U.S. EXPORT-IMPORT BANK BACKS ETHIOPIAN BONDS TO BOLSTER BOEING 787 SALES

Map:  Ethiopia.  Credit:  CIA World Factbook. 

FROM: U.S. EXPORT-IMPORT BANK
Ex-Im Backs Bonds Issued by Ethiopian Airlines for Export of U.S Aircraft
Washington, D.C. – The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) is backing bonds issued by Ethiopian Airlines of Addis Ababa to finance the export of four of ten Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft to Ethiopia.

Ethiopian Airlines obtained competitive interest rates on its bonds.

"This good news illustrates that the capital markets are yet another funding source available to facilitate U.S. exports and support American jobs," said Ex-Im Bank Chairman and President Fred P. Hochberg. "We are proud that Ethiopian Airlines, one of our longstanding partners, has benefitted from this new financing program, and we hope that it will be the first of many African buyers of U.S.-manufactured goods and services to do so."

"The combination of high-quality, high-technology U.S.-manufactured Boeing aircraft, along with Ethiopian Airlines’ business model and management team and Ex-Im Bank-supported financing, is enabling Ethiopian Airlines to successfully connect Africa and its people and products to the world," added Bob Morin, Ex-Im Bank’s vice president for transportation.


Ex-Im Bank authorized the final commitment for the purchase of the Dreamliners in May, and Boeing delivered the first aircraft to Ethiopian Airlines at a ribbon-cutting ceremony in the main terminal of Washington Dulles International Airport here August 15. Nippon Export and Investment Insurance (NEXI) co-financed the transaction.


The Boeing 787 aircraft delivered to Ethiopian Airlines is the first of its kind to be delivered to any airline outside of Japan, and it is the first one to be financed by Ex-Im Bank.

"We are lucky enough to secure such lowest coupons at our first entry into this market. It is a result of good understanding, dedication and effort among Ethiopian Airlines and our partners, Ex-Im Bank and JPMorgan," said Kassim Geresu, Ethiopian Airlines’ chief financial officer. "We were all closely working together over several months to close the financing deal and achieve such attractive rates. I thank all involved from ET, JPMorgan and Ex-Im Bank for such fruitful work. As part of our cost leader ship strategy and the ongoing efforts to make our airline competitive and cost efficient, it is my belief that the bond financing arrangement is also contributing to take us to a better position."

Ex-Im Bank has worked with Ethiopian Airlines since 2002 to support its ongoing fleet renewal and expansion program.

In FY 2012, Ex-Im Bank authorized a record $1.52 billion to support U.S. export sales to buyers in Sub-Saharan Africa.

LEGAL BACKGROUND FOR WAR AGAINST AL-QAIDA

Emergency response vehicles line the area around the Pentagon, and smoke clouds the horizon shortly after a terrorist attack Sept. 11, 2001. President George W. Bush announced a war on terrorism and initiated homeland-defense efforts, including Operation Noble Eagle, which involved combat air patrols within the United States.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Johnson Gives Legal Background for War Against al-Qaida
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 30, 2012 - The United States remains in an armed conflict with al-Qaida, but it is important that the fight against the terrorist group is done in a lawful manner that does not compromise American values, Jeh C. Johnson told the Oxford Union in England today.

The group invited Johnson, the Defense Department's general counsel, to discuss the implications of the fight against al-Qaida -- a conflict that Britain has been involved in as well since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States.

Al-Qaida planned and executed the attacks that killed 3,000 people from their base in Afghanistan. The United States has taken the fight directly to the terrorists, "the result of which is that the core of al-Qaeda is today degraded, disorganized and on the run," Johnson said. "Osama bin Laden is dead. Many other leaders and terrorist operatives of al-Qaida are dead or captured; those left in al-Qaida's core struggle to communicate, issue orders, and recruit."

But, the group remains a danger. While the international coalition has degraded al-Qaida's capabilities, it has decentralized, and relies much more on affiliates. The most dangerous of these are al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula based in Yemen and al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, which operates in northern and western Africa. In Yemen, the United States works with the government there in counterterrorism operations.

But the question for some is whether all of these actions are legal. Taking on al-Qaida is not like declaring war on a sovereign nation. It is an amorphous terror group that operates worldwide. Some have asked what is the legal basis for armed conflict against such a group?

"The United States government is in an armed conflict against al-Qaeda and associated forces, to which the laws of armed conflict apply," Johnson said. "One week after 9/11, our Congress authorized our President 'to use all necessary and appropriate force' against those nations, organizations and individuals responsible for 9/11."

Then-President George W. Bush, and now President Barack Obama have acted militarily based on that authorization ever since. The Supreme Court also endorsed this justification in 2006.

But, for the United States, this is a new kind of conflict. It is an unconventional fight against an unconventional enemy.

"Given its unconventional nature, President Obama -- himself a lawyer and a good one -- has insisted that our efforts in pursuit of this enemy stay firmly rooted in conventional legal principles," Johnson said. "For, in our efforts to destroy and dismantle al-Qaida, we cannot dismantle our laws and our values, too."

He added that the United States is "not at war with an idea, a religion or a tactic. We are at war with an organized, armed group -- a group determined to kill innocent civilians."

The nation is also in conflict with groups that aid al-Qaida.

"We have publicly stated that our goal in this conflict is to 'disrupt, dismantle, and ensure a lasting defeat of al-Qaeda and violent extremist affiliates," Johnson said. "Some legal scholars and commentators in our country brand the detention by the military of members of al-Qaida as 'indefinite detention without charges.' Some refer to targeted lethal force against known, identified individual members of al-Qaeda as 'extrajudicial killing.'"

Johnson countered, by pointing out that "viewed within the context of conventional armed conflict -- as they should be -- capture, detention and lethal force are traditional practices as old as armies."

He added, "We employ weapons of war against al-Qaida, but in a manner consistent with the law of war. We employ lethal force, but in a manner consistent with the law of war principles of proportionality, necessity and distinction."

The armed conflict is now in its twelfth year. How will it end?

"It is an unconventional conflict, against an unconventional enemy, and will not end in conventional terms," Johnson said.

Every defense secretary since 9/11 has said the war against terrorism will not conclude with a formal surrender such as the ceremony that took place on the deck of the USS Missouri that ended World War II.

"We cannot and should not expect al-Qaida and its associated forces to all surrender, all lay down their weapons in an open field or to sign a peace treaty with us," Johnson said. "They are terrorist organizations. Nor can we expect to capture or kill every last terrorist who claims an affiliation with al-Qaida."

Al Qaida's "radical and absurd goals" include global domination through a violent Islamic caliphate, terrorizing the United States and other western nations so they retreat from the world stage as well as the destruction of Israel.

"There is no compromise or political bargain that can be struck with those who pursue such aims," Johnson said.

The general counsel believes there will come a tipping point when so many al-Qaida leaders and operatives have been killed or captured that the group and its affiliates can no longer attempt to launch a strategic attack against the United States.

"At that point, we must be able to say to ourselves that our efforts should no longer be considered an 'armed conflict' against al-Qaida and its affiliates; rather, a counterterrorism effort against individuals who are the scattered remnants of al-Qaida," he said.

US Navy Videos: USS ENTERPRISE INACTIVATION CEREMONY

US Navy Videos

MESSENGER SHOWS EVIDENCE OF WATER ICE ON MERCURY

After its first Mercury solar day (176 Earth days) in orbit, MESSENGER has nearly completed two of its main global imaging campaigns: a monochrome map at 250 m/pixel and an eight-color, 1-km/pixel color map. Apart from small gaps, which will be filled in during the next solar day, these global maps now provide uniform lighting conditions ideal for assessing the form of Mercury’s surface features as well as the color and compositional variations across the planet. The orthographic views seen here, centered at 75° E longitude, are each mosaics of thousands of individual images. At right, images taken through the wide-angle camera filters at 1000, 750, and 430 nm wavelength are displayed in red, green, and blue, respectively. Image Credit-NASA-Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory-Carnegie Institution of Washington

FROM: NASA

NASA Spacecraft Finds New Evidence for Water Ice on Mercury
WASHINGTON -- A NASA spacecraft studying Mercury has provided compelling support for the long-held hypothesis the planet harbors abundant water ice and other frozen volatile materials within its permanently shadowed polar craters.

The new information comes from NASA's MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft. Its onboard instruments have been studying Mercury in unprecedented detail since its historic arrival there in March 2011. Scientists are seeing clearly for the first time a chapter in the story of how the inner planets, including Earth, acquired their water and some of the chemical building blocks for life.

"The new data indicate the water ice in Mercury's polar regions, if spread over an area the size of Washington, D.C., would be more than 2 miles thick," said David Lawrence, a MESSENGER participating scientist at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Md., and lead author of one of three papers describing the findings. The papers were published online in Thursday's edition of Science Express.

Spacecraft instruments completed the first measurements of excess hydrogen at Mercury's north pole, made the first measurements of the reflectivity of Mercury's polar deposits at near-infrared wavelengths, and enabled the first detailed models of the surface and near-surface temperatures of Mercury's north polar regions.

Given its proximity to the sun, Mercury would seem to be an unlikely place to find ice. However, the tilt of Mercury's rotational axis is less than 1 degree, and as a result, there are pockets at the planet's poles that never see sunlight.

Scientists suggested decades ago there might be water ice and other frozen volatiles trapped at Mercury's poles. The idea received a boost in 1991 when the Arecibo radio telescope in Puerto Rico detected radar-bright patches at Mercury's poles. Many of these patches corresponded to the locations of large impact craters mapped by NASA's Mariner 10 spacecraft in the 1970s. However, because Mariner saw less than 50 percent of the planet, planetary scientists lacked a complete diagram of the poles to compare with the radar images.

Images from the spacecraft taken in 2011 and earlier this year confirmed all radar-bright features at Mercury's north and south poles lie within shadowed regions on the planet's surface. These findings are consistent with the water ice hypothesis.

The new observations from MESSENGER support the idea that ice is the major constituent of Mercury's north polar deposits. These measurements also reveal ice is exposed at the surface in the coldest of those deposits, but buried beneath unusually dark material across most of the deposits. In the areas where ice is buried, temperatures at the surface are slightly too warm for ice to be stable.

MESSENGER's neutron spectrometer provides a measure of average hydrogen concentrations within Mercury's radar-bright regions. Water ice concentrations are derived from the hydrogen measurements.

"We estimate from our neutron measurements the water ice lies beneath a layer that has much less hydrogen. The surface layer is between 10 and 20 centimeters [4-8 inches] thick," Lawrence said.

Additional data from detailed topography maps compiled by the spacecraft corroborate the radar results and neutron measurements of Mercury's polar region. In a second paper by Gregory Neumann of NASA's Goddard Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., measurements of the shadowed north polar regions reveal irregular dark and bright deposits at near-infrared wavelength near Mercury's north pole.
"Nobody had seen these dark regions on Mercury before, so they were mysterious at first," Neumann said.

The spacecraft recorded dark patches with diminished reflectance, consistent with the theory that ice in those areas is covered by a thermally insulating layer. Neumann suggests impacts of comets or volatile-rich asteroids could have provided both the dark and bright deposits, a finding corroborated in a third paper led by David Paige of the University of California at Los Angeles.

"The dark material is likely a mix of complex organic compounds delivered to Mercury by the impacts of comets and volatile-rich asteroids, the same objects that likely delivered water to the innermost planet," Paige said.

This dark insulating material is a new wrinkle to the story, according to MESSENGER principal investigator Sean Solomon of Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory in Palisades, N.Y.

"For more than 20 years, the jury has been deliberating whether the planet closest to the sun hosts abundant water ice in its permanently shadowed polar regions," Solomon said. "MESSENGER now has supplied a unanimous affirmative verdict."

MESSENGER was designed and built by APL. The lab manages and operates the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The mission is part of NASA's Discovery Program, managed for the directorate by the agency's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.

RECENT U.S. NAVY PHOTOS

FROM: U.S. NAVY
E-2C Hawkeye aircraft assigned to the Wallbangers of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 117 fly over the Pacific Ocean near Ventura, Calif. VAW-117 is a command and control and airborne early Warning Squadron dedicated to deliver time critical situational awareness to warfare commanders and coalition partners. U.S. Navy photo by Command Master Chief Spike Call (Released) 121120-N-ZZ999-004

Chinese sailors render honors to Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) the Honorable Ray Mabus during a visit to the People's Liberation Army Navy hospital ship Peace Ark (866). Mabus is visiting China to discuss the United States' new defense strategy, deepening our military-to-military engagements, rebalancing toward the Pacific and fostering a positive, cooperative and comprehensive relationship with China. U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Sam Shavers (Released) 121129-N-AC887-001

 

Remarks at the Saban Center for Middle East Policy 2012 Saban Forum Opening Gala Dinner

Remarks at the Saban Center for Middle East Policy 2012 Saban Forum Opening Gala Dinner

LAO PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC'S NATIONAL DAY

Map:  Laos.  Credit:  CIA World Factbook.

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Lao People's Democratic Republic's National Day
Press Statement
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
November 30, 2012

On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I am delighted to send best wishes to the people of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic on your National Day this December 2.

This year marks 57 years of diplomatic relations between the United States and Laos, and my visit in July affirmed the growing relationship between our two countries. The United States remains committed to working with the Lao Government and other partners to increase access to healthcare, build on our food security initiative, promote economic development, and reduce the impact of unexploded ordnance and accounting for the remains of U.S. military service members.

We congratulate Laos on its accession to the World Trade Organization, a milestone for your economic reforms that will serve you well for new investment opportunities. Laos has taken significant strides to become a more prominent member of the international community, including through its leadership in the Lower Mekong Initiative, and the United States welcomes the opportunity to strengthen our partnership even more.

I wish all Laotians continued peace, prosperity, and happiness in the coming year.

Map:  Laos:  Credit:  CIA World Factbook.

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.

U.S. STATEMENT ON NORTH KOREA'S ANNOUNCEMENT OF SATELLITE LAUNCH

Photo:  Korean War Era.  Credit:  U.S. Marine Corps. 

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT

North Korean Announcement of a Launch December 10-22, 2012
Press Statement
Victoria Nuland
Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
November 30, 2012


A North Korean "satellite" launch would be a highly provocative act that threatens peace and security in the region. Any North Korean launch using ballistic missile technology is in direct violation of UN Security Council Resolutions (UNSCRs) 1718 and 1874.

The UN Security Council Presidential Statement adopted unanimously on April 16, 2012 strongly condemned North Korea's April 13 launch and expressed its determination to take action accordingly in the event of a further launch. We call on North Korea to comply fully with its obligations under all relevant UNSCRs.

Devoting scarce resources to the development of nuclear weapons and long-range missiles will only further isolate and impoverish North Korea. The path to security for North Korea lies in investing in its people and abiding by its commitments and international obligations.

The United States is consulting closely with its Six-Party and other key allies and partners on next steps.

U.S. SECURITY STRATEGY WHEN MONEY IS TIGHT

Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter delivers remarks at Duke University's Sanford School of Public Policy in Durham, N.C., Nov. 29, 2012. DOD photo by Glenn Fawcett
　

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Carter Outlines U.S. Security Strategy in Tight-budget Era
By Amaani Lyle
American Forces Press Service

DURHAM, N.C., Nov. 30, 2012 - In a speech at Duke University here yesterday, Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter outlined new security strategies and challenges that he said will define the nation's future in a post-war era of fiscal constraint.

Carter said the need to keep the department's "fiscal house in order" after more than a decade of war and under the threat of sequestration has spurred an approach of rebalancing and innovation as the Defense Department pivots to the Asia-Pacific region.

"We in the Department of Defense ... are at a moment of great strategic consequence and great strategic transition; we're at the confluence of two great forces," Carter said. "After almost 12 years of unrelenting and uninterrupted war ... in two particular places, Iraq and Afghanistan -- that era is coming to an end."

While Carter acknowledged the war in Afghanistan persists, he expressed confidence in the strategy's probability of success as U.S. forces draw down and Afghan security forces maintain stability.

"... The principal requirement [is] to ensure the country is no longer a danger to the U.S.," he said.

Looking forward, Carter said, military leadership determined that U.S. forces must be leaner, more agile, ready, and technologically advanced.

"We wanted to take ... steps to make the most effective use of our force in the era after Iraq and Afghanistan," he said.

The new concept of readiness, according to Carter, involves preserving and building on the strength of the all-volunteer active duty, Guard and Reserve force developed during the last decade.

"We wanted to retain [the force] and we wanted to respect it [with] no sudden changes as the war came to an end," he said.

Carter said he also aims to shift the weight of intellectual effort to future challenges by continuing to invest in special operations forces, electronic warfare, and space and cyber technology.

These investment areas, he explained, will be best leveraged in the Asia-Pacific region, where a considerable amount of the U.S. future security and economic interests lie.

Carter noted the unique history of the region that he said never had NATO nor "any structure to heal the wounds of World War II and yet it has had peace and stability for 70 years."

Because he credits sustained American military presence in the region with the long span of peace, Carter said his goal as the U.S. pivots to the Pacific is simple.

"We want to 'keep on keepin' on' with what that region has: an environment of peace and stability in which the countries of the region -- all of them -- can continue to enjoy economic prosperity," Carter said.

As partnerships with Japan, South Korea, Thailand, and Australia continue to blossom, Carter said he urges broadening the U.S. military strategy to one of national strategy including economic engagement, long-standing principles of self-governance, and free, open access to commerce.

"That environment is not a birthright," Carter said. "It's something that results in important measure from the continued pivotal presence of the U.S. military in that region."

The U.S. will continue to work with new security partners such as India, Philippines, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations collective, and China while setting priorities for the kinds of capabilities that are relevant for the Asia-Pacific region, Carter said.

"... We can enhance our Asia-Pacific region posture ... because of the end of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars which frees up capacity," he added.

Therefore, Carter said, the U.S. will move more security assets into the region, such as the deployment of F-22 Raptor and F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft to Japan and an expanding rotational bomber presence on Guam.

Key defense investments that remain shielded from budget cuts include KC-46 tanker aircraft, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance technology and the Virginia Class submarine, which Carter said maintains "unrivaled undersea dominance." New training infrastructure involves joint, multi-lateral exercises designed to strengthen partnerships with nations in the Asia-Pacific region, he added.

"Partners are a force multiplier for us," Carter said. "We're not only emphasizing our existing alliances and partnerships, but [we're also] trying as hard as we can to build new ones."

It is for these reasons, he said, that the U.S. can and will find the military capacity and intellectual resources to support the strategic rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region.

But Carter shared a question he said is on the minds of many Americans: Can the U.S. accomplish these endeavors with the anticipated budget cuts?

As the DOD's strategic juncture in history and the current era of fiscal belt-tightening overlap, Carter described the defense strategy as an "an unprecedented process" in terms of the depth of presidential involvement.

Carter said President Barack Obama invested significant time and effort with defense leadership to develop strategic budgetary cuts.

Still, Carter explained, absent swift Congressional approval for follow-on measures to the Budget Control Act, sequestration could be "disastrous" for national defense.

"If it comes to pass, it will hollow out the force," he said.

In the meantime, Carter said he and other DOD officials remain resolute in the task of providing U.S. national security while being good stewards of taxpayer dollars.

"We hope that by being good strategists and sound managers, we can continue to defend the country and enjoy the trust of the people it's our responsibility to defend," Carter said.

World AIDS Day

World AIDS Day

MESSAGE FROM U.S. EXPORT-IMPORT BANK CHAIRMAN

Fred Hochberg.  Chairman Of Export-Import Bank.

FROM: U.S. EXPORT-IMPORT BANK
Message from the Chairman

Friends,

Recently the Export-Import Bank of the United States announced a fourth straight record-breaking year for export financing – over $35.7 billion in Exim authorizations for FY 2012. That is up by nearly 10 percent from last fiscal year and up 150 percent over the past four years. We not only did this at no cost to taxpayers, we delivered $1.1 billion in excess revenues to the Treasury.

But these numbers mean little without understanding the impact we've had on America's economic recovery. Our financing supported 255,000 export-related jobs last year – good jobs with high wages and a promising future for working families—and nearly 1 million jobs over the past 4 years. These quality jobs were in communities across the country in industries ranging from nuclear power plant machinery and services to solar panels.

Our financing for small businesses also reached a new record of $6.1 billion – supporting innovative entrepreneurs as they expand into overseas markets. By the end of FY 2012, 650 small businesses have used Exim financing this year for the first time; additionally, more than 1,730 small-business transactions were for loans under $500,000. And we've only just begun. Our support for women- and minority-owned small-business exporters, for instance, increased nearly 17 percent, setting a new record. Here at Ex-Im, we are always looking to partner with new exporters.

Export growth is contributing more and more to the nation's economy. Overall in 2011, U.S. exports accounted for $2.17 trillion of U.S. gross domestic product of $15.6 trillion – an all-time high. This underscores the success so far of President Obama's National Export Initiative – a coordinated effort to double U.S. exports by the end of 2014 – as we continue to make steady progress towards that goal.

Business people around the country are impressed when I tell them that we produced these results with a staff of only about 400. Not only that, we cut our approval times in half, simplified application forms, and launched a Total Enterprise Modernization program to streamline our systems. In FY 2012, 90% of all transactions were processed within 30 days and 98% were processed within 100 days. We are doing "Government at the Speed of Business" and expect even more productivity improvements in the year ahead. I invite you to read on for details about our successful fourth quarter and fiscal year.

32 MORE F-35 JETS WILL BE BUILT BY LOCKHEED MARTIN

Photo:  F-35.  Credit:  U.S. Air Force.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

DOD, Lockheed Martin Agree to More F-35s
By Claudette Roulo
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 30, 2012 – DOD and Lockheed Martin have reached an agreement in principle to manufacture 32 F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter jets, Pentagon Press Secretary George E. Little said today.

The jets are part of Low-Rate Initial Production batch 5 -- the fifth production lot of the aircraft. Unit-cost data will be made available once the contracts are finalized and signed, Little said.

"Production costs are decreasing and I appreciate everyone’s commitment to this important negotiation process," said Navy Vice Adm. Dave Venlet, the F-35 program executive officer.

The agreement also covers the costs of manufacturing support equipment, flight test instrumentation and additional mission equipment, he added.

"It was a tough negotiation," Little said, "and we’re pleased that we’ve reached an agreement."

According to a news release from the F-35 program office, Lockheed Martin will produce 22 F-35A conventional take-off and landing variants for the Air Force, three F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing variants for the Marine Corps and seven F-35C carrier variants for the Navy.

Aircraft production was started in December 2011 under a previously authorized undefinitized contract action, the release said. Undefinitized contract actions authorize contractors to begin work before reaching a final agreement on contract terms.

The agreement sets the program to move forward according to improved business timelines, Little said. "It’s good for all nations that are partnered with us in this important effort for our future national security."

The United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Norway, Turkey, Israel and Singapore are partners or participants in the aircraft’s development program, and the Japanese government announced in December 2011 it will buy 42 of the fighters.

Weekly Address: Urging Congress to Extend the Middle Class Tax Cuts | The White House

Weekly Address: Urging Congress to Extend the Middle Class Tax Cuts | The White House

Bo Inspects the 2012 White House Holiday Decorations | The White House

Bo Inspects the 2012 White House Holiday Decorations | The White House

NASA VIDEO: 2012 HURRICANE SEASON RAINFALL

FROM:  NASA

2012 Hurricane Season Rainfall
This animation shows rainfall totals calculated by NASA's TRMM satellite from tropical cyclones that affected the western Atlantic Ocean area during the 2012 hurricane season. It begins on May 19, 2012 with the formation of Tropical Storm Alberto off the coast of South Carolina and progresses through the Hurricane Sandy on Oct. 29. The last storm of the season, Tony, was out of the view of this animation. Measurements appear in millimeters.

Credit-NASA-SSAI, Hal Pierce

U.S. SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE MAKES REMARKS ON MODERNIZATION

Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley discusses the importance of modernization and the challenges ahead for the Air Force at the 2012 Aerospace and Defense Investor Conference in New York, Nov. 29.2012. U.S. Air Force photo-Dave Wilson

FROM:  U.S. AIR FORCE
SecAF declares 'Modernization can't wait' 11/30/2012 - NEW YORK CITY (AFNS) -- The Air Force's senior civilian addressed the importance of modernization and the challenges ahead for the Air Force at the 2012 Aerospace and Defense Investor Conference here Nov. 29.

"Among the most difficult challenges facing the Air Force is the need to modernize our aging aircraft inventory as the defense budget declines," said Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley. "New threats and technologies require new investments."

Donley conveyed the careful strategic choices made in crafting the service's budget, highlighting the importance of research, development, procurement and construction -- "investments in future capability."

He specifically addressed the need for modernization among fighter, tanker, bomber, space and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms as "high priority investments," while other important capabilities like a new trainer and joint surveillance and target attack radar system are not yet funded.

"The plans and resources available for modernization are not optimal, but we are making tough choices to keep them workable with the right priorities for the future," he said. "Further reductions in defense would make these choices even harder."

Among these choices is readiness, which the secretary stressed is one area the service is not willing to taking additional risk.

"We see readiness -- in personnel, training and materiel dimensions -- already frayed. We have made important efficiencies and we are programmed for more," he said. "There are few options for reducing the size of our forces and still being able to execute strategic guidance."

In line with defense guidance, the Air Force has set a clear picture of its investment spending and priorities -- priorities that the joint force and the American public depend on, Donley said. For example, the service's ten largest investment programs include four space systems critical for access to space, secure communications, missile warning, and navigation and timing.

"America's Air Force remains the most capable in the word, but modernization can't wait," Donley said. "These new threats and investment needs, like cyber and missile defense, are not theoretical possibilities for the future. They are here, now."

Amidst the challenges and emerging requirements involved with modernizing the service, Secretary Donley stressed the importance of balancing effectiveness and efficiency, containing program requirements and costs, and continuing to be responsible stewards of taxpayer resources to make it work.

The two-day conference featured speakers from industry and the Department of Defense, including remarks from Robert Hale, under secretary of defense and chief financial officer; and Frank Kendall, the under secretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics.

REPORT ON U.S.-PAKISTAN ECONOMIC AND FINANCE WORKING GROUP

 

Pakistan:  The Hunza Valley in the Northern Areas is believed to have served as the inspiration for the novel Lost Horizons. Credit: CIA World Factbook.

FROM:   U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
U.S.-Pakistan Economic and Finance Working Group
Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
November 30, 2012　

Deputy Secretary of State Thomas R. Nides and Finance Minister of Pakistan Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh co-chaired the U.S.-Pakistan Economic and Finance Working Group in Washington, DC on November 30. The working group focused on expanding bilateral economic engagement, particularly in the areas of trade and investment.

Both sides committed to broadening private sector ties between their two countries. Deputy Secretary Nides highlighted the U.S. Government’s many initiatives in this area – including a Pakistan investment conference in London hosted by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative in October, the launch of the Pakistan Private Investment Initiative, and a series of conferences and virtual meetings devoted to training and mentoring Pakistan’s entrepreneurs.

In other meetings, senior State Department officials and USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah also highlighted the positive results of ongoing civilian assistance programs in Pakistan, including significant contributions in sectors critical to economic growth – such as the addition of more than 400 MW of capacity to Pakistan’s power grid and the construction of over 650 km of roads to date. Both sides agreed that Pakistan’s prosperity is predicated on energy sector reform; the United States welcomed Pakistan’s commitment to undertake the reforms needed to attract greater investment.

The United States commended Pakistan’s recent efforts to expand economic cooperation with its neighbors. Both sides discussed ways to improve trade and transit with Afghanistan and the Central Asian republics, citing the importance of enhanced trade for the region’s stability and prosperity. The United States welcomed the Government of Pakistan’s plans to extend most-favored-nation status to India by the end of the year.

The U.S. delegation included senior representatives from the Department of State, USAID, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and the National Security Staff.

SEC SAYS "HOLD THE PICKLES, HOLD THE LETTUCE. INSIDER TRADING THAT UPSET US."

FROM:  U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C., Nov. 30, 2012 — The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced insider trading charges against a Brazilian ex-banker for his role in a scheme to illegally trade Burger King securities

The SEC alleges that Igor Cornelsen and his firm through which he made trades - Bainbridge Group - reaped illicit profits of more than $1.68 million by trading Burger King options based on confidential information ahead of the company's September 2010 announcement that it was being acquired by a New York private equity firm. Cornelsen is now a resident of the Bahamas with a home in South Florida after holding high-ranking positions at several banks in Brazil before his retirement. He sought inside information from his broker Waldyr Da Silva Prado Neto by sending him e-mails with such masked references as, "Is the sandwich deal going to happen?" Prado was stealing the inside information from another Wells Fargo brokerage customer involved in the Burger King deal.

Cornelsen and Bainbridge Group agreed to pay more than $5.1 million to settle the SEC's charges. The settlement is subject to court approval. The litigation continues against Prado, whose assets have been frozen by the court.

"Cornelsen shamelessly prodded Prado for details on 'the sandwich deal' and Prado happily obliged to satisfy his customer's appetite for inside information," said Daniel M. Hawke, Chief of the SEC Enforcement Division's Market Abuse Unit and Director of the Philadelphia Regional Office.

Sanjay Wadhwa, Deputy Chief of the Market Abuse Unit and Associate Director of the New York Regional Office, added, "Foreign investors who access the U.S. capital markets must play by the rules and not rig the market in their favor, otherwise they face getting caught by the SEC and paying a hefty price as Cornelsen is here."

According to the SEC's complaint filed today in federal court in Manhattan, Cornelsen became Prado's customer in 2008. On May 17, 2010, Prado sent Cornelsen an e-mail written in Portuguese that translates to, "Igor, if you are around call me at the hotel … I have some info … You have to hear this." Cornelsen called Prado at his hotel and they had a 10-minute conversation. Earlier that same day, Prado told a friend that he had knowledge of the impending Burger King deal. After talking with Prado, Cornelsen began trading out-of-the-money Burger King call options the very next day. Cornelsen had never previously traded Burger King securities.

The SEC alleges that Cornelsen continued trading Burger King options over that summer despite losing money in some instances. In August, Cornelsen sent Prado e-mails seeking assurances that 'the sandwich deal' was going to happen, and Prado responded with such statements as "Yes it's going to happen" and "Everything is 100% under control." Cornelsen then purchased additional Burger King call options. Cornelsen took steps to minimize his connection to Prado by purchasing the Burger King call options in accounts held at brokerage firms other than where Prado worked.

The SEC alleges that after the public announcement of the Burger King deal, Cornelsen e-mailed Prado to inquire about the acquisition price. Upon learning the new per share price that would yield him substantial illegal profits, Cornelsen e-mailed back, "Wow! What a day!"

The SEC's complaint charges Cornelsen and Bainbridge Group with violations of Sections 10(b) and 14(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rules 10b-5 and 14e-3. The proposed final judgment orders them to jointly and severally pay $1,681,090 in disgorgement and $136,620.96 in prejudgment interest. Cornelsen is ordered to pay a $3,362,180 penalty. They neither admit nor deny the SEC charges. The proposed final judgment also enjoins them from future violations of these provisions of the federal securities laws.

The SEC's investigation, which is continuing, has been conducted by Market Abuse Unit members Megan Bergstrom, David Brown, and Diana Tani in the Los Angeles office with assistance from Charles D. Riely in the New York office. The SEC appreciates the assistance of the Comissão de Valores Mobliliários (Securities and Exchange Commission of Brazil), the Options Regulatory Surveillance Authority (ORSA), and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).

ANTARTIC LAKE MAY HOLD KEY TO ICE WORLD LIFE FORMS

Photo:  Lake Vida.  Credit:  NASA-Ames-Chris McKay.

FROM: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

Ancient Microbes Survive Beneath the Icy Surface of Antarctic Lake
November 30, 2012

Researchers funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) describe in a new publication a viable community of bacteria that ekes out a living in a dark, salty and subfreezing environment beneath nearly 20 meters of ice in one of Antarctica's most isolated lakes.

The finding could have implications for the discovery of life in other extreme environments, including elsewhere in the solar system.

If, as the researchers postulate, the bacteria survive purely from chemical reactions, as opposed to drawing energy from the sun or other sources, "this gives us an entirely new framework for thinking of how life can be supported in cryo-ecosystems on Earth and in other icy worlds of the universe," said Alison Murray of Nevada's Desert Research Institute (DRI), the lead author on the paper.

The findings were published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.

Murray and Christian Fritsen, also at DRI, co-authored the paper along with Peter Doran and Fabien Kenig at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

The team's work was supported by NSF, which manages the United States Antarctic Program (USAP). Through the USAP, NSF coordinates all U.S. research on the southernmost continent and in the Southern Ocean

Lake Vida is the largest of several unique lakes found in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, an ice-free area of the continent.

Lake Vida contains no oxygen, is mostly frozen and possesses the highest nitrous-oxide levels of any natural body of water on Earth. A briny liquid that is approximately six times saltier than seawater percolates throughout the icy environment below a depth of 16 meters with an average temperature of minus 13.4 degrees Celsius (or 8 degrees Fahrenheit).

"This study provides a window into one of the most unusual ecosystems on Earth," said Murray. "Our knowledge of geochemical and microbial processes in lightless icy environments, especially at subzero temperatures, has been very limited up until now. This work expands our understanding of the types of life that can survive in these isolated, cryo-ecosystems and how different strategies may be used to exist in such challenging environments."

Murray is a molecular microbial ecologist. She has been a polar researcher for the past 17 years and has participated in 14 expeditions to the Southern Ocean and Antarctic continent.

Despite the very cold, dark and isolated nature of the habitat, the researchers report that the brine harbors a surprisingly diverse and abundant assemblage of bacteria that survive, unlike most life on the planet, without drawing energy, either directly or indirectly, from the sun. Previous studies of Lake Vida dating back to 1996 indicate that the brine has been isolated from outside influences for more than 3,000 years.

Murray and her co-authors and collaborators--including the project's principal investigator, Peter Doran, of the University of Illinois at Chicago--developed stringent protocols and specialized equipment for their 2005 and 2010 field campaigns that allowed them to sample the lake's brine while avoiding contaminating the pristine ecosystem.

To sample the unique environment, researchers worked in a secure, sterile tent on the lake's surface to keep the site and equipment clean as they drilled ice cores, collected samples of the salty brine residing in the lake ice. With these samples they assessed the chemical qualities of the water and its potential for harboring and sustaining life, and described the diversity of the organisms detected.

Geochemical analyses suggest that chemical reactions between the brine and the underlying iron-rich sediments generate nitrous oxide and molecular hydrogen. The latter, in part, may provide the energy needed to support the brine's diverse microbial life.

"It's plausible that a life-supporting energy source exists solely from the chemical reaction between anoxic salt water and the rock," explained Fritsen, a systems microbial ecologist and research professor in DRI's Division of Earth and Ecosystem Sciences.

Murray added that further research is currently underway to analyze the abiotic, chemical interactions between the Lake Vida brine and the sediment, in addition to investigating the microbial community by using genomic sequencing approaches. The results could help explain the potential for life in other salty, cryogenic environments beyond Earth.

The Lake Vida brine also represents a cryo-ecosystem that is a suitable and accessible analog for the soils, sediments, wetlands, and lakes underlying the Antarctic ice sheet that other polar researchers are just now beginning to explore.

QUASAR GB 1428 SHOWS DISTANT X-RAY JET

FROM: NASA

This composite image shows the most distant X-ray jet ever observed. X-ray data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory are shown in blue, radio data from the NSF's Very Large Array are shown in purple and optical data from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope are shown in yellow. The jet was produced by a quasar named GB 1428+4217, or GB 1428 for short, and is located 12.4 billion light years from Earth. Labels for the quasar and jet can be seen by mousing over the image. The shape of the jet is very similar in the X-ray and radio data.

Giant black holes at the centers of galaxies can pull in matter at a rapid rate producing the quasar phenomenon. The energy released as particles fall toward the black hole generates intense radiation and powerful beams of high-energy particles that blast away from the black hole at nearly the speed of light. These particle beams can interact with magnetic fields or ambient photons to produce jets of radiation.

As the electrons in the jet fly away from the quasar, they move through a sea of background photons left behind after the Big Bang. When a fast-moving electron collides with one of these so-called cosmic microwave background photons, it can boost the photonâ energy into the X-ray band. Because the quasar is seen when the universe is at an age of about 1.3 billion years, less than 10% of its current value, the cosmic background radiation is a thousand times more intense than it is now. This makes the jet much brighter, and compensates in part for the dimming due to distance.

While there is another possible source of X-rays for the jet - radiation from electrons spiraling around magnetic field lines in the jet - the authors favor the idea that the cosmic background radiation is being boosted because the jet is so bright.

The researchers think the length of the jet in GB 1428 is at least 230,000 light years, or about twice the diameter of the entire Milky Way galaxy. This jet is only seen on one side of the quasar in the Chandra and VLA data. When combined with previously obtained evidence, this suggests the jet is pointed almost directly toward us. This configuration would boost the X-ray and radio signals for the observed jet and diminish those for a jet presumably pointed in the opposite direction.

This result appeared in the Sept. 1, 2012 issue of The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

Credits- X-ray- NASA-CXC-NRC-C.Cheung et al, Optical- NASA-STScI- Radio- NSF-NRAO-VLA