FROM: U.S. LABOR DEPARTMENT
Statement by US Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez on the US Senate's passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act
WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez today issued the following statement regarding the passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act by the U.S. Senate:
"The arc of the moral universe bent a little more toward justice today. Protecting the workplace rights of LGBT workers is a moral imperative that is long overdue. We still have a long road ahead of us, but today's historic vote moves us one step closer to a nation that truly embodies its founding principles of equality, opportunity and fairness for all."
Friday, November 8, 2013
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WEEKLY CLAIMS REPORT FOR WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER 2, 2013
SEASONALLY ADJUSTED DATA
In the week ending November 2, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 336,000, a decrease of 9,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 345,000. The 4-week moving average was 348,250, a decrease of 9,250 from the previous week's revised average of 357,500.
The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.2 percent for the week ending October 26, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate. The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending October 26 was 2,868,000, an increase of 4,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 2,864,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,866,000, a decrease of 8,500 from the preceding week's revised average of 2,874,500.
UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 327,074 in the week ending November 2, an increase of 4,222 from the previous week. There were 361,800 initial claims in the comparable week in 2012.
The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.9 percent during the week ending October 26, unchanged from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 2,495,070, a decrease of 13,964 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.2 percent and the volume was 2,783,667.
The total number of people claiming benefits in all programs for the week ending October 19 was 3,958,691, an increase of 74,777 from the previous week. There were 5,078,237 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 October 19.
Initial claims for UI benefits filed by former Federal civilian employees totaled 4,011 in the week ending October 26, a decrease of 10,412 from the prior week. There were 2,433 initial claims filed by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 279 from the preceding week.
There were 27,834 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending October 19, a decrease of 49,717 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 31,841, a decrease of 265 from the prior week.
States reported 1,370,774 persons claiming Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) benefits for the week ending October 19, an increase of 64,837 from the prior week. There were 2,118,175 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 October 26 were in Alaska (4.4), Virgin Islands (4.1), Puerto Rico (3.8), California (3.0), New Jersey (3.0), Connecticut (2.7), Pennsylvania (2.7), District of Columbia (2.6), Illinois (2.4), and Oregon (2.4).
The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending October 26 were in Oregon (+2,956), Florida (+2,873), Illinois (+2,460), New York (+2,033), and Pennsylvania (+1,542), while the largest decreases were in California (-4,460), Virginia (-1,807), Washington (-833), Maryland (-431), and Missouri (-343).
In the week ending November 2, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 336,000, a decrease of 9,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 345,000. The 4-week moving average was 348,250, a decrease of 9,250 from the previous week's revised average of 357,500.
The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 2.2 percent for the week ending October 26, unchanged from the prior week's unrevised rate. The advance number for seasonally adjusted insured unemployment during the week ending October 26 was 2,868,000, an increase of 4,000 from the preceding week's revised level of 2,864,000. The 4-week moving average was 2,866,000, a decrease of 8,500 from the preceding week's revised average of 2,874,500.
UNADJUSTED DATA
The advance number of actual initial claims under state programs, unadjusted, totaled 327,074 in the week ending November 2, an increase of 4,222 from the previous week. There were 361,800 initial claims in the comparable week in 2012.
The advance unadjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.9 percent during the week ending October 26, unchanged from the prior week. The advance unadjusted number for persons claiming UI benefits in state programs totaled 2,495,070, a decrease of 13,964 from the preceding week. A year earlier, the rate was 2.2 percent and the volume was 2,783,667.
The total number of people claiming benefits in all programs for the week ending October 19 was 3,958,691, an increase of 74,777 from the previous week. There were 5,078,237 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 October 19.
Initial claims for UI benefits filed by former Federal civilian employees totaled 4,011 in the week ending October 26, a decrease of 10,412 from the prior week. There were 2,433 initial claims filed by newly discharged veterans, an increase of 279 from the preceding week.
There were 27,834 former Federal civilian employees claiming UI benefits for the week ending October 19, a decrease of 49,717 from the previous week. Newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 31,841, a decrease of 265 from the prior week.
States reported 1,370,774 persons claiming Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) benefits for the week ending October 19, an increase of 64,837 from the prior week. There were 2,118,175 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 October 26 were in Alaska (4.4), Virgin Islands (4.1), Puerto Rico (3.8), California (3.0), New Jersey (3.0), Connecticut (2.7), Pennsylvania (2.7), District of Columbia (2.6), Illinois (2.4), and Oregon (2.4).
The largest increases in initial claims for the week ending October 26 were in Oregon (+2,956), Florida (+2,873), Illinois (+2,460), New York (+2,033), and Pennsylvania (+1,542), while the largest decreases were in California (-4,460), Virginia (-1,807), Washington (-833), Maryland (-431), and Missouri (-343).
THERAPIST SENTENCED FOR ROLE IN $55 MILLION MEDICARE FRAUD
FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Former Mental-Health Clinic Therapist Sentenced for Role in $55 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme
A former therapist for Biscayne Milieu, a Miami-based mental-health clinic, was sentenced today to serve 120 months in prison for his participation in a $55 million Medicare fraud scheme.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer of the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Michael B. Steinbach of the FBI’s Miami Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Christopher B. Dennis of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Miami office made the announcement.
Jose Rojo, 39, of Miami, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Marcia G. Cooke in the Southern District of Florida. Rojo was convicted on Aug. 7, 2013, of one count of conspiring to commit health care fraud following a one-month jury trial. In addition to the prison term, Rojo was ordered to pay more than $11 million in restitution, jointly and severally with his co-defendants, and to serve three years of supervised release.
According to the evidence at trial, Rojo and his co-conspirators caused the submission of more than $55 million dollars in fraudulent claims to Medicare through Biscayne Milieu, which purportedly operated a partial hospitalization program (PHP) – a form of intensive treatment for severe mental illness. Instead of providing PHP services, the defendants devised a scheme in which they paid patient recruiters to refer ineligible Medicare beneficiaries to Biscayne Milieu for services that were never provided. Many of the patients admitted to Biscayne Milieu were not eligible for PHP because they were chronic substance abusers, suffered from severe dementia and would not benefit from group therapy, or had no mental health diagnosis but were seeking exemptions for their U.S. citizenship applications.
The evidence at trial further showed that, as a therapist at Biscayne Milieu, Rojo conducted sham therapy sessions for patients he knew were ineligible for PHP treatment. Often Rojo showed up late for these sessions or not at all, but Medicare was still billed as if a full session took place. Rojo created fraudulent documents to help cover-up Biscayne Milieu’s massive fraud, including bogus treatment plans and phony group therapy notes that were copied from one document to the other. Deliberately inaccurate group therapy notes for different patients on different days – often years apart – were in many respects identical, including having the same descriptions of patients’ statements in group sessions and even the same misspelled words. Further, Rojo provided other therapists at the clinic with fake group therapy notes for a fee. Biscayne Milieu billed Medicare for tens of millions of dollars in PHP treatments for these patients.
Various owners, doctors, managers, therapists, patient brokers and other employees of Biscayne Milieu have also been charged with health care fraud, kickback violations, money laundering and other offenses in two indictments unsealed in September 2011 and May 2012. Biscayne Milieu, its owners, and more than 25 of the individual defendants charged in these cases have pleaded guilty or have been convicted at trial. Antonio and Jorge Macli and Sandra Huarte – the owners and operators of Biscayne Milieu – were each convicted at trial and were sentenced in April 2013 to 30 years, 25 years and 22 years in prison, respectively.
This case was investigated by the FBI with the assistance of HHS-OIG and was brought by the the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, under the supervision of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marlene Rodriguez and James V. Hayes of the Southern District of Florida; Hayes was formerly a trial attorney of the Fraud Section.
Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged more than 1,500 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $5 billion. In addition, HHS’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, is taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Former Mental-Health Clinic Therapist Sentenced for Role in $55 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme
A former therapist for Biscayne Milieu, a Miami-based mental-health clinic, was sentenced today to serve 120 months in prison for his participation in a $55 million Medicare fraud scheme.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer of the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Michael B. Steinbach of the FBI’s Miami Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Christopher B. Dennis of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Miami office made the announcement.
Jose Rojo, 39, of Miami, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Marcia G. Cooke in the Southern District of Florida. Rojo was convicted on Aug. 7, 2013, of one count of conspiring to commit health care fraud following a one-month jury trial. In addition to the prison term, Rojo was ordered to pay more than $11 million in restitution, jointly and severally with his co-defendants, and to serve three years of supervised release.
According to the evidence at trial, Rojo and his co-conspirators caused the submission of more than $55 million dollars in fraudulent claims to Medicare through Biscayne Milieu, which purportedly operated a partial hospitalization program (PHP) – a form of intensive treatment for severe mental illness. Instead of providing PHP services, the defendants devised a scheme in which they paid patient recruiters to refer ineligible Medicare beneficiaries to Biscayne Milieu for services that were never provided. Many of the patients admitted to Biscayne Milieu were not eligible for PHP because they were chronic substance abusers, suffered from severe dementia and would not benefit from group therapy, or had no mental health diagnosis but were seeking exemptions for their U.S. citizenship applications.
The evidence at trial further showed that, as a therapist at Biscayne Milieu, Rojo conducted sham therapy sessions for patients he knew were ineligible for PHP treatment. Often Rojo showed up late for these sessions or not at all, but Medicare was still billed as if a full session took place. Rojo created fraudulent documents to help cover-up Biscayne Milieu’s massive fraud, including bogus treatment plans and phony group therapy notes that were copied from one document to the other. Deliberately inaccurate group therapy notes for different patients on different days – often years apart – were in many respects identical, including having the same descriptions of patients’ statements in group sessions and even the same misspelled words. Further, Rojo provided other therapists at the clinic with fake group therapy notes for a fee. Biscayne Milieu billed Medicare for tens of millions of dollars in PHP treatments for these patients.
Various owners, doctors, managers, therapists, patient brokers and other employees of Biscayne Milieu have also been charged with health care fraud, kickback violations, money laundering and other offenses in two indictments unsealed in September 2011 and May 2012. Biscayne Milieu, its owners, and more than 25 of the individual defendants charged in these cases have pleaded guilty or have been convicted at trial. Antonio and Jorge Macli and Sandra Huarte – the owners and operators of Biscayne Milieu – were each convicted at trial and were sentenced in April 2013 to 30 years, 25 years and 22 years in prison, respectively.
This case was investigated by the FBI with the assistance of HHS-OIG and was brought by the the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, under the supervision of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marlene Rodriguez and James V. Hayes of the Southern District of Florida; Hayes was formerly a trial attorney of the Fraud Section.
Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged more than 1,500 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $5 billion. In addition, HHS’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, is taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.
FLORIDA HOSPICE WILL PAY $3 MILLION TO RESOLVE ALLEGATIONS FALSE CLAIMS ALLEGATIONS
FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Orlando, Fla., Area Hospice to Pay $3 Million to Resolve Allegations That It Billed Medicare for Patients Not Terminally Ill
Hospice of the Comforter Inc. (HOTCI) has agreed to pay $3 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by submitting false claims to the Medicare program for hospice services provided to patients who were not eligible for the Medicare hospice benefit, the Justice Department announced today. HOTCI is headquartered in Altamonte Springs, Fla., and provides hospice services to patients residing in Seminole, Osceola and Orange counties in Florida.
“This settlement is a result of the Justice Department’s continuing efforts to prevent the abuse of the taxpayer-funded Medicare hospice program, which is intended to provide comfort and care to terminally ill persons during the last six months of their lives,” said Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division Stuart F. Delery. “We will pursue those who seek to misuse this important benefit for their own enrichment.”
The government alleged that between December 2005 and December 2010, HOTCI engaged in practices that resulted in billing Medicare for patients who were not terminally ill. Specifically, HOTCI allegedly directed its staff to admit all referred patients without regard to whether they were eligible for the Medicare hospice benefit, falsified medical records to make it appear that certain patients were eligible for the benefit when they were not, employed field nurses without hospice training, established procedures to limit physicians’ roles in assessing patients’ terminal status and delayed discharging patients when they became ineligible for the benefit.
As part of this settlement, HOTCI has agreed to enter into a Corporate Integrity Agreement with the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services that provides for procedures and reviews to be put in place to promptly detect and prevent future conduct similar to that which gave rise to the settlement. In addition, HOTCI’s former Chief Executive Officer Robert Wilson has agreed to a three-year, voluntary exclusion from Medicare, Medicaid and other federal health care programs.
“This settlement represents a fair and appropriate resolution of this troubling matter,” said Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida A. Lee Bentley III. “Hospice providers in our district should be on notice that our office will do what it takes to protect our citizens from this kind of misconduct.”
“Hospice care is a sacred trust from which no provider should fraudulently profit,” said Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Daniel R. Levinson. “Claiming tax dollars for people who are not terminally ill ?? and therefore ineligible for hospice care ?? cannot be tolerated.”
This settlement illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud and marks another achievement for the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT) initiative, which was announced in May 2009 by Attorney General Eric Holder and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. The partnership between the two departments has focused efforts to reduce and prevent Medicare and Medicaid financial fraud through enhanced cooperation. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Since January 2009, the Justice Department has recovered a total of more than $16.7 billion through False Claims Act cases, with more than $11.9 billion of that amount recovered in cases involving fraud against federal health care programs.
The allegations settled today arose from a lawsuit filed by a former HOTCI employee, Douglas Stone, under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act. Under the act, private citizens can bring suit on behalf of the government for false claims and share in any recovery. Stone’s share of the recovery has not been determined.
This matter was handled by the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch; the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General.
The case is United States ex rel. Stone v. Hospice of the Comforter Inc ., No. 6:11-cv-1498-ORL-22-DAB (M.D. Fla.). The claims settled by this agreement are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Orlando, Fla., Area Hospice to Pay $3 Million to Resolve Allegations That It Billed Medicare for Patients Not Terminally Ill
Hospice of the Comforter Inc. (HOTCI) has agreed to pay $3 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by submitting false claims to the Medicare program for hospice services provided to patients who were not eligible for the Medicare hospice benefit, the Justice Department announced today. HOTCI is headquartered in Altamonte Springs, Fla., and provides hospice services to patients residing in Seminole, Osceola and Orange counties in Florida.
“This settlement is a result of the Justice Department’s continuing efforts to prevent the abuse of the taxpayer-funded Medicare hospice program, which is intended to provide comfort and care to terminally ill persons during the last six months of their lives,” said Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division Stuart F. Delery. “We will pursue those who seek to misuse this important benefit for their own enrichment.”
The government alleged that between December 2005 and December 2010, HOTCI engaged in practices that resulted in billing Medicare for patients who were not terminally ill. Specifically, HOTCI allegedly directed its staff to admit all referred patients without regard to whether they were eligible for the Medicare hospice benefit, falsified medical records to make it appear that certain patients were eligible for the benefit when they were not, employed field nurses without hospice training, established procedures to limit physicians’ roles in assessing patients’ terminal status and delayed discharging patients when they became ineligible for the benefit.
As part of this settlement, HOTCI has agreed to enter into a Corporate Integrity Agreement with the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services that provides for procedures and reviews to be put in place to promptly detect and prevent future conduct similar to that which gave rise to the settlement. In addition, HOTCI’s former Chief Executive Officer Robert Wilson has agreed to a three-year, voluntary exclusion from Medicare, Medicaid and other federal health care programs.
“This settlement represents a fair and appropriate resolution of this troubling matter,” said Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida A. Lee Bentley III. “Hospice providers in our district should be on notice that our office will do what it takes to protect our citizens from this kind of misconduct.”
“Hospice care is a sacred trust from which no provider should fraudulently profit,” said Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Daniel R. Levinson. “Claiming tax dollars for people who are not terminally ill ?? and therefore ineligible for hospice care ?? cannot be tolerated.”
This settlement illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud and marks another achievement for the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT) initiative, which was announced in May 2009 by Attorney General Eric Holder and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. The partnership between the two departments has focused efforts to reduce and prevent Medicare and Medicaid financial fraud through enhanced cooperation. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Since January 2009, the Justice Department has recovered a total of more than $16.7 billion through False Claims Act cases, with more than $11.9 billion of that amount recovered in cases involving fraud against federal health care programs.
The allegations settled today arose from a lawsuit filed by a former HOTCI employee, Douglas Stone, under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act. Under the act, private citizens can bring suit on behalf of the government for false claims and share in any recovery. Stone’s share of the recovery has not been determined.
This matter was handled by the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch; the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General.
The case is United States ex rel. Stone v. Hospice of the Comforter Inc ., No. 6:11-cv-1498-ORL-22-DAB (M.D. Fla.). The claims settled by this agreement are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.
Thursday, November 7, 2013
U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT CONTRACTS FOR NOVEMBER 7, 2013
FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
CONTRACTS
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Easy Street JD&S LLC*, Carol Stream, Ill., has been awarded a maximum $633,000,000 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment contract for procurement of commercial type material handling equipment. This contract is a competitive acquisition, and 31 offers were received. Locations of performance are Illinois and Ireland with a Nov. 6, 2018 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 2019 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa., (SPE8EC-14-D-0001).
US Food Service Baltimore/Washington Division, Severn, Md., has been awarded a maximum $12,581,939 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, bridge contract for prime vendor full line food distribution. This contract is a sole-source acquisition. This is a one-year base contract with no option periods. Locations of performance are Maryland and mid-Atlantic North region with a Nov. 8, 2014, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM300-14-D-3719).
Shamrock Foods Co., Phoenix, Ariz., has been awarded a maximum $8,700,000 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-quantity, bridge contract for prime vendor full line food distribution. This contract is a sole-source acquisition. This is a one-year base contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Arizona with a Nov. 8, 2014, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Air Force, and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM300-14-D-3656).
Greenstone Limited*, Peapack, N.J., has been awarded a maximum $8,026,537 modification (P00017) exercising the seventh one-year option period on a one-year base contract (SPM200-06-D-7703) with seven one-year option periods for various pharmaceutical products. This is a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. Location of performance is New Jersey with a Nov. 3, 2014, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 warstopper funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa.
ARMY
Northrop Grumman, Huntsville, Ala., was awarded a $39,200,000 modification (P00095) to a previously existing cost-plus-incentive-fee, multi-year, option-included contract (W31P4Q-08-C-0418) to provide research and development services in support of integrated air missile defense. The estimated completion date is Sept. 30, 2015. Fiscal 2013 research, development, test and evaluation funds are being obligated on this award. The Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity.
Great Lakes Dock and Dredge Company LLC, Oak Brook, Ill., was awarded a $10,273,971 firm-fixed-price contract for dredging services in support of the Baltimore Harbor Dredging Project. Work will be performed in Baltimore, Md., with an estimated completion date of March 28, 2014. Fiscal 2013 and fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance funds are being obligated on this award. One bid was solicited, with one bid received. The Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore, Md., is the contracting activity (W912DR-14-C-0003).
K&N Industrial Equipment, Spokane Valley, Wash., was awarded a $7,976,384 firm-fixed-price, option-included contract to provide for the rehabilitation of bridge cranes located at Lower Granite Dam and Little Goose Dam. Work will be performed in Dayton, Wash.; and Pomeroy, Wash.; with an estimated completion date of Aug. 13, 2015. Fiscal 2014 procurement funds in the amount of $3,734,955 are being obligated on this award. The bid was solicited through the Internet, with four bids received. The Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla, Wash., is the contracting activity (W912EF-14-C-0002).
AIR FORCE
Lockheed Martin Corp., Fort Worth, Texas, has been awarded a $19,763,075 option exercise (P0050) to an existing cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (FA8611-08-C-2897) to retrofit fielded mission training centers with out the window visual systems upgrade and night vision goggles capability. Effort includes upgrades for F-22 training systems at Sheppard Air Force Base (AFB), Texas; Tyndall AFB, Fla.; Langley AFB, Va.; Hickam AFB, Hawaii, and Elmendorf AFB, Alaska. Work will be performed at St. Louis, Mo., with an expected completion date of Dec. 31, 2016. Fiscal 2014 aircraft procurement funds in the amount of $19,763,075 are being obligated at time of option exercise. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is the contracting activity.
NAVY
Ultra Armoring LLC*, Kings Mountain, N.C., is being awarded a $15,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the light capability rough terrain forklift (LCRTF) crew protection kit (CPK). The LCRTF CPK shall provide a CPK for integration to increase survivability and provide protection in the event of small arms fire or improvised explosive Device attack. The basic contract will be for four test assets, development costs, 100 production units, technical manuals, supply support and training. The initial delivery order (0001) will be for six test assets, development costs, shipping of test assets, testing provisioning support and the technical manual development and procurement. Work will be performed in Kings Mountain, N.C., and work is expected to be completed in November 2018. No funds are being obligated on the base contract. Fiscal 2013 research, development, testing and evaluation funds in the amount of $1,427,168 will be obligated on the delivery order, and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured through full and open competition via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with five proposals received. Marine Corps System Command in Quantico, Va., is the procuring contracting activity (M67854-14-D-5024).
CTC Enterprise Ventures Corp., Johnstown, Pa., is being awarded a $14,205,582 firm-fixed-price modification to previously awarded contract (N61331-12-C-0007) for the production of 10 carriage, stream, tow and recovery system kits in support of the MH-60S Airborne Mine Countermeasures program. Work will be performed in Johnstown, Pa., and is expected to be completed by October 2016. Fiscal 2013 aircraft procurement, Navy funds in the amount of $14,205,582 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division, Panama City, Fla., is the contracting activity.
Trimble Navigation Ltd., Dayton, Ohio, is being awarded $12,788,333 for delivery order 0007 under a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (M67854-13-D-5023) for the Laser Leveling System (LLS) to support the Product Manager, Engineering Systems, Material Handling Equipment and Construction Equipment Product Management Team. Collectively, the LLS consists of surveying equipment and grade control equipment. This procurement requires the original equipment manufacturer to provide 33 LLS systems, operator and maintainer training and training aids, transportation of the systems, and logistics and life cycle support for all items procured. Work will be performed in Dayton, Ohio, and is expected to be completed by April 2018. Fiscal 2013 procurement, Marine Corps funds in the amount of $12,788,333 will be obligated at the time of award. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The basic contract was competitively procured, with two offers received. Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity.
The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded an $8,343,276 modification to a previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-fee contract (N00019-09-C-0019) for the replacement and/or refurbishment of production life limit tooling for the F/A-18E/F and EA-18G aircraft. Work will be performed in St. Louis, Mo., and is expected to be completed in October 2014. Fiscal 2013 aircraft procurement, Navy contract funds in the amount of $8,343,276 are being obligated on this award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
General Dynamics Electric Boat Corp., Groton, Conn., is being awarded a $7,103,796 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-10-C-4301) to provide ship’s force duties; protection and operation; and organizational-level repairs and preservation of floating dry dock ARDM-4 at the Naval Submarine Support Facility, Naval Submarine Base, New London, Conn. Work will be performed in New London, Conn., and is expected to be completed by September 2014. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance, Navy contract funds in the amount of $7,103,796 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
Weston Solutions Inc., West Chester, Pa., is being awarded $6,576,624 for firm-fixed-price task order FZ01 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N62583-09-D-0131) for design and construction of an MV-22 Aviation Fuel Storage Facility at Marine Corps Air Station, Camp Pendleton. The work to be performed provides for expansion of the existing fuel storage facility by adding two additional fuel storage tanks, relocating loading pad and expanding the current petroleum oil lubricants operations building to support the fuel requirements of the MV-22 aircraft. Work will be performed in Oceanside, Calif., and is expected to be completed by January 2015. Fiscal 2012 military construction, Navy contract funds in the amount of $6,576,624 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Four proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity.
*Small Business
CONTRACTS
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Easy Street JD&S LLC*, Carol Stream, Ill., has been awarded a maximum $633,000,000 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment contract for procurement of commercial type material handling equipment. This contract is a competitive acquisition, and 31 offers were received. Locations of performance are Illinois and Ireland with a Nov. 6, 2018 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 2019 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa., (SPE8EC-14-D-0001).
US Food Service Baltimore/Washington Division, Severn, Md., has been awarded a maximum $12,581,939 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, bridge contract for prime vendor full line food distribution. This contract is a sole-source acquisition. This is a one-year base contract with no option periods. Locations of performance are Maryland and mid-Atlantic North region with a Nov. 8, 2014, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM300-14-D-3719).
Shamrock Foods Co., Phoenix, Ariz., has been awarded a maximum $8,700,000 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-quantity, bridge contract for prime vendor full line food distribution. This contract is a sole-source acquisition. This is a one-year base contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Arizona with a Nov. 8, 2014, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Air Force, and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM300-14-D-3656).
Greenstone Limited*, Peapack, N.J., has been awarded a maximum $8,026,537 modification (P00017) exercising the seventh one-year option period on a one-year base contract (SPM200-06-D-7703) with seven one-year option periods for various pharmaceutical products. This is a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. Location of performance is New Jersey with a Nov. 3, 2014, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 warstopper funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa.
ARMY
Northrop Grumman, Huntsville, Ala., was awarded a $39,200,000 modification (P00095) to a previously existing cost-plus-incentive-fee, multi-year, option-included contract (W31P4Q-08-C-0418) to provide research and development services in support of integrated air missile defense. The estimated completion date is Sept. 30, 2015. Fiscal 2013 research, development, test and evaluation funds are being obligated on this award. The Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity.
Great Lakes Dock and Dredge Company LLC, Oak Brook, Ill., was awarded a $10,273,971 firm-fixed-price contract for dredging services in support of the Baltimore Harbor Dredging Project. Work will be performed in Baltimore, Md., with an estimated completion date of March 28, 2014. Fiscal 2013 and fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance funds are being obligated on this award. One bid was solicited, with one bid received. The Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore, Md., is the contracting activity (W912DR-14-C-0003).
K&N Industrial Equipment, Spokane Valley, Wash., was awarded a $7,976,384 firm-fixed-price, option-included contract to provide for the rehabilitation of bridge cranes located at Lower Granite Dam and Little Goose Dam. Work will be performed in Dayton, Wash.; and Pomeroy, Wash.; with an estimated completion date of Aug. 13, 2015. Fiscal 2014 procurement funds in the amount of $3,734,955 are being obligated on this award. The bid was solicited through the Internet, with four bids received. The Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla, Wash., is the contracting activity (W912EF-14-C-0002).
AIR FORCE
Lockheed Martin Corp., Fort Worth, Texas, has been awarded a $19,763,075 option exercise (P0050) to an existing cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (FA8611-08-C-2897) to retrofit fielded mission training centers with out the window visual systems upgrade and night vision goggles capability. Effort includes upgrades for F-22 training systems at Sheppard Air Force Base (AFB), Texas; Tyndall AFB, Fla.; Langley AFB, Va.; Hickam AFB, Hawaii, and Elmendorf AFB, Alaska. Work will be performed at St. Louis, Mo., with an expected completion date of Dec. 31, 2016. Fiscal 2014 aircraft procurement funds in the amount of $19,763,075 are being obligated at time of option exercise. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is the contracting activity.
NAVY
Ultra Armoring LLC*, Kings Mountain, N.C., is being awarded a $15,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the light capability rough terrain forklift (LCRTF) crew protection kit (CPK). The LCRTF CPK shall provide a CPK for integration to increase survivability and provide protection in the event of small arms fire or improvised explosive Device attack. The basic contract will be for four test assets, development costs, 100 production units, technical manuals, supply support and training. The initial delivery order (0001) will be for six test assets, development costs, shipping of test assets, testing provisioning support and the technical manual development and procurement. Work will be performed in Kings Mountain, N.C., and work is expected to be completed in November 2018. No funds are being obligated on the base contract. Fiscal 2013 research, development, testing and evaluation funds in the amount of $1,427,168 will be obligated on the delivery order, and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured through full and open competition via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with five proposals received. Marine Corps System Command in Quantico, Va., is the procuring contracting activity (M67854-14-D-5024).
CTC Enterprise Ventures Corp., Johnstown, Pa., is being awarded a $14,205,582 firm-fixed-price modification to previously awarded contract (N61331-12-C-0007) for the production of 10 carriage, stream, tow and recovery system kits in support of the MH-60S Airborne Mine Countermeasures program. Work will be performed in Johnstown, Pa., and is expected to be completed by October 2016. Fiscal 2013 aircraft procurement, Navy funds in the amount of $14,205,582 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division, Panama City, Fla., is the contracting activity.
Trimble Navigation Ltd., Dayton, Ohio, is being awarded $12,788,333 for delivery order 0007 under a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (M67854-13-D-5023) for the Laser Leveling System (LLS) to support the Product Manager, Engineering Systems, Material Handling Equipment and Construction Equipment Product Management Team. Collectively, the LLS consists of surveying equipment and grade control equipment. This procurement requires the original equipment manufacturer to provide 33 LLS systems, operator and maintainer training and training aids, transportation of the systems, and logistics and life cycle support for all items procured. Work will be performed in Dayton, Ohio, and is expected to be completed by April 2018. Fiscal 2013 procurement, Marine Corps funds in the amount of $12,788,333 will be obligated at the time of award. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The basic contract was competitively procured, with two offers received. Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity.
The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded an $8,343,276 modification to a previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-fee contract (N00019-09-C-0019) for the replacement and/or refurbishment of production life limit tooling for the F/A-18E/F and EA-18G aircraft. Work will be performed in St. Louis, Mo., and is expected to be completed in October 2014. Fiscal 2013 aircraft procurement, Navy contract funds in the amount of $8,343,276 are being obligated on this award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
General Dynamics Electric Boat Corp., Groton, Conn., is being awarded a $7,103,796 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-10-C-4301) to provide ship’s force duties; protection and operation; and organizational-level repairs and preservation of floating dry dock ARDM-4 at the Naval Submarine Support Facility, Naval Submarine Base, New London, Conn. Work will be performed in New London, Conn., and is expected to be completed by September 2014. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance, Navy contract funds in the amount of $7,103,796 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
Weston Solutions Inc., West Chester, Pa., is being awarded $6,576,624 for firm-fixed-price task order FZ01 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N62583-09-D-0131) for design and construction of an MV-22 Aviation Fuel Storage Facility at Marine Corps Air Station, Camp Pendleton. The work to be performed provides for expansion of the existing fuel storage facility by adding two additional fuel storage tanks, relocating loading pad and expanding the current petroleum oil lubricants operations building to support the fuel requirements of the MV-22 aircraft. Work will be performed in Oceanside, Calif., and is expected to be completed by January 2015. Fiscal 2012 military construction, Navy contract funds in the amount of $6,576,624 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Four proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity.
*Small Business
REMARKS BY SECRETARY OF STATE KERRY AND JORDANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER NASSER JUDEH
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Joint Press Availability With Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh
Press Availability
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Amman, Jordan
November 7, 2013
FOREIGN MINISTER JUDEH: (Via interpreter) In the name of Allah, I am very pleased to welcome His Excellency, the Secretary of State of USA. He is very close friend for His Majesty the King, and a friend of Jordan and a friend of mine, personally. And his visit – which I believe it is the fifth or the sixth visit for him to Jordan since the beginning of his term as Secretary of State, and I think this is the seventh or eighth visit to the region. This shows his keenness to communicate with His Majesty the King and with the leaders and the senior officials in the region, especially concerning the important files which require consultation and communication and constant contact.
We were honored to meet His Majesty the King, and we have very plain and frank dialogue, comprehensive and in-depth, about all the issues of – common issues, and you know that a few days ago before His Excellency started his visit, there was a phone call with His Majesty, and before the 10 days, there was a meeting with His Excellency in Washington. I met him there and the call of the speech or the theme of the speech before was involving about the nature of this tour and the issues to be debated with the leaders and officials in the region. There was a prolonged speech at the phone call, and before that, Mr. Kerry visited the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Egypt, and today, he has just arrived from the Palestinian Territories and Israel, where he met the officials there. Many developments, and we were very pleased in our meeting with His Majesty a while ago.
And in our bilateral negotiations here, we listened to detailed discussions about the negotiations made by Mr. Kerry in the countries that he visited, and we discussed all the common issues – the Syrian issue, the peace process, and other issues in addition to our bilateral (inaudible) relationships, and these distinguished relationships that can be performed by two parties to enhance them in the future.
Many issues happened in the region since Mr. Kerry visited Jordan last time at the summer of this year, starting the negotiations between the Palestinians and Israel about the final peace settlement, and which came as intensive efforts exerted by Mr. Kerry to launch these negotiations under the auspices of the Americans. Our position in the Hashemite Kingdom with the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah, we have affirmed this and – which is linked to the two-state solutions that can result of a Palestinian independent and viable state, which has full sovereignty on its territories and the capital is East Jerusalem, and addressing all the issues of the final settlement to establish this state on the territory – on the Palestinian Territories. And this comes within the framework of the two-state statement, and then the framework of the Arab Peace Initiative.
And here, I would like to point out that His Excellency is very keen to communicate not just with the leaders, but with the committee of the Arab Peace Initiative. We have met for four times in Washington and in the region and in Paris. This shows his keenness to update the committee member about the latest developments in the negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis, and to focus upon the positive points that will be witnessed for the people and for the countries in the region by applying the items of the Arab Peace Initiative which guarantees peace and security for all, including Israel, including a relationship not just with the Arab states but also with the Islamic states and the whole world, so that all the countries in the region will enjoy peace and security and stability.
We have talked about the latest issues, and there would be a meeting with the Palestinian President this evening, and we have talked about the negotiations and the atmosphere of the negotiations, and we agreed since the beginning when Mr. Kerry launched his efforts for these negotiations to be – to have a reference for this discussion for the media with the American Administration and to be away from the (inaudible) in order to achieve the aspired results. And I think until now, this has been committed to and it proved success in leaving the negotiators to perform the required role and to achieve the required results.
We reaffirm our stance in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan that the settlement is impeding peace, it is illegal, and illegitimate. That is why we have to accelerate the negotiations to address through talking about the final peace settlement – a basic item which is the borders, which will terminate settlements forever, where the globe agrees that it is illegal and illegitimate. And we have a stance concerning the unilateral procedures, especially in the occupied Jerusalem, and the violations we see that would not serve the exerted efforts for the success of the negotiations between the two sides.
We reaffirm always that in Jordan, we have a national interest in achieving peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis. We have interest in establishing a viable Palestinian state. We are not monitoring our mediators, but we have interest also in these matters. This is reaffirmed with His Excellency Mr. Kerry and with the USA. So we support the efforts of Mr. Kerry and we reaffirm also the necessity that these negotiations would meet in success.
Since we met in Amman, there were development in the Syrian issues. There was an agreement between Russia and America concerning the chemical weapons in Syria. And we always say that as a neighboring state for Syria, we warned always from the risks of these chemicals and using them not just on the Palestinian people, but on the people of the region. And we reconfirm here that settling this file would serve our interest also. But we have to focus on the political settlement, which will restore peace, stability, and security and put an end to violence and destruction and killing in Syria within the efforts exerted by Mr. Kerry with the Russian side and with other countries to convene Geneva 2 conference, which hopefully would open the road for applying the peaceful settlement, and Jordan stance that the peaceful negotiations will guarantee the unity of the Syrian territories and put an end to violence.
We are very pleased with this visit. We reaffirm our support for these efforts and for the personal effort exerted by Mr. Secretary.
(In English.) (Inaudible) and to say that we had an extremely productive audience with His Majesty earlier on today, and I believe that your lengthy phone call with His Majesty before embarking on your current trip was extremely productive. We salute your efforts in terms of the peace negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis. We salute your commitment and your dedication. And thank you for briefing us today on the latest on that front. We also salute your efforts on bringing about a political solution to the ongoing crisis in Syria and your efforts towards convening Geneva 2 with the intention, as we are all in agreement, of implementing what was agreed upon in Geneva 1. And I believe that your visit at this time is extremely critical in that regard, and the efforts that are conducted by you and by your colleagues are ones that we support and encourage you to continue trying to bring the parties together at the conference that will herald a political solution that will end the violence and end the killing and end the danger that is ever present on our border.
In this regard, we discussed today the presence of 600,000 Syrian refugees on Jordanian soil, as well as 700,000 others who were there from before the crisis, a total of 1.3 million Syrians, almost 21 percent of the population, and the burden that Jordan is shouldering on behalf of the international community. And we addressed the need for the international community to help Jordan in hosting these refugees and in carrying this burden on behalf of the international community.
So our economy is already challenged, as all of you know, and this extra burden is not making things any easier. And I want to thank the Secretary of State for his understanding of this predicament that we find ourselves in, and for his support and his country’s support for Jordan in this regard.
We discussed bilateral relations, and I want to thank the United States of America through the Secretary of State for the assistance that it provides to Jordan. I had extremely productive meetings in Washington when I was there, across the spectrum – the Administration, on Capitol Hill, both sides – and there was so much goodwill, and there is always so much goodwill towards His Majesty and towards Jordan. It’s truly a special relationship that I am always careful to remind is a relationship that goes beyond friendship into a true partnership, and the commonality of interests that we have and the common challenges that we all face, and a relationship that is over 60 years old and continues to grow stronger by the day.
Thank you for your friendship, Mr. Secretary. Thank you for your efforts and for your dedication. Thank you for your visit.
SECRETARY KERRY: Well, Foreign Minister Judeh – I got it right this time. (Laughter.) He lacks confidence in me. (Laughter.) Foreign Minister Judeh, my friend, Nasser, I really appreciate your warm welcome, your generous comments, and I appreciate your terrific food. Thank you for a wonderful lunch.
Nasser is really one of the foreign ministers I have come to know the best over these last months, and I’m particularly grateful to him for his constant willingness to engage and help all of the parties. Not just with respect to the peace talks, but in the region, he has been particularly creative, particularly engaged. And I especially want to thank His Majesty, His Royal Highness King Abdullah II for his tremendous engagement, his creative engagement in this process. We had a very constructive conversation this morning. His Majesty put a number of ideas on the table that have possibilities, and was really engaged in a very important way in this.
And I want to emphasize there is a reason why I have come here to Jordan as many times. Jordan is not just a neighbor, not a passive bystander in this process. Jordan is integrally involved in and has high stakes in the outcome of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the questions of peace. Jordan has a long border with Israel and the West Bank, the Palestinian Territories, and Jordan has been a partner for peace with Israel, with the United States, and with all those people who are looking for stability and peace and an end of conflict in this region. Jordan is already engaged in a major security relationship with the parties, and whatever resolution there is with respect to the issue of peace between Israel and the Palestinians, Jordan will be a partner in that process.
So it is important for the President of the United States, and through me to him, for the United States to be able to be engaged in this process with Jordan. And I came here today to Amman on President Obama’s behalf directly from Jerusalem and Bethlehem, where I held meetings with both Prime Minister Netanyahu and with President Abbas. The meetings obviously are about the critical question of how we can bring peace to Palestinians and Israelis – long overdue, long consuming, now, generations.
And I’m pleased to say, that despite difficulties – and we all understand what they are – these discussions were productive, and they will continue even today. Tonight, I will see President Abbas yet again, and tomorrow morning, as I leave the region, I will have breakfast with Prime Minister Netanyahu. And the purpose of this is not just to have a meeting for the sake of a meeting. The purpose is to explore and discuss and examine the various possibilities of how we can resolve very complicated issues in ways that meet the needs of both parties, in ways that lead us to the kind of compromise that will be necessary in order to achieve peace. President Obama and the United States are deeply committed to this peace effort, and we are committed to a peaceful, prosperous future for the people of Israel and the people of Palestine.
Now, both Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Abbas reaffirmed their commitment to these negotiations despite the fact that at moments, there are obviously tensions over one happening or another in one place or another, whether it’s in Israel or in the territories. No secret that these negotiations are always difficult, particularly this kind. But I want to say something that I think is important for Palestinians and Israelis to really think about.
What is the alternative to peace? Prolonged, continued conflict? The absence of peace really means you have a sort of low-grade kind of conflict, war, whatever you want to call it. And as long as the aspirations of people are held down one way or the other in one place or another, whether it’s the aspirations of the people of Israel to be free from violence, free from rockets, free from the diversion of their lives to the energy of maintaining security, or whether it’s the aspirations of young Palestinians who want to go to school, get an education, have a job, have a future – as long as there is this conflict, and if the conflict frustrates yet again so that people cannot find a solution, the possibilities of violence, of other kinds of confrontation, of other alternatives, become more real. This region has been there before, and this region consciously has made decisions and choices to try to move away from that in a different direction.
So this is really important. It’s important not just for the Palestinian Territories or for Israel, but it’s important to people all through the region, which is why there is an Arab Peace Initiative. It’s why the follow-on committee of the Arab League has been taking time to meet, I think four or five times now. It’s why they have reaffirmed their commitment to peace. It’s why they have said that if we can achieve peace, they are ready to make peace with Israel.
The stakes here are huge, and obviously, the lack of peace confronts everybody with choices, frankly, that nobody wants to contemplate. This region does not benefit by continued conflict. The possibility of a peace agreement with 22 Arab countries and 35 Muslim nations, 57 countries in all, brings a whole new economic possibility to this region. At one of the meetings we had recently, I heard one Arab minister, foreign minister, say to his fellow ministers at the meeting that if peace could be made between Israel and the Palestinians, that this region would be one of the wealthiest regions in the world, one of the most visited regions in the world, with economic opportunity that dwarfs the imagination today.
So that’s what these stakes are. That’s what we are pursuing. And nothing, I think, is more worthy of our time. We will continue this work in the days ahead with the close cooperation of King Abdullah II, who is following in his father’s great legacy of seeking peace through the important work of the Arab League as a whole, as well as the Arab Peace Initiative Follow-up Committee.
Foreign Minister Judeh and I, as I know he just shared with you, also discussed the question of Syria. We understand in the United States how impactful what is happening in Syria is on Jordan. And we care about Jordan. Jordan is not just a partner; Jordan is a great friend, and we’re grateful to the Jordanian people for their commitment not just to peace, but to their efforts in the region to take in refugees to try to deal with other crises. And so we feel that it is very important for us to respect the generosity that has led Jordanians to open their doors to refugees despite the fact that it is difficult and complicated for the people of Jordan. It’s a heavy toll on the economy. It’s the right thing to do. At lunch, I learned today how a huge number of children – how many in total?
FOREIGN MINISTER JUDEH: 78,000.
SECRETARY KERRY: 78,000 Syrian children are not being left in a camp or left to their own devices; they’re in schools. Jordan has made its schools open and available for Syrian children so that their education and opportunities will not be cut off as a fact of this war. That is amazingly generous and very difficult and very trying for teachers and for the schools and for the systems. So we applaud that, and that’s why the United States is very proud that we are the number-one donor to the humanitarian crisis of Syria. And we will continue to work with our Jordanian partners in this effort.
We discussed today the humanitarian crisis, which has received insufficient attention from the global community. The world needs to be outraged at the unbelievable consequences of Assad’s brutality, where families are forced from their homes, are displaced within their own nation, forced to eat stray dogs or cats, and struggle for survival on a day-to-day basis, while the regime blocks humanitarian aid and engages in starvation as a tactic of war. So we believe that even as winter approaches, it is more compelling for us to try to find a way to address this humanitarian challenge.
And we cannot forget that this war in Syria has much bigger stakes than just Bashar al-Assad. It has to deal with the entire question of tens of thousands of families who’ve lost loved ones, lost their homes, and don’t want to lose their great country to an endless conflict and killing. So the global community needs to step up. We will continue to work with our partner, Jordan, in order to try to get to Geneva 2 so we can have the negotiation that is really the only way to end this conflict. We discussed trying to get there as rapidly as possible, and both Jordan and the United States will continue to work together to do that.
So, Mr. Foreign Minister, we also touched a little bit on Iran and Egypt, both issues of concern to all of us. And we pledged to continue to consult with our friends in Jordan with respect to those issues as we go forward.
Finally, I’ll just say that Nasser mentioned the work he’s done on the Hill, and he’s grateful for the relationship there. I think that His Majesty King Abdullah and Foreign Minister Judeh have done as effective a job of reaching out and building friendships and relationships for their country, and helping to give people a sense of the stakes in this region, as any head of state or foreign minister that I’ve met. And I thank them for those efforts, and I particularly thank them on behalf of President Obama for their highly valued friendship and partnership. Thank you.
FOREIGN MINISTER JUDEH: Thank you very much, John. I think the Secretary needs to get ready for his meeting this evening, so we’ll take three questions if I’m not mistaken. We’ll start with the Jordanian side. Let’s see who’s – and then take the U.S. I love press conferences where there are no questions. (Laughter.)
QUESTION: (Via interpreter) Good evening. I’m Majed al-Dabbas from Ammon news agency. His Majesty The King said that Jordan would take procedures to protect its interest in case the situation escalated in Syria. Do you have understandings about the nature of these procedures or measures taken by Jordan?
My question to Mr. Kerry: Some people think that the Syrian – the Russian policy has overcame the American policy. How do you evaluate this thing?
FOREIGN MINISTER JUDEH: (Via interpreter) First of all, concerning His Majesty’s speech and the speech at the throne, this is not the first time where His Majesty confirm our stance concerning the flow of the Syrian refugees to Jordan, and His Majesty’s speech is very clear. It doesn’t need clarification from myself.
What is reiterated by His Majesty that we open our heart and our country to receive our brothers from Syria who sought shelter in Jordan, fleeing away from destruction and killing. And this is the history of Jordan and of which we are very proud. Our obligation performed in fully, as His Majesty says, that there is no country in the whole world, whatever its economy or political situation, as strong or acquire natural resources can tolerate an increase of 20 to 21 percent of its population during a period which does not exceed two years.
Jordan is continuing to perform its obligation and ask for the international community to bear its responsibility for the humanitarian effort performed by Jordan on behalf of the international community. The problem is not related to the Jordan location, as a neighbor to Syria, but it is a humanitarian crisis that needs the whole world to take responsibility in it. And in the absence of this support to Jordan and which enables Jordan to show that – this responsibility, His Majesty said that all options are open to Jordan to select whatever possible to protect our interest and our people.
However, there are many countries and many international organizations that extended help to Jordan, whether directly by opening the camp at that time and the infrastructure for Zaatari camp, or through extending aids to Jordan, which is still less – far less than what we bear of social and economical and a political burden on Jordan. So the international community has to bear its responsibility towards Jordan performing this mission on behalf of the international community.
SECRETARY KERRY: With respect to your question about Russia (inaudible), obviously, the United States and Russia differ with respect to Assad. Russia is supporting Assad, and the United States believes that Assad has lost any legitimacy for the governance of Syria and must go.
But Russia and the United States are two countries, both members of the Permanent Five of the United Nations, and important countries that need to be able to work together, cooperate together where we can, and find ways to help solve problems. So we were very pleased to join in an initiative, which our presidents talked about in St. Petersburg, and which Sergey Lavrov and I talked about several times, to try to remove the weapons of mass destruction – the chemical weapons – from Syria. And we have joined together in that effort, as we have joined together to help call for Geneva 2 in order to implement Geneva 1.
So that is a shared priority, a shared sense of responsibility, and we welcome the work with Russia in an effort to try to provide stability and peace. So I don’t think it’s a question of one besting the other. Those are unnecessary judgments to be made about relationships. Sometimes, countries can find mutual interests that have very positive impact, and in this case that is precisely what we are doing. And I think it’s very good, not just for the beneficiaries directly, but for the rest of the world to see our two nations working together in that effect.
FOREIGN MINISTER JUDEH: We’ll take a question from the U.S. side, perhaps.
SECRETARY KERRY: Karen DeYoung.
FOREIGN MINISTER JUDEH: Karen, yeah.
SECRETARY KERRY: Karen DeYoung, Washington Post, yep.
FOREIGN MINISTER JUDEH: Good to see you again, Karen.
QUESTION: For the Secretary, when you began the peace process, you said your objective was to achieve final status agreements over the course of nine months, and you rejected suggestions that only a partial or interim agreement was acceptable. Do you still think that that’s possible? On the current trip, you told King Abdullah this morning that you thought some clarity had been achieved during your meetings over the past two days. Can you provide us of any sense of what is clearer now than it was when you arrived?
And to the Minister, two stops on this trip for Secretary Kerry, both Saudi Arabia and Israel, have cautioned the Obama Administration about accepting what they called a partial nuclear agreement with Iran. Do you share their concerns? And if you do, what have you learned today from Secretary Kerry about the first-phase agreement that was described yesterday by negotiators in Geneva? And has that assuaged your concerns?
And if I can just ask both of you, on Syria, it now looks like the Geneva 2 meeting will not take place at least until December. That meeting, as you know, has been repeatedly postponed since it was first proposed earlier this year. What makes you think that the problems that led to the earlier postponements are any different now than they were before? Thank you.
SECRETARY KERRY: Well, let me answer the last part first and then come back to the first part of your question on the peace process.
With respect to the movement, I understand it might be moved by a week or something like that. The date has not been set, incidentally, and part of the reason for that is that I think – what is today, the 7th – two days from now, the opposition is meeting and they’re having a vote, and people are trying to respect their process appropriately.
So I’m confident that somewhere in the next days a date is going to be set. And whether it’s a week later or seven days – eight days or whatever it is, two weeks later – is not – it’s going to give people time to prepare, it’s going to open up more opportunity for, I think, the variations of options to be able to be explored, and some pre-work to be done by the parties after they are named by Special Envoy Brahimi.
So I think a lot of clarity will come in the next days, and I’m not deterred by that at all. I think it’s good that it is as much on everybody’s minds as it is. We had a good meeting in Geneva two days ago with our – with Under Secretary Wendy Sherman and Deputy Bogdanov of Russian, together with Brahimi, and I think we’re heading in the right direction.
With respect to the peace process and clarity, do I believe, with respect to a final status element – absolutely. An interim agreement, only if it embraces the concept of the final status, might be a step along the way, but you cannot just do an interim agreement and pretend you are dealing with the problem. We’ve been there before. We’ve had interim agreements. We’ve had roadmaps. But if you leave the main issues hanging out there, mischief-makers will make the most of that and bad things will happen in the interval that then make it even harder to get to the final status. It is imperative that we keep final status and settle this before it can’t be settled because events on the ground or other events interfere with that possibility.
So I remain absolutely committed to this ability to get a final status solution. And do I think it is possible to do it? The answer is yes. I believe when I say clarity is coming to things, as we surface ideas in discussions with the leaders, we begin to see what range they have for moving or what possibilities there are for another alternative, or for something you haven’t thought of. And that brings a clarity to the range of choices that you have and therefore it defines in a sense the needle that you have to thread as you are proceeding forward. So I think listening to everybody – frankly, we made significant progress in our discussions about a couple of the areas of concern in the panorama of concerns that exist. But these are some of the principal ones.
And so I have promised I’m not going to go into the details of the negotiation. By agreement, all the parties are not going to discuss what we are discussing. And since I’m the one who invoked that rule, I’m not going to stand up here and break it. But it is important for us to be able to proceed carefully, quietly, and secretly, frankly. And that’s what gives the leaders the ability to be able to explore different possibilities. But I’m convinced, in my own judgment, that what happened here over the course of the last day, and it’s not over yet, has opened up a number of different possibilities for things that could be included as we proceed forward, and that’s a constructive way in which this goes on.
Now I can’t tell you precisely – maybe in a few weeks I can give you a better sense of timing about what we’re thinking about one thing or another, but for the moment we still have a nine-month period. We’re only three months into this. So we have a considerable amount of discussion that has taken place, and we’ve got, obviously, a decent road ahead of us to continue to march down, and we intend to continue to march down it.
FOREIGN MINISTER JUDEH: Thank you very much for that. And if I may just add a comment on what John has just said, first of all, I agree that he shouldn’t break his own rule, and one of the secrets for the success of this – I hesitate to say process, because we’ve had too many processes in the past. But this is a serious negotiating process, the success of which depends on avoiding these negotiations across the airwaves, as we have seen in the past. So this is a rule, I think, that all parties are accepting and respecting, and it’s important that it continues.
Now on your question, Karen, I don’t know what you mean by “partial solutions.” I – whether it’s the Palestinian-Israeli conflict or any other dispute, partial solutions, in my book, that leave issues hanging which could potentially come back and fly at our throats in the future, are not solutions. And therefore when we talk about the Middle East, and I don’t want to go back to nuances of U.S. foreign policy at different milestones by talking about linkage or no linkage, but everything in the Middle East is connected. So there may not be a linkage when it comes to a certain file with another file that happened to be parallel, but there is a connection somehow. This is the Middle East. Everything is connected. And the overall picture is certainly one that consists of many dots that have to be connected.
We have always said that the – a diplomatic solution, through dialogue and diplomacy, to the Iranian nuclear file is something that not only we welcome but something that we support and appreciate. I mean, look at the last three months. Look at the agreements that have come out of intensive diplomacy conducted by the United States and the Russian Federation, an agreement to eliminate the chemical weapons arsenal in Syria, an agreement to go to Geneva 2 to implement Geneva 1, overtures that took place on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly that resulted in a high-level contact between a senior U.S. official and a senior Iranian official. And there was an effort of the P5+1, and Cathy Ashton, that was ongoing for a number of years, and it has been given new impetus. And therefore the end of that line would be a solution to that file that satisfies everyone.
I mean, there is a threat of a nuclear arms race in the region, there’s a threat of instability, because of that nuclear file, to the Gulf region, to the hinterland inside. There’s a threat of military strikes that would cause further instability in this region. We’ve always said we want to avoid further factors of instability. So a diplomatic solution is not only welcome, but it has to be one that is comprehensive and that alleviates the fears of everyone concerned and bring back peace and potential peace of mind for this entire region.
QUESTION: (Via interpreter) You said we are not observing or not mediators. How can we get our rights while we have continuous settlement and the problem of Jerusalem is still continuing? So we are facing a full Israeli rejection. Do you think that we have practical steps to face such rejection and reluctance by the side of Israel? And is there any American assistance concerning the Syrian refugees?
FOREIGN MINISTER JUDEH: (Via interpreter) The most important issue when talking about (inaudible) is that there is a timeframe. This timeframe work mentioned by Mr. Kerry for nine years started in July last year – this year, and has been there for four months. And there is an end for this road after these nine months when both sides look for the comprehensive pictures, although we have bilateral procedures on the ground that handle the peace process, but there is an end for this road. And this is expressed by Mr. Kerry frankly and clearly and with commitment.
The settlement is illegal and illegitimate. This is the position of the whole world, including the USA, and we have heard the speech of Mr. Kerry. Although the settlement should stop, but it should be solved from the root through the negotiations and whether we like or not. But we like that whether the settlement is continuing because of the occupation, the occupation should be end. And the negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis have gone through real examination through some declaration of settlements and some violations for the sacred places and resulted in some killing and death. However, the more comprehensive framework and the commitment from the USA for final settlement, this would put an end for this rejection and for the suffering, and we are full of hope that this would happen.
Concerning the American assistance for the Syria refugees, it is continuing, and the USA was among the first countries that provided assistance to Jordan. And there was a visit by President Obama at the beginning of the year, and we have received assistance in this year concerning, in particular, the Syrian refugees. And also among the issues that discussed between His Majesty with Secretary Kerry about this assistance of which the USA is understanding in full the burden shouldered by Jordan. So we appreciate and value the assistance provided to Jordan.
Thank you very much.
Joint Press Availability With Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh
Press Availability
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Amman, Jordan
November 7, 2013
FOREIGN MINISTER JUDEH: (Via interpreter) In the name of Allah, I am very pleased to welcome His Excellency, the Secretary of State of USA. He is very close friend for His Majesty the King, and a friend of Jordan and a friend of mine, personally. And his visit – which I believe it is the fifth or the sixth visit for him to Jordan since the beginning of his term as Secretary of State, and I think this is the seventh or eighth visit to the region. This shows his keenness to communicate with His Majesty the King and with the leaders and the senior officials in the region, especially concerning the important files which require consultation and communication and constant contact.
We were honored to meet His Majesty the King, and we have very plain and frank dialogue, comprehensive and in-depth, about all the issues of – common issues, and you know that a few days ago before His Excellency started his visit, there was a phone call with His Majesty, and before the 10 days, there was a meeting with His Excellency in Washington. I met him there and the call of the speech or the theme of the speech before was involving about the nature of this tour and the issues to be debated with the leaders and officials in the region. There was a prolonged speech at the phone call, and before that, Mr. Kerry visited the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Egypt, and today, he has just arrived from the Palestinian Territories and Israel, where he met the officials there. Many developments, and we were very pleased in our meeting with His Majesty a while ago.
And in our bilateral negotiations here, we listened to detailed discussions about the negotiations made by Mr. Kerry in the countries that he visited, and we discussed all the common issues – the Syrian issue, the peace process, and other issues in addition to our bilateral (inaudible) relationships, and these distinguished relationships that can be performed by two parties to enhance them in the future.
Many issues happened in the region since Mr. Kerry visited Jordan last time at the summer of this year, starting the negotiations between the Palestinians and Israel about the final peace settlement, and which came as intensive efforts exerted by Mr. Kerry to launch these negotiations under the auspices of the Americans. Our position in the Hashemite Kingdom with the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah, we have affirmed this and – which is linked to the two-state solutions that can result of a Palestinian independent and viable state, which has full sovereignty on its territories and the capital is East Jerusalem, and addressing all the issues of the final settlement to establish this state on the territory – on the Palestinian Territories. And this comes within the framework of the two-state statement, and then the framework of the Arab Peace Initiative.
And here, I would like to point out that His Excellency is very keen to communicate not just with the leaders, but with the committee of the Arab Peace Initiative. We have met for four times in Washington and in the region and in Paris. This shows his keenness to update the committee member about the latest developments in the negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis, and to focus upon the positive points that will be witnessed for the people and for the countries in the region by applying the items of the Arab Peace Initiative which guarantees peace and security for all, including Israel, including a relationship not just with the Arab states but also with the Islamic states and the whole world, so that all the countries in the region will enjoy peace and security and stability.
We have talked about the latest issues, and there would be a meeting with the Palestinian President this evening, and we have talked about the negotiations and the atmosphere of the negotiations, and we agreed since the beginning when Mr. Kerry launched his efforts for these negotiations to be – to have a reference for this discussion for the media with the American Administration and to be away from the (inaudible) in order to achieve the aspired results. And I think until now, this has been committed to and it proved success in leaving the negotiators to perform the required role and to achieve the required results.
We reaffirm our stance in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan that the settlement is impeding peace, it is illegal, and illegitimate. That is why we have to accelerate the negotiations to address through talking about the final peace settlement – a basic item which is the borders, which will terminate settlements forever, where the globe agrees that it is illegal and illegitimate. And we have a stance concerning the unilateral procedures, especially in the occupied Jerusalem, and the violations we see that would not serve the exerted efforts for the success of the negotiations between the two sides.
We reaffirm always that in Jordan, we have a national interest in achieving peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis. We have interest in establishing a viable Palestinian state. We are not monitoring our mediators, but we have interest also in these matters. This is reaffirmed with His Excellency Mr. Kerry and with the USA. So we support the efforts of Mr. Kerry and we reaffirm also the necessity that these negotiations would meet in success.
Since we met in Amman, there were development in the Syrian issues. There was an agreement between Russia and America concerning the chemical weapons in Syria. And we always say that as a neighboring state for Syria, we warned always from the risks of these chemicals and using them not just on the Palestinian people, but on the people of the region. And we reconfirm here that settling this file would serve our interest also. But we have to focus on the political settlement, which will restore peace, stability, and security and put an end to violence and destruction and killing in Syria within the efforts exerted by Mr. Kerry with the Russian side and with other countries to convene Geneva 2 conference, which hopefully would open the road for applying the peaceful settlement, and Jordan stance that the peaceful negotiations will guarantee the unity of the Syrian territories and put an end to violence.
We are very pleased with this visit. We reaffirm our support for these efforts and for the personal effort exerted by Mr. Secretary.
(In English.) (Inaudible) and to say that we had an extremely productive audience with His Majesty earlier on today, and I believe that your lengthy phone call with His Majesty before embarking on your current trip was extremely productive. We salute your efforts in terms of the peace negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis. We salute your commitment and your dedication. And thank you for briefing us today on the latest on that front. We also salute your efforts on bringing about a political solution to the ongoing crisis in Syria and your efforts towards convening Geneva 2 with the intention, as we are all in agreement, of implementing what was agreed upon in Geneva 1. And I believe that your visit at this time is extremely critical in that regard, and the efforts that are conducted by you and by your colleagues are ones that we support and encourage you to continue trying to bring the parties together at the conference that will herald a political solution that will end the violence and end the killing and end the danger that is ever present on our border.
In this regard, we discussed today the presence of 600,000 Syrian refugees on Jordanian soil, as well as 700,000 others who were there from before the crisis, a total of 1.3 million Syrians, almost 21 percent of the population, and the burden that Jordan is shouldering on behalf of the international community. And we addressed the need for the international community to help Jordan in hosting these refugees and in carrying this burden on behalf of the international community.
So our economy is already challenged, as all of you know, and this extra burden is not making things any easier. And I want to thank the Secretary of State for his understanding of this predicament that we find ourselves in, and for his support and his country’s support for Jordan in this regard.
We discussed bilateral relations, and I want to thank the United States of America through the Secretary of State for the assistance that it provides to Jordan. I had extremely productive meetings in Washington when I was there, across the spectrum – the Administration, on Capitol Hill, both sides – and there was so much goodwill, and there is always so much goodwill towards His Majesty and towards Jordan. It’s truly a special relationship that I am always careful to remind is a relationship that goes beyond friendship into a true partnership, and the commonality of interests that we have and the common challenges that we all face, and a relationship that is over 60 years old and continues to grow stronger by the day.
Thank you for your friendship, Mr. Secretary. Thank you for your efforts and for your dedication. Thank you for your visit.
SECRETARY KERRY: Well, Foreign Minister Judeh – I got it right this time. (Laughter.) He lacks confidence in me. (Laughter.) Foreign Minister Judeh, my friend, Nasser, I really appreciate your warm welcome, your generous comments, and I appreciate your terrific food. Thank you for a wonderful lunch.
Nasser is really one of the foreign ministers I have come to know the best over these last months, and I’m particularly grateful to him for his constant willingness to engage and help all of the parties. Not just with respect to the peace talks, but in the region, he has been particularly creative, particularly engaged. And I especially want to thank His Majesty, His Royal Highness King Abdullah II for his tremendous engagement, his creative engagement in this process. We had a very constructive conversation this morning. His Majesty put a number of ideas on the table that have possibilities, and was really engaged in a very important way in this.
And I want to emphasize there is a reason why I have come here to Jordan as many times. Jordan is not just a neighbor, not a passive bystander in this process. Jordan is integrally involved in and has high stakes in the outcome of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the questions of peace. Jordan has a long border with Israel and the West Bank, the Palestinian Territories, and Jordan has been a partner for peace with Israel, with the United States, and with all those people who are looking for stability and peace and an end of conflict in this region. Jordan is already engaged in a major security relationship with the parties, and whatever resolution there is with respect to the issue of peace between Israel and the Palestinians, Jordan will be a partner in that process.
So it is important for the President of the United States, and through me to him, for the United States to be able to be engaged in this process with Jordan. And I came here today to Amman on President Obama’s behalf directly from Jerusalem and Bethlehem, where I held meetings with both Prime Minister Netanyahu and with President Abbas. The meetings obviously are about the critical question of how we can bring peace to Palestinians and Israelis – long overdue, long consuming, now, generations.
And I’m pleased to say, that despite difficulties – and we all understand what they are – these discussions were productive, and they will continue even today. Tonight, I will see President Abbas yet again, and tomorrow morning, as I leave the region, I will have breakfast with Prime Minister Netanyahu. And the purpose of this is not just to have a meeting for the sake of a meeting. The purpose is to explore and discuss and examine the various possibilities of how we can resolve very complicated issues in ways that meet the needs of both parties, in ways that lead us to the kind of compromise that will be necessary in order to achieve peace. President Obama and the United States are deeply committed to this peace effort, and we are committed to a peaceful, prosperous future for the people of Israel and the people of Palestine.
Now, both Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Abbas reaffirmed their commitment to these negotiations despite the fact that at moments, there are obviously tensions over one happening or another in one place or another, whether it’s in Israel or in the territories. No secret that these negotiations are always difficult, particularly this kind. But I want to say something that I think is important for Palestinians and Israelis to really think about.
What is the alternative to peace? Prolonged, continued conflict? The absence of peace really means you have a sort of low-grade kind of conflict, war, whatever you want to call it. And as long as the aspirations of people are held down one way or the other in one place or another, whether it’s the aspirations of the people of Israel to be free from violence, free from rockets, free from the diversion of their lives to the energy of maintaining security, or whether it’s the aspirations of young Palestinians who want to go to school, get an education, have a job, have a future – as long as there is this conflict, and if the conflict frustrates yet again so that people cannot find a solution, the possibilities of violence, of other kinds of confrontation, of other alternatives, become more real. This region has been there before, and this region consciously has made decisions and choices to try to move away from that in a different direction.
So this is really important. It’s important not just for the Palestinian Territories or for Israel, but it’s important to people all through the region, which is why there is an Arab Peace Initiative. It’s why the follow-on committee of the Arab League has been taking time to meet, I think four or five times now. It’s why they have reaffirmed their commitment to peace. It’s why they have said that if we can achieve peace, they are ready to make peace with Israel.
The stakes here are huge, and obviously, the lack of peace confronts everybody with choices, frankly, that nobody wants to contemplate. This region does not benefit by continued conflict. The possibility of a peace agreement with 22 Arab countries and 35 Muslim nations, 57 countries in all, brings a whole new economic possibility to this region. At one of the meetings we had recently, I heard one Arab minister, foreign minister, say to his fellow ministers at the meeting that if peace could be made between Israel and the Palestinians, that this region would be one of the wealthiest regions in the world, one of the most visited regions in the world, with economic opportunity that dwarfs the imagination today.
So that’s what these stakes are. That’s what we are pursuing. And nothing, I think, is more worthy of our time. We will continue this work in the days ahead with the close cooperation of King Abdullah II, who is following in his father’s great legacy of seeking peace through the important work of the Arab League as a whole, as well as the Arab Peace Initiative Follow-up Committee.
Foreign Minister Judeh and I, as I know he just shared with you, also discussed the question of Syria. We understand in the United States how impactful what is happening in Syria is on Jordan. And we care about Jordan. Jordan is not just a partner; Jordan is a great friend, and we’re grateful to the Jordanian people for their commitment not just to peace, but to their efforts in the region to take in refugees to try to deal with other crises. And so we feel that it is very important for us to respect the generosity that has led Jordanians to open their doors to refugees despite the fact that it is difficult and complicated for the people of Jordan. It’s a heavy toll on the economy. It’s the right thing to do. At lunch, I learned today how a huge number of children – how many in total?
FOREIGN MINISTER JUDEH: 78,000.
SECRETARY KERRY: 78,000 Syrian children are not being left in a camp or left to their own devices; they’re in schools. Jordan has made its schools open and available for Syrian children so that their education and opportunities will not be cut off as a fact of this war. That is amazingly generous and very difficult and very trying for teachers and for the schools and for the systems. So we applaud that, and that’s why the United States is very proud that we are the number-one donor to the humanitarian crisis of Syria. And we will continue to work with our Jordanian partners in this effort.
We discussed today the humanitarian crisis, which has received insufficient attention from the global community. The world needs to be outraged at the unbelievable consequences of Assad’s brutality, where families are forced from their homes, are displaced within their own nation, forced to eat stray dogs or cats, and struggle for survival on a day-to-day basis, while the regime blocks humanitarian aid and engages in starvation as a tactic of war. So we believe that even as winter approaches, it is more compelling for us to try to find a way to address this humanitarian challenge.
And we cannot forget that this war in Syria has much bigger stakes than just Bashar al-Assad. It has to deal with the entire question of tens of thousands of families who’ve lost loved ones, lost their homes, and don’t want to lose their great country to an endless conflict and killing. So the global community needs to step up. We will continue to work with our partner, Jordan, in order to try to get to Geneva 2 so we can have the negotiation that is really the only way to end this conflict. We discussed trying to get there as rapidly as possible, and both Jordan and the United States will continue to work together to do that.
So, Mr. Foreign Minister, we also touched a little bit on Iran and Egypt, both issues of concern to all of us. And we pledged to continue to consult with our friends in Jordan with respect to those issues as we go forward.
Finally, I’ll just say that Nasser mentioned the work he’s done on the Hill, and he’s grateful for the relationship there. I think that His Majesty King Abdullah and Foreign Minister Judeh have done as effective a job of reaching out and building friendships and relationships for their country, and helping to give people a sense of the stakes in this region, as any head of state or foreign minister that I’ve met. And I thank them for those efforts, and I particularly thank them on behalf of President Obama for their highly valued friendship and partnership. Thank you.
FOREIGN MINISTER JUDEH: Thank you very much, John. I think the Secretary needs to get ready for his meeting this evening, so we’ll take three questions if I’m not mistaken. We’ll start with the Jordanian side. Let’s see who’s – and then take the U.S. I love press conferences where there are no questions. (Laughter.)
QUESTION: (Via interpreter) Good evening. I’m Majed al-Dabbas from Ammon news agency. His Majesty The King said that Jordan would take procedures to protect its interest in case the situation escalated in Syria. Do you have understandings about the nature of these procedures or measures taken by Jordan?
My question to Mr. Kerry: Some people think that the Syrian – the Russian policy has overcame the American policy. How do you evaluate this thing?
FOREIGN MINISTER JUDEH: (Via interpreter) First of all, concerning His Majesty’s speech and the speech at the throne, this is not the first time where His Majesty confirm our stance concerning the flow of the Syrian refugees to Jordan, and His Majesty’s speech is very clear. It doesn’t need clarification from myself.
What is reiterated by His Majesty that we open our heart and our country to receive our brothers from Syria who sought shelter in Jordan, fleeing away from destruction and killing. And this is the history of Jordan and of which we are very proud. Our obligation performed in fully, as His Majesty says, that there is no country in the whole world, whatever its economy or political situation, as strong or acquire natural resources can tolerate an increase of 20 to 21 percent of its population during a period which does not exceed two years.
Jordan is continuing to perform its obligation and ask for the international community to bear its responsibility for the humanitarian effort performed by Jordan on behalf of the international community. The problem is not related to the Jordan location, as a neighbor to Syria, but it is a humanitarian crisis that needs the whole world to take responsibility in it. And in the absence of this support to Jordan and which enables Jordan to show that – this responsibility, His Majesty said that all options are open to Jordan to select whatever possible to protect our interest and our people.
However, there are many countries and many international organizations that extended help to Jordan, whether directly by opening the camp at that time and the infrastructure for Zaatari camp, or through extending aids to Jordan, which is still less – far less than what we bear of social and economical and a political burden on Jordan. So the international community has to bear its responsibility towards Jordan performing this mission on behalf of the international community.
SECRETARY KERRY: With respect to your question about Russia (inaudible), obviously, the United States and Russia differ with respect to Assad. Russia is supporting Assad, and the United States believes that Assad has lost any legitimacy for the governance of Syria and must go.
But Russia and the United States are two countries, both members of the Permanent Five of the United Nations, and important countries that need to be able to work together, cooperate together where we can, and find ways to help solve problems. So we were very pleased to join in an initiative, which our presidents talked about in St. Petersburg, and which Sergey Lavrov and I talked about several times, to try to remove the weapons of mass destruction – the chemical weapons – from Syria. And we have joined together in that effort, as we have joined together to help call for Geneva 2 in order to implement Geneva 1.
So that is a shared priority, a shared sense of responsibility, and we welcome the work with Russia in an effort to try to provide stability and peace. So I don’t think it’s a question of one besting the other. Those are unnecessary judgments to be made about relationships. Sometimes, countries can find mutual interests that have very positive impact, and in this case that is precisely what we are doing. And I think it’s very good, not just for the beneficiaries directly, but for the rest of the world to see our two nations working together in that effect.
FOREIGN MINISTER JUDEH: We’ll take a question from the U.S. side, perhaps.
SECRETARY KERRY: Karen DeYoung.
FOREIGN MINISTER JUDEH: Karen, yeah.
SECRETARY KERRY: Karen DeYoung, Washington Post, yep.
FOREIGN MINISTER JUDEH: Good to see you again, Karen.
QUESTION: For the Secretary, when you began the peace process, you said your objective was to achieve final status agreements over the course of nine months, and you rejected suggestions that only a partial or interim agreement was acceptable. Do you still think that that’s possible? On the current trip, you told King Abdullah this morning that you thought some clarity had been achieved during your meetings over the past two days. Can you provide us of any sense of what is clearer now than it was when you arrived?
And to the Minister, two stops on this trip for Secretary Kerry, both Saudi Arabia and Israel, have cautioned the Obama Administration about accepting what they called a partial nuclear agreement with Iran. Do you share their concerns? And if you do, what have you learned today from Secretary Kerry about the first-phase agreement that was described yesterday by negotiators in Geneva? And has that assuaged your concerns?
And if I can just ask both of you, on Syria, it now looks like the Geneva 2 meeting will not take place at least until December. That meeting, as you know, has been repeatedly postponed since it was first proposed earlier this year. What makes you think that the problems that led to the earlier postponements are any different now than they were before? Thank you.
SECRETARY KERRY: Well, let me answer the last part first and then come back to the first part of your question on the peace process.
With respect to the movement, I understand it might be moved by a week or something like that. The date has not been set, incidentally, and part of the reason for that is that I think – what is today, the 7th – two days from now, the opposition is meeting and they’re having a vote, and people are trying to respect their process appropriately.
So I’m confident that somewhere in the next days a date is going to be set. And whether it’s a week later or seven days – eight days or whatever it is, two weeks later – is not – it’s going to give people time to prepare, it’s going to open up more opportunity for, I think, the variations of options to be able to be explored, and some pre-work to be done by the parties after they are named by Special Envoy Brahimi.
So I think a lot of clarity will come in the next days, and I’m not deterred by that at all. I think it’s good that it is as much on everybody’s minds as it is. We had a good meeting in Geneva two days ago with our – with Under Secretary Wendy Sherman and Deputy Bogdanov of Russian, together with Brahimi, and I think we’re heading in the right direction.
With respect to the peace process and clarity, do I believe, with respect to a final status element – absolutely. An interim agreement, only if it embraces the concept of the final status, might be a step along the way, but you cannot just do an interim agreement and pretend you are dealing with the problem. We’ve been there before. We’ve had interim agreements. We’ve had roadmaps. But if you leave the main issues hanging out there, mischief-makers will make the most of that and bad things will happen in the interval that then make it even harder to get to the final status. It is imperative that we keep final status and settle this before it can’t be settled because events on the ground or other events interfere with that possibility.
So I remain absolutely committed to this ability to get a final status solution. And do I think it is possible to do it? The answer is yes. I believe when I say clarity is coming to things, as we surface ideas in discussions with the leaders, we begin to see what range they have for moving or what possibilities there are for another alternative, or for something you haven’t thought of. And that brings a clarity to the range of choices that you have and therefore it defines in a sense the needle that you have to thread as you are proceeding forward. So I think listening to everybody – frankly, we made significant progress in our discussions about a couple of the areas of concern in the panorama of concerns that exist. But these are some of the principal ones.
And so I have promised I’m not going to go into the details of the negotiation. By agreement, all the parties are not going to discuss what we are discussing. And since I’m the one who invoked that rule, I’m not going to stand up here and break it. But it is important for us to be able to proceed carefully, quietly, and secretly, frankly. And that’s what gives the leaders the ability to be able to explore different possibilities. But I’m convinced, in my own judgment, that what happened here over the course of the last day, and it’s not over yet, has opened up a number of different possibilities for things that could be included as we proceed forward, and that’s a constructive way in which this goes on.
Now I can’t tell you precisely – maybe in a few weeks I can give you a better sense of timing about what we’re thinking about one thing or another, but for the moment we still have a nine-month period. We’re only three months into this. So we have a considerable amount of discussion that has taken place, and we’ve got, obviously, a decent road ahead of us to continue to march down, and we intend to continue to march down it.
FOREIGN MINISTER JUDEH: Thank you very much for that. And if I may just add a comment on what John has just said, first of all, I agree that he shouldn’t break his own rule, and one of the secrets for the success of this – I hesitate to say process, because we’ve had too many processes in the past. But this is a serious negotiating process, the success of which depends on avoiding these negotiations across the airwaves, as we have seen in the past. So this is a rule, I think, that all parties are accepting and respecting, and it’s important that it continues.
Now on your question, Karen, I don’t know what you mean by “partial solutions.” I – whether it’s the Palestinian-Israeli conflict or any other dispute, partial solutions, in my book, that leave issues hanging which could potentially come back and fly at our throats in the future, are not solutions. And therefore when we talk about the Middle East, and I don’t want to go back to nuances of U.S. foreign policy at different milestones by talking about linkage or no linkage, but everything in the Middle East is connected. So there may not be a linkage when it comes to a certain file with another file that happened to be parallel, but there is a connection somehow. This is the Middle East. Everything is connected. And the overall picture is certainly one that consists of many dots that have to be connected.
We have always said that the – a diplomatic solution, through dialogue and diplomacy, to the Iranian nuclear file is something that not only we welcome but something that we support and appreciate. I mean, look at the last three months. Look at the agreements that have come out of intensive diplomacy conducted by the United States and the Russian Federation, an agreement to eliminate the chemical weapons arsenal in Syria, an agreement to go to Geneva 2 to implement Geneva 1, overtures that took place on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly that resulted in a high-level contact between a senior U.S. official and a senior Iranian official. And there was an effort of the P5+1, and Cathy Ashton, that was ongoing for a number of years, and it has been given new impetus. And therefore the end of that line would be a solution to that file that satisfies everyone.
I mean, there is a threat of a nuclear arms race in the region, there’s a threat of instability, because of that nuclear file, to the Gulf region, to the hinterland inside. There’s a threat of military strikes that would cause further instability in this region. We’ve always said we want to avoid further factors of instability. So a diplomatic solution is not only welcome, but it has to be one that is comprehensive and that alleviates the fears of everyone concerned and bring back peace and potential peace of mind for this entire region.
QUESTION: (Via interpreter) You said we are not observing or not mediators. How can we get our rights while we have continuous settlement and the problem of Jerusalem is still continuing? So we are facing a full Israeli rejection. Do you think that we have practical steps to face such rejection and reluctance by the side of Israel? And is there any American assistance concerning the Syrian refugees?
FOREIGN MINISTER JUDEH: (Via interpreter) The most important issue when talking about (inaudible) is that there is a timeframe. This timeframe work mentioned by Mr. Kerry for nine years started in July last year – this year, and has been there for four months. And there is an end for this road after these nine months when both sides look for the comprehensive pictures, although we have bilateral procedures on the ground that handle the peace process, but there is an end for this road. And this is expressed by Mr. Kerry frankly and clearly and with commitment.
The settlement is illegal and illegitimate. This is the position of the whole world, including the USA, and we have heard the speech of Mr. Kerry. Although the settlement should stop, but it should be solved from the root through the negotiations and whether we like or not. But we like that whether the settlement is continuing because of the occupation, the occupation should be end. And the negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis have gone through real examination through some declaration of settlements and some violations for the sacred places and resulted in some killing and death. However, the more comprehensive framework and the commitment from the USA for final settlement, this would put an end for this rejection and for the suffering, and we are full of hope that this would happen.
Concerning the American assistance for the Syria refugees, it is continuing, and the USA was among the first countries that provided assistance to Jordan. And there was a visit by President Obama at the beginning of the year, and we have received assistance in this year concerning, in particular, the Syrian refugees. And also among the issues that discussed between His Majesty with Secretary Kerry about this assistance of which the USA is understanding in full the burden shouldered by Jordan. So we appreciate and value the assistance provided to Jordan.
Thank you very much.
FDA SEEKS TO STOP 7,000 DEATHS PER YEAR BY ELIMINATING TRANS FATS FROM AMERICAN DIET
FROM: U.S. FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION
FDA Targets Trans Fat in Processed Foods
More than decade ago, a sea change began in the American diet, with consumers starting to avoid foods with trans fat and companies responding by reducing the amount of trans fat in their products.
This evolution began when FDA first proposed in 1999 that manufacturers be required to declare the amount of trans fat on Nutrition Facts labels because of public health concerns. That requirement became effective in 2006.
However, there are still many processed foods made with partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs), the major dietary source of trans fat in processed food. Trans fat has been linked to an increased risk of coronary heart disease, in which plaque builds up inside the arteries and may cause a heart attack.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that a further reduction of trans fat in the food supply can prevent an additional 7,000 deaths from heart disease each year and up to 20,000 heart attacks each year.
Part of the FDA's responsibility to the public is to ensure that food in the American food supply is safe. Therefore, due to the risks associated with consuming PHOs, FDA has issued a Federal Register notice with its preliminary determination that PHOs are no longer "generally recognized as safe," or GRAS, for short. If this preliminary determination is finalized, then PHOs would become food additives subject to premarket approval by FDA. Foods containing unapproved food additives are considered adulterated under U.S. law, meaning they cannot legally be sold.
If FDA determines that PHOs are not GRAS, it could, in effect, mean the end of artificial, industrially-produced trans fat in foods, says Dennis M. Keefe, Ph.D., director of FDA's Office of Food Additive Safety. FDA is soliciting comments on how such an action would impact small businesses and how to ensure a smooth transition if a final determination is issued.
Trans fat wouldn't be completely gone, Keefe notes, because it also occurs naturally in small amounts in meat and dairy products. It is also present at very low levels in other edible oils, such as fully hydrogenated oils, where it is unavoidably produced during the manufacturing process.
back to top
About Trans Fat and PHOs
PHOs are found in many popular processed foods, like baked goods and frozen foods that time-crunched Americans use to feed their families. They have been widely used as ingredients since the 1950s to increase the shelf-life and flavor stability of foods.
But over time, various studies have linked trans fat—produced when hydrogen is added to vegetable oil to make it more solid—to heart disease. A 2002 report by the National Academy of Science's Institute of Medicine found a direct correlation between intake of trans fat and increased levels of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, commonly referred to as "bad" cholesterol, and, therefore, increased risk of heart disease.
Keefe says that even though the FDA requirement that trans fat be listed on the Nutrition Facts label took effect in January 2006, consumers took the health warnings to heart early. They started turning away from foods with trans fat soon after publication of FDA's final rule in 2003. Taking the lead from consumers, many processed food manufacturers followed suit and voluntarily changed their food formulations to reduce or eliminate trans fat.
However, Mical E. Honigfort, a consumer safety officer at FDA, says that trans fat can still be found in such processed foods as:
crackers, cookies, cakes, frozen pies and other baked goods
snack foods (such as microwave popcorn)
frozen pizza
vegetable shortenings and stick margarines
coffee creamers
refrigerated dough products (such as biscuits and cinnamon rolls)
ready-to-use frostings
back to top
About GRAS
Under section 409 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, any substance intentionally added to food is a food additive subject to premarket approval and review by FDA, with some exceptions. The exceptions include substances "generally recognized as safe," or GRAS, because they are generally recognized by qualified experts as safe under the conditions of intended use.
The most widely used PHOs have long been considered GRAS ingredients by the food industry. Keefe explains that companies may voluntarily notify FDA that they have determined that the use of an ingredient is GRAS, but there is no legal requirement for food manufacturers to submit a GRAS notification before going to market. If FDA ultimately determines that PHOs are not GRAS, food manufacturers would have to obtain premarket approval by FDA before adding PHOs to food.
FDA can act when it believes an ingredient is, in fact, not GRAS. And that's what the agency's preliminary determination is doing now with partially hydrogenated oils. A Federal Register notice was published on Nov., 7 2013 announcing the preliminary determination that PHOs are not GRAS, which includes the opening of a 60-day public comment period.
If FDA makes a final determination that PHOs are not GRAS, the agency and food industry would have to figure out a way to phase out the use of PHOs over time. To help address this concern in an appropriate manner, the Federal Register notice calls for comment on how long it would take the food industry to phase out its use of PHOs.
back to top
What Should the Consumer Do?
In the meantime, what should the average consumer do if he or she picks up a favorite food and sees that it has trans fat on the Nutrition Facts label? The best thing to do is to consider the amounts of saturated fat, cholesterol and trans fat. Choose the product that has the lowest combined amount of these nutrients, Keefe says.
Even if a food claims on its packaging to have "0 grams trans fat," it's a good idea to look at the ingredients, says Honigfort. Under current regulations, companies can make that claim if the food contains less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving. But if there is partially hydrogenated oil listed with the ingredients, there might be a small amount of trans fat. Selecting foods with even small amounts of trans fat can add up to a significant intake.
This article appears on FDA's Consumer Updates page, which features the latest on all FDA-regulated products.
Nov. 7, 2013
FDA Targets Trans Fat in Processed Foods
More than decade ago, a sea change began in the American diet, with consumers starting to avoid foods with trans fat and companies responding by reducing the amount of trans fat in their products.
This evolution began when FDA first proposed in 1999 that manufacturers be required to declare the amount of trans fat on Nutrition Facts labels because of public health concerns. That requirement became effective in 2006.
However, there are still many processed foods made with partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs), the major dietary source of trans fat in processed food. Trans fat has been linked to an increased risk of coronary heart disease, in which plaque builds up inside the arteries and may cause a heart attack.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that a further reduction of trans fat in the food supply can prevent an additional 7,000 deaths from heart disease each year and up to 20,000 heart attacks each year.
Part of the FDA's responsibility to the public is to ensure that food in the American food supply is safe. Therefore, due to the risks associated with consuming PHOs, FDA has issued a Federal Register notice with its preliminary determination that PHOs are no longer "generally recognized as safe," or GRAS, for short. If this preliminary determination is finalized, then PHOs would become food additives subject to premarket approval by FDA. Foods containing unapproved food additives are considered adulterated under U.S. law, meaning they cannot legally be sold.
If FDA determines that PHOs are not GRAS, it could, in effect, mean the end of artificial, industrially-produced trans fat in foods, says Dennis M. Keefe, Ph.D., director of FDA's Office of Food Additive Safety. FDA is soliciting comments on how such an action would impact small businesses and how to ensure a smooth transition if a final determination is issued.
Trans fat wouldn't be completely gone, Keefe notes, because it also occurs naturally in small amounts in meat and dairy products. It is also present at very low levels in other edible oils, such as fully hydrogenated oils, where it is unavoidably produced during the manufacturing process.
back to top
About Trans Fat and PHOs
PHOs are found in many popular processed foods, like baked goods and frozen foods that time-crunched Americans use to feed their families. They have been widely used as ingredients since the 1950s to increase the shelf-life and flavor stability of foods.
But over time, various studies have linked trans fat—produced when hydrogen is added to vegetable oil to make it more solid—to heart disease. A 2002 report by the National Academy of Science's Institute of Medicine found a direct correlation between intake of trans fat and increased levels of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, commonly referred to as "bad" cholesterol, and, therefore, increased risk of heart disease.
Keefe says that even though the FDA requirement that trans fat be listed on the Nutrition Facts label took effect in January 2006, consumers took the health warnings to heart early. They started turning away from foods with trans fat soon after publication of FDA's final rule in 2003. Taking the lead from consumers, many processed food manufacturers followed suit and voluntarily changed their food formulations to reduce or eliminate trans fat.
However, Mical E. Honigfort, a consumer safety officer at FDA, says that trans fat can still be found in such processed foods as:
crackers, cookies, cakes, frozen pies and other baked goods
snack foods (such as microwave popcorn)
frozen pizza
vegetable shortenings and stick margarines
coffee creamers
refrigerated dough products (such as biscuits and cinnamon rolls)
ready-to-use frostings
back to top
About GRAS
Under section 409 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, any substance intentionally added to food is a food additive subject to premarket approval and review by FDA, with some exceptions. The exceptions include substances "generally recognized as safe," or GRAS, because they are generally recognized by qualified experts as safe under the conditions of intended use.
The most widely used PHOs have long been considered GRAS ingredients by the food industry. Keefe explains that companies may voluntarily notify FDA that they have determined that the use of an ingredient is GRAS, but there is no legal requirement for food manufacturers to submit a GRAS notification before going to market. If FDA ultimately determines that PHOs are not GRAS, food manufacturers would have to obtain premarket approval by FDA before adding PHOs to food.
FDA can act when it believes an ingredient is, in fact, not GRAS. And that's what the agency's preliminary determination is doing now with partially hydrogenated oils. A Federal Register notice was published on Nov., 7 2013 announcing the preliminary determination that PHOs are not GRAS, which includes the opening of a 60-day public comment period.
If FDA makes a final determination that PHOs are not GRAS, the agency and food industry would have to figure out a way to phase out the use of PHOs over time. To help address this concern in an appropriate manner, the Federal Register notice calls for comment on how long it would take the food industry to phase out its use of PHOs.
back to top
What Should the Consumer Do?
In the meantime, what should the average consumer do if he or she picks up a favorite food and sees that it has trans fat on the Nutrition Facts label? The best thing to do is to consider the amounts of saturated fat, cholesterol and trans fat. Choose the product that has the lowest combined amount of these nutrients, Keefe says.
Even if a food claims on its packaging to have "0 grams trans fat," it's a good idea to look at the ingredients, says Honigfort. Under current regulations, companies can make that claim if the food contains less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving. But if there is partially hydrogenated oil listed with the ingredients, there might be a small amount of trans fat. Selecting foods with even small amounts of trans fat can add up to a significant intake.
This article appears on FDA's Consumer Updates page, which features the latest on all FDA-regulated products.
Nov. 7, 2013
CHECK CASHING COMPANY OWNER PLEADS GUILTY RELATED TO $19 MILLION MONEY LAUNDERING SCHEME
FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
New York Check Cashing Company and Owner Plead Guilty for Roles in $19 Million Scheme
Belair Payroll Services Inc. (Belair), a multi-branch check cashing company in Flushing, N.Y., and its owner, Craig Panzera, 47, pleaded guilty today for failing to follow reporting and anti-money laundering requirements for more than $19 million in transactions, in violation of the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA). Panzera also pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States by willfully failing to pay income and payroll taxes.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch of the Eastern District of New York, Acting Director John Sandweg of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Chief Richard Weber of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) made the announcement.
As part of the guilty plea, Belair will forfeit $3,267,252.10, and Panzera will pay restitution in the amount of $946,841.17 to the IRS. Sentencing for Belair and Panzera will be determined at a later date.
According to court records, from in or about June 2009 through June 2011, certain individuals presented to Belair’s manager and other employees checks to be cashed at Belair. The checks were written on accounts of shell corporations that appeared to be health care related, but in fact, the corporations did no legitimate business. The shell corporations and their corresponding bank accounts on which the checks were written were established in the names of foreign nationals, many of whom were no longer in the United States.
Belair accepted these checks and provided cash in excess of $10,000 to the individuals. Panzera and others at Belair never obtained any identification documents or information from those individuals. Belair filed currency transaction reports (CTRs) that falsely stated the checks were cashed by the foreign nationals who set up the shell corporations, and in certain CTRs, Belair failed to indicate the full amount of cash provided to the individuals. The individuals cashed more than $19 million through Belair during the course of the scheme. Panzera and Belair willfully failed to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program by cashing these checks.
The charges in the indictment against Panzera’s and Belair’s co-defendants remain pending and are merely accusations. Those defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The cases are being investigated by agents from ICE Homeland Security Investigations and IRS-CI. These cases are being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Claiborne W. Porter and Kevin G. Mosley of the Criminal Division’s Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section’s (AFMLS) Money Laundering and Bank Integrity Unit, Trial Attorney Darrin McCullough of AFMLS’s Forfeiture Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Notopoulos of the Eastern District of New York.
The Money Laundering and Bank Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes complex, multi-district and international criminal cases involving financial institutions and individuals who violate the money laundering statutes, the Bank Secrecy Act and other related statutes. The Unit’s prosecutions generally focus on three types of violators: financial institutions, including their officers, managers and employees, whose actions threaten the integrity of the individual institution or the wider financial system; professional money launderers and gatekeepers who provide their services to serious criminal organizations; and individuals and entities engaged in using the latest and most sophisticated money laundering techniques and tools.
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
New York Check Cashing Company and Owner Plead Guilty for Roles in $19 Million Scheme
Belair Payroll Services Inc. (Belair), a multi-branch check cashing company in Flushing, N.Y., and its owner, Craig Panzera, 47, pleaded guilty today for failing to follow reporting and anti-money laundering requirements for more than $19 million in transactions, in violation of the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA). Panzera also pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States by willfully failing to pay income and payroll taxes.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch of the Eastern District of New York, Acting Director John Sandweg of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Chief Richard Weber of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) made the announcement.
As part of the guilty plea, Belair will forfeit $3,267,252.10, and Panzera will pay restitution in the amount of $946,841.17 to the IRS. Sentencing for Belair and Panzera will be determined at a later date.
According to court records, from in or about June 2009 through June 2011, certain individuals presented to Belair’s manager and other employees checks to be cashed at Belair. The checks were written on accounts of shell corporations that appeared to be health care related, but in fact, the corporations did no legitimate business. The shell corporations and their corresponding bank accounts on which the checks were written were established in the names of foreign nationals, many of whom were no longer in the United States.
Belair accepted these checks and provided cash in excess of $10,000 to the individuals. Panzera and others at Belair never obtained any identification documents or information from those individuals. Belair filed currency transaction reports (CTRs) that falsely stated the checks were cashed by the foreign nationals who set up the shell corporations, and in certain CTRs, Belair failed to indicate the full amount of cash provided to the individuals. The individuals cashed more than $19 million through Belair during the course of the scheme. Panzera and Belair willfully failed to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program by cashing these checks.
The charges in the indictment against Panzera’s and Belair’s co-defendants remain pending and are merely accusations. Those defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The cases are being investigated by agents from ICE Homeland Security Investigations and IRS-CI. These cases are being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Claiborne W. Porter and Kevin G. Mosley of the Criminal Division’s Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section’s (AFMLS) Money Laundering and Bank Integrity Unit, Trial Attorney Darrin McCullough of AFMLS’s Forfeiture Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Notopoulos of the Eastern District of New York.
The Money Laundering and Bank Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes complex, multi-district and international criminal cases involving financial institutions and individuals who violate the money laundering statutes, the Bank Secrecy Act and other related statutes. The Unit’s prosecutions generally focus on three types of violators: financial institutions, including their officers, managers and employees, whose actions threaten the integrity of the individual institution or the wider financial system; professional money launderers and gatekeepers who provide their services to serious criminal organizations; and individuals and entities engaged in using the latest and most sophisticated money laundering techniques and tools.
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