ISAF NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN FOR MAY 8, 2013

 

U.S. Marines stand guard at a mortar range near Camp Shorabak in Afghanistan's Helmand province, May 4, 2013, while instructors with the Regional Corps Battle School train Afghan soldiers to improve proficiency with the 60mm mortar system. The Marines are assigned to 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 7. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Ezekiel R. Kitandwe.

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Combined Force Arrests Taliban Leader in Kandahar Province
From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releasek

KABUL, Afghanistan, May 8, 2013 - An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader and three other insurgents during an operation in the Panjwa'i district of Afghanistan's Kandahar province today, military officials reported.

The arrested insurgent leader has coordinated and carried out attacks against tribal elders in the region, as well as against Afghan and coalition forces.

In other Afghanistan operations today:

-- A combined force arrested a Taliban leader in the Marjeh district of Helmand province. The leader planned, directed and took part in attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He also procures and distributes weapons to insurgent cells in the local area and advises senior insurgent leaders on long-term strategic goals. The security force also seized one AK-47 rifle, three magazines and 250 rounds of ammunition.

-- A combined force arrested three insurgents during a search for a high-ranking Haqqani leader in Paktika province's Ziruk district. The sought-after Haqqani leader directs attacks against Afghan and coalition forces and has led attacks on government facilities throughout Afghanistan, including in Khost and Kabul provinces. The security force also seized ammunition during the operation.

In Afghanistan operations yesterday, Provincial Response Company Logar, enabled by coalition forces, detained four insurgents and discovered a cache of weapons and explosives-making materials while conducting a cordon-and-search operation in Logar province's Pul-e district. The cache, which was destroyed on location, included 15 Chinese 107 mm rockets, one 82 mm recoilless rifle round and two 50-kilogram [110-pound] bags of fertilizer.

U.S. State Department Daily Press Briefing - May 8, 2013

Daily Press Briefing - May 8, 2013

PRESIDENT OBAMA LOOKS TO A SYRIA AFTER ASSAD

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Obama Says U.S. Working Toward Post-Assad Syria
By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 7, 2013 - President Barack Obama said today the United States has both a moral obligation and a national security interest in "ending the slaughter in Syria," but cannot act or build consensus based on perceptions.

During a joint White House press conference with South Korean President Park Geun-hye, Obama said the two leaders discussed Syria "where both our nations are working to strengthen the opposition and plan for a Syria without Bashar Assad."

The United States also is obliged to ensure that a post-Assad Syria is stable, with a government that represents all its people and doesn't create chaos for its neighbors, he added.

"That's why for the last two years we have been active in trying to ensure that Bashar Assad exits the stage and that we can begin a political transition process," Obama said. "That's the reason why we have invested so much in humanitarian aid. That's the reason why we are so invested in helping the opposition, why we've mobilized the international community, to isolate Syria. That's why we are now providing non-lethal assistance to the opposition. And that's why we're going to continue to do the work that we need to do."

Assessing costs and benefits of action in Syria shows "there'd be severe costs in doing nothing," Obama said.

"That's why we're not doing nothing," he added. "That's why we are actively invested in the process."

U.S. leaders are working "to hasten the day when we can see a better situation in Syria," he said. "We've been doing that all along and we'll continue to do that.

While many people would understandably prefer an easy answer to the dilemma Syria poses, Obama said, "That's not the situation there."

He added his job as president and commander in chief is to measure "our very real and legitimate humanitarian and national security interests in Syria" against "my bottom line, which is what's in the best interests of America's security."

His decisions can't be based on hope, Obama said, but "on hard-headed analysis in terms of what will actually make us safer and stabilize the region."

The president acknowledged there is evidence of the use of sarin gas, a nerve agent, inside Syria, but added he can't organize international coalitions around perceived information.

"We want to make sure that we have the best analysis possible," he said. "We want to make sure that we are acting deliberately."

ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF DISCUSSES READINESS AND SECURITY ISSUES

FROM: U.S DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Odierno: Readiness Issues Pose Risk to U.S. Security
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 7, 2013 - A smaller Army still needs to be ready, and sequester issues on top of previous budget cuts are impacting readiness accounts, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray T. Odierno said here today.

The general told reporters at the Defense Writers Group that the Army "has to be ready to do many missions, at many speeds, in many different environments."

The Army is scheduled to cut a total of 80,000 soldiers from its ranks, he said, and this smaller force still needs to be ready.

"We have to be able to build [-up] quicker, in scalable packages, for unknown contingencies," Odierno said.

Readiness problems are growing, he said, with fiscal year 2013 shortfalls causing problems in the Army.

"We were short funding Afghanistan, and we had sequester on top of that," the general said.

This left the Army with a $13 billion shortfall, and that affects readiness, he said. Through the rest of fiscal 2013, about 80 percent of the Army will train at very low levels at home stations -- squad or platoon levels.

"We've cancelled six National Training Center rotations for the rest of the year, we've reduced flying hours, we've had to degrade services at installations -- right now, we're going to furlough civilians for 14 days," Odierno said. "That's how we're going to pay the bills in [fiscal year] '13."

This means the Army will begin fiscal 2014 in a readiness hole, the general said.

Without a solution, "I see us having a three- or four-year issue with readiness," he said. "Our ability to respond will be degraded and I worry about the unknown contingency."

The Army, he said, will continue to train forces for known contingencies like Afghanistan.

"But for unknown contingencies our risk goes way up," Odierno said. "The environment we are going to have to operate in will be a mix of high-end, combined-arms maneuvers, but also some aspect of counterinsurgency and some aspect of stability operations."

The general said Army units also must be ready to counter asymmetric operations.

"We have to be able to operate in a very complicated environment," he said.

And, the Army needs to train to provide the combined arms capability that is the Army's specialty in the joint force, Odierno said.

Army officials also are concerned that the readiness shortfall could translate into retention problems in the future, he said.

"We are not seeing any degradation in retention or in our ability to recruit," the general said. "Last year, for the first time, not everybody who wanted to was able to reenlist. Our attrition rates are at historic lows."

Yet, Odierno said, the retention environment can change quickly.

Readiness plays a part in this also, he said. "If we don't have the money to train and do what we need to do, it will have an impact [on retention]," he said.

Odierno entered the Army in 1976, when the three-year-old all-volunteer military was going through some teething pains.

"I came into a hollow Army. I don't want to leave a hollow Army," he said. "When I first came in we had significant discipline problems. We didn't have the money to train, we didn't sustain standards [and] we were recovering from the Vietnam War.

"What I worry about is if we continue to have these budget issues, we're heading down the same road," he added.

Odierno said he was fortunate as a young officer to "grow up" with leaders doing everything they could to correct the situation.

This is serious business with real consequences, he said. "I have to make sure that we can meet the needs of this country and when they need them, they are ready," Odierno said. "When the Army gets involved and when you are not ready, the cost is lives."

Odierno pointed to the casualty lists from the 1st Cavalry Division and Task Force Smith in the early days of the Korean War as examples of the cost of not being militarily prepared.

"We can't do that again," he said. "It would not be acceptable to the American people. They spend a lot of money on defense. They expect us to be ready and they expect us to respond when needed."

After Chelyabinsk: European experts assess asteroid options

After Chelyabinsk: European experts assess asteroid options

SEC CHARGES HARRISBURG, PA WITH SECURITIES FRAUD

FROM: U.S. SECRUITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C., May 6, 2013 — The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged the City of Harrisburg, Pa., with securities fraud for its misleading public statements when its financial condition was deteriorating and financial information available to municipal bond investors was either incomplete or outdated

An SEC investigation found that the misleading statements were made in the city’s budget report, annual and mid-year financial statements, and a State of the City address. This marks the first time that the SEC has charged a municipality for misleading statements made outside of its securities disclosure documents. Harrisburg has agreed to settle the charges.

The SEC found that Harrisburg failed to comply with requirements to provide certain ongoing financial information and audited financial statements for the benefit of investors holding hundreds of millions of dollars in bonds issued or guaranteed by the city. As a result of Harrisburg’s non-compliance from 2009 to 2011, investors had to seek out Harrisburg’s other public statements in order to obtain current information about the city’s finances. However, very little information about the city’s fiscal situation was publicly available elsewhere. Information that was accessible on the city’s website such as its 2009 budget, 2009 State of the City address, and 2009 mid-year fiscal report either misstated or failed to disclose critical information about Harrisburg’s financial condition and credit ratings.

The SEC separately issued a report today addressing the disclosure obligations of public officials and their potential liability under the federal securities laws for public statements made in the secondary market for municipal securities.

"In an information vacuum caused by Harrisburg’s failure to provide accurate information about its deteriorating financial condition, municipal investors had to rely on other public statements misrepresenting city finances," said George S. Canellos, Co-Director of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement. "Statements that are reasonably expected to reach the securities markets, even if not prepared for that purpose, cannot be materially misleading."

Elaine C. Greenberg, Chief of the SEC’s Enforcement Division’s Municipal Securities and Public Pensions Unit, said, "A municipal issuer’s obligation to provide accurate and timely material information to investors is an ongoing one. Because of Harrisburg’s misrepresentations, secondary market investors made trading decisions based on inaccurate and stale information."

According to the SEC’s order instituting settled administrative proceedings, Harrisburg is a near-bankrupt city under state receivership largely due to approximately $260 million in debt the city had guaranteed for upgrades and repairs to a municipal resource recovery facility owned by The Harrisburg Authority. As of March 15, 2013, Harrisburg has missed approximately $13.9 million in general obligation debt service payments.

According to the SEC’s order, Harrisburg had not submitted annual financial information or audited financial statements since submitting its 2007 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) to a Nationally Recognized Municipal Securities Information Repository (NRMSIR) in January 2009. Beginning in July 2009, Harrisburg was obligated to submit financial information and notices such as principal and interest payment delinquencies and changes in bond ratings to a central repository known as the Electronic Municipal Market Access (EMMA) system maintained by the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (MSRB). Harrisburg did not submit its 2008 CAFR to EMMA, instead erroneously submitting it to a former NRMSIR on March 2, 2010. Harrisburg did not submit its 2009 CAFR to EMMA until Aug. 6, 2012, and did not submit its 2010 CAFR to EMMA until Dec. 20, 2012. The city did not submit material event notices about its failure to submit annual financial information or its credit rating downgrades until March 29, 2011, after the SEC had commenced its investigation.

Therefore, the SEC’s order finds that at a time of increased interest in the Harrisburg’s financial health due to the deteriorating financial condition of The Harrisburg Authority, the city created a risk that investors could purchase or sell securities in the secondary market on the basis of incomplete and outdated information. For current information, investors had to review other public statements from the city about its fiscal situation. For example, Harrisburg’s 2009 budget and its accompanying transmittal letter were accessible on Harrisburg’s website. By the time the 2009 budget was passed, Harrisburg was aware of the Authority’s projected budget deficits and that Dauphin County was challenging a rate increase. As a result, the Authority was unlikely to have sufficient revenues to pay its 2009 debt service obligations. However, Harrisburg’s 2009 budget as adopted did not include funds for debt guarantee payments. The 2009 budget also misstated Harrisburg’s credit as being rated "Aaa" by Moody’s when in fact Moody’s had downgraded Harrisburg’s general obligation credit rating to Baa1 by December 2008.

According to the SEC’s order, another public statement available to investors on the city’s website was the annual State of the City address delivered on April 9, 2009. The address only discussed the municipal resource recovery facility as a situation that was an "additional challenge" and an "issue that can be resolved." The address was misleading because it failed to mention that by this time, Harrisburg had already made $1.8 million in guarantee payments on the resource recovery facility bond debt. It also omitted the total amount of the debt that the city would likely have to repay from its general fund. By this time, Harrisburg knew that the Authority had failed to secure the requested rate increase, making it likely that Harrisburg would have to repay $260 million of the debt as guarantor.

According to the SEC’s order, Harrisburg’s 2009 mid-year fiscal report available on its website was designed to provide a snapshot of budget-to-actual figures at the middle of the year. However, the report did not reference any of the guarantee payments the city had made on the municipal resource recovery facility debt, which at this mid-year point totaled $2.3 million (7 percent of its general fund expenditures).

The SEC’s order requires Harrisburg to cease and desist from committing or causing violations of Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5. The city neither admits nor denies the findings in the order. In the settlement, the SEC considered Harrisburg’s cooperation in the investigation and the various remedial measures implemented by the city to prevent further securities laws violations.

The SEC’s investigation was conducted by members of the Enforcement Division’s Municipal Securities and Public Pensions Unit including Senior Enforcement Counsel Yolanda Gonzalez and Assistant Director Ivonia K. Slade with assistance from Municipal Securities Specialist Jonathan D. Wilcox. The investigation was supervised by Unit Chief Elaine C. Greenberg and Deputy Chief Mark R. Zehner.

U.S.-REPUBLIC OF KOREA RELEASE JOINT STATEMENT ON GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Joint Statement on Addressing Global Climate Change
Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
May 7, 2013

The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America and the Republic of Korea on the occasion of the visit by ROK President Park Geun-hye to the United States:

The Republic of Korea and the United States share the view that anthropogenic climate change represents a threat to the security and sustainable development of all nations. As two of the world’s major economies, and as members of the G20, the Major Economies Forum (MEF) on Energy and Climate, and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the Republic of Korea and the United States, by virtue of their national circumstances and capabilities, are each in a position to carry out significant and concrete action to reduce the threat of climate change and its impacts.

Both the Republic of Korea and the United States are also making significant efforts towards implementing their 2020 mitigation pledges under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The United States will continue to strengthen measures to reduce its emissions through a wide range of actions in key sectors of the economy. The Republic of Korea is developing and implementing a set of mitigation and adaptation policies aimed at achieving a low carbon economy. Such actions will contribute not only to addressing the challenge of climate change, but also to building a more creative economy that generates new jobs and future growth engines. Through its successful bid to host the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the Republic of Korea has demonstrated its ambition in assuming a leadership role in addressing climate change, including providing support for and contributing to the GCF. Both the Republic of Korea and the United States will make efforts for the early and successful operationalization of the GCF.

Cooperative efforts between the Republic of Korea and the United States demonstrate our shared commitment to advancing climate action in the multilateral context. Both countries will continue to pursue a post-2020 agreement that is flexible and applicable to all Parties in the context of the UNFCCC, with substantive contributions from Parties consistent with national circumstances and capabilities. We will also work together in the context of the International Maritime Organization, while respecting each other’s position, to further enhance energy efficiency and therefore reduce greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping. We highlight the importance of the MEF and Clean Energy Ministerial as complementary venues for dialogue as well as platforms for exploring joint efforts to take concrete actions in major sectors of our economies, with the goal of bending down the global emissions curve. In addition, we emphasize the importance of taking action to advance near-term climate change agenda, including through the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) to Reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants to support the achievement of the ultimate goal of the UNFCCC. A bilateral dialogue between both countries will be held regularly to exchange views on the climate change negotiations.

The Republic of Korea and the United States are engaged in a wide range of bilateral activities on climate change, particularly in the context of the recently approved 2013-2015 Work Program of the U.S.-Korea Environmental Cooperation Agreement. Under this agreement, we will intensify cooperation in a number of areas, including clean energy research and development, research on climate modeling, workshops on climate risk assessment and adaptation planning, and joint work on the development and adoption of smart grids and energy efficiency technologies that will produce new jobs and markets in this evolving sector.

The governments of the Republic of Korea and the United States will continue to treat climate change as an issue of high priority in the bilateral relationship as we work towards an ambitious and coordinated global response to this serious challenge.

NAVY'S FIRST MANNED AND UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SQUADRON

Official U.S. Navy file photo

FROM: U.S. NAVY, MAGICANS
Magicians Reborn as Navy's First Squadron to Operate Manned and Unmanned Aircraft

CORONADO, Calif. -- (NNS) -- Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 35 became the first composite expeditionary helicopter squadron to include both the world's most technologically advanced helicopter; the MH-60R Seahawk and the MQ-8B Fire Scout Vertical Take-off and Landing Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (VTUAV); during an establishment ceremony today on Naval Air Station North Island.

As the Navy's first operational squadron with both manned and unmanned aircraft, HSM- 35 heralds a new era for Naval Aviation. The squadron, designated the "Magicians," adopted the call sign of Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light 35, which was decommissioned on NAS North Island in 1992, after 19 years of service.

"The reestablishment of this squadron is exceptional as it points toward the future for our Naval Aviation forces," said Commander, Naval Air Forces, Vice Adm. David H. Buss. "The actions today represent a clear line dividing what Naval Aviation once was and what it will be."

As the next generation submarine hunter and anti-surface warfare helicopter, the MH-60R is the cornerstone of the Navy's Helicopter Concept of Operations. The Fire Scout (VTUAV) system provides unique situation awareness and precision target support for the Navy, said Buss.

Both new aircraft will embark with the Navy's new high speed, agile, shallow-draft Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), which was also recently introduced to the fleet.

The establishment ceremony included the reading of orders by the squadron's first commanding officer, Cmdr. Christopher S. Hewlett, a Los Angeles native.

More than 100 Sailors stood in formation as their unit became an official part of the Navy's Pacific Fleet Air Forces.

"Today we give birth to our new squadron while celebrating the legacy of our past," said Hewlett. "We honor all the former Magicians of HSL-35, and will continue in the same spirit of war-fighting excellence to provide extraordinary support to the fleet."

Sixty former HSL-35 members were in attendance, including one commanding officer, retired Capt. George Powell and an original Magicians' pilot, retired Capt. Rob Moore. Both shared their enthusiasm about the rebirth of their old squadron.

"I think the reestablishment is awesome, because almost every single unit I was a part of during my time in the Navy has been decommissioned," said Powell. "But now this squadron is coming back, and I think it's really neat."

The Magicians' first mission, beginning this summer, will be to undergo training and develop guidelines for what will be the Navy's standards of operation for the expeditionary Fire Scout. According to Buss, the procedures set by the Magicians will chart the course for Naval Aviation's operating future.

ISAF NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN

U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Bryan B. Battaglia, right, senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, discusses operations with the 4th Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division key leaders during a briefing on Forward Operating Base Gamberi, Laghman province, Afghanistan, May 4, 2013. Battaglia is visiting troops in Afghanistan and meeting with key leaders to gain insight on current and future operations. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Kent Redmond

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Combined Force Arrests Taliban Leader in Helmand Province
From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release

KABUL, Afghanistan, May 7, 2013 - An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader and three other insurgents during an operation in the Lashkar Gah district of Afghanistan's Helmand province today, military officials reported.

The arrested leader oversees a group of insurgent fighters responsible for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He also regularly provides operational updates to senior Taliban leadership and distributes weapons to other insurgent cells in the local area.

Also today, combined forces confirmed the death of Khialuddin, an insurgent leader with ties to the Taliban and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, during a May 5 operation in the Baghlan-e Jadid district of Baghlan province. Khialuddin -- also known as Shahbudin or Karwan -- directed improvised explosive device operations targeting senior government officials and Afghan and coalition forces throughout Baghlan province. He also worked with Taliban senior leaders to disseminate information to low-level insurgent fighters and facilitated money and weapons to insurgent groups.

In Afghanistan operations yesterday:

-- A combined force killed one insurgent during a search for a Taliban leader in the Shirin Tagab district of Faryab province. The sought-after insurgent leader leads a cell of 15 insurgents responsible for attacks on Afghan and coalition forces. He also arranges the purchase of weapons for Taliban operations and coordinates training for new insurgents. He and his fighters are also responsible for multiple IED attacks in the area.

-- Afghan National Army Special Forces and Afghan National Police, enabled by coalition forces, detained an IED-maker and discovered a weapons cache in Katu village in the Shinkai district of Zabul province. The cache contained three tactical vests, two rifles, IED-making materials and an unknown quantity of ammonium nitrate.

-- A combined force wounded one insurgent during a search for a Haqqani leader in the Musa Khel district of Khost province. The sought-after insurgent leader is responsible for weapons facilitation and also plans attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He also has coordinated the movement of IEDs, mortar rounds and other weapons throughout the Musa Khel district.

-- An Afghan police member apprehended a suicide bomber after an attempted attack on another police member in his home in the Sar Howzah district of Paktika province. Reportedly, the suspect entered the home, attempted to shoot the occupants with an AK-47 rifle that misfired, and then attempted to detonate his suicide vest.

In May 5 operations:

-- A combined force seized a large quantity of narcotics at a vehicle search checkpoint in the western Dashte area of Helmand province. The combined force discovered 450 kilograms of wet opium and 6 kilograms of pure heroin with an estimated street value of $200,000. The security force also seized some small-arms weapons. All of the narcotics were destroyed.

-- Provincial Response Company Wardak, enabled by coalition forces, seized a cache containing 1,200 pounds of homemade explosives in the Nerkh district of Wardak province.

DOD REPORTS ON CHINA'S MILITARY MODERNIZATION

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

DOD Report on China Details Military Modernization
By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 6, 2013 - A Defense Department report released today describes China's military modernization and the Chinese army's interaction with other forces, including those of the United States, a senior Pentagon official said today.

The annual report -- titled "2013 Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China" -- went to Congress today and covers China's security and military strategies; developments in China's military doctrine, force structure and advanced technologies; the security situation in the Taiwan strait; U.S.–China military-to-military contacts and the U.S. strategy for such engagement; and the nature of China's cyber activities directed against the Defense Department.

David F. Helvey, deputy assistant secretary of defense for East Asia, briefed Pentagon reporters on the report. He noted that the report, which DOD coordinates with other agencies, "reflects broadly the views held across the United States government." The report is factual and not speculative, he noted.

Helvey said the trends in this year's report show the rising power increasing its rapid military modernization program. "We see a good deal of continuity in terms of the modernization priorities," Helvey noted, despite the 2012 and 2013 turnover to new leadership, which happens roughly every decade in China.

The report notes China launched its first aircraft carrier in 2012 and is sustaining investments in advanced short- and medium-range conventional ballistic missiles, land-attack and anti-ship cruise missiles, counter-space weapons and military cyberspace systems.

Helvey noted these technologies all bolster China's anti-access and area-denial capabilities.

"The issue here is not one particular weapons system," he said. "It's the integration and overlapping nature of these weapons systems into a regime that can potentially impede or restrict free military operations in the Western Pacific. So that's something that we monitor and are concerned about."

Helvey said the report provides a lot of information, but also raises some questions. "What concerns me is the extent to which China's military modernization occurs in the absence of the kind of openness and transparency that others are certainly asking of China," he added.

That lack of transparency, he noted, has effects on the security calculations of others in the region. "And so it's that uncertainty, I think, that's of greater concern," he said.

Helvey added the report noted China has "increased assertiveness with respect to its maritime territorial claims" over the past year. China disputes sovereignty with Japan over islands in the East China Sea, and has other territorial disputes with regional neighbors in the South China Sea.

"With respect to these claims, we encourage all parties to the different disputes or interactions to address their issues peacefully, through diplomatic channels in a manner consistent with international law," he said.

Helvey noted China's relations with Taiwan have been consistent. "Over the past year, cross-strait relations have improved," he said. "However, China's military buildup shows no signs of slowing."

China also is building its space and cyberspace capabilities, Helvey said. He noted that in 2012, China conducted 18 space launches and expanded its space-based intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, navigation, meteorological and communication satellite constellations.

"At the same time, China continues to invest in a multidimensional program to deny others access to and use of space," Helvey said.

Addressing China's cyber capabilities, Helvey said the Chinese army continues to develop doctrine, training and exercises that emphasize information technology and operations.

"In addition, in 2012, numerous computer systems around the world, including those owned by the United States government, continued to be targeted for intrusions, some of which appear to be attributable directly to [Chinese] government and military organizations," he added.

Helvey noted a positive trend in U.S.-China engagements over the year, including several senior-leader visits culminating in then-Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta's visit to Beijing in September.

The two sides also explored practical areas of cooperation, he said, including the first counterpiracy exercise conducted in September by Chinese and U.S. forces, followed by the U.S. invitation to China to participate in the Rim of the Pacific exercise in 2014.

"We'll continue to use military engagement with China as one of several means to expand areas where we can cooperate, discuss, frankly, our differences, and demonstrate the United States' commitment to the security of the Asia-Pacific region," Helvey said.

LITTLE BITTY PRETTY MOON

FROM: NASA

Beautiful Plumage
Like a proud peacock displaying its tail, Enceladus shows off its beautiful plume to the Cassini spacecraft's cameras.

Enceladus (313 miles, or 504 kilometers across) is seen here illuminated by light reflected off Saturn.

This view looks toward the Saturn-facing side of Enceladus. North on Enceladus is up and rotated 45 degrees to the right. The image was taken in visible light with the Cassini spacecraft narrow-angle camera on Jan. 18, 2013.

The view was acquired at a distance of approximately 483,000 miles (777,000 kilometers) from Enceladus and at a Sun-Enceladus-spacecraft, or phase, angle of 173 degrees. Image scale is 3 miles (5 kilometers) per pixel.

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

DOD Department of Defense Press Briefing with Secretary Hagel and Maj. Gen. Patton on the Department of Defense Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Strategy from the Pentagon

Department of Defense Press Briefing with Secretary Hagel and Maj. Gen. Patton on the Department of Defense Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Strategy from the Pentagon

Formatted Article: Warm Weather Is Here: It’s Time to Protect Against Ticks

Formatted Article: Warm Weather Is Here: It’s Time to Protect Against Ticks

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.