No Agenda Episode 519 - Freemium Reporter

Presidential Proclamation -- Great Outdoors Month, 2013

Fri, 31 May 2013 21:01

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

May 31, 2013

NATIONAL OCEANS MONTH, 2013

- - - - - - -

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

From providing food and energy to helping sustain our climate and our security, the oceans play a critical role in nearly every part of our national life. They connect us to countries around the world, and support transportation and trade networks that grow our economy. For millions of Americans, our coasts are also a gateway to good jobs and a decent living. All of us have a stake in keeping the oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes clean and productive -- which is why we must manage them wisely not just in our time, but for generations to come.

Rising to meet that test means addressing threats like overfishing, pollution, and climate change. Alongside partners at every level of government and throughout the private sector, my Administration is taking up that task. Earlier this year, we finalized a plan to turn our National Ocean Policy into concrete actions that protect the environment, streamline Federal operations, and promote economic growth. The plan charts a path to better decision-making through science and data sharing, and it ensures tax dollars are spent more efficiently by reducing duplication and cutting red tape. Best of all, it puts stock in the American people -- drawing on their knowledge and empowering communities to bring local solutions to the challenges we face.

By making smart choices in ocean management, we can give our businesses the tools they need to thrive while protecting the long-term health of our marine ecosystems. Let us mark this month by renewing those goals, reinvesting in our coastal economies, and recommitting to good stewardship in the years ahead.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2013 as National Oceans Month. I call upon Americans to take action to protect, conserve, and restore our oceans, coasts, and the Great Lakes.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand thirteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh.

BARACK OBAMA

Presidential Proclamation: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month, 2012 | The White House

Sat, 01 Jun 2013 12:55

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

June 01, 2013

The United States is blessed with a wealth of natural diversity that remains at the heart of who we are as a people. From breathtaking seascapes to the limitless stretch of the Great Plains, our natural surroundings animate the American spirit, fuel discovery and innovation, and offer unparalleled opportunities for recreation and learning. During Great Outdoors Month, we celebrate the land entrusted to us by our forebears and resolve to pass it on safely to future generations.

We owe our heritage to the work of visionary citizens who believed that our obligations as Americans are not just to ourselves, but to all posterity. It is up to all of us to carry that legacy forward in the 21st century -- which is why I was proud to launch the America's Great Outdoors Initiative to bring innovative strategies to today's conservation challenges. Alongside leaders in government and the private sector, we are taking action to expand outdoor opportunities in urban areas, promote outdoor recreation, protect our landscapes, and connect the next generation to our natural treasures. And by tapping into the wisdom of concerned citizens from every corner of our country, we are finding new solutions that respond to the priorities of the American people.

At a time when too many of our young people find themselves in sedentary routines, we need to do more to help all Americans reconnect with the outdoors. To lead the way, First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move Outside! initiative encourages families to get out and enjoy our beautiful country, whether at a National Park or just outside their doorstep. And through the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps, young men and women will get hands-on experience restoring our public lands and protecting our cultural heritage.

Fortunately, we do not have to choose between good environmental stewardship and economic progress because they go hand-in-hand. Smart, sustainable policies can create jobs, increase tourism, and lay the groundwork for long-term economic growth. For example, our National Travel and Tourism Strategy aims to bring more people to all of our national attractions, including our public lands and waters, and the five new National Monuments I was proud to designate earlier this year. Our natural spaces are also laboratories for scientists, inventors, and creators -- Americans who sustain a tradition of innovation that makes our country the most dynamic economy on earth.

For centuries, America's great outdoors have given definition to our national character and inspired us toward bold new horizons. This month, let us reflect on those timeless gifts, and let us vow to renew them in the years to come.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2013 as Great Outdoors Month. I urge all Americans to explore the great outdoors and to uphold our Nation's legacy of conserving our lands and waters for future generations.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand thirteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh.

Obama administration defends NSA collection of Verizon phone records

Sun, 02 Jun 2013 09:59

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

June 01, 2012

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month, 2012

By The President Of The United States Of America

A Proclamation

From generation to generation, ordinary Americans have led a proud and inexorable march toward freedom, fairness, and full equality under the law '‘'‘ not just for some, but for all. Ours is a heritage forged by those who organized, agitated, and advocated for change; who wielded love stronger than hate and hope more powerful than insult or injury; who fought to build for themselves and their families a Nation where no one is a second-class citizen, no one is denied basic rights, and all of us are free to live and love as we see fit.

The lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community has written a proud chapter in this fundamentally American story. From brave men and women who came out and spoke out, to union and faith leaders who rallied for equality, to activists and advocates who challenged unjust laws and marched on Washington, LGBT Americans and allies have achieved what once seemed inconceivable. This month, we reflect on their enduring legacy, celebrate the movement that has made progress possible, and recommit to securing the fullest blessings of freedom for all Americans.

Since I took office, my Administration has worked to broaden opportunity, advance equality, and level the playing field for LGBT people and communities. We have fought to secure justice for all under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act, and we have taken action to end housing discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. We expanded hospital visitation rights for LGBT patients and their loved ones, and under the Affordable Care Act, we ensured that insurance companies will no longer be able to deny coverage to someone just because they are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. Because we understand that LGBT rights are human rights, we continue to engage with the international community in promoting and protecting the rights of LGBT persons around the world. Because we repealed "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," gay, lesbian, and bisexual Americans can serve their country openly, honestly, and without fear of losing their jobs because of whom they love. And because we must treat others the way we want to be treated, I personally believe in marriage equality for same-sex couples.

More remains to be done to ensure every single American is treated equally, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Moving forward, my Administration will continue its work to advance the rights of LGBT Americans. This month, as we reflect on how far we have come and how far we have yet to go, let us recall that the progress we have made is built on the words and deeds of ordinary Americans. Let us pay tribute to those who came before us, and those who continue their work today; and let us rededicate ourselves to a task that is unending '‘'‘ the pursuit of a Nation where all are equal, and all have the full and unfettered opportunity to pursue happiness and live openly and freely.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2012 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. I call upon the people of the United States to eliminate prejudice everywhere it exists, and to celebrate the great diversity of the American people.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.

BARACK OBAMA

Source: The Guardian World News

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 08:59

The White House has sought to justify its surveillance of millions of Americans' phone records as anger grows over revelations that a secret court order gives the National Security Agency blanket authority to collect call data from a major phone carrier.

Politicians and civil liberties campaigners described the disclosures, revealed by the Guardian on Wednesday, as the most sweeping intrusion into private data they had ever seen by the US government.

But the Obama administration, while declining to comment on the specific order, said the practice was "a critical tool in protecting the nation from terrorist threats to the United States".

The secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (Fisa) granted the order to the FBI on April 25, giving the government unlimited authority to obtain the data for a specified three-month period ending on July 19.

Under the terms of the blanket order, the numbers of both parties on a call are handed over, as is location data, call duration, unique identifiers, and the time and duration of all calls. The contents of the conversation itself are not covered.

The disclosure has reignited longstanding debates in the US over the proper extent of the government's domestic spying powers.

Under the Bush administration, officials in security agencies had disclosed to reporters the large-scale collection of call records data by the NSA, but this is the first time significant and top-secret documents have revealed the continuation of the practice under President Obama.

The White House stressed that orders such as the one disclosed by the Guardian would only cover data about the calls rather than their content. A senior administration official said: "Information of the sort described in the Guardian article has been a critical tool in protecting the nation from terrorist threats to the United States, as it allows counter-terrorism personnel to discover whether known or suspected terrorists have been in contact with other persons who may be engaged in terrorist activities, particularly people located inside the United States.

"As we have publicly stated before, all three branches of government are involved in reviewing and authorising intelligence collection under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Congress passed that act and is regularly and fully briefed on how it is used, and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court authorises such collection. There is a robust legal regime in place governing all activities conducted pursuant to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act."

The administration stressed that the court order obtained by the Guardian relates to call data, and does not allow the government to listen in to anyone's calls.

However, in 2013, such metadata can provide authorities with vast knowledge about a caller's identity. Particularly when crosschecked against other public records, the metadata can reveal someone's name, address, driver's licence, credit history, social security number and more. Government analysts would be able to work out whether the relationship between two people was ongoing, occasional or a one-off.

"From a civil liberties perspective, the program could hardly be any more alarming. It's a program in which some untold number of innocent people have been put under the constant surveillance of government agents," said Jameel Jaffer, American Civil Liberties Union deputy legal director. "It is beyond Orwellian, and it provides further evidence of the extent to which basic democratic rights are being surrendered in secret to the demands of unaccountable intelligence agencies."

The order names Verizon Business Services, a division of Verizon Communications. In its first-quarter earnings report, published in April, Verizon Communications listed about 10m commercial lines out of a total of 121m customers. The court order does not specify what type of lines are being tracked. It is not clear whether any additional orders exist to cover Verizon's wireless and residential customers, or those of other phone carriers.

Fisa court orders typically direct the production of records pertaining to a specific named target who is suspected of being an agent of a terrorist group or foreign state, or a finite set of individually named targets. The unlimited nature of the records being handed over to the NSA is extremely unusual.

The Verizon order expressly bars the company from disclosing to the public either the existence of the FBI's request for its customers' records, or the court order itself. "We decline comment," said Ed McFadden, a Washington-based Verizon spokesman said on Wednesday.

News of the order brought swift condemnation from senior US politicians. Former vice-president Al Gore described the "secret blanket surveillance" as "obscenely outrageous". "In [the] digital era, privacy must be a priority," he said.

The court order appears to explain the numerous cryptic public warnings by two US senators, Mark Udall and Ron Wyden, about the scope of the Obama administration's surveillance activities.

For about two years, the two Democrats have been stridently advising the public that the US government is relying on "secret legal interpretations" to claim surveillance powers so broad that the American public would be "stunned" to learn of the kind of domestic spying being conducted.

Udall, a member of the senate intelligence committee, said on Wednesday night: "While I cannot corroborate the details of this particular report, this sort of widescale surveillance should concern all of us and is the kind of government overreach I've said Americans would find shocking."

The Center for Constitutional Rights said in a statement that the secret court order was unprecedented. "As far as we know this order from the Fisa court is the broadest surveillance order to ever have been issued: it requires no level of suspicion and applies to all Verizon [business services] subscribers anywhere in the US.

"The Patriot Act's incredibly broad surveillance provision purportedly authorizes an order of this sort, though its constitutionality is in question and several senators have complained about it."

Mark Rumold, a lawyer with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, said: "This is confirmation of what we've long feared, that the NSA has been tracking the calling patterns of the entire country. We hope more than anything else that the government will allow a judge to decide whether this is constitutional, and we can finally put an end to this practice."

Howard Wolfson, a deputy mayor of New York, described the revelations as "a shocking report that really exploded overnight".

"A lot of people are waking up now and I think they will be horrified," he said. "It is not just the civil libertarian wings of the Republican and Democratic parties; I think most Americans will be really surprised that their government is having access to all of the phone calls they make."

"I don't think the administration's response [so far] is anywhere near adequate. I think you will see a lot of questions being asked in the coming days."

Oregon senator Jeff Merkley said: "This type of secret bulk data collection is an outrageous breach of Americans' privacy. Can the FBI or the NSA really claim that they need data scooped up on tens of millions of Americans?"

FBI Shill John Miller (journalist) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The H Security - Skype's ominous link checking: Facts and speculation

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 10:00

John Miller is an American journalist and a former government official. He is the former Associate Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Analytic Transformation and Technology.[1] Prior to this, he was an Assistant Director of Public Affairs for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), where he was the bureau's national spokesman. Miller is also a former ABC News reporter and anchorman, perhaps best known for conducting a May 1998 interview with Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan.[2][3]

John Miller was named a senior correspondent for CBS News on Oct. 17, 2011. In this capacity, Miller reports for all CBS News platforms and broadcasts, including "CBS This Morning" and occasionally for "60 Minutes."[4]

Background and personal life[edit]Miller is the son of Lucinda Miller of Manhattan and the late John J. Miller, a syndicated columnist and freelance writer[5] whose range of roles included Hollywood gossip columnist, foreign correspondent, Broadway critic, crime investigator, and political pundit.[6] "My dad wrote seven columns under six different names... Antonio from Rome. Pierre from Paris. Nigel from London," Miller has said. His father was also close friends with Luciano crime family boss Frank Costello, whose wife was Miller's godmother.[6]

In 2002, Miller married Emily Helen Altschul, daughter of banking mogul and Goldman Sachs Group partner Arthur Goodhart Altschul.[5] Miller's brother-in-law, Arthur G. Altschul Jr., worked for Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley before becoming chairman of Medicis Pharmaceuticals Corporation.[7]

Career[edit]Miller began work as a journalist in 1973 for WNEW, a local television channel located in New York City, New York. From 1985 to 1994, he worked as an investigative journalist for WNBC, also a local television channel located in New York City.

From 1994 to 1995, he served as deputy police commissioner of New York City, where he was the chief spokesman for the NYPD,[8] a move which some of his colleagues considered "going over to the dark side." He was hired at the request of then Commissioner William Bratton.[6]

Miller then worked as an ABC News correspondent from 1995 until January 2002, when he took the post of co-anchor with Barbara Walters of the ABC News program, 20/20.

In January 2003, he left ABC News to rejoin Bratton who by then was at the Los Angeles Police Department. Miller served as the police department's Bureau Chief for the Counter-Terrorism and Criminal Intelligence Bureau,[8] which included the Major Crimes Division, and the Emergency Services Division and the Special Investigations Section (SIS). While there, Miller launched the Archangel Critical Asset Assessment Management System (ACAMS), which has been adopted by other cities and states for ongoing risk-assessment of potential terrorist targets. Miller was also one of the original designers of the Los Angeles Joint Regional Intelligence Center (JRIC), which combines intelligence and analysis for the LAPD, LA Sheriff, and the FBI.

In September 2005, Miller became the Assistant Director for Public Affairs at the FBI in Washington, D.C.. In this position, he was tasked with overseeing the FBI's internal and external communications, including relations with the news media and handling of fugitive publicity, community relations, and other communications support.[8] At the FBI, Miller made steady improvements in the Public Affairs Office, introducing an aggressive community-outreach strategy aimed at developing stronger relationships in the Arab-American and Muslim communities.[citation needed] Miller also established an Employee Communications Unit to build stronger internal communications to the bureau's 31,000 employees. Among his collateral duties was to serve on the Strategic Execution Team (SET) to establish performance measurement standards for intelligence operations across the FBI's 56 field offices. The system, adapted from the CompStat process used by major police departments, is overseen by FBI DirectorRobert Mueller.

Awards and honors[edit]Miller's journalistic awards include two Peabody Awards, a DuPont-Columbia Award, and nine Emmys.

Memberships and affiliations[edit]He is a member of the International Association of Bomb Technicians and Investigators and the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

Miller is an instructor at the FBI's National Executive Institute, as well as the Leadership in Counterterrorism (LinCT) course and has attended training in organizational change at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government as well as the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

See also[edit]References[edit]^Chief FBI Spokesman John Miller Stepping Down, Ticklethewire.com, 8/18/09^"Who Is Bin Laden?", PBS Frontline, May 1998.^"1998 - Osama Bin Laden Interview with ABC John Miller", YouTube.^John Milller, biography on CBS.com.^ abWEDDINGS/CELEBRATIONS; Emily Altschul, John Miller, New York Times, 24 Nov 2002.^ abcJohn Miller: CBS's Inside Man, Men's Journal, March 2013.]^Profile of Arthur Altschul, Forbes^ abcJohn Miller Named Assistant Director of FBI Office of Public Affairs, FBI National Press Office, 23 Aug 2005.PersondataNameMiller, JohnAlternative namesShort descriptionjournalist, government officialDate of birthPlace of birthDate of deathPlace of death

I like your hypothesis that Obama was drugged up

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 10:35

By J¼rgen Schmidt

Our discovery that URLs sent through Skype are then visited by Microsoft has caused quite a stir. A little more information has now emerged and leads to even more questions.

Early this week, The H reported on how heise Security had discovered that links sent in private Skype chat sessions were being visited by a Microsoft system shortly afterwards. They found that only HTTPS URLs were accessed, and that Microsoft used all the transmitted information '' including any session or user IDs that are often contained in HTTPS URLs. Pages were accessed via HEAD requests, which means that only administrative information was retrieved, but no page content.

The facts of the report as published were confirmed by several independent experts. Although we didn't register any visits to any of the insecure HTTP URLs that were also sent, we have since received credible reports that Microsoft sometimes also accesses these URLs.

There have been speculations that the issue is caused by a security feature that is part of Microsoft's SmartScreen Filter. While this is a very plausible working hypothesis, it creates more questions than answers. The first such question is: why is the check carried out with a time delay of several hours, rather than immediately? Time is a critical factor in active spamming or phishing campaigns, and checking URLs that are several hours old can at best serve only documentation purposes.

The next question is: how does Microsoft intend to rate a page without knowing its content? Potential explanations referring to a reputation database are not valid if no reference data is available for the pages '' as was the case with the URLs that were specially generated for our test. Neither are we convinced by the suggestion that the only purpose of the HEAD request is to discover potential redirections to known malicious pages. Firstly, such a redirection could also be triggered in the HTML code that has not been retrieved (meta http-equiv="refresh"), and secondly, many web pages embed the actual malware code via iFrame tags '' which is not included in the HEAD data either.

Finally, the use of the SmartScreen Filter technique is documented, for example in Internet Explorer, and users can choose to disable it. Not so in Skype. There is no concrete information to suggest that SmartScreen filters are being used in Skype chats, and Skype users have no way of declining the use of this surveillance technique.

Despite all this, it is likely that the observed access activity is connected to some form of security feature. However, if this is the case, the feature has been poorly implemented. It has very few potential benefits '' especially in view of the rather substantial invasion of users' privacy. After all, Microsoft purposefully accesses even personal information that is not intended for third parties '' such as the URL to a private photo album of a family trip that is sent to mum '' and then stores this information on its systems. Microsoft should at least document the use of these surveillance techniques and provide users with the option to decline the well-intended security measure.

No further access attempts from Redmond were observed during our latest link-sending tests in Skype. Let's hope that Microsoft has learnt from this debacle and disabled the feature, at least temporarily. This would be a good time to meditate on the problem, think carefully about the costs and benefits of such surveillance features and then contemplate how to implement them properly. Incidentally, similar tests carried out in the Google, Facebook and ICQ chat clients returned no results '' which means that no access attempts were registered on the special URLs that were sent via these clients.

Obama Cocaine Analysis

John/Adam,

After listening to the remainder

of Sunday's show this morning, and hearing the piece about Obama on

cocaine, an immediate thought came to mind. Is this was caused him to

get so strung out before his first debate in October? Also, what if he

isn't regular cocaine user, but perhaps he is on speed or even adderall?

---

A

decade. There is no question that I have a mild addiction to it. I can

live without it, but you go into the normal withdrawal depression state

like you would with any other drug, and you are put into an

overwhelmingly lethargic state. You just can't get off your ass. One

thing I have learned about this drug is that you have to take a mental

vacation every 3 or 4 months.

After a few months of use you

start to get diminishing returns, and you start to feel the toll the

drug takes on your brain. This would seem normal with any drug that you

use for an extended period of time where the sole purpose is to alter

chemical imbalances. You build up a tolerance. Drugs like this are also

vasoconstrictors. In addition to increased heart rate and blood

pressure, you urinate quite frequently. After prolonged use, you start

to feel physically drained from constant dehydration. You just need a

break from this stuff before you collapse.

---

Back

been in office. The thing has been almost like clockwork. Every

Christmas the family heads to Hawaii. In May-July they take a vacation

somewhere (2010 - Chicago, 2011 - Camp David, 2012 - Camp David). In

August, Martha's Vineyard.

The one time the Obama Family did

not go to Martha's Vineyard was in August 2012. Obama skipped the trip

to focus on the campaign. Then, in September, Benghazi happens.

his normal drug of choice wasn't doing it for him anymore. He may have

needed an extra kick. Hell, he may have even been back with Larry

Sinclair in his steamy love affair (queue Manning).

I think the best evidence may be

the events in the weeks and months after Benghazi. Look at the first

Presidential Debate on October 3rd. He came out there completely dull,

unenthusiastic and tired. I think he was trying to back off of the

drugs, and he paid for it that night.

After the first debate, we never

see him like that again. Lets assume that he decided to say screw the

mental breathers, and to really kick the drugs into high gear to help

him gain some confidence and win the elections. I think that he is a

smart enough to know that this type of action can have severe mental

consequences down the road. So, what is a President to do when he can't

admit his drug use, but wants to try and buy himself a cure down the

road?

Launch a $100 Million BRAIN Initiative of course.

---

Enjoying the show as always guys. You have been killing it.

- RJ

The White House Mystery Drug - The Daily Beast

PROVIGIL® (modafinil) '' Home

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 23:06

Tucked away under a list of medications in the report on President Obama's recent physical exam is this intriguing notation: ''Jet lag/time zone management, direct physician prescribed program, occasional medication use.'' Obama's doctor, Navy Capt. Jeffrey Kuhlman, didn't say what drug the president might be taking to fight the mind-numbing effects of crossing too many time zones. But sleep doctors we consulted say one possibility is Provigil, a stimulant that is regularly prescribed to help people fend off excessive sleepiness.

Fans claim you get all the benefits of a triple shot of espresso without the jitters or anxiety that can accompany a massive hit of caffeine.

''If they're going to give him something to wake him up, Provigil is the way to go,'' says Dr. Lisa Shives, medical director of Northshore Sleep Medicine in Evanston, Illinois.

While the White House won't say what the president is actually taking, Provigil (also known by its generic name modafinil) is an intriguing possibility. The drug has acquired an almost mythic status in recent years as a pill that makes it possible for the user to bypass the all-too-human need for sleep and work 24 or even 36 hours at a stretch. Manufactured by Cephalon, it's in a class of medications called ''wakefulness promoting agents.'' Fans claim you get all the benefits of a triple shot of espresso without the jitters or anxiety that can accompany a massive hit of caffeine. It's reported to be increasingly popular among sleep-deprived cohorts like long-distance truckers, fighter pilots, and students pulling all-nighters'--and brought in $1 billion for Cephalon in 2008.

One little hitch: It's not approved by the Food and Drug Administration for this purpose. The FDA says modafinil can only be marketed as a treatment for three things: narcolepsy, shift-work sleep disorder and excessive daytime sleepiness in patients who have been treated for obstructive sleep apnea. Using the drug to keep patients awake after a long trip would be considered ''off-label,'' although it's perfectly legal and very common, says Shives. And that off-label status could soon change. The FDA is reviewing Cephalon's application to market a drug called Nuvigil, which is similar to Provigil, as a jet-lag remedy.

Modafinil does sometimes have side effects, including rashes, headaches, dizziness, and nausea. Still, occasional use of the drug (if that's indeed what Obama has taken) isn't likely to have long-term consequences, doctors say. ''I wouldn't be worried,'' Shives says. Shives said she thinks Obama could also be taking a sleep aid like Ambien or Lunesta ''so that he can go to sleep at a time when it might be unnatural for his circadian rhythm.'' The effect of both drugs can last up to eight hours, which is why you shouldn't take them if you need to be alert in less time. Another drug, Sonata, works much the same way but is shorter-acting, Shives says.

Ambien has had bad press in recent years'--and it might be a riskier choice for the president. There have been reports of patients on Ambien sleepwalking and sleep-eating, and even occasional stories about people who drove while on Ambien and didn't realize they were behind the wheel. When her patients complain of side effects, Shives simply tells them to stop taking the drug. ''You do hear reports of some strange and bad behavior but you have to put that in the context of how many millions of people take this drug'' without these problems, she says.

Again, we don't know exactly what the president has taken to fight jet lag. But if these drugs are indeed part of his treatment, it's easy to see why his doctors might have resorted to medication. Scientists have been studying jet lag for years and they're just beginning to understand how body rhythms work to help us fall asleep and stay awake at regular times. It's a very delicate system and you mess with it at your peril. The sleep-wake cycle shifts slowly; you can't push it around more than an hour or two a day, says Charmane Eastman, director of the Biological Rhythms Research Lab at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. ''It's very hard to get it to go faster,'' she says.

Eastman has been studying jet lag for many years. She's even devised schedules to help astronauts trick Mother Nature and avoid sleep problems in deep space. Her plan works for ordinary road warriors as well, and it could be what Obama's doctor meant by ''time zone management.'' For a few days before you take off, you gradually shift your sleep and wake times either ahead or back, depending on which direction you're headed. Eastman also advises using bright light (from a light box or outdoor light) and the hormone melatonin, which can help reset the body clock. A dose of melatonin in the morning resets your body clock later while a dose in the afternoon resets it earlier. Bright light in the morning resets your clock earlier while bright light at night resets it later.

If Obama followed Eastman's recommendations, he could arrive at his destination already in sync with his new time zone and might not even need anything else to stay alert. ''I would love to make a schedule for him,'' Eastman said. ''It would be fun.'' And also timely: Obama is next scheduled to leave the country on March 18. His destination: Australia and Indonesia, another 12 time zones away.

Barbara Kantrowitz is a contributing editor at Newsweek and co-author ofThe Menopause Book(Workman Publishing, 2009).

Modafinil - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Doctor's Report: Obama 'Lean And Muscular' With 'Minor Skin Rashes'

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 23:10

Modafinil is a eugeroic that is approved by the United States' Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of narcolepsy, shift work sleep disorder[1][2] and excessive daytime sleepiness associated with obstructive sleep apnea.[3]

Pharmacology[edit]Despite extensive research into the interaction of modafinil with a large number of neurotransmitter systems, its precise mechanism or mechanisms of action remain unclear.[4][5] Modafinil elevates hypothalamichistamine levels,[6] leading some researchers to consider modafinil a "wakefulness promoting agent" rather than a classic amphetamine-like stimulant.[7] Modafinil seems to inhibit the actions of the dopamine transporter, thus leading to an increase in extracellular and thus synaptic concentrations of dopamine.[8]

The locus of the monoamine action of modafinil has also been the target of studies, identifying effects on dopamine in the striatum and nucleus accumbens,[9][10]noradrenaline in the hypothalamus and ventrolateral preoptic nucleus,[11][12] and serotonin in the amygdala and frontal cortex.[13]

A considered mechanism of action involves brain peptides called orexins, also known as hypocretins. Orexin neurons are found in the hypothalamus but project to many different parts of the brain, including several areas that regulate wakefulness. Activation of these neurons increases dopamine and norepinephrine in these areas, and excites histaminergic tuberomammillary neurons increasing histamine levels there. It has been shown in rats that modafinil increases histamine release in the brain, and this may be a possible mechanism of action in humans.[14] There are two orexin receptors, namely orexin receptor 1 (OX1/hcrt1) and orexin receptor 2 (OX2/hcrt2). Animals with defective orexin systems exhibit signs and symptoms similar to narcolepsy, for treatment of which Modafinil is FDA approved. Modafinil seems to activate these orexin neurons in animal models, which would be expected to promote wakefulness.[15][16] However, modafinil is also able to promote wakefulness with similar efficacy to amphetamine in dogs with complete loss-of-function mutations in orexin receptor 2,[17] suggesting that orexin activation is not required for these effects of modafinil. Additionally, a study of orexin-knockout mice found that not only did modafinil promote wakefulness in these mice, but that it did so even more effectively than in wild-type mice.[18]

Modafinil's substantial, but incomplete, independence from both monoaminergic systems and those of the orexin peptides has proven difficult to explain, in contrast to the better-understood mechanisms of stimulants such as cocaine or amphetamines. Alternative mechanisms of action that have been proposed include the activation of glutamatergic circuits while inhibiting GABAergic neurotransmission.[19][20] Enhanced electrotonic coupling by enhancing the effectiveness of direct gap junctions between neurons has also been suggested by several studies. Most neurons are separated by synapses, and communication between cells is accomplished via release and diffusion of neurotransmitters. However, some neurons are directly connected to one another via gap junctions, and it is proposed that modafinil influences the effectiveness of these connections. Urbano et al. determined that modafinil increased activity via this mechanism in the thalamocortical loop, which is critical in organizing sensory input and modulating global brain activity.[21] Administration of the gap junction blocker mefloquine abolished this effect, providing good evidence that this result was a consequence of improved electrical coupling. Further research by the same group also noted the capacity of the calmodulin kinase II (CaMKII) inhibitor, KN-93, to abolish modafinil's enhancement of electrotonic coupling. They came to the conclusion that modafinil's effect is mediated, at least in part, by a CaMKII-dependent exocytosis of gap junctions between GABAergicinterneurons and possibly even glutamatergicpyramidal cells. Additionally, Garcia-Rill et al. discovered that modafinil has pro electrotonic effects on specific populations of neurons in two sites in the reticular activating system. These sites, the subcoeruleus nucleus and the pedunculopontine nucleus, are thought to enhance arousal via cholinergic inputs to the thalamus.[22]

Looking more closely at electrotonic coupling, gap junctions permit the diffusion of current across linked cells and result in higher resistance to action potential induction since excitatory post-synaptic potentials must to diffuse across a greater membrane area. This means, however, that when action potentials do arise in coupled cell populations, the entire populations tend to fire in a synchronized manner.[23] Thus enhanced electrotonic coupling results in lower tonic activity of the coupled cells while increasing rhythmicity. Agreeing with data implicating catecholaminergic mechanisms, modafinil increases phasic activity in the locus coeruleus (the source for CNS norepinephrine) while reducing tonic activity with respect to interconnections with the prefrontal cortex.[24] This implies an increased signal-to-noise ratio in the circuits connecting the two regions. Greater neuronal coupling theoretically could enhance gamma band rhythmicity, a potential explanation for modafinil's nootropic effects.[25] Modafinil's beneficial effects on working memory and motor networks are suggestive of heightened gamma band activity.[25]

Direct links between electrotonic coupling and wakefulness were provided by Beck et al. who showed that administration of modafinil enhanced arousal-specific P13 evoked potentials in a gap-junction dependent manner.[26] Tying into inconclusive effects on monoamine systems, enhanced electrotonic coupling is thought to reduce activity in localized populations of GABAergic neurons whose normal function is to reduce neurotransmitter release in other cells.[23] For example, dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens has been demonstrated to be the result of decreased GABAergic tone.[27] Thus, while modafinil's unique stimulant profile features interactions with monoamine systems, these may very well be downstream events secondary to effects on specific, electrotonically-coupled populations of GABAergic interneurons. It is likely that modafinil's exact pharmacology will feature the interaction of direct effects on electrotonic coupling and various receptor-mediated events.

Recently, modafinil was screened at a large panel of receptors and transporters in an attempt to elucidate its pharmacology.[8] Of the sites tested, it was found to significantly act only on the dopamine transporter (DAT), inhibiting the reuptake of dopamine with an IC50 value of 4 Î¼M. Accordingly, it increases locomotor activity and extracellular dopamine concentrations in a manner similar to the selectivedopamine reuptake inhibitorvanoxerine, and also blocks methamphetamine-induced dopamine release. As a result, it appears that modafinil exerts its effects by acting as a weak dopamine reuptake inhibitor, though it cannot be ruled out that other mechanisms may also be at play. On account of its action as a dopamine reuptake inhibitor and lack of abuse potential, modafinil was suggested as a treatment for methamphetamineaddiction by the authors of the study.[8]

The (R)-enantiomer of modafinil, known as armodafinil, has also recently been found to act as a D2receptorpartial agonist, with a Ki of 16 nM, an intrinsic activity of 48%, and an EC50 of 120 nM, in rat striatal tissue. The (S)-enantiomer is inactive (Ki > 10,000).[28]

Pharmacokinetics[edit]Modafinil induces the cytochrome P450 enzymes CYP1A2, CYP2B6 and CYP3A4, as well as inhibiting CYP2C9 and CYP2C19 in vitro.[29] It may also induce P-glycoprotein, which may affect drugs transported by Pgp, such as digoxin.[citation needed] The bioavailability of Modafinil is greater than 80% of the administered dose. In vitro measurements indicate that 60% of modafinil is bound to plasma proteins at clinical concentrations of the drug. This percentage actually changes very little when the concentration is varied.[30] Cmax occurs approximately 2''3 hours after administration. Food slows absorption, but does not affect the total AUC. Half-life is generally in the 10''12 hour range, subject to differences in CYP genotypes, liver function and renal function. It is metabolized in the liver, and its inactive metabolite is excreted in the urine. Urinary excretion of the unchanged drug ranges from 0% to as high as 18.7%, depending on various factors.[30]

Modafinil's efficacy in improving vigor and well-being in sleep deprivation subjects is dependent on COMT status. Research suggests that individuals with the Val/Val genotype experience a great improvement in their cognitive function, while those with the Met/Met genotype experience very little improvement.[31]

Detection in body fluids[edit]Modafinil and/or its major metabolite, modafinilic acid, may be quantified in plasma, serum or urine to monitor dosage in those receiving the drug therapeutically, to confirm a diagnosis of poisoning in hospitalized patients or to assist in the forensic investigation of a vehicular traffic violation. Instrumental techniques involving gas or liquid chromatography are usually employed for these purposes.[32][33] As of 2011, it is not specifically tested for by common drug screens (with the exception of anti-doping screens) and is unlikely to cause false positives for other chemically-unrelated drugs such as amphetamines.[34]

History[edit]Modafinil was originally developed in France by neurophysiologist and emeritus experimental medicine professor Michel Jouvet and Lafon Laboratories. Modafinil originated with the late 1970s invention of a series of benzhydryl sulfinyl compounds, including adrafinil, which latter was first offered as an experimental treatment for narcolepsy in France in 1986. Modafinil is the primary metabolite of adrafinil, lacking the polar -OH group on its terminal amide,[35] and has similar activity to the parent drug but is much more widely used. It has been prescribed in France since 1994 under the name Modiodal, and in the US since 1998 as Provigil. It was approved for use in the UK in December 2002. Modafinil is marketed in the US by Cephalon Inc., who originally leased the rights from Lafon, but eventually purchased the company in 2001.

Cephalon began to market the R-enantiomer Armodafinil of Modafinil in the U.S. in 2007. After protracted patent litigation and negotiations (see below), generic versions of Modafinil became available in the U.S. in 2012.

Indications and off-label uses[edit]Approved uses[edit]In the United States, modafinil is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration only for the treatment of narcolepsy, shift work sleep disorder, and as an adjunct treatment for obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea.[36] In some countries, it is also approved for other hypersomnias, like idiopathic hypersomnia. The usual prescribed dosage for these disorders is 200 mg once a day (less commonly, 100 to 400 mg/day in one or two doses).

For conditions other than shift work sleep disorder, modafinil is normally taken in one dose in the morning or in two doses in the morning and at midday. It is generally not recommended to take modafinil after noon: modafinil is a relatively long-acting drug with a half-life of 15 hours, and taking it during the later part of the day carries a risk of sleep disturbances.[37][unreliable medical source?]

Because of the risk for development of skin or hypersensitivity reactions and neuropsychiatric disorders, the European Medicines Agency has recommended that new patient prescriptions should only be to treat sleepiness associated with narcolepsy.[38] Because any serious side effects will usually appear within the first twelve weeks, the guidance does not require patients already receiving treatment to stop taking the drug.[39]

ADHD[edit]Modafinil was shown to be an effective treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder(ADHD);[40] however, in 2006, it was found by the FDA to be unfit for use by children for that purpose. It was rejected primarily due to two cases of serious skin rash, suspected to have been Erythema multiforme or Stevens''Johnson syndrome, among 933 subjects receiving the drug.[41][42][43][44] Cephalon's own label for Provigil now discourages its use by children for any purpose.[40]

Psychiatric/neurodegenerative disorders[edit]Other potentially effective, but unapproved uses include the treatment of depression,[45]bipolar depression,[46][47]opiate[48] and cocaine dependence,[49]Parkinson's disease,[50]schizophrenia,[51] and disease-related fatigue,[52][53] as well as fatigue that is the side effect of another medication.[54]

Modafinil may be also an effective and well-tolerated treatment in patients with seasonal affective disorder.[55]

A randomizeddouble-blind study of modafinil showed that normal healthy volunteers between the ages of 30-44 showed general improvement in alertness as well as mood. In the three-day study, counterbalanced, randomized, crossover, inpatient trial of modafinil 400 mg was administered as well as a placebo to the control group. The conclusion demonstrated that modafinil may have general mood-elevating effects in particular for the adjunctive use in treatment-resistant depression.[56]

Depersonalization disorder[edit]Modafinil used alone has been reported to be effective in a subgroup of individuals with depersonalization disorder; the subgroup of people with depersonalization disorder most likely to respond are those who have attentional impairments, under-arousal and hypersomnia. However, clinical trials have not been conducted.[57] Dr. Evan Torch calls a combination of an SSRI and Modafinil "the hidden pearl that can really help depersonalization disorder".[58]

Cognitive enhancement[edit]There is disagreement to whether the cognitive effects modafinil showed in healthy non-sleep-deprived people are sufficient to consider it to be a cognitive enhancer.[59][60][61] The researchers agree that modafinil improves some aspects of working memory, such as digit span, digit manipulation and pattern recognition memory, but the results related to spatial memory, executive function and attention are equivocal.[59][60][61][62] Some of the positive effects of modafinil may be limited to "lower-performing"[62] individuals.[63] One study found that modafinil restored normal levels of learning ability in methamphetamine addicts, but had no effect on non-addicts.[64]

There is evidence of neuroprotective effects in rats.[65]

Multiple Sclerosis[edit]Modafinil has also found off-label use with the neurological fatigue reported by some with multiple sclerosis.[66] In 2000, Cephalon conducted a study to evaluate modafinil as a potential treatment for MS-related fatigue. A group of 72 people with MS of varying degrees of severity tested two different doses of modafinil and an inactive placebo over nine weeks. Fatigue levels were self-evaluated on standardized scales. Participants taking a lower dose of modafinil reported feeling less fatigued and there was a statistically significant difference in fatigue scores for the lower dose versus the placebo. The higher dose of modafinil was not reported to be significantly more effective.[67][68]

Fatigue[edit]Modafinil is also used off-label to treat sedation and fatigue in many conditions, including depression,[69][70]fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, myotonic dystrophy,[71]opioid-induced sleepiness,[72] spastic cerebral palsy,[73] and Parkinson's disease.[74] Modafinil has been shown to improve excessive daytime somnolence and fatigue in primary biliary cirrhosis.[56]

It has been reported to reduce jet lag[75] and increase subjective mood and friendliness among shift workers.[76] It is also prescribed by sleep physicians for delayed sleep phase syndrome, which causes excessive daytime somnolence when the natural (delayed) diurnal rhythm is replaced by a socially determined earlier or forward shifted sleep schedule.[77] The resultant wakefulness and neuro-behavioural impairments are comparable to those of travel-associated jet lag and persist as long as the forward shifted sleep schedule is maintained. A similar phenomenon commonly experienced by students and workers with varying sleep schedules during the week is often referred to as "social jet lag" and has been implicated in metabolic disorders and obesity.[78]

Cocaine addiction[edit]Modafinil is under investigation as a possible method to treat cocaine dependence, for several reasons involving biochemical mechanisms of the two drugs, as well as the observation that clinical effects of modafinil are largely opposite to symptoms of cocaine withdrawal.

The pilot 8-week double-blind study of modafinil for cocaine dependence (2004) produced inconclusive results. The number of cocaine-positive urine samples was significantly lower in the modafinil group as compared to the placebo group in the middle of the trial, but by the end of the 8 weeks the difference stopped being significant. Even before the treatment began, the modafinil group had lower cocaine consumption further confounding the results. As compared to placebo, modafinil did not reduce cocaine craving or self-reported cocaine use, and the physicians ratings were only insignificantly better.[79] Dan Umanoff, of the National Association for the Advancement and Advocacy of Addicts, criticized the authors of the study for leaving the negative results out of the discussion part and the abstract of the article.[80][81]

A later double-blind study of modafinil in people seeking treatment for cocaine dependence found no statistically significant effect on the rate of change in percentage of cocaine non-use days, but noted a significant improvement in some secondary outcomes such as the maximum number of consecutive non-use days for cocaine.[82]

Post-chemotherapy cognitive impairment[edit]Modafinil has been used off-label in trials with people with symptoms of post-chemotherapy cognitive impairment, also known as "chemobrain", but in 2011 it was found to be no better than placebo.[83] As of 2011 there was no evidence to support using it to reduce fatigue in palliative care.[84]

Weight loss[edit]Studies on modafinil (even those on healthy weight individuals) indicate that it has an appetite reducing/weight loss effect.[76][85][86][87][88] All studies on modafinil in the Medline database that are for one month or longer which report weight changes find that modafinil users experience weight loss compared to placebo.[89] In 2008, one small-scale study on individuals performing simulated shift work quantified the effect as a 18% decrease in total caloric intake on 200 mg/day, and a 38% decrease on 400 mg/day.[90]

However, the prescribing information for Provigil notes that "There were no clinically significant differences in body weight change in patients treated with PROVIGIL compared to placebo-treated patients in the placebo-controlled clinical trials."[91]

In experimental studies, the appetite reducing effect of modafinil appears to be similar to that of amphetamines, but, unlike amphetamines, the dose of modafinil that is effective at decreasing food intake does not significantly increase heart rate. Also, an article published in the Annals of Clinical Psychiatry, presented the case of a 280 pound patient (BMI=35.52) who lost 40 pounds over the course of a year on Modafinil (to 30.44 BMI). After three years, his weight stabilized at a 50 pound weight loss (29.59 BMI). The authors conclude that placebo controlled studies should be conducted on using Modafinil as a weight loss agent.[85] Conversely, a US patent (#6,455,588) on using modafinil as an appetite stimulating agent has been filed by Cephalon in 2000.

Doping agent[edit]Modafinil has received some publicity in the past when several athletes (such as sprinter Kelli White in 2004, cyclist David Clinger[92] and basketball player Diana Taurasi[93] in 2010) were discovered allegedly using it as a performance-enhancing doping agent. (Taurasi and another player, Monique Coker, tested at the same lab, were later cleared.[94]) It is not clear how widespread this practice is. The BALCO scandal brought to light an as-yet unsubstantiated (but widely published) account of Major League Baseball's all-time leading home-run hitter Barry Bonds' supplemental chemical regimen that included Modafinil in addition to anabolic steroids and human growth hormone.[95] Modafinil has been shown to prolong exercise time to exhaustion while performing at 85% of VO2max and also reduces the perception of effort required to maintain this threshold.[96] Modafinil was added to the World Anti-Doping Agency "Prohibited List" in 2004 as a prohibited stimulant (see Modafinil Legal Status).

In the 1980s, modafinil was used by French students.[97] Recently modafinil has become popular in performance-enhancing use by university students and corporate executives in the United Kingdom. Some students obtain the drug through illicit means (diversion of prescribed medication), whilst others obtain it through online pharmacies.[98]

Military and law enforcement[edit]Militaries of several countries are known to have expressed interest in Modafinil as an alternative to amphetamines'--the drug traditionally employed in combat situations where troops face sleep deprivation, such as during lengthy missions. The French government indicated that the Foreign Legion used modafinil during certain covert operations. The United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence commissioned research into modafinil[99] from QinetiQ and spent £300,000 on one investigation.[100] In 2011, the Indian Air Force announced that modafinil was included in contingency plans.[101] The Indian Armed Forces Medical Services is researching its use.

In the United States military, Modafinil has been approved for use on certain Air Force missions, and it is being investigated for other uses.[102] One study of helicopter pilots suggested that 600 mg of modafinil given in three doses can be used to keep pilots alert and maintain their accuracy at pre-deprivation levels for 40 hours without sleep.[103] However, significant levels of nausea and vertigo were observed. A second helicopter study found modafinil was comparable to dextroamphetamine and was well-tolerated.[104] Another study of fighter pilots showed that modafinil given in three divided 100 mg doses sustained the flight control accuracy of sleep-deprived F-117 pilots to within about 27 percent of baseline levels for 37 hours, without any considerable side effects.[105] In an 88-hour sleep loss study of simulated military grounds operations, 400 mg/day doses were mildly helpful at maintaining alertness and performance of subjects compared to placebo, but the researchers concluded that this dose was not high enough to compensate for most of the effects of complete sleep loss.[106] In law enforcement, tactical paramedics in Maryland (US) may administer 200 mg of modafinil once daily in order to "enhance alertness / concentration" and "facilitate functioning with limited rest periods."[107]

The Canadian Medical Association Journal also reports that Modafinil is used by astronauts on long-term missions aboard the International Space Station. Modafinil is "available to crew to optimize performance while fatigued" and helps with the disruptions in circadian rhythms and with the reduced quality of sleep astronauts experience.[108]

Contraindications and warnings[edit]Literature distributed by maker Cephalon advises that it is important to consult a physician before using Modafinil, particularly for those with:

Hypersensitivity to the drug or other constituents of the tablets (such as lactose or lactose monohydrate), orPrevious cardiovascular problems, particularly while using other stimulants, orCirrhosis, or should not be taken with alcohol, a recent study conducted showed slight euphoria, increased blood pressure, heart rate and some subjects also presented with mild to moderate effects mimicking amphetamines.[citation needed]Cardiac conditions, particularly:Modafinil can make certain types of birth control pills less effective, which could result in an unplanned pregnancy.Modafinil in combination with Yohimbine causes a dangerous increase in heart rate and blood pressure.[109]

Side effects[edit]Modafinil is less likely than its parent drug, adrafinil, to cause side-effects such as stomach pain, skin irritation, anxiety and (with prolonged use) elevated liver enzymes.[35] Common side effects of modafinil include:[110]

Serious side effects include:

Serious rashSerious allergic reaction involving the liver or blood cellsHivesMouth soresBlistering or peeling skinSwelling of the face, eyes, lips, tongue, legs, or throatTrouble swallowing or breathingFeverShortness of breathIn 2007, the FDA ordered Cephalon to modify the Provigil leaflet in bold-face print of several serious and potentially fatal conditions attributed to modafinil use, including toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), DRESS syndrome, and Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS).

The long term safety and effectiveness of modafinil have not been determined.[111]

Modafinil may have an adverse effect on hormonal contraceptives, lasting for a month after cessation of dosage.[112]

Toxicity[edit]In mice and rats, the median lethal dose (LD50) of modafinil is approximately or slightly greater than 1250 mg/kg. Oral LD50 values reported for rats range from 1000 mg/kg to 3400 mg/kg. Intravenous LD50 for dogs is 300 mg/kg. Clinical trials on humans involving taking up to 1200 mg/day for 7 to 21 days and known incidents of acute one-time overdoses up to 4500 mg did not appear to cause life-threatening effects, although a number of adverse experiences were observed, including excitation or agitation, insomnia, anxiety, irritability, aggressiveness, confusion, nervousness, tremor, palpitations, sleep disturbances, nausea, and diarrhea.[113] As of 2004, FDA is not aware of any fatal overdoses involving modafinil alone (as opposed to multiple drugs, including modafinil).[113] Consequently, oral LD50 of modafinil in humans is not known exactly. However, it appears to be higher than oral LD50 of caffeine. Bastuji and Jouvet describe a suicide attempt using 4500 mg of modafinil; the patient survived with no long-term effects but temporary nervousness, nausea, and insomnia.[114] A similar incident involving a suicide attempt by a 15 year old female using 5000 mg of the drug (102 mg/kg) was observed in 2008 in Israel; the patient experienced severe headache, nausea, abdominal pain, dyskinesia, insomnia, and mild tachycardia, but no cardiovascular distress or abnormalities in liver and kidney function, and recovered in a few days without any apparent long-term effects.[115]

Modafinil may induce severe dermatologic reactions requiring hospitalization. From the date of initial marketing, December 1998, to January 30, 2007, FDA received six cases of severe cutaneous adverse reactions associated with modafinil, including erythema multiforme (EM), SJS, TEN, and DRESS involving adult and pediatric patients. The FDA issued a relevant alert. In the same alert, the FDA also noted that angioedema and multi-organ hypersensitivity reactions have also been reported in postmarketing experience.[116]

Addictive potential[edit]A National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) study highlighted "the need for heightened awareness for potential abuse of and dependence on modafinil in vulnerable populations" due to the drug's effect on dopamine in the brain's reward center.[117] However, the synergistic actions of modafinil on both catecholaminergic and histaminergic pathways lower abuse potential as compared to traditional stimulant drugs while maintaining the effectiveness of the drug as a wakefulness promoting agent. Studies have suggested that modafinil "has limited potential for large-scale abuse"[118] and "does not possess an addictive potential in naive individuals."[119]

Patent protection and antitrust litigation[edit]U.S. Patent 4,927,855 was issued to Laboratoire L. Lafon on May 22, 1990, covering the chemical compound modafinil. After receiving an interim term extension of 1066 days and pediatric exclusivity of six-months, it expired on October 22, 2010. On October 6, 1994, Cephalon filed an additional patent, covering modafinil in the form of particles of defined size. That patent, U.S. Patent 5,618,845 was issued on April 8, 1997, but was reissued in 2002 as RE 37,516, which surrendered the 5618845 patent. With pediatric exclusivity, this patent was due to expire on April 6, 2015.[120][121]

On December 24, 2002, anticipating the expiration of exclusive marketing rights, generic drug manufacturers Mylan, Teva, Barr, and Ranbaxy applied to the FDA to market a generic form of modafinil.[122] At least one withdrew its application after early opposition by Cephalon based on the '516 patent. There is some question as to whether a particle size patent is sufficient protection against the manufacture of generics. Pertinent questions include whether modafinil may be modified or manufactured to avoid the granularities specified in the new Cephalon patent, and whether patenting particle size is invalid because particles of appropriate sizes are likely to be obvious to practitioners skilled in the art. However, under United States patent law, a patent is entitled to a legal presumption of validity, meaning that in order to invalidate the patent, much more than "pertinent questions" are required.

As of October 31, 2011, U.S. Reissue Patent No. RE 37,516 has been declared invalid and unenforceable.[123] The District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania ruled that RE 37,516 was invalid because it: (1) was on sale more than one year prior to the date of the application in violation of 35 U.S.C. section 102(b); (2) was actually invented by someone else (the French company Laboratoire L. Lafon); (3) was obvious at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art under 35 U.S.C. section 103(a); and (4) failed the written description requirement of 35 U.S.C. section 112.[124] The patent was also found to be unenforceable due to Cephalon's inequitable conduct during patent prosecution.[124]

Cephalon made an agreement with four major generics manufacturers Teva, Barr Pharmaceuticals, Ranbaxy Laboratories, and Watson Pharmaceuticals between 2005 and 2006 to delay sales of generic modafinil in the US until April 2012 by these companies in exchange for upfront and royalty payments.[125] Litigation arising from these agreements is still pending including an FTC suit filed in April 2008.[126]Apotex received regulatory approval in Canada despite a suit from Cephalon's marketing partner in Canada, Shire Pharmaceuticals.[127][128] Cephalon has sued Apotex in the US to prevent it from releasing a genericized armodafinil (Nuvigil).[129] Cephalon's 2011 attempt to merge with Teva was approved by the FTC under a number of conditions, including granting generic US rights to another company;[130] ultimately, Par Pharmaceutical acquired the US modafinil rights as well as some others.[131]

In England, Mylan Inc. received regulatory approval to sell generic modafinil produced by Orchid in January 2010; Cephalon sued to prevent sale, but lost the patent trial in November.[132]

Legal status[edit]Modafinil is currently[update] classified as a Schedule IV controlled substance under United States federal law; it is illegal to import by anyone other than a DEA-registered importer without a prescription.[133] However, one may legally bring Modafinil into the United States in person from a foreign country, provided that he or she has a prescription for it, and the drug is properly declared at the border crossing. U.S. residents are limited to 50 dosage units (i.e. pills).[134] Note that Adrafinil, a drug that is closely related to Modafinil, is currently not classified as a controlled substance and therefore is not as severely regulated. Under the US Food and Drug Act, drug companies are not allowed to market their drugs for off-label uses (conditions other than those officially approved by the FDA);[135] Cephalon was reprimanded in 2002 by the FDA because its promotional materials were found to be "false, lacking in fair balance, or otherwise misleading".[136] Cephalon pled guilty to a criminal violation and paid several fines, including $50 million and $425 million fines to the U.S. government in 2008.[137][138]

The following countries do not classify Modafinil as a controlled substance:

Currently, use of modafinil is controversial in the sporting world, with high profile cases attracting press coverage since several prominent American athletes have tested positive for the substance (see Modafinil as a doping agent). Some athletes who were found to have used modafinil protested that the drug was not on the prohibited list at the time of their offenses. However, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) maintains that it was related to already banned substances. The Agency added modafinil to its list of prohibited substances on August 3, 2004, ten days before the start of the 2004 Summer Olympics.

Availability[edit]Modafinil is sold under a wide variety of brand names world wide.

Alertec - Canada, EcuadorCarim - Colombia, Ecuador, Honduras, UruguayModalert - India (also Provake, Modapro, Modafil, Modvigil)Modasomil Austria, SwitzerlandModavigil - Australia, New ZealandModiodal - France, Denmark, Greece, Cyprus, Mexico, Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, Norway, Turkey, JapanProvigil - Belgium, Ireland, Italy, South Korea, United Kingdom, United States, South AfricaResotyl - Chile (also Mentix, Alertex, Zalux)Stavigile - BrazilVigia - ColombiaVigicer - ArgentinaVigil - GermanySee also[edit]References[edit]^Erman MK, Rosenberg R, Modafinil Shift Work Sleep Disorder Study Group (2007). "Modafinil for excessive sleepiness associated with chronic shift work sleep disorder: effects on patient functioning and health-related quality of life". Prim Care Companion J Clin Psychiatry9 (3): 188''94. PMC 1911168. PMID 17632651. ^Czeisler CA, Walsh JK, Roth T, Hughes RJ, Wright KP, Kingsbury L, Arora S, Schwartz JR, Niebler GE, Dinges DF (August 2005). 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"Effects of modafinil on dopamine and dopamine transporters in the male human brain: clinical implications". JAMA301 (11): 1148''54. doi:10.1001/jama.2009.351. PMC 2696807. PMID 19293415. ^Myrick H, Malcolm R, Taylor B, LaRowe S (2004). "Modafinil: preclinical, clinical, and post-marketing surveillance--a review of abuse liability issues". Ann Clin Psychiatry16 (2): 101''9. doi:10.1080/10401230490453743. PMID 15328903. ^Deroche-Gamonet V, Darnaud(C)ry M, Bruins-Slot L, Piat F, Le Moal M, Piazza PV (June 2002). "Study of the addictive potential of modafinil in naive and cocaine-experienced rats". Psychopharmacology (Berl.)161 (4): 387''95. doi:10.1007/s00213-002-1080-8. PMID 12073166. ^"Cephalon gets six-month Provigil patent extension". Philadelphia Business Journal. 2006-03-28. Retrieved 2007-07-21. ^"Details for Patent: RE37516". ^"Prescription Access Litigation (PAL) Project :: Prescription Access Litigation (PAL) Project :: Lawsuits & Settlements :: Current Lawsuits". Prescriptionaccess.org. Retrieved 2012-07-04. ^"Document 514 :: APOTEX, INC. v. CEPHALON, INC. et al". Pennsylvania Eastern District Court :: US Federal District Courts Cases :: Justia. 2010-11-31. Retrieved 2012-07-04. ^ ab"Document 513 :: APOTEX, INC. v. CEPHALON, INC. et al". Pennsylvania Eastern District Court :: US Federal District Courts Cases :: Justia. 2010-11-31. Retrieved 2012-07-04. ^"Cephalon Inc., SEC 10K 2008 disclosure". 23 February 2009. pp. 9''10. Retrieved 29 August 2009. ^"CVS, Rite Aid Sue Cephalon Over Generic Provigil". Bloomberg News. 2009-08-21. Retrieved 29 August 2009. ^"Canada IP Year in Review 2008". 1 January 2009. ^"Shire v. Canada". Retrieved 29 August 2009. ^"Cephalon Sues Apotex". Zacks.com. 2010-08-20. Retrieved 2012-07-04. ^""U.S. Federal Trade Commission Clears Teva's Acquisition of Cephalon". Business Wire. 2011-10-07. "Teva will also grant non-exclusive U.S. rights to an undisclosed company to market modafinil tablets, the generic version of Provigil(R), which had annual brand sales in the U.S. of approximately $1.1 billion" ^"Par Pharmaceutical Acquires Three Generic Products From Teva Pharmaceuticals". Press Release. PRNewswire. 2011-10-18. Retrieved 2012-07-04. ^Larson E (2010-11-19). "Cephalon Loses U.K. Bid to Halt Mylan, Orchid Generic-Drug Sales". bloomberg LP. Archived from the original on 2012-04-25. ^"Is It Illegal to Obtain Controlled Substances From the Internet?". United States Drug Enforcement Administration. Retrieved 2007-07-21. ^"USC 201 Section 1301.26 Exemptions from import or export requirements for personal medical use". United States Department of Justice. 1997-03-24. ^U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Prescription Drug Marketing Act of 1987 (PDMA), PL 100-293 Link^"Letter to Cephalon 01/03/2002". Retrieved 2012-07-04. ^"Cephalon executives have repeatedly said that they do not condone off-label use of Provigil, but in 2002 the company was reprimanded by the FDA for distributing marketing materials that presented the drug as a remedy for tiredness, "decreased activity" and other supposed ailments. In 2008, Cephalon paid $425m and pleaded guilty to a federal criminal charge relating to its promotion of off-label uses for Provigil and two other drugs." http://www.law360.com/articles/127434[verification needed]^Anne Zieger (September 30, 2008). "Cephalon settlement requires physician payments to be disclosed". Fierce Healthcare. ^ (2006-10-04). "Regulations Amending the Food and Drug Regulations (1184 '-- Modafinil)" ('' Scholar search). Canada Gazette140 (20). [dead link]^"Estupefacientes y Psicotr"picos" (in Spanish). Comisi"n Federal para la Protecci"n contra Riesgos Sanitarios. Archived from the original on July 13, 2007. Retrieved 2007-07-21. ^Julia Llewellyn Smith (2004-01-06). "The 44-hour day". London: The Daily Telegraph. Further reading[edit]Minzenberg MJ, Carter CS (June 2008). "Modafinil: a review of neurochemical actions and effects on cognition". Neuropsychopharmacology33 (7): 1477''502. doi:10.1038/sj.npp.1301534. PMID 17712350. External links[edit] Adamantanes: AmantadineMemantineRimantadine; Aminotetralins: 7-OH-DPAT8-OH-PBZIRotigotineUH-232; Benzazepines: 6-Br-APBFenoldopamSKF-38,393SKF-77,434SKF-81,297SKF-82,958SKF-83,959; Ergolines: BromocriptineCabergolineDihydroergocryptineEpicriptineLisurideLSDPergolide; Dihydrexidine derivatives: 2-OH-NPAA-86,929CiladopaDihydrexidineDinapsolineDinoxylineDoxanthrine; Others: A-68,930A-77636A-412,997ABT-670ABT-724AplindoreApomorphineAripiprazoleBifeprunoxBP-897CY-208,243DizocilpineEtilevodopaFlibanserinKetamineMelevodopaModafinilPardoprunoxPhencyclidinePD-128,907PD-168,077PF-219,061PiribedilPramipexolePropylnorapomorphinePukateineQuinagolideQuineloraneQuinpiroleRDS-127Ro10-5824RopiniroleRotigotineRoxindoleSalvinorin ASKF-89,145SumaniroleTergurideUmespironeWAY-100,635

Federal Register | Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board-Organization and Delegation of Powers and Duties

Presidential Succession Act - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 08:50

This part describes the organization of the Board, and the assignment of authorities and the responsibilities of the Board, individual Board members, and employees.

As used in this part:

Board means the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, established by the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007, Public Law 110-53.

Chairman means the Chairman of the Board, as appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate under section 801(a) of the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007, Public Law 110-53.

General Counsel means the Board's principal legal advisor.

Member means an individual appointed by the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate, to be a member of the Board.

(a) The Board is comprised of four part-time Board members and a full-time Chairman, each appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate.

(b) The Board's staff is comprised of the following administrative units:

(1) Office of Management and Operations;

(2) Office of the General Counsel; and

(3) Office of Liaison and Oversight.

(a) The Board provides advice and counsel to the President and executive departments and agencies to ensure that privacy and civil liberties are appropriately considered in proposed legislation, regulations, and policies, and in the implementation of new and existing legislation, regulations, and policies, related to efforts to protect the Nation from terrorism;

(b) The Board oversees actions by the executive branch relating to efforts to protect the Nation from terrorism to determine whether such actions appropriately protect privacy and civil liberties and are consistent with governing laws, regulations, and policies regarding privacy and civil liberties; and

(c) The Board receives and reviews reports and other information from privacy and civil liberties officers under 42 U.S.C. 2000ee-1 and, when appropriate, makes recommendations to and coordinates the activities of privacy and civil liberties officers on relevant interagency matters.

(a) The Board. The Board is the head of the agency. The Board is responsible for the overall planning, direction, and control of the agency's agenda. The delegations of authority in this part do not extend to the following actions which are reserved to the Board:

(1) Disposition of all rulemaking and similar proceedings involving the promulgation of rules or the issuance of statements of general policy.

(2) Determination of advice or recommendations to the President or executive departments and agencies regarding the matters described in 42 U.S.C. 2000ee(d).

(3) Determination of the Board's annual agenda or other statement of operational priorities; and

(4) Redelegation to one or more Board members or staff of those responsibilities delegated to the Chairman in § 1000.3(b), in the event of a vacancy.

(5) Any authority that is not delegated by the Board in this part, or otherwise vested in officials other than the Board, is reserved to the Board. Except as otherwise provided, the Board may exercise powers and duties delegated or assigned to individuals other than the Board.

(b) The Chairman. The Chairman is the executive and administrative head of the Board. The Chairman has the authority, duties, and responsibilities assigned to the Chairman under 42 U.S.C. 2000ee(h)(5) and (j)(1) and is responsible for the agency's day-to-day operations. The Chairman is delegated the authority to:

(1) Exercise control over the Board's management and functioning;

(2) Implement and execute the Board's budget;

(3) Develop and effectively use staff support to carry out the functions of the Board, including, but not limited to, the supervision and removal of Board employees and the assignment and distribution of work among staff;

(4) Convene and preside at all meetings of the Board and ensure that every vote and official act of the Board required by law to be recorded is accurately and promptly recorded by the General Counsel;

(5) Act as the Board's spokesman on all matters where an official expression of the Board is required, or as otherwise directed by the Board;

(6) Approve for publication all publicly issued documents, except:

(i) Those authorized by an individual Board Member;

(ii) Decisions or informal opinions of the Board; and

(iii) The semi-annual report required to be published by the Board under 42 U.S.C. 2000ee(e).

(7) Serve as the Board's Chief FOIA Officer under 5 U.S.C. 552(j).

(8) Serves as the Board's Equal Employment Opportunity Director, as described in 29 CFR Part 1614.

(9) Redelegate to one or more Board staff persons those responsibilities delegated to the Executive Director or General Counsel under this part, in the event that either position is unfilled.

(10) Authorize any officer, employee, or administrative unit of the Board to perform a function vested in, delegated, or otherwise designated to the Chairman.

(c) Executive Director. The Executive Director manages the staff and assists the Chairman with the day-to-day operation of the Board. The Executive Director is delegated authority to:

(1) Formulate and implement plans and policies designed to assure the effective administration of the Board's operations and the efficient operations of the staff;

(2) Serve as the Board's Senior Agency Official for Privacy;

(3) Administer the Board's programs under the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. 552, and the Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C. 552a.; and

(4) Authorize any officer or employee of the Board to perform a function vested in, delegated, or otherwise designated to the Executive Director.

(d) General Counsel. The General Counsel is the Board's chief legal officer, and serves as legal advisor to the Board. The General Counsel is delegated authority to:

(1) Serve as the Board's Designated Ethics Official in accordance with 5 CFR 2638.202;

(2) Certify Board votes consistent with Board policies and procedures; and

(3) Authorize any officer or employee of the Board to perform a function vested in, delegated, or otherwise designated to the General Counsel.

(e) Individual Board Members. Any member delegated authority vested in the Chairman under paragraph (a) of this section may redelegate that authority to one or more Board employees.

(f) Exercise of authority. In carrying out any functions delegated under this part, members and staff are governed in the exercise of those functions by all applicable Federal statutes and regulations, and by the regulations, orders, and rules of the Board.

108,000 Contractors Are In Afghanistan? - Business Insider

Statement by the Press Secretary on the Situation in Qusayr

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 16:11

The number of contractors working in Afghanistan now vastly outnumbers American troops stationed there, according to a Congressional Research Service report.

CRS, along with the Government Accountability Office, also determined that the Pentagon is unable to properly document the work these contractors are doing.

And the information DOD is receiving is often unreliable and inaccurate.

According to CRS, there are now 108,000 private workers in Afghanistan, a workforce that dwarfs the 65,700 American troops still stationed there.

That means there are 1.6 contractors for every American soldier in Afghanistan.This is an increase from last month, when The Fiscal Times reported that there were 1.4 contractors per American soldier.

Given the size of the private forces, it's not surprising that CRS found that in recent years, the Defense Department spent more than any other agency to support contractor work.

''Over the last six fiscal years, DOD obligations for contracts performed in the Iraq and Afghanistan areas of operation were approximately $160 billion and exceeded total contract obligations of any other U.S. federal agency,'' CRS found.

The CRS report comes in the wake of a recent GAO report that the United States spent $195 billion for contractor services in 2010, or twice what it spent on contractors in 2001, before the start of the war in Afghanistan.

The increase in the contractors to troop ration is yet another indication that although the vast majority of troops are leaving Afghanistan, a private army will remain in the country for years.

But the CRS and GAO reports did more than simply document how much was being spent on contractors. They also explored contractor oversight and DOD's ability to track contractor work.

Taken together, they amount to yet another indictment of how the Pentagon deals with private workers. CRS found that the Pentagon lacked the ability to document the work each contractor is performing. It also found even when the government has information on contractors, it's often inaccurate and doesn't reflect the actual work being done. This leaves the Pentagon unable to determine if the hundreds of billions it's spending are leading to effective results.

GAO found a number of faults with DOD's contracting process, beginning with their inability to account for work being done in each branch. It attributes this problem to one that has hamstrung the Pentagon's financial auditing process: Different branches of the military use different systems to track contractor work.

''DOD components used various methods and data sources, including their inventories of contracted services, to estimate contractor [full-time equivalents] for budget submissions, but GAO's analysis found that the contractor [full-time equivalents] estimates have significant limitations and do not accurately reflect the number of contractors providing services to DOD.''

Each report found that the inability to track contractor work makes it nearly impossible for DOD to budget in an effective way. But they also made clear that failures to properly monitor contractors ultimately hurt readiness on the battlefield.

''Given current concerns over the reliability of contracting data, the information in the central database may not be sufficiently reliable for decision making at the strategic level. This lack of data makes it difficult to determine to what extent the billions of dollars spent '... have contributed to achieving the mission,'' CRS found.

This story was originally published by The Fiscal Times.

Al-Qusayr

Key Syria town of al-Qusayr falls to government troops

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 21:58

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

June 05, 2013

The United States condemns in the strongest possible terms the Assad regime's assault on Qusayr, which has killed untold numbers of civilians and is causing tremendous humanitarian suffering. The Syrian Arab Republic Government and other parties to this conflict have an obligation under international human rights and humanitarian law to immediately allow neutral, impartial humanitarian organizations, including UN agencies, safe access to evacuate the wounded and provide life-saving medical supplies and treatment.

It is clear that the regime could not contest the opposition's control of Qusayr on its own, and is depending upon Hizballah and Iran to do its work for it in Qusayr. Hizballah's involvement in Syria and the Syrian regime's cross border attack today on Arsal represent blatant violations of Lebanon's sovereignty and a deliberate threat to Lebanese stability. The United States firmly supports Lebanon's security, stability and sovereignty. We commend and support recent statements by Lebanon's leaders calling for adherence to Lebanon's policy of disassociation from the Syrian conflict. Hizballah and Iran should immediately withdraw their fighters from Syria. We also urge all parties to avoid actions that could exacerbate the already devastating toll of this crisis on civilians and increase the risks of spillover of violence.

The United States stands firmly on the side of the Syrian people in their fight for freedom and dignity. We will continue to provide support to the moderate political and military opposition to help them shift the balance on the ground to advance a political transition based on the principles of the Geneva Communiqu(C). Assad's refusal to step aside is only prolonging the suffering of the Syrian people and postponing the inevitable. Assad's reign will end, and the Syrian people will build a new, democratic Syria without him. Those who have committed these heinous crimes against the Syrian people will be held accountable.

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 21:54

Syrian government soldiers stand in the main square of the city of Qusayr on June 5 in Homs province. The army claimed it has seized total control of the city and the surrounding region.(Photo: AFP/Getty Images)

Story HighlightsTown's capture may indicate balance of power shiftingState TV says the army has 'restored security and peace'Qusayr battle has laid bare Hezbollah's growing role in the conflictAMMAN, Jordan '' Syrian rebel fighters and wounded civilians were forced to flee al-Qusayr Wednesday, as Syrian troops, supported by Hezbollah militia, advanced on the strategic city close to the Lebanese border.

"Yes, al-Qusayr fell to regime control," said 25-year-old Muhammad Awad of the Free Syrian Army's al-Farouk Battalion in Qusayr. "Let the world, the regime and all the people against us be happy. We retreated because we could not take them on anymore."

The Free Syrian army, which had held on to the city for months through increasingly fierce bombardment and attacks by the regime, killing hundreds, conceded that they had to make a retreat from the town that lies on a key supply route.

Locals reported a chaotic and tense situation.

"Things are very bad in here right now," said Abu al-Walid, a 23-year-old schoolteacher. "Many (rebel) battalion leaders have been killed, and the airport has been occupied by Hezbollah again."

At 10 miles west of the Syrian-Lebanon border in the Homs province, al-Qusayr is a lifeline for the Syrian regime, a key crossroad on the road running from north to south between the coast and Damascus. It is also a strategic point in the supply route of the regime's ally, Hezbollah, Lebanon's Shia military organization, as it moves weaponry and fighters from east to west.

In recent months, rebels had held the important city, blocking Hezbollah's access to the road as well as the regime's route to Homs and the coast.

But, late on Tuesday, Syrian state-run TV said that troops were in "full control" of the southwestern part of the town.

The loss of the city comes as a huge blow to the rebels, as many had said the fall of the city could foretell the outcome of the conflict in the war-torn country.

"If al-Qusayr falls, the revolution will fall along with it in most of Syria '-- because people will lose all hope," said Mohammed al-Abdullah, 27, who before the revolution broke out used to sell agricultural equipment with his father.

Two months ago, the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and its Sunni Islamist allies said they held two-thirds of the territory around al-Qusayr, a city of 30,000 before the start of the war. The FSA said it had "liberated" the sprawling Dab'aa Military Airport directly south of nearby Homs and were lobbing shells at Hezbollah supply routes into the area.

But in recent days, the rate of shelling had increased to 50 shells a minute in al-Qusayr as war planes droned overhead and missiles slammed into already heavily bombarded buildings. Insurgents had begun to face shortages of ammunition and medicines and supply roads were cut.

>

While the Syrian opposition had distributed video-footage of rebel reinforcements arriving in the surrounding Homs province, some admit the fresh troops had no way to join the fierce battle.

"They have been cut off from access," said al-Walid. "They are like an audience for the battle, not fighters. And their numbers are overstated."

Meanwhile, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad downplayed the importance of the city in an interview with Hezbollah's Al Manar TV last week.

"They say al-Qusayr is a strategic border town but all the borders are strategic for the terrorists in order to smuggle in their fighters and weapons," he said.

However, now Assad forces have regained the city, activists say it opens the gateway for more weapons to make their way into the hands of the regime.

"They will secure their arms supply route to Hezbollah on the Lebanese border, which is also used to move arms from Hezbollah to Syria," said Khoudair Khafcheh, 27, a member of the Homs Local Coordination Council.

Meanwhile, the battle at al-Qusayr has pushed Syria's already fragmented opposition to a breaking point. Supporters of the revolution question the wisdom of plans for Syrian opposition to attend talks with the Syrian regime next month.

"With the balance of power on the ground shifting against the rebels to Assad, Syrian (opposition supporters) have no interest in a political solution, despite the sacrifices, because any partial solution will end the revolution, and enable the regime to stay and continue killing its people," said Mowafak Zuraiq, a longtime opponent of the government speaking from exile in Saudi Arabia.

A Syrian army tank rolls through in Qusair on June 5. The Syrian army has captured the strategic town near the Lebanese border, solidifying recent gains against rebel forces.(Photo: Al-Mayadeen via AP)

The number of people killed as a result of the continuing bombardment of al-Qusayr is not known. One estimate is 237 people from the beginning of the military attack on the city and more than 2,400 wounded, according to the Syrian Network for Human Rights. But, other activists say the death toll is far higher.

The Free Syrian Army's Awad blamed the international community and the Syrian National Coalition, which he said did not represent all Syrian people, for the fall of the city.

"No one helped us," he said. "We requested safe corridors to evacuate the wounded and the civilians but no one helped us. Now you can expect a large massacre."

On Sunday, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed the "gravest concern" about al-Qusayr and the International Committee of the Red Cross pleaded for access and permission to evacuate those injured.

But Syria's Foreign Minister Walid Moallem said the Red Cross would only be allowed to enter the town once "military operations" were complete.

"The purpose is to control the area in a broken bones battle for both the regime and the rebels," said Asaad a-Zoubi, a staff brigadier general from the Syrian Air Force who defected to the rebels.

Meanwhile, the international community remains torn on how to deal with the ongoing conflict, now in its third year.

On Saturday, Russia vetoed a U.N. Security Council declaration of alarm over al-Qusayr provoking an official rebuke from the SNC, which called it a "threat to the lives of tens of thousands of innocent civilians living in the region."

Russia has been a consistent advocate for talks to resolve the Syrian crisis while delivering an advanced S-300 air defense system to Damascus.

Still, the real turn on fortunes for the regime has come through the influx of thousands Hezbollah fighters in the region.

Analysts say the Lebanese militia has its own agenda for trying to keep the Assad regime in power.

"Hezbollah probably assesses that if the Sunnis in Homs link up with the Sunni communities in northern Lebanon, that would threaten areas that it considers of core strategic importance, including Hermel, the northern Bekaa and Ba'albek," said Firas Abi Ali, a Middle East analyst at IHS in London, referring to Hezbollah strongholds in Lebanon. "So they are going to commit resources to ensuring Assad's control of Homs province."

And activists are losing hope.

"Syria will fall soon," said al-Walid. "I feel very bad saying that but when al-Qusayr falls, we will have to retreat to Beirut and die there, there is no other option."

While some activists are losing hope and said Syria's fall to the regime would come soon, others said the fight would go on.

"We've lost this battle, but this is an attack and retreat type of war," said Awad.

Contributing: Michael Scaturro in Berlin

Qusayr - Google Maps

The Battle Explained:

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 21:44

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Terri Gross - Fresh Air

The Geopolitics of Gas and the Syrian Crisis: Syrian ''Opposition'' Armed to Thwart Construction of Iran-Iraq-Syria Gas Pipeline

US holds high-level talks with Syrian rebels seeking weapons in Washington

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 08:51

What has one of the most democratic countries of the Middle East, Syria, done to tick off some of its neighbors in the West, the fierce fighters for democracy? The irrationality and unscrupulousness of the approaches Western countries have taken to the Syrian crisis, when the same people who in Europe are considered terrorists are declared freedom fighters>> when it comes to Syria, becomes clearer in light of the economic dimension of the Syrian tragedy. There is every reason to think that by helping destroy its own cultural and historical roots in Syria, Europe is first and foremost fighting for energy resources. And a special role is played by natural gas, which is emerging as the main fuel of the 21st century. The geopolitical problems connected with its production, transportation and use are perhaps more than any other topic on the radar of Western strategists.

In the apt expression of F. William Engdahl, Natural gas is the flammable ingredient that is fueling this insane scramble for energy in the region.>> A battle is raging over whether pipelines will go toward Europe from east to west, from Iran and Iraq to the Mediterranean coast of Syria, or take a more northbound route from Qatar and Saudi Arabia via Syria and Turkey. Having realized that the stalled Nabucco pipeline, and indeed the entire Southern Corridor, are backed up only by Azerbaijan's reserves and can never equal Russian supplies to Europe or thwart the construction of the South Stream, the West is in a hurry to replace them with resources from the Persian Gulf. Syria ends up being a key link in this chain, and it leans in favor of Iran and Russia; thus it was decided in the Western capitals that its regime needs to change. The fight for democracy>> is a false flag thrown out to cover up totally different aims.

It is not difficult to notice that the rebellion in Syria began to grow two years ago, almost at the same time as the signing of a memorandum in Bushehr on June 25, 2011 regarding the construction of a new Iran-Iraq-Syria gas pipeline'... It is to stretch 1500 km from Asaluyeh on the largest gas field in the world, North Dome/South Pars (shared between Qatar and Iran) to Damascus. The length of pipeline on the territory of Iran will be 225 km, in Iraq 500 km, and in Syria 500-700 km. Later it may be extended along the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea to Greece. The possibility of supplying liquefied gas to Europe via Syria's Mediterranean ports is also under consideration. Investments in this project equal 10 billion dollars. (1)

This pipeline, dubbed the Islamic pipeline>>, was supposed to start operation in the period from 2014 to 2016. Its projected capacity is 110 million cubic meters of gas per day (40 billion cubic meters a year). Iraq, Syria and Lebanon have already declared their need for Iranian gas (25-30 million cubic meters per day for Iraq, 20-25 million cubic meters for Syria, and 5-7 million cubic meters until 2020 for Lebanon). Some of the gas will be supplied via the Arab gas transportation system to Jordan. Experts believe that this project could be an alternative to the Nabucco gas pipeline being promoted by the European Union (with a planned capacity of 30 billion cubic meters of gas per year), which doesn't have sufficient reserves. It was planned to run the Nabucco pipeline from Iraq, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan through the territory of Turkey. At first Iran was also considered as a resource base, but later it was excluded from the project. After the signing of the memorandum on the Islamic Pipeline, the head of the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC), Javad Oji, stated that South Pars, with recoverable reserves of 16 trillion cubic meters of gas, is a reliable source of gas, which is a prerequisite for the building of a pipeline which Nabucco does not have>>.It is easy to observe that about 20 billion cubic meters per year will remain from this pipeline for Europe, which would be able to compete with Nabucco's 30 billion, but not the 63 billion from the South Stream.

A gas pipeline from Iran would be highly profitable for Syria. Europe would gain from it as well, but clearly someone in the West didn't like it. The West's gas-supplying allies in the Persian Gulf weren't happy with it either, nor was would-be no. 1 gas transporter Turkey, as it would then be out of the game. The new unholy alliance>> which formed between them shamelessly declared its goal to be protecting democratic values>> in the Middle East, although logically speaking the U.S. and its allies ought to begin this with their own partners in the coalition against Syria from among the monarchies of the Persian Gulf, which are questionable in this regard.

The Sunnite countries also see the Islamic Pipeline from the viewpoint of interconfessional contradictions, considering it a Shiite pipeline from Shiite Iran through the territory of Iraq with its Shiite majority and into the territory of Shiite-friendly Alawite Asad>>. As renowned researcher on energy issues F. William Engdahl writes, this geopolitical drama is intensified by the fact that the South Pars field lies in the Persian Gulf directly on the border between Shiite Iran and Sunnite Qatar. But tiny Qatar, which is no match for Iran in power, makes active use of its connections with the military presence of the U.S. and NATO in the Persian Gulf. On the territory of Qatar are a command node of the Pentagon's Central Command of the U.S. Armed Forces, the headquarters of the Head Command of the U.S. Air Force, the No. 83 Expeditionary Air Group of the British Air Force and the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing of the U.S. Air Force. Qatar, in Engdahl's opinion, has other plans for its share in the South Pars gas field and is not eager to join efforts with Iran, Syria and Iraq. It is not at all interested in the success of an Iran-Iraq-Syria pipeline, which would be completely independent of the transit routes of Qatar or Turkey leading to Europe. In fact, Qatar is doing all it can to thwart the construction of the pipeline, including arming the opposition>> fighters in Syria, many of whom come from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Libya. (2)

Qatar's resolve is fed by the discovery by Syrian geological exploration companies in 2011 of Syria's own large gas-producing area near the Lebanese border, not far from the Mediterranean port of Tartus which Russia leases, and the detection of a significant gas field near Homs. According to preliminary estimates, these discoveries should substantially increase the country's gas reserves, which previously amounted to 284 billion cubic meters. The fact that the export of Syrian or Iranian gas to the European Union could take place through the port of Tartus, which has ties to Russia, is unsatisfactory to Qatar and its Western patrons as well. (3)

The Arabic newspaper Al-Akhbar cites information according to which there is a plan approved by the U.S. government to create a new pipeline for transporting gas from Qatar to Europe involving Turkey and Israel. The capacity of such a pipeline is not mentioned, but considering the resources of the Persian Gulf and Eastern Mediterranean region, it could exceed that of both the Islamic Pipeline and Nabucco, directly challenging Russia's South Stream. The main developer of this project is Frederick Hoff, who is in charge of gas issues in the Levant>> and a member of the U.S. Syrian Crisis Committee>>. This new pipeline is to begin in Qatar, cross Saudi territory and then the territory of Jordan, thus bypassing Shiite Iraq, and reach Syria. Near Homs the pipeline is to branch in three directions: to Latakia, Tripoli in northern Lebanon, and Turkey. Homs, where there are also hydrocarbon reserves, is the project's main crossroads>>, and it is not surprising that it is in the vicinity of this city and its key>>, Al-Qusayr, that the fiercest fighting is taking place. Here the fate of Syria is being decided. The parts of Syrian territory where detachments of rebels are operating with the support of the U.S., Qatar and Turkey, that is, the north, Homs and the environs of Damascus, coincide with the route that the pipeline is to follow to Turkey and Tripoli, Lebanon. A comparison of a map of armed hostilities and a map of the Qatar pipeline route indicates a link between armed activities and the desire to control these Syrian territories. Qatar's allies are trying to accomplish three goals: to break Russia's gas monopoly in Europe; to free Turkey from its dependence on Iranian gas; and to give Israel the chance to export its gas to Europe by land at less cost>>. (4) As Asia Times analyst Pepe Escobar indicated, the Emir of Qatar apparently made a deal with the Muslim Brotherhood>> according to which it will support their international expansion in exchange for a pact of peace within Qatar. A Muslim Brotherhood>> regime in Jordan and in Syria, supported by Qatar, would abruptly change the entire geopolitical world gas market '' decidedly in favor of Qatar and to the detriment of Russia, Syria, Iran and Iraq. It would also be a crushing blow to China. (5)

The war against Syria is aimed at pushing this project through, as well as at the breakdown of the agreement between Tehran, Baghdad and Damascus. Its implementation has been halted several times due to military action, but in February 2013 Iraq declared its readiness to sign a framework agreement which would enable the construction of the pipeline. (6) It is worth noting that after this, more and more new groups of Iraqi Shiites have risen up in support of Asad; as The Washington Post admits, they have no little battle experience>> in confronting Americans in their country. Along with fighters from Lebanon's Hezbollah, they make an ever more formidable force. (7) The stakes in the elimination game>> started in Syria by the West over the gas pipeline continue to grow. The end of the European Union's embargo on supplying weapons to the Syrian opposition, which according to the BBC the majority of EU member countries were against (8) (democracy, where are you?), might not be able to help the rebels.

As for civilization and justice, when profit is at stake, sentiment doesn't matter. The main thing is not to play the wrong card in this unfair game that smells of blood and gas.

Notes

(1) http://www.voltairenet.org/article176676.html

(2) http://www.globalresearch.ca/syria-turkey-israel-and-the-greater-middle-east-energy-war/5307902

(3) http://www.naturalgasasia.com/syria-homs-gas-discovery

(4) http://zebrastationpolaire.over-blog.com/article-la-guerre-civile-en-syrie-et-la-geopolitique-petrogaziere-112539126.html

(5) http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/NI28Ak03.html

(6) http://news.day.az/iran/385108.html

(7) http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/iraqi-shiites-fight-for-syrian-

(8) http://www.bbc.co.uk/russian/rolling_news/2013/05/130527_rn_syria_uk_embargo.shtml

Secret Israel-Syria Peace Talks Involved Golan Heights Exit

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 09:01

While there remains little appetite for direct western military intervention, the Daily Telegraph has learned that advanced contingency plans are already in place to supply heavy weapons to the rebels, including sophisticated anti-tank weapons and surface to-air-missiles.

The move towards what was described as a "Libya lite" intervention in Syria is expected to gather force following the anticipated failure of the Annan peace plan and the meeting of the Syria Contact Group scheduled for June 30 in Geneva.

Senior Middle Eastern diplomatic sources said that Libyan-supplied weapons, paid for by Saudi Arabia and Qatari government funds and private donations, had already been stockpiled in anticipation of the "inevitable" intervention needed to end the Assad regime.

"The intervention will happen. It is not a question of 'if', but 'when'. The Libyans are willing to provide the anti-tank weapons, others are prepared to pay for it," the source said

He added, however, that Turkey would "not open the floodgates" of acting as a conduit for the arms without Nato and US-backing that would guarantee them support in the event of a Syrian backlash, possibly mobilising Syrian Kurdish groups against Turkey.

Middle Eastern diplomatic sources said that the Obama administration was fully aware of the preparations being made to arm Syrian opposition groups.

The US has also agreed to be part of a group of countries that coordinates assistance to the rebels, the sources said, but was still deliberating over the time frame for escalation.

The Obama administration, which campaigned on a promise to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, has been reluctant to give the greenlight to military intervention in Syria as they seek a second term from a war-weary electorate.

However proponents of arming the rebels are now arguing forcefully that US inaction leaves Mr Obama vulnerable to accusations from the Republican camp that he is 'leading from behind' at the cost of thousands of innocent Syrian lives '' a charge that would stick if there was another massacre.

Those in Washington who are lobbying on behalf of the rebel Free Syrian Army are aware of the limited political impetus for intervention in an election year, and that any deal would most likely need to be struck before influential congressmen return to their districts for summer recess in July.

Reports that heavy anti-tank weapons had been smuggled into Syria this week were denied by FSA sources that said that the rebels were still armed only with RPG-7 rocket-propelled grenades.

However the Daily Telegraph understands that the contacts between rebels groups and senior US government officials have now reached the "getting to know you stage" as the administration faces the growing likelihood it will have to sanction some kind of indirect intervention.

The US defence establishment is concerned that sophisticated weapons could fall into the hands of Islamist militants, or accelerate the cycle of sectarian revenge-killings, rather than bring about the swift demise of the Assad regime.

The FSA has long been seen as the name given to a collection of disparate militias. The movement has established a better command and control structure on the ground in recent months, setting up opposition military councils in ten Syrian cities and towns, including in the capital.

Obama and the Middle East (updated)

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 09:03

JERUSALEM '-- For several months in 2010, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel engaged in secret, American-brokered discussions with Syria for a possible peace treaty based on a full Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights.

But the process was cut short by the Arab Spring uprisings that swept the Middle East in early 2011, soon spreading to Syria, and the treaty did not come to fruition, according to an Israeli, Michael Herzog, who was involved in the talks.

''Nothing was agreed between the parties,'' Mr. Herzog said Friday. ''It was a work in progress.''

Yediot Aharonot, a leading Israeli newspaper, first published details of the American-led effort on Friday, and Mr. Herzog, a former chief of staff to Israel's defense minister and an Israel-based fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, confirmed the outlines of the discussions. He said in a telephone interview that he was called in to help with the process in 2010, although he had already retired from military and government service.

The contacts were mediated by Frederic Hof, who recently retired from the United States State Department, where he had served as a special coordinator for Lebanon and Syria, and Dennis B. Ross, who was then a special assistant to President Obama on the Middle East.

''There was a detailed list of Israeli demands meant to serve as a basis for a peace agreement,'' said Mr. Herzog, adding that they centered on security arrangements and the regional context. ''The idea,'' he said, ''was to see if we could drive a wedge in the radical axis of Iran-Syria-Hezbollah'' by taking Syria out of the equation. Next, he said, the idea was to pursue peace with Lebanon.

But Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian president, apparently would not give clear signals about his willingness to split with Iran, his patron in the region. And Mr. Netanyahu was proceeding cautiously as well, distrustful that Mr. Assad would deliver.

The negotiations never came to a head. By early 2011 the region was in upheaval and the talks fell apart.

Raising one point of contention, Yediot Aharonot, which is generally centrist but often critical of Mr. Netanyahu, said that in exchange for a peace agreement, the prime minister was prepared to agree to a full withdrawal from the Golan Heights, the strategic plateau that Israel seized from Syria in the 1967 war and later annexed in a move that has not been internationally recognized.

The prime minister's office denied on Friday that Israel had agreed to a withdrawal.

''This is one initiative of many that was proposed to Israel in the past years,'' Mr. Netanyahu's office said in a statement. ''At no stage did Israel accept this American initiative. The initiative is old and irrelevant, and its publication now stems from political needs,'' apparently a reference to the fact that both Mr. Obama and Mr. Netanyahu are facing elections in the coming weeks and months.

With Israeli elections expected in January, it would not be in Mr. Netanyahu's interest to be seen as having made far-reaching concessions to Syria in the absence of a deal. But it is not clear how far Mr. Netanyahu might have gone in the talks, since he did not reach the point of having to make a decision.

More than a year before those talks, American officials were already apparently trying to engage the Israelis and the Syrians. In a press briefing in July 2009, a State Department spokesman, Ian Kelly, told reporters that Mr. Hof, who then worked in the office of former Senator George J. Mitchell, then Mr. Obama's special envoy to the Middle East, was in Israel meeting with senior officials, and after Israel, planned to visit Damascus.

''The visit is part of ongoing efforts by senator, or special envoy Mitchell and his team to secure a lasting, comprehensive peace in the region,'' Mr. Kelly said.

The intensive contacts began in the fall of 2010, presumably around the time that Israel's negotiations with the Palestinians came to a standstill. Mr. Netanyahu and his defense minister, Ehud Barak, were involved in the indirect discussions. The few Israeli officials and experts privy to the talks were made to sign a secrecy agreement.

Israeli leaders, including Mr. Netanyahu, have explored the possibility of reaching a deal with the Syrians in the past, based on at least a partial withdrawal from the Golan Heights, which overlook northern Israel. During Mr. Netanyahu's first term in office in the late 1990s, contacts with Syria took place through Mr. Netanyahu's envoy at the time, the American businessman Ronald Lauder.

Former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin conducted inconclusive negotiations with the Syrians, as did Mr. Barak when he was prime minister. Ehud Olmert, Mr. Netanyahu's predecessor as prime minister, held indirect talks with Syria through Turkish mediators; those talks broke off when Israel opened an offensive in Gaza in the winter of 2008.

The denial by Mr. Netanyahu's office of any agreement on a full withdrawal was reinforced by a former aide.

Dore Gold, who was an adviser during Mr. Netanyahu's first term in office, specifically rejected the assertion in Yediot Aharonot that Mr. Netanyahu had agreed to withdraw all the way to the eastern shoreline of the Sea of Galilee.

Mr. Gold said that in September 1996, he personally secured an assurance from the United States, under instructions from Mr. Netanyahu, that all previous Israeli statements regarding readiness for a full withdrawal to that line ''have no political or legal standing.''

Mr. Gold, who is now president of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, a conservative-leaning research institute, said that Mr. Netanyahu ''has always viewed the Golan Heights as a strategic asset for the defense of Israel,'' and that it was ''completely unthinkable that Prime Minister Netanyahu would ever contemplate the kind of withdrawal'' described by Yediot Aharonot on Friday.

This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:

Correction: October 26, 2012

An article on Oct. 13 about secret, American-brokered talks in 2010 between Israel and Syria, using information from a State Department transcript, misspelled the given name and the surname of a mediator for the talks, who recently retired as a State Department special coordinator for Lebanon and Syria. He is Frederic Hof, not Frederick Hoff.

Dmitry Minin - The Syrian Crisis in Light of the Decline of Europe - Strategic Culture Foundation - on-line journal > The Syrian Crisis in Light of the Decline of Europe > Strategic-Culture.org

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 09:06

Mitchell earned kudos for his historic role in peacemaking in Northern Ireland.He also co-chaired theSharmel-SheikhFact-Finding Committee (April 30, 2001), otherwise known as the Mitchell Report. The Mitchell Plan morphed into the "Road Map," What is noteworthy about the 2001 report is that it envisagedsimultaneousconfidence building measures by thePalestiniansand by Israel. The Israelis--with the support of the Bushadministration--interpreted the confidence building measures as "you first." In the report, halting violence was a shared Israeli and Palestinian responsibility. However, from Israel's view, the Palestinians were expected to stop violence completely before Israel would implement its obligations, for instance that "theGOIshould freeze all settlement activity, including the "natural growth" of existing settlements." [This misstatement of the report continues, as evidenced by this Haaretz commentary.] In other words, the Mitchell recommendations were balanced, but there was never a serious effort at balanced implementation.Also, Mitchell, as a former Senator and a respectedstatesman, is not going to be pushed around very easily by anyone short of the President. On this blog, and elsewhere, I have emphasized that well-meaning but failed peace processors, such asDennisRoss should me kept well away from the Arab-Israeli conflict. In Ross' case, he has already had two bites at the apple, he has demonstrated his imbalance and bias. In fact, Ross bears some responsibility for the corrupted understanding of the 2001 Mitchell report.Finally, Mitchell is close to some smart, realistic policy experts, and I sense that he will engage their good work as well.In short, given the possibilities, I think the choice of Mitchell is a good one.[Fred Hof was the assistant to Mitchell in 2001, and I gather that was the primary author of the report. This link provides a speech that Hof presented last spring in Jerusalem. I met him 30 years ago, and I have always been impressed by his good sense. He is connected to some leading realist policymakers in Washington. I do not know if he will re-engage with the appointment of Mitchell, but I certainly hope that he does.]

In hisinterview as President-electwith the Washington Post editorial board is worth listening to for a variety of reasons, including his comments on Arab-Israeli peacemaking. He emphasizes an early start, the need to build trust on both sides, and he underlines that the Arab-Israeli zone is connected to otherforeignpolicy challenges, including Pakistan, Iraq and Afghanistan. This is quite asea changefrom the Bush approach, which was to deny, emphatically, linkage.

Frederic Hof on Syria Crisis and Peaceful Political Transition (CFR)

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 09:07

What does the legalization of single-sex marriages>> in France, which even such desperate acts as Dominique Venner's suicide in the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris have been unable to stop, have in common with the civil war in Syria? The common factor is that in both cases we can see signs of the self-destruction complex which is devouring Europe. The Decline of Europe>>, predicted over 100 years ago by Oswald Spengler, has reached the depths of denying not only its own cultural and historical roots, but the reproduction of life itself... The West, as if possessed by a Freudian death drive>>, is trying in some kind of frantic blindness to destroy ancient Christian, and thus European, heritage in Syria. And in exactly the same way it is destroying itself little by little through its attitude toward the institution of the family and toward faith.

It's some kind of theater of the absurd and a mockery of common sense when authoritarian regimes such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar, where there is not a fraction of the freedoms and religious tolerance which have long been a hallmark of Syrian society, become Europe's allies in the fight for democracy>> in Syria. According to the Christian charity Open Doors>>, in Qatar, for example, converts to Christianity turn into outcasts and are often victims of violence. Christian migrant workers live in labor communes>>, where they are not allowed to gather for worship services, and, as in the times of the first Christians, they pray in secret. In Saudi Arabia any religion besides Islam is prohibited altogether, and becoming a Christian is punishable by death.

Many Muslim citizens of European countries are fighting in the war in Syria on the side of the radical Islamists. It's not difficult to imagine what they will bring back with them to Europe. According to expert figures, over 100 such volunteers>> from England are fighting in Syria, the same number from the Netherlands, over 80 from France, and dozens from Germany, a total of about 600 people, or 10% of the total number of foreigners in the ranks of the rebels. (1) London and Paris are insisting on a resolution to supply weapons to the Syrian opposition. To whom? To the same people who hack British soldiers to death on the streets of their own capital? Is that not a self-destruction complex?

Civilization in Syria was born in the 4th millennium B.C. Damascus is the most ancient of currently existing world capitals. Syria holds an important place in the history of Christianity. It was on the road to Damascus that the Apostle Paul converted to the Christian faith. It was in Syrian Antioch that the disciples of Christ were first called Christians.

Out of Syria's population of 23 million, approximately 86% are Muslims, and 10% are Christians. Syrian Christians have their own courts, which deal with civil matters such as marriages and divorces. Among the Christians in Syria, half are Orthodox, and 18% are Catholics (mostly members of the Syrian Catholic and Melkite Catholic churches). There are also congregations of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

In addition to Muslim holidays, Easter and Christmas are also state holidays in Syria. In Damascus there are several Christian quarters (Bab Touma, al-Qassaa, Ghassani) and many churches, including the ancient Chapel of St. Paul. The coexistence of world religions side by side here, which could become an example for the Middle East, is especially noticeable in Damascus' famous Umayyad Mosque. In the mosque's prayer hall is a shrine with the Head of John the Baptist (Yahya), who was beheaded on the orders of King Herod. This holy relic is venerated by both Christians and Muslims. One of the mosque's three minarets is named after Isa ibn Maryam (Jesus son of Mary). According to local tradition, Jesus Christ will descend to the earth from heaven via this minaret before the Judgment Day. The mosque is open to people of any faith every day except Friday.

The leading Christian organization in the country is the Antiochian Orthodox Church, which is commemorated third in the diptych of the autocephalous local Churches. It was founded near the year 37 A.D. in Antioch by the Apostles Peter and Paul. It has produced such illustrious sons as St. John Chrysostom, St. John Damascene, and many others. In 1342 the seat of the patriarchate was moved to Damascus, where it remains to this day. The Antiochian Orthodox Church has 2 million members, of which 1 million live in Syria (5% of the population) and 400,000 live in Lebanon (10%). Hundreds of thousands of parishioners live in the U.S. and other Western countries. Services are held in Greek and Arabic.

An important characteristic of the Antiochian Orthodox Church is the closeness of the clerical hierarchy to the people. In 1898, with the active support of the Russian Imperial Orthodox Palestinian Society, the Arab Meletius Doumani became the Patriarch of Antioch. Since then practically all the bishops of the Antiochian Orthodox Church have been Arabs, unlike, for example, in the Jerusalem Patriarchate, which serves Orthodox Palestinians; its bishops are almost exclusively Greeks, which creates a certain distance between them and ordinary parishioners.

The second most important church in the country is the Syriac Orthodox Church, one of the six Oriental Orthodox churches (along with the Coptic Church, Armenian Apostolic Church and others). In Syria it has 690,000 parishioners.

Syria is also the only place on earth where Aramaic, the language in which Jesus Christ spoke and preached, survives as a living language, particularly in the vicinity of the Orthodox convent of St. Thecla Equal to the Apostles near the city of Maaloula.

However, all of this could be destroyed in the blink of an eye, and the language of the Savior of the world could die out entirely. The West is closing its eyes to the fact that the first victims of the Syrian rebels they are supporting are often the local Christians. What is this, shortsightedness or betrayal? Or are the Orthodox, who make up the majority of Syrian Christians, still schismatics>> in the eyes of Europe, like in the age of the Crusades? Their situation in the zones controlled by Islamist rebels is very reminiscent of that of their fellow Orthodox Serbs in Kosovo.

The French author Alexandre Del Valle writes that the post-Christian>> West has never attempted to defend the Christians of Egypt, Pakistan, Nigeria or Sudan, who were persecuted by Sunnites... The NATO powers, who still see Russia as the Soviet enemy of the cold war era, have often since 1990 sent their troops against pro-Russian regimes (Milosevic's Serbia, Saddam Hussein's Iraq, Kaddafi's Libya, etc.), in particular out of solidarity>> with its oil-producing allies>> from the Persian Gulf and the Organization of the Islamic Conference, which demanded that they defend Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Kuwait, and the Libyan and now the Syrian Islamists.>> According to Del Valle's data, 80,000 Christians from Homs have left for Damascus and Beirut, and in all one-third of all Christians have already fled the country. (2) Many Christian villages in combat areas in Syria have been deserted out of fear of persecution after the arrival of armed rebels, as testified by Anna Neistat, associate director of Human Rights Watch, after visiting Syria.

According to an independent international investigative committee on Syria, Christians (often well-to-do people) are suffering from attacks and kidnappings. One could cite as examples the Christians in Maaloula who were taken hostage in December 2012; those in Al-Qusayr who were kidnapped in July 2012; the Chaldean Catholics from Al-Hasakah who were kidnapped and then forced to send their children to join the rebellion; the killing of 12 Christians from Jaramana in August 2012; a bombing in...the historic Christian quarter of Damascus, Bab Touma, on October 21 (15 Christians killed); the killing of 8 more Christians...on November 28 in Jaramana... [and] the atrocious case of the Orthodox priest Fadi Jamil Haddad...in Qatana, who was scalped and blinded for trying to free a parishioner who had been taken hostage>> (3).

When the rebels attacked the ancient Orthodox monastery of the Prophet Elijah near the city of Al-Qusayr, which lies 20 kilometers from the Lebanese border and was recently liberated by government forces, they totally wasted the monastery; they stole the sacramental vessels, blew up the bell tower, destroyed the altar and the baptismal font, and knocked down a statue of the prophet, who is venerated in Syria by Christians and Muslims alike. This monastery is over 1500 years old, and it is under state protection as an architectural monument. Over the past two years, dozens of churches in Syria have been destroyed, mostly in Homs and Aleppo. An ancient synagogue in Jobar, a suburb of Damascus, has also been damaged.

On April 22, 2013, in a village in the Aleppo governorate, Metropolitans Paul (Antiochian Orthodox Church) and Yohanna (Syriac Orthodox Church) were abducted by armed men. The house of Metropolitan Yohanna was set on fire. (4) The Ministry of Religion of Syria released a communiqu(C) stating that the clerics were kidnapped by Chechen mercenaries from the radical Islamist Al-Nusra Front. (5) Both metropolitans are still being held captive.

Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople stated in an interview with the Milanese catholic newspaper Avvenire that violence on religious grounds, hatred and intolerance toward Christians continue to dominate in countries in revolution>>. According to him, the lives of Christians in Syria are threatened every day.

The fall of the regime in Damascus will mark the end of the history of Christianity in the Middle East. The Maronites in Lebanon will not be able to bear the pressure from the Syrian Islamists or the endless stream of refugees. Their emigration from the country, which is already growing, will turn into an all-out flight. Only the Coptic community in Egypt will have a chance of survival thanks to its numbers, but its situation is becoming more and more difficult.

This bell tolls not only for the Middle East; it tolls for Europe as well.

(1) http://icsr.info/2013/04/icsr-insight-european-foreign-fighters-in-syria-2/

(2) http://www.atlantico.fr/decryptage/syrie-face-solution-russe-ou-retour-case-depart-alexandre-del-valle-731987.html

(3) http://www.atlantico.fr/decryptage/syrie-face-solution-russe-ou-retour-case-depart-alexandre-del-valle-731987.html

(4) http://www.dailystar.com.lb/#axzz2UHWdKDba

(5) http://9tv.co.il/news/2013/04/23/149667-print.html

Frederic C. Hof | Atlantic Council

Armitage International, L.C. :: About

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 09:21

Frederic C. Hof is a senior fellow with the Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East. On March 28, 2012 President Obama conferred on Ambassador Hof the rank of ambassador in connection with his new duties as special advisor for transition in Syria. Amb. Hof was previously the special coordinator for regional affairs in the US Department of State's Office of the Special Envoy for Middle East Peace, where he advised Special Envoy George Mitchell on the full range of Arab-Israeli peace issues falling under his purview and focusing on Syria-Israel and Israel-Lebanon matters. He joined the Department of State in April 2009 after serving as president and CEO of AALC, limited company, an international business consulting and project finance firm formerly known as Armitage Associates LC.

Amb. Hof's professional life has focused largely on the Middle East. In 2001 he directed the Jerusalem field operations of the Sharm el-Sheikh Fact-Finding Committee headed by former US Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell and was the lead drafter of the Committee's April 30, 2001 Report. In 1983, as a US Army officer, he helped draft the ''Long Commission'' report which investigated the October 1983 bombing of the US Marine headquarters at Beirut International Airport. Both reports drew considerable international praise for fairness and integrity.

A 1969 graduate of the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, Amb. Hof began his professional career as an Army officer. He is a Vietnam veteran and served as a US Army Middle East foreign area officer, studying Arabic at the Foreign Service Institute in Tunisia and receiving a master's degree from the Naval Postgraduate School. He served as US Army attach(C) in Beirut, Lebanon and later in the Office of the Secretary of Defense as Director for Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Palestinian Affairs.

Amb. Hof has written extensively on Arab-Israeli issues. He is the author of Galilee Divided: The Israel-Lebanon Frontier, 1916-1984 (Westview Press, 1985), Line of Battle, Border of Peace? The Line of June 4, 1967 (Middle East Insight, 1999), and Beyond the Boundary: Lebanon, Israel and the Challenge of Change (Middle East Insight, 2000). He has also written many articles on Jordan Valley water issues. His writing on the Israel-Syria, Israel-Lebanon and (by virtue of his work on the ''Mitchell'' Committee) Israel-Palestinian tracks of the Middle East peace process has contributed positively to the body of literature promoting Arab-Israeli peace.

His awards include the Purple Heart, the Department of State Superior Honor Award, the Secretary of Defense Meritorious Civilian Service Medal and the Defense Superior Service Medal. He resides in Silver Spring, Maryland with his wife, Brenda.

Recent Interviews:A Candid Discussion with Frederic HofForeign Policy Association | May 3, 2013

Political Solution in SyriaRadio Rai 1 | March 30, 2013

Assisting Armed Rebels in SyriaPBS NewsHour | March 15, 2013

Analysts See Shift in US Response to Syrian ConflictNPR | March 11, 2013

US Perspective on Syrian Civil WarOrient TV | March 8, 2013

Syrian ConflictRadio BBC 5 Live | March 7, 2013

Crisis in Syria Al Arabiya | February 1, 2013

Joyce Karam Interviews Frederic C. Hof on Syria Crisis Al Hayat | January 11, 2013

President Bashar Assad: His Inner Circle and His Options NPR | January 8, 2013

Assad Calls for Talks but Denounces Opposition BBC | January 6, 2013

No Diplomatic Solution in SyriaCNN | December 12, 2012

As Syrian Rebels Receive Endorsement, Will They Also Get Military Assistance?PBS NewsHour | December 12, 2012

Syrian Conflict Could Escalate in Many Directions NPR | December 9, 2012

International Community Strategize for Ending War PBS NewsHour | December 8, 2012

Political and Military Pressure Tightens On Damascus NPR | December 1, 2012

Publications:Syria: Will Geneva Happen? Should it Happen?Viewpoint | May 20. 2013

Syria: Geneva Resurrected?Viewpoint | May 8, 2013

Syria: Keeping One's Eye on the BallViewpoint | May 7, 2013

Syria: The Chemical Weapons Red LineViewpoint | May 1, 2013

Syria and Geneva: No Precondition, but a Certain ResultViewpoint | April 25, 2013

Syria: Defending the IndefensibleViewpoint | April 22, 2013

Consent of the Governed: A New Middle East Political Order?Viewpoint | April 15, 2013

The No Fly Zone ConundrumViewpoint | April 08, 2013

A New Syria Must Have US SupportWashington Post | March 27, 2013

Syria: Is Iraq the Wrong Lesson?Viewpoint | March 26, 2013

The United States, Europe, and the Case of SyriaViewpoint | March 25, 2013

Syria: A Slippery Slope?Viewpoint | March 18, 2013

Syria's Opposition: Ready or Not?Viewpoint | March 11, 2013

Can Syria Survive?Viewpoint | March 8, 3013

Syria: Kerry's Opening to the Free Syrian ArmyViewpoint | March 5, 2013

Syria: From Objective to StrategyViewpoint | February 22, 2013

Syria: Thinking StrategicallyViewpoint | February 19, 2013

The President's Decision-Making on SyriaViewpoint | February 12, 2013

Syria: Transitional Government and US ChoicesViewpoint | January 29, 2013

Syria: Strategy for What? Viewpoint | January 23, 2013

Syria: Is It Too Late? Viewpoint | January 14, 2013

Forming a Syrian Opposition Government: The Time is Now Viewpoint | January 8, 2013

Syria 2013: Will the Poison Pill of Sectarianism Work? Viewpoint | January 3, 2013

Syria's Time is Running Out Foreign Policy | December 19, 2012

Syria: Seven Key Points Viewpoint | December 13, 2012

The Dublin Meeting and its Meaning for Syria Viewpoint | December 07, 2012

Syria: Has the Bubble Burst? Viewpoint | December 05, 2012

Richard Armitage (politician) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

ChoicePoint - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 09:26

Richard Lee Armitage (born April 26, 1945) was a distinguished naval officer, a Republican politician who was appointed the 13th United States Deputy Secretary of State at the State Department, serving from 2001 to 2005 under George W. Bush.[1] He has acknowledged that he publicly released the classified information that Valerie Plame Wilson was a secret agent for the CIA, triggering the Plame Affair, though he has said it was inadvertent.[2]

Early life and military career[edit]Armitage was born in Boston, but graduated from St. Pius X Catholic High School, in Atlanta, GA in 1963. In 1967 graduated from the United States Naval Academy with the rank of ensign.

He served on a destroyer stationed off the coast of Vietnam during the Vietnam War before volunteering to serve what would eventually become three combat tours with the riverine/advisory forces for the Republic of Vietnam Navy.[3] According to Captain Kiem Do, a Republic of Vietnam Navy officer who served with him in Vietnam, Armitage "seemed drawn like a 'moth to flame' to the hotspots of the naval war: bedding down on the ground with Vietnamese commandos, sharing their rations and hot sauce, telling jokes in flawless Vietnamese."[4] Instead of a uniform, Armitage often dressed in native garb, and was nicknamed "Tran Van Phu" by the Vietnamese.[4]

Several associates who fought alongside Armitage and other politicians (including Ted Shackley)[5] have since said publicly that Armitage was associated with the Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) highly controversial and clandestine Phoenix Program.[5] Armitage has denied a role in Phoenix and has stated that - at most - CIA officers would occasionally ask him for intelligence reports.[6]

In 1973, Armitage left active duty and joined the office of the U.S. Defense Attache in Saigon. Immediately prior to the fall of Saigon, he organized and led the removal of South Vietnamese naval assets and personnel from the country and out of the hands of the approaching North Vietnamese. Armitage told South Vietnamese naval officers to take their ships to a designated place in the ocean where they would be rescued by U.S. forces and their ships destroyed. When Armitage arrived at the designated location he found 30 South Vietnamese Navy ships and dozens of fishing boats and cargo ships with as many as 30,000 Vietnamese refugees.[7][8][9] With transportation options limited for removing the floating city, Armitage, aboard the destroyer USS Kirk, personally decided to lead the flotilla of ships over 1000 miles to Subic Bay, Philippines in 1975 against the wishes of both the Philippine and American governments. Armitage personally arranged for food and water to be delivered by the U.S. Defense Department before negotiating with both governments for permission to dock in Subic Bay.[3][7]

Public service career[edit]After the end of the Vietnam War Armitage moved to Washington, D.C. to serve as a consultant for the United States Department of Defense. He was almost immediately sent to serve in Tehran, Iran until November 1976. Following that posting, he moved to Bangkok and operated an import/export business in the private sector for the next two years. In 1978, he returned to the U.S. and started working as an aide to Republican SenatorBob Dole.[citation needed]

In late 1980, Armitage became a foreign policy advisor to Republican President-electRonald Reagan. Following that role, he was made a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for East Asia and Pacific Affairs, a high-ranking post in the Pentagon. He served in this position from 1981 to 1983.

In June 1983, he was promoted to Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Policy where he represented the Department of Defense in developing political-military relationships and initiatives throughout the world. He helped to spearhead U.S. Pacific security policy including the USA-Japan and U.S.-China security relationships, managed all Defense security assistance programs, and provided oversight of policies related to the law of the sea, U.S. special operations, and counter-terrorism. Armitage earned the Secretary of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service and the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service.[10] He played a leading role in Middle East security policies.[citation needed] Armitage left that post in 1989 to serve as a special negotiator for the President on military bases in the Philippines, and as a mediator on water issues in the Middle East.

In 1991, he was appointed a special emissary to King Hussein of Jordan. Following that, he was sent to Europe with the title of ambassador; his assignment was to direct U.S. foreign aid to the countries that had been formed out of the fallen Soviet Union. He occupied that post until 1993, when he became the director of a US data aggregation company ChoicePoint.[11]

Bush Administration[edit]In 1998, Armitage signed "The Project for the New American Century" letter (PNAC Letter) to PresidentBill Clinton. The letter urged Clinton to target the removal of Saddam Hussein's regime from power in Iraq due to erosion of the Gulf War Coalition's containment policy and the resulting possibility that Iraq might develop weapons of mass destruction.

During the 2000 Presidential election campaign, he served as a foreign policy advisor to George W. Bush as part of a group led by Condoleezza Rice that called itself The Vulcans.[citation needed] The United States Senate confirmed him as Deputy Secretary of State on March 23, 2001; he was sworn in three days later. A close associate of Secretary of State Colin Powell, Armitage was regarded, along with Powell, as a moderate within the presidential administration of George W. Bush.

According to President Musharraf of Pakistan, shortly after 9/11, Armitage presented him with demands for assistance in the campaign against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban which were non-negotiable. Should Pakistan accept, it would be considered a United States ally. Should it decline, Pakistan would be considered an enemy. According to Musharraf, Armitage further averred that, should Pakistan decline, the United States would bomb it 'back to the Stone Age.' Armitage denies having used those words.

Armitage tendered his resignation on November 16, 2004, the day after Powell announced his resignation as Secretary of State. He left the post on February 22, 2005, when Robert Zoellick succeeded to the office.

Role in Plame affair[edit]Main article: Plame affairOn November 15, 2005, journalist Bob Woodward of The Washington Post revealed that "a government official with no axe to grind" leaked to him the identity of outed CIA officer Valerie Plame in mid-June 2003. According to an April 2006 Vanity Fair article (published March 14, 2006), former Washington Post executive editor Ben Bradlee said in an interview "that Armitage is the likely source is a fair assumption," though Bradlee later told the Post that he "[did] not recall making that precise statement" in the interview.[12]On March 2, 2006, bloggers discovered that "Richard Armitage" fit the spacing on a redacted court document, suggesting he was a source for the Plame leak.[13]In the September 4, 2006 issue of Newsweek magazine, in an article titled "The Man Who Said Too Much", journalist Michael Isikoff, quoting a "source directly familiar with the conversation who asked not to be identified because of legal sensitivities", reported that Armitage was the "primary" source for Robert Novak's piece outing Plame. Armitage allegedly mentioned Ms. Wilson's CIA role to Novak in a July 8, 2003 interview after learning about her status from a State Department memo which made no reference to her undercover status.[15] Isikoff also reported that Armitage had also told Bob Woodward of Plame's identity in June 2003, and that special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald investigated Armitage's role "aggressively", but did not charge Armitage with a crime because he "found no evidence that Armitage knew of Plame's covert CIA status when he talked to Novak and Woodward".Novak, in an August 27, 2006 appearance on Meet the Press, stated that although he still would not release the name of his source, he felt it was long overdue that the source reveal himself.[16] Armitage has also reportedly been a cooperative and key witness in the investigation.[17] According to The Washington Note, Armitage has testified before the grand jury three times.[18]On August 29, 2006 Neil A. Lewis of The New York Times reported that Armitage was the "initial and primary source" for columnist Robert Novak's July 14, 2003 article, which named Valerie Plame as a CIA "operative" and which triggered the CIA leak investigation.[19]On August 30, 2006, CNN reported that Armitage had been confirmed "by sources" as leaking Ms. Wilson's CIA role in a "casual conversation" with Robert Novak.[20]The New York Times, quoting people "familiar with his actions", reported that Armitage was unaware of Ms. Wilson's undercover status when he spoke to Novak.[21]The Times claims that White House counsel Alberto Gonzales was informed that Armitage was involved on October 2, 2003, but asked not to be told details. Patrick Fitzgerald began his grand jury investigation three months later knowing Armitage was a leaker (as did Attorney General John Ashcroft before turning over the investigation).On July 2, 2007, President Bush issued a Grant of Executive Clemency that commuted the prison terms imposed on Lewis Libby.[23]On September 7, 2006, Armitage admitted to being the source in the CIA leak.[24] Armitage claims that Fitzgerald had originally asked him not to discuss publicly his role in the matter, but that on September 5 Armitage asked Fitzgerald if he could reveal his role to the public, and Fitzgerald consented.[24]In a review of Hubris: The Inside Story of Spin, Scandal, and the Selling of the Iraq War, by Michael Isikoff and David Corn, which hit book stores in early September 2006, Novak wrote: "I don't know precisely how Isikoff flushed out Armitage [as Novak's original source], but Hubris clearly points to two sources: Washington lobbyistKenneth Duberstein, Armitage's political adviser, and William Taft IV, who was the State Department legal adviser when Armitage was deputy secretary."[25]Pakistan and the fight against terrorism[edit]Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, in an interview with CBS News60 Minutes on September 21, 2006, alleged that Armitage called an ISI general immediately after the September 11, 2001 attacks and threatened to "bomb the country (Pakistan) back to the stone age" unless they supported the US-led fight against Islamic terrorism. Presently, Musharraf has refused to provide details, commenting that he is unable to provide details due to restrictions by the publisher (Simon & Schuster) of his book In the Line of Fire: A Memoir.[citation needed]President Bush on the other hand has mentioned that he only became aware of these comments as late as September 2006, when he read them in the newspapers. Armitage confirmed he had held a conversation with the Pakistani general to whom Musharraf had sourced the comments, but denied using a threat of military action couched in such terms on the claimed basis that he was not authorized to do so.[26]

Life after public service[edit]There was some media speculation that President Bush would appoint him to a key security position such as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, Director of National Intelligence or Defense Secretary. As of the start of July 2007, Armitage had not re-entered public service. On May 10, 2006, he was elected to the board of directors of the ConocoPhillips oil company.

In October 2006, Armitage lobbied '' on behalf of the L-3 Communications Corporation, a company providing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance products '' some key people in Taiwanese political circles regarding the possible sale of P-3C marine patrol aircraft to the ROC military. Those who received his personal letter included Premier Su Tseng-chang, President of the Legislative YuanWang Jin-pyng, and opposition People First Party leader James Soong.

Armitage stated in the letter that he wished the Taiwan government would reconsider the purchase from Lockheed Martin, the dealer the United States government had designated. Instead, he hoped that the right to negotiate the purchase should be made through an open and fair bidding process.[27] The letter was made public by PFP Legislators on October 24, 2006 in a Legislative Yuan session discussing the military purchases.[28]

Since January 1, 2010, Armitage has been a Member of the Board of Directors and Chairman of the American-Turkish Council, a Washington based, corporate membership NGO dedicated to the promotion of the strongest possible business, military and foreign policy relationship between Turkey and the United States.[29]

On 1 July 2010, Armitage was appointed an Honorary Companion of the Order of Australia, Australia's "for eminent service to strengthening the Australia-United States bilateral relationship".[30] He was invested with the award at a ceremony at the Australian Ambassador's residence on October 13, 2010.[citation needed]

Personal life[edit]Armitage and his wife Laura have eight children. He is fluent in Vietnamese and well versed in many other languages. He is an avid powerlifter[31] and loves to play basketball. He was also a football linebacker at the United States Naval Academy and a teammate of Roger Staubach.

References[edit]^[1]^Matt Apuzzo (September 8, 2006). "Armitage Says He Was Source on Plame". ABC News. Associated Press. ^ ab""Deputy Secretary of State Richard Lee Armitage" (bio)". WhiteHouse.gov. Retrieved 2007-01-27. ^ abDo Kiem and Julie Kane, Counterpart: A South Vietnamese Naval Officer's War, ISBN 1-55750-181-5, 1998, p. 164^ abMann, James 2004. Rise of the VulcansViking PressISBN 0-670-03299-9, page 42^James Mann, 2004. Rise of the VulcansViking PressISBN 0-670-03299-9; p. 43^ abMann, James 2004. Rise of the VulcansViking PressISBN 0-670-03299-9. P. 52.^[2] At War's End, U.S. Ship Rescued South Vietnam's Navy, Joseph Shapiro and Sandra Bartlett, NPR, All Things Considered^[3]^[4]^NNDB^VandeHei, Jim (March 14, 2006). "Magazine: Bradlee Knows Woodward's Source on Plame". The Washington Post. p. A02. Retrieved 2007-01-27. ^emptywheel (March 2, 2006). "About the Journalists". The Next Hurrah. TypePad. Retrieved 2007-01-27. ^"Calendars mark Armitage-Woodward meeting". MSNBC.com. August 22, 2006. Retrieved 2007-01-27. ^Isikoff, Michael (September 4, 2006 issue). "The Man Who Said Too Much". Newsweek National News (MSNBC.com). Archived from the original on 2006-11-13. Retrieved 2007-01-27. ^"Transcript for August 27". Meet the Press (MSNBC.com). August 27, 2006. p. 7. Retrieved 2007-01-27. ^Bazinet, Kenneth and Meek, James Gordon (May 20, 2006). "Ex-deputy secretary of state new figure in CIA leak probe". New York Daily News. Retrieved 2007-01-27. ^Clemons, Steve (May 19, 2006). "Insiders: Richard Armitage Will NOT Be Indicted". The Washington Note. Retrieved 2007-01-27. ^Lewis, Neil A. (August 30, 2006). "First Source of C.I.A. Leak Admits Role, Lawyer Says". The New York Times. Retrieved September 25, 2012. ^King, John, and Todd, Brian (August 30, 2006). "Sources: State Department official source of Plame leak". CNN.com. Retrieved September 25, 2012. ^Johnston, David (September 2, 2006). "Leak Revelation Leaves Questions". The New York Times (final). p. A-1. Retrieved 2007-01-27. ^Stout, David and Lewis, Neil A. (March 5, 2007). "Libby Guilty of Lying in C.I.A. Leak Case". The New York Times. Retrieved 2007-03-06. ^Bush, George (July 2, 2007). "Grant of Executive Clemency". Office of the Press Secretary. Retrieved 2007-07-02. ^ abSmith, R. Jeffrey (September 8, 2006). "Armitage Says He Was Source of CIA Leak". The Washington Post. p. A03. Retrieved 2007-01-27. ^Novak, Robert D. (October 16, 2006). "Who Said What When: The rise and fall of the Valerie Plame 'scandal'". The Weekly Standard. Retrieved 2007-01-27. ^"Richard Armitage interview" (ASX (video)). CNN.com. 2006-09-22. Retrieved 2007-01-27. [dead link]^(Chinese)"è>>è"¼¼è>>çå•†æ¶æ¨¼Ÿãæ(C)ç‡ŸæŒ‡å…§å¹•é‡é‡ãè...è‡æ†èªªæ¸…æ¥š". ETToday.com. 2006-10-24. Retrieved 2007-01-27. ^(Chinese)"è>>è"¼æéæ'‹ãæ(C)å§--æ‰¹æ--åº'è‡ç¾Žè>>çå•†åŒé£ç·š". ETToday.com. 2006-10-24. Retrieved 2007-01-27. ^http://www.the-atc.org/data/aboutus/110318ATCboardofdirectors.pdf^It's an Honour^Source: Bob Woodward book.External links[edit]ArticlesPersondataNameArmitage, RichardAlternative namesShort descriptionDate of birthApril 26, 1945Place of birthBoston, Massachusetts, USADate of deathPlace of death

About - LexisNexis Risk Solutions

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 09:33

ChoicePoint (previous NYSE ticker symbol CPS) was a data aggregation company based in Alpharetta, near Atlanta, Georgia, United States, that acted as a private intelligence service to government and industry.[2] It was purchased in February 2008 by Reed Elsevier (parent corporation of LexisNexis) in a cash deal for $3.6 billion USD.

ChoicePoint combined personal data sourced from multiple public and private databases for sale to the government and the private sector. The firm maintained more than 17 billion records of individuals and businesses, which it sold to an estimated 100,000 clients, including 7,000 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies (30 March 2005 estimates).[3]

However, this data had not been secured sufficiently to prevent theft of data on at least one occasion (see below). The company had also been the subject of lawsuits for maintaining inaccurate data, inquiries whether it allowed political bias to influence its performance of government contracts and accused of illegally selling the data of overseas citizens to the U.S. government. ChoicePoint was used to perform consumer and criminal background checks on prospective employees of the Obama administration.[4]

Activities[edit]ChoicePoint generated revenue of around US$1 billion in 2006,[5] and employed around 5,500 people at nearly 60 locations in the US and UK.[6]

The company's activities included the following (30 March 2005 estimates):[3]

Consumer initiated transactions (60% of business), most of which are regulated by the Fair Credit Reporting Act. These included pre-employment screening, insurance underwriting services, tenant screening services, consumer record reporting and title insurance financesMarketing services (9%), none of which include the distribution of personally identifiable information, but are regulated by state and federal "Do Not Mail" and "Do Not Call" legislation.Contracts with local and federal law enforcement agencies (5%)Data and authentication solutions (6%), including litigation and debt collection support to law firms, financial institutions and general business.Software and technology services (20%), which do not include the distribution of personally identifiable information.ChoicePoint's database of personal information contained names, addresses, Social Security numbers, credit reports, and other sensitive data. In 2005, this database contained 250 terabytes of data on 220 million people.[7] ChoicePoint also operated the Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange (CLUE), a database used by insurance companies to share histories of claims or damage reports on property.[8] The CLUE database includes identification information on properties such as homes and automobiles, policy records (name, date of birth, policy number), and records of claims (date and type of loss, amounts paid). As of 2006, history is kept for five years. It contains records of damage reports regardless of whether the damage resulted in a claim.[8]

Florida voter file contract[edit]ChoicePoint became embroiled in the Florida voter file controversy of 2000 through its acquisition of Database Technologies (founded by Hank Asher and known as DBT Online Inc.), a data analysis company in the same year. During the U.S. presidential election of 2000, people in Florida were struck from central voter file and not permitted to vote. The US Presidential election hinged on the outcome of the vote in Florida.

DBT Online had been contracted to provide a list of voters barred from voting by the state of Florida in 1998 for US$4 million, including a first year fee of US$2,317,800. The 1998 contracting process involved no bidding[citation needed].

In the aftermath of the vote, the owner of DBT Online, ChoicePoint,was accused of cooperating with Florida GovernorJeb Bush, Secretary of State of FloridaKatherine Harris, and Florida Elections Unit Chief Clay Roberts, in voter fraud, conspiracy involving the central voter file. It was also accused of having a bias in favor of the Republican Party, for knowingly using inaccurate data, and for racial discrimination[citation needed].

The allegations charge that 57,700 people (15% of the list), primarily Democrats of African-American and Hispanic descent, were incorrectly listed as felons and thus barred from voting[citation needed]. Reports estimate that 80% of these people would have voted, and that 90% of those who would have voted, would have voted for Al Gore.[9] Other allegations include listing voters as felons for alleged crimes said to have been committed several years in the future. The official (and disputed) margin of victory, in the election, was 537 votes.

ChoicePoint says that it acquired DBT Online after DBT delivered the initial 2000 voter exception list to Florida officials for verification and that it has "...no involvement in any election in any country."[10] However ChoicePoint's acquisition of DBT Online was made public on 14 February 2000 and in May 2000, DBT discovered that approximately 8,000 names were erroneously placed on the exclusion list, so their claim of no involvement does not match the timeline.[11]

ChoicePoint Vice President James Lee said that at least 8,000 names were incorrectly listed in this fashion when the company passed on a list given by the state of Texas, and these names were removed prior to the election. Fagan described this error as a "minor glitch."[12] ChoicePoint, as a matter of policy, does not verify the accuracy of its data arguing that it is simply compiling public information and that it is the original collectors' responsibility to verify accuracy.[13]

On April 17, 2000, ChoicePoint Vice-President Martin Fagen testified at a special Congressional hearing in Atlanta that Florida had ordered DBT to add to the list voters who matched 80% of an ineligible voter's name, middle initials, and suffixes were to be dropped, while nicknames and aliases were added.[citation needed] In addition, names were considered reversible, for example Clarence Thomas could be added in place of Thomas Clarence. Lee opened his testimony by noting that ChoicePoint intended to get out of the voter purge industry. Then, on February 16, 2001, DBT Senior Vice-President George Bruder testified before the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights that the company had misinformed the Florida Supervisors of Elections regarding the usage of race in compiling the list. Greg Palast concludes, "An African-American felon named Will Whiting might wipe out the registration of an innocent African-American Will Whiting, but not the rights of an innocent Caucasian Will Whiting." Palast alleges that 80% of the 57,700 people allegedly barred from voting were African-American.

Civil Rights Commission Report on 2000 Florida Elections[edit]The United States Civil Rights Commission, in its official report on the 2000 Presidential Elections,[14] concluded the following:

Summary (unedited)

Historically, individuals convicted of certain types of crimes alleged to be committed more by African Americans are affected by felon disenfranchisement. The practice of felon disenfranchisement has resulted in the greater likelihood of people of color, particularly African Americans, appearing erroneously on the Florida felon exclusion list.

In claiming to address the same types of fraud found during the 1997 Miami mayoral election, the Florida legislature enacted chapter 98.0975 of the Florida statutes, which required the Division of Elections to contract with a private entity to purge its voter file of deceased persons, duplicate registrants, individuals declared mentally incompetent, and convicted felons without civil rights restoration. [214] As a result, DBT Online was eventually retained to assist the Division of Elections in the removal of ineligible voter registrants from the voter file.

DBT Online performed an automated matching process against databases provided by the state of Florida and its own databases. Ultimately 173,127 Floridians were identified as potentially ineligible to vote in the November 2000 election. Of those on the list, 57,746 were identified as convicted felons. Based on DBT Online's statistical verification, the list it provided to the Division of Elections was 99.9 percent accurate. The Division of Elections distributed the relevant portions of the list to the 67 supervisors of elections.

The Division of Elections instructed DBT Online to verify the clemency status of any alleged convicted felon, even those convicted in states with automatic civil rights restoration, with the Florida Executive Clemency Board. Among those states with their own executive clemency boards, DBT Online was instructed to confirm the alleged felons' clemency status with the board. The methodology adopted by DBT Online to verify the clemency status of those alleged felons basically consisted of faxing a list to the appropriate state agency.

DBT Online was not required to provide a list of exact name matches. Rather, the matching logic only required a 90 percent name match, which produced "false positives" or partial matches of the data. Moreover, the Division of Elections required that DBT Online perform "nickname matches" for first names and to "make it go both ways." Thus, the name Deborah Ann would also match the name Ann Deborah.

At a meeting in early 1999, the supervisors of elections expressed a preference for exact matches on the list as opposed to a "fairly broad and encompassing" collection of names. DBT Online advised the Division of Elections that it could produce a list with exact matches. Despite this, the Division of Elections nevertheless opted to cast a wide net for the exclusion lists.

Former director of the Division of Elections, Ethel Baxter, in 1998, recommended to the supervisors of elections that if there was any doubt as to the accuracy of an individual's status, the voter should be allowed to vote by affidavit. Despite knowing the exclusion lists contained many errors, there is no record that the Division of Elections provided similar cautionary advice to the supervisors of elections for the 2000 presidential election. The evidence does show that some election officials decided that it further served the state's interests to capture as many names as possible on these exclusion lists.

The process by which each county verified its exclusion list was as varied and unique as the supervisors of elections themselves. Some supervisors of elections sent letters to the alleged felons and held hearings to allow them to produce evidence of their clemency status or establish they were on the list in error. Other supervisors chose not to use the exclusion list at all.

Although the Commission's record reflects that the Division of Elections is responsible for coordinating two statewide workshops annually for the supervisors of elections to ensure uniformity in the interpretation of Florida election laws, the complaints registered by some supervisors of elections suggest that there was no common understanding of the use of the exclusion lists. The Florida legislature's decision to privatize its list maintenance procedures without establishing effective clear guidance for these private efforts from the highest levels, coupled with the absence of uniform and reliable verification procedures, resulted in countless eligible voters being deprived of their right to vote.

Major security breaches[edit]ChoicePoint has suffered several security breaches which have led to the theft of the personal information it holds. The company has been criticized as much for the way it has handled the thefts as the incidents themselves. Its actions over a substantial breach in 2004 led to calls for new national privacy laws in the US to protect the personal data of Americans.[15] Since then, reports published in the media say the company has improved its privacy practices.

ChoicePoint discovered on September 27, 2004, that some of its small-business customers in Los Angeles were engaged in suspicious activity. The company notified police, but did not inform the individuals whose data was leaked until early February 2005. At first, the company only notified some 35,000 California residents as required by law in that state. After a public outcry for more information, the company notified a further 128,000 US citizens whose records were improperly accessed.[16]

Thieves used previously stolen identities to create apparently legitimate businesses seeking ChoicePoint accounts. Over the course of more than a year they then opened about 50 accounts and received personal information on individuals, including names, addresses, and identification numbers. The old-fashioned scheme, that did not involve any hacking, allowed each fake company account to collect "just enough data to fly under the radar"[17] in order to facilitate at least 750 cases of identity theft.[18] In total, more than 5,000 cases of identity theft were reported as the result of the breach.[16]

The scam came to light when 41-year-old Nigerian citizen, Olatunji Oluwatosin, was detected attempting to gain access to personal data held by ChoicePoint. Olatunji Oluwatosin was arrested in October 2004 with five cell phones and three credit cards that belonged to other people, according to investigators. He was sentenced by the Los Angeles County Superior Court in February 2005 to 16 months in prison.[19]

Incident made public due to California law[edit]The incident became public because of a California notification law that came into effect on 1 July 2003 requiring companies to notify individuals when their personal information has been stolen. Further, until pressured by investigations (see below), ChoicePoint restricted its search of compromised records to the 15 months that the California law had been in force, leading it to identify 145,000 records against the eventual total of 163,000.[18]

Investigations[edit]The security breach sparked a number of investigations to include members of Congress, the Federal Trade Commission, the US Securities and Exchange Commission and US state attorneys general as well as personal lawsuits.[20]

Media investigations generated by the incident brought to light that ChoicePoint had suffered a previous similar ID theft in 2002. A similar scam of establishing fake businesses has been used to make between 7,000 and 10,000 inquiries on names and Social Security numbers to commit at least US$1 million in fraud.[21]

Congress members rebuked the company for the security breaches, its intention only to notify California citizens of the breach and proposed federal privacy reforms.

The company eventually reached an agreement with around 20 state attorneys general to notify individuals in other states that their data had been stolen.

Cost to the company[edit]The incident cost ChoicePoint millions of dollars. The company reported charges of US$11.4 million related to the incident in the first six months of 2005, including US$2 million to notify victims of the incident and US$9.4 million in legal and professional fees.[22] Changes to business practices to avoid further breaches were expected to cost the company between $15 million and $20 million in sales during 2005 and to reduce earnings per share by 10 cents to 12 cents.[23]

In January 2006 ChoicePoint was fined US$15 million by the Federal Trade Commission: US$10 million in civil penalties and US$5 million to compensate victims of the security breach. In addition, ChoicePoint was required to take steps to better secure personal information.[24][25]

The announcements of frauds and the fines have been accompanied by substantial falls in the value of the company's traded shares.[26]

Changes to business practices[edit]ChoicePoint's steps to improve its data privacy practices were noted in the media, where some reports state that the company should now be considered an industry leader in data privacy.[27][28] Not everyone was so sanguine; Marc Rotenberg of the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) said,

"While I'm prepared to give them credit for a series of positive steps, I don't think it would be accurate to say that they got to this position on their own. It took a lot of work by EPIC and other organizations."[29]Other topics[edit]Out-of-date data[edit]Several lawsuits and consumer complaints have accused ChoicePoint of providing inaccurate and out-of-date information in its criminal background reports, resulting in unfair job losses for applicants. Problems also arose concerning the accuracy of individual's financial standing, the difficulty of correcting errors, and individuals being refused loans and housing support.[30]

It is claimed that the company has not met US federal laws requiring consumer reporting agencies (third parties who conduct background checks for employers) to verify the data they give employers or notify job applicants when they provide adverse information to an employer.[30]

National Credit Audit Corporation[edit]ChoicePoint subsidiary, National Credit Audit Corporation of Peoria, Illinois has been accused of attempting to force magazine subscribers to pay for merchandise which they have not ordered.[31]

CLUE database misuse[edit]MSN Money columnist Liz Pulliam Weston wrote a column[8] about a Bremerton, Washington couple, State Farm Insurance customers for 30 years, who discussed an incident of rainwater damage to their home with the company. They ended up not filing a claim, thus maintaining a claim-free history for their home. In spite of the claim-free history, State Farm dropped them as customers, and shared information on their water damage with ChoicePoint's CLUE database. That sharing led to the couple being repeatedly denied coverage by other insurance companies. The column also describes anecdotal evidence cited by real estate agents that information obtained from CLUE has caused home sales to fall through.

See also[edit]References[edit]^ ab"Company Profile for ChoicePoint Inc (CPS)". Retrieved 2008-10-06. ^In Age of Security, Firm Mines Wealth Of Personal Data, Washington Post, 19 January 2005, retrieved 14 March 2007^ abEPIC, 30 March 2005, loaded 3 April 2007^CNN Obama Questionnaire, 13 November 2008, loaded 13 November 2008^ChoicePoint at Yahoo Finance, retrieved 12 September 2007^ChoicePoint website, retrieved 12 September 2007^They're Watching You, Business Week, 24 January 2005, retrieved 10 April 2007^ abcInsurers keep a secret history of your home, MSN Money, 30 July 2006, retrieved 12 September 2007^A Blacklist Burning For Bush, Greg Palast, 10 December 2000, retrieved 12 September 2007^ChoicePoint's Mythical Role in Elections Past and Present, ChoicePoint website,8 July 2007, retrieved 14 March 2007^Voting Irregularities in Florida During the 2000 Presidential Election, Civil Rights Commission Report on 2000 Florida Elections, retrieved 14 March 2007^Florida's flawed voter-cleansing program, Salon, 4 December 2000, retrieved 12 September 2007^Choicepoint's Error RateEmergent Chaos loaded 14 March 2007^www.usccr.gov/pubs/vote2000/report/ch5.htm^ChoicePoint's error sparks talk of ID theft law, By Grant Gross, IDG News Feb 23, 2005, retrieved 26 December 2011^ abFTC imposes record fine on ChoicePoint in data-loss case, Jurist, 26 January 2006, loaded 30 March 2007^The ChoicePoint Incident, Red Herring, 22 February 2005, retrieved 12 September 2007^ abBreak-in costs ChoicePoint millions, C|Net News, 20 July 2005, retrieved 12 September 2007^ChoicePoint Data Cache Became a Powder Keg, Washington Post, 5 March 2005, retrieved 12 September 2007^ChoicePoint faces inquiry, will curtail data sales, C|Net News.com, 4 March 2005, loaded 30 March 2007^ChoicePoint was victim of ID theft in '02, Seattle Times, 3 March 2005, retrieved 12 September 2007^Break-in costs ChoicePoint millions, ZDNet News, 20 July 2005, loaded 30 March 2007^SEC probing ChoicePoint stock sales, MSN, 4 March 2005, loaded 30 March 2007^ChoicePoint fined $15m by FTC, Financial Times, 26 January 2006, retrieved 12 September 2007^ChoicePoint Is Fined for Data Breach, Los Angeles Times, 27 January 2006, retrieved 14 November 2008^ChoicePoint quoted stock at Yahoo Finance, retrieved 12 September 2007^ChoicePoint Incident Leads To Improved Security, Others Must Follow, Gartner Group, 19 September 2006, retrieved 14 March 2007^Keeping Your Enemies Close, New York Times, 12 November 2006, republished by ChoicePoint, retrieved 12 September 2007^Gary Rivlin (2006-11-12). "Keeping Your Enemies Close". New York Times. p. 4. Retrieved 2008-02-04. ^ abChoicePoint's checks under fire, Wired, 23 March 2005, retrieved 12 September 2007^National Credit Audit Corporation Tries To Collect Bogus Debt, Consumerist.com June 2007, retrieved 10 September 200732.^ http://www.elsiglodetorreon.com.mx/noticia/31543.se-deslinda-el-ife-de-venta-de-padron.html 33.^ http://www.elsiglodetorreon.com.mx/noticia/29665.descubre-el-ife-quien-vendio-padron-electoral.html 34.^ http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2006/12/17/index.php?section=politica&article=010n2pol

External links[edit]LexisNexis ® Risk SolutionsFirm Mines Wealth Of Personal Data, Washington Post, loaded 14 March 2006Stealing Identities the Old-Fashioned Way, Tech News WorldAlert in Response to ChoicePoint Identity Data TheftBreak-in costs ChoicePoint millions,News.com, 7/20/2005ChoicePoint files found riddled with errors,msnbc.com, 3/8/2005Electronic Privacy Information Center's ChoicePoint page - includes information EPIC gained from FOIA requestsChoicePoint-FBI Deal Raises New Privacy Questions, consumeraffairs.com, 16 May 2006, loaded 2 April 2007

ConocoPhillips - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 09:36

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Tue, 04 Jun 2013 09:37

ConocoPhillips Company is an American multinationalenergy corporation with its headquarters located in the Energy Corridor district of Houston, Texas in the United States. It is the world's largest independent pure-play exploration & production company and is also one of the Fortune 500 companies.[3][4] ConocoPhillips was created through the merger of Conoco Inc. and the Phillips Petroleum Company on August 30, 2002 and was the fifth largest integrated oil company until spinning off its downstream assets to Phillips 66.[5]

History[edit]Conoco Inc. was an American oil company founded in 1875 as the Continental Oil and Transportation Company. Based in Ogden, Utah, the company was a coal, oil, kerosene, grease and candles distributor in the West. Marland Oil Company (founded by exploration pioneer E. W. Marland) later acquired the assets (subject to liabilities) of Continental Oil Company, for a consideration of 2,317,266 shares of stock. On June 26, 1929, Marland Oil changed its name to Continental Oil Company and moved its headquarters to Ponca City, Oklahoma. The acquisition gave Conoco the red bar-and-triangle logo previously used by Marland. Conoco used the logo between 1930 and 1970, when the current red capsule logo was adopted.

Numerous state corporation filings are identified "Continental Oil Company" and "Continental Oil Corp." and "Continental Oil Company of Texas" as recorded with the Texas Secretary of State and Delaware Secretary of State. Merger of San Jacinto Petroleum Corp. and Continental Oil Corporation is recorded in 1964 with Delaware Secretary of State.

In 2005, ConocoPhillips began rebranding its (Union) 76 gas stations, which Phillips had acquired from Tosco Corporation before the merger with Conoco. The move prompted a petition campaign by fans hoping to save the historic 76 orange ball signage.[6]

In March 2006, ConocoPhillips bought Wilhelmshavener Raffineriegesellschaft mbH in Germany, and Burlington Resources in the United States.[7]

On May 10, 2006, Richard Armitage, former deputy-secretary of the U.S. State Department, was elected to the board of directors of the ConocoPhillips oil company.[8]

In 2007 the Chevron Corporation converted all of the Conoco gas stations in Mississippi to the Texaco brand.

In late 2009 the company announced asset sales to increase investor returns. Included are debt reduction and stock buy back. In March 2011 the program was enlarged up to $10 billion assets sales in the next two years.[9]

ConocoPhillips intends to implement a floating liquefied natural gas facility by 2016-2019, and has completed quantitative risk analysis of a design that will undergo pre-feed study in 2011.[10]

On July 14, 2011, ConocoPhillips announced its intent to separate the company's upstream and downstream businesses into two stand-alone, publicly traded corporations, with the intent of maximizing shareholder value.[11] On May 1, 2012, all midstream, downstream, marketing and chemical operations were separated into a new company named Phillips 66, headquartered in Houston.[12] As a result, ConocoPhillips continued its operations as an exploration and production company.[13][14]

In April 2012, ConocoPhillips sold its Trainer Refinery to Monroe Energy LLC, a subsidiary of Delta Air Lines.[15]

In January 2013, Conoco announced that it would sell its Rocky Mountain assets to Denbury Resources for $1.05 billion.[2][16]

Operations[edit]Exploration and production[edit]ConocoPhillips focuses solely on exploring for, developing and producing oil and natural gas globally. The company manages its operations through six operating segments, which are defined by geographic region: Alaska, Lower 48 and Latin America, Canada, Europe, Asia Pacific and Middle East, and Other International.

Kashagan Field in KazakhstanIn 1998, ConocoPhillips acquired an interest in 10.5 blocks off the coast of Kazakhstan through the North Caspian Sea Production Sharing Agreement (NCSPSA). It currently owns 8.4% of the shares of the consortium exploiting Kashagan oil field. However the company seeks to reduce its non-core assets in order to use the cash for debt reduction, fund its capital program, and dividend payments. On October 3, 2012, the Kazakh Oil and Gas Minister told reporters that ConocoPhillips has informed Kazkahstan of their intention to sell their shares.[17] In November 26, in its biggest acquisition ever, ONGC Videsh agreed to buy ConocoPhillips' 8.4% stake in the Kashagan oilfield for about US $5 billion. The stake buy is subject to approval of governments of Kazakhstan and India and also to other partners in the Caspian Sea field waiving their pre-emption rights.[18]

Headquarters[edit]The headquarters of ConocoPhillips are located in the Energy Corridor district of Houston, Texas.[19] By 2002 the groups organizing the measure had selected Houston as the site of the headquarters. Governor of OklahomaFrank Keating said that the move to Houston was "regrettable." The Journal Record stated that Archie Dunham, the CEO of Conoco Inc., "apparently highlighted the lack of direct international air travel from Oklahoma as a key drawback for the merged firm."[20] The ConocoPhillips headquarters, originally the headquarters of Conoco Inc., was formerly known as the Conoco Center.[21][22]

Environmental record[edit]From 04/2007 to 02/2010 ConocoPhillips was a member of the U.S. Climate Action Partnership. On April 11, 2007, it became the first U.S. oil company to join the U.S. Climate Action Partnership, an alliance of big business and environmental groups. The partnership in January 2007 had advised President George W. Bush that mandatory emissions caps would be needed to reduce the flow of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere. In 2007 ConocoPhillips announced it would spend $150 million that year on the research and development of new energy sources and technologies '-- a 50 percent increase in spending from 2006.[23] However, ConocoPhillips left the U.S. Climate Action Partnership in February, 2010.[24]

According to the Political Economy Research Institute, ConocoPhillips ranked 13th among U.S. corporate producers of air pollutions.[25]

In 2003, ConocoPhillips was named as a defendant in a lawsuit brought by Green Alternative, an environmental group based in the former Soviet republic of Georgia. The suit claimed that a number of foreign oil companies colluded with the Georgian government to induce authorities to approve a $3 billion pipeline without properly evaluating the environmental impact.[26]

In June 2011, ConocoPhillips China Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of ConocoPhillips,[27] was responsible for a series of oil spills at the Penglai 19-3 oil field in Bohai Bay.[28]

ConocoPhillips is a signatory participant of the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights.

See also[edit]References[edit]^ConocoPhillps. "Company History". Retrieved 2008-09-06. ^ abcdefg"ConocoPhillips, Form 10-K, Annual Report, Filing Date Feb 19, 2013". secdatabase.com. Retrieved Mar 28, 2013. ^http://www.conocophillips.com/EN/newsroom/news_releases/2012NewsReleases/Pages/05-01-2012.aspx^"Fortune 500 2009: Fortune 1000 Companies 1-100". CNN. ^"ConocoPhillips, Form 8-K12G3, Filing Date Aug 30, 2002". secdatabase.com. Retrieved Mar 28, 2013. ^Save the 76 Ball website^"ConocoPhillips, Form 8-K, Current Report, Filing Date Mar 31, 2006". secdatabase.com. Retrieved Mar 28, 2013. ^"ConocoPhillips, Form 10-Q, Quarterly Report, Filing Date Aug 3, 2006". secdatabase.com. Retrieved Mar 28, 2013. ^http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/keyDevelopments?symbol=COP.N Retrieved at March 28, 2011^http://www.kgu.or.kr/download.php?tb=bbs_017&fn=SESSION_10_(TECHNIAL)___Paul_Davies_ConocoPhillips.pdf&rn=SESSION_10_(TECHNIAL)___Paul_Davies_ConocoPhillips.pdf^ConocoPhillips Pursuing Plan to Separate into Two Stand-Alone, Publicly Traded Companies, ConnocoPhillips, July 14, 2011^"ConocoPhillips, Form 8-K, Current Report, Filing Date May 2, 2012". secdatabase.com. Retrieved Mar 28, 2013. ^http://articles.marketwatch.com/2012-05-01/industries/31507505_1_conocophillips-nyse-regular-trading^http://finance.yahoo.com/news/phillips-66-debuts-advantaged-downstream-120000807.html^Burkhardt, Paul; Schlangenstein, Mary (June 15, 2012). "Delta CEO Says Airline to Pressure Prices as Jet Fuel Seller". Bloomberg. ^Thyagaraju Adinarayan (15 January 2013). "Conoco to sell Rocky Mountain assets to Denbury for $1.05 billion". Reuters. ^"Kazakstan Announces ConocoPhillips to Quit Kashagan Oil Field". The Gazette of Central Asia (Satrapia). 3 October 2012. ^"Indian OVL to Buy ConocoPhillips's Stake in Kashagan Field". The Gazette of Central Asia. 27 November 2012. ^"Contact Us." ConocoPhillips. Retrieved on October 1, 2009.^"Governor says ConocoPhillips headquarters decision appears to be final." Journal Record. January 23, 2002. Retrieved on February 3, 2010.^"Write Conoco!." Conoco Inc. February 19, 1997. Retrieved on January 16, 2010.^"Conoco World Headquarters Address." Conoco Inc. November 1, 1996. Retrieved on January 17, 2010.^John Porretto (April 11, 2007). "ConocoPhillips joins climate group". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. ^Chesser, Paul (2010-02-24). "CHESSER: World cools toward warmists They brought it on themselves with their fudged facts". washingtontimes.com. Washington Times. Archived from the original on 2010-02-26. Retrieved 2010-02-26. "Last week, three major corporations - Conoco/Phillips, BP and Caterpillar - bailed out on the U.S. Climate Action Partnership lobbyist collaboration." ^Political Economy Research Institute^Houston Business Journal^http://www.conocophillips.com.cn/EN/about/background/Pages/index.aspxConocoPhillips China, Company Background^http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-07-china-oil-long-term-impact.htmlExternal links[edit]

Media Centre OHCHR-UN

US to deploy Patriot missiles, F-16 jets to Jordan

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 23:28

Geneva, 4 June 2013 -- The United Nations commission of inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic is presenting its latest report on the human rights situation in Syria. The Commission found that war crimes and gross human rights violations continue to be perpetrated on an ever larger scale as the violence escalates.

Crimes against humanity are being perpetrated by government forces and affiliated militias as they carry out widespread attacks against civilian populations through indiscriminate shelling, unlawful killing, torture, enforced disappearance, and sexual violence. They are systematically inflicting sieges against towns perceived as hostile, while populations have been forcibly displaced.

Anti-government armed groups have also besieged towns, especially in Aleppo governorate. They are committing war crimes on an increasing scale, including extra-judicial executions, torture, hostage-taking, and pillage. The violations and abuses committed by anti-Government armed groups did not reach the intensity and scale of those committed by Government forces and affiliated militias.

The commission found reasonable grounds to believe chemicals have been used as weapons, but did not identify the chemical agent, or the perpetrator. The commission remains convinced that a political settlement is the only means of stopping the violence.

This report covers the period from 15 January to 15 May 2013. The findings are based on 430 interviews and other evidence, collected during this four-month period.

To access the report please go to:English'' http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/CoISyria/A-HRC-23-58_en.pdfArabic '' http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/CoISyria/A-HRC-23-58_ar.pdf

To access the live or archived webcast please go to (Presentation should begin at 11:30 am CET): http://webtv.un.org/

To access video and audio (of the press conference of 3 June and of the presentation today):ftp://CLIENT1:7dl0PY9R@unis-ftp.unog.chTechnical contact: +41 22 917 59 57

To access photographs:ftp://VIEW2:LD16C8Ik@unis-ftp.unog.chTechnical contact: +41 79 444 60 41

Background:

The commission, which comprises Mr. Paulo S(C)rgio Pinheiro (Chair), Ms. Karen Koning AbuZayd, Ms. Carla del Ponte and Mr. Vitit Muntarbhorn, has been mandated by the United Nations Human Rights Council to investigate and record all violations of international human rights law. The Commission has also been tasked with investigating allegations of crimes against humanity and war crimes, and its mandate was recently expanded to include ''investigations of all massacres.''

For further media information: contact Rolando Gomez, Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Tel: +41-22-917.9711, email:rgomez@ohchr.org

Presidential Memorandum -- Suspension of Limitations Under the Jerusalem Embassy Act

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 08:06

Osman Orsal / Reuters file

U.S. soldiers wait beside a U.S. Patriot missile system at a Turkish military base in Gaziantep, on Feb. 5, 2013.

By Suleiman Al-Khalidi and Alissa de Carbonnel, Reuters

The United States will deploy Patriot anti-aircraft missiles and F-16 fighter jets to Syria's neighbor Jordan this month, Jordan said on Tuesday, drawing swift condemnation from Moscow which accused the West of sending weapons to fuel Syria's civil war.

Jordan said the planes and missiles will be sent as part of an annual exercise to begin in the last week of June. Military sources said the exercises would involve armies from at least 18 countries with more than 15,000 troops.

"These annual exercises will increase the preparedness of the Jordanian army. This year we are in need of more advanced weapons," Jordan's Minister of Information Mohammad al-Momani told Reuters.

There was no official statement suggesting the Patriots or the fighters would be withdrawn when the exercises are over.

Jordan is a U.S. ally in the region and one of the Arab countries that backs the opposition to Syrian President Bashar Assad, who is fighting insurgents in a two-year-old civil war that has killed 80,000 people.

The deployment of Patriot missiles is particularly controversial for Russia, Assad's main global ally, which believes the missiles could be used by the United States and its allies to impose a no-fly zone over Syria, heralding the first direct Western military intervention.

"We have more than once stated our opinion on this - foreign weapons are being pumped into an explosive region," Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said in a statement.

"This is happening very close to Syria, where for more than two years the flames are burning of a devastating conflict that Russia and its American partners are trying to stop by proposing to hold an international peace conference as soon as possible."

Moscow complained vociferously last year when the United States, Germany and the Netherlands deployed Patriots on Syria's northern border in Turkey, a NATO ally. NATO said the Patriots were sent there as a precaution in case missiles were fired over the border from Syria.

Moscow said that decision was a factor in its decision to go ahead with plans to send its own anti-aircraft system, the S-300, to Assad's government.

The Russian system has not yet been deployed but Moscow said in recent weeks it would fulfill the delivery contract.

Assad's air power is one of his main advantages against the rebels, who are relatively lightly armed with weapons they receive from Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

The United States and Russia have jointly called for a peace conference on Syria later this month, the first attempt in a year by the powers supporting the opposing sides in the civil war to find a diplomatic solution.

How a line drawn in the sand nearly 100 years ago helped create Syria mess

Jerusalem Embassy Act - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Al Qaeda weapons expert: U.S. ambassador to Libya killed by lethal injection

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 23:42

The Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995[1] is a public law of the United States passed by the 104th Congress on October 23, 1995. It was passed for the purposes of initiating and funding the relocation of the Embassy of the United States in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, no later than May 31, 1999, and attempted to withhold 50 percent of the funds appropriated to the State Department specifically for ''Acquisition and Maintenance of Buildings Abroad'' as allocated in fiscal year 1999 until the United States Embassy in Jerusalem had officially opened.[2] The act also called for Jerusalem to remain an undivided city and for it to be recognized as the capital of the State of Israel. Israel's declared capital is Jerusalem, but this is not internationally recognized, pending final status talks in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The United States has withheld recognition of the city as Israel's capital. The proposed law was adopted by the Senate (93''5),[3] and the House (374''37).[4]

Since passage, the law has never been implemented, because of opposition from Presidents Clinton, Bush, and Obama, who view it as a Congressional infringement on the executive branch's constitutional authority over foreign policy; they have consistently claimed the presidential waiver on national security interests.

Background[edit]Jerusalem holds unique spiritual and religious interests among the world's Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Following the First World War, the victorious Principal Allied Powers recognized these as "a sacred trust of civilization", and stipulated that the existing rights and claims connected with them should be safeguarded in perpetuity, under international guarantee.[5][6][7] The terms of the British Balfour Declaration of 1917 were included in the Mandate for Palestine by the League of Nations. The US government was not a party to these agreements; but stated official foreign policy in 1919 was to 'acquiesce' in the Balfour Declaration, but not officially support Zionism.[8][9] On September 21, 1922, the US Congress passed a joint resolution stating its support for a homeland in Palestine for the Jewish people but not at the expense of other cultures present at the time.[10][11] This occurred virtually the same day the Palestine Mandate was approved by the League of Nations; although official government findings about the affected peoples' choices concerning self-determination were available in government circles, they were withheld from the public until the following December.[12] US foreign policy remained unchanged. These competing nationalist claims led to increasing civil violence during the inter-war period; following World War II, the 'Question of Palestine' was placed before the United Nations, as the League's successor agency.

On November 29, 1947, the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 181, the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine; it contained a recommendation that Jerusalem be placed under a special international regime, a corpus separatum, administered by the United Nations and be separate from both the Jewish and Arab states envisioned. Following the conflict that ensued, cease-fires and the 1949 Armistice Agreements were negotiated and accepted by both sides. One of these resulted, in part, in a temporary division of Jerusalem. The relevant Armistice Agreement with Jordan, was signed on April 3, 1949,[13] but it was considered internationally as having no legal effect on the continued validity of the provisions of the partition resolution for the internationalization of Jerusalem.[14] On April 25, 1949, King Abdullah officially changed the name of Transjordan to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. He had secured the support of Great Britain (albeit qualified'--Great Britain did not recognize the incorporation of East Jerusalem, maintaining that it ought to be part of a corpus separatum, an international enclave).[15]

On December 5, 1949 the Israeli Cabinet, meeting in Tel Aviv, declared Jerusalem the capital of Israel, and on January 23, 1950, the First Knesset proclaimed that "Jerusalem was, and had always been, the capital of Israel."[16] Moreover, on April 24, 1950, the Jordan House of Deputies and House of Notables, in a joint session, adopted a resolution annexing the West Bank and Jerusalem. Because the status of Jerusalem had been included previously in the UN Partition Plan, most countries did not accept this Israeli position, and most embassies have been located elsewhere.[14][17]

The United States has stated that its policy on Jerusalem refers specifically to the geographic boundaries of the area that were set out for the "City of Jerusalem", or Corpus Separatum, in Resolution 181, but since 1950, US diplomats have traveled regularly to Jerusalem from the US Embassy in Tel Aviv to conduct business with Israeli officials.[18] The United States has also stated that, in a de jure sense, Jerusalem was part of Palestine and has not since become part of any other sovereignty.[19] After the capture of the entire city and the adjacent West Bank in the 1967 Six Day War, the United States again reaffirmed the desirability of establishing an international regime for the city of Jerusalem.[20]

Advocacy for the Jerusalem Embassy Act reached a zenith during particularly critical times in negotiations for the Oslo Accords of the Peace process, despite opposition from both the Israeli and American administrations.[21] The embassy move was, and continues to be, delayed by successive United States government in order to appear neutral on the issue of Jerusalem.

Details[edit]The act asserted that every country has a right to designate the capital of its choice, and that Israel has designated Jerusalem. The act notes that "the city of Jerusalem is the seat of Israel's President, Parliament, and Supreme Court, and the site of numerous government ministries and social and cultural institutions." Jerusalem is defined as the spiritual center of Judaism. Furthermore, it stipulates that since the reunification of Jerusalem in 1967, religious freedom has been guaranteed to all.

S. 1322 also stated that "Jerusalem should be recognized as the capital of the State of Israel; and the United States Embassy in Israel should be established in Jerusalem no later than May 31, 1999".

Although the Senate and House votes preceded visits by then Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert to Washington to celebrate the 3000th anniversary of King David's declaration of Jerusalem as the capital of the Jews,[22] little to no progress has been achieved in the physical relocation of the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem to date.

Timetable[edit]Section 3 of the Act outlined the U.S. policy and set the initial parameters for the Secretary of State to report in order to receive the full funding '-- again, with a May 1999 target deadline for the appropriations. The section also briefly stated U.S. policy concerning the matter.

Sec. 3. Timetable.

(a) Statement of the Policy of the United States.'--(1) Jerusalem should remain an undivided city in which the rights of every ethnic and religious group are protected.(2) Jerusalem should be recognized as the capital of the State of Israel; and(3) the United States Embassy in Israel should be established in Jerusalem no later than May 31, 1999.(b) Opening Determination.'--Not more than 50 percent of the funds appropriated to the Department of State for fiscal year 1999 for ''Acquisition and Maintenance of Buildings Abroad'' may be obligated until the Secretary of State determines and reports to Congress that the United States Embassy In Jerusalem has officially opened.The major roadblock has been the question on what effect, if any, the relocation may symbolize for other interested parties or neighboring nations involved in the ongoing and sometimes quite contentious Mid-East diplomacy and foreign relations. Since the legislation's introduction, the consensus has been that this action poses considerable risk to United States national security at home and abroad for this reason.

Constitutional separation of powers[edit]Under the Constitution of the United States the President has exclusive authority to recognize foreign sovereignty over territory.[23] The Justice Department Office of Legal Counsel concluded that the provisions of the Embassy Relocation Act invade exclusive presidential authorities in the field of foreign affairs and are unconstitutional.[24]

U.S. presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and now Barack Obama have alluded to or explicitly stated the belief that Congressional resolutions attempting to legislate foreign policy infringe upon the Executive's authority and responsibility to carry out sound and effective U.S. foreign relations.

Regarding the status of Jerusalem specifically, President Bush had deemed Congress' role as merely "advisory", stating that it "impermissibly interferes with the President's constitutional authority".[25] The U.S. Constitution reserves the conduct of foreign policy to the President and resolutions of Congress, such as the ones found in the Authorization Act of 2003 that included the Jerusalem Embassy Act's provisions, makes the arguments in favor of legislating foreign policy from Congress extremely problematic if not arguably invalid for that Constitutional reason.

Even from the Embassy Act's legislative beginnings, the question of Congress' over-reach and if somehow it was usurping the Executive's authority or power over matters of foreign affair had played subtle role in shaping the debate at the time. President Clinton had taken the unusual step of not signing the Embassy Act into law once Congress had presented it to him but rather let 10 days of inaction pass, allowing the bill to return to Congress and automatically become law by Constitutional "default" to show his disapproval. The non-action on Clinton's part reinforced this sticking point between the branches of Federal government without the possible public fallout from taking a "negative stand" on what appeared to be favorable, veto-proof legislation on the surface overall and at the time.[26][27][28]

Presidential Waiver[edit]This Constitutional question was apparent while the legislation was working its way through both chambers; Sen. Dole's amendment adopted into the introduced language included a provision that, in part, returned to the Executive Branch the power over foreign affairs it already had.

Since 1998, the relocation of the embassy from Tel Aviv has been suspended by the sitting President semi-annually based on national security concerns as provided for in section 7 of the Act.

Sec. 7. Presidential Waiver.

(a) Waiver Authority.'--(1) Beginning on October 1, 1998, the president may suspend the limitations set forth in section 3(b) for a period of six months if he determines and reports to Congress in advance that such suspension is necessary to protect the national security interests of the United States.(2) The President may suspend such limitations for an additional six month period at the end of any period during which the suspension is in effect under this subsections if the President determines and reports to Congress in advance of the additional suspension that the additional suspension is necessary to protect the national security interests of the United States.(3) A report under paragraph (1) or (2) shall include'--(A) a statement of the interests affected by the limitation that the President seeks to suspend; and(B) a discussion of the manner in which the limitation affects the interests.(b) Applicability of Waiver to Availability of Funds.'--If the President exercises the authority set forth in subsection (a) in a fiscal year for the purpose set forth in such section 3(b) except to the extent that the limitation is suspended in such following fiscal year by reason of the exercise of the authority in subsection (a).Since this provision went into effect in late 1998, all the Presidents serving in office during this period have determined moving forward with the relocation would be detrimental to U.S. national security concerns and opted to issue waivers suspending any action on this front. A re-assessment has to take place every six months however. In response, members of Congress have begun to include language to do away with the President's exclusivity in making the determinations or flat-out remove the waiver provision completely from the Embassy Act altogether.[29][30]

Developments[edit]Noteworthy developments since the passage of the Act and well past the initial May 31, 1999 deadline's expiration:

Of the 22 Presidential Determinations to suspend the limitations that have been issued between 1998 and the Fall of 2009, only the Bush era issuances, the bulk of the determinations to date, included the wording:"[The current] Administration remains committed to beginning the process of moving our embassy to Jerusalem";[31]'...while President Obama's issuances mirror the wording first used by President Clinton."The Congress maintains its commitment to relocating the United States Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and urges the President [...] to immediately begin the process of relocating the United States Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem".[32]The U.S. Congress, however, has the "power of the purse", and could prohibit the expenditure of funds on any embassy located outside Jerusalem. The U.S. Congress has not managed to repeat the incorporation or passage of language similar to Section 214's needed to even be able to attempt forcing a foreign policy change by withholding funding.[33][34]Claims have arisen that a result of the Embassy Act, official U.S. documents and web sites refer to Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, although this has been the case in many instances before the Act became law. The CIA World Fact Book has carried the typical Federal citation concerning Israel's capital and the absence of the usual concentration of foreign embassies being within its boundaries or proximity.[35]A potential site for a future US Embassy office building has been demarcated by Israel and the US, and is maintained in the neighborhood of Talpiot. Currently, the United States has three diplomatic office facilities in Jerusalem: a Consulate on Agron Road in West Jerusalem, a consular annex on Nablus road in East Jerusalem and a new office annex in the neighborhood of Arnona, located on an area of "no-man's land" between East and West Jerusalem, which opened in October 2010.[36]In March 2011 a new bill, the Jerusalem Embassy and Recognition Act of 2011 (H.R.1006), was introduced. Cosponsored by fourteen Members of Congress, including House Europe Subcommittee Chairman Dan Burton (R), House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairwoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R) and House Middle East Subcommittee Chairman Steve Chabot (R), the bill would discontinue the Presidential waiver authority included in the 1995 Act, relocate the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and affirm the city as the undivided capital of Israel.[37]

See also[edit]References[edit]^Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995, Pub.L. 104''45, Nov 8, 1995, 109 Stat. 398.^Breger, Marshall J. (October 23, 1995). "Jerusalem Gambit: How We Should Treat Jerusalem Is a Matter of U.S. Constitutional Law as Well as Middle Eastern Politics". National Review47 (20): 41''4. ^On the passage of S. 1322, the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995, Roll call vote 496, via Senate.gov^On the passage of S. 1322, the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995, Roll call vote 734, via Clerk.House.gov^League of Nations Mandate for Palestine, Article 28 .^"Construction of a wall (advisory opinion)", Reports, ICJ, 2004, pp. 165 para. 70, 188 para. 129. ^de Waart, Paul JIM (2005), "International Court of Justice Firmly Walled in the Law of Power in the Israeli''Palestinian Peace Process", Leiden Journal of International Law18 (3): 467''87, doi:10.1017/S0922156505002839, "The Court ascertained the legal significance of the 'sacred trust of civilization' of the League of Nations (LoN) in respect of the 1922 Palestine Mandate as the origin of the present responsibility of the United Nations" .^Walworth (1986) 473-83, esp. p. 481; Melvin I. Urofsky, American Zionism from Herzl to the Holocaust, (1995) ch. 6.^Brecher, Frank W (1991), "1''4", Reluctant Ally: United States Foreign Policy toward the Jews from Wilson to Roosevelt .^"372", Pub. Resolution No. 73, 42 Stat. 1018 .^Rubenberg, Cheryl A (1986). Israel and the American National Interest: A Critical Examination. University of Illinois Press. p. 27. ISBN 0-252-06074-1. ^Crane & King's long-hid report on the Near East, The New York Times, December 3, 1922 .^The Avalon Project: Jordanian-Israeli General Armistice Agreement, April 3, 1949^ abSee "Corpus Separatum §33 Jerusalem" Marjorie M. Whiteman editor, US State Department Digest of International Law, vol. 1 (Washington, DC: U. S. Government Printing Office, 1963) pages 593-4;Foreign relations of the United States, 1948. The Near East, South Asia, and Africa (in two parts) Volume V, Part 2, Page 748; "Governing Jerusalem: Again on the world's agenda", by Ira Sharkansky, Wayne State University Press, 1996, ISBN 0-8143-2592-0, page 23; and John Quigley, "The Legal Status Of Jerusalem Under International Law, The Turkish Yearbook Of International Relations, [VOL. XXIV, 1994] pp 11-25^THE CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY: FIRST KNESSET 1949-1951. Annexation of the West Bank by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan^Martin Gilbert, Jerusalem in the Twentieth Century (New York, 1996), pp. 243-244.^Jordanian Annexation of West Bank- Resolution Adopted by the House of Deputies, 24 April, 1950^Gilbert, p. 253.^Foreign Relations of the United States, 1961-1963: Near East, 1962-1963, V. XVIII. DC: GPO, 2000, 152. Memorandum of conversation, February 7, 1963. Crawford (NE)-Campbell (IO)-Bar-Haim (Israeli Embassy) meeting: U.S. position on the status of Jerusalem^See General Assembly, A/L.523/Rev.1, 4 July 1967^Daniel Levy,Is it Good for the Jews?, The American Prospect, June 2006^Jewish SF .^See Restatement (3rd) Foreign Relations Law of the United States, American Law Institute, 1986, §§ 203 Recognition or Acceptance of Governments and §§ 204 Recognition and Maintaining Diplomatic Relations Law of the United States.^See Justice Department Memorandum Opinion For The Counsel To The President, May 16, 1995 [1]^Signing Statement by the President on H.R. 1646, the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, FY 2003, September 30, 2002, NARA Archives.^Press Secretary Briefing, October 24, 1995, White House, National Archives and Records Administration.^Article I, Section 7, of the Constitution of the United States.^Congressional Record, Notes & Major Actions on the Embassy Act, S. 1322, 104th Congress, OFRArchivist of the United States.^111th Congress (2009) (Nov 5, 2009). "Jerusalem Embassy Relocation Act of 2009". S. 2737. GovTrack.us. Retrieved Dec 7, 2009. ^111th Congress (2009) (Jul 30, 2009). "Jerusalem Embassy and Recognition Act of 2009". H.R. 3412. GovTrack.us. Retrieved Dec 7, 2009. ^Compiled List of Presidential Determinations, Addendum to Public Law 104''45, Office of the Federal Register (FR pp compilation)^107th Congress (2001) (Apr 27, 2001). "§ 214. Foreign Relations Authorization Act, FY 2003". H.R. 1646. USA: GovTrack. ^Marshall J. Breger (Oct 23, 1995). "Jerusalem Gambit: How We Should Treat Jerusalem Is a Matter of U.S. Constitutional Law as Well as Middle Eastern Politics". National Review. Gale. Retrieved Dec 7, 2009. "But in the end, using the spending power to curtail the President's Article II authority won't work. Congress cannot use the power of the purse to seize a power textually committed to the Executive alone. While Congress can probably appropriate money for the construction of a building in West Jerusalem (and create a financial penalty if no construction takes place) it cannot use the ''spending power'' to order the Executive either in 1996 or 1999 to make that building an embassy rather than a consulate or cultural center. Nor can it order the President to recognize Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem." ^Unsuccessful bills introduced to take certain steps toward the recognition by the U.S. of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel:110th Congress (2007) (Feb 7, 2007), "H.R. 895", Legislation (USA: GovTrack), retrieved Dec 7, 2009 109th Congress (2005) (Feb 2, 2005). "H.R. 588". Legislation. USA: GovTrack. Retrieved Dec 7, 2009. 108th Congress (2003) (Jan 7, 2003). "H.R. 167". Legislation. USA: GovTrack. Retrieved Dec 7, 2009. 107th Congress (2001) (Apr 26, 2001). "H.R. 1643". Legislation. USA: GovTrack. Retrieved Dec 7, 2009. 107th Congress (2001) (Feb 13, 2001). "H.R. 598". Legislation. USA: GovTrack. Retrieved Dec 7, 2009. 106th Congress (1999) (Aug 5, 1999). "H.R. 2785". Legislation. USA: GovTrack. Retrieved Dec 7, 2009. 106th Congress (1999) (Jul 15, 1999). "H.R. 2529". Legislation. USA: GovTrack. Retrieved Dec 7, 2009. 106th Congress (1999) (Jul 14, 1999). "H.R. 2515". Legislation. USA: GovTrack. Retrieved Dec 7, 2009. ^World FactBook, USA: Central Ingelligence Agency, 2011 .^New US consulate to open in Jerusalem, but where's the embassy?^Diament, Nathan (March 22, 2011). "OU Commends Introduction of 2011 Jerusalem Embassy Act". OU Institute for Public Affairs. Retrieved March 22, 2011. External links[edit]Sample of Presidential Determination to suspendPresidential Determination No. 99-29 '-- June 17, 1999, '-- 64 F.R.33739 - Clinton's firstPresidential Determination No. 2001-19 '-- June 11, 2001 '-- 66 F.R.34355 - Bush's firstPresidential Determination No. 2009-19 '-- June 5, 2009 '-- 74 F.R.27903 - Obama's first'-- Compiled list of all PD's

Susan Rice to replace Donilon as national security adviser

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 08:10

** FILE ** U.S. envoy J. Christopher Stevens attends meetings on April 11, 2011, at the Tibesty Hotel in Benghazi, Libya, where an African Union delegation was meeting with Libyan opposition leaders. (Associated Press)

An al Qaeda terrorist stated in a recent online posting that U.S. Ambassador to Libya J. Christopher Stevens was killed by lethal injection after plans to kidnap him during the Sept. 11 attacks in Benghazi went bad.

The veracity of the claim by Abdallah Dhu-al-Bajadin, who was identified by U.S. officials as a weapons expert for al Qaeda, could not be determined. However, U.S. officials have not dismissed the terrorist's assertion.

An FBI spokeswoman indicated that the bureau is aware of the claim but declined to comment because of the ongoing investigation into the Benghazi attacks.

''While there is a great deal of information in the media and on the Internet about the attack in Benghazi, the FBI is not in a position at this time to comment on anything specific with regard to the investigation,'' spokeswoman Kathy Wright said.

A State Department spokesman had no comment.

The FBI is investigating the deaths of Stevens, State Department information officer Sean Smith, and former Navy SEALs Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty. They were killed in attacks that U.S. officials say were carried out by an al Qaeda-linked group known as Ansar al-Sharia.

A State Department Accountability Review Board report and an interim House Republican report on the attacks gave no cause of death for Stevens, whose body was recovered by Libyans in the early hours of Sept. 12.

The House report, ''Interim Progress Report for the House Republican Conference,'' said that ''Libyan doctors tried unsuccessfully to resuscitate Ambassador Stevens upon his arrival at the hospital.''

To date, no official cause of death for Stevens has been made public, although it was reported that a Libyan doctor who examined Stevens said he died from apparent smoke inhalation and related asphyxiation.

Video and photos of Stevens being handled by a mob in Benghazi were posted on the Internet. It is not clear from the images whether he was dead or alive at the time.

According to a March 14 posting on an al Qaeda-linked website, Dhu-al-Bajadin stated that Stevens was given a lethal injection that was overlooked during the autopsy.

The ''plan was based on abduction and exchange of high-level prisoners,'' the terrorist wrote on the prominent jihadist Web forum Ansar al-Mujahideen Network. ''However, the operation took another turn, for a reason God only knows, when one of the members of the jihadist cell improvised and followed Plan B.''

Dhu-al-Bajadin's claim of assassination also was copied to the Ansar al-Mujahidin website from the al Qaeda-accredited website Shumukh al-Islam. That site is open only to members, and the claim initially was posted for Dhu-al-Bajadin by a member identified as Adnan Shukri.

The reference to Shumukh al-Islam has boosted the credibility of the claim among some U.S. intelligence analysts. A Western intelligence official said Dhu-al-Bajadin is a well-known jihadist and a key figure behind a magazine called Al Qaeda Airlines.

According to this official, intelligence analysts believe Dhu-al-Bajadin's claim of assassination by lethal injection appears aimed, in part, at pressuring the U.S. government on its handling of the Benghazi attacks.

The article did not say what substance was used in the lethal injection. It also stated that the State Department had come under criticism for not providing adequate security in Benghazi before the attacks.

Dhu-al-Bajadin said he had more details about the attacks and the assassination, but would not reveal them in the posting.

The Washington Free Beacon obtained a copy of the translation of Dhu-al-Bajadin's posting in Arabic.

The article stated that lethal injections are done in ''more than one place in the human body that autopsy doctors ignore when they see that the symptoms are similar to another specific and common illness.''

''Anyone who studied the art of silent assassination that spies applied during the Cold War would easily identify these parts of the body,'' the article stated.

Story Continues '†'

View Entire Story

An Israel-Hater Heads to the U.N. | FrontPage Magazine

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 07:45

June 5, 2013: A White House official tells Fox News Tom Donilon, left, is resigning as President Barack Obama's national security adviser and will be replaced by Susan Rice.AP

Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador who drew criticism for her initial account of the Benghazi terror attack, has been named as national security adviser, a senior White House official confirmed to Fox News.

Rice will replace Tom Donilon, who is resigning from the post. Rice, the current U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, does not need Senate confirmation for the job.

The ambassador had earlier been considered in the running for the secretary of State post, which does require confirmation, but withdrew from consideration amid the continuing fallout over her role following the Benghazi attack.

Rice went on five Sunday shows after the attack and claimed it was triggered by protests over an anti-Islam film, an explanation many lawmakers said at the time was inaccurate. The administration later acknowledged there were no protests on the ground in Benghazi, though they have not officially ruled out that protests elsewhere may have played a role.

The administration, under pressure from the media and Republicans, last month released the so-called "talking points" which showed officials drafting and re-drafting their storyline in advance of Rice's appearance. The intelligence community did cite demonstrations -- however, references to militant and Islamic extremist groups, and to prior security warnings and incidents, were ultimately stripped out after objections from various administration officials.

It's unclear what level of involvement Rice had in this process. Officials, speaking in her defense, have said she was merely citing the assessment she was given on Sept. 16.

A senior official told Fox News that Donilon decided to leave the post after his wife took a job that involves a lot of foreign travel. He has been in the administration since the start, first as deputy national security adviser.

Former Obama aide Samantha Power is expected to be named to succeed Rice as U.S. ambassador to the U.N.

Fox News' Ed Henry contributed to this report.

Samantha Power - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 00:53

On Wednesday, President Obama nominated Samantha Power to be US Ambassador to the United Nations. Power has ''been a relentless advocate for American interests and values, building partnerships on behalf of democracy and human rights, fighting the scourge of anti-Semitism and combating human trafficking,'' the president contended. Power's record, however, tells a much different tale. Power is, unsurprisingly, not only a radical leftist who believes America is evil and owes the world an apology, but someone with an egregious history of antipathy directed towards Israel.In a March 2003 article for the New Republic, Power engaged in the typically leftist denigration of the United States, characterizing American foreign policy as ''an explicitly amoral enterprise.'' She bemoaned the fact that America's ''exceptionalist impulses,'' had been ''with us for a long time,'' and that they animated George W. Bush's ''militant moralism.'' She was further lamented that such ''militant moralism'' was left unchecked by Congress, due in large part to the fact that America no longer sustained enough war casualties to animate their concern ''thanks to U.S. technological supremacy.''In the same New Republic piece, Power reveals her true disdain for the US ''criminal'' foreign policy: ''U.S. foreign policy,'' she said,needs not tweaking but overhauling. We need: a historical reckoning with crimes committed, sponsored, or permitted by the United States'...A country has to look back before it can move forward. Instituting a doctrine of the mea culpa would enhance our credibility by showing that American decision-makers do not endorse the sins of their predecessors.

In 2009, Obama did exactly what Power recommended, and apologized to the Arab world for America's ''sins.'' In 2011, the Washington Post revealed how well that approach worked out. ''In most countries surveyed, favorable attitudes toward the United States dropped to levels lower than they were during the last year of the Bush administration,'' the paper reported.Power's attitude towards Israel is also alarming and destructive. In 2001, she attended the United Nations' World Conference Against Racism, held in Durbin, South Africa. She remained there after the U.S. withdrew most of its diplomatic participation, when it became apparent the gathering would amount to little more than a platform for anti-American, anti-Israel, and anti-Semitic tirades.A year later, Power was interviewed by Harry Kreisler of Berkeley's Institute of International Studies. He asked Power to engage in a ''thought experiment'' about how she would advise the president ''to put a structure in place'' with regard to the Palestine-Israel problem to ''monitor the situation,'' if one party or the other was ''moving towards genocide.''Power appears quite comfortable with the obviously loaded question, never once acknowledging that Kreisler was making no distinction between the Palestinians, who were in the midst of waging an intifada against Israel, and Israel's right to defend itself from annihilation. After noting there was an abundance of information that didn't necessitate some sort of ''early warning mechanism,'' Power insisted the United States needed ''a willingness to actually put something on the line in the service of helping the situation. And putting something on the line might mean alienating a domestic constituency of tremendous political and financial import.''The domestic constituency is plainly Jewish Americans. This description in particular reveals Power's sympathy with stereotypes of Jewish wealth and power. Yet Power showed an even greater and darker anti-Semitic streak in the followup, essentially advocating an invasion of Israeli territory on behalf of the Palestinians to protect them from ''major human rights abuses'':It may mean, more crucially, sacrificing, or investing I think more than sacrificing, literally billions of dollars, not in servicing Israel's military but actually investing in the new state of Palestine; in investing billions of dollars it would probably take also to support I think what will have to be a mammoth a protection force''not of the old Srebrenica kind or of the Rwanda kind, but a meaningful military presence. Because it seems to me at this stage''and this is true of actual genocides as well and not just major human rights abuses which we're seeing there''that is that you have to go in as if you're serious, you have to put something on the line.

In a further cementing of her twisted moral equivocation, Power describes terrorist leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon (who made tremendous concessions to the belligerent Arab Palestinians), as morally comparable; as two men ''politically destined to destroy the lives of their own people,'' and ''dreadfully irresponsible.''Power and her supporters claim those remarks were taken out of context. Yet in 2003, a quote by Power contained in the book ''Ethnic Violence and Justice,'' demonstrates a reflexive antipathy towards Israel as well. Power asks David Rohde, a New York Times reporter who covered the intifada, the following question:I was struck by a headline that accompanied a news story on the publication of the Human Rights Watch report. The headline was, I believe: ''Human Rights Report Finds Massacre Did Not Occur in Jenin.'' The second paragraph said, ''Oh, but lots of war crimes did.'' Why wouldn't they make the war crimes the headline and the non-massacre the second paragraph?''

In other words, despite the reality that the so-called Jenin massacre never happened, Power thought the Times should juxtapose its headline to show that Israel was still guilty of war crimes.In a 2004 review of radical leftist Noam Chomsky's book Hegemony or Survival, Power agreed with many of his criticisms of American's foreign policy, and lumped Israel with Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan, Russia, and Uzbekistan in references to the ''sins of our allies in the war on terror.''Then in 2007, when Power was a professor at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government, she gave an interview that has been scrubbed from the school's website. ''Another longstanding foreign policy flaw is the degree to which special interests dictate the way in which the 'national interest' as a whole is defined and pursued'...'' Power contended.America's important historic relationship with Israel has often led foreign policy decision-makers to defer reflexively to Israeli security assessments, and to replicate Israeli tactics which, as the war in Lebanon last summer demonstrated, can turn out to be counter-productive.

In addition to appealing to conspiracy theories of tiny Israel's control of US foreign policy, Power completely ignores the reality that the ''counter-productive'' war in Lebanon was precipitated by Hezbollah in a cross-border assault, during which eight Israeli soldiers were killed and two captured. Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah admitted the operation had been planned for months.In 2008, Power released a book, Chasing the Flame: Sergio Vieira De Mello and the Fight to Save the World, a biography of the UN official killed in Baghdad in a 2003 terrorist bombing. When a UN force sent to Lebanon in 1982 to stop a series of attacks emanating from a mini-state created by the PLO in that country proved ineffective, Israel forces remained there as well. Power argued that:

Israeli forces refused to comply with the spirit of international demands to withdraw and the major powers on the Security Council were not prepared to deal with the gnarly issues that had sparked the Israelis invasion in the first place: dispossessed Palestinians and Israeli insecurity.

Again, Power implied moral equivalency by ignoring the reality that Israel went into Lebanon to destroy a terrorist infrastructure on the Lebanese-Israeli border that had attacked IDF forces and the Israeli communities near the border.Also in 2008, Power wrote a Time magazine column belittling concerns about Iran's nuclear program, characterizing it as a figment of George W. Bush's imagination. And again in that same year, she completely disavowed her 2002 ''thought experiment'' in an interview with Miftah.org., a pro-Palestine sovereignty website. ''Even I don't understand it,'' she says. ''This makes no sense to me. The quote seems so weird.''Power's nomination as the US Ambassador to the UN make perfect sense, of course, for an Obama administration that has made it clear there is precious little in the way of moral clarity with regard to its relationship with Israel, even as the disaster of the Arab Spring threatens to destabilize the region in a manner that may pose an unprecedented level of danger to the Jewish State.The last thing America needs is another representative willing to see the entire world, including Israel and the United States, in morally relative terms. Power's clear disdain for American exceptionalism is more than enough to disqualify her for the job of UN Ambassador. Our enemies have no such misgivings about who they are and what they want '-- and what they are willing to do to get it.Freedom Center pamphlets now available on Kindle: Click here.

Spread of Protests Sparked by Anti-Muslim Video - Map - NYTimes.com

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 21:15

Samantha Power (born September 21, 1970) is an Irish American academic and writer, and, following an appointment by President Barack Obama on June 5, 2013, the designate to be the 28th United States Ambassador to the United Nations.[1]

She began her career by covering the Yugoslav Wars as a journalist. From 1998 to 2002 Power served as the Founding Executive Director of the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government., where she later served as the Anna Lindh Professor of Practice of Global Leadership and Public Policy. She was a senior adviser to Senator Barack Obama until March 2008, when she resigned from his presidential campaign under controversy.

Power joined the Obama State Department transition team in late November 2008, and was named Special Assistant to President Obama and Senior Director for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights on the National Security Council'--responsible for running the Office of Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights'--positions that she held from January 2009 to March 2013. In April 2012, Obama chose her to chair a newly-formed Atrocities Prevention Board. During her time in office, Power's office focused on such issues as the reform of the UN; the promotion of women's rights and LGBT rights; the promotion of religious freedom and the protection of religious minorities; the protection of refugees; the campaign against human trafficking; and the promotion of human rights and democracy, including in the Middle East and North Africa, Sudan, and Burma. She is considered to be a key figure within the Obama administration in persuading the president to intervene militarily in Libya.[2]

Power has written or co-edited four books, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide, a study of the U.S. foreign policy response to genocide.

Biography[edit]Raised in Ireland until she was nine, Power lived in Castleknock, Dublin[3] until her parents emigrated to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1979.[4] She attended Lakeside High School in Atlanta, Georgia, where she was a member of the cross country team and the basketball team. She subsequently graduated from Yale University.

From 1993 to 1996, she worked as a journalist, covering the Yugoslav wars for U.S. News & World Report, The Boston Globe, The Economist, and The New Republic.

When she returned to the United States, she attended Harvard Law School, graduating in 1999. The following year, she published her first book, Realizing Human Rights: Moving from Inspiration to Impact (edited with Graham Allison), a compilation of essays by leading human-rights scholars and practitioners. Her second book, A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide, grew out of a paper she wrote while attending law school. The book won the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction and the J. Anthony Lukas Book Prize[5] in 2003. It offers a survey of the origin of the word genocide, the major genocides of the 20th century, as well as an analysis of some of the underlying reasons for the persistent failure of governments and the international community to collectively identify, recognize and then respond effectively to genocides ranging from the Armenian Genocide to the Rwandan Genocide. This work and related writings have been criticized by the historian Howard Zinn for downplaying the importance of "unintended" and "collateral" civilian deaths that could be classified as genocidal;[6] and by Edward S. Herman[7] and Joseph Nevins[8]

Power is a scholar of U.S. foreign policy, especially as it relates to human rights and genocide. From 1998 to 2002 Power served as the Founding Executive Director of the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, where she later served as the Anna Lindh Professor of Practice of Global Leadership and Public Policy.

In 2004, Power was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world that year.[9] In fall 2007, she began writing a regular column for Time. Power appears in Charles Ferguson's 2007 documentary about the war in Iraq, No End in Sight, which alleges numerous missteps by the Bush administration.

The character of Nadia Blye in The Vertical Hour, a play by David Hare, shares key surface similarities with Ms. Power.

Power spent 2005''06 working in the office of U.S. Senator Barack Obama as a foreign policy fellow, where she was credited with sparking and directing Obama's interest in the Darfur conflict.[10] She served as a senior foreign policy adviser to Obama's 2008 presidential campaign, but stepped down after referring to Hillary Clinton as "a monster".[11] Power apologized for the remarks made in an interview with The Scotsman in London, and resigned from the campaign shortly thereafter.[12]

Her third book, Chasing the Flame: Sergio Vieira de Mello and the Fight to Save the World, was released on February 14, 2008. It concerns Sergio Vieira de Mello, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and United Nations Special Representative in Iraq who was killed in the Canal Hotel bombing in Baghdad along with Jean-S(C)lim Kanaan, Nadia Younes, Fiona Watson, and other members of his staff, on the afternoon of August 19, 2003. The book was the basis for the documentary film Sergio, directed by Greg Barker and edited by Karen Schmeer.

Her fourth book, The Unquiet American: Richard Holbrooke in the World (edited with Derek Chollet), is an edited compilation of writings by Holbrooke's friends and colleagues, along with notable essays by Holbrooke himself.

Personal life[edit]On July 4, 2008, Power married law professor Cass Sunstein, whom she met while working on the Obama campaign.[13] On April 24, 2009, she gave birth to their first child, Declan Power Sunstein.[14] On June 1, 2012 they had a daughter, Ran Power Sunstein.

Alongside her advocacy for Barack Obama's candidacy, Power is best known for her efforts to increase public awareness of genocide and human rights abuses, particularly in the Darfur conflict. In 2006, she contributed to Screamers, a movie about the Darfur, Armenian, and other genocides of the 20th and 21st centuries. While Power was a leading voice calling for armed intervention to prevent mass atrocities in the Balkans and Libya[15]. she emphasizes that the U.S. has many non-military options for responding: "If you think of foreign policy as a toolbox, there are a whole range of options'--you can convene allies, impose economic sanctions, expel ambassadors, jam hate radio. There is always something you can do."[16]

Her advocacy of humanitarian intervention has been criticized for being tendentious and militaristic, for answering a "problem from hell" with a "solution from hell."[17]

Some individuals have accused Power of being hostile towards Israel, largely on the basis of statements she made in a 2002 interview with Harry Kreisler. When asked what advice she would give to the president if either the Israelis or Palestinians looked "like they might be moving toward genocide." Power said that the U.S. might consider the deployment of a "mammoth protection force" to monitor developments between the Israelis and Palestinians. She characterized it as a regrettable but necessary "imposition of a solution on unwilling parties," and "the lesser of evils."[18] She clarified that remark on several occasions, including in an interview with Haaretz correspondent Shmuel Rosner in August 2008.[19] Many strong supporters of Israel have dismissed the charge that she is not a friend of Israel, including Alan Dershowitz, Rabbi Shmuley Boteach[20], Martin Peretz[21], and Max Boot[22]. Power's best known book, A Problem from Hell, does not discuss Israel.

2008 presidential campaign[edit]Power was an early and outspoken supporter of Barack Obama. When she joined the Obama campaign as a foreign policy advisor, Men's Vogue described her as a "Harvard brainiac who can boast both a Pulitzer Prize and a mean jump shot (ask George Clooney). Now the consummate outsider is working on her inside game: D.C. politics." [23]

In August 2007 Power authored a memo titled "Conventional Washington versus the Change We Need," in which she provided one of the first comprehensive statements of Obama's approach to foreign policy. In the memo she writes: "Barack Obama's judgment is right; the conventional wisdom is wrong. We need a new era of tough, principled and engaged American diplomacy to deal with 21st century challenges."[24]

In February and March 2008, Power began an international book tour to promote her book, Chasing the Flame. Because of her involvement in the Obama campaign, many of the interviews she gave revolved around her and Barack Obama's foreign-policy views, as well as the 2008 campaign.

On February 21, Power appeared on Charlie Rose and compared Barack Obama to Sergio Vieira de Mello, who is the subject of Chasing the Flame. "This would be Sergio's lesson: if you are not thinking in terms of both dignity and freedom from fear, and this is the other thing Obama has come back to, the old Rooseveltian idea. Obama has tried to run a campaign that moves us out of the politics of fear. He is also very sensitive to the degree to which, and Sergio uses this line, 'fear is a bad adviser.' This is a line that could have come out of Obama's mouth, though happened to come out of Sergio's mouth. We make bad judgments when we are afraid."[25]

Power appeared on BBC's HARDtalk on March 6, stating that Barack Obama's pledge to "have all U.S. combat brigades out of Iraq within 16 months"[26] was a "best case scenario" that "he will revisit when he becomes president."[27] Challenged by the host as to whether this contradicted Obama's campaign commitment, she responded, "You can't make a commitment in March 2008 about what circumstances will be like in January 2009.... He will, of course, not rely on some plan that he's crafted as a presidential candidate or a U.S. Senator. He will rely upon a plan '-- an operational plan '-- that he pulls together in consultation with people who are on the ground to whom he doesn't have daily access now, as a result of not being the president." [28] She concluded by saying that "what we can take seriously is that he will try to get U.S. forces out of Iraq as quickly and responsibly as possible."[27] In February 2009, Obama announced that the U.S. would end combat operations in Iraq by August 31, 2010 and withdraw all U.S. soldiers by the end of 2011. The U.S. formally ended its mission in Iraq on December 15th of that year.

In a March 6 interview with The Scotsman, she said: "We fucked up in Ohio. In Ohio, they are obsessed and Hillary is going to town on it, because she knows Ohio's the only place they can win".[29][30] "She is a monster, too '-- that is off the record '-- she is stooping to anything... if you are poor and she is telling you some story about how Obama is going to take your job away, maybe it will be more effective. The amount of deceit she has put forward is really unattractive."

Power apologized for the remarks on the night of the March 6 interview, saying that they "do not reflect my feelings about Sen. Clinton, whose leadership and public service I have long admired," and telling Irish TV reporter Michael Fisher: "Of course I regret them. I can't even believe they came out of my mouth....in every public appearance I've ever made talking about Senator Clinton, I have sung her praises as the leader she has been, the intellect. She's also incredibly warm, funny....I wish I could go back in time."[31] The next day, in the wake of reaction to the remarks, she resigned from the Obama campaign. [32] Soon afterward, the Weekly Standard said that it "might have been the most ill-starred book tour since the invention of movable type."[33]

Following her resignation, she also appeared on The Colbert Report on March 17, 2008, saying, "can I just clarify and say, I don't think Hillary Clinton is a monster...we have three amazing candidates left in the race." When Power later joined the State Department transition team, an official close to the transition said Power had apologized and that her "gesture to bury the hatchet" with Clinton had been well received.[34] Power attended Clinton's swearing-in ceremony on February 2 and collaborated with her during her four-year tenure as Secretary of State.

Obama administration[edit]After the 2008 presidential election, Power returned to Obama's team, becoming a member of the transition team, working for the Department of State[35] and the U.S. Mission to the UN.

In January 2009 President Obama appointed Power to the National Security Council Staff, where she served as a Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director running the Office of Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights.[36]

On June 5, 2013, the President Barack Obama announced her appoÄ±ntment as the new United States Ambassador to the United Nations.[37] Upon her departure from White House to take up the posÄ±tÄ±on as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Abramowitz, director of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum's Center for the Prevention of Genocide said: "There is a small group of people that really care about genocide prevention and prevention of mass atrocities, and we all appreciate that we had a real champion for those issue at the highest levels of government. She worked very hard to strengthen the interagency treatment of these issues, and she had a great deal of passion for those issues, and she brought that passion to the government."[38]

Advocate for military intervention in Libya[edit]Samantha Power is considered to be a key figure within the Obama administration in persuading the president to intervene militarily in Libya. Power argues that America has a moral obligation to examine all tools in the toolbox (diplomatic, economic, political, and military) to respond to mass atrocity, and she has argued that there may be circumstances in which military intervention may be appropriate to prevent genocides. Within the White House, Power strongly pressed for U.S. intervention on humanitarian grounds. She has been described as instrumental in convincing Obama to push for a UN Security Council resolution to authorize a coalition military force to protect Libyan civilians.[39] Power has previously argued that "you don't get any extra credit for doing the right thing". "It's up to us" to change that calculus, she said. "My prescription," she said, "would be that the level of American and international engagement would ratchet up commensurate with the abuse on the ground."[40]

Bibliography[edit]Books[edit]Articles[edit]"The Enforcer: A Christian Lawyer's Global Crusade," The New Yorker, January 19, 2009"Is Humanitarian Intervention Dead?" Slate, September 29, 2008."For Terrorists, a War on Aid Groups," The New York Times, August 19, 2008."The Democrats and National Security," The New York Review of Books, August 14, 2008."Saving Zimbabwe," Time, July 3, 2008."Rethinking Iran," Time Magazine, January 17, 2008."Access Denied," Time Magazine, September 27, 2007."The Void: Why the Movement Needs Help," New Republic, May 15, 2006."Punishing Evildoers," Washington Post, April 23, 2006.Abramowitz, Morton, and Power, Samantha. "Democrats: Get Loud, Get Angry!" The Los Angeles Times, April 10, 2006."Missions," New Yorker, November 28, 2005."Talk of the Town: Boltonism," New Yorker, March 21, 2005."It's Not Enough to Call It Genocide," Time, October 4, 2004."Abramowitz, Morton, and Power, Samantha. "A Broken System," The Washington Post, September 13, 2004."A Reporter at Large: Dying in Darfur," New Yorker, August 30, 2004."Prendergast, John, and Power, Samantha. "Break Through to Darfur," The Los Angeles Times, June 2, 2004."The Lesson of Hannah Arendt," The New York Review of Books, April 29, 2004."Remember Rwanda, but Take Action in Sudan," The New York Times, April 6, 2004."Unpunishable," The New Republic, January 12, 2004."How To Kill A Country," Atlantic Monthly, December, 2003."The AIDS Rebel," The New Yorker, May 19, 2003."Robbing the Dead," The New York Times, February 23, 2003."Rwanda: The Two Faces of Justice," The New York Review of Books, January 16, 2003."First, Do No Harm," The Los Angeles Times, October 6, 2002."Bystanders to Mass Murder," The Washington Post, April 21, 2002."Genocide and America," The New York Review of Books, March 24, 2002."Witness to Horrors," The Washington Post, February 10, 2002."Bystanders to Genocide," Atlantic Monthly, September, 2001.White House Blog Posts[edit]"U.S. Leadership to Advance Equality for LGBT People Abroad," December 13, 2012."Supporting Human Rights in Burma," November 9, 2012."President Obama Directs New Atrocity Prevention Measures," August 6, 2011."Announcing HumanRights.gov," April 11, 2011."Transparency Gone Global," March 22, 2011."A U.S.-India Partnership on Open Government," November 7, 2010."A Landmark Achievement for Human Rights: The Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Assembly and Association," September 30, 2010."President Obama Meets the Peacekeepers," September 24, 2009.References[edit]^Donilon to Resign as National Security AdvisorNew York Times, Mark Landler Published: June 5, 2013^Still Crusading, but Now on the InsideNew York Times, Sheryl Gay Stolberg Published: March 29, 2011^Sheehy, Clodagh (November 29, 2008). "welcome: IRISHwoman who resigned is back on obama's team after labelling hillary a 'monster'". Evening Herald (Dublin). Retrieved January 29, 2011. ^http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/columns/2013/06/05/once-upon-nomar/uXl3d0AiplZj1IwaD9PRfK/story.html^"J. Anthony Lukas Prize Project winners". Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard. Retrieved 16 March 2011. ^Zinn, Howard (August 21, 2007). "On Terror". ZNet. Retrieved January 1, 2011. ^Herman, Edward (August 27, 2007). "Response to Zinn on Samantha Power". ZNet. Retrieved January 1, 2011. ^Nevins, Joseph (May 20, 2002). "Review of "A Problem from Hell"". The Nation. Retrieved January 4, 2011. ^"TIME 100: Samantha Power". Time. April 19, 2003. Retrieved May 23, 2010. ^"The Radical Roots of Barack Obama",Rolling Stone^Peev, Gerri, "'Hillary Clinton's a monster': Obama aide blurts out attack in Scotsman interview", Scotsman, 07 March 2008^Cara Buckley (2008-03-16). "A Monster of a Slip". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-03-16. ^Anne Lucey (2008-07-04). "From campaigns to champagne as friends of Obama tie the knot". Independent.ie. Retrieved 2008-07-07. ^"New Baby for New D.C. Power Couple". The Washington Post. ^Gott, Richard (January 17, 2007). "Britain's vote to end its slave trade was a precursor to today's liberal imperialism". The Guardian (London). Retrieved May 23, 2010. ^Celestine Bohlen, "On a Mission to Shine a Spotlight on Genocide; Samantha Power's Mind Leaps From Bosnia to Iraq," The New York Times, February 5, 2003.^Stephen Wertheim, "A solution from hell: the United States and the rise of humanitarian interventionism, 1991''2003," Journal of Genocide Research, Vol. 12, No. 3-4, 2010.^http://www.haaretz.com/news/world/short-decade-old-youtube-clip-likely-to-dog-power-confirmation-as-u-s-ambassador-to-un.premium-1.528003^Obama`s top adviser says does not believe in imposing a peace settlement by Shmuel Rosner, Haaretz, August 27, 2008.^Shmuley Boteach, "Samantha Power Clarifies Her Comments on Israel," The Algemeiner, April 11, 2011.^Martin Peretz, "Samantha Power Is A Friend of Israel," The New Republic, December 4, 2008.^Max Boot, "Defending Samantha Power Again," Commentary Magazine, February 29, 2008.^Samantha Power, the outsider with a jump shot, is working on her inside game: D.C. politics: Crime + Politics: mensvogue.com^"Campaign Memo: "Barack Obama Was Right"". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 23, 2010. ^"A conversation with Samantha Power". Charlie Rose. February 21, 2008. Retrieved January 1, 2011. ^Issues: Iraq - Obama'08 (campaign web site)^ abHARDtalk: Samantha Power - BBC News: Programmes 2008-03-06^Power on Obama's Iraq plan: "best case scenario" - Politico: Ben Smith (weblog) 2008-03-07^"Hillary Clinton's a monster': Obama aide blurts out attack in Scotsman interview" - The Scotsman 2008-03-06^Political Punch^http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hLk1b_blPw^'Obama aide forced out for calling Clinton "a monster"'^"Power Outage", Weekly Standard, March 17, 2008^Lee, Matthew (January 29, 2009). "Samantha Power Returns: Professor Who Slammed Clinton Will Be Obama Aide". The Huffington Post. Retrieved January 1, 2011. ^Lee, Matthew (November 28, 2008). "Samantha Power Working On Obama's State Department Transition Team". The Huffington Post. Retrieved January 1, 2011. ^"Samantha Power '99 to join National Security Council". Harvard Law School. January 30, 2009. Retrieved January 1, 2011. ^"Libya interventionist Samantha Power leaving White House". The Hill. Retrieved 4 February 2013. ^Josh Rogin, "Samantha Power leaving White House," Foreign Policy, February 4, 2013.^Samantha Power Brings Activist Role Inside to Help Persuade Obama on Libyabloomberg.com, Indira A.R. Lakshmanan and Hans Nichols - Mar 25, 2011^Samantha Power: The voice behind Obama's Libya action Margaret Talev, McClatchy Newspapers, Miami Herald, Friday, 03.25.11External links[edit]Bio, from Harvard's Carr Center for Human Rights PolicyPower's profile at HarvardSamantha Power: Biography | PBSPower's White House profileProfile in "The FP 50: The 50 most powerful democrats on foreign policy," Foreign Policy, September 3, 2012.Sheryl Gay Stolberg, "Still Crusading, but Now on the Inside," The New York Times, March 30, 2011.David Meadvin, profile of Samantha Power for "40 Under 40 International Development Leaders," 2010.Florence Avakian, "ANCA honors Samantha Power with its Freedom Award," The Armenian Reporter, September 20, 2008.Ethan Zuckerman, "TED2008: Samantha Power on stopping genocide," Zuckerman's blog, February 28, 2008.A League Of Her Own- Profile story from Men's VogueFun Couple of the 21st Century - Profile story from Esquire on Power and Cass SunsteinRomesh Ratnesar, "Samantha Power: Voice Against Genocide," Time, April 26, 2004.Celestine Bohlen, "On a Mission to Shine a Spotlight on Genocide; Samantha Power's Mind Leaps From Bosnia to Iraq," The New York Times, February 5, 2003.Samantha Power in conversation with Azar Nafisi at LIVE from the New York Public Library, February 21, 2008Interview on Sudan for guernicamag.comInterview at Institute of International Studies, University of California, BerkeleyInterview at IdentityTheory.comInterview with Harry Kreisler on Conversations with History about "Genocide and U.S. Foreign PolicySpeech (Video) "Can Genocide Be Stopped in an Age of Terror?" Keynote address for the Witnessing Genocide Symposium, University of Oregon, April 28, 2007Interview with The Scotsman, that led to Ms. Power's resignation from the Obama campaign and apology.Interview in 02138 on Chasing the Flame: Sergio Vieira de Mello and the Fight to Save the World, the purpose of the United Nations and Barack ObamaInterview about Chasing the Flame on Democracy Now! with Amy Goodman, February 22, 2008 (video, audio, and print transcript)"Debate on U.S. Actions in the Balkans, the Independence of Kosovo, the Iraq Sanctions and Humanitarian Intervention": Samantha Power vs. Jeremy Scahill on Democracy Now!, February 22, 2008 (video, audio, and print transcript)Interview for New Statesman on 6 March 2008.Review of Chasing the Flame: Sergio Vieira De Mello and the Fight to Save the World by Sara Arrow in The Current, a Columbia University journalFacing History and Ourselves: Facing History and OurselvesBooknotes interview with Samantha Power on A Problem From Hell, June 16, 2002.Human Rights and Imperialism David Rieff InterviewKeynote address at the 2012 Human Rights Summit, The Newseum, December 4, 2012."Goals and Challenges of International Cooperation," speech at the "International Symposium on Preventing Genocide and Mass Atrocities," U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, November 15, 2010.Class Day address at Harvard Law School, May 26, 2010."What Will It Take to Stop Genocide in Darfur?" panel at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, April 17, 2006."Historical and Social Context of the Crisis," panel at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, September 22, 2004."Fulfilling a Responsibility to Protect: What Will It Take To End the 'Age of Genocide'?" U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, May 4, 2004."Rwanda's Genocide: Looking Back," testimony before the House Committee on International Relations, April 22, 2004."American Responses to Genocide and Mass Violence in the Past," panel at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, May 13, 2002.Discussion of A Problem from Hell, U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, March 26, 2002.PersondataNamePower, SamanthaAlternative namesShort descriptionAmerican journalistDate of birthSeptember 21, 1970Place of birthDublin, IrelandDate of deathPlace of death

Hillary Clinton at CFDA Fashion Awards 2013: 'I'm going to pitch a show for Bravo and call it Project Pantsuit'

Retinal Scan determines if you're crazy

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 08:29

By Tamara Abraham

PUBLISHED: 20:54 EST, 3 June 2013 | UPDATED: 07:50 EST, 4 June 2013

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Hillary Clinton had America's fashion elite in stitches last night, during her hilarious speech at the CFDA Fashion Awards.

The former Secretary of State, who got a standing ovation as she took to the podium at New York's Lincoln Center, took aim at her penchant for pantsuits.

She told the assembled crowd: 'I'm going to be pitching Andy [Cohen] on a new show for Bravo... we can call it Project Pantsuit.'

Scrroll down for video

Presenting Project Pantsuit: Hillary Clinton had the style set in stitches with her speech at the CFDA Awards

Mutual appreciation: Mrs Clinton presented longtime friend Oscar de la Renta with the Founder's Award. He said in his speech that he hoped she would be America's next president

Mrs Clinton was in attendance to present Oscar de la Renta with the prestigious Founder's Award.

The jokes continued when she turned her attention to the veteran designer, who has been dressing her since she became First Lady in 1993.

'I was then, as I am now, such a fashion icon,' she quipped.

In all seriousness, she had warm words for her longtime friend.

The lady and her pants: Mrs Clinton looked sensational in Oscar de la Renta trousers with a long, embellished navy coat and dazzling blue earrings

'His name alone evokes elegance and timeless beauty,' she said. 'And his designs give each of us a chance to feel like we're special, too.'

In turn, Mr de la Renta had nothing but praise for Mrs Clinton.

Bravo! Andy Cohen hosted the CFDA Awards and made plenty of jokes at designers' expense

'I hope that she's going to be our next president,' he said, as he accepted his award.

Mr Cohen, who hosted the event, is likely to have been both delighted and relieved by Mrs Clinton's witty retort.

Earlier, during rehearsals, he tweeted: Rehearsing for the @CFDA Awards tonight. No pressure - I'm sure Mrs Clinton will enjoy my routine about her! #SeemedFunnyWhenWeWroteIt [sic].'

Naturally, Mrs Clinton, 65, was wearing one of her friend's designs. She sported a pair of Oscar de la Renta pants with a long, embellished navy coat and dazzling blue earrings.

Guests at the event who might have hoped to party with Mrs Clinton afterwards though, were left sorely disappointed.

According to WWD, CFDA organizers were forced to rearrange the evening's itinerary in order that she and Mr de la Renta could leave early to join their respective spouses at the 90th birthday party of Henry Kissinger.

As far as the style set was concerned, the rest of the event was worth sticking around for. The designers behind Proenza Schouler took home the Womenswear Designer of the Year title for the third time.

Design duo Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, who also won the award in 2007 and 2011, had their award presented to them by Kerry Washington.

As they picked up the award, they told the crowd: 'We were not expecting that.'

Hat trick: Lazaro Hernandez (left) and Jack McCollough (right) pose with Kerry Washington after winning the CFDA Womenswear Designer of the Year Award for the third time

Winning teams: Accessory Designer of the Year Phillip Lim pictured with Rose Byrne (left) and menswear designer of the year Thom Browne with actor Dan Stevens (right)

Also among the big winners at America's 'fashion Oscars' were Thom Browne, who won the Menswear Designer of the Year award, and Phillip Lim, who won the Accessory Designer of the Year title.

Vera Wang was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award, by her former mentor Ralph Lauren.

According to the the DKNYPRGirl Twitter handle, Mr Lauren was holding his one-time protegee's hand all night because she had been so nervous.

She told him in her speech: 'I thank you for always believing in me. To all the women and men I dress, thank you for your trust.'

Proud moment: Designer Vera Wang was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award, by her former mentor Ralph Lauren

Givenchy's Riccardo Tisci was also honored, with the International Award, while the Board of Directors' Tribute award went to costume designer Colleen Atwood.

Rising talent was also honored in its own category. The Swarovski Award for Emerging Talent was given to Suno designers Max Osterweis and Erin Beatty, with the menswear title going to Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne of the label Public School.

Jewelry designer Pamela Love won the Swarovski Award for Emerging Talent in Accessory Design, and Style.com's Tim Blanks was honored with the Media Award.

Heavenly Miranda Kerr is a blue belle at the CFDA Fashion Awards

Trophies are the new black: Pamela Love triumphantly holds up her Swarovski Awards for Accessory Design (left); Givenchy designer Riccardo Tisci (with actress Jessica Chastain, right) won the International Award

While the event honored design talent, it was wall-to-wall with supermodels and A-listers.

Among the guests in attendance were Jessica Chastain, Rose Byrne and Sofia Vergara. Models included Victoria's Secret beauties Karlie Kloss, Adriana Lima, Candice Swanepoel and Alessandra Ambrosio, as well as their former Angel-mate Miranda Kerr.

The Olsen Twins and Nicole Richie were among the more famous fashion designers on the red carpet, as well as Tory Burch, Betsey Johnson and Jenna Lyons.

AND THE WINNERS ARE...Womenswear Designer of the Year: Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez for Proenza Schouler

Menswear Designer of the Year: Thom Browne

Accessory Designer of the Year: Phillip Lim for 3.1 Phillip Lim

Swarovski Awards for Womenswear: Max Osterweis and Erin Beatty for Suno

Swarovski Awards for Menswear: Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne for Public School

Swarovski Awards for Accessory Design: Pamela Love

International Award: Riccardo Tisci for Givenchy

Board of Directors' Tribute award: Costume designer Colleen Atwood

Media Award: Tim Blanks for Style.com

Founders Award: Oscar de la Renta

Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award: Vera Wang

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Caffeine Coffee Addiction DSM-5 Mental Disorder

VIDEO-HIPAA privacy: HHS Looks to Ease Barriers to Background Gun Checks - Health Data Management Magazine Article

Bilderberg 2013: Who's who of the NWO.

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 16:32

The HHS Office for Civil Rights has issued a request for information as it prepares to promulgate a rule to lift legal barriers related to the HIPAA privacy rule that may prevent states from reporting mental health information to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.

Abbreviated as NICS, the system is used to prevent felons, those convicted of domestic violence and individuals with serious mental illnesses from buying guns. Leon Rodriguez, director of the HHS Office for Civil Rights, explained the goals of the changes being considered:

"I know that there are many misperceptions about how the NICS works and what information is or is not in the system. It is important to reiterate that the NICS is not a mental health registry and this rulemaking process will not create a mental health registry. Here are the facts:

* "If an individual is prohibited from purchasing a firearm due to specific mental health reasons as set by law, the following information is submitted to the NICS: (1) basic identifying information about the individual such as name, social security number, and date of birth, (2) the name of the state or federal agency that submitted the information, and (3) a notation on which of the ten prohibited categories is applicable to the individual, which allows the individual to appeal and seek to correct incomplete or inaccurate information.

* "The database that houses information on individuals prohibited from possessing firearms for reasons related to mental health-called the NICS Index-does not contain medical or mental health records.

* "When federally licensed firearms dealers request a NICS background check for a potential buyer, the only information they get back is that the potential buyer is approved, denied, or additional investigation is needed. The dealer does not receive any information about why an individual is denied."

Stec writes:

Source: BadChad's ThoughtPile

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 02:16

The politics of the European Union, debt, advancements in medical research, the Middle East and 'current affairs' will also be debated.

The concentration of politicians and business leaders has meant the organisation, founded at the Bilderberg Hotel near Arnhem in 1954, has faced accusations of secrecy. It has been at the centre of a number of conspiracy theories.

More conventionally, the group is likened to the World Economic Forum in Davos and provides an opportunity for leaders to discuss the challenges facing Europe and the United States free from the constraints of public office.

Meetings take place behind closed doors, with a ban on journalists. There is no agenda and no votes are taken or public statements issued.

Delegates are able to speak on an informal, off-the-record basis and are not bound by their public, "pre-agreed" positions. This, the organisers say, allows delegates to "take time to listen, reflect and gather insights."

Bilderberg delegates in full

Chairman: Henri de Castries, Chairman and CEO, AXA Group

Paul M. Achleitner, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Deutsche Bank AG

Josef Ackermann, Chairman of the Board, Zurich Insurance Group Ltd

Marcus Agius, Former Chairman, Barclays plc

Helen Alexander, Chairman, UBM plc

Roger C. Altman, Executive Chairman, Evercore Partners

Matti Apunen, Director, Finnish Business and Policy Forum EVA

Susan Athey, Professor of Economics, Stanford Graduate School of Business

AslÄ± AydÄ±ntaÅŸbaÅŸ, Columnist, Milliyet Newspaper

Ali Babacan, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister for Economic and Financial Affairs

Ed Balls, Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer

Francisco Pinto Balsem£o, Chairman and CEO, IMPRESA

Nicolas Barr(C), Managing Editor, Les Echos

Jos(C) Manuel Barroso, President, European Commission

Nicolas Baverez, Partner, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP

Olivier de Bavinchove, Commander, Eurocorps

John Bell, Regius Professor of Medicine, University of Oxford

Franco Bernab¨, Chairman and CEO, Telecom Italia S.p.A.

Jeff Bezos, Founder and CEO, Amazon.com

Carl Bildt, Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs

Anders Borg, Swedish Minister for Finance

Jean Fran§ois van Boxmeer, CEO, Heineken

Svein Richard Brandtz...g, President and CEO, Norsk Hydro ASA

Oscar Bronner, Publisher, Der Standard Medienwelt

Peter Carrington, Former Honorary Chairman, Bilderberg Meetings

Juan Luis Cebrin, Executive Chairman, Grupo PRISA

Edmund Clark, President and CEO, TD Bank Group

Kenneth Clarke, Cabinet Minister

Bjarne Corydon, Danish Minister of Finance

Sherard Cowper-Coles, Business Development Director, International, BAE Systems plc

Enrico Cucchiani, CEO, Intesa Sanpaolo SpA

Etienne Davignon, Belgian Minister of State; Former Chairman, Bilderberg Meetings

Ian Davis, Senior Partner Emeritus, McKinsey & Company

Robbert H. Dijkgraaf, Director and Leon Levy Professor, Institute for Advanced Study

Haluk Din§er, President, Retail and Insurance Group, SabancÄ± Holding A.S.

Robert Dudley, Group Chief Executive, BP plc

Nicholas N. Eberstadt, Henry Wendt Chair in Political Economy, American Enterprise Institute

Espen Barth Eide, Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs

B¶rje Ekholm, President and CEO, Investor AB

Thomas Enders, CEO, EADS

J. Michael Evans, Vice Chairman, Goldman Sachs & Co.

Ulrik Federspiel, Executive Vice President, Haldor Tops¸e A/S

Martin S.Feldstein, Professor of Economics, Harvard University; President Emeritus, NBER

Fran§ois Fillon, Former French Prime Minister

Mark C. Fishman, President, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research

Douglas J. Flint, Group Chairman, HSBC Holdings plc

Paul Gallagher, Senior Counsel

Timothy F Geithner, Former Secretary of the Treasury

Michael Gfoeller, US Political Consultant

Donald E. Graham, Chairman and CEO, The Washington Post Company

Ulrich Grillo, CEO, Grillo-Werke AG

Lilli Gruber, Journalist - Anchorwoman, La 7 TV

Luis de Guindos, Spanish Minister of Economy and Competitiveness

Stuart Gulliver, Group Chief Executive, HSBC Holdings plc

Felix Gutzwiller, Member of the Swiss Council of States

Victor Halberstadt, Professor of Economics, Leiden University; Former Honorary Secretary General of Bilderberg Meetings

Olli Heinonen, Senior Fellow, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School of Government

Simon Henry, CFO, Royal Dutch Shell plc

Paul Hermelin, Chairman and CEO, Capgemini Group

Pablo Isla, Chairman and CEO, Inditex Group

Kenneth M. Jacobs, Chairman and CEO, Lazard

James A. Johnson, Chairman, Johnson Capital Partners

Thomas J. Jordan, Chairman of the Governing Board, Swiss National Bank

Vernon E. Jordan, Jr., Managing Director, Lazard Freres & Co. LLC

Robert D. Kaplan, Chief Geopolitical Analyst, Stratfor

Alex Karp, Founder and CEO, Palantir Technologies

John Kerr, Independent Member, House of Lords

Henry A. Kissinger, Chairman, Kissinger Associates, Inc.

Klaus Kleinfeld, Chairman and CEO, Alcoa

Klaas H.W. Knot, President, De Nederlandsche Bank

Mustafa V Ko§,. Chairman, Ko§ Holding A.S.

Roland Koch, CEO, Bilfinger SE

Henry R. Kravis, Co-Chairman and Co-CEO, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.

Marie-Jos(C)e Kravis, Senior Fellow and Vice Chair, Hudson Institute

Andr(C) Kudelski, Chairman and CEO, Kudelski Group

Ulysses Kyriacopoulos, Chairman, S&B Industrial Minerals S.A.

Christine Lagarde, Managing Director, International Monetary Fund

J. Kurt Lauk, Chairman of the Economic Council to the CDU, Berlin

Lawrence Lessig, Roy L. Furman Professor of Law and Leadership, Harvard Law School

Thomas Leysen, Chairman of the Board of Directors, KBC Group

Christian Lindner, Party Leader, Free Democratic Party (FDP NRW)

Stefan L¶fven, Party Leader, Social Democratic Party (SAP)

Peter L¶scher, President and CEO, Siemens AG

Peter Mandelson, Chairman, Global Counsel; Chairman, Lazard International

Jessica T. Mathews, President, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Frank McKenna, Chair, Brookfield Asset Management

John Micklethwait, Editor-in-Chief, The Economist

Thierry de Montbrial, President, French Institute for International Relations

Mario Monti, Former Italian Prime Minister

Craig J. Mundie, Senior Advisor to the CEO, Microsoft Corporation

Alberto Nagel, CEO, Mediobanca

H.R.H. Princess Beatrix of The Netherlands

Andrew Y.Ng, Co-Founder, Coursera

Jorma Ollila, Chairman, Royal Dutch Shell, plc

David Omand, Visiting Professor, King's College London

George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer

Emanuele Ottolenghi, Senior Fellow, Foundation for Defense of Democracies

Soli –zel, Senior Lecturer, Kadir Has University; Columnist, Habert¼rk Newspaper

Alexis Papahelas, Executive Editor, Kathimerini Newspaper

Åžafak Pavey, Turkish MP

Val(C)rie P(C)cresse, French MP

Richard N. Perle, Resident Fellow, American Enterprise Institute

David H. Petraeus, General, U.S. Army (Retired)

Paulo Portas, Portugal Minister of State and Foreign Affairs

J. Robert S Prichard, Chair, Torys LLP

Viviane Reding, Vice President and Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship, European Commission

Heather M. Reisman, CEO, Indigo Books & Music Inc.

H(C)l¨ne Rey, Professor of Economics, London Business School

Simon Robertson, Partner, Robertson Robey Associates LLP; Deputy Chairman, HSBC Holdings

Gianfelice Rocca, Chairman,Techint Group

Jacek Rostowski, Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister

Robert E. Rubin, Co-Chairman, Council on Foreign Relations; Former Secretary of the Treasury

Mark Rutte, Dutch Prime Minister

Andreas Schieder, Austrian State Secretary of Finance

Eric E. Schmidt, Executive Chairman, Google Inc.

Rudolf Scholten, Member of the Board of Executive Directors, Oesterreichische Kontrollbank AG

Ant"nio Jos(C) Seguro, Secretary General, Portuguese Socialist Party

Jean-Dominique Senard, CEO, Michelin Group

Kristin Skogen Lund, Director General, Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise

Anne-Marie Slaughter, Bert G. Kerstetter '66 University Professor of Politics and International Affairs, Princeton University

Peter D. Sutherland, Chairman, Goldman Sachs International

Martin Taylor, Former Chairman, Syngenta AG

Tidjane Thiam, Group CEO, Prudential plc

Peter A. Thiel, President, Thiel Capital

Craig B. Thompson, President and CEO, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

Jakob Haldor Tops¸e, Partner, AMBROX Capital A/S

Jutta Urpilainen, Finnish Minister of Finance

Daniel L. Vasella, Honorary Chairman, Novartis AG

Peter R. Voser, CEO, Royal Dutch Shell plc

Brad Wall, Premier of Saskatchewan Province, Canada

Jacob Wallenberg, Chairman, Investor AB

Kevin Warsh, Distinguished Visiting Fellow, The Hoover Institution, Stanford University

Galen G.Weston, Executive Chairman, Loblaw Companies Limited

Baroness Williams of Crosby, Member, House of Lords

Martin H. Wolf, Chief Economics Commentator, The Financial Times

James D. Wolfensohn, Chairman and CEO, Wolfensohn and Company

David Wright, Vice Chairman, Barclays plc

Robert B. Zoellick, Distinguished Visiting Fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics

Dirty Wars

Dear Adam,

I just finished reading "Dirty Wars" by Jeremy Scahill -- http://amzn.com/B00B3M3TS4 -- and, assuming you haven't read this book already, I want to bring it to your attention.

The opening line of the book put this directly in

the line-of-interest for No Agenda listeners: "This is a story about how

its national security policy." The book traces the history of Cheney

and his PNAC pals taking power in 2001 and the enthronement of JSOC (the

collection of intelligence and targeted assassinations in the global war

simple: CIA actions require detailed Congressional oversight; no such

Congressional briefing or oversight exists for JSOC operations as they

are part of the DOD (even if they report directly to the President via

the National Command Authority). Bottom line: the units which make up

JSOC can conduct operations answerable only to the President and which

are free from oversight. And yes, JSOC operates drones.

The narrative of this book dovetails almost perfectly with the book "Benghazi, the Definitive Report" -- http://amzn.com/B00AHCRRJS --

the jihadis who then looked for any available American to kill -- which

in this case was Ambassador Stevens (who was never even read-in on the

JSOC operations happening in Libya).**

Although I'm a fan of the Navy SEALs and the Army's

1st SFOD-D (Delta Force), the more I read about how they have been used

in the last decade the more I'm coming to the conclusion that they are

committing an ever-growing list of war crimes and they are being ordered

Regards,

CMike in Kansas City

HitlerLand

The Gulag Archipeligo

Hi Adam,

quick thought to share about a book my father "made" me read when I was a teen... (a long time ago lol)..

The Gulag Archipelago by Alexander Solzenitsyn.. (good chance you have read it yourself)... . A quote from which keeps running through my mind;

â€œAnd how we burned in the camps later, thinking: What would things have

been like if every Security operative, when he went out at night to make an arrest, had been uncertain whether he would return alive and had to

say good-bye to his family? Or if, during periods of mass arrests, as

for example in Leningrad, when they arrested a quarter of the entire

city, people had not simply sat there in their lairs, paling with terror at every bang of the

downstairs door and at every step on the

staircase, but had understood they had nothing left to lose and had

boldly set up in the downstairs hall an ambush of half a dozen people

with axes, hammers, pokers, or whatever else was at hand?... The Organs

would very quickly have suffered a shortage of officers and transport

and, notwithstanding all of Stalin's thirst, the cursed machine would

have ground to a halt! If...if...We didn't love freedom enough. And even more â€“ we had no

awareness of the real situation.... We purely and

simply deserved everything that happened afterward.â€

â€• Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

I am fully aware that to share this in a "public forum" could be construed as an incitement to act... this is a fact for one to seriously consider in the present climate, although recommending to others to read a book is surely the act of one who is encouraging literacy amongst his fellow humans?? Maybe Mr Avant & Mr Garde could start a book review/recommended reading segment to the podcast and suggest a book or two on

occasion...?

Other Solzhenitsyn quotes..

http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/10420.Aleksandr_Solzhenitsyn

I believe that ideas should be freely shared and freely adopted or rejected..... it's a good indicator of a free thinker.

Best regards, Trevor.

The delete button was invented for those ideas that one considers to be unworthy, please feel free to use it in this case, no offense will be taken on my part.

Paralells

News Release: UNC to conduct emergency drill June 19

The Untouchables: NY Senate passes bill criminalizing 'harassment' of police

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 11:05

UPDATED: June 4, 2013 11:06:59 AM EDT

News Release: UNC to conduct emergency drill June 19

For immediate use: Tuesday, June 4, 2013

UNC to conduct emergency drill June 19

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will conduct an emergency drill Wednesday June 19, 2013, between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. at Davis Library on the UNC campus.

The area surrounding Davis Library will be blocked to pedestrians and vehicles. Chapel Hill Transit service will be re-routed. Much of Raleigh Street will be blocked, and vehicles will be routed down Country Club Road. There will be access to the Cobb parking deck.

During the drill there will be no access to the 7th and 8th floors of Davis Library. Patrons are encouraged to use other campus libraries during this time. For information about the hours for each campus library, see http://hours.lib.unc.edu/.

Actors will portray gunmen, hostages and victims to simulate the University's response to an actual emergency on campus. Police officers will be stationed around the perimeter of the emergency drill area. Emergency vehicles and personnel will be visible in and around the library area, and uniformed responders will react as they would in an actual emergency.

Emergency planning exercises are a key part of the University's efforts to enhance campus safety. The University conducts regular exercises and continuously updates communication plans, based on information learned during the tests of the emergency siren system conducted each semester and emergency drills like the one planned for June 19.

EnviroSafe Consulting and Investigations Inc., a firm under contract with the University, is working with campus safety officials to conduct the drill. Other UNC system campuses are conducting similar emergency exercises.

For more details about the drill, visit alertcarolina.unc.edu.University Relations Contact: Karen Moon, (919) 962-8595, karen_moon@unc.edu

For more information contact:News Servicesvoice: (919) 962-2091voice: (919) 216-2584news@unc.edu

Connect with Carolina printer friendly

Source: Set You Free News

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 07:47

The New York State Senate passed a controversial bill on Wednesday that aims to classify 'aggravated harassment of a police officer' as a crime, but will it give the authorities the green light for strong-arm tactics if passed?

RT

Sponsored by Senator Joe Griffo, Bill S.2402 would make it a felony to ''harass, annoy, or threaten a police officer while on duty.''

''Our system of laws is established to protect the foundations of our society,'' Senator Griffo said. ''Police officers who risk their lives every day in our cities and on our highways deserve every possible protection, and those who treat them with disrespect, harass them and create situations that can lead to injuries deserve to pay a price for their actions.''

Griffo said that New York police require extra safeguards because ''too many people in our society have lost the respect they need to have for a police officer'.... We need to make it very clear that when a police officer is performing his duty, every citizen needs to comply and that refusal to comply carries a penalty.''

The bill, which will now move to the State Assembly, would make it a crime for a person to make any type of physical action aimed at intimidating a police officer. Harassment of a police officer would be recognized as a Class E Felony, punishable by up to four years in prison. Not surprisingly, the bill has won accolades from police.

''Professionally, I am grateful to see this bill pass through the Senate,'' said Utica Police Department Chief Mark Williams, as quoted by the House Majority Press. ''Our police officers have a very dangerous job and need the support of our government leaders to help make them safe.''

Williams believes that all too often, individuals are ''physically challenging police officers in the line of duty.'' Currently, in instances where an officer is physically attacked but does not sustain a physical injury, the only possible charge is a violation, he explained.

These consequences are too lenient for offenders, and send the wrong message to the public, Williams continued. However, questions may arise as to where the boundaries should be drawn concerning the right of individuals to report on incidents of excessive police force, for example.

In May 2011, New York homeowner Emily Good was arrested by Rochester police while standing in her yard and videotaping police officers who were performing a traffic stop in front of her house.

When one of the officers asked Good what she was doing, Good replied, ''I'm just recording what you're doing; it's my right.'' The officer then told Good that ''we don't feel safe with you standing right behind us while we're doing a traffic stop,'' and ordered her to go inside her house. When Good insisted on her right to stand in her yard, she was arrested, handcuffed, and taken away in a police car. She was later charged with obstructing governmental administration.

PODCAST LICENSE-Regulating Singapore's internet: Two steps back | The Economist

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 00:56

SINGAPOREANS live in one of the most wired countries in the world, and as such they are used to receiving gobbets of news on their smartphones and tablets as a daily if not hourly affair. So it was to the dismay of many that the Media Development Authority (MDA) put a draconian new licensing requirement into effect on June 1st. The authority's purpose would seem to be to tighten its grip on what is already a claustrophobic media environment.

The new regulations demand that all websites concerned with the news be licensed, and also that each puts down a ''performance-bond'' of 50,000 Singapore dollars ($39,550). Any content deemed to be in breach of standards would have to be removed within 24 hours of being notified. This is all in addition to a host of prior regulations, including another licence scheme wherein both internet-service and content providers must follow an official code of practice and meet other conditions.

The new licensing framework is to affect everything that could be called a ''Singapore news programme'', as defined by two criteria. The first is that the programme (or online newspaper, blog, etc) reports an average of one article or more about Singapore's news and current affairs, per week, over a period of two months. The second that the content have ''significant reach'' by the standard set by the MDA, ie that it is read (or viewed, etc) by at least 50,000 unique IP addresses from within Singapore. That is a meagre threshold in a country with a population of just over 5m that enjoys a ''wireless broadband population penetration rate'' of 166%.

The traditional media are primarily represented by just two companies, one of them owned by Temasek, one of the state's sovereign-wealth funds, and the other tending to have a pro-government stance. So the rise of alternative news websites, over the last six years or so, has been especially significant here. Singaporeans have taken to the internet with alacrity'--especially for news about the country they call home.

Perhaps the first worrisome thing to note about the MDA's new policy was the complete lack of public consultation beforehand. The authority announced the new rules just a couple of days before their implementation'--along with a starter course of ten websites that will need to be licensed (nine are owned by those two largest of Singapore's media companies, which are often associated with the state). Critics argue this may be a strategy to ease the implementation of the controversial change.

The second reason for anxiety is a bit subtler. While the ministry of communications and information has assured bloggers that they will not be affected by the new rules, the legislation doesn't guarantee the same. The definition of ''Singapore news programmes'' is broad enough to include ''any programme containing any news, intelligence, report of occurrence, or any matter of public interest, about any social, economic, political, cultural, artistic, sporting, scientific or any other aspect of Singapore,'' though of course it ''does not include any programme produced by or on behalf of the government.''

Yacoob Ibrahim, the communications minister, told reporters that the move provided ''some form of parity between online news sites and traditional mainstream media newspapers and TV broadcasters.'' On the face of it, that might make sense. Why shouldn't online media be subject to the same regulations as those that pertain to other media platforms? Well, apart from the fact that those existing regulations have resulted in Singapore's abysmal ranking in the world's league tables for press freedom'--it comes 149th out of 179 countries on Reporters Without Borders' list; 153rd out of 197 countries in Freedom House's. Licensing aside, content online is already subject to laws concerning libel and slander; incitement to public disorder; sedition; and more.

''What the authorities call ''light-touch'' regulation has been replaced with the mailed fist. The only certainty is the continuity of this approach online,'' says Choo Zheng Xi, Co-founder of The Online Citizen, a popular self-styled ''social news site'' which receives visits from some 150,000 to 200,000 unique IP addresses monthly, most of them from within Singapore. The new regulations, many online users believe, is just a preview of things to come.

Mr Yaacob told The Business Times that at present the new regulations need apply only to Singapore-based news websites. But there are plans afoot to to bring foreign websites under the licensing framework next year.

''If [foreign media] are transmitting news to Singaporeans and Singapore is their target market, then we will have to do something about it," said Mr Yaacob

Several of the potentially affected sites and bloggers plan to protest the new licensing scheme on June 8th at HongLimPark in central Singapore'--assembling offline, as well as online. As part of the same protest they are encouraging other Singaporeans to freeze their blogs and websites for 24 hours on June 6th.

Singapore's press has been always been tightly regulated, both before and since the state won its independence. A new generation of ''netizens'' is hoping to find that the keyboard is nimbler'--if not quite mightier'--than the pen.

Trending topics

Netizens of at least three neighbouring countries have faced official crackdowns in the past few years. In each case the state makes itself look almost desperately keen to protect itself. Earlier this year Thailand used its Computer Crime Act to set a precedent for intermediary liability with its conviction of Chiranuch Premchaiporn. Her crime was not responding quite quick enough to remove comments from her website, comments that were opposed to the monarchy.

In September 2012 Vietnam's courts handed out long jail sentences to three prominent bloggers whom they accused of subverting the state. The bloggers had apparently ''distorted the truth about State and Party, created anxiety among citizens and supported schemes to overthrow the government.'' Another 13 journalists were jailed earlier this year, for content published online.

And bloggers in neighbouring Malaysia have not been spared either. Raja Petra Kamaruddin was jailed in May for alleging that Najib Razak, the deputy prime minister, and his wife were involved in the murder of a Mongolian model in 2006. Bloggers there can be charged under an Officials Secrets Act, an Internal Security Act and a Sedition Act, as well as for posting on ''sensitive topics'''--which tend to include corruption among officials.

(Picture credit: AFP)

PreviousJapan's right-wing politicians: Making a hash of history

JFK-Baustin-J. D. Tippit - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 11:23

(CNN) -- Here is a look at what you need to know about the Boston Marathon terror attack. On April 15, 2013, double bombings near the finish line of the Boston Marathon killed three people and injured at least 264.

Victims:Martin Richard, 8, a student at Neighborhood House Charter School in Boston.

Krystle Campbell, 29, of Medford, Massachusetts.

Lingzi Lu, a graduate student at Boston University. She was originally from China.

Other Facts:The bombs exploded 12 seconds apart near the marathon's finish line on Boylston Street.

According to Richard DesLauriers, the special agent in charge of the FBI's Boston office, the bombs contained BB-like pellets and nails.

One of the bombs was contained in a pressure cooker, hidden inside a black backpack, according to the FBI.

The FBI says that the second bomb was also in a metal container, but they haven't yet determined if it was also in a pressure cooker.

The Department of Homeland Security issued a warning in 2004 about pressure cooker bombs. Instructions for making this type of explosive are widely available on the Internet.

Timeline:April 15, 2013 - At approximately 2:50pm, two bombs explode near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. The bombs explode within 8-12 seconds of each other, about 50-100 yards apart.

Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Arlene Salac announces that federal authorities have imposed temporarily flight restrictions over central Boston. The restrictions bar air traffic below 3,000 feet for two nautical miles around the bombing site (reduced from three) and do not affect commercial air traffic at the city's international airport.

At 6:10pm, President Barack Obama speaks to reporters at the White House, "We will find out who did this. We'll find out why they did this. Any responsible individuals, any responsible groups, will feel the full weight of justice."

April 16, 2013 - President Obama, speaking at the White House at 11:30 am, describes the bombings as an act of terrorism.

Frederic Wittman, chairman of the board of trustees of the Neighborhood House Charter School in Boston, confirms that one of the people killed is 8-year-old Martin Richard. Richard's sister and mother are hospitalized with serious injuries.

Michael McGlynn, mayor of Medford, Massachusetts confirms that one of the people killed in the attack is 29-year-old Krystle Campbell.

Boston University and the Chinese consulate in New York confirm that the third victim is a female graduate student from China. At the request of her parents, her name is not released at that time.

Officials confirm that there were only two bombs, despite earlier reports that other unexploded devices had been found.

Authorities including bomb experts search an apartment in Revere, Massachusetts, and remove items. Officials caution that there are no clear suspects -- and the motive remains unknown.

April 17, 2013 - A federal law enforcement official tells CNN that the lid to a pressure cooker thought to have been used in the bombings has been found on a rooftop at the scene.

The name of the third victim is released by Boston University: Lingzi Lu, a graduate student studying math and statistics.

Purported miscommunications between government officials lead several news organizations, including CNN, to report prematurely that a suspect had been arrested and was in custody.

April 18, 2013 - President Obama attends an interfaith memorial service inside the Cathedral of the Holy Cross. About 2,000 people fill the cathedral, "The Boston Globe" reports, with about half the seats reserved for the public. The audience also includes scores of police officers and other first responders.

Attorney Kenneth Feinberg, considered the world's foremost expert on victim compensation, is announced as the administrator of The One Fund Boston, a fund to assist individuals affected by the attacks.

At a press conference, the FBI releases pictures of two male suspects they are seeking in connection with the bombings.

Late in the evening, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology police officer named Sean Collier is shot and killed on campus, allegedly by the bombing suspects.

April 19, 2013 - In the early morning hours, the suspected bombers allegedly hijack a car in Cambridge. The driver is released about 30 minutes later. As the police chase the suspects, the car's occupants throw explosives out the windows and exchange gunfire with officers. One of the suspected bombers is wounded and later dies at Beth Israel Hospital. He had bullet wounds and injuries from an explosion, according to officials.

Boston police identify the bombing suspects as 26-year-old Tamerlan Tsarnaev and 19-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, brothers from Cambridge, Massachusetts. They are of Chechen origin and legally immigrated to the U.S. at different times. Tamerlan Tsarnaev has been identified as the person killed in the encounter with police earlier in the morning, while Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, a student at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, remains at large.

Throughout the day, hundreds of law enforcement officers go door-to-door on 20 streets in Watertown, looking for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who authorities believe is still in Massachusetts. Boston-area residents are asked by authorities to stay inside as the hunt continues for the suspect.

Between 6 and 7 pm, Watertown resident David Henneberry goes out for air and to inspect his boat soon after the lockdown is lifted, and "saw a man covered with blood under a tarp."

8:15 pm - Authorities announce they have a person they believe to be Dzhokhar Tsarnaev cornered on a boat in a yard in Watertown, Massachusetts. At some point, law enforcement agents are able to seize the suspect. He is transported to a local hospital in "serious condition."

April 20, 2013 - A Justice Department official tells CNN that federal terrorism charges against Boston Marathon bombings suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev could be filed soon, even as he remains hospitalized. The 19-year-old could also face murder charges at the state level. There is no death penalty in Massachusetts, but Tsarnaev could face that punishment at the federal level.

April 22, 2013 -Tsarnaev is charged by the U.S. government with one count of using and conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction resulting in death and one count of malicious destruction of property by means of an explosive device resulting in death.

May 1, 2013 - Three 19-year-olds are arrested in connection with the bombings. The three men are accused of helping bombing suspect, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev after the bombing. Federal prosecutors say Azamat Tazhayakov, Dias Kadyrbayev, and Robel Phillipos took items from Tsarnaev's dorm room after the bombing to throw investigators off their friend's trail. Tazhayakov and Kadyrbayev are foreign nationals charged with obstruction of justice, they were both initially held on unrelated visa issues. Phillipos is an American citizen and is charged with lying to federal agents.

May 2, 2013 - The body of Tamerlan Tsarnaev is claimed, and is picked up by a funeral home, according to Terrel Harris, spokesman for the Massachusetts Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

May 6, 2013 - Robel Phillipos is released into his mother's custody on $100,000 bail.

May 9, 2013 -Tamerlan Tsarnaev is buried in a Muslim cemetery in Doswell, Virginia. This is after cemeteries in Massachusetts and elsewhere refuse to allow his burial.

May 22, 2013 - An FBI agent shoots and kills Ibragim Todashev in Orlando, Florida while questioning the Chechen about his relationship with Tamerlan Tsarnaev after cell phone records connect the two. Todashev tells the agent that Tsarnaev participated in a 2011 gruesome triple homicide that was drug related. The confrontation between the FBI agent and Todashev turns violent after Todashev lunges at the agent with a weapon.

Horst Wessel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

VIDEO-Germany Deutschland å¾·å'‹ Alemania - The Horst Wessel Song - The Nuremberg Congress - YouTube

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 09:50

Horst Ludwig Wessel (October 9, 1907 '' February 23, 1930) was a German Nazi Party activist and an SA-Sturmf¼hrer who was made a posthumous hero of the Nazi movement following his violent death in 1930. He was the author of the lyrics to the song "Die Fahne hoch" ("The Flag On High"), usually known as Horst-Wessel-Lied ("the Horst Wessel Song"), which became the Nazi Party anthem and, de facto, Germany's co-national anthem from 1933 to 1945. His death also resulted in his becoming the "patron" for the Luftwaffe's26th Destroyer Wing and the 18th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division during World War II.

Early life[edit]Wessel was born in Bielefeld in Westphalia, the son of Dr. Ludwig Wessel, a Lutheran minister at the Nikolaikirche, one of Berlin's oldest churches. Wessel's mother, Luise Margarete Wessel, also came from a family of Lutheran pastors, and Horst Wessel himself remained a devout Lutheran throughout his life,[1] although he disappointed his father's hopes that he would go into the ministry himself.[2] The family lived in the nearby JudenstraŸe (the Jews' Street),[1] which in medieval times had been the centre of Berlin's Jewish community. Wessel's father was a supporter of the monarchistGerman National People's Party (DNVP), and when he was 15, Wessel joined the DNVP youth group, the Bismarckjugend. He soon became a local leader, engaging in street battles with youth members of the Social Democratic Party and Communist Party. Later, he joined groups with a more sinister reputation, including the Viking, Organization Consul and finally the Black Reichswehr.[3]

Wessel attended the Volksschule (primary school) of K¶llnisches Gymnasium from 1914 to 1922, thereafter the K¶nigst¤dtisches Gymnasium (high school) and for his final year of school the Luisenst¤dtisches Gymnasium, where he passed his Abitur examination. In April 1926 he enrolled in the law faculty of Friedrich Wilhelm UniversityUnter den Linden.[4]

Nazi activist[edit]By 1926 Wessel had become too radical for the German National People's Party, and in December of that year he joined the National Socialist German Workers' Party (Nazi Party), and its paramilitary organisation, the Sturmabteilung (SA).

Wessel soon impressed Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi Party's Gauleiter, and in January 1928, during a period when the Berlin city authorities had banned the SA in an effort to curb political street violence, Wessel was sent on a trip to Vienna, to study Nazi organisational and tactical methods. In May 1929, Wessel was appointed leader of SA-Troop 34, based in the Friedrichshain district, where he lived. In October 1929 he dropped out of university to devote himself fulltime to the Nazi movement.

Wessel played the schalmei. The shalmei is an instrument which uses a plastic 'double-reed'. They are much louder than either a bassoon or oboe, and were still being manufactured in the village of Markneukirchen at the time of the reunification. They were played in groups called Schalmeikapelle and are still used in Folk celebrations in that area. The shawm, is a type of oboe popular in Germany, and he founded an SA Schalmeienkapelle (shawm band), which provided music during SA events. In early 1929, Wessel wrote the lyrics for a new Nazi fight song (Kampflied), which was first published in Goebbels's newspaper Der Angriff in September, under the title "Der Unbekannte SA-Mann" (the Unknown SA-Man). This song later became known as "Die Fahne hoch" and as the "Horst Wessel Song". It was later claimed by the Nazis that Wessel also wrote the music, but it is likely that the tune was adapted from a World War IGerman Imperial Navy song, and is probably originally a folk song. The authorship of this melody was finally determined by a German court in 1937 to not belong to Wessel [5]

At that time, the Alexanderplatz, the centre of Berlin's nightlife, was part of the territory of Wessel's SA troop. In September 1929, he met Erna J¤nicke, an 18-year-old prostitute, in a bar. Soon he moved into her apartment in GroŸe Frankfurter StraŸe (today Karl-Marx-Allee). The landlady was Elisabeth Salm, whose late husband had been an active Communist. Some sources claim Wessel earned money as her procurer.[6] After a few months, there was a dispute between Salm and Wessel over unpaid rent.[7]

In the evening of 14 January 1930, Wessel answered a knock on his door, and was shot in the face by an assailant who then fled the scene. Wessel lingered in hospital until he died on 23 February. Albrecht H¶hler, an active member of the local Communist Party (KPD) branch, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment for the shooting, and was executed by the Gestapo after the Nazi accession to power in 1933.[8] The KPD, however, denied any knowledge of the attack and said it resulted from a dispute over money between Wessel and his landlady. It is possible that Salm asked her late husband's old comrades to help deal with her recalcitrant tenant.[9] Another version says that Wessel's murderer was a rival for the affections of J¤nicke. It is also possible the shooting was revenge by local Communists for Wessel's alleged role in the murder of a 17-year-old Communist, Camillo Ross, earlier in the day.[citation needed]

Posthumous fame[edit]Wessel was elevated by Goebbels' propaganda apparatus to the status of leading martyr of the Nazi movement. Goebbels himself began the process with his 27 February 1930 account of Wessel's death "Raise High the Flag!"[10] Many of Goebbels's most effective propaganda speeches were made at gravesides, but Wessel received unusual attention among the many unremembered storm troopers.[11]

Wessel was buried on 1 March in the Nikolaifriedhof, in Prenzlauer Allee. It was reported that 30,000 people lined the streets to see the funeral procession.[citation needed] KPD members attacked the procession and attempted to seize the coffin. After the funeral Communists painted "a final Heil Hitler to the pimp Horst Wessel!" on the wall of the cemetery.[12]

Goebbels delivered the eulogy in the presence of Hermann G¶ring and Prince August Wilhelm of Prussia, son of former emperor Wilhelm II, who had joined the SA. Wessel's story was spread over Germany; when Naumann, a student who worked for Goebbels, had attended the funeral and taken the train to Gorlitz, he found that everyone at a Nazi rally was speaking of Wessel, and when they discovered he had attended the burial, insisted on his taking the stage to tell them of it.[11] In an editorial in the V¶lkischer Beobachter, Alfred Rosenberg wrote of how Wessel was not dead, but had joined a combat group that still struggled with them; afterwards, Nazis spoke of how a man who died in conflict had joined "Horst Wessel's combat group" or were "summoned to Horst Wessel's standard."[13]

When the Nazis came to power in 1933, an elaborate memorial was erected over the grave, and it became the site of annual pilgrimages by the Nazis, at which the Horst Wessel Song was sung and speeches made.

Nazi propaganda glorified his life. The bimonthly Der Brunnen - F¼r deutsche Lebensart (Frithjof Fischer ed.) in its issue of 2 Jan 1934 declared: "How high Horst Wessel towers over that Jesus of Nazareth - that Jesus who pleaded that the bitter cup be taken from him. How unattainably high all Horst Wessels stand above Jesus!"[14] Wessel was commemorated in memorials, books and films. Hanns Heinz Ewers wrote a novelistic biography of him.

Hans Westmar[edit]One of the first films of the Nazi era was an idealised version of his life, based on Ewers' book. Goebbels, however, disliked the film and temporarily banned it, eventually allowing its release with alterations and with the main character's name changed to the fictional "Hans Westmar".[15] Part of the problem was that the authentic depiction of Stormtroopers, including picking fights with Communists, did not fit the more reasonable tone the Nazis adopted while in power; Westmar does not alienate his family and preached class reconciliation.[16] It was, however, among the first films to depict dying for Hitler as a glorious death for Germany, resulting in his spirit inspiring his comrades.[17]

Memorial namings[edit]The Berlin district of Friedrichshain, where Wessel died, was renamed Horst Wessel, and a square in the Mitte district, B¼lowplatz, was renamed Horst-Wessel-Platz, as was the U-Bahn station nearby. After the war the name Friedrichshain was restored, and Horst-Wessel-Platz (which was in East Berlin), became Liebknechtplatz (after Karl Liebknecht). In 1947 it was renamed Luxemburg-Platz after Rosa Luxemburg (since 1969 more precisely Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz).[18]

In 1936, the German Navy (Kriegsmarine) commissioned a three-masted training ship and named her the Horst Wessel.[19] The ship was taken as a war prize by the United States after World War II. After repairs and modifications, she was commissioned on 15 May 1946 into the United States Coast Guard as the USCGC Eagle (WIX-327), and is still in service.

Examples of German military units adopting the name of the Nazi-era "martyr" in World War II include the 18th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division, known as the "Horst Wessel" Division, and the World War II era Luftwaffe's 26th Destroyer (or heavy fighter) Wing (Zerst¶rergeschwader 26), as well as its successor day fighter unit Jagdgeschwader 6, which was similarly named the "Horst Wessel" wing. During the Battle of Britain, one successful attack on British planes was celebrated as the name of Horst Wessel represented absolute "devotion to duty", so too would they carry on until victory.[20]

Song[edit]The "martyrdom" of Horst Wessel led directly to the Horst-Wessel-Lied, also known as Die Fahne hoch ("The Flag is High") from its opening line, being promoted as the anthem of the Nazi Party from 1930 to 1945. From 1933 to 1945 the Nazis made it a co-national anthem of Germany, along with the first stanza of the Deutschlandlied.[21] With the end of the Nazi regime in 1945, the Horst-Wessel-Lied was banned, and the lyrics and tune are illegal in Germany and Austria except for educational purposes. In early 2011, this resulted in an investigation against Amazon and Apple for selling the song to German users.[22]

Post-war[edit]After the fall of the Third Reich in May 1945, Wessel's grave was in Communist-ruled East Berlin. The memorial was destroyed and Wessel's remains apparently were disinterred and also destroyed. The grave site was long marked only by part of the headstone of Wessel's father, Ludwig, from which the surname "Wessel" had been removed.[23] This too was destroyed around 2005 and the site is now marked only by a raised mound of earth bounded by ivy, with two iceplants in the centre. However, the nearby grave of relative Clara Wessel (1876''1951) has been given a new headstone.[citation needed]

See also[edit]Others given posthumous fame by the NazisReferences[edit]^ abThe Horst-Wessel-Lied - A Reappraisal^The Daily Telegraph, 1934-09-22, 1.^School for Barbarians, Erika Mann, 1938, p. 64^Lesser known facts of WW II^School For Barbarians, Erika Mann, 1938, pp. 65-66^School For Barbarians, Erika Mann, 1938, pp. 65^Michael Burleigh (2000) The Third Reich, a new history, Pan p138^Joachim Fest, Hitler^History Today, October 2007 p.27^Joseph Goebbels, "Raise High the Flag!"^ abJay W. Baird, The Mythical World of Nazi War Propaganda, p 14 ISBN 0-8166-0741-9^Uwe Klussmann (29 November 2012), The Ruthless Rise of the Nazis in BerlinDer Spiegel^Robert Cecil, The Myth of the Master Race: Alfred Rosenberg and Nazi Ideology p97 ISBN 0-396-06577-5^quoted in Schumann, F.L., Hitler and the Nazi Dictatorship, London, 1936, p.368 http://www.archive.org/stream/hitlerandthenazi029875mbp#page/n389/mode/2up/search/wessel^Welch, D., Propaganda and the German Cinema, pp. 61''71.^Claudia Koonz, The Nazi Conscience, p. 85 ISBN 06740117204^Erwin Leiser, Nazi Cinema p. 24 ISBN 0-02-570230-0^Horst-Wessel-Platz^"The Launching of the Training Ship Horst Wessel"^Jay W. Baird, The Mythical World of Nazi War Propaganda, p 127 ISBN 0-8166-0741-9^Geisler, p.71.^Hannoversche Allgemeine - LKA ermittelt gegen Apple und Amazon, 3. February 2011^See photos of Horst Wessel's grave

Baustin Blanks

Federal Register | Certain Ammonium Nitrate From Ukraine

Lawmakers pass bill to block certain crime scene info - WFSB 3 Connecticut

NHC Implements New Hurricane Categorization Scale

Routine DNA Testing After Arrest Upheld by U.S. Supreme Court

Sun, 02 Jun 2013 08:14

The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale (SSHWS) is a 1 to 5 categorization based on a hurricane's intensity at an indicated time, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). The scale is undergoing a minor modification in 2012 to resolve "awkwardness associated with conversions among the various units used for wind speed in advisory products."

Essentially, the new modification is to help clarify categorization of wind speed measurements based on miles per hour (mph), kilometers per hour (km/h) and knots. There is an inherent uncertainty when estimating wind speeds for tropical cyclones. Generally, wind speeds are rounded because it's unrealistic to identify exact wind speeds. So, these numbers are rounded to the nearest "5." For example, 132 mph would be rounded to 130 mph, while 138 knots would be rounded to 140 knots.

The new categories are shown in this graph from the NHC.

This provides a problem, specifically for Category 4 classification. Category 4 used to be defined as 131 to 155 mph (or 114 to 135 knots or 210 to 259 km/h). This has caused a problem in conversions. For example, if a reading is 115 knots, it is a Category 4 hurricane. However, when 115 knots is converted to mph (132.3 mph), and it is rounded to the nearest "5" (130 mph), the hurricane is then defined as a Category 3 hurricane.

The new scale will alleviate this issue. Category 1 (64 to 82 knots) and Category 2 (83 to 95 knots) will remain the same, but Category 3 (formerly 96 to 113 knots) will now be measured as 96 to 112 knots (or 111 to 129 mph or 178 to 208 km/h). Category 4 will now be identified as 113 to 136 knots (or 130 to 156 mph or 209 to 251 km/h), and Category 5 will be defined as 137 knots or higher (or 157 mph or higher or 252 km/h or higher).

This breakdown from the NHC shows the differences between the old scale and the new version.

Now, when knot-based measurements are used to categorize hurricanes, the conversion will not affect to which category the hurricane belongs. The NHC has stated that this new scale will not affect any previous categorizations of past hurricanes and has only been implemented to make classifications easier.

Information for this story as provided by the NHC.

Michael Douglas: oral sex caused my cancer | Film | The Guardian

HPV a growing cause of upper throat cancer

Sun, 02 Jun 2013 18:40

Link to video: Behind the Candelabra: watch a world exclusive trailerMichael Douglas '' the star of Basic Instinct and Fatal Attraction '' has revealed that his throat cancer was apparently caused by performing oral sex.

In a surprisingly frank interview with the Guardian, the actor, now winning plaudits in the Liberace biopic Behind the Candelabra, explained the background to a condition that was thought to be nearly fatal when diagnosed three years ago. Asked whether he now regretted his years of smoking and drinking, usually thought to be the cause of the disease, Douglas replied: "No. Because without wanting to get too specific, this particular cancer is caused by HPV [human papillomavirus], which actually comes about from cunnilingus."

Douglas, the husband of Catherine Zeta Jones, continued: "I did worry if the stress caused by my son's incarceration didn't help trigger it. But yeah, it's a sexually transmitted disease that causes cancer. And if you have it, cunnilingus is also the best cure for it."

The actor, now 68, was diagnosed with cancer in August 2010, following many months of oral discomfort. But a series of specialists missed the tumour and instead prescribed antibiotics. Douglas then went to see a friend's doctor in Montreal who looked inside his mouth using a tongue depressor.

"I will always remember the look on his face," Douglas has previously said. "He said: 'We need a biopsy.' There was a walnut-size tumour at the base of my tongue that no other doctor had seen."

Shortly afterwards he was diagnosed with stage four cancer, which is often terminal, and embarked on an intensive eight-week course of chemotherapy and radiation. He refused to use a feeding tube, despite his palate being burnt on account of the treatment, and so lost 20kg (45lb) on a liquids-only diet. "That's a rough ride. That can really take it out of you," he told the Guardian. "Plus the amount of chemo I was getting, it zaps all the good stuff too. It made me very weak."

The treatment worked and Douglas is now more than two years clear of cancer. He has check-ups every six months, he said, "and with this kind of cancer, 95% of the time it doesn't come back".

The cause of Douglas's cancer had long been assumed to be related to his tobacco habit, coupled with enthusiastic boozing. In 1992, he was hospitalised for an addiction which some at the time claimed to be sex. Douglas himself denied this and said he was in rehab for alcohol abuse. He has also spoken of recreational drug use.

HPV, the sexually transmitted virus best known as a cause of cervical and anal cancer and genital warts, is thought to be responsible for an increasing proportion of oral cancers.

Some suggest that changes in sexual behaviour '' a rise in oral sex in particular '' are responsible. Such changes might be cultural, but could also be linked to fears about the safety of penetrative sex in the wake of the Aids epidemic.

Mahesh Kumar, a consultant head and neck surgeon in London, confirmed that the last decade has seen a dramatic rise in this form of cancer, particularly among younger sufferers. Recent studies of 1,316 patients with oral cancer found that 57% of them were HPV-16 positive.

"It has been established beyond reasonable doubt that the HPV type 16 is the causative agent in oropharyngeal cancer," said Kumar, who also testified to increased recovery rates among this kind of cancer sufferer. This would help explain why Douglas was given an 80% chance of survival, despite the advanced stage of his illness.

But Kumar expressed scepticism that Douglas's cancer was caused solely by HPV, and surprise at Douglas's assertion that cunnilingus could also help cure the condition. "Maybe he thinks that more exposure to the virus will boost his immune system. But medically, that just doesn't make sense."

Ann Robinson, a GP, expressed interest in how confirmation of this association would affect the rollout of the HPV vaccine, which is currently restricted in the UK. "My main priority with diagnosing a patient with oral cancer is to get them referred, as early intervention can be so crucial. Asking for a detailed sexual history would be inappropriate at that stage."

Douglas has two children, aged 10 and 12, with his second wife, Zeta Jones, as well as an older son, Cameron, from a previous marriage. In 2010, Cameron was sentenced to five years in prison for drugs possession and dealing, and a year later had his sentence extended until 2018 after he pleaded guilty to possessing drugs in prison.

''‰There are more than 100 variants of HPV (human papillomavirus). They appear in different parts of the body and manifest themselves in different ways '' some cause warts, but most are symptomless.

''‰Some are spread by skin-to-skin contact, while others are typically spread during sex. When HPV is found in the mouth, it probably got there as a result of oral sex.

''‰HPV is common '' if you're a sexually active adult, you've probably had it. By the age of 25, 90% of sexually active people will have been exposed to some form of genital HPV.

''‰Around 15 types of HPV are linked to increased cancer risk, but it can't be explicitly said to cause any particular cancers. It's a long-term risk factor: over years and decades the risk is increased, rather than overnight.

''‰It is calculated that between 25% and 35% of oral cancers are HPV-related '' meaning that it seems to be involved in 1,500-2,000 diagnoses a year.

''‰Overall, HPV-related oral cancers are most common in heterosexual men in their 40s and 50s.

''‰Teenage girls in the UK and elsewhere are now vaccinated against HPV, which should in time both protect them from cervical cancers and '' it's believed '' future partners from HPV-related oral cancers.

Read Xan Brooks' full interview with Michael Douglas

Michael Douglas' Throat Cancer Caused By Oral Sex Virus, Not Smoking Or Drinking (UPDATE)

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 08:41

ATLANTA (AP) '-- Doctors have known for some time that a sexually spread virus can cause some types of oral cancer. But actor Michael Douglas' comments on his own throat cancer in a newspaper story Monday threw a spotlight on a subject not often discussed.

And it raises a lot of questions:

'--What virus can cause oral cancer?

HPV, the human papillomavirus. It's best known for causing cervical cancer and genital warts. It also can be spread by oral sex, and men are more susceptible than women. It is a growing cause of certain types of oral cancer '-- those in the upper throat, at the base of the tongue and in the tonsils.

Indeed, studies suggest that HPV can be blamed for 60 to 80 percent of cancers of the upper throat.

'--What's the risk of getting oral cancer from performing oral sex?

About 2.5 million Americans are estimated to have oral HPV infections. But only about 14,000 cases of that type of cancer are expected this year, suggesting the risk of developing this cancer is low.

The virus is hard to avoid. As many as 75 percent of sexually active men and women will be infected with it at some point. Most people clear the infection on their own within two years. Some, however, have difficulty ridding themselves of HPV. And in some cases, the virus creeps down through tiny fissures in the base of the tongue or in the tonsils to lodge deep in the tissue.

Those deep-settling infections can become dangerous cancers that often aren't diagnosed until they're at a late stage, experts say.

'--What are the symptoms for upper throat cancer?

Symptoms can include a sore throat that doesn't go away, pain or trouble swallowing, a lump in the back of the throat, ear pain and voice changes.

'--Men are at greater risk?

Apparently, yes. A small study in Baltimore found men accounted for about 85 percent of recent HPV-related oral cancers, said Dr. Sara Pai, a Johns Hopkins University researcher.

Experts believe men have lower amounts of antibody protection against HPV, she added.

'--What should I do if my girlfriend or boyfriend has an HPV infection?

Abstain from oral sex, experts advise, though if you've had sex you likely were already infected. And use condoms during vaginal intercourse.

'--How do I know if my partner has an HPV infection?

Usually there aren't symptoms, though there may be genital warts. Or a woman might learn from her gynecological exam that she has it. But there is no such testing for men.

'--If a woman had an infection but subsequent tests suggest it's gone, is it safe to have oral sex with her again?

Probably. Bear in mind that if you are her partner, you've probably been exposed already.

The issue is not so much whether or not people are exposed to HPV. Rather, it's that some people develop cancer from exposure and some do not, said Dr. Maura Gillison, an HPV expert at Ohio State University.

'--Is there a greater risk from a person who's had many sex partners?

Yes, that's the greatest risk factor. HPV is highly communicable, so it only takes sex with one partner to infect you. But the more partners, the greater the chance you've been exposed, Gillison said.

'--Isn't there a vaccine against HPV that's available to males?

Yes, but it's recommended for boys before they first have sex. Experts say it generally doesn't work after someone's already been exposed to HPV. There is some work being done on a therapeutic vaccine against HPV, but such a treatment is believed to be many years away, at best.

'--Is the risk for oral cancer greater from tobacco or alcohol?

Tobacco especially has been fingered as the cause of most cancers in the head and neck, including in the voice box and at the front of the tongue. Alcohol is believed to be a contributor, too. But cancers of the upper throat are mainly tied to HPV.

'--What happened to Michael Douglas?

In 2010, Douglas announced that after seeking treatment for a very sore throat, he was diagnosed with a tumor at the base of his tongue. Because of the location of the cancer, some experts had wondered if it was related to HPV, but Douglas had a history of smoking and drinking and did not go into detail.

Since then, the 68-year-old Douglas has been free of cancer for more than two years after receiving extensive chemotherapy and has returned to acting. On Monday, The Guardian newspaper in England published an interview Monday in which Douglas said HPV is a cause of the kind of cancer he'd suffered.

Michael Douglas on Liberace, Cannes, cancer and cunnilingus

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 08:44

UPDATE: Michael Douglas' spokesman Allen Burry has released a statement explaining that the actor was just saying that oral sex can cause cancer, not that it necessarily led to his diagnosis. "In a discussion with the newspaper, they talked about the causes of oral cancer, one of which was oral sex, which is noted and has been known for a while now," Burry said.

Previously...

Michael Douglas has opened up about his past diagnosis, revealing that oral sex, not smoking or drinking, caused his type of throat cancer.

In a candid new interview with U.K.'s The Guardian, Douglas admits that his illness was caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV).

"Without wanting to get too specific, this particular cancer is caused by HPV, which actually comes about from cunnilingus," the "Behind the Candelabra" star, 68, explains.

Douglas, who fought a six-month battle with the disease from August 2010 until January 2011, also confesses that he thought that his battle with cancer would be a fatal one. He says at first he assumed the stress from his son Cameron's legal troubles played a big factor in his sickness.

"I did worry if the stress caused by my son's incarceration didn't help trigger it. But yeah, it's a sexually transmitted disease that causes cancer," Douglas, who is married to Catherine Zeta-Jones, notes. "And if you have it, cunnilingus is also the best cure for it."

The actor has been cancer-free for more than two years and says he has check-ups every six months. "And with this kind of cancer, 95% of the time it doesn't come back," he adds. Still, Douglas will never forget what it felt like to hear that word.

"I will always remember the look on his face," Douglas previously said of his doctor, who revealed that he had stage four throat cancer. "He said: 'We need a biopsy.' There was a walnut-size tumor at the base of my tongue that no other doctor had seen."

According to the Oral Cancer Foundation, one tract of HPV -- known as HPV16 -- is known to be linked to oral cancer, manifesting itself in the back regions of the throat and mouth. Douglas admits he suffered through toothaches and other oral infections for nine months before discovering his diagnosis.

Also on HuffPost:

HPV prevention: vaccination works | Ian Frazer | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 08:45

On the cliffs outside Cannes sits a row of green cabanas, a resting place for the millionaire guests at a five-star resort. The cabanas are open-fronted, rickety, at the mercy of the elements. In mild weather they must be heaven, but when the wind is up and the waves are lashing, a berth in the cabana becomes an ongoing purgatory. Michael Douglas has his hair in his face, and the collar of his jacket has turned inside-out. He is clutching at the table like Captain Ahab at the rail of his ship. It is a wonder he hasn't already been blown out to sea.

In August 2010 Douglas walked on to the David Letterman show to confirm that he was suffering from throat cancer, that the disease was at stage four and that stage five was death. Tributes were polished and obituaries prepared. That he is even here in Cannes is cause for celebration. The fact that he comes with what is surely his boldest, most exhilarating role to date qualifies him as some kind of Lazarus.

Directed by Steven Soderbergh for American TV, Behind the Candelabra is a tart, terrific biopic of Liberace and his lover Scott Thorson, who doubled as the pianist's brocaded chauffeur. Over the past few decades, the world has witnessed Douglas in a variety of guises, not all of his choosing. In his youth he was cast as the son of Kirk, a gilded Hollywood dauphin; in later life as the sugar-daddy husband of Catherine Zeta-Jones. He has been a master of the universe in Wall Street, furtive female prey in Fatal Attraction and Basic Instinct, and Mr Average in crisis in the underrated Falling Down. None of these roles, though, prepared us for his explosive turn as Liberace, the darling of middle America who died as a result of Aids in 1987. Douglas conjures the man in all his camp and trashy glory; his teeth a-dazzle, his eyes like glass beads. It is a peach of a role and he gobbles it whole.

Douglas as Gordon Gekko in Wall Street, 1987. Photograph: SNAP/Rex Features"I met him once in passing," the actor recalls. "My father had a weekend house in Palm Springs and I remember driving out and we came to this cross-section and this Rolls-Royce convertible pulled up alongside. It was a sunny day and, my God, the reflections were bouncing off his gold jewellery and diamond rings and his hair was perfectly coiffed." He shrugs. "Of course, we now know that he was wearing a wig."

If Douglas wore a wig, it would be long gone by now. His grey hair is all over the place; the wind is molesting him from every direction. But so what, who cares? Behind the Candelabra, he says, arrived at the perfect moment. Various things had been going wrong. First, his son Cameron was sentenced to five years in a federal prison for selling crystal meth; then the cancer right on the back of that. But he loved working with Soderbergh, and he relished working with Matt Damon, who co-stars as Thorson. Plus the role itself was too good to refuse. "Coming out of all those personal issues, to be offered a part like this." He shakes his head. "It's like nirvana."

Following the diagnosis, Douglas subjected himself to two months of chemotherapy and radiation, a draining, exhausting process that made him lose more than 13.5kg (30lb). Today, however, he looks OK: whippy, bright-eyed and only a little slack around the jawline. He has just come from lunch and is easing back towards his fighting weight.

How is his health right now? "Good, thanks. I have to check in regularly '' now it's every six months '' but I'm more than two years clear. And with this kind of cancer, 95% of the time it doesn't come back."

It was looking pretty black for a while there. "Yeah, well. Stage-four cancer and a shit-pot of chemo and radiation. That's a rough ride, that can really take it out of you. Plus, the amount of chemo I was getting, it zaps all the good stuff too. It made me very weak." Never, he insists, did he entertain the prospect of dying. He gritted his teeth and hoped for the best.

Douglas in The Streets Of San Francisco, 1972. Photograph: Moviestore Collection/Rex FeaturesThis, perhaps, is how he has always gone at things: headlong, with a minimum of introspection. For all his Hollywood pedigree, Douglas has always retained a curiously muttish, streetwise air, as though he takes his lead from the ghosts of his ancestors; dirt-poor Jewish immigrants from Belarus. Or possibly it is the result of being raised outside Los Angeles.

"My mother and father met at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts," he says. "He was a senior and she was a junior and their marriage didn't last very long. Lauren Bacall was responsible for bringing him out to Hollywood and I was four and he just started messing around so much that my mother said: 'I'm out of here.' So I grew up in New York City and Connecticut, where she remarried. I was fortunate to have a great stepfather and a lifestyle that was nothing to do with Hollywood. I'd see my dad at holidays." He pulls a face. "But that's nice to hear. Most of the stories I read are about my Hollywood pedigree."

By his late 20s, though, Douglas was already quite the prince, playing a heartthrob cop in The Streets of San Francisco and producing the multi-Oscar-winning One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (a long-cherished project of his father's). Yet Douglas points out that real stardom came relatively late, when he was nudging middle age, with the gaudy double-header of Fatal Attraction and Wall Street.

The 80s were to prove his happy hunting ground, the decade that most chimed with the man's persona. There is an ambivalent quality to Douglas's best-known characters and our response to them is ambivalent as well. As film historian David Thomson points out, his speciality were heroes who are "morally indolent, compromised and greedy for illicit sensation". Yet, by dint of being heroes, there was something glamorous about them too. As faithless Dan Gallagher in Fatal Attraction, wayward Nick Curran in Basic Instinct, or pinstriped Gordon Gekko in Wall Street, he managed to be at once virile and venal, authoritative and shifty, a strutting success story and a signpost to disaster. Douglas had the hard, slotted mouth and the hungry, crawling gaze. He was the perfect 80s movie star, an emblem of American avarice, beloved of all the housewives. Mike Leigh's 1988 comedy High Hopes contains a scene in which a suburban shrew attempts to cajole her boorish husband into some sexual role-play. "You're Michael Douglas," she instructs him. "And I'm a virgin."

I am betting he would not have dreamed of playing Liberace back then. "Probably not," he concedes. "But that's as much to do with the times as it is about my stardom. A lot has changed in the past five years."

I ask whether he thinks it remains a taboo, the notion of an A-list Hollywood actor playing a gay role. He seems to be in two minds. No, he says, absolutely not, at least not any more. On the other hand, my God, it is a brave thing to do. "That's why I take my hat off to Matt, you know, going from John Bourne to this. Is that right? Is Bourne's first name John?"

I'm not sure; it might be Jason? "Well OK, from Jason Bourne to this. At the height of his career, the fact that he's willing to play a part like Scott '' that shows he's an admirable guy who's taking chances."

In 2000 Douglas married Zeta-Jones, Swansea-born and exactly 25 years his junior (they share the same birthday). Their relationship has played out in the press as a tinny, 21st-century retread of Liz Taylor and Richard Burton '' the Hollywood insider and the Welsh upstart, with the gender roles reversed. The forecasts were stormy but the marriage has lasted. They have two children together.

In the past, Douglas has said that shuttling between his home in Connecticut and his father's base in LA turned him into a chameleon, able to adapt but unable to settle, and that this turned out to be solid training for his life as a film star. More recently, Zeta-Jones has discussed her own tussles with a high-vaulting emotional state that was subsequently diagnosed as bipolar disorder. Both of them found each other and both of them found acting '' which is either outlet or symptom, depending on your stance.

Douglas with Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction, 1987. Photograph: Rex Feat/Moviestore Collection/Rex Features"Oh, I think it's an outlet," Douglas says. "But Catherine's situation is different to mine. She started so young. She was doing Annie when she was 10, I don't even know how much of a childhood she had. She was working in 42nd Street in the West End when she was 15, 16." He thinks it over. "I don't have that part to my character, so it's difficult to say. But acting requires a lot of energy. It pumps you up and there's a lot of bouncing between these different parts. And when you come home, you have to sit down, take a bath and let it go. I think that's maybe the difference between us."

The wind whips up. Green waves slap black rocks. "My God," exclaims Douglas. "Are you feeling that spray?"

On screen, he plays dreamers and schemers: men with prodigious appetites and a wonky moral compass. Off screen, too, he has had his vices. In 1992, at the peak of his fame, he checked into rehab for treatment for drug and alcohol dependency.

The throat cancer, I assume, was first seeded during those wild middle years, when he drank like a fish and smoked like the devil. Looking back, knowing what he knows now, does he feel he overloaded his system?

"No," he says. "No. Because, without wanting to get too specific, this particular cancer is caused by HPV [human papillomavirus], which actually comes about from cunnilingus."

From what? For a moment I think that I may have misheard.

"From cunnilingus. I mean, I did worry if the stress caused by my son's incarceration didn't help trigger it. But yeah, it's a sexually transmitted disease that causes cancer." He shrugs. "And if you have it, cunnilingus is also the best cure for it."

Right, I say. OK. So what he is suggesting is that it all evens out? "That's right," says Douglas. "It giveth and it taketh."

Behind the Candelabra opens with Liberace in his pomp, the highest-earning entertainer of his era. The picture comes bathed in golden hues, as though it has been sitting for too long under the sun-lamp, and its subject is padding around his mansion like some ghastly combination of Baby Jane, Michael Jackson and the emperor Nero. The first half is barbed and biting, an outrageous comedy of American grotesques. But what nudges Soderbergh's film towards greatness is the way it takes these Day-Glo caricatures '' leering Liberace; lunkish Scott '' and humanises them, spinning a believable love story out of the rhinestones and facepaint. Near the end, Liberace is winding down. None of it '' the props, lies and illusions '' can provide cover against the disease that is now beating against him.

Shooting the role was exhausting and cathartic, particularly given Douglas's own circumstances. He explains that the film was initially scheduled to go before the cameras earlier, when he had just completed treatment. "There was a year's gap between when we thought we were going to shoot it and when we actually did. The whole thing kept getting postponed. And me, as paranoid as I am, thought it was never going to happen. But in truth I think they were just being kind to me. They knew I wasn't ready. I didn't know. They knew, and they were right. As soon as I got on set I thought: 'Man, I never would have been able to do this a year ago, it would have finished me off.' As it was, it proved very healing."

At 68, Douglas says that, by and large, he can look back with pride. He has had a good run at the movies, not too many turkeys in the coop. He is glad to be married and delighted to have a young family again; he never imagined that would happen. "It's been a rough few years, the cancer break. But I'm back with a vengeance. I feel blessed and fortunate that I still have a career. I feel blessed and fortunate that I'm even alive."

We leave the cabana and walk back towards dry land. The actor is talking about the Monaco Grand Prix, about how he prefers watching sport to watching movies, because you can never tell how it's going to end. I'm still thinking about what he said earlier, about HPV and oral sex and how it can be both cause and cure. Can that last bit be right? A doctor the Guardian later speaks to insists it makes no sense. I had hoped it could be true; it sounded oddly karmic. Douglas has lived not wisely and perhaps not even well '' but certainly to the full. He has drunk and smoked and snorted, and had plenty of sex. His appetites brought him to the brink of disaster. It would be nice if they could now be his salvation too.

'Behind the Candelabra is released in the UK on 7 June.

Federal Register | Determination and Declaration Regarding Emergency Use of In Vitro Diagnostics for Detection of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV)

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 11:19

No one wants to become infected with human papilloma virus, commonly known as HPV. Not Michael Douglas, who has recently talked to the media about his HPV-induced oral cancer and how he thinks he caught it. Not Jade Goody or Anita Mui, two celebrities who died young of cervical cancer, which is entirely attributable to HPV. And not the estimated 600,000 men and women worldwide who each year develop a cancer linked to one of the 10 varieties of HPV infection that are spread through sexual intercourse, and promote genital and oral cancer.

More than half of them will die of their cancer, many in the developing world and without receiving any treatment.

HPV infection is incredibly common. More than 50% of men and women catch the virus within three years of becoming sexually active. Fortunately, the infection will clear in up up to 98% of cases; this occurs during the first few years after they catch HPV, and most of those affected never even know they had the infection in the first place. However, 2% of infected people stay infected, and remain at risk of cancer throughout their lifetime. Cancers most commonly develop after 20 to 40 years after catching the virus.

We can screen for persisting HPV infection through pap smear programs, and hence stop cervical cancer before it gets a chance to develop. However, detecting persisting HPV infection at other sites has not proven practical, and we don't know whether a patient will be unable to clear it when they get it. So we need to prevent the infection from happening in the first place.

Fortunately, we now have not one but two vaccines (of which I am the co-inventor) which can reduce the risk of cervical cancer by preventing HPV infection. These were developed in the 1990s, and have proven safe and effective through extensive clinical trials. They have been available since 2007 in most countries.

Australia has been an early adopter, introducing a free schools-based HPV vaccination program for 12 year old girls in 2007, with three years of catch up immunisation for women up to 26 years. More than 80% of eligible girls are now immunised annually. One consequence has been a dramatic reduction in genital warts in young women. This is because an HPV virus that causes warts but not cancer is included in one of the available HPV vaccines. The expected reduction in cancer-associated HPVs in pap smears in young women has also been reported recently, meaning that the reduction in cervix cancer precursors seen in the clinical trials will also occur in the vaccinated community.

In Australia, there are more deaths in men than in women from HPV-associated cancers. Many of these are cancers of the oral cavity, similar to the one that Michael Douglas has developed in his tongue. This cancer is becoming increasingly common in many countries. Perhaps this is why the Australia has recently become the first country to offer free HPV vaccine to 12 year old boys. Some reduction in genital warts in men has already been observed although only girls have been immunised to date; it's therefore reasonable to ask whether immunising boys is necessary.

Herd immunity is the likely reason for the reduction in wart disease in men. It relies on a high participation rate in the vaccine program to reduce the burden of infection in the community. While the vaccination rate in Australia is currently good, history tells us that this may be difficult to maintain. We don't yet know the fraction of the community that need to be immunised to stop the spread of HPV. For highly infectious viruses like measles, 95% need to be immunised, but for less infectious viruses, lower percentages seem to work. Infected people carry HPV (and therefore likely are infectious) for up to five years, so it will probably be desirable to keep a high rate of protection through vaccination.

More practically, men as well as women will want to ensure that they are personally protected, as oral cancer gives few early warning signs and HPV-associated genital cancers at sites other than the cervix are not so easy to cure as cervical cancer.

Michael Douglas likely wishes that HPV vaccines had been around when he was 12. He might also be interested in the immunotherapies that are now under development to attack HPV-associated cancers, with some encouraging results recently reported from early clinical trials. Knowing that a virus can cause cancer is not necessarily bad news.

Medical Percentages

Blog Propaganda

Safeguarding America's Pharmaceuticals Act of 2013 (H.R. 1919)

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 07:57

The Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) is issuing this notice pursuant to section 564 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic (FD) Act, 21 U.S.C. 360bbb-3. On May 29, 2013, the Secretary determined that there is a significant potential for a public health emergency that has a significant potential to affect national security or the health and security of United States citizens living abroad and that involves Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV).

On the basis of this determination, she also declared that circumstances exist justifying the authorization of emergency use of in vitro diagnostics for detection of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) pursuant to section 564 of the FD&C Act, subject to the terms of any authorization issued under that section.

The determination and declaration are effective May 29, 2013.

Nicole Lurie, M.D., MSPH, AssistantSecretary for Preparedness and Response, Office of the Secretary, Department of Health andHuman Services, 200 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20201, Telephone (202)205-2882 (this is not a toll free number).

Under Section 564 of the FD&C Act, the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration(FDA), acting under delegated authority from the Secretary of HHS, may issue an EmergencyUse Authorization (EUA) authorizing (1) the emergency use of an unapproved drug, an unapproved or uncleared device, or an unlicensed biological product; or (2) an unapproved use of an approved drug, approved or cleared device, or licensed biological product. Before an EUA may be issued, the Secretary of HHS must declare that circumstances exist justifying the authorization based on one of four determinations: (1) A determination by the Secretary of Homeland Security that there is a domestic emergency, or a significant potential for a domestic emergency, involving a heightened risk of attack with a, chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear (''CBRN'') agent or agents; (2) the identification of a material threat by the Secretary of Homeland Security pursuant to section 319F-2 of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act [1] sufficient to affect national security or the health and security of United States citizens living abroad; (3) a determination by the Secretary of Defense that there is a military emergency, or a significant potential for a military emergency, involving a heightened risk to United States military forces of attack with a CBRN agent or agents; or (4) a determination by the Secretary that there is a public health emergency, or a significant potential for a public health emergency, that affects, or has a significant potential to affect, national security or the health and security of United States citizens living abroad, and that involves a CBRN agent or agents, or a disease or condition that may be attributable to such agent or agents. [2]

Based on any of these four determinations, the Secretary of HHS may then declare that circumstances exist that justify the EUA, at which point the FDA Commissioner may issue an EUA if the criteria for issuance of an authorization under section 564 of the FD&C Act are met.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HHS, requested that the FDA, HHS, issue an EUA for in vitro diagnostics for detection of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) to allow the Department to take preparedness measures based on information currently available about the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). The determination of a significant potential for a public health emergency, and the declaration that circumstances exist justifying emergency use of in vitro diagnostics for detection of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) by the Secretary of HHS, as described below, enable the FDA Commissioner to issue an EUA for certain in vitro diagnostics for emergency use under section 564 of the FD&C Act.

II. Determination by the Secretary of Health and Human Services Back to TopOn May 29, 2013, pursuant to section 564 of the FD&C Act, I determined that there is a significant potential for a public health emergency that has a significant potential to affect national security or the health and security of United States citizens living abroad and that involves Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV).

III. Declaration of the Secretary of Health and Human Services Back to TopAlso on May 29, 2013, on the basis of my determination of a significant potential for a public health emergency that has a significant potential to affect national security or the health and security of United States citizens living abroad and that involves Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), I declared that circumstances exist justifying the authorization of emergency use of in vitro diagnostics for detection of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) pursuant to section 564 of the FD&C Act, subject to the terms of any authorization issued under that section.

Notice of the EUAs issued by the FDA Commissioner pursuant to this determination and declaration will be provided promptly in the Federal Register as required under section 564 of the FD&C Act.

Dated May 29, 2013.

Kathleen Sebelius,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 2013-13333 Filed 6-4-13; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4150-37-P

In Vitro Diagnostics

Turkey Protests: Woman In Red Becomes Symbol For Istanbul's Female Demonstrators

Sun, 02 Jun 2013 11:10

GovTrack's Bill SummaryWe don't have a summary available yet.

Library of Congress SummaryThe summary below was written by the Congressional Research Service, which is a nonpartisan division of the Library of Congress.

No summary available.

House Republican Conference SummaryThe summary below was written by the House Republican Conference, which is the caucus of Republicans in the House of Representatives.

This summary can be found at http://www.gop.gov/bill/113/1/hr1919.

BackgroundIn recent years, counterfeit prescription drugs have become more prevalent as the market for illicit prescription drugs has become more lucrative.[1] In response, some states have attempted to enact laws to secure the supply chain from counterfeit drugs. California, in particular, enacted a law requiring businesses to implement electronic systems for tracing prescription drugs at the unit-level. While well-intentioned, this requirement is extremely costly, currently infeasible for businesses, and has the potential to dramatically increase costs across the country.

H.R. 1919 preempts laws like the one in California and establishes a more comprehensive, national policy to secure the nation's prescription drug supply chain. Instead of immediately requiring unit-level tracing requirements, which is extremely costly and difficult to achieve, H.R. 1919 establishes lot-level tracing requirements with the long term goal of unit-level tracing. It also establishes labeling safeguards to ensure that all members of the supply chain are informed of where a product has been and where it comes from.

SummaryH.R. 1919 secures America's prescription drug supply chain from illegal counterfeit drugs by enacting a number of new provisions into law.

Section 2 establishes tracing requirements for manufacturers, wholesale distributors, pharmacies and repackagers. Each time there is a transaction down the supply chain, the seller is required to provide the buyer with a history of all prior owners, and starting five years after enactment, manufacturers will be required to serialize all prescription drugs. Further, it would require members of the supply chain to verify the legitimacy of the products and only transact with licensed or registered entities.

Section 3 requires the FDA to establish pilot projects to collaborate with stakeholders on how to move towards unit-level tracing requirements and requires the GAO and FDA to submit reports to Congress on unit-level traceability. This section also requires the FDA to issue proposed regulations on unit-level traceability by 2027.

Section 4 establishes national standards for wholesale distributors, while continuing state control of licensing and fee collection.

Section 5 establishes licensing standards for third-party logistics providers and authorizes the FDA to charge a user fee. This section does not, however, prevent a State from issuing its own third-party provider licenses.

Section 6 establishes penalties, Section 7 preempts State laws on tracing, and Section 8 allows for electronic labeling.

CostThere is no CBO score currently available.

House Democratic Caucus SummaryThe House Democratic Caucus does not provide summaries of bills.

So, yes, we display the House Republican Conference's summaries when available even if we do not have a Democratic summary available. That's because we feel it is better to give you as much information as possible, even if we cannot provide every viewpoint.

We'll be looking for a source of summaries from the other side in the meanwhile.

Executive Order -- Authorizing the Implementation of Certain Sanctions Set Forth in the Iran Freedom and Counter-Proliferation Act of 2012 and Additional Sanctions with Respect To Iran

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 10:41

A protestor waves the Turkish flag from a roof top at Taksim square on June 3, 2013 in Istanbul, Turkey. The protests began initially over the fate of Taksim Gezi Park, one of the last significant green spaces in the center of the city. The heavy-handed viewed response of the police, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his government's increasingly authoritarian agenda has broadened the rage of the clashes. (Photo by Uriel Sinai/Getty Images)

A Protestor wears a gas mask after a car was burned at Taksim square on June 3, 2013 in Istanbul, Turkey. The protests began initially over the fate of Taksim Gezi Park, one of the last significant green spaces in the center of the city. The heavy-handed viewed response of the police, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his government's increasingly authoritarian agenda has broadened the rage of the clashes. (Photo by Uriel Sinai/Getty Images)

Riot police positioned near the office of the Prime Minister in Ankara, Turkey, Monday, June 3, 2013. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday again dismissed street protests against his rule as actions organized by extremists, qualified them as a temporary bleep, and angrily rejected comparisons with the Arab Spring uprisings. Appearing defensive and angry, and cutting a disconnected figure, he lashed out at reporters who asked whether the government had understood "the message" by protesters airing grievances or whether he would soften his tone.(AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici)

Demponstrators clash with riot police between Taksim and Besiktas in Istanbul on June 4, 2013 during a demonstration against the demolition of the park. Turkish police on June 1 began pulling out of Istanbul's iconic Taksim Square, after a second day of violent clashes between protesters and police over a controversial development project. Thousands of demonstrators flooded the site as police lifted the barricades around the park and began withdrawing from the square. What started as an outcry against a local development project has snowballed into widespread anger against what critics say is the government's increasingly conservative and authoritarian agenda. (ARIS MESSINIS/AFP/Getty Images)

Turkish protestors clash with Turkish riot policemen between Taksim and Besiktas in Istanbul on June 3, 2013 during a demonstration against the demolition of the park. (GURCAN OZTURK/AFP/Getty Images)

Turkish demonstrators hold their national flag on June 4, 2013 during a protest in front of the prime minister's office in Ankara. (MARCO LONGARI/AFP/Getty Images)

A protestor during clashes with Turkish police near Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan office, between Taksim and Besiktas, early morning on June 4, 2013 in Istanbul, Turkey. (Photo by Uriel Sinai/Getty Images)Š

Demonstrators clash with riot police between Taksim and Besiktas in Istanbul on June 4, 2013 during a demonstration against the demolition of the park. (ARIS MESSINIS/AFP/Getty Images)

Protestors surrounded by a cloud of tear gas during clashes with Turkish police near Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan office, between Taksim and Besiktas, early morning on June 4, 2013 in Istanbul, Turkey. (Photo by Uriel Sinai/Getty Images)

A protestor looks on during clashes with Turkish police near Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan office, between Taksim and Besiktas, early morning on June 4, 2013 in Istanbul, Turkey. (Photo by Uriel Sinai/Getty Images)

Protestors during clashes with Turkish police near Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan office, between Taksim and Besiktas, early morning on June 4, 2013 in Istanbul, Turkey. (Photo by Uriel Sinai/Getty Images)

Demonstrators stand at a wall with graffiti between Taksim and Besiktas in Istanbul on June 4, 2013 during a demonstration against the demolition of the park. (ARIS MESSINIS/AFP/Getty Images)

A couple wearing gas masks walk at a street between Taksim and Besiktas in Istanbul on June 4, 2013 during a demonstration against the demolition of the park. (ARIS MESSINIS/AFP/Getty Images)

A demonstrator takes cover at a road block between Taksim and Besiktas in Istanbul on June 4, 2013 during a demonstration against the demolition of the park. (ARIS MESSINIS/AFP/Getty Images)

Demonstrators hold a Turkish flag with a portrait of Kemal Ataturk at a road block between Taksim and Besiktas in Istanbul on June 4, 2013 during a demonstration against the demolition of the park. (ARIS MESSINIS/AFP/Getty Images)

Protesters shout anti-government slogans during a demonstration in Ankara on June 4, 2013. (ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images)

A Turkish demonstrator raises his hands during a protest held in front of the Prime Minister's office in central Ankara on June 4, 2013. (MARCO LONGARI/AFP/Getty Images)

Two Turkish woman, one accusing the police and other defending them, argue in front of riot police positioned at the main Kizilay Square near the office of Turkish Prime Minister Recep, Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, June 4, 2013. (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici)

Turkish women affected by tear gas walk in the main city center Kizilay Square near the office of Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, June 4, 2013. Protests, the biggest Turkey has seen in recent years, were sparked by a police crackdown of a peaceful sit-in to prevent the demolition of a park in Istanbul. (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici)

A pedestrian walks in front of a banner featuring an owl with a gas mask at Taksim square in Istanbul, Tuesday, June 4, 2013. (AP Photo/Kostas Tsironis)

A protester holds a Turkish flag decorated with the image of Turkey's founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, during clashes near Taksim Square in Istanbul, late Monday, June 3, 2013. (AP Photo/Kostas Tsironis)

Protestors clash with riot police between Taksim and Besiktas in Istanbul, on June 1, 2013, during a demonstration against the demolition of the park. (GURCAN OZTURK/AFP/Getty Images)

Turkish protesters shout anti-government slogans on the main city square, Kizilay, in the Turkish capital Ankara on June 3, 2013 during a demonstration. (ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Riot police clear burning debris on the main city square, Kizilay, in the Turkish capital Ankara on June 3, 2013 during an anti-government demonstration . Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday rejected talk of a 'Turkish Spring', shrugging off mass protests against his government as medics reported the first death in days of violence. Rallies started there last week initially in protest at plans to redevelop the adjacent Gezi Park, a rare green spot in central Istanbul, and quickly spread, inflamed by anger at the police crackdown. (ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Turkish protesters holding a Turkish flag demonstrate on the main city square, Kizilay, in the Turkish capital Ankara on June 3, 2013. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday rejected talk of a 'Turkish Spring', shrugging off mass protests against his government as medics reported the first death in days of violence. Rallies started there last week initially in protest at plans to redevelop the adjacent Gezi Park, a rare green spot in central Istanbul, and quickly spread, inflamed by anger at the police crackdown. (ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images)

A Turkish protester is apprehended by police in the main city square, Kizilay, in the Turkish capital Ankara on June 3, 2013. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday rejected talk of a 'Turkish Spring', shrugging off mass protests against his government as medics reported the first death in days of violence. Rallies started there last week initially in protest at plans to redevelop the adjacent Gezi Park, a rare green spot in central Istanbul, and quickly spread, inflamed by anger at the police crackdown. (ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Turkish protesters shelter from tear gas behind a Turkish flag during clashes with police at a demonstration on the main city square, Kizilay, in the Turkish capital Ankara on June 3, 2013. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday rejected talk of a 'Turkish Spring', shrugging off mass protests against his government as medics reported the first death in days of violence. Rallies started there last week initially in protest at plans to redevelop the adjacent Gezi Park, a rare green spot in central Istanbul, and quickly spread, inflamed by anger at the police crackdown. (ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Turkish protesters run away from tear gas smoke during clashes with police at a demonstration on the main city square, Kizilay, in the Turkish capital Ankara on June 3, 2013. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday rejected talk of a 'Turkish Spring', shrugging off mass protests against his government as medics reported the first death in days of violence. Rallies started there last week initially in protest at plans to redevelop the adjacent Gezi Park, a rare green spot in central Istanbul, and quickly spread, inflamed by anger at the police crackdown. (ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Turkish protesters erect a makeshift barricade during clashes at a demonstration at the main city square, Kizilay, in the Turkish capital Ankara on June 3, 2013. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday rejected talk of a 'Turkish Spring', shrugging off mass protests against his government as medics reported the first death in days of violence. Rallies started there last week initially in protest at plans to redevelop the adjacent Gezi Park, a rare green spot in central Istanbul, and quickly spread, inflamed by anger at the police crackdown. (ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Riot police fire tear gas against protesters during a demonstration in Ankara on June 3, 2013 after days of protests against the Islamic-rooted government. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday rejected talk of a 'Turkish Spring', shrugging off mass protests against his government as medics reported the first death in days of violence. Rallies started there last week initially in protest at plans to redevelop the adjacent Gezi Park, a rare green spot in central Istanbul, and quickly spread, inflamed by anger at the police crackdown. (ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Protesters shout anti-government slogans during a demonstration in Ankara on June 3, 2013 after days of protests against the Islamic-rooted government. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday rejected talk of a 'Turkish Spring', shrugging off mass protests against his government as medics reported the first death in days of violence. Rallies started there last week initially in protest at plans to redevelop the adjacent Gezi Park, a rare green spot in central Istanbul, and quickly spread, inflamed by anger at the police crackdown. (ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images)

A protestor gestures during a demonstration in Ankara, on June 3, 2013, in a nationwide wave of protests.Turkey's Islamist-rooted government faced growing pressure on June 3 after angry demonstrators clashed for a third night with police. The unrest began as a local outcry against plans to redevelop Gezi Park, a rare green spot near Taksim, but after a heavy-handed police response the protests spread to other districts -- and then to dozens of cities across Turkey. Accused by critics of pushing an increasingly conservative and authoritarian agenda, Erdogan's government is facing the biggest protests since it took power in 2002. (ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Protestors stand in front of items set on fire in Ankara, on June 3, 2013, in a nationwide wave of protests.Turkey's Islamist-rooted government faced growing pressure on June 3 after angry demonstrators clashed for a third night with police. The unrest began as a local outcry against plans to redevelop Gezi Park, a rare green spot near Taksim, but after a heavy-handed police response the protests spread to other districts -- and then to dozens of cities across Turkey. Accused by critics of pushing an increasingly conservative and authoritarian agenda, Erdogan's government is facing the biggest protests since it took power in 2002. (ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Protestors walk during a demonstration in Ankara, on June 3, 2013, in a nationwide wave of protests.Turkey's Islamist-rooted government faced growing pressure on June 3 after angry demonstrators clashed for a third night with police. The unrest began as a local outcry against plans to redevelop Gezi Park, a rare green spot near Taksim, but after a heavy-handed police response the protests spread to other districts -- and then to dozens of cities across Turkey. Accused by critics of pushing an increasingly conservative and authoritarian agenda, Erdogan's government is facing the biggest protests since it took power in 2002. (ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Protestors clash with riot police near the Taksim Gezi park in Istanbul, on June 1, 2013, during a demonstration against the demolition of the park. Turkish police on June 1 began pulling out of Istanbul's iconic Taksim Square, after a second day of violent clashes between protesters and police over a controversial development project. Thousands of demonstrators flooded the site as police lifted the barricades around the park and began withdrawing from the square. What started as an outcry against a local development project has snowballed into widespread anger against what critics say is the government's increasingly conservative and authoritarian agenda. (BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images)

A woman opens her arms as police use a water cannon to disperse protestors on June 1, 2013 during a protest against the demolition of Taksim Gezi Park in Istanbul. Turkey police on June 1 began pulling out of Istanbul's iconic Taksim Square, the scene of a second day of violent clashes between protesters and police over a controversial development project. Thousands of demonstrators flooded the site as police lifted the barricades around the park and began withdrawing from the square. (FATIH KECE/AFP/Getty Images)

Protestors arrive in Taksim Square on June 1, 2013 after clashing with riot police during a protest against the demolition of Taksim Gezi Park in Istanbul. Turkey police on June 1 began pulling out of Istanbul's iconic Taksim Square, the scene of a second day of violent clashes between protesters and police over a controversial development project. Thousands of demonstrators flooded the site as police lifted the barricades around the park and began withdrawing from the square. (BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images)

Some stores on Istiklal street are damaged on June 1, 2013, during a protest against the demolition of Taksim Gezi Park, in Taksim Square in Istanbul. (OZAN KOSE/AFP/Getty Images)

Tourists gasp for breath as Turkish protestors and riot policemen clash on June 1, 2013, during a protest against the demolition of Taksim Gezi Park, in Taksim Square in Istanbul. (BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images)

Turkish protestors and riot policemen clash on June 1, 2013, during a protest against the demolition of Taksim Gezi Park, in Taksim Square in Istanbul. Police reportedly used tear gas to disperse a group, who were standing guard in Gezi Parki to prevent the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality from demolishing the last remaining green public space in the centre of Istanbul as a part of a major Taksim renewal project. At least a dozen people were injured. (BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images)

Protestors buy gas masks from shops on June 1, 2013, during a protest against the demolition of Taksim Gezi Park, in karakoy in Istanbul. (GURCAN OZTURK/AFP/Getty Images)

The slogan 'Fuck police' is seen on June 1, 2013 on a shop window which has been broken, on Istiklal street, during a protest on the eve against the demolition of Taksim Gezi Park, in Taksim Square in Istanbul. (OZAN KOSE/AFP/Getty Images)

Riot police use tear gas against protestors in Istiklal street on June 1, 2013, during a protest against the demolition of Taksim Gezi Park, in Taksim Square in Istanbul. (OZAN KOSE/AFP/Getty Images)

Istiklal street seen in early morning during the clashes on June 1, 2013, during a protest against the demolition of Taksim Gezi Park, in Taksim Square in Istanbul. (OZAN KOSE/AFP/Getty Images)

Some stores on Istiklal street are damaged on June 1, 2013, during a protest against the demolition of Taksim Gezi Park, in Taksim Square in Istanbul. (OZAN KOSE/AFP/Getty Images)

A riot policeman holds a tear gas bomb on June 1, 2013, during a protest against the demolition of Taksim Gezi Park, in Taksim Square in Istanbul. (OZAN KOSE/AFP/Getty Images)

Fenerbahce and Galatasaray football teams supporters chant slogangs against the goverment on June 1, 2013, during a protest against the demolition of Taksim Gezi Park, in istiklal in Istanbul. (OZAN KOSE/AFP/Getty Images)

A women asks police to stop as Turkish protestors and riot policemen clash on June 1, 2013, during a protest against the demolition of Taksim Gezi Park, in Taksim Square in Istanbul. (BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images)

Turkish protestors and riot policemen clash on June 1, 2013, during a protest against the demolition of Taksim Gezi Park, in Taksim Square in Istanbul. (BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images)

Protestors clash with Turkish riot policemen on May 31, 2013 during a protest against the demolition of the Taksim Gezi Park in Taksim Square in Istanbul. (GURCAN OZTURK/AFP/Getty Images)

PROTESTS IN IRAN

Griekenland dreigt met werkkamp voor slechte belastingbet... - Het Nieuwsblad

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 23:57

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

June 03, 2013

EXECUTIVE ORDER

- - - - - - -

AUTHORIZING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CERTAIN SANCTIONSSET FORTH IN THE IRAN FREEDOM AND COUNTER-PROLIFERATION ACTOF 2012 AND ADDITIONAL SANCTIONS WITH RESPECT TO IRAN

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-195) (22 U.S.C. 8501 et seq.) (CISADA), the Iran Freedom and Counter-Proliferation Act of 2012 (subtitle D of title XII of Public Law 112-239) (22 U.S.C. 8801 et seq.) (IFCA), section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 (8 U.S.C. 1182(f)), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code, and in order to take additional steps with respect to the national emergency declared in Executive Order 12957 of March 15, 1995,

I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, hereby order:

Section1. (a) The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, is hereby authorized to impose on a foreign financial institution the sanctions described in subsection (b) of this section upon determining that the foreign financial institution has, on or after the effective date of this order:

(i) knowingly conducted or facilitated any significant transaction related to the purchase or sale of Iranian rials or a derivative, swap, future, forward, or other similar contract whose value is based on the exchange rate of the Iranian rial; or

(ii) maintained significant funds or accounts outside the territory of Iran denominated in the Iranian rial.

(b) With respect to any foreign financial institution determined by the Secretary of the Treasury in accordance with this section to meet the criteria set forth in subsection (a)(i) or (a)(ii) of this section, the Secretary of the Treasury may:

(i) prohibit the opening, and prohibit or impose strict conditions on the maintaining, in the United States of a correspondent account or a payable-through account by such foreign financial institution; or

(ii) block all property and interests in property that are in the United States, that hereafter come within the United States, or that are or hereafter come within the possession or control of any United States person (including any foreign branch) of such foreign financial institution, and provide that such property and interests in property may not be transferred, paid, exported, withdrawn, or otherwise dealt in.

(c) The prohibitions in subsection (b) of this section apply except to the extent provided by statutes, or in regulations, orders, directives, or licenses that may be issued pursuant to this order, and notwithstanding any contract entered into or any license or permit granted prior to the effective date of this order.

Sec. 2. (a) The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, is hereby authorized to impose on a person the measures described in subsection (b) of this section upon determining:

(i) that the person has materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, any Iranian person included on the list of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons maintained by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (SDN List) (other than an Iranian depository institution whose property and interests in property are blocked solely pursuant to Executive Order 13599 of February 5, 2012) or any other person included on the SDN List whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this paragraph or Executive Order 13599 (other than an Iranian depository institution whose property and interests in property are blocked solely pursuant to Executive Order 13599); or

(ii) pursuant to authority delegated by the President and in accordance with the terms of such delegation, that sanctions shall be imposed on such person pursuant to section 1244(c)(1)(A) of IFCA.

(b) With respect to any person determined by the Secretary of the Treasury in accordance with this section to meet the criteria set forth in subsection (a)(i) or (a)(ii) of this section, all property and interests in property that are in the United States, that hereafter come within the United States, or that are or hereafter come within the possession or control of any United States person (including any foreign branch) of such person are blocked and may not be transferred, paid, exported, withdrawn, or otherwise dealt in.

(c) The prohibitions in subsection (b) of this section apply except to the extent provided by statutes, or in regulations, orders, directives, or licenses that may be issued pursuant to this order, and notwithstanding any contract entered into or any license or permit granted prior to the effective date of this order.

Sec. 3. (a) The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, is hereby authorized to impose on a foreign financial institution the sanctions described in subsection (b) of this section upon determining that the foreign financial institution has knowingly conducted or facilitated any significant financial transaction:

(i) on behalf of any Iranian person included on the SDN List (other than an Iranian depository institution whose property and interests in property are blocked solely pursuant to Executive Order 13599) or any other person included on the SDN List whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to subsection 2(a)(i) of this order or Executive Order 13599 (other than an Iranian depository institution whose property and interests in property are blocked solely pursuant to Executive Order 13599); or

(ii) on or after the effective date of this order, for the sale, supply, or transfer to Iran of significant goods or services used in connection with the automotive sector of Iran.

(b) With respect to any foreign financial institution determined by the Secretary of the Treasury in accordance with this section to meet the criteria set forth in subsection (a)(i) or (a)(ii) of this section, the Secretary of the Treasury may prohibit the opening, and prohibit or impose strict conditions on the maintaining, in the United States of a correspondent account or a payable-through account by such foreign financial institution.

(c) Subsection (a)(i) of this section shall apply with respect to a significant financial transaction conducted or facilitated by a foreign financial institution for the purchase of petroleum or petroleum products from Iran only if:

(i) the President determines under subparagraphs (4)(B) and (C) of subsection 1245(d) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 (Public Law 112-81) (2012 NDAA) (22 U.S.C. 8513a) that there is a sufficient supply of petroleum and petroleum products from countries other than Iran to permit a significant reduction in the volume of petroleum and petroleum products purchased from Iran by or through foreign financial institutions; and

(ii) an exception under subparagraph 4(D) of subsection 1245(d) of the 2012 NDAA from the imposition of sanctions under paragraph (1) of that subsection does not apply.

(d) Subsection (a)(i) of this section shall not apply with respect to a significant financial transaction conducted or facilitated by a foreign financial institution for the sale, supply, or transfer to or from Iran of natural gas only if the financial transaction is solely for trade between the country with primary jurisdiction over the foreign financial institution and Iran, and any funds owed to Iran as a result of such trade are credited to an account located in the country with primary jurisdiction over the foreign financial institution.

(e) Subsection (a)(i) of this section shall not apply to any person for conducting or facilitating a transaction for the provision of agricultural commodities, food, medicine, or medical devices to Iran.

(f) The prohibitions in subsection (b) of this section apply except to the extent provided by statutes, or in regulations, orders, directives, or licenses that may be issued pursuant to this order, and notwithstanding any contract entered into or any license or permit granted prior to the effective date of this order.

Sec. 4. Subsections 2(a) and 3(a)(i) of this order shall not apply with respect to any person for conducting or facilitating a transaction involving a project described in subsection (a) of section 603 of the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012 (Public Law 112-158) (22 U.S.C. 8701 et seq.) to which the exception under that section applies.

Sec. 5. The Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the United States Trade Representative, and with the President of the Export-Import Bank, the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and other agencies and officials as appropriate, is hereby authorized to impose on a person any of the sanctions described in section 6 or 7 of this order upon determining that the person:

(a) on or after the effective date of this order, knowingly engaged in a significant transaction for the sale, supply, or transfer to Iran of significant goods or services used in connection with the automotive sector of Iran;

(b) is a successor entity to a person determined by the Secretary of State in accordance with this section to meet the criteria in subsection (a) of this section;

(c) owns or controls a person determined by the Secretary of State in accordance with this section to meet the criteria in subsection (a) of this section, and had knowledge that the person engaged in the activities referred to in that subsection; or

(d) is owned or controlled by, or under common ownership or control with, a person determined by the Secretary of State in accordance with this section to meet the criteria in subsection (a) of this section, and knowingly participated in the activities referred to in that subsection.

Sec. 6. When the Secretary of State, in accordance with the terms of section 5 of this order, has determined that a person meets any of the criteria described in subsections (a)-(d) of that section and has selected any of the sanctions set forth below to impose on that person, the heads of relevant agencies, in consultation with the Secretary of State, as appropriate, shall take the following actions where necessary to implement the sanctions imposed by the Secretary of State:

(a) the Board of Directors of the Export-Import Bank shall deny approval of the issuance of any guarantee, insurance, extension of credit, or participation in an extension of credit in connection with the export of any goods or services to the sanctioned person;

(b) agencies shall not issue any specific license or grant any other specific permission or authority under any statute that requires the prior review and approval of the United States Government as a condition for the export or reexport of goods or technology to the sanctioned person;

(c) with respect to a sanctioned person that is a financial institution:

(i) the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York shall take such actions as they deem appropriate, including denying designation, or terminating the continuation of any prior designation of, the sanctioned person as a primary dealer in United States Government debt instruments; or

(ii) agencies shall prevent the sanctioned person from serving as an agent of the United States Government or serving as a repository for United States Government funds;

(d) agencies shall not procure, or enter into a contract for the procurement of, any goods or services from the sanctioned person;

(e) the Secretary of State shall deny a visa to, and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall exclude from the United States, any alien that the Secretary of State determines is a corporate officer or principal of, or a shareholder with a controlling interest in, a sanctioned person; or

(f) the heads of the relevant agencies, as appropriate, shall impose on the principal executive officer or officers, or persons performing similar functions and with similar authorities, of a sanctioned person the sanctions described in subsections (a)-(e) of this section, as selected by the Secretary of State.

(g) The prohibitions in subsections (a)''(f) of this section apply except to the extent provided by statutes, or in regulations, orders, directives, or licenses that may be issued pursuant to this order, and notwithstanding any contract entered into or any license or permit granted prior to the effective date of this order.

Sec. 7. (a) When the Secretary of State or the Secretary of the Treasury, pursuant to authority delegated by the President and in accordance with the terms of such delegation, has determined that sanctions shall be imposed on a person pursuant to section 1244(d)(1)(A), 1245(a)(1), or 1246(a)(1) of IFCA (including in each case as informed by section 1253(c)(2) of IFCA) or when the Secretary of State, in accordance with the terms of section 5 of this order, has determined that a person meets any of the criteria described in subsections (a)-(d) of that section, such Secretary may select one or more of the sanctions set forth below to impose on that person, and the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, shall take the following actions where necessary to implement the sanctions selected and maintained by the Secretary of State or the Secretary of the Treasury:

(i) prohibit any United States financial institution from making loans or providing credits to

the sanctioned person totaling more than $10,000,000 in any 12-month period, unless such person is engaged in activities to relieve human suffering and the loans or credits are provided for such activities;

(ii) prohibit any transactions in foreign exchange that are subject to the jurisdiction of the United States and in which the sanctioned person has any interest;

(iii) prohibit any transfers of credit or payments between financial institutions or by, through, or to any financial institution, to the extent that such transfers or payments are subject to the jurisdiction of the United States and involve any interest of the sanctioned person;

(iv) block all property and interests in property that are in the United States, that hereafter come within the United States, or that are or hereafter come within the possession or control of any United States person (including any foreign branch) of the sanctioned person, and provide that such property and interests in property may not be transferred, paid, exported, withdrawn, or otherwise dealt in;

(v) prohibit any United States person from investing in or purchasing significant amounts of equity or debt instruments of a sanctioned person;

(vi) restrict or prohibit imports of goods, technology, or services, directly or indirectly, into the United States from the sanctioned person; or

(vii) impose on the principal executive officer or officers, or persons performing similar functions and with similar authorities, of a sanctioned person the sanctions described in subsections (a)(i)-(a)(vi) of this section, as selected by the Secretary of State or the Secretary of the Treasury, as appropriate.

(b) The prohibitions in subsection (a) of this section apply except to the extent provided by statutes, or in regulations, orders, directives, or licenses that may be issued pursuant to this order, and notwithstanding any contract entered into or any license or permit granted prior to the effective date of this order.

Sec. 8. (a) All property and interests in property that are in the United States, that hereafter come within the United States, or that are or hereafter come within the possession or control of any United States person (including any foreign branch) of the following persons are blocked and may not be transferred, paid, exported, withdrawn, or otherwise dealt in: any person determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with or at the recommendation of the Secretary of State:

(i) to have engaged, on or after January 2, 2013, in corruption or other activities relating to the diversion of goods, including agricultural commodities, food, medicine, and medical devices, intended for the people of Iran;

(ii) to have engaged, on or after January 2, 2013, in corruption or other activities relating to the misappropriation of proceeds from the sale or resale of goods described in subsection (a)(i) of this section;

(iii) to have materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, the activities described in subsection (a)(i) or (a)(ii) of this section or any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this section; or

(iv) to be owned or controlled by, or to have acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this section.

(b) The prohibitions in subsection (a) of this section apply except to the extent provided by statutes, or in regulations, orders, directives, or licenses that may be issued pursuant to this order, and notwithstanding any contract entered into or any license or permit granted prior to the effective date of this order.

Sec. 9. I hereby determine that, to the extent section 203(b)(2) of IEEPA (50 U.S.C. 1702(b)(2)) may apply, the making of donations of the types of articles specified in such section by, to, or for the benefit of any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order would seriously impair my ability to deal with the national emergency declared in Executive Order 12957, and I hereby prohibit such donations as provided by subsections 1(b)(ii), 2(b), 7(a)(iv), and 8(a) of this order.

Sec. 10. The prohibitions in subsections 1(b)(ii), 2(b), 7(a)(iv), and 8(a) of this order include but are not limited to:

(a) the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order; and

(b) the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person.

Sec. 11. I hereby find that the unrestricted immigrant and nonimmigrant entry into the United States of aliens who meet one or more of the criteria in subsection 2(a), section 5, and subsection 8(a) of this order would be detrimental to the interests of the United States, and I hereby suspend the entry into the United States, as immigrants or nonimmigrants, of such persons. Such persons shall be treated as persons covered by section 1 of Proclamation 8693 of July 24, 2011 (Suspension of Entry of Aliens Subject to United Nations Security Council Travel Bans and International Emergency Economic Powers Act Sanctions).

Sec. 12. The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, is hereby authorized to take such actions, including the promulgation of rules and regulations, and to employ all powers granted to the President by IEEPA as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this order, other than the purposes described in sections 5, 6, and 11 of this order. The Secretary of the Treasury may redelegate any of these functions to other officers and agencies of the United States Government consistent with applicable law.

Sec. 13. (a) Any transaction that evades or avoids, has the purpose of evading or avoiding, causes a violation of, or attempts to violate any of the prohibitions set forth in this order is prohibited.

(b) Any conspiracy formed to violate any of the prohibitions set forth in this order is prohibited.

Sec. 14. For the purposes of this order:

(a) the term "automotive sector of Iran" means the manufacturing or assembling in Iran of light and heavy vehicles including passenger cars, trucks, buses, minibuses, pick-up trucks, and motorcycles, as well as original equipment manufacturing and after-market parts manufacturing relating to such vehicles.

(b) the term "entity" means a partnership, association, trust, joint venture, corporation, group, subgroup, or other organization;

(c) the term "financial institution," as used in sections 6 and 7 of this order, includes:

(i) a depository institution (as defined in section 3(c)(1) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act) (12 U.S.C. 1813(c)(1)), including a branch or agency of a foreign bank (as defined in section 1(b)(7) of the International Banking Act of 1978) (12 U.S.C. 3101(7));

(ii) a credit union;

(iii) a securities firm, including a broker or dealer;

(iv) an insurance company, including an agency or underwriter; and

(v) any other company that provides financial services;

(d) the term "foreign financial institution," as used in sections 1 and 3 of this order, means any foreign entity that is engaged in the business of accepting deposits, making, granting, transferring, holding, or brokering loans or credits, or purchasing or selling foreign exchange, securities, commodity futures or options, or procuring purchasers and sellers thereof, as principal or agent. It includes but is not limited to depository institutions, banks, savings banks, money service businesses, trust companies, securities brokers and dealers, commodity futures and options brokers and dealers, forward contract and foreign exchange merchants, securities and commodities exchanges, clearing corporations, investment companies, employee benefit plans, dealers in precious metals, stones, or jewels, and holding companies, affiliates, or subsidiaries of any of the foregoing. The term does not include the international financial institutions identified in 22 U.S.C. 262r(c)(2), the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the North American Development Bank, or any other international financial institution so notified by the Secretary of the Treasury;

(e) the term "Government of Iran" includes the Government of Iran, any political subdivision, agency, or instrumentality thereof, including the Central Bank of Iran, and any person owned or controlled by, or acting for or on behalf of, the Government of Iran;

(f) the term "Iran" means the Government of Iran and the territory of Iran and any other territory or marine area, including the exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, over which the Government of Iran claims sovereignty, sovereign rights, or jurisdiction, provided that the Government of Iran exercises partial or total de facto control over the area or derives a benefit from economic activity in the area pursuant to international arrangements;

(g) the term "Iranian depository institution" means any entity (including foreign branches), wherever located, organized under the laws of Iran or any jurisdiction within Iran, or owned or controlled by the Government of Iran, or in Iran, or owned or controlled by any of the foregoing, that is engaged primarily in the business of banking (for example, banks, savings banks, savings associations, credit unions, trust companies, and bank holding companies);

(h) the term "Iranian person," as used in sections 2 and 3 of this order, means an individual who is a citizen or national of Iran or an entity organized under the laws of Iran or otherwise subject to the jurisdiction of the Government of Iran;

(i) the terms "knowledge" and "knowingly," with respect to conduct, a circumstance, or a result, mean that a person has actual knowledge, or should have known, of the conduct, the circumstance, or the result;

(j) the term "person" means an individual or entity;

(k) the term "petroleum" (also known as crude oil) means a mixture of hydrocarbons that exists in liquid phase in natural underground reservoirs and remains liquid at atmospheric pressure after passing through surface separating facilities;

(l) the term "petroleum products" includes unfinished oils, liquefied petroleum gases, pentanes plus, aviation gasoline, motor gasoline, naphtha-type jet fuel, kerosene-type jet fuel, kerosene, distillate fuel oil, residual fuel oil, petrochemical feedstocks, special naphthas, lubricants, waxes, petroleum coke, asphalt, road oil, still gas, and miscellaneous products obtained from the processing of: crude oil (including lease condensate), natural gas, and other hydrocarbon compounds. The term does not include natural gas, liquefied natural gas, biofuels, methanol, and other non-petroleum fuels;

(m) the term "sanctioned person" means a person that the Secretary of State or the Secretary of the Treasury, pursuant to authority delegated by the President and in accordance with the terms of such delegation, has determined is a person on whom sanctions shall be imposed pursuant to section 1244(d)(1)(A), 1245(a)(1), or 1246(a)(1) of IFCA (including in each case as informed by section 1253(c)(2) of IFCA), and on whom the Secretary of State or the Secretary of the Treasury has imposed any of the sanctions in section 6 or 7 of this order or a person on whom the Secretary of State, in accordance with the terms of section 5 of this order, has determined to impose sanctions pursuant to section 5;

(n) for the purposes of this order, the term "subject to the jurisdiction of the Government of Iran" means a person organized under the laws of Iran or any jurisdiction within Iran, ordinarily resident in Iran, or in Iran, or owned or controlled by any of the foregoing;

(o) the term "United States financial institution" means a financial institution as defined in subsection (c) of this section (including its foreign branches) organized under the laws of the United States or any jurisdiction within the United States or located in the United States; and

(p) the term "United States person" means any United States citizen, permanent resident alien, entity organized under the laws of the United States or any jurisdiction within the United States (including foreign branches), or any person in the United States.

Sec. 15. For those persons whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order who might have a constitutional presence in the United States, I find that because of the ability to transfer funds or other assets instantaneously, prior notice to such persons of measures to be taken pursuant to this order would render those measures ineffectual. I therefore determine that for these measures to be effective in addressing the national emergency declared in Executive Order 12957, there need be no prior notice of an action taken pursuant to subsection 1(b)(ii), 2(b), 7(a)(iv), or 8(a) of this order.

Sec. 16. Executive Order 13622 of July 30, 2012, is hereby amended as follows:

(a) Subsection (a)(ii) of section 1 is amended by replacing "for the purchase or acquisition of petroleum or petroleum products from Iran" with "for the purchase, acquisition, sale, transport, or marketing of petroleum or petroleum products from Iran".

(b) Subsection (a)(iii) of section 1 is amended by replacing "for the purchase or acquisition of petrochemical products from Iran" with "for the purchase, acquisition, sale, transport, or marketing of petrochemical products from Iran".

(c) Subsection (a)(i) of section 2 is amended by replacing "knowingly, on or after the effective date of this order, engaged in a significant transaction for the purchase or acquisition of petroleum or petroleum products from Iran" with "knowingly, on or after the effective date of this order, engaged in a significant transaction for the purchase, acquisition, sale, transport, or marketing of petroleum or petroleum products from Iran".

(d) Subsection (a)(ii) of section 2 is amended by replacing "knowingly, on or after the effective date of this order, engaged in a significant transaction for the purchase or acquisition of petrochemical products from Iran" with "knowingly, on or after the effective date of this order, engaged in a significant transaction for the purchase, acquisition, sale, transport, or marketing of petrochemical products from Iran".

(e) Subsection (e) of section 10 is amended by inserting the words "dealers in precious metals, stones, or jewels," after the words "employee benefit plans,".

Sec. 17. All agencies of the United States Government are hereby directed to take all appropriate measures within their authority to carry out the provisions of this order.

Sec. 18. This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

Sec. 19. The measures taken pursuant to this order are in response to actions of the Government of Iran occurring after the conclusion of the 1981 Algiers Accords, and are intended solely as a response to those later actions.

Sec. 20. This order is effective at 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on July 1, 2013.

BARACK OBAMA

Brussels fights back in Greek crisis blame game

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 20:54

Als het van de regering in Athene afhangt, vliegen Grieken die hun belastingen niet meer kunnen betalen, de gevangenis in. En dat vanaf een openstaande schuld van 5.000 euro. E(C)n troost: ze hoeven de cel niet te delen met verkrachters, drugdealers of moordenaars.

Het gaat van kwaad naar erger met Griekenland. Om mensen te dwingen hun belastingen te betalen en zo komaf te maken met de legendarische belastingontduiking in het land, heeft de regering in Athene een wetsontwerp klaar met een serieuze stok achter de deur: gevangenisstraffen.

Wie de fiscus 5.000 euro verschuldigd is en binnen de vier maanden geen afbetalingsplan kan voorleggen, riskeert tot een jaar gevangenis. Vanaf 10.000 euro is dat minstens een halfjaar cel, vanaf 50.000 euro (C)(C)n jaar en vanaf 150.000 euro zelfs drie jaar gevangenis.

'De overheid is op zoek naar een legerkamp in de regio Attica om mensen die schulden hebben bij de fiscus hun straf te laten uitzitten', bevestigde de viceminister voor Justitie in het Griekse parlement. Een 'humane' oplossing, vindt de regering, om contact met verkrachters, drugdealers, moordenaars en andere criminelen te vermijden.

De gestrafte Grieken zullen bovendien voor de gemeenschap of in de landbouw moeten werken om hun schuld af te lossen: elke dag (dwang)arbeid zal daarbij als twee dagen gevangenisstraf tellen.

Humaan of niet, 'dit zal de haat tegenover de huidige politiek en de regering alleen maar aanwakkeren', zegt onze landgenoot Bruno Tersago, die in 2000 naar Griekenland verhuisde. 'Steeds meer Grieken kunnen hun belastingen gewoon niet meer betalen en de regering gooit die op (C)(C)n hoop met de (C)chte fraudeurs.' Griekenland zit dan ook al zes jaar na elkaar in een recessie en (C)(C)n op de vier Grieken (27,2 procent) zit zonder werk. Met meer dan 60 procent neemt de jeugdwerkloosheid zelfs hallucinante proporties aan.

Toch krijgt zelfs deze maatregel de Grieken niet meer op straat. 'Stakingen of betogingen halen niets meer uit; de oproerpolitie grijpt meteen in', zegt Tersago. 'Maar zo maakt deze regering de extreemrechtse partij Gouden Dageraad slapend rijk.'

Source: The Guardian World News

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 08:56

IMF chief Christine Lagarde. Greek media recently quoted IMF her describing 2011 as a 'lost year', partly because of miscalculations by the EU and IMF. Photograph: Stephane Mahe/Reuters

The European commission strongly refuted the withering criticism of the International Monetary Fund on Thursday, arguing that it had not mismanaged its handling of the Greek crisis.

Simon O'Connor, a spokesman for Olli Rehn, the commissioner handling the 2010 bailout, said Brussels "fundamentally disagrees" with the IMF on two of the central points raised by the Washington institution '' that Greece's debt should have been restructured at the very outset of the crisis and that the commission failed to do enough about structural reforms in Greece.

Early debt restructuring, said O'Connor, could have triggered "systemic contagion" across the eurozone. On structural reforms, he added, "this is plainly wrong and unfounded."

In an internal report released on Wednesday evening, the IMF conceded that a catalogue of blunders had been made in the dealings with Greece by the "troika" of officials from the IMF, the commission and the European Central Bank.

The report charged that the Europeans were inexperienced and amateur in their approach.

O'Connor conceded that "lessons have been learned" from the chastening experience.

"Of course, looking back we see what might have been done differently," he said, without highlighting where changes could or should have been effected. "This is a learning process."

Unlike the IMF report, there was no criticism from the commission of its own performance, although O'Connor said that a "full report" into the work of the troika over the past three years was being prepared. He did not say when it would be published.

The spokesman emphasised that the IMF criticism was contained in an internal IMF staff document and did not represent the official position of the IMF board.

In Athens, though, the IMF's admission was welcomed by finance minister Yannis Stournaras. He told the Guardian that the "good report" would help Greece to recover from the trauma of recent years.

"It is a good piece of self-criticism. It is an objective report reporting mistakes made by the international community and by Greece," Stournaras said.

IMF and commission at odds over debt restructuringThe IMF criticism and the commission's defence of its performance boil down to a dispute over whether Greece's staggering debt level should have been restructured early in 2010 when the troika was fixing the terms for the bailout.

While the IMF takes the view now that it was a cardinal error not to restructure, the commission argues strongly that there were too many unknowns, the risks were huge, such a move could have unleashed a rollercoaster of panic across the eurozone, and there was not yet any real eurozone firewall or bailout funds in place.

"Even assuming it was inevitable and the only solution, the risks associated with an early Greek debt restructuring were huge," according to the commission. "The whirlpool in the financial markets in early 2010 was only beginning to subside, the banking system was extremely fragile and it was not possible to estimate financial and psychological effects of the largest bond restructuring in history or its potential ripples to the real economy of the euro area. Against this background, later restructuring allowed for time to build firewall capacity. An earlier restructuring would have also entailed risks of systemic contagion."

50-page report releasedThe IMF's report runs to 50 pages (pdf). It reveals that the Fund lowered its own standards for debt sustainability to keep Greece's bailout within its rules. It also admits underestimating the full impact of austerity on the Greek economy,

As the report put it: "Market confidence was not restored, the banking system lost 30% of its deposits and the economy encountered a much deeper than expected recession with exceptionally high unemployment."

The 2010 bailout was followed by the second rescue package in 2011, in which private sector creditors agreed to write off a chunk of Greece's debt pile.

Martin Koehring, European analyst for the Economist Intelligence Unit, believes the IMF is looking to put pressure on European governments to agree another haircut.

"There is also a risk that the IMF is positioning itself to withdraw from the rescue programme altogether, especially if eurozone debt relief is not forthcoming," Koehring added.

Sharon Bowles, chair of the European parliament's economic and monetary affairs committee, said the IMF needs to learn the lessons from Greece, having also made mistakes over Cyprus's rescue this year. Fund officials should also be quizzed in public, she argued.

"The troika will also need to become more democratically accountable, above all else to the European parliament. It is not possible that decisions which strike at the very heart of a country continue to be taken without the proper level of accountability," Bowles said.

Politie zet speciale kooi in tegen wissen mobiele telefoons | Tech | NU.nl

Nederland wil militairen leveren voor missie Mali

On Newsstands, Allure of the Film Actress Fades

Source: VK: Home

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 01:10

Door: Theo Koel(C), Natalie Righton '' 06/06/13, 06:00

(C) ANP. Minister Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert van Defensie in de Tweede Kamer.

Nederland wil dertig tot veertig Nederlandse militairen uitzenden voor de Europese trainingsmissie in Mali, zo mogelijk nog deze zomer. Zij gaan trainers uit andere lidstaten beschermen of ze gaan zelf het militaire middenkader trainen.

Dat melden militaire en diplomatieke bronnen in Brussel en Den Haag aan de Volkskrant. De EU-missie (EUTM) moet het Malinese leger, dat strijdt tegen moslimextremisten, professioneler maken.

Minister Frans Timmermans van Buitenlandse Zaken en zijn eigen PvdA dringen al langer aan op een bijdrage aan de Mali-missie, maar tot nu toe bestond er bij Defensie en de VVD weinig animo voor. Die aarzeling neemt onder meer af omdat de trainingsmissie in het Afghaanse Kunduz per 1 juli stopt. 'Als we niet meedoen met een nieuwe missie, neemt de kans toe dat er nog meer wordt bezuinigd op defensie. Dat wil VVD-minister Jeanine Hennis van Defensie niet', zegt een VVD-bron. Een defensiebron zegt dat er nu mogelijk personele capaciteit vrijkomt: 'Het is nu ¼berhaupt mogelijk. Dat was bijvoorbeeld niet het geval toen we nog met al die mensen in Uruzgan zaten.'

Door de NAVO wordt ook gelobbyd voor een nieuwe Nederlandse trainingsmissie in Afghanistan, maar dat is voorlopig niet aan de orde, beweren betrokken bewindslieden. Het kabinet heeft in EU-verband dus wel al een concreet voorstel gedaan voor een bijdrage in Mali, onder meer tijdens een zogenoemde force generation conference op 21 mei. De ministerraad moet zo'n besluit nog bekrachtigen. Vermoedelijk gebeurt dat deze maand nog. Haast is geboden, omdat Nederland anders mogelijk weer niet meedoet.

Lang geaarzeldIn maart bleek dat Nederland zo lang had geaarzeld of het wel of niet mee wil doen in Mali dat andere EU-landen al voldoende mensen hadden toegezegd. Die lichting gaat deze zomer naar huis, waardoor Nederland nu weer opnieuw eigen militairen of politietrainers kan aanbieden.

Eind mei liet minister Timmermans al weten dat het kabinet ditmaal alsnog een bijdrage wil gaan leveren aan EUTM. 'Maar het aanbod van andere lidstaten is groot en het is bijna dringen,' zei Timmermans toen nog in de Kamer. Ook deze zomer is het aanbod van EU-lidstaten om militairen en ander personeel uit te zenden naar Mali groter dan de behoefte is. Meer dan 20 EU-landen sturen circa 200 trainers om Malinese militairen op te leiden. Een speciale EU-commissie zal bepalen welk land welke bijdrage mag leveren.

De talenkennis van Nederlanders is een mogelijk probleem. In Mali wordt overwegend Frans gesproken. 'De beschermers van de trainers uit verschillende lidstaten moeten natuurlijk wel goed met elkaar kunnen communiceren', zegt een Brusselse diplomatieke bron. Een uitzending duurt gemiddeld drie tot vier maanden.

Er zijn verder nog geen Nederlandse plannen om een militaire bijdrage te leveren aan de VN-missie die op 1 juli actief wordt in Mali. De troepenmacht van ruim 12.000 militairen en politiemensen zal grotendeels gevormd worden door Afrikaanse landen. Voormalig PvdA-minister Bert Koenders is woensdag in Mali gearriveerd om die VN-missie te gaan leiden. In deze krant heeft hij Nederland gevraagd om bijstand in de vorm van helikopters, inlichtingencapaciteit en medische voorzieningen.eenheid tekst

2/27/2013 '-- US Navy Labs creates Plasma in the upper Atmosphere using HAARP '' HF- high frequency |

Source: NYT > Home Page

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 08:46

Signs of a trend in magazine covers with, from left, Lauren Conrad on Glamour; Paul Wesley, Nina Dobrev and Ian Somerhalder of ''The Vampire Diaries'' on Entertainment Weekly; and Kim Kardashian on Cosmopolitan.

Pity the poor Hollywood film stars: they can't open movies the way they used to and now they can't sell magazines.

Robert Caplin for The New York TimesJoanna Coles, Cosmopolitan's editor.

Even a few years ago, the prize for a magazine editor was in luring an A-list Hollywood star onto the cover. But just as much critical attention has shifted to television from theatrical releases, readers are now more likely to pick up a magazine featuring a television actor, reality star or musician.

''There was a day when movie stars were the gold standard for magazines,'' said Jess Cagle, the managing editor of Entertainment Weekly, where the frequency and sales of TV-oriented covers are catching up with film covers. ''But movie stars are less revered than they used to be, and also audiences have shifted their allegiance in large part to television.''

Glamour featured film stars on half of its covers in 2012. But the May 2012 issue featuring Lauren Conrad, the former star of the reality show ''The Hills,'' was the year's best-selling issue, at 500,072 copies. The magazine now expects to make film stars the minority presence in 2013.

At Cosmopolitan, the best-selling cover this year featured Kim Kardashian in April, with 1.2 million copies sold, followed by the singer Miley Cyrus in March with 1.1 million copies. In 2012, three out of five of Cosmopolitan's top covers featured the celebrities Demi Lovato with 1.379 million copies sold, Khlo(C) Kardashian at 1.354 million copies and Selena Gomez at 1.334 million copies.

Vogue's best-selling cover in the first four months of 2013 featured Beyonc(C) with 340,000 copies sold. In 2012, Lady Gaga commanded the cover of Vogue's September issue and sold nearly double the number of copies of the January 2012 issue, featuring Meryl Streep.

It's not just younger women's magazines that are moving away from film stars. When Redbook landed an interview with Gwyneth Paltrow for its January issue, the magazine featured her with her trainer Tracy Anderson and not in what the magazine's editor in chief, Jill Herzig, called the ''traditional A-lister in a ball gown kind of way.''

Magazine editors credit these changes to the improvement in the quality of television programs and the strength of musicians. These kinds of celebrities also are often more approachable than their film star equivalents. Lesley Jane Seymour, the editor in chief of More magazine, said that more highly regarded actors are taking parts on television instead of film and more people are watching better quality television '-- critical hits like ''Mad Men'' and ''Homeland.''

While top-notch stars often remain inaccessible and surrounded by handlers, reality television stars are opening up about their struggles with weight, romance and family, which readers grasp more than the musings of a flawless film star. Television stars and musicians also connect with their fans far more frequently. Fans watch their programs on a weekly basis or hear their songs on a daily basis, compared with seeing an actor in a film once a year.

After Ms. Cyrus appeared on the March cover of Cosmopolitan, she posted to her more than 12 million Twitter followers that they should visit their newsstands and place Cosmopolitan in the front. It also spawned a hashtag #BuyMileysCosmo.

Cindi Leive, editor in chief of Glamour, called singers like Beyonc(C) and Rihanna the ''Mick Jaggers of today'' whose digital presence translates into newsstand sales.

''They do an incredible job of connecting with their fans,'' she said.

That is not to say television stars overrule all film stars. When Vanity Fair published a May 2012 television issue, it was the magazine's worst-selling issue of the year, with 183,511 copies sold. People's recent cover featuring the actress Angelina Jolie sold a robust one million newsstand copies. Joanna Coles, editor in chief of Cosmopolitan, said celebrities like Ms. Jolie sell well because they attract varied audiences. ''Angelina is not just a film star,'' Ms. Coles said. ''She is a spokesman for something bigger.''

Fact Sheet: White House Task Force on High-Tech Patent Issues | The White House

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 10:13

This is a profound release, just put out by the US Naval Research Lab on Feb. 25, 2013..

In essence, this experiment done by the Navy contradicts ALL the skeptics who said it quote ''could not be done'' using frequency in the Atmosphere.

Ironic indeed that the frequency they used from HAARP matches the capability of NEXRAD RADAR.. as they are creating this plasma in the atmosphere using 0-4MHz.. (nexrad pulses between 0 to 12.4MHz putting the HAARP frequency and RADAR frequency on overlapping spectrums)

link here:

http://sincedutch.wordpress.com/2013/02/26/2262013-see-glowing-artificial-haarp-clouds-revealed-in-new-navy-photos/

To top it off, with this Navy experiment '-- the plasma RING/SPHERE was observed on RADAR from Poker Flats, AK.. refuting even more skeptics who said HAARP cannot be seen on RADAR.

Furthermore, separately, we found RADAR is used to generate plasma from a place called SPEAR (in Norway) , they are using RADAR as a 'heater' in the same GHz spectrum that NEXRAD RADAR normally operates on when not in pulse mode (2.7GHz to 3.0GHz). Proving RADAR can , and is currently being used to induce effects in the atmosphere '-- not just observe it.

information on SPEAR '' RADAR used as a plasma 'heater' here:

http://sincedutch.wordpress.com/2012/12/07/1272012-radar-devices-used-as-heaters-weather-modification-via-frequencies/

Finally, we found information that RADAR was used to generate artificial plasma / literally LIGHTNING at the MIT research labs'... C-band and S-band.. again.. same bands that NEXRAD RADAR use.

In otherwords, NEXRAD RADARs for sure have the functionality to act as small versions of HAARP or EISCAT. To function as 'heaters' and plasma / lightning generators (for signal reflection / over the horizon capability / heating weather modification).

Any skeptic who said it could not be done, (for instance those at Realist News, or Metabunk just to name a few) NEED TO ISSUE FULL RETRACTIONS AND CORRECTIONS '--- assuming of course they really are into science and not trying to just protect their egos.

If they don't issue retractions and corrections saying they were wrong, then you know they're pushing an agenda that does not include real science '-- up until now they could say ''it can't be done'''... now what is their explanation?

They said I was photoshopping and HOAXING these RADAR pulses '... lol .. nice one.. now lets see what they have to say'... right now.. its been out 2 days.. and we hear CRICKETS from their side.

'--'--'--'---

screenshots of past events:

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/107724315586097437211/albums/5666563156909130961

'--'--'--'---

more about the HAARP ring / RADAR pulse theory here:

http://sincedutch.wordpress.com/2012/04/24/want-to-know-about-weather-modification-haarp-vlf-hf-and-chemtrails-want-to-prove-it-to-a-non-believer-here-you-go/

'--'--'--'---

even more here:

http://www.rezn8d.net

'--'--'--'---

Past HAARP ring / RADAR pulse events and the storms which hit within 72 hours:

http://sincedutch.wordpress.com/2012/01/28/radarpulseconfirmations/

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Wed, 05 Jun 2013 23:47

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

June 04, 2013

LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES & EXECUTIVE ACTIONS

Today the White House announced major steps to improve incentives for future innovation in high tech patents, a key driver of economic growth and good paying American jobs. The White House issued five executive actions and seven legislative recommendations designed to protect innovators from frivolous litigation and ensure the highest-quality patents in our system. Additionally, the National Economic Council and the Council of Economic Advisers released a report, Patent Assertion and U.S. Innovation, detailing the challenges posed and necessity for bold legislative action.

In 2011, the President signed the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (AIA), a landmark piece of legislation designed to help make our patent system more efficient and reliable. As technology evolves more rapidly than ever, we must ensure our patent system keeps pace. As President Obama said in February, ''our efforts at patent reform only went about halfway to where we need to go. What we need to do is pull together additional stakeholders and see if we can build some additional consensus on smarter patent laws.''

The AIA put in place new mechanisms for post-grant review of patents and other reforms to boost patent quality. Meanwhile, court decisions clarifying the scope of patentability and guidelines implementing these decisions diminish the opportunity to game the patent and litigation systems. Nevertheless, innovators continue to face challenges from Patent Assertion Entities (PAEs), companies that, in the President's words ''don't actually produce anything themselves,'' and instead develop a business model ''to essentially leverage and hijack somebody else's idea and see if they can extort some money out of them.'' These entities are commonly known as ''patent trolls.'' Likewise, the so-called ''Smartphone Patent Wars'' have ballooned in recent years and today, several major companies spend more on patent litigation and defensive acquisition than on research and development.

Stopping this drain on the American economy will require swift legislative action, and we are encouraged by the attention the issue is receiving in recent weeks. We stand ready to work with Congress on these issues crucial to our economy, American jobs, and innovation. While no single law or policy can address all these issues, much can and should be done to increase clarity and level the playing field for innovators.

LEGISLATIVE RECOMMENDATIONS

In that spirit, the Administration recommends that Congress pursue at least seven legislative measures that would have immediate effect on some major problems innovators face. These measures would:

Require patentees and applicants to disclose the ''Real Party-in-Interest,'' by requiring that any party sending demand letters, filing an infringement suit or seeking PTO review of a patent to file updated ownership information, and enabling the PTO or district courts to impose sanctions for non-compliance.

Permit more discretion in awarding fees to prevailing parties in patent cases, providing district courts with more discretion to award attorney's fees under 35 USC 285 as a sanction for abusive court filings (similar to the legal standard that applies in copyright infringement cases).

Expand the PTO's transitional program for covered business method patents to include a broader category of computer-enabled patents and permit a wider range of challengers to petition for review of issued patents before the Patent Trial and Appeals Board (PTAB).

Protect off-the-shelf use by consumers and businesses by providing them with better legal protection against liability for a product being used off-the-shelf and solely for its intended use. Also, stay judicial proceedings against such consumers when an infringement suit has also been brought against a vendor, retailer, or manufacturer.

Change the ITC standard for obtaining an injunction to better align it with the traditional four-factor test in eBay Inc. v. MercExchange, to enhance consistency in the standards applied at the ITC and district courts.

Use demand letter transparency to help curb abusive suits, incentivizing public filing of demand letters in a way that makes them accessible and searchable to the public.

Ensure the ITC has adequate flexibility in hiring qualified Administrative Law Judges.

EXECUTIVE ACTIONS

Today the Administration is also announcing a number of steps it is taking to help bring about greater transparency to the patent system and level the playing field for innovators. Those steps include:

Making ''Real Party-in-Interest'' the New Default. Patent trolls often set up shell companies to hide their activities and enable their abusive litigation and extraction of settlements. This tactic prevents those facing litigation from knowing the full extent of the patents that their adversaries hold when negotiating settlements, or even knowing connections between multiple trolls. The PTO will begin a rulemaking process to require patent applicants and owners to regularly update ownership information when they are involved in proceedings before the PTO, specifically designating the ''ultimate parent entity'' in control of the patent or application.

Tightening Functional Claiming. The AIA made important improvements to the examination process and overall patent quality, but stakeholders remain concerned about patents with overly broad claims '-- particularly in the context of software. The PTO will provide new targeted training to its examiners on scrutiny of functional claims and will, over the next six months develop strategies to improve claim clarity, such as by use of glossaries in patent specifications to assist examiners in the software field.

Empowering Downstream Users. Patent trolls are increasingly targeting Main Street retailers, consumers and other end-users of products containing patented technology '-- for instance, for using point-of-sale software or a particular business method. End-users should not be subject to lawsuits for simply using a product as intended, and need an easier way to know their rights before entering into costly litigation or settlement. The PTO will publish new education and outreach materials, including an accessible, plain-English web site offering answers to common questions by those facing demands from a possible troll.

Expanding Dedicated Outreach and Study. Challenges to U.S. innovation using tools available in the patent space are particularly dynamic, and require both dedicated attention and meaningful data. Engagement with stakeholders '-- including patent holders, research institutions, consumer advocates, public interest groups, and the general public '-- is also an important part of our work moving forward. Roundtables and workshops that the PTO, DOJ, and FTC have held in 2012 have offered invaluable input to this process. We are announcing an expansion of our outreach efforts, including six months of high-profile events across the country to develop new ideas and consensus around updates to patent policies and laws. We are also announcing an expansion of the PTO Edison Scholars Program, which will bring distinguished academic experts to the PTO to develop '-- and make available to the public '-- more robust data and research on the issues bearing on abusive litigation.

Strengthen Enforcement Process of Exclusion Orders. Once the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) finds a violation of Section 337 and issues an exclusion order barring the importation of infringing goods, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the ITC are responsible for determining whether imported articles fall within the scope of the exclusion order. Implementing these orders present unique challenges given these shared responsibilities and the complexity of making this determination, particularly in cases in which a technologically sophisticated product such as a smartphone has been successfully redesigned to not fall within the scope of the exclusion order. To address this concern, the U.S. Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator will launch an interagency review of existing procedures that CBP and the ITC use to evaluate the scope of exclusion orders and work to ensure the process and standards utilized during exclusion order enforcement activities are transparent, effective, and efficient.

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Were these the first podcasts?

Caitlin Kenney/NPRWere these the first podcasts?

Caitlin Kenney/NPRThe comedian in question is Marc Maron. He does a popular podcast, called WTF, out of his garage in California. It's an interview show, with other comedians and artists. Maron recently found an extraordinary letter in his mailbox. This letter said, basically, that by doing his podcast, out of his garage, he was violating a technology patent. His podcast was, according to the letter, "illegal."

"They sent a copy of the patent with this letter," Maron says, "which looks like a large bunch of legal gibberish."

When Marc Maron started up his podcast, he didn't think he was stealing anyone's invention. He's a comedian. He'd never seen a patent before.

A couple of other podcasters have received similar letters like this '-- Jesse Thorn, host of the public radio show Bullseye, for one. NBC, CBS and the Adam Carolla show have all been sued.

The person behind these letters and lawsuits is Jim Logan. Logan claims to have invented podcasting, with a company called Personal Audio, back in the mid-90s. He has a patent that he claims covers podcasting that has been recently updated but dates back to Oct. 2, 1996. That means, according to the letter his company sent out, every time someone creates a podcast '-- and distributes it '-- that person owes his company money.

Logan says back in the mid-90s, he imagined a personal audio device that could "interact with the Internet and your preferences to pull down, to your personal player, all the personal stuff you wanted to listen to."

"The idea of downloading playlists to your audio player and podcasts are how the world has gotten around to implementing those ideas," says Logan.

He tried to build an MP3 player and bring it to market. It didn't work out, but he did manage to put out a much lower-tech version of what he feels is the same idea. He brought the manifestation of this idea to our interview. It was a stack of cassette tapes. The idea was, you'd be able to pick from a selection of newspaper and magazine articles, and his company would send you a tape of those articles being read out loud.

The tapes didn't get much traction. And over the next 10 years, Logan says, he kind of forgot about these old audio patents '-- until 2007. That's when, as he tells it, his patent attorney, Charlie Call, was working on a project that involved iTunes. "I wasn't a big music listener, and Charlie Call wasn't, either," Logan says. "We didn't own iPods. We didn't use iTunes, so it was all kind of foreign to us."

When Call did discover iTunes, Logan says, he realized that our patent "was being infringed by iTunes."

Logan's company, Personal Audio, sued Apple over the ability to create a playlist. The jury sided with Personal Audio and awarded them an $8.5 million payout. Apple appealed, Personal Audio appealed back, and there was a settlement of some kind. The results are not public.

In the eyes of the law, it doesn't matter that Logan's company did not create iTunes or the iPod. "This is the road map," his licensing guy, Richard Baker, says, "that would tell someone how to do podcasting, how to do MP3 players." Even if the guy who had invented iTunes never read Logan's patent, publicly available on the U.S. Patent website, "that does not matter," Logan says.

Right now that's how the system works, and a lot of people think this is a big problem. The fact that somebody like Logan could even get a patent this broad, some say, means the patent system is not working like it's supposed to. Rather than encouraging more innovation, it's hurting it. The Electronic Frontier Foundation, an advocacy group, is planning to challenge the patent at the patent office. It claims the patent is too broad, and too obvious.

To Jim Logan, when he uses patents to make back money he lost on his failed business, that's a good thing. He says having a patent makes it safer for people like him to try to start their next new idea.

The people he's threatening to sue, of course, don't see it that way.

"I'm not a tech company," Marc Maron says. "I'm a guy who turns on his computer and does his thing!"

Yesterday, in President Obama's call for reform of the patent system, he may have allied himself with Maron's side. He specifically called for more protection for what he calls "end-users of products containing patented technology." People who aren't even trying to make a new product '-- just turning on their computers, for example, and doing their thing.

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