REMARKS BY PRESIDENT OBAMA BEFORE MEETING WITH CONGRESSIONAL MEMBERS REGARDING SYRIA

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 
Remarks by the President Before Meeting with Members of Congress on the Situation in Syria

Cabinet Room

9:51 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  I want to thank the leaders of both parties for being here today to discuss what is a very serious issue facing the United States.  And the fact that I've had a chance to speak to many of you, and Congress as a whole is taking this issue with the soberness and seriousness that it deserves, is greatly appreciated and I think vindicates the decision for us to present this issue to Congress.

As I've said last week, as Secretary Kerry made clear in his presentation last week, we have high confidence that Syria used, in an indiscriminate fashion, chemical weapons that killed thousands of people, including over 400 children, and in direct violation of the international norm against using chemical weapons.  That poses a serious national security threat to the United States and to the region, and as a consequence, Assad and Syria needs to be held accountable.

I've made a decision that America should take action.  But I also believe that we will be much more effective, we will be stronger, if we take action together as one nation.  And so this gives us an opportunity not only to present the evidence to all of the leading members of Congress and their various foreign policy committees as to why we have high confidence that chemical weapons were used and that Assad used them, but it also gives us an opportunity to discuss why it's so important that he be held to account.

This norm against using chemical weapons that 98 percent of the world agrees to is there for a reason:  Because we recognize that there are certain weapons that, when used, can not only end up resulting in grotesque deaths, but also can end up being transmitted to non-state actors; can pose a risk to allies and friends of ours like Israel, like Jordan, like Turkey; and unless we hold them into account, also sends a message that international norms around issues like nuclear proliferation don't mean much.

And so I'm going to be working with Congress.  We have set up a draft authorization.  We’re going to be asking for hearings and a prompt vote.  And I’m very appreciative that everybody here has already begun to schedule hearings and intends to take a vote as soon as all of Congress comes back early next week.

So the key point that I want to emphasize to the American people:  The military plan that has been developed by the joint chiefs and that I believe is appropriate is proportional.  It is limited.  It does not involve boots on the ground.  This is not Iraq and this is not Afghanistan.

This is a limited, proportional step that will send a clear message not only to the Assad regime, but also to other countries that may be interested in testing some of these international norms, that there are consequences.  It gives us the ability to degrade Assad’s capabilities when it comes to chemical weapons.  It also fits into a broader strategy that we have to make sure that we can bring about over time the kind of strengthening of the opposition and the diplomatic and economic and political pressure required so that ultimately we have a transition that can bring peace and stability not only to Syria but to the region.

But I want to emphasize once again:  What we are envisioning is something limited.  It is something proportional.  It will degrade Assad’s capabilities.  At the same time, we have a broader strategy that will allow us to upgrade the capabilities of the opposition, allow Syria ultimately to free itself from the kinds of terrible civil wars and death and activity that we’ve been seeing on the ground.

So I look forward to listening to the various concerns of the members who are here today.  I am confident that those concerns can be addressed.  I think it is appropriate that we act deliberately, but I also think everybody recognizes the urgency here and that we’re going to have to move relatively quickly.

So with that, to all of you here today, I look forward to an excellent discussion.

Q    Mr. President, are you prepared to rewrite the authorization, and does that undercut any of your authority, sir?

THE PRESIDENT:  I would not be going to Congress if I wasn’t serious about consultations, and believing that by shaping the authorization to make sure we accomplish the mission we will be more effective.  And so long as we are accomplishing what needs to be accomplished, which is to send a clear message to Assad degrading his capabilities to use chemical weapons, not just now but also in the future as long as the authorization allows us to do that, I’m confident that we’re going to be able to come up with something that hits that mark.

Q    Are you confident that you'll get a vote in favor of action?

THE PRESIDENT:  I am.  Thank you, guys.

SECRETARY KERRY AND SECRETARY HAGEL ASK HOUSE PANEL TO SUPPORT STRIKES ON SYRIA

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE DOD 
Kerry, Hagel Urge House Panel to Support Syria Strikes
By Amaani Lyle
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Sept. 4, 2013 - Secretary of State John F. Kerry and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel today urged the House Foreign Affairs Committee to support President Barack Obama's plan to respond to the Syrian regime's use of chemical weapons against its own people.

Joined by Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the two Cabinet officials explained the president's position, as they did yesterday at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Hagel acknowledged the gravity of the issue, describing the U.S. commitment to the use of force as "the most difficult and important decision America's leaders can make."

"The Department of Defense – our leaders -- have spent days and days going over every option, every contingency," he said.

The primary responsibility, he emphasized, is to ask the "tough questions" before making any military commitment. "The American people must be assured that their leaders are acting according to U.S. national interests with well-defined military objectives and with an understanding of the risks and consequences involved."

To better make an informed decision, Kerry said, the president and his national security team gathered facts following the Aug. 21 sarin gas attack by President Bashar Assad's regime.

"Our evidence proves that they used sarin gas, and it proves that they used some of the world's most heinous weapons to kill more than 1,400 innocent people, including at least 426 children," he said. "The risk of not acting is greater than the risk of acting."

Hagel said he shares Obama's sentiment that the use of chemical weapons in Syria is not only "an assault on humanity" but a serious threat to America's national security interests and allies.

The Syrian regime's use of chemical weapons poses grave risks to U.S. friends and partners along Syria's borders, including Israel, Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon and Iraq, the defense secretary said.

"If Assad is prepared to use chemical weapons against his own people, we have to be concerned that terrorists groups like Hezbollah, which has forces fighting in Syria supporting the Assad regime, could acquire them and use them," he said, adding that the risk of chemical proliferation also creates a direct threat to U.S. personnel in the region.

"We cannot afford for Hezbollah or any terrorist group determined to strike the United States to have incentives to acquire or use these chemical weapons," Hagel said.

An emboldened Syrian regime, Hagel explained, portends possible erosion of the nearly century-old international norm against the use of chemical weapons, which has helped to protect U.S. forces and the homeland.

Weakening that norm could hearten other regimes to obtain or use chemical weapons, he said, citing North Korea's massive stockpile that threatens the South Korea, a treaty ally, and the 28,000 U.S. troops stationed there.

"Our allies throughout the world must be assured that the United States will fulfill its security commitments," Hagel said. "Given these threats to our national security, the United States must demonstrate through our actions that the use of chemical weapons is unacceptable."

Key partners and allies such as France, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have pledge support for U.S. action in the region, he said.

Military objectives are not to put U.S. military "boots on the ground," Hagel said, but involve actions tailored to respond to the use of chemical weapons.

"We have made clear that we are not seeking to resolve the underlying conflict in Syria through direct military force," Hagel said. "A political solution created by the Syrian people is the only way to ultimately end the violence in Syria."

Chemical weapons, Hagel warned, "make no distinction between combatants and innocent civilians and inflict the worst kind of indiscriminate suffering."

U.S. forces will be ready to act when the president gives the orders, Hagel told the House panel.

"The word of the United States must mean something," Hagel said. "It is vital currency in foreign relations and international and allied commitments."

Kerry urged the representative to support the president's plan.

"This is not the time for armchair isolationism. This is not the time to be spectators to slaughter. This is not the time to give permission to a dictator who has already used these weapons the unfettered ability to continue to use them because we stepped back," he said.

Women and girls bingeing

Women and girls bingeing

TWO CAR DEALERS TO SETTLE FTC CHARGES OF FALSE ADVERTISING

FROM:  FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION 
FTC Halts Two Automobile Dealers' Deceptive Ads

Two car dealers from Maryland and Ohio have agreed to settle the Federal Trade Commission’s charges that they falsely advertised the cost or available discounts for their vehicles. The settlements, part of the FTC’s continuing crackdown on deceptive motor vehicle dealer practices, prohibit the dealers from advertising discounts or prices unless the ads clearly disclose any qualifications or restrictions.

The FTC charged that Timonium Chrysler, Inc., of Cockeysville, Md., violated the FTC Act by advertising discounts and prices that were not available to a typical consumer. Ganley Ford West, Inc., in Cleveland, also is charged with misrepresenting that vehicles were available at a specific dealer discount, when in fact the discounts only applied to specific, and more expensive, models of the advertised vehicles.

“Buying a car is a huge financial commitment, and people often calculate what they can pay down to the penny,” said Jessica Rich, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “They should be able to depend on the dealers to provide truthful information, and they can depend on the FTC to enforce consumer protection laws on the lot.”

Timonium Chrysler’s website touted specific “dealer discounts” and “internet prices,” but allegedly failed to disclose adequately that consumers would need to qualify for a series of smaller rebates not generally available to them. The complaint further alleges that, in many instances, even if a consumer qualified for all the rebates, the cost of the vehicle was still greater than the advertised price.

Ganley Ford advertised its discounted vehicles on its website and in local newspapers, and it allegedly failed to disclose that its advertised discounts generally only applied to more expensive versions of the vehicles advertised.

The proposed orders settling the FTC's charges against Timonium Chrysler and Ganley Ford are designed to prevent them from engaging in similar deceptive advertising practices in the future. The two auto dealers cannot advertise prices or discounts unless accompanied by clear disclosures of any required qualifications or restrictions. The auto dealers are also barred from misrepresenting:

the existence or amount of any discount, rebate, bonus, incentive, or price;
the existence, price, value, coverage, or features of any product or service associated with the motor vehicle purchase;
the number of vehicles available at particular prices; or
any other material fact about the price, sale, financing, or leasing of motor vehicles.
The dealers must maintain and make available copies of all advertisements and promotional materials to the Commission for inspection upon request for the next five years, and they are required to comply with the FTC’s order for 20 years.

Consumers in the market for a new or used vehicle should read the FTC’s car ads and buying and owning a car.

The Commission vote to issue the administrative complaints and accept the consent agreement packages containing the proposed consent orders for public comment was 4-0. The agreement will be subject to public comment for 30 days, beginning today and continuing through October 3, 2013, after which the Commission will decide whether to make the proposed consent order final. Interested parties can submit written comments electronically for Timonium Chrysler and Ganley Ford or in paper form.

Comments submitted in paper form should be mailed or delivered to: Federal Trade Commission, Office of the Secretary, Room H-113 (Annex D), 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C., 20580. The FTC is requesting that any comment filed in paper form near the end of the public comment period be sent by courier or overnight service, if possible, because U.S. postal mail in the Washington area and at the Commission is subject to delay due to heightened security precautions.

NOTE: The Commission issues an administrative complaint when it has “reason to believe” that the law has been or is being violated, and it appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in the public interest. When the Commission issues a consent order on a final basis, it carries the force of law with respect to future actions. Each violation of such an order may result in a civil penalty of up to $16,000.

The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC's online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 2,000 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s website provides free information on a variety of consumer topics.  Like the FTC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources.

DIGITAL LEARNING

FROM:  NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION 
Nature field trips go digital
Harvard researchers tame the next learning frontier with mobile phones, environmental probes and virtual reality

The buzz around the pond these days isn't coming from bees. It's coming from middle-school students on a data collection field trip to a local pond. But on this trip they've traded paper and pencil for mobile phones and environmental probes. With their smartphones, students access interactive media such as video, audio, 3-D models and animations to learn about the ecosystem they're visiting as well as answer specific and open-ended questions about their data collection activities. Their probes measure environmental variables that contribute to water quality.

This augmented reality experience is part of a pilot program called EcoMOBILE developed by researchers at Harvard University's Graduate School of Education (HGSE). Funded by NSF and Qualcomm's Wireless Reach Initiative, EcoMOBILE has two goals. The first is to learn how technology impacts learning and the second is to help students connect abstract science concepts learned in the classroom with real-world experiences.

"Technology in and of itself does nothing for learning, but it can be a catalyst," says the project's principal investigator, Christopher Dede, Timothy E. Wirth Professor in Learning Technologies at Harvard. "We're interested in why technology impacts learning as much as whether it does or not. We are always concerned with how effective we can make these technologies and what the limits are."

Augmenting reality

The EcoMOBILE curriculum includes a pre-trip classroom session, one or more field trips and follow-up class sessions. During the initial session, students learn about water quality variables such as pH, dissolved oxygen and turbidity. They also practice using the smartphones and measurement probes they'll use at the pond. During the field trip, students use the mobile phones to navigate to "hotspots" where they collect water samples. The phone software prompts students to make observations about the pond and its organisms; provides information about concepts such as dissolved oxygen; supplies step-by-step instructions for obtaining and testing a water sample; and delivers feedback on the just-completed measurement.

Back in the classroom, students share the observations they made at the pond. They compile their data, creating graphs and calculating the range and mean of each set of measurements. They then discuss their findings and explore why variations may have occurred.

During the EcoMOBILE experience, students proceed at their own pace, personalizing their experience. "This approach engages them to a different degree than other formats," says project co-director Amy Kamarainen, a limnologist (a scientist who studies inland waters). "Students take ownership of the data and experience a new level of responsibility for their work." She adds that the EcoMOBILE experience is like a mini-apprenticeship, allowing students to see science as a creative process. "It helps students enjoy what they're doing but also understand that ecology is a very analytic field."

The technology also helps students study the complex time and spatial scales characteristic of ecosystems. "Ecosystems can be hard to learn about because kids have a limited amount of time to study them," says Kamarainen.

While at the pond, students learn about change over decades by accessing a video that simulates a visitor from 1850 discussing the pond's history. Another activity allows students to view 3-D molecular simulations of ecosystem processes such as photosynthesis.

Simulating reality

EcoMOBILE complements EcoMUVE, a multi-user virtual environment for classrooms created five years ago by Dede and co-principal investigator Tina Grotzer, an associate professor of education at HGSE. "ECOMUVE is like a flight simulator. We can create experiences not found in nature," says Dede. "EcoMOBILE is like flying the plane. You can get very good in the simulator, but ultimately you want to get people to be effective in the real world."

In EcoMUVE students assume a specific role: Water chemist, naturalist, microscopic specialist or private investigator and for eight virtual days are responsible for monitoring and collecting data in their respective areas. Students work in teams to analyze the data and create a concept map that illustrates the cause and effect relationships found in the ecosystem.

Assessing reasoning patterns

EcoMUVE and EcoMOBILE offer an opportunity to assess how students approach situations requiring complex reasoning. "We can look at where kids go in EcoMUVE and what kinds of data they collect. We see that patterns of movement shift," explains Grotzer.

When students first enter the virtual pond their movements are random. After a fish kill, the initial movement patterns give way to more purposeful ones. The changes suggest that students' thinking has changed and they are attending to different features and data sources in the environment says Grotzer, who as director of the NSF-funded "Understandings of Consequence Project" for more than a decade has studied how students reason about complex causal patterns.

Refining the technology for the future

After several years of iterative design, EcoMUVE is available as a free download through a licensing arrangement with Harvard. EcoMOBILE, however, is still under development and available only for research purposes. Although the program, built on the FreshAiR platform, runs on both Android and iPhones, some of the 3-D simulations are only available using Androids.

"We want to be able to make EcoMOBILE customizable," says Shari Metcalf, project co-director. With time, the team anticipates creating a website that would include software templates teachers can download to tailor augmented reality scenarios to their own local ecosystems.

Seventh-grade teacher Allison Kugler has worked with the EcoMOBILE project for three semesters and thinks the technology is a good fit for middle school students. "They want to be challenged but not get frustrated," she says. In a comparison of EcoMUVE and traditional hands-on activities, Kugler found that students had an easier time understanding ecosystem concepts with EcoMUVE.

As applications software becomes more refined and mobile phones more sophisticated, Dede suggests student-directed learning tools like EcoMOBILE will become commonplace. "We can't just keep loading more topics into classroom learning. We need to focus on 24/7 learning," he says. "This is the next frontier."

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE HAGEL TESTIFIED BEFORE THE SENATE ON SYRIA

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Hagel Urges Congress to Support Military Action Against Syria
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Sept. 3, 2013 - Emphasizing the need to protect U.S. national security interests, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee today he supports President Barack Obama's decision to seek congressional authorization for the use of force in Syria.

Hagel joined Secretary of State John F. Kerry and Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in making the administration's case for the use of force in response to a large-scale sarin gas assault which the administration says was carried out by the Syrian government against its own people.

Explaining the rationale behind what he acknowledged was a difficult decision for the national security team, Hagel urged Congress to consider not only "the risks and consequences of action," but also the consequences of inaction.

Hagel reiterated the president's assertion that Syria's use of chemical weapons represents "a serious threat to America's national security interests and those of our closest allies." It poses a grave risk to partners along Syria's borders, including Israel, Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon and Iraq, he said.

Even more concerning, he said, is the possibility that terrorist groups such as Hezbollah, which has forces in Syria supporting President Bashar Assad's regime, could acquire and use them.

"This risk of chemical weapons proliferation poses a direct threat to our friends and partners and to U.S. personnel in the region," Hagel said. "We cannot afford for Hezbollah or any terrorist group determined to strike the United States to have incentives to acquire or use chemical weapons."

Syria's actions risk eroding the nearly century-old international norm against the use of chemical weapons that has helped to protect the U.S. homeland and U.S. forces operating across the globe, the secretary said. Weakening that norm, he said, could embolden other regimes, such as North Korea, to acquire or use chemical weapons.

"Given these threats to our national security, the United States must demonstrate through our actions that the use of chemical weapons is unacceptable," Hagel said.

The military objectives in Syria would be "to hold the Assad regime accountable, degrade its ability to carry out these kinds of attacks and deter the regime from further use of chemical weapons," he said.

The Defense Department has developed military options to achieve these objectives and positioned U.S. assets throughout the region to successfully execute this mission, he reported. "We believe we can achieve them with a military action that would be limited in duration and scope," he told the Senate panel.

Hagel said he and Dempsey have assured Obama that U.S. forces will be ready to act whenever the president gives the order.

Meanwhile, officials are working with U.S. allies and partners, he said. "Key partners, including France, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and [other] friends in the region have assured us of their strong support for U.S. action," he reported.

Hagel underscored that the military force would not be used to resolve the underlying conflict in Syria – an issue he said must be settled through a political solution by the Syrian people themselves. He noted that Kerry is leading international efforts to help the parties move toward a negotiated transition, and expressed a commitment to "doing more to assist the Syrian opposition."

Military actions being contemplated would be tailored specifically to the use of chemical weapons, he assured the panel. "Assad must be held accountable for using these weapons in defiance of the international community," he said.

In presenting the case for military action, Hagel urged the committee to recognize the consequences of not doing so.

"There are always risks in taking action, but there are also risks with inaction," he warned. "The Assad regime, under increasing pressure by the Syrian opposition, could feel empowered to carry out even more devastating chemical weapons attacks" that he recognized make no distinction between combatants and innocent civilians."

Refusing to act also would undermine the credibility of other U.S. security commitments, Hagel said, including Obama's commitment to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
"The word of the United States must mean something," the secretary said. "It is vital currency in foreign relations and international and allied commitments."

Noting that he, Kerry and Dempsey all have served in uniform, Hagel said they have witnessed the "ugly realities" of conflict up close. "But we also understand that America must protect its people and its national interests," he said. "That is our highest responsibility."

Hagel called the decision to use military force "the most difficult decision America's leaders can make," and urged vigorous congressional debate on the issue.

"All of those who are privileged to serve our nation have a responsibility to ask tough questions before that commitment is made," he said. "The American people must be assured that their leaders are acting according to U.S. national interests, with well-defined military objectives, and with an understanding of the risks and consequences involved."

READOUT: U.S. DEPUTY SECRETARY CARTER'S MEETING WITH NORWAY'S DEFENSE STATE SECRETARY THORSHAUG

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
Readout of Deputy Secretary Carter's Meeting with Norway's Ministry of Defense State Secretary Eirik Thorshaug

           Pentagon Press Secretary George Little provided the following readout:



           "Deputy Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter and Norwegian Ministry of Defense State Secretary Eirik Thorshaug met today at the Pentagon.



            The two leaders exchanged views about the on-going violence in Syria. Deputy Secretary Carter reiterated the need for the international community to respond to the chemical weapon attacks that claimed innocent lives in Syria. They agreed on the importance of the norms surrounding the prohibition on the use of chemical weapons, and on the need for close consultation in the days ahead.



           "Deputy Secretary Carter and State Secretary Thorshaug also discussed the positive developments in Afghanistan and the future of NATO post-2014. The two leaders underscored the need for enhanced focus on maintaining interoperability and readiness through training and exercises in the both the near and long term.



           "The two leaders highlighted the close cooperation between the United States and Norway exemplified by current cooperation on the F-16 and the planned Norwegian procurement of the F-35. Deputy Secretary Carter and State Secretary Thorshaug also reaffirmed the continued cooperation in the Arctic as access and activity in the region increases.

DOL SAYS 1963 MARCH ON WASHINGTON CALLED FOR A HIGHER MINIMUM WAGE

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 
Myth: The main goal of the 1963 March on Washington was to eliminate racial discrimination.

Not true: While the march and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech in particular did call for racial equality and civil rights legislation, the event also had an economic component, including a call for a higher minimum wage. Organizers of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom also demanded a public works program and job training, and an end to discrimination in hiring, among other things.

FORMER CHAIRMAN AND CEO OF CECO ENVIRONMENTAL CORP. CHARGED WITH INSIDER TRADING

FROM:  U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION 
SEC Charges Former Chairman and CEO of CECO Environmental Corp. and API Technologies Corp. with Insider Trading and Other Violations

The Securities and Exchange Commission has charged Phillip J. DeZwirek (DeZwirek), the former CEO, Chairman, and 10% beneficial owner of both CECO Environmental Corp. (CECO) and API Technologies Corp. (API), with insider trading on three separate occasions and engaging in hundreds of violations of the trade reporting and ownership disclosure rules of the federal securities laws. DeZwirek has agreed to settle the charges, without admitting or denying the allegations in the Commission's complaint, by, among other things, paying a total of over $1.5 million in disgorgement of ill-gotten gains, prejudgment interest, and a civil penalty. He also agreed to be barred from serving as an officer or director of a public company for five years.

The Commission's complaint, filed August 30, 2013, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, alleges that DeZwirek engaged in insider trading by purchasing CECO stock ahead of two press releases issued in March and October 2008 announcing new contract bookings. The Complaint further alleges that DeZwirek bought API stock before the company announced the acquisition of a privately held company in January 2011. The Complaint also alleges that DeZwirek failed to file amended Schedules 13D and Forms 4 and 5 disclosing 268 purchases and sales of CECO and API stock that he executed between 2008 and 2010.

DeZwirek has consented to the entry of a final judgment that permanently enjoins him from future violations of Sections 10(b), 13(d), and 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and Rules 10b-5, 13d-2, and 16a-3 thereunder. The final judgment also orders DeZwirek to pay disgorgement of $151,278, plus prejudgment interest of $11,714.50, a civil money penalty of $1,361,278, and imposes upon him a five-year officer-and-director bar.

The Commission acknowledges the assistance of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.

AGENCIES COMMIT TO HELP VETERANS TRANSITION TO CIVILIAN LIFE

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 
Agencies Commit to Transition Assistance Program
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Aug. 30, 2013 - The Departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs, Labor, Education, the Office of Personnel Management and the Small Business Administration codified their continued commitment to help transitioning service members be "career ready" for civilian life by signing a statement of intent on Aug. 15.

"This [statement of intent] puts our shared commitment to our service members in black and white," said Dr. Susan Kelly, principal director of DOD's Transition to Veterans Program office.

Each of the military services was represented during the formal signing of the statement of intent, said Francine Blackmon, deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for force management integration.

The services have aggressively implemented the various components of the redesigned Transition Assistance Program, Blackmon said.

Working elbow-to-elbow with the various partnering agencies, the services are ensuring service members are provided all the necessary tools to make a successful transition to civilian life, she said.

"The [statement of intent] strengthens our resolve for a concerted interagency effort working toward this common goal," Blackmon added.

More than 250,000 service members separate from active duty each year, and they face numerous challenges as they transition to civilian life. The statement of intent is a milestone for the interagency effort to redesign the 1990s-era transition assistance program model and help service members meet those challenges. The signing shows that the redesigned TAP is not a short-term effort but a set of greatly improved transition services that the partners will sustain for the long-term.

"Even in this time of budget constraints, each of the interagency partners and the services will sustain the effort to implement the redesign of transition assistance," Kelly said. This includes staff at installations to provide face-to-face information and new skills, as well as a virtual curriculum to build the same career readiness skills for service members and reservists in isolated and geographically separated locations, she added.

The statement of intent also establishes the objectives for the new governance structure and the foundation of the new TAP Executive Council, comprised of DOD, VA and DOL co-chairs, as well as senior executives from SBA, OPM, ED and the military services. The new TAP Executive Council will steer the collaboration and partnership efforts through 2016 and implement and modify the redesigned program as needed to meet changing needs of transitioning service members through the years.

Over the last eighteen months, the DOD and VA have led the efforts of the Veterans Employment Initiative Task Force interagency partners and the White House Economic and Domestic Policy Council staffs in redesigning the Desert Storm-era Transition Assistance Program to better prepare service members for these challenges as they leave the military and become veterans.

The redesigned TAP provides training that will build skills to enable transitioning service members to meet career readiness standards established by DOD. The training, known as Transition GPS (goals, plans, success), is comprised of interlinked curriculum, services, and processes conducted by numerous partners -- DOD, the military services, VA, DOL, SBA, and OPM.

Interagency partner Department of Education and the National Guard Bureau continue to serve in valued consultative and advisory roles.

Advancing their work together, the agencies will cultivate an interagency partnership that builds upon mutual respect, cooperation and shared goals to successfully transition career ready service members to the civilian sector.

DOD TOUTS THE AFRICAN PARTNERSHIP STATION PROGRAM

U.S. Marine Corps Africa Partnership Station Security Cooperation Task Force personnel embark from the Royal Netherlands Navy landing platform dock HNLMS Rotterdam in Rota, Spain, Aug. 30, 2013. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Travis S. Alston 

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
Partnership Station Promotes Security, Capacity in West Africa
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Sept. 3, 2013 - More than 90 U.S. Marines set sail this weekend for a three-month mission along the West African coast – but for the first time in the Africa Partnership Station program, it was aboard a Dutch navy ship, alongside their counterparts from Holland, Spain and the United Kingdom.
The international task force departed Rota, Spain, early Aug. 31, aboard HNLMS Rotterdam, a Royal Netherlands Navy landing platform, reported U.S. Marine Lt. Col. Charles Watkins, security cooperation task force officer in charge for African Partnership Station 13.

Through the next three months, the crew will visit Senegal, Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon and Benin, exercising security techniques and tactics with host-nation militaries, Watkins told American Forces Press Service during a telephone interview as the crew prepared to leave Rota.

The combined military engagements stem from Africa Partnership Station, one of U.S. Africa Command's most successful programs. The international security cooperation initiative, established in 2007, aims to strengthen global maritime partnerships through training and shared activities.

The goal is to improve maritime safety and security along the Gulf of Guinea, Watkins explained. By building capacity among African partner nations, the mission increases their ability to strengthen their borders, control their territorial waters and crack down on illicit trafficking and other destabilizing activity.

Africa Partnership Station 13 includes a new dimension. Rotterdam, home ported in Den Helder, Netherlands, is supporting the mission under a companion capacity-building program called "African Winds." The ship's sailors will work with African partners to build capabilities in maritime activities such as visit, board, search and seizure; maritime operations center planning and execution; and small boat operations.

Meanwhile, the security cooperation task force will work with African ground forces to conduct amphibious landings and exchange best practices in jungle warfare, hand-to-hand combat, humanitarian assistance and noncombatant evacuations.

The 2nd Marine Division's 2nd Assault Amphibious Battalion from Camp Lejeune, N.C., is contributing the ground forces. The Marine Corps Reserve's Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 773, headquartered at Warner Robins Air Force Base, Ga., is providing two UH-1N Huey helicopters and crews for the mission.

Watkins called the opportunity to help build capacity among African partners while working hand-in-hand with other NATO forces "a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" for the participants.
Some have never deployed before, and Watkins said he personally was looking forward to his first deployment in a noncombat role.

"The main, driving force is relationship building," he said. "We want to build relationships, not only among the NATO forces, but also among the African forces. So getting to work hand in hand with the Dutch, the Spanish and the Royal Marines is a huge thing."

Africa Partnership Station 13 provides a forum to increase interoperability as participants work through the challenges of different languages, equipment and standard operating procedures, he said.

For example, as a pilot, Watkins described the challenges of landing a U.S. helicopter aboard a Dutch ship. The crews practiced the procedures they and their Dutch hosts had worked through during a planning conference in Amsterdam before departing Rota, he reported.

For participants aboard Rotterdam as well as in Africa, the mission "is an opportunity for all the Marines to work side by side, working on [standard operating procedures], sharing with our partners and learning from each other and learning how we can work better together," Watkins said.

That understanding, he said, strengthens their ability to mutually respond to a future crisis, if required.

U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa welcomed the Rotterdam's contributions as an extension of Africa Partnership Station's international collaboration.

"We are thankful for the U.S.-Dutch partnership, as well as the involvement of the U.K. and Spanish Marines, and our African partners as we collaboratively seek to enhance the security environment in Africa," said Navy Capt. John B. Nowell Jr., deputy chief of staff for strategy, resources and plans. "African navies have made great strides to increase their maritime capabilities, and this iteration of APS sets the stage to further sharpen those skills."

Other participants shared Nowell's enthusiasm about the mission.

"The Royal Netherlands Navy recognizes the U.S. Africa Command APS program as the most effective way of gradually improving the West African maritime security environment," said Dutch Marine Corps Col. Frederik R. Swart, commander of Netherland Landing Forces participating in the mission. "Also, working with an international marine task force enhances interoperability among all coalition forces involved."

This year is the second time the Dutch Navy has contributed a major naval asset to Africa Partnership Station. HNLM Johan De Witt, a landing platform dock ship, participated in 2009.

"The U.K. sees this engagement as an excellent opportunity to contribute to the security of the West African maritime environment and to conduct some valuable cross training with African partners and members of the combined security cooperation task force," agreed Royal Marines Maj. Anthony Liva, officer in charge of the Royal Marines' Whisky Company of the 45 Commando aboard Rotterdam.

"Training will be progressive and focused," Liva said. "I have no doubt that every nation involved in this initiative will benefit immensely."

U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY HAGEL ISSUES MESSAGE ON SUICIDE PREVENTION MONTH

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
Message from Secretary Hagel on Suicide Prevention Month

           The Department of Defense has no more important responsibility than supporting and protecting those who defend our country and that means we must do everything possible to prevent military suicide. As we observe Suicide Prevention Month, the entire DoD community – Service members, civilians, members of our families and leaders at every level – must demonstrate our collective resolve to prevent suicide, to promote greater knowledge of its causes and to encourage those in need to seek support. No one who serves this country in uniform should ever feel they have nowhere to turn.

            The Department of Defense has invested more than $100 million into research on the diagnosis and treatment of depression, bipolar disorder and substance abuse, as well as interventions for relationship, financial and legal issues – all of which can be associated with suicide. We are working to reduce drug and alcohol abuse and we are steadily increasing the number of mental health professionals and peer support counselors. Effective suicide prevention training is critical to all these efforts and we are instructing our leaders on how to recognize the signs and symptoms of crisis and encourage service members to seek support. We are also reaching out to military families and the broader community to enlist their support in this cause.

PRESIDENT, CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS MEET OVER RESPONSE TO SYRIA'S USE OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
President Meets With Congressional Leaders on Syria Response
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Sept. 3, 2013 - President Barack Obama met with congressional leaders today and expressed confidence that lawmakers will authorize his plan to take action against the Assad regime for using chemical weapons against its own people.

The president said he thanked the leaders for approaching the issue of Syria "with the soberness and seriousness that it deserves."

Obama said he has "high confidence" that Syria used chemical weapons that killed thousands of people, including more than 400 children in direct violation of international norm against using them. "That poses a serious national security threat to the United States and to the region, and as a consequence, Assad and Syria need to be held accountable," he said.

The president said he has decided America should respond to the use of chemical weapons, but added that the response will be more effective and stronger "if we take action together as one nation."

Hearings in the Senate and House will allow the administration to present the evidence that chemical weapons were used and the opportunity to discuss why it is important to hold Bashar Assad to account, the president said.

Chemical weapons can be transferred to terror groups and other non-state actors, Obama said. "Unless we hold them into account," he added, "it also sends a message that international norms around issues like nuclear proliferation don't mean much."

Military plans for a U.S. response have been put in place and are proportional to the offense, the president said. Any U.S. response will be limited, and will "not involve boots on the ground," he added.

"This is a limited, proportional step that will send a clear message not only to the Assad regime, but also to other countries that may be interested in testing some of these international norms, that there are consequences," Obama said. "It gives us the ability to degrade Assad's capabilities when it comes to chemical weapons."

Less sleep, worse eating

Less sleep, worse eating

SEC CHARGES INVESTMENT ADVISORY FIRM WITH FAVORING CERTAIN CLIENTS

FROM:  U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION 

The Securities and Exchange Commission announced charges against a San Diego-based investment advisory firm and its president for allegedly steering winning trades to favored clients and lying about how certain money was being spent.

The SEC’s Enforcement Division alleges that J.S. Oliver Capital Management and Ian O. Mausner engaged in a cherry-picking scheme that awarded more profitable trades to hedge funds in which Mausner and his family had invested.  Meanwhile they doled out less profitable trades to other clients, including a widow and a charitable foundation.  The disfavored clients suffered approximately $10.7 million in harm.

The SEC’s Enforcement Division further alleges that Mausner and J.S. Oliver misused soft dollars, which are credits or rebates from a brokerage firm on commissions paid by clients for trades executed in the investment adviser’s client accounts.  If appropriately disclosed, an investment adviser may retain the soft dollar credits to pay for expenses, including a limited category of brokerage and research services that benefit clients.  However, Mausner and J.S. Oliver misappropriated more than $1.1 million in soft dollars for undisclosed purposes that in no way benefited clients, such as a payment to Mausner’s ex-wife related to their divorce.

“Mausner’s fraudulent schemes were a one-two punch that betrayed his clients and cost them millions of dollars,” said Marshall S. Sprung, Co-Chief of the SEC Enforcement Division’s Asset Management Unit.  “Investment advisers must allocate trades and use soft dollars consistent with their fiduciary duty to put client interests first.”

The SEC also charged Douglas F. Drennan, a portfolio manager at J.S. Oliver, for his role in the soft dollar scheme.

According to the SEC’s order instituting administrative proceedings, Mausner engaged in the cherry-picking scheme from June 2008 to November 2009 by generally waiting to allocate trades until after the close of trading or the next day.  This allowed Mausner to see which securities had appreciated or declined in value, and he gave the more favorably priced securities to the accounts of four J.S. Oliver hedge funds that contained investments from Mausner and his family.  Mausner profited by more than $200,000 in fees earned from one of the hedge funds based on the boost in its performance from the winning trades he allocated.  Mausner also marketed that same hedge fund to investors by touting the fund’s positive returns when in reality those returns merely resulted from the cherry-picking scheme.

According to the SEC’s order, the soft dollar scheme occurred from January 2009 to November 2011.  Mausner and J.S. Oliver failed to disclose the following uses of soft dollars:

More than $300,000 that Mausner owed his ex-wife under their divorce agreement.
More than $300,000 in “rent” for J.S. Oliver to conduct business at Mausner’s home.  Most of this amount was funneled to Mausner’s personal bank account.
Approximately $480,000 to Drennan’s company for outside research and analysis when in reality Drennan was an employee at J.S. Oliver.
Nearly $40,000 in maintenance and other fees on Mausner’s personal timeshare in New York City.
According to the SEC’s order, Drennan participated in the soft dollar scheme by submitting false information to support the misuse of soft dollar credits and approving some of the soft dollar payments to his own company.

The SEC’s order alleges that J.S. Oliver and Mausner willfully violated the antifraud provisions of the federal securities laws and asserts disclosure, compliance, and recordkeeping violations against them.  The SEC’s order alleges that Drennan willfully aided, abetted, and caused J.S. Oliver’s fraud violations in the soft dollar scheme.

The SEC’s investigation, which is continuing, has been conducted by Ronnie Lasky and C. Dabney O’Riordan of the Enforcement Division’s Asset Management Unit in the Los Angeles Regional Office.  The SEC’s litigation will be led by David Van Havermaat, John Bulgozdy, and Ms. Lasky.  The examination of J.S. Oliver was conducted by Ashish Ward, Eric Lee, and Pristine Chan of the Los Angeles office’s investment adviser/investment company examination program.

PAIR ARRESTED FOR ROLES IN MURDER PLOT

FROM:  U.S. MARSHALS SERVICE 
Marshals Task Force Arrests Pair Wanted For Ordering Murder

Columbus, OH – U.S. Marshal Patrick Sedoti of the Southern District of Ohio announces the arrest of Clarissa Clark, 19, and Summer Kerley, 29, both of Pittsburgh. The pair was arrested early Thursday evening by the Southern Ohio Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team (SOFAST) on warrants issued by authorities in Pittsburgh. The two women face charges of criminal solicitation of homicide, conspiracy to commit homicide and terroristic threats all stemming from a March 2013 shooting in the Sheraden neighborhood of Pittsburgh. Kerley is also charged with aggravated assault.

In late March, Clark and Kerley were passengers on a ‘party bus’ in Southern Pittsburgh and became engaged in a verbal altercation with other passengers. It is alleged that Clark made several phone calls to arrange for two men, James Lawrence, 21 and Michael Lyons, 22, to assault the others involved in the fight. Eventually, Clark ordered the bus to pull over and Lawrence and Lyons emerged from a car with guns and began firing at the victim. Steven Lee, 21, of McKees Rocks, Pa. was killed.

After receiving a tip from the U.S. Marshals office in Pittsburgh, Columbus based Marshals and Task Force officers from SOFAST located both Clark and Kerley in a residence on Columbus’ east-side. The women were arrested without incident and are currently the Franklin County Corrections Center awaiting extradition to Pennsylvania for trial.

Columbus SOFAST is a fugitive focused, U.S. Marshals Service led task force consisting of local, state, and federal authorities including the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, Ohio Adult Parole Authority, Columbus Police Department, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, United States Secret Service, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

U.S., SWITZERLAND ISSUE JOINT STATEMENT ON TAX EVASION

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT 
Thursday, August 29, 2013
United States and Switzerland Issue Joint Statement Regarding Tax Evasion Investigations

Switzerland Encourages Its Banks to Cooperate with New Program Which Will Require Significant Financial Penalties and Information Sharing from Banks That Aided Secret Account Holders
The Department of Justice today announced a program that will encourage Swiss banks to cooperate in the department’s ongoing investigations of the use of foreign bank accounts to commit tax evasion.  The department also released a joint statement with the Swiss Federal Department of Finance, stating that Switzerland will encourage its banks to participate in the program.

“This program will significantly enhance the Justice Department's ongoing efforts to aggressively pursue those who attempt to evade the law by hiding their assets outside of the United States,” said Attorney General Eric Holder.  “In addition to strengthening our partnership with the Swiss government, the program’s requirement that Swiss banks provide detailed account information will improve our ability to bring tax dollars back to the U.S. treasury from across the globe.”

“This program will provide us with additional information to prosecute those who used secret offshore bank accounts and those here and abroad who established and facilitated the use of such accounts,” said Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole.  “Now is the time for all U.S. taxpayers who hid behind Swiss bank secrecy laws or have undeclared offshore accounts in other foreign countries to come forward and resolve their outstanding tax issues with the United States.”

Under the program, which is available only to banks that are not currently under criminal investigation by the department for their offshore activities, participating Swiss banks will be required to:

·          Agree to pay substantial penalties
·          Make a complete disclosure of their cross-border activities
·          Provide detailed information on an account-by-account basis for accounts in which U.S. taxpayers have a direct or indirect interest
·          Cooperate in treaty requests for account information
·          Provide detailed information as to other banks that transferred funds into secret accounts or that accepted funds when secret accounts were closed
·          Agree to close accounts of account holders who fail to come into compliance with U.S. reporting obligations

Banks meeting all of the above requirements will be eligible for non-prosecution agreements.  Banks currently under criminal investigation related to their Swiss banking activities, and all individuals, are expressly excluded from the program.

The program holds banks to a higher degree of responsibility for opening secret accounts after it became publicly known that the department was actively investigating offshore tax evasion in Switzerland.  Under the penalty provisions of the program, banks seeking a non-prosecution agreement must agree to a penalty in an amount equal to 20 percent of the maximum aggregate dollar value of all non-disclosed U.S. accounts that were held by the bank on Aug.1, 2008.  The penalty amount will increase to 30 percent for secret accounts that were opened after that date but before the end of February 2009 and to 50 percent for secret accounts opened later than that.  

The program will significantly assist the department’s efforts to investigate and prosecute U.S. taxpayers who, when faced with the risk of detection, chose to move funds away from banks under investigation to banks that they believed might be better havens for tax secrecy.  A key component of the program requires cooperating banks to provide information that will enable the United States to follow the money to other Swiss banks and to banks located in other countries.

The program also provides a path to resolution for Swiss banks that were not engaged in wrongful acts with U.S. taxpayers but nonetheless want a resolution of their status.  Most banks in this category will be asked to provide an internal investigation report prepared by an independent examiner, as well as any additional information requested by the department.  A smaller group of banks will be allowed to show that they met certain criteria for deemed-compliance under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA).  Banks in these two groups will be eligible to receive non-target letters.

The program is intended to enable every Swiss bank that is not already under criminal investigation to find a path to resolution.  It also creates significant risks for individuals and banks that continue to fail to cooperate, including for those Swiss banks that facilitated U.S. tax evasion but fail to cooperate now, for all U.S. taxpayers who think that they can continue to hide income and assets in offshore banks, and for those advisors and others who facilitated these crimes.

Since 2009, the department has charged more than 30 banking professionals and 68 U.S. accountholders with violations arising from their offshore banking activities.  Fifty-four U.S. taxpayers and four bankers and financial advisors have pled guilty, and five taxpayers have been convicted at trial.  One Swiss bank entered into a deferred prosecution agreement, and a second Swiss bank was indicted and pleaded guilty.  Currently, the department is actively investigating the Swiss-based activities of 14 financial institutions.  The department’s enforcement activities are global and have also included public actions concerning activities in India, Luxembourg, Israel and the Caribbean.

The program does not address current or future investigations and pending cases concerning bank employees, financial advisors and other individuals.  The department will address each of these cases only with the individual’s counsel, in a manner that gives consideration to the particular facts and circumstances of each case.  In those cases in which indictments are pending, any resolution will also require addressing outstanding issues with the court.  Counsel for banks currently under investigation, individuals who have been indicted, or bank employees who are concerned about whether they have potential criminal liability should contact the department’s Tax Division or the prosecutors handling their case if they wish to seek resolution.  

The department notes that the joint statement with the Swiss Federal Department of Finance provides that if personal data are provided, they should only be used for purposes of law enforcement, which may include regulatory action, in the United States or as otherwise permitted by U.S. law.  Additionally, the department has assured its Swiss counterparts that it understands that simply because the names of individuals are included in the information that it receives from a bank does not necessarily mean that any particular individual is or is not culpable of wrongdoing.  The support that Switzerland has shown for this program may also help those banks already under investigation take some of the steps necessary to reach a resolution.

“Banks that come forward under the program that we have announced today have the opportunity to reach a resolution with the United States,” said Assistant Attorney General for the Tax Division Kathryn Keneally.  “The program will give us yet more information to pursue U.S. taxpayers who are continuing to hide their assets in offshore accounts, and creates significant risks for those Swiss banks that fail to come forward.  We recognize and express our appreciation for Switzerland’s support of the program.”

“The program the Department of Justice announced today is another positive step forward in the U.S. government’s continuing efforts to combat offshore tax evasion,” said Danny Werfel, Acting Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service.  “On behalf of the IRS, I extend my appreciation to both the Justice Department and the Swiss government for developing a way forward that provides the United States with information that will be critical to the enforcement of our tax laws and will bring closure for Swiss banks that meet the requirements of the program.”

BUSINESSMAN PLEADS GUILTY IN BANKING CONSPIRACY CASE

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE  
Thursday, August 29, 2013
California Businessman Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Conceal Israeli Bank Accounts

Encino, Calif., Resident Is the Latest in a Series of Defendants Charged with Conspiring with Bankers to Hide Secret Israeli Bank Accounts
Aaron Cohen of Encino, Calif., pleaded guilty today in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California to conspiracy to defraud the United States, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) announced.

According to court documents, Cohen, a U.S. citizen, maintained undeclared bank accounts at two international banks headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel, identified in court documents as Bank A and Bank B.  One of Cohen’s undeclared accounts was maintained at a branch of Bank A located in the Cayman Islands.  The accounts were held in the names of nominees in order to keep them secret from the U.S. Government.  In or about 2000, Cohen began using the funds in his undeclared account in the Cayman Islands as collateral for back-to-back loans obtained from another branch of Bank A located in Los Angeles.  Cohen’s ownership of the funds in the Cayman Islands accounts was not identified in the loan records maintained at the Los Angeles branch, thus concealing the fact that he was borrowing his own money, paying tax-deductible interest on the loans and not reporting the interest income he was earning in the Cayman Islands on his U.S. tax returns.

 According to the plea agreement, in or about 2009, Cohen transferred approximately $2 million from his Cayman Islands account at Bank A to a new offshore account at Bank B in Israel.  Cohen then used the funds in the new account as collateral to obtain a back-to-back loan from the Los Angeles branch of Bank B. Cohen failed to report any income from the accounts on his individual income tax returns that were filed with the IRS.  For tax years 2006 through 2009, Cohen failed to report interest income of approximately $238,000.  The highest balance in the undeclared accounts was approximately $3,450,000.

“Today’s guilty plea is but the latest example that attempting to hide income and assets from the United States in offshore accounts is a bad gamble,” said Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Tax Division Kathryn Keneally.  “The Internal Revenue Service will find the hiding places and the Department of Justice will criminally prosecute these tax cheats, who face potential jail time, still owe the taxes due and may lose those hidden assets and more to severe civil penalties."

“Mr. Cohen is yet another taxpayer caught using anonymous offshore accounts to avoid paying his fair share of taxes,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Chief Richard Weber. “Through IRS-CI’s efforts, we are gaining access to more and more information on institutions and individuals involved in offshore tax fraud, and you can expect us to use all of our enforcement tools to fight offshore tax evasion.”

Cohen is the latest in a series of defendants charged in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California with failing to report income from undeclared accounts in Israel.

On March 29, 2013, Zvi Sperling of Beverly Hills, Calif., pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States in connection with back-to-back loans obtained in Los Angeles at branches of Bank A and Bank B that were secured by funds in undeclared bank accounts in Israel.  For tax years 2005 through 2008, Sperling failed to report income of approximately $381,563. The highest balance in Sperling’s undeclared accounts was approximately $4 million.

On May 21, 2013, Guity Kashfi of Los Angeles, Calif., pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States in connection with back-to-back loans obtained from branches of Bank A and Bank B in Los Angeles that were secured by funds in undeclared bank accounts in Israel and Luxembourg.  For tax years 2005 through 2011, Kashfi failed to report interest income of approximately $221,306.  The highest balance in Kashfi’s undeclared accounts was approximately $2.5 million.

U.S. citizens and residents who have an interest in, or signature or other authority over, a financial account in a foreign country with assets in excess of $10,000 are required to disclose the existence of such account on Schedule B, Part III, of their individual income tax returns.  Additionally, U.S. citizens and residents must file a Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Reports (FBAR) with the U.S. Treasury disclosing any financial account in a foreign country with assets in excess of $10,000 in which they have a financial interest, or over which they have signature or other authority.

  Cohen faces a potential maximum prison term of five years and a maximum fine of $250,000.  In addition, Cohen has agreed to pay a civil penalty to the IRS in the amount of 50 percent of the high balance of his undeclared accounts for failing to file FBARs.

Assistant Attorney General Kathryn Keneally of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and André Birotte Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California thanked special agents of IRS-CI, who investigated the case, and Tax Division Senior Litigation Counsel John E. Sullivan and Assistant Chief Elizabeth C. Hadden, who prosecuted these cases, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra A. Brown of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, who assisted with the prosecutions.

50TH ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATION OF THE VIETNAM WAR

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 
Army Launches 50th Anniversary Commemoration of Vietnam War
By J.D. Leipold
Army News Service

WASHINGTON, Aug. 30, 2013 - The afternoon in the Pentagon auditorium on Aug. 28 was a time for reflection on a war that spanned 10 years and cost the country the lives of more than 58,000 young men and women. It was also an occasion to honor and thank nine Vietnam War veterans who'd served a total of 14 tours in-country and 225 years in uniform.
Kicking off the Pentagon's first event commemorating the 50th anniversary of the conflict, Army Lt. Gen. Raymond V. Mason, deputy chief of staff for logistics, opened the ceremony recalling personal memories as well as his broader experiences as a young American citizen.
"I was a young Army brat and it was difficult for me to watch my dad come back after his third tour in Vietnam and not get treated appropriately, at least in my mind," Mason said. "I was just a pretty young guy at that time, but I could feel that it wasn't right. It struck me, and I knew if I ever had the opportunity to make that right I would do the best I could.

"Today, we are recognizing nine of our patriots and their families who stood up to the test of their generation and their decade," he continued. "I think it's well overdue. Nothing is more important than pausing and reflecting on the sacrifices of what these great men and women did and those who gave their last full measure."

On March 8, 1965, America's ground war in Vietnam began when 3,500 Marines were deployed with the American public's support. By Christmas, nearly 200,000 soldiers, Marines, airmen and sailors were in the country. At war's end on April 30, 1975, nearly 3 million Americans had been on the ground, in the air and on rivers of Vietnam. More than 58,000 Americans lost their lives.

While the official 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War will be in 2015, the president and Congress requested the secretary of Defense to begin planning the Vietnam War commemoration in 2007.

The goal is to get more than 10,000 corporations, civic groups as well as government and community organizations to join as partners and help sponsor hometown events to honor Vietnam veterans, their families and those who were prisoners of war and missing in action.

To date, 4,921 commemorative partners have signed on, including Army logistics, or G-4, which became the first.

Following Mason's remarks, Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. John F. Campbell thanked him and his team for leading the way to celebrate the contributions of Vietnam veterans.

The son of an Air Force senior master sergeant, Campbell told of his years growing up on military bases around the world before attending West Point, and then recalled his first interaction with Vietnam veterans while a lieutenant in Germany.

"Both the battalion commanders were Vietnam veterans ... all the platoon sergeants, all the first sergeants, all the company commanders were Vietnam veterans," Campbell said. The vets, he said, instilled in him their hard-fought lessons-learned from Vietnam and wanted to make sure the young lieutenants and soldiers wouldn't make the same mistakes they had.

Retired Army Lt. Gen. Claude "Mick" Kicklighter serves as director of the U.S. Vietnam War Commemoration. During the Pentagon event he previewed the timeline of plans for honoring Vietnam veterans across the country over the next few years.

"Veterans of Valor," a 30-minute documentary with the nine honorees recalling humorous and somber anecdotes of their war experiences and interspersed with still photographs of themselves in Vietnam was also premiered.

U.S. Department of Defense Armed with Science Update: COMING IN FOR A VERTICAL LANDING

U.S. Department of Defense Armed with Science Update