INTERCEPTOR MISSILE SYSTEM TESTED BY U.S.-ISRAEL

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT

U.S., Israel Conduct Joint Test of Interceptor Missile System

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9, 2014 – The joint testing of an improved interceptor missile system designed to counter future missile threats went as planned, Defense Department spokesman Army Col. Steven Warren told Pentagon reporters today.

“The Israel Missile Defense Organization of the Directorate of Defense Research and Development, and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, conducted an intercept test of the Arrow-2 interceptor missile today,” he said.

“The Arrow-2 is an operational system currently providing the Arrow Weapon System with an interceptor engagement capability,” Warren said.

Israel, the first allied nation to declare its intent to field a missile defense system as a national priority, has collaborated in the past with the MDA on similar testing of capabilities.

This test was conducted at an Israeli test range over the Mediterranean Sea, the colonel said, explaining the testing process.

“An Arrow-2 missile was launched and performed its flight sequence as planned,” Warren said. “The results are being analyzed by program engineers.”
“The test results have no effect on the Israeli operational system capability to cope with the existing threats in the region,” he said.

This test, Warren noted, was an improved version of the joint U.S.-Israel Arrow Weapon System, intended to counter future threats.

NASA VIDEO: ISS SCIENCE GARAGE - AEROPONICS IN SPACE

MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO FALSIFYING DOCUMENTS TO AVOID CONTRIBUTIONS TO BENEFIT PLANS

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT 

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Falsifying Employee Retirement Plan Documents to Avoid Contributing to Benefit Plans

An owner of an electrical contracting company pleaded guilty today to falsifying disclosure documents required under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), by intentionally under-reporting hours worked by employees to avoid contractually required contributions to employee benefit plans.

Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein of the District of Maryland, Special Agent in Charge Bill Jones of the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, Office of Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations for the Washington, D.C. Regional Office and Director Mark Machiz of the Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration Philadelphia Regional Office made the announcement.

At the plea hearing, Michael E. Sewell, 50, of Street, Maryland, admitted that the union agreement between his company, MESCO Inc., and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 24 required him to make monthly contributions to seven employee health, welfare and pension benefit plans, and to file monthly remittance reports with the administrators of those plans.

Beginning in January 2009, however, Sewell began paying some wages earned by MESCO employees from the payroll of a second company he owned, Michael E. Sewell and Associates Inc., and failed to report those wages in monthly remittance reports to the administrator of the benefit plans. In addition, Sewell failed to make the required contributions to the employee benefit plans for those unreported wages. As a result, Sewell failed to contribute over $199,000 to the employee benefit plans. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 30, 2014.

This case was investigated by the Department of Labor and is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Vincent Falvo Jr. of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Martin J. Clarke of the District of Maryland.

9/8/14: White House Press Briefing

PRESIDENT OBAMA VISITS STONEHENGE

SECRETARY KERRY'S REMARKS ON FORMATION OF NEW GOVERNMENT IN IRAQ

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 

Remarks on the Formation of the Iraqi Government

Remarks

John Kerry

Secretary of State

State Department Briefing Room

Washington, DC

September 8, 2014

SECRETARY KERRY: Good afternoon, everybody. Tonight we mark what is unquestionably a major milestone for Iraq, and what President Obama has made clear will be a cornerstone of our efforts against ISIL.

Just a few hours ago, overcoming the obstacle of ethnic and sectarian divides, the Iraqi parliament approved a new and inclusive government, one that has the potential to unite all of Iraq’s diverse communities for a strong Iraq, a united Iraq, and to give those communities the chance to build the future that all Iraqis desire and deserve.

Now is the time for Iraq’s leaders to govern their nation with the same vision and sense of purpose that helped to bring this new government together in the first place. And in that effort, they should know the United States will stand shoulder to shoulder with the Iraqis as they implement their national plan to overcome the longstanding political and economic grievances that have for too long divided their country.

Tonight Iraq has a unity government. Tomorrow I will travel to the Middle East to continue to build the broadest possible coalition of partners around the globe to confront, degrade, and ultimately defeat ISIL.

On Wednesday, President Obama will lay out in even greater detail our coordinated global strategy against ISIL.

As we build this coalition, I want to underscore that almost every single country on Earth has a role to play in eliminating the ISIL threat and the evil that it represents. For some that will mean military assistance, both direct and in the form of training, arming, and advising, equipping. For some it will mean contributing to the desperately needed humanitarian relief effort. For some it will mean helping to identify, track, and cut off ISIL’s funding, and prevent the flow of foreign fighters. For still others it will mean demolishing the distortion of one of the world’s great peaceful religions and counteracting the propaganda ISIL uses to recruit new supporters. And for all it will mean publicly supporting the new inclusive government in Iraq.

Make no mistake; these are efforts that we and our partners around the globe are already taking. In the Middle East, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have poured millions into humanitarian assistance. The UAE has agreed to take on ISIL’s support networks and beat back against its militant ideological propaganda.

But we also have Canada sending over members of its military to help advise and assist Kurdish forces. We have Estonia and Albania providing military equipment. Our close allies in France and the United Kingdom are contributing in a number of important ways, including by providing military assistance and humanitarian airdrops.

And well beyond the region and Europe we have partners in places like Japan, Australia committing millions in humanitarian aid and Australia agreeing to take in thousands of refugees from Iraq and Syria, and to assist in our military efforts.

Our global, coordinated campaign with a global, coordinated coalition will be built not just in a matter of days or weeks, but it will be built to endure for the months and perhaps even the years to come.

Much more will be done at the UN General Assembly later this month, but our work together will grow and it will coalesce well beyond this month. What we’re working to accomplish will require hard work, sustained commitment, and unwavering focus from all of us. But we are clear that President Obama and I and the entire team absolutely understand this is something we must achieve, and we will be successful.

Thank you.

QUESTION: Secretary Kerry, they still have not filled the two – they still haven’t filled two security posts, sir.

SECRETARY KERRY: They will.

MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO FALSIFYING EMPLOYMENT CERTIFICATIONS TO ALLOW IMMIGRANTS INTO U.S.

FROM:  U.S.  JUSTICE DEPARTMENT  

Thursday, September 4, 2014

New Jersey Man Pleads Guilty to Operating Fraudulent Visa and Payroll Scheme to Facilitate Illegal Immigration

A New Jersey man pleaded guilty today to orchestrating an eight-year scheme to falsify employment certifications to facilitate the illegal entry of Indian immigrants into the United States and to filing a false tax return.

Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman of the District of New Jersey, Chief Richard Weber of Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) and Director Bill A. Miller of the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) made the announcement.

Sandipkumar Patel, 41, of Edison, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge William H. Walls of the District of New Jersey to conspiring to defraud the United States and to filing a false federal income tax return.  Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 6, 2015.

According to court documents filed with the plea agreement, from 2001 until 2009, Patel sponsored the visa applications of Indian nationals by falsely claiming to provide employment for them in the United States.   Patel falsely certified on the visa applications that he would employ the immigrants in various technical fields at several New Jersey companies, thereby facilitating their illegal entry into the United States.   Over the course of the scheme, immigrants paid Patel thousands of dollars for the false certifications to fraudulently secure the visas.   To disguise the scheme, Patel issued payroll checks and other payroll forms.   Patel required the immigrants to return the money from the checks and also to reimburse him for his payroll tax expenses.   Patel used the fraudulent pay stubs and payroll checks to support false applications to extend the visas, and Patel charged the immigrants fees for the visa extensions.

As a result of falsely carrying the immigrant employees on his payrolls, Patel overstated his payroll expenses on his federal income tax returns by more than $1.4 million over four years, under-reporting his tax obligation by over $400,000 for those years.  

This case was investigated by the IRS-CI and DSS.   The case is being prosecuted by Senior Trial Attorneys Hope S. Olds and William H. Kenety of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle M. Corcione of the District of New Jersey, with assistance from the Criminal Division’s Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section.

NSF VIDEO: ALZHEIMER'S PATIENTS: A SURPRISE FINDING IN EXECUTIVE FUNCTION

RECENT DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE PHOTOS

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

U.S. Army Sgt. Michael Misheff flies the American flag from the back of a CH-47 Chinook helicopter over southern Kandahar province, Afghanistan, Aug. 24, 2014. Pilots and crew chiefs fly American flags that are later presented with certificates to service members as part of aviation tradition. Misheff is a crew chief assigned to the 16th Combat Aviation Brigade.  U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Bryan Lewis. 

A landing craft departs the well deck of the amphibious dock landing ship USS Germantown for an equipment onload at White Beach, Okinawa, Japan. The Germantown is forward-deployed and assigned to the Peleliu Amphibious Ready Group in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility.   U.S. Petty Officer 2nd Class Amanda R. Gray.

U.S. Marines and Malaysian soldiers participate in a combined amphibious assault as part of Malaysia-United States Amphibious Exercise 2014 in Lahad Datu, Malaysia, Sept. 2, 2014. The Marines are assigned to Echo Company, Battalion Landing Team 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit.  U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Melissa Wenger.

CFTC CHARGES COMPANY AND OWNERS WITH FRAUD AND MISAPPROPRIATION IN COMMODITY INVESTMENT POOL CASE

FROM:  U.S. COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION 

CFTC Charges Colorado Company R2 Capital Group, LLC, and its owners, Ryan Tomazin, Ryan Madigan, Randell A.Vest, RAST Investor Group, LLC, Madigan Enterprises, Inc., and Bulletproof Vest, Inc. with Fraud and Misappropriation

Defendants allegedly solicited more than $2.4 million from at least four participants in commodity investment pool

Federal court issues restraining orders freezing Defendants’ assets and protecting books and records

Washington, DC – The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) today announced that on August 15, 2014, Chief Judge Marcia S. Krieger, of the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, issued a restraining Order freezing the assets of Defendants Ryan Tomazin of Stamford, Connecticut, Ryan Madigan of Raleigh, North Carolina, and Randell A. Vest of Fort Myers, Florida. The restraining Order was an expansion of the court’s August 7, 2014 restraining Order, which froze the assets of Tomazin’s, Madigan’s and Vest’s holding companies — Defendants RAST Investor Group, LLC, Madigan Enterprises, Inc., and Bulletproof Vest, Inc., respectively — and their Colorado company, Defendant R2 Capital Group LLC (R2 Capital). The restraining Orders also prohibit the Defendants from destroying or altering books and records.

Both restraining Orders arise from a CFTC federal court enforcement action filed on August 6, 2014, charging the Defendants with futures and foreign currency (forex) fraud, and misappropriation. The CFTC Complaint also charges the Defendants with illegally commingling funds received from pool participants with others’ funds by, among other things, transferring pool participant funds directly into the personal bank accounts of Tomazin, Madigan, Vest, their respective holding companies, and R2 Capital.

The Complaint alleges that since at least December 2009 through the present, R2 Capital — owned and operated by Tomazin, Madigan, and Vest, and their respective holding companies — solicited more than $2.4 million from at least four pool participants who invested in an investment pool operated by R2 Capital: R2 Commercial Capital Partners I L.P. (the Commercial Pool). The Commercial Pool traded forex and, later, futures contracts, including E-mini S&P 500 futures contracts and E-mini Dow futures contracts, according to the Complaint.

The Complaint alleges that Defendants falsely and fraudulently concealed from at least two pool participants that 1) Defendants had closed the forex account, 2) that Pool Participants’ funds had been transferred to a new account at a different Futures Commission Merchant, 3) that the Commercial Pool was no longer trading forex, and 4) that the Commercial Pool was now trading E-mini S&P 500 futures and securities products.

In addition, the Defendants allegedly misappropriated more than $1.2 million of pool funds by routinely illegally diverting substantial sums from the R2 Capital and Commercial Pool bank accounts to themselves and their Defendant holding companies until all but a few hundred dollars of the pool participant funds were dissipated. Defendants allegedly then spent these misappropriated funds on personal trips, private school tuition for their children, other investments, and miscellaneous personal expenses.

In its continuing litigation, the CFTC seeks civil monetary penalties, restitution, rescission, disgorgement of ill-gotten gains, trading and registration bans, and permanent injunctions against further violations of the federal commodities laws, as charged.

The CFTC appreciates the assistance of the National Futures Association.

CFTC Division of Enforcement staff responsible members for this case are Sophia Siddiqui, Ken Koh, Dmitriy Vilenskiy, Luke Marsh, and Paul Hayeck.

U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT CONTRACTS FOR SEPTEMBER 8, 2014

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

CONTRACTS

DEFENSE THREAT REDUCTION AGENCY

Booz Allen Hamilton, of McLean, Virginia, is being awarded a $95,500,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide support services for countering weapons of mass destruction situational awareness, intelligence, operations, and data visualization support that enables the Defense Threat Reduction Agency to monitor global situational awareness of WMD threats and activities. Work will be performed at Fort Belvoir, and is expected to be completed in September 2022. Fiscal 2013 research and development funds in the amount of $1,690,000 are being obligated on the first task order. This contract was a competitive acquisition, with three bids received. The contracting activity is Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Fort Belvoir, Virginia (DTRA1-14-D-0016).

NAVY

Granite Construction Company Guam, Watsonville, California, is being awarded a maximum amount $75,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for paving construction services at U.S. government shore-based facilities in Guam. The work to be performed provides for the construction, alteration, repair, and/or maintenance of asphalt concrete roads, streets, highways, alleys, parking areas, and their associated facility, such as but not limited to concrete sidewalks, curbs and gutters, guardrails, U-ditch, drainage pipe, traffic striping, pavement marking, and related work. Work will include cold milling, excavation, embankment grading or subbase and base course, compaction, density test, bituminous surface treatment, seal coating, asphalt concrete paving, adjustment of existing utilities and structures and other related work. Work will be performed in Guam, and is expected to be completed by September 2019. Fiscal 2014 operation and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $25,000 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with three proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Marianas, Guam, is the contracting activity (N40192-14-D-2830).
AAI Corp., Hunt Valley, Maryland, is being awarded a $27,316,800 firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to produce AN/GLM -11 (V) 1 and (V) 2 universal test sets and provide engineering services and program and configuration management in support of the AN/GLM-11 series. Work will be performed in Hunt Valley, Maryland, and is expected to be completed by September 2017. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $3,092,939 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured in accordance with FAR 6.302-1(a)(2) - only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The Naval Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division, Indian Head, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00174-14-D-0002).
A&D GC, Inc.,* Santee, California, is being awarded $13,525,000 for firm-fixed-price task order 0014 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N62473-09-D-1658) to repair and restore Bachelor Enlisted Quarters 520420 at the Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton. Work includes, but is not limited to, analysis and updates to bring the building up to current seismic requirements; removal and disposal of hazardous materials including asbestos, lead, and mold; replace damaged wall, floor, double hung windows, and ceilings finishes. Areas affected by repair shall be in compliance with anti-terrorism/force protection, fire suppression, seismic, accessibility, and leadership in energy and environmental design requirements. The task order also contains one planned modification, which if exercised, would increase cumulative task order value to $15,325,000. Work will be performed in Oceanside, California, and is expected to be completed by March 2016. Fiscal 2014 operation and maintenance (Marine Corps) contract funds in the amount of $13,525,000 are being obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Five proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity.

RQ-BERG JV, Carlsbad, California, is being awarded a maximum amount $9,653,651 to increase the dollar value of task order 0007 under a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N62473-10-D-5482) for the complete restoration and repairs to fire damaged electrical and communication distribution systems on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton and Naval Weapons Station (NWS) Seal Beach Detachment Fallbrook. The work to be performed includes replacement of fire damaged poles, wire and equipment to restore power and communication services to: Area 33; Ranges 102 and 103 (Wilcox Range Area); Area 32 (including but not limited to the 320937 Reservoir Lift Station); Area 43 (including but not limited to Sewage Treatment Plant 3 at Sewer Treatment Facility, fire station, pistol range, Basilone Road, the chlorination station and the Waste Disposal Facility); the Northern Area Range Control Communications Tower and Range 314 south/east of Area 62; NWS Seal Beach Detachment, Fallbrook (including but not limited to Romeo Magazine, Building 350, old housing area, sewer lift station at Building 332, Building 336, Building 301 and Building 231). After award of this modification, the total cumulative task order value will be $9,653,651. Work will be performed in Oceanside, California, and is expected to be completed by May 2015. Fiscal 2014 operation and maintenance (Marine Corps) contract funds in the amount of $5,623,767 are being obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity.

ARMY

Booz Allen Hamilton, McLean, Virginia, was awarded a $43,293,745 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for services to support the Royal Saudi Land Forces. Services in the contract include consulting, intensive management, logistics support, and contracting support within the United States, for the Royal Saudi Land Forces. In addition, an office will be established in Saudi Arabia for local purchasing and local hires to sustain the fleet of Abrams tanks purchased and sustained through the foreign military sales program. Fiscal 2014 other funds in the amount of $15,000,000 were obligated at the time of award. Work will be performed in Saudi Arabia with an estimated completion date of Sept. 8, 2017. Bids were solicited via the Internet, with one received. This contract involves foreign military sales to Saudi Arabia. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W91CRB-14-C-0048).
Carnegie Robotics LLC,* Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was awarded a $22,783,433 cost-plus-incentive-fee contract for an autonomous mine detection system that is being developed to provide the war fighter with capability to detect, mark and neutralize explosive hazards in support of the full spectrum of military operations. Fiscal 2013 and 2014 research, development, test and evaluation (Army) funds in the amount of $14,638,737 were obligated at the time of the award. Work will be performed in Woburn, Massachusetts ($3,236,616; 14 percent); King of Prussia, Pennsylvania ($4,113,115; 18 percent); and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania ($15,433,702; 68 percent), with an estimated completion date of March 1, 2018. Bids were solicited via the Internet, with three received. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey, is the contracting activity (W15QKN-14-C-0075).

KRSW Joint Venture*, Boise, Idaho, was awarded a $22,469,577 firm-fixed-price contract for repairs and improvement to Mountain Home Air Force Base Runway 12/30, Taxiway Alpha and connector taxiways, due to deteriorating pavement conditions identified in the airfield pavement evaluation. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $22,469,577 were obligated at the time of the award. Work will be performed in Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, with estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2015. Bids were solicited via the Internet, with four received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle, Washington, is the contracting activity (W912DW-14-C-0022).

Birdon America, Inc.*, Denver, Colorado, was awarded a $9,679,841 modification (P00005) to firm-fixed-price contract W56HZV-14-C-0015 to exercise the government format technical data package option with additional rights for the bridge erection boats. Fiscal 2014 other funds in the amount of $9,679,841 were obligated at the time of the award. Work will be performed in Denver, Colorado, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 23, 2016. U.S. Army Contracting Command – Tank and Automotive, Warren, Michigan is the contracting activity.

Highland Engineering,* Inc., Howell, Michigan, was awarded an $8,500,000 indefinite- delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the production and delivery of military working dogs worldwide deployable kennel systems and logistics support documentation. Work and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 7, 2017. Bids were solicited via the Internet, with three received. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Alexandria, Virginia, is the contracting activity (W909MY-14-D-0012).
*Small business

A NEW VOLCANIC ISLAND

Credit:  Photograph Landsat 8 - OLI.

FROM:  NASA 

Still Huffing and Puffing

Nine months after a new island broke through the surface of the western Pacific Ocean, the volcanic eruption at Nishino-shima continues. The tiny new volcanic island (“Niijima” in Japanese) merged into Nishino-shima last winter and continued to grow. Steady flows of lava are enlarging the merged island, which is now 1.39 square kilometers (0.54 square miles).  Part of the Ogasawara chain, the island lies about 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) south of Tokyo at 27°14’ North, 140°52’ East.

According to observers, lava is still flowing on the east side of the island at a rate of 200,000 cubic meters per day and could eventually lead to some instability. “If lava continues to mount on the eastern area, it will be deposited on steep slopes,” wrote University of Tokyo scientist Fukashi Maeno in an email to Earth Observatory. “This could cause instability on the slope, so a partial collapse of the island may occur. We need to carefully observe the growth process.”
After flights on August 26 (photo below), Japan Coast Guard officials told local media that there is also a mound of congealed lava inside a volcanic vent on the north side of the island. The officials suggested such a mound could “seal off passages of magma and raise interior pressure if it continues to grow, resulting in a large-scale explosion.” Though no such eruption is imminent, the Coast Guard warned mariners to keep their distance from the island.

NASA VIDEO: THE DATA DOWNPOUR

SECRETARY HAGEL COMMENTS ON GEORGIA'S STATUS AS ENHANCED NATO PARTNER

FROM:   U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Right:  Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel is escorted past an honor cordon by Georgian Minister of Defense Irakli Alasania during a ceremony welcoming Hagel to the defense ministry in Tbilisi, Georgia, Sept. 7, 2014. DoD Photo by Glenn Fawcett. 

Hagel: U.S. Backs Georgia’s New NATO Standing, Boosts Defense Support
By Cheryl Pellerin
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Sept. 7, 2014 – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel made his first official visit to Georgia today following his participation at the NATO Summit in Wales, meeting with government and military leaders and congratulating the U.S. military partner on its new status as an enhanced NATO partner.
Hagel began his 16th international trip Sept. 3; a six-day visit that included participation in the NATO Summit in Wales last week and meetings with government and military leaders in Georgia and Turkey.

Meeting with the defense minister

This morning, after an official welcoming ceremony at the Ministry of Defense in Tbilisi, Hagel met with Defense Minister Irakli Alasania. During a press conference that followed the meeting, both reaffirmed their nations’ close defense partnership and the shared goal to build even stronger military ties.
“I also expressed the gratitude of the American people for the … significant contributions Georgia has made to operations in Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. Over more than a decade of fighting together, our two militaries have forged a deep and enduring friendship and a strong and vibrant partnership,” Hagel said.
In 2012, the U.S. and Georgian presidents agreed to an enhanced defense cooperation program to accelerate Georgia's defense reforms and modernization, increase Georgia's level of NATO interoperability and improve the nation's defense capabilities.

As a result of the agreement, the United States and Georgia have increased cooperative training events and dialogues among subject matter experts.
Because Georgia is a committed and dependable U.S. partner, the defense secretary said, the Defense Department fully supports Georgia's defense modernization efforts and will continue to help the nation fulfill its Euro-Atlantic aspirations -- including membership in NATO.

New NATO status

Hagel and Alasania discussed how the substantial package of measures for Georgia that NATO leaders endorsed at the Wales summit will strengthen the country’s relationship with NATO, Hagel added. These include expanded defense capacity-building efforts, more joint training exercises and enhanced interoperability capabilities.

Georgia was one of five nations to achieve the new elevated status of NATO enhanced-opportunities partners, and Hagel said the United States would make a substantial contribution to the new alliance effort and to continuing bilateral U.S.-Georgia capacity-building efforts.

“Today the minister and I discussed the necessary steps for Georgia to acquire the U.S. military helicopters that they have requested,” Hagel said, adding that Georgia's new status would help the nation advance its preparations toward NATO membership.

Russia

Hagel said the deepening ties between NATO and Georgia are especially important given the “dangerous and irresponsible actions of President [Vladimir] Putin toward Ukraine.”

Putin’s illegal annexation of Crimea, which the United States does not recognize, the secretary noted, “and the ongoing military campaign that Russia is mounting in eastern Ukraine, pose grave threats to regional stability, as had its actions inside Georgia's internationally recognized borders.”

The United States continues to call on Russia to fully withdraw its forces from Georgia's borders, Hagel said, adding that the United States welcomes the restraint Georgia has shown in this situation.

“Russia's actions here and in Ukraine pose a long-term challenge that the United States and our allies take very seriously. But President Putin's actions have also brought the United States and our friends in Europe, including Georgia, closer together,” Hagel said.

Battling terrorism

“We will need a close partnership to counter another key security challenge -- the growing threat of violent extremism,” the secretary added.

Hagel said he and Alasania discussed ways Georgia could play an important role in a partnership with the United States, Iraq and coalition partners to destroy the ISIL threat.

“This is a galvanizing moment for NATO and our partners,” Hagel added. “I believe that the summit in Wales put us on the right path to respond to President Putin's challenge over the long term, as well as the threat of ISIL.”

After the press conference, Hagel made his way to a meeting with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili, stopping first at Heroes Square to lay a wreath.

Heroes Square

Heroes Square, built in 2009, honors those who died protecting Georgia’s territory. Etched into the main monument, a tall pillar of marble and methacrylate, are the names -- about 4,000 in total -- of Georgian military cadets who died fighting the Red Army in 1921, the leaders of an anti-Soviet revolt in 1924, and those who died during military actions in Abkhazia in 1992-1993 and in the five-day war in South Ossetia in August 2008.

Across the street, facing the obelisk, an eternal flame is flanked by an honor guard of two soldiers.

Afterward, Hagel met with the prime minister at the State Chancellery and later in the day at the President’s Palace with Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili.

Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby provided readouts of the meetings.

In his meeting with the Georgian president, Hagel thanked Margvelashvili for his leadership and for the contributions Georgia continues to make in Afghanistan and other peacekeeping missions.

Georgia in Afghanistan

Georgian armed forces members have served in Afghanistan since 2004. The first full Georgian unit deployed to Afghanistan in 2010. Georgia is the largest non-NATO troop contributor to the International Security Assistance Force, with more than 10,000 soldiers having operated with Marines in Helmand Province.
To date, 29 Georgian soldiers have died and 276 have been wounded during their service in Afghanistan. Beyond 2014, Georgia has agreed to train, advise and assist the Afghan National Security Forces and has pledged financial assistance.
Meeting with the defense minister

Kirby said Hagel also praised the efforts of Defense Minister Alasania in helping the two militaries maintain a strong defense relationship, and reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to working with Georgia on a range of bilateral and alliance initiatives.

The two leaders discussed a host of regional security issues, the admiral said, including Russia's continued aggression inside Ukraine and the threat its actions pose to the regional and international order, and the threat posed by ISIL in the Middle East.

Common concern

One concern was common to Hagel’s meeting with Margvelashvili, and earlier in the day with the prime minister, Kirby said; the problem of foreign fighters flowing into Syria to join extremist groups and the threat those fighters represent to their homelands.

Hagel updated Margvelashvili and Gharibashvili on U.S. efforts to build a coalition of nations willing to contribute to continued operations inside Iraq and against ISIL, Kirby added. And the secretary thanked the Georgian leaders for their willingness to consider ways to support that initiative.

“In both his meetings this afternoon,” the admiral said, “Secretary Hagel pledged to continue the close dialogue and cooperation between our two countries.”

DOD VIDEO: HUGE DRUG BUST FOR THE COAST GUARD

PRESIDENT OBAMA MEETS WITH PRESIDENT EDROGAN OF TURKEY

U.S. CONGRATULATES PEOPLE OF MACEDONIA ON THEIR INDEPENDENCE DAY

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 

Macedonia's National Day

Press Statement

John Kerry

Secretary of State

Washington, DC

September 5, 2014

On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate the people of Macedonia as you celebrate your Independence Day on September 8th.

Macedonia's diverse population is a source of strength that continues to offer ideas, energy, and drive to move Macedonia and the region forward.

The United States proudly supported Macedonia's development and transition over the last 23 years. We remain committed to helping Macedonia strengthen the rule of law, promote media freedom, and build strong democratic foundations for an inclusive, multi-ethnic society.

We celebrate all that the people of Macedonia have achieved since your independence. We pledge to continue our work together toward a democratic, secure, and prosperous future.

U.S. EXTENDS BEST WISHES TO PEOPLE OF ANDORRA ON THEIR NATIONAL DAY

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT

Statement on the Occasion of Andorra's National Day

Press Statement

John Kerry

Secretary of State

Washington, DC

September 7, 2014

On behalf of President Obama and the American people, I extend my best wishes to the people of Andorra as they celebrate Our Lady of Meritxell’s Day on September 8.

Our strong bilateral ties with Andorra expand beyond our almost 20 years of diplomatic relations. Andorra is a valued partner with the United States in the United Nations and other international organizations, where we have collaborated extensively based on our common values of democracy, human rights, and justice for all.

I wish all Andorrans a happy holiday and success and prosperity in the coming year.

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ALLEGED SECURITIES KICKBACK SCHEMERS GET CAUGHT BY FBI UNDERCOVER OPERATION

FROM:  U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION 

Judgments Entered Against Company and Former CEO in Securities Kickback Scheme

The Securities and Exchange Commission announced that on September 4, 2014, the federal court in Boston, Massachusetts, entered judgments against Massachusetts corporation ZipGlobal Holdings, Inc. and its former Chief Executive Officer and President, Michael Lee of Hingham, Massachusetts, in a fraud action that was filed in December 2011. The fraud involved a kickback scheme that was exposed by an undercover operation of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Boston office. Among other things, ZipGlobal and Lee were permanently enjoined from violating an antifraud statute, Lee was held liable for disgorgement of $105,603 of ill-gotten gains, and Lee was permanently barred from serving as an officer or director of public companies or participating in offerings of penny stock.

ZipGlobal and Lee are two of several parties charged on December 1, 2011 by both the Commission and the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts, alleging that they used kickbacks and other schemes to trigger investments in various thinly-traded stocks. According to the Commission's complaint, the schemes involved secret kickbacks to an investment fund representative in exchange for having the investment fund buy stock in certain companies; the kickbacks were to be concealed through the use of sham consulting agreements. What the participants in the scheme did not know was that the purported investment fund representative was actually an undercover agent of the FBI.

The Commission's complaint alleged that in October 2010, Lee met with an individual who purported to be a Boston, Massachusetts-based representative of a major hedge fund. In fact, the hedge fund representative was an undercover FBI agent. The complaint alleged that Lee and the hedge fund representative agreed to a scheme whereby the hedge fund would purchase $5 million of ZipGlobal stock in return for the payment of kickbacks to the hedge fund representative. Lee and the hedge fund representative agreed to structure the transaction in such a way that it would avoid detection by the hedge fund's compliance personnel and securities regulators. Among other things, they agreed to structure the transaction into smaller "tranches" of securities purchases, and to make the kickback payments to the hedge fund representative through a shell corporation pursuant to a consulting agreement to make it appear that the kickback payments were compensation for consulting services. The complaint alleged that, from November 2010 to January 2011, ZipGlobal and Lee followed through by entering agreements whereby the hedge fund purchased a total of $113,775 worth of ZipGlobal stock and kickbacks totaling $39,821 were funneled back to the hedge fund representative.

In the related criminal action, Lee was sentenced on March 6, 2014 to three years of probation (the first nine months to be served in home confinement with electronic monitoring) and was ordered to forfeit $105,603 after pleading guilty on January 11, 2012 to one count of mail fraud and one count of conspiracy.

The judgments in the Commission's action permanently enjoin ZipGlobal and Lee from violating Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ("Exchange Act") and Rule 10b-5 thereunder. The judgment as to Lee holds him liable for $105,603 in disgorgement, but deems his disgorgement satisfied by the forfeiture order for the same amount of money in the related criminal action. The judgment also prohibits Lee from acting as an officer or director of any issuer that has a class of securities registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act or that is required to file reports pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act, and prohibits Lee from participating in any offering of penny stock, pursuant to Section 21(d)(6) of the Exchange Act.

The Commission suspended trading in the stock of ZipGlobal on December 1, 2011.

The Commission's cases remain pending against James Wheeler, MicroHoldings US, Inc., Edward Henderson, and Paul Desjourdy, who were also charged on December 1, 2011 as a result of the FBI undercover operation.

ENGINEERS INSPECT THE MICRO SHUTTER ARRAY OF WEBB TELESCOPE

Image Credit: NASA Goddard/Chris Gunn.

FROM:  NASA

NASA engineers inspect a new piece of technology developed for the James Webb Space Telescope, the micro shutter array, with a low light test at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Developed at Goddard to allow Webb's Near Infrared Spectrograph to obtain spectra of more than 100 objects in the universe simultaneously, the micro shutter array uses thousands of tiny shutters to capture spectra from selected objects of interest in space and block out light from all other sources. The James Webb Space Telescope is a large space telescope, optimized for infrared wavelengths. It is scheduled for launch later in this decade. Webb will find the first galaxies that formed in the early universe, connecting the Big Bang to our own Milky Way galaxy. Webb will peer through dusty clouds to see stars forming planetary systems, connecting the Milky Way to our own solar system. Caption Credit: Laura Betz, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland.

U.S. CONGRATULATES PEOPLE OF BRAZIL ON THEIR INDEPENDENCE DAY

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 

Brazil's Independence Day

Press Statement

John Kerry

Secretary of State

Washington, DC

September 5, 2014

On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate the people of Brazil as you celebrate the 192nd anniversary of Brazilian independence on September 7.

Our two nations share a long and rich history. The United States was the first country to recognize Brazil’s independence. Today, as the two largest democracies in the Western Hemisphere, our relationship has steadily deepened and expanded.

I first visited Brazil as a U.S. Senator more than 20 years ago when I traveled to your country for the UN Earth Summit. The global community came together in your country and acknowledged the existential threat of climate change that year. But what I’ll never forget were the long dinners in Rio de Janeiro and singing hymns in Portuguese with my future wife, Teresa, at a local church. In the streets of Rio, I remember feeling the pulse and energy of a people on the rise.

As Secretary of State, I’ve seen firsthand the spirit of progress and innovation that runs through Brazil's veins to this day. When I traveled to Brasilia last August, I discussed Brazil’s tremendous progress with President Dilma Rousseff and then-Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota.

I also had the opportunity to meet every day Brazilians working to make a difference. I spoke with students like 23-year old Pedro Nehme, who is studying electrical engineering and will become the second Brazilian to ever go to space next year, and 28-year old Thiago Rocha, who is working to innovate prosthetic limbs for the next generation.

On this day of pride and accomplishment, we join Brazilians around the world in celebrating your vibrant culture, your history of achievement, and the close friendship between our two peoples and countries.

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SECRETARY KERRY'S STATEMENT ON ANNIVERSARY OF MURDER OF MUNIR SAID THALIB

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 

Tenth Anniversary of the Murder of Human Rights Activist Munir Said Thalib

Press Statement

John Kerry

Secretary of State

Washington, DC

September 6, 2014

To the Indonesians who loved him, he was simply known as Munir. He spent his life working to make his country more democratic, more free, and more humane. Ten years ago today someone assassinated him because they feared he just might succeed.

Still today, justice has not been served. Full accountability for all those allegedly involved remains elusive. In 2004, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono recognized that the credible resolution of Munir’s murder case would be a key test of Indonesian democracy. That is still true today. We support all efforts to bring those who ordered Munir assassinated to account.

Munir was a voice of conscience and clarity. He inspired a generation of activists, scholars, and public servants who today are transforming Indonesia. So many today, including his widow Suciwati, serve his memory by carrying on his mission.

Today we join with the Indonesian people to commemorate the legacy of Munir Said Thalib, and we call for the protection of all who work for peace, democracy, and human rights around the world.

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UNDER SECRETARY NOVELLI MAKES REMARKS ON INTERNET GOVERNANCE

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 

Internet Governance Forum Opening Ceremony

Remarks

Catherine A. Novelli

Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment 

Istanbul, Turkey

September 2, 2014

Good afternoon. It is a great pleasure to be here today. I am grateful to our gracious Turkish hosts, the IGF Secretariat, and the Multistakeholder Advisory Group for organizing this year’s Internet Governance Forum.

For centuries, Istanbul connected continents, people and cultures through ancient networks of trading routes and cultural exchanges. This week, I am pleased that we are here to discuss the future of our newest “network of networks,” the Internet.

This year, the international community celebrates the 45th anniversary of the first Internet log-on and the 25th birthday of the Worldwide Web. In this short span of time, the Internet has proven to be a revolutionary force for economic growth, but also a fragile one that all of us must work to preserve.

Across the world, the Internet bridges the gap between talent and opportunity. For example, three Nigerian university students have already helped tens of thousands of Africans secure jobs by creating a job search website called “Jobberman.com.” As West Africa’s most popular online career resource, Jobberman connects talented individuals with job opportunities.

Today, the Internet’s economic benefits are increasingly shifting to the developing world. In fact, in Turkey, SMEs that use the web experienced revenue growth 22 percent higher than those that did not. Overall, the Internet economy contributes 5 to 9 percent to total economic growth in developed markets; and in developing markets, the Internet economy is growing at 15 to 25 percent per year.

The Internet’s enormous impact on economic growth makes it critical that we adopt policies and practices to ensure its future viability. We have a shared responsibility to be good stewards of the internet. I believe complacency is one of the biggest threats to the internet as we know it. I see three critical challenges ahead.

First is broadband access. As a community, our shared challenge is to promote global policies and practices that increase everyone’s access to broadband, particularly in the developing world.

Second is ensuring an open internet. We must strengthen the ability of citizens to access information on the Internet regardless of where they live so that people can freely obtain information and express their opinions.

Third is misuse of the internet, such as cyber-attacks, identity and Intellectual Property theft. We have many tools to address misuse, including technology. However, we must use these tools with precision, so that they address the misuse while preserving internet openness to the greatest degree possible.

Because of these formidable challenges, there are some that advocate for replacing the multi-stakeholder system with centralized intergovernmental regulation. Ideas range from governments imposing international taxes on the transmission of content; mandates on how information has to be routed or stored; and regulated pricing between networks.

This type of regulation would only result in a cumbersome and more expensive Internet that would not be capable of driving positive change in education, health care and the overall economy. Think about the consequences of taxing every Skype call, or regulating the types of information that flow across the Internet through multilateral governmental mandates. This could cripple the user experience and greatly diminish the Internet’s effectiveness as an engine of growth.

We must continue to demonstrate to the world that only the multi-stakeholder approach, that brings together government policy-makers, businesses, NGOs and Internet experts on an equal footing, can effectively overcome today’s challenges and preserve the Internet’s future.

The first step for the continued success of the IGF is to support its long-term sustainability beyond 2015. The United States strongly supports the continuation of the IGF, and I encourage all participants here to join us in supporting extension of the IGF’s mandate at the UN General Assembly this fall.

In conclusion, as I mentioned at the outset, I urge all stakeholders to work together to fulfill our shared responsibility to preserve the Internet’s future.

I am excited to engage with all of you to ensure that the Internet remains vibrant and continues to be a conduit to better the lives of people worldwide.

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ASSISTANT SECRETARY RIVKIN'S REMARKS ON U.S.-CHINA FILM RELATIONSHIP

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 

Keynote Address at Motion Picture Association Reception

Remarks

Charles H. Rivkin

Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs

Beijing, China

September 5, 2014

Remarks as prepared

Thank you. I am so delighted to have the opportunity to attend this movie reception. It doesn’t matter where we go in the world, movies are magical.

From Santa Monica, where I spent almost 20 years working in the entertainment sector, to Paris, France, where I most recently served four years as U.S. Ambassador, I have witnessed firsthand people’s excitement and reverence for films.

I think it’s because movies – on screens large and small – reach so deeply into the things that matter to us: personal aspirations, our desire to pursue happiness and be free. They connect people across borders, across cultures, and they transcend languages.

I am very excited to be in China today to discuss the burgeoning U.S.-China film relationship. Back when I started in the entertainment industry, I would not have imagined that China would be on pace to become the largest film market in the world. The news that Transformers: Age of Extinction broke $300 million in the China market alone is truly remarkable.

However, I would like to take a step back from the numbers and remember why I got into this business so many years ago.

At the Jim Henson Company, I had the privilege to work with the creators of the Muppets and Sesame Street. Jim Henson once told me that media can be an enormous source of good in the world. He lived that philosophy through the programs that he made, such as Sesame Street.

I also attribute a great deal of the American success to telling great stories, even the dark ones.

Last year, I was equally parts horrified and captivated when I watched 12 years a Slave, a movie that tells a true story of a free black man who is kidnapped in Washington, D.C. and sold into slavery. This film, which won the Oscar for best picture, immerses the audience in the pure brutality of being a slave in the United States.

This is a terrible chapter in our history and is difficult to watch. But the freedom, and I would say the bravery, of directors, writers, and producers to point this critical lens at our past, resulted in an authentic movie that touched people and made an important artistic and historical contribution to society.

A great story must be told in a captivating way. We often use technology as a vehicle to believably deliver our story. Tonight in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, we will see technology that truly dazzles. This great new example of science fiction draws on breakthroughs in movie technology.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’ visuals prove that there are no longer any boundaries between computer-generated characters, as the apes feel just as real as the actors playing human roles.

The technological advances that shape the movie experience and allow the audience to get lost in the story are one part of the complex production process and viewing experience. Advanced technologies in the movie theaters, such as IMAX, 3D, and thunderous surround-sound make powerful contributions to the audience experience in the theater.

Of course these technologies were developed through painstaking research and trial and error, and funded by millions of dollars of investment.

From my former vantage as a CEO, it is clear to me that strong intellectual property rights and open markets are also critical components to developing a thriving film industry.

Making a $200 million bet on a new movie or film technology is difficult if a company cannot adequately protect its intellectual property.

The patents and licenses for these break-through technologies, and the trademarks and copyrights vital to creating thrilling and enduring movies, allow rights holders to earn profits and recoup the cost to develop and commercialize their creative ideas.

And as Assistant Secretary of State for the U.S. State Department’s Economic and Business Bureau, safeguarding intellectual property rights is one of my key priorities.

When we talk about intellectual property rights, we’re not talking about abstractions. We’re really talking about people.

Yes, movies matter to us as consumers. But they also matter to the people who create the ideas, the products and the technology that make them possible. And not just the ones who invented it, but the ones who work on it.

There’s a whole industry of men and women – all over the world, not just in the United States – who develop, produce, create, distribute or promote motion pictures and television programs. And whether they are artists or technicians, their livelihoods depend on the creation of these films that enrich our lives.

This IPR problem is not limited to the entertainment industry, but impacts businesses – small and large – across all sectors. Prior to coming to Beijing, I met with entrepreneurs and small businesses in Myanmar, Singapore, and Hong Kong, all of whom voiced their concern about losing their ideas to intellectual property theft.

Returning to the film industry, I am also deeply concerned about digital piracy, which is a real threat to U.S. and Chinese content creators alike. Some films are adversely impacted because pirated versions are available prior to the films’ official opening, decreasing the number of potential moviegoers, as we have seen in the very recent case of The Expendables 3.

Increased movie revenues have the potential to benefit both foreign and domestic stakeholders, both of whom should care deeply about intellectual property protection.

In fact, I just had a wonderful discussion this morning with Mr. Wang, Chairman of Wanda, one of China’s largest entertainment companies. Many of you are probably familiar with Chairman Wang and Wanda’s 2012 acquisition of the U.S.-based movie theater operator, AMC. In our conversation, he agreed with me that intellectual property rights are critical for the future growth of China.

The boom in the Chinese box office, which reached sales of $3.6 billion in 2013 has been wonderful for Chinese filmmakers and the industry as a whole, but the Chinese film and television industry has more to offer than simply a large audience: it has the possibility to develop further as a mature, self-sustaining, economically and creatively successful industry.

There truly is so much potential for our industries to flourish and further excite audiences around the world. I look forward to continued cooperation among our governments, industries, and creative sectors to develop our film industries and protect intellectual property. After all, if we want to continue to see the movies we love, we need to reward those who create them.

U.S.STATEMENT: MOZAMBIQUE GOVERNMENT'S AGREEMENT WITH RENAMO FORCES TO END HOSTILITIES

 FROM:  THE STATE DEPARTMENT 

U.S. Commends Mozambique for Agreement To End Hostilities

Press Statement

John Kerry

Secretary of State

Washington, DC

September 5, 2014

The United States congratulates the people of Mozambique for the agreement reached to bring an end to hostilities between the government of Mozambique and Renamo forces.

President Armando Guebuza and Renamo leader Afonso Dhlakama demonstrated statesmanship by publicly endorsing the agreement and signing a Memorandum of Understanding today. This agreement underscores the power of negotiation and the possibilities for peace when a political leadership is committed to dialogue. The people of Mozambique demand and deserve a more peaceful, prosperous, and secure future. This agreement is a historic step forward along that path.

The United States encourages the Government of Mozambique and Renamo to ensure full implementation of the agreement and to continue to use dialogue as a tool for reaching political consensus. Free, fair, and transparent national elections in October are a critical next step, which will help pave the way for a brighter, democratic future for Mozambique.
The United States stands in partnership with Mozambique as it continues on its remarkable journey. We celebrate this important milestone along with friends of Mozambique around the world and extend our best wishes for a future of peace, prosperity, and progress.

SECRETARY KERRY'S REMARKS ON BUILDING ANTI-ISIL COALITION

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 

Remarks at Top of Meeting on Building an Anti-ISIL Coalition Co-Chaired by Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, U.K. Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, and U.K. Defense Secretary Michael Fallon

Remarks

John Kerry

Secretary of State

Celtic Manor

Wales, United Kingdom

September 5, 2014

Good morning, everybody. We are very appreciative for everyone who made the time to get here early (inaudible) in order to start the day with another meeting, with an extra meeting. But we thought it was really critical given the urgency of (inaudible) with respect to ISIL (inaudible) everybody together in order to try to get on the same page and talk through the margins of the NATO summit what we can do over the course of the next days.

We’re operating under a little bit of a time constraint. I promised Philip – and we’re very grateful, Philip, for your willingness to cohost this effort and provide facilities, and thank you, again, for the stewardship of this NATO summit. There’s a flyby taking place at 7:45 (inaudible). Okay, (inaudible). The – yeah. And we’re going to try – we’re absolutely going to (inaudible) time so that we can get up there and (inaudible).

Everybody here understands what ISIL is and the challenge that it represents. I would say to all of you, including those of you – the defense ministers who are now with us, but we had a very provocative conversation last night among the foreign ministers regarding some of the overall challenges we all face, the number of failed states and the challenges of disorder in so many countries. In many ways, I believe ISIL presents us with an opportunity. And it’s an opportunity to prove that we have the ability to come together, that our capacities for defense are not so frozen in an old model that we can’t’ respond to something like ISIL, that we can’t pull ourselves together and effect the coalition of clearly the willing and the capable to be able to deal with ISIL.

Contrary to what you sort of heard in the politics of our country, the President is totally committed; there is a strategy that is clear, becoming more clear by the day. And it really relies on a holistic approach to ISIL. That is to say that we need to do kinetic, we need to attack them in ways that prevent them from taking over territory, that bolster the Iraqi security forces, others in the region who are prepared to take them on, without committing troops of our own, obviously. I think that’s a redline for everybody here, no boots on the ground. Nevertheless, there are many ways in which we can train, advise, assist, and equip. There are kinetic operations we can run in direct support of Iraqi security forces.

And we’ve proven the model in the last weeks – breaking the siege on Sinjar Mountain, breaking the siege of Amirli, breaking of momentum that was moving towards Erbil, and in effect picking up enough intel to understand that the minute we hit them, these guys are not 10 feet tall. They’re not as disciplined as everybody thinks. They’re not as organized as everybody thinks. And we have the technology, we have the know-how. What we need is obviously the willpower to make certain that we are steady and stay at this.

There is no contain policy for ISIL. They’re an ambitious, avowed genocidal, territorial-grabbing, Caliphate-desiring, quasi state within a regular army. And leaving them in some capacity intact anywhere would leave a cancer in place that will ultimately come back to haunt us. So there is no issue in our minds about our determination to build this coalition, go after this. I’ll give you a quick take at what we are looking for and what we’re going to do.

When we say holistic, we mean every aspect of this group, and I think this could become conceivably a model that can help us with Boko Haram, could help us with Shabaab, with other groups if we can do this successfully. And NATO needs to think of it that way as we consider sort of our role in this new world we’re living in. We need to go after their financing mechanisms and sources, and we need to elicit broad-based support within the world of (inaudible) as well as in the world of normal banking and cover entities, businesses and so forth. Which means our law enforcement and intelligence agencies are going to need to coordinate and work together that have a clear part of an agenda within this framework.

We need a major humanitarian component that needs to be coordinated with the economic component, which will be real, to help Iraq get on its feet. We need a foreign fighter component. President Obama is going to be leading a National Security Council meeting in New York in the course of UNGA. We want – hope everybody will take part in that and help us lay down a critical agenda with respect to how we deal, all of us, with foreign fighters, which is a challenge to every country here, which is partly why we are all here.

In addition, we need an all-military aspect. Some people will not be comfortable doing kinetic. We understand that. Or some people don’t have the capacity to do kinetic. But everybody can do something. People can contribute either ammunition or weapons or technical know-how or intel capacity. People can contribute advisors. We’ve just put another 350 people on the ground in an effort to build up our advisor capacity. We’re building up our ISR platform and intel capacity. We also are building up the kinetic capacity, and that will be a clear part of this.

We very much hope that people will be as declarative as some of our friends around the table have been in order to be clear about what they’re willing to commit, because we must be able to have a plan together by the time we come to UNGA, we need to have this coalesce. We need a clarity to the strategy, and a clarity to what everybody is going to undertake.

So we’re convinced that in the days ahead we have the ability to destroy ISIL. It may take a year, it may take two years, it may take three years. But we’re determined it has to happen. There are obviously implications about Syria in this, and we can talk about that if we want in the course of the morning. But let me turn to Philip, and then I’d – after the defense secretaries have each had a chance to say something, I’d like to get our friends from France and Australia to weigh in, because we’ve already been able to have some conversations. And in that order if we can, and then we’ll just move very quickly around the room.

So Philip, thank you.

U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT CONTRACTS FOR SEPTEBER 5, 2014

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT  

CONTRACTS

NAVY

CDM-AECOM Multimedia Joint Venture, Fairfax, Virginia, is being awarded a maximum amount $85,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, architect-engineering contract for architectural-engineering services involving preparation of studies, plans, specifications, design, reports, cost estimates and all associated engineering services in support of Navy and other Department of Defense environmental compliance programs for Navy, Marine Corps and other Defense Department installations and federal agencies within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Atlantic area of responsibility (AOR) worldwide. The services include petroleum storage tank and assets compliance, oil preparedness and planning compliance, Air Quality and Clean Air Act compliance, Safe Drinking Water Act compliance, Clean Water Act compliance (stormwater), Clean Water Act compliance (wastewater) and waste management. No task orders are being issued at this time. All work on this contract will be performed at various Navy and Marine Corps facilities and other Defense Department installations and federal agencies within the NAVFAC Atlantic AOR world-wide including, but not limited to, California (20 percent); Virginia (20 percent); North Carolina (20 percent); Europe (20 percent); Florida (5 percent); Maryland (5 percent) Washington, District of Columbia (5 percent); and Georgia (5 percent). The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months with an expected completion date of September 2019. Fiscal 2014 operation and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $10,000 are being obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with three proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N62470-14-D-9016).

Lockheed Martin Corp., Littleton, Colorado, is being awarded a $45,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the production, installation and continued sustainment of a General Service, Cross Domain Solution (CDS), Radiant Mercury (RM). RM is a CDS that brokers the exchange of data between different security domains by sanitizing, downgrading, guarding and transliterating formatted data between different security compartment levels. The contract has a five-year ordering period, up to the contract award amount. Work will be performed in Littleton, Colorado, and is expected to be completed by Aug. 31, 2019. No contract funds will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated as individual delivery orders are placed. No contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured because it is a sole source acquisition pursuant to FAR 6.302-1(a)(2) and FAR 6.302-1(a)(2)(ii)(A) and (B). The Space and Navy Warfare Systems Command, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N00039-14-D-0013).

Bell Helicopter Textron Inc., Hurst, Texas, is being awarded a $41,776,269 firm-fixed-price contract for the procurement of three UH-1Y flight training devices, one AH-1Z flight training device, aircraft and/or trainer driven revisions, aircraft common operational equipment, provisioned spares, associated technical data required for operational and maintenance support, and three months of initial operation evaluation period for each flight training device. Work will be performed at Broken Arrow, Oklahoma (46 percent); Fort Worth, Texas (33 percent); St. Louis, Missouri (15 percent); and Austin, Texas (6 percent), and is expected to be completed in June 2018. Fiscal 2012 aircraft procurement (Navy Reserve) and 2014 aircraft procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $41,776,269 is being obligated on this award, $29,120,770 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contract was not competitively procured pursuant to FAR 6.302.1. The Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division, Orlando, Florida, is the contract activity (N61340-14-C-1000).
Dawson-Hawaiian Builders I,* Honolulu, Hawaii, is being awarded a $16,231,000 firm-fixed-price contract for the design and construction of a low-rise building for the Third Radio Battalion Complex at Marine Corps Base Hawaii. The contract also contains one unexercised option, which if exercised would increase cumulative contract value to $17,003,000. The complex includes offices for Battalion Headquarters, Headquarters and Service Company, Company A and Company B. The project also provides for classroom and other training spaces and offices, platoon command offices and workspaces, mail room, family readiness and career planning offices, and other workspaces needed to support Third Radio. Work will be performed in Kaneohe, Hawaii, and is expected to be completed by October 2016. Fiscal 2010 and 2014 military construction (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $16,231,000 are being obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with nine proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, is the contracting activity (N62742-14-C-1310).

Raytheon Co., El Segundo, California, is being awarded $11,403,294 for firm-fixed-price delivery order 7040 under a previously awarded Basic Ordering Agreement (N00383-10-G-005H) for the repair of 288 radar component units consisting of 18 different weapons repairable assemblies used in support of the F/A-18 Active Electronically Scanned Array Radar System. Work will be performed in El Segundo, California; and work is expected to be completed March 27, 2015. Fiscal 2014 Navy working capital funds in the amount of $11,403,294 will be obligated at the time of award and funds will not expire before the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured in accordance with 10 U.S.C. 2304 (c)(l). The NAVSUP Weapon Systems Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity.
Central Texas College, Killeen, Texas, is being awarded a $9,410,083 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, firm fixed-price task orders contract for the provision of education courses to sailors, both instructor led and distance learning, to include courses for academic skills, undergraduate and graduate levels. The contract will include a one-year base period and four one-year option periods, which if exercised, will bring the amount to $48,898,382. Work will be performed onboard various Navy ships (64 percent); San Diego, California (15 percent); Norfolk, Virginia (15 percent); Mayport, Florida (2 percent); Bremerton/Everett, Washington (2 percent); and Yokosuka, Japan (2 percent), and work is expected to be completed Sept. 30, 2015. If all options are exercised, work will continue through Sept. 30, 2019. Fiscal 2015 operations and maintenance (Navy) in the amount of $10,000 will be obligated at the time of award and will not expire before the end of the current fiscal year. The contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with one offer received in response to this solicitation. NAVSUP Fleet Logistics Center, Norfolk, Contracting Department, Philadelphia Office, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity (N00189-14-D-Z038).

ATAP, Inc., Eastaboga, Alabama, is being awarded an $8,268,000 firm-fixed-price contract for Inspect Repair Only As Necessary (IROAN) of the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Cougar. Work will be performed in Eastaboga, Alabama, and is expected to be completed September 2015. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $8,268,000 will be obligated at the time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via solicitations to the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with four proposals received. The Marine Corps Logistics Command, Albany, Georgia, is the contracting activity (M67004-14-C-0029).

ARMY

Harry Pepper & Associates, Inc., Jacksonville, Florida, was awarded a $44,953,484 firm-fixed-price contract for the demolition and removal of the existing Herbert Hoover Dike culverts 12 and 2, and the construction of new water control structures S-274 and S-278. Fiscal 2014 other funds in the amount of $44,953,484 were obligated at the time of the award. Work will be performed in Clewiston, Florida, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 8, 2019. Bids were solicited via the Internet with two received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville, Florida is the contracting activity (W912EP-14-C-0025).

Gilbane Federal, Walnut Creek, California, was awarded a $32,929,672 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of a general purpose warehouse at a defense distribution depot in San Joaquin, California. Fiscal 2014 military construction (Army) funds in the amount of $32,929,672 were obligated at the time of the award. Work will be performed in Stockton, California, with estimated completion date of Nov. 8, 2016. Bids were solicited via the Internet with 14 received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento, California is the contracting activity (W91238-14-C-0049).

Olgoonik Diversified Services, LLC,* Saint Robert, Missouri, was awarded a $24,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for a job order for various minor construction projects within the geographical boundaries of the Little Rock District and Southwestern Division Corps of Engineers. Work and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 31, 2017. Bids were solicited via the Internet with 10 received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Little Rock, Arkansas, is the contracting activity (W9127S-14-D-0016).

Nova Group, Inc., Underground Construction, Joint Venture, Napa, California, was awarded a $13,407,419 firm-fixed-price contract for fuel island upgrades at Hunter Army Airfield. Fiscal 2011 and fiscal 2013 military construction (Army) funds in the amount of $13,407,419 were obligated at the time of the award. Work will be done at Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia, with estimated completion date of March 15, 2016. Bids were solicited via the Internet with four received. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah, Georgia the contracting activity (W912HN-14-C-0011).

Blackhawk enterprise Incorporated*, Waynesboro, Virginia, was awarded a $7,738,213 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to ensure the intelligence production and dissemination software applications and intelligence mission data, technology forecasting, and foreign material management software applications are continually maintained for appropriate security posture. Work and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 4, 2017. Bids were solicited via the Internet with five received. U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command Engineers Charlottesville, Virginia is the contracting activity (W911W5-14-D-0001)

STG, Inc., Reston, Virginia, was awarded a $7,561,521 modification (P00004) to contract (W911QX-14-F-0019) for nine months of information technology support services, with an options for two one-month periods. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance (Army) funds, and research, development, test and evaluation funds, in the amount of $2,575,160 were obligated at the time of the award. Work will be performed in Adelphi, Maryland, with an estimated completion date of May 31, 2015. Bids were solicited with one received. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Adelphi, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

AIR FORCE

Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co., Sunnyvale, California, has been awarded a $42,880,040 modification (P00003) to previously awarded contract FA8810-13-C-0001 for dual band telemetry, tracking and communications capability for the Space-Based Infrared System Geosynchronous Earth Orbiting 5-6 space vehicles. Contractor will redesign the interfacing, software, power, thermal, and structures to accommodate the new dual band capable transponder box and cabling. This effort also adds a Unified S-Band uplink frequency and modulation scheme to the existing Space to Ground Link System L-Band uplink capability. Work will be performed at Sunnyvale, California, and is expected to be completed by July 31, 2021. Fiscal 2012 missile procurement funds in the amount of $10,673,074 are being obligated at the time of award. Space and Missile System Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, California, is the contracting activity.

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, Marietta, Georgia, has been awarded a not-to-exceed $34,721,663 modification (P00270) to previously awarded contract FA8625-11-C-6597 for C-130J Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM) acquisition, integration, and installation. Work will be performed at Marietta, Georgia, and is expected to be completed by Jan. 31, 2019. This contract involves foreign military sales to the government of Australia. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity.

L-3 Communications-Platform Integration Division, Waco, Texas, has been awarded a $10,092,484 not-to-exceed, undefinitized contract action to provide C-27J aircrew and maintenance training to Australian Air Force personnel. Work will be performed at Waco and Arlington, Texas, and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2017. This contract involves foreign military sales for the government of Australia. This award is the result of a country directed sole-source acquisition. The 338th Specialized Contracting Squadron, Joint Base San Antonio, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, is the contracting activity (FA3002-14-D-0014).

Sahara Palms, Inc., Fruitland, Utah, has been awarded $7,091,268 firm-fixed price contract for paint bay equipment and renovation. Contractor will procure semi-off-the-shelf equipment and components, merge contractor equipment design with government design and specifications to renovate six existing paint bays to include: supply air fans, heating coils, humidity sections, exhaust fans, environmental controls, motors, and variable frequency drives. Work will be performed at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, and is expected to be completed by Nov. 5, 2015. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and unlimited offers were solicited; two offers were received. Fiscal 2014 working capital funds in the amount of $7,091,268 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Materiel Command, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, is the contracting activity (FA8224-14-C-0063).

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

Exelis, Incorporated, Clifton, New Jersey, has been awarded a maximum $15,380,162 cost-plus- fixed-fee contract for form, fit and function replacement of electronic countermeasures sets. This contract was a sole-source acquisition. Location of performance is New Jersey, with a March 3, 2017, performance completion date. Using military service is the Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 through fiscal 2017 Air Force working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia (SPRWA1-14-C-0006).
*Small business

U.S. SENDS BEST WISHES TO PEOPLE OF KINGDOM OF SWAZILAND ON THEIR INDEPENDENCE DAY

FROM:  THE STATE DEPARTMENT 

Swaziland National Day Message

Press Statement

John Kerry

Secretary of State

Washington, DC

September 5, 2014

On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I send best wishes to the people of the Kingdom of Swaziland on your independence day.

I am proud of our work together to fight HIV/AIDS and improve the health of all Swazis. Our partnership has helped us make steady progress towards an AIDS-free generation.

The United States appreciated King Mswati III’s participation in the historic U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit. We look forward to a continued and productive relationship between our two countries.

I wish all Swazis a festive 46th anniversary of your independence.

WHITE HOUSE CONFIRMS DEATH OF THE LEADER OF AL-SHABAAB

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 

Statement by the Press Secretary on the Death of Ahmed Godane

Today, the Department of Defense confirmed that Ahmed Godane, the leader of al-Shabaab, is dead as a result of a U.S. military targeted airstrike in Somalia undertaken over the weekend.  Godane’s removal is a major symbolic and operational loss to the largest al-Qaida affiliate in Africa and reflects years of painstaking work by our intelligence, military and law enforcement professionals. Even as this is an important step forward in the fight against al-Shabaab, the United States will continue to use the tools at our disposal – financial, diplomatic, intelligence and military –to address the threat that al-Shabaab and other terrorist groups pose to the United States and the American people. We will also continue to support our international partners, particularly the African Union Mission in Somalia, that are working to support the Federal Government of Somalia build a secure and stable future for the Somali people.

The U.S. Department of State named al-Shabaab a Foreign Terrorist Organization under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (as amended) on February 26, 2008, and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity under Executive Order 13224 on February 29, 2008.

In September 2013, Godane publicly claimed al-Shabaab was responsible for the Westgate Mall attack, which killed and injured dozens in Nairobi, Kenya, calling the attack “revenge” for Kenyan and Western involvement in Somalia and highlighting its proximity to the anniversary of the attacks of September 11, 2001.  Under his leadership, the group has claimed responsibility for many bombings—including various types of suicide attacks—in Mogadishu and in central and northern Somalia, typically targeting officials and perceived allies of the Somali Government as well as the former Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia. Godane has also continued to oversee plots targeting Westerners, including U.S. persons, in East Africa.  In recent months, al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in Djibouti that killed a Turkish national and wounded several Western soldiers as well a car bomb at the Mogadishu airport that targeted and killed members of a United Nations convoy.   Al-Shabaab was responsible for the twin suicide bombings in Kampala, Uganda, on July 11, 2010, which killed more than 70 people, including one American. The group has also been responsible for the assassination of Somali peace activists, international aid workers, numerous civil society figures, and journalists. In February 2012, al-Shabaab and al-Qaida announced their formal alliance through a statement in which Godane swore allegiance to al-Qaida and promised to follow “the road of jihad and martyrdom in the footsteps that our martyr Osama bin Laden has drawn for us.”

NASA VIDEO: SCIENCECASTS: SPACE-TIME VORTEX

U.S.-INDIANA REACH $26 MILLION CLEANUP SETTLEMENT

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT 

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

U.S. and Indiana Enter into Settlement for $26 Million Cleanup in East Chicago, Indiana

Under a proposed settlement reached with the United States and the state of Indiana, the Atlantic Richfield Company and E.I. Du Pont de Nemours and Co. (DuPont) will pay for an estimated $26 million cleanup of lead and arsenic contamination in parts of a residential neighborhood in East Chicago, Indiana, announced the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The yards in this neighborhood are contaminated with lead and arsenic through industrial operations that took place from at least the early 1900s through 1985.  During that time, lead smelting and refining as well as other manufacturing processes that used lead and arsenic were located on and near the area that came to be known as the Calumet neighborhood of East Chicago.  The cleanup will involve digging up contaminated soil, hauling it away for disposal, and restoring the yards with clean soil.

Under the settlement, EPA itself will do the work in the neighborhood.  EPA will identify the yards that need to be remediated, will work with property owners to develop property‑specific drawings showing which soils on each property must be excavated, will do the excavation, and will restore the properties after excavation is complete.  Atlantic Richfield and DuPont will pay for EPA’s work and will also be responsible for transporting the contaminated soil out of the neighborhood and properly disposing of it.

To manage the cleanup, EPA and the state divided the Calumet neighborhood into three zones.  Today’s settlement covers two of them: a neighborhood that includes the Carrie Gosch Elementary School and residences operated by the East Chicago Housing Authority and a neighborhood located between the Elgin & Joliet Railway Line on the west and Parrish Avenue on the east.  Cleanup of the third area of the Calumet neighborhood is the subject of further discussions.

“Under this settlement, Atlantic Richfield and DuPont will fund the first phase of cleaning up historical lead and arsenic contamination in residential properties in part of East Chicago,” said Sam Hirsch, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.  “This marks the start, not the end, of cleaning up the contamination that has burdened this community for far too long.”

“This settlement ensures that almost 300 residential properties, parks and public spaces in East Chicago will be cleaned up – and that the companies responsible for contaminating those sites will pay 100 percent of the costs for this phase of the cleanup,” said EPA Regional Administrator Susan Hedman.

“My office previously has worked through the federal courts in other cases to improve the quality of life for citizens of East Chicago,” said Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller, whose office represented the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.  “Under this appropriate cooperative effort between the state of Indiana and federal EPA, and with the commitments of the settling corporations, East Chicago residents will see progress made toward removing a health hazard and producing long-term benefit for their community.”

“This is great news for the citizens whose homes have been impacted,” said Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) Commissioner Thomas Easterly.  “Everyone wins when responsible parties come together and agree to do what is best for the community.”

The Calumet neighborhood is part of an EPA Superfund site known as the USS Lead Site.  EPA previously investigated the contamination in this neighborhood and issued a decision calling for its cleanup.

In a complaint filed simultaneously with the settlement, the United States and the state allege that Atlantic Richfield and DuPont are liable under the Superfund law for the cleanup because they or their predecessors either are owners or were owners/operators of plants that released lead and arsenic into the environment.

DOD VIDEO: HAGEL: U.S. ALLIES FOCUSED ON DESTROYING ISIL CAPABILITIES