FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
U.S. Renal Care to Pay $7.3 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations
Allegedly Submitted False Medicare Claims for Drug Provided to Dialysis Patients
U.S. Renal Care, headquartered in Plano, Texas, has agreed to pay $7.3 million to resolve allegations that Dialysis Corporation of America (DCA) violated the False Claims Act by submitting false claims to the Medicare program for more Epogen than was actually administered to dialysis patients at DCA facilities, the Justice Department announced today. U.S. Renal Care, which acquired DCA in June 2010, owns and operates more than 100 freestanding outpatient dialysis facilities throughout the United States.
Epogen is an intravenous medication that is used to treat anemia, a common condition afflicting patients with end-stage renal disease. Epogen vials contain a small amount of medication in excess of the labeled amount, known as "overfill," to compensate for medication that may remain in the vial after extraction and in the syringe upon administration. The United States contends that from January 2004 through May 2011, DCA billed for 10-11% overfill whenever it administered Epogen. However, because of the types of syringes DCA used, the United States alleges that DCA was not able to withdraw and administer 10-11% overfill every time it administered Epogen to patients, and thus submitted false claims to Medicare that overstated the amount of Epogen that it was actually providing.
"Today’s settlement shows that the Justice Department will aggressively pursue those health care providers who cut corners at the expense of the American taxpayers, such as by billing for items and services that were not provided," said Stuart F. Delery, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Civil Division. "We will continue to protect scarce Medicare dollars."
"Medical care providers who submit false claims for services and products that were not actually delivered threaten the financial viability of the Medicare Trust Fund," said Rod J. Rosenstein, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland.
"Health providers billing for phantom services cheat taxpayers, cheat programs straining to pay for vitally needed care, and cheat patients who pay inflated copayments," said Nick DiGiulio, Special Agent in Charge, Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for the region including Maryland. "We will continue to work with the Department of Justice to ensure health professionals get reimbursed only for services they actually provide"
This resolution is part of the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud and another step for the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT) initiative, which was announced by Attorney General Eric Holder and Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services in May 2009. The partnership between the two departments has focused efforts to reduce and prevent Medicare and Medicaid financial fraud through enhanced cooperation. One of the most powerful tools in that effort is the False Claims Act, which the Justice Department has used to recover $10.2 billion since January 2009 in cases involving fraud against federal health care programs. The Justice Department’s total recoveries in False Claims Act cases since January 2009 are over $14.2 billion.
The allegations settled today arose from a lawsuit filed by Laura Davis against DCA under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act. The Act allows private citizens with knowledge of fraud to bring civil actions on behalf of the United States and share in any recovery. Ms. Davis will receive $1,314,000 as part of today’s settlement.
This case was handled by the Civil Division of the Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland with assistance from the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services. The claims settled by this agreement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. The whistleblower suit is captioned United States ex rel. Laura Davis v.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
U.S. SPECIAL OPS AND THE FUTURE
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Special Ops Components Adapt for Future Challenges
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
TAMPA, Fla., May 21, 2013 - Look for big changes in special operations forces as they shape for what's ahead after a dozen years of intensive, high-operational-tempo missions focused predominantly on Afghanistan and Iraq.
Commanders of the special operations components laid out their plans for the future to members of the special operations community and the defense industry last week during the 2013 Special Operations Forces Industry Conference here.
The Navy SEALs will undergo "an amphibious evolution in reverse," returning to their maritime roots, Navy Rear Adm. Sean A. Pybus, commander of Naval Special Warfare Command, told the assembly.
Army Special Forces will concentrate on rebuilding their regional expertise and relationships in parts of the world, Army Lt. Gen. Charles T. Cleveland, commander of U.S. Army Special Operations Command, reported.
Air Force Special Operations Command will strive to to rebalance its portfolio to provide broader support to geographic and theater special operations commanders, said Air Force Lt. Gen. Eric E. Fiel, the AFSOC commander.
And Marine Corps Special Forces Command, the newest of special operations components, will work to institute a cultural shift that maximizes the myriad technologies developed during the past decade-plus of conflict, Marine Corps Col. Mike Sweeney, the deputy MARSOC commander, told the group.
Navy Adm. William H. McRaven, U.S. Special Operations Command commander, opened the conference telling participants to think of a future that extends beyond the high-profile missions heralded in best-sellers and across the big screen.
"The fact of the matter is that [counterterrorism] piece that we do better than anybody in the world ... is a small part of our portfolio," he said. "The broader part of our portfolio is about how we build partner capacity [and] how we link with our allies and partners overseas so that we can help them take care of their problems so that we don't end up having to do [counterterrorism]."
U.S. special operators "will continue to take care of the bad guys and rescue the good guys better than anybody in the world," McRaven emphasized. But by helping partner nations build their own capacity, he said, "they can take care of their own security problems ...[and] do the things that we now don't have to put U.S. forces against.
"That is the value of U.S. special operations forces as we go forth in the future," he added.
That concept, encapsulated in McRaven's "Special Operations Forces 2020" vision, requires transition across the special operations service components.
Those changes are well underway in the SEALs, which Pybus said are expected to reduce the number of theater platoons in Afghanistan by at least half by the year's end.
"Our SEALs have been fighting two land wars for the last decade, and there is plenty of work back in the maritime environment," he said. "That is playing out before our eyes."
The drawdown in Afghanistan will free up forces to better support the U.S. strategic pivot toward Asia or demands in other parts of the world, he said, citing examples of the Mediterranean Sea, the Gulf of Guinea or the Persian Gulf. "There are plenty of things to do in support of our theater [special operations commanders] and all their requirements," he said.
The timing is right for most of the SEALs' return to the water, Pybus said, noting that by the end of the decade, 90 percent of the world's population will live in megacities on or near the coast. "So it is the right time for one of the two maritime components of U.S. Socom to make sure that we are covering down on our obligation as a maritime special operations force."
For the Green Berets, Cleveland emphasized the importance of shoring up gaps in regional expertise due to the command's heavy focus on combat operations in the Middle East. "We have these regionally expert forces, but we surged to Iraq and Afghanistan, and by necessity, we sacrificed over the past 12 years a knowledge and expertise that we need of the rest of the world," he said.
"That's not to say we don't have it," Cleveland added. "But we don't have it in the density that we need. And that is the gap we are going to work to fix."
Meanwhile, Army Special Operations Command, like its sister special operations component commands, is striving to preserve strides made in Iraq and Afghanistan. "We cannot lose what we have developed over the last 12 years," Cleveland said. "I think we are taking steps to not do that."
Sustained combat operations served as a "forcing function" for special operators to work in synchronization with not only conventional forces, but also interagency and non-governmental organization partners, he said.
The challenge, once combat operations are over, is to maintain those bonds for the future, Cleveland said. He shared an observation by a State Department official who suggested forming a "league of extraordinary operators" who maintain a connection, rather than forming one when a crisis erupts.
"We ought not wait until we have to descend on a problem to create this connection, and are starting to work on that," Cleveland said.
Regardless of where on the globe Army Special Forces operate, Cleveland said, "two exquisite capabilities" will remain paramount: surgical strike and special warfare. "The country needs both of these capabilities," he said, emphasizing the need to continually evolve for complex challenges that will test the mettle of the future force.
Fiel, commander of Air Force Special Operations Command, said he expects little letup in the years ahead for the command's highest-demand capabilities: mobility, strike and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.
Tasked by McRaven "to generate and sustain as much combat power as possible," Fiel said, he is working to rebalance the command's portfolio to better serve all theater special operations commanders.
Despite flying tactical missions every day in support of every geographic combatant commander and theater special operations commander, all want "more, more, more" capability, Fiel said.
New hardware entering the inventory is a step in the right direction, he said. Another big advance is the new Air Force Special Operations Warfare Center, stood up in February. Its mission includes executing special operations test, evaluation and lessons learned programs and developing doctrine, tactics, techniques, and procedures for AFSOC.
Fiel shared Cleveland's assessment of progress made in building more cohesive and interconnected teams across the special operations force community.
"Socom and [special operations forces] is a team sport. It really is the only joint force in the Department of Defense. Sometimes you are on offensive, sometimes you are on defense, and sometimes you are on special teams," he said. "But we are the only force in the DOD that grows up together."
Since its activation in 2006, Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command has hit the ground running with no pause in the pace of its operational missions. But looking ahead to a post-Afghanistan future, the command is preparing to transition from landlocked operations to future maritime missions around the world, Sweeney told the audience.
In another change to come, Marsoc plans to make its battalions regionally focused to better support theater requirements.
In posturing for that future, Sweeney said, the Marines hope to find better ways to integrate the kinds of technologies integrated into the battlefield in Afghanistan. If anything, Marine special operators are "too heavy on technology," he said.
"When I see our teams and our Marines out there, and they have to have five or six sets of equipment to access five or six networks, that is problematic," he explained. "We are now increasing the burden on the force from a load perspective."
Ideally, Sweeney said, he would like to see one multitiered network that integrates these capabilities.
Another challenge, he said, is to change the culture to take full advantage of what technologies deliver. Sweeney likened the process of compiling multiple data streams to form one operational picture to the broadcast of a "Monday Night Football" game.
"I, as a consumer, see one picture, and that is the picture I want to see," he said. He recognized, however, that someone behind the scenes has made decisions, selecting views from 40 or more screens to deliver what the viewer sees.
"That type of talent is extremely difficult to build in the military," he said, emphasizing that it's not a job that should be relegated to a junior officer or a mid-level noncommissioned officer.
"That is somebody who is well-educated, understands the warfighting functions, can quickly assimilate information, turn it into knowledge and present it to the commander," he said. "It is very, very challenging to do."
The problem, Sweeney said, is that the military – or at least the Marines – don't put emphasis into developing those capabilities or rewarding those who have them.
"From the Marine Corps perspective, if you are an innovator, if you are a visionary, if you are a science-and-technology guy, you are probably not going to do well at the promotion board," he said. "I think what we owe you [in industry] and we owe ourselves is a culture and a mindset shift about how we go after capitalizing on the technology you provide and using that to our advantage to bring power to bear where it counts most."
Special Ops Components Adapt for Future Challenges
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
TAMPA, Fla., May 21, 2013 - Look for big changes in special operations forces as they shape for what's ahead after a dozen years of intensive, high-operational-tempo missions focused predominantly on Afghanistan and Iraq.
Commanders of the special operations components laid out their plans for the future to members of the special operations community and the defense industry last week during the 2013 Special Operations Forces Industry Conference here.
The Navy SEALs will undergo "an amphibious evolution in reverse," returning to their maritime roots, Navy Rear Adm. Sean A. Pybus, commander of Naval Special Warfare Command, told the assembly.
Army Special Forces will concentrate on rebuilding their regional expertise and relationships in parts of the world, Army Lt. Gen. Charles T. Cleveland, commander of U.S. Army Special Operations Command, reported.
Air Force Special Operations Command will strive to to rebalance its portfolio to provide broader support to geographic and theater special operations commanders, said Air Force Lt. Gen. Eric E. Fiel, the AFSOC commander.
And Marine Corps Special Forces Command, the newest of special operations components, will work to institute a cultural shift that maximizes the myriad technologies developed during the past decade-plus of conflict, Marine Corps Col. Mike Sweeney, the deputy MARSOC commander, told the group.
Navy Adm. William H. McRaven, U.S. Special Operations Command commander, opened the conference telling participants to think of a future that extends beyond the high-profile missions heralded in best-sellers and across the big screen.
"The fact of the matter is that [counterterrorism] piece that we do better than anybody in the world ... is a small part of our portfolio," he said. "The broader part of our portfolio is about how we build partner capacity [and] how we link with our allies and partners overseas so that we can help them take care of their problems so that we don't end up having to do [counterterrorism]."
U.S. special operators "will continue to take care of the bad guys and rescue the good guys better than anybody in the world," McRaven emphasized. But by helping partner nations build their own capacity, he said, "they can take care of their own security problems ...[and] do the things that we now don't have to put U.S. forces against.
"That is the value of U.S. special operations forces as we go forth in the future," he added.
That concept, encapsulated in McRaven's "Special Operations Forces 2020" vision, requires transition across the special operations service components.
Those changes are well underway in the SEALs, which Pybus said are expected to reduce the number of theater platoons in Afghanistan by at least half by the year's end.
"Our SEALs have been fighting two land wars for the last decade, and there is plenty of work back in the maritime environment," he said. "That is playing out before our eyes."
The drawdown in Afghanistan will free up forces to better support the U.S. strategic pivot toward Asia or demands in other parts of the world, he said, citing examples of the Mediterranean Sea, the Gulf of Guinea or the Persian Gulf. "There are plenty of things to do in support of our theater [special operations commanders] and all their requirements," he said.
The timing is right for most of the SEALs' return to the water, Pybus said, noting that by the end of the decade, 90 percent of the world's population will live in megacities on or near the coast. "So it is the right time for one of the two maritime components of U.S. Socom to make sure that we are covering down on our obligation as a maritime special operations force."
For the Green Berets, Cleveland emphasized the importance of shoring up gaps in regional expertise due to the command's heavy focus on combat operations in the Middle East. "We have these regionally expert forces, but we surged to Iraq and Afghanistan, and by necessity, we sacrificed over the past 12 years a knowledge and expertise that we need of the rest of the world," he said.
"That's not to say we don't have it," Cleveland added. "But we don't have it in the density that we need. And that is the gap we are going to work to fix."
Meanwhile, Army Special Operations Command, like its sister special operations component commands, is striving to preserve strides made in Iraq and Afghanistan. "We cannot lose what we have developed over the last 12 years," Cleveland said. "I think we are taking steps to not do that."
Sustained combat operations served as a "forcing function" for special operators to work in synchronization with not only conventional forces, but also interagency and non-governmental organization partners, he said.
The challenge, once combat operations are over, is to maintain those bonds for the future, Cleveland said. He shared an observation by a State Department official who suggested forming a "league of extraordinary operators" who maintain a connection, rather than forming one when a crisis erupts.
"We ought not wait until we have to descend on a problem to create this connection, and are starting to work on that," Cleveland said.
Regardless of where on the globe Army Special Forces operate, Cleveland said, "two exquisite capabilities" will remain paramount: surgical strike and special warfare. "The country needs both of these capabilities," he said, emphasizing the need to continually evolve for complex challenges that will test the mettle of the future force.
Fiel, commander of Air Force Special Operations Command, said he expects little letup in the years ahead for the command's highest-demand capabilities: mobility, strike and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.
Tasked by McRaven "to generate and sustain as much combat power as possible," Fiel said, he is working to rebalance the command's portfolio to better serve all theater special operations commanders.
Despite flying tactical missions every day in support of every geographic combatant commander and theater special operations commander, all want "more, more, more" capability, Fiel said.
New hardware entering the inventory is a step in the right direction, he said. Another big advance is the new Air Force Special Operations Warfare Center, stood up in February. Its mission includes executing special operations test, evaluation and lessons learned programs and developing doctrine, tactics, techniques, and procedures for AFSOC.
Fiel shared Cleveland's assessment of progress made in building more cohesive and interconnected teams across the special operations force community.
"Socom and [special operations forces] is a team sport. It really is the only joint force in the Department of Defense. Sometimes you are on offensive, sometimes you are on defense, and sometimes you are on special teams," he said. "But we are the only force in the DOD that grows up together."
Since its activation in 2006, Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command has hit the ground running with no pause in the pace of its operational missions. But looking ahead to a post-Afghanistan future, the command is preparing to transition from landlocked operations to future maritime missions around the world, Sweeney told the audience.
In another change to come, Marsoc plans to make its battalions regionally focused to better support theater requirements.
In posturing for that future, Sweeney said, the Marines hope to find better ways to integrate the kinds of technologies integrated into the battlefield in Afghanistan. If anything, Marine special operators are "too heavy on technology," he said.
"When I see our teams and our Marines out there, and they have to have five or six sets of equipment to access five or six networks, that is problematic," he explained. "We are now increasing the burden on the force from a load perspective."
Ideally, Sweeney said, he would like to see one multitiered network that integrates these capabilities.
Another challenge, he said, is to change the culture to take full advantage of what technologies deliver. Sweeney likened the process of compiling multiple data streams to form one operational picture to the broadcast of a "Monday Night Football" game.
"I, as a consumer, see one picture, and that is the picture I want to see," he said. He recognized, however, that someone behind the scenes has made decisions, selecting views from 40 or more screens to deliver what the viewer sees.
"That type of talent is extremely difficult to build in the military," he said, emphasizing that it's not a job that should be relegated to a junior officer or a mid-level noncommissioned officer.
"That is somebody who is well-educated, understands the warfighting functions, can quickly assimilate information, turn it into knowledge and present it to the commander," he said. "It is very, very challenging to do."
The problem, Sweeney said, is that the military – or at least the Marines – don't put emphasis into developing those capabilities or rewarding those who have them.
"From the Marine Corps perspective, if you are an innovator, if you are a visionary, if you are a science-and-technology guy, you are probably not going to do well at the promotion board," he said. "I think what we owe you [in industry] and we owe ourselves is a culture and a mindset shift about how we go after capitalizing on the technology you provide and using that to our advantage to bring power to bear where it counts most."
THE THUNDERSTORM PREDICTABILITY EXPERIMENT
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| Ominous clouds signal a thunderstorm brewing on the U.S. Great Plains. Credit: NOAA |
FROM: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Where, When Will Thunderstorms Strike Colorado's Front Range, Adjacent Great Plains?
To better predict where and when spring thunderstorms rip across Colorado's Front Range and the adjacent Great Plains, researchers launched a major field project with high-flying aircraft and fine-grained computer simulations.
The month-long study could point the way to major improvements in lead times for weather forecasts during what has been called a crucial six- to 24-hour window.
"People want to know whether there will be thunderstorms and when," says National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) scientist Morris Weisman, one of four principal investigators on the project.
"We're hoping to find out where you need to collect observations in order to get the most improvement in short-term forecasts. Better prediction with a few hours of lead time could make a big difference in helping people prepare."
MPEX (pronounced "em-pex"), the Mesoscale Predictability Experiment, runs from May 15 to June 15 and is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF).
The project includes participants from NCAR; Colorado State University; the University at Albany, State University of New York; Purdue University; the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Severe Storms Laboratory.
"MPEX will lead to a better understanding of the initiation and development of severe storms in an area of the country that's particularly affected by them," says Chungu Lu, program director in NSF's Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences.
"If we can move 'early warnings' even sooner through the results of MPEX, it will lead to safer skies for air travelers and safer situations on the ground as well."
The project will include early morning flights with the NSF/NCAR Gulfstream V aircraft to sample the pre-storm atmosphere across Colorado and nearby states.
The Gulfstream V can cruise at 40,000 feet for up to six hours, which will enable researchers to thoroughly canvass the entire region where triggers for severe weather might be lurking.
MPEX will also include afternoon launches of weather balloons carrying instrument packages called radiosondes, which will profile conditions around thunderstorms as they develop and move east across the Great Plains.
Filling the same-day gap
Severe weather warnings from the National Weather Service give people up to an hour's notice for tornadoes and other threats on a county-by-county basis. A key goal of MPEX is to help improve the forecasts that fall between two types of longer-range alerts:
tornado and severe thunderstorm watches, which are issued up to eight hours in advance for state-sized areas.
Same-day forecasts often note the likelihood of severe storms, but they do not usually specify where and when the storms will develop.
MPEX will help determine whether more detailed observations and simulations could lead to more specific forecasts of storm location and behavior as much as a day in advance.
Advanced forecast models can now simulate the weather using data at points packed as closely as about a half-mile from each other. This allows showers and thunderstorms (known as "convection") to be explicitly depicted. But the newer models still struggle to reliably map out storm behavior beyond about six hours in advance.
Scientists believe this may be largely because the models need more detail on upper-level features, such as pockets of strong wind or dry air, located several miles above ground level.
As these features move into the Great Plains, they can be critical for triggering or suppressing severe storms. However, weather satellites may not see these features, and they often go undetected by limited surface and upper-air networks across the Rocky Mountain states.
"The structure of the atmosphere two to six miles above sea level is incredibly important," Weisman says. "This appears to be where the biggest forecast errors develop, so we need to collect more data at these heights."
In the sky and on the ground
To get around the data roadblock, MPEX will send the Gulfstream V from its base at the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport in Broomfield on missions that will start as early as 3 a.m.
The Gulfstream V will sample jet-stream winds, upper-level temperatures, and other features across Colorado and nearby states.
The aircraft will use a microwave-based temperature sensor to profile horizontal temperature contrasts miles above the region.
At pre-specified locations, the Gulfstream V will also use parachute-borne minisondes--compact instrument packages, similar to the 200-plus radiosondes used every day across the nation--to gather extra detail between flight level and ground level.
The minisondes will provide information on temperature, moisture, and winds four times each second.
"The Gulfstream V is perfect for this kind of study," says NCAR project manager Pavel Romashkin, who will oversee MPEX aircraft operations. "The G-V is one of very few aircraft in weather research that can sample the atmosphere near the top of important features for a number of hours."
MPEX will also gather data with three radiosonde launch units operated by Purdue and NSSL in vehicles that will maneuver around late-day thunderstorms.
The goal is to find out how well the extra data can help predict local and regional weather conditions into the next day, as well as to assess how the thunderstorms interact with the atmosphere that surrounds and supports them.
"We know that even isolated, short-lived thunderstorms influence their environment," says Robert "Jeff" Trapp of Purdue, an MPEX principal investigator.
"The MPEX data will allow us to quantify these influences and examine how well they are represented in computer forecast models. This information can then be used to help improve weather forecasts."
Testing the value of enhanced observations
With the help of improvements in computing power and scientific understanding, forecast models can depict weather in far more detail than just a few years ago.
On each day of operations (about 15 in all during the project), MPEX will produce an ensemble of up to 30 forecasts using the NCAR-based research version of the multiagency Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF-ARW).
Along with data from the Gulfstream V flights, each WRF-ARW ensemble member will use a slightly different characterization of early-morning weather conditions in order to allow for the uncertainty inherent in those measurements.
Forecasters can then issue forecasts with greater or lesser confidence based on how the ensemble forecasts agree or disagree.
The MPEX team will also evaluate how much the Gulfstream V data improve forecasts in two other modeling systems, both of which are updated each hour.
The complex process of incorporating observed data into the MPEX simulations will be handled by NCAR's Data Assimilation Research Testbed.
Studies have shown that major forecast improvements are possible when the right kinds of data are collected and assimilated into forecast models.
Scientists hope the results from MPEX will help advance this process, which could improve predictions of severe thunderstorms as well as other types of high-impact weather where better forecasts in the six- to 24-hour period could help people and communities better prepare.
-NSF-
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
ISAF NEWS FROM AFGHNAISTAN FOR MAY 21, 2013
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| A CH-47 Chinook helicopter crew flies toward a container for sling load operation in the Chorah district of Uruzgan province, Afghanistan, May 12, 2013. The helicopter crew is assigned to Company B, 2nd Battalion, 104th Aviation Regiment, Connecticut and Pennsylvania Army National Guard. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Jessi Ann McCormick |
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Combined Force Wounds Taliban Leader, Arrests Insurgent
From an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Release
KABUL, Afghanistan, May 21, 2013 - A combined Afghan and coalition security force wounded a senior Taliban leader and arrested another insurgent in the Zharay district of Afghanistan's Kandahar province today, military officials reported.
The Taliban leader, who was wounded after he attacked the security force, is responsible for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He and his subordinates facilitate the movement of insurgent weapons and equipment, and they build and plant improvised explosive devices, resulting in the deaths of Afghan civilians, officials said.
In Afghanistan operations yesterday:
-- A combined force in Kunar province's Ghaziabad district wounded an insurgent during a search of a senior Taliban leader who relays instructions from senior Taliban leadership to other insurgents. He extorts money from local businesses to fund insurgent activity and coordinates attacks on Afghan government officials. He also recruits Taliban members and facilitates the movement of equipment for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.
-- In Nangarhar province's Lalpur district, a combined force killed three insurgents during a search for a senior Taliban leader who is the ranking military official in the province's Bati Kot district. He controls an insurgent IED cell, recruits suicide bombers and is involved in kidnappings of Afghan officials.
SUCCESS OF THE ROBOTIC CONTROLER
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| Navy Petty Officer 1st Class James Galvan prepares to launch a Raven unmanned vehicle controlled from the Tactical Robotic Controller at the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific in San Diego, Aug. 21, 2012. U.S. Navy photo by Alan Antczak |
Face of Defense: Engineer Ensures Robotic Controller's Success
By Elisha Gamboa
Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command
SAN DIEGO, May 17, 2013 - Unmanned vehicles, known as UxVs, deliver enhanced information dominance capabilities to the fleet, increasing the utility of robotic systems employed in military operations.
Such military operations can range from combat to disaster-relief missions, which create the requirement for robotic command-and-control systems with mission-specific functionality that display mission-specific information to the operator.
Guided by Gary Gilbreath, chief software engineer for unmanned systems here at the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific -- SSC Pacific for short -- has developed an unmanned vehicle/sensor operator-control interface that can simultaneously handle multiple sets of disparate remote systems.
Development of the Multi-robot Operator Control Unit, which enables command and control of a wide range of vehicles and payloads under varying mission scenarios, began in 2001.
It's the first "common controller" for SSC Pacific's broad family of developmental UxV systems, including land, air, sea and undersea vehicles and sensors.
"Gilbreath has been a driving force in the success of MOCU from development to deployment," said Bart Everett, technical director for unmanned systems. "In fact, beginning in 1987, he was one of the first Unmanned Systems Branch employees to develop software for an operator command and control interface, using a surrogate unmanned ground vehicle."
Government-owned, MOCU has a modular, scalable, and flexible architecture. Modularity allows for a breadth of functionality, such as communicating in unrelated protocols. Scalability allows MOCU to be installed on a wide range of hardware. While, flexibility allows MOCU users to define what information is displayed and determine what control is needed for each system.
One key advantage of MOCU is that the user interface can be easily reconfigured as needed by editing XML configuration files, without the need to recompile.
Under Gilbreath's direction, MOCU was ported to more than 30 government programs by 2005, and to an additional 26 outside users by 2010.
Additionally, MOCU was selected for use on the Navy's littoral combat ship mission modules and the Advanced Explosive Ordnance Disposal Robotic System. More recently, it was selected by the Marine Corps/Army Robotic Systems Joint Program Office for joint UxV acquisition programs.
With this rapid adoption of MOCU by industry and other government agencies, the title of chief software engineer for unmanned systems was created to oversee, coordinate, and manage all internal and external development and implementation activities.
"As our chief software engineer, Gilbreath has provided technical direction, coordination, and management of the growth of MOCU software across [the Defense Department] and throughout industry and academia," Everett said.
Having worked in the area of unmanned systems for more than 26 years, Gilbreath is nationally recognized as a subject-matter expert in UxV C2. He has provided high-level architecture design for UxV C2 software, guiding multiple stakeholders, including the Naval Sea Systems Command, Naval Air Systems Command, Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Army, the Marine Corps and industry.
"Our goal is to provide the most adaptable, extensible, and appropriate technology solution to the sponsors and users, thereby ensuring SPAWAR remains at the forefront of UxV C2 in all operational domains and across the globe," Gilbreath said.
250 OKLAHOMA NATIONAL GUARDSMEN JOIN SEARCH AND RESCUE AFTER TORNADO DISASTER
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| An Oklahoma National Guardsman and a firefighter search for survivors through the rubble of a building that was devastated by a tornado that killed dozens of people in Moore, Okla., May 20, 2013. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Kendall James |
Oklahoma National Guard Responds in Tornado Relief Effort
From a National Guard Bureau News Release
ARLINGTON, Va., May 21, 2013 - Nearly 250 members of the Oklahoma National Guard are assisting with victim search and security today in Moore, Okla., where a monster tornado left at least 51 dead, including 20 children, authorities said.
The twister hit yesterday about 3:15 p.m. CDT, when children were still in two elementary schools in the Oklahoma City suburb.
The tornado, packing winds of up to 200 mph, tore off the roof of Plaza Towers Elementary School and pulverized walls. Volunteers joined first responders to help in rescuing children and staff from the devastation, the Associated Press reported.
Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin activated the airmen and soldiers yesterday. Among those responding was the 146th Air Support Operations Squadron from nearby Will Rogers Air National Guard Base in Oklahoma City. In a video interview, Air Force 2nd Lt. Gabriel Bird said the unit members carried thermal imaging gear to help locate those buried in rubble.
"Hopefully, we'll find survivors," Bird said.
Members also carried basic medical supplies and multiband radios to communicate with ground and aircraft crews, Bird said.
"We're a pretty new unit, so we haven't supported any state emergencies," Bird said. But he noted that many squadron members are veterans who have supported other disaster-recovery operations when assigned to other units.
SPECIAL BRIEFING ON 2012 INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM REPORT
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Release of the 2012 International Religious Freedom Report
Special Briefing
Suzan Johnson Cook
Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom
Washington, DC
May 20, 2013
AMBASSADOR COOK: Thank you, Mr. Secretary. It’s an honor to serve you.
Good morning. The 2012 International Religious Freedom Report provides a factual rendering of the status of religious freedom around the world. Religious freedom is essential for a stable, peaceful, and thriving society. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights enshrines the freedom of thought, conscience, and religion. This is the standard against which we assess religious freedom and the International Religious Freedom Report. This report seeks to advance religious freedom by shining a spotlight on abuses and violations. As Secretary Kerry said, when a country fails to provide equal protection of religious freedom for all, the groundwork is laid for political instability and sectarian violence. When a government favors one group or set of beliefs and restricts the rights of others, some in society may take that as tacit approval to further target marginalized groups.
As this report makes clear, much work remains to be done. Secretary Kerry just described some of the most troubling trends, and please let me note some others. Thousands of people around the world are jailed because of what they believe or don’t believe. In Iran, more than 116 Baha’is are in prison for teaching and expressing their faith, and many Christians, Sufis, and Sunnis are facing similar treatment. Additionally, a Christian pastor named Saeed Abedini, who is an American and Iranian citizen, was sentenced to eight years in prison just for his beliefs. In Eritrea, people are detained on account of their religious beliefs. Some have reportedly died due to torture or lack of medical treatment. We seek the release of all individuals detained or imprisoned because of their beliefs.
Many governments fail to prosecute the perpetrators of crimes motivated by religious animosity, creating a climate of impunity that fueled further discrimination and violence. In Egypt, the government failed to appropriately investigate and prosecute perpetrators and often did not effectively intervene when sectarian violence arose. In Pakistan, religious minorities continue to encounter societal discrimination and violence, and authorities frequently fail to arrest the perpetrators. As sectarian violence claims more lives each year in Pakistan, over 200 Shia were killed in the first two months of this year alone. In Nigeria, elements of the extremist sect Boko Haram claimed the lives of both Christians and Muslims. The government response has involved gross violations of human rights of a civilian population and deepened impunity.
Governments must fulfill their responsibility to condemn religious intolerance and bring to justice perpetrators of abuses. Just last month, I traveled to China where I pressed government officials to uphold the right to religious freedom for all and to stop abusing this universal right. The government restricts the practices of many groups, including Tibetan Buddhists, Uighur Muslims, unregistered Christian congregations, and Falun Gong practitioners. In 2012, 83 Tibetans chose to self-immolate to protest Chinese policies. The total number now is over 100. We urge governments to protect the rights of all to hold, express, or change their faith without fear.
In Syria, the government targeted faith groups it deemed a threat, including members of the country’s Sunni majority and religious minorities. Such targeting included killing, detention, and harassment. Syria – excuse me – Syria Orthodox Archbishop Yohanna Ibrahim and Greek Orthodox Archbishop Paul Yazigi were kidnapped April 22nd by persons unknown, and still remain missing.
Societal intolerance against religious minorities is on the rise. Too often this intolerance finds expression in acts of violence, vandalism, and desecration. In Iraq, extremists target religious ceremonies, leading people not to attend services out of fear for their safety. And sectarian violence directed at Muslims spread to central Burma in March 2013, resulting in casualties, displacement, and the destruction of places of worship.
Anti-Semitic rhetoric persists in some Middle Eastern media and too often appears in public discourse in some countries in Europe, especially where anti-Semitic parties have gained seats in parliaments. We continue to see violent attacks against Jews in Europe, and I look forward now to working with my new colleague Ira Forman, who was introduced to you by Secretary Kerry. I look forward to working with him to combat this pernicious problem.
Anti-Muslim sentiment and discrimination are evident in places as diverse as Europe and Asia. We call on societies and governments to foster tolerance and hold perpetrators of violence accountable.
We also partner with members of international communities to support religious freedom, to protect religious minorities, and to safeguard freedom of expression. We particularly advocate engaging women and youth on religious freedom as their voices are a positive force for change.
Violations of religious freedom easily capture the world’s attention, so I therefore want to highlight some positive developments that tend to fly under the media radar. Although governments’ restrictions on religious freedom remain in Vietnam, the government took a step forward by allowing large-scale worship services with more than 100,000 participants.
Turkey – they loosened its restrictions on religious attire, allowing female students to wear headscarves in certain religious classes and in certain Islamic schools. As you will see and read, the challenges are daunting. But we remain committed to working tirelessly to ensure religious freedom for all.
I thank you and I will be happy to take your questions.
MR. HENSMAN: Ambassador Johnson Cook has a few minutes for a couple questions. Why don’t we start with --
QUESTION: Thank you, Ambassador. The State Department has been issuing these reports for a long time. Apart from shaming publicly these countries, if they can be shamed, have you detected any change in their behavior over the years? And how does the State Department deal with allies like the Secretary mentioned, like Turkey, Israel, and Saudi Arabia, for being practiced in religious intolerance in varied degrees?
AMBASSADOR COOK: Well, for the first part of the question, in some cases there is change and progress. As I noted in the closing, there was progress in certain countries. Specifically, there was also places where the trends are not increasing and not doing well, and they’re going downward. So we look at the countries that – of particular concern that you’re talking about, that continue to have egregious, ongoing, systematic acts. And so we use different tools. Sometimes they’re sanctioned; sometimes they’re put on the CPC list. It depends on what happens. But we hope that people will take small steps for progress, because what we ultimately want is religious freedom for all in every country.
MR. HENSMAN: Lalit.
QUESTION: Thank you for doing this. The Secretary’s opening remarks mentioned about Hindus, Sikhs, and Buddhists increasingly facing protest and their religious freedom are being attacked in the various countries of the world. Do you know which are the countries? Have you identified the countries where Hindus, Sikhs, and Buddhists are facing problems in exercising their right to religious freedom?
AMBASSADOR COOK: Well, there are several countries. I think – I will refer you to the report, because there are several countries. We don’t want to highlight one particular one. Is there a country that you have a particular concern about?
QUESTION: I have seen some media reports about Pakistan, Afghanistan, about Hindus in Fiji. Do you know any other country where –
AMBASSADOR COOK: Well, in those particular countries, we certainly are concerned about religious minorities, Hindus as well as others. And so we press the governments – we urge the governments to allow religious freedom for all.
MR. HENSMAN: Samir.
QUESTION: Can you tell us what’s new, what’s different from the previous report? And is there any countries you consider sanctioning them?
AMBASSADOR COOK: Well, this is the report for 2012. So every year – I refer you to the report in terms of how they progress. I would say there are certain countries that we’re looking at, as I cited in the end of my remarks, like Vietnam, who have made progress in terms of having – allowing large places of worship. I think each country has its situations, and there are countries that are doing very well.
I had the opportunity, the fortunate opportunity, to visit Saudi Arabia and China, who have been on the Countries of Particular Concern List, as well as Uzbekistan. And so we’ve tried to make small steps. There are some governments that are not moving whatsoever, and particularly in Saudi Arabia they don’t allow non-Islamic persons to have freedom of religion.
So each year is situational, and we progress and we look at all 199 countries, and I think the report will speak for itself.
QUESTION: So do you see progress by the Saudis?
AMBASSADOR COOK: They don’t allow any non-Islamic persons to have religious freedom, so I don’t see progress there.
QUESTION: Like last report.
AMBASSADOR COOK: Their report is very close to where it was last year, very much so. What happened was, though, I was allowed a visit, and so that’s a beginning. We want to continue to be engaged with them.
QUESTION: Yes, please. Ambassador, the Secretary raised the issue of blasphemy. As a matter of fact, become an issue even in a place like Egypt, for example, when like Coptic Egyptian – beside Coptic Egyptian, even Muslims sometimes face this charge of blasphemy. How we are going to handle this issue or record it or even make a report about it?
AMBASSADOR COOK: Well, at all high levels our government has been involved in Egypt, since you cited that, at all high levels across government. We are very concerned. We want to hold accountability for those who are perpetrators of violence. We want to make sure that there’s protection of religious minorities, including Coptic Christians – especially Coptic Christians. And where there’s possibility of reform of laws, we want that to happen. Egypt, as you know, is dealing with a new constitution. As we see it right now, there’s not much room for religious freedom. But we continue to press the government, and as I said, at all levels – high levels – our government has been intervening there.
MR. HENSMAN: Goyal.
QUESTION: Madam, thank you. Burma’s President is here today in the White House, and so in Pakistan new Prime Minister will be there tomorrow. My question is on these two countries before I will one question. That – do you see any change in Burma? Or what message you think this report will have for the President of Burma today while he in U.S.? And also, as far as Pakistan is concerned, as I said, the new Prime Minister Mr. Nawaz Sharif, who is very close to the religious people in Pakistan, do you see any change under his administration since he will be the third-time prime minister of Pakistan?
AMBASSADOR COOK: Okay. Let me just say again, the report is for 2012. On Burma, we didn’t see any improvement in religious freedom. And as long as there’s no improvement of religious freedom, the sanctions will still remain in terms of religious freedom.
In terms of Pakistan, there’s a new government, there’s a new leadership, and I think it remains to be seen how people handle it. As to the question previously, blasphemy is very important to us, and there are many who are being held in prisons still – Asia Bibi and others – about 20 others who are in prison because of their belief. So we have to see what this new government will do. We certainly encourage him and will urge him to again hold accountable the perpetrators of violence and to make sure that there’s protection of religious minorities. And so that’s going to be very important. Human rights is a very high priority for this Administration.
QUESTION: And finally, Madam, on India, how much advice have you taken, as far as this report is concerned, from the international freedom religious commission of the U.S. Commission on Religious Freedom? Because this commission has again – once again – addressed and also is urging the State Department that visas should not be issued to Mr. Narendra Modi, who is the chief minister of the Indian state of Gujarat, who is seeking to come to the U.S. But some of these groups here, including this commission, are still against his arrival in the U.S.
AMBASSADOR COOK: Thank you for your question. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, to whom you referred, is an independent commission, also mandated by Congress but they’re an independent commission. So that their references and suggestions are certainly taken into account when we do our reports, but in terms of what they designate, I refer you to the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, or USCIRF.
MR. HENSMAN: Let’s do one last question.
QUESTION: If I could follow-up on Burma, please? The report mentions that there have been these political changes, this sort of opening up of society and the political system somewhat, and yet you see no improvement in the religious restrictions there. And on the contrary, you’ve actually seen a sort of spike of religious violence targeting various groups in that country. And this question might even apply to other countries, in Egypt and so forth, where there have been political transitions that seem to have led to increased religious tension or violence. Is that your sense, and why would that be?
AMBASSADOR COOK: Well, it’s not for me to determine what my sense is. I guess what you’re asking is, why does this continue to happen in these countries? As we said, in Burma particularly, we see societal and economic – some reform there. But as religious freedom, we haven’t seen much reform. At high levels, again, our Secretary went, and our Assistant Secretary and others went there. We continue to try to engage the government on religious freedom, but at this particular time there has not been an improvement there.
We want to look at – I think the immediate cause is looking at what are the root causes, the systemic causes of this, and we will continue as an office to do that for all 199 countries and watch the trends. Again, we take our information from many sources, but we will monitor the situation closely and where possible, where there’s diplomatic engagement possibilities, we will certainly engage.
MR. HENSMAN: Thank you, everyone.
QUESTION: Thank you, Ambassador.
AMBASSADOR COOK: Thank you.
Release of the 2012 International Religious Freedom Report
Special Briefing
Suzan Johnson Cook
Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom
Washington, DC
May 20, 2013
AMBASSADOR COOK: Thank you, Mr. Secretary. It’s an honor to serve you.
Good morning. The 2012 International Religious Freedom Report provides a factual rendering of the status of religious freedom around the world. Religious freedom is essential for a stable, peaceful, and thriving society. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights enshrines the freedom of thought, conscience, and religion. This is the standard against which we assess religious freedom and the International Religious Freedom Report. This report seeks to advance religious freedom by shining a spotlight on abuses and violations. As Secretary Kerry said, when a country fails to provide equal protection of religious freedom for all, the groundwork is laid for political instability and sectarian violence. When a government favors one group or set of beliefs and restricts the rights of others, some in society may take that as tacit approval to further target marginalized groups.
As this report makes clear, much work remains to be done. Secretary Kerry just described some of the most troubling trends, and please let me note some others. Thousands of people around the world are jailed because of what they believe or don’t believe. In Iran, more than 116 Baha’is are in prison for teaching and expressing their faith, and many Christians, Sufis, and Sunnis are facing similar treatment. Additionally, a Christian pastor named Saeed Abedini, who is an American and Iranian citizen, was sentenced to eight years in prison just for his beliefs. In Eritrea, people are detained on account of their religious beliefs. Some have reportedly died due to torture or lack of medical treatment. We seek the release of all individuals detained or imprisoned because of their beliefs.
Many governments fail to prosecute the perpetrators of crimes motivated by religious animosity, creating a climate of impunity that fueled further discrimination and violence. In Egypt, the government failed to appropriately investigate and prosecute perpetrators and often did not effectively intervene when sectarian violence arose. In Pakistan, religious minorities continue to encounter societal discrimination and violence, and authorities frequently fail to arrest the perpetrators. As sectarian violence claims more lives each year in Pakistan, over 200 Shia were killed in the first two months of this year alone. In Nigeria, elements of the extremist sect Boko Haram claimed the lives of both Christians and Muslims. The government response has involved gross violations of human rights of a civilian population and deepened impunity.
Governments must fulfill their responsibility to condemn religious intolerance and bring to justice perpetrators of abuses. Just last month, I traveled to China where I pressed government officials to uphold the right to religious freedom for all and to stop abusing this universal right. The government restricts the practices of many groups, including Tibetan Buddhists, Uighur Muslims, unregistered Christian congregations, and Falun Gong practitioners. In 2012, 83 Tibetans chose to self-immolate to protest Chinese policies. The total number now is over 100. We urge governments to protect the rights of all to hold, express, or change their faith without fear.
In Syria, the government targeted faith groups it deemed a threat, including members of the country’s Sunni majority and religious minorities. Such targeting included killing, detention, and harassment. Syria – excuse me – Syria Orthodox Archbishop Yohanna Ibrahim and Greek Orthodox Archbishop Paul Yazigi were kidnapped April 22nd by persons unknown, and still remain missing.
Societal intolerance against religious minorities is on the rise. Too often this intolerance finds expression in acts of violence, vandalism, and desecration. In Iraq, extremists target religious ceremonies, leading people not to attend services out of fear for their safety. And sectarian violence directed at Muslims spread to central Burma in March 2013, resulting in casualties, displacement, and the destruction of places of worship.
Anti-Semitic rhetoric persists in some Middle Eastern media and too often appears in public discourse in some countries in Europe, especially where anti-Semitic parties have gained seats in parliaments. We continue to see violent attacks against Jews in Europe, and I look forward now to working with my new colleague Ira Forman, who was introduced to you by Secretary Kerry. I look forward to working with him to combat this pernicious problem.
Anti-Muslim sentiment and discrimination are evident in places as diverse as Europe and Asia. We call on societies and governments to foster tolerance and hold perpetrators of violence accountable.
We also partner with members of international communities to support religious freedom, to protect religious minorities, and to safeguard freedom of expression. We particularly advocate engaging women and youth on religious freedom as their voices are a positive force for change.
Violations of religious freedom easily capture the world’s attention, so I therefore want to highlight some positive developments that tend to fly under the media radar. Although governments’ restrictions on religious freedom remain in Vietnam, the government took a step forward by allowing large-scale worship services with more than 100,000 participants.
Turkey – they loosened its restrictions on religious attire, allowing female students to wear headscarves in certain religious classes and in certain Islamic schools. As you will see and read, the challenges are daunting. But we remain committed to working tirelessly to ensure religious freedom for all.
I thank you and I will be happy to take your questions.
MR. HENSMAN: Ambassador Johnson Cook has a few minutes for a couple questions. Why don’t we start with --
QUESTION: Thank you, Ambassador. The State Department has been issuing these reports for a long time. Apart from shaming publicly these countries, if they can be shamed, have you detected any change in their behavior over the years? And how does the State Department deal with allies like the Secretary mentioned, like Turkey, Israel, and Saudi Arabia, for being practiced in religious intolerance in varied degrees?
AMBASSADOR COOK: Well, for the first part of the question, in some cases there is change and progress. As I noted in the closing, there was progress in certain countries. Specifically, there was also places where the trends are not increasing and not doing well, and they’re going downward. So we look at the countries that – of particular concern that you’re talking about, that continue to have egregious, ongoing, systematic acts. And so we use different tools. Sometimes they’re sanctioned; sometimes they’re put on the CPC list. It depends on what happens. But we hope that people will take small steps for progress, because what we ultimately want is religious freedom for all in every country.
MR. HENSMAN: Lalit.
QUESTION: Thank you for doing this. The Secretary’s opening remarks mentioned about Hindus, Sikhs, and Buddhists increasingly facing protest and their religious freedom are being attacked in the various countries of the world. Do you know which are the countries? Have you identified the countries where Hindus, Sikhs, and Buddhists are facing problems in exercising their right to religious freedom?
AMBASSADOR COOK: Well, there are several countries. I think – I will refer you to the report, because there are several countries. We don’t want to highlight one particular one. Is there a country that you have a particular concern about?
QUESTION: I have seen some media reports about Pakistan, Afghanistan, about Hindus in Fiji. Do you know any other country where –
AMBASSADOR COOK: Well, in those particular countries, we certainly are concerned about religious minorities, Hindus as well as others. And so we press the governments – we urge the governments to allow religious freedom for all.
MR. HENSMAN: Samir.
QUESTION: Can you tell us what’s new, what’s different from the previous report? And is there any countries you consider sanctioning them?
AMBASSADOR COOK: Well, this is the report for 2012. So every year – I refer you to the report in terms of how they progress. I would say there are certain countries that we’re looking at, as I cited in the end of my remarks, like Vietnam, who have made progress in terms of having – allowing large places of worship. I think each country has its situations, and there are countries that are doing very well.
I had the opportunity, the fortunate opportunity, to visit Saudi Arabia and China, who have been on the Countries of Particular Concern List, as well as Uzbekistan. And so we’ve tried to make small steps. There are some governments that are not moving whatsoever, and particularly in Saudi Arabia they don’t allow non-Islamic persons to have freedom of religion.
So each year is situational, and we progress and we look at all 199 countries, and I think the report will speak for itself.
QUESTION: So do you see progress by the Saudis?
AMBASSADOR COOK: They don’t allow any non-Islamic persons to have religious freedom, so I don’t see progress there.
QUESTION: Like last report.
AMBASSADOR COOK: Their report is very close to where it was last year, very much so. What happened was, though, I was allowed a visit, and so that’s a beginning. We want to continue to be engaged with them.
QUESTION: Yes, please. Ambassador, the Secretary raised the issue of blasphemy. As a matter of fact, become an issue even in a place like Egypt, for example, when like Coptic Egyptian – beside Coptic Egyptian, even Muslims sometimes face this charge of blasphemy. How we are going to handle this issue or record it or even make a report about it?
AMBASSADOR COOK: Well, at all high levels our government has been involved in Egypt, since you cited that, at all high levels across government. We are very concerned. We want to hold accountability for those who are perpetrators of violence. We want to make sure that there’s protection of religious minorities, including Coptic Christians – especially Coptic Christians. And where there’s possibility of reform of laws, we want that to happen. Egypt, as you know, is dealing with a new constitution. As we see it right now, there’s not much room for religious freedom. But we continue to press the government, and as I said, at all levels – high levels – our government has been intervening there.
MR. HENSMAN: Goyal.
QUESTION: Madam, thank you. Burma’s President is here today in the White House, and so in Pakistan new Prime Minister will be there tomorrow. My question is on these two countries before I will one question. That – do you see any change in Burma? Or what message you think this report will have for the President of Burma today while he in U.S.? And also, as far as Pakistan is concerned, as I said, the new Prime Minister Mr. Nawaz Sharif, who is very close to the religious people in Pakistan, do you see any change under his administration since he will be the third-time prime minister of Pakistan?
AMBASSADOR COOK: Okay. Let me just say again, the report is for 2012. On Burma, we didn’t see any improvement in religious freedom. And as long as there’s no improvement of religious freedom, the sanctions will still remain in terms of religious freedom.
In terms of Pakistan, there’s a new government, there’s a new leadership, and I think it remains to be seen how people handle it. As to the question previously, blasphemy is very important to us, and there are many who are being held in prisons still – Asia Bibi and others – about 20 others who are in prison because of their belief. So we have to see what this new government will do. We certainly encourage him and will urge him to again hold accountable the perpetrators of violence and to make sure that there’s protection of religious minorities. And so that’s going to be very important. Human rights is a very high priority for this Administration.
QUESTION: And finally, Madam, on India, how much advice have you taken, as far as this report is concerned, from the international freedom religious commission of the U.S. Commission on Religious Freedom? Because this commission has again – once again – addressed and also is urging the State Department that visas should not be issued to Mr. Narendra Modi, who is the chief minister of the Indian state of Gujarat, who is seeking to come to the U.S. But some of these groups here, including this commission, are still against his arrival in the U.S.
AMBASSADOR COOK: Thank you for your question. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, to whom you referred, is an independent commission, also mandated by Congress but they’re an independent commission. So that their references and suggestions are certainly taken into account when we do our reports, but in terms of what they designate, I refer you to the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, or USCIRF.
MR. HENSMAN: Let’s do one last question.
QUESTION: If I could follow-up on Burma, please? The report mentions that there have been these political changes, this sort of opening up of society and the political system somewhat, and yet you see no improvement in the religious restrictions there. And on the contrary, you’ve actually seen a sort of spike of religious violence targeting various groups in that country. And this question might even apply to other countries, in Egypt and so forth, where there have been political transitions that seem to have led to increased religious tension or violence. Is that your sense, and why would that be?
AMBASSADOR COOK: Well, it’s not for me to determine what my sense is. I guess what you’re asking is, why does this continue to happen in these countries? As we said, in Burma particularly, we see societal and economic – some reform there. But as religious freedom, we haven’t seen much reform. At high levels, again, our Secretary went, and our Assistant Secretary and others went there. We continue to try to engage the government on religious freedom, but at this particular time there has not been an improvement there.
We want to look at – I think the immediate cause is looking at what are the root causes, the systemic causes of this, and we will continue as an office to do that for all 199 countries and watch the trends. Again, we take our information from many sources, but we will monitor the situation closely and where possible, where there’s diplomatic engagement possibilities, we will certainly engage.
MR. HENSMAN: Thank you, everyone.
QUESTION: Thank you, Ambassador.
AMBASSADOR COOK: Thank you.
HHS PROPOSES NEW RULE TO ENHANCE CHILDREN'S SAFTEY
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
May 16, 2013
HHS announces actions to improve safety and quality of child care
Helping to answer President Obama’s call to ensure quality early education for every American child, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) proposed today a new regulation for public comment that will better ensure children’s health and safety in child care and promote school readiness. Under the proposed rule, states, territories and tribes would be required to strengthen their standards to better promote the health, safety and school readiness of children in federally funded child care.
Millions of working parents depend on child care and assume certain safety requirements are already in place for their children, but standards vary widely across the states. Many states do not enforce even basic standards such as fingerprinting, background checks and first aid training for providers. This puts our children at risk.
"Many children already benefit from the excellent care of high-quality child care providers who are meeting or exceeding the proposed requirements," said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. "However, too many children remain in settings that do not meet minimum standards of health and safety. These basic rules ensure that providers take necessary basic steps to shield children from an avoidable tragedy."
The proposed rule would only apply directly to child care providers who accept Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) funds. More than 500,000 providers serve about 1.6 million low-income children through CCDF. Many more children would benefit, however, because the providers also serve non-CCDF children.
Under the proposed rule, states would require that all CCDF-funded child care providers:
Receive health and safety trainings in specific areas
Comply with applicable state and local fire, health and building codes
Receive comprehensive background checks (including fingerprinting)
Receive on-site monitoring
The rule would also require states to share information with parents through user-friendly websites about provider health, safety and licensing information. While some states already post health and safety reports online, the new rule would bring all states up to this standard.
"Parents know the needs of their own children," said Shannon Rudisill, director of the Office of Child Care. "However, parents don’t always have enough information to help them make the right choice when choosing a child care provider. This proposal would give parents the necessary tools to choose quality care that fully meets their needs."
While the proposed rule establishes new minimum standards, it also recognizes the need for innovation and flexibility and allows states and communities to tailor their specific approaches to best meet the needs of the children and families they serve. The rule would not change or impede a state’s ability to license child care providers as they see fit.
The administration continues to work with Congress to reauthorize the Child Care and Development Block Grant, which was last reauthorized in 1996. This rule does not take the place of reauthorization, but rather proposes long overdue reforms to better ensure that low-income working families have access to safe, high-quality child care that is essential for healthy early childhood development.
HHS is requesting the public’s input on this proposed regulation. The comment process, which lasts for 75 days, allows for feedback on the proposed rule.
May 16, 2013
HHS announces actions to improve safety and quality of child care
Helping to answer President Obama’s call to ensure quality early education for every American child, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) proposed today a new regulation for public comment that will better ensure children’s health and safety in child care and promote school readiness. Under the proposed rule, states, territories and tribes would be required to strengthen their standards to better promote the health, safety and school readiness of children in federally funded child care.
Millions of working parents depend on child care and assume certain safety requirements are already in place for their children, but standards vary widely across the states. Many states do not enforce even basic standards such as fingerprinting, background checks and first aid training for providers. This puts our children at risk.
"Many children already benefit from the excellent care of high-quality child care providers who are meeting or exceeding the proposed requirements," said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. "However, too many children remain in settings that do not meet minimum standards of health and safety. These basic rules ensure that providers take necessary basic steps to shield children from an avoidable tragedy."
The proposed rule would only apply directly to child care providers who accept Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) funds. More than 500,000 providers serve about 1.6 million low-income children through CCDF. Many more children would benefit, however, because the providers also serve non-CCDF children.
Under the proposed rule, states would require that all CCDF-funded child care providers:
Comply with applicable state and local fire, health and building codes
Receive comprehensive background checks (including fingerprinting)
Receive on-site monitoring
The rule would also require states to share information with parents through user-friendly websites about provider health, safety and licensing information. While some states already post health and safety reports online, the new rule would bring all states up to this standard.
"Parents know the needs of their own children," said Shannon Rudisill, director of the Office of Child Care. "However, parents don’t always have enough information to help them make the right choice when choosing a child care provider. This proposal would give parents the necessary tools to choose quality care that fully meets their needs."
While the proposed rule establishes new minimum standards, it also recognizes the need for innovation and flexibility and allows states and communities to tailor their specific approaches to best meet the needs of the children and families they serve. The rule would not change or impede a state’s ability to license child care providers as they see fit.
The administration continues to work with Congress to reauthorize the Child Care and Development Block Grant, which was last reauthorized in 1996. This rule does not take the place of reauthorization, but rather proposes long overdue reforms to better ensure that low-income working families have access to safe, high-quality child care that is essential for healthy early childhood development.
HHS is requesting the public’s input on this proposed regulation. The comment process, which lasts for 75 days, allows for feedback on the proposed rule.
STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL MAKES REMARKS IN JAPAN ON NORTH KOREAN POLICY
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Remarks at Narita Airport
Remarks
Glyn Davies
Special Representative for North Korea Policy
Tokyo, Japan
May 18, 2013
AMBASSADOR DAVIES: Thanks for coming. Let me say a few things at the beginning, then I’m happy to take a few questions from you. What I would like to do is to report to you on my visit to Tokyo. It was a quick visit, but very productive. I had yesterday seven meetings with various officials. At the Abductions Ministry you know I met with Secretary General Mitani, Chairman Nukaga. I met Chairman Kawai at the Diet, and at the Kantei I had some useful meetings with Special Advisor Isozaki and Assistant Chief Cabinet Secretary Kanehara. At the Foreign Ministry, Deputy Minister Saiki made time to see me in his busy schedule, which I very much appreciate. And of course the centerpiece of my visit was my meeting with Director General Sugiyama, to follow up my late Thursday meeting that I had with him at the Foreign Ministry. I thank him very much for his hospitality. I thank all of the officials in Tokyo for their insights and their assurances. I found these meetings to be both useful and timely.
Now, in terms of the context of my visit and of these discussions, let me say this: We in the United States, and indeed I believe many who follow North Korea, expected sooner or later that North Korea would shift from the threats and belligerency of recent months, in some respects an almost unprecedented succession of unacceptable, dangerous acts and pronouncements with which you are all familiar. The December missile test, the February nuclear test, all of the threats not just to the United States, but also to the Republic of Korea, Japan, and China - you know as well as I the long list of recent provocations. We knew that North Korea would eventually shift their strategy to that of seeking engagement, in an effort to split us and to exploit any difference in our respective national positions.
What I would like to report to you about my meetings here is that they helped increase my confidence that the Government of Japan is fully aware of the challenges and pitfalls of engaging North Korea. I received assurances about the centrality of denuclearization to our collective efforts to engage North Korea on the right terms, in other words, to convince North Korea that it has no choice but to live up to its long-standing commitments and obligations to take steps to abandon nuclear weapons and indeed, to abandon its pursuit of missile technologies.
And let me say a word as I always do about the issue of abductions. The United States stands squarely with the families of the abductees and the people of Japan on this issue. It must be addressed by North Korea. We will continue to raise [this issue] at every opportunity with senior North Koreans. There can be no comprehensive resolution to all of the issues relating to North Korea unless the abductions are satisfactorily addressed. And we will indeed, as I have said many times before, never forget the suffering of the families. Let me again extend my thanks to counterparts in the Government of Japan for receiving me so well, and for such useful and timely meetings. And with that I’m happy to take a couple of questions.
QUESTION: Ambassador, are you saying that this visit by Mr. Iijima to Pyongyang is an effort by the North Koreans to split up your coalition, and what assurances did you get from the Japanese government that this won’t be the case?
AMBASSADOR DAVIES: Well, what I don’t want to do is get into commenting directly on this issue of the Iijima visit. And that is because, like the rest of you, I am suffering from a deficit of information. I simply don’t know much at all about the visit, I’ve seen the reporting from North Korea but my understanding is that Mr. Iijima has only just come back from Pyongyang and from Beijing and is now reporting to Japanese authorities. So we look forward to getting a report on what it was he discussed, and I think what we’ll do is we’ll take it from there.
QUESTION: I think you learned more about Mr. Iijima’s visit to North Korea, also in yesterday’s meetings with several Japanese officials. Now how do you understand the reason why Japan has sent Iijima to North Korea, and did you express some concerns to Japanese officials about Iijima’s trip, because it might have a negative impact on your effort to apply pressure on North Korea.
AMBASSADOR DAVIES: I understand the question, and it’s a very legitimate question. But I would suggest that at this stage, this is not so much a question for me. I think that’s a question that you may put to your own authorities. What I do not want to do is get into the business of betraying the confidences that were extended to me by these gentlemen that I met with yesterday. If I were to betray those confidences, then I would be acting like North Korea, and I don’t want to do that.
QUESTION: What kind of consultations will you be having with the Japanese moving forward?
AMBASSADOR DAVIES: I think we’ll continue to have consultations with the Japanese, both through their Embassy in Washington and through our Embassy here, and also at the level of senior officials between capitals. One of the undertakings that I received from my meetings with Japanese officials is that of course they would convey to us in detail information about the Iijima trip. So we expect that it will happen, and I very much look forward to that. How about one more quick question?
QUESTION: What conditions do you think are necessary for the Japanese Government in trying to move this abduction issue forward? Do you expect to see some action from the North Koreans?
AMBASSADOR DAVIES: It would be quite improper for me as an American diplomat to try and interpose myself into this issue from the standpoint of the Japanese Government. The Japanese government, we respect them, we have excellent relations with Japan, a close ally and friend, so we’ll see going forward what might have developed from this visit. But I am not going to suggest strategies and tactics other than simply to say what I have already said, that we in the United States believe that this issue of denuclearization, because it is the foundation issue, the corner issue of the Six-Party Process, is one that we must all continue to work on. Which does not mean that all of the other issues are not also exceedingly important.
There can’t be a comprehensive solution to the North Korea issue, all of these issues, until we find a way collectively to convince North Korea that it has no choice but to live up to its obligations and commitments. You’ve all heard me speak to that many, many times. I want to thank you very much for coming to the airport, I’m sorry it’s such a long trip for you to come out here. I’ve enjoyed my visit to Tokyo, the weather’s been beautiful, and I look forward very much to coming back some point in the near future. Thank you very much.
Remarks at Narita Airport
Remarks
Glyn Davies
Special Representative for North Korea Policy
Tokyo, Japan
May 18, 2013
AMBASSADOR DAVIES: Thanks for coming. Let me say a few things at the beginning, then I’m happy to take a few questions from you. What I would like to do is to report to you on my visit to Tokyo. It was a quick visit, but very productive. I had yesterday seven meetings with various officials. At the Abductions Ministry you know I met with Secretary General Mitani, Chairman Nukaga. I met Chairman Kawai at the Diet, and at the Kantei I had some useful meetings with Special Advisor Isozaki and Assistant Chief Cabinet Secretary Kanehara. At the Foreign Ministry, Deputy Minister Saiki made time to see me in his busy schedule, which I very much appreciate. And of course the centerpiece of my visit was my meeting with Director General Sugiyama, to follow up my late Thursday meeting that I had with him at the Foreign Ministry. I thank him very much for his hospitality. I thank all of the officials in Tokyo for their insights and their assurances. I found these meetings to be both useful and timely.
Now, in terms of the context of my visit and of these discussions, let me say this: We in the United States, and indeed I believe many who follow North Korea, expected sooner or later that North Korea would shift from the threats and belligerency of recent months, in some respects an almost unprecedented succession of unacceptable, dangerous acts and pronouncements with which you are all familiar. The December missile test, the February nuclear test, all of the threats not just to the United States, but also to the Republic of Korea, Japan, and China - you know as well as I the long list of recent provocations. We knew that North Korea would eventually shift their strategy to that of seeking engagement, in an effort to split us and to exploit any difference in our respective national positions.
What I would like to report to you about my meetings here is that they helped increase my confidence that the Government of Japan is fully aware of the challenges and pitfalls of engaging North Korea. I received assurances about the centrality of denuclearization to our collective efforts to engage North Korea on the right terms, in other words, to convince North Korea that it has no choice but to live up to its long-standing commitments and obligations to take steps to abandon nuclear weapons and indeed, to abandon its pursuit of missile technologies.
And let me say a word as I always do about the issue of abductions. The United States stands squarely with the families of the abductees and the people of Japan on this issue. It must be addressed by North Korea. We will continue to raise [this issue] at every opportunity with senior North Koreans. There can be no comprehensive resolution to all of the issues relating to North Korea unless the abductions are satisfactorily addressed. And we will indeed, as I have said many times before, never forget the suffering of the families. Let me again extend my thanks to counterparts in the Government of Japan for receiving me so well, and for such useful and timely meetings. And with that I’m happy to take a couple of questions.
QUESTION: Ambassador, are you saying that this visit by Mr. Iijima to Pyongyang is an effort by the North Koreans to split up your coalition, and what assurances did you get from the Japanese government that this won’t be the case?
AMBASSADOR DAVIES: Well, what I don’t want to do is get into commenting directly on this issue of the Iijima visit. And that is because, like the rest of you, I am suffering from a deficit of information. I simply don’t know much at all about the visit, I’ve seen the reporting from North Korea but my understanding is that Mr. Iijima has only just come back from Pyongyang and from Beijing and is now reporting to Japanese authorities. So we look forward to getting a report on what it was he discussed, and I think what we’ll do is we’ll take it from there.
QUESTION: I think you learned more about Mr. Iijima’s visit to North Korea, also in yesterday’s meetings with several Japanese officials. Now how do you understand the reason why Japan has sent Iijima to North Korea, and did you express some concerns to Japanese officials about Iijima’s trip, because it might have a negative impact on your effort to apply pressure on North Korea.
AMBASSADOR DAVIES: I understand the question, and it’s a very legitimate question. But I would suggest that at this stage, this is not so much a question for me. I think that’s a question that you may put to your own authorities. What I do not want to do is get into the business of betraying the confidences that were extended to me by these gentlemen that I met with yesterday. If I were to betray those confidences, then I would be acting like North Korea, and I don’t want to do that.
QUESTION: What kind of consultations will you be having with the Japanese moving forward?
AMBASSADOR DAVIES: I think we’ll continue to have consultations with the Japanese, both through their Embassy in Washington and through our Embassy here, and also at the level of senior officials between capitals. One of the undertakings that I received from my meetings with Japanese officials is that of course they would convey to us in detail information about the Iijima trip. So we expect that it will happen, and I very much look forward to that. How about one more quick question?
QUESTION: What conditions do you think are necessary for the Japanese Government in trying to move this abduction issue forward? Do you expect to see some action from the North Koreans?
AMBASSADOR DAVIES: It would be quite improper for me as an American diplomat to try and interpose myself into this issue from the standpoint of the Japanese Government. The Japanese government, we respect them, we have excellent relations with Japan, a close ally and friend, so we’ll see going forward what might have developed from this visit. But I am not going to suggest strategies and tactics other than simply to say what I have already said, that we in the United States believe that this issue of denuclearization, because it is the foundation issue, the corner issue of the Six-Party Process, is one that we must all continue to work on. Which does not mean that all of the other issues are not also exceedingly important.
There can’t be a comprehensive solution to the North Korea issue, all of these issues, until we find a way collectively to convince North Korea that it has no choice but to live up to its obligations and commitments. You’ve all heard me speak to that many, many times. I want to thank you very much for coming to the airport, I’m sorry it’s such a long trip for you to come out here. I’ve enjoyed my visit to Tokyo, the weather’s been beautiful, and I look forward very much to coming back some point in the near future. Thank you very much.
Monday, May 20, 2013
SWIMMING POOL OR TOILET? YOU DECIDE
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| Photo Credit: Wikimedia. |
CDC study finds fecal contamination in pools
A study of public pools done during last summer’s swim season found that feces are frequently introduced into pool water by swimmers. Through the study, released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), researchers found germs in samples of pool filter water collected from public pools.
CDC collected samples of water from pool filters from public pools and tested the samples for genetic material (for example, DNA) of multiple microbes. The study found that 58 percent of the pool filter samples tested were positive for E. coli, bacteria normally found in the human gut and feces. The E. coli is a marker for fecal contamination.
Finding a high percentage of E. coli-positive filters indicates swimmers frequently contaminate pool water when they have a fecal incident in the water or when feces rinse off of their bodies because they do not shower thoroughly before getting into the water. No samples tested positive for E. coli O157:H7, a toxin-producing E. coli strain that causes illness.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa, whichcan cause skin rashes and ear infections, was detected in 59 percent of samples. Finding Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the water indicates natural environmental contamination or contamination introduced by swimmers. Cryptosporidium and Giardia, germs that are spread through feces and cause diarrhea, were found in less than 2 percent of samples. The tests used in the study do not indicate whether the detected germs were alive or able to cause infections. Indoor and outdoor public pools were sampled.
The study did not address water parks, residential pools or other types of recreational water. The study does not allow CDC to make conclusions about all pools in the United States. However, it is unlikely that swimmer-introduced contamination, or swimmer hygiene practices, differ between pools in the study and those in the rest of the country.
"Swimming is an excellent way to get the physical activity needed to stay healthy," said Michele Hlavsa, chief of CDC’s Healthy Swimming Program. "However, pool users should be aware of how to prevent infections while swimming. Remember, chlorine and other disinfectants don’t kill germs instantly. That’s why it’s important for swimmers to protect themselves by not swallowing the water they swim in and to protect others by keeping feces and germs out of the pool by taking a pre-swim shower and not swimming when ill with diarrhea."
This study is presented in recognition of Recreational Water Illness and Injury Prevention Week, May 20–26, 2013. The goal of the prevention week is to raise awareness about healthy swimming, including ways to prevent recreational water illnesses (RWIs). Germs that cause RWIs are spread by swallowing, breathing in the mists or aerosols from, or having contact with contaminated water in swimming pools, water parks, hot tubs, interactive fountains, water play areas, lakes, rivers, or oceans.
ISAF NEWS FROM AFGHANISTAN FOR MAY 20, 2013
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| U.S. Army 1st Lt. Robert Wolfe, left, and U.S. Army Spc. Matt Cullen, right, use the optic lens on their weapons to scan for security threats from the fourth floor of a building during a meeting with the Farah City mayor at his office in Farah City, Afghanistan, May 14, 2013. Wolfe, a platoon leader, and Cullen are assigned to Provincial Reconstruction Team Farah. U.S. Navy photo by Chief Petty Officer Josh Ives |
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Afghan, Coalition Forces Arrest Insurgents in Khost Province
Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases
WASHINGTON, May 20, 2013 - A combined Afghan and coalition security force arrested three insurgents today during a search for an insurgent leader with ties to the Taliban and Haqqani terrorist networks in the Sabari district of Afghanistan's Khost province, military officials reported.
The leader finances insurgent networks, plans and executes assassinations of Afghan civilians, uses his home as a staging point for insurgent operations, and obtains weapons and equipment for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.
The security force also seized ammunition in the operation.
In Afghanistan operations yesterday:
-- A combined force in Jowzjan province's Khanaqa district killed two insurgents during a search for a senior Taliban leader who is responsible for illegal tax collection in Jowzjan and Balkh provinces to fund Taliban operations and has assassinated village elders who resisted. He also facilitates the movement of weapons and equipment for attacks against Afghan and coalition forces.
-- Afghan special forces soldiers and coalition forces killed two insurgents and detained another in Herat province's Shindand district after they were fired upon while en route to a meeting with religious leaders.
-- A combined force in Paktia province's Gardez district arrested a Haqqani network improvised explosive device expert who directs and executes attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. The security force also arrested four other insurgents and seized three rifles.
-- In Nangarhar province's Khugyani district, a combined force arrested five insurgents during a search for a senior Taliban leader who oversees a group involved in ambushes, IED operations and attacks against Afghan and coalition forces. He also facilitates the movement of weapons and serves as an intelligence operative for more senior Taliban officials.
-- A combined force in Logar province's Pul-e Alam district arrested a Taliban leader who controls a group responsible for attacks on Afghan and coalition forces, facilitates the movement of insurgent weapons and manages personnel decisions for the local Taliban network. The security force also arrested another insurgent.
In a May 18 operation, a combined force in Wardak province's Sayyidabad district killed an insurgent during a search for a senior Taliban leader who is responsible for attacks targeting Afghan and coalition forces. He also makes and plants IEDs, procures and distributes weapons and equipment and oversees kidnappings of Afghan civilians.
In May 17 operations:
-- Afghan special forces soldiers and coalition forces killed 12 insurgents in Ghazni province's Qara Bagh district after insurgents fired on them near a local police checkpoint.
-- Afghan local and uniformed police secured a weapons cache that included 107 mm artillery shells and five rockets and coordinated for its controlled detonation in Ghazni province's Deh Yak district. Local police received intelligence concerning the cache's location and called for an Afghan army explosive ordnance disposal team.
MARIENS TAKE HOME MOST MEDALS AT WARRIOR GAMES 2013
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| Team captains Cpl. Jorge Salazar of Delano, Calif., Cpl. Travis Greene of Boise, Idaho, accept the Chairman's Cup on behalf of the Marine Corps team, coaches and wounded warrior regiment staff in the closing ceremony for the 2013 Warrior Games in Colorado Springs, Colo., May 16, 2013. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Corey Dabney |
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE,
Marines Earn Fourth Warrior Games Title With 93 Medals
By Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Heidi Agostini
Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., May 17, 2013 - The Marine Corps has established a dynasty at the Warrior Games, taking top honors for the fourth year in a row at this year's competition, which ended here yesterday.
The 50 Marines who competed took home 93 medals: 34 gold, 33 silver and 26 bronze. The Army placed second with 81 medals.
"Congratulations to all of the 2013 Warrior Games competitors," said Charlie Huebner, chief of Paralympics for the U.S. Olympic Committee during the closing ceremony. "While we celebrate medals, this competition is really an example of how sport can change lives. We hope these service members and veterans don't stop here. The goal is for them to return home and get involved in sport programs in their communities."
The Warrior Games, hosted by the U.S. Olympic Committee and Deloitte, are a Paralympic-style competition for wounded, ill, or injured service members and veterans from the U.S. and British armed forces. The athletes compete in cycling, shooting, track and field, archery, wheelchair basketball, sitting volleyball and swimming. The competitions were held at the Olympic Training Center and the U.S. Air Force Academy here.
The competition kicked off to a good start for the Marine team as they established their presence at the cycling competition, scoring four medals. Sgt. Lori Yrigoyen from Huntington Beach, Calif., and currently assigned to Wounded Warrior Battalion West, took first place in the women's recumbent 10k. Staff Sgt. Ronnie Jimenez from Tempe, Ariz., and assigned to Wounded Warrior Battalion West, boosted morale for the team and its fans by being the first athlete of all services to win a gold medal. Jimenez took first in the 10-kilometer handcycle race. But after the first day, the Marines had fallen behind to the Army by five medals.
The Marines took 20 out of 24 possible medals in shooting competition last year. This year, the team scored 13 medals, edging out the Army by five. Gold medalists included Gunnery Sgt. Pedro Aquino from Hawthorne, Calif., and currently assigned to Wounded Warrior Battalion West, who tied for first with veteran Cpl. Angel Gomez of Visalia, Calif., resulting in a shoot-off.
Veteran Lance Cpl. Richard Stalder, from Muenster, Texas, took first in the standing competition-SH2 and veteran Master Sgt. Dionisios Nicholas of Mililani Town, Hawaii, took gold in Pistol-SH1. Staff Sgt. Phillip Shockley of Jackson, Fla., currently assigned to Wounded Warrior Battalion East, won the pistol-open competition.
Going into Day 3 of the competition, the Marines medaled in nearly all track and field events, taking home 36 medals while the Army took 33. Cpl. Kyle Reid of Chinook, Mont., currently assigned to Wounded Warrior Battalion West, outran his Army competitor by .01 seconds in the men's 100-meter open. Marine veteran Derek Liu of Fullerton, Calif., won the 100-meter visually impaired, and veteran Sgt. Anthony McDaniel of Pascagoula, Miss., and Ivan Sears of San Antonio took first and second in the 100-meter wheelchair race.
The Army also took home a third consecutive gold in the much-anticipated wheelchair basketball rivalry between the Army and Marines, but not before the Marine team gave them a run for their medals. The final score was 34-32.
Last year, the Marine team lost the gold match in sitting volleyball to the Army. This year, the Marines quickly put out the Army by defeating them 2-0. In the final event of swimming, the Marines took a larger lead, with Sgt. Kirstie Ennis of Milton, Fla., currently assigned to Wounded Warrior Battalion West, taking home gold in the women's 50-meter freestyle-SLA, 100-meter freestyle-SLA, and 50-meter backstroke-SLA.
Team captains Cpl. Jorge Salazar of Delano, Calif., and Wounded Warrior Battalion West and veteran Cpl. Travis Greene of Boise, Idaho, accepted the Chairman's Cup on behalf of the team, coaches and regiment staff.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
FEMA PHOTOS OF THE RECENT FLOODS IN ILLINOIS
Albany Park, Ill., April 29, 2013 --Layers of sand bags lay stagnant along North Branch of the Chicago River in Cook County Illinois. Efforts were made to combat the rising flood waters from the river that flowed above 3 feet into homes, basements and down streets. More than seven inches of rain fell in parts of northeast and central Illinois. FEMA conducted Preliminary Damage Assessments to determine whether a disaster declaration was needed for Illinois. Bryan Adams- FEMA Corps.
Des Plaines, Ill., April 30, 2013 --Covered in mud and silt, appliances in a flooded basement await to be removed. Many homes, businesses and roads were damaged and compromised due to severe flash flooding on April 18 andmore than 7 inches of rain fell in parts of northeast and central Illinois. Bryan Adams-FEMA Corps.
CDC FACTSHEET ON WEST NILE VIRUS
FROM: CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION
West Nile Virus: What You Need To Know
CDC Fact Sheet
What Is West Nile Virus?
West Nile virus (WNV) is a potentially serious illness. Experts believe WNV is established as a seasonal epidemic in North America that flares up in the summer and continues into the fall. This fact sheet contains important information that can help you recognize and prevent West Nile virus.
What Can I Do to Prevent WNV?
Prevention measures consist of community-based mosquito control programs that are able to reduce vector populations, personal protection measures to reduce the likelihood of being bitten by infected mosquitoes, and the underlying surveillance programs that characterize spatial/temporal patterns in risk that allow health and vector control agencies to target their interventions and resources.
The easiest and best way to avoid WNV is to prevent mosquito bites.
When you are outdoors, use insect repellent containing an EPA-registered active ingredient. Follow the directions on the package.
Many mosquitoes are most active at dusk and dawn. Be sure to use insect repellent and wear long sleeves and pants at these times or consider staying indoors during these hours.
Make sure you have good screens on your windows and doors to keep mosquitoes out.
Get rid of mosquito breeding sites by emptying standing water from flower pots, buckets and barrels. Change the water in pet dishes and replace the water in bird baths weekly. Drill holes in tire swings so water drains out. Keep children's wading pools empty and on their sides when they aren't being used.
What Are the Symptoms of WNV?
Serious Symptoms in a Few People . About one in 150 people infected with WNV will develop severe illness. The severe symptoms can include high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness and paralysis. These symptoms may last several weeks, and neurological effects may be permanent.
Milder Symptoms in Some People. Up to 20 percent of the people who become infected have symptoms such as fever, headache, and body aches, nausea, vomiting, and sometimes swollen lymph glands or a skin rash on the chest, stomach and back. Symptoms can last for as short as a few days, though even healthy people have become sick for several weeks.
No Symptoms in Most People. Approximately 80 percent of people (about 4 out of 5) who are infected with WNV will not show any symptoms at all.
How Does West Nile Virus Spread?
Infected Mosquitoes. Most often, WNV is spread by the bite of an infected mosquito. Mosquitoes become infected when they feed on infected birds. Infected mosquitoes can then spread WNV to humans and other animals when they bite.
Transfusions, Transplants, and Mother-to-Child. In a very small number of cases, WNV also has been spread through blood transfusions, organ transplants, breastfeeding and even during pregnancy from mother to baby.
Not through touching. WNV is not spread through casual contact such as touching or kissing a person with the virus.
How Soon Do Infected People Get Sick?
People typically develop symptoms between 3 and 14 days after they are bitten by the infected mosquito.
How Is WNV Infection Treated?
There is no specific treatment for WNV infection. In cases with milder symptoms, people experience symptoms such as fever and aches that pass on their own, although even healthy people have become sick for several weeks. In more severe cases, people usually need to go to the hospital where they can receive supportive treatment including intravenous fluids, help with breathing and nursing care.
What Should I Do if I Think I Have WNV?
Milder WNV illness improves on its own, and people do not necessarily need to seek medical attention for this infection though they may choose to do so. If you develop symptoms of severe WNV illness, such as unusually severe headaches or confusion, seek medical attention immediately. Severe WNV illness usually requires hospitalization. Pregnant women and nursing mothers are encouraged to talk to their doctor if they develop symptoms that could be WNV.
West Nile Virus: What You Need To Know
CDC Fact Sheet
What Is West Nile Virus?
West Nile virus (WNV) is a potentially serious illness. Experts believe WNV is established as a seasonal epidemic in North America that flares up in the summer and continues into the fall. This fact sheet contains important information that can help you recognize and prevent West Nile virus.
What Can I Do to Prevent WNV?
Prevention measures consist of community-based mosquito control programs that are able to reduce vector populations, personal protection measures to reduce the likelihood of being bitten by infected mosquitoes, and the underlying surveillance programs that characterize spatial/temporal patterns in risk that allow health and vector control agencies to target their interventions and resources.
The easiest and best way to avoid WNV is to prevent mosquito bites.
Many mosquitoes are most active at dusk and dawn. Be sure to use insect repellent and wear long sleeves and pants at these times or consider staying indoors during these hours.
Make sure you have good screens on your windows and doors to keep mosquitoes out.
Get rid of mosquito breeding sites by emptying standing water from flower pots, buckets and barrels. Change the water in pet dishes and replace the water in bird baths weekly. Drill holes in tire swings so water drains out. Keep children's wading pools empty and on their sides when they aren't being used.
What Are the Symptoms of WNV?
Milder Symptoms in Some People. Up to 20 percent of the people who become infected have symptoms such as fever, headache, and body aches, nausea, vomiting, and sometimes swollen lymph glands or a skin rash on the chest, stomach and back. Symptoms can last for as short as a few days, though even healthy people have become sick for several weeks.
How Does West Nile Virus Spread?
Transfusions, Transplants, and Mother-to-Child. In a very small number of cases, WNV also has been spread through blood transfusions, organ transplants, breastfeeding and even during pregnancy from mother to baby.
Not through touching. WNV is not spread through casual contact such as touching or kissing a person with the virus.
How Soon Do Infected People Get Sick?
People typically develop symptoms between 3 and 14 days after they are bitten by the infected mosquito.
How Is WNV Infection Treated?
There is no specific treatment for WNV infection. In cases with milder symptoms, people experience symptoms such as fever and aches that pass on their own, although even healthy people have become sick for several weeks. In more severe cases, people usually need to go to the hospital where they can receive supportive treatment including intravenous fluids, help with breathing and nursing care.
What Should I Do if I Think I Have WNV?
Milder WNV illness improves on its own, and people do not necessarily need to seek medical attention for this infection though they may choose to do so. If you develop symptoms of severe WNV illness, such as unusually severe headaches or confusion, seek medical attention immediately. Severe WNV illness usually requires hospitalization. Pregnant women and nursing mothers are encouraged to talk to their doctor if they develop symptoms that could be WNV.
DOD SAYS STRATCOM STRIVES FOR COALITIONS IN SPACE OPERATIONS
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Stratcom Strives to Build Coalitions for Space Operations
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb., May 14, 2013 - Recognizing the value of multinational coalitions for operations in the land, maritime and air domains, officials at U.S. Strategic Command here hope to forge a coalition that shares assets and capabilities in space.
The United States and its allies are discussing details for the first agreement of its kind promoting combined space operations, Air Force Brig. Gen. David D. Thompson, Stratcom's deputy director of global operations, told American Forces Press Service.
The agreement could spell out specific areas in which the participating nations will work together, and what each will contribute to those efforts, Thompson said.
The agreement will formalize an arrangement tested last year during a period discovery. Based on the findings, the U.S. and its allies agreed in September to continue working toward closer combined space operations.
Thompson said he hopes the agreement will be the first step in forging international military-to-military cooperation in space that is essential to all. The Stratcom staff already is promoting the concept with what is hoped to be the next wave of nations to join the coalition.
"Our intent with combined space operations is to mirror some of the partnerships we have in other mission areas that are long-term and enduring," Thompson said.
Space is vital to military operations, providing an array of capabilities that give space-faring nations' forces a military advantage, he said. These include intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities that enhance warfighters' situational awareness, space-based communications that provide them instant, global communications, and global positioning systems that deliver highly accurate navigation and targeting positions.
"This gives them an awareness and understanding that enhances their capabilities to conduct operations the way no other armed forces can today," Thompson said. "That's why it's vitally important to our military forces."
However, as more nations, organizations and commercial companies vie to take advantage of space-based capabilities, the once-pristine space domain is becoming increasingly congested and competitive, Thompson said.
And of particular concern to military leaders, space is an increasingly contested domain, with potential adversaries hoping to level the playing field by denying access to space and space-based capabilities, he said. The response, Thompson said, must be the same unity in numbers that has proven itself out in every other domain. Coalitions provide more capability than any one nation can provide alone, while also sending an important deterrent message to potential adversaries, he said.
Unlike recent coalitions, formed for specific periods to accomplish specific objectives, Thompson said he hopes those formed for operations in space endure.
"We have enduring requirements and enduring interests that are common among ourselves. So we see this as a longer-standing coalition with these nations," he said.
Working together to support their shared interests and objectives, Thompson said, the coalition members will help ensure that space remains a global common open to all.
"Joining together in a coalition is a statement of assurance that each nation is committed to effective, mutually supportive conduct of operations in space," he said. "We are united in a coalition sense when it comes to operations in space and providing those capabilities for each nation."
Stratcom Strives to Build Coalitions for Space Operations
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb., May 14, 2013 - Recognizing the value of multinational coalitions for operations in the land, maritime and air domains, officials at U.S. Strategic Command here hope to forge a coalition that shares assets and capabilities in space.
The United States and its allies are discussing details for the first agreement of its kind promoting combined space operations, Air Force Brig. Gen. David D. Thompson, Stratcom's deputy director of global operations, told American Forces Press Service.
The agreement could spell out specific areas in which the participating nations will work together, and what each will contribute to those efforts, Thompson said.
The agreement will formalize an arrangement tested last year during a period discovery. Based on the findings, the U.S. and its allies agreed in September to continue working toward closer combined space operations.
Thompson said he hopes the agreement will be the first step in forging international military-to-military cooperation in space that is essential to all. The Stratcom staff already is promoting the concept with what is hoped to be the next wave of nations to join the coalition.
"Our intent with combined space operations is to mirror some of the partnerships we have in other mission areas that are long-term and enduring," Thompson said.
Space is vital to military operations, providing an array of capabilities that give space-faring nations' forces a military advantage, he said. These include intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities that enhance warfighters' situational awareness, space-based communications that provide them instant, global communications, and global positioning systems that deliver highly accurate navigation and targeting positions.
"This gives them an awareness and understanding that enhances their capabilities to conduct operations the way no other armed forces can today," Thompson said. "That's why it's vitally important to our military forces."
However, as more nations, organizations and commercial companies vie to take advantage of space-based capabilities, the once-pristine space domain is becoming increasingly congested and competitive, Thompson said.
And of particular concern to military leaders, space is an increasingly contested domain, with potential adversaries hoping to level the playing field by denying access to space and space-based capabilities, he said. The response, Thompson said, must be the same unity in numbers that has proven itself out in every other domain. Coalitions provide more capability than any one nation can provide alone, while also sending an important deterrent message to potential adversaries, he said.
Unlike recent coalitions, formed for specific periods to accomplish specific objectives, Thompson said he hopes those formed for operations in space endure.
"We have enduring requirements and enduring interests that are common among ourselves. So we see this as a longer-standing coalition with these nations," he said.
Working together to support their shared interests and objectives, Thompson said, the coalition members will help ensure that space remains a global common open to all.
"Joining together in a coalition is a statement of assurance that each nation is committed to effective, mutually supportive conduct of operations in space," he said. "We are united in a coalition sense when it comes to operations in space and providing those capabilities for each nation."
MAN AND COMPANY CHARGED BY SEC IN PRIME BANK SCHEME
FROM: SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
SEC Charges Resident in the Atlanta Area and His Firm with Fraud in Connection with Prime Bank Scheme
On May 16, 2013, the Securities and Exchange Commission filed an emergency action in federal court in the federal district in Atlanta, charging Robert Fowler (Fowler), a Duluth, Georgia resident, and his company, US Capital Funding Series II Trust 1 (US Capital), with violations of the federal securities laws for defrauding investors in a "prime bank" investment scheme.
The Commission's complaint alleges that, since at least August 2012, Fowler and US Capital have raised at least $350,000 from investors by falsely promising high profits for investing in standby letters of credit or bank guarantees that would purportedly grant the investors loans, the proceeds of which would be invested for a significant profit. Fowler and US Capital instead misappropriated investor funds for personal and business uses. Fowler was actively soliciting additional investors for his scheme, the complaint alleged.
According to the complaint, Fowler targeted foreign-born small business owners with little or no experience in finance or investing. In exchange for investors' initial "down payment" for a stand-by letter of credit (SBLC) or bank guarantee to be issued by US Capital, Fowler offered to assist in the procurement of commercial loans to companies owned or operated by the investors, and to control the investment of at least a portion of the eventual (fictitious) loan proceeds, sometimes using affiliated "traders" and "trading platforms" in unspecified "instruments," in order to derive substantial profits. Fowler and US Capital did not use the investor proceeds as represented; rather, shortly after US Capital's bank accounts received investors' funds, Fowler spent the funds at restaurants, grocery stores, gas stations, and clothing stores, and also withdrew thousands of dollars through ATM transactions.
In its complaint, the Commission alleges that US Capital's website misrepresented that it has assets "valued in the Trillions," and had a "triple A" credit rating by Standard and Poor's . The complaint alleges that, in fact, US Capital had minimal assets and that the S&P rating was for an unaffiliated entity with the same name. The Commission's complaint further alleges that, in an effort to entice additional investors, Fowler misrepresented that the Commission had blessed US Capital's offering.
In its complaint, the Commission alleges that US Capital's website misrepresented that it has assets "valued in the Trillions," and had a "triple A" credit rating by Standard and Poor's . The complaint alleges that, in fact, US Capital had minimal assets and that the S&P rating was for an unaffiliated entity with the same name. The Commission's complaint further alleges that, in an effort to entice additional investors, Fowler misrepresented that the Commission had blessed US Capital's offering.
In its complaint, the Commission alleges that US Capital's website misrepresented that it has assets "valued in the Trillions," and had a "triple A" credit rating by Standard and Poor's . The complaint alleges that, in fact, US Capital had minimal assets and that the S&P rating was for an unaffiliated entity with the same name. The Commission's complaint further alleges that, in an effort to entice additional investors, Fowler misrepresented that the Commission had blessed US Capital's offering.
SEC Complaint
SEC Charges Resident in the Atlanta Area and His Firm with Fraud in Connection with Prime Bank Scheme
On May 16, 2013, the Securities and Exchange Commission filed an emergency action in federal court in the federal district in Atlanta, charging Robert Fowler (Fowler), a Duluth, Georgia resident, and his company, US Capital Funding Series II Trust 1 (US Capital), with violations of the federal securities laws for defrauding investors in a "prime bank" investment scheme.
The Commission's complaint alleges that, since at least August 2012, Fowler and US Capital have raised at least $350,000 from investors by falsely promising high profits for investing in standby letters of credit or bank guarantees that would purportedly grant the investors loans, the proceeds of which would be invested for a significant profit. Fowler and US Capital instead misappropriated investor funds for personal and business uses. Fowler was actively soliciting additional investors for his scheme, the complaint alleged.
According to the complaint, Fowler targeted foreign-born small business owners with little or no experience in finance or investing. In exchange for investors' initial "down payment" for a stand-by letter of credit (SBLC) or bank guarantee to be issued by US Capital, Fowler offered to assist in the procurement of commercial loans to companies owned or operated by the investors, and to control the investment of at least a portion of the eventual (fictitious) loan proceeds, sometimes using affiliated "traders" and "trading platforms" in unspecified "instruments," in order to derive substantial profits. Fowler and US Capital did not use the investor proceeds as represented; rather, shortly after US Capital's bank accounts received investors' funds, Fowler spent the funds at restaurants, grocery stores, gas stations, and clothing stores, and also withdrew thousands of dollars through ATM transactions.
In its complaint, the Commission alleges that US Capital's website misrepresented that it has assets "valued in the Trillions," and had a "triple A" credit rating by Standard and Poor's . The complaint alleges that, in fact, US Capital had minimal assets and that the S&P rating was for an unaffiliated entity with the same name. The Commission's complaint further alleges that, in an effort to entice additional investors, Fowler misrepresented that the Commission had blessed US Capital's offering.
In its complaint, the Commission alleges that US Capital's website misrepresented that it has assets "valued in the Trillions," and had a "triple A" credit rating by Standard and Poor's . The complaint alleges that, in fact, US Capital had minimal assets and that the S&P rating was for an unaffiliated entity with the same name. The Commission's complaint further alleges that, in an effort to entice additional investors, Fowler misrepresented that the Commission had blessed US Capital's offering.
In its complaint, the Commission alleges that US Capital's website misrepresented that it has assets "valued in the Trillions," and had a "triple A" credit rating by Standard and Poor's . The complaint alleges that, in fact, US Capital had minimal assets and that the S&P rating was for an unaffiliated entity with the same name. The Commission's complaint further alleges that, in an effort to entice additional investors, Fowler misrepresented that the Commission had blessed US Capital's offering.
SEC Complaint
PHYSICIAN PLEADS GUILTY TO MAKING FRAUDULENT REFERRALS
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT JUSTICE
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Michigan Physician Pleads Guilty for Role in Medicare Fraud Scheme
A Detroit-area physician pleaded guilty today to making fraudulent referrals for home health care as part of a $1.6 million home health care fraud scheme, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan Barbara L. McQuade, Special Agent in Charge Robert D. Foley III of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Lamont Pugh III of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Chicago Regional Office.
Dr. Sonjai Poonpanij, 82, of Rochester, Mich., pleaded guilty before Senior U.S. District Judge Arthur J. Tarnow in the Eastern District of Michigan to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
According to court documents, Dr. Poonpanij admitted that beginning in approximately July 2010, he conspired with others to commit health care fraud by referring Medicare beneficiaries for home health care that was not medically necessary and causing false and fraudulent claims to be submitted to Medicare.
Dr. Poonpanij admitted that he saw patients at a psychotherapy center in Flint, Mich., known as New Century Adult Day Program Services LLC, and referred Medicare beneficiaries at New Century to home health care companies – including a home health care company known as Angle’s Touch Home Health Care LLC – even though he knew that those beneficiaries did not qualify for home health care. According to court documents, Dr. Poonpanij wrote prescriptions for narcotics requested by the beneficiaries in exchange for their enrollment with Angle’s Touch for home health care that they did not need or receive. In addition to referring patients that he saw at New Century, Dr. Poonpanij also referred beneficiaries whom he had never seen or treated to Angle’s Touch and other home health agencies. Dr. Poonpanij signed plans of care for these beneficiaries that were used to bill Medicare for services that were either never actually performed or were not performed in the beneficiaries’ homes as required.
Court documents allege that between September 2008 and September 2012, Dr. Poonpanij caused Angle’s Touch and two other home health agencies to submit claims to Medicare for services that were not medically necessary and/or not provided, which caused Medicare to pay these companies approximately $1,318,954.
At sentencing, scheduled for Aug. 14, 2013, Dr. Poonpanij faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
This case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Niall M. O’Donnell of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section. It was investigated by the FBI and HHS-OIG, and was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, supervised by the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan.
Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged more than 1,480 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $4.8 billion. In addition, HHS’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, is taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Michigan Physician Pleads Guilty for Role in Medicare Fraud Scheme
A Detroit-area physician pleaded guilty today to making fraudulent referrals for home health care as part of a $1.6 million home health care fraud scheme, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan Barbara L. McQuade, Special Agent in Charge Robert D. Foley III of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Lamont Pugh III of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Chicago Regional Office.
Dr. Sonjai Poonpanij, 82, of Rochester, Mich., pleaded guilty before Senior U.S. District Judge Arthur J. Tarnow in the Eastern District of Michigan to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
According to court documents, Dr. Poonpanij admitted that beginning in approximately July 2010, he conspired with others to commit health care fraud by referring Medicare beneficiaries for home health care that was not medically necessary and causing false and fraudulent claims to be submitted to Medicare.
Dr. Poonpanij admitted that he saw patients at a psychotherapy center in Flint, Mich., known as New Century Adult Day Program Services LLC, and referred Medicare beneficiaries at New Century to home health care companies – including a home health care company known as Angle’s Touch Home Health Care LLC – even though he knew that those beneficiaries did not qualify for home health care. According to court documents, Dr. Poonpanij wrote prescriptions for narcotics requested by the beneficiaries in exchange for their enrollment with Angle’s Touch for home health care that they did not need or receive. In addition to referring patients that he saw at New Century, Dr. Poonpanij also referred beneficiaries whom he had never seen or treated to Angle’s Touch and other home health agencies. Dr. Poonpanij signed plans of care for these beneficiaries that were used to bill Medicare for services that were either never actually performed or were not performed in the beneficiaries’ homes as required.
Court documents allege that between September 2008 and September 2012, Dr. Poonpanij caused Angle’s Touch and two other home health agencies to submit claims to Medicare for services that were not medically necessary and/or not provided, which caused Medicare to pay these companies approximately $1,318,954.
At sentencing, scheduled for Aug. 14, 2013, Dr. Poonpanij faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
This case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Niall M. O’Donnell of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section. It was investigated by the FBI and HHS-OIG, and was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, supervised by the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan.
Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged more than 1,480 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $4.8 billion. In addition, HHS’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, is taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.
JUMPING TO WARP SPEED
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FROM: NASA
The Jump to Warp SpeedThis cockpit view of a hypothetical spacecraft traveling at eight-tenths the speed of light shows the visual distortions that would be experienced at such high speeds. The star field is actually being wrapped toward the front of the craft in addition to being significantly blue-shifted. NASA Glenn leads the Breakthrough Propulsion Physics Project, NASA's primary effort to produce near-term, credible, and measurable progress toward the technology breakthroughs needed to revolutionize space travel and enable interstellar voyages. NASA Lewis (now Glenn) Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio.
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