U.S. SPECAIL ENVOY ON CLIMATE CHANGE AT RIO+20 UN CONFERENCE

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Special Envoy for Climate Change Todd Stern at the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development
Special Briefing Todd Stern
Special Envoy for Climate Change Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
June 19, 2012
SPECIAL ENVOY STERN: Hi everybody and welcome. I'm just going to make a few quick opening remarks. And we are obviously still in the middle of this overall process. We did finish today on a so-called ad ref basis, an agreement among this level, the negotiating level of the conference on the text that has been under discussion for quite some time now.

First of all, I would like to thank the Brazilians for hosting this conference and for the enormous amount of work that they have done. I said in the plenary today, and I mean it, the Brazilian diplomatic team is an extraordinarily talented group. I figured that out in 1997 at my first international conference. They were good then, and they are even better now. And I've had the pleasure to work and privilege of working with them in a lot of contexts now over the last several years. And even when it is tough, they are great people to work with.

And just one other preliminary point, which is that sustainable development means a lot to the United States. The President and Secretary Clinton elevated development to one of the three pillars of U.S. national security policy, along with diplomacy and defense. It has been an important issue. We've put a lot of time, effort and money into it. And we care a lot about getting sustainable development right. And we do believe that sustainable development is really nothing more than development itself in the 21st century at a time when the pressure on resources, on food and water, and oceans, and many other things just becomes greater and greater with growing economies and growing population.

I think the outcome that we finish today will help advance goals in this area. It is a negotiated outcome, a negotiated document with a lot of different views from a lot of different players. So, it obviously isn’t everything to everybody. I think everybody here — I think Minister Patriota mentioned this — everybody had things they were more pleased about and less pleased about, and certainly some things could have been improved, but I think it was a good strong step forward.

We have done some important things institutionally, including significantly strengthening UNEP in the UN system, also establishing a new high-level forum on sustainable development in the UN in New York focusing on a variety of ways to manage our vital natural resources more effectively and efficiently. And I think all of these things will not in any sense by themselves-but we hope push in a direction where sustainable development proceeds and we more and more have the ability, as was first discussed in the 1987 Brundtland Report, to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. And that is a nice kind of summary of what sustainable development is all about.

Just one other brief comment. I've been focusing on negotiations along with my team. While we've been doing that, there has been a heck of a lot of other stuff going on in Rio. This conference is about much more than the negotiated text. We have seen the emergence of new public-private partnerships like the Corporate Sustainability Forum showcasing private sector innovation. There have been all sorts of gatherings of civil society, private sector leaders. There have been sustainable development dialogues, which I saw occasionally on the screens when I was walking from one building to the next, and I kind of wished that I could be in one or two of those. There has been a lot going on. There is a lot that is going to continue to go on the next few days, and while I am not the best spokesman to talk about all of those things since I've been on the negotiating front, I think they're terribly important and it looks to me quite impressive. So I'll stop there and take questions.

QUESTION: It's Barbara from CNN. If this is so important to the United States, where is President Obama and is he coming?

SPECIAL ENVOY STERN: It is important to the United States, and we are going to be represented by Secretary Clinton. There are many states that are being represented by their leaders and many states that are being represented at a level comparable with the Secretary of State. Our Secretary of State-we have the advantage of having a Secretary of State who is-anybody who is a Secretary of State is a high-level person-but she happens to be somebody who is a world figure in her own right so I think the United States is well represented. And President Obama, along with any number of other leaders, has not been able to come.

QUESTION: Murray Griffin from BNA. I was wondering if you could just explain how this document fits into the high-level segment. Do they just deliberate on this document and possibly amend it, or do they sort of note it and then discuss the related issues?

SPECIAL ENVOY STERN: It's a good question. I believe this document is done. And I believe that that’s the intention of our Brazilian hosts, the Brazilian Presidency of this conference. And I think that's the ordinary course for a conference like this. There is a negotiating process, which gets handled by negotiators. Of course, that process started many months ago and went through various so-called PrepCom sessions, and then finished here today. So I think that the Brazilians have no plan or intention to let the document open up. And I think there is a very good reason for that, which is that everybody has things that they really don’t like in the document in one way or another, and once-I think this is a thread that once you start pulling on it, it unravels quickly. And I don't mean that especially about this process. It's just the way these things go. I mean, I've seen that in other circumstances as well. So, I do not-I think that the leaders are going to come, they are going to all do any number of things. They are going to speak at the plenary and express their views and commitment, and this document will need to be formally agreed to or approved in the high-level segment, presumably Friday. But I do not think there is any intention to open it.

QUESTION: Hi, my name is Fernanda Godoy from O Globo, Rio de Janeiro. I'd like to ask you about your assessment of the leadership exercised by Brazil. Some European countries are criticizing the way that the document was very diluted in its content to be approved this morning. What’s your view on this?

SPECIAL ENVOY STERN: I just didn't hear one thing. What was diluted? I just didn't hear what you said.

QUESTION: The content of the document.

SPECIAL ENVOY STERN: Well, you know, I actually thought that the leadership of the conference was exceptional. And I don't say that because I thought that everything was so great for the United States. I mean, I think this was like any of these big negotiations. You know, I've been involved in any number of them on the climate change side, and they are never easy and people all have-they come at these things quite understandably with different national perspectives, different objectives. That's the way it works. So it's always a compromise. Frankly, it's always difficult to make progress. It just always is. And when you can make some progress, that’s good. And I think we have here. But I think that the-I think that is really, really difficult to manage such an unruly group of players as the world's countries — that's just the way it is — and Minister Patriota and his team, Luis Figueiredo and Andre do Lago and others, were just extraordinarily skillful. I really do. I thought that they did an exceptional job.

QUESTION: Thanks very much, Mr. Stern. Richard Black from the BBC. There is one specific thing I just wanted to ask you about in the document. “We reiterate the need to work collectively to prevent — and I stress the word prevent — further ocean acidification.” You know, as far as I am aware, scientifically there is no way to prevent further ocean acidification other than to turn off carbon dioxide emissions. So I wonder when you'll be doing that.

SPECIAL ENVOY STERN: Well, you know, it is a good question, and I think that it is a positive thing in this document that there was a strong commitment on the importance of enhancing international cooperation on this issue. It's a really important issue and it does relate to carbon. There are-I mean, there is a whole, as you know, a whole set of efforts going on at national levels in all the major countries to reduce CO2 emissions that, at the international level, obviously, all works through the UNFCCC, the Framework

Convention on Climate Change, and I could go on at more length if you wanted me to about that process, but I think that it is a good thing to shine the spotlight and call for a strong commitment. I think it is another reason, among many other reasons, why we need to reduce CO2 emissions. We in the U.S. and many other countries around the world are working on that. We made some quite, I think, positive progress over the last, really over the last three years. It was bumpy at first in Copenhagen, but it was a start. And I think that we've made some good progress in Cancun and then again in Durban on some concrete things that will be going on over the next number of years. And then in Durban also agreed that all countries would negotiate a new legal agreement of some kind that would take it, that would go into effect in the post-2020 period involving all countries. I think those are all positive steps and we just have to keep moving.

QUESTION: Hi, I am Brad Brooks with the Associated Press. Special Envoy, you mentioned that it is always a compromise, it's always difficult to make progress in these talks. And you also mentioned the mayors’ group, the corporate sustainability group. Is there not a better mechanism for moving these issues along than these big summits that always seem to sputter?

SPECIAL ENVOY STERN: Yes. Very good question. You know, I think that you have to work at different levels. And I think that these large conferences are one of the levels at which you have to move. If I could just speak by way of analogy maybe to the climate change world, we there work in many different ways. There is just the same kind of all-country multilateral process that exists here. The Conference of the Parties meets every year. We also started a group called the Major Economies Forum, which brings together essentially the big 17 or 18 countries in the world, developed and developing. We meet three of four times a year to discuss issues that both involve facilitating the larger negotiations but also involve a focus on what we can do ourselves, given that this group of countries comprises about 80 percent of worldwide emissions. And we work bilaterally. We just also-just as another example, the U.S. with a number of other players, initially six total in February, started a new coalition to reduce so-called short-lived climate pollutants like methane and HFCs and black carbon. That group is now already up to, I don't know, 15, 16, 17 countries. The whole G8 endorsed it and has joined in. The World Bank is part of it, UNEP is part of it. That's not a treaty organization. That group doesn't come together to try to negotiate documents. That is a purely action-oriented body and we had, I guess maybe you could say, the first of what I hope will be many important events today, right here in Rio at an event which involved focus on landfill methane in cities that was hosted by the C40, the group of cities, and the Clinton Climate Initiative, World Bank, and this new initiative which is called the Climate and Clean Air Initiative. That's just an example.

We are moving on many different fronts in that world, and I think that there are activities on many different fronts in the sustainable development world as well. And I think you have to do all of that.

QUESTION: My name is Ana Paula Chinelli. I am from Rede TV, a TV network in Brazil. We are wondering what other points, the main points, that the U.S. did not get happy with this final document. And Minister Gilberto Carvalho — that's our Minister for Communications — had said that the document is still open because the heads of state can still decide many things and change the document. If that's so, what will the U.S. intend to present, try to change, in the final document that is going to be signed by the heads of state?

SPECIAL ENVOY STERN: Well, two things. I think that, you know, the heads of state are coming. The document always-I mean, it could in theory be opened. I just-what I said earlier is I don't expect that it will be. I don't expect, more importantly, that the Brazilian leadership intends to open it because, as I said, I think there would be a real risk of it unraveling because so many countries-everybody got some things they wanted and didn’t get some things they wanted. So it could happen, of course it could happen. But I was expressing a view that I thought the Brazilian leadership, and I think — and that's not just what I think — that Minister Patriota and his team had made it pretty clear that they regard the document as finished. But, of course, we will have to see.

We don't have anything that we are expecting to try to drive into the document that is not there yet precisely because — just for the same reason that I just said — we don't expect it to get opened up. In terms of things that we would've preferred more of or differently, there is any number of things that maybe at a broad level-I would say that I think that the orientation could have been a little bit more what we have seen in some other
circumstances where the focus is both on, what I might call, traditional assistance from donor to recipient countries but also very much recognizing the quite rapidly changing world where different kinds of flows are actually often a lot more important or at least as important. And that includes private sector investment and using government dollars to mobilize and leverage private sector investment. There are important, increasingly important flows that are sometimes referred to as "South-South" or "triangular" where there is a so-called North or donor country working with a developing country to provide assistance to still another developing country. There are important-a very important part of development for any country comes from their own domestic resources, inevitably. And if you look at successes around the world of countries that have really made great progress in development, it mostly has not come from the outside. Some of it comes from the outside. Some assistance comes from the outside, but an awful lot comes from the enabling environments, the economic reforms, educational reforms that countries drive themselves. I don't think there is enough of that kind of realistic sense of what it takes to drive development. There could have been a bit more of that in here. But I-as they say, nothing is ever going to work perfectly. But that's just an example.

QUESTION: Charlotte Smith, Green TV in UK. Given that ocean acidification is one of the biggest impacts of climate change at the moment, the U.S. delegation is being accused of blocking progress on better protection for the high seas. Oceans was supposed to be one of the priority areas in this conference. Can you talk to that, defend it? And will the U.S. ever support a high seas agreement?

SPECIAL ENVOY STERN: Well, look, I don’t-I surely don’t think that the United States was remotely blocking efforts on oceans. We were quite an active part of the discussion. We are quite focused on this area. I have to say too often, but it's true, that there are always challenging politics in the U.S. in many different respects. And we have been trying for quite some time now, a very long time indeed, to get the Law of the Sea Convention approved, and we have made a renewed, quite vigorous effort this year to try to do that. Indeed, Secretary Clinton testified in Congress and the Senate about this treaty just in the last few weeks. So we are very committed to progress with respect to oceans. There is some good language, good paragraphs in this outcome document today that involve sustainable fisheries and efforts with respect to fisheries that relate to the WTO and so forth. So the U.S. is not seeking to block progress, just the opposite.

U.S.-HONDURAS RELATIONS

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
U.S. Relations With Honduras
Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs
Fact Sheet
June 19, 2012
Honduras has traditionally been an ally of the United States. Following Honduras' June 2009 coup and U.S. recognition of the November 2009 presidential election, U.S. policy has sought to consolidate democracy, protect human rights, and promote the rule of law. U.S. Government programs are aimed at promoting a healthy and more open economy capable of sustainable growth, improving the climate for business and investment and protecting U.S. citizen and corporate rights, and promoting the well-being of the Honduran people. The United States also works with Honduras to meet transnational challenges--including the fight against terrorism, narcotics trafficking, money laundering, illegal migration, and trafficking in persons--and encourages and supports Honduran efforts to protect the environment. The goals of strengthening democracy and promoting viable economic growth are especially important given the geographical proximity of Honduras to the United States. An estimated 1 million Hondurans reside in the United States, 600,000 of whom are believed to be undocumented; consequently, immigration issues are an important item on the bilateral agenda. An average of 80,000 to 110,000 U.S. citizens visit Honduras annually, and about 15,000 Americans reside there.

U.S. Assistance to Honduras
Honduras, one of Latin America's poorest nations, strives to improve its economic and democratic development with U.S. assistance. The United States has historically been the largest bilateral donor to Honduras. U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) programs include education, health, economic policy, microenterprise, environmental conservation, food security, municipal development, and justice sector reform.

The United States maintains a small presence at a Honduran military base. U.S. forces conduct and provide logistics support for a variety of bilateral and multilateral exercises--medical, engineering, peacekeeping, counternarcotics, and disaster relief--for the benefit of the Honduran people and their Central American neighbors. Through the Central America Regional Security Initiative, the United States supports the Government of Honduras by assisting law enforcement entities in disrupting criminal networks; building investigative, prosecutorial, and judicial capacity; and implementing violence prevention programs for vulnerable communities.

In June 2005, Honduras became the first country in the hemisphere to sign a Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) Compact with the U.S. Government. Under the Compact, the U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation invested $205 million over 5 years to help Honduras improve its road infrastructure, diversify its agriculture, and transport its products to market.

Bilateral Economic Relations
The U.S. is the chief trading partner for Honduras, supplying 34% of Honduran imports and purchasing 41% of Honduran exports in 2010. Bilateral trade between the two nations totaled $8.3 billion in 2010. U.S. exports to Honduras in 2010 totaled $4.6 billion. More than 200 U.S. companies operate in Honduras.

The U.S.-Central America Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA) entered into force in 2006. It eliminates most tariffs and other barriers for U.S. goods destined for the Central American market, provides protection for U.S. investments and intellectual property, and creates more transparent rules and procedures for conducting business. CAFTA also aims to eliminate intra-Central American tariffs and facilitate increased regional trade, benefiting U.S. companies manufacturing in Honduras. With CAFTA implemented, about 80% of U.S. goods now enter the region duty-free, with tariffs on the remaining 20% to be phased out by 2016.

Leading U.S. exports in 2009 included: textile yarn and fabric, petroleum and petroleum products, cereals and cereal preparations, low-value shipments, and apparel. Nearly all textile and apparel goods that meet CAFTA’s rules of origin became duty-free and quota-free immediately, thus promoting new opportunities for U.S. fiber, yarn, fabric, and apparel manufacturers. Honduras is the seventh-largest exporter of apparel and textile products by volume to the U.S. market behind countries such as Mexico and China; Honduras is first among Central American and Caribbean countries.

The stock of U.S. foreign direct investment in Honduras rose 7.2% between 2008 and 2009, from $787 million to $844 million. This was concentrated largely in the manufacturing, finance, insurance, and banking sectors of the country.

Honduras' Membership in International Organizations
Honduras generally supports U.S. initiatives in international fora. Honduras and the United States belong to a number of the same international organizations, including the United Nations, Organization of American States, World Trade Organization, and International Monetary Fund.

NASA SPACECRAFT REVEALS ICE CONTENT IN MOON CRATER

FROM:  NASA
Elevation (left) and shaded relief (right) image of Shackleton, a 21-km-diameter (12.5-mile-diameter) permanently shadowed crater adjacent to the lunar south pole. The structure of the crater's interior was revealed by a digital elevation model constructed from over 5 million elevation measurements from the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter. Credit:NASA/Zuber, M.T. et al., Nature, 2012  

WASHINGTON -- NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) spacecraft has
returned data that indicate ice may make up as much as 22 percent of
the surface material in a crater located on the moon's south pole.

The team of NASA and university scientists using laser light from
LRO's laser altimeter examined the floor of Shackleton crater. They
found the crater's floor is brighter than those of other nearby
craters, which is consistent with the presence of small amounts of
ice. This information will help researchers understand crater
formation and study other uncharted areas of the moon. The findings
are published in Thursday's edition of the journal Nature.

"The brightness measurements have been puzzling us since two summers
ago," said Gregory Neumann of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in
Greenbelt, Md., a co-author on the paper. "While the distribution of
brightness was not exactly what we had expected, practically every
measurement related to ice and other volatile compounds on the moon
is surprising, given the cosmically cold temperatures inside its
polar craters."

The spacecraft mapped Shackleton crater with unprecedented detail,
using a laser to illuminate the crater's interior and measure its
albedo or natural reflectance. The laser light measures to a depth
comparable to its wavelength, or about a micron. That represents a
millionth of a meter, or less than one ten-thousandth of an inch. The
team also used the instrument to map the relief of the crater's
terrain based on the time it took for laser light to bounce back from
the moon's surface. The longer it took, the lower the terrain's
elevation.

In addition to the possible evidence of ice, the group's map of
Shackleton revealed a remarkably preserved crater that has remained
relatively unscathed since its formation more than three billion
years ago. The crater's floor is itself pocked with several small
craters, which may have formed as part of the collision that created
Shackleton.

The crater, named after the Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton, is
two miles deep and more than 12 miles wide. Like several craters at
the moon's south pole, the small tilt of the lunar spin axis means
Shackleton crater's interior is permanently dark and therefore
extremely cold.

"The crater's interior is extremely rugged," said Maria Zuber, the
team's lead investigator from the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology in Cambridge in Mass. "It would not be easy to crawl
around in there."

While the crater's floor was relatively bright, Zuber and her
colleagues observed that its walls were even brighter. The finding
was at first puzzling. Scientists had thought that if ice were
anywhere in a crater, it would be on the floor, where no direct
sunlight penetrates. The upper walls of Shackleton crater are
occasionally illuminated, which could evaporate any ice that
accumulates. A theory offered by the team to explain the puzzle is
that "moonquakes"-- seismic shaking brought on by meteorite impacts
or gravitational tides from Earth -- may have caused Shackleton's
walls to slough off older, darker soil, revealing newer, brighter
soil underneath. Zuber's team's ultra-high-resolution map provides
strong evidence for ice on both the crater's floor and walls.

"There may be multiple explanations for the observed brightness
throughout the crater," said Zuber. "For example, newer material may
be exposed along its walls, while ice may be mixed in with its
floor."

The initial primary objective of LRO was to conduct investigations
that prepare for future lunar exploration. Launched in June 2009, LRO
completed its primary exploration mission and is now in its primary
science mission. LRO was built and is managed by Goddard. This
research was supported by NASA's Human Exploration and Operations
Mission Directorate and Science Mission Directorate at the agency's
headquarters in Washington.

SEC. OF STATE CLINTON EXPRESSES CONCERN OVER SYRIAN SHOOT-DOWN OF TURKISH FIGHTER JET

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Syrian Shoot-Down of Turkish Aircraft
Remarks Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State Washington, DC
June 24, 2012
I spoke with Turkish Foreign Minister Davutoglu yesterday to convey our grave concern about the downing of a Turkish F-4 fighter jet by Syrian forces on June 22. I also told him that our thoughts and prayers are with the missing pilots and their loved ones. The Foreign Minister briefed me on the specifics of the incident, including that the Syrian military shot its plane down without warning. The United States condemns this brazen and unacceptable act in the strongest possible terms. It is yet another reflection of the Syrian authorities' callous disregard for international norms, human life, and peace and security.
The United States reaffirms its strong support for the Turkish Government and its solidarity with the Turkish people in the wake of this incident. We will maintain close contact with Turkish officials as they continue to investigate the incident and determine Turkey's response, including in the Security Council. We will work with Turkey and other partners to hold the Assad regime accountable.

Turkey has been a leader in the international community's effort to address the Syrian regime's violence against its own people. We will continue our close cooperation with Turkey as part of our broader efforts to promote a democratic transition in Syria. This work is urgent, and we will be consulting in New York with the Security Council, in Brussels with NATO and the EU, and in Geneva with Special Envoy Kofi Annan on next steps.

STABILITY AND SECURITY ARE PROMOTED BY SOUTHCOM

AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
The guided missile frigate USS Thach, left, passes alongside the dry cargo ship USNS Lewis and Clark as it pulls out in to the Pacific Ocean to participate in PANAMAX 2011 sea phase. U.S. Navy Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Jose Lopez  

Southcom Exercise Program Promotes Stability, Security
By Donna Miles
MIAMI, June 20, 2012 - Several military exercises that just wrapped up or are under way exemplify U.S. Southern Command's robust exercise program, one that officials consider integral to regional stability and U.S. national security.

Exercise Tradewinds 2012, which kicked off in Barbados June 15 and continues through the upcoming weekend, is focused on what Air Force Gen. Douglas M. Fraser, the Southcom commander, calls the most pressing regional challenge: transnational organized crime.

U.S. Marine Forces South is leading the exercise, which has brought together defense and law enforcement from the United States, Canada and 15 Caribbean countries for the 28th year to enhance their ability to work together against a common threat.

Speaking during opening ceremonies in Bridgetown, Barbados, Marine Corps Col. Michael Ramos, MARFOR-South chief of staff, emphasized the benefit of Exercise Tradewinds to participating nations. "We recognize the value of working together to confront these common security challenges," he said. "We are truly united through our collaboration and collective efforts to fight terrorism, illicit trafficking and transnational criminality in all forms and in being prepared to effectively respond to natural disasters."
Another exercise that concluded last week in Colombia, Fuerzas Comando 2012, brought together special operators from 21 regional countries for a grueling counterterrorism and special operations skills competition. That event, sponsored by U.S. Special Operations Command South, was designed to promote military-to-military relationships, increase interoperability and improve regional security.

"This is the one forum that we have annually where we can come together as a region and talk about ideas, [about how to] increase our effect, collectively, against these dangerous non-state-actor threats we face," Navy Rear Adm. Thomas L. Brown II, commander of Special Operations Command South, told American Forces Press Service.

These are just two examples of a broad Southcom exercise program that last year alone included hundreds of training and educational events, 12 major multinational exercises with regional partners and 56 medical readiness training exercises in 13 countries, according to Army Maj. Gen. Gerald W. Ketchum, the command's director of theater engagement.

"You don't want to show up on game day for the big game, when you have never practiced together," Ketchum told American Forces Press Service at the Southcom headquarters here. "And that is really what the exercise program is all about."

Toward that end, the exercise program centers on four basic pillars: security and illegal migration and illicit trafficking, peacekeeping, counterterrorism, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

The annual Peacekeeping Operations-Americas exercise that wrapped up last month brought together the United States and 15 partner nations to train in skills needed to serve as peacekeepers in Central and South America and the Caribbean.

U.S. Army South sponsored the four-phase exercise, conducted over the course of three months in Chile and the Dominican Republic in support of the State Department's Global

Peace Operations Initiative.
U.S. Ambassador to Chile Alejandro Daniel Wolff emphasized the importance of building the skills and interoperability needed for militaries to conduct vital peacekeeping roles. "Exercises like this offer the opportunity to learn from each other and to become more capable in our tasks to create a safer future for everybody," Wolff said during the May 11 closing ceremony in Santiago.

Other Southcom exercises focus primarily on humanitarian assistance. These efforts, Ketchum explained, give military members an opportunity to use their skills while leaving behind tangible improvements in host nations. Sometimes it's a new or renovated school, a newly dug well or new building to serve as an emergency operations center in the event of a natural disaster. Other exercises provide training for host-national medical staffs or desperately needed care in local communities.

For example, Army engineers and medical professionals currently deployed to Honduras and Guatemala for Beyond the Horizon 2012 are providing medical, dental and engineering support. Participants in another joint humanitarian exercise, New Horizons 2012, are providing training, free medical care and critical infrastructure in poor areas of Peru.

Officials said the efforts help address critical needs while showing U.S. support and commitment to the region. For many of the participants, the reward is getting to make a visible difference in others' lives.

"My favorite part of this exercise is seeing the work getting done," said Army 1st Lt. Johnny Robey, commander of the Missouri National Guard's 1140th Engineer Battalion, supporting Beyond the Horizon 2012 in Honduras. "I enjoy going to the sites and seeing the immediate impact of what we're here to do."

Among Southcom's array of multinational security exercises, PANAMAX remains the largest. The annual exercise focuses on supporting the Panamanian government in defense of the strategic Panama Canal.

Eighteen nations participated in last year's exercise, working to improve the interoperability of their military and civil forces to guarantee safe passage through the canal and ensure its neutrality.

"This is a theme that is embraced by virtually everyone in the region: free and open access to the canal and flow of goods through the Panama Canal," Ketchum said. "Everyone recognizes that it is clearly something of great value to the entire hemisphere to ensure that."

Ketchum cited the growing success of the exercise as partners in the region step up to assume major leadership roles. Colombia took on the land component commander role last year, and will retain it during this year's PANAMAX, in August. "They have embraced this role, and done a wonderful job," Ketchum said. "Ultimately, that's good for all of us, because we need interoperability and we need to be able to communicate with each other."

Meanwhile, Brazil is preparing to assume leadership of the maritime component role during the upcoming PANAMAX, Fraser told Congress earlier this year. Fraser called the move "an important step in strengthening the expanding partnerships in the hemisphere."

With expansion efforts under way at the Panama Canal that will increase the seaborne traffic it handles, close, regional cooperation will be more critical than ever, Fraser told the Senate Armed Service Committee in March. "I don't see a direct change to the threat or to the concerns as we look into the future, but our PANAMAX exercise will remain critical to that effort," he said.

Ketchum said the capabilities built and relationships strengthened through the exercise program have a direct impact on regional stability and U.S. national security.

"We truly believe that it takes an international approach to address the challenges we face in the region, and that these engagements are supporting that effort, he said. "We want to be the security partner of choice, and we look forward to continuing to work with our partner nations in the region."

(Army Sgt. Sarah E. Lupescu, from the Missouri National Guard; Army Sgt. Alysia Jarmon, from the 65th Public Affairs Operations Center; and Robert Ramon from U.S. Army South contributed to this article.)

NEW TERRORIST DESIGNATIONS BY U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT

U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Terrorist Designations of Boko Haram Commander Abubakar Shekau, Khalid al-Barnawi and Abubakar Adam Kambar
Media Note Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC
June 21, 2012
The Department of State designated Abubakar Shekau, Abubakar Adam Kambar, and Khalid al-Barnawi as Specially Designated Global Terrorists under section 1(b) of Executive Order 13224. Shekau is the most visible leader of the Nigeria-based militant group Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati Wal-Jihad, commonly referred to as Boko Haram. Khalid al-Barnawi and Abubakar Adam Kambar have ties to Boko Haram and have close links to al-Qa’ida in the Islamic Maghreb, a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization.

Under Shekau’s leadership, Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for numerous attacks in northern Nigeria, its primary area of operation. In the last 18 months, Boko Haram or associated militants have killed more than 1,000 people. Boko Haram is credited with the August 26, 2011 attack on the United Nations building Abuja that killed at least 23 people and wounded scores more. Boko Haram also claimed responsibility for the December 25, 2011 attack on the Saint Theresa Catholic Church in Madalla, Nigeria, that killed at least 35 and wounded dozens more. Boko Haram’s deadliest violence occurred on January 20, 2012 in Kano, Nigeria, with a series of attacks that killed more than 180 people. Boko Haram's victims have been overwhelmingly civilian.

The designation under E.O. 13224 blocks all of Shekau’s, Kambar’s and al-Barnawi’s property interests subject to U.S. jurisdiction and prohibits U.S. persons from engaging in transactions with or for the benefit of these individuals. These designations demonstrate the United States’ resolve in diminishing the capacity of Boko Haram to execute violent attacks. The Department of State took these actions in consultation with the Departments of Justice and Treasury.

ESA Portal - Germany - Alphasat: Mit Laser schnelle und sichere Datenübertragung

ESA Portal - Germany - Alphasat: Mit Laser schnelle und sichere Datenübertragung

THE POSSIBILITY OF A MULTIVERSE

 FROM:  NASA 
Multiverses: Do Other Universes Exist?
Explanation: Do nearly exact copies of you exist in other universes? If one or more of the multiverse hypotheses is correct, then quite possibly they do. Independent universes are like independent circles or spheres. Spheres may be causally disconnected from all other spheres, meaning no communications can pass between them. Some spheres may contain different realizations of our universe, while others may have different physical laws. An entire set of parallel universes is called a multiverse. The human eye might represent the possibility that realizations of some multiverse hypotheses might only exist in the human mind. One criticism of multiverse hypotheses is that they are frequently difficult to test. Some multiverse hypotheses may therefore be great fun to think about but not practically falsifiable and therefore have no predictive scientific value.

U.S.-ICELAND RELATIONS

Photo:  Icelandic Coast Guard.  Credit:  Wikimedia.
FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
U.S. Relations With Iceland
Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs
Fact Sheet
June 15, 2012
The United States was the first country to recognize Iceland's independence in 1944 following Danish rule, union with Denmark under a common king, and German and British occupation during World War II. Iceland is a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) but has no standing military of its own. The United States and Iceland signed a bilateral defense agreement in 1951; it remains in force, although U.S. military forces are no longer permanently stationed in Iceland.

The U.S.-Icelandic relationship is founded on cooperation and mutual support. The two countries share a commitment to individual freedom, human rights, and democracy. U.S. policy aims to maintain close, cooperative relations with Iceland, both as a NATO ally and as a friend interested in the shared objectives of enhancing world peace; respect for human rights; economic development; arms control; and law enforcement cooperation, including the fight against terrorism, narcotics, and human trafficking. The United States and Iceland work together on a wide range of issues from enhancing peace and stability in Afghanistan, to harnessing new green energy sources, to ensuring peaceful cooperation in the Arctic.

U.S. Assistance to Iceland
The 1951 bilateral defense agreement stipulated that the U.S. would make arrangements for Iceland's defense on behalf of NATO and provided for basing rights for U.S. forces in Iceland. In 2006 the U.S. announced it would continue to provide for Iceland's defense but without permanently basing forces in the country. That year, Naval Air Station Keflavik closed and the two countries signed a technical agreement on base closure issues (e.g., facilities return, environmental cleanup, residual value) and a "joint understanding" on future bilateral security cooperation (focusing on defending Iceland and the North Atlantic region against emerging threats such as terrorism and trafficking). The United States also worked with local officials to mitigate the impact of job losses at the Air Station, notably by encouraging U.S. investment in industry and tourism development in the Keflavik area. Cooperative activities in the context of the new agreements have included joint search and rescue, disaster surveillance, and maritime interdiction training with U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard units; and U.S. deployments to support the NATO air surveillance mission in Iceland.

Bilateral Economic Relations
The United States seeks to strengthen bilateral economic and trade relations. Most of Iceland's exports go to the European Union (EU) and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries, followed by the United States and Japan. The U.S. is the largest foreign investor in Iceland, primarily in the aluminum sector. The United States and Iceland signed a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement in 2009.

Iceland's Membership in International Organizations
Iceland's ties with other Nordic states, the United States, and other NATO member states are particularly close. Iceland and the United States belong to a number of the same international organizations, including the United Nations, NATO, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Arctic Council, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organization.

CORROSION MAY BE APPEALING BUT, IT IS ALSO VERY COSTLY

Photo:  Corrosion Credit: Wikimedia.
FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Combating Corrosion
Written on JUNE 22, 2012 AT 7:23 AM by JTOZER
Corrosion is a very real and expensive problem for DOD and the Navy.  Thanks to people like Keith Lucas, combating this problem is becoming easier.
U.S. Naval Research Laboratory materials research engineer Keith Lucas, of the Chemistry Division, is the recipient of the 2012 Department of the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award for comprehensive research in marine corrosion mitigation and effective cost-saving transfer to the U.S. Navy Fleet, increasing operational capabilities and useful life of both submarines and ships.

Re-preservation costs correlated to corrosion damage of U.S. Navy ships has been documented at nearly $3 billion annually, with shipboard tanks and voids being the leading contributor to this expense.

That’s a lot of money dedicated to keeping things shipshape and Bristol fashion.
“Early in his career Lucas and his co-inventors developed a paired reference electrode and instrumented sacrificial anode system and remote data logger that allows for remote assessment of the state of preservation of shipboard tanks and voids,” said Dr. Richard Colton, superintendent, NRL Chemistry Division. “This laid the foundation for the development of tank monitoring systems now being implemented in the surface combatant fleet.”

These systems are projected to provide an annual realized cost avoidance of nearly $10 million a year through the reduction of ballast tank opening, gas-freeing and manned entry for the purpose of tank coating inspections.

Starting in 1990, Lucas and his colleagues began two decades of scientific research in the field of cathodic protection modeling, leading the early efforts to establish mathematical principles and scaling laws for the physical scale modeling of marine vessels for the purpose of cathodic protection.

Lucas, together with colleagues, studied the effects of electrolytic chlorination on materials, environmental effects on metallic and non-metallic materials, principles of corrosion monitoring and detection, and the theory and practice of cathodic protection design.

His research showed that using Physical Scale Modeling (PSM) of ICCP it was possible to scale electrolytic path lengths to accurately and repeatedly simulate full-scale electrochemical systems.

The development of the PSM technique for ICCP design allowed for the simulation and optimization of full-scale cathodic protection systems while allowing for realistic cathodic current demand and distribution at practicable laboratory scales, allowing for the first time, an empirical approach to underwater hull corrosion control system design.

To date, eight United States Navy (USN) ship classes and three USN submarine classes have ICCP designed by this method. In addition, both the United Kingdom Navy and French Navy have active research programs based on these concepts.

Located on Fleming Key, adjacent to the island of Key West, Fla., the Chemistry Division’s Marine Corrosion Facility plays an important role in providing technical expertise to Naval Sea Systems Command and supports the command directly as a designated engineering agent (EA) for the Navy Materials/Corrosion/Coatings Technical Authority.
The facility is additionally designated by NAVSEA as the cathodic protection design agent for Navy ships and serves as EA in the areas of cathodic protection, coatings and corrosion control.

U.S.-IRELAND RELATIONS

Map Credit:  U.S. State Department
U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
U.S. Relations With Ireland
Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs
Fact Sheet
June 15, 2012
U.S. relations with Ireland have long been based on common ancestral ties and shared values, and emigration has been a foundation of the U.S.-Irish relationship. Besides regular dialogue on political and economic issues, the U.S. and Irish Governments have official exchanges in areas such as medical research and education. With Ireland's membership in the European Union (EU), discussions of EU trade and economic policies as well as other aspects of EU policy have also become key elements in the U.S.-Irish relationship.

Irish citizens have continued a common practice of taking temporary residence overseas for work or study, mainly in Australia, the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom (U.K.), and elsewhere in Europe. Along with an increased interest in long-term emigration, there has been a surge of interest in “mid-term” emigration for 3-5 years, which has been mirrored in Irish Government interest in a specialized extended-stay visa for mid-career professionals to live/work in the U.S. The U.S. J-1 visa program is popular means for Irish youths to work temporarily in the United States; a bilateral program expansion in 2008 that provides further opportunities for recent graduates to spend up to 1 year in the United States has been undersubscribed. A high priority of the Irish Government is the need to find a legal remedy for those Irish living out of status in the United States.

Regarding Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom, "Nationalist" and "Republican" groups seek a united Ireland that includes Northern Ireland, while "Unionists" and "Loyalists" want Northern Ireland to remain part of the United Kingdom. U.S. priorities continue to be supporting the peace process and devolved political institutions in Northern Ireland and encouraging the implementation of the U.S.-brokered 1998 Belfast Agreement, also known as the Good Friday Agreement, and the 2006 St. Andrews Agreement.

U.S. Assistance to Ireland
The International Fund for Ireland (IFI), created in 1986, provides funding for projects to generate cross-community engagement and economic opportunity in Northern Ireland (the United Kingdom) and the border counties of Ireland. Since the IFI's establishment, the U.S. Government has contributed over $500 million, roughly half of total IFI funding. The other major donor to IFI is the European Union.

Bilateral Economic Relations
Economic and trade ties are an important facet of overall U.S.-Irish relations. U.S. exports to Ireland include electrical components and equipment, computers and peripherals, drugs and pharmaceuticals, and livestock feed. Irish exports to the United States include alcoholic beverages, chemicals and related products, electronic data processing equipment, electrical machinery, textiles and clothing, and glassware. U.S. firms year after year account for over half of Ireland's total exports.

U.S. investment has been particularly important to the growth and modernization of Irish industry over the past 25 years, providing new technology, export capabilities, and employment opportunities. There are approximately 600 U.S. subsidiaries in Ireland that employ roughly 100,000 people and span activities from manufacturing of high-tech electronics, computer products, medical supplies, and pharmaceuticals to retailing, banking, finance, and other services. In more recent years, Ireland has also become an important research and development center for U.S. firms in Europe.

Ireland's Membership in International Organizations
Ireland and the United States belong to a number of the same international organizations, including the United Nations, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organization. Ireland is also a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) Partnership for Peace program.

CHAIRMAN JOINT CHIEFS LOOKS TO FUTURE WITH BUDGET CONTRAINTS

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
Dempsey Looks to the Future in a Time of Budget Constraints
By Amaani Lyle
WASHINGTON, June 19, 2012 - As fiscal constraints reshape priorities, the military will become a leaner force but one still able to provide the nation's leaders with options, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said today.

Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey told an audience at the National Press  Club here that he and other Defense Department officials will build the future force with a focus on balancing manpower with technology to meet mission requirements.  The force of the next decade, known as Joint Force 2020, must be postured to confront whatever challenges the United States faces, he told the forum.

"Ultimately we have to protect the nation from coercion" -- whether that's on the high seas, in cyberspace, or on land, Dempsey said. "We've got to be able to provide the nation's leader with options, so we can't afford to become a niche force."

The chairman noted the drawdown of troops from Afghanistan and also said about 120,000 personnel will transition out of the military in the next decade. This will prompt an important linkage between DOD and the Department of Veterans Affairs and other organizations that assist service members migrating into the private sector.

The drawdown from Afghanistan will enable the United States to direct greater attention to demographic, economic and military shifts in the Asia-Pacific region. Joint Force 2020 also takes into account the deepening partnerships in the Asia-Pacific region.

"Our presence there will help promote stability, while our absence will be the destabilizing influence," Dempsey said. "I want our partners to know that we've been in the Pacific ... but we're starting to re-engage in a more positive and proactive way."

Dempsey also confirmed the United States' commitment to improving strained relations in Pakistan.

"Pakistan is our most complex relationship ... but it's an important relationship."  He noted that U.S. officials remain committed to promoting peace in the region in the wake of roughly 44,000 civilian and 14,000 military deaths there since 9/11.

Whether serving in Central Asia, the Middle East, the Asia-Pacific region or other places around the world, Dempsey said those entering the military can expect more innovative professional development and training to confront modern threats.

"We've embarked on a campaign to renew and refresh our understanding of what it means to be in a profession – not in an occupation – but a profession," Dempsey said.
Despite budgetary constraints, the Defense Department must make sure it maintains a ready, competent force composed of people capable of performing future missions.
"We can't trade manpower for technology," Dempsey said. "We need to find that balance between investing in technology, investing in manpower and not become enamored of shiny objects

THE METEORITE OF MARS

FROM:  NASA
Metal on the Plains of Mars 
Image Credit: Mars Exploration Rover Mission, JPL, NASA
Explanation: What has the Opportunity rover found on Mars? While traversing a vast empty plain in 2005 in Meridiani Planum, one of Earth's rolling robots on Mars found a surprise when visiting the location of its own metallic heat shield discarded last year during descent. The surprise is the rock visible on the lower left, found to be made mostly of dense metals iron and nickel. The large cone-shaped object behind it -- and the flank piece on the right -- are parts of Opportunity's jettisoned heat shield. Smaller shield debris is also visible. Scientists do not think that the basketball-sized metal "Heat Shield Rock" originated on Mars, but rather is likely an ancient metallic meteorite. In hindsight, finding a meteorite in a vast empty dust plain on Mars might be considered similar to Earth meteorites found on the vast empty ice plains of Antarctica. The finding raises speculations about the general abundance of rocks on Mars that have fallen there from outer space.

NATIONAL CONTACT POINTS AND BUSINESS RESPONSIBILITY TO RESPECT HUMAN RIGHTS

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
The Contribution of National Contact Points in furthering the Responsibility of Business to Respect Human Rights
Remarks Gregory Maggio, Ph.D., U.S. OECD National Contact Point
National Contact Points and the Extractive Sector
London, United Kingdom
March 23, 2012

Introduction
Good afternoon. It is a pleasure to attend this important meeting in London, a city where I studied international law and worked several years ago.
Before getting into the details about where we see contributions of National Contact Points toward furthering implementation among businesses of the responsibility to respect human rights, I would first like to tell you something about the Office of the United States National Contact Point.

After that, I will discuss some State Department perspectives on the responsibility "to respect."

Lastly, I will offer some of our thoughts about opportunities available for National Contact Points to further the observance of this responsibility.

The Office of the U.S. National Contact Point and Extractive Industries
In line with the OECD's updating of the Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises in 2011, the U.S. Government undertook a simultaneous review to enhance the effectiveness of the U.S. National Contact Point. Key results of this effort were:
Creation of a new set of Procedures for the U.S. NCP's handling of specific instances;
Staffing of a two-person U.S. NCP Team, of which I am a member, that reports directly to the State Department's Assistant Secretary for Economic and Business Affairs;
AND
Establishment of a stakeholder advisory board comprised of representatives from business, labor, civil society and academia, to provide recommendations regarding the activities of the U.S. NCP. The Board held its first meeting a few days ago. You can find further information about all of this on the U.S. NCP's website.

Keeping in mind that our new NCP Team has been operating for only eight months, we have been receiving positive, constructive feedback about our outreach and other activities.

I'd like to note that matters concerning multinational enterprises in the extractive industry sector are playing a role in our portfolio. So far, our new NCP Team has been involved with nine specific instance submissions, three of which concern multinational enterprises engaged in extractives industry-related activities. In one of these cases,[1] the U.S. NCP has already concluded its involvement and released a public statement.

The State Department's View on the Responsibility of Business to Respect Human Rights
Now, let me provide an overview of State Department perspectives on the responsibility to respect in relation to the policies and operations of businesses and their stakeholders.
As we know, human rights law generally imposes obligations on States.
However, companies also have an important role to play in the context of the exercise and enjoyment of human rights.

Secretary Clinton's Economic Statecraft agenda recognizes that around the world "economic forces are transforming foreign policy realities" in ways beyond what might have been imagined only a few decades ago.

She also recently noted: “This administration understands that in the 21st century, governments are not the only major players. Corporations, NGOs, private citizens, and civil society groups shape events and developments across the globe. The United States Government wants to be your ally and your partner – so we are all working together to make human rights a reality in the places where you do business.”[2]

This need for governments and businesses to cooperate to address human rights and other issues is grounded in the facts of this increasingly integrated world, where more than one-third of the 100 largest economic actors today are private companies, not countries.
Extractive companies operate in some of the most complex environmentally, socially and politically sensitive locations, where governments may lack the capacity, disposition, or an adequate legal framework to enforce the law.

A key objective for National Contact Points is to offer opportunities to assist businesses to put into practice the responsibility to respect human rights, and to raise awareness about implementation of the Guidelines with business, non-governmental organizations and other stakeholders.

As we are well aware, this responsibility exists independently of States’ abilities or willingness to fulfill their own human rights obligations to their people.

John Ruggie’s development of the UN Guiding Principles on business and human rights constructed a roadmap for the way forward. Professor Ruggie's work was critical in building consensus around the responsibility of business to respect human rights.

My Government welcomes that the human rights chapter of the 2011 OECD Guidelines draws upon and is in line with the UN Guiding Principles.

The articulation of the responsibility to respect in the OECD Guidelines further affirms international recognition of the Guiding Principles, along with the Guidelines, as a widely accepted framework for how companies, governments and other stakeholders can cooperate to develop strategies and achieve solutions for furthering respect for human rights.

It should also be noted that the American Bar Association formally endorsed both the Protect, Respect and Remedy Framework articulated in the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.

Now I'd like to underscore a basic point: Complying with local law may not, on its own, suffice to ensure that companies avoid the full spectrum of human rights-related risks.
As the OECD Guidelines recognize:

"Respect for human rights is the global standard of expected conduct for enterprises, independently of States' abilities and/ or willingness to fulfill their human rights obligations and does not diminish those obligations.”[3]
Of course, realizing this objective can present formidable challenges for companies and their stakeholders, depending on the circumstances in which they are operating.

Due Diligence
As articulated in the UN Guiding Principles, and reiterated in the OECD Guidelines, a key means by which enterprises can conduct their operations in a manner directed at respect for human rights is to build human rights-based due diligence into their standard operations.

Assessing human rights impacts is not a one-off exercise. It is an ongoing process integrated throughout the business’s operational structure.

The UN Guiding Principles and the OECD Guidelines establish broad parameters, such as what a company should consider when undertaking human rights due diligence.

These texts can assist companies to see:
The importance of having the appropriate due diligence processes in place for their own on the ground circumstances, AND
What those processes should look like.
Many companies realize that the responsibility to respect human rights is important. However, they often don't know how to effectively incorporate and implement it in their actual operations. This is an ongoing challenge.

I'd like to briefly share some relevant points in the context of company efforts to implement this responsibility to respect:

The Due Diligence process should begin by taking proactive steps to learn how existing and planned activities impact human rights and identifying whose rights could reasonably be impacted. A key means for doing this is stakeholder engagement.
While there is substantial talk about stakeholder engagement, the concept is often perceived in terms of a transaction step, a box to check to meet a permit or other requirement or just a nice community relations exercise.

There is a need for greater appreciation for such engagement as an intrinsic feature of a company’s way of doing business, including in relation to all of its operations.
A company should also publicly announce a broad policy statement on human rights that permeates all levels of its operations that creates a strong internal incentive to conduct effective due diligence.

A company does not have to start from scratch to do this. A company's already existing labor rights, workplace safety, and grievance policies could be incorporated into a general human rights policy. The key is integrating human rights-based due diligence into the daily activities of the company's core operations as well as its other relationships. We believe that NCPs could play a much more active role in helping companies implement more effectively human rights due diligence, including how to undertake robust stakeholder engagement.

The US National Contact Point's Contribution
1) Now, what tools do National Contact Points have to contribute to the implementation by business of the responsibility to respect human rights? The Guidelines, as well as the Guidelines' supporting procedural guidance and commentary in implementation procedures provide NCPs with several means to undertake the NCP's mandate to further the effectiveness of the Guidelines. These include: Promotion and Awareness Raising and responding to inquiries from business and stakeholders about the Guidelines

2) Contributing to Resolution of Disputes in relation to an enterprise's observance of the Guidelines, through the Specific Instance process;
AND

3) The Proactive Agenda-- which is designed to provide a forum to bring business, civil society and other stakeholders together to consider new developments and emerging practices and to collaborate on identifying and responding to potential emerging risks.
I'll discuss each of these briefly.

It almost goes without saying that in executing their promotion and awareness-raising function NCPs have an ideal opportunity to provide businesses and stakeholders with information on the meaning of the responsibility to respect.

NCPs can use their promotion and awareness raising function to provide companies and stakeholders with information about available resources that can help companies figure out how to actually implement the responsibility to respect in light of their own industry sector, country and other operating circumstances.

Existing resources include various multi-stakeholder and other tools, such as:
the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights; OR
Luxor Protocol[4] designed to guide companies in countering trafficking in persons in relation to their direct activities and supply chains. There are also a number of other materials out there for you to consider
Additionally, government resources can help companies in addressing these issues. One of the U.S. NCP's functions is to be a key resource to help U.S.-based multinationals obtain information about human rights conditions, such as that contained in the State Department's annual country Human Rights Reports or through the services of our embassies abroad.

I’ll just briefly say that the Specific Instance process also has the potential to play a constructive role in fostering greater awareness and understanding among businesses and stakeholders in relation to concrete issue-based situations, about effective observance of the Guidelines.

Finally, the Proactive Agenda is a relatively new tool, which NCPs and stakeholders could find to be a creative and constructive avenue for substantially enhancing business' implementation of the responsibility to respect human rights.

The Proactive Agenda could:
provide companies and stakeholders with a unique, creative opportunity to meet, discuss and cooperate on identifying, analyzing and offering for consideration ideas for addressing basic implementation challenges;
AND
offer a safe space for all parties to meet and deliberate over options-- such as lessons learned, and best practices -- including from the concrete experiences of other companies and stakeholders-- regarding what has worked and what has not been successful.

The Proactive Agenda, along with the NCP's promotion and awareness-raising function, can also be a core repository of knowledge on new-thinking, and information sharing on cutting-edge research in relation to the experiences of existing mechanisms, such as the Compliance Advisor Ombudsman at the International Finance Corporation, that are also focused on fostering respect for human rights in their problem-solving and related work.

Companies here today- including my co-panelist from Rio Tinto - participate in the “Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights." For example, Rio Tinto's contributions to strengthening the Voluntary Principles and a related pilot project could be topics for stakeholder discussions in the context of the Proactive Agenda.


Conclusion
I hope that I've been able to provide you with some observations and thoughts for further consideration regarding ways in which National Contact Points can make valuable contributions to furthering the corporate responsibility to respect human rights. Thank you for your attention. I would be pleased to respond to any questions or comments you might have.

[1] This specific instance concerned the non-governmental organization Lead Education and Abatement Design Group Incorporated (LEAD) and the corporation Innospec.
[2] Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, remarks to the 11th Annual Plenary Meeting of the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights, State Department, March 2011
[3] 2011 OECD Guidelines, Chapter IV, Human Rights, para. 37.
[4] The Luxor Protocol: Implementation Guidelines to the Athens Ethical Principles Luxor

FORMER OFFICIAL OF AMERICA SAMOA SPECIAL SERVICES COMMISSION GETS PRISON TIME FOR CONSPIRACY TO STEAL GRANT FUNDS

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Former Executive Director of the American Samoa Special Services Commission Sentenced to 14 Months in Prison for Conspiracy to Steal More Than $325,000 in AmeriCorps Grant Funds

WASHINGTON – The former executive director of the American Samoa Special Services Commission (the Commission) was sentenced today in Washington, D.C., to 14 months in prison for conspiracy to steal more than $325,000 in AmeriCorps grant funds, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.

U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton for the District of Columbia sentenced Mine S. Pase to 14 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.  Judge Walton also ordered Pase to pay $325,408 in restitution.

On Nov. 18, 2011, Pase pleaded guilty to a one-count criminal information charging her with conspiracy to commit theft of federal funds.

According to court documents, between March 2001 and October 2010, Pase served as the Commission’s executive director.  As an agency of the American Samoa Government, the Commission established and administered four community-based programs that provided services for American Samoans, including youth literacy programs, youth computer training, environmental conservation activities and family counseling services.  The Commission and its programs relied exclusively on AmeriCorps grants from the Corporation for National and Community Service.  From approximately January 2007 through October 2010, the Corporation for National and Community Service awarded the Commission and its programs a total of $9.4 million in federal grant funds.

Pase admitted that she arranged for herself, her relatives, commissioners, and Commission staff to receive a total of $325,408 in federal funds to which they were not lawfully entitled.  These unlawful payments took the form of $109,532 in unlawful payments for purported business trips that Pase and others did not take; $78,889 in unlawful payments for vacation trips to Apia, Western Samoa; $89,313 in unlawful payments for meals; $19,665 in unlawful payments to Pase’s daughter under a bogus car lease agreement; and $28,009 in unlawful payments to Pase and her relatives for the use of damaged office space in which two of the Commission’s programs were housed.

According to court documents, Pase and her relatives personally received at least $123,236 of the $325,408 in stolen federal funds.

The case against Pase arose from the Corporation for National and Community Service’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) audit and investigation of the Commission.  As a result of the OIG’s audit and investigation, the Commission’s federal funding was terminated and the Commission shut down.

The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Edward J. Loya Jr. of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section.  The case is being investigated by special agents of the Corporation for National and Community Service OIG, with assistance from special agents of the FBI-Honolulu Division, American Samoa Resident Agency.

SEC. OF DEFENSE PANETTA WELCOMES NEW UNDERSECRETARIES

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta welcomes three new undersecretaries of defense recently confirmed by the Senate in a ceremony at the Pentagon, June 22, 2012. They are: Frank Kendall, far left, undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics; James N. Miller, second from left, undersecretary of defense for policy; and Erin C. Conaton, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo  



Panetta Welcomes Senate-confirmed Leaders to Pentagon
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.
WASHINGTON, June 22, 2012 – Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta today formally welcomed three recently Senate-confirmed leaders to the Defense Department as undersecretaries of defense during a Pentagon ceremony.

Panetta introduced Frank Kendall, undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, who was confirmed May 24; James N. Miller, undersecretary of defense for policy, confirmed May 25; and Erin C. Conaton, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, confirmed June 8.

“It’s a little odd, frankly, to have a ceremony welcoming these people into the Pentagon family,” Panetta said. “It’s a little bit like ‘Uncle’ Frank, ‘Uncle’ Jim [and] ‘Aunt’ Erin -- welcoming them to a family that they’re already part of. And they very much are a part of this family.”

Panetta noted all three undersecretaries had gone through the “gauntlet” of Senate confirmation and were rewarded with “some of the hardest, most challenging and most demanding jobs in government.”

“All three of these individuals that we’re honoring today have actually been working very hard, and for some time, in this department shaping our most important policies,” he said.
“From our new defense strategy to reforming the way we buy new equipment to managing all aspects of our Air Force, they are very much a part of the core team that I engage with every day,” the secretary said.

Panetta described the trio of defense leaders as people who help “talk through all the issues and challenges that we have to confront … to help run one of the largest bureaucracies in the world.”

“Very frankly, there is no way I could do this job without the team of people that work with me every day to help take on the challenges that we face,” the secretary said. “Every one of these individuals, and everyone who is part of my team, is very much a profile of service to the country.”

Panetta spoke of each undersecretary, beginning with Kendall. Panetta said Kendall has a “very important position in the Department of Defense.”

Kendall’s position, Panetta said, has the challenge of dealing with DOD regulations, different weapons systems, the requirements and rules imposed by Congress and elsewhere, negotiations with contractors across the country and other challenges relating to cost controls and cost management.

“Frank manages a $400 billion-a-year acquisition system that ensures that our troops have the best, most-advanced weapons, most-advanced technology in the world,” Panetta said.

“Jim Miller … is our new undersecretary for policy,” the secretary said. The position, he added, is a “very unique job, in part [because] you have to have big brain.”

Panetta said Miller’s job requires the skill sets of an academic, a negotiator, a politician, statesman and psychologist, among other traits.

“Jim brings to this position really a remarkable strategic insight into the challenges that we face,” he added.

Panetta described Conaton’s job as a “battlefield” position compared to the jobs of the previous two undersecretaries of defense he introduced.

“You are on the frontlines in the job of undersecretary for personnel and readiness,” Panetta said to Conaton. “You’re dealing with issues that confront people in this department from birth, through their career, to their death. It’s all dealt with in this shop.”

“It really does relate to the quality of life that our people have -- men and women in uniform -- and our civilian workforce,” Panetta added. “I know that in this position Erin will be an outstanding advocate for all of our volunteer force, our department civilians and their families.”

Panetta also praised Conaton’s tenacity, noting she’s a native of New Jersey. “When you come from New Jersey, you have a certain sense of fight that you have to have,” he said. “And she has that. She’s a proven leader and she’s a proven fighter.”

In addition to welcoming the three undersecretaries, Panetta expressed his personal gratitude to their families for their support. He also thanked Jo Ann Rooney, principal deputy undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, who held Conaton’s position on an interim basis while she underwent the confirmation process.
The defense secretary acknowledged there has been “an awful lot of movement” in the department’s leadership in recent months.

“But we now have a full team in place,” Panetta said. “A team that I’m very confident will help us meet our responsibility to the men and women in uniform, and the men and women who are part of our civilian workforce.”

“This department is stronger, and I believe our country is safer, because of your talent, your dedication and your teamwork,” he said.

VIRGINA MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO PLOTTING SUICIDE BOMB ATTACK ON THE U.S. CAPITOL BUILDING

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Friday, June 22, 2012
Virginia Man Pleads Guilty in Plot to Carry out Suicide Bomb Attack on U.S. Capitol
Amine El Khalifi, a 29-year-old resident of Alexandria, Va., pleaded guilty today in federal court in the Eastern District of Virginia in connection with his efforts to carry out a suicide bomb attack on the U.S. Capitol Building in February 2012 as part of what he intended to be a terrorist operation.

The guilty plea was announced by Neil H. MacBride, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Lisa Monaco, Assistant Attorney General for National Security; and James W. McJunkin, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office.

At a hearing today before U.S. District Court Judge James C. Cacheris, El Khalifi pleaded guilty to one count of attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction (specifically, a destructive device consisting of an improvised explosive device) against U.S. property, namely the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.  As part of the plea agreement, the United States and El Khalifi agree that a sentence within a range of 25 years to 30 years incarceration is the appropriate disposition of this case.   Sentencing has been scheduled for Sept. 14, 2012.

El Khalifi, an illegal immigrant from Morocco, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint on Feb. 17, 2012.  His arrest was the culmination of an undercover operation during which he was closely monitored by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF).  The explosives and firearm that he allegedly sought and attempted to use had been rendered inoperable by law enforcement and posed no threat to the public.

“Amine El Khalifi sought to bring down the U.S. Capitol and kill as many people as possible,” said U.S. Attorney MacBride. “He admitted today that he picked the targets, weapons, and means of the suicide attack while working with someone he believed was an Al Qaeda operative.”

“Amine El-Khalifi today admitted that he attempted to carry out a suicide attack on the U.S. Capitol as part of what he believed would be a terrorist operation,” said Assistant Attorney General Monaco.  “I thank all those responsible for ensuring that El Khalifi’s violent plans never came to fruition.”

“The FBI’s top priority is stopping terrorism, and we remain vigilant against those who attempt to commit violence against the United States,” said Assistant Director in Charge McJunkin.  “Today’s plea is the result of the hard work of dedicated Special Agents, analysts and prosecutors as well as officers from our partner law enforcement agencies that make up the Joint Terrorism Task Force.”

According to the statement of facts and other court documents filed in the case, in January 2011, a confidential human source reported to the FBI that El Khalifi met with other individuals at a residence in Arlington, Va., on Jan. 11, 2011.   During this meeting, one individual produced what appeared to be an AK-47, two revolvers and ammunition.   El Khalifi allegedly expressed agreement with a statement by this individual that the “war on terrorism” was a “war on Muslims” and said that the group needed to be ready for war.

According to court documents, El Khalifi sought to be associated with an armed extremist group, and on Dec 1, 2011, he was introduced by a man he knew as “Hussien” to an individual named “Yusuf,” who was, in reality, an undercover law enforcement officer.  Throughout December 2011 and January 2012, El Khalifi proposed to carry out a bombing attack.  His proposed targets included a building that contained U.S. military offices, as well as a synagogue, U.S. Army generals and a restaurant frequented by military officials.

During meetings with the undercover officer, El Khalifi handled an AK-47and indicated his desire to conduct an operation in which he would use a gun and kill people face-to-face.  He also selected a restaurant in Washington, D.C., for a bombing attack; handled an explosive as an example of what could be used in the attack; conducted surveillance to determine the best place and time for the bombing and purchased materials as part of the planned operation.

On Jan. 7, 2012, “Hussien” informed El Khalifi that he was an al-Qaeda operative.  El Khalifi discussed the possibility that his planned bombing of the restaurant would be followed by a second attack against a military installation to be conducted by others who El Khalifi believed to be associated with al-Qaeda.

On Jan. 15, 2012, El Khalifi stated that he had modified his plans for his attack.   Rather than conduct an attack on a restaurant, he wanted to conduct a suicide attack at the U.S. Capitol Building.  That same day at a quarry in West Virginia, as a demonstration of the effects of the proposed bomb operation, El Khalifi dialed a cell phone number that he believed would detonate a bomb placed in the quarry.  The test bomb detonated, and El Khalifi expressed a desire for a larger explosion in his attack.  He also selected Feb. 17, 2012, as the day of the operation.

Over the next month, El Khalifi traveled to the U.S. Capitol Building several times to conduct surveillance, choosing the spot where he would be dropped off to enter the building, the specific time for the attack and the method he would use to avoid law enforcement attention.   El Khalifi also asked Hussien to remotely detonate the bomb he would be wearing on the day of the attack if El Khalifi encountered problems with security officers, and to provide El Khalifi with a gun that he could use during the attack to shoot any officers who might attempt to stop him.

On Feb. 17, 2012, El Khalifi traveled to a parking garage near the U.S. Capitol Building.   El Khalifi took possession of a MAC-10 automatic weapon and put on a vest containing what he believed to be a functioning bomb.   Unbeknownst to El Khalifi, both the weapon and the bomb had been rendered inoperable by law enforcement.   El Khalifi walked alone from the vehicle toward the U.S. Capitol, where he intended to shoot people and detonate the bomb.   El Khalifi was arrested and taken into custody before exiting the parking garage.

This investigation is being conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office.  The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gordon Kromberg and Michael Ben’Ary of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, as well as Trial Attorneys Joseph Kaster and Courtney Sullivan from the Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.

MARS ROCKS

FROM:  NASA

This enhanced-color image from March 2012 of a region of Mars near Nili Fossae shows part of the ejecta from an impact crater and contains some of the best exposures of ancient bedrock on Mars.

The impact broke up already diverse rocks types and mixed them together to create this wild jumble of colors, each representing a different type of rock.
This image was taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's HiRISE camera.
Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona

PENNSYLVANIA RESIDENT AND MEMBER OF INTERNET GROUP "IMAGINE" PLEADS GUILTY

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Friday, June 22, 2012
Pennsylvania Member of the Internet Piracy Group “Imagine” Pleads Guilty to Copyright Infringement Conspiracy

A Pennsylvania man pleaded guilty today to conspiring to willfully reproduce and distribute tens of thousands of infringing copies of copyrighted works without permission, including infringing copies of movies before they were commercially released on DVD, Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Neil H. MacBride and Special Agent in Charge John P. Torres of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) in Washington, D.C., announced today.

Willie O. Lambert, 57, of Pittston, Pa., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement.  The plea was entered before U.S. District Judge Arenda L. Wright Allen in the Eastern District of Virginia.  Lambert faces up to five years in prison, a fine of $250,000 and three years of supervised release.

Lambert was indicted on April 18, 2012, along with three other leading members of the IMAGiNE Group, an organized online piracy group seeking to become the premier group to first release Internet copies of new movies only showing in theaters.  A co-defendant, Sean M. Lovelady, entered a guilty plea to the same charge on May 8, 2012.

According to court documents, Lambert and his co-conspirators sought to illegally obtain and disseminate digital copies of copyrighted motion pictures showing in theaters.  Lambert admitted that he went to movie theaters and secretly used receivers and recording devices to capture the audio sound tracks of copyrighted movies (referred to as “capping”).  After obtaining, editing and filtering audio sound tracks and uploading them to servers utilized by the IMAGiNE Group, Lambert used and attempted to use software to synchronize the audio file with an illegally obtained video file of a movie to create a completed movie file suitable for sharing over the Internet among members of the IMAGiNE Group and others.  Mr. Lambert also admitted that the IMAGiNE group’s conduct resulted in a readily provable and reasonably foreseeable infringement amount of more than $400,000.

The investigation of the case and the arrests were conducted by agents with ICE-HSI.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Krask of the Eastern District of Virginia and Senior Counsel John H. Zacharia of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.  Significant assistance was provided by the CCIPS Cyber Crime Lab and the Office of International Affairs in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.

This case is part of efforts being undertaken by the Department of Justice Task Force on Intellectual Property (IP Task Force) to stop the theft of intellectual property.  Attorney General Eric Holder created the IP Task Force to combat the growing number of domestic and international intellectual property crimes, protect the health and safety of American consumers, and safeguard the nation’s economic security against those who seek to profit illegally from American creativity, innovation and hard work.  The IP Task Force seeks to strengthen intellectual property rights protection through heightened criminal and civil enforcement, greater coordination among federal, state and local law enforcement partners, and increased focus on international enforcement efforts, including reinforcing relationships with key foreign partners and U.S. industry leaders.

 This investigation was supported by the HSI-led National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center) in Washington.  The IPR Center is one of the U.S. government’s key weapons in the fight against criminal counterfeiting and piracy.  As a task force, the IPR Center uses the expertise of its 20 member agencies to share information, develop initiatives, coordinate enforcement actions and conduct investigations related to IP theft.  Through this strategic interagency partnership, the IPR Center protects the public's health and safety, the U.S. economy and our war fighters.