SECRETARY OF STATE CLINTON'S REMARKS AT SIGNING OF DECLARATION OF LEARNING

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Remarks at Signing of the Declaration of Learning
Remarks
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Ben Franklin Room
Washington, DC
January 30, 2013
　

Thank you. Thank you all very, very much. This is one of the last events that I will have the great honor of doing as Secretary of State, and I can’t imagine a more important one, because of what this means for our ability to reach out and connect with not only our own students, but all of our citizens and people across the world.

I want to thank Marcee for her stewardship of the Diplomatic Reception Rooms. I want to thank Ambassador Capricia Marshall, our Head of Protocol. They have spearheaded what we call the Patrons of Diplomacy, and a number of you were part of that campaign and generously supported it. With your help, we established a permanent endowment to care for these rooms and their collections. And today, we launch this partnership to share them with the world.

Now, we have the centerpiece of the Diplomatic Reception Rooms here, as Marcee was telling you – the desk on which our founders signed the Treaty of Paris, ending the Revolutionary War with Britain and forever sealing our independence. Now, we rarely move this desk – (laughter) – from its spot in the John Quincy Adams Room just two doors away. We never move it off the
8th floor. We spent more time worrying about moving the desk – (laughter) – than we have probably on anything else in the last month.

So unfortunately, except for the thousands who availed themselves of the wonderful tours that we run here, very few people have actually seen it for themselves. But the Declaration of Learning I am about to sign will help transport the story and the significance of this desk along with many other pieces of our history to anyone with an internet connection.

Now, for educators, this partnership will offer valuable resources for students and all the lifelong learners out there. It will help bring history to life and, we hope, inspire them to learn and achieve even more. Some of the students who will explore the Diplomatic Reception Rooms online may even become interested in a career in diplomacy. So I want to thank all the institutions that are active partners in this ambitious initiative, the leaders who have committed the time and resources, and the many team members who will help make this goal a reality.

And I particularly want to thank all of our Patrons of Diplomacy. You really saw our vision. You have worked to realize that vision. We are immensely grateful. And our partners have selected diplomacy as the first topic for this collaboration because, after all, diplomacy is not something that is confined to the State Department or reserved for special occasions. In this complicated, connected world, diplomacy is a daily practical occurrence. It’s about people learning from each other and building understandings through the kinds of interactions that happen millions of times each day in person and online. In fact, I think we need to practice diplomacy from the lunch table to the board room to the government offices.

These rooms hold special significance for me. They have certainly been the backdrops for hundreds of diplomatic initiatives and celebrations and events every year. I’ve greeted heads of state, royalty, a fair number of celebrities. We’ve hosted peace talks, we’ve held strategic dialogues, we’ve opened the doors of the State Department to people from all over the world. And every time I see Ben Franklin up there watching over us, I’m reminded of the deep diplomatic history that we have built from our very beginnings. So it’s been a tremendous honor for me to be part of that history and to share the stories and even some of the lessons of American diplomacy with a global audience.

So now, I’d like to invite the leaders of our 13 institutional partners to stand with me as I sign this Declaration of Learning. We’ll take some pictures. After I sign it, we’ll all be able to take a deep collective breath out because the desk will be fine. (Laughter.) That is our plan and what we have prepared for, but please join me.

(The declaration was signed.)

FDIC WARNS CONSUMERS OF FRAUDULENT E-MAILS

FROM:  FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION
E-mail Claiming to Be From the FDIC – January 30, 2013

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has received numerous reports of fraudulent e-mails that have the appearance of being sent from the FDIC. While the e-mails exhibit variations in the "From" and "Subject" lines, the messages are similar. The fraudulent e-mails are addressed to the attention of the “Accounting Department” and meant to notify recipients that that that “ACH and WIRE transactions” are being blocked until “a special security software” is installed. They then instruct recipients to go to a Web site for instructions on how to download the necessary files by clicking on a hyper-link provided (Note: the Web site addresses (URL) vary widely). This e-mail and link are fraudulent. Recipients should consider the intent of this e-mail as an attempt to collect personal or confidential information, or to load malicious software onto end users' computers. Recipients should not click on the link provided. The FDIC does not issue unsolicited e-mails to consumers or business account holders.

Daily Press Briefing - January 30, 2013

Daily Press Briefing - January 30, 2013

EPA BANNING POPULAR RODENT CONTROL PRODUCTS

Rat Looking For A Home.  Credit:  Wikimedia.

FROM: U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
EPA Moves to Ban 12 D-Con Mouse and Rat Control Products
Action Will Prevent Thousands of Accidental Exposures Among Children Each Year

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is moving to ban the sale of 12 D-Con mouse and rat poison products produced by Reckitt Benckiser Inc. because these products fail to comply with current EPA safety standards. Approximately 10,000 children a year are accidentally exposed to mouse and rat baits; EPA has worked cooperatively with companies to ensure that products are both safe to use around children and effective for consumers. Reckitt Benckiser Inc., maker of D-Con brand products, is the only rodenticide producer that has refused to adopt EPA’s safety standards for all of its consumer use products.

"Moving forward to ban these products will prevent completely avoidable risks to children, said James Jones, acting assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. "With this action, EPA is ensuring that the products on the market are both safe and effective for consumers."

The agency has worked with a number of companies during the last five years to develop safer rodent control products that are effective, affordable, and widely available to meet the needs of consumers. Examples of products meeting EPA safety standards include Bell Laboratories’ Tomcat products, PM Resources’ Assault brand products and Chemsico’s products.

The EPA requires rodenticide products for consumer use to be contained in protective tamper-resistant bait stations and prohibits pellets and other bait forms that cannot be secured in bait stations. In addition, the EPA prohibits the sale to residential consumers of products containing brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difethialone, and difenacoum because of their toxicity to wildlife.

For companies that have complied with the new standards in 2011, EPA has received no reports of children being exposed to bait contained in bait stations. EPA expects to see a substantial reduction in exposures to children when the 12 D-Con products that do not comply with current standards are removed from the consumer market as millions of households use these products each year.

SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY CLINTON'S LAST TOWN HALL MEETING WITH STATE DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Remarks at Final Town Hall Meeting With Department of State Personnel
Remarks
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Dean Acheson Auditorium
Washington, DC
January 30, 2013
　

Thank you. Thank you. Oh, boy. This is an incredible experience for me. I thank you for joining me and I know that other rooms are filled to capacity and there is a big crowd that is outside in the hallway and hello to everyone watching on BNET or online.

I have to begin by saying I’m here with a full heart. These last four years have been a remarkable honor and experience for me, and that is thanks to all of you, to the professionals, men and women who get up every day and work for the State Department and USAID on behalf of our common mission and values and the country that we love. Every day during my tenure over the last four years, whether I was in Washington or in some remote corner of the world, I have been so proud of your dedication, your professionalism, your ingenuity, your integrity. And you have big jobs to do here and you do them superbly. So I am proud to have been a colleague, to leave here as a very grateful member of the team.

I walked into the door of the State Department more than four years ago now determined to elevate diplomacy and development as pillars of our foreign policy alongside defense, because I was convinced they were critical for solving problems and seizing opportunities worldwide. And I will walk out the door this Friday even more convinced of that because of the work that we have done together during some challenging and even tumultuous times.

We have faced all manners of events, from democratic revolutions in North Africa, to earthquakes in Haiti and Japan, to the end of the war in Iraq, the beginning of the transition in Afghanistan, the rebuilding of the global economy, breakthroughs in places like Burma and Somalia, the signing of a New START Treaty, and on and on. Diplomacy and development have been vital to these and so many other efforts that we have undertaken together.

And as I’ve looked back over the past four years, I think, through it all, we have remained focused on our long term goals: advancing American interests, defending universal values, protecting our security, helping more people in more places live up to their God-given potential. And along the way we’ve lost friends and loved ones. Some, like Richard Holbrooke and Chris Stevens, were giants of American diplomacy. Others were men and women, many far too young, with long futures ahead of them, so much promise and passion. All of them were patriots, and we honor their memories by carrying forward this important work.

Our current efforts to improve security and implement the recommendations of the recent Accountability Review Board are part of a broader push to strengthen both State and USAID. I’m also very proud to have overseen the first QDDR, which identifies ways in which our agencies could become more effective, more innovative for the future. Many of the QDDR recommendations are already in place, such as our increased focus on economic statecraft and energy, the steps we’ve taken on global security and justice issues, new strategies to address climate change, and everything we’ve done to integrate women and girls into our policies.

And just a few days ago, we appointed a sanctions coordinator to focus on governments like Iran and Syria and North Korea. Now, these steps are smart, sensible, and suited to today’s world. I believe they’ve already made State and USAID stronger. The same goes for the investments we’ve made in training and mentoring our workforce. The new job opportunities we’ve created, the improvements we’ve made in recruitment, all the other steps we’ve taken to ensure we are finding the most talented people out there for the Foreign Service and the Civil Service and giving them, giving you, the professional support you need to thrive.

Now, many other steps outlined in the QDDR are in the process of being implemented, and now we need to make sure that the QDDR itself continues, because I’ve always said that the Q is the most important letter in that recitation. Last year, we came close to having Congress pass legislation that would mandate future reviews, just as the Defense Department has done for many years. In fact, John Kerry himself introduced that legislation, so I’m confident that he will carry on this work. Congress would be wise to pass the QDDR because it does make State and USAID stronger, and thereby making our nation stronger.

Four years ago when I sat across the table up in the Senate from my then-Senate colleagues at my own confirmation hearing, I said I was thrilled to be considered for the role of Secretary, but also sad about leaving a place that I had loved also and all the people that I cared for so much there and in New York, the state that I was so privileged to represent. Now I find myself feeling the exact same way. I am looking forward to the next chapter. It’s like one of those books you buy that has blank pages.

And I know I’m leaving the Department in excellent hands. John Kerry was a very accomplished senator, and he will be the same as Secretary of State. He brings judgment, experience, vision, and a deep understanding, because of his own family with his father having been in the Foreign Service, to what diplomacy requires.

But I am very sad to leave all of you and to leave behind the institution here where I have been so proud to serve on behalf of the American people. It will be very hard over the next few days to say goodbye to the terrific men and women at State and USAID because I will truly miss you. I will miss the incredible sense of commitment that you bring to the work we do, the exacting standards you hold yourselves and others to, the fun that we’ve occasionally had in traveling and working together. But I will mostly be very proud and grateful that I had the chance to be the 67th Secretary of State. I will look forward to doing my part from the outside to try to stand up for and explain why this is such important work and to always feel that I am in some way connected to you and to that work’s continuity.

MORE U.S. AID TO PEOPLE AFFECTED BY SYRIAN CONFLICT

Map:  Syria.  Credit:  CIA World Factbook.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
The U.S. Announces Additional Humanitarian Assistance in Response to the Syrian Crisis
Fact Sheet
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
January 29, 2013

Today, President Obama reaffirmed the United States’ continued commitment and support for the Syrian people by announcing an additional $155 million in humanitarian aid to help meet the acute needs of people inside Syria and refugees across the region who are affected by the violence in Syria. This new funding includes the $10 million announced last week in Turkey by the visiting U.S. delegation. This new assistance brings the United States’ total humanitarian response to the crisis in Syria to approximately $365 million to date.

In December 2012, the United Nations issued revised humanitarian appeals to help meet the growing needs of those affected by the conflict in Syria. The United States strongly supports these appeals as the most effective way for donors to provide urgently needed humanitarian aid to the Syrian people. The United States is helping to meet urgent needs in all 14 governorates inside Syria through its support for the UN appeals and by partnering with non-governmental organizations.

INSIDE SYRIA:
U.S. assistance is:

· helping feed millions of Syrians throughout all 14 governorates;

· providing medicine and medical treatment in areas including Damascus, Dar’a and Homs;

· immunizing one million Syrian children against preventable diseases like the measles;

· providing winter supplies to Syrians in areas including Aleppo, Dayr az Zawr and Homs.

With this additional funding, the United States is providing nearly $202 million to address critical needs inside of Syria. U.S. assistance is tackling severe food shortages through robust funding of international and non-governmental organizations providing food packages to those in need and flour to restart bakeries. Funding for emergency health care and supplies will enable surgeons in field hospitals and mobile clinics to save more lives. For those taking refuge in damaged public buildings, we are providing winter supplies such as blankets, heating stoves, and heavy-duty plastic sheeting to cover windows and other damaged areas. We are supporting the provision of household items, shelter support, cash assistance, health care, and community protection services to displaced Syrians. U.S. funding enables direct food, cash, and winter assistance for more than 400,000 Palestinian refugees inside Syria who are affected by the violence.

REGIONAL:
The United States is providing $5 million in additional regional contributions to UN agencies as part of the refugee response, including in Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon and Iraq.

JORDAN:
The United States is providing over $52 million for Syrians in Jordan who have fled the violence in Syria.

U.S. assistance to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the World Food Program (WFP), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and non-governmental organizations is helping Syrians living in local communities as well as in Za’atri camp. In addition to providing food, water, winter supplies and shelter, U.S. assistance is supporting medical assistance, efforts to address psychological trauma, and support measures to prevent and respond to gender-based violence. Community impact projects provide needed support to Syrians as well as to Jordanian host communities. U.S. assistance helps children through informal and remedial education programs, formal schooling, and programs that help them deal with trauma. Partners are also providing emergency transport and reception and health referrals.

LEBANON:
With this additional funding, the United States is providing nearly $51 million to help support displaced Syrians and Palestinians in Lebanon who have fled the violence in Syria.

Previous U.S. contributions in Lebanon are helping provide rent support, household items, and food vouchers. Additionally, U.S. assistance supports primary health care consultations, services, and emergency medical care.

As part of this new announcement, the United States is supporting UNHCR Lebanon’s critical work providing for the basic humanitarian needs of Syrians in Lebanon, including medical services and supplies, such as clean water, blankets, and shelter support. Additional support to WFP will continue to provide food vouchers and dry rations to refugees throughout Lebanon.

The United States is also supporting efforts to assist Palestinian refugees who have fled Syria by providing education, relief supplies, shelter, and medical care in Lebanon.

In addition, the United States is also providing contributions to other UN agencies as well as international NGOs providing much needed shelter and medical care to Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

TURKEY:
With this additional funding, the United States is providing more than $34 million to help those in Turkey who have fled the violence in Syria.

The Government of Turkey, through the Turkish Red Crescent, is leading the relief effort with strong support from the United States and international partners. U.S. support of UN agencies helps feed Syrians, provides safe, child-friendly learning environments, and resources like household items, winter tents and blankets. The United States is also funding measures to prevent and respond to gender-based violence.

As part of this new announcement, the United States is supporting the expansion of programs providing debit cards and cookware so Syrians can purchase and cook food for their families. This contribution includes funding to the Turkish Red Crescent for winterization support in the camps. U.S. funding also supports primary health care for urban refugees and Syrian children dealing with the trauma they have endured.

IRAQ:
With this assistance, the United States is providing nearly $19 million to help support Syrians who have fled to Iraq.

The United States is providing food aid, medical supplies, emergency and basic health care, shelter materials, clean water, hygiene education and supplies, and other relief supplies to refugees in host communities and camps. Separately, the United States continues its strong support for the thousands of Iraqi refugees who have returned to Iraq as a result of the violence in Syria.

As part of this new announcement, in addition to UNHCR, the United States is supporting IOM for the provision of basic domestic and hygiene items and other non-food items for Syrian refugee camps in Iraq. Additional funding through WFP ensures the continued provision of hot meals, bread, dry rations and food vouchers.

EGYPT:
The United States is providing more than $2 million in food assistance and to support UNHCR’s efforts for Syrian refugees in Egypt.

The United States recognizes and applauds the generosity of the governments and people of Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq, Egypt and other nations hosting all those who have fled the violence in Syria. These countries have taken on a significant burden. They are not alone.

NORAD PREPARES FOR SUPER BOWL SUNDAY

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
NORAD Jets Prepare to Protect Super Bowl Skies
From a Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command Region News Release

TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla., Jan. 28, 2013 – Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command Region fighters, along with interagency partners, will be busy well before Super Bowl Sunday preparing to protect the skies around the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.

Just like the teams in the Super Bowl, the Continental U.S. NORAD Region and its partners will practice before the big game.

Exercise Falcon Virgo 13-Super Bowl, a NORAD air defense exercise, will take place tomorrow in the greater New Orleans area to allow interagency partners the chance to practice procedures for responding to airspace violations.

The Falcon Virgo exercise is a series of training flights in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration, the FBI, Customs and Border Protection, Civil Air Patrol, the 601st Air and Space Operations Center, and the Continental U.S. NORAD Region’s Western Air Defense Sector. These agencies are part of America’s team for defense of the air space around the nation, including major events such as the Super Bowl.

New Orleans residents can expect flights to begin around 7 a.m. CST tomorrow and continue for about an hour, officials said. If inclement weather occurs, the exercise will take place the following morning, and if bad weather continues, officials will then make a decision to postpone or cancel the exercise.

"A key aspect of our daily air defense measures lies in our interagency coordination," said Air Force Lt. Gen. Sid Clarke, Continental U.S. NORAD Region commander. "This Falcon Virgo exercise is the perfect opportunity for the Continental U.S. NORAD Region and all our interagency partners to work together honing our air defense skills before Sunday’s big game."

These exercises are carefully planned and closely controlled to ensure the Continental U.S. NORAD Region’s rapid response capability, officials said, noting that the Continental U.S. NORAD Region has conducted exercise flights of this nature throughout the United States since the start of Operation Noble Eagle, the nation’s ongoing response to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

"When it comes to defending America’s skies, whether it’s Super Bowl Sunday or any other day, the men and women of the Continental U.S. NORAD Region and America’s AOC are always on duty," Clarke said. "We are America’s airmen on the watch."

Since 9/11, Continental U.S. NORAD Region fighters have responded to more than 5,000 possible air threats in the United States and have flown more than 62,500 sorties with the support of Airborne Warning and Control System and air-to-air-refueling aircraft for Operation Noble Eagle.

TERROISTS LIVING KENTUCKY SENTENCED

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Former Iraqi Terrorists Living in Kentucky Sentenced for Terrorist Activities

Defendants Attempted to Ship Weapons and Money from U.S. to Iraqi Insurgents Defendants Admitted to Extensive Terrorist Activities Against U.S. Soldiers in Iraq

Two Iraqi citizens living in Bowling Green, Ky., who admitted using improvised explosive devices (IEDs) against U.S. soldiers in Iraq and who attempted to send weapons and money to Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) for the purpose of killing U.S. soldiers, were sentenced today to serve federal prison terms by Senior Judge Thomas B. Russell in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky.

The sentences was announced Lisa Monaco, Assistant Attorney General for National Security; David J. Hale, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky; and Perrye K. Turner, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Louisville Division.

Mohanad Shareef Hammadi, 25, a former resident of Iraq, was sentenced to life in federal prison, and Waad Ramadan Alwan, 31, a former resident of Iraq, was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison, followed by a life term of supervised release. Both defendants had pleaded guilty to federal terrorism charges.

"These two former Iraqi insurgents participated in terrorist activities overseas and attempted to continue providing material support to terrorists while they lived here in the United States. With today’s sentences, both men are being held accountable," said Assistant Attorney General Monaco. "I thank the dedicated professionals in the law enforcement and intelligence communities who were responsible for this successful outcome."

"These are experienced terrorists who willingly and enthusiastically participated in what they believed were insurgent support operations designed to harm American soldiers in Iraq," stated U.S. Attorney Hale. "The serious crimes of both men merit lengthy punishment, and only the value of Alwan’s immediate and extensive cooperation with law enforcement justifies our recommendation of a reduced sentence for him. Bringing these men to justice is the result of a comprehensive law enforcement effort. The FBI agents of the Louisville Division, along with the federal and local law enforcement members of the Joint Terrorism Task Forces here in Kentucky, including the Bowling Green Police Department, and our many other partners, are to be commended."

"Protecting the United States from terrorist attacks remains the FBI's top priority," said FBI Special Agent in Charge Turner. "Using our growing suite of investigative and intelligence capabilities, FBI agents and analysts assigned to our Bowling Green office were able to neutralize a potential threat. Our local Joint Terrorism Task Force, comprised of FBI Agents and other local, state and federal agencies from across the Commonwealth, remains committed to dismantling extremist networks and cutting off financing and other forms of support provided by terrorist sympathizers, whether they are operating in Kentucky or worldwide."

"Today, the sentencing of Alwan and Hammadi represents the culmination of the extensive, effective and focused efforts of the U.S. Attorney's Office and the Kentucky Division of the FBI for their roles in the investigation and prosecution of these would-be terrorists. I want to thank U.S. Attorney David Hale, the Kentucky Division of the FBI and the members of the FBI Bowling Green local office for their individual and collective efforts in bringing Alwan and Hammadi to justice for their crimes against the people of Kentucky and the United States," stated Chief Doug Hawkins, Bowling Green Police Department.

Alwan, whose fingerprints were found on an unexploded IED found in Iraq, pleaded guilty earlier in the case on Dec. 16, 2011, to all counts of a 23-count federal indictment. He pleaded guilty to conspiring to kill U.S. nationals abroad; conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction (explosives) against U.S. nationals abroad; distributing information on the manufacture and use of IEDs; attempting to provide material support to terrorists and to AQI and conspiring to transfer, possess and export Stinger missiles.

Hammadi pleaded guilty on Aug. 21, 2012, to a 12-count superseding indictment. Charges against him included attempting to provide material support to terrorists and to AQI; conspiring to transfer, possess and export Stinger missiles; and making a false statement in an immigration application. At today’s sentencing, at the request of the United States, Alwan received a reduced sentence due to his cooperation with federal law enforcement. The United States asked for no reduction of Hammadi’s sentence.

According to information presented by the United States in connection with today’s sentencings, Hammadi and Alwan both admitted, in FBI interviews that followed waiver of their Miranda rights, to participation in the purported material support operations in Kentucky, and both provided the FBI details of their prior involvement in insurgent activities while living in Iraq. Both men believed their activities in Kentucky were supporting AQI. Alwan admitted participating in IED attacks against U.S. soldiers in Iraq, and Hammadi admitted to participating in 10 to 11 IED attacks as well as shooting at a U.S. soldier in an observation tower.

Court documents filed in this case reveal that the Bowling Green office of the FBI’s Louisville Division initiated an investigation of Alwan in which they used a confidential human source (CHS). The CHS met with Alwan and recorded their meetings and conversations beginning in August 2010. The CHS represented to Alwan that he was working with a group to ship money and weapons to Mujahadeen in Iraq. From September 2010 through May 2011, Alwan participated in ten separate operations to send weapons and money that he believed were destined for terrorists in Iraq. Between October 2010 and January 2011, Alwan drew diagrams of multiple types of IEDs and instructed the CHS how to make them. In January 2011, Alwan recruited Hammadi, a fellow Iraqi national living in Bowling Green, to assist in these material support operations. Beginning in January 2011 and continuing until his arrest in late May 2011, Hammadi participated with Alwan in helping load money and weapons that he believed were destined for terrorists in Iraq.

Documents filed by the United States describe in detail the material support activities of the men in Bowling Green. Without Hammadi present, Alwan loaded money and weapons he believed were being sent to Iraq on five occasions from September 2010 through February 2011, handling five rocket-propelled grenade launchers, five machine guns, two sniper rifles, two cases of C4 explosive and what he believed to be $375,000. After Hammadi joined Alwan in January 2011, the two men loaded money and weapons together on five occasions from January to May 2011. Together, on these five occasions, they loaded five rocket-propelled grenade launchers, five machine guns, five cases of C4 explosive, two sniper rifles, one box of 12 hand grenades, two Stinger surface-to-air missile launchers and what they believed to be a total of $565,000. Alwan and Hammadi were recorded by video during these operations.

In speaking with the CHS, Alwan spoke of his efforts to kill U.S. soldiers in Iraq, stating "lunch and dinner would be an American." Hammadi told the CHS that he had experience in Iraq with "Strelas" (a Russian made, portable, shoulder-fired surface-to-air missile launcher) and discussed shipping "Strelas" in future operations.

According to the charging documents, Hammadi entered the United States in July 2009, and, after first residing in Las Vegas, moved to Bowling Green. Hammadi and Alwan were arrested on May 25, 2011, in Bowling Green on criminal complaints. Both defendants were closely monitored by federal law enforcement authorities in the months leading up to their arrests. Neither was charged with plotting attacks within the United States. All of the weapons, including Stinger missiles, had been rendered inert before being handled by Hammadi and Alwan. The weapons and money handled by the men in the United States were never provided to AQI, but instead were carefully controlled by law enforcement as part of the undercover operation.

This case was investigated by the Louisville Division of the FBI. Assisting in the investigation were members of the Louisville and Lexington Joint Terrorism Task Forces, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Bowling Green Police Department.

The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Bennett and Bryan Calhoun from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky and Trial Attorney Larry Schneider from the Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.

DVIDS - Video - DOD Briefing

DVIDS - Video - DOD Briefing

NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN FOR JANUARY 30, 2013

 

U.S. Marine Corps Captain Mastin Robeson stands next to Route 611 to prepare for a convoy during Operation New Hope in Kajaki, Afghanistan, Jan. 18, 2013. Robeson, a team leader, is assigned to Security Force Assistance Advisor Team, Regimental Combat Team 7. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Mark Garcia

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Combined Force Arrests Taliban Leaders in Helmand Province
From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release

KABUL, Afghanistan, Jan. 30, 2013 - A combined Afghan and coalition security force arrested two Taliban leaders today in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Afghanistan's Helmand province, military officials reported.

One is believed to be directly responsible for orchestrating assassinations of Afghan national security force members, overseeing attacks on police checkpoints and directing attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He also is accused of having organized the acquisition and transfer of heavy weapons and improvised explosive devices to Taliban fighters.

The other is believed to be directly responsible for the transport and financing of IED-making materials, planting IEDs and executing IED attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

The security force also detained four other suspected insurgents.

In other Afghanistan operations today:

-- A combined force in Kunduz province's Khanabad district arrested a Taliban leader accused of planning and executing IED attacks against Afghan and coalition forces and Afghan government officials. He also is believed to have provided financial and logistical support to Taliban and suicide-bomber operations throughout Kunduz province. The security force also detained two other suspected insurgents and seized several firearms.

-- In Nangarhar province's Khugyani district, a combined force killed two insurgents and detained nine others after being fired upon while searching for a man suspected of providing logistical support to Taliban leaders. The security force also seized several firearms and associated ammunition. No civilians were harmed during the operation, officials said.

STATE OF ALABAMA EMPLOYEE INDICTED FOR IDENTITY THEFT

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Alabama Employee Indicted for Providing Names to a Million Dollar Identity Theft Scheme

 

 

A federal grand jury in Montgomery, Ala., returned an indictment charging Lea’Tice Phillips for conspiring to file false tax returns using stolen identities, the Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today. The 37 count indictment charges Phillips with conspiracy to file false claims, wire fraud, computer fraud and aggravated identity theft.

 

According to the court documents, Phillips worked for an Alabama state agency and had access to state databases which contained means of identification of individuals. Between October 2009 and April 2012, Phillips conspired with Antoinette Djonret and others to file false tax returns using stolen identities. On multiple occasions, Phillips accessed a state database to obtain means of identification. Phillips used her state email to send means of identification to Djonret. Djonret and others used those means of identification to file false tax returns. Djonret and her co-conspirators filed most of the tax returns from her residence in Montgomery. Djonret and her co-conspirators used an elaborate network of individuals to launder the tax refunds. They recruited individuals to purchase prepaid debit cards and to provide the cards to Djonret and her co-conspirators. The fraudulent tax refunds were directed to the prepaid debit cards. Djonret and her co-conspirators would then use the prepaid debit cards to obtain the proceeds. Some of the prepaid debit cards were in the name of Lea’Tice Phillips. In total, Djonret filed over 1,000 false tax returns that claimed over $1.7 million in fraudulent tax refunds.

 

On Aug. 9, 2012, a federal grand jury in Montgomery returned a superseding indictment charging Antoinette Djonret, Angelique Djonret, Tabitha Stinson, Melba Wilson, Chantresa Hayes and Corey Means for their roles in the same conspiracy.
 

 

An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the Phillips faces 10 years imprisonment for the conspiracy to file false claims, 20 years for each wire fraud count, 10 years imprisonment for each computer fraud count and a mandatory two-year sentence for the aggravated identity theft counts. She is also subject to fines, mandatory restitution and forfeiture.

 

The case was investigated by Special Agents of the IRS - Criminal Investigation. Trial attorneys Jason H. Poole and Michael Boteler of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Brown are prosecuting the case.

 

 

NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE THAT LOOKS AT FOOD SAFETY RESTARTS WITH NEW MEMBERS

Credit:  HHS

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods Restarts Critical Food Safety Work with 22 New Members, Renewed Charter
Congressional and Public Affairs
Richard J. McIntire

WASHINGTON, January 28, 2013–The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) today announced the re-chartering of the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) and welcomes the addition of new members.

The committee is charged with providing recommendations to the Secretaries of Agriculture and Health and Human Services (HHS) on microbiological criteria by which the safety and wholesomeness of food can be assessed. That work includes criteria for microorganisms that indicate whether foods have been adequately and appropriately processed.

"NACMCF's work provides FSIS and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with a valuable resource for obtaining external expert advice on scientific and technical food safety issues for our nation's food safety programs," said FSIS Administrator Al Almanza. "Re-chartering this committee benefits the public interest and fulfills statutory responsibilities."

The committee membership consists of scientists from academia, industry, other organizations, and federal and state government as well as one individual affiliated with a consumer group, who is serving in a representational capacity. NACMCF members are appointed by the USDA Secretary in consultation with the Secretary of HHS with advice on membership from the Department of Commerce's National Marine Fisheries Service, the Department of Defense's Defense Logistics Agency, and the Department of Health and Human Services' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

NACMCF members serve a two-year renewable term. To ensure a balanced membership with diverse viewpoints, FSIS has employed a strong outreach effort to encourage nominations by minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and other under-represented populations.

Established in 1988, NACMCF formulates positions on the development of microbiological criteria, the review and evaluation of epidemiological and risk assessment data and methodologies for assessing microbiological hazards in foods. The committee's work also assists the CDC and the Departments of Commerce and Defense. The committee is the outcome of a 1985 report of the National Academy of Sciences Committee on Food Protection, Subcommittee on Microbiological Criteria.

The NACMCF meets approximately twice annually, while subcommittees meet more often as necessary. Background materials are available online at the previously noted address or by contacting Karen Thomas-Sharp at (202) 690-6620.

RECENT U.S. NAVY PHOTOS

FROM: U.S. NAVY
130127-N-RQ668-122 ATLANTIC OCEAN (Jan. 26, 2013) Aviation Ordnanceman 3rd Class Travis Stewart, assigned to G3 weapons department aboard the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), fires a .50-caliber machine gun during a live-fire exercise. Harry S. Truman is underway conducting a composite training unit exercise in preparation for its upcoming deployment. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Benjamin Malvezzi/Released)

130126-N-PW661-007 ATLANTIC OCEAN (Jan. 26, 2013) The fleet replenishment oiler USNS Kanawha (T-AO 196) extends fuel lines to the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) during a replenishment-at-sea. Harry S. Truman is underway conducting a composite training unit exercise in preparation for its upcoming deployment. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Rob Aylward/Released)

DEPUTY DEFENSE SECRETARY CARTER'S REMARKS ON SEQUESTRATION PLANNING

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Carter: Sequestration Planning Requires Balance
By Claudette Roulo
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 28, 2013 - Planning for sequestration is the practical thing to do and doesn't indicate a lack of confidence in Congress, Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter said yesterday in an interview on "This Week in Defense News with Vago Muradian."

Though Congress voted earlier this month to delay until March 2 the implementation of about $500 billion in across-the-board defense spending cuts over 10 years, Carter explained, the threat still looms and the Pentagon must be ready.

Complicating matters, is that the Defense Department -- as is all of the federal government -- is still operating under a continuing resolution, "which means we are stuck with the budget of last year, category by category," he added. The continuing resolution is set to expire March 27, unless Congress approves a new appropriations act for fiscal 2013.

Preparing for this confluence of events requires a delicate balance between acting too early and planning too late, Carter said.

"The reason not to make adjustments too early is these are not desirable things to do," he said. "They're not good for defense, so you don't want to do them until you have to."

For example, Carter said, the Defense Department normally hires about 1,000 people each week to maintain a stable number of personnel. "However," he continued, "if I worry that I'm going to run short of money later in the fiscal year, I'd better stop hiring."

On Jan. 10, Carter issued a memo authorizing defense components to implement measures that will mitigate the effects of fiscal uncertainty, including hiring freezes, termination of temporary employees and cancelling certain equipment maintenance contracts.

"Now that's not a good thing," Carter said. "That's jobs -- 44 percent of the people we hire are veterans. And we care about hiring veterans. And of course, most importantly, we care about getting the work done."

When he talks about DOD civilians, Carter said, he's not talking about bureaucrats in Washington. "These are shipyard workers -- these are people who are doing important things," he added.

The memo requires defense components to submit their plans to Carter's office, he said, to ensure their efforts are balanced and to provide components with an opportunity to learn from each other's approaches. Meanwhile, he said, the department is taking prudent steps now in case the continuing resolution is extended for the whole year or the sequestration cuts take effect.

"What we're trying to do is take steps that are reversible," he explained. "They're harmful if they last the whole year. But if I take them now, I'll be better off later in the year."

For now, he said, these are steps that can be quickly undone.

"Later in the year, I'm going to have to do things that are irreversible -- that do irreversible harm," Carter said, including furloughing federal employees and reducing military training.

"Obviously, I don't want to do that. ... If it goes on long enough, we will do damage to readiness that will be difficult and take years to reverse," he said.

Preparations have been ongoing for some time, Carter said.

"We've been doing that quietly," he said, "because we haven't wanted to act as though sequestration or any of these things was either inevitable or, certainly, something that we could manage with ease. These are damaging, destructive things to do."

FUTURE AIRCRAFT CARRIER GERALD R. FORD RECEIVES IT'S ISLAND

130126-N-YX169-191 NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (Jan. 26, 2013) Susan Ford Bales, daughter of late President Gerald R. Ford and ship's sponsor, speaks with members of the future nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford's (CVN 78) first crew during the ship's island landing ceremony at Huntington Ingalls Industries-Newport News Shipbuilding. The island-landing ceremony marks the final super-lift in the construction process for the ship as the 555-metric ton island is lifted into place on the ship's flight deck. The Gerald R. Ford is the first is a new class of aircraft carriers, and is scheduled to be delivered to the Navy in 2015. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Nathanael Miller/Released)

FROM: U.S. NAVY
Island-landing Ceremony Held for New Carrier

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (NNS) -- The future aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford received its island during a ceremony at Huntington Ingalls Industries-Newport News Shipbuilding Jan. 26.

The Ford, named for the 38th President of the United States, is the first in a new class of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers that will replace the current Nimitz-class carriers, while taking state-of-the-art technology to sea.

Susan Ford Bales,the ship's sponsor and daughter of the late president, attended and spoke before the 555-metric ton island was lifted from the pier to the flight deck. Bales paid tribute to her father, by reciting a quote from the 55th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Tip O'Neill.

"'God has been good to the American people. In the time of the Civil War he gave us Abraham Lincoln, and at the time of Watergate he gave us Gerald Ford - the right man at the right time who was able to heal the nation,'" Bales quoted.

Before Ford's island was lowered, the ceremony featured an ancient shipbuilding tradition of placing coins under the ship's mast for good luck. Modern shipbuilders continue this tradition, but it has been modified for aircraft carriers by placing coins and mementos under the island.

Bales placed a small sandstone block, cut from the same stone used to build the White House and the U.S. Capitol, under the Ford's island. Embedded in the stone were several coins commemorating President Ford's naval service in World War II, his years in the House of Representatives, and his service as vice president and president.

Rear Adm. Ted N. Branch, commander, Naval Air Forces Atlantic, Capt. John Meier, Ford's prospective commanding officer , and Matt Mulherin, president of Newport News Shipbuilding also placed mementos under the island before it was completely lowered onto the flight deck.

"As the island is landed, Gerald R. Ford will take on that distinctive and unmistakable profile of an aircraft carrier," said Meier.

The Ford's island incorporates the latest flat panel array and dual band radar systems. The island was placed 140 feet further aft and three feet further outboard than previous carriers to improve flight deck access for aircraft operations. The super lift of the completed structure marks the last major piece of the new carrier's construction.

With the ship nearing its launch date later this year, the nucleus of its crew, known as the Ford's Pre-Commissioning Unit is being formed. This small unit of officers and enlisted Sailors has started the process of bringing the ship to life.

"The technology on the ship is so amazing that I stayed in the Navy when I found out I could get orders here," said Electronics Technician 2nd Class (SW) William Hamrick, future administrator of the Reactor department's computer network.

Meier called upon the shipbuilders at Newport News and the ship's crew to continue building a culture of excellence and a legacy that will "last for generations to come."

"Our nation and our Navy needs Gerald R. Ford to put to sea," said Meier. "Ford represents a multi-billion dollar investment by our nation. It's a clear recognition that sea power has been a keystone of our great nation's preeminence throughout the world."

The Ford is scheduled for delivery to the Navy in 2015.

U.S. OFFICIALS REMARK'S ON FIGHTING INTERNATIONAL CRIME

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Remarks
David M. Luna
Director for Anticrime Programs, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs
Jakarta, Indonesia
January 26, 2013
 
Good morning.

It is a pleasure to be here with you as we begin the new APEC year.

The United States applauds the leadership of the Government of the Republic of Indonesia as the APEC Host Economy in 2013 and the Indonesian Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) as Chair of this year’s APEC Anticorruption and Transparency (ACT) Working Group.

Your Excellency, Bambang Widjowanto, KPK Deputy Chairman, as a previous Chair of this very important and influential sub-forum in APEC, let me congratulate you on your appointment as our new ACT Chair and commend your life-long commitment to promoting human rights, advancing the rule of law, and safeguarding integrity in Indonesia.

The KPK remains a model within APEC on prosecuting high-level corruption cases, including within the police and security agencies, and demonstrating to us all that no official is above the law. The ACT must continue to support the KPK and all of our economies’ anticorruption authorities to eradicate corruption, safeguard integrity and public trust, and restore people’s faith in government as a steward of equality and justice.

I would also like to thank the Government of the Russian Federation for its leadership last year, and applaud all of the economies here for our collective achievements in 2012. I am confident that we will make great gains this year on developing an APEC regional network of anticorruption authorities that further protects our economies against abuses of power and the plunder of our national assets, human capital, and natural resources.

In 2013, we must work together to achieve the three core objectives outlined in our ACT five-year strategy: 1) to minimize impunity and kleptocracy by preventing and prosecuting public corruption; 2) to level the playing field for all businesses by fighting foreign bribery; and 3) to shut down the illegal economy and criminalized markets by combating corruption and illicit trade.

Combating Impunity and Kleptocracy: Enough is Enough!

No economy is immune from corruption, nor can any economy combat it alone. In addition to effective governance within our own jurisdictions, we must take collective action to improve governance across borders and reconfigure the way we fight corruption with smarter, more holistic strategies and approaches. We must work to prevent the flow of illicit funds, including proceeds of corruption.

APEC Leaders recognized the ACT work program in the 2012 Vladivostok Declaration on Fighting Corruption. They emphasized their commitment to investigate and prosecute corruption; to enforce our domestic bribery laws and laws criminalizing the bribery of foreign public officials; to fight money laundering and deny safe haven to assets illicitly acquired by individuals engaged in corruption. They also vowed to combat illicit trade by attacking the financial underpinnings of transnational criminal organizations and illicit networks; stripping criminal entrepreneurs and corrupt officials of their illicit wealth; and severing their access to the global financial system.

The Vladivostok Declaration also renewed and elevated APEC Leaders’ commitment to "enhance public trust by committing to transparent, fair, and accountable governance" to empower communities to monitor government policies and voice their perspectives on the use of resources.

Voice and accountability can not only help check corruption, but also allow our citizens and communities to take hold of their destinies, enjoy higher standards of living, and trust that their governments exist to do good. Transparent and open governments tend to pursue cost-effective policies; minimize misallocation of resources; and attract investment from companies looking for solid investment environments and opportunities. This is why eight APEC member countries (Canada, Chile, Indonesia, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, Russia, and the United States) have joined the Open Government Partnership (OGP), a multi-stakeholder initiative launched in 2011 to promote transparency, enhance accountability, and fight corruption. Indonesia is also a co-chair of the OGP’s Steering Committee this year, and its leadership of both the OGP and the ACT presents an opportunity for us all to further our efforts to enhance public trust and raise standards of living.

Our Leaders have spoken. They have repeatedly affirmed their will to combat corruption across the Asia Pacific region. We must answer them with a transformative good governance agenda that will anchor economic growth and development from Moscow to Jakarta, from Beijing to Lima, from San Francisco to Sydney, and transform people’s lives across all markets in APEC.

ACT colleagues, we must act decisively and collectively to implement the five-year strategy. I am confident that we can fulfill our Leaders’ mandate and achieve APEC’s broader agenda to secure open markets, economic prosperity, and the rule of law.

Fighting All Forms of Bribery

Continued cooperation with the private sector is a critical component of our efforts to level the playing field for businesses across APEC economies.

Our recent work with the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) and other partners has ushered in a new era of cooperation between the public and private sectors. This partnership is enhancing market integrity and forging a more connected, innovative, and dynamic Asia Pacific region that thrives on openness and a rules-based approach to trade and investment.

We can do more. Building on the APEC Santiago Commitment, the APEC Code of Conduct for Business (Business Integrity and Transparency Principles for the Private Sector), and the Complementary Anti-Corruption Principles for the Public and Private Sectors, we can vigorously enforce domestic bribery laws, including laws criminalizing the bribery of foreign public officials, and fulfill our international obligations. I also hope that we can continue to share experiences and best practices in combating foreign bribery, enlist the private sector as a partner in combating bribery, and provide specialized training to make greater inroads on this important front.

We can minimize corruption as a significant market and trade barrier and improve the investment climate in our economies by ensuring that we effectively investigate and prosecute corrupt public officials and those who bribe them, in compliance with our respective domestic laws and international obligations, where appropriate, under the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), the Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions and similar instruments.

The United States looks forward to working with Indonesia, China, and all economies to support stronger bribery enforcement, prosecutions, and other actions in APEC in 2013-2014.

Combating Illicit Trade and Shutting Down the Illegal Economy

Sustainable economic growth also depends on our progress to combat illicit trade and its pernicious impact on the environment and markets.

Illicit trade and the illegal economy undermine social stability and the welfare of our communities. Illicit enterprises not only distort the legal economy, but they also divert revenue from legitimate market drivers such as businesses and governments. Illicit trade further hampers development by preventing the equitable distribution of public goods. But this goes beyond just economic harm. The illegal economy also incurs a significant negative social cost, and in some cases, devastates vital ecosystems and habitats.

The dumping of toxic waste contaminates our food and water supplies. Illegal logging and deforestation or poaching exacerbate climate change and undermine our ability in APEC to advance inclusive, green, sustainable development. Poaching and trafficking of endangered wildlife robs economies of their natural assets and their future.

The corruption that allows counterfeit or ineffective pharmaceuticals to enter our communities endangers public health, denying the sick effective treatment and permitting deadly diseases to mutate and become untreatable.

The corruption that allows traffickers to move people across borders and exploit them with impunity not only violates individuals’ basic rights and freedoms but also stunts both their and their communities’ economic potential and political development.

Kleptocracy and the embezzlement of national revenue and assets that are intended to finance the future for our citizens impair the ability of communities to make the investments necessary to stimulate growth. Revenue that could be used to build roads to facilitate commerce, hospitals to save lives, homes to raise and protect families, or schools to educate future leaders and entrepreneurs is instead siphoned away for private gain.

APEC has a number of tools in its toolkit to combat corruption and illicit trade, and we have an ongoing opportunity to work together to comprehensively and holistically combat corruption, as well as illicit finance more broadly; to foster integrity in global markets and supply chains; and to protect and promote economic growth and shared prosperity.

Among them is the ACT Multi-Year Project that Thailand and Chile are co-leading on ways to combat money laundering, recover the fruits of corrupt and criminal activity, and track illicit financial flows. As kleptocrats and criminal entrepreneurs continue to hide the proceeds of their crimes in legal structures such as offshore shell companies and foundations and then launder most of that through casinos, financial institutions, or real estate into the global financial system, we must bring them to justice and, where possible, return their illicit wealth back to impacted communities.

To do this effectively, we must also target more aggressively the financial facilitators and service providers who commit crimes in helping corrupt officials, criminals, and illicit networks inject their dirty money into our financial system.

The APEC-ASEAN Pathfinder Workshop on Combating Corruption and Illicit Trade that will be held in Siem Reap, Cambodia, in June 2013, will advance a dialogue among partners across the Asia Pacific region and strengthen cooperation by creating a network of anticorruption authorities, promoting information and intelligence exchanges, and facilitating cooperation and information sharing in investigations related to corruption and illicit trade and efforts to shut down the illegal economy.

More broadly, we can and should support the effective implementation of global anti-money laundering standards promulgated by the Financial Action Task Force. Among these are preventive measures that facilitate financial transparency and help prevent the flow of proceeds of corruption.

Converting Political Will into Action: Regional Networks and Partnerships

We can build on our APEC anti-corruption and transparency commitments and the collaborative relationships around this table to create a regional network of anti-corruption bodies that would facilitate the sharing of intelligence and information, as well as the sharing of best practices and challenges in effectively tracking cross-border corruption, other crime, and illicit financial flows.

The United States is more committed than ever to combating corruption and illicit trade, and we look forward to the discussion here in Jakarta.

Together, we will create a better, more prosperous future by uniting our efforts to combat corruption and support accountability and good governance. We must turn our shared interests into collective action by developing more comprehensive approaches to combating corruption so that we can prosecute corrupt public officials and those who bribe them.

Again, I wish Indonesia a great and successful year in APEC 2013 and applaud my ACT colleagues for developing and pressing forward on a vibrant course of action to fight corruption and promote integrity—a course that I know will lead us towards economic growth and a stronger foundation to build the new markets and investment frontiers of tomorrow.

Thank you.

U.S. CONTINUES SUPPORT FOR FRANCE IN MALI

Pentagon Press Secretary George Little briefs reporters at the Pentagon, Jan. 29, 2013. During the press event, Little provided an update on the U.S. role in supporting France's military operations in Mali. DOD photo by Glenn Fawcett

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Air Force Continues Support to France in Mali
By Claudette Roulo
American Forces Press Service


WASHINGTON, Jan. 29, 2013 - The U.S. Air Force continues to back French air operations in Mali through refueling efforts, logistical movements, troop transport and information sharing, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.

"Since French operations began Jan. 11, the U.S. has been sharing intelligence with the French," Little told reporters. The United States has provided airlift support to the French army since Jan. 21, he added, and began refueling support for French air operations Jan. 27.

As of Jan. 27, the U.S. Air Force had flown 17 C-17 sorties, moving more than 391 tons of equipment and supplies and nearly 500 French personnel into Bamako, Little said.

One refueling mission has been conducted so far, Little said, when a KC-135 Stratotanker provided about 33,000 pounds of fuel to French fighter aircraft. More refueling missions are expected to take place today, he added, noting that the United States is in constant consultation with France on their operations in Mali.

Following a phone call between Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and his French counterpart, the United States also has agreed to support the international effort by providing airlift to countries in the region, including Chad and Togo, Little said.

Further French requests for assistance will be reviewed, Little said, noting that the U.S. strongly supports French operations in Mali against al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb.

"AQIM and other terrorist groups have threatened to establish a safe haven in Mali, and the French have done absolutely the right thing," Little said. "We will continue to assess their needs and what our support might be in the future."

Panetta has stressed the need to go after al-Qaida wherever they are, Little said, including its various branches in south Asia and Africa.

"AQIM poses a threat in the region, and I can't rule out the possibility that AQIM poses a threat to U.S. interests," he said. "This is a group that has shown its ability to demonstrate brutality and to conduct attacks. And it's very important that we work with our partners in the region and our allies to thwart them."

ISS UPDATE FOR JANUARY 29, 2013

FROM: NASA

 

NOAA's National Weather Service SPC Tornado/Severe Thunderstorm Watches Update

NOAA's National Weather Service SPC Tornado/Severe Thunderstorm Watches Update

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