American Contractors Discuss Time in Captivity

Three American contractors who survived five and a half years in a Colombian jungle likened their captivity to being on the "planet of the apes," said one of the three contractors held by the terrorist organization known as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC.

"We were off this planet for so long that we would marvel at something basic, as basic as a flat floor and a flat wall. It was a totally different planet that we had escaped or been rescued from," Tom Howes told online journalists and bloggers during a "DoD Live" bloggers roundtable March 26.

Another former captive, Marc Gonsalves, added that seeing an American for the first time upon their rescue brought an overwhelming emotion of pride.

"After coming off the helicopter in which we were rescued, we were then guided to a jet, and we were then loaded on that aircraft. At the entryway of the stairs leading to the door, there were a couple of U.S. Army Special Forces soldiers there as guards," he said. "That was the first Americans that I had contact with. And, I remember the sight of that beautiful flag patch on his shoulder, and I just remember feeling an immense amount of pride to see and talk and to hear the voice of another American again."

Their captivity started in February 2003 on a routine mission. The three -- Gonsalves, Howes and Keith Stansell -- were based out of Bogota, Colombia.

"We were flying en route to a forward operation location where we would be able to pick up more fuel," Gonsalves said. "And as we were crossing a mountain range, we experienced an engine failure and were forced to crash land."

Five people were aboard the plane when it crashed into the thick jungle of Colombia: four Americans and one host-nation rider.

"The impact was violent. The fuselage of the airplane was ripped open," Gonsalves said. After landing in a small clearing on a mountain slope, the group was greeted with the sound of gunfire.

"We were immediately ... attacked, basically by a group of rebels, a group that calls themselves the FARC," Gonsalves said. "And, in their luck, and against our luck, we crashed right in a middle of a group of these people. It was only minutes before they were there. They had us, and they began to take us away at gunpoint."

As the three Americans were taken away from their crash site, Howes was still unconscious from the crash. His left shoulder had slipped out of the safety belt, and on impact he swung around and hit his head on the support between the windshield and the side window. They would later learn that a member of the terrorist organization had killed the rest of the crew.

"And when my memory came back, I was a prisoner of the FARC. I'd already been strip-searched, and there were people -- FARC -- with AK-47 rifles on either side of me," Howes said. "And that began the period of captivity."

The three American contractors were forced on a 24-day march deep into Colombia, to what Howes called a fixed camp.

"We had time to rest up and realize the severity of our situation," he said. "In my mind, I started to eat myself alive, realizing that this was going to be a ... possibly very long, difficult period in the most difficult of conditions."

Howes and Gonsalves both said while the situation shocking at first, their minds toughened up to adapt. The three Americans, Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt and 11 Colombian national police and military members also held hostage by the FARC were flown to safety after being rescued July 2 in a Colombian military operation. Howes said the rescue seemed to be over almost as soon as it started. "Five and half years ended in less than a second," he said.

The former captives both said they didn't the extent of efforts on their behalf in the United States and Colombia until after their rescue. "And my heartfelt thanks goes out to everyone in the U.S. military and all those in the Colombian military, for everything they've done for us," Howes said.

Since their return to the United States, the former captives have reconnected with their families and started working again. On March 12, they received the Department of Defense Medal of Freedom, the civilian equivalent of the Purple Heart.

(Author Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg serves in the Defense Media Activity's Emerging Media directorate.)
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Latest Ship Seizures Broaden Counter-Piracy Challenge

Two ship seizures in the Indian Ocean in recent days appear to indicate that pirates have broadened their focus beyond the heavily patrolled Gulf of Aden.

Pirates hijacked two chemical tankers: the Bahamian-flagged, Norwegian-owned vessel Bowasir on March 25 and the Panamanian-flagged, Greek-owned Nipayia yesterday, a Navy spokesman confirmed.

Bowasir and its 23-member crew were operating more than 380 nautical miles southeast of Kismayo, Somalia. Nipayia and its 19 merchant mariners were pirated 490 nautical miles east of Mogadishu, the official said.

The seizures were the farthest yet from the Gulf of Aden, where the U.S. Navy 5th Fleet and the international community stepped up patrols after piracy soared last year.

"This appears to be a new round of attacks well off the east coast of Somalia vs. in the Gulf of Aden where we had seen the majority of attacks last year and in 2009 to date," the official said.

The latest hijackings expand the pirates' operating area, creating what the official called "a monumental challenge" to those working to prevent piracy.

"To put the challenge into geographic perspective, the area involved off the coast of Somalia and Kenya as well as the Gulf of Aden equals more than 1.1 million square miles," he said. "That is roughly four times the size of the U.S. state of Texas, or the size of the Mediterranean and Red Seas combined."

To better confront the problem, Navy Vice Adm. William E. Gortney, who commands U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, 5th Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces, stood up a multinational, anti-piracy effort known as Combined Task Force 151 on Jan. 1.

Task force members have national mandates to conduct counter-piracy operations and work together "to support our goal of deterring, disrupting and eventually bringing to justice the maritime criminals involved in piracy events," Gortney explained as the task force became fully operational in mid-January.

CTF 151 operates primarily in and around the Gulf of Aden, but also in the Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean and Red Sea.

At any given time, 12 to 16 warships from the task force as well as non-coalition nations are operating in the region. "The international presence there is significant," the Navy official said. "We are working with everybody who is there."

But the vast size of the region would require 61 ships just to control the internationally designated shipping lanes, he said. "And that's a small portion of the area we are talking about."

Despite the geographic challenges, the task force's efforts are showing signs of success.

Pirates seized 42 ships last year, but 80 of the 122 piracy "events" were unsuccessful, the official reported. So far in 2009, 48 "events" have occurred, with 11 hijackings and 37 unsuccessful attempts.

Meanwhile, more commercial shipping crews are applying lessons learned so they can foil pirates' attempts.

Just this week, the vessel Preventor evaded an attack more than 450 nautical miles southeast of Dar el Salam, Tanzania. The ship's crew conducted evasive maneuvering and used charged fire hoses to repel the pirates, the official said.

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
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Forces Kill 13 Militants, Destroy Weapons in Afghanistan

Afghan and coalition forces killed 13 militants, detained one suspected militant and seized weapons caches in operations in Afghanistan over the past four days, military officials reported.
In Helmand province's Lashkar Gah district, Afghan and coalition forces arrived at a compound militants had occupied for the night. The force immediately was engaged by armed militants from inside the compound. Several militants fled, while the force continued to receive small-arms fire from inside a building. The force cleared the building, killing three militants.

One militant was barricaded in one of the buildings, using women and children as shields. The force used precision small-arms fire to kill the militant with no harm to the women or children.

The force pursued the armed militants who had fled the compound on foot. One militant was killed when he maneuvered on the force. Four other militants engaged the force with a PKM machine gun and were killed. Two militants armed with AK-47 assault rifles were killed after posing a serious threat to a nearby compound. One suspected militant was captured unharmed and detained.

Also yesterday, Afghan national security forces, assisted by coalition forces, killed two armed militants and destroyed an improvised explosive device in Oruzgan province's Deh Rahwod district.

The Afghan-led force was conducting a combat reconnaissance patrol in a known area of heavy militant presence when they observed three militants planting IEDs along a frequently traveled road. Once it was determined that the area was clear of civilians, forces called for close-air support, killing two militants.

During a search of the area, Afghan forces discovered one IED and safely destroyed it in place.

In operations March 24, Afghan soldiers, assisted by coalition forces, discovered and destroyed two weapons caches while on a combat reconnaissance patrol in Herat province's Shindand district.

Concerned local villagers stopped the patrol and directed the commandos to the location of two weapons and ordnance caches in a nearby area. The commandos unearthed the first cache, which was buried less than two-feet deep in a dried-up riverbed near a well-traveled road. The cache consisted of 10 mortar rounds, seven cases of 30 mm anti-aircraft rounds, one 100 mm projectile, nine rocket fuses and four grenades.

The second cache contained 20 rocket-propelled grenades, 30 sabot rounds, eight Russian smoke canisters and two cases of 20 mm anti-aircraft rounds.

The contents of both caches were safely destroyed by the commandos.

(Compiled from U.S. Forces Afghanistan news releases.)
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Mexico Drug Cartel Violence: News Roundup

Fox News, Greta Van Susteren, On the Record video:



In other related news:

Fugitive U.S. Marshal Vincent Bustamente found slain in Juarez, Mexico, in latest border violence
A fugitive U.S. Marshal appears to be the latest casualty of the brutal violence between drug cartels and authorities along the U.S. border with Mexico.

U.S. truckers warned of violence near Mexico border
American truck drivers operating near the U.S.-Mexico border are being warned of increasing violence among warring drug cartels and told to stay on alert against attacks or hijackings.

Mexico violence affects volunteers' plans
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (BP)--Several Illinois Baptist churches and associations regularly send mission teams to work in Mexico each summer. This summer, however, a number of mission trips have been cancelled or changed due to rising violence from drug cartels and gangs on the Mexican side of the border.

Clinton says US shares responsibility for Mexico's drug violence
The United States is at least as responsible as Mexico for the violent drug wars that are roiling its southern neighbor because of an insatiable US market for narcotics, the failure to stop weapons smuggling southward and a three-decade "war" on drugs that "has not worked," Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Wednesday.

Mexico's top cop says cartel targeted his family
Mexico's top law enforcement official says drug traffickers tried to attack his family last year but were stopped by bodyguards.

Muslim Caliph Warns: Economic Depression Could Lead to World War

/PRNewswire/ -- A Caliph (Spiritual Leader) followed by tens of millions of Muslims has warned that a world war is inevitable if world powers fail to resolve the global economic crisis.

Speaking at a major conference held at the Baitul Futuh Mosque in Morden (south London) this weekend attended by over 900 including Parliamentarians, faith representatives, civic leaders and professionals, Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad drew parallels between the Great Depression of 1929 leading to the Second World War, and the present-day recession where bank bailouts and bonuses have been exacerbated by wealth being channeled into the hands of the few. This, he said, could only propel mankind into deeper distrust, desperation and ultimately danger.

His Holiness also criticized the United Nations for falling short of its responsibilities and the absence of absolute justice and fair dealing between member states.

The Caliph, who heads the international Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, said:

"The UN was formed for the establishment of peace but its attempts to do so in any country where disorder exists, have never achieved the level of success that such a large institution ought to.

"The UN is failing due to the influence of superpowers and because of this the circle of unrest is escalating. We cannot simply close our eyes to this. The cause of the Second World War was such unrest and mini wars."

His Holiness expressed a desire that the world learns from its past mistakes and thus avoids another major catastrophe:

"Governments, providers of capital and the UN should understand their responsibilities. These are to fulfil the requirements of justice and to give due regard to the rights of each other. They should think, deliberate and find a solution based on justice. They should selflessly endeavour to establish peace. And most importantly they should fulfil the rights owed to their Creator and avoid His displeasure."

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Iraqi Interior Ministry Reduces Corruption, Improves Rule of Law

New systems and procedures within the Iraqi Interior Ministry have decreased corruption and increased professionalism in several divisions, a Navy officer said.

Navy Cmdr. John Muth, director of special staff for the Ministry of Interior Transitional Team, discussed the ministry's progress with bloggers and online journalists March 18 during a "DoDLive" Bloggers Roundtable.

Muth touched on the ministry's four divisions -- internal affairs and security, office of inspector general, human rights and the court system.

"The main mission of the internal affairs and security directorate is to arrest bad cops," Muth said. The directorate also has missions related to counterterrorism and security background checks.

Muth said that when he arrived in April 2008, security was lacking, but steadily improving. Internal affairs visited locations in Basra, Diyala, Mosul and Samarra where the police were not functioning well, he explained. Their visits resulted in police officers either being fired or disciplined.

"From an operational point of view, I've seen improvements in the police force because bad elements within the police force have been removed," Muth said.

The Iraqis are building the office of inspector general "into something that can look at financial corruption, look at different procedures that are being utilized, and standard operating procedures," he said.

"So now you have systems that are being followed, procedures that are being followed," he continued. "You have a greatly increased level of professionalism by the police and how they conduct their business."

The increased professionalism has created a domino effect and is now reducing corruption and improving the rule of law, he noted.

Muth also discussed human rights for prisoners in pretrial detention centers, which is under the ministry's responsibility.

"There was a human rights case in Diyala where a family of Sunni complained to internal affairs about the death of one of their family members while in police custody," Muth said. "It was addressed by internal affairs."

This case was significant, Muth said. While there was some political interference, the major general who handled the case was very professional and was not deterred from his job.

The ministry's court system also has improved, the commander said.

"We've seen good progress in that [court] system and we think that it'll have large effects in improving the discipline of the police and holding them accountable," he said.

In the past, the police were not held accountable for their actions, Muth said, but the number of cases brought against officers has more than doubled since 2007.

"We've seen a large increase in the total number of cases that have been opened by internal affairs and that are being closed," he said. "And in 2008, we had ... 1,500 or so policemen fired and some 2,000 be disciplined."

Now, Muth said the transition team is shifting its emphasis to advanced training.

"Since October, we've trained 500 or 600 people in the inspector general's area," Muth said. "And as we get the population of the IG trained in those basic concepts, we've also gone to advanced investigation training."

In the future, Muth said he believes the coalition will be involved with specialized training rather than basic concepts training.

Muth acknowledged that corruption remains a problem within the ministry, but said he is seeing a positive trend in eliminating it.

"I've been personally rewarded in terms of dealing with the Iraqi people," he said. "I can tell you that they are working very hard to improve their organization. While there's a lot of friction and things don't always move smoothly, there's definite progress forward."

(Author Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class William Selby is assigned to the Defense Media Activity's Emerging Media directorate.)

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Why Ballistic Missile Defense is Critical

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Bauer Calls Plans to Release Terrorist in the U.S. 'An Outrage...Confirming Our Worst Fears'

/PRNewswire/ -- Former presidential candidate Gary L. Bauer on Thursday expressed shock and outrage over the Obama Administration's admission that it is considering releasing terrorist suspects at Guantanamo Bay into the United States.

Responding to comments by Attorney General Eric Holder, Bauer, President of American Values said, "The first obligation of the government is to keep Americans safe. How can releasing enemy combatants, picked up on foreign battlefields, into American neighborhoods possibly safeguard our security?

"In recent days, there have been reports of missing American Somalis leading to active FBI investigations about jihad recruitment in several major American cities. It is unconscionable that this administration would even entertain the idea of adding to that problem by importing terrorist suspects from GITMO.

"For a president who likes to emulate Franklin Roosevelt on economic policy, I wish he would model Roosevelt on national security policy too. Nazi spies captured in this country and accused of plotting acts of terrorism were tried in military tribunals and executed in a matter of weeks. Our goal in World War II was victory. Our demand was unconditional surrender, not more negotiations and diplomacy with our enemies."

"Americans were concerned when President Obama ordered GITMO closed without any plan for the thugs currently detained there. We were rightly outraged when the Obama Administration followed that up by dropping the charges against the mastermind of the USS Cole bombing, which killed 17 American sailors. Sadly, Attorney General Holder has just confirmed our worst fears."

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FDA Assessing Feasibility of Using Nanotechnology Test to Detect Anthrax Following a Bioterrorist Attack

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has completed a "proof-of-concept" study of a test that quickly and accurately detects the presence of even the smallest amount of the deadly anthrax toxin.

"The FDA findings could form the basis of a test that allows earlier diagnosis of anthrax infection than currently possible," said Indira Hewlett, Ph.D., the senior author of the study and chief of the Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Office of Blood Research and Review, at the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER). "The earlier those infected with anthrax can be treated, the better."

A proof-of-concept study is an initial investigation that aims to determine if a new scientific idea or concept holds promise for further development. A report on the results of this study appears in the March issue of Clinical and Vaccine Immunology.

Anthrax is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis, a bacteria that forms spores, or dormant cells, which can come to life under the right temperature, nutrients and other conditions to allow growth. Anthrax occurs in humans after exposure to an infected animal or infected animal tissue or when anthrax spores are used as a bioterrorist weapon.

The proof-of-concept study developed by FDA researchers relies on a nanotechnology-based test platform built from tiny molecular-sized particles. This assay, the europium nanoparticle-based immunoassay (ENIA), was able to detect the presence of a protein made by the anthrax bacteria known as protective antigen (PA). PA combines with another protein called lethal factor to form anthrax lethal factor toxin, the protein that enters cells and causes toxic effects.

The researchers showed that ENIA is capable of detecting PA in quantities that are 100 times lower than current tests, such as the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Both the ELISA and ENIA rely on antibodies that have an affinity for the anthrax protein of interest.

The FDA test is a modified version of ELISA, which is already commonly used to detect anthrax and other infections. The researchers call their new test 'europium nanoparticle-based immunoassay,' because atoms of europium are key to the assay's sensitivity.

The ENIA uses molecular spheres (called nanospheres) covered with thousands of light-emitting atoms of europium that emit light, which acts as a signal that PA is present. The CBER team further enhanced the signal by modifying the nanospheres so they held additional atoms of europium, making the test more sensitive.

The ENIA detected PA in 100 percent of samples of mouse plasma compared to 36.4 percent through ELISA.

Nanotechnology-based tests like the ENIA are rapidly emerging as convenient tools for a variety of laboratory uses, according to Shixing Tang, M.D., Ph.D., a visiting associate scientist in the Laboratory of Molecular Virology, CBER. "ENIA has potential use in an emergency because its relatively simple design makes the technology adaptable to point-of-care uses," said Dr. Tang, the first author of the study.

The researchers developed the ENIA for PA in response to the increased interest in the scientific community for new anthrax assays following the 2001 U.S. anthrax attack that killed five people.

Co-authors of the article, "Detection of Anthrax Toxin by an Ultrasensitive Immunoassay Using Europium Nanoparticles," include Jiangqin Zhao (CBER), Mahtab Moayeri, Zhaochun Chen, Haijing Hu, Robert H. Purcell, and Stephen H. Leppla (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health), and Harri Harma (University of Turku, Finland).

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Iranian Man and His Company Charged in International Scheme to Supply Iran With Sensitive U.S. Technology

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- An Iranian citizen and his Tehran business have been charged with purchasing helicopter engines and advanced aerial cameras for fighter bombers from U.S. firms and illegally exporting them to Iran using companies in Malaysia, Ireland and the Netherlands. Among the alleged recipients of these U.S. goods was an Iranian military firm that has since been designated by the United States for being owned or controlled by entities involved in Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile program.

The charges against Hossein Ali Khoshnevisrad, 55, and his Iranian company, Ariasa, AG (Ariasa), were announced today by Matthew G. Olsen, Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security; Jeffrey A. Taylor, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia; Kevin A. Delli-Colli, Acting Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement, U.S. Department of Commerce; Joseph Persichini, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, FBI Washington Field Office; Mark X. McGraw, Special Agent in Charge, Washington Field Office, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security; and Special Agent in Charge Edward Bradley of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service Northeast Field Office.

Khoshnevisrad was arrested on Saturday, March 14, after he arrived at San Francisco International Airport on a flight from abroad. He made his initial appearance earlier today in federal court in San Francisco.

A criminal complaint filed under seal in federal court in the District of Columbia in August 2008 and unsealed today, charges the defendants each with two counts of unlawfully exporting U.S. goods to Iran and two counts of conspiracy to unlawfully export U.S. goods to Iran in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the Iranian Transactions Regulations. If convicted, Khoshnevisrad faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison on each of the first three counts of the complaint and a maximum sentence of five years in prison on the fourth count of the complaint.

According to the affidavit in support of the complaint, from January 2007 through December 2007, Khoshnevisrad and Ariasa caused and instructed a trading company in Ireland to purchase several model 250 turbo-shaft helicopter engines from Rolls-Royce Corp. in Indiana. The model 250 engine was originally designed for a U.S. Army light observation helicopter and has since been installed in numerous civil and military helicopters. In 2007, the Irish trading company purchased 17 of the model 250 helicopter engines from Rolls-Royce for $4.27 million, falsely stating that the helicopters would be used by the Irish trading company or by fake companies.

The affidavit alleges that these helicopter engines were then exported from the United States to a purported "book publisher" in Malaysia, at a Malaysian freight forwarding company address, and later shipped on to Iran. Among the recipients in Iran was the Iran Aircraft Manufacturing Industrial Company, known by its Iranian acronym as HESA.

On Sept. 17, 2008, the Treasury Department designated several Iranian weapons of mass destruction proliferators and members of their support networks pursuant to Executive Order 13382. Among the entities designated was HESA, which the Treasury Department determined was controlled by Iran's Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics and has provided support to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.

In addition to the alleged illegal export of helicopter engines, the affidavit alleges that Khoshnevisrad and Ariasa also caused to be exported to Iran several aerial panorama cameras from the United States. These specific cameras were designed for the U.S. Air Force for use on bombers, fighters and surveillance aircraft, including the F-4E Phantom fighter bomber, which is currently used by the Iranian military.

According to the affidavit, in 2006, Khoshnevisrad instructed a Dutch aviation parts company to place an order for these cameras with a U.S. company located in Pennsylvania and to ship them to an address in Iran.

According to the affidavit, the Dutch company ordered the aerial panorama cameras from the Pennsylvania firm, falsely stating that the Netherlands would be the final destination for the cameras. In an email to the Dutch company, Khoshnevisrad provided the following instructions: "Regarding the end user as you know USA will not deliver to Iran in any case. You should give them an end user by yourself."

In August 2006, a representative of the Dutch company notified Khoshnevisrad that he had received the cameras from the United States and that the cameras would soon be shipped to Tehran aboard an Iran Air flight, according to the affidavit.

Despite these alleged transactions, neither Khoshnevisrad nor Ariasa has ever sought, obtained or possessed any authorization or license from the U.S. Department of Treasury to export any goods or technology to Iran, according to the affidavit.

This investigation was conducted by special agents from the Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry Security, Office of Export Enforcement; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Department of Homeland Security's U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service. U.S. Customs and Border Protection provided assistance in the arrest.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Denise Cheung and Ann Petalas of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, and Trial Attorneys Johnathan Poling and Ryan Fayhee of the Counterespionage Section of the Justice Department's National Security Division. Local coordination is being provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Candace Kelly of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California.

The details contained in a criminal complaint are mere allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

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Department of Justice Withdraws 'Enemy Combatant' Definition for Guantanamo Detainees

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In a filing today with the federal District Court for the District of Columbia, the Department of Justice submitted a new standard for the government's authority to hold detainees at the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility. The definition does not rely on the President's authority as Commander-in-Chief independent of Congress's specific authorization. It draws on the international laws of war to inform the statutory authority conferred by Congress. It provides that individuals who supported al Qaeda or the Taliban are detainable only if the support was substantial. And it does not employ the phrase "enemy combatant."

The Department also submitted a declaration by Attorney General Eric Holder stating that, under executive orders issued by President Obama, the government is undertaking an interagency review of detention policy for individuals captured in armed conflicts or counterterrorism operations as well as a review of the status of each detainee held at Guantanamo. The outcome of those reviews may lead to further refinements of the government's position as it develops a comprehensive policy.

"As we work towards developing a new policy to govern detainees, it is essential that we operate in a manner that strengthens our national security, is consistent with our values, and is governed by law," said Attorney General Holder. "The change we've made today meets each of those standards and will make our nation stronger."

In its filing today, the government bases its authority to hold detainees at Guantanamo on the Authorization for the Use of Military Force, which Congress passed in September 2001, and which authorized the use of force against nations, organizations, or persons the president determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided the September 11 attacks, or harbored such organizations or persons. The government's new standard relies on the international laws of war to inform the scope of the President's authority under this statute, and makes clear that the government does not claim authority to hold persons based on insignificant or insubstantial support of al Qaeda or the Taliban.

The brief was filed in habeas litigation brought by numerous detainees at Guantanamo who are challenging their detention under the Supreme Court's decision last summer in Boumediene v. Bush.

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Discussions Aim to Resolve U.S. Survey Ship Incident

The incident in the South China Sea involving a U.S. ocean surveillance ship is serious enough to merit face-to-face discussions between U.S. and Chinese officials, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said today.

The USNS Impeccable – an unarmed Military Sealift Command vessel -- was conducting operations in international waters 70 miles south of Hainan Island on March 8 when the ship was surrounded and harassed by five Chinese vessels.

Morrell said the U.S. defense attaché in Beijing has been talking with China's defense ministry about the incident.

The Chinese defense attaché also is speaking with Defense Department officials.

"[The incident] is serious enough that we believe it requires face-to-face talks to find out what was going on here and to ensure that there are no further incidents of this nature in the future," Morrell said.

Morrell reiterated the U.S. position that the Impeccable was performing its mission in international waters.

"We hope that the Chinese would behave in a similar way, that is, according to international law," he said. "Furthermore, this incident is not at all consistent with the expressed desire of both governments to build a closer relationship, particularly a closer military-to-military relationship."

The U.S. position is that if a ship is lawfully operating in international waters, "that that is legal and permitted, and there should be no ... reason to interfere with those operations," Morrell said.

Officials are hopeful that the conversations between the two nations will clear up any misunderstandings about this incident and ensure it doesn't happen again, he added.

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

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Gates: U.S. Won't Allow Taliban Resurgence in Afghanistan

As the United States reviews its strategy in Afghanistan, one thing is certain: The United States won't let the Taliban threaten the Afghan government and re-establish safe havens there, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said on National Public Radio yesterday.

"I would say that at a minimum, the mission is to prevent the Taliban from retaking power against the democratically elected government in Afghanistan and thus turning Afghanistan potentially again into a haven for alQaida and other extremist groups," Gates said.

The secretary conceded that the situation in Afghanistan "began to go downhill again" in 2005 and 2006. That's when the Taliban started taking advantage of safe havens on the Pakistani side of the Pakistan-Afghan border and began "to re-infiltrate into Afghanistan and create security problems."

The decision to send an additional 17,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan and reassess the strategy there focuses on this challenge. "We've really just been responding to that," Gates said. "Clearly, we all still have our work cut out for us."

Although NATO is committing additional troops to provide security for the August elections, the secretary said he was not sure if they'd remain for any prolonged period.

"The allies have sent all the troops that they have committed to send. It hasn't been that they have failed to follow through on their commitments," he said.

The problem is that "the need is greater than the commitments that have been made to this point," he said. "And so we would like more help."

But the biggest shortfall, he said, isn't on the military side. "Really, where we need the help is on the civilian side, whether it's agricultural specialists or people who can help with governance, economic development and so on," he said.

Gates reiterated the need for achievable near- and mid-term goals in Afghanistan, with benchmarks to assess the effectiveness of the mission there. These, he said, will "measure whether we are actually making progress and getting to a better place in Afghanistan in terms of security, in terms of credibility of the government" and how the U.S.-Afghan partnership is working.

These, he said, aren't the same goals the United States hopes to see in 10, 20 or 30 years -- "a completely democratic, fully economically developed ally."

He referred to this state as "Valhalla," a mythical utopian state, but conceded, "I think that's a little ways in the distance."

Turning to Iraq, Gates said he's "on the same page" with President Barack Obama regarding the drawdown of U.S. troops there. "The fact is that if there is no new agreement with the Iraqis, there will be zero U.S. troops in Iraq after the end of 2011," he said.

But Gates conceded that the United States may maintain a "very modest-sized presence" after the status-of-forces agreement expires in December 2011 to provide training, equipment assistance and intelligence support. That would happen, he said, only if the Iraqis request it, and if Obama approves the request.

As the discussion turned to intelligence, Gates defended the work of intelligence professionals who have become the targets of frequent pot-shots. "They really do a very good job of telling you what's going on right now around the world," he said. "But forecasting – the truth of the matter is they're not a lot better than anybody else. And I think policymakers need to understand that."

Gates noted the challenge of getting a true picture of what's taking place in Iran and other potential hot spots around the world.

"Obviously, some targets are much more difficult than others," he said. Iran, North Korea and Cuba are all very difficult targets.

"The truth of the matter is, for decades our intelligence hasn't been terrific on some of these places," Gates said. "I think there's a lot of effort to try and make it better. But there's still a lot of uncertainty out there."

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

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Obama Considers Deploying National Guard to U.S.-Mexico Border

As President Barack Obama considers deploying National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border to control escalating violence, Arizona's governor has requested about 250 more National Guard troops on its border with Mexico, and the Texas governor is considering a similar action.

"We're going to examine whether, and if, National Guard deployments would make sense and in what circumstances they would make sense as part of this overall review of our border situation," Obama told reporters yesterday, according to media reports. The White House does not release transcripts of media roundtable sessions.

"I haven't drawn any conclusions yet," reporters said Obama told them. "I don't have a particular tipping point in mind."

While emphasizing that he does not want to "militarize" the border, Obama called it "unacceptable if you've got drug gangs crossing our borders and killing our citizens."

The president noted that Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, visited Mexico last week to meet with his Mexican counterparts about the situation and to discuss additional support the United States could provide.

Meanwhile, Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer sent a letter to Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates requesting 250 more National Guard soldiers to be posted along the 350-mile Arizona-Mexico border.

Although Brewer has the authority to call up the troops, she asked Gates to mobilize them as part of the federally funded Joint Counter Narco-terrorism Task Force. That force currently includes about 150 Army and Air National Guard members.

"Arizona communities and citizens are negatively affected by the impacts of the illegal drug trade and related border violence, and enforcement agencies in all jurisdictions are stretched as they attempt to address the enormity of the problems," Brewer said. "The support these additional soldiers can provide to law enforcement agency operations would prove invaluable."

In neighboring Texas, Gov. Rick Perry has expressed the need for more troops or border agents along its border with Mexico. Perry reiterated at a ceremony last week the need for more help to disrupt operations of the Mexican Mafia, Texas Syndicate, Barrio Azteca, MS-13 and other violent transnational gangs.

Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman told reporters today it's too soon to know if additional military support will be granted.

The last major federal National Guard mission along the U.S.-Mexico border was Operation Jump Start. The two-year mission, from June 2006 to July 2008, dispatched as many as 6,000 National Guard members to Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas to make the border more secure for legal immigration and commerce until the U.S. Border Patrol could boost its own ranks.

Guard members did not serve in a direct law-enforcement role, but provided vital reinforcement to the Border Patrol. Their missions included engineering, aviation, entry identification teams, and a wide range of technical, logistical and administrative support.

By the time the mission ended in July, more than 30,000 citizen-soldiers and -airmen from across the nation had participated.

Whitman emphasized that the proposed border mission, if ultimately approved, would have a very different purpose and timeline than Operation Jump Start.

In the meantime, the United States is exploring other ways it can help Mexico deal with escalating violence, he said. "We continue to offer Mexico assistance in any number of ways," he told reporters.

The Merida Initiative, for example, provides Mexico and several other countries funding to counter drug trafficking, and the U.S. military has a strong military-to-military partnership with Mexico. The United States also is providing Mexico foreign military financing for five helicopters, a maritime surveillance aircraft and handheld scanners used for detection purposes, Whitman said.

"The U.S. government as a whole is concerned about the escalating violence and its effect on public security as well as the Southwest U.S. border," he said. "I think that what you are seeing is a recognition of the problem that is facing the Mexican government, and as good neighbors, the United States is looking at any number of ways in which we might be able to render some additional assistance."

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
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Obama Considering Deploying Troops to U.S.-Mexico Border

President Obama says he's considering whether to deploy National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border, after Texas Gov. Rick Perry made an urgent call fort 1,000 more "boots on the ground" to deal with the growing violence.

The president weighed the option during a meeting with regional reporters Wednesday afternoon.

"We're going to examine.....http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/03/12/obama-considering-deploying-troops-mexico-border/

FOXNews.com
Thursday, March 12, 2009

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FBI Perspective on Threats from Somalia

Philip Mudd
Associate Executive Assistant Director, National Security Branch, Federal Bureau of Investigation
Statement Before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

March 11, 2009

Good morning Chairman Lieberman, Senator Collins, and members of the Committee. I am pleased to be here today. Thank you for the opportunity to provide the FBI’s perspective on the issue of threats from Somalia and their effect on the security of the United States. I will also discuss our assessment of why a number of individuals have left the United States to train or fight in Somalia, and how the FBI is working with our law enforcement and intelligence partners to respond to the threat.

Somalia Overview

Somalia continues to be wracked by instability and, despite efforts to bring some measure of peace and stability to that country, is still plagued by conflict among various competing factions. The rise of violent extremist Islamist elements—like the al-Shabaab militia, which has made significant gains in the aftermath of the Ethiopian invasion in late 2006—has made the security environment there even more unsettled. Al-Shabaab is one of the most significant forces on the ground in Somalia and has conducted a range of operations against a number of different targets inside the country. While the Ethiopian government withdrew all combat forces in mid-January, al-Shabaab has conducted follow-on attacks against African Union peacekeeping troops, as well as international aide workers. Al-Shabaab’s use of tactics such as suicide bombings, kidnappings, beheadings, and murders only serves to burnish its reputation for violence.

Beyond the threat al-Shabaab poses in Somalia, its connections to other extremists in the region and beyond add to concern over its activities. Al-Shabaab has links to the al Qaeda in East Africa network—including individuals responsible for the 1998 embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania—and maintains ties with al Qaeda leaders in Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas. Al Qaeda’s focus on Somalia is in part reflected in its propaganda: top al Qaeda advisor Ayman al-Zawahiri, for example, proclaimed in a February 2009 statement that gains made by al-Shabaab in Somalia were “a step on the path of victory of Islam.” Such propaganda suggests al Qaeda leaders see Somalia as a potential recruiting, training, or staging ground for anti-U.S. or Western operations in the region, or even more disturbing, around the globe.

Dynamics in the United States

An estimated two million to three million Somalis live outside of Somalia or the Horn of Africa, and the ethnic Somali community in the United States is estimated to range from 150,000 to 200,000. However, high rates of illegal immigration, widespread identity and documentation fraud, and a cultural reluctance to share personal information with census takers has prevented an accurate count of the ethnic Somali population inside the United States. Ethnic Somalis began arriving in Minneapolis, Minnesota in the mid-1990s on the heels of a broader resettlement program, and the area is now home to the single largest population of ethnic Somalis in the United States. Other cities with reported large concentrations of ethnic Somalis include Columbus, Ohio; Seattle, Washington; Washington, D.C.; San Diego, California; and Atlanta, Georgia.

Since late 2006, we have seen several individuals from the United States—many with ethnic ties to Somalia and some without such connections—travel to Somalia to train or fight on behalf of al-Shabaab. The number of individuals we believe have departed for Somalia is comparatively larger than the number of individuals who have left the United States for other conflict zones around the world over the past few years. And we have seen more individuals leave from the Minneapolis area than from any other part of the country.

In Minneapolis, we believe there has been an active and deliberate attempt to recruit individuals—all of whom are young men, some only in their late teens—to travel to Somalia to fight or train on behalf of al-Shabaab. We assess that for the majority of these individuals, the primary motivation for such travel was to defend their place of birth from the Ethiopian invasion, although an appeal was also made based on their shared Islamic identity. A range of socio-economic conditions—such as violent youth crime and gang subcultures, and tensions over cultural integration—may have also played some role in the recruitment process. We also note that several of the travelers from Minneapolis came from single-parent households, potentially making them more susceptible to recruitment from charismatic male authority figures.

While there are no current indicators that any of the individuals who traveled to Somalia have been selected, trained, or tasked by al-Shabaab or other extremists to conduct attacks inside the United States, we remain concerned about this possibility and that it might be exploited in the future if other U.S. persons travel to Somalia for similar purpos es. The fact that one of the Minneapolis youths participated in a suicide attack in northern Somalia in late October 2008—which we believe is the first instance of a U.S. citizen participating in a suicide attack anywhere—has only added to concern over the possibility that individuals may engage in terrorist activity upon their return to the United States.

Comparison to the United Kingdom

Much has been written about the circumstances of many South Asians in the United Kingdom, and how a variety of factors has contributed to an environment in which hundreds of individuals became involved in extremist activity there and in South Asia. Among the factors having some impact on South Asian communities in the United Kingdom are social and cultural alienation, demographic patterns, underemployment or unemployment, youth and gang-related violence, the existence of active extremist recruitment and facilitation networks, and natural access to an active conflict zone based on family or ethnic connections.

For the overwhelming majority of immigrant Muslim-American communities inside the United States, this U.K. environment stands in sharp contrast. As recent public opinion polls—such as the May 2007 Pew Poll and recent Gallup Poll—have shown, Muslim-Americans are for the most part well-integrated, and they achieve statistically higher levels of economic and educational achievement than most other minority groups within the United States. While poll results show that grievances do exist for Muslim-Americans, the vast majority do not condone the use of violence to provide any redress.

Despite the events in Minneapolis and examples of U.S. persons from other parts of the country who have traveled to Somalia for training or fighting, we do not believe that Somali communities here face the same challenges as similar South Asian communities in the United Kingdom. Nevertheless, some of the same factors that have contributed to the high level of extremist activity in the South Asian U.K. environment are evident in some Somali communities inside the United States, which indicates the need for heightened outreach and engagement in order to prevent these from manifesting into direct threats to the Homeland.

Outreach and Engagement

Since the 9/11 attacks, the FBI has developed an extensive outreach program to Muslim, South Asian, and Sikh communities to develop trust, address concerns, and dispel myths in those communities about the FBI and the U.S. government. In the wake of developments in Minneapolis, the FBI initiated a pilot program focused on enhancing outreach and engagement activities with select field offices that were dealing with some aspect of the Somalia traveler issue. This program is still in the proof-of-concept phase, but is expected to provide multiple benefits for the FBI and the Somali communities within the purview of the select field offices.

Partnership with State and Local Government

The FBI has long partnered with state and local law enforcement. In the counterterrorism domain, that partnership has been sustained through more than 25 years of involvement in the Joint Terrorism Task Forces (JTTFs) throughout the country. While the FBI is the lead federal agency for terrorism investigations inside the United States, we recognize the vast resources, experience, and insight our state and local law enforcement partners have within the areas in which our field offices and satellite offices reside. One such example includes a partnership among our Minneapolis Field Office and local law enforcement, educators, and social service agency representatives to discuss issues of interest and concern regarding the Somali community there.

We are leveraging our relationships with state and local law enforcement in various field offices beyond the traditional JTTF structure to enhance our understanding or insight into the Somalia issue and its possible impact on the United States, including fostering new initiatives with units involved in traditional criminal or gang programs.

Intelligence Community Collaboration

The FBI continues to work with other members of the U.S. Intelligence Community to assess, evaluate, monitor, and—if required—disrupt, any potential threats based on activity related to extremism in Somalia. FBI analysts work closely with their counterparts at the Department of Homeland Security, the Central Intelligence Agency, and the Nation al Counterterrorism Center to evaluate events in Somalia and how they might affect the United States. Operationally, FBI agents work with a range of counterparts to develop programs to collect intelligence and disrupt any possible threats relating to individuals who have traveled to Somalia for extremist activity, or wish to travel in the future. Information regarding analysis and operations is shared routinely and continuously, and up to the highest levels of decision-makers in various agencies.

Threat to the Homeland

On balance, we are concerned about the recruitment of individuals from the United States to Somalia and their involvement in training or fighting there. While there are likely a variety of motivations affecting such individuals, it remains unclear whether the allure of Somalia as an active conflict zone has diminished in the wake of Ethiopia’s withdrawal—thereby removing a primary grievance based on nationalism—or whether it will continue to attract individuals from the West who see Somalia as a permissive environment given ongoing instability.

While al-Shabaab’s foothold in Somalia remains tenuous, it has secured a number of gains in recent months, and its proclivity for extreme violence remains a hallmark. Most worrisome are links between al-Shabaab and al Qaeda associates in the region and elsewhere, and the degree to which Somalia will become another safe haven from which to train, recruit, and then deploy Westerners already there for attacks against their home countries is an open question. Currently, there are no clear indicators that this is occurring, but there are several gaps in our understanding of events there that preclude a more robust understanding of the nature and severity of the threat to the West or United States.

Conclusion

Today, the FBI continues to collect intelligence and assess any potential threats to the United States based on activity related to extremism in Somalia. We are working closely with our U.S. Intelligence Community and law enforcement counterparts to analyze the vulnerability of the United States to such an attack. We will build on these relationships as we continue efforts to stay ahead of the threats and protect our Homeland.

We thank the Committee for its continued support of the FBI and its national security mission. And we look forward to continuing to work with you to protect our nation and its citizens.

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N. Korea Vows to Punish U.S., S. Korea 'Warmongers'

North Korea vowed Tuesday to punish U.S. and South Korean "warmongers" after the American military said it would go ahead with annual joint exercises that Pyongyang calls an invasion rehearsal.

Tensions in Northeast Asia have spiked amid mounting concern over the North's apparent plan to test-launch a missile believed capable of reaching the U.S. west coast.

Many analysts have said the launch threat is.....
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,504005,00.html

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Clinton Doubtful Iran Will Respond to U.S. Diplomacy

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton expressed doubt Monday that Iran would respond to the Obama administration's diplomatic initiatives toward Tehran on nuclear and other issues, a senior State Department official said.

Clinton made the statement in a private meeting with the foreign minister of the United Arab Emirates, Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who had expressed to Clinton a concern among Persian Gulf nations that Obama might make a deal.....
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/03/02/clinton-doubtful-iran-respond-diplomacy/

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World Jewish Congress President Ronald Lauder Welcomes U.S. Pullout of 'Shameful' UN Anti-Racism Conference

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The president of the World Jewish Congress (WJC), Ronald S. Lauder, warmly welcomed the decision by the U.S. Government to withdraw from the upcoming United Nations conference on anti-racism ("Durban II") in Geneva over concerns that it would become a repeat of the failed event held in Durban in September 2001. "Every day it becomes clearer that the Durban Review Conference is not about combating racism, but about promoting anti-Israel and anti-Semitic propaganda within the framework of the United Nations. The Obama administration and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton deserve praise for sending a strong warning signal to the UN. Unfortunately, the efforts by the U.S. administration to ameliorate this process have not succeeded," Lauder said.

He added: "This conference should not be attended by the governments of democratic countries because it undermines the very purpose of the UN and does great damage to this important institution." The WJC president expressed hope that other governments would also stay away from the Geneva conference. "We hope that EU and other countries will follow the lead of Canada, Israel, and the United States. It would be a travesty if the UN's anti-racism conference were to become a platform for propagating hatred and intolerance. No government should take part in such a shameful event," the WJC president said.

Lauder also pointed out that countries with abysmal human rights records were in the forefront of activities leading up to the Durban Review Conference. "Surely no good can result from a conference where countries such as Libya, Iran, Pakistan and Syria are dictating the agenda. The plights of the victims of true racism and discrimination are being ignored. Sudan is not condemned for the mass killings in Darfur, Iran has been given a pass for its cruel treatment of Bahais and other minorities, as well as its mass executions of students and dissidents. Pakistan is not being held accountable for introducing Sharia law in order to appease the Taliban. These and other countries are attempting to protect their extremist ideologies under the disguise of banning the 'defamation of religion' while at the same time refusing to condemn Holocaust denial," Ronald Lauder said, adding that "the World Jewish Congress will urge world leaders to not participate in the Durban Review Conference."

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