Tuesday, January 7, 2014
EDUCATION DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES $1.9 MILLION GRANT TO NEWTOWN, PA
FROM: DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
U.S. Department of Education Awards Additional $1.9 Million Grant to Newtown, Connecticut, to Further Support Recovery Efforts
JANUARY 6, 2014
The U.S. Department of Education today announced it is awarding an additional $1.9 million to Newtown Public School District to help with ongoing recovery efforts following the tragic shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December 2012. The grant is being made through the Department's Project School Emergency Response to Violence (SERV) program, which awards Immediate Services and Extended Services grants to school districts, colleges and universities that have experienced a significant traumatic event and need resources to respond, recover, and re-establish safe environments for students. Newtown received its first Project SERV award—a $1.3 million grant—in May 2013. The $1.9 million grant will continue to support the school district as it strives to restore a safe and healthy environment for teaching and learning in its schools.
"We will do whatever we can to continue assisting and supporting the healing and recovery of Newtown," U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said. "This additional grant will help students, teachers, families, school district and community move forward after such an unimaginable tragedy."
Newtown's first $1.3 million Project SERV grant financially supported both the actions taken by the district immediately following the shootings, as well as the district's comprehensive school-based behavioral and academic recovery program. Those services aimed to meet the needs of students, school staff, parents and family members affected by the tragedy and included support groups for parents, siblings, students and teachers; creative expression and wellness activities; counseling; training for educators and school personnel; and additional support staff.
The $1.9 million grant will go toward additional grief support services for siblings and those who lost their peers; classroom-based psycho-education and skill-building strategies; skill-based interventions for affected students identified as needing assistance for posttraumatic stress reactions, traumatic grief, separation anxiety and other behavioral and functional problems; tutoring for students demonstrating academic decline since the incident; additional security; additional nursing services; and more.
The Department's Office of Safe and Healthy Students administers the Project SERV grant program. It has awarded more than $34 million through 113 grants, including Newtown's additional grant, since the program began in 2001.
U.S. Department of Education Awards Additional $1.9 Million Grant to Newtown, Connecticut, to Further Support Recovery Efforts
JANUARY 6, 2014
The U.S. Department of Education today announced it is awarding an additional $1.9 million to Newtown Public School District to help with ongoing recovery efforts following the tragic shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December 2012. The grant is being made through the Department's Project School Emergency Response to Violence (SERV) program, which awards Immediate Services and Extended Services grants to school districts, colleges and universities that have experienced a significant traumatic event and need resources to respond, recover, and re-establish safe environments for students. Newtown received its first Project SERV award—a $1.3 million grant—in May 2013. The $1.9 million grant will continue to support the school district as it strives to restore a safe and healthy environment for teaching and learning in its schools.
"We will do whatever we can to continue assisting and supporting the healing and recovery of Newtown," U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said. "This additional grant will help students, teachers, families, school district and community move forward after such an unimaginable tragedy."
Newtown's first $1.3 million Project SERV grant financially supported both the actions taken by the district immediately following the shootings, as well as the district's comprehensive school-based behavioral and academic recovery program. Those services aimed to meet the needs of students, school staff, parents and family members affected by the tragedy and included support groups for parents, siblings, students and teachers; creative expression and wellness activities; counseling; training for educators and school personnel; and additional support staff.
The $1.9 million grant will go toward additional grief support services for siblings and those who lost their peers; classroom-based psycho-education and skill-building strategies; skill-based interventions for affected students identified as needing assistance for posttraumatic stress reactions, traumatic grief, separation anxiety and other behavioral and functional problems; tutoring for students demonstrating academic decline since the incident; additional security; additional nursing services; and more.
The Department's Office of Safe and Healthy Students administers the Project SERV grant program. It has awarded more than $34 million through 113 grants, including Newtown's additional grant, since the program began in 2001.
SECRETARY HAGEL HOSTS MEETING WITH KOREAN FOREIGN MINISTER BYUNG-SE
FROM: DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Hagel Hosts South Korean Foreign Minister for Pentagon Meeting
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Jan. 7, 2014 – In a meeting with South Korea’s top diplomat at the Pentagon yesterday, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel reaffirmed what Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby called “the crucial role of the U.S.-South Korean alliance, which serves as a linchpin for peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.”
In a statement summarizing Hagel’s meeting with Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se, Kirby said Hagel and Yun reaffirmed that both sides must continue to make progress to develop and acquire critical military capabilities necessary to maintain and strengthen the combined U.S.-South Korean defense posture.
“The two discussed the importance of maintaining a robust combined defense of the Korean Peninsula as a strong deterrent against provocations from North Korea,” he added. Hagel emphasized the importance of the U.S.-South Korean alliance and confirmed the solid U.S. commitment to the defense of the South Korea, Kirby said.
Today, Defense Department officials announced the rotational deployment of the 1st Cavalry Division’s 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, from Fort Hood, Texas, to Camps Hovey and Stanley in South Korea.
This combined arms battalion, with about 800 soldiers and its own wheeled and tracked vehicles, will deploy Feb. 1 to conduct operations in support of U.S. Forces Korea and the U.S. 8th Army, officials said. “This action supports the United States' defense commitment to the Republic of Korea as specified by the mutual defense treaty and presidential agreements,” they added in a statement announcing the deployment.
The battalion will provide a trained and combat-ready force that will deploy with its equipment to South Korea, and the equipment will remain there for use by follow-on rotations, they added. The soldiers will return to Fort Hood upon completion of their nine-month rotation.
Hagel Hosts South Korean Foreign Minister for Pentagon Meeting
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Jan. 7, 2014 – In a meeting with South Korea’s top diplomat at the Pentagon yesterday, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel reaffirmed what Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby called “the crucial role of the U.S.-South Korean alliance, which serves as a linchpin for peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.”
In a statement summarizing Hagel’s meeting with Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se, Kirby said Hagel and Yun reaffirmed that both sides must continue to make progress to develop and acquire critical military capabilities necessary to maintain and strengthen the combined U.S.-South Korean defense posture.
“The two discussed the importance of maintaining a robust combined defense of the Korean Peninsula as a strong deterrent against provocations from North Korea,” he added. Hagel emphasized the importance of the U.S.-South Korean alliance and confirmed the solid U.S. commitment to the defense of the South Korea, Kirby said.
Today, Defense Department officials announced the rotational deployment of the 1st Cavalry Division’s 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, from Fort Hood, Texas, to Camps Hovey and Stanley in South Korea.
This combined arms battalion, with about 800 soldiers and its own wheeled and tracked vehicles, will deploy Feb. 1 to conduct operations in support of U.S. Forces Korea and the U.S. 8th Army, officials said. “This action supports the United States' defense commitment to the Republic of Korea as specified by the mutual defense treaty and presidential agreements,” they added in a statement announcing the deployment.
The battalion will provide a trained and combat-ready force that will deploy with its equipment to South Korea, and the equipment will remain there for use by follow-on rotations, they added. The soldiers will return to Fort Hood upon completion of their nine-month rotation.
SPECIAL FORCES HELP CLEAR ENEMY POSITION IN AFGHANISTAN
FROM: DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
U.S. Special Forces soldiers fire a mortar round toward an identified enemy fighting position while helping Afghan counterparts clear Bahlozi village in the Maiwand district of Afghanistan's Kandahar province, Jan. 1, 2014. Forces conducted the clearance mission to disrupt insurgents who hide in the village. The U.S. Special Forces soldiers are assigned to Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Afghanistan. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Bertha A. Flores
An Afghan commando fires a rocket-propelled grenade from the roof of a compound toward an identified enemy fighting position while clearing Bahlozi village with the assistance of U.S. Special Forces soldiers in the Maiwand district of Afghanistan's Kandahar province, Jan. 1, 2014. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Bertha A. Flores
DEFENSE SECRETARY HAGEL PRAISES ESTONIA'S SUPPORT IN AFGHANISTAN
FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Hagel Praises Estonia’s Commitment in Afghanistan
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Jan. 6, 2014 – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel praised Estonia’s commitment in Afghanistan in a Pentagon meeting today with Estonian Defense Minister Urmas Reinsalu.
"Secretary Hagel praised Minister Reinsalu for Estonia's steadfast commitment to Afghanistan, to include its contributions to security in Helmand Province and its commitment to supporting stability in Afghanistan post-2014,” Assistant Pentagon Press Secretary Carl Woog said in a statement summarizing the meeting.
The two leaders discussed their shared interest in working together with other Baltic states to support regional cooperation, interoperability with allies, cyber defense and long-term defense modernization,” Woog said. “The secretary also commended Estonia for its demonstrated commitment to maintaining significant levels of efficient defense spending,” he added.
Hagel also reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to the alliance, and pledged to continue to participate in NATO exercises, Woog said, “noting the importance of leveraging the interoperability we've achieved over the last 20 years."
Hagel Praises Estonia’s Commitment in Afghanistan
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Jan. 6, 2014 – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel praised Estonia’s commitment in Afghanistan in a Pentagon meeting today with Estonian Defense Minister Urmas Reinsalu.
"Secretary Hagel praised Minister Reinsalu for Estonia's steadfast commitment to Afghanistan, to include its contributions to security in Helmand Province and its commitment to supporting stability in Afghanistan post-2014,” Assistant Pentagon Press Secretary Carl Woog said in a statement summarizing the meeting.
The two leaders discussed their shared interest in working together with other Baltic states to support regional cooperation, interoperability with allies, cyber defense and long-term defense modernization,” Woog said. “The secretary also commended Estonia for its demonstrated commitment to maintaining significant levels of efficient defense spending,” he added.
Hagel also reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to the alliance, and pledged to continue to participate in NATO exercises, Woog said, “noting the importance of leveraging the interoperability we've achieved over the last 20 years."
CHARGES SETTLED AGAINST THREE COMPANIES REGARDING PLASTIC BIODEGRADABILITY CLAIMS
FROM: FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
FTC Approves Final Orders Settling Charges that Three Companies Made Misleading and Unsubstantiated Biodegradability Claims for Their Plastic Products
Following a public comment period, the Federal Trade Commission has approved three final orders settling charges that Clear Choice Housewares, Inc.; Carnie Cap, Inc.; and MacNeill Engineering Company, doing business as CHAMP, violated the FTC Act by misrepresenting that plastic products they sell that are treated with additives are: 1) biodegradable, 2) biodegradable in a landfill, 3) biodegradable in a certain timeframe, or 4) scientifically shown to be biodegradable in a landfill, or that various scientific tests prove their biodegradability claims. The FTC also alleged that the companies lacked a reliable scientific basis to back up any of these claims.
Under the FTC’s orders, first announced in October, the companies are prohibited from making biodegradability claims unless the representations are true and supported by competent and reliable scientific evidence. The companies must have evidence that the entire plastic product will completely decompose into elements found in nature within one year after customary disposal (defined as disposal in a landfill, incinerator, or recycling facility) before making any unqualified biodegradable claim.
In order to make qualified claims, the companies must state the time required for complete biodegradation in a landfill or the time to degrade in a disposal environment near where consumers who buy the product live. Alternatively, the companies may state the rate and extent of degradation in a landfill or other disposal facility accompanied by an additional disclosure that the stated rate and extent do not mean that the product will continue to decompose or decompose completely.
FTC Approves Final Orders Settling Charges that Three Companies Made Misleading and Unsubstantiated Biodegradability Claims for Their Plastic Products
Following a public comment period, the Federal Trade Commission has approved three final orders settling charges that Clear Choice Housewares, Inc.; Carnie Cap, Inc.; and MacNeill Engineering Company, doing business as CHAMP, violated the FTC Act by misrepresenting that plastic products they sell that are treated with additives are: 1) biodegradable, 2) biodegradable in a landfill, 3) biodegradable in a certain timeframe, or 4) scientifically shown to be biodegradable in a landfill, or that various scientific tests prove their biodegradability claims. The FTC also alleged that the companies lacked a reliable scientific basis to back up any of these claims.
Under the FTC’s orders, first announced in October, the companies are prohibited from making biodegradability claims unless the representations are true and supported by competent and reliable scientific evidence. The companies must have evidence that the entire plastic product will completely decompose into elements found in nature within one year after customary disposal (defined as disposal in a landfill, incinerator, or recycling facility) before making any unqualified biodegradable claim.
In order to make qualified claims, the companies must state the time required for complete biodegradation in a landfill or the time to degrade in a disposal environment near where consumers who buy the product live. Alternatively, the companies may state the rate and extent of degradation in a landfill or other disposal facility accompanied by an additional disclosure that the stated rate and extent do not mean that the product will continue to decompose or decompose completely.
TEXAS-BASED COMPANIES AGREE TO SETTLE CAA VIOLATIONS RELATED TO ILLEGAL IMPORT OF VEHICLES
FROM: JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Monday, January 6, 2014
Dallas-Based Companies Agree to Pay Civil Penalty to Settle Clean Air Act Violations Stemming from Illegal Import of Vehicles
A Dallas-based group of companies and their owner must either stop importing vehicles or follow a comprehensive compliance plan to settle Clean Air Act (CAA) violations stemming from the alleged illegal import of over 24,167 highway motorcycles and recreational vehicles into the United States without proper documentation, the Department of Justice and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced. The four parties are also required to pay a $120,000 civil penalty.
“Importers of foreign made vehicles and engines must comply with the same Clean Air Act requirements that apply to those selling domestic products,” said Robert G. Dreher, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “We will continue to vigorously enforce the law to ensure that imported vehicles and engines comply with U.S. laws so that American consumers get environmentally sound products and violators do not gain an unfair economic advantage.”
“Vehicles are one of the largest sources of pollution that significantly affect public health,” said Cynthia Giles, Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Holding importers accountable for meeting U.S. emissions standards is critical to protecting the air we breathe, and to protecting companies that play by the rules.”
Savoia, BMX Imports and BMX Trading, and their owner, Terry Zimmer, allegedly imported the vehicles from several foreign manufacturers into the United States through the Port of Long Beach, Calif. The vehicles were then sold through the Internet and from a retail location in Dallas, Texas.
Today’s settlement requires that the companies either certify that they are no longer engaging in CAA-regulated activities or follow a comprehensive plan over the next five years that would include regular vehicle inspections, emissions testing, and other measures to ensure compliance at various stages of purchasing, importing, and selling vehicles. In addition, the companies are required to export or destroy 115 of their current vehicles that have catalytic converters or carburetors that do not adhere to the certificate of conformity that they submitted to EPA. The purpose of the certificate of conformity, required by the CAA, is to demonstrate that vehicles or engines meet applicable federal emission standards.
EPA discovered the alleged violations through inspections at Long Beach and other U.S. ports of entry, and through information provided by the company. EPA’s investigation showed that approximately 11,000 of the imported vehicles were not covered by an EPA certificate of conformity, which means that EPA is unable to confirm that the emissions from these vehicles meet federal standards. Other violations included approximately 23,000 vehicles sold without the required emissions warranty and approximately 500 vehicles that did not have proper emission control labels.
The CAA requires that all vehicles have certification, warranty and labeling prior to being imported or sold in the United States to demonstrate that they meet federal emission standards. Engines operating without proper emissions controls can emit excess carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides which can cause respiratory illnesses, aggravate asthma and contribute to the formation of ground level ozone or smog.
The consent decree, lodged today in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, is subject to a 30-day public comment period and court approval.
Monday, January 6, 2014
Dallas-Based Companies Agree to Pay Civil Penalty to Settle Clean Air Act Violations Stemming from Illegal Import of Vehicles
A Dallas-based group of companies and their owner must either stop importing vehicles or follow a comprehensive compliance plan to settle Clean Air Act (CAA) violations stemming from the alleged illegal import of over 24,167 highway motorcycles and recreational vehicles into the United States without proper documentation, the Department of Justice and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced. The four parties are also required to pay a $120,000 civil penalty.
“Importers of foreign made vehicles and engines must comply with the same Clean Air Act requirements that apply to those selling domestic products,” said Robert G. Dreher, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “We will continue to vigorously enforce the law to ensure that imported vehicles and engines comply with U.S. laws so that American consumers get environmentally sound products and violators do not gain an unfair economic advantage.”
“Vehicles are one of the largest sources of pollution that significantly affect public health,” said Cynthia Giles, Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Holding importers accountable for meeting U.S. emissions standards is critical to protecting the air we breathe, and to protecting companies that play by the rules.”
Savoia, BMX Imports and BMX Trading, and their owner, Terry Zimmer, allegedly imported the vehicles from several foreign manufacturers into the United States through the Port of Long Beach, Calif. The vehicles were then sold through the Internet and from a retail location in Dallas, Texas.
Today’s settlement requires that the companies either certify that they are no longer engaging in CAA-regulated activities or follow a comprehensive plan over the next five years that would include regular vehicle inspections, emissions testing, and other measures to ensure compliance at various stages of purchasing, importing, and selling vehicles. In addition, the companies are required to export or destroy 115 of their current vehicles that have catalytic converters or carburetors that do not adhere to the certificate of conformity that they submitted to EPA. The purpose of the certificate of conformity, required by the CAA, is to demonstrate that vehicles or engines meet applicable federal emission standards.
EPA discovered the alleged violations through inspections at Long Beach and other U.S. ports of entry, and through information provided by the company. EPA’s investigation showed that approximately 11,000 of the imported vehicles were not covered by an EPA certificate of conformity, which means that EPA is unable to confirm that the emissions from these vehicles meet federal standards. Other violations included approximately 23,000 vehicles sold without the required emissions warranty and approximately 500 vehicles that did not have proper emission control labels.
The CAA requires that all vehicles have certification, warranty and labeling prior to being imported or sold in the United States to demonstrate that they meet federal emission standards. Engines operating without proper emissions controls can emit excess carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides which can cause respiratory illnesses, aggravate asthma and contribute to the formation of ground level ozone or smog.
The consent decree, lodged today in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, is subject to a 30-day public comment period and court approval.
RBS SECURITIES JAPAN LTD SENTENCED FOR MANIPULATION OF YEN LIBOR
FROM: JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
WASHINGTON — RBS Securities Japan Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Royal Bank of Scotland plc (RBS) that engages in investment banking operations with its principal place of business in Tokyo, Japan, was sentenced today for its role in manipulating the Japanese Yen London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR), a leading benchmark used in financial products and transactions around the world.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brent Snyder of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division and Assistant Director in Charge Valerie Parlave of the FBI’s Washington Field Office made the announcement.
RBS Securities Japan was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in the District of Connecticut. RBS Securities Japan pleaded guilty on April 12, 2013, to one count of wire fraud for its role in manipulating Yen LIBOR benchmark interest rates. RBS Securities Japan signed a plea agreement with the government in which it admitted its criminal conduct and agreed to pay a $50 million fine, which the court accepted in imposing sentence. In addition, RBS plc, the Edinburgh, Scotland-based parent company of RBS Securities Japan, entered into a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) with the government requiring RBS plc to pay an additional $100 million penalty, to admit and accept responsibility for its misconduct as set forth in an extensive statement of facts and to continue cooperating with the Justice Department in its ongoing investigation. The DPA reflects RBS plc’s cooperation in disclosing LIBOR misconduct within the financial institution and recognizes the significant remedial measures undertaken by new management to enhance internal controls.
Together with approximately $462 million in regulatory penalties and disgorgement – $325 million as a result of a Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) action and approximately $137 million as a result of a U.K. Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) action – the Justice Department’s criminal penalties bring the total amount of the resolution with RBS and RBS Securities Japan to approximately $612 million.
“Today’s sentencing of RBS is an important reminder of the significant consequences facing banks that deliberately manipulate financial benchmark rates, and it represents one of the numerous enforcement actions taken by the Justice Department in our ongoing LIBOR investigation” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Raman. “As a result of the department’s investigation, we have charged five individuals and secured admissions of criminal wrongdoing by four major financial institutions. Our enforcement actions have had a lasting impact on the global banking system, and we intend to continue to vigorously investigate and prosecute the manipulation of this cornerstone benchmark rate.”
“By colluding to manipulate the Yen LIBOR benchmark interest rate, RBS Securities Japan reaped higher profits for itself at the expense of unknowing counterparties, and in the process undermined the integrity of a major benchmark rate used in financial transactions throughout the world,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Snyder. “Today’s sentence, in conjunction with the department’s agreement with parent company RBS, demonstrates the Antitrust Division’s commitment to prosecuting these types of far-reaching and sophisticated conspiracies.”
“The manipulation of LIBOR impacts financial products the world over, and erodes the integrity of the financial markets,” said Assistant Director in Charge Parlave. “Without a level playing field in our financial marketplace, banks and investors do not have a threshold to which they can measure their hard work. I commend the Special Agents, forensic accountants and analysts, as well as the prosecutors, for the significant time and resources they committed to investigating this case.”
According to court documents, LIBOR is an average interest rate, calculated based upon submissions from leading banks around the world, reflecting the rates those banks believe they would be charged if borrowing from other banks. LIBOR serves as the primary benchmark for short-term interest rates globally, and is used as a reference rate for many interest rate contracts, mortgages, credit cards, student loans and other consumer lending products. The Bank of International Settlements estimated that as of the second half of 2009, outstanding interest rate contracts were valued at approximately $450 trillion.
LIBOR is published by the British Bankers’ Association (BBA), a trade association based in London. At the time relevant to the conduct in the criminal information, LIBOR was calculated for 10 currencies at 15 borrowing periods, known as maturities, ranging from overnight to one year. The LIBOR for a given currency at a specific maturity is the result of a calculation based upon submissions from a panel of banks for that currency (the Contributor Panel) selected by the BBA.
According to the plea agreement, at various times from at least 2006 through 2010, certain RBS Securities Japan Yen derivatives traders engaged in efforts to move LIBOR in a direction favorable to their trading positions, defrauding RBS counterparties who were unaware of the manipulation affecting financial products referencing Yen LIBOR. The scheme included efforts to manipulate more than one hundred Yen LIBOR submissions in a manner favorable to RBS Securities Japan’s trading positions. Certain RBS Securities Japan Yen derivatives traders, including a manager, engaged in this conduct in order to benefit their trading positions and thereby increase their profits and decrease their losses.
The prosecution of RBS Securities Japan is being handled by Deputy Chief Patrick Stokes and Trial Attorney Gary Winters of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, and New York Office Assistant Chief Elizabeth Prewitt and Trial Attorneys Eric Schleef and Richard Powers of the Antitrust Division. Deputy Chiefs Daniel Braun and William Stellmach and Trial Attorney Alex Berlin of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, Trial Attorneys Daniel Tracer and Kristina Srica of the Antitrust Division, Jeremy Verlinda of the Antitrust Division’s Economic Analysis Group, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric Glover and Liam Brennan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut, and the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs have also provided valuable assistance in this matter. The investigation is being conducted by special agents, forensic accountants and intelligence analysts of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
The investigation leading to these cases has required, and has greatly benefited from, a diligent and wide-ranging cooperative effort among various enforcement agencies both in the United States and abroad. The Justice Department acknowledges and expresses its deep appreciation for this assistance. In particular, the CFTC’s Division of Enforcement referred this matter to the department and, along with the FCA, has played a major role in the investigation. Various agencies and enforcement authorities from other nations are also participating in different aspects of the broader investigation relating to LIBOR and other benchmark rates, and the department is grateful for their cooperation and assistance. In particular, the Securities and Exchange Commission has played a significant role in the LIBOR investigation, and the department expresses its appreciation to the United Kingdom’s Serious Fraud Office for its assistance and ongoing cooperation.
This prosecution is part of efforts underway by President Barack Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force. President Obama established the interagency Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. The task force includes representatives from a broad range of federal agencies, regulatory authorities, inspectors general and state and local law enforcement who, working together, bring to bear a powerful array of criminal and civil enforcement resources. The task force is working to improve efforts across the federal executive branch, and with state and local partners, to investigate and prosecute significant financial crimes, ensure just and effective punishment for those who perpetrate financial crimes, combat discrimination in the lending and financial markets and recover proceeds for victims of financial crimes.
WASHINGTON — RBS Securities Japan Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Royal Bank of Scotland plc (RBS) that engages in investment banking operations with its principal place of business in Tokyo, Japan, was sentenced today for its role in manipulating the Japanese Yen London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR), a leading benchmark used in financial products and transactions around the world.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brent Snyder of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division and Assistant Director in Charge Valerie Parlave of the FBI’s Washington Field Office made the announcement.
RBS Securities Japan was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in the District of Connecticut. RBS Securities Japan pleaded guilty on April 12, 2013, to one count of wire fraud for its role in manipulating Yen LIBOR benchmark interest rates. RBS Securities Japan signed a plea agreement with the government in which it admitted its criminal conduct and agreed to pay a $50 million fine, which the court accepted in imposing sentence. In addition, RBS plc, the Edinburgh, Scotland-based parent company of RBS Securities Japan, entered into a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) with the government requiring RBS plc to pay an additional $100 million penalty, to admit and accept responsibility for its misconduct as set forth in an extensive statement of facts and to continue cooperating with the Justice Department in its ongoing investigation. The DPA reflects RBS plc’s cooperation in disclosing LIBOR misconduct within the financial institution and recognizes the significant remedial measures undertaken by new management to enhance internal controls.
Together with approximately $462 million in regulatory penalties and disgorgement – $325 million as a result of a Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) action and approximately $137 million as a result of a U.K. Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) action – the Justice Department’s criminal penalties bring the total amount of the resolution with RBS and RBS Securities Japan to approximately $612 million.
“Today’s sentencing of RBS is an important reminder of the significant consequences facing banks that deliberately manipulate financial benchmark rates, and it represents one of the numerous enforcement actions taken by the Justice Department in our ongoing LIBOR investigation” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Raman. “As a result of the department’s investigation, we have charged five individuals and secured admissions of criminal wrongdoing by four major financial institutions. Our enforcement actions have had a lasting impact on the global banking system, and we intend to continue to vigorously investigate and prosecute the manipulation of this cornerstone benchmark rate.”
“By colluding to manipulate the Yen LIBOR benchmark interest rate, RBS Securities Japan reaped higher profits for itself at the expense of unknowing counterparties, and in the process undermined the integrity of a major benchmark rate used in financial transactions throughout the world,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Snyder. “Today’s sentence, in conjunction with the department’s agreement with parent company RBS, demonstrates the Antitrust Division’s commitment to prosecuting these types of far-reaching and sophisticated conspiracies.”
“The manipulation of LIBOR impacts financial products the world over, and erodes the integrity of the financial markets,” said Assistant Director in Charge Parlave. “Without a level playing field in our financial marketplace, banks and investors do not have a threshold to which they can measure their hard work. I commend the Special Agents, forensic accountants and analysts, as well as the prosecutors, for the significant time and resources they committed to investigating this case.”
According to court documents, LIBOR is an average interest rate, calculated based upon submissions from leading banks around the world, reflecting the rates those banks believe they would be charged if borrowing from other banks. LIBOR serves as the primary benchmark for short-term interest rates globally, and is used as a reference rate for many interest rate contracts, mortgages, credit cards, student loans and other consumer lending products. The Bank of International Settlements estimated that as of the second half of 2009, outstanding interest rate contracts were valued at approximately $450 trillion.
LIBOR is published by the British Bankers’ Association (BBA), a trade association based in London. At the time relevant to the conduct in the criminal information, LIBOR was calculated for 10 currencies at 15 borrowing periods, known as maturities, ranging from overnight to one year. The LIBOR for a given currency at a specific maturity is the result of a calculation based upon submissions from a panel of banks for that currency (the Contributor Panel) selected by the BBA.
According to the plea agreement, at various times from at least 2006 through 2010, certain RBS Securities Japan Yen derivatives traders engaged in efforts to move LIBOR in a direction favorable to their trading positions, defrauding RBS counterparties who were unaware of the manipulation affecting financial products referencing Yen LIBOR. The scheme included efforts to manipulate more than one hundred Yen LIBOR submissions in a manner favorable to RBS Securities Japan’s trading positions. Certain RBS Securities Japan Yen derivatives traders, including a manager, engaged in this conduct in order to benefit their trading positions and thereby increase their profits and decrease their losses.
The prosecution of RBS Securities Japan is being handled by Deputy Chief Patrick Stokes and Trial Attorney Gary Winters of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, and New York Office Assistant Chief Elizabeth Prewitt and Trial Attorneys Eric Schleef and Richard Powers of the Antitrust Division. Deputy Chiefs Daniel Braun and William Stellmach and Trial Attorney Alex Berlin of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, Trial Attorneys Daniel Tracer and Kristina Srica of the Antitrust Division, Jeremy Verlinda of the Antitrust Division’s Economic Analysis Group, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric Glover and Liam Brennan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut, and the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs have also provided valuable assistance in this matter. The investigation is being conducted by special agents, forensic accountants and intelligence analysts of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
The investigation leading to these cases has required, and has greatly benefited from, a diligent and wide-ranging cooperative effort among various enforcement agencies both in the United States and abroad. The Justice Department acknowledges and expresses its deep appreciation for this assistance. In particular, the CFTC’s Division of Enforcement referred this matter to the department and, along with the FCA, has played a major role in the investigation. Various agencies and enforcement authorities from other nations are also participating in different aspects of the broader investigation relating to LIBOR and other benchmark rates, and the department is grateful for their cooperation and assistance. In particular, the Securities and Exchange Commission has played a significant role in the LIBOR investigation, and the department expresses its appreciation to the United Kingdom’s Serious Fraud Office for its assistance and ongoing cooperation.
This prosecution is part of efforts underway by President Barack Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force. President Obama established the interagency Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. The task force includes representatives from a broad range of federal agencies, regulatory authorities, inspectors general and state and local law enforcement who, working together, bring to bear a powerful array of criminal and civil enforcement resources. The task force is working to improve efforts across the federal executive branch, and with state and local partners, to investigate and prosecute significant financial crimes, ensure just and effective punishment for those who perpetrate financial crimes, combat discrimination in the lending and financial markets and recover proceeds for victims of financial crimes.
PRESIDENT OBAMA'S NOMINATIONS SENT TO THE SENATE
FROM: THE WHITE HOUSE
January 6, 2014
Presidential Nominations Sent to the Senate
NOMINATIONS SENT TO THE SENATE:
Henry J. Aaron, of the District of Columbia, to be a Member of the Social Security Advisory Board for a term expiring September 30, 2020. (Reappointment)
Henry J. Aaron, of the District of Columbia, to be a Member of the Social Security Advisory Board for a term expiring September 30, 2014, vice Jeffrey Robert Brown, term expired.
Debo P. Adegbile, of New York, to be an Assistant Attorney General, vice Thomas E. Perez, resigned.
Cynthia H. Akuetteh, of the District of Columbia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Gabonese Republic, and to serve concurrently and without additional compensation as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe.
Larry Edward André, Jr., of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Islamic Republic of Mauritania.
Steven Joel Anthony, of Virginia, to be a Member of the Railroad Retirement Board for a term expiring August 28, 2018, vice Jerome F. Kever, term expired.
David J. Arroyo, of New York, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for a term expiring January 31, 2016, vice Elizabeth Courtney, term expired.
Tamara Wenda Ashford, of Virginia, to be a Judge of the United States Tax Court for a term of fifteen years, vice Mary Ann Cohen, retired.
Leslie E. Bains, of New York, to be a Director of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation for a term expiring December 31, 2015, vice William S. Jasien, term expired.
Alfredo J. Balsera, of Florida, to be a Member of the United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy for a term expiring July 1, 2014, vice Elizabeth F. Bagley, term expired.
Alfredo J. Balsera, of Florida, to be a Member of the United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy for a term expiring July 1, 2017. (Reappointment)
Robert C. Barber, of Massachusetts, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Iceland.
Tommy Port Beaudreau, of Alaska, to be an Assistant Secretary of the Interior, vice Rhea S. Suh.
Colleen Bradley Bell, of California, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Hungary.
David Michael Bennett, of North Carolina, to be a Governor of the United States Postal Service for a term expiring December 8, 2018, vice Thurgood Marshall, Jr., term expired.
Timothy M. Broas, of Maryland, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Thomas A. Burke, of Maryland, to be an Assistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, vice Paul T. Anastas, resigned.
Dwight L. Bush, Sr., of the District of Columbia, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Kingdom of Morocco.
Leslie Ragon Caldwell, of New York, to be an Assistant Attorney General, vice Lanny A. Breuer, resigned.
John P. Carlin, of New York, to be an Assistant Attorney General, vice Lisa O. Monaco, resigned.
Michael G. Carroll, of New York, to be Inspector General, United States Agency for International Development, vice Donald A. Gambatesa, resigned.
Brad R. Carson, of Oklahoma, to be Under Secretary of the Army, vice Joseph W. Westphal.
Arnold A. Chacon, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Director General of the Foreign Service, vice Linda Thomas-Greenfield, resigned.
January 6, 2014
Presidential Nominations Sent to the Senate
NOMINATIONS SENT TO THE SENATE:
Henry J. Aaron, of the District of Columbia, to be a Member of the Social Security Advisory Board for a term expiring September 30, 2020. (Reappointment)
Henry J. Aaron, of the District of Columbia, to be a Member of the Social Security Advisory Board for a term expiring September 30, 2014, vice Jeffrey Robert Brown, term expired.
Debo P. Adegbile, of New York, to be an Assistant Attorney General, vice Thomas E. Perez, resigned.
Cynthia H. Akuetteh, of the District of Columbia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Gabonese Republic, and to serve concurrently and without additional compensation as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe.
Larry Edward André, Jr., of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Islamic Republic of Mauritania.
Steven Joel Anthony, of Virginia, to be a Member of the Railroad Retirement Board for a term expiring August 28, 2018, vice Jerome F. Kever, term expired.
David J. Arroyo, of New York, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for a term expiring January 31, 2016, vice Elizabeth Courtney, term expired.
Tamara Wenda Ashford, of Virginia, to be a Judge of the United States Tax Court for a term of fifteen years, vice Mary Ann Cohen, retired.
Leslie E. Bains, of New York, to be a Director of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation for a term expiring December 31, 2015, vice William S. Jasien, term expired.
Alfredo J. Balsera, of Florida, to be a Member of the United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy for a term expiring July 1, 2014, vice Elizabeth F. Bagley, term expired.
Alfredo J. Balsera, of Florida, to be a Member of the United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy for a term expiring July 1, 2017. (Reappointment)
Robert C. Barber, of Massachusetts, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Iceland.
Tommy Port Beaudreau, of Alaska, to be an Assistant Secretary of the Interior, vice Rhea S. Suh.
Colleen Bradley Bell, of California, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Hungary.
David Michael Bennett, of North Carolina, to be a Governor of the United States Postal Service for a term expiring December 8, 2018, vice Thurgood Marshall, Jr., term expired.
Timothy M. Broas, of Maryland, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Thomas A. Burke, of Maryland, to be an Assistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, vice Paul T. Anastas, resigned.
Dwight L. Bush, Sr., of the District of Columbia, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Kingdom of Morocco.
Leslie Ragon Caldwell, of New York, to be an Assistant Attorney General, vice Lanny A. Breuer, resigned.
John P. Carlin, of New York, to be an Assistant Attorney General, vice Lisa O. Monaco, resigned.
Michael G. Carroll, of New York, to be Inspector General, United States Agency for International Development, vice Donald A. Gambatesa, resigned.
Brad R. Carson, of Oklahoma, to be Under Secretary of the Army, vice Joseph W. Westphal.
Arnold A. Chacon, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Director General of the Foreign Service, vice Linda Thomas-Greenfield, resigned.
IS DECISION-MAKING AS RATIONAL AS ECONOMIST THINK
FROM: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Behavioral economist studies science of decision-making
Using brain scans, MacArthur Fellow examines people's expressed values and the choices they later make
January 6, 2014
When it comes to decision-making, traditional economics holds that people are rational and know what they want. Moreover, they will make their choices influenced by whatever constraints are upon them, for example, the amount of money they have or don't have.
Behavioral economist Colin Camerer has been challenging those assumptions for years, producing new theories, and with growing widespread acceptance. He and his colleagues believe that the old models don't always work when they involve the behavior of real people, and that other dynamics often are in play. He is using the brain to find them.
The National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded scientist is looking directly at brain activity to see whether, and how, certain portions of the brain correlate with the values people express, and the choices they later make.
The goal, eventually, is to identify activity in certain areas of the brain, by seeing where blood flow occurs, and then compare these brain data with the decisions they make.
"For example, if you ask people to rate blueberries and elderberries, and you see their brain voxels [portions of the brain] associated with subjective value are more active for blueberries, you can assume that they will later choose the blueberries," even if they verbally gave elderberries a higher rating, Camerer says. "It's almost like a brain polygraph, where you may be saying one thing, but your brain is saying another and is more predictive of what you ultimately will do."
Camerer, a professor of behavioral finance and economics at the California Institute of Technology, is a recent recipient of one of this year's prestigious MacArthur fellowships, a $625,000 no-strings-attached award, popularly known as a "genius" grant. These go to talented individuals who have shown extraordinary originality and dedication in their fields.
NSF has supported his work since 1985 with a total of $5.07 million on a number of research projects that involve behavioral economics and neuroeconomics, that is, using brain scans to understand economic decision-making, all within NSF's Directorate for Social, Behavioral & Economic Sciences.
"We are trying to get the correct psychology about human nature into the theory of economics," he says. "We need a theory that can explain both when people are acting rationally, and when they are not. We are trying to add in the missing elements."
This research is now possible because of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology that allows scientists to measure brain activity. Camerer and others believe it can be especially valuable when asking people to perform economic tasks or strategic games, or rate products, such as foods.
The potential of such experiments could mean that economists, ultimately, will no longer have to rely purely on historical data, that is, how people have behaved in the past, or outdated statistical models that try to predict how individuals should respond. Rather, the new research will allow behavioral economists to look directly into the brain and make more accurate predictions about what people are going to do.
The science of decision-making aims to get a more accurate fix on how people feel about buying habits, taxes, consumer products, travel and leisure, with broad implications for productivity and competitiveness, labor relations and consumer spending.
"Most new products fail, despite marketing, advertising and testing and focus groups," he says. "Consumers are finicky. Companies put out a new flavor of cereal that does well in focus groups, but then it sits on a shelf and people don't buy it. So any method that helps predict actual sales could be useful."
In one of his NSF-supported projects, Camerer did, in fact, look at food choices. His team provided subjects with a 2.75-second glance of photos of each of 100 different foods while their scanning their brain activity in an MRI machine. Participants then rated each food on a numerical scale; later, they looked at different pairs of foods and had to choose between them.
"We use a system called neural decoding," Camerer explains. "If you took the brain and diced it into cubes, you'd get about 50,000 three-millimeter cubed pieces, called voxels. We look at blood flow into each voxel. In general, when neurons are receiving input, blood is flowing in there. The question we ask is: can we find the voxels in the brain that correlate most strongly with subjective value--the rating of the food--and what they later choose? Then, when we find these 100 voxels that represent 'value,' we average them and see how well they predict the choices."
So far, "we can predict at a rate of about 68 percent," he says, adding: "Obviously, we would like to get close to 100 percent."
To be sure, this is more a proof of principle for future applications, since "you can't drag the machine around," for marketing studies; also, it is expensive to use.
"In a way, fMRI is really the last resort," Camerer says. "But we are interested in the whole brain. We don't know where these 100 voxels are; they could be in sensory, memory or motor-control areas--there could be all kinds of valuation sprinkled in all parts of the brain. fMRI is the only method that can look at the entire brain. However, there are much simpler and more portable methods that would probably work almost as well, such as measuring skin conductance, facial muscles, or pupil dilation.
"If you are trying to predict particular things, you don't necessarily need to go to brain imaging," he adds. "What brain imaging and similar methods have in common is that people see images or activities on a computer screen and we measure how they react biologically."
-- Marlene Cimons, National Science Foundation
Investigators
Colin Camerer
Antonio Rangel
Related Institutions/Organizations
California Institute of Technology
Behavioral economist studies science of decision-making
Using brain scans, MacArthur Fellow examines people's expressed values and the choices they later make
January 6, 2014
When it comes to decision-making, traditional economics holds that people are rational and know what they want. Moreover, they will make their choices influenced by whatever constraints are upon them, for example, the amount of money they have or don't have.
Behavioral economist Colin Camerer has been challenging those assumptions for years, producing new theories, and with growing widespread acceptance. He and his colleagues believe that the old models don't always work when they involve the behavior of real people, and that other dynamics often are in play. He is using the brain to find them.
The National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded scientist is looking directly at brain activity to see whether, and how, certain portions of the brain correlate with the values people express, and the choices they later make.
The goal, eventually, is to identify activity in certain areas of the brain, by seeing where blood flow occurs, and then compare these brain data with the decisions they make.
"For example, if you ask people to rate blueberries and elderberries, and you see their brain voxels [portions of the brain] associated with subjective value are more active for blueberries, you can assume that they will later choose the blueberries," even if they verbally gave elderberries a higher rating, Camerer says. "It's almost like a brain polygraph, where you may be saying one thing, but your brain is saying another and is more predictive of what you ultimately will do."
Camerer, a professor of behavioral finance and economics at the California Institute of Technology, is a recent recipient of one of this year's prestigious MacArthur fellowships, a $625,000 no-strings-attached award, popularly known as a "genius" grant. These go to talented individuals who have shown extraordinary originality and dedication in their fields.
NSF has supported his work since 1985 with a total of $5.07 million on a number of research projects that involve behavioral economics and neuroeconomics, that is, using brain scans to understand economic decision-making, all within NSF's Directorate for Social, Behavioral & Economic Sciences.
"We are trying to get the correct psychology about human nature into the theory of economics," he says. "We need a theory that can explain both when people are acting rationally, and when they are not. We are trying to add in the missing elements."
This research is now possible because of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology that allows scientists to measure brain activity. Camerer and others believe it can be especially valuable when asking people to perform economic tasks or strategic games, or rate products, such as foods.
The potential of such experiments could mean that economists, ultimately, will no longer have to rely purely on historical data, that is, how people have behaved in the past, or outdated statistical models that try to predict how individuals should respond. Rather, the new research will allow behavioral economists to look directly into the brain and make more accurate predictions about what people are going to do.
The science of decision-making aims to get a more accurate fix on how people feel about buying habits, taxes, consumer products, travel and leisure, with broad implications for productivity and competitiveness, labor relations and consumer spending.
"Most new products fail, despite marketing, advertising and testing and focus groups," he says. "Consumers are finicky. Companies put out a new flavor of cereal that does well in focus groups, but then it sits on a shelf and people don't buy it. So any method that helps predict actual sales could be useful."
In one of his NSF-supported projects, Camerer did, in fact, look at food choices. His team provided subjects with a 2.75-second glance of photos of each of 100 different foods while their scanning their brain activity in an MRI machine. Participants then rated each food on a numerical scale; later, they looked at different pairs of foods and had to choose between them.
"We use a system called neural decoding," Camerer explains. "If you took the brain and diced it into cubes, you'd get about 50,000 three-millimeter cubed pieces, called voxels. We look at blood flow into each voxel. In general, when neurons are receiving input, blood is flowing in there. The question we ask is: can we find the voxels in the brain that correlate most strongly with subjective value--the rating of the food--and what they later choose? Then, when we find these 100 voxels that represent 'value,' we average them and see how well they predict the choices."
So far, "we can predict at a rate of about 68 percent," he says, adding: "Obviously, we would like to get close to 100 percent."
To be sure, this is more a proof of principle for future applications, since "you can't drag the machine around," for marketing studies; also, it is expensive to use.
"In a way, fMRI is really the last resort," Camerer says. "But we are interested in the whole brain. We don't know where these 100 voxels are; they could be in sensory, memory or motor-control areas--there could be all kinds of valuation sprinkled in all parts of the brain. fMRI is the only method that can look at the entire brain. However, there are much simpler and more portable methods that would probably work almost as well, such as measuring skin conductance, facial muscles, or pupil dilation.
"If you are trying to predict particular things, you don't necessarily need to go to brain imaging," he adds. "What brain imaging and similar methods have in common is that people see images or activities on a computer screen and we measure how they react biologically."
-- Marlene Cimons, National Science Foundation
Investigators
Colin Camerer
Antonio Rangel
Related Institutions/Organizations
California Institute of Technology
Monday, January 6, 2014
U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT CONTRACTS FOR JANUARY 6, 2013
FROM: DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
CONTRACTS
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
R.D. Buie Enterprises Inc.*, Boerne, Texas, has been awarded a maximum $51,294,723 modification (P00101) exercising the third option year on a two-year base contract (SPM8E6-10-D-0003) with three one-year option periods for a tailored logistics support contract to provide items under the general category of wood products for the East region. This is a firm-fixed-price contract. Location of performance is Texas with a Feb. 4, 2015 performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 through fiscal 2015 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa.
Middle Atlantic Wholesale Lumber Inc.*, Baltimore, Md., has been awarded a maximum $51,294,723 modification (P00101) exercising the third option year on a two-year contract (SPM8E6-10-D-0004) with three one-year option periods for a tailored logistics support contract to provide items under the general category of wood products for the East region. This is a firm-fixed-price contract. Location of performance is Maryland with a Feb. 4, 2015 performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 through fiscal 2015 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa.
Sylvan Forest Products Inc.*, Portland, Ore., has been awarded a maximum $51,294,723 modification (P00101) exercising the third option year on a two-year contract (SPM8E6-10-D-0005) with three one-year option periods for a tailored logistics support contract to provide items under the general category of wood products for the East region. This is a firm-fixed-price contract. Location of performance is Oregon with a Feb. 4, 2015 performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 through fiscal 2015 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa.
S & S Forest Products LLC**, Boerne, Texas, has been awarded a maximum $51,294,723 modification (P00101) exercising the third option year on a two-year contract (SPM8E6-10-D-0006) with three one-year option periods for a tailored logistics support contract to provide items under the general category of wood products for the East region. This is a firm-fixed-price contract. Location of performance is Texas with a Feb. 4, 2015 performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 through fiscal 2015 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa.
NAVY
TTT-Cubed Inc.*, Fremont, Calif., is being awarded a $26,983,588 ceiling-priced, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the procurement of hardware, repair, and modification services for the development, integration, and operational support of countermeasure and emitter threat simulator systems for the Airborne Threat Simulation Organization. In addition, this contract provides for hardware, including one first article receiver-transmitter radar mini instantaneous frequency measurement (IFM) assembly; one first article integrated stabilized radio frequency source (ISRFS) assembly; 250 mini IFM assembly production units; and 125 ISRFS assembly production units. Work will be performed in Fremont, Calif., and is expected to be completed in January 2019. Fiscal 2014 weapons procurement, Navy funds in the amount of $900,000 is being obligated at time of this award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposals; two offers were received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake, Calif., is the contracting activity (N68936-14-D-0009).
The Entwistle Co., Hudson, Mass., is being awarded a $10,981,190 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the long term repair of 318 trough covers that support the Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment Program. This contract contains two option years, which if exercised, will bring the contract value to $18,758,583. Work will be performed in Hudson, Mass., and is expected to be completed by January 2017. If all options are exercised, the work will continue through January 2019. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. No funds will be obligated at time of award. This contract was not a full and open competition in accordance with FAR 6.302-1, only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirement. Only one offer received in response to this solicitation. The Navy Supply Weapons System Support, Philadelphia Pa., is the contracting activity (N00383-14-D-003P).
Raytheon Co., McKinney, Texas, is being awarded a $10,510,029 firm-fixed-price contract for nine multi-spectral targeting systems for Royal Danish Navy MH-60R/S helicopters. This contract supports foreign military sales to Denmark. Work will be performed in McKinney, Texas, and is expected to be completed by December 2015. Fiscal 2014 foreign military sales funding in the amount of $10,510,029 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not a full and open competition in accordance with FAR 6.302-1, only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirement. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane, Ind., is the contracting activity (N00164-12-G-JQ66-0037).
ARMY
IBM Corp. was awarded a $19,905,753 modification (P00004) to contract W912DY-13-F-0037 for services supporting Army General Fund Audit Readiness. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $19,905,753 were obligated at the time of the award. Estimated completion date is July, 9, 2014. Work will be performed in Arlington, Va. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntsville, Ala., is the contracting activity.
L-3 Communications Corp., Tempe, Ariz., was awarded a $10,000,000 firm-fixed-price indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for commercial lighting tubes for special operations which increase range and field of vision in darkness. Funding and work performance location will be determined with each order. Estimated completion date is Jan. 2, 2018. One bid was solicited with one received. Army Contracting Command, Natick, Mass., is the contracting activity (W911QY-14-D-0006).
AIR FORCE
Jacobs Technology Inc., Lincoln, Mass., has been awarded a $15,215,028 modification (P00011) on an existing contract (FA8721-13-C-0009) to continue providing engineering technical assistance support services which consists of disciplined systems/specialty engineering and technical/information assurance services, support, and products using established government, contractor, and industry processes. Work will be performed at Lincoln, Mass., and is expected to be completed by May 19, 2014. Contract has a foreign military sales component as it requires company to travel overseas for host nation support. FMS funding in the amount of $8,000 will be obligated at time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center/PZM, Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass., is the contracting activity.
*Small Business
**Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business
CONTRACTS
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
R.D. Buie Enterprises Inc.*, Boerne, Texas, has been awarded a maximum $51,294,723 modification (P00101) exercising the third option year on a two-year base contract (SPM8E6-10-D-0003) with three one-year option periods for a tailored logistics support contract to provide items under the general category of wood products for the East region. This is a firm-fixed-price contract. Location of performance is Texas with a Feb. 4, 2015 performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 through fiscal 2015 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa.
Middle Atlantic Wholesale Lumber Inc.*, Baltimore, Md., has been awarded a maximum $51,294,723 modification (P00101) exercising the third option year on a two-year contract (SPM8E6-10-D-0004) with three one-year option periods for a tailored logistics support contract to provide items under the general category of wood products for the East region. This is a firm-fixed-price contract. Location of performance is Maryland with a Feb. 4, 2015 performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 through fiscal 2015 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa.
Sylvan Forest Products Inc.*, Portland, Ore., has been awarded a maximum $51,294,723 modification (P00101) exercising the third option year on a two-year contract (SPM8E6-10-D-0005) with three one-year option periods for a tailored logistics support contract to provide items under the general category of wood products for the East region. This is a firm-fixed-price contract. Location of performance is Oregon with a Feb. 4, 2015 performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 through fiscal 2015 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa.
S & S Forest Products LLC**, Boerne, Texas, has been awarded a maximum $51,294,723 modification (P00101) exercising the third option year on a two-year contract (SPM8E6-10-D-0006) with three one-year option periods for a tailored logistics support contract to provide items under the general category of wood products for the East region. This is a firm-fixed-price contract. Location of performance is Texas with a Feb. 4, 2015 performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 through fiscal 2015 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa.
NAVY
TTT-Cubed Inc.*, Fremont, Calif., is being awarded a $26,983,588 ceiling-priced, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the procurement of hardware, repair, and modification services for the development, integration, and operational support of countermeasure and emitter threat simulator systems for the Airborne Threat Simulation Organization. In addition, this contract provides for hardware, including one first article receiver-transmitter radar mini instantaneous frequency measurement (IFM) assembly; one first article integrated stabilized radio frequency source (ISRFS) assembly; 250 mini IFM assembly production units; and 125 ISRFS assembly production units. Work will be performed in Fremont, Calif., and is expected to be completed in January 2019. Fiscal 2014 weapons procurement, Navy funds in the amount of $900,000 is being obligated at time of this award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposals; two offers were received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake, Calif., is the contracting activity (N68936-14-D-0009).
The Entwistle Co., Hudson, Mass., is being awarded a $10,981,190 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the long term repair of 318 trough covers that support the Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment Program. This contract contains two option years, which if exercised, will bring the contract value to $18,758,583. Work will be performed in Hudson, Mass., and is expected to be completed by January 2017. If all options are exercised, the work will continue through January 2019. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. No funds will be obligated at time of award. This contract was not a full and open competition in accordance with FAR 6.302-1, only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirement. Only one offer received in response to this solicitation. The Navy Supply Weapons System Support, Philadelphia Pa., is the contracting activity (N00383-14-D-003P).
Raytheon Co., McKinney, Texas, is being awarded a $10,510,029 firm-fixed-price contract for nine multi-spectral targeting systems for Royal Danish Navy MH-60R/S helicopters. This contract supports foreign military sales to Denmark. Work will be performed in McKinney, Texas, and is expected to be completed by December 2015. Fiscal 2014 foreign military sales funding in the amount of $10,510,029 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not a full and open competition in accordance with FAR 6.302-1, only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirement. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane, Ind., is the contracting activity (N00164-12-G-JQ66-0037).
ARMY
IBM Corp. was awarded a $19,905,753 modification (P00004) to contract W912DY-13-F-0037 for services supporting Army General Fund Audit Readiness. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $19,905,753 were obligated at the time of the award. Estimated completion date is July, 9, 2014. Work will be performed in Arlington, Va. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntsville, Ala., is the contracting activity.
L-3 Communications Corp., Tempe, Ariz., was awarded a $10,000,000 firm-fixed-price indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for commercial lighting tubes for special operations which increase range and field of vision in darkness. Funding and work performance location will be determined with each order. Estimated completion date is Jan. 2, 2018. One bid was solicited with one received. Army Contracting Command, Natick, Mass., is the contracting activity (W911QY-14-D-0006).
AIR FORCE
Jacobs Technology Inc., Lincoln, Mass., has been awarded a $15,215,028 modification (P00011) on an existing contract (FA8721-13-C-0009) to continue providing engineering technical assistance support services which consists of disciplined systems/specialty engineering and technical/information assurance services, support, and products using established government, contractor, and industry processes. Work will be performed at Lincoln, Mass., and is expected to be completed by May 19, 2014. Contract has a foreign military sales component as it requires company to travel overseas for host nation support. FMS funding in the amount of $8,000 will be obligated at time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center/PZM, Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass., is the contracting activity.
*Small Business
**Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business
SAILORS FROM USS GEORGE WASHINGTON WATCH NEW YEARS FIREWORKS IN YOKOSUKA, JAPAN
YOKOSUKA, Japan (Jan. 1, 2014)
Sailors watch a New Year's Eve fireworks display from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73). George Washington and its embarked air wing, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5, provide a combat-ready force that protects and defends the collective maritime interest of the U.S. and its allies and partners in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jacob I. Allison (Released) 140101-N-BT947-343
NASA IMAGE OF MARS EXPLORATION ROVER SPIRIT
FROM: NASA
This mosaic image taken on Jan. 4, 2004, by the navigation camera on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit, shows a 360 degree panoramic view of the rover on the surface of Mars. Spirit operated for more than six years after landing in January 2004 for what was planned as a three-month mission. Spirit drove 4.8 miles (7.73 kilometers), more than 12 times the goal set for the mission. The drives crossed a plain to reach a distant range of hills that appeared as mere bumps on the horizon from the landing site; climbed slopes up to 30 degrees as Spirit became the first robot to summit a hill on another planet; and covered more than half a mile (nearly a kilometer) after Spirit's right-front wheel became immobile in 2006. The rover returned more than 124,000 images. It ground the surfaces off 15 rock targets and scoured 92 targets with a brush to prepare the targets for inspection with spectrometers and a microscopic imager. Image Credit: NASA/JPL
AFGHAN LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINING CENTER CELEBRATED FIRST ANNIVERSARY
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
INL Kabul celebrates first anniversary of Gibson Training Center (GTC)
Over the past year, INL planned and hosted 71 trainings, workshops, and graduation ceremonies at the Gibson Training Center (GTC) in Kabul in support of our counternarcotics, corrections, and justice programs. These events trained1517 Afghan professionals, including 280 women. The GTC hosts a variety of INL-funded trainings in partnership with the Corrections System Support Program (CSSP), the Ministry of Counternarcotics (MCN), and the Justice Sector Support Program (JSSP). Each GTC program offers opportunities for practitioners working to combat the narcotics trade and build capacity in the justice system to deepen their knowledge on a range of issues through training and networking opportunities.
In addition, the GTC platform enables senior Afghan officials to meet with their provincial ministry staff and discuss national issues. In most instances, these workshops and trainings were the first opportunity for the provincial staff to meet their senior leadership. The GTC has hosted eight nationwide conferences and eight Minister-level officials. In late May, the General Directorate for Prisons and Detention Centers (GDPDC), in coordination with CSSP, brought together the prison commanders from all 33 Afghan provincial prisons, as well as senior officials from GDPDC, the Ministry of Interior, the Supreme Court, the Attorney General’s Office, and the Ministry of Justice, for a four-day National Prison Commanders Conference. This conference enabled the prison commanders to engage with each other on solutions to the many challenges facing Afghanistan’s corrections system.
A key component of INL’s transition strategy is support for Afghan government-led trainings. In December, the Ministry of Counternarcotics hosted a capacity building training seminar for 160 civil servants from 34 provinces at the GTC. The training focused on the National Drug Control Strategy, the Drug Demand Reduction policy, the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the civil servants’ law, regulation of personal affairs for civil servants, monitoring and evaluation, procurement and finance issues, and intoxicants and drugs control law. GTC’s support enables the MCN to implement a capacity building seminar aimed at improving the knowledge and skills of their civil servants in the provinces, and increasing coordination between the provinces and the headquarters in Kabul.
In just one year, the GTC has grown into a fully functioning facility capable of providing a safe and comfortable learning environment for our Afghan partners. As the GTC looks towards Afghanistan’s transition, INL will continue to support training sponsored by our implementing partners and Embassy sections (including Public Affairs and the national Lincoln Learning Centers’ Conference) at our facilities. The opportunities provided at the GTC have served to build capacity and foster communication with our Afghan partners, empowering them to lead their country to a safe and stable future.
INL Kabul celebrates first anniversary of Gibson Training Center (GTC)
Over the past year, INL planned and hosted 71 trainings, workshops, and graduation ceremonies at the Gibson Training Center (GTC) in Kabul in support of our counternarcotics, corrections, and justice programs. These events trained1517 Afghan professionals, including 280 women. The GTC hosts a variety of INL-funded trainings in partnership with the Corrections System Support Program (CSSP), the Ministry of Counternarcotics (MCN), and the Justice Sector Support Program (JSSP). Each GTC program offers opportunities for practitioners working to combat the narcotics trade and build capacity in the justice system to deepen their knowledge on a range of issues through training and networking opportunities.
In addition, the GTC platform enables senior Afghan officials to meet with their provincial ministry staff and discuss national issues. In most instances, these workshops and trainings were the first opportunity for the provincial staff to meet their senior leadership. The GTC has hosted eight nationwide conferences and eight Minister-level officials. In late May, the General Directorate for Prisons and Detention Centers (GDPDC), in coordination with CSSP, brought together the prison commanders from all 33 Afghan provincial prisons, as well as senior officials from GDPDC, the Ministry of Interior, the Supreme Court, the Attorney General’s Office, and the Ministry of Justice, for a four-day National Prison Commanders Conference. This conference enabled the prison commanders to engage with each other on solutions to the many challenges facing Afghanistan’s corrections system.
A key component of INL’s transition strategy is support for Afghan government-led trainings. In December, the Ministry of Counternarcotics hosted a capacity building training seminar for 160 civil servants from 34 provinces at the GTC. The training focused on the National Drug Control Strategy, the Drug Demand Reduction policy, the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the civil servants’ law, regulation of personal affairs for civil servants, monitoring and evaluation, procurement and finance issues, and intoxicants and drugs control law. GTC’s support enables the MCN to implement a capacity building seminar aimed at improving the knowledge and skills of their civil servants in the provinces, and increasing coordination between the provinces and the headquarters in Kabul.
In just one year, the GTC has grown into a fully functioning facility capable of providing a safe and comfortable learning environment for our Afghan partners. As the GTC looks towards Afghanistan’s transition, INL will continue to support training sponsored by our implementing partners and Embassy sections (including Public Affairs and the national Lincoln Learning Centers’ Conference) at our facilities. The opportunities provided at the GTC have served to build capacity and foster communication with our Afghan partners, empowering them to lead their country to a safe and stable future.
Sunday, January 5, 2014
READOUT: NSA ADVISOR'S CALL WITH IRAQI NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR AL-FAYYAD
FROM: THE WHITE HOUSE
January 05, 2014
Readout of Deputy National Security Advisor Blinken's Call with Iraqi National Security Advisor Faleh al-Fayyad
Deputy National Security Advisor Blinken spoke with Iraqi National Security Advisor Faleh al-Fayyad today. Blinken expressed the United States' support for ongoing operations by the Iraqi Security Forces in coordination with local and tribal movements in Anbar province to combat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Fayyad affirmed the Iraqi government's commitment to work cooperatively with local leaders and communities in Anbar province, as well as national leaders from all political blocs, to isolate ISIL from the population and respond to the urgent needs of the Iraqi people in areas affected by terrorism. Both confirmed the strong U.S.-Iraq security partnership under the Strategic Framework Agreement, and the need for greater cooperation among Iraq’s neighboring countries to combat the regional terrorist threat. Senior officials from the White House, the State Department, and the United States Embassy in Baghdad remain in regular communication with a wide range of Iraqi officials to support ongoing efforts against ISIL, and to encourage coordination between Iraqi Security Forces and the people they serve.
January 05, 2014
Readout of Deputy National Security Advisor Blinken's Call with Iraqi National Security Advisor Faleh al-Fayyad
Deputy National Security Advisor Blinken spoke with Iraqi National Security Advisor Faleh al-Fayyad today. Blinken expressed the United States' support for ongoing operations by the Iraqi Security Forces in coordination with local and tribal movements in Anbar province to combat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Fayyad affirmed the Iraqi government's commitment to work cooperatively with local leaders and communities in Anbar province, as well as national leaders from all political blocs, to isolate ISIL from the population and respond to the urgent needs of the Iraqi people in areas affected by terrorism. Both confirmed the strong U.S.-Iraq security partnership under the Strategic Framework Agreement, and the need for greater cooperation among Iraq’s neighboring countries to combat the regional terrorist threat. Senior officials from the White House, the State Department, and the United States Embassy in Baghdad remain in regular communication with a wide range of Iraqi officials to support ongoing efforts against ISIL, and to encourage coordination between Iraqi Security Forces and the people they serve.
SECRETARY OF STATE KERRY'S REMARKS WITH PRINCE SAUD aL-FAISAL
FROM: STATE DEPARTMENT
Remarks With Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal After Meeting With Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
King Khalid International Airport
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
January 5, 2014
FOREIGN MINISTER SAUD: I’d like first of all to welcome John and his colleagues for this visit. As you can see (inaudible) in Saudi Arabia (inaudible) that we have. And therefore, the meeting was an excellent meeting. It’s a meeting that lasted for three hours, a meeting that realized any bad (inaudible) about the relation that were expressed in many of the media lately. And we covered all of the subjects that we wanted to – or the Secretary wanted to cover from Syria to Lebanon to Yemen, all of the areas the bilateral relations are helping. And there is really no meeting that could have been smoother and more productive than this meeting.
So welcome again, John. I hope you have the same feeling about the meeting that we had. And we wish you God speed.
SECRETARY KERRY: Well, thank you very much, Your Royal Highness. I’m very appreciative to his Majesty King Abdullah for his generous welcome here today, for a meeting that he put on on very short notice. And I’m always grateful to the incredible hospitality of my friend Saud al-Faisal, whose friendship and counsel I value enormously.
I want to thank His Majesty for not just the length of the meeting, but for the quality of the meeting, for the fullness of the exchange of ideas, and particularly for his enthusiastic support for the efforts that are being made with respect to the peace process and the effort to try to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
As everybody knows, His Majesty King Abdullah took the initiative to put on the table, in 2002, a very courageous effort for peace, and it is known as the Arab Peace Initiative. That initiative has been part of the framework that we have been piecing together, both in inspiration and substance. And I’m grateful that the Arab League as a whole and Saudi Arabia individually have been significantly involved in helping to build support for this effort and in following through on their own initiative.
Today, His Majesty was not just encouraging, but supported our efforts and hopes that we can be successful in the days ahead and believes that this is important for the region and that there are great benefits that will come to everybody if we’re able to be successful. So I will let him and His Royal Highness speak for themselves, but we’re grateful.
And also we discussed Syria, the Geneva II meeting. We discussed Iran and our common interests in seeing Lebanon be able to be stable and unimpeded by the interference of Hezbollah in the conduct of the affairs of state and the ways in which the people of Lebanon would like to be able to live in peace.
So I’m very grateful for a very, very productive meeting and look forward to continuing our discussion when we meet with the Geneva – with the London 11 in Paris and also (inaudible) to the Follow-On Committee to the Arab Peace Initiative. And I thank you very, very much, my friend, for your generous welcome. Thank you.
FOREIGN MINISTER SAUD: As you can see, we had a good meeting, and we have future meetings also to continue the exchange of views and various (inaudible) on the peace process. And His Majesty again reiterated the principles of the Arab Peace Plan and agreement (inaudible) come to respond to Palestinian national wishes to receive (inaudible) ultimately.
SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you.
Remarks With Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal After Meeting With Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
King Khalid International Airport
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
January 5, 2014
FOREIGN MINISTER SAUD: I’d like first of all to welcome John and his colleagues for this visit. As you can see (inaudible) in Saudi Arabia (inaudible) that we have. And therefore, the meeting was an excellent meeting. It’s a meeting that lasted for three hours, a meeting that realized any bad (inaudible) about the relation that were expressed in many of the media lately. And we covered all of the subjects that we wanted to – or the Secretary wanted to cover from Syria to Lebanon to Yemen, all of the areas the bilateral relations are helping. And there is really no meeting that could have been smoother and more productive than this meeting.
So welcome again, John. I hope you have the same feeling about the meeting that we had. And we wish you God speed.
SECRETARY KERRY: Well, thank you very much, Your Royal Highness. I’m very appreciative to his Majesty King Abdullah for his generous welcome here today, for a meeting that he put on on very short notice. And I’m always grateful to the incredible hospitality of my friend Saud al-Faisal, whose friendship and counsel I value enormously.
I want to thank His Majesty for not just the length of the meeting, but for the quality of the meeting, for the fullness of the exchange of ideas, and particularly for his enthusiastic support for the efforts that are being made with respect to the peace process and the effort to try to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
As everybody knows, His Majesty King Abdullah took the initiative to put on the table, in 2002, a very courageous effort for peace, and it is known as the Arab Peace Initiative. That initiative has been part of the framework that we have been piecing together, both in inspiration and substance. And I’m grateful that the Arab League as a whole and Saudi Arabia individually have been significantly involved in helping to build support for this effort and in following through on their own initiative.
Today, His Majesty was not just encouraging, but supported our efforts and hopes that we can be successful in the days ahead and believes that this is important for the region and that there are great benefits that will come to everybody if we’re able to be successful. So I will let him and His Royal Highness speak for themselves, but we’re grateful.
And also we discussed Syria, the Geneva II meeting. We discussed Iran and our common interests in seeing Lebanon be able to be stable and unimpeded by the interference of Hezbollah in the conduct of the affairs of state and the ways in which the people of Lebanon would like to be able to live in peace.
So I’m very grateful for a very, very productive meeting and look forward to continuing our discussion when we meet with the Geneva – with the London 11 in Paris and also (inaudible) to the Follow-On Committee to the Arab Peace Initiative. And I thank you very, very much, my friend, for your generous welcome. Thank you.
FOREIGN MINISTER SAUD: As you can see, we had a good meeting, and we have future meetings also to continue the exchange of views and various (inaudible) on the peace process. And His Majesty again reiterated the principles of the Arab Peace Plan and agreement (inaudible) come to respond to Palestinian national wishes to receive (inaudible) ultimately.
SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you.
DEFENSE SECRETARY HAGEL THANKS JAPAN'S DEFENSE MINISTER ONODERA FOR FUTENMA EFFORTS
FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Secretary Thanks Japan's Defense Minister for Futenma Efforts
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Jan. 4, 2014 – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel today thanked Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera for the Japanese government’s efforts in securing approval of the landfill permit request to build a replacement facility at Camp Schwab-Henoko Bay for Marine Corps Air Station Futenma on the Japanese island of Okinawa.
In a statement summarizing the telephone conversation between the two defense leaders, Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby, Pentagon press secretary, called the new facility “a critical part of the realignment of U.S. forces on Okinawa.”
Hagel also noted the importance of the recent agreement by the United States and Japan to negotiate a framework to supplement the status of forces agreement on environmental matters, Kirby said.
In addition, the press secretary said, Hagel and Onodera discussed the implementation of several initiatives announced in October, including the deployment of a second TPY-2 missile defense radar to Japan and the launch of a forward-looking revision of the U.S.-Japan Defense Guidelines, in which the two nations agreed on the importance of a transparent process.
"Secretary Hagel underscored the importance of Japan taking steps to improve relations with its neighbors, and to promote cooperation in advancing the shared goals of regional peace and stability,” Kirby said. “Secretary Hagel said he looked forward to continued bilateral discussions on strengthening the alliance to meet the security challenges of the 21st century."
Secretary Thanks Japan's Defense Minister for Futenma Efforts
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Jan. 4, 2014 – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel today thanked Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera for the Japanese government’s efforts in securing approval of the landfill permit request to build a replacement facility at Camp Schwab-Henoko Bay for Marine Corps Air Station Futenma on the Japanese island of Okinawa.
In a statement summarizing the telephone conversation between the two defense leaders, Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby, Pentagon press secretary, called the new facility “a critical part of the realignment of U.S. forces on Okinawa.”
Hagel also noted the importance of the recent agreement by the United States and Japan to negotiate a framework to supplement the status of forces agreement on environmental matters, Kirby said.
In addition, the press secretary said, Hagel and Onodera discussed the implementation of several initiatives announced in October, including the deployment of a second TPY-2 missile defense radar to Japan and the launch of a forward-looking revision of the U.S.-Japan Defense Guidelines, in which the two nations agreed on the importance of a transparent process.
"Secretary Hagel underscored the importance of Japan taking steps to improve relations with its neighbors, and to promote cooperation in advancing the shared goals of regional peace and stability,” Kirby said. “Secretary Hagel said he looked forward to continued bilateral discussions on strengthening the alliance to meet the security challenges of the 21st century."
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