U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT RESPONDS TO ELECTIONS IN NICARAGUA

Nicaragua.  Map Credit:  CIA World Factbook

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT

Response to Municipal Elections in Nicaragua

Press Statement
Victoria Nuland
Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
November 5, 2012


The U.S. government is concerned that the municipal elections conducted Sunday, November 4, in Nicaragua failed to demonstrate a degree of transparency that would assure Nicaraguans and the international community that the process faithfully reflected the will of the Nicaraguan people.

There have been widespread complaints about the partisan manner in which Nicaragua’s Supreme Electoral Council managed the process in the run-up to and on Election Day to the advantage of the ruling party. Irregularities observed on election day included citizens being denied the right to vote, a failure to respect the secrecy of citizens’ votes, and reported cases of voters being allowed to vote multiple times. These disturbing practices have marred multiple recent Nicaraguan elections.

We again urge the Government of Nicaragua to implement the recommendations the European Union and Organization of American States electoral observation missions made following the controversial 2011 national elections, and to uphold its commitment to representative democracy under the OAS Charter and the Inter-American Democratic Charter.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM CIA WORLD FACTBOOK

The Pacific coast of Nicaragua was settled as a Spanish colony from Panama in the early 16th century. Independence from Spain was declared in 1821 and the country became an independent republic in 1838. Britain occupied the Caribbean Coast in the first half of the 19th century, but gradually ceded control of the region in subsequent decades. Violent opposition to governmental manipulation and corruption spread to all classes by 1978 and resulted in a short-lived civil war that brought the Marxist Sandinista guerrillas to power in 1979. Nicaraguan aid to leftist rebels in El Salvador caused the US to sponsor anti-Sandinista contra guerrillas through much of the 1980s. After losing free and fair elections in 1990, 1996, and 2001, former Sandinista President Daniel ORTEGA Saavedra was elected president in 2006 and reelected in 2011. The 2008 municipal elections, 2010 regional elections, and November 2011 presidential elections were marred by widespread irregularities. Nicaragua's infrastructure and economy - hard hit by the earlier civil war and by Hurricane Mitch in 1998 - are slowly being rebuilt, but democratic institutions have been weakened under the ORTEGA administration.

DROUGHT AND THE MOUNTAIN PINE BEETLE

Photo:  Rocky Mountains.  Credit:  Wikimedia.

FROM: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

Drought in 2001-2002 Fueled Rocky Mountain Pine Beetle Outbreak
November 5, 2012
Results of a new study show that episodes of reduced precipitation in the Southern Rocky Mountains, especially during the 2001-2002 drought, greatly accelerated a rise in numbers of mountain pine beetles. The overabundance is a threat to regional forests.

The research is the first to chart the evolution of the current pine beetle epidemic in the southern Rocky Mountains.

It compared patterns of beetle outbreaks in the two primary host species, the ponderosa pine and lodgepole pine, said University of Colorado at Boulder (CU-Boulder) researcher Teresa Chapman.

A paper on the subject is published in the current issue of the journal Ecology. Chapman is lead author of the paper; co-authors include CU-Boulder scientists Thomas Veblen and Tania Schoennagel.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) funded the research.

"This study confirms that warming temperatures and drought are likely triggers of the widespread bark beetle outbreaks that have devastated forests over vast areas of the West," said Richard Inouye, program director in NSF's Division of Environmental Biology.

"It also suggests why bark beetle outbreaks may vary for two different tree species," he said, "and how different forests may be more or less susceptible to these insects that are transforming mountain landscapes."

The current mountain pine beetle outbreak in the Southern Rockies--which ranges from southern Wyoming through Colorado and into northern New Mexico--is estimated to have affected almost 3,000 square miles of forests.

While the 2001-2002 drought in the West played a key role in pushing the pine beetle outbreak into a true regional epidemic, the outbreak continued to gain ground even after temperature and precipitation levels returned to levels nearer the long-term averages.

The beetles decimated lodgepole pine forests by moving into wetter and higher elevations and into less susceptible tree stands--those with smaller-diameter lodgepoles that share space with other tree species.

"In recent years some researchers have thought the pine beetle outbreak in the Southern Rocky Mountains might have started in one place and spread from there," said Chapman.

"What we found was that the mountain pine beetle outbreak originated in many locations. The idea that the outbreak spread from multiple places, then coalesced and continued spreading, really highlights the importance of the broad-scale drivers of the pine beetle epidemic, like climate and drought."

Mountain pine beetles range from Canada to Mexico and are found at elevations from sea level to 11,000 feet. These native insects have shaped the forests of North America for thousands of years by attacking old or weakened trees, resulting in younger forests.

The effects of pine beetle overpopulation are especially evident in recent years on Colorado's Western Slope, including Rocky Mountain National Park, with a particularly severe epidemic occurring in Grand and Routt counties.

The most recent mountain pine beetle outbreak began in the 1990s, primarily in scattered groups of lodgepole pines at low elevations in areas of lower annual precipitation.

Following the 2001-2002 drought, the outbreak was "uncoupled" from the initial weather and landscape conditions, triggering a rise in beetle populations on the Western Slope and propelling the insects over the Continental Divide into the Northern Front Range to infect ponderosa pine, Chapman said.

The current pine beetle epidemic in the Southern Rocky Mountains also was influenced by extensive forest fires that ravaged Colorado's Western Slope from roughly 1850 to 1890.

Lodgepole pine stands completely burned off by the fires were followed by huge swaths of seedling lodgepoles that eventually grew side-by-side into dense mature stands, making them easier targets for the pine beetles.

"The widespread burning associated with dry years in the 19th century set the stage by creating vast areas of trees in the size classes most susceptible to beetle attack," said Chapman.

Veblen said a 1980s outbreak of the pine beetle in Colorado's Grand County ended when extremely low minimum temperatures were reached in the winters of 1983 and 1984, killing the beetle larvae.

But during the current outbreak, minimum temperatures during all seasons have been persistently high since 1996, well above the levels of extreme cold shown to kill beetle larvae in laboratory experiments.

"This implies that under continued warming trends, future outbreaks will not be terminated until they exhaust their food supply--the pine tree hosts," said Veblen.

Chapman said there has been a massive and unprecedented beetle epidemic in British Columbia, which also began in the early 1990s and now has affected nearly 70,000 square miles.

"It is hard to tell if this current beetle epidemic in the Southern Rockies is unprecedented," she said. "While warm periods in the 16th century may have triggered a large beetle epidemic, any evidence would have been wiped out by the massive fires in the latter 19th century."

The rate of spread of the mountain pine beetle in lodgepole pine forests has declined in the southern Rocky Mountains during the past two years because of a depletion of host pine population.

But surveys indicate that the rate of beetle spread in ponderosa pine forests on the Front Range has increased sharply over the past three years.

The current study suggests that under a continued warmer climate, the spread of the beetle in ponderosa pines is likely to grow until that food source also is depleted.

"Our results emphasize the importance of considering different patterns in the population dynamics of mountain pine beetles for different host species, even under similar regional-scale weather variations," said Chapman.

"Given the current outbreak of mountain pine beetles on the Front Range, the effect on ponderosa pines is certainly something that needs further study."

CHANGES ON THE WAY FOR U.S. TRANSPORTATION COMMAND

Air Force Gen. William M. Fraser III, commander of U.S. Transportation Command, unveils his command's five-year strategic plan designed to guide the command as it evolves to meet future challenges, Oct. 12, 2012. U.S. Transportation Command photo by Bob Fehringer

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Transcom Transforms for Changing Global Requirements

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill., Nov. 5, 2012 - Putting in place the most-sweeping strategic planning effort in U.S. Transportation Command's 25-year history, Air Force Gen. William M. Fraser III, Transcom commander, said his organization is revolutionizing the way the military deploys, sustains and redeploys its forces around the globe.

Fraser assumed his post overseeing the Defense Department's global air, land and sea transportation enterprise in October 2011. It was a year of unprecedented geopolitical change across the Middle East and Northern Africa; the massive earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster in Japan; the logistical drawdown in Iraq and surge operations in Afghanistan.

In every case, Fraser noted, the combatant commanders responsible for these and every other effort the military conducted turned to Transcom and its unmatched transportation and distribution capabilities to carry out their missions.

Speaking with American Forces Press Service in his headquarters office here, Fraser said he's been amazed that the people of Transcom, including its service components and commercial and international partners, make such a daunting task look almost easy.

During any given day, he said, the command oversees 100 rail car shipments, 26 ships underway and another nine ships being loaded or offloaded, 2,000 truck cargo shipments, 2,000 household goods movements, 900 airlift sorties, 97 operational air refueling sorties, seven air evacuation sorties and 30 courier deliveries.

"It is fascinating that we are able to do what we do the way that we do it, and I think others enjoy being able to turn to us to provide them options to ... accomplish their mission," Fraser said.

Transcom was never envisioned as a permanent combatant command when it initially stood up in 1987. It was meant to be a planning headquarters, to be activated only in wartime to deal with the associated transportation and logistics challenges.

Operation Desert Storm -- the largest deployment of U.S. troops and equipment since the Vietnam War -- changed that thinking. "There came a realization that you really need to do in peace what you do in war," Fraser said.

So for the past two decades, Transcom has matured its processes, evolving into what Fraser calls a "world-class, joint deployment and distribution enterprise that provides unfailing support to our warfighters and their families around the globe."

The challenge now, he said, is that what has worked so well in the past isn't necessarily the best formula for the future -- particularly in light of budgetary constraints and changing support requirements as the United States draws down in Afghanistan.

"We are at a point in time where things are going to be different," Fraser said. "We are not going to be as engaged in as many areas constantly, and there is not going to be as much business."

That, he acknowledged, is one of Transcom's big challenges moving forward.

A state-of-the-art global transportation and distribution enterprise simply can't be turned on and off like a spigot, he explained.

The enterprise, Fraser said, relies on ready, well-oiled capabilities within Transcom's organic assets, provided by the Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, Military Sealift Command, Air Mobility Command and Joint Enabling Capabilities Command.

Not as well recognized, he noted, is the key role commercial partners play: contributing ships, cargo space, aircraft and logistics support to complement what the military provides.

"We really rely upon our commercial partners," Fraser said. "They provide tremendous capability to us, when we need it and where we need it, and we are able to capitalize upon their infrastructure and the capabilities they have to accomplish our mission."

The general said Transcom's new strategy recognizes the importance of keeping its organic and commercial enterprises viable so they're able to support future missions -- whether for humanitarian assistance and disaster response or kinetic operations.

The way to do that, Fraser said, is to remain the uncontested "transportation provider of choice" that combatant commanders keep busy supporting their exercises and engagements, even as wartime requirements decrease.

So as it strives to preserve readiness capability, Transcom is focusing on improving its business model to better align resources and processes to support the mission, Fraser said. For example, he noted, the command is investing heavily in information technology to give leaders the tools to make the best -- and when feasible, lowest-cost -- options as they make transportation and logistics decisions.

And in what Fraser said he considers one of the most important engines for change, Transcom is looking inward, to transform its workforce into "enterprise-focused professionals." The goal, he explained, is to encourage collaboration, build trust and empower people to make decisions and inspire innovation.

That makes each and every member of Transcom a partner in transforming the command for the future, Fraser said. "I feel that this sets us up for success, because the workforce has all been a part of this," he said. "They have been part of the process, they bought into the process and they understand where we are going to go, why we are going where we are going and how we are preparing for the future."

Fraser said he's already seeing the difference this emphasis is making. And based on past performance, he said, he's convinced that the men and women of Transcom will continue to live up to their motto, "Together, we deliver."

"It really is about people," Fraser said. "Because it takes all of us to provide whatever is needed -- humanitarian supplies, disaster response, responding to a crisis ... or sustaining the forces.

"Wherever that may be, they know that we are going to deliver," he said. "And it is all of us doing it. It is the people that are making that happen – and will continue to, into the future."

U.S. AIR FORCE HURRICANE SANDY RELIEF PHOTOS

 

FROM: U.S. AIR FORCE
New York Air National Guard Master Sgt. Thomas Moade from the 174th Attack Wing out of Syracuse leads other members of the 174th as well as members of the New York Army Guard from Newburg in taking water and cases of food to local residents in Staten Island on Nov. 2. The food and water was provided to people who needed assistance after Hurricane Sandy took down power lines and caused massive destruction to many homes in the area leaving families desperate for help. Moade and the others were taking the food to those who could not make it to the Emergency Response location.

Staff Sergeant Jennifer Bartkus and Airman First Class Ryan Culp from the 161st Air Refueling Wing Aerial Port, Phoenix help guide a vehicle being loaded on a C-17 Globemaster III, Nov. 2, 2012. The 161st ARW will facilitate the loading and transportation of Salt River Project and Arizona Public Service line crews, support staff and required vehicles in efforts to restore power in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.

ABDUL RAUF RECEIVES SPECIALLY DESIGNATED GLOBAL TERRORIST TITLE FROM U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE



Photo Credit:  U.S. Army.

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT

Designation of Haqqani Network Chief of Suicide Operations Qari Zakir

Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
November 5, 2012
The Secretary of State has designated Haqqani Network chief of suicide operations Qari Zakir (also known as Abdul Rauf) as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, which targets terrorists and those providing support to terrorists or acts of terrorism. As a result of the designation, all property subject to U.S. jurisdiction in which Zakir has any interest is blocked and U.S. persons are prohibited from engaging in any transactions with him or to his benefit.

In addition to today’s domestic designation under E.O. 13224, both Qari Zakir and the Haqqani Network as an organization were listed by the United Nations 1988 Sanctions Committee. The UN listings will require all UN member states to implement an assets freeze, a travel ban, and an arms embargo against the Haqqani Network and Qari Zakir. The Haqqani Network was designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity under E.O. 13224 in September 2012, and today’s UN actions demonstrate international resolve in eliminating the Haqqani Network’s ability to execute violent attacks in Afghanistan.

Qari Zakir is the chief of suicide operations for the Haqqani Network and the operational commander in Kabul, Takhar, Kunduz, and Baghlan Provinces, Afghanistan. Zakir is responsible for the Haqqani Network’s training program, which includes instruction in small arms, heavy weapons, and basic improvised explosive device (IED) construction.

Zakir approached Haqqani Network leader Sirajuddin Haqqani in 2008, requesting financial assistance in exchange for expanding the group’s influence and operations into northern Afghanistan, and has become a trusted associate and confidant of Sirajuddin. He has been involved in many of the Haqqani Network’s high-profile suicide attacks and is partially responsible for making some of the final determinations on whether or not to proceed with large-scale attacks planned by local district-level commanders. Attacks using personnel selected from Zakir’s training program include the 2010 attacks on coalition force bases Salerno and Chapman; the June 2011 attack on the Intercontinental Hotel, which killed 11 civilians and two Afghan policemen; and the September 2011 attack on the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, which killed 16 Afghans, including at least six children.

MARINES HELP STATEN ISLAND RESIDENTS

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Photo:  Marine Corps UH-1N Iroquois "Huey" helicopters with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit deliver meals-ready-to-eat to Staten Island, N.Y., Nov. 4, 2012. The Navy-Marine Corps team is well equipped to respond to national disasters when required, through the coordination of U.S. Northern Command. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Megan Angel

 Headquarters Marine Corps

NEW YORK, Nov. 5, 2012 - Marines with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit arrived here yesterday via CH-53E helicopters to aid Staten Island impacted by Superstorm Sandy.

The group of 20 Marines worked with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the New York City Parks Department and other civilian authorities to provide relief to citizens affected by Hurricane Sandy's damaging winds and flooding.

"It feels good to help," said Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Antonio M. Medina, an optics technician attached to the 26th MEU. "We're trying to coordinate efforts with the local and some state agencies so that we can try to help with the situation, take furniture that's rotten, get medicine, whatever it takes to relieve [people's] problems."

The Marines are moving house to house through Staten Island, surveying damaged structures, assisting those in need of medical support and providing manpower to remove damaged household goods from residents' homes.

The 26th MEU Marines are scheduled to provide assistance as the surrounding New York communities return to normal operations and power is restored. The eastern shore of Staten Island has seen some of the worst destruction from Hurricane Sandy; homes were flooded, power lines broken and, as of yesterday, some fallen trees remained atop homes and vehicles.

"... [A]s long as the mission needs us to be here or until we're told to move to somewhere else to help, we'll be here," Medina said. "The [locals] appreciate the help a lot. They shake our hands and say 'Thank you.' They even have offered us food in several locations but we're not here to take their things. We're here to help them out."

Many of the residents expressed their gratitude to the Marines for lending a hand. Salvatore Greco, who served in the Marine Corps during the early 90's, said he was excited when he saw a group of Marines helping out with the recovery.

"It's a blessing," Greco said. "The first thing I asked was, 'Where's my Marines at?'"

Greco's wife, Sebahet, said she wants to see more Marines helping out.

"I was hoping that the Marines were here," she said. "I was happy to see them here."

The Marines, operating from the USS Wasp, USS San Antonio and USS Carter Hall off the coast of New York City, are part of a Navy and Marine Corps team that provides crisis response anywhere in the world. The Navy-Marine team can land forces ashore by air and sea, and is uniquely suited to assist local authorities in moving personnel and equipment.

U.S. Department of Defense Armed with Science Update: Flying the Reaper from Remote Locations

U.S. Department of Defense Armed with Science Update

U.S. Navy Navy Live Update

U.S. Navy Navy Live Update

U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT COMMENTS ON MEKONG RIVER DAM

Laos.  Map Credit:  CIA World Factbook.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Taken Question: Laos Approval of Xayaburi Dam

Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
November 5, 2012

Question: What is your reaction to Laos’ plan to begin construction on a dam on the lower Mekong River?

Answer: We understand that the Lao People’s Democratic Republic has announced its intention to officially begin construction of the Xayaburi dam on the main stem of the Mekong River. The United States recognizes the important role that dams can play in managing water resources to advance economic growth. At the same time, our own experience has made us acutely aware of the economic, social and environmental impacts that large infrastructure can have over the long-term. The extent and severity of impacts from the Xayaburi dam on an ecosystem that provides food security and livelihoods for millions are still unknown.

While these are sovereign development decisions, we are concerned that construction is proceeding before impact studies have been completed. We continue to believe that the Mekong River Commission (MRC) can be a useful platform to provide access to the best science and facilitate consultation with all stakeholders. We also understand that the members of the MRC have not reached consensus on whether the project should proceed.

The United States values its long-standing partnership with the MRC and its member nations. We have a strong interest in the sustainable management of the Mekong River, and we view our robust engagement as a sign of our strong commitment toward a lasting and positive relationship with the region.

We hope that the government of Laos will uphold its pledge to work with its neighbors in addressing remaining questions regarding Xayaburi. We encourage the MRC countries to continue to work together to realize their shared vision of an economically prosperous, socially just and environmentally sound Mekong River basin.

　

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM CIA WORLD FACTBOOK

Modern-day Laos has its roots in the ancient Lao kingdom of Lan Xang, established in the 14th Century under King FA NGUM. For 300 years Lan Xang had influence reaching into present-day Cambodia and Thailand, as well as over all of what is now Laos. After centuries of gradual decline, Laos came under the domination of Siam (Thailand) from the late 18th century until the late 19th century when it became part of French Indochina. The Franco-Siamese Treaty of 1907 defined the current Lao border with Thailand. In 1975, the Communist Pathet Lao took control of the government ending a six-century-old monarchy and instituting a strict socialist regime closely aligned to Vietnam. A gradual, limited return to private enterprise and the liberalization of foreign investment laws began in 1988. Laos became a member of ASEAN in 1997.

　

GALACTIC COLLISION VIDEO FROM NASA

FROM: NASASpacecraft Image Mashup Shows Galactic Collision

This new composite image from the Chandra X-ray Observatory, the Hubble Space Telescope, and the Spitzer Space Telescope shows two colliding galaxies more than a 100 million years after they first impacted each other. The continuing collision of the Antennae galaxies, located about 62 million light years from Earth, has triggered the formation of millions of stars in clouds of dusts and gas

NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN FOR NOVEMBER 5, 2012

Photo Credit:  U.S. Army.
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Combined Force Arrests Senior Taliban Leader

Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases
WASHINGTON, Nov. 5, 2012 - An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban senior leader in Afghanistan's Kandahar province today, military officials reported.

The arrested insurgent leader commanded all Taliban fighters within Kandahar city and the eastern Panjwai districts. He directed attacks against Afghan and coalition forces while coordinating the movement of supplies, weapons and improvised explosive device making-materials throughout Kandahar province to support the Taliban insurgency, officials said.

The security force also detained two suspected insurgents as a result of the operation, officials said.

Also today, a combined force detained three suspected insurgents during a search for a Haqqani leader in Khost province. The sought-after leader is believed to be responsible for multiple attacks throughout southern Khost province as well as IED emplacements. During the operation, the security force seized an assault rifle and numerous grenades.

In Nov. 4 operations:

-- In Logar province, a combined force arrested a Haqqani senior leader. The arrested insurgent leader is tied to the Aug. 7 suicide vehicle-borne IED attack on Forward Operating Base Shank. The security force also detained one suspected insurgent.

-- A combined force killed two insurgents engaged in threatening activity during separate operations in Kunar and Logar provinces.

-- Afghan police accompanied by coalition troops seized a cache of explosives and IED-making materials in Ghazni province. Items seized include three 40 mm rocket-propelled grenades, one anti-tank mine and one IED with detonation cord. The force destroyed the cache.

-- A combined force arrested a Taliban leader and IED expert in Kandahar province. The detained insurgent leader was an attack specialist who coordinated the movement and storage of IEDs, weapons and associated supplies to support the Taliban throughout the province. The security force also detained one suspected insurgent.

-- A combined force arrested a Taliban leader in Helmand province. The detained Taliban leader executed ambush and IED attacks against Afghan and coalition forces while facilitating the movement of lethal aid throughout the province.

-- In Logar province, a combined force arrested a Taliban courier. The detained Taliban courier served as a cross-border facilitator who passed messages and information between senior Taliban leaders.

In Nov. 3 operations:

-- In Kandahar province, a combined force arrested a Taliban leader. The arrested insurgent leader is suspected of overseeing the emplacement and distribution of IEDs throughout northern Kandahar province. The security force also detained two suspected insurgents and seized a number of firearms.

-- A combined force seized 2,800 pounds of opium and 88 pounds of heroin following a firefight in southern Helmand province in which one insurgent was killed and another was detained. A vehicle and the drugs were destroyed on site.

-- In Logar province, a combined force arrested a Haqqani leader. The arrested insurgent leader oversaw operations and multiple attack cells in northern Logar province. The security force also detained a number of suspected insurgents.

-- In Nangarhar province, a combined force detained a number of insurgents during a search for a Taliban leader. As the security force approached the Taliban leader's suspected location, two armed insurgents attacked the Afghan and coalition troops with small-arms fire. Friendly forces returned fire, wounding the two armed insurgents, who were later evacuated to a coalition medical facility. The security force seized several assault rifles and shotguns as well as large quantities of ammunition and gear.

In Nov. 2 operations:

-- In Kunar province, a Haqqani weapons facilitator turned himself in to Afghan and coalition forces. The detained Haqqani member is believed to have engineered IED and other attacks targeting Afghan and coalition forces. According to a coalition official, the individual quit the insurgency out of concerns for his own safety and to protect his family.

-- In Paktiya province, a coalition force killed Haqqani leader Sadiq Jan. Sadiq Jan, also known as Lewo, was responsible for directing attacks against Afghan and coalition forces, kidnapping local nationals and coordinating the movement of weapons and bomb-making materials for insurgent attacks.

-- A combined force seized 1,650 pounds of homemade explosives in Ghazni province. The explosives were destroyed.

U.S. State Department Daily Press Briefing - November 5, 2012

Daily Press Briefing - November 5, 2012

U.S. Department of Defense Contracts for November 05, 2012

Contracts for November 05, 2012

TWO INDIVIDUALS SENTENCED FOR ROLES IN FORECLOSURE RESCUE SCHEME FRAUD

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Friday, November 2, 2012

Two Florida Residents Sentenced for Roles in Foreclosure Rescue Scheme

As Part of Scheme Lied to Homeowners Facing Foreclosure They Could Stay in Their Homes
Lisa Wright, 46, and Cathy Saffer, 52, of Pompano Beach, Fla., were sentenced today to serve 66 and 60 months respectively for defrauding homeowners and mortgage lenders as part of a foreclosure rescue scheme, the Justice Department announced. The two women were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kenneth A. Marra in the Southern District of Florida.

Wright pleaded guilty on March 27, 2012, to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, one count of mail fraud and one count of wire fraud. Saffer was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, three counts of mail fraud and two counts of wire fraud, following a two week jury trial in July.

According to the indictment and evidence presented at trial, Wright and Saffer operated Foreclosure Solution Specialists (FSS) from 2006 to 2009. Through FSS, Wright and Saffer targeted homeowners facing foreclosure, advertising that FSS could assist those homeowners in remaining in their homes. When contacted by distressed homeowners seeking assistance, Wright and Saffer misrepresented to those homeowners that their homes would be sold to investors. They also claimed that customers could remain in their homes after the sales and promised them an opportunity to repurchase the homes at a later date. Rather than selling the homes to legitimate investors, Wright and Saffer designed sham sales to straw purchasers whom they paid to participate in the scheme.

According to the indictment and evidence presented at trial, Wright and Saffer paid Florida Certified Public Accountant Barrington Coombs to write a fraudulent letter which falsely vouched for the fraudulent information on various loan applications. Coombs, who was also convicted by the jury, is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 7, 2012.

Mortgage transactions completed by FSS drew equity out of the homes, which Wright and Saffer pocketed for their own purposes. After doing so, Wright and Saffer allowed the loans to go into foreclosure. Homeowners ultimately lost all of the equity in their homes, and most of the victims were forced to move out of their homes.

"The individuals sentenced today took advantage of desperate homeowners hoping to shed the weight of debt and foreclosure, ," said Stuart F. Delery, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division. "We will continue to work with the FBI and our other law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute mortgage fraud and foreclosure rescue schemes such as this one."

Wifredo A. Ferrer, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida stated, " This case illustrates the lengths that fraudsters will go to victimize and ruin the lives of hard working families. This mortgage fraud scheme robbed homeowners of more than just their homes; it also robbed them of hope and the American dream of home ownership. The best way to avoid being victimized is to do your homework and ask hard questions. Be wary of those whose promises seem too good to be true. Through this prosecution, these fraudsters have been brought to justice."

The case was investigated by the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Christopher E. Parisi and John Claud, Trial Attorneys at the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch.

Today’s announcement is part of efforts underway by President Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force (FFETF) which was created in November 2009 to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. attorneys’ offices and state and local partners, it’s the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions and other organizations. Over the past three fiscal years, the Justice Department has filed more than 10,000 financial fraud cases against nearly 15,000 defendants including more than 2,700 mortgage fraud defendants.

In the Wake of The Storm

In the Wake

SUPPLIES ON THE WAY TO STORM RAVAGED COMMUNITIES

West Virginia Air National Guard members assigned to the 167th Airlift Wing load pallets of blankets destined for use by Hurricane Sandy victims onto a C-130 cargo aircraft at Shepherd Field Air National Guard Base in Martinsburg, W.Va., Nov. 3, 2012. A total of 25,000 blankets were flown from the base to John F. Kennedy Airport in New York. West Virginia Air National Guard photo by 2nd Lt. Stacy Gault

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Guardsmen Send Supplies to Storm-stricken Communities

By Air Force Staff Sgt. Sherree Grebenstein
167th Airlift Wing, West Virginia Air National Guard
SHEPHERD FIELD AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Martinsburg, W.Va., Nov. 4, 2012 - The Federal Emergency Management Agency tapped the West Virginia Air National Guard's 167th Airlift Wing here as a staging area to push out much-needed relief supplies to West Virginia and East Coast residents hit hard by Superstorm Sandy.

Although FEMA's stay at the Martinsburg base was brief -- officially ceasing its operations here on the evening of Nov. 3 -- the 167th demonstrated its vital importance in providing resources, manpower and an ideal locale to headquarter the humanitarian aid mission from in this region of the state.

FEMA operations here spun up at the beginning of the month with airmen and soldiers from the West Virginia National Guard working in tandem to ensure that emergency supplies trucked in from around the country were distributed to those in need. Some areas of West Virginia reportedly received up to 80 inches of snow.

According to Air Force Capt. Christopher T. Tusing, installation deployment officer for the 167th Airlift Wing, the unit's airmen were assigned to work on the logistical mission of unloading water and food from FEMA trailers and loading them onto Army Guard vehicles destined for some of the hardest hit communities in the state.

"The 167th Airlift Wing provided over 56 airmen in all to support emerging Hurricane Sandy response over the last week, in direct collaboration with West Virginia Army National Guardsmen and FEMA," Tusing said.

"Our members quickly stepped up, coordinating operations with the West Virginia Joint Operations Center in Charleston," he said. "We provided community assessment teams and hands-on load teams to facilitate the effective distribution of numerous pallets of Meals Ready to Eat and water, and provided aide to fellow West Virginians in need."

The collaboration "continues to illustrate the dedication and commitment levels of the men and women who serve in the joint operating environment of the West Virginia National Guard," Tusing said.

Air Force Col. Roger L. Nye, commander of the 167th Airlift Wing, said he was impressed with how West Virginia's Air and Army National Guard components came together to assist FEMA in providing aid to those in need.

Operation Big Sandy Superstorm tested the mettle of the wing's airmen and they were up to the challenge, Nye said.

"They responded with gusto and dedication and determination to do this mission safely and to do it right," Nye said of the 167th's airmen. "Probably one of the greatest satisfactions that we get out of this job is helping others."

Liaison officer teams from the wing were also sent to West Virginia's Berkeley, Morgan and Jefferson counties. Each team consisted of three airmen who assisted each county in its Emergency Operations Center. One of the teams was later dispatched to Upshur County.

"They [the teams] stepped forward as the wing always does and went to be a part of the solution," Nye said of the unit's liaison teams.

Even as FEMA began to wind down its operations on base the evening of Nov. 3, the commander said, the wing received notice that trucks carrying a total of 25,000 blankets would soon be rolling in. Some C-130 cargo aircraft from Little Rock, Ark., would fly them to New York.

Wing airmen worked into the night to load the blankets onto the C-130s. By dawn, the aircraft were en route to John F. Kennedy Airport.

"They loaded up and went before daybreak, before the rest of the world was awake," Nye said. "Those airplanes are doing triple shuttles."

Whether handling cargo or working another support mission, Nye said the 167th Airlift Wing's airmen should be proud of their accomplishments.

"Everything that happens on this base supports the mission, whatever it is at that time," he noted. "The folks that are at the tip of the spear -- whatever that spear may look like that day -- can't do the job they do without the support of everyone behind them."

The 167th's effort in its support role was outstanding, Nye said. When asked how he would describe the past week, the commander said one word "satisfaction" could best convey his feeling.

"It's been very satisfying," Nye said. "Even though we are tired, we know that we are helping our fellow Americans and it feels good."

RENEWAL OF SUDAN NATIONAL EMERGENCY IN EXECUTIVE ORDER 13067





 FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Renewal of Sudan National Emergency

Media Note

Office of the Spokesperson

Washington, DC

November 2, 2012

 The President renewed the national emergency in Executive Order 13067, on the basis of which the United States has imposed economic sanctions with respect to Sudan since 1997. U.S. law requires that a decision be made regarding the renewal of the national emergency each year by the anniversary of the national emergency.

Sudan.  Map Credit:  CIA World Factbook  

 

In recent years, Sudan has made progress in resolving a number of outstanding issues with South Sudan, which contributes significantly to the prospects for peace between the two countries. However, the ongoing conflict in Southern Kordofan, Blue Nile, and Darfur continue to threaten regional stability, and the human rights and humanitarian crises there – including the lack of humanitarian access – are very serious. Outstanding issues with South Sudan, such as the final status of Abyei, also pose such a threat. Addressing these concerns is necessary for a peaceful Sudan and would enable the United States and Sudan to move towards a normalized relationship.

We will continue our dialogue with the Government of Sudan on the steps that are necessary to improve our bilateral relationship.

 

 

 

STATEMENT OF U.S. DELEGATION TO UN

Photo:  UN In Vienna.  Credit:  Wikimedia
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT

Regional Disarmament and Security Segment of Thematic Debate in the First Committee of the Sixty-seventh Session of the United Nations General Assembly

Remarks
Statement by Delegation of the United States of America
New York City
November 2, 2012

Submitted for the Record

As an Atlantic and Pacific state, the United States has an enduring interest in maintaining peace and prosperity across many regions. We have seen the value of strengthening partnerships and cooperation with regional and other inter-governmental organizations. We have seen the fruits of our labors in regions that have enjoyed almost unparalleled periods of peace, prosperity, and stability. These efforts are most effective only when regional parties meet their commitments fully.

Many delegations have mentioned proliferation crises in the Middle East and Northeast Asia and concerns over strategic stability in South Asia. Other regions are making progress, for example, in consolidating nuclear-weapon-free zones, as we have noted in an earlier statement. The United States also shares the goal of a WMD free zone in the Middle East, freely arrived at by the countries of the region that have primary responsibility for realizing this goal. We have been working with fellow NPT depositaries in support of Middle East Conference facilitator Laajava’s efforts, but the impetus for a WMD free zone must come from the region.

The United States has played a significant role, alongside our European partners, in post-Cold War Europe. We have made a serious investment in building the current security architecture in Europe. Each regime – the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe Treaty (CFE), the Treaty on Open Skies, and the Vienna Document 2011 on confidence- and security-building measures – is important and contributes to security and stability in a unique way, but when they are working in harmony and implemented fully, the result is greater confidence for all of Europe. The very successful Open Skies Treaty, which entered into force ten years ago, is one of the most wide-ranging international arms control efforts to date to promote openness and transparency in military forces and activities. The observation flights serve to enhance military transparency and provide an opportunity for representatives of the 34 signatories – in most cases, military personnel – to regularly and effectively work together.

The Vienna Document, with its confidence and security building measures, which apply to all 56 participating States of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, contributes to Europe-wide confidence and reassurance by promoting greater military transparency. It is also a useful template for other regions, as they look to build confidence in the military intentions of their neighbors. With roots in the 1975 Helsinki Final Act, we are actively engaged with our partners to modernize the Vienna Document to make it more relevant for 21st century military capabilities and security realities. Going forward we have two goals in mind: we want to strengthen existing provisions and we want to ensure that the Document remains relevant to today’s security challenges and budget realities in Europe.

If we look back over the course of the CFE Treaty’s implementation, the regime has been a historic success story, eliminating more than 72,000 pieces of Cold War military equipment since its entry into force. Thousands of inspections have taken place at military sites all over Europe, dramatically increasing confidence and military transparency. The CFE regime remains important to the United States, and for European security as a whole, despite the fact that Russia ceased implementation of its CFE obligations in December 2007. After trying for several years to convince Russia to resume implementation, in November 2011, the United States and our NATO Allies that are party to the Treaty, as well as Georgia and Moldova, ceased carrying out certain obligations under the CFE Treaty with regard to Russia. Since that step, we are consulting with allies and partners about the lessons learned from the implementation of CFE and other existing agreements and how arms control can most effectively address 21st century challenges.

The fact is, the problem addressed by the CFE Treaty originally – the destabilizing surplus of conventional arms on the continent – has been resolved, in no small part through implementation of this important treaty. Today, for the most part, quantities of conventional armaments across the European continent are way below the negotiated ceilings, and are likely to continue to drop. While the global security environment has changed significantly since 1989, conventional arms control, when done right, can significantly improve security on the continent and provide confidence regarding the military forces and intentions of neighbors, especially in sensitive areas. We must devote adequate resources to keep the arms control regimes going strong. We must adapt and improve our efforts to meet our current and future security needs, and do it in a way that is efficient and effective for all countries involved.

The United States sees great value in collaborative approaches across the whole spectrum of our arms control initiatives in Europe and beyond. The Cooperative Threat Reduction Program initiated by Senators Sam Nunn and Richard Lugar after the fall of the Soviet Union was a success story with regard to safeguarding the materials, facilities, and expertise needed to develop WMD. Under the CTR program in Russia, we have successfully partnered to deactivate nuclear warheads, implement security upgrades at nuclear storage sites, neutralize chemical weapons, safeguard fissile materials, productively engage thousands of former weapons scientists in civilian research, and mitigate biological threats. We believe there is much left for us to accomplish in cooperation with Russia and third countries. We hope to extend the Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) program with Russia as a broader basis for our cooperation on securing WMD and related issues globally. The United States is committed to continuing our longstanding and successful cooperation and identifying a broader basis for partnership on securing WMD and related issues globally. From its initial focus twenty years ago on Russia and the newly independent states, the Nunn-Lugar program has withstood the test of time and is expanding its reach to other parts of the world.

Developing partnerships between regions and international organizations is also key to moving ahead. One such example of effective regional cooperation is the effort of some regional groups of States Signatories of the CTBT working together to increase the capacity of those states to effectively participate in establishing the Treaty’s verification regime. This is being achieved through joint regional exercises as well as workshops to share best practices. In some cases, regional groups are discussing ways to share resources through the creation of Regional Data Centers that receive and distribute Treaty-related verification data and products.

Years of experience in Europe and elsewhere have affirmed that disarmament initiatives at the global and regional levels are mutually reinforcing. As we all know, effective global norms and instruments are implemented at regional, sub-regional and national levels. At the same time, efforts at the sub-regional and regional levels can build momentum towards disarmament initiatives at the global level. These relationships and interconnections shape our collective work and activities. But we also know from history that strong partnership between us takes sustained effort.

FORMER SILICON VALLEY EXECUTIVE SETTLES SEC CHARGES STEMMING FROM HEDGE FUND INSIDER TRADING CASE

Photo Credit:  Wikimedia Commons

FROM: U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Former Silicon Valley Executive to Pay $1.75 Million to Settle Insider Trading Charges
On October 24, 2012, the Securities and Exchange Commission charged a former senior executive at a Silicon Valley technology company for illegally tipping convicted hedge fund manager Raj Rajaratnam with nonpublic information that allowed the Galleon hedge funds to make nearly $1 million in illicit profits.

The SEC alleges that Kris Chellam tipped Rajaratnam in December 2006 with confidential details from internal company reports indicating that Xilinx Inc. would fall short of revenue projections it had previously made publicly. The tip enabled Rajaratnam to engage in short selling of Xilinx stock to illicitly benefit the Galleon funds. Chellam tipped Rajaratnam, who was a close friend, at a time when Chellam had his own substantial investment in Galleon funds and was in discussions with Rajaratnam about prospective employment at Galleon. Chellam was hired at Galleon in May 2007.

Chellam, who lives in Saratoga, Calif., has agreed to pay more than $1.75 million to settle the SEC's charges. The settlement is subject to court approval.

According to the SEC's complaint filed in federal court in Manhattan, Xilinx announced in October 2006 the financial results for the second quarter of its 2007 fiscal year. Xilinx also provided guidance for the third quarter by projecting revenues of approximately $476 million to $490 million. Xilinx said it would update this revenue guidance on Dec. 7, 2006.

The SEC alleges that in the weeks leading up to Xilinx's December 7 update, Chellam received multiple reports indicating that the company's third quarter business results were not going to be as positive as projected in October. Chellam learned on November 21 that the top end of the projected revenue range was being lowered from $490 million to $470 million. He attended a December 4 confidential executive staff meeting where the bottom end of the revenue projection was lowered from $476 million to $455 million. On December 5, Chellam telephoned Rajaratnam and tipped him about Xilinx's worse-than-expected performance. Just minutes after the call, Galleon hedge funds controlled by Rajaratnam sold short Xilinx stock, eventually selling short more than 650,000 shares over the course of that day and the following day.

According to the SEC's complaint, the Galleon hedge funds reaped approximately $978,684 in illegal profits after the December 7 announcement by covering the substantial short position that Rajaratnam had accumulated based on Chellam's tip. Chellam had more than $1 million invested in one of the Galleon hedge funds in which Rajaratnam placed these trades. In May 2007, Chellam became the co-managing partner of the Galleon Special Opportunities Fund, a venture capital fund that focused on investments in late-stage technology companies. Chellam continued to work at Galleon until April 2009 and continued to obtain confidential information about Xilinx's financial performance and pass it along to Galleon colleagues. Chellam earned approximately $675,000 in total compensation during his employment at Galleon.

The SEC's complaint charges Chellam with violations of Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5, and Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933. The proposed final judgment orders Chellam to pay $675,000 in disgorgement, $106,383.05 in prejudgment interest, and a $978,684 penalty. Chellam also would be barred for a period of five years from serving as an officer or director of a public company, and permanently enjoined from future violations of these provisions of the federal securities laws. Chellam neither admits nor denies the charges.

The SEC has now charged 32 defendants in its Galleon-related enforcement actions, which have exposed widespread and repeated insider trading at numerous hedge funds and by other traders, investment professionals, and corporate insiders throughout the country. The alleged insider trading has occurred in the securities of more than 15 companies for illicit profits totaling approximately $93 million.

TWO "IMAGINE" GROUP MEMBERS SENTENCED FOR CRIMINAL COPYRIGHT CONSPIRACY

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Friday, November 2, 2012
WASHINGTON – Two members of the Internet piracy group "IMAGiNE" were sentenced to prison today in Virginia, announced 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 Special Agent in Charge John P. Torres of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) in Washington, D.C.

Willie Lambert, 57, of Pittston, Pa., was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Arenda L. Wright Allen in the Eastern District of Virginia to serve 30 months in prison, three years of supervised release and $449,514 in restitution, jointly and severally with co-defendants. Sean M. Lovelady, 28, of Pomona, Calif., was sentenced today by Judge Wright Allen to 23 months in prison, three years of supervised release and $7,500 in restitution.

Lambert and Lovelady were indicted along with two other defendants on April 18, 2012, for their roles in the IMAGiNE Group, an organized online piracy ring that sought to become the premier group to first release to the Internet copies of movies only showing in theaters.

Lovelady and Lambert each pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia to one count of conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement on May 9, 2012, and June 22, 2012, respectively.

According to court documents, Lambert, Lovelady and their co-conspirators sought to illegally obtain and disseminate digital copies of copyrighted motion pictures showing in theaters. Both Lovelady and Lambert admitted that they went to movie theaters and secretly used receivers and recording devices to capture the audio sound tracks of copyrighted movies (referred to as "capping"). After obtaining, editing and filtering audio sound tracks and uploading them to servers utilized by the IMAGiNE Group, Lambert and Lovelady used and attempted to use software to synchronize the audio file with an illegally obtained video file to create a completed movie file suitable for sharing over the Internet among members of the IMAGiNE Group and others.

Co-defendants Jeramiah B. Perkins and Gregory Cherwonik each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement on Aug. 29, 2012, and July 11, 2012, respectively. Perkins is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 3, 2013, and Cherwonik is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 29, 2012.

The investigation of the case and the arrests were conducted by agents with HSI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Krask of the Eastern District of Virginia and Senior Counsel John H. Zacharia of the Justice Department Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) are prosecuting the case. Significant assistance was provided by the CCIPS Cyber Crime Lab and the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs.

This case is part of efforts being undertaken by the Department of Justice Task Force on Intellectual Property (IP Task Force) to stop the theft of intellectual property. Attorney General Eric Holder created the IP Task Force to combat the growing number of domestic and international intellectual property crimes, protect the health and safety of American consumers, and safeguard the nation’s economic security against those who seek to profit illegally from American creativity, innovation and hard work.