PEACEKEEPING EXERCISE BEGINS IN NEPAL

Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Thomas L. Conant, deputy commander of U.S. Pacific Command, lays a wreath with Nepalese officers at Exercise Shanti Prayas 2 at the Birendra Peace Operations Training Center in Panchkhal, Nepal, March 25, 2013. The multinational peacekeeping exercise is designed to build capacity and interoperability among partner nations. Photo courtesy of the Nepalese army

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Multinational Peacekeeping Exercise Kicks Off in Nepal
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 26, 2013 - U.S. Pacific Command's deputy commander opened a multinational peacekeeping exercise in Nepal yesterday, praising planners and participants for the role they will play in promoting peace operations regionally and around the world

Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Thomas L. Conant joined officials from the Nepalese army and the United Nations to kick off the Shanti Prayas 2 peacekeeping exercise at the Birendra Peace Operations Training Center in Panchkal.

The exercise, the second to be hosted by Nepal, is sponsored by the United States to train the Nepal army and Global Peace Operations Initiative partner nation militaries for U.N. peacekeeping missions. Representatives of 23 nations are participating in this year's exercise.

Conant, expressing pride for his service as a U.N. peacekeeper in Somalia in 1994, challenged the group to take advantage of the opportunity to "learn and practice and latest in peacekeeping skills in a realistic environment, as well as to learn from each nation's participants."

As they increase their peacekeeping skills and ability to operate together, participants will strengthen multinational cooperation while contributing to regional peacekeeping capability, he said.

"This exercise will be no different, as participants prepare for important international missions that require the highest peacekeeping skill levels and use the latest U.N. doctrine," he said.

Noting Nepal's contributions to international peacekeeping, Nepalese Army Chief Gen. Gaurav SJB Rana emphasized the importance of sharing experiences, best practices and lessons learned to prepare participants for the challenges of peacekeeping missions.

Shanti Prayas 2 includes a senior training seminar, staff exercise and field training exercise.

Eleven platoons from 11 nations participating in the FTX are working to enhance their tactical training, organizational tactics, techniques and procedures. Senior leaders from Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and the United States are attending the four-day senior training seminar, which concludes today.

In addition, 84 officers from 24 nations participating in the staff exercise are focused on improving their operations, logistics and planning capabilities and U.N. civil-military coordination.

Conant and his Nepalese hosts laid a wreath on a Peacekeepers Memorial to honor those killed in the line of duty promoting international peace.

The U.S. State Department's Global Peace Operations Initiative was established in 2004 to build partner-nation capabilities in peace support operations. The goal, Conant explained, is to increase the pool of military troops and police units trained and available for deployment and to provide the required preparation, logistical and deployment support they may require.

Within six years of its inception, the program trained and equipped 75,000 peacekeepers worldwide, primarily in Africa. The focus now has shifted to the Asia-Pacific region, with an emphasis on humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations, Conant said.

EXPORT-IMPORT BANK BACKS $9 MILLION LOAN FOR EXPORT OF SOLAR PANELS TO INDIA

FROM: U.S. EXPORT-IMPORT BANK
California Company Miasolé Exports Thin-Film Solar Panels for Solar-Energy Project in India, Backed by $9 Million Ex-Im Bank Loan
Company Plans To Add 200 U.S. Jobs Due to Growing Export Business

Washington, D.C. – Miasolé, a solar-energy company in Santa Clara, Calif., has exported thin-film solar panels to a solar photovoltaic (PV) project in Rajasthan, India, with the support of a $9 million direct loan from the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank).

The Indian borrower, Sai Maithili Power Company Private Ltd., a single-purpose solar company formed by KSK Energy Ventures, used Miasolé’s high-efficiency, thin-film PV solar panels in the construction of an 11.6-megawatt (DC) solar PV project in Rajasthan. The recently commissioned project was built in support of India’s Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission.

"Ex-Im Bank exists to help companies create and maintain American jobs through exports. This is Ex-Im’s second financing of Miasolé’s exports to India, a growing market for renewable-energy goods and services. Through this support, Ex-Im Bank is assisting the company in expanding its manufacturing base and creating many new jobs," said Ex-Im Bank Chairman and President Fred P. Hochberg.

In FY 2010, Ex-Im Bank provided a $3.7 million loan to finance exports of Miasolé’s thin-film PV solar panels to a solar project in Gujarat, India.

"Ex-Im Bank’s support of Miasolé’s California-made solar modules for projects in India lowers the cost of capital and will enable Miasolé to expand U.S. exports and create jobs in California," said Miasolé CEO John Carrington. "We look forward to continuing to work with Ex-Im Bank in 2013 as Miasolé expands its global footprint and business model to invest in projects, acquire project pipeline and partner with leading developers and engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) companies in sustainable markets such as India."

Miasolé is a pioneer in the development of copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) thin-film PV solar panels, which are among the highest-efficiency and lowest-cost solar panels. Due to its expanding export-related business, Miasolé is doubling its workforce to 400 employees in California in 2013.

A HISTORY BETWEEN EARTH'S MOON AND VESTA

VestaThis full view of the giant asteroid Vesta was taken by NASA's Dawn spacecraft, as part of a rotation characterization sequence on July 24, 2011, at a distance of 3,200 miles (5,200 kilometers). A rotation characterization sequence helps the scientists and engineers by giving an initial overview of the character of the surface as Vesta rotated underneath the spacecraft. This view of Vesta shows impact craters of various sizes and troughs parallel to the equator. The resolution of this image is about 500 meters per pixel. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/I

 

FROM: NASA

NASA and international researchers have discovered that Earth's moon has more in common than previously thought with large asteroids roaming our solar system.

Scientists from NASA's Lunar Science Institute (NLSI), Moffett Field, Calif., discovered that the same population of high-speed projectiles that impacted our lunar neighbor four billion years ago, also hit the asteroid Vesta and perhaps other large asteroids.

The research unveils an unexpected link between Vesta and the moon, and provides new means for studying the early bombardment history of terrestrial planets. The findings are published in the March issue of Nature Geoscience.

"It’s always intriguing when interdisciplinary research changes the way we understand the history of our solar system," said Yvonne Pendleton, NLSI director. "Although the moon is located far from Vesta, which is in the main asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, they seem to share some of the same bombardment history."

The findings support the theory that the repositioning of gas giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn from their original orbits to their current location destabilized portions of the asteroid belt and triggered a solar system-wide bombardment of asteroids billions of years ago called the lunar cataclysm.

The research provides new constraints on the start and duration of the lunar cataclysm, and demonstrates that the cataclysm was an event that affected not only the inner solar system planets, but the asteroid belt as well.

The moon rocks brought back by Apollo astronauts have long been used to study the bombardment history of the moon. Now the ages derived from meteorite samples have been used to study the collisional history of main belt asteroids. In particular, howardite and eucrite meteorites, which are common species found on Earth, have been used to study asteroid Vesta, their parent body. With the aid of computer simulations, researchers determined that meteorites from Vesta recorded high-speed impacts which are now long gone.

Researchers have linked these two datasets, and found that the same population of projectiles responsible for making craters and basins on the moon were also hitting Vesta at very high velocities, enough to leave behind a number of telltale impact-related ages.

The team’s interpretation of the howardites and eucrites was augmented by recent close-in observations of Vesta's surface by NASA’s Dawn spacecraft. In addition, the team used the latest dynamical models of early main belt evolution to discover the likely source of these high velocity impactors. The team determined that the population of projectiles that hit Vesta had orbits that also enabled some objects to strike the moon at high speeds.

"It appears that the asteroidal meteorites show signs of the asteroid belt losing a lot of mass four billion years ago, with the escaped mass beating up on both the surviving main belt asteroids and the moon at high speeds" says lead author Simone Marchi, who has a joint appointment between two of NASA’s Lunar Science Institutes, one at the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in Boulder, Colorado, and another at the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston, Texas. "Our research not only supports the current theory, but it takes it to the next level of understanding."

The NLSI is headquartered at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif. The Dawn mission to Vesta and Ceres is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Dawn is a project of the directorate's Discovery Program, managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.

PENTAGON SAYS THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA NOT HELPFUL

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
North Korean Threats Help No One, Pentagon Official Says
By Claudette Roulo
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 26, 2013 - The newest threats by North Korea follow a well-worn pattern designed to raise tensions and intimidate others, Pentagon Press Secretary George E. Little said today.

According to news reports out of North Korea this week, long-range artillery and strategic rocket units have been ordered to prepare to deploy.

The United States is concerned by any activities on the Korean Peninsula that could raise tensions, Little said in a meeting with reporters. "It's not just artillery," he noted. "North Korea has nuclear capabilities, so the full range of their arsenal is of concern to the United States and to our South Korean allies."

North Korea's threats help no one, Little said, and serve only to further isolate North Korea and undermine international efforts to ensure peace and stability in the region.

The decision earlier this month to place 14 additional ground-based interceptors at Fort Greely, Alaska, and Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., was based in large part on growing threats from North Korea, Little said.

In addition to the recent mobilization order, in recent months North Korea has conducted nuclear testing, placed a satellite into orbit and continued development of its intercontinental missile program. "The facts are that the North Koreans are developing their missile capabilities in violation of international law and norms of international behavior," Little said, "and they need to stop."

The chairman of South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff and the U.S. general who commands the U.S.-Republic of Korea Combined Forces Command announced March 24 that they had signed a combined plan to counter threats from North Korea. The classified agreement is led by the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff and supported by U.S. Forces Korea, Little said. The agreement is part of a robust architecture supporting a larger joint planning effort that has been under way for some time, he added.

"We are moving forward to take new steps on a combined command and control structure for the [U.S.-South Korea] alliance," Little said. The counter-provocation plan serves as a representation of the continued development of strategic, operational and tactical cooperation, he said.

"It improves our combined readiness posture and allows immediate and decisive response to any North Korean provocation," Little added.

"It's very important that we do everything we can to stabilize the peninsula and not take rhetoric to where it shouldn't go," he said, "and that's what the North Koreans are doing right now, and that should cease."

The United States takes everything the North Korean government says and does seriously, Little said.

"We continue to urge North Korean leadership to heed the president's call to choose a path of peace and to come into compliance with North Korea's international obligations," he added

Press Briefing by Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest | The White House

Press Briefing by Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest | The White House

RECENT U.S. NAVY PHOTOS

 

FROM: U.S NAVY

The amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2) enters dry dock at the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company. The ship is undergoing an 18-month maintenance and upgrade period and expects to return to the fleet in 2014. U.S. Navy photo by Senior Chief Mass Communication Specialist Joe Kane (Released) 130324-N-ZC343-097

An F/A-18C Hornet from the Wildcats of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 131 launches from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) on the ship's first day of combat air sorties of 2013 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Dwight D. Eisenhower is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility promoting maritime security operations, theater security cooperation efforts and support missions as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Justin R. Wesley (Released) 130324-N-RC063-033

 

EPA SAYS OVER HALF OF U.S. RIVER AND STREAM MILES IN POOR CONDITION

FROM: U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
EPA Survey Finds More Than Half of the Nation’s River and Stream Miles in Poor Condition
WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released the results of the first comprehensive survey looking at the health of thousands of stream and river miles across the country, finding that more than half – 55 percent – are in poor condition for aquatic life.

"The health of our Nation’s rivers, lakes, bays and coastal waters depends on the vast network of streams where they begin, and this new science shows that America’s streams and rivers are under significant pressure," said Office of Water Acting Assistant Administrator Nancy Stoner. "We must continue to invest in protecting and restoring our nation’s streams and rivers as they are vital sources of our drinking water, provide many recreational opportunities, and play a critical role in the economy."

The 2008-2009 National Rivers and Stream Assessment reflects the most recent data available, and is part of EPA’s expanded effort to monitor waterways in the U.S. and gather scientific data on the condition of the Nation’s water resources.

EPA partners, including states and tribes, collected data from approximately 2,000 sites across the country. EPA, state and university scientists analyzed the data to determine the extent to which rivers and streams support aquatic life, how major stressors may be affecting them and how conditions are changing over time.

Findings of the assessment include:

- Nitrogen and phosphorus are at excessive levels. Twenty-seven percent of the nation’s rivers and streams have excessive levels of nitrogen, and 40 percent have high levels of phosphorus. Too much nitrogen and phosphorus in the water—known as nutrient pollution—causes significant increases in algae, which harms water quality, food resources and habitats, and decreases the oxygen that fish and other aquatic life need to survive. Nutrient pollution has impacted many streams, rivers, lakes, bays and coastal waters for the past several decades, resulting in serious environmental and human health issues, and impacting the economy.

- Streams and rivers are at an increased risk due to decreased vegetation cover and increased human disturbance. These conditions can cause streams and rivers to be more vulnerable to flooding, erosion, and pollution. Vegetation along rivers and streams slows the flow of rainwater so it does not erode stream banks, removes pollutants carried by rainwater and helps maintain water temperatures that support healthy streams for aquatic life. Approximately 24 percent of the rivers and streams monitored were rated poor due to the loss of healthy vegetative cover.

- Increased bacteria levels. High bacteria levels were found in nine percent of stream and river miles making those waters potentially unsafe for swimming and other recreation.

- Increased mercury levels. More than 13,000 miles of rivers have fish with mercury levels that may be unsafe for human consumption. For most people, the health risk from mercury by eating fish and shellfish is not a health concern, but some fish and shellfish contain higher levels of mercury that may harm an unborn baby or young child's developing nervous system.

EPA plans to use this new data to inform decision making about addressing critical needs around the country for rivers, streams, and other waterbodies. This comprehensive survey will also help develop improvements to monitoring these rivers and streams across jurisdictional boundaries and enhance the ability of states and tribes to assess and manage water quality to help protect our water, aquatic life, and human health. Results are available for a dozen geographic and ecological regions of the country.

SECRETARY OF STATE KERRY MEETS WITH KABUL EMBASSY STAFF AND FAMILIES

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Meeting With Staff and Families at U.S. Embassy Kabul
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
U.S. Embassy Kabul
Kabul, Afghanistan
March 26, 2013

AMBASSADOR CUNNINGHAM: Well, Secretary Kerry, welcome to the atrium at the U.S. Embassy. You spoke to us here a couple weeks ago on a big screen that was right here, and you said then that you’d be here in person soon to see us, and we’re glad that you are, so very welcomed.

This is your team, 15 U.S. Government agencies and Afghans, working for the same bright future for this country that we’ve been discussing the last few days with our Afghan hosts. So without further ado, please.

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you, Mr. Ambassador. Thank you very much. Thank you. Wow, how much cord have I got here? (Laughter.) Great, all right. I’ll get out from the back of that crazy thing here.

Hello, Embassy Kabul. How are you? Everybody good? (Applause.) I want you to know, and I just want to remind you of this, that for the days preceding my getting here, it was rainy and it was cold, it was horrible. I got here yesterday – sunny, warm, incredible, warm and sunny today. (Applause.) And even better, President Karzai and I stood up and it was like the sun had been shining forever between us. (Laughter.) It was wonderful.

We had a great visit, a great visit, and the President was unbelievably generous and welcoming. And I think we accomplished a lot and have gotten some things sort of laid out going forward. But I just want to, in person, have a chance to be able to talk to you all and particularly say thank you, but also just chat a little bit about where we are. First of all, I did have a chance to talk to you when you were all standing here graciously when we were doing the video. And I must say, from the video shot, it looked like it was cavernous, just waiting forever. (Laughter.) Now, I get to see you in person and see your faces and have a chance to really talk to you, and I appreciate that.

First of all, I want to begin by saying a huge thank you to the Ambassador and to Leslie. They have, together, carved out an extraordinary diplomatic career. He’s been in so many places – Rome and Brussels and Washington and New York and, of course, Hong Kong and Israel, which is where I got to meet him and get to know him, where he was in a challenging place and he decided it wasn’t challenging enough, so he came here. (Laughter.) What can I say? But I think you’ll all agree with me that they’re a great team and they’re doing a great job and we’re grateful to both of them for everything they’re doing. (Applause.) And I want to thank his teammate in that effort, Tina Kaidanow. Thank you very much for your leadership also in a tough spot here for all of you. We appreciate the hard work every single one of you are doing here. This is one of those posts where you don’t get to go out to restaurants at night and party and do a whole bunch of – I know you party a little bit, I’ve been told. (Laughter.) But it’s kind of confined and there are obviously risks and challenges. So we are particularly grateful to you for what you’re trying to achieve here.

I have to tell you, I met this morning with 10 extraordinary women who are so courageous and inspirational that it really tells the story of all of you and of everything else we’re trying to do here. I told President Karzai there is nothing we want more – we don’t have grand designs. We don’t want permanent bases. We’re not here to play in some modern-day 21st century great game between India and Pakistan and the ‘Stans and Russia. That’s not what it’s about. This is about the people of Afghanistan having the ability to make their choice about their future without oppression and without violence and coercion, and choose their leadership and define their future.

And every single one of you here are in one of the most exciting places in the whole world. There’s no greater diplomatic challenge than trying to fight through a cultural historical barrier that is standing in the way of the 21st century and of modernity. Those young women I talked to today, one of whom said, "I’ve always dreamed since I was a young girl of being a businesswoman," but she couldn’t even begin to think about doing that until 2002, 2003, ’04 – young women who are in schools and being educated.

When this process started back in 2002, there were almost no women in school. You had to hide to learn. And there were some boys. Now, you all know the figures. You know the numbers. Nearly 10 million, not yet there, and almost evenly divided between men and women. It’s an extraordinary story. Not to mention that there is a government that was elected, and there’s going to be another election. That’s the target. It’s not the end. It’s not the end goal. It’s a big way station on the way to the rest of these dreams being realized. But it’s a very important way station, and we need to do everything in our power to stay focused on it, to work with the Government of Afghanistan, to work with President Karzai, who I think is in the position to be a statesman and have a great legacy as he turns over leadership through a duly elected process to a new president, and we transition.

We have a bigger – a big milestone in a couple of months, and you marked a huge milestone just yesterday with the transfer of the detention facility. So you are succeeding, and no matter what you do here, whether you are a Foreign Service officer or a civil servant, a contractor, one of the other agencies that Jim mentioned, the many agencies that converge here to be operating together, or whether you’re a political appointee temporarily in some position, or temporarily duty assigned from somewhere else, or, most importantly, whether you’re one of those 1,000 Afghans locally hired and working here, we couldn’t do this without you. We really couldn’t do this without you. (Applause.)

So I just wanted to take a couple of minutes – I want to shake a few hands and say hello to everybody – but this is a great journey you all are on. And I’ve been here to Afghanistan quite a few times now. I have one – some of you may remember, I had one very eventful time. I was here with Vice President Biden, then a senator, and Secretary of Defense Hagel, then a senator, and myself. And we were up in Kunar, and we were flying back from Kunar and we got caught in a snow squall, a snowstorm up in the mountains near Bagram back, and the pilot literally couldn’t see a thing. And we made a forced landing up in the mountains, and it was winter and there were a lot of snow around and everything, and as we were going down in this forced landing and everybody’s kind of holding on, wondering what’s going on, the general just continues to talk away and brief us as if nothing’s happening. And we look at each other and we figure, "Well, maybe if one of us gives a speech, we can keep the aircraft up in the air flying, keep going." (Laughter.)

So we land on the ground and we’re looking out there and we see a couple of lonely figures in a couple of mountain over or something, wandering around. We wonder if they’re Taliban. We figure we’ll fight them with snowballs. (Laughter.) But eventually, the guys out of Bagram had to come up in through the mountains up the road in humvees, and a bunch of people came and rescued us and drove us back down, and the helicopters stayed up there until they were able to fly up. So I’ve had some fun here. I’ve had some really good adventures. That’s just the beginning. I won’t go into all of them.

What I want to say to you, from your country and those of you who are Afghans, from the United States of America, your friends, we want to say thank you to you for the enormously important work that you are invested in here. It’s an example to people all over the world. And just to listen to those women this morning and hear about how possibilities have changed for them, how proud they are of what they’re doing, most importantly, how their individual person is now fully blossoming and respected, and they’re not somebody’s property or not shut away and hidden from life, that’s a brilliant transformation to be engaged in. Not easy, but it’s really important.

So I think you should be very, very proud of what you’re doing here. Obviously, we’re in a period of transition. And as we transition, the duties of the embassy, the size of the embassy, what everybody’s involved in also changes with it. And don’t be frightened about that. It’s a good thing. It’s what we want to have happen, and it’s how, in the end, we’re going to measure our success here.

So from the President of the United States and the Administration and from the American people, I come here to thank you for the work that you are doing, a year-long duty for a lot you here without families under difficult circumstances. I know what you’re going through, because I was the son of a Foreign Service officer and I spent some time packing up bags and leaving school and moving and leaving some of your family and so on and so forth. So in all my past visits, I came here as a Senator. This time, I get to come here as one of you. And just like you have our backs every single day in what you’re doing here, I promise you I will have your back with the Congress and in Washington in our effort to make sure you have the tools you need.

So, thank you, and God bless you all. (Applause.)

CONSTRUCTION COMPANY WILL PAY $1.15 MILLION TO SETTLE FALSE CLAIMS ALLEGATIONS

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Monday, March 25, 2013
Caddell Construction Agrees to Pay $1,150,000 to Resolve False Claims Allegations
United States Alleges that Company Falsely Claimed Payment For Native American-Owned Business Participation

The Justice Department announced today that Alabama-based Caddell Construction has agreed to pay to the United States $1,150,000 to settle allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by falsely reporting to the Army Corps of Engineers that it hired and mentored a Native American-owned company to work on construction projects at Fort Bragg, N.C., and Fort Campbell, Ky.

The Army Corps contracted with Caddell between 2003 and 2005 to build barracks at the two bases. As part of the contracts, Caddell represented that it would hire and mentor Mountain Chief Management Services, a Native American-owned company, under the Department of Defense’s Mentor-Protégé and Indian Incentive Programs. The Mentor-Protégé Program reimburses companies for the time and cost of mentoring small disadvantaged businesses, while the Indian Incentive Program provides a rebate to contractors for subcontracting with Native American-owned businesses.

The United States alleged that from April 2003 to March 2005, Caddell falsely represented in its invoices and supporting documents that it was mentoring Mountain Chief and that Mountain Chief was performing work on the construction projects. According to the government, Mountain Chief allegedly was merely a pass-through entity used by Caddell to claim payments under the two programs, and didn’t perform the work or receive the mentoring services for which Caddell received payment.

"Contractors that subvert important government programs, such as those designed to benefit small and Native American-owned businesses, will be held accountable," said Stuart F. Delery, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division of the Department of Justice. "We will work tirelessly to ensure that participants in federal programs and benefits receive only the money to which they are entitled."

Caddell’s former director of business development, Mark Hill, and Mountain Chief’s former president, Daniel Chattin, were indicted on related charges in federal district court for the Middle District of Alabama in January 2012. Both are awaiting trial. In December 2012, Caddell entered into a non-prosecution agreement with the United States under which it agreed to pay the United States $2 million and to cooperate in the ongoing criminal matter.

The civil case was handled by the Civil Division of the Department of Justice, with investigative assistance provided by the General Services Administration Office of Inspector General and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service.

U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE KERRY AND RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTER SHOYGU DISCUSS SECURITY ISSUES

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Hagel, Russian Counterpart Discuss Mutual Security Issues
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 26, 2013 - Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu made a congratulatory call to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, and the two leaders discussed a range of issues, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said yesterday.

Hagel and Shoygu discussed the ongoing security transition in Afghanistan, Little said in a statement.

"Secretary Hagel assured his counterpart that the handover of security responsibilities is progressing as the capabilities of the Afghan national security forces continue to improve," he added.

Hagel said the United States would keep Russia and all concerned apprised throughout the process, and he encouraged close bilateral cooperation on other issues, including Syria, North Korea and Iran.

"Minister Shoygu expressed his desire to reconvene missile defense discussions with the U.S. at the deputy minister level," Little said. "Secretary Hagel agreed and reiterated that this is an important part of U.S.-Russian relations."

Hagel assured the minister that these discussions would continue and be carried forward by Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Jim Miller, the press secretary noted.

"Secretary Hagel expressed his appreciation for the call, as well as his desire to continue close coordination on a range of global issues," Little said.

NSF REPORTS ON ENDANGERED LEMURS' GENOME SEQUENCING

Photo:  Aye-Aye Lemur.  Credit:  Wikimedia Commons.

FROM: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Endangered Lemurs' Genomes Sequenced
 For the first time, the complete genomes of three populations of aye-ayes--a type of lemur--have been sequenced and analyzed.

The results of the genome-sequence analyses are published this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

The research was led by George Perry, an anthropologist and biologist at Penn State University; Webb Miller, a biologist and computer scientist and engineer at Penn State; and Edward Louis of the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium in Omaha, Neb., and Director of the Madagascar Biodiversity Partnership.

The aye-aye--a lemur that is found only on the island of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean--was recently re-classified as "Endangered" by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

"The biodiversity of Madagascar is like nowhere else on Earth, with all 88 described lemur species restricted to the island, but with less than 3 percent of its original forest remaining," said Simon Malcomber, program director in the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Division of Environmental Biology, which in part funded the research.

"It's essential to preserve as much of this unique diversity as possible," Malcomber said.

Added Perry, "The aye-aye is one of the world's most unusual and fascinating animals."

"Aye-ayes use continuously growing incisors to gnaw through the bark of dead trees. They have long, thin, flexible middle fingers to extract insect larvae, filling the ecological niche of a woodpecker.

"Aye-ayes are nocturnal, solitary and have very low population densities, making them difficult to study and sample in the wild."

Perry and other scientists are concerned about the long-term viability of aye-ayes as a species, given the loss and fragmentation of forest habitats in Madagascar.

"Aye-aye population densities are very low, and individual aye-ayes have huge home-range requirements," said Perry.

"As forest patches become smaller, there's a risk that there won't be sufficient numbers of aye-ayes in an area to maintain a population over multiple generations.

"We were looking to make use of new genomic-sequencing technologies to characterize patterns of genetic diversity among some of the surviving aye-aye populations, with an eye toward the prioritization of conservation efforts."

The researchers located aye-ayes and collected DNA samples from the animals in three regions of Madagascar: the northern, eastern and western regions.

To discover the extent of the genetic diversity in present-day aye-ayes, the scientists generated the complete genome sequences of 12 individual aye-ayes.

They then analyzed and compared the genomes of the three populations.

They found that, while Eastern and Western aye-ayes are somewhat genetically distinct, aye-ayes in the northern part of the island and those in the east show a more significant genetic distance, suggesting an extensive period during which interbreeding has not occurred between the populations in these regions.

"Our next step was to compare aye-aye genetic diversity to present-day human genetic diversity," said Miller.

"This analysis can help us gauge how long the aye-aye populations have been geographically separated and unable to interbreed."

To make the comparison, the team gathered 12 complete human DNA sequences--the same number as the individually generated aye-aye sequences--from publicly available databases for three distinct human populations: African agriculturalists, individuals of European descent, and Southeast Asian individuals.

Using Galaxy--an open-source, web-based computer platform designed at Penn State for data-intensive biomedical and genetic research--the scientists developed software to compare the two species' genetic distances.

The researchers found that present-day African and European human populations have a smaller amount of genetic distance than that between northern and eastern aye-aye populations, suggesting that the aye-aye populations were separated for a lengthy period of time by geographic barriers.

"We believe that northern aye-ayes have not been able to interbreed with other populations for some time," said Miller. "Although they are separated by a distance of only about 160 miles, high plateaus and major rivers may have made intermingling relatively infrequent."

The results suggest that the separation of the aye-aye populations stretches back longer than 2,300 years, when human settlers first arrived on Madagascar and started burning the aye-ayes' forest habitat and hunting lemurs.

"This work highlights an important region of aye-aye biodiversity in northern Madagascar, and this unique biodiversity is not preserved anywhere except in the wild," said Louis.

"There is tremendous historical loss of habitat in northern Madagascar that's continuing at an unsustainable rate today."

In future research, the scientists would like to sequence the genomes of other lemur species--more than 70 percent of which are considered endangered or critically endangered--as well as aye-ayes from the southern reaches of Madagascar.

In addition to Perry, Miller and Louis, scientists who contributed to the research include Stephan Schuster, Aakrosh Ratan, Oscar Bedoya-Reina and Richard Burhans of Penn State; Runhua Lei of the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium and Steig Johnson of the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada.

Funding for aye-aye sample collection was provided by Conservation International, the Primate Action Fund and the Margot Marsh Biodiversity Foundation, along with logistical support from the Ahmanson Foundation and the Theodore F. and Claire M. Hubbard Family Foundation.

Additional support came from the National Institutes of Health, the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the College of the Liberal Arts at Penn State University.

-NSF-

PRESIDENT OF SOVEREIGN CITIZEN NATION FACES UP TO 164 YEARS IN PRISON FOR TAX CRIMES

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Monday, March 25, 2013
Self-Proclaimed "President" of Sovereign Citizen Nation Convicted in Alabama of Federal Tax Crimes

A federal jury in Montgomery, Ala., found James Timothy Turner, also known as Tim Turner, guilty late Friday of conspiracy to defraud the United States, attempting to pay taxes with fictitious financial instruments, attempting to obstruct and impede the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), failing to file a 2009 federal income tax return and falsely testifying under oath in a bankruptcy proceeding, the Justice Department, the IRS and the FBI announced today.

Based on the evidence introduced at trial and court filings, Turner, the self-proclaimed "president" of the so-called sovereign citizen group "Republic for the United States of America" (RuSA), traveled the country in 2008 and 2009 conducting seminars teaching attendees how to defraud the IRS by preparing and submitting fictitious "bonds" to the United States government in payment of federal taxes. Although the evidence at trial revealed the bonds are fictitious and worthless, witnesses testified that Turner used special paper, financial terminology and elaborate borders in an effort to make them look "real" and more likely to succeed in defrauding the recipient. Turner was convicted of sending a $300 million "bond" in his own name and of aiding and abetting others in sending fifteen other "bonds" to the Treasury Department to pay taxes and other debts.

The evidence at trial also established that Turner taught people how to file retaliatory liens against government officials who interfered with the processing of fictitious "bonds." Turner filed a purported $17.6 billion maritime lien in Montgomery County, Ala., Probate Court against another individual. Finally, evidence presented at trial demonstrated that the FBI began an investigation after Turner and three other individuals sent demands to all 50 governors in the United States in March 2010 ordering each governor to resign within three days or be "removed."

"The jury’s verdict in this case sends a message that defrauding the government and others through the use of bogus financial documents will not be tolerated," said Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Tax Division Kathryn Keneally. "Disagreement with the law is no excuse for the real harm caused by these self-interested tax defiers."

"These sovereign citizen groups use these retaliatory tax liens and fraudulent tax schemes as weapons against the United States and its citizens," stated Acting U.S. Attorney Sandra J. Stewart. "It is only the hard work of law enforcement that can stop these criminals from using these financial weapons. I would like to thank the law enforcement officers who worked vigilantly on this case to bring this criminal to justice."

"Those who create elaborate schemes and fraudulent tax elimination tactics run a high risk of prosecution," stated Richard Weber, Chief, IRS Criminal Investigation. "Mr. Turner’s attempts to thwart the IRS, as well as the assistance and training he provided to others, was not tax planning, it was criminal activity. IRS-Criminal Investigation is committed to vigorously pursuing those who promote illegal financial transactions designed to evade the payment of taxes. For those who would consider similar behavior, let this case be a strong warning that there is no secret formula for evading the payment of taxes and no one is above the law."

Turner remains in federal custody pending sentencing. Turner faces a potential maximum prison term of 164 years, a maximum potential fine of $2,350,000 and mandatory restitution.

"The prosecution of individuals who intentionally impede the IRS by submitting fictitious and frivolous documents, in an attempt to avoid paying federal taxes, is a vital element in maintaining public confidence in our tax system," stated Veronica Hyman-Pillot, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation. "Hopefully the verdict will send a message to other individuals like Turner, that this conduct will not be tolerated."

"This joint investigation exemplifies the government’s commitment to investigate and prosecute those, who through tax schemes, attempt to cheat and steal from the government," stated Stephen Richardson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI, Mobile Division.

This case was investigated by special agents of the FBI and IRS-Criminal Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Tax Division Trial Attorney Justin Gelfand and Middle District of Alabama Assistant U.S. Attorney Gray Borden.

THE U.S. AT THE UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL 22ND SESSSION

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Key U.S. Outcomes at the UN Human Rights Council 22nd Session
Fact Sheet
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
March 25, 2013

The 22nd Session of the Human Rights Council (HRC) underscored the importance of robust engagement at the Council, where the United States continues to work with a diverse range of countries from all regions of the world to address urgent human rights concerns. This was the first session of the United States’ second term on the Council, after our re-election by the General Assembly in New York last November. U.S. leadership helped to keep the Council at the forefront of international efforts to promote and protect human rights. We continue to engage strategically with the goal of making the HRC a more effective and credible multilateral forum for promoting and protecting human rights. At the same time, the Council’s biased and disproportionate focus on Israel remains a major challenge, as exemplified by the annual Item 7 resolutions. As a member of the Council, our mission remains to emphasize key human rights issues while vigorously opposing efforts to shield human rights violators.

MULTILATERAL RESPONSES TO COUNTRY SITUATIONS

Sri Lanka: The United States, along with a group of 41 cross-regional co-sponsors, introduced a resolution that encouraged the Government of Sri Lanka to implement the constructive recommendations of its own Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) report, as well as recommendations from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, on issues of reconciliation, accountability, human rights, and democratic governance. The resolution, built on a 2012 Council resolution, re-affirmed the Council’s call for the Government of Sri Lanka to fulfill its public commitments to its own people on these longstanding issues of reconciliation and accountability. By adopting the Resolution, the Council reiterated that Sri Lanka must take meaningful action on these areas in order to move forward in the wake of its 27 year civil war.

DPRK: The United States co-sponsored a landmark resolution on North Korea, establishing a Commission of Inquiry (COI) to investigate the grave and systematic violations of human rights in the DPRK. The creation of a COI sends an important message that the global community is paying close attention to the DPRK, not just on the nuclear front, but on the human rights front as well. The resolution was adopted by consensus.

Syria: The Council once again took decisive action regarding the crisis in Syria. The Commission of Inquiry on Syria made a forceful presentation regarding the violations of international law committed by all sides, and highlighted the egregious crimes committed by the Assad regime. The Council voted to extend the mandate of the Commission for one year to investigate ongoing human rights violations in Syria. Sadly, this extended mandate reflects the growing brutality of this crisis, and the COI’s work will aid efforts to document abuses for use in future Syrian led transitional justice and accountability processes. The resolution passed with the strongest level of support so far, with only one country, Venezuela, voting to oppose.

Iran: A cross-regional group of sponsors, including the United States, led the Council in renewing the mandate for the Special Rapporteur on Iran, which passed by the largest vote margin yet--only two "no" votes. Ahmed Shaheed, the former Foreign Minister of the Maldives appointed as the Special Rapporteur on Iran two years ago, continues to work to maintain international attention on Iran’s ongoing and serious violations of human rights. Importantly, the renewal resolution calls on Iran to allow entry for the Special Rapporteur and to cooperate with his work, which Iran so far has refused to do.

Burma: The Council adopted by consensus a resolution that focuses on the human rights situation in Burma by welcoming positive developments and urging further progress. The resolution asks Burma to set a timetable for establishing an office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in the country and renews the Special Rapporteur’s mandate. The resolution also took note of the troublesome situation of ethnic minorities in Rakhine and Kachin states.

Libya: The Council adopted its second technical assistance and cooperation resolution on Libya that will further cement cooperation between the Libyan government and the United Nations to address ongoing problems in the country. The High Commissioner for Human Rights will report on this progress at the 25th session of the HRC.

Mali: The Council adopted by consensus a resolution on the human rights situation in Mali, which calls for an Independent Expert to look into human rights violations and abuses in the entirety of the country. The United States co-sponsored this important resolution, which also calls for the government of Mali to guarantee freedom of expression and to hold free and transparent elections.

Israel: This Council session was once again marred by six separate resolutions targeting Israel under the Council’s biased Agenda Item 7. The United States strongly opposed all six resolutions, including a resolution following up on the report of the Fact Finding Mission on Israeli Settlements, created at the Council last March.

CROSS-CUTTING HUMAN RIGHTS PRIORITIES

Human Rights Defenders: The Council adopted by consensus an important resolution calling on states and the international community to protect human rights defenders and to recognize the legitimacy of their work. The United States, along with 63 other countries, co-sponsored this resolution which reflects one of our most foremost cross-regional human rights priorities.

Genocide Prevention Resolution: The United States was a co-sponsor of this important resolution. The resolution emphasized early warning to prevent genocide and underscored the importance of prevention mechanisms to prevent other types of atrocities, issues that are a focus of the U.S. Atrocities Prevention Board.

Freedom of Religion or Belief and Combating Religious Intolerance, Discrimination, and Violence (16/18): The Council extended by consensus the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief. The Special Rapporteur’s most recent report focuses on threats against religious minority communities. In addition, the Council adopted another resolution proposed by the Organization for Islamic Cooperation on combating religious intolerance, discrimination and violence. The resolution outlines positive steps to address these challenges in a manner consistent with protecting the fundamental freedoms of expression and religion.

Daily HealthBeat | Whole grain goodness?

Daily HealthBeat | Whole grain goodness?

Press Briefing | The White House

Press Briefing | The White House

PRESIDENT OBAMA SPEAKS TO MILITARY MEMBERS AT NATURALIZATION CEREMONY

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Obama Commends Military Members During Naturalization Ceremony
By Amaani Lyle
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 25, 2013 - Twenty-eight people representing 26 countries, including 13 service members, took their oath of U.S. citizenship during a naturalization ceremony in the White House's East Room today.

"In each of you, we see the true spirit of America," Obama said. "And we see a bit of ourselves, too, because most of our stories trace back to moments just like this one ... to an ancestor who, ... like the men and women here today, –- raised their right hand and recited that sacred oath."

A full list of the service members, their ranks and affiliations was not available, but the president singled two of them out by name in his remarks: Nikita Kirichenko and Elrina Brits.

Kirichenko came to the United States at age 11 from Ukraine, the president said. "His mother saw America as the one place on Earth where her son could do anything he wanted," he added. "And a few years ago, Nikita decided that he wanted to join the Air Force so that, in his words, 'I could give back to a country that took me in and gave me a better life.'

"Thank you, Nikita," Obama continued. "Today, we proudly salute him not just as a member of our military, but also as a citizen of our country."

Brits was born in South Africa, and grew up in Washington state, Obama said. "When Elrina decided to join the Navy, somebody told her that she wouldn't be able to cut it," he added. "But even though she wasn't yet American on paper, she had that American quality of being defiant when somebody says you can't do something, so she proved them wrong."

Brits deployed twice to the Middle East and once to Haiti, the president said, "showcasing another quintessentially American impulse, and that's helping others in need. And as a new citizen, Elrina hopes to serve her country in a new way -– as a police officer."

Obama commended all of the service members at the ceremony, noting their willingness to serve their adopted country.

"Elrina, Nikita [and] every member of the military with us have shown incredible patriotism -- a willingness to risk their lives in defense of a nation that was not yet their own," he said. "And that's a remarkable act, and it made each of them one of us. It made each of them in some ways American, even before it was official, because that kind of service and sacrifice has defined our nation for more than two centuries."

THE MILSTAR SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM

 

FROM: U.S. AIR FORCE SPACE COMMAND
Milstar is a joint service satellite communications system that provides secure, jam resistant, worldwide communications to meet essential wartime requirements for high priority military users. The multi-satellite constellation will link command authorities with a wide variety of resources, including ships, submarines, aircraft and ground stations.

U.S. RESPONSE TO HUMANITARIAN PROBLEMS IN SAHEL

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
U.S. Responds to Humanitarian Needs in the Sahel
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
March 25, 2013
　

I am pleased to announce that the United States is providing an additional $51 million in humanitarian assistance to the people of the Sahel region.

The Sahel is one of the poorest regions of the world, and is experiencing a complex crisis of drought, flooding, failed harvests, and disrupted livelihoods, all of which are exacerbated by the conflict in Mali.

Our support is addressing food insecurity across the entire Sahel region and the protection and assistance needs of refugees and internally displaced persons.

In 2012, an estimated 18.7 million people in the Sahel were at risk of food insecurity, including one million children at risk of severe acute malnutrition. Since the beginning of the conflict in Mali in January 2012, nearly 450,000 Malians have been displaced internally or across borders as refugees.

This new humanitarian assistance will assist food insecure and conflict-affected populations in Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger. We remain deeply concerned about the humanitarian crisis in the Sahel and urge others to contribute generously for humanitarian operations.

This brings our total humanitarian contribution to the region to nearly $520 million since fiscal year 2012.

RECENT U.S. NAVY PHOTOS

FROM: U.S. NAVY - German frigate FGS Hamburg (F220) and the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) steam alongside fast combat support ship USNS Bridge (T-AOE 10) while guided-missile cruiser USS Hue City (CG 66) steams astern of Hamburg during a replenishment-at-sea. Dwight D. Eisenhower, Hue City and Hamburg are deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility promoting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ryan D. McLearnon (Released) 130323-N-GC639-175 130322-N-PK218-119 NORFOLK (March 22, 2013) The amphibious transport dock ship Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) Arlington (LPD 24) is positioned at its berth at its new homeport of Naval Station Norfolk. Arlington was named for Arlington County, Va., and honors first responders and the 184 victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 attack on the Pentagon. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Nick Scott/Released)

NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN FOR MARCH 26, 2013

 

An Afghan national army soldier observes his sector during a clearing operation near Camp Shorabak in Afghanistan’s Helmand province, March 16, 2013. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Ezekiel R. Kitandwe

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Combined Force in Kandahar Province Arrests Taliban Leader
From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release

KABUL, Afghanistan, March 26, 2013 - A combined Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader and detained another insurgent in the Shah Wali Kot district of Afghanistan's Kandahar province today, military officials reported.

The leader is accused of ordering assassinations of Afghan government officials, coordinating the movement of weapons and supplies for insurgent operations and leading attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.

Also today, a combined force in Helmand province's Nad-e Ali district arrested a Taliban facilitator who is believed to be responsible for procuring weapons and distributing them to insurgents. The security force also detained several other insurgents.

In Kunduz province's Kunduz district yesterday, a combined force arrested an Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan leader who is believed to lead a cell of insurgent fighters responsible for attacks on Afghan and coalition forces. Before his arrest, officials said, he was believed to be actively planning to assassinate an Afghan national security forces official.