ALL FEDERAL BENEFIT PAYMENTS WILL BE DIRECTLY DEPOSITED STARTING MARCH 1, 2013

FROM: FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION

Getting Ready to Go Direct Deposit for All Federal Benefit Payments
Beginning March 1, 2013, all federal benefits payments including Social Security income, will be made electronically. This move is expected to save taxpayers $1 billion over the next 10 years, while ensuring that all federal benefit recipients receive their money in the safest, most reliable way possible. Those who are currently receiving a paper check should arrange by March 1st to have their funds direct-deposited into an account of their choice. People who have not chosen an electronic payment option by that date will receive their money via the Direct Express card, a prepaid debit card that can be used to pay for purchases and access cash at ATMs. Financial educators can use Money Smart as a resource to help consumers select the best bank account for their needs, particularly for those who may choose to open a new account.

AFGHANISTAN: THE "RAPTOR"

Army Pfc. Brennon Van Luven, an infantryman with 2nd Platoon, Company B, 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), poses for a photo after a mission in the Sabari district in Afghanistan, Nov. 5, 2012. Van Luven and his platoon took fire from insurgents while they were talking with villagers and gathering biometric data. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Christopher Bonebrake

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Face of Defense: Afghanistan-deployed Soldier Drives On

By Army Sgt. Christopher Bonebrake
115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
KHOWST PROVINCE, Afghanistan, Dec. 4, 2012 - Army Pfc. Brennon Van Luven had never had a bullet go over his head quite like this.

Soldiers with 2nd Platoon, Company B, 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), spent a morning gathering biometric data in the village of Dande Fariqan here and talking with the locals about insurgent activity in the area.

After moving across a road, the platoon came under fire from multiple weapons systems including a rocket-propelled grenade.

As bullets snapped overhead, Van Luven found cover and began to scan the village and tree lines for signs of the shooters.

Van Luven, a native of Erie, Pa., is no stranger to being in contact with the enemy. His mine resistant ambush protected vehicle hit an improvised explosive device a couple weeks ago, sending his platoon sergeant home with a shoulder injury.

An avid "Halo" player, he now knows what it is like to have real bullets shot directly at him, but this does not deter him from doing his job.

"I serve because I wanted the discipline that the Army provides," Van Luven said. "I wanted to make something of myself, have a steady job and be able to stand on my own two feet."

Besides discipline, the Army has provided Van Luven with another important opportunity: driving.

"Before going through the Joint Readiness Training Center when we deployed, I had never driven a vehicle before," Van Luven admitted. "The first truck I ever drove was an Army humvee."

He's had more time behind the wheel in Afghanistan than in the states and has driven every vehicle in the platoon's motor pool.

Van Luven enlisted out of high school. Growing up shooting guns and enjoying the outdoors, he figured joining the infantry would be a good idea.

"I enjoy what I do and I love being out here with my guys," Van Luven said. "We're all really close."

He said the hardest part of being in the infantry is pulling long shifts -- especially performing guard duty after coming back from a mission.

Van Luven is a man of few words, but he lets his actions speak for him.

"He's a really hard worker and never complains," said Army Sgt. Christopher Walker, Van Luven's squad leader. "He's very loyal to his squad and his platoon."

The 2nd Platoon gave Van Luven his two nicknames: "McLovin" and "Raptor." According to most, Van Luven resembles the character McLovin played by Christopher Mintz-Plasse in the comedy "Superbad." Raptor is in reference to the way he runs, closely resembling the dinosaur.

"He loves both his nicknames," Walker said. "He even tattooed 'raptor' on his arm. He's kind of like our squad mascot."

Van Luven doesn't plan on staying in the Army when he redeploys.

"I want to go back home and go to school with the goal of getting hired by the Pennsylvania State Police," he said. "My family is pretty close, so I want to work near home so I can be there for them if they need me."

Van Luven cites his fellow soldiers as his inspiration for continuing to serve his country.

"I love my country, but it sounds like such a cliché when I say it," he said. "I continue to serve because I want to make sure all my buddies make it home safely and I want to finish what I started here."

REMARKS AT WILDLIFE CONSERVATION DAY RECEPTION

Photo Credit:  U.S. Wildlife Fish And Game.

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT

Robert D. Hormats
Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment
Remarks as Prepared for Delivery
Beijing, China
December 4, 2012
　

Thank you, Ambassador Locke, for that kind introduction.

It’s a special pleasure to be in China for "Wildlife Conservation Day," and I want to thank all of you for your leadership in this critical area.

After all, your country is home to one of the most successful wildlife conservation efforts of recent times, having successfully increased the giant panda population from approximately 1000 in the 1970s to more than 1,600 by the 2004 census.

As you know, trafficking of wildlife also is a growing problem in Africa, and incidents of poaching in that part of the world are increasing at an alarming rate.

Rhino poaching, for example, has increased dramatically in South Africa over the last five years from only 13 rhinos poached in 2007 to 448 in 2011.

Killings of elephants for ivory unfortunately also are increasing. Earlier this year, for example, more than 300 elephants were slaughtered in Cameroon by heavily armed poachers.

Hong Kong authorities recently announced that they had confiscated $1.4 million worth of ivory that arrived smuggled in a shipping container from Tanzania, the second large seizure of tusks in a one-month span.

This issue has deep roots for me. During graduate school I spent a year in East Africa and worked as an assistant wildlife guide in some of East Africa’s national parks.

So, for me, poaching is a deeply personal outrage.

On November 8, Secretary Clinton hosted a high-level discussion at the State Department, issuing a call to action for all of us to work together to stem this growing crisis.

Our decision to organize this meeting came from our conviction that the nature of wildlife trafficking has changed.

We have always considered wildlife trafficking a critical conservation issue, and have been leaders in both global and national efforts to conserve wildlife.

However, the issue has now become an issue of national security, rule of law, health, and economic development.

Transnational criminal groups connected to terrorists, drug traffickers, and weapons traffickers, and well-armed poachers, are increasingly involved in the illicit trade.

Large-scale commercial wildlife trafficking now threatens security and stability in countries across Africa and parts of Asia.

I’ve heard of these concerns directly from African leaders. I travelled to Africa this summer, where I discussed this issue with leaders of Botswana and Namibia, and I joined Secretary Clinton in South Africa, where we heard about their challenges in protecting their national parks and the wildlife.

Many consumers do not understand that animals – and in some cases people who try to protect them – die in order to produce the turtle shell bracelet, the rhino horn powder, or the ivory carving.

To reduce demand, we need to educate people – make them aware that what they are buying is illegal, their actions support criminal networks, animals are being killed, and people are suffering as a direct result of that purchase.

We need to do a better job of understanding the entire supply chain – from poachers, to the transport sector, to sellers, and to buyers.

We also need to do a better job of tracking down the networks, of following the money flows, and of rooting out corrupt officials who help to move the illegal products all along the way.

To stem the latest trends in poaching, the Department of State has developed a four-pronged approach to:

(1) focus our diplomatic engagement – by working with you and other governments -to strengthen political will,

(2) raise public awareness, through events like the one here today,

(3) identify training needs, and

(4) to work cooperatively with NGO and private sector partners.

We have been working through our diplomatic channels to engage leaders on this issue – at APEC, with ASEAN leaders on the margins of the UN General Assembly, in Washington, and at the East Asia Summit – so that we can take steps cooperatively to address this problem.

We also are working closely with NGOs and the private sector to identify ways we can cooperate.

We collectively share a responsibility to be good stewards of our planet and support the development and security of countries suffering from wildlife trafficking.

That’s why combating wildlife trafficking has become a foreign policy priority for the Department of State. And we seek to cooperate closely with China in this endeavor.

Our two countries unfortunately find ourselves in the position of being destination countries for illegally trafficked wildlife parts.

We plan to take tough action. We urge China to do so, too, to put a halt to illegal wildlife imports.

In this context, therefore, I have met with Ambassador Zhang Yesui in Washington, I met earlier today with State Forestry Administration Vice Minister Zhang Jianrong, and prior to this event, I had the opportunity to discuss the issue with NGOs.

It is very important that the United States and China – our governments, our companies, our civil society, and our citizens – continue to collaborate on this important issue.

Thank you for being here, and I look forward to meeting many of you.

FORMER CEO OF OIL-AND-GAS COMPANY CHARGED BY SEC WITH PARTICIPATION IN AN INSIDER TRADING SCHEME

FROM: SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

SEC Charges Oil Company CEO as Source in Insider Trading Case

In November 28, 2012, the Securities and Exchange Commission announced charges against the former CEO of a Denver-based oil-and-gas company at the center of an insider trading scheme that the SEC began prosecuting last month.

According to the SEC’s complaint, the insider trading occurred in advance of Delta Petroleum Corporation’s public announcement that Beverly Hills-based private investment firm Tracinda had agreed to purchase a 35 percent stake in the company, which shot its stock value up by nearly 20 percent. The SEC initially charged insurance executive Michael Van Gilder for his illegal trading in the case, and is now additionally charging his source: Delta’s then-CEO Roger Parker.

The SEC’s amended complaint alleges that Parker, who lives in Englewood, Colo., illegally tipped his close friend Van Gilder and at least one other friend with confidential information about Tracinda’s impending investment. Despite his duty as CEO to protect nonpublic information, Parker repeatedly communicated with Van Gilder following meetings and other developments as the deal progressed. Parker also illegally tipped information about Delta’s quarterly earnings. The insider trading in this case generated more than $890,000 in illicit profits.

According to the SEC’s amended complaint filed in federal court in Denver, Parker tipped Van Gilder and another friend on several occasions in late November and December 2007 as the Tracinda investment was developing. Based on the inside information, Van Gilder and the other friend loaded up on Delta stock and highly speculative options contracts, and Van Gilder advised his relatives, his broker, and a co-worker to do the same.

The SEC alleges that the Tracinda announcement was not the only nonpublic information that Parker tipped to Van Gilder. In November 2007, Van Gilder received an e-mail from a mutual friend of Parker’s that included a news article expressing a negative view of Delta’s future prospects. After sending an e-mail to his broker indicating he might want to sell the Delta securities that he owned, Van Gilder called Parker three times that evening. Parker conveyed to Van Gilder confidential details about Delta’s third quarter 2007 earnings results that were to be announced later that week. Rather than sell his Delta stock, Van Gilder purchased an additional 1,250 shares and responded to the e-mail from the mutual friend by writing, "I had a dialogue with a friend, of whom you know. Do not sell this stock, rather buy more ... Delta will hit their numbers at this Thursday’s announcement." When Delta announced its earnings, it reported production and revenue numbers above the company’s previously stated guidance.

The SEC’s amended complaint charges Parker and Van Gilder with violations of Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5. The amended complaint seeks a final judgment ordering them to disgorge their and their tippees’ ill-gotten gains plus prejudgment interest, ordering them to pay financial penalties, and permanently enjoining them from future violations of the above provisions of the federal securities laws. The SEC also seeks to prohibit Parker from acting as an officer or director of a public company.

2012 AND THE FUTURE OF FIRE

FROM: NASA

The U.S. fire season in 2012 was by some measures a record-breaking season. NASA scientist Doug Morton discusses the links between climate and wildfires and the likelihood of seeing more extreme fire events in the future.

DVIDS - Video - Counter Terrorism in Africa

DVIDS - Video - Counter Terrorism in Africa

GLOBAL FORUM ON PHARMACEUTICAL ANTI-COUNTERFEITING AND DIVERSION

Photo Credit:  FDA.

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Remarks at the Global Forum on Pharmaceutical Anti-Counterfeiting and Diversion
Remarks
Robert D. Hormats
Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment
Omni Shoreham Hotel
Washington, DC
November 29, 2012

Thank you Tom for the kind introduction. And, thank you to Reconnaissance International and the organizers of this Global Forum for the opportunity to come speak with you about counterfeit and substandard medicines.

Pharmaceutical safety is an issue of vital importance.

I’m pleased to see so many faces from so many different regions here today—it’s an indication of how seriously we as a global community regard this threat.

I won’t belabor the extent of the problem because I know others will cover the statistics in much greater detail.

The problem we face is not new. Until the early-20th century, medicines were neither safe nor effective. There’s a quote by a famous 19th century physician, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.—who was also Dean of Harvard Medical School—that highlights this point. Holmes commented that: "if all medicines in the world were thrown into the sea, it would be all the better for mankind and all the worse for the fishes."

Over a century later, we have the science, technology, and wherewithal to do better. The United States—and indeed, all of you—are doing better. But there are certain areas that require improvement—especially regarding counterfeit and substandard medicines.

I’ll focus my remarks on three themes related to this problem:

(1) why the United States and, specifically, the Department of State have taken an active role to stop the spread of counterfeit and substandard medicines;

(2) activities in which we are engaged to promote pharmaceutical safety; and

(3) areas where you—as drug manufactures, supply chain experts, health ministry officials, and medical regulators—can continue and reinforce your leadership.

Recognizing that governments have an important and inherent role to protect their citizens from harm, President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act in 1938, which created the Food and Drug Administration.

The FDA has done a tremendous job ensuring that the medicines we take are safe and efficacious. But, the world has changed since the agency was created. Today, approximately 80 percent of manufacturers of active pharmaceutical ingredients used for medications marketed in the United States are located overseas. Because of this interconnectedness, unscrupulous or criminal manufactures in any country can threaten the well-being of Americans and, indeed, citizens of many other countries.

Governments must now look beyond their own borders to protect their citizens from harm. That’s why I meet regularly with my friend and colleague FDA Commissioner Peggy Hamburg to find ways for the FDA and State to work together to improve regulatory capacity abroad. Our goal is to improve the ability of foreign governments to regulate their pharmaceutical supply chains. This protects their citizens from harm. This also helps ensure that unsafe medicines do not enter the U.S. pharmaceutical supply chain.

To improve pharmaceutical safety around the globe, the Department of State is working with, and fully supporting, the FDA. And, together, we’re engaging USAID, Homeland Security, Justice, Commerce, and other USG agencies. We do so because the problem is vast and multi-faceted.

The Department of State’s safe medicines strategy has three prongs.

Raising awareness is the first component of our approach. Broadcasting the dangers of counterfeit and substandard medicines and is critical to safeguarding pharmaceutical supply chains in the United States and in other pharmaceutical supplier and consumer countries.

Over the past two years, the State Department has funded 24 outreach efforts throughout Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and South America. Projects include workshops, seminars, discussion groups, media campaigns, and publications. These public diplomacy projects rely on the involvement of health industry stakeholders, including educators, pharmacists, hospitals, industry associations and foreign government officials.

For example, we’re currently working with the Partnership for Safe Medicines and Project HOPE (based out of Virginia) on a pilot project in India. The goal is to identify all of the suppliers of medicines coming into two villages and to provide training for patients on how to distinguish between legitimate and counterfeit medicines.

Counterfeiters prey on the ignorance of the public. Our outreach projects bring together relevant stakeholders to make it harder for counterfeiters to sell their illicit wares.

The second pillar of our safe medicines strategy is focused on stopping counterfeiters themselves. These criminals sell their wares without regard for patients who may be harmed in the process.

We’ve funded a series of government-to-government training programs—in collaboration with other U.S. government agencies, the private sector, and NGOs. These programs help foreign law enforcement, customs, and judicial officials catch and prosecute traffickers of counterfeit medicines. Foreign law enforcement capacity-building is essential to stop increasingly sophisticated transnational organized crime groups. These criminals are increasingly incorporating counterfeit medications into their criminal activities.

While many of these programs are part of our intellectual property rights or IPR crime training and technical assistance package, counterfeit medicines are, first and foremost, a public health threat. The enforcement of IPR is one legal mechanism we use to catch these counterfeiters.

We need every tool available to confront increasingly sophisticated trans-national organized crime groups that have turned to counterfeit medicines as part of their criminal enterprise.

The third pillar of our safe medicines strategy is multilateral engagement. As I mentioned earlier, over 80 percent of the manufacturers of active ingredients for genuine drugs sold in the United States are located abroad.

A substandard batch in one country can adversely impact dozens of countries. And, in the case of counterfeits, criminals capitalize on legitimate trade to sneak fake medicines across international borders. Therefore, a global approach is necessary.

That’s why, as this year’s chair of the G8 summit, the United States successfully encouraged heads of state meeting at Camp David to acknowledge the threat of counterfeit medicines to public health and consumer safety.

Following-up on the Leaders’ Statement, we’ve requested G8 countries to produce a public report on efforts they’re taking to combat counterfeit medical products. We also asked G8 members to report on recent enforcement actions they’ve taken against producers and importers of bogus medical products. We will work with the United Kingdom—the 2013 G8 chair—to continue these efforts.

The State Department also pushed for cooperation against the spread of counterfeit and substandard medicines at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, or APEC, Forum. Over the past two years, the United States has sponsored a number of programs for APEC economies, including a "Dialogue Combating Corruption and Illicit Threats" and a "Workshop on Drug Safety and Detection Technologies".

And, the United States is active in the World Health Organization on this matter. We participated in the WHO’s working group on substandard, spurious, falsely-labeled, falsified, or counterfeit medical products meeting last week in Argentina.

The U.S. government is using a number of different approaches. We’re increasing awareness, helping build enforcement and regulatory capacity, and working through international organizations to develop global solutions.

We’ve made significant progress over the past few years but there is much left to do, which is why we need your help. I’ll mention just a few areas where people in this room can help lead the way.

First, counterfeiters are criminal opportunists. They target markets in countries where the capacity to detect defective products and the penalty for engaging in counterfeiting are low. The relatively low sentences for those who traffic in counterfeit medications make counterfeiting an attractive alternative to trafficking in narcotics.

That’s why, the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act—which President Obama signed into law in July—raised penalties for trafficking counterfeit drugs. The legislation also required a series of improvements to reinforce the pharmaceutical supply chain. It’s critical that other governments similarly strengthen and enforce their laws to deter counterfeiters.

Second, it’s critical that we share information with one another. The United States—in large part, through the tireless work of the FDA—takes great pride ensuring the safety and efficacy of our medicines. Yet we’re not immune to the threat of counterfeit and substandard drugs.

Everyone here is aware of the recent Avastin incident. Once detected, the FDA immediately issued a warning to healthcare professionals and patients about the counterfeit drug and began an investigation. They acted quickly to protect lives.

Last, we need creative solutions from the private sector. I’ll share one excellent example. Several prominent payment processors and Internet intermediaries recently launched a non-profit group called the Center for Safe Internet Pharmacies. They combat illegal online pharmacies by de-registering Internet domain names, withdrawing payment services from fake pharmacies, and refusing to advertise fake pharmacies.

These companies banded together to protect the wellbeing of consumers and their respective brands. We need more companies to do the same.

I’ll close with one final point. Events like today’s Global Forum are an opportunity to make connections between different countries and companies. These connections are critical because no single nation or entity can stop the spread of unsafe medicines on its own.

So, I hope this Forum has provided all of you with new contacts and new ideas. Collaboration and collective action—on a global scale—is needed to protect our citizens from the dangers of counterfeit and substandard medicines.

Thank you.

SPACE COMMAND AND THE SEA TURTLE

Col. Robert Pavelko, 45th Space Wing vice commander, and Lt. Col. Ed Marshall, 45th Mission Support Group deputy commander, release rehabilitated sea turtles while Chief Master Sgt. Carroll Holcombe, 45th Mission Support Group superintendent, watches along the beach at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

FROM: U.S. AIR FORCE

Wing, Sea World join forces to save sea turtles
by 2nd Lt. Alicia Wallace
45th Space Wing Public Affairs

12/4/2012 - CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, Fla. -- The 45th Space Wing assisted in the release of two rehabilitated sea turtles back into their native habitat at Cape Canaveral Air Force station Nov. 29.

The first turtle was captured in June by a man fishing at Jetty Park. A hook was embedded in its left upper jaw when this man pulled in his fishing line, and he turned the turtle over to park personnel.

The second turtle was captured in August by a crew from the University of Central Florida, conducting a juvenile green sea turtle study for the Air Force in the Trident Basin. The turtle had a large crack in the bottom of its shell and was malnourished when captured.

These sea turtles were originally passed on to Sea World for rehabilitation after coordination with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the agency responsible for the management of sea turtles in Florida.

When the sea turtles were fully rehabilitated, the 45th Space Wing was contacted by Sea World to assist in release of the turtles back into their native habitat.

Martha Carroll 45th, Civil Engineer Squadron biologist, coordinated the transfer from Sea World to the Air Force.

The Trident Basin was chosen because it was close to their original point of capture, had low boat traffic and contained ideal food sources for the sea turtles.

The 45th Space Wing personnel who assisted with the sea turtle release were glad to be a part of the project.

"The 45th Space Wing expresses gratitude to both the FWC and Sea World for rehabilitating these sea turtles and allowing our personnel the opportunity to release these animals back into the wild," said Angy Chambers, 45th Civil Engineer Squadron lead wildlife biologist. "It reinforces the Air Force's commitment in the protection of these species at the 45th Space Wing," she said.

RECOVERING LOST DOCUMENTS AFTER A DISASTER

Photo:  Hurricane Isaac Aftermath.  Credit:  FEMA.

FROM: U.S. FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY

How to Replace Documents Lost in a Disaster
Release date:
December 4, 2012

NEW YORK – One of the dire consequences of any disaster for many people is the loss of important documents. Often, such documents are needed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and state emergency services in order to process assistance applications for those who suffered losses or damage to their homes and belongings.

If papers are gone – like birth certificates, Social Security cards, drivers’ licenses, tax records, etc. – New York state and FEMA are advising residents on how to recover them:
Birth certificates: If you were born within the confines of the five boroughs of New York City, visit or write to the Office of Vital Records, 125 Worth Street, Room 133, New York, N.Y. 10013. (A photo ID is required both by mail and in person.) The office advises the fastest way to get records is online at www.nyc.gov/vitalrecords. The phone number is (212) 788-4520.
To download and print an application, log onto http://home2.nyc.gov/html/doh/downloads/pdf/vr/birth1.pdf ; to apply online, log onto www.nyc.gov/vitalrecords.
If you were born in New York state outside of New York City, log onto www.vitalchek.com or phone 877-854-4481. This will connect you to a company called VitalChek, which is contracted with the state to handle credit-card orders. There are modest fees involved.
Drivers’ licenses: Visit any New York Department of Motor Vehicles office. To find an office nearby, log onto www.dmv.ny.gov/index.htm and click on "Replace License or ID."

Social Security cards: Call the U.S. Social Security office at 800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. EST. For TTY users the number is 800-325-0778, or log onto www.ssa.gov/ssnumber for more information.
Federal tax records: Call the Internal Revenue Service at 800-829-1040, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. EST, or log onto www.irs.gov.
New York state tax records: For copies of returns, log onto www.tax.ny.gov/help/contact/how_to_reach.htm. Click on "Get a copy of my return" and fill in the application. You can also apply for a tax-filing and payment extension for those directly affected by Hurricane Sandy at this site.
For copies of your utility bills, bank records, insurance policies, mortgage payments and the like, call the appropriate firm and speak to a customer-service representative.
To prevent further loss of vital documents, place the originals or copies in a sealable plastic bag or other watertight container and secure that container where it is best protected and can easily be located. It is also a good idea to make copies of vital and important documents and mail them to a friend or relative you can trust to keep them safe and retrievable.

TINY TETHYS OF SATURN

FROM: NASATethys may not be tiny by normal standards, but when it is captured alongside Saturn, it can't help but seem pretty small.

Even Saturn's rings appear to dwarf Tethys (660 miles, or 1,062 kilometers across), which is in the upper left of the image, although scientists believe the moon to be many times more massive than the entire ring system combined. This view looks toward the unilluminated side of the rings from about 18 degrees below the ringplane. The image was taken in green light with the Cassini spacecraft wide-angle camera on Aug. 19, 2012.

The view was acquired at a distance of approximately 1.5 million miles (2.4 million kilometers) from Saturn and at a Sun-Saturn-spacecraft, or phase, angle of 63 degrees. Image scale is 86 miles (138 kilometers) per pixel.

The Cassini-Huygens mission is a cooperative project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Cassini orbiter and its two onboard cameras were designed, developed and assembled at JPL. The imaging operations center is based at the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colo.

Image credit-NASA-JPL-Caltech-Space Science Institute

THE CARIBBEAN BASIN SECURITY INITIATIVE

Secretary Clinton and CARICOM Ministers Celebrate the Launch of the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI), A Shared Regional Security Partnership 

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

The Caribbean Basin Security Initiative: A Shared Regional Security Partnership (Antigua and Barbuda)
Fact Sheet
Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs
December 3, 2012

Working together through the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI), the United States and the nations of the Caribbean are combating the drug trade and other transnational crimes that threaten regional security. This partnership fulfills the commitment to deepen regional security cooperation that President Barack Obama made at the Fifth Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago in April 2009. CBSI is one piece in an integrated effort that includes the other citizen security initiatives in the Hemisphere. The United States, CARICOM member nations, and the Dominican Republic are improving citizen safety throughout the Caribbean by working together to:

Substantially reduce illicit trafficking
Increase public safety and security, and
Promote social justice.
Regional Cooperation

CBSI partner nations have collectively identified several priority areas for cooperation. These include building a regional information sharing network, improving maritime interdiction coordination, and developing regional training capacity. Effective solutions to these challenges will require a sustained commitment from all CBSI partners, as well as the assistance of other international donors.

United States Support Under CBSI

The United States is making a significant contribution to CBSI, committing $203 million in funding for the first three years of the initiative. This contribution includes assistance in the following areas, all developed through the CBSI cooperative dialogue process:

Maritime and Aerial Security Cooperation. Support regional maritime and aerial coordination by improving radar coverage in strategic locations and sharing radar information. Provide equipment and training that will enable Caribbean governments to carry out maritime and aerial operations.
Law Enforcement Capacity Building. Enhance law enforcement effectiveness through police professionalization, anti-corruption training, community-based policing, and sharing regional ballistics and fingerprint information. Equipment and training augment the region’s polygraph capacity and support vetted units in conducting complex investigations, implementing anti-gang initiatives, and combating money laundering and other financial crimes.
Border/Port Security and Firearms Interdiction. Provide technical support, technology upgrades, and training on techniques for intercepting smuggled narcotics, weapons, bulk cash, and other contraband at commercial airports and seaports. Funding will also support the interdiction of firearms and secure management of weapons and ammunition stockpiles.
Justice Sector Reform. Reform and strengthen juvenile justice systems through alternative sentencing and rehabilitation services. Regional justice advisors are providing technical assistance to judges and prosecutors, advising on legal reform, and developing a task force to address critical crime issues. Funding will assist host governments in improving prison conditions.
Crime Prevention and At-risk Youth. Increase educational opportunities and provide workforce development and entrepreneurship training for at-risk youth as an alternative to crime and other harmful behavior. Funding also will support drug demand reduction through the training of treatment and rehabilitation professionals.
Antigua and Barbuda

Antigua and Barbuda will benefit directly from several of the programs described above, to include:

Interceptor boats, equipment, and training to increase counternarcotics efforts and maritime interdiction capability;
Materials and funding to increase law enforcement capacity, such as: establishment of a cyber forensics lab; investigative software for the Financial Intelligence Unit; strengthening of the juvenile justice system; training and equipment for homicide/serious felony investigations and prisons/corrections management; training for the Office of National Drug Control Policy and the Royal Antigua Police Department;
Mentoring and technical assistance to implement a modern criminal code, national prosecution service, code of conduct for prosecutors, and witness charter;
Workforce development and educational support for at-risk youth.

HONORING THE FATHERS OF THE NUNN-LUGAR THREAT REDUCTION PROGRAM

Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant - Construction Photos, October 2009
　

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Officials Praise Nunn-Lugar Threat Reduction Program
By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4, 2012 - Defense Department officials yesterday honored two men who in 1991 established a program that has become a critical part of the U.S. approach to reducing the worldwide proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta made a surprise appearance at the DOD-hosted Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction Symposium, held at National Defense University here.

He joined Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter, Madelyn R. Creedon, assistant secretary of defense for global strategic affairs, and Air Force Gen. C. Robert Kehler, commander of U.S. Strategic Command, all speakers at the symposium.

"I wanted to take the opportunity to come here specifically to honor and pay tribute to [former Georgia Sen.] Sam Nunn and [Indiana Sen.] Dick Lugar, two very dear friends and two of finest public servants in the history of this country," Panetta told the packed room.

"The program that bears their name has had a dramatic and enduring impact on global security," the secretary added, later awarding each man the Distinguished Public Service Award, the department's highest civilian honor.

Also during the symposium, Andrew C. Weber, assistant secretary of defense for nuclear, chemical and biological defense programs, announced on behalf of the department the establishment of a Nunn-Lugar fellowship in partnership with the Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies.

The first Nunn-Lugar Fellow, he said, is Anya Erokhina, a graduate in nonproliferation and terrorism from Monterey. Erokhina now works in the Office of Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Defense Programs.

In introductory remarks to the symposium, Creedon and Kehler spoke of the impact the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program has made during its 20 years of operations.

"While there have been many successes of the CTR program, one of the most remarkable is the support it provided to three of the states of the former Soviet Union, to enable them to be nonnuclear states and parties to the [Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons]," Creedon said.

The program helped the countries remove or destroy all the nuclear weapons and delivery systems they had inherited from the former Soviet Union, she added, noting several other achievements:

-- Facilitating the blend-down of Russia's weapons-grade enriched uranium so that it could be used in commercial nuclear-power reactors to produce electricity rather than weapons;

-- Identifying alternative employment opportunities for nuclear weapons scientists and former chemical and biological weapons scientists, engineers and technicians; and

-- Ensuring the security of nuclear weapons at facilities and during transport, destroying hundreds of nuclear delivery systems and thousands of chemical munitions.

The world and its security challenges continue to change, Creedon said.

"Four years ago, Senator Lugar recognized this change and worked to expand the CTR program's authority beyond the states of the former Soviet Union," she noted. The cooperative threat reduction partnerships have since expanded from 13 to more than 80 countries, she added, and the nature of the program's work has evolved.

"In addition to securing [weapons of mass destruction], the program today works to build partnership capacity in support of treaty and other international obligations and promotes global nonproliferation norms in support of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1540, the Global Partnership and the Proliferation Security Initiative," the assistant secretary said.

"DOD is also taking a more global and integrated approach to reducing WMD threats," Creedon added.

Working closely with the departments of State and Energy and its new regional partners, the Defense Department is putting great emphasis on sustainability and stewardship and refocusing the program to take on a wider range of biological threats, she noted, adding that international support also is growing.

"Recognizing the need to reduce the threat of WMD proliferation around the world, 24 countries from the Global Partnership have pledged $10 million over the next 10 years to support CTR's efforts," Creedon said.

Because many countries keep dangerous pathogens for peaceful, legitimate research purposes, the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program works with its new partners to ensure that safety and security steps are implemented, she said.

"CTR is drawing from the lessons learned in the states of the former Soviet Union to address biological risks around the world, particularly Africa, South Asia and Southeast Asia," Creedon told the audience.

Speaking on behalf of the men and women of the U.S. Strategic Command, Kehler said Nunn, Lugar and their program have made Stratcom's job easier and Americans safer.

"The era of one-size-fits-all deterrence passed with the end of the Cold War," he said. "Today, we are applying a wider range of tools, not just nuclear forces, to our deterrence challenges."

Kehler said Stratcom's most difficult challenge may be its responsibility to synchronize planning for DOD's efforts to combat weapons of mass destruction.

"This challenge is every bit as daunting as our strategic deterrence challenge, and it is here we need significant help," he said. "Fortunately, CTR is effective in helping us with both our deterrence and our combating WMD problems."

Stratcom, Kehler added, reaps the benefits of a remarkable program that secures and then eliminates the world's most dangerous weapons.

"The need to find, identify and track potential threats is a never-ending task for Strategic Command, therefore the elimination of 7,000-plus warheads, 902 ICBMs ... more than 150 bombers, close to 700 submarine-launched ballistic missiles, 33 submarines -- along with some 2,700 metric tons of chemical weapons -- greatly eased our intelligence demands," the general said.

In September alone, he added, the CTR supported the disposal of four more ballistic-missile submarines and another 161-plus metric tons of chemical nerve agents.

"I can therefore devote a portion of our intelligence resources to some of the many other threats that confront us today," Kehler said, adding that the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction Program has been and will continue to be a powerful tool in the national effort to reduce the threat from weapons of mass destruction.

SECRETARY OF STATE CLINTON'S REMARKS TO MISSION STAFF IN BRUSSELS

Map:  Belgium.  Credit:  U.S. State Department. 

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT

Meeting With the Staff and Families of the U.S. Missions to the EU and NATO, and U.S. Embassy Brussels

Remarks
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Embassy Brussels, Chief of Mission Residence
Brussels, Belgium
December 4, 2012

AMBASSSADOR GUTMAN: Good morning. Michelle and I, and actually now that our own son visiting – Collin is visiting, Collin, we’d like to welcome you all to our home, which, as all of the Embassy employees know, is your home as well and is indeed America’s home here in Brussels. And today, I don’t need to tell you, is truly a special day, a day of thrills. First, it’s always a thrill when we get together, when we, the members of the tri-missions all get to be together. It’s a greater thrill to see the families, those who give so much so that their loved ones can serve our country. And if you ever want to see the future of a more peaceful and a more secure planet, you just need to look upon the faces of the kids that were on the stairs there just taking the pics with the Secretary. You cannot look at that stair without being encouraged about our future.

And of course, it’s a thrill whenever I get together with Ambassadors Kennard and Daalder. I have been very fortunate in the past three years to get to learn so much from them. As I’ve mentioned previously, administrations are regarded as successful if 50 percent of their political selections are top notch. With Bill Kennard and Ivo Daalder, the Administration is batting 66 percent here in Brussels. (Laughter.)

And though Ambassador Daalder will introduce the Secretary in just a couple of moments, it’s an honor and a thrill to welcome Secretary Clinton to the tri-missions, for it is a true thrill for each of us to have the opportunity to say thank you, because for you career government and career State Department employees and for us, those who have been blessed to serve with you for a few years, and for all of us who work abroad, we know firsthand what a joy and what an honor it is to represent the United States of America under President Obama and Secretary Clinton, what a true source of pride it is for each of us as people come up to us daily and say once again that they love our country. For together, President Obama and Secretary Clinton have given America a new face, a face that shines brightly around the globe, a face that others now line up to greet and look upon with admiration, with respect, and with true affection. And it’s not hyperbole, it is the literal truth, to say there is no country in which that face has made a bigger difference in the world than here in Belgium, for as many of you know, of all the countries in the world, Belgium finished first in the world this year, as of May 2012, with the highest increase in its favorability rating for the U.S. and for U.S. leadership.

So the Secretary and all of you have made a powerful team indeed. Through the transparency and honesty of President Obama and Secretary Clinton and through your efforts in transmitting that, Belgians have responded like none other. So we are delighted as surrogates for every tourist who can now proudly wear their Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees t-shirt in the Grand Place, for everyone who now carries their guide books face up and not face down, for every ex-pat who now brags that they have a home back in the States, for every business who sells more today by explaining they’re American, we as surrogates thank the Secretary for changing the face of America, for letting us be ever the more proud once again.

And now it’s my pleasure to introduce my dear friend, Ambassador Bill Kennard. (Applause.)

AMBASSADOR KENNARD: Thank you, Howard. The Secretary’s time is very short with us today, so I’m going to be very, very brief. There’s only one thing I want to say, and that is thank you, thank you, Secretary Clinton, for making time to be with us here today. And moreover, thank you for the fact that today, and indeed for the rest of our lives, we will all be proud to be able to say that we served under the leadership of Secretary Hillary Clinton. Thank you. (Applause.)

AMBASSADOR DAALDER: It’s my great pleasure and honor to introduce you, Madam Secretary. This is in some ways a bittersweet moment, a little sad that this is your last visit to Brussels to the NATO ministerial, but very happy because of all of the things that you have accomplished for our country, as Bill and Howard said, but for NATO as well in the last four years.

This is your ninth NATO ministerial. And when I look back to your first ministerial four years ago, I can see what an enormous impact you have had on this alliance. Four years ago, the war in Afghanistan seemed to be going nowhere, Russia and NATO were not speaking, missile defense in Europe seemed an impossible dream, and our European allies seemed to be drifting further and further way from the United States. Today, NATO and the transatlantic partnership has been revitalized and is more active than it has ever been before. We’re on a clear timetable to end the war in Afghanistan, NATO countries are able to ship their supplies to and from Afghanistan through Russia, and NATO and Russia are talking – not always the same language, but we’re talking. (Laughter.) NATO missile defense is a reality, and within NATO our relationship with our European allies and our non-European partners is closer and more cooperative than it has ever been.

All of these accomplishments bear your personal signature and they are a tribute to your perseverance and hard work and your ability to sleep on airplanes. (Laughter.) I believe you’ve spent more time in the air than you have on the ground. You’ve certainly earned more frequent flier miles than all of the air forces of NATO combined. (Laughter.)

And as you said in your recent speech at the Brookings Institution in Washington, the United States hasn’t changed direction; it’s simply come back to its core values. You’ve spoken up for people and communities who the United States never spoke up for before. Our foreign policy has become more cooperative, more thoughtful, and more compassionate. You’ve touched the lives of people around the world, and all that you’ve done, you’ve done with a smile, a sense of humor, a kind word, and great, great passion. And no one else will be able to fill your chair at that big round table at NATO as well as you have.

I thank you for all you have accomplished and all you will continue to accomplish after you leave the State Department. Madam Secretary, it’s a great honor to have you here today. (Applause.)

SECRETARY CLINTON: (Applause.) Thank you. It is truly both an honor and a great pleasure to be here with all of you in this extraordinary tripartite mission that has done so much and accomplished such a great deal in the last four years. I want to begin, of course, to thank our ambassadors here in Brussels Ivo, Bill, and Howard, or as Howard likes to say, the intelligent one, the dignified one, and the good-looking one. (Laughter.) But I’ll leave it to all of you to decide. (Laughter.)

But I’m sure you will find agreement because the three of these extraordinary ambassadors have worked so well together. And I also want to thank Elisa, Deborah, and Michelle because they have been terrific partners and representatives of our country as well. So I think we should give a round of applause to our ambassadors and (inaudible). (Applause.)

Now I am pleased to be back in Brussels. I am sad that this will be my last official trip, but I am very gratified by the extraordinary working relationship that all of you have had here in Brussels and that we have had across the Atlantic. Let me start by saying a few words about Embassy Brussels because I think Howard was absolutely right in specifically stating that the work of Embassy Brussels has fortified our relationship, has built greater mutual understanding and respect.

In fact, as Howard was referencing, in 2007, only 8 percent of Belgians surveyed had a favorable view of the United States. Belgian leaders tried to close their ports to U.S. ships and their airspace to U.S. planes. So this Embassy really went to work, Americans and Belgians alike. You targeted critical groups, you made more than one hundred appearances on Belgian TV, and you visited all 589 cities and municipalities – (laughter) – telling the American story over and over again. So today, that number is at 46 percent. We still have some ways to go, but that’s a pretty remarkable accomplishment.

Now of course, we’re not out to win popularity contests. This shift matters because it produced real results: Belgium agreed to keep its commitment in Afghanistan until 2014, it supported our having a seat on the UN Human Rights Council, it was a leader in the mission in Libya. We needed Belgium as a partner, and that is what’s been accomplished by the work that all of you have been doing.

Now meanwhile, our NATO team has been just as busy forging agreement on a new strategic concept for the future of the alliance, creating consensus among allies on some especially divisive issues, leading on the conversation about intervention in Libya. And in the last four years, the number of defense ministerials, foreign ministerials, and summits have really been breathtaking. (Laughter.) And through it all, the NATO mission has just been shining.

I want to take a second to recognize Karen Pennington, a real star of the Foreign Service. As Ivo says, she is the true leader of the mission. So Karen, thank you for your hard work. (Applause.) And of course, the U.S.-EU group, what a tremendous four years you’ve had. On top of successfully negotiating agreements that strengthen counterterrorism cooperation, building coalitions that confront Iran, promoting peace in the Middle East, expanding trade to our largest economic partner, you have also one of the largest visitor loads in the Foreign Service. Apparently, I’m told you host state officials weekly and top officials from all U.S. agencies nonstop, helping European countries navigate the fiscal crisis. You’ve really made clear, as President Obama has said, that the United States is here as a partner, as a friend, to listen as much as to talk.

So I’m very proud of this extraordinary group of professionals, Americans and Belgians alike. And I want to recognize the families of those serving in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan, along with all of you who have served in unaccompanied posts. I know it’s difficult, particularly around the holiday season, but the work you are doing is essential to America’s security.

And finally, let me thank our incredibly committed and talented locally employed staff. Will all the Belgians raise your hands? All of our Belgian partners, colleagues. (Applause.) Well, as you know very well, ambassadors come and go, secretaries come and go, but you remain the backbone of this operation, carrying the institutional knowledge that we need to keep up the good work that has been done. So I thank you. I thank you for your teamwork, your accomplishments, the passion and commitment that you bring to each mission here, trying to build a more just, more prosperous, more free world.

I am really proud of all of you. I so remember my first trip to Brussels, going to the EU, going to the Parliament, the Commission. I forget how many other organizations there are – (laughter) – and then to work with Bill on the follow-up. And certainly, the memorable day that I walked into NATO and there was this incredibly positive outpouring of greeting which was really for our country but which made it clear that people were so happy that under President Obama, once again, we would be a partner. And of course, here at the mission, you’ve helped in so many ways to make it possible for all of us to do our work.

So with that, let me just shake as many hands as I can before I go off again to NATO, but I hope each and every one of you have a wonderful holiday season. You are entitled to a great wheels-up party tomorrow. (Laughter.) This looks like a pretty good row to have it in. (Laughter.) But know that you have my gratitude and my great pride in having served with you. Thank you all very much. (Applause.)

TURKEY WILL GET PATRIOT MISSILES

Photo:  Patriot Missile Launch System.  Credit:  U.S. Army.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

NATO Approves Turkey's Request for Patriot Missiles
By Nick Simeone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4, 2012 - NATO foreign ministers have agreed to Turkey's request for Patriot anti-missile batteries to defend the country against possible airstrikes from neighboring Syria.

The decision came during the first of two days of meetings at alliance headquarters in Brussels, with ministers saying the goal is to "defend the population and territory of Turkey and contribute to the de-escalation of the crisis along the alliance's border."

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen described the situation along Turkey's southeast border with Syria as one of "grave concern," adding that NATO stands in full solidarity with Turkey.

The Patriot missiles are expected to be supplied by the United States, Germany and the Netherlands and would remain under the operational command of the alliance's supreme allied commander for Europe.

The decision comes as the civil war in Syria intensifies and amid new concerns in Washington over the status of the Syrian government's stocks of chemical and biological weapons. In recent weeks, Syrian rockets and shells have landed on the Turkish side of the border, killing several people, a development that Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta has said raises concerns that the Syrian conflict could spill over into other countries in the region.

The Turkish government has supported Syria's opposition, and as an alliance member had requested that NATO provide the U.S.-built Patriot air defense system to deter further threats to its territory. NATO officials stress that use of the missiles will be purely defensive. Rasmussen emphasized that the system will in no way be used to support a no-fly zone over Syria, as some have proposed.

NATO's decision to approve Turkey's request comes a day after the United States said it was growing increasingly concerned that Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime might be considering using its stocks of chemical weapons against its own people. Yesterday, President Barack Obama issued a direct warning to the Syrian leader that any use of chemical or biological weapons would be unacceptable.

"There will be consequences, and you will be held accountable," Obama said.

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ISS NEWS FOR DECEMBER 4, 2012

FROM:  NASA

 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE DAILY PRESS BRIEFING-DECEMBER 4, 2012

Daily Press Briefing - December 4, 2012

RECENT U.S. NAVY PHOTOS

FROM: U.S. NAVY
121130-N-YO707-845 MEDITERRANEAN SEA (Nov. 30, 2012) Marines assigned to the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (24th MEU) conduct fast-rope drills from a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter aboard the amphibious transport dock ship USS New York (LPD 21). New York is part of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group with the embarked 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (24th MEU) and is currently deployed in support of maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Cyrus Roson/Released)

121201-N-VA840-185 PORTSMOUTH, Va. (Dec. 1, 2012) Sailors stand watch at a .50-caliber machine gun mount on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77). (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Leonard Adams Jr./Released)

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