez was arrested in Texas.
Diaz was charged in the criminal complaint with conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The remaining defendants were charged with conspiracy to obstruct, delay and affect commerce by robbery and face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, if convicted.
The investigation of this case was led by the ATF’s Washington Field Division, with the assistance of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; the police departments in Williamsburg, Virginia Beach, Henrico County, Chesterfield, Prince William County and Fairfax County in Virginia, along with the Virginia State Police; the Baltimore County, Md., Police Department; the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey; the New York City Police Department; and the police departments in Rutherford, N.J., and Gwinnett County, Ga.; and the Morris County, N.J. Prosecutor’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric M. Hurt, Managing Assistant U.S. Attorney Howard Zlotnick and Trial Attorney Jerome Maiatico of the Organized Crime and Gang Section in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
Criminal complaints are only charges and not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty.
UNUSUAL SEAFLOOR MIXTURE OF ROCK TYPES
Atlantis Massif, showing the fault that borders this Atlantic Ocean seamount.
Credit: NOAA
March 21, 2012
Scientists recently concluded an expedition aboard the research vessel JOIDES Resolution to learn more about Atlantis Massif, an undersea mountain, or seamount, that formed in a very different way than the majority of the seafloor in the oceans.
Unlike volcanic seamounts, which are made of the basalt that's typical of most of the seafloor, Atlantis Massif includes rock types that are usually only found much deeper in the ocean crust, such as gabbro and peridotite.
The expedition, known as Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 340T, marks the first time the geophysical properties of gabbroic rocks have successfully been measured directly in place, rather than via remote techniques such as seismic surveying.
With these measurements in hand, scientists can now infer how these hard-to-reach rocks will "look" on future seismic surveys, making it easier to map out geophysical structures beneath the seafloor.
"This is exciting because it means that we may be able to use seismic survey data to infer the pattern of seawater circulation within the deeper crust," says Donna Blackman of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, Calif., co-chief scientist for Expedition 340T.
"This would be a key step for quantifying rates and volumes of chemical, possibly biological, exchange between the oceans and the crust."
Atlantis Massif sits on the flank of an oceanic spreading center that runs down the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
As the tectonic plates separate, new crust is formed at the spreading center and a combination of stretching, faulting and the intrusion of magma from below shape the new seafloor.
Periods of reduced magma supplied from the underlying mantle result in the development of long-lived, large faults. Deep portions of the crust shift upward along these faults and may be exposed at the seafloor.
This process results in the formation of an oceanic core complex, or OCC, and is similar to the processes that formed the Basin and Range province of the Southwest United States.
"Recent discoveries from scientific ocean drilling have underlined that the process of creating new oceanic crust at seafloor spreading centers is complex," says Jamie Allan, IODP program director at the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), which co-funds the program.
"This work significantly adds to our ability to infer ocean crust structure and composition, including predicting how ocean crust has 'aged' in an area," says Allan, "thereby giving us new tools for understanding ocean crust creation from Earth's mantle."
Atlantis Massif is a classic example of an oceanic core complex.
Because it's relatively young--formed within the last million years--it's an ideal place, scientists say, to study how the interplay between faulting, magmatism and seawater circulation influences the evolution of an OCC within the crust.
"Vast ocean basins cover most of the Earth, yet their crust is formed in a narrow zone," says Blackman. "We're studying that source zone to understand how rifting and magmatism work together to form a new plate."
The JOIDES Resolution first visited Atlantis Massif about seven years ago; the science team on that expedition measured properties in gabbro.
But they focused on a shallower section, where pervasive seawater circulation had weathered the rock and changed its physical properties.
For the current expedition, the team did not drill new holes.
Rather, they lowered instruments into a deep existing hole drilled on a previous expedition, and made measurements from inside the hole.
The new measurements, at depths between 800 and 1,400 meters (about 2,600-4,600 feet) below the seafloor, include only a few narrow zones that had been altered by seawater circulation and/or by fault slip deformation.
The rest of the measurements focused on gabbroic rocks that have remained unaltered thus far.
The properties measured in the narrow zones of altered rock differ from the background properties measured in the unaltered gabbroic rocks.
The team found small differences in temperature next to two sub-seafloor faults, which suggests a slow percolation of seawater within those zones.
There were also significant differences in the speed at which seismic waves travel through the altered vs. unaltered zones.
"The expedition was a great opportunity to ground-truth our recent seismic analysis," says Alistair Harding, also from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and a co-chief scientist for Expedition 340T.
"It also provides vital baseline data for further seismic work aimed at understanding the formation and alteration of the massif."
The Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) is an international research program dedicated to advancing scientific understanding of the Earth through drilling, coring and monitoring the subseafloor.
The JOIDES Resolution is a scientific research vessel managed by the U.S. Implementing Organization of IODP (USIO). Texas A&M University, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University and the Consortium for Ocean Leadership comprise the USIO.
Two lead agencies support the IODP: the U.S. National Science Foundation and Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.
Additional program support comes from the European Consortium for Ocean Research Drilling, the Australia-New Zealand IODP Consortium, India's Ministry of Earth Sciences, the People's Republic of China's Ministry of Science and Technology, and the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources.
THE PROMISED QUICK WAR IN IRAQ
The photo and following excerpt are from the Veterans Health Website:
Iraq’s Far-Reaching Anniversary
March 19, 2012 by Alex Horton
The news said it was supposed to be quick. A matter of weeks, according to some within the government.
It seemed right from where I was sitting on March 19, 2003. I was two months from high school graduation when the bombs fell over Baghdad. I snuck downstairs at night to watch bombs explode in hazy night-vision green on CNN.
My father left the Navy when I was young, but I can remember the stretches of time that he left for duty across the country. The military was practically a family tradition, and I wanted to take part in my generation’s fight. I remember feeling a sense of urgency, that the war might be over by the time I had a chance to fight it. My urge to enlist was outmatched by my years.
No one could tell at the time, but the war wasn’t going to end soon. It managed to stretch into the fall of 2003 and lead to stability operations, then counterinsurgency, and finally a transition to the Iraqi government late last year.
I joined the Army in 2004, and for a good chunk of that time, the war operated in the background, a far flung destination that I trained for every day. It was strange to know exactly when and where I’d be deploying. It wasn’t quite like the way it happened in movies, or for that matter, those who took part in the invasion. Their experience was a confusing roar into Baghdad and the uneasy feeling of insurgency rushing to fill the void of a standing army.
My experience was in the middle of a deployment cycle, like a particular release of Madden video game.
Iraq had my name on it since I was five years old and watched the first Gulf War unfold with my parents. I don’t believe in destiny, but events from that war had consequences more than a decade later, on a collision course with my desire to serve. But I couldn’t be more oblivious as I watched Baghdad light up twice in twelve years, never knowing that one day I’d sleep in buildings long destroyed by American missiles.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE BRIEFING ON VARIED TOPICS
The following excerpt is from the Department of Defense website:
March 21, 2012
Presenter: Pentagon Press Secretary George Little and Deputy Assistant
Secretary of Defense for Media Operations Capt. John Kirby
DOD News Briefing with George Little and Capt. Kirby from the Pentagon
GEORGE LITTLE: Good afternoon.
I have one brief scheduling announcement to make before taking your questions. On Monday, March 26th, Secretary Panetta will travel to Ottawa, Ontario, to meet with Canada's Minister of National Defense Peter MacKay and Mexico's Secretary of National Defense General Galvan and Secretary of the Navy Admiral Saynaz. This is an historic meeting, the first time that secretaries of defense from the United States, Canada and Mexico will meet together to discuss continental defense issues such as counternarcotics cooperation, support to humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations and trilateral support for North and South America's defense institutions.
Following these meetings, the leaders will answer questions from the media, which I'm sure will exclusively be focused on hemispheric defense progress.
Our host nation, Canada, will provide further logistical information later this week.
And with that, unless John has something to add, we'll go ahead and take your questions.
Q: (Inaudible) -- a couple of questions on the Robert Bales matter. Can you give us any indication of when charges will be filed? And secondly, Secretary McHugh on the Hill today said that he has directed the Army to review all the Army's mental health programs in light of the concern about wartime stress. Is Secretary Panetta considering any kind of a military-wide review of those programs?
DR. LITTLE: On the issue of charges, I don't have a specific date or time when they may be filed. On the broader issue, though, of whether -- of how this department is viewing mental health and stress on the force, this is something that, separate and apart from any specific instance, is a priority for us to look at.
And the secretary is fully aware of concerns that have been expressed about stress on the force. He talked a bit about this last week in Afghanistan. And it's something that he's kept his finger on the pulse on for some time. So I -- I'm unaware of any review that has been launched at this time. But it's something that we're bearing in mind.
CAPT. KIRBY: And he's fully supportive of what Secretary McHugh is doing.
DR. LITTLE: Sure.
Q: As far as the review by the Pakistani parliament is concerned, did you receive officially any copy of the number of controversial demands they are asking? One is that -- (inaudible) -- drone attacks must end immediately, and also, second, that U.S. must apologize to the Pakistanis for killing those 24, among other things, before they even talk to the U.S. and open up the doors of the supplies -- routes.
DR. LITTLE: I'm unaware that the Pakistani parliamentary review has been completed. And it's probably -- it's an ongoing process.
CAPT. KIRBY: It hasn't been completed. So there's -- it's an ongoing process, as far as we understand.
Q: Today's Washington Post has already reported, and Pakistani media has already been reporting. And the review has already been finalized, and the U.S. ambassador in Pakistan was already handed over with a copy of the review.
DR. LITTLE: We always, as a matter of course, welcome dialogue with our Pakistani partners. As we've discussed on many occasions, we realize that there have been bumps in the road over the past year or so. This is something we want to get beyond. And we believe that we can enhance cooperation.
Look, we're cooperating every day with the Pakistanis on a number of fronts.
We share common goals and common interests, particularly when it comes to the counterterrorism efforts.
So this is a critical issue for us. We are obviously willing to discuss with our Pakistani partners the outcome of the parliamentary review at the end of the day, and we'll see where that goes. But it would be premature for me to speculate on what the Pakistani parliament may share with us.
Q: But I think, just quickly -- follow quickly -- let's say whatever review and whatever official statement you get from them, or a copy, what they are saying is -- or I'll ask you -- as far as drone attacks are concerned now inside Pakistan, it's because there are still -- you believe there is still terrorism or al-Qaedas are still there?
And second, since Pakistan has not apologized to the U.S. for keeping Osama bin Laden and helping and keeping those terrorists and al-Qaedas inside Pakistan -- now they're asking you to apologize for these soldiers' killing -- are you willing to -- any kind of adjustment there? Or are you still asking the Pakistanis -- they should apologize for keeping Osama bin Laden?
DR. LITTLE: Let me try to unpack that a little bit. The United States and Pakistan have a common interest in thwarting terrorists. It's important that we work together to fight al-Qaeda and its militant allies. We believe that American counterterrorism operations in the region are important to taking al-Qaeda and other terrorists off the street.
There has been great success, and we've had great success working with the Pakistanis in going after terrorists. It's important to remember that the terrorist threat is not -- that emanates from that part of the world does not involve solely threats against the United States. Pakistanis have borne the brunt of terrorism. Pakistani blood has been spilled. And we recognize that this is a common fight and we have to work together.
And we're going to continue to pursue that cooperation, especially in the counterterrorism realm.
Q: Could we go back to Bales, please? There's been some reporting out of the region, out of Kandahar, that some residents of one of the small towns there -- they're alleging that after some sort of an attack on U.S. forces in early March, some American soldiers, and maybe some Afghan soldiers as well, lined up a bunch of the men in the village and threatened them. And said, you know, we're going to retaliate because of what happened.
Is there any -- is there -- does the U.S. military, or ISAF, anyone have any evidence that there was, number one, an attack in that area of Panjwaii against U.S. military vehicles, convoy, anything in early March that would have prompted that? And is there any reason to believe that they did this to these villagers?
CAPT. KIRBY: We're aware of the reporting that's come out of Kandahar, these press reports. And I know ISAF is looking into that and of course investigators are certainly looking into a whole realm of issues regarding this case. What I can tell you now is that we don't have any indication that either the attack that's being described occurred, and certainly no evidence that there were any threats of retaliation by U.S. soldiers. But investigators are looking at everything right now.
Q: Can I follow that? There were reports as well, coming from his -- Bales' attorney that Bales may have witnessed a fellow soldier badly injured the day or days before the murders happened. Have you guys been able to establish whether or not any other soldiers from that base were injured in the days prior?
CAPT. KIRBY: Certainly can't -- certainly can't rule out that something like that might have happened. But again, investigators are working through the whole realm of facts surrounding this case.
And we're just not going to get out ahead of that work in terms of trying to investigate here in a public forum what may or may not have been motivations.
Q: But we're not asking specifically, in this instance, about -- take it separate and apart from the investigation. Can you report that there was any attack or anything like Larry was talking -- (audio break) -- U.S. military was injured? There was one report that someone had lost their leg in an attack in the days -- I mean, just separate and apart from that, is there any operational reporting that proves there was an attack like that in the days leading up?
CAPT. KIRBY: Well, I'll just say it the same way. I can't rule out -- I can't rule it out right now for you that this individual IED incident occurred or didn't occur. I can't rule that out. We're taking a look at the whole realm of issues and incidents in the days leading up to the murders. And so I just -- I can't rule it out for you.
I can also tell you, on your other -- on your other question about the vehicle IED attack that's alleged and then the follow-on claims of retaliation by soldiers, we don't have any indication that there was that sort of a vehicle IED incident and certainly no evidence to support that soldiers were involved in threats of retaliation. But again, we got to let the investigators do their job. That's what they're trying to get answers to.
Q: So can I -- could I just follow up on that? I mean, so are you saying that you've checked with ISAF; they've gone through the SIGACTS reports and are saying that in the days before the incident, there were no vehicle IED attacks in that vicinity? I mean, just so I understand.
CAPT. KIRBY: I've been as clear as I can be, David. I'm not going to -- you know, I'm not going to go through chain of custody here. We just -- we've -- we're certainly interested in these reports too, these press reports. It's not like we ignore them. And we're just -- we just don't have any indication right now that those -- that what's being claimed happened, happened.
Q: But you can't say the same thing about the other events, that you have any indications -- that there's no indication of that?
CAPT. KIRBY: I can't -- as I said, I can't just -- the one that Larry was asking about -- you can't rule that out, but --
Q: You're sort of ruling out the other one by saying there's no evidence it happened, so I'm wondering why they can't make a similar judgment on the other one.
CAPT. KIRBY: I can't -- I'm not going to go any further than I just did.
DR. LITTLE: Dan.
Q: Do you have anything further about these reports that this shooter in France was arrested or detained in Kandahar previously, several months ago, and do you have anything on that?
DR. LITTLE: We don't have any information at this point that there's any link such as that. Given, though, the media reports, however, we are looking into it, and if we have an update to provide on that, we'll let you know.
Q: And then separately on Afghanistan, what is the latest on the -- on the future of private security contractors? And there's a lot of people expressing concern that this will affect NGOs and a lot of nonmilitary operations that are crucial to the whole mission. Do you have any more clarity on what's happening at this point?
CAPT. KIRBY: No.
Q: Are you concerned about the effect it has on all of the work, the development work that gets done, that it may not get done if there isn't security for those NGOs?
CAPT. KIRBY: I think we're working -- we're working closely with the Karzai government here on moving ahead. And we -- this isn't -- this isn't -- you know, the original forces were couched as an ‘extension’ of some sort. It's really less that than an indication that the -- that the process of transition to Afghan lead for security for these companies is at work. And we're confident that we're going to get there over time.
I mean, obviously, you -- individual companies or groups have got to make decisions for themselves, but we are -- we're very confident that it's moving in the right direction and that -- and that the Afghans will be capable of providing adequate security for these folks.
DR. LITTLE: Let me just make a broader point on Afghanistan. I mean, the fact that we're having these discussions with the Afghans about detention facilities; we entered into a detention facility MOU with them recently. We're discussing night operations.
As the secretary said last week in Kabul, he's confident that we're going to reach a strategic partnership agreement. This reflects a strong partnership with Afghanistan, strong dialogue with our Afghan partners and is part and parcel of the strategy that we've been implementing for some time. The whole goal of what we've been doing with the Afghans and our coalition partners is to transition over a period of time so that the Afghans can assert responsibility throughout their country for their own security and to govern themselves.
So I think that the discussions, whether it's over private security contractors or night operations or detention facilities, this is a sign of progress.
CAPT. KIRBY: (Inaudible.)
Q: Quick question on the budget: House Republicans have mentioned that in the FY '13 cycle they plan on making requests for certain weapons and programs that could potentially be used in an action against Iran. They've been pushing for it pretty hard on the Hill.
What I wanted to ask you is as the department sort of starts putting together these new program requests, starts moving them to Congress, can you give me an idea of what kind of programs are going to be included that could fall into that category? We've heard some Air Force folks talking about something like the massive ordnance penetrator, the MOP, as a weapon that could be used in those operations. Can you kind of put a little more meat on the bones with that?
DR. LITTLE: I'm not going to comment specifically on the classified reprogramming requests and media reports that are attached to them. We regularly engage with Congress to look at the reprogramming across a wide variety of needs throughout the Department of Defense, and I will leave it there.
CAPT. KIRBY: (Not enough meat?).
Q: What --
DR. LITTLE: Kevin?
Q: What about -- (off mic) -- topic?
DR. LITTLE: All right, OK, sure.
Q: On BRAC, we've already got now members in both houses, both parties, strong opposition to the BRAC idea and, just this morning, the authorizing subcommittee chair and ranking member all came out in saying they're -- they will not support it for 2013. So -- and one of the reasons they give is because of the European and Asia basing hasn't been settled yet.
So, two questions: One, what is the status of the Pacific realignment, which has to come first, the -- with getting -- (inaudible) -- plan? And secondly, how much does the Pentagon have to fight for BRAC in 2013 as to -- part of the budget plan that you submitted or is there already -- or, is it already time for Plan B?
DR. LITTLE: Well, again, BRAC was not part of the $487 billion proposal that we made to the Congress, but we thought it was a responsible thing to do, given the budgetary pressures that we're all under. We were really trying to exercise good fiscal discipline, and we thought it would be important to at least put BRAC on the table.
And we maintain that view. We believe that it's important for us to look at our military infrastructure, to see if additional -- call it, savings, can be achieved. So, I think that's where we are on BRAC at this -- at this stage. Kevin?
Q: Can I follow up on that?
Q: (Off mic) --
Q: You know, there's been -- some of the DOD officials testifying on the Hill have said that they can go ahead and shut down or downsize bases, but what -- they don't get BRAC authorization. Well, the 1977 law that, you know --
Q: Right.
Q: -- that basically set up the need for a BRAC limits to your ability to do anything that affects more than 300 civilian personnel. So how much can you really do without -- you know, without a congressional authorization?
DR. LITTLE: Well, as we've seen through previous BRAC processes, this is a conversation that needs to take place not just inside the Department of Defense but with the Congress and with local communities. We're aware of the concerns raised by BRAC. But again, as a -- as a fiscal matter, we think it's important to at least look at additional cost savings through this process.
Kevin, did you have a follow-up? I'm sorry.
Q: Yeah. I mean, it sounds like this is just a suggestion by the Pentagon, an offering, versus, you know -- you know, the -- all the DOD officials here today, we're saying that bringing down 72,000 in the Army and all the other -- and all the rest of it not only is -- you know, not only would it be nice to have a BRAC but would require pulling down, you know, all these facilities and billions in savings.
So is there any type of -- you know, is there -- do you guys have any kind of timeline of when this needs to happen or what -- you'd want to happen? Or is it really just that you're saying, as you seem to be saying --
DR. LITTLE: I'm not suggesting that this is just a notion or an idea. This is an actual proposal that we're making that the Congress consider a BRAC process, because, as you rightly point out, it's not just about reducing the strength of the -- or the size of the force. There is a great deal of infrastructure that supports the force, and if we're drawing down the force, it makes sense to look at that infrastructure to see where cost savings can be achieved.
So I don't have a particular time frame for you at this stage, but certainly we think it's important to look at BRAC in the coming years.
Q: George, I apologize if this came up during his trip, but did Secretary Panetta support the public release of the joint ISAF-Afghan investigation into the Quran burning?
DR. LITTLE: The decisions on release of investigations connected to the Quran burning -- those decisions have been -- not been made yet. At some point in the future we do expect that the findings will be released.
And he supports release of the findings. And we'll have to work with our Afghan partners on that particular investigation. Of course, we have our own U.S. investigation into what happened.
This is a very serious incident. You heard the secretary's words and saw them as well when it occurred. And it's important that we get to the bottom of it.
Q: So what's the status of the U.S.' own investigation?
CAPT. KIRBY: It's ongoing.
DR. LITTLE: It's ongoing.
CAPT. KIRBY: Investigator's still -- he's still doing his work. It's not been submitted up the chain to General Allen yet.
MR. LITTLE: John?
Q: Yesterday the president of South Korea said that his government is in talks with the U.S. about significantly extending the range of South Korea's surface-to-surface missiles so that they could cover all of North Korea. Can you confirm that those talks are taking place? And if so, would you be inclined to support that, or do you think that that action could be destabilizing?
DR. LITTLE: I'm not going to get into reports of private discussions with our Republic of Korea counterparts. But it is always a goal with our Korean partners to ensure that we do everything we can to maintain the defense of South Korea and to promote stability on the Korean Peninsula. And anything that harms that prospect is troublesome for both of us. We have an unwavering commitment to the security of the Republic of Korea, and we're not going to back down from it.
Q: But these aren't reports. I mean, the president of South Korea said that these talks are happening. So why can't DOD --
DR. LITTLE: We're always in dialogue with our South Korean partners on a wide range of issues. We have a large military presence, as you know, in the Republic of Korea. And we're always looking for ways to enhance defense cooperation and ways of promoting enhanced stability of South Korea and stability in the region.
John, anything? Jennifer?
Q: Does the Defense Department wish that the Haqqani group be listed as a terror group? And -- on the website of the State Department. And if not, why not?
CAPT. KIRBY: I don't -- I don't think that we have a position to state on that today. And so I wouldn't -- I'm not going to -- I don't have any comment for that on -- today.
What I will tell you is that military commanders in the field and certainly leaders here in the Pentagon view the Haqqani network as a significant threat to our efforts in Afghanistan and to the region writ large, but specifically to the coalition and to Afghan forces. And we continue to hit them hard every single day, particularly in RC East. But I'm not going to -- I don't have any comment on the designation.
DR. LITTLE: Courtney --
Q: I have another Bales question. His defense attorney has said that either he or some members of his staff may try to go to Kandahar themselves to investigate the scene. Would the U.S. military provide security for them on a trip like that? Is there any responsibility -- (off mic) -- or --
CAPT. KIRBY: No idea. We'll have to get back to you on that.
DR. LITTLE: Yes.
Q: Thanks. It is reported that the United States has a -- has a plan to send an inspection team to cover -- recover the remains of U.S. soldiers in North Korea. Can you confirm that?
DR. LITTLE: That we have a team in --
Q: Yeah.
DR. LITTLE: -- in North Korea?
Q: Inspection team.
DR. LITTLE: To --
Q: (Inaudible) --
DR. LITTLE: -- to recover remains of our -- of our fallen in North Korea? We have suspended that effort for the moment.
Remains recovery is obviously a top priority for this department.
We have thousands of service members who are unaccounted for. This includes service members from the Korean War.
We have suspended that effort because we believe that North Korea has not acted appropriately in recent days and weeks and that it's important for them to return to the standards of behavior that the international community has called for. We do hope at some point to be able to re-engage the effort. As I said, this is a top priority, but it's suspended for now.
Q: Do you have any time frame for the -- (inaudible)?
DR. LITTLE: I do not have a time frame for you.
Q: Is this inappropriate behavior related to the discovery of remains, or are you talking about --
DR. LITTLE: More broadly. More broadly, David.
Q: Talking about the rocket launch, (maybe ?)?
DR. LITTLE: Yeah, I mean, I think, you know, for instance, there, you know, are suggestions that the North Koreans might launch ballistic missiles. That would be in contravention of U.N. Security Council resolutions, and that is unacceptable behavior.
Q: George, can I follow up on that? I mean, you had meetings in Thailand specifically to reopen this operation in North Korea. And it was very involved. I mean, are you saying that there is linkage between all of this in the past, that -- because in the past this was seen as being separate. Now you're linking them. Is that what you're saying?
DR. LITTLE: Well, North Korea -- as I said, we hope to engage with them on remains recovery efforts. That's important. But when there are suggestions that they might launch ballistic missiles, when they make bellicose statements about South Korea and engage in actions that could be construed as provocative, we think that it's not the right time to undertake this effort. So we're hopeful that we will get past this period and that we can continue the remains recovery effort.
But it is on hold for the moment.
Q: Have they been informed of that?
DR. LITTLE: They're aware.
Q: George, does that also mean that the delivery of food aid, which was promised just less than a month or so ago, is also on hold?
CAPT. KIRBY: Look, fundamentally, this is about them meeting international obligations, which if they conduct this launch they said they're going to conduct, violates those obligations. And we have to hold them account -- to account for that, and we are. And I believe there will be other repercussions as a result of their continued pursuit of this particular launch, which could include that.
Q: (Off mic.)
DR. LITTLE: Oh, I don't have any specific date. We can get back to you on that, Courtney.
Q: This team was supposed to be in the North Korea in March. Can you confirm that they were never actually physically in North Korea, or were they -- and were they told to come back to the U.S. when they were physically on the ground?
CAPT. KIRBY: I don't think we know the exact disposition of the team, where and when they are exactly. I mean, we can find out for you. The bigger point is the one George made, which is that it's an important priority for us as a department to account for those mission service members and that North Korea now has an opportunity to meet its obligations and its commitments. It's -- you know, you this is -- this is their choice. And we call on them to do that.
Q: It'll be sometime next month, something?
DR. LITTLE: We don't have a time frame for you. Joe?
Q: Yes. On Syria?
MR. LITTLE: Yeah.
Q: Do you have any information about the latest suicide attacks in Syria? I mean, lately we heard DNI James Clapper accusing al-Qaeda of being behind those attacks.
Do you -- do you -- do you think al-Qaeda still is responsible for conducting these attacks?
DR. LITTLE: I wouldn't contradict what the director of national intelligence has said. We are concerned that al-Qaeda has had a hand in at least some violence in Syria, and that's deplorable.
Again, with respect to Syria, we think that it's important that the regime stop its violence and brutality against the Syrian people. We believe that the Syrian people deserve much better than what they're getting from their own government. And we continue to, with international partners, put significant diplomatic and economic pressure on the Syrian regime, and, you know, we believe that that can have an impact. But the Syrian regime must stop what it's doing.
CAPT. KIRBY: I think we have time for just one more.
DR. LITTLE: Yeah.
Q: (Off mic) -- topic?
Q: Can I ask -- (off mic) --
Q: (Off mic.)
Q: OK. Thank you very much.
DR. LITTLE: Sir?
Q: The defense minister from the Republic of Armenia is in the United States right now, and he's in Kansas today, and he'll be back to Washington on Friday, I believe, and he'll -- met Secretary -- will meet Secretary Panetta. My question is, can you comment on this? How also would you describe the Armenian -- U.S.-Armenian military cooperation? The Republic of Armenia tripled its peacekeepers in Afghanistan last year. So if you have any status update on this. Thank you.
DR. LITTLE: Sure. I don't want to get -- out ahead of what the discussions between the minister and Secretary Panetta might be, but they look forward to a good discussion on regional security matters and on the prospects for a greater cooperation between Armenia and the United States.
Q: And in Afghanistan, do you see our cooperation as solid on -- (inaudible)?
CAPT. KIRBY: We’re grateful, very grateful.
DR. LITTLE: Really very grateful for what Armenia has contributed to the mission in Afghanistan, and that's a message of gratitude that I'm certain will come from the secretary himself.
Thank you.
Q: So first of all, the president is paying a visit to South Korea. This weekend he's going there, the 24th and 25th.
(Cross talk.)
CAPT. KIRBY: (Inaudible) -- talk to the White House about the presidential schedule.
DR. LITTLE: Yeah -- the White House about the presidential trip.
Q: What I'm asking -- do you think things will change as the North's behavior is concerned?
DR. LITTLE: I think we really need to leave that to the White House.
Thank you very much.
Q: Thank you, sir.
FORMER ARMY CONTRACTOR GETS 39 MONTHS IN PRISON FOR BRIBERY
The following excerpt is from the Department of Justice website:
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Former Army Contractor Sentenced to 39 Months in Prison for Role in Bribery and Money Laundering Scheme Related to DoD Contracts To Date, 17 Individuals Have Pleaded Guilty or Been Convicted at Trial in Ongoing Corruption Investigation
WASHINGTON –Terry Hall, 45, was sentenced today in Birmingham, Ala., to 39 months in prison for his participation in a bribery and money laundering scheme related to bribes paid for contracts awarded in support of the Iraq war, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division.
U.S. District Court Judge Virginia Emerson Hopkins for the Northern District of Alabama also ordered Hall to serve one year of supervised release following the prison term. Hall has agreed to forfeit $15,757,000 as well as real estate and a Harley Davidson motorcycle.
Hall pleaded guilty on Feb. 18, 2010, to bribery conspiracy and money laundering and agreed to testify against his co-defendants, former U.S. Army Major Eddie Pressley and his wife, Eurica Pressley. The Pressleys were convicted on March 1, 2011, of bribery, conspiracy to commit bribery, honest services fraud, money laundering conspiracy and engaging in monetary transactions with criminal proceeds.
The case against Hall and the Pressleys arose from a corruption probe focusing on Camp Arifjan, a U.S. military base in Kuwait. As a result of this investigation, 17 individuals, including Hall, have pleaded guilty or been found guilty at trial for their roles in the scheme.
According to evidence presented at the Pressleys’ trial, from spring 2004 through fall 2007, Hall operated and had an interest in several companies, including Freedom Consulting and Catering Co. and Total Government Allegiance. The companies received more than $20 million from contracts and blanket purchase agreements (BPAs) – a contract that allows the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to order supplies on an as-needed basis at a pre-negotiated price – to deliver bottled water and erect security fences for the U.S. military in Kuwait and Iraq.
Hall testified that, to obtain the contracting business and facilitate unlawful payments by other contractors, he made more than $3 million in unlawful payments and provided other valuable items and services to U.S. Army contracting officials stationed at Camp Arifjan, including to Eddie Pressley and former U.S. Army Majors John Cockerham, James Momon, Christopher Murray and Derrick Shoemake.
According to Hall’s testimony and other evidence presented at the Pressley trial, Eddie Pressley demanded a $50,000 bribe before he would issue bottled water orders or “calls” to Hall. Hall testified that in April 2005, he and his associates arranged for Pressley to receive the money in a bank account established in the name of a shell company, EGP Business Solutions Inc., which was controlled by Eurica Pressley.
Hall testified that soon after the $50,000 bribe was paid, Pressley and Cockerham, another U.S. Army contracting official, increased the bribe demand to $1.6 million, which consisted of $800,000 for Pressley and $800,000 for Cockerham. After Hall and others agreed to pay the money, Pressley and Cockerham issued calls for bottled water and fencing, arranged for Hall to receive a fence contract and modified Hall’s agreement to remove the upper limit of the money Hall could receive from the DoD under the bottled water BPA.
Evidence at trial also showed that Eddie Pressley enlisted the help of his wife, Eurica, to receive the bribes. Eurica Pressley traveled to Dubai with Hall in May 2005 and to the Cayman Islands in June 2005 to open bank accounts to receive the bribe money. Hall testified that he and the Pressleys attempted to conceal the true nature of their corrupt scheme by having Eurica Pressley execute bogus “consulting agreements.” They also prepared false invoices that were designed to justify the bribe payments as payment for non-existent “consulting services.”
Hall testified that, in total, he transferred approximately $2.9 million in bribe payments to the Pressleys, approximately $1.6 million of which consisted of payments from other contractors that Hall facilitated for Eddie Pressley. Bank statements, wire transfer reports and other records presented at trial showed that the Hall and Eddie Pressley used approximately $2.9 million of the money to purchase commercial real estate in Muscle Shoals, Ala.
In addition, Hall testified that, after Eddie Pressley and Cockerham left Kuwait, he paid Momon more than $300,000, approximately $100,000 of which consisted of unlawful payments from another corrupt military contractor, which Hall facilitated by routing the money through bank accounts in Kuwait controlled on Hall’s behalf. In exchange, Momon issued calls under Hall’s bottled water BPA worth more than $6.4 million. Hall also testified that he paid Murray approximately $30,000 in exchange for official acts that benefited Hall and his companies.
On Jan. 5, 2012, Eddie Pressley was sentenced to 144 months in prison, and on Feb. 23, 2012, Eurica Pressley was sentenced to 72 months in prison.
On Aug. 13, 2009, Momon pleaded guilty to receiving approximately $1.6 million in bribes and agreed to pay $5.7 million in restitution. Momon’s sentencing has not yet been scheduled. On Jan. 8, 2009, Murray pleaded guilty to charges of bribery and making a false statement. He was sentenced on Dec. 17, 2009, to 57 months in prison and ordered to pay $245,000 in restitution. On Jan. 31, 2008, Cockerham pleaded guilty to participating in a bribery and money laundering scheme at Camp Arifjan. He was sentenced on Dec. 2, 2009, to 210 months in prison and ordered to pay $9.6 million in restitution. On June 9, 2011, Shoemake pleaded guilty to two counts of bribery, including receiving $215,000 from Hall. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 18, 2012.
The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Peter C. Sprung and Edward J. Loya Jr. of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section. Assistance was also provided by the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs. The cases are being investigated by the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, FBI, Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction and the International Contract Corruption Task Force (ICCTF). The ICCTF is a joint law enforcement agency task force that seeks to detect, investigate and dismantle corruption and contract fraud resulting from U.S. Overseas Contingency Operations worldwide, including in Kuwait, Afghanistan and Iraq.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Former Army Contractor Sentenced to 39 Months in Prison for Role in Bribery and Money Laundering Scheme Related to DoD Contracts To Date, 17 Individuals Have Pleaded Guilty or Been Convicted at Trial in Ongoing Corruption Investigation
WASHINGTON –Terry Hall, 45, was sentenced today in Birmingham, Ala., to 39 months in prison for his participation in a bribery and money laundering scheme related to bribes paid for contracts awarded in support of the Iraq war, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division.
U.S. District Court Judge Virginia Emerson Hopkins for the Northern District of Alabama also ordered Hall to serve one year of supervised release following the prison term. Hall has agreed to forfeit $15,757,000 as well as real estate and a Harley Davidson motorcycle.
Hall pleaded guilty on Feb. 18, 2010, to bribery conspiracy and money laundering and agreed to testify against his co-defendants, former U.S. Army Major Eddie Pressley and his wife, Eurica Pressley. The Pressleys were convicted on March 1, 2011, of bribery, conspiracy to commit bribery, honest services fraud, money laundering conspiracy and engaging in monetary transactions with criminal proceeds.
The case against Hall and the Pressleys arose from a corruption probe focusing on Camp Arifjan, a U.S. military base in Kuwait. As a result of this investigation, 17 individuals, including Hall, have pleaded guilty or been found guilty at trial for their roles in the scheme.
According to evidence presented at the Pressleys’ trial, from spring 2004 through fall 2007, Hall operated and had an interest in several companies, including Freedom Consulting and Catering Co. and Total Government Allegiance. The companies received more than $20 million from contracts and blanket purchase agreements (BPAs) – a contract that allows the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to order supplies on an as-needed basis at a pre-negotiated price – to deliver bottled water and erect security fences for the U.S. military in Kuwait and Iraq.
Hall testified that, to obtain the contracting business and facilitate unlawful payments by other contractors, he made more than $3 million in unlawful payments and provided other valuable items and services to U.S. Army contracting officials stationed at Camp Arifjan, including to Eddie Pressley and former U.S. Army Majors John Cockerham, James Momon, Christopher Murray and Derrick Shoemake.
According to Hall’s testimony and other evidence presented at the Pressley trial, Eddie Pressley demanded a $50,000 bribe before he would issue bottled water orders or “calls” to Hall. Hall testified that in April 2005, he and his associates arranged for Pressley to receive the money in a bank account established in the name of a shell company, EGP Business Solutions Inc., which was controlled by Eurica Pressley.
Hall testified that soon after the $50,000 bribe was paid, Pressley and Cockerham, another U.S. Army contracting official, increased the bribe demand to $1.6 million, which consisted of $800,000 for Pressley and $800,000 for Cockerham. After Hall and others agreed to pay the money, Pressley and Cockerham issued calls for bottled water and fencing, arranged for Hall to receive a fence contract and modified Hall’s agreement to remove the upper limit of the money Hall could receive from the DoD under the bottled water BPA.
Evidence at trial also showed that Eddie Pressley enlisted the help of his wife, Eurica, to receive the bribes. Eurica Pressley traveled to Dubai with Hall in May 2005 and to the Cayman Islands in June 2005 to open bank accounts to receive the bribe money. Hall testified that he and the Pressleys attempted to conceal the true nature of their corrupt scheme by having Eurica Pressley execute bogus “consulting agreements.” They also prepared false invoices that were designed to justify the bribe payments as payment for non-existent “consulting services.”
Hall testified that, in total, he transferred approximately $2.9 million in bribe payments to the Pressleys, approximately $1.6 million of which consisted of payments from other contractors that Hall facilitated for Eddie Pressley. Bank statements, wire transfer reports and other records presented at trial showed that the Hall and Eddie Pressley used approximately $2.9 million of the money to purchase commercial real estate in Muscle Shoals, Ala.
In addition, Hall testified that, after Eddie Pressley and Cockerham left Kuwait, he paid Momon more than $300,000, approximately $100,000 of which consisted of unlawful payments from another corrupt military contractor, which Hall facilitated by routing the money through bank accounts in Kuwait controlled on Hall’s behalf. In exchange, Momon issued calls under Hall’s bottled water BPA worth more than $6.4 million. Hall also testified that he paid Murray approximately $30,000 in exchange for official acts that benefited Hall and his companies.
On Jan. 5, 2012, Eddie Pressley was sentenced to 144 months in prison, and on Feb. 23, 2012, Eurica Pressley was sentenced to 72 months in prison.
On Aug. 13, 2009, Momon pleaded guilty to receiving approximately $1.6 million in bribes and agreed to pay $5.7 million in restitution. Momon’s sentencing has not yet been scheduled. On Jan. 8, 2009, Murray pleaded guilty to charges of bribery and making a false statement. He was sentenced on Dec. 17, 2009, to 57 months in prison and ordered to pay $245,000 in restitution. On Jan. 31, 2008, Cockerham pleaded guilty to participating in a bribery and money laundering scheme at Camp Arifjan. He was sentenced on Dec. 2, 2009, to 210 months in prison and ordered to pay $9.6 million in restitution. On June 9, 2011, Shoemake pleaded guilty to two counts of bribery, including receiving $215,000 from Hall. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 18, 2012.
The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Peter C. Sprung and Edward J. Loya Jr. of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section. Assistance was also provided by the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs. The cases are being investigated by the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, FBI, Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction and the International Contract Corruption Task Force (ICCTF). The ICCTF is a joint law enforcement agency task force that seeks to detect, investigate and dismantle corruption and contract fraud resulting from U.S. Overseas Contingency Operations worldwide, including in Kuwait, Afghanistan and Iraq.
U.S. OFFICIAL URGES CONTINUANCE OF COUNTERTERRORISM EFFORT
The following excerpt is from a Department of Defense American Forces Press Service e-mail:
Undersecretary Urges Continuing Counterterrorism Effort
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, March 20, 2012 - As the counterterrorism strategy is succeeding, now is not the time to abandon the fight in Afghanistan, the acting undersecretary of defense for policy told Congress today.
Testifying before the House Armed Services Committee, James N. Miller said the United States is committed to the core objectives of denying safe haven to al-Qaida and preventing the Taliban from overthrowing the Afghan government.
"While we do face serious challenges, our strategy is succeeding," Miller said. "Our counterterrorism efforts against al-Qaida have been extremely successful."
The acting undersecretary stressed that Americans should not underestimate the progress that coalition troops -- including thousands of Americans -- have made in the country. "As a result of the surge launched in 2009, we have broken and reversed Taliban momentum in Afghanistan," he said. "And the Afghan national security forces are increasingly capable and increasingly in the lead."
The Afghans now are in the lead in security for more than 50 percent of the population. Sometime in 2013, the Afghan security forces will have security lead for the entire country, Miller said. "At that time, U.S. and coalition forces will be in a support role, which will take a number of forms," he added.
The Afghans now are in the lead in security for more than 50 percent of the population. Sometime in 2013, the Afghan security forces will have security lead for the entire country, Miller said. "At that time, U.S. and coalition forces will be in a support role, which will take a number of forms," he added.
U.S. and coalition forces will partner with Afghan units, Miller explained, and U.S. forces will have a smaller footprint in the country as the effort switches to an advise-and-assist role. "By the middle of 2014, the [Afghan national security forces] will be responsible for the security of Afghanistan," he said.
Once that happens, Miller said, smaller U.S. and coalition forces will focus on counterterrorism and on training, advising and assisting Afghan forces.
The Afghanistan War has been a tough fight, and it continues, Miller acknowledged. The past several weeks -- with the Quran burning incident and the killings of 16 civilians in Kandahar province -- have been particularly difficult, he said.
"We have also been challenged in recent weeks by attacks by Afghan personnel against U.S. and coalition forces, so-called 'green-on-blue' attacks," he said. "We will have to work through these incidents and challenges."
Miller listed accomplishments in Afghanistan for the representatives. Violence is down in the country, he said. From 2010 to 2011, enemy-initiated attacks in Afghanistan were down 9 percent, and the trend continued this year, with attacks down a further 22 percent from 2011 levels for the same months.
In October 2008, only 140,000 Afghans were serving in the Afghan national security forces. "Today, there are approximately 330,000, and we expect to reach our goal of 352,000 ... ahead of the October 2012 target date," Miller said. Today, almost 90 percent of coalition operations in Afghanistan are carried out in partnership with the Afghan forces, and Afghan forces are in the lead for more than 40 percent of operations, he added.
Miller also discussed talks with the Afghans on the strategic partnership between the United States and Afghanistan.
"This strategic partnership will demonstrate that we learned the lessons from 1989, when our abrupt departure left our friends confused and our enemies emboldened," he said. "Concluding our strategic partnership will send a clear signal that the United States remains willingly committed to Afghan security. Such an assurance must continue beyond our planned transition in 2014."
Miller touched on the problem presented by safe havens for terror groups inside Pakistan.
"Pakistan has legitimate interests that must be understood and must be addressed," he said. "Pakistan also has responsibilities."
Most importantly, Miller added, Pakistan needs to take further steps to ensure that militant and extremist groups cannot find safe haven within its territory.
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SETTLES DISCRIMINATION SUIT WITH MIDGET FOOTBALL LEAGUE
The following excerpt is from the U.S. Justice Department website:
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department announced it has reached a settlement with the Mountain Valley, Pa., Midget Football League to ensure that children with disabilities are offered an equal opportunity to play youth football.
The settlement resolves a complaint under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) filed by the mother of a seven-year-old boy with ocular albinism, a condition that results in having little or no pigment in the eyes and often causes extreme sensitivity to sunlight. According to the complaint, the league refused the mother’s requests to allow the boy to play football with a helmet that has a tinted visor, which would help to block sunlight. The Justice Department determined that the league violated the ADA by failing to make a reasonable modification of its policies, practices and procedures to permit the boy to use a tinted visor when playing football.
“People with disabilities cannot be denied the full and equal enjoyment of services, privileges and public accommodations, including youth football leagues,” said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. “This settlement is another example of the Justice Department’s commitment to ensure equal access for people with disabilities.”
The settlement agreement requires the league to develop and implement a disability rights policy, to train league officials on the requirements of the ADA and to grant requests for reasonable modifications, like the one at issue here. The league is also required to pay $1,000.00 to the complainant’s family.
The ADA requires public accommodations, like the league, to provide individuals with disabilities equal access to goods, services, privileges, accommodations, facilities, advantages and accommodations. Public accommodations must also make reasonable modifications to their policies, practices or procedures when the modifications are necessary to afford goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages or accommodations to individuals with disabilities, unless making the modification would cause a fundamental alternation.
NEW REPORTING RULES ON HOW SOME CHEMICALS ARE USED
The following excerpt is from an EPA e-mail:
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed that companies be required to report to EPA all new uses, including in domestic or imported products, of five groups of potentially harmful chemicals. Over the years, these chemicals have been used in a range of consumer products and industrial applications, including paints, printing inks, pigments and dyes in textiles, flame retardants in flexible foams, and plasticizers. This action is part of EPA’s work to ensure chemical safety in order to protect Americans’ health and the environment.
The five chemicals EPA is targeting are polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs), benzidine dyes, a short chain chlorinated paraffin, hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), and phthalate di-n-pentyl phthalate (DnPP). The agency is also proposing additional testing on the health and environmental effects of PBDEs.
“Although a number of these chemicals are no longer manufactured or used in the U.S. they can still be imported in consumer goods or for use in products. Today’s proposed actions will ensure that EPA has an opportunity to review new uses of the chemicals, whether they are domestically produced or imported, and if warranted, take action to prohibit or limit the activity before human health or environmental effects can occur,” said Jim Jones, EPA’s acting assistant administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. “These actions also signal EPA’s ongoing commitment to the American people that the agency is taking significant steps to make sure that the chemicals manufactured and used in this country are safe.”
The proposed regulatory actions are known as significant new use rules (SNUR) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The proposed rules would require that anyone who intends to manufacture, import, or process any of the chemicals for an activity that is designated as a significant new use to submit a notification to EPA at least 90 days before beginning the activity. This notification means EPA can evaluate the intended new use and take action to prohibit or limit that activity, if warranted. For PBDEs, the agency will also issue simultaneously a proposed test rule under section 4(a) of TSCA that would require manufacturers or processors to conduct testing on health and environmental effects of PBDEs.
EXPORT-IMPORT BANK MAY SOON HAVE IT'S ACCOUNT CLOSED
STATEMENT BY FRED P. HOCHBERG,
CHAIRMAN AND PRESIDENT, EXPORT-IMPORT BANK OF THE UNITED STATES
March 20, 2012
“The Senate’s failure to renew the Export-Import Bank Charter, which expires in 72 days, is a setback for American workers who produce the high-quality goods and services that are in demand around the world.
“Ex-Im Bank increases U.S. jobs, pays for itself and earns money for the U.S. Treasury, and as a result enjoys strong, bipartisan support. However, delays in renewing the Charter threaten over 1,000 export-related jobs that are supported every workday by Ex-Im Bank financing. Not reauthorizing the Bank places American companies at a serious disadvantage against their foreign competitors. We are already hearing that some customers of U.S. exporters are considering switching their purchases to foreign companies due to the uncertain availability of future Ex-Im Bank financing.
“We will continue to work with House and Senate leadership and I am confident that Congress will ultimately approve a four-year reauthorization of our Charter, but I urge them to act promptly before serious damage is done to American competitiveness.”
The above excerpt is from an Export-Import Bank e-mail:
UN AMBASSADOR SUSAN RICE ADDRESSES CONGRESS
The following excerpt is from the U.S. State Department e-mail:
Testimony of Ambassador Susan E. Rice, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, House Subcommittee on Appropriations for State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs, March 20, 2012
Susan E. Rice
U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations
U.S. Mission to the United Nations New York, NY March 20, 2012
AS PREPARED
Chairwoman Granger, Representative Lowey, members of the Committee, thank you for inviting me to testify today. I am deeply grateful for your leadership and continued support for our efforts at the United Nations, especially in this time of fiscal constraint.
On behalf of the Administration, I am pleased to reiterate the request for funds for fiscal year 2013 for three key accounts: $1.57 billion for Contributions to International Organizations (CIO); $2.1 billion for Contributions to International Peacekeeping Activities (CIPA); and $327.3 million for International Organizations and Programs (IO&P). This request includes funding to meet our obligations to international organizations of which the United States is a member as well as our voluntary contributions to various United Nations programs.
Reflecting the fiscal environment, this year’s budget requests for voluntary contributions to major UN agencies largely remain constant and, in most cases have decreased, compared to last year’s request. On the whole, our FY13 request for the IO&P account reflects a 6% decrease from FY12 levels.
Let me start by underscoring the importance of the United Nations to advancing U.S. interests and upholding the universal values we hold dear.
The world is shrinking. Problems in remote parts of the globe can and do threaten our security interests abroad and ultimately affect us here at home. Nuclear proliferation, terrorism, drug trafficking, refugee flows, gross human rights abuses, manmade and natural disasters, infectious disease, extreme poverty and suffering, environmental degradation - problems that no one nation, no matter how powerful, can address alone. And especially in tough economic times, these are not burdens that the United States should have to bear on our own.
As both Democratic and Republican leaders have long attested, a strong and effective UN is one of the best tools we have to tackle many of the world’s problems. The UN plays an indispensable role in building international coalitions and promoting global burden sharing to meet 21st century challenges. The UN is not the sum of our strategy, but an essential piece of it.
As President Obama has said, “That’s how the international community should work -- more nations; the United States right there at the center of it, but not alone -- everybody stepping up, bearing their responsibilities, carrying the costs of upholding peace and security. That’s what it means to be United Nations.” And as former President Reagan proclaimed, “We are determined that the United Nations shall succeed and serve the cause of peace for humankind.”
Now, the UN is far from perfect, but when it stumbles, it’s often because its members stumble – because big powers block critical actions in the Security Council or spoilers grandstand in the General Assembly. As one of my predecessors, Richard Holbrooke, was fond of saying, “Blaming the UN when things go wrong is like blaming Madison Square Garden when the Knicks play badly.”
In response to the ongoing horrors in Syria, the United States and our partners have engaged in intensive diplomacy at the United Nations to put the world on record in support of an immediate halt to the violence; a negotiated, peaceful solution; and a responsible democratic transition. While Russia and China twice vetoed Security Council action, the United Nations General Assembly and Human Rights Council have repeatedly condemned the carnage the Asad regime is inflicting on its own people and endorsed the Arab League’s proposal for a transition. The Human Rights Council has mandated a Commission of Inquiry that has thoroughly investigated and documented the human rights abuses of the Asad regime. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and senior UN officials have vigorously condemned abuses by the Syrian regime and called for an end to the violence. The United Nations and the Arab League have jointly appointed former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan as their Special Envoy for Syria. The UN has coordinated the delivery of critical humanitarian assistance to afflicted Syrian communities and has provided support to thousands of Syrian refugees and vulnerable populations inside Syria tormented by the regime’s systematic abuses, though the need remains great.
The regime continues to renege on its commitment to implement the League of Arab States’ action plan agreed to in November. It has spurned efforts by its Arab neighbors to mediate a peaceful political solution. It continues to wage a brutal campaign against innocent civilians and there are credible allegations that the regime has committed crimes against humanity.
The United States fully supports the Syrian people's demands for a unified Syria with a democratic, representative, and inclusive government that respects human rights and fundamental freedoms, and we fully support the Arab League's unprecedented initiatives to end this crisis peacefully. In order to provide lifesaving assistance to Syrian civilians in need, we have announced a $12 million initial contribution to scale up humanitarian efforts. To deepen the Asad regime’s isolation, we have imposed sanctions and worked with others to do so as well, such as placing travel bans on senior members of the regime, freezing their assets, boycotting Syrian oil, and considering closing embassies and consulates. And we have encouraged a democratic transition by supporting opposition groups and individuals inside and outside Syria to come together around a common vision for the country’s future where the rights of every citizen are respected and protected.
In Syria, as elsewhere, the United States has led efforts to promote principled action at the UN through persistent diplomacy with our traditional allies, regional partners, and emerging powers. Indeed, this has been the hallmark of the Obama Administration’s engagement at the UN. We work hard to build and sustain the coalitions required to advance our interests and values. And we fulfill our obligations, so that our hand is that much stronger when we demand that others do the same. Our investments at the United Nations have advanced U.S. interests and made the American people more safe and secure.
In Libya, the United States and its allies acted through the United Nations to prevent Qadafhi from massacring his own people. And now the UN is remaining engaged over the long term, helping the people of Libya make the difficult transition to democracy after a brutal dictatorship.
To curtail illicit nuclear weapons programs, the United States led the Security Council in imposing the toughest sanctions ever on Iran and North Korea. As a result, a large number of countries have also imposed additional bilateral sanctions on Iran, and the regime is more isolated than ever before with its leaders facing crippling sanctions. As the President has repeatedly made clear, we will prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon and as long as Iran fails to meet its international obligations, the pressure will build.
In Iraq and Afghanistan, the United Nations is providing vital assistance to their political transitions, and to their social and economic development – supporting the process of bringing our service members home responsibly.
After decades of brutal war, the United Nations played a critical role in supporting the creation of the newly independent South Sudan. There are significant challenges ahead in Darfur, Abyei, Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan, so the United States will continue our efforts to support Sudan and South Sudan living side by side in peace.
In Cote d’Ivoire, the UN stood firm in stopping a strongman from stealing an election and ensured that the democratically elected President took office, preventing a return to civil war.
In Haiti, the United Nations has been essential in helping the country recover and rebuild from the devastating earthquake two years ago – a tragedy that claimed thousands of lives, including one hundred and two UN personnel. The United States worked closely with the UN to help the Government of Haiti ensure security and deliver humanitarian relief. Tens of thousands of U.S. forces were able to withdraw from Haiti within a few months as the UN peacekeeping presence was quickly reconstituted.
During last year’s General Assembly, we secured, by the largest margins ever, condemnations of Iran and North Korea – and for the first time ever, Syria – for their mass violations of human rights. In the Human Rights Council, the United States worked to achieve ground-breaking resolutions on freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, discrimination against women, religious tolerance, and investigations into human rights abuses in Syria, Sudan, North Korea, Libya, and Iran.
We have led the fight for women’s rights, forging a broad coalition to establish UN Women, a streamlined entity that replaced multiple UN offices, and that now works to empower women worldwide. We also support the vital work of a Special Representative to tackle the issue of sexual violence in conflict.
We’ve spearheaded important progress throughout the UN system to advance the universal rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons, including landmark victories in the General Assembly and Human Rights Council, and our advocacy on behalf of LGBT non-governmental organizations.
These are just a few examples of how United States leadership at the United Nations is yielding tangible dividends for the American people.
But despite important progress, much remains to be done. UN reform is not a luxury. It is a necessity. That is why we are relentlessly championing greater budget discipline and comprehensive administrative and management reforms that will make the UN more efficient and cost-effective.
In December, we led a successful effort to cut by five percent the size of the UN’s regular budget, the first reduction in 14 years and only the second in the past 50 years.
In addition, by responsibly shutting down peacekeeping missions and showing discipline in establishing new missions, we have contained the growth in recent years of the UN peacekeeping budget, which increased from $2.6 billion to $7.8 billion from 2000 to 2009. The Obama Administration has succeeded in holding peacekeeping budget levels effectively constant for the past three years.
We have also promoted a paperless UN, resulting in a 65% reduction of pages printed in New York over the past two years, saving on an annual basis a pile of paper nearly 50 times the height of the UN building.
To better tackle waste, fraud, and abuse, we have worked to reduce vacancies in the UN inspector-general’s office by nearly half so it can be a strong, independent, and effective watchdog.
Over the past decade, the United States has championed increased transparency throughout the UN system. And last year, we secured a commitment from the heads of all NY-based UN funds and programs to disclose publicly online all internal audit reports, starting this year.
We led efforts in the General Assembly to adopt wide-ranging peacekeeping reforms –including a new global field support strategy - which have already saved an initial $62 million to date and will dramatically improve the performance of 15 peace operations worldwide employing approximately 120,000 military, police, and civilian peacekeepers.
Our UN reform agenda is based on four key pillars:
First, economy: a leaner UN that does more with less. We are working hard to shrink the bureaucracy, bring some private-sector sensibility to the UN, and upgrade the UN’s information technology.
Second, accountability: a cleaner UN with robust oversight mechanisms, ethics enforcement, whistleblower protection, and greater transparency.
Third, integrity: a more credible UN that lives up to its founding principles and values, and does not tolerate individuals or states that bring dishonor to the institution.
Fourth, excellence: an insistence on delivering real results and upholding the highest standards, including a merit-based human resource system that rewards performance, the capacity to respond in real time to unfolding crises, integration of disparate UN programs, and a culture of evaluation for effectiveness.
We have a good partner in Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who has been a leader on these issues, and look forward to working with him and his team in the coming months and years.
There are many challenges ahead – upcoming negotiations on member state assessment rates, divisive politics within the General Assembly, an entrenched bureaucracy that resists change – but with patience and determined engagement, we will continue to succeed.
This brings me to another important priority: ensuring that Israel’s legitimacy is beyond dispute and its security is never in doubt.
Every day, we stand with Israel and oppose hostile efforts to challenge Israel’s legitimacy and security at the UN. We remain vigilant on the Palestinians’ unilateral bid for UN membership. The United States will not hesitate to use its veto when necessary. However, due to our efforts, the Palestinians saw clearly that they had not mustered enough votes to gain the UN Security Council’s support and thus to provoke a U.S. veto. There is no shortcut to statehood. Tough issues can only be solved through direct negotiations between the parties. We have been consistent and clear on this.
When a Security Council resolution on settlements that would have undermined the cause of peace was put to a vote, we vetoed it. Likewise, when the deeply flawed Goldstone Report was released, we insisted on Israel’s right to defend itself and maintained that Israel’s democratic institutions could credibly investigate any possible abuses. We refused to attend meetings in 2009 and 2011 concerning the 2001 Durban Conference, which unfairly singled out Israel. And we always fight against anti-Israel resolutions in the General Assembly, Human Rights Council, UNESCO, and other UN bodies.
We are also fighting for the full and equal participation of Israel throughout the UN system. We championed Israel’s successful bid for the UNDP Executive Board last year and when they took their seat last month, it was hailed by the Israeli Deputy Ambassador as “a milestone in Israel’s integration to the global agenda of the UN.” We have succeeded in winning Israel’s inclusion in key negotiation groups in New York and in Geneva, and are pushing for Israel’s participation where it remains excluded. At the Human Rights Council in Geneva, the disproportionate and biased focus on Israel undermines the credibility and effectiveness of the Council, and we consistently oppose the permanent agenda item devoted to Israel. As President Obama has said, “It should be clear to all that efforts to chip away at Israel’s legitimacy will continue to be met by the unshakeable opposition of the United States.”
Madam Chairwoman, members of the Committee, allow me to draw your attention to one specific matter of great importance – longstanding legislative restrictions on paying our assessed contributions to UN specialized agencies that admit Palestine as a member state. Our participation in these organizations serves a wide range of important American interests, such as promoting human rights, democracy, nonproliferation, global health, international telecommunications, intellectual property rights, and free markets. Withholding U.S. funding only harms U.S. interests.
The World Health Organization assists countries in addressing critical health problems and helps protect Americans from infectious diseases, such as the H1N1 and avian influenza. WHO programs have led to the eradication of smallpox, which saves America millions by eliminating the need for vaccinations, and are working towards the eradication of polio, neonatal tetanus, leprosy, and other preventable illnesses.
The International Atomic Energy Agency protects Americans from the dangers of nuclear proliferation through its essential verification work ensuring that peaceful nuclear programs are not being diverted for weapons purposes. IAEA inspectors have been instrumental in blowing the whistle on illicit activities by Iran and North Korea.
The World Intellectual Property Organization supports American economic growth through the protection of patents and copyrights, and provides a forum for American businesses to raise complaints about the infringement of intellectual property. Last year, American companies, such as Apple, Costco, and Facebook, brought cases before WIPO.
Current U.S. law runs counter to U.S. national security interests by enabling the Palestinians to determine whether the U.S. can continue to fund and lead effectively in key UN specialized agencies that help protect Americans. Cutting off funding for agencies such as WHO, IAEA, and WIPO would deal a blow to our efforts on global health, nuclear nonproliferation, and the protection of the interests of American businesses.
In the case of UNESCO, due to irresponsible Palestinian actions, we have withheld our funding for valuable work that supports key U.S. interests. UNESCO’s contributions include promoting freedom of the press and freedom of expression, providing literacy training and supporting tsunami warning systems. The United States has been a leading supporter and financial contributor to UNESCO’s valuable Holocaust education program, second only to Israel. We have also supported UNESCO’s efforts to empower women and girls through education. As former First Lady and UNESCO honorary Ambassador to the UN literacy decade Laura Bush has argued, “achieving the goal of global literacy requires global participation. It requires continued global leadership at every level – from international organizations like UNESCO to political leadership in each nation.”
We believe our membership and participation in UNESCO is valuable and worth supporting. Therefore, the Administration’s budget request includes funding for the U.S. contribution to UNESCO and a statement of intent to work together with Congress to find a solution that would give the Administration the authority to waive restrictions on paying our financial contributions when doing so is clearly in our national interest.
I also remain concerned about pending legislation that would shift contributions to the UN from assessed to voluntary funding. Treating our commitments and treaty obligations to the UN as an a la carte menu invites others to do the same and, simply put, would leave us paying more of the bill. Similarly, we oppose legislation that would link efforts to reform the UN to withholding dues. Historically, such approaches have backfired by allowing opponents of reform to weaken our ability to prevail in negotiations.
I also respectfully request the Committee provide the authority proposed to pay our assessed peacekeeping dues at the current rate of 27.14 percent.
As we learned in the 1980’s and 1990’s, when the United States is unable to pay our bills, we undermine our leadership at the UN, especially on UN reform. In 2009, the Obama Administration worked with Congress to pay off millions in arrears that accumulated between 2005 and 2008. Being up to date with our commitments has helped us deliver some of the most significant accomplishments on UN reform for American taxpayers in more than a decade. The failure to pay our assessments undermines our credibility and our influence. We alienate our closest allies and partners when we don’t follow through on the policies we together advocate in the Security Council, on priorities such as Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Burma, Libya, Haiti, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Neglecting our commitments leaves us in a position of weakness, not strength, when it comes to championing reforms and achieving the concrete results that make America safer and stronger. Paying our assessments has been the consistent policy of both Republican and Democratic Administrations. Of course, paying our bills in full and on time does not mean giving the UN a free pass. On the contrary, it allows us to pursue reform even more aggressively and successfully.
I will conclude by saying the United States is at the forefront ensuring that the UN lives up to its founding principles, safeguards international security, and delivers assistance to those who need it most. We greatly appreciate the Committee’s longstanding efforts to help meet our commitments throughout the UN system, especially at a time of fiscal belt-tightening. The active and full support of this Committee has been and remains essential to our efforts.
It is an honor to represent the United States at the United Nations. I am grateful for the opportunity to work with wonderful colleagues at the U.S. Mission, the UN, the broader diplomatic community, and the Members of this Congress who share a deep commitment to protecting the innocent, pursuing peace, and defending universal human rights.
I welcome your questions.
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