Tropical Climate History...Shrinking

Tropical Climate History...Shrinking

EPA TO SPEND OVER HALF BILLION TO FUND HURRICANE SANDY IMPACTED AREAS IN NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY

Bottled Water Releif For Sandy Victims.  Cr:  FEMA

FROM: U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

EPA to Award Over a Half Billion in Funding to Areas Impacted by Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey and New York 
Funding will Help Upgrade Wastewater and Drinking Water Facilities Damaged by Sandy

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced that it will provide grants of $340 million to the state of New York and $229 million to the state of New Jersey for improvements to wastewater and drinking water treatment facilities impacted by Hurricane Sandy. The funding announced today will help storm-damaged communities in both states as they continue to recover from the damage caused by the storm on Oct. 29, 2012.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, wastewater and drinking water treatment systems in New York and New Jersey were so severely damaged that some could not provide safe drinking water or treat raw sewage. The funding announced today will give states the capacity to further reduce risks of flood damage and increase the resiliency of wastewater and drinking water facilities to withstand the effects of severe storms similar to Sandy.

"As communities continue to recover following Hurricane Sandy’s devastation, it’s important that their efforts to rebuild our infrastructure such as wastewater and drinking water facilities are approached in a sustainable way," said EPA Acting Administrator Bob Perciasepe. "These funds are another critical step in the administration’s ongoing effort to help New York and New Jersey recover and move forward in a way that ensures local communities are stronger than ever before."

"With extreme weather conditions increasingly becoming the norm, Congress wisely provided funding to make sure our wastewater and drinking water facilities can withstand Hurricane Sandy-sized storms," said EPA Regional Administrator Judith A. Enck. "This funding will help vulnerable communities in New Jersey and New York become more resilient to the effects of climate change."

These funds, which will be provided to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, were authorized by the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013 and signed into law by President Obama on Jan. 29, 2013. In addition to protecting drinking water systems and maintaining water quality, the funding will provide for 6,000 short-term construction jobs.

The funds will be awarded as grants to the states and most will be given out to local communities as low or no interest loans that will be paid back to the states. Up to 30 percent of the money can be awarded as grants to communities rather than as loans.

Almost 60 percent of the funds will go to New York and about 40 percent of the funds will go to New Jersey for both the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund programs. The determination of how the funds should be allotted to New Jersey and New York was based on the percentage of the population living in impacted counties that FEMA designated for disaster assistance.

Projects will be selected by the states of New Jersey and New York using project priority ranking systems that are based on elements of the Clean Water Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act and state regulations. The highest rankings will be given to proposed projects that will most ensure water quality or provide the most protection to drinking water systems. Applicants may submit projects that incorporate green infrastructure, such as wetlands and detention basins to collect stormwater or natural features like sand dunes that are capable of mitigating storm water impacts; raise equipment from basements; and provide backup sources of energy that are renewable.

The states will review the proposed projects from impacted communities and then submit Intended use plans that include the recommended projects to EPA for review. The Intended use plans will be subject to public comment periods (30 days in New Jersey and 45 days in New York). Following these comment periods, EPA will evaluate the intended use plans and award the grants to the states.

The Disaster Relief Appropriations Act provided EPA with $500 million for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund and $100 million for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. The funding provided by the act is subject to sequestration, which has reduced the money available by $25 million for wastewater improvements and $5 million for drinking water. It also includes funding for EPA to administer the program.

Today’s funding complements the efforts of the Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force created by President Obama. The Task Force works closely with federal, state and local officials to help communities address rebuilding challenges, use funding as effectively as possible and provide oversight to ensure it is used as it was intended. Other federal support includes:

- The Federal Emergency Management Agency has obligated more than $1 billion to support state and local rebuilding efforts. It has also disbursed more the $1.3 billion directly to impacted families, covering eligible repair costs and meeting temporary housing needs.

- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has approved disaster recovery plans for New York and New Jersey, which means $3.5 billion in funding will be available for home and small business owners.

- The U.S. Small Business Administration has also provided more than $2 billion in disaster loans to homeowners and small businesses.

- The Federal Transit Administration’s Emergency Relief Program has allocated $2 billion in funding and the Federal Highway Administration’s Emergency Relief Program has allocated $584 million to repair and rebuild damaged infrastructure.

- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has allocated $474 million in Social Services Block Grants to help provide services to survivors and rebuild damaged health care facilities.

My American Story & What's at Stake - David Simas | The White House

My American Story & What's at Stake - David Simas | The White House

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT FOR WEEKENDING APRIL 27, 2013

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA


In the week ending April 27, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 324,000, a decrease of 18,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 342,000. The 4-week moving average was 342,250, a decrease of 16,000 from the previous week's revised average of 358,250.

The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.3 percent for the week ending April 20, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate. The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending April 20 was 3,019,000, an increase of 12,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,007,000. The 4-week moving average was 3,055,500, a decrease of 18,000 from the preceding week's revised average of 3,073,500.
UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 298,692 in the week ending April 27, a decrease of -27,143 from the previous week. There were 333,476 initial claims in the comparable week in 2012.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.3 percent during the week ending April 20, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 3,016,148, a decrease of 87,321 from the preceding week's revised level of 3,103,469. A year earlier, the rate was 2.6 percent and the volume was 3,292,783.

The total number of people claiming benefits in all programs for the week ending April 13 was 4,963,449, a decrease of 108,631 from the previous week. There were 6,597,715 persons claiming benefits in all programs in the comparable week in 2012.

Extended Benefits were available only in Alaska during the week ending April 13.

Initial claims for UI benefits filed by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,447 in the week ending April 20, a decrease of 217 from the prior week. There were 2,033 initial claims filed by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 164 from the preceding week.

There were 18,076 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending April 13, a decrease of 628 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 36,903, a decrease of 404 from the prior week.

States reported 1,777,737 persons claiming EUC (Emergency Unemployment Compensation) benefits for the week ending April 13, a decrease of 12,579 from the prior week. There were 2,724,432 persons claiming EUC in the comparable week in 2012. EUC weekly claims include first, second, third, and fourth tier activity.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending April 13 were in Alaska (5.1), Puerto Rico (4.2), New Jersey (3.6), Wisconsin (3.6), California (3.4), Connecticut (3.3), Pennsylvania (3.3), Illinois (3.2), New Mexico (3.2), and Oregon (3.1).

The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending April 20 were in Michigan (+6,172), Massachusetts (+4,101), Connecticut (+2,452), Rhode Island (+1,427), and Nevada (+535), while the largest decreases were in California (-16,681), New York (-6,443), Pennsylvania (-3,646), Texas (-3,070), and Indiana (-1,637).

Vega lifts off

Vega lifts off

NEW LOWER COST, LIGHTER WEIGHT AMMO LINKER DEVELOPED FOR U.S. AIR FORCE

 

A lightweight, mobile 30 mm ammunition round linker connects rounds to MK-15 links using a hand crank or a conventional electric drill. The linker was created by the Munitions Materiel Handling Equipment Focal Point, a section under the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s armament directorate, specializing in developing locally manufactured equipment for the Air Force ammo and weapons communities. The new linker is one-tenth the weight and cost of the current ammo linker in use and will be delivered to Air Force Special Operations Command units in May. (U.S. Air Force photo-Samuel King Jr.)

FROM: U.S. AIR FORCE
Eglin munitions unit creates ammo linker for AFSOC
by Samuel King Jr.
Team Eglin Public Affairs

5/2/2013 - EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- A new lighter, mobile 30mm ammo linker system is set for delivery to Air Force Special Operations Command units in May.

The 89-pound apparatus that feeds 15 unattached 30mm rounds into MK-15 links via a crank system was created and designed by Eglin's Munitions Materiel Handling Equipment Airmen. The MMHE Focal Point, a section under the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center's Armament Directorate, specializes in developing locally manufactured equipment for the Air Force ammo and weapons communities.

"The MMHE receives taskings via the major commands as well as through customer support visits," said Chief Master Sgt. Dennis Tangney, the MMHE focal point chief. "Our Airmen and engineers visit ammo and weapons sections and talk with maintainers and weapons crews. We explain to them how we can develop support equipment and tools that could make their jobs easier."

Those ideas and concerns are defined and passed up the chain of command for approval. If the idea is feasible, cost-effective and to the benefit of the Air Force, a design team begins the creation process on the product.

The initial AFSOC request was for a hand-held de-linker to easily and safely remove the 30mm ammunition rounds from the links.

"The previous method of using the force of your hands was slow and potentially dangerous," said Tech. Sgt. Mike Stratton, the linker project manager.

Engineers and drafters went to work creating a new product to meet the specific requirements to accomplish the task.

The result became a seven-pound de-linker tool that resembles a very large set of plyers, but fit the 30mm round perfectly. The de-linker reduces the amount of force to remove the ammo to a minimum.

After trying out the de-linker prototype, Stratton and his team received feedback that AFSOC Airmen could use a quicker, deployable way of connecting the ammo into the MK-15 belts.

"We evaluated the linking process at Hurlburt Field, and the ammo troops told us the current machine is too large, expensive , complex and not very mobile," said Ben Chambliss, the linker project engineer.

Again the MMHE developers began designing to meet this new requirement.

MMHE created a new linker that weighed and cost one-tenth of that of the current linker in use. The linker requires no electricity with the use of a hand crank, but it can also be controlled with an electric drill for faster speed. It is 58 inches long and 18 inches wide.

"(The linker) can be tossed in the back of a truck or on an aircraft and taken to wherever it's needed," said Chambliss.

An MMHE project goes through two main phases, the prototype phase and first article phase. The prototype phase is the creation by MMHE and the testing of the designed product by the customer. In the first article phase, another product is created with the changes and corrections provided from the customer testing. The new (first article) product goes back to the customer for final validation. Once it's cleared by the customer and approved by an Air Force safety board for operational use, the blueprints become available to DOD personnel via a secure website.

The linker/de-linker prototypes are already in use by the 27th Special Operations Maintenance Squadron at Cannon Air Force Base, N.M.

"These tools allow AFSOC munitions personnel to support AC-130W and future AC-130J Gunship 30mm operations in a safe and rapid manner at home station or deployed to austere locations world-wide providing outstanding munitions support to the special operations force mission, 'Any Time, Any Place,'" said Richard McDonald, AFSOC armament systems section chief. "Both tools can stand up to the wear and tear of daily operations at home station or in the field, be locally manufactured and parts can be easily and rapidly replaced as needed."

At any time, the MMHE Airmen have as many as 25 new pieces of equipment in development for Air Force warfighters.

SECRETARY KERRY'S REMARKS WITH THAI FOREIGN MINISTER

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT

Remarks With Thai Foreign Minister Dr. Surapong Tovichakchaikul Before Their Meeting

Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Treaty Room
Washington, DC
May 6, 2013
　

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you very much. It’s my great pleasure to welcome Foreign Minister Surapong from Thailand here. Let me first congratulate him, congratulate His Majesty, the King of Thailand, who celebrates his 63rd anniversary on the throne today. I know normally the commemoration day is yesterday, but they celebrate today.

And I want to thank our friends in Thailand, who represent the longest security relationship, the longest partner that we have in Asia – 180 years of a treaty relationship with Thailand. They are our partner in the largest multinational field exercise that takes place in the region. They are an important partner with respect to a number of security issues – for instance, in Darfur, where they are partnering with us, as well as in the Horn of Africa, where they’ve been very productive with us in countering piracy, anti-piracy efforts.

In addition, we cooperate on a far range of issues, from the environment to wildlife protection, species protection, counter-narcotics, organized crime, other initiatives with respect to refugees and trafficking, anti-trafficking efforts. So we have an enormously broad security relationship, and Mr. Foreign Minister, we are very, very happy to welcome you here today. Thank you.

FOREIGN MINISTER SURAPONG: Thank you. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. I am very pleased to be here once again in Washington, D.C. Secretary Kerry, thank you for your kind invitation and warm hospitality. Last November, President Obama visited Thailand as his first stop in Southeast Asia after his reelection. His visit served to strengthen our strong partnership. My meeting with Secretary Kerry today will be a good chance to continue dialogue on our future partnership, especially as we mark 180 years of Thai-U.S. diplomatic relations this year. So I am looking forward to a constructive discussion with Secretary Kerry on both bilateral and global issues of mutual interest.

Thank you.

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you very much, Mr. Minister. Let’s go work on the next 180 years.

SUPEROXIDES IN THE DARK

Ocean Sunset.  Credit:  U.S. Navy.

FROM:  NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

'Dark Oxidants' Form Away from Sunlight in Lake and Ocean Depths, Underground Soils
New findings overturn understanding of light-dependent environmental oxidants

Breathing oxygen... can be hazardous to your health?

Indeed, our bodies aren't perfect. They make mistakes, among them producing toxic chemicals, called oxidants, in cells. We fight these oxidants naturally, and by eating foods rich in antioxidants such as blueberries and dark chocolate.

All forms of life that breathe oxygen--even ones that can't be seen with the naked eye, such as bacteria--must fight oxidants to live.

"If they don't," says scientist Colleen Hansel of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts, "there are consequences: cancer and premature aging in humans, death in microorganisms."

These same oxidants also exist in the environment. But neutralizing environmental oxidants such as superoxide was a worry only for organisms that dwell in sunlight--in habitats that cover a mere 5 percent of the planet.

That was the only place where such environmental oxidants were thought to exist.

Now researchers have discovered the first light-independent source of superoxide. The key is bacteria common in the depths of the oceans and other dark places.

The bacteria breathe oxygen, just like humans. "And they're everywhere--literally," says Hansel, co-author of a paper reporting the results and published in this week's issue of the journal Science Express.

The result expands the known sources of superoxide to the 95 percent of Earth's habitats that are "dark." In fact, 90 percent of the bacteria tested in the study produced superoxide in the dark.

"Superoxide has been linked with light, such that its production in darkness was a real mystery," says Deborah Bronk of the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Division of Ocean Sciences, which co-funded the research with NSF's Division of Earth Sciences.

"This finding shows that bacteria can produce superoxide in the absence of light."

The bacteria are found "miles beneath the seafloor, in hot fluids coming from underwater volcanoes, in every type of underground soil and throughout deep lake and ocean waters," Hansel says.

The number of these bacteria in a thimble of seawater or soil is greater than the human population of San Francisco. And they're all releasing large amounts of superoxide.

On Earth's surface, "superoxide can kill corals, turning them white," says Hansel. "It can also produce huge fish kills during red tides. But it's not always bad."

It also helps ocean microorganisms acquire the nutrients they need to survive. And superoxide may remove the neurotoxin mercury from the sea, keeping it out of fish and off dinner plates.

The bacteria that produce superoxide could account for the total amount of the chemical in the oceans, Hansel and colleagues say, and are likely the main source in dark environments.

"That's a paradigm shift that will transform our understanding of the chemistry of the oceans, as well as of lakes and underground soils," says Hansel, "and of the life forms that live in and depend on them."

Co-authors of the paper are Julia Diaz and Chantal Mendes of Harvard University, Peter Andeer and Tong Zhang of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Bettina Voelker of the Colorado School of Mines.

-NSF-

NATO SECRETARY RASMUSSEN SAYS FURTHER DEFENSE CUTS RISKS REDUCING SECURITY

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
NATO Secretary General Warns Europe on Defense Cuts
By Nick Simeone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 6, 2013 - NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen warned today that further cuts in defense spending by European nations risk reducing the continent's defense and security to "hot air," turning the alliance into what he called a "global spectator" rather than a real force on the world stage.

"The only way to avoid this is by holding the line on defense spending and to start reinvesting in security as soon as our economies recover," he told a meeting in Brussels of the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Rasmussen said European nations should not become absorbed by their own domestic issues, including sluggish economies that have contributed to defense cuts, and instead develop a "truly global perspective" to respond to crises further away from home.

"Having the right capabilities is important, but it is not enough," he said. "We must also have the political will to use them, to deal with security challenges on Europe's doorstep, to help manage crises further away that might affect us here at home, and to better share the security burden with our North American allies."

Meanwhile, he said, European nations need to make better use of what they have – "to do more together as Europeans – within the European Union and within NATO - to deliver the critical defense capabilities that are too expensive for any individual country to deliver alone."

It was the latest in a series of warnings over the past several years by Rasmussen that further cuts by European governments in defense spending could put NATO's viability at risk. In 2011, Rasmussen said the trend suggested the continent was headed toward getting out of the security business entirely, pointing out that European nations had cut their defense budgets by $45 billion - the equivalent of Germany's entire annual defense budget - while U.S contributions to NATO had increased from about half of total alliance spending to close to 75 percent.

Those comments were followed by a blunt warning from then-U.S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, who said NATO risked "irrelevance" and a "dismal future" if alliance members were not seen as "serious and capable partners in their own defense."

Today, Rasmussen said soft power alone really is no power at all.

"Without hard capabilities to back up its diplomacy, Europe will lack credibility and influence," he added. "It will risk being a global spectator, rather than the powerful global actor that it can be and should be."

DEPUTY DEFENSE SECRETARY SAYS U.S. MILITARY AND INDUSTRIAL INTERESTS ARE ALIGNED

Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter delivers remarks after being honored with the Dwight D. Eisenhower Award and Medal by the National Defense Industrial Association at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in McLean, Va., May 3, 2013. The annual award recognizes leadership and strategic impact at the highest levels of national security. DOD photo by Glenn Fawcett

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Carter: Defense Industry Interests Align With Those of DOD
By Claudette Roulo
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 6, 2013 - The long-term interests of the defense industry and the Defense Department are aligned, Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter said during a May 3 awards ceremony in McLean, Va.

At the ceremony, Carter received the Eisenhower Award from the National Defense Industrial Association. The award recognizes leadership and strategic impact at the highest levels of national security, according to an NDIA news release.

The success of the U.S. defense industry is in the nation's interest, Carter told the audience.

Though President Dwight D. Eisenhower's farewell address in 1961 warned of the dangers of an outsized military-industrial complex, Carter said, the warning has been removed from its context. As a former Army general and supreme commander of the Allied forces in Europe, Eisenhower clearly understood the vital role played by the defense industry in securing the nation, the deputy secretary noted.

"The larger point of his farewell address was that the interests of the country are served when leaders take the long view," he continued. Only by properly aligning ends with means in accordance with national interests, rather than special interests, can national leaders achieve the balance Eisenhower sought, Carter said.

Eisenhower advocated "balance between the private and the public economy, balance between cost and hoped-for advantages, balance between the clearly necessary and the comfortably desirable, balance between our essential requirements as a nation and the duties imposed by the nation upon the individual [and] balance between the actions of the moment and the national welfare of the future," Carter said, quoting from the president's farewell address.

"He went on to say, 'Maintaining balance involves the element of time, as we peer into society's future. We -- you and I, and our government -- must avoid the impulse to live only for today, plundering for our own ease and convenience the precious resources of tomorrow,'" he said.

The Defense Department is taking the long view, Carter said, understanding that it is operating at the convergence of two great historical trends. The first -- a time of unprecedented strategic change -- led President Barack Obama to make clear in the new defense strategy that "we're turning a strategic corner," the deputy secretary said. The second -- historic levels of financial turbulence -- will require the department to absorb reductions in defense spending in the interest of the nation's overall fiscal health, he said.

The country is moving from an era dominated by two wars toward a future defined by disparate challenges and opportunities, Carter said.

"We know what many of these challenges are -- continued turmoil in the Middle East, the persistent threat of terrorism, enduring threats like weapons of mass destruction and a range of new threats like cyber," the deputy secretary said.

With the challenges come great opportunities, he said. Among them, Carter noted, is shifting the Defense Department's great intellectual and physical weight from Iraq and Afghanistan to the Asia-Pacific region, "where America's future ... will lie, and where America will continue and must continue to play a seven-decade-old pivotal, stabilizing role.

"As we draw down from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, our force needs to make a very difficult transition," Carter continued, "from a large, rotational counterinsurgency-based force, to a leaner, more agile, more flexible and ready force for the future."

There was nothing wrong with the force the nation built for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Carter told the audienced. "It was the right force for the period," he added, noting that the Afghanistan conflict is not over. "We can't ever forget that that still remains job one, but we're going into a different period," he said.

The department's rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region is predominately a political and economic concept, not a military one, the deputy secretary said. But, the Defense Department's role is to enable the continuation of the region's 60 years of peace and prosperity, he said, often by simply leading by example. "We believe that our strong security presence in the Asia-Pacific has provided a critical foundation for our principles to take root," Carter said.

"Our partners in the region welcome our leadership and the values that underlie them," he added, "and therefore, I believe that our rebalance will be welcomed and reciprocated."

The rebalance isn't aimed at any one country, or group of countries, in the region, Carter noted. "It's good for us, and it's good for everyone in the region, and it includes everyone in the region."

If managed properly, the department's budget reductions and the nation's strategic shift can reinforce one another, he said.

"That is the task before us in the Department of Defense," the deputy secretary said. "We know, that in making this strategic transition, we only deserve the amount of money we need, and not the amount we've gotten used to. That's why, well before the current budget turmoil, we made reductions to the department's budget by $487 billion over the coming decade."

Other cuts were made earlier under former Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates to eliminate unneeded or underperforming programs, Carter said. Additionally, overseas contingency operations funds are decreasing now that the military has left Iraq and is drawing down from Afghanistan, he said.

"Taken together, these reductions compare in pace and magnitude to historical cycles in defense spending the nation has experienced ... after Vietnam and after the Cold War,"the deputy secretary said. "We need to continue our relentless effort to make every defense dollar count."

The department is committed to this effort, he added, noting that "everything will be on the table" during an ongoing review of strategic choices and management. The results of the review will be delivered to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel in the coming weeks, Carter said.

"The choices that the secretary and the president make in response to these points in the following months will then inform our [fiscal year 2015] budget submission, as well as our [fiscal 2014] execution decisions," he added. "Ideally, we will have all three elements -- stability, time and flexibility -- with which to make critical budget decisions, but we must anticipate a wide range of possible contingencies."

Tough choices will be necessary in the years to come, Carter acknowledged, -- and will have significant impact on the United States, particularly if deep spending cuts required by the budget sequester remain in force.

"These tough choices, by necessity, must favor national interests over parochial priorities," he said. "What we cannot afford, as President Eisenhower said, is a debate in which people are in favor of sequester, but just not in their own back yard.

"Fiscal 'NIMBY-ism' is exactly the wrong policy prescription for what ails us," the deputy secretary said.

Press Briefing | The White House

Press Briefing | The White House

Epiphanies on an endless missile range

Epiphanies on an endless missile range

U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing - May 6, 2013

Daily Press Briefing - May 6, 2013

DOD Department of Defense Press Briefing on the 2013 DOD Report to Congress on Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China in the Pentagon Briefing Room

Department of Defense Press Briefing on the 2013 DOD Report to Congress on Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China in the Pentagon Briefing Room

ISAF NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN FOR MAY 6, 2013

U.S. soldiers and law enforcement professionals dismount a Stryker armored vehicle after arriving for the tactical site exploitation class in the Spin Boldak district of Afghanistan’s Kandahar province, April 25, 2013. The soldiers are assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division's 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, Task Force 435. The class certified Afghan police as instructors in crime scene investigation techniques. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Shane Hamann

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Combined Force Kills Insurgent During Search Operation
Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases

WASHINGTON, May 6, 2013 - A combined Afghan and coalition security force in the Nahrin district of Afghanistan's Baghlan province killed an insurgent today during a search for the district's ranking Taliban leader, military officials reported.

The Taliban leader and his cell of insurgent fighters have conducted a campaign of assassinations in the district, collected illegal taxes from local civilians, and participated in multiple attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

He also is instrumental in training and familiarizing new fighters in the area and has a history of coordinating suicide attacks with local Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan terrorist groups.

As the security force approached the leader's suspected location, an insurgent maneuvered against the Afghan and coalition troops and was killed when he posed a lethal threat. The security force also seized a light machine gun and ammunition in the operation.

In other Afghanistan operations today:

--A combined force in Nangarhar province's Khugyani district arrested a senior Taliban leader who has planned and directed assassinations against government officials, conducted attacks targeting Afghan and coalition forces and facilitated the movement of money, weapons and insurgent fighters throughout the area. The security force also arrested another insurgent.

-- In Kandahar province's Maiwand district, a combined force arrested a Taliban facilitator who is responsible for providing weapons and fighters to local insurgent groups and has a history of distributing roadside bombs, grenades, machine guns, ammunition and other military supplies for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. The security force also arrested another insurgent and seized 2 pounds of opium.

-- A combined force in Helmand province's Nawah-ye Barakzai district arrested a Taliban facilitator who has a history of distributing roadside bombs to insurgent cells throughout the province and has participated in attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. The security force also arrested four other insurgents.

In operations yesterday:

-- In Baghlan province's Baghlan-e Jadid district, a combined force killed an insurgent during a search for an insurgent leader with ties to the Taliban and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. The leader directs improvised explosive device operations targeting senior government officials and Afghan and coalition forces and works directly with Taliban senior leadership to disseminate information to low-level fighters. He also is vital in facilitating money and weapons for insurgent groups in the area.

-- In the same district, Provincial Response Company Baghlan, enabled by coalition forces, killed six insurgents when it responded to an attack on another Afghan unit. The joint force engaged several insurgents armed with small arms and rocket-propelled grenades shortly after being dispatched by the provincial chief of police.

-- Provincial Response Company Farah, enabled by coalition forces, detained six insurgents and seized a cache of weapons, drugs and ammunition while conducting a high-risk arrest in Farah province's Pusht E Rod District. The cache consisted of four RPG rockets, two pressure plates, 110 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition, 11 pounds of opium and a pound of hashish.

-- A combined force in Kandahar province's Dand district killed Qudrat, a Taliban leader, and arrested four other insurgents. Qudrat was in charge of a cell of Taliban fighters responsible for IED operations throughout the province. He also facilitated the movement of weapons in the area and provided operational reports to senior Taliban leaders in the area. The security force also seized a pistol and an ammunition magazine.

-- In Baghlan province's Burkah district, a combined force arrested four insurgents during a search for a senior insurgent leader with ties to both the Taliban and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan who has operational control over fighters responsible for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He is vital in facilitating the movement of weapons, particularly rocket-propelled grenades, to insurgent fighters in the area. He and his group also collect illegal taxes from the local populace to fund terrorist activity. The security force also seized three rifles, magazines and ammunition.

-- A combined force in Helmand province's Nahr-e Saraj district arrested a Taliban leader who is responsible for coordinating and executing attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He also procures and distributes weapons and IED components to his subordinate fighters and other insurgent groups. The security force also addressed three other insurgents.

-- In the same district, Afghan local police and soldiers and coalition forces killed more than 18 insurgents after being attacked at police checkpoints. The district police chief provided a quick-reaction force to one checkpoint, and the district operations coordination center tasked Afghan commandos to support the fight at another. Coalition forces provided indirect fire in support of the quick-reaction force.

In May 4 operations:

-- In Baghlan province's Burkah district, a combined force arrested a senior insurgent leader with ties to both the Taliban and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. The leader has operational control over fighters responsible for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He is vital in facilitating the movement of weapons, particularly rocket-propelled grenades, to insurgent fighters in the area. He and his group also collect illegal taxes from the local populace to fund terrorist activity.

-- A combined force in Jowzjan province's Qush Tepah district killed three insurgents and wounded another during a search for a senior Taliban leader who directs all Taliban operations in the district and coordinates with insurgent networks in Jowzjan and Sar-e Pul districts. He is responsible for the facilitation, planning and coordination of attacks on Afghan and coalition forces in the region. Officials said he is planning an attack on an Afghan checkpoint, plotting to kill the guards and take their weapons. He also relays instructions from senior Taliban leaders to more than 100 fighters. The insurgents were seen planting a rocket.

-- Afghan local police and coalition forces detained three insurgents after finding them in the possession of about 45 pounds of IED-making materials and three pressure plate training devices in Zabul province's Shah Joy district.

-- In Nangarhar province's Charparhar district, Afghan commandos, advised by coalition forces, detained 14 insurgents during a clearing operation conducted to disrupt a known Taliban attack staging area.

-- Afghan local police, advised by coalition forces, detained an IED operative during a patrol in Logar province's Baraki Barak district and turned him over to Afghan National Police.

-- A combined force in Helmand province's Marjah district arrested a Taliban leader who has operational control over fighters responsible for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He is also key in procuring and distributing weapons and IED components. The security force also arrested two other insurgents.

-- In Khost province's Gurbuz district, a combined force arrested a Haqqani network facilitator who is responsible for trafficking weapons. The security force also seized three assault rifles, a pistol, 10 magazines and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition.

In May 3 operations:

-- A combined force in Nangarhar province's Khugyani district arrested a high-profile Taliban attack facilitator who provides logistical support to senior Taliban leaders. He organizes the purchase, transfer and delivery of weapons to support the Taliban insurgency, and has sold rockets used in attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

-- Afghan commandos in Nangarhar province's Chaparhar district arrested a mid-level Taliban leader who is involved in the narcotics trade and is responsible for attacks against coalition forces and Afghan government officials.

National Nurses Week

National Nurses Week

U.S. AND BRITAIN TO STRENGTHEN ALLIANCE

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
U.S., Britain Look to Strengthen Already Strong Alliance
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 2, 2013 - The United States and the United Kingdom are looking for ways to deepen an already close military-to-military relationship, American and British defense leaders said following a Pentagon meeting today.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and British Defense Secretary Philip Hammond told Pentagon reporters that they discussed the situations in Syria, Iran and Afghanistan.

The two men also discussed shared acquisition programs and ways to operate in fiscally constrained times.

With respect to Syria, the U.S. military continues to examine all options, including arming those opposed to the regime of Bashar Assad. "That's an option," Hagel said.

The international community's objective in Syria is to stop the violence, promote stability and help the Syrian people transition to a post-Assad government, Hagel noted.

"Any country, any power, any international coalition, any partnership is going to continue to look at options, how best to accomplish those objectives," he said. "This is not a static situation."

U.S. officials constantly are evaluating the fast-changing situation in Syria and one of those options -- among many -- is arming the rebels, Hagel said.

The two men agreed that a diplomatic solution in Syria is preferred.

"We continue to believe that a diplomatic solution is needed to end the bloodshed and that Assad and his close associates can have no place in the future of Syria," Hammond said. "We in the U.K. are stepping up our support to the national coalition and remind the regime that nothing has been taken off the table in the light of the continuing bloodshed."

There is some evidence that someone in Syria used a nerve agent, and both men said they are concerned about this.

"We remain increasingly concerned at the emerging evidence of the use of chemical weapons, and we demand that the regime allow the U.N. to investigate these allegations," Hammond said. "Assad should be in no doubt that the world is watching and will hold him ... and anyone else to account who is found responsible for the use of chemical weapons."

Hagel voiced his sympathy to the British people for the loss of three soldiers in Afghanistan's Helmand province yesterday. He and Hammond discussed the ways the United States and the United Kingdom will work together through the end of the combat mission in Afghanistan in December 2014 and the way the two countries will support Afghanistan after that.

Hammond got a chance yesterday to see a British pilot flying the F-35B joint strike fighter being tested at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Md.

"The United Kingdom's continued commitment to this program, and our growing cooperation in new priority areas like cyber, is helping ensure this alliance has the kind of [cutting-edge] capabilities needed for the future," Hagel said.

"The U.K. and the U.S. remain in lock step on these projects, and as we take them forward, we will ensure the continuity of those vital capabilities," Hammond said.

The two men will continue discussions here tonight and will meet at NATO next month.

Immagine EO della settimana: Dove l'Oriente incontra l'Occidente

Immagine EO della settimana: Dove l'Oriente incontra l'Occidente

U.S.-SERBIA RELATIONS

FROM: CIA WORLD FACTBOOK

Belgrade, located at the confluence of the Danube and Sava Rivers, is the capital of the Republic of Serbia. The core of old Belgrade - known as Kalemegdan - is located along the right banks of both the Danube and the Sava Rivers (image center). To the west across the Sava, Novi Beograd (New Belgrade) was constructed following World War II. The difference in urban patterns between the older parts of Belgrade and Novi Beograd is striking in this astronaut photograph from the International Space Station. Novi Beograd has an open grid structure formed by large developments and buildings such as the Palace of Serbia - a large federal building constructed during the Yugoslav period, now used to house elements of the Serbian Government. By contrast, the older urban fabric of Belgrade is characterized by a denser street grid and numerous smaller structures. Other suburban and residential development (characterized by red rooftops) extends to the south, east, and across the Danube to the north. The location of Belgrade along trade and travel routes between the East and West contributed to both its historical success as a center of trade and its fate as a battleground. Today, the city is the financial center of Serbia, while Novi Beograd supports one of the largest business districts in southeastern Europe. Image courtesy of NASA.


FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
U.S. Relations With Serbia
Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs
Fact Sheet
April 30, 2013


Serbia occupies a key strategic juncture in the Balkans at the social, political, and geographic crossroads between Eastern and Western Europe. The United States seeks to strengthen its relationship with Serbia through deepening cooperation based on mutual interest and respect.

In 1999, the United States broke off relations with the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY), a predecessor state that included Serbia, when it launched an ethnic cleansing and deportation campaign against noncombatant citizens. This was followed by a bombing campaign of the FRY by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) that lasted nearly 78 days until the FRY Government agreed to allow the establishment of a United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) and the NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR), which allowed displaced persons and refugees to return to their homes. The United States formally reopened its embassy to FRY in 2001. In 2003, the state union of Serbia and Montenegro succeeded the FRY, which in turn dissolved in 2006 when following a referendum Montenegro became independent. Following a UN-backed process to determine the province’s future status, Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia in 2008, which the U.S. recognized, but Serbia rejected. Consequently, Serbia withdrew its ambassador to the U.S. from February to October 2008. Pursuant to its constitution, the Government of Serbia still considers Kosovo to be part of its territory and has not recognized Kosovo’s independence, although more than 90 countries have done so.

In 2011, the European Union (EU) facilitated a dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo to discuss practical issues, such as the mutual acceptance of university diplomas. Under the leadership of EU High Representative Ashton, the dialogue intensified in October 2012, as the Prime Ministers of Serbia and Kosovo began a series of meetings that led them to initial an agreement on northern Kosovo on April 19, 2013. That agreement, when implemented, will allow Serbia and Kosovo to normalize their relationship and continue on their paths toward European integration. The U.S. has fully supported this process since it began, and the U.S. will continue to support the efforts to implement the agreement. Reform and integration remain the pillars of the shared approach the United States has with the EU in the Balkans.

U.S. Assistance to Serbia

The U.S. Government's assistance goals in Serbia are to strengthen institutional capacity of key government bodies, promote transparency through the improvement of adherence to the rule of law, support civil society development, encourage efforts to strengthen regional stability, and create opportunities for economic growth.

Bilateral Economic Relations

In March 2012, Serbia was granted European Union candidate country status, and the European Council will decide on whether to grant Serbia a date to begin accession talks in June 2013. Serbia’s designation as an EU candidate, and progress that the Government of Serbia makes in meeting criteria for EU accession, could help spur renewed interest in the country both in terms of investment potential and as an export market for U.S. goods and services. Serbia also seeks to join the World Trade Organization. The country's accomplishments in modernizing legislation to conform to EU and international standards in nearly all areas affecting the economy, from intellectual property rights to foreign trade, have been impressive, but must continue.

Among the leading U.S. investors in Serbia are Philip Morris, Ball Packaging, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Cooper Tire and Van Drunen Farms. Many other leading U.S. firms, from a broad variety of industrial and service sectors, have a significant presence in Serbia. There has been increased interest from U.S. ICT companies in Serbia with specific emphasis on opportunities in e-government, cloud computing, digitization, systems integration and IT security. Microsoft recently signed a $34 million contract to provide software to Serbian Government offices.

Serbia's Membership in International Organizations

Serbia and the United States belong to a number of the same international organizations, including the United Nations, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, International Monetary Fund, and World Bank. Serbia is a member of the Council of Europe and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) Partnership for Peace.

EXECUTIVE SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR ROLE IN LCD PRICE-FIXING CONSPIRACY

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Monday, April 29, 2013
Au Optronics Corporation Executive Sentenced for Role in LCD Price-Fixing Conspiracy
An executive of AU Optronics Corp., a Taiwan-based liquid crystal display (LCD) producer, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in San Francisco for his participation in a worldwide thin-film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) price-fixing conspiracy. Shiu Lung Leung, AU Optronics Corp.’s former senior manager in its Desktop Display Business Group, was sentenced to serve 24 months in prison and to pay a $50,000 criminal fine, the Department of Justice announced.

AU Optronics Corp., based in Hsinchu, Taiwan, and its American subsidiary, AU Optronics Corp. America, headquartered in Milpitas, Calif., were found guilty in March 2012, for their participation in the price-fixing conspiracy, following an eight-week trial. Former AU Optronics Corp. president Hsuan Bin Chen and former AU Optronics Corp. executive vice president Hui Hsiung were also found guilty at that time. A mistrial was declared against Leung after that trial. Today’s sentencing took place before Judge Susan Illston and follows a three-week retrial that started in November 2012 and resulted in Leung’s conviction.


"These international price-fixers caused consumers to pay inflated prices for their computer monitors, notebook computers and televisions," said Assistant Attorney General Bill Baer in charge of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division. "Prison sentences for culpable executives, combined with substantial fines against corporate wrongdoers, are the most effective deterrents for protecting consumers from this kind of illegal cartel behavior."

The indictment charged that AU Optronics Corp. participated in the worldwide price-fixing conspiracy from Sept. 14, 2001, to Dec. 1, 2006, and that its subsidiary joined the conspiracy as early as spring 2003. The indictment further charged that Leung participated in that conspiracy from May 15, 2002 to Dec. 1, 2006. LCD panels affected by the conspiracy were a major component in flat-panel computer monitors, notebook computers, and flat-screen televisions sold in the United States. The conspirators fixed the prices of LCD panels during monthly meetings with their competitors, which were secretly held in hotel conference rooms, karaoke bars and tea rooms around Taiwan.

Eight companies have been convicted of charges arising out of the department’s ongoing investigation and have been sentenced to pay criminal fines totaling $1.39 billion. All together, 22 executives have been charged. Including today’s sentence, 13 executives have been convicted and have been sentenced to serve prison terms ranging from six to 36 months.