FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
U.S. Announces Additional Humanitarian Assistance for the Syria Crisis
Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
January 25, 2013
Today in Ankara, Turkey, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Assistant Administrator for Democracy, Conflict, & Humanitarian Assistance Nancy Lindborg announced that the United States is providing an additional $10 million in humanitarian assistance in response to urgent needs resulting from the brutal conflict in Syria. This new funding will supply enough flour to bakeries in Aleppo to provide daily bread for approximately 210,000 people in need for the next five months. With this new assistance, the United States is providing $220 million to date to help those suffering inside Syria and refugees in the neighboring countries.
This latest assistance is part of an additional, significant funding package that the United States plans to announce at the United Nations high-level donors conference in Kuwait on January 30.
With this additional $10 million, the United States is taking action in response to heightened flour shortages, an alarming lack of bread, and rising hunger. Many bakeries have had to close down because the Assad regime has cut off flour and fuel. The United States recognizes bread as a mainstay of Syrian daily life, and this new program is focused on getting 50 bakeries back up and running to provide life-saving food to the Syrian people.
The United States remains committed to supporting humanitarian assistance for all Syrians in need throughout the country’s 14 governorates, and to working with a wide range of international partners and Syrian humanitarian organizations, whose dedicated staff are taking great risks to ensure aid is directly reaching those in need. The U.S. government is coordinating closely with the Syrian Opposition Coalition in helping identify and locate those in need where access is constrained.
The announcement was made during the visit of a high-level U.S. delegation to the region to ensure sustained U.S. government support for those suffering as a result of the Assad regime’s brutality. The delegation also includes Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford and Assistant Secretary for Population, Refugees, and Migration Anne C. Richard.
The U.S. delegation commended the generosity of the Government of Turkey and the Turkish people, and recognized the Turkish Red Crescent for its tireless efforts to provide protection and assistance to Syrians affected by the crisis.
Saturday, January 26, 2013
JELLYFISH POPULATIONS AND THE ECOSYSTEM
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| Photo: Jellyfish. Credit: Wikimedia Commons. |
Jellyfish "Blooms" Wax and Wane in Natural Cycles
January 24, 2013
Once a month, on the darkest nights near the new moon, otherworldly beings emerge from Pacific Ocean depths and drift onto the beaches of Hawaii.
Hundreds, sometimes thousands, of these quivering masses of jelly float in with the night tide.
Near shore, time grows short to complete their mission: to reproduce, leaving behind miniature versions of themselves fastened with a glue-like substance to reefs and rocks in the shallows.
Box jellyfish, the invaders are called. Over the past few decades, more and more box jellies are in the waters around Hawaii. The question, scientists say, is where are the jellies coming from?
In the marine science world, it's been dogma that jellyfish are increasing in seas and oceans.
Off the coast of France, for example, aggregations of jellyfish have sunk 500-pound fishing nets. And in Japan, jellies have clogged the water intakes of nuclear power plants.
Humans' expanding influence on the oceans has begun to cause changes. "Blooms" of jellyfish are occurring in response to these effects. Or are they?
Jellyfish on the rise--or on the wane?
"There's a perception that jellyfish numbers are exploding in the world's oceans," says marine scientist Rob Condon of the Dauphin Island Sea Lab in Alabama, "but there's no real evidence for a global increase in jellyfish over the past two centuries."
Results of a study of worldwide jellyfish abundance, led by Condon, were recently published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
The paper's co-authors are scientists affiliated with the Global Jellyfish Group, a consortium of 30 researchers. The Global Jellyfish Group conducted its work at the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
"It's refreshing to see a thoughtful analysis of the 'jellyfish bloom' phenomenon," says David Garrison, program director in the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Division of Ocean Sciences, which funded the research.
"The findings point out the critical importance of obtaining long-term data to understand the patterns and significance of perceived environmental changes."
The study shows that global jellyfish populations undergo oscillations over decades, including a rising phase in the 1990s and early 2000s that contributed to the perception of an increase in jellyfish abundance.
The previous period of high jellyfish numbers during the 1970s went unnoticed.
"At the time, there was limited research on jellyfish," says Condon, "along with less awareness of global-scale environmental problems, and less information transmitted around the world quickly. We didn't have the Internet."
Long-term observations needed
While there has been no increase in jellyfish blooms over the long-term, the paper's authors say, they detected a hint of a slight increase since 1970.
The trend was countered, however, by the finding that there was no difference in the proportion of increasing versus decreasing jellyfish populations over time.
"Sustained monitoring is required over the next decade to find out if what we're seeing is an actual shift, or if it's part of a larger oscillation," says Condon.
"The research is an important step in our understanding of the complex biological cycles that occur in the oceans," says Henry Gholz, program director in NSF's Division of Environmental Biology, which also funded the research.
"It demonstrates the critical role of long-term observations in informing society of environmental changes."
The idea of a global increase in jellyfish, says Condon, "was fueled by a few local and regional case studies."
"Clearly, there are areas where jellyfish have increased. The situation with Giant Jellyfish in Japan is an example. But there are also places where jellyfish numbers have remained stable, fluctuated over decades, or in fact decreased over time."
He and colleagues say that it's important to sample marine waters over appropriate space and time scales so trends aren't misinterpreted.
"The realization that jellyfish synchronously rise and fall around the world should lead us to search for the long-term natural factors driving jellyfish populations," says Condon.
The ocean brought to life
With tissues made up of 95 percent salts and water, jellyfish are the ocean brought to life.
Washed up on a beach, jellyfish look like ugly gobs of slime. But in the sea, these fragile creatures shimmer with jewel-like radiance.
Their real beauty, though, is their crucial contribution to the functioning of marine ecosystems.
Researchers such as Condon are finding that jellyfish may help us see the complex relationships among species in the oceanic food web.
Jellyfish can live almost anywhere there's water: under the ice in arctic and antarctic seas, and even in North American freshwater lakes and streams, where one tiny species is found.
Most jellyfish are propelled by the rhythmic contraction and expansion of an umbrella-shaped saucer, or bell, as well as by winds, currents and tides. Nearly all are part of a drifting community of organisms called plankton, a term derived from the Greek word for wanderer.
Scientists refer to animal drifters with gelatin-like tissues as gelatinous zooplankton. This group encompasses the familiar bell-shaped jellyfish, related walnut-shaped comb jellies, and similar creatures like siphonophores--chains or colonies of jelly animals.
Many jellyfish live for just one summer. Before they die in September, females release hundreds of eggs into the water, then males release sperm. The resulting larvae swim to the bottom and attach themselves to hard surfaces. In spring they bud into tiny jellyfish, and the cycle begins anew.
Jellies: integral parts of marine ecosystems
Jellies are integral parts of marine ecosystems, says Condon.
They prey on a host of microscopic and larger species, and are themselves food for sea turtles and fish such as the mola, or giant ocean sunfish.
In Alaskan waters, for example, saucerlike moon jellyfish provide nourishment for green sea urchins, crabs and burrowing anemones.
"The question has been: are jellies playing their natural part or hogging the stage?" asks Condon. "Based on recent results, they're doing what jellyfish evolved to do, right on cue."
In addition to Condon, authors of the paper are: Carlos Duarte of the University of the Balearic Islands and the Spanish National Research Council, Esporles, Spain; Kylie Pitt of Griffith University, Australia; Kelly Robinson of the Dauphin Island Sea Laboratory; Cathy Lucas of the University of Southampton, United Kingdom; Kelly Sutherland of the University of Oregon; Hermes Mianzanh of the National Institute of Research and Fisheries Development, Argentina; Molly Bogeberga of the Dauphin Island Sea Laboratory; Jennifer Purcell of Western Washington University; Mary Beth Decker of Yale University; Shin-ichi Uyek of Hiroshima University, Japan; Laurence Madin of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution; Richard Brodeur of the NOAA Northwest Fisheries Science Center; Steven Haddock of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute; Alenka Malejo of the National Institute of Biology, Piran, Slovenia; Gregory Parry of the Department of Primary Industries, Victorian Fisheries, Queenscliff, Australia; Elena Eriksenq of the Institute of Marine Research, Bergen, Norway; Javier Quiñones of the Institute of the Sea of the Peru, Paracas, Ica, Peru; Marcelo Achah of the National Institute of Research and Development fisheries, Mar del Plata, Argentina; Michel Harveys of the Maurice Lamontagne Institute, Fisheries and Oceans, Canada; James Arthur of Griffith University in Australia; and William Graham of the University of Southern Mississippi.
Cheryl Dybas, NSF
FORMER CONTRACTING COMPANY CO-OWNER SENTENCED FOR SCHEME TO DEFRAUD U.S. GOVERNMENT
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICEThursday, January 24, 2013
Former Co-Owner of Contracting Company Sentenced in San Antonio to 30 Months in Prison for Scheme to Defraud the U.S. Government
A former co-owner of a U.S. civilian contractor company was sentenced today in San Antonio to serve 30 months in prison for falsifying official documents in connection with Iraq reconstruction government contracts, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Robert Pitman for the Western District of Texas.
Jill Ann Charpia, 33, formerly of San Antonio and currently of Colorado, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Orlando L. Garcia in the Western District of Texas. In addition to her prison term, Charpia was sentenced to serve three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $920,000 plus interest in restitution to the United States.
According to court documents, from 2008 through 2009, Charpia was the co-owner of Sourcing Specialist LLC, a privately owned company that contracted with the U.S. government to provide services in Iraq. In September 2008, she contracted to provide a turn-key housing facility located outside Iraq’s International Zone to facilitate the introduction of multi-national firms desiring to develop business opportunities in Iraq. That same month, Charpia signed and submitted to the Department of Defense (DOD) Joint Contracting Command Iraq/Afghanistan, for payment through the contract, a false invoice in the amount of $1,270,075 purportedly for mobilization costs. She followed up with two invoices, one representing that she had paid $700,000 for the rental of two villas in Baghdad, and the other representing that she had paid $570,075 on the purchase of three armored vehicles from an Iraqi company. In October 2008, as a result of her false and fraudulent statements, DOD caused $1,270,075 to be wired to Charpia’s bank account. Charpia admitted that she fabricated both invoices and forged the signatures on the documents. She also admitted that she did not purchase any armored vehicles and paid only half the submitted cost for the villas.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Trial Attorney Mark Grider of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, on detail from the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR), and by Assistant U.S. Attorney Judith A. Patton of the Western District of Texas. The case is being investigated by SIGIR, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and the Major Procurement Fraud Unit of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command.
GENERAL HAM SPEAKS ABOUT U.S. AFRICA COMMAND'S WORK
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| Army Gen. Carter F. Ham, commander of U.S. Africa Command, addresses students and faculty at the Ralph J. Bunche International Affairs Center at Howard University in Washington, D.C., Jan. 24. Howard University is home to the nation's oldest Africa Studies program. DOD photo by Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr. |
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Africom Works to 'Go Far' With Partners, General Says
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Jan. 24, 2013 - There are many challenges across the African continent, but there are also seldom-talked-about opportunities and successes, U.S. Africa Command's leader said here today
Army Gen. Carter F. Ham addressed students, faculty and reporters about what he's seen during his command in Africa. The general spoke at the Ralph J. Bunche International Affairs Center at Howard University here, home to the nation's oldest Africa studies program.
"It's really easy in Africa to get focused on all of the negative things," he said. "There [are] challenges in Mali, to be sure; Libya has challenges. The Great Lakes region is certainly in turmoil right now; Guinea-Bissau and many other places."
"There are lots of problems," Ham said. "I think it's worthwhile, every now and then, to take a step back, and in addition to looking at the problem sets – which is important to do – to look at the good things, and look at the opportunities that present themselves."
Ham provided examples of successes throughout the continent that are not generally the focus of attention.
"Africa is home to, depending on which survey you look at, six or seven of the fastest growing economies in the world," he said. "[This is] pretty extraordinary. But it gets lost in the noise sometimes."
"There are lots of countries that [have] had successful elections," he noted. "We focus on those where there's a coup or other unsettling events, and we tend to not think about the places where there have been very successful elections and good progress made."
The general said this tells him while Africa is "certainly home to lots of challenges," it is also the "home of great opportunity and progress and hope."
"I think we should never forget about that as well," Ham added.
The general noted he has now been to 42 of the countries on the continent, and "it's been exciting and exhilarating, and tiring at times, to be sure. It's a big place to move about."
Ham said a member of his staff, who is in the U.S. foreign service, gave him a list of African proverbs to think about.
"I found one that, to me, ideally captures what we, at U.S. Africom, are trying to do," he said. "It says, simply, 'if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.'"
"And we, at U.S. Africa Command, choose to go far, and we choose to go together with our African partners," Ham said.
U.S. AIR FORCE COOPERATION WITH FRENCH TROOPS IN MALI
FROM: U.S. AIR FORCE
ISTRES, France - French soldiers march to a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III in support of missions in the Republic of Mali. The United States has agreed to help France airlift troops and equipment into Mali. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman James Richardson/Released)
ISTRES, France – French troops prepare for take-off inside a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III cargo aircraft in Istres, France, Jan. 21, 2013. France deployed military to the African country of Mali to fight forces who threaten the current Mali government's stability and are relying on assistance from allies in transporting troops and supplies. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Nathanael Callon/Released)
LEBANESE ISF VISIT RICHMOND TO STUDY COMMUNITY POLICING
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| Map: Lebanon. Credit: CIA World Factbook. |
Richmond, Virginia Police Study Tour for Lebanese Internal Security Forces
Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
January 25, 2013
The U.S. Department of State is sponsoring seven members of Lebanon’s Internal Security Forces (ISF) for a study tour of community policing practices in Richmond, Virginia, January 28 to February 1. The participants will learn the Richmond Police Department’s successful community policing principles for carrying out law enforcement and public safety responsibilities - practices that participants will apply in their own communities in Lebanon.
The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, through its partnerships with U.S. federal, state, and local police agencies, sponsors study tours and hands-on training opportunities for international partner countries from around the world. The Bureau has provided training in community policing to the Lebanese Internal Security Forces since 2010. This study tour aims to provide the ISF with a better understanding of U.S. community policing methods to aid in the formalization of a new Community Policing Pilot Police Station in Beirut.
Friday, January 25, 2013
ARMY GEN. CONE SAYS FAIR STANDARDS WILL BE APPLIED TO COMBAT JOB SELECTIONS
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Army Training Commander Promises Fair Standards for Combat Jobs
By David VergunArmy News Service
WASHINGTON, Jan. 25, 2013 - Fairness will be important as officials develop their plan for opening more direct-combat jobs to women, the commander of the Army's Training and Doctrine Command said here yesterday.
Gen. Robert W. Cone spoke with reporters after Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, announced the Defense Department has rescinded an exclusion dating to 1994 that barred women from being assigned to combat positions below brigade level.
"Soldiers -- both men and women -- want fair and meaningful standards" to be developed for accepting women into previously restricted specialties, Cone said. "I think that fairness is very important in a values-based organization like our Army."
The memo Panetta and Dempsey signed rescinding the policy does not spell out which military occupational specialties will be open to women. Rather, it directs the services to provide their implementation strategies to the Defense Department by May. Implementation will begin this year and be completed by the beginning of 2016, Panetta said at a news conference yesterday.
"This year we will begin to assign women to previously closed occupations using clear standards of performance in all occupational specialties," Dempsey said at the news conference.
"The burden of proof used to be, 'Why should a woman serve in a particular specialty?'" the chairman added. "Now, it's, 'Why shouldn't a woman serve in a particular specialty?'"
As of September, 418 of the Army's 438 MOSs were open to women of all ranks, according to an Oct. 31 Army report titled: "Women in the Army."
TRADOC already has been studying armies in other countries, such as Canada and Israel, where women successfully have been integrated into combat specialties. Army officials will consider knowledge, skills and attributes of soldiers and get the best match in specialties now restricted, Cone said, such as infantry, armor, field artillery and engineers.
Physical requirements will be one of the important attributes, he added.
"Soldiers don't want to see [that] degraded," the general said.
Objective assessments and validation studies, many of which already are complete, will look at each requirement by specialty, Cone told reporters. Tasks include such things as how much infantry soldiers must be able to lift, how much they have to carry, and for what distance, Cone said. Once the validations are done, scientists will then develop specialty-specific physical fitness tests that will, in turn, be validated with field studies, he explained.
Besides physical ability, Cone said, Army officials will look at "traditional impediments" -- the attitudes regarding the acceptance of women into previously male-only jobs.
"A lot of this is about leadership and the organizational climate," he added.
The Army will take "proactive measures to mitigate resistance to women going into these specialties," the general said.
"We want the right environment for women," he said.
INDIA REPUBLIC DAY
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| Map: India. From: CIA World Factbook. |
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
India Republic Day
Press Statement
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
January 24, 2013
On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I am delighted to send my best wishes to the people and government of India as you celebrate your 64th Republic Day this January 26th.
The United States and India share an unwavering commitment to democratic government. Our shared values are the foundation for the innovative, entrepreneurial drive that is allowing more and more of our 1.5 billion people to realize their potential. My three trips to India as Secretary of State reinforced my unyielding belief that the U.S.-India strategic partnership is making the world more united, prosperous, and secure. Together we are strengthening our ties and working to address some of the most difficult global challenges.
As you celebrate this special day, know that the United States stands with you. Best wishes for a year filled with peace and prosperity.
U.S.-INDIA RELATIONS
President Obama has called India one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century, one which will be vital to U.S. strategic interests in Asia-Pacific and across the globe. Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama all visited India, underscoring the increasing importance of the bilateral relationship. Our relationship is rooted in common values, including the rule of law, respect for diversity, and democratic government. We have a shared interest in promoting global security, stability, and economic prosperity through trade, investment, and connectivity. The United States and India have a common interest in the free flow of global trade and commerce, including through the vital sea lanes of the Indian Ocean.
The U.S. supports India's critical role as a leader in maintaining regional stability. Security ties are robust and growing with bilateral defense and counterterrorism cooperation reaching unprecedented levels. The United States and India also look continue to develop their defense partnership through military sales and joint research, co-production and co-development efforts.
The U.S.-India Strategic Dialogue, launched in 2009, provides opportunities to strengthen collaboration in areas including energy, climate change, trade, education, and counterterrorism. The third annual meeting was held in June 2012. In 2012 alone, seven Cabinet-level officials made visits to India to deepen bilateral ties.
The strength of people to people linkages between the United States and India has come to define the indispensable relationship between our two countries. The increased cooperation of state and local officials to create ties has enhanced engagement in education. Additionally, state to state and city to city engagements have created new partnerships in business and the private sector and enhance our robust government to government engagement.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Bilateral Economic Relations
The United States is one of India's largest trade and investment partners. U.S.- India bilateral trade in goods and services has increased four and a half times over the last decade, to more than $86 billion in 2011. Bilateral trade between our two countries is up 40 percent since we began our Strategic Dialogue three years ago. The stock of Indian FDI in the United States has increased from $227 million in 2002 to almost $4.9 billion in 2011, supporting thousands of U.S. jobs.
The United States and India are negotiating a bilateral investment treaty as a key part of the effort to deepen the economic relationship, improve investor confidence, and support economic growth in both countries. India continues to move forward, albeit haltingly, with market-oriented economic reforms that began in 1991. Recent reforms have included an increasingly liberal foreign investment regime in many sectors.
On energy cooperation, the United States and India also share a strong commitment to work collaboratively in bilateral and multilateral fora to help ensure mutual energy security, combat global climate change, and support the development of low-carbon economies that will create opportunities and fuel job growth in both countries. The two countries consult regularly on the future of global oil and gas markets, expanding sustainable energy access to support jobs and economic growth in both countries, collaborating in research and technology, and increasing U.S. exports of clean energy technology.
U.S. exports to India include diamonds and gold, machinery, oil, and fertilizers. U.S. imports from India include diamonds, pharmaceutical products, oil, agricultural products, organic chemicals, and apparel. U.S. direct investment in India is led by the information, professional, scientific, and technical services, and manufacturing sectors. India direct investment in the U.S. is primarily concentrated in the professional, scientific, and technical services sector.
India's Membership in International Organizations
India and the United States share membership in a variety of international organizations, including the United Nations, G-20, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Forum, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organization. The United States supports a reformed UN Security Council that includes India as a permanent member. India is an ASEAN dialogue partner, an Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development partner under its Enhanced Engagement program, and an observer to the Organization of American States. India is also a member and the current chair of the Indian Ocean Rim-Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC). In November 2012, the United States was admitted as a dialogue partner in the IOR-ARC with India’s support.
NBC'S TED KOPPEL INTERVIEWS CHAIRMAN OF JOINT CHIEFS GEN. DEMPSEY
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| Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, meets with Ted Koppel, special correspondent for NBC's "Rock Center," for an interview at the Pentagon, Jan. 14, 2013. The interview aired Jan. 24. DOD photo by U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Bradley C. Church. |
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Dempsey Discusses Cyberattacks, Other Issues in NBC InterviewBy Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Jan. 25, 2013 - The worrisome nature of cyberattacks, the threat of global terrorism and the military's need to emphasize character as well as competence were among topics the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff discussed in an interview with correspondent Ted Koppel broadcast last night on NBC's "Rock Center with Brian Williams."
Governments, individuals and organizations are engaged in trying to take advantage of vulnerabilities in the cyber domain, Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey said, citing disruptive "denial-of-service" attacks as an example. Such attacks overwhelm websites, rendering them inaccessible to users.
"What I worry about is that [a cyberattack] could be used to implant a destructive device that could cause significant harm to the industrial base, whether it's critical infrastructure or the financial network," Dempsey said.
There are reports that destructive cyber tools have been used against Iran, the chairman said. "I'm neither confirming nor denying any part in that, but what it should tell you is that capability exists," he added. "And if it exists, whoever's using those [capabilities] can't assume that they're the only smart people in the world."
When Koppel asked Dempsey which part of the world he worries about most, the general noted that the threat of global terrorism complicates matters.
"There's kind of a near-term, long-term aspect to that," he explained. "I think near-term continues to be the threat of global terrorism. We track a global terrorist network that is not uniquely al-Qaida, but is affiliated at some level with al-Qaida."
This requires a network to defeat a network, Dempsey said.
"What it means is you're not going to see these broad, sweeping movements across the desert of eastern Iraq -- 'Hail Mary,' 'right-hand cross,' [or] whatever it was called in 1991," he explained. "You're going to see smaller groups of military formations confronting these distributed enemies across a much wider scope."
Although U.S. combat forces will be out of Afghanistan by the end of 2014, Dempsey said, it would be a mistake to give the American people the sense that al-Qaida is defeated.
"I think that it's fair to say there will be a part of the al-Qaida threat emanating from northwestern Pakistan, and potentially, Afghanistan, for the foreseeable future," he added.
In the final portion of the segment, Koppel asked Dempsey about recent missteps by senior military leaders. The chairman said the value placed on competence over more than 10 years of war might have been a factor.
"Not that we've neglected the character side of this equation," he added, "but we probably are at a point where we ought to re-emphasize it."
And perhaps senior leaders need the view from "those that are at the bottom looking up," Dempsey said.
"I'm actually more interested in, 'What are the lieutenant colonels saying about the colonels? What are the colonels saying about the [brigadier generals]?'" Dempsey said.
But although character is important, he added, the bottom line for the military is to protect the nation.
"Competence will always be the most important thing, and you can't have a man or woman of incredible character who can't deliver on the battlefield," the chairman said. "At the end of the day, that's what we're accountable for. But character counts, and it counts mightily."
SPRINGTIME THAW ON MARS-NASA VIDEO
FROM: NASA
Mars - Dry Ice and Dunes
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captures the springtime thaw of seasonal carbon dioxide ice on Mars.
Credit: NASA-JPL-Caltech
Mars - Dry Ice and Dunes
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captures the springtime thaw of seasonal carbon dioxide ice on Mars.
Credit: NASA-JPL-Caltech
NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN FOR JANUARY 25, 2013
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| Photo: Refueling Over Afghanistan. Credit: U.S. Air Force. |
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Combined Force Arrests Taliban Leader
From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release
KABUL, Afghanistan, Jan. 25, 2013 - A combined Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader during an operation in the Hahr-e Saraj district of Afghanistan's Helmand province today, military officials reported.
The arrested Taliban leader coordinated and conducted attacks against Afghan and coalition forces and provided weapons and improvised explosive devices to other insurgents, officials said.
In other Afghanistan operations today:
-- In Helmand's Nawah-ye Barakzai district, a combined force arrested a Taliban leader who oversaw insurgents responsible for IED attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He also procured and distributed homemade explosives and IED-making materials.
-- A combined force in Khost province's Khost district arrested a Haqqani network leader who distributed weapons to Haqqani insurgents and planned and conducted attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. The security force also detained a suspected insurgent and seized weapons and ammunition.
-- In Nangarhar province's Khugyani district, a combined force detained three suspected insurgents while searching for a Taliban facilitator who coordinates IED and suicide-bomber attacks against Afghan government officials and Afghan and coalition forces. The security force seized IED components, weapons and ammunition.
In operations yesterday:
-- Afghan and coalition forces killed a Taliban leader associated with al-Qaida in the Dangam district of Afghanistan's Kunar province. The Taliban leader coordinated activities between the Taliban and al-Qaida in the province and organized attacks against Afghan and coalition forces, officials said. He also oversaw the movement of weapons and suicide-vest components.
-- A combined force in Kandahar province's Spin Boldak district arrested a Taliban IED expert who also helped to acquire explosives, weapons and ammunition for attacks against Afghan government security offices. The security force also detained a suspected insurgent.
-- In Ghazni province's Andar district, a combined force killed a Taliban leader who oversaw insurgents responsible for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.
USS GUARDIAN SITS AGROUND ON TUBBATAHA REEF
FROM: U.S. NAVY
The mine countermeasures ship USS Guardian (MCM 5) sits aground on the Tubbataha Reef. Operations to safely recover the ship while minimizing environmental effects are being conducted in close cooperation with allied Philippines Coast Guard and Navy. U.S. Navy photo by Naval Aircrewman (Tactical Helicopter) 3rd Class Geoffrey Trudell (Released) 130122-N-ZZ999-061
U.S. Navy salvage assessment team members board the mine countermeasures ship USS Guardian (MCM 5). The ship ran aground on Tubbataha Reef on Jan. 17. Operations to safely recover the ship while minimizing environmental effects are being conducted in close cooperation with allied Philippines Coast Guard and Navy. U.S. Navy photo by Naval Aircrewman (Tactical Helicopter) 3rd Class Geoffrey Trudell (Released) 130123-N-ZZ999-027
VETERANS AFFIARS SAYS SHORTER HOSPITAL STAYS BETTER FOR PATIENTS
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
Shorter Hospital Stays Are Better for Patients, VA Finds
A shorter stay in the hospital can actually be more beneficial to you than a longer stay, according to a recent VA study that appeared in the December 18, 2012 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine.
"This study shows that a large health care system like VA can improve both quality and efficiency to provide better, more cost-effective care," said Dr. Peter Kaboli, a hospitalist at the Iowa City VA Health Care System and the study’s lead researcher. "Ultimately the focus should not be how long a patient is in the hospital, but ensuring they get the care they need as efficiently as possible and get them out of the hospital as soon as they are ready."
Kaboli and his research team came to this conclusion after examining the records of over four million Veterans hospitalized at 129 VA medical centers between 1997 and 2010.
"People come to the hospital for all kinds of medical conditions, so for our study we looked at everybody," the researcher said. "But we also zeroed in on some of the more common health issues like heart failure and pneumonia."
As the study progressed, an interesting pattern began to emerge: hospital stays at VA decreased by almost 30 percent over a period of about 14 years.
"We initially thought this might translate into higher readmission rates and death rates," Kaboli said. "It turned out to be just the opposite: readmission rates went down by 16 percent. Death rates went down by three percent."
"Creative research of this nature is a major factor leading to continuous improvement of the medical services we provide to our Nation’s Veterans."
— Dr. Joel Kupersmith, VA Chief Research & Development Officer
The take-away from all this? "The individual needs to be in the hospital for as long as it takes to address their medical issues, and no longer," Kaboli observed. "Everyone is different…one patient might be able to go home within 48 hours. Another patient might not be able to go home for five days."
Kaboli said VA’s success in lowering readmission rates while simultaneously reducing hospital stays points to an increased level of efficiency. He attributes this increased efficiency to three big factors.
"First, throughout VA we’ve been working hard on improving the coordination that occurs between the hospital and our outpatient services," he explained. "Successfully transitioning out of the hospital into outpatient care is so critical. The patient’s health and well-being depend on this transition being done correctly.
"Second," he continued, "we’re working hard on constantly improving the quality of the care we provide. For example, care at VA is now delivered by Patient Aligned Care Teams — a team of specialists who coordinate closely with one another regarding the patient’s case. The patient is a big part of this team."
The third big factor? Specialization.
"VA has adopted the use of hospitalists at over 80 percent of our medical centers," Kaboli said. "Hospitalists are physicians who specialize in the care of hospitalized patients. Care delivered by hospitalists has been shown to be more efficient and can result in higher quality health care."
Kaboli said quality health care occurs when everyone — the patient, the patient’s family, and hospital staff — are communicating with one another.
"In the end," he said, "it’s all about listening to the patient so we can determine what their needs are, what their goals are. The patient needs to be at the center of the whole process."
Shorter Hospital Stays Are Better for Patients, VA Finds
A shorter stay in the hospital can actually be more beneficial to you than a longer stay, according to a recent VA study that appeared in the December 18, 2012 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine.
"This study shows that a large health care system like VA can improve both quality and efficiency to provide better, more cost-effective care," said Dr. Peter Kaboli, a hospitalist at the Iowa City VA Health Care System and the study’s lead researcher. "Ultimately the focus should not be how long a patient is in the hospital, but ensuring they get the care they need as efficiently as possible and get them out of the hospital as soon as they are ready."
Kaboli and his research team came to this conclusion after examining the records of over four million Veterans hospitalized at 129 VA medical centers between 1997 and 2010.
"People come to the hospital for all kinds of medical conditions, so for our study we looked at everybody," the researcher said. "But we also zeroed in on some of the more common health issues like heart failure and pneumonia."
As the study progressed, an interesting pattern began to emerge: hospital stays at VA decreased by almost 30 percent over a period of about 14 years.
"We initially thought this might translate into higher readmission rates and death rates," Kaboli said. "It turned out to be just the opposite: readmission rates went down by 16 percent. Death rates went down by three percent."
"Creative research of this nature is a major factor leading to continuous improvement of the medical services we provide to our Nation’s Veterans."
— Dr. Joel Kupersmith, VA Chief Research & Development Officer
The take-away from all this? "The individual needs to be in the hospital for as long as it takes to address their medical issues, and no longer," Kaboli observed. "Everyone is different…one patient might be able to go home within 48 hours. Another patient might not be able to go home for five days."
Kaboli said VA’s success in lowering readmission rates while simultaneously reducing hospital stays points to an increased level of efficiency. He attributes this increased efficiency to three big factors.
"First, throughout VA we’ve been working hard on improving the coordination that occurs between the hospital and our outpatient services," he explained. "Successfully transitioning out of the hospital into outpatient care is so critical. The patient’s health and well-being depend on this transition being done correctly.
"Second," he continued, "we’re working hard on constantly improving the quality of the care we provide. For example, care at VA is now delivered by Patient Aligned Care Teams — a team of specialists who coordinate closely with one another regarding the patient’s case. The patient is a big part of this team."
The third big factor? Specialization.
"VA has adopted the use of hospitalists at over 80 percent of our medical centers," Kaboli said. "Hospitalists are physicians who specialize in the care of hospitalized patients. Care delivered by hospitalists has been shown to be more efficient and can result in higher quality health care."
Kaboli said quality health care occurs when everyone — the patient, the patient’s family, and hospital staff — are communicating with one another.
"In the end," he said, "it’s all about listening to the patient so we can determine what their needs are, what their goals are. The patient needs to be at the center of the whole process."
A PERSONAL IMPACT STORY REGARDING DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
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| Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta shakes hands with retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Marcelite J. Harris before they deliver remarks during the Defense Department's 28th annual Martin Luther King Jr. observance at the Pentagon, Jan. 24, 2013. DOD photo by Glenn Fawcett |
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Retired Officer Describes Personal Impact of King's Ideals
By Amaani Lyle
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Jan. 24, 2013 - A retired officer who blazed trails in her Air Force career told the audience at the Pentagon's 28th annual observance of the holiday honoring Martin Luther King Jr. today that she drew inspiration from the slain civil rights leader.
Retired Maj. Gen. Marcelite J. Harris, who left the service in 1997 as the highest-ranking woman officer in the Air Force and the highest-ranking African-American woman in the Defense Department, said she has made the commitment of excellence to herself and to King's dream.
Harris said she was unaware that sweeping change was afoot when she first became aware of King when she was 17 and he led student movements at Morehouse and Spelman universities in Atlanta.
"All you are aware of is that you are a part of something significant and important," Harris said. "You don't realize that your small steps would shape the society of the nation. It doesn't dawn on you that you're a part of something that will change the world you live in."
Harris became one of many foot soldiers of this movement. "We did our fighting on picket lines and on foot, on boycotting and sitting in," she said. "It was well-known that if you did -- you sat in -- you were going to be arrested."
But King and his student leaders, Harris said, didn't want people to get arrested unless they were at least 18 years old.
"I could not wait to be 18," she said. "In my naïveté, I'd rather go to jail than picket. I wanted to make a statement."
Harris said her father encouraged her to participate without getting arrested, and King's philosophies ultimately carried her throughout her career.
Her travels as part of a theater group at Spelman University sparked an interest in making a difference through new experiences on the road, which she said led her to joining the Air Force.
Harris became the first woman aircraft maintenance officer, one of the first two women air officers commanding at the U.S. Air Force Academy, and the Air Force's first woman vice commander for maintenance. Seeing the value of purpose, she said, leads to enjoying not only the work, but also the people involved.
"The Department of Defense is a miniature model of America," Harris said. "[The] United States is a land of multiple races, multiple ethnic groups, multiple cultures, individuals with alternative lifestyles and people who have different and varied opinions."
She noted the nation's forefathers' prophetic vision, evident in their use of the Latin phrase, "E Pluribus Unum," or "Out of Many, One."
"This is us -- this is the military," Harris said. "We are part of that dream that Martin Luther King envisioned. We are part of that nation that the framers of the Constitution envisioned."
That realization, Harris said, helped her to succeed in her career. "I figured out what the Air Force was," she said. "It's people -- dedicated people. They worked together regardless of race or color."
Following her retirement, Harris served NASA as the Florida site director and logistics process owner for the company managing the space shuttle program, United Space Alliance.
Harris created Eroster Government Solutions, a business in which she is currently the chief executive officer. She also is a member of both Delta Sigma Theta and the MECCA Chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women.
AFFILIATED PSYCHOLOGIST AND OWNERS OF ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY SENTENCED FOR HEALTH CARE FRAUD
ROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICEFour Sentenced to Prison in Florida Community Mental Health Center Case
The owners of three Miami-area assisted living facilities and an affiliated psychologist were sentenced to prison today in connection with a health care fraud scheme, involving now-defunct Miami-area health provider Health Care Solutions Network Inc. (HCSN), in which Medicare was billed for mental health treatments that were unnecessary or not provided.
The sentences were announced 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 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Office of Investigations Miami office.
U.S. District Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga sentenced Serena Joslin, 32, of Looneyville, W.Va., to 63 months in prison, following her previous guilty plea to conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Raymond Rivero, 55, Daniel Martinez, 46, and Ivon Perez, 50, all of Miami, were each sentenced to 28 months in prison. All three had previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the anti-kickback statute.
According to court documents, HCSN operated community mental health centers both in Miami and North Carolina, including partial hospitalization programs (PHP) – a form of intensive treatment for severe mental illness. HCSN obtained Medicare beneficiaries to attend HCSN for purported PHP treatment that was unnecessary and, in many instances, not provided.
In Miami, HCSN obtained beneficiaries by paying kickbacks to owners and operators of assisted living facilities (ALF) or by otherwise recruiting them from the facilities and from nursing homes. Rivero, Martinez and Perez admitted during their guilty pleas to referring Medicare beneficiaries to HCSN in exchange for cash bribes. Rivero, former owner of Miami-based God Is First ALF; Martinez, former owner of Homestead, Fla.-based Mi Renacer ALF; and Perez, former owner of Homestead-based Kayleen and Denis Care Corp., are no longer permitted to operate such facilities as a condition of their guilty pleas.
According to court documents, ALF residents referred to HCSN by Rivero, Martinez and Perez were not qualified to be placed in PHP and were only selected because they had Medicare or state of Florida Medicaid benefits. In some cases, ALF patients suffered from dementia, Alzheimer’s disease or mental retardation, or were otherwise unable to benefit from mental health services.
According to court documents, Joslin, a licensed psychologist, was hired by HCSN in North Carolina in April of 2010 as a clinical coordinator and later promoted to clinical director. In those roles, she conspired with other HCSN employees to fabricate medical documents to substantiate alleged PHP treatment that was medically unnecessary and, in many instances, not even provided to the beneficiaries. Joslin admitted that many of the HCSN patients were unqualified for the PHP program because they suffered from conditions such as mental retardation and dementia, and that she directed therapists to fabricate medical records to support HCSN’s fraudulent billing to the Medicare program. Joslin was also required to surrender her North Carolina license to provide mental health treatment as part of her plea agreement.
According to court documents, from 2004 through 2011, HCSN billed Medicare and the Florida Medicaid program approximately $63 million for purported mental health services.
In addition to the prison terms, Judge Altonaga sentenced Joslin, Rivero, Martinez and Perez each to serve three years of supervised release, and ordered them to pay $4,464,728; $90,896; $76,358; and $89,245 in restitution, respectively.
The cases are being prosecuted by Special Trial Attorney William Parente and Trial Attorney Allan J. Medina of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section. The cases were investigated by the FBI and HHS-OIG and were 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 1,480 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $4.8 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.
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