By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 10, 2009 - Families who lost loved ones during the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon plan to mark the first anniversary of the Pentagon Memorial by introducing a new docent program – and they're looking for volunteers to help. Lisa Dolan, whose husband, Navy Capt. Robert E. Dolan, died in the attack, is the prime organizer of the effort. Her goal, she told American Forces Press Service, is to personalize the memorial for visitors so they can better understand the human impact of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
Dolan is a teacher and high-energy volunteer who helped found the Pentagon Memorial Fund and continues to serve on its board. Once the group raised the money needed to build the memorial, dedicated Sept. 11, 2008, she began turning her sights to educating the public about the memorial and the 184 people it honors.
Nobody, she said, could do that quite as personally as the families who lost a family member in the attacks.
So she reached out to them first, quickly getting 50 volunteers who live near enough to participate in the docent program. "I was really, really surprised by the response," she said. "There was a real outpouring."
Each docent will receive training, including "a fairly hefty manual" of information, to prep them for the job. But Dolan said most family members already know the facts about 9/11 and the Pentagon Memorial by heart. "They've lived this for the past eight years," she said. "For them, it's all very personal."
After an initial pilot program expected to begin after tomorrow morning's wreath-laying ceremony at the memorial, Dolan hopes to expand the docent program to post a volunteer at the site from about 9 a.m. to 3 or 6 p.m., seven days a week.
She hopes to tap volunteers from the Pentagon -- military members, civilian employees, contractors -- able to share their own firsthand accounts of the 9/11 attacks. "The people who work at the Pentagon have been really supportive of the memorial, so I knew that would be a really good place to pull from," she said.
Depending on how many Pentagon employees volunteer, Dolan also may approach first responders from Arlington, Va. They were the first to arrive on the scene to offer assistance on 9/11.
Ultimately, Dolan estimates she'll need 84 volunteer docents to pull three-hour shifts talking with visitors to the memorial.
In addition to giving visitors a deeper appreciation for its symbolism, Dolan said she hopes the docent program serves as a healing force for those who experienced the losses of 9/11 personally.
Dolan said she finds comfort when she visits the memorial, which she considers "an extension of my home."
She's already gotten a sense of what the docents will experience during the several times she's taken people through the memorial, explaining its design and sharing her own personal story.
This summer, for example, Dolan walked an 11-year-old girl who had been in her preschool class on 9/11 to the memorial. Of all that Dolan showed her as they walked through the two-acre memorial park, nothing touched the young girl so much as seeing the cantilevered bench that pays tribute to the youngest victim of the 9/11 attack, 3-year-old Dana Falkenberg.
"That made it personal and made it possible for this 11-year-old girl to feel the connection," Dolan said.
Dolan hopes the docent program will help more visitors experience this connection.
Tomorrow, the eighth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks and her husband's death, will be "a difficult day," she conceded.
"But it's helpful," she said, "knowing that we will be able to take our tears and sadness and turn it into something fabulous."
For more information about the docent program or to volunteer, contact Dolan by e-mail at LDolan@pentagonmemorial.net or visit the Pentagon Memorial Fund Web site at http://www.pentagonmemorial.net/.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
U.S. Sailors, Coast Guard Protect Iraq's Economy
By Army Spc. Darryl L. MontgomerySpecial to American Forces Press Service
Sept. 10, 2009 - Eighty percent of Iraq's gross domestic product is pumped through pipelines and onto tankers at the Al Basrah Oil Terminal 30 miles off the coast of Iraq in the Persian Gulf. The terminal is a vital part of Iraq's economy, and it is the job of the U.S. sailors and Coast Guardsmen stationed there to keep it safe, according to Navy Cmdr. Thomas Shultz, commander of Task Group Iraqi Maritime.
"The Al Basrah Oil Terminal is the main Iraqi oil terminal for off-loading oil from Iraq. It accounts for approximately 80 percent of their GDP on a daily basis, so it is a key part of their economic structure," the San Diego resident said. "It is something that has to stay open and continue working day in and day out for the Iraqi economy to keep on moving."
Four tankers simultaneously dock at the platform, while Iraq's oil is pumped into the ships. The terminal receives an average of six tankers per week and pumps around 1.5 million barrels of oil a day, Shultz said.
"That's quite a bit of oil that is going into these tankers on a daily basis," he said. "They will take the oil back to all different types of countries -- from the far east to the Americas, and Europe. Tankers from all over the world are coming here."
But soon it will be the Iraqis' responsibility to safeguard the terminal.
"Our main mission now is to train them to be ready for that day," said Navy Chief Petty Officer Stephen Leas, operations specialist chief of the destroyer USS Decatur. "We are here to support them while they get on their feet.
"When something happens out here, we make sure [the Iraqi naval forces] know about it. We clear everything through them before we take action to correct the issue," Leas, a Victorville, Calif., native said.
Shultz added that there was an attempted attack on the terminal in 2004, but the military forces successfully held it off.
On the platform, sailors and Coast Guardsmen patrol every minute of the day to maintain situational awareness and ensure any threats that come up are dealt with immediately. Iraqi sailors and marines also help provide security on the platform.
On the waters surrounding the oil terminal, U.S. Navy ships and Iraqi patrol boats patrol to ensure no unauthorized water craft breech the security perimeter.
About 100 workers from the Basra-based Southern Oil Company operate the valves to ensure the oil makes its way to the tankers, Shultz said.
The commander said he and others enjoy what is an unusual, but rewarding mission on the platform.
"It's very interesting, different than anything folks normally have a chance to do," he said. "People that come here are interested. It's a real mission. You're protecting something that is helping the Iraqi people and the nation as a whole, so people get a lot out of conducting this mission."
(Army Spc. Darryl L. Montgomery serves in the Multinational Division South public affairs office.)
Navy Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a sailor who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Petty Officer 3rd Class James R. Layton, 22, of Riverbank, Calif., died Sept. 8 in Kunar province, Afghanistan, while supporting combat operations. He was assigned to an embedded training team with Combined Security Tranisiton Command in Afghanistan.
For more information the may contact the III Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps Bases Japan public affairs office at 011-81-611-745-0790 or e-mail them at kinawapao@usmc.mil .
Petty Officer 3rd Class James R. Layton, 22, of Riverbank, Calif., died Sept. 8 in Kunar province, Afghanistan, while supporting combat operations. He was assigned to an embedded training team with Combined Security Tranisiton Command in Afghanistan.
For more information the may contact the III Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps Bases Japan public affairs office at 011-81-611-745-0790 or e-mail them at kinawapao@usmc.mil .
Soldiers Take 'Extreme Makeover' to Afghanistan
By Army Pfc. Melissa Stewart
Special to American Forces Press Service
Sept. 10, 2009 - Soldiers with Combined Joint Task Force 82 are bringing their own version of the hit ABC-TV reality show "Extreme Makeover" to this eastern Afghan province. But instead of entertainment television, soldiers operating in the Charkh district are on a humanitarian mission they hope will give residents better options than turning to the Taliban for help. The soldiers recently began working with local nationals to improve their communities, one project at a time, through the Extreme Makeover program.
Their goal is to communicate with village leaders and encourage them to develop their communities on their own. After the projects are completed, NATO's International Security Assistance Force will reimburse the money that was spent on each project up to $5,000.
"We are trying to just talk to the locals and see what they need because they are turning towards the enemy, just looking for simple handouts," said Army Spc. Justin Morris, who serves with 10th Mountain Division's 32nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion, Company B.
"We are just trying to give them jobs and help them out where we need too," Morris added.
By providing the locals with jobs in their own community, people may stop turning to the Taliban for financial assistance and become more self-sustaining.
In the past, when locals have turned to the Taliban for financial assistance, they were given money to attack NATO troops, local residents and military, officials said.
Although the locals may have had no malicious intent toward ISAF forces, their financial needs sometimes make it easy to do what they see as necessary to provide for their families.
"Some of the reasons they fight right now is because they don't have enough water to grow their crops," said Army Capt. Jason Wingeart, Company B commander. "Therefore, it lowers the amount of money they are going to earn and if they don't have money, they can't put food on their table."
Hopefully, the projects not only will help decrease Taliban influence, but also encourage locals to take responsibility for the development of their own communities.
"What we want to do is tell you to start work on that project," said Army 1st Lt. Ryan Adams, 3rd Platoon, B Company, executive officer, to a village elder who expressed concern about building a footbridge. "Once you are finished with that project, you are going to call us and we are going to come down here and look at the project and then we can give you the money for it."
While Extreme Makeover projects have been well received, it still will take time for marked progress to be seen in villages.
"There is a change in the people," Wingeart said. "It's sometimes hard to see, but they are starting to come on board."
Task Force Spartan troops with 3rd Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, are implementing the Extreme Makeover project. If the project catches on in Logar province, ISAF officials hope to implement it throughout Regional Command East.
(Army Pfc. Melissa Stewart serves with 10th Mountain Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team public affairs office.)
Special to American Forces Press Service
Sept. 10, 2009 - Soldiers with Combined Joint Task Force 82 are bringing their own version of the hit ABC-TV reality show "Extreme Makeover" to this eastern Afghan province. But instead of entertainment television, soldiers operating in the Charkh district are on a humanitarian mission they hope will give residents better options than turning to the Taliban for help. The soldiers recently began working with local nationals to improve their communities, one project at a time, through the Extreme Makeover program.
Their goal is to communicate with village leaders and encourage them to develop their communities on their own. After the projects are completed, NATO's International Security Assistance Force will reimburse the money that was spent on each project up to $5,000.
"We are trying to just talk to the locals and see what they need because they are turning towards the enemy, just looking for simple handouts," said Army Spc. Justin Morris, who serves with 10th Mountain Division's 32nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion, Company B.
"We are just trying to give them jobs and help them out where we need too," Morris added.
By providing the locals with jobs in their own community, people may stop turning to the Taliban for financial assistance and become more self-sustaining.
In the past, when locals have turned to the Taliban for financial assistance, they were given money to attack NATO troops, local residents and military, officials said.
Although the locals may have had no malicious intent toward ISAF forces, their financial needs sometimes make it easy to do what they see as necessary to provide for their families.
"Some of the reasons they fight right now is because they don't have enough water to grow their crops," said Army Capt. Jason Wingeart, Company B commander. "Therefore, it lowers the amount of money they are going to earn and if they don't have money, they can't put food on their table."
Hopefully, the projects not only will help decrease Taliban influence, but also encourage locals to take responsibility for the development of their own communities.
"What we want to do is tell you to start work on that project," said Army 1st Lt. Ryan Adams, 3rd Platoon, B Company, executive officer, to a village elder who expressed concern about building a footbridge. "Once you are finished with that project, you are going to call us and we are going to come down here and look at the project and then we can give you the money for it."
While Extreme Makeover projects have been well received, it still will take time for marked progress to be seen in villages.
"There is a change in the people," Wingeart said. "It's sometimes hard to see, but they are starting to come on board."
Task Force Spartan troops with 3rd Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, are implementing the Extreme Makeover project. If the project catches on in Logar province, ISAF officials hope to implement it throughout Regional Command East.
(Army Pfc. Melissa Stewart serves with 10th Mountain Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team public affairs office.)
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
Commitment, Resources Key to Success in Afghanistan
By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 9, 2009 - The United States needs to show real progress in Afghanistan over the next 18 months if defense leaders expect to keep the support for the war it has worked hard to garner, a senior Defense Department spokesman said today. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has acknowledged recently a degree of understandable "war weariness," Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said at a briefing at the Pentagon.
"We've been at war now for eight years. It's been long and difficult and costly in lives and treasure," Morrell said. "We have to be able to show the American people that all this effort, all these resources, are not in vain -- that we are indeed making headway."
Morrell's remarks come on the heels of the first assessment of the fight there by the freshly appointed commander of NATO and U.S. forces there, Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal. Morrell said that Gates and the Joint Chiefs of Staff have reviewed the assessment, and that it, along with their comments, will be delivered to President Barack Obama this week.
The report primarily assesses security, and does not have specific requests for more forces or more funding. A report is expected from McChrystal in the next month that will outline how he would use any additional troops. Gates has not committed to recommend sending more troops to Afghanistan, Morrell said, and will wait until he receives the report to decide. The number of U.S. and European troops in Afghanistan has increased to 62,000 American servicemembers and 39,000 from NATO and NATO-partner nations.
Morrell said that should the United States halt its efforts in the region, Afghanistan likely would again become a training ground for al-Qaida extremists.
"If we were to cede Afghanistan to the Taliban, we have no reason to believe that they wouldn't collude again [with al-Qaida] and recreate that horrific terrorist training camp that existed pre-9/11 or pre-October of 2001, when we went in and destroyed them," Morrell said.
Morrell urged a long-term view of the war, saying that despite the recent spike in violence, the majority of the country is not under Taliban influence.
"While the Taliban is clearly resurgent in certain parts of the country and certainly can claim certain parts of the country and influence others, the vast majority of the country, the overwhelming preponderance of the country, is not under Taliban control or influence," Morrell said. "And we need to work to make sure that the rest of the country can rid itself of that negative force."
And, Morrell said, top commanders on the ground are backing the new strategy put in place by the president in March.
"[General McChrystal], who is closest to what is going on there, is of the belief that we can succeed there -- that the world can succeed in Afghanistan if we remain committed and if we resource it properly," he said.
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 9, 2009 - The United States needs to show real progress in Afghanistan over the next 18 months if defense leaders expect to keep the support for the war it has worked hard to garner, a senior Defense Department spokesman said today. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has acknowledged recently a degree of understandable "war weariness," Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said at a briefing at the Pentagon.
"We've been at war now for eight years. It's been long and difficult and costly in lives and treasure," Morrell said. "We have to be able to show the American people that all this effort, all these resources, are not in vain -- that we are indeed making headway."
Morrell's remarks come on the heels of the first assessment of the fight there by the freshly appointed commander of NATO and U.S. forces there, Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal. Morrell said that Gates and the Joint Chiefs of Staff have reviewed the assessment, and that it, along with their comments, will be delivered to President Barack Obama this week.
The report primarily assesses security, and does not have specific requests for more forces or more funding. A report is expected from McChrystal in the next month that will outline how he would use any additional troops. Gates has not committed to recommend sending more troops to Afghanistan, Morrell said, and will wait until he receives the report to decide. The number of U.S. and European troops in Afghanistan has increased to 62,000 American servicemembers and 39,000 from NATO and NATO-partner nations.
Morrell said that should the United States halt its efforts in the region, Afghanistan likely would again become a training ground for al-Qaida extremists.
"If we were to cede Afghanistan to the Taliban, we have no reason to believe that they wouldn't collude again [with al-Qaida] and recreate that horrific terrorist training camp that existed pre-9/11 or pre-October of 2001, when we went in and destroyed them," Morrell said.
Morrell urged a long-term view of the war, saying that despite the recent spike in violence, the majority of the country is not under Taliban influence.
"While the Taliban is clearly resurgent in certain parts of the country and certainly can claim certain parts of the country and influence others, the vast majority of the country, the overwhelming preponderance of the country, is not under Taliban control or influence," Morrell said. "And we need to work to make sure that the rest of the country can rid itself of that negative force."
And, Morrell said, top commanders on the ground are backing the new strategy put in place by the president in March.
"[General McChrystal], who is closest to what is going on there, is of the belief that we can succeed there -- that the world can succeed in Afghanistan if we remain committed and if we resource it properly," he said.
CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News, September 9, 2009
New cuts may put Sacramento County health department in 'survival mode'
"Sacramento County health officials are bracing for more than a swine flu outbreak as the Board of Supervisors holds hearings this week to discuss further budget cuts. The Public Health Department stands to lose $750,000 more in general fund money for the year. That means the public health budget would drop from about $47.4 million at the start of last fiscal year to $40 million after the latest round of cuts, said Glennah Troche, the county's public health officer. […] If the cuts go through as proposed, field nursing staff will have dropped from 54 positions in fiscal year 2007-08 to 29 this year; bioterrorism preparedness will be down to nine from 14; and childhood disability prevention programs will have lost almost eight positions leaving 24. […] The public health officials say the department provides critical services such as containing the spread of disease, […] preparing and handling bioterrorism incidents, providing field nurses and more. […] More cuts could slow turnaround time in the nearly 80,000 specimens processed annually, he said. Reduced hours for staff who work on communicable […] diseases could mean '400 incidents will be delayed in being considered or will not be acted upon,' which in turn could result in the spread of disease, according to public health documents." (Sacramento Bee; 08Sep09; Robert Lewis) http://www.sacbee.com/topstories/story/2165967.html
Reportlinker adds bioterrorism report [outline of and link to report provided in article]
"Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue. […] This report analyzes the worldwide markets for Bioterrorism in Millions of US$. The report provides separate comprehensive analytics for the US, Europe, Asia, and Middle East. Annual forecasts are provided for each region for the period of 2001 through 2015. The report profiles 66 companies including many key and niche players. […] Market data and analytics are derived from primary and secondary research. Company profiles are mostly extracted from URL research and reported select online sources." (Market Watch; 08Sep09)
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/reportlinker-adds-bioterrorism-report-2009-09-08
Obama nominee [Dr. Tara O'Toole] omitted ties to biotech
"President Obama's nominee [Dr. Tara O'Toole] at the Department of Homeland Security overseeing bioterrorism defense has served as a key adviser for a lobbying group funded by the pharmaceutical industry that has asked the government to spend more money for anthrax vaccines and biodefense research. But O'Toole, whose confirmation as undersecretary of science and technology is pending, never reported her involvement with the lobbying group called the Alliance for Biosecurity in a recent government ethics filing. The alliance has spent more than $500,000 lobbying Congress and federal agencies. [...] Homeland Security officials said Dr. O'Toole need not disclose her ties to the group on her government ethics form because the alliance is not incorporated: 'There's no legal existence so she wouldn't have to disclose it, ' said Robert Coyle, an ethics official for the Department of Homeland Security. [...] As undersecretary of science and technology, one of Dr. O'Toole's responsibilities would involve overseeing the department's chemical and biological division, which is in charge of making sure the nation is prepared to defend itself against chemical and biological attacks. [...] As undersecretary, Dr. O'Toole wouldn't be directly responsible for decisions on which vaccines to develop or buy. Still, she would oversee the government's threat assessments on the risks of bioagents." (Washington Times; 08Sep09; Jim McElhatton)
http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/sep/08/obama-nominee-omitted-ties-to-biotech/
Quality of medicines and food ingredients the focus at USP [United States Pharmacopeia] 2009 Annual Scientific Meeting [Toronto]
Important issues surrounding the quality of food and drugs - including global supply chain management, the challenges of creating follow-on biologics […] and nanotechnology for drug delivery - will be the focus of the U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP) Convention's 2009 Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM). The ASM will be held in Toronto, Canada, from September 22 to 25.'We have a strong international roster of top scientific and regulatory experts in pharmaceuticals, food, biotechnology and measurement,' said Roger L. Williams, M.D., chief executive officer of USP. 'Navigating the complexities of global supply chain management, quality of food ingredients and understanding how measurement science can be utilized are key to ensuring the quality and safety of the world's medicines and food ingredients. I'm looking forward to a rigorous and forward-moving discussion.' […] This scientific dialogue will engage more than 200 experts from all over the world who will focus on such topics as the special challenges posed by biologic products, bioterrorism and advanced techniques for detecting proteins." (Canada New Wire; 09Sep09) http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/September2009/09/c3500.html
International bioterrorism response coordination exercise (Black ICE
II) [Montreux]
"On September 7-8, 2009, the United States Government and the Government of Switzerland co-hosted an International Bioterrorism Response Coordination Exercise (called Black ICE II) in Montreux, Switzerland. This two-day tabletop exercise was an opportunity for officials from numerous international and regional organizations and national governments to examine the critical cooperation and coordination issues that would be necessary to respond to an international bioterrorism attack. […] Black ICE II challenged participants with a fictional attack scenario involving pneumonic plague [bacteria]. The […] scenario was designed to raise key questions exploring coordination across borders and among a wide variety of national, regional and international institutions. Coordinating efforts internationally across the public health, security, transportation, and law enforcement sectors poses significant challenges. Through Black ICE II, participants examined these challenges and cooperated in identifying capabilities, needs, and issues to be addressed in order to ensure an effective international response to a potential bioterrorist attack." (Switzerland Federal Department of Foreign Affairs; 09Sep09)
http://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home/recent/media/single.html?id=28948
Ind[iana] official [Ramon J. Columbo] charged with theft from government
"Vermillion County's ex-emergency management director has been charged with stealing from government contracts connected with neutralization of the deadly VX nerve agent. 69-year-old Ramon J. Columbo of Clinton [IN] could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted of federal program theft. The charge was announced Tuesday. […] Federal prosecutors say […] Columbo had a contractor hide $19,000 in purchases in otherwise legitimate contracts and took the goods for personal use. […] Columbo was director in 1989-2008 and oversaw emergency preparedness for the VX stored at the Newport Chemical Depot [KY]." (Wave 3, KY; 08Sep09; Source: AP)
http://www.wave3.com/Global/story.asp?S=11093021
Hizbullah silent over report that group got chemical weapons
"Hizbullah refused to respond on Thursday to a report in Kuwaiti daily Al-Seyasseh alleging the group had recently acquired chemical weapons from Iran. 'Who reads that paper anyway?' a source close to Hizbullah told The Daily Star on Thursday. [...] Although sources for this information were not identified in the report, they were said to be 'intelligence sources in Europe' who acted in conjunction with UNIFIL [United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon]. UNIFIL is currently carrying out its investigation into the blast site in conjunction with the Lebanese Army and the paper reported that the peacekeeping force had found evidence of chemical residue in soil samples surrounding the depot. [...] The report suggested that the Israeli Army is continuing its surveillance on the Lebanese side of the Blue line which, if true, would also constitute a violation of the recently renewed Resolution 1701." (Daily Star, Lebanon; 04ep09)
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=106098
Colorado sues Army over chemical weapons monitoring
"The state of Colorado last month claimed in a lawsuit that the U.S. Army is failing to conduct sufficient monitoring of weapons stored at the Pueblo Chemical Depot, the Pueblo Chieftain reported. State health officials hope the lawsuit will result in a court order forcing the Army to obey Colorado Hazardous Waste Act regulations and to pay an unspecified fine for violation of the rules. 'We are seeking to ensure that there is sufficient monitoring and safe storage of the chemical weapons at the Pueblo Chemical Depot,' said Mike Saccone, spokesman for the Colorado Attorney General's Office. The lawsuit […] is the second filed by the state over the Army's chemical-weapon storage site. […] Colorado officials believe that the Army practice of inspecting weapons storage structures at Pueblo every three months is insufficient given that the munitions are more than six decades old and have been known to leak. Army officials 'continue to operate without the required monitoring,' thus violating the hazardous waste act, according to the lawsuit. The Army has also failed to provide required documentation to the state that would address 'the detailed procedures and equipment used at the facility to sample, analyze and monitor the waste chemical weapons in the stockpile storage units,'
according to the lawsuit." (Global Security Newswire; 09Sep09; Robert Boczkiewicz)
http://www.globalsecuritynewswire.org/gsn/nw_20090909_8050.php
Air Force doctor [Maj. Vik Bebarta], advances cyanide poisoning treatment
"Cyanide […] is a real threat for being used as a terrorist weapon. Maj. (Dr.) Vik Bebarta, a physician and medical toxicology specialist, outlined the real-life concerns about cyanide during a Sept. 2 Web cast of 'Armed with Science: Research and Applications for the Modern Military' on Pentagon Web Radio. […] Aside from terrorist attacks, exposure to cyanide may come from inhaling smoke from burning plastics during industrial or home fires. Swallowing or breathing even a small amount of cyanide, from 200 to 300 milligrams, is all it takes to become ill, Doctor Bebarta said. […] That is why Doctor Bebarta, the chief of medical toxicology at Wilford Hall Medical Center at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, and the assistant professor of emergency medicine at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center at San Antonio, sought better tools to diagnose and treat acute cyanide toxicity in critically ill patients, such as those stricken in a terrorist attack. […] 'We conducted an experiment comparing the old antidote kit with the new one and looking at a very critically ill (lab animal) model. Comparing blood pressure and other parameters, (we saw) that there's a difference,' Doctor Bebarta said. That difference showed better results using the newer antidote to raise blood pressure and eliminate all cyanide from the blood. In May, the comparison study received the Best Basic Science Research Award from the Society of Academic Emergency Medicine. […] In addition to improved diagnostic tools, Doctor Bebarta said, he hopes to develop cyanide antidotes that can be given in pill form or injected directly into muscles instead of intravenously." (U.S. Air Force News; 08Sep09; Judith Snyderman)
http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123166483
Syringe attackers face severe penalty
"As the capital of the far western Xinjiang-Uighur region remained tense following the needle attacks, authorities ordered about 7,000 officials to help ease public panic and tension, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported. The report quoted a public notice saying that needle attackers face harsh punishment. Those convicted of stabbing others with needles containing harmful substances or contaminated drugs may be sentenced to three years and more in prison, or life imprisonment and even execution. [...] Since last week, there have been demonstrations by tens of thousands of people protesting a series of needle attacks in Urumqi. Wang Lequan, the region's Communist Party head, said the mass protests were sparked after four suspects stabbed a Han woman with syringe needles in a shopping area in Urumqi. [...] As of Friday, health and police officials confirmed 531 victims of needle stabbings, the majority of them ethnic Han." (United Press International; 06Sep09) http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/09/06/Syringe-attackers-face-severe-penalty/UPI-66781252294626/
Indian PM to meet top intelligence officials on 21st [to discuss chemical weapons preparedness, among other topics]
"Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will meet with top intelligence officials on September 21 to discuss the country's security situation. The two-day conference of police chiefs and 24 joint directors of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) would discuss threats to internal security. [...] The police chiefs would be briefed on various issues including terrorist activities in the north-eastern states, fundamentalist organisations and the inroads they have made into the remote villages and towns in north India as well as chemical warfare, fake currency and cyber crime. They would also be briefed on ways to counter hostile countries' plans to destabilise the Indian economy, the sources said." (The Hindu; 09Sep09; Iftikhar Gilani)
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009\09\09\story_9-9-2009_pg7_41
7th Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team participates in joint exercise with the Missouri Water Patrol [Lake of the Ozarks, MO]
"Two fishermen casting Tuesday morning near the 5-mile marker of the Grand Glaize see two persons dressed in hazmat suits disembark a houseboat to a powerboat and speed off. The call comes into 911-dispatch. The Water Patrol responds. SWAT snipers are dropped off by boat into the woods to stealthily approach the houseboat anchored in a nearby cove. […] The Water Patrol later returns by water with specialized personnel and protective equipment to board and inspect the houseboat. The initial team discovers suspicious containers and substances difficult to accurately identify. The team calls the National Guard's 7th Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team. […] The guard mobilizes a communications and command center, mobile laboratory, decontamination station and soldiers trained for emergency response to potentially toxic and catastrophic situations. […] On the houseboat, the team discovers two barrels containing three compounds that when combined make Chloropicrin, a type of sedating agent that causes severe respiratory distress. […] The team seals off both barrels to prevent the spread of the gas. […] The continuing investigation indicates the chemical to be part of a terrorist plot to disperse chloropicrin within Lake Regional Hospital. […] The joint exercise conducted by the National Guard and Water Patrol was executed Tuesday-Thursday, Sept. 1-3, at Lake of the Ozarks State Park." (Lake Expo; 08Sep09) http://lakeexpo.com/articles/2009/09/07/top_news/06.prt
US senators [Susan Collins (R-ME) and Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chairman Joseph Lieberman (I-CT)] move to guard against bio attack
"US Senators pushed Tuesday to tighten safeguards meant to thwart terrorists seeking to use biological weapons. 'We cannot let our guard down against the constant threat of terrorists intent on doing us harm,' warned Senator Joe Lieberman, an independent who chairs the Senate Homeland Security Committee. Lieberman and the panel's top Republican, Senator Susan Collins, introduced legislation in direct response to a stark warning in December 2008 that terrorists were more likely than not to strike somewhere in the world with nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons by 2013. Experts on a congressionally mandated commission on terrorism and weapons of mass destruction also warned that a biological attack was more likely than a nuclear strike. […] The legislation would identify the most dangerous biological agents and require the Department of Homeland Security to set robust security standards - including personnel checks and physical security - for the laboratories that handle such pathogens. The bill would authorize $50 million for such security precautions. The measure would also green-light technical US assistance to countries seeking help to bolster security at their laboratories. And it would require better communication from government to the public after an attack, was well as promote the delivery of life-saving treatments." (Agence France Press; 08Sep09)
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5h0uy-Fwt99-rkr_hTopsYVz85wLg
Deputy Secretary of Energy [Daniel Poneman] reviews leading nuclear counterterrorism assets at Andrews Air Force Base
"Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman toured the National Nuclear Security Administration's (NNSA) emergency operations facility at Andrews Air Force Base today to receive a demonstration of NNSA's nuclear and radiological incident response capabilities and thank the team for the efforts to combat nuclear terrorism. NNSA's Associate Administrator for Emergency Operations Joseph Krol highlighted several emergency response assets, which make NNSA the nation's premier responder to any nuclear or radiological incident within the United States or abroad. 'NNSA's emergency operations and counterterrorism capabilities represent a key component of the U.S. government's comprehensive effort to combat nuclear terrorism,' said Deputy Secretary Poneman. 'We take full advantage of the extraordinary expertise of the world's top professional scientists, engineers, pilots, medical personnel, technicians and other leading nuclear experts and cutting edge science to help keep our country safe. All Americans can be grateful for their patriotism and dedication.'" (NNSA; 09Sep09)
http://nnsa.energy.gov/news/2519.htm
Tennessee colleges will train nurses for disaster
"Professors from the University of Memphis, Vanderbilt University, and Southwest Tennessee Community College will begin training nurses for the battlefield and natural disasters starting next fall, the Daily Helmsman reports. This summer, the Department of Defense awarded a $2 million grant to these Tennessee schools to create the program, which will prepare nurses to treat the catastrophic injuries associated with natural disasters as well as chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear weapons of mass destruction. The professors teaching the program's coursework will do so in conjunction with the Tennessee State Guard, and training might take place at a state military base. Though the program is not yet available to students, government relations assistant Sarah Adair says she expects the program will primarily serve existing military personnel and Reserve Officer Training Corps nursing students. But some current nursing students don't see the need for a specialized training program. 'I think that the program is admirable, but nurses already know what they need to do, even in an emergency situation,' says Rebekah Grimes, a sophomore nursing student. 'Hospitals themselves are like a battlefield.'" (U.S. News; 08Sep09; Jessica Calefati) http://www.usnews.com/blogs/paper-trail/2009/09/08/tennessee-colleges-will-train-nurses-for-disaster.html
Federal contracts awarded by federal agencies in Nebraska [article provides a list of contracts and amounts]
"The following federal contracts were announced by federal agencies based in Nebraska. […] Battelle Memorial Institute [of] Columbus, Ohio, was awarded a $9,665,073 federal contract by the U.S. Air Force's 55 CONS/LGCD Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., for the analysis of critical infrastructure planning and readiness issues associated with chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear events." (Targeted News Service; 08Sep09)
http://targetednews.com/disp_story.php?s_id=998941
China pledges efforts in IAEA's nuclear safety operation
"China appreciates the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)'s efforts in preserving nuclear safety and will actively participate in the agency's safety operation in the future, said an official from China Atomic Energy Authority (CAEA) here on Wednesday. Dong Baotong, director-general of the CAEA's Engineer System Department, addressed the IAEA's Board Meeting held in Vienna from Monday, expounding the Chinese government's attitude on the prevention of nuclear terrorism and the promoting of nuclear application. He said china will earnestly fulfill its international obligations and commitments when taking part in the agency's nuclear safety operations, and further improve the management of domestic radioactive sources and the administrative regulations concerning its import and export." (Xinhua; 09Sep10)
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-09/10/content_12023970.htm
NATO publishes WMD policy
"NATO […] released its policy for preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and defending against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats. 'The document is comprehensive in scope,' said Jacek Bylica, the top WMD official at NATO, adding its directives are guided by a clear vision of the threat posed by WMD. 'It provides high-level political guidance for our future activities in support of international arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation treaties and regimes, as well as for military planning and capacity-building for defending against the threats posed by these weapons,' he said in a NATO release. The directive allows 'enablers' to work with partners to the NATO alliance to share intelligence and share efforts at public diplomacy and strategic communication. 'A balanced mix of forces, response capabilities and strengthened defenses is needed in order to deter and defend against the use of WMD,' the document reads. NATO […] said WMD and their possible spread by terrorists was one of the gravest threats facing the alliance during the next decade." (United Press International; 04Sep09) http://www.upi.com/Emerging_Threats/2009/09/04/NATO-publishes-WMD-policy/UPI-13561252094549/
Costa Rica to host United Nations workshop on implementing Security Council resolution 1540 in San Jose, 8-10 September
"A United Nations workshop on implementing United Nations Security Council resolution 1540 [which obliges all States to refrain from providing any form of support to non-State actors that attempt to develop, acquire, manufacture, possess, transport, transfer or use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons and their means of delivery] will be held from 8 to 10 September 2009 in San Jose, Costa Rica. Hosted by the Government of Costa Rica, the workshop is organized by the Office for Disarmament Affairs (ODA) with financial support from the European Union and the Governments of Norway and the United States. […] The workshop aims to enhance national capacities for the management of export-control processes at a practical level, and to improve information- and experience-sharing between participating countries. The workshop is also expected to facilitate assistance related to the resolution's implementation. The San José workshop is the fourth organized by ODA on implementation of resolution 1540 after the adoption of resolution 1810." (UN Press Release; 04Sep09) http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2009/dc3189.doc.htm
Powder scare clears emergency room: man came to Santa Rosa Medical Center claiming he found substance in mailbox [Milton, FL]
"The emergency room at Santa Rosa Medical Center in Milton was closed for about three hours Tuesday after a man came in claiming he had been exposed to a white powdery substance in the mail and was ill. Hospital and other officials, however, did not find any dangerous contaminants on the man. As a precaution, eight people in the emergency department were washed down in a decontamination tent set up in the hospital parking lot, and the emergency department was thoroughly cleaned. 'In an effort to protect the health of our community members, our EMS personnel and our hospital staff, we initiated all precautionary means warranted in a situation such as this,' hospital officials said in a written statement Tuesday evening. 'At this time no contaminate has been identified.' The man, who was not identified, […] reported numbness in his hand and trouble breathing after opening a piece of mail that he reported had a suspicious substance in it. 'The man did not have a white, powdery substance on his body or his clothing, or anywhere visible on him,' Santa Rosa County spokeswoman Joy Tsubooka said. 'He had nothing visible on him. This is a precautionary-type decontamination.' Haines said about two hours before the man showed up at the emergency room, he called the Sheriff's Office saying he found white powder in his mailbox. [… Haines] said. 'There was nothing to lead the deputies to believe there was any hazardous materials present.' Haines said […] no charges were filed in the incident." (Pensacola News Journal; 09Sep09; Louis Cooper)
http://www.pnj.com/article/20090909/NEWS01/909090344/1006/NEWS0
"Sacramento County health officials are bracing for more than a swine flu outbreak as the Board of Supervisors holds hearings this week to discuss further budget cuts. The Public Health Department stands to lose $750,000 more in general fund money for the year. That means the public health budget would drop from about $47.4 million at the start of last fiscal year to $40 million after the latest round of cuts, said Glennah Troche, the county's public health officer. […] If the cuts go through as proposed, field nursing staff will have dropped from 54 positions in fiscal year 2007-08 to 29 this year; bioterrorism preparedness will be down to nine from 14; and childhood disability prevention programs will have lost almost eight positions leaving 24. […] The public health officials say the department provides critical services such as containing the spread of disease, […] preparing and handling bioterrorism incidents, providing field nurses and more. […] More cuts could slow turnaround time in the nearly 80,000 specimens processed annually, he said. Reduced hours for staff who work on communicable […] diseases could mean '400 incidents will be delayed in being considered or will not be acted upon,' which in turn could result in the spread of disease, according to public health documents." (Sacramento Bee; 08Sep09; Robert Lewis) http://www.sacbee.com/topstories/story/2165967.html
Reportlinker adds bioterrorism report [outline of and link to report provided in article]
"Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue. […] This report analyzes the worldwide markets for Bioterrorism in Millions of US$. The report provides separate comprehensive analytics for the US, Europe, Asia, and Middle East. Annual forecasts are provided for each region for the period of 2001 through 2015. The report profiles 66 companies including many key and niche players. […] Market data and analytics are derived from primary and secondary research. Company profiles are mostly extracted from URL research and reported select online sources." (Market Watch; 08Sep09)
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/reportlinker-adds-bioterrorism-report-2009-09-08
Obama nominee [Dr. Tara O'Toole] omitted ties to biotech
"President Obama's nominee [Dr. Tara O'Toole] at the Department of Homeland Security overseeing bioterrorism defense has served as a key adviser for a lobbying group funded by the pharmaceutical industry that has asked the government to spend more money for anthrax vaccines and biodefense research. But O'Toole, whose confirmation as undersecretary of science and technology is pending, never reported her involvement with the lobbying group called the Alliance for Biosecurity in a recent government ethics filing. The alliance has spent more than $500,000 lobbying Congress and federal agencies. [...] Homeland Security officials said Dr. O'Toole need not disclose her ties to the group on her government ethics form because the alliance is not incorporated: 'There's no legal existence so she wouldn't have to disclose it, ' said Robert Coyle, an ethics official for the Department of Homeland Security. [...] As undersecretary of science and technology, one of Dr. O'Toole's responsibilities would involve overseeing the department's chemical and biological division, which is in charge of making sure the nation is prepared to defend itself against chemical and biological attacks. [...] As undersecretary, Dr. O'Toole wouldn't be directly responsible for decisions on which vaccines to develop or buy. Still, she would oversee the government's threat assessments on the risks of bioagents." (Washington Times; 08Sep09; Jim McElhatton)
http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/sep/08/obama-nominee-omitted-ties-to-biotech/
Quality of medicines and food ingredients the focus at USP [United States Pharmacopeia] 2009 Annual Scientific Meeting [Toronto]
Important issues surrounding the quality of food and drugs - including global supply chain management, the challenges of creating follow-on biologics […] and nanotechnology for drug delivery - will be the focus of the U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP) Convention's 2009 Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM). The ASM will be held in Toronto, Canada, from September 22 to 25.'We have a strong international roster of top scientific and regulatory experts in pharmaceuticals, food, biotechnology and measurement,' said Roger L. Williams, M.D., chief executive officer of USP. 'Navigating the complexities of global supply chain management, quality of food ingredients and understanding how measurement science can be utilized are key to ensuring the quality and safety of the world's medicines and food ingredients. I'm looking forward to a rigorous and forward-moving discussion.' […] This scientific dialogue will engage more than 200 experts from all over the world who will focus on such topics as the special challenges posed by biologic products, bioterrorism and advanced techniques for detecting proteins." (Canada New Wire; 09Sep09) http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/September2009/09/c3500.html
International bioterrorism response coordination exercise (Black ICE
II) [Montreux]
"On September 7-8, 2009, the United States Government and the Government of Switzerland co-hosted an International Bioterrorism Response Coordination Exercise (called Black ICE II) in Montreux, Switzerland. This two-day tabletop exercise was an opportunity for officials from numerous international and regional organizations and national governments to examine the critical cooperation and coordination issues that would be necessary to respond to an international bioterrorism attack. […] Black ICE II challenged participants with a fictional attack scenario involving pneumonic plague [bacteria]. The […] scenario was designed to raise key questions exploring coordination across borders and among a wide variety of national, regional and international institutions. Coordinating efforts internationally across the public health, security, transportation, and law enforcement sectors poses significant challenges. Through Black ICE II, participants examined these challenges and cooperated in identifying capabilities, needs, and issues to be addressed in order to ensure an effective international response to a potential bioterrorist attack." (Switzerland Federal Department of Foreign Affairs; 09Sep09)
http://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home/recent/media/single.html?id=28948
Ind[iana] official [Ramon J. Columbo] charged with theft from government
"Vermillion County's ex-emergency management director has been charged with stealing from government contracts connected with neutralization of the deadly VX nerve agent. 69-year-old Ramon J. Columbo of Clinton [IN] could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted of federal program theft. The charge was announced Tuesday. […] Federal prosecutors say […] Columbo had a contractor hide $19,000 in purchases in otherwise legitimate contracts and took the goods for personal use. […] Columbo was director in 1989-2008 and oversaw emergency preparedness for the VX stored at the Newport Chemical Depot [KY]." (Wave 3, KY; 08Sep09; Source: AP)
http://www.wave3.com/Global/story.asp?S=11093021
Hizbullah silent over report that group got chemical weapons
"Hizbullah refused to respond on Thursday to a report in Kuwaiti daily Al-Seyasseh alleging the group had recently acquired chemical weapons from Iran. 'Who reads that paper anyway?' a source close to Hizbullah told The Daily Star on Thursday. [...] Although sources for this information were not identified in the report, they were said to be 'intelligence sources in Europe' who acted in conjunction with UNIFIL [United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon]. UNIFIL is currently carrying out its investigation into the blast site in conjunction with the Lebanese Army and the paper reported that the peacekeeping force had found evidence of chemical residue in soil samples surrounding the depot. [...] The report suggested that the Israeli Army is continuing its surveillance on the Lebanese side of the Blue line which, if true, would also constitute a violation of the recently renewed Resolution 1701." (Daily Star, Lebanon; 04ep09)
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=106098
Colorado sues Army over chemical weapons monitoring
"The state of Colorado last month claimed in a lawsuit that the U.S. Army is failing to conduct sufficient monitoring of weapons stored at the Pueblo Chemical Depot, the Pueblo Chieftain reported. State health officials hope the lawsuit will result in a court order forcing the Army to obey Colorado Hazardous Waste Act regulations and to pay an unspecified fine for violation of the rules. 'We are seeking to ensure that there is sufficient monitoring and safe storage of the chemical weapons at the Pueblo Chemical Depot,' said Mike Saccone, spokesman for the Colorado Attorney General's Office. The lawsuit […] is the second filed by the state over the Army's chemical-weapon storage site. […] Colorado officials believe that the Army practice of inspecting weapons storage structures at Pueblo every three months is insufficient given that the munitions are more than six decades old and have been known to leak. Army officials 'continue to operate without the required monitoring,' thus violating the hazardous waste act, according to the lawsuit. The Army has also failed to provide required documentation to the state that would address 'the detailed procedures and equipment used at the facility to sample, analyze and monitor the waste chemical weapons in the stockpile storage units,'
according to the lawsuit." (Global Security Newswire; 09Sep09; Robert Boczkiewicz)
http://www.globalsecuritynewswire.org/gsn/nw_20090909_8050.php
Air Force doctor [Maj. Vik Bebarta], advances cyanide poisoning treatment
"Cyanide […] is a real threat for being used as a terrorist weapon. Maj. (Dr.) Vik Bebarta, a physician and medical toxicology specialist, outlined the real-life concerns about cyanide during a Sept. 2 Web cast of 'Armed with Science: Research and Applications for the Modern Military' on Pentagon Web Radio. […] Aside from terrorist attacks, exposure to cyanide may come from inhaling smoke from burning plastics during industrial or home fires. Swallowing or breathing even a small amount of cyanide, from 200 to 300 milligrams, is all it takes to become ill, Doctor Bebarta said. […] That is why Doctor Bebarta, the chief of medical toxicology at Wilford Hall Medical Center at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, and the assistant professor of emergency medicine at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center at San Antonio, sought better tools to diagnose and treat acute cyanide toxicity in critically ill patients, such as those stricken in a terrorist attack. […] 'We conducted an experiment comparing the old antidote kit with the new one and looking at a very critically ill (lab animal) model. Comparing blood pressure and other parameters, (we saw) that there's a difference,' Doctor Bebarta said. That difference showed better results using the newer antidote to raise blood pressure and eliminate all cyanide from the blood. In May, the comparison study received the Best Basic Science Research Award from the Society of Academic Emergency Medicine. […] In addition to improved diagnostic tools, Doctor Bebarta said, he hopes to develop cyanide antidotes that can be given in pill form or injected directly into muscles instead of intravenously." (U.S. Air Force News; 08Sep09; Judith Snyderman)
http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123166483
Syringe attackers face severe penalty
"As the capital of the far western Xinjiang-Uighur region remained tense following the needle attacks, authorities ordered about 7,000 officials to help ease public panic and tension, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported. The report quoted a public notice saying that needle attackers face harsh punishment. Those convicted of stabbing others with needles containing harmful substances or contaminated drugs may be sentenced to three years and more in prison, or life imprisonment and even execution. [...] Since last week, there have been demonstrations by tens of thousands of people protesting a series of needle attacks in Urumqi. Wang Lequan, the region's Communist Party head, said the mass protests were sparked after four suspects stabbed a Han woman with syringe needles in a shopping area in Urumqi. [...] As of Friday, health and police officials confirmed 531 victims of needle stabbings, the majority of them ethnic Han." (United Press International; 06Sep09) http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/09/06/Syringe-attackers-face-severe-penalty/UPI-66781252294626/
Indian PM to meet top intelligence officials on 21st [to discuss chemical weapons preparedness, among other topics]
"Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will meet with top intelligence officials on September 21 to discuss the country's security situation. The two-day conference of police chiefs and 24 joint directors of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) would discuss threats to internal security. [...] The police chiefs would be briefed on various issues including terrorist activities in the north-eastern states, fundamentalist organisations and the inroads they have made into the remote villages and towns in north India as well as chemical warfare, fake currency and cyber crime. They would also be briefed on ways to counter hostile countries' plans to destabilise the Indian economy, the sources said." (The Hindu; 09Sep09; Iftikhar Gilani)
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009\09\09\story_9-9-2009_pg7_41
7th Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team participates in joint exercise with the Missouri Water Patrol [Lake of the Ozarks, MO]
"Two fishermen casting Tuesday morning near the 5-mile marker of the Grand Glaize see two persons dressed in hazmat suits disembark a houseboat to a powerboat and speed off. The call comes into 911-dispatch. The Water Patrol responds. SWAT snipers are dropped off by boat into the woods to stealthily approach the houseboat anchored in a nearby cove. […] The Water Patrol later returns by water with specialized personnel and protective equipment to board and inspect the houseboat. The initial team discovers suspicious containers and substances difficult to accurately identify. The team calls the National Guard's 7th Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team. […] The guard mobilizes a communications and command center, mobile laboratory, decontamination station and soldiers trained for emergency response to potentially toxic and catastrophic situations. […] On the houseboat, the team discovers two barrels containing three compounds that when combined make Chloropicrin, a type of sedating agent that causes severe respiratory distress. […] The team seals off both barrels to prevent the spread of the gas. […] The continuing investigation indicates the chemical to be part of a terrorist plot to disperse chloropicrin within Lake Regional Hospital. […] The joint exercise conducted by the National Guard and Water Patrol was executed Tuesday-Thursday, Sept. 1-3, at Lake of the Ozarks State Park." (Lake Expo; 08Sep09) http://lakeexpo.com/articles/2009/09/07/top_news/06.prt
US senators [Susan Collins (R-ME) and Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chairman Joseph Lieberman (I-CT)] move to guard against bio attack
"US Senators pushed Tuesday to tighten safeguards meant to thwart terrorists seeking to use biological weapons. 'We cannot let our guard down against the constant threat of terrorists intent on doing us harm,' warned Senator Joe Lieberman, an independent who chairs the Senate Homeland Security Committee. Lieberman and the panel's top Republican, Senator Susan Collins, introduced legislation in direct response to a stark warning in December 2008 that terrorists were more likely than not to strike somewhere in the world with nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons by 2013. Experts on a congressionally mandated commission on terrorism and weapons of mass destruction also warned that a biological attack was more likely than a nuclear strike. […] The legislation would identify the most dangerous biological agents and require the Department of Homeland Security to set robust security standards - including personnel checks and physical security - for the laboratories that handle such pathogens. The bill would authorize $50 million for such security precautions. The measure would also green-light technical US assistance to countries seeking help to bolster security at their laboratories. And it would require better communication from government to the public after an attack, was well as promote the delivery of life-saving treatments." (Agence France Press; 08Sep09)
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5h0uy-Fwt99-rkr_hTopsYVz85wLg
Deputy Secretary of Energy [Daniel Poneman] reviews leading nuclear counterterrorism assets at Andrews Air Force Base
"Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman toured the National Nuclear Security Administration's (NNSA) emergency operations facility at Andrews Air Force Base today to receive a demonstration of NNSA's nuclear and radiological incident response capabilities and thank the team for the efforts to combat nuclear terrorism. NNSA's Associate Administrator for Emergency Operations Joseph Krol highlighted several emergency response assets, which make NNSA the nation's premier responder to any nuclear or radiological incident within the United States or abroad. 'NNSA's emergency operations and counterterrorism capabilities represent a key component of the U.S. government's comprehensive effort to combat nuclear terrorism,' said Deputy Secretary Poneman. 'We take full advantage of the extraordinary expertise of the world's top professional scientists, engineers, pilots, medical personnel, technicians and other leading nuclear experts and cutting edge science to help keep our country safe. All Americans can be grateful for their patriotism and dedication.'" (NNSA; 09Sep09)
http://nnsa.energy.gov/news/2519.htm
Tennessee colleges will train nurses for disaster
"Professors from the University of Memphis, Vanderbilt University, and Southwest Tennessee Community College will begin training nurses for the battlefield and natural disasters starting next fall, the Daily Helmsman reports. This summer, the Department of Defense awarded a $2 million grant to these Tennessee schools to create the program, which will prepare nurses to treat the catastrophic injuries associated with natural disasters as well as chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear weapons of mass destruction. The professors teaching the program's coursework will do so in conjunction with the Tennessee State Guard, and training might take place at a state military base. Though the program is not yet available to students, government relations assistant Sarah Adair says she expects the program will primarily serve existing military personnel and Reserve Officer Training Corps nursing students. But some current nursing students don't see the need for a specialized training program. 'I think that the program is admirable, but nurses already know what they need to do, even in an emergency situation,' says Rebekah Grimes, a sophomore nursing student. 'Hospitals themselves are like a battlefield.'" (U.S. News; 08Sep09; Jessica Calefati) http://www.usnews.com/blogs/paper-trail/2009/09/08/tennessee-colleges-will-train-nurses-for-disaster.html
Federal contracts awarded by federal agencies in Nebraska [article provides a list of contracts and amounts]
"The following federal contracts were announced by federal agencies based in Nebraska. […] Battelle Memorial Institute [of] Columbus, Ohio, was awarded a $9,665,073 federal contract by the U.S. Air Force's 55 CONS/LGCD Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., for the analysis of critical infrastructure planning and readiness issues associated with chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear events." (Targeted News Service; 08Sep09)
http://targetednews.com/disp_story.php?s_id=998941
China pledges efforts in IAEA's nuclear safety operation
"China appreciates the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)'s efforts in preserving nuclear safety and will actively participate in the agency's safety operation in the future, said an official from China Atomic Energy Authority (CAEA) here on Wednesday. Dong Baotong, director-general of the CAEA's Engineer System Department, addressed the IAEA's Board Meeting held in Vienna from Monday, expounding the Chinese government's attitude on the prevention of nuclear terrorism and the promoting of nuclear application. He said china will earnestly fulfill its international obligations and commitments when taking part in the agency's nuclear safety operations, and further improve the management of domestic radioactive sources and the administrative regulations concerning its import and export." (Xinhua; 09Sep10)
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-09/10/content_12023970.htm
NATO publishes WMD policy
"NATO […] released its policy for preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and defending against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats. 'The document is comprehensive in scope,' said Jacek Bylica, the top WMD official at NATO, adding its directives are guided by a clear vision of the threat posed by WMD. 'It provides high-level political guidance for our future activities in support of international arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation treaties and regimes, as well as for military planning and capacity-building for defending against the threats posed by these weapons,' he said in a NATO release. The directive allows 'enablers' to work with partners to the NATO alliance to share intelligence and share efforts at public diplomacy and strategic communication. 'A balanced mix of forces, response capabilities and strengthened defenses is needed in order to deter and defend against the use of WMD,' the document reads. NATO […] said WMD and their possible spread by terrorists was one of the gravest threats facing the alliance during the next decade." (United Press International; 04Sep09) http://www.upi.com/Emerging_Threats/2009/09/04/NATO-publishes-WMD-policy/UPI-13561252094549/
Costa Rica to host United Nations workshop on implementing Security Council resolution 1540 in San Jose, 8-10 September
"A United Nations workshop on implementing United Nations Security Council resolution 1540 [which obliges all States to refrain from providing any form of support to non-State actors that attempt to develop, acquire, manufacture, possess, transport, transfer or use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons and their means of delivery] will be held from 8 to 10 September 2009 in San Jose, Costa Rica. Hosted by the Government of Costa Rica, the workshop is organized by the Office for Disarmament Affairs (ODA) with financial support from the European Union and the Governments of Norway and the United States. […] The workshop aims to enhance national capacities for the management of export-control processes at a practical level, and to improve information- and experience-sharing between participating countries. The workshop is also expected to facilitate assistance related to the resolution's implementation. The San José workshop is the fourth organized by ODA on implementation of resolution 1540 after the adoption of resolution 1810." (UN Press Release; 04Sep09) http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2009/dc3189.doc.htm
Powder scare clears emergency room: man came to Santa Rosa Medical Center claiming he found substance in mailbox [Milton, FL]
"The emergency room at Santa Rosa Medical Center in Milton was closed for about three hours Tuesday after a man came in claiming he had been exposed to a white powdery substance in the mail and was ill. Hospital and other officials, however, did not find any dangerous contaminants on the man. As a precaution, eight people in the emergency department were washed down in a decontamination tent set up in the hospital parking lot, and the emergency department was thoroughly cleaned. 'In an effort to protect the health of our community members, our EMS personnel and our hospital staff, we initiated all precautionary means warranted in a situation such as this,' hospital officials said in a written statement Tuesday evening. 'At this time no contaminate has been identified.' The man, who was not identified, […] reported numbness in his hand and trouble breathing after opening a piece of mail that he reported had a suspicious substance in it. 'The man did not have a white, powdery substance on his body or his clothing, or anywhere visible on him,' Santa Rosa County spokeswoman Joy Tsubooka said. 'He had nothing visible on him. This is a precautionary-type decontamination.' Haines said about two hours before the man showed up at the emergency room, he called the Sheriff's Office saying he found white powder in his mailbox. [… Haines] said. 'There was nothing to lead the deputies to believe there was any hazardous materials present.' Haines said […] no charges were filed in the incident." (Pensacola News Journal; 09Sep09; Louis Cooper)
http://www.pnj.com/article/20090909/NEWS01/909090344/1006/NEWS0
Marine Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Capt. Joshua S. Meadows, 30, of Bastrop, Texas, died Sept. 5 while supporting combat operations in Farah province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion, Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command, Camp Pendleton, Calif.
For additional background information on this Marine, news media representatives may contact the Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command public affairs office at 910-450-6499.
Capt. Joshua S. Meadows, 30, of Bastrop, Texas, died Sept. 5 while supporting combat operations in Farah province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion, Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command, Camp Pendleton, Calif.
For additional background information on this Marine, news media representatives may contact the Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command public affairs office at 910-450-6499.
Air Force Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of an airman who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
1st Lt. Joseph D. Helton, 24, of Monroe Ga., died Sept. 8 near Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive devise. He was assigned to the 6th Security Forces Squadron, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.
For further information related to this release, please contact the MacDill Air Force Base public affairs office at (813) 828-2215.
1st Lt. Joseph D. Helton, 24, of Monroe Ga., died Sept. 8 near Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive devise. He was assigned to the 6th Security Forces Squadron, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.
For further information related to this release, please contact the MacDill Air Force Base public affairs office at (813) 828-2215.
Iraqis Detain Seven on Terrorism Charges
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 9, 2009 - Iraqi forces, with U.S. advisors, arrested seven terrorist suspects yesterday in northern Iraq, military officials reported. Iraqi soldiers arrested a man in Diyala province on a court order charging him with conducting terrorist activities in the community. A second man was brought in for questioning.
During a separate mission in Ninevah province, elements of the Mosul special weapons and tactics team arrested two suspects on court orders who are believed to have conducted attacks against Iraqi and U.S. forces in the province.
In another operation in Ninevah province, the Tal Afar SWAT, with U.S. advisors, arrested three suspected terrorists, two on warrants for conducting attacks in the area, and a third who is believed to have worked with them.
All of the suspects were arrested without incident.
(Compiled from Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
Sept. 9, 2009 - Iraqi forces, with U.S. advisors, arrested seven terrorist suspects yesterday in northern Iraq, military officials reported. Iraqi soldiers arrested a man in Diyala province on a court order charging him with conducting terrorist activities in the community. A second man was brought in for questioning.
During a separate mission in Ninevah province, elements of the Mosul special weapons and tactics team arrested two suspects on court orders who are believed to have conducted attacks against Iraqi and U.S. forces in the province.
In another operation in Ninevah province, the Tal Afar SWAT, with U.S. advisors, arrested three suspected terrorists, two on warrants for conducting attacks in the area, and a third who is believed to have worked with them.
All of the suspects were arrested without incident.
(Compiled from Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
9/11 Enlistment Decision
By Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Melissa A. LattySpecial to American Forces Press Service
Sept. 9, 2009 - Potential Marines usually sit with a recruiter and pick out the reasons they want to join from a stack of colorful cards featuring the words "travel," "education" and "discipline," among others, that describe most of the reasons someone would decide to commit. But for Marine Corps Sgt. Justin D. Toren, a driver and operator for the 2nd Marine Logistics Group commanding general's personal security detail, his reason was not in the cards. Toren joined during his junior year of high school after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
"I remember listening to the news on the radio on my way to school," he recalled. "They said we had been attacked, but they didn't have a lot of details. I got to school, and we watched the news in class. That's when I knew I was going to join the Marine Corps."
Along with three classmates, Toren enlisted shortly after the tragedy occurred.
Toren joined the Corps to become an infantryman; he said he wanted to be a machine gunner like his great uncle, a Korean War veteran who served in the Marine Corps from 1949 to 1953. At boot camp, he was meritoriously promoted to private first class after breaking the overall record on the rifle range. The sergeant credits his marksmanship skills to his country-boy roots, having grown up taking part in shooting sports.
After machine gunner training, Toren was sent to Movement Company 4, 1st Marine Division. Four days after reporting to the unit in January 2003, he deployed to Iraq for the first time, attached to the 2nd Marine Division's 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, helping to build prisoner-of-war camps throughout Iraq for two months.
He soon was reassigned to the 1st Marine Division's Company A, 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, to be a combat replacement for fallen Marines. Toren's experiences with the unit later would become a big part of his life.
During his time with Alpha Company, Toren worked his way through the ranks, initially as an ammunition man, then as a gunner, and finally as a team leader. Although combat engagements were not as common at that time in the war, he said, the living conditions were not exactly what many U.S. servicemembers are accustomed to today.
"It was rough living then; nothing like we have it now," he said. "We didn't have a base to come back to. We would take over an area that seemed secure, and that's where we would sleep."
After 11 long months of being deployed, a special relationship had formed among the company's Marines.
"When I was first assigned to the company, we were known as just Alpha Company," Toren said. "After the invasion we had a name -- we were known as the Alpha Company Raiders. We shared a bond unlike anything else. From the inside looking out, you can't explain it, and from the outside looking in, you will never know."
Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Robert Young, sergeant major for the 2nd Marine Division's 3rd Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, was Toren's company first sergeant with the Alpha Company Raiders. He said Toren's bravery helped to save the lives of his comrades.
"While serving as a gunner for Company A, Toren did something that I have never seen before," Young said. "While receiving enemy fire, grenades were being thrown to the roof of the building where Toren and other fellow gunners had set up an over watch position.
"He just kept throwing them back and firing at the enemy," Young continued. "Realizing the enemy was standing directly below him and outside of his field of fire, Toren inverted his M-240G medium machine gun, annihilating the enemy and securing the section's location."
His heroic actions during this deployment made Toren stand out in Young's eyes, as well as those of his peers.
"Toren is the machine gunner of machine gunners that I have ever known," Young said. "He is probably one of the toughest Marines I have ever encountered, and I would put him in my battalion any day."
Not long after returning from his first deployment to Iraq, Toren was packing up for his second. In May 2004, he deployed with Battalion Landing Team, 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, attached to the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit. He participated in Operation Danger Fortitude -- an operation designed to establish and occupy Forward Operating Base Duke -- and Operation Ripper Sweep, an operation intended to clear and secure the roads leading into the city of Fallujah.
"My second deployment was definitely more eventful than my first," Toren said. His actions during his second deployment earned him a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with Combat Distinguishing Device.
He deployed once more with the Alpha Company Raiders before reporting to the 2nd Marine Logistics Group to be a Battle Skills Training School instructor, where he shared his knowledge with young Marines preparing for deployment.
Toren, who has a unit tattoo on his left forearm that reflects his pride of being an Alpha Company Raider, said he once was approached by one of the students, who asked him a peculiar question.
"This young Marine, fresh out of boot camp, came up to me asking if I used to be Lance Corporal Toren," he said. "[I was] looking at him pretty dumbfounded, [and] he continued saying his company first sergeant in boot camp told him a story about a Lance Corporal Toren who was with Alpha Raiders."
After sharing his story with the class, Toren said, he noticed the Marines hung on to his every word as he finished the day's lesson.
"Anything I said, and everything I taught that day, I guarantee they will never forget it," he said.
The sergeant now is on his fourth deployment. Along with the 13 other Marines and one sailor on the general's security detail, he was chosen for the duty because of his previous combat experience.
"Learning the job of being personal security was pretty difficult," Toren said. "After six years of being a grunt, your instinct is to push forward and gain ground in any combat situation. Now, it's all about one guy. You do whatever it takes to ensure his safety, and then you get away from the threat. It's not an easy mission."
Another member of the security detail said Toren's dedication to the job ensures mission accomplishment, as shown through his actions during past deployments.
"Toren constantly demonstrates ingenuity when dealing with unconventional tasks," said Marine Corps Sgt. Harry Johnson. "Oftentimes you think you are about to be involved with a near impossible project, but with Toren you know that the job will be done."
His recent combat meritorious promotion to sergeant is Toren's latest mark of success in a Marine Corps career that has been a never-ending streak of successes since recruit training.
The former farmhand and bull rider said he never has regretted his decision to join the Marine Corps.
"Up until Sept. 11," he said, "the military wasn't even in the cards for me. That day changed my life, and I'm glad it did."
(Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Melissa A. Latty serves with Combat Logistics Regiment 27.)
Airmen Demonstrate Importance to Afghanistan
By Air Force Capt. David FaggardSpecial to American Forces Press Service
Sept. 9, 2009 - Joint expeditionary tasked airmen have two commanders: an Army commander responsible for their day-to-day missions, and an Air Force commander responsible for their administrative and operational control. And both sing the praises of their airmen.
Army Lt. Col. Matt Smith, the task force commander here, said airmen are crucial in ensuring the joint and combined services achieve their missions.
"Airmen help fill a critical function in our headquarters and are doing an exceptional job - every one of them," he said. "One of my greatest fears is if the Air Force leaves us here; our operations run like a charm because of our airmen."
The wing commander responsible for all JET airmen in Afghanistan said airmen supporting the joint fight are examples of the Air Force's "all in" approach to the conflict.
"Mentoring and partnering with the Army, Navy and Afghan forces are crucial to this war effort," said Air Force Brig. Gen. Steven L. Kwast, 455th Air Expeditionary Wing commander. "Every airman has to be all in; you'll be more focused on the mission, and you'll ultimately be a better airman and person. Airmen will do anything [the joint community asks] of us, as long as we're trained to do the job correctly."
JET airmen are crucial to Afghanistan's future, Kwast said, noting that embedded training teams here are empowered to teach and mentor their Afghan counterparts.
Airmen at the Paktia Regional Medical Hospital mentor Afghans in techniques that might seem like the basics back home, but are revolutionary in this part of the world.
"We helped them safely transport blood from our hospital to another for the first time in history," said Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jason Levine, a laboratory technician at the hospital, who added that the basics of calibration and maintenance are new ideas for Afghan technicians. "It could have been a logistical nightmare, but now we've got a process that's repeatable and sustainable, thanks to the coordinated planning and efforts by airmen."
The procedures and processes being taught by the airmen are well received by their host.
Afghan National Army Col. (Dr.) Sultangal Totakhail noted that the airmen were instrumental in ensuring the hospital had enough supplies and blood on hand in case they were needed as the Aug. 20 national elections drew near.
"We understand our problems," he said through a translator. "We are thankful to the American people, and we're developing and making progress. We believe we have a great relationship with the U.S."
Visiting airmen in the remote portions of Afghanistan, Kwast told them they are extremely important to this war.
"Victory in counterinsurgency is getting the Afghans to believe we're here to help them defeat the enemy; that will win this war overnight," he told the airmen. "The moment that they believe we're here for the long haul to help them, we've won.
"This war isn't about dropping bombs, or how many of the enemy we can kill," he continued. "It's about bringing hope to the Afghan people, and teaching them to do this for themselves."
JET airmen in Afghanistan are making history, the general added.
"You're at the foundation of this war, and this war will teach you to be a great airman and a great person," he said. "You'll be able to look back on this time here and tell your grandkids that you were at the bedrock of success of this great nation."
(Air Force Capt. David Faggard serves in the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing public affairs office.)
Greetings from the Front
Sgt. 1st Class Bennett sends a greeting to his family and friends in Cincinnati Ohio.
DoD To Conduct 9/11 Remembrance
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates will host a remembrance event on Sept. 11, 2009, at the Pentagon Memorial to honor the memory of those killed here in the 2001 terrorist attack. This is an event for the family members of those lost in the terrorist attack and is not open to the general public. The remembrance includes a wreath laying and official remarks, will begin at approximately 9:30 a.m. EDT and is expected to last less than one hour.
Media desiring to cover this event must register with the Defense Press Office by calling 703-697-5131 to receive specific instructions. Media must register no later than 11 a.m. EDT on Thursday. Registration will be confirmed by e-mail and badges will be issued at the "media check-in desk" near the Pentagon Corridor 3 bridge on Friday morning.
Media may enter the venue beginning at 5:45 a.m. Parking is generally not available at the Pentagon and registered media are encouraged to take the Metro. All registered media will enter security at the Pentagon South Parking area through marked press lanes.
Opened on Sept. 11, 2008, the Pentagon Memorial is the first dedicated national commemorative to honor those killed during the 2001 terrorist attacks. The Pentagon Memorial consists of 184 individual memorial units honoring the 59 people aboard American Airlines Flight 77 and the 125 in the Pentagon who lost their lives at 9:37 a.m. on Sept. 11, 2001. For more information on the Pentagon Memorial, please visit http://www.whs.mil/memorial.
Media desiring to cover this event must register with the Defense Press Office by calling 703-697-5131 to receive specific instructions. Media must register no later than 11 a.m. EDT on Thursday. Registration will be confirmed by e-mail and badges will be issued at the "media check-in desk" near the Pentagon Corridor 3 bridge on Friday morning.
Media may enter the venue beginning at 5:45 a.m. Parking is generally not available at the Pentagon and registered media are encouraged to take the Metro. All registered media will enter security at the Pentagon South Parking area through marked press lanes.
Opened on Sept. 11, 2008, the Pentagon Memorial is the first dedicated national commemorative to honor those killed during the 2001 terrorist attacks. The Pentagon Memorial consists of 184 individual memorial units honoring the 59 people aboard American Airlines Flight 77 and the 125 in the Pentagon who lost their lives at 9:37 a.m. on Sept. 11, 2001. For more information on the Pentagon Memorial, please visit http://www.whs.mil/memorial.
SECRECY NEWS
From the FAS Project on Government Secrecy Volume 2009, Issue No. 72 September 8, 2009
REPORT CARD TRACKS THE EBB AND FLOW OF SECRECY
The vast apparatus of government secrecy persisted through the last year with only limited changes in the contours of its multi-billion dollar operations, according to the latest "secrecy report card" published by Openthegovernment.org, a coalition of organizations working for increased transparency. The report card, prepared by Patrice McDermott and Amy Fuller Bennett, is available here:
http://www.openthegovernment.org/otg/SecrecyRC_2009.pdf
The new report card compiles all available indicators, from classification activity (which declined somewhat in 2008) to declassification activity (also down) to FOIA processing to assertions of executive privilege, in order to provide an empirical, not simply rhetorical, picture of government secrecy as it exists today. Ideally, such data can be used to inform efforts to revise and correct secrecy policies.
(Interestingly, the Director of National Intelligence has taken steps to frustrate exactly this kind of empirical account of secrecy. Beginning in 2006, the DNI ordered that DoD intelligence agencies would no longer publicly disclose the amounts of money they spent on classification or declassification-related activities. Although such previously public information has no plausible bearing on the protection of national security or of intelligence sources and methods, the DNI said that it would henceforth be classified-- thereby providing a neat illustration of the underlying problem.)
Judging from its first few months, "The Obama administration so far has a very mixed record on its promise of unprecedented openness," said Patrice McDermott, director of Openthegovernment.org. "We look forward to working with the Administration toward meeting this goal, and will continue to work to make sure the public has the information it needs to hold this Administration accountable."
The new report card was prepared before the announcement last week that White House visitor logs would be publicly released, in response to a lawsuit filed by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.
That step is "historic" and "groundbreaking," the White House said. It is "a major step into the sunlight," the New York Times enthused in an editorial today, and puts the Obama Administration "well on course to be the most open in modern times."
>From our perspective, this seems like a considerable overstatement that
mistakes the formalities of openness for the substance. Laboriously prepared lists of names of visitors to the White House complex provide minimal insight into the policy process. (Nevermind that a meeting at Caribou Coffee across the street can easily circumvent the new disclosure arrangement.) A physical visit to the White House is simply not an essential part of the policy process. If the Bush Administration had not fought so stubbornly to withhold such information, its release would be even less significant.
Given the choice, we would forgo the monthly lists of thousands of names in favor of routine publication of Presidential Policy Directives and Presidential Study Directives, which are fundamental policy documents that do not appear on the Obama White House web site even when they are unclassified.
Despite isolated exceptions, current attempts to steer secrecy policy in a new direction have not yet succeeded -- or failed. The bumpy road to secrecy reform was surveyed most recently in "How to Keep Secrets: Obama Tries to Get Classification Right" by Clint Hendler in the Columbia Journalism Review, September 2, 2009:
http://www.cjr.org/campaign_desk/how_to_keep_secrets.php
A.Q. KHAN DISCUSSES PAKISTAN'S NUCLEAR PROGRAM
Pakistan was ready to test a nuclear weapon just six years after it first began to enrich uranium, according to A.Q. Khan, the architect of the Pakistani nuclear program and an infamous proliferator of nuclear weapons designs and technology.
"It was 6 April 1978 when we achieved our first centrifugal enrichment of uranium," Khan recalled in a chatty, wide-ranging interview with Pakistani television last week. "We had achieved 90 percent [enrichment] by early 1983."
"I wrote a letter to General Zia on 10 December 1984, telling him that the weapon was ready and that we could detonate it on a notice of one week,"
Khan said.
In addition to a timeline for the Pakistani nuclear weapons program, the Khan interview discusses the costs and logistics involved, and his successful efforts to evade export controls. "They could not outmaneuver us, as we remained a step ahead always," he said.
The interview also provides "interesting information about Pakistan's supply chains, which he says were the same for Iran and Libya as well,"
said Ivanka Barzashka, an FAS researcher who is studying the proliferation of centrifuge technology.
The interview with A.Q. Khan, who was recently released from house arrest, was broadcast in Karachi on August 31. It was helpfully translated from the Urdu by the DNI Open Source Center. The translated interview has not been publicly released, but a copy was obtained by Secrecy News. See "Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan Discusses Nuclear Program in TV Talk Show," Aaj News Television, August 31, 2009:
http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/pakistan/aqkhan-083109.pdf
CAN A COURT GRANT ACCESS TO CLASSIFIED INFO?
Ordinarily, decisions about granting security clearances and determining whether an individual has a "need to know" certain classified information are made by the executive branch. But a federal judge recently ruled that a court can also make such determinations and can require the disclosure of classified information to a cleared individual even against the wishes of the executive branch.
In an electrifying decision on August 26 in the case of Richard A. Horn v.
Franklin Huddle, Jr., Judge Royce Lamberth concluded that the parties in that lawsuit need to discuss the classified information they possess with their counsel. Judge Lamberth therefore ruled -- against the government -- that counsel in this case have a "need to know" and that they may have access to the classified information that their clients already possess.
"The deference generally granted the Executive Branch in matters of classification and national security must yield when the Executive attempts to exert control over the courtroom," Judge Lamberth wrote.
http://www.fas.org/sgp/jud/statesec/horn082609.pdf
That ruling drew an immediate protest. "The Government respectfully disputes that conclusion as well as the Court's authority to reach it,"
Justice Department attorneys responded on September 2, requesting a stay of Judge Lamberth's order pending appeal.
"The Court is without authority to make a 'need to know' determination in this context," the Justice Department said. "A court may not order the Executive to grant private counsel or any other person access to classified information."
http://www.fas.org/sgp/jud/statesec/horn090209.pdf
At issue are basic questions over the exclusivity of executive branch control of classification information and the court's ability to regulate its own judicial proceedings. Those questions are likely to be presented to an appeals court in the near future.
The government's motion for a stay was naturally opposed both by the plaintiff and the defendants. "The position that the United States has unfettered discretion to decide who is entitled to receive classified information leaves no role whatsoever for the judiciary in accommodating the interests of litigants and ensuring against abuse of discretion,"
wrote attorneys for one of the defendants.
http://www.fas.org/sgp/jud/statesec/horn090309c.pdf
REPORT CARD TRACKS THE EBB AND FLOW OF SECRECY
The vast apparatus of government secrecy persisted through the last year with only limited changes in the contours of its multi-billion dollar operations, according to the latest "secrecy report card" published by Openthegovernment.org, a coalition of organizations working for increased transparency. The report card, prepared by Patrice McDermott and Amy Fuller Bennett, is available here:
http://www.openthegovernment.org/otg/SecrecyRC_2009.pdf
The new report card compiles all available indicators, from classification activity (which declined somewhat in 2008) to declassification activity (also down) to FOIA processing to assertions of executive privilege, in order to provide an empirical, not simply rhetorical, picture of government secrecy as it exists today. Ideally, such data can be used to inform efforts to revise and correct secrecy policies.
(Interestingly, the Director of National Intelligence has taken steps to frustrate exactly this kind of empirical account of secrecy. Beginning in 2006, the DNI ordered that DoD intelligence agencies would no longer publicly disclose the amounts of money they spent on classification or declassification-related activities. Although such previously public information has no plausible bearing on the protection of national security or of intelligence sources and methods, the DNI said that it would henceforth be classified-- thereby providing a neat illustration of the underlying problem.)
Judging from its first few months, "The Obama administration so far has a very mixed record on its promise of unprecedented openness," said Patrice McDermott, director of Openthegovernment.org. "We look forward to working with the Administration toward meeting this goal, and will continue to work to make sure the public has the information it needs to hold this Administration accountable."
The new report card was prepared before the announcement last week that White House visitor logs would be publicly released, in response to a lawsuit filed by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.
That step is "historic" and "groundbreaking," the White House said. It is "a major step into the sunlight," the New York Times enthused in an editorial today, and puts the Obama Administration "well on course to be the most open in modern times."
>From our perspective, this seems like a considerable overstatement that
mistakes the formalities of openness for the substance. Laboriously prepared lists of names of visitors to the White House complex provide minimal insight into the policy process. (Nevermind that a meeting at Caribou Coffee across the street can easily circumvent the new disclosure arrangement.) A physical visit to the White House is simply not an essential part of the policy process. If the Bush Administration had not fought so stubbornly to withhold such information, its release would be even less significant.
Given the choice, we would forgo the monthly lists of thousands of names in favor of routine publication of Presidential Policy Directives and Presidential Study Directives, which are fundamental policy documents that do not appear on the Obama White House web site even when they are unclassified.
Despite isolated exceptions, current attempts to steer secrecy policy in a new direction have not yet succeeded -- or failed. The bumpy road to secrecy reform was surveyed most recently in "How to Keep Secrets: Obama Tries to Get Classification Right" by Clint Hendler in the Columbia Journalism Review, September 2, 2009:
http://www.cjr.org/campaign_desk/how_to_keep_secrets.php
A.Q. KHAN DISCUSSES PAKISTAN'S NUCLEAR PROGRAM
Pakistan was ready to test a nuclear weapon just six years after it first began to enrich uranium, according to A.Q. Khan, the architect of the Pakistani nuclear program and an infamous proliferator of nuclear weapons designs and technology.
"It was 6 April 1978 when we achieved our first centrifugal enrichment of uranium," Khan recalled in a chatty, wide-ranging interview with Pakistani television last week. "We had achieved 90 percent [enrichment] by early 1983."
"I wrote a letter to General Zia on 10 December 1984, telling him that the weapon was ready and that we could detonate it on a notice of one week,"
Khan said.
In addition to a timeline for the Pakistani nuclear weapons program, the Khan interview discusses the costs and logistics involved, and his successful efforts to evade export controls. "They could not outmaneuver us, as we remained a step ahead always," he said.
The interview also provides "interesting information about Pakistan's supply chains, which he says were the same for Iran and Libya as well,"
said Ivanka Barzashka, an FAS researcher who is studying the proliferation of centrifuge technology.
The interview with A.Q. Khan, who was recently released from house arrest, was broadcast in Karachi on August 31. It was helpfully translated from the Urdu by the DNI Open Source Center. The translated interview has not been publicly released, but a copy was obtained by Secrecy News. See "Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan Discusses Nuclear Program in TV Talk Show," Aaj News Television, August 31, 2009:
http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/pakistan/aqkhan-083109.pdf
CAN A COURT GRANT ACCESS TO CLASSIFIED INFO?
Ordinarily, decisions about granting security clearances and determining whether an individual has a "need to know" certain classified information are made by the executive branch. But a federal judge recently ruled that a court can also make such determinations and can require the disclosure of classified information to a cleared individual even against the wishes of the executive branch.
In an electrifying decision on August 26 in the case of Richard A. Horn v.
Franklin Huddle, Jr., Judge Royce Lamberth concluded that the parties in that lawsuit need to discuss the classified information they possess with their counsel. Judge Lamberth therefore ruled -- against the government -- that counsel in this case have a "need to know" and that they may have access to the classified information that their clients already possess.
"The deference generally granted the Executive Branch in matters of classification and national security must yield when the Executive attempts to exert control over the courtroom," Judge Lamberth wrote.
http://www.fas.org/sgp/jud/statesec/horn082609.pdf
That ruling drew an immediate protest. "The Government respectfully disputes that conclusion as well as the Court's authority to reach it,"
Justice Department attorneys responded on September 2, requesting a stay of Judge Lamberth's order pending appeal.
"The Court is without authority to make a 'need to know' determination in this context," the Justice Department said. "A court may not order the Executive to grant private counsel or any other person access to classified information."
http://www.fas.org/sgp/jud/statesec/horn090209.pdf
At issue are basic questions over the exclusivity of executive branch control of classification information and the court's ability to regulate its own judicial proceedings. Those questions are likely to be presented to an appeals court in the near future.
The government's motion for a stay was naturally opposed both by the plaintiff and the defendants. "The position that the United States has unfettered discretion to decide who is entitled to receive classified information leaves no role whatsoever for the judiciary in accommodating the interests of litigants and ensuring against abuse of discretion,"
wrote attorneys for one of the defendants.
http://www.fas.org/sgp/jud/statesec/horn090309c.pdf
Soldiers in Iraq Keep Helicopters Flying
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Jeff MullettSpecial to American Forces Press Service
Sept. 9, 2009 - Soldiers assigned here with Bravo Company, 628th Aviation Support Battalion, strive to make sure the AH-64 Apaches, UH-60 Black Hawks and CH-47 Chinooks are prepared to take anything a war zone may have in store for them. "Our primary job is to perform all the scheduled maintenance on the CH-47, UH-60 and the AH-64," said Army Maj. John Kilby, the company commander, a native of Rising Sun, Md. "We handle the scheduled maintenance, but sometimes we get a call from one of the [aviation unit maintenance companies] asking if we can fix something, whether it's because they don't have the tools, parts or people qualified to do the work."
But the battalion's duties are not limited to maintenance. "We help weigh aircraft and assist with accident investigations," said Army Staff Sgt. Douglas Kephart, a technical inspector in the quality assurance shop. Kephart recalled an incident at Fort Sill, Okla., as an example of the unit's other duties.
"Before we arrived in theater, we had a grass fire in Fort Sill," he said. "The wind gets pretty bad. We were able to move a Chinook that was in the way, but we weren't able to move a Black Hawk that was parked there, and it was burned pretty bad.
"The heat had buckled some of the supports and sheet metal on the side of the aircraft," he continued. "We did the cost analysis on it to see if it was repairable."
The 628th consists of its main group from Fort Indiantown Gap, Pa.; Company C in York, Pa.; Detachment 1, Company B, from West Trenton, N.J.; and Bravo Company, 351st Aviation Support Battalion, attached out of Lowell, Mich.
"Our shop can rebuild or repair most components on all three aircraft," Kephart said. "The shop fixes aircraft components and fabricates hydraulic hoses, and we go in and make sure everything is being done according to the manual."
The maintenance facility here consists of a machine shop, sheet metal shop, engine shop, nondestructive testing shop, propeller and rotor shop, an armament shop for the AH-64 and an avionics shop.
The Bravo Company soldiers who were attached to the 628th ASB have been drawing on the experience of their counterparts. Kephart has been with the 628th since 1993, he said, but many of the members of the 351st are new to the military.
"Most of us had very little experience," said Army Pvt. 1st Class Nick Gregaitus, a CH-47 mechanic from Lowell, Mich. "Most of us just graduated from [advanced individual training]."
Gregaitus will be trading rotor blades for wheels when he gets back to the United States. He will be using his experience working on Chinooks in Iraq to enhance his new job as an Army technician for the National Guard, working as a vehicle mechanic.
"I got the job before I left," he said. "I'll get the best of both worlds for a while."
So far, the 28th Combat Aviation Brigade aircraft have conducted more than 12,000 hours of air operations, carried 29,000 passengers to various locations in Iraq and Kuwait and airlifted 1.3 million pounds of cargo. The Black Hawks have been conducting medical evacuation operations since December, including two major casualty airlift operations in aircraft serviced by Bravo Company.
(Army Sgt. 1st Class Jeff Mullett serves with the 28th Combat Aviation Brigade.)
Emergency Services Degree Offered
UNION INSTITUTE & UNIVERSITY LAUNCHES BS IN EMERGENCY SERVICES MANAGEMENT
New program prepares leaders in rapidly growing field
Union Institute & University (UI&U), a private, non-profit university headquartered in Cincinnati with centers in Sacramento and Los Angeles, Miami, and Montpelier and Brattleboro, Vt., today announced the launch of the Bachelor of Science in Emergency Services Management (ESM) program. The new ESM major is ideal for both those already in a career related to emergency services or disaster response, and those seeking to join a rapidly growing field.
Jobs in emergency services have grown since the September 11 terrorist attacks and Hurricane Katrina. According the recent careerbuilder.com article, “Seven emerging jobs poised for growth,” jobs in emergency services are estimated to grow by 7-13 percent in the upcoming years. “Our world is changing and, despite the economic outlook, the field of emergency service continues to grow,” said Dr. James Rocheleau, dean of UI&U’s California centers.
UI&U’s emergency services management program prepares graduates for careers in emergency services industries where a high level of understanding in organizational dynamics and interpersonal skills are required. Graduates of the program will be able to solve administrative problems, fine-tune strategic plans, enhance human resource potential, increase productivity, and address internal organizational issues. “We are essentially preparing learners for leadership roles within the field of emergency service,” said Dr. Rocheleau.
Learners in the ESM program have several degree completion options. They can attend on-ground classes that meet face-to-face five times in an eight-week session or select a distance learning option and earn eight credits in eight weeks. Learners may also be able to transfer credits from other regionally accredited colleges and universities and request credit for knowledge gained outside the classroom through work or professional experience. Law enforcement officers and firefighters may be able to apply credits earned in their training towards their ESM degree requirements.
For more information on the new Emergency Services Management program contact Fatemeh Fazely, faculty advisor, at fatemeh.fazely@myunion.edu or 800-486-3116, ext. 1511.
Union Institute & University is a private, accredited university that has, since 1964, redefined higher education by placing learners at the center of their own education. Union serves more than 2000, self-motivated, socially conscious adults in rigorous faculty- mentored programs without interrupting professional, family, and community commitments. UI&U offers individualized programs of study leading to the baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral degrees. In addition to its distance learning programs, academic centers are located in Cincinnati (OH), Los Angeles and Sacramento (CA), Miami (FL), and in Montpelier and Brattleboro (VT).
New program prepares leaders in rapidly growing field
Union Institute & University (UI&U), a private, non-profit university headquartered in Cincinnati with centers in Sacramento and Los Angeles, Miami, and Montpelier and Brattleboro, Vt., today announced the launch of the Bachelor of Science in Emergency Services Management (ESM) program. The new ESM major is ideal for both those already in a career related to emergency services or disaster response, and those seeking to join a rapidly growing field.
Jobs in emergency services have grown since the September 11 terrorist attacks and Hurricane Katrina. According the recent careerbuilder.com article, “Seven emerging jobs poised for growth,” jobs in emergency services are estimated to grow by 7-13 percent in the upcoming years. “Our world is changing and, despite the economic outlook, the field of emergency service continues to grow,” said Dr. James Rocheleau, dean of UI&U’s California centers.
UI&U’s emergency services management program prepares graduates for careers in emergency services industries where a high level of understanding in organizational dynamics and interpersonal skills are required. Graduates of the program will be able to solve administrative problems, fine-tune strategic plans, enhance human resource potential, increase productivity, and address internal organizational issues. “We are essentially preparing learners for leadership roles within the field of emergency service,” said Dr. Rocheleau.
Learners in the ESM program have several degree completion options. They can attend on-ground classes that meet face-to-face five times in an eight-week session or select a distance learning option and earn eight credits in eight weeks. Learners may also be able to transfer credits from other regionally accredited colleges and universities and request credit for knowledge gained outside the classroom through work or professional experience. Law enforcement officers and firefighters may be able to apply credits earned in their training towards their ESM degree requirements.
For more information on the new Emergency Services Management program contact Fatemeh Fazely, faculty advisor, at fatemeh.fazely@myunion.edu or 800-486-3116, ext. 1511.
Union Institute & University is a private, accredited university that has, since 1964, redefined higher education by placing learners at the center of their own education. Union serves more than 2000, self-motivated, socially conscious adults in rigorous faculty- mentored programs without interrupting professional, family, and community commitments. UI&U offers individualized programs of study leading to the baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral degrees. In addition to its distance learning programs, academic centers are located in Cincinnati (OH), Los Angeles and Sacramento (CA), Miami (FL), and in Montpelier and Brattleboro (VT).
University Launches Emergency Services Management Degree
UNION INSTITUTE & UNIVERSITY LAUNCHES TWO PROGRAMS: THE BS IN EMERGENCY SERVICES MANAGEMENT AND THE BS IN LEADERSHIP
Both are consistent with the university’s mission to foster creative leadership through socially relevant degree programs
Union Institute & University (UI&U), a private, non-profit university headquartered in Cincinnati with centers in Sacramento and Los Angeles, Miami, and Montpelier and Brattleboro, VT, today announced the launch of two programs: the Bachelor of Science in Emergency Services Management (ESM), and Bachelor of Science in Leadership. The two new degree options reinforce the university’s commitment to provide timely, relevant degree options to adult learners.
BS in Emergency Services Management
The new ESM major is ideal for both those already in a career related to emergency services or disaster response, and those seeking to join a rapidly growing field.
Jobs in emergency services have grown since the September 11 terrorist attacks and Hurricane Katrina. According the recent careerbuilder.com article, “Seven emerging jobs poised for growth,” jobs in emergency services are estimated to grow by 7-13 percent in the upcoming years. “Our world is changing and, despite the economic outlook, the field of emergency service continues to grow,” said Dr. James Rocheleau, dean of UI&U’s California centers.
UI&U’s emergency services management program prepares graduates for careers in emergency services industries where a high level of understanding in organizational dynamics and interpersonal skills are required. Graduates of the program will be able to solve administrative problems, fine-tune strategic plans, enhance human resource potential, increase productivity, and address internal organizational issues. “We are essentially preparing learners for leadership roles within the field of emergency service,” said Dr. Rocheleau.
Learners in the ESM program have several degree completion options. They can attend on-ground classes that meet face-to-face five times in an eight-week session or select a distance learning option and earn eight credits in eight weeks. Learners may also be able to transfer credits from other regionally accredited colleges and universities and request credit for knowledge gained outside the classroom through work or professional experience. Law enforcement officers and firefighters may be able to apply credits earned in their training towards their ESM degree requirements.
BS in Leadership
Union’s new Bachelor of Science in Leadership program is tailored toward the learner’s chosen career path.
Dr. Carolyn Turner, dean of Undergraduate Studies at the Cincinnati Center, is serving as the program’s chair. “Learners will work with faculty who will help them design and follow a degree plan that suits their chosen profession. It is an ideal program for those in business, the arts, information technology, health professions, culinary studies, and in non-profit management,” said Dr. Turner. “The leadership major is really for anyone who wants to make lasting change in their professions. Learners will learn how to articulate a perspective on power in the world and forge their own place in the global community,” said Dr. Turner.
Learners will apply, analyze, and evaluate a variety of concepts and theories of leadership to their own professional practice experiences; discuss and evaluate effective management and leadership behaviors and their implications in professional practice; and describe the connections between ethics and leadership. In addition, they will learn to apply ethical principles to issues in their chosen practice; deepen understanding of the complexity of leadership and how to enhance their capacity to be effective leaders in their chosen field; and identify, assess, lead, and manage change in the professional environment.
For more information on the new Emergency Services Management program contact Fatemeh Fazely, faculty advisor, at fatemeh.fazely@myunion.edu or 800-486-3116, ext. 1511. For more information on the BS in Leadership program, contact Victor Gray, BS enrollment counselor at 800.486.3116, ext 1241 or victor.gray@myunion.edu.
Union Institute & University is a private, accredited university that has, since 1964, redefined higher education by placing learners at the center of their own education. Union serves more than 2000, self-motivated, socially conscious adults in rigorous faculty- mentored programs without interrupting professional, family, and community commitments. UI&U offers individualized programs of study leading to the baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral degrees. In addition to its distance learning programs, academic centers are located in Cincinnati (OH), Los Angeles and Sacramento (CA), Miami (FL), and in Montpelier and Brattleboro (VT).
Both are consistent with the university’s mission to foster creative leadership through socially relevant degree programs
Union Institute & University (UI&U), a private, non-profit university headquartered in Cincinnati with centers in Sacramento and Los Angeles, Miami, and Montpelier and Brattleboro, VT, today announced the launch of two programs: the Bachelor of Science in Emergency Services Management (ESM), and Bachelor of Science in Leadership. The two new degree options reinforce the university’s commitment to provide timely, relevant degree options to adult learners.
BS in Emergency Services Management
The new ESM major is ideal for both those already in a career related to emergency services or disaster response, and those seeking to join a rapidly growing field.
Jobs in emergency services have grown since the September 11 terrorist attacks and Hurricane Katrina. According the recent careerbuilder.com article, “Seven emerging jobs poised for growth,” jobs in emergency services are estimated to grow by 7-13 percent in the upcoming years. “Our world is changing and, despite the economic outlook, the field of emergency service continues to grow,” said Dr. James Rocheleau, dean of UI&U’s California centers.
UI&U’s emergency services management program prepares graduates for careers in emergency services industries where a high level of understanding in organizational dynamics and interpersonal skills are required. Graduates of the program will be able to solve administrative problems, fine-tune strategic plans, enhance human resource potential, increase productivity, and address internal organizational issues. “We are essentially preparing learners for leadership roles within the field of emergency service,” said Dr. Rocheleau.
Learners in the ESM program have several degree completion options. They can attend on-ground classes that meet face-to-face five times in an eight-week session or select a distance learning option and earn eight credits in eight weeks. Learners may also be able to transfer credits from other regionally accredited colleges and universities and request credit for knowledge gained outside the classroom through work or professional experience. Law enforcement officers and firefighters may be able to apply credits earned in their training towards their ESM degree requirements.
BS in Leadership
Union’s new Bachelor of Science in Leadership program is tailored toward the learner’s chosen career path.
Dr. Carolyn Turner, dean of Undergraduate Studies at the Cincinnati Center, is serving as the program’s chair. “Learners will work with faculty who will help them design and follow a degree plan that suits their chosen profession. It is an ideal program for those in business, the arts, information technology, health professions, culinary studies, and in non-profit management,” said Dr. Turner. “The leadership major is really for anyone who wants to make lasting change in their professions. Learners will learn how to articulate a perspective on power in the world and forge their own place in the global community,” said Dr. Turner.
Learners will apply, analyze, and evaluate a variety of concepts and theories of leadership to their own professional practice experiences; discuss and evaluate effective management and leadership behaviors and their implications in professional practice; and describe the connections between ethics and leadership. In addition, they will learn to apply ethical principles to issues in their chosen practice; deepen understanding of the complexity of leadership and how to enhance their capacity to be effective leaders in their chosen field; and identify, assess, lead, and manage change in the professional environment.
For more information on the new Emergency Services Management program contact Fatemeh Fazely, faculty advisor, at fatemeh.fazely@myunion.edu or 800-486-3116, ext. 1511. For more information on the BS in Leadership program, contact Victor Gray, BS enrollment counselor at 800.486.3116, ext 1241 or victor.gray@myunion.edu.
Union Institute & University is a private, accredited university that has, since 1964, redefined higher education by placing learners at the center of their own education. Union serves more than 2000, self-motivated, socially conscious adults in rigorous faculty- mentored programs without interrupting professional, family, and community commitments. UI&U offers individualized programs of study leading to the baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral degrees. In addition to its distance learning programs, academic centers are located in Cincinnati (OH), Los Angeles and Sacramento (CA), Miami (FL), and in Montpelier and Brattleboro (VT).
Tuesday, September 08, 2009
Commander Appoints Board to Investigate Air Strike
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 8, 2009 - The commander of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force has appointed a two-star general to lead the formal investigation into a Sept. 3 air strike in Kunduz, Afghanistan, that reportedly killed numerous civilians. Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal appointed Canadian Maj. Gen. C.S. Sullivan to lead the joint investigation board's probe of the incident.
Sullivan directs ISAF's air component and serves as the command's deputy director of joint operations. The board also will include a U.S. Air Force officer, a German officer and a legal advisor and will coordinate with the Afghan investigation team formed by Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
An initial assessment at the scene by McChrystal and members of his senior leadership team concluded that civilians had been killed or injured in the strike.
The investigation is examining the series of events that began when two fuel trucks were reported stolen by insurgents and ISAF servicemembers located the trucks on the banks of the Kunduz River. Believing civilians were not in the area, the local ISAF commander authorized an air strike, which destroyed the two fuel trucks. Subsequent review has led ISAF officials to believe that along with insurgents, civilians were killed and injured in the strike.
McChrystal has directed the joint investigation board to research and document all facts and circumstances surrounding the strike and any civilian casualties. Officials said they expect the board's work to take several weeks, and that its findings will be shared with Afghan and German authorities to inform their follow-on actions.
(From an International Security Assistance Force news release.)
Sept. 8, 2009 - The commander of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force has appointed a two-star general to lead the formal investigation into a Sept. 3 air strike in Kunduz, Afghanistan, that reportedly killed numerous civilians. Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal appointed Canadian Maj. Gen. C.S. Sullivan to lead the joint investigation board's probe of the incident.
Sullivan directs ISAF's air component and serves as the command's deputy director of joint operations. The board also will include a U.S. Air Force officer, a German officer and a legal advisor and will coordinate with the Afghan investigation team formed by Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
An initial assessment at the scene by McChrystal and members of his senior leadership team concluded that civilians had been killed or injured in the strike.
The investigation is examining the series of events that began when two fuel trucks were reported stolen by insurgents and ISAF servicemembers located the trucks on the banks of the Kunduz River. Believing civilians were not in the area, the local ISAF commander authorized an air strike, which destroyed the two fuel trucks. Subsequent review has led ISAF officials to believe that along with insurgents, civilians were killed and injured in the strike.
McChrystal has directed the joint investigation board to research and document all facts and circumstances surrounding the strike and any civilian casualties. Officials said they expect the board's work to take several weeks, and that its findings will be shared with Afghan and German authorities to inform their follow-on actions.
(From an International Security Assistance Force news release.)
Remote Iraqi Residents Get Clean Water
By Army Pvt. Jared N. GehmannSpecial to American Forces Press Service
Sept. 8, 2009 - U.S. soldiers at Forward Operating Base Hammer, Iraq, put their time and energy into providing a better quality of life for the residents of Iraq's Madain region by learning how to set up and operate a solar-powered water filtration system Sept 5. Multinational Division Baghdad paratroopers assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team implemented a self-powered, energy-efficient water filtration system to provide the area's residents clean, adequate drinking water.
But for this system to be effective, regional leaders need to be shown how it works, and that's where Army Spc. Rachael Potts, a water treatment specialist assigned to Company A, 82nd Brigade Support Battalion, put her knowledge to work.
"I got involved with this filtration system a few days ago while working on a reverse osmosis system," Potts said. "But once I heard about this system, I wanted to see what it could do in order to help our Iraqi partners."
The solar-powered system uses a series of hoses and filters to purify water in areas where clean water is limited. The Madain region, on the outskirts of eastern Baghdad, is a vast, mostly desolate area were most water sources consist of dirty, mineral-filled wells.
The system can treat about 6,000 gallons of water a day. Despite its size, the system also is transportable and can provide clean drinking water to even the most remote villages in the region.
"So far, we have 25 of these systems to place all over the Madain region in areas such as the towns of Narwan and Salman Pak," Potts said.
Potts worked with Abbas Hassan, the chief engineer of Nahywan water treatment facility, to demonstrate to Hassan's fellow engineers how the system functions.
"The water filtration system is impressive, because it solves both of the main problems we have right now, which is having access to clean water while also having a reliable power source to make the machine work and clean the water," Hassan said.
Several combat medics assigned to the battalion's Company C came out for the demonstration to receive hands-on experience with the system and witness the results of the water-cleaning process. To ensure the water was drinkable, the medics performed a series of quality-assurance tests.
"It was amazing how much cleaner this water was after it ran through the machine," said Army Spc. Wayne Terry. "Clean water is a necessity for good health; bad water can be a leading cause of many health problems."
U.S. and Iraqi leaders discussed their hopes of putting the system to use in areas across the region in the near future. The system also is seen as a step in the right direction for the nation.
"We appreciate all the help the U.S. Army has given us in making our country a better place," Hassan said. "As long as we keep pushing technology such as this solar- powered filtration system, I believe we will continue to accomplish our goals in rebuilding Iraq."
(Army Pvt. Jared N. Gehmann serves in Multinational Division Baghdad with the 82nd Airborne Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team public affairs office.)
Iraqi Forces Make Strides in South, General Says
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 8, 2009 - Iraqi security forces are making tremendous progress throughout southern Iraq, the commander of coalition forces in the region said today. Army Maj. Gen. Richard Nash, who commands the Minnesota National Guard's 34th Infantry Division as well as Multinational Division South in Iraq, said the Iraqi army, police and border police are performing very well.
"The Iraqi security forces have had tremendous success in establishing security throughout the nine provinces of southern Iraq," Nash said in a video conference with Pentagon reporters today. The spreading security is encouraging local Iraqis to side with the government and has resulted in significant captures of weapons and ammunition, he said.
An operation in Dhi Qar and Laysan provinces took plates used in making armor-piercing roadside bombs, magnetic "sticky" bombs, rocket-propelled grenades, hundreds of machine guns, assault rifles, and thousands of small-arms rounds out of the hands of extremists, the general said.
"Additionally, over a hundred rockets, artillery rounds and mortar shells were collected from cache sites between the arid dunes of northern Maysan and the marshes in the south of the province," Nash said. "The Iraqi army is cementing its reputation with the citizens of southern Iraq as a catalyst for peace and adding to their security."
Most of these caches were exposed by tips from the concerned Iraqis who refuse to let criminals and terrorists erode security and economic opportunity in their country, the general said.
The number of incidents in the region has dropped to about 1.3 per day over an area containing more than 10 million people, the general said. Roadside-bomb attacks have dropped, but indirect-fire attacks – rockets or mortars – have increased, he said.
"Our mission here in Iraq is to build civil capacity and train and support our Iraqi partners in their mission to provide security for the Iraqi people," Nash said.
The way forward includes continuing to work with the Iraqi police, the Iraqi army and the department of border enforcement, Nash said. He said the division has military training teams embedded with Iraqi formations, and that the United States provides intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets along with medical evacuation capabilities. The division also has the first "advise and assist brigade" – the 1st Armored Division's 4th Brigade. The brigade's approach is a new way of working with the Iraqis, and the Americans are writing a new training book as they work alongside their Iraqi counterparts, Nash said.
The U.S. military does not provide logistics support. The Iraqis provide their own food, fuel, maintenance and ground transportation in his region, he noted. "We have also developed a good network of intelligence, and we share that with our Iraqi partners on a continuous basis," Nash said. "They have full knowledge of how we bring that information together."
The Iraqis are in the lead, the general emphasized, with American partners. "They get warrants for their arrests; they go in front of a judge," he said. "And the rule of law is well in place and embedded. And they're really doing a great job, and I've seen just magnificent improvement since we've been here taking over this area in May."
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 8, 2009 - Iraqi security forces are making tremendous progress throughout southern Iraq, the commander of coalition forces in the region said today. Army Maj. Gen. Richard Nash, who commands the Minnesota National Guard's 34th Infantry Division as well as Multinational Division South in Iraq, said the Iraqi army, police and border police are performing very well.
"The Iraqi security forces have had tremendous success in establishing security throughout the nine provinces of southern Iraq," Nash said in a video conference with Pentagon reporters today. The spreading security is encouraging local Iraqis to side with the government and has resulted in significant captures of weapons and ammunition, he said.
An operation in Dhi Qar and Laysan provinces took plates used in making armor-piercing roadside bombs, magnetic "sticky" bombs, rocket-propelled grenades, hundreds of machine guns, assault rifles, and thousands of small-arms rounds out of the hands of extremists, the general said.
"Additionally, over a hundred rockets, artillery rounds and mortar shells were collected from cache sites between the arid dunes of northern Maysan and the marshes in the south of the province," Nash said. "The Iraqi army is cementing its reputation with the citizens of southern Iraq as a catalyst for peace and adding to their security."
Most of these caches were exposed by tips from the concerned Iraqis who refuse to let criminals and terrorists erode security and economic opportunity in their country, the general said.
The number of incidents in the region has dropped to about 1.3 per day over an area containing more than 10 million people, the general said. Roadside-bomb attacks have dropped, but indirect-fire attacks – rockets or mortars – have increased, he said.
"Our mission here in Iraq is to build civil capacity and train and support our Iraqi partners in their mission to provide security for the Iraqi people," Nash said.
The way forward includes continuing to work with the Iraqi police, the Iraqi army and the department of border enforcement, Nash said. He said the division has military training teams embedded with Iraqi formations, and that the United States provides intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets along with medical evacuation capabilities. The division also has the first "advise and assist brigade" – the 1st Armored Division's 4th Brigade. The brigade's approach is a new way of working with the Iraqis, and the Americans are writing a new training book as they work alongside their Iraqi counterparts, Nash said.
The U.S. military does not provide logistics support. The Iraqis provide their own food, fuel, maintenance and ground transportation in his region, he noted. "We have also developed a good network of intelligence, and we share that with our Iraqi partners on a continuous basis," Nash said. "They have full knowledge of how we bring that information together."
The Iraqis are in the lead, the general emphasized, with American partners. "They get warrants for their arrests; they go in front of a judge," he said. "And the rule of law is well in place and embedded. And they're really doing a great job, and I've seen just magnificent improvement since we've been here taking over this area in May."
SECRETARY NAPOLITANO AND GIRL SCOUTS OF THE USA ANNOUNCE NEW PREPAREDNESS PATCH
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano and Girl Scouts of the USA CEO Kathy Cloninger today unveiled a Girl Scout preparedness patch—designed to engage Girl Scouts and their families in personal preparedness for all emergencies—and announced a new affiliation between DHS Citizen Corps and the Girl Scouts to advance community preparedness nationwide. “This new preparedness patch will increase citizen preparedness and enhance our country’s readiness for disasters,” said Secretary Napolitano. “As a former Girl Scout, I know the ‘Be Prepared’ motto well—and I look forward to working with the Girl Scouts to spread the preparedness message to all of our nation’s citizens.”
“Girl Scouts are thrilled to be partnering with the Department of Homeland Security to encourage girls to learn what to do in case of emergency,” said Kathy Cloninger. “Citizen Corps is a terrific program—one that provides an opportunity for our girls to lead the way in ensuring that their families and their communities are prepared for emergencies.”
The preparedness patch program, developed by the Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), provides critical emergency preparedness information and activities for all levels of Girl Scouts.
The steps and activities required to receive the patch include identifying and preparing for potential emergencies; learning about local alerts and warning systems; and engaging in community service.
In addition to collaborating on the new patch, Secretary Napolitano and Ms. Cloninger also signed an agreement formalizing an affiliation between Citizen Corps and the Girl Scouts that creates a partnership to motivate young women to become community leaders in emergency management and response fields and raises public awareness about personal preparedness, training and community service opportunities.
The announcements took place at Scotchtown Hills Elementary School in Laurel, Md., where Secretary Napolitano participated in President Obama’s My Education, My Future initiative by visiting students and listening to the President’s remarks encouraging them to work hard, set educational goals and take responsibility for their learning.
Secretary Napolitano, Ms. Cloninger and City of Laurel Mayor Craig Moe also participated in preparedness training activities with students highlighting the importance of disaster preparedness, response and recovery.
The announcements are part of September’s National Preparedness Month, during which Secretary Napolitano is encouraging citizens around the country to focus on becoming better prepared for and more resilient in the face of emergencies of all kinds.
DHS Citizen Corps, part of FEMA’s Community Preparedness Division, is a community-based initiative to bring government and community leaders together to involve citizens and organizations in all-hazards emergency preparedness, planning, mitigation, response and recovery.
The Girl Scouts of the USA, chartered by Congress in 1950, is a worldwide organization dedicated solely to girls to build character and skills for success in the real world in an accepting and nurturing environment.
For more information about Citizen Corps, visit www.citizencorps.gov. To learn more about the Girl Scouts, visit www.girlscouts.org.
“Girl Scouts are thrilled to be partnering with the Department of Homeland Security to encourage girls to learn what to do in case of emergency,” said Kathy Cloninger. “Citizen Corps is a terrific program—one that provides an opportunity for our girls to lead the way in ensuring that their families and their communities are prepared for emergencies.”
The preparedness patch program, developed by the Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), provides critical emergency preparedness information and activities for all levels of Girl Scouts.
The steps and activities required to receive the patch include identifying and preparing for potential emergencies; learning about local alerts and warning systems; and engaging in community service.
In addition to collaborating on the new patch, Secretary Napolitano and Ms. Cloninger also signed an agreement formalizing an affiliation between Citizen Corps and the Girl Scouts that creates a partnership to motivate young women to become community leaders in emergency management and response fields and raises public awareness about personal preparedness, training and community service opportunities.
The announcements took place at Scotchtown Hills Elementary School in Laurel, Md., where Secretary Napolitano participated in President Obama’s My Education, My Future initiative by visiting students and listening to the President’s remarks encouraging them to work hard, set educational goals and take responsibility for their learning.
Secretary Napolitano, Ms. Cloninger and City of Laurel Mayor Craig Moe also participated in preparedness training activities with students highlighting the importance of disaster preparedness, response and recovery.
The announcements are part of September’s National Preparedness Month, during which Secretary Napolitano is encouraging citizens around the country to focus on becoming better prepared for and more resilient in the face of emergencies of all kinds.
DHS Citizen Corps, part of FEMA’s Community Preparedness Division, is a community-based initiative to bring government and community leaders together to involve citizens and organizations in all-hazards emergency preparedness, planning, mitigation, response and recovery.
The Girl Scouts of the USA, chartered by Congress in 1950, is a worldwide organization dedicated solely to girls to build character and skills for success in the real world in an accepting and nurturing environment.
For more information about Citizen Corps, visit www.citizencorps.gov. To learn more about the Girl Scouts, visit www.girlscouts.org.
Pakistan Tops List of Challenges, Gates Says
By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 8, 2009 - Of all the challenges and potential problems the United States faces, Pakistan tops Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates' priority list, he said yesterday. "[Pakistan faces] a lot of problems right now," he said during an interview on the "Charlie Rose Show" on PBS. "I think ... they have always thought of India as the existential threat to Pakistan, [but] I think they are beginning to understand that the extremists in the ungoverned spaces in their west have become an existential threat."
Going forward in the Middle East, the United States will be looking for ways to strengthen its partnership with Pakistan, Gates said, such as helping the country with some of its economic problems. At the same time, he added, Pakistan will be encouraged to take action in some of its ungoverned spaces in the western part of the country, where the Taliban and al-Qaida have taken sanctuary.
The situation in western Pakistan was caused, in part, by the withdrawal of Pakistani soldiers, Gates said.
"Now, the Pakistanis are back in the fight," he added. "They have been an important source of support for us. Almost all of our supplies, about 80 percent of our dry cargo, moves through Pakistan to Afghanistan, and they have helped provide protection for the convoys."
Pakistan's intelligence service, the ISI, has cooperated or worked with many of the extremist groups operating in the western part of the country as a method of keeping a handle on them, Gates said, but now the country's new leadership has a decision to make.
"They really have to make up their minds now that ... those groups are a threat, not a hedge," he said. "And they really have to get in the fight against [those groups] as well."
The Pakistani government also understands that if U.S. citizens are attacked, and there's reliable information it originated in Pakistan, the United States will respond, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who also was on the program, said.
"It's a conversation I've had many times -- not just with military leadership, but also with political leadership -- that any president of the United States would respond to an attack on U.S. citizens," Navy Adm. Mike Mullen said. "They understand that very clearly, and they don't disagree with that.
"I think you're at the heart of dealing with the most difficult part of the problems we have there, where we have this safe haven in a sovereign country that is threatening [and] plotting against Americans and other Western countries, and it must be eliminated," Mullen added. "Ideally, that would come through the pressure that the Pakistanis bring to eliminate that threat."
And Pakistan plays an important role in success or failure in Afghanistan, Gates said.
"I think one of the challenges that faces the new administration is, in fact, to decide what our objectives are in Afghanistan, and whether some of our objectives may reach too far into the future in terms of being idealistic," Gates said. "I think everybody agrees that's got to be our highest priority in Afghanistan: to keep it from becoming a safe haven again.
"But that's easier said than done, and it can't just be a military solution," he added. "We also have to help them try and build a government and try and develop their society ... and to improve their governance."
One of his biggest concerns in Afghanistan, Gates said, is how the Afghan people view the American military. If too many U.S. forces are in the country, the United States could come to be seen as "in it for ourselves, and not as their ally, and they can turn against us," Gates said.
"As long as the Afghan people see us as ... in this fight for them as well as for ourselves, then I think we'll be OK," he added. "So I think the solution for us when all is said and done is we must accelerate the growth of the Afghan army and get the Afghan army in the lead where we are helping them and partnering with them."
Though it may sound similar to the situation in Iraq, Gates warned about drawing analogies between the two countries. They are economically worlds apart, he noted, with the Iraqi government having revenues close to $70 billion and Afghanistan closer to $700 million.
"Afghanistan is a desperately poor country, and when you talk about reconstruction in Afghanistan, it's really a euphemism for construction," Gates said. "We're building some of the first paved roads in the history of Afghanistan. So the challenges, I think, in Afghanistan are more complex than they were in Iraq."
Mullen agreed that success in Afghanistan must involve a multi-layered diplomatic solution.
While giving credit to the NATO allies who have provided capabilities in Afghanistan, he added that the requirements in Afghanistan are broad and varied.
"We need police trainers, and there are plenty of countries in Europe that do that exceptionally well. We need individuals not in the military who could take care of training ministries at all levels," he said. "We need development experts, whether it's in agriculture or other industries that would apply in that ... country.
"So we need a lot of help across a full spectrum of capabilities, not just the military side," he added.
While Mullen wouldn't say the United States is winning the war against the Taliban in Afghanistan, he said he thinks it's winnable, though it will mean having U.S. troops on the ground. He also expects the violence -- and, as a result, casualties -- to rise.
"We don't do this without understanding those risks as well," Mullen said. "The one thing I kind of focus on when I think about this is we're not there to occupy Afghanistan. We're not there to run Afghanistan. We're there ... to train and develop and let the Afghan security forces, particularly the army, take the lead."
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 8, 2009 - Of all the challenges and potential problems the United States faces, Pakistan tops Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates' priority list, he said yesterday. "[Pakistan faces] a lot of problems right now," he said during an interview on the "Charlie Rose Show" on PBS. "I think ... they have always thought of India as the existential threat to Pakistan, [but] I think they are beginning to understand that the extremists in the ungoverned spaces in their west have become an existential threat."
Going forward in the Middle East, the United States will be looking for ways to strengthen its partnership with Pakistan, Gates said, such as helping the country with some of its economic problems. At the same time, he added, Pakistan will be encouraged to take action in some of its ungoverned spaces in the western part of the country, where the Taliban and al-Qaida have taken sanctuary.
The situation in western Pakistan was caused, in part, by the withdrawal of Pakistani soldiers, Gates said.
"Now, the Pakistanis are back in the fight," he added. "They have been an important source of support for us. Almost all of our supplies, about 80 percent of our dry cargo, moves through Pakistan to Afghanistan, and they have helped provide protection for the convoys."
Pakistan's intelligence service, the ISI, has cooperated or worked with many of the extremist groups operating in the western part of the country as a method of keeping a handle on them, Gates said, but now the country's new leadership has a decision to make.
"They really have to make up their minds now that ... those groups are a threat, not a hedge," he said. "And they really have to get in the fight against [those groups] as well."
The Pakistani government also understands that if U.S. citizens are attacked, and there's reliable information it originated in Pakistan, the United States will respond, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who also was on the program, said.
"It's a conversation I've had many times -- not just with military leadership, but also with political leadership -- that any president of the United States would respond to an attack on U.S. citizens," Navy Adm. Mike Mullen said. "They understand that very clearly, and they don't disagree with that.
"I think you're at the heart of dealing with the most difficult part of the problems we have there, where we have this safe haven in a sovereign country that is threatening [and] plotting against Americans and other Western countries, and it must be eliminated," Mullen added. "Ideally, that would come through the pressure that the Pakistanis bring to eliminate that threat."
And Pakistan plays an important role in success or failure in Afghanistan, Gates said.
"I think one of the challenges that faces the new administration is, in fact, to decide what our objectives are in Afghanistan, and whether some of our objectives may reach too far into the future in terms of being idealistic," Gates said. "I think everybody agrees that's got to be our highest priority in Afghanistan: to keep it from becoming a safe haven again.
"But that's easier said than done, and it can't just be a military solution," he added. "We also have to help them try and build a government and try and develop their society ... and to improve their governance."
One of his biggest concerns in Afghanistan, Gates said, is how the Afghan people view the American military. If too many U.S. forces are in the country, the United States could come to be seen as "in it for ourselves, and not as their ally, and they can turn against us," Gates said.
"As long as the Afghan people see us as ... in this fight for them as well as for ourselves, then I think we'll be OK," he added. "So I think the solution for us when all is said and done is we must accelerate the growth of the Afghan army and get the Afghan army in the lead where we are helping them and partnering with them."
Though it may sound similar to the situation in Iraq, Gates warned about drawing analogies between the two countries. They are economically worlds apart, he noted, with the Iraqi government having revenues close to $70 billion and Afghanistan closer to $700 million.
"Afghanistan is a desperately poor country, and when you talk about reconstruction in Afghanistan, it's really a euphemism for construction," Gates said. "We're building some of the first paved roads in the history of Afghanistan. So the challenges, I think, in Afghanistan are more complex than they were in Iraq."
Mullen agreed that success in Afghanistan must involve a multi-layered diplomatic solution.
While giving credit to the NATO allies who have provided capabilities in Afghanistan, he added that the requirements in Afghanistan are broad and varied.
"We need police trainers, and there are plenty of countries in Europe that do that exceptionally well. We need individuals not in the military who could take care of training ministries at all levels," he said. "We need development experts, whether it's in agriculture or other industries that would apply in that ... country.
"So we need a lot of help across a full spectrum of capabilities, not just the military side," he added.
While Mullen wouldn't say the United States is winning the war against the Taliban in Afghanistan, he said he thinks it's winnable, though it will mean having U.S. troops on the ground. He also expects the violence -- and, as a result, casualties -- to rise.
"We don't do this without understanding those risks as well," Mullen said. "The one thing I kind of focus on when I think about this is we're not there to occupy Afghanistan. We're not there to run Afghanistan. We're there ... to train and develop and let the Afghan security forces, particularly the army, take the lead."
Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Staff Sgt. Michael C. Murphrey, 25, of Snyder, Texas, died Sept. 6 in Paktika province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska.
For more information the media may contact the U.S. Army, Alaska, public affairs office at (907) 384-2072.
Staff Sgt. Michael C. Murphrey, 25, of Snyder, Texas, died Sept. 6 in Paktika province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska.
For more information the media may contact the U.S. Army, Alaska, public affairs office at (907) 384-2072.
NATO, Afghan Forces Help Flood Victims
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 8, 2009 - NATO International Security Assistance Force servicemembers have helped Afghan forces in their efforts to aid flood victims in eastern Afghanistan. In Laghman province's Alingar district, ISAF servicemembers delivered three truckloads of humanitarian aid items to Sundurwa villagers Sept. 3 after a road washed out, destroying a house and killing nine children. Two children were missing after the flood.
In an effort to support the Afghan Border Police, who initially responded to the washout and provided humanitarian aid, ISAF servicemembers, including an engineer serving with the Nuristan provincial reconstruction team, assessed the road and determined it could take up to a week before it could be repaired.
ISAF also delivered humanitarian supplies to the Behsood district in Nangarhar province after heavy rains and local flooding destroyed 289 homes Aug. 31.
In addition to the assistance provided by Afghan soldiers, Task Force Mountain Warrior members and the Nangarhar provincial reconstruction team provided almost 2 tons of rice, more than 600 pounds of sugar and many other necessities to the flood victims. They also assisted with a contract for repair of the Saracha bridge, which was washed away by the raging waters.
"We are happy to assist the government of Afghanistan as they assist their citizens in need," said U.S. Army Maj. T.G. Taylor, Task Force Mountain Warrior spokesman. "The real effort for these humanitarian assistance missions came from Afghans, including the Afghan National Police and Afghan National Army."
(From an International Security Assistance Force news release.)
Sept. 8, 2009 - NATO International Security Assistance Force servicemembers have helped Afghan forces in their efforts to aid flood victims in eastern Afghanistan. In Laghman province's Alingar district, ISAF servicemembers delivered three truckloads of humanitarian aid items to Sundurwa villagers Sept. 3 after a road washed out, destroying a house and killing nine children. Two children were missing after the flood.
In an effort to support the Afghan Border Police, who initially responded to the washout and provided humanitarian aid, ISAF servicemembers, including an engineer serving with the Nuristan provincial reconstruction team, assessed the road and determined it could take up to a week before it could be repaired.
ISAF also delivered humanitarian supplies to the Behsood district in Nangarhar province after heavy rains and local flooding destroyed 289 homes Aug. 31.
In addition to the assistance provided by Afghan soldiers, Task Force Mountain Warrior members and the Nangarhar provincial reconstruction team provided almost 2 tons of rice, more than 600 pounds of sugar and many other necessities to the flood victims. They also assisted with a contract for repair of the Saracha bridge, which was washed away by the raging waters.
"We are happy to assist the government of Afghanistan as they assist their citizens in need," said U.S. Army Maj. T.G. Taylor, Task Force Mountain Warrior spokesman. "The real effort for these humanitarian assistance missions came from Afghans, including the Afghan National Police and Afghan National Army."
(From an International Security Assistance Force news release.)
Iraqis, With U.S. Advisors, Arrest Suspected Terrorists
American Forces Press Service
Sept. 8, 2009 - Iraq security forces, working with U.S. advisors, arrested eight suspected terrorists in Iraq in the past week, including a suspected terrorist leader who was a general in Saddam Hussein's Republican Guard, military officials said. Two other suspects were killed Sept. 6 after firing on forces as they tried to arrest them. The special operations forces and U.S. advisors were on a mission in Basra to deliver court-issued warrants to charge them with smuggling and distributing arms to terrorist groups.
Here is a breakdown of the missions that led to the eight arrests:
-- In Salahuddin province in northern Iraq on Sept. 4, Iraqi security forces, with U.S. advisors, arrested three men suspected of operating and leading terrorist cells in the province and conducting bomb attacks against Iraqi forces.
-- In a separate Sept. 4 mission in Ninevah province, Iraqi soldiers arrested a suspect accused of attacking Iraqi and U.S. forces.
-- Iraqi commandos, with U.S. advisors, detained a suspected terrorist commander Sept. 5 while issuing a court order for his arrest. Najim Abdallah Zahwen al-Ujayli was wanted for allegedly commanding terrorist cells in and around the Tikrit area. Ujayli was a general in Saddam Hussein's prominent Hammurabi Armored Division of the elite Republican Guard force. Since the fall of Saddam's regime, he is suspected of being a key facilitator in various aspects of terrorist activities, including financial and logistical support and high-level terrorist activity.
-- Iraqi soldiers, along with U.S. advisors, arrested a suspected terrorist without incident in Baghdad on Sept. 3. The suspect is an alleged leader of a large insurgent group in Baghdad province. He was wanted for conducting bomb attacks against Iraqi security forces, government officials and civilians.
-- Iraqi commandos, with U.S. advisors, arrested a suspected terrorist on Sept. 3 in Diyala province. The man was arrested with a warrant and charged with emplacing roadside bombs and conducting indirect-fire attacks against Iraqi forces. He also is implicated in several murders.
(Compiled from Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
Sept. 8, 2009 - Iraq security forces, working with U.S. advisors, arrested eight suspected terrorists in Iraq in the past week, including a suspected terrorist leader who was a general in Saddam Hussein's Republican Guard, military officials said. Two other suspects were killed Sept. 6 after firing on forces as they tried to arrest them. The special operations forces and U.S. advisors were on a mission in Basra to deliver court-issued warrants to charge them with smuggling and distributing arms to terrorist groups.
Here is a breakdown of the missions that led to the eight arrests:
-- In Salahuddin province in northern Iraq on Sept. 4, Iraqi security forces, with U.S. advisors, arrested three men suspected of operating and leading terrorist cells in the province and conducting bomb attacks against Iraqi forces.
-- In a separate Sept. 4 mission in Ninevah province, Iraqi soldiers arrested a suspect accused of attacking Iraqi and U.S. forces.
-- Iraqi commandos, with U.S. advisors, detained a suspected terrorist commander Sept. 5 while issuing a court order for his arrest. Najim Abdallah Zahwen al-Ujayli was wanted for allegedly commanding terrorist cells in and around the Tikrit area. Ujayli was a general in Saddam Hussein's prominent Hammurabi Armored Division of the elite Republican Guard force. Since the fall of Saddam's regime, he is suspected of being a key facilitator in various aspects of terrorist activities, including financial and logistical support and high-level terrorist activity.
-- Iraqi soldiers, along with U.S. advisors, arrested a suspected terrorist without incident in Baghdad on Sept. 3. The suspect is an alleged leader of a large insurgent group in Baghdad province. He was wanted for conducting bomb attacks against Iraqi security forces, government officials and civilians.
-- Iraqi commandos, with U.S. advisors, arrested a suspected terrorist on Sept. 3 in Diyala province. The man was arrested with a warrant and charged with emplacing roadside bombs and conducting indirect-fire attacks against Iraqi forces. He also is implicated in several murders.
(Compiled from Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
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