USS INDEPENDENCE ARRIVES AT HOME PORT

The littoral combat ship USS Independence (LCS 2) arrives at homeport in San Diego. After two years of training off the coast of Florida, the ship's 23-day transit from Mayport, Fla., to San Diego marks the successful completion of testing of the mine countermeasures mission package to detect, localize, and destroy mines in a tactical environment. Independence also transited the Panama Canal and conducted a port visit and operations with the Mexican navy. U.S. Navy photo by Senior Chief Mass Communication Specialist Robert Winkler

EXPLOSIVE ORDINANCE DISPOSAL MOBILE UNIT 2 IN TRAINING

FROM:  U.S. NAVY
Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Shane Tuck, assigned to the underwater photo team of Expeditionary Combat Camera, climbs a ladder into an SH60 Sea Hawk helicopter during cast and recovery training with Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit (EODMU) 2. Both units are deployed with Commander Task Group (CTG) 56.1, which provides maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the 5th Fleet area of responsibility. U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jayme Pastoric (Released)

BRIEFING ON ATROCITIES PREVENTION BOARD

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Remarks at a Briefing to the Diplomatic Community on the Atrocities Prevention Board
Remarks Maria Otero
Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights Dean Acheson Auditorium
Washington, DC
April 23, 2012
Good afternoon. I am Maria Otero, the Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights. It is my pleasure to welcome all of you here to the Department of State. I am glad to see that the topic of prevention of mass atrocities is one that draws so many ambassadors and other members of the diplomatic corps.

This morning at the Holocaust Museum, President Obama commemorated the Holocaust by officially launching the U.S. government’s new Atrocities Prevention Board or APB. The establishment of this Board reflects President Obama’s commitment to finding ways to make “never again” a reality in the 21st Century.

Last August, President Obama issued Presidential Study Directive Number 10 on Mass Atrocities. The very first line of that directive reads, “Preventing mass atrocities and genocide is a core national security interest and a core moral responsibility of the United States.”

To make sure we further that interest and fulfill that responsibility, the President directed the first-ever comprehensive study of the U.S. government’s atrocity-prevention capabilities. Today, President Obama approved nearly 50 recommendations from the Study to institutionalize the coordination of a whole-of-government approach to preventing mass atrocities. Among those recommendations are ideas that we hope will:
Allow us to see warning signs of atrocities earlier;
Help us develop a wider range of options to prevent atrocities sooner;
And allow us to act before the costs become too great.
The President also noted that it is important that we work with partners in the international community, with UN organizations, and with civil society in our effort to prevent atrocities. As one example, today at the White House, the Board met with activists and NGOs who have been responsible for campaigns to stop atrocities, such as those perpetrated by Joseph Kony and the LRA.

Following the President’s speech, the Atrocities Prevention Board met for the first time. The Board is comprised of a dozen U.S. federal government agencies and offices -- including the Departments of Homeland Security, Justice, Treasury, Defense and USAID. It is chaired by Samantha Power, the President’s Senior Director for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights. Secretary Clinton asked me to represent the State Department on the Board, allowing me to ensure that the Board has the benefit of the strengths of all the Offices and Bureaus in my new Under Secretariat for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights.

This includes not only the colleagues on the stage with me today, but also Bureaus handling population and refugee issues, democracy and human rights, narcotics and law enforcement and counter-terrorism. Leading roles in the State Department Task Force on Atrocity Prevention have also been played by our Bureau of International Organizations, the Office of our Legal Advisor, and our regional bureaus, all of whom have representatives here today. Together, we will work closely with our regional bureaus, drawing from their expertise, to ensure that the U.S. government recognizes and acts on early indicators of potential mass atrocities.

We will use new tools and improve old ones to prevent and respond to atrocities. The State Department and USAID are increasing the ability of the U.S. government to rapidly increase and deploy experts in protecting civilians to crisis areas. We will track lessons from atrocity-prevention and response, increase the capacity of the foreign service, armed services, and development professionals to engage in smart prevention.
And we will continue to encourage deep and broad support among our global partners, including international and regional organizations, to share the burdens of atrocity prevention and response.

The launch of the Atrocities Prevention Board is an important step but it is just the beginning of the hard work. Just because we have organized ourselves better to prevent and respond to atrocities does not mean that atrocities will not continue to happen. But we seek as part of this Study Directive to better understand, prevent, and respond to atrocities wherever they might happen in the world.

I will now introduce the other panelists. First, Ambassador Rick Barton is the Assistant Secretary of State for Conflict and Stabilization Operations. CSO has deployable civilian engagement teams that focus on the early stages of conflict in particular countries, including those in which risks for mass atrocities are evident. Ambassador Barton has a deep background in conflict prevention having worked in Rwanda, Bosnia, Guatemala, Nigeria, among many others.

Next we will hear from Stephen Rapp, the Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice. The office coordinates U.S. government support for existing international and hybrid courts that are trying persons responsible for mass atrocity crimes. The office also helps support domestic tribunals to investigate, judge, and deter atrocity crimes in every region of the globe. Before joining the State Department, Ambassador Rapp served as Prosecutor of the Special Court for Sierra Leone as well as Chief of Prosecutions at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.

Finally, we will hear from Assistant Secretary Esther Brimmer, who leads the Bureau of International Organization Affairs. That bureau works on topics including human rights, peacekeeping, and humanitarian relief through the United Nations and other international organizations. Immediately prior to her appointment, Dr. Brimmer was Deputy Director and Director of Research at the Center for Transatlantic Relations at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at The Johns Hopkins University. Earlier in her career she served on the staff of the Carnegie Commission on Preventing Deadly Conflict.

EPA TO SPEND $20 MILLION TO MONITOR UNREGULATED CONTAMINANTS

FROM:  ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
EPA to Work with Drinking Water Systems to Monitor Unregulated Contaminants
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today published a list of 28 chemicals and two viruses that approximately 6,000 public water systems will monitor from 2013 to 2015 as part of the agency’s unregulated contaminant monitoring program, which collects data for contaminants suspected to be present in drinking water, but that do not have health-based standards set under the Safe Drinking Water Act.

EPA will spend more than $20 million to support the monitoring, the majority of which will be devoted to assist small drinking water systems with conducting the monitoring. The data collected under the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule 3 (UCMR 3) will inform EPA about the frequency and levels at which these contaminants are found in drinking water systems across the United States and help determine whether additional protections are needed to ensure safe drinking water for Americans. State participation in the monitoring is voluntary. EPA will fund small drinking water system costs for laboratory analyses, shipping and quality control.

The list of contaminants to be studied includes total chromium and hexavalent chromium, also known as chromium-6. Addressing hexavalent chromium in drinking water is a priority for EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. In January 2011, EPA issued guidance to all water systems on how to assess the prevalence of hexavalent chromium and in the March 2011 proposal for UCMR 3, EPA invited comments on whether the agency should include chromium in the final rule. Public comments received by EPA were strongly supportive of adding total chromium and hexavalent chromium for monitoring.

“The monitoring that will take place will provide EPA with invaluable information about what municipalities are seeing in their drinking water all across the country,” said EPA acting assistant administrator for Water Nancy Stoner. “The results of this multi-year monitoring effort will help inform EPA’s work to ensure Americans receive safe drinking water.”

EPA selected the contaminants by first reviewing the agency’s contaminant candidate list, which highlights priority contaminants that need additional research to support future drinking water protections. The contaminants on the list are known or anticipated to occur in public water systems. However, they are not addressed by existing national drinking water standards. Additional contaminants of concern were selected based on current occurrence research and health-risk factors.

EPA has standards for 91 contaminants in drinking water, and the Safe Drinking Water Act requires that EPA identify up to 30 additional unregulated contaminants for monitoring every five years.

AL QAEDA MEMBER CONVICTED OF PLOTTING ATTACK ON NEW YORK SUBWAYS AND OTHER TERRORIST ACTS

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Al Qaeda Operative Convicted by Jury in One of the Most Serious Terrorist Plots Against America since 9/11Defendant and Co-Plotters Came Within Days of Suicide Bombing of New York Subways Defendant Attempted Suicide Attack on Whitestone Expressway in Queens, New York

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – Earlier today, following a four-week trial, Adis Medunjanin, 28, a Queens, N.Y., resident who joined al-Qaeda and plotted to commit a suicide terrorist attack, was found guilty of multiple federal terrorism offenses.  The defendant and his accomplices came within days of executing a plot to conduct coordinated suicide bombings in the New York City subway system in September 2009, as directed by senior al-Qaeda leaders in Pakistan.  When the plot was foiled, the defendant attempted to commit a terrorist attack by crashing his car on the Whitestone Expressway in New York in an effort to kill himself and others.

The guilty verdict was announced by Loretta E. Lynch, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Lisa Monaco, Assistant Attorney General for National Security.

The government’s evidence in this and related cases established that in 2008, Medunjanin and his co-plotters, Najibullah Zazi and Zarein Ahmedzay, agreed to travel to Afghanistan to join the Taliban and kill U.S. military personnel abroad.  They arrived in Peshawar, Pakistan, in late August 2008, but Medunjanin and Ahmedzay were turned back at the Afghanistan border.  Within days, Medunjanin, Zazi and Ahmedzay met with an al-Qaeda facilitator in Peshawar and agreed to travel to Waziristan for terrorist training.  There, they met with al-Qaeda leaders Saleh al-Somali, then the head of al-Qaeda external operations, and Rashid Rauf, a high-ranking al-Qaeda operative, who explained that the three would be more useful to al-Qaeda and the jihad by returning to New York and conducting terrorist attacks.

In Waziristan, Medunjanin, Zazi and Ahmedzay received al-Qaeda training on how to use various types of high-powered weapons, including the AK-47, PK machine gun and rocket-propelled grenade launcher.  During the training, al-Qaeda leaders continued to encourage Medunjanin and his fellow plotters to return to the United States to conduct “martyrdom” operations and emphasized the need to hit well-known targets and maximize the number of casualties.  Medunjanin, Zazi and Ahmedzay agreed and discussed the timing of the attacks and possible target locations in Manhattan, including the subway system, Grand Central Station, the New York Stock Exchange, Times Square and movie theaters.

Upon their return to the United States, Medunjanin, Zazi and Ahmedzay met and agreed to carry out suicide bombings during the Muslim holiday of Ramadan, which fell in late August and September 2009.  Zazi would prepare the explosives, and all three would conduct coordinated suicide bombings.  In July and August 2009, Zazi purchased large quantities of component chemicals necessary to produce the explosive TATP (Triacetone Triperoxide) and twice checked into a hotel room near Denver to mix the chemicals.  Federal investigators later found bomb-making residue in the hotel room.

On Sept. 8, 2009, Zazi drove from Denver to New York, carrying operational detonator explosives and other materials necessary to build bombs.  However, shortly after arriving in New York, he learned that law enforcement was investigating the plotters’ activities.  The men discarded the explosives and other bomb-making materials, and Zazi traveled back to Denver, where he was arrested on Sept. 19, 2009.

On Jan. 7, 2010, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at Medunjanin’s residence.  Shortly thereafter, Medunjanin left his apartment and attempted to turn his car into a weapon of terror by crashing it into another car at high speed on the Whitestone Expressway.  Moments before impact, Medunjanin called 9-1-1, identified himself and left his message of martyrdom, shouting an al-Qaeda slogan:  “We love death more than you love your life.”
       
Today, Medunjanin was convicted of conspiring to use weapons of mass destruction, conspiring to commit murder of U.S. military personnel abroad, providing and conspiring to provide material support to al-Qaeda, receiving military training from al-Qaeda, conspiring and attempting to commit an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries, and using firearms and destructive devices in relation to these offenses.  When sentenced by U.S. District Judge John Gleeson on Sept. 7, 2012, Medunjanin faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison.  To date, seven defendants, including Medunjanin, Zazi and Ahmedzay, have been convicted in connection with the al-Qaeda New York City bombing plot and related charges.

“Adis Medunjanin was an active and willing participant in one of the most serious terrorist plots against the homeland since 9/11.  Were it not for the combined efforts of the law enforcement and intelligence communities, the suicide bomb attacks that he and others planned would have been devastating,” said Assistant Attorney General Monaco.  “I thank the many agents, analysts and prosecutors who helped bring about today’s result.  I also thank our counterparts in the United Kingdom for their assistance in this investigation and prosecution.”

“Justice was served today in Brooklyn, as a jury of New Yorkers convicted an al-Qaeda operative bent on terrorism, mass murder and destruction in the New York City subways,” said U.S. Attorney Lynch.  “Adis Medunjanin’s journey of radicalization led him from Flushing, Queens, to Peshawar, Pakistan, to the brink of a terrorist attack in New York City – and soon to a lifetime in federal prison.  As this case has proved, working against sophisticated terrorist organizations and against the clock, our law enforcement and intelligence agencies can detect, disrupt and destroy terrorist cells before they strike, saving countless innocent lives.”

U.S. Attorney Lynch expressed her gratitude and appreciation to the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force in New York and each of the federal, state and local law enforcement personnel who took part in the investigation, as well as to the law enforcement authorities in the United Kingdom and Norway who assisted with the case.

U.S.-PANAMA SIGN AGREEMENT ON ENVIRONMENTAL COOPERATION

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Signing of the U.S.-Panama Agreement on Environmental Cooperation
Media Note Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC
May 2, 2012
On May 2, the United States and Panama signed an Environmental Cooperation Agreement (ECA). The ECA will help ensure that trade and environmental policies work together to provide greater economic opportunities for businesses and workers in the United States and Panama. The ECA recognizes the U.S. and Panama’s commitment to expanding cooperation on environmental matters. As a complement to the U.S.-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement, the ECA establishes a framework for bilateral cooperation to protect the environment and promote sustainable development in concert with the U.S.-Panama trade and investment relationship.

The ECA provides for a new Environmental Cooperation Commission, which will help oversee the implementation of the agreement. This Commission will define a work program to establish specific goals, objectives, and areas for cooperation that are reflective of each country’s national environmental priorities.
Bilateral and regional environmental cooperation under the ECA will help ensure that:
Obligations under the Environment Chapter of the U.S.-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement are fulfilled;
Progress is made toward a level playing field on environmental rules for businesses in the United States and Panama; and Trade and environmental policies are mutually supportive.
Through environmental cooperation, the United States and Panama will advance the world’s transition to a green economy and a sustainable future.

AFGHAN FORCES CONTAIN TALIBAN ATTACK

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
Afghan Forces Contain Taliban Attack in Kabul
Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases
WASHINGTON, May 2, 2012 - Afghan security forces led a capable and quick response in containing a Taliban attack in Afghanistan's capital of Kabul today, military officials reported.

All of the attackers were killed, officials said. According to initial International Security Assistance Force reporting, a small group of insurgents attacked a private compound. The attack was unsuccessful in killing any ISAF personnel, but it resulted in Afghan civilian casualties, including children.

"This is another desperate attack by the Taliban, but again another noteworthy performance by Afghan security forces for taking the lead in putting down another desperate attack by insurgents," said German army Brig. Gen. Carsten Jacobson, ISAF spokesman. The insurgents' attack "resulted in the deaths of innocent Afghan civilians, with most of that being children from a nearby school," Jacobson added.
In operations around Afghanistan today:

-- An Afghan-led, coalition-supported force killed an insurgent, detained several suspects and seized assault rifles, magazines with ammunition, and multiple grenades and rocket-propelled grenades during a mission to capture a Taliban leader in the Baghlan-e Jadid district of Baghlan province.

-- A combined force detained a Taliban leader as well as multiple insurgents and confiscated bomb-making materials in the Panjwai district of Kandahar province. The insurgent leader directed roadside bombings and other attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

-- A combined force detained several suspects while searching for a Taliban leader in the Nad-e Ali district of Helmand province. The leader plans and coordinates roadside bombings, suicide attacks and other operations against Afghan and coalition forces. He also attempts to impose Taliban law on Afghan civilians in the Musa Qalah, Now Zad and Baghran districts.

-- A combined force captured a Taliban leader and another suspect in the Gelan district of Ghazni province. The insurgent leader conducted roadside-bomb attacks against Afghan civilians, Afghan security forces and coalition troops along Highway 1.

-- A combined force detained multiple suspects and seized a manual for constructing improvised explosive devices during an operation to capture a Haqqani network facilitator in the Muhammad Aghah district of Logar province. The facilitator provides weapons, ammunition and equipment to insurgents for attacks against Afghan officials, Afghan troops, and coalition forces in Kabul City.

-- A combined force detained multiple suspects and seized several weapons and a grenade during an operation to capture a Haqqani facilitator in the Sabari district of Khost province. The facilitator provides weapons, ammunition and IEDs to insurgents for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.
Yesterday, a combined force found and destroyed about 2,035 pounds of homemade explosive materials and multiple IED-making components in the Ab Band district of Ghazni province.

FALLEN AIR ADVISERS HONORED THROUGH RUCK MARCH

FROM:  U.S. AIR FORCE
Airmen honor fallen air advisers through ruck march
by Tech. Sgt. Benjamin Rojek
Defense Media Activity

5/1/2012 - FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md. (AFNS) -- Walking almost 90 miles, 36 Airmen completed the Air Advisor Memorial Ruck March from New York City to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., April 26-27.

The march, which started at the One World Trade Center and ended at the Air Advisor Academy, was in remembrance of the deaths of nine U.S. air advisers in Afghanistan.

On the morning of April 27, 2011, an Afghan Air Force lieutenant colonel walked into the Afghan Air Command and Control Center at the Kabul Air Command Headquarters and, without warning or provocation, opened fire, killing eight active-duty U.S. Airmen and a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel. Those nine service members came from various bases and specialties, but were working together for a common mission: advising the Afghan military.

"It was a unique situation," said Lt. Col. J.D. Scott III, the march coordinator and chief of core knowledge at the Air Advisor Academy. "It didn't happen for a particular base. It didn't happen for a particular squadron or base or even for a particular (Air Force Specialty Code).

"Because of that, remembering their sacrifice may not have been captured as a whole," Scott continued. "The individual would have been honored at their base, but the mission of the entire of the team would not have been recognized."

Since all of the nine went through the Air Advisor Academy, Col. John Holm, the academy's commandant, decided that would be the place to honor their sacrifice as a team, Scott said. Holm made plans to create a physical memorial, but a plethora of obstacles made it impossible to complete the memorial by the one year anniversary of the tragic event. One of the obstacles was funding.

Holm and his team came up with idea of a ruck march to both honor the fallen air advisers and act as a fundraiser to help build the physical memorial. Scott was put in charge of organizing the march and, in just two weeks, succeeded in gathering people from Dover AFB, Del., to Eielson AFB, Alaska, for the march. Each marcher knew at least one of the nine fallen air advisers in some way.

"Master Sgt. Tara Brown and Maj. Phil Ambard both lived three and four doors down from me in the dorms," said Tech. Sgt. Brian Christiansen, a photographer with the 145th Airlift Wing in Charlotte, N.C., who was deployed to Kabul, Afghanistan at the same time as the air advisers. "Both were incredibly friendly people. And I met several of them (the morning of the shooting) as I walked into my building and opened the door and they walked out."

Those personal connections to the fallen service members and their families drew the 36 marchers together, Scott said.

"They were coming in from all over," he said. "That's kind of representative of the nine that we lost. They came from all over the Air Force to serve a single mission as an air advisor. So the marchers that were honoring them came from all over the Air Force to remember them."

Each paid their own way to New York City to honor their fallen friends and show their families that they haven't forgotten their loved one's sacrifice. The event also drew in another 14 volunteers to help with everything from transportation to food to health and care coverage.

The marchers were broken up into four teams, each set to march three legs of 7.3 miles. During their leg, each marcher carried a ruck sack with a paver stone inside, each stone engraved with the name of a fallen air advisor and to be laid at the memorial on JB McGuire.

Holm and his nine-person team kicked off the march at 9:11 a.m. April 26. However, rather than just start off near ground zero, the colonel wanted to do something more for his fallen comrades.

"We wanted to honor them by doing something significant, and to me starting at the top of the World Trade Center was it," Holm said. "We had those ruck sacks on the entire tour. It was all symbolic and important to us in our own personal, different ways. For me, it was probably the biggest single gesture we could do short of opening up (the academy's) memorial ourselves."

The significance of the march touched a lot of people along the way, starting with the One World Trade Center steel workers, who gave the Airmen a standing ovation as they marched through the structure. Other people along their route also showed their appreciation by stopping to give hugs, encouragement, thanks and even money toward the memorial.

As they traveled by foot from New York to New Jersey, state and local police departments provided escort, each district calling the next to inform them of what the Airmen were doing, Holm said. The marchers were even given a chance to rest and eat at the fire departments in both Elizabeth, N.J., and Jersey City, N.J. It was a sign of support of both the Airmen marching and the fallen air advisers, he said.

When the fourth team finished their last leg, the marchers were 1.1 miles from the construction site of the Air Advisor Memorial on JB McGuire. All 36 marchers gathered together in formation and made their way through the base gate. What met them there was surprise to all.

"Security forces closed down the road and gave us police escort in," Scott said. "There were numerous amounts of people from the front gate to the memorial lining the street on both sides, just cheering us on in.

"The fact that the base community just embraces us and cheered us in on those final steps, it's very inspiring," he added.

It was an emotional moment for Christiansen as well. He was present at the base when the air advisers were killed and attended their dignified transfer ceremony. However, each person was laid to rest in different locations around the U.S., so he never got to have closure.

"You see a road sign right there, 'McGuire Air Force Base next left,'" Christiansen said. "That's when it really started to hit in not that we're all going to do this, but this is for real. We've done this for the families, we've done this for our fallen brothers and sister. It was pretty easy to get caught up in the emotion there.

"The ceremony of laying the bricks down was really powerful," he added. "It brought some serious closure."

While the ruck march and stone-laying ceremony brought some closure for Christiansen and others, the construction of the memorial itself is still ongoing. However, between the pledges for the marchers, donations received during the march as well as T-shirt and brick sales, Holm estimated that the team has raised almost $10,000 toward the memorial just through this one event.

"We have that feeling that we did the right thing just by honoring our comrades, regardless of what money we raised," Holm said. "That was a tremendous feeling."

The Air Advisor Memorial is scheduled to be unveiled July 27.

IMPLEMENTATION OF 2008 OZONE STANDARDS

FROM:  U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
EPA Takes Next Step to Implement 2008 Ozone Standards
Most areas that need to take steps to reduce ozone pollution are close to meeting the standards; only three new areas have been added
 WASHINGTON – Working closely with states and tribes, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is identifying areas that meet or do not meet the 2008 air quality standards for ground-level ozone, known as smog. The agency’s approach to implementing these standards will improve air quality, protect public health, increase certainty for states and tribes, maximize flexibilities and minimize the burden on state, tribal and local governments. Breathing air containing high levels of smog can reduce lung function and increase respiratory symptoms, aggravating asthma or other respiratory conditions. Ozone exposure may also contribute to premature death, especially in people with heart and lung disease.

In 2008, EPA set new smog standards at 75 parts per billion. Working with states and tribes and following an open public process that included a 45-day public comment period, EPA has determined that 45 areas across the country, including two separate areas of Indian country, are not meeting the 2008 standards based on the most recent certified air quality data. Almost all of these areas already have programs in place to improve air quality because they did not meet the 1997 smog standards. Only three areas will be identified for the first time as not meeting smog standards. Reflecting ongoing improvements in air quality, EPA is identifying fewer areas that do not meet the 2008 standards than the agency identified as not meeting the 1997 standards.

Reducing smog and improving air quality is a shared responsibility of federal, state, local and tribal governments. National clean air programs such as EPA’s standards to reduce power plant emissions that cross state lines, clean vehicle and fuel standards, and more locally focused state, tribal air quality programs are already contributing to air quality improvements. These actions will help areas meet the standards and protect public health. In addition, EPA expects that most areas would be able to meet the 2008 standards as a result of recent and pending rules.

The Clean Air Act requires EPA to review and, if necessary, revise air quality standards every five years to ensure that they protect public health with an adequate margin of safety. Following a change in standards, EPA works with states and tribes as appropriate to identify areas that do not meet the standards and establish plans to improve air quality. EPA continues to work to review the science needed to inform the next five-year review of the smog standards and currently expects to propose action in 2013.

COMMEMORATING THE 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BATTLE OF THE CORAL SEA

FROM:  U.S. NAVY
WASHINGTON (May 1, 2012) Rear Adm. Patrick Lorge, commandant of Naval District Washington, left, and Australian Ambassador to the United States Kim Beazley lay a wreath during a ceremony at the U.S. Navy Memorial commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Battle of the Coral Sea. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialists 2nd Class Kiona Miller/Release

STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL'S REMARKS ON BUSINESS AND HUMAN RIGHTS

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Implementation Workshop on the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights
Remarks Maria Otero
Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights George C. Marshall Auditorium
Washington, DC
April 30, 2012
hank you, Mike. I want to take a moment to recognize your leadership particularly in the area of Business and Human Rights. Not only have you created a team that focuses exclusively on the intersection between business and human rights, but your leadership has helped create the space to develop and maintain tools which encourage corporations to respect human rights while ensuring economic prosperity.
We are grateful to have Professor John Ruggie with us today. As you all know, John was the Secretary General’s Special Representative on Business and Human Rights. There is no better person to discuss implementation of the Guiding Principles than the author himself.

Our strategy for promoting respect for human rights through our foreign policy must reflect the world as it is, not as it used to be. Private companies are some of the world’s largest economic actors. Clearly, building bridges between government and business is not only smart, it’s necessary.

At the heart of this collaboration is the unique role business plays in bolstering innovation. Indeed, innovation is the core of what businesses do. From technology, to energy, to manufacturing, to health, business investments -- both domestic and international -- impact peoples’ lives. We must leverage this innovation and investment to help solve global challenges and improve the welfare of people. But in order to achieve our shared goals we must be sure such innovation is rooted in a respect for human rights. That is of course why we are all here today.

We must establish clear guidelines and reliable processes so that business can do their part in respecting human rights. The U.S. government uses our foreign policy to help strengthen the rule of law and human rights, which in turn improves the environment for prosperous business. It also ensures investment and innovation don’t violate standards of stable and democratic society.

But this is something neither government nor the private sector can accomplish alone. By working together across sectors, in partnership, with mutual respect, we can leverage our collective strengths to support business respect for human rights. We will be far more successful in achieving our shared goals if draw our solutions from all realms -- governments, private companies, multilaterals, universities, and nonprofits. What I know from my career -- and I suspect many of you know the same -- is that innovation occurs at the intersection of worlds that are newly connected. When you bring people together, tapping new expertise and resources from every corner, and think outside of your respective box, perspectives shift and challenges break down.

For example, Barrick Goldand BP, as well as Marathon, Newmont, Shell and Rio Tinto; are working to develop a set of key performance indicators for the Voluntary Principles (or VPs) on Security and Human Rights. The VPs provide guidance to extractive companies on maintaining the safety and security of their operations while also respecting human rights.

Another partnership with great potential is the International Code of Conduct for Private Security Service Providers. Work is now underway to translate the code’s principles into clear standards, and to establish a governance and oversight mechanism. Over 300 members of industry have already signed, and we encourage your participation. Why? Because again and again, we see that when we work together, our capacity for innovation is nearly limitless.

The UN Guiding Principles provides an important framework through which we engage in these areas.

The United States is seeking to institutionalize and broaden support for the Guiding Principles in multilateral fora. For example, we have encouraged the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to incorporate language from the GPS into their human rights chapter of the newly revised (OECD) Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. We are looking at other regional and global multilateral organizations to incorporate the principles in similar ways, furthering the GPs as the authoritative standard framework on business and human rights.

We also working with the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights as it disseminates the Guiding Principles. We are exploring ways to support the work of the UN Working Group through targeted high impact projects, and intend to launch a $500,000 program to promote awareness and implementation of the UN Guiding Principles.

I know you have a robust agenda today, and I look forward to hearing about your exchanges. Your contribution will help inform our policies, and how we move forward the GPs. In so doing, we not only positively influence the respect for human rights but also enhance the success of businesses.

Thank you, and it’s my pleasure to introduce to you our next speaker, Assistant Secretary for Economic and Business Affairs, my friend Jose Fernandez.

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR RECOVERS $4.83 MILLION IN BACK WAGES AND DAMAGES

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
US Department of Labor recovers $4.83 million in back wages, damages for more than 4,500 Wal-Mart workers
Misapplied exemption resulted in pay violations; nearly $464,000 assessed in penalties
WASHINGTON — Wal-Mart Stores Inc., headquartered in Bentonville, Ark., has agreed to pay $4,828,442 in back wages and damages to more than 4,500 employees nationwide following an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division that found violations of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act's overtime provisions. Additionally, Wal-Mart will pay $463,815 in civil money penalties.

The violations affected current and former vision center managers and asset protection coordinators at Wal-Mart Discount Stores, Wal-Mart Supercenters, Neighborhood Markets and Sam's Club warehouses. Wal-Mart failed to compensate these employees with overtime pay, considering them to be exempt from the FLSA's overtime requirements. The Labor Department's investigation found that the employees are nonexempt and consequently due overtime pay for any hours worked beyond 40 in a week.

"Misclassification of employees as exempt from FLSA coverage is a costly problem with adverse consequences for employees and corporations," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "Let this be a signal to other companies that when violations are found, the Labor Department will take appropriate action to ensure that workers receive the wages they have earned."

Under the terms of the settlement, Wal-Mart has agreed to pay all back wages the department determined are owed for the violations plus an equal amount in liquidated damages to the employees. The FLSA provides that employers who violate the law are, as a general rule, liable to employees for back wages and an equal amount in liquidated damages. The civil money penalties assessed stem from the repeat nature of the violations. Wal-Mart, which operates more than 3,900 establishments in the United States, corrected its classification practices for these workers in 2007, and negotiation over the back pay issues has been ongoing since that time. A third-party administrator will disburse the payments to the affected employees.

"Our department has been working with Wal-Mart for a long time to reach this agreement," said Nancy J. Leppink, deputy administrator of the Wage and Hour Division. "I am very pleased that staff in our Southwest region persevered, ensured these employees will be paid the back wages they are owed and brought this case to conclusion. Thanks to this resolution, thousands of employees will see money put back into their pockets that should have been there all along. The damages and penalties assessed in this case should put other employers on notice that they cannot avoid their obligations to their employees by inappropriately classifying their workers as exempt."

The FLSA provides an exemption from both minimum wage and overtime pay requirements for individuals employed in bona fide executive, administrative, professional and outside sales positions, as well as certain computer employees. To qualify for exemption, employees generally must meet certain tests regarding their job duties and be paid on a salary basis at not less than $455 per week. Job titles do not determine exempt status. In order for an exemption to apply, an employee's specific job duties and salary must meet all the requirements of the department's regulations.

The FLSA requires that covered, nonexempt employees be paid at least the federal minimum wage of $7.25 for all hours worked, plus time and one-half their regular rates, including commissions, bonuses and incentive pay, for hours worked beyond 40 per week. Employers also are required to maintain accurate time and payroll records.

PRESS STATEMENT FROM SECRETARY OF STATE CLINTON ON CHEN GUANGCHENG

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Chen Guangcheng
Press Statement Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State Washington, DC
May 2, 2012
I am pleased that we were able to facilitate Chen Guangcheng’s stay and departure from the U.S. embassy in a way that reflected his choices and our values. I was glad to have the chance to speak with him today and to congratulate him on being reunited with his wife and children.

Mr. Chen has a number of understandings with the Chinese government about his future, including the opportunity to pursue higher education in a safe environment. Making these commitments a reality is the next crucial task. The United States government and the American people are committed to remaining engaged with Mr. Chen and his family in the days, weeks, and years ahead.

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT FINDS RELIEF FOR SERVICEMEMBERS WHO HAD CARS TOWED AND SOLD

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Justice Department Settles Towing Company Case Under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act
The Justice Department announced that it had reached a settlement of alleged violations of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) providing damages and credit repair to 26 servicemembers whose cars were towed and sold while they were on active duty without obtaining court orders as SCRA requires.   The settlement resolves allegations that B.C. Enterprises Inc., d/b/a Aristocrat Towing and Aristocrat Towing Inc. (collectively “Aristocrat Towing”), violated the SCRA when it towed and sold these servicemembers’ vehicles without obtaining court orders.   The case began with a referral from the U.S. Navy to the Justice Department after Navy Lieutenant Yahya Jaboori returned from deployment in Iraq to find that Aristocrat Towing had towed and sold his vehicle without a court order while he was deployed.

The SCRA protects the rights of servicemembers while on active duty in the military by suspending or modifying certain civil obligations.  Under the terms of the settlement, which must be approved by a federal court in Virginia, Aristocrat Towing must pay a total of $75,000 in damages and repair the credit of the identified aggrieved servicemembers.

“Servicemembers make great personal sacrifices.   We will ensure that the rights of the brave men and women who serve and protect us are protected at home,” said Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Thomas E. Perez.   “This settlement sends a strong message to businesses nationwide that the Justice Department will enforce the SCRA to protect against the taking of servicemembers’ property without first seeking court orders as is required by law.”

“No member of the military should come home from deployment to find their car has been towed and sold,” said U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Neil MacBride. “Businesses should be aware of the many rights that SCRA gives to servicemembers and their families, and businesses should also be certain that we’ll work tirelessly to ensure that those rights are protected.”

This lawsuit, filed in 2008, was the first filed by the Civil Rights Division under the SCRA.   The Civil Rights Division received enforcement authority under the SCRA in 2006, and has since filed suit and entered into a number of settlements with defendants ranging from local landlords to the nation’s five largest mortgage servicers.

Servicemembers and their dependents who believe that their SCRA rights have been violated should contact the nearest Armed Forces Legal Assistance Program office.

PROTECTING MILITARY SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS

FROM:  U.S. AIR FORCE SPACE COMMAND
Capt. Tracy "Mickey" Lloyd, deployed as the theater space integrator for the director of space forces, searches through the embedded GPS/inertial navigation system unit to see the differences in loading/zeroiziing keys on a KC-135 Stratotanker. This was part of her endeavor to enable the airframes to use encrypted GPS. (U.S. Air Force photo/courtesy photo)
Space operator, KC-135 crews team together to realize space effects.

by Jennifer Thibault
50th Space Wing Public Affairs

5/1/2012 - SCHRIEVER AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- More and more are realizing the "game-changing" force space capabilities provide in today's operations, as was the case more than 60 years ago when the air domain added a new dimension to land and sea operations. The power of that integration was seen first-hand by crews of the KC-135 Stratotanker force recently in Southwest Asia, thanks to Capt. Tracy "Mickey" Lloyd, a deployed member of the director of space forces team.

Charged with conducting protected military satellite communications with the 4th Space Operations Squadron at her home station of Schriever Air Force Base, she deployed as the theater space integrator for the Director of Space Forces, Col. Clint Crosier. In this capacity, she worked to more effectively integrate space effects into overall theater operations; the majority of her time was focused on increased integration of GPS into deliberate planning.

"I learned during the deployment that according to Air Mobility Command guidance, the KC-135 crews were restricted from using the Precise Positioning Service, or the encrypted, more precise GPS service in certain conditions and during certain phases of flight," said Lloyd. "That didn't seem like we were fully leveraging the GPS capability the way it was intended, so I began a 'science project' with the 340th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron Assistant Director of Operations, Maj. [Lawrence] Osiecki."

Lloyd began researching the KC-135 navigation systems through their technical orders and Air Force Tactics, Techniques and Procedures 3-1 and quickly became an expert in how the GPS system works onboard. She and Osiecki then began a series of tests on the jet to load and zeroize keys to fully document the operation of the navigation system across all of its possible configurations. They observed how the KC-135's systems responded with and without keys and came to the conclusion that the current guidance was outdated based on recent system upgrades. Armed with this knowledge, she set out to engage with AMC and the director of mobility forces to explore rescinding the guidance.

"Our research and observations showed that there were no operational grounds for not using the encrypted GPS signal across all phases of flight," said Lloyd. "I coordinated with AMC and the [director of mobility forces] and they believed in what we were trying to do. Armed with the desire to rescind the guidance, they began to champion the cause with us."

With their support, Lloyd and team were successful in rescinding the guidance just five days before she redeployed, affecting an operational policy change improving the navigational capability of the entire KC-135 fleet worldwide.

"My goal was to have guidance rescinded before I returned home, I didn't want to leave it for the next person," she said.

"Captain Lloyd was a great asset to our team," said Crosier. "Not only did she see the big picture of how space integrates across all domains, but she had a knack for interacting with others and helping them realize space effects in their realm. Her work on the KC-135 issue affected a global policy change--how many captains have that kind of impact?"

Lloyd also led a special project for Lt. Gen. David Goldfein, commander of Air Forces Central Command, to optimize how GPS effects were planned and integrated into other components' deliberate planning efforts. Through her work, she developed a key partnership with the Joint Navigation Warfare Center and ground-breaking new procedures the JNWC has now implemented as their global standard for all joint planning. The project also took her to brief Lt. Gen. Vince Brooks, commander of Army Forces Central Command and Vice Adm. Mark Fox, commander of Naval Forces Central Command, which led both ARCENT and NVCENT to implement new procedures as a result of her work.

"The results of this project were really amazing" said Crosier. "Captain Lloyd's work with the JNWC team took the integration and deliberate planning of GPS effects to the most robust level in CENTCOM history. Tracy ended up being coined by the AFCENT commander, ARCENT commander and NAVCENT commander for her work. Tracy could be the first captain anywhere in CENTCOM, and certainly the first space officer, to get coined by all three service 3-stars in a single deployment--that's a real testament to the value our senior leaders place on the need for effective space integration."

Before deploying, Lloyd conducted some research with her predecessor.

"He recommended I learn as much as I could on GPS," Lloyd recalled.

Her squadron commander supported predeployment training to meet up with Crosier at the JNWC and get a head start on the project she would lead in theater. She also worked with Capt. Bryony Veater, the weapons officer at the 2nd Space Operations Squadron to learn more about operations and products. In visiting with the JNWC and 2 SOPS, she created a solid network foundation that helped her navigate issues in theater.

"This was my first deployment and I could not have asked for anything better," said Lloyd. "I found it very rewarding to identify issues and set out to solve them and help others realize the continuous process improvement throughout all aspects of the deployed environment."

In theater, Lloyd was assigned to 12 hour shifts during which she would identify issues and develop solutions.

"Captain Franz Brunner, the [DS4] national technical integrator, and I referred to them as science projects," said Lloyd. "We'd try out new ideas and if we were able to prove our hypothesis, then we would work to determine how best to integrate them into current operations."

Lloyd credits some of her in-theater success to her weapons school training and to being open-minded.

"I was open to learning and teaching others throughout my deployment. Most people appreciated space but were inquisitive of other platforms and weapons systems," she said. "I reached out to our joint and coalition partners to learn more about our users to discover better ways of supporting them. We can't just know our space systems, we have to know how [they're used] in operations. Weapons school taught me the importance of not only being an expert in space systems, but to use that knowledge for improved integration. And then to teach that integration to the space community and also to current and potential customers."

She said this integration enabled the most rewarding aspect of her deployment, "Watching and knowing others are applying their new-found space knowledge and that they will take it with them and share with others compounding the cross functional awareness of space effects."

Back at home, Lloyd is settling back into family life with her husband and two sons.
"Being separated from them was hard, but I knew I had superstar support at home keeping it all on track," she said.

DOJ INVESTIGATES UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA, LOCAL POLICE AND PROSECUTOR REGARDING RESPONSES TO SEXUAL ASSAULT ALLEGATIONS

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Justice Department Announces Investigations of the Handling of Sexual Assault Allegations by the University of Montana, the Missoula, Mont., Police Department and the Missoula County Attorney’s OfficeIn Light of at Least 80 Reported Rapes in Missoula in the Past Three Years, the Justice Department Will Investigate Responses to Sexual Assault Allegations

The Department of Justice today announced a series of investigations stemming from allegations of sexual assault and sexual harassment at the University of Montana and in the greater Missoula, Mont., community.   These investigations will seek to determine whether gender discrimination affected the prevention, investigation and prosecution of sexual assaults and sexual harassment in Missoula.

The department has opened a Title IX compliance review and Title IV investigation regarding the University of Montana’s response to sexual assaults and sexual harassment of students.  Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 each prohibit sex discrimination, including sexual assault and sexual harassment, in education programs.  There have been at least 11 reported sexual assaults involving university students in an 18-month period.  The department will also coordinate with the Department of Education on a related sexual harassment complaint received by that department.

The Justice Department also announced today that it has opened a civil pattern or practice investigation into the University of Montana’s Office of Public Safety (OPS), the Missoula Police Department (MPD) and the Missoula County Attorney’s Office.  This investigation will focus on allegations that OPS, MPD and the Missoula County Attorney’s Office are failing to adequately investigate and prosecute alleged sexual assaults against women in Missoula, due to gender discrimination in violation of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 and the anti-discrimination provisions of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968.  There have been at least 80 alleged rapes in Missoula in the past three years.  The investigation will look at assaults against all women in Missoula, not just university students.

Department officials met with city, police and university officials, who pledged their full cooperation with the investigations.
 
“The allegations that the University of Montana, the local police department and the County Attorney’s Office failed to adequately address sexual assaults are very disturbing,” said Attorney General Eric Holder. “The department's pattern or practice authority enables us to ensure that law enforcement agencies are doing what is necessary to combat this despicable crime without discrimination, and we take that responsibility seriously.”

“Sexual assault and sexual harassment are intolerable; they undermine women’s basic rights and, when perpetrated against students, can negatively impact their ability to learn and continue their education,” said Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division.   “As we approach the 40th anniversary of Title IX this year, incidents of sexual assault on our college campuses remind us of the continuing critical importance of the law to reduce barriers in education. Our goal is to determine whether there are violations of federal law and if we find a problem, work cooperatively with the University of Montana and local law enforcement to ensure that all students and Missoula residents feel safe in their communities, regardless of sex.   We salute President Engstrom’s commitment to address these serious problems.”

“Colleges and universities have an obligation to stop and prevent sexual violence against their students, and law enforcement has a fundamental duty to ensure it is properly investigating and prosecuting crimes of sexual assault, whether they occur at the university or in the wider Missoula community,” said Michael W. Cotter , U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana.  “We look forward to working with the University of Montana and local law enforcement to ensure these vital obligations are met.”

The department previously found a pattern or practice of gender discrimination in the New Orleans Police Department.   Similarly, the department found problems of significant concern involving the handling of sex crimes in both the Puerto Rico Police Department and the Maricopa County, Ariz., Sheriff’s Office.

Attorneys from the Educational Opportunities Section and the Special Litigation Section of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana are jointly conducting this investigation.

GENERAL DEMPSEY'S SPEECH ON NEW NATIONAL DEFENSE STRATEGY

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, speaks at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, D.C., May 1, 2012. DOD photo by Army Staff Sgt. Sun L. Vega
General Dempsey Explains Defense Strategy at Nation's Oldest 'Think Tank'
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.

WASHINGTON, May 1, 2012 - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff today discussed the new national defense strategy and its core pillars in remarks at the nation's oldest international affairs "think tank."

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey spoke at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, founded in 1910 as a private, nonprofit organization.

"Over the past months we've formulated what I guess is now being called a new defense strategy," Dempsey said. "It's built on a [Quadrennial Defense Review], of course, but it's new in several important ways."

One of the aspects of the strategy is rebalancing U.S. forces with emphasis on the Asia-Pacific region. During a visit to NATO headquarters in Brussels last week, he said, he was asked with "great interest" what rebalancing means.

"I suggested to them that it's a process – not a light switch. We'll work our way into it," he said. "It starts with intellectual bandwidth more than anything. We have to shift some of our intellectual bandwidth and start to understand how rebalance ourselves so it's not just about our resources, equipment or basing. "It's about thinking, and we are beginning that process now."

The chairman said the second pillar of the strategy, and one of its cornerstones, is building partners, and not because the United States will be doing less. Rather, he said, it's because the world over the last decade or two has become a "security paradox" that has seen a proliferation of capabilities and technologies to middleweight actors and nonstate actors. That he said, "actually makes the world feel, and potentially be, more dangerous than any time I remember in uniform."

Dempsey noted that he came into the Army in 1974.
"It's not a paradox that necessarily has to be met with bigger military forces," he said. "I think it's a paradox that has to be met with different military forces. And among the things that will make that work [is] our ability to build on existing partnerships around the globe, notably the North Atlantic alliance, [and] others as well."

Adversaries rarely mass against the United States and its allies any more, the general pointed out. "They decentralize, they network and they syndicate," he said, making development of emerging partnerships especially important now.

Adversaries use 21st-century information technologies to syndicate groups of "criminal actors," the chairman said -- groups that come together based on moments in time when they want to find a common purpose and pull apart otherwise.

"But we, the quintessential hierarchical institution on the face of the planet ... have to find ways to be a network ourselves," he said. "And that means a network of interagency partners internal to our government."

The chairman conceded that building partnerships isn't an easy endeavor, and acknowledged a need to improve processes in intelligence sharing, technology transfer, foreign military sales -- processes he said "tend to somewhat hinder our ability to build partners."

The final aspect of the new strategy, Dempsey said, is the integration of capabilities the military didn't have 10 years ago, such as the cyber and special operations capabilities and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance technology that exist today. Other capabilities originally considered niche capabilities now are being integrated into conventional ways of operating, he noted.

"We've moved now from writing our new strategy to beginning to challenge ourselves on what it will really take to do everything," he said. "And the three things I mentioned here today to you ... really are the key to that endeavor."

PRESIDENT SIGNS NEW EXECUTIVE ORDER TARGETING FOREIGN SANCTIONS EVADERS

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY
FACT SHEET: New Executive Order Targeting Foreign Sanctions Evaders
WASHINGTON – Today the President signed an Executive Order (E.O.), “Prohibiting
Certain Transactions with and Suspending Entry into the United States of Foreign Sanctions Evaders with Respect to Iran and Syria,” providing the U.S. Treasury Department with a new authority to tighten further the U.S. sanctions on Iran and Syria.

This E.O. targets foreign individuals and entities that have violated, attempted to violate, conspired to violate, or caused a violation of U.S. sanctions against Iran or Syria, or that have facilitated deceptive transactions for persons subject to U.S. sanctions concerning Syria or Iran. With this new authority, Treasury now has the capability to publicly identify foreign individuals and entities that have engaged in these evasive and deceptive activities, and generally bar access to the U.S. financial and commercial systems.

“The foreign sanctions evaders E.O. provides Treasury additional means to impose serious consequences on foreign persons who seek to evade our sanctions and undermine international efforts to bring pressure to bear on the Iranian and Syrian regimes. Whoever tries to evade our sanctions does so at the expense of the people of Syria and Iran, and they will be held accountable,” said Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David S. Cohen.

Upon Treasury’s identification and listing of a foreign sanctions evader, U.S. persons will generally be prohibited from providing to, or procuring from, the sanctioned party goods, services, or technology, effectively cutting the evader off from the U.S. marketplace. This provides Treasury with a powerful new tool to prevent, deter, and respond to the risks posed by sanctions evaders to the U.S. and global financial system. It also will help prevent U.S. persons from unwittingly engaging in transactions with foreign individuals and entities that pose a particular risk of running afoul of U.S. sanctions concerning Iran or Syria.

The foreign sanctions evaders E.O. is the latest in a broad-based and escalating series of steps taken by the United States and its international partners targeting the governments of Iran and Syria with respect to their abuse of human rights, support for terrorism, and proliferation and development of weapons of mass destruction. The foreign sanctions evaders E.O. follows by one week the Executive Order Blocking The Property And Suspending Entry into the United States of Certain Persons with Respect to Grave Human Rights Abuses by the Governments of Iran and Syria via Information Technology (the “GHRAVITY E.O.”), which targeted the provision and use of information and communications technology to facilitate computer or network disruption, monitoring, or tracking that could assist in or enable serious human rights abuses by or on behalf of the Government of Iran or the Government of Syria.

NIGHT-WARMING EFFECT NOTICED OVER LARGE WIND FARMS

FROM:  NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Photo:  USDA
Scientists Find Night-Warming Effect Over Large Wind Farms in Texas
April 29, 2012
Large wind farms in certain areas in the United States appear to affect local land surface temperatures, according to a paper published today in the journal Nature Climate Change.
The study, led by Liming Zhou, an atmospheric scientist at the State University of New York- (SUNY) Albany, provides insights about the possible effects of wind farms.
The results could be important for developing efficient adaptation and management strategies to ensure long-term sustainability of wind power.

"This study indicates that land surface temperatures have warmed in the vicinity of large wind farms in west-central Texas, especially at night," says Anjuli Bamzai, program director in the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences, which funded the research.

"The observations and analyses are for a relatively short period, but raise important issues that deserve attention as we move toward an era of rapid growth in wind farms in our quest for alternate energy sources."

Considerable research has linked the carbon dioxide produced by burning fossil fuels with rising global temperatures.

Consequently, many nations are moving toward cleaner sources of renewable energy such as wind turbines. Generating wind power creates no emissions, uses no water and is likely "green."

"We need to better understand the system with observations, and better describe and model the complex processes involved, to predict how wind farms may affect future weather and climate," said Zhou.

There have been a growing number of studies of wind farm effects on weather and climate, primarily using numerical models due to the lack of observations over wind farms.
As numerical models are computationally intensive and have uncertainties in simulating regional and local weather and climate, said Zhou, remote sensing is likely the most efficient and effective way to study wind farm effects over larger spatial and longer temporal scales.

To understand the potential impact of wind farms on local weather and climate, Zhou's team analyzed satellite-derived land surface temperatures from regions around large wind farms in Texas for the period 2003-2011.

The researchers found a night-time warming effect over wind farms of up to 0.72 degrees Celsius per decade over the nine-year-period in which data were collected.
Because the spatial pattern of warming mirrors the geographic distribution of wind turbines, the scientists attribute the warming primarily to wind farms.
The year-to-year land surface temperature over wind farms shows a persistent upward trend from 2003 to 2011, consistent with the increasing number of operational wind turbines with time.

"This warming effect is most likely caused by the turbulence in turbine wakes acting like fans to pull down warmer near-surface air from higher altitudes at night," said Somnath Baidya Roy of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a co-author of the paper.
While the warming effect reported is local and small compared to the strong background year-to-year land surface temperature variation, the authors believe that this work draws attention to an important scientific issue that requires further investigation.
"The estimated warming trends only apply to the study region and to the study period, and thus should not be interpolated into other regions, globally or over longer periods," Zhou said. "For a given wind farm, once there are no new wind turbines added, the warming effect may reach a stable level."

The study represents a first step in exploring the potential of using satellite data to quantify the possible effects of the development of big wind farms on weather and climate, said Chris Thorncroft of SUNY-Albany, a co-author of the paper.
"We're expanding this approach to other wind farms," said Thorncroft, "and building models to understand the physical processes and mechanisms driving the interactions of wind turbines and the atmosphere boundary layer near the surface."

SIGNALING POSITION OF USS GEORGE H. W. BUSH AIRCRAFT CARRIER

ATLANTIC OCEAN (April 30, 2012) Quartermaster 3rd Class Jason X. Pabon prepares to signal the position of the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) to the Military Sealift Command dry cargo and ammunition ship USNS Lewis and Clark (T-AKE 1) during an ordnance transfer. George H.W. Bush is in the Atlantic Ocean conducting carrier qualifications. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Leonard Adams Jr./Released)

PRESIDENT REPORTS ON CURRENT MISSION IN AFGHANISTAN

Photo:  White House

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE

President Updates Nation on Afghanistan Mission

By Jim Garamone

WASHINGTON, May 1, 2012 - After joining Afghan President Hamid Karzai in signing a strategic partnership agreement in Afghanistan's capital of Kabul today, President Barack Obama took to the airwaves at Bagram Airfield to update the American people on the mission in Afghanistan.

The speech from the large NATO base about 35 miles from Kabul was the last event of an eventful night that saw the president fly in to Afghanistan, sign the agreement and meet with American service members.

Bagram is the headquarters for the International Security Assistance Force's Regional Command East, and is an outpost for the war on al-Qaida. Obama said it is important for Americans to remember why U.S. service members are in such a place. "Here, in Afghanistan, more than half a million of our sons and daughters have sacrificed to protect our country," he said.

Afghanistan was where Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida terror group planned, trained and financed the attacks that killed almost 3,000 men, women and children on Sept. 11, 2001. "And so, 10 years ago, the United States and our allies went to war to make sure that al-Qaida could never again use this country to launch attacks against us," the president said.

American and anti-Taliban Afghan groups had initial success, but bin Laden and his lieutenants escaped across the border and established safe havens in Pakistan. "America spent nearly eight years fighting a different war in Iraq, and al-Qaida's extremist allies within the Taliban have waged a brutal insurgency," the president said.

But the tide has turned, he added, and the Taliban's momentum has been broken.

"We've built strong Afghan security forces," the president said. "We devastated al-Qaida's leadership, taking out over 20 of their top 30 leaders. And one year ago, from a base here in Afghanistan, our troops launched the operation that killed Osama bin Laden. The goal that I set – to defeat al-Qaida and deny it a chance to rebuild – is now within reach."

The president said the key to completing the mission is transitioning security responsibility to Afghans. He noted that half of the population of the country is already protected by Afghan soldiers and police, and the Afghans are prepared to move into the lead in other parts of the nation. At the NATO summit in Chicago later this month, he said, leaders will endorse a plan to turn security responsibility over to the Afghans in 2013.

"International troops will continue to train, advise and assist the Afghans, and fight alongside them when needed," Obama said. "But we will shift into a support role as Afghans step forward."

American forces already have started coming home. In 2011, 10,000 troops from the Afghan surge returned to their bases. Another 23,000 will return by the end of September. "After that, reductions will continue at a steady pace, with more and more of our troops coming home," the president said. "And as our coalition agreed, by the end of 2014, the Afghans will be fully responsible for the security of their country."

The coalition is working to train Afghan soldiers and police to shoulder that security burden. This summer there will be 352,000 members of the Afghan security forces. As it stands, Afghanistan will field an army and police force at that number for three years, and then reduce the size of the force.

The United States is building an enduring partnership with Afghanistan, the president said, citing the strategic partnership agreement he and Karzai signed earlier at the presidential palace in Kabul. "It establishes the basis of our cooperation over the next decade, including shared commitments to combat terrorism and strengthen democratic institutions," Obama said. "It supports Afghan efforts to advance development and dignity for their people. And it includes Afghan commitments to transparency and accountability, and to protect the human rights of all Afghans – men and women, boys and girls."

Within this agreement, the president explained, the United States will work with Afghan partners to accomplish two narrow security missions beyond 2014: counterterrorism and continued training. "But we will not build permanent bases in this country, nor will we be patrolling its cities and mountains. That will be the job of the Afghan people," he said.

The United States is working with Afghan government leaders to negotiate a peace in the country. "My administration has been in direct discussions with the Taliban," Obama said. "We have made it clear that they can be a part of this future if they break with al-Qaida, renounce violence, and abide by Afghan laws."

Many members of the Taliban are looking at this offered hand, and many already have taken it, the president said. "A path to peace is now set before them," said he added. "Those who refuse to walk it will face strong Afghan security forces, backed by the United States and our allies."

Finally, the United States seeks to build a global consensus to support peace and stability in South Asia, and needs Pakistan to be part of the process. "It can and should be an equal partner in this process in a way that respects Pakistan's sovereignty, interests and democratic institutions," he said. "In pursuit of a durable peace, America has no designs beyond an end to al-Qaida safe-havens and respect for Afghan sovereignty."

Working on a timeline provides a sense of urgency, spares treasure and saves lives, Obama said. "Our goal is to destroy al-Qaida, and we are on a path to do exactly that," he added. "Afghans want to assert their sovereignty and build a lasting peace. That requires a clear timeline to wind down the war."

Withdrawing immediately, he said, would leave Afghanistan vulnerable to a new civil war and re-establishment of terrorist safe havens. "We must give Afghanistan the opportunity to stabilize," he said. "Otherwise, our gains could be lost, and al-Qaida could establish itself once more. And as commander in chief, I refuse to let that happen."

The best course, Obama said, is to end the war responsibly.

"My fellow Americans, we have traveled through more than a decade under the dark cloud of war," he said. "Yet here, in the pre-dawn darkness of Afghanistan, we can see the light of a new day on the horizon. The Iraq War is over. The number of our troops in harm's way has been cut in half, and more will soon be coming home. We have a clear path to fulfill our mission in Afghanistan, while delivering justice to al-Qaida."

The future is possible, the president said, because of American service members, who have deployed to Afghanistan and other dangerous areas time and again.

"In an age when so many institutions have come up short, these Americans stood tall," he said. "They met their responsibilities to one another, and the flag they serve under. I just met with some of them, and told them that as commander in chief, I could not be prouder. In their faces, we see what is best in ourselves and our country."

Obama stressed that America must honor its debts to these service members. "We must give our veterans and military families the support they deserve, and the opportunities they have earned," he said. "And we must redouble our efforts to build a nation worthy of their sacrifice."
 

COMMANDER IN CHIEF ADDRESS ON AFGHNISTAN

Commander in Chief Address

USS UNDERWOOD DURING LIVE-FIRE EXERCISE

FROM:  U.S. NAVY
ATLANTIC OCEAN (April 28, 2012) The Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided-missile frigate USS Underwood (FFG 36) fires the MK-75 76mm/62-caliber gun during a live-fire exercise. Underwood is underway for a composite training unit exercise before deploying to Central and South America and the Caribbean for Southern Seas 2012. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Stuart Phillips/Released)

MAY IS ASTHMA AWARENESS MONTH

FROM:  EPA
EPA Works to Help the Nearly 26 Million Americans with Asthma
Highlights Asthma Awareness Month in May 
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is encouraging Americans to take action against asthma by learning more about the disease and how it affects their families and communities. Nearly 26 million Americans, including more than 7 million children, are affected by this chronic respiratory disease, including low income and minority populations at the highest rates.

"Asthma is a disease that touches the lives of American families every day. EPA is working hard to clean the air we breathe and reduce the environmental causes of asthma and other respiratory illnesses,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “As we mark Asthma Awareness Month, it’s important for parents and children to learn more about the disease and its triggers, so we can prevent asthma attacks and better protect our health and our children's health."

The annual economic cost of asthma, including direct medical costs from hospital stays and indirect costs such as lost school and work days, amount to approximately $56 billion. Through the Clean Air Act, EPA has helped prevent millions of asthma attacks across the country and continues to work alongside federal, state and local partners to address this nationwide problem. In 2010 alone, pollution prevention standards under the Clean Air Act lead to reductions in fine particle matter and ozone pollution that prevented more than 1.7 million incidences of asthma attacks. Recent standards, such as the 2011 Mercury and Air Toxics Standards, will further reduce air pollution and help prevent asthma attacks.

Americans who suffer from asthma can learn to control their symptoms and still maintain active lifestyles. Here are some simple steps:

Know your Asthma Triggers and Avoid Them: Air pollution, dust mites, mold, secondhand smoke and even cockroaches can trigger asthma attacks. Learn your triggers and avoid them in your home and neighborhood.

Create an Asthma Action Plan: You can help avoid the emergency room by managing your asthma daily. With a doctor's help, you can create an asthma action plan to help you effectively manage your asthma and reduce exposure to triggers.

Get Active: Even if you have asthma, by taking the appropriate medications and avoiding your triggers, you can still participate in sports and activities.

Be 'Air Aware': Check local air quality conditions at airnow.gov and make informed decisions about participating in outdoor activities. To help, an Air Quality Index mobile app is available for smart phones.

A DYING STAR

FROM:  NASA
The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has been on the forefront of research into the lives of stars like our sun. At the ends of their lives, these stars run out of nuclear fuel in a phase that is called the preplanetary or protoplanetary nebula stage. This Hubble image of the Egg Nebula shows one of the best views to date of this brief, but dramatic, phase in a star’s life. During the preplanetary nebula phase, the hot remains of an aging star in the center of the nebula heat it up, excite the gas and make it glow over several thousand years. The short lifespan of preplanetary nebulae means there are relatively few of them in existence at any one time. Moreover, they are very dim, requiring powerful telescopes to be seen. This combination of rarity and faintness means they were only discovered comparatively recently. The Egg Nebula, the first to be discovered, was first spotted less than 40 years ago, and many aspects of this class of object remain shrouded in mystery. At the center of this image, and hidden in a thick cloud of dust, is the nebula’s central star. While scientists can’t see the star directly, four searchlight beams of light coming from it shine out through the nebula. Researchers hypothesize that ring-shaped holes in the thick cocoon of dust, carved by jets coming from the star, let the beams of light emerge through the otherwise opaque cloud. The precise mechanism by which stellar jets produce these holes is not known, but one explanation is that a binary star system, rather than a single star, exists at the center of the nebula. The onion-like layered structure of the more diffuse cloud surrounding the central cocoon is caused by periodic bursts of material being ejected from the dying star. The bursts typically occur every few hundred years. This image is produced from exposures in visible and infrared light from Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3. Image Credit: ESA/Hubble, NASA

PENNSYLVANIA ARMY NATIONAL GUARD MEMBERS HELP AT SPECIAL OLYMPICS EVENT

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE

Pennsylvania Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Shawn Rouvre, a human resources sergeant from New Cumberland, Pa., congratulates 15-year-old Jocelyn Nava from Steelton, Pa., as she finishes first in a 400-meter run during the Special Olympics Area M Games at Messiah College in Grantham, Pa., April 19, 2012. Army photo by Sgt. Amber Fluck  


Face of Defense: Guard Members Aid Special Olympics Event
109th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment Courtesy Article
GRANTHAM, Pa., April 27, 2012 - More than a dozen Pennsylvania Army National Guard members from 1st Battalion, 108th Field Artillery, based in Carlisle, Pa., volunteered to help athletes at the 2012 Special Olympics Area M Games at Messiah College here.


The April 19th event saw record-breaking attendance with more than 1,100 athletes, onlookers and volunteers for a day of fun and friendly competition. Soldiers came from as far away as Philadelphia to serve as line judges, time recorders, track security and presenters.


"To be given a ribbon or cheered on by their military heroes, it can't get any better than that," said Kay Straw, director of the Special Olympics Area M.
This year's presenters were Army Sgt. 1st Class Francis Manley and Army Staff Sgt. Timothy Corcoran, both from Philadelphia, and members of Battery C, 1st Battalion, 108th Field Artillery.


Manley estimates he and Corcoran awarded ribbons to nearly 100 athletes who competed in events such as the 50, 100 and 200-meter dashes, as well as the 100-meter walk and the 400-meter run. Other presenters awarded ribbons for the softball throw, wheelchair races and the standing and running long jumps.
For Manley, talking with the athletes while awarding their ribbons made the biggest impact.


"When that soldier pins that ribbon on the chest of our athlete, you can see their chest go out; when he shakes their hands or gives them a pat on the back and says, 'good job,' you can see the pride come across the face of that athlete," Straw of the Special Olympics said.
Army Staff Sgt. James Shirley, with 1st Battalion, 108th Field Artillery, knows that feeling of admiration well. Shirley, a native of Carlisle, Pa., has volunteered with the Special Olympics for three years, including serving as a buddy to a fellow soldier's autistic son.
Seeing the joy on the athletes' faces -- no matter how well they did – is what brings him back year-after-year.


Other soldiers echoed those sentiments. Despite a world full of competition, Special Olympics athletes seem genuinely happy to be competing with very little interest in whether they win awards, ribbons or trophies. One soldier said the athlete coming in last often receives the biggest applause.


It was Army Staff Sgt. Shawn Rouvre and Army Sgt. Andrew Bankert who greeted athletes crossing the finish line.


"I was a motivator," said Rouvre, a human resources noncommissioned officer who gave high-fives to the athletes. "When you see how excited they are [after finishing the race], it is an amazing experience."


Rouvre, from New Cumberland, Pa., is a third year volunteer who especially likes seeing the same athletes each year.


"I like seeing the kids growing up," he said. "They often remember us from prior years."