By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
July 28, 2009 - The Air Force is sending an assessment team to Iraq to look at how the Iraqi military can field an air defense once American forces leave in 2011. The Air Force team is expected in the country shortly, Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, commander of Multinational Force Iraq, said during a roundtable with reporters traveling with Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates today.
The Iraqis probably will not be able to field advanced air-to-air manned interceptors by the time U.S. forces leave the country at the end of 2011, the general said. The U.S. team will work with Iraqi officials to look for creative solutions to the problem, the general said.
The Iraqi army is well on its way to being a professional force under civilian government control. The Iraqi navy is getting 15 patrol boats from the U.S. Navy and has three ships coming from the Italian navy. This will allow the Iraqis to defend the all-important oil terminal in Iraqi waters.
But air defense is another matter. Defending its airspace is a huge undertaking for Iraq. The government must procure suitable aircraft that can intercept other jets. The pilots must be trained, infrastructure must be built, and mechanics must be instructed. The logistics trail also must be established. Procuring new aircraft in time for the American withdrawal would not provide the requisite capabilities they would entail.
And an air defense system is more than just planes. Radars, a communications system and command structure also must be built.
"We're going to bring this team over here to try and get them some creative solutions that might allow them to have some capacity by 2011," Odierno said, citing use of retired U.S. F-16 fighters or the purchase of aircraft from other countries as possible steps in the process.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Odierno Says Iraqi Response Paves Way for More Progress
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
July 28, 2009 - The commander of Multinational Forces Iraq said today he's extremely pleased with the way Iraqi security forces have stepped to the plate following the June 30 withdrawal of American forces from the cities and towns of the country. Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno said he is on track to fulfill the mission he and his command of 130,000 Americans in the country have received. "I've been given very clear guidance: one is that we will have a change of mission on Aug. 31, 2010, and we will no longer have a combat mission," he said during an interview at the Al Faw Palace here. "And by Dec. 31, 2011, all U.S. troops will have left Iraq."
Trend lines are moving in the right direction, with overall incidents in July down from June, which was down from May, the general said. High-profile attacks also will be down in July, and casualties are fewer than in past months, he added. "All indicators are right," Odierno said. "It's not perfect -- we've had some growing pains -- but I will tell you we've worked through those over time."
The turnover of responsibility to Iraqi security forces is itself important, the general said. The fact that the United States is executing the agreement signed in December is important in and of itself. "It has sent the message that we are going to abide by the agreement that we signed," he said.
Iraqi and American commanders worked together to get past difficulties in implementing the agreement, Odierno said. On July 9, Army Lt. Gen. Charles Jacoby, the commander of Multinational Corps Iraq, and Gen. Ali Giban, the Iraqi ground forces commander, held a historic video teleconference including 500 Iraqi and American commanders. They resolved many of the issues with the agreement at that time, which has helped the process go so smoothly since then.
The change has improved relationships between Iraqi and American commanders. "The Iraqi commanders have realized that the better their relationships with the U.S. counterparts, the more successful they will be," Odierno said. "We're really seeing the relationships improve."
The area that most concerns the general is northern Iraq. The Arab-Kurd issue is the main "driver of instability" in the country today, he said. Insurgent groups are trying to exploit the Kurd-Arab tensions in the north, especially in Iraq's Kirkuk and Ninevah provinces. "We watch very carefully that this doesn't escalate so this doesn't cause some sort of ethnic violence," he said. "We've not seen that so far."
Arabs and Kurds have had discussions, and with the conclusion of the elections in the Kurdish Regional Government last week, the general said, he hopes a high-level Kurdish-Arab group under United Nations auspices will help to solve areas of disagreement between the two sides.
U.S. forces also are working through a mindset change due to the withdrawal from the cities and towns, a change that takes into account "the fact that [the Iraqis] are in the lead, the fact that we do every operation jointly and we do no unilateral operations, to include special operations missions," Odierno said.
American troops have the inherent right to self defense, and will retain that, Odierno said. But in everything else, he added, it means that the Iraqis are in the lead. This was a bigger change in Mosul and some parts of Baghdad than it was in other parts of the country.
"There are those who have had more trouble than others [in embracing the new mindset]," he said, "but overall, I've been very happy that the majority have been able to make the adjustment."
The idea is to finish the mission with honor and success, the general said.
The change, Odierno noted, is something for American servicemembers to celebrate.
"When I got here as the corps commander in November 2006, I would never have dreamed that we would have some this far," he said, noting the Sunni-Shiia struggle that permeated the country at the time. Now, the unified Iraqi force is responsible for security.
American servicemembers must realize this success is because of their sacrifices, and none of this progress would have happened without them, the general said.
The improved position in Iraq has allowed the U.S. military to increase the effort in Afghanistan. The security situation in Iraq is such that forces now are flowing into Afghanistan -- long considered the secondary front. Odierno acknowledged some bumps in the road in that effort, however, especially with some enablers such as engineers and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets. Odierno also acknowledged that "there will have to be some hard decisions made" if serious problems arise in Iraq as troops are flowing in to Afghanistan.
The election coming up in January is the key to Iraq, the general said. "If we have a successful election and there is a peaceful transition of power," he said, "I believe it will make it more difficult [for terror] groups to move the country backward."
The Iraqi people have momentum on their side, the general noted. They've built it by taking over security in the cities and towns and by holding successful provincial elections. If the elections in January are successful, he added, "then the momentum would be very hard to stop."
American Forces Press Service
July 28, 2009 - The commander of Multinational Forces Iraq said today he's extremely pleased with the way Iraqi security forces have stepped to the plate following the June 30 withdrawal of American forces from the cities and towns of the country. Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno said he is on track to fulfill the mission he and his command of 130,000 Americans in the country have received. "I've been given very clear guidance: one is that we will have a change of mission on Aug. 31, 2010, and we will no longer have a combat mission," he said during an interview at the Al Faw Palace here. "And by Dec. 31, 2011, all U.S. troops will have left Iraq."
Trend lines are moving in the right direction, with overall incidents in July down from June, which was down from May, the general said. High-profile attacks also will be down in July, and casualties are fewer than in past months, he added. "All indicators are right," Odierno said. "It's not perfect -- we've had some growing pains -- but I will tell you we've worked through those over time."
The turnover of responsibility to Iraqi security forces is itself important, the general said. The fact that the United States is executing the agreement signed in December is important in and of itself. "It has sent the message that we are going to abide by the agreement that we signed," he said.
Iraqi and American commanders worked together to get past difficulties in implementing the agreement, Odierno said. On July 9, Army Lt. Gen. Charles Jacoby, the commander of Multinational Corps Iraq, and Gen. Ali Giban, the Iraqi ground forces commander, held a historic video teleconference including 500 Iraqi and American commanders. They resolved many of the issues with the agreement at that time, which has helped the process go so smoothly since then.
The change has improved relationships between Iraqi and American commanders. "The Iraqi commanders have realized that the better their relationships with the U.S. counterparts, the more successful they will be," Odierno said. "We're really seeing the relationships improve."
The area that most concerns the general is northern Iraq. The Arab-Kurd issue is the main "driver of instability" in the country today, he said. Insurgent groups are trying to exploit the Kurd-Arab tensions in the north, especially in Iraq's Kirkuk and Ninevah provinces. "We watch very carefully that this doesn't escalate so this doesn't cause some sort of ethnic violence," he said. "We've not seen that so far."
Arabs and Kurds have had discussions, and with the conclusion of the elections in the Kurdish Regional Government last week, the general said, he hopes a high-level Kurdish-Arab group under United Nations auspices will help to solve areas of disagreement between the two sides.
U.S. forces also are working through a mindset change due to the withdrawal from the cities and towns, a change that takes into account "the fact that [the Iraqis] are in the lead, the fact that we do every operation jointly and we do no unilateral operations, to include special operations missions," Odierno said.
American troops have the inherent right to self defense, and will retain that, Odierno said. But in everything else, he added, it means that the Iraqis are in the lead. This was a bigger change in Mosul and some parts of Baghdad than it was in other parts of the country.
"There are those who have had more trouble than others [in embracing the new mindset]," he said, "but overall, I've been very happy that the majority have been able to make the adjustment."
The idea is to finish the mission with honor and success, the general said.
The change, Odierno noted, is something for American servicemembers to celebrate.
"When I got here as the corps commander in November 2006, I would never have dreamed that we would have some this far," he said, noting the Sunni-Shiia struggle that permeated the country at the time. Now, the unified Iraqi force is responsible for security.
American servicemembers must realize this success is because of their sacrifices, and none of this progress would have happened without them, the general said.
The improved position in Iraq has allowed the U.S. military to increase the effort in Afghanistan. The security situation in Iraq is such that forces now are flowing into Afghanistan -- long considered the secondary front. Odierno acknowledged some bumps in the road in that effort, however, especially with some enablers such as engineers and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets. Odierno also acknowledged that "there will have to be some hard decisions made" if serious problems arise in Iraq as troops are flowing in to Afghanistan.
The election coming up in January is the key to Iraq, the general said. "If we have a successful election and there is a peaceful transition of power," he said, "I believe it will make it more difficult [for terror] groups to move the country backward."
The Iraqi people have momentum on their side, the general noted. They've built it by taking over security in the cities and towns and by holding successful provincial elections. If the elections in January are successful, he added, "then the momentum would be very hard to stop."
Officials Testify on Capabilities to Defend Against Mass Weapons
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
July 28, 2009 - The Defense Department boasts the world's strongest ability to respond to chemical, biological and other weapons of mass destruction, a top Pentagon official said today. Speaking to the House Armed Services Committee's subcommittee on terrorism, unconventional threats and capabilities, Paul Stockton, assistant secretary of defense for homeland security, discussed the U.S. capabilities in responding to chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and high-yield explosives, or CBRNE.
"[The Defense Department's] CBRNE response capabilities are the best funded, best equipped, and best trained in the world," Stockton said in prepared testimony submitted to Congress. "During the past eight years, [the department] has developed a wide range of CBRNE response capabilities and has trained to employ these capabilities rapidly in support to civil authorities to help save lives."
Among National Guard units, the department has developed civil support teams in each state and territory that are prepared to respond in the instance of an attack by a weapon of mass destruction, Stockton said.
The department also is establishing three federal response units designed to assist civil authorities in the aftermath of a mass attack. Additionally, other federal forces are at the defense secretary's disposal -- special units such as Army technical escort battalions, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency's consequence advisory teams that can provide unique technical support.
"As well, general purpose forces can assist with transportation, medical support, logistics support, evacuation, damage assessment and security," Stockton added. "If necessary, the president has the authority to order up active duty members and units of the reserve components for up to 365 days to assist in responses to CBRNE threats or attacks."
Appearing alongside Stockton at the hearing was Air Force Gen. Victor E. Renuart Jr., commander of U.S. Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command, who spoke about Northcom's role regarding mass weapons attacks.
"The employment of a large-scale [CBRNE] device in the homeland has the potential to incur significant loss of life, cause mass panic, inflict large-scale physical and economic damage, and present consequence management challenges greater than those resulting from previous disasters," he said in a prepared statement. "Accordingly, Northcom must anticipate the full spectrum of CBRNE incidents that could occur domestically."
Renuart has previously said that anticipating threats is the key to readiness. When he took over Northcom's reins two years ago, he modified the command's mission statement to reflect this notion.
"When I took command, I added one word to the mission statement, and it was 'anticipate,'" Renuart said in a speech last month. "And it forces you to think differently about planning, preparation and prevention. It forces you to think about resiliency."
Northcom, which was established about a year after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, is responsible for an area of operations that includes the United States, Canada and Mexico. It serves as a "one-stop-shopping" point for military support in case of an attack on American soil.
American Forces Press Service
July 28, 2009 - The Defense Department boasts the world's strongest ability to respond to chemical, biological and other weapons of mass destruction, a top Pentagon official said today. Speaking to the House Armed Services Committee's subcommittee on terrorism, unconventional threats and capabilities, Paul Stockton, assistant secretary of defense for homeland security, discussed the U.S. capabilities in responding to chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and high-yield explosives, or CBRNE.
"[The Defense Department's] CBRNE response capabilities are the best funded, best equipped, and best trained in the world," Stockton said in prepared testimony submitted to Congress. "During the past eight years, [the department] has developed a wide range of CBRNE response capabilities and has trained to employ these capabilities rapidly in support to civil authorities to help save lives."
Among National Guard units, the department has developed civil support teams in each state and territory that are prepared to respond in the instance of an attack by a weapon of mass destruction, Stockton said.
The department also is establishing three federal response units designed to assist civil authorities in the aftermath of a mass attack. Additionally, other federal forces are at the defense secretary's disposal -- special units such as Army technical escort battalions, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency's consequence advisory teams that can provide unique technical support.
"As well, general purpose forces can assist with transportation, medical support, logistics support, evacuation, damage assessment and security," Stockton added. "If necessary, the president has the authority to order up active duty members and units of the reserve components for up to 365 days to assist in responses to CBRNE threats or attacks."
Appearing alongside Stockton at the hearing was Air Force Gen. Victor E. Renuart Jr., commander of U.S. Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command, who spoke about Northcom's role regarding mass weapons attacks.
"The employment of a large-scale [CBRNE] device in the homeland has the potential to incur significant loss of life, cause mass panic, inflict large-scale physical and economic damage, and present consequence management challenges greater than those resulting from previous disasters," he said in a prepared statement. "Accordingly, Northcom must anticipate the full spectrum of CBRNE incidents that could occur domestically."
Renuart has previously said that anticipating threats is the key to readiness. When he took over Northcom's reins two years ago, he modified the command's mission statement to reflect this notion.
"When I took command, I added one word to the mission statement, and it was 'anticipate,'" Renuart said in a speech last month. "And it forces you to think differently about planning, preparation and prevention. It forces you to think about resiliency."
Northcom, which was established about a year after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, is responsible for an area of operations that includes the United States, Canada and Mexico. It serves as a "one-stop-shopping" point for military support in case of an attack on American soil.
U.S. Development Team Assesses Afghan Cement Plant
By Army 1st Lt. Lory Stevens
Special to American Forces Press Service
July 28, 2009 - Accompanied by members of Task Force Warrior and Task Force Gladius, a U.S. government business and stability operations team visited the Jabal Saraj Cement Plant in Afghanistan's Parwan province July 25 as part of a fact-finding mission. Deputy Undersecretary of Defense Paul Brinkley, director of a business and stability task force, and his team of development experts have worked in Iraq for the past three years building the private business sector, and now are travelling across Afghanistan to determine if the United States can assist Afghans with more employment opportunities.
Islamuddin Ahmadi, the plant's general manager, met with the group and gave a brief tour of the cement plant that employs about 200 workers. The Afghan-Soviet war in the 1980s resulted in damage to the plant's structure, said Ahmadi, who has worked at the plant for the last 30 years.
"The Taliban later forced plant workers at gunpoint to turn on machines in the absence of adequate power, causing other structural problems and damage to equipment," he added.
Due to limited electricity, the plant operates for only one hour per day, but it produces cement and has limited sales.
"We did not expect to see this in Afghanistan," the development experts said, referring to the relatively good working order of the plant and the level of expertise in management.
After the fact-finding mission, Brinkley will report the team's findings to U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl W. Eikenberry and to Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of U.S. Central Command, who requested the mission in an effort to foster economic growth in Afghanistan.
(Army 1st Lt. Lory Stevens serves in the Task Force Warrior public affairs office.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
July 28, 2009 - Accompanied by members of Task Force Warrior and Task Force Gladius, a U.S. government business and stability operations team visited the Jabal Saraj Cement Plant in Afghanistan's Parwan province July 25 as part of a fact-finding mission. Deputy Undersecretary of Defense Paul Brinkley, director of a business and stability task force, and his team of development experts have worked in Iraq for the past three years building the private business sector, and now are travelling across Afghanistan to determine if the United States can assist Afghans with more employment opportunities.
Islamuddin Ahmadi, the plant's general manager, met with the group and gave a brief tour of the cement plant that employs about 200 workers. The Afghan-Soviet war in the 1980s resulted in damage to the plant's structure, said Ahmadi, who has worked at the plant for the last 30 years.
"The Taliban later forced plant workers at gunpoint to turn on machines in the absence of adequate power, causing other structural problems and damage to equipment," he added.
Due to limited electricity, the plant operates for only one hour per day, but it produces cement and has limited sales.
"We did not expect to see this in Afghanistan," the development experts said, referring to the relatively good working order of the plant and the level of expertise in management.
After the fact-finding mission, Brinkley will report the team's findings to U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl W. Eikenberry and to Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of U.S. Central Command, who requested the mission in an effort to foster economic growth in Afghanistan.
(Army 1st Lt. Lory Stevens serves in the Task Force Warrior public affairs office.)
Soldiers, Skylink Arabia Cooperate in Air Operations
By Army Sgt. Frank VaughnSpecial to American Forces Press Service
July 28, 2009 - Air operations here cater to a wide range of travel needs, providing air travel for servicemembers and civilians for mission requirements and leave. As commercial aircraft land and take off at Basra International Airport, servicemembers of 3rd Air Operations Battalion, 58th Aviation Regiment, and civilian employees of Skylink Arabia work together to ensure it all goes smoothly.
Army Lt. Col. John Kornman, the battalion's commander, said his unit -- activated at Illesheim, Germany in June 2007 -- is one of 10 air operations battalions in the U.S. Army and the first to deploy. The battalions are a new concept in the Army, he added.
"[Our deployment] is a huge step for Iraq as we work with contractors and the Iraqi airport manager to bring [Basra International Airport] up to international standards and enhance commercial travel here," he said.
Kornman made it clear his unit is a tenant of Basra International Airport. While the battalion is responsible for air operations here, he said, its primary role is to strengthen the capabilities of Skylink Arabia.
"We have made big steps to bring the airport up to international standards," he said, noting that an International Civil Aviation Organization inspection is scheduled for November. "We are all working hard to make sure we are ready for it," he added.
Commercial travel will enhance tourism and commerce in the local area, Kornman said, making the battalion's efforts important to Iraq's future.
"We have three to five commercial aircraft a week landing here," he said. "We hope to eventually see as many as 60 a week in the future."
Tony Randerson, station manager for Skylink Arabia, said many local Iraqis already have benefited from the employment opportunities Skylink has to offer.
"We provide, in a joint venture with Iraqis, manpower and technical guidance to help develop operations here," he said. "Iraqis are covering about 50 percent of the air traffic control now."
Army Sgt. 1st Class John Fritz, the battalion's departure and traffic control group noncommissioned officer in-charge, said Iraqis also handle aircraft fueling, traffic control, cleaning, pallet construction and forklift baggage transport.
The cooperation of Iraqi citizens in this effort not only has been an opportunity for employment, but also has been essential for mission success, Kornman said.
"Iraqis are helping us make the operation happen," he said. "We couldn't do this without their efforts."
Fritz said the entire scope of air operations at Basra will eventually be contracted, but a couple of obstacles must be overcome first.
"We still need more manpower," he said. "We also have to get them through the vetting process for security clearances. Once we clear those hurdles, the entire mission will be contracted."
Most of the Iraqis employed by Skylink are in entry-level positions, Paul Greenaway, acting project manager for Skylink, said. "We start them with basic jobs, but we have a training program to allow for advancement," he explained.
Randerson said some workers have shown potential for added responsibility.
"They came to learn," he said. "They seem very eager to get the knowledge they need to succeed at what they do now and potentially promote as they go."
(Army Sgt. Frank Vaughn serves with Multinational Division South.)
Gates Arrives in Iraq to Check New Brigade Set-up
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
July 28, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates began a previously unannounced visit to Iraq with a stop to examine the prototype of the U.S. advisory and assistance brigades. The new brigade is undergoing testing at this dusty Iraqi air base in the southern part of the country. Gates also will meet with Iraqi political leaders and consult with American commanders.
This is the secretary's first look at the revamped brigades. "By the end of August next year, our change of mission really kicks in, and our presence will be built around a half a dozen advisory and assistance brigades," a senior defense official said, speaking on background.
The brigade here is a test-bed for the concept. The first brigade trained in the United States under the new set-up --– the 82nd Airborne Division's 1st Brigade --– will deploy later this year.
The brigades are a reorganization of the Army's basic brigade combat teams, officials said, noting that after the Iraqi elections at the end of the year, these new brigades will be the mainstay of American presence in Iraq.
The brigades will advise Iraqi units and will have the firepower to aid Iraqi units if necessary.
The meetings in Iraq follow meetings Gates had in Washington with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki last week. In Washington, the prime minister spoke about a possible role for American troops in Iraq after 2011. The Iraqi-U.S. forces agreement calls for all American troops to be out of Iraq by Dec. 31, 2011.
The senior defense official said the secretary will not talk about the role of U.S. forces in Iraq after 2011. "We have a security agreement. It calls for us to be out of Iraq by the end of 2011," the senior official said. "The secretary did mention that he looks forward to having a normalized security relationship with Iraq."
Defense Department officials want any security relationship with Iraq to mirror relationships the United States has around the world. Small numbers of U.S. troops are in many countries around the world, training with local forces, teaching new tactics or showing how new equipment can help local militaries, the official said, and the presence of U.S. forces does not typically mean tens of thousands of personnel in bases all over the country.
In the past, Gates has expressed his personal view that "he would see the need for U.S. forces to remain there after 2011," the official said. "But obviously that is strictly predicated on a new bilateral agreement that would allow for such a thing."
For now, the official said, the question is moot, because "until the Iraqis come back and say what they need, we don't even know if this is in the realm of the possible."
American Forces Press Service
July 28, 2009 - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates began a previously unannounced visit to Iraq with a stop to examine the prototype of the U.S. advisory and assistance brigades. The new brigade is undergoing testing at this dusty Iraqi air base in the southern part of the country. Gates also will meet with Iraqi political leaders and consult with American commanders.
This is the secretary's first look at the revamped brigades. "By the end of August next year, our change of mission really kicks in, and our presence will be built around a half a dozen advisory and assistance brigades," a senior defense official said, speaking on background.
The brigade here is a test-bed for the concept. The first brigade trained in the United States under the new set-up --– the 82nd Airborne Division's 1st Brigade --– will deploy later this year.
The brigades are a reorganization of the Army's basic brigade combat teams, officials said, noting that after the Iraqi elections at the end of the year, these new brigades will be the mainstay of American presence in Iraq.
The brigades will advise Iraqi units and will have the firepower to aid Iraqi units if necessary.
The meetings in Iraq follow meetings Gates had in Washington with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki last week. In Washington, the prime minister spoke about a possible role for American troops in Iraq after 2011. The Iraqi-U.S. forces agreement calls for all American troops to be out of Iraq by Dec. 31, 2011.
The senior defense official said the secretary will not talk about the role of U.S. forces in Iraq after 2011. "We have a security agreement. It calls for us to be out of Iraq by the end of 2011," the senior official said. "The secretary did mention that he looks forward to having a normalized security relationship with Iraq."
Defense Department officials want any security relationship with Iraq to mirror relationships the United States has around the world. Small numbers of U.S. troops are in many countries around the world, training with local forces, teaching new tactics or showing how new equipment can help local militaries, the official said, and the presence of U.S. forces does not typically mean tens of thousands of personnel in bases all over the country.
In the past, Gates has expressed his personal view that "he would see the need for U.S. forces to remain there after 2011," the official said. "But obviously that is strictly predicated on a new bilateral agreement that would allow for such a thing."
For now, the official said, the question is moot, because "until the Iraqis come back and say what they need, we don't even know if this is in the realm of the possible."
Monday, July 27, 2009
Center Gives Troops Tools to Combat Stress While Deployed
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service
July 27, 2009 - An innovative restoration program in Afghanistan is giving troops the tools they need to "stay in the fight" by helping them overcome the stresses and challenges of being deployed, the director of the Freedom Restoration Center at Bagram Airfield there said. Army Capt. Donald Hawkins and his five-man staff have been reaching out to U.S. military units and servicemembers throughout the country since the center's doors opened in February. The program offers a variety of classes to keep troops resilient and give them the confidence and competence to return to duty, he said.
"The whole goal of the restoration program is to allow soldiers to learn the tools and resources that they need to face the challenges they have while deployed," Hawkins said. "We want to reduce the number of soldiers being returned to the states, therefore conserving the fighting force in theater."
The program focuses on classroom education, but emphasizes the importance of normalized sleep habits and maintaining a healthy diet. Participants also are separated from their unit while attending the three-day program, so they're not distracted by work schedules and having to deal with their command, Hawkins, an occupational therapist, said.
"In the program, they can focus on their issues and their stressors and the challenges that are troubling them without any distractions," he said. "The goal is to get them back to their unit confident and competent."
The program is completely voluntary, Hawkins said. Troops who experience high levels of stress usually are referred to the program by their chains of command and combat stress teams at the forward operating bases, he explained.
As of July 14, 74 military members had participated in the program with only two soldiers not returning to duty. One had experienced heavy combat and suffered severe post-traumatic stress. The other was contemplating suicide, Hawkins said. Both were medically evacuated to seek further treatment at military mental health facilities in the United States.
But not all of the program's participants suffered combat stress. Hawkins noted that although combat stress is a serious issue that has been addressed in their program, most of the troops they care for are stressed for other reasons.
Relationships and financial issues, as well as the stress of being separated from loved ones for an extended period, are the more likely issues servicemembers are dealing with. Such stresses can cause depression and are more likely to affect more servicemembers more often and prevent them from functioning normally, he explained.
Hawkins and his staff touch on a variety of topics in the program including positive thinking, resiliency, depression and grief, anxiety and post-traumatic stress, relationships, goal setting, communication and problem solving, stress management, anger management, and occupational therapy and physical fitness. The question for participants, he said, is "If someone has a little depression, behavioral or anger issues, how does that impact their life, and how do they restore normal function?"
When troops are deployed and away from their family, they still must focus on a normal, healthy lifestyle, Hawkins said. Servicemembers dealing with stress have to learn how to cope with their issues before they can be an effective part of their unit.
Army Spc. Valerie Chandler is a cook with the 563rd Aviation Support Battalion from Fort Campbell, Ky., deployed to Bagram. She went through the program in May, about three months after returning from emergency leave for her older brother's funeral in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Chandler's supervisors noticed a sudden change in her behavior and mood and suggested she speak to a chaplain. She eventually agreed to go to the restoration center, but remained skeptical about how she would benefit from a three-day program, she said.
"I was scared to go to the program and wasn't in the mood to talk to people I didn't know about my personal life," she said. "But it really helped to know they were there when I was ready. The courses helped in areas you didn't even realize you needed help with, like relationships.
"The program really helped just knowing that someone's there," she continued. "They don't judge you, they don't force you to talk, [and] they're just always there. And the classes, especially for someone like me, are a good distraction to keep your mind off of the things that were stressful to me."
Chandler added that people should be open to programs such as this and not buy into the stigma of a "program" for mental health. "I didn't want to go, but when I did, I learned and gained a lot from it," she said.
Three days of education and talking with people goes a lot further than most would guess, said Air Force Staff Sgt. Codi Bowman, a mental health technician and program instructor at the Freedom Center.
"Three days may seem like a short time, but once you've seen the program in action and the results it has produced, you'll understand," Bowman said. "It's amazing how much they progress in three days. By the time they leave here, they're really comfortable and smiling and happy."
Usually the first day of class, Bowman said, most participants seem depressed or stressed out. But by the middle of the second day, people begin to laugh and make jokes and become a little more comfortable with opening up. Part of her tactics involves teaching the participants to laugh and make the best of their deployment, she said.
"It's not just about teaching classes, it's trying to get them to laugh and maybe have a different lifestyle than what they had before and having a positive outlook on life," she said.
However, Bowman and the other instructors make sure the participants know and understand that once they return to their units, the stresses and rigors from their job and being deployed will still be there. The difference is their abilities to cope and deal with them, she said.
"One of the biggest things we try to stress is that you are going to have to go back to your exact same unit with the exact same people, and the only thing you're going to be able to control is you," she said. "You really need to focus on changing you and learning to deal with your stressors and chain of command. You can't change how they're going to act, but you can concentrate on changing the way you're going to react."
American Forces Press Service
July 27, 2009 - An innovative restoration program in Afghanistan is giving troops the tools they need to "stay in the fight" by helping them overcome the stresses and challenges of being deployed, the director of the Freedom Restoration Center at Bagram Airfield there said. Army Capt. Donald Hawkins and his five-man staff have been reaching out to U.S. military units and servicemembers throughout the country since the center's doors opened in February. The program offers a variety of classes to keep troops resilient and give them the confidence and competence to return to duty, he said.
"The whole goal of the restoration program is to allow soldiers to learn the tools and resources that they need to face the challenges they have while deployed," Hawkins said. "We want to reduce the number of soldiers being returned to the states, therefore conserving the fighting force in theater."
The program focuses on classroom education, but emphasizes the importance of normalized sleep habits and maintaining a healthy diet. Participants also are separated from their unit while attending the three-day program, so they're not distracted by work schedules and having to deal with their command, Hawkins, an occupational therapist, said.
"In the program, they can focus on their issues and their stressors and the challenges that are troubling them without any distractions," he said. "The goal is to get them back to their unit confident and competent."
The program is completely voluntary, Hawkins said. Troops who experience high levels of stress usually are referred to the program by their chains of command and combat stress teams at the forward operating bases, he explained.
As of July 14, 74 military members had participated in the program with only two soldiers not returning to duty. One had experienced heavy combat and suffered severe post-traumatic stress. The other was contemplating suicide, Hawkins said. Both were medically evacuated to seek further treatment at military mental health facilities in the United States.
But not all of the program's participants suffered combat stress. Hawkins noted that although combat stress is a serious issue that has been addressed in their program, most of the troops they care for are stressed for other reasons.
Relationships and financial issues, as well as the stress of being separated from loved ones for an extended period, are the more likely issues servicemembers are dealing with. Such stresses can cause depression and are more likely to affect more servicemembers more often and prevent them from functioning normally, he explained.
Hawkins and his staff touch on a variety of topics in the program including positive thinking, resiliency, depression and grief, anxiety and post-traumatic stress, relationships, goal setting, communication and problem solving, stress management, anger management, and occupational therapy and physical fitness. The question for participants, he said, is "If someone has a little depression, behavioral or anger issues, how does that impact their life, and how do they restore normal function?"
When troops are deployed and away from their family, they still must focus on a normal, healthy lifestyle, Hawkins said. Servicemembers dealing with stress have to learn how to cope with their issues before they can be an effective part of their unit.
Army Spc. Valerie Chandler is a cook with the 563rd Aviation Support Battalion from Fort Campbell, Ky., deployed to Bagram. She went through the program in May, about three months after returning from emergency leave for her older brother's funeral in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Chandler's supervisors noticed a sudden change in her behavior and mood and suggested she speak to a chaplain. She eventually agreed to go to the restoration center, but remained skeptical about how she would benefit from a three-day program, she said.
"I was scared to go to the program and wasn't in the mood to talk to people I didn't know about my personal life," she said. "But it really helped to know they were there when I was ready. The courses helped in areas you didn't even realize you needed help with, like relationships.
"The program really helped just knowing that someone's there," she continued. "They don't judge you, they don't force you to talk, [and] they're just always there. And the classes, especially for someone like me, are a good distraction to keep your mind off of the things that were stressful to me."
Chandler added that people should be open to programs such as this and not buy into the stigma of a "program" for mental health. "I didn't want to go, but when I did, I learned and gained a lot from it," she said.
Three days of education and talking with people goes a lot further than most would guess, said Air Force Staff Sgt. Codi Bowman, a mental health technician and program instructor at the Freedom Center.
"Three days may seem like a short time, but once you've seen the program in action and the results it has produced, you'll understand," Bowman said. "It's amazing how much they progress in three days. By the time they leave here, they're really comfortable and smiling and happy."
Usually the first day of class, Bowman said, most participants seem depressed or stressed out. But by the middle of the second day, people begin to laugh and make jokes and become a little more comfortable with opening up. Part of her tactics involves teaching the participants to laugh and make the best of their deployment, she said.
"It's not just about teaching classes, it's trying to get them to laugh and maybe have a different lifestyle than what they had before and having a positive outlook on life," she said.
However, Bowman and the other instructors make sure the participants know and understand that once they return to their units, the stresses and rigors from their job and being deployed will still be there. The difference is their abilities to cope and deal with them, she said.
"One of the biggest things we try to stress is that you are going to have to go back to your exact same unit with the exact same people, and the only thing you're going to be able to control is you," she said. "You really need to focus on changing you and learning to deal with your stressors and chain of command. You can't change how they're going to act, but you can concentrate on changing the way you're going to react."
Artillery Unit Becomes Civil Affairs in New Iraq
By Army Capt. John Landry
Special to American Forces Press Service
July 27, 2009 - Most field artillery troops don't expect to work in civil affairs support, but that's the way it is with the quickly changing role of U.S. forces here. For many field artillery units, nonstandard missions have become a way of life, and the 2nd Battalion, 29th Field Artillery, Task Force Pathfinder, is no different. As part of the Army's first Advise and Assist Brigade, the Pathfinders provide military support to developing civil capacity across three provinces in southern Iraq.
Working closely with provincial reconstruction teams -- which are U.S. State Department teams composed of a range of experts in governance, agriculture and similar fields -- the task force cooperates with Iraqi partners to develop local economies, reinforce stable and responsive local government and provide essential services. Army Lt. Col. Mike Eastman, Task Force Pathfinder commander, said he believes this is critical to the long-term success of Iraq.
"We must focus our efforts on projects and programs that are sustainable, not only after this task force departs, but after all coalition forces depart from Iraq," Eastman said. "The PRTs are in the lead. This task force supports their efforts at many levels, providing everything from security and movement to coordinating literally hundreds of projects designed to improve the quality of life for the Iraqi people. Our efforts are not oriented on the months that we will be here. They are focused on the years after we depart."
The Pathfinders created a unique organizational structure, including additional lawyers, engineers, health professionals and a variety of technical experts, all working to assist their State Department and Italian Foreign Affairs Ministry counterparts.
On the ground, this support includes movement teams that help coalition forces to get out and interact with local Iraqis. In addition, the task force provides logistical support and secure basing for reconstruction team personnel.
"The task force's subject matter experts and strategic approach to our goals could be a huge enabler for us," said Ethan Bond, director of Project Compass, a part of the reconstruction team in Dhi Qar.
The Pathfinders also are responsible for the Commander's Emergency Response Program. These funds are allocated to specific projects and programs to address emergency needs across Dhi Qar, Maysan and Muthanna provinces.
Commander's program funds have brought clean water and power to numerous cities and villages while bringing Iraqis into the process to ensure these projects will be sustained by local governments.
Members of the task force are not necessarily subject-matter experts on governance and economic development, but that has not impeded the mission.
"Our soldiers have adapted and shown the ability to positively impact any mission," said Army Command Sgt. Maj. Hector Font, Task Force Pathfinder senior enlisted leader. "These great young Americans have stepped up to the plate and are truly [valuable] to this mission."
Many of the Pathfinders prepared for this new role by receiving training on subjects ranging from basic Arabic to project management.
Within 30 days of their arrival in Iraq, Task Force Pathfinder soldiers began to impact the way the military interacts with reconstruction team members.
"The new job shows me a whole new side of what we are a capable of and all the things we can accomplish for the people of Iraq and that makes me proud," said Army Pfc. Marcus Moser, an assistant resource manager for civil military operations. "It's a complete 180 [degrees] from what we are trained to do coming out of basic training or in artillery."
Both Task Force Pathfinder and the reconstruction teams share the goal of a stable, self-sustaining and prosperous Iraq. While in its early stages, this partnership already has brought rapid improvements to the Iraqi people's quality of life.
"You might think that soldiers would not be excited about rebuilding a country, that they were not trained for this mission," Eastman said. "We are finding the exact opposite. This gives our soldiers the chance to impact hundreds of lives each day. The Iraqi people want the same thing each of us desire: a safe place to live, access to basic needs like water and power, and the chance for a brighter future for their children."
(Army Capt. John Landry serves with the 1st Armored Division's 4th Brigade Combat Team).
Special to American Forces Press Service
July 27, 2009 - Most field artillery troops don't expect to work in civil affairs support, but that's the way it is with the quickly changing role of U.S. forces here. For many field artillery units, nonstandard missions have become a way of life, and the 2nd Battalion, 29th Field Artillery, Task Force Pathfinder, is no different. As part of the Army's first Advise and Assist Brigade, the Pathfinders provide military support to developing civil capacity across three provinces in southern Iraq.
Working closely with provincial reconstruction teams -- which are U.S. State Department teams composed of a range of experts in governance, agriculture and similar fields -- the task force cooperates with Iraqi partners to develop local economies, reinforce stable and responsive local government and provide essential services. Army Lt. Col. Mike Eastman, Task Force Pathfinder commander, said he believes this is critical to the long-term success of Iraq.
"We must focus our efforts on projects and programs that are sustainable, not only after this task force departs, but after all coalition forces depart from Iraq," Eastman said. "The PRTs are in the lead. This task force supports their efforts at many levels, providing everything from security and movement to coordinating literally hundreds of projects designed to improve the quality of life for the Iraqi people. Our efforts are not oriented on the months that we will be here. They are focused on the years after we depart."
The Pathfinders created a unique organizational structure, including additional lawyers, engineers, health professionals and a variety of technical experts, all working to assist their State Department and Italian Foreign Affairs Ministry counterparts.
On the ground, this support includes movement teams that help coalition forces to get out and interact with local Iraqis. In addition, the task force provides logistical support and secure basing for reconstruction team personnel.
"The task force's subject matter experts and strategic approach to our goals could be a huge enabler for us," said Ethan Bond, director of Project Compass, a part of the reconstruction team in Dhi Qar.
The Pathfinders also are responsible for the Commander's Emergency Response Program. These funds are allocated to specific projects and programs to address emergency needs across Dhi Qar, Maysan and Muthanna provinces.
Commander's program funds have brought clean water and power to numerous cities and villages while bringing Iraqis into the process to ensure these projects will be sustained by local governments.
Members of the task force are not necessarily subject-matter experts on governance and economic development, but that has not impeded the mission.
"Our soldiers have adapted and shown the ability to positively impact any mission," said Army Command Sgt. Maj. Hector Font, Task Force Pathfinder senior enlisted leader. "These great young Americans have stepped up to the plate and are truly [valuable] to this mission."
Many of the Pathfinders prepared for this new role by receiving training on subjects ranging from basic Arabic to project management.
Within 30 days of their arrival in Iraq, Task Force Pathfinder soldiers began to impact the way the military interacts with reconstruction team members.
"The new job shows me a whole new side of what we are a capable of and all the things we can accomplish for the people of Iraq and that makes me proud," said Army Pfc. Marcus Moser, an assistant resource manager for civil military operations. "It's a complete 180 [degrees] from what we are trained to do coming out of basic training or in artillery."
Both Task Force Pathfinder and the reconstruction teams share the goal of a stable, self-sustaining and prosperous Iraq. While in its early stages, this partnership already has brought rapid improvements to the Iraqi people's quality of life.
"You might think that soldiers would not be excited about rebuilding a country, that they were not trained for this mission," Eastman said. "We are finding the exact opposite. This gives our soldiers the chance to impact hundreds of lives each day. The Iraqi people want the same thing each of us desire: a safe place to live, access to basic needs like water and power, and the chance for a brighter future for their children."
(Army Capt. John Landry serves with the 1st Armored Division's 4th Brigade Combat Team).
CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News, July 27, 2009
US on verge of closing anthrax probe after 8 years
"A year after government scientist Bruce Ivins killed himself while under investigation for the lethal anthrax [sic] letters of 2001, the Justice Department is on the verge of closing the long, costly and vexing case. Several law enforcement officials told The Associated Press that the department had tentatively planned last week to close the case, but backed away from that decision after government lawyers said they needed more time to review the evidence and determine what further information can be made public without compromising grand jury secrecy or privacy laws. […] Justice Department spokesman Dean Boyd declined to comment on the discussions but said, […] 'We anticipate closing the case in the near future,' […] This week, the National Academy of Sciences is set to begin a formal review of the FBI's scientific methods in tracing the particular strain of anthrax used in the mailings to samples Ivins had at his Fort Detrick lab. […] Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., who was the target of one of the letters, has said he does not believe Ivins acted alone. […] Plenty of questions remain unanswered, whenever they close the investigation, Kemp said. 'The case continues to remain an open sore with no conclusive evidence, and it is still devastating to (Ivins') family,' said Kemp." (Associated Press; 27Jul09; Devlin Barrett) http://tinyurl.com/l63lku
Infectious diseases study site questioned
"The Department of Homeland Security [DHS] relied on a rushed, flawed study to justify its decision to locate a $700 million research facility for highly infectious pathogens in a tornado-prone section of Kansas, according to a government report. [...] The GAO said DHS greatly underestimated the chance of accidental release and major contamination from such research, which has been conducted only on a remote island off the United States. DHS staff members tried quietly last week to fend off a public airing of the facility's risks, agency correspondence shows. Department officials met privately with staff members of a congressional oversight subcommittee to try to convince them that the GAO report was unfair, and to urge them to forgo or postpone a hearing. But the House Energy and Commerce Committee's oversight and investigations subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), decided otherwise. [...] DHS officials and Kansas leaders say the selection system, which began in late 2006, was always fair and open." (Washington Post; 27Jul09; Carol D.
Leonnig)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/26/AR2009072602857.html
Pandemic survey finds 1 in 6 public health workers unlikely to respond
"Approximately 1 in 6 public health workers said they would not report to work during a pandemic flu emergency regardless of its severity, according to a survey led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The findings are a significant improvement over a 2005 study conducted by the same research team, in which more than 40 percent of public health employees said they were unlikely to report to work during a pandemic emergency. The new study suggests ways for improving the response of the public health workforce. The results are published in the July 24 edition of the journal PLoS ONE. [...] The online survey was conducted among 1,835 public health workers in Minnesota, Ohio and West Virginia from November 2006 to December 2007. The survey analysis was based on the Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM), which postulates that willingness to follow instructions in an emergency is based on an individual's perception of a threat's validity and belief that the actions taken can be feasibly accomplished and will have a positive impact on the threat. According to the survey, public health workers who were both "concerned" about the threat posed by a pandemic, and who were "confident" that they could fulfill their response roles and that their roles would have a meaningful impact on the situation, were 31 times more likely to respond to work in an emergency than those who perceived the threat low, and had low levels of confidence." (Occupation Health & Safety; 27Jul09) http://tinyurl.com/m3c6us
Anthrax [sic] attack requires early detection & quick response
"A large attack on a major metropolitan area with airborne anthrax [bacteria] could affect more than a million people, necessitating their treatment with powerful antibiotics. A new study finds that in order for a response to be effective, quick detection and treatment are essential, and any delay beyond three days would overwhelm hospitals with critically ill people. The results of a computer simulation study appear in the July/August edition of the journal Medical Decision Making. […] 'No matter how well-organized and prolonged a treatment program is, it must be quickly implemented. In fact, our analysis shows that time-to-treatment is roughly twice as important as the duration of the distribution program,' says lead author Dr. Nathaniel Hupert, associate professor of public health and medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College. 'Crucial to rapidly implementing a treatment program is early detection, including thorough use of advanced biosurveillance technologies and live, person-to-person communication,' continues Dr. Hupert, who is also director of the new Preparedness Modeling Unit at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 'But most important of all are multilateral diplomatic efforts to prevent bioterrorist attacks from ever happening.' The study predicts that a campaign initiated two days after exposure would protect as many as 87 percent of exposed individuals from illness." (Medical News Today; 25Jul09) http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/158793.php
Defense agency simulates biological attack on Pentagon
"The risk of attack against senior government and military officials always has been high, making protection of the Pentagon and other buildings in the national capital area a top priority, a senior official involved with a recent bio-attack drill said. Paul Benda and Christina Murata - director and deputy director, respectively, of the Pentagon Force Protection Agency's chemical, radiological, nuclear and explosives directorate […] explained how they used a commercial garden powder to simulate a biological attack in a July 11 test of response procedures and decontamination methods, and how the findings of their test will affect future response to bio-weapon attacks. More than 200 people participated in the test, including 87 volunteers who were exposed to the garden powder and washed down. […] More than a dozen organizations participated in the test in hopes of finding the easiest and most effective methods. 'We wanted to compare the different decontamination strategies,' Benda said. […] For personnel contaminated with a biological weapon, the best cleaning method was to make a 'wall' of water using five fire trucks. Four pumper trucks fired water against each other while a ladder truck released water from above. Volunteers walked through the streams, scrubbing their body and hair to remove contaminants. […] Once the team sorts the data from this test and figures out which questions have been answered and what new questions have arisen, they'll share the findings and begin planning for the next test." (Digital Video and Imagery Distribution System; 24Jul09; Ian Graham)
http://www.dvidshub.net/?script=news/news_show.php&id=36795
OPCW Concludes 11th Inspector Training Course
"The 13-week training was supported by the governments of Belgium, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Switzerland, and the United States of America. This year's programme combined lectures from experts in chemical demilitarisation and industry verification with case studies review and table-top exercises to ensure familiarity with on-site inspection procedures. The practical side of the course included field training to impart skills required for protection against use of chemical weapons and potential toxic exposure, and involved handling of live blister and nerve agents. The inspectors also received medical and communications instruction and were tutored in OPCW safety procedures. The new recruits will join an international team of more than 180 OPCW inspectors based in the Technical Secretariat." (Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons; 27Jul09) http://www.opcw.org/news/news/article/opcw-concludes-11th-inspector-training-course/
Saudi Arabia ready to face radiological disaster
"Saudi Arabia has a national emergency plan ready to respond to radiological emergencies, according to Abdulrahman Mohammed Alarfaj, energy expert working at the Atomic Energy Research Institute of the Riyadh-based King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST). 'The plan gets activated in case of any radiological disaster,' Alarfaj, said in Riyadh on Saturday. Saudi Arabia is to send a delegation to the meeting of the Arab Atomic Energy Agency (AAEA) in Tunis on Monday. […] Alarfaj said the meeting will draw out several proposals and programmes following the adoption of an Arab strategy for peaceful nuclear development by an Arab summit in Doha in March this year. Alarfaj […] said the Kingdom was well equipped to control and manage any radiological emergency. […] He added that more than 23 relevant organisations and government agencies, including the ministries of health, agriculture and electricity are represented on the national body to respond to radiological disasters. [...] 'That is why the task force set up under the national plan is fully prepared to respond quickly to incidents of radiological contamination, wherever they may occur,' he said." (Khaleej Times; 27Jul09; Habib Shaikh) http://tinyurl.com/n3fzoz
White house homeland security council urges nuclear attack response planning
"The recently released Planning Guidance for Response to a Nuclear Detonation, developed by the White House Homeland Security Council, stresses that it's 'incumbent upon all levels of government' to prepare 'thorough focused nuclear attack response planning.' […] A yearly analysis of preparedness for health emergencies that's released by the nonprofit Trust for America's Health, found that 'surge capacity remains the largest threat to the nation's ability to respond to a major catastrophe.' Local, and specifically, regional abilities to care for the wounded will be vital just after a nuclear terrorist attack. […] The federal government would eventually take charge of response efforts and military aid would be required. Yet as overwhelming as it would be for local and state resources, they would be all that's available in the first hours and days following an explosion. […] Though there's a low probability of such an attack compared to conventional explosives, natural disasters or bioterrorism, the possibility is real and the consequences are catastrophic. […] Local officials shouldn't delude themselves by thinking that existing response plans to 'dirty bombs' can be simply ramped up to deal with nuclear terrorism - there's no comparison between the two. […] Although the Defense Department has recently tasked thousands of U.S. troops to support local authorities in case of such a catastrophic event, local officials should assume substantial federal help might not arrive for up to 72 hours after the explosion. […] Preparation isn't necessarily specific to nuclear terrorism. Regional preparedness and response can be used for a range of catastrophic events." (Government Technology; 24Jul 2009; Arnold Bogis)
http://www.govtech.com/gt/articles/704633
NMMI [New Mexico Military Institute] head to serve on national panel
"The new superintendent of the New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell is being tapped to serve on a national defense panel. Major General Jerry Grizzle will serve on an advisory panel to the U.S Department of Defense. […] Their mission is to review the department's capabilities to support civil authorities after certain incidents. The incidents include chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or high yield explosive incidents. The panel will report its findings in a year." (KRQE; 26Jul09) http://tinyurl.com/kmb9pe
Secretary Napolitano and National Security Preparedness Group discuss DHS [Department of Homeland Security] progress in fulfilling 9/11 Commission recommendations
"Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano and members of the Bipartisan Policy Center's (BPC) National Security Preparedness Group (NSPG) met today to discuss the Department's progress in implementing the recommendations outlined in the 9/11 Commission Final Report released five years ago this week. [...] The National Security Preparedness Group is a bipartisan coalition of national security experts including former DHS Secretary Tom Ridge and co-chaired by former 9/11 Commission Chair Thomas H. Kean and Vice Chair Lee H. Hamilton. [...] The group also discussed new policies, initiatives and grant opportunities to bolster the Department's capacity to secure the nation from an ever-changing array of threats to homeland security, including cyber attacks and bioterrorism. To view the Department's full 9/11 Commission progress report, visit Progress in Implementing 9/11 Commission Recommendations." (Press Zoom; 27Jul09) http://presszoom.com/story_149002.html
Hazardous duty: reporter dons fire suit, learns about hazardous material [Chickasha, OK]
"Each year the Chickasha fire department and 17 other hazardous material teams take a training course. The course is a refresher for emergency personnel, and keeps firefighters up-to-date on the latest hazards and deterrents. [...] Carrying so much gear in this high stress environment demands physical fitness, but it also demands finesse. I found all this out the hard way on Friday, when I joined them for a portion of their hazmat training. The boots are like bricks tied to my feet. The jacket is big and bulky, and the helmet and respirator block my vision. [...] We don bright orange haz-mat suits and respirators and again approach with extreme caution. [...] We find the lab is used to make ricin, a highly toxic chemical extrapolated from castor beans. A piece equivalent to half a grain of sand can be deadly. The lab looks real and is real, except for a few key ingredients." (Express-Star; 27Jul09; Ellis Goodwin) http://tinyurl.com/nhuhkq
Powder scare hits IRD [Inland Revenue Department] mail room
"An Inland Revenue mail room was evacuated on Tuesday morning when staff opened a package containing white powder, which later turned out to be harmless. Staff were evacuated and those who came into contact with the package underwent a Fire Service decontamination process, said Upper Hutt police area commander Inspector Michael Hill. Preliminary ESR [Environmental Science & Research] analysis suggested the powder was not a dangerous substance. 'At this stage the powder does not appear to be harmful to the public. We are conducting a criminal investigation to identify and speak with the offender,' Hill said." (TV New Zealand; 21Jul09)
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/powder-scare-hits-ird-mail-room-2858742
Chemical at fire H[ead] Q[uarters] 'was radioactive' [Ipswich, England]
"Tests have confirmed that a test tube which was taken into Suffolk Fire Service's headquarters by a woman contained a radioactive substance. The woman walked into Ipswich's Colchester Road fire station at 5pm on Friday with a sealed test tube which she said contained the dangerous chemical. […] It sparked a major chemical incident which led to specialist firefighters being deployed as far afield as Haverhill along with ambulance crews. A health physicist from Sizewell A nuclear power station attended the scene and confirmed that it was radioactive. […] Dave Pedersen, group manager for Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service, said: 'As part of our notification scheme we contacted the nuclear industry for advice on anything being radioactive. We were advised that it was not a radiological risk and was a very low yield powder which means that the risk to the public is very low.' […] The Environment Agency (EA) last night said it will ensure the substance will be disposed of properly and said an investigation will be carried out to find out where the substance came from." (EADT 24 News; 27Jul09) http://tinyurl.com/mqgd8g
"A year after government scientist Bruce Ivins killed himself while under investigation for the lethal anthrax [sic] letters of 2001, the Justice Department is on the verge of closing the long, costly and vexing case. Several law enforcement officials told The Associated Press that the department had tentatively planned last week to close the case, but backed away from that decision after government lawyers said they needed more time to review the evidence and determine what further information can be made public without compromising grand jury secrecy or privacy laws. […] Justice Department spokesman Dean Boyd declined to comment on the discussions but said, […] 'We anticipate closing the case in the near future,' […] This week, the National Academy of Sciences is set to begin a formal review of the FBI's scientific methods in tracing the particular strain of anthrax used in the mailings to samples Ivins had at his Fort Detrick lab. […] Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., who was the target of one of the letters, has said he does not believe Ivins acted alone. […] Plenty of questions remain unanswered, whenever they close the investigation, Kemp said. 'The case continues to remain an open sore with no conclusive evidence, and it is still devastating to (Ivins') family,' said Kemp." (Associated Press; 27Jul09; Devlin Barrett) http://tinyurl.com/l63lku
Infectious diseases study site questioned
"The Department of Homeland Security [DHS] relied on a rushed, flawed study to justify its decision to locate a $700 million research facility for highly infectious pathogens in a tornado-prone section of Kansas, according to a government report. [...] The GAO said DHS greatly underestimated the chance of accidental release and major contamination from such research, which has been conducted only on a remote island off the United States. DHS staff members tried quietly last week to fend off a public airing of the facility's risks, agency correspondence shows. Department officials met privately with staff members of a congressional oversight subcommittee to try to convince them that the GAO report was unfair, and to urge them to forgo or postpone a hearing. But the House Energy and Commerce Committee's oversight and investigations subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), decided otherwise. [...] DHS officials and Kansas leaders say the selection system, which began in late 2006, was always fair and open." (Washington Post; 27Jul09; Carol D.
Leonnig)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/26/AR2009072602857.html
Pandemic survey finds 1 in 6 public health workers unlikely to respond
"Approximately 1 in 6 public health workers said they would not report to work during a pandemic flu emergency regardless of its severity, according to a survey led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The findings are a significant improvement over a 2005 study conducted by the same research team, in which more than 40 percent of public health employees said they were unlikely to report to work during a pandemic emergency. The new study suggests ways for improving the response of the public health workforce. The results are published in the July 24 edition of the journal PLoS ONE. [...] The online survey was conducted among 1,835 public health workers in Minnesota, Ohio and West Virginia from November 2006 to December 2007. The survey analysis was based on the Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM), which postulates that willingness to follow instructions in an emergency is based on an individual's perception of a threat's validity and belief that the actions taken can be feasibly accomplished and will have a positive impact on the threat. According to the survey, public health workers who were both "concerned" about the threat posed by a pandemic, and who were "confident" that they could fulfill their response roles and that their roles would have a meaningful impact on the situation, were 31 times more likely to respond to work in an emergency than those who perceived the threat low, and had low levels of confidence." (Occupation Health & Safety; 27Jul09) http://tinyurl.com/m3c6us
Anthrax [sic] attack requires early detection & quick response
"A large attack on a major metropolitan area with airborne anthrax [bacteria] could affect more than a million people, necessitating their treatment with powerful antibiotics. A new study finds that in order for a response to be effective, quick detection and treatment are essential, and any delay beyond three days would overwhelm hospitals with critically ill people. The results of a computer simulation study appear in the July/August edition of the journal Medical Decision Making. […] 'No matter how well-organized and prolonged a treatment program is, it must be quickly implemented. In fact, our analysis shows that time-to-treatment is roughly twice as important as the duration of the distribution program,' says lead author Dr. Nathaniel Hupert, associate professor of public health and medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College. 'Crucial to rapidly implementing a treatment program is early detection, including thorough use of advanced biosurveillance technologies and live, person-to-person communication,' continues Dr. Hupert, who is also director of the new Preparedness Modeling Unit at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 'But most important of all are multilateral diplomatic efforts to prevent bioterrorist attacks from ever happening.' The study predicts that a campaign initiated two days after exposure would protect as many as 87 percent of exposed individuals from illness." (Medical News Today; 25Jul09) http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/158793.php
Defense agency simulates biological attack on Pentagon
"The risk of attack against senior government and military officials always has been high, making protection of the Pentagon and other buildings in the national capital area a top priority, a senior official involved with a recent bio-attack drill said. Paul Benda and Christina Murata - director and deputy director, respectively, of the Pentagon Force Protection Agency's chemical, radiological, nuclear and explosives directorate […] explained how they used a commercial garden powder to simulate a biological attack in a July 11 test of response procedures and decontamination methods, and how the findings of their test will affect future response to bio-weapon attacks. More than 200 people participated in the test, including 87 volunteers who were exposed to the garden powder and washed down. […] More than a dozen organizations participated in the test in hopes of finding the easiest and most effective methods. 'We wanted to compare the different decontamination strategies,' Benda said. […] For personnel contaminated with a biological weapon, the best cleaning method was to make a 'wall' of water using five fire trucks. Four pumper trucks fired water against each other while a ladder truck released water from above. Volunteers walked through the streams, scrubbing their body and hair to remove contaminants. […] Once the team sorts the data from this test and figures out which questions have been answered and what new questions have arisen, they'll share the findings and begin planning for the next test." (Digital Video and Imagery Distribution System; 24Jul09; Ian Graham)
http://www.dvidshub.net/?script=news/news_show.php&id=36795
OPCW Concludes 11th Inspector Training Course
"The 13-week training was supported by the governments of Belgium, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Switzerland, and the United States of America. This year's programme combined lectures from experts in chemical demilitarisation and industry verification with case studies review and table-top exercises to ensure familiarity with on-site inspection procedures. The practical side of the course included field training to impart skills required for protection against use of chemical weapons and potential toxic exposure, and involved handling of live blister and nerve agents. The inspectors also received medical and communications instruction and were tutored in OPCW safety procedures. The new recruits will join an international team of more than 180 OPCW inspectors based in the Technical Secretariat." (Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons; 27Jul09) http://www.opcw.org/news/news/article/opcw-concludes-11th-inspector-training-course/
Saudi Arabia ready to face radiological disaster
"Saudi Arabia has a national emergency plan ready to respond to radiological emergencies, according to Abdulrahman Mohammed Alarfaj, energy expert working at the Atomic Energy Research Institute of the Riyadh-based King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST). 'The plan gets activated in case of any radiological disaster,' Alarfaj, said in Riyadh on Saturday. Saudi Arabia is to send a delegation to the meeting of the Arab Atomic Energy Agency (AAEA) in Tunis on Monday. […] Alarfaj said the meeting will draw out several proposals and programmes following the adoption of an Arab strategy for peaceful nuclear development by an Arab summit in Doha in March this year. Alarfaj […] said the Kingdom was well equipped to control and manage any radiological emergency. […] He added that more than 23 relevant organisations and government agencies, including the ministries of health, agriculture and electricity are represented on the national body to respond to radiological disasters. [...] 'That is why the task force set up under the national plan is fully prepared to respond quickly to incidents of radiological contamination, wherever they may occur,' he said." (Khaleej Times; 27Jul09; Habib Shaikh) http://tinyurl.com/n3fzoz
White house homeland security council urges nuclear attack response planning
"The recently released Planning Guidance for Response to a Nuclear Detonation, developed by the White House Homeland Security Council, stresses that it's 'incumbent upon all levels of government' to prepare 'thorough focused nuclear attack response planning.' […] A yearly analysis of preparedness for health emergencies that's released by the nonprofit Trust for America's Health, found that 'surge capacity remains the largest threat to the nation's ability to respond to a major catastrophe.' Local, and specifically, regional abilities to care for the wounded will be vital just after a nuclear terrorist attack. […] The federal government would eventually take charge of response efforts and military aid would be required. Yet as overwhelming as it would be for local and state resources, they would be all that's available in the first hours and days following an explosion. […] Though there's a low probability of such an attack compared to conventional explosives, natural disasters or bioterrorism, the possibility is real and the consequences are catastrophic. […] Local officials shouldn't delude themselves by thinking that existing response plans to 'dirty bombs' can be simply ramped up to deal with nuclear terrorism - there's no comparison between the two. […] Although the Defense Department has recently tasked thousands of U.S. troops to support local authorities in case of such a catastrophic event, local officials should assume substantial federal help might not arrive for up to 72 hours after the explosion. […] Preparation isn't necessarily specific to nuclear terrorism. Regional preparedness and response can be used for a range of catastrophic events." (Government Technology; 24Jul 2009; Arnold Bogis)
http://www.govtech.com/gt/articles/704633
NMMI [New Mexico Military Institute] head to serve on national panel
"The new superintendent of the New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell is being tapped to serve on a national defense panel. Major General Jerry Grizzle will serve on an advisory panel to the U.S Department of Defense. […] Their mission is to review the department's capabilities to support civil authorities after certain incidents. The incidents include chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or high yield explosive incidents. The panel will report its findings in a year." (KRQE; 26Jul09) http://tinyurl.com/kmb9pe
Secretary Napolitano and National Security Preparedness Group discuss DHS [Department of Homeland Security] progress in fulfilling 9/11 Commission recommendations
"Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano and members of the Bipartisan Policy Center's (BPC) National Security Preparedness Group (NSPG) met today to discuss the Department's progress in implementing the recommendations outlined in the 9/11 Commission Final Report released five years ago this week. [...] The National Security Preparedness Group is a bipartisan coalition of national security experts including former DHS Secretary Tom Ridge and co-chaired by former 9/11 Commission Chair Thomas H. Kean and Vice Chair Lee H. Hamilton. [...] The group also discussed new policies, initiatives and grant opportunities to bolster the Department's capacity to secure the nation from an ever-changing array of threats to homeland security, including cyber attacks and bioterrorism. To view the Department's full 9/11 Commission progress report, visit Progress in Implementing 9/11 Commission Recommendations." (Press Zoom; 27Jul09) http://presszoom.com/story_149002.html
Hazardous duty: reporter dons fire suit, learns about hazardous material [Chickasha, OK]
"Each year the Chickasha fire department and 17 other hazardous material teams take a training course. The course is a refresher for emergency personnel, and keeps firefighters up-to-date on the latest hazards and deterrents. [...] Carrying so much gear in this high stress environment demands physical fitness, but it also demands finesse. I found all this out the hard way on Friday, when I joined them for a portion of their hazmat training. The boots are like bricks tied to my feet. The jacket is big and bulky, and the helmet and respirator block my vision. [...] We don bright orange haz-mat suits and respirators and again approach with extreme caution. [...] We find the lab is used to make ricin, a highly toxic chemical extrapolated from castor beans. A piece equivalent to half a grain of sand can be deadly. The lab looks real and is real, except for a few key ingredients." (Express-Star; 27Jul09; Ellis Goodwin) http://tinyurl.com/nhuhkq
Powder scare hits IRD [Inland Revenue Department] mail room
"An Inland Revenue mail room was evacuated on Tuesday morning when staff opened a package containing white powder, which later turned out to be harmless. Staff were evacuated and those who came into contact with the package underwent a Fire Service decontamination process, said Upper Hutt police area commander Inspector Michael Hill. Preliminary ESR [Environmental Science & Research] analysis suggested the powder was not a dangerous substance. 'At this stage the powder does not appear to be harmful to the public. We are conducting a criminal investigation to identify and speak with the offender,' Hill said." (TV New Zealand; 21Jul09)
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/powder-scare-hits-ird-mail-room-2858742
Chemical at fire H[ead] Q[uarters] 'was radioactive' [Ipswich, England]
"Tests have confirmed that a test tube which was taken into Suffolk Fire Service's headquarters by a woman contained a radioactive substance. The woman walked into Ipswich's Colchester Road fire station at 5pm on Friday with a sealed test tube which she said contained the dangerous chemical. […] It sparked a major chemical incident which led to specialist firefighters being deployed as far afield as Haverhill along with ambulance crews. A health physicist from Sizewell A nuclear power station attended the scene and confirmed that it was radioactive. […] Dave Pedersen, group manager for Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service, said: 'As part of our notification scheme we contacted the nuclear industry for advice on anything being radioactive. We were advised that it was not a radiological risk and was a very low yield powder which means that the risk to the public is very low.' […] The Environment Agency (EA) last night said it will ensure the substance will be disposed of properly and said an investigation will be carried out to find out where the substance came from." (EADT 24 News; 27Jul09) http://tinyurl.com/mqgd8g
Marine Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Pfc. Donald W. Vincent, 26, of Gainesville, Fla., died July 25 of wounds sustained while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
For additional background information on this Marine, news media representatives may contact the II Marine Expeditionary Force public affairs office at (910) 451-7200.
Pfc. Donald W. Vincent, 26, of Gainesville, Fla., died July 25 of wounds sustained while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
For additional background information on this Marine, news media representatives may contact the II Marine Expeditionary Force public affairs office at (910) 451-7200.
Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Spc. Justin D. Coleman, 21, of Spring Hill, Fla., died July 24 in Nuristan Province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit using small arms and rocket-propelled grenade fires. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.
For more information media may contact the Fort Drum public affairs office at (315) 772-7267.
Spc. Justin D. Coleman, 21, of Spring Hill, Fla., died July 24 in Nuristan Province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit using small arms and rocket-propelled grenade fires. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.
For more information media may contact the Fort Drum public affairs office at (315) 772-7267.
Forces in Iraq Capture Militant, Destroy Weapons
American Forces Press Service
July 27, 2009 - Coalition and Iraqi forces arrested an assailant and destroyed weapons in operations in Iraq over the past three days, military officials said. Two Iraqi special operations soldiers died and an assailant was wounded during an operation outside the Iraqi capital today.
During the early morning operation, the Iraqi special operations forces, along with U.S. forces advisors, were attempting to make an arrest with a court-ordered warrant for terrorism.
During a brief exchange of gunfire, two Iraqi soldiers were mortally wounded and the assailant was injured. The assailant was apprehended and later transported to a military hospital where he received treatment.
According to ground forces, the arrest will disrupt insurgent operations in the area.
In a July 25 operation, coalition forces in coordination with Iraqi security forces conducted an aerial strike on a bunker in southern Diyala province. During a combined patrol in the area, the bunker was discovered to contain a weapons cache that was booby-trapped with homemade explosives, rendering it unsafe for soldiers on the ground to destroy, military officials said.
U.S. forces coordinated two air strikes targeting the bunker, located in a remote area south of Balad Ruz, away from any population centers. No casualties were reported following the air strike.
During a separate operation July 25, Iraqi and coalition forces dismantled a bomb planted near an electrical transmission tower south of Baghdad. Explosive ordnance technicians guided a robot to each of the explosives and defused them.
July 27, 2009 - Coalition and Iraqi forces arrested an assailant and destroyed weapons in operations in Iraq over the past three days, military officials said. Two Iraqi special operations soldiers died and an assailant was wounded during an operation outside the Iraqi capital today.
During the early morning operation, the Iraqi special operations forces, along with U.S. forces advisors, were attempting to make an arrest with a court-ordered warrant for terrorism.
During a brief exchange of gunfire, two Iraqi soldiers were mortally wounded and the assailant was injured. The assailant was apprehended and later transported to a military hospital where he received treatment.
According to ground forces, the arrest will disrupt insurgent operations in the area.
In a July 25 operation, coalition forces in coordination with Iraqi security forces conducted an aerial strike on a bunker in southern Diyala province. During a combined patrol in the area, the bunker was discovered to contain a weapons cache that was booby-trapped with homemade explosives, rendering it unsafe for soldiers on the ground to destroy, military officials said.
U.S. forces coordinated two air strikes targeting the bunker, located in a remote area south of Balad Ruz, away from any population centers. No casualties were reported following the air strike.
During a separate operation July 25, Iraqi and coalition forces dismantled a bomb planted near an electrical transmission tower south of Baghdad. Explosive ordnance technicians guided a robot to each of the explosives and defused them.
Tough Fight Will Continue in Afghanistan, Mullen Says
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
July 27, 2009 - Though troop morale is high in Afghanistan, the Taliban is a tough organization and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said he doesn't expect conditions to change soon. "As everyone knows, we've lost a large number of people here very recently," Navy Adm. Mike Mullen said during a Pentagon Channel podcast interview today. "It's going to be a tough fight in Afghanistan for the foreseeable future, and we're doing everything we can to certainly eliminate any losses.
"But the Taliban are a tough, tough organization, and it's going to be that way for a while."
Despite seeing a long road ahead, Mullen, who recently visited Afghanistan, said he was pleased with what he saw. That includes the Marine Corps' integration with the British military, which he called "exceptionally good," in southern Afghanistan. He noted the same with the provincial reconstruction team in the area.
"I also was encouraged by what I saw there in terms of the civilian and military integration," he said. "This is not about a military solution alone. It can't be."
In fact, Mullen said the Afghan people must be at the heart of the solution. That's where Army Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, commander of U.S. Forces Afghanistan, is focusing.
McChrystal has issued a tactical directive to reduce airstrikes in Afghanistan in an effort to decrease civilian casualties. The directive is being well received by forces on the ground, Mullen said.
"I think his directive is well focused, it's well understood and is being executed exceptionally well very shortly after he put it out," Mullen said, offering an example in which he said Marines executed an operation over several days in which no Afghans were killed.
"All that focuses on the criticality of making the Afghan people the center of gravity," he added. "If we can't get it right for the Afghan people, we can't get it right."
Mullen added that McChrystal's assessment of the situation on the ground in Afghanistan isn't really up until mid-August. He anticipates that a focus on the population and integration with the civilian team will be a part of the assessment, however.
"I think what General McChrystal represents ... is new leadership, new focus, new strategy, and they'll be doing all they can to [make progress] as rapidly as we can so we can really start to turn the tide in Afghanistan," he said. The upcoming national presidential elections scheduled for Aug. 20 are a big part of that.
On Iraq, the chairman said he was pleased with what he saw during a visit to the country a short time after the official withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from Iraqi cities.
"The conversations I had with leaders were good," he said. "There are some very difficult issues and the politicians in Iraq are really going to have to move forward and solve them."
Mullen also said he was impressed with the way U.S. forces talked about the Iraqi security forces. Currently, U.S. forces are supporting Iraqi elections, which are slated to happen in January 2010.
"I was encouraged, cautiously optimistic," he said.
Mullen also touched on Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates' decision to increase the Army's numbers by 22,000. Those soldiers would fill brigades scheduled to deploy.
With brigades full, Mullen said he's confident that by increasing the Army ranks by 22,000, everyone will benefit.
"The operational tempo has stayed the same and we don't see dwell time going down significantly right now," he said. "I expect within the next couple of years, as these brigades actually fill up because of this increase, we actually will see our [operations] tempo be reduced and see dwell time increase, which is absolutely critical."
Mullen addressed the Pentagon's preparations to respond to any changes President Barack Obama makes to the so-called "Don't, ask, don't tell" policy, which prohibits officials from inquiring into servicemembers' sexual orientation in the absence of disallowed behaviors, but allows action to be taken if a servicemember discloses homosexuality by word or action. In fact, he said, he's addressed the topic with the service chiefs and combatant commanders, as well as his own staff.
"There's a lot of focus with respect to this right now," Mullen said. "Certainly when the law changes, when we get to that point, we'll carry out the law."
Mullen's podcasts are available on the Pentagon Channel's Web site, http://www.pentagonchannel.mil.
American Forces Press Service
July 27, 2009 - Though troop morale is high in Afghanistan, the Taliban is a tough organization and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said he doesn't expect conditions to change soon. "As everyone knows, we've lost a large number of people here very recently," Navy Adm. Mike Mullen said during a Pentagon Channel podcast interview today. "It's going to be a tough fight in Afghanistan for the foreseeable future, and we're doing everything we can to certainly eliminate any losses.
"But the Taliban are a tough, tough organization, and it's going to be that way for a while."
Despite seeing a long road ahead, Mullen, who recently visited Afghanistan, said he was pleased with what he saw. That includes the Marine Corps' integration with the British military, which he called "exceptionally good," in southern Afghanistan. He noted the same with the provincial reconstruction team in the area.
"I also was encouraged by what I saw there in terms of the civilian and military integration," he said. "This is not about a military solution alone. It can't be."
In fact, Mullen said the Afghan people must be at the heart of the solution. That's where Army Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, commander of U.S. Forces Afghanistan, is focusing.
McChrystal has issued a tactical directive to reduce airstrikes in Afghanistan in an effort to decrease civilian casualties. The directive is being well received by forces on the ground, Mullen said.
"I think his directive is well focused, it's well understood and is being executed exceptionally well very shortly after he put it out," Mullen said, offering an example in which he said Marines executed an operation over several days in which no Afghans were killed.
"All that focuses on the criticality of making the Afghan people the center of gravity," he added. "If we can't get it right for the Afghan people, we can't get it right."
Mullen added that McChrystal's assessment of the situation on the ground in Afghanistan isn't really up until mid-August. He anticipates that a focus on the population and integration with the civilian team will be a part of the assessment, however.
"I think what General McChrystal represents ... is new leadership, new focus, new strategy, and they'll be doing all they can to [make progress] as rapidly as we can so we can really start to turn the tide in Afghanistan," he said. The upcoming national presidential elections scheduled for Aug. 20 are a big part of that.
On Iraq, the chairman said he was pleased with what he saw during a visit to the country a short time after the official withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from Iraqi cities.
"The conversations I had with leaders were good," he said. "There are some very difficult issues and the politicians in Iraq are really going to have to move forward and solve them."
Mullen also said he was impressed with the way U.S. forces talked about the Iraqi security forces. Currently, U.S. forces are supporting Iraqi elections, which are slated to happen in January 2010.
"I was encouraged, cautiously optimistic," he said.
Mullen also touched on Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates' decision to increase the Army's numbers by 22,000. Those soldiers would fill brigades scheduled to deploy.
With brigades full, Mullen said he's confident that by increasing the Army ranks by 22,000, everyone will benefit.
"The operational tempo has stayed the same and we don't see dwell time going down significantly right now," he said. "I expect within the next couple of years, as these brigades actually fill up because of this increase, we actually will see our [operations] tempo be reduced and see dwell time increase, which is absolutely critical."
Mullen addressed the Pentagon's preparations to respond to any changes President Barack Obama makes to the so-called "Don't, ask, don't tell" policy, which prohibits officials from inquiring into servicemembers' sexual orientation in the absence of disallowed behaviors, but allows action to be taken if a servicemember discloses homosexuality by word or action. In fact, he said, he's addressed the topic with the service chiefs and combatant commanders, as well as his own staff.
"There's a lot of focus with respect to this right now," Mullen said. "Certainly when the law changes, when we get to that point, we'll carry out the law."
Mullen's podcasts are available on the Pentagon Channel's Web site, http://www.pentagonchannel.mil.
Troops Seize Enemy Fighters in Eastern Afghanistan
American Forces Press Service
July 27, 2009 - Coalition and Afghan forces seized dozens of suspected enemy fighters during recent operations in eastern Afghanistan, U.S. military officials said. In an operation yesterday, a joint Afghan and coalition force searched a compound in Khost province believed to be frequented by an insurgent known for coordinating attacks against troops as part of the Haqqani terrorist network.
After intelligence indicated militant activity at a compound near the village of Majles, north of the city of Khost, the joint force searched the area and detained seven suspects, including the wanted man.
No Afghan, international security forces or civilian casualties were reported during the incident.
During operations July 25, a joint security force searched a compound in the remote reaches of Paktika province in an effort to disrupt Haqqani command and control, communications, and supply lines in the region.
The joint team searched the compound in the Deela district of Paktika, about 95 miles southwest of Gardez, after intelligence indicated militant activity. Combined forces detained five suspects in the raid.
During July 24 operations:
-- A joint force seized a weapons cache in Nangarhar province as part of the ongoing effort to disrupt Taliban operations, particularly suicide-bomber and homemade-bombing attacks against Afghan National Army and international security units in the region. In a raid, troops killed several enemy combatants and detained eight others.
-- Combined forces searched a suspected militant compound in Paktia province in an effort to disrupt Haqqani financial and logistical support lines extending from the Khost-Gardez Pass and into the country. The joint force detained seven suspects in the operation.
-- A joint Afghan and international security force detained an unreported number of suspected enemy fighters during a search of a compound in Kandahar province that also yielded incriminating photographs. Three Afghan security force members died and three others were wounded in the operation. An investigation into the incident has been directed.
July 27, 2009 - Coalition and Afghan forces seized dozens of suspected enemy fighters during recent operations in eastern Afghanistan, U.S. military officials said. In an operation yesterday, a joint Afghan and coalition force searched a compound in Khost province believed to be frequented by an insurgent known for coordinating attacks against troops as part of the Haqqani terrorist network.
After intelligence indicated militant activity at a compound near the village of Majles, north of the city of Khost, the joint force searched the area and detained seven suspects, including the wanted man.
No Afghan, international security forces or civilian casualties were reported during the incident.
During operations July 25, a joint security force searched a compound in the remote reaches of Paktika province in an effort to disrupt Haqqani command and control, communications, and supply lines in the region.
The joint team searched the compound in the Deela district of Paktika, about 95 miles southwest of Gardez, after intelligence indicated militant activity. Combined forces detained five suspects in the raid.
During July 24 operations:
-- A joint force seized a weapons cache in Nangarhar province as part of the ongoing effort to disrupt Taliban operations, particularly suicide-bomber and homemade-bombing attacks against Afghan National Army and international security units in the region. In a raid, troops killed several enemy combatants and detained eight others.
-- Combined forces searched a suspected militant compound in Paktia province in an effort to disrupt Haqqani financial and logistical support lines extending from the Khost-Gardez Pass and into the country. The joint force detained seven suspects in the operation.
-- A joint Afghan and international security force detained an unreported number of suspected enemy fighters during a search of a compound in Kandahar province that also yielded incriminating photographs. Three Afghan security force members died and three others were wounded in the operation. An investigation into the incident has been directed.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Spc. Herberth A. Berrios-Campos, 21, of Bealeton, Va., died July 24 in Salman Pak, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.
The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation.
For more information the media may contact the 82nd Airborne Division public affairs office at (910) 432-0661.
Spc. Herberth A. Berrios-Campos, 21, of Bealeton, Va., died July 24 in Salman Pak, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.
The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation.
For more information the media may contact the 82nd Airborne Division public affairs office at (910) 432-0661.
American Heroes Radio
July 26, 2009 (San Dimas, CA) American Heroes Radio reorganized its platform and launched a new website today. American Heroes Radio provides a platform for the lives, stories and accomplishments of our American Heroes. Each week, a different member of our military, law enforcement, firefighting and emergency services are guests. Previous guests have included: a World War II fighter pilot speaking about his experiences over Iwo Jima; a Navy captain tell his story of Cold War submarine hunting; an Iraq war veteran who was wounded in the head by an RPG; or, any of the large numbers of interviews of law enforcement officials around the country speaking about their expertise, careers and often hair-raising adventures.
American Heroes Radio now has 63 episodes in the archive and weekly shows scheduled through September 2009. You can explore the radio program here:
American Heroes Radio
American Heroes Radio now has 63 episodes in the archive and weekly shows scheduled through September 2009. You can explore the radio program here:
American Heroes Radio
Friday, July 24, 2009
CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News, July 24, 2009
Human Genome gets new order for anthrax drug
"Human Genome Sciences Inc (HGSI.O) said it received a second order for its drug ABthrax, which fights anthrax infection [sic], from the U.S. government. […] The order for an additional 45,000 doses of ABthrax, or raxibacumab, is to be delivered over a three-year period, beginning near the end of 2009. The company expects to receive about $151 million from this award as deliveries are completed. Raxibacumab is being developed under a contract with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, to be delivered to the U.S. Strategic National Stockpile [SNS]. […] SNS is a stockpile of medical supplies intended to protect Americans in case of public emergencies like a flu outbreak, terrorist attacks or earthquakes that are severe enough to cause local supplies to run out." (Reuters; 22Jul09)
http://www.reuters.com/article/governmentFilingsNews/idUSBNG20184720090722
ND [North Dakota] group ordered to repay $124K in misspent funds [meant for disaster planning]
"A group that represents North Dakota's ambulance and emergency workers was ordered Wednesday to repay more than $124,000 in federal disaster planning money spent on alcohol, lobbying and other questionable expenses. The North Dakota EMS Association, which represents about 1,800 ambulance and emergency workers, may be barred from seeking any more federal grant money, said Tim Wiedrich, chief of the North Dakota Health Department's emergency preparedness and response section. The Bismarck-based EMS association received about $810,000 between 2004 and last year to help produce a plan to fight bioterrorism and other mass disasters. In a Wednesday letter obtained by The Associated Press, the state Health Department told the group that an audit found $157,425 in expenses that were either 'unallowable' or lacked receipts. The letter said $33,300 would be denied and $124,125 must be repaid. […] How and when the group will pay the money back is unclear." (Idaho Stateman; 22Jul09; James MacPherson, AP) http://www.idahostatesman.com/usnews/story/842034.html
WMD panel leaders warn of bioterror[ism] threat
"The United States must take new measures to help counter the threat of biological terrorism, the heads of a congressional WMD advisory panel wrote in a journal editorial published this week. […] 'In our commission report, World at Risk, we stated that terrorists are more likely to obtain and use a biological weapon than a nuclear weapon,' states the editorial by former Senators Bob Graham and Jim Talent, respectively the chairman and vice chairman of the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism. There are a number of reasons for this conclusion, according to the commentary: Anthrax [sic] and other dangerous biological materials are found in nature around the world, while weapon-grade nuclear materials are not; it would be far easier to disperse a biological agent than to manufacture a nuclear weapon. […] The panel determined that without aggressive action, a WMD incident was likely to occur at some location before 2014. […] Additional precautions can help reduce a biological weapon's impact, the former lawmakers noted. 'It is important to have a biological weapons prevention strategy that does not merely involve crossing out 'nuclear' and adding 'bio,' they stated. 'There will be some similarities of approach, which we have detailed in our report: for example, preventing a biological attack will require continued support and investment in international treaties.' […] Greater preparedness is also needed. […] That means improved capabilities for detecting disease agents and vaccinating those who might be exposed to such a material. Drug development must also be improved, according to Graham and Talent. […] 'A major part of our biodefense strategy should be based on reaching a level of preparedness that will effectively remove bioweapons from the category of WMD. This will happen neither quickly nor cheaply, but it will be well worth the investment,' [Graham and Talent wrote]." (Global Security Newswire; 24Jul09) http://gsn.nti.org/gsn/nw_20090723_4090.php
Agent Orange linked to heart disease, Parkinson's
"Medical researchers say there may be a link between exposure to the defoliant Agent Orange and other herbicides used during the Vietnam War and an increased chance of developing serious heart problems and Parkinson's disease. A study from the Institute of Medicine released Friday contains several caveats, but suggests there is a stronger connection than previously thought about the health risks to Vietnam veterans. [...] The Institute of Medicine, a division of the National Academy of Sciences, is mandated by Congress to review every two years evidence about the effects of Agent Orange exposure. To determine whether Vietnam veterans faced an increased chance of ischemic heart disease - a condition involving reduced blood supply to the heart - researchers reviewed several studies that showed links between higher exposure levels and greater incidence of the disease. Other factors such as smoking, age, and weight can also play a role, they noted. Still, they said veterans exposed to the chemicals may be at greater risk." (Associated Press; 24Jul09; Richard Lardner) http://news.lp.findlaw.com/ap/a/w/1155/07-24-2009/20090724092006_11.html
Mustard chemical leak detected at depot [OR]
"Trace amounts of mustard chemical agent vapor were detected inside a Umatilla Chemical Depot storage igloo Tuesday. As the weather warms, the mustard containers thaw and are more likely to leak. The mustard […] freezes below 59 degrees. […] The leak Tuesday was detected during routine weekly monitoring and posed no danger to the public or environment, according to depot officials. The igloos have a passive filtration system that prevents chemical agent vapor from escaping the structures. When a leak is discovered, a powered filtration system also is installed." (Tri City Herald; 22Jul09) http://www.tri-cityherald.com/901/story/654819.html
San Diego State University lab tried to spot 'dirty bombs'
"At San Diego State University's Department of Homeland Security Immersive Visualization Center, they're trying to spot 'dirty bomb' components accurately. The lab recently unveiled a joint homeland security project that they did with Defentect to create a perimeter system for the detection of radiation. […] The system is designed to detect radiological materials. It uses a software platform from Defentect for management, monitoring and messaging along with a GT2 gross gamma detection sensor. […] 'This program is one more way the Viz Lab is working to evaluate and enhance tools and technologies to help both public and private entities deal with potential hazards with accuracy and speed - important in the face of mounting and unseen threats,' [said Dr. Eric Frost, the founder and co-director of SDSU Immersive Visualization Center and co-director of the university's homeland security master's degree program]. According to SDSU and technology partners, the system could have applications beyond simply controlling the movement of radiological materials. Defentect's Joey Dusina thought that hospitals might be one area of application for the system. 'Hospitals are grappling with how to quickly and accurately identify and alert to the presence of radiologically contaminated persons following a radiological incident so they can be treated, while lowering risk of exposure to hospital personnel and other patients.'" (Security Info Watch; 23Jul09; Geoff Kohl)
http://www.securityinfowatch.com/root+level/1312321
Helping countries keep radioactive sources safe, IAEA publishes implementation guide on security of radioactive sources
"The IAEA has just released a guide for implementing security measures on radioactive sources. […] The publication includes guidance and recommended measures for the prevention of, detection of, and response to malicious acts involving radioactive sources. […] This publication is intended for use by States in formulating security policy for radioactive sources. It is also intended to help regulatory bodies in developing policies that are consistent with the Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources, which is one of the leading international instruments on radioactive source management. It will also assist State parties to fulfill certain obligations under the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism. By setting guidance on the security of sources, the publications is expected to serve as a useful tool for legislators and regulators, physical protection specialists and facility and transport operators, as well as law enforcement officers. It will also help towards preventing the loss of control of such sources, and may help operators managing radioactive sources to develop their security programmes. Growing concern that criminal groups could gain access to high-activity radioactive sources and use the sources maliciously has […] led to a global trend towards increased control, accounting and security of radioactive sources. […] The IAEA has adopted an integrated approach to protection against nuclear terrorism. This approach coordinates IAEA activities concerned with the physical protection of nuclear material and nuclear installations, nuclear material accountancy, detection and response to trafficking in nuclear and other radioactive material."
(International Atomic Energy Agency; 24Jul09) http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/News/2009/saferadsources.html
Sri Lanka assures continued support to counter global terrorism
"Sri Lanka will continue to support global measures to counter the scourge of terrorism, including the early conclusion of the Global Convention on Terrorism, assured Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister. Speaking at the 16th ASEAN Regional Forum, Phuket, Sri Lanka Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama further said subscribing to the UN Convention dealing with Terrorism, Sri Lanka is party to the NPT treaty and its related Safeguard Agreements as well as other related Agreements under the framework of the IAEA, such as the Convention on Nuclear Safety and the Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident among others. Enumerating the role Sri Lanka plays to bring an end to terrorism globally, the Minister anounced that Sri Lanka is in the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism as well as in the Proliferation Security Initiative and its related activities. 'In the regional context, we are party to the SAARC Regional Convention on Terrorism and the SAARC Convention on Mutual Legal Assistance in criminal matters. Under Sri Lanka's Chairmanship, the SAARC adopted the SAARC Ministerial Declaration on Cooperation in Combating Terrorism this year. We have taken a number of national legislative and other measures giving effect to these commitments, and the domestic legislation under the convention of the suppression of Nuclear Terrorism is under preparation.' […] Sri Lanka earned high praise from the chair at the retreat of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) for its positive contributions on the fight against terrorism." (Asia Tribune; 24Jul09) http://asiantribune.com/07/24/sri-lanka-assures-continued-support-global-measures-to-counter-terrorism/
Terrorists could use internet to launch nuclear attack: report
"Terrorists groups could soon use the internet to help set off a devastating nuclear attack, according to new research. The claims come in a study commissioned by the International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament (ICNND), which suggests that under the right circumstances, terrorists could break into computer systems and launch an attack on a nuclear state. […] Without better protection of computer and information systems, the paper suggests, governments around the world are leaving open the possibility that a well-coordinated cyberwar could quickly elevate to nuclear levels. In fact, says the study, 'this may be an easier alternative for terrorist groups than building or acquiring a nuclear weapon or dirty bomb themselves.' […] While the possibility of a radical group gaining access to actual launch systems is remote, the study suggests that hackers could focus on feeding in false information further down the chain - or spreading fake information to officials in a carefully orchestrated strike. 'Despite claims that nuclear launch orders can only come from the highest authorities, numerous examples point towards an ability to sidestep the chain of command and insert orders at lower levels,' said Jason Fritz, the author of the paper. 'Cyber-terrorists could also provoke a nuclear launch by spoofing early warning and identification systems or by degrading communications networks.' Since these systems are not as well-protected as those used to launch an attack, they may prove more vulnerable to attackers who wish to tempt another nation into a nuclear response." (The Guardian; 24Jul09; Bobbie Johnson) http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/jul/24/internet-cyber-attack-terrorists
Emergency drill sent helicopters into Denver's sky [CO]
"If you saw helicopters flying across the metro area Thursday there was no need to be alarmed, it was part of a drill. The Colorado Army National Guard was participating in a drill Thursday that simulated a chemical, biological, nuclear or radiological incident at the Pepsi Center. Officials with the Guard say it is not meant to necessarily emulate an act of terrorism. As part of the drill, Black Hawk and Chinook helicopters flew between Buckley Air Force Base, the Pepsi Center and the World Arena in Colorado Springs. The Guard is the only military unit participating in the drill and they were joined at the Pepsi Center by the Aurora Fire Department. […] The Guard is part of a response crew that the president can call upon during a time of emergency." (KUSA Channel 9, Denver, CO; 23Jul09; Sara Gandy)
http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=120000&provider=top&catid=188
NNSA [National Nuclear Security Administration] nuclear security sites to meet, share ideas at LDRD [Laboratory Directed Research and Development] symposium next month
"The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) today announced that the 2009 NNSA Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Symposium will be held Aug. 19 at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Washington, D.C. The theme of this year's conference is 'Innovation for Our Nation: Strengthening America's Infrastructure Security.' […] The LDRD program promotes highly innovative and exploratory research to respond to present national security mission needs and anticipate future ones. The program funds projects that pursue technological solutions to the most urgent challenges facing our nation or that promote science and engineering foundations that will lead to new research and development. […] The all-day symposium on Aug. 19 will look at current and future LDRD investments that the NNSA national laboratories, site and plants are making to protect the nation's critical infrastructure from terrorism, sabotage, global climate change and natural disasters. Symposium topics include cyber systems, power grid, energy resources, borders and seaports, bioterrorism, and transportation systems." (National Nuclear Security Administration; 23Jul09) http://nnsa.energy.gov/news/2459.htm
Croatia rejects anti-terrorist training center
"If the proposal had been accepted, the facility would have been the largest training ground of its type in Europe, housing large stores of chemicals and viruses on site. Its construction would have cost 15 million kuna (just over two million euros). The US has sought a facility for training troops in methods to deal with chemical and biological weapons attack on Croatia's Dalmatian coast because the region enjoys good weather. This allows almost eight months of active training, which cannot take place in inclement weather. […] KnoTox Inc. is a Colorado-based chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear training and education company. KnoTox Director Douglas Eaton believes that the ministry still requires a toxic training centre, despite the fact that the facility would house hazardous chemical and biological agents. Knotox claims that the chemicals that would be used in drills would not come into contact with the environment or harm the local population, plants and animals." (Balkan Insight; 24Jul09) http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/main/news/21296/
N[orth] Korea 'tests weapons on children'
"When Im Chun-yong made his daring escape from North Korea, with a handful of his special forces men, there were many reasons why the North Korean government was intent on stopping them. […] They carried with them […reports of] the use of humans, specifically mentally or physically handicapped children, to test North Korea's biological and chemical weapons. 'If you are born mentally or physically deficient, says Im, the government says your best contribution to society... is as a guinea pig for biological and chemical weapons testing.' […] One of Im's own men later gave him an eyewitness account of human-testing. Asked to guard a secret facility on an island off North Korea's west coast, Im says the soldier saw a number of people forced into a glass chamber. […] Other North Korean defectors have long alleged that the secretive nation has been using political prisoners as experimental test subjects. Some have detailed how inmates were shipped from various concentration camps to so-called chemical 'factories.' […] Security analysts believe Kim oversees one of the most aggressive and robust biochemical weapons programmes in the world. […] Im says he was trained on how to use biochemical weapons against the 'enemy' - including how to fire them from short-range 'bazooka-style' weapons. […] It is estimated the country has accumulated a stockpile of more than 5,000 tonnes of biochemical weaponry […] 'Human experimentation is a widespread practice,' says [Kim Sang-hun, a retired UN official who has spent years investigating the North's chemical and biological weapons programme]. 'I hoped I was wrong, but it is the reality and it is taking place in North Korea and it is taking place at a number of locations.' […] As the world's attention focuses on the North's nuclear programme, Im is worried the international community will miss what he believes is the more imminent threat posed by the country's biochemical arsenal." (Military.com; 24Jul09) http://www.military.com/news/article/nkorea-tests-weapons-on-children.html?col=1186032310810
Man arrested in vandalism, 'anthrax' [sic] hoax [CA]
"Police have arrested a man in connection with vandalism and white powder found in an empty apartment in Newport Beach. Phong Huu Nguyen, 29, was arrested in the 5000 block of Rodeo Road in Los Angeles on Tuesday at 11:25 p.m., police said. He was booked into the Newport Beach Police Department Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail on charges of criminal threats. Nguyen had been evicted from the unit, police said. While examining a unit in the Coronado Apartments for vandalism, Newport Beach officers found threatening messages painted on the walls and the jars with a white powdery substance inside. The substance was determined to be corn starch, said Lt. Rob Morton of the Newport Beach Police Department." (Orange County Register; 22Jul09; Elysse James) http://www.ocregister.com/articles/white-apartment-beach-2502657-substance-newport
"Human Genome Sciences Inc (HGSI.O) said it received a second order for its drug ABthrax, which fights anthrax infection [sic], from the U.S. government. […] The order for an additional 45,000 doses of ABthrax, or raxibacumab, is to be delivered over a three-year period, beginning near the end of 2009. The company expects to receive about $151 million from this award as deliveries are completed. Raxibacumab is being developed under a contract with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, to be delivered to the U.S. Strategic National Stockpile [SNS]. […] SNS is a stockpile of medical supplies intended to protect Americans in case of public emergencies like a flu outbreak, terrorist attacks or earthquakes that are severe enough to cause local supplies to run out." (Reuters; 22Jul09)
http://www.reuters.com/article/governmentFilingsNews/idUSBNG20184720090722
ND [North Dakota] group ordered to repay $124K in misspent funds [meant for disaster planning]
"A group that represents North Dakota's ambulance and emergency workers was ordered Wednesday to repay more than $124,000 in federal disaster planning money spent on alcohol, lobbying and other questionable expenses. The North Dakota EMS Association, which represents about 1,800 ambulance and emergency workers, may be barred from seeking any more federal grant money, said Tim Wiedrich, chief of the North Dakota Health Department's emergency preparedness and response section. The Bismarck-based EMS association received about $810,000 between 2004 and last year to help produce a plan to fight bioterrorism and other mass disasters. In a Wednesday letter obtained by The Associated Press, the state Health Department told the group that an audit found $157,425 in expenses that were either 'unallowable' or lacked receipts. The letter said $33,300 would be denied and $124,125 must be repaid. […] How and when the group will pay the money back is unclear." (Idaho Stateman; 22Jul09; James MacPherson, AP) http://www.idahostatesman.com/usnews/story/842034.html
WMD panel leaders warn of bioterror[ism] threat
"The United States must take new measures to help counter the threat of biological terrorism, the heads of a congressional WMD advisory panel wrote in a journal editorial published this week. […] 'In our commission report, World at Risk, we stated that terrorists are more likely to obtain and use a biological weapon than a nuclear weapon,' states the editorial by former Senators Bob Graham and Jim Talent, respectively the chairman and vice chairman of the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism. There are a number of reasons for this conclusion, according to the commentary: Anthrax [sic] and other dangerous biological materials are found in nature around the world, while weapon-grade nuclear materials are not; it would be far easier to disperse a biological agent than to manufacture a nuclear weapon. […] The panel determined that without aggressive action, a WMD incident was likely to occur at some location before 2014. […] Additional precautions can help reduce a biological weapon's impact, the former lawmakers noted. 'It is important to have a biological weapons prevention strategy that does not merely involve crossing out 'nuclear' and adding 'bio,' they stated. 'There will be some similarities of approach, which we have detailed in our report: for example, preventing a biological attack will require continued support and investment in international treaties.' […] Greater preparedness is also needed. […] That means improved capabilities for detecting disease agents and vaccinating those who might be exposed to such a material. Drug development must also be improved, according to Graham and Talent. […] 'A major part of our biodefense strategy should be based on reaching a level of preparedness that will effectively remove bioweapons from the category of WMD. This will happen neither quickly nor cheaply, but it will be well worth the investment,' [Graham and Talent wrote]." (Global Security Newswire; 24Jul09) http://gsn.nti.org/gsn/nw_20090723_4090.php
Agent Orange linked to heart disease, Parkinson's
"Medical researchers say there may be a link between exposure to the defoliant Agent Orange and other herbicides used during the Vietnam War and an increased chance of developing serious heart problems and Parkinson's disease. A study from the Institute of Medicine released Friday contains several caveats, but suggests there is a stronger connection than previously thought about the health risks to Vietnam veterans. [...] The Institute of Medicine, a division of the National Academy of Sciences, is mandated by Congress to review every two years evidence about the effects of Agent Orange exposure. To determine whether Vietnam veterans faced an increased chance of ischemic heart disease - a condition involving reduced blood supply to the heart - researchers reviewed several studies that showed links between higher exposure levels and greater incidence of the disease. Other factors such as smoking, age, and weight can also play a role, they noted. Still, they said veterans exposed to the chemicals may be at greater risk." (Associated Press; 24Jul09; Richard Lardner) http://news.lp.findlaw.com/ap/a/w/1155/07-24-2009/20090724092006_11.html
Mustard chemical leak detected at depot [OR]
"Trace amounts of mustard chemical agent vapor were detected inside a Umatilla Chemical Depot storage igloo Tuesday. As the weather warms, the mustard containers thaw and are more likely to leak. The mustard […] freezes below 59 degrees. […] The leak Tuesday was detected during routine weekly monitoring and posed no danger to the public or environment, according to depot officials. The igloos have a passive filtration system that prevents chemical agent vapor from escaping the structures. When a leak is discovered, a powered filtration system also is installed." (Tri City Herald; 22Jul09) http://www.tri-cityherald.com/901/story/654819.html
San Diego State University lab tried to spot 'dirty bombs'
"At San Diego State University's Department of Homeland Security Immersive Visualization Center, they're trying to spot 'dirty bomb' components accurately. The lab recently unveiled a joint homeland security project that they did with Defentect to create a perimeter system for the detection of radiation. […] The system is designed to detect radiological materials. It uses a software platform from Defentect for management, monitoring and messaging along with a GT2 gross gamma detection sensor. […] 'This program is one more way the Viz Lab is working to evaluate and enhance tools and technologies to help both public and private entities deal with potential hazards with accuracy and speed - important in the face of mounting and unseen threats,' [said Dr. Eric Frost, the founder and co-director of SDSU Immersive Visualization Center and co-director of the university's homeland security master's degree program]. According to SDSU and technology partners, the system could have applications beyond simply controlling the movement of radiological materials. Defentect's Joey Dusina thought that hospitals might be one area of application for the system. 'Hospitals are grappling with how to quickly and accurately identify and alert to the presence of radiologically contaminated persons following a radiological incident so they can be treated, while lowering risk of exposure to hospital personnel and other patients.'" (Security Info Watch; 23Jul09; Geoff Kohl)
http://www.securityinfowatch.com/root+level/1312321
Helping countries keep radioactive sources safe, IAEA publishes implementation guide on security of radioactive sources
"The IAEA has just released a guide for implementing security measures on radioactive sources. […] The publication includes guidance and recommended measures for the prevention of, detection of, and response to malicious acts involving radioactive sources. […] This publication is intended for use by States in formulating security policy for radioactive sources. It is also intended to help regulatory bodies in developing policies that are consistent with the Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources, which is one of the leading international instruments on radioactive source management. It will also assist State parties to fulfill certain obligations under the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism. By setting guidance on the security of sources, the publications is expected to serve as a useful tool for legislators and regulators, physical protection specialists and facility and transport operators, as well as law enforcement officers. It will also help towards preventing the loss of control of such sources, and may help operators managing radioactive sources to develop their security programmes. Growing concern that criminal groups could gain access to high-activity radioactive sources and use the sources maliciously has […] led to a global trend towards increased control, accounting and security of radioactive sources. […] The IAEA has adopted an integrated approach to protection against nuclear terrorism. This approach coordinates IAEA activities concerned with the physical protection of nuclear material and nuclear installations, nuclear material accountancy, detection and response to trafficking in nuclear and other radioactive material."
(International Atomic Energy Agency; 24Jul09) http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/News/2009/saferadsources.html
Sri Lanka assures continued support to counter global terrorism
"Sri Lanka will continue to support global measures to counter the scourge of terrorism, including the early conclusion of the Global Convention on Terrorism, assured Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister. Speaking at the 16th ASEAN Regional Forum, Phuket, Sri Lanka Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama further said subscribing to the UN Convention dealing with Terrorism, Sri Lanka is party to the NPT treaty and its related Safeguard Agreements as well as other related Agreements under the framework of the IAEA, such as the Convention on Nuclear Safety and the Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident among others. Enumerating the role Sri Lanka plays to bring an end to terrorism globally, the Minister anounced that Sri Lanka is in the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism as well as in the Proliferation Security Initiative and its related activities. 'In the regional context, we are party to the SAARC Regional Convention on Terrorism and the SAARC Convention on Mutual Legal Assistance in criminal matters. Under Sri Lanka's Chairmanship, the SAARC adopted the SAARC Ministerial Declaration on Cooperation in Combating Terrorism this year. We have taken a number of national legislative and other measures giving effect to these commitments, and the domestic legislation under the convention of the suppression of Nuclear Terrorism is under preparation.' […] Sri Lanka earned high praise from the chair at the retreat of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) for its positive contributions on the fight against terrorism." (Asia Tribune; 24Jul09) http://asiantribune.com/07/24/sri-lanka-assures-continued-support-global-measures-to-counter-terrorism/
Terrorists could use internet to launch nuclear attack: report
"Terrorists groups could soon use the internet to help set off a devastating nuclear attack, according to new research. The claims come in a study commissioned by the International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament (ICNND), which suggests that under the right circumstances, terrorists could break into computer systems and launch an attack on a nuclear state. […] Without better protection of computer and information systems, the paper suggests, governments around the world are leaving open the possibility that a well-coordinated cyberwar could quickly elevate to nuclear levels. In fact, says the study, 'this may be an easier alternative for terrorist groups than building or acquiring a nuclear weapon or dirty bomb themselves.' […] While the possibility of a radical group gaining access to actual launch systems is remote, the study suggests that hackers could focus on feeding in false information further down the chain - or spreading fake information to officials in a carefully orchestrated strike. 'Despite claims that nuclear launch orders can only come from the highest authorities, numerous examples point towards an ability to sidestep the chain of command and insert orders at lower levels,' said Jason Fritz, the author of the paper. 'Cyber-terrorists could also provoke a nuclear launch by spoofing early warning and identification systems or by degrading communications networks.' Since these systems are not as well-protected as those used to launch an attack, they may prove more vulnerable to attackers who wish to tempt another nation into a nuclear response." (The Guardian; 24Jul09; Bobbie Johnson) http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/jul/24/internet-cyber-attack-terrorists
Emergency drill sent helicopters into Denver's sky [CO]
"If you saw helicopters flying across the metro area Thursday there was no need to be alarmed, it was part of a drill. The Colorado Army National Guard was participating in a drill Thursday that simulated a chemical, biological, nuclear or radiological incident at the Pepsi Center. Officials with the Guard say it is not meant to necessarily emulate an act of terrorism. As part of the drill, Black Hawk and Chinook helicopters flew between Buckley Air Force Base, the Pepsi Center and the World Arena in Colorado Springs. The Guard is the only military unit participating in the drill and they were joined at the Pepsi Center by the Aurora Fire Department. […] The Guard is part of a response crew that the president can call upon during a time of emergency." (KUSA Channel 9, Denver, CO; 23Jul09; Sara Gandy)
http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=120000&provider=top&catid=188
NNSA [National Nuclear Security Administration] nuclear security sites to meet, share ideas at LDRD [Laboratory Directed Research and Development] symposium next month
"The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) today announced that the 2009 NNSA Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Symposium will be held Aug. 19 at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Washington, D.C. The theme of this year's conference is 'Innovation for Our Nation: Strengthening America's Infrastructure Security.' […] The LDRD program promotes highly innovative and exploratory research to respond to present national security mission needs and anticipate future ones. The program funds projects that pursue technological solutions to the most urgent challenges facing our nation or that promote science and engineering foundations that will lead to new research and development. […] The all-day symposium on Aug. 19 will look at current and future LDRD investments that the NNSA national laboratories, site and plants are making to protect the nation's critical infrastructure from terrorism, sabotage, global climate change and natural disasters. Symposium topics include cyber systems, power grid, energy resources, borders and seaports, bioterrorism, and transportation systems." (National Nuclear Security Administration; 23Jul09) http://nnsa.energy.gov/news/2459.htm
Croatia rejects anti-terrorist training center
"If the proposal had been accepted, the facility would have been the largest training ground of its type in Europe, housing large stores of chemicals and viruses on site. Its construction would have cost 15 million kuna (just over two million euros). The US has sought a facility for training troops in methods to deal with chemical and biological weapons attack on Croatia's Dalmatian coast because the region enjoys good weather. This allows almost eight months of active training, which cannot take place in inclement weather. […] KnoTox Inc. is a Colorado-based chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear training and education company. KnoTox Director Douglas Eaton believes that the ministry still requires a toxic training centre, despite the fact that the facility would house hazardous chemical and biological agents. Knotox claims that the chemicals that would be used in drills would not come into contact with the environment or harm the local population, plants and animals." (Balkan Insight; 24Jul09) http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/main/news/21296/
N[orth] Korea 'tests weapons on children'
"When Im Chun-yong made his daring escape from North Korea, with a handful of his special forces men, there were many reasons why the North Korean government was intent on stopping them. […] They carried with them […reports of] the use of humans, specifically mentally or physically handicapped children, to test North Korea's biological and chemical weapons. 'If you are born mentally or physically deficient, says Im, the government says your best contribution to society... is as a guinea pig for biological and chemical weapons testing.' […] One of Im's own men later gave him an eyewitness account of human-testing. Asked to guard a secret facility on an island off North Korea's west coast, Im says the soldier saw a number of people forced into a glass chamber. […] Other North Korean defectors have long alleged that the secretive nation has been using political prisoners as experimental test subjects. Some have detailed how inmates were shipped from various concentration camps to so-called chemical 'factories.' […] Security analysts believe Kim oversees one of the most aggressive and robust biochemical weapons programmes in the world. […] Im says he was trained on how to use biochemical weapons against the 'enemy' - including how to fire them from short-range 'bazooka-style' weapons. […] It is estimated the country has accumulated a stockpile of more than 5,000 tonnes of biochemical weaponry […] 'Human experimentation is a widespread practice,' says [Kim Sang-hun, a retired UN official who has spent years investigating the North's chemical and biological weapons programme]. 'I hoped I was wrong, but it is the reality and it is taking place in North Korea and it is taking place at a number of locations.' […] As the world's attention focuses on the North's nuclear programme, Im is worried the international community will miss what he believes is the more imminent threat posed by the country's biochemical arsenal." (Military.com; 24Jul09) http://www.military.com/news/article/nkorea-tests-weapons-on-children.html?col=1186032310810
Man arrested in vandalism, 'anthrax' [sic] hoax [CA]
"Police have arrested a man in connection with vandalism and white powder found in an empty apartment in Newport Beach. Phong Huu Nguyen, 29, was arrested in the 5000 block of Rodeo Road in Los Angeles on Tuesday at 11:25 p.m., police said. He was booked into the Newport Beach Police Department Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail on charges of criminal threats. Nguyen had been evicted from the unit, police said. While examining a unit in the Coronado Apartments for vandalism, Newport Beach officers found threatening messages painted on the walls and the jars with a white powdery substance inside. The substance was determined to be corn starch, said Lt. Rob Morton of the Newport Beach Police Department." (Orange County Register; 22Jul09; Elysse James) http://www.ocregister.com/articles/white-apartment-beach-2502657-substance-newport
Defense Agency Simulates Biological Attack on Pentagon
By Ian Graham
Special to American Forces Press Service
July 24, 2009 - The risk of attack against senior government and military officials always has been high, making protection of the Pentagon and other buildings in the national capital area a top priority, a senior official involved with a recent bio-attack drill said. Paul Benda and Christina Murata -- director and deputy director, respectively, of the Pentagon Force Protection Agency's chemical, radiological, nuclear and explosives directorate -- spoke about preparing for a biological attack on the Pentagon during a July 22 webcast of "Armed with Science: Research and Applications for the Modern Military" on Pentagon Web Radio.
Benda and Murata explained how they used a commercial garden powder to simulate a biological attack in a July 11 test of response procedures and decontamination methods, and how the findings of their test will affect future response to bio-weapon attacks.
More than 200 people participated in the test, including 87 volunteers who were exposed to the garden powder and washed down. The Pentagon Force Protection Agency has conducted tests regularly since 2005 to gather data to better protect people in the event of a biological attack.
"We spread [the powder] across the reservation," Benda said. "We had volunteers that got exposed to it. The building was exposed to it. We tracked where this powder went and where it went on our volunteers."
The directorate tested different options for decontamination, from portable showers to what Benda described as a "wall of water." More than a dozen organizations participated in the test in hopes of finding the easiest and most effective methods.
"We wanted to compare the different decontamination strategies," Benda said. "What's the fastest way to clean these people? What works the best?"
The quickest, most effective cleaner they found was water, Murata said. Simply flushing items with water cleaned more than 95 percent of contaminants from the road and more than 90 percent from vehicles.
"It's that old fireman's adage that there's no problem that enough water can't cure," Murata said. "Point for point, water did the best."
For personnel contaminated with a biological weapon, the best cleaning method was to make a "wall" of water using five fire trucks. Four pumper trucks fired water against each other while a ladder truck released water from above. Volunteers walked through the streams, scrubbing their body and hair to remove contaminants.
"This is a standard capability that every fire department has," Benda said. "Whether it's a volunteer fire department or a professional fire department, they're able to use their standard nozzles, connected to a hydrant, to create this decontamination capability."
The beauty of using fire trucks, beyond their accessibility regardless of location, is their effectiveness. It's not a new technology, but it performs on par with other decontamination methods.
"It works as well, if not better than specific technologies, and it gives us faster through-put," Benda said.
Once the team sorts the data from this test and figures out which questions have been answered and what new questions have arisen, they'll share the findings and begin planning for the next test.
And though certain information in tests related to security for Defense Department and other government employees is safeguarded, the information that applies to organizations nationwide will be spread through professional conferences and published articles.
"We do our best to get the information out that will protect the nation as a whole," Benda said.
(Ian Graham works in the Defense Media Activity's emerging media directorate.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
July 24, 2009 - The risk of attack against senior government and military officials always has been high, making protection of the Pentagon and other buildings in the national capital area a top priority, a senior official involved with a recent bio-attack drill said. Paul Benda and Christina Murata -- director and deputy director, respectively, of the Pentagon Force Protection Agency's chemical, radiological, nuclear and explosives directorate -- spoke about preparing for a biological attack on the Pentagon during a July 22 webcast of "Armed with Science: Research and Applications for the Modern Military" on Pentagon Web Radio.
Benda and Murata explained how they used a commercial garden powder to simulate a biological attack in a July 11 test of response procedures and decontamination methods, and how the findings of their test will affect future response to bio-weapon attacks.
More than 200 people participated in the test, including 87 volunteers who were exposed to the garden powder and washed down. The Pentagon Force Protection Agency has conducted tests regularly since 2005 to gather data to better protect people in the event of a biological attack.
"We spread [the powder] across the reservation," Benda said. "We had volunteers that got exposed to it. The building was exposed to it. We tracked where this powder went and where it went on our volunteers."
The directorate tested different options for decontamination, from portable showers to what Benda described as a "wall of water." More than a dozen organizations participated in the test in hopes of finding the easiest and most effective methods.
"We wanted to compare the different decontamination strategies," Benda said. "What's the fastest way to clean these people? What works the best?"
The quickest, most effective cleaner they found was water, Murata said. Simply flushing items with water cleaned more than 95 percent of contaminants from the road and more than 90 percent from vehicles.
"It's that old fireman's adage that there's no problem that enough water can't cure," Murata said. "Point for point, water did the best."
For personnel contaminated with a biological weapon, the best cleaning method was to make a "wall" of water using five fire trucks. Four pumper trucks fired water against each other while a ladder truck released water from above. Volunteers walked through the streams, scrubbing their body and hair to remove contaminants.
"This is a standard capability that every fire department has," Benda said. "Whether it's a volunteer fire department or a professional fire department, they're able to use their standard nozzles, connected to a hydrant, to create this decontamination capability."
The beauty of using fire trucks, beyond their accessibility regardless of location, is their effectiveness. It's not a new technology, but it performs on par with other decontamination methods.
"It works as well, if not better than specific technologies, and it gives us faster through-put," Benda said.
Once the team sorts the data from this test and figures out which questions have been answered and what new questions have arisen, they'll share the findings and begin planning for the next test.
And though certain information in tests related to security for Defense Department and other government employees is safeguarded, the information that applies to organizations nationwide will be spread through professional conferences and published articles.
"We do our best to get the information out that will protect the nation as a whole," Benda said.
(Ian Graham works in the Defense Media Activity's emerging media directorate.)
Marine Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Sgt. Ryan H. Lane, 25, of Pittsburgh, Pa., died July 23 of wounds suffered while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
For additional background information on this Marine, news media representatives may contact the II Marine Expeditionary Force public affairs office at (910) 451-7200.
Sgt. Ryan H. Lane, 25, of Pittsburgh, Pa., died July 23 of wounds suffered while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
For additional background information on this Marine, news media representatives may contact the II Marine Expeditionary Force public affairs office at (910) 451-7200.
Guantanamo Bay Closure 'On Track,' Pentagon Lawyer Says
By John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
July 24, 2009 - Plans to close the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, within President Barack Obama's one-year time frame are on track, the Pentagon's top lawyer said today. The military held about 240 detainees at the center when Obama pledged days after his inauguration in January to close the facility. Since then, the interagency group assigned to reviewing the cases has made recommendations on more than half, including approving the transfer of more than 50 detainees to other countries, Jeh C. Johnson, the Defense Department general counsel, told the House Armed Services Committee in a prepared statement.
"Additional reviews are ongoing, and the process is on track,", Johnson said. "We remain committed to closing the Guantanamo Bay detention facility within the one-year time frame ordered by the president."
Obama announced plans for the closure of Guantanamo Bay as part of a series of executive orders signed Jan. 22. That legislation created two task forces, one of which is responsible for going file by file through each detainee at Guantanamo Bay, making decisions about how to render justice consistent with U.S. laws and values.
The groups comprise officials from the departments of Justice, Defense, State, and Homeland Security, and from the U.S. military and intelligence community.
White House Spokesman Robert Gibbs this week said a request for a six-month extension for a task force progress report on interrogation policies would not delay the closure. "The task forces and the president believe we continue to make progress and can meet the goal of closing Guantanamo Bay in a year," he said in a July 21 news conference.
Addressing Congress, Johnson said the panel has made progress on another presidential directive issued in May: reforming military commissions, the process through which detainees are tried in U.S. military courts.
Echoing Obama's call to reform the Military Commissions Act of 2006, Johnson said he welcomes the opportunity to help change military commissions into a more viable forum.
"By working to improve military commissions to make the process more fair and credible, we enhance our national security by providing the government with effective alternatives for bringing to justice those international terrorists who violate the law of war," he said.
Under the Senate's recent Defense Authorization Act, several provisions were made to reform the 2006 legislation. Johnson expressed confidence in the ability of the Obama administration and Congress to continue working together to improve the law.
"Military commissions can emerge from this effort as a fully legitimate forum," he said.
The new legislation proposes changes that ban in-court use of statements obtained by cruel interrogation methods, which Johnson said will "go a long way towards improving the process."
American Forces Press Service
July 24, 2009 - Plans to close the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, within President Barack Obama's one-year time frame are on track, the Pentagon's top lawyer said today. The military held about 240 detainees at the center when Obama pledged days after his inauguration in January to close the facility. Since then, the interagency group assigned to reviewing the cases has made recommendations on more than half, including approving the transfer of more than 50 detainees to other countries, Jeh C. Johnson, the Defense Department general counsel, told the House Armed Services Committee in a prepared statement.
"Additional reviews are ongoing, and the process is on track,", Johnson said. "We remain committed to closing the Guantanamo Bay detention facility within the one-year time frame ordered by the president."
Obama announced plans for the closure of Guantanamo Bay as part of a series of executive orders signed Jan. 22. That legislation created two task forces, one of which is responsible for going file by file through each detainee at Guantanamo Bay, making decisions about how to render justice consistent with U.S. laws and values.
The groups comprise officials from the departments of Justice, Defense, State, and Homeland Security, and from the U.S. military and intelligence community.
White House Spokesman Robert Gibbs this week said a request for a six-month extension for a task force progress report on interrogation policies would not delay the closure. "The task forces and the president believe we continue to make progress and can meet the goal of closing Guantanamo Bay in a year," he said in a July 21 news conference.
Addressing Congress, Johnson said the panel has made progress on another presidential directive issued in May: reforming military commissions, the process through which detainees are tried in U.S. military courts.
Echoing Obama's call to reform the Military Commissions Act of 2006, Johnson said he welcomes the opportunity to help change military commissions into a more viable forum.
"By working to improve military commissions to make the process more fair and credible, we enhance our national security by providing the government with effective alternatives for bringing to justice those international terrorists who violate the law of war," he said.
Under the Senate's recent Defense Authorization Act, several provisions were made to reform the 2006 legislation. Johnson expressed confidence in the ability of the Obama administration and Congress to continue working together to improve the law.
"Military commissions can emerge from this effort as a fully legitimate forum," he said.
The new legislation proposes changes that ban in-court use of statements obtained by cruel interrogation methods, which Johnson said will "go a long way towards improving the process."
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