FORMER EMPLOYEE OF ARMY CONTRACTOR PLEADS GUILTY TO BRIBERY

Photo Credit:  U.S. Air Force

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Former Employee of Army Contractor Pleads Guilty to Bribery for Facilitating Theft by Trucking Contractor in Afghanistan
WASHINGTON – A Houston woman pleaded guilty today to bribery charges for her role in a scheme to fraudulently bill the U.S. Army for trucking services in Afghanistan, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.

Diyana Montes, 29, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg in the District of Columbia to one count of bribery.

According to court documents, from approximately April 2008 through December 2008, Montes was an employee of Kellogg, Brown and Root (KBR), a private contractor with operations in Afghanistan. Montes worked at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, where KBR held a contract with the United States.

KBR’s contract involved providing services to the Army’s Movement Control Branch (MCB). The MCB’s mission was to contract with local Afghan trucking companies to transport U.S. military equipment, fuel and other supplies throughout Afghanistan. As part of this mission, the MCB coordinated requests from various U.S. military units for trucking services and assigned those requests to particular contractors. Each trucking request generated various specific documents, including "transportation movement requests" (TMR), which authorized the use of trucks.

According to court documents, Montes’s duties included receiving TMRs from various contractors and reconciling any discrepancies between the amount of services described in the TMRs and the amount of services the contractors claimed in their invoices. Once Montes reviewed the documents and determined they were accurate, she would pass them on to other contracting personnel, who would rely on her review in approving payments to the trucking company.

On numerous occasions, according to court documents, Montes received and reviewed TMRs and invoices for services allegedly provided by Afghanistan Trade Transportation (ATT), a trucking company contracted by the U.S. Army, that fraudulently represented that ATT provided services that Montes knew were not in fact performed. According to Montes’s plea agreement, she knew the invoices from ATT contained service claims that were not accurate, and she passed them along for payment with the knowledge that the billings were fraudulent.

According to her plea agreement, from approximately May 2008 through December 2008, in return for her knowingly handling the fraudulent TMRs and invoices, Montes received from ATT approximately $50,000, consisting of $35,000 wired to her personal bank account in the United States and another $15,000 in cash paid to her on several occasions in Afghanistan.

This case is being prosecuted by Special Trial Attorney Mark H. Dubester of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and former Fraud Section Trial Attorney Mark Pletcher, currently of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California. The case was investigated by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division and the FBI.

ALLEGED COUNTERFEIT AUTOMOTIVE ACCESSORIES DEALER INDICTED

Photo Credit:  U.S. Marshals Service

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Friday, October 26, 2012

Alleged Trafficker of Counterfeit Automotive Accessories Indicted in Virginia
WASHINGTON – An alleged trafficker of counterfeit automotive accessories was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia for allegedly participating in a conspiracy to sell to unsuspecting U.S. consumers more than $3 million worth of counterfeit General Motors (GM) and Bavarian Motor Works (BMW) automotive diagnostic devices and other automotive equipment, Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Neil H. MacBride, Assistant Director Ronald T. Hosko of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division and FBI Atlanta Special Agent In Charge Mark Guiliano announced today.

Katiran Lee, 39, an Indonesian national who allegedly sold the counterfeit goods while he was living in Duluth, Ga., was charged with two counts of trafficking in counterfeit goods, four counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

According to the indictment, from August 2008 through December 2011, Lee conspired with manufacturers in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to sell automotive diagnostic devices bearing counterfeit GM and BMW marks to consumers in the United States. Such diagnostic devices are used by mechanics to identify problems with and assure the safety of motor vehicles employing electronic control systems. Lee allegedly advertised and sold the diagnostic devices on eBay and through his own website, and had the PRC manufacturers send counterfeit devices bearing unauthorized GM and BMW marks directly to his customers.

According to the indictment, during this same period, Lee also advertised and sold over 35,000 counterfeit programmed keys and key fobs for vehicles produced by GM, BMW and numerous other automotive manufacturers, including Chrysler, Honda, Toyota, Audi, Mercedes Benz, Ford, Infiniti, Land Rover, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Peugeot, Renault, Subaru, Suzuki, and Volkswagen. Lee allegedly programmed the keys himself and affixed counterfeit marks to deceive consumers into believing that the products came from the respective automotive manufacturers.

In the indictment, the government is seeking forfeiture of computers, programming equipment and thousands of blank keys and trademarked automotive emblems recovered during a search of Lee’s home on Feb. 22, 2012, and the forfeiture of properties totaling up to $600,000.

The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Evan Williams of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsay Kelly of the Eastern District of Virginia and was investigated by the FBI’s Intellectual Property Rights Unit as part of "Operation Engine Newity," an international initiative targeting the production and distribution of counterfeit automotive products that impact the safety of the consumer, and FBI Atlanta.

The FBI is a full partner at the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center). The IPR Center is one of the U.S. government’s key weapons in the fight against criminal counterfeiting and piracy. The IPR Center uses the expertise of its 19 member agencies to share information, develop initiatives, coordinate enforcement actions and conduct investigations related to intellectual property (IP) theft. Through this strategic interagency partnership, the IPR Center protects the public’s health and safety, the U.S. economy and the war fighters. To report IP theft or to learn more about the IPR Center, visit www.IPRCenter.gov.

ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY OWNERS PLEAD GUILTY FOR ROLES IN $63 MILLION HEALTH CARE FRAUD SCHEME

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Friday, October 26, 2012
Miami Area Assisted Living Facility Owners Plead Guilty for Roles in $63 Million Fraud Scheme

WASHINGTON – Two owners of Miami area assisted living facilities (ALF) pleaded guilty today in connection with a health care fraud scheme involving defunct Miami area health provider Health Care Solutions Network Inc. (HCSN), announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer of the Southern District of Florida; Michael B. Steinbach, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI’s Miami Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Christopher B. Dennis of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Office of Investigations Miami office.

Raymond Rivero, 55, of Homestead, Fla., and Ivon Perez, 50, of Miami, each pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga in the Southern District of Florida to one count of conspiracy to solicit and receive cash kickbacks. Rivero, who was the owner of Miami-based God Is First ALF, and Perez, who was the owner of Kayleen and Denis Care Corp, admitted to participating in a fraud scheme that was orchestrated by the owners and operators of HCSN, which operated purported partial hospitalization programs (PHPs), a form of intensive mental health treatment for severe mental illness.

Earlier this week, the owner of another ALF in the Miami area that was involved in the HCSN fraud scheme pleaded guilty for his role in the scheme. On Oct. 22, 2012, Daniel Martinez, 45, of Homestead, the owner of Mi Renacer ALF, pleaded guilty before Judge Altonaga to one count of soliciting and receiving cash kickbacks.

According to an indictment unsealed on May 2, 2012, HCSN obtained Medicare beneficiaries to attend HCSN for purported PHP treatment that was unnecessary and, in many instances, not provided. HCSN obtained those beneficiaries by paying kickbacks to owners and operators of ALFs or by otherwise recruiting them from ALFs and nursing homes. Rivero, Martinez and Perez pleaded guilty to referring Medicare and/or Florida Medicaid beneficiaries to HCSN in exchange for cash bribes.

According to court documents, ALF residents referred by Rivero, Martinez and Perez were not qualified to be placed in HCSN’s PHP and were only selected because they had Medicare or state of Florida Medicaid benefits. In some cases, ALF patients suffered from dementia, Alzheimer’s disease or mental retardation or were otherwise unable to benefit from the purported mental health services.

According to court documents, from 2004 through 2011, HCSN billed Medicare and Medicaid approximately $63 million for purported mental health services.

Perez also pleaded guilty before Judge Altonaga in another criminal case to a second count of conspiracy in connection with accepting kickbacks from Superstar Home Health Care Inc. for purported home health services to her ALF residents.

In another related case, a former HCSN employee, Sarah Da Silva Keller, 28, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Marcia G. Cooke in the Southern District of Florida to a 24 month prison term and ordered to pay $1,067,300 in restitution to the Medicare program. In June 2012, Keller pleaded guilty to an information charging one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.

According to court documents, Keller falsified patient attendance and medical records for Medicare beneficiaries who attended HCSN for mental health treatment. The falsified records were then utilized to submit fraudulent billing to the Medicare program. According to Keller’s plea agreement, Keller’s participation in the fraud resulted in more than $2.4 million in fraudulent billing to the Medicare program.

The cases are being prosecuted by Special Trial Attorney William Parente and Trial Attorney Allan J. Medina of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section. The Superstar Home Health case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Morales of U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. These cases were investigated by the FBI and HHS-OIG and were brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, supervised by the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.

It can be tough

It can be tough

ESSW9 : la « météo de l’espace » au cœur de l’Europe

ESSW9 : la « météo de l’espace » au cœur de l’Europe

RECENT U.S. NAVY PHOTOS

FROM: U.S. NAVY
121024-N-NJ145-024 GULF OF THAILAND (Oct. 24, 2012) The Royal Cambodian Navy patrol crafts PC 1141 and PC 1142 underway during the at-sea phase of Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Cambodia 2012. CARAT is a series of bilateral military exercises between the U.S. Navy and the armed forces of Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Timor Leste. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communications Specialist 1st Class Robert Clowney/Released)

121025-N-NJ145-014 GULF OF THAILAND (Oct. 25, 2012) Members of the visit, board, search and seizure team from the guided-missile frigate USS Vandergrift (FFG 48) search Royal Cambodian Navy patrol craft PC 1142 during Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Cambodia 2012. CARAT is a series of bilateral military exercises between the U.S. Navy and the armed forces of Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Timor Leste. The U.S. Navy is reliable, flexible, and ready to respond worldwide on, above, and below the sea. Join the conversation on social media using #warfighting. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communications Specialist 1st Class Robert Clowney/Released)

TWO CONVICTED IN DETROIT AREA $14.5 MILLION MEDICARE FRAUD SCHEME

Photo Credit: U.S. Marshals Service

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Friday, October 26, 2012

Detroit Area Physician, Home Health Agency Owner and Patient Recruiter Convicted in $14.5 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme
WASHINGTON – A federal jury in Detroit today convicted a physician, a home health agency owner and a patient recruiter for their participation in a $14.5 million Medicare fraud scheme, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Barbara L. McQuade of the Eastern District of Michigan; Robert Foley III, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Lamont Pugh, III of the HHS Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Office of Investigations Detroit Office.

Dr. Pramod Raval, 59, was found guilty in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and one count of conspiracy to solicit or receive health care kickbacks in exchange for referring patients to two Detroit area home health care companies, Patient Choice Home Healthcare Inc. and All American Home Care Inc.

Chiradeep Gupta, 38, a physical therapist and part-owner of All American, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and three substantive counts of money laundering.

Richard Shannon, 39, a patient recruiter, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.

The defendants were charged in a superseding indictment returned March 27, 2012. Sixteen other individuals who worked at or were associated with Patient Choice and All American have previously pleaded guilty.

According to evidence presented at trial, the defendants and their co-conspirators caused the submission of false and fraudulent claims to Medicare through Patient Choice and All American, two home health care companies located in Oak Park, Mich., that purported to provide skilled nursing and physical therapy services to Medicare beneficiaries in the greater Detroit area.

The evidence showed that the defendants and their co-conspirators used patient recruiters, who paid Medicare beneficiaries to sign blank documents for physical therapy services that were never provided and/or medically unnecessary. The owners of Patient Choice and All American paid physicians to sign referrals and other therapy documents necessary to bill Medicare. Physical therapists and physical therapist assistants provided through contractors would then create fake medical records using the blank, pre-signed forms obtained by the patient recruiters to make it appear as if physical therapy services were actually rendered, when, in fact, the services had not been rendered.

According to evidence presented at trial, Raval referred both patients from his own practice and patients brought into the scheme by recruiters to Patient Choice and All American in exchange for kickbacks. Gupta provided to Patient Choice and All American physical therapists and physical therapist assistants who created fake patient files using blank, pre-signed forms obtained by patient recruiters, to make it appear as if the physical therapy services billed to Medicare had actually been given. Gupta also doctored and directed the doctoring of fake patient files. The evidence at trial showed that Gupta laundered the proceeds of the fraud through multiple shell companies. Shannon paid patients in cash in order to obtain their signatures on blank physical therapy forms used to create fake therapy documents.

Vishnu Meda, a physical therapist assistant at Patient Choice and All American, was acquitted today of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant Chief Gejaa T. Gobena and Trial Attorneys Catherine K. Dick and Niall M. O’Donnell of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section. The investigation was led by the FBI and HHS-OIG, and was brought by the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, a joint effort of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan and the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.

Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged more than 1,480 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $4.8 billion. In addition, HHS’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, is taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.

WARMER OCEANS AND THE DISTRIBUTION OF PHYTOPLANKTON



FROM: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Photo:  Plankton (diatoms) among crystals of annual sea ice in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. Credit-NOAA

Warmer future oceans could cause phytoplankton to thrive near poles, shrink in tropics
Small Marine Organisms' Big Changes Could Affect World Climate
October 25, 2012

In the future, warmer waters could significantly change ocean distribution of populations of phytoplankton, tiny organisms that could have a major effect on climate change.

Reporting in this week's online journal Science Express, researchers show that by the end of the 21st century, warmer oceans will cause populations of these marine microorganisms to thrive near the poles and shrink in equatorial waters.

"In the tropical oceans, we are predicting a 40 percent drop in potential diversity, the number of strains of phytoplankton," says Mridul Thomas, a biologist at Michigan State University (MSU) and co-author of the journal paper.

"If the oceans continue to warm as predicted," says Thomas, "there will be a sharp decline in the diversity of phytoplankton in tropical waters and a poleward shift in species' thermal niches--if they don't adapt."

Thomas co-authored the paper with scientists Colin Kremer, Elena Litchman and Christopher Klausmeier, all of MSU.

"The research is an important contribution to predicting plankton productivity and community structure in the oceans of the future," says David Garrison, program director in the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Division of Ocean Sciences, which funded the research along with NSF's Division of Environmental Biology.

"The work addresses how phytoplankton species are affected by a changing environment," says Garrison, "and the really difficult question of whether adaptation to these changes is possible."

The MSU scientists say that since phytoplankton play a key role in regulating atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, and therefore global climate, the shift could in turn cause further climate change.

Phytoplankton and Earth's climate are inextricably intertwined.

"These results will allow scientists to make predictions about how global warming will shift phytoplankton species distribution and diversity in the oceans," says Alan Tessier, program director in NSF's Division of Environmental Biology.

"They illustrate the value of combining ecology and evolution in predicting species' responses."

The microorganisms use light, carbon dioxide and nutrients to grow. Although phytoplankton are small, they flourish in every ocean, consuming about half of the carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere.

When they die, some sink to the ocean bottom, depositing their carbon in the sediment, where it can be trapped for long periods of time.

Water temperatures strongly influence their growth rates.

Phytoplankton in warmer equatorial waters grow much faster than their cold-water cousins.

With worldwide temperatures predicted to increase over the next century, it's important to gauge the reactions of phytoplankton species, say the scientists.

They were able to show that phytoplankton have adapted to local temperatures.

Based on projections of ocean temperatures in the future, however, many phytoplankton may not adapt quickly enough.

Since they can't regulate their temperatures or migrate, if they don't adapt, they could be hard hit, Kremer says.

"We've shown that a critical group of the world's organisms has evolved to do well under the temperatures to which they're accustomed," he says.

But warming oceans may significantly limit their growth and diversity, with far-reaching implications for the global carbon cycle.

"Future models that incorporate genetic variability within species will allow us to determine whether particular species can adapt," says Klausmeier, "or whether they will face extinction."

U.S. GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION SELLING FORMER ANTI-BALLISTIC MISSILE COMPLEX

FROM: GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

GSA Public Auction Saves Taxpayer Dollars

The Stanley R. Mickelsen Safeguard Complex in North Dakota was the first U.S. anti-ballistic missile site. 
Former Stanley Mickelsen Safeguard Complex Up For Sale
Oct. 25, 2012GRAND FORKS, ND — The U.S. General Services Administration, in partnership with the Army Corps of Engineers, announced Wednesday that the public sale by auction of the former Stanley R. Mickelsen Safeguard Complex is now open. This property consists of five facilities that span 600 acres located in Cavalier, Ramsey, and Walsh Counties, North Dakota. Brokers, as well as other interested parties, are encouraged to view the properties in person during weekly GSA site tours and/or place a bid online.

"GSA’s mission is to make the government more efficient and to save money," said Sylvia Hernandez, Acting Regional Administrator for GSA’s Greater Southwest region. "Part of that mission is to effectively manage our real estate assets and dispose of underutilized properties so we can save taxpayer dollars." In the past year, GSA has sold or transferred more than 100 excess properties.

The auction consists of five sites including a Missile Site Radar site and four Remote Site Launch sites. The MSR site offers approximately 431 acres including about 201 acres of vacant land that includes a chapel, a community center, an office building and more totaling more than
258,000 square feet. The Missile Site Radar Building, also known as "The Pyramid," is the focal point of the MSR site.

The four RSL sites are located in Ramsey, Cavalier, and Walsh Counties. Each site offers 35-40 acres that include an access sentry station, remote launch operations building and sprint missile launch stations. All missiles have been removed from the site and the missile silos were
closed.

This sale represents a unique opportunity to acquire a "piece of history." SRMSC is the United States first anti-ballistic missile complex developed to preserve the country’s capability against Soviet nuclear missile attacks. Certain tactical facilities were built of hardened concrete to accomplish specific war fighting functions that are unique in design and architectural features. No other examples of these tactical facilities were constructed in the free world, making the SRMSC a distinctive and significantly architectural style. The site became operational in 1975 and was deactivated in 1976.

NASA VIDEOS OF DRAGON LEAVING SPACE STATION AND SPLASHING DOWN

FROM:  NASA

U.S. COMMENTS ON ELECTIONS IN UKRAINE

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Parliamentary Elections in Ukraine
Press Statement
Mark C. Toner
Acting Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
October 29, 2012
The United States Government is concerned that the conduct of Sunday’s parliamentary elections constituted a step backwards from progress made during previous parliamentary elections and the 2010 presidential election, elections that had marked important steps forward for Ukraine’s democracy.

We share the concerns cited in today’s preliminary report from observation missions from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s (OSCE) Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the European Parliament, and the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. These include the use of government resources to favor ruling party candidates, interference with media access, and harassment of opposition candidates. While election day was peaceful overall and observed by a large number of domestic and international observers, we are troubled by allegations of fraud and falsification in the voting process and tabulation, by the disparity between preliminary results from the Central Election Commission and parallel vote tabulations, and by the Central Election Commission’s decision not to release precinct results. We also reiterate our deep concern that the politically motivated convictions of opposition leaders, including of former Prime Minister Tymoshenko, prevented them from standing in these elections. We again call on the Government to put an immediate end to the selective prosecution of political opponents.

The United States will continue to support the Ukrainian people’s aspirations for an independent, prosperous and democratic Ukraine. We regret that flawed parliamentary elections do not advance Ukraine toward this goal, but we remain committed to working with Ukraine to improve democratic institutions, strengthen the rule of law, and advance essential economic reforms.

The Baroque Saint Andrew's Church in the Podil neighborhood of Kyiv was designed by the famous architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli and constructed between 1747 and 1754. It is reputed to stand on the site where in the first century A.D. Saint Andrew planted a cross and prophesied that a great Christian city would one day rise.  

  
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM CIA WORLD FACTBOOK

Ukraine was the center of the first eastern Slavic state, Kyivan Rus, which during the 10th and 11th centuries was the largest and most powerful state in Europe. Weakened by internecine quarrels and Mongol invasions, Kyivan Rus was incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and eventually into the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The cultural and religious legacy of Kyivan Rus laid the foundation for Ukrainian nationalism through subsequent centuries. A new Ukrainian state, the Cossack Hetmanate, was established during the mid-17th century after an uprising against the Poles. Despite continuous Muscovite pressure, the Hetmanate managed to remain autonomous for well over 100 years. During the latter part of the 18th century, most Ukrainian ethnographic territory was absorbed by the Russian Empire. Following the collapse of czarist Russia in 1917, Ukraine was able to achieve a short-lived period of independence (1917-20), but was reconquered and forced to endure a brutal Soviet rule that engineered two forced famines (1921-22 and 1932-33) in which over 8 million died. In World War II, German and Soviet armies were responsible for some 7 to 8 million more deaths. Although final independence for Ukraine was achieved in 1991 with the dissolution of the USSR, democracy and prosperity remained elusive as the legacy of state control and endemic corruption stalled efforts at economic reform, privatization, and civil liberties. A peaceful mass protest "Orange Revolution" in the closing months of 2004 forced the authorities to overturn a rigged presidential election and to allow a new internationally monitored vote that swept into power a reformist slate under Viktor YUSHCHENKO. Subsequent internal squabbles in the YUSHCHENKO camp allowed his rival Viktor YANUKOVYCH to stage a comeback in parliamentary elections and become prime minister in August of 2006. An early legislative election, brought on by a political crisis in the spring of 2007, saw Yuliya TYMOSHENKO, as head of an "Orange" coalition, installed as a new prime minister in December 2007. Viktor YANUKOVUYCH was elected president in a February 2010 run-off election that observers assessed as meeting most international standards. The following month, the Rada approved a vote of no-confidence prompting Yuliya TYMOSHENKO to resign from her post as prime minister.

President Obama Urges Caution for Those in the Path of Hurricane Sandy | The White House

President Obama Urges Caution for Those in the Path of Hurricane Sandy | The White House

U.S. NORTHERN COMMAND PREPARES TO DEPLOY AS HURRICANE SANDY MOVES IN

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, , FEMA, STATUS
Storm waters floods Coast Guard Station Barnegat Light, N.J., and the surrounding area, Oct. 29, 2012, as Hurricane Sandy moves into the area. The storm is expected to bring life-threatening storm surge and coastal hurricane winds. U.S. Coast Guard photo

From a U.S. Northern Command News Release
PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo., Oct. 29, 2012 – U.S. Northern Command is poised to provide Defense Department support to Federal Emergency Management Agency, tribal, state and local response efforts due to Hurricane Sandy.

Northcom Supports Government’s Storm Response Efforts

Part of Northcom’s defense support of civil authorities mission directs the command to plan and anticipate actions that it may need to take to support civil authorities.

Support efforts include:

-- Defense Department activation of defense coordinating officers and defense coordinating elements to support FEMA Regions 1, 2, and 3, with coordinating elements from Regions 4, 7, and 9 providing additional surge support to Regions 1, 2, and 3;

-- Northcom has identified active duty deputies to deploy in support of designated dual-status commanders, and is currently working with officials from Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island. These active duty deputies facilitate active duty force employment under dual-status leadership should active duty assets be required.

-- Northcom has placed the following defense support of civil authorities forces on 24-hour "Prepare to deploy" status in response to anticipated FEMA requests to mitigate or respond to effects of Hurricane Sandy: light- and medium-lift helicopters; medium- and heavy-lift helicopters; pararescue teams; information awareness and assessment aircraft; Tactical Common Data Link; Rover video receiver systems; and fixed-wing aircraft.

-- Northcom is deploying joint regional medical planners to the regions.

-- Northcom has activated Westover Air Reserve Base, Mass.; Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.; and Dover Air Force Base, Del., as incident support bases for staging federal support equipment and supplies. Fort Devens, Mass., has been designated a federal team staging facility.

-- The Air Force Northern national security emergency preparedness directorate deployed emergency preparedness liaison officers to assist civil authorities in preparing for relief efforts.

-- Air Force Northern officials deployed joint air component coordination elements to Philadelphia, Boston and Trenton, N.J.

-- Northcom’s Joint Personnel Recovery Center, in support of Air Force Northern’s joint force air component commander, is pre-positioning search and rescue forces.

-- All Defense Department installations have been directed to offer support to local community requests for assistance, including providing staging and bed-down for utility recovery teams assigned to restore power.

Follow #Sandy

Follow #Sandy

NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN FOR OCTOBER 29, 2012

Photo Credit:  U.S. Navy.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Combined Force Kills Attackers During Search for Taliban Leader
From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release

KABUL, Afghanistan, Oct. 29, 2012 - A combined Afghan and coalition security force killed several insurgents during a security operation to arrest a Taliban leader in Afghanistan's Ghazni province today, military officials reported.

The security force came under small-arms fire from several insurgents as it approached the Taliban leader's suspected location. The security force returned fire, killing the insurgents.

The combined force also detained a suspected insurgent and seized a machine gun with a large quantity of ammunition, several assault-style rifles, a pistol and assorted ammunition.

In other Afghanistan operations today:

-- A combined force in Kandahar province arrested a Taliban leader believed to be responsible for high-profile attack planning, facilitating weapons for insurgents and leading a group of Taliban fighters.

-- In Logar province, a combined force detained several suspected insurgents while searching for a Haqqani network leader believed to coordinate attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

-- A combined force in Khost province detained a suspected insurgent during a search for a Haqqani network leader suspected of planning ambush attacks targeting Afghan and coalition forces and helping to facilitate weapons for insurgents.

EUROPE IS STILL PART OF EARTH ACCORDING TO U.S.

Photo Credit:  NASA
Europe Remains Important to New Strategy, General SaysBy Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Oct. 23, 2012 - Europe remains important, even as the United States shifts its strategic focus to the Asia-Pacific region, the commander of U.S. Army Europe and 7th Army said during a Defense Writers Group breakfast here today.

"Europe remains one of our key strategic partners, Lt. Gen. Mark P. Hertling said. "If you take a look at the rebalancing strategy toward the Pacific, ... Europe still has a very important part to play."

European nations are contributing significantly to U.S. alliances, the general said, noting that 40,000 soldiers from allied countries are serving in Afghanistan. "Ninety-one percent of those ... come from the European footprint," he added. "These are people that we helped train, that we exercise with, that we partner with, that we conduct engagements with."

Even with the shift to the Pacific, European nations provide a lot of capability, Hertling said. Their commitment to the defense of South Korea is one example, he told the group, and the European nations have many other interests in the Asia-Pacific region.

Still, he said, the U.S. presence in Europe is dropping. Last week, Hertling presided at a ceremony that cased the colors of the 170th Brigade at Baumholder, Germany, and he will soon case the colors of another U.S. brigade. "We are trying to right-size the [U.S.] force in Europe," he said.

The Cold War is over, and no one knows it better than the commander of U.S. Army Europe. The need for large tank formations on the continent is gone, he said, so even with the loss of the two brigades, the Army will have what it needs to conduct missions in Europe, including contingency operations, partnership exercises and theater security operations.

Last year, the general noted, U.S. Army Europe troops conducted 1,100 security operations missions, and missions continue.

U.S. Army Europe is part of Exercise Austere Challenge, which kicked off this week in Israel, and the command plays a part in the Northern Distribution Network, getting supplies for U.S. and allied forces in Afghanistan. "We continue to run things like missile defense, countercyber exercises, logistics support to allies [and] support to NATO and contingency operations," Hertling said.

In addition, a peacekeeping effort continues in Europe. More than 1,000 American service members are part of NATO's Kosovo Force in the former Yugoslavia. Most of the troops in the operation are Army National Guardsmen. U.S. Army Europe is responsible for providing the final training the troops receive before deploying to Kosovo and for the logistics they receive while in country.

"We have reinforced that brigade on several occasions when there have been crises," Hertling said. "They continue to do significant stability operations in Kosovo, training the Kosovar forces as well as patrolling. It is still ... calm, but tense, in Kosovo. It gets tenser at times, depending on what's going on."

Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta's Remarks at a Portrait-Unveiling Ceremony for Former Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates

Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta's Remarks at a Portrait-Unveiling Ceremony for Former Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates

LARGEST MISSILE DEFENSE FLIGHT TEST IN HISTORY

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
121025-N-ZZ999-002 MECK ISLAND, Republic of the Marshall Islands (Oct. 25, 2012) A Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptor missile is launched from Meck Island to intercept a ballistic missile target during a Missile Defense Agency integrated flight test. Americas Sailors are Warfighters, a fast and flexible force deployed worldwide. Join the conversation on social media using #warfighting. U.S. Navy photo/Released


Ballistic Missile Defense System Successfully Conducts Largest Missile Defense Flight Test in History

U.S. Missile Defense Agency
PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (NNS) -- The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) successfully conducted the largest, most complex missile defense flight test ever attempted, Oct. 24.

MDA, Soldiers from the 94th and 32nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command (AAMDC); Sailors aboard USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62); and Airmen from the 613th Air and Space Operations Center conducted test, resulting in the simultaneous engagement of five ballistic missile and cruise missile targets.

An integrated air and ballistic missile defense architecture used multiple sensors and missile
defense systems to engage multiple targets at the same time. All targets were successfully launched and initial indications are that the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system successfully intercepted its first medium-range ballistic target in history, and Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) near simultaneously destroyed a short-range ballistic missile and a low flying cruise missile target over water.

The live-fire demonstration, conducted at U.S. Army Kwajalein Atoll/Reagan Test Site, Hickam Air Force Base, and surrounding areas in the western Pacific, stressed the performance of the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD), THAAD, and Patriot weapon systems.

An Extended Long Range Air Launch Target (E-LRALT) missile was air-dropped over the broad ocean area north of Wake Island from a U.S. Air Force C-17
aircraft, staged from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. The AN/TPY-2 X-band radar, located with the THAAD system on Meck Island, tracked the E-LRALT and a THAAD interceptor successfully intercepted the medium-range ballistic missile. THAAD was operated by Soldiers from the 32nd AAMDC.

Another short-range ballistic missile was launched from a mobile launch platform located in the broad ocean area northeast of Kwajalein Atoll. The Patriot system, manned by Soldiers of the 94th AAMDC, detected, tracked and successfully intercepted the target with a PAC-3 interceptor.

USS Fitzgerald successfully engaged a low flying cruise missile over water. The Aegis system also tracked and launched an SM-3 Block 1A interceptor against a short-range ballistic missile. However, despite indication of a nominal flight of the SM-3 Block 1A interceptor, there was no indication of an intercept of the SRBM.

FTI-01 was a combined developmental and operational test. Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen from multiple Combatant Commands operated the systems and were provided a unique opportunity to refine operational doctrine and tactics. Program officials continue to assess and evaluate system performance based upon telemetry and other data obtained during the test.

Ballistic Missile Defense System programs have completed 56 successful hit-to-kill intercepts in 71 flight test attempts since 2001.

DOMINICA NATIONAL DAY

Map Credit:  CIA World Factbook.
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Dominica National Day Message

Press Statement
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
October 24, 2012

On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I am delighted to send best wishes and congratulations to the people of Dominica as you celebrate 34 years of independence this November 3.

The United States and Dominica remain united by shared history, values, and strong cultural ties. Our collaboration within programs such as the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative and the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief advances our common aspirations and strengthens democracy, rule of law, and human rights. Our joint efforts will increase security, improve access to health care, improve economic opportunities, and create a brighter future for all our people.

Map Credit:  CIA World Factbook

The United States is committed to strengthening our bonds of friendship. I wish you a happy, safe, and prosperous independence day as you enjoy some of Dominica’s best music and dance during the Cultural Gala and honor your country’s heritage during the annual parade.

View of the south side of the island. Dominica features lush mountainous rain forests, and is the home of many rare plant, animal, and bird species (including the Sisserou Parrot featured on its flag).  Credit:  CIA World Factbook.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM CIA WORLD FACTBOOK

Dominica was the last of the Caribbean islands to be colonized by Europeans due chiefly to the fierce resistance of the native Caribs. France ceded possession to Great Britain in 1763, which made the island a colony in 1805. In 1980, two years after independence, Dominica's fortunes improved when a corrupt and tyrannical administration was replaced by that of Mary Eugenia CHARLES, the first female prime minister in the Caribbean, who remained in office for 15 years. Some 3,000 Carib Indians still living on Dominica are the only pre-Columbian population remaining in the eastern Caribbean.

　

NASA VIDEO: HURRICANE SANDY ON OCTOBER 29, 2012

NASA VIDEO