GENERAL HAM'S AFRICA REPORT

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Ham Reports Progress Against al-Shabab in AfricaBy Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

THEBEPHATSHWA AIR BASE, Aug. 22, 2012 - Calling the elimination of safe havens and support for terrorist groups in Africa his top priority, the commander of U.S. Africa Command reported that U.S. support for Somalia's military has had a direct impact in degrading the al-Shabab terror organization there.

"The performance of African militaries in Somalia ... has been extraordinary," Army Gen. Carter F. Ham told Soldiers Radio and Television Service reporter Gail McCabe during closing ceremonies for exercise Southern Accord here.

Ham noted the U.S. government role in training and equipping these forces and the impact it has had in increasing the African partners' counterterrorism capabilities.

"They really have degraded the capability of al-Shabab, an al-Qaida affiliate operating in Somalia, where most of Somali territory is no longer receptive to al-Shabab," he said. "They certainly still have some strong points, but are [al-Shabab is] greatly diminished over the last year, because of the role of Africans."

While holding up Somalia as a positive trend on the continent, Ham acknowledged progress elsewhere remains mixed. He noted Mali, where about two-thirds of the country "is essentially outside the control of the interim government ... and is largely controlled by transnational terrorist organizations."

Ham called the terrorist threat his most pressing challenge. "In fact, I would say it is my highest priority, as the geographic combatant commander, ... to protect America, Americans and American interests from threats that emerge from the continent of Africa," he said. "And at present, the most dangerous of those threats are transnational terrorists."

Countering this threat is the common denominator that drives Ham's theater engagement strategy and its broad array of operations, exercises and security cooperation programs. This includes teaching partner nations how to improve their border security, intelligence and tactical capabilities and equipping African nations so they can operate more effectively.

It's an effort Ham said involves the entire U.S. interagency – the departments of State, Commerce, Treasury and Justice, the U.S. Agency for International Development and other organizations – as they coordinate efforts to help address the underlying causes that create an environment where terrorists can operate.

The president's recently released policy directive for sub-Saharan Africa recognizes the importance of security in advancing economic development that lays the foundation for democracy, Ham noted.

"The two are interrelated," he said. "You can't really have good, strong economic development if there is not security and stability."

So Africom focuses on helping African partners promote security and stability. "We think it is important that we help African nations develop their own capabilities to provide their own security and also to begin the capability to contribute more expansively to regional security," Ham said.

U.S. engagements in Africa, such as Southern Accord, are tailored to help partners build capacity and to respect the rule of law, the general said. "What we are really trying to do is help you build security forces that are not only tactically capable, but forces that are genuinely responsive to legitimate civilian control – that operate according to the rule of law and see themselves as servants of that nation,'" he explained. "And we are seeing that over and over again, and we certainly see that here in Botswana."

Promoting that kind of engagement requires close relationships that are built over time. "It is all about relationships," Ham said. "It is the ability to talk to a chief of defense or minister of defense and in some cases, heads of state to convey to them what it is that we are trying to do, and make sure they understand that we ... don't want to do anything that they don't want us to do."

A true partnership benefits all the participants, Ham said, recognizing the gains both U.S. service members and Botswana Defense Force members received as they worked together during Southern Accord.

Ham said he's sometimes asked why what the United States needs a combatant command focused on Africa and why what happens in Africa matters to the United States. "I could easily say there are a billion reasons," he said, recognizing the African continent's population.

But also citing global economies and the global nature of security challenges, Ham emphasized that "what happens in Africa affects us in the United States."

"So I think there is a whole host of reasons why America and Americans should care about advancing our interests in Africa," he said. "And security is one component of an overall U.S. approach."

ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY AND MEDICARE FRAUD

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Florida Assisted Living Facility Owner Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Medicare Fraud Scheme
　
WASHINGTON – The owner of a Miami-area assisted living facility was sentenced today to serve 30 months in prison for his role in a kickback scheme that funneled patients to a fraudulent mental health provider, American Therapeutic Corporation (ATC), the Department of Justice, the FBI and the Department of Health and Human Services announced today.
　
Bobby Ramnarine, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks in the Southern District of Florida. In addition to his prison term, Ramnarine was sentenced to serve two years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $165,881 in restitution, jointly and severally with co-defendants. Ramnarine pleaded guilty on May 22, 2012, to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
　
Ramnarine was the owner of an assisted living facility called Elmina Inc., located in Lauderhill, Fla. According to court documents, Ramnarine agreed to send Elmina residents to ATC in exchange for illegal health care kickbacks. ATC purported to operate partial hospitalization programs (PHPs), a form of intensive treatment for severe mental illness, in seven different locations throughout South Florida and Orlando, Fla. According to court documents, Ramnarine admitted that he knew ATC falsely billed Medicare for PHP treatment based on his fraudulent referrals. Ramnarine also admitted he referred his residents to ATC because he would receive a cash kickback and because his residents had Medicare and were willing to go to ATC. According to the plea agreement, Ramnarine’s participation in the fraud resulted in more than $445,025 in fraudulent billing to the Medicare program.
　
ATC, its management company, Medlink Professional Management Group Inc., and various owners, managers, doctors, therapists, patient brokers and marketers of ATC, were charged with various health care fraud, kickback, money laundering and other offenses in two indictments unsealed on Feb. 15, 2011. ATC, Medlink and more than 20 of the individual defendants charged in these cases have pleaded guilty or have been convicted at trial.
　
The sentencing was announced today by Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer of the Southern District of Florida; Michael B. Steinbach, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI’s Miami Field Office; and Special Agent-in-Charge Christopher B. Dennis of the HHS Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Office of Investigations Miami Office.
　
The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Allan J. Medina, Steven Kim and William Parente of the Justice Department Criminal Division’s Fraud Section. The case was investigated by the FBI and HHS-OIG and was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, supervised by the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.


Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged more than 1,330 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $4 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.

DEFENSE Contracts for August 22, 2012

Contracts for August 22, 2012

More whooping cough

More whooping cough

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE DAILY BRIEFING

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ISAF NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN AUGUST 22, 2012

Photo:  General Dempsey On Board Aircraft In Afghanistan.  Credit:  DOD.
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE



From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release

　

KABUL, Afghanistan, Aug. 22, 2012 - An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader today in the Panjwai district of Afghanistan's Kandahar province, military officials reported.

　

The Taliban leader conducted attacks against Afghan and coalition forces and moved weapons and explosives to other Taliban fighters in the area. Prior to his arrest, officials said, the Taliban leader carried out an improvised explosive device attack against Afghan forces.

　

The security force also detained several suspected insurgents during the operation.

　

In other operations today:
-- In Kunduz province's Imam Sahib district, a combined force detained several suspected insurgents and seized weapons during a search for an Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan leader who finances and directs attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

　

-- A combined force detained several suspected insurgents in Helmand province's Now Zad district during a search for a Taliban leader who is in charge of acquiring weapons for Taliban fighters in the province's Marjah and Washir districts.

　

-- In the Pul-e Alam district of Logar province, a combined security force detained several suspected insurgents during an operation to arrest a Haqqani network leader who facilitates construction of improvised explosive devices and oversees IED attacks.

　

In other news, Afghan and coalition officials announced today that the insurgent leader Mullah Dost Mohammad was one of several insurgents arrested Aug. 20 during an operation in the Tarin Kot district of Uruzgan province. Mohammad is a key member of an IED supply and facilitation network in the Deh Rafshan area of Tarin Kot, officials said. He also is responsible for IED attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

ETHOPIA: HISTORY, ECONOMY AND PASSING OF IT'S LEADER

FROM: U.S DEPARTMENT OF STATE
The Passing of Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi

Press Statement
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
August 21, 2012
I was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia.
I admired the Prime Minister’s personal commitment to transforming Ethiopia’s economy and to expanding education and health services. He was an important and influential voice in Africa, and we especially valued his role in promoting peace and security in the region. I am confident that Ethiopia will peacefully navigate the political transition according to its constitution.
On behalf of the American people, I would like to offer my sincere condolences to the people of Ethiopia, and to reaffirm our commitment to a strong partnership focused on strengthening development, democracy and human rights, and regional security.
　
PROFILE

Geography
Area: 1.1 million sq. km (472,000 sq. mi.); about the size of Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico combined.
Cities: Capital--Addis Ababa (pop. 3.4 million, 2012 est.). Other cities--Dire Dawa (387,000), Nazret (271,562), Gondar (254,420), Dessie (181,042), Mekelle (273,459), Bahir Dar (266,432), Jimma (149,166), Awassa (326,675).
Terrain: High plateau, mountains, dry lowland plains.
Climate: Temperate in the highlands; hot in the lowlands.


People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Ethiopian(s).
Population (est.): 84 million.
Annual population growth rate (est.): 2.6%.
Ethnic groups (est.): Oromo 34.5%, Amhara 26.9%, Tigre 6.1%, Somali 6.2%, Sidama 4%, Gurage 2.5%, Wolaita 2.3%, Afar 1.7%, other nationalities 3%.
Religions (est.): Ethiopian Orthodox Christian 43.5%, Muslim 33.9%, Protestant 18.6%, remainder indigenous beliefs.
Languages: Amharic (official), Tigrinya, Arabic, Guaragigna, Oromifa, English, Somali.
Education: Years compulsory--none. Attendance (elementary)--87.9%. Literacy--43%.
Health: Infant mortality rate--77/1,000 live births.
Work force: Agriculture--80%. Industry and commerce--20%.


Government
Type: Federal republic.
Constitution: Ratified 1994.
Branches: Executive--president, Council of State, Council of Ministers. Executive power resides with the prime minister. Legislative--bicameral parliament. Judicial--divided into federal and regional courts.
Administrative subdivisions: 9 regions and 2 special city administrations: Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa.
Political parties: Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), Ethiopian Federal Democratic Unity Forum (Medrek), the Unity for Democracy and Justice (UDJ) party, the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces (UEDF), Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement (OFDM), Ethiopian Democratic Party (EDP), Oromo Peoples’ Congress (OPC), All Ethiopia Unity Party (AEUP), and other small parties.
Suffrage: Universal starting at age 18.
Central government budget (2011-2012): $6.97 billion.
Defense: $384.6 million (5.5% of GDP FY 2011-2012).
National holiday: May 28.


Economy
GDP (FY 2010-2011): $31.7 billion.
Annual growth rate (2010-2011): 11.4%.
GDP per capita (2010-2011): $376.
Average inflation rate (FY 2010-2011): 18.1%; year-on-year inflation rate: 38.1%.
Natural resources: Potash, salt, gold, copper, platinum, natural gas (unexploited).
Agriculture (41% of GDP): Products--coffee, cereals, pulses, oilseeds, khat, meat, hides and skins. Cultivated land--17%.
Industry (13% of GDP): Types--textiles, leather products, processed foods, construction, cement, and hydroelectric power.
Services (46% of GDP).
Trade (2010-2011): Exports--$2.75 billion. Imports--$8.25 billion; plus private transfers including remittances--official est. $3.2 billion.
Fiscal year: July 8-July 7.


GEOGRAPHY
Ethiopia is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered by Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya, South Sudan, and Sudan. The country has a high central plateau that varies from 1,800 to 3,000 meters (6,000 ft.-10,000 ft.) above sea level, with some mountains reaching 4,620 meters (15,158 ft.). Elevation is generally highest just before the point of descent to the Great Rift Valley, which splits the plateau diagonally. A number of rivers cross the plateau--notably the Blue Nile flowing from Lake Tana. The plateau gradually slopes to the lowlands of Ethiopia's neighbors to the west and the Somali-inhabited plains to the southeast.


PEOPLE
Ethiopia's population is highly diverse. Most of its people speak a Semitic or Cushitic language. The Oromo, Amhara, and Tigreans make up more than two-thirds of the population, but there are more than 77 different ethnic groups with their own distinct languages within Ethiopia. Some of these have as few as 10,000 members. In general, most of the Christians live in the highlands, while Muslims and adherents of traditional African religions tend to inhabit lowland regions. English is the most widely spoken foreign language and is taught in all secondary schools. Amharic is the official language and was the language of primary school instruction but has been replaced in many areas by local languages such as Oromifa and Tigrinya.


HISTORY
Hominid bones discovered in eastern Ethiopia dating back 4.4 million years make Ethiopia one of the earliest known locations of human ancestors. Ethiopia is the oldest independent country in Africa and one of the oldest in the world. Herodotus, the Greek historian of the fifth century B.C., describes ancient Ethiopia in his writings. The Old Testament of the Bible records the Queen of Sheba's visit to Jerusalem. According to legend, Menelik I, the son of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, founded the Ethiopian Empire. Missionaries from Egypt and Syria introduced Christianity in the fourth century A.D. Following the rise of Islam in the seventh century, Ethiopia was gradually cut off from European Christendom. The Portuguese established contact with Ethiopia in 1493, primarily to strengthen their influence over the Indian Ocean and to convert Ethiopia to Roman Catholicism. There followed a century of conflict between pro- and anti-Catholic factions, resulting in the expulsion of all foreign missionaries in the 1630s. This period of bitter religious conflict contributed to hostility toward foreign Christians and Europeans, which persisted into the 20th century and was a factor in Ethiopia's isolation until the mid-19th century.


Under the Emperors Tewodros II (1855-68), Johannes IV (1872-89), and Menelik II (1889-1913), the kingdom was consolidated and began to emerge from its medieval isolation. When Menelik II died, his grandson, Lij Iyassu, succeeded to the throne but soon lost support because of his Muslim ties. The Christian nobility deposed him in 1916, and Menelik's daughter, Zewditu, was made empress. Her cousin, Ras Tafari Makonnen (1892-1975), was made regent and successor to the throne. In 1930, after the empress died, the regent, adopting the throne name Haile Selassie, was crowned emperor. His reign was interrupted in 1936 when Italian Fascist forces invaded and occupied Ethiopia. The emperor was forced into exile in England. Five years later, British and Ethiopian forces defeated the Italians, and the emperor returned to the throne.


Following civil unrest, which began in February 1974, the aging Haile Selassie I was deposed on September 12, 1974, by a provisional administrative council of soldiers, known as the Derg ("committee"). The Derg seized power, installing a government that was socialist in name and military in style. It then summarily executed 59 members of the royal family and ministers and generals of the emperor's government; Emperor Haile Selassie I was strangled in the basement of his palace on August 22, 1975.


The Derg's collapse was hastened by droughts, famine, and insurrections, particularly in the northern regions of Tigray and Eritrea. In 1989, the Tigrayan People's Liberation Front (TPLF) merged with other ethnically based opposition movements to form the Ethiopian Peoples' Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). In May 1991, EPRDF forces advanced on Addis Ababa. Mengistu fled the country for asylum in Zimbabwe, where he still resides.


In July 1991, the EPRDF, the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), and others established the Transitional Government of Ethiopia (TGE), composed of an 87-member Council of Representatives and guided by a national charter that functioned as a transitional constitution. In June 1992, the OLF withdrew from the government; in March 1993, members of the Southern Ethiopia Peoples' Democratic Coalition left the government.


In May 1991, the Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF), led by Isaias Afwerki, assumed control of Eritrea and established a provisional government. This provisional government independently administered Eritrea until April 23-25, 1993, when Eritreans voted overwhelmingly for independence in a UN-monitored free and fair referendum. Eritrea, with Ethiopia’s consent, was declared independent on April 27. The United States recognized its independence the next day.


In Ethiopia, President Meles Zenawi and members of the TGE pledged to oversee the formation of a multi-party democracy. The election for a 547-member constituent assembly was held in June 1994. The assembly adopted the constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in December 1994. The elections for Ethiopia's first popularly chosen national parliament and regional legislatures were held in May and June 1995. Most opposition parties chose to boycott these elections, ensuring a landslide victory for the EPRDF. International and non-governmental observers concluded that opposition parties would have been able to participate had they chosen to do so. The Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia was installed in August 1995.


In May 1998, Eritrean forces attacked part of the Ethiopia-Eritrea border region, seizing some Ethiopian-controlled territory. The strike spurred a 2-year war between the neighboring states that cost more than 70,000 lives. On June 18, 2000, Ethiopian and Eritrean leaders signed an Agreement on Cessation of Hostilities and on December 12, 2000, a peace agreement known as the Algiers Agreement.


Opposition candidates won 12 seats in national parliamentary elections in 2000. In controversial national elections in May 2005, the opposition was awarded 170 of 547 seats but claimed fraud; violence ensued. Ethiopian security forces responded and in the process killed more than 200 people, arrested scores of opposition leaders, as well as journalists and human rights advocates, and detained tens of thousands of civilians for up to 3 months in rural detention camps. In December 2005, the government charged 131 opposition, media, and civil society leaders--including the prominent opposition leader Birtukan Mideksa, a former judge and the vice-chairperson of the opposition Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) party--with capital offenses including "outrages against the constitution." Birtukan was sentenced to life imprisonment, though she and other key opposition leaders and the majority of the 131 arrested were pardoned and released from prison 18 months later. The opposition largely boycotted local elections in 2008 with the result that EPRDF won more than 99% of all local seats.


In June 2008, Birtukan was elected the party chairman of the new Unity for Democracy and Justice (UDJ) party at its inaugural session in Addis Ababa. In October 2008, the Ethiopian Government arrested more than 100 Oromo leaders, accusing some of being members of the outlawed Oromo Liberation Front (OLF). At the end of December 2008, after briefly detaining Birtukan several times during the month, the government re-arrested her, saying she had violated the conditions of her summer 2007 pardon. Her original sentence of life imprisonment was reinstated and she remained in prison until she was pardoned again and released on October 6, 2010.


In April 2009, the Ethiopian Government arrested 41 individuals, mostly Amhara military or ex-military members allegedly affiliated with external opposition party Ginbot 7, for suspected involvement in a terrorist assassination plot of government leaders. The Ginbot 7 party was founded in May 2008 in the United States by Berhanu Nega, one of the opposition leaders in the 2005 elections, and advocates for change in the government "by any means." In August 2009, the Federal High Court found 13 of the defendants guilty in absentia and one not guilty in absentia. In November 2009, the court found another 27 guilty.


In simultaneous national and regional parliamentary elections in May 2010, the ruling EPRDF won more than 99% of all legislative seats in the country. In a tally of the popular vote, 91.95% voted for EPRDF and affiliate parties, while only 8.05% voted for the opposition countrywide. Election day was peaceful as 89% of registered voters cast ballots, but independent observation of the vote was severely limited. Only European Union and African Union observers were permitted, and they were restricted to the capital and barred from proximity to polling places. Although those few independent observers allowed access to the process did not question the EPRDF victory, there was ample evidence that unsavory government tactics--including intimidation of opposition candidates and supporters--influenced the extent of the victory.


Observers declared the 2010 elections not up to international standards because an environment conducive to free and fair elections was not in place. According to observers, the EPRDF used the advantage of incumbency to restrict political space for opposition candidates and activists. At the local level, thousands of opposition activists complained of EPRDF-sponsored mistreatment, ranging from harassment in submitting candidacy forms to beatings by local militia members, and complained further that there was no forum free of EPRDF control to which to present those complaints.


In June 2011, the Ethiopian parliament officially designated five groups as terrorist organizations under Ethiopian law, including the OLF, the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), Ginbot 7, al-Qaida, and al-Shabaab. Later in 2011, the Ethiopian Government arrested large numbers of activists, journalists, and political leaders for alleged involvement in terrorist activities and charged many of them under Ethiopia's controversial 2009 anti-terrorism proclamation. In December 2011, two Swedish journalists were sentenced to 11 years in prison on charges of entering Ethiopia illegally and allegedly supporting the ONLF.


On January 26, 2012, the Federal High Court sentenced Elias Kifle, a blogger, to life imprisonment in absentia; Zerihun Gebre Egziabhier, Chairman of Ethiopian National Unity Party, to 17 years in prison; Wubishet Taye, deputy editor-in-chief of a local newspaper, to 14 years; Reeyot Alemu, a columnist, to 14 years; and Hirut Kifle, a political activist, to 19 years, for conspiring and attempting to commit terrorist acts and participation in a terrorist organization.


GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS
Ethiopia is a federal republic under the 1994 constitution. The executive branch includes a president, Council of State, and Council of Ministers. Executive power resides with the prime minister. There is a bicameral parliament; national legislative elections were held in 2010. The judicial branch comprises federal and regional courts. Following the 2010 elections, there were 152 women in the 547-seat parliament, two female judges on the 11-seat Supreme Court, three women ministers among the 21-member cabinet, and four women among 53 state ministers.


Political parties include the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), Ethiopian Federal Democratic Unity Forum (Medrek), the Unity for Democracy and Justice (UDJ) party, the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces (UEDF), Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement (OFDM), Ethiopian Democratic Party (EDP), Oromo Peoples’ Congress (OPC), All Ethiopia Unity Party (AEUP), and other small parties. Suffrage is universal at age 18.


The EPRDF-led government of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has promoted a policy of ethnic federalism, devolving significant powers to regional, ethnically-based authorities. Ethiopia has nine semi-autonomous administrative regions and two special city administrations (Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa), which have the power to raise their own revenues. The government redrew the regional boundaries in 1994 along ethnic lines, giving each major ethnic group its own regional administration.


Principal Government Officials
President--Girma Wolde-Giorgis
Prime Minister--Meles Zenawi
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs--Hailemariam Desalegn
Minister of National Defense--Siraj Fegisa
Mayor of Addis Ababa--Kuma Demeska
Ambassador to the U.S.--Girma Birru


Ethiopia maintains an embassy in the U.S. at 3506 International Drive, NW, Washington, DC 20008 (tel. 202-364-1200). It also maintains a UN mission in New York and consulates in Los Angeles, Seattle (honorary), and Houston (honorary).


ECONOMY
The current government has embarked on a cautious program of economic reform, including privatization of state enterprises and rationalization of government regulation. While the process is still ongoing, the government is continuously offloading public enterprises while at the same time creating others, such as sugar corporations, keeping the government heavily involved in the economy. The government is implementing its ambitious Growth and Transformation Plan (2010-2011 through 2014-2015), which aims to achieve an average growth rate of 11.2% and meet all millennium development goals. GDP growth for the past 5 years has averaged 11% annually, according to Ethiopian Government figures, though the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have estimated GDP growth to be in the range of 7%-8%.


The Ethiopian economy is primarily based on agriculture, which contributes 41% to GDP and more than 75% of exports, and employs 80% of the population. The major agricultural export crop is coffee, providing approximately 30.6% of Ethiopia's foreign exchange earnings in 2010-2011, down from 65% a decade ago because of the increase in other exports. Other traditional major agricultural exports are finished leather goods, pulses, oilseeds, and the traditional "khat," a leafy narcotic that is chewed. Cut flowers and gold exports have become major export items in recent years. Gold was Ethiopia's second-largest export in 2010-2011, earning 17% of export proceeds. Ethiopia's agriculture is plagued by periodic drought, soil degradation caused by inappropriate agricultural practices and overgrazing, deforestation, high population density, undeveloped water resources, and poor transport infrastructure. Commercial agriculture by large foreign firms has expanded, though this expansion has been marked by controversy over allegations of forced resettlements and adverse environmental impacts. Potential exists for self-sufficiency in grains and for export development in livestock, flowers, grains, oilseeds, sugar, vegetables, and fruits.


Gold, marble, limestone, and small amounts of tantalum are mined in Ethiopia. Other resources with potential for commercial development include large potash deposits, natural gas, iron ore, and possibly oil and geothermal energy. Although Ethiopia has good hydroelectric resources, which power most of its manufacturing sector, it is totally dependent on imports for oil. In recent years, there have been positive developments in harnessing hydropower potential through construction of mega dams that could increase Ethiopia’s current electricity production capacity of 2,000 megawatts to 10,000 megawatts by 2014-2015, generating sufficient power for Ethiopia to sell excess supply to its neighbors. A landlocked country, Ethiopia has relied on the port of Djibouti since the 1998-2000 border war with Eritrea. Ethiopia is connected with the port of Djibouti by road, and projects are ongoing to construct railway lines. Of the 49,000 kilometers of all-weather roads in Ethiopia, 15% are asphalt. Mountainous terrain and the lack of good roads and sufficient vehicles make land transportation difficult and expensive. Ethiopian Airlines serves 17 domestic airfields and has 64 international destinations.


Dependent on a few vulnerable crops for its foreign exchange earnings and reliant on imported oil and capital goods, Ethiopia often suffers from severe foreign exchange shortages. The largely subsistence economy is incapable of meeting the budget requirements for drought relief, an ambitious development plan, and indispensable imports such as oil. The financing gap has largely been covered through foreign assistance and loans.


DEFENSE
The Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) is currently estimated at 180,000 personnel and is one of the largest and more capable militaries in Africa. Troop strength increased to 350,000 during the 1998-2000 border war with Eritrea but tapered to 200,000 following the 2000 Algiers Agreement. The ENDF has mostly transitioned from its roots as a guerilla force to an effective, all-volunteer, professional military. The defense forces have participated in U.S.-sponsored training and engagements, including peacekeeping operations, professional military education, management, and counterterrorism operations. Ethiopia maintains a peacekeeping contingent in Liberia and in January 2009, ENDF peacekeepers began regular rotations to Darfur. In July 2011, the ENDF conducted a rapid, three-phase deployment to the contested area of Abyei as the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA). Ethiopia remains the only nation entrusted by both sides to secure peace and stability for the region. In December 2011, Ethiopia conducted an offensive in Somalia to back efforts by the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia and the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) to defeat the al-Shabaab terrorist organization.


FOREIGN RELATIONS
Ethiopia was relatively isolated from major movements of world politics until Italian invasions in 1895 and 1935. Since World War II, Ethiopia has played an active role in world and African affairs. Ethiopia was a charter member of the United Nations and took part in UN operations in Korea in 1951 and the Congo in 1960. Former Emperor Haile Selassie was a founder of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), now known as the African Union (AU), which is headquartered in Addis Ababa. Addis Ababa also hosts the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). Ethiopia is also a member of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), a Horn of Africa regional group.


Although nominally a member of the Non-Aligned Movement, after the 1974 revolution Ethiopia moved into a close relationship with the Soviet Union and its allies and supported their international policies and positions until the change of government in 1991. Today, Ethiopia has good relations with the United States and the West, especially in responding to regional instability and supporting counterterrorism efforts.


Ethiopia's relations with Eritrea have remained tense and unresolved following the brutal 1998-2000 border war. The two countries signed a peace agreement in December 2000. A five-member independent international commission--the Eritrea Ethiopia Boundary Commission (EEBC)--issued a decision in April 2002 delimiting the border. In November 2007, the EEBC issued a decision demarcating the border based on map coordinates (typical demarcation based on pillars on the ground had not yet occurred due to disagreement between Ethiopia and Eritrea) and disbanded. Ethiopia does not consider the border to be demarcated, though Eritrea does. In July 2008, the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) peacekeeping mission was terminated because Eritrean restrictions impeded UNMEE’s ability to operate. Each country has stationed approximately 100,000 troops along the border. Both countries insist they will not instigate fighting, but remain prepared for any eventuality. Ethiopia briefly sent troops a few miles into Eritrea in March 2012 in retaliation for a January 2012 attack on foreign tourists that Ethiopia blamed on a rebel group allegedly backed by Eritrea.


The irredentist claims of the extremist-controlled Council of Islamic Courts (CIC) in Somalia in 2006 posed a security threat to Ethiopia and to the TFG. In December 2006, the TFG requested the assistance of the Ethiopian military to respond to the CIC's growing strength within Somalia. Within a few weeks, the joint Ethiopian-TFG forces routed the CIC from Somalia. Subsequently, Ethiopia stationed troops in Somalia (largely around Mogadishu), awaiting full deployment of the African Union's Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). However, the slow buildup of AMISOM troop levels pushed the Ethiopian Government to announce that its army would withdraw from the country in a matter of weeks. By the end of January 2009, all of its 3,000-4,000 troops had left the country. In December 2011, Ethiopia deployed troops to Somalia to assist the TFG, Kenyan Defense Forces, and AMISOM troops in fighting al-Shabaab.


U.S.-ETHIOPIA RELATIONS
U.S.-Ethiopian relations were established in 1903 and were positive throughout the period prior to the Italian occupation in 1935. After World War II, these ties strengthened on the basis of a September 1951 treaty of amity and economic relations. In 1953, two agreements were signed: a mutual defense assistance agreement, under which the United States agreed to furnish military equipment and training, and an accord regularizing the operations of a U.S. communication facility at Asmara. Through fiscal year 1978, the United States provided Ethiopia with $282 million in military assistance and $366 million in economic assistance in agriculture, education, public health, and transportation. A Peace Corps program emphasized education, and U.S. Information Service educational and cultural exchanges were numerous.


After Ethiopia's revolution, the bilateral relationship began to cool due to the Derg's linkage with international communism and U.S. revulsion at the Derg's human rights abuses. The United States rebuffed Ethiopia's request for increased military assistance to intensify its fight against the Eritrean secessionist movement and to repel the 1977 Somali invasion of Ethiopia. In July 1980, the U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia was recalled at the request of the Ethiopian Government, and the U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia and the Ethiopian Embassy in the United States were headed by Charges d'Affaires. The International Security and Development Act of 1985 prohibited all U.S. economic assistance to Ethiopia with the exception of humanitarian disaster and emergency relief.


With the downfall of the Mengistu regime, U.S.-Ethiopian relations improved dramatically. Legislative restrictions on assistance to Ethiopia other than humanitarian assistance were lifted. Diplomatic relations were upgraded to the ambassadorial level in 1992. Total U.S. Government assistance, including food aid, between 2000 and 2011 was $6.226 billion. In FY 2011 the U.S. Government provided $847 million in assistance, including more than $323 million in food aid.


Today, Ethiopia is an important regional security partner of the United States. U.S. development assistance to Ethiopia is focused on reducing famine vulnerability, hunger, and poverty and emphasizes economic, governance, and social sector policy reforms. Some military training funds, including training in such issues as the laws of war and observance of human rights, also are provided but are explicitly limited to non-lethal assistance and training.

9-11 PROSECUTION AS IT STANDS TODAY

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Aug. 21, 2012 - Three months after the arraignment of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his four co-defendants, those accused of planning and executing the 9/11 terrorist attacks will be back in court this month for hearings on motions made by the defense and prosecution.
　
Army Brig. Gen. Mark S. Martins, chief prosecutor in the Office of Military Commissions, is overseeing the trial in the case of the United States vs. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin Attash, Ramzi Binalshibh, Ali Abdul Aziz Ali and Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi.
　
Martins is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy and Harvard Law School and is a Rhodes scholar.
"The military commission convened to try the charges referred to it against [the defendants] will hold what are known under the Military Commissions Act of 2009 as sessions without panel members present," Martins told American Forces Press Service.
　
The sessions will take place at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Aug. 22-24 and Aug. 26-28.
　
"Such sessions -- in the same manner that a federal district court hearing a criminal case will do prior to the seating of a civilian jury -- enable the hearing of various matters in an orderly, methodical way for resolution by the judge prior to trial," he added.
　
What the chief prosecutor described as an adversarial process is consistent, Martins said, with the fair, transparent and accountable administration of justice under the rule of law.
　
The charges allege that the co-defendants are responsible for planning and executing the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, in New York, Washington and Shanksville, Pa., resulting in the deaths of 2,976 people.
　
During a 13-hour arraignment in a secure courtroom at Guantanamo Bay in May, the five were charged with terrorism, conspiracy, attacking civilians, attacking civilian objects, intentionally causing serious bodily injury, murder in violation of the law of war, destruction of property in violation of the law of war, hijacking or hazarding a vessel or aircraft.
　
Before evidence can be presented, "particularly in a complex, joint trial such as this one figures to be, many matters must be addressed and placed on the record," the chief prosecutor said, adding that this session is being called to consider 24 or so motions made by the defense and the prosecution.
　
Martins emphasized that the charges are only allegations and that the accused are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
　
In terms of the motions to be heard, he added, each piece of business must receive due deliberation.
　
"Some of the motions by the defense allege jurisdictional error, which means that if the defense position were to prevail, the commission would lack the authority to proceed," Martins explained.
　
"The prosecution's position, not surprisingly, is in opposition to these motions," he added.
　
In some of its motions, he said, the prosecution is seeking standard protective orders necessary to ensure that certain materials provided to the defense in discovery are not publicly released. These include classified information protecting sources and methods of intelligence gathering, information about terrorist organizations, certain privacy information, and several categories of information routinely protected in the public interest, the chief prosecutor said.
　
Martins advised media members who hear continuing complaints from defense counsel in the sessions about a lack of resourcing and the difficulty of forming effective attorney-client relationships to "seek out additional perspectives, including by reading government submissions to the court on the matter and by reviewing facts about resources provided, counsel and investigative hours billed and paid, numbers of flights to Guantanamo available and not taken, opportunities for communication with client through a privilege team, and similar empirical data."
　
The judge intends to hear arguments from legal counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union and several media organizations regarding public access to the proceedings, Martins said.
　
"The prosecution supports the judge hearing such argument and is facilitating counsel's travel to Guantanamo for this purpose," he said. "The trial process only benefits from the increased public-access measures that have been put in place, including closed-circuit transmission of the proceedings to the continental United States and same-day posting of unofficial, verbatim transcripts of each session."
　
But, he added, "the prosecution opposes departure from the public-access rules used in U.S. federal district courts and military courts-martial, while ACLU and the media organizations seek such a departure in desiring the proceedings to be televised."
　
No federal criminal trial or military court-martial has ever been televised, the chief prosecutor noted, "on the rationale that televising trials would violate the balance between the public's manifest interest in observing the workings of government and other important public interests, including the fair administration of justice."
　
The existing public-access rule, he added, "incorporates the value that criminal trials are foremost about ascertaining the truth, determining the innocence or guilt of the accused, and, if the accused is convicted, arriving at a just sentence."
　
While the 9/11 attacks have been heavily chronicled, Martins said, "the process of seeking accountability under law for the crimes of that day remains unfinished."
　
In the months ahead, more sessions without panel members will likely be held to deal with legal and evidentiary issues, he added.
　
"As the accused and their counsel have yet to receive hundreds of thousands of pages of discovery, ... these sessions are part of a court process that will likely take many additional months," Martins said.
　
"It is an important guarantee of fairness that an accused can examine the evidence against him or her, and ... have access to any information that might tend to exculpate or, if convicted, lessen the appropriate punishment," the chief prosecutor explained.
　
The claim has been made that the many motions and the likely length of the process show that military commissions are unsettled and that such extensive litigation would never happen in an established civilian court, Martins said.
　
"Such claims are mistaken," he added. "The judge in this case will consider the facts and apply a well-developed body of law and precedent. That is what courts do, and that is why records of trial and law books containing case precedents are fat," he said.
　
As an example, Martins cited the case of Zacarias Moussaoui, a French citizen and self-proclaimed al-Qaida operative who was tried in federal district court in Virginia and in 2006 received a sentence of life in prison.
　
"The federal judge considered hundreds of motions over the course of a four-year, four-month trial," the chief prosecutor said of the Moussaoui trial, adding that the case produced 1,900 docket entries and some 1,200 exhibits.
　
"However long the journey," Martins said, "the United States is committed to fair and thorough trial of these serious charges."

Los dos próximos satélites Galileo llegan al Puerto Espacial Europeo para ser lanzados en octubre

Los dos próximos satélites Galileo llegan al Puerto Espacial Europeo para ser lanzados en octubre

TAIWAN'S STATE DEPARTMENT FACT SHEET

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

In 1979, the United States changed its diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing. In the U.S.-P.R.C. Joint Communique that announced the change, the United States recognized the Government of the People's Republic of China as the sole legal government of China and acknowledged the Chinese position that there is but one China and Taiwan is part of China. The Joint Communique also stated that within this context the people of the United States will maintain cultural, commercial, and other unofficial relations with the people on Taiwan.
　
The United States does not support Taiwan independence. Maintaining strong, unofficial relations with Taiwan is a major U.S. goal, in line with the U.S. desire to further peace and stability in Asia. The 1979 Taiwan Relations Act provides the legal basis for the unofficial relationship between the U.S. and Taiwan, and enshrines the U.S. commitment to assisting Taiwan in maintaining its defensive capability. The United States insists on the peaceful resolution of cross-Strait differences and encourages dialogue to help advance such an outcome.
　
U.S. Assistance to Taiwan
The United States provides no development assistance to Taiwan.
　
Bilateral Economic Relations
U.S. commercial ties with Taiwan have been maintained and have expanded since 1979. Taiwan enjoys Export-Import Bank financing, Overseas Private Investment Corporation guarantees, normal trade relations status, and ready access to U.S. markets. The American Institute in Taiwan has been engaged in a series of trade discussions that have focused on protection of intellectual property rights and market access for U.S. goods and services. The United States and Taiwan have concluded a bilateral investment agreement and have signed a trade and investment framework agreement.
　
Taiwan's Membership in International Organizations
Taiwan and the United States belong to a number of the same international organizations, including the World Trade Organization, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, and Asian Development Bank; statehood is not a requirement for membership in these organizations. The United States supports Taiwan's meaningful participation in appropriate international organizations where its membership is not possible.
　
Bilateral Representation
The U.S. maintains unofficial relations with the people on Taiwan through the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), a private nonprofit corporation, which performs citizen and consular services similar to those at diplomatic posts. The Director of AIT is Christopher J. Marut; other principal officials are listed on AIT's site.

STAYING FOCUSED IN FIRST FIREFIGHT

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Marine Corps Pfc. Timothy Workman outside his tent at Patrol Base Paser Lay, Afghanistan, Aug. 19, 2012. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Timothy Lenzo
 
　
Face of Defense: Marine Stays Focused in First Firefight


By Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Brian Buckwalter
Regimental Combat Team 6
PATROL BASE DETROIT, Afghanistan, Aug. 21, 2012 - It's a moment of truth for many Marines: the first time they are in combat and their training is put to the test.
　
When his squad took enemy contact during a recent patrol through Trek Nawa, Marine Corps Pfc. Timothy Workman found his moment.
　
"I could hear rounds cracking over my head," said Workman, a mortarman with Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, Regimental Combat Team 6. "The adrenaline started pumping right away."
　
This was Workman's first firefight. A year ago, he was standing on the yellow footprints at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., to start basic training, a tradition every Marine recruit goes through. Now, with the mid-morning sun beating down, he was crouched in a ditch, his M16 assault rifle ready.
　
Workman and his fellow Marines were engaged in fighting six to eight enemies. The insurgents fired from several different positions, shooting through small holes in walls several hundred meters away. Marines took cover in mud compounds and behind mounds of debris.
　
Workman's squad split into two units during the firefight. Workman, from Peebles, Ohio, went with Marine Corps Staff Sgt. David Simons, his platoon sergeant, as they moved forward to return fire.
　
"At one point, I witnessed Workman moving up into position to engage the enemy," recalled Simons, from Sidney, Mont. "He fired on the enemy, and when the enemy returned fire, it allowed us to open up with our machine gun."
　
The morning sounds of birds and farmers were replaced with the sudden burst of rifles and the "rat-ta-tat-tat" of machinegun fire. An hour later the fight was over, and the Marines returned to their patrol base.
　
"Since we've been out here, it's pretty common for [the other Marines] to engage in firefights," Workman explained. "These [insurgents] will stick around and [fight] for awhile."
　
Workman's company patrols the volatile Trek Nawa area of Afghanistan, located between the Marjah and Nawa districts in Helmand province.
　
The Marines engaged enemies in firefights ranging from isolated pot shots to three–day battles. For Workman, the fighting hit home six months before he left for boot camp. In December, his friend's older brother, Luke, was killed while serving near this same area of Afghanistan.
　
"I had gone to school with Luke's brother since the 6th grade," Workman said. "At the time [of Luke's death], I had already decided to join, but this motivated me to continue the work that Luke gave his life for."
　
In addition to Luke, Workman said, he's lost a couple other friends to the war. But despite those losses, Workman said, he remembered his training and focused on his job during the fight.
　
"I was trying to get positive identification on the enemy, trying to find where they were firing from, looking for spotters and just covering my brothers," said Workman.
　
Now that his first firefight is over, Workman's platoon will monitor his behavior.
　
"The main thing we look for is a Marine's mindset after their first time in combat," Simons said. "We are a family, so we can tell when one of our brother's is acting differently. We watch for it and take care of each other."
　
Simons said Workman seemed mentally strong before and after the firefight. He is proud of Workman and the discipline he showed on the battlefield.
　
The Marines have more operations planned through Trek Nawa and expect more firefights before they return to the United States.
　
"I can say there's nothing else like the Marine Corps," Workman said. "I'll continue picking my sergeants' and seniors' brains, trying to be better prepared for the next fight."

U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES NEW CIVIL RIGHTS ENFORCEMENT UNIT

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez Speaks at Press Conference Announcing Civil Rights Enforcement Unit
Birmingham, Ala. ~ Tuesday, August 21, 2012

　
Good morning, and thank you all for joining us for this important announcement. It is an honor to be here with Joyce and her staff in the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Joyce is deeply committed to protecting the civil rights of the communities she serves. And the attorneys and professionals in her office have been invaluable partners to the Department of Justice throughout my tenure at the Civil Rights Division. Today’s announcement commemorates that partnership, and will strengthen it for years to come.
　
I extend my sincere congratulations to everyone in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the civil rights advocates and stakeholders on the ground, and the communities throughout Northern Alabama who worked so hard in recent months to make this Civil Rights Unit possible.
　
This announcement is all the more special because of where we are today. I first toured the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute two years ago. I had the opportunity then to see what a great and living monument this Institute is to Birmingham’s rich history in the civil rights movement. It is important that we are here together now, during the 20th anniversary of the Institute, to look back at that history – and to look forward together to how far we have to travel to realize the vision of the brave men and women memorialized on these walls.
　
The eyes of the world watched as centuries of our nation’s troubled history of race relations played out in these streets a half century ago. Residents of Birmingham, many of them children, marched through this city demanding access to the promise of our founding documents. They exposed themselves to great physical violence, and far too many lives were stolen by that fight. But their struggle was not in vain. This city was the eye of the storm that sparked revolutionary change.
　
To visit these sacred sites is a reminder of how far we have come. Our nation has made great progress toward the promise of equal opportunity and equal justice. Just days ago, we watched as thousands of young people lined up request consideration for temporary relief from removal . These are people who came to this country as children, with loved ones who sought to give them a chance at a better life. They are students and veterans who represent the best of what America has to offer. More than anything, they want to pursue their dreams and contribute to this country, a country that they know and love as their own.
　
Given the progress we’ve made, it is not surprising that I frequently encounter people who wonder why, in 2012, we still need a Civil Rights Division. Like all of us, they are proud of the progress we’ve made as a nation. They see an African-American President and an African American Attorney General. They see a growing number of minorities and women serving in Congress. They see an African American and a Latina on the Supreme Court. And they assume that these great symbols of progress mean that our journey is complete.
　
But this morning, I had the opportunity to meet with 21st century civil rights advocates who remind us all that the fight is not finished. They understand that, for so many of our neighbors, true equal opportunity and true equal justice remain just out of reach. Far too many of our brothers and sisters still live in the shadows of life.

Even as thousands of young immigrants to the United States are reaching for a second chance, thousands of schoolchildren in Alabama are starting the school year under the specter of H.B. 56. Thirty years ago, the Supreme Court ruled in Plyler v. Doe that all students, no matter their immigration status, must be welcome in our nation’s schools. Yet far too many children are being kept from the classroom, just as far too many children have yet to see the truly equal educational environment they were promised in perhaps the most well known Supreme Court ruling in our nation’s history more than five decades ago.

CRASH!!!

FROM: NASA
Hubble Watches Star Clusters on a Collision Course
Astronomers using data from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope caught two clusters full of massive stars that may be in the early stages of merging. The 30 Doradus Nebula is 170,000 light-years from Earth. What at first was thought to be only one cluster in the core of the massive star-forming region 30 Doradus has been found to be a composite of two clusters that differ in age by about one million years.


The entire 30 Doradus complex has been an active star-forming region for 25 million years, and it is currently unknown how much longer this region can continue creating new stars. Smaller systems that merge into larger ones could help to explain the origin of some of the largest known star clusters. The Hubble observations, made with the Wide Field Camera 3, were taken Oct. 20-27, 2009. The blue color is light from the hottest, most massive stars; the green from the glow of oxygen; and the red from fluorescing hydrogen.

Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and E. Sabbi (ESA/STScI)

U.S.-ALGERIA RELATIONS

Map Credit:  U.S. State Department.
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
The United States established diplomatic relations with Algeria in 1962 following its independence from France. Algeria severed relations with the United States in 1967, in the wake of the Arab-Israeli War. Relations were reestablished in 1974.
　
The United States and Algeria consult closely on key international and regional issues such as law enforcement cooperation, both in the field of counterterrorism and in countering more conventional transnational crimes. The two countries have finalized language for a customs mutual assistance agreement and have signed a mutual legal assistance treaty. The United States and Algeria have conducted bilateral military exercises. Exchanges between the Algerian and U.S. militaries are frequent, Algeria has hosted senior U.S. military officials and ship visits, and the United States hosted an Algerian port visit for the first time this year.
　
Algeria has remained relatively stable despite the turmoil that has engulfed the region beginning in 2011. While there have been sporadic demonstrations, they have remained primarily socio-economic in nature, with few calls for the government to step down. The United States viewed legislative elections held in 2012 as a welcome step in Algeria's progress toward democratic reform.
　
U.S. Assistance to Algeria

U.S. bilateral foreign assistance to Algeria is designed to strengthen Algeria's capacity to combat terrorism and crime, and support the building of stable institutions that contribute to the security and stability of the region. Foreign assistance supports Algeria's ongoing fight against al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and other hostile actors in the region.
　
Funding through the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) has been allocated to support the work of Algeria's developing civil society through programming that provides training to journalists, businesspeople, female entrepreneurs, legislators, legal professionals, and the heads of leading nongovernmental organizations. MEPI also has provided funding for economic development programs, and U.S. outreach programs support education in Algeria.
　
Bilateral Economic Relations

The United States is one of Algeria’s top trading partners, and Algeria is one of the top U.S. trading partners in the Middle East/North African region. Most U.S. direct investment in Algeria has been in the hydrocarbon sector. The main U.S. import from Algeria is crude oil. The two countries have signed a trade and investment framework agreement, establishing common principles on which the economic relationship is founded and forming a platform for negotiating other bilateral agreements. The U.S. Government encourages Algeria to make necessary changes to accede to the World Trade Organization, move toward transparent economic policies, and liberalize its investment climate. The United States has funded a program supporting Algerian efforts to develop a functioning, transparent banking and income tax system.
　
Algeria's Membership in International Organizations

Algeria and the United States belong to a number of the same international organizations, including the United Nations, International Monetary Fund, and World Bank. Algeria also is a Partner for Cooperation with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, an observer to the Organization of American States, and an observer to the World Trade Organization.

WHO IS GETTING DEFENSE CONTRACTS

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

CONTRACTS

Defense Logistics Agency

Graybar Electric Company, Inc., St. Louis, Mo., was issued a modification on contract SPM500-04-D-BP14/P00026. The award is a firm fixed price, prime vendor, indefinite delivery and indefinite quantity contract with a maximum $160,244,324 for maintenance, repair and operations for the Alaska Region. There are no other locations of performance. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and federal civilian agencies. There were seven responses to the FedBizOps solicitation. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2012 and fiscal 2013 Defense Working Capital funds. The date of performance completion is August 17, 2013. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa.
　
Science Application International Corp., Fairfield, N.J., was issued a modification on contract SPM500-04-D-BP15/P00025. The award is a firm fixed price, prime vendor, indefinite delivery and indefinite quantity contract with a maximum $105,033,859 for maintenance, repair and operations for the Northwest Region. There are no other locations of performance. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and federal civilian agencies. There were five responses to the FedBizOps solicitation. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2012 and fiscal 2013 Defense Working Capital funds. The date of performance completion is August 17, 2013. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa.
　
Frank Gargiulo Produce*, Hillside, N.J., was issued a modification on contract SPM300-08-D-P027. The award is a fixed price with economic price adjustment, indefinite quantity contract with a maximum $18,909,453 for fresh fruit and vegetable support in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania zone. There are no other locations of performance. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and USDA school customers. There were six responses to the web solicitation. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2012-2014 Defense Working Capital funds. The date of performance completion is February 27, 2014. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa.
　
Air Force
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems of San Diego, Calif. (FA8620-10-G-3038 0013) is being awarded an $87,338,761 firm fixed price, cost plus fixed fee contract for MQ-9 Reaper FY10/11 retrofit kits and installations for up to 80 aircraft. The location of performance is San Diego, Calif. Work is to be completed by August 17, 2016. The contracting activity is AFLCMC/WIIK, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio.
　
Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Sensors, Liverpool, N.Y., (FA8707-12-C-0018) is being awarded a $35,980,000 firm fixed price contract for the continued technology development of the Three-Dimensional Expeditionary Long-Range Radar system and Preliminary Design Review and Capability Demonstration of the radar prototype. The location of performance is Liverpool, N.Y. Work is to be completed by Nov. 20, 2013. The contracting activity is AFLCMC/HBDK, Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass.
　
Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Electronic Systems Division of Linthicum Heights, MD (FA8707-12-C-0019) is being awarded a $34,748,186 firm fixed price contract for the continued technology development of the Three-Dimensional Expeditionary Long-Range Radar system and Preliminary Design Review and Capability Demonstration of the radar prototype. The location of performance is Linthicum Heights, MD. Work is to be completed by Nov. 20, 2013. The contracting activity is AFLCMC/HBDK, Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass.
　
Raytheon Co., Integrated Defense Systems, Sudbury, Mass. (FA8707-12-C-0020) is being awarded a $35,195,000 firm fixed price contract for the continued technology development of the Three-Dimensional Expeditionary Long-Range Radar system and Preliminary Design Review and Capability Demonstration of the radar prototype. The location of performance is Sudbury, Mass. Work is to be completed by Nov. 20, 2013. The contracting activity is AFLCMC/HBDK, Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass.
　
Navy
Offshore Service Vessels, L.L.C., Galliano, La., is being awarded $47,420,000 to exercise an option under a previously awarded contract (N00033-05-C-3300) to purchase vessels and flexible piping equipment that comprise the Offshore Petroleum Distribution System (OPDS). The vessels include a U.S.-flagged self-sustaining vessel, MV VADM K.R. Wheeler and one tender vessel, MV Fast Tempo. The OPDS has been under long-term charter to Military Sealift Command since 2005, and has the capability to operate as an at-sea pumping station, quickly and efficiently delivering fuel to soldiers and Marines operating ashore where port facilities are inadequate or non-existent. The ship transfers to U.S. government ownership on Aug. 20, 2012, and will continue to operate worldwide. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. The U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00033-05-C-3300).
　
Acosta, Inc., Jacksonville, Fla., is being awarded a $7,850,597 indefinite-delivery requirements contract with fixed-price and economic price adjustment provisions to provide for various resale items in support of Navy Exchange Service Command (NEXCOM) Ship Store Program. The contract shall provide NEXCOM with a vehicle for placing orders for the various supplies required by the command, which will then be placed in the inventory of Ship's Store for the purpose of resale to the ship's crew. The contract contains four one-year option periods, which if exercised, will bring the contract value to $39,252,985. Work will be performed in the following pre-determined zones: Zone A - Alameda, Calif.; Concord, Calif.; Oakland, Calif.; San Francisco Bay Area, Calif., and Richmond, Calif., Zone B - Chino, Calif.; Long Beach, Calif.; Port Hueneme, Calif. and San Diego, Calif., Zone C - Portland, Ore.; Bremerton, Wash.; Everett, Wash, and Seattle, Wash., Zone G - Little Creek, Va.; Newport News, Va.; Norfolk, Va.; Portsmouth, Va. and Yorktown, Va. Work is expected to be completed Dec. 31, 2013. If all options are exercise, work will continue through Dec. 31, 2017. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. Funding will be at the delivery order level. The requirement was not available for competition as Acosta, Inc., is the wholesaler/distributor authorized by the various manufacturers it represents to serve as the sole distribution channel to NEXCOM, and the Ship's Store Program. The Fleet Logistics Center Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity (N00189-12-D-0044).

POULTRY PLANT CONVICTED OF VIOLATING CLEAN WATER ACT

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Monday, August 20, 2012
North Carolina Poultry Processing Plant Convicted for Knowing Violations of Clean Water Act

WASHINGTON – A federal jury today found House of Raeford Farms Inc., the owner and operator of a poultry slaughtering and processing facility located in Raeford, North Carolina, guilty of 10 counts of knowing violations of the Clean Water Act.
　
House of Raeford allowed plant employees to bypass the facility’s pretreatment system and send its untreated wastewater directly to the city of Raeford’s wastewater treatment plant, without notifying city officials. In addition, House of Raeford failed to prevent employees from sending thousands of gallons of wastewater into a pretreatment system that did not have the capacity to adequately treat the wastewater before it was discharged to the city plant. The untreated wastewater that was discharged directly to the city plant was contaminated with waste from processing operations, including blood, grease and body parts from slaughtered turkeys. A House of Raeford former employee admitted that the facility would continue to "kill turkeys" despite being warned that the unauthorized bypasses had an adverse impact on the city’s wastewater treatment plant. The city plant was responsible for treating industrial, commercial and residential wastewater before it was discharged to Rockfish Creek in Hoke County.
　
The bypasses and failure to report them violated House of Raeford’s pretreatment permit as well as the city’s sewer use ordinance. Many of the bypasses took place while House of Raeford was subject to a consent order with the city that required it to construct a new pretreatment system and comply with all requirements of its pretreatment permit. A number of the bypasses were recorded in log books kept by House of Raeford Inc. wastewater operators, and were never revealed to the city.
　
"The convictions today demonstrate the Justice Department’s commitment to prosecuting those who knowingly violate pretreatment permits and the Clean Water Act by releasing untreated and contaminated wastewater to municipal wastewater treatment plants," said Ignacia S. Moreno, Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the Department of Justice. "The violations here are especially egregious and will not be tolerated. The evidence showed that House of Raeford allowed overflows of untreated wastewater to bypass a critical part of their pretreatment system. Many of these bypasses were not disclosed to the city of Raeford, and placed an additional burden on the city’s wastewater treatment plant."
　
"Publicly owned wastewater treatment plants must be protected from companies that cut corners by discharging wastewater illegally," said Maureen O’Mara, Special Agent in Charge of of EPA Region 4, which covers the southeast United States including North Carolina. "The defendants in this case deliberately discharged turkey parts, blood and grease into the wastewater plant for over 16 months, bypassing treatment. Today’s conviction sends the message that the American public will not tolerate companies putting profit ahead of compliance."
　
"Families and businesses depend on having clean water. Our SBI agents will continue to work closely with their federal partners to protect the safety of our water supply and hold polluters accountable," said North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper.
　
House of Raeford Inc. faces a maximum fine of $500,000 or twice the gain or loss resulting from the offenses, whichever is greater, per count. Sentencing has been scheduled for Nov. 28, 2012.
　
The case was prosecuted by the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section and was investigated by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division and North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.

AIR NATIONAL GUARD HISTORY AND HEROS

FROM:  U.S. AIR FORCE
Captain Russell "Rusty" Schweickart was the first astronaut with an Air Guard background, selected for astronaut training in October 1963 while serving as an F-86 pilot in the 101st Tactical Fighter Squadron, Massachusetts Air National Guard. In March 1969, Schwieckart was the Lunar Module Pilot on the Apollo 9 mission, which tested the Apollo moon-landing systems in low Earth orbit.


　
　

Major Donald J.Strait with P-51D "Jersey Jerk" in Europe, 1945. Enlisting in the New Jersey National Guard before World War II, Strait went to flight school, becoming one of two fighter aces with National Guard backgrounds with 13.5 victories. Postwar, Strait commanded the New Jersey Air National Guard, retiring in 1978 as a major general.

Contracts for August 21, 2012

Contracts for August 21, 2012

F-15E ACCIDENT REPORT RELEASED

F-15E ACCIDENT REPORT RELEASED

NATIONAL GUARD PARTNERSHIPS IN AFRICA

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Air Force Master Sgt. Chris Choate, center, shows members of the Botswanan military how to properly secure a litter on a C-130 Hercules aircraft as part of an aeromedical evacuation exercise, Aug. 11, 2012. U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Lausanne Morgan

Ham to Seek More National Guard Partnerships in Africa


By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
THEBEPHATSHWA AIR BASE, Botswana, Aug. 20, 2012 - As the North Carolina National Guard builds on successes of the Southern Accord 12 exercise that wrapped up here last week with Botswana, the commander of U.S. Africa Command said he'll press to expand the State Partnership Program on the continent.
　
Amy Gen. Carter F. Ham, who calls himself "a big fan" of the National Guard program, said he hopes to increase the number of partnerships in Africa to as many as a dozen within the next two years.
　
"The State Partnership Program is one of the most important tools that we have in our collective kit bag," Ham said during an interview here with Soldiers Radio and Television Service correspondent Gail McCabe. "And we see that certainly here between North Carolina and Botswana, where it is hugely powerful."
　
Ham said he has asked the National Guard Bureau chief, Air Force Gen. Craig R. McKinley, to consider additional partnerships. "I would like to get two more this year, and maybe two more next year, and then see how that might unfold," he said. Ham told the Senate Armed Services Committee earlier this year Libya could be a good candidate for the program.
　
The State Partnership Program has grown dramatically since it was formed 20 years ago to support former Soviet bloc countries after the Soviet Union collapsed. Today, the program includes partnerships with 63 countries around the world.
　
Africom currently has eight state partnerships. The California National Guard is partnered with Nigeria, the New York Guard with South Africa, the North Dakota National Guard with Ghana, the Michigan National Guard with Liberia, the Vermont National Guard with Senegal, the Utah National Guard with Morocco, and the Wyoming National Guard with Tunisia.
　
The North Carolina Guard has partnered with Botswana since 2008.
　
Based on its partnership with Moldova since 1995, the North Carolina Guard applied lessons learned to quickly build a productive relationship with Botswana, Army Maj. Gen. Gregory A. Lusk, North Carolina's adjutant general, told American Forces Press Service.
　
"We had the benefit of a partnership with Moldova that was a very mature relationship," he said. "So based on that experience, we knew where we could go in fostering a partnership with Botswana, and we were able to do it more efficiency and much quicker."
　
Lusk, on his third trip to Botswana over the past year, said relationships forged with the Botswana Defense Force went a long way toward increasing the effectiveness of Southern Accord 12, U.S. Army Africa's largest-ever exercise on the continent.
　
The exercise, which ran Aug. 1 to 17, brought together almost 700 U.S. soldiers, Marines, airmen and sailors and an equal number of their Botswana Defense Force counterparts for classroom and field exercises as well as humanitarian outreach projects.
　
In addition, the Air Force integrated its annual Medlite exercise into Southern Accord for the first time this year, with members of the North Carolina Air National Guard teaching aeromedical evacuation techniques to Botswana Defense Force medical personnel.
　
Army Col. Randy Powell, commander of the North Carolina Guard's 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team, credited the State Partnership Program with ensuring that when he arrived here to serve as the joint task force commander for the exercise, he didn't have to start at square one to get the lay of the land.
　
"This is my forth visit to Botswana, and each one builds on the next, creating better understanding and closer collaboration," Powell said. "That foundation has been vital to getting this exercise under way smoothly and making it such a big success."
　
Regular engagement between the North Carolina Guard and the Botswana Defense Force, with members of both militaries traveling between the two countries for training, has created a model of cooperation and synchronization, he said. Botswana has "such a professional military that you feel like you are working with someone in your own military," Powell said. "We have a lot in common in terms of interoperability, and we continue to build on that."
　
"It's all about continuity and enduring relationships," said Army Maj. Gen. Timothy J. Kadavy, deputy director of the Army National Guard, as he watched U.S. and Botswanan forces conduct the final field training exercise during Southern Accord. "You don't get those relationships unless you come back again and again and again. That is important in understanding and building trust."
　
As the State Partnership Program celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, Kadavy said he's enthusiastic about plans to expand in Africa.
　
"The Guard wants to support Africom to the best of our ability," he said, recognizing that Africom and U.S. embassy teams are in the best position to judge which countries want to form partnerships and are prepared to do so.
　
With Southern Accord now concluded, Lusk said he looks forward to seeing the North Carolina National Guard take progress made during the exercise to the next level.
　
"To be able to do an exercise of this magnitude now shows, very visibly, that we have turned the corner in terms of where this partnership has gone," he said. "It allows us to jumpstart our efforts and accelerate where we are bound."
　
"The sky is really the limit of what you can do with the engagements, and tying them together with what the Army service components and the geographical combatant commanders are doing," agreed Kadavy.
　
"It is just a matter of coordination, and thinking through and seeing how we can synchronize and gain the synergy of what they want to do and what we can provide through State Partnership Programs to assist and empower those types of engagements and exercises," he said.

U.S. JUSTICE GOING DIGITAL: WATCH OUT CROOKS

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

On May 23, 2012, the White House released the Federal Digital Strategy that outlined the use of "modern tools and technologies to seize the digital opportunity and fundamentally change how the Federal Government serves both its internal and external customers–building a 21st century platform to better serve the American People." That means making sure information and services are easily accessible on the internet anytime, anywhere, and on any device. It means you will be able to find and share information that is important to you, your family and your community.

In the past few years, the Department of Justice has taken many steps to make the department’s information more available and accessible. We’ve added hundreds of data sets to data.gov, have begun using social media to bring information directly to you, and added more information to our website than ever before. But we know we can do more. As we begin to formulate our digital strategy, we want your input on which information and services you’d like us to prioritize and make more tech and mobile-friendly. There are two areas where we’d like your input:

What Justice Department information would you like to be able to access on mobile devices?
What Justice Department information, data, or applications would you like to us make available via APIs (Applied Programming Interface)?
Send us your thoughts on digital strategy at opengov@usdoj.gov.

We’ve come up with a few possibilities for each area. You can see the list on our Digital Strategy web page, justice.gov/digitalstrategy.

We welcome your feedback on the possible candidates for improvement, or other opportunities we may have overlooked. Your feedback, combined with other internal and external conversations, will guide our digital plan in the coming months and years.

Actively controlling inflammation

Actively controlling inflammation

ISAF NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN AUGUST 21, 2012

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
An A-10 Thunderbolt II is refueled over Afghanistan during overseas contingency operations, August 2, 2012. The 22d Expeditionary Air Refueling Sq. (EARS) conducts missions out of Transit Center at Manas, Kyrgyzstan, and plays an integral role in keeping air assets refueled in support of U.S. and coalition ground forces. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Clay Lancaster)
　
Airstrike Kills Insurgents in Kunar Province
From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release

KABUL, Afghanistan, Aug. 21, 2012 - An airstrike in the Watahpur district of Afghanistan's Kunar province yesterday killed several insurgents, including an al-Qaida affiliated Taliban leader, military officials reported.
　
Targeted was Mutaqi, also known as Mullah Amir Muhammad or Malik, who was responsible for passing critical information among senior al-Qaida-associated Taliban leaders in the province, officials said, and was involved in planning suicide bombing attacks in the region.
　
A post-strike assessment by a combined Afghan and coalition security force confirmed no civilians had been injured and no civilian property had been damaged during of the operation.
　
In operations today:
-- A combined force in Ghazni province's Gelan district arrested an al-Qaida-associated Taliban insurgent who assisted in the movement of al-Qaida fighters throughout the region and conducted attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. Prior to his arrest, he was attempting to acquire explosives for future attacks. The security force also detained another suspected insurgent and seized bomb-making materials.
　
-- An Afghan and coalition security force detained two suspected insurgents in Logar province's Baraki Barak district during a search for a Taliban leader who plans and executes attacks against coalition patrols.
　
In other news, a combined force in the Kabul district of Kabul province yesterday arrested the insurgent leader responsible for a July 12 bomb attack that killed Hanifa Safi, the Afghan minister for female affairs. The attack occurred in Lagham province's Mehtar Lam district.
　
In an Aug. 19 operation, an Afghan crisis response unit supported by coalition troops arrested several insurgents in Wardak province's Sayyid Abad district. The insurgents are responsible for recent attempts to abduct Afghan interpreters working for the International Security Assistance Force, and were planning to kidnap Afghan and civilian ISAF employees.