ANTARTIC SEARCH AND RESCUE MISSION UNDERWAY

Photograph by: Spencer Klein, NSF

FROM: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

NSF Cooperating with Italy, New Zealand in Search for Downed Plane in Antarctica

January 23, 2013
Officials with the U.S. Antarctic Program are cooperating with their Italian and New Zealand counterparts, as well as the Rescue Coordination Centre in Wellington, NZ, in a search-and-rescue effort to locate a propeller-driven aircraft that is believed to have crashed in a remote and mountainous part of Antarctica.

A three-person crew is believed to have been aboard the de Havilland Twin Otter when contact was lost with the plane in the early morning hours of Jan. 23, Eastern Standard Time (U.S. stations in Antarctica keep New Zealand time). The nationalities of the crew are unconfirmed at this point.

The missing plane was flying in support of the Italian Antarctic Program under the logistical responsibility of the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), and was en route from NSF's Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station to the Italian research station at Terra Nova Bay when contact was lost with the aircraft in a remote region of the Transantarctic Mountains.

The aircraft is owned and operated by Kenn Borek Air Ltd., a Canadian firm headquartered in Calgary that charters aircraft to the U.S. program.

Communications between U.S. officials at McMurdo Station in Antarctica and the New Zealand Rescue Coordination Centre confirmed that an emergency locator beacon had been activated.

Officials are monitoring conditions at the site, where the weather is currently very poor, to decide when to launch a search of the area and what kind of aircraft to use.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) manages the U.S. Antarctic Program through which it coordinates all U.S. scientific research on the southernmost continent and in the surrounding Southern Ocean as well as providing the necessary logistical support for the science.

Pricing flu risk

Pricing flu risk

NORAD AND THE LAW

Army Sgt. Adama Ilbouda, left, with the New York Army National Guard, and Air Force Tech. Sgt. David Tayler of the New York Air National Guard's 274th Air Support Operations Squadron, distribute fuel at the Staten Island Armory during the Hurricane Sandy response, Nov. 3, 2012, U.S. Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command operate according to strict laws and policies that govern how U.S. forces can be used in the homeland. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Jon Soucy

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, NORTHCOM
Strict Laws, Policies Frame Northcom, NORAD Operations
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo., Jan. 23, 2013 - Every time U.S. Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command get involved in a mission, a team of lawyers here pays extra close attention.

"You may not hear from us every single time at every single meeting in the building, but we are sitting in on them, and we are listening," Coast Guard Capt. Timothy Connors, staff judge advocate for NORAD and Northcom, told American Forces Press Service.

Connors oversees a staff of 17 active-duty and 15 reserve lawyers -- the most assigned to any U.S. combatant command. Their job is to advise Army Gen. Charles H. Jacoby Jr., the NORAD and Northcom commander, to ensure the commands remain squarely within the law as they operate in the homeland.

With a homeland defense mission that crosses every domain -- air, land, space, maritime and cyber -- and support roles when needed during domestic disasters and to conduct theater security cooperation assistance, the commands' activities fall within a huge body of law.

These laws dictate what military forces can and can't do inside the United States, Connors explained. They also differentiate between missions federal forces can conduct and those reserved for National Guardsmen operating in a state capacity.

Northcom uses military assets to watch outward for threats headed toward the country, but largely plays a support role for those already within its borders. Military members can support civilian law enforcement for counterdrug operations within the United States, but can't get directly involved in law enforcement activities. They can perform designated missions such as delivering fuel and distributing supplies following a natural disaster, but can't do jobs that would take revenue from private companies.

Simply put, many of the missions that U.S. forces conduct every day outside the United States can't be done within Northcom's area of responsibility.

"Something might sound like a great use of Department of Defense assets, but things can get very complicated when you look at them from a legal standpoint," Connors said. "There's a robust system of laws, policies and regulations that define exactly what is an appropriate use of DOD forces. ... So our job is to ensure that in everything we as a command do, we are operating within that framework."

It all stems back to 1878, when the United States enacted the Posse Comitatus Act.

As the decade of Reconstruction following the Civil War drew to a close, Congress passed the landmark legislation to prevent the federal government from using federal troops to enforce state laws, explained Lance Blythe, command historian for Northcom and NORAD.

The years leading up to passage of the Posse Comitatus Act had been challenging for the United States, Blythe said. Some of the new legislators elected in the former Confederacy were turning a blind eye to new laws designed to institute political reforms and protect former slaves. Concerned that the federal government would dispatch troops to enforce these laws, they pressed for a statute to prohibit the federal government from imposing federal troops in any U.S. state.

More than 100 years since its enactment, the Posse Comitatus Act continues to guide everything the military does while operating in the homeland. "Basically, it means that you won't have a posse of Department of Defense people going out and providing law enforcement," Connors said. "That is not their role."

Posse Comitatus does not limit the military's role in military operations against external threats and in defense of the United States, Connors said. But it draws a clear line within U.S. borders, recognizing that law enforcement responsibility belongs to federal, state and local law enforcement, including the National Guard.

"This is important, because you want the military doing military operations," Connors said. "It keeps defenders focused on defense, and security [experts] focused on security."

Although initially written to prevent military forces from enforcing state laws, the Posse Comitatus Act has been extended by policy to prohibit direct military involvement in all law enforcement activity, Connors said.

But recognizing the military's special capabilities, Congress has authorized specific exceptions in which military forces can be used domestically -- as long as they operate within strict compliance with the Constitution and U.S. laws, he said.

That generally confines them to a supporting role: typically for the Federal Emergency Management Agency during a natural disaster and, in other cases, for the Justice Department or other civilian law enforcement agencies.

Congress, for example, specifically authorized the use of military forces to support counterdrug operations, to assist the Justice Department in crimes involving nuclear materials and in emergencies involving chemical or biological weapons of mass destruction.

With growing awareness of the capabilities the Defense Department has to offer, and proven performance of U.S. forces to support domestic operations, Connors said he anticipates greater demand for them in the future.

"That is why we need to have a robust legal staff in a place like this," he said. "In everything we do, there's a line we need to walk. And when things start to move closer to that line, that's when the lawyers get more and more involved."

One example of a particularly difficult legal scenario is the Insurrection Act. That law predates Posse Comitatus, authorizing the president to use U.S. military personnel to suppress an insurrection. The last time that law was invoked was during the Los Angeles riots in 1992, and Connors said he envisions few circumstances when it might be used again.

"It would have to be the most complex of catastrophes," he said.

CAPTORS OF ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES CHARGED WITH MURDER, RACKETEERING, SEX TRAFFICKING AND OHTER CRIMES

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Federal Charges Allege Captors Held Adults with Disabilities in Subhuman Conditions to Carry out Social Security Fraud

First Hate Crimes Case of Its Kind in the Country Also Charges Murder

Linda Weston, her daughter and three co-defendants are charged in a 193-count indictment, unsealed today, with racketeering, murder in aid of racketeering, hate crimes, sex trafficking, forced labor, theft, fraud and other crimes. The indictment alleges that Weston and her associates carried out a racketeering enterprise that targeted victims with mental disabilities as part of a scheme to steal disability payments from the victims and the Social Security system. As part of the scheme, Weston persuaded each victim to make her the designated recipient of their Social Security disability payments in exchange for the promise of a comfortable place to live. Once appointed as the designated recipient of disability payments, Weston, aided by the co-defendants, subjected the victims to subhuman conditions of captivity.

According to the indictment, the defendants beat the victims, kept them captive in locked closets, basements and attics, deprived them of adequate food and medical care, and moved them between Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Florida in order to further the scheme and evade law enforcement. According to the indictment, some of the victims endured this abuse for years, until Oct. 15, 2011, when Philadelphia Police Department officers rescued them from the sub-basement of an apartment building in the city’s Tacony section.

Today’s indictment was announced at a press conference by U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Zane David Memeger, FBI Acting Special Agent-in-Charge John Brosnan, Special Agent-in-Charge Michael McGill with the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General and Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey.

Along with Weston and her daughter Jean McIntosh, the indictment charges Weston’s paramour, Gregory Thomas Sr., Eddie Wright and Nicklaus Woodard. According to the indictment, the defendants used isolation, intimidation, threats of violence and violence to control the victims with mental disabilities and each defendant had a role in the racketeering enterprise:

?? Linda Weston was the leader and organizer of the enterprise that operated from at least the fall of 2001 through October of 2011. She enticed all of the victims into coming to live with the enterprise and controlled all aspects of their captivity.

?? Jean McIntosh was also a leader of the enterprise who acted as her mother’s right hand woman. She assisted in confining, controlling, disciplining, housing and transporting the victims.

?? Gregory Thomas Sr. assisted in obtaining, confining, controlling, housing and transporting the victims. He installed locks on the doors and windows of every residence where the victims were kept to prevent them from escaping.

?? Eddie Wright assisted in confining, controlling, housing and transporting the victims.

?? Nicklaus Woodard assisted in confining, controlling and disciplining the victims.

The indictment charges that in confining the victims, the defendants practiced what is described as "abusive control and confinement techniques" in which the defendants:

· Confined the victims to locked basements, rooms, closets, attics and apartments;

· Sedated the victims by putting drugs in the food and drink served to them by Weston and others, at Weston’s direction;

· Subdued the victims by serving them a low calorie, high starch diet consisting exclusively of Ramen noodles, beans and stew and generally limited them to, at most, one meal a day;

· Punished the victims by slapping, punching, kicking, stabbing, burning and hitting them with closed hands, belts, sticks, bats and hammers or other objects, including the butt of a pistol, when the victims tried to escape, stole food or otherwise protested their confinement and treatment.

The indictment alleges that Weston’s use of these techniques caused the deaths of two of the victims. For example, in 2002, Weston met M.L. and lured her to come live with the family. M.L. was forced to cook, clean, wash clothes and babysit without compensation. M.L. was beaten when she tried to escape or when she begged for food and was not provided with any medical attention for her injuries. When Weston moved the enterprise to Virginia in 2008, M.L. died of bacterial meningitis and starvation. Weston allegedly ordered other members of the household to move M.L.’s body to a bedroom and stage the scene before calling law enforcement and the next day the family left for Philadelphia. In addition, in April 2005, Weston and Thomas allegedly targeted victim D.S. who they saw standing on a street corner. They brought D.S. to the WF home at 2211 Glenview Avenue in Philadelphia. D.S. was kept in the basement with the other victims, fed a substandard diet, and not allowed to use the bathroom. On June 26, 2005, D.S. was found dead in the basement. Weston allegedly ordered other members of the household to move D.S.’s body to a bedroom and stage an accidental overdose before calling law enforcement.

The indictment also alleges that Weston forced two female captives to engage in prostitution while the enterprise operated in Killeen, Texas, and West Palm Beach, Fla.

The defendants are charged in four counts of violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. The Shepard-Byrd Act criminalizes certain acts of physical violence causing bodily injury motivated by any person's actual or perceived disability, race, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity.

"The allegations in this indictment describe a scheme to physically abuse and subjugate persons with disabilities for purposes of de-humanizing them, stealing their money, and unlawfully obtaining their labor," said Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. "The laws against violently assaulting individuals because of their disabilities and those that prohibit human trafficking were designed to combat conduct aimed at vulnerable members of society, such as the alleged victims in this case."

"Those with physical and mental disabilities are among the most vulnerable in our society. As with everyone else, they deserve to be treated with respect, not violence," said U.S. Attorney Memeger. "Linda Weston and others, in fact, decided to prey on these victims specifically because of their disabilities and they did so through violence, fear and intimidation for the purpose of stealing social security payments that were meant for the victims’ long-term care. ‘Shocking’ does not begin to describe the criminal allegations in this case where the victims were tied-up and confined like zoo animals and treated like property akin to slaves. Hopefully, today’s announcement of a 196-count indictment will help begin the process of restoring the victims’ faith in humanity."

"Today’s indictment represents just one more step towards closure and healing, not only for the victims of this heinous hate crime, but for the community as a whole," said Special Agent-in-Charge John Brosnan. "The FBI, along with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Philadelphia Police Department and the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General remain committed to protecting each and every citizen's civil rights, and will aggressively investigate any violation of those rights, bringing the perpetrators to justice."

"The Office of the Inspector General investigates many cases involving the misuse of Social Security benefits by representative payees, but thankfully, we've never seen a case involving this level of cruelty and inhumanity to our most vulnerable beneficiaries," said Special Agent-in-Charge Michael McGill. "We're pleased to see justice served, and grateful to the U.S. Attorney and our investigative partners for their unflagging support in this investigation."

If convicted of all charges, each of the defendants faces a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison with advisory guideline sentencing ranges that involve substantial terms of imprisonment. Weston also faces mandatory restitution in the amount of approximately $212,000, fines, and special assessments.

An indictment is merely an accusation; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The case was investigated by the FBI, the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, the Philadelphia Police Department, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, West Palm Beach Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Department of Justice Civil Rights Division Trial Attorney Betsy Biffl and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard P. Barrett and Faithe Moore Taylor. The case was originally charged by the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office.

RECENT U.S. NAVY PHOTOS

FROM: U.S. NAVY
The U.S. Navy Band marches on Pennsylvania Ave. during military support for the 57th Presidential Inauguration. More than 2,100 service members from each of the five branches are marching in the Inaugural Parade, with approximately 5,000 supporting the inauguration. U.S. Navy photo by EJ Hersom (Released) 130121-D-DB155-008

The aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) conducts flight operations during a deployment to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. John C. Stennis is conducting maritime security operations, theater security cooperation efforts and support missions for Operation Enduring Freedom. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kenneth Abbate (Released) 130115-N-OY799-361

 

U.S. SPACE COMMAND SEEKS TO PROTECT SATELLITE CONSTELLATIONS FROM BUDGET CUTS

An Air Force tactical air control party candidate studies his GPS device before a call-for-fire exercise on the range at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Oct. 20, 2011. Candidates used a GPS system to target the exact location of a threat. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Gustavo Castillo

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Despite Smaller Budget, Air Force Seeks to Protect Satellites
By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 22, 2013 - Despite tremendous budget uncertainty and a shrinking bottom line, the commander of the Air Force Space Command said that he will do his best to protect all of the Air Force's satellite constellations.

Speaking with reporters at a recent meeting of the Defense Writers Group, Air Force Gen. William L. Shelton called the range of U.S. satellites a "foundational" capability.

"It doesn't matter what size the United States military becomes, we count on space and cyber capabilities to underpin the force, to enable the way we fight today, to give us the capabilities we need globally," the general said.

"You can't say, 'Well, I'll just have one less GPS satellite or one less advanced [extremely high frequency] satellite or one less [space-based radar] satellite,'" he added. "You can't create holes in the constellation and still have global capability."

Shelton said that despite fiscal uncertainty, Air Force Space Command seeks to answer growing threats from nations such as North Korea and China in the space domain and modify its satellite architecture in concert with emerging threats.

The North Koreans have tried several times to reach orbit and succeeded Dec. 11, according to North American Aerospace Defense Command officials, and Shelton said that tells the United States two things.

"One is that they can get to orbit now, but if they can get to orbit, they can also launch an [intercontinental ballistic missile]. ... That gives us lots of concerns for lots of reasons," the general said.

"What they would do in space is not as concerning right now, because they are very immature in their space program. ... [But] others around the world are very mature and have developed things that we know would be deleterious to our efforts in space," Shelton added, including China in that equation.

In January 2007, China launched with a multistage solid-fuel missile from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwestern China to destroy one of its own Fengyun-series weather satellites.

"Without talking about intelligence matters, I think it's safe to say that the Chinese didn't conduct the 2007 test and just quit," Shelton said. "They conducted another test in 2009 that, even though it was called an antiballistic missile test, certainly had [anti-satellite]-like ramifications. So I think it's safe to say that they continue in their efforts."

To examine its satellite architecture, Shelton said Air Force Space Command is conducting studies to "look at different ideas."

The advanced extremely high-frequency system, or AEHF, is the next-generation military strategic and tactical relay system for delivering protected communications to U.S. forces and several allies worldwide.

When it's fully operational, the system will consist of four crosslinked satellites in geosynchronous earth orbit, a ground mission-control center and user terminals. AEHF-1 was launched in August 2010 and AEHF-2 last May. AEHF-3 is expected to launch this fall and AEHF-4 sometime in 2017.

AEHF will provide connectivity for land, air and naval warfare, special operations, strategic nuclear operations, strategic defense, theater missile defense, and space operations and intelligence.

"If you could take the two payloads on that satellite, the tactical payload and strategic payload, and separate them onto different hosted platforms, or [make] the strategic platform a hardened, survivable platform and the tactical platform maybe not quite so hardened, ... that's certainly a path we're studying, seeing what might be most cost-efficient," Shelton explained.

For the Air Force's Space-based Infrared Systems, or SBIRS, program, a critical missile defense and warning capability, the architecture consists of a mix of geosynchronous Earth orbit or GEO satellites, payloads in highly elliptical Earth orbit, and ground hardware and software.

In missile warning, Air Force Space Command is looking at the wide-field-of-view or scanning sensor on GEO satellites and trying to determine whether or not it can host that on a platform other than SBIRS, the general said.

"It's important to note that for both advanced EHF and SBIRS, the die is cast through about 2025" because of contract commitments, Shelton said.

"I think it's safe to say in both of those cases, depending on how much money we have in 2015, we'll look to continue the study efforts to determine cost efficiency," he said.

The general said studies are ongoing for a weather satellite that will be a follow-on to the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program managed by the Space and Missile Systems Center at Los Angeles Air Force Base in California.

"We're in the midst of [analyzing] alternatives right now to develop a follow-on weather satellite that will be in the mid-2020 kind of time frame, but looking at making that probably a smaller satellite and much less expensive," Shelton said.

Studies also continue for the follow-on to the Space-based Surveillance System, part of the U.S. Strategic Command's Space Surveillance Network and operated by the 1st Satellite Operations Squadron at Schriever Air Force Base in Colorado.

The SBSS satellite is the only space-based sensor in the network, operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week to collect about man-made space objects.

"We firmly believe that space-based space surveillance is something we need to continue," Shelton said. "The question is exactly what should that satellite look like?"

The Global Positioning System, a constellation of more than 24 dual-use satellites that provides positioning, velocity and timing to military and civilian users around the world, is a joint service effort directed by the Air Force.

"We're doing great on GPS," Shelton said, adding that the Air Force may look at an "augmentation, navigation-only kind of satellite that doesn't have the nuclear-detonation-detection payload on it, so we could have a fairly inexpensive satellite that addresses some lack of coverage in urban canyons, for example."

The general said he also will try very hard to protect funding for the Joint Space Operations Center Mission System.

JSPOC includes personnel from all four services and from the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada, along with facilities and equipment needed to give U.S. Strategic Command's Joint Functional Component Command for Space the ability to plan and execute command and control of worldwide space forces.

"The JSPOC Mission System out at Vandenberg [Air Force Base in California] underpins all space operations," Shelton said. "Everything we do starts with what happens at the JSPOC."

MAGELLANIC CLOUD AND THE BIRTH OF STARS

FROM: NASA

Large Magellanic Cloud

Nearly 200,000 light-years from Earth, the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way, floats in space, in a long and slow dance around our galaxy. Vast clouds of gas within it slowly collapse to form new stars. In turn, these light up the gas clouds in a riot of colors, visible in this image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope.

The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) is ablaze with star-forming regions. From the Tarantula Nebula, the brightest stellar nursery in our cosmic neighborhood, to LHA 120-N 11, part of which is featured in this Hubble image, the small and irregular galaxy is scattered with glowing nebulae, the most noticeable sign that new stars are being born.

Image Credit: ESA/NASA/Hubble

U.S. CONDEMNS ATTACK ON WORSHIPPERS IN IRAQ

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
United States Condemns Attack on Worshippers in Iraq
Press Statement
Victoria Nuland
Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
January 23, 2013
　

The United States strongly condemns the terrorist attack on innocent worshipers today in northern Iraq. The United States stands with the Iraqi people and will continue to support the Government of Iraq, both against terrorist groups and to promote a religiously tolerant and diverse country. As demonstrated over the past month, these terrorists are willing to target all Iraqis, regardless of their religion or ethnicity, and expressly undermine the will of the Iraqi people who overwhelmingly support stability and security. We express our deepest sympathies to the families of the victims and will do our utmost to help the Government of Iraq as it works to bring to justice those behind these horrific and heinous acts.

News Briefing with Army Lieutenant General Terry from the Pentagon

News Briefing with Army Lieutenant General Terry from the Pentagon

U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE CLINTON'S BENGHAZI STATEMENT TO SENATE

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Benghazi: The Attacks and the Lessons Learned
Testimony
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Testimony Before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Washington, DC
January 23, 2013

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member, members of the committee, both older and new. I’m very grateful for this opportunity and I thank you very much for your patience to give me the chance to come and address these issues with you.

As both the Chairman and the Ranking Member have said, the terrorist attacks in Benghazi on September 11th, 2012 that claimed the lives of four brave Americans – Chris Stevens, Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods, and Glen Doherty – are part of a broader strategic challenge to the United States and our partners in North Africa. Today, I want briefly to offer some context for this challenge, share what we’ve learned, how we are protecting our people, and where we can work together to not only honor our fallen colleagues, but continue to champion America’s interests and values.

Any clear-eyed examination of this matter must begin with this sobering fact: Since 1988, there have been 19 Accountability Review Boards investigating attacks on American diplomats and their facilities. Benghazi joins a long list of tragedies for our Department, for other agencies, and for America: hostages taken in Tehran in 1979, our Embassy and Marine barracks bombed in Beirut in 1983, Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia in 1996, our embassies in East Africa in 1998, consulate staff murdered in Jeddah in 2004, the Khost attack in 2009, and too many others. Since 1977, 65 American diplomatic personnel have been killed by terrorists.

Now of course, the list of attacks foiled, crises averted, and lives saved is even longer. We should never forget that our security professionals get it right more than 99 percent of the time, against difficult odds all over the world. That’s why, like my predecessors, I literally trust them with my life.

Let’s also remember that administrations of both parties, in partnership with Congress, have made concerted and good faith efforts to learn from these attacks and deaths to implement recommendations from the review boards, to seek the necessary resources, and to do better in protecting our people from what has become constantly evolving threats. That is the least that the men and women who serve our country deserve. It’s what, again, we are doing now with your help. As Secretary, I have no higher priority and no greater responsibility.

As I have said many times, I take responsibility, and nobody is more committed to getting this right. I am determined to leave the State Department and our country safer, stronger, and more secure.

Now, taking responsibility meant moving quickly in those first uncertain hours and days to respond to the immediate crisis, but also to further protect our people and posts in high-threat areas across the region and the world. It meant launching an independent investigation to determine exactly what happened in Benghazi and to recommend steps for improvement. And it meant intensifying our efforts to combat terrorism and figure out effective ways to support the emerging democracies in North Africa and beyond.

Let me share some of the lessons we’ve learned, the steps we’ve taken, and the work we continue to do.

First, let’s start on the night of September 11th itself and those difficult early days. I directed our response from the State Department, stayed in close contact with officials from across our government and the Libyan Government. So I saw firsthand what Ambassador Pickering and former Chairman Mike Mullen called timely and exceptional coordination; no delays in decision making, no denials of support from Washington or from our military. And I want to echo the Review Board’s praise for the valor and courage of our people on the ground, especially the security professionals in Benghazi and Tripoli. The board said the response saved American lives in real time, and it did.

The very next morning, I told the American people that heavily armed militants assaulted our compound, and I vowed to bring them to justice. And I stood with President Obama in the Rose Garden as he spoke of an act of terror.

It’s also important to recall that in that same period, we were seeing violent attacks on our embassies in Cairo, Sana’a, Tunis, Khartoum, as well as large protests outside many other posts where thousands of our diplomats serve. So I immediately ordered a review of our security posture around the world, with particular scrutiny for high-threat posts. I asked the Department of Defense to join Interagency Security Assessment Teams and to dispatch hundreds of additional Marine Security Guards. I named the first Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for High Threat Posts so missions in dangerous places get the attention they need. And we reached out to Congress to help address physical vulnerabilities, including risk from fire, and to hire additional Diplomatic Security personnel.

Second, even as we took these steps, I hurried to appoint the Accountability Review Board led by Ambassador Pickering and Admiral Mullen so we could more fully understand from objective, independent examination what went wrong and how to fix it.

I have accepted every one of their recommendations. I asked the Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources to lead a task force to ensure that all 29 of them are implemented quickly and completely, as well as pursuing additional steps above and beyond the recommendations.

I also pledged in my letter to you last month that implementation would begin, and it has. Our task force started by translating the recommendations into 64 specific action items. They were assigned to bureaus and offices with clear timelines for completion. Eighty-five percent are now on track to be completed by the end of March; a number are already completed. And we will use this opportunity to take a top-to-bottom look and rethink how we make decisions on where, when and whether people operate in high-threat areas, and then how we respond to threats and crises.

We are initiating an annual High Threat Post Review chaired by the Secretary of State, and ongoing reviews by the Deputy Secretaries, to ensure that pivotal questions about security do reach the highest levels. We will regularize protocols for sharing information with Congress. These are designed to increase the safety of our diplomats and development experts and reduce the chances of another Benghazi happening again.

We’ve also been moving forward on a third front: addressing the broader strategic challenge in North Africa and the wider region, because, after all, Benghazi did not happen in a vacuum. The Arab revolutions have scrambled power dynamics and shattered security forces across the region. Instability in Mali has created an expanding safe haven for terrorists who look to extend their influence and plot further attacks of the kind we saw just last week in Algeria.

And let me offer our deepest condolences to the families of the Americans and all the people from many nations who were killed and injured in that recent hostage crisis. We are in close touch with the Government of Algeria. We stand ready to provide assistance. We are seeking to gain a fuller understanding of what took place so we can work together with Algerians and others to prevent such terrorist attacks in the future.

Concerns about terrorism and instability in North Africa are of course not new. They have been a top priority for the entire Administration’s national security team. But we have been facing a rapidly changing threat environment, and we have had to keep working at ways to increase pressure on al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb and the other terrorist groups in the region.

In the first hours and days, I conferred with leaders – the President of Libya, Foreign Ministers of Tunisia and Morocco – and then I had a series of meetings at the United Nations General Assembly where there was a special meeting focused on Mali and the Sahel. In October, I flew to Algeria to discuss the fight against AQIM. In November, I sent Deputy Secretary Bill Burns to follow up in Algiers. And then in December, in my stead, he co-chaired an organization we started to respond to some of these threats: the Global Counterterrorism Forum, which was meeting in Abu Dhabi, as well as a meeting in Tunis of leaders working to build new democracies and reform security services.

We have focused on targeting al-Qaida’s syndicate of terror – closing safe havens, cutting off finances, countering extremist ideology, slowing the flow of new recruits. And we continue to hunt the terrorists responsible for the attacks in Benghazi and are determined to bring them to justice. We are using our diplomatic and economic tools to support these emerging democracies and to strengthen security forces and help provide a path away from extremism.

But let me underscore the importance of the United States continuing to lead in the Middle East, in North Africa, and around the world. We’ve come a long way in the past four years, and we cannot afford to retreat now. When America is absent, especially from unstable environments, there are consequences. Extremism takes root; our interests suffer; our security at home is threatened.

That’s why I sent Chris Stevens to Benghazi in the first place. Nobody knew the dangers better than Chris, first during the revolution, then during the transition. A weak Libyan Government, marauding militias, terrorist groups; a bomb exploded in the parking lot of his hotel, but he did not waver. Because he understood it was critical for America to be represented there at that time.

Our men and women who serve overseas understand that we accept a level of risk to protect the country we love. And they represent the best traditions of a bold and generous nation. They cannot work in bunkers and do their jobs. So it is our responsibility to make sure they have the resources they need, and to do everything we can to reduce the risks.

For me, this is not just a matter of policy. It’s personal. I stood next to President Obama as the Marines carried those flag-draped caskets off the plane at Andrews. I put my arms around the mothers and fathers, the sisters and brothers, the sons and daughters, and the wives left alone to raise their children.

It has been one of the great honors of my life to lead the men and women of the State Department and USAID. Nearly 70,000 serving here in Washington; more than 270 posts around the world. They get up and go to work every day, often in difficult and dangerous circumstances, because they believe, as we believe, the United States is the most extraordinary force for peace and progress the world has ever known.

And when we suffer tragedies overseas, as we have, the number of Americans applying to the Foreign Service actually increases. That tells us everything we need to know about what kind of patriots I’m talking about. They do ask what they can do for their country, and America is stronger for it.

So today, after four years in this job, traveling nearly a million miles, visiting 112 countries, my faith in our country and our future is stronger than ever. Every time that blue and white airplane carrying the words "United States of America" touches down in some far-off capital, I feel again the honor it is to represent the world’s indispensible nation. And I am confident that, with your help, we will keep the United States safe, strong, and exceptional.

So I want to thank this committee for your partnership and your support of diplomats and development experts. You know the importance of the work they do day in and day out. You know that America’s values and vital national security interests are at stake. And I appreciate what Ranking Member Corker just said: It is absolutely critical that this committee and the State Department, with your new Secretary and former Chairman, work together to really understand and address the resources, support, and changes that are needed to face what are increasingly complex threats.

I know you share my sense of responsibility and urgency, and while we all may not agree on everything, let’s stay focused on what really matters: protecting our people and the country we love. And thank you for the support you personally have given to me over the last four years.

BAN ON WOMEN IN COMBAT TO BE LIFTED

FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Official: Pentagon to Lift Rule Excluding Women From Combat
American Forces Press Service


WASHINGTON, Jan. 23, 2013 - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, are expected to announce the lifting of the direct combat exclusion rule for women in the military, a senior defense official said today.

The policy change will begin a process in which the services will develop plans to implement the decision, which was made by Panetta upon the recommendation of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the official said.

The official provided no further details and did not indicate when the announcement might take place.

MARINE CORPS GEN. ALLEN CLEARED OF MISCONDUCT

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Investigation Clears Allen of Misconduct
By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 23, 2013 - A Defense Department inspector general investigation into allegations of professional misconduct has cleared Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen, commander of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said yesterday.

In a statement, Little said Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta was pleased to learn the investigation did not substantiate the allegations and that the inspector general has closed the investigation.

On Oct. 10, President Barack Obama nominated Allen to serve as NATO's supreme allied commander for Europe and commander of U.S. European Command. Navy Adm. James G. Stavridis, now in that position, is scheduled to retire.

In November, while Panetta was traveling in the Asia-Pacific region, the FBI referred a matter involving Allen to the Defense Department.

Panetta directed that the matter be referred to the DOD IG for investigation. He informed the chairman and ranking members of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the House Armed Services Committee.

The secretary also asked the ranking members of the Senate Armed Services Committee to delay a confirmation hearing scheduled for Nov. 15 on Allen's pending NATO nomination until the matter was resolved.

On Dec. 3, the Senate confirmed Marine Corps Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., assistant Marine Corps commandant, as the next commander of ISAF and U.S. forces in Afghanistan.

Panetta, Little said in his statement, "has complete confidence in the continued leadership of General Allen, who is serving with distinction in Afghanistan."

NORTHCOM LOOKS TO RELATIONSHIP WITH MEXICO

Photo:  U.S.-Mexico Border.  Credit:  Wikimedia Commons. 

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Northcom Pursues Closer Engagement With Mexico
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo., Jan. 22, 2013 - With a U.S. defense strategy focused heavily on the Asia-Pacific region and the Middle East, officials at U.S. Northern Command here are enthusiastically advancing engagement to the United States' immediate southern border.

Mexico, which has long focused its military internally, is increasingly receptive to building a closer bilateral relationship with the U.S. military, Army Maj. Gen. Francis G. Mahon, Northcom's director for strategy, plans and policy, told American Forces Press Service.

"During the past two to three years, as the Mexican army and Mexican navy have taken on a larger role beyond internal security issues, our relationship with them has really grown and expanded through security cooperation," Mahon said. "They have opened up to us and said, 'Let's start working closer and closer together.'"

That's good news for the United States, he said, because the United States and Mexico share a 2,000-mile border and are intertwined culturally as well as economically. What happens in Mexico matters to the United States -- in terms of trade, immigration and, of particular concern here at Northcom, U.S. national security, he said.

Closer military-to-military cooperation will enable the U.S. and Mexican militaries to share best practices as they collaborate in tackling common challenges, Mahon said. They will be able to deal more effectively with threats such as transnational organized crime, while increasing their ability to provide humanitarian assistance and disaster response throughout the region.

Mexico's constitution explicitly prohibits foreign forces from operating on Mexican soil. But as SEDENA and SEMAR, Mexico's army and navy, respectively, shed their internal focus, they are becoming increasingly open to combined training and subject matter expert exchanges, Mahon said.

The Merida Initiative opened the door to increased engagement in 2007, with the United States providing funding and equipment to help Mexican law enforcement fight drug cartels and related criminal elements.

Five years later, the United States expanded the mission to include other efforts that contribute to security. Today, the Merida framework includes disrupting organized crime, training state and local police, supporting judicial reforms, promoting legal cross-border commerce while stopping illicit shipments and building strong communities that discourage criminal activity.

The bottom line -- for the Merida Initiative and for all other theater security cooperation -- is about building partnership capacity, Mahon said.

"The end state for Mexico, from our perspective, is that we are their strategic partner of choice in the region, and they are a regional partner who can then assist other nations in the region or respond to other crises in the region, for example through humanitarian assistance or disaster relief," he said.

The Mexicans, for example, are modernizing their aviation platforms. Northcom worked with them, through the State Department, to help upgrade their RC-26 aircraft and acquire UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters for SEMAR, he said. The United States also is helping Mexico buy C-130J Hercules aircraft through the foreign military sales program, along with the logistics capabilities required to maintain these latest-generation cargo aircraft, Mahon said.

But Mexico's interest in bilateral cooperation extends beyond equipment.

As Mexican military leaders evaluate their current missions and plan for the future, they are looking to the U.S. military for ideas and techniques that would be useful to them. Members of Marine Forces North, Northcom's Marine Corps component, are conducting junior noncommissioned officer training for SEMAR at Camp Pendleton, Calif., a step toward helping Mexico to establish its own NCO academy, Mahon said.

Mahon hopes to establish a similar relationship between the U.S. and Mexican armies. To promote that effort, members of the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson, Colo., demonstrated various military techniques while hosting senior SEDENA leaders last year.

Last spring, Northcom sponsored a group of Mexican military doctors to observe their American counterparts medically evacuating wounded warriors from Afghanistan. The Mexican group traveled from Afghanistan to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., and ultimately, to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. From this experience, the Mexicans may draw ideas on how to improve their field medicine capacity, Mahon said.

"I believe their objective, in the long run, is to change their medical process," he said. "Their hope is to institutionalize something better than what they have now, which is basically soldier first aid, without the benefits of combat lifesavers or intermediate evacuation care capability."

Meanwhile, as the Mexican government transforms its judicial system into an adversarial framework like that used in the United States, U.S. judge advocate general staff are working with Mexican lawyers to integrate this new construct into the Mexican military legal system.

"The scope and breadth of things we are doing with our Mexican partners is very wide. It's everything from techniques to planning skills to support for disaster operations," Mahon said.

The next big step -- one that Mahon said he hopes Northcom will be able to take with Mexico in 2013 -- will be the start of bilateral exercises.

Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief has been a good starting place, Mahon said, noting that Mexico is earthquake-prone and also provided relief after Haiti's 2010 earthquake.

Mexican military leaders participated in several tabletop exercises last year through the Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies at the National Defense University in Washington, D.C. The scenarios, which centered on earthquakes and pandemic outbreaks, incorporated not only the U.S. and Mexican militaries, but also their interagency partners, Mahon said.

Mexico also sent observers last spring to Northcom's Ardent Sentry, a major exercise that tests the command's processes for supporting civil authorities in the event of a natural disaster or pandemic. "We hope to integrate that into future exercises that can benefit not only both countries, but also others in the region," Mahon said.

This month, U.S. and Mexican military officials will chart new ground as they begin planning their first bilateral air defense exercise, expected to take place later this year, he said. As envisioned, the exercise's scenario will involve a rogue aircraft that flies from the United States into Mexico. U.S. interceptor aircraft scrambled by North American Aerospace Defense Command will shadow the aircraft until it enters Mexican airspace, then will transfer the mission to the Mexican air force.

The scenario, similar to the Amalgam Eagle exercise conducted last year with Russia, will help both militaries exercise the procedures they would need to follow during a real-life situation, Mahon said.

"From a command and control aspect, it will address how we coordinate between the U.S. and Mexican air forces as an aircraft that we have concerns about crosses the border," he said. "It also will help address their ability to generate plans, find the aircraft and intercept."

With two Mexican officers assigned to the Northcom headquarters to help coordinate these initiatives and increasing receptiveness from Mexico, Mahon said, he sees plenty of opportunity for more exchanges and combined training.

"It's all about getting comfortable with each other and hopefully, advancing in the relationship," he said. "It would be wonderful, someday, to take a Mexican company to the National Training Center to train with an American battalion or brigade.

"That sounds visionary, but we regularly conduct combined training with other allies and partners. There is no reason we can't get it going with our Mexican partners," he said. "I think our vision, working with Mexico, is that they become more of a regional strategic partner and more of an outward-looking military. I think they're moving in that direction."

U.S. STATEMENT ON CONVICTION AND DEATH SENTENCE OF ABUL KALAM AZAD BY BANGLADESH ICT

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Conviction and Death Sentence at Bangladesh International Crimes Tribunal
Press Statement
Victoria Nuland
Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
January 22, 2013
　

The United States notes the conviction and death sentence announced Monday by Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) following the trial in absentia of Abul Kalam Azad for crimes against humanity committed during Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War. The United States supports bringing to justice those who commit such crimes. However, we believe that any such trials must be free, fair, and transparent, and in accordance with domestic standards and international standards Bangladesh has agreed to uphold through its ratification of international agreements, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

As Bangladesh addresses the legacy of atrocities committed during the Liberation War and as we await further verdicts by the Bangladesh International Crimes Tribunal, the United States urges the Government of Bangladesh to adhere to the due process standards that are part of its treaty obligations, and to fully respect the rule of law.

PRESIDENT THANKS MEMBERS OF ARMED SERVICE AT INAUGUARAL BALL

President Barack Obama delivers remarks as senior enlisted members representing the separate services look on at the Commander in Chief's Ball in Washington, D.C., Jan. 21, 2013. DOD photo by U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Sun L. Vega

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
President Promises Continued Support at Inaugural Ball
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 22, 2013 - President Barack Obama opened the first inaugural ball last night extending "extraordinary gratitude" to the men and women in uniform and promised to ensure they have everything they need as they defend Americans' freedoms every day.

Speaking to hundreds of service members, including wounded warriors and Medal of Honor recipients, Gold Star families and veterans gathered at the Commander in Chief's Ball, and via a televised webcast with troops deployed to Afghanistan, the president said it's impossible to say "thank you" enough to those who serve.

"Thank you for volunteering. Thank you for stepping up. Thank you for keeping us strong. Thank you for always making us proud," he told the gathering.

"I have no greater honor than being your commander in chief," he said, drawing enthusiastic applause.

Obama ticked off some of the accomplishments made possible during the past four years, and vowed to ensure the military has what it needs for continued success.

"It's because of you that with honor we were able to end the war in Iraq. Because of you that we delivered justice to Osama bin Laden. Because of you that it's even possible to give Afghans a chance to determine their own destiny," he said. "We are going forward, and we'll keep our military the finest fighting force the world has ever known."

The president offered special recognition to members of the 3rd Infantry Division and Regional Command South, who are deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan. He spoke via teleconference with Army Sgt. 1st Class Orlando Jackson and Army Sgt. 1st Class David Wood from the 3rd Infantry Division's Falcon Brigade, Task Force Light Horse; and Air Force Master Sgt. Robert Skowronski and Air Force Master Sgt. James Godlewski of the 807th Expeditionary Air Support Operations Squadron.

"We know it's tough being away from your families. We know the incredible sacrifices and challenges that you make every day," Obama said. "But I can tell you that you've got a room full of patriots here.

"And although I've got to admit that they're a little spiffied up right now," he continued, drawing laughter and applause, "their heart and soul, their dedication, their sense of duty is at one with every single one of the folks who are in Kandahar right now."

Reflecting on his swearing-in on the steps of the U.S. Capitol earlier in the day, Obama said he biggest cheer he received was as he spoke about "the extraordinary men and women in uniform that preserve our freedom and keep our country strong."

He offered assurance that the nation will continue to stand by them and give them the tools and support they and their families require.

"We're going to make sure that you've got the equipment, the strategy [and] the mission that allows you to succeed and keep our country safe," he said. "Know that we are going to be looking after and thinking about your families every single day -- and that when you get back home, you're going to be greeted by a grateful nation."

Four service members were selected for honorary dances during the ball. Air Force Staff Sgt. Bria D. Nelson of the 579th Medical Operations Squadron, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington, D.C., danced with the president.

Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Timothy D. Easterling, assigned to Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C., as a distance learning instructor, danced with First Lady Michelle Obama.

Army Staff Sgt. Keesha N. Dentino, assigned to the 947th Military Police Detachment, Fort Myer, Va., as a patrol explosives detection dog handler, danced with Vice President Joe Biden.

Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Patrick R. Figueroa, assigned to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Md., as a manpower transfer clerk, danced with Dr. Jill Biden.

The star-studded lineup of performers at the ball included Dan Moose, Alicia Keys, Brad Paisley, Chris Cornell, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Hudson and Marc Anthony.

TRAFFIC STOP OR HIGHWAY ROBBERY?

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Second Fort Deposit, Ala., Officer Sentenced to 37 Months in Prison for Federal Civil Rights Violations in Connection with Thefts on Highway

Former Fort Deposit, Ala., police officer Carlos Tyson Bennett, 37, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Mark Fuller to 37 months in prison, two years of supervised release and ordered to pay $500 in restitution. Bennett was sentenced for stealing money from motorists during traffic stops, with another former Fort Deposit police officer, Jessie Alan Fuller, on Interstate 65 in 2009.

Bennett pleaded guilty on Aug. 29, 2012, to one count of conspiracy against rights and four counts of deprivation of rights under color of law. During his plea, Bennett admitted that he and Fuller conspired to pull over vehicles under the guise of legitimate law enforcement activity and to steal cash from drivers and passengers in violation of their Fourth Amendment rights. Bennett acknowledged that he and Fuller worked together, acting with each other’s knowledge and cooperation and typically sharing the stolen money. In May and June 2009, Bennett committed four specific thefts, taking between $100 and $200 per victim. Bennett further acknowledged that he and Fuller tried to cover up their conspiracy when authorities began to investigate.

Fuller previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy and one count of deprivation of rights under color of law. He was sentenced to 37 months in prison on Aug. 28, 2012.

"This defendant betrayed the public trust when he took advantage of his position of authority to steal from those he pledged to serve," said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Division. "The Department of Justice is committed to prosecuting those who abuse their authority and violate the Constitution."

"Police officers are here to protect public, not exploit the public," stated U.S. Attorney George L. Beck Jr. "When law enforcement officers take advantage of people they are supposed to be serving, they must be punished. This case shows that my office will continue to do everything under law to protect public from criminals, even when the criminal is a law enforcement officer."

This case was investigated by the Alabama Bureau of Investigation; the Butler County, Ala., Sheriff’s Office; and the Lowndes County, Ala., Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gray Borden for the Middle District of Alabama and Trial Attorney Chiraag Bains from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

U.S. DISAPPOINTED WITH SUDAN-SOUTH SUDAN PROGRESS ON AGREEMENTS

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Implementation of Agreements Long Overdue
Press Statement
Victoria Nuland
Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
January 22, 2013

The United States remains disappointed that the Governments of Sudan and South Sudan have failed to make significant progress to implement the September 27 agreements despite a recommitment to implementation by Presidents Bashir and Kiir of Sudan and South Sudan.

Specifically, the Government of Sudan’s intent to postpone the restart of oil production until the implementation of security arrangements is complete runs counter to the fundamental principles of the cooperation accord and continues to undermine the economic and security situation in both states. Continued delay in resolving outstanding issues, particularly in accepting and implementing the African Union-endorsed proposal on the final status of the disputed region of Abyei, further undermines the peace process.

The Government of Sudan continues to suggest its fundamental security interests must be guaranteed in order to move forward on implementing the 27 September agreements and resolving the conflict in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile ("Two Areas"). However, security will only come if Sudan cooperates with South Sudan and begins direct talks with the SPLM-N to address the Two Areas conflict. Lack of resolution on this issue prevents normalized relations between Sudan and South Sudan and compounds the current human rights and humanitarian emergency.

The African Union and United Nations must stand firm and demand that the parties urgently uphold their commitments to avert this threat to regional peace and stability.

PENTAGON COMMENDS FRANCE'S OPERATIONS IN MALI

Pentagon Press Secretary George Little

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Pentagon Spokesman Commends France's Efforts in Mali
By Amaani Lyle
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Jan. 22, 2013 - Pentagon Press Secretary George Little today praised French allies and said the United States will continue providing intelligence and airlift support against an al-Qaida-affiliated group in Mali.

"We commend the French for their actions in Mali to confront an extremist threat in that country," Little told reporters. "We stand by our French allies and will ... continue to work with [them] to determine what their future needs might be."

As of today, Little said, the U.S. Air Force has flown five C-17 sorties moving about 80 French troops and more than 124 tons of supplies and equipment into Mali.

"We've provided information in support of the French since their operations began in Mali, ... and we continue to consult with the French on further steps that we may take as U.S. government to support their efforts in Mali," he said.

Little also noted that Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta has for years been "very clear" in his stance on al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, a Mali-based militant organization, and other branches of al-Qaida.

"We need to go after al-Qaida wherever they are around the world," he said, echoing Panetta's remarks.

Since operations began in the region, the United States has "moved quickly to provide intelligence and airlift as part of a deliberate effort" to consult with France and assess how the U.S. can best support among other countries, Little said.

"This is truly an international effort, French-led, but a number of countries are providing support in the effort, including the United States," he added.

RECENT PHOTOS FROM THE U.S. NAVY

FROM: U.S. NAVY
An F/A-18E Super Hornet, assigned to the Gunslingers€ of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 105, prepares to catch an arresting gear cable during a recovery on the flight deck aboard the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Lorenzo J. Burleson/Released)

An MH-60S Knighthawk helicopter, assigned to the Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 23 Wild Cards€ transports supplies during a vertical replenishment-at-sea with Military Sea Lift Command fleet replenishment oiler USNS Joshua Humpreys (T-AO 188) and amphibious assault ship USS Peleliu (LHA 5). (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Daniel Viramontes/Released)

 

PENTAGON SAYS SEQUESTRATION PLANNING HURTS PENTAGON

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Spokesman: Sequestration Planning Hinders Pentagon
By Amaani Lyle
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 22, 2013 - Preparations under way for the looming threat of major across-the-board Pentagon spending cuts are "a drag on the department," Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said today.

Congress recently passed legislation delaying the "sequestration" spending cuts until March 1, but $500 billion in defense spending over 10 years still is at stake if Congress fails to agree on an alternative.

""We're investing a great number of manhours, resources and intensive planning for sequestration, which we, of course, hope to avoid," Little told reporters, and the fiscal ripples at the Pentagon expand far beyond Washington.

"When you have [forward deployed] service members who are asking about appropriations, that's a signal to me that [it's] weighing on their minds," Little said. "When sequestration, ... continuing resolutions and appropriations become a discussion point in Kabul, ... Vicenza or on Okinawa, that is a sign [that] this debate in Washington is having a negative effect on troop morale."

Little said the threat of sequestration already has affected morale, time management, planning and even his ability to discuss other matters in his meetings with reporters.

"It's time to move beyond the 'fiscal cliff' and get a deal done," he said.

As sequestration draws closer, Little noted, his level of awareness has increased with regard to service members' worries about their families, their benefits and their ability to perform the mission.

"I think it is a justifiable concern on their part, and responsibility to address it rests with Congress," he said.