U.S. WELCOMES BAHRAINI POLITICAL SOCIETIES' DECLARATION OF PRINCIPALS OF NONVIOLENCE

Map Credit:  CIA World Factbook

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Support for Bahraini Opposition Political Societies' Declaration of Principles of Nonviolence

Press Statement
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
November 9, 2012

We welcome the "Declaration of Principles of Nonviolence" issued by six opposition political societies in Bahrain on November 7. Publicly committing to nonviolence is an important confidence-building measure, and we applaud the societies for committing to a non-violent path in order to pursue their goals. We urge the government and these six political societies to engage seriously and practically about ways to allow for the resumption of peaceful demonstrations as soon as possible.

We have repeatedly called on the Government of Bahrain and all elements of Bahraini society to take concrete steps to create a climate conducive for meaningful national dialogue that is responsive to the aspirations of all Bahrainis. We urge all parties to contribute to fostering a climate of reconciliation.

We remain deeply concerned about continuing clashes between police and demonstrators in Bahrain as well as an increase in violent and increasingly indiscriminate attacks on Bahraini civilians and security forces.

　

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM CIA WORLD FACTBOOK

In 1783, the Sunni Al-Khalifa family captured Bahrain from the Persians. In order to secure these holdings, it entered into a series of treaties with the UK during the 19th century that made Bahrain a British protectorate. The archipelago attained its independence in 1971. Facing declining oil reserves, Bahrain has turned to petroleum processing and refining and has transformed itself into an international banking center. Bahrain's small size and central location among Persian Gulf countries require it to play a delicate balancing act in foreign affairs among its larger neighbors. In addition, the Sunni-led government has struggled to manage relations with its large Shia-majority population. During the mid-to-late 1990s, Shia activists mounted a low-intensity uprising to demand that the Sunni-led government stop systemic economic, social, and political discrimination against Shia Bahrainis. King HAMAD bin Isa Al-Khalifa, after succeeding his late father in 1999, pushed economic and political reforms in part to improve relations with the Shia community. After boycotting the country's first round of democratic elections under the newly-promulgated constitution in 2002, Shia political societies participated in 2006 and 2010 in legislative and municipal elections and Wifaq, the largest Shia political society, won the largest bloc of seats in the elected lower-house of the legislature both times. In early 2011, Bahrain's fractious opposition sought to ride a rising tide of popular Arab protests to petition for the redress of popular grievances. In mid-March 2011, with the backing of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) capitals, King HAMAD put an end to the mass public gatherings and increasingly disruptive civil disobedience by declaring a state of emergency. Manama also welcomed a contingent of mostly Saudi and Emirati forces as part of a GCC deployment intended to help Bahraini security forces maintain order. Since that time, intermittent efforts at political dialogue between the government and opposition have remained at a stalemate. The Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI), formed in June 2011 to investigate abuses during the unrest and state of emergency, released its final report in November 2011. The King fully endorsed the report, and since then Manama has begun to implement many of the BICI's recommendations, including improving policing procedures, reinstating fired workers, rebuilding some mosques, and establishing a compensation fund for those affected by the unrest and crackdown. Despite this progress, street protests have grown increasingly violent since the beginning of 2012.

THE STAR CRADLE

FROM: NASA
A Nearby Stellar Cradle
The Milky Way and other galaxies in the universe harbor many young star clusters and associations that each contain hundreds to thousands of hot, massive, young stars known as O and B stars. The star cluster Cygnus OB2 contains more than 60 O-type stars and about a thousand B-type stars. Deep observations with NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory have been used to detect the X-ray emission from the hot outer atmospheres, or coronas, of young stars in the cluster and to probe how these fascinating star factories form and evolve. About 1,700 X-ray sources were detected, including about 1,450 thought to be stars in the cluster. In this image, X-rays from Chandra (blue) have been combined with infrared data from NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope (red) and optical data from the Isaac Newton Telescope (orange).

Image Credit: NASA

U.S. State Department Daily Press Briefing - November 9, 2012

Daily Press Briefing - November 9, 2012

U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT IS APPALLED BY REPORTS OF TORTURE AND DEATH OF IRANIAN BLOGGER

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT

Reports of Torture and Death of Iranian Blogger Sattar Beheshti
Press Statement
Victoria Nuland
Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
November 9, 2012


We are appalled by reports that Iranian authorities tortured and killed blogger and activist Sattar Beheshti during a prison interrogation. Besheshti had been arrested for a crime no greater than expressing his political opinion online. We join the international community in demanding the Iranian government investigate this murder, hold accountable those responsible for Beheshti's arrest, torture, and killing, and immediately cease all reported harassment of Beheshti’s family.

We extend condolences to Beheshti's family in their time of grief, as well as to the families of all Iranians who have been falsely accused, illegally detained, or wrongly killed at the hands of a brutal and hypocritical regime. Sattar Beheshti is just one of thousands of victims of the Iranian government's campaign of violent repression and efforts to curtail basic freedoms at all costs. We will continue to stand with the Iranian people and condemn the abuses against Beheshti and countless others.

U.S. ANNOUNCES IT IS PROVIDING MORE THAN $34 MILLION IN HUMANITARIAN AID TO SYRIAN PEOPLE

Syria Map Credit:  CIA World Factbook.

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
United States Announces Additional Humanitarian Assistance for the Syrian Crisis

Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
November 9, 2012
Today at the Syria Humanitarian Forum in Geneva, Deputy Assistant Secretary Kelly T. Clements announced that the United States is providing more than $34 million in additional humanitarian assistance to help those affected by the conflict in Syria. With this new assistance, the United States is providing more than $165 million in humanitarian aid to help those suffering inside Syria and refugees in the neighboring countries. This assistance is targeting the following priority areas:
Winterization: This additional funding from the United States will help meet winterization needs in Jordan, Turkey, and Lebanon and keep families warm during the coming winter by providing additional supplies such as blankets, heating stoves, and heavy-duty plastic sheeting to cover windows and other damaged areas of buildings housing those displaced by the Assad regime’s violence inside Syria.
Child Protection and Gender-based Violence Prevention: A portion of these funds will be used to support child protection issues, psychosocial support, and education, as well as measures to prevent gender-based violence.
Health: This additional funding will also support an immunization campaign that will protect up to one million children inside Syria from measles and other preventable diseases. In addition, we are increasing support for the logistical operation that allows life-saving aid to be delivered when and where possible in Syria.
Medical Transport: This funding will also support the transport of wounded Syrians from the Lebanon-Syria border so they can receive the medical attention they desperately need. By funding critical ambulatory services in Lebanon, the United States is helping fill a clear gap in existing humanitarian assistance.
U.S.-supported humanitarian assistance, excluding food assistance, has reached more than one million people inside Syria and approximately 380,000 who have fled to the safety of neighboring countries.

U.S.-funded medical care has already helped approximately 290,000 conflict-affected people throughout Syria. U.S.-funded field hospitals have performed 11,350 surgeries, and our support has trained more than 450 doctors, first responders, and volunteer medical personnel. We have provided medicines, medical supplies, and medical equipment sufficient to assist over 77,000 people inside Syria, and we are providing a wide range of supplies from simple gauze and bandages to treat wounds to advanced equipment like x-ray machines, defibrillators, and surgical tables to help address more complex injuries.

The United States is the largest donor of food assistance to Syria through the World Food Program (WFP), which is reaching 1.5 million displaced and conflict-affected persons within Syria. During the September distribution cycle, WFP food rations were distributed through more than 200 distribution points in all 14 governorates.

In addition, more than 130,000 people in Syria are being helped with U.S.-funded emergency relief supplies such as hygiene kits, infant care kits, bedding sets, mattresses, clothing, and basic household items.

The United States is aggressively pursuing all feasible options to expand the reach of humanitarian aid in Syria, utilizing both traditional and non-traditional humanitarian networks. The United States continues to pursue every available avenue to secure full, safe, and unfettered access for humanitarian organizations to provide relief supplies to the innocent children, women, and men affected by the Assad regime’s violent campaign against the Syrian people.

We recognize the generosity of the governments of Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and other governments for receiving those fleeing the violence in Syria and for hosting and providing assistance to those in need. We commend the efforts of the United Nations and other international organizations and nongovernmental organizations to ease the trauma that the Syrian regime has inflicted on those fleeing the violence. The overwhelming majority of this funding is being directed to UN agencies who are ably leading the humanitarian response. We urge all donors to coordinate closely with the UN-led response to ensure that necessary assistance is reaching those in need in a timely and efficient manner.

INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS MEETING ON PROTECTING VULNERABLE WORKERS

Photo:  Migrant Worker.  Credit:  Wikimedia.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

PROTECTING FARM WORKERS
All workers in the United States have the right to clean, safe working conditions and fair pay, and protecting the rights of vulnerable workers is a priority for the department. Representatives from the department's Wage and Hour Division and other government agencies met with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights last week to discuss government efforts to protect the rights of farmworkers. Addressing about 50 IACHR and government representatives, Wage and Hour Division Assistant Administrator for Policy Michael Hancock described steps the division and other agencies have taken to ensure compliance with employment standards and expand educational outreach. Representatives from the Employment and Training Administration, the Bureau of International Labor Affairs and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration also attended.

NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN FOR NOVEMBER 9, 2012

Photo:  Afghanistan Landscape.  Credit:  CIA World Factbook.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Combined Force Arrests Haqqani Facilitator
From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release
KABUL, Afghanistan, Nov. 9, 2012 - A combined Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Haqqani facilitator in Afghanistan's Khost province today, military officials reported.

The facilitator is suspected of coordinating the delivery of weapons, improvised explosive device materials and fighters to insurgent leadership operating throughout western Khost province.

As a result of the operation, the security force also detained two suspected insurgents and seized homemade explosives, IED-making materials, several grenades, a large quantity of firearms with associated gear and ammunition and numerous bayonets.

In other Afghanistan operations today:
-- A combined force arrested a Haqqani senior leader in Logar province. The arrested leader is believed to have planned and conducted attacks against Afghan and coalition forces in southern Logar province. During the operation, the security force also detained two suspected insurgents.

-- An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader in Helmand province. The arrested leader is suspected of directing the purchase of IED components and overseeing IED emplacements. The security force also detained two suspected insurgents.

In operations yesterday:
-- Afghan Special Police members of Provincial Response Company Bhaglan, enabled by coalition forces, seized 36 rocket-propelled grenade warheads and 15,000 rounds of 12.7 mm ammunition from a weapons cache uncovered in northern Bhaglan province. All materials were destroyed on location.

-- Afghan Special Police members of Provincial Response Company Uruzgan, enabled by coalition forces, killed a number of insurgents and seized anti-tank weapons, more than 100,000 rounds of ammunition and several hand grenades in central Uruzgan province. All seized materials were destroyed.

-- An Afghan and coalition security force killed Taliban leader Qari Munib in Kunar province. Qari Munib was responsible for directing attacks against Afghan and coalition forces and coordinating the movement of weapons and ammunition for the attacks.

THE BOBCAT AND HUMAN INFECTIOUS DISEASE CONNECTION

Credit:  Wikimedia/NSF

FROM: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Cool Cat in a Hot Zone

November 5, 2012
What do Ventura County, Calif., and the Front Range of Colorado's Rocky Mountains have in common?

Ventura, which encompasses the city of Los Angeles, has a Mediterranean climate and habitat; the Front Range surrounding Denver is cooler, drier and is lined with tall conifers instead of low, dense shrubs.

Both, however, have people. Lots of them.

But it's what else they have in common that tells the real tale of these urban areas.

Alley cat of the wild
It's on the move from three hours before sunset until midnight, and again before dawn ‘til three hours after sunrise. Each night it roams two to seven miles, mostly along the same route.

Like humans, it visits known locales along the way. In this case, though, those places are a hollow log or two, a brush pile or thicket and the underside of a rock ledge.

It also shares something far more personal with the people it quietly lives alongside: gastrointestinal diseases.

It's a bobcat, and we gave it our afflictions rather than the other way around, say scientists Sue VandeWoude, Kevin Crooks, Mike Lappin and Andrea Scorza of Colorado State University at Fort Collins; Scott Carver of the University of Tasmania; Sarah Bevins of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Seth Riley of the U.S. National Park Service.

The researchers published results of their study of the parasites bobcats and humans share in a recent issue of the Journal of Clinical Microbiology.

Their work is funded by the joint National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases (EEID) Program.

"The growing interaction of humans and wildlife means that we now share our diseases with each other at an ever-increasing rate," says Sam Scheiner, EEID program officer at NSF.

NSF's EEID program is funded by the agency's Division of Environmental Biology and Division of Ocean Sciences.

"This study demonstrates that we and our wild animal neighbors," says Scheiner, "are closely interconnected in ways that affect the health of us all."

The spillover effect
Pathogen spillover, as it's known, is a major source of disease in humans and in wildlife.

Indeed, bobcats are more likely to pick up parasites such as Giardia when the cats are closer to urban areas, VandeWoude and colleagues found.

They collected bobcat fecal samples in Ventura County and on the Front Range and tested them for Toxoplasma gondii, Giardia duodenalis and Cryptosporidium spp. All are disease-causing parasites found in wildlife and in people. Contact with the latter two results in diarrhea and other gastrointestinal upsets.

The scientists compared samples from bobcats in the two urban areas with those from rural areas of Colorado.

The findings show that city bobcats are more likely than country bobcats to carry parasites.

"Bobcats are exposed to and shed more zoonotic [i.e., may be transmitted between species] parasites near human-occupied landscapes," says Crooks.

But how did the cats, which are smaller relatives of threatened Canadian lynx, acquire the parasites?

"They were probably exposed to the water supply around cities," says VandeWoude. Parasites all-too-often lurk there.

Cryptosporidium parvum and Giardia duodenalis account for the majority of waterborne disease outbreaks in humans, with hundreds of thousands of cases in the United States alone every year.

Studies have long suggested that wild cats such as bobcats might contribute to a spillover of pathogens to humans, and vice-versa. But with the cats' secretive natures, few researchers have been able to draw conclusions about wild cats' "shedding" of disease-causing microbes. This study is the first.

A disease continuum
Bobcats are widespread in North America. They traverse a continuum of natural to urbanized habitats, often living side-by-side with humans, domestic animals and other urban-adapted wildlife species.

"Along these boundaries," says VandeWoude, "close living quarters make it easy for one species to transmit diseases to another."

In a city or suburb, pathogens travel from human to bobcat, and bobcat to human, the scientists found, almost as fast as a virus that infects one human family member runs through an entire household.

Whether that household lives in a two-story A-frame or a two-story log pile, there's not much difference, it turns out, in the spread of diseases.

It must be something in the water
It's when everyone heads for the water that things really begin to ramp up.

One group of bobcats in Ventura County, says Carver, the paper's lead author, left its calling card in the Malibu Creek watershed: Cryptosporidium and Giardia. Malibu Creek's environs are heavily populated by bobcats--and humans.

"Our results suggest that humans transmitted these pathogens to bobcats," says Carver, "likely through contaminated water or other environmental sources."

At the time of the study, there was no evidence that bobcats carrying the parasites were ill. But for these cool cats that roam along our streets and through our backyards, life in the ‘burbs can be a chancy existence. Simply crossing an urban stream may be walking through a hot zone.

For bobcats. And for humans.

Cheryl Dybas, NSF

FEMA PHOTOS OF HURRICANE SANDY: THE DESTROYER OF WORLDS

FROM: FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY
Staten Island, N.Y., Nov. 7, 2012 -- Boats are strewn on streets near the shore in areas impacted by Hurricane Sandy. FEMA is working with state and local officials to assist residents who were affected by Hurricane Sandy. Jocelyn Augustino/FEMA

Sea Bright, N.J., Nov. 6, 2012 -- A six foot deep pool at a seaside motel is filled up with sand dumped here by Hurricane Sandy. FEMA is working with state and local officials to assist residents who were affected by Hurricane Sandy. Photo by Liz Roll/FEMA

U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES DESIGNATIONS FOR IRANIAN INDIVIDUALS AND ENTITIES

Photo Credit:  Wikimedia.

 FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Designations of Iranian Individuals and Entities for Censorship Activities Under the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act and Executive Order 13628

Press Statement
Victoria Nuland
Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
November 8, 2012
Today, the U.S. Department of State reported to the Congress the designations of four Iranian individuals and five Iranian entities for having engaged in censorship or other activities that prohibit, limit, or penalize freedom of expression or assembly by citizens of Iran, or that limit access to print or broadcast media, including by jamming international satellite broadcasts into Iran, and related activities. These actions were taken pursuant to Section 403 of the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012, signed by the President on August 10, 2012, and Executive Order 13628, which the President signed into effect on October 9, 2012. As a result of this action, U.S. persons are prohibited from engaging in transactions involving the designated individuals or entities, and all designated individuals and members of designated entities are subject to a ban on travel to the United States. This action also blocks, or freezes, the property and interests in property of designated individuals or entities.

These actions underscore the Administration’s ongoing commitment to hold Iranian government officials and entities responsible for the abuses carried out against their own citizens. Those designated today include Minister of Communication and Information Technology, Reza Taghipour, who has been found responsible for ordering the jamming of satellite television broadcasts and restricting internet connectivity. Also sanctioned are Iran’s Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance and its Press Supervisory Board, which have limited freedom of expression through their censorship and closure of numerous newspapers and detention of journalists. In addition, we are designating key individuals and entities responsible for assisting the regime in its crackdown on and censorship of the Iranian people.

Such abuses demonstrate the Iranian Government’s ongoing campaign to censor its own citizens, curtail their freedoms, and to prevent the free flow of information both in to and out of Iran. Countless activists, journalists, lawyers, students, and artists have been detained, censured, tortured, or forcibly prevented from exercising their human rights. With the measures we are taking today, we draw the world’s attention to the scope of the regime’s insidious actions, which oppress its own people and violate Iran’s own laws and international obligations. We will continue to stand with the Iranian people in their quest to protect their dignity and freedoms and prevent the Iranian Government from creating an "electronic curtain" to cut Iranian citizens off from the rest of the world.

U.S. SCIENCE ENVOYS ANNOUNCED AT WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING AND CONSERVATION EVENT

Photo Credit:  CIA World Factbook.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
U.S. Science Envoys Announced
Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
November 8, 2012
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton today, at an event on Wildlife Trafficking and Conservation: A Call to Action, announced the appointment of three new science envoys: Professor Bernard Amadei, Professor Susan Hockfield, and Professor Barbara Schaal.

These preeminent scientists will seek to deepen existing ties, foster new relationships with foreign counterparts and discuss potential areas of collaboration that will help address global challenges and realize shared goals. The Science Envoys travel in their capacity as private citizens and advise the White House, the U.S. Department of State, and the U.S. scientific community about the insights they gain from their travels and interactions.

The Science Envoy program demonstrates the United States continued commitment to science, technology, and innovation as tools of diplomacy. As Secretary Clinton stated in her remarks at a Department event, Wildlife Trafficking and Conservation: A Call to Action, "Building scientific partnerships is an important tool in addressing such global challenges."
These three scientists represent the third cohort of Science Envoys since the program’s inception in 2009. Previous cohorts have visited 19 countries, including Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, South Africa, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Azerbaijan.

Dr. Bernard Amadei holds the Mortenson Endowed Chair in Global Engineering and is Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Having earned his Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley his main research and teaching interests have focused on rock mechanics and engineering geology. Among his many distinctions, Dr. Amadei is the founding president of Engineers Without Borders and is an elected member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering.

Dr. Susan Hockfield has served recently as president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where she remains on the Neuroscience faculty. She also serves as the Marie Curie Visiting Professor at Harvard University’s Kennedy School. She earned her Ph.D. at the Georgetown University School of Medicine and has focused her research on brain development and a specific form of brain cancer. Dr. Hockfield has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Dr. Barbara Schaal earned her Ph.D. in biology from Yale University and is the Mary-Dell Chilton Distinguished Professor at the Washington University in St. Louis in the Department of Biology. She is recognized for her work in evolutionary biology, particularly for studies that use DNA sequences to understand evolutionary biology. She holds the distinction of being the first woman elected to the vice presidency of the National Academy of Sciences and is a member of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.

PENTAGON SAYS U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE'S TRIP IS TO STRENGTHEN THE ASIA-PACIFIC ALLIANCE



U.S. Secretary Of Defense Leon Panetta

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Panetta Aims to Fortify Alliances on Asia-Pacific Tour
By Amaani Lyle
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Nov. 8, 2012 - To strengthen alliances with partners in the Asia-Pacific region, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta will prepare for a three-country trip across two continents, Press Secretary George Little said in a briefing today.

"We look forward to this opportunity to further advance our long-term strategy of rebalancing with the Asia-Pacific [region]," Little said.

The first stop on the trip, he said, will be Perth, Australia.

There, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey and Commander of U.S. Pacific Command Navy Adm. Samuel J. Locklear III will join Panetta for the annual U.S.-Australian Ministerial.

Panetta's first trip to Australia as Defense Secretary will enable him to thank Australia for their contribution to efforts in Afghanistan, Little noted.

"This year's Australia Ministerial will also provide an opportunity to review the alliance's progress on the successful Marine Corps and Air Force deployments to Northern Australia and to discuss the next steps in this important cooperation," he said.

From Australia, the secretary will travel to Thailand.

"The important U.S.-Thailand alliance has served both our countries well for nearly 60 years and our two governments are eager to establish a forward-looking strategic vision ... that builds on our already close cooperation," Little said.

The final stop, he said, will be Cambodia, where the secretary will join 10 other defense chiefs from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations at their annual retreat in Siem-Reap.

"Secretary Panetta will emphasize the importance of ASEAN unity for regional stability and will communicate U.S. support for ASEAN-led defense cooperation," Little said.

The secretary's visit to the region, along with that of Secretary Clinton, reflects the commitment of the U.S. to the rebalance toward the Asia-Pacific, Little noted.

"Secretary Panetta has made this one of his highest priorities because he believes that it is the right strategy for the future, security and prosperity of the United States in the Asia-Pacific region," he said.

MEXICAN PECAN COMPANY OWNER GOES TO PRISON FOR SCHEME TO DEFRAUD U.S. EXPORT-IMPORT BANK

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Mexican Pecan Company Owner Sentenced to 48 Months in Prison for Scheme to Defraud the U.S. Export-Import Bank

WASHINGTON – The owner of a pecan brokerage company in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, was sentenced today to serve 48 months in prison for his role in a scheme to defraud the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) of approximately $400,000, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas Robert Pitman and Osvaldo L. Gratacos, Inspector General of the Ex-Im Bank.

Leopoldo Valencia-Urrea, 50, was sentenced by Judge Kathleen Cardone in U.S. District Court in El Paso, Texas. Valencia pleaded guilty on Oct. 13, 2011, to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering conspiracy in connection with a scheme to defraud the Ex-Im Bank of approximately $400,000. In addition to his prison term, Valencia was sentenced to serve three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $58,000 in restitution and $399,075 in forfeiture.

According to court documents, Valencia, a U.S. citizen, was the owner of a pecan brokerage company in Ciudad Juarez and resided in El Paso. Valencia admitted that in 2006, he applied for an Ex-Im insured loan for $406,258 through a bank in Miami. As part of his fraudulent loan application, Valencia and others submitted a fraudulent loan application, financial statements, invoices, letters and bills of lading to falsely represent to the Miami bank and the Ex-Im Bank the purchase and export of U.S. goods to Valencia in Mexico. After the exporter who conspired with Valencia received $399,075 from the Miami bank, Valencia and others diverted the loan proceeds directly to Valencia and others in Mexico. As a result of the fraud, Valencia’s loan defaulted, causing the Ex-Im Bank to pay a claim to the lending bank on a $371,962 loss.

The Ex-Im Bank is an independent federal agency that helps create and maintain U.S. jobs by filling gaps in private export financing. The Ex-Im Bank provides a variety of financing mechanisms to help foreign buyers purchase U.S. goods and services.

The case is being prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsel Patrick Donley and Trial Attorney William Bowne of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Spitzer of the Western District of Texas, El Paso Division. The case was investigated by the Ex-Im Bank Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations in El Paso, under the leadership of Acting Special Agent in Charge Dennis Ulrich; Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation in Washington, D.C., under the leadership of Special Agent in Charge Rick A. Raven; and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Washington, D.C., under the leadership of Inspector in Charge Daniel S. Cortez. Significant financial analysis and strategic assistance was provided during the course of this investigation by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FINCEN).

U.S. SECRETARY OF LABOR ENCOURAGES EMPLOYERS TO HIRE MILITARY HEROS

Photo:  The U.S. Navy Blue Anagels.  Credit:  U.S. Navy.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Statement by Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis honoring Veterans Day by encouraging US employers to put our military heroes to work

WASHINGTON — Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today released the following statement encouraging U.S. employers to commemorate the Veterans Day holiday Monday by making a commitment to hiring veterans:

"On Monday, America will celebrate the sacrifices of the men and women who've served their country in the armed forces. I strongly believe that the best way we can honor our veterans is to employ them.

"We've now lowered our unemployment rate for our veterans to 6.3 percent – well below the national average – and brought down the jobless rate for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans by more than two percentage points in the last year alone. We're making progress, but our work will not be done until everyone who has worn the uniform can find civilian jobs worthy of their heroic sacrifice.

"Through boot camp and pre-deployment training, the U.S. government spends 8-12 weeks preparing our outstanding soldiers, sailors and airmen to serve. Now that we're winding down a decade of war overseas, it's critical that we spend some time preparing these heroes for the transition back to civilian life. Over the next five years, the Department of Labor will help more than 1 million transitioning service members find jobs when they come home. We're helping them with job search strategies and resume writing, and showing them how to market their world-class military training to secure good-paying civilian jobs.

"Every day, the Labor Department is working to help employers recruit veterans to fill open positions and to go out into local communities to make the case for hiring veterans. America's veterans are dependable, hardworking and loyal. Teamwork and commitment to the mission at hand are hard-wired into their DNA. They've received world-class training from one of the most demanding organizations in the world and been tested in pressure-cooker situations that few of us can imagine.

"Those who fight to protect our freedoms abroad should not have to fight for jobs when they come home. They deserve a chance to use their unique skills to help re-grow our economy. So this Veterans Day, I encourage employers to make the commitment to put our veterans to work for them. It's an act of patriotism that's good for our country and good for their bottom line.

"We're also focused on doing more to assist our homeless veterans, including many women who've come home with unique combat-related problems. On any given night, tens of thousands of vets go to sleep on our streets and under our bridges. We've made huge progress in reducing the number of homeless veterans by focusing on affordable housing first. Once they have shelter, we're helping them find clothing, transportation, medical referrals and jobs. No service member should ever have to come home to homelessness, and with good civilian careers waiting for them, they won't."

U.S. AIR FORCE ESTABLISHES FIRST UNIT IN POLAND

Exercise Screaming Eagle IV
Master Sgt. Ed Dawejko and Staff Sgt. Brandon Fountain jump from a C-130J Super Hercules for high-altitude, low-opening jumps with Polish special forces during Exercise Screaming Eagle IV in Povidz, Poland, July 30, 2012. Screaming Eagle is an annual exercise that allows pilots from the 37th Airlift Squadron to conduct training with the C-130J Super Hercules aircraft while facilitating training for several other units. Dawejko is a 603rd Air Operation Center jumpmaster and Fountain is a 435th Contingency Readiness Group survive, evade, resist, escape specialist. (U.S. Air Force photo-Senior Airman Aaron-Forrest Wainwright)

FROM: U.S. AIR FORCE
AF establishes full-time presence in Poland
by Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

11/9/2012 - WASHINGTON (AFPS) -- U.S. officials praised the long-standing relationship with Poland as they celebrated the first full-time U.S. military presence in that nation yesterday.

During a ceremony at Lask Air Base, located about 100 miles southwest of Warsaw, U.S. Air Force personnel flew the American flag, marking the establishment of a small unit dedicated to supporting multi-national aviation training and exercises. The ten personnel of the detachment will be joined by up to 200 visiting airmen conducting quarterly training rotations.

U.S. Ambassador to Poland Stephen D. Mull and Navy Adm. James G. Stavridis, the commander of U.S. European Command and NATO's supreme allied commander, were joined at the ceremony by Poland's Defense Minister Tomasz Siemoniak, Chief of Staff Army Gen. Mieczyslaw Cieniuch and Air Force Commander Gen. Lech Majewski.

The arrival of the 10-man team at the base represents "a new kind of U.S. 'boots on the ground' here in Poland," said Derek Chollet, the assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs. Chollet represented Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta at the ceremony.

"The alliance between the United States and Poland is rooted in shared history, shared values and deep ties among our people, cemented through NATO and the ironclad commitment to Article 5," Chollet said. "The Polish people have been our partners for over two centuries, and since joining the NATO alliance in 1999, your troops have been shoulder-to-shoulder with ours in the Balkans, in Iraq and in Afghanistan."

The personnel in Lask will provide continuity for U.S. personnel rotating in and out of Poland, defense officials said. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon and C-130 Hercules units will form the core of the U.S. presence. The personnel at the detachment will report to the 52nd Fighter Wing, based at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany.

President Barack Obama and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk agreed to the U.S. presence in Lask during the president's visit to Poland last year. The detachment will make it easier for U.S. and Polish airmen to increase their interoperability and will enhance military-to-military ties at all levels, defense officials said.

The presence will also facilitate bilateral and, officials hope, multinational joint training exercises. Poland has extensive ranges and its airspace is far more open than countries farther west. Officials also hope this will allow both militaries to deepen already strong partnerships.

"I am truly proud of the way our defense cooperation has focused on looking to the future to ensure we are prepared for the threats and challenges our countries will face," Chollet said. "As we move together into the future, we expect more U.S. boots to follow as we establish a NATO ballistic missile interceptor site at Redzikowo in 2018."

The U.S. aviation detachment "also sends a clear message to allies and partners that the U.S. remains committed to European defense and to the principle that we are indeed 'stronger together,'" Chollet said.


　

100TH TEST FLIGHT OF X-48C BLENDED WING BODY RESEARCH AIRCRAFT

FROM: NASA

100th Test Flight
The Boeing X-48 Blended Wing Body subscale research aircraft made its 100th flight in late October at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.

The milestone occurred Oct. 30 when the unmanned X-48C aircraft was flown on two separate 25-minute flights -- the seventh and eighth flights for the X-48C since it began flying Aug. 7. Between 2007 and 2010, the aircraft, then in the X-48B configuration, made 92 flights.

Pictured here, Boeing's X-48C Blended Wing Body research aircraft is silhouetted against the morning sky over Edwards Air Force Base on Oct. 16, 2012.

Image Credit: NASA-Carla Thomas

U.S. DOD UPDATE ON STORM RESPONSE TO SUPER STORM SANDY

A sailor from Coastal Riverine Squadron 4 helps to erect a ten-kilowatt light plant at the Hoboken Transit Terminal in Hoboken, N.J., on Nov. 4, 2012. Members of all the Armed Forces are providing relief support to areas affected by Hurricane Sandy. DoD photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Martin Cuaron, U.S. Navy. (Released) 121104-N-QP268-005.jpg

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Pentagon Provides Storm Response Update
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 8, 2012 - The Department of Defense is a fully integrated partner in the federal, state, and local response to Hurricane Sandy and is appropriately postured to provide additional assistance to civilian authorities, as a result of the northeaster currently sweeping through the mid-Atlantic and northeastern United States, defense officials reported today.

To address potential issues from resulting this northeaster, the release said, DOD has retained significant capacity in the region to provide emergency temporary power and pumping capability and to distribute fuel, food, cold-weather clothing, and other comfort items as requested by civil authorities.

DOD's response to Hurricane Sandy continues, officials said. Significant updates over the past 24 hours, as of 11 a.m. EST, include:

DOD:

-- The Army Reserve's 401st Quartermaster Team pumped approximately seven feet of water out of Long Beach High School and a significant amount of flood water from the Long Beach Recreation Center and Long Beach Development Center on Staten Island. They are currently working to pump water from a submerged housing area in the coastal area of Brooklyn. The Army Reserve's 431st Quartermaster Team is scheduled to begin water pumping in flooded locations around the city today.

-- Air Force teams completed unwatering operations at the Rockaway Waste Water Treatment facility and East School in Long Beach, N.Y. Army divers conducted repairs to the pier system at Caven Point, N.J. A Navy dive detachment continues to support unwatering operations at the World Trade Center site.

-- A Marine detachment continues assessments with Army engineers in Far Rockaway, N.Y. They also pumped 90,000 gallons of water from area apartment buildings and approximately 750,000 gallons of water from homes and parks in Breezy Point, N.Y.

Defense Logistics Agency:

-- In total, more than 6.2 million meals have been shipped or are en route to FEMA facilities in West Virginia, New York and New Jersey. Another 7 million are in production. DLA delivered 48 pallets of bottled water to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. DLA also delivered two portable x-ray machines to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, with four more en route.

-- Nearly a million-and-a-half gallons of fuel have been delivered to Federal Emergency Management Agency distribution locations in New Jersey and New York.

-- Six-hundred thousand meals and 600 cases of water have been delivered to 11 American Red Cross mobile kitchens in New Jersey and New York. 350 pounds of propane per day and 2,000 gallons of diesel fuel per day have also been delivered to the kitchens.

-- Two 1,000-kilowatt generators have been delivered from Lakehurst, N.J., to the Carteret Fuel Terminal, N.J.

Army Corps of Engineers:

The Corps of Engineers continued its support to response operations focusing on unwatering and power generation missions and the transition to recovery operations with the initiation of debris, temporary housing, roofing and infrastructure assessments.

-- Ten of the 14 sites USACE was tasked to unwater have been cleared. Brooklyn Battery Tunnel has been unwatered and maintenance pumping is ongoing. In New York, USACE pumping operations at the Montague Street Tunnel continue. In New Jersey, pumping operations continue at Amtrak's Kearney Rail Substation, the Jersey City PATH train tunnel and the Passaic Valley Waste Water Treatment Plant.

-- USACE continues to support emergency power restoration efforts. USACE has 483 generators staged at forward locations, with an additional 116 en route. USACE has received 500 power restoration actions. 460 assessments have been completed, three are in progress and 37 are not yet started. Currently, 105 generators are installed and 39 are being installed, with 144 installations projected.

National Guard:

-- Nearly 6,000 Army and Air National Guard soldiers and sirmen from 14 states are distributing food, water and fuel throughout the affected area as well as conducting communications, security, sheltering, debris removal and transportation missions in support of recovery efforts.

-- New York National Guard personnel have distributed almost 1.5 million meals from 21 sites since Nov 1. Fifty personnel are supporting Red Cross shelters at six sites in Nassau County. Guardsmen are also sorting and distributing donated goods from the Javits Center and delivering them to three points of distribution.

-- New Jersey National Guard personnel distributed 12,590 blankets, 1,740 cots and 3,648 towels since Nov. 1. Since Nov. 2, they also have distributed 93,229 gallons of fuel to emergency responders from four distribution points in support of FEMA and DLA. The New Jersey National Guard is providing tents and mobile kitchen trailers to shelter and feed emergency management personnel. Guardsmen continue to assist civil authorities at state-run shelters with transportation, meals, water and power generation in Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean counties, at the Jersey City Armory, and in Glen Gardner borough. Unarmed Guardsmen are providing safety and security support to law enforcement agencies in Monmouth and Ocean counties.

U.S. UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT FOR WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER 3, 2012



Photo:  Sewing Machine.  Credit:  Wikimedia Commons.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending November 3, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 355,000, a decrease of 8,000 from the previous week's unrevised figure of 363,000. The 4-week moving average was 370,500, an increase of 3,250 from the previous week's unrevised average of 367,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.4 percent for the week ending October 27, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate. The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending October 27 was 3,127,000, a decrease of 135,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,262,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,227,750, a decrease of 38,500 from the preceding week's revised average of 3,266,250.
UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 355,406 in the week ending November 3, an increase of 15,489 from the previous week. There were 402,532 initial claims in the comparable week in 2011.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.1 percent during the week ending October 27, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 2,742,581, a decrease of 94,962 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.5 percent and the volume was 3,210,417.

The total number of people claiming benefits in all programs for the week ending October 20 was 5,077,231, an increase of 41,864 from the previous week. There were 6,835,604 persons claiming benefits in all programs in the comparable week in 2011.

Extended Benefits were only available in New York during the week ending October 20.

Initial claims for UI benefits filed by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,959 in the week ending October 27, an increase of 373 from the prior week. There were 2,656 initial claims filed by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 161 from the preceding week.

There were 18,401 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending October 20, an increase of 257 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 39,541, a decrease of 177 from the prior week.

States reported 2,117,175 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending October 20, an increase of 18,529 from the prior week. There were 2,953,824 persons claiming EUC in the comparable week in 2011. EUC weekly claims include first, second, third, and fourth tier activity.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending October 20 were in Alaska (4.5), Puerto Rico (4.0), Virgin Islands (3.7), California (3.2), Pennsylvania (3.2), New Jersey (3.1), Connecticut (3.0), Oregon (2.9), Arkansas (2.7), and Nevada (2.7).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending October 27 were in Oregon (+2,379), Indiana (+1,663), California (+1,139), Minnesota (+592), and Wisconsin (+589), while the largest decreases were in North Carolina (-3,782), Tennessee (-1,756), Maryland (-1,361), Florida (-1,141), and New Jersey (-1,080).

DOD News Briefing with George Little from the Pentagon

DOD News Briefing with George Little from the Pentagon

MARINE WORKS TO ELIMINATE THE FAILURE TO COMMUNICATE

 

Marine Corps Capt. Benjamin Leatherbury is promoted by Navy Capt. Cathal S. O'Connor on the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard, Nov. 2, 2012. The Bonhomme Richard is part of a U.S. Navy group currently operating in the South China Sea. U.S. Navy photo by Seaman Lacordrick Wilson

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Face of Defense: Marine Bridges Communications Gap
By Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Karen Blankenship
Amphibious Squadron 11


SOUTH CHINA SEA, Nov. 5, 2012 - Marine Corps Capt. Benjamin Leatherbury, a communications officer, was promoted Nov. 2 while serving aboard amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard on deployment here.

Leatherbury, the officer-in-charge of the Marine Communication Detachment from Expeditionary Strike Group 7 and commander of Task Force 76 aboard the Bonhomme Richard, works to ensure the integration of the Marine Air Ground Task Force's communication structure into the ship's existing communication system.

"Our main responsibilities are keeping the Marines' spaces operational for communications when they come on board," Leatherbury said. "For example, if an antenna on one of the ships used by the Marines does not work, we work to ensure the blue side is working on the issue and follow up until the problem is solved."

Leatherbury, an Indianapolis native, graduated from Indiana University. He said that he joined the Marines because he wanted to serve his country and to travel and see the world.

"I like being around Marines and the cohesiveness of a disciplined unit," he said. "After working in a joint environment, I now have a much better appreciation for the camaraderie that Marines have."

Leatherbury said he enjoys his job and plans to stay in the Marines for a few more years. He added he would eventually like to become a foreign area officer.

"I like the challenge and difficulty that my job presents, and I like working with the extremely bright people who are in my field," Leatherbury said. "They do some pretty amazing work and many outside the field don't realize what goes into making even the basic communications work."

The Bonhomme Richard Amphibious Ready Group, commanded by Navy Capt. Cathal S. O'Connor, is made up of amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard, the amphibious dock landing ship USS Tortuga and the amphibious transport dock ship USS Denver. The group is currently operating in the 7th Fleet area of responsibility.