FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Remarks With Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy
Press Availability
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Cairo, Egypt
November 3, 2013
FOREIGN MINISTER FAHMY: (Via interpreter) Good evening, Mr. Secretary. In the beginning, I would like to extend my thanks and welcome to you here in Egypt, especially at a time when the Middle East is witnessing very sensitive developments and when there is a need for international harmony and communications. With regards to the U.S.-Egyptian relations, we believe that they are very important to Egypt and we would like to further enhance this relationship in the interest of both countries based on the priorities of each country.
This afternoon, Mr. Secretary, you’re due to meet with President Adly Mansour and General Sisi. And for our part here at the Foreign Ministry, we held very constructive, frank, and detailed discussion of various issues, and we also discussed how to move things forward in the interest of both countries. And I affirmed to the Secretary Egypt’s desire to have good and positive relationship with the United States based on our own priorities.
Now I will give you, Mr. Secretary, the chance to speak, and after that we will be taking questions from the press.
SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you. Well, Minister Fahmy, thank you very, very much. Thank you for your welcome back here in Egypt in Cairo. It’s a pleasure for me to be back here. You and I have talked frequently on the telephone and we know each other – and in New York – and we’ve worked hard to try to make sure that the positions of both of our countries and the interests of our countries are clear and that we try to work through what have obviously been some difficult challenges.
I have come here at this moment of challenge on behalf of President Obama really to speak about the future of the Middle East and the future of the relationship between the United States and Egypt, which is a very important relationship. I wanted to first express to the Egyptian people as clearly and as forcefully as I can, in no uncertain terms, the United States is a friend of the people of Egypt, of the country of Egypt, and we are a partner to your country.
The United States wants Egypt to succeed and we want to contribute to your success. Egypt’s political and economic success is important, of course, not only for Egyptians, but it’s important for the region, for the United States, and the international community. As I told Minister Fahmy in our meeting this morning, Egypt is a vital partner to America in this region. As a home – as the home to a quarter of the Arab world, Egypt plays a crucial role in the political, cultural, and the economic leadership of the Middle East and of North Africa.
So let’s be clear: What happens here is profoundly important to the region and it is in the interest of the United States. I’ve been here many times, and we have assisted in some economic issues, and each time I have come here I have said that we support the people of Egypt and we want the people of Egypt and Egypt as a nation, with all of its amazing history, to be able to continue to lead in the region and in the world.
It is no secret that this has been a difficult time and these have been a turbulent couple of years. But the Egyptian people have shown the world how strong they are. They have really demonstrated a significant resolve as they work to see their transition to meet their aspirations as they’ve tried to make that work. We know full well – and President Obama is completely committed to the idea – that the path forward is ultimately in the hands of the Egyptian people, and we are confident that they will overcome the challenges that are facing them.
As President Obama has said, we are committed to work with and we will continue our cooperation with the interim government. We have much to work on, and the Minister and I this morning discussed very candidly the issues and the challenges that we face together, but we think that there is agreement on many of these things even as we need to keep faith with the roadmap and the path ahead to continue the march to democracy. And we look forward to working together, to cooperating to meet those challenges in the road ahead.
One thing I can’t stress strongly enough, and that is the link between Egypt’s progress in its democratic transition and its overall economic success. History has demonstrated again and again that democracy is more stable, more viable, more prosperous than any alternative. And clearly, the future for young people and old people alike in Egypt will be defined by the combination of stability and economic growth that flows quickly in this country and in the region.
One thing is certain, that domestic and foreign investors alike seek the predictability that stability provides, and in a democracy, government institutions play an important role in implementing the reforms that encourage economic growth. With stability comes tourism and investment, and with both come jobs for the Egyptian people. The United States believes that the U.S. and Egypt partnership is going to be strongest when Egypt is represented by an inclusive, democratically elected, civilian government based on the rule of law, fundamental freedoms, and an open and competitive economy.
And in our meeting today, I welcomed Minister Fahmy’s restatement of the interim government’s commitment to the roadmap that will move Egypt forward on an inclusive path to democracy and to economic stability. We also talked about the importance of how it is in everyone’s interest that Egypt see a transition, live a transition, that results in a constitution that protects the rights of all Egyptians, including freedom of expression and assembly, the ability to participate in civil society, as well as in religious freedom.
Nothing will help bring the people of Egypt together more or provide more economic stability or provide more confidence in the future than an Egypt that is participating in a democratically elected government that is brought about through inclusive, free, and fair elections. And we will support the interim government and the Egyptian people in that end.
Minister Fahmy and I agreed on the need to ensure that Egyptians are afforded due process with fair and transparent trials, civilians tried in a civilian court. And we discussed the need for all violence to end. All acts of terror in Egypt must come to an end – all acts – for Egyptians to be able to exercise restraint and the need for accountability for those acts of violence.
I mentioned to the Minister that, obviously, part of the roadmap and part of the process of strengthening Egypt’s linkages to the rest of the world will be measured in the way in which the people of Egypt are sustained in their ability to have the right to assemble, the right to express themselves. But even as they do that, we also agreed no one should be allowed to practice violence with impunity.
And so we – I want to say very, very clearly the United States condemns all acts of violence. We have condemned the acts of violence against churches, against worshipers, and we also condemn the acts of violence on security forces in the Sinai, and we condemn the acts of violence in the streets of any community in Egypt, and particularly attacks on police and on those elements of authority in the state.
Finally, let me say that we also discussed very briefly – I want you to know we did not spend a lot of time on it – and that was the question of the recent decisions regarding U.S. assistance. Both Minister Fahmy and I agreed that the U.S.-Egypt relationship should not be defined by assistance. There are much bigger issues that matter to us, that concern us, that define the relationship.
But I want to make it clear that the United States will continue to provide support that directly benefits the Egyptian people in health, in scholarships, and private-sector development, and we are continuing assistance to help secure Egypt’s borders, to work with the military, to work on counterterrorism and proliferation, and to ensure the security in the Sinai. And I reaffirmed to the Minister that the United States will work very closely with Egypt in the months ahead and with our own Congress on our bilateral assistance.
President Mansour wrote to President Obama some time ago suggesting a strategic dialogue between our countries, and I am pleased on behalf of President Obama to say to you today that we accept that invitation. We believe it is important, and we will enter into that discussion of a strategic dialogue. Egypt has been a leader in this region for longer than the United States has existed, and we believe now it has an opportunity to be an example of how a democracy can evolve out of the wishes of the people and how it can thrive in the Middle East and beyond.
So Mr. Minister, I close by saying to you that we very much look forward to working with you and the interim government. We thank you for your courtesy in helping arrange this visit, and we look forward to helping this transition to an economically vibrant democracy that the Egyptian people want and deserve. And we look forward to being part of that journey with you.
FOREIGN MINISTER FAHMY: (Via interpreter) I would like to thank Mr. Secretary for his statement, which reflects the depth of the dialogue that took place between us and that also included the situation in Syria. It also addressed the bilateral relationship in a very positive manner, and this was a great opportunity for us to state and explain the Egyptian position and vision for the future of the democratic transition, and also the aspirations of the Egyptian people towards democracy. Egypt has witnessed two revolutions in less than two and a half months, but the people and the government are very committed to moving forward.
And now we’ll take two questions from the audience.
Madam Suzy (inaudible).
QUESTION: This is a question from Suzy el Geneidy, Al Ahram Al Arabi magazine, and my question – first question to Minister Kerry: Mr. Kerry, thank you for your words about Egypt and Egyptian people, but a lot of Egyptians see the U.S. position as negative, unfortunately. They say that the U.S. is trying to pressure and punish Egypt going to the path to democracy because of the continued holding the delivery of some aids, continue holding the delivery of some aids to Egypt. Don’t you think this will affect not only the public – the official relations, but also the public relations on the (inaudible)?
And the second point is concerning the peace process. Do you think there will be positive results from the negotiations, especially that Israel is continuing settlement policy?
And my question to our Minister, please: How do you view the Egyptian-American relations now, and what do you expect from this (inaudible)? Thank you.
SECRETARY KERRY: Well, let me just answer it by saying to you that, of course, we understood that the decision with respect to some aid, which has been held back for a period of time, we knew that in some places, obviously, that wouldn’t be well received. But it’s not a punishment. It’s a reflection of a policy in the United States under our law. We have a law passed by the United States Congress regarding how certain events unfold with respect to the change of a government in a country, and we’re bound by that.
President Obama has actually worked very, very hard to be able to make certain that we’re not disrupting the relationship with Egypt. That’s why I just said that the President is continuing any assistance that goes directly to the Egyptian people to help the Egyptian people with education, with healthcare, with building and in certain things that have an impact directly on the people. And we have worked for years to invest in Egypt and to help in Egypt.
I believe the government – the interim government has made very important statements about the roadmap and now is engaged in a constitutional assembly and a very important debate about what shape the constitution of Egypt will take in the future. That debate is important in and of itself. It’s a reflection of the democracy and of the democratic process. And in December, hopefully, as that constitutional assembly reports, the interim government will continue as they have promised us they are going to do – not for us, but for the Egyptian people. They have made this promise that they intend to continue to move down that road. We believe that is the foundation of the continued cooperation between our countries, which, as I said, is a very important relationship for all of us.
So I know there have been some communications and some questions. Let me make it clear here today: President Obama and the American people support the people of Egypt. We believe this is a vital relationship. I am here today at the instructions of President Obama in order to specifically say to the people of Egypt: We support you in this tremendous transformation that you are undergoing. We know it’s difficult. We want to help. We’re prepared to do so. And the way it will unfold is the democracy is rekindled in its strength; and as the people of Egypt make their choices in the future, I am confident the United States of America will be able to stand with you and do even more.
So this aid issue is a very small issue between us, and the Government of Egypt, I think, has handled it very thoughtfully and sensitively. Our hope is that we can make the progress we need on democracy, the rights of people, the protections of people, the ability of the country to have its civil society strengthened and restored, and then we will march together hand in hand into the future with Egypt playing the vital role that it has traditionally played in this region.
With respect to the peace process, I remain hopeful, and we will make every effort in the United States to move the process forward in a fair-mannered way, in a balanced way that reflects the complexity of these issues. There is no doubt – and I have said this to the Prime Minister of Israel – that the settlements have disturbed people’s perceptions of whether or not people are serious and we’re moving in the right direction. And I know there have been tensions at the Haram al-Sharif, and I know that doesn’t sit well in the community.
The Prime Minister, to his credit – the Prime Minister of Israel is working to try to make sure that the rules and the understandings are applied in the appropriate way, and we all need to try to give this negotiation the space that it needs for the leaders to be able to make some very difficult decisions.
What I commit to you is the United States, President Obama are very committed to this effort. I’m going to Israel. I’ll be meeting with the Prime Minister of Israel and the President of the Palestinian Authority. While I am there, I will meet also with King Abdullah of Jordan, and we will try to move the process forward.
And I am hopeful that in the next months we can make progress, and I ask people everywhere to keep their minds open, to speak the language of peace, not hatred, not war, not continued division, but the possibilities of what peace can bring to everybody. And I will be visiting with His Majesty King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia tomorrow. He has made one of the most significant contributions to this effort through the Arab Peace Initiative. The Arab League will be meeting here, I think, tonight. They have made very, very significant statements in the last months. So I believe there is an ability to move forward, but we have to remain calm and dedicated and committed to a quiet process by which difficult decisions can be discussed.
FOREIGN MINISTER FAHMY: (Via interpreter) The response to the question – and I will be very brief – I have mentioned a few days ago that the U.S.-Egyptian relations are witnessing some tension, but today in my close discussion with the Secretary, and also what Secretary Kerry has mentioned here today, I believe that the U.S. support for Egypt and the roadmap are all very positive indications, and we all seek to resume this relationship in a positive manner. And also what you mentioned about a launch of the strategic dialogue with – between the two countries is very, very helpful.
We have a question here from an American journalist.
QUESTION: Kim Ghattas from the BBC. Mr. Kerry, a question for you first.
SECRETARY KERRY: Can you pull up –
QUESTION: In July, in Pakistan –
SECRETARY KERRY: Pull the mike up.
QUESTION: In July, in Pakistan, you said that Egypt’s generals were restoring democracy. Much has happened since then. I understand there is a roadmap at the moment, but are you still of that view? Is it really this clear-cut?
And the second question: You’re embarking on a regional tour starting here in Egypt, which will take you to Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region at a time when your allies – Egypt and Saudi Arabia – are pushing back against your influence. Does the U.S. still have anything to say about what is going on in the region?
And for Minister Fahmy, you have spoken about a roadmap towards democracy indeed, but in the meantime, there seems to be a lot of cheering in Egypt for the army’s actions. Is that something that you, as a civilian leader, believe is the right way forward for Egypt? Are you being inclusive enough of all of Egypt’s different communities?
SECRETARY KERRY: Well, with respect to – do you want a translation on that or not?
INTERPRETER: I’ll be very brief.
SECRETARY KERRY: I mean, I don’t know if you’re (inaudible). Okay, we can go ahead.
With respect to Pakistan, the comment that I made in Pakistan was really me describing what the state of mind and the intent of the generals were at that time and what they had said they were intending to do. And thus far, there are indications that that is what they are intending to do. The roadmap is being carried out to the best of our perception. There are questions we have here and there about one thing or another, but Foreign Minister Fahmy has reemphasized to me again and again that they have every intent and they are determined to fulfill that particular decision and that track.
And as I said, the constitutional assembly is up and working, a robust debate is taking place. We will have to wait to see what product comes out. Clearly, they are listening. There was a demonstration law that was floated some few days ago, and when there was a public push-back against it, the government listened and the government responded. And now heading into December, there will be the setting of dates for elections, both parliamentary elections as well as for a presidential election. So all of that is, in fact, moving down the roadmap in the direction that everybody has been hoping for and concerned about. So the answer is: The proof will be in the pudding, as the old saying goes, as we go forward in the next days.
But Minister Fahmy mentioned to me something about good faith in relationships when we were talking, and I think it’s important for all of us, until proven otherwise, to accept that this is the track Egypt is on and to work to help it to be able to achieve that. Now, I happen to have a believe shared, needless to say, with President Obama and others that all of Egypt’s future will be defined not only by the way the roadmap is implemented and the way the constitution is formed, what is in it, but by the economic choices and the economic opportunities that are created over these next weeks and months. Because if the people of Egypt don’t begin to see the economy take hold and improve, it will be hard for any government to provide for the kinds of improvements that people are looking for in the quality of their lives. And I think the government fully understands that, and they’re working very, very hard to implement new programs and policies to move in that direction.
So we will continue to work with the interim government, as I’ve said. As long as they are continuing to move down (inaudible), I have no doubt about our ability to improve this relationship and to continue to work to restore the full measure of the relationship that has existed previously.
Now with respect to the question you asked – does the United States have anything to say, are there some differences – look, we can have a difference on a policy, on the tactics of the policy. For instance, there are some countries in the region that wanted the United States to do one thing with respect to Syria, and we have done something else. Those differences on an individual tactic on a policy do not create a difference on the fundamental goal of the policy. We all share the same goal that we have discussed; that is, the salvation of the state of Syria and a transition government put in place under Geneva 1 that can give the people of Syria the opportunity to choose their future. And we also believe that Assad, by virtue of his loss of moral authority, cannot be part of that because of the difficulties of his ever representing all of the people of Syria. It’s just a – and nobody can answer how you could actually end the war as long as Assad is there.
So there may be some differences on a tactic here and there, but let me be crystal clear. The United States of America is deeply engaged in the Middle East peace process, and we are essential to the ability of that peace process to be able to be resolved for a number of different reasons. The United States is deeply involved in supporting the defensive capacity and – of many countries in the region, and the United States – the President made it clear in his speech at UNGA – will be there for the defense of our friends and our allies. We will be there for Saudi Arabia, for the Emirates, for the Qataris, for the Jordanians, for the Egyptians and others. We will not allow those countries to be attacked from outside. We will stand with them. So we have a major defensive relationship in the region.
In addition, the United States is the principal interlocutor with respect to the efforts to try to hold the group together in terms of the sanctions and the approach to Iran. And the United States is deeply engaged with the P5+1, in the guarantees that Iran will not get a nuclear weapon. That is a promise by the President of the United States.
So almost everywhere where you look in the region, the United States has a critical role to play, is playing a critical role, is helping nations to be able to defend themselves. The United States is deeply involved in helping the Lebanese army, their armed forces be able to have sufficient support, and we are deeply engaged in the humanitarian effort. The United States is the largest single donor to the humanitarian crisis in Syria, and the United States was a leader, obviously, in working with Russia to try to remove chemical weapons from Syria.
So the question, frankly, I think is without any foundation whatsoever in basis of fact with respect to what is actually happening in our relationships in the region and the efforts that we make with all of the countries in the region.
FOREIGN MINISTER FAHMY: In response to the question I was asked – and I will answer in English to save time – the Egyptian military responded twice in two and half years to the call of the people to change their president because they wanted to participate in determining their own future. So it’s quite natural that the people will be cheering for the military for the support they’ve had. And I would add to that that as the security situation goes up and down, needless to say, they look towards the security forces, be that the police or the military, to respond to that.
But let’s not misunderstand this or misinterpret this. The Egyptian people are aspiring for a democratic system with a civilian government, which will be – which will function according to the norms of a global democracy irrespective of the fact that we may have some cultural variations here and there in terms of our traditions. The norms of democracy will be respected, and it will be a civilian government. That’s why we had two revolutions in two and a half years.
Thank you very much. I’m sorry we have to run.
QUESTION: (Off-mike.)
FOREIGN MINISTER FAHMY: I’m sorry. We have to run. The President is waiting, and I have to – thank you.
Sunday, November 3, 2013
LABOR DEPARTMENT CITES ROLE AFTER HURRICANE SANDY
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| Hurricane Sandy Aftermath. Credit: U.S. Air Force. |
On Oct. 29, 2012, Hurricane Sandy wrought serious destruction along the East Coast. Over the past year, the Department of Labor has played a key role in the Obama administration's Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force. We talked with the department's Northeast Regional Representative, Robert Asaro-Angelo, for an update on the department's work.
Can you tell us about efforts to keep workers safe during the recovery and rebuilding efforts? Hurricane cleanup and recovery work can be dangerous. Immediately after the storm, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration deployed personnel throughout the region to ensure workers engaged in storm response and recovery work were protected properly against health and safety hazards. OSHA educated employers and workers through extensive outreach, and conducted thousands of field interventions that protected or removed workers from unsafe conditions. Additionally, it awarded more than a million dollars in training grants for small employers and vulnerable workers.
A storm's damage isn't only physical, but also economic. Can you tell us how the Labor Department has been able to help in that area? Providing financial help to the region and protecting the incomes of workers has been vital for recovery. To that end, the department has issued millions of dollars in recovery grants to communities and unemployment assistance for individuals, engaged in outreach on wage and hour laws, and recovered more than $700,000 in back wages for workers. In addition, we've worked hard to ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity for a job in the rebuilding effort.
What work remains to be done? The long-term rebuilding is only just beginning. We are working closely with our federal partners to help communities rebuild in a way that makes them stronger, more economically competitive and better able to withstand future storms. Also, we will continue to ensure an equal opportunity for jobs, that workers receive the pay and benefits they've earned and return home safely at the end of the day.
CO-FOUNDER OF DIGITAL CURRENCY SERVICE PLEADS GUILTY TO MONEY LAUNDERING
FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Co-founder of Liberty Reserve Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering in Manhattan Federal Court
Vladimir Kats, 41, of Brooklyn, N.Y., pleaded guilty today in federal court before U.S. District Judge Denise L. Cote to money laundering and operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. The charges stem from his role in running Liberty Reserve, a company that operated one of the world’s most widely used digital currency services and allegedly laundered more than $6 billion in suspected proceeds of crimes.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara of the Southern District of New York made the announcement.
“Vladimir Kats, by his own admission, helped to create and operate an anonymous digital currency system that provided cybercriminals and others with the means to launder criminal proceeds on an unprecedented scale,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman. “His conviction reinforces what we said when Liberty Reserve was first brought down: banking systems that allow criminals to conduct illegal transactions anonymously will not be allowed to stand, and professional money launderers will be brought to justice.”
“As a co-founder and operator of Liberty Reserve, Vladimir Kats served as a global banker for criminals, giving them an anonymous, online forum to hide the proceeds of their illegal and dangerous activities,” said U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara. “With his guilty plea today, we take a significant step toward punishing those responsible for creating and running this international den of cybercrime.”
According to court records, Liberty Reserve was incorporated in Costa Rica in 2006 and billed itself as the Internet’s “largest payment processor and money transfer system.” Liberty Reserve allegedly was created and structured, and operated, to help users conduct illegal transactions anonymously and launder the proceeds of their crimes, and it emerged as one of the principal money transfer agents used by cybercriminals around the world to distribute, store, and launder the proceeds of their illegal activity. Liberty Reserve allegedly was used extensively for illegal purposes, functioning as the bank of choice for the criminal underworld because it provided an infrastructure that enabled cybercriminals to conduct anonymous and untraceable financial transactions.
According to the indictment, before being shut down by the government in May 2013, Liberty Reserve had more than one million users worldwide, including more than 200,000 users in the United States, who conducted approximately 55 million transactions through its system and allegedly laundered more than $6 billion in suspected proceeds of crimes, including credit card fraud, identity theft, investment fraud, computer hacking, child pornography, and narcotics trafficking. Kats co-founded Liberty Reserve and helped operate the company until in or about 2009.
Kats was arrested in Brooklyn in May 2013 and pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiring to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of conspiring to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; one count of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; one count of receiving child pornography, which carries a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison; and one count of marriage fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.
This case is being investigated by the Secret Service, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Secret Service’s New York Electronic Crimes Task Force. The Judicial Investigation Organization in Costa Rica; the National High Tech Crime Unit in the Netherlands, the Financial and Economic Crime Unit of the Spanish National Police; the Cyber Crime Unit at the Swedish National Bureau of Investigation; and the Swiss Federal Prosecutor’s Office also provided assistance.
This case is being prosecuted jointly by the Criminal Division’s Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section (AFMLS) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Complex Frauds Unit and Asset Forfeiture Unit in the Southern District of New York, with assistance from the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs and Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section.
Trial Attorney Kevin Mosely of AFMLS and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Serrin Turner and Andrew Goldstein of the Southern District of New York are in charge of the prosecution, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Magdo is in charge of the forfeiture aspects of the case.
The charges in the indictment against Kats’s co-defendants remain pending and are merely accusations. Those defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Co-founder of Liberty Reserve Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering in Manhattan Federal Court
Vladimir Kats, 41, of Brooklyn, N.Y., pleaded guilty today in federal court before U.S. District Judge Denise L. Cote to money laundering and operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. The charges stem from his role in running Liberty Reserve, a company that operated one of the world’s most widely used digital currency services and allegedly laundered more than $6 billion in suspected proceeds of crimes.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara of the Southern District of New York made the announcement.
“Vladimir Kats, by his own admission, helped to create and operate an anonymous digital currency system that provided cybercriminals and others with the means to launder criminal proceeds on an unprecedented scale,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman. “His conviction reinforces what we said when Liberty Reserve was first brought down: banking systems that allow criminals to conduct illegal transactions anonymously will not be allowed to stand, and professional money launderers will be brought to justice.”
“As a co-founder and operator of Liberty Reserve, Vladimir Kats served as a global banker for criminals, giving them an anonymous, online forum to hide the proceeds of their illegal and dangerous activities,” said U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara. “With his guilty plea today, we take a significant step toward punishing those responsible for creating and running this international den of cybercrime.”
According to court records, Liberty Reserve was incorporated in Costa Rica in 2006 and billed itself as the Internet’s “largest payment processor and money transfer system.” Liberty Reserve allegedly was created and structured, and operated, to help users conduct illegal transactions anonymously and launder the proceeds of their crimes, and it emerged as one of the principal money transfer agents used by cybercriminals around the world to distribute, store, and launder the proceeds of their illegal activity. Liberty Reserve allegedly was used extensively for illegal purposes, functioning as the bank of choice for the criminal underworld because it provided an infrastructure that enabled cybercriminals to conduct anonymous and untraceable financial transactions.
According to the indictment, before being shut down by the government in May 2013, Liberty Reserve had more than one million users worldwide, including more than 200,000 users in the United States, who conducted approximately 55 million transactions through its system and allegedly laundered more than $6 billion in suspected proceeds of crimes, including credit card fraud, identity theft, investment fraud, computer hacking, child pornography, and narcotics trafficking. Kats co-founded Liberty Reserve and helped operate the company until in or about 2009.
Kats was arrested in Brooklyn in May 2013 and pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiring to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of conspiring to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; one count of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; one count of receiving child pornography, which carries a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison; and one count of marriage fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.
This case is being investigated by the Secret Service, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Secret Service’s New York Electronic Crimes Task Force. The Judicial Investigation Organization in Costa Rica; the National High Tech Crime Unit in the Netherlands, the Financial and Economic Crime Unit of the Spanish National Police; the Cyber Crime Unit at the Swedish National Bureau of Investigation; and the Swiss Federal Prosecutor’s Office also provided assistance.
This case is being prosecuted jointly by the Criminal Division’s Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section (AFMLS) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Complex Frauds Unit and Asset Forfeiture Unit in the Southern District of New York, with assistance from the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs and Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section.
Trial Attorney Kevin Mosely of AFMLS and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Serrin Turner and Andrew Goldstein of the Southern District of New York are in charge of the prosecution, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Magdo is in charge of the forfeiture aspects of the case.
The charges in the indictment against Kats’s co-defendants remain pending and are merely accusations. Those defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
SECRETARY KERRY'S REMARKS TO OPEN GOVERNMENT PARTNERSHIP SUMMIT
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Remarks to Open Government Partnership Annual Summit
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Via Teleconference
Washington, DC
October 31, 2013
MODERATOR: Wonderful. Thank you very much. I’m delighted to say that we are now joined by the Honorable John F. Kerry, the U.S. Secretary of State, in a live link to Washington.
It’s good to have you, Secretary of State. How are you?
SECRETARY KERRY: I’m fine, thank you. I’m glad to be with you.
MODERATOR: Thank you very much. We were just beginning with William Hague talking about the commitment to OGP on behalf of the British Government. Could you tell us in terms of your own reflections on why OGP is so important an initiative?
SECRETARY KERRY: Sure, and I’d be happy to. But let me just begin by saying hello to William and what a pleasure it is to be with him and with all of you. And I want him to know that he persuaded me. I was sitting here listening to him and it sounded great.
Do you want me just to share some thoughts with you?
MODERATOR: Yeah, why not?
SECRETARY KERRY: Way to go, William. Thank you. (Laughter.)
MODERATOR: Yeah. Go ahead.
SECRETARY KERRY: All right. Well, first of all, let me just start by saying that there are about 20 reasons why I wish I could be there with you in London right now, and those are all of my meetings here today. But obviously, I’m not. I’m glad we’re represented there at the meeting. But I just want to start by thanking Foreign Secretary Hague for the British Government’s tremendous leadership on this front. I mean, really, between the G8 and the U.S. process on the post-2015 development agenda, as well as in the Open Government Partnership, our friends in Great Britain have really been extraordinary leaders on this.
And so from the President on down including (inaudible) Ambassador Power at the UN and National Security Advisor Susan Rice, and myself, we are deeply committed to the mission of the OGP. And for us, I think, much as William was describing to everybody a moment ago, the reasons for our support ought to be – and embrace of everything that this stands for, ought to be self-evident. It’s very hard to overstate the impact that civil society has had on our structure of government and who we are and what we do.
The fact is that in the United States, in Great Britain, in countries like ours, people have the freedom to assemble, the freedom to speak out, the freedom to organize, to call for government change. And in our countries, both of our countries, the media holds extraordinary power and extraordinary freedom and ability to be able to shape thinking, and people. Individual people, through their own individual organizing efforts or through the nongovernmental organizations that they choose to become part of, all have this freedom to be able to shape the media – to have an impact through the media.
So here in our country, I’ll tell you that’s something I grew up with starting in my early years in college, and even before President Kennedy was elected in 1960 – his first political event I took part in. I’ve watched these forces shape our lives. We had the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s when we were all students. We had the Women’s Rights Movement that struck out for women’s equality and has really transformed our nation. We had the labor movement. Almost every single movement towards progress – the peace movement – all of these have had a profound impact and they’ve all been grassroots homegrown because we have this ability to throw our ideas on the table.
And I think – I spent a couple of years when I came back from being involved in the war in Vietnam, and I spent a couple of years organizing and working to end the war. And one of the lessons that came out to me through that was, therefore, how important it is for government to be accountable. That was a period of time when government regrettably lied to the people it represented. And those lies saw us involved in a war that was wrongful and inappropriate.
So I also took part in the first ever Earth Day here in the United States, and I was an organizer in Massachusetts at the grassroots level. And we had 20 million people come out of their homes free to make their feelings heard, and they had a profound impact on our country because after the 1970 movement that brought those 20 million people out, they didn’t stop there. They translated that into political activity that targeted the worst votes in Congress and organized to defeat them. And they did defeat seven of the 12 so-called “dirty dozen” worst votes on the environment. And that ignited a legislative response that produced the Clean Air Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Coastal Zone Management Act, and actually created the Environmental Protection Agency that we have in the United States today that is busy trying to deal with climate change and other pressing issues.
So the bottom line is very simple, that those of us who came out of that period – Vice President Biden, myself, and others – believe very strongly that this kind of effort, the civil society effort, is what creates a farm system for future leadership. And you can see it with Lech Walesa, you can see with Vaclav Havel, you can see it even with Barack Obama, President of the United States, who was himself a community organizer at the beginning of his public engagement.
So look, we think that it’s a remarkable achievement that in the two years since the OGP was founded, the initial list of eight participating countries has now grown to include more than 60 countries. And from Brazil to Turkey to Liberia, more and more countries are passing laws that are guaranteeing citizens the right to information. And at the State Department, we are using our ongoing strategic dialogue with civil society to bring new ideas to the table. And we have a new Office of Faith-Based Community Initiatives, and that’s a direct result of an idea that came out of that dialogue.
And so our hope is that through this work of the OGP, we can all maximize this notion that we live in this globalized, interconnected world. And President Obama issued a challenge at the UN recently to commit to spending the next 12 months working together to make concrete progress in these areas.
So I don’t want to go on and on. I know you want to have a little more of a dialogue here.
MODERATOR: We do. Yep.
SECRETARY KERRY: But I just wanted to emphasize how committed we are to this. We all – as President Obama said, as other countries back down, we have a responsibility to step up and we need to do it together. And I think that’s what’s important.
MODERATOR: Thank you very much indeed, Secretary of State, for your time. I know you’re very busy, but we enjoyed having your inputs here and raised some very important points.
I’d like to go to Aruna Roy next, because as John Kerry was mentioning there, the importance of civil society groups working at a grassroots level is incredibly important, and that’s what you do in rural India. There is the perception somehow that in places like rural India, the whole idea of open government is not important. Is that the case?
MS. ROY: Well, we’ve had a lot of humor to begin with this evening, so I’d like to say that when we went to civil service institution, some colleagues of mine and I, and we were presented as civil society members, many of them were deeply upset and they said, “Do you think we are uncivil?” (Laughter.) So I think civil society itself has to be unpacked. And the people who live in rural India are intelligent people. Like Urmo said, ordinary people are intelligent. They are bright. We don’t listen to them. And we have Gandhi. Gandhi traveled all of India, listened to people, and that’s how the national movement for independence really originated, and civil disobedience (inaudible). Listening to human beings whom we dismiss as ordinary is part of the Indian culture.
So Indian – rural India, which really suffers the worst of the worst of Indian democracy, is where democracy is most alive. That’s where they want to set it right. They don’t want – they do protest, they do struggle. And those photographs we saw on the screen are, of course, typical photographs, but it doesn’t end there. They protest to create something, to make something, to make – they don’t want violence, they don’t want to beat up somebody. But they do want their bread. They do want their health services. So it was through that – this kind of protest that the right to information campaign was actually born. And we do think that their voices were really very strong. And they created the kind of discomfort that’s necessary that we talked about this morning. There was a lot of discomfort, there were many people who thought it was terrible, but the dialogue began, which has ended here in a sense.
So the dialogue began between people, the civil servants, and the politicians. And it’s in that dialogue, through the course of the dialogue, and the dialectic, that there was protest and advocacy, that the concept of a free, transparent, working environment grew.
MODERATOR: Just very quickly to you first, William. And then also if you’d like, Secretary of State, how important – because one of the themes of OGP is about supporting or creating the space for civil society groups to function, because it is under threat. You look all around the world, whether it’s freedom of expression, freedom of the media – how important is that? You go first, William, and then if you’d like to comment afterwards, Secretary of State.
FOREIGN SECRETARY HAGUE: Well, it is – it’s hugely important, and I think that means it matters a great deal what example we set in our own countries. After all, we cannot change everything that happens in other countries in the world. But we can set a good example ourselves. We’ve learned to do that here in the UK with our own open government action plan, and my colleague Francis Maude, who’s done the most fantastic job in pursuing this whole agenda nationally and internationally. But the first time we did an open government action plan, I think civil society told us we hadn’t included civil society in it – quite forcefully, actually, I think. And so the second time we did it, they are very much part of the plan and part of the input into it.
So it’s very, very important in a country like ours, an extraordinarily free and open country. And I think if we set that example and we do so in other European countries and in America, well, then it leaves fewer excuses for other people in the world where it is – it can be even more important.
MODERATOR: Secretary of State?
SECRETARY KERRY: Well, I agree with that and I think the simple reality is that in a democracy, and particularly with the vibrancy of the social media today, you really have to be open. I mean, it seems to me we’re seeing a new accountability in a lot of places. What happened in Tahrir Square, the pace at which information moves and events unfold, is different from ever before.
I heard a story the other day. I was in Asia at the Asian summit, and one of the stories going around there was about how in one country – I’ll leave it unnamed – but in one country an official was caught on social media with a sort of white spot where his tan line was on his watch. And so there was no watch, but somebody realized he had been wearing one. So they went back and found some pictures and they found him with a different watch almost every day of the week, much more expensive than he could afford on his government salary. (Laughter.) And boom, they found, as a result, corruption and he lost his job among other things.
But so there’s a new policeman on the block, very different from the past, and that is this broad accountability to the people. But before that even existed, one of the fundamentals of our notions of how you govern is you’ve got to listen to people. And the White House has recently developed a new means of trying to tap into this, which is an online petition platform called “We the People.” And just in the last two years, more than 10 million users have generated more than 260,000 petitions on topics ranging from gun violence to how you unlock a cell phone. (Laughter.) It’s pretty amazing.
And one of the virtues of this – and I think William will agree with me – is those of us in government in positions like I have, we come and we go. I’m here, if I don’t screw up, for another few years. (Laughter.) But there are a lot of groups out there that have a lifetime expertise built up advocating for the environment, or for children, or for one thing or another. And we need that input because they will have much better information in many cases in a more grassroots people-based view than somebody who may come in and out of government. And the whole purpose really is to listen to people and build on that experience. So it’s invaluable. Absolutely invaluable.
MODERATOR: We like your honestly, Secretary of State. I wish I could tease out the name of the country that – of the story you were saying earlier. (Laughter.)
SECRETARY KERRY: Well, I think if you Googled it, you’ll find it. (Laughter.)
MODERATOR: I’d like to come to Mo Ibrahim, if I may. And Mo, you and the Mo Ibrahim Foundation have been very involved at looking at good governance and exceptional leadership in Africa, well-known for your work and the work of the foundation on that. I want to talk about two things: business, and the importance of business and business leadership in this whole issue of OGP, and particularly in terms of transparency. And what does the Open Government Partnership need to do in order to continue raising the bar in terms of commitments and on towards sustaining its progress?
MR. IBRAHIM: Right, just two tough questions.
MODERATOR: Two quick questions, I know.
MR. IBRAHIM: Right. And I’m really amazed by the absence of the business people from our group here. Businesses have a stake in open government. It’s important for the business, and business is also coming under extreme pressure from so many sides now. So we need to clean up their acts, and we have seen so many really sad incidents. Every day I open the newspaper, a bank has been fined a billion dollar, somebody been – it’s really tough what is going there.
So it’s time for business to show us really that they are good citizens. And that is something important for business to be here. There is no business people really joining our (inaudible) part of civil society, and open government is important for the business. And we really need to invite the business people. It’s not like they should be invited; they should knock at the door, actually. That’s as far as business.
As far as commitments, it’s too early yet. We only had two years now. We managed to produce the first reports on the – for the (inaudible) countries. I’m concerned about a number of things. First, for the credibility of this body, we need to produce really credible reports – country reports. And to produce country reports, we’ll have to hire research teams in each country to producing the reporting on each country commitment. That’s if we are serious about this. That was --
MODERATOR: That’s the independent reporting mechanism –
MR. IBRAHIM: That’s (inaudible) whatever of the – yes, of partnership. That needs money. It needs funding. And I’m very concerned about the state of the funding. The last time I looked at our account was a few days ago. I found something very strange. Civil society – actually four foundations – funded over $4 million. Sixty governments funded $1.6 million. And I can – to Secretary of State there, I’m not going to include you there because Britain done very well. You’ve done half of this 1.6. You are okay. (Laughter.)
But United States, I mean, contributed only $200,000. This compared with, I mean, $800,000 -- $600,000 from UK. I mean, UK hasn’t got three times the GDP of the United States. I mean, we know there’s some –
FOREIGN SECRETARY HAGUE: (Inaudible) when they started. (Laughter.)
MR. IBRAHIM: We know there have been issues – the Congress and the budget – but I think you’ve got some budget now. And you saved the ticket because you didn’t come here today to the meeting. (Laughter.) So you saved the ticket. So you really need – (laughter and applause).
SECRETARY KERRY: That might get you an additional 5,000. (Laughter.)
MR. IBRAHIM: Because, seriously--
SECRETARY KERRY: I don’t think that’s the – I don’t think that’s going to (inaudible) my ticket does. (Laughter.) But let me announce something, if you will, because we’re very engaged in many, many parts of the world. I’m very proud. We may not give to every single entity that asks, but we’re giving literally hundreds of millions of dollars in these kinds of efforts, and I’m proud to say that no country in the world is putting as much money into developmental issues as we are every single year. So I don’t feel defensive about it.
But I am happy to tell you today that the United States – we’re announcing right here at this moment that we’re putting $2.5 million into a pilot anti-corruption project in West Africa. And it’s designed to facilitate collaboration between governments. So I think we are prepared to put the money up, but I’ll have to check into why the OGP isn’t getting more and I’ll find out. (Applause.)
MR. IBRAHIM: And actually – and really in fairness, I think about United States because I have the Secretary here and I love him, I’m a fan of him. (Laughter.) But really the truth has – we have to be frank. Friends have to be frank with each other. But many governments really do not cough up. And this is not a free ride, and it’s unfair for civil society to bear the brunt of this and governments to have a free ride. So commitment means commitment, and we need you to do that in order for us to produce really credible reports and to really go forward. So that’s a big challenge for us, actually.
MODERATOR: Okay. Thank you very much. I wish we could go on and on, actually, but I know that William’s got a very tight deadline. Secretary of State, thank you very much indeed for joining us and giving us your time.
SECRETARY KERRY: It’s good to be with you.
MODERATOR: Much appreciated. (Applause.)
MS. ROY: I just want to ask him a question.
MODERATOR: Wait one second, we’ve got one more question from Aruna, Secretary of State.
MS. ROY: I just have a question which I want to ask both of you. The world has become much better place, there’s more transparency in governments, there’s more accountability. And at the same time, there are more restrictive laws being passed by all governments today than ever before, and there is an attempt at surveillance by my government and your governments. Why is this happening? I want to know. Because if we are going to become an open society, we should always trust each other, and we don’t have to spy or suspect or believe that the other one’s bad. (Applause.)
I trust you. I trust you. I believe that there is a social contract between the two of you and all of us that we will work in the interests of each other. It’s such a delicate balance that when it gets disrupted that it takes a lot of time to set it right. I’m not being critical negatively, but I really want the world to be a better place. And we’ve been building this trust – we call talk of trust deficits. We’ve been building it with so much care – me with my government, all my friends here with their governments. We want it to prosper.
FOREIGN SECRETARY HAGUE: John, that’s one for you, there. (Laughter and applause.)
MODERATOR: That wasn’t me. That was William. (Laughter.)
SECRETARY KERRY: I don’t know, William. Does that mean that you guys have never or do never – no, I’m not going there. (Laughter.)
Can I just say to you – look, I’ll just answer you very quickly and I’ll answer you very directly. There is no question that the President and I and others in government have actually learned of some things that had been happening, in many ways, on an automatic pilot because the technology is there, the ability has been there, over the course of a long period of time, really going back to World War II and to the very difficult years of the Soviet Union and the Cold War, and then, of course, 9/11. The attack on the United States and the rise of radical extremism in the world that is hell-bent and determined to try to kill people and blow people up and attack governments – not just us, but the Tokyo subway, London train station, Madrid. Many, many, many parts of the world have been subject to these terrorist attacks. And in response to them, the United States and others came together – others, I emphasize to you – and realized that we’re dealing in a new world where people are willing to blow themselves up. I mean, walk into a building, or trucks, they’re willing to be filled with fertilizer and plant it outside a building and blow it up, no matter who’s in it.
And there are countless examples of this. Look at Nairobi the other day, where al-Shabaab goes into the Westgate mall and kills dozens, almost a hundred – more than a hundred, more than a hundred people innocently killed doing their shopping.
So what if you were able to intercept that and stop it before it happens? We have actually prevented airplanes from going down, buildings from being blown up, and people from being assassinated because we’ve been able to learn ahead of time of the plans. I assure you innocent people are not being abused in this process, but there’s an effort to try to gather information. And yes, in some cases, it has reached too far inappropriately. And the President, our President, is determined to try to clarify and make clear for people and is now doing a thorough review in order that nobody will have the sense of abuse.
But I want to assure you that (inaudible). Just the other day it was – there was news in the papers of 70 million people being listened to. No, they weren’t. It didn’t happen. There’s an enormous amount of exaggeration in this reporting from some reporters out there. What we’re trying to do is in a random way find ways of trying to learn if, in fact, there is a threat that we need to respond to. And in some cases, I acknowledge to you, as has the President, that some of these actions have reached too far, and we are going to make sure that does not happen in the future.
MS. ROY: Thank you.
MODERATOR: Secretary, thank you very much, indeed, for your time. Appreciate it very much. (Applause.) Thank you also to Foreign Secretary William Hague and to Aruna Roy and to Mo Ibrahim. Thank you very much.
Remarks to Open Government Partnership Annual Summit
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Via Teleconference
Washington, DC
October 31, 2013
MODERATOR: Wonderful. Thank you very much. I’m delighted to say that we are now joined by the Honorable John F. Kerry, the U.S. Secretary of State, in a live link to Washington.
It’s good to have you, Secretary of State. How are you?
SECRETARY KERRY: I’m fine, thank you. I’m glad to be with you.
MODERATOR: Thank you very much. We were just beginning with William Hague talking about the commitment to OGP on behalf of the British Government. Could you tell us in terms of your own reflections on why OGP is so important an initiative?
SECRETARY KERRY: Sure, and I’d be happy to. But let me just begin by saying hello to William and what a pleasure it is to be with him and with all of you. And I want him to know that he persuaded me. I was sitting here listening to him and it sounded great.
Do you want me just to share some thoughts with you?
MODERATOR: Yeah, why not?
SECRETARY KERRY: Way to go, William. Thank you. (Laughter.)
MODERATOR: Yeah. Go ahead.
SECRETARY KERRY: All right. Well, first of all, let me just start by saying that there are about 20 reasons why I wish I could be there with you in London right now, and those are all of my meetings here today. But obviously, I’m not. I’m glad we’re represented there at the meeting. But I just want to start by thanking Foreign Secretary Hague for the British Government’s tremendous leadership on this front. I mean, really, between the G8 and the U.S. process on the post-2015 development agenda, as well as in the Open Government Partnership, our friends in Great Britain have really been extraordinary leaders on this.
And so from the President on down including (inaudible) Ambassador Power at the UN and National Security Advisor Susan Rice, and myself, we are deeply committed to the mission of the OGP. And for us, I think, much as William was describing to everybody a moment ago, the reasons for our support ought to be – and embrace of everything that this stands for, ought to be self-evident. It’s very hard to overstate the impact that civil society has had on our structure of government and who we are and what we do.
The fact is that in the United States, in Great Britain, in countries like ours, people have the freedom to assemble, the freedom to speak out, the freedom to organize, to call for government change. And in our countries, both of our countries, the media holds extraordinary power and extraordinary freedom and ability to be able to shape thinking, and people. Individual people, through their own individual organizing efforts or through the nongovernmental organizations that they choose to become part of, all have this freedom to be able to shape the media – to have an impact through the media.
So here in our country, I’ll tell you that’s something I grew up with starting in my early years in college, and even before President Kennedy was elected in 1960 – his first political event I took part in. I’ve watched these forces shape our lives. We had the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s when we were all students. We had the Women’s Rights Movement that struck out for women’s equality and has really transformed our nation. We had the labor movement. Almost every single movement towards progress – the peace movement – all of these have had a profound impact and they’ve all been grassroots homegrown because we have this ability to throw our ideas on the table.
And I think – I spent a couple of years when I came back from being involved in the war in Vietnam, and I spent a couple of years organizing and working to end the war. And one of the lessons that came out to me through that was, therefore, how important it is for government to be accountable. That was a period of time when government regrettably lied to the people it represented. And those lies saw us involved in a war that was wrongful and inappropriate.
So I also took part in the first ever Earth Day here in the United States, and I was an organizer in Massachusetts at the grassroots level. And we had 20 million people come out of their homes free to make their feelings heard, and they had a profound impact on our country because after the 1970 movement that brought those 20 million people out, they didn’t stop there. They translated that into political activity that targeted the worst votes in Congress and organized to defeat them. And they did defeat seven of the 12 so-called “dirty dozen” worst votes on the environment. And that ignited a legislative response that produced the Clean Air Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Coastal Zone Management Act, and actually created the Environmental Protection Agency that we have in the United States today that is busy trying to deal with climate change and other pressing issues.
So the bottom line is very simple, that those of us who came out of that period – Vice President Biden, myself, and others – believe very strongly that this kind of effort, the civil society effort, is what creates a farm system for future leadership. And you can see it with Lech Walesa, you can see with Vaclav Havel, you can see it even with Barack Obama, President of the United States, who was himself a community organizer at the beginning of his public engagement.
So look, we think that it’s a remarkable achievement that in the two years since the OGP was founded, the initial list of eight participating countries has now grown to include more than 60 countries. And from Brazil to Turkey to Liberia, more and more countries are passing laws that are guaranteeing citizens the right to information. And at the State Department, we are using our ongoing strategic dialogue with civil society to bring new ideas to the table. And we have a new Office of Faith-Based Community Initiatives, and that’s a direct result of an idea that came out of that dialogue.
And so our hope is that through this work of the OGP, we can all maximize this notion that we live in this globalized, interconnected world. And President Obama issued a challenge at the UN recently to commit to spending the next 12 months working together to make concrete progress in these areas.
So I don’t want to go on and on. I know you want to have a little more of a dialogue here.
MODERATOR: We do. Yep.
SECRETARY KERRY: But I just wanted to emphasize how committed we are to this. We all – as President Obama said, as other countries back down, we have a responsibility to step up and we need to do it together. And I think that’s what’s important.
MODERATOR: Thank you very much indeed, Secretary of State, for your time. I know you’re very busy, but we enjoyed having your inputs here and raised some very important points.
I’d like to go to Aruna Roy next, because as John Kerry was mentioning there, the importance of civil society groups working at a grassroots level is incredibly important, and that’s what you do in rural India. There is the perception somehow that in places like rural India, the whole idea of open government is not important. Is that the case?
MS. ROY: Well, we’ve had a lot of humor to begin with this evening, so I’d like to say that when we went to civil service institution, some colleagues of mine and I, and we were presented as civil society members, many of them were deeply upset and they said, “Do you think we are uncivil?” (Laughter.) So I think civil society itself has to be unpacked. And the people who live in rural India are intelligent people. Like Urmo said, ordinary people are intelligent. They are bright. We don’t listen to them. And we have Gandhi. Gandhi traveled all of India, listened to people, and that’s how the national movement for independence really originated, and civil disobedience (inaudible). Listening to human beings whom we dismiss as ordinary is part of the Indian culture.
So Indian – rural India, which really suffers the worst of the worst of Indian democracy, is where democracy is most alive. That’s where they want to set it right. They don’t want – they do protest, they do struggle. And those photographs we saw on the screen are, of course, typical photographs, but it doesn’t end there. They protest to create something, to make something, to make – they don’t want violence, they don’t want to beat up somebody. But they do want their bread. They do want their health services. So it was through that – this kind of protest that the right to information campaign was actually born. And we do think that their voices were really very strong. And they created the kind of discomfort that’s necessary that we talked about this morning. There was a lot of discomfort, there were many people who thought it was terrible, but the dialogue began, which has ended here in a sense.
So the dialogue began between people, the civil servants, and the politicians. And it’s in that dialogue, through the course of the dialogue, and the dialectic, that there was protest and advocacy, that the concept of a free, transparent, working environment grew.
MODERATOR: Just very quickly to you first, William. And then also if you’d like, Secretary of State, how important – because one of the themes of OGP is about supporting or creating the space for civil society groups to function, because it is under threat. You look all around the world, whether it’s freedom of expression, freedom of the media – how important is that? You go first, William, and then if you’d like to comment afterwards, Secretary of State.
FOREIGN SECRETARY HAGUE: Well, it is – it’s hugely important, and I think that means it matters a great deal what example we set in our own countries. After all, we cannot change everything that happens in other countries in the world. But we can set a good example ourselves. We’ve learned to do that here in the UK with our own open government action plan, and my colleague Francis Maude, who’s done the most fantastic job in pursuing this whole agenda nationally and internationally. But the first time we did an open government action plan, I think civil society told us we hadn’t included civil society in it – quite forcefully, actually, I think. And so the second time we did it, they are very much part of the plan and part of the input into it.
So it’s very, very important in a country like ours, an extraordinarily free and open country. And I think if we set that example and we do so in other European countries and in America, well, then it leaves fewer excuses for other people in the world where it is – it can be even more important.
MODERATOR: Secretary of State?
SECRETARY KERRY: Well, I agree with that and I think the simple reality is that in a democracy, and particularly with the vibrancy of the social media today, you really have to be open. I mean, it seems to me we’re seeing a new accountability in a lot of places. What happened in Tahrir Square, the pace at which information moves and events unfold, is different from ever before.
I heard a story the other day. I was in Asia at the Asian summit, and one of the stories going around there was about how in one country – I’ll leave it unnamed – but in one country an official was caught on social media with a sort of white spot where his tan line was on his watch. And so there was no watch, but somebody realized he had been wearing one. So they went back and found some pictures and they found him with a different watch almost every day of the week, much more expensive than he could afford on his government salary. (Laughter.) And boom, they found, as a result, corruption and he lost his job among other things.
But so there’s a new policeman on the block, very different from the past, and that is this broad accountability to the people. But before that even existed, one of the fundamentals of our notions of how you govern is you’ve got to listen to people. And the White House has recently developed a new means of trying to tap into this, which is an online petition platform called “We the People.” And just in the last two years, more than 10 million users have generated more than 260,000 petitions on topics ranging from gun violence to how you unlock a cell phone. (Laughter.) It’s pretty amazing.
And one of the virtues of this – and I think William will agree with me – is those of us in government in positions like I have, we come and we go. I’m here, if I don’t screw up, for another few years. (Laughter.) But there are a lot of groups out there that have a lifetime expertise built up advocating for the environment, or for children, or for one thing or another. And we need that input because they will have much better information in many cases in a more grassroots people-based view than somebody who may come in and out of government. And the whole purpose really is to listen to people and build on that experience. So it’s invaluable. Absolutely invaluable.
MODERATOR: We like your honestly, Secretary of State. I wish I could tease out the name of the country that – of the story you were saying earlier. (Laughter.)
SECRETARY KERRY: Well, I think if you Googled it, you’ll find it. (Laughter.)
MODERATOR: I’d like to come to Mo Ibrahim, if I may. And Mo, you and the Mo Ibrahim Foundation have been very involved at looking at good governance and exceptional leadership in Africa, well-known for your work and the work of the foundation on that. I want to talk about two things: business, and the importance of business and business leadership in this whole issue of OGP, and particularly in terms of transparency. And what does the Open Government Partnership need to do in order to continue raising the bar in terms of commitments and on towards sustaining its progress?
MR. IBRAHIM: Right, just two tough questions.
MODERATOR: Two quick questions, I know.
MR. IBRAHIM: Right. And I’m really amazed by the absence of the business people from our group here. Businesses have a stake in open government. It’s important for the business, and business is also coming under extreme pressure from so many sides now. So we need to clean up their acts, and we have seen so many really sad incidents. Every day I open the newspaper, a bank has been fined a billion dollar, somebody been – it’s really tough what is going there.
So it’s time for business to show us really that they are good citizens. And that is something important for business to be here. There is no business people really joining our (inaudible) part of civil society, and open government is important for the business. And we really need to invite the business people. It’s not like they should be invited; they should knock at the door, actually. That’s as far as business.
As far as commitments, it’s too early yet. We only had two years now. We managed to produce the first reports on the – for the (inaudible) countries. I’m concerned about a number of things. First, for the credibility of this body, we need to produce really credible reports – country reports. And to produce country reports, we’ll have to hire research teams in each country to producing the reporting on each country commitment. That’s if we are serious about this. That was --
MODERATOR: That’s the independent reporting mechanism –
MR. IBRAHIM: That’s (inaudible) whatever of the – yes, of partnership. That needs money. It needs funding. And I’m very concerned about the state of the funding. The last time I looked at our account was a few days ago. I found something very strange. Civil society – actually four foundations – funded over $4 million. Sixty governments funded $1.6 million. And I can – to Secretary of State there, I’m not going to include you there because Britain done very well. You’ve done half of this 1.6. You are okay. (Laughter.)
But United States, I mean, contributed only $200,000. This compared with, I mean, $800,000 -- $600,000 from UK. I mean, UK hasn’t got three times the GDP of the United States. I mean, we know there’s some –
FOREIGN SECRETARY HAGUE: (Inaudible) when they started. (Laughter.)
MR. IBRAHIM: We know there have been issues – the Congress and the budget – but I think you’ve got some budget now. And you saved the ticket because you didn’t come here today to the meeting. (Laughter.) So you saved the ticket. So you really need – (laughter and applause).
SECRETARY KERRY: That might get you an additional 5,000. (Laughter.)
MR. IBRAHIM: Because, seriously--
SECRETARY KERRY: I don’t think that’s the – I don’t think that’s going to (inaudible) my ticket does. (Laughter.) But let me announce something, if you will, because we’re very engaged in many, many parts of the world. I’m very proud. We may not give to every single entity that asks, but we’re giving literally hundreds of millions of dollars in these kinds of efforts, and I’m proud to say that no country in the world is putting as much money into developmental issues as we are every single year. So I don’t feel defensive about it.
But I am happy to tell you today that the United States – we’re announcing right here at this moment that we’re putting $2.5 million into a pilot anti-corruption project in West Africa. And it’s designed to facilitate collaboration between governments. So I think we are prepared to put the money up, but I’ll have to check into why the OGP isn’t getting more and I’ll find out. (Applause.)
MR. IBRAHIM: And actually – and really in fairness, I think about United States because I have the Secretary here and I love him, I’m a fan of him. (Laughter.) But really the truth has – we have to be frank. Friends have to be frank with each other. But many governments really do not cough up. And this is not a free ride, and it’s unfair for civil society to bear the brunt of this and governments to have a free ride. So commitment means commitment, and we need you to do that in order for us to produce really credible reports and to really go forward. So that’s a big challenge for us, actually.
MODERATOR: Okay. Thank you very much. I wish we could go on and on, actually, but I know that William’s got a very tight deadline. Secretary of State, thank you very much indeed for joining us and giving us your time.
SECRETARY KERRY: It’s good to be with you.
MODERATOR: Much appreciated. (Applause.)
MS. ROY: I just want to ask him a question.
MODERATOR: Wait one second, we’ve got one more question from Aruna, Secretary of State.
MS. ROY: I just have a question which I want to ask both of you. The world has become much better place, there’s more transparency in governments, there’s more accountability. And at the same time, there are more restrictive laws being passed by all governments today than ever before, and there is an attempt at surveillance by my government and your governments. Why is this happening? I want to know. Because if we are going to become an open society, we should always trust each other, and we don’t have to spy or suspect or believe that the other one’s bad. (Applause.)
I trust you. I trust you. I believe that there is a social contract between the two of you and all of us that we will work in the interests of each other. It’s such a delicate balance that when it gets disrupted that it takes a lot of time to set it right. I’m not being critical negatively, but I really want the world to be a better place. And we’ve been building this trust – we call talk of trust deficits. We’ve been building it with so much care – me with my government, all my friends here with their governments. We want it to prosper.
FOREIGN SECRETARY HAGUE: John, that’s one for you, there. (Laughter and applause.)
MODERATOR: That wasn’t me. That was William. (Laughter.)
SECRETARY KERRY: I don’t know, William. Does that mean that you guys have never or do never – no, I’m not going there. (Laughter.)
Can I just say to you – look, I’ll just answer you very quickly and I’ll answer you very directly. There is no question that the President and I and others in government have actually learned of some things that had been happening, in many ways, on an automatic pilot because the technology is there, the ability has been there, over the course of a long period of time, really going back to World War II and to the very difficult years of the Soviet Union and the Cold War, and then, of course, 9/11. The attack on the United States and the rise of radical extremism in the world that is hell-bent and determined to try to kill people and blow people up and attack governments – not just us, but the Tokyo subway, London train station, Madrid. Many, many, many parts of the world have been subject to these terrorist attacks. And in response to them, the United States and others came together – others, I emphasize to you – and realized that we’re dealing in a new world where people are willing to blow themselves up. I mean, walk into a building, or trucks, they’re willing to be filled with fertilizer and plant it outside a building and blow it up, no matter who’s in it.
And there are countless examples of this. Look at Nairobi the other day, where al-Shabaab goes into the Westgate mall and kills dozens, almost a hundred – more than a hundred, more than a hundred people innocently killed doing their shopping.
So what if you were able to intercept that and stop it before it happens? We have actually prevented airplanes from going down, buildings from being blown up, and people from being assassinated because we’ve been able to learn ahead of time of the plans. I assure you innocent people are not being abused in this process, but there’s an effort to try to gather information. And yes, in some cases, it has reached too far inappropriately. And the President, our President, is determined to try to clarify and make clear for people and is now doing a thorough review in order that nobody will have the sense of abuse.
But I want to assure you that (inaudible). Just the other day it was – there was news in the papers of 70 million people being listened to. No, they weren’t. It didn’t happen. There’s an enormous amount of exaggeration in this reporting from some reporters out there. What we’re trying to do is in a random way find ways of trying to learn if, in fact, there is a threat that we need to respond to. And in some cases, I acknowledge to you, as has the President, that some of these actions have reached too far, and we are going to make sure that does not happen in the future.
MS. ROY: Thank you.
MODERATOR: Secretary, thank you very much, indeed, for your time. Appreciate it very much. (Applause.) Thank you also to Foreign Secretary William Hague and to Aruna Roy and to Mo Ibrahim. Thank you very much.
FDA APPROVES GAZYVA FOR TREATING CHRONIC LYMPHOCYTIC LEUKEMIA
FROM: U.S. FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION
FDA approves Gazyva for chronic lymphocytic leukemia
Drug is first with breakthrough therapy designation to receive FDA approval
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Gazyva (obinutuzumab) for use in combination with chlorambucil to treat patients with previously untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).
CLL is a blood and bone marrow disease that usually gets worse slowly. According to the National Cancer Institute, 15,680 Americans will be diagnosed and 4,580 will die from the disease this year.
Gazyva works by helping certain cells in the immune system attack cancer cells. Gazyva is intended to be used with chlorambucil, another drug used to treat patients with CLL.
Gazyva is the first drug with breakthrough therapy designation to receive FDA approval. This designation was requested by the sponsor and granted soon after the biologic license application to support marketing approval was submitted to the FDA. The FDA can designate a drug a breakthrough therapy at the request of the sponsor if preliminary clinical evidence indicates the drug may offer a substantial improvement over available therapies for patients with serious or life-threatening diseases.
The FDA also granted Gazyva priority review because the drug demonstrated the potential to be a significant improvement in safety or effectiveness in the treatment of a serious condition. And the FDA granted Gazyva orphan product designation because it is intended to treat a rare disease.
“Today’s approval represents an important new addition to the treatments for patients with CLL,” said Richard Pazdur, M.D., director of the Office of Hematology and Oncology Products in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “This approval reflects the promise of the Breakthrough Therapy Designation program, allowing us to work collaboratively with companies to expedite the development, review and availability of important new drugs.”
Gazyva’s approval for CLL is based on a study of 356 participants in a randomized open-label multicenter trial comparing Gazyva in combination with chlorambucil to chlorambucil alone in participants with previously untreated CLL. Participants receiving Gazyva in combination with chlorambucil demonstrated a significant improvement in progression free survival: an average of 23 months compared with 11.1 months with chlorambucil alone.
The most common side effects observed in participants receiving Gazyva in combination with chlorambucil were infusion-related reactions, a decrease in infection-fighting white blood cells (neutropenia), a low level of platelets in the blood (thrombocytopenia), low red blood cells (anemia), pain in the muscles and bones (musculoskeletal pain), and fever (pyrexia).
Gazyva is being approved with a boxed warning regarding Hepatitis B virus reactivation and a rare disorder that damages the material that covers and protects nerves in the white matter of the brain (progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy). These are known risks with other monoclonal antibodies in this class and rare cases were identified in participants on other trials of Gazyva. Patients should be advised of these risks and assessed for Hepatitis B virus and reactivation risk.
Gazyva is marketed by Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, based in South San Francisco, Calif.
FDA approves Gazyva for chronic lymphocytic leukemia
Drug is first with breakthrough therapy designation to receive FDA approval
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Gazyva (obinutuzumab) for use in combination with chlorambucil to treat patients with previously untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).
CLL is a blood and bone marrow disease that usually gets worse slowly. According to the National Cancer Institute, 15,680 Americans will be diagnosed and 4,580 will die from the disease this year.
Gazyva works by helping certain cells in the immune system attack cancer cells. Gazyva is intended to be used with chlorambucil, another drug used to treat patients with CLL.
Gazyva is the first drug with breakthrough therapy designation to receive FDA approval. This designation was requested by the sponsor and granted soon after the biologic license application to support marketing approval was submitted to the FDA. The FDA can designate a drug a breakthrough therapy at the request of the sponsor if preliminary clinical evidence indicates the drug may offer a substantial improvement over available therapies for patients with serious or life-threatening diseases.
The FDA also granted Gazyva priority review because the drug demonstrated the potential to be a significant improvement in safety or effectiveness in the treatment of a serious condition. And the FDA granted Gazyva orphan product designation because it is intended to treat a rare disease.
“Today’s approval represents an important new addition to the treatments for patients with CLL,” said Richard Pazdur, M.D., director of the Office of Hematology and Oncology Products in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “This approval reflects the promise of the Breakthrough Therapy Designation program, allowing us to work collaboratively with companies to expedite the development, review and availability of important new drugs.”
Gazyva’s approval for CLL is based on a study of 356 participants in a randomized open-label multicenter trial comparing Gazyva in combination with chlorambucil to chlorambucil alone in participants with previously untreated CLL. Participants receiving Gazyva in combination with chlorambucil demonstrated a significant improvement in progression free survival: an average of 23 months compared with 11.1 months with chlorambucil alone.
The most common side effects observed in participants receiving Gazyva in combination with chlorambucil were infusion-related reactions, a decrease in infection-fighting white blood cells (neutropenia), a low level of platelets in the blood (thrombocytopenia), low red blood cells (anemia), pain in the muscles and bones (musculoskeletal pain), and fever (pyrexia).
Gazyva is being approved with a boxed warning regarding Hepatitis B virus reactivation and a rare disorder that damages the material that covers and protects nerves in the white matter of the brain (progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy). These are known risks with other monoclonal antibodies in this class and rare cases were identified in participants on other trials of Gazyva. Patients should be advised of these risks and assessed for Hepatitis B virus and reactivation risk.
Gazyva is marketed by Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, based in South San Francisco, Calif.
REMARKS BY ROSE GOTTEMOELLER AT 2013 MULTINATIONAL BMD CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Remarks at the 2013 Multinational BMD Conference and Exhibition
Remarks
Rose Gottemoeller
Acting Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security
Warsaw, Poland
October 31, 2013
As Delivered
Thank you so much for inviting me to speak here and thank you for your kind introduction, Nancy. It is always a pleasure to visit Warsaw. The United States greatly values its relationship with Poland and looks forward to further strengthening our cooperation.
As you have all heard from my colleagues, Under Secretary Miller and Admiral Syring, the global threat from ballistic missiles is very serious. Missile defense is an important part of how we combat this threat. In our increasingly-connected and fiscally-strained world, efforts and collaboration of allies and partners on missile defense are more important than ever. The United States will continue to do its part in this regard and today, I would like to focus on the broader picture about how missile defenses fit into our larger strategy to respond to the threat, including the defense of the United States, our Allies and friends.
Comprehensive Tools
The United States has a large number of tools available to it to prevent the threat from growing. We are active participants in the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), which serves as the global standard for controlling the transfer of equipment, software, and technology that could make a contribution to the development of WMD-capable missile and unmanned aerial vehicle delivery systems.
We are also working through the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) and other counter-proliferation activities to help partners improve their ability to stop shipments of missiles or missile parts. My last visit to Warsaw was for the PSI 10th anniversary in the spring. We made some real progress on that occasion in expanding the reach and depth of the PSI, and thank you again to Poland for hosting such an effective meeting. We have worked directly with specific governments to convince them to renounce their missile programs. For example, in 2003, Libya committed to eliminate its long-range ballistic missile programs, which led to the elimination of their 800-km range SCUD missiles. These are just some of our ongoing efforts to tackle the missile threat and prevent missile proliferation. While much of this work is performed quietly, the impact of all of these efforts is of crucial importance to international peace and security.
At the same time, we are realistic that these programs cannot completely halt missile proliferation and that other steps are needed to dissuade countries from acquiring or developing ballistic missiles. That is why missile defense is an important part of our efforts to strengthen regional security. The missile defense systems that we deploy are critical to reassuring our allies. They signal that, in the face of threats from countries like Iran and North Korea, we will meet our defense commitments. As you heard yesterday, missile threats exist around the globe and have been used in recent and current conflicts. In both the Libyan and Syrian conflicts, ballistic missiles were used.
As Iran and North Korea conduct more ballistic missile tests, our defense systems make it more likely that our allies will embrace our diplomatic efforts, whether it is engagement or sanctions, knowing that missile defenses are doing their part to defend against a regional threat. That assurance is critical as we seek regional cooperation to persuade some states to abandon their nuclear programs and stop the proliferation of nuclear material.
Where we can, we seek to integrate our missile defense systems into a broader system of defenses deployed by our allies and friends. We are better off where we can leverage the capabilities of our allies and combine that with a flexible, capable cost effective system. The Obama Administration is improving these regional security architectures by deploying and improving regional missile defenses. These deployments are tailored to the unique requirements of the regional threat. We do not purchase more than what is required and we are very transparent about what we do purchase. Let me discuss some of our efforts around the world related to these efforts.
Cooperation in Europe
First, in Europe, the United States remains firmly committed to defending NATO Europe against ballistic missile threats to populations, territory and forces. We are deploying the European Phased Adaptive Approach (EPAA), which will provide protection to all NATO European territory in the 2018 timeframe. We are making great progress on EPAA, most recently with Monday’s Phase 2 site ground-breaking in Romania, in which Under Secretary Miller and Admiral Syring participated, as well as my colleague DAS Frank Rose. That site will be operational in the 2015 timeframe. We will also forward-base four BMD-capable Aegis warships to Rota, Spain in the 2015 timeframe to support the EPAA. Our commitment to deploy Phase 3 in Poland is ironclad, and preparations are currently on-time and on-budget for the establishment of the Phase 3 interceptor site at Redzikowo. It will be operational in the 2018 timeframe.
Although not related to EPAA, the Dutch, German and United States deployment of Patriot missile defense units to Turkey this year in response to a Turkish request to NATO for defense against potential Syrian ballistic missile threats is an excellent example of how missile defense can provide reassurance to Allies and deter potential adversaries.
Cooperation in the Middle East
The United States continues its robust BMD partnership with Israel. This cooperation includes the Arrow 2 interceptor, the more advanced Arrow 3, and the David’s Sling Weapon system. And the United States and Israel worked closely together to deploy an AN/TPY-2 radar to Israel in 2008. This powerful radar is linked to U.S. early warning satellites, and intended to enhance Israel’s missile detection and defense capabilities.
In the Gulf, the United States has had a continuous missile defense presence and seeks to strengthen cooperation with its partners in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). We have begun an initiative, launched at the U.S.-GCC Strategic Cooperation Forum in March 2012, to strengthen missile defense cooperation.
At the September 26 meeting of the U.S.-GCC Strategic Cooperation Forum, Ministers resolved to work together to continue to work towards enhanced U.S.-GCC coordination on Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD), including the eventual development of a Gulf-wide coordinated missile defense architecture built around interoperable U.S. and GCC forces that would serve as an integrated system to defend the territory and assets of the GCC states against the threat of ballistic missiles. A number of states in the region already deploy PATRIOT batteries and are exploring purchases of some missile defense capabilities under the auspices of the foreign military sales (FMS) program. To build a coordinated architecture, it is critical that our partners select systems that are fully interoperable.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) continues to be a leader in the field of ballistic missile defense. On December 25, 2011, the UAE became the first international partner to purchase the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or “THAAD,” system from the United States. This robust area defense capability, in conjunction with the UAE’s acquisition of PAC-3 point defense systems, will provide the UAE with a layered missile defense capability, ensure interoperability with U.S. forces, and contribute to regional stability. These purchases highlight the strong ties and common strategic interests between the United States and the UAE.
As our partners acquire greater missile defense capabilities, the United States will work to promote interoperability and information sharing among the GCC states. This will allow for more efficient missile defenses and greater security cooperation in the region.
Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific
In the Asia-Pacific region, we have robust missile defense cooperation with Japan and are increasing this cooperation. Japan is one of our closest allies, a leader in missile defense within the region, and one of the United States’ closest BMD partners. The United States and Japan have made significant strides in interoperability. The United States and Japan regularly train together, and our forces have successfully executed cooperative BMD operations.
Japan has acquired a layered integrated BMD system that includes Aegis BMD ships with Standard Missile 3 interceptors, Patriot Advanced Capability 3 (PAC-3) fire units, early warning radars, and a command and control system. We also worked cooperatively to deploy a forward-based X-band radar in Japan. At their October 3, 2013, “2+2 meeting, U.S. and Japanese foreign and defense ministers confirmed their intention to designate the Air Self-Defense Force base at Kyogamisaki as the deployment site for a second AN/TPY-2 radar (X-band radar) system that will further enhance the defense of our two countries.
One of our most significant cooperative efforts is the co-development of a next-generation SM-3 interceptor, called the Block IIA. This co-development program represents not only an area of significant technical cooperation but also the basis for enhanced operational cooperation to strengthen regional security. The Republic of Korea (ROK) is another key U.S. ally and with the increasing North Korean missile threat, the United States stands ready to work with the ROK to strengthen its BMD capabilities. We are working together to define possible future ROK BMD requirements and the United States looks forward to taking further steps to build upon this ongoing missile defense relationship.
Defense Against Regional Threats
As we work with partners abroad, the Obama Administration is enhancing our homeland missile defenses; a development which will also provide reassurance to our Allies. On March 15, Secretary of Defense Hagel announced an increase in the number of ground-based interceptors to ensure that the United States remains well hedged against a North Korean ICBM threat. This change in our missile defenses will also provide the United States with additional defenses against an Iranian ICBM capability should that threat emerge.
We also strengthened our defenses of U.S. territory through deployment of a THAAD battery to Guam during the tensions with North Korea earlier this year. Homeland missile defenses ensure that the United States reduces the risks that come with helping to defend our Allies and allows our Allies to be confident that the United States will meet its Treaty and security commitments.
Strategic Stability
As we move forward with our programs, I want to be very clear - our missile defense deployments are not directed at Russia or China. We are committed to maintaining strategic stability with these nations. U.S. missile defenses are not designed to intercept Russian ICBMs or SLBMs, nor are they technically capable of intercepting Russian ICBMs or SLBMs. As stated in the Ballistic Missile Defense Review, our homeland missile defenses are to defend against the threat of limited ballistic missile attack.
Russia and China both field advanced ICBMs and SLBMs. In addition, with just 44 ground-based interceptors scheduled to be deployed, both Russia and China’s nuclear arsenals far exceed the number of interceptors we have; thus clearly establishing that we are talking about – to use an American phrase – apples and oranges when it comes to how U.S. missile defenses impact strategic stability with those nations. There is therefore no way that U.S. missile defenses could undermine the effectiveness of Russia’s or China’s strategic nuclear forces.
Dialogue with Russia
We remain convinced that increased predictability on missile defense between the United States and Russia (and between NATO and Russia) is in the national security interests of all countries involved. For that reason, missile defense cooperation with Russia remains a priority for President Obama, as it has been for nearly 20 years with both Democratic and Republican Presidents.
As such, the United States has had discussions with the Russian Federation on increasing predictability on missile defense. Secretary of Defense Hagel and Russian Defense Minister Shoygu agreed in March to reconvene missile defense discussions between Under Secretary of Defense Jim Miller and Deputy Defense Minister Antonov. I also had discussions with my Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs counterpart, Sergei Ryabkov, on strategic stability issues, including missile defense. We are committed to a dialogue on missile defense, both bilaterally and in the NATO-Russia Council, and stand ready to begin practical discussions.
While we seek to develop ways to cooperate with Russia on missile defense, it is important to remember that in keeping with its collective security obligations, NATO alone bears responsibility for defending the Alliance from ballistic missile threats. Just as Russia must ensure the defense of Russian territory, NATO must ensure the defense of NATO territory. NATO cannot and will not outsource its Article 5 commitments. Russia continues to request legal guarantees that could create limitations on our ability to develop and deploy future missile defense systems against regional ballistic missile threats such as those presented by Iran and North Korea. We have made clear that we cannot and will not accept limitations on our ability to defend ourselves, our allies, and our partners, including where we deploy our BMD-capable Aegis ships.
The United States believes that through cooperation and transparency, Russia will see firsthand that this system is designed to respond to ballistic missile threats from outside the Euro-Atlantic area, and that NATO missile defense systems will not undermine Russia’s strategic nuclear deterrent. Cooperation would also send a strong message to proliferators that the United States, NATO, and Russia are working together to counter their efforts.
Dialogue with China
We are in the beginning stages of holding dialogues with China on these issues that span both governments’ interagencies. In May, I traveled to Beijing to hold a Security Dialogue with my Chinese counterpart. On the State Department side, there are a number of fora in which we discuss important issues, including the Strategic and Economic Dialogue led by Secretaries Kerry and Lew and the Strategic Security Dialogue led by the Deputy Secretary of State. The Defense Department also has a number of important dialogues with the Chinese, including the U.S.-China Defense Consultative Talks. General Dempsey and other senior defense officials have also met with their Chinese counterparts this year. These mechanisms and opportunities for deep discussion are important for strengthening our strategic stability with China.
Looking Ahead
Looking ahead, the United States knows that we have a lot more work to do on creating opportunities for missile defense cooperation and on defending against ballistic missile proliferation, but that is why forums like these are so important. The discussions, debates and ideas that develop here can help us move to a safer, more secure world.
Thank you.
Remarks at the 2013 Multinational BMD Conference and Exhibition
Remarks
Rose Gottemoeller
Acting Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security
Warsaw, Poland
October 31, 2013
As Delivered
Thank you so much for inviting me to speak here and thank you for your kind introduction, Nancy. It is always a pleasure to visit Warsaw. The United States greatly values its relationship with Poland and looks forward to further strengthening our cooperation.
As you have all heard from my colleagues, Under Secretary Miller and Admiral Syring, the global threat from ballistic missiles is very serious. Missile defense is an important part of how we combat this threat. In our increasingly-connected and fiscally-strained world, efforts and collaboration of allies and partners on missile defense are more important than ever. The United States will continue to do its part in this regard and today, I would like to focus on the broader picture about how missile defenses fit into our larger strategy to respond to the threat, including the defense of the United States, our Allies and friends.
Comprehensive Tools
The United States has a large number of tools available to it to prevent the threat from growing. We are active participants in the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), which serves as the global standard for controlling the transfer of equipment, software, and technology that could make a contribution to the development of WMD-capable missile and unmanned aerial vehicle delivery systems.
We are also working through the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) and other counter-proliferation activities to help partners improve their ability to stop shipments of missiles or missile parts. My last visit to Warsaw was for the PSI 10th anniversary in the spring. We made some real progress on that occasion in expanding the reach and depth of the PSI, and thank you again to Poland for hosting such an effective meeting. We have worked directly with specific governments to convince them to renounce their missile programs. For example, in 2003, Libya committed to eliminate its long-range ballistic missile programs, which led to the elimination of their 800-km range SCUD missiles. These are just some of our ongoing efforts to tackle the missile threat and prevent missile proliferation. While much of this work is performed quietly, the impact of all of these efforts is of crucial importance to international peace and security.
At the same time, we are realistic that these programs cannot completely halt missile proliferation and that other steps are needed to dissuade countries from acquiring or developing ballistic missiles. That is why missile defense is an important part of our efforts to strengthen regional security. The missile defense systems that we deploy are critical to reassuring our allies. They signal that, in the face of threats from countries like Iran and North Korea, we will meet our defense commitments. As you heard yesterday, missile threats exist around the globe and have been used in recent and current conflicts. In both the Libyan and Syrian conflicts, ballistic missiles were used.
As Iran and North Korea conduct more ballistic missile tests, our defense systems make it more likely that our allies will embrace our diplomatic efforts, whether it is engagement or sanctions, knowing that missile defenses are doing their part to defend against a regional threat. That assurance is critical as we seek regional cooperation to persuade some states to abandon their nuclear programs and stop the proliferation of nuclear material.
Where we can, we seek to integrate our missile defense systems into a broader system of defenses deployed by our allies and friends. We are better off where we can leverage the capabilities of our allies and combine that with a flexible, capable cost effective system. The Obama Administration is improving these regional security architectures by deploying and improving regional missile defenses. These deployments are tailored to the unique requirements of the regional threat. We do not purchase more than what is required and we are very transparent about what we do purchase. Let me discuss some of our efforts around the world related to these efforts.
Cooperation in Europe
First, in Europe, the United States remains firmly committed to defending NATO Europe against ballistic missile threats to populations, territory and forces. We are deploying the European Phased Adaptive Approach (EPAA), which will provide protection to all NATO European territory in the 2018 timeframe. We are making great progress on EPAA, most recently with Monday’s Phase 2 site ground-breaking in Romania, in which Under Secretary Miller and Admiral Syring participated, as well as my colleague DAS Frank Rose. That site will be operational in the 2015 timeframe. We will also forward-base four BMD-capable Aegis warships to Rota, Spain in the 2015 timeframe to support the EPAA. Our commitment to deploy Phase 3 in Poland is ironclad, and preparations are currently on-time and on-budget for the establishment of the Phase 3 interceptor site at Redzikowo. It will be operational in the 2018 timeframe.
Although not related to EPAA, the Dutch, German and United States deployment of Patriot missile defense units to Turkey this year in response to a Turkish request to NATO for defense against potential Syrian ballistic missile threats is an excellent example of how missile defense can provide reassurance to Allies and deter potential adversaries.
Cooperation in the Middle East
The United States continues its robust BMD partnership with Israel. This cooperation includes the Arrow 2 interceptor, the more advanced Arrow 3, and the David’s Sling Weapon system. And the United States and Israel worked closely together to deploy an AN/TPY-2 radar to Israel in 2008. This powerful radar is linked to U.S. early warning satellites, and intended to enhance Israel’s missile detection and defense capabilities.
In the Gulf, the United States has had a continuous missile defense presence and seeks to strengthen cooperation with its partners in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). We have begun an initiative, launched at the U.S.-GCC Strategic Cooperation Forum in March 2012, to strengthen missile defense cooperation.
At the September 26 meeting of the U.S.-GCC Strategic Cooperation Forum, Ministers resolved to work together to continue to work towards enhanced U.S.-GCC coordination on Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD), including the eventual development of a Gulf-wide coordinated missile defense architecture built around interoperable U.S. and GCC forces that would serve as an integrated system to defend the territory and assets of the GCC states against the threat of ballistic missiles. A number of states in the region already deploy PATRIOT batteries and are exploring purchases of some missile defense capabilities under the auspices of the foreign military sales (FMS) program. To build a coordinated architecture, it is critical that our partners select systems that are fully interoperable.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) continues to be a leader in the field of ballistic missile defense. On December 25, 2011, the UAE became the first international partner to purchase the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or “THAAD,” system from the United States. This robust area defense capability, in conjunction with the UAE’s acquisition of PAC-3 point defense systems, will provide the UAE with a layered missile defense capability, ensure interoperability with U.S. forces, and contribute to regional stability. These purchases highlight the strong ties and common strategic interests between the United States and the UAE.
As our partners acquire greater missile defense capabilities, the United States will work to promote interoperability and information sharing among the GCC states. This will allow for more efficient missile defenses and greater security cooperation in the region.
Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific
In the Asia-Pacific region, we have robust missile defense cooperation with Japan and are increasing this cooperation. Japan is one of our closest allies, a leader in missile defense within the region, and one of the United States’ closest BMD partners. The United States and Japan have made significant strides in interoperability. The United States and Japan regularly train together, and our forces have successfully executed cooperative BMD operations.
Japan has acquired a layered integrated BMD system that includes Aegis BMD ships with Standard Missile 3 interceptors, Patriot Advanced Capability 3 (PAC-3) fire units, early warning radars, and a command and control system. We also worked cooperatively to deploy a forward-based X-band radar in Japan. At their October 3, 2013, “2+2 meeting, U.S. and Japanese foreign and defense ministers confirmed their intention to designate the Air Self-Defense Force base at Kyogamisaki as the deployment site for a second AN/TPY-2 radar (X-band radar) system that will further enhance the defense of our two countries.
One of our most significant cooperative efforts is the co-development of a next-generation SM-3 interceptor, called the Block IIA. This co-development program represents not only an area of significant technical cooperation but also the basis for enhanced operational cooperation to strengthen regional security. The Republic of Korea (ROK) is another key U.S. ally and with the increasing North Korean missile threat, the United States stands ready to work with the ROK to strengthen its BMD capabilities. We are working together to define possible future ROK BMD requirements and the United States looks forward to taking further steps to build upon this ongoing missile defense relationship.
Defense Against Regional Threats
As we work with partners abroad, the Obama Administration is enhancing our homeland missile defenses; a development which will also provide reassurance to our Allies. On March 15, Secretary of Defense Hagel announced an increase in the number of ground-based interceptors to ensure that the United States remains well hedged against a North Korean ICBM threat. This change in our missile defenses will also provide the United States with additional defenses against an Iranian ICBM capability should that threat emerge.
We also strengthened our defenses of U.S. territory through deployment of a THAAD battery to Guam during the tensions with North Korea earlier this year. Homeland missile defenses ensure that the United States reduces the risks that come with helping to defend our Allies and allows our Allies to be confident that the United States will meet its Treaty and security commitments.
Strategic Stability
As we move forward with our programs, I want to be very clear - our missile defense deployments are not directed at Russia or China. We are committed to maintaining strategic stability with these nations. U.S. missile defenses are not designed to intercept Russian ICBMs or SLBMs, nor are they technically capable of intercepting Russian ICBMs or SLBMs. As stated in the Ballistic Missile Defense Review, our homeland missile defenses are to defend against the threat of limited ballistic missile attack.
Russia and China both field advanced ICBMs and SLBMs. In addition, with just 44 ground-based interceptors scheduled to be deployed, both Russia and China’s nuclear arsenals far exceed the number of interceptors we have; thus clearly establishing that we are talking about – to use an American phrase – apples and oranges when it comes to how U.S. missile defenses impact strategic stability with those nations. There is therefore no way that U.S. missile defenses could undermine the effectiveness of Russia’s or China’s strategic nuclear forces.
Dialogue with Russia
We remain convinced that increased predictability on missile defense between the United States and Russia (and between NATO and Russia) is in the national security interests of all countries involved. For that reason, missile defense cooperation with Russia remains a priority for President Obama, as it has been for nearly 20 years with both Democratic and Republican Presidents.
As such, the United States has had discussions with the Russian Federation on increasing predictability on missile defense. Secretary of Defense Hagel and Russian Defense Minister Shoygu agreed in March to reconvene missile defense discussions between Under Secretary of Defense Jim Miller and Deputy Defense Minister Antonov. I also had discussions with my Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs counterpart, Sergei Ryabkov, on strategic stability issues, including missile defense. We are committed to a dialogue on missile defense, both bilaterally and in the NATO-Russia Council, and stand ready to begin practical discussions.
While we seek to develop ways to cooperate with Russia on missile defense, it is important to remember that in keeping with its collective security obligations, NATO alone bears responsibility for defending the Alliance from ballistic missile threats. Just as Russia must ensure the defense of Russian territory, NATO must ensure the defense of NATO territory. NATO cannot and will not outsource its Article 5 commitments. Russia continues to request legal guarantees that could create limitations on our ability to develop and deploy future missile defense systems against regional ballistic missile threats such as those presented by Iran and North Korea. We have made clear that we cannot and will not accept limitations on our ability to defend ourselves, our allies, and our partners, including where we deploy our BMD-capable Aegis ships.
The United States believes that through cooperation and transparency, Russia will see firsthand that this system is designed to respond to ballistic missile threats from outside the Euro-Atlantic area, and that NATO missile defense systems will not undermine Russia’s strategic nuclear deterrent. Cooperation would also send a strong message to proliferators that the United States, NATO, and Russia are working together to counter their efforts.
Dialogue with China
We are in the beginning stages of holding dialogues with China on these issues that span both governments’ interagencies. In May, I traveled to Beijing to hold a Security Dialogue with my Chinese counterpart. On the State Department side, there are a number of fora in which we discuss important issues, including the Strategic and Economic Dialogue led by Secretaries Kerry and Lew and the Strategic Security Dialogue led by the Deputy Secretary of State. The Defense Department also has a number of important dialogues with the Chinese, including the U.S.-China Defense Consultative Talks. General Dempsey and other senior defense officials have also met with their Chinese counterparts this year. These mechanisms and opportunities for deep discussion are important for strengthening our strategic stability with China.
Looking Ahead
Looking ahead, the United States knows that we have a lot more work to do on creating opportunities for missile defense cooperation and on defending against ballistic missile proliferation, but that is why forums like these are so important. The discussions, debates and ideas that develop here can help us move to a safer, more secure world.
Thank you.
Saturday, November 2, 2013
PRESIDENT OBAMA'S WEEKLY ADDRESS FOR NOVEMBER 2, 2013
FROM: THE WHITE HOUSE
Weekly Address: Passing a Budget that Reflects Our Priorities
WASHINGTON, DC— In this week’s address, President Obama said that in order to keep growing the economy and creating good jobs, Washington must end its cycle of manufactured crises and self-inflicted wounds. It’s time for both parties to work together to pass a budget that reflects our priorities – making smart cuts in things we don’t need and closing wasteful tax loopholes, while investing in areas that create opportunities for the middle class and our future generations.
The audio of the address and video of the address will be available online at www.whitehouse.gov at 6:00 a.m. ET, November 2, 2013.
Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
The White House
November 2, 2013
Hi, everybody. On Thursday, I addressed a conference for business leaders from around the world. And my pitch was simple: Choose America. Invest in America. Create jobs in America.
It speaks to my top priority as President: growing our economy, creating good jobs, strengthening security and opportunity for the middle class.
Over the past three and a half years, our businesses have created over seven and a half million new jobs. And this week, the Treasury confirmed that since I took office, we’ve cut our deficits by more than half.
But we have more work to do. We need to grow and create more good jobs faster. That’s my driving focus. And I’ll go anywhere and do anything to make it happen.
That has to be Washington’s driving focus as well. But I know that what you often hear out of Washington can sound like Charlie Brown’s teacher – a jumble of unfocused noise that’s out of touch with the things you care about.
So today, I want to cut through that noise and talk plainly about what we should do right now to keep growing this economy and creating new jobs.
It begins by ending what has done more than anything else to undermine our economy over the past few years – and that’s the constant cycle of manufactured crises and self-inflicted wounds.
I was glad to hear the Republican leader in the Senate say this week that they won’t pursue another government shutdown or threaten another default on our debt. Because we shouldn’t be injuring ourselves every few months – we should be investing in ourselves.
And one way to do that is through the budget that Congress started working on this week.
Now, budgets can be a boring topic – especially on the weekend. But they can also be revealing. Because they expose what our priorities are as a country for all to see.
Think about it. We can keep wasteful corporate tax giveaways that working folks don’t get – or we could close those loopholes and use that money to pay for things that actually create jobs.
We can keep harmful cuts to education programs – or we could give more kids a head start, hire more teachers in math and science, and help more kids afford a college education.
We can keep doling out corporate welfare to big oil companies – or we could keep investing in the renewable energy that creates jobs and lowers our carbon pollution.
Priorities. Choices. That’s what this is about. And the stakes for the middle class couldn’t be higher. If we don’t pick the right priorities now, make the right choices now, we could hinder growth and opportunity for decades, and leave our children with something less.
That includes the obsession with cutting just for the sake of cutting. That hasn’t helped our economy grow; it’s held it back.
Remember, our deficits are getting smaller – not bigger. On my watch, they’re falling at the fastest pace in 60 years. So that gives us room to fix our long-term debt problems without sticking it to young people, or undermining our bedrock retirement and health security programs, or ending basic research that helps the economy grow.
Here’s the bottom line. Congress should pass a budget that cuts things we don’t need, and closes wasteful tax loopholes that don’t help create jobs, so that we can free up resources for the things that actually do create jobs and growth.
Building new roads, and bridges, and schools, and airports – that creates jobs.
Educating our kids and our workers for a global economy – that helps us grow.
Investing in science, technology, and research – that keeps our businesses and our military on the cutting edge. It’s vital for our economic future.
So the question isn’t between growth and fiscal responsibility. We need both. The question can’t be how much more we can cut; it’s got to be how many more jobs we can create, how many more kids we can educate, and how much more shared prosperity we can generate.
Because in America, our economy doesn’t grow from the top-down. It grows from the middle-class out. And as long as I am President, our national mission will remain building an America where everyone belongs, and everyone who works hard has a chance to get ahead.
Thanks, and have a great weekend.
Weekly Address: Passing a Budget that Reflects Our Priorities
WASHINGTON, DC— In this week’s address, President Obama said that in order to keep growing the economy and creating good jobs, Washington must end its cycle of manufactured crises and self-inflicted wounds. It’s time for both parties to work together to pass a budget that reflects our priorities – making smart cuts in things we don’t need and closing wasteful tax loopholes, while investing in areas that create opportunities for the middle class and our future generations.
The audio of the address and video of the address will be available online at www.whitehouse.gov at 6:00 a.m. ET, November 2, 2013.
Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
The White House
November 2, 2013
Hi, everybody. On Thursday, I addressed a conference for business leaders from around the world. And my pitch was simple: Choose America. Invest in America. Create jobs in America.
It speaks to my top priority as President: growing our economy, creating good jobs, strengthening security and opportunity for the middle class.
Over the past three and a half years, our businesses have created over seven and a half million new jobs. And this week, the Treasury confirmed that since I took office, we’ve cut our deficits by more than half.
But we have more work to do. We need to grow and create more good jobs faster. That’s my driving focus. And I’ll go anywhere and do anything to make it happen.
That has to be Washington’s driving focus as well. But I know that what you often hear out of Washington can sound like Charlie Brown’s teacher – a jumble of unfocused noise that’s out of touch with the things you care about.
So today, I want to cut through that noise and talk plainly about what we should do right now to keep growing this economy and creating new jobs.
It begins by ending what has done more than anything else to undermine our economy over the past few years – and that’s the constant cycle of manufactured crises and self-inflicted wounds.
I was glad to hear the Republican leader in the Senate say this week that they won’t pursue another government shutdown or threaten another default on our debt. Because we shouldn’t be injuring ourselves every few months – we should be investing in ourselves.
And one way to do that is through the budget that Congress started working on this week.
Now, budgets can be a boring topic – especially on the weekend. But they can also be revealing. Because they expose what our priorities are as a country for all to see.
Think about it. We can keep wasteful corporate tax giveaways that working folks don’t get – or we could close those loopholes and use that money to pay for things that actually create jobs.
We can keep harmful cuts to education programs – or we could give more kids a head start, hire more teachers in math and science, and help more kids afford a college education.
We can keep doling out corporate welfare to big oil companies – or we could keep investing in the renewable energy that creates jobs and lowers our carbon pollution.
Priorities. Choices. That’s what this is about. And the stakes for the middle class couldn’t be higher. If we don’t pick the right priorities now, make the right choices now, we could hinder growth and opportunity for decades, and leave our children with something less.
That includes the obsession with cutting just for the sake of cutting. That hasn’t helped our economy grow; it’s held it back.
Remember, our deficits are getting smaller – not bigger. On my watch, they’re falling at the fastest pace in 60 years. So that gives us room to fix our long-term debt problems without sticking it to young people, or undermining our bedrock retirement and health security programs, or ending basic research that helps the economy grow.
Here’s the bottom line. Congress should pass a budget that cuts things we don’t need, and closes wasteful tax loopholes that don’t help create jobs, so that we can free up resources for the things that actually do create jobs and growth.
Building new roads, and bridges, and schools, and airports – that creates jobs.
Educating our kids and our workers for a global economy – that helps us grow.
Investing in science, technology, and research – that keeps our businesses and our military on the cutting edge. It’s vital for our economic future.
So the question isn’t between growth and fiscal responsibility. We need both. The question can’t be how much more we can cut; it’s got to be how many more jobs we can create, how many more kids we can educate, and how much more shared prosperity we can generate.
Because in America, our economy doesn’t grow from the top-down. It grows from the middle-class out. And as long as I am President, our national mission will remain building an America where everyone belongs, and everyone who works hard has a chance to get ahead.
Thanks, and have a great weekend.
20 ENTITIES AND ONE INDIVIDUAL DESIGNATED BY TREASURY FOR NARCOTICS TRAFFICKING
FROM: TREASURY DEPARTMENT
First Designation Targeting Caro Quintero’s Network since his Release from Prison
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Treasury today designated 20 entities and one individual linked to Rafael Caro Quintero, a major Mexican narcotics trafficker and fugitive from U.S. justice for his role in the murder of an agent of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Caro Quintero was identified as a significant foreign narcotics trafficker pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act) in 2000. Each entity designated today is owned or controlled by one or more individuals previously designated because they act on behalf of Caro Quintero.
“Today’s designation demonstrates the enormous extent to which Rafael Caro Quintero and his family members have infiltrated the economy in Guadalajara, Mexico, including the real estate and gasoline retail sectors,” said Treasury’s Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) Adam J. Szubin. “With Caro Quintero on the run, OFAC will continue to work with the DEA and our Mexican counterparts to expand the sanctions against any person or entity that acts on behalf of this murderous criminal.”
Caro Quintero began his criminal career in the late 1970s when he co-founded the Guadalajara drug cartel and amassed an illicit fortune. Caro Quintero was the mastermind behind the kidnapping and murder of DEA Special Agent (SA) Enrique Camarena in 1985. Following his capture in the same year, Caro Quintero was convicted in Mexico for his involvement in SA Camarena’s murder and received a 40-year prison sentence. However, on August 9, 2013, Caro Quintero was released from a Mexican prison with 12 years remaining on his sentence.
“We are reminded every day of the ultimate sacrifice paid by Special Agent Enrique Camarena and DEA will vigorously continue its efforts to ensure Caro Quintero faces justice in the United States for the crimes he committed,” said DEA Administrator Michele M. Leonhart. “Caro Quintero and his organization can no longer hide behind front companies with their drug trafficking profits. These illegal enterprises fuel the drug trade and its violence and corruption. DEA and our partners at Treasury and elsewhere in government will pursue any and all means available to ensure that Caro Quintero is brought to justice and his criminal network is destroyed.”
While in prison, Caro Quintero continued his alliance with Mexican drug trafficking organizations and used a network of family members and front persons to invest his illicit fortune into ostensibly legitimate companies and real estate projects in the Mexican city of Guadalajara. OFAC designated 18 of these individuals, including six of Caro Quintero’s family members, and 15 entities on June 12, 2013.
Caro Quintero is wanted in the Central District of California on criminal charges related to the kidnapping and murder of SA Camarena as well as drug trafficking. The U.S. government, led by DEA, is seeking Caro Quintero’s capture and extradition to face these charges.
Today’s action, which designated 20 entities and one individual linked to Rafael Caro Quintero pursuant to the Kingpin Act, generally prohibits U.S. persons from conducting financial or commercial transactions with these designees, and also freezes any assets they may have under U.S. jurisdiction.
This action targeted 20 companies primarily located in or near Guadalajara. Several of these companies are engaged in real estate activities, including Arrendadora Turin, Barsat, and Villas del Colli. Others are gasoline retailers or engaged in agricultural activities, including Petro London, Servicio y Operadora Santa Ana, and Minerales Nueva Era, which produces and sells an organic fertilizer known as Diatomag as well as an organic pesticide known as Diatomkill.
Also designated today is Juan Carlos Soto Ruiz, a Guadalajaran native who plays a key management role in six of the companies designated today, including Arrendadora Turin and Servicio y Operadora Santa Ana, as well as three of the companies designated on June 12, 2013, including Pronto Shoes (a.k.a. CX-Shoes).
Since June 2000, the President has identified 103 drug kingpins, and OFAC has designated more than 1,300 businesses and individuals, pursuant to the Kingpin Act. Penalties for violations of the Kingpin Act range from civil penalties of up to $1.075 million per violation, to more severe criminal penalties. Criminal penalties for corporate officers may include up to 30 years in prison and fines up to $5 million. Criminal fines for corporations may reach $10 million. Other individuals could face up to 10 years in prison and fines pursuant to Title 18 of the United States Code for criminal violations of the Kingpin Act.
First Designation Targeting Caro Quintero’s Network since his Release from Prison
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Treasury today designated 20 entities and one individual linked to Rafael Caro Quintero, a major Mexican narcotics trafficker and fugitive from U.S. justice for his role in the murder of an agent of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Caro Quintero was identified as a significant foreign narcotics trafficker pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act) in 2000. Each entity designated today is owned or controlled by one or more individuals previously designated because they act on behalf of Caro Quintero.
“Today’s designation demonstrates the enormous extent to which Rafael Caro Quintero and his family members have infiltrated the economy in Guadalajara, Mexico, including the real estate and gasoline retail sectors,” said Treasury’s Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) Adam J. Szubin. “With Caro Quintero on the run, OFAC will continue to work with the DEA and our Mexican counterparts to expand the sanctions against any person or entity that acts on behalf of this murderous criminal.”
Caro Quintero began his criminal career in the late 1970s when he co-founded the Guadalajara drug cartel and amassed an illicit fortune. Caro Quintero was the mastermind behind the kidnapping and murder of DEA Special Agent (SA) Enrique Camarena in 1985. Following his capture in the same year, Caro Quintero was convicted in Mexico for his involvement in SA Camarena’s murder and received a 40-year prison sentence. However, on August 9, 2013, Caro Quintero was released from a Mexican prison with 12 years remaining on his sentence.
“We are reminded every day of the ultimate sacrifice paid by Special Agent Enrique Camarena and DEA will vigorously continue its efforts to ensure Caro Quintero faces justice in the United States for the crimes he committed,” said DEA Administrator Michele M. Leonhart. “Caro Quintero and his organization can no longer hide behind front companies with their drug trafficking profits. These illegal enterprises fuel the drug trade and its violence and corruption. DEA and our partners at Treasury and elsewhere in government will pursue any and all means available to ensure that Caro Quintero is brought to justice and his criminal network is destroyed.”
While in prison, Caro Quintero continued his alliance with Mexican drug trafficking organizations and used a network of family members and front persons to invest his illicit fortune into ostensibly legitimate companies and real estate projects in the Mexican city of Guadalajara. OFAC designated 18 of these individuals, including six of Caro Quintero’s family members, and 15 entities on June 12, 2013.
Caro Quintero is wanted in the Central District of California on criminal charges related to the kidnapping and murder of SA Camarena as well as drug trafficking. The U.S. government, led by DEA, is seeking Caro Quintero’s capture and extradition to face these charges.
Today’s action, which designated 20 entities and one individual linked to Rafael Caro Quintero pursuant to the Kingpin Act, generally prohibits U.S. persons from conducting financial or commercial transactions with these designees, and also freezes any assets they may have under U.S. jurisdiction.
This action targeted 20 companies primarily located in or near Guadalajara. Several of these companies are engaged in real estate activities, including Arrendadora Turin, Barsat, and Villas del Colli. Others are gasoline retailers or engaged in agricultural activities, including Petro London, Servicio y Operadora Santa Ana, and Minerales Nueva Era, which produces and sells an organic fertilizer known as Diatomag as well as an organic pesticide known as Diatomkill.
Also designated today is Juan Carlos Soto Ruiz, a Guadalajaran native who plays a key management role in six of the companies designated today, including Arrendadora Turin and Servicio y Operadora Santa Ana, as well as three of the companies designated on June 12, 2013, including Pronto Shoes (a.k.a. CX-Shoes).
Since June 2000, the President has identified 103 drug kingpins, and OFAC has designated more than 1,300 businesses and individuals, pursuant to the Kingpin Act. Penalties for violations of the Kingpin Act range from civil penalties of up to $1.075 million per violation, to more severe criminal penalties. Criminal penalties for corporate officers may include up to 30 years in prison and fines up to $5 million. Criminal fines for corporations may reach $10 million. Other individuals could face up to 10 years in prison and fines pursuant to Title 18 of the United States Code for criminal violations of the Kingpin Act.
OWNER OF AMBULANCE SERVICE CONVICTED FOR PART IN HEALTH CARE FRAUD
FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Owner of Texas-based Ambulance Service Convicted of Health Care Fraud
A federal jury in Houston has convicted Gwendolyn Climmons-Johnson, 53, of multiple counts of health care fraud for submitting false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for ambulance services.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson of the Southern District of Texas made the announcement.
After a three-day trial, the jury convicted Climmons-Johnson on Oct. 30, 2013, of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and four counts of health care fraud. She faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each count when she is sentenced on Feb. 7, 2014.
According to evidence presented at trial, Climmons-Johnson was the owner and operator of Urgent Response EMS (Urgent Response), a Texas-based entity that purportedly provided non-emergency ambulance services to Medicare beneficiaries in the Houston area. The evidence showed that from January 2010 through December 2011, Climmons-Johnson and others conspired to unlawfully enrich themselves by submitting false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for ambulance services that were medically unnecessary and/or not provided. Climmons-Johnson, who controlled the day-to-day operations of Urgent Response, submitted, and caused to be submitted, approximately $2.4 million in fraudulent ambulance service claims to Medicare.
At trial, the evidence showed that patient records had been falsified and the Medicare beneficiaries for whom Climmons-Johnson had billed ambulance services did not need ambulance services and were not in the condition stated in the records.
The case was investigated by the FBI, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and the Texas Attorney General Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. The case was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, under the supervision of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas and the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.
The case was tried by Assistant Chief Laura M.K. Cordova and Trial Attorney Christopher Cestaro of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, with assistance from former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James S. Seaman.
Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged more than 1,500 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $5 billion. In addition, HHS’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Owner of Texas-based Ambulance Service Convicted of Health Care Fraud
A federal jury in Houston has convicted Gwendolyn Climmons-Johnson, 53, of multiple counts of health care fraud for submitting false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for ambulance services.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson of the Southern District of Texas made the announcement.
After a three-day trial, the jury convicted Climmons-Johnson on Oct. 30, 2013, of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and four counts of health care fraud. She faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each count when she is sentenced on Feb. 7, 2014.
According to evidence presented at trial, Climmons-Johnson was the owner and operator of Urgent Response EMS (Urgent Response), a Texas-based entity that purportedly provided non-emergency ambulance services to Medicare beneficiaries in the Houston area. The evidence showed that from January 2010 through December 2011, Climmons-Johnson and others conspired to unlawfully enrich themselves by submitting false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for ambulance services that were medically unnecessary and/or not provided. Climmons-Johnson, who controlled the day-to-day operations of Urgent Response, submitted, and caused to be submitted, approximately $2.4 million in fraudulent ambulance service claims to Medicare.
At trial, the evidence showed that patient records had been falsified and the Medicare beneficiaries for whom Climmons-Johnson had billed ambulance services did not need ambulance services and were not in the condition stated in the records.
The case was investigated by the FBI, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and the Texas Attorney General Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. The case was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, under the supervision of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas and the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.
The case was tried by Assistant Chief Laura M.K. Cordova and Trial Attorney Christopher Cestaro of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, with assistance from former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James S. Seaman.
Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged more than 1,500 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $5 billion. In addition, HHS’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.
FTC CHARGES MARKETER WITH DECEPTIVE ADVERTISING OF RAPID WEIGHT LOSS PRODUCT
FROM: FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
FTC Charges HCG Marketer with Deceptive Advertising
Defendants Promised Dietary Supplement Would Cause Substantial Weight Loss
The Federal Trade Commission has sued an Arizona man who markets HCG Platinum diet products by falsely claiming the products will cause consumers to lose substantial amounts of weight. Kevin Wright and his companies must respond to the complaint in federal court.
HCG, or human chorionic gonadotropin, is a hormone produced by the human placenta that, for decades, has been falsely promoted by various marketers for weight loss. In November 2011, Wright and six other HCG marketers received warning letters issued jointly by FDA and FTC staff, advising them that their HCG products are mislabeled drugs under the FDA Act, and warning that it is unlawful under the FTC Act to make weight-loss claims that are not supported by competent and reliable scientific evidence.
Marketing through retail outlets such as GNC, Rite Aid, and Walgreens, and through their own websites, Wright and his companies, HCG Platinum and Right Way Nutrition, LLC, promise consumers that HCG Platinum liquid drops will cause rapid and substantial weight loss, and they claim consumers will likely lose as much weight as the endorsers in their advertisements.
The defendants, who also make claims on Facebook, on product packaging, and in Internet pop-up ads and magazines, direct consumers to place the HCG concoctions under their tongues before meals and stick to a very low calorie diet of 500 to 800 calories per day. They typically charge between $60 and $149 for a thirty-day supply of one of their three HCG Platinum formulations.
The defendants market two of their three formulations as “homeopathic,” which means the listed ingredients are diluted to the point they are undetectable. On product packaging and in other advertising, they claim that the products cause consumers to lose a pound a day, are safe to use, and are clinically proven to burn fat, reduce weight, and lower cholesterol.
The defendants have sold more than $13 million of HCG Platinum since 2010. The FTC has asked the court to order the defendants to surrender the ill-gotten gains they received from their deceptive marketing of HCG Platinum products.
Consumers should be skeptical of advertisements that tout HCG as a weight-loss treatment.
For more information see the FDA video, Being Fooled by Empty Diet Promises.
The complaint also named seven relief defendants, who received money from sales of the HCG product, but had no active role in the alleged efforts to deceive consumers: Weekes Holdings, LLC; Primary Colors, LLC; KMATT Holdings, LLC; Nutrisport Holdings, LLC; Ty D. Mattingly; Julie Mattingly; and Annette Wright.
The Commission vote authorizing the staff to file the complaint was 4-0. The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona on October 30, 2013.
NOTE: The Commission files a complaint when it has “reason to believe” that the law has been or is being violated and it appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in the public interest. The case will be decided by the court.
The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 2,000 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s website provides free information on a variety of consumer topics. Like the FTC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources.
FTC Charges HCG Marketer with Deceptive Advertising
Defendants Promised Dietary Supplement Would Cause Substantial Weight Loss
The Federal Trade Commission has sued an Arizona man who markets HCG Platinum diet products by falsely claiming the products will cause consumers to lose substantial amounts of weight. Kevin Wright and his companies must respond to the complaint in federal court.
HCG, or human chorionic gonadotropin, is a hormone produced by the human placenta that, for decades, has been falsely promoted by various marketers for weight loss. In November 2011, Wright and six other HCG marketers received warning letters issued jointly by FDA and FTC staff, advising them that their HCG products are mislabeled drugs under the FDA Act, and warning that it is unlawful under the FTC Act to make weight-loss claims that are not supported by competent and reliable scientific evidence.
Marketing through retail outlets such as GNC, Rite Aid, and Walgreens, and through their own websites, Wright and his companies, HCG Platinum and Right Way Nutrition, LLC, promise consumers that HCG Platinum liquid drops will cause rapid and substantial weight loss, and they claim consumers will likely lose as much weight as the endorsers in their advertisements.
The defendants, who also make claims on Facebook, on product packaging, and in Internet pop-up ads and magazines, direct consumers to place the HCG concoctions under their tongues before meals and stick to a very low calorie diet of 500 to 800 calories per day. They typically charge between $60 and $149 for a thirty-day supply of one of their three HCG Platinum formulations.
The defendants market two of their three formulations as “homeopathic,” which means the listed ingredients are diluted to the point they are undetectable. On product packaging and in other advertising, they claim that the products cause consumers to lose a pound a day, are safe to use, and are clinically proven to burn fat, reduce weight, and lower cholesterol.
The defendants have sold more than $13 million of HCG Platinum since 2010. The FTC has asked the court to order the defendants to surrender the ill-gotten gains they received from their deceptive marketing of HCG Platinum products.
Consumers should be skeptical of advertisements that tout HCG as a weight-loss treatment.
For more information see the FDA video, Being Fooled by Empty Diet Promises.
The complaint also named seven relief defendants, who received money from sales of the HCG product, but had no active role in the alleged efforts to deceive consumers: Weekes Holdings, LLC; Primary Colors, LLC; KMATT Holdings, LLC; Nutrisport Holdings, LLC; Ty D. Mattingly; Julie Mattingly; and Annette Wright.
The Commission vote authorizing the staff to file the complaint was 4-0. The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona on October 30, 2013.
NOTE: The Commission files a complaint when it has “reason to believe” that the law has been or is being violated and it appears to the Commission that a proceeding is in the public interest. The case will be decided by the court.
The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 2,000 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s website provides free information on a variety of consumer topics. Like the FTC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources.
FORMER VA PSYCHIATRIST PLEADS GUILTY IN MEDICARE FRAUD CASE
FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Former Veterans Affairs Psychiatrist Pleads Guilty to Medicare Fraud
Dr. Mikhail L. Presman, a licensed psychiatrist employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), pleaded guilty today to health care fraud for falsely billing Medicare for home medical treatment to Medicare beneficiaries and agreed to forfeit more than $1.2 million in illegal profits.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch of the Eastern District of New York, and Special Agent in Charge Thomas O’Donnell of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement.
According to court documents, from Jan. 1, 2006, through May 10, 2013, Presman submitted approximately $4 million in Medicare claims for home treatment of Medicare beneficiaries notwithstanding his full-time, salaried position as a psychiatrist at the VA hospital in Brooklyn. Contrary to his representations, Presman did not provide any treatment to a substantial number of the beneficiaries he claimed to have treated. For example, Presman submitted claims to Medicare for home medical visits at locations within New York City even though he was physically located in China at the time of these purported home visits. Additionally, Presman submitted claims to Medicare for 55 home medical visits to beneficiaries who were hospitalized on the date of the purported visits.
Presman is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge I. Leo Glasser of the Eastern District of New York on Feb. 13, 2014, and faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
The case was investigated by the HHS-OIG, with assistance from the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, and brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, under the supervision of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Bryan D. Fields of the Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia E. Notopoulos of the Eastern District of New York.
Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged more than 1,500 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $5 billion. In addition, HHS’s Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, is taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Former Veterans Affairs Psychiatrist Pleads Guilty to Medicare Fraud
Dr. Mikhail L. Presman, a licensed psychiatrist employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), pleaded guilty today to health care fraud for falsely billing Medicare for home medical treatment to Medicare beneficiaries and agreed to forfeit more than $1.2 million in illegal profits.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch of the Eastern District of New York, and Special Agent in Charge Thomas O’Donnell of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement.
According to court documents, from Jan. 1, 2006, through May 10, 2013, Presman submitted approximately $4 million in Medicare claims for home treatment of Medicare beneficiaries notwithstanding his full-time, salaried position as a psychiatrist at the VA hospital in Brooklyn. Contrary to his representations, Presman did not provide any treatment to a substantial number of the beneficiaries he claimed to have treated. For example, Presman submitted claims to Medicare for home medical visits at locations within New York City even though he was physically located in China at the time of these purported home visits. Additionally, Presman submitted claims to Medicare for 55 home medical visits to beneficiaries who were hospitalized on the date of the purported visits.
Presman is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge I. Leo Glasser of the Eastern District of New York on Feb. 13, 2014, and faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
The case was investigated by the HHS-OIG, with assistance from the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, and brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, under the supervision of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Bryan D. Fields of the Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia E. Notopoulos of the Eastern District of New York.
Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged more than 1,500 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $5 billion. In addition, HHS’s Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, is taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.
Friday, November 1, 2013
U.S. DOD CONTRACTS FOR NOVEMBER 1, 2013
FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
WASHINGTON HEADQUARTERS SERVICES
Institute for Defense Analysis, Alexandria, Va., is being awarded a maximum $888,757,811 five year indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for research and analysis to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the joint staff, combatant commands, defense agencies, joint program offices, and other users as specified in the sponsoring agreement between OSD and IDA under the Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) contract. Work will be performed primarily in Alexandria, Va. This contract was not competitively processed because it was obtained under the FFRDC program. The estimated completion date is Sept. 30, 2018. Washington Headquarters Services, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (HQ0034-14-D-0001).
U.S. TRANSPORTATION COMMAND
AAR Airlift Group Inc., Palm Bay, Fla., is being awarded modification 32 to task order 0001, and modification 23 to task order 0002 totaling $151,582,265 to previously awarded contract HTC711-10-D-R026 to exercise option year four for rotary wing aircraft, personnel, equipment, tools, material, maintenance and supervision necessary to perform passenger and cargo air transportation services. Work will be performed in Afghanistan, and is expected to be completed by Oct. 31, 2014. Funds are being obligated on monthly task order modifications. The U.S. Transportation Command Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Ill., is the contracting activity.
Columbia Helicopters Inc., Aurora, Ore., is being awarded modification 23 to task order 0002, and modification 18 to task order 0003 totaling $87,697,701 to previously awarded contract HTC711-11-D-R021 to exercise option year three for rotary wing aircraft, personnel, equipment, tools, material, maintenance and supervision necessary to perform passenger and cargo air transportation services. Work will be performed in Afghanistan, and is expected to be completed by Oct. 31, 2014. Funds are being obligated on monthly task order modifications. The U.S. Transportation Command Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Ill., is the contracting activity.
Construction Helicopters Inc., Howell, Mich., is being awarded a $33,602,864 modification 18 to previously awarded task order 0002 under contract HTC711-11-D-R022 to exercise option year three for rotary wing aircraft, personnel, equipment, tools, material, maintenance and supervision necessary to perform passenger and cargo air transportation services. Work will be performed in Afghanistan, andis expected to be completed by Oct. 31, 2014. Funds are being obligated on monthly task order modifications. The U.S. Transportation Command Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Ill., is the contracting activity.
AIR FORCE
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., Poway, Calif., has been awarded a not-to-exceed $27,607,349 undefinitized contract action delivery order (0113) for an existing basic ordering agreement (FA8620-10-G-3038) for France’s MQ-9 UAS Contractor Logistics Support Phase I program. Work will be performed in Poway, Calif., and is expected to be completed by Oct. 31, 2014. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. This requirement is 100 percent foreign military sales for the Government of France. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center/WIIK, Medium Altitude Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity.
Cubic Defense Applications Inc., San Diego, Calif., has been awarded a 24,999,949 firm-fixed-price contract for foreign military sales P5Combat Training System (P5CTS), combined hardware buy. Contractor will provide (P5CTS) hardware to provide an instrumented training capability that increases, maintains, and assesses combat proficiency in the following mission areas: counter air, close air support, strategic attack, air interdiction, and electronic combat. Work will be performed at San Diego, Calif., and Fort Walton Beach, Fla., and is expected to be complete by July 20, 2015. This award is a result of a sole-source acquisition. This award is for the governments of Singapore, Morocco, Oman and Saudi Arabia under the FMS program. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center/EBYK, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity (FA8678-14-C-0046).
L3 Communications Corp., Systems Field Support, Madison Miss., has been awarded an estimated $22,049,546 modification (P00025) to exercise option year three of the firm-fixed-price and cost-reimbursement contract (FA8106-11-D-0002) for C-12 contractor logistics support. Work will be performed worldwide at 19 sites to support C-12 aircraft for Pacific Air Forces, Air Force Material Command, Defense Intelligence Agency and Defense Security Cooperation Agency, consisting of maintenance, repair and support functions. The work is expected to be performed for one year, until Oct. 31, 2014. Funding is 85% fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance, aircraft procurement and research and development funds, and 15% foreign military sales funds. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center/WLKLC, Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., is the contracting activity.
ARMY
Truetech, Inc., Riverhead, N.Y., was awarded a $17,912,955 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multi-year contract for the procurement of M8 chemical paper and M9 chemical paper. The M8 chemical paper is used to detect the presence of liquid chemical agents while M9 chemical paper is used by ground forces and is placed on personnel and equipment to identify the presence of liquid chemical agent aerosols. Work location and funding will be determined by each order, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 1, 2018. Bids were solicited via the Internet with one received. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Mich., is the contracting agency (W56HZV-14-D-0011).
Nauset Construction Corp., Needham, Mass., was awarded a $20,521,858 firm-fixed-price contract to construct a new Unit Training Equipment Site and demolish the old facility and controlled humidity shelter in two separate phases for the Massachusetts National Guard. Work location is Buzzards’ Bay, Mass., with an estimated completion date of Sept. 17, 2015. Fiscal 2013 military construction funds in the amount of $20,521,858 are being obligated on award. Bids were solicited via the Internet with seven received. The National Guard Bureau Milford, Mass., is the contracting agency (W912SV-13-C-0007).
Leo Daly, Atlanta, Ga., (W912DY-14-D-0009); HDR, Charlotte, N.C., (W912DY-14-D-0010); and Ewing Cole, Philadelphia, Pa., (W912DY-14-D-0011) were awarded a $25,000,000 firm-fixed-price, multiple-award contract to provide continued architect-engineer design services in support of the Medical Repair and Renewal program. Work location and funding will be determined by each order, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 31, 2014. Bids were solicited via the Internet, with 36 received. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntsville, Ala. is the contracting agency.
NAVY
PAE Applied Technologies LLC, Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $23,246,532 modification to previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee level of effort contract (N00421-13-C-0007) to exercise an option for range engineering, operations and maintenance services in support of the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Divisions’ Atlantic Test Range and Atlantic Targets and Marine Operations Division. The estimated level of effort is 270,215 man-hours. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Md., and is expected to be completed in February 2014. Navy working capital funds in the amount of $5,984,310 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Labatt Food Service, San Antonio, Texas, has been awarded a maximum $18,000,000 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-quantity contract for prime vendor full line food distribution. This is a one-year base contract. This contract is a sole-source acquisition. Location of performance is Texas with a Nov. 8, 2014 performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Air Force, and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal year 2014 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM300-14-D-3715).
WASHINGTON HEADQUARTERS SERVICES
Institute for Defense Analysis, Alexandria, Va., is being awarded a maximum $888,757,811 five year indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for research and analysis to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the joint staff, combatant commands, defense agencies, joint program offices, and other users as specified in the sponsoring agreement between OSD and IDA under the Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) contract. Work will be performed primarily in Alexandria, Va. This contract was not competitively processed because it was obtained under the FFRDC program. The estimated completion date is Sept. 30, 2018. Washington Headquarters Services, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (HQ0034-14-D-0001).
U.S. TRANSPORTATION COMMAND
AAR Airlift Group Inc., Palm Bay, Fla., is being awarded modification 32 to task order 0001, and modification 23 to task order 0002 totaling $151,582,265 to previously awarded contract HTC711-10-D-R026 to exercise option year four for rotary wing aircraft, personnel, equipment, tools, material, maintenance and supervision necessary to perform passenger and cargo air transportation services. Work will be performed in Afghanistan, and is expected to be completed by Oct. 31, 2014. Funds are being obligated on monthly task order modifications. The U.S. Transportation Command Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Ill., is the contracting activity.
Columbia Helicopters Inc., Aurora, Ore., is being awarded modification 23 to task order 0002, and modification 18 to task order 0003 totaling $87,697,701 to previously awarded contract HTC711-11-D-R021 to exercise option year three for rotary wing aircraft, personnel, equipment, tools, material, maintenance and supervision necessary to perform passenger and cargo air transportation services. Work will be performed in Afghanistan, and is expected to be completed by Oct. 31, 2014. Funds are being obligated on monthly task order modifications. The U.S. Transportation Command Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Ill., is the contracting activity.
Construction Helicopters Inc., Howell, Mich., is being awarded a $33,602,864 modification 18 to previously awarded task order 0002 under contract HTC711-11-D-R022 to exercise option year three for rotary wing aircraft, personnel, equipment, tools, material, maintenance and supervision necessary to perform passenger and cargo air transportation services. Work will be performed in Afghanistan, andis expected to be completed by Oct. 31, 2014. Funds are being obligated on monthly task order modifications. The U.S. Transportation Command Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Ill., is the contracting activity.
AIR FORCE
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., Poway, Calif., has been awarded a not-to-exceed $27,607,349 undefinitized contract action delivery order (0113) for an existing basic ordering agreement (FA8620-10-G-3038) for France’s MQ-9 UAS Contractor Logistics Support Phase I program. Work will be performed in Poway, Calif., and is expected to be completed by Oct. 31, 2014. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. This requirement is 100 percent foreign military sales for the Government of France. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center/WIIK, Medium Altitude Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity.
Cubic Defense Applications Inc., San Diego, Calif., has been awarded a 24,999,949 firm-fixed-price contract for foreign military sales P5Combat Training System (P5CTS), combined hardware buy. Contractor will provide (P5CTS) hardware to provide an instrumented training capability that increases, maintains, and assesses combat proficiency in the following mission areas: counter air, close air support, strategic attack, air interdiction, and electronic combat. Work will be performed at San Diego, Calif., and Fort Walton Beach, Fla., and is expected to be complete by July 20, 2015. This award is a result of a sole-source acquisition. This award is for the governments of Singapore, Morocco, Oman and Saudi Arabia under the FMS program. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center/EBYK, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity (FA8678-14-C-0046).
L3 Communications Corp., Systems Field Support, Madison Miss., has been awarded an estimated $22,049,546 modification (P00025) to exercise option year three of the firm-fixed-price and cost-reimbursement contract (FA8106-11-D-0002) for C-12 contractor logistics support. Work will be performed worldwide at 19 sites to support C-12 aircraft for Pacific Air Forces, Air Force Material Command, Defense Intelligence Agency and Defense Security Cooperation Agency, consisting of maintenance, repair and support functions. The work is expected to be performed for one year, until Oct. 31, 2014. Funding is 85% fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance, aircraft procurement and research and development funds, and 15% foreign military sales funds. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center/WLKLC, Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., is the contracting activity.
ARMY
Truetech, Inc., Riverhead, N.Y., was awarded a $17,912,955 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multi-year contract for the procurement of M8 chemical paper and M9 chemical paper. The M8 chemical paper is used to detect the presence of liquid chemical agents while M9 chemical paper is used by ground forces and is placed on personnel and equipment to identify the presence of liquid chemical agent aerosols. Work location and funding will be determined by each order, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 1, 2018. Bids were solicited via the Internet with one received. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Mich., is the contracting agency (W56HZV-14-D-0011).
Nauset Construction Corp., Needham, Mass., was awarded a $20,521,858 firm-fixed-price contract to construct a new Unit Training Equipment Site and demolish the old facility and controlled humidity shelter in two separate phases for the Massachusetts National Guard. Work location is Buzzards’ Bay, Mass., with an estimated completion date of Sept. 17, 2015. Fiscal 2013 military construction funds in the amount of $20,521,858 are being obligated on award. Bids were solicited via the Internet with seven received. The National Guard Bureau Milford, Mass., is the contracting agency (W912SV-13-C-0007).
Leo Daly, Atlanta, Ga., (W912DY-14-D-0009); HDR, Charlotte, N.C., (W912DY-14-D-0010); and Ewing Cole, Philadelphia, Pa., (W912DY-14-D-0011) were awarded a $25,000,000 firm-fixed-price, multiple-award contract to provide continued architect-engineer design services in support of the Medical Repair and Renewal program. Work location and funding will be determined by each order, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 31, 2014. Bids were solicited via the Internet, with 36 received. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntsville, Ala. is the contracting agency.
NAVY
PAE Applied Technologies LLC, Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $23,246,532 modification to previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee level of effort contract (N00421-13-C-0007) to exercise an option for range engineering, operations and maintenance services in support of the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Divisions’ Atlantic Test Range and Atlantic Targets and Marine Operations Division. The estimated level of effort is 270,215 man-hours. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Md., and is expected to be completed in February 2014. Navy working capital funds in the amount of $5,984,310 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Labatt Food Service, San Antonio, Texas, has been awarded a maximum $18,000,000 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-quantity contract for prime vendor full line food distribution. This is a one-year base contract. This contract is a sole-source acquisition. Location of performance is Texas with a Nov. 8, 2014 performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Air Force, and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal year 2014 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM300-14-D-3715).
HHS SAYS HALF OF ELIGIBLE ADULTS COULD GET HEALTH INSURANCE FOR $50 OR LESS
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Half of single young adults eligible for the Health Insurance Marketplace could get coverage for $50 or less
A new report released today by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) shows that nearly half (46 percent) of single young adults who are uninsured and may be eligible for coverage in the Health Insurance Marketplace could get coverage for $50 or less per month.
“The health care law is making health insurance more affordable for young adults,” said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “With nearly half of single, Marketplace-eligible uninsured young adults able to get coverage at $50 or less per month, the health care law is delivering the quality, affordable coverage people are looking for.”
Young adults are the age group most likely to be without health insurance. But through the Health Insurance Marketplace, young adults can purchase quality, affordable coverage and get lower costs on monthly premiums through tax credits. Young adults may also be eligible for Medicaid. The amount an individual can save depends on his or her family income and size.
Today’s report examines data from the 34 Federally-facilitated and State Partnership Marketplaces and finds that out of 2.9 million single young adults ages 18 to 34 who may be eligible for coverage in the Marketplace, 1.3 million (46 percent) could purchase a bronze plan for $50 per month or less after tax credits. In the 34 states, a total of 1.9 million young adults, representing nearly 7 in 10 (66 percent) of the potentially Marketplace-eligible uninsured ages 18 to 34, may be able to pay $100 or less for coverage in 2014.
According to the report, an additional 1 million eligible uninsured single young adults may qualify for Medicaid in the states that have opted to expand the program in 2014. Today’s report also shows that if each of the 34 states expanded its Medicaid program, the proportion of young adults who could obtain low-cost coverage would be even greater. If each of the 34 states expanded its Medicaid program, 4.9 million uninsured single young adults would be eligible for Medicaid.
While some states are expanding their Medicaid programs in 2014, other states are not doing so. Under the health care law, states can receive 100 percent federal funding in 2014 to expand their Medicaid programs to cover people with incomes up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level. That’s about $15,800 a year for an individual, or about $32,500 for a family of four.
Half of single young adults eligible for the Health Insurance Marketplace could get coverage for $50 or less
A new report released today by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) shows that nearly half (46 percent) of single young adults who are uninsured and may be eligible for coverage in the Health Insurance Marketplace could get coverage for $50 or less per month.
“The health care law is making health insurance more affordable for young adults,” said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “With nearly half of single, Marketplace-eligible uninsured young adults able to get coverage at $50 or less per month, the health care law is delivering the quality, affordable coverage people are looking for.”
Young adults are the age group most likely to be without health insurance. But through the Health Insurance Marketplace, young adults can purchase quality, affordable coverage and get lower costs on monthly premiums through tax credits. Young adults may also be eligible for Medicaid. The amount an individual can save depends on his or her family income and size.
Today’s report examines data from the 34 Federally-facilitated and State Partnership Marketplaces and finds that out of 2.9 million single young adults ages 18 to 34 who may be eligible for coverage in the Marketplace, 1.3 million (46 percent) could purchase a bronze plan for $50 per month or less after tax credits. In the 34 states, a total of 1.9 million young adults, representing nearly 7 in 10 (66 percent) of the potentially Marketplace-eligible uninsured ages 18 to 34, may be able to pay $100 or less for coverage in 2014.
According to the report, an additional 1 million eligible uninsured single young adults may qualify for Medicaid in the states that have opted to expand the program in 2014. Today’s report also shows that if each of the 34 states expanded its Medicaid program, the proportion of young adults who could obtain low-cost coverage would be even greater. If each of the 34 states expanded its Medicaid program, 4.9 million uninsured single young adults would be eligible for Medicaid.
While some states are expanding their Medicaid programs in 2014, other states are not doing so. Under the health care law, states can receive 100 percent federal funding in 2014 to expand their Medicaid programs to cover people with incomes up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level. That’s about $15,800 a year for an individual, or about $32,500 for a family of four.
SECRETARY KERRY'S REMARKS AT NATIONAL WORK AND FAMILY MONTH EVENT
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Opening Remarks at National Work and Family Month Event
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Marshall Center East Auditorium
Washington, DC
October 30, 2013
SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you, thank you. Marcia, thank you very, very much. Thanks for your generous introduction and thanks for your leadership and everything that you’re doing around here. We appreciate it enormously. And I’m very, very grateful to you and to Judy, Judy Ikels, and to the Work Life Division team for the terrific work that everybody is doing. And a big thank you to the Balancing Act Employee Organization and the senior advocates therein for helping us to advance this issue and get it on the front burner.
I’m looking out, and I see a few empty seats here, and I’m thinking we’re not – got some people here who aren’t getting the balance right. (Laughter.) We’re going to have to work on that. Or maybe a few managers who aren’t getting the balance right. But my sense is that we’re going to find a way to practice what we preach here, and it’s really, really important. And I’m not here to give it lip service. I am not here to check a box today, because they asked me to come here and do this.
I really believe this is important. It’s important not only to the functioning of this great behemoth institution, the State Department – and I say that writ large in all of the places that it is – but it’s important to our productivity. It’s important to the quality of life. It’s important to the type of people we can attract. It’s important to our longevity and our loyalty to the Department and to the happiness and good feelings that people have about being here.
So I want to personally congratulate the winner of this year’s Balancing Act Reward for Excellence in the Work-Life Leadership, Laura Dogu. Where is Laura? Is she here somewhere? Laura?
PARTICIPANT: Mexico City.
SECRETARY KERRY: She’s still in Mexico City. All right. (Laughter.) Well, a huge – if you’re watching through the net, a huge congratulations to you. And I want to recognize Ambassador Blake and Ambassador Pyatt and Michelle Bernier-Toth, and Diane Crow for their exceptional leadership. Thank you, very, very much for what you’ve been doing to advance this.
And you’ll be hearing a little more from the balancing act group shortly in the course of this. And I’m particularly grateful to Stew Friedman for coming down from Wharton to be here with us today. He just gave me a book. I will not be able to stay here to hear his presentation, but I now have a book, and I have a little time on an airplane occasionally. (Laughter.) So I’ll put it to good use, I promise you.
But let me just share with you. I’ve – in the 29 years I was in the United States Senate, I prided myself in running an office that was always ahead of the curve and always thoughtful about flexible hours and generous maternity leave and paternity leave and generous opportunity for people to try to have flextime, work their schedules. And it’s far more productive and it created a huge amount, I think, more loyalty and ultimately, productivity. And there’s no reason that we can’t do that.
I also watch a younger generation coming up, particularly talking about two daughters that I have and three stepsons. And I see them very conscious about and thinking about how do you balance these things more effectively. I think parenting today is different than it was in my early years of parenting, and vastly, night and day, different from my parents’ days of parenting. And so we think about these things differently, which is good, and we also think about ourselves differently.
All of this really started, I think, probably in the 1970s, ’60s, ’70s, ’80s, so forth. And there’s a growing awareness in people about health issues, the balance of health and life and all these kinds of things. I don’t take any of them for granted. I really believe in them, and my wife who believes in them very deeply.
And so I see this tension all the time. I have a young daughter who is a doctor in Boston at Mass General Hospital, whose husband is also a doctor at Mass General Hospital. He’s a brain surgeon and she’s in critical care. And they’re raising a child, and she’s pregnant now with her second child to come. And so she’s probably doing three jobs, if not four at the same time. And it’s hard, tough.
So how the workplace responds to this makes all the difference in the world as to whether or not people are driven to the brink. It has a profound impact on home life and attitudes and so forth. And if you come to work with a really tough situation going on at home, it’s hard to be as productive and as friendly and as collegiate and efficient as we would like people to be.
So this is not just a building. And I want to make sure that we’re investing in the efforts to guarantee that those of you who are on the frontlines of diplomacy here – we have a tough job here, everybody. This is 24/7/365. Crises don’t stop for anybody here. And I’m amazed by how hard people work around here – late hours, long hours, crisis hours, weekends, whenever it is, we have to respond because there are a lot of people out there in the world depending on us, so it’s even more important for us to try to find the ways to get it right.
So job shares program, alternative work schedules, getting the ability to be able to spend more time with family, these are really important things. And to prove to you how important they are, I am leaving this afternoon at 5:30 to go watch the Red Sox beat the Cardinals this evening. (Laughter.) That’s how important it is. (Applause.)
So let me just make it clear to everybody here that whether you’re a single officer or one with a family, whether you’re caring for aging parents or a newborn child, whether you’re a tandem couple or you’re serving on an unaccompanied tour, the Department is committed to making sure that this concept of balance is something that enters into everybody’s consciousness around here.
Now, I want to just quickly mention several new projects – four new projects that we are engaged in here to try to put this into practice. The first is a pilot project on backup care. It’s common sense, not groundbreaking or – but it’s not there, and it’s going to be there. And that’s contracting with an online service that will allow you to access quality backup care from a vetted pool of candidates so that if your babysitter is sick or if the person caring for an elderly parent or somebody in your household is not available suddenly and you have an emergency, you want to get to work, we have an ability to be able to get you connected quickly to find someone to fill in on a moment’s notice.
We’re also going to do more to support job shares. Until about a month ago, a full-time position was – when it was converted to two people to share, our bureau had to carry the cost of that on a direct basis. And today, I’m pleased to say that we’re able to support job shares from the central personnel funds. That may not sound like the biggest thing in the world to you, but – (applause) – okay, I’m wrong. It’s one of the biggest things in the world to you. (Laughter.) But that obviously means it’s going to be a lot easier for bureaus to be able to create job share opportunities, and that gives you a lot more flexibility in what you’re doing.
I also know that this is critical to being able to attract talent as well, as we try to recruit and build this place. So here’s my message today, which will be reinforced, because a lot of you think, “Uh-oh, my supervisor isn’t empowered to do this,” or “My supervisor won’t be creative enough and feel free enough to go do this,” wrong. And my message to assistant secretaries and senior leaders today is: Make it happen. We all have a stake in creating more flexible work arrangements. They can work for us. Every survey shows how important this is in order to keep talent and attract the next generation of talent, so I want to make this workplace a model in the United States Government for success. (Applause.)
Another way that we can help to do this, obviously, is with our third initiative, which is a new childcare initiative. And it’ll be right next door in the Consular Affairs building, and we already have the one childcare center, as you know, in Columbia Plaza and another at the Foreign Service Institute. But this center will be the third available to State Department employees and it’ll add an additional capacity for easy, accessible childcare in the new year, and I know how important that is.
Now, I know that nobody here joined the Foreign Service in order to get rich. If you did, the new IG is going to catch you fast. (Laughter.) As I’ve said before though, we have to make certain that as we go forward, even if we don’t make people rich here financially, the rewarding experience can be about as rich as it gets, and that’s because we have a climate, an environment, a workplace within which everybody really feels comfortable, that it’s serving their needs, it’s a good place to work, it’s a fun place to work, even if you’re working your tails off, and that I want you to do.
So we’re going to stay at this. I look forward to hearing from all of you sort of what comes out of this. We’ll continue to find creative ways that will make this place both stronger and more effective. The old adage – and I used to talk a lot, particularly when I was running nationally – that you can’t be strong abroad if you’re not strong at home. Well, that works right down into the family-work relationship between the Department and everybody’s personal lives.
So I think you get a sense this is for real. I hope you do. We’re going to stay at it. Keep your suggestions coming. Help us to understand the things we can do more effectively, better to do this. And I hope this will sink in deep into the ethics of the Department in a broad-based way in everybody’s relationship, wherever you work.
Thank you all. Good to be with you. Thank you. Thanks
Opening Remarks at National Work and Family Month Event
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Marshall Center East Auditorium
Washington, DC
October 30, 2013
SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you, thank you. Marcia, thank you very, very much. Thanks for your generous introduction and thanks for your leadership and everything that you’re doing around here. We appreciate it enormously. And I’m very, very grateful to you and to Judy, Judy Ikels, and to the Work Life Division team for the terrific work that everybody is doing. And a big thank you to the Balancing Act Employee Organization and the senior advocates therein for helping us to advance this issue and get it on the front burner.
I’m looking out, and I see a few empty seats here, and I’m thinking we’re not – got some people here who aren’t getting the balance right. (Laughter.) We’re going to have to work on that. Or maybe a few managers who aren’t getting the balance right. But my sense is that we’re going to find a way to practice what we preach here, and it’s really, really important. And I’m not here to give it lip service. I am not here to check a box today, because they asked me to come here and do this.
I really believe this is important. It’s important not only to the functioning of this great behemoth institution, the State Department – and I say that writ large in all of the places that it is – but it’s important to our productivity. It’s important to the quality of life. It’s important to the type of people we can attract. It’s important to our longevity and our loyalty to the Department and to the happiness and good feelings that people have about being here.
So I want to personally congratulate the winner of this year’s Balancing Act Reward for Excellence in the Work-Life Leadership, Laura Dogu. Where is Laura? Is she here somewhere? Laura?
PARTICIPANT: Mexico City.
SECRETARY KERRY: She’s still in Mexico City. All right. (Laughter.) Well, a huge – if you’re watching through the net, a huge congratulations to you. And I want to recognize Ambassador Blake and Ambassador Pyatt and Michelle Bernier-Toth, and Diane Crow for their exceptional leadership. Thank you, very, very much for what you’ve been doing to advance this.
And you’ll be hearing a little more from the balancing act group shortly in the course of this. And I’m particularly grateful to Stew Friedman for coming down from Wharton to be here with us today. He just gave me a book. I will not be able to stay here to hear his presentation, but I now have a book, and I have a little time on an airplane occasionally. (Laughter.) So I’ll put it to good use, I promise you.
But let me just share with you. I’ve – in the 29 years I was in the United States Senate, I prided myself in running an office that was always ahead of the curve and always thoughtful about flexible hours and generous maternity leave and paternity leave and generous opportunity for people to try to have flextime, work their schedules. And it’s far more productive and it created a huge amount, I think, more loyalty and ultimately, productivity. And there’s no reason that we can’t do that.
I also watch a younger generation coming up, particularly talking about two daughters that I have and three stepsons. And I see them very conscious about and thinking about how do you balance these things more effectively. I think parenting today is different than it was in my early years of parenting, and vastly, night and day, different from my parents’ days of parenting. And so we think about these things differently, which is good, and we also think about ourselves differently.
All of this really started, I think, probably in the 1970s, ’60s, ’70s, ’80s, so forth. And there’s a growing awareness in people about health issues, the balance of health and life and all these kinds of things. I don’t take any of them for granted. I really believe in them, and my wife who believes in them very deeply.
And so I see this tension all the time. I have a young daughter who is a doctor in Boston at Mass General Hospital, whose husband is also a doctor at Mass General Hospital. He’s a brain surgeon and she’s in critical care. And they’re raising a child, and she’s pregnant now with her second child to come. And so she’s probably doing three jobs, if not four at the same time. And it’s hard, tough.
So how the workplace responds to this makes all the difference in the world as to whether or not people are driven to the brink. It has a profound impact on home life and attitudes and so forth. And if you come to work with a really tough situation going on at home, it’s hard to be as productive and as friendly and as collegiate and efficient as we would like people to be.
So this is not just a building. And I want to make sure that we’re investing in the efforts to guarantee that those of you who are on the frontlines of diplomacy here – we have a tough job here, everybody. This is 24/7/365. Crises don’t stop for anybody here. And I’m amazed by how hard people work around here – late hours, long hours, crisis hours, weekends, whenever it is, we have to respond because there are a lot of people out there in the world depending on us, so it’s even more important for us to try to find the ways to get it right.
So job shares program, alternative work schedules, getting the ability to be able to spend more time with family, these are really important things. And to prove to you how important they are, I am leaving this afternoon at 5:30 to go watch the Red Sox beat the Cardinals this evening. (Laughter.) That’s how important it is. (Applause.)
So let me just make it clear to everybody here that whether you’re a single officer or one with a family, whether you’re caring for aging parents or a newborn child, whether you’re a tandem couple or you’re serving on an unaccompanied tour, the Department is committed to making sure that this concept of balance is something that enters into everybody’s consciousness around here.
Now, I want to just quickly mention several new projects – four new projects that we are engaged in here to try to put this into practice. The first is a pilot project on backup care. It’s common sense, not groundbreaking or – but it’s not there, and it’s going to be there. And that’s contracting with an online service that will allow you to access quality backup care from a vetted pool of candidates so that if your babysitter is sick or if the person caring for an elderly parent or somebody in your household is not available suddenly and you have an emergency, you want to get to work, we have an ability to be able to get you connected quickly to find someone to fill in on a moment’s notice.
We’re also going to do more to support job shares. Until about a month ago, a full-time position was – when it was converted to two people to share, our bureau had to carry the cost of that on a direct basis. And today, I’m pleased to say that we’re able to support job shares from the central personnel funds. That may not sound like the biggest thing in the world to you, but – (applause) – okay, I’m wrong. It’s one of the biggest things in the world to you. (Laughter.) But that obviously means it’s going to be a lot easier for bureaus to be able to create job share opportunities, and that gives you a lot more flexibility in what you’re doing.
I also know that this is critical to being able to attract talent as well, as we try to recruit and build this place. So here’s my message today, which will be reinforced, because a lot of you think, “Uh-oh, my supervisor isn’t empowered to do this,” or “My supervisor won’t be creative enough and feel free enough to go do this,” wrong. And my message to assistant secretaries and senior leaders today is: Make it happen. We all have a stake in creating more flexible work arrangements. They can work for us. Every survey shows how important this is in order to keep talent and attract the next generation of talent, so I want to make this workplace a model in the United States Government for success. (Applause.)
Another way that we can help to do this, obviously, is with our third initiative, which is a new childcare initiative. And it’ll be right next door in the Consular Affairs building, and we already have the one childcare center, as you know, in Columbia Plaza and another at the Foreign Service Institute. But this center will be the third available to State Department employees and it’ll add an additional capacity for easy, accessible childcare in the new year, and I know how important that is.
Now, I know that nobody here joined the Foreign Service in order to get rich. If you did, the new IG is going to catch you fast. (Laughter.) As I’ve said before though, we have to make certain that as we go forward, even if we don’t make people rich here financially, the rewarding experience can be about as rich as it gets, and that’s because we have a climate, an environment, a workplace within which everybody really feels comfortable, that it’s serving their needs, it’s a good place to work, it’s a fun place to work, even if you’re working your tails off, and that I want you to do.
So we’re going to stay at this. I look forward to hearing from all of you sort of what comes out of this. We’ll continue to find creative ways that will make this place both stronger and more effective. The old adage – and I used to talk a lot, particularly when I was running nationally – that you can’t be strong abroad if you’re not strong at home. Well, that works right down into the family-work relationship between the Department and everybody’s personal lives.
So I think you get a sense this is for real. I hope you do. We’re going to stay at it. Keep your suggestions coming. Help us to understand the things we can do more effectively, better to do this. And I hope this will sink in deep into the ethics of the Department in a broad-based way in everybody’s relationship, wherever you work.
Thank you all. Good to be with you. Thank you. Thanks
JOHN KERRY'S STATEMENT ON CHEMICAL WEAPONS ELIMINATION PROGRESS IN SYRIA
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Progress Eliminating Syria's Chemical Weapons Program
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
October 31, 2013
International inspectors have worked with unprecedented speed to accomplish the first milestone in eliminating Syria’s chemical weapons and reducing the possibility that they will ever be used again. Now we must make sure the job is finished and that every one of these banned weapons is removed and destroyed. This is meaningful progress which many believed would be impossible. The progress must continue.
We must also be crystal clear that eliminating Syria’s chemical weapons is not a substitute for ending the civil war nor does it end the humanitarian catastrophe that continues to unfold. If weapons inspectors can carry out their critical mission, then I refuse to believe we can’t find a way for aid workers to carry out their equally critical mission delivering food and medical treatment to Syrians in need.
But where chemical weapons are concerned, we cannot lose sight of what has been accomplished thus far and what continues every day. Backed by the full weight of the United Nations and the international community, OPCW inspectors have responded to an unspeakable atrocity with unparalleled action. Nothing less would be acceptable after events that shocked the conscience of the world and left 1,400 innocent Syrians dead. Under the U.S.-Russia Framework, Syria must provide all UN and OPCW personnel unfettered access to any and all sites in order to fulfill their critical mission of verifying the full extent, and the eventual elimination, of Syria’s chemical weapons program. Syria’s obligations are clear, and it will need to fully comply with the requirements established by UNSCR 2118 and the OPCW Executive Council’s decision. To borrow from President Reagan’s maxim, where the Assad regime is concerned, there is no ‘trust,’ only ‘verify.’
To date, the United States has provided approximately $6 million in financial and in-kind assistance to support the efforts of the OPCW-UN Joint Mission to eliminate Syria’s chemical weapons program, including armored vehicles, training, protective equipment, and medical CW countermeasures for the inspection team. We intend to continue to provide available assistance to help the Joint Mission fulfill its mandate.
Progress Eliminating Syria's Chemical Weapons Program
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
October 31, 2013
International inspectors have worked with unprecedented speed to accomplish the first milestone in eliminating Syria’s chemical weapons and reducing the possibility that they will ever be used again. Now we must make sure the job is finished and that every one of these banned weapons is removed and destroyed. This is meaningful progress which many believed would be impossible. The progress must continue.
We must also be crystal clear that eliminating Syria’s chemical weapons is not a substitute for ending the civil war nor does it end the humanitarian catastrophe that continues to unfold. If weapons inspectors can carry out their critical mission, then I refuse to believe we can’t find a way for aid workers to carry out their equally critical mission delivering food and medical treatment to Syrians in need.
But where chemical weapons are concerned, we cannot lose sight of what has been accomplished thus far and what continues every day. Backed by the full weight of the United Nations and the international community, OPCW inspectors have responded to an unspeakable atrocity with unparalleled action. Nothing less would be acceptable after events that shocked the conscience of the world and left 1,400 innocent Syrians dead. Under the U.S.-Russia Framework, Syria must provide all UN and OPCW personnel unfettered access to any and all sites in order to fulfill their critical mission of verifying the full extent, and the eventual elimination, of Syria’s chemical weapons program. Syria’s obligations are clear, and it will need to fully comply with the requirements established by UNSCR 2118 and the OPCW Executive Council’s decision. To borrow from President Reagan’s maxim, where the Assad regime is concerned, there is no ‘trust,’ only ‘verify.’
To date, the United States has provided approximately $6 million in financial and in-kind assistance to support the efforts of the OPCW-UN Joint Mission to eliminate Syria’s chemical weapons program, including armored vehicles, training, protective equipment, and medical CW countermeasures for the inspection team. We intend to continue to provide available assistance to help the Joint Mission fulfill its mandate.
COURT ORDERS CALIFORNIA MAN TO PAY MORE THAN $1.6 MILLION IN COMMODITY POOL FRAUD CASE
FROM: COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION
Federal Court Orders California Man Jeffrey Gustaveson to Pay over $1.6 Million for Fraud, Misappropriation, and False Account Statements in Commodity Pool Scheme
Washington, DC –The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) obtained a federal court Order awarding restitution for defrauded commodity customers and a civil monetary penalty against Defendant Jeffrey Gustaveson of Morgan Hill, California, in connection with a commodity pool investment scheme. The Order requires Gustaveson to pay a civil monetary penalty of $1,230,000 and $410,000 in restitution. The Order also imposes permanent trading and registration bans against Gustaveson and prohibits him from violating the Commodity Exchange Act, as charged.
The Order resolves the CFTC’s Complaint, filed on August 29, 2012, charging Gustaveson with fraud, misappropriation, and issuing false account statements in a multi-million dollar commodity pool scheme (see CFTC Press Release 6341-12).
Magistrate Judge Howard Lloyd of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California issued a Report and Recommendation for default judgment and permanent injunction on August 19, 2013, and District Judge Lucy Koh entered an Order adopting Judge Lloyd’s Report and Recommendation on October 23, 2013.
The Order finds that Gustaveson received $2,495,000 from customers to trade commodity futures in a pool. But, rather than trade the pool participants’ funds as promised, Gustaveson used only approximately $400,000 of the funds to trade commodity futures, and he kept at least $400,000 the remaining funds to pay his personal expenses, the Order finds. To conceal his misappropriation, Gustaveson distributed false trading account statements to the pool participants that misrepresented the value of the pool, reported false profits, and failed to disclose his misappropriation of pool participants’ funds. When his fraud was exposed, Gustaveson returned a significant portion of the pool participants’ funds, leaving $410,000 of the customers’ funds unpaid, the Order finds. As to the amount still owed, Gustaveson admitted that he spent the money on personal expenses, past-due taxes, and repaying a previous investor, according to the Order.
CFTC Division of Enforcement staff members responsible for this case are Lindsey Evans, Mary Beth Spear, Diane Romaniuk, Ava M. Gould, Scott R. Williamson, Rosemary Hollinger, and Richard B. Wagner
Federal Court Orders California Man Jeffrey Gustaveson to Pay over $1.6 Million for Fraud, Misappropriation, and False Account Statements in Commodity Pool Scheme
Washington, DC –The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) obtained a federal court Order awarding restitution for defrauded commodity customers and a civil monetary penalty against Defendant Jeffrey Gustaveson of Morgan Hill, California, in connection with a commodity pool investment scheme. The Order requires Gustaveson to pay a civil monetary penalty of $1,230,000 and $410,000 in restitution. The Order also imposes permanent trading and registration bans against Gustaveson and prohibits him from violating the Commodity Exchange Act, as charged.
The Order resolves the CFTC’s Complaint, filed on August 29, 2012, charging Gustaveson with fraud, misappropriation, and issuing false account statements in a multi-million dollar commodity pool scheme (see CFTC Press Release 6341-12).
Magistrate Judge Howard Lloyd of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California issued a Report and Recommendation for default judgment and permanent injunction on August 19, 2013, and District Judge Lucy Koh entered an Order adopting Judge Lloyd’s Report and Recommendation on October 23, 2013.
The Order finds that Gustaveson received $2,495,000 from customers to trade commodity futures in a pool. But, rather than trade the pool participants’ funds as promised, Gustaveson used only approximately $400,000 of the funds to trade commodity futures, and he kept at least $400,000 the remaining funds to pay his personal expenses, the Order finds. To conceal his misappropriation, Gustaveson distributed false trading account statements to the pool participants that misrepresented the value of the pool, reported false profits, and failed to disclose his misappropriation of pool participants’ funds. When his fraud was exposed, Gustaveson returned a significant portion of the pool participants’ funds, leaving $410,000 of the customers’ funds unpaid, the Order finds. As to the amount still owed, Gustaveson admitted that he spent the money on personal expenses, past-due taxes, and repaying a previous investor, according to the Order.
CFTC Division of Enforcement staff members responsible for this case are Lindsey Evans, Mary Beth Spear, Diane Romaniuk, Ava M. Gould, Scott R. Williamson, Rosemary Hollinger, and Richard B. Wagner
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