IVORY KINGPIN ARRESTED BY TOGOLESE AUTHORITIES

Confiscated ivory tusks.  Credit:  U.S. State Department

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 
IN THE NEWS: Togo Authorities Arrest Ivory Kingpin in Lomé
Date: 09/27/2013 Description: Confiscated ivory tusks. 

Earlier this summer, Togolese law enforcement authorities arrested suspected wildlife trafficker Emile N’Bouké and seized 700 kg of ivory. Recently featured on ABC’s Nightline, N’Bouké who is alleged to be a major ivory dealer in West Africa believed to be responsible for two ivory shipments totaling more than 6.2 tons that were seized by authorities in the last seven months. Although there are no elephants in Togo, the small West African nation is a key shipping hub for international wildlife traffickers elsewhere on the continent.

INL is assisting in global efforts to combat trafficking of wildlife and wildlife parts, including through $10 million in related assistance for Kenya, South Africa, and regional Africa programs that President Obama announced during his visit to Tanzania earlier this year.

SECRETARY OF STATE KERRY MAKES REMARKS IN INDONESIA

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 
Remarks at a Press Availability With United States Trade Representative Ambassador Froman
Remarks
John Kerry
   Secretary of State
Jen Psaki
   Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson
Bali, Indonesia
October 5, 2013

SECRETARY KERRY: Good afternoon, everybody. Thank you for being patient. We appreciate it very much. I’m delighted to continue my trip through Asia, and on behalf of President Obama, it is an honor to represent the United States at the annual APEC economic leaders meeting. And I’m delighted to be here with a member of the President’s cabinet, our United States Trade Representative, Ambassador Mike Froman.

I want to thank Indonesia for its extraordinary welcome and wonderful hospitality over the day and a half that we’ve been here meeting already, and we thank them for their exceptional hosting of the APEC conference.

First, I’d like to say just a few words about the disappointing situation back home, which, regrettably, has kept the President of the United States from attending this year’s APEC. I am not in partisan or elected politics anymore, but I did spend 28-plus years in the United States Senate, and I believe that those standing in the way in the other body of the Congress, standing in the way of reopening our government, need to think long and hard about the message that we send to the world when we can’t get our own act together. Because I’ve said many times, the values of great institutions like the United States Senate and the House is how we use them and what they represent to the world. And because these institutions are instruments of the people, they are broken only if we let them break. So I can tell you from experience that it is not only within Congress’ power to prevent the shutdown, it is also within Congress’ power to end it. To end it now. To end it today.

And to all of our friends and foes watching around the world, let me be crystal clear: Do not mistake this momentary episode in American politics as anything less than a moment of politics, or anything more than a moment of politics. This is an example, really, of the robustness of our democracy, the capacity for any people to make their voices heard, sometimes, we may feel, incorrectly. But nevertheless, it as a sign of the vibrancy and capacity of people to make their voices heard.

The American people are remarkably strong and resilient people, and we all know that we will get beyond this moment, and we will get beyond it quickly. And in the end, nothing will change with respect to the issues that bring us here to the APEC conference. Nothing will diminish our commitment to Asia, the rebalance that President Obama’s engaged in. We will continue to fulfill our responsibilities, and our engagement around the world, and I think people are confident of that.

For the moment, there are some things that do get affected, and that is regrettable. For instance, our security assistance for Israel, our closest ally in the Middle East, is being delayed. The new fiscal year started this last week, but because of the shutdown, some entities don’t have the funding that they need, including supporting the peacekeeping mission in the Sinai, at a time of growing unrest in a critical area. The U.S. Congress could fix this very quickly by reopening the U.S. Government.

Another example: The opportunity to engage diplomatically with Iran is critical to all of us in the world, and we wouldn’t be where we are today if it weren’t for the pressure that has been brought to bear by the sanctions. But right now, as a direct result of the shutdown, our Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Asset Control has been forced to furlough nearly all of its staff.

So the world is watching to see whether a combination of tough sanctions and careful diplomatic diplomacy can lead Iran to verifiably give up the chase for nuclear weapons. I think it’s clear that we cannot lose this opportunity to moments of politics that deprive us of the opportunity to embrace larger and more important goals.

Of course, the situation back home, as I mentioned, has unfortunately kept President Obama from joining us here this weekend. I will be traveling at his request to Malaysia and to the Philippines in order to represent the United States. But I do want to make clear: None of what is happening in Washington diminishes one iota our commitment to our partners in Asia, including our efforts to promote trade and investment throughout the region. And this remains one of our top priorities, and I’m very, very pleased to be here together with two other members of the President’s cabinet – Ambassador Froman and Secretary of Commerce Pritzker – all of us engaged, as we will stay engaged, in this region.

Why does that matter to us? APEC matters because it provides a very critical platform for government and private sector partners to be able to come together and break down the barriers to commerce. It is the way in which we open up opportunity for all of our citizens, and begin to create rules of the road that bring our countries closer together. It is the way to create opportunity for all people. Today, even in our discussions, we had a talk about how we make this economic opportunity with equity, meaning that women and men all joined together in their capacity to share opportunity in the workforce. It’s a chance for us to come to a fast-growing region of the world – the fastest growing region – and begin to talk about how we invest in each other and how we can better connect our economies one to the other, and how we create jobs and economic growth in all of our countries.

That’s why the United States works so closely with Indonesia and with other APEC countries. We work together on regulatory issues, on how we can make it easier for exporters to be able to cut tariffs and be able to move their goods to another country. How we sell goods and services in foreign markets. We work together on logistical issues, like how you improve the performance and connectivity at every step along the supply chain of these goods. And all of this breaks down barriers between our countries and forges a stronger relationship, which adds to the peace and security and prosperity, not just of the region, but of the rest of the world.

We also work together on something that is very important to me personally, and that is promoting trade and investment in a way that can help our environment and the planet that we share and deal with the responsibilities of energy policy and of global climate change. For example, implementing tariff reductions on solar panels and other environmental goods will speed growth in the profitable sector of green technology, at a time when we see great environmental degradation and climate change that threatens the way of life In the Pacific region.

Here in Bali this week, we will also continue to advance the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Ambassador Froman and I will represent the President at a meeting of the leaders of the TPP countries. And this agreement is a key part of our agenda in the Asia Pacific and the President’s jobs agenda at home.

The relationship between the United States and the Asia Pacific has really never been more important than it is now. President Obama began a rebalance to this region in the course of his first four years, and we intend to continue that over the course of his second term. It is very clear that most of the economic issues that we face today require the kind of cooperation that APEC makes possible. And the United States views APEC as its premier forum for economic and development issues in this region.

So on behalf of President Obama, the United States looks forward in the next few days to a very productive dialogue and to a significant, continued collaboration with Indonesia and with the rest of our APEC partners.

Ambassador Froman.

AMBASSADOR FROMAN: Well, thank you very much, Mr. Secretary and good afternoon. As Secretary Kerry said, the United States has a strong commitment to APEC. We are Pacific nation, and we always will be. This is the fastest growing region of the world, and our work here is critical to expanding exports and therefore to promoting growth, creating jobs, and strengthening the America middle class.

APEC economies represent 55 percent of global GDP, and about 45 percent of global goods and services trade. The United States exports more than a trillion dollars of goods and service to APEC countries, and that’s more than 50 percent of total U.S. exports. And those exports support millions of hardworking American jobs. Our capacity to grow our economy and create jobs is integrally tied to the success of this region and our engagement with it.

From a trade and investment perspective, APEC continues to be an incubator for policy innovation. As APEC economies cooperate to advance the value of our regional relationships, we realize ideas together that can boost the whole global trading system.

APEC is on the leading edge of a number of global efforts to increase economic integration and opportunity. Together, we’re working to improve supply chains. Together, we’re working to fight new forms of protectionism, like localization; to implement regulatory policies that make it fast and more efficient to do business; and to building on the groundbreaking commitments in Honolulu in 2011 to advance trade and environmental goods.

At the same time, APEC economies continue to play an important leadership role in the multilateral trading system. The WTO’s Information Technology Agreement, for example, got its start at APEC. And now longstanding APEC priorities have the potential to be enshrined in a global trading rules at the WTO. These include a win-win agreement on trade facilitation that will help developed and developing countries alike, as well as an expanded information technology agreement. On that front, I’m pleased to announce that there is a hopeful sign this week of our ability to work creatively together to solve problems and make progress in the WTO. We were happy to work with China and others to get the information technology agreement talks back on track. After discussions this week, we’re hopeful that resumption of formal, plural-lateral negotiations will begin as soon as possible.

As I said in Geneva earlier this week, the United States is a strong supporter and believes in the World Trade Organization. Along with our APEC partners, we also believe that this is a crucial moment for that system. In two months, we’ll be back in Bali for the 9th WTO ministerial. If we succeed in producing a multilateral package on trade facilitation, agriculture, and development, it can provide impetus to the multilateral trading system. If we fail, it will harm – it will be hard to see how we further that agenda. And we’re pleased to see our APEC partners this week working together to push for a meaningful result at the WTO.

Finally, of course, as the Secretary said, we spent a great deal of time this week working on TPP. The TPP countries are strongly committed to working to conclude negotiations this year. In Brunei in August, and now in Bali, trade ministers have been charting a path forward on outstanding issues, particularly state-owned enterprises, intellectual property rights, environment, and market access, in order to move the negotiations toward completion.

And the U.S. continues to work for a high level of ambition and high standards for TPP with all due speed. We’ve made significant progress this week, and we look forward to briefing the TPP leaders on Tuesday about that progress and getting their political-level guidance to facilitate the conclusion of the negotiations.

In sum, our work here this week will further U.S. engagement in the Asia Pacific region and create new jobs and opportunities in the United States. Thank you.

MS. PSAKI: The first question will be from Matt Lee of the Associated Press.

QUESTION: Okay. Thank you, Mr. Secretary. Can you hear me, first of all? I’m not sure – yes? Okay.

I’m curious as to, first, how do you make the case back at home to members of Congress that the shutdown hurts American security and potentially the security of its allies, while at the same time you are here, presumably, assuring those allies, at in Asia, that you still have their back, like what you said?

And secondly, how concerned are you that the perception of weakness created by the President’s having to cancel his visit here, whether or not that’s the reality, how concerned are you that that perception will encourage some countries in this region – notably China, but perhaps also Russia – to try and take advantage of the situation? Thank you.

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, Matt, it’s a very good question. It’s a fair question and my answer is very straight-forward. There are momentary disruptions. And the momentary disruption always has the ability to have an impact. I mean, if you are not funding a particular security operation at a particular moment – in the Sinai, for instance, or somewhere – there’s an opportunity for misjudgment. And the other examples that I gave are self-explanatory. But that’s not long term, and I’m convinced it’s not long term.

Now I think it’s reckless, personally, to even provide those moments where you have these risks that are exposed, but the bottom line is that the United States of America is not going to change one iota the fundamental direction of the policy under this President. And I think everybody in the region understands. I haven’t run into one question mark about the long term – everybody sees this as a moment on politics – an unfortunate moment – but they see it for what it is.

But in the long run I think people understand that on an issue like Iran with nuclear weapons, on an issue like North Korea and nuclear weapons, on our fundamental commitments to this region in terms of maritime security and freedom of navigation through the seas and so forth, our commitment is not going to change. And the American people understand the importance of those commitments and we’ll be steadfast.

So I think – I haven’t found one leader here who raised a question with me about the long term for the United States. What they do ask is how long is this going to go on and why is this happening, and those kinds of questions. And I think that people understand that the fundamental commitment of the United States is what it is, and I think they still trust it.

Now with respect to the perception of, quote, weakness, I just disagree with that premise. I don’t believe that anybody here believes there is some connection of any moment of weakness in the President making a decision to deal with his domestic politics. There isn’t one leader here who wouldn’t make the same decision if they were faced with a domestic moment in their politics where they have to resolve a budget or resolve a debt-ceiling or any other kind of issue.

But we just had a very strong meeting in Japan, Secretary Hagel and I. We just reannounced a next 15-20 year projected reevaluation of our guidelines for our relationship with Japan and in the region. Here in my conversation with the Foreign Minister from the Republic of Korea, we had the same kind of long-term horizon, and I think in the discussions that we’ve had in APEC about the code of conduct and the South China Sea and other issues, there hasn’t been one doubt or one question asked about whether the United States will fulfill its obligations and remain engaged.

So there is a distinction between short-term impact and, I think, the long-term interests that people perceive as being much more durable than any moment in our domestic, political life.

MS. PSAKI: The next question will be from Michael Tjandra of RTCI.

QUESTION: Thank you for this opportunity, Mr. Secretary. Where does Indonesia stand as an APEC member with America in playing a role to help to revive the global economy?

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, I’m going to let the Ambassador speak a little bit to that, but I will just tell you that Indonesia is growing at, I think, around 6 percent or so now. They have plans to even raise that level of growth more significantly. Indonesia is a very powerful, significant member of APEC – not just the chair of this year, but one of the larger countries, one of the more important exporting nations, a country with enormous resources, a capacity to contribute to the regional growth.

And we view Indonesia as very important partner in terms of adherence to rules and standards and to the rules of trade, which are so critical to transparency and accountability and to the willingness of people to invest capital and therefore grow economies. So Indonesia has proven itself to be very a significant partner with us in that regard, and I’ll let the Ambassador fill out perhaps a little more detail.

AMBASSADOR FROMAN: Well, the only thing I would add to that is, Indonesia one of the largest economies in the world and as a key member, for example, of the G-20, and has played a critical role in the G-20 in terms of bringing a perspective of an emerging economy to the global economic system and ensuring that issues were addressed in an appropriate way.

They’ve been – the President Yudhoyono and others from (inaudible) play a critical role in the G-20 over the last several years. And similarly, in just two months from now, Indonesia will host and chair the 9th meeting of the WTO ministerial. So it is playing a leadership role in the international trading system, and is working very hard – and that was a big topic of today’s meeting – today’s discussions this morning – working very hard both with APEC members but also with members from around the world to ensure a positive result from the multilateral trading system.

MS. PSAKI: The final question will be from Indira Lakshmanan from Bloomberg News.

QUESTION: Thank you, Secretary Kerry and Ambassador Froman. Secretary Kerry, you addressed this a little bit at the top of your remarks, but the whole question about the government shutdown has certainly created a perception in Asia that it’s undermining the President’s ability to fulfill his Asia pivot promise. And we’ve heard this both in public remarks from certain Asian leaders and also private remarks – that they feel it’s undermining the President’s, what is meant to be his signature issue of his second-term foreign policy distracting him. So I want to ask you: How can you reassure those leaders who’ve expressed their concerns that it’s not undermining the Asia pivot?

And secondly, also, how is affecting, for both of you, the ability to get TPP talks done this week, because again we’d expected the President to be here and his leadership creates a message? So is it giving an opportunity for China or others to work on rival trade groups to the TPP?

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, Indira, I think I did touch on this a little bit, but let me fill it out a little bit more.

President Obama is not here, and he planned to be here. And he is not here because he has to stay at home in order to deal with this domestic challenge, which has been presented to him by a small group of people within one branch of the United States Congress. That obviously undermines the President’s ability to have the conversation he was going to have with President Xi, or have the conversation he was going to have – or the meeting he was going to have with President Putin, all of which are important to the conduct of global affairs. So obviously there is the loss of that as a result of this.

But I think those leaders, all of them, know well enough that in terms of the long term, this will end and the United States will have a budget. And the United States will still be the strongest power in the world, in terms of our military capacity, largest economy in the world, an economy that is now increasingly stronger by the day, a debt that is coming down, a deficit that is coming down, job growth that is robust – not as much as we want – but robust in the circumstances. And importantly, increasingly, an energy power in the world – increasingly independent. I think I saw statistics just the other day that said we are now the largest oil and gas energy producer in the world.

So that is not insignificant. And as the world takes stock of who stands for what who’s fighting for what and who is pushing what values, I believe the United States still stands tall and will not diminish one iota the influence or the direction that we are fighting to move in. So this is a momentary impact. Obviously, if it were prolonged, or it were repeated, people would begin, I think to question the willingness of the United States to stay the course, or its ability to. But that’s not the case, and I don’t think that will be the case. We will get beyond this moment.

And the President wants Ambassador Froman and Secretary Pritzker and myself to make it clear to people that we remain as committed as ever to this robust shift in the Asia rebalance, and that’s why the three of us are out here. And as I said, I just had a very successful 2+2 meeting, a meeting with the defense secretary and the foreign secretaries of Japan and the United States.

We are now here. I am not here for five hours. I’m not here for one day. I’m here for five days. And I go from here to Malaysia and to the Philippines and to Brunei, and, all told, I’ll be out in this part of the world for about almost two weeks. So I think that is a significant statement about the United States presence, about the President’s commitment, and I am absolutely confident that when we get this moment of political silliness behind us, we will be back on track, that the world will respect and want to be part of.

AMBASSADOR FROMAN: Indira, all I’d add on the TPP question is that, as Secretary Kerry indicated in other areas, this is a long-term engagement. The U.S., including the President, has been deeply engaged in this initiative from the start. It’s a key part of our rebalancing agenda, of the economic component of the rebalancing agenda. And we’ve been here for the last several days meeting around the clock as ministers and negotiators making significant progress on the negotiations. Of course, we wish the President were here to lead the meeting of TPP leaders later in the week, but Prime Minister Key of New Zealand has agreed to chair on his behalf. And the leaders are all looking forward to engaging on this issue because they know it’s an important initiative, and they very much see it as a key part of U.S. engagement in the region.

MS. PSAKI: Thanks, everyone.

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you all very much. Good to be with you.

Thank you.

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE HAGEL SAYS MOST DEFENSE DEPARTMENT CIVILIANS RECALLED FROM FURLOUGHS

Hagel Announces Recall of Most Defense Department Civilians
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Oct. 5, 2013 - Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced today he is recalling most of the Defense Department civilians who were placed on furlough as a result of the government shutdown which began Oct. 1.



"Today, I am announcing that most DOD civilians placed on emergency furlough during the government shutdown will be asked to return to work beginning next week," he said.



"Immediately after President [Barack] Obama signed the Pay Our Military Act into law, I directed DOD's acting general counsel to determine whether we could reduce the number of civilian personnel furloughed due to the shutdown," Hagel said.



The Defense Department, he said, consulted closely with the Department of Justice, which expressed its view that the law does not permit a blanket recall of all civilians.



"However, DOD and DOJ attorneys concluded that the law does allow the Department of Defense to eliminate furloughs for employees whose responsibilities contribute to the morale, well-being, capabilities and readiness of service members," Hagel said.



"Consequently, I am now directing the military departments and other DOD components to move expeditiously to identify all employees whose activities fall under these categories," he said.



Hagel noted he expects the military departments to be able to "significantly reduce – but not eliminate – civilian furloughs under this process."



"Employees can expect to hear more information from their managers starting this weekend," he added.



The defense secretary said the department has tried to "exempt as many DOD civilian personnel as possible" from furloughs, and will continue to try to bring all civilian employees back to work as soon as possible.



"Ultimately, the surest way to end these damaging and irresponsible furloughs, and to enable us to fulfill our mission as a department, is for Congress to pass a budget and restore funds for the entire federal government," Hagel said.



"This has been a very disruptive year for our people – including active duty, National Guard and reserve personnel, and DOD civilians and contractors," he said. "Many important activities remain curtailed while the shutdown goes on."

Civilians under furlough, Hagel said, face the uncertainty of not knowing when they will receive their next paycheck.



"I strongly support efforts in Congress to enact legislation to retroactively compensate all furloughed employees," he said.



"And I will continue to urge Congress to fulfill its basic responsibilities to pass a budget and restore full funding for the Department of Defense and the rest of the government," Hagel said.

Weekly Address: End the Government Shutdown | The White House

Weekly Address: End the Government Shutdown | The White House

FTC SENDS REFUNDS TO CONSUMERS HARMED BY CREDIT CARD INTEREST RATE REDUCTION ROBO-CALLERS

FROM:  U.S. FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION 
FTC Sends Refunds to Consumers Harmed by Robocallers Who Claimed to Reduce Credit Card Interest Rates

The Federal Trade Commission is mailing 134 refund checks to consumers who lost money to a phony debt relief services scam that claimed it would dramatically reduce consumers’ credit card interest rates.  The scam operated under several names, including “AFL Financial Services,” and contacted consumers through robocalls that purported to be from “Card Services.”

More than $132,000 is being returned to consumers, each of whom will receive a refund of their full loss amount, ranging between $289 and $2,600.  Those who receive the checks from the FTC’s refund administrator should cash them within 60 days of the mailing date.  The FTC never requires consumers to pay money or to provide information before refund checks can be cashed.  Those with questions should call the refund administrator, Rust Consulting Inc., at 1-866-245-7027, or visit www.FTC.gov/refunds for more general information.
The FTC’s Bureau of Competition works with the Bureau of Economics to investigate alleged anticompetitive business practices and, when appropriate, recommends that the Commission take law enforcement action.  To inform the Bureau about particular business practices, call 202-326-3300, send an e-mail to antitrust{at}ftc{dot}gov, or write to the Office of Policy and Coordination, Bureau of Competition, Federal Trade Commission, 601 New Jersey Ave., N.W., Room 7117, Washington, DC 20001.  To learn more about the Bureau of Competition, read Competition Counts.  Like the FTC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources.

DOD OFFICIAL SAYS U.S.-INDIA DEFENSE INDUSTRY COLLABORATION MOVES AHEAD

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Carter: U.S.-India Defense Collaboration Moves to Next Level
By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Sept. 30, 2013 - Deputy Secretary Ash Carter delivered a groundbreaking collaborative defense proposal to Indian military officials during his recent trip there and is committed to continuing to put new ideas on the table, he told an audience today at the Center for American Progress.

Carter traveled to India, Afghanistan and Pakistan on a 7-day trip that began Sept. 12, but at this event he focused on what he called the strong and rapidly growing defense partnership between the United States and India.

"In the United States, with U.S. industry ... we identified and put forward to the Indians a truly groundbreaking entirely new collaborative proposal to co-develop with India a next-generation Javelin antitank capability," Carter said.

The proposal addresses a key military requirement for both armies and is an unprecedented offer the United States has made unique to India, the deputy secretary added.

During the trip, Carter delivered a second round of potential capability areas of cooperation proposed by U.S. industry. And in India, Carter said he made sure to hear from senior Indian industry representatives about their ideas for increasing private-sector partnerships.

The push to reach the next level of defense collaboration and co-development with India comes after 15 months of effort between the countries to overcome bureaucratic obstacles to such work, Carter said.

The underlying program, called the Defense Trade Initiative, was devised by former Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and Indian National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon, and Menon and Carter used DTI to find ways to take the nations' defense cooperation to the next level.

Among the advances made possible through DTI, Carter said, involved export controls.

"We have demonstrated repeatedly that we can release sensitive technology to India," Carter said.

"We've adapted our system in ways that will speed our release process for India," he added, "especially in the Department of Defense, recognizing that for ... all partners this process is subject to case-by-case review and there will always be some technologies that we will keep to ourselves."

Areas of progress include technology transfer, licensing agreements, license exceptions, end-use monitoring and others.

"We've also taken unprecedented steps to identify forward-leaning proposals by industry, from industry on both sides for defense items to be co-produced and -- the true measure of our common goal -- co-developed by the U.S. and India," Carter said.

These include a maritime helicopter, a naval gun, a surface-to-air missile system and a scatterable antitank system, all of which the deputy secretary discussed with Indian officials during his recent visit, he said.

"In each instance," Carter noted, "the United States has fast-tracked these projects to ensure that our internal processes are ready to go as soon as the Indian government wants to move forward."

U.S. and Indian research and development experts also play a critical role in areas that include the cognitive sciences and others in which DOD would incentivize increased cooperation by U.S. defense researchers, the deputy secretary said.

"I let the Indian government know last week that I will be incentivizing U.S. researchers who seek and find Indian partners in key research areas we identified previously," he added. "We'll ensure that those innovative projects receive priority funding. This is an approach we've only ever taken with the United Kingdom and Australia, and now India will join that company."

When Carter visited India a year ago, he visited the Lockheed Tata plant in Hyderabad, which assembles parts for the C-130J cargo plane, a partnership between an American company and an Indian company, he said.

"This was a partnership that was encouraged and applauded by the U.S. and Indian governments but was not founded by either one," Carter added.

"This year I had the opportunity to travel to Hindon Air Force Station, where the Indian Air Force operates a growing number of C-130Js and also C-17s," he said.

While he was there, the deputy secretary was briefed by an Indian Air Force pilot who landed and took off in a C-130J in the Himalayas from an altitude well above 16,000 feet, "certainly a record and quite an accomplishment," Carter said.

"We're excited to have the next tranche of six C-130Js included in a pipeline of several major defense sales currently under consideration by the Indian government," he added. "Our goal is for India to have all the capabilities it needs to meet its security requirements and to be a key partner in that effort."

The Defense Department also invests in joint exercises, Carter said, because the U.S. and Indian militaries remain the most visible cooperative efforts between the two nations and serve as a cornerstone of the defense cooperative relationship.

Such exercises allow the U.S. and Indian militaries exposure to one another's tactics, techniques and procedures, he said.

"They also allow Indian troops access to U.S. troops, making operating together possible if it proves necessary to further U.S. and Indian interests and, perhaps most importantly, helping foster person-to-person ties in the defense area that are so important to our two countries in other areas," Carter observed.

In May, he said, 200 Indian Army soldiers trained with members of the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, [N.C.,] where they jointly conducted various scenarios related to a U.N. peacekeeping mission, from humanitarian assistance to air assault.

"I hear Indian soldiers were even able to shoot off a Javelin or two," the deputy secretary added. "And one day soon I'm confident that we'll co-develop these weapons."

As for the United States and India, Carter said, "we're each big, complicated democracies. We move slowly, but over the long run we also move surely. And that to me is the trajectory for us and India in the defense area."

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT FOR WEEK ENDING OCTOBER SEPTEMBER 28, 2013

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 
Statement on release of September employment numbers

WASHINGTON — The Department of Labor issued the following statement about the September 2013 Employment Situation report:
"Due to the lapse in funding, the Employment Situation release which provides data on employment during the month of September, compiled by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, will not be issued as scheduled on Friday, October 4, 2013. An alternative release date has not been scheduled. The Employment Situation release includes the unemployment rate (from the household survey) and payroll employment (from the business establishment survey)."

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT FOR WEEK ENDING OCTOBER SEPTEMBER 28, 2013
          SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA

In the week ending September 28, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 308,000, an increase of 1,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 307,000. The 4-week moving average was 305,000, a decrease of 3,750 from the previous week's revised average of 308,750.
The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.3 percent for the week ending September 21, an increase of 0.1 percentage point from the prior week's unrevised rate. The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending September 21 was 2,925,000, an increase of 104,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 2,821,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,837,250, a decrease of 4,750 from the preceding week's revised average of 2,842,000.

UNADJUSTED DATA

The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 252,092 in the week ending September 28, a decrease of 3,018 from the previous week. There were 301,054 initial claims in the comparable week in 2012.

The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.9 percent during the week ending September 21, unchanged from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 2,518,557, an increase of 55,408 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.2 percent and the volume was 2,821,233.

The total number of people claiming benefits in all programs for the week ending September 14 was 4,002,455, an increase of 81,089 from the previous week. There were 5,088,619 persons claiming benefits in all programs in the comparable week in 2012.

No state was triggered "on" the Extended Benefits program during the week ending September 14.

Initial claims for UI benefits filed by former Federal civilian employees totaled 1,032 in the week ending September 21, a decrease of 102 from the prior week. There were 2,150 initial claims filed by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 4 from the preceding week.

There were 19,999 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending September 14, an increase of 976 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 31,705, an increase of 372 from the prior week.

States reported 1,470,027 persons claiming Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) benefits for the week ending September 14, an increase of 121,501 from the prior week. There were 2,143,049 persons claiming EUC in the comparable week in 2012. EUC weekly claims include first, second, third, and fourth tier activity.

The highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending September 21 were in Puerto Rico (4.0), Alaska (3.2), New Jersey (3.1), Virgin Islands (3.0), New Mexico (2.9), Connecticut (2.8), Pennsylvania (2.7), California (2.4), Illinois (2.4), Nevada (2.4), Arkansas (2.3), and District of Columbia (2.3).
The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending September 21 were in Oregon (+489), New Jersey (+327), Massachusetts (+306), Colorado (+304), and Maine (+194), while the largest decreases were in California (-3,754), Georgia (-2,719), New York (-2,376), South Carolina (-1,516), and Washington (-1,178).

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE HAGEL'S REMARKS ON USS STETHEM

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Presenter: Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel; Press Secretary George Little October 04, 2013
Remarks on USS Stethem

SECRETARY CHUCK HAGEL: Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. I am very proud of what you're doing. The president of the United States is proud of what you're doing. America is proud of what you're doing.

 I'm here in Japan for a couple of days, came over from South Korea before that, talked to troops, meetings. I think we've made some progress with our bilateral partners and friends to strengthen the alliance between the Japanese and the Americans, as well as the Republic of South Korea and the United States.

 The trilateral relationship of our three countries is particularly important. You play a big role in that. The 50,000 men and women who represent U.S. Forces Japan are really the anchor and the cornerstone of America's presence in the Asia Pacific. And we, again, appreciate your service and your sacrifices, and particularly your families'. And I want you to greet your families for me, tell your families that we appreciate what they're doing.

 These are challenging times. You all understand that better than almost anyone. You are right out here where it matters most. And you are doing work where there is little margin for error. It is critically important, as we build relationships and alliances and we defend our interests, as well as the interests of our allies. These are defining times.

These are times you will look back on as you complete your service to our country and have not only the sense of pride and purpose that you accomplished something pretty special, but you helped shape history, and that's what you're doing out here. You really are shaping history. You're not just observing history, but you are participating in history.

I know you're from all over. I've seen your backgrounds. You represent the best America has. And I know occasionally you wonder if anybody's paying attention. We are paying attention. And, again, I came out here specifically to say hello to you and to thank you for everything you're doing.

I've got some time for questions, advice, whatever you want to talk about. I'd be glad to spend some time with you on it. I always value what our troops think, what our people believe. What are we doing right? What are we doing wrong? I know as you look on Washington these days, it appears that we are having some difficulty governing ourselves. But that is part of the business of democracy.

You know that the president is totally committed to you. As you know, he signed a bill into law that exempts our military from the shutdown. That means, as you all know, our country wants you to stay on the job, needs you to stay on the job, and you're going to be paid for it. I know that's not an insignificant factor in your lives, but you were specifically cut out of the shutdown process by the Congress, and the president signed that bill into law.

So we'll get through this in Washington. Yes, it's difficult. It's messy. And you all are aware of that. But our country is too good, too strong. Our people are too good and too strong. We'll get through it, and we'll be better for it.

All right. What do you want to talk about? Anything.

I am well aware, by the way, of the history of this ship, who it was named after and why. I recall that -- that time in 1985, and I know your every proud to have Stethem's name on this ship and your part of it. And I know you recognize that every time there's a change of command, and it's a tremendous tradition to have Robert Stethem's brother come out here and be part of that change of command ceremony.

And I'm proud that we would recognize such a great American hero as Robert Stethem this way, in naming an important ship that is at the forefront of protecting America's interest and our allies' interest. Anything that you want to talk about. Yes?

Q: Mr. Secretary, the government shutdown, what's the effect on the DOD schools?

SECRETARY HAGEL: The question is DOD schools, how are they affected by the government shutdown? And we're exempting all of the -- the vital components of supporting our military. That's part of the exceptions. I have asked our lawyers and our comptroller to examine what additional civilians we could bring back. We had -- we were forced by law to furlough many, many of our civilian workers. But we're trying to find a solid legal interpretation here in the law that can bring back more people in support of our military.

The fact is, all our civilians who work for the Department of Defense support our military. There's no job in our Department of Defense that doesn't support the military. So I think theoretically -- I'm not a lawyer, but I do have some appreciation for common sense, and common sense tells you that if you're working for the Department of Defense, you're supporting the defense and the security of America, and you're supporting those who are on the front lines, those in uniform, like you, who do this nation's business. So we're going to take care of all the components of DOD that support you and your families.

Q: Good morning, Mr. Secretary --

SECRETARY HAGEL: I'm sorry. Yeah, I'll come back to you here. We'll get -- go ahead.

Q: (off mic)

SECRETARY HAGEL: That's a good question. The question was, what is the role of the United States in the next three years? Well, the president has been very clear on this point, that starting with the rebalance to the Asia Pacific, does not mean that we're retreating from any other part of the world. We're not.

We have responsibilities in the Middle East. We have friends. We have allies in the Middle East, as we do all over the world, and we will continue with our allies to play a role in the Middle East.

I think what happened at the United Nations last week was very positive, was very encouraging, to get the United Nations to act on the chemical weapons issue in Syria. We were able to bring the Security Council together on this. We are in the forefront of dealing with that. DOD is part of that.

I think, on the Iranian piece of this, there was very positive developments last week. A long way to go. Actions must match words. We're very clear-eyed and realistic about all of it. We have the greatest, strongest military in the world. We're the strongest nation in the world, our economy, our military, every component of who we are. That's how you assure your freedom and your security.

But at the same time, Secretary Kerry and I addressed this issue yesterday. Democracies engage. Engagement is a sign of strength. And we'll see where it goes. But I think we all agree that if we can resolve differences and problems peacefully, versus going to war, I think you're the first to agree that's probably a better option, because you've got to fight the wars.

So there will be a role for the United States in the Middle East. And as said, we're not retreating from any part of the world. Alliances become more and more critical, maybe more critical than they have ever been. It is building capacities for our allies, helping our allies. It's what we're doing here in the Middle East, part of what you're doing -- I mean, here in the Asia Pacific. It's what we're doing in the Middle East, is as you -- as you build alliances, strengthen those alliances, you strengthen their capabilities and capacities to defend themselves.

And that's much of what we're doing here, certainly in the Asia Pacific, as well as the Middle East and around the world.

GEORGE LITTLE: We're going to get one more.

SECRETARY HAGEL: Okay, one more. We had somebody in the front row here, yes.

Q: (off mic) with the government shutdown, will there be any effect on Seventh Fleet operations?

SECRETARY HAGEL: With the government shutdown, will there be any effect on Seventh Fleet operations? No.

Okay. (Laughter.) How's that? My team like it when I give one-answer -- one-word answers. How's that? I get myself in less trouble. (Laughter.)

Thank you all very much. Much success to you. We're very, very proud of you. Take care of yourselves. Thank you.