DHS Baltimore Freddie Gray Protest Documents

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USFA Fire Watch Desk Daily Report April 29, 2015

Wednesday, April 29, 2015 8:59:14 AM
on behalf of (b) (6), (b) (7)(C E
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

DHS National Operations Center
U.S. Fire Administration Watch Desk
Daily Report April 29 , 2015
National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC): National Preparedness Level: 1 Description Minimal
large fire activity is occurring nationally. Most Geographic Areas have low to moderate fire danger.
There is little or no commitment of national resources. (Source - NIFC)
National Fire Weather:No Red Flag Warnings is expected today. No Elevated Fire Weather is expected today.
NoCritical Fire Weather is expected.(Source - Todays NOAA Fire Weather Outlooks Report)
Wildfires: Nationally initial wild-land fire attack is Light with 549 New fires over a one week period.
Of these there are 6 new large fires resulting in a total of 5 large uncontained incident presently.
(Source NICC Incident Management Situation Report).
Significant Wildfires:
None
Predictive Services Discussion: For the latest daily weather forecast, please consult the National
Weather Service graphical forecasts for the U.S. at:
http://graphical.weather.gov/sectors/conusWeek.php#tabs
Predictive Services Outlook products:
http://www.predictiveservices.nifc.gov/predictive.htm
All-Hazards Activity:
Only Scattered Resistance To Curfew Reported; Schools To Reopen Wednesday: Baltimore,
Maryland - Scattered outbreaks of resistance flared as an overnight curfew settled Tuesday night
over Baltimore. About 20 minutes after the 10 p.m. curfew went into effect, streets appeared to
begin emptying as police slowly advanced in lines. But the police department said a large group at
the intersection of North and Pennsylvania avenues had become "aggressive" and was throwing
items at officers. Shortly after 10:30 p.m., police began advancing on what they called a "group of
criminals" who had started a fire outside a public library branch at Pennsylvania and North avenues.
The group consisted of about 100 people. Arrests followed by about 11 p.m. Authorities had said
they were confident they would prevent a repeat of Monday night's rioting and looting, and, except
for a handful of flare-ups, they appeared to be succeeding. Public schools, which were closed
Monday and Tuesday, were scheduled to open on time Wednesday morning. The Baltimore Orioles
planned to play Wednesday's game in a CamdenYards closed to the public, but Thursday's double-
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header will be open to the public. The 10 p.m.-to-5 a.m. curfew was instituted for the next week
after rioting Monday resulted in 144 vehicle fires, 15 structural fires, and 235 arrests, including 34
juveniles.One person is in critical condition after one of those fires. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
Firearms and Explosives has deployed its national response team to help investigate the fires. (NBC
News)
Easternmost Detection Of Virus Reported In Wild Birds: McCracken County, Kentucky - The H5N2
avian influenza virus has made its Kentucky debut with a detection in two wild waterfowl, federal
officials announced Tuesday, signaling the pathogen's easternmost appearance in the United States.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic H5N2 avian influenza (HPAI) in two wild birds, a goose
and a duck, in McCracken County. The birds were found within the Mississippi flyway, where this
strain of avian influenza has previously been identified. Kentucky is the easternmost state to report
the virus, although it has struck three poultry farms in southern Ontario, not far from Toronto. The
find brings it closer to big poultry-producing areas on the East Coast, including Delaware and
Maryland. H5N2 has also been reported in wild birds, mostly waterfowl, in Washington state,
Oregon, Idaho, Missouri, Kansas, and Wyoming in the past few months, according to the USDA. The
virus has been found in captive raptors in Missouri, Montana, Idaho, and Washington. (Outbreak
News Today)
Cleanup Of Oil Spill Could Take Up To 2 Weeks: Miller County, Arkansas - Authorities in Miller
County say an oil spill could take one to two weeks to clean up, after it was discovered Tuesday on
County Road 249 near County Road 196. The spill was caused by a leak in a line and has covered 40
to 60 acres. A man who leases land in the area says he's worried about the animals in the area.
Officials say they don't know how long the line had been leaking before it was discovered Tuesday.
(Twitter , KSLA News 12)
Third Body Recovered; Three People Still Missing: Mobile Bay, Alabama - A Good Samaritan found
the body of a third victim Tuesday after a boat race Saturday went awry when a powerful storm
moved through, U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) officials said. The USCG said nearly 470 people were
aboard the 100 boats that participated in the race, and at least 10 boats sank. Officials and
volunteers continue searching for the three people still missing. Officials said at sunset Thursday,
the operation will switch to a recovery mission. As of Tuesday, crews had searched 4,200 square
miles of water and land, and added 70 more miles of shoreline to their search Tuesday. In all, about
225 people were involved in Tuesday's search. Crews in Baldwin County joined in as the USCGsaid it
was time to expand the search eastward. Crews will soon move into night-time search mode, which
is a slightly reduced foot print, according to officials. They said it's in an effort to maintain resources
for Wednesday. At first light Wednesday, crews will be back out in full force. (WPMI)
All Climbers Off Mt. Everest; Death Toll Passes 5,500: Kathmandu, Nepal -Desperate living
conditions, and fears of disease and a breakdown in law and order in the aftermath of Saturday's
earthquake in Nepal, have sparked an exodus from the country's capital. More than 100,000 people
have already left Kathmandu, with officials estimating the number could reach 300,000, more than
a 10th of the city's population. Most were heading for distant regions, where most Kathmandu
residents are originally from. Fearful of epidemics and aftershocks, they were told that the
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government would provide free buses to different parts of the country, but hours-long delays were
reported in queues. Authorities have begun the urgent task of distributing food and water to
survivors, but the relief effort is being held up by bad weather and landslides that have blocked
access to remote areas that were hit hardest by the disaster. The death toll is now 5,507 but could
rise past 10,000. About 8,000 people have been injured. All climbers on the Nepal side of Mount
Everest have left the mountain and the climbing season is over, according to guiding companies and
individual climbers, after dozens of climbers were killed or injured when an avalanche swept across
the base camp area. Teams attempting to climb the north side of Everest, the Tibet side, were called
back to their base camp over the weekend. (The Guardian)
For your situational awareness
Respectfully,
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Fire Program Specialist

USFA Fire Watch Desk
Comm/STE (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
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USFA Fire Watch Desk Daily Report April 30, 2015

Thursday, April 30, 2015 9:29:11 AM
on behalf of (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

National Fire Weather:Red Flag Warnings is expected today for North Dakota, South Dakota and
Minnesota. Elevated Fire Weather is expected today for far eastern North Dakota and far
northwestern Minnesota. Critical Fire Weather is expected for far eastern North Dakota and far
northwestern Minnesota. (Source - Todays NOAA Fire Weather Outlooks Report)
None
Officials Say Chances Of Finding More Survivors 'Bleak'; Weather Hampering Efforts: Kathmandu,
Nepal - Rescue teams worked in pouring rain on Thursday in the debris left by last week's
devastating earthquake in Nepal, but officials said the chances of finding any more survivors was
bleak as the death toll neared 5,500. While rescue teams were out in the capital, Kathmandu,
despite the rain, helicopters could not fly to the worst-hit areas in the countryside. "There may not
be any more survivors," a disaster management center official at Nepal's home ministry said. "The
rain is adding to the problems. Nature seems to be against us." The official said foreign rescue
teams had told him that their work was almost done because there was little chance of finding any
more survivors. Almost 11,000 were injured, and more than 80 were also killed in neighboring India
and Tibet. Many people have been sleeping in the open after the quake - the United Nations has
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said 600,000 houses were destroyed or damaged. It has said eight million people have been
affected, with at least two million in need of tents, water, food and medicines over the next three
months. Nepal is appealing to foreign governments for more helicopters. There are currently about
20 Nepali army, private and Indian army helicopters involved in rescue operations, according to a
home ministry official. Members of Israeli search-and-rescue group Magnus said hundreds of
tourists were airlifted out of Langtang in Rasuwa district, a popular trekking area north of
Kathmandu hit by an avalanche on Tuesday. But at least two foreigners, whose nationalities were as
yet unknown, were found dead, the home ministry said.(The Guardian)
No Incidents Reported As Curfew Goes Into Effect: Baltimore, Maryland - A few minutes after an
overnight curfew settled over Baltimore at 10 p.m. on Wednesday, only a couple dozen people were
left on the streets with no reports of disturbances. No major incidents were reported and no
officers were injured Wednesday, a Baltimore police official said. A few fights broke out within the
crowd ahead of the curfew, but they were quickly broken up. By 10 p.m., when helicopters flew
over announcing the curfew, most people appeared to be leaving the streets. Some 2,000 National
Guard troops and more than 1,000 law enforcement officers were on hand to enforce the curfew. In
response to the violence Monday night, city officials ordered a 10 p.m.-to-5 a.m. curfew to extend
through the rest of the week. Police said certain exceptions would be allowed, including for going to
and from work and medical emergencies. Baltimore police said 18 people were arrested
Wednesday, and more than 250 people have been arrested in the city since Monday. Baltimore's
school system opened Wednesday and after-school sports and other activities were set to resume.
(ABC News)
Minnesota Reports 11 Additional Cases; National Guard Completes Water Delivery Mission:
Minnesota - Avian flu has surfaced at 11 more Minnesota turkey farms, bringing to 67 the number
of state poultry flocks afflicted by the virus, state regulators said Wednesday. The H5N2 strain was
confirmed at eight turkey farms in the state by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Minnesota
Department of Animal Health reported "presumptive" flu findings in three more turkey flocks. Of
the 11 new cases, six are in Kandiyohi County, bringing the total number there to 25, the most of
any county. Kandiyohi is the state's largest turkey producing county, and Minnesota is the nation's
largest turkey state, churning out about 46 million birds a year. At least 3.46 million birds have been
affected by the flu, not including turkeys involved in many of the outbreaks reported Wednesday.
Birds on infected farms that aren't killed outright by the flu are euthanized as a precaution. On
Wednesday, the Minnesota National Guard completed its water delivery mission, part of the turkey
disposal job. Private contractors are now in place to provide water for euthanization programs on
affected farms. The water is for the foam sprayed on turkeys to suffocate them. (StarTribune)
Iowa Officials Announce Four New Probable Cases: Iowa - State officials announced Wednesday
four more probable cases of highly pathogenic avian flu in Iowa commercial poultry farms. The new
cases--three in Buena Vista County and one in Kossuth County--bring to 12 the total number of
cases diagnosed in Iowa this month, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship said.
The cases include two Buena Vista County turkey farms, one with 50,000 birds and another whose
population estimate is pending. The other new cases are a 63,000-hen commercial laying operation
in Buena Vista County and a chicken breeder farm with 19,000 birds in Kossuth County. State
officials have quarantined the premises, and once the disease is confirmed all birds on the property
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will be euthanized to prevent the spread of the disease. A U.S. Department of Agriculture laboratory
in Ames will run additional tests to confirm.(Cedar Rapids Gazette)
Louisiana Officials Conducting Air Monitoring At Site Of Well Blowout: Bell City, Louisiana Louisiana State Police Emergency Services Troopers and other first responders remain on the scene
early Thursday of a natural gas well blowout near Bell City in southeastern Calcasieu Parish. Several
agencies, including a state police hazmat team, responded to the incident, which began about 3
p.m. local time Wednesday. The Reef Exploration well, located on Alta Road, blew and continually
spewed sand, salt water and natural gas into the air. Authorities said a crew out of Houston, TX, is
supposed to repair the well. There has been no word on when those repairs are expected to be
completed. The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality is conducting air monitoring
downwind of the blowout. The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office is handling the road closure and
traffic control. Ten people have been asked to evacuate for safety reasons. Residents had until
midnight Wednesday to evacuate. (KLFY)
Respectfully,
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

Comm/STE (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
OPS054000007
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To:
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(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
on behalf of(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

USFA Fire Watch Desk Daily Report April 28 2015
Tuesday, April 28, 2015 10:44:31 AM

National Fire Weather:No Red Flag Warnings is expected today. No Elevated Fire Weather is expected today.
NoCritical Fire Weather is expected.(Source - Todays NOAA Fire Weather Outlooks Report)
None
20% Of Iowa's Egg-Laying Hens Wiped Out As Outbreak Spreads: Iowa - Avian flu outbreaks were
reported at five more Iowa facilities Monday, with more than 6 million birds infected.
New cases announced Monday include: 250,000 on farm with pullets (young hens) in Osceola
County; 240,000 commercial laying hens in O'Brien; 98,000 commercial laying hens in O'Brien; 1.7
million commercial laying hens in Sioux County; and 3.8 million commercial laying hens in Sioux
County. The most recent outbreaks are not within quarantined areas, officials said. Cases reported
last week in Iowa include: 27,000 turkeys in Buena Vista; 3.8 million laying hens in Osceola County;
and 34,000 turkeys in Sac County. All told, the number of infected laying hens and turkeys in Iowa
has now jumped to 10 million at eight locations. Most of the losses have been egg-laying hens,
about 9.6 million total. Within days, the virus has wiped out about 20 percent of the 60 million egglaying hens in Iowa, the nation's largest producer of eggs. New infections are being reported almost
daily, bringing to about 80 the number of cases that have been reported in 13 states, with the lion's
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share concentrated in the Midwest. So far the outbreak has affected more than 13 million birds
across the country. ( The Des Moines Register)
Citywide Curfew To Take Effect Tomorrow; Light Rail Service Resumes: Baltimore, Maryland - The
Mayor of Baltimore declared a citywide curfew beginning tomorrow in response to ongoing unrest.
The curfew will be in effect from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. and will last for a week.There is already a youth
curfew in effect, which restricts those under 14 years of age after 9 p.m. on school nights and
juveniles over 14 years of age after 10 p.m. on school nights. During the curfew, people will only be
allowed on the streets for medical emergencies or to go to work. Baltimore City Public Schools will
be closed Tuesday. Baltimore police say that all of the officers who were injured earlier while
protecting the Mondawmin community were treated for their injuries. Fifteen officers were injured
in total, according to an evening press conference. Of those, two are still being treated. Baltimore
police are responding to reports of criminals looting at Mondawmin Mall. The Towson Town Mall in
Towson is closing immediately due to the state of emergency and at the urging of the Baltimore
County police. The MTA says Light Rail service has resumed through downtown Baltimore, though
customers should still expect delays. (WBAL)
Search And Rescue Needs Reportedly Being Met As Death Toll Nears 4,400: Kathmandu, Nepal The death toll from Nepal's devastating earthquake could reach 10,000, the prime minister said on
Tuesday, as residents frustrated by the government's slow response used their bare hands to dig for
signs of their loved ones. International aid has finally begun arriving in the Himalayan nation of 28
million people, three days after Saturday's 7.8 magnitude quake, but disbursement is slow.
According to the home ministry, the confirmed death toll stands at 4,349, with more than 7,000
injured. "The death toll could go up to 10,000 because information from remote villages hit by the
earthquake is yet to come in," the prime minister said. The United Nations said eight million people
were affected by the quake and that 1.4 million people were in need of food. Officials
acknowledged they were overwhelmed by the scale of the disaster. "We urge foreign countries to
give us special relief materials and medical teams. We are really desperate for more foreign
expertise to pull through this crisis," a top government official said. Nepal's government does
believe it now has enough expertise in the country for search and rescue, however. A team of 37
New Zealand urban search and rescue experts were due to leave Monday night for Kathmandu, but
they were told by the Nepal government not to come, as the team was no longer needed. Still,
while aid has begun arriving in the capital, including food, medical supplies, tents and dogs trained
for rescue efforts, authorities are struggling to deliver the relief further afield. A crush at the main
international airport, where relief material and rescue teams are flying in while thousands of
residents are trying to leave, has slowed the flow of aid. (Reuters)
Louisiana Declares State Of Emergency: Louisiana - TheGovernor of Louisiana has issued a state of
emergency after strong storms passed through areas of Louisiana on Monday. He sent out the
proclamation Monday afternoon as a result of severe weather and flooding throughout the state,
most specifically southern Louisiana. State officials said the thunderstorms moved through with
damaging winds gusting to 66 miles per hour and several inches of rain. Widespread damage,
outages and road closures were reported throughout parishes in Louisiana. TheGovernor's Office
said leaders in Assumption and Lafourche parishes have declared states of emergency to help
residents experiencing widespread power outages and flooding. These sorts. of.roclamations allow
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the state and local governments to free up funds to help provide residents with assistance needed.
"The State anticipates additional parishes will declare states of emergency and that assistance may
be needed to assist the parishes in their response to this continuing threat," the Governor's Office
said. (WDSU)
MN Extends State Of Emergency; State Needs $7.3M For Response Efforts: Minnesota - The
Governor of Minnesota and state officials approved a month-long extension to a peacetime state of
emergency Monday to battle bird flu, acknowledging they still don't know the full scope of an
outbreak that has wiped out about a fifth of the turkey population in the nation's largest turkeyproducing state. The deadly virus is spreading in Minnesota by the day. Its toll more than doubled in
the last week: 55 turkey farms had been hit as of Monday, costing farmers more than 3 million
birds. Infected flocks have been slated for slaughter faster than the state can euthanize them to
contain the virus. The costs have increased drastically, too. While state agencies leading the
response efforts originally asked for about $900,000, state budget officials said Monday they need
$7.3 million over the next year. The extension approved Monday allows the state to continue
overseeing a growing response plan. The federal government has sent in more than 100 staff to
Minnesota, and the Governor has mobilized the National Guard to deliver water used in the
euthanizing process. (WCCO (AP))
Respectfully,
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

Comm/STE (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
OPS054000010
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(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

(FOUO) Civil Disturbance - Baltimore, MD - 0500 EDT 30 Aprr
UNCLASSIFIED / FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

Civil Disturbance Baltimore, MD
Situation Update
0500 EDT 30 Apr
Updated Information in Blue
Summary
Baltimore remained quiet during the overnight period as residents complied with the curfew. City
officials report the situation was stable on 29 Apr with no major incidents. Multiple peaceful
demonstrations took place during the afternoon and evening with no violent activity.The
mandatory 2200 0500 EDT curfew will remain in effect until 5 May. Washington, D.C and New
York City both experienced demonstrations characterized as in solidarity with Baltimore. The
demonstrations in Washington, D.C. were peaceful and without incident. New York City reported
multiple arrests associated with demonstrations, but no major incidents affecting public safety.
Significant Incidents
Two Baltimore City police officers injured on Monday remain at Maryland Shock Trauma
Center.
No reports of additional injuries on 29 Apr.
Baltimore City Fire Department is operations normal. Resources deployed under mutual aid
compacts from surrounding jurisdictions have departed.
Baltimore City Public Schools resumed classes and after school activities Wednesday, 29 Apr.
State and Area Response / Significant Assets Assigned

National Guard: 1,783 troops assigned to Baltimore City, 298 are deployed on the streets on
mission.
895 additional law enforcement personnel:
Over 400 State Troopers and other allied law enforcement officers from Montgomery,
Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Howard, Prince Georges, and Harford counties;
Approximately 300 law enforcement from Pennsylvania, 150 from New Jersey, and 45
from DC;
Maryland State and City of Baltimore Emergency Operations Centers are activated.
Regional/Federal Response:
Federal facilities were open on 29 Apr for normal business (with telework policies instituted as
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appropriate).
Open sources report Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives is providing arson
investigation support.
FEMA R3 is at Watch/Steady State. One FEMA R3 liaison is deployed to the Maryland State
EOC.
There are no requests for FEMA assistance.
Federal Protective Service

NPPD/FPS continues enhanced security operations at high-risk federal facilities in the
Baltimore metropolitan area with over 400 FPS Law Enforcement Officers and FPS Protective
Security Officers on duty.
A twelve person CBP Special Response Team (SRT) is supporting FPS operations.
FPS has deployed a Mobile Command Vehicle to Baltimore to enhance interoperability with
other law enforcement agencies.
FPS maintains an enhanced posture and additional law enforcement officers at the Fallon
Federal Building, Edward Garmatz U.S. Courthouse, City Crescent Building, and the U.S.
Customs House.
FPS has integrated representatives into the Governor of Marylands Operations Center.
NPPDs Baltimore Protective Security Advisor is integrated into the Mayors Emergency
Operations Center. FPS and IP continue to work in close coordination with State and Local
partners to monitor the situation and prepare for a large demonstration this Saturday.
Only minor damage or demonstrations have occurred near these facilities.
USCG
Sector Baltimore declared the City of Baltimore and Baltimore County off limits to personnel
both in a personal and operational capacity through 03 May.
Personnel that live within the affected areas are to exercise extreme caution traveling to and
from their residences and are ordered to not travel in uniform.
Sector Baltimore is conducting routine operations. Units responding to SAR and pollution will
include the riots in Operational Risk Management discussions for cases in the inner harbor
and other areas of civil disturbance. Sector Baltimore has not increased FPCON.
Associated Rallies/Marches
New York City
NYC Office of Emergency Management reports protest activity occurred during the
evening of 29 Apr. NYPD is reporting numerous arrests (60+).
Washington, DC
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DC Metropolitan Police (MPDC) report a DC Ferguson Rally in Support of Freddie Gray

began at approximately 1900 EDT on 29 Apr at Gallery Place/Chinatown. Marchers
proceeded towards Connecticut Avenue, Dupont Circle, Florida Avenue and U Street
before dispersing. Protesters were also at Lafayette Park and in front of White
House. No incidents reported
MPDC has activated its Joint Operations Center in anticipation of additional protests
occurring during the remainder of the week and into the weekend.
Weather Forecast
Thursday: Showers likely, mainly after 2pm. Cloudy, with a high near 73. East wind 5 to 9 mph.
Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Thursday Night: Showers likely, mainly before midnight. Cloudy, with a low around 49. Northeast
wind 6 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and
quarter of an inch possible.
OPS054000013
From:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Subject:
Date:
(U//FOUO) NOC Note (Initial): Violent Standoff Between Protesters and Police - Baltimore, MD (NOC 0413-15)
Monday, April 27, 2015 5:01:21 PM
Overview: Open source media reports at least seven police officers have been
injured due to violent protests in Baltimore.
Report: Media reports six police officers have suffered injuries to include broken
bones, and one is reported as unresponsive. Two police cars are on fire. Limited
looting is being reported. Violence escalated after schools let out.
The NOC will continue to monitor and provide updates as warranted.
Source: Open source media.
Coordination:
IWW: No intelligence implications at this time.
NPPD: NICC and NCCIC notified.
Distribution: DHS HQ Leadership, DHS Component Leadership, DHS Component

Operations Centers, WHSR
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Senior Watch Officer

National Operations Center
Department of Homeland Security
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
WARNING: This document is FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY (FOUO); it contains information that may be exempt from public release
under the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552). It is to be controlled, stored, handled, transmitted, distributed, and
disposed of in accordance with DHS policy relating to FOUO information and is not to be released to the public or other
personnel who do not have a valid need-to-know without prior approval of an authorized DHS official.
OPS054000014
From:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Subject:
Re: (U//FOUO) NOC Note (Initial): Violent Standoff Between Protesters and Police - Baltimore, MD (NOC 041315)
Monday, April 27, 2015 5:35:29 PM
Date:
Roger that I've got some inquiries out. I have no new information to add. I think most who are close
to this are absorbed in protective activities.
From:
Sent: Monday, April 27, 2015 05:31 PM
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
To:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Subject: RE: (U//FOUO) NOC Note (Initial): Violent Standoff Between Protesters and Police - Baltimore,
MD (NOC 0413-15)
Brian
If you have anything you can add, please let us know.
v/r
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

U.S. Department of Homeland Security
National Operations Center (NOC)/State & Local Desk
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
From: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

Cc: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Subject: (U//FOUO) NOC Note (Initial): Violent Standoff Between Protesters and Police - Baltimore, MD
(NOC 0413-15)
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Coordination:

(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
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(U//FOUO) NOC Note (Update): Violent Activity - Baltimore, MD (NOC 0413-15)

Monday, April 27, 2015 7:19:20 PM
image001.jpg
Update: The Governor of Maryland, at the request of the Mayor of Baltimore City, has signed an Executive Order declaring a
State of Emergency. The Governor has called the Maryland National Guard into action and State service.
The Governor will hold a press conference at 2030 EDT.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Report (1846 EDT): The Governor of Maryland has dispatched the Maryland State Police in a supporting role on the ground,
as well as other resources and equipment from various state agencies. The Governor has put the Maryland National Guard
on alert.
The State of Maryland Emergency Operations Center has been activated.
The Baltimore Orioles game scheduled for 1905 EDT has been cancelled.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Report (1814 EDT): The violent activity continues in northwest Baltimore with the destruction of vehicles and looting of
businesses.
The violence is approximately 2 miles from Camden Yards. The Baltimore Orioles game at 1905 EDT is still scheduled to be
played.
Open source media is reporting some businesses in downtown Baltimore have closed early, to include the National Aquarium.
Hotels in the area of Oriole Park at Camden Yards have locked their revolving doors.
The Maryland Transit Administration has closed some metro rail stations in the vicinity until further notice.
Police are asking motorist to avoid the areas of Gwynns Falls, Reisterstown, and Liberty Heights.
There is no request for federal assistance.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Overview: Open source media reports at least seven police officers have been injured due to violent protests in Baltimore.
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Report (1701 EDT): Media reports six police officers have suffered injuries to include broken bones, and one is reported as
unresponsive. Two police cars are on fire. Limited looting is being reported. Violence escalated after schools let out.
Coordination:
Distribution: DHS HQ Leadership, DHS Component Leadership, DHS Component Operations Centers, WHSR
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
WARNING: This document is FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY (FOUO); it contains information that may be exempt from public release under the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) It is to
be controlled, stored, handled, transmitted, distributed, and disposed of in accordance with DHS policy relating to FOUO information and is not to be released to the public or other
OPS054000018
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Subject:
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Monday, April 27, 2015 6:45:57 PM
image001.jpg
Update: The Governor of Maryland has dispatched the Maryland State Police in a supporting role on the ground, as well as
other resources and equipment from various state agencies. The Governor has put the Maryland National Guard on alert.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
businesses.
played.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Coordination:
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(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
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Monday, April 27, 2015 7:19:20 PM
image001.jpg

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
on alert.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
businesses.
played.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Coordination:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
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Subject:
Date:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

Additional Law Enforcement Deployed As Seven Officers Injured; Multiple Metro Stations Closed - MMC Update 1
[Violent Activity - Baltimore, MD] NOC 0413-15
Monday, April 27, 2015 5:33:47 PM
Location(s): Baltimore, Maryland

Hundreds of youths outside a mall in northwest Baltimore are clashing violently with police in
riot gear, throwing rocks, bricks and bottles at the officers.
A flier circulated on social media called for a period of violence Monday afternoon to begin at
the Mondawmin Mall and move downtown toward City Hall. Outside the mall, a young
person threw a flaming trash can at the line of officers, igniting a patch of grass nearby.
Seven officers were injured after the youths threw bricks and other items at police near the
mall, according to the Baltimore Police Department. One of the officers is unresponsive, and
others have broken bones.
Police officers have lined portions of Reisterstown Road. Maryland State Police said it is
sending another 40 troopers in addition to 42 already in the city. Baltimore County, Anne
Arundel County and Prince George's County police departments have sent dozens of officers
to assist in Baltimore City.
A large group surrounded a police car at North and Pennsylvania avenues, destroying the car,
police said. "The group is damaging additional police cars in the area. The group is aggressive
and violent," police tweeted.
Police are asking motorists to avoid the area of Gwynns Falls, Reisterstown and Liberty
Heights. Some people were seen driving the wrong way down some streets to evacuate the
area.
The Maryland Transit Administration said the Mondawmin, Upton, Lexington Market, State
Center and Penn North Metro stations are closed until further notice. All southbound Light
Rail service is stopping at North Avenue. All northbound Light Rail service will stop at
Hamburg Street.
Some businesses and institutions in downtown Baltimore closed early Monday. University of
Maryland Baltimore officials said the campus was closing early at the recommendation of
Baltimore police. Also at the recommendation of police, Baltimore City Community College
officials said the school closed at 3 p.m. Afternoon and evening classes at Coppin State
University have been canceled.
Other businesses that closed early included the National Aquarium in Baltimore. Hotels in the
area of Oriole Park at Camden Yards have locked their revolving doors.
Citing the threat of more unrest, Anne Arundel County Schools canceled all school system
field trips and weekend activities scheduled to be held at venues in Baltimore City through
Sunday. The cancellation affects about 40 planned trips by schools ranging from elementary
to high school.
Traditional Media Sources (some page content may change or not be available over time):
- WUSA
-- http://on.wusa9.com/1DQAMEN
- WBAL-TV
-- http://bit.ly/1DQBjGF
- KFMB (AP)
OPS054000023
OPS054000024
OPS054000025
OPS054000026
BALTIMORE POLICE DEPARTMENT

OFFICE OF THE POLICE COMMISSIONER
MEDIA RELATIONS SECTION
Anthony W. Batts
Police Commissioner
Captain J. Eric Kowalczyk

Director
CREDIBLE THREAT TO LAW ENFORCEMENT

Baltimore, Md., April 27, 2015 The Baltimore Police Department / Criminal Intelligence Unit has
received credible information that members of various gangs including the Black Guerilla Family,
Bloods, and Crips have entered into a partnership to take-out law enforcement officers.
This is a credible threat. Law enforcement agencies should take appropriate precautions to
ensure the safety of their officers. Notification will be sent via NLETS. Further information will be
sent through appropriate channels.
Media is requested to distribute this information to the public and law enforcement nationwide.
-END-
OPS054000027
OPS054000028
From:
To:
Cc:
Subject:
Date:
Attachments:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
FEMA Region III Spot Report 15-080 (CIR #2 & #5): Maryland SEOC at Level 3 (Update #1)
Monday, April 27, 2015 8:09:05 PM
image001.jpg
Good evening,
Please see the latest update from FEMA Region III regarding the escalating situation in Baltimore
Maryland. The Mayor of Baltimore is currently conducting a live interview on CNN regarding the
situation.
The Governor has declared a State of Emergency and has activated the National Guard to address
the growing violence and unrest.
FEMA Region III and the NWC will continue to monitor this event and pass any updated information
OPS054000029
OPS054000030
operations and the University of Maryland classes have been suspended in the
vicinity of the protests. Local businesses have closed in the vicinity of the
protests.
Previous Information
The State of Maryland Emergency Operations Center has raised to a STATE
RESPONSE ACTIVATION LEVEL 3 activation status as of Monday - April
27 , 2015 @ 17:00hrs in support of law enforcement activities in Baltimore
City .
Coordinates: N/A
Fatalities. NA
Injuries. NA
Evacuations. NA
Hazardous Materials Involved. NA
CIKR Impacts. NA
STATE/LOCAL RESPONSE: All remaining SEOCs are at Normal

Operations. There have been no requests for federal assistance.
FEMA RESPONSE: The Regional Watch Center will continue to monitor the
situation and provide updates as required. The FEMA Region III RRCC is Not
Activated. The Region III RWC is at Watch Steady State.
SOURCE OF INFORMATION: Maryland SEOC / NICC / National and

Local Media / NC4
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

FEMA Region III Watch Center
Watch: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
DISTRIBUTION:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
OPS054000031
For FEMA Internal Use Only
FEMA Regions I, II and III

Scheduled Protest for April 30 May 3
Updated daily at 0730
Overview:
On April 12, 2015, a 25 year old black male was arrested in Baltimore, MD. The individual reportedly slipped into
a coma while being transported to the hospital in police custody. Media reports vary on what ultimately happened;
however, the individual passed away on April 19th, and consequently the funeral was held on April 27th.
Large protest began in Baltimore on April 25th
On April 27th, protest activity intensified which included confrontations with police and sporadic instances of
arson. Protests began to spread to other cities:
o Apr 29th , a protest began in NYC, where over 100 people were arrested
o Smaller protests have occurred in Washington DC, Boston, Cincinnati, Minneapolis and Philadelphia
MD Governor - Press Releases
Mayor of Baltimore - Press Releases; additional information is below
Note: The NWC has contacted the FBI, ATF, ESF-13 Rep to the NRCC, NJTTF, NPPD and the DHS NOC for
additional information. At this time, none of those entities are actively reporting on the situation. Below, you will
find information that was available via open source and provided by the FEMA Watch Centers I, II and III.
FEMA Region I:
No significant protest are planned in FEMA Region I related to the incident that occurred in Baltimore
FEMA Regional Summary:
o Region I remains in contact with their Regional Law Enforcement LNO
o No FEMA locations/sites affected
o No impacts related to a potential FEMA Response
o No request for FEMA assistance
FEMA Region II:
No significant protest are planned in FEMA Region II related to the incident that occurred in Baltimore
New York City: Events for April 30 May 3:
o May Day-May 1: International Workers Day observances will be held in the New York
City. Independent factions are being solicited to join in on a full day of demonstration through various
open source social media sites, fliers, posters. Foley Square, start time 1700
State/Local concerns:
o NYPD JOC will be activated and have a presence during the event
o NY State not activated
o NY City activation levels: Steady State but will have representative at NYPJ JOC
FEMA Regional Summary:
o Region II remains in contact with their Regional Law Enforcement LNO
o No FEMA locations/sites affected; the International Workers Day event is close to the Regional HQs,
but should not affect any operations
o No impacts related to a potential FEMA Response
o No request for FEMA assistance
FEMA Region III:
Pennsylvania: Events for April 30 May 3
o On Thursday, April 30, 2015, at 4 to 4:30pm, an estimated (10,000) protestors plan to gather at
Dilworth Plaza (City Hall) for a Philly is Baltimore rally/demonstration organized by members of
Philly Coalition for Real Justice
o State/Local concerns: None, at this time
PA SEOC is not activated; Philadelphia OEM is not Activated
For FEMA Internal Use Only
OPS054000032
OPS054000033
From:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Subject:
Date:
Attachments:
Fw: Alert Philadelphia

image001.jpg
Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone

From: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C) (FTA)
Sent: Thursday, April 30, 2015 5:10 AM
To: CMC-01 (OST)
Cc: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Subject: Fw: Alert Philadelphia
For your situational awareness, please see below email trail...

************************
Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone*
From: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Sent: Wednesday, April 29, 2015 6:39 PM

To: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Subject: FW: Alert Philadelphia
FYI
Sent with Good (www.good.com)
-----Original Message----From: Lovelace, Reginald (FTA)

Sent: Wednesday, April 29, 2015 05:01 PM Eastern Standard Time
To: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Subject: FW: Alert Philadelphia
We may want to discuss this tomorrow.
Reginald B. Lovelace
Deputy Regional Administrator
Federal Transit Administration
Region 3
1760 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA
From: Lisa Makosewski - 3A-FEB (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Sent: Wednesday, April 29, 2015 2:18 PM
Subject: Fwd: Alert Philadelphia
To all,
This protest is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. Given the timing, location, and the large number of people
OPS054000034
anticipated to be there, this demonstration is likely to impact the evening commute for those in Center City. You
may want to encourage your employees to make alternate plans for tomorrow's travel.
For your situational awareness.
Lisa
---------- Forwarded message ---------From: General Alert #TEC <general_TEC@alertphila.com<mailto:general_TEC@alertphila.com>>
Date: Wed, Apr 29, 2015 at 2:06 PM
Subject: Alert Philadelphia
To: User <roamalert_phil_pub@alertphila.com<mailto roamalert_phil_pub@alertphila.com>>
On Thursday, April 30, 2015, at 4:30pm, approximately (450) members of Philly Coalition for Real Justice plan to
gather at 1 Penn Square, (Broad & Market) for a Philly is Baltimore rally/demonstration in support of the actions
taking place in Baltimore involving the death of Freddie Gray.
The Civil Affairs Unit will assign personnel to this activity. The Commanding Officer Central Police Division and
the Commanding Officer of the 6th and 9th Police District have been notified of this event.
Sent by William Hughes through Alert Philadelphia

-------------------------- To authenticate this message go to http://www.alertphila.com/myalertlog.php?s_alert_id=38100
-Lisa C. Makosewski
Executive Director
Philadelphia Federal Executive Board
Federal Building, Room 3456
600 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
)
www.philadelphia feb.gov<http://www.philadelphia.feb.gov>
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
OPS054000035
OPS054000036
TIME INCIDENT OCCURRED: 27 April 2015, Approximately 170O hours

TIME OF INITIAL REPORT TO USCG UNIT: 27 April 2015
USCG UNIT THAT RECEIVED INITIAL REPORT: CG Yard, Baltimore, MD
AMPIFYING INFORMATION/UPDATE: On 27 April 2015, CGIS RAO Baltimore was
notified that a female E-3 assigned to the CG Yard had been the victim of an
assault and robbery while walking her dog in the vicinity of ongoing civil
disturbance in Baltimore. The E-3's wallet, car keys, identification, and
vehicle were stolen. The victim was injured in the assault and has been
transported to a local hospital for treatment. The incident is suspected of
being directly related to the ongoing civil disturbance in Baltimore. CGIS
RAO Baltimore is coordinating with local law enforcement to respond to the
incident to provide assistance and to facilitate the transport of the E-3 to
the CG Yard for her safety and after care.
INTEL EXPLOITATION (ELECTRONICS, POCKET LITTER, DOCUMENTS, etc): None at
this time.
ENTITIES BRIEFED (DISTRICT, SECTOR, LEGAL): LANT, LSC
MEDIA IMPLICATIONS: None Known at this time.
OPS054000037
OPS054000038
PDF version is attached for printing.

Intel Update
For Wednesday 4/30/15
2000hrs.
Alerts/Situation Awarenesss/Officer Safety/Special Attentions:

Ongoing..Based on Internet Chatter.Various threats exist towards law enforcement
as such a high level of situational awareness is warranted.
Ongoing..Based on Internet Chatter.Special attention should be given to Malls,
Shopping Centers, Video Games stores and Shoe Stores throughout the city. (Shoe
City, Footlocker & DTLR)
Ongoing..Based on Internet Chatter.Special attention should be given to
Pharmacies throughout the city.
Internet Chatter:
Nothing notable at this time
Current Activity:
None
Scheduled Activity:
Curfew enforcement at 10pm
Additional Info:
Protests are being organized across the country to stand in solidarity with protestors in
Baltimore.
Exelon today advising of a potential infrastructure risk in South Baltimore. Exelon maintains
three large containers holding liquid natural gas at Spring Gardens located under the 395
overpass and if security were breached by protestors it could lead to a catastrophic incident if
the integrity of the containers was compromised. Exelon maintains a small security presence in
the area but given the current scope of activity and expected protests this upcoming weekend
the potential exists for these containers to be targeted via vandalism or worse. Exelon and the
OPS054000039
FBI Baltimore have no credible threats related to these specific containers but wanted to raise
awareness for BPD in support of deploying assets if warranted.
Unclassified/For Official Use Only/Law Enforcement Sensitive
OPS054000040
OPS054000041
OPS054000042
From:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Subject:
Date:
NDD Executive Summary 0600 EDT 30 Apr 15

UNCLASSIFIED//LAW ENFORCEMENT SENSITIVE//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

DHS INTERNAL USE ONLY

Executive Summary
0600 EDT 30 April 2015
High Interest Item(s)
Civil Disturbance - Baltimore, MD. On the second night of the curfew, the situation
in Baltimore remained stable with no significant activity. Solidarity demonstrations
occurred in Washington, DC and New York City on 29 Apr.
Presidential Disaster Declaration Approved for the Federated States of Micronesia

as a result of Typhoon Mayask which occurred 20 Mar 1 Apr 15. Assistance
provided under the Compact of Free Association between Governments.
Leadership Notifications Since 0730 EDT 29 April
None
Maritime Operational Threat Response (MOTR) Conference Calls
None
Operational Reporting
None
Incident Monitoring
MONITORED (1701 EDT 27 Apr) Civil Disturbance - Baltimore, MD (0413-15)

UPDATE (0500 EDT 30 Apr). Baltimore City remained quiet during the overnight
period as residents complied with the curfew. City officials report the situation was
stable on 29 April with no major incidents. Multiple peaceful demonstrations took
place during the afternoon and evening with no violent activity. The mandatory
curfew from 2200 0500 EDT remains in effect until 5 May. 1,950 National Guard
personnel are on State Active Duty supporting the Baltimore Police. Over 1,000 law
OPS054000043
enforcement officers from the Maryland State Police and surrounding jurisdictions
are deployed across the city. Baltimore Public Schools, including after school
activities, re-opened on 29 Apr without incident. Washington, D.C and New York
City both experienced demonstrations characterized as in solidarity with
Baltimore. The demonstrations in Washington, D.C. were peaceful and without
incident. New York City reported multiple arrests (60+) associated with
demonstrations, but no major public safety incidents.
MONITORED (1330 EDT 21 Apr) Avian Flu - U.S. (0390-15) UPDATE (22 Apr):
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5 infections have been reported in U.S.
domestic poultry, captive wild birds, and wild birds. These detections began in Dec 14.
As of 21 Apr 15, USDA APHIS and state Departments of Agriculture have reported 119
detections in the U.S. This virus has been detected in 17 States. The risk to humans is
characterized as low (no human infections have been recognized with these outbreaks and
there is no immediate human public health concern). Additional H5 info:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/h5/.
MONITORED (0316 EDT 13 Oct 14) (Not on COP) Ebola Virus Disease - West
Africa (1201-14) UPDATE (2300 EDT 29 Apr) WHO nine-country total (26 Apr):
26,277 cases (+198 since 22 Apr) and 10,884 deaths (+61 since 22 Apr).
Closed Incidents
CLOSED - AWARENESS (0500 EDT 25 Apr) M7.8 Earthquake - Kathmandu,

Nepal (0405-15) On 25 April at 0211 EDT, a M7.8 earthquake struck 48 miles northwest
of Kathmandu, Nepal (pop. 1,003,285) at a depth of 9.3 miles. CLOSEOUT (0331 EDT
30 Apr) As of 1200 EDT 29 Apr, the Government of Nepal reports 5,238 (+556)
fatalities and 10,348 (+1,108) injuries. Confirmed U.S. citizen fatalities remain at
four (n/c). Earlier Swiss Embassy reports of possible additional U.S. fatalities on
Mount Everest were inaccurate. The U.S. Department of State reports more than
220 (+120) U.S. citizens and 58 third-country nationals are being housed at the
America Club, where the U.S. Embassy set up emergency services. USAID has
committed $12.5 million in humanitarian aid. The U.S. Department of Defense Joint
Humanitarian Assessment Support Team (JHAST) arrived in Nepal. Coordinated
JHAST assessments are scheduled to begin on 30 Apr with particular focus on
airport operations at Kathmandus international airport. Although relief support
flights continue to be given priority, commercial flights are arriving and departing
regularly. The Government of Nepal has indicated that the current search and
rescue capacity on the ground is sufficient to cover identified needs. The United
States Geological Survey reported three aftershocks of approximately M4.0 in Nepal
in the last 24 hours, including one near Kathmandu. Aftershock activity will likely
continue for the coming weeks and months.
Requests for Information
None
OPS054000044
Principal Locations
POTUS: NCR (RON)
VPOTUS: Wilmington, DE > NCR (RON)
S1: NCR (RON) Brief: 0830 EDT
S2: NCR (RON) Book Only
Seven-Day Outlook
30 Apr 1100 EDT: NOC Tour - S&T Chief of Staff Christina Murata
30 Apr 1230 EDT: NOC Tour - NORTHCOM J35 Staff (2)
02 May: Kentucky Derby - Louisville, KY (SEAR 2)
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

R/
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Duty Director
US Dept. Of Homeland Security
NDD Desk: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
NOC watch (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
WARNING This document is FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY FOUO it contains information that may be exempt from public release under the Freedom of
Information Act (5 USC 552). It is to be controlled, stored, handled, transmitted, distributed, and disposed of in accordance with DHS policy relating to FOUO
information and is not intended to be released to the public or other personnel who do not have a valid need to know without prior approval of an authorized
DHS official.
OPS054000045
From:
Subject:
Date:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
; DiFalco, Frank; (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

NDD Executive Summary 1400 EDT 30 April 2015
Thursday, April 30, 2015 2:17:26 PM

NDD Executive Summary

1400 EDT 30 April 2015
Civil Disturbance - Baltimore, MD Last night (the second night of the curfew),
Baltimore remained stable (no significant incidents). Solidarity demonstrations took place
in DC and NYC.
None
None
None
Incident Monitoring

UPDATE (0500 EDT 30 Apr). Multiple peaceful demonstrations took place yesterday.
The mandatory curfew (2200 - 0500 EDT) ends 5 May. 1,950 MD NG personnel and
1,000 law enforcement officers (from MD State Police and surrounding jurisdictions)
remain deployed across the city.
OPS054000046
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5 infections continue to be reported in U.S.
domestic poultry, captive wild birds, and wild birds. This virus, initially detected in Dec
14, has been reported in 17 States. The risk to humans remains low. Source:
Closed Incidents
None
None
Principal Locations
POTUS: NCR (RON)

VPOTUS: NCR (RON)
S1: NCR (RON) Fri 0500 prod call 0830 brief
S2: NCR (RON) Fri book only
Seven-Day Outlook

06 May 1100 EDT: NOC Tour - House Appropriations Homeland Security
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Subcommittee
07 May 1300 EDT: NOC Tour - NOAA CIO, Mr. Zack Goldstein + 2
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
07 May 1600 EDT: Monthly SLG Test Conference Call (SECRET) (check-in only)
OPS054000047
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
sr
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

Duty Director
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Warning: This communication, along with any attachments, is covered by federal and state law governing
electronic communications and may contain confidential and legally privileged information such as found under 49
CFR 1520 or the Privacy Act of 1974. It should not be communicated to any person, or agency, unless disclosure is
in performance of official DHS duties and there exists a valid need to know. If the reader of this message is not the
intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, use or copying of this message is
strictly prohibited. If you have received this in error, please reply immediately to the sender and delete this
message. Thank you.
OPS054000048
From:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Cc:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Subject:
Date:

Thursday, April 30, 2015 10:03:31 PM
Gramlick, Carl; (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
DiFalco, Frank; (b) (6), (b) (7)(C
UNCLASSIFIED / /LAW ENFORCEMENT SENSITIVE / / FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY // DHS INTERNAL USE ONLY

Executive Summary
2200 EDT 30 April 2015
Civil Disturbance - Baltimore, MD Large crowds and protest march to city hall
ongoing at 1700. Demonstrations also reported in Philadelphia and Cincinnati. No
significant incidents reported.
None
None
None
Incident Monitoring
MONITORED (1701 EDT 27 Apr) Civil Disturbance - Baltimore, MD (0413-15) UPDATE (0500 EDT 30
Apr). Baltimores mandatory curfew (2200 - 0500 EDT) ends 5 May. 1,950 MD NG personnel and 1,000 law
enforcement officers (from MD State Police and surrounding jurisdictions) remain deployed across the city.
Large crowds and protest march to city hall ongoing at 1700. Demonstrations also reported in
Philadelphia and Cincinnati. No significant incidents reported.
MONITORED (1330 EDT 21 Apr) Avian Flu - U.S. (0390-15) UPDATE (22 Apr): Highly pathogenic
avian influenza (HPAI) H5 infections continue to be reported in U.S. domestic poultry, captive wild birds, and
wild birds. This virus, initially detected in Dec 14, has been reported in 17 States. The risk to humans remains
low. Source: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/h5/. Update (30 Apr) Based on six new sites being
identified overnight with H5N2, the Iowa SEOC is partially activated.
MONITORED (0316 EDT 13 Oct 14) (Not on COP) Ebola Virus Disease - West Africa (1201-14)
OPS054000049
UPDATE (2300 EDT 29 Apr) WHO nine-country total (data as of 26 Apr): 26,312 cases (+233 since 19 Apr)
and 10,899 deaths (+76 since 19 Apr).
Closed Incidents
CLOSED - MONITORED (1747 EDT 30 Apr) Shooting near Courthouse - Atlanta, GA (NOC 0418-15)
Open source media reports a shooting near the Fulton County Courthouse in downtown Atlanta GA. As
a result the Fulton Government Center is on lockdown. Fulton County Marshals are on scene along
with the Atlanta Police Department and Fulton County Sheriff's Office. UPDATE (1818 EDT) One
person was shot by Atlanta police in front of the Underground Atlanta precinct near the Courthouse. A
person in police custody fired shots at an officer from the backseat of a patrol car, prompting officers to
return fire. One person was taken by ambulance to hospital in critical condition. No officers were
injured.
None
Principal Locations
POTUS: NCR (RON)
VPOTUS: NCR (RON)
S1: NCR (RON) Fri 0500 prod call; 0830 brief. Fri p.m. travel to Miami, FL (RON)
S2: NCR (RON) Fri book only
Seven-Day Outlook
02 May: Kentucky Derby - Louisville, KY (SEAR 2 - Awareness)
06 May 1100 EDT: NOC Tour - House Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee
07 May 1300 EDT: NOC Tour - NOAA CIO, Mr. Zack Goldstein + 2
07 May 1600 EDT: Monthly SLG Test Conference Call (SECRET) (check-in only)
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
UNCLASSIFIED / /LAW ENFORCEMENT SENSITIVE / /FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY // DHS INTERNAL USE ONLY
OPS054000050
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Duty Director
NOC: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
WARNING This document is FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY FOUO it contains information that may be exempt from public release under the Freedom of
DHS official.
OPS054000051
(UNCLASSIFIED//FOUO)
NGB NGCC EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
(U) SUBJECT: DC National Guard 300900ZAPR15 (0500 EDT)
(U) At this time the DC National Guard has not received an official request from the MPD
and will not currently be providing support from 30 APR 15 thru 02 May 15 as previously
reported. NGCC will continue to monitor and provide updates as necessary.

(U) SUBJECT: DC National Guard Rally Support 292100ZAPR15 (1700 EDT)
(U) 292100ZAPR15, the DC National Guard notified NGCC that Metropolitan Police
Department (MPD) requested support for the DC Ferguson Rally in Support of Freddie
Gray. The rally is expected to begin at 1900 hrs on 29 APR 15 at Gallery Place with
activists marching to the White House. The MPD requested 200 pax on the evening of 30
APR 15 to 02 May 15. NGCC will continue to monitor and provide updates as necessary.
(FOUO)
_
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OPS054000053
OPS054000054
OPS054000055
OPS054000056
OPS054000057
From:
Subject:
Date:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

Operational Summary--NOC Media Monitoring--30 April 2015
NOC MEDIA MONITORING OPERATIONAL SUMMARY (OPSUM)

24 Hour Summary, April 30, 2015
TODAYS OPSUM COVERS THE FOLLOWING NOC PRIORITIES

NOC Priority Items with New Information
o Southwest Border Events with Homeland Security Implications
o 7.8 Magnitude Earthquake Kathmandu, Nepal
o Civil Disturbance Baltimore, MD
o Avian Flu U.S.
Other Significant Events
o Cyber Security
o Global Terrorism
NOC Priority or Numbered Items with Nothing Significant to Report
o Mass Migration in the Caribbean with U.S. Homeland Security Implications
o CBRNE Threats/Incidents Targeting U.S. Interests
o Global Aviation Cargo Incidents Targeting U.S. Interests
o Suspicious Activity Reporting:
Religious, Cultural and Educational Facilities
National Critical Infrastructure
Postal Shipments
Mass Transit
Mass Gatherings and Special Events
Southwest Border Events with Homeland Security Implications

Other Impacts of Southwest Border Events (Social Media)
U.S. Border Patrol agents discovered a 230-foot-long tunnel across Californias
border with Mexico on Monday after thwarting a group of alleged narcotics
smugglers over the weekend, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday Twitter [Los
Angeles Times]
o The tunnel, which has a diameter of about four feet and included lighting and
ventilation, extended from a home in Mexicali, Mexico, to an area near the
All-American Canal in Calexico, CA
o Border Patrol agents initially arrived at the area Saturday night after spotting
four men on a surveillance video trying to bring narcotics into the U.S.
A man wearing a wetsuit was arrested, and officials found scuba
equipment and sealed packages of methamphetamine nearby
o Border Patrol agents discovered a second smuggling tunnel Tuesday beneath
the U.S.-Mexico border just west of San Ysidro Port of Entry Twitter [CBS
News 8]
The San Diego Tunnel Task Force determined that the passageway was
about 220 yards long, had a single opening in a home in Mexico and
extended only a short distance into the U.S.
The tunnel had been outfitted with reinforced walls, electric lighting and
a cargo-hauling system, although no drugs or other contraband were
found
[Back to Top]
OPS054000058
NOC 0405-15: 7.8 Magnitude Earthquake Kathmandu, Nepal

Aid reached areas near the epicenter of Nepals earthquake for the first time
Wednesday, four days after the quake struck and as the death toll from the disaster
passed the 5,500 mark Associated Press
o However, it will still take time for the food and other supplies to reach survivors
in remote communities who have been cut off by landslides
o Planes carrying food and other supplies have been steadily arriving at
Kathmandus small airport, but the aid distribution process remains fairly
chaotic, with Nepalese officials having difficulty directing the flow of
emergency supplies
o The United Nations said the disaster has affected 8.1 million people, more than a
fourth of Nepals population
Numerous Americans remain unaccounted for after Saturdays earthquake, U.S.
officials said Wednesday ABC News
o The U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu has received more than 1,500 inquiries about
Americans in the country and has accounted for more than 500 of those people
While that list leaves nearly 500 inquiries unresolved, the list could
contain some erroneous inquiries or duplicate claims, a spokesman said
The Embassy remains concerned about Americans trapped at higher
elevations
[Back to Top]
NOC 0413-15: Civil Disturbance Baltimore, MD

No major incidents were reported and no officers were injured as an overnight curfew
settled over Baltimore Wednesday WUSA
o By 10 p.m., when helicopters flew over announcing the curfew, most people
appeared to be leaving the streets ABC News
About 3,000 police and National Guardsmen were on hand to enforce the
curfew
o Baltimore police said 18 people were arrested Wednesday, and more than 250
people have been arrested in the city since Monday
[Back to Top]
NOC 0390-15: Avian Flu U.S.

Officials with the U.S. Department of Agriculture say it is highly probable that the
avian flu virus that has hit U.S. poultry operations in recent weeks will return next fall
when wild bird populations migrate south, potentially spreading the virus into new
regions of the country Reuters
Minnesota
Avian flu has surfaced at 11 more Minnesota turkey farms, bringing to 67 the number
of state poultry flocks affected by the virus, state regulators said Wednesday
StarTribune
o Of the 11 new cases, six are in Kandiyohi Country, bringing the total there to 25
Kandiyohi is the states largest turkey producing county and has the most
reported cases of any Minnesota county
o Meanwhile, the Minnesota National Guard completed its water delivery mission
Wednesday, and private contractors are now in place to provide water for
euthanization programs on affected farms
OPS054000059
[Back to Top]
OTHER SIGNIFICANT EVENTS

Cyber Security
Internet issues at Rutgers University continued for a third day Wednesday following a
distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack My Central New Jersey
o The FBI has been assisting Rutgers with its cyber issues, an official said
o There is no evidence that any confidential information has been compromised
Arizona State University suffered a DDoS attack on its computer network Wednesday
night (Social Media) Twitter [Phoenix News]
o The university began having issues with network connectivity at around 4 p.m.
local time, and managed to restore service about seven hours later (Social
Media) Twitter [ABC15 Arizona]
[Back to Top]
Global Terrorism
Morocco
A terrorist cell linked to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and plotting a
major attack in Morocco was dismantled Tuesday, Moroccos MAP news agency
reported Wednesday Yahoo! News (Maktoob)
o Moroccos domestic intelligence agency on Tuesday broke up the four-member
cell operating in the southern city of Laayoume
o The members of the cell were inspired by and intent on replicating the methods
adopted by ISIL
Nigeria
Nigerias army rescued 200 girls and 93 women during a military operation to wrest
back the Sambisa Forest from Boko Haram, the army said Tuesday Reuters
o An army spokesman said he could not confirm if those rescued included any of
the more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped near the northern village of Chibok in
April 2014
Diplomats and intelligence officials said they believed at least some of the
kidnapped girls were being held in the forest about 60 miles from
Chibok
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia said Tuesday that its security forces arrested 93 suspects with ties to
ISIL who were planning to attack security forces, the U.S. Embassy and residential
compounds where foreigners live Boston Globe (AP)
o An Interior ministry spokesman said the security raids included a cell of 65
people arrested in March who were involved in a plan to target residential
compounds and prisons and also allegedly planned to carry out attacks aimed
at creating sectarian strife
o Authorities also disrupted a plot for a suicide car bomber to attack the U.S.
Embassy in Riyadh after receiving information about the plan in mid-March
[Back to Top]
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Operations Analyst
DHS NOC Media Monitoring
Phone: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
OPS054000060
Cell:(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
OPS054000061
From:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Subject:
RE: (U//FOUO) NOC Note (Initial): Violent Standoff Between Protesters and Police - Baltimore, MD (NOC 041315)
Monday, April 27, 2015 7:43:22 PM
image001.jpg
image002.gif
Date:
Attachments:
Also, just be mindful that there is an Emergency Operations Center for Baltimore city, and a state
Emergency Operations Center, media uses the phrase generically. At the State Emergency
Operations Center outside the city are AOR and statewide agencies and is active in a monitoring
capacity.
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Maryland Coordination & Analysis Center

US Department of Homeland Security
Office of Intelligence & Analysis
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
NO OFFICE NUMBE
This communication is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed and may contain
information that is privileged, confidential, proprietary, or exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If you are
not the intended recipient or the person responsible for delivering the message to the intended recipient, you are
strictly prohibited from disclosing, distributing, copying, or in any way using this message. If you have received this
communication in error, please notify the sender and destroy and delete any copies you may have received.
From: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
To
MD (NOC 0413-15)
Brian
We are good. We have the answer on the State of Emergency.
Thanks for all your info and timely updates. Much appreciated.
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

Senior Watch Officer (SWO)
DHS National Operations Center (NOC)
OPS054000062
OPS054000063
Guard?
v/r
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

Desk: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
From: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

To: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
MD (NOC 0413-15)
NOC
The Maryland State Emergency Operations Center has been activated with Maryland Emergency
Management Agency staff and representatives from key state agencies I dont have a listing of
those agencies.
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

NO OFFICE NUMBER /(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
From: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

To: NOC.State&Local
Cc: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
MD (NOC 0413-15)
OPS054000064
OPS054000065
v/r
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

Desk: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
From: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

Cc: NOC.SWO.Restricted
(NOC 0413-15)
Coordination:

(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
OPS054000066
OPS054000067
From:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Subject:
Date:
Attachments:
Re: (U//FOUO) NOC Note (Update): Violent Activity - Baltimore, MD (NOC 0413-15)
Monday, April 27, 2015 7:36:30 PM
image001.jpg
Good evening,
CoS requested any and all DHS component actions in response to these ongoing incidents, particularly FPS. Request this wrapup for tomorrow's
production call (0500).
Thank you!
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Supervisor, DHS Secretary's Briefing Staff

(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
From: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

Cc: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Subject: (U//FOUO) NOC Note (Update): Violent Activity - Baltimore, MD (NOC 0413-15)

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
on alert.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
businesses.
played.
OPS054000068
OPS054000069
From:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Subject:
Date:
Attachments:
RE: Baltimore Police Department Alert to Law Enforcement

Monday, April 27, 2015 5:22:02 PM
image002.gif
image003.jpg
Thanks
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

Washington, DC
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
From: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

To: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Subject: Re: Baltimore Police Department Alert to Law Enforcement
Fred - FBI Baltimore has interviewed the source of this information and has determined this threat to
be non-credible.
Sean
From: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
To: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Subject: Baltimore Police Department Alert to Law Enforcement
FYI. Attached is from Baltimore Police Department.
HSIN please post to LE Portal.
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

OPS054000070
OPS054000071
against law enforcement, I would assert that its the latter. The alert does not specify if this is a
nationwide thing, or an AOR thing, thats unclear, but again, I dont know that I will have access to
those details.
I do find curious that the alert came out from the BPD media relations section instead of the BPD
Intelligence Unit, which is where we (MCAC) typically receive this kind of info. Anyway, just to close
up, the tensions have heightened here in Baltimore over the last 72 hours so this alert cannot be
considered without that context.
brian
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

NO OFFICE NUMBER / (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
OPS054000072
From:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Subject:
Date:
Attachments:
The Homeland Security News Briefing for Monday, April 27, 2015
Monday, April 27, 2015 4:57:58 AM
dhsclips150427.doc
The Homeland Security News Briefing

TO: THE SECRETARY AND SENIOR STAFF
DATE: MONDAY, APRIL 27, 2015 5:00 AM EDT
TODAY'S TABLE OF CONTENTS

LEADING DHS NEWS:
+ Baltimore On Edge As Protests Over Grays Death Take Violent Turn.
IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT:
+ Aide To Senator Charged With Meth Possession; Intended To Distribute In Exchange For Sexual
Favors.
TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION:
+ Continuing Coverage Of Cybersecurity Experts Hacking Tweet.
FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY:
+ FEMA To Conduct June Oil Train Derailment Drill In Wisconsin.
+ Drought Impacting Power Generation In West.
US CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES:
+ H-1B Program Focus Of Intense Debate.
+ EB-5 Financing For Arizona Hospital Discussed.
+ Hardline Immigration Bills At Impasse In Texas Legislature.
+ Kirsanow: Increased Immigration Bigger Threat To Blacks Than Police Abuse.
+ WSJournal Refutes Sessions And Walker, Argues Skilled Immigrants A Boon To Nation.
US COAST GUARD:
+ Two People Dead After Storm Capsizes 10 Boats In Alabama.
+ As US-Cuba Relations Improve, US Sees Flood Of Cuban Migrants.
TERRORISM INVESTIGATIONS:
+ Tsarnaevs Attorneys Prepare Arguments Aimed At Avoiding Death Penalty.
+ Officials Say ISILs Sophisticated Recruiting Campaign Poses Threat In US.
+ Judge Signs Order Sealing Information In Fort Riley Bombing Case.
+ One Of Six Charged With Trying To Join ISIL To Be Extradited From California To Minnesota.
+ Panel To Recommend Families Of US Hostages Not Face Prosecution For Paying Ransom.
+ Malaysian Authorities Arrest 12 In ISIL Terror Plot.
+ Former Gitmo Detainees In Uruguay Continue Protest.
+ Law Enforcement Warned Of Possible ISIL Terror Plot.
+ Man Charged With Threatening To Blow Up IRS Building.
+ FBI Preparing For All Star Game.
+ Arrests Show Challenges Of Minnesota Sheriff Liaison.
+ US Releases Report On NSA Surveillance.
+ Group Apologizes For Invitation To Event With Navy SEAL Who Killed Bin Laden.
OTHER CYBER NEWS:
+ Carter Unveils New Strategy For Cyber-Conflict, Seeks To Rebuild Trust With Silicon Valley.
OPS054000073
+ Russian Hackers Read Obamas Unclassified Emails.

NATIONAL SECURITY NEWS:
+ Amendments Could Sink Senate Bill On Iran Nuclear Deal.
+ WPost Analysis: Assads Hold On Power More Tenuous Than Ever.
+ Group Says 34 Killed In Syrian Airstrikes.
+ Israel Says It Launched An Airstrike Yesterday On Syrian Border.
+ Obama Exempted Drone Operations In Pakistan From Tighter Rules.
+ Putin: Intel Found That US Helped Separatists In North Caucasus In Early 2000s.
+ Saudi-Led Coalition Escalates Airstrikes In Yemen, Targets Sana.
+ US, World Move To Deliver Aid After Devastating Earthquake Hits Nepal.
+ Southeast Asian Nations Disagree On Response To Chinas Actions In South China Sea.
+ Noose Tightens Around Greece As Impasse Over Debt Continues.
+ Police Body Cameras Raising Questions Over Distribution Of Footage.
+ Asian And Pacific Islander Groups Call For Justice For Slain New Yorker.
+ Khamenei Criticizes US Police Treatment Of Black Americans.
+ Newly-Released Report Details Bush Administrations Surveillance Program.
Leading DHS News:

BALTIMORE ON EDGE AS PROTESTS OVER GRAYS DEATH TAKE VIOLENT TURN. Coverage of
protests in Baltimore over the death of Freddie Gray, which included reports on all three network
newscasts last night, paints the picture of a city on the edge, with fears that Saturday nights violence
could explode anew with unforeseeable consequences for the entire community. This morning, for
example, the Washington Post (4/27, Hermann, 5.03M) describes city residents as shaken by the
violent protests, while the Baltimore Sun (4/26, Wenger, Campbell, 802K) reports that Mayor
Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and a coalition of two dozen interdenominational leaders issued a call for
peace yesterday. According to the Wall Street Journal (4/27, Calvert, Subscription Publication, 5.68M),
the call was signed by 24 Christian, Jewish, and Muslim leaders in Baltimore, including the Rev. Harold
Carter of New Shiloh Baptist Church, where Grays funeral is scheduled for this morning. The Christian
Science Monitor (4/26, Lindsay, 460K), meanwhile, noted that Grays sister, Fredericka, spoke at the
news conference held by the mayor to dissuade protesters from turning to violence in her brothers
name. She said, My family wants to say: Can yall please, please stop the violence? Freddie Gray
would not want that. ... Violence does not get justice.
The CBS Evening News (4/26, story 6, 1:55, Albert, 5.08M) noted that Grays still unexplained death a
week ago after suffering a spinal injury in police custody lead to an eruption of anger, but 90 minutes
before dusk a mob near the Camden Yards baseball stadium attacked police cars, threw bottles, rocks
and cones at police and looted several nearby businesses. NBC Nightly News (4/26, story 5, 1:45, Mott,
7.86M) also remarked on the violent, chaotic end...to what had been peaceful protests throughout the
day in Baltimore, leading to 34 arrests, 1,200 police deployed in all, some in riot gear, to restore calm.
On Sunday, store front windows are boarded up, as friends and family gathered for the wake of Freddie
Gray. The Baltimore Business Journal (4/27, Sullivan, Subscription Publication, 30K) notes that the
Orioles vs. Red Sox game went on and became a hotspot for protesters who tried to disrupt the game.
Following the game, Orioles fans were asked to stay in the stadium until officials deemed it safe to
leave.
On CBS Face The Nation (4/26, Schieffer, 2.64M), Rep. Elijah Cummings said, I was [at the protests] all
day. It was very peaceful all day, thousands of people. Then at the end there were a few people who
said, We are going to turn this city down, were going to close it down. Next thing you know we had few
people, mainly from out of town, to come and decide to beat up on police, cars, throwing all kinds of
projectiles. It could have been worse. The Baltimore Sun (4/27, Wenger, 802K) notes that Cummings, a
Maryland Democrat who represents Baltimore, said many in the city deserve credit for remaining
peaceful in the face of great frustration over Grays death. Cummings, who is considering a run for US
Senate, called police-community relations the civil rights cause for this generation. Of the mayor and
the police response, Cummings said, I think they are doing the best they can under the circumstances,
OPS054000074
though the Police Department needs a top to bottom review. AFP (4/27) quotes Cummings as saying,
We have got to take this department apart and try to figure out what is wrong and what is right. ... This is
a significant moment. If we dont correct this, it will only get worse.
The Washington Post (4/27, Hermann, 5.03M) reports that both city leaders and the NAACP blamed the
violence on outside agitators, and on its website, WBAL-TV Baltimore (4/26, 146K) noted a similar
police statement that echoed that view about the origin of the violence, asserting that groups of outside
agitators led to small pockets of protesters engaged in criminal activity. But despite police
Commissioner Anthony W. Batts insistence that a minority of out-of-town instigators caused the
violence, the Baltimore Sun (4/26, Wenger, Campbell, 802K) reports, online court records Sunday
showed that only three of those arrested during Saturdays protests were from outside Maryland.
Voice of America (4/26, Nordwall, 63K) reports that protesters have been demanding justice in daily
demonstrations since Grays death on April 19. Gray was taken into custody April 12 after initially
running from police, and died a week later from what a family attorney said was a nearly severed spinal
cord. However, how he was grievously injured while in police custody remains unclear. On its website,
People (4/27, Dennis, 45.74M) noted that DOJ is reviewing the case for any civil rights violations, and
Grays family is conducting their own probe. NPR (4/26, Neuman, 1.52M) noted that Batts
acknowledged on Friday that Gray did not receive timely medical attention for his spinal injury.
On its website, Al Jazeera America (4/26, 133K) reported that William Murphy, Jr., an attorney
representing the Gray family, said Grays spine was 80 percent severed at the neck, and that the family
believes police are keeping the circumstances of Freddies death secret until they develop a version of
events that will absolve them of all responsibility. Grays cousin, Melissa Ealey, told Al Jazeera that no
crime perpetrated could warrant such abuse. ABC World News (4/26, story 5, 1:40, Rivera, 5.84M),
meanwhile, showed Gray family attorney Jason Downs saying, We are going to continue to push the
Baltimore Police Department into giving us the information and giving us the truth.
The Baltimore Sun (4/27, Scharper, 802K) reports that yesterday, family, friends and hundreds of
strangers streamed into the small wooden chapel for five hours, walking, one by one, to the gleaming
white casket that contained the slim body of Freddie Gray, dressed in a white baseball cap, spotless
sneakers, blue plaid tie. Grays boyish face appeared at peace a sharp contrast to the events that
precipitated and have followed his death. The AP (4/26, Gresko, Foreman) notes mourners also
gathered outside, some of them holding signs that read, We remember Freddie and Our Hearts Are
With The Gray Family.
USA Today (4/27, Bacon, 5.01M) reports that in Baltimore yesterday, Activist Jamal Bryant, pastor of
Empowerment Temple AME Church, told his congregation Sunday that somebody is going to have to
pay for Grays death. Bryant added that if youre black in America, your life is always under threat.
NYPD Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence and Counterterrorism John Miller said on CBS Face The
Nation (4/26, Schieffer, 2.64M), I would give very basic advice [to police departments across the US]:
Create your relationships [with the community] under non-stressful situations. These crises represent an
opportunity to build dialogue with the key community leaders. But the problem is when you try to develop
those relationships after some terrible event has happened.
On CNNs State Of The Union (4/26, Acosta, 420K), musician John Legend said, I think, for too long, the
police have treated black people as though our lives are not as valuable, as though we are enemies in
our communities rather than community members. We need our police to look at us as community
members they care about and want to keep safe and healthy. We need police that treat us with the same
fairness they would treat any other person, and far too often that hasnt been the case.
Photojournalists Complain About Police Violence. The Baltimore Sun (4/26, Rector, 802K) reports
that a photographer for Reuters was detained and another for the Baltimore City Paper was thrown to
the ground by Baltimore Police officers while covering protests over police brutality late Saturday, they
said. J.M. Giordano, a photo editor at City Paper, said he was hit in the head with multiple police
shields had his face pretty much smushed down on the ground, and sustained multiple bruises after
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several officers rushed at him as he shot pictures.

The Chicago Tribune (4/27, Serpick, 2.74M) notes that in a video shot by City Paper Managing Editor
Baynard Woods you can see Giordano, wearing a green jacket, and a protester, both of whom had just
been knocked to the ground by police, being beaten as Woods yells, Hes a photographer! Hes press!
Wood said that the Reuters photographer who was standing nearby did get arrested and taken away in
the police van, and was later released and cited for disorderly conduct.
The AP (4/27, Myers) identifies the Reuters photographer as Sait Serkan Gurbuz, who says police
detained him as he shot pictures of the scuffle. Reuters says Gurbuz was cited with failure to obey
orders.
Police Commissioner Praises Departments Response As Scary Good. The Baltimore Sun (4/27,
Rector, 802K) reports that in an internal email to police officers, Baltimore Police Commissioner...Batts
praised his departments response to protests in the city on Saturday as scary good. In an email
obtained by the Sun, Batts wrote, In more than 30 years of law enforcement experience, Ive been
involved in many protests. Today, the restraint, professionalism, and attention to duty you demonstrated
were nothing short of remarkable. ... I am proud and truly humbled to lead this organization. You stood
tall in the face of challenge after challenge and you were a credit to the city and your families today.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement:

AIDE TO SENATOR CHARGED WITH METH POSSESSION; INTENDED TO DISTRIBUTE IN
EXCHANGE FOR SEXUAL FAVORS. NBC News (4/27, 2.54M) reports on its website that Fred Pagan,
a personal assistant and office administrator for US Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS), was charged with
methamphetamine possession; officials are cited saying Pagan intended to distribute the drugs in
exchange for sexual favors. Pagan was arrested after HSI and police searched his home in Washington,
DC. The search was prompted by customs agents interception of a package addressed to Pagan
containing a substance which tested positive for the controlled substance GBL; according to court
documents, Pagan allegedly admitted that he intended to distribute both the GBL and
methamphetamine in exchange for sexual favors.
An article from The Clarion-Ledger of Jackson, Mississippi published in USA Today (4/24, Pender,
5.01M) cites an HSI agents affidavit saying Pagan admitted to receiving previous shipments of GBL
from China, while the methamphetamine was shipped from California. Cochran spokesman Chris
Gallegos is quoted saying, Sen. Cochran is disturbed and deeply saddened by the arrest of his longtime aide Fred Pagan...and is suspending him of all duties pending the outcome of this case.
The Washington Post (4/24, Hsu, Debonis, 5.03M) reports that on Thursday, HSI agents served an early
morning search warrant on Pagans home, finding plastic bags with about 181.5 grams of a substance
that tested positive for methamphetamine, according to HSI special agent Mark Waugh.
Also reporting this story were Politico (4/27, 1.11M), Reuters (4/25), and Roll Call (4/27, 99K).
Transportation Security Administration:

CONTINUING COVERAGE OF CYBERSECURITY EXPERTS HACKING TWEET. The Los Angeles
Times (4/27, Martin, 4.03M) continues coverage of cybersecurity expert Chris Roberts, who was
questioned by the FBI after tweeting while on a United Airlines flight that he could hack into the airlines
onboard system to trigger the oxygen masks to drop. United responded by banning Roberts from their
flights. The Times says airlines, airplane manufacturers and makers of onboard Wi-Fi systems quickly
insisted that it cannot be done, though security experts say nothing is impossible. The day before
Roberts tweet, the GAO released a report saying modern planes are increasingly connected to the
Internet, opening the risk that hackers could access the aircrafts avionics system. The FBI and TSA
warned airlines to be on the lookout for any suspicious activity involving travelers connecting unknown
cables or wires to the [in-flight entertainment] system or unusual parts of the airplane seat.
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Federal Emergency Management Agency:

FEMA TO CONDUCT JUNE OIL TRAIN DERAILMENT DRILL IN WISCONSIN. The Milwaukee Journal
Sentinel (4/26, Bergquist, Stephenson, 784K) reported that FEMA will be conducting a mock derailment
involving oil trains with state and local authorities June 9-10 in the La Crosse area. The agency selected
a city in New Jersey as the location for an oil train derailment drill it conducted last month. The drill was
one of the Federal governments first efforts at disaster planning for an oil train disaster in an urban
area.
A related Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (4/26, Stephenson, Bergquist, 784K) article noted that US Sen.
Tammy Baldwin and US Rep. Ron Kind, both Wisconsin Democrats, recently wrote to President Obama
and urged him to improve oil train safety as quickly as possible. The lawmakers letter, according to
the Journal Sentinel, echoes growing public concerns about the sudden influx of oil trains. The Journal
Sentinel, which did not mention FEMA in this article, pointed out that the Milwaukee Common Councils
Public Works Committee is scheduled to hold an oil train hearing this Wednesday.
Illinois Officials Increasingly Concerned About Oil Train Safety. The Chicago Tribune (4/26,
Gathman, 2.74M) reported on how local officials in the Illinois cities of Aurora, Naperville, and Elgin are
becoming increasingly concerned about oil train safety as such trains carry crude oil from North
Dakota...through the heart of Illinois. The Tribune coverage does not mention FEMA.
DROUGHT IMPACTING POWER GENERATION IN WEST. The Washington Post (4/27, Frankel, 5.03M)
reports that the drought has made it far more difficult to generate electricity at hydroelectric plants, such
as the Hoover Dam, across the West, limiting an inexpensive and pollution-free energy source that once
was considered endless. The 53 hydropower plants run by the US Bureau of Reclamation across the
West are producing 10 percent less power than a few years ago, despite rising demand.
Meanwhile, the New York Times (4/27, Nagourney, Healy, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) reports that
the drought, and coming water rationing, is sharpening the deep economic divide in this state, illustrating
parallel worlds in which wealthy communities guzzle water as poorer neighbors conserve by necessity.
Now the state is looking to force its biggest water users, which include some of the wealthiest
communities, to bear the brunt of the statewide 25 percent cut in urban water consumption. However,
there remain questions about whether the fines that accompany the rationing will be effective with
wealthy homeowners.
The Palm Springs (CA) Desert Sun (4/27, James, 85K) reports that in national forests across California,
many pipelines are siphoning off water from wells and springs under expired permits. The pipelines run
to the tanks of water districts, as well as to cabins, neighborhoods, and properties such as cemeteries,
lodges and ranches. In an investigation, the paper obtained records for 1,108 water-related permits of
which 616 are listed as expired. Now, some former Forest Service employees say its urgent that the
agency take a hard look at permits issued years or decades ago.
WSJournal Opinion: Effort To Save Delta Smelt Not Working. In an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal
(4/27, Subscription Publication, 5.68M), Allysia Finley, an editorial writer for the paper, writes that
California has pumped 1.4 trillion gallons of water into San Francisco Bay since 2007 to protect the Delta
Smelt. Despite that effort, however, Finley says that recent surveys have suggested that the number of
Smelt has plummeted, and that the US Fish and Wildlife Service suggests that the fish is now in danger
of extinction. Finley says that despite the massive costs of supporting the fish, the policy has been
ineffective.
US Citizenship and Immigration Services:

H-1B PROGRAM FOCUS OF INTENSE DEBATE. The Minneapolis Star Tribune (4/26, 1.29M) says
the H-1B program is the focus of intense debate in Congress and keen interest in Minnesota, where
companies have come to rely more on the visas in recent years. An increase in the programs visa cap
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is tied up in stalled efforts to pass comprehensive immigration reform; bipartisan momentum was
building to deal with the two issues separately, but a bill to increase the H-1B cap met with major
pushback in committee as critics cited a study which suggested that a relatively high number of U.S.
science and technology graduates do not work in their fields as evidence that American candidates for
such jobs are not in short supply. A recent controversy involving Southern California Edison didnt help
the pro-increase argument.
Small Business Owners Said To Complain About H-1B Cap. The AP (4/27) reports that some small
business owners contend that H-1B caps are keeping them from finding the highly skilled help they
need. Babson College entrepreneurship professor Phillip Kim is cited saying that small business
struggle in particular with finding skilled workers because many talented people are recruited by big
companies or start a company. A 2011 GAO report is cited saying that large companies get a
disproportionate share of visas, and that between 2000 and 2009, less than 1 percent of the companies
with visa approvals hired nearly 30 percent of all H-1B workers.
EB-5 FINANCING FOR ARIZONA HOSPITAL DISCUSSED. The Arizona Daily Star (4/27, 211K)
discusses the use of the EB-5 program to secure financing for development projects, including a hospital
in Arizona. The Daily Star says the program didnt get much use until the recession hit and sent project
developers looking for nontraditional means of funding. The program has reached its 10,000-application
cap for the second year in a row. Pima County (Arizona) Supervisor Ray Carroll, who helped bring
about the hospital, is quoted saying, EB-5 visas are obviously a godsend for rural infrastructure across
the United States.
HARDLINE IMMIGRATION BILLS AT IMPASSE IN TEXAS LEGISLATURE. The Dallas Morning
News (4/26, 1.09M) reports that the clock is starting to run out for the passage of contentious
legislation offered by tea party Republicans. The Morning News says undocumented college tuition and
sanctuary city bills are languishing in the Senate and lacking traction in the House with only five weeks
left in the legislative session. However, the diminishing prospects doesnt mean theyve lost their
emotional punch, and the impasse highlights a simmering divide in the GOP between Republicans
hopeful of boosting outreach to Hispanic voters and others responding to the GOPs conservative base.
KIRSANOW: INCREASED IMMIGRATION BIGGER THREAT TO BLACKS THAN POLICE ABUSE.
The Washington Times (4/27, Howell, 641K) reports that economic and civil rights experts argued that
the increased immigration spurred by the Presidents executive actions poses a bigger threat to the
black community than police brutality or racial profiling. Peter Kirsanow of the US Commission on Civil
Rights is quoted saying it is a bigger threat to black livelihood, adding that it dwarfs police brutality
when you look at the hundreds of thousands of blacks thrown out of work over the years as a result of
the competitive pressure the downstream effects are profound.
WSJOURNAL REFUTES SESSIONS AND WALKER, ARGUES SKILLED IMMIGRANTS A BOON TO
NATION. In an editorial, the Wall Street Journal (4/26, Subscription Publication, 5.68M) responds to
allies of Sen. Jeff Sessions (R) who have taken issue with the editorial boards criticism of his claims that
Americans with degrees in science and technology are unable to find jobs in their field. The Journal says
that the definition of STEM jobs used by Sessions to argue against allowing immigrants with high-tech
skills to work in the US are flawed. Overall, the Journal says that skilled immigrants are a boon to the
nation.
In a related editorial, the Wall Street Journal (4/27, Subscription Publication, 5.68M) takes issue with Gov.
Scott Walkers agreement with Sessions that skilled immigrants are costing Americans jobs.
US Coast Guard:
TWO PEOPLE DEAD AFTER STORM CAPSIZES 10 BOATS IN ALABAMA. The CBS Evening News
(4/26, story 7, 1:55, Glor, 5.08M) broadcast, Two people are dead and several missing after a powerful
storm capsized at least 10 boats during a Saturday afternoon event in Alabamas Mobile Bay. A rescue
effort led by the US Coast Guard brought at least 40 people to safety.
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A report aired by NBC Nightly News (4/26, story 3, 2:10, Alexander, 7.86M) showed US Coast Guard
Sector Mobile Commander Duke Walker noting that two patrol boats were among resources being used
in the rescue effort.
ABC World News (4/26, story 3, 1:45, Llamas, 5.84M), which also took note of the Coast Guard rescue
effort, broadcast that the boating event happened in a region which faced more than 300 severe
weather reports in the last 48 hours.
In a follow-up report, ABC World News (4/26, story 4, 1:00, Llamas, 5.84M) broadcast, And that powerful
storm in Alabama, one of many causing damage this weekend, especially along the Gulf and all across
the South. Millions of people were in the threat zone last night, added ABC.
According to the CNN (4/26, Digiacomo, Hassan, Ellis, 3.17M) website, Walker said authorities are still
looking for five missing people. Walker also commented on the 40 people who have already been
rescued, saying, Our guys worked hard and long to accomplish that task. He added, This is an awful
tragedy and our hearts go out to the families.
Coast Guard Searching For Missing. The AP (4/27, Nelson-Gabriel) reports that Coast Guard crews
searched for five people missing Sunday after recovering two bodies after the storm capsized sailboats
competing in a regatta in Mobile Bay, Alabama. Gary Garner of the Fairhope Yacht Club, which
organized the competition, said members are heartbroken and we are helping and cooperating fully
with the U.S. Coast Guard and other authorities in accounting for all of the sailors. Authorities have been
searching the waters with boats and planes, including areas near Dauphin Island where anxious family
members have gathered at a Coast Guard station awaiting updates. Coast Guard Capt. Duke Walker is
cited saying officials are focused on finding the missing, though spokesman Seth Johnson is cited
saying Sunday that the Coast Guard will investigate the weather conditions and the decision to go
ahead with the regatta.
Reuters (4/26) quotes Walker saying, were working our hardest, still, to bring those still missing back to
their families. Coast Guard spokesman Carlos Vega is cited saying rescue vessels and aircraft searched
for missing people through the night, and covered 1,779 square miles by Sunday morning.
AS US-CUBA RELATIONS IMPROVE, US SEES FLOOD OF CUBAN MIGRANTS. Peter Alexander
reported on NBC Nightly News (4/26, story 7, 2:20, Alexander, 7.86M) that in an unintended
consequence of Americas improving relationship with Cuba, there has been a flood of migrants trying
to reach the US illegally. Mark Potter added that the Coast Guard says its seeing a steady increase in
Cubans sailing rickety boats to the United States. While current US law says that almost all Cubans
arriving in the United States are allowed to stay here indefinitely, with better diplomatic relations
between the US and Cuba, some question whether that law, known as the Cuban Adjustment Act,
should be restricted to no longer accept those just seeking a better life.
Miami Herald Analysis: Removal Of Cuba From Terror List Not Expected To Spark Business
Activity. The Miami Herald (4/27, Whitefield, 676K) reports that analysts do not expect Cubas removal
from the list of state sponsors of terrorism to set off a business stampede. The impact of the de-listing
will be muted because theres still a thicket of sanctions imposed under the embargo, the Helms Burton
Act and other US laws that remain in effect, including provisions that require US banks to block
transactions with Cuba or Cuban nationals that arent in the permitted category.
Terrorism Investigations:
TSARNAEVS ATTORNEYS PREPARE ARGUMENTS AIMED AT AVOIDING DEATH PENALTY. The
AP (4/27, Lavoie) reports that attorneys for convicted Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev will
begin presenting witnesses this week in the penalty phase of his trial as they try to make their case that
he should be sentenced to life in prison not death for his role in the deadly 2013 attack. The AP
notes that Tsarnaev was convicted of 30 federal charges in the twin bombings that killed three people
and injured more than 260 on April 15, 2013, and that 17 of those charges carry the possibility of the
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death penalty. Federal prosecutors called 17 witnesses over three days, mainly victims who lost loved
ones or limbs in the explosions.
Tsarnaev Relatives Arrive In Massachusetts. The Boston Globe (4/25, Wen, 886K) reports that
Tsarnaevs relatives are under federal government protection in a Revere, MA hotal, officials said
Friday, and are widely expected to assist the defense team as it prepares to present its case next week
that Tsarnaev should be spared the death penalty. Revere Police Chief Joseph Cafarelli said on Friday
that six people he described as witnesses in the Tsarnaev trial are staying at the local Hampton Inn.
Several of Tsarnaevs relatives arrived in Boston Thursday, according to a person familiar with the
case, and although Tsarnaevs attorneys have declined to comment, legal experts say defense
attorneys in death penalty cases typically solicit family members to testify about a clients childhood and
personality prior to their crimes.
The Boston Herald (4/27, Kalter, 709K) reports that media had swarmed the hotel since the family
members were taken there from Logan International Airport on Thursday and there was a large security
detail inside. The manager of the Hampton Inn said they had seen cancellations as a result of hosting
Tsarnaevs kin.
The Huffington Post (4/25, McLaughlin, 194K) reports that it is unknown if Tsarnaevs family members
arrived merely to support him in court with his life on the line, or if some members will be called to testify
on his behalf. Tsarnaev has extended family in southern Russia, sisters living in New Jersey and an
uncle in Maryland, but so far, no relatives have ventured into court.
The Boston Herald (4/27, Sweet, Cassidy, 709K) reports that Robert Blecker, a criminal law professor at
New York School of Law, said that with time running out, putting Tsarnaevs family members on the
stand could be worth the risk if it sways just one juror to spare his life. Were talking about the one or
two jurors in whose mind this is a close call, Blecker told the Herald, adding, Could that tip the
balance? Yes. Blecker said the defense can risk alienating four or five jurors by putting family members
on the stand if it creates a reasonable doubt for just one juror because swaying one member of the jury
would be enough to prevent a unanimous death penalty ruling.
In his column for the Boston Globe (4/26, Cullen, 886K), Kevin Cullen writes that Tsarnaevs attorneys
face the Herculean task of humanizing the inhumane. Tsarnaevs attorneys have mostly played ropea-dope so far, absorbing one shot after another, conserving their energy, but the penalty phase of the
trial is what they have been waiting for, and unlike the prosecution, they dont have to win everybody
over. Cullen notes that they only need one, one of the 12 jurors, to say no to the death penalty, either
because that juror believes there is something in Tsarnaevs life or character that mitigates what he did,
or because that juror thinks death is too easy for him.
Bostons Muslim Community Chafes Under Spotlight. The AP (4/25, Marcelo) reports that Bostons
Muslim community has been once again thrust into the spotlight as the death penalty trial of Tsarnaev
nears its conclusion amid rising concerns of terrorist recruitment in America. The AP notes that
newspaper op-eds, advertisements and social media posts have highlighted connections between
Boston-area mosques and terrorists and suspected terrorists, despite efforts locally to denounce them.
The AP adds that Boston is one of three cities along with Los Angeles and Minneapolis where the
Obama administration is piloting a controversial new program to tackle extremist group recruitment
before it takes root, and that local Muslims expressed frustration this week that the local community
continues to be painted with the same broad brush.
OFFICIALS SAY ISILS SOPHISTICATED RECRUITING CAMPAIGN POSES THREAT IN US. USA
Today (4/26, Johnson, 5.01M) reports that a recent string of terror-related cases in the U.S., including
the arrests of six Minnesota men accused earlier this month of attempting to join the Islamic State,
highlights an unprecedented marketing effort being waged by ISIL, U.S. law enforcement officials and
terror analysts said. It is a campaign that is finding resonance from urban metros to the American
heartland, This is not so much a recruitment effort as it is a global marketing campaign, beyond anything
that al-Qaeda has ever done, a senior law enforcement official said Thursday. The unnamed official
said the Islamic States slick multimedia productions, its use of social media and personal peer-to-peer
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communication are proving to be effective parts of a sophisticated program aimed at the West. USA
notes that FBI Director James Comey also has expressed serious concern, saying ISIL and similar
terror-support inquiries are ongoing in each of the bureaus 56 field divisions across the country.
Startup Incubator Seeks To Boost Muslim Entrepreneurs To Limit ISILs Appeal. Newsweek (4/27,
Walker, 175K) reports that over the past two years, tech companies and governments have tried to
counter ISILs digital strategy, with limited success, so one group is trying something new. Affinis Labs,
a startup incubator, was founded by Shahed Amanullah, a former senior adviser for technology at the
State Department, and Quintan Wiktorowicz, a former senior director for community partnerships at the
White Houses National Security Council. Their mission is to pull together Muslim entrepreneurs to build
social networking tools that help reduce the allure of ISIL, and it is currently working with eight
businesses, including a Muslim dating site and a Kickstarter for Muslims. The goal is to help Western
Muslims find like-minded individuals instead of resorting to extremist groups for a sense of belonging.
JUDGE SIGNS ORDER SEALING INFORMATION IN FORT RILEY BOMBING CASE. The Topeka (KS)
Capital-Journal (4/24, Fry, 117K) reports that US District Judge John W. Lungstrum on Friday signed an
order sealing sensitive information in the case of a man charged with attempting to detonate a bomb at
Fort Riley. On Thursday, US Attorney Barry Grissom, along with two assistant U.S. attorneys and two
trial attorneys, filed a motion seeking the protective order for discovery in the case of John T. Booker Jr.,
20. According to terms of the order, Federal prosecutors will share declassified investigative materials
and sensitive law enforcement materials with Bookers defense attorneys and members of the defense
team. Booker is charged with one count of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction, one count
of attempting to damage property by means of an explosive, and one count of attempting to provide
material support to the Islamic State extremist group.
ONE OF SIX CHARGED WITH TRYING TO JOIN ISIL TO BE EXTRADITED FROM CALIFORNIA TO
MINNESOTA. The AP (4/24) reports from San Diego that a man accused of trying to travel to Syria to
join the Islamic State group is going to be sent from California to Minnesota to face charges. US
Magistrate Judge Karen S. Crawford in San Diego signed a warrant for the removal of Mohamad Farah.
The FBI arrested Farah and Abdurahman Daud last weekend in San Diego. The two are among six men
charged in a criminal complaint unsealed Monday with conspiracy to support a foreign terrorist
organization. The four others were arrested in Minnesota.
Reuters (4/24, Graham) reports that Farah, 21, waived his rights to seek bail and to fight extradition on
Friday.
Figure In ISIL Case Charged With Tweeting Threats. The Minneapolis Star Tribune (4/24, Furst,
1.29M) reports that Mahamed Abukar Said, who made death threats on Twitter against federal law
enforcement officials in connection with the case against six Minneapolis men accused of trying to join
ISIL now faces federal charges of his own. Said, 19, was charged on Friday with two criminal counts for
threatening to assault and murder a federal law enforcement officer. According to the criminal
complaints, Said tweeted a photo of the governments confidential informant in the case against the six
defendants accused of conspiring to join ISIL, and he also threatened federal prosecutors with a
massacre, investigators allege.
The AP (4/24, Forliti) reports that Said was charged with threatening law enforcement officials and
writing on Twitter that a massacre would happen if authorities did not free six men who were arrested
earlier this week and accused of trying to travel to Syria to join the Islamic State group. According to an
FBI affidavit, Said used his Twitter account to threaten to kill a federal law enforcement official and
demand that the men be freed. In one tweet on Wednesday, writing the Feds are getting two choices.
Either they gon free my bros or the gon have a massacre happen then they gon take me too. Said also
used Twitter to retaliate against a man who cooperated with authorities, the affidavit said, and posted a
picture of the informant on Thursday.
PANEL TO RECOMMEND FAMILIES OF US HOSTAGES NOT FACE PROSECUTION FOR PAYING
RANSOM. Jeff Glor reported on the CBS Evening News (4/26, story 3, 1:40, Glor, 5.08M) that the US is
reviewing its hostage policies. Julianna Goldman called the review an acknowledgment that government
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officials need to be more sensitive to the families of US hostages abroad, adding that according to a US
official, while the Administration will still retain a no-ransom policy, the review will likely recommend
that families not be threatened with prosecution.
Brian Ross reported on ABC World News (4/27, story 6, 1:50, Llamas, 5.84M) that three senior White
House officials tell ABC News a White House review of hostage policy could lead to an end to these
threats, and on its website, ABC News (4/27, 3.69M) quoted one senior official as saying, There will be
absolutely zero chance of any family member of an American held hostage overseas ever facing jail
themselves, or even the threat of prosecution, for trying to free their loved ones.
Weinsteins Family Paid $250,000 Ransom In 2012. Glor also reported on the CBS Evening News
(4/26, story 3, 1:40, Glor, 5.08M) reported that the family of Warren Weinstein paid a ransom,
$250,000, in 2012, but Weinstein was never returned.
MALAYSIAN AUTHORITIES ARREST 12 IN ISIL TERROR PLOT. The Wall Street Journal (4/27, Ng,
Subscription Publication, 5.68M) reports that Malaysian police have arrested a dozen suspects who they
say planned to attack government targets around Kuala Lumpur at the behest of a senior ISIL leader in
Syria who called for attacks on secular Muslim nations deemed to be enemies of the group.
FORMER GITMO DETAINEES IN URUGUAY CONTINUE PROTEST. The AP (4/27) reports that four
former Guantnamo Bay prisoners protested for a third day in a row Sunday in front of the US Embassy
in Uruguay, saying that Washington owes them housing and financial support due to their prolonged
incarceration. In a statement released Sunday, the men argued that the US cant leave their errors to
other people, referring to Uruguays support for the former detainees, vowing to remain in front of the
embassy in Montevideo until they meet with the US ambassador.
LAW ENFORCEMENT WARNED OF POSSIBLE ISIL TERROR PLOT. Jeff Glor reported on the CBS
Evening News (4/26, story 4, 1:05, Glor, 5.08M) that US law enforcement officials have been warned of
a possible ISIS terror plot against the US military and law enforcement facilities. Jeff Pegues added that
while authorities have not identified any specific suspects or targets, information from communication
involving known ISIS associates overseas, specifically mention the state of California, and as a result of
that, security has been ramped up at airports across that state. Pegues added that these are not new
threats. For some time now ISIS has been attempting to inspire lone wolf attacks here in the US. The
Department of Homeland Security says it will adjust security measures as necessary.
NYPD Commissioner William Bratton said on CBS Face The Nation (4/26, Schieffer, 2.64M), I think that
ISIS has clearly ramped up the encouragement of terrorist acts. Those that travel to that part of the world
to fight and then seek to return home, the homestead, those that are here, they seek to inspire. Some of
that invective has been directed very specifically at police and military. In New York City some months
ago, we saw that turn into action where an individual madman attacked police officers with a hatchet and
severely injured one of them. NYPD Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence and Counterterrorism John
Miller added, This is a little bit of the new normal.
CNN (4/25, Perez, Prokupecz, 3.17M) reported on its website, The FBI is investigating a possible ISISinspired terrorist threat that one official said focused on parts of California.
The Hill (4/27, Byrnes, 469K) reported in its Blog Briefing Room blog, FBI Director James Comey has
said investigations of suspected ISIS supporters are underway in all 50 states. Reuters (4/26, Maler,
Hosenball) also covered the CNN report on the FBI investigation.
Reuters (4/26) reported that a law enforcement official in Los Angeles denied there was a specific threat
to the Los Angeles airport.
MAN CHARGED WITH THREATENING TO BLOW UP IRS BUILDING. The AP (4/27) reports Morris
Whitehead, who told the FBI his name is Squirrel, has been charged with calling the FBI and threaten
to blow up the Internal Revenue Service building in Miami.
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FBI PREPARING FOR ALL STAR GAME. WCPO-TV Cincinnati (4/27, Mirfendereski, 110K) reported,
Its taken local officials and the feds more than a year to develop a plan to keep fans safe during the
2015 All Star Game in Cincinnati. The FBI recently held a two-day training session...for local police
departments, fire departments, bomb squads, other public agencies and MLB officials who will have a
role in security. Special Agent Rick Maier, who is in charge of the FBI involvement in the event, said
The event itself has a higher visibility, and that in itself makes it more of a potential target for terrorist or
criminal activity. While the FBI is focused on detecting and deterring potential threats, Maier said,
Were also prepared for if things dont go well.
ARRESTS SHOW CHALLENGES OF MINNESOTA SHERIFF LIAISON. The Wall Street Journal (4/25,
Kesling, Subscription Publication, 5.68M) reports the recent arrest of six young Somalis from Minnesota
seeking to go to Syria and join ISIL have highlighted the importance and challenges faced by the
Hennepin County Sheriffs full-time liaison to the Somali community in Minneapolis.
US RELEASES REPORT ON NSA SURVEILLANCE. With debate gearing up over the coming
expiration of the Patriot Act surveillance law, the AP (4/26, Pickler) reports that on Saturday the Office of
the Director of National Intelligence publicly released the redacted report about the National Security
Agency program that gathered information on the domestic telephone calls and emails of Americans.
GROUP APOLOGIZES FOR INVITATION TO EVENT WITH NAVY SEAL WHO KILLED BIN LADEN.
The Washington Post (4/27, Lamothe, 5.03M) reports that the conservative group ForAmerica, which
invited donors to make a $50,000 contribution in exchange for a weekend of shooting guns with Robert
ONeill, the Navy SEAL veteran credited killing al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden expressed regret
Sunday for the way it promoted the event, saying it did not consult him before invitations were sent. An
invitation promoted the event as A Special Weekend with Robert ONeill, the Man who Shot Osama bin
Laden, and promised time with him in clay, pistol and machine gun fun shooting competitions.
ForAmerica founder Brent Bozell said in a statement that his team got a little ahead of itself in putting
out the invitation.
Other Cyber News:

CARTER UNVEILS NEW STRATEGY FOR CYBER-CONFLICT, SEEKS TO REBUILD TRUST WITH
SILICON VALLEY. The New York Times (4/27, Sanger, Perlroth, Subscription Publication, 12.24M)
reports that as he toured Silicon Valley last week to announce a new military strategy for computer
conflict, Defense Secretary Carter acknowledged...the need to rebuild trust with Silicon Valley, whose
mainstays like Apple, Google and Facebook (whose new headquarters he toured) have spent two
years demonstrating to customers around the world that they are rolling out encryption technologies to
defeat surveillance. Carters careful appeal was part of a campaign last week by government officials
trying to undo the damage from Edward Snowdens revelations, and while he got a respectful hearing,
Jeh Johnson, the secretary of Homeland Security, and a group of other government officials ran into a
buzz saw of skepticism at the worlds largest conference of computer security professionals, just 30 miles
to the north.
RUSSIAN HACKERS READ OBAMAS UNCLASSIFIED EMAILS. Jeff Glor reported on the CBS
Evening News (4/26, story 5, 0:15, Glor, 5.08M) reported that US officials have confirmed that Russian
hackers read some of the Presidents unclassified emails when they breached the White House archives
last year. According to officials, no classified emails were compromised.
Kristen Welker reported on NBC Nightly News (4/26, story 4, 2:20, Alexander, 7.86M) that a recent cyber
attack was more extensive than originally thought and that is raising questions about the governments
ability to protect the Presidents correspondence, adding that while the hackers only got unclassified
emails...even those files can contain sensitive information, like the Presidents schedule.
National Security News:

AMENDMENTS COULD SINK SENATE BILL ON IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL. The AP (4/27, Riechmann)
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reports that backers of the Senate bill to give Congress the power to review and possibly reject an Iran
nuclear deal, including Sens. Lindsey Graham and Robert Menendez, are contending with colleagues
determined to change the legislation in ways that could sink it. The AP highlights some of the
amendments being offered and notes that while the measure cleared the Senate Finance Committee on
a unanimous vote, some lawmakers want changes that could cost them the support of President Barack
Obama, who grudgingly backed the measure, and his fellow Democrats. Meanwhile, The Hill (4/26,
Carney, 469K) reported that conservative Republicans are looking for options that would place
Democrats between the proverbial rock and a hard place, forcing them to choose between opening
themselves up to attack by voting against the amendments, or angering Obama and [Minority Leader]
Reid by backing them.
The New York Times (4/27, Steinhauer, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) reports that the GOP
amendments threaten to peel away bipartisan support for the measure, which was begrudgingly
accepted by the White House. The Times says Democrats who support the underlying bill said
emphatically last week that they would abandon a bill with any legislative ornaments they disliked, and
notes that the impending debate over the amendments highlights challenges facing the legislative
philosophy of [Majority Leader] McConnell, who has vowed to have a generous amendment policy.
Senate Armed Services committee member Lindsey Graham said on Fox News Sunday Morning Futures
(4/26), The outline of a good deal would make sure no sanctions are lifted until theres full compliance
by the Iranians to the inspection regime. ... Before the inspection regime is dismantled down the road in
the future, there has to be a certification that Iran is no longer a state sponsor of terrorism. Those three
things must happen.
Kerry, Zarif To Meet At UN Monday. The AP (4/27, Lee) reports that the State Department said
Secretary of State Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will meet Monday on the
sidelines of a UN conference on the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. This will mark the first time Kerry
and Zarif have met since they laid out the framework for a nuclear deal earlier this month.
McCain Says Agreement Will Result In Iran Having A Nuclear Capability. When asked about the
controversy surrounding the Iran nuclear framework, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John
McCain said on CNNs State Of The Union (4/26, Acosta, 420K), I think George Schultz and Henry
Kissinger were correct in the op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, where they said these negotiations began
in order to rid Iran of ever having a nuclear capability to delaying Iran from having nuclear a nuclear
capability abilities. I can assure you, if this deal goes through the way it appears it is, you will see a
nuclear armed Middle East and thats dangerous.
In an op-ed for the New York Times (4/27, Subscription Publication, 12.24M), Soner Cagaptay, a senior
fellow at The Washington Institute; James F. Jeffrey, the former American ambassador to Iraq, Turkey,
and Albania; and Mehdi Khalaji, a Shiite theologian, that while the Obama Administration hopes an
agreement on Irans nuclear program will have a transcendental effect on Iran and convince it to
abandon its imperial aspirations in return for a sense of normalcy, Iran is a country seeking to assert its
dominance in the region and it will not play by the rules, and should not be expected to compromise its
principles any time soon.
Bush 43 Argues Against Lifting Iran Sanctions. The New York Times (4/27, Horowitz, Haberman,
Subscription Publication, 12.24M) reports that in remarks to the Republican Jewish Coalition on
Saturday, former President George W. Bush offered rare remarks about foreign policy, arguing against
the lifting of sanctions against Iran. While Bush said he would not criticize President Obama, he
offered comments that many in the audience viewed as a tacit critique of his successor, voicing
skepticism about the Obama administrations pursuit of a nuclear deal with Iran. Bush questioned
whether it was wise to lift sanctions against Tehran when the Islamic government seemed to be caving
in, and suggested that the United States risked losing leverage if it did so.
Israel To Take Part In UN Non-Proliferation Conference For First Time In 20 Years. In a move aimed
at promoting a dialogue with Arab states, a senior Israeli official said Israel will participate as an observer
in a nuclear non-proliferation conference set to begin at the UN on Monday, Reuters (4/27, Williams)
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reports. Israel never joined the Non-Proliferation Treaty and has not attend gatherings of treaty
signatories since 1995 to protest resolutions it says were biased against it. According to the Israeli
official, We think that this is the time for all moderate countries to sit and discuss the problems that
everyone is facing in the region. ... I see this, coming as an observer to the conference now, as trying to
demonstrate our good faith in terms of having such a conversation.
WPOST ANALYSIS: ASSADS HOLD ON POWER MORE TENUOUS THAN EVER. The Washington
Post (4/27, Sly, 5.03M) reports that amid rebel gains in Syria, including the capture of Jisr al-Shughour,
President Bashar al-Assads regime appears in greater peril than at any time in the past three years.
However, while the rebels have made significant advances in both the north and the south of the
country, some observers say the prospect of a government collapse in Damascus is still remote, as the
capital is well defended, and the rebels gains have come mostly on the periphery of the country, where
the regimes supply lines are stretched.
GROUP SAYS 34 KILLED IN SYRIAN AIRSTRIKES. Reuters (4/27, Westall) reports that according to a
group monitoring the war in Syria, at least 34 people were killed in Syrian air strikes on the town of Jisr
al-Shughour, which was seized by Islamist fighters on Saturday. According to the group, 20 airstrikes
since Saturday killed at least 34 people including insurgents and civilians, some of whom were children.
ISRAEL SAYS IT LAUNCHED AN AIRSTRIKE YESTERDAY ON SYRIAN BORDER. The AP (4/26)
reports that the Israeli military announced yesterday that it had launched an airstrike on its border with
Syria after spotting militants carrying a bomb in the Israeli-held Golan Heights. According to the Israelis,
a group of armed terrorists was approaching the border with an explosive intended to target Israeli
troops, and Israeli aircraft targeted the squad, preventing the attack. Reuters (4/26, Fisher-Ilan) runs a
similar story, while AFP (4/26) notes Israel made no mention of any casualties.
The Los Angeles Times (4/27, Sobelman, 4.03M) reports the incident occurred just east of Majdal
Shams, a Druze village on the Israeli side of the Golan Heights that Israel captured from Syria in 1967
where fierce fighting between opposition forces and loyalists of the Syrian regime for control over the
Golan strategic plateau in southern Syria has brought the conflict to the border area, now an open and
lawless frontier.
The New York Times (4/27, Kershner, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) notes that Israel has accused
Iran of helping Hezbollah set up a militant network on the Syrian side of the lines in the Golan Heights,
with the aim of attacking Israeli targets. The Times adds that other airstrikes in Syrian territory that were
attributed to Israel have gone unanswered, but the once-quiet cease-fire line in the Golan Heights has
been increasingly destabilized by the Syrian civil war.
OBAMA EXEMPTED DRONE OPERATIONS IN PAKISTAN FROM TIGHTER RULES. The Wall Street
Journal (4/27, Entous, Subscription Publication, 5.68M) reports that current and former officials say that
while the President made rules governing the US drone program tighter in 2013, he secretly approved a
waiver that gave the CIA more leeway in Pakistan to strike suspected militants. While the tighter rules,
which required that targets were posing an imminent threat to the US, were aimed at reducing the risk of
civilian casualties, the CIA was not held to that standard in Pakistan.
McCain, Kasich Say Pentagon, Not CIA, Should Be Running Drone Program. The revelation that a
US counterterrorism attack resulted in the death of two hostages, has prompted calls for the US drone
program to be moved from the CIA to the Pentagon, a sentiment that was evident on the Sunday talk
shows this week. The Huffington Post (4/26, Barron-Lopez, 194K) reported that on CNNs State Of The
Union on Sunday, McCain said the Americans deaths were obviously preventable, adding that there
was an obvious breakdown in intelligence. McCain, the Post added, argued the CIA might not be the
right agency to handle the drone program, saying, Its really not the job of an intelligence agency, and
Reuters (4/27, Cowan) reports that McCain said, I think it should be conducted and oversight and
administered by the Department of Defense.
The Washington Times (4/27, Richardson, 641K) reported that Ohio Gov. John Kasich expressed the
same view on CNNs State Of The Union, saying, I dont believe the drone program should be run out of
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the CIA. The CIA is an intelligence-gathering operation. The drone program should be operated
exclusively out of the Pentagon. The Air Force has the capability of doing extensive targeting. You dont
have those capabilities in the CIA.
PUTIN: INTEL FOUND THAT US HELPED SEPARATISTS IN NORTH CAUCASUS IN EARLY 2000S.
The AP (4/27, Vasilyeva) reports that in a new documentary that aired last night on state TV, Russian
President Vladimir Putin says intercepted calls showed that the US helped separatists in Russias North
Caucasus in the 2000s, underscoring his suspicions of the West. In an interview, Putin says that
Russian intelligence agencies had intercepted direct contacts between the separatists and US
intelligence officials in Azerbaijan during the early 2000s, proving that Washington was helping the
insurgents. Remarked Putin, They were actually helping them, even with transportation.
Bloomberg News (4/26, Agayev, 3.81M) reports that Russias southern periphery is closer to open war
than at any time since the 1990s, as hostilities between Azerbaijan and Armenia are mounting 21 years
after a cease-fire froze a conflict that flared in the dying days of the Soviet Union. The new upswing in
violence now threatens to put some of those investments at risk and destabilize a region that separates
Russia from Turkey and Iran.
SAUDI-LED COALITION ESCALATES AIRSTRIKES IN YEMEN, TARGETS SANA. The New York
Times (4/27, Al-Batati, Fahim, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) reports that the Saudi-led coalition
bombed Sana on Sunday, striking a military base and the presidential palace in the capital. The coalition
also carried out airstrikes across several provinces, suggesting that the Saudi air offensive is
broadening, rather than...scaling back despite Riyadhs claims of focusing on a diplomatic solution and
humanitarian relief. The Times notes that the violence heightened in recent days as it became more
apparent that the warring parties were locked in a standoff. Meanwhile, on Sunday, at least seven were
killed and dozens wounded in escalating violence in Taiz.
Yemen FM Rejects Peace Talks Request From Saleh. Reuters (4/27, Aboulenein) reports that
Yemens foreign minister, Riyadh Yaseen, rejected a call for peace negotiations on Sunday from former
president Ali Abdullah Saleh, calling them unacceptable after all the destruction Ali Abdullah Saleh has
caused, adding that there can be no place for Saleh in any future political talks. Yaseen reiterated that
Operation Decisive Storm has not ended and that his government will not deal with the Houthis
whatsoever until they withdraw from areas under their control.
AFP (4/27, Al-Haidari) reports that new UN envoy to Yemen, Mauritanian diplomat Ismail Ould Cheikh
Ahmed, sought to launch peace talks between the Houthis and the Yemeni government. The Houthis
have called on the end of airstrikes as a condition for entering UN-sponsored talks.
Former UN Envoy: Yemeni Warring Parties Were Close To Deal When Airstrikes Began. In
comments made to the Wall Street Journal (4/27, Lauria, Coker, Subscription Publication, 5.68M), former
UN envoy to Yemen, Jamal Benomar, said that Yemens rival factions were close to agreeing to a powersharing deal when the Saudi-led airstrikes started a month ago, effectively derailing negotiations.
Benomar, who mediated the talks, said that the bombing campaign has led to a fallout over the key issue
of the executive bodys make-up to lead Yemens transition.
US, WORLD MOVE TO DELIVER AID AFTER DEVASTATING EARTHQUAKE HITS NEPAL. In the
lead story for the CBS Evening News (4/26, lead story, 3:30, Glor, 5.08M), Jeff Glor reported that
according to Nepalese authorities at least 2,000 people are confirmed dead after a massive
earthquake. In the lead story for NBC Nightly News (4/26, lead story, 3:20, Alexander, 7.86M), Peter
Alexander put the death toll at more than 2,500, and Richard Engel added that Nepal is bracing for
worse to come. In a separate story for NBC Nightly News (4/26, story 2, 2:15, Alexander, 7.86M), Ian
Williams reported on search and rescue efforts adding that open spaces here are packed. The people
who lived through Saturdays earthquake too afraid to return to their homes. They are preparing to live
outdoors right now, terror heightened by another aftershock on Sunday, the most powerful of over a
dozen.
ABC World News (4/26, lead story, 2:40, Marquardt, 5.84M) described the tremors following Nepals
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most powerful earthquake in 80 years, with rescue teams...digging furiously through the rubble for
anyone who may still be alive. Remarking on the growing sense of despair in Kathmandu, the New
York Times (4/26, Fuller, Harris, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) notes the already difficult situation in
much of the capital, where safe shelters are scarce, was made worse Sunday when rains began to pour
down on huddled masses. Moreover, it is increasingly evident that authorities here were ill-equipped to
rescue those trapped and would have trouble maintaining adequate supplies of water, electricity and
food. The Washington Post (4/27, Lakshmi, Gowen, 5.03M) reports that in the capital, food and water
supplies ran low. Price gouging began. Electricity was intermittent. Rescuers battled to make it to
residents of remote villages. Also reporting on the devastation, among other news outlets, were the
Christian Science Monitor (4/26, 460K), Los Angeles Times (4/27, Makinen, 4.03M), Reuters (4/26,
Sharma, Miglani), AP (4/27, Gurubacharya, Daigle), USA Today (4/27, Mandaro, 5.01M), and Wall Street
Journal (4/27, Pesta, Mandhana, Subscription Publication, 5.68M).
In a separate story on the CBS Evening News (4/26, story 2, 2:25, Glor, 5.08M), Glor reported that there
is a search for survivors from the quake-triggered avalanches on Mount Everest, and Charlie DAgata
added that at least three Americans were killed when one such avalanche. Rescue helicopters reached
the mountain today, but teams have had to battle against rough weather to evacuate badly wounded
survivors. The Americans killed in Nepal, says the Los Angeles Times (4/27, Jennings, 4.03M), were a
Santa Monica couple visiting the country, Michelle Page, 58, and Daniel Adams, 65.
The AP (4/27) reports that the Pentagon says a US military plane has departed from the Dover Air Force
Base in Delaware bound for earthquake-stricken Nepal, carrying 70 personnel, including a US Agency
for International Development disaster assistance response team, a Virginia-based search and rescue
team and 45 tons of cargo. USA Today (4/27, Brook, 5.01M) notes the cargo jet is also carrying
journalists, and that the DOD effort comes after the US Embassy in Nepal announced it had already
released an initial $1 million for immediate assistance. Meanwhile, in aid from other countries, the
United Arab Emirates deployed an 88-member search-and-rescue team to Nepal on Sunday, and the
Emirates Red Crescent also sent a team. The Washington Times (4/27, Klimas, 641K) runs a similar
story this morning.
USA Today (4/27, Madhani, Hjelmgaard, 5.01M) reports that relief groups...say there is still time to save
lives, as government agencies and aid groups began rushing doctors, volunteers and equipment into
Nepal as Katmandus international airport reopened. The AP (4/27, Katz) says substantial logistical
hurdles remain, but there were hopeful signs as Kathmandus international airport reopened...and some
aid vehicles were able to travel overland from Indian to the stricken Nepalese city of Pokhara. In a
separate dispatch, the AP (4/27, Katz) reports that UN spokeswoman Orla Fagan, who is heading to
Nepal, said preventing the spread of disease is one of the most important tasks facing aid workers who
are arriving, said yesterday, There are 14 international medical teams on the way and either 14 or 15
international search-and-rescue teams on the way. ... They need to get in as soon as possible. They will
use military aircraft to get them into Nepal.
The New York Times (4/27, Scott, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) reports that several of Nepals
neighbors have sent immediate help. India said that it had deployed 13 military transport planes and a
40-person disaster response team, while China said that a search and rescue team had already reached
Katmandu.
On Fox News Sunday Morning Futures (4/26), former US Ambassador To Saudi Arabia Robert Jordan
talked about the devastating earthquake, stating, We have access to our military personnel who are
very, very helpful in situations like this. Its really an opportunity for America to make friends by aiding in
a time of terrible necessity. This reminds me of the tsunami aid we provided some years ago. This is a
terrible tragedy, but its one where we can actually make a difference. America is very good at mobilizing
and dispatching aid. Well obviously have many challenges because of the terrain in Nepal, but this is
something that our military, with State Department guidance, are very much up to.
On CBS Face The Nation (4/26, Schieffer, 2.64M), Orla Fagan, public information officer at the UN Office
for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said, Teams are being mobilized, there are international
operations underway. India sent in three very large military helicopters. Other nations are planning to do
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the same. ... What theyre looking for now is how to shift the materials to remove the debris, to start the
search and rescue operation to get as many people out of the rubble as possible, and to clear dead
bodies out of the way to address the threat of disease outbreak.
Also on CBS Face The Nation (4/26, Schieffer, 2.64M), Chris Skopec, senior director for emergency
preparedness and response with the International Medical Corps, said, The International Medical Corps
is on the ground and weve reached the epicenter of the earthquake. We brought medical relief to treat
patients and were trying to assess the extent of the damage to see how best we can mobilize resources.
... First and foremost, we need more resources on the ground. We need human resources doctors,
nurses as well as pharmaceutical and medical supplies. We need the ability to bring clean water to the
people that need it the most.
SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS DISAGREE ON RESPONSE TO CHINAS ACTIONS IN SOUTH
CHINA SEA. The Wall Street Journal (4/27, Otto, Ng, Subscription Publication, 5.68M) reports the
southeast Asian nations are divided over how to respond to Chinas actions in the South China Sea,
noting that during a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on Sunday, the Philippines
pushed the group to stand up to China, while Malaysia sought to downplay the situation.
Chinas First-Quarter GDP Growth Rate Appears Overstated. The Wall Street Journal (4/27, Magnier,
Subscription Publication, 5.68M) reports that Chinas claim of 7 percent first-quarter GDP growth appears
to be overstated, noting that Chinas numbers have not shown the sharp fluctuations seen in other
economies, and its methodology appears to be inconsistent. However, the Journal notes that efforts by
economists to determine its actual growth rate have proven difficult.
Paulson: China Becoming An Enemy Is Not Inevitable. In an interview with the Christian Science
Monitor (4/26, Marquand, 460K), former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said, The level of
understanding between China and the US is not where I think it should be, considering how important the
relationship is, adding that there is as big a risk of exaggerating Chinas strength as there is in
underestimating its potential. This is a country that has huge challenges, an economic system that has
run out of steam, which it needs to reboot. Paulson also said that China becoming an enemy is not
inevitable. As a matter of fact, it is unthinkable We do have a lot of shared interests with China. But
those interests dont make a lot of difference unless you turn them into tangible accomplishments. We
need to do things that bring our countries closer together.
NOOSE TIGHTENS AROUND GREECE AS IMPASSE OVER DEBT CONTINUES. Bloomberg News
(4/26, Chrysoloras, 3.81M) reports that Greece will look for ways to assemble enough cash to pay its
pensioners and employees this week, after euro area finance ministers on Friday said they wont
disburse more aid until bailout terms are met. At the IMF, the consensus appears to be that a Greek
default would be systemically manageable, UBS Chairman Axel Weber told the Swiss newspaper Neue
Zuercher Zeitung, while the Governing Council of the European Central Bank may debate on May 6
whether to raise the haircut on Greek collateral posted against Emergency Liquidity Assistance, a
decision that could worsen the countrys cash squeeze. Reuters (4/27, Koutantou) notes that Greek
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke on the phone yesterday, and
agreed to stay in touch in coming days.
POLICE BODY CAMERAS RAISING QUESTIONS OVER DISTRIBUTION OF FOOTAGE. The New
York Times (4/27, Williams, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) reports that while police departments
nationwide are rushing to equip officers with body cameras, their adoption has created a new conflict
over who has the right to view the recordings. While the move to adopt them is just taking off, there is
already a battle in state legislatures over the control of their footage.
ASIAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER GROUPS CALL FOR JUSTICE FOR SLAIN NEW YORKER. WPIXTV New York (4/27, Gurley, 22K) reported on its website that more than 50 Asian and Pacific Islander
groups from across the nation have released an open letter calling for justice for Akai Gurley, whose
was killed by NYPD Officer Peter Liang on November 20, 2014. Liang was unarmed, and the groups
who have signed the letter represent diverse constituencies across all regions of the US.
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KHAMENEI CRITICIZES US POLICE TREATMENT OF BLACK AMERICANS. In a press release

posted on Irans Tasnim News Agency (4/27), Ayatollah Khamenei criticizes US police forces for violence
against black Americans. Khamenei told a gathering of police officials in Tehran on Sunday, In the US,
whose president is now a black man, black people are being persecuted, ignored and humiliated by
police, as such behavior has also caused unrests.
NEWLY-RELEASED REPORT DETAILS BUSH ADMINISTRATIONS SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM.
McClatchy (4/26, Doyle, Subscription Publication, 32K) reports that a July 2009 report prepared by the
Offices of the Inspectors General of the Department of Defense, Department of Justice, Central
Intelligence Agency, National Security Agency, and Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which
details the George W. Bush administrations aggressive surveillance program has been made public.
The previously secret report criticizes former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales for misleading
Congress in his testimony about the program, noting that while Gonzales was in the difficult position of
testifying about a secret program in a public hearing, he had a duty not to be misleading in his
testimony about the events that nearly led to mass resignations of the most senior officials of the Justice
Department and FBI. Investigators further concluded the Justice Department should have more
carefully and thoroughly reviewed the programs legality.
To keep the email to a manageable size, the national news summary is available on the website.
Copyright 2015 by Bulletin Intelligence LLC Reproduction or redistribution without permission

prohibited. Editorial content is drawn from thousands of newspapers, national magazines, national and
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Subject:
Date:
Attachments:
The Homeland Security News Briefing for Saturday, April 25, 2015
Saturday, April 25, 2015 6:53:31 AM
dhsclips150425.doc

DATE: SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 2015 7:00 AM EDT

LEADING DHS NEWS:
+ Obama Defends Intelligence Community, Vows Review After Hostages Killed In Drone Strike.
+ DHS Celebrates Unity Of Effort.
+ Johnson: Number Of Illegal Immigrants Drops.
+ Court Says Mexican Family Can Not File Lawsuit Against US Border Agent.
+ Baltimore Police Admit Failures In Arrest Of Freddie Gray.
+ Scientists Discover Super-Volcano At Yellowstone.
NATIONAL PROTECTION AND PROGRAMS:
+ Eric Holder Bids Farewell To Justice Department.
+ Possible Serial Shooter Loose On Denver Freeways.
OFFICE OF HEALTH AFFAIRS:
+ CDC Issues Alert Over Indiana HIV Outbreak, Hepatitis C Epidemic.
+ Study Highlights Dangers Associated With Fake, Poor Quality Drugs.
+ Italy Arrests Nine Members Of Suspected Al Qaeda Cell.
+ Saudi Arabia Says ISIL Directed Shooting Of Police Officers In Riyadh.
+ France Launches Formal Investigation Into Suspect In Thwarted Church Attack.
+ Former Guantanamo Detainees Protest Outside US Embassy In Uruguay.
+ Canadian Court Grants Bail To Former Guantnamo Inmate.
+ Statue Of Liberty Evacuated Over Bomb Threat.
COUNTERING VIOLENT EXTREMISM:
+ After Captivity, Victim Of Extremism Expresses Understanding Of ISIL Recruits.
+ Iraqi Forces Make Gains Against ISIL In Ramadi.
+ UN Invites Syrian Factions To Talks In Geneva.
+ Pentagon: Tensions Easing As Iranian Ships Turn Away From Yemen.
+ Talks On Final Nuclear Deal With Iran End On Positive Note.
+ US Takes Over Chairmanship Of Arctic Council Amid Tensions Over Ukraine.
+ EUs Move To Combat Migrant Crisis Garners Praise, Criticism.
+ Ceremonies Around The World Mark 100th Anniversary Of 1915 Armenian Massacres.
Leading DHS News:
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OBAMA DEFENDS INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY, VOWS REVIEW AFTER HOSTAGES KILLED IN

DRONE STRIKE. On the day after the White Houses announcement that two hostages were killed in a
drone strike against an al Qaeda target in Pakistan, media coverage focused on President Obamas
expression of confidence in the US intelligence community and promise of a review of the incident.
Reporting highlighted criticism of the drone program, including the targeting aspects and the secrecy
surrounding the operations. While Friday evening and Saturday mornings coverage was lighter than the
day of the announcement of the deaths, the major print dailies covered the story and the three broadcast
networks combined for six minutes of coverage.
On NBC Nightly News (4/24, story 5, 2:10, Holt, 7.86M), Chris Jansing reported that Obama reaffirmed
his faith in the nations spy agencies as he, according to the AP (4/25, Pickler, Superville), defended US
intelligence operations. During a speech at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence that
commemorated the agencys 10th anniversary, Obama said, We dont take this work lightly. And I know
that each and every one of you understand the magnitude of what we do and the stakes involved and
these arent abstractions and were not cavalier about what we do.
According to Politico (4/24, Wheaton, 1.11M), Obama repeated his pledge to review what happened.
Were going to identify the lessons that can be learned and any improvements and changes that can be
made. MSNBC (4/25, Roth, 777K) reported on its website that Obama put a positive spin on the
upcoming review. The President said, This self-reflection, this willingness to examine ourselves, to
make corrections, to do betterthats part of what makes us Americans.
In an analysis piece, the New York Times (4/25, Baker, Davis, Subscription Publication, 12.24M)
highlights the difficulty faced by Obama, noting, rarely has a president wrestled with the grim trade-offs
of war as publicly and as agonizingly as Mr. Obama. The Times says the deaths of the hostages
underscored that there is no such thing as near certainty in war, even when using precision
instruments like the drones.
Bill Plante reported for the CBS Evening News (4/24, story 5, 2:40, Pelley, 5.08M) that in the weeks
leading up to the strike, intelligence officials had seen only four people enter or exit the suspected al
Qaeda compound near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, none of which they believed to be civilians,
leading the CIA to order whats known as a signature strike, which targets a location rather than
specific people. The CIA, Plante added, was shocked when the bodies of Warren Weinstein and
Giovanni Lo Porto were pulled from the rubble.
The CNNs Situation Room (4/24, 554K) indicated that while the strike also killed two American
terrorists, including Adam Gahdan, who became the public face for al Qaeda, US officials say that
Gahdan was not targeted in the strike and that the White House was unaware that he was in the
compound at the time.
The Wall Street Journal (4/25, Shah, Barnes, Subscription Publication, 5.68M) reports some critics of the
current US approach to drone strikes and hostages indicate the government does not have a sufficient
policy on the issue and, knowing Weinstein was a captive, should have led to more care. Similarly, the
AP (4/25, Lee) reports the accidental killing of the hostages has put a new spotlight on the Obama
administrations reliance on drones in the battle against terrorism and has raised pressure...to revise
the nations oft-criticized strategy for dealing with abducted Americans and their families. According to
officials, a nearly yearlong, interagency review of the hostage policy is to be completed this spring.
Brian Ross reported for ABC World News (4/24, story 8, 1:10, Muir, 5.84M) that during his captivity,
Weinstein was a man in despair, saying it seems that I have been totally abandoned and forgotten
even as his family fought to secure his return. In the wake of Weinsteins death, Ross said that his
widow, Elaine Weinstein, now says that one of the big obstacles to securing her husbands freedom
was the inconsistent and disappointing help they received from the US government. Ross noted that
her criticism seemed to get short shrift at the White House, where White House Press Secretary Josh
Earnest said that he thinks anybody can understand how frustrated the family feels.
On the CNNs Situation Room (4/24, 554K), Jim Scuitto reported the Weinstein family paid a ransom in
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an attempt to secure his release, but now fears the money may have gone to the wrong people after his
captors made new demands for a prisoner exchange following the payment. Meanwhile, the Wall Street
Journal (4/25, Shah, Subscription Publication, 5.68M) reports Weinsteins captors received $250,000 in
2012 after promising to release the aid worker. A man who said he acted as a middle man with al Qaeda
in negotiations said the group did not release Weinstein after receiving the money.
State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf spoke with the CNNs Situation Room (4/24, 554K) about the
Weinstein familys criticism of their treatment by the US government, saying that while she doesnt know
exactly which departments the criticism was directed at, Secretary [of State] Kerry feels strongly about
the kind of assistance we give to these families of hostages who are taken overseas, adding that the
State Department is in regular contact with the families, as are other parts of the
government...including the FBI. Harf added, This is the reason were doing this interagency review, to
see what we could do better, noting that the State Department has reached out to 82 families of former
hostages so they can play a role in the review and give input as to how things could be done
differently.
USA Today (4/25, Korte, Today, 5.01M) reports the incident is also prompting calls for a hostage czar to
coordinate the governments efforts, but the Administration stopped short of endorsing that approach
Friday. Earnest said he wouldnt rule out a czar, but the White House is also considering a fusion
cell. Reuters (4/25) and The Hill (4/24, Fabian, 469K) note Earnest said the cell would include the FBI,
Defense Department and intelligence community which, according to the Washington Times (4/25,
Wolfgang, 641K), he added would enable a whole-of-government response to overseas hostage
events.
Fox News Special Report (4/24, 1.53M) said the drone program has been shrouded in secrecy and the
Washington Post (4/25, Miller, Tate, 5.03M) reports the announcement of hostage deaths has also
revived questions about why the White House has been unwilling to provide details about dozens of
strikes over the past decade where there is abundant evidence that civilians were killed. Obama
signaled that this weeks disclosures are not likely to lead to a further lifting of the secrecy surrounding
the drone program. The President said, A lot of our work still requires that we maintain some things as
classified. We cant always talk about all the challenges.
In an editorial, the New York Times (4/25, Board, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) argues it was
important to see candor and remorse from President Obama as he apologized for the death of two
hostages held by Al Qaeda...in a drone strike near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border in January.
However, the Times warns, the administrations account...raises serious questions about the accuracy
of the drone program.
Despite the high profile failure, according to the New York Times (4/25, Shane, Subscription Publication,
12.24M), by most accounts, hundreds of dangerous militants have, indeed, been killed by drones,
including some high-ranking Qaeda figures. The Times says most security experts still believe that
drones...still offer at least the chance of greater accuracy than other means of killing terrorists. However,
the Times adds, without detailed, reliable intelligence, drones make it possible to precisely kill the
wrong people.
In a separate story, the New York Times (4/25, Walsh, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) discusses the
success of drone strikes against al Qaedas top leadership in Pakistans tribal belt. The Times says the
strikes have diminished and dispersed the militant groups upper ranks and forced them to cede
prominence and influence to more aggressive offshoots in Yemen and Somalia. A US counterterrorism
official said, Core Al Qaeda is a rump of its former self.
Officials: No New Information About American Hostage Caity Coleman. On ABC World News
(4/24, story 9, 0:55, Ross, 5.84M), Brian Ross reported that US officials say they have no new
information about the plight of another American hostage, Caity Coleman of Pennsylvania, who is
currently believed to be being held by the Taliban along with her Canadian husband. Ross noted that
footage released by the family showed that Coleman, who was pregnant when she was taken hostage,
has since given birth.
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DHS CELEBRATES UNITY OF EFFORT. The Washington Post (4/25, Markon, 5.03M) notes in its
Federal Eye blog that top Homeland Security officials this week celebrated the one-year anniversary
of the Unity of Effort program designed to tackle DHSs epic management challenges and better
integrate its often highly independent components, although they acknowledge more challenges lie
ahead.
JOHNSON: NUMBER OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS DROPS. The Washington Times (4/25, Dinan, 641K)
reports Homeland Security Secretary Johnson indicated Friday that the number of illegal immigrants is at
its lowest in years along the Southwest border judging by the number being apprehended.
COURT SAYS MEXICAN FAMILY CAN NOT FILE LAWSUIT AGAINST US BORDER AGENT. The AP
(4/25, McGill) reports a Federal appeals court ruled Friday that US Border Patrol agent Jesus Mesa Jr.
can not be sued in US courts by the family of slain Mexican teenager Sergio Adrian Hernandez Guereca,
who in 2010 was killed on Mexican land from a gunshot from Mesa who was in US territory. The AP says
the ruling reversed an earlier ruling in favor of the Guereca family. The article says the proposed suit was
based on a Fourth Amendment claim, but the Appeals Court ruled it invalid because it does not apply to
a Mexican citizen on Mexican soil with no significant connection to the US.
BALTIMORE POLICE ADMIT FAILURES IN ARREST OF FREDDIE GRAY. The major print dailies and
all major broadcast networks reported on comments by Baltimore officials on the arrest of Freddie Gray,
who died as a result of a spinal cord injury following the arrest. In its lead story, the CBS Evening News
(4/25, lead story, 2:15, Pelley, 5.08M) reported that police admitted that Gray was injured before he was
carried to the police van, and according to Deputy Police Commissioner Keven Davis, the scene of his
arrest is exactly where Freddie Gray should have received medical attention and he did not.
Commissioner Batts added that police employees failed to get him medical attention in a timely manner
multiple times, including after requests for medical attention by Gray. Batts added that police were not
disclosing all information because they did not want to jeopardize any possible prosecution.
Also in its lead story, ABC World News (4/24, lead story, 2:20, Muir, 5.84M) reported that police
confirmed the arresting officers did not follow procedures when arresting Gray. According to Batts, Gray
was not buckled in the transportation wagon as he should have been. No excuses for that, period. the
broadcasts notes that protesters claim Gray was the victim of whats known in the Baltimore as a rough
ride, a police transport with erratic driving and short stops designed to cause injury.
According to NBC Nightly News (4/24, story 3, 2:20, Holt, 7.86M) reported Mayor Stephanie RawlingsBlake and community leaders are pleading for calm as the city prepares for what may be its most
massive protest yet, with Rawlings-Blake stating, if youre going to come here, come to help us, not to
hurt us. NBCs Tom Costello reported that protesters are promising to ratchet up the pressure on
Saturday.
The AP (4/25, Myers, Foreman) reports the police department has come under intense scrutiny
following Grays death from an unexplained spinal injury. According to the AP, Rawlings-Blake noted
that the seat belt policy was in place because of an incident that happened previously, likely referring to
the death of Dondi Johnson in 2005 from a spinal injury during his transport by police while handcuffed
and without a seat belt.
A piece in the New York Times (4/25, Babcock, Corrales, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) reports that
Rawlings-Blake urged the community to have patience as investigators completed the investigation.
The Mayor admitted she did not know how or why the tragedy occurred, but added that it occurred while
Gray was in police custody. I know that this is unacceptable, and I want answers. The Times notes that
Grays funeral is scheduled for Monday, with a wake scheduled for Sunday.
The Washington Post (4/25, Hermann, Wiggins, 5.03M) reports top officials in Baltimore have
acknowledged that Gray was not treated properly during his arrest and they are continuing a probe on
how he suffered the severe spinal injury. The Post notes that Rawlings-Blake has dismissed calls to
fire Batts, saying that he is in the midst of reform efforts that she believes have driven down complaints
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of excessive force.
A second piece in the Washington Post (4/25, Hermann, 5.03M) discusses how police and the community
knew Freddie Gray, highlighting Grays numerous police encounters and the high-poverty
neighborhood in which Gray lived.
NYTimes Profiles Baltimore Polices Broken Relationship With Community. The New York Times
(4/25, Stolberg, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) profiles the relationship Baltimore police have with
their community, which involves a history dating back to a least 1980 of officers being aggressive,
sometimes brutal and then being cleared of wrongdoing. The Times posits that the history helps
explain the long-simmering anger that boiled over this week after the death of Gray. The Times notes
that Rawlings-Blake has said there is a broken relationship between majority black residents and the
citys police force. The story profiles how Baltimore police have interacted with the community over the
past decades, noting the zero-tolerance policing policy from 1999 to 2007 under the leadership of
former Mayor Martin OMalley.
FBI Starts Preliminary Investigation Into Tulsa County Sheriffs Office. The CBS Evening News
(4/24, story 2, 1:50, Pelley, 5.08M) reported the FBI has interviewed current Tulsa County Sheriffs office
employees about reserve deputy Robert Bates, who accidentally shot and killed Eric Harris when he
mistook his gun for his taser, as part of a preliminary investigation into possible public corruption at the
office. The broadcast noted that while the sheriffs office has insisted Bates was well trained, a 2009
internal probe into Bates training found that he received special treatment. Tulsa County District
Attorney Stephen Kunzweiler released a statement on Friday, saying, I am highly concerned about
recent allegations that have surfaced, and I have been in contact with independent law enforcement
agencies regarding further investigation into these matters.
Lawyers For Harris Family Release 2009 Probe Of Robert Bates. The Wall Street Journal (4/25,
Campoy, Koppel, Subscription Publication, 5.68M) reports that lawyers for the family of Eric Harris
released the findings of a 2009 internal investigation into Bates training. According to the Journal, the
2009 investigation found that Bates did not complete the full training required for his certification that he
was able to perform advanced reserve deputy duties, that his trainer was pressured to sign off on the
certification, and the former reserve deputy program head was reassigned after complaining about the
departments treatment of Bates.
Long Beach Police Shoot, Kill Unarmed Man. The Los Angeles Times (4/25, Rocha, 4.03M) reports
that Long Beach police officers shot and killed an unarmed man, 19-year-old Hector Morejon, on
Thursday when responding to a report that people were trespassing and vandalizing a vacant
apartment. According to the Long Beach Police Department, the officer was looking into an apartment
when Morejon bent his knees and extended his arm as if pointing an object which the officer perceived
was a gun.
Police Shooting of Unarmed Man In 1858 Convulsed New York. The New York Times (4/25,
Blumenthal, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) recounts a 1858 incident in New York in which a relative
rookie police officer, Robert Cairnes, arrested and subsequently shot and killed an unarmed man
running away. According to the Times, the shooting of the suspect convulsed New York at the time in a
manner similar to the recent police shooting in South Carolina.

SCIENTISTS DISCOVER SUPER-VOLCANO AT YELLOWSTONE. ABC World News (4/24, story 6,
0:15, Muir, 5.84M) reported scientists discovered a super-volcano 28 miles underneath Yellowstone
National Park that has enough magma to fill the Grand Canyon eleven times over. It hasnt erupted in
640,000 years.
The CBS Evening News (4/25, story 11, 0:35, Pelley, 5.08M) reported that The worlds largest volcano
has a name and its called Yellowstone National Park. CBS said on Friday the next eruption by the
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super-volcano has the potential to change life on Earth.

The AP (4/25) reports the magma chamber is four times larger and deeper than the known magma
chamber above it and the discovery fills a missing link in Yellowstones volcanic network.
National Protection and Programs:

ERIC HOLDER BIDS FAREWELL TO JUSTICE DEPARTMENT. The AP (4/25, Tucker) notes an
emotional Attorney General Eric Holder bid farewell to the Justice Department Friday after outlining
what he said were his major accomplishments and telling staffers that they helped produce a golden
age in the departments history.
The Washington Post (4/25, Horwitz, 5.03M) describes Holders six-year tenure as one marked by
accomplishments that made him a liberal icon, as well as controversy that turned him into one of the
most divisive figures in the Obama administration and a lightning rod on Capitol Hill.
Politico (4/24, Gerstein, 1.11M) added in its Under The Radar blog that Holder proclaimed the agency
had undergone a renaissance during his tenure after suffering for years with low morale and political
meddling but notes he made no reference to the controversies that have dogged him during his six
years or to his rancorous relationship with House Republicans.
According to the The Hill (4/24, Byrnes, 469K) Briefing Room blog, Holder celebrated his final hours as
attorney general Friday by declaring himself free from his role as the nations top law enforcement
official and removing his Free Eric Holder wristband, which was part of an inside joke among Holders
top aides and supporters as they waited for the Senate to vote on his replacement, Loretta Lynch, whom
the Senate confirmed this week in a 56-43 vote.
Loretta Lynch Unlikely To Depart Much From Holders Path. The AP (4/25, Tucker) reports Loretta
Lynch will have limited time in the twilight of the Obama administration to craft ambitious new policy
proposals and is seen as unlikely to depart in radical ways from Holders priorities after she is sworn in
as attorney general on Monday. But in nuanced ways, the AP notes, Lynch has also created space
between herself and the outgoing attorney general, particularly her support of the death penalty and her
unequivocal opposition to the prospect of marijuana legalization.
POSSIBLE SERIAL SHOOTER LOOSE ON DENVER FREEWAYS. ABC World News (4/24, story 11,
1:30, Karlinsky, 5.84M) reported on a possible serial shooter on Denvers freeways. Reporter Neal
Karlinsky said that Cori Romero was shot in the neck on Wednesday night while driving north of Denver.
ABC says Romero is in the hospital but should recover. ABC adds that police said they are investigating
reports of three other incidents in the same general area and while its unclear those were gunshots,
investigators are worried about a possible serial shooter.
Office of Health Affairs:

CDC ISSUES ALERT OVER INDIANA HIV OUTBREAK, HEPATITIS C EPIDEMIC. The Hill (4/24,
Ferris, 469K) reported that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an urgent
warning to health officials across the country on Friday about how to deal with HIV and hepatitis C
outbreaks among injection drug users.
The AP (4/25, O'Malley) notes the CDC issued its alert in an effort to prevent similar outbreaks
elsewhere, as Indianas rural Scott County experiences nearly daily increases in new HIV infections tied
to intravenous drug use. Under the headline Health Officials Worry As HIV Cases In Indiana Grow,
TIME (4/24, Sifferlin, 19.57M) reported the disturbing trends in injection drug use in a county of only
4,200 people reveal the latest tally of 142 new HIV infections in Scott County is all the more alarming.
The Wall Street Journal (4/25, Campo-Flores, Subscription Publication, 5.68M) and Reuters (4/24, Bailey)
also report on the outbreak and CDC alert.
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STUDY HIGHLIGHTS DANGERS ASSOCIATED WITH FAKE, POOR QUALITY DRUGS. NPR (4/24,
Sohn, 1.52M) Goats and Soda blog examined how the global battle against many deadly diseases is
being hampered by a pandemic of fake and poor-quality medicines. According to a special supplement
published in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, in 16,800 samples of anti-malarial
and anti-tuberculosis medicines, antibiotics and anti-leishmaniasis drugs, testing showed that between 9
and 41 percent of the medications failed to meet quality standards. Experts claim that the bad drugs not
only fail to make patients better, but they can also help breed superbugs that become more resistant to
the real stuff. The article includes a Q&A with NIH infectious diseases specialist Joel Berman, a coeditor of the supplement, who discussed the ramifications of the special issue.
ITALY ARRESTS NINE MEMBERS OF SUSPECTED AL QAEDA CELL. Richard Engel reported for
NBC Nightly News (4/24, story 4, 2:15, Holt, 7.86M) that Italy conducted police raids in seven areas
today, detaining 9 suspected members of an al Qaeda terror cell. According to prosecutors, the suspects
were part of a fundraising cell for al Qaeda in Pakistan...in direct contact with Osama bin Ladens inner
circle.
The Wall Street Journal (4/25, Zampano, Subscription Publication, 5.68M) adds that Italy issued a total of
18 arrest warrants for suspected members of the cell, some of which are currently believed to be in
Pakistan.
The New York Times (4/25, Povoledo, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) reports that Italian authorities
began their investigation into the cell in 2005, after which it continued for seven years, focusing on
Sardinia but also touching cities elsewhere in Italy, before winding down after 2012. At that point, Italian
prosecutor Mauro Mura said the suspects desisted from further activity and became more prudent and
less active, because they discovered they were under surveillance. After that, Danilo Tronci, another
prosecutor who worked on the case, said that prosecutors spent more than two years quietly building
what they hoped would be an airtight case.
ABC World News (4/24, story 7, 0:15, Muir, 5.84M) also reported briefly, noting that the suspects were
believed to have plotted an attack against the Vatican in 2010, although the AP (4/25) adds that the
Vatican downplayed the significance of the alleged plot, quoting Vatican spokesman Rev. Federico
Lombardi as saying From what it appears, this concerns a hypothesis that dates from 2010 which didnt
occur. It has therefore no relevance today and no reason for particular concern.
SAUDI ARABIA SAYS ISIL DIRECTED SHOOTING OF POLICE OFFICERS IN RIYADH. The AP (4/25,
Batrawy) reports that Saudi Arabias Interior Ministry said Friday that the two men suspected of shooting
two police officers in Riyadh on April 8th are believed to have been operating under orders from
members of the extremist Islamic State group in Syria in retaliation for Saudi Arabias participation in the
US-led coalition conducting airstrikes against ISIL.
The New York Times (4/25, Hubbard, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) reports one of the militants, who
has been arrested and is identified by state media as Yazid Mohammed Abdulrahman Abu Nayan, told
the police that he and an accomplice who remains at large had received guns, cash and instructions from
the Islamic State.
The Wall Street Journal (4/25, Omran, Subscription Publication, 5.68M) notes that Saudi officials also
acknowledged that they were aware that Nayyan spent time in a US jail and was placed under a travel
ban after he caused a commotion on a United Airlines flight, although Interior Ministry spokesman Maj.
Gen. Mansour al-Turki said that He didnt show signs of extremism.
FRANCE LAUNCHES FORMAL INVESTIGATION INTO SUSPECT IN THWARTED CHURCH
ATTACK. The AP (4/25) reports that France has launched a formal terror investigation into Sid Ahmed
G., a 24-year-old student who was arrested earlier in the week over charges that he was allegedly
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planning an attack on a church. The student is facing eight charges, including killing in relation to a
terrorist enterprise as well as attempted homicide, possession of weapons, theft and criminal
association.
Reuters (4/25) reports that the suspect was arrested after he apparently accidentally shot himself and
called for an ambulance, after which investigators followed a trail of blood to his car, where they found a
cache of weapons and bullet-proof vests.
FORMER GUANTANAMO DETAINEES PROTEST OUTSIDE US EMBASSY IN URUGUAY. The Miami
Herald (4/25, Haberkorn, Prengaman, 676K) reports that four freed Guantanamo Bay detainees
protested outside of the US Embassy in Uruguay on Friday, demanding to speak with the US
Ambassador to Uruguay. Adel bin Muhammad El Ouerghi, one of the freed detainees, said that the men
had been asked to leave the Metro hotel, a budget inn where he and some of the other five former
detainees periodically stayed and that the United States should help the men financially.
CANADIAN COURT GRANTS BAIL TO FORMER GUANTNAMO INMATE. The New York Times
(4/25, Austen, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) reports a Canadian court on Friday ordered the release
of Omar Khadr on bail pending an appeal of his conviction by an American military tribunal despite
opposition from the Canadian government. The Times notes Khadr was the only Canadian to have been
held at the Guantnamo Bay detention center and adds his case raised questions about whether it was
appropriate to charge a former child soldier with murder for fighting against military forces in combat.
Hennepin County Sheriffs full-time liaison to the Somali community.
STATUE OF LIBERTY EVACUATED OVER BOMB THREAT. Reuters (4/25, McGurty, Kearney,
Wulfhorst) reports law enforcement evacuated tourists visiting the Statue of Liberty from Liberty Island in
New York Harbor on Friday. Reuters cites Wall Street Journal reports that a bomb threat and a
suspicious package led to the evacuations.
While spending just 15 seconds each covering the issue, both the CBS Evening News (4/24, story 6,
0:15, Pelley, 5.08M) and ABC World News (4/24, story 12, 0:15, Muir, 5.84M) note no explosives or
bombs were found during the search.
Countering Violent Extremism:

AFTER CAPTIVITY, VICTIM OF EXTREMISM EXPRESSES UNDERSTANDING OF ISIL RECRUITS.
The New York Times (4/25, De Freytas-Tamura, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) profiles Ahmad Walid
Rashidi, who was captured by ISIL while attempting to help a British-Danish family recover their twin 17year-old daughters, who had traveled to Syria to become jihadist brides of fighters for the Islamic state.
During his captivity, Rashidi said that he was jailed, tortured, and hauled in front of a Shariah
court...which threatened to behead him, but that he nonetheless found himself being drawn to the
Islamic State. After his experience, Rashidi, who is now back in Denmark, says he can understand the
motivations of those drawn to ISIL, noting how in his own move to Denmark he had grown to resent
what he saw as a lack of understanding among Westerners about the wars being fought in Afghanistan
and the Middle East.

IRAQI FORCES MAKE GAINS AGAINST ISIL IN RAMADI. The AP (4/25, Yacoub) reports that Iraqi
police Col. Mahdi Abbas said Friday that Iraqi security forces successfully recaptured the key al-Houz
bridge following fierce clashes with IS militants in western Ramadi. The AP notes that Iraqi soldiers and
police have successfully secured Ramadis city center and pushed the militants out of other areas of the
city in recent days, but McClatchy (4/25, Prothero, Subscription Publication, 32K) reports that the
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inability of rank-and-file security forces to hold on to territory without outside assistance is raising doubts
among U.S. officials and other Western advisers about the long-term stability of the area.
ISIL Ambush Kills Iraqi General, Three Officers. The AP (4/25, Abdul-Zahra) reports that Iraqi Brig.
Gen. Hassan Abbas Toufan and three of his staff officers were killed in an ISIL suicide bombing on an
army convoy north of Fallujah on Friday. According to a member of the Iraqi 1st division and an
intelligence officer, both speaking on condition of anonymity, the suicide bomber attacked the convoy of
Humvees and then militants opened fire.
UN INVITES SYRIAN FACTIONS TO TALKS IN GENEVA. Reuters (4/25, Miles, Nebehay) reports that
United Nations spokesman Ahmad Fawzi said Friday that Staffan de Mistura, the UN envoy to Syria, has
invited representatives from Syrias government and major opposition groups to participate in separate
talks in Geneva in May, the latest attempt to negotiate a solution to the Syrian civil war. Fawzi told
reporters De Mistura hopes to be able to present a document outlining a political transition for Syria to
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon by June 30.
Guterres, Jolie Criticize Security Council Over Handling Of Syrian Refugee Crisis. The New York
Times (4/25, Gladstone, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) reports that Antnio Guterres, the United
Nations high commissioner for refugees, in remarks to the UN Security Council on Friday, warned that
the situation in Syria and Iraq has become utterly unsustainable, calling the refugee crisis in the region
a cancer that risks spreading and metastasizing. Other officials addressing the council, including
UNHCR special envoy Angelina Jolie, leveled similar criticisms, although the Times notes that Jolies
remarks were in some ways the most eagerly anticipated because of her celebrity aura as well as
among the harshest.
ABC World News (4/24, story 10, 0:25, Muir, 5.84M) reported that Jolie blasted the United Nations
Security Council on their handling of the Syrian refugee crisis, while NBC Nightly News (4/24, story 7,
0:45, Holt, 7.86M) reported that she did not mince words. We cannot look at Syria and the evil that has
arisen from the ashes of indecision and think this is not the lowest point in the worlds inability to protect
and defend the innocent, Jolie said.
The AP (4/25, Anna) reports that Jolie said the councils powers lie unused because its members cannot
agree on how to address the conflict, adding that she would like to see the foreign minister of each of
the 15 council members come to the table to negotiate a political solution.
Observatory: Islamic Militants Advance In Idlib Province. AFP (4/25) reports that the Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights said Friday that al Nusra Front and other allied Islamist groups have
managed to seize three checkpoints around the large town of Jisr al-Shughur during a joint offensive on
the Syrian governments last remaining bastion in Idlib province. According to Observatory director Rami
Abdel Rahman, There are very fierce clashes ongoing since the early morning as well as intense aerial
bombing.
Observatory: ISIL Claims To Shoot Down Syrian Government Aircraft In Sweida Province. AFP
(4/25) reports that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Friday that ISIL militants shot down a
regime aircraft east of the Khalkhalah airport in Sweida province on Friday. Observatory Director Rami
Abdel Rahman said that the fate of any crew members remains unknown, but pro-IS accounts claimed
the pilot had been captured. Meanwhile, AFP notes that Syrian state TV reported that the aircraft
crashed due to technical problems while completing a training exercise and that the search for the pilot
was ongoing.
PENTAGON: TENSIONS EASING AS IRANIAN SHIPS TURN AWAY FROM YEMEN. The AP (4/25,
Burns) reports that Pentagon spokesman Col. Steve Warren said Friday that a nine-ship Iranian convoy
potentially intended to deliver weapons to Yemens Houthi rebels had reversed course, heading back in
the general direction of Iran. While Warren said we do not know their future intentions, he added that
Its fair to say that this appears to be a de-escalation of some of the tensions that were being discussed
earlier in the week.
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The Washington Post (4/25, Lamothe, 5.03M) reports that the USS Theodore and USS Normandy are
both also heading back to the Persian Gulf, leaving seven other U.S. combat ships in the waters off the
coast of Yemen.
Saleh Calls For Return To Political Dialogue In Yemen. Reuters (4/25) reports that former Yemeni
President Ali Abdullah Saleh called Friday for Yemens warring factions to return to a dialogue to
negotiate a political solution to the conflict,.
In his statement, Saleh urged his rebel allies Friday to heed UN demands to withdraw from territory
seized in months of fighting, so Saudi-led air strikes can end and reconciliation begin, AFP (4/25, AlJabiri) reports. Saleh further called on all parties without exception... to talk and show forgiveness,
adding that he will forgive everybody in the interests of the nation.
UN Estimates At Least 550 Civilians Killed In Yemen Conflict. The AP (4/25, Al-Haj, Michael) reports
that the United Nations said Friday that Yemens war is wreaking a particularly bloody toll among
civilians, estimating that more than 550 have been killed in the past month, including 115 children.
According to a new report by Amnesty International, the Saudi-led air campaign against Yemens Houthi
rebels has transformed many parts of Yemen into a dangerous place for civilians, forcing millions to
live in a state of utter terror, afraid of being killed in their homes.
Iran Summons Saudi Diplomat Over Interception Of Planes In Yemen. Reuters (4/25) reports that the
Iranian Foreign Ministry summoned the Saudi charge daffiares on Friday over the interception of Iranian
planes carrying humanitarian aid to Yemen. According to a report on the Students News Agency ISNA,
Saudi fighter jets have blocked two Iranian planes, which were carrying wounded Yemenis who had
been treated in Iran and also carrying humanitarian and medical aid, from landing in Yemen and forced
them to return home, adding that an unnamed Iranian official called the incident brazen interference in
Yemens state affairs and also a violation of Yemens airspace.
TALKS ON FINAL NUCLEAR DEAL WITH IRAN END ON POSITIVE NOTE. The AP (4/25, Jahn)
reports that two western diplomats familiar familiar with negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program
say that the first round of Iran nuclear talks aimed at turning a tentative agreement into a final deal has
been positive and indicates an agreement can be reached by the June 30 deadline. According to the
diplomats, the three-day round of talks that ended Friday focused mostly on the pace of lifting
sanctions.
Reuters (4/25, Hafezi) reports that Iranian senior negotiator Abbas Araqchi told reporters that negotiators
were making good progress on a final deal, saying that The Europeans and Americans made good
clarifications about lifting of the sanctions and that negotiators had begun drafting the final text. Reuters
notes that this round of meetings included bilateral meetings with the European Unions political director
Helga Schmid and Under Secretary Wendy Sherman, with Secretary of State Kerry and Iranian Foreign
Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif expected to meet next week.
US TAKES OVER CHAIRMANSHIP OF ARCTIC COUNCIL AMID TENSIONS OVER UKRAINE. The
New York Times (4/25, Myers, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) reports that Secretary of State Kerry
assumed chairmanship of the Arctic Council on behalf of the US on Friday at a meeting that
underscored how the deterioration of relations between the West and Russia over Russias intervention
in Ukraine has strained the councils mission as a changing climate has intensified economic and political
competition in the Arctic. In his remarks, Kerry outlined what he called an ambitious set of goals,
focused on ocean safety and security, economic development and, in particular, several steps to address
climate change as part of President Obamas push for stronger international action.
AFP (4/25, Biddle) quotes Kerry as saying that One of the biggest challenges everybody has talked
about today is climate change. The numbers are alarming and thats putting it mildly...As we take
necessary steps to prepare for climate change, we also have a shared responsibility to do everything we
can to slow its advance, and we cannot afford to take our eye off that ball.
The AP (4/25, Klapper) notes that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov did not attend the meeting,
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citing a scheduling conflict, but that he and Kerry spoke by telephone Wednesday on the Arctic Council
and other matters. Regarding Ukraine, Kerry told a news conference following the Arctic Council
meeting on Friday that he challenged Lavrov, saying the pressure for a Russian withdrawal from
eastern Ukraine must be maintained.
EUS MOVE TO COMBAT MIGRANT CRISIS GARNERS PRAISE, CRITICISM. Reuters (4/25,
Nebehay) reports that the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights spokesman Adrian
Edwards welcomed the European Unions move to triple the size of its naval search and rescue mission
in the Mediterranean, hailing it as an important first step toward collective European action on the
migrant crisis, but warned that Ultimately the test will be whether we see reduction in lives lost, effective
access to protection in Europe without having to cross the Mediterranean, and an effective Common
European Asylum System, which truly lives up to its commitments of solidarity and responsibilitysharing.
However, Bloomberg News (4/25, Yoon, 3.81M) reports that other UN officials criticized the European
Unions response to the migrant crisis in the Mediterranean Sea for emphasizing border protection
without a comprehensive plan to resettle refugees. Notably, Francois Crpeau and Maria Grazia, UN
experts on migrants rights and human trafficking, said Friday that The emergency funding increase may
not be enough if the number of migrants and asylum seekers arriving by boat continue to rise. Instead,
they said, the EU needs to move beyond emergency mode to produce a more comprehensive policy
that would include a massive resettlement policy over the coming five to six years to welcome all those
in need of international protection and offer durable solutions for themselves and their children, adding
that The EU must acknowledge the needs of its low-wage labor market, and should quickly open many
more legal migration avenues for more migrants at all skills levels.
Similarly, the New York Times (4/25, Yardley, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) reports that many are
calling for a more holistic response, including overhauling its asylum system and expanding channels of
legal immigration, because the problem of illegal migration will only worsen, while the Wall Street
Journal (4/25, Dalton, Subscription Publication, 5.68M) adds that the EUs plan was similarly criticized by
refugee advocates and experts, who expressed concern that the patrols will be run primarily by Frontex,
the EU agency tasked with controlling the EUs borders.
CEREMONIES AROUND THE WORLD MARK 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF 1915 ARMENIAN
MASSACRES. Ceremonies around the world on Friday marked the 100th anniversary of the massacre
of 1.5 million Armenians by Ottoman Turks during World War I amid tensions as a wide array of world
leaders, although not President Obama, chose to recognize the killings as a genocide, drawing anger
from Turkey, a distinction that the New York Times (4/25, Herszenhorn, Subscription Publication,
12.24M) says remains a source of bitter enmity and continues to roil politics in Asia Minor and beyond.
The Wall Street Journal (4/25, Parkinson, Subscription Publication, 5.68M) reports that over a dozen
world leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Francois Hollande,
attended the commemoration in Armenia, which is seeking to use the centennial to win international
recognition of the massacres as a genocide. Historians, the AP (4/25, Demourian) notes, widely view the
events, during which an estimated 1.5 million died, as a genocide, but Turkey vehemently rejects the
charge, saying that the toll has been inflated, and that those killed were victims of civil war and unrest.
Reporting on the commemorations, NBC Nightly News (4/24, story 6, 0:30, Holt, 7.86M) noted that Pope
Francis recently called the massacre the first genocide of the 20th century.
McClatchy (4/25, Gutman, Subscription Publication, 32K) reports that Armenias national church
canonized the victims en masse as martyrs even as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan chided
Armenia and the Armenian diaspora for focusing only on their losses during what he called a relocation
of the Armenian population to the farther parts of the empire. Thirty million people died, and why are
you highlighting the Armenian citizens? Erdogan asked, noting that More than 4 million Muslims died
during the war.
While the New York Times (4/25, Yeginsu, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) reports that Turkey moved
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up a ceremony to commemorate the Battle of Gallipoli to coincide with the centennial of the Armenian
genocide, prompting some criticism that it was attempting to draw international attention away from the
Armenian centennial, the Washington Post (4/25, Murphy, 5.03M) adds that Turkey also offered
groundbreaking outreach even as it rejected any links to the sin of ethnic purges, sending Volkan
Bozkir, the minister in charge of Turkeys relations with the European Union, to attend a memorial
gathering in Istanbul. The Post notes that this marks the first time that a top Turkish official attended a
memorial gathering in Istanbul by the Armenian Patriarchate. At the memorial, Bozkir said We respect
the pain experienced by our Armenian brothers...We are in no way opposed to the commemoration of
this pain.
German Parliament Likely To Recognize Massacre Of Armenians As Genocide. The AP (4/25)
reports that German parliamentary speaker Norbert Lammert said Friday as Parliament began debate on
a non-binding motion to acknowledge the Armenian massacres as a genocide that while Germany
cannot lecture anyone about dealing with their past...we can, through our own experiences encourage
others to confront their history, even when it hurts.
Although a formal vote on the resolution will not occur before the summer, the Wall Street Journal (4/25,
Thomas, Peker, Subscription Publication, 5.68M) reports that the resolution has widespread support
among lawmakers and that there is little doubt what the outcome of the vote will be.
However, AFP (4/25) reports that German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier rejected the use of
the term genocide to describe the massacres on Friday, just one day after German President Joachim
Gauk used the term at a memorial ceremony on Thursday.
Turkey Condemns Putins Calling 1915 Massacres Genocide. Reuters (4/25) reports that the
Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday that it rejects and condemns Russian President
Vladimir Putins use of the word genocide to describe the 1915 massacres of Armenians by Ottoman
Turks, saying Considering the mass killings, exiles...that Russia has carried out in the Caucasus,
Central Asia and in eastern Europe over the past century...we think it should be the one that knows best
what a genocide is and what its legal dimensions are.
AFP (4/25) reports that Putin used the term once during the ceremony in Armenia, noting that Turkey said
that it also rejects and condemns Frances unfair and biased approach.

the Web at BulletinIntelligence.com, or called at (b) (6), (b) (7)(C) .
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From:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Subject:
Date:
Attachments:
The Homeland Security News Briefing for Thursday, April 30, 2015
dhsclips150430.doc

DATE: THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 2015 5:00 AM EDT

LEADING DHS NEWS:
+ Administration On Track For Fewest Deportations Since 2006.
+ Secretary Says DHS Doesnt Have Full Situational Control Of Border.
+ Rand Paul Tangled With Secretary Regarding Bulk Phone Records Collection.
+ Secretary, Senate Democrat Argue For Full DHS Funding For Cyber Initiatives.
+ Secretary Says Customs Plaza Project A Possibility In Next Years Budget.
+ DOD General Counsel To Step Down.
+ In Radio Interview, Obama Calls Violence In Baltimore Counterproductive.
+ White House Stands By Obamas Description Of Rioters As Thugs.
+ Cruz: Obama Has Exacerbated Racial Tensions.
+ ICE Agent Who Fatally Shot Detroiter Has a Controversial Past.
+ Tentative Ruling Says Families Cannot Be Detained In Unlicensed, Secure Facilities.
CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION:
+ CBP Official Interviewed.
+ Choice Of TSA Administrator Nominee Praised.
+ Office Of Special Counsel Looking Into Suspected Retaliation Against TSA Officials.
+ Former TSA Officer Accused Of Faking Cancer To Take Sick Leave.
+ Undocumented Activist Discusses DACA Renewal.
+ Agreement Reached On Post-Tropical Storm Building Project.
+ USCIS Director: Not Enough Evidence To Investigate Southern California Edison H-1B Claims.
+ Bush: 11 Million Undocumented Immigrants Should Have Chance To Stay In US.
+ Milbank: House Republicans Trying To Gut Key US Principle Of Birthright Citizenship.
+ Arpaio Lawyers Object To Judges Questioning About Investigation Into Wife.
+ Senator Objects To New H-2B Rules.
US COAST GUARD:
+ Secretarys Circle Events To Emphasize Need For Coast Guard Museum.
+ Coast Guard To Search For Missing Boaters Through Thursday.
SECRET SERVICE:
+ Congress Grills Security Officials Over Gyrocopter Incident.
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+ Witnesses Describe Boston Marathon Bomber As Kind, Hard-Working.

+ FBI Aided Weinstein Familys Ransom Delivery.
+ USS Cole Judge Denies Request For Full Senate Report.
+ Alleged ISIL Sympathizer Arrested In Florida.
+ New York Man Charged With Recruiting For ISIL Pleads Not Guilty To Assaulting Jailers.
+ Minnesota Man Held After Alleged Threats In ISIL Case.
+ ISIL Online Supporters Vow Attack On Rome.
OTHER CYBER NEWS:
+ Lynch Urges Corporate Cooperation With Federal Authorities On Cybercrime.
+ Researchers Warned For Years About Airplane Hacking Vulnerability.
+ Cartwright: De-Alerting Nuclear Weapons Could Prevent Cyberattack Triggering War.
+ FBI Assisting Rutgers University In Cyberattack Investigation.
+ Senate Rejects Amendment Seeking To Classify Iran Deal As A Treaty.
+ WPost Analysis: US Allies Grow Impatient With US Syria Strategy.
+ NYTimes Analysis: ISILs Expansion Complicates Coalitions Fight.
+ US Has Yet To Provide Iraqi Air Force With F-16s.
+ Zarif: Demands For Assads Ouster Fueled Syrias Bloodshed.
+ NYTimes Analysis: US Continues Anti-Taliban Operations In Afghanistan.
+ US Seeks Irans Assistance In Bringing Houthis Into Peace Talks.
+ In Speech To Congress, Abe Fails To Apologize For Japans World War II Atrocities.
+ Aid Workers, Citizens Frustrated With Nepals Response To Earthquake.
+ Netanyahu Signs Coalition Deal With Two Parties.
+ Obama Releases Additional Funding For French Counterterrorism Fight In Africa.
+ Nigeria Rescues Hundreds Of Girls Kidnapped By Boko Haram.
+ Media Analyses: Salmans Cabinet Reshuffle Has Implications For US-Saudi Relationship.
+ Images Reportedly Show North Korea Nuclear Reactor May Be Operating Again.
+ Leon: Difficult To Be Optimistic About Libya Peace Deal.
+ Nicaragua To Permit Russian Ground Station.
+ Relative Calm In Baltimore As Media Examines Reasons Behind Riots.
+ Baltimore PD Wont Release Report On Grays Death Friday, As Promised.
+ Mother Who Pulled Son Out Of Group Of Rioters Now Drawing Criticism.
+ Clinton Calls For Police Body Cameras, Overhaul Of Criminal Justice System.
+ ISIL Sympathizers Using Riots To Attempt Recruits.
+ Khamenei Criticizes US Over Police Violence, Race Relations.
+ Los Angeles Becomes Largest City To Equip All Patrol Officers With Cameras.
+ Brennan: Intelligence Agencies Must Evolve To Address New Threats.
Leading DHS News:

ADMINISTRATION ON TRACK FOR FEWEST DEPORTATIONS SINCE 2006. The AP (4/30,
Caldwell) says that although the President failed to live up to a campaign promise to push through
immigration legislation, he has kept a promise to slow deportations with or without approval from
Congress, as internal government data show that since October, DHS has sent home the fewest
immigrants in the country illegally since Obama took office in 2009. The AP says the Administration is
on track to remove the fewest immigrants since the middle of former President George W. Bushs second
term in 2006, and that legal wrangling over the executive action programs and an ongoing standoff
with Republicans in Congress hasnt stopped the slowdown. Secretary Johnson is quoted telling the
Senate Judiciary committee on Wednesday, With the resources we have...Im interested in focusing on
criminals and recent illegal arrivals at the border with respect to removals; Johnson is cited attributing
the decrease to fewer arrests of border-crossers, and a larger proportion of migrants from noncontiguous
countries.
Another AP (4/29) story quotes Johnson: Theres lower intake, lower apprehensions...There are fewer
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people attempting to cross the southern border, and there are fewer people apprehended.
SECRETARY SAYS DHS DOESNT HAVE FULL SITUATIONAL CONTROL OF BORDER. The
Washington Times (4/30, Dinan, 641K) says that in testimony before several Congressional panels on
Wednesday, Secretary Johnson admitted that DHS still wont have a complete handle on the border by
the end of President Obamas tenure. Johnson is cited saying DHS does not yet have situational
control over the southwestern border, nor does it even have full situational awareness yet. Johnson is
cited saying the border is getting more secure, but added that there is more to do. The Times says a
means of measuring border security has been a major sticking point; Johnson is quoted saying
apprehensions are a sure indicator of total border crossings, adding, Im interested in greater
transparency and Ive asked my folks to assess, and were doing that right now, ways in which we can
measure, with greater assurance, total attempts including turnbacks, getaways, as the Border Patrol
likes to refer to them.
RAND PAUL TANGLED WITH SECRETARY REGARDING BULK PHONE RECORDS
COLLECTION. The Hill (4/30, Viebeck, 533K) reports that Senator and Republican presidential hopeful
Rand Paul tangled with Secretary Johnson on the matter of bulk phone records collection, arguing that
the desire for encryption among consumers is due to government surveillance; Paul is quoted saying,
The real culprit is government, adding, Youve been so overzealous vacuuming up our records without
a legitimate warrant [Encryption] is a response to a government that didnt have a real sense of
decency toward privacy. Paul was critical of government surveillance during the civil rights era, saying,
Look at the time the government wasnt so good. The FBI director recently pointed back and talked
about the times that Martin Luther King was spied upon. Thats why we want these procedural
protections. Johnson declined to weigh in on bulk data collection but urged Congressional action by
saying, Im in favor of a balanced solution to the [encryption] problem...I think its something we need to
address.
SECRETARY, SENATE DEMOCRAT ARGUE FOR FULL DHS FUNDING FOR CYBER INITIATIVES.
The Hill (4/30, Bennett, 533K) reports that Secretary Johnson and Senate Homeland Security ranking
Democrat Tom Carper argued for full funding for DHS in fiscal 2016 to secure the country from
cyberattacks. Carper says the DHS fiscal 2016 budget request includes a sizable investment of $818
million for cybersecurity initiatives; The Hill notes that House Republicans counter offer for the DHS
budget includes about $753 million for cybersecurity operations, a $39 million decrease from the level
enacted for 2014. Carper is quoted saying, All of these needed investments and many more, however,
may disappear if DHS is required to absorb the deep funding cuts proposed by our colleagues in the
House. The Hill discusses DHS cyber program funding requests, adding that other funds would be
devoted to maintaining the Secret Services cyber crime task forces and filling out the short-staffed DHS
cyber workforce.
SECRETARY SAYS CUSTOMS PLAZA PROJECT A POSSIBILITY IN NEXT YEARS BUDGET. The
Detroit Free Press (4/29, 957K) reports that Secretary Johnson, appearing before the Senate Homeland
Security Committee, said he wants to prioritize expanding a customs plaza at the Blue Water Bridge in
Port Huron, Michigan, but for lack of funding, were not able to get there. Johnson added, Ultimately I
do want to get to the Blue Water Bridge, and thats something we ought to take a look at, perhaps in next
years budget. The Free Press says the Canadian governments involvement in financing a customs
plaza so that a new bridge between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario can proceed shows how hard federal
financing can be to come by.
DOD GENERAL COUNSEL TO STEP DOWN. The Wall Street Journal (4/30, Barnes, Subscription
Publication, 5.68M) reports that Defense Department general counsel Stephen Preston plans to step
down in June. The Journal says Preston had a less high-profile role than Secretary Johnson did as DOD
general counsel, but like Johnson, Preston pushed for more transparency regarding the legal
underpinnings of US security policies.
IN RADIO INTERVIEW, OBAMA CALLS VIOLENCE IN BALTIMORE COUNTERPRODUCTIVE.
While all three network news broadcasts led with the continuing unrest in Baltimore spending 14
minutes and 45 seconds on the story they ignored the Presidents interview on The Steve Harvey
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Morning Show radio program. Print reporting on the interview is also comparatively light. Much of the
coverage of the Presidents comments indicates that they were similar to remarks he made on Tuesday,
with many analyses focusing on the controversy surrounding his use of the word thugs to describe the
rioters during the Tuesday press conference.
USA Today (4/30, Jackson, 5.01M) reported that during the interview, which largely echoed the
presidents comments Tuesday at the White House, the President maintained his balanced approach to
the Baltimore riots...defending legitimate protest while condemning violence, drawing a line between
good and bad policing, while the Los Angeles Times (4/30, Braxton, 4.03M) says the President
condemned the Baltimore riots, saying that the kind of violence that we saw from a handful of individuals
in Baltimore theres no excuse for that. Thats just criminal behavior. Its counterproductive because it
hurts the very communities that are already suffering a tragedy with Freddie Grays death.
In her first public comments since she was sworn in, Attorney General Lynch echoed that sentiment
during a speech at the Justice Department on Wednesday. CNN (4/30, Diamond, 3.17M) reported on its
website that Lynch also said the violent protests are counterproductive to the ultimate goal here,
adding, Baltimore is a home to more than 600,000 people, and it was their home that the peaceful
protesters were trying to make better, and it was also their home that the injured officers were trying to
protect.
People (4/30, Fowler, 45.74M) reported that the President argued it is important for all communities, not
just Baltimore, to address these problems in a serious way, saying, This is not just a job for the Justice
Department; its a job for all of us as a society, and The Hill (4/29, Fabian, 533K) noted in its Blog
Briefing Room blog that while the President stressed that his administration has monitored the situation
in Baltimore and offered assistance to local officials, he said that it is up to local communities to
address the problems within their own police departments. The Washington Times (4/30, Sherfinski,
641K) adds that the President called for a long-term conversation on criminal justice reform, and said
that trying to fix underlying problems in such situations isnt easy, but that policies hes talked about
could make a difference and also called for building on a task force report issued in the wake of the
events last summer in Ferguson, Missouri.
Bloomberg News (4/30, Olorunnipa, 3.81M) reports that the President said he may at some point visit
Baltimore to address tensions, while the New York Daily News (4/30, Edelman, 3.79M) notes that he
said he would not visit the city any time soon, saying that a visit now would take a lot of assets out of
where they need to be.
Radio host Chris Plante said on Fox News Real Story with Gretchen Carlson (4/29), If I were the White
House, I would advise him against going too because this points at the failure of progressive liberal
Democrat policies over the course of the last half century in Baltimore. It is a disaster of their own
making. Its their chickens coming home to roost.
Several reports highlight the Presidents comments in Tuesdays press conference. For example, a story
on the website of Rolling Stone (4/30, 6.04M) noted that in the press conference, the President voiced
his disapproval of the rioting and called for unity in the nation, while, in a piece for Bloomberg View
(4/29, 113K), Ramesh Ponnuru is critical of the Presidents remarks in Tuesdays press conference,
calling them absurd. Ponnuru said that it just isnt the case that were a new federal program away
from fixing the problems Obama identified, and it isnt the case that conservatives are standing in the
way of what everyone knows would work because we just dont share Obamas compassion. In a
column for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (4/30, 784K), James E. Causey is also critical of the
Presidents response to the riots, saying that while the President said all the customary things, he
skillfully ignored the root cause racism.
WHITE HOUSE STANDS BY OBAMAS DESCRIPTION OF RIOTERS AS THUGS. Other reports
focus on the Presidents use of the word thugs to describe the rioters during the press conference,
noting that the White House is standing by the comment despite concern from some that it has racial
connotations. McClatchy (4/29, Clark, 32K) reports that while the President did not use the word during
Wednesdays interview, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said that didnt mean Obama was
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backing away from the characterization, and in its Blog Briefing Room blog, The Hill (4/30, Fabian,
533K) quoted Earnest as saying, I dont think the president would in any way revise the remarks he
shared with you. ... Whether it was arson or the looting of a liquor store those were thuggish acts.
While the White House is standing by the Presidents comment, the Washington Times (4/30, Boyer,
641K) reports that other officials began to back off. Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake used
Twitter on Wednesday to clarify her comment, in which she said that too many people have invested
in building up this city to allow thugs to tear it down, saying, I wanted to clarify my comments on thugs.
When you speak out of frustration and anger, one can say things in a way that you dont mean. That
night we saw misguided young people who need to be held accountable, but who also need support. And
my comments then didnt convey that. Meanwhile, the Huffington Post (4/29, McCormack, 194K)
reported that in an interview with Baltimore City councilman Carl Stokes on Tuesday, CNNs Erin Burnett
noted that both the President and Rawlings-Blake had described the rioters as thugs, and asked, Isnt
that the right word? Stokes replied, These are children who have been set aside, marginalized, who
have not been engaged by us, and later added, Just call them n*****s. ... No. We dont have to call
them by names such as that.
Community activist Jonathan Gaskin said on CNNs Situation Room (4/29, 554K) that too often in this
country, were finding thug referring to young African-American men in our community. Sadly, many
leaders see that thats possibly the new equivalent of the n word. Its unfortunate that President Obama
and Mayor Blake used those words. I believe theyre better than that. Theyre quite competent leaders
and very intelligent. And those words are far beneath who they are as people and who they are as
leaders.
CRUZ: OBAMA HAS EXACERBATED RACIAL TENSIONS. In remarks to a forum hosted by the
United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, Sen. Ted Cruz said that the President
has inflamed racial tensions in this country, and has missed a prime opportunity to unify the nation,
the Washington Times (4/30, McLaughlin, 641K) reports. Cruz argued that the Administration has
habitually divided the nation for political gain, saying, I think he has not used his role as president to
bring us together. He has exacerbated racial misunderstandings, racial tensions.

ICE AGENT WHO FATALLY SHOT DETROITER HAS A CONTROVERSIAL PAST. Coverage of the
shooting death of a Detroit man by an ICE agent serving on a task force continued to generate significant
media coverage in the metro Detroit area. Although articles tied the communitys response to the
shooting to larger tensions regarding law enforcements treatment of minority communities, very few
national print media outlets and no television news broadcasts discussed the incident.
A Detroit Free Press article published in USA Today (4/29, Baldas, Damron, 5.01M) says that ICE officer
Mitchell Quinn, who multiple sources identified as the officer who fatally shot Terrance Kellom of Detroit
while executing a warrant, has a controversial past, including accusations that he once pulled a gun on
his former wife and pointed it at her head in front of their son. The Free Press also notes that Quinn
was once named in an excessive-force lawsuit along with a controversial former Detroit police officer
whose fatal on-duty shootings cost the city $7.5 million. Quinn was suspended in 2008 after the
alleged domestic violence incident, but that case was dismissed when a judge concluded there wasnt
enough evidence to go to trial. Quinn reportedly took a job with ICE months after he was suspended.
ICE is quoted saying on Tuesday that the agent involved in the shooting has no history of adverse
personnel actions while working with the agency.
The Huffington Post (4/30, Abbey-Lambertz, 194K) reports that a couple hundred people gathered at the
corner near Kelloms home on Detroits west side to protest his death, which they said was unjustified.
Community leaders urged peace and called for criminal charges, while Kelloms father Kevin disputed
the official account that Kellom was holding a hammer when he was shot. Many rally participants
questioned why an immigrations officer would be involved in the arrest of a Michigan resident; ICE
spokesman Khaalid Walls advised in an email to the Huffington Post that ICE officers are involved in a
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variety of task forces, and Our participation leverages the agencys manpower, expertise and jurisdiction
to help fight crime. ACLU of Michigan Executive Director Kary Moss said in an emailed statement
Tuesday that Kelloms death raises concerns over whether ICE officers are properly trained to take part
in criminal investigations.
Another Detroit Free Press (4/29, 957K) article says that an emotional meeting, some Detroit residents
blasted city and federal law enforcement over the shooting. Meeting attendees raised questions about
what they say is the increasing militarization of Detroit police. Detroit Police Chief James Craig
defended the use of multi-jurisdictional task forces, while ICE ERO director in Detroit Rebecca Adducci
and the special agent in charge of the DHS Office of the Inspector Generals Detroit office also
addressed the crowd. One attendees expressed concern about harassment of Latinos in Detroit by
Federal agents; ICE officials have said they dont target anyone based on their ethnicity.
The Detroit News (4/30, Hunter, 523K) reports police were both praised and criticized during a
Wednesday meeting in Detroit between law enforcement and community members concerned and
outraged about the shooting death of armed robbery suspect Terrance Kellom. Adducci, her voice
cracking, is quoted saying, My heart breaks for what happened. The News notes that several times
during the two-hour meeting, rioting in other cities after police shootings was brought up. Detroit Police
Chief James Craig said, When I look at Ferguson and Baltimore, thats not Detroit.
TENTATIVE RULING SAYS FAMILIES CANNOT BE DETAINED IN UNLICENSED, SECURE
FACILITIES. McClatchy (4/29, 32K) reports that US District Judge Dolly Gee distributed a 22-page
tentative ruling to a small group of attorneys, concluding that migrant children and their mothers cannot
be held in unlicensed, secure facilities. McClatchy says the case may imply the closure of the Karnes
CIty and Dilley facilities, the two largest family detention centers. The tentative ruling requires
immigration lawyers and government officials to take 30 days to negotiate an agreement. Immigrant
advocates question the fate of the Berks County Residential Center in Pennsylvania, which has a state
license and, according to officials, is unsecured. Immigration lawyers and advocates say state and
federal officials are playing an underhanded game with the public as the claims of freedom of movement
are far from the reality.
Customs and Border Protection:

CBP OFFICIAL INTERVIEWED. In an article and accompanying interview, Federal News Radio (4/30,
11K) features CBP deputy assistant commissioner for international affairs Ana Hinojosa discussing her
role in CBP. Hinojosa discusses her upbringing in south Texas and the beginning of her CBP career.
Hinojosa is quoted saying, I fell in love with the work, and I fell in love with the people...I feel like Ive
been part of this organization through so many transformations, and I feel very fortunate to have had the
career that I had. Hinojosa also discusses the challenges of working with CBP, including maximizing
both efficiency and humanity in dealing with those crossing the border. Regarding immigration reform
and border control, Hinojosa is quoted saying, The system that we have now is not the most efficient
that we could have...I am going to be very optimistic that the leaders that we have elected will come
together and come up with a better solution.

CHOICE OF TSA ADMINISTRATOR NOMINEE PRAISED. The Hill (4/30, Laing, 533K) reports that
lawmakers praise President Obama for choosing Coast Guard Vice Adm. Peter Neffenger for TSA
Administration. Both Democrats and Republicans said the Coast Guard Vice Admiral is well prepared for
the TSA job he is about to embark on. Congress members had previously criticized the president for
not appointing a permanent leader more quickly. The Hill adds that aviation industry groups expressed
support for Neffengers ability to continue the TSAs move to risk-based airport security.
OFFICE OF SPECIAL COUNSEL LOOKING INTO SUSPECTED RETALIATION AGAINST TSA
OFFICIALS. The Minneapolis Star Tribune (4/30, Walsh, 1.29M) reports that the US Office of Special
Counsel has blocked the forced transfer of TSA assistant security director Andrew Rhoades and the
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suspension of another assistant security director, Rebecca Roering; Rhoades and Roering revealed
risks at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Roering disclosed a vulnerability in the
PreCheck program to the counsel and to agency officials; after the TSA proposed her suspension, the
counsel asked for it to be put on hold and is looking into whether or not the pending suspension was
issued because Roering exposed the security shortcoming. Rhoades objected to a supervisors
proposal for the handling of confiscated weapons in what would have been an improper manner, and
also reported the inconsistent placing of stickers on cleared checked bags; Rhoades was issued a forced
reassignment to Florida after supervisors suspected an employee was feeding information about security
lapses to the news media, which Rhoades denies doing.
FORMER TSA OFFICER ACCUSED OF FAKING CANCER TO TAKE SICK LEAVE. The Atlanta
Journal-Constitution (4/30, 985K) reports that former TSA security officer Marc Bess faces charges of
embezzlement and stealing public money for allegedly faking a cancer diagnosis in order to take more
than a years worth of sick days over a five-year period. The TSA is cited saying it began the probe and
that Bess no longer works for the federal government.
UNDOCUMENTED ACTIVIST DISCUSSES DACA RENEWAL. Undocumented activist and blogger Juan
Escalante writes in the Huffington Post (4/29, Escalante, 194K) that, according to a Buzzfeed story,
11,028 DACA recipients have had their status and work permits expire in spite of having applied on
time, based on information released by USCIS. Escalante notes the number represents roughly 5% of
the total number of DACA renewals that USCIS has approved so far. Escalante goes on to provide
advice to DACA recipients, saying that you should seek to apply or renew your DACA as soon as
possible and that preparation is key as nothing should be left to chance with USCIS.

AGREEMENT REACHED ON POST-TROPICAL STORM BUILDING PROJECT. According to several
New York-based media outlets, US Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced yesterday that FEMA has
agreed to build a new public safety building at a Schoharie County location favored by the lawmaker.
Some sources note that Schumer recently discussed the Tropical Storm Irene-related project with FEMA
Administrator Craig Fugate, while other publications say state and local officials hailed the agreement.
The Albany (NY) Times Union (4/30, Karlin, 538K) reports Schoharie Countys public safety building
suffered extensive Irene damage in 2011. Schumer has been pushing for it to be rebuilt at a new
location, and he called Fugate on Tuesday to discuss the matter. Yesterday, the lawmaker said Fugates
agency has agreed to put a building at that new location. The Albany (NY) Times Union (4/30, Karlin,
538K) has similar coverage in its Capitol Confidential blog.
The WAMC-AM Albany, NY (4/30, Willard, 845) website reports that at the urging of Schumer, fellow US
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and US Rep. Chris Gibson (R-NY), FEMA has agreed to expedite the
Schoharie County Public Safety Building relocation project. The lawmakers had appealed to...Fugate
prior to the agreement.
The Oneonta (NY) Daily Star (4/30, Richardson, 44K) reports that Gibson said yesterdays announcement
is wonderful news for the taxpayers of Schoharie County and the hard-working men and women of the
Schoharie County Sheriffs Department. Also commenting on the announcement was Republican New
York state Assemblyman Pete Lopez, who said FEMAs decision allows our community to rebuild and
be more resilient from future storm events.
The Catskill (NY) Daily Mail (4/30, Media, 7K) also takes note of the Lopez comment, while the WRGBTV Albany, NY (4/30, 5K) website reports that Schohaire County Treasurer Bill Cherry said FEMAs
decision is absolutely a giant step in making Schoharie County whole.
The WTEN-TV Albany, NY (4/30, Cutler, 14K) website reports that Republican James Seward, a state
senator in New York, said, Rebuilding the countys emergency hub is a crucial step that will ensure
public safety and save taxpayers money. Time Warner Cable News (4/30) also covers this story.
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USCIS DIRECTOR: NOT ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO INVESTIGATE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON
H-1B CLAIMS. The Washington Times (4/30, Dinan, 641K) reports that a bipartisan Group of Senators,
led by Jeff Sessions (R) and Richard Durbin (D) have asked USCIS to examine Southern California
Edisons use of the controversial H-1B visa to outsource jobs. However, USCIS Director Leon
Rodriguez said his agency takes such allegations seriously but said there isnt enough evidence for
him to look into SCE right now. Rodriguez is quoted saying, At this point it would be premature for
USCIS to speculate as to whether Southern California Edisons participation in the H-1B program has
violated laws. Durbin and Sessions were not pleased with the brush-off, saying in a statement that We
did not ask for speculation; we asked for an investigation.
The New Orleans Times-Picayune (4/30, 733K) quotes Durbin and Sessions: Why will the Department of
Homeland Security not conduct [an investigation]? Does DHS have insufficient legal authority to conduct
such an investigation? This letter does not tell us. There are legions of displaced Americans formerly
employed by Southern California Edison and many other companies who deserve answers.
BUSH: 11 MILLION UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS SHOULD HAVE CHANCE TO STAY IN US.
The AP (4/30, Peoples) reports that Jeb Bush, addressing the National Christian Hispanic Leadership
Conference in Houston on Wednesday, said that 11 million immigrants in the country illegally should
have an opportunity to stay. Bush is quoted as saying, Were a nation of immigrants. This is not the
time to abandon something that makes us special and unique. Successfully overhauling the US
immigration system requires more than simply strengthening the border, Bush said, referring to 11
million people that should come out from the shadows and receive earned legal status. Bushy added
that those undocumented immigrants should be required to pay taxes, work and not receive government
benefits. The Washington Times (4/30, Sherfinski, 641K) also reports this story.
MILBANK: HOUSE REPUBLICANS TRYING TO GUT KEY US PRINCIPLE OF BIRTHRIGHT
CITIZENSHIP. In his column for the Washington Post (4/30, 5.03M), Dana Milbank writes that the 14th
Amendment, which grants automatic citizenship to any baby born on American soil, is a proud
achievement of the Party of Lincoln, but now House Republicans are talking about abolishing birthright
citizenship. A House Judiciary subcommittee took up the question Wednesday afternoon, prompted by
legislation sponsored by Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) and 22 other lawmakers that, after nearly 150 years,
would end automatic citizenship. Milbank adds that it is no small task to undo a principle, enshrined in
the Constitution and upheld by the Supreme Court, that defines the United States as a nation of
immigrants, and that it is particularly audacious that House Republicans would undo a century and a
half of precedent without amending the Constitution but merely by passing a law to reinterpret the 14th
Amendments wording in a way that will stop the scourge of anchor babies and birth tourism.
ARPAIO LAWYERS OBJECT TO JUDGES QUESTIONING ABOUT INVESTIGATION INTO WIFE. The
AP (4/30) reports that lawyers for Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio objected to questioning of the
lawman by a federal judge about a secret investigation into the judges wife. Attorney Michele Iafrate
argued in a filing that Arpaio should have been given notice about the line of questioning so he could
have prepared answers. The AP says it is unknown when US District Judge Snow will rule in Arpaios
contempt case, or what consequences Arpaio might face over the secret investigation.
SENATOR OBJECTS TO NEW H-2B RULES. The Congressional Quarterly (4/30, Subscription
Publication, 967) reports that Sen. Thad Cochran came out against the Administrations new rules for
seasonal nonagricultural guest workers, which CQ says is a sign that the rules could be blocked once
again through the appropriations process. Cochran is quoted saying of the new rules for the H-2B
program, The administration had an opportunity to provide a reasonable rule and instead issued policy
changes that have already been rejected by the Congress...We need to support American businesses as
they work to create jobs in a tepid economy, not hold them back with more unnecessary federal
regulations.
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US Coast Guard:
SECRETARYS CIRCLE EVENTS TO EMPHASIZE NEED FOR COAST GUARD MUSEUM. The New
London (CT) Day (4/29, 71K) reports that current and former Coast Guard brass inaugurated a series
of Secretarys Circle events at the Army and Navy Club in Washington, DC by emphasizing the need
for a national museum to house the many stories that make up the Coast Guards history. The Day
notes that the Secretarys Circle consists of former DHS and Department of Transportation secretaries or
deputy secretaries. Retired Coast Guard Admiral James Loy is quoted saying that The notion is to use
first of all their names and their credibility as bosses of the organization over time and allow them to use
their contact files to advance the cause. Loy adds that Circle members jobs are to pass on information
about the museum effort to their wider circle and tell this story in a much larger sense than wed be able
to do it just from the board of directors.
COAST GUARD TO SEARCH FOR MISSING BOATERS THROUGH THURSDAY. The AP (4/30)
reports that the third person found who as killed when a powerful storm struck a sailboat race off the
Alabama coast was identified as William Glenn Masse of Daphne, Alabama. Coast Guard commander
in Mobile Capt. Duke Walker is cited saying the search would continue through sunset Thursday, but
crews will go back to normal duties afterward. Another AP (4/30) also reports this story.
Secret Service:
CONGRESS GRILLS SECURITY OFFICIALS OVER GYROCOPTER INCIDENT. The CBS Evening
News (4/29, story 9, 2:05, Pelley, 5.08M) reported that on Wednesday, the officials responsible for
security in the nations capital got a congressional grilling about the gyrocopter that landed on the capitol
lawn two weeks ago. CBS (Cordes) added that NORAD Commander Admiral William Gortney
explained the 250-pound gyrocopter was indistinguishable on radar from flocks of birds or even kites as
it flew to the Capitol. Meanwhile, Secret Service Director Joseph Clancy argued that If...the Tampa Bay
Times had informed us prior to departure of this aircraft, we could have had a response team at
Gettysburg.
USA Today (4/29, Jansen, 5.01M) quotes Clancy saying, At no time did the Secret Service receive
actionable advance notice or any information that this event was taking place, adding, While the Secret
Service received telephone calls on the date of the incident, at no time was information provided in the
calls that would have alerted our personnel the fact that Hughes was piloting his aircraft to the Capitol.
The Washington Post (4/30, Halsey, 5.03M) cites Clancy saying Secret Service agents interviewed
Hughes as early as 2013, but they were unaware his object was coming their way until a guard at the
White House looked up to see the gyrocopter fly by.
The AP (4/30, Daly) says Gortney said officials did not have the ability to shoot down the aircraft before it
landed, contradicting testimony from Capitol Police Chef Kim Dine. House Oversight chairman Jason
Chaffetz said the contradictory testimony showed a breakdown in communication among the various
agencies. Capitol Police Chief Kim Dine is cited saying a Tampa Bay Times employee said that Hughes
told the newspaper he had received permission for the flight from the U.S. Secret Service and Capitol
Police; Dine and Clancy indicated that no such permission was granted.
Roll Call (4/30, Hess, 99K) cites Clancy saying Hughes, in his interview with Secret Service agents,
denied owning an aircraft or having any plans to fly one to Washington.
Reuters (4/29, Dunsmuir) and The Hill (4/29, Laing, 533K) also report this story.
WITNESSES DESCRIBE BOSTON MARATHON BOMBER AS KIND, HARD-WORKING. The
Boston Globe (4/30, Wen, 886K) reports that during the third day of the defenses case in the penalty
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phase of the trial of Boston Marathon bomber several witnesses testified about their memories of
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev in what appeared to be an attempt to humanize him for the jury. Alexa Guevara, 21,
wept on the witness stand Wednesday, describing Tsarnaev as a good friend who was very
approachable, very kind, very accepting. When asked why she was crying, Guevara said, Because I
really miss the person I knew.
USA Today (4/30, MacDonald, 5.01M) describes the defenses strategy as taking a poignant turn
Wednesday afternoon as jurors for the first time heard from people who have known him well and
eagerly praised his character, compared with the first two days of the defenses case, when jurors
heard mostly about Tsarnaevs Islamic extremist older brother, Tamerlan, as defense lawyers portrayed
him as the violent radical of the family. Another friend of Tsarnaevs, Tiarrah Dottin, testified that he
never talked about his Muslim faith and never tried to push any belief on her, but, on crossexamination, prosecutor William Weinreb led Dottin to reveal that Tsarnaev tended to be private, kept his
political views to himself and was never influenced to the point of letting someone else push him around.
A former teacher of Tsarnaevs, Catheryn Charner-Laird, who taught him when he was nine-years-old
shortly after he came to the US with his family, recalled him as quiet, hardworking and always wanted to
do the right thing, the AP (4/30, Lavoie) reports. But during cross-examination, Federal prosecutor
Aloke Chakravarty asked if she knew Dzhokhar to be disciplined and smart, which appeared designed
to rebut the defense claim that Dzhokhar was under Tamerlans influence when he participated in the
bombings.
Another childhood teacher of his, Tracey Gordon, also described him as intelligent, noting that he was
eager to learn whatever school had to offer and would befriend anybody and help anybody in need,
Reuters (4/29, Barber) reports.
Sam Lipson, the son of a woman who rented a Cambridge apartment to the Tsarnaev family for more
than a decade, also testified Tuesday and Wednesday, the Wall Street Journal (4/30, Levitz,
Subscription Publication, 5.68M) reports, noting that while the family seemed full of optimism when they
first arrived in the US, over time, their hopes for a better life in the country seemed to fade and
Tsarnaevs mother began to speak of how things werent working out.
The defense team also cited an FBI report in their case Wednesday, the Los Angeles Times (4/30,
Serrano, 4.03M) reports, to demonstrate that Tamerlan was a Muslim extremist bent on violence long
before the April 2013 attack. According to a previously unknown FBI interview with a cousin two months
after the bombings, during a six-month-long trip to Dagestan, Russia in 2012, Tamerlan told the cousin, I
came here to get involved in jihad. The cousin also said, according to the FBI report of the interview,
that he and other family members had watched TV coverage in Russia of the Boston bombings, and that
he suspected Tamerlan might have been involved.
Jurors also heard from a March 2014 House Committee on Homeland Security report, Reuters (4/30,
Barber) reports, that said Russian authorities had contacted the FBI in 2011, asking the FBI to alert them
if Tamerlan traveled to Russia, where they feared he hoped to join terrorist groups.
FBI Devoting 16 Personnel To Guarding Tsarnaev Relatives. Meanwhile, the Boston Globe (4/30,
Wen, Valencia, 886K) reports, Federal prosecutors told the judge in the case that the FBI has assigned
16 staffers to protect five Tsarnaev relatives from Russia and demanded they take the stand this week.
According to a court transcript, Weinreb told US District Court Judge George OToole during a closeddoor meeting Monday, Its an enormous expense and distraction for the agency, and thats just part of
the expense that the government has endured, noting that the FBI is devoting 16 personnel full-time to
taking care of them, both guarding them as well as protecting them from the press and others. He went
on to tell the judge, Its currently the intention of the FBI to return the foreign witnesses to Russia on
Friday, meaning that they need to testify this week.
The Boston Herald (4/30, 709K) reports Defense attorney William Fick said they hope to put the relatives
on the stand tomorrow but that preparing them for their testimony is extremely difficult. Said Fick,
according to the transcript, The conditions under which their presence was permitted and the conditions
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under which were able to interact with them makes it extremely difficult to do the preparation work,
adding, Theres a concern about whether we can be ready on Thursday, but were certainly making
efforts to do so.
FBI AIDED WEINSTEIN FAMILYS RANSOM DELIVERY. The Wall Street Journal (4/30, A1, Entous,
Barrett, Subscription Publication, 5.68M) reports that the FBI helped the family of killed al Qaeda hostage
Warren Weinstein provide a ransom payment to kidnappers in 2012 in what the Journal says appears to
be a contradiction of US policy. The Journal says the FBI vetted the Pakistani middleman used to deliver
the money and provided information to help facilitate the transfer. Weinstein was killed in January along
with Italian aid worker Giovanni Lo Porto as part of a US drone strike on al Qaeda in Pakistan.
NPR (4/29, Block, 1.52M) notes that the Weinstein familys interlocutor delivered $250,000, though
Weinstein was never released.
AFP (4/29) reports that Wednesday, White House spokesman Josh Earnest reiterated that the US does
not make concessions to terrorists. The policy thats been in place throughout the six years of the
Obama administration, and that was in place during the previous administration as well, is one that
continues to be in place right now, he said. According to AFP, Federal officials have said that the FBI did
not authorize the ransom payment directly, which would have been a violation of policy.
The Syracuse (NY) Post-Standard (4/30, Herbert, 586K) reports that the possible involvement of the FBI
in the transfer of the Weinstein ransom has raised several questions, with the action being regarded as
legal-ish by the Daily Beast. The Post-Standard notes that though it is currently illegal for victims
families to pay foreign hostage takers, the Obama administration is reportedly considering a change that
would allow families to attempt to raise money themselves.
Reuters (4/29) also reports on this story.
USS COLE JUDGE DENIES REQUEST FOR FULL SENATE REPORT. The Miami Herald (4/30,
Rosenberg, 676K) reports Air Force Col. Vance Spath, the military judge in the USS Cole bombing case,
has rejected a defense request for a full copy of the so-called Senate Torture Report, saying case
prosecutors decide what the lawyers for the accused terrorist are entitled to see. Lawyers for alleged
bombing mastermind Abd al Rahim al Nashiri asked the court last month to order the government to
hand over the entire, classified Senate Intelligence Committee report about the CIA program that held
the Saudi captive for four years, which showed, in a portion of the report made public, that agents
waterboarded Nashiri, threatened him with a power drill and a handgun, and force-fed him rectally when
he went on a hunger strike. In response to the rulings, which is under seal, defense attorney Rick
Kammen, who read them, said, the judge has deferred his obligation to ensure that the defense has all
exculpatory evidence to the government.
ALLEGED ISIL SYMPATHIZER ARRESTED IN FLORIDA. The Miami Herald (4/30, Chardyachardy,
676K) reports that Florida man Miguel Morn Daz was arrested in Miami after he allegedly told an FBI
informant that he sympathized with ISIL and wanted to shoot people. A review of Dazs Facebook page
revealed numerous postings of ISIS-related articles as well as a recent posting showing Daz posing with
a firearm, the criminal complaint said. According to the Herald, referencing the complaint, Daz also told
the informant he already had multiple weapons including a rifle he used for hunting in the Everglades
and another with a collapsible stock that he could hide in a backpack and carry it into a stadium
undetected. Daz was indicted on charges of possessing a gun as a convicted felon. No terror-related
charges were filed against him.
The website of WTVJ-TV Miami (4/30, 98K) notes that Daz, who also went by the name Azizi al Hariri,
described himself as a lone wolf. Daz has pleaded not guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted
felon. He was previously convicted of cocaine trafficking, the website says.
The website of WPLG-TV Miami (4/29, 225K) also reports on this story.
NEW YORK MAN CHARGED WITH RECRUITING FOR ISIL PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO ASSAULTING
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JAILERS. The Rochester (NY) Democrat & Chronicle (4/29, Craig, MacIntyre-Yee, 333K) reports that a
Rochester man who is accused of recruiting for ISIS was arraigned on assault, new charges, in federal
court Wednesday morning. Mufid Elfgeeh pleaded not guilty to three counts of assault. He allegedly
assaulted three Monroe County deputies Nov. 10 who were assisting the United States Marshals
Service.
The Syracuse (NY) Post-Standard (4/30, Sturtz, 586K) reports that in May 2014, Elfgeeh, who ran a
pizza shop in Rochester, was arrested and accused of trying to recruit people for the Islamic State,
known as ISIS. Federal prosecutors said the people he tried to recruit and buy guns from were actually
informants working for the FBI.
MINNESOTA MAN HELD AFTER ALLEGED THREATS IN ISIL CASE. The AP (4/30, Forliti) reports
that Mahamed Abukar Said, of Minneapolis, was ordered detained Wednesday after authorities say he
got angry and used his Twitter account to threaten law enforcement officers after some of his close
friends were arrested for allegedly trying to join the Islamic State group in Syria. Said, 19, is charged
with one count related to threatening a federal law enforcement officer and one count of using interstate
communications to make threats to injure. At a Federal court hearing on Wednesday, US Magistrate
Judge Franklin Noel found probable cause for the case to proceed and said it would be referred to a
grand jury. Judge Noel also ordered Said, who was arrested Friday, to remain in detention noting that
Saids criminal record dates back to when he was 15 and includes eight instances in which he failed to
make his court appearances.
ISIL ONLINE SUPPORTERS VOW ATTACK ON ROME. On Fox News Special Report (4/29, 1.53M),
Bret Baier reported that ISIL is threatening attacks on Rome. Supporters have posted on Twitter images
taken in front of famous landmarks, like the Coliseum. Photos on social media featuring handwritten
notes promising future assaults are being assessed by intelligence officials.
Other Cyber News:

LYNCH URGES CORPORATE COOPERATION WITH FEDERAL AUTHORITIES ON CYBERCRIME.
Bloomberg News (4/29, Wilber, 3.81M) reports Attorney General Lynch on Wednesday urged greater
cooperation between the government and private industry to combat computer hackers, a key
component of a new cyber-attack playbook released by the Justice Department. Speaking to a
gathering of government and industry leaders in Washington, Lynch said that stopping cybercrooks and
spies is one of her top priorities. Theft of consumer information and valuable intellectual property is not
just a threat to our economy it is also a danger to our national security, she said in one of her first
public appearances since being sworn in on Monday. We have a mutual and compelling interest in
developing comprehensive strategies for confronting this threat and it is imperative that our strategies
evolve along with those of the hackers searching for new areas of weakness.
The Federal Times (4/29, Boyd, 118K) reports that during one of her first public appearances since being
sworn in, Attorney General Loretta Lynch said she will focus on investigating and prosecuting cyber
crimes and stressed the need for law enforcement to work with the private sector to achieve true
cybersecurity. We have a mutual and compelling interest in developing comprehensive strategies for
confronting this threat and it is imperative that our strategies evolve along with those of the hackers
searching for new areas of weakness, Lynch said at a cybersecurity roundtable with industry hosted by
the Criminal Division on April 29. But we can only meet that challenge if law enforcement and private
companies share the effort and work in cooperation with each other. To help meet this challenge,
Justice announced the release of a new guidance document outlining best practices for companies
developing a response plan or reacting to a breach.
The Wall Street Journal (4/29, 5.68M) reports that the Justice Department has released guidance on best
practices for victims and potential victims of data breaches. Assistant Attorney General John Carlin, who
heads the Justice Departments National Security Division, said in a statement, The threats we face in
cyberspace are not hypothetical, and they are not going away. According to the Journal, the guidance is
designed to help companies prepare for potential breaches, respond during a breach, and deal with a
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breach after it occurs.

The Hill (4/30, Bennett, Viebeck, 533K) reports that during a Wednesday roundtable with business
leaders to discuss cybersecurity, the Justice Departments Cybersecurity Unit released a new set of
guidelines to help businesses thwart hackers and respond to data breaches. This guidance is built on
our experience prosecuting and investigating cybercrime, and incorporates knowledge and input from
private sector entities that have managed cyber incidents, said Leslie Caldwell, the assistant attorney
general for DOJs criminal division, at the roundtable. It is a living document, which we will continue to
update as the challenges and solutions change over time.
RESEARCHERS WARNED FOR YEARS ABOUT AIRPLANE HACKING VULNERABILITY. The
Christian Science Monitor (4/29, 539K) Passcode blog reports that government watchdogs, the FAA,
and computer researchers have been warning for years that the software used in modern airplanes is
vulnerable to attacks from criminal hackers. However, the industry as a whole does not appear to have
taken the necessary steps to keep their systems secure. The Monitor discusses cyber researcher Chris
Roberts questioning by Federal agents after tweeting while aboard a flight about breaking in to an
airline computer system. Roberts is quoted saying, We knew these things were issues four or five years
ago. So I wonder is there a specific threat that theyre not telling us about, or are they just [upset]
because Im not shutting up?
CARTWRIGHT: DE-ALERTING NUCLEAR WEAPONS COULD PREVENT CYBERATTACK
TRIGGERING WAR. The AP (4/30, Burns) reports former StratCom Commander retired Gen. James
Cartwright said that de-alerting nuclear weapons could limit the possibility of a cyberattack instigating a
war by triggering a false warning of an attack. The AP notes that the Administration has considered and
rejected the idea before of taking nuclear missiles off high alert, and there is little near-term chance that
Moscow would agree to pursue this or any other kind of nuclear arms control measure at this time.
FBI ASSISTING RUTGERS UNIVERSITY IN CYBERATTACK INVESTIGATION. The New Jersey Local
News (4/30, 871K) reports that the FBI is helping Rutgers University investigate cyberattacks that had
led to the disruption of Internet services on campus since Monday. The university is seeking the source
of the attacks. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is assisting the university with its search, said
bureau spokeswoman Celeste Danzi. Federal authorities also lent their assistance to the university
following a cyberattack in March. Danzi declined to say whether the source of that attack had been
found, the Local News says.
The North Jersey (NJ) Media Group (4/30, Adely, 103K) also reports on this story.

SENATE REJECTS AMENDMENT SEEKING TO CLASSIFY IRAN DEAL AS A TREATY. Reuters
(4/30, Zengerle) reports the Senate voted 57-39 to reject an amendment proposed by Sen. Ron Johnson
to require any nuclear agreement with Iran to be considered an international treaty, which would it to be
ratified by two-thirds of the Senate. The White House, it notes, has threatened to veto the bill if any
significant changes are made.
In fact yesterday, McClatchy (4/30, Wise, Clark, 32K) reports the White House warned the President
would veto any legislation that made a nuclear deal with Iran contingent on the release of American
prisoners after Sen. Roy Blunt introduced an amendment which would require just that. Spokesman
Josh Earnest told reporters...Blunts amendment...would directly undermine the unanimous compromise
reached in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and would interfere with the ongoing negotiations.
Meanwhile, Sen. Marco Rubio, the New York Times (4/30, Steinhauer, Subscription Publication, 12.24M)
reports, is demanding a vote on an amendment that would press Iran to recognize the state of Israel.
Rubio, Politico (4/30, Everett, 1.11M) reports, is refusing to back down...a stance that threatens to
disrupt a delicately negotiated bipartisan bill that would allow Congress to review any nuclear deal with
Tehran.
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Sen. Ted Cruz writes in the Washington Times (4/30, 641K) that today, there is no greater threat to US
national security than the prospect of a nuclear Iran, so the top priority for the Senate should be to stop
a bad Iran deal. Cruz says he intend[s] to press vigorously for a critical amendment to this legislation,
and warns that at the end of the debate, if this bill is not strengthened, I will have a great deal of difficulty
supporting it.
The Christian Science Monitor (4/30, Kiefer, 539K) says Congress ability to have a say on an Iran
deal...depends on its ability to stay united on a bipartisan Iran bill on the Senate floor this week.
Zarif Expresses Optimism Nuclear Deal Will Be Reached By June Deadline. During a question-andanswer session Wednesday at NYU, the New York Times (4/30, Gladstone, Subscription Publication,
12.24M) reports Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said he was optimistic that the final
phase of talks to achieve a nuclear deal by a June 30 deadline, saying, I dont think the problems are
insurmountable. But at the same time, he warned that the US would risk global ostracism if it were to
scrap a signed international pact that resolves the Iranian nuclear dispute. According to the Times, he
took a few verbal pokes at Sen. Tom Cotton, saying, I think the United States, whether you have a
Democratic president or whether you have a Republican president, is bound by international law,
whether some senators like it or not. And international law requires the United States to live up to the
terms of an agreement that this government enters into.
The Washington Post (4/30, Morello, 5.03M) similarly says Zarif dismissed assertions by some members
of Congress and presidential candidates that they would not necessarily be bound by any deal agreed to
by President Obama.
While he expressed optimism, Zarif, the AP (4/30, Anna) reports, also said, No time deadline is
sacrosanct. He also that it was to early and too premature to discuss a resumption of US-Iranian
diplomatic ties if a deal were reached. On the subject of sanctions relief, Reuters (4/30, Charbonneau)
reports Zarif said if a deal is reached, within a few days after that we will have a resolution in the
Security Council that will set in place the termination of EU sanctions and cessation of application of US
sanctions. At the same time, AFP (4/30) reports, he indicated that Iran is willing to submit to the highest
level of international transparency on its nuclear program.
Zarif Suggests WPost Reporter Was Asked To Spy For US. The Washington Post (4/30, Morello,
5.03M) reports Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif suggested Wednesday during his
address at NYU that Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian, who is facing charges of espionage in
Iran, may have been asked to gather information by someone working for the US government. Zarif
said an overzealous low-level operative may have tried to take advantage of Rezaian.
A Washington Post (4/30, 5.03M) editorial says that while the President has declined to make the
release of Mr. Rezaian and other imprisoned Americans a condition for going forward with the nuclear
accord, he should look for other ways to make clear to Ayatollah Khamenei that as long as the
journalist is held, Iran should pay a price.
Zarif: Ship Seized Over Debts, Not Politics. The New York Times (4/30, Gladstone, Subscription
Publication, 12.24M) reports Iranian officials on Wednesday sought to play down the significance of
Irans seizure of a cargo ship a day earlier in the Strait of Hormuz, saying it was owned by a corporate
defendant in a civil case in Iran. They also denied that the ships seizure had been meant to send a
belligerent message to other nations.
Kevin Corke reported on Fox News Special Report (4/29, 1.53M) that Iranian Foreign Minister Javad
Zarif tried to downplay Irans capture of the Marshall Islands flagged Maersk Tigris, saying, Some
people do try to read too much into it in order to torpedo a process that is independent of this. Zarif,
McClatchy (4/30, Landay, 32K) reports, said, Simply, our naval forces implemented the decision of the
court. Its a legal case. Its not a security issue or a political issue.
The Wall Street Journal (4/30, Fitch, Subscription Publication, 5.68M) reports that a private Iranian
company, Talaieh Pars Oil Products Co., filed a legal case against Maersk. Maersk said Irans Ports and
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Maritime Organization informed us that the seizure of Maersk Tigris is related to an allegedly unresolved
cargo claim, but we are...not able to confirm whether or not this is the actual reason behind the
seizure.
Iranian Opposition Leader: Tehran Godfather Of ISIL. The AP (4/30, Riechmann) reports that a top
Iranian opposition leader told a House subcommittee Wednesday that Iranians have dubbed their
government the godfather of ISIL, and warned against giving Iran too many concessions, saying it
would embolden its leaders to be more aggressive in meddling in other nations. Maryam Rajavi,
president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, said, None of the sanctions should be lifted
before an agreement has been signed that effectively and definitively denies the mullahs the bomb.
Free Beacon Report: Kerry Told Zarif He Wished US Had A Leader Like Khamenei. The
Washington Times (4/29, Kredo, 641K) publishes a report by Adam Kredo of the Washington Free
Beacon indicating Secretary of State Kerry told Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif that he wished the
United States had a leader more like Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, according to comments
made by a senior Iranian cleric, Ayatollah Alam al-Hoda, and repeated in the countrys state-run
media. A senior administration official rejected the report as patently absurd, according to the
Beacon.
WPOST ANALYSIS: US ALLIES GROW IMPATIENT WITH US SYRIA STRATEGY. The Washington
Post (4/30, DeYoung, Sly, 5.03M) reports that the US allies in the Middle East have grown increasingly
impatient with the Administrations slow march toward training and arming Syrian rebels. In recent
months, US partners in the region have ramped up their support for rebels fighting against Syrian
forces, which the Post notes may widen a gulf over strategy between the Obama administration and its
regional partners. Regional experts say that the White House failed to come up with a comprehensive
strategy that addresses the more immediate concerns of its allies.
NYTIMES ANALYSIS: ISILS EXPANSION COMPLICATES COALITIONS FIGHT. The New York
Times (4/30, Gordon, Schmitt, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) reports that the over 60-nation coalition
fighting ISIL is debating how best to counter the militant groups expansion beyond Iraq and Syria. The
unity of the coalition may require the United States to agree to a broadening of the campaign to include
terrorist groups that have declared themselves to be provinces of the Islamic State. Within the next two
months, foreign ministers from leading members of the coalition will meet to discuss ISILs expansion.
The Times highlights the struggle on how best to respond to ISILs rise is emerging as a sensitive issue
for the Obama administration, which is struggling to win congressional support for a measure authorizing
the use of military force against the group.
US HAS YET TO PROVIDE IRAQI AIR FORCE WITH F-16S. The Washington Times (4/30,
Scarborough, 641K) reports that while Iraqi pilots continue their training in the US, Iraq still has not
received F-16 fighter jets to be used in the fight against ISIL, forcing the Iraqi air force to be confined to
dated Russian attack jets compliments of Iran helicopters and missile-firing AC-208 Cessnas.
Pentagon spokeswomen Navy Cmdr. Elissa Smith said that it is not possible to provide a definite
timeline for transport of the F-16s at this time.
ZARIF: DEMANDS FOR ASSADS OUSTER FUELED SYRIAS BLOODSHED. Reuters (4/30,
Charbonneau) reports that Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Wednesday that the
Wests insistence on the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has led to years of unnecessary
violence. Zarif, who is in New York for a UN meeting on the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, called on
those who are saying the government of Syria has the blood of so many people on its hands to go
back and do a bit of soul-searching, adding, The only thing that prevented a ceasefire...was a
precondition that Assad not be part of any transitional government in Syria.
NYTIMES ANALYSIS: US CONTINUES ANTI-TALIBAN OPERATIONS IN AFGHANISTAN. The New
York Times (4/30, Ahmed, Goldstein, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) reports the US is regularly
conducting airstrikes against low-level insurgent forces in Afghanistan and sending Special Operations
troops directly into harms way under the guise of training and advising, despite President Obama
formally declar[ing] that the war against the Taliban is complete. While the Administration has insisted
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that the troops role is relegated to counterterrorism, US and Western officials offer a picture of a more
aggressive range of military operations against the Taliban in recent months.
Afghan Forces Engage Taliban In Kunduz Province. The Wall Street Journal (4/30, Stancati, Hodge,
Subscription Publication, 5.68M) reports Afghan forces conducted an operation on Wednesday against
the Taliban in Kunduz Province to push back against the groups recent seizing of territory in the area.
The US-led coalition said their aircraft flew over the battle in a show of force, but did not conduct any
bombings.
US SEEKS IRANS ASSISTANCE IN BRINGING HOUTHIS INTO PEACE TALKS. Reuters (4/30,
Mohammed) reports an unnamed State Department official said Wednesday that Secretary of State
Kerry has sought Irans assistance during talks Monday in New York with bringing Yemens Houthi rebels
back to the negotiating table. Meanwhile, AFP (4/30) reports Iran proposed Wednesday to hold UNsponsored talks at a neutral venue.
IN SPEECH TO CONGRESS, ABE FAILS TO APOLOGIZE FOR JAPANS WORLD WAR II
ATROCITIES. Coverage of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abes speech to a joint session of Congress
focuses primarily on his comments concerning Japans abuses during World War II, noting that he failed
to personally apologize for the countrys wartime atrocities, and that his comments are unlikely to satisfy
critics. Scott Pelley reported on the CBS Evening News (4/29, story 6, 0:35, Pelley, 5.08M) that nearly
three-quarters of a century after President Franklin Delano Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war on
Japan in 1941, Abe stood in the very same spot and expressed condolences for Americas war losses.
However, Pelley noted that Abe stopped short of an outright apology, and Lester Holt reported on NBC
Nightly News (4/29, story 6, 0:20, Holt, 7.86M) that Abe offered condolences for the Americans killed in
World War II, but he did not explicitly apologize for Japans atrocities during that war as 25 members of
the House had requested in a letter last week.
USA Today (4/30, Dorell, 5.01M) says Abe made contrite statements for his nations World War II
abuses, offering eternal condolences for the American lives lost fighting Japan in World War II.
However, he did not personally apologize for Japans atrocities toward its Asian neighbors, and
McClatchy (4/30, Hotakainen, 32K) quotes Abe as saying, History is harsh what is done cannot be
undone, and that Japan had feelings of deep remorse over the war and that its actions also brought
suffering to the peoples in Asian countries. However, he stopped short of an apology.
Roll Call (4/30, Fuller, 99K) said Abes address will be remembered less for any applause line and more
for what was left unsaid, adding that he avoided the most contentious issue surrounding the speech,
namely: demands for an overt apology for Japans sexual enslavement of comfort women during World
War II. Similarly, the AP (4/30, Pennington) says Abe skirted the issue of the sexual slavery of tens of
thousands of Asian women by Japans military, which remains a sore point with another staunch US ally,
South Korea. The AP says Abes comments wont satisfy his critics, who want Abe to do more than
uphold the apologies for wartime abuses made by his predecessors, and Reuters (4/30, Spetalnick,
Nomiyama) says Abes comments were unlikely to quiet critics in South Korea and China, who say he is
trying to gloss over history.
That sentiment was evident in comments from Asian-American Democrats in Congress, who minced no
words in condemning the speech, The Hill (4/29, Lillis, 533K) reported. Rep. Mike Honda called the
speech shocking and shameful, adding, Todays refusal to squarely face history is an insult to the spirit
of the 200,000 girls and women from the Asia-Pacific who suffered during World War II. ... This is
unacceptable. Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Chairwoman Rep. Judy Chu echoed the
disappointment, accusing Abe of ignoring Japans responsibility for this particularly troubling and painful
chapter.
The Washington Post (4/30, Nakamura, 5.03M) says that in the historic address, Abe sketched out his
vision for a more robust role for his nation in the security and prosperity of Asia. While he paid respects
to shared history 70 years after the end of World War II, he emphasized that it was time for Japan to
turn the page and modernize its relationship.
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Abe Also Makes Case For TPP. Kevin Corke reported on Fox News Special Report (4/29, 1.53M) that
as the President seeks to woo Democrats in Congress to help advance the TPP, he got some help from
Abe, who urged lawmakers to approve the groundbreaking trade deal.
The New York Times (4/30, Weisman, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) reports that with lawmakers in
both parties doubtful of his ability to open his nations agriculture and auto markets to American
products, one of the biggest questions that remain in the trade talks, Abe did not offer concrete
concessions, and leaned hardest on an appeal for the regional security and prosperity that could come
from an accord linking nations from Japan and Australia to Canada to Chile, saying, The T.P.P. goes
far beyond just economic benefits. ... It is also about our security. Long-term, its strategic value is
awesome. We should never forget that. The Wall Street Journal (4/30, Mauldin, Subscription
Publication, 5.68M) says that Beijings growing forcefulness in the region seemed to be the reason for
Abes emphasis on the strategic importance of the agreement, though he mentioned China only once.
Carter, Nakatani Meet To Discuss Implementation Of New US-Japan Cooperation Guidelines. The
Washington Times (4/30, Stainer, 641K) reports that Defense Secretary Carter and Japanese Defense
Minister Gen Nakatani met Tuesday to discuss how to implement new guidelines for defense and
technology cooperation between US and Japan. Defense Department officials said in a statement,
Secretary Carter and Minister Nakatani emphasized the importance of keeping up the momentum from
recent milestones to modernize the alliance, such as enhancing cyber and space security cooperation.
Carter and Nakatani will meet again soon at the upcoming Shangri-la Dialogue, an annual security
conference held in Singapore.
AID WORKERS, CITIZENS FRUSTRATED WITH NEPALS RESPONSE TO EARTHQUAKE. USA
Today (4/29, Schreiber, Today, 5.01M) reports the first supplies of food aid began reaching some
remote, earthquake-shattered mountain villages in Nepal on Wednesday, but the recovery is slow.
Meanwhile, the Washington Post (4/30, Lakshmi, 5.03M) reports that international workers are getting
restless five days following the disaster. According to the Post, many of the aid workers are stuck in
Kathmandu, even as urgent help is required in remote villages yet to be reached.
On the CBS Evening News (4/29, story 7, 1:50, Pelley, 5.08M), Seth Doane reported from Kathmandu
that frustration is mounting. Clean water, power and fuel are scarce, and we found police ready in riot
gear. Meanwhile, Reuters (4/30, Sharma, Adkin) reports Nepalese villagers expressed frustration with
the governments response on Wednesday by blocking trucks carrying aid. In addition, in Kathmandu,
200 individuals protested outside the parliament building, demanding additional buses travel to remote
areas and an increase in aid.
The Los Angeles Times (4/30, Makinen, Hennessy-Fiske, 4.03M) reports thousands of
people...continued to look for ways out of the Kathmandu Valley, hitching rides on crowded buses and
taxis in an effort to return home to remote villages to assess the effects of the disaster. The
government-run Radio Nepal indicated 200,000 people traveled away from the capital by late Tuesday,
with the same amount expected to leave in the next few days.
A separate Washington Post (4/30, Schreiber, 5.03M) story provides examples of how Kathmandu is
impacted by the struggles to provide aid to the remote areas, explaining there are scenes of misery,
mourning and mobilization in countless variations within the capital. The Post uses the example of a
hospital in the city, where medical staff and volunteers struggle to keep up with the steady stream of
patients who have made a desperate trek to the capital from mountain villages where no help has arrived
yet.
Obama Speaks To Nepalese Prime Minister. President Obama, the AP (4/30) reports, spoke yesterday
with Prime Minister Sushil Koirala to express sympathy over the thousands of deaths and vast
destruction caused by the earthquake and pledged to offer further assistance.
Mount Everest Avalanche Claims 18 Lives. On NBC Nightly News (4/29, story 4, 1:55, Holt, 7.86M),
Lester Holt reported that the massive avalanche on Mount Everest that was triggered by the
earthquake killed at least 18 climbers. Richard Engel said that most people were killed at the Everest
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base camp when the snow and rock came crashing down destroying all of this part of the base camp
and they are still looking for bodies. Hundreds of climbers remain in whats left of the long and narrow
tent city. Engel reported that most on the mountain survived thanks to the extraordinary efforts of one
Swiss pilot who, on his own, transported victims going 40 times back and forth from the mountain to the
aid station.
Holly Williams reported on the CBS Evening News (4/29, story 8, 2:00, Williams, 5.08M) that in
Kathmandus airport, helicopters were ferrying people to safety, including a group of 16 American
trekkers. They were all unharmed after a terrifying experience just two miles from Mount Everests base
camp. Meanwhile, on ABC World News (4/29, story 7, 2:05, Muir, 5.84M), Terry Moran spoke to the
families of several survivors of the earthquake, among them an American family from San Diego that
recently learned that their son, a climber on Mount Everest, was safe.
NETANYAHU SIGNS COALITION DEAL WITH TWO PARTIES. AFP (4/30) reports that Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed coalition deals with two parties on Wednesday, a week before the
deadline to present a cabinet. Netanyahu inked alliances with the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism
(UTJ) party and the centre-right Kulanu, putting a combined total of 46 seats under his command.
Galvanized By Election, Israel Arab Party Hope To Change Housing Policies. The Christian Science
Monitor (4/30, Mitnick, 539K) reports that hundreds of Israels Arab citizens gathered in Tel Avivs Rabin
Square on Tuesday evening to stage a first ever protest on Israels most well-known public stage. The
protest was aimed at drawing attention to the increase in home demolitions and discriminatory land
policies affecting Arab residents. The Monitor says that it also highlighted a new sense of confidence
and buoyed expectations ever since an alliance of three Arab parties known as the Joint List
finished third in Marchs parliamentary election.
Hamas Cracks Down On Protesters In Gaza. The New York Times (4/30, Waheidi, Subscription
Publication, 12.24M) reports that a protest by Gazans in a rare show of defiance against Hamas, was
quelled when men in plainclothes believed to be Hamas security officials beat and detained
demonstrators, according to witnesses. No injuries were reported among protesters who had hoped to
call attention to the dire conditions they lived under, including unemployment, poverty and Israeli
restrictions.
OBAMA RELEASES ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR FRENCH COUNTERTERRORISM FIGHT IN
AFRICA. The AP (4/30) reports the President on Wednesday ordered the release of up to $35 million in
defense services to help France battle extremists in Mali, Niger and Chad. The move follows Obamas
$10 million order for Frances effort in August.
France Investigating Soldiers For Sexual Abuse In CAR. The AP (4/30) reports French prosecutors
are investigating accusations that members of the countrys military sexually abused children in the
Central African Republic. The UN began the investigation a year ago, before handing it over to Paris,
but it was kept secret until a report in the Guardian newspaper Wednesday forced officials to publicly
acknowledge the claims.
NIGERIA RESCUES HUNDREDS OF GIRLS KIDNAPPED BY BOKO HARAM. On ABC World News
(4/29, story 9, 0:20, Muir, 5.84M), David Muir reported that Nigerian officials announced that 200 girls,
93 women, kidnapped by the terror group Boko Haram have been rescued by the Nigerian army. The
girls are not among the group of schoolgirls who were abducted over a year ago, officials believe.
MEDIA ANALYSES: SALMANS CABINET RESHUFFLE HAS IMPLICATIONS FOR US-SAUDI
RELATIONSHIP. McClatchy (4/30, Hussain, 32K) reports that in a government shake-up, Saudi King
Salman removed his half-brother, Prince Murqin, from his post of crown prince, replacing him with his
nephew, the countrys interior minister, Prince Mohammed bin Nayef. Salman also replaced the
kingdoms foreign minister, Saud al-Faisal, who has held the post for 40 years, appointing Saudi Arabias
ambassador to the US, Adel al-Jubeir, in his place. Additionally, Salman named his 30-year-old son and
defense minister, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as deputy crown prince. Analysts say that the
replacements signaled a toughening of Saudi policy toward Iran since officials, like Murqin, were
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opposed to the Yemeni campaign. McClatchy notes the reshuffle comes just weeks before Saudi
Arabia and the GCC are scheduled to meet with President Obama in Washington.
In a positive report on the shakeup, the New York Times (4/30, Hubbard, Macfarquhar, Subscription
Publication, 12.24M) says the changes proclaimed in a middle-of-the-night statement by King Salman
not only elevated the status of the next generation of younger princes, but also consolidated the rule of
his own clan over the kingdom. The Times says the changes also signaled that the kingdom continues
to value its close alliance with Washington, despite reports that Riyadh was disgruntled over a potential
nuclear deal with Iran. The Times calls the appointment of Prince Mohamed bin Nayef a historic
change since he is the first heir apparent who was not a son of King Abdelaziz.
On the other hand, the Wall Street Journal (4/30, Trofimov, Subscription Publication, 5.68M) says that the
replacements show that Riyadh is becoming increasingly independent of Washington. The Journal says
the changes, particularly the empowerment of younger members for the first time, are likely to translate
into a more activist foreign policy, one that opposes the US outreach to Iran.
Politico (4/30, Toosi, 1.11M) reports that while the elevation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef and
al-Jubeir, who have strong ties with the US, is likely to be welcomed by the Administration, the
appointment of Salmans hawkish young son, Mohammed bin Salman as deputy crown prince, injects
an unpredictable element into a relationship that has grown strained under the Obama administration.
Salmans son is is little known in American circles and could end up rivaling the new crown prince
while ultimately playing a major long-term role in the Saudi-US relationship.
Al-Jubeir Meets With Kerry Before Beginning New Post. Bloomberg Politics (4/30, Atlas, 161K)
reports that on Wednesday, Adel al-Jubeir met with Secretary of State Kerry before flying to Riyadh to
begin his new job as foreign minister. Bloomberg says that the stop underscored that Saudi King
Salman chose a well-known figure in official Washington as the departing ambassador is someone that,
according to State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf, Kerry has come to know particularly well.
Former US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Ford Fraker said his appointment will positively impact USSaudi relations, calling al-Jubeir one of the very best-informed Saudis about the American scene.
IMAGES REPORTEDLY SHOW NORTH KOREA NUCLEAR REACTOR MAY BE OPERATING AGAIN.
Reuters (4/30, Brunnstrom) reports satellite images taken between January and this month show North
Koreas Yongbyon nuclear reactor may be operating again at low power or intermittently, according to a
report from David Albright and Serena Kelleher-Vergantini of the Washingtons Institute for Science and
International Security. The report said the imagery also suggested that a centrifuge plant at the complex
had been operated and that North Korea may be preparing to repair the shuttered facility.
North Korea Executed 15 High-Ranking Government Officials This Year. The New York Times
(4/30, Choe, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) reports North Korea has executed 15 high-ranking
government officials this year as Kim Jong-un continues to struggle to establish his monolithic
authority, according to information provided by South Korean intelligence to its countrys lawmakers.
The executed officials included the countrys Vice Minister, who was killed after complaining about the
leaders policy on forestation. South Korean lawmaker Shin Kyoung-min said, Kim Jong-un is
demonstrating a leadership style that brooked no excuses for not following through with his orders.
LEON: DIFFICULT TO BE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT LIBYA PEACE DEAL. Reuters (4/30) reports the
United Nations Libya mediator, Bernardino Leon, told the Security Council on Wednesday that it is
difficult to be optimistic about the prospects for a peace deal, but efforts must be made to move toward
that goal before the start of Ramadan in June. Leon said, The only source of hope is that were working
hard.
NICARAGUA TO PERMIT RUSSIAN GROUND STATION. The AP (4/30) reports Nicaraguas parliament
on Wednesday authorized the establishment of a Russian ground station for what officials say will allow
for the operation of a system similar to GPS for peaceful uses. According to the AP, opposition
legislators object to the plan, claiming it began as an urgent presidential decree sent to parliament this
week and fast-tracked through without proper time for study.
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RELATIVE CALM IN BALTIMORE AS MEDIA EXAMINES REASONS BEHIND RIOTS. Media

coverage of the situation in Baltimore continues to be heavy. All three network news broadcasts led with
coverage and spent 14 minutes and 45 seconds on the story, while print and online coverage are
extensive. While some reports note that Maryland Gov. Larry Hogans cautious optimism in the wake of a
relatively uneventful night on Tuesday, most say he and city officials are still concerned that the calm will
not hold. A number of reports also examine the deeper reasons for the riots, dismissing the importance
of race as an issue in this case arguing that many city officials are African-American and focusing,
instead, on the citys economic problems.
David Muir reported in the lead story for ABC World News (4/29, lead story, 2:40, Muir, 5.84M) that Gov.
Hogan called Tuesday nights relative calm in Baltimore a turning point, but the question is will it hold
tonight? Jim Avila added that the city is on high alert, as protesters were back out in force late today
after the city took back its streets overnight, and USA Today (4/30, Alcindor, Leger, Bacon, 5.01M)
notes that Hogan said he was very encouraged by the relative calm, but added, Were not out of the
woods yet, while the New York Times (4/30, Oppel, Prez-Pea, Subscription Publication, 12.24M)
reports that Hogan and Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake remain concerned about renewed unrest.
Although Hogan would not say how long the National Guard deployment would last, a spokeswoman
for Rawlings-Blakes office said it would be at least a week.
WJZ-TV Baltimore (4/29, 11:03 p.m. EDT, 69K) reported in its 11 p.m. broadcast that most of the
crowds had gone home, and some late-night leaders emerged to keep people off the streets, and
WBFF-TV Baltimore (4/29, 10:18 p.m. EDT, 3K) noted that Rep. Elijah Cummings was trying to get
people to go home, and there are not a lot of citizens hanging around. Earlier in the evening, WMARTV Baltimore (4/30, 5:00 p.m. EDT, 35K) reported that things were pretty much returning to normal
today, while WBAL-TV Baltimore (4/29, 6:00 p.m. EDT, 146K) reported that signs of the state of
emergency are clearly visible.
While the Wall Street Journal (4/30, Maher, Palazzolo, Subscription Publication, 5.68M) describes signs
of normalcy returning Wednesday to the neighborhoods that had seen violence two days before, Peter
Alexander noted on NBC Nightly News (4/29, story 2, 2:50, Holt, 7.86M) that life in Baltimore is hardly
back to normal. Similarly, the AP (4/30, Myers, Dishneau) reports that anger and anxiety hung over the
city, the Christian Science Monitor (4/30, Grier, 539K) said Baltimores hard-hit areas remain tense, and
Reuters (4/30, Malone) notes that thousands of demonstrators marched on city hall demanding justice
and police reform. Ron Allen reported in the lead story for NBC Nightly News (4/29, lead story, 2:00, Holt,
7.86M) that the protesters are not satisfied. They dont believe that the justice system is going to work
for them. Theyre out here. Theyre going to stay out here until they see justice.
A separate story in the Wall Street Journal (4/30, Calvert, Subscription Publication, 5.68M) examines the
complex range of problems facing Baltimore, including the loss of manufacturing jobs, the prevalence of
drugs, and high crime rates, and considers what role those issues played leading up to the riots, and in
his Washington Post (4/30, 5.03M) column, E.J. Dionne notes that since at least the 1970s, the
economys invisible hand has also been diligently stripping tens of thousands of blue-collar jobs from
what was once a bustling workshop where steel, cars and planes were made, adding that when work
disappears, the results can be catastrophic.
Noting that Baltimores Mayor, City Council president, police commissioner, and nearly half of its police
force are black, the Washington Times (4/30, Howell, 641K) says that the thing separating police and
community members is not race, but class, where residents in poorer neighborhoods feel targeted by a
police force that treats them unfairly. The Los Angeles Times (4/30, Mozingo, Phelps, 4.03M) similarly
notes that while race riots inevitably end in contention over what social woes led to the trigger point, with
one overarching element: a white power structure ruling a black populace, Baltimore left behind that
vestige of segregation long ago, but the city nonetheless has been perched on the edge of chaos for
much of this week, and in the lead story for the CBS Evening News (4/29, lead story, 3:35, Pelley,
5.08M), NAACP President Cornell Brooks was shown saying, We have a community thats nearly empty
of jobs. Thats a problem. And so theres this long-simmering anger, resentment, where people dont feel
that they have full access to what most Americans and what people here would call the American dream.
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People need jobs. They need opportunity. ... I think what happens in communities like this is the lid stays
on for some period of time, and then things bubble and boil over.
A USA Today (4/30, 5.01M) editorial also says the problem isnt just about race, adding that there is a
toxic mix of desperate poverty, drug-ridden neighborhoods, tough cops dealing with tough problems, and
an insular culture that isolates police from the community, and in an accompanying op-ed in USA Today
(4/30, 5.01M), Laniece Williams, spokesman for the Philly Coalition for Racial Economic and Legal
Justice, writes that the Baltimore Uprising has strengthened the resolve of many individuals to continue
fighting for justice and reforming the police, adding that the uprising comes from a community that is
ignored and abused a community where unemployment for adults is 51%, where $35 million in school
funding may be lost and life expectancy is 69. In the Talking Points Memo segment on Fox News The
OReilly Factor (4/29, 767K), Bill OReilly said that Baltimores economic situation is dire and the crime
problem in the African-American precincts is a scandal. Most black citizens are honest, hard-working
people. They are just looking for opportunity. But the rioting has now diminished that opportunity big time.
... It is a fact that irresponsible criminals in Baltimore have once again hurt good folks, this time on a
mass level. The city will take years to recover.
Meanwhile, Politico (4/30, Robillard, 1.11M) considered the political implications for the elected officials
involved in the Baltimore situation, noting that Hogan and Rawlings-Blake are hoping that they can act
to secure the city over the coming days and prevent their political legacies from being inextricably linked
to the protests and riots, but neither had the credibility to confront the violent rioters, a task that fell to
Rep. Elijah Cummings, who led a spontaneous march of several hundred people, including preachers
and gang members.
The New York Times (4/30, Nixon, Shane, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) reports that an array of
pastors, politicians, community leaders and even gang members have repeatedly taken to the streets to
calm crowds, effectively helping the police impose a curfew so far, adding that many local politicians,
notably Cummings, have also spent hours walking the citys blighted neighborhoods to discourage any
repeat of Mondays disorder.
Baltimore Mayor Seeks To Clear Up Misinformation About What Information Will Be Available
Friday. Rawlings-Blake said Wednesday that she is working with Freddie Grays family and faith leaders
to clear up misinformation that could lead to further unrest, the Baltimore Sun (4/30, 802K) reports.
Rawlings-Blake expressed concern about misinformation thats been spreading about what information
may be available Friday. While Police Commissioner Anthony Batts has said that the Police Department
would conclude its report then, and hand the findings over to prosecutors for potential charges, it is
unclear what, if anything, will be made public then.
NYTimes Analysis: Curfew Will Further Hurt Citys Nighttime Businesses. The New York Times
(4/30, Cowley, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) reports for many local Baltimore businesses, the
worst hit from the riots is still to come because of the seven-day curfew. According to the Times, for
restaurants, bars, taxicabs and others that rely on nighttime customers, it is a potential economic
disaster.
Whole Foods Defends Providing Lunch To National Guardsmen. The Washington Times (4/30,
Chasmar, 641K) reports Whole Foods is defending its decision to serve lunch to National Guardsmen
patrolling Baltimore on Tuesday, despite an outcry from commentators who argue the food should have
gone to the local community. The companys spokeswoman, Katie Malloy, told ABC, Currently, we are
providing food and water to children across our city by partnering with rec centers and community
organizations, and have been doing so in parallel with providing food and water to first responders.
Rep. Edwards Calls For National Conversation On Race, Jobs, Economic Inequality. In an op-ed for
the Washington Post (4/30, 5.03M), Rep. Donna Edwards, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for
US Senate in Maryland, writes that the nation cannot move forward without a true national conversation
that involves race, jobs, economic inequality and a respect for human dignity, especially in policing,
adding that young black men and women bear the psychological, emotional and economic scars created
when the most ordinary activity is suspect. Edwards adds that African-American women belong at the
OPS054000122
decision-making table to fix the long-standing problems in our schools and communities that contribute to
despair and hopelessness among our children.
Baltimore Neighborhoods Cost Of Poverty Counted In Lives. The New York Times (4/30,
Tavernise, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) reports that in West Baltimores Upton-Druid Heights, one
of the citys poorest neighborhoods and...the scene of some of its most vocal protests...the cost of longterm poverty is counted in lives. According to the Times, poor health is a physical manifestation of
systemic disadvantage, and the citys residents die from nearly every major disease at a substantially
higher rate than the city as a whole.
Vets Group Condemns Anchors Remarks About Veterans Provoking Violence. The Washington
Times (4/30, Klimas, 641K) reports the Veterans of Foreign Wars organization is urging its members to
contact CNN because anchor Brooke Baldwin accused military veterans of provoking violence in
communities. While reporting from Baltimore, Baldwin said some veterans are coming back from war,
they dont know the communities and theyre ready to do battle. The organizations head, John Stroud,
said, To have someone in the press make a personal statement that...accuses military veterans as
being the aggressors is as unacceptable as it is insulting.
Youth Group Urges Bowser To Recall DC Police Officers From Baltimore. The Washington Post
(4/30, Davis, 5.03M) reports District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser is facing criticism from the Black
Youth Project 100 over her decision to contribute 34 police officers to efforts to quell riots in Baltimore.
BALTIMORE PD WONT RELEASE REPORT ON GRAYS DEATH FRIDAY, AS PROMISED. In a
move that suggests criminal charges are expected against at least some of the six Baltimore police
officers who were suspended following Freddie Grays death, the Washington Times (4/30, Morton,
641K) reports that the Baltimore Police Department said Wednesday, that its internal investigation into
Grays death will not be released Friday, as had been publicly promised, and will be turned over to the
states attorneys office. Also in the lead story for the CBS Evening News (4/29, lead story, 3:35, Pelley,
5.08M), Jeff Pegues reported that NAACP President Cornell Brooks worries how protesters will react to
the lack of information. Brooks: They should not expect an indictment. They should not expect arrests.
They should not expect anyone called into account. They should not expect satisfying answers to
unsettling questions. All they can expect is a step forward.
On NBC Nightly News (4/29, story 3, 2:45, Holt, 7.86M), Kate Snow spoke to police officers from around
the country about what its like to put on the badge and go on patrol day in and day out in a climate of
mistrust.
Records: Grays Lawsuit Settlement Was Not Connected To Car Accident. The Baltimore Sun (4/30,
Puente, Donovan, 802K) says that despite online reports that Gray had spinal surgery shortly before he
died in police custody, and had collected a payout in a settlement from a car accident, Howard County
court records show the case had nothing to do with a car accident or a spine injury, and are connected
to a lawsuit alleging that Gray and his sister were injured by exposure to lead paint.
In a front-page story, the Washington Post (4/30, A1, Hermann, 5.03M) cites a police document which
says a prisoner who was in the police transport van with Gray, but separated from him by a metal
partition, told investigators that he could hear Gray banging against the walls of the vehicle and
believed that he was intentionally trying to injure himself.
MOTHER WHO PULLED SON OUT OF GROUP OF RIOTERS NOW DRAWING CRITICISM. On ABC
World News (4/29, story 2, 1:35, Muir, 5.84M), Steve Osunsami interviewed Toya Graham, the mother
who noticed her son among the rioters and disciplin[ed] him as the cameras rolled, and the son,
Michael Singleton. Graham said, As long as I have breath in my body, you will not be on the streets
selling drugs and you are just not going to live like that. Not with me. Singleton said, I understand how
much my mother really cares about me. So, I just got to try and do better.
While David Muir noted on ABC World News (4/29, story 2, 1:35, Muir, 5.84M) that the video of Graham
disciplining her son is resonating with so many families in Baltimore and around the country, her actions
OPS054000123
are drawing some criticism. For example, in a piece for USA Today (4/30, 5.01M), Eliyahu Federman, an
executive at an e-commerce company, writes that while Graham is being hailed as a hero, and she
should be praised for being a caring parent with pure intentions, shouting, cursing and hitting your teen
should not be praised, and is certainly not ideal parenting, no matter the circumstances, and in a post on
the Washington Posts (4/30, 5.03M) Post Everything Blog, Stacey Patton, a senior enterprise reporter
for the Chronicle of Higher Education and an adjunct professor of American history at American
University, argues that Graham sent the message that, I will teach my black son not to resist white
supremacy so he can live, but it doesnt matter how black children behave...they risk being killed and
blamed for their own deaths because black youths are rarely viewed as innocent or worthy of protection.
CLINTON CALLS FOR POLICE BODY CAMERAS, OVERHAUL OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. In
the wake of the Baltimore riots following the death of Freddie Gray, who died in police custody, Hillary
Clinton on Wednesday spoke at Columbia University, where she focused on race, police tactics, and the
criminal justice system. ABC World News (4/29, story 3, 0:15, Muir, 5.84M) reported that in her speech,
Clinton called for body cameras now for every police department in the country in the wake of those
images from Baltimore, saying it will help protect good people on both sides of the lens.
The New York Times (4/30, Chozick, Barbaro, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) reports that Clinton,
delivering an unusually impassioned speech, offered a pointed assessment of race in the US,
lamenting the recent deaths of young black men and calling for overhauling the out-of-balance criminal
justice system. Clinton, adds the Times, spoke forcefully about the damage done, listing the names of
the unarmed African-American men who have died at the hands of white police officers in recent months.
From Ferguson to Staten Island to Baltimore, the patterns have become unmistakable and undeniable,
she said.
The Washington Times (4/30, Miller, 641K) reports that Clinton called for an end to racial profiling,
alternatives to incarceration for low-level offenses and body cameras on police officers nationwide to
help fix a justice system that she said was tilted against black men. Reuters (4/30, Allen) reports that in
calling for all police to wear body cameras, Clinton said, That will improve transparency and
accountability; it will help protect good people on both sides of the lens.
Politico (4/29, Karni, 1.11M) reported that Clinton, calling for an end to the era of mass incarceration,
cited the figure that one out of every 20 American children had a parent in prison in 2013. The
consequences are profound. Its time to change our approach, she said. The Wall Street Journal
(4/30, Meckler, Subscription Publication, 5.68M) and The Hill (4/29, McCabe, 533K) also report on
Clintons speech.
Media Analyses: Some Clinton Proposals Would Reverse Her Husbands Policies. McClatchy (4/29,
Kumar, 32K) reports that some of Clintons proposals strike at the heart of policies implemented by her
husband, former President Bill Clinton, who in the 1990s put more officers on the streets, lengthened
prison terms and authorized billions of dollars for prison construction, among other things. The AP (4/30,
Lerer, Colvin) similarly reports that with her comments, Clinton joined a bipartisan group of politicians
who are rejecting the tough-on-crime policies of the 1980s and 1990s including those trumpeted as a
major achievement by the administration of her husband, Bill.
In an analysis, Politico (4/30, Schreckinger, Karni, 1.11M) reports that while Clinton said in her speech
that theres something wrong with criminal justice in America, much of what she finds wrong can be
traced to her husbands presidency. Politico said that Bill Clinton imposed harsher sentencing
guidelines, cut education funding for prisoners, and expanded the flow of military equipment to local
police in the 1990s. In the wake of the Baltimore riots and increasing bipartisan concern about mass
incarceration, added Politico, both Clintons are now calling for reform. Politico noted that Clinton
lobbied liberal lawmakers to support her husbands 1994 crime bill, which included $9.7 billion in prison
funding and tougher sentencing provisions.
In another report, the Washington Post (4/30, A1, Gearan, Rucker, 5.03M) says on its front page that as
she seeks the White House, Clinton is running against Republicans and parts of her husbands legacy.
On issues large and small. Clinton is increasingly distancing herself from, or even opposing, key
OPS054000124
policies pushed by Bill Clinton during his two terms as president, from her recent skepticism on freetrade pacts to her full embrace of gay rights. The starkest example yet came Wednesday in Clintons
speech condemning the era of incarceration ushered in during the 1990s in the wake of her husbands
1994 crime bill.
ISIL SYMPATHIZERS USING RIOTS TO ATTEMPT RECRUITS. The Washington Times (4/30,
Chasmar, 641K) reports ISIL sympathizers are attempting to recruit Baltimore rioters by painting the
terror group as a diversity haven for oppressed youths. According to Foreign Policy, the sympathizers
are stating that unlike the United States, their Islamic caliphate sees no difference between black and
white.
KHAMENEI CRITICIZES US OVER POLICE VIOLENCE, RACE RELATIONS. The Hill (4/29, Hensch,
533K) Briefing Room blog reported Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is slamming US
law enforcement for its ridiculous treatment of minorities. In Twitter posts, Khameini cited alleged
police brutality and taunted the US over its race relations. One post read, US Police kill people over any
excuse; this type of power doesnt ensure security but leads to insecurity.
LOS ANGELES BECOMES LARGEST CITY TO EQUIP ALL PATROL OFFICERS WITH CAMERAS.
The Christian Science Monitor (4/29, Wood, 539K) reports the Los Angeles Police Commission decided
on Tuesday to equip all its patrol officers with body cameras, making the city the largest in the country
to take the step. The Monitor notes the Commission approved the measure despite concern within it
over who should get to see the videos and criticism that there were no protections against police
gaming the system by altering reports to fit footage or simply not releasing the video.
BRENNAN: INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES MUST EVOLVE TO ADDRESS NEW THREATS. The Wall
Street Journal (4/30, Paletta, 5.68M) reports in its Washington Wire blog that CIA director John
Brennan said Tuesday at a dinner reception to an intelligence and national security industry group, that
intelligence agencies must evolve in order to address fast-moving global threats, and that evolution must
include technological advancements that help anticipate potential threats. He cited the rise of ISIL and
Houthi rebels in Yemen as examples of why agencies should reevaluate their intelligence-gathering
methods. Said Brennan, A lot of these things are something that you cannot get from traditional
collections systems and methods, adding, Even places like Yemen and Syria and Iraq, you see people
who are on their phones. You see them using mobile devices.

the Web at BulletinIntelligence.com, or called at (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
OPS054000125
From:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C) ) on behalf of(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Subject:
Date:
(FOUO) Associated Baltimore Civil Unrest Activities in the District

Wednesday, April 29, 2015 4:57:03 PM
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
NOC SWO,
IP/PSA for the NCR reports information below from our partners in the District
which reference two Baltimore City-related protests planned for the District this
evening.
Additionally, DC Fusion Center has no information to confirm that a protest will

occur this Saturday in the District.
The DC HSEMA EOC will have a limited stand-up on Saturday from 0900-2100 to
monitor a larger than expected Funk Parade and two other mass gathering events,
and to ensure if any Baltimore-related civil unrest occurs, or the mass gathering
events are disrupted, and to ensure certain ESFs are in place.
The IP/PSA for the NCR will respond from the DC HSEMA EOC/Fusion Center if
the need arises
Information from Allied partners:
All,
We are monitoring two separate protests scheduled for this evening. The first will
begin with a gathering at the DuPont Circle fountain (1900 P St.) at 6pm. Their call
for action on Facebook states:
Every 28 hours a Black person is killed in America by law enforcement officers. This
statistics includes Black women and girls as well.
Join us on Wednesday for a speak-out as we remember Rekia Boyd and honor the lives of the
many Black Women, Transwomen, and Girls impacted by state-sanctioned violence. This
event will be a time for healing and reflection. Stand with us as we demand justice for Rekia
Boyd.
How can you have peace in a place where there is no justice? Black women's lives matter and
must be centered in the larger movement towards justice and liberation. Let us amplify loudly
the lives of the Black women who have been taken away, without justice.
OPS054000126
Bring your signs. #BlackLivesMatter #RekiaMatters #Blackgirlsmatter #Justice4RekiaDC

#Justice4Rekia
The second protest gathering will be at Gallery Place and will begin around 7pm.
Their call for action states:
#DCFerguson will hold a Rally in Support of Freddie Gray who was killed by Baltimore
Police
Wednesday April 29
7pm
We will march from Chinatown/Gallery Place to the White House.
We want to let the world know that we are in support of all those that have been killed by at
the hands of police terrorism.
MPD is aware and will be staging additional Officers and equipment around both sites and
throughout the district this evening. According to MPD the two groups may march from
Dupont Circle and Gallery Place and then converge at Lafayette Park across from the White
House. Needless to say traffic in and around the routes take will be disrupted. Buildings
along any possible route from the two locations to the White House may want ensure they can
quickly lock down. Luckily most DC building lockdown around 7pm anyway. MPD will be
using roving road blocks to escort the marchers to their destination. There is no current intel
that these marches will be anything but peaceful. However, MPD will be prepared for all
contingencies. We will maintain contact with MPD throughout the evening and update as
needed.
If you have any questions or concerns about this matter, contact the (b) (6), (b) (7)(C) at
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
V/r,
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
NOC IPNICC Watch Operations

(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
For more information on the NICC go to: DHS National Infrastructure Coordinating
Center
Distro:
OPS054000127
From:
To:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C) ) on behalf of (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Subject:
Date:
Attachments:
(FOUO) Associated Baltimore Civil Unrest Activities in the District

SituationReport #7.pdf
NICC Quicklook 20150429 Baltimore Protest Affected Areas.pdf

NOC SWO,
Latest update from PSA MD. Also attached is quick look map of protested affected areas.
Please be advised, at this time I am back in the Baltimore PSA District. I have spoken to both
the Deputy Director, MOEM, and the Commander of the Baltimore Citiwatch who advised
me:
As of this point in the day, things are stable and there have been no major incidents to
speak of
At the current time there are (3) separate protests occurring in the city (See attached
City-EOC SitRep #7) however, they have been peaceful to this point and are being
monitored by the Baltimore PD (assisted by NG troops, Maryland State Police, and
other local LEOs jurisdictions in MD. The protests formed near Johns Hopkins
Hospital, Baltimore City Hall, Baltimore PD/HQ
There is a MLB double-hitter scheduled for tomorrow at Camden Yards between the
Orioles and the Red Sox. At this time, it is anticipated that fans will be permitted to
attend the double-hitter, however, pending the protest activity after the 10pm curfew
goes into effect tonight, this decision is subject to change
Both Officials requested PSA presence in the City-EOC during the MLB double-hitter
at Camden Yards tomorrow afternoon
Baltimore PSA activities:
Tonight, PSA will monitor the events, and will periodically check-in with the
Baltimore City EOC for updates/incidents
Normal SitReps pushed out by will the SEOC and City-EOC will be forwarded to
the NICC. SpotReps will be pushed to the NICC if warranted
On Thursday 5/1 PSA report to the City-EOC to represent IP/PSCD well before the
start of the ball games. The City-EOC will be located in the BPD Criminal Watch
Center located in BPD/HQ, 601 E Fayette St., Baltimore, MD
PSA took a look at the attached GIS/Quicklook product. It appears OCIA added a
lay-over of protest/incident areas to the GIS/Quicklook product that PSCD pushed
out on Monday so I believe the appropriate CIKR is included.
However, upon arrival to the EOC in the morning I will create an Incident in the
SEDIT Tool, and also speak to BPD/MOEM officials to see if they would like
anything else included in the product. I push any additions I may have to PSCD/GIS
Analysts in the morning
OPS054000128
V/r,
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Center
Distro:
NICC
The information contained in this communication from the NICC may be sensitive, privileged, and or confidential and is not
intended for third party distribution without the express approval of the NICC. Please address requests for further
distribution, questions, or comments to the NICC by phone (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
If you are not an
intended recipient of this transmission, the dissemination, distribution, copying or use of the information is strictly
prohibited.
OPS054000129
From:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Subject:
Date:
Attachments:
(U//FOUO) NOC Note (Update): Civil Disturbance - Baltimore, MD (NOC 0413-15)

image001.jpg
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

Update: On 28 Apr 2015, a mandatory curfew went into effect from 2200 0500 EDT. The curfew is expected to remain in
effect for the next seven days. In response to the declared State of Emergency, 2,000 National Guardsman are on State
Active Duty supporting the Baltimore Police. In addition, over 1,000 law enforcement officers from the Maryland State Police
and surrounding jurisdictions are deployed across the city. Baltimore Public Schools will re-open today. The Maryland State
EOC remains at Partial Activation with a FEMA Region III Liaison. There have been no requests for Federal assistance.
Several peaceful demonstrations, including a march to City Hall, occurred prior to the curfew. City officials report few isolated
incidents of violence as the curfew took effect, but no major incidents during the overnight period. The Baltimore Police
characterize the city as stable.
Update (1919 EDT, Mon, 27 Apr 2015): The Governor of Maryland, at the request of the Mayor of Baltimore City, has signed
an Executive Order declaring a State of Emergency. The Governor has called the Maryland National Guard into action and
State service.
Update (1846 EDT, Mon, 27 Apr 2015): The Governor of Maryland has dispatched the Maryland State Police in a supporting
role on the ground, as well as other resources and equipment from various state agencies. The Governor has put the
Maryland National Guard on alert.
Update (1814 EDT, Mon, 27 Apr 2015): The violent activity continues in northwest Baltimore with the destruction of vehicles
and looting of businesses.
played.
OPS054000130
OPS054000131
From:
To:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Cc:
Marrone, Christian; Rosen, Paul; Silvers, Robert; Yee, Britton; Taylor, Francis X; Bradsher, Tanya; McNamara,
Phil; Clark, Ronald Dr.; Chavez, Richard; DiFalco, Frank
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C) ; Gramlick, Carl; (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Subject:
Date:
(U/FOUO) Civil Disturbance - Baltimore, MD - 0445 EDT 29 Apr

Civil Disturbance Baltimore, MD

Situation Update
29 Apr 0445 EDT
Summary
The mandatory curfew from 2200 0500 EDT went into effect on 28 Apr. The curfew is expected to
remain in effect for the next seven days. In response to the declared State of Emergency, 2,000
National Guardsman are on State Active Duty supporting the Baltimore Police. In addition, over
1,000 law enforcement officers from the Maryland State Police and surrounding jurisdictions are
deployed across the city. Baltimore Public Schools will re-open on 29 Apr. The Maryland State EOC
remains at Partial Activation with a FEMA Region III Liaison. The Orioles game scheduled for 1905
EDT will be closed to the public.
Several peaceful demonstrations, including a march to City Hall, occurred prior to the curfew.
City officials report few isolated incidents of violence as the curfew took effect, but no major
incidents during the overnight period. The Baltimore Police characterize the city as stable.
Baltimore OEM
Transportation removed 30 burned vehicles on 28 Apr with 64 awaiting removal.
Public works reports the majority of necessary cleanup was accomplished on 28 Apr.
Boarding of damaged buildings has begun.
Baltimore City Fire Department (BCFD) reports all companies have returned to their
stations. Two fire fighters were injured. BCFD is operating normally.
The city reported 20 police officers injured, two of whom remain at Maryland Shock Trauma
o Several other injuries; no incident-related fatalities reported.
Arrests: 247, of which, there are 181 males, 51 females, and 3 juveniles. 12 were in
processing (gender unknown).
Baltimore City Public Schools were closed Tuesday. Schools will re-open on Wednesday, 29
Apr.
Governors Office of Community Initiatives organized 2,600 volunteers who volunteered for
clean-up Tues morning.
Tow trucks, solid waste, and street sweeper crews worked through Tuesday to clear streets of
debris.
OPS054000132
1,950 National Guardsmen are on State Active Duty;

Over 400 State Troopers and other allied law enforcement officers including officers
from Montgomery, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Howard, Prince Georges, and Harford
counties;
300 law enforcement from Pennsylvania, 150 from New Jersey, and 45 from DC;
MD Capitol Police deployed to secure state buildings in Baltimore;
37 fire engines, eight truck companies, and two heavy rescue units from surrounding
counties;
Twelve (state) Emergency Support Functions have been activated at the State Emergency
Operations Center at the Maryland Emergency Management Agency.
Open source media reports Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives is supporting
arson investigations.
No request for FEMA assistance.
Federal Protective Service (28 Apr)

Over 400 FPS Law Enforcement Officers and FPS Protective Security Officers are on duty in
the Baltimore area protecting high-risk federal facilities.
FPS has integrated representatives into the Maryland Governor's Operations Center.
FPS continues its enhanced posture at the Fallon Federal Building, Edward Garmatz US
Courthouse, City Crescent Building and the US Customs House.
Only minor damage or demonstrations have occurred near or against to these facilities.
USCG (28 Apr)

USCG reports all personnel in Baltimore are accounted for.
Commander, Sector Baltimore declared the City of Baltimore and Baltimore County off limits
to personnel both in a personal and operational capacity through 03 May.
Commander, Sector Baltimore directed personnel that live within these affected areas to
exercise extreme caution traveling to and from their residences and ordered personnel not to
travel in uniform.
Sector Baltimore is conducting normal operations. Units responding to SAR and pollution will
and other areas near reported rioting. Sector Baltimore has not increased FPCON.
The assaulted CG Yard member was released by the hospital Mon night and escorted by CGIS
to the CG Yard. The member was evaluated by the CG Yard clinic duty corpsman and stayed
in the barracks overnight Monday.
OPS054000133
Weather Forecast
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 71. Northwest wind 3 to 6 mph.
Wednesday Night: A chance of rain after 3am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 58. Southwest wind
around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
R/
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Duty Director
NDD Desk: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
OPS054000134
From:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Subject:
Date:
Demonstration in DC tonight 4-29-15

FYSA: DC Ferguson will be holding a rally tonight at 1900 hours in Chinatown. The plan is to march
from Chinatown to the White House. Unknown number of participants at this time.
Street Address:
Gallery Place Station
City:
Washington, District of Columbia 20001
State/Region:
DC
Date:
Wednesday, April 29, 2015 - 7:00pm
#DCFerguson will hold a Rally in Support of Freddie Gray who was killed by Baltimore Police.
They will march from Chinatown/Gallery Place to the White House.
They want to let the world know that they are in support of all those that have been killed by at the
hands of police terrorism.
http://washingtonpeacecenter.net/node/14803
Officer (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

Supreme Court of the US Police
DHS NOC Liaison
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
OPS054000135
THE HOMELAND SECURITY
NEWS CLIPS
PREPARED FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY BY BULLETIN INTELLIGENCE WWW.BULLETININTELLIGENCE.COM/DHS
TO:
THE SECRETARY AND SENIOR STAFF
DATE:
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2015 5:00 AM EDT
TODAYS EDITION
Leading DHS News
President Obama Nominates New TSA Chief (WP) ..................... 4

Barack Obamas TSA Nominee Could Face Bumpy Landing
(POLITICO)........................................................................... 5
Obama Nominates No. 2 At Coast Guard To Run TSA (HC/AP). 6
Coast Guards Neffenger To Be Nominated To Lead TSA
(WSJ) .................................................................................... 6
Obama Nominates Coast Guard Vice Admiral To Head TSA
(REU) .................................................................................... 6
Obama Nominates New TSA Chief (USAT) ................................. 6
Coast Guard Admiral Tapped To Run TSA (HILL) ....................... 7
Coast Guards No. 2 Is Nominated To Lead T.S.A. (NYT/AP) ..... 7
Obama Names Coast Guard Official To Head TSA (WT) ............ 8
DHSs Johnson: Amnesty For Top Model Murder Suspect A
tragic Mistake (WT) ............................................................. 8
DHS Searching For all-star To Head Cyber Hub (HILL) ............. 8
John Boehner Asked To Denounce Invites To Geert Wilders,
Dutch Far-right Legislator (POLITICO) ................................ 9
Democrats Want To Ban Islamophobic Lawmaker From The
U.S. (FORPOL) .................................................................... 9
Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, A Case Nobody Wants To See Go
To Trial (LAT) ..................................................................... 10
Immigration and Customs Enforcement
US Attorney To Monitor Probe Of Detroit Mans Fatal Shooting

(HC/AP)............................................................................... 11
Federal Prosecutor To Monitor Probe Of Fatal Detroit Shooting
(REU) .................................................................................. 12
U.S. Attorney Closely Monitoring Agent Shooting (DETN) ....... 12
In The Wake Of Fugitives Killing, Many In Detroit Want
Answers (FREEP) .............................................................. 13
Father: US Agent Executed His Son In Detroit Warrant Raid
(HC/AP)............................................................................... 14
John Roth, Inspector General, Homeland Security (WFED) ...... 14
Customs and Border Protection
Military Contractors Hope To Turn Border Into New Cash Cow

(HUFFPOST) ...................................................................... 15
Fewer Children Are Entering U.S. Illegally As Mexico Cracks
Down (NYT) ........................................................................ 16
Illegal Border Tunnel Found Leading From Mexico (HC/AP) ..... 16
Two Tunnels, One Incomplete, Discovered On The CaliforniaMexico Border (SDUT) ....................................................... 16
Sophisticated Drug Tunnel Found Beneath U.S.- Mexico Border
(XETVTV) ........................................................................... 17
U.S. Border Patrol Agents Discover Smuggling Tunnel Near
San Ysi (KFMBTV) ............................................................. 17
Transportation Security Administration
Schumer Wants To Toughen Screening Of Airport Workers

(HILL) .................................................................................. 17
Southwest Cancels 10 Baltimore Departures Amid Riots In City
(BLOOM) ............................................................................ 18
Federal Emergency Management Agency
FEMA Chief On Superstorm Sandy Aid: We Want To Fix This

(AP) ..................................................................................... 18
Sandy Claims Review Could Begin Next Month, FEMA Says
(ASBPP) ............................................................................. 19
FEMA Will Soon Contact Sandy Homeowners Who May Want
To Reopen Their Damage Claims (NJCOM) ..................... 20
Menendez Launches Sandy Task Force To Overhaul Flood
Insurance Program (PHILINQ) ........................................... 21
Task Force Looks Into Governments Handling Of Sandy
Recovery (BERGREC) ....................................................... 21
FEMA Has Failed In Getting Sandy Victims Money, Task Force
Says (WCBSTV) ................................................................. 22
FEMA Promises Arbiter For Appeals Of Sandy Insurance
Claims (NSDY) ................................................................... 22
Hurricane Sandy Judges Demand Clearing Of Settlement
Roadblocks (BLOOM) ........................................................ 22
Sen. Cassidy Says Some Flood Insurance Recipients Being
Charged Excessive Surcharges (NOTP) ........................... 23
US Citizenship and Immigration Services
Dems Urge Special Immigrant Status For Nepal Earthquake

Victims (HILL) ..................................................................... 24
Scott Walker Hits Back At WSJ Piece Criticizing His Legal
Immigration Comments (WT) ............................................. 24
Bilingual Bush Talks Immigration In Puerto Rico (HC/AP) ......... 25
Trade Proponents Slowly Assure Skeptics Of No Backdoor Ties
To Obama Immigration Policy (WT)................................... 26
OPS054000136
US Coast Guard
Wrongheaded Policy For Innovation, Privacy And Cybersecurity

(HILL) .................................................................................. 46
Coast Guard Says It Needs New Ships To Combat Drug

Smuggling (USAT).............................................................. 27
Icebreakers? Sure, But CG Boss Says Cutters Come First
(APRN)................................................................................ 27
SEAPOWER Magazine Online (SPMAG) ................................... 28
Body Of 3rd Boater Found In Alabama Waters (REU) ............... 29
Search Suspended For Man Who Survived Previous Ordeal At
Sea (HC/AP) ....................................................................... 29
Shell Seeks Injunction Against Arctic Drilling Protesters (AP) .... 29
Military Fears ISIS Is Eyeing Drug-Smuggling Routes To Enter
U.S. (USNEWS) ................................................................. 29
Countering Violent Extremism
Integration Is The Open Secret To Deradicalization

(HUFFPOST) ...................................................................... 46
National Security News
After Riots, A Tense City, Peaceful Demonstrations, Waiting For

Whats Next (BACP) ........................................................... 48
After A Night Of Rioting In Baltimore, Fear Of Violence Leads
To Closures (WP) ............................................................... 49
Transcript Of Obamas Speech About Baltimore Is Potent &
Powerful (BUSTLE) ............................................................ 52
Baltimore Riot Spurs Obama Call For National Soul Searching
(BLOOMPOL) ..................................................................... 53
Events In Baltimore Reflect A Slow-Rolling Crisis Across U.S.,
Obama Says (NYT) ............................................................ 54
President Obama: no Excuse For Baltimore Riots (POLITICO) 55
Obama: Baltimore Violence Is Distraction From Police Issues
(USAT) ................................................................................ 56
Tavis Smiley: In Baltimore, Obama Hands-off On Hands Up
(USAT) ................................................................................ 57
Obama Calls For National Soul Searching Over Freddie Grays
Death (BSUN) ..................................................................... 58
Obama Outlines 6 Principles On Race In America (POLITICO) 59
Obama Calls Baltimore Rioters Criminals, But Calls For Soulsearching On Larger Issues (VOX)................................... 60
Presidents Comments On Police And Poor More Pointed Than
Usual. (SLATEMAG) .......................................................... 60
President Obama Says No Excuse For Violence (TIME) ......... 61
Criminals Taking Advantage Of Situation In Baltimore, Obama
Says (NPR) ......................................................................... 62
Obama: Troubling Police Encounters Dont Excuse Baltimore
Stealing (MERCN) ............................................................ 63
Baltimore Riot Shows Crisis In Community Policing: Obama
(YAHOO) ............................................................................ 63
Obama On Baltimore: This Is Not New (HUFFPOST) .............. 64
Obama Decries Thugs After Baltimore Riots Leave 144
Vehicles, 15 Buildings On Fire Following Night Of
Violence (NYDN) ................................................................ 65
Obama Blames Social Ills For Baltimore Crisis: Its Been Going
On For Decades (WT) ....................................................... 66
Obama Condemns Baltimore Riots, Urges Political Action
(CQRC) ............................................................................... 66
Obama: No Excuse For Baltimore Riots (HILL) ........................ 68
Obama Condemns Violence In Baltimore In Response To
Freddie Gray Death (WSJ) ................................................. 69
Obama Calls For Soul Searching In Wake Of Baltimore Riot
(YAHOO/REU).................................................................... 69
Obama: No Excuse For The Kind Of Violence Seen In
Baltimore, But America Also Has Some Soul-Searching
To Do (BLAZE) ................................................................... 69
Obama On Baltimore: Violent Rioters Need To Be Treated As
Criminals (NATJO)............................................................. 70
What Came Before Baltimores Riots (NYT) ............................... 71
Secret Service
Gyrocopter Mailmans Path To Capitol Exposes Police

Response (BLOOM) ........................................................... 31
Terrorism Investigations
Boston Bombing Defense Emphasizes Dead Brothers

Influence (USAT) ................................................................ 32
Testimony In Boston Marathon Bombers Trial Turns To Sisterin-law (WT/AP).................................................................... 33
Tamerlan Tsarnaevs Transformation Detailed At Trial
(BOSGLOBE) ..................................................................... 34
Boston Marathon Bombers Defense Lawyers Say Older
Brother Controlled Him (LAT) ............................................. 35
Boston Bombers Lawyers Focus On Brothers Obsession With
Islam (REU) ........................................................................ 36
Boston Bombers Lawyers Focus On Elder Brother (WSJ) ........ 36
Massachusetts: Testimony On Boston Bombers Sister-In-Law
(NYT) .................................................................................. 36
Minneapolis Men Facing Terrorism Charges For Alleged Plans
To Join ISIL Belie Stereotypes (MINNST) ......................... 36
Bail Hearing Delayed For San Diego Terror Suspect (SDUT).... 38
Nearly 5-year Sentence Recommended In Terror Support Case
(HC/AP)............................................................................... 38
Russian Arraigned In Virginia On New Terrorism Charges
(WP/AP) .............................................................................. 38
UK Man Accused Of Killing US Soldier With Bomb In Iraq
(YAHOO/AP)....................................................................... 39
U.K. Trial Opens Over U.S. Soldier Bomb Death In Iraq (WSJ) . 39
Saudi Arabia Accuses 93 Of Terrorist Links, Including To ISIS
(NYT) .................................................................................. 39
Saudis Arrest 93 Jihadists, Say Attacks Foiled (AFP) ................ 40
Saudi Arabia Foils US Embassy Attack, Arrests 93 Suspects
(AP) ..................................................................................... 41
Bahrainis Jailed, Stripped Of Nationality, For Terrorism (AFP). 42
EU To Set Up New Counter-terrorism Centre (AFP) .................. 42
Eric Holders Defining Legacy On Terror (POLITICO) ................ 43
Other Cyber News
White House Unveils Cyber Pact With Japan (HILL).................. 44

A Cybersecurity Treaty? Not So Fast, Says State Cyber Czar
(HILL) .................................................................................. 45
Ex-Goldman Programmer Says Jury Behavior Calls For Mistrial
(BLOOM) ............................................................................ 45
OPS054000137
Nigeria Claims Rescue Of Nearly 300 Women, Girls From Boko

Haram Stronghold (AFP) .................................................... 97
Reports: Rescued Nigeria Girls Not Abducted From Chibok
(USAT/AP) .......................................................................... 98
More Than 200 Killed In Niger, Boko Haram Weekend Battle
(REU) .................................................................................. 99
Turmoil In Baltimore Provides Immediate Test For New Attorney
General (NYT) .................................................................... 99
Curfew Begins In Riot-torn Baltimore (USAT) ........................... 100
Loretta Lynchs Supporters Have Advice For Her On Baltimore
(POLITICO)....................................................................... 102
U.S. Lawmakers Seek To End Spies Mass Collection Of Phone
Data (REU) ....................................................................... 103
With Deadline Near, Lawmakers Set To Introduce Bill To End
NSA Program (WP) .......................................................... 103
In Baltimore, A Toxic Stew Of Violence And Broken Police

Relations (WP).................................................................... 72
Baltimore Riots Are Another Scar On A City Long Battered By
Neglect (NYT) ..................................................................... 72
The Blue-City Model (WSJ) ......................................................... 74
The Lawbreakers Of Baltimoreand Ferguson (WSJ) .............. 74
Obama Calls For Social Policy Changes In Wake Of Baltimore
Riots (WP) .......................................................................... 74
Donald Trump Slams African American President On Baltimore
Riots (USAT)....................................................................... 76
Donald Trump Blames President Barack Obama For Baltimore
RiotsRead His Latest Twitter Rant (EENTER) ............... 76
E.U. Envisions Role For Iran In Peace Talks (NYT) ................... 76
An Eroding Syrian Army Points To Strain (NYT) ........................ 77
Syria Accuses Turkey Of Direct Aggression Alongside Militants
(REU) .................................................................................. 78
Iraq Faces Huge Challenges Dislodging Islamic State In Anbar
(AP) ..................................................................................... 79
Biden Implores Ukraine To Do More To Fight Corruption (AP) .. 80
Oligarchs Out, Regional Governments In? Ukraine Eyes Power
Reshuffle (CSM) ................................................................. 80
Baltic Neighbors Gird Against Russia (WSJ) .............................. 81
U.S. Dispatches Destroyer After Iran Boards Commercial Ship
(WP) .................................................................................... 81
U.S. Sends Destroyer After Iran Detains Ship (NYT) ................. 82
Ship Seizures In Strait Of Hormuz Are Rare Despite Tensions
(USAT) ................................................................................ 83
U.S. Sends Ship, Planes As Iranians Seize Commercial Ship
(WSJ) .................................................................................. 83
U.S. Sends Destroyer To Monitor Irans Seizure Of Cargo Ship
(MCT) .................................................................................. 84
Marshall Islands Needs U.S. Help In Iran Standoff (BLV) .......... 84
Iran Seizes Cargo Ship After Firing Warning Shots (AP) ........... 85
Pentagon: Iran Has Seized Cargo Ship (POLITICO).................. 86
Iran Fires At, Boards Marshall Islands Cargo Ship; U.S.
Sending Defense (WT) ....................................................... 87
The Pirates Of Tehran (WSJ) ...................................................... 87
US Senate Debates Bill On Approval Of Iran Deal (AP)............. 87
Senate Debate On Iran Bill Provides Chance For Younger 2016
Contenders (WP) ................................................................ 88
Senate Leader Expects Strong Debate Over Iran Bill
Amendments (REU) ........................................................... 89
Senate Moves Forward With Iran Bill (USAT) ............................. 89
Amendment To Iran Legislation Fails (POLITICO) ..................... 90
Iran Bill Sponsors Face Down Amendments (CQRC) ................ 90
Defensive Obama Denies Trying To Subvert Chinas New Bank
After Diplomatic Humiliation (WT) ...................................... 91
Wang Jianlin, A Billionaire At The Intersection Of Business And
Power In China (NYT) ........................................................ 92
Saudi-led Planes Bomb Sanaa Airport To Stop Iranian Plane
Landing (YAHOO) .............................................................. 96
Saudis Hit A Yemeni Airport, Possibly Closing Aid Route (NYT) 96
Houthis, Tribesmen Battle In Central Yemen, 15 Killed (REU) .. 96
Nigerian Army Says It Has Rescued 200 Girls (AP) ................... 97
National News
Obama, Abe Declare Progress, But No Breakthrough, On Trade

(AP) ................................................................................... 105
Obama, Abe Pledge To Complete Pacific Rim Trade Pact
(VOA) ................................................................................ 105
U.S. And Japan Improve Security Ties. On Trade? Not So
Much. (FORPOL).............................................................. 107
Obama, Abe Express Confidence On Trade (HILL) ................. 107
Obama Welcomes Japanese Prime Minister To White House
(WT) .................................................................................. 108
Obama, Abe Push For Completion Of Free-trade Deal Among
Pacific Rim Nations (WT) ................................................. 108
Barack Obamas New Trade Lobbyist (NATJO) ....................... 109
Abes Quest To Revive Japan (WP).......................................... 110
Obama Presses Case For Asia Trade Deal, Warns Failure
Would Benefit China (WSJ).............................................. 111
Obama Says Asia Trade Deal With Abe Is No Threat To China
(BLOOMPOL) ................................................................... 111
Obama, Abe Pledge New Era In US-Japan Relations, Tout
Progress On Trade (WSJ) ................................................ 112
Once Concerned, China Is Quiet About Trans-Pacific Trade
Deal (NYT) ........................................................................ 112
Obama Accuses China Of Flexing Muscle In Disputes With
Neighbors (REU) .............................................................. 113
US, Japan Say Alliance Cornerstone Of Asia Security
(STRAITS) ........................................................................ 113
Obama: Japan PM Visit A Chance To Say Thanks For Emojis
(MCT) ................................................................................ 114
Abe Repeats Comfort Women Remorse; He And Obama Vow
To Bolster Alliance Globally, Declare TPP Progress
(JAPAN) ............................................................................ 114
No Deal, But Progress On Trans-Pacific Trade, Obama And
Shinzo Abe Say After Meeting (NYT) .............................. 116
Japanese Leader Sidesteps Apology For WWII Comfort
Women (POLITICO) ........................................................ 117
World War II comfort Woman Demands Apology From Japans
Shinzo Abe (WT) .............................................................. 118
Hundreds Protest Japanese Leader Ahead Of California Visit
(YAHOO/AP)..................................................................... 120
OPS054000138
Hundreds Invited, But Then Turned Away, From White House

Event (MCT) ..................................................................... 120
First Lady Promotes Japanese friendship At Immersion School
Visit (WP) .......................................................................... 120
The Flowing Diplomacy Of The First Ladys Dress At The Japan
State Dinner (WP) ............................................................ 121
Authorities Investigate Possible Crude Rocket Attack At U.S.
Army Base In Japan (WT) ................................................ 122
Labor Leader Urges Presidential Candidates To Oppose Trade
Deals (REU)...................................................................... 122
AFL-CIO Head Blasts Trade Pact (WSJ) .................................. 122
Hillarys Trade Wimp-Out (WSJ) ............................................... 122
Bob Corker Blocks Budget Deal Over Gimmick (POLITICO) . 122
Sen. Corker Holding Up GOP Budget Agreement (HILL)......... 123
Bob Corker Stalling GOP Budget Deal (WT) ............................ 124
Corker Stops Progress Of Budget Deal, Even As Pressure For
More Spending Builds (NYT) ........................................... 125
Bill Called breakthrough In Punishing Retaliators Against VA
Whistleblowers (WP) ........................................................ 126
Floridas House Adjourns Early In Quarrel With Senate Over
Medicaid (NYT)................................................................. 127
Gay Marriage Arguments Divide Supreme Court Justices (NYT)128
Supreme Court Appears Split In Hearing On Historic Gaymarriage Cases (WP) ....................................................... 130
U.S. Top Court Divided On Gay Marriage, Kennedy Appears
Pivotal (REU) .................................................................... 132
On Divided Court, Kennedy Does Not Tip His Hand On Gay
Marriage Case (LAT) ........................................................ 132
After Historic Arguments, Court To Rule On Same-sex Marriage
(AP) ................................................................................... 133
History In The Balance As Divided Supreme Court Weighs Gay
Marriage (MCT) ................................................................ 135
Roberts, Kennedy Question Gay Marriage As Supreme Court
Clash Starts (BLOOMPOL) .............................................. 136
Justices Rattle Both Sides On Same-sex Marriage (POLITICO)137
Justices Torn On Gay Marriage (HILL) ..................................... 138
Justices Appear Divided, Cautious On Gay Marriage (WSJ) ... 139

Millennia Of Marriage Being Between Man And Woman Weigh
On Justices (NYT) ............................................................ 139
Supreme Court Mulls How Marriage Equality Will Come About
(HUFFPOST) .................................................................... 140
Supreme Court Asks Why It Should Redefine Marriage To
Include Gays (WT)............................................................ 141
A Rout At The Supreme Court On Gay Marriage (WP) ............ 142
A Landmark Gay Marriage Case At The Supreme Court (NYT)143
Approve Same-sex Marriage: Our View (USAT) ...................... 143
Outside Supreme Court, Gay-marriage Supporters Jubilant And
Expectant (WP) ................................................................ 144
Outside The Supreme Court, love Conquers Hate (WP) ........ 145
Could Supreme Court Take Gay Marriage Off The Table In
2016? (YAHOO) ............................................................... 146
Republicans Try To Have It Both Ways On Gay Marriage
(POLITICO)....................................................................... 147
Obamas Solicitor General Admits Religious Colleges Could
Lose Tax-Exempt Status For Opposing Same-Sex
Marriage (CALLER) .......................................................... 149
Churches Brace For Same-Sex Marriage Ruling (WSJ) .......... 149
Obama Administration Names 2nd Group Of Promise Zones
(AP) ................................................................................... 149
SEC Is Set To Propose New Rules On Executive
Compensation (WSJ) ....................................................... 150
Green Groups Push Obama On Arctic Drilling (HILL) .............. 150
Judge Sets Deadline For Deadline To Release Hillary Clinton
Emails (POLITICO)........................................................... 150
GOP Has Few Options To Get Clinton Emails Short Of
Arresting Her (MCT) ......................................................... 151
Clinton Fundraisers Show Scope Of Family Network (AP) ...... 152
Hillary Clinton 2016: Keystone Foe Tom Steyer To Host
Fundraiser (POLITICO) .................................................... 152
Republicans Chart Divergent Paths To Take On Hillary Clinton
(WP) .................................................................................. 153
LEADING DHS NEWS
security operations at more than 450 airports throughout the

United States as well as the Federal Air Marshal Service.
He will replace John Pistole, who retired from the
agency last year and is now president of Anderson University
in Indiana.
The news drew immediate praise from Secretary of
Homeland Security Jeh Johnson. The U.S. Coast Guard is
part of the Department of Homeland Security.
Pete Neffenger is one of the brightest and most
capable flag officers in the U.S. military I have ever met,
Johnson said in a statement. I have no doubt that his skills,
intellect and energy that have up to now been devoted to
maritime security will be easily translatable to aviation
security.
President Obama Nominates New TSA Chief
By Lori Aratani
Washington Post, April 28, 2015
President Obama said Tuesday he will nominate Vice
Admiral Peter Neffenger, currently second in command of the
U.S. Coast Guard, as the new head of the Transportation
Security Administration.
The talent and expertise Vice Admiral Neffenger brings
to his new role after more than three decades at the U.S.
Coast Guard will be valuable to this Administrations efforts to
strengthen transportation security, Obama said in a
statement.
As head of TSA, Neffenger will be responsible for
leading a staff of more than 50,000 personnel responsible for
OPS054000139
Johnson noted that TSAs first administrator, James

Loy, had been Commandant of the Coast Guard prior to
joining TSA.
He urged the Senate to act quickly on Neffengers
nomination.
I know Senators agree this is a position that should not
remain vacant for long, Johnson said.
Prior to assuming duties as the 29th Vice Commandant
in May 2014, Neffenger served as deputy commandant for
operations, where he directed strategy, policy, resources and
doctrine for the employment of Coast Guard forces globally.
His other assignments included director of Coast Guard
strategic management and doctrine, and commander of the
Ninth Coast Guard District in charge of Coast Guard
operations throughout the Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence
Seaway region. Neffenger also served as commander of
Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles/Long Beach where he was
the captain of the port and federal maritime security
coordinator.
replacing Pistole, saying that this is a really critical, important

position for our country when it comes to homeland security
and everything else.
Neffenger has one advantage: Lawmakers from both
sides of the aisle are generally fond of Coast Guard leaders,
and the TSAs first administrator James Loy had been
commandant of the Coast Guard before taking that post.
Thune said Neffengers lengthy military service offers a
strong indication of essential leadership skills and an
understanding of the threats our nation faces.
Still, Neffenger would be wise to commit to keeping
Congress in the loop about policy changes, as demonstrated
by the bipartisan backlash the TSA fielded after announcing
in 2013 that it would allow air travelers to carry small pocket
knives and sports equipment like hockey sticks. (It eventually
reversed that decision.)
More recently, legislators have come down hard on the
TSA amid reports of checkpoint screeners plotting to grope
male passengers at Denver International Airport, concerns
about the agencys efforts to use behavior detection to pick
out travelers for more intensive screening, and the case of
Delta Air Lines employees accused of smuggling firearms on
flights from Atlanta to New York. Legislators have also raised
qualms about the agencys policy of allowing some travelers
to use expedited PreCheck screening even if they have not
undergone background checks or paid to be in the program,
as well as an audit last month that said TSA screeners had
allowed a notorious felon to undergo the relaxed screening
process.
Despite TSAs numerous controversies, lawmakers
have warmed to the agencys leadership in recent years
praising its decision to transition to risk-based security
initiatives, the creation of PreCheck and a trend toward a
smaller workforce and shrinking budget
Before becoming Coast Guard vice commandant a year
ago, Neffenger was deputy commandant for operations and
served as the deputy national incident commander for the
Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010. A lifelong Coastie,
Neffenger was commissioned in 1982 through the Coast
Guard Officer Candidate School.
He got a warm welcome Tuesday from the Airports
Council International-North America, which said Neffengers
background in crisis management and port security will be
valuable in continuing TSAs leadership in aviation security.
If confirmed, Neffenger will take over for Deputy
Administrator Melvin Carraway, who has served as TSAs
acting administrator since January.
Coast Guard will be valuable to this Administrations efforts to
statement Tuesday. He has been a recognized leader in the
Barack Obamas TSA Nominee Could Face

Bumpy Landing
Politico, April 29, 2015

President Barack Obamas nominee to head the TSA is
a Coast Guard leader whos already popular with Congress
but even he could find Senate confirmation to be a tricky
feat.
Because lawmakers are some of the nations most
frequent fliers, Coast Guard Vice Commandant Peter
Neffenger will have to endure questioning from members who
have ample grounds for criticizing an agency that has also
drawn fire for flaps involving pocket knives, body-scanning
machines and a recent groping scandal in Denver.
And lawmakers have had no qualms about exercising
that role: Former TSA Administrator John Pistole, who retired
in December, had been Obamas third pick for the post,
following two other nominees who ran into flak on the Hill.
Pistoles own confirmation was marked by hassling from
senators about union issues.
The difficulty of finding a candidate who can get through
the Republican-controlled Senate is one explanation for how
long it has taken Obama to announce his pick for the job a
delay that Senate Commerce Chairman John Thune (R-S.D.)
alluded to while welcoming the nomination Tuesday. Both
Commerce and the Senate Homeland Security panel are
charged with vetting TSA administrators.
After months of bipartisan concern about the vacancy
at TSA, the nomination of Admiral Neffenger to lead efforts
securing our nations key transportation systems will receive
prompt consideration, Thune said in a statement. As far back
as January, Thune joined other Republican and Democratic
leaders on Commerce in complaining about the lag in
5
OPS054000140
face of our nations important challenges, and I am grateful

for his service.
Pistole, who now serves as president of Anderson

University, drew consternation from airlines and lawmakers
when he announced plans to allow passengers to carry small
knives, bats and other previously prohibited items with them
onto flights. Pistole eventually had to withdraw that proposal.
Copyright 2015 Associated Press. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or
redistributed.
Obama Nominates No. 2 At Coast Guard To

Run TSA
By Josh Lederman, Associated Press

Associated Press, April 29, 2015
WASHINGTON (AP) President Barack Obama
nominated the U.S. Coast Guards second-in-command on
Tuesday to run the Transportation Security Administration,
tasking Vice Adm. Peter Neffenger with keeping passengers
safe amid increasingly complex threats from the Middle East
and beyond.
Neffenger, who has served as the Coast Guards vice
commandant since 2014, has served in the Coast Guard
since 1981 and once oversaw port security in Los Angeles
and elsewhere in California. He also was the deputy incident
commander for the oil spill that resulted from the 2010
Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion.
If confirmed by the Senate, hell replace former TSA
chief John Pistole, who announced his retirement last year
after 4 turbulent years leading the agency best known for
its role screening passengers at U.S. airports. With a
workforce of more than 60,000 employees, the TSA runs
security operations at more than 450 airports.
Obama described Neffenger as a recognized leader
who had taken on the nations critical challenges in the past.
The talent and expertise Vice Adm. Neffenger brings to his
new role after more than three decades at the U.S. Coast
Guard will be valuable to this administrations efforts to
strengthen transportation security, the president said in a
statement.
Neffengers nomination comes as the agency struggles
to address evolving threats that have become even harder to
detect since the TSA was created in the wake of the Sept. 11,
2001 terrorist attacks. Under Pistole, the TSA began looking
at how to beef up security without infringing on commerce,
trade and tourism.
U.S. intelligence officials have warned that extremists
from the Khorasan Group, al al-Qaida-linked group in Syria,
have schemed with bomb-makers from al-Qaidas Yemen
affiliate to find new ways to get explosives onto planes
without detection. Last year the TSA asked for additional
screening measures at certain overseas airports, such as
requiring passengers to turn on laptops, tablets and other
electronic devices.
Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., who sits on the Senates
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, welcomed the
nomination and said the TSA needs strong leadership and a
coherent strategy to ensure the best security for the U.S.
Filling this vacancy is a critical and long overdue step
in that process, Ayotte said.
Coast Guards Neffenger To Be Nominated To

Lead TSA
Obama to back the Guards second-ranking officer

to run the Transportation Security Administration
By Andrew Grossman
Wall Street Journal, April 29, 2015
Full-text stories from the Wall Street Journal are
available to Journal subscribers by clicking the link.
Obama Nominates Coast Guard Vice Admiral

To Head TSA
Reuters, April 28, 2015

Full-text stories from Reuters currently cannot be
included in this document. You may, however, click the link
above to access the story.
Obama Nominates New TSA Chief
By David Jackson And Bart Jansen

USA Today, April 28, 2015
President Obama said Tuesday he will nominate Coast
Guard Vice Adm. Peter Neffenger to head up the
Transportation Security Administration.
Neffengers three decades of experience with the Coast
Guard will be valuable to this administrations efforts to
statement.
He has been a recognized leader in the face of our
nations important challenges, the president said, and I am
grateful for his service.
Neffenger must be confirmed by the Senate. He was
praised after lawmakers of both parties had criticized Obama
for the lack of nominee since the previous administrator, John
Pistole, announced his departure in October and retired from
public service Dec. 31.
Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., who heads the transportation
committee, said the nomination will receive prompt
consideration by his panel.
Adm. Neffengers lengthy military service offers a
strong indication of essential leadership skills and an
understanding of the threats our nation faces, Thune said.
Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, who heads the House
Homeland Security Committee, said Neffenger would provide
effective and consistent leadership.
6
OPS054000141
I am confident that his extensive experience in

homeland security, as well as the vice commandant of the
Coast Guard, will serve the TSA workforce and the American
traveling public well, McCaul said.
The top Democrat on the panel, Rep. Bennie
Thompson of Mississippi, said Neffenger would bring ample
leadership to the agency. TSA was often a target for
congressional criticism in its early years, after airport and
other transportation security was federalized in the wake of
the terrorist attacks Sept. 11, 2001.
We need strong leadership in place to build upon the
progress that has been made in addressing issues in aviation
security, Thompson said.
Pistole, a 26-year veteran of the FBI, was widely
credited with improving TSAs reputation during his four years
in office. He bolstered training for checkpoint officers and
initiated risk-based security to focus the greatest scrutiny on
the least-known travelers such as the Pre-check program for
expedited screening.
Acting Administrator Melvin Carraway has headed the
agency since Pistoles departure.
During his Coast Guard career, Neffenger coordinated
security at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, Calif.
He helped supervise the cleanup of the BP oil spill in the Gulf
of Mexico in 2010.
Thune praised Neffengers lengthy military service,

saying it offers a strong indication of essential leadership
skills and an understanding of the threats our nation faces.
The vacancy that Neffenger is being nominated to fill
was created when Pistole announced in October 2014 that he
was resigning after nearly five years at the helm of the
agency.
The TSA has been led in the interim by acting
Administrator Melvin Carraway.
Pistole, who was appointed TSA administrator by
Obama in 2010, led the agency through a high-profile
transition to a risk-based airport security system that has
been touted as a sea change in the federal governments
approach. The new system allows TSA employees to focus
on searching for explosive devices by easing the screenings
of passengers who volunteer for background checks.
Homeland Secretary Jeh Johnson told lawmakers in the
Senate on Thursday before Neffengers nomination was
announced that he was an excellent choice that will be very
focused on aviation airport security.
Democrats in Congress also praised the choice of
Neffenger to lead the TSA.
I want to congratulate Vice Admiral Neffenger on his
nomination to become the next administrator of the
Transportation Security Administration, said Rep. Bennie
Thompson (D-Miss.), who has been critical of the TSA in the
past.
With his decades of public service, I am hopeful he can
bring ample leadership and experience to the agency,
Thompson continued. We need strong leadership in place to
build upon the progress that has been made in addressing
issues in aviation security. I look forward to working with Vice
Admiral Neffenger and urge a swift confirmation process in
the Senate.
Coast Guard Admiral Tapped To Run TSA
By Jordan Fabian And Keith Laing

The Hill, April 29, 2015
President Obama will nominate the No. 2 official at the
Coast Guard, Vice Adm. Peter Neffenger, to lead the
Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
The White House announced Tuesday that Neffenger
will replace longtime TSA chief John Pistole, who left his post
at the end of 2014. The agency tasked with security at the
nations airports has been run by an acting administrator for
the past four months.
Members of Congress have criticized the president for
not appointing a permanent leader more quickly. Neffenger
has served as vice commandant of the Coast Guard since
2014. A 34-year Coast Guard veteran, he also directed port
security in Los Angeles and was deputy national incident
commander during the Deepwater Horizon Oil spill.
Coast Guard will be valuable to this administrations efforts to
statement.
Neffenger must be confirmed by the Senate.
Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune (R-S.D.) said
his nomination would receive prompt consideration.
Coast Guards No. 2 Is Nominated To Lead

T.S.A.

President Obama on Tuesday nominated the Coast
Guards second-in-command to head the Transportation
Security Administration, which runs security operations at
more than 450 airports. The nominee, Vice Adm. Peter V.
Neffenger, has served in the Coast Guard since 1981 and
once oversaw port security in Los Angeles and elsewhere in
California. He also was the deputy incident commander for
the oil spill that resulted from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil
rig explosion. If confirmed by the Senate, he will replace John
S. Pistole, who announced his retirement last year after four
and a half tumultuous years.
redistributed.
7
OPS054000142
Obama Names Coast Guard Official To Head

TSA
senator said suggests the background checks the

administration is doing arent very effective.
All applicants are supposed to be checked through law
enforcement systems to ensure they dont have serious
criminal records or gang ties. Mr. Rangel did have such ties,
but they were either missed or glossed over.
Mr. Johnson signaled the problem in Mr. Rangels case
happened in the background check unit, but didnt elaborate.
North Carolina authorities have charged him with the
murder of Mirjana Puhar, a contestant in a previous season of
the Top Model program, along with three others.
By Dave Boyer
Washington Times, April 29, 2015
President Obama said Tuesday he would nominate
Coast Guard Vice Adm. Peter Neffenger to lead the
Transportation Security Administration, the agency in charge
of travel security.
Adm. Neffenger has served 30 years with the Coast
Guard, including stints at the ports of Los Angeles and Long
Beach, California. He also had a top role in responding to the
Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
He has been a recognized leader in the face of our
nations important challenges, Mr. Obama said.
If confirmed by the Senate, Adm. Neffenger would
replace John Pistole, who retired from the TSA in December
to become president of Anderson University in Indiana.
DHS Searching For all-star To Head Cyber

Hub
By Cory Bennett
Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson told
senators Tuesday he will hire a recognized all-star to head
his departments cybersecurity hub, as Congress considers
whether to put the agency in charge of the public-private
exchange of cyber threat data.
Capitol Hill and the White House have made a major
push this year to pass legislation that would encourage
companies to share cyber threat data with the Department of
Homeland Security (DHS).
Under two House-passed bills and the Senates
companion offering, the departments cyber center known
as the National Cybersecurity and Communications
Integration Center (NCCIC) would become the
governments main intake facility for private sector
cybersecurity information.
But the center currently has no permanent head. The
previous director, Larry Zelvin, retired last August after three
decades in government spent helping businesses thwart
malicious hackers.
Testifying during a Senate Judiciary Committee DHS
oversight hearing, Johnson emphasized the need to rectify
the situation. The position is still being advertised on
government job boards.
My goal is to make the NCCIC a 24-7 cybersecurity
operations center that brings together government and
business, Johnson told lawmakers.
Johnson said last week he believes the agency will
make the hire soon.
Our NCCIC is intended to be the primary interface of
the federal government with the private sector, he told Sen.
Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) Tuesday in response to a
question on cyber roles within the administration.
Whitehouse praised the NCCIC as a well-regarded
facility.
Johnson also reiterated he is largely supportive of the
cyber threat-sharing bills under consideration on Capitol Hill.
DHSs Johnson: Amnesty For Top Model

Murder Suspect A tragic Mistake
By Stephen Dinan
Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said his
department made a tragic mistake when it approved a
deportation amnesty for a man who has since been accused
of murdering four people, including a former contestant on
Americas Next Top Model.
Mr. Johnson said he still hasnt gotten all the facts
about the case, but said he believed his employees in the
background check unit failed to spot or raise the right
questions about the man, Emmanuel Jesus Rangel, who
stands accused of the murders.
Mr. Rangel was facing deportation in 2013 but had
applied for the amnesty. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration
Services, the agency charged with approved amnesty
applications, known as Deferred Action for Childhood
Arrivals or DACA, approved him, giving him a two-year
permission to be in the country, despite having gang ties that
the agency now says should have made him ineligible.
This case is a tragic case and he should not have
received DACA, Mr. Johnson told the Senate Judiciary
Committee.
Committee Chairman Charles E. Grassley, Iowa
Republican, said the case exposed major holes in the DACA
program, which is open to so-called Dreamers, or young adult
illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. as children, and who
are deemed the most sympathetic figures in the immigration
debate.
Mr. Grassley said 282 people who have been approved
for DACA have since been kicked out of the program
because of gang ties or criminal convictions, which the
8
OPS054000143
The administration has previously expressed

hesitations about privacy provisions in the bills, but seems to
be coming around as lawmakers continue to tweak the
language. Civil liberties advocates maintain the bills will
shuttle more personal data to the National Security Agency.
Frankly some legislation is better than no legislation,
he said. I think that information-sharing between the private
sector and the government is crucial.
Although the House passed its two threat-sharing bills
last week, the Senates timeline to vote on its own offering is
unclear.
Together, the measures would shield companies from
legal liability when sharing cybersecurity information with the
DHS.
Wilders, parliamentary leader in the Dutch House of

Representatives for the Party of Freedom, is a divisive figure
in the Netherlands. Hes worked to ban the Quran in his
country and was formally charged with inciting hatred; he was
later acquitted. He has also compared the Quran to Mein
Kampf, Adolf Hilters manifesto.
Spokesperson for King and Gohmert did not return a
request for comment on the invitations.
Democrats Want To Ban

Lawmaker From The U.S.
Islamophobic
Foreign Policy, April 28, 2015

In a letter obtained by Foreign Policy, two Democratic
members of Congress are urging President Barack Obamas
administration to ban a Dutch lawmaker from entry into the
United States due to his controversial views on Islam.
The Dutch lawmaker, Geert Wilders, is scheduled to
speak at a reception on Capitol Hill this month at the invitation
of Tea Party firebrand Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas). In
recent years, Wilders has become internationally famous for
his bombastic broadsides against Islam, which include calls
to ban the Quran in the Netherlands and to arrange for the
removal of Moroccan immigrants from his country. In 2010
and 2011, Wilders was formally charged in the Netherlands
with inciting hatred and discrimination and is currently facing
charges for hate speech.
We respectfully request that the U.S. government deny
Mr. Wilders entry due to his participation in inciting antiMuslim aggression and violence, wrote Reps. Keith Ellison
(D-Minn.) and Andr Carson (D-Ind.) in the April 23 letter.
Mr. Wilders policy agenda is centered on the principle that
Christian culture is superior to other cultures.
The letter, addressed to Secretary of State John Kerry
and Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, calls on the
officials to deny Wilders entry under the authority of the
International Religious Freedom Act, which empowers the
State Department to ban the entry of a foreign leader
responsible for severe violations of religious freedom.
The somewhat obscure 1998 law has only been used to
deny the entry of a foreign official once, when Narendra Modi,
the current prime minister of India and former chief minister of
Gujarat, was accused of failing to protect Muslims during
communal rioting in 2002.
Wilders has called Islam the ideology of a retarded
culture, and his writings were favorably cited by Anders
Breivik, the Norwegian white supremacist responsible for
murdering 77 people in the Oslo area in 2012. He was most
recently in the news for recording a two-minute video titled
No Way, in which he tells migrants not to come to the
Netherlands.
While foreign-policy hands on Capitol Hill widely view
Wilders as an obscene bloviator, some aides questioned
John Boehner Asked To Denounce Invites To

Geert Wilders, Dutch Far-right Legislator
By Lauren French
Three Democratic lawmakers are calling on Speaker
John Boehner to denounce invitations to a far-right Dutch
legislator who is set to address some Republican members of
Congress this week.
Reps. Keith Ellison, Andr Carson and Joe Crowley
wrote a letter Tuesday asking the the Ohio Republican to
criticize invitations from two members of the Republican
conference to Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders a
controversial figure in Europe who has called Islam the
ideology of a retarded culture.
Story Continued Below
Wilders is invited to speak at a reception hosted by
Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) and a second breakfast
meeting hosted by Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) on Wednesday,
Wilders announced on his website.
Hatred left unchecked begets further discrimination,
and history has shown that when communities fail to fight
back against hate, it only grows in severity and scope, the
Democrats wrote. What begins as hatred against one group
can rapidly morph into targeting of any number of minority
groups, which is why I hope you will join me in urging
Speaker Boehner to speak up, speak out and speak against
the actions by his fellow Republicans.
Ellison and Carson are both Muslim.
Wilders indicated on his website he planned to discuss
his views on Islam during the two events.
I feel deeply honored by the invitations. In my
speeches I will warn my American colleagues of the dangers
of Islamization, he wrote.
Separately Tuesday, Ellison and Carson asked
Secretary of State John Kerry and Homeland Security
Secretary Jeh Johnson to ban Wilders from entering the
United States.
9
OPS054000144
whether banning him from entering the country violates basic

principles of free speech.
Its a pretty heavy-handed use of that law, said a
Democratic congressional aide who oversees foreign
relations issues. And if youre going to start banning people
for saying offensive things against Islam, youre going to have
to deport half the Republican caucus.
The letter anticipates such criticisms and attempts to
justify banning Wilders on account of his alleged incitement to
violence.
In the U.S., freedom of speech is a bedrock principle
that distinguishes free societies from ones living under
oppressive regimes, wrote Ellison and Carson. Freedom of
speech, however, is not absolute. It is limited by the legal and
moral understanding that speech that causes the incitement
of violence or prejudicial action against protected groups is
wrong.
Gohmerts office did not respond to requests for
comment.
This is a case nobody wants to see go to trial, Solis

said. Bergdahl just wants to go home. And for the Army, this
case is just an embarrassment.
Bergdahl, 29, was released last spring under a
contentious prisoner exchange that freed five Taliban
detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. He is awaiting an
Article 32 preliminary hearing scheduled for July 8 at Joint
Base San Antonio-Ft. Sam Houston in Texas.
Bergdahls case is a rare example of a soldier
abandoning a unit while deployed in Afghanistan or Iraq.
Army figures compiled at the request of the Los Angeles
Times show that of 6,077 cases of alleged desertion or being
absent without leave since 2001, just 41 took place in
Afghanistan and 150 in Iraq. Most of the other cases involved
soldiers who left their units while stationed in the U.S.
There were convictions or guilty pleas in 33 of the 41
cases in Afghanistan and 133 of the 150 Iraq cases.
Cases stemming from offenses at bases elsewhere
also have a high rate of conviction or guilty pleas 5,110 of
5,886 cases.
Of those cases, just nine involved a charge of
misbehavior before the enemy, a rarely invoked offense.
The Army lodged that charge against Bergdahl, who is
accused by some members of his former unit of exposing
soldiers to enemy attacks while they searched fruitlessly for
him.
The misbehavior charge covers nine broad categories
of misconduct. It applies to a soldier who runs away;
shamefully abandons [or] surrenders a post; exhibits
cowardly conduct; casts away his arms or ammunition or
commits other offenses. Bergdahl is accused of leaving his
weapon behind when he walked away from his base.
The misbehavior charge carries a maximum penalty of
life in prison.
Bergdahl is also accused of desertion with intent to
shirk important or hazardous duty. That charge carries a
maximum penalty of five years in prison.
Desertion normally refers to service members who
leave their units without permission for more than 30 days.
Service members who abandon their units for less than 30
days are typically charged with being AWOL.
Desertion rates in todays war are probably the lowest
of any war in U.S. history, said Fred L. Borch III, regimental
historian and archivist at the JAG Legal Center and School in
Charlottesville, Va.
In World War II, about 50,000 service members
deserted from a fighting force of 13 million. Desertion and
AWOL were rampant during the Vietnam War, when the
conflict was unpopular and draftees resented the military.
Some cases were dealt with through plea bargains or
administrative separations, Borch said. But thousands of
service members faced court-martial and were imprisoned.
Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, A Case Nobody

Wants To See Go To Trial
By David Zucchino
Los Angeles Times, April 28, 2015
Every year since Americas current overseas wars
began 14 years ago, hundreds of Army soldiers have
abandoned their units almost 6,000 since 2001. More than
5,000 have been convicted of desertion or being absent
without leave, and most were thrown out of the Army.
Yet few of those soldiers end up with the type of
sentence confronting Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who could
receive from five years up to life in prison if convicted of
desertion and misbehavior charges.
The Army has routinely allowed soldiers to plead guilty
to lesser charges in administrative actions that allow them to
avoid prison time in return for their dismissal on other than
honorable discharges.
Few, if any, of those desertion cases attracted the
national attention focused on the dramatic tale of Bergdahl,
who walked away from his remote combat outpost in
Afghanistan in 2009 and was captured by insurgents who
held him prisoner for five years.
In many cases, soldiers originally charged with
desertion have pleaded guilty to lesser charges under plea
deals that military lawyers say allow the Army to quickly rid
itself of troublesome soldiers. A bad discharge strips soldiers
of benefits and makes it difficult to find a good job.
Desertions rarely go to trial. They usually end up with a
plea, said Gary Solis, a Georgetown University law professor
and a former military lawyer and judge.
Bergdahls case is likely to end with a plea deal as well,
according to military lawyers.
10
OPS054000145
In one notorious case, Pvt. Eddie Slovik was courtmartialed and executed in 1945 for deserting before the
Battle of the Bulge in 1944. That was the only documented
case of execution for desertion in modern U.S. history, Borch
said.
The Army said it could not provide statistics on the
penalties imposed in the 6,000 desertion cases since 2001,
but military lawyers said punishment is more severe for cases
in combat zones than on U.S. bases.
Penalties are also significant in cases in which a soldier
leaves a U.S.-based unit that has received orders to deploy
overseas a serious offense known as missing a troop
movement.
For most other desertion cases that occur away from
war zones, soldiers often plead guilty to lesser offenses
usually AWOL and are reduced in rank and thrown out of
the Army with an other than honorable discharge, known as
bad paper.
Even if a plea deal allows a soldier to avoid prison time,
the penalty is still significant. A bad discharge carries a
stigma that can hamper employment or advancement.
For Bergdahl, who says he was tortured and beaten,
his ordeal could mitigate any punishment and possibly the
charges against him, military lawyers said. His lawyers could
argue that his time as a prisoner is tantamount to time served
in military prison, even though Bergdahls own actions led to
his capture.
The judge might think, well, this guy did do five years
with the enemy, Solis said. He did bring it on himself, but it
was no cakewalk.
An other than honorable discharge could prove
problematic in Bergdahls case, said Greg T. Rinckey, a
lawyer who has represented service members who left their
units.
This is an individual who will probably need mental
healthcare the rest of his life, Rinckey said. Does the
government really want to take away mental healthcare for a
soldier who has been held captive and tortured?
IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS

ENFORCEMENT
US Attorney To Monitor Probe Of Detroit Mans
Fatal Shooting
By Corey Williams, Associated Press

DETROIT (AP) U.S. authorities will monitor a Detroit
police investigation into the fatal shooting of a man by a
federal agent who was part of a team seeking him on a
warrant, the U.S. attorney in Detroit said Tuesday.
11
An autopsy has determined that Terrance Kellom, 20,

died of multiple gunshot wounds following Mondays
confrontation with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement
agent in a home on Detroits west side. Detroit police Sgt.
Cassandra Lewis said investigators were told Kellom was
armed with a hammer, though Kelloms father has disputed
that.
Police work sometimes requires use of deadly force,
but officers may use only as much force as is reasonable
under the circumstances, U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade
said in a statement. In a situation like this, it is important to
protect the rights of both the deceased and the officer.
Therefore, we are closely monitoring the investigation.
Kelloms death comes amid a national debate over
police conduct, particularly toward black men, since black 18year-old Michael Brown was killed by a white policeman in
Ferguson, Missouri last August. Violence erupted in Baltimore
this week over a black man who died there in police custody.
Kellom was black, as is the ICE agent who shot him.
The agent is a seven-year veteran of ICE and spent 12
years with Detroit police. He has no history of adverse
personnel actions, ICE spokesman Khaalid Walls said in an
email. The agent is on administrative leave during the
investigation into the shooting, which is agency policy, Walls
said.
Detroit police would not comment Tuesday on Kelloms
slaying.
I dont understand why my son was executed, Kevin
Kellom, the father of Terrance Kellom, told about 200 people
gathered for a rally and protest march. My son wasnt hiding.
He wasnt running. I want nothing but justice. I want justice.
Im going to get justice.
Neighbor Bobbie Davis said she wants peaceful
protests and a proper investigation of the shooting.
Detroit is on a comeback. We dont need no setbacks,
Davis said, referring to Detroits emergence from bankruptcy.
Were not going to burn down our city. Were going to build
up our city.
Dawud Walid, head of the Council for American Islamic
Relations in Michigan, said protesters dont want another
Ferguson, another Baltimore taking place here in the city of
Detroit.
The marchers chanted, Black lives matter, No justice,
no peace and, Hands up dont shoot.
Police Chief James Craig assured his relatives and
people in the neighborhood that the investigation would be
thorough and transparent. The department is planning a
Wednesday community meeting at a nearby church, Lewis
said.
The Wayne County prosecutors office has been
notified of the shooting, but no paperwork seeking charges
was submitted by early Tuesday, said prosecutors
spokeswoman Maria Miller.
OPS054000146
ICE said Monday that Kellom was wanted on armed

robbery and weapons charges. He was listed as a probation
absconder on the state Corrections website. Kellom was
sentenced to probation in December 2013 after pleading
guilty to an October 2013 attempted carrying a concealed
weapon case.
The fugitive apprehension team was looking for Kellom
at his fathers home about 1 p.m. Monday.
The agent was part of the Detroit Fugitive
Apprehension Team, which also is made up of Detroit
officers. The ICE Office of Professional Responsibility also is
reviewing the case.
redistributed.
executing a warrant for Kellom when he was shot and killed

around 1:13 p.m. Monday in his home in the 9500 block of
Evergreen by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement
officer, who was part of the fugitive task force.
The incident Monday happened hours before Baltimore
rioters threw rocks and other items at police and burned
several buildings in response to the death of Freddie Gray,
who died while in police custody.
Ron Scott, director of the Coalition Against Police
Brutality, criticized the Detroit shooting.
In light of national incidents, we find this latest shooting
appalling, distressing, and despicable that another young
black man has to be killed in his house in front of his family
with multiple gunshots, Scott said.
In the Detroit incident, the suspect was black, as was
the federal agent who shot him.
The agent has worked for ICE for more than seven
years with no history of adverse personnel actions, ICE
spokesman Khaalid Walls said.
The News has learned the officer is a lifelong Detroiter
and was a decorated, 12-year veteran of the Detroit Police
Department.
ICE has not released the officers name but has placed
him on paid administrative leave.
The ICE agent was met by the suspect who I was told
presented a threat, and the officer used lethal force, Detroit
Police Chief James Craig said.
Craig said Tuesday the suspect brandished a hammer.
There was no evidence a gun was involved, he said. The
agent fired his weapon as he was retreating, Craig said.
The suspect was taken to a local hospital and
pronounced dead.
Detroit Police Commissioner Willie E. Burton said
Tuesday that he will notify other commission members about
convening a special meeting with Craig to discuss the role of
the Police Department on the Detroit Fugitive Apprehension
Team following the shooting.
The Detroit Police Commission was established by the
voters of Detroit, as clearly delineated in the Detroit City
Charter, to serve as a bridge of accountability between the
citizens of Detroit and their Police Department. We need to
know what the DPD policy on employment of deadly force is
and whether the DPD should participate on any task force
that may not place a premium on human life, said Burton.
Be clear: I support our police and I support the effort of
law enforcement to make our streets safe for all but we must
know what role DPD has with the Detroit Fugitive
Apprehension Team, who is in charge and what is the DPD
policy on employment of deadly force. We dont need a
Baltimore in Detroit.
Ryan Bridges, spokesman for the Wayne County
Medical Examiners Office, said the autopsy on Kellom has
Federal Prosecutor To Monitor Probe Of Fatal

Detroit Shooting

U.S. Attorney Closely Monitoring Agent

Shooting
By Terrance Kellom
Detroit News, April 29, 2015
Detroit The 20-year-old armed robbery suspect
fatally shot by a federal agent Monday was armed with a
hammer, the citys police chief confirmed with The Detroit
News on Tuesday.
U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade on Tuesday called the
shooting of Terrance Kellom a tragedy and said her office is
monitoring developments. Also, the Detroit Coalition Against
Police Brutality planned a press conference with the victims
family Tuesday over the incident, which raised tension in the
community over police conduct in light of recent fatal
shootings nationwide.
Yesterdays shooting was a tragedy, and we offer our
deep condolences to the family, McQuade said in a
statement. Police work sometimes requires use of deadly
force, but officers may use only as much force as is
reasonable under the circumstances. In a situation like this, it
is important to protect the rights of both the deceased and the
officer. Therefore, we are closely monitoring the
investigation.
Meanwhile, more details emerged about what led to the
shooting of Kellom, who was sought by a fugitive task force.
Kellom allegedly brandished a rifle and stole cash and
pizzas from a 39-year-old delivery man March 31 on the east
side of Detroit, according to the Wayne County Prosecutors
Office. The Detroit Fugitive Apprehension Team was
12
OPS054000147
been completed. His cause of death has been classified as

homicide as the result of multiple gunshot wounds.
Any time an ICE officer or special agent discharges
their firearm in the line of duty, the ICE Office of Professional
Responsibility reviews the matter, Walls said. Due to this
ongoing review, no further details will be released at this
time.
Craig said he was called to the scene after a crowd
gathered and became agitated.
Television cameras captured officers holding back
people as they tried to maneuver past yellow crime scene
tape.
They were very excited, Craig told The News.
According to the Michigan Department of Corrections,
Kellom absconded from probation in August for a carrying
concealed weapons conviction in 2013. According to his
MDOC file, Kellom was 5-foot-10 and 145 pounds.
His father, who was at the scene, was also wanted for
a nonviolent felony ... a fraud case, Craig said. We decided
not to arrest him because of the circumstances. We can
always pick him up later; we decided to let him properly
grieve for his son.
At some point, police said, Kellom emerged from the

attic and came at a federal agent with a hammer. The agent
a seven-year veteran with the U.S. Immigration Customs
and Enforcement (ICE) responded by firing multiple shots
and has been placed on administrative leave.
But Kevin Kellom tells a different story.
He said his son was never in hiding, and that police told
him they had a search warrant to enter the home. He said the
search warrant didnt materialize until three hours after his
son was shot and killed.
I dont understand why my son was killed, Kellom
said. My son did not deserve this.
According to an official close to the investigation,
Mondays fatal shooting started out as a domestic situation in
which a woman called police earlier in the day to report a
domestic dispute of some sort involving Terrance Kellom.
The woman told police where they could find Kellom,
who was wanted on a four-count warrant as a suspect in the
armed robbery of a pizza driver, the source said.
That call led a fugitive task force to a home on the citys
west side.
During the raid, police said, Kellom advanced toward
the ICE agent with a hammer and the agent fired as he was
backing up, the source said, noting five people were in the
house at the time it happened.
Court records show Kellom is no stranger to law
enforcement. His criminal history started when he was only a
young teen, court records show.
At age 14, Kellom was accused along with two others
with trying to rob a man waiting for a bus. An assault charge
was dismissed against Kellom, who pleaded no contest to a
city ordinance violation.
He was given probation, but it was revoked in 2009
after he was accused of home invasion. A second-degree
home invasion charge was dismissed, and he was found
responsible of entering without owners permission.
Records in Kelloms juvenile court file indicate he had a
learning disability and received special education services in
school.
As an adult, Kellom had racked up serious charges. In
2012, he was given probation for drug charges. At the time he
was shot, he was wanted on armed robbery and weapons
charges for a recent incident and had fled from probation he
was serving for a 2013 weapons offense.
The federal agent at the center of the controversy,
however, has not been interviewed yet by Detroit police
because he is off-limits for at least 48 hours under federal
policy, a source close to the investigation has said.
The agent a lifelong Detroiter has been placed on
administrative leave, ICE officials said Tuesday. The agency
did not name the agent, stating only that he has no history of
adverse personnel actions and that he was a decorated 12-
In The Wake Of Fugitives Killing, Many In

Detroit Want Answers
Detroit Free Press, April 28, 2015

The father of a Detroit man says his son was unarmed
when he was gunned down in his home in the middle of the
day.
Police say that the 20-year-old fugitive had a hammer in
his hand and charged the federal agent who fired the fatal
shots.
Investigators are trying to determine what happened
Monday when a joint task force executed an arrest warrant
for Terrance Kellom, a habitual offender who had fled while
on probation.
Adding to the confusion is the fact that the agent who
fired the fatal shot has been sequestered under federal
guidelines and cannot be questioned by Detroit police until
Friday.
The community, meanwhile, is demanding answers
from law enforcement, especially after hearing the fathers
side of the story.
My son died with clenched fists. He didnt have a
hammer. ... They assassinated my son, the victims father
said during a peace rally Tuesday on the citys west side.
According to police, a fugitive task force had gone to
the house at 1 p.m. Monday to execute the warrant. .
Police said when the task force arrived at the house,
Kellom was hiding in the attic. Authorities told the father that
they had an arrest warrant for his son, and that the father let
them inside, police said.
13
OPS054000148
year veteran of the Detroit Police Department before working

for the federal government.
The agent felt that he was in imminent danger because
the suspect was advancing on him in possession of this
hammer, Detroit Police Chief James Craig said. He
responded to overcome the suspects actions and used
deadly force.
U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade said her office is
monitoring the situation.
Yesterdays shooting was a tragedy and we offer our
deep condolences to the family, McQuade said in a
statement. Police work sometimes requires use of deadly
force, but officers may use only as much force as is
reasonable under the circumstances. In a situation like this, it
is important to protect the rights of both the deceased and the
officer. Therefore, we are closely monitoring the
investigation.
The Wayne County Medical Examiners Office said an
autopsy showed Kellom died of multiple gunshot wounds.
The shooting triggered an emotional response from
Detroiters as well as lawmakers on Capitol Hill, both of whom
cautioned that law enforcement everywhere is under
heightened scrutiny.
This most recent shooting in Detroit again raises
concerns about police-involved shootings in our
communities, U.S. Reps. John Conyers Jr. and Brenda
Lawrence said in a statement Tuesday. It is important to note
that this incident is under investigation by both Michigan and
federal authorities. Our offices will continue to monitor the
status of the investigations to ensure that justice is served for
the families involved and our community.
In Detroit, the shooting has triggered yet more public
animosity toward law enforcement.
Near the shooting scene on Tuesday afternoon, about a
dozen people stood near the street waving cardboard signs
that read Who do we call on the police and 10x =
Excessive force, the latter being in reference to the number
of shots neighbors are claiming were fired.
Pastor Maurice Hardwick of Detroit, standing on
Evergreen with the protesters, said the officials account of
the shooting is pretty fishy, and he doesnt understand why
a man with a hammer would be shot that many times. But he
said hes pleased with Craigs response and looks forward to
hearing more from him at todays community meeting.
Give me the facts, Hardwick said. We want the
statements that were taken.
Ron Scott, spokesman for the Detroit Coalition Against
Police Brutality, echoed those sentiments.
appalling, distressing and despicable that another young
with multiple gunshots, Scott said.
The coalition and other groups held a rally Tuesday at

at the corner of Evergreen and Chicago, near where Kellom
was shot and killed.
The protesters marched to Cody High School, where
they denounced police brutality and called on citizens of
Detroit to unite and demand accountability from police.
Kelloms family, meanwhile, is struggling to
comprehend what happened.
This family has been hit with loss after loss, said Nikki
Horton, Kelloms sister-in-law, who noted Kelloms
grandmother, grandfather, uncle and a cousin all died in the
past two years.
There is no way that he would have threatened an
officer, especially physically, Horton said. He was smarter
than that. He would never do that, especially in front of his
family.
She said Kellom was in the process of turning his life
around.
He had a baby and another one on the way, she said.
We all got saved recently, Horton said, referring to her
Christian beliefs. And we were encouraging (Kellom) to do
the same.
Father: US Agent Executed His Son In Detroit

Warrant Raid

DETROIT (AP) The father of a Detroit man shot and
killed by a federal agent is vowing to get justice for what he
calls an execution.
Kevin Kellom spoke to about 200 people Tuesday at a
rally near his home where Terrance Kellom was fatally
wounded Monday by an U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement officer serving on a fugitive task force.
Kevin Kellom says his son wasnt hiding and he
wasnt running when officers came to the home on Detroits
west side.
He says his son was executed before his eyes.
An autopsy shows that Terrance Kellom was shot
multiple times. The shooting is under investigation.
redistributed.
John Roth, Inspector General, Homeland

Security
Federal News Radio, April 29, 2015

The politics that surround illegal immigration are thorny,
but so are the logistics. The Homeland Security Departments
inspector general has chastised the department for sending
detainees home on nearly empty flights and failing to record
critical information about those detainees, like whether or not
they belong to gangs. IG John Roth says the department
14
OPS054000149
could have saved more than $40 million through better

planning. He joined Emily Kopp on the Federal Drive to offer
a solution.
addressing the status of the estimated 11 million

undocumented immigrants living in the United States.
Few of the products featured at the expo were
weapons. Instead, most vendors specialize in advanced
technology for surveillance, as well as biometrics and
communications. Surveillance products run the gamut from
small, remote-controlled planes made of foam and loaded
with a camera, to complex radar systems.
Safran, a technology company, offers a single system
that allows people to scan their passports, irises and all 10
fingerprints. Some of the products are already in use at the
international airport in Dubai, United Arab Emirates,
according to the companys senior manager for business
development, Keith Raderschadt.
Its probably the only way we can really secure the
border in a true sense, Raderschadt told HuffPost. Without
doing the biometrics check, you really have no idea who is
really crossing the border.
Some vendors displayed more traditional security
items. At least two stands, Glock and Heckler & Koch,
showed off guns. Another company, Talon, debuted a
weapon stabilizer that allows people shooting from
helicopters or boats to fire their guns with more precision.
A gun on display at the Hecker & Koch stand at the
2015 Border Expo. (Roque Planas/HuffPost)
Tony Musa, Glocks national sales manager, told
HuffPost his companys pistols arent standard issue for the
Border Patrol, though some agents solicit authorization to use
them on duty.
Theyre getting due for new guns at some point, Musa
said, referring to the Border Patrol. I want them to know that
Glocks here.
Some object to the close relationship between private
industry and border officials on display at the Border Expo.
Todd Miller, the author of Border Patrol Nation: Dispatches
from the Frontlines of Homeland Security, likened the
defense industrys ties with border authorities to President
Dwight Eisenhowers warning in a 1961 speech against the
growth of the military-industrial complex.
The Border Patrol are in collusion with private industry
in creating a force that, as Eisenhower warned, could
potentially get out of control, Miller told HuffPost. While a lot
of the rhetoric is going to be around criminal activity, the
people that are going to be most affected are migrants,
undocumented people crossing the border.
Few vendors discussed their products application for
apprehending undocumented immigrants, though much of the
equipment would likely be used to carry out border
authorities most controversial duty. Government officials who
attended the expo highlighted that both illegal immigration
and crime along the U.S. side of the southern border have
plummeted in recent years.
CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION

Military Contractors Hope To Turn Border Into
New Cash Cow
By Roque Planas
Huffington Post, April 29, 2015
PHOENIX A two-foot metal snake with a tiny but
powerful camera at the tip would allow Border Patrol to more
easily check backpacks and car trunks without sticking their
hands inside. The endoscopic camera produced by RF
Systems Lab was originally used to defuse improvised
explosive devices in Afghanistan and Iraq, and it costs
$10,000.
A footlong camera installed in a remote-controlled car
can wind its way through the sewer systems beneath
Nogales, Mexico, that stretch across the border into Arizona.
The product, manufactured by Applied Research Associates,
costs $35,000.
Companies that specialize in defense-related industries
gathered in Phoenix last week for the two-day Border Expo to
show off hardware like this to officials charged with policing
the border. Many of the gadgets on sale were originally
developed for military use. But as foreign wars in Afghanistan
and Iraq draw to a close, many contractors look to the
ballooning Homeland Security budget as a boon for the
future.
A small robot equipped with a camera is capable of
navigating the sewers beneath the U.S.-Mexico border.
(Roque Planas/HuffPost)
All this is U.S. military equipment, Robert Quinn, a
division manager at Applied Research Associates, told The
Huffington Post, referring to his companys array of cameramounted robots, miniature unmanned aircraft and perimeter
security sensors. So as the wars are winding down, were
trying to find more applications for this technology here in the
U.S.
The DHS budget of about $18 billion last year pales in
comparison to that of the Department of Defenses $560
billion. Even so, government spending on border security
remains a growth area for companies that produce equipment
with military applications. The DHS budget has more than
doubled since 2003. A bipartisan comprehensive immigration
reform bill that passed the U.S. Senate in 2013, but failed to
pass the House, contained some $40 billion in additional
border security spending over the next 10 years.
Republicans in Congress have since pressed for a
piecemeal approach toward immigration reform that would
require further investments in border security before
15
OPS054000150
The border today is transformed, former Customs and

Border Protection Commissioner David Aguilar said last week
at a Border Expo panel, adding, The entirety of the [U.S. side
of the] southern border is safer than the area where I live,
Washington, D.C.
asylum. At the same time, workers at migrant shelters have

said that many people are simply finding new routes north,
evading the authorities focus on traditional routes and
jeopardizing their lives by crossing treacherous terrain.
The Washington Office on Latin America, an advocacy
group in Washington, said in its own report this month
questioning the crackdown, The humanitarian consequences
could be severe.
Fewer Children Are Entering U.S. Illegally As

Mexico Cracks Down
By Randal C. Archibold
New York Times, April 29, 2015
MEXICO CITY A significant drop in the number of
children apprehended at the United States-Mexico border in
recent months sprang from Mexicos record number of
deportations of minors traveling without a guardian, according
to an analysis released Tuesday.
The analysis, by the Pew Research Center in
Washington, noted that the flow of children not authorized to
enter the United States had dropped precipitously, to 12,509,
from October to February. The vast majority of the children
were Central American.
That was down from 21,402 in the same period a year
ago, amid a wave of children fleeing violence in their home
countries and drawn by false promises of amnesty in the
United States. That surge eventually prompted President
Obama to declare an emergency.
Mexico, pushed by the United States and other
countries, stepped up law enforcement in its southern border
region in ways not seen in years, with raids on freight trains
that migrants sneak aboard to travel north and more frequent
immigration checks on hotels and vehicles. Officials returned
3,819 minors to their home countries in the period studied, a
56 percent increase over the previous year.
Children making their way from Honduras, where crime,
violence and the rumors of amnesty were strongest, slowed
to the point that Guatemala now accounts for the largest
share of children apprehended in Mexico, according to the
study.
The broad conclusion is that the increase in
deportations in Mexico is having an effect on the flow of
unaccompanied minors, said Ana Gonzalez-Barrera, the
Pew research associate who prepared the analysis using
data from the Mexican and American governments.
The period studied tends to be one of the slower ones
for migrants trying to reach the United States. But Ms.
Gonzalez-Barrera said that the significant drop in the same
period year to year indicated that the flow had slowed and
that the change had coincided with Mexicos crackdown.
Mexicos get-tough approach has led to complaints
from advocates for migrants. They say that the police have
been heavy-handed and have detained many migrants
unable or unwilling to pay bribes to pass through, and that the
government has made it difficult for people to apply for
Illegal Border Tunnel Found Leading From

Mexico

SAN DIEGO (AP) U.S. Border Patrol agents have
found a suspected drug tunnel with lighting and a rail-car
system that connected to a home across the border in
Tijuana, Mexico.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman
Lauren Mack said agents patrolling west of the San Ysidro
port of entry Tuesday morning found a sinkhole close to the
U.S. border fence that opened up into the tunnel.
Mack says the tunnel was about 220 yards in length,
had a cart inside and the walls shored up. But it was still
under construction.
Macks says no drugs were found, and no arrests have
been made.
Drug cartels have increasingly turned to tunnels to
smuggle their loads into the United States. More than 75
tunnels have been discovered along the border since 2008.
redistributed.
Two Tunnels, One Incomplete, Discovered On

The California-Mexico Border
U-T San Diego, April 28, 2015

Two underground tunnels dug beneath the CaliforniaMexico border have been discovered in a two-day period.
The first was found Monday near Calexico across from
Mexicali. The second was an incomplete passageway
discovered early Tuesday in the Tijuana River Valley across
from Tijuanas Avenida Internacional.
The Mexicali-Calexico tunnel measured 230 feet in
length, was about four feet high and four feet wide, and had
lighting and ventilation, according to a statement Tuesday
from the U.S. Border Patrol.
The passageway led from a residence in Mexicali and
was discovered on Monday by members of the patrols
Border Search Trauma and Rescue unit. The group had been
searching an area near the All-American Canal after agents
on Sunday had intercepted four men trying to cross the canal
with 25 vacuum-sealed packages containing 69 pounds of
methamphetamine worth $694,000. Scuba gear used by a
16
OPS054000151
suspected smuggler arrested on Saturday night near the AllAmerican Canal outside Calexico. U.S. Customs and
Border Protection
Three of the men fled back to Mexico. The fourth man,
described as a 27-year-old Honduran citizen, was caught the
canal with a wet suit and scuba gear.
On the Tijuana-San Diego border, an incomplete tunnel
was discovered Tuesday west of the San Ysidro Port of Entry
by U.S. Border Patrol agents working in the Tijuana River
Valley. An incomplete tunnel discovered early Tuesday by the
U.S. Border Patrol east of the San Ysidro Port of Entry had
lighting and a rail system. U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement
The tunnel had lighting, as well as a rail system with a
cart, said Lauren Mack, spokeswoman for U.S. Immigration
and Customs Enforcement in San Diego. The agents initially
thought it was a sinkhole, but on closer examination found it
was a collapsed section of the tunnel, she said. It was 220
yards long.
There was no U.S. exit, Mack said, but Mexican
authorities found the tunnels entrance at a residence in
Tijuana. The residence is apparently located near the U.S.
border fence in Colonia Castillo, where Tijuana media
reported the presence of the Mexican military on Tuesday
afternoon. No arrests were reported.
U.S. federal authorities have found more than 80 crossborder smuggling tunnels since 2006, most in California and
Arizona. The illicit passage ways are typically used to by
criminal groups to smuggle drugs across the border. Mexican
military on patrol in Tijuanas Colonia Castillo on Tuesday
afternoon, near a residence where they found the entrance to
a cross-border tunnel under construction.
in a home in Mexico and extended only a short distance into

the United States.
It had been outfitted with reinforced walls, electric
lighting and a cart-and-rail cargo-hauling system.
The tunnel, tall enough for a person to walk through,
had no drugs orother contraband in it. No arrests had been
made in the case as of lateafternoon, the spokeswoman said.
Both U.S. and Mexican authorities will further
investigate, according to Mack.
U.S. Border Patrol Agents Discover Smuggling

Tunnel Near San Ysi
KFMB-TV San Diego, April 29, 2015

SAN YSIDRO (CNS) Sagging earth led U.S. Border
Patrol agents to an incomplete, but sophisticated smuggling
tunnel stretching beneath the U.S.-Mexico border just west of
San Ysidro Port of Entry Tuesday.
The federal officers were patrolling near the border
fence this morning when they noticed a sinkhole that led to
the discovery, according to Immigration and Customs
Enforcement officials.
Investigating the pit in the ground, the personnel
realized that it was caused by an illicit excavation between
the northern edge of Tijuana and the south end of San Diego,
ICE spokeswoman Lauren Mack said.
The agents called in members of the San Diego Tunnel
Task Force, who determined that the underground
passageway was about 220 yards long, had a single opening
in a home in Mexico and extended only a short distance into
the United States.
It had been outfitted with reinforced walls, electric
lighting and a cart-and-rail cargo-hauling system.
The tunnel, tall enough for a person to walk through,
had no drugs or other contraband in it. No arrests had been
made in the case as of late afternoon, the spokeswoman
said.
Both U.S. and Mexican authorities will further
investigate, according to Mack.
Sophisticated Drug Tunnel Found Beneath

U.S.- Mexico Border
XETV-TV San Diego, April 29, 2015

SAN YSIDRO Sagging earth led U.S. Border Patrol
agents to an incomplete, but sophisticated smuggling tunnel
stretching beneath the U.S.-Mexico border just west of San
Ysidro Port of Entry Tuesday.
The federal officers were patrolling near the border
fence this morning when they noticed a sinkhole that led to
the discovery, according to Immigration and Customs
Enforcement officials.
Investigating the pit in the ground, the personnel
realized that it was caused by an illicit excavation between
the northern edge of Tijuana and the south end of San Diego,
ICE spokeswoman Lauren Mack said.
The agents called in members of the San Diego Tunnel
Task Force, who determined that the underground
passageway was about 220 yards long, had a single opening
TRANSPORTATION SECURITY
ADMINISTRATION
Schumer Wants To Toughen Screening Of
Airport Workers
By Keith Laing
Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Tuesday called for
airport employees to undergo the same screening procedures
as passengers.
The New York lawmaker cited an incident involving an
employee of Atlantas Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport
17
OPS054000152
who was arrested for smuggling guns into areas beyond the
facilitys security checkpoints last year to push for the
changes.
I was shocked and appalled weve talked about it on
the phone by the gun-smuggling ring that operated out of
Atlanta, Georgia, in which criminals routinely abused
loopholes in the TSA system to bring loaded weapons right
onto airplanes, Schumer told Homeland Secretary Jeh
Johnson, whos agency oversees the TSA. Wouldnt it make
sense that wherever its feasible in some airports, it may not
be, that whenever possible these employees go through a
screening the way the pilots do and the flight attendants do,
Schumer continued.
Johnson said he was also upset at the Atlanta gun
incident, but he said it is not feasible to screen all of a major
airports employees individually.
Senator, you said you appreciated my candor at these
hearings. So I have made a public fact of the record number
of firearms seized by TSA last year, Johnson said. So at
screening points in carry-on luggage, you can imagine my
reaction when I found out that somebodys bringing loaded
weapons into the overhead compartments of commercial
airplanes.
Johnson said he ordered TSA to work with the airline
industry and to work with airport security authorities to tighten
up our system.
Our Advisory Committee came back with some
recommendations, he said. I have endorsed them. They
include random continuous, unpredictable screening of airline
and airport security and airport employees at the sterile
checkpoints.
If an airline or airport employee is going to fly, they
have to go through the TSA checkpoint, Johnson continued.
Continuous back criminal history, background checks and
reducing the number of access points. There were a number
of recommendations made that I have embraced. Those are,
in my judgment, the big four.
Johnson said requiring all airport employees to be
screened in the same matter as passengers when they arrive
for work would impose a one-size-fits-all approach to every
airport in this country.
Atlanta is not Marthas Vineyard, he said. There are
63,000 employees at the Maynard Jackson Airport in Atlanta.
Thats a small city.
And so I think that appropriate balanced way to go is
random, unpredictable, continuous screening of employees
when they show up, he added. The way it works in Atlanta
is theres a guard house at the parking lot and you show an
ID, and then you drive on through.
By Mary Schlangenstein
Bloomberg News, April 28, 2015
Southwest Airlines Co. canceled 10 early morning
departures from Baltimores airport, citing concern that
employees and passenger safety would be at risk amid rioting
in the city.
Youve seen whats going on there, Chief Operating
Officer Mike Van de Ven said Tuesday in an interview. The
public transportation was shut down. We have people there in
the National Guard being called up.
While the balance of Tuesdays schedule is under
review, Southwest expects to make the rest of the days trips
as well as Wednesdays, said Emily Samuels, a
spokeswoman. Southwest is the biggest carrier at BaltimoreWashington International Airport, and had 224 daily
departures there as of Feb. 24.
The scrapped flights showed the scope of disruptions in
Marylands largest city from the unrest that followed the
funeral of a black man who died of injuries suffered while in
police custody. State officials imposed a state of emergency
as the violence spread, including a curfew stretching from 10
p.m. to 5 a.m., and public schools were closed.
Jonathan Dean, an airport spokesman, said he wasnt
aware of any other effects on airline service because of the
rioting. Passengers on the canceled Southwest departures
were shifted to other flights.
With the airport about 12 miles (19 kilometers) from the
downtown area that was the focus of rioting, Southwest
wanted to be sure early-shift workers could get to their jobs
because of the end time of the curfew. Southwests
cancellations all involved takeoffs set for 9 a.m. or earlier.
Not only our staffers, but the TSA or any other airport
workers, Van de Ven said, using the acronym for the U.S.
Transportation Security Administration. Were just going to
tactically operate through the day and make adjustments if
we need to.
The financial industry also felt the fallout from the
violence in Baltimore, with T. Rowe Price Group Inc. saying
its headquarters in the city would stay closed Tuesday
because of the riots and Legg Mason Inc. encouraging
employees to work from home.
FEDERAL EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT AGENCY
FEMA Chief On Superstorm Sandy Aid: We
Want To Fix This
By Wayne Parry
The head of the Federal Emergency Management
Agency says he wants to fix what went wrong with the
Southwest Cancels 10 Baltimore Departures

Amid Riots In City
18
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process of paying flood insurance claims following

Superstorm Sandy.
Craig Fugate told the first meeting of a congressional
task force in Washington on Tuesday that the flood program
has to be revamped so equal importance is given to paying
the full amount of legitimate claims.
We want to fix this, Fugate said. If we owe money, we
pay. Too often in government we are focused on not making
an overpayment, putting more emphasis on not overpaying a
claim. I gotta get it right. How do we get to something thats
more successful and works better the first time?
New Jerseys U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, a Democrat,
said the task force will focus on FEMAs agreement to reopen
all underpaid flood insurance claims for Superstorm Sandy
victims. He said some of the underpayments were caused by
lowballing and manipulation of engineering and adjustment
reports.
Getting it right means no overpayments, but it also
means no underpayments, Menendez said. We have to get
it right.
The task force consists of the four senators from New
Jersey and New York, Fugate, Sandy victims and their
advocates in both states. It will recommend ways to improve
the performance of the flood insurance program.
One of the members is George Kasimos, of Toms
River, New Jersey, who formed the grass roots group Stop
FEMA Now when FEMA announced that flood insurance
rates would soar based on new flood maps it issued two
months after the October 2012 storm.
This is all about fairness and getting people back in
their homes, he said. Nobody wants to go to another FEMA
meeting. They cant go through another process. They cant
go through their garbage bag and get another receipt. Were
losing our faith in government. We are the middle class. We
just want what we paid for.
Superstorm Sandy was spawned when Hurricane
Sandy merged with two other weather systems. It killed
people in several states, but New Jersey and New York were
hit the hardest. Its New Jerseys worst natural disaster.
Denise Neibel, the assistant general manager of the
Breezy Point Cooperative, in one of New Yorks hardest-hit
areas, said many Sandy victims are exhausted and frustrated
by fighting with government bureaucracy, having spent
thousands of dollars out of their own pockets to try to rebuild.
And Sue Marticek, executive director of the Ocean
County Long-Term Recovery Group in New Jersey, asked
FEMA to allow nonprofit groups like hers to be present at
policyholders interactions with FEMA to advocate for them.
The agency said it plans to meet in the coming weeks
with the staffs of the senators on the task force as it works to
form recommendations.
___
Wayne
Parry
can
be
reached
at
http://twitter.com/WayneParryAC
redistributed.
Sandy Claims Review Could Begin Next

Month, FEMA Says
By Russ Zimmer
Asbury Park (NJ) Press, April 29, 2015
Thousands of homeowners who think they were
lowballed by flood insurers after superstorm Sandy should
keep an eye on their mailboxes next month, although for most
it will likely be a longer wait for justice.
Executives at the Federal Emergency Management
Agency, which underwrites nearly all flood insurance policies
in the U.S., divulged details about the still-forming review
process during the first meeting of the Sandy Task Force, a
committee that includes U.S. senators from New Jersey and
New York.
FEMA head Craig Fugate said the plan is to start first
with the claims where an engineering review was performed
by any firm that has been tied to some of the questionable
actions that have come to light in recent months. After that,
he continued, will be policyholders whose insurer had an
structural inspection performed by any other firm. Then,
finally, anybody else whose policy was paid out below policy
limits.
I want to be able by May to send out the first letters,
said Brad Kieserman, who is overseeing what FEMA is
calling the Sandy claims review.
Kieserman declined to elaborate on any time line,
acknowledging that number of people potentially involved
more than 140,000 claims could be in line for a another look
makes this unprecedented.
Last month, FEMA said it had identified 15,311 claims
where an engineering report was prepared on behalf of the
insurer and the payment was something less than the
maximum the policy allows. Of those, 3,402 were in New
Jersey.
The hearing, which lasted about two hours and
changed in tone from conciliation to fury, was in response to
what organizer Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., said was a
groundswell of public opinion that Sandy victims needed to be
made whole and that the flood insurance claims process
needed to be radically reworked.
Menendez and Charles Schumer, New Yorks senior
Democratic U.S. senator, both floated potentially major
changes, such as scaling down or removing private insurers
out of the National Flood Insurance Program or eliminating
the earth movement exemption that has been used to deny
flood claims in the aftermath of Sandy.
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FEMA Will Soon Contact Sandy Homeowners

Who May Want To Reopen Their Damage
Claims
But it was the reopening of Sandy claims that got the

most attention. Panelists noted that its ramifications run from
the obvious more money for homeowners to the
unknown will an additional payout force homeowners to
pay back grant money that was supposed to supplement
flood insurance?
On that last point, Kieserman said FEMA has pledged
to not clawback disaster aid even if more insurance proceeds
would traditionally trigger a demand for the recipient to return
it back.
That said, everybody needs to understand that if you
took (aid money from the U.S. Department of Housing and
Urban Development) from New Jersey (Rehabilitation,
Reconstruction, Elevation and Mitigation program), we have
no jurisdiction over that, he added.
Sue Marticek, executive director of the Ocean County
Long Term Recovery Group, spoke to the lawmakers
Menenedez, and fellow Democratic senators Cory Booker,
Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand and FEMA representatives
about the weariness of the typical Sandy victim that she
works with.
It is imperative that whatever this process turns out to
be it has to be done in timely and simple manner, Marticek
said. Our homeowners cant take another bureaucracy.
Also from New Jersey was George Kasimos, the
firebrand who started Stop FEMA Now, which was founded
after Sandy to raise awareness about flood insurance
affordability.
Kasimos took time in his opening remarks to pledge to
work with FEMA, though he followed that sentiment up by
asking for independent, external oversight of the Sandy
claims review. He said his members had lost faith in
government.
We are the middle class and we just want what we
paid for, he said.
Several members of Stop FEMA Now had traveled by
bus to attend the hearing in person, including Maria Ehmer
Carbone, who lost the Bayville home she shared with her
special-needs daughter during Sandy.
Carbone told the Asbury Park Press Tuesday morning
about how the water rushed into her home and the house
literally shook as the foundation cracked. The 60-year-old
disabled paralegal and her daughter, who has Tourette
syndrome, received some money for her patio and grill, but
nothing for her house and have been bouncing from
temporary home to temporary home ever since the storm.
She said Tuesdays hearing should send a message to
insurance companies.
How can they do what they did to me and others? she
said.
By Jonathan D. Salant
New Jersey Local News, April 29, 2015
WASHINGTON The first of an estimated 141,800
Hurricane Sandy victims will receive letters next month asking
whether they want to reopen their damage claims, a top
Federal Emergency Management Agency official said
Tuesday.
Brad Kieserman, the deputy associate administrator
who oversees the federal flood insurance program, said the
letters will begin going out in May to homeowners who have
not challenged their claims in court.
FEMA agreed in March to reconsider any claim at the
request of a Sandy homeowner, though those who already
have received the maximum $250,000 wont be paid any
more.
Kieserman made the announcement during the first
meeting of the Hurricane Sandy task force, which includes
FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate and U.S. Sens. Robert
Menendez and Cory Booker (D-N.J.).
At issue are underpayments to homeowners as a result
of engineering reports that misstated the extent of their
damages. Many victims still havent been fully reimbursed for
their losses due to the storm.
Government failed you, plain and simple, Menendez,
who chaired the meeting, told the estimated 85 people in the
audience, many of whom traveled from New Jersey to watch
the proceedings. You deserve much better.
The initial reviews will focus on about 15,000
homeowners who had engineering reports done.
Kieserman said FEMA officials would review the letters
and the way the agency planned to for review the claims with
the senators before they were mailed out, and invited the
people attending the task force meeting to act as guinea pigs
and test whether the process will work as planned.
While homeowners will have to supply some proof of
their losses if they are challenging their payments, Kieserman
acknowledged that it might be impossible to produce original
documents like receipts so many years after the hurricane. In
such cases, signed affidavits might be acceptable.
Those payments, he said, will be scrutinized by the
agencys inspector general and congressional committees, so
some minimal level of documentation will be needed, he
said.
FEMA plans to send out the letters in batches to all
claimants, and will know which homeowners have been
forced to move when the mail is returned. The agency then
plans to use other means, including media and working with
nonprofit groups that are helping Sandy victims, to track them
down.
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Fugate said the entire flood insurance program would

be reviewed, including the use of private insurers and rules
that penalize companies for overpaying claims but not
underpaying. Engineering firms accused of fraud are no
longer being allowed to receive federal reimbursements, he
said.
Too often in government, were focused on not making
an overpayment, Fugate said. Somehow, that bled into the
insurance program.
or changes within FEMA. The task force also includes outside

experts and Sandy advocates.
Task Force Looks Into Governments Handling

Of Sandy Recovery
By Herb Jackson
Bergen (NJ) Record, April 29, 2015
Congress should consider whether private insurance
companies should continue to be able to make $1 billion a
year selling flood insurance backed by the federal
government after reports that insurance shortchanged
Superstorm Sandy victims, Sen. Bob Menendez said
Tuesday.
They take 30 cents of every premium dollar to sell and
service policies, Menendez said at the first meeting of a
special task force looking at the governments handling of
storm recovery. Policyholders arent always getting their
moneys worth.
Storm victims packed a hearing room in the Capitol
Visitors Center for the meeting and heard top officials of the
Federal Emergency Management Agency answer questions
about flood insurance complaints from New Jersey and New
York senators and victim groups.
Nearly every flood insurance policy in the United States
is backed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency,
but a program called write your own allows private
insurance companies to sell coverage.
The model of servicing policies isnt working, FEMA
Administrator Craig Fugate said. We work with 83 different
write-your-own companies. They all service policies, with
nuanced differences, but its our product.
Fugate said he wanted the task force, made up of
senators from New York and New Jersey and victim groups
and other experts from the region, to recommend a better
system. Recommendations may need approval in Congress,
which is not assured because changes to the insurance
program are often controversial.
Fugate also said that many disaster victims are visited
by a FEMA inspector who determines if they are eligible for
individual assistance, but payments often are delayed until a
flood insurance inspector can determine how much of a loss
is covered. Fugate said the agency might consider whether
one person could perform a dual role.
FEMA agreed in March to reopen as many as 140,000
claims for Sandy damage after reports that some insurers
and engineering companies were intentionally minimizing
damage assessments to reduce payments to policyholders.
Menendez asked Fugate what was being done to
ensure the program was fair and simple and recognizing that
people may not have documentation more than two years
after the storm passed.
Menendez Launches Sandy Task Force To

Overhaul Flood Insurance Program
By Jonathan Tamari
Philadelphia Inquirer, April 29, 2015
WASHINGTON New Jersey and New York senators
launched a task force Tuesday aimed at overhauling the
federal flood insurance program in order, they said, to avoid
the problems that their constituents confronted after
Superstorm Sandy.
Your government failed you, plain and simple, and you
deserve much, much better, Sen. Bob Menendez (D., N.J.),
the Sandy Task Force leader, said as he opened the groups
first hearing. The aim, he said, is to bring justice to victims
who were underpaid by the federal insurance program an
make sure that never happens again.
Around 50 people attended, largely from Ocean and
Monmouth counties along the Jersey shore, according to
Menendezs staff.
The task force includes Sens. Cory Booker (D., N.J.),
Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D., N.Y.)
and FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate.
It formed amid concerns that insurers working with the
federal flood insurance program may have underpaid
homeowners, in some cases by relying on reviews that
altered engineers original findings, often without
homeowners knowledge. The senators said the claims
process threw up obstacles for people who had lost their
homes and were trying to get payments they were entitled to
after years of paying insurance premiums.
Were here to listen, Fugate said, adding that the
agency should pay what it owes.
But he and the senators raised concerns that in the zeal
to avoid overpayments to policyholders, the FEMA program
may actually encourage insurance contractors to push for
payments that are too small. Fugate said the program may be
too focused on process, rather than customers.
The vast majority of flood insurance policies come
through the federal government, because the cost through
private insurers would be prohibitive.
Menendez hopes to reform the program, though its
unclear exactly how that will happen whether through a bill,
21
OPS054000156
claims from homeowners who say they were underpaid after

superstorm Sandy.
During a hearing on Capitol Hill, Brad Kieserman told
senators from New York and New Jersey that storm victims
who opt to have their claims from the 2012 storm reopened
but are unhappy with the outcome could appeal to the arbiter.
Kieserman, however, will have the final decision.
These are federal dollars, said Kieserman, the deputy
associate administrator for insurance at the Federal
Emergency Management Agency. So I need to be
accountable.
His comments came during the first of a series of
meetings lawmakers plan to host to reform the flood
insurance program, which drew broad criticism for its
handling of claims after Sandy. Sen. Robert Menendez (DN.J.) called for the summit earlier this year after the program,
run by FEMA, was accused of defrauding homeowners and
underpaying settlements from Sandy.
Your government failed you, and you deserve much
better, Menendez said to storm victims who traveled to
Washington for the hearing.
The meeting comes as FEMA is in talks to settle
roughly 1,800 lawsuits filed by homeowners claiming they
were underpaid on flood insurance settlements after Sandy.
Next month, a panel of judges has called for hearings to
begin on Long Island and in Brooklyn to examine allegations
of fraud. And the New York State attorney generals office is
undertaking a criminal probe.
FEMA, meanwhile, has agreed to establish a process to
reopen claims for any of the 144,000 policyholders who were
flooded in Sandy and believe they were underpaid.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) said the agency needs
to move faster. How much longer do our families have to
wait? she asked. This is not a time for business as usual.
Kieserman, who was appointed in February to reform
the flood insurance program, said FEMA would begin the
review process in May and said he would brief senators next
week on the details.
Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said the agency
needed to be flexible about documentation it would require for
storm victims to prove what they spent to rebuild.
Homeowners should not be forced to provide original
receipts from two years ago, he said.
Kieserman agreed to accept sworn statements from
storm victims to prove their expenses, but he stressed that
FEMA cannot simply cut additional settlement checks at will.
Ive got to have some evidence, he said. But we are
nearly three years after the storm . . . so we also need to be
realistic.
Fugate said he was committed to ensuring the

government paid what it owed, but not more. He said he had
to receive adequate documentation to defend any decision to
pay a homeowner additional funds.
He also said the process should be simple, but have
protections.
Im sure when this gets out, people are going to be
trying to game the system, Fugate said.
Brad Kieserman, a deputy FEMA administrator handling
litigation over Sandy claims, said homeowners who receive
additional funds would not be required to pay back any other
aid they got from FEMA. But he said he could not give that
guarantee for any grants residents received from other
agencies, such as block grants managed by the state that
come from the Department of Housing and Urban
Development.
FEMA Has Failed In Getting Sandy Victims

Money, Task Force Says
WCBS-TV New York, April 29, 2015

WASHINGTON (CBSNewYork) A congressional
task force has been put to work for the effort to get federal
money to people still trying to rebuild after Superstorm Sandy.
As WCBS 880s Jim Smith reported, U.S. Sen. Robert
Menendez (D-N.J.) on Tuesday kicked off the task force
aimed at getting shortchanged Sandy victims their money,
and reforming the claims process for the National Flood
Insurance Program.
Menendez acknowledged the struggles that Sandy
victims have faced.
A failure plain and simple and we deserve much,
much better, he said.
Senators from New York and New Jersey, along with
the top brass at the Federal Emergency Management
Agency, have been studying ways to fix the process.
To all the types in government, we are more focused
on not making a payment, said FEMA administrator Craig
Fugate.
But he said such protections do not extend to those
who are underpaid.
FEMA said it plans to start a review process with letters
going out next month, promising to use an independent
authority to settle disputes.
FEMA Promises Arbiter For Appeals Of Sandy

Insurance Claims
By Joe Ryan
Newsday, April 29, 2015
WASHINGTON The head of the National Flood
Insurance Program agreed Tuesday to allow an independent
arbiter to participate in the process of reviewing thousands of
Hurricane Sandy Judges Demand Clearing Of

Settlement Roadblocks
22
OPS054000157
By Christie Smythe
Federal officials and flood insurance companies were
chastised by a panel of New York judges for imposing delays
on settlements with hundreds of Hurricane Sandy victims who
alleged their claims were wrongfully denied or underpaid.
Officials with the Federal Emergency Management
Agency and lawyers for 25 insurance companies appeared
Monday in Brooklyn federal court, where the three-judge
panel is probing problems that had arisen in efforts to settle
as many as 2,000 disputes over payment for damage from
the 2012 record-setting storm.
This is not a time for business as usual, U.S.
Magistrate Judge Gary Brown said during the hearing. This
committee will not permit unnecessary bureaucratic obstacles
to stand in the way of settlements.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Cheryl Pollak told the insurers,
who have faced scrutiny over possible underpayments to
homeowners based on falsified engineering reports, that if
they fail to work out deals, further evidence of manipulation
may come out in public court hearings.
That likely will be difficult, expensive and risky for all
parties involved, Pollak said. The panel believes it would be
in everyones interest to develop solutions.
FEMA, which provides flood insurance in partnership
with private companies, said in February it would begin
pushing for settlements of all remaining disputed flood
insurance claims from the storm after evidence surfaced that
some engineering firms may have manipulated reports for
homes alleged to have suffered serious damage.
Last month, the agency said it would consider reviewing
any of the 140,000 flood claims from the storm if homeowners
suspect they were cheated. Engineering Firms
Insurers and engineering firms have denied wrongdoing
over the engineering reports, and insurers say they have no
incentive to cheat homeowners because FEMA ultimately
pays claims under the program.
Problems with reaching settlements have included
demands from other disaster relief providers to recoup a
portion of the funds and concerns from insurers that they
could be subject whistle-blower actions if they sign on to
accords, lawyers said in the hearing Monday. Government
officials also disagreed about whether homeowners could be
paid attorneys fees as part of the agreements, according to
lawyers.
Throughout this process, our guiding principle has
been and continues to be putting survivors first,
Rafael Lemaitre, a spokesman for FEMA, said in a statement.
We remain committed to reaching a settlement so that every
policyholder gets every dollar they are legitimately owed
under their policies.
The panel of judges was organized to facilitate

hundreds of cases filed by policyholders who challenged
payouts from insurers in the aftermath of the storm.
FEMA is working to ensure that settlements will not
preclude any criminal investigation that may arise into
allegations of fraud.
So far, eight insurance companies, which werent
named publicly in court, have agreed to settlements totaling
about $12 million with a group of homeowners whose reports
may have been manipulated, according to Steve Mostyn, a
lawyer for homeowners who has taken a leadership role in
settlement negotiations. Those settlements also include
attorneys fees, Mostyn said.
At least three engineering firms were accused by
lawyers for the plaintiffs of playing a role in manipulating
reports. One of the firms has been subject to a criminal probe
by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.
The case is In Re Hurricane Sandy Cases, 1:14-mc00041, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York
(Brooklyn).
Copyright 2015 Bloomberg.
Sen. Cassidy Says Some Flood Insurance

Recipients Being Charged Excessive
Surcharges
By Bruce Alpert
New Orleans Times-Picayune, April 29, 2015
WASHINGTON Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., says some
of his constituents are getting billed for a $250 surcharge on
their federal flood insurance policies, even though the 2014
flood insurance law stipulates they should only be charged
$25.
The 2014 Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability
Act, which averted large immediate increases in flood
insurance premiums that were pending under provisions of a
2012 law, offsets some of the lost funding with surcharges.
It stipulates that a $250 surcharge is to be applied to
non-primary residences and non-residential properties, but
only a $25 surcharge for insured primary residences.
The problem, Cassidy said, is that some owners of
primary homes have informed his office of receiving vague or
misleading information from some insurance companies
listing a $250 surcharge.
The vague information informs homeowners of the
assessment of a $250 surcharge, even if the policy is
covering a primary residence, Cassidy said in a letter to
FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. Upon contacting their
WYO (Write Your Own insurance) carrier, my constituents
have been informed that the $250 surcharge would be
automatically assessed to their policy based upon guidance
by FEMA until the homeowner proves the home is his/her
primary residence.
23
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Furthermore, the homeowner has a 30-day window to

verify primary residency, Cassidy said.
Cassidy is asking FEMA what steps the agency is
taking to ensure that primary homeowners arent overcharged
and why it is only giving flood insurance enrollees 30 days to
establish that their insured homes are their primary
residences.
FEMA spokeswoman Susan Hendrick responded with a
statement late Tuesday.
The Congressionally mandated reforms to the National
Flood Insurance program are designed to ensure the longterm stability of the program, while remaining sensitive to the
needs of policyholders, Hendrick said. All policyholders in
every state are subject to these Congressional reforms, and
insurance providers have not reported widespread cases of
errors to billing to FEMA.
According to a FEMA official, Write Your Own
insurance companies are required to send advance
verification notices to ensure the correct surcharge is being
applied. For policies that were originally applied for and
written prior to April 1, 2015, the policyholder is sent at least
one letter no fewer than 90 days prior to policy expiration,
beginning with expiration dates of April 1, 2015.
If policyholders didnt provide proof of primary residence
when asked by their insurer or failed to respond, the
insurance companies are required to apply the $250
surcharge, the official said. But policyholders who are
insuring primary residences can work with their agent to
reduce the surcharge to $25 during the current policy year,
the official said.
The U.S. has already provided $10 million in aid to

Nepal for humanitarian needs as well as search-and-rescue
efforts. Green argued that the U.S. should also offer
temporary protection for Nepalese nationals in the U.S.
A great nation does not force people to return to
conditions that are unsafe and detrimental to their well-being.
A great nation extends the hand of friendship to all during
times of challenge and crisis, Green said in a statement.
Scott Walker Hits Back At WSJ Piece

Criticizing His Legal Immigration Comments
By David Sherfinski
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is hitting back at a Wall
Street Journal opinion piece that criticized him for recent
comments he made saying American workers and American
wages should be kept in mind when making decisions on
legal immigration.
Mr. Walkertold radio host Howie Carr his position on
immigration is simple and that it starts with securing the
borders and having an effective E-Verify system.
No amnesty, Mr. Walker said. If you want to be a
citizen, thats a whole different thing. You got to go back to
your country of origin and get back in line like anybody else.
On legal immigration, he said, right now, there are
restrictions in America that column and others acted like
theres no restrictions. There are restrictions on legal
immigration today they just dont make a whole lot of
sense.
He said the Journal has been right for defending him in
some of his battles with labor unions in Wisconsin, but in this
one really wrong on so many levels.
The Journal piece points out that Mr. Walker mentioned
recently hes talked to GOP Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama,
one of Capitol Hills staunchest opponents of illegal
immigration who has spoken out against expanding H-1B
visas for guest workers.
Mr. Walker is right that the GOP needs to focus on
raising the incomes of average Americans, but the way to do
that is with policies that increase growth and improve upward
mobility. Zero-sum labor economics will do neither, the piece
says.
Mr. Walker, a potential 2016 GOP presidential
contender, recently told talk show host Glenn Beck: It is a
fundamentally lost issue by many in elected positions today.
What is this doing for American workers looking for jobs?
What is this doing to wages? And we need to have that be at
the forefront of our discussion going forward.
Mr. Walker defended his position in his conversation
with Mr. Carr that a strong economy should be paramount,
and priority number one in that regard should be making
US CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION

SERVICES
Dems Urge Special Immigrant Status For
Nepal Earthquake Victims
By Cristina Marcos
Two House Democrats want the Department of
Homeland Security to grant a temporary immigrant status for
Nepalese nationals affected by the countrys earthquake.
Democratic Reps. Al Green (Texas) and Mike Honda
(Calif.) have introduced a bill to establish a Temporary
Protected Status (TPS) to citizens of Nepal so that they are
protected from deportation or detainment. TPS is frequently
authorized in conditions that prevent safe return of a countrys
citizens, such as a civil war or natural disaster.
Under the legislation, Nepalese applicants would be
eligible for TPS if they had been legally present in the U.S.
since April 25, or the date of the 7.8 magnitude earthquake.
The status would be granted for 18 months.
24
OPS054000159
sure that we think about the impact on American workers and

American wages.
When unemployment is high and labor participation
rates are low, he said, you dont have very much immigration
because you dont want to flood the market.
If, over time, unemployment goes down and labor
participation rates go up, then you can change things, he
said.
I just said make American workers and their wages
your number one priority, he said. If were always thinking
about the impact on the hard-working Americans, were
gonna be fine and [if] we dont think about that, well, then we
get bad policies in America.
Bilingual Bush Talks Immigration In Puerto

Rico
By Danica Coto, Associated Press

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) Jeb Bush confronted
one of the Republican Partys touchiest debates head-on
Tuesday, telling Puerto Ricans that conservatives should be
proud that America is an immigrant nation and value the
contribution immigrants make to the country.
The former Florida governor and 2016 GOP
presidential prospect delivered a speech on economic
opportunities peppered with Spanish, and his audience
responded with hearty applause. Hes fluent in the language,
and often uses it in Florida, but its rarely heard in Republican
presidential campaign politics.
Immigration is a delicate subject for Bush in the primacy
race, with several potential rivals favoring a harder line on
those who come to the U.S. illegally. But he took it up
unapologetically in his remarks.
Were an immigrant nation and we should be proud,
he said, as someone in the audience yelled, Yes!
We should create an immigration system that drives
economic opportunity for all of us, he added. We should
move toward protecting the rule of law, protecting our border,
making legal immigration easier than illegal immigration for
sure, but we also want to look at this as a huge opportunity.
Said Bush, The conservative cause would be better to
embrace this rather than push it away.
Bush also endorsed the idea of statehood for the U.S.
territory, winning great applause.
I think statehood is the best path, he told his audience
at the Metropolitan University of Cupey. To get the full
benefits and responsibilities of citizenship, being a state is the
only way to make that happen.
Republicans have generally and gingerly endorsed
statehood as an option, if Puerto Ricans choose it, but some
worry that it could result in more Democrats elected to
Congress. Puerto Rico has held four non-binding
25
referendums on the issue, with statehood never garnering a

clear majority.
Bush was in the territory for a fundraising event and
town hall meeting with Republicans. He is expected to
announce his candidacy for the Republican nomination,
joining Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida, Rand Paul of Kentucky
and Ted Cruz of Texas, as well as many other prospective
rivals, in the race.
He wasnt ready to make that announcement Tuesday.
Puerto Ricos Republican Party leader, Carlos Mendez,
leaned forward at one point and passed on an index card with
the question everyone was wondering: Are you going to run
for president?
Bush laughed and said: Im on the journey of
considering that, trying to figure out if I have the support
necessary to do it. Todays not the day to trigger a campaign
but I appreciate the sentiment.
In large measure, Bushs purpose seemed to be to
make a cultural connection on the island where he came to
campaign for his father in Puerto Ricos first primary.
I learned how to organize intensely here, he said. I
learned the passion. I learned how to drink a lot of Puerto
Rican rum.
And on his Hispanic ties, he smiled and said: I know
about the immigrant experience because I married a beautiful
girl from Mexico. My children are bicultural and bilingual. His
wife, Columba, is from Mexico.
Bush later appeared at a town hall meeting in
Bayamon, where some 300 supporters cheered him and
some waved flags bearing the GOP symbol, an elephant,
with a star in the middle, representing what they hope would
be the 51st state. He spoke briefly before the crowd
surrounded him and demanded selfies, with one person
joking, I dont think hes used to this.
Bush thanked supporters in Spanish as the crowd
surged forward.
He truly knows the people of Puerto Rico, said Hiram
Torres, a 65-year-old government worker who said he met
Bush in 1979. And he dominates Spanish.
Wanda Irizarry, 51, said she will vote for the first time in
a Puerto Rico primary if Bush runs, as expected.
He is committed to the Puerto Rican people and to
statehood, she said. We are living nowadays with so much
poverty and a bad economy, that his compromise is important
to me.
Bush also expressed support for giving Puerto Rico the
right to file for bankruptcy under Chapter 9. The island of 3.6
million people has been in a recession for eight years and is
struggling with a $73 billion public debt load, with many U.S.
investors concerned that some public agencies, including the
Electric Energy Authority, could soon go bankrupt.
An earlier move to let the islands agencies restructure
was struck down by a federal judge.
OPS054000160

redistributed.
Trade Proponents Slowly Assure Skeptics Of

No Backdoor Ties To Obama Immigration
Policy
By Stephen Dinan
Fearful of immigrations power to sink any issue it
touches, the administration and Republican leaders on
Capitol Hill are doing everything they can to try to make the
case that immigration is totally unrelated to the looming
Pacific trade deal and the fast-track trade authority President
Obama says will be needed to conclude the negotiations.
The assurances have made some headway, including
swaying the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee,
who said he now feels comfortable that the Obama
administration wont try to use the trade deal to make
backdoor changes to immigration policy.
Not everyone is convinced. Sen. Jeff Sessions, an
Alabama Republican who has led opposition to Mr. Obamas
immigration policy, told colleagues to seek ironclad
guarantees that would rule out any leeway for either Mr.
Obama or the next president to negotiate an immigration deal
as part of the Pacific trade agreement.
Sen. Orrin G. Hatch, Utah Republican, chairman of the
Finance Committee and the man who struck the key deal to
advance fast-track powers for Mr. Obama, said he has
received assurances from across the Obama administration
that they wont use the trade deal as a backdoor opening for
immigration, but acknowledged that an element of trust is
always involved.
Theres an element of trust here, no question about
that, and I expect the president to live up to it, Mr. Hatch
said. Hes been working with us all the way through.
Republican leaders are pushing to grant Mr. Obama
fast-track powers, known as Trade Promotion Authority, to
help him close the Asian trade deal, known as the TransPacific Partnership, with more than 10 other countries.
The concern stems from a chapter of the Trans-Pacific
Partnership relating to allowing temporary workers to enter
the countries that are part of the deal. What exactly is in that
chapter is up for debate because the current draft hasnt been
released.
The Obama administration insists that the provisions
are merely transparency requirements that would require the
countries in the trade agreement to make information on visa
processing and temporary workers public.
But Mr. Sessions said Congress has been blindsided
before by trade deals that turn into immigration-shaping
policy, including in the 1990s, when guest-worker rules were
26
negotiated as part of the General Agreement on Trade in

Services.
The real danger here is that before the ink is dry on
TPA, and at any time during the life of TPA, any president
can negotiate changes to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)
and any other new agreement, and agree to changes in our
immigration law, Mr. Sessions wrote in a letter to colleagues
urging them to demand changes to the fast-track bill.
The first week of action on trade went well for Mr.
Obama and Republican leaders. The fast-track bill cleared
the Senate committee easily, on a bipartisan 20-6 vote that
suggested the makings of a coalition powerful enough to
survive a filibuster. The House cleared its version through the
Ways and Means Committee a day later on a 25-13 vote,
with two Democrats joining Republicans.
Sen. Chuck Grassley, Iowa Republican, had an
amendment to limit immigration teed up for the Finance
Committee debate but didnt end up pursuing his changes.
He said he had his concerns satisfied by U.S. Trade
Representative Michael Froman, who gave his assurances
that the TPP didnt envision substantive changes.
At a hearing this month Mr. Froman categorically
denied any immigration talks.
I can assure you that we are not negotiating anything
in TPP that would require any modification of the U.S.
immigration laws or system, any changes to our existing visa
system, Mr. Froman said. And in fact, TPP will explicitly
state that it will not require changes in any partys immigration
laws or procedures.
Mr. Froman said the other Trans-Pacific Partnership
countries are talking about boosting guest workers, but the
U.S. decided not to do so.
But Rosemary Jenks, government relations manager
for NumbersUSA, which lobbies for stricter immigration limits,
said she spoke with lawmakers who have read the secret
agreement and told her it specifically says it can be rewritten
at any time and thats what scares them.
The TPP is what they call a living agreement, and it
specifically says this it specifically says the provisions can
be changed at any time by the agreement of the partnership
countries, which means without the consent of Congress,
Ms. Jenks said.
That, she said, creates an opening Mr. Obama could
use. Ms. Jenks said given his history on immigration and
trying to work around Congress, lawmakers should anticipate
he would try to do that.
In order to believe that there will not be any
immigration in TPP, you have to believe that Barack Obama
is not going to use a free trade agreement to further his
agenda, Ms. Jenks said. Maybe Sen. Grassley believes
that, but I dont.
Republicans will have to provide the vast majority of
votes in support of Trade Promotion Authority for it to clear
OPS054000161
Congress in the next few weeks and months. Concerns over

immigration could dampen that support, though Ms. Jenks
said the problems will come from more than immigration.
I dont know if immigration by itself will be a deal-killer
for very many, but I know Republicans who go down and
read the agreement who find all kinds of instances of
Obamas agenda that they oppose, she said. If members
take the time to go and read the agreement, I think theyll be
very surprised and that will give them multiple reasons to
oppose fast-track.
before Congress approved across-the-board sequestration

budget cuts.
In 2009, the Coast Guard fell short of its target for ship
days spent combating smuggling operations, providing 2,036
days or 80% of the anticipated 2,555, according to the
Government Accountability Office. Thats the equivalent of
seven major cutters operating throughout the year.
In 2013, the agency lowered its target to 2,008 days,
but was able only to provide coverage for only 1,346 days, or
68%.
Administration officials called for the new cutters after a
2013 anti-trafficking operation found that drug smuggling on
non-commercial vessels in the Caribbean was much higher
than previously estimated.
An estimated 6.4 metric tons flowed directly and
indirectly into Puerto Rico and the U.S Virgin Islands in 2009.
By 2013, that had grown to an estimated 17.3 metric tons.
Combating these networks requires a forward-based
presence that draws upon the Coast Guards unique global
authorities to attack illicit trafficking where it is most
vulnerable, Zukunft told senators. And thats at sea.
US COAST GUARD
Coast Guard Says It Needs New Ships To
Combat Drug Smuggling
By Ledyard King
WASHINGTON The Coast Guard has a drug
problem: Its having more and more trouble capturing
narcotics smuggled into the U.S. because of an aging fleet
that needs constant maintenance and repairs.
The agency is asking Congress to help finance modern
ships to replace cutters that are approaching 60 years old.
The Obama administrations fiscal 2016 budget request
of nearly $10 billion includes several hundred million dollars
to overhaul the fleet. The money would buy six smaller fast
response cutters and provide seed money for replacing the
medium endurance cutters that catch drug smugglers
(chiefly cocaine) and immigrants on the high seas and coastal
approaches.
Much of the Coast Guards infrastructure and many of
our platforms are well beyond their service life, Adm. Paul
Zukunft told a Senate Commerce, Science and Technology
subcommittee Tuesday.
Over the past two years, emergency repairs forced four
medium-endurance cutters into dry dock for weeks,
significantly curtailing the Coast Guards ability to patrol a
major drug-trafficking region known as the transit zone, a 6million-square-mile area, including the Caribbean, Gulf of
Mexico and Eastern Pacific, Zukunft said.
Some of those cutters are 50 years old weve got to
replace em, said Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida, a
popular destination for smugglers.
The militarys Southern Command outside Miami
doesnt have enough Coast Guard there to stop the drugs,
Nelson said. They can only interdict 20% of the drugs that
the intelligence apparatus knows is coming out of South
America into Central America and increasingly into the
Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.
The Coast Guards deployment of cutters to combat
smuggling operations has fallen steadily since 2009, shortly
Icebreakers? Sure, But CG Boss Says Cutters

Come First
Alaska Public Radio Network, April 28, 2015

Can two ships be called a fleet? If so, thats the size of
the Coast Guards ice-breaking fleet, plus one more thats in
the shop and may never return to service. Still, Coast Guard
Commandant Paul Zukunft says he has so few multi-purpose
cutters that the Coast Guard can only stop 20 percent of the
known drug shipments in the Caribbean and the Pacific. The
admiral says that allows international crime, terrorism and
human trafficking to flourish with relative impunity.
With our limited arsenal of ships and aircraft, this is
truly an issue of capacity. And this is why the off-shore patrol
cutter is our No. 1 recapitalization priority, he said.
The Coast Guard procurement plan adds 91 new ships
to replace an old cutter fleet thats prone to time-sucking
breakdowns. Total cost: more than $21 billion. The
commandant says if the Coast Guard is going to build
icebreakers, too, hes going to need a bigger budget. Zukunft
says it would be a good investment.
This is part of our national infrastructure, if you will, in
terms of our ability to exert influence and sovereignty in the
Arctic domain, he said.
Some in Congress have pressed the U.S. Navy to chip
in for a new billion-dollar icebreaker, but a Navy official balked
last month, telling a House panel the service has its own shipbuilding needs.
Sen. Dan Sullivan of Alaska chaired the Senate
hearing. Sullivan says everyone seems to recognize the need
27
OPS054000162
for more icebreakers, but paying for it seems to be a matter of

political football.
You know, clearly the Russians in this area are eating
our lunch, despite what you mentioned is a country whose
size in terms of the economy is well below that of the United
States, Sulllivan said.
Russia is said to have 40 icebreakers. Of those in
operation, four are in the heavy duty class. About half of the
Russian fleet is medium and small icebreakers that are
privately owned. While many of Moscows ships are reaching
the end of their expected life span, that country has 11 new
icebreakers planned or under construction.
Zukunft says hes still cooperating with his Russian
counterparts, so those Russian ships should be considered
assets that might be called on to respond to an American
search-and-rescue case.
As we look at what are the real threats as we see in
the Arctic, think beyond Vladimir Putin, he urged. And the
real threats continue to be safety of life at sea, environmental,
the well being of the indigenous tribes that have lived up in
the Arctic region for the millennium.
In the near term, despite the lack of a U.S. Coast Guard
port in the Arctic, Zukunft says they are preparing for the
likelihood that Shell will resume exploratory drilling in the
Chukchi Sea this year.
And we will have a rotational presence of the Coast
Guard Cutter Healy, and a national security cutter, and a
shore-based aviation detachment, based in the Arctic region
this summer, he said.
The commandant also addressed Alaskan concerns
that the seven island-class patrol cutters now based in
Southeast and the Gulf of Alaska will be replaced by six fastresponse cutters. Yes, Alaska would lose a patrol boat, but
Zukunft says the new cutters will be able to operate over
more days, in harsher conditions and travel further from
home.
SEAPOWER Magazine Online
Seapower Magazine, April 28, 2015

WASHINGTON The Coast Guards Offshore Patrol
Cutter (OPC) platform is expected to be the most expensive
program in Department of Homeland Security (DHS) history,
but one lawmaker questioned if its worth building.
The OPC is replacing the aging 210-and 270-foot
medium-endurance cutter fleet and one of its main
responsibilities will be drug and migrant interdiction. In 2014,
the Coast Guard said it was able to interdict only 20 percent
of the drugs flowing into the country.
During an April 28 Senate Science, Commerce &
Transportation oceans, atmosphere, fisheries and coast
guard oversight subcommittee hearing, Sen. Brian Schatz, DHawaii, said he was concerned that the OPC would not be
28
able to make that much of a difference in increasing that

percentage.
Are we just treading water? Schatz said.
He added that the Coast Guard may need to reconsider
its acquisition strategy, and production of the OPC, if it cannot
guarantee an increase in drug interdiction numbers.
The Coast Guard, which is overseen by DHS, is
expected to choose among three finalists for the OPC
contract in 2016. The 25-ship contract is valued at more than
$11 billion.
Coast Guard Commandant ADM Paul F. Zukunft told
the panel that the OPC will be around for more than five
decades, but said he could not specify if it would raise the
percentage of drugs the service captures.
We have done a lot of work on program so far, he
said.
Zukunft did note that although drug interdiction is one of
the Coast Guards 11 core missions, its also a team effort
involving other government agencies and allied nations.
However, he reiterated that getting funding for OPC program
of record was his top priority as commandant.
Subcommittee Chairman Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska,
disagreed with Schatz, saying there was a need for not only
the OPC fleet, but a third icebreaker.
Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., echoed that sentiment,
saying having icebreaking capabilities is of great importance
for the country.
We have to figure out a way we can get this funded
now, she said.
The Coast Guard has two active icebreakers in Polar
Star and Healy, both homeported in Seattle. Polar Star is two
years into a 10-year service life extension and the Coast
Guard is looking at the possibility of reactivating a third
icebreaker, Polar Sea, which has been out of commission
since 2010 after suffering an engine casualty.
Two [icebreakers] is probably not adequate enough,
Zukunft said.
The commandant added that clearly there is a need
going forward for additional icebreaking capabilities, and said
the service eventually will need to recapitalize the fleet.
We are looking at all our options, he said.
It is estimated that a new icebreaker would cost around
$1 billion and service officials and lawmakers have been
stymied by how to fund it. With an annual acquisition budget
hovering around $1 billion, service officials have said the
Coast Guard would not be able to fund an icebreaker alone.
During the Staying Afloat: Examining the Resources
and Priorities of the U.S. Coast Guard hearing, Zukunft said
Healy will be based in the Arctic over the summer during the
services annual exercise to examine what capabilities may
be needed in the region.
The Coast Guard does not have a full-time district in the
Arctic.
OPS054000163
Body Of 3rd Boater Found In Alabama Waters

redistributed.

Shell Seeks Injunction Against Arctic Drilling

Protesters
Search Suspended For Man Who Survived

Previous Ordeal At Sea

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) A federal judge is hearing
testimony regarding a request by Royal Dutch Shell PLC for a
preliminary injunction to try to prevent Greenpeace activists
from boarding Arctic-bound drilling equipment.
U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason granted Shell a
restraining order April 11 to keep Greenpeace from entering a
safety zone around a semi-submersible drill rig, the Polar
Pioneer.
Shell is seeking a 1,500-meter safety zone for drill
vessels and smaller safety zones for support vessels bound
for Arctic drilling this summer. Violations could result in a
contempt of court citation.
Greenpeace attorney Matthew Pawa (PAH-wah)
questioned why a 1,500-meter safety zone is needed when
Coast Guard safety zones are 500 meters.
Pawa says protesters monitoring drilling should be
allowed closer to monitor drill vessels.
The hearing continues Tuesday afternoon.
redistributed.
By Jennifer Sinco Kelleher, Associated Press

HONOLULU (AP) For the second time in five
months, the Coast Guard has suspended a search for Hawaii
fisherman Ron Ingraham.
The first time came in December, but Ingraham turned
up more than a week later alive and uninjured, living to tell
a tale of eating raw fish to stay alive on a battered boat for 12
days after getting caught in a storm.
There were moments he thought he was going to die,
he recalled days after he was rescued by crewmembers
aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Paul Hamilton.
The Coast Guard staged another search for Ingraham
after a boat he was aboard ran aground Friday about a mile
west of Lanai.
The agency had to suspend the search on Monday
evening after covering more 4,500 square miles from the air
and water.
Kenny Corder, a friend who was with Ingraham, was
rescued a few hours after the Coast Guard received a
mayday call from the vessel dubbed Munchkin.
Corder, who owned the boat, told the Coast Guard the
people onboard didnt have lifejackets, and Ingraham was
clinging to a life ring when Corder swam back to the boat to
retrieve an emergency position indicating radio beacon.
When he got back to the life ring, Ingraham was gone,
Coast Guard spokesman Lt. Scott Carr said.
Unlike his previous ordeal, Ingraham is without a boat.
He recounted last year how he was able to ride out the storm,
even though 20-foot waves knocked out the engine of the
boat that also serves as his home.
He insisted on towing it back to Molokai after he was
rescued.
The Coast Guard notified Ingrahams son, Zakary
Ingraham in Missouri, about the search and subsequent
suspension phone calls he also received last year when
his father was lost at sea during a routine fishing voyage from
his home island of Molokai to nearby Lanai.
Zakary Ingraham recalled pleading with the Coast
Guard last year to extend the search.
I held on to hope, he said. I knew my dad was tough.
So I didnt feel like he was gone.
Military Fears ISIS Is Eyeing Drug-Smuggling

Routes To Enter U.S.
US News & World Report, April 29, 2015

Six men of Somali descent arrested in Minnesota for
trying to join up with the Islamic State group became the
latest troubling sign of the extremist networks reach into the
Western hemisphere. Despite Department of Defense claims
that the group is weakening in Syria and Iraq, its ability to
capture the allure of those based in the West, like these men
who reportedly recruited one another, remains as strong as
ever.
Whether or not the Islamic State group could carry out
an attack here or just recruit those from the Western
hemisphere remains unknown. But similar concerns are
brewing on the other side of U.S. borders.
Nasser Mustapha has heard rumors throughout his
native Trinidad of men distributing recruiting videos for the
Islamic State group, also known as ISIS or ISIL, and
propagating its so-called holy war in Syria and Iraq.
I was really shocked to hear that, says Mustapha, a
senior lecturer in sociology at the University of the West
Indies and an expert on security in the region. When I first
started hearing about ISIS, I really, honestly felt that people
29
OPS054000164
from these parts, people from the West would be smarter or

more mature to think of going there. When I actually started
to see reports of people from the Caribbean actually going
there, I was more surprised.
People who dont have attachments to family,
community or religious groups in the region are particularly
vulnerable, Mustapha says, adding he agrees with concerns
expressed by national security officials in the U.S. that
anyone with nefarious intent may find the regional access
they need through the ever advancing drug trade in Central
and South America.
Criminal organizations trafficking drugs throughout this
part of the world have made sophisticated advancements in
moving cargo and people throughout the region. Top
leaders within the U.S. military now believe extremist
networks like the Islamic State group already have designs
on capitalizing on these routes.
Marine Gen. John Kelly, commander of U.S. Southern
Command, told Congress last month that as many as 100
people have left their native Caribbean homes bound for
Syria and Iraq to join the Islamic State groups cause. While
theyre in Syria, he said, they get good at killing, and pick up
some job skills such as working with explosives and
beheading enemy fighters for propaganda purposes.
If they went over radicalized, one would expect theyd
come back at least that radicalized, Kelly said.
He was not aware of any direct plans at the time to use
these fighters to attack the U.S., but their circumstances
represent a troubling trend. Kelly said most of the countries
from which these intrepid fighters hail, such as Suriname,
Jamaica, Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago, have limited
to no intelligence or law enforcement infrastructure to hunt
them down. Some extremists may even benefit from
government corruption to maintain their cover.
These countries have small but established Muslim
communities, accounting for 5 percent of Trinidad and
Tobagos population and almost 20 percent in Suriname.
Its definitely a concern, says Chris Zambelis, an
expert on extremism in the Middle East with the Jamestown
Foundation, who has studied potential links between these
groups and the Caribbean. These little things should warrant
closer consideration. In terms of being a wide movement, or a
wider concern among the broader Muslim community, theres
really no evidence of that. Compared to what youre seeing in
Europe, for example, with people traveling to Syria in
streams, Ive never seen anything like that in Latin America or
the Caribbean.
The word potential is really important here. In Latin
America and the Caribbean you have weak institutions and
very corrupt political vacuums. Its an easy place for nefarious
actors of all stripes to operate.
There have, however, been instances of militarism
among these Muslim communities. In July 1990, Muslim
political group Jamaat al Muslimeen infamously tried to

launch a coup detat against the government in Trinidad and
Tobago. The six-day standoff resulted in members of the
group surrendering and ultimately being tried for treason.
Earlier this month a Jamaican teen was arrested in
Suriname amid claims he sought to join Islamic extremist
fighters. Local authorities say the 16-year-old was trying to fly
to the Netherlands and then to Turkey a common point of
entry into Islamic State group-controlled areas in Syria.
Kelly and other defense leaders claim budget cuts and
downsizing to the U.S. military, combined with a priority for
spending on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, have sapped
the resources they need to hunt down insurgents like these,
and to embolden friendly militaries who wish to do the same.
Kelly told Congress in March he relied on the FBI, CIA and
other law enforcement entities to try to track down networks
before they become a problem for the U.S.
American spies are, however, faced with an almost
insurmountable task for a no-go zone like Syria: Its difficult
but possible to track fighters as they come and go from the
war zone, but what they do once theyre there, and to which
groups they swear allegiance in what has become a veritable
cauldron of different extremist groups, continues to befuddle
U.S. intelligence.
Their potential ability to enter the U.S. from other
nations in the region remains an issue. Thousands of federal
agents have had some success protecting the northern and
southern land borders from smugglers and other
unauthorized entries, but vast ocean routes represent another
opportunity for traffickers facing comparatively little oversight.
Coast Guard officials have previously said the number of
ships available to stop illegal trafficking was cut in half to just
four, to cover a region roughly 12 times the size of the
continental U.S.
And organizations that smuggle drugs in the region are
growing increasingly more sophisticated.
The FARC, considered one of the worlds most
dangerous guerrilla organizations and prolific drug smugglers,
has developed disposable submarines that can transport 8
tons of cargo more than 1,000 miles undersea. Upon
reaching their destination, the advanced vehicles can be
scuttled and sunk, making it almost impossible for the U.S.
military, intelligence or law enforcement infrastructure to
identify and stop them.
FARC guerrillas march after clashing with troops in
souther Colombia in July 2012.
This was designed to move cocaine, said Navy Adm.
Hernando Wills Velez, commander of the Colombian armada,
while speaking at the annual Sea-Air-Space conference in
Maryland this month. These kind of artifacts can be used for
whoever knows weapons of mass destruction, illegal
trafficking of migration, et cetera.
30
OPS054000165
SECRET SERVICE
The smugglers have invested millions of dollars in

steadily improving the quality of these submarines, including
hiring Russian naval engineers to impart some of the
technology, according to a 2014 analysis from a U.S. Army
research office.
Velez presented a picture of one such submarine,
which he says was built in the jungles of Colombia. The
FARC produced it in roughly six months, he said, and through
Colombias unique geography could launch such vessels into
either the Pacific Ocean or the Caribbean Sea.
Its range could allow the submarine to reach Mexico, or
as far north as West Palm Beach, Florida. And its potential
represents a serious problem for the U.S.
This is completely outside the bounds of any
government control, says U.S. Coast Guard Vice Adm.
Charles Michel, deputy commandant for operations. He has
been warning for years about the threat posed by these
devices, particularly if a group even more nefarious teams up
with FARC to transport money, drugs, weapons or even
people.
There are vulnerabilities and pathways down there,
Michel says. Theyre well-trodden by narco traffickers,
human smugglers, any other types of people who operate in
that area. Sometimes with impunity or even with corrupt
government cover.
The American response may also be misguided. U.S.
bureaucracy tends to separate the phenomenon of drug
trafficking from extremist insurgencies, and drug traffickers
from terrorist networks, says Bob Killebrew, a former special
operations Army officer who now specializes in Central and
South American security issues at the Center for a New
American Security.
There are plenty of indications thats not true, says
Killebrew. There are increasing reports of Iranian interest in
South America, including through Lebanese Hezbollah, the
militant political party it supports. Iran has also reportedly
partnered with elements of the Venezuelan government, as
well as the FARC.
The potential for disaster from the Islamic State group is
myriad. The network, originally an off-shoot of al-Qaida
before it was disowned for being too extreme, has
successfully attracted recruits from the U.S., Europe and
other Muslim countries through the allure of a supposedly
pure and hard-line caliphate designed along an ancient
interpretation of Islamic rules. Through masterful use of social
media and electronic publications, the group encourages its
followers to adopt lone wolf attacks, or those planned and
orchestrated without any outside support.
You cant wait for this stuff to come to the United
States, says Michel. Not only is that damaging our system, it
gives away the tactical advantage that we have.
Were surrounded by oceans.
Gyrocopter Mailmans Path

Exposes Police Response
To
Capitol
By Alan Levin
The mailman who landed a mini-helicopter at the U.S.
Capitol flew undisturbed through one of most restricted
airspaces in the world for almost a half-hour even though
police had been tipped to his arrival and radar had detected
his presence, according to interviews and testimony.
Officials monitoring the Washington airspace didnt
notice the vague radar target produced by the single-person
gyrocopter until reviewing recorded images after the April 15
incident, Captain Jeff Davis, a spokesman for the joint U.S.Canadian air defense agency known as Norad, said in an
interview Tuesday.
At the same time, the U.S. Capitol Police wasnt able to
verify that an aircraft was headed for the area even though a
news reporter inquired about the flight at least 24 minutes
before the small aircraft landed, Chief Kim Dine said in written
testimony to be delivered Wednesday before a congressional
committee.
The new revelations about the flight by Douglas
Hughes, a postal worker from Florida who was protesting the
state of U.S. campaign finance, is painting a picture of
confusion and crossed signals by the various agencies
charged with protecting the nations capital city.
These events raise questions about similar manned
and unmanned aircraft entering D.C.s highly restricted
airspace and threatening high value targets and individuals,
the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
said in a statement on a website announcing its hearing on
the issue.
Radar, which shoots radio beams into the air and
monitors the waves that bounce back from the sky, doesnt
work as well on small objects, and has a difficult time
differentiating between aircraft and metal objects on the
ground.
The radar images of the gyrocopter were similar to what
a flock of birds or weather pattern produces and didnt prompt
any alarms, according to Davis of Norad, or the North
American Aerospace Defense Command.
Weve said for some time that defending against low,
slow air threats is a technical and operational challenge, he
said.
The Capitol Police, charged with protecting Congress,
received an e-mail at 12:59 p.m. on April 15 from the Tampa
Bay Times newspaper, which had interviewed Hughes prior
to his flight. The police later received a telephone inquiry.
Agency officials would later pass word to the National
Capital Region Coordinating Center, a multi-agency group
31
OPS054000166
formed after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to monitor

the skies around Washington. At about the same time as the
call to the Capitol Police, the Secret Service headquarters in
Washington received a similar call from a reporter asking if
officials knew about Hughess protest flight.
At no time during the call did the reporter indicate that
Hughes was already in flight and on his way to the Capitol,
Secret Service Director Joseph Clancy said in testimony
prepared for the committee.
Hughes landed on the Capitol lawn at 1:23 p.m. without
any advanced warning to police officers in the area, Dine, the
Capitol Police chief, said in written testimony. The initial
reports from the Tampa news reporter hadnt said that the
landing was imminent.
The gyrocopter did not register on radar as a threat
and, therefore, was not raised as a concern among our
federal partners, Dine said.
The National Capital Region Coordinating Center
includes Norad, the Federal Aviation Administration and law
enforcement agencies.
The 24-hour hotline that the agencies use to share
information on potential security threats wasnt notified of the
intrusion until 1:24 p.m., a minute after the copter landed,
FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said in his testimony. The
alert originated from the Capitol Police, he said.
Unlike a helicopter, which is lifted airborne by powered
rotor blades above the craft, Hughess gyrocopter was
powered by a propeller at the rear of the aircraft. The
gyrocopters overhead rotor blades spin freely in the wind.
A dot depicting the copter on radar was traced back to
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where Hughes took off, according
to an FAA analysis after the incident.
The dot appeared only intermittently throughout the
flight, Huerta said. All available information about the slow
moving, irregular symbol made it indistinguishable from other
non-aircraft radar tracks.
He added that the FAAs air-traffic controllers use
computers to filter out targets similar to what the gyrocopter
produced. They could not do their jobs if the radars
displayed such clutter, Huerta said.
Hughes, 61, was arrested and charged with operating
an unregistered aircraft without a pilots license and violating
the secure airspace around Washington.
Hughes, of Ruskin, Florida, said on a website that he
planned the flight to deliver letters to members of Congress.
The point of the flight is to spotlight corruption in DC
and more importantly, to present the solution(s) to the
institutional graft, he wrote on the website.
The testimony for the Wednesday hearing also shows
Hughes first came to the attention of the Secret Service on
Oct. 4, 2013, when it learned that he may have had plans to
fly to the Capitol or White House.
No one interviewed as part of the Secret Service

investigation indicated that they believed he would follow
through with his plans, Clancy said in his testimony.
Hughes was approached a second time on Oct. 8,
2013, and declined to speak to agents without an attorney
present. Information about him was passed onto other law
enforcement agencies, Clancy said.
TERRORISM INVESTIGATIONS
Boston Bombing Defense Emphasizes Dead
Brothers Influence
By G. Jeffrey Macdonald
BOSTON The personality, beliefs and influence of the
late Tamerlan Tsarnaev were again the focus Tuesday when
defense attorneys for his younger brother, Dzhokhar
Tsarnaev, called witnesses in the penalty phase of the
Boston Marathon bombing trial.
Rogerio Franca, a Brazilian immigrant, testified about
Tamerlan smoking marijuana in an apartment Franca shared
with roommates. He asked him to stop, but Tamerlan kept
doing it.
Was there something about Tamerlan that made you
not confront him?, asked defense attorney Timothy Watkins.
Most of the time he was drunk, Franca said. Most of
the time he was high. I could never have a nice time to talk to
him without alcohol.
A couple of years later, Franca saw Tamerlan outside a
hotel. His appearance had changed; he wore a beard and a
white suit. His wife, Katy, had her head covered and took a
step back when greeting Franca.
He asked me. You are not Muslim yet? Franca
recalled. I said no.
Assistant U.S. Attorney William Weinreb asked him
whether Tamerlan pushed the issue or just walked away.
He just walked off, Franca said.
Jurors got a closer look at what was on Tamerlan
Tsarnaevs computer. They saw what appeared to be a
screensaver that showed bloodied bodies strewn on
pavement. Electronic sticky notes contained messages from
the Quran.
Fight them, read one. Allah will punish them through
your hands; will belittle them and grant you a victory over
them.
Fight in the way of Allah with all your possessions,
read another.
They also saw Skype messages that Tamerlan sent to
his wife in 2012 while he was doing jihadi training in Russia.
For example, he sent her a photo of distressed children,
apparently seeking a food handout.
32
OPS054000167
Tell them how hard your life is, Tamerlan wrote

beneath the photo.
The computer also held jihadi training videos. The jury
heard sample clips from one with an English voiceover.
The Muslim in the east is my brother. The Muslim in
the west is my sister, the voice says. If that Muslim in the
east is killed, then it is my responsibility to avenge him. If that
Muslim in the west is hurt, then it is my responsibility to
defend her.
On a computer belonging to Tamerlans wife, Katy,
were Internet searches that the defense called to the jurys
attention.
If your husband becomes a shahid, what are the
rewards for you? was one of the searches. Shahid is an
Arabic term for witness and is sometimes used to mean
martyr, or one who has died defending Islamic principles.
Another search on Katy Tsarnaevs computer: rewards
for wife of mujahedeen.
The defense teams theory holds that Tamerlan was an
obsessed Islamic fanatic who drew in his brother. Attorney
David Bruck said the bombings never would have happened
were it not for Tamerlans radicalization.
Testimony and evidence introduced so far this week
have centered on crafting a portrait of Tamerlan as an
intimidating figure who became radicalized and had an effect
on people in his immediate circle.
Much of the testimony has explored how Tamerlans
wife changed as her husband grew more radical.
She adopted conservative Islamic customs such as
covering her head and standing back silently while her
husband spoke to another man. When a friend checked on
her via text message after the Boston Marathon bombings,
she responded in a way that perplexed her friend.
People get killed in Syria all the time, Katy Tsarnaev
wrote, adding that the Syrian victims are innocent, just like
those in Boston.
I thought that was strange that she was bringing that
up in this situation, longtime friend Gina Crawford said in
testimony Monday.
Witnesses testified that Tsarnaev was a formidable
boxer who trained especially hard when his father, Anzor,
was at the gym.
He was incredibly fast, hit very hard, was in good
shape, said Brandon Douglas, a mixed martial arts fighter
and employee of the Boston gym where Tsarnaev trained.
He was a very dangerous competitor.
In 2009 at age 23, Tsarnaev won a regional Golden
Gloves competition and competed for the national title in Salt
Lake City. But at the time of his first fight in the national
arena, he was battling the flu and wore out quickly after the
first round.
He was totally exhausted, said John Curran, who
coached Tamerlan Tsarnaev at the time.
He hoped to redeem himself in 2010, but USA Boxing

changed the rule to say no foreign athlete could advance
beyond the regional level. A citizen of Russia, Tamerlan too it
personally.
He felt it was an intentional slight directed solely at
him, Douglas said.
Over the next year, Tamerlan Tsarnaev pulled back
from competitive boxing and started down the path of radical
jihadism. His mothers embrace of fundamentalist Islam
directed him, according to the defense, and he seemed
particularly open to it after the familys dream to have the
eldest son become a great boxer, among other things was
dashed.
Testimony In Boston Marathon Bombers Trial

Turns To Sister-in-law
By Denise Lavoie
BOSTON (AP) Testimony in the trial of Boston
Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev zeroed in Tuesday on
his late brothers wife, revealing searches done on her
computer on the rewards of dying as a martyrs spouse and
raising questions about what she knew before the 2013
attacks.
Mark Spencer, a computer expert testifying for the
defense, said a computer belonging to Tamerlan Tsarnaevs
wife, Katherine Russell, contained Internet searches done
more than a year before the bombings for search terms that
included rewards for wife of mujahedeen and If your
husband becomes a shahid, what are the rewards for you?
Mujahedeen is the Arabic word for holy warrior; a
shahid is a term for a martyr, specifically one who dies during
a holy war.
PHOTOS: Boston Marathon bombers lawyer urges jury
to spare his life
Three people were killed and more than 260 were
wounded when the Tsarnaev brothers set off two pressurecooker bombs packed with shrapnel near the marathons
finish line on April 15, 2013.
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 21, was convicted this month of all
30 charges against him. A jury must now decide whether he
should spend the rest of his life in prison or should be
executed.
Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, was killed during a shootout
with police hours after he and his brother killed a
Massachusetts Institute of Technology police officer during a
getaway attempt three days after the bombing.
Dzhokhar Tsarnaevs lawyers have argued that
Tamerlan Tsarnaev was the mastermind of the bombings and
led Dzhokhar, then 19, down the path to terrorism. They say
Tamerlan became radicalized, and his wife, an American
33
OPS054000168
from Rhode Island, also showed signs of becoming a

religious fanatic.
Katherine Russells name came up Monday, the first
day of the defense presentation for the penalty phase of
Dzhokhars trial. Her best friend, Gina Crawford, testified that
she texted Russell the day of the bombings to ask if she was
OK. Crawford said Russell texted her back, saying she was
fine and as far as she knew, Tamerlan Tsarnaev was at
home in Cambridge at the time of the attacks.
Crawford said Russell added a curious statement after
that, texting, a lot more people are killed every day in Syria
and in other places. She added in another text: Innocent
people.
In 2013, Russells parents and sisters were called
before a grand jury investigating the bombings.
At that time, Josh Dratel, a lawyer who represents
Russell and her family, said he had been told by prosecutors
that Katherine Russell was not a target of the investigation.
Amato DeLuca, another attorney for Russell and her
family, has said repeatedly that Russell didnt suspect her
husband of anything before the bombings and nothing
seemed amiss in the first few days afterward.
Russell lived with Tamerlan and their young daughter in
the Tsarnaev familys small Cambridge apartment.
DeLuca told The Associated Press last month that he
and Russell have not heard from federal officials in a year,
since shortly before the 2014 marathon. Amato said Russell
has not been identified as a witness for prosecutors or for the
defense in Dzhokhar Tsarnaevs trial.
Russells mother, Judith Russell, testified Monday that
she and her husband werent happy when Katherine began
dating Tamerlan Tsarnaev and that they tried to encourage
her to break off the relationship. She said Tamerlan became
increasingly strident about religion and the U.S. He talked
about this countrys influence and harm to Islamic countries,
she said.
Dzhokhars attorney David Bruck said in opening
statements that Dzhokhar was a good kid who was led
astray by his increasingly fanatical brother. Bruck said there is
no punishment Tsarnaev can get that would be equal to the
suffering of the bombing victims.
There is no evening the scales, he said. There is no
point in trying to hurt him as he hurt because it cant be done.
Prosecutors have painted Tsarnaev as an unrepentant
killer who deserves to be executed for his crimes.
redistributed.
Tamerlan Tsarnaevs Transformation Detailed

At Trial
Boston Globe, April 28, 2015
34
Witnesses testified Tuesday about Tamerlan

Tsarnaevs boxing career and the changes they saw in him
over time, as the defense continued its effort to paint a
detailed portrait of the man who they say led his younger
brother, Dzhokhar, into the Boston Marathon bombing.
Rogerio Franca, a Brazilian immigrant who befriended
Tamerlan when both lived in Cambridge, described him as a
pot-smoking drug dealer who drank heavily despite trying to
build his boxing career.
Continue reading below
Most of the time he was drunk. Most of the time he
was high, Franca testified with the help of a Portuguese
interpreter in US District Court in Boston.
He told the jury that he had met Dzhokhar Tsarnaev
only twice, and both times the younger brother had come to
Franca looking for Tamerlan.
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was convicted earlier this month of
the April 15, 2013, bombing, which killed three people and
wounded more than 260 others. Prosecutors say he and his
brother, self-radicalized Muslims, partnered in the attack and
in the murder of an MIT police officer several days later.
Tamerlan Tsarnaev was killed in a violent clash with police as
the brothers tried to flee the area.
Now, in the second phase of his trial, the jury will decide
whether Dzhokhar should be executed or serve life in prison
without parole. The defense has argued that he should not be
given the death penalty because he was under the sway of
his older brother. Tsarnaev was 19, while his brother was 26
at the time of the attack.
Franca, speaking on the second day of the defense
case, said Tamerlan would use his apartment to smoke
marijuana. Once, he said, he went to his bedroom to find
Tamerlan breaking down drugs into smaller packages,
prompting Franca to order him to leave.
Franca said his relationship with Tamerlan withered
when he moved to Stoughton, but that he ran into him in
Boston in 2012.
Tamerlan had changed, Franca said.
He looked different. Big beard. Dressed in white,
Franca recalled. Standing next to him, with her head covered,
was Tsarnaevs wife, Katherine Russell, he said.
The conversation was brief. You are not Muslim yet?
Franca recalled being asked. I said, No.
He said he was suprised by the question. I didnt think
he could ask me such a thing, Franca said.
After a brief cross-examination, Franca stepped down.
Two of Tamerlans boxing coaches also testified, but
only one of them had any recollection of Dzhokhar. John
Curran pointed to Dzhokhar in the courtroom, saying he
remembered him coming to his gym when Tamerlan was
training.
I saw Jahar probably twice in that gym the young
man right there, Curran said, using Dzhokhars nickname. I
OPS054000169
think he was 10 or 11 years old when he was in the gym. ...

They had a close relationship. He was like a puppy following
his brother.
During a brief cross-examination, Curran acknowledged
he had not seen Dzhokhar in about a decade and that he
never coached him.
He didnt even box, Curran said of Dzhokhar. It
wasnt his sport.
The defense showed a video taken April 12, 2013,
three days before the bombing, at the Wai Kru gym in
Brighton, where Tamerlan worked out.
The video showed Tamerlan in the center of the boxing
ring, while Dzhokhar was on the side. The video showed
Tamerlan seeming more intense, stretching and throwing a
pair of handwraps to Dzhokhar, while Dzhokar looked bored.
Tsarnaev brothers at Brighton boxing gym
Brandon Douglas, who worked out at the gym, said that
when he first met Tamerlan he was a flashy dresser.
Later, he said, he dressed more conservatively and
had a large bushy beard, he said.
The beard was a pretty dramatic departure, he said.
Also testifying Tuesday was electronic forensics expert
Mark Spencer, who testified he examined Tamerlans laptop,
some CDs, and a MacBook used by his wife. Russells
search history showed she looked up what rewards she
would reap if her husband became a martyr, Spencer
testified.
Spencer said Tamerlan viewed jihadist websites and
videos, sent links for those sites to Russell, researched the
Ruger R95 pistol, the type of weapon the brothers used to
murder MIT Police Officer Sean A. Collier, and viewed news
coverage of the bombings on April 18, 2013.
He also researched remote controls, like those used in
the bombing, and looked at videos showing Muslims being
killed or abused while a narrator said that it was the
responsibility of Muslims to avenge them.
There was also a selfie of Tamerlan Tsarnaev holding a
handgun while a child sits on his lap. A second image
showed the child, who did not appear to be his and Russells
daughter, holding what appeared to be a rifle. Another image
showed Tamerlan Tsarnaev in traditional Muslim garb,
draped in a flag, holding a handgun.
On Monday, the defense called eight witnesses after
attorney David Bruck called Dzhokhar Tsarnaev a lost
teenager who should spend the rest of his life behind bars
instead of being put to death by the federal government.
All eight of the witnesses spoke mostly about Tamerlan,
who the defense says planned the bombings and pulled his
younger brother into his scheme.
In his opening statement, Bruck said Dzhokhar had
been conditioned by his dysfunctional family life into following
his older brother, regardless of the consequences to him. He
was 19 years old at the time of the attack.
Bruck also identified his mother, Zubeidat Tsarnaeva,

as a major force that propelled his participation in the
bombings.
She proved a destructive force in the lives of everyone
around her, Bruck said Monday. She was desperate for
praise and validation, and her children existed to reflect glory
back to her. As her dreams in America began to crumble,
Zubeidat began to turn to fundamentalist religion, and she
made sure Tamerlan learned about it, too.
Boston Marathon Bombers Defense Lawyers

Say Older Brother Controlled Him
By Richard A. Serrano
Defense lawyers in the Boston Marathon bombing trial
used flickering scenes from a surveillance video Tuesday to
help capture the troubled relationship between Dzhokhar
Tsarnaev and his older brother, Tamerlan.
Filmed three days before the brothers bombs killed
three people and injured more than 260 on April 15, 2013, the
video was shown to the jury in Dzhokhars capital murder
trial.
The video was from the Wai Kru gym in suburban
Boston. Tamerlan Tsarnaev was warming up in a boxing ring
when he suddenly jumped over the ropes to get something in
the gym.
He then approached his brother, who was slouched in a
chair, and threw a pair of hand wraps the bandage-like cloth
boxers use to protect their hands before putting on gloves
at his face. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev meekly picked them up.
His legal team showed the video to support their
argument that Tamerlan controlled and intimidated Dzhokhar,
who was seven years younger. Fear of Tamerlan, the
defense maintains, is why Dzhokhar helped his brother carry
out a terrorist attack.
Tamerlan was killed in a police manhunt after the
bombings. Dzhokhar was convicted this month of 30 criminal
charges, including 17 that carry a potential death penalty. The
jury now must decide whether he should be sentenced to
death or life in prison without parole.
John Curran, Tamerlans boxing coach, told the jury
that Dzhokar was like a puppy following his brother.
Sam Lipson, whose family rented an apartment to the
Tsarnaev family, said the difference between the brothers
was striking.
Dzhokhar as a child, he said, was very sweet, a little
shy around adults. He would smile.
Tamerlan, he said, was very strong, he was more
mature. He dressed nicely, in sort of more Euro-style clothing.
He was smooth, kind of slick.
The defense also read aloud from FBI reports, made
after the bombing, that quote Tamerlans friend, Magomed
35
OPS054000170
Defense team argues for influence of Tamerlan

Tsarnaev over younger sibling Dzhokhar Tsarnaev
By Jon Kamp
Dolakov. He told agents that Tamerlan was a radicalized

Islamic fundamentalist not open to anyone elses beliefs,
and that he had wanted to join the mujahadeen.
Dzhokhar, Dolakov told the FBI, was always very quiet
and just listened rather than saying very much.
Tamerlan, a Russian immigrant, was a promising boxer
in the Boston area.
Defense witnesses said he unraveled when the USA
Boxing organization in 2010 disqualified him from the Golden
Gloves finals because he was not a U.S. citizen.
Curran said Tamerlan asked him to fix things so he
could box again. He thought I could pull a rabbit out of the
hat and make it possible for him to go, Curran said. I saw
him maybe two times after that.
Brandon Douglas, who helped run the Wai Kru gym,
said Tamerlan believed the disqualification was an
intentional slight directed solely at him.
His behavior soon changed radically. Once given to
flashy clothes and alligator shoes, he now grew a bushy
beard and was abusive to others.
He used other mens equipment at the gym without
asking. He could be loud and disruptive, Douglas said.
Most of the time he was drunk, Rogerio Franca, a
Brazilian immigrant who spoke through a translator in court,
said of his friend Tamerlan. Most of the time he was high. It
was all drugs and alcohol.
The defense lawyers said Tamerlan initially planned a
terrorist attack when he made a six-month trip to the Russian
republic of Dagestan and to Russia in 2012. They said he
came back to Boston because he could not find a holy war
to join there.
Back home, he went online to find pictures of dead
children from Middle East massacre sites. He downloaded
videos of militants tramping through the woods. He posted
pictures of himself dressed in traditional Arab garb, wrapped
in a flag and brandishing a large black handgun.
His wife, Katherine, adopted his strict Islamic faith, gave
up Western clothing for more conservative styles and used
the name Karima. She too searched the Web, the defense
lawyers said.
If your husband becomes a martyr, she asked on the
Internet, what are the rewards for you?
Massachusetts: Testimony
Bombers Sister-In-Law
On
Boston
By Katharine Q. Seelye
Katherine Russell, the wife of Tamerlan Tsarnaev, is
emerging as an increasingly curious figure in the trial of her
brother-in-law, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the convicted Boston
Marathon bomber. Testimony on Tuesday showed that
someone using her computer had searched to find out what
benefits or rewards might accrue to the wife of mujahedeen, a
holy warrior, or wife of a shahid, a martyr. On Monday, her
best friend testified that after the 2013 marathon bombings,
which killed three people, Ms. Russell noted in a text: A lot
more people are killed every day in Syria plus other places.
Prosecutors presented evidence earlier that the bombs were
made in the Cambridge, Mass., apartment where Ms. Russell
lived with Tamerlan, who was killed in a gun battle with the
police, but she has not been identified as a witness for the
government or the defense. She did not testify before the
grand jury regarding the bombings; her lawyer has said she
will not do so without immunity.
Minneapolis Men Facing Terrorism Charges

For Alleged Plans To Join ISIL Belie
Stereotypes
By Mila Koumpilova, And Erin Golden Star Tribune

Staff Writers
Minneapolis Star Tribune, April 28, 2015
Some of the young men got a head start on racking up
college credits in high school. Some juggled college and jobs
that helped them chip in for family budgets. Some worshiped
NBA stars and caught college-night games at the Target
Center.
In some ways, the six Minneapolis men facing federal
charges over an alleged attempt to join overseas militants
dont seem to fit a stereotypical profile of the radical recruit:
the adrift high school dropout with tenuous links to the
mainstream community.
Defense attorneys and supporters have argued the
men are unlikely candidates to join the violent fight waged by
Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL. In the SomaliAmerican community, where some leaders have long rang
alarms about high dropout rates and youth joblessness, the
charges against a once promising group of young men have
brought consternation.
Boston Bombers Lawyers Focus On Brothers

Obsession With Islam

Boston Bombers Lawyers Focus On Elder

Brother
36
OPS054000171
I was shocked, said Ahmed Nur, a student at

Minneapolis Community and Technical College, which five of
the men attended at some point. These guys, they are a
good group of people. Youd never think they would do
something like that.
Still, others caution school success and community
connections dont always translate into a robust sense of
belonging in a wider society that can be less than accepting
of young Somali men. And some experts say radical groups
like ISIL are increasingly tailoring their propaganda to a
diverse audience in the West: from the disaffected and the
underprivileged to the college-educated and the driven. As a
result, the idea of the typical recruit is becoming more of a
myth than ever.
The six men, ages 19 to 21, are facing federal charges
that could put them in prison for more than a decade. Last
week, a Minneapolis federal judge decided Adnan Farah,
Guled Omar, Hanad Musse and Zacharia Abdurahman will
remain in detention until a trial. Two other men, Farahs
brother, Mohamed, and Abdirahman Daud were arrested in
San Diego, allegedly on their way to the Middle East by way
of Mexico.
A good student
The accounts of defense attorneys and friends offer
glimpses of young people with much going for them.
Abdurahman was pursuing a degree in computer
support and network administration. In court last week, his
defense attorney described him as a 19-year-old who held
down several jobs, took on a yearlong technology internship
at the Hennepin County Medical Center and scraped together
money to send to relatives living in Kenya. His client recently
proposed to a young woman, and the two plan to marry after
they finish community college.
The attorney representing Musse, 19, handed out
copies of his clients 12th grade report card to the judge and
an FBI agent testifying about the case.
Hes a good student, isnt he? the attorney asked the
agent.
Omar, whom the FBI singled out at a news conference
as particularly committed to the groups alleged plot, juggled
a pre-nursing major and a job as a security guard that helped
him support his single mother and younger siblings.
On the MCTC campus, his friend Nur said Omar, 20,
split his time between classes, work and home, with the
occasional pickup basketball game. Conversations revolved
around school work and sports, said Nur, who landed a job as
a security guard at a company where Omar worked with his
help. With some of the other men facing charges, Omar
played basketball at the downtown YMCA, loved the
Timberwolves rookie star Andrew Wiggins and often tried to
catch Wednesdays college night at the Target Center.
Prosecutors, however, paint a picture of young men
who were determined to leave behind those lives. They say
most men had made previous attempts to travel overseas,

thwarted by federal agents or their families. They still wanted
to try again. At least one had maintained a Facebook account
sprinkled with images of extremist leaders and propaganda.
Another drained his student loan account before attempting to
leave the country.
In a conversation recorded by the FBIs informant,
Daud acknowledged that he might end up in jail, and didnt
care.
Im through with America, Mohamed Farah, 21,
agreed. Burn my ID.
Needing to belong
Ahmed Samatar, a Somali-born Macalester College
professor who studies global politics and Somali issues, says
young people on the margins of Western society might seem
like a prime audience for the messaging of groups like ISIL.
But for the children of immigrant families, graduating from
high school and enrolling in community college are often just
the first steps in finding their way in the mainstream
community; they can belie a deeper alienation.
Even in that group, there can be a sense of an inner
vacuum or a lack of sense of direction that might not be
visible from the outside, Samatar said. American society is a
very complex, fast-paced society to navigate. Even after 41
years, I am still adjusting.
Minneapolis Council Member Abdi Warsame, the Twin
Cities highest-ranking Somali-American official, said many
young people born to parents who fled Somalia dont have a
deep understanding of their past. They dont have memories
of struggle in Somalia or see the U.S. as a place of refuge.
Even young people who grow up speaking English and
enjoying American sports, food and movies dont necessarily
feel accepted.
I know people are saying: These people had jobs,
Warsame said of the six men. But, he adds, They were not
brilliant academics. They were not high achievers. They were
just average, inner-city youth who didnt feel a place in
mainstream society.
In court, Abdurahmans attorney noted his client like
many Somalis is frequently called names and harassed on
the street. Back at South High School, some of the men were
caught in racially charged tensions with fellow students that
culminated in a 2013 cafeteria fight involving some 200 teens.
A new study focused on terrorist recruitment in the Twin
Cities found many members of Minneapolis Somali
community who said their names and traditional dress prompt
frequent police stops and extra scrutiny at the airport and
other public places. The University of Southern California
researchers, part of a center that focuses on terrorism and
homeland security, say that sense of isolation provides an
opening for terrorist groups, which sell messages of
community and unification under a shared cause.
37
OPS054000172
In any case, said William Braniff, executive director of

the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and
Responses to Terrorism at the University of Maryland, ISIL
has put an innovative spin on radical propaganda to target a
more diverse Western audience than ever. In the groups
messaging, individual fighters do the talking, not the selfstyled Islamic scholars Al-Qaida favored. These fighters
with voices ranging from conversational to cerebral to defiant
are churning out very personal, very intimate, very tailored
propaganda via social media, Braniff said.
For the disaffected, the recruitment touts a chance to be
a part of a grand adventure that would lend them a sense of
self and purpose. For those integrated into Western society,
the messages might play on a sense of guilt as they highlight
the plight of impoverished Muslims in countries with
oppressive regimes, Braniff said. Meanwhile, youre sipping
a cappuccino and wearing your Adidas, he added. How can
you stand to live in such luxury?
Community leaders argue that programs steering young
people to graduation, college and jobs remain the best
antidote to recruitment. In 2014, about 50 percent of students
of Somali and other African descent graduated on time from
Minneapolis Public Schools, compared to more than 70
percent of white students.
Those vulnerabilities are still there, said Samatar.
But he added its important that his community doesnt
just look to state and local institutions alone, but also engages
in some internal soul-searching: The family, the mosques,
the community centers thats where the real battle begins.
According to a complaint filed in San Diego federal

court last week, Saeed left for Turkey in 2012 and was
eventually deported to Syria. There, he worked as a member
of an al-Nusra sharia court, which governs under Islamic law,
and participated in gunbattles as a back up fighter for the
same group, which is al-Qaedas official arm in Syria,
according to the charges. He is also accused of being a
mediator between al-Nusra and the Islamic State, which also
controls regions in Syria.
Investigators found evidence of the links to the
designated terrorist organizations in several messages to
people on Facebook.
When he was questioned about his activities in March
when he tried to return home to the U.S., authorities said he
lied. He eventually acknowledged much of the information in
the messages, court records say.previous: Trickle of
Americans going to Syria war zone | San Diegan accused of
hiding ISIS links
Nearly 5-year Sentence Recommended In

Terror Support Case

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Federal prosecutors are
recommending a prison sentence of four years and nine
months for a Virginia woman who lied to investigators about
supporting the Islamic State militant group.
Thats eleven months more than defense attorneys are
suggesting. Heather Elizabeth Coffman will be sentenced
May 11 in Richmond.
Coffman posted numerous messages on Facebook
supporting the Islamic State and tried to help a man make
arrangements to train and fight with the group in Syria. She
also tried to make similar arrangements for an undercover
FBI agent.
Coffmans attorneys describe her as a gullible loner
who didnt fully understand the gravity of her actions.
Prosecutors said in court papers filed late Monday that
Coffman was a serious jihadist who was headed down a
potentially violent path before she was caught.
redistributed.
Bail Hearing Delayed For San Diego Terror

Suspect
U-T San Diego, April 28, 2015

San Diego A San Diego man accused of lying to the
FBI about his links to a group in Syria designated as terrorists
will continue to be detained in federal custody until his bail
can be discussed next month.Mohamad Saeed Kodaimati,
24, of San Diego, was arrested and charged in a federal
criminal complaint with two counts of providing false
statements involving international terrorism.Courtesy U.S.
Attorneys Office
A detention hearing had been set for Tuesday for
Mohamad Saeed Kodaimati, but his defense attorney asked
that it be continued until May 21 so she has more time to
prepare to argue for bail.
The 24-year-old Syrian-American man was arrested
last Wednesday at his Rancho Bernardo home on two
charges of making false statements involving international
terrorism.
Saeed had just returned weeks earlier from an
extended stay in his native Syria.
Russian Arraigned In Virginia On New

Terrorism Charges
By Larry O'Dell
RICHMOND, Va. A Russian man charged with
leading a Taliban attack against U.S. forces in Afghanistan
repeated his pleas of not guilty to terrorism-related charges
Tuesday.
38
OPS054000173
Irek Hamidullin was arraigned on a new 15-count

indictment in U.S. District Court in Richmond. He previously
pleaded not guilty to 12 charges. Three additional counts of
trying to kill or injure an American were added in a new
indictment last week.
Hamidullin is being held in federal custody until his fiveday jury trial, which is set for July 27.
Handcuffed and wearing leg irons, Hamidullin listened
to the proceedings Tuesday with the help of an Arabic
translator and answered not guilty in English when asked for
his plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Gill said many of
charges, including providing material support to terrorism and
trying to destroy U.S. military aircraft, are punishable by up to
life in prison. Attorney General Eric Holder chose not to seek
the death penalty for a charge of using a weapon of mass
destruction.
Hamidullin is the first military detainee from Afghanistan
to be brought to the U.S. for trial. The Obama administration
is trying to show that it can use the criminal court system to
deal with terror suspects a move criticized by some
Republican lawmakers who believe such cases should be
handled by military tribunals.
According to U.S. officials, Hamidullin is a Russian
veteran of the Soviet war in Afghanistan who stayed in the
country and joined the Taliban. He was captured in 2009 after
an attack on Afghan border police and U.S. soldiers in
Khowst province. He had been held at the U.S. Parwan
detention facility at Bagram airfield before being brought to
the U.S.
redistributed.
Sardar was arrested last year after his fingerprints were

found on bombs recovered in Iraq by U.S. forces, flown to the
United States and analyzed in an FBI lab.
He denies murder, conspiracy to murder and
conspiracy to cause an explosion.
Hill told jurors at Londons high-security Woolwich
Crown Court that Sardar claimed to have been studying
Arabic in Syria in 2007, but he was without doubt involved in
bomb-making, whether in Syria or in neighboring Iraq.
Police found a bomb-making manual in his London
home, and Hill said his fingerprints were found on two bombs
recovered from the same area of Iraq, along with those of
another man, Sajjad Adnan.
The bomb that killed Johnson had only Adnans prints.
He was arrested after the bombings and handed over to Iraqi
authorities, and his current whereabouts are unknown.
Prosecutors allege that Adnan and Sardar worked together
on the group of bombs planted near Baghdad.
Hill told jurors that the trial was unusual because
almost all of the evidence you will hear and see comes from
Iraq.
The offences, we say, are the most serious
imaginable, and the British link is the fact that the defendant,
a British citizen, lives and works here, he said. For that
reason, it is lawful to place him on trial in London.
redistributed.
U.K. Trial Opens Over U.S. Soldier Bomb

Death In Iraq
Anis Sardar is accused of making a bomb that

killed an American soldier Randy Johnson in Iraq in 2007
By Alexis Flynn
UK Man Accused Of Killing US Soldier With

Bomb In Iraq
By Jill Lawless
LONDON (AP) A British man went on trial in London
on Tuesday accused of making a roadside bomb that killed a
U.S. soldier in Iraq in 2007.
Prosecutors say Anis Abid Sardar, a 38-year-old British
citizen, assembled bombs in Syria that were planted on the
western outskirts of Baghdad that year.
They say one of the devices killed Sgt. 1st Class Randy
Johnson of 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment. Johnson, from
Washington, D.C., died after his armored vehicle struck a
bomb on Sept. 27, 2007. Four other soldiers were injured.
These were anti-personnel devices, large bombs made
with the deliberate aim of causing maximum damage, injury
and loss of life, prosecutor Max Hill said.
Saudi Arabia Accuses 93 Of Terrorist Links,

Including To ISIS
By Ben Hubbard
BEIRUT Saudi Arabia has arrested 93 people
accused of plotting terrorist attacks since December,
including a group described as having sought to strike the
United States Embassy with a car bomb, the Saudi Interior
Ministry said on Tuesday.
The ministry said in an statement that the suspects
were accused of recruiting and training new members; testing
explosives; gathering firearms; and plotting to attack
residential areas and security facilities. They were arrested in
six groups, it said, adding that most of the suspects had ties
39
OPS054000174
to the Islamic State extremist group and nearly all were Saudi
citizens. One of the 93 suspects is a woman.
Saudi Arabia has joined an American-led coalition that
is bombing the Islamic State, also known as ISIS and ISIL, in
Iraq and Syria, where the group has seized territory. The
Saudis are also leading an Arab coalition carrying out
airstrikes in Yemen.
For their part, the Islamic States leaders have called on
their supporters to mount attacks inside Saudi Arabia. There
have been a series of mainly small-scale attacks in recent
months.
Saudi officials said last week that a pair of men accused
of killing two policemen had received support from the Islamic
State. Saudi Arabia announced on Tuesday that the second
of those suspects had been detained.
It was unclear why the Saudi authorities revealed the 93
arrests on Tuesday. They did not give the names of any
suspects or provide any information about how or when the
suspects would be tried.
A spokesman for the United States Embassy in Riyadh
declined to comment about the assertion that one group
among those arrested was planning a car bombing at the
embassy. The embassy suspended consular services in
Riyadh and at consulates elsewhere in the country on March
15 because of security concerns; the services were resumed
a week later, but Americans were urged to take precautions.
Another group consisted of 65 people, including two
Palestinians and a Yemeni, who had ties to the Islamic State
and sought to spread its ideology and set up training sites for
new recruits, the ministry statement said.
Saudis Arrest 93 Jihadists, Say Attacks Foiled
AFP, April 29, 2015

Riyadh (AFP) Saudi Arabia has arrested nearly 100
jihadists, mostly linked to the Islamic State group, and foiled
several plots to carry out attacks including on the US
embassy, authorities said Tuesday.
The arrests have taken place since December and
most of those detained were Saudis, the interior ministry said
in a statement published by the official news agency SPA.
It said two Syrians and a Saudi who had threatened to
launch a suicide car attack against the American embassy in
Riyadh last month were among those held.
The statement did not clarify if this group was linked to
IS.
US consular services in Saudi Arabia were suspended
for a week in March over what the embassy said were
heightened security concerns.
Saudi security services had proof that led to the early
uncovering of terrorist activities in several parts of the
kingdom by members of the deviant group, a term the
authorities use to refer to jihadists, the ministry statement
said.
40
The Sunni-dominated kingdom is part of a US-led

coalition carrying out air strikes against IS in Syria and Iraq,
where the jihadists have seized swathes of territory.
Among those arrested up to April 18 was a 65-strong
IS-linked group plotting to target residential areas, and
operations to incite sectarian sedition in attacks similar to the
killing of seven members of the minority Shiite community in
Eastern Province in November, the ministry said.
That group includes a Palestinian, a Syrian and two
stateless people, it added.
Specialist bomb-maker
They are accused of recruiting young people,
spreading the terrorist ideology of IS, sheltering wanted
individuals, training recruits and coordinating travel to conflict
zones.
Another 15 Saudis formed a group linked to IS abroad,
calling itself Jund Bilad al-Haramain or Soldiers of the Land
of the Two Holy Mosques, in reference to Saudi Arabia being
home to Islams holiest sites, the ministry said.
It said that cell was led by a bomb-making specialist
and was testing car bombs, planning to attack security
headquarters, soldiers and residential areas.
Nine other Saudis, among them a woman, were
arrested for allegedly promoting terrorist organisations on
social networks and trying to lure young people to send
them to conflict zones, among other activities.
They had threatened to bomb government
headquarters and residential areas, and used the woman in
a failed attempt to lure a military official and assassinate him.
Two other Saudis were arrested separately.
One, held in the ultra-conservative Qassim region, has
been linked to IS abroad and had contacted them to form a
terrorist cell.
The ministry said he confessed during questioning that
he had pledged allegiance to IS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
The second of the two Saudis was also affected by IS
after he followed them on social networks, and has
confessed to making weapons.
Deterrence measures
Saudi security forces will stand strongly and decisively
against anyone who considers undermining the countrys
security and stability, the ministry said.
The ultra-conservative country is seeking to deter
young Saudis from joining jihadist ranks.
Fighters from Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Morocco make
up the majority of about 12,000 foreign extremists who have
travelled to Syria and Iraq, according to the London-based
International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation.
News of the arrests followed the arrest earlier Tuesday
of a second suspect in the fatal shooting of two policemen
blamed on IS.
The policemen were killed in an April 8 drive-by
shooting in an eastern district of Riyadh.
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Authorities had said on Friday that they had seized

three bomb-laden cars during investigations into the killings.
Sunni-dominated Saudi Arabia in September joined the
US-led coalition carrying out air strikes in Syria and Iraq
against IS, which has threatened Saudi Arabia.
Shopping malls in the kingdom have tightened security
after the interior ministry last week warned of possible attacks
at a mall or oil facilities.
That caution led the US embassy to remind its citizens
to remain vigilant about personal security.
After Riyadhs announcement of the latest arrests, US
State Department spokesman Jeffrey Rathke said that
clearly the security situation in Saudi Arabia is one weve
kept under close watch.
Authorities also disrupted a plot for a suicide car

bomber to attack the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh after receiving
information about the plan in mid-March, he said. Two
Syrians and a Saudi citizen were arrested in relation to the
plot.
The timing of the alleged attack coincides with a U.S.
decision to halt all consular services for a week starting
March 15 at the embassy and diplomatic missions in Jiddah
and Dhahran over security fears.
The U.S. Embassy in Riyadh is located in a large and
heavily guarded compound with other embassies. The
embassy is surrounded by fortified barriers and guarded by
police, and a U.S. Marine checks visitor passes inside.
Last week, Saudi Arabia increased security around
shopping centers and oil installations for a few days, also in
response to security threats.
Al-Turki said another group of nine Saudis, including
one woman, were arrested on suspicion they tried to use
social media to lure a military officer into a trap and
assassinate him.
Other arrests involving alleged IS operatives included a
cell of 15 Saudis broken up around New Years. That group,
which called itself Soldiers of the Land of the Two Holy
Mosques in reference to sites in Mecca and Medina, trained
in desolate areas in the central ultraconservative region of alQassim, al-Turki said.
They built explosives, setting off two test bombs, and
also engaged in firearms training.
Earlier in the day, al-Turki said police arrested a
suspected IS operative wanted for the killing of two police
officers in Riyadh, who were shot dead April 8 while on patrol.
Nawaf al-Enezi, a 29-year-old Saudi citizen, was taken into
custody early Tuesday morning after callers tipped the police
off, he said.
Al-Enezi was found in a hideout about 100 kilometers
(60 miles) east of Riyadh and was wounded by police gunfire
during the arrest.
The Interior Ministry last week announced a $267,000
reward for information leading to his arrest.
IS group members have previously been blamed for an
attack on Saudi border guards near Iraq that killed three
security personnel in January and a shooting attack on Shiite
worshippers in al-Ahsa in the Eastern Province in November
that killed eight people. Two police officers died in raids that
led to the arrests of suspects behind the al-Ahsa shooting.
Other IS attacks in the kingdom in recent months
include the shooting and wounding of a Danish citizen in
Riyadh and a separate shooting directed at police in the city
that did not kill anyone.
Al-Turki told the AP that a total of seven IS-linked
suspects have been killed by police in raids.
Saudi Arabia Foils US Embassy Attack,

Arrests 93 Suspects

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) Saudi Arabia on
Tuesday announced the arrest of 93 suspects with ties to the
Islamic State group who it says were planning multi-pronged
attacks on the U.S. Embassy, security forces and residential
compounds where foreigners live.
The list of targets recalls a wave of attacks launched by
al-Qaida inside the kingdom from 2004 to 2007, which killed
dozens of people, including foreigners, and threatened the
stability of one of the worlds most important oil-producing
nations. Saudi Arabia is also home to Islams holiest sites, in
Mecca and Medina.
Interior Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Mansour al-Turki
told The Associated Press that Saudi Arabias security forces
are better prepared than ever to fight back against the Islamic
State group. The kingdom is part of a U.S.-led coalition
bombing the group in Iraq and Syria.
He said there have been five IS-related attacks across
the kingdom in recent months that have killed 15 civilians and
security personnel. But he said Saudis have largely ignored
the IS groups calls to take up arms against their government
and attack the Shiite minority, security forces and foreigners
living in the kingdom.
We do have a number of people who do respond to
such calls and do try to carry out such terrorist organizations
orders, but these people do not represent the Saudi
population, do not represent the 20 million Saudis, he said in
remarks to the AP a day before the announcement of the
arrests, which took place over several months.
Al-Turki said the security raids included a cell of 65
people arrested in March who were involved in a plan to
target residential compounds and prisons. They also
allegedly planned to carry out attacks aimed at creating
sectarian strife. All but two in the cell were Saudi citizens.
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redistributed.
With jihadists launching deadly attacks in the last 12

months in Brussels, Copenhagen and Paris, the European
Commission the blocs executive arm is trying to promote
counter-terrorism cooperation among member states.
Timmermans said many states now see the need to
work more closely despite the long-held principle whereby
national security services give information to others only on
condition they get something equally valuable in return.
Intelligence sharing is not easy, especially when a large
member state tries to work with a smaller ally that does not
have the same resources and capacities, he said.
Trust factor
Member states also worry if information they give
another is safe in the hands of my friends, he added.
Unlike the US federal government, the Commission can
only be a catalyst for cooperation, since responsibility for
security remains the fiercely guarded prerogative of the
sovereign member states.
In reply to a question, Timmermans said the counterterrorism centre would not amount to an EU version of the US
Federal Bureau of Investigation which won powers of mass
surveillance under the Patriot Act introduced in the United
States after the September 11, 2001 attacks.
No, because we dont change the law, we dont
change the (EU) treaties, we dont change the division of
responsibilities, Timmermans said in his 12th floor office
overlooking the Belgian capital.
The counter-terrorism centre features on a roadmap to
combat not only terrorism, but organised crime and
cybercrime that was debated Tuesday in the European
Parliament.
The commission plan calls for also setting up a centre
to prevent radicalisation of the young as well as to hold talks
with top Internet firms on combatting jihadist propaganda.
On cybercrime, the commission said the priority is to
identify ways to overcome obstacles to criminal investigations
online.
Timmermans called for tighter screening of departures
and arrivals at the external borders of the Schengen system,
which allows passport-free travel for nationals of 22 EU
states, plus Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.
EU members Britain, Ireland, Cyprus, Malta, Romania
and Bulgaria are not part of Schengen.
But Timmermans said London has shown it wants very
strong cooperation on European counter-terrorism efforts.
Schengen members also seek to establish an EU-wide
database of airline passenger information, something the
United States has also called for.
Such a database, known as passenger name records
(PNR), is designed to track militants and disrupt plots.
We must proceed with PNR, Timmermans said.
Thousands of European jihadists
Bahrainis Jailed, Stripped Of Nationality, For

Terrorism
AFP, April 29, 2015

Dubai (AFP) Three Bahrainis have each been jailed
for 15 years and stripped of their citizenship for terrorist
acts, a senior judicial official in the Gulf kingdom said on
Tuesday.
In a terrorism-related case, the criminal court
sentenced three people to 15 years each in prison, and to
have their nationality revoked, Ahmed al-Hammadi, the
prosecutor in charge of terrorist cases, said in a statement.
He said the three were prosecuted for possession of
explosives and making home-made devices that were
planted to attack security forces, before being discovered and
defused.
Opposition sources in the Shiite-majority but Sunniruled kingdom said the three were all Shiites involved in
protests.
Since 2001, Bahrain has been rocked by sporadic
Shiite-led demonstrations demanding a constitutional
monarchy.
Washington ally Bahrain, across the Gulf from Shiite
Iran, is the home base of the US Fifth Fleet.
EU To Set Up New Counter-terrorism Centre
By Lachlan Carmichael
AFP, April 29, 2015
Brussels (AFP) The EU on Tuesday announced plans
for an intelligence sharing centre to help its 28 member states
ward off deadly jihadist attacks, but with limited powers that
will not amount to the equivalent of a European FBI.
Unveiling the blocs security priorities for the next five
years, European Commission First Vice President Frans
Timmermans told AFP that the counter-terrorism centre
would be set up within Europol, the continents policing
agency based in The Hague.
Were creating the centre to see whether the member
states can come together more often and learn to work with
each other on the basis of trust, Timmermans said in an
interview in his Brussels office before travelling to the French
city of Strasbourg to brief the European Parliament on the
security plan.
But Im not naive. Thats not going to happen
overnight. What does help a lot is there is a lot of sense of
urgency in every single member state that we need to do
better in cooperating with the intelligence services to prevent
information being lost between one country and the other, he
added.
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But the proposal remains blocked in the European

Parliament which is demanding guarantees to protect
personal information that is collected and shared.
The aim of both measures is to obtain information on
the departure of EU nationals suspected of wanting to join
jihadist groups fighting in the Middle East and then inform EU
countries of their return.
Experts fear that jihadists will return home battlehardened and well trained in the use of explosives and
weapons, posing a direct threat as highlighted in the January
Paris attacks which left 17 people dead.
Several thousands European nationals are feared to
have joined jihadist groups in Syria and Iraq.
In Lisbon, the interior ministers of France, Morocco,
Portugal and Spain said Tuesday in a statement that they
have agreed to step up counter-terrorism cooperation,
including efforts to prevent their residents or nationals from
travelling abroad to wage jihad and monitor their return home.
Eric Holders Defining Legacy On Terror

With the transition in leadership at the Department of
Justice amid the riots in Baltimore this week, it would be easy
to focus only on Attorney General Eric Holders legacy on
domestic policing issues. Such a narrow view, though,
overlooks Holders legacy on national security. The
conventional wisdom is that he stumbled and failed to
achieve signature goals like prosecuting the 9/11 case in
federal court and closing Guantnamo.
But a close look at Holders national security record
reveals that he had a significant and lasting impact on the
governments counterterrorism strategy and the prosecution
and detention of terrorism suspects.
President Barack Obama, from the outset of his
presidency, directed Holder to play a leadership role on
counterterrorism. During his first years in office, Holder was
buffeted and battered by the politics of national security. And
he turned his attention to traditional Justice Department
concerns defending the right to vote, prosecuting major
financial fraud cases and reforming the criminal justice
system where he achieved remarkable success.
But Holder also quietly maintained his focus on national
security. He continued to bring suspected terrorists into
federal court to face justice. Through his persistence, Holder
demonstrated the wisdom and value of prosecuting terrorists
in civilian courts and cemented this approach for future
administrations. He also led the effort to distinguish between
detainees at Guantnamo who posed a threat from those
who could be securely transferred out, paving the way to end
military detention at Guantnamo.
The record speaks for itself: Holders Justice
Department successfully prosecuted a string of terrorism
cases in federal court. In the past few years, in case after
43
case, notorious terrorists have been tried, convicted and

sentenced to life in prison in federal courts: Ahmed Ghailani,
a conspirator in the 1998 East Africa bombings; Sulaiman
Abu Ghaith, a spokesman for Osama bin Laden; and Abu
Hamza, an Al Qaeda operative.
In other cases such as Najibullah Zazi, who plotted
to bomb the New York subway, and Ahmed Warsame, a
supporter of al-Shabab terrorists have pleaded guilty and
are reportedly cooperating with the government. On April 8, a
federal jury convicted Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar
Tsarnaev, and a federal judge arraigned a suspected Al
Qaeda operative detained in Pakistan. As the nations chief
law enforcement officer, Holder pursued one goal: to achieve
swift and certain justice for the victims of terrorist attacks and
their families.
Since 9/11, federal prosecutors have successfully
handled hundreds of terrorism cases. Courts have imposed
lengthy prison sentences and incapacitated terrorists.
Prosecutors, working in tandem with law enforcement and
intelligence agencies, have gathered crucial information from
suspected terrorists facing the prospect of conviction and
prison. Federal courts have proved to be one of our most
effective weapons in the fight against terrorism.
For this reason, Holder sought to prosecute the
terrorists responsible for 9/11 and the deaths of nearly 3,000
Americans in federal court. In November 2009, Holder
announced that five 9/11 co-conspirators, including Khalid
Sheikh Mohammed, would be tried in the federal courthouse
in New York City. Prosecutors from New York and Virginia
had spent months assembling a compelling case against the
9/11 defendants, charging 10 counts, including conspiracy
and murder. And the case did not rely on evidence from the
CIAs interrogation program. Holder called the case one of
the most well-researched and documented cases I have ever
seen in my decades of experience as a prosecutor.
This was the right decision. Our civilian system of
justice has evolved for over 200 years and developed the
proven capacity to handle the most complex and high profile
cases efficiently and fairly. As Holder said then, the terrorists
responsible for 9/11 would stand trial in our justice system
before an impartial jury under long-established rules and
procedures. At the same time, Holder referred five
defendants for trial before the military commissions. These
decisions reflected Holders practical approach and his
commitment to the rule of law, even with the criticism he
encountered.
In 2011, Holder was forced to reverse his decision to
move the 9/11 case to federal court. Congressional
restrictions on transferring Guantnamo detainees to federal
court had delayed the case indefinitely. Today, five years
after Holder announced the decision to prosecute the case in
New York, the military commission case is mired in
procedural delays, legal uncertainty and continued
OPS054000178
controversy. Despite the dedicated efforts of top-notch

military attorneys, the case is making little progress. And
there is still no trial date in sight.
Yet Holders steadfast commitment to bring terrorists to
justice in civilian courts will give future leaders at Justice the
latitude to achieve both justice and security through federal
prosecution.
Holder also took a deliberate approach to the effort to
end military detention at Guantnamo. On his first full day in
office in 2009, Obama signed an order to close the detention
facilities there, a goal that the prior administration was striving
to reach. And he made the decision to put the attorney
general in charge of a comprehensive interagency review of
the detainees at Guantnamo.
Under Holders direction and guidance, this
unprecedented review resulted in decisions on the proper
disposition for each detainee transfer, prosecution or
continued military detention. Each of these decisions was
based on the unanimous agreement of the national security
agencies, including the Defense Department and the
intelligence community.
This was the first time that analysts were able to
examine all relevant information in the governments
possession. And it was the first time that all national security
agencies worked together to examine this information to
determine whether the continued detention of individuals
served our national interests.
Based on this review, the government has, since 2009,
transferred 116 detainees out of Guantnamo under security
arrangements reached with host countries. The Holder-led
review also determined that a substantial number of the 122
remaining detainees posed a continuing threat to Americans
and would remain lawfully detained in military custody.
As both Obama and Sen. John McCain have made
clear, closing Guantnamo in a responsible way is in our
national interest. Guantnamo detentions undermine our
relationship with our allies and bolster the propaganda efforts
of our terrorist adversaries. Even though Holder left office
without achieving the goal of closing Guantnamo, his
leadership on this difficult challenge forged a pathway for
ending detention there.
When he recently bade farewell to the Department of
Justice, Holder talked about the work thats left to do. In his
words, Those who loved this nation most have dared greatly
and have sought to change the status quo for the better.
Holders pragmatic approach to national security has made
the country safer, and his legacy is defined not just by his
accomplishments as attorney general but also by the
example he set as a leader in fighting for goals yet to be
attained.
Matt Olsen was the director of the National
Counterterrorism Center from 2011 to 2014. He served at the
Department of Justice on Eric Holders national security team,
where he worked on the review of Guantnamo detainees,

and as a federal prosecutor.
OTHER CYBER NEWS

White House Unveils Cyber Pact With Japan
By Cory Bennett
The U.S. and Japan unveiled a wide-ranging
cybersecurity alliance Tuesday morning, a step toward the
White Houses goal of creating international cyber norms
amid growing hacking threats from China and North Korea.
The pact came after a daylong Monday meeting
between President Obama and Japanese Prime Minister
Shinzo Abe, who is in Washington on a weeklong visit.The
two countries agreed to swap more data on cyber threats and
the state-sponsored digital theft of intellectual property a
practice commonly tied to China. The pair will also work to
delineate peacetime cyber norms and present a united
cyber front at international organizations, such as the United
Nations General Assembly.
The United States and Japan are building a
partnership that addresses global challenges, the White
House and Japan said in a joint statement.
Part of that broad agenda includes ensuring the safe
and stable use of cyberspace based on the free flow of
information and an open Internet, the two countries said.
Amazon.com Widgets
The U.S. has struggled to hold foreign governments
accountable for suspected cyberattacks on both the U.S.
commercial sector and federal agencies.
Without strong, internationally negotiated rules
governing state-sponsored hacking, the White House has
been hesitant to take retaliatory action against let alone
blame other countries for cyberattacks.
Its widely assumed that Beijing-backed digital warriors
are behind intrusions at several major U.S. health insurers,
large military contractors, the U.S. Postal Service and the
federal weather system.
But the only major public step the administration has
taken was to indict five Chinese military members last year
for hacking a largely symbolic measure.
President Obama did recently sign an executive order
giving the Treasury Department more authority to impose
economic sanctions on governments as punishment for
cyberattacks.
But Tuesdays agreement gives the White House an
Asian ally to help put additional cyber pressure on China and
North Korea, another cyber irritant in the region that
reportedly took down Japan-owned Sony Pictures
Entertainment in a massive digital hit last fall.
44
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The strengthened partnership comes one day after

Secretary of State John Kerry and Defense Secretary Ashton
Carter released updated guidelines for U.S.-Japan military
cooperation.
The revised rules would allow Tokyo to participate in
more international security initiatives, including those in
cyberspace. Specifically, the two countries vowed to
cooperate on helping each other bolster cyber defenses for
critical infrastructure.
U.S. officials have publicly acknowledged that several
countries including Asian power China are sitting on the
United States critical networks, collecting data and possibly
waiting to attack.
Cybersecurity has become a common security issue
for both nations, Japanese Minister of Defense Gen
Nakatani said at a joint press conference with Carter earlier
this month.
On Tuesday, the U.S. and Japan said cyber threats are
an unprecedented threat to international security.
Today the international order faces fresh challenges,
ranging from violent extremism to cyberattacks, they said.
State actions that undermine respect for sovereignty and
territorial integrity by attempting to unilaterally change the
status quo by force or coercion pose challenges to the
international order.
Some lawmakers have argued that the Defense

Departments current strategy is not working, and National
Security Agency Director Adm. Mike Rogers appeared to
agree in one recent hearing.
The Pentagon last week released a new cybersecurity
strategy that includes an unprecedented emphasis on
offensive cyber weapons.
I think it will be useful to us for the world to know that,
first of all, were going to protect ourselves, were going to
defend ourselves, Pentagon chief Ashton Carter told
reporters.
Painter, for his part, said he is working on smaller
measures to cultivate trust including exchanging points-ofcontact and discussing cyber doctrine with his counterparts
around the world, FCW reported.
He is also promoting a set of peacetime principles for
cyberspace, including no attacks on infrastructure.
Lets not try to rush into a treaty that would take years
and were not really even sure what thats about, he said.
Ex-Goldman Programmer Says Jury Behavior

Calls For Mistrial
By Christian Dolmetsch
A lawyer for former Goldman Sachs Group Inc.
programmer Sergey Aleynikov, accused of taking the firms
software code on his last day of work, asked for a mistrial
after two jurors in the case expressed concerns about their
ability to continue deliberating.
Aleynikovs attorney, Kevin Marino, said he asked New
York State Supreme Court Justice Daniel Conviser for the
mistrial Tuesday in a closed session of the court. Jurors had
expressed concerns about their ability to continue amidst
allegations of food tampering and threats about going to the
authorities over positions taken during deliberations in
Manhattan, he said.
The only choice in this case is a mistrial, Marino told
the judge after the courtroom was reopened. You have a
juror essentially admitting on the record to very bizarre and
unusual conduct.
According to Conviser, the two jurors said they were
unsure about their ability to be fair and impartial yet still were
willing to continue deliberations in good faith. The judge sent
the jury home for the night and said he will talk to the jurors in
the morning and rule on the motion, which prosecutors
oppose.
I dont think anythings lost by giving the jurors
overnight to see where they are, Conviser said.
Jurors have been deliberating since April 22 in the case
of Aleynikov, 45, who is charged with taking the firms highfrequency trading code on his last day of work in 2009. He left
for a new job with Teza Technologies LLC, the firm founded
A Cybersecurity Treaty? Not So Fast, Says

State Cyber Czar
By Elise Viebeck
Calls for an international treaty on cybersecurity are
premature given the evolving nature of online threats, the
State Departments cyber envoy said Monday.
Christopher Painter, the departments coordinator for
cyber issues since 2011, acknowledged growing desire in
some quarters for an international agreement on what
constitutes normal behavior for nation states online.
Persistent cyberattacks against U.S. government
agencies, infrastructure and private-sector firms have
produced concern that not enough is being done to deter bad
actors such as Russia and China.
But a treaty is not the answer, at least not now, Painter
said.
You often hear people say we need a treaty in
cyberspace [and] Ive said often I dont know what a treaty is
in cyberspace, Painter said at a cybersecurity conference
held at Georgetown University, according to FCW.
I dont know who signs that treaty, I dont know who the
parties of that treaty are.
The problem of cyber deterrence is taking up more and
more time in congressional discussions of hacking threats.
45
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by former Citadel Investment Group LLC high-frequency

trading chief Misha Malyshev.
FBI agents arrested Aleynikov at Newark Liberty
International Airport in New Jersey in July 2009 as he
returned from Chicago. He was convicted by a federal jury in
2010 and sentenced to eight years in prison.
In 2012, his conviction was reversed by the U.S. Court
of Appeals in New York, which said his actions didnt violate
the federal law under which he was charged. He was charged
by the Manhattan District Attorney six months later.
The case is New York v. Aleynikov, 04447-2012, New
York State Supreme Court, New York County (Manhattan).
to help it play technological catch-up by requiring law

enforcement back doors into every device, every network and
soon into every app.
Consumers and businesses are also smarter today
than they were in 1994. People justifiably feel threatened by
hackers and data thieves who steal for fun and profit.
Consumers and businesses have heard privacy advocates
and government officials evangelizing data protection
vigilance, and they are demanding more including
encryption from technology providers, banks and retailers.
Moreover, after 20 years of empty promises the worlds
citizens and are also much more skeptical of U.S. law
enforcement promises that we first heard 20 years ago that
unfettered access to digital networks would be utilized
judiciously and only for qualified law enforcement needs.
Recently the White House Review Group on
Intelligence
and
Communications
Technologies
recommended that the U.S. Government promote national
security by fully supporting commercial encryption.
President Obama urged private industry to protect U.S.
citizens privacy and civil liberties, saying [w]hen consumers
share their personal information with companies, they
deserve to know that its going to be protected. And later the
President forcefully noted that theres no scenario in which
we dont want really strong encryption.
Industry has responded appropriately to government
and consumer demand. New credit cards are being issued,
encrypted Blackphones are for sale, and encryption
protections are being embedded in devices and services
offered by large companies and new startups. Now the FBI is
pushing back, causing uncertainty, consumer confusion and
inhibiting innovation in encryption and other data protection
technologies. If the U.S. Government demands that digital
products and apps have privacy-breaching back-doors, then
other governments will demand their own back doors or
punish all the apps that comply with the U.S. back door
mandate.
Protect and encrypt (but not too well) is not a slogan
that marketers will celebrate or consumers will rally behind
but it will be heartily endorsed by cyberthieves and hackers.
The American people, Americas businesses and Americas
innovators deserve better.
Potter is president of the Application Developers
Alliance.
Wrongheaded Policy For Innovation, Privacy

And Cybersecurity
By Jon Potter
Consumers want their personal digital data to remain
private. App developers and our business partners are
working hard to make sure personal data remains private.
Networking companies, ISPs, retailers, credit card
companies, device manufacturers and digital services are
investing tens of millions of dollars to upgrade data security
and use encryption to stop cyberhackers and identity thieves.
Inexplicably, the FBI is trying to reverse this trend.
For several years the FBI has promoted encryption to
protect the users personal data. But more recently and quite
vocally, the FBI has urged Congress to prohibit companies
from securely encrypting communications data, and to
guarantee the FBI a back door to every digital device. And
though it has not yet been said, we are confident that the FBI
will extend its call for back doors to cover every app, digital
service, networking device, connected car, thermostat and
even your Fitbit.
The current debate is just beginning, but its origins were
in the early 1990s. Digital innovators were deploying the first
wave of digital networks and privacy-focused innovators were
deploying first generation encryption technologies. Spurred
by urgent cries from the FBI, Congress passed the
Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act
known as CALEA that requires traditional
telecommunications companies to build law enforcement
back doors into broadband and Voice-Over-IP networks and
equipment. Somehow this law withstood judicial review,
notwithstanding our traditional American rights to privacy and
the requirement that police have court-approved warrants
prior to tapping phone lines or searching our homes.
Much has changed since CALEA became law in 1994.
Devices have become smarter and more powerful.
Consumers are transitioning from voice calling to messaging,
voice messaging, emailing and in-app communication. The
FBI is feeling left out and left behind, so it is asking Congress
COUNTERING VIOLENT EXTREMISM

Integration Is
Deradicalization
The
Open
By Alon Ben-Meir
46
Secret
To
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One of the most troubling developments resulting from

the escalation of violent extremism in the Middle East is the
rise in the number of Muslims from the West who are joining
the ranks of jihadist groups, notably ISIS. Western
governments are struggling to find out what motivates young
Muslims to leave their sheltered lives many are well-to-do
and educated only to join radical organizations that offer an
elusive goal and the prospect of violent death.
It appears that the determining factor behind this
phenomenon is the absence of integration, by choice or
design, of young Muslims into the mainstream of their
respective Western countries. For this reason, integration
must be the engine that propels deradicalization, and of
necessity it takes a whole range of socioeconomic, religious,
and political measures to mitigate the vulnerabilities in these
areas that young Muslims experience.
The rise of violent extremism is only at the early stages,
and if the West wants to stem the flow of volunteers to these
ruthless groups, Western countries should make a concerted
effort to engage and understand the nuances of their Muslim
communities, especially the families from which these
volunteers are coming.
Unlike assimilation, where an individual stands to lose
his identity by absorption into the mainstream culture,
integration involves a mutual recognition and respect of the
other a harmonization that includes difference rather than
denies it.
Lewis Mumford put it best when he stated:
Integration proceeds by ... a deliberate heightening of
every organic function; a release of impulses from
circumstances that irrationally thwarted them; richer and more
complex patterns of activity; an esthetic heightening of
anticipated realizations; a steady lengthening of the future; a
faith in cosmic perspectives.
The psychological dimension of violent extremism
needs to be understood, as there is no one single root cause
or path that leads to the mental and emotional conditioning
that transforms young Muslims from being ordinary peaceful
individuals to violent radicals.
The threat emanating today from ISIS, al-Qaeda, and
other Islamist groups is inspired by religious teachings,
distorted under the guise of defending purist Sunni Islam,
which ultimately aim to infect susceptible Muslim youths to
whom religion provides an escape and a sense of belonging.
Violent extremists wage a war on Western cultural and
religious precepts and wish to see their acts fused into the
identity of their own Muslim community so that they can be
recognized as being representative of the larger community,
especially by the media.
Many of the young men and women who live in
Western countries feel increasingly marginalized
economically, socially, and politically and are particularly
vulnerable as they are often in transitional stages in their
lives, whether as immigrants, students in search of friends,

job seekers, etc.
On the whole, they are in need of an outlet to vent their
frustration, and consequently, they become easy prey for
extremists seeking new recruits in mosques and online.
However, there is a common denominator behind most
of the causes that radicalize Muslim youth, which is the lack
of integration into their new social milieu, caused by:
No deliberate effort by governments to integrate Muslim
youth into general society, a condition further aggravated by
entrenched prejudices in most West European societies,
such as Britain and France. Citizens of foreign descent in
these states are often identified and remain as foreigners,
regardless of how long they have been living in their adopted
countries, even if they are second- or third-generation
citizens.
The growing pervasiveness of Islamophobia among
Europeans, precipitated by the rise of violent extremists of all
colorations and the seemingly endless bloodshed between
Muslim communities and against Westerners, which has
produced a conscious and unconscious repudiation of
anything related to Muslims in general.
Interestingly enough, the number of young American
Muslims joining violent extremist groups remains
proportionately considerably less than the number of British
and French Muslims joining ISIS.
This perhaps can be explained by the fact that the U.S.
is essentially a country of immigrants, and having foreign
roots is part of American culture. Therefore, the incorporation
of foreigners into the social mainstream, with some exception,
is left up to the individual and is generally constrained only by
the persons qualifications and ambitions.
West European Muslims in particular seek to maintain
their identity and can do so through integration, where their
identity as a Muslim is not lost, rather than through
assimilation.
If West European countries are to subscribe to
Mumfords notion of integration, they must develop a
comprehensive strategy that would prevent young
disenfranchised Muslims from being lured to join the ranks of
violent extremists.
Before they can develop such a strategy, they must
avoid generalizations (for example, that Islam is inherently
violent) and understand why young Muslims and converts are
joining and why many of them come back. Only then should
governments take specific steps to ensure that those who
joined and return are deradicalized and become useful
citizens who can dissuade others from following their path.
There are no quick fixes for this alarming development,
and no amount of law enforcement and coercion will halt the
flow of volunteers of West European Muslims to join the ranks
of violent extremists other than inclusion.
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To successfully counter violent extremism, West

European countries, together with Muslim leaders and
educators in their respective communities, must investigate
who is embracing radical views through field studies, raise
awareness, and analyze the real root causes in different
Muslim communities, which was and still is missing.
This approach would enable them to present credible
counterarguments with candid, transparent, and open-ended
dialogue that could change the socioeconomic and political
dynamics to create a new atmosphere that would single out
young Muslims in a positive light. To that end, West
European governments must:
Develop community service programs to introduce
young Muslims to the larger community of their Western
peers and begin a process of integration in which they
develop personal interests to fill the social, economic, and
political emptiness they feel.
Invite credible and respected voices from the Muslim
world to discredit the messages of the extremists by arguing
that there is no path to glory in death, that joining such violent
groups only reinforces the vicious cycle of death and
destruction, and that there is no martyrdom in their senseless
self-sacrifices.
Encourage young Muslims to join sport activities and
provide opportunities to show off their talent and ability to
excel, while supporting those who seek to establish their
social identity and be recognized.
Prevent prisons from becoming incubators for new
terrorists by rehabilitating prisoners through community
programs, schooling, professional enhancements, and
assigning of responsibility within the prisons setting; nearly
80 percent of prisoners who went through such rigorous
programs in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Yemen ended up being
completely rehabilitated and became role models for other
prisoners to emulate.
Foster the desire of young Muslims to participate in
local political discussion groups, be involved in the decisionmaking process from the bottom up, and be part of any
positive changes to advance the interests of their
communities and enhance their self-esteem.
Finally, all these programs require a commitment for
long-term funding. No country directly or indirectly affected by
violent extremism can afford to be long on talking and short
on funding. They must provide the financial and human
resources to meet this unprecedented challenge, regardless
of how costly it might be and how long it might take.
Given that the violent turmoil sweeping the Middle East
especially the Sunni-Shia conflict and the civil wars in Syria,
Yemen, and Libya is unlikely to settle anytime soon, a
growing number of young Muslims will join the ranks of
extremists, posing an ever-greater national security menace
for Western countries.
For this reason, we must distinguish between whats

possible and whats impossible to achieve, and what might
become more probable if circumstances change.
Western governments must develop a long-term
deradicalization strategy to stem the flow of Muslim
volunteers with the objective of substantially reducing the
threat they pose upon their return to their respective
countries. There is no shortcut and no means by which to
deradicalize young Muslims other than by taking the
measures outlined above and approaches tailored to specific
communities.
Failure is not an option, as the consequences will be
extraordinarily dire. A state of constant alarm, emergencies,
and terrorism will become a way of life, haunting Western
democracies and violently destabilizing the Middle East for
decades to come.
NATIONAL SECURITY NEWS

After Riots, A Tense City, Peaceful
Demonstrations, Waiting For Whats Next
By Edward Ericson Jr.

Baltimore City Paper, April 28, 2015
It is not clear yet whether Tuesday is the day after, or
Day Two.
Police spokesman Captain Eric Kowalczyk says 235
people were arrested last night, all but 34 of them adults.
There were 144 vehicle fires, and 19 fires in structures.
In a morning press conference Governor Larry Hogan,
who moved his office temporarily to Baltimore from
Annapolis, said 1,000 National Guardsmen were being
deployed with more available. He spoke of the Monday rioting
as an isolated incident, in mostly past-tense terms. He
promised that the increased boots on the ground would
make Baltimore safe.
Meanwhile, public schools, college classes, a baseball
game, and dozens of other events scheduled for today were
cancelled. Some restaurants and others provided free meals
to public school students. CNN and other national media
outlets hit the streets looking for fire.
At noon on the corner of Pennsylvania and North
Avenue a large crowd is gathered in front of riot police. Many
milling about have shovels and bags, theyve been cleaning
up after last nights fires and looting. The crowd is mixed in
race and age. News trucks dot the road to the east. Three
helicopters hover in the air. There are DPW people in yellow
vests directing traffic away.
A man with a shovel says the police showed up an hour
and a half ago. I cant even get to my car, the man says.
Just then, a loud BANG erupts from the middle of the road,
30 feet away. A wave of panicked people run over us, a
woman screaming run!
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The line breaks. Then it is over. The crowd goes back

to what it was doing.
State Sen. Catherine Pugh is here with voter
registration cards. People are chanting.
Meanwhile, a few blocks south and west, in Sandtown,
Dr. Matthew Loftus says the riots last night hit the western
part of the neighborhood, not the south, where he lives with
his family. On this day local organizers wanted to take youth
to clean up the mess, but then thought better of it as word of
a daytime curfew spread. They didnt want to get anyone in
trouble, Loftus says.
This daytime curfew seems to be a fantasy. But it ruled
events in the neighborhood all the same. Lotfus says a
meeting at 1601 N. Calhoun Street (the New Song Worship
Center) with the kids was followed by the Jubilee Arts (1900
block of Pennsylvania) taking kids in to work on painting
murals until five p.m.
By 3 p.m. the crowd at PA and North is still there. So
are the police. Now a love line of black men are posted
between the crowd and the cops. A bottle was thrown,
pepper spray deployed, one person taken into police custody.
The civilians in the middle are trying to keep it civil.
On the scanner, police are talking about clashing with
BGF and Bloods gang members170 of them. It is unclear
where.
This is not supposed to be happening. This morning,
City Councilman Bernard C. Jack Young held a press
conference with clergy and gang leaders, saying that in fact
there was no gang truce in order to attack police.
Its clear that people are acting on odd sources of
information, Loftus says. As soon as that gang threat got out
[yesterday morning] every community leader who knew any
gang members started calling them and asking what was
going on. And then it looks like it got squelched from the top.
The Sandtown Winchester Community Association
meeting for tonight has been cancelled. The reason they
gave was because they want to concentrate on the cleanup,
Loftus says.
At 3:30 a building is burning and media are going into
the burning structure to photograph it, according to the
scanner. The fire department wants police to keep the media
safe from themselves. Its a roof fire on the CVS that was
looted and burned last night. It is out in a few minutes.
Just after 4 the 12 OClock boys arrive on motorcycles
at North and Pennsylvania.
After A Night Of Rioting In Baltimore, Fear Of

Violence Leads To Closures
By John Woodrow Cox And Justin Jouvenal

BALTIMORE This wounded city assumed a
defensive crouch Tuesday, one day after looters and rioters
49
wreaked havoc on West Side neighborhoods. Malls,

museums, courts, federal offices, universities, shops and a
baseball stadium all locked their doors out of fear that the
mayhem would resume and potentially spread despite
the hundreds of National Guard members and police officers
pouring into the city.
The violence first erupted Monday afternoon shortly
after crowds gathered to eulogize Freddie Gray, 25, who died
April 19 of a severe spinal injury he suffered while in police
custody a week earlier.
Tensions flared again Tuesday at the intersection of
Pennsylvania and W. North Ave., the scene of some of
Mondays most intense rioting. Shortly after 2 p.m., people in
a gathering crowd began hurling bottles and traffic cones at a
line of police in riot gear.
Peaceful protesters quickly linked arms and some
raised hands to try to quell the outburst. Others began fleeing
the scene. Overhead, police in a helicopter told people to get
off roofs. An unidentified protester got on a microphone and
pleaded for calm.
As the city teetered on the brink of further unrest,
institutions took extraordinary steps in response to the threat.
After postponing their Tuesday game, the Baltimore Orioles
announced that Wednesdays game would go as scheduled
but be closed to the public. The Orioles and Chicago White
Sox will play at an empty Camden Yards.
The American Heart Association canceled a scheduled
conference, and the Maryland Science Center at Baltimores
Inner Harbor was closed, interrupting planned field trips for
six schools and 400 students. Baltimore City schools were
already closed for the day, but Baltimore County public
schools canceled afternoon activities and Morgan State
University ended classes at 4 p.m.
Even as volunteers swept up the messes left by brickthrowing mobs and defiant residents came out to reclaim
streets now filled with law enforcement vehicles, a sense of
fear hung over Charm City like so much smoke from ruined
storefronts and smoldering cars.
Security Square, a shopping mall west of the city,
closed amid social media rumors that it would be the site of
further riots, and Eastpoint Mall in eastern Baltimore County
closed as well. The federal government closed more than half
a dozen of its Baltimore-area offices, and the Social Security
Administration in Woodlawn began dismissing its 10,000
employees early out of an abundance of caution, a
spokeswoman said.
And although libraries and recreation centers remained
open, Baltimores public schools were closed, and Maryland
Gov. Larry Hogan (R) estimated Tuesday morning that the
police presence in the city had doubled since Monday.
Hogan, who activated the National Guard to assist,
promised a heavy police presence into the night Tuesday to
deter further violence and fires.
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Things are going to be different today, Hogan said

during a news conference broadcast live on Baltimore
television stations. He blamed Mondays havoc on roving
gangs of thugs.
Well be more prepared here tonight, Hogan added.
Well have more people here from the police, from the Guard
and from the fire departments around the state.
Officials struggled, sometimes with themselves, to find
the right mixture of outrage over the violence and sympathy
for the underlying anger of a beleaguered community
traumatized by the death of Gray, who was black and
unarmed. Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake (D) said she
shouldnt have used the thugs to describe the rioters
Monday night.
We dont have thugs in Baltimore, she said, echoing
one of several church leaders who appeared with her at
Bethel A.M.E. Church in West Baltimore to announce that
several places of worship will provide food and comfort for
students Tuesday. Sometimes my own little anger translator
gets the best of me. . . . Theyre going to regret what theyve
done, but its too late.
But even as officials planned for the worst Tuesday, a
groundswell of Baltimore residents took to the streets to show
a different side of this city via a massive, decentralized and
impromptu cleanup effort.
When the sun rose over this West Baltimore
neighborhood, just a dozen volunteers were picking up
garbage. But by noon, hundreds of people armed with
brooms, dustpans, trash cans and even small bulldozers had
crowded the blocks surrounding the intersection that became
the epicenter of Mondays riots.
Some handed out water and trash bags to strangers,
while others plucked garbage from vacant lots and picked up
broken glass. Activists shouted through bullhorns, a man was
registering people to vote, a woman burned incense and a
group spontaneously broke out into a round of Amazing
Grace.
I didnt have to work, so I wanted to do my part, said
Antoinette Rucker, 27, of Baltimore County, who loaded a
trash can into her car and headed into the city to help.
One island of normalcy was the public library just down
the block from the burned out CVS that was a center of
violence Monday.
A day earlier, dozens of patrons and staff members,
including several unaccompanied children, took shelter at the
Enoch Pratt Free Library as the riot raged outside. When
branch manager Melanie Diggs saw the mob moving down
the street, she locked the doors and turned out the lights and
ushered everyone into the childrens section on the lower
level. They hid for more than two hours before scooting out a
side door.
Some of the kids who were here yesterday walked in

this morning, Diggs said Tuesday. That made my heart
melt. The library is a safe place.
At least 19 officers were injured in a melee of brick
throwing and car burning, some suffering broken bones. At
least one was still at the shock trauma center in Baltimore on
Tuesday morning. Officials said his condition was unknown.
City officials tallied more than a dozen structural fires
and 144 vehicle fires. Nearly 200 people were arrested, said
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, who defended the citys
response to the violence. Some have said that officials did
not act fast enough to quell problems.
We responded quickly to a very difficult situation,
Rawlings-Blake said after touring Mondawmin Mall, where
she said looters had caused significant property damage.
There is a delicate balancing act to respond, but not overrespond.
Rawlings-Blake said it was painful to watch the
violence on the streets.
Late Monday night, Grays family called for calm. I
want you all to get justice for my son, but dont do it like this,
said his mother, Gloria Darden. Dont tear up the whole city.
Although the streets grew quiet shortly after sunrise,
problems were reported as late as 5 a.m., and police officers
in riot gear continued to block an intersection that had been at
the center of the mayhem, near a CVS pharmacy that was
burned and looted.
National Guard troops had set up a checkpoint outside
Baltimores Western District police station by early Tuesday
morning, but no troops were visible at the West Baltimore
intersection that was at the center of Mondays protests. City
officials said 200 Guard troops were on the ground and
dozens more were awaiting deployment.
Maj. Gen. Linda Singh, the commander of the Maryland
National Guard, promised Monday evening that her troops
would be out in massive force.
We are going to be patrolling the streets in order to
ensure that we are protecting property, Singh said at a news
conference, adding that troops would be serving in a
supporting role. This is not martial law. Martial law means
that at that point the military fully takes over, so we have not
reached that point.
Police and city officials rejected any connection
between Mondays violence and the peaceful protests that
followed Grays death, saying that the looters and rioters
were criminals who exploited the moment. Many Baltimore
residents agreed.
One woman in her 60s said she locked herself in her
home Monday evening and listened as violence took over her
neighborhood. It reminded her of the 1968 riots that followed
the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. But this
was worse, she said.
50
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She saw police cars burn, and young men dance on the
roofs of the vehicles. On TV, she saw the CVS just around
the corner the one where she gets her medication be
looted and destroyed. She heard hundreds of protesters taunt
police through the night.
Very, very intense, she said, declining to give her
name because she feared that the drug dealers in her
community the ones she shoos off her corner might
seek retribution.
She said she has witnessed police beat young men
here and supports the cause of those who have peacefully
protested in recent days. But she cannot understand the
chaos that erupted Monday, the day of Grays funeral.
I was really angry, she said. I was really, really
angry.
Many Baltimore residents said they were sickened by
what they had seen in their streets the night before and felt
moved to help.
My mother always taught me to control the
controllable, said Monica Mitchell, 34, who said she had
been unable to sleep Monday night as she watched her city
overrun by riots.
Mitchell gathered a rake, gloves and garbage bags and
headed to Pennsylvania and North avenues, near the burned
CVS pharmacy. She arrived at the intersection, which still
smelled of charred plastic, shortly after 5 a.m.
Just two weeks ago, she took one of her two sons to a
library at this same intersection. Now, a line of 20 officers in
full riot gear stood guard. It felt surreal to her, she said.
She said she understood the communitys frustration.
Its an area with a high unemployment rate, where people
often have little to lose, she said. She pulled her phone from
her pocket and, as sirens blared in the distance, read the
words of Maya Angelou.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear, I rise, she
said. Into a daybreak thats wondrously clear, I rise.
A block away, Cristal Renshaw had been out since 6
a.m., picking up trash off the streets after watching events on
Baltimores streets unfold on TV for 10 hours Monday.
Tuesday is her birthday.
She felt compelled to act.
I watched the CVS I go to burn, Renshaw said with a
hoodie pulled up against the morning chill. Now, Im just
going to clean up. I just wanted to help this city.
There seemed to be little rhyme or reason dictating
which stores and shops looters targeted. Across the city,
drugstores were burned out, shoe stores were broken into
and video shops had been emptied.
At a West Baltimore strip mall at 3 a.m., two women
walked through the rubble of a looted Shoe City. One woman
plucked a pair of shoes from a broken window. At 4:30 a.m.,
police sirens pierced the darkness, fires still smoldered, and
stragglers walked through the city carrying shopping bags full

of loot.
Meanwhile, shop owners tried to contain the damage.
Before dawn, the owners of HipHop Fish & Chicken
were installing glass at the entrance to their soul food
restaurant.
Looters had broken into the restaurant and stole more
than $10,000, the owners said. Vandals also broke into a
second location nearby, where they shattered bulletproof
glass and broke into a safe.
They trashed the place, said Wally Zablah, who owns
the restaurant with his brother, Max Zablah.
The brothers, who identified themselves as Palestinians
from Jerusalem, said the violence in Baltimore didnt make
sense.
Even Freddie Gray, he wouldnt approve it, said Wally
Zablah, 41. They just want to destroy the city. This isnt going
to get them justice.
Grays name is the latest in a litany of black men who
have died recently in connection with police, including
Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., and Walter Scott in North
Charleston, S.C. Their deaths have sparked national debate
about the relationship between law enforcement officials and
the communities they work in.
Mondays violence came after a week of peaceful
protests following Grays death, angering some Baltimore
residents who said that looting and rioting hurt efforts to push
for a change in police tactics.
Marvin Warfield, his voice rising, swept trash with a
wide broom at the opening of an alley, just feet from where
cars burned on W. North Avenue hours earlier.
Youth dont know how to articulate, he said. The only
way they know how is violence.
The women cleaning next to him agreed, nodding.
How are you honoring Freddie Grays legacy by doing
that? he continued.
Darlene Cain said that police fatally shot her son in
2008, but even so, she understands that they play an
essential role in the neighborhood.
I still want protection out here, she said. I still want my
community to be safe. We have to work together, whether we
like it or not.
She and Warfield, both 54, said they resent that a
meaningful cause had been marred by violent opportunists.
And they insisted that Mondays chaos had nothing to do with
Gray.
Gone are businesses they suspect will never reopen.
And the CVS, where the communitys elderly got their
medication and its mothers got their baby formula, has been
ravaged.
Hurt, Cain said. Heartbroken.
You cant be nothing but hurt, Warfield added.
51
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Emma Brown, DeNeen L. Brown, Lynh Bui, Peter

Hermann, Dana Hedgpeth, Mary Pat Flaherty, Ovetta
Wiggins, J. Freedom du Lac, Ashley Halsey III, Jenna
Johnson, Mike DeBonis and Joshua Hicks contributed to this
report.
Transcript Of Obamas Speech

Baltimore Is Potent & Powerful
About
Bustle, April 28, 2015

On Tuesday, during a scheduled press conference with
Japans Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Obama spoke out on
Baltimore after a night of violent protests, sparked by the stillmysterious death of Freddie Gray after a routine arrest, that
left the city in tatters. The president stood firm against the
riots that left more than a dozen officers injured, saying there
was no excuse for the kind of violence Baltimore had seen
the previous evening. You can read the full transcript of
Obamas speech below.
With respect to Baltimore, let me make a couple of
points. First, obviously our thoughts continue to be with the
family of Freddie Gray. Understandably, they want answers.
And DOJ has opened an investigation. It is working with local
law enforcement to find out exactly what happened, and I
think there should be full transparency and accountability.
Second, my thoughts are with the police officers who
were injured in last nights disturbances. It underscores that
thats a tough job and we have to keep that in mind, and my
hope is that they can heal and get back to work as soon as
possible.
Point number three, theres no excuse for the kind of
violence that we saw yesterday. It is counterproductive. When
individuals get crowbars and start prying open doors to loot,
theyre not protesting, theyre not making a statement
theyre stealing. When they burn down a building, theyre
committing arson. And theyre destroying and undermining
businesses and opportunities in their own communities that
rob jobs and opportunity from people in that area.
So it is entirely appropriate that the mayor of Baltimore,
who I spoke to yesterday, and the governor, who I spoke to
yesterday, work to stop that kind of senseless violence and
destruction. That is not a protest. That is not a statement. Its
people a handful of people taking advantage of a situation
for their own purposes, and they need to be treated as
criminals.
Point number four, the violence that happened
yesterday distracted from the fact that you had seen multiple
days of peaceful protests that were focused on entirely
legitimate concerns of these communities in Baltimore, led by
clergy and community leaders. And they were constructive
and they were thoughtful, and frankly, didnt get that much
attention. And one burning building will be looped on
television over and over and over again, and the thousands of
52
demonstrators who did it the right way I think have been lost
in the discussion.
The overwhelming majority of the community in
Baltimore I think have handled this appropriately, expressing
real concern and outrage over the possibility that our laws
were not applied evenly in the case of Mr. Gray, and that
accountability needs to exist. And I think we have to give
them credit. My understanding is, is youve got some of the
same organizers now going back into these communities to
try to clean up in the aftermath of a handful of criminals and
thugs who tore up the place. What they were doing, what
those community leaders and clergy and others were doing,
that is a statement. Thats the kind of organizing that needs to
take place if were going to tackle this problem. And they
deserve credit for it, and we should be lifting them up.
Point number five and Ive got six, because this is
important. Since Ferguson, and the task force that we put
together, we have seen too many instances of what appears
to be police officers interacting with individuals primarily
African American, often poor in ways that have raised
troubling questions. And it comes up, it seems like, once a
week now, or once every couple of weeks. And so I think its
pretty understandable why the leaders of civil rights
organizations but, more importantly, moms and dads across
the country, might start saying this is a crisis. What Id say is
this has been a slow-rolling crisis. This has been going on for
a long time. This is not new, and we shouldnt pretend that its
new.
The good news is, is that perhaps theres some
newfound awareness because of social media and video
cameras and so forth that there are problems and challenges
when it comes to how policing and our laws are applied in
certain communities, and we have to pay attention to it and
respond.
Whats also good news is the task force that was made
up of law enforcement and community activists that we
brought together here in the White House have come up with
very constructive concrete proposals that, if adopted by local
communities and by states and by counties, by law
enforcement generally, would make a difference. It wouldnt
solve every problem, but would make a concrete difference in
rebuilding trust and making sure that the overwhelming
majority of effective, honest and fair law enforcement officers,
that theyre able to do their job better because it will weed out
or retrain or put a stop to those handful who may be not doing
what theyre supposed to be doing.
Now, the challenge for us as the federal government is,
is that we dont run these police forces. I cant federalize
every police force in the country and force them to retrain. But
what I can do is to start working with them collaboratively so
that they can begin this process of change themselves.
And coming out of the task force that we put together,
were now working with local communities. The Department
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of Justice has just announced a grant program for those

jurisdictions that want to purchase body cameras. We are
going to be issuing grants for those jurisdictions that are
prepared to start trying to implement some of the new training
and data collection and other things that can make a
difference. And were going to keep on working with those
local jurisdictions so that they can begin to make the changes
that are necessary.
I think its going to be important for organizations like
the Fraternal Order of Police and other police unions and
organization to acknowledge that this is not good for police.
We have to own up to the fact that occasionally there are
going to be problems here, just as there are in every other
occupation. There are some bad politicians who are corrupt.
There are folks in the business community or on Wall Street
who dont do the right thing. Well, theres some police who
arent doing the right thing. And rather than close ranks, what
weve seen is a number of thoughtful police chiefs and
commissioners and others recognize they got to get their
arms around this thing and work together with the community
to solve the problem. And were committed to facilitating that
process.
So the heads of our COPS agency that helps with
community policing, theyre already out in Baltimore. Our
Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division is
already out in Baltimore. But were going to be working
systematically with every city and jurisdiction around the
country to try to help them implement some solutions that we
know work.
And Ill make my final point Im sorry, Mr. Prime
Minister, but this is a pretty important issue for us.
We cant just leave this to the police. I think there are
police departments that have to do some soul searching. I
think there are some communities that have to do some soul
searching. But I think we, as a country, have to do some soul
searching. This is not new. Its been going on for decades.
And without making any excuses for criminal activities
that take place in these communities, what we also know is
that if you have impoverished communities that have been
stripped away of opportunity, where children are born into
abject poverty; theyve got parents often because of
substance-abuse problems or incarceration or lack of
education themselves cant do right by their kids; if its
more likely that those kids end up in jail or dead, than they go
to college. In communities where there are no fathers who
can provide guidance to young men; communities where
theres no investment, and manufacturing has been stripped
away; and drugs have flooded the community, and the drug
industry ends up being the primary employer for a whole lot of
folks in those environments, if we think that were just
going to send the police to do the dirty work of containing the
problems that arise there without as a nation and as a society
saying what can we do to change those communities, to help
lift up those communities and give those kids opportunity,

then were not going to solve this problem. And well go
through the same cycles of periodic conflicts between the
police and communities and the occasional riots in the
streets, and everybody will feign concern until it goes away,
and then we go about our business as usual.
If we are serious about solving this problem, then were
going to not only have to help the police, were going to have
to think about what can we do the rest of us to make
sure that were providing early education to these kids; to
make sure that were reforming our criminal justice system so
its not just a pipeline from schools to prisons; so that were
not rendering men in these communities unemployable
because of a felony record for a nonviolent drug offense; that
were making investments so that they can get the training
they need to find jobs. Thats hard. That requires more than
just the occasional news report or task force. And theres a
bunch of my agenda that would make a difference right now
in that.
Now, Im under no illusion that out of this Congress
were going to get massive investments in urban
communities, and so well try to find areas where we can
make a difference around school reform and around job
training, and around some investments in infrastructure in
these communities trying to attract new businesses in.
But if we really want to solve the problem, if our society
really wanted to solve the problem, we could. Its just it would
require everybody saying this is important, this is significant
and that we dont just pay attention to these communities
when a CVS burns, and we dont just pay attention when a
young man gets shot or has his spine snapped. Were paying
attention all the time because we consider those kids our
kids, and we think theyre important. And they shouldnt be
living in poverty and violence.
Thats how I feel. I think there are a lot of good-meaning
people around the country that feel that way. But that kind of
political mobilization I think we havent seen in quite some
time. And what Ive tried to do is to promote those ideas that
would make a difference. But I think we all understand that
the politics of that are tough because its easy to ignore those
problems or to treat them just as a law and order issue, as
opposed to a broader social issue.
That was a really long answer, but I felt pretty strongly
about it.
Baltimore Riot Spurs Obama Call For National

Soul Searching
By Mike Dorning and Justin Sink

Bloomberg Politics, April 28, 2015
President Barack Obama called for a soul-searching
national examination of the consequences of endemic
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poverty in minority communities in the aftermath of rioting in

Baltimore.
Obama said the violence Monday in Baltimore, which
erupted after the funeral for a black man who was fatally
injured while in police custody, and last year in Ferguson,
Missouri, was a predictable result of life in places stripped of
opportunity, where children grow up in poverty without fathers
and are more likely to end up in jail than in college.
Even as Obama denounced the handful of criminals
and thugs who set fires and looted stores and said there still
are too many instances in which young black black men are
mistreated by police, he turned a question on the Baltimore
riots at a White House press conference into a broad
indictment of the nations moral priorities.
It is counterproductive.
President Barack Obama
If our society really wanted to solve the problem, we
could it would just require everyone saying this is
important, Obama said, that we dont just pay attention to
these communities when a CVS burns and we dont just pay
attention when a young man gets shot or has his spine
snapped. Social Change
The response harkened back to the promise of social
change that helped propel Obamas barrier-breaking 2008
candidacy to become the nations first black president and his
political origins as a community organizer on Chicagos
impoverished South Side.
That was a really long answer but I felt pretty strongly
about it, he said. He turned to Japanese Prime Minister Abe
Shinzo, who joined him for the press conference on U.S.Japan relations and trade, saying, Im sorry, Mr. Prime
Minister, but this is a pretty important issue for us.
Riots erupted Monday following the funeral of Freddie
Gray, 25, who died on April 19 after suffering spinal-cord
injuries while in police custody.
The Baltimore Police Department said fifteen officers
were injured in the violence.
My thoughts are with the police officers who were
injured in last nights disturbances, Obama said. Theres no
excuse for the kind of violence we saw yesterday.
U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch, who was sworn in on
Monday, dispatched the Justice Departments top civil rights
official and the director of its community policing program to
Baltimore. The departments civil-rights division and the FBI
are investigating what she called the tragic death of Mr.
Gray. Improving Relations
Following the deaths of two black men at the hands of
police in separate instances in Ferguson, Missouri, and
Staten Island, New York, Obama ordered a presidential task
force to examine how to improve relations between
community and police.
Last month, Obama said his administration would act
on the panels recommendations, which included a call for
greater oversight of police departments and the use of

independent prosecutors to investigate deadly use of force by
officers. The 11-member group also urged state and local
police departments to change how officers view the
communities they patrol and collect and publicize
demographic information and about who they stop.
As late as Monday, Obamas spokesman said that the
onus is on local law enforcement to confront tensions
between police and minority communities.
Ultimately, this is a problem that the federal
government is not going to be able to solve, White House
press secretary Josh Earnest said.
But Obama said Tuesday that the conflict wont be
solved simply by repairing the relationships between police
and citizens. The country, he said, cant send officers to do
the dirty work of containing the problems that arise in
impoverished communities.
Unless society does the work needed to change and lift
up those communities, well go through the same cycles of
periodic conflicts between the police and communities and
the occasional riots in the streets.
Events In Baltimore Reflect A Slow-Rolling

Crisis Across U.S., Obama Says
By Julie Hirschfeld Davis

WASHINGTON President Obama responded with
passion and frustration on Tuesday to the violence that has
rocked Baltimore and other cities after the deaths of young
black men in the hands of the police, saying it was part of a
slow-rolling crisis that demanded a period of national soulsearching to resolve.
Speaking in the White House Rose Garden, Mr. Obama
called for full transparency and accountability in a
Department of Justice investigation into the death of Freddie
Gray, the young black man who died of a spinal cord injury
sustained while in police custody. But he also said his
thoughts were with the police officers injured in Monday
nights unrest in Baltimore, which he said underscores that
thats a tough job, and we have to keep that in mind.
The president made clear during a 14-minute soliloquy
on the issue that he had no sympathy for perpetrators of the
violence that had erupted on the streets.
Theres no excuse for the kind of violence that we saw
yesterday it is counterproductive, Mr. Obama said.
Asked whether the episode reflected a crisis in the
country, Mr. Obama said: This has been a slow-rolling
crisis.
This isnt new, and we shouldnt pretend that its new.
He also pushed back on critics who said he should be
more aggressive in his response, saying: I cant federalize
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every police department in the country and force them to

retrain.
But Mr. Obama said that law enforcement officials and
organizations that represent them must admit that some
police officers are not acting appropriately. There are some
police who arent doing the right thing, he said.
The president also said the problem went far beyond
the police, who he said are too often deployed to do the dirty
work of containing the problems that arise in broken urban
communities where fathers are absent, drugs dominate and
education, jobs and opportunities are nonexistent.
Its too easy to ignore those problems or to treat them
just as a law-and-order issue, as opposed to a broader social
issue, said Mr. Obama, who made the remarks in a joint
news conference with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan.
Toward the end of the remarks, he apologized to Mr. Abe for
taking so much time in the news conference on the issue.
That was a really long answer but I felt pretty strongly about
it, Mr. Obama said.
Mr. Obama showed flashes of anger during what was
apparently a carefully thought-out response to the events in
Baltimore. As he has before, the president bristled at what he
argued was the news medias habit of focusing on dramatic
images of brutality and chaos rather than on what have been
mostly peaceful protests in Baltimore and other cities.
One burning building will be looped on television over
and over and over again, and thousands of demonstrators
who did it the right way, I think, have been lost in the
discussion, Mr. Obama said. The overwhelming majority of
the community in Baltimore, I think, have handled this
appropriately, expressing real concern and outrage over the
possibility that our laws were not applied evenly in the case of
Mr. Gray and that accountability needs to exist.
They should get credit for that, he added, and for going
back onto the streets Tuesday to try to clean up in the
aftermath of a handful of protesters, a handful of criminals
and thugs who tore up the place.
the tension that simmers under the surface and breaks

through during confrontations with law enforcement.
I think there are police departments that have to do
some soul searching. I think there are some communities that
have to do some soul searching, Obama said. But I think we
as a country have to do some soul searching. This is not
new.
Obama also said there is no excuse for the riots and
violence.
It is not a protest. It is not a statement, Obama said.
Its a handful of people taking advantage of the situation for
their own purposes, and they need to be treated as
criminals.
But he said the deeper problem is a lack of education
opportunities for many kids and a criminal justice system that
is a pipeline from schools to prisons.
Baltimore on Tuesday remained on edge after rioting
swept through its streets starting Monday afternoon, following
the funeral of Freddie Gray, who died from spinal injuries he
didnt have before he was taken into custody by the police in
Baltimore. The U.S. Justice Department is investigating the
circumstances around his death.
The White House has been in touch with both Baltimore
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and Maryland Gov. Larry
Hogan, who have struggled to contain the unrest and fielded
criticism for not deploying more law enforcement earlier to
head off the violence.
On Tuesday afternoon, Rawlings-Blake said she was
given hope by the residents and organizers who spent the
day trying to clean up the damage. I think this can be our
defining moment and not the darkest days that we saw
yesterday, she said at a press conference.
Baltimore police said Tuesday afternoon that officers
had arrested 235 people in the rioting and looting, 34 of which
were juveniles.
At least 20 officers were injured, Baltimore Police Capt.
Eric Kowalczyk said during a news conference at 2:15 p.m.
Police said there were 144 fires reported overnight
involving 144 vehicles and 15 structures. One person is in
critical condition from a structure fire, Kowalczyk said.
The NAACP, which is headquartered in Baltimore,
opened a satellite office Tuesday in the citys SandtownWinchester neighborhood to provide support in the
community, including handling claims of police misconduct.
The challenge here is you want to keep people safe in
what has become a theater of rioting and disorder, NAACP
President and CEO Cornell William Brooks said in an
interview, about the overall response to the violence.
The turmoil in Baltimore has renewed a national debate
about how to alleviate the mistrust that exists between law
enforcement and communities throughout the U.S. Last year,
Obama appointed a task force to study the issue after the
President Obama: no Excuse For Baltimore

Riots
By Nick Gass
President Barack Obama on Tuesday said America
needs to do some soul searching to break the cycle of
clashes between police and the communities they serve.
Obama spoke hours after Baltimore was gripped
overnight by looting and riots in reaction to the death of a 25year-old black man injured while in police custody last week.
During a press conference in the Rose Garden, Obama
struck a stern tone in saying America needs to get serious
about lifting up impoverished communities, to help alleviate
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uproar in Ferguson, Missouri, over the shooting of an

unarmed black teenager by a white police officer.
But Baltimore and a series of other fatal confrontations
have shown that the underlying problem runs deep and task
forces can only go so far.
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid on Tuesday
afternoon followed up Obamas comments by calling on his
congressional colleagues to help lift communities stuck in
poverty.
He delivered a passionate plea on the Senate floor:
We should not let the violence perpetrated by a few to
become an excuse to ignore the underlying problem: that
millions of Americans feel powerless in the face of a system
that is rigged against them.
Reid said the bipartisan work on criminal justice report
is a good start, but that the only bill on Congress agenda that
could create jobs is the highway bill.
That is not enough. We need to do more. Its up to us
here in this Capitol to create jobs, Reid said.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), a
Baltimore native, called on the citys residents to respect the
great successful tradition of non-violence.
The burden of trying to ease the tension has been
freshly placed on the shoulders of Loretta Lynch, who was
sworn in on Monday as the first female African-American
attorney general in history. During her confirmation, she
named strengthening ties between law enforcement officials
and their communities one of my key priorities.
The Justice Department has not announced plans for
Lynch to go to Baltimore. So far, two of her deputies have
been dispatched, and Lynch has pledged the agencys full
support. I will bring the full resources of the Department of
Justice to bear in protecting those under threat, investigating
wrongdoing, and securing an end to violence, she said
Monday evening.
Baltimore drew on law enforcement forces from around
the state, and outside, to bring calm to the city. Gov. Hogan
declared a state of emergency on Monday evening, and
brought in support from the National Guard.
A citywide curfew will begin Tuesday from 10 p.m. to 5
a.m., and will extend through the week in an attempt to curb
violence.
Youre going to continue to see a growing presence,
Hogan said on Tuesday. By tonight, youre going to see an
overwhelming display of people out there on the streets
protecting citizens. What happened last night is not going to
happen again.
Former Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis
pleaded for calm on Tuesday in the city where he played
professional football for 17 seasons.
No way. No way. No way this can happen in our city,
he said in a fiery two-minute video posted to his official
Facebook page. No, young kids, youve got to understand

something. Get off the streets.
Throughout Baltimore, there were signs of a city
upended. Schools closed on Tuesday, and some public
transportation was suspended.
The Baltimore Orioles announced that Tuesdays game
against the White Sox had been postponed and in an unusual
move, said Wednesdays game would be played before an
empty stadium.
A number of 2016 presidential contenders weighed in
on the violence that had swept through Baltimore.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton tweeted that
she is praying for those in the city and Grays family, adding
that his death is a tragedy that demands answers.
Former Maryland Gov. Martin OMalley said Monday
that he was canceling paid speeches in Europe to return to
the city where he also served as mayor from 1999 to 2007.
Sen. Rand Paul, speaking with conservative radio host
Laura Ingraham, said the violence showed a number of
underlying problems: The breakdown of the family structure,
the lack of fathers, the lack of sort of a moral code in our
society. He also said, This isnt just a racial thing. It goes
across racial boundaries.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Tuesday tweeted
that the New Jersey State Police would be deployed to
Maryland to provide investigative and logistical support.
Ben Carson, who worked as a neurosurgeon in
Baltimore for decades, called the situation in Baltimore very
unfortunate and told parents, grandparents and guardians to
take control of their children and keep them off the streets.
It is vital to remember that the best way to create
positive change is through peaceful conversation and policy
ideas that display a commitment to resolution. My thoughts
and prayers are extended to those who are experiencing fear
during this troubling time, Carson said in a statement.
Adam Lerner and Seung Min Kim contributed to this
report.
Obama: Baltimore Violence Is Distraction

From Police Issues
By David Jackson
WASHINGTON President Obama condemned the
violence in Baltimore Tuesday, saying it distracts from
legitimate questions about police conduct in communities of
color.
yesterday it is counter-productive, Obama said during a
joint news conference with Japanese prime minister at the
White House.
In a long and at times emotional statement, Obama
said that rioters are only gutting their own neighborhoods.
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When individuals get crowbars and start prying open doors

to loot, theyre not protesting, he said. Theyre not making a
statement theyre stealing.
While decrying a number of problems afflicting urban
American, from police violence to poverty, Obama reserved
his most venomous comments for those who torched and
looted property during a night of violence Monday.
They were a handful of criminals and thugs who need
to be treated as criminals, he said at one point.
The nations first African-American president also
expressed condolences to the family of Freddie Gray, who
died while in Baltimore police custody. Obama said police
conduct in urban areas remains an issue that must be
addressed.
What Id say is this has been a slow-rolling crisis,
Obama said. This has been going on for a long time.
Police officers, community members, and all Americans
need to do some soul searching about equal opportunity,
poverty, single parenting, drugs, and other problems in parts
of the nation, Obama said. Too many people expect to send
the police to do the dirty work of containing the problems, he
said.
Throughout his 14-minute answer to a question about
Baltimore, a frustrated Obama sought to balance his support
of the police with criticism for the actions of some individuals
a rhetorical approach he also took to urban communities in
general.
Americans shouldnt just pay attention when a CVS
burns and we dont just pay attention when a young man gets
shot or has his spine snapped, Obama said, the latter
comment a reference to Gray.
The president noted that he appointed a task force to
make recommendations in the wake of police killings in
Missouri and New York, but local officials have to help. I
cant federalize every police force in the country and force
them to re-train, he said. But what I can do is to start
working with them.
Obama also paid tribute to Baltimore police officers who
were injured during Mondays riots, and noted that most of
the demonstrations that followed Grays death have been
peaceful.
Taking a poke at the media coverage, Obama said that
one burning building will be looped on television over and
over and over again, and the thousands of demonstrators
discussion.
As Obama spoke, some television networks showed
Obama on a split-screen next to scenes of more protests in
Baltimore.
During a long statement, Obama made what he
described his six points: Condolences to the Gray family,
support for the injured police officers, condemnation of the
violence in Baltimore, the legitimate concerns of the
community about police tactics, the national problem of

police-community relations, and the need for all Americans to
help seek a solution.
The president at one point apologized to his guest,
Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, for the length of his
response to a question about Baltimore. He said, that was a
really long answer, but I felt pretty strongly about it.
Obama and Abe held a joint news conference after
meeting in the Oval Office, with trade a major topic.
American and Japanese negotiators try to put the
finishing touches on their section of a massive trade
agreement involving the United States and a dozen Pacific
Rim nations.
Among the sticking points that remain: American tariffs
on Japanese pickup trucks, and Japanese barriers to U.S.
farming products.
There are many Japanese cars in America, Obama
said at one point. I want to see more American cars in
Japan, as well.
Abe also endorsed at least the idea of a trade
agreement known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership, saying it
is prosperity that brings peace.
Some Democrats, such as Sen. Elizabeth Warren of
Massachusetts, say free trade agreements wind up shipping
U.S. jobs to other countries that have lower wage and
environmental standards.
Obama said its important for the U.S. to nail down the
Trans-Pacific Partnership because, otherwise, China will be
in a position to write trade rules for Asia. At the same time, he
said China which has numerous arguments with its
neighbors over maritime rights and border disputes should
not be threatened by the TPP.
We welcome Chinas peaceful rise, Obama said.
Earlier in the day, Abe arrived at the White House for a
traditional trumpets-and-flourishes ceremony on featuring
military bands and a rainbow of flags. Abe, standing at
attention alongside Obama, received a 19-gun salute as the
band played the national anthem of Japan, and hundreds of
guests on the lawn stood at attention.
The day will end with a state dinner at the White House.
Japan native Masaharu Morimoto a star on Iron Chef
will help prepare the meal featuring an American version of
Japanese Wagyu beef. Diners will have the option of
silverware or chop sticks.
After dinner, Abe and some 300 guests will be
entertained by cast members from the film of the musical
Jersey Boys.
Tavis Smiley: In Baltimore, Obama Hands-off

On Hands Up
By Tavis Smiley
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For some, the death of Freddie Gray is yet another

example of police brutality in a season that has seen too
many dead black bodies stacking up too high in Americas
morgues.
Others cite national crime statistics to justify their claim
that this is just another isolated incident of police
misconduct, not an assault on the lives of black men and
boys.
Fair enough, but how many isolated incidents equal a
pattern?
Every time another precious black life is lost under
mysterious circumstances and we regard it as just another
isolated incident, we demean the unnecessary death and
disrespect the dignity of black fellow citizens.
There is a pattern here. It might well be a pattern that
we have yet to acknowledge or come to terms with, but there
is a pattern.
A pattern of unconscious bias where black boys are
more likely to be mistaken as older, perceived as guilty and
face police violence if accused of a crime, according to the
American Psychological Association.
A pattern that causes black men and boys to be
demonized and end up dead even when they pose no threat
to the life of the arresting officer. Is Gray dead for merely
making eye contact with an officer and running away? Is that
a crime? Did running away warrant the death of an unarmed
Walter Scott in North Charleston, S.C.?
A pattern that leads to predatory policing rather than
community-based policing in neighborhoods of color.
A pattern of citizen disbelief that for decades has
deemed the stories of victims suspect, until the advent of
video, which now regularly proves that police arent always so
virtuous.
A pattern in which every time this happens, we engage
in a faux national conversation about police misconduct and
race relations until the looters stop looting, until the fires have
been doused. And then we return to business as usual.
Whats tragic about these riots in Baltimore is that they
will be used once again by the chattering class to suggest
that African Americans dont respect police authority.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Indeed, because black folk are the disproportionate
victims of violent crime, black communities across America
welcome community-based policing that protects and serves
them.
What black residents oppose is police mischief and
police abuse.
Especially when the mayor and the police in Baltimore
cant explain how Gray wound up dead in their custody. A
black mayor and a black police commissioner, I might add.
Whether the power structure is white or black, the
humanity and dignity of Freddie Gray and others is still being
contested. After recent municipal elections, they now have
black elected officials in Ferguson, Mo., too, but if the pattern

of predatory policing doesnt change, what does it matter?
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. abhorred riots because he
saw violence as both impractical and immoral. But he also
said this: You cant blame non-violent demonstrators who
are demonstrating for their constitutional rights when violence
erupts. This would be like blaming the robbed man for the evil
act of robbery because his possessions of wealth, money,
precipitates the act. Society must always condemn the robber
and protect the robbed.
King went on to say, If our government cannot create
jobs, it cannot govern. It cannot have white affluence amid
black poverty and have racial harmony. The turmoil of the
ghetto is the externalization of the negros inner torment and
rage.
King was talking about Detroit then; clearly his words
apply to Baltimore today.
Police misconduct is nothing new. Riots are nothing
new.
Whats new would be a meaningful and sustained
conversation about how to make America better, by making
its politically, economically and socially disenfranchised
citizens less embittered.
President Obama is right to urge the nation to do some
soul searching, but we also need moral leadership. These
national crises such as Ferguson and Baltimore show the
limits of the presidents hands off approach to a hands up
crisis. We have to be intentional; we have to be engaged. We
dont need another commission or task force to study the
problem, offering recommendations that are never heeded or
enacted.
Ignorance is not genetic. A lack of courage allows us to
remain blinded to our own history and deaf to the cries of our
past, poet Maya Angelou said. History, despite its
wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage,
need not be lived again.
Do we have the courage?
Tavis Smiley is host and managing editor of Tavis
Smiley on PBS, and author of My Journey With Maya.
In addition to its own editorials, USA TODAY publishes
diverse opinions from outside writers, including our Board of
Contributors. To read more columns like this, go to the
Opinion front page.
Obama Calls For National Soul Searching

Over Freddie Grays Death
Baltimore Sun, April 29, 2015

WASHINGTON President Barack Obama on Tuesday
criticized those rioting in the streets of Baltimore as
criminals and thugs and argued that broader societal
changes are needed to address underlying tensions that exist
between African American communities and the police.
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Making his first remarks on the death of Freddie Gray

and the ensuing violence, Obama said fixing the problems
experienced in Baltimore, Ferguson, Mo., and other cities will
require politically difficult choices on education, criminal
justice reform and economic investment in neighborhoods
often overlooked until such incidents occur.
going to need to not only help the police, were to have to
think about what we can do the rest of us, Obama said
during a Rose Garden press conference with the Prime
Minister of Japan.
Thats hard, he said. That requires more than just the
occasional news report or task force.
If we really want to solve the problem, if our society
really wanted to solve the problem, we could. Its just that it
would require everyone saying, this is important, this is
significant, Obama said.
And we dont just pay attention when a CVS burns, he
added. Thats how I feel.
In an extended discussion in response to a single
question on the situation in Baltimore, Obama noted that the
Justice Department is looking into the Freddie Gray incident
and said that members of his administration will visit the city.
He argued that the riots, which grew particularly intense
after Grays funeral on Monday, had unnecessarily
overshadowed more peaceful protests in previous days.
That is not a protest. That is not a statement, Obama
said of the violence. Its a handful of people taking
advantage of the situation. They need to be treated as
criminals.
Copyright 2015, The Baltimore Sun
periodic conflict between the police and communities and the

occasional riots in the streets and everybody will feign
concern until it goes away and then we go about our business
as usual.
People only seem to care, Obama said, when theres a
building burning, when cable news takes a break from
chasing missing airplanes and goes on riot patrol.
But Obama speaks the way he did about race only
during such events, too as much as people keep turning to
the nations first African-American president at times like
these, hes spent the last 6 years getting hit no matter what
hes said.
Obama has felt his previous remarks on race have
sometimes been misconstrued. In 2009, six months into the
job, he said the police acted stupidly arresting Henry Louis
Gates on his front porch and then had to host a beer summit
to calm things down. In 2012, after the killing of teenager
Trayvon Martin, the White House spent weeks afterward
unpacking, If I had a son, hed look like Trayvon. Last year,
as Ferguson burned, he was hammered for seeming too
deferential to the police, not angry enough, staying on
vacation in Marthas Vineyard instead of flying in on Air Force
One to join the marches.
White House aides say that Obamas long, deliberative
answer wasnt designed to be the start of a long, end-of-term
conversation from Obama about race in America. Even as
the presidents gotten more comfortable talking about race
just look at some of the jokes he told and then laughed at
during the White House Correspondents Dinner. But his own
thinking about the role of race in America actually hasnt
changed much over his time in office. His six points were an
effort to get at that, while weaving through all the other
problems hes stumbled into over the years.
He basically just let you in and said, Heres how I am
thinking about this, said a White House official.
First, Obama offered sympathies to the family of
Freddie Gray, while very carefully avoiding assigning blame
or anything else that might get in the way of the Justice
Department investigation of his death while in police custody.
Second, sympathies to the cops who were injured in the riots
and their families. The rioters violence would not be
condonedtheyre not protesting, theyre not making a
statement, theyre stealing, Obama said, laying in on his third
point, and then pivoting to his fourth: Focusing only on the
violence distracts from both the peaceful protests and the
people whove been trying to defuse the violence.
Fifth: He actually is doing something, the president
argued. He had a task force on policing. Hes been trying to
work with local communities, get attention for police reforms
that the task force recommended, and some that they did not.
I cant federalize every police force in the country and
force them to retrain, Obama said. But what I can do is to
Obama Outlines 6 Principles On Race In

America
By Edward-Isaac Dovere
President Barack Obama didnt want to get
misinterpreted on race again.
The president offered not one, not two, but six points on
the Baltimore riots carefully outlined in notes hed made
ahead of a press conference on Tuesday with the Japanese
prime minister that was supposed to be focused on trade and
the pomp and circumstance of a state visit.
Really, the six points boiled down to one point: This
has been a slow-rolling crisis. This has been going on a long
time.
If we think that were just going to send police to do the
dirty work of containment, were not going to solve this
problem, Obama said in the White House Rose Garden,
apologizing to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as he went on at
length about an issue thats essentially irrelevant to the
Japanese relationship. Well go through the same cycles of
59
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start working with them collaboratively so that they can begin

this process of change themselves.
No easy sound bite. No truth-telling ad-lib. The closest
he came was in his expansive sixth point, when he got
animated, cutting the air with his hands, emphasizing each
point he landed on. The countrys in need of soul-searching,
he said. People and not just people whose would have
sons that look like Trayvon need to take responsibility for
all the children suffering in disadvantaged communities, many
of them black.
really wanted to solve the problem, we could, Obama said,
making his sixth and final point. But it would take paying
attention all the time because we consider those kids our
kids, and we think theyre important. And they shouldnt be
He will keep talking about race and inequality, aides
say, but in the context of other priorities pushing for
criminal justice reform, job training, early childhood education
and founding his mentoring program for black youth called
My Brothers Keeper.
But without congressional funding or local leadership,
those wont make much headway.
What Ive tried to do is to promote those ideas that
would make a difference, Obama concluded. But I think we
all understand that the politics of that are tough because its
easy to ignore those problems or to treat them just as a law
and order issue, as opposed to a broader social issue.
Regarding larger, systemic issues affecting

impoverished communities, the president said that a
nationwide mobilization to solve the problem would be
necessary for reform.
Everyone needs to feel that those kids are our kids, and
we think theyre important, and they shouldnt be living in
poverty or violence, he said. A call for broader political
reform
Obama condemned the rioters in strong term, and
argued not only that they should be treated as criminals, but
that their actions were counterproductive.
Theyre destroying and undermining opportunities and
businesses in their own communities, he said.
He further argued that the violence yesterday distracted
from multiple days of peaceful protests that were focused on
entirely legitimate concerns.
On larger issues, though, Obama said that many local
police forces needed to be reformed: I think its going to be
important for organizations like the Fraternal Order of Police
and other police unions to acknowledge that this is not good
for police. Just like there are corrupt politicians and
businessmen, he said, there are some police who arent
doing the right thing, and that thoughtful police leaders
shouldnt close ranks but instead should work on
constructive proposals to improve their practices.
That kind of political mobilization, we havent seen in
quite some time
Obama also went beyond just talking about policing,
and said
we as a country have to do some soul-searching on
issues at play in impoverished communities that have been
stripped away of opportunity. He pointed to drugs, a lack of
fathers, and a lack of economic investment. If were serious
about solving the problem, he said, farther-reaching reforms
on education and criminal justice should be enacted.
If we think were just going send the police to do the
dirty work of containing the problems that arise there,
Obama continued, then were not going to solve this
problem. It would require, he said, everybody saying, This
is important; this is significant. And we dont just pay attention
to these communities when a CVS burns. And we dont just
pay attention when a young man gets shot or has his spine
snapped. Were paying attention all the time because we
consider those kids our kids, and we think theyre important
and they shouldnt be living in poverty and violence.
That kind of political mobilization, he concluded, we
havent seen in quite some time.
Obama Calls Baltimore Rioters Criminals,

But Calls For Soul-searching On Larger
Issues
By Andrew Prokop
Vox, April 28, 2015
In a press conference at the White House today,
President Obama condemned rioters in Baltimore, but called
for more attention to the systemic problems that plague lowincome communities.
Obama stressed that the Department of Justice had
opened an investigation into the death of Freddie Gray, a 25year-old black man who was rushed to the hospital with a
fatal spinal cord injury while under Baltimore police custody,
and said he hopes answers are found. The president also
called for the reform of local police practices.
On the violence, Obama stressed that the
rioters were only a handful of the overall protesters,
but said:
When individuals get crowbars and open doors to loot,
theyre not protesting. Theyre not making a statement.
Theyre stealing. He
called rioters criminals and thugs who tore up the
place.
Presidents Comments On Police And Poor

More Pointed Than Usual.
By Ben Mathis-Lilley
Slate, April 28, 2015
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Fielding a question about Baltimore during a press

conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe,
President Obama spoke at length about crime and police
brutality. Obama condemned Monday nights rioting and
expressed sympathy with injured officers, but also called the
persistence of police violence across the country troubling
and cataloged the systematic failures that seemingly make
such issues inevitable. It was an unusually stark and perhaps
even pessimistic take coming from Obama, whose
statements on other recent police issues have tended to be
fairly conservative and evenhandedand whose political
image is, of course, built on hope and optimism.
The president was responding specifically to a question
about whether the seeming epidemic of police-community
conflict constitutes a national crisis, and whether his own
comments on such matters since Trayvon Martins 2012
death have been insufficient. The initial section of his
extended responsehe said that he wanted to make six
points about the subjectexpressed sympathy for the family
of the late Freddie Gray, who died while in police custody,
and to the Baltimore officers who have been injured. As he
did after violence in Ferguson, Obama also condemned
rioting and looting as the opportunistic and counterproductive
acts of criminals and thugs. Said Obama: It is not a protest.
It is not a statement. It is a handful of people taking
advantage of a situation for their own purposes and they
need to be treated as criminals.
Subsequently, though, Obama pivoted to a broader
discussion of the backlash against police violence, and his
tone became sharper.
The violence that happened yesterday distracted from
the fact that you had seen multiple days of peaceful protests
that were focused on entirely legitimate concerns of these
communities in Baltimore, led by clergy and community
leaders. And they were constructive and they were thoughtful.
And frankly it didnt get that much attention. And one burning
building will be looped on television over and over and over
again, and the thousands of demonstrators who did things the
right way, I think, have been lost in the discussion.
He acknowledged the seeming deluge of similar
incidents:
Since Ferguson and the task force that weve put
to be police officers interacting with individuals, primarily
African-American, often poor, in ways that raise troubling
questions. And it comes up, it seems like, once a week now.
Or once every couple of weeks. And so I think its pretty
understandable why the leaders of civil rights organizations,
but more importantly moms and dads across the country,
might start saying, this is a crisis. What Id say is, this has
been a slow-rolling crisis, this has been going on for a long
time. This is not new and we shouldnt pretend that its new.
Discussing the administrations work reforming local

police departmentsincluding race-related retraining and
grants to purchase body camerasObama challenged
organizations like the Fraternal Order of Police and other
police unions to acknowledge that incidents of violence
against unarmed suspects are not good for police. ... Theres
some police who arent doing the right thing. He detailed
problems in low-income neighborhoods including inferior
schools, drug addiction, unjust sentencing, the so-called
school-to-prison pipeline, and the decline of manufacturing
jobsand suggested that the largest problem of all is public
disinterest in the conditions of poor communities.
police departments that have to do some soul-searching, I
think there are some communities that have to do some soulsearching, but I think we as a country have to do some soulsearching. This is not new. Its been going on for decades.
In those environments, if we think that were just going
to send the police to do the dirty work of containing the
problems that arise there, without as a nation and as a
society saying what can we do to change those communities,
to help lift up those communities and give those kids
opportunity?, then were not going to solve this problem. And
well go through the same cycles of periodic conflicts between
the police and communities, and the occasional riots in the
streets, and everybody will feign concern until goes away and
then we go about our business as usual. If we are serious
about solving this problem then were not only going to have
the police, were going to have to think about what can we do,
the rest of us.
If we really wanted to solve the problem, if our society
really wanted to solve the problem, we could ... its just it
would require everybody saying this is important, this is
significant. And that we dont just pay attention to these
communities when a CVS burns. And we dont just pay
attention when a young man gets shot or has his spine
snapped. That were paying attention all the time because we
consider those kids our kids and we think theyre important
and they shouldnt be living in poverty and violence ... That
kind of political mobilization, I think we havent seen in quite
some time. And what Ive tried to do is promote those ideas
that would make a difference, but we all understand that the
politics of that are tough because its easier to ignore those
problems, or to treat them just as a law and order issue as
opposed to a broader social issue.
That was a really long answer. But I felt pretty strongly
about it.
President Obama Says No Excuse For

Violence
By Maya Rhodan
TIME, April 28, 2015
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President Barack Obama speaks about recent unrest in

Baltimore during a joint news conference with Japanese
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on April 28, 2015, in the Rose
Garden of the White House in Washington. Theyre not
protesting. Theyre not making a statement
President Obama condemned Monday nights violent
riots in Baltimore on Tuesday, saying there was no excuse
for the looting and attacks on police, while also calling for the
country to focus on addressing the larger issues of race and
policing.
Obama began by expressing condolences to the family
of Freddie Gray, who died of a spinal injury he sustained
while in police custody earlier this month, and offering prayers
for the police officers who were injured during Monday
afternoons demonstrations. Following Grays funeral on
Monday, rioters set more than 100 cars and 15 buildings on
fire, at least 20 police officers were hurt and nearly 200
people were arrested.
There is no excuse for that kind of violence, Obama
said during an unrelated press conference on the White
Houses South Lawn with the Japanese Prime Minister. Its
counterproductive.
Theyre not protesting. Theyre not making a
statement, Obama said of the looters who ravaged
businesses and started fires. Theyre stealingtheyre
committing arson.
The President also called out the news media for
focusing on the violent actions of Monday, rather than the
days of peaceful protests on the streets of Baltimore that
followed Grays death. Obama called the violence a
distraction from the important conversations that should
follow Grays death. Obama also praised community leaders
and clergy members who returned to the streets on Tuesday
to clean up and offer food to kids who were out of school.
They deserve credit for that, Obama said.
Tuesdays statement was the latest in a series of
moments where the nations first black president has been
called to address violence and distrust between communities
of color and law-enforcement. Civil rights leaders told Politico
that the nation is in a state of crisis and that Washington too
often ignores the lack of trust and anger that permeates many
parts of the country on these issues.
Grays death followed others that involved police and
attracted widespread attention, including Tamir Rice, Michael
Brown, Eric Garner, and most recently, Walter Scott. The
President has at times been criticized for his administrations
response to the deaths, which has generally focused on
asking local communities and police forces to work harder to
find common ground.
On Tuesday, Obama said he cant federalize every
police force in the country, but his administration is working
with local police to build better relationships. Late last year,
the President enlisted a task force to address policing. He
sent former Attorney General Eric Holder to communities and

police departments, and has promoted the work of his My
Brothers Keeper initiative to address wider issues involving
young men of color. But on Tuesday, he also called on the
nation as a whole do some soul searching.
This is not new. This has been going on for decades,
he said, noting that cycles of poverty and violence persist in
urban communities. The President hopes to improve the
situation with early education, job training and criminal justice
reform, but added that he is under no illusion that out of this
Congress were going to get massive investments in urban
communities.
If our society really wanted to solve the problem,we
could. Its just that it would require everybody saying this is
important. This is significant. And that we dont just pay
attention to these communities when a CVS burns, Obama
said.
Criminals Taking Advantage Of Situation In

Baltimore, Obama Says
NPR, April 28, 2015

President Obama is condemning the unrest in
Baltimore, saying that a handful of criminals are taking
advantage of the situation following the April 19 death of
Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man who suffered a
serious spine injury while in police custody.
As we have been reporting, hundreds of National Guard
troops have been positioned across parts of the city a day
after riots left at least 15 police officers wounded and more
than a dozen buildings destroyed, damaged or looted. The
violence, as NPRs Jackie Northam noted, began after Grays
funeral. His death on April 19 at a hospital led to several days
of mostly peaceful protests.
Speaking Tuesday alongside visiting Japanese Prime
Minister Shinzo Abe, Obama said, Theres no excuse for the
kind of violence that we saw yesterday.
When individuals get crowbars and start prying open
doors to loot, theyre not protesting, theyre not making a
statement, theyre stealing, he said. When they burn down a
building, theyre committing arson. And theyre destroying and
undermining businesses and opportunities in their own
communities that rob jobs and opportunity from people in that
area.
Obama said hed spoken to Baltimore Mayor Stephanie
Rawlings-Blake and Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan on Monday
about the steps they have taken to try to stop what the
president called senseless violence and destruction.
That is not a protest, that is not a statement, its people
a handful of people taking advantage of the situation for
their own purposes, and they need to be treated as
criminals, he said.
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He said the violence distracted from the peaceful

protests that followed Grays death, and he noted that the
often-violent interactions between police and AfricanAmericans and the poor were part of a slow-rolling crisis.
This has been going on for a long time, he said. This
is not new. And we shouldnt pretend that its new. The good
news is that perhaps theres some newfound awareness
because of social media and video cameras and so forth that
there are ... problems and challenges when it comes to how
policing and our laws are applied in certain communities, and
we have to pay attention to it and respond.
He said a White House task force comprising law
enforcement and community activists, created in the wake of
the protests in Ferguson, Mo., wouldnt solve every problem,
but would make a concrete difference in rebuilding trust and
making sure that the overwhelming majority of effective,
honest and fair law enforcement officers ... [are] able to do
their job better because it will weed out or retrain or put a stop
to those handful who may be not doing what theyre
supposed to be doing.
Obama said that police departments across the country
need to acknowledge that just as there are some corrupt
politicians and wrongdoers on Wall Street, there are some
police who arent doing the right thing. The president added
that some communities, police departments and the entire
country have to do some soul searching.
[I]f we really want to solve the problem, if our society
require everybody saying this is important, this is significant,
when a CVS burns and we dont just pay attention when a
young man gets shot or has his spine snapped, he said.
Were paying attention all the time because we consider
those kids our kids and we think theyre important and they
shouldnt be living in poverty and violence.
40 miles north after the funeral for Freddie Gray, a black man
who died in Baltimore police custody under mysterious
circumstances. At least 15 police officers were hurt and
nearly 200 people arrested in Mondays disturbance.
yesterday, Obama said. It is counterproductive. When
theyre not protesting, theyre not making a statement, theyre
stealing.
Obama said the case should prompt some soul
searching in America about communities where young men
are more likely to end up in jail or dead than completing
school. He said solutions should involve early education,
criminal justice reform and job training.
Obama said officials should not just pay attention to
these communities when a CVS burns or when a young
man gets shot or has his spine snapped.
At one point Obama apologized to Japanese Prime
Minister Shinzo Abe for taking nearly 15 minutes of their
news conference to discuss it. I felt pretty strongly about it,
he said.
Obama said rioters distracted from days of peaceful
protests focused on legitimate concerns over the possibility
that our laws were not applied evenly in the case of Mr. Gray
and that accountability needs to exist.
We have seen too many instances of what appears to
be police officers interacting with individuals, primarily
African-American, often poor, in ways that raise troubling
questions. It comes up, it seems like, once a week now,
Obama said. He said its not new, but theres new awareness
as a result of cameras and social media.
Obama said he cant force police departments across
the country to retrain their officers, but he can work with them
and help pay for body cameras to improve accountability.
In those environments, if we think that were just going
to send the police to do the dirty work of containing the
opportunity, then were not going to solve this problem, he
said. And well go through the same cycles of periodic
conflicts between the police and communities and the
occasional riots in the streets. And everybody will feign
as usual.
redistributed.
Obama: Troubling Police Encounters Dont

Excuse Baltimore Stealing
By Nedra Pickler
WASHINGTON (AP) As National Guard troops
responded to rioting in Baltimore, President Barack Obama
said Tuesday there have been too many troubling police
interactions with black citizens across American in what he
called a slow-rolling crisis. But he said there was no excuse
for rioters to engage in senseless violence.
Obama said those in Baltimore who stole from
businesses and burned buildings and cars should be treated
as criminals. They arent protesting, they arent making a
statement, theyre stealing, Obama said.
The president at a White House press conference with
the Japanese prime minister the day after violence broke out
Baltimore Riot Shows Crisis In Community

Policing: Obama
AFP, April 29, 2015
63
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Washington (AFP) US President Barack Obama on

Tuesday condemned rioting in Baltimore, saying there was
no excuse for the violence, but acknowledged a slow-rolling
crisis in community policing, especially in treatment of
African Americans.
We have seen too many instances of what appears to
be police officers interacting with individuals primarily
African American, often poor in ways that raise troubling
questions, Obama told reporters at the White House.
I think there are police departments that have to do
some soul-searching. I think theres some communities that
have to do some soul-searching. I think we as a country have
to do some soul-searching.
Obama was reacting to the violence that erupted in
Baltimore after the funeral of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old
African American man who died after suffering a spine injury
while in police custody.
Youths torched cars, pelted police with stones and
ransacked stores in the US East Coast port city, prompting
authorities to call in the National Guard and impose a
nighttime curfew beginning late Tuesday.
This has been a slow-rolling crisis that has been going
on for a long time. This is not new. And we shouldnt pretend
that its new, Obama said, referring to tensions in US
communities over police actions.
The president said if the country wanted to solve the
problem, it needed not only to invest in police training, but
also in early education and criminal justice reform.
That requires more than just the occasional news
report or task force, he said.
opportunities in their own communities that rob jobs and

opportunities from people in that area.
Obama said the violent protests distracted from the
largely peaceful protests over the weekend.
They were constructive and they were thoughtful, he
said of those demonstrations. And frankly it didnt get much
television ... and the thousands of demonstrators who did it
the right way have been lost in the discussion.
He continued, Since Ferguson and the task force that
we put together, we have seen too many incidences of what
appears to be police officers interacting with individuals
primarily African-American, often poor in ways that raise
troubling questions. It comes up, it seems like, once a week
now. Or once every couple of weeks. So I think its pretty
understandable why the leaders of civil rights organizations,
but more importantly moms and dads, might start saying this
is a crisis. What Id say is this has been a slow rolling crisis.
This is not new, he said. And we shouldnt pretend
this is new.
Obama urged police unions to work with communities
and acknowledge that this is not good for police.
We have to own up to the fact that occasionally there
are going to be problems here, he said.
However, he added, change needs to go beyond law
enforcement.
police departments that have to do some soul-searching. I
think there are some communities that have to do so some
soul-searching. But I think we as a country have to do some
soul-searching. This is not new. Its been going on for
decades, he said. If we are serious about solving this
problem, then were going to not only help the police, were
going to have to think about what we can do, the rest of us.
He pointed to policy changes including investing in
infrastructure, bolstering early education and reforming the
criminal justice system.
Thats hard. That requires more than just the
occasional news report or task force, he said. If we really
want to solve the problem, we could, its just it would require
everybody saying this is important, this is significant and that
we just dont pay attention to these communities when a CVS
burns. And we dont just pay attention when a man gets shot
or has his spine snapped.
Violent protests broke out in the Maryland city on
Monday following the funeral for Gray, the 25-year-old who
died last week after suffering a spinal injury while in police
custody. At least 15 police officers were injured and 27
individuals were arrested during Mondays protests.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) declared a state of
emergency and activated the National Guard, making 5,000
troops available to patrol the city.
Obama On Baltimore: This Is Not New
By Mollie Reilly
President Barack Obama on Tuesday addressed the
eruption of protests and riots in Baltimore following the death
of Freddie Gray, condemning the violent demonstrations
while acknowledging that the underlying problems plaguing
the city are not new and will require national soulsearching to solve.
During a press conference with Japans prime minister,
Shinzo Abe, Obama was asked by NBC News Chris Jansing
about the growing frustration that not enough is being done in
communities like Baltimore.
Obama said his thoughts are with Grays family as well
as the police injured in Mondays protests, and he criticized
the violent approach taken by some demonstrators.
Theres no excuse for the kind of violence we saw
yesterday, he said. It is counterproductive. When individuals
get crowbars and start prying open doors to loot, theyre not
protesting. Theyre not making a statement. Theyre stealing.
When they burn down a building theyre committing arson,
and theyre destroying and undermining businesses and
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Follow The Huffington Posts live coverage of the

Baltimore protests here.
Obama Decries Thugs After Baltimore Riots

Leave 144 Vehicles, 15 Buildings On Fire
Following Night Of Violence
By Edgar Sandoval
New York Daily News, April 29, 2015
President Obama on Tuesday forcefully denounced the
thugs and criminals who battled police in the streets of
Baltimore after a night of violence and looting that left large
swaths of the city looking like a war zone.
There is no excuse for the kind of violence we saw
yesterday, Obama said at the White House.
Protesting the death of Freddie Gray at the hands of
police is one thing, Obama said, but grabbing a crowbar to
loot a business is another.
Theyre not protesting, theyre not making a statement,
theyre stealing, Obama said.
Even worse, this kind of violence distracts from the
legitimate concerns many African-Americans have have
about the slow-rolling crisis of black men dying at the hands
of police, he said.
There are some police who are not doing the right
thing, Obama said. We have seen too many instances of
what appears to be police officers interacting with individuals,
primarily African-American, often poor, in ways that raise
troubling questions. It comes up, it seems like, once a week
now.
But not all police officers are to blame and cops cant
shoulder the problems of poverty and discrimination by
themselves, Obama said.
This is not new and we should not pretend its new,
the President said. We, as a country, need to do some soul
searching.
As Obama spoke, hundreds of cops in riot gear and
500 members of the National Guard were patrolling Baltimore
and the U.S. Department of Justice had opened a civil rights
investigation into the death of Gray, who died in police
custody.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, who declared a state of
emergency Monday three hours after police were attacked by
mobs armed with bricks and bottles, vowed that were not
going to have a repeat of last night.
Its not going to happen tonight, he said.
Earlier, Hogan also took a slap at Baltimore Mayor
Stephanie Rawlings-Blake for not calling in the troops sooner.
We were all in the command center in the second floor
of the State House in constant communication, and we were
trying to get in touch with the mayor for quite some time,
Hogan said. She finally made that call, and we immediately
took action.
65
Hogan later walked back his earlier criticism.

Theyre all under tremendous criticism, he said.
Were all on one team.
Rawlings-Blake has been accused of fueling the
violence by holding back police and telling reporters over the
weekend that we also gave those who wish to destroy space
to do that as well.
But as Baltimore burned Monday, Rawlings-Blake
lashed out at the agitators and imposed a citywide curfew
that will be in effect from 10 p.m. Tuesday until 5 a.m.
Wednesday.
This is not a lawless city, Rawlings-Blake said. Im at
a loss for words.
When dawn broke Tuesday, the devastation was
revealed. More than 100 vehicles were destroyed. Some 15
buildings had been torched. Nearly 200 people were arrested.
Twenty-one police officers were injured one of them
critically, said Capt. Eric Kowalczyk.
In the hardest hit areas, a massive cleanup was
underway.
Time to clean up, a man with a megaphone just a few
feet from a burned down CVS pharmacy preached. This is
our city! Its the wrong way to go about it.
Im angry! another man yelled.
Im angry too, the megaphone man replied.
Dozens of residents who had hidden inside their homes
during the fighting emerged with shovels, brooms and trash
bags.
Quintin Reid, 61, said he was glad to see people
helping each other out but was unsparing in his criticism of
the mayor.
She gave our town to them, she could not handle kids,
he said shaking his head. She knew this was happening.
Reid said he understood why people are angry with the
police, but rioting and looting and fighting the police isnt the
way.
Tyja Robinson, 27, took cellphone photos of neighbors
cleaning up and tow trucks clearing away charred vehicles.
I want to show this side of Baltimore too, Robinson
said. Everybody saw the riots and destruction. I want to
show that we can come together too, to do good.
Baltimore, where tensions between the police and the
African-American community are nothing new, had been
seething since Gray died April 19 after an encounter with
cops that left him with a severed spine and crushed voice
box.
The six police officers who had arrested Gray were
suspended but the city has not yet explained how the 25year-old black man was killed or charged anybody with a
crime.
Mondays mayhem erupted after Grays funeral and
despite pleas from his grieving family to not engage in
violence.
OPS054000200
Obama Blames Social Ills For Baltimore Crisis:

Its Been Going On For Decades
The president said the rioters distracted from peaceful

protests led by clergy and community leaders, and blamed
the media for focusing on the destruction by a handful of
criminals and thugs who tore up the place.
and over and over again, and thousands of demonstrators
discussion, Mr. Obama said. The overwhelming majority of
the community in Baltimore, I think, have handled this
appropriately, expressing real concern and outrage over the
possibility that our laws were not applied evenly in the case of
Mr. Gray and that accountability needs to exist. I think we
have to give them credit.
By Dave Boyer
Responding to riots in Baltimore, President Obama said
Tuesday that theres no excuse for looting and arson, but
also said the unrest stems from decades-long neglect of
urban communities in the U.S.
We as a country have to do some soul-searching, Mr.
Obama said at a news conference at the White House. This
is not new. Its been going on for decades. We cant just
leave this to the police.
He said if our society really wanted to solve the
problem, the public would pay attention to issues such as
early childhood education and criminal justice reform
regularly, not just when people riot.
If our society really wanted to solve the problem, we
could, the president said. Its just it would require everybody
saying this is important, this is significant, and that we dont
just pay attention to these communities when a CVS burns
and we dont just pay attention when a young man gets shot
or has his spine snapped. Were paying attention all the time
because we consider those kids our kids, and we think
theyre important, and they shouldnt be living in poverty and
violence.
The president did criticize the people who looted stores
and committed arson in Baltimore Monday night after the
funeral of Freddie Gray, a black man who died after being in
police custody.
yesterday, Mr. Obama said. It is counterproductive. When
Theyre stealing. And when they burn down a building, theyre
committing arson.
The president, in a joint appearance with Japanese
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, also said many police
departments across the U.S. dont appear to have changed
their behavior since the shooting death last August of Michael
Brown, an unarmed black teenager in Ferguson, Missouri.
Since Ferguson we have seen too many instances
of what appears to be police officers interacting with
individuals, primarily African-American, often poor, in ways
that raise troubling questions, Mr. Obama said. It comes up
it seems like once a week now, or once every couple of
weeks. This has been a slow-rolling crisis, this has been
going on for a long time. This is not new, and we shouldnt
pretend that its new.
Asked by a reporter if his administration is doing
enough to repair relations between police departments and
minority communities, Mr. Obama replied, I cant federalize
every police force in the country and force them to retrain.
Obama Condemns Baltimore Riots, Urges

Political Action
By Steven Dennis
Roll Call, April 28, 2015
President Barack Obama on Tuesday condemned
rioters in Baltimore as criminals, but urged a broader political
mobilization to improve urban communities where poverty,
drugs, a lack of education and a lack of fathers lead to a
combustible mix.
yesterday, Obama said, blaming a handful of people for
stealing, looting and committing arson. He noted the
Department of Justice is investigating the death of Freddie
Gray and said his thoughts were with the police officers
injured in the rioting.
But he also made a much broader point about the
social ills, and said just sending in the police to contain the
situation in poor communities wont solve the problem, and
people cant just feign concern until the violence goes away.
Thats hard, that requires more than just the occasional
news report or task force, and theres a bunch of my agenda
that would make a difference right now in that, he said.
But Obama didnt sound particularly confident he would
be able to either lead a political movement for broad
sweeping change, or get Congress on board.
Im under no illusion that out of this Congress were
going to get massive investments in urban communities, and
so well try to find areas where we can make a difference
around school reform and around job training and around
some investments in infrastructure in these communities and
trying to attract new businesses, he said.
young man gets shot or has his spine snapped. Were paying
attention all the time because we consider those kids our kids
66
OPS054000201
and we think theyre important and they shouldnt be living in

poverty and violence.
But that kind of political mobilization, I think we havent
seen in quite some time. And what Ive tried to do is to
promote those ideas that would make a difference, but I think
we all understand that the politics of that are tough, because
its too easy to ignore those problems or to treat them just as
a law-and-order issue as opposed to a broader social issue.
With respect to Baltimore, let me make a couple of
points.
First, obviously, our thoughts continue to be with the
family of Freddie Gray. Understandably, they want answers.
And DOJ has opened an investigation. It is working with
local law enforcement to find out exactly what happened, and
I think there should be full transparency and accountability.
Second, my thoughts are with the police officers who
were injured in last nights disturbances. It underscores that
thats a tough job, and we have to keep that in mind. And my
hope is that they can heal and get back to work as soon as
possible.
Point number three, theres no excuse for the kind of
violence that we saw yesterday. It is counterproductive. When
theyre not protesting, theyre not making a statement, theyre
stealing.
When they burn down a building, theyre committing
arson. And theyre destroying and undermining businesses
and opportunities in their own communities that rob jobs and
opportunity from people in that area.
So it is entirely appropriate that the mayor of Baltimore,
who I spoke to yesterday, and the governor, who I spoke to
yesterday, work to stop that kind of senseless violence and
destruction. That is not a protest, that is not a statement, its
people a handful of people taking advantage of the
situation for their own purposes, and they need to be treated
as criminals.
Point number four, the violence that happened
yesterday distracted from the fact that you had seen multiple
days of peaceful protests that were focused on entirely
legitimate concerns of these communities in Baltimore led by
clergy and community leaders, and they were constructive
and they were thoughtful. And frankly, didnt that much
television over and over and over again, and thousands of
demonstrators who did it the right way, I think, have been lost
in the discussion.
The overwhelming majority of the community in
Baltimore, I think, have handled this appropriately, expressing
real concern and outrage over the possibility that our laws
were not applied evenly in the case of Mr. Gray and that
accountability needs to exist.
I think we have to give them credit. My understanding is
youve got some of the same organizers now going back into
these communities to try to clean up in the aftermath of a

handful of protesters a handful of criminals and thugs who
tore up the place.
What they were doing what those community leaders
and clergy and others were doing, that is a statement. Thats
the kind of organizing that needs to take place if were going
to tackle this problem. And they deserve credit for it and we
should be lifting them up.
Point number five, and Ive got six, because this is
important. Since Ferguson and the task force that we put
to be police officers interacting with individuals, primarily
African American, often poor, in ways that raise troubling
questions. And it comes up, it seems like, once a week now
or once every couple of weeks.
And so I think its pretty understandable why the leaders
of civil rights organizations, but more importantly moms and
dads across the country might start saying this is a crisis.
What Id say is this has been a slow-rolling crisis. This has
been going on for a long time. This is not new. And we
shouldnt pretend that its new.
The good news is that perhaps theres some newfound
awareness because of social media and video cameras and
so forth that there are are problems and challenges when
it comes to how policing and our laws are applied in certain
communities, and we have to pay attention to it and respond.
Whats also good news is the task force that was made
up of law enforcement and community activists that we
brought together here in the White House had come up with
very constructive, concrete proposals that if adopted by local
communities and by states and by counties, by law
enforcement generally, would make a difference. Wouldnt
solve every problem, but would make a concrete difference in
rebuilding trust and making sure that the overwhelming
majority of effective, honest and fair law enforcement officers,
that theyre able to do their job better because it will weed out
or retrain or put a stop to those handful who may be not doing
what theyre supposed to be doing.
OBAMA:
Now, the challenge for us as the federal government is
is that we dont run these police forces. I cant federalize
every police force in the country and force them to retrain. But
what I can do is to start working with them collaboratively so
that they can begin this process of change themselves. And
we coming out of the task force that we put together, were
now working with local communities. The Department of
Justice has just announced a grant program for those
jurisdiction that want to purchase body cameras. We are
gonna be issuing grants for those jurisdictions that are
prepared to start trying to implement some of the new training
and data collection and other things that can make a
difference. And were gonna keep on working with those local
67
OPS054000202
jurisdictions so that they can begin to make the changes that

are necessary.
I think its gonna be important for organizations like the
Fraternal Order of Police and other police unions and
organizations to acknowledge that this is not good for police.
They have to own up to the fact that occasionally there are
gonna be problems here, just as there are in every other
occupation.
There are there are some bad politicians, who are
corrupt. And there are folks in the business community or on
Wall Street who dont do the right thing. Well, there are some
police who arent doing the right thing. And rather than close
ranks, you know, what weve seen is a number of thoughtful
police chiefs and commissioners and others recognize,
theyve got to get their arms around this thing and work
together with the community to solve the problem.
And were committed to facilitating that process. So the
heads of our COPS (ph) agency that helps with community
policing, theyre already out in Baltimore. Our head
assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division is
already out in Baltimore.
But were gonna be working systematically with every
city and jurisdiction around the country to try to help them
implement some solutions that we know work.
And Ill make my final point Im sorry, Mr. Prime
Minister, but this is a pretty important issue for us we cant
just leave this to the police. I think there are police
departments that have to do some soul searching. I think
there are some communities that have to do some soul
searching.
But I think we, as a country, have to do some soul
searching. This is not new. Its been going on for decades.
And without making any excuses for criminal activities that
take place in these communities, what we also know is that if
you have impoverished communities that have been stripped
away of opportunity, where children are born into abject
poverty. Theyve got parents, often, because of substance
abuse problems or incarceration or lack of education
themselves, cant do right by their kids.
If its more likely that those kids end up in jail or dead
than that they go to college. In communities where there are
no fathers who can provide guidance to young men.
Communities where theres no investment and
manufacturings been stripped away. And drugs have flooded
the community, and the drug industry ends up being the
primary employer for a whole lot of folks.
In those environments, if we think that were just gonna
send the police to do the dirty work of containing the
opportunity, then were not gonna solve this problem. And
well go through the same cycles of periodic conflicts between
the police and communities and the occasional riots in the

streets. And everybody will feign concern until it goes away
and then we go about our business as usual.
going to not only have to help the police, were going to think
about what can we do, the rest of us, to make sure that were
providing early education to these kids to make sure that
were reforming our criminal justice system so its not just a
pipeline from schools to prisons, so that were not rendering
men in these communities unemployable because of a felony
record for a non-violent drug offense; that were making
investments so that they can get the training they need to find
jobs.
Thats hard, that requires more than just the occasional
news report or task force, and theres a bunch of my agenda
that would make a difference right now in that. Now, Im
under no illusion that out of this Congress were going to get
massive investments in urban communities, and so well try to
find areas where we can make a difference around school
reform and around job training and around some investments
in infrastructure in these communities and trying to attract
new businesses and
OBAMA:
young man gets short or has his spine snapped. Were
paying attention all the time because we consider those kids
our kids and we think theyre important and they shouldnt be
Thats how I feel. I think theyre a lot of good-meaning
people around the country that feel that way.
But that kind of political mobilization, I think we havent
seen in quite some time. And what Ive tried to do is to
promote those ideas that would make a different, but I think
we all understand that the politics of that are tough, because
its too easy to ignore those problems or to treat them just as
a law-and-order issue as opposed to a broader social issue.
That was a really long answer, but I felt pretty strongly
about it.
Obama: No Excuse For Baltimore Riots
By Jordan Fabian
President Obama on Tuesday delivered a sharptongued rebuke of rioters in Baltimore, denouncing the
actions of criminals and thugs who he said were exploiting
the death of Freddie Gray.
There is no excuse for the kind of violence we saw
yesterday. It is counterproductive, Obama said. Theyre not
68
OPS054000203
protesting, theyre not making a statement. They are

stealing.
Speaking alongside Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo
Abe at a joint press conference, Obama spoke for 15 minutes
about the unrest in Baltimore, where the National Guard was
patrolling the streets after a day of violent street clashes that
resulted in fires, looting, injuries to police officers and more
than 200 arrests.
The president said protesters have legitimate
complaints, but said the violence had drowned out that
message.
and over and over again and the thousands of demonstrators
who did it the right way have been lost in the discussion, he
said.
The death of Gray has fanned the tense national
debate over race and policing that has raged since the death
of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., last summer.
Gray died of a spinal injury after being arrested,
spending a week in a coma with an injury that the Baltimore
Police Department says it cannot explain. Six officers have
been suspended in relation to the case.
The uproar over the death had been building up to
Monday, when Gray, 25, was laid to rest after a funeral
service in Baltimore. Crowds gathered in West Baltimore
hurled rocks, bottles and other objects at police officers, and
the situation quickly spiraled into violence.
The city appeared to calm on Tuesday, with law
enforcement out in full force and a citywide curfew set to
begin at 10 p.m.
The police-related deaths of black men have become a
growing challenge for the administration, forcing Obama to
walk a delicate line on the issue.
Civil rights groups are pushing for the Obama
administration to launch a sweeping policy response to what
they say is widespread police brutality. NAACP President and
CEO Cornell William Brooks said in a statement that the
deaths demand a systemic reform of policing in this country.
Obama said it is understandable that civil rights
leaders would call issues in policing a national crisis.
This has been a slow-rolling crisis that has been going
on for a long time, he said. This is not new and we should
not pretend that its new.
In the aftermath of the Ferguson case, Obama ordered
the creation of a special task force to examine race relations
and policing. He urged law enforcement agencies to take
another look at the panels recommendations, arguing steps
like the use of body cameras could made a difference.
Still, he challenged police unions to acknowledge that
their officers are sometimes in the wrong.
We have to own up to the fact that there are
occasionally going to be problems here, he said. There are
some police who arent doing the right thing.
Obama praised some thoughtful police chiefs who

have recognized the problem instead of closing ranks, but
said it is ultimately up to local authorities, and not the federal
government, to reform law enforcement agencies.
We cant federalize every police force in the country
and force them to retrain, what I can do is start working with
them so they can begin this process of change
themselves, he said.
Obama said there is more the federal government could
do to address the challenges facing minorities, and reiterated
the push for early education, job training, and criminal-justice
reform, including lessening sentences for non-violent drug
offenders that render many black men unemployable.
Authorities cannot just send the police to do the dirty
work of containing the problems, Obama said, arguing that
poverty, drugs and absent fathers have erode trust between
inner city communities and their governments.
Solving them will require real involvement in those
communities, Obama said, and that we dont just pay
attention to these communities when a CVS burns.
Obamas comments were echoed by Sen. Rand Paul
(R-Ky.), a presidential candidate who is pushing for the GOP
to increase its outreach to minorities.
Paul blamed the situation in Baltimore on a number of
factors, including the breakdown in the family structure, the
lack of fathers and the lack of moral code in our society.
There are a lot of root, cultural causes for why violence
breaks out but there is no excuse for it, Paul said Monday on
The Laura Ingraham Show.
This isnt just a racial thing, it goes across racial
boundaries, but we do have problems in our country, and we
see that we are close to the tipping point.
Obama Condemns Violence In Baltimore In

Response To Freddie Gray Death
President says police and communities need to

engage in soul searching
By Carol E. Lee
Obama Calls For Soul Searching In Wake Of

Baltimore Riot

Obama: No Excuse For The Kind Of Violence

Seen In Baltimore, But America Also Has
Some Soul-Searching To Do
69
OPS054000204
Blaze, April 28, 2015

President Barack Obama said there is no excuse for
Monday nights senseless violence in Baltimore, but said the
country also needs to seriously examine the issues behind it.
yesterday. It is counterproductive. When individuals get
crowbars and start prying open doors to loot, theyre not
protesting, theyre not making a statement theyre
stealing, Obama said in his first public comments about the
rioting and looting that swept the city. When they burn down
a building, theyre committing arson and theyre destroying
and undermining businesses and opportunities in their own
communities that rob jobs and opportunity from people in that
area.
Obama called the actions of the mayor of Baltimore and
governor of Maryland, including calling up the National Guard
to patrol the city streets, entirely appropriate to stop that
kind of senseless violence and destruction.
That is not a protest, that is not a statement, its
people, a handful of people, taking advantage of a situation
for their own advantage, and they need to be taken as
criminals, Obama said.
But he said that since the events of Ferguson, Missouri,
last summer, We have seen too many instances of what
appears to be police officers interacting with individuals,
primarily African-American, often poor, in ways that raise
troubling questions.
It comes up, it seems like, once a week, or once every
couple of weeks. So I think its pretty understandable why the
leaders of civil rights organizations, but more importantly,
moms and dads across the country would start saying this is
a crisis, Obama said.
What I would says is, this has been a slow-rolling crisis
that has been going on a long time, Obama said. This is not
new. We shouldnt pretend that its new. The good news is
that perhaps there is some newfound awareness, because of
social media and video cameras and so forth, that there are
problems and challenges in terms of how our policing and
laws are applied in certain communities. And we have to pay
attention to it and respond.
Obama said there are police departments and
communities around the country that have some soulsearching to do.
I think we as a country have to do some soulsearching. This is not new, he repeated. Its been going on
for decades and without making any excuses for criminal
activities that take place in the communities, what we also
know is that if you have impoverished communities, that have
been stripped away of opportunity where children are born
into abject poverty, theyve got parents often because of
substance abuse problems or incarceration or lack of
education themselves cant do right by their kids. If its more
likely that those kids end up in jail or dead than they go to
college, communities where there are no fathers who can

provide guidance to young men, communities that where
theres no investment and manufacturing has been stripped
away, and drugs have flooded the community and the drug
industry ends up being the primary employer for a lot of folks
going to not only have to help the police, were going to have
to think about what can we do, the rest of us to make sure
that were providing early education to the kids, to make sure
that were reforming our criminal justice system so its not just
a pipeline from schools to prisons, so that were not rendering
men in these communities unemployable because of a felony
record for a nonviolent drug offense, that were making
investments so they can get the training they need to find
jobs. Thats hard. That requires more than just the occasional
news report or task force, Obama said.
Nearly 200 people were arrested and more than 100
fires set, including to police cars and to buildings. Fifteen
police officers were injured.
The unrest started hours after the funeral of Freddie
Gray, a black man who died of a spinal cord injury sustained
while in police custody earlier this month.
If our society really wanted to solve the problem, it
would require everybody saying this is important. That we
dont only pay attention when a CVS burns, or a kid gets shot
or gets his spine snapped, Obama said.
Fred Lucas contributed to this report.
Obama On Baltimore: Violent Rioters Need To

Be Treated As Criminals
By Nora Kelly And Priscilla Alvarez

National Journal, April 28, 2015
President Obama on Tuesday afternoon condemned
the violence and looting in Baltimore after the funeral of a 25year-old black man, who died this month after an encounter
with city police officers.
In a lengthy, six-part answer to a reporters query,
Obama said looters are hurting businesses and opportunities
in their own community.
yesterday. It is counterproductive, Obama said. When
Theyre stealing. When they burn down a building, theyre
committing arson.
The president said that peaceful protestswhich had
been ongoing through much of the past weekwere focused
on entirely legitimate concerns of these communities in
Baltimore. Local and state law enforcement, however, should
do what they need to do to quell the storm. A handful of
people [are] taking advantage of the situation for their own
purposes, and they need to be treated as criminals, Obama
70
OPS054000205
said. Obamas comments came during a press conference

with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, whose trip to
Washington is centered on Japans trade relationship with the
United States. But their joint appearance was overshadowed
by the tumult in Baltimore.
Riots began in Baltimore on Monday afternoon just
hours after the funeral of Freddie Gray, who died April 19
after an encounter with city police officers. The events of that
day are under investigation by the Justice Department, which
launched a probe last week.
Obama said Tuesday that clashes between police and
citizens were a result of a slow-rolling crisis.
This is not new, he said. And we shouldnt pretend
that its new.
He said circumstances within disadvantaged
communities could be improved if the nation considered them
a priority. Some police departments and communities have
to do some soul-searching, he said.
really wanted to solve the problem, we could. It would require
everybody saying, This is important, this is significant,
Obama
said, and that we dont just pay attention to these
communities when a
CVS
burns. And we dont just pay attention when a young
man gets shot.
Otherwise, the president said, well go through the
same cycles of periodic conflicts between the police and
communities, and the occasional riots in the streets, and
everybody will feign concern until it goes away and we go
about our business as usual.
Obama
cited the work of his Task Force on 21st Century
Policing, which is developing proposals for local police to
improve relations between officers and civilians. He also
referenced federal grants that will be issued to police
departments to try out new training and enforcement
techniques, including the use of body cameras.
Late Monday, newly sworn-in Attorney General Loretta
Lynch released her departments plan to mitigate the unrest.
In one of her first acts as attorney general, Lynch briefed
President
Obama
about the Baltimore situation as it stood.
Obama
also spoke with Baltimore Mayor Stephanie
Rawlings
-Blake and Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, who declared a
state of emergency within city limits and activated the
National Guard on Monday night.
Nearly 200 guard troops are now on the ground and
more are awaiting deployment, according to Hogans office.
Maryland state troopers and police officers from five Maryland

counties also deployed to the city.
During a press conference Monday night,
Rawlings
-Blake issued a citywide curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
for a week, beginning Tuesday. Baltimore public schools also
were closed for the day.
The first night after the protests escalated was tense.
According to statistics released Tuesday morning by the
mayors office, there were nearly 200 arrests, 144 vehicle
fires, and 15 building fires overnight. Nineteen police officers
were injured.
What Came Before Baltimores Riots
71

The riots that devastated urban America during the
1960s were often ignited by acts of police brutality that
inflamed poor African-American communities where the
police were seen not as protectors but as an occupying force.
These same tensions resurfaced last year in the suburban St.
Louis community of Ferguson, Mo., where riots broke out
after a white police officer shot and killed Michael Brown, a
black teenager. They have now erupted on a larger stage, in
Baltimore, after the death of Freddie Gray, a young black
man who suffered a catastrophic injury while in police
custody.
President Obama has condemned as inexcusable the
looting and arson that spread across the face of the city after
of Mr. Grays funeral. But he also implied that the Baltimore
Police Department had to do some soul-searching. Indeed it
does: A well-documented history of extreme brutality and
misconduct set the stage for just this kind of unrest.
Proof can be found in a meticulously reported
investigation by The Baltimore Sun of lawsuits and
settlements that had been generated by police-brutality
claims. Over the past four years, the investigation noted,
more than 100 people have won court judgments or
settlements related to allegations of brutality and civil rights
violations. The victims included a 15-year-old boy riding a dirt
bike, a 26-year-old pregnant woman who had witnessed a
beating, a 50-year-old woman selling church raffle tickets, a
65-year-old church deacon and an 87-year-old grandmother
aiding her wounded grandson.
The report, published last fall, detailed what it called a
frightful human toll inflicted by the police: broken bones,
head trauma, organ failure, and even death, occurring during
questionable arrests. It found that judges and prosecutors
routinely dismissed charges against the victims and that city
policies helped to hide the extent of the human damage.
Settlements prohibited the victims from making public
statements. The Sun estimated that the cash-strapped city
had spent $5.7 million on settlements and $5.8 million on
legal fees since January 2011.
OPS054000206
Baltimore residents were familiar with these and other

stories of police abuse when Mr. Grays case fell into the
public spotlight earlier this month. The police chased and
apprehended him on April 12, allegedly because he had
made eye contact with a lieutenant and then ran away.
Cellphone videos of his arrest showed him being dragged into
a police van, appearing limp and screaming in pain. The
police have acknowledged that they delayed in calling for
medical help. When he arrived at the police station, medics
rushed him to the hospital, where he slipped into a coma and
died a week later.
His family has said that 80 percent of his spinal cord
was severed and that his larynx had been crushed. This
account is at odds with a police report claiming that the
defendant was arrested without force or incident.
The Baltimore Police Department has a particularly
egregious history and has entered into a voluntary reform
agreement with the Justice Department. But there is no
reason to believe that it is unique in terms of its toxic relations
with the people it is meant to protect.
Indeed, over the last five years, the Justice Department
has opened 21 investigations into local police departments
around the country and is enforcing reform agreements with
15 departments, some investigated by previous
administrations.
Mr. Obama was right on the mark when he observed on
Tuesday that tensions with law enforcement had simmered in
African-American communities for decades and now seemed
to be bursting into view once a week.
This has been a slow-rolling crisis, he said. This has
been going on for a long time. This is not new, and we
shouldnt pretend that its new.
He also said that addressing the problem would require
not only new police tactics but new policies aimed at helping
communities where jobs have disappeared, improving
education and helping ex-offenders find jobs. The big
mistake, he said, is that we tend to focus on these
communities only when buildings are burning down.
None of that excuses the knuckle-headed rioters who

laid waste to neighborhoods where they live Monday, burning
a drugstore where they might shop, a restaurant where they
might eat and a senior complex where their grandparents
might live.
The idiotic destruction the characterization is Mayor
Stephanie Rawlings-Blakes (D) was wanton, random and
self-defeating. It said nothing, it solved nothing and it
squandered the dignity and resolve of earlier protests calling
out the police for the death of Freddie Gray, who died from a
spinal cord injury a week after he was arrested by patrol
officers on April 12.
Rioting is a senseless expression of anger and despair.
It sheds no new light on problems that, in Baltimores case,
are already well known.
Last fall, the Baltimore Sun published a shocking
expos of what it called a frightful human toll of police
beatings and brutality, which had cost the city more than $11
million in settlements and legal fees in just four years, during
which the city faced more than 300 lawsuits over police
conduct. Dozens of cases from the same period were
unresolved.
Officers have battered dozens of residents who
suffered broken bones jaws, noses, arms, legs, ankles
head trauma, organ failure, and even death, coming during
questionable arrests, the Sun wrote in what was, given the
horrific details unearthed in the reporting, an achievement of
understatement. Some residents were beaten while
handcuffed; others were thrown to the pavement.
The problems in the 2,800-officer police department,
the nations eighth-largest, have deep roots and go back
years. Mindful of what she has called the broken
relationship between police and the communities they serve,
Ms. Rawlings-Blake brought in an outsider as police
commissioner, Anthony W. Batts, who had previously served
as police chief in Oakland. His marching orders were to
improve the departments community relations.
That was just a start, and Mr. Grays death is grim
evidence that much work is left to be done. That work needs
to take into account not only the failings of the police but also
of whole neighborhoods that have been left to wither in
despair. Fundamentally, what is lacking in Baltimore is a
sense that justice social, economic and otherwise is
accessible to residents regardless of their circumstances.
Rioting is not an effective means of advancing justice or
any other desirable outcome. As Mr. Grays mother, Gloria
Darden, said as the city burned on Monday: I want you all to
get justice for my son, but dont do it like this here. Dont tear
up the whole city. . . . Its wrong.
In Baltimore, A Toxic Stew Of Violence And

Broken Police Relations

A CITY that has lost a third of its population in a halfcentury; where police have earned notoriety for abusive,
vicious and brutal community interactions; where homicide,
drug crimes, teenage pregnancy, high school truancy, poverty
and joblessness are endemic in some inner-city
neighborhoods its not hard to fathom how Baltimore has
succumbed to rioting, or why other cities might do likewise.
As President Obama aptly put it on Tuesday: This is not
new.
Baltimore Riots Are Another Scar On A City

Long Battered By Neglect
72
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By Scott Shane
BALTIMORE The Rev. Donte L. Hickman Sr. heard
about the trouble brewing on this citys west side on Monday
afternoon and instantly took to Twitter to rally his East
Baltimore troops.
I need all my men to meet me at New Shiloh Baptist
Church now, he wrote, referring to the community hub that
had hosted the funeral for Freddie Gray. Days of
demonstrations over Mr. Grays death after he sustained a
severe spinal cord injury in police custody were giving way to
violence and looting.
We have to get these streets under control, he said in
the post, referring to riots in West Baltimore.
About 8:30 p.m., after an emotional meeting and march
in West Baltimore that included other pastors, gang leaders
and local politicians, Dr. Hickmans cellphone rang. Back
across town, next to his own Southern Baptist Church, a $16
million, half-built senior housing project and community center
were ablaze. He had worked for years on the project, an
extraordinary investment in a neighborhood that has suffered
for years from poverty, drugs and neglect.
On Tuesday, Dr. Hickman, 43, dressed immaculately in
a dark pinstriped suit, stood in front of an acre of scorched
girders and charred wood. A breeze carried the acrid smell of
destruction. He had stayed at the fire most of the night before
grabbing three hours of sleep.
I cant make sense out of nonsense, he said of the
unknown arsonists. Whoever did this was someone who
didnt understand what we were trying to do.
The devastation, in blighted neighborhoods on both
sides of town, was part of a heavy blow for Baltimore, a longsuffering city that has in recent years shown encouraging
signs of a comeback. The lawlessness included the burning
of a CVS and the frenzied looting of a mall, commercial
institutions that mean more in poor parts of Baltimore than
they might elsewhere.
Whether the disorder will be a major setback, like the
far bigger riots of 1968, or a call to action We will rebuild,
Dr. Hickman said confidently depends on what happens
next.
Some of the citys boosters and the president of the
United States expressed anguish over what they portrayed
as an illogical and opportunistic reaction to legitimate fury
about police violence.
Interrupting a news conference with the Japanese
prime minister on Tuesday, President Obama spoke
passionately about Baltimore, denouncing the rioters.
Theyre destroying and undermining businesses and
opportunities in their own communities that rob jobs and
opportunity from people in that area, he said.
Anirban Basu, a local economist who served on the
citys school board for six years, sounded despondent.
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Obviously, over the last 24 hours, our city has been

diminished both in the worlds eyes and in our own, he said.
There was a lot of economic damage. But the greater
damage is to the future. How many retailers will want to come
to Baltimore? How many conventions will stay away? How
many hotel rooms will stay empty?
Baltimore takes pride in its underdog status, Mr. Basu
said, and locals get a thrill when out-of-towners visit for an
Orioles or Ravens game, stroll around the harbor, and are
surprised to find out how wonderful our city is. He said their
surprise in part reflects the television portrait of the citys
woes from Homicide: Life on the Street and The Wire. The
rioting will only harden that image, he said, making it more
challenging to draw residents and tourists.
At the Mondawmin Mall closed and guarded on
Tuesday after looters ransacked stores and kiosks Monday
Baltimores mayor, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, surveyed
the damage and spoke of how hard officials had worked to
bring Target to the mall and CVS to the corner of West North
and Pennsylvania Avenues. The CVS was set ablaze by
rioters.
To see all of that work go up in smoke, its painful. Its
very painful, she said.
But for some residents, the developments the mayor
cited as achievements only emphasized the paltry prospects
for poor neighborhoods.
This is the land that time forgot, said Aisha Snead,
who grew up in West Baltimore. They want to act like the
CVS is the Taj Mahal. They have dilapidated buildings
everywhere. They have never invested in the people. In fact,
its divested. They take every red cent they can from poor
black people and put it into the Inner Harbor.
Economic indicators are watched closely in Baltimore,
which has seen its base of solid, industrial jobs eroded
drastically over the decades, only partly compensated by the
growth of health care and higher education. Bethlehem Steel,
whose plant is now an abandoned wasteland east of the city,
was once the largest employer. Today it is Johns Hopkins
University, which has a thriving campus on the leafy north
side and a famous hospital and sprawling medical complex
just a few blocks south of where Dr. Hickmans housing
project burned down.
In the years that economic transformation has occurred,
the citys population which peaked at nearly one million in
the early 1950s has sunk to about 622,000, a result of both
white and black flight to the suburbs. The drop slowed in
recent years and now may be turning around, as several
gentrifying neighborhoods draw young professionals. Artists
graduating from the Maryland Institute College of Art are
colonizing vacant buildings for studios and apartments.
Churches like Southern Baptist and other nonprofit
organizations are building new housing in some of the citys
toughest areas.
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But heroin and cocaine addiction, and the violence that

accompanies the street drug trade, remain a scourge. The
homicide rate, while down since the 1990s, has stayed
stubbornly high at 34 per 100,000 people last year, it was
about eight times New York Citys. Along Chester Street north
of Southern Baptist and the site of Mondays fire, teddy bears
and balloons are tied to a lamppost in a tribute to a murder
victim. Scores of rowhouses are boarded up.
Callers to local radio stations on Tuesday lamented not
just the destruction, but the citys distress long before Gov.
Larry Hogan of Maryland declared a state of emergency.
Im 45 years old, said a caller to WOLB, and my
whole life has been a state of emergency.
In his comments on Tuesday, President Obama, who
recently invited David Simon, a Baltimorean and creator of
The Wire, to the White House to talk about the war on
drugs, summed up the conditions that have proved resistant
to change for decades in Baltimore.
Without making any excuses for criminal activities, the
president said, what we also know is that if you have
impoverished communities that have been stripped away of
opportunity, where children are born into abject poverty,
theyve got parents often because of substance-abuse
problems or incarceration or lack of education themselves
who cant do right by their kids.
He described places with no fathers who can provide
guidance to young men; communities where theres no
investment, and manufacturing has been stripped away; and
drugs have flooded the community, and the drug industry
ends up being the primary employer for a whole lot of folks.
That is certainly the case in Sandtown-Winchester, the
West Baltimore neighborhood where Freddie Gray grew up
and was chased by the police. Life expectancy is 69.7 years,
on par with Iraq and Kazakhstan. According to the 2010
census, the area was 97 percent black; more than half the
households had incomes less than $25,000; and just 6
percent of adults had a bachelors degree or more, far below
the 25 percent for the city as a whole. Unemployment was
double the city average. A more recent study found
Sandtown-Winchester had the highest rate in the state of
residents who were incarcerated.
But the neighborhood around Southern Baptist Church
is hardly better off. Dr. Hickman, the pastor, said he took the
post 12 years ago and found deterioration, dilapidation and
disinvestment. It did not surprise him; he had grown up in
similar conditions in West Baltimore.
In fact, if he seemed less bitter than might be expected
about the arsonists who destroyed his project, it might be
explained by his own life story. Dr. Hickman said he had been
raised by a single mother and expelled from three high
schools before turning his life around and eventually earning
two graduate degrees. He said he understood only too well
the youths who decided to loot and burn.
I was just like them, he said. They cant see beyond

their own materialism.
But by midday Tuesday, Dr. Hickman was already
working the phones, talking to the developers about plans to
rebuild the Mary Harvin Transformation Center, as the new
development is to be called, honoring a church member. He
spoke about creating a work force development program,
health services, life coaching, mortgage lending. He pointed
to a broad field across the street that the church has acquired
to build a youth center, and an abandoned laundry that he
hopes to convert to more housing.
We have a mantra, he said. We restore people as we
restore buildings.
Sheryl Gay Stolberg and Alan Blinder contributed
reporting from Baltimore, and Sabrina Tavernise from
Washington.
The Blue-City Model
Baltimore shows how progressivism has failed

urban America.
The Lawbreakers Of Baltimoreand Ferguson
The racial diversity of local government doesnt

matter when people want to seize on an excuse to
commit crimes.
By Jason L. Riley
Obama Calls For Social Policy Changes In

Wake Of Baltimore Riots
By Juliet Eilperin And And Steven Mufson

President Obama has asked Americans, on more than
one occasion, to search their souls on the question of race.
But on Tuesday, in the wake of riots in Baltimore, he told
them that unless this soul searching leads to concrete policy
changes and more opportunities in communities of color, civil
unrest across the nation will not end.
During a news conference with Japanese Prime
Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday, the president let his
frustration show saying the rioters need to be treated as
criminals but that, as a society, Americans have disregarded
the dire poverty, unemployment, drugs and crime that have
provided combustible material for protests over the excessive
use of force by police in cities throughout the United States.
If we think that were just going to send the police to do
the dirty work of containing the problems that arise there,
without as a nation and as a society saying what can we do to
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change those communities . . . then were not going to solve

this problem, he said. And well go through the same cycles
of periodic conflicts between the police and communities and
the occasional riots in the streets. And everybody will feign
as usual.
Standing in the sunshine of the Rose Garden a
location often reserved for triumphant announcements or
momentous bill-signing ceremonies Obama deplored the
troubling frequency of deadly encounters between police
and often poor African American citizens. It seems like, once
a week now or once every couple of weeks, he said.
Obamas outpouring contrasted with his silence
Monday afternoon and evening as violence spread through
Baltimore. Earlier that day his press secretary, Josh Earnest,
had called tensions between police and communities across
the country fundamentally a local issue and not a problem
the federal government could solve.
On Tuesday, however, the president appeared
exasperated that the Washington political class has displayed
little appetite for ambitious social programs.
He is very frustrated, because this problem would be
solvable if we all came together and made a determined effort
to do so, senior White House adviser Valerie Jarrett said.
In the wake of the 2012 fatal shooting of unarmed black
teenager Trayvon Martin by a Florida neighborhood watch
coordinator, Obama launched the My Brothers Keeper
program aimed at bolstering opportunities for young men of
color where they live; more than 200 communities across the
country have signed onto the initiative. The White House also
has brought leaders of college and universities to Washington
to focus on how to recruit more low-income students to their
campuses.
But speaking to reporters Tuesday, the president
emphasized that even the renewed push to bring
accountability in the area of U.S. law enforcement will do little
to change a long-standing cycle that amounts to a slowrolling crisis in many poor communities that have been
stripped away of opportunity.
Behind the scenes, the White House has been working
with state and local officials in Maryland since Wednesday,
when it became clear that the April 19 death of 25-year old
Freddie Gray from injuries he suffered while in police custody
had sparked widespread outrage. The administration offered
to send Justice Department representatives to Baltimore over
the weekend, officials said, but Mayor Stephanie RawlingsBlake (D) said that wouldnt be needed.
When Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) spoke to Jarrett
on Monday around 4:45 p.m., he did not think he would have
to declare a state of emergency. Jarrett asked him to notify
the president if he thought that had to happen, officials said,
and a couple of hours later he called her again. By 8 p.m.,
Hogan was on the phone with the president.
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For Attorney General Loretta Lynch, who was just

sworn in Monday, the protests prompted a flurry of activity
before she formally took over as the nations chief law
enforcement officer. Lynch, who was briefed on the situation
over the weekend, met with Jarrett and White House counsel
Neil Eggleston just before her swearing-in Monday morning to
discuss how to respond to the ongoing clashes in Baltimore.
Democratic strategist and civil rights activist Donna
Brazile, who has been in touch with top administration
officials about the situation in Baltimore, noted that Lynch has
had extensive experience dealing with police brutality during
her time as a federal prosecutor working on the case of
Haitian immigrant Abner Louima, who was arrested and
sodomized with a broomstick at a station house in Brooklyn in
1997.
This is not baptism by fire, she said. This woman has
been in the pit before.
Following the example her predecessor, Eric H. Holder
Jr., set during last years protests in Ferguson, Mo., Lynch
decided to hold off traveling to Baltimore and instead sent two
deputies. The head of the Justice Departments civil rights
division, Vanita Gupta, and Ronald Davis, who directs its
Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS),
visited the city Tuesday.
Obama, who did not want to speak publicly on the
matter before Lynch briefed him Monday afternoon, headed
to the Rose Garden on Tuesday with just a few key points
jotted down.
Speaking extemporaneously, he opened with a lawand-order theme. He condemned the rioters for damaging
private property and taking items from local stores. Theyre
not protesting. Theyre not making a statement. Theyre
stealing, he said. And he offered a word about the injured
members of the Baltimore police force, saying it underscores
that thats a tough job, and we have to keep that in mind.
Obama also said that the riots were not only wrong but
counterproductive, overshadowing the constructive efforts of
local clergy and community leaders. And many local leaders
shared Obamas feelings about rioters who defied calls for
restraint, even by the Gray family.
The people I saw on the street ignored the pleas of the
Gray family, said Kurt L. Schmoke, president of the
University of Baltimore and former mayor. Those who
participated were opportunists who took advantage of a
defensive and reactive posture that they knew our police
department had to assume.
Obama saved much of his 14-minute discourse for
policy, saying he wished lawmakers were ready to embrace
his proposals on expanding early-childhood education and
criminal-justice reform.
But that kind of political mobilization, I dont think weve
seen for some time, he said. Its just it would require
everybody saying this is important, this is significant, and that
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we dont just pay attention to these communities when a CVS

burns, and we dont just pay attention when a young man
gets shot or has his spine snapped. Were paying attention all
the time, because we consider those kids our kids and we
think theyre important and they shouldnt be living in poverty
and violence.
Other black leaders weighed in on the role of the
federal government. I think that it highlights the need and
opportunity to address urban policy, said the Rev. Jesse
Jackson, who spoke at Grays funeral Monday. Baltimore
would be a great model for the urban policy challenge for our
nation.
Going forward, Brazile said, White House officials plan
to do more outreach to mayors in an effort to defuse possible
confrontations. Obama also recorded a radio interview about
Baltimore on the Steve Harvey Morning Show Tuesday,
which will air Wednesday.
In the aftermath of these tragedies the community
constantly wants to know, What happens? she said, adding
that when they dont get answers from local leaders, They
start asking for answers from people higher up.
By Lily Harrison
E! Entertainment, April 28, 2015
Oh boy, that Donald Trump sure doesnt hold back,
does he?
The outspoken real estate tycoon hopped on Twitter
earlier today to blame President Barack Obama for the
current unrest in Baltimore and even went so far as to call
him an incompetent leader.
Wow, 15 policemen hurt in Baltimore, some badly!
Where is the National Guard. Police must get tough, and fast!
Thugs must be stopped. Blatant and rampant property
destruction in Baltimore as the police stand by and watch.
Should be a lesson on how NOT to handle riots. SAD!
Trumps tweet spree continued, Our great African
American President hasnt exactly had a positive impact on
the thugs who are so happily and openly destroying
Baltimore! Now that the ineffective Baltimore Police have
allowed the city to be destroyed, are the U.S. taxpayers
expected to rebuild it (again)?
Naturally, his war of words didnt quite end there. Trump
pointed the finger at Baltimores mayor, saying, she wanted
to give the rioters space to destroyanother real genius!
And before he began his regularly scheduled tweets
about his upcoming real estate endeavors, Trump had a final
message for POTUS:
Our country has to come together. We have to start
working with, and really liking, each other. The whole world is
watching BaltimorePresident Obama, you have a big job to
do. Go to Baltimore and bring both sides together. With
proper leadership, it can be done! Do it.
Donald Trump Slams African American

President On Baltimore Riots
By Jessica Durando
As Baltimore erupted in riots, Donald Trump took to
Twitter to sound off on how the situation was being handled.
He slammed President Obama, tweeting, Our great
African American President hasnt exactly had a positive
impact on the thugs who are (...) destroying Baltimore.
Our great African American President hasnt exactly
had a positive impact on the thugs who are so happily and
openly destroying Baltimore!
He also attacked the Baltimore Police Department.
Now that the ineffective Baltimore Police have allowed
the city to be destroyed, are the U.S. taxpayers expected to
rebuild it (again)?
And the mayor.
The Mayor of Baltimore said she wanted to give the
rioters space to destroy another real genius!
On Tuesday, Trump called on Obama to go to
Baltimore and bring both sides together.
President Obama, you have a big job to do. Go to
Baltimore and bring both sides together. With proper
leadership, it can be done! Do it.
Folks on Twitter responded to Trumps comments,
calling him rude and racist:
E.U. Envisions Role For Iran In Peace Talks
By Somini Sengupta
UNITED NATIONS The European Unions top
diplomat said Tuesday evening that she hoped a final nuclear
deal with Iran would clear the way for Tehran to play a major
but positive role in the conflicts roiling the Middle East,
particularly in Syria.
The diplomat, Federica Mogherini, who is the European
Unions foreign policy chief, made her remarks before
meeting with her Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Javad
Zarif. Her comments focused on the last-mile negotiations to
prevent Iran from building a nuclear bomb.
Im also convinced this could lead the way, open the
way to a different role of Iran in the region, Ms. Mogherini
told reporters, adding that she hoped that an accord with Iran
on the nuclear issue could usher in security and stability to
the region.
So far, the world powers that led the nuclear
negotiations with Iran have insisted that those talks, which
face a June deadline, have been separate from any peace
Donald Trump Blames President Barack

Obama For Baltimore RiotsRead His Latest
Twitter Rant
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talks on Syria. Her remarks signaled a departure from that

stance.
The best possible approach you can have is for sure to
have on one side a positive outcome of talks so they cannot
develop a nuclear weapon and on other side to call for Iran to
play a major, a major but positive role in Syria in particular,
she said.
Iran is a vital backer of the Syrian president, Bashar alAssad, and has been notably shut out of peace talks.
Ms. Mogherini said nothing specific about the
challenges that remained in the nuclear talks, except that she
hoped to have fruitful conversations in the coming weeks.
She is scheduled to meet with Secretary John Kerry in
Washington on Wednesday.
Separately, Ms. Mogherini suggested that the European
Union would seek the Security Councils support for its
proposal to crack down on smuggling rings in Libya that send
desperate migrants across the Mediterranean.
Human rights groups have criticized the proposal.
She said the 28 member states of the Europe Union
were keen to make sure that enforcement operations were in
full respect of international law.
consists mainly of Islamist groups that include Qaedas

Syrian affiliate, the Nusra Front, but oppose the Islamic State.
Throughout the country, there are signs of strain that
contrast with Mr. Assads public confidence. The government
recently dismissed the heads of two of its four main
intelligence agencies after they quarreled; one later died,
reportedly after being beaten by the others guards.
Officials in provincial capitals like Aleppo and Daraa
are making contingency plans to preserve cash and
antiquities and evacuate civilians. Foreign exchange
reserves, $30 billion at the start of the war, have dwindled to
$1 billion.
The already-crowded coastal provinces are straining
with new arrivals from Idlib, with some saying officials have
turned them away. In central Damascus, checkpoints are
fewer and more sparsely staffed, as militiamen are sent to
fight on the outskirts, and young men increasingly evade
army service.
Even in areas populated by minority sects that fear
hard-line Islamist groups like Nusra and the Islamic State
such as Druse in the south, Assyrian Christians in the north,
and Ismailis in Hama numerous residents say they are
sending their sons abroad to avoid the draft, or keeping them
home to protect villages.
That has accelerated the transformation of Syrias
once-centralized armed forces into something beginning to
resemble that of the insurgents: a patchwork of local and
foreign fighters whose interests and priorities do not always
align.
Four years ago, Syrias army had 250,000 soldiers;
now, because of casualties and desertions, it has 125,000
regulars, alongside 125,000 pro-government militia members,
including Iranian-trained Iraqis, Pakistanis and Afghan
Hazaras, according to the senior American official in
Washington.
And Syrians are not always in charge, especially where
Hezbollah, the best trained and equipped of the foreign
militias, is involved.
Every area where there is Hezbollah, the command is
in their hands, said the Syrian with security connections.
You do something, you have to ask their permission.
That, he said, rankled senior security officials who
recalled the rule of Mr. Assads father, Hafez, in the 1980s,
when Hezbollahs patron Iran was the junior partner in the
alliance with Syria.
American officials are exploring how to exploit resulting
tensions between Syrian and Hezbollah commanders, said
the senior American official.
An official in the region sympathetic to Hezbollah said
that enemies were trying to exploit natural tensions that
happen between allies, and between brothers and sisters in
the same house, but would not succeed.
An Eroding Syrian Army Points To Strain
By Anne Barnard, Hwaida Saad And Eric Schmitt

BEIRUT, Lebanon The Syrian Army has suffered a
string of defeats from re-energized insurgents and is
struggling to replenish its ranks as even pro-government
families increasingly refuse to send sons to poorly defended
units on the front lines. These developments raise newly
urgent questions about the durability of President Bashar alAssads rule.
The trend lines for Assad are bad and getting worse,
said a senior United States official in Washington, who
nevertheless cautioned that things have not yet reached a
boiling point.
The erosion of the army is forcing the government to
rely ever more heavily on Syrian and foreign militias,
especially Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite group allied with
Iran. Hezbollah now leads or even directs the fight in many
places, angering some Syrian officers, said several Syrian
soldiers, and also the senior United States official and a
Syrian with close ties to the security establishment, both of
whom spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss confidential
intelligence assessments.
This month, government forces have crumbled or fled in
areas long cited by officials as markers of enduring state
control. Insurgents seized Idlib, a northern provincial capital,
and the lone working border crossing with Jordan in the
south. Counteroffensives failed, and advances this week
have brought a newly cohesive insurgent coalition closer than
ever to Mr. Assads coastal strongholds. The coalition
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Even if Hezbollah does battle alone, it is with Syrian

approval, said the official, who spoke on the condition of
anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. Hezbollah is only
a stone that helps the builder.
But others see a loss of Syrian sovereignty to Iran,
which needs Syria as a conduit to arm Hezbollah. Charles
Lister, a Syria expert at the Brookings Doha Center in Doha,
Qatar, said Iran with the help of Hezbollah and other militias
is building a state within a state in Syria an insurance
policy to protect itself against any future Assad demise.
Ali, 23, a soldier on leave in Damascus from the
southern front, said one of his officers, a major, had
complained that any Hezbollah fighter was more important
than a Syrian general.
Then there is simple jealousy. Hezbollah fighters are
paid in dollars, while Syrian soldiers get depreciating Syrian
pounds. Hezbollah fighters get new black cars and meat with
rice, Ali said, while Syrian soldiers make do with dented
Russian trucks and stale bread.
A student who recently fled Damascus after being
constantly stopped at checkpoints to prove he is not a
deserter said that Hezbollah now runs his neighborhood in
the old city and once helped him solve a problem between his
brother and security forces. (Syrian police, he said, are so
little seen that people now smoke hashish openly.)
If you have Hezbollah wasta, or connections, he said,
your problems will be solved. The student identified himself
only as Hamed Al Adem, a name he uses as a performance
artist, to protect family members still in Damascus.
Even so, Hezbollah is not in a position to bail out Mr.
Assad the way it did in 2013, when it sent hundreds of
fighters to crush the insurgent hub of Qusayr, near the
Lebanese border.
Hezbollah now has more fighters and advisers in Syria
than ever, about 5,000, American intelligence officials said.
But, said the Syrian with security connections, they only
interfere in areas that are in their own interests.
The official sympathetic to Hezbollah said it has maybe
thousands of fighters along the Lebanese border, hundreds
in the south, bordering Israel, and only dozens around divided
Aleppo, Syrias largest city.
It had none in Idlib city, which he said may have fallen
because some Syrian officers failed to correctly assess
threats.
The Syrian with security ties said the leadership had not
made a priority of defending Idlib. Many government troops,
he said, fled after insurgents knocked out their
communications network and called God is Great from the
mosques.
Damascus and the Syrian coast, other than this
nothing is important. Nothing, he said, adding of Mr. Assad:
He doesnt give a damn if Syria is destroyed.
One long-serving soldier said his cousin called from a

hastily dug foxhole near Idlib to send shaky goodbyes to his
mother. The soldier, who serves on another front and has lost
an uncle and a cousin in battle, was enraged to hear that the
10 men pinned down there lacked even a vehicle to flee.
If I have a kid, I wont send him to the army, he
declared, complaining that his monthly pay covers just 10
days worth of expenses. Why be killed or slaughtered?
In Sweida, the mostly pro-government, mostly Druse
southern province, In every single house there is one man at
least wanted for the army service, said Abu Tayem, a Druse
activist there.
Last week, he said, after a friend of his was arrested for
evading the army, residents attacked security officers,
captured one and traded him for the prisoner. Recently, the
government tried to recruit Druse forces to be trained by
Hezbollah, but few signed up after hearing they would be
asked to fight Sunnis in neighboring Daraa.
To enlist at this point would be foolish, not to speak of
dangerous, said Majed, 19, a Druse whose father helped him
evade the draft. When the regime is gone, then our
neighbors will be our enemies, he said.
Fayez Korko, 48, said he helped organize an Assyrian
militia in northeastern Syria after villagers concluded that the
governments promises of protection were empty words. He
called the government the best of the worst better than
extremist Islamists but said that Assyrians would rather die
defending their villages than on faraway fronts.
Events like the fall of Idlib, said the Syrian with security
ties, are frustrating even a core government constituency
minority Alawites, who belong to Mr. Assads sect and
disproportionately serve in the military. They are beginning to
doubt that the president can protect them, as they gambled in
sticking with him for an existential fight, said the Syrian, who
is Alawite.
Syria is not you, he said, addressing Mr. Assad, and
you are not Syria.
Anne Barnard and Hwaida Saad reported from Beirut,
and Eric Schmitt from Washington. Reporting was contributed
by Maher Samaan and Ben Hubbard from Beirut; Somini
Sengupta from Amman, Jordan; and an employee of The
New York Times from Damascus, Syria.
Syria Accuses Turkey Of Direct Aggression

Alongside Militants
By Mariam Karouny
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Iraq Faces Huge Challenges Dislodging

Islamic State In Anbar
The army has had some victories around Baghdad and

in the eastern Diyala province with the help of Shiite militias.
But if they were used in Anbar, it would only further alienate
the Sunni population in the province, where the Islamic State
group has been entrenched since January 2014.
Dhari al-Rishawi, a Sunni tribal leader in Anbar who
helped form the Sunni militias known as Sahwa or Awakening
Councils, which with the U.S. military drove al-Qaida out of
the province in 2006, said people are terrified that the army
will be bringing the Shiite militias.
We know that if the militias are involved, there will be
Iranian advisers and that would be a disaster because in this
region there is a lot of sensitivity over Iranian interference, alRishawi told The Associated Press. The tribes of Anbar are
ready to fight the Islamic State and eject them but on the
condition that the state arms them.
Plans to create a National Guard with Sunni fighters
have stalled because the Shiite-dominated government
suspects many of supporting the Islamic State group and
refuses to arm them.
Under the former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, the
Sunni Awakening force was dismantled after the U.S. pulled
out in 2011, further alienating the local population.
Since taking over large parts of the province, the
Islamic State group hasnt been idle.
In one and a half years, ISIS has become embedded
within the civil structure of many portions of Anbar province
and they have killed a lot of people that oppose them and the
government wasnt able to do anything, said Richard
Brennan, an Iraq expert at the Rand Corporation, using an
alternate acronym for the group. The government has to
convince those remaining that its worth the risk to oppose
ISIS.
With the Islamic State in control of large parts of
Ramadi as well as all of Fallujah a city the U.S. military only
retook with difficulty in 2004 the Iraqi troops have some
incredibly difficult urban fighting ahead of them. Also, the
U.S.-led coalition would be unable to back the Iraqis with air
power in dense urban combat.
So far, the bulk of the fighting has been done by the
Iraqi special forces division, which continued to be trained
and equipped by the Americans even after the U.S.
withdrawal, but they cant be everywhere and the regular Iraqi
army often hasnt been able to hold on to its gains.
In some places, it is the militias that have played this
role, but that wouldnt agree with the disaffected Sunnis of
Anbar.
We are caught between the hammer of the Islamic
State and the anvil of the militias and we dont know where to
go, al-Rishawi said.
2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or
By Qassim Abdul-Zahra And Paul Schemm

BAGHDAD (AP) Iraqi forces are on a westward push
to retake Anbar, a sprawling Sunni-dominated desert
province captured by the Islamic State group in their offensive
last year. But as the battles for Tikrit and Ramadi have
shown, it will be a hard slog for a much-diminished Iraqi army
especially given Baghdads reticence to arm Sunni
tribesmen and local fears of the Shiite militias backing
government forces.
Earlier this month, Iraqi forces captured the northern
Sunni-majority city of Tikrit from the Islamic State group, but
only with the backing from Iranian-trained and Iran-funded
Shiite militias and U.S. airstrikes methods that cannot work
in Anbar province.
The Islamic State is estimated to hold at least 65
percent of the vast province at this point.
The past weeks of seesaw battles in Anbar, with
progress in areas like Garma east of Fallujah, a stalemate in
the biggest city of Ramadi and an Iraqi rout near Lake
Tharthar, show that the army still needs help. But relying on
erstwhile Shiite militia allies may not be palatable to locals.
The Iraqi soldiers fighting in Anbar are not well-trained
enough for this battle. Many of the soldiers are there for the
money, but the (Shiite militias), they are believers in this
fight, said an Iraqi brigadier general involved in the Anbar
campaign. There isnt yet a clear plan to liberate Anbar
because of the political and tribal disputes.
Speaking on condition of anonymity because he was
not authorized to speak to journalists, he said some tribes
might be supportive but others were with the Islamic State
group. He also lamented how soldiers would throw down their
weapons and flee when hard-pressed.
On Friday, government reports of advances in Anbar
were belied by an Islamic State attack on a water control
system on a canal north of Islamic State-occupied Fallujah
that killed a division commander and at least a dozen
soldiers.
In the past few years, Iraqs army has been hollowed
out by corrupt commanders siphoning off salaries and
equipment and not training soldiers to do much more than
man checkpoints.
A force that once numbered in the hundreds of
thousands is now estimated by U.S. officials to be around
125,000 at best and probably a lot less, once all the so-called
ghost-soldiers non-existent names on the payroll are
purged.
Shiite leaders and parliamentarians insisting that Anbar
can only be retaken with the help of the militias.
79
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redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms

of Use.
redistributed.
order to keep it united without the government hopes

compromising central control.
In 25 years of Ukrainian independence, nothing was
done. So its all up to us, right now, says Volodymyr
Groysman, the speaker of the fractious Verkhovna Rada,
Ukraines unicameral parliament. Mr. Groysman is tasked
with changing almost everything about the way Ukrainians
interface with their government. The problem is that we have
to destroy the old system while simultaneously building a new
one.
It would be a lie if someone said nothing has changed
in Ukraine since the Maidan revolution overthrew the
elected, pro-Russian president, Viktor Yanukovych, a year
ago, he says. But were not going nearly as fast as we would
like to.De-oligarchizing Ukraine
Ukraine has surprised many by making it through a very
tough winter, but its economy is badly battered. About a
quarter of Ukraines heavy industry has been destroyed by
war or is now in the hands of eastern Ukrainian rebels. An
estimated 1.5 million people have been displaced by fighting.
The sharp fall-off of trade with Russia, along with the
economic crisis, has disproportionately hit the industrialized,
mainly Russian-speaking eastern Ukraine, potentially
ramping up tensions between Kiev and those regions.
Overall, polls show public trust waning dangerously,
with nearly 60 percent of the country disapproving of
President Petro Poroshenkos job performance and nearly 70
saying Ukraine is headed in the wrong direction.
Were living on the brink of disaster, says Olexandra
Mazina, a former economics professor who now lives on her
pension of about $120 per month. Its obvious that
unemployment is bad, much worse than official statistics
indicate, and many people are just living hand-to-mouth.
Maybe the Rada deputies sincerely want to change things,
but no improvement is visible yet.
Fortunately for those who are trying to shake up
Ukraines power centers, the economic crisis has hammered
almost all of Ukraines superwealthy oligarchs, who remain
the single greatest obstacle to opening up the Ukrainian
market to wider competition.
We need to change the model of our economy, to deoligarchize it, says Groysman. The space for small and
medium business is too narrow, because big business
controls the major part of our economy. The [monopoly
dominance] of big capital is a threat to our national security.
Ukraines richest man, Rinat Akhmetov, has seen his
fortune shrink by more than half, to barely $7 billion, over the
past year, because of war damage and expropriation of his
factories by rebels in eastern Ukraine. Another top oligarch,
Dmytro Firtash, has seen his assets take a similar beating
and is also in legal trouble in Austria, where he makes his
home.
Biden Implores Ukraine To Do More To Fight

Corruption

WASHINGTON (AP) Vice President Joe Biden is
imploring Ukraines leaders to investigate and prosecute
corruption that is rampant throughout the government.
Biden says in a video message to a global aid
conference for Ukraine that Russia is most fearful of a
Ukraine that cant be bribed or coerced. He says Ukraine
must fight corruption so that people in Russia can see whats
possible when a country truly reforms.
Biden is urging Ukraines government to make use of
new laws targeting corruption. He also wants Ukraine to pass
antitrust legislation and improve election laws to ensure
government is held accountable even as more autonomy is
given to restive regions in the east.
Bidens comments come amid frustration at the slow
pace of reform to Ukraines corruption-ridden economy since
President Petro Poroshenko was elected.
redistributed.
Oligarchs Out, Regional Governments In?

Ukraine Eyes Power Reshuffle
By Fred Weir
Christian Science Monitor, April 28, 2015
Kiev, Ukraine Just about everyone agrees that
Ukraine is in a race against time. Its new government, which
came to power amid revolutionary disorder just over a year
ago, needs to deliver fundamental reform before the harsh
realities of economic crisis, war, and plunging public approval
ratings catch up with it.
And the to-do list of the governments barely begun
legislative revolution is daunting: sweeping judicial reform, a
ruthless battle against the countrys ubiquitous corruption, a
purge of corrupt officials, and renewal of the civil service.
Perhaps the most crucial tasks hinge on Kievs ability to
redistribute Ukraines political power, long monopolized
Soviet-style by the central government in Kiev, and later in
parallel with the post-Soviet oligarchs who snatched up
state industries after the USSRs collapse.
Over the next few months, Ukraine has to find a way to
banish the oligarchs in order to encourage small business
revival, and to redistribute power to the countrys regions in
80
OPS054000215
Even Igor Kolomoisky, one oligarch who seemed to be

winning through his support of the Kiev government, got
taken down a peg last month. Mr. Poroshenko fired him from
his position as governor of his native Dnipropetrovsk region
after Mr. Kolomoisky used his private security forces to defy a
new law limiting oligarchic control over state companies.
This is a natural process. We need to return control
over state companies to the government, says Groysman.
And it will continue.
Ironically, the main oligarch still standing is President
Poroshenko himself, the so-called Chocolate King who
made his fortune in candy and media, and has yet to fulfill his
election pledge to sell off his business empire and get rid of
his considerable assets in Russia.
The influence of oligarchs is falling, but Poroshenko
remains an unacceptable exception, says Andrei
Shevchenko, a former Rada deputy and civil society adviser
to the government. Poroshenko really should keep his
promises to divest his property. The public is
watching.Everything in its proper place
Just as critical a reform, if not moreso, is the
implementation of a plan, authored by Groysman, to address
Ukraines regional differences by decentralizing power.
The Minsk peace accords mandate completion of a
constitutional reform process to reconcile warring parts of
the country by years end. Moscow and some politicians in
eastern Ukraine have demanded federalization, which
would give sweeping political autonomy to regional
governments and probably block efforts by Kiev to join NATO
or the European Union.
Groysmans idea is to sidestep those demands and
instead redistribute the levers of power such that each tier of
government deals only with its own local concerns.
It means the central government will stop dealing with
matters best handled in local districts, like kindergartens and
hospitals, he says. Decentralization puts everything in its
proper place, everyone will have the appropriate powers to
deal with their local issues. It doesnt affect things like foreign
policy, or the army, which will be in the hands of the central
state.
Poroshenko has likened the idea of federalization to a
biological weapon designed in Moscow to destroy Ukraine.
Kiev might agree to hold a referendum on the issue, he
recently suggested, though he added that opinion polls
already show the vast majority of Ukrainians want to keep the
unitary model.
Poroshenko is worried that under our present
conditions of political and economic instability, the whole
discussion about decentralization could turn into a threat to
our national integrity, says Alexander Chernenko, a former
civil society activist and Rada deputy with Poroshenkos
party.
He has a point. In the south and east of Ukraine, the

[anti-Kiev] Opposition Bloc is very strong, and they have quite
different definitions of decentralization than Groysman does.
They look upon this debate as a way to seize more power for
themselves. So, the very real fear is that the country could fly
apart while were trying to accomplish this, he says.
Baltic Neighbors Gird Against Russia
Coastal states bolster their defenses as Moscow

takes a more forward military stance
By Charles Duxbury, Christina Zander And Juhana
Rossi
U.S. Dispatches Destroyer After Iran Boards

Commercial Ship
81
By Missy Ryan And William Branigin

The U.S. military has dispatched a destroyer in pursuit
of a commercial ship that was fired upon and then boarded by
Iranian forces in the Strait of Hormuz, the Pentagon said
Tuesday.
The Maersk Tigris, a Marshall Islands-flagged container
ship, was intercepted by patrol ships from the Iranian
Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy around 4 a.m. Eastern time,
according to Col. Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman. No
U.S. citizens were believed to be among the more than 30
crew members aboard the vessel.
After the ship refused to comply with an Iranian order to
steam further into Irans territorial waters, one of the Iranian
patrol vessels fired across the Tigriss bridge, Warren said.
The Tigris, which had been heading toward the Persian
Gulf when it was intercepted, then complied with the Iranian
ships order, proceeding to an area near Larak Island, in the
northern edge of the strait off Irans coast.
According to Irans semiofficial Fars News Agency, the
Maersk Tigris was seized at the request of the Iranian Ports
and Maritime Organization. The news agency quoted an
unidentified source as indicating that the IPMO had
monetary differences with the ship owner.
Fars said vessels of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard
Corps Navy were taking the ship to the southern Iranian port
of Bandar Abbas on the Persian Gulf. Irans state-run Press
TV news outlet said the ship was boarded after it reportedly
trespassed on Iranian waters.
Neither news outlet elaborated on the dispute that
allegedly triggered the seizure.
Amy Hauser, general manager of marketing for Maersk
Line Ltd., a U.S. company based in Norfolk, said the 52,600ton Maersk Tigris is owned and operated by Singapore-based
Rickmers Ship Management, which is part of the Rickmers
OPS054000216
Group based in Hamburg, Germany. She said that it was

chartered to Maersk Line but that she had no information on
what the ship was carrying or the nationalities of the crew
members.
We dont crew it, Hauser said. She said Maersk Line
moves cargo for the U.S. government and military.
Hauser said she could not shed any light on the
financial dispute being reported by Iranian media.
Maersk Line is part of the Maersk Group, a Danish
conglomerate that has businesses active in the oil and gas
and drilling industries, among others, in addition to shipping.
According to a vessel-tracking Web site, the Maersk
Tigris was en route to Jebel Ali in the United Arab Emirates.
Its previous port was listed as Jiddah, Saudi Arabia, meaning
that it was heading into the Persian Gulf from the Gulf of
Oman after making its way around the Arabian Peninsula
from the Red Sea.
Commercial ships traveling through the Strait of
Hormuz, which separates the Gulf of Oman and the Persian
Gulf, transit Iranian waters but are permitted to do so as long
as they do not threaten Iranian interests, U.S. officials said. A
State Department official said that under a bilateral compact
the United States has responsibility for the security of the
Marshall Islands, including the defense of ships flying the tiny
Pacific nations flag.
The U.S. military, after receiving a distress call from the
Tigris, sent surveillance aircraft to monitor the situation and
ordered the destroyer USS Farragut to head toward the
Maersk Tigris. The Farragut was in the Persian Gulf on
Tuesday evening.
At first appearance, it does seem to be provocative
behavior, but again we dont have all the facts yet, Warren
said.
It was not immediately clear whether the Farragut,
which is now in international waters, would enter Iranian
waters.
The incident comes days after U.S. officials sought to
de-escalate naval tensions that arose with Iran after the U.S.
military sent an aircraft carrier off the coast of Yemen. U.S.
officials suspect that Iran has been sending weapons and
supplies to Yemen to aid Houthi rebels who are fighting a
U.S.-backed coalition of Arab nations.
The open question is, whats the intent? said a
defense official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to
discuss the situation.
A U.S. Navy official noted that in an incident Friday, the
U.S.-flagged container ship Maersk Kensington was
approached by four Iranian patrol craft while on an
internationally recognized shipping route in the southern
Persian Gulf, off the coast of Oman. The Iranian ships circled
the Kensington and followed it for a time but departed without
firing any shots.
The incidents are alarming to U.S. officials, the Navy

official said. The Kensington was in the Arabian Sea on
Tuesday after stopping in Mumbai, India, over the weekend,
according to MarineTraffic, a Web site that tracks ship
movements.
Dan Lamothe contributed to this report.
U.S. Sends Destroyer After Iran Detains Ship
82
By Helene Cooper And Danny Hakim

WASHINGTON The United States Navy sent a
destroyer toward the Persian Gulf on Tuesday after Iran took
control of a Marshall Islands-flagged cargo ship it accused of
trespassing in territorial waters, American military officials
said.
The ship, the Maersk Tigris, with 24 crew members,
was intercepted by Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps
patrol boats on Tuesday morning while traveling through the
Strait of Hormuz, a Pentagon official said. The Iranian forces
fired shots across the ships bow, the official said, after its
captain declined an order by the forces to divert farther into
Iranian waters.
The official said the ship was traveling through an
internationally recognized maritime route. After being fired
on, it issued a distress call, prompting the United States Navy
to direct a destroyer, the Farragut, to the area and to put
aircraft on standby to monitor the situation.
The episode threatened fragile negotiations over reining
in Irans nuclear ambitions, but American officials were quick
to play down its significance, correcting initial reports out of
Iran that it had seized a United States ship. The Marshall
Islands, in the Pacific, have been independent of the United
States since 1986 but have a free association relationship
with the country.
Col. Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman, said the
ship was traveling through Iranian territorial waters that are,
by international agreement, open to foreign ships making an
innocent passage. He said it was inappropriate for Iran to
have fired warning shots, but he added that it was too early to
know whether Irans intervention was a violation of
international navigation freedom. Iran has in the past
threatened to block the strait, a route for much of the worlds
oil.
An American military official said Tuesday that the
Farragut was about 60 miles away from the site of the
episode, and that as of the afternoon there had been no
communication between the United States Navy and Iran.
A Maersk spokesman said that the ship was a charter
vessel, not a Maersk-crewed ship. A spokesman for the
charter company, Rickmers Shipmanagement, said that the
crew members were all Eastern European or Asian, and that
the ship had been headed to a port near Dubai, in the United
Arab Emirates, from Jidda, Saudi Arabia. It was carrying
OPS054000217
general cargo, anything from food to machinery to

electronics, he said.
The Rickmers spokesman, Cor Radings, said the
captain had said that the ship did not stray into Iranian waters
outside the international maritime route. She was stopped by
the Iranians and instructed to go to a rendezvous point in
Iranian waters, he said. Since then weve lost contact with
the ship.
The Maersk spokesman, Michael Storgaard, said in an
email that he could not recall another episode in which a
Maersk vessel had been detained by the Iranian authorities.
Seizure in open sea by authorities? he said. I cannot
exclude it has happened before, but would believe we have to
go back to World War II.
Maersk said Tuesday evening that the ship was being
escorted toward Bandar Abbas, Iran, by Iranian patrol boats.
The episode raised tensions between the United States
and the Iranians, who last week turned back a naval convoy
suspected of carrying weapons bound for Shiite rebels in
Yemen after the American military sent an aircraft carrier
group to waters off the coast. That confrontation came weeks
after world powers and Iran reached a tentative agreement in
which Tehran would drastically cut its enrichment of uranium
in exchange for an easing of sanctions.
But officials must still work out the final details of the
agreement, and another naval confrontation would make
selling a deal even harder.
To maintain political support for a deal, President
Obama has to remain vigilant about Iranian behavior in the
region, said Cliff Kupchan, the chairman of the Eurasia
Group, a consulting firm that assesses political risk around
the world. He said that he found Irans seizure of the Maersk
ship surprisingly incendiary and that it could be a result of
Iranian pique over the show of American naval power last
week.
The Iranian elite is extremely concerned about saving
face and gaining leverage, Mr. Kupchan said. This was
probably an attempt to level the playing field.
Helene Cooper reported from Washington, and Danny
Hakim from London.
The straits economic importance is a key reason why

Iran hasnt disrupted sea traffic that also benefits the Islamic
Republic.
The whole point about a choke point is to expedite
maritime commercial traffic, said Peter Chalk, a maritime
security analyst at the Naval Post Graduate School in
Monterey, Calif. If you start preventing passage to any route,
it affects global commerce, and that affects Iran.
Iranian naval authorities diverted the Marshall Islandsflagged Maersk Tigris to the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas
after a brief confrontation at sea. According to the Pentagon,
the ship followed Iranian orders after it was informed it had
crossed into Irans territorial waters and a shot was fired
across its bow.
The United States, which handles the defense needs of
the Marshall Islands and has security arrangements with
several Arab nations in the Persian Gulf, sent a warship to
the area to monitor the situation.
The strait is the transit point for 85% of crude oil
shipped from the Persian Gulf to Asian markets. The shipping
lane in either direction is only 2 miles wide, separated by a 2mile buffer zone, according to the Energy Information
Agency, part of the U.S. Energy Department.
It is bordered by Oman to the south and Iran to the
north. Each country claims a 12-mile maritime border, but,
according to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the
Sea, they share the strait and allow innocent passage to
civilian ships.
Christopher Harmer, a former military planner for the
U.S. Navy in the Persian Gulf who was present for multiple
transits of the strait, said the shipping lanes are so narrow
that ships ply the waters in single file in each direction.
Commercial vessels have transponders that allow authorities
on shore to monitor whether they are on track.
Iranian patrol boats and gunboats closely monitor the
traffic and challenge ships that veer off course, but usually a
verbal challenge by ship-to-ship radio is as far as it goes,
Harmer said.
Why it happened this time is unclear. Harmer said it
could be retaliation for the U.S. blockade of Iranian-backed
Houthi rebels who control much of Yemen.
Iranian navy boats take part in maneuvers during the
Velayat-90 exercises in the Strait of Hormuz in southern
Iran on Jan. 3, 2012, the final day of 10-day war games.
(Photo: EBRAHIM NOROOZI, AFP/Getty Images)
Ship Seizures In Strait Of Hormuz Are Rare

Despite Tensions
By Oren Dorell
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the busiest and most
tense sea passages in the world, but confrontations such as
Irans seizure of a civilian cargo ship Tuesday have been
rare.
That is reassuring to the global economy since 40% of
the worlds oil shipments pass through the straits 21-milewide chokehold.
U.S. Sends Ship, Planes As Iranians Seize

Commercial Ship
Marshall Islands-flagged cargo vessel
traversing the Strait of Hormuz
By Dion Nissenbaum And Julian E. Barnes
83
was
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This is a complex law-of-the-sea issue, he said. So

we dont know all the facts yet as to what caused the Iranians
to believe that they were justified in these actions.
It would be standard procedure for the U.S Coast
Guard to intercept any foreign-flagged ship that traveled into
U.S. waters, Warren said, but not standard procedure to fire
shots at the ship.
Normally, you just ask them to turn around, and if they
refuse to turn around, you say, Hey, can we come aboard
and see what youve got going on, Warren said.
The Maersk Tigris is registered in the Marshall Islands,
a former U.S. possession in the Pacific Ocean that became
independent in 1986 but still receives U.S. military protection
and government subsidies.
The cargo ship issued a distress call after it was
intercepted by the Iranian coast guard, which the U.S. Navy
received.
U.S. Sends Destroyer To Monitor Irans

Seizure Of Cargo Ship
McClatchy, April 29, 2015

WASHINGTON A U.S. Navy destroyer and naval
aircraft scrambled closer to Iran on Tuesday after five Iranian
coast guard vessels intercepted and detained a Marshall
Islands-flagged cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Pentagon said the container vessel, with more than
30 crew members, was in a safe-passage shipping lane
within Iranian waters when it was diverted.
The incident underscored tensions that have grown in
the area since Saudi Arabia last month began an aerial
bombing campaign over Yemen against Houthi rebels, which
Saudi Arabia charges are backed by Iran. The Strait of
Hormuz connects the Arabian Sea with the Persian Gulf and
separates Iran and the United Arab Emirates, which has
joined Saudi Arabia in the anti-Houthi campaign.
Army Col. Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman, said
one of the Iranian coast guard vessels fired shots across the
bow of the Maersk Tigris after its shipmaster refused the first
demand to sail toward Iran.
There were no Americans among the 33 to 36 people
aboard the cargo ship, Warren said.
It is inappropriate, Warren said of the Iranian vessels
gunfire at the Maersk Tigris.
The U.S. Navy directed the destroyer USS Farragut to
proceed at best speed to the nearest location of the Maersk
Tigris, Warren said. It further directed aircraft to observe the
interaction between the Maersk vessel and the (Iranian coast
guard) craft.
Despite reports from Middle East news agencies that
the container vessel had been released, Warren said it was
still detained as of 9 p.m. local time, about nine hours after it
was detained.
We dont know what the cargo was, Warren told
McClatchy. We dont know where the ship was bound.
Warren said the ship was traveling from the Arabian
Sea northbound to the Persian Gulf when it was intercepted,
so it could have been headed toward Saudi Arabia.
U.S. Naval Forces Central Command was in
communication with representatives of Maersk Line, a Danish
company that runs one of the worlds biggest cargo-shipping
operations.
Warren said the Strait of Hormuz is within Iranian
territorial waters but that it has a heavily traveled
international shipping lane controlled by innocent passage
rights granting safe transit.
Marshall Islands Needs U.S. Help In Iran

Standoff
By Eli Lake & Josh Rogin

Bloomberg View, April 28, 2015
The Marshall Islands, a small country that gained
independence from the U.S. in 1986, will almost definitely
have to rely on the U.S. to retrieve a cargo ship flying its flag
that was commandeered Tuesday by Irans Navy, apparently
in Iranian waters.
When asked if his country would request that the U.S.
rescue the cargo ship from Iran, Junior Aini, the charge
daffairs for the Marshall Islands Embassy in Washington, told
us he was still awaiting guidance from his foreign ministry.
But he also suggested that his country had no other recourse
than to hope the U.S. responds.
The United States has the full security responsibility
over the islands and for the defense of the islands, this is
what our treaty says, he told us. Aini was referring to a 1986
accord between the U.S. and the island nation that set the
terms for independence. The Marshall Islands has no
standing army. News that Iran had boarded the Maersk Tigris
surprised Aini. He said he initially learned about the
incidentfrom watching Fox News.
Aini also said his nation is barred by the 1986
agreement from doing anything that would challenge
Americas role in this regard. We cannot take any action that
will impact the U.S. responsibility, he said. Under a 1983
Compact of Free Association, the U.S. has full authority and
responsibility for security and defense of the Marshall
Islands, according to a State Department fact sheet.
The ship is owned by the Danish conglomerate Maersk,
which like many shipping companies uses Marshall Islands
flags of convenience to reduce operating costs and sidestep
regulation.
84
OPS054000219
The incident seems a direct response to President

Barack Obamas decision last week to send warships to the
Arabian Sea. Pentagon spokesman Colonel Steve Warren
said at the time that the warships were meant on a very clear
mission to ensure that shipping lanes remain open, to ensure
theres freedom of navigation through those critical
waterways, and to help ensure maritime security. On
Tuesday, Warren told reporters it was inappropriate for Iran
to fire shots at the cargo ship. He said the U.S. is looking into
any obligation it may have for Marshall Islands-flagged ship.
Initial reports by Irans FARS News Agency and the
Saudi-funded Al-Arabiya network incorrectly stated that
Iranian warships had seized a U.S. cargo vessel with 34
sailors aboard and directed it to Irans Bandar Abbas port.
Colonel Edward Thomas, spokesman for the Joint
Chiefs of Staff, told us that the Maersk Tigris was intercepted
by several Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy patrol
craft Tuesday morning while sailing through the Strait of
Hormuz.
A statement by the Office of the Secretary of Defense
said that that the ship was intercepted while in Iranian
territorial waters transiting inbound in the Strait of Hormuz.
The statement also said that no Americans were aboard. Its
latest reported location was off the coast of Iran near Bandar
Abbas. The shipping company told the U.S. Central
Command that Iranian military personnel have boarded the
ship.
Thomas told us Irans Navy contacted the vessel and
directed the Maersk Tigriss master to divert further into
Iranian waters. He added: The master initially declined and
one of the IRGCN patrol craft fired shots across the Maersk
Tigriss bow. The master then complied and diverted under
escort by the IRGCN vessels.
When the warning shots were fired, the Tigris issued a
distress call, which was received by U.S. forces operating in
the region, he continued. The U.S. military sent the Farragut,
an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, speeding to the location,
but it was more than 60 miles away when the incident began.
The Central Commands Naval headquarters also sent a
maritime reconnaissance aircraft to monitor the situation,
Thomas said.
By taking a non-U.S. ship under questionable
circumstances at a moment of high tension in the region, Iran
has again put Washington in a tough spot. Given that the
U.S. Senate is simultaneously debating its bill on oversight of
Obamas nuclear deal with Iran, the repercussions are going
to spread far beyond the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran Seizes Cargo Ship After Firing Warning

Shots
By Adam Schreck And Robert Burns
85
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Iranian forces

fired warning shots across the bridge of a Marshall Islandsflagged cargo vessel as it was traversing the Strait of
Hormuz, boarded the ship and directed it toward the Iranian
mainland, a Pentagon official said Tuesday.
The incident with the MV Maersk Tigris, which
prompted the U.S. Navy to dispatch a destroyer and a plane
in response, comes at a critical time in Irans relations with its
neighbors and the United States.
The U.S., other world powers and Iran are trying to
hammer out a final deal over Irans nuclear program. Last
week, the U.S. Navy dispatched an aircraft carrier and guided
missile cruiser to the Arabian Sea amid worries that a convoy
of Iranian cargo ships was headed to Yemen to deliver arms
to the Shiite rebels fighting to take over Yemen.
And U.S. Navy officials said Tuesday that several
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Navy vessels had surrounded a
U.S.-flagged cargo ship, the Maersk Kensington, last Friday
as it was transiting the Strait of Hormuz. No shots were fired,
the Iranian vessels broke off contact, and the cargo ship
proceeded without further incident.
In Tuesdays incident, the intercepted ship was traveling
through the narrow Strait, which is technically Iranian and
Omani territorial waters, but under international agreement is
open to foreign ships making an innocent passage, said Col.
Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman. It wasnt clear
whether the ship had strayed off course into coastal waters
not protected by that agreement.
The master of the cargo ship MV Maersk Tigris had
initially refused an Iranian order to move further into Iranian
waters, but after the warning shots were fired the vessel
complied, Warren said.
The cargo ship was directed to waters near Larak
Island, he said. The island sits off the major Iranian port of
Bandar Abbas and is one of several in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian state television reported that only 24 crew were
onboard the vessel, and hailed from Britain, Bulgaria,
Romania and Myanmar. It said the ship was seized based on
a court order due to unspecified violations. Iranian officials
could not immediately be reached for comment.
Bandar Abbas is the main port for Irans Navy and
separate naval forces operated by the elite Revolutionary
Guard, as well as the countrys primary commercial port. It
overlooks the Strait of Hormuz, the highly strategic waterway
at the mouth of the Persian Gulf.
The strait is the route for about a fifth of the worlds oil
and is only about 33 kilometers (21 miles) wide at its
narrowest point. Ships traversing the chokepoint have even
less room to maneuver. The shipping lane in either direction
is only two miles wide, with a two-mile buffer zone between
them.
Iran has in the past threatened to block the strait, a
move that could spark a military conflict in the Gulf. American
OPS054000220
and allied naval forces routinely patrol the strait and have
conducted military drills aimed at countering threats such as
sea mines that Iran might use to close the waterway.
Tehran frequently conducts military exercises of its own
in and around the strait. Large-scale, live-fire naval drills in
February saw Revolutionary Guard forces assault a replica of
a U.S. aircraft carrier built in a Bandar Abbas shipyard.
It is inappropriate for the Iranians to have fired
warning shots across the ships bridge in Tuesdays
circumstances, Warren said. He said it was too early to know
whether the Iranian intervention amounted to a violation of
the freedom of navigation through a waterway heavily used
by international shipping.
Warren said the cargo ship had been boarded by
Iranians, but no one was injured and no Americans were
involved. The spokesman said the U.S. government has
certain obligations to defend the interests of the Marshall
Islands, but he was uncertain how those obligations to the
Pacific Ocean nation apply in this situation.
The Iranian vessels, numbering five or six, were with
the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, he said. The
incident began at about 4:05 a.m. U.S. Eastern Daylight
Time, he said.
After the cargo ship sent a distress call, the U.S. Navy
sent the destroyer USS Farragut and a Navy maritime patrol
and reconnaissance aircraft to the area of the incident to
monitor the situation, according to Warren.
Lt. Joseph Hontz, a spokesman for the U.S. Navys 5th
Fleet in Bahrain, which oversees American maritime
operations in the region, declined to comment further on the
incident and referred queries to the Pentagon.
Maersk, based in Copenhagen, Denmark, said the ship
was chartered to Rickmers Ship Management, based in
Hamburg, Germany. Maersk said it had no information about
the crew or the cargo. Sabina Pech, a Rickmers
spokeswoman in Hamburg, said she was aware of the
incident but had no information and could not comment.
In 2007, Revolutionary Guard forces captured 15 British
sailors and marines from a frigate in the Gulf, accusing them
of operating in Iranian waters. They were released less than
two weeks later.
--Burns reported from Washington. Associated Press
writers Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Iran, Jan Olsen in
Copenhagen, Denmark and David Rising in Berlin contributed
to this report.
--Follow
Adam
Schreck
on
Twitter
at
http://www.twitter.com/adamschreck .
of Use.

redistributed.
Pentagon: Iran Has Seized Cargo Ship
86
By Philip Ewing
Iran seized a commercial cargo ship in the Persian Gulf
early Tuesday and ordered it to sail into Iranian territorial
waters, the Pentagon said.
There are no Americans in the crew of more than 30
aboard the container ship Maersk Tigris, defense officials
said, and the vessel is registered in the Marshall Islands. But
the U.S. has the ship under observation by maritime patrol
aircraft, and the destroyer USS Farragut has been ordered to
make best speed to the closest point it can in international
waters.
Its unclear what the Farragut will do once it reaches the
area, or how close it can approach.
Defense officials said Iranian Revolutionary Guards
Corps patrol vessels evidently ordered the Maersk Tigris to
stop as it was underway in the Strait of Hormuz on its way
into the Persian Gulf, but the ships crew initially did not
comply. The patrol boats then fired warning shots across the
container ships bridge and its master obeyed the Iranian
commands, but not before making a general distress call.
The Maersk Tigris then moved with the Iranian vessels
to a position near Larak Island, off the Iranian coast, in one of
the narrowest portions of the strategic Strait of Hormuz. The
strait connects the Persian Gulf with the Arabian Sea.
Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps troops have
apparently boarded the ship. It isnt clear whether the seizure
of the Maersk Tigris was ordered by higher-level
commanders inside Irans Revolutionary Guard or a local
leader decided on his own to accost it.
The Farragut is carrying Sikorsky and Lockheed Martinbuilt MH-60 Seahawk helicopters, which could take off and
observe the cargo ship in once the U.S. destroyer gets closer.
Irans seizure of the cargo vessel follows a maritime
standoff between an Iranian cargo convoy apparently bound
for Yemen and a group of American warships in the Arabian
Sea. The U.S. is supporting a Saudi-led military campaign
against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, and
commanders did not want Iran to resupply the Houthis with
weapons or other assistance.
After several tense days at sea that included the
movement of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt
from the Persian Gulf into the Arabian Sea, the Iranian
convoy sailed east, in international waters, off the coast of
Oman, according to defense officials.
The ownership and cargo of the Maersk Tigris are
unclear. The ship last made port in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia,
according to public websites that track the movements of
OPS054000221
ships. Iran and Saudi Arabia are regional rivals, but its
unclear whether the ships stop in Jeddah is connected with
its capture.
Maersk is a Danish shipping conglomerate and one of
the worlds largest carriers of maritime cargo; Maersk Line,
Ltd. is a major vendor of the U.S. Military Sealift Command
and carries large amounts of U.S. military cargo. Its cargo
ship Maersk Alabama was hijacked by pirates off Somalia in
2009, who then took its captain hostage in a lifeboat. He was
rescued by the U.S. Navy in events later depicted in the
movie Captain Phillips.
A State Department official said that U.S .Naval Forces
Central Command region is communicating with
representatives of the shipping company, and is continuing to
monitor the situation.
The U.S. assets are being sent to monitor the

situation, Col. Warren said. Naval Forces Central Command
have been communicating with representatives from the
shipping company, he said.
The shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz is in
Iranian territorial waters, but ships typically pass through with
no issues under rules of innocent passage, which allow ships
to pass through as long as they follow international law.
There are no Americans aboard the cargo ship and
currently no injuries reported among the crew, Col. Warren
said. It is unclear what sort of cargo the ship is carrying.
Last week, the U.S. aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt
moved off the coast of Yemen in response to an Iranian
flotilla of cargo ships heading there.
The Iranian ships turned away from Yemen on
Thursday and headed up the coast of Oman instead, leading
the U.S. to move its assets back to the Persian Gulf.
Iran Fires At, Boards Marshall Islands Cargo

Ship; U.S. Sending Defense
The Pirates Of Tehran
By Jacqueline Klimas
Iranian troops boarded a cargo vessel early Tuesday
morning after firing shots at the ship, prompting the U.S. to
send assets to the ships defense.
The Pentagon said at least five Islamic Revolutionary
Guard Corps Navy patrol vessels approached the Marshall
Islands-flagged Maersk Tigris cargo ship at 4 a.m. eastern
time as it was transiting the Straight of Hormuz and directed
the ship to proceed further into Iranian waters.
When the ships master declined, the Iranian ship fired
shots across the bridge of the cargo vessel, Pentagon
spokesman Col. Steve Warren said.
After shots were fired, the ship proceeded into Iranian
waters near the vicinity of Larak Island.
It was boarded by members of the Iranian coast guard
and is now being held in Iranian waters with about 30 people
aboard.
Col. Warren called it inappropriate for Iran to fire shots
at the cargo ship.
The Marshall Islands gained independence from the
United States in 1986, but the U.S. continues to have full
authority and responsibility for security and defense of the
Marshall Islands, according to the State Departments
website.
Col. Warren said the U.S. is currently looking into any
obligation it may have to protect the Marshall Islands-flagged
ship.
The Maersk Tigris issued a distress call, prompting U.S.
Naval Forces Central Command to send the U.S. destroyer
Farragut to the site as well as aircraft to observe the
interaction, Col. Warren said.
The destroyer is currently on the way, with no clear
timetable of when it will arrive on the scene.
Iran.
The Revolutionary Guards show whos in charge in

US Senate Debates Bill On Approval Of Iran

Deal
87
By Deb Riechmann
WASHINGTON (AP) Democrats and Republicans
backing a bill to give the U.S. Congress a chance to review a
nuclear deal with Iran insisted on Tuesday that it be passed
free of controversial add-ons that they claim could scuttle
negotiations with Tehran, draw a presidential veto or leave
lawmakers with no say on a national security threat.
As written, the legislation would block President Barack
Obama from waiving congressional sanctions for at least 30
days while lawmakers weigh in on any final deal the U.S. and
five other nations can reach with Iran. And it would stipulate
that if senators disapprove the deal, Obama would lose
authority to waive certain economic penalties an event that
would certainly prompt a presidential veto.
Democratic Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid warned
Republican presidential hopefuls in the Senate not to use it
as a platform for their political ambitions. He said the full
Senate should pass the bill with the same bipartisanship that
occurred in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which
unanimously approved the measure 19-0.
The alternative to the bill is not a better bill, he said, it
is a deal without any meaningful congressional input.
The bill has gained the tacit approval from Obama. He
says he will sign it as written, but the White House warns that
he will reconsider if the measure is substantially changed.
OPS054000222
Sen. Bob Corker, a lead sponsor of the bill and chairman of

the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Tuesday that
the bill, in its current form, has the support of 67 senators,
which is a veto-proof majority.
More than 50 amendments have been introduced so far
all by Republicans.
Democrats have threatened to withdraw their support if
un-related amendments distort the bill.
Sen. Marco Rubio, a White House hopeful, wants to
amend the bill to require Irans leaders to publicly accept
Israels right to exist, a nearly impossible mandate. Another
presidential candidate, Sen. Ted Cruz, hopes to put the onus
on advocates to win congressional approval of a deal, and
not on opponents to gather enough votes for rejection.
Senate Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell
also said preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons
should not be a partisan issue. But he said he would allow
vigorous discussion and a robust amendment process as the
Senate debates the bill.
Preventing the worlds lead sponsor of terrorism from
gaining access to nuclear weapons should be the goal of all
senators no matter what party they belong to, McConnell
said. The price of a bad agreement with Iran could be
catastrophic.
Among proposed additions to the bill are demands that
Iran release any U.S. citizens it is holding and refrain from
any cooperation with nuclear-armed North Korea. Another
insists that any agreement be treated as an international
treaty, requiring two-thirds ratification by the Senate.
That amendment by Sen. Ron Johnson, a Republican,
prompted a response from Condoleezza Rice, national
security adviser under President George W. Bush.
The proposed Iranian nuclear agreement is classically
an executive agreement and doesnt need to be a treaty with
advice and consent of the Senate, she said. But Congress
should be able to opine given that congressionally mandated
sanctions would have to be lifted.
Sen. John Thune, a Republican, has filed an
amendment that insists on international nuclear inspectors
access to Iranian military sites. Sen. John Barrasso, a
Republican, wants to restore a section of the initial bill that
would require the president to certify every 90 days that it is
not engaged in supporting terrorism against America.
It is true that the negotiations under way have nothing
to do with alleviating any kind of terrorist sanctions, human
rights sanctions or ballistic missile testing sanctions, Corker
said. Should Iran commit an act of terrorism against an
American, sanctions would be the minimum thing, I think,
theyd have to be worried about. I think bombs and missiles
on heads would be the thing theyd have to be concerned
about.

redistributed.
Senate Debate On Iran Bill Provides Chance

For Younger 2016 Contenders
By Paul Kane And Mike Debonis

The Senates ambitious young conservatives have the
chance this week to demonstrate their ability to lead on the
big foreign policy issue of the day as debate begins on
legislation that would allow some congressional oversight of a
potential nuclear deal with Iran.
But there is also a chance that the presidential
ambitions of these same senators could undermine a tenuous
agreement thats been in place for two weeks now, reigniting
a conflict between the Obama administration and Congress.
Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Ted Cruz
(R-Tex.), three first-term senators running for president after
just a couple of years in office, have faced questions about
their grasp of, and gravitas on, some of the critical foreign
policy questions that have dominated the early stages of the
presidential campaign.
That makes this weeks debate on the Iran legislation a
chance to showcase their international acumen, but
proposals from the trio could cause Democratic support for
the measure to evaporate, undermining a bill carefully drafted
by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob
Corker (R-Tenn.).
Rubio, a member of Corkers panel, is seeking votes on
no fewer than seven amendments, including a mandate that
Iran acknowledge Israels right to exist and a requirement
that Iran release all American prisoners before the nuclear
deal would take effect. Cruz has a small but critically
important amendment that would tweak the language to
require that the nuclear deal receive an affirmative vote of
approval in Congress to be cinched.
It is imperative that, at the very least, the President
obtain majority support for his deal from both Houses of
Congress before moving forward, Cruz said in a statement
announcing the amendment, which is co-sponsored by Sen.
Patrick J. Toomey (R-Pa.).
Corker spent weeks negotiating with Democrats,
generating enough momentum that the Obama administration
reversed course and agreed to support the legislation.
On Monday, Corker told reporters that he had not
spoken to Rubio or Cruz in person but that he plans to as part
of his effort to beat back any amendments that would disrupt
the legislations path to Obamas desk.
Im going to do everything that I can as one senator to
try to maintain an appropriate balance so that we can have a
very strong vote, he said.
88
OPS054000223
Corker noted that Paul and Rubio sit on his committee

and handled themselves, I thought, in a very responsible
way during the bills consideration there. I deeply
appreciated that, he said.
The consensus legislation would give Congress 30
days to review a nuclear pact with Iran, during which Obama
would be able to waive sanctions against the Tehran regime
that were imposed by the executive branch but would have to
leave in place those sanctions previously drafted by
Congress.
If the House and Senate passed resolutions
disapproving of the Iran deal, including overcoming a possible
presidential veto, then Obama would be forced to leave in
place those congressionally mandated sanctions. Any other
outcome, including a deadlock in which the legislation just
stalls with no clear outcome, would allow Obama to go ahead
implementing all aspects of any nuclear deal.
This last aspect of the legislation was a critical move by
Corker to win over Sen. Timothy M. Kaine (D-Va.), who
negotiated key aspects of the legislation with the chairman on
a trip to the Middle East in January. Kaine helped bring along
many other Democrats to support Corkers plan, which had
been initially receiving just tepid bipartisan backing because
Democrats did not want to undermine the president.
Now, after a unanimous committee vote, Corker brings
his legislation to the Senate floor this week hoping again for a
big bipartisan victory without any major alterations to the
legislation, or else it could again receive a veto threat.
Democrats voiced support for that task Monday, with
Sen. Christopher A. Coons (D-Del.) calling on colleagues in a
statement to keep partisan, politically-charged amendments
from derailing this vital legislation.
Joining him are top GOP foreign policy and national
security voices who say that it is paramount to establish a
congressional review framework for a nuclear deal.
Anybody that monkeys with this bill is going to run into
a buzz saw, Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) told reporters
last week. I dont want to monkey around with this thing to
make political points. I want to try to get a process that we
can approve a good deal or kill a bad one.
Graham, who is considering a presidential run of his
own, had a sharp message for critics of the compromise
hashed out between Corker and Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin (DMd.), the ranking Democrat on the Foreign Relations
Committee: Most of you havent lifted a finger to solve this
problem. Most of you havent met with one Democrat. So
dont parachute in here at the end with an idea that will
destroy what I think is one of the most important pieces of
legislation that Ill ever deal with.
Cruz, Paul and Rubio have all signaled that they would
support tougher language in the Corker bill that would make it
more difficult for Obama to finalize a deal with Iran.
In my mind, if the president wanted this to be a

permanent deal that survived his presidency, he would have
brought it to Congress, Rubio told NPR earlier this month.
Paul has taken a less publicly aggressive stance on the
Iran legislation.
At the bills April 14 committee markup, Paul joined
Rubio in voting for an unsuccessful amendment that would
have toughened anti-terrorism language in the bill. But he
was one of only two members of the committee who did not
speak on the compromise bill before voting with 18 fellow
senators to advance it.
In a Fox News interview after his presidential campaign
announcement, Paul said he supported amendments such as
Rubios that could torpedo Democratic support. But in a
subsequent interview on CBSs Face the Nation earlier this
month, Paul described himself as a Republican who does
believe in negotiations.
I really do want, sincerely want, a deal, and I dont
want war, he said, while expressing doubts about the
trustworthiness of the Iranian regime.
Senate Leader Expects Strong Debate Over

Iran Bill Amendments
By Patricia Zengerle
Senate Moves Forward With Iran Bill
89
By Susan Davis
WASHINGTON The Senate is debating this week
legislation to grant Congress greater authority over a nuclear
deal with Iran, but amendments to the bipartisan agreement
could complicate its chances of passage.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee leaders pleaded
with their colleagues Tuesday to maintain the same bipartisan
spirit on the Senate floor as there was in committee that
allowed the bill to advance by a unanimous 19-0 vote earlier
this month.
We have to have people who, if they want to call up an
amendment, they need to come down, if they will, and talk
with us and let us work through the process, said Chairman
Bob Corker, R-Tenn.
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., warned
against turning what has become a bipartisan bill belatedly
supported by the Obama administration into a political football
by senators who are running for president, including Ted Cruz
of Texas and Marco Rubio of Florida, who are poised to offer
amendments.
Im concerned that they and others want to use this
good, bipartisan piece of legislation as a platform for their
OPS054000224
political ambitions, Reid said, This bill is too important to be

a pawn in anyones political game.
Votes on amendments could begin as early as
Tuesday.
Rubio has indicated he could offer an amendment that
would require the administration to certify that Irans leaders
have accepted Israels right to exist. Cruz has voiced
displeasure with the process that allows for congressional
review only after a deal is reached.
Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., has an amendment that
would make any deal a treaty, a designation that would
require two-thirds of the Senate to vote to ratify, as required
by the Constitution.
The U.S. and five other nations are working to reach a
deal by the end of June with Iran to end its nuclear program
in exchange for relief from economic sanctions. Negotiators
are meeting again this week in New York. Negotiators
reached a framework agreement in early April toward a final
deal.
Corkers legislation, negotiated with Democratic Sens.
Bob Menendez of New Jersey and Ben Cardin of Maryland,
asserts congressional authority to review any potential deal
before the administration can finalize it.
If a deal is reached and the legislation is enacted, the
administration would have five days to submit the agreement
to Congress, and the president would be unable to waive any
congressional sanctions for at least 30 days.
Congress would be able to vote to approve, disapprove
or take no action on the agreement with a time frame. The
legislation would also allow for an expedited process to
restore sanctions if Iran does not comply with the deal.
but only if its free of any significant amendments on the

Senate floor.
If I could have a magic wand or if all of a sudden
donkey flew around the Capitol, I would have love for us to
have the ability to deem this a treaty. I really would, Corker
said. Lets not let the perfect be the enemy of the good.
Johnson argued that his amendments goal was to
clarify that the Corker-Cardin bill is a divergence from the
constitutional prerogatives of the Senate. He said rather than
President Barack Obama being forced to sell the deal to
Senate and win broad approval from 67 senators, instead
Obama merely needs to convince one-third of Congress
withhold their votes from any disapproval resolution that
Congress files after a final deal has been struck in late June.
We have turned advise and consent on its head. We
have lowered the threshold to what advise and consent
means as it relates to this Iran deal, Johnson said in a floor
speech.
While he gained support from a conservative bloc of the
GOP caucus, the rest of the Senate worked in tandem to
shoot his proposal down. Cardin argued that by making a
nuclear deal a treaty it would cut out members of the House,
making it impossible for both chambers of Congress to pass
such legislation.
And opponents of Johnsons also circulated a
statement from former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
panning efforts to turn the nuclear negotiations into a treaty.
The proposed Iranian nuclear agreement is classically
an executive agreement and doesnt need to be a treaty with
advice and consent of the Senate. But Congress should be
able to opine given that congressionally mandated sanctions
would have to be lifted, Rice said.
Johnson appeared to realize long before the vote that
his treaty amendment would fail, but he said hes not done.
Hes also preparing to offer a proposal that would treat the
Iran deal as a congressional-executive agreement, which
would require majorities in both chambers of Congress to
approve any nuclear agreement with Iran.
Amendment To Iran Legislation Fails
By Burgess Everett
The Senate resoundingly rejected a proposal that would
treat a nuclear deal like a treaty and require two-thirds
approval by the upper chamber, preserving for a day the
carefully negotiated work of Senate Foreign Relations
Chairman Bob Corker.
The amendment from Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) was
rejected 39-57 by large numbers in both parties. Corker (RTenn.) and ranking member Ben Cardin (D-Md.) gave forceful
floor speeches in opposition to the proposal, expressing fear
that its approval would upset support from Democrats and the
White House for their bill that would allow Congress to review
a deal with Iran and potentially reject the lifting of sanctions.
Corker argued that in a perfect world hed have devised
legislation that would have required Congress to approve of
any deal, but that would never fly in a chamber where he
needs 23 Democrats for a veto-proof majority. President
Barack Obama has said he will sign the Corker-Cardin bill,
Iran Bill Sponsors Face Down Amendments
By Niels Lesniewski
As senators look to start processing amendments to the
bipartisan bill ensuring congressional review of an Iran
nuclear deal, the bills level of support has reached a magic
number of sorts.
As of Tuesday, 66 senators have joined with Foreign
Relations Chairman Bob Corker, R-Tenn., in backing the
legislation, which got out of the committee with unanimous
support. Leaders in both parties said they looked to get the
floor debate on amendments underway.
90
OPS054000225
Corker and his ranking member, Maryland Democratic

Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin, have been encouraging their
colleagues to bring amendments forward to the floor.
While the White House had already indicated a
willingness on the part of President Barack Obama to sign the
revised legislation, the support for the underlying measure
could be a promising sign for getting through a potential
amendment minefield.
I would hope that we have a way of going forward on
this. This legislation is critically important to our country and
to the world, and we need to do everything we can to
preserve it in the way it came out of that committee, 19 to
nothing, Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said.
Appearing with the other members of the Senate
Republican leadership, Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming,
highlighted his amendment to the bill that would require
presidential certifications that the Iranian regime isnt
engaging in support for terrorism.
It was actually something that was in the original
bipartisan agreement that came out, the bill that Sen. Corker
initially sponsored, which was then amended right before the
final vote in the Foreign Relations Committee. They had
taken out the part that had to do with terrorism, and Iran is a
sponsor of terror, Barrasso said. I mean, lets face it: Iran
wants the money, they want sanction relief so they get all this
money, and my big concern is theyre going to use the money
to support additional against Americans, terror around the
world.
But, Cardin said not long before that he viewed
Barrassos proposal as a poison pill.
The president cannot make that certification, so if it
became law, theres no negotiations for an Iranian nuclear
agreement, Cardin said. We lose our international support,
and therefore it becomes much more likely that Iran becomes
a nuclear weapons state. That to me is not what we want to
be doing. Its not Sen. Barrassos intent, but thats the
consequences of that.
debacle for his administration, with close allies stampeding to

sign on to the proposed $100 billion bank to curry favor with
China, even as Washington urged them to stay on the
sidelines.
Designed to meet a projected need for trillions of dollars
in loans for roads, bridges and other infrastructure in the
booming Asian economy, the AIIB was first proposed by
Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013. Many saw it at the time
as a challenge to the Western-dominated institutions such as
the International Monetary Fund and World Bank largely set
up by the U.S. in the aftermath of World War II.
By this months deadline to join as a founding member,
57 countries including such close American allies as South
Korea, Britain, Germany, Australia, France, India and Israel
had applied for membership, with the U.S. and Japan the
only two major economies on the outside looking in. British
Prime Minister David Cameron announced last month his
government would be joining the bank without first informing
Mr. Obama of his decision.
Mr. Obama, speaking with Japanese Prime Minister
Shinzo Abe at a Rose Garden press conference, insisted that
the idea his administration had opposed the AIIB or secretly
lobbied allies not to join was simply not true.
It sprung up out of one story after the Brits decided that
they were going to join up and then folks have been running
with it, the president said.
Both he and Mr. Abe said the AIIB could be a positive
force for the world economy, but it was not clear yet if the
new Shanghai-based bank would have clear lending and
accounting standards or that the projects it financed would
actually benefit the people of the region.
What we have said and what we said to all the other
countries involved is if were going to have a multilateral
lending institution, then you have to have some guidelines by
which its going to operate, Mr. Obama said.
He added, If, in fact, the [AIIB] ends up having those
kinds of safeguards, is run in a way that ultimately is actually
going to lead to good infrastructure and benefit the borrowing
countries, then were all for it.
But if its not well run, then it could be a negative thing,
Mr. Obama said, and what we dont want to do is just be
participating in something and providing cover for an
institution that does not end up doing right by its people.
By tradition, an American has always held the top job at
the World Bank, a European runs the IMF and a Japanese
official has headed the Manila-based Asian Development
Bank, a dominance that has rankled not just China but other
emerging economic powers such as India, South Africa and
Brazil.
Mr. Abe, whose government has faced pressure at
home to join the AIIB, acknowledged Tuesday there was a
tremendous demand for infrastructure money in Asia, but
Defensive Obama Denies Trying To Subvert

Chinas New Bank After Diplomatic
Humiliation
By David R. Sands
The U.S. is not trying to undercut a new Chinasponsored infrastructure bank for Asia or pressure allies not
to take part, but remains wary that the proposed Asian
Infrastructure Investment Bank may not have the right lending
standards and transparency to be effective, President Obama
said Tuesday.
In his first extended public remarks on the AIIB, the
president tried to push back at the widespread notion that the
battle over the founding of the AIIB had been a diplomatic
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echoed Mr. Obamas concerns that there must be fair

governance in the bank the Chinese are organizing.
For example, various infrastructure projects may not be
sustainable, Mr. Abe said, speaking through a translator. It
may have too much of a burden on the environment. If this is
the case, [the bank] will bring negative results for the citizens
living in the countries. It will prove a burden.
Despite Mr. Obamas comments, the battle over the
AIIB has been widely seen as a challenge by China and other
emerging economies to the global economic pecking order
long dominated by the U.S., Japan and Europe. Fueling
those resentments has been the failure of the U.S. Congress
to approve an long-pending IMF reform package that would,
among other things, give China and other rising powers
greater voting clout in the bodys decisions.
Lawrence Summers, former director of Mr. Obamas
National Economic Council wrote earlier this month that the
clash over the founding of the AIIB may be remembered as
the moment the United States lost its role as the underwriter
of the global economic system.
Mr. Obama himself on Monday acknowledged the pull
of Chinas booming economy and deep financial reserves.
Chinas got a lot of money, he said.
talent or connections or, in Mr. Wangs case, both. His

story, though, is also singular: He built one of the worlds
most valuable real estate portfolios in a nation where the
state retains ownership of all land.
A yearlong examination of his success by The New
York Times casts a light on the murky intersection of
business and power at the heights of the Chinese economy,
where market competition is often warped by the whims of
Communist Party leaders.
Entrepreneurs have powered rapid growth in China for
more than three decades. But even the most successful
businessmen here must still reach some accommodation with
the party, which only a generation ago operated a socialist
planned economy.
Mr. Wang says he has prospered by delivering what
ambitious party officials crave: showcase real estate
developments that propel economic growth and bolster their
careers. In return, he says, the officials sell him the rights to
develop choice parcels of land at prices far below what his
competitors pay.
His conglomerate, Wanda Group, is best known in
China for its signature Wanda Plazas, massive shopping
complexes with cinemas, office towers, hotels and
apartments. Since building the first one in the northeastern
city of Changchun in 2002, he has opened more than 100 of
them in at least 70 other Chinese cities, generating the
revenue that now finances his ambitions abroad.
But there is an aspect of his relationship with the
authorities that Mr. Wang never raises in interviews and that
has gone unreported in the many accounts of his success
published in China and abroad: Relatives of some of the
nations most powerful politicians and their business
associates own significant stakes in his company.
An extensive review of corporate records filed with the
government identified several such investments made from
2007 to 2011, when Wanda was privately held and rarely sold
shares to outsiders.
Among those given an early chance to buy a stake in
his company was Qi Qiaoqiao, an active investor who is the
elder sister of Chinas current president, Xi Jinping. (She sold
or transferred her shares in the company in October 2013 to
a longtime business associate.)
Other early investors included a business partner of the
daughter of former Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, and relatives
of two other members of the ruling Politburo at the time, Jia
Qinglin and Wang Zhaoguo, according to the records and
interviews with family members and business associates.
Together, their stakes in Wang Jianlins real estate
division, Dalian Wanda Commercial Properties, were valued
at $1.1 billion when it held an initial public offering in Hong
Kong in December. Their shares in Mr. Wangs cinema
subsidiary were valued at $17.2 million when it listed
Wang Jianlin, A Billionaire At The Intersection

Of Business And Power In China
By Michael Forsythe
HONG KONG He controls thousands of movie
screens around the world, serving more filmgoers than any
other cinema chain. He has invested billions of dollars in real
estate projects across four continents. He is building
skyscrapers that will redraw the skylines of London and
Chicago. He is shopping for a Hollywood studio.
There are as many as 430 billionaires in China, more
than in any country besides the United States. But Wang
Jianlin stands out, and not just because he is the richest
person in Asia, with a fortune estimated at more than $35
billion.
As his real estate and entertainment empire expands
overseas, Mr. Wang, 60, has emerged as the rare privatesector tycoon in a position to advance Beijings interests
abroad, with clout in industries and communities around the
world.
Prime ministers send him thank-you notes, and
Hollywoods biggest stars fly to China when he summons
them. In March, at an event to woo foreign investors, he was
one of only a dozen businessmen to meet President Obama.
How the son of a foot soldier in Mao Zedongs
Communist Revolution catapulted into the top tier of the
global elite is an archetypal story of Chinas transition to
capitalism and the outsize opportunities it presents those with
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separately in January. Their holdings in both companies are

worth more than $1.5 billion now.
There is no indication that any of the politicians whose
relatives and business associates owned shares in Wanda
intervened on the companys behalf in any of its dealings with
the government. Nor is there evidence that any of the
politicians personally benefited from the windfall that these
investors reaped. The investors and officials did not respond
to written questions or could not be reached for comment.
Mr. Wang declined an interview request and did not
respond to written questions submitted to Wanda. But in
public remarks, he often uses the same phrase to describe
how he manages his relationship with the authorities: Stay
close to the government and distant from politics.
Its a fact that Chinas economy is government-led, and
the real estate industry depends on approvals, so if you say
you can ignore the government in this business, Id say thats
impossible, Mr. Wang told state television in a February
interview. Id say its hypocritical and fake to say that. But
at the same time, for example, we dont pay bribes.
It was Harvard in September 2012, and students at the
John F. Kennedy School of Government were spellbound by
an unusual lecturer, a short, plain-talking man with close-set
eyes and a prominent widows peak.
In China, its not easy for a company, especially a
private company, to be successful and grow, he said through
an interpreter. The hardships they face are many times
greater than in the United States.
It would not have been a particularly incisive
observation from a member of the faculty. But the speaker
that afternoon was Wang Jianlin, and despite the hardships
that he described, he was on a remarkable winning streak.
Months earlier, Mr. Wang had purchased AMC
Entertainment Holdings, the second-largest theater chain in
the United States. By years end, his empire in China would
include 66 Wanda Plazas, 38 five-star hotels, 980 cinema
screens and 57 department stores, not to mention 63 karaoke
saloons. Within a year, he would break ground on an $8
billion movie studio and theme park in the coastal city of
Qingdao, flying in stars such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Nicole
Kidman and John Travolta to celebrate.
With success came the familiar trappings of the
megarich. Mr. Wang bought a Picasso painting at auction for
$28.2 million. His wife socialized with Prince Albert of
Monaco. His son hired a top Korean pop group to perform at
his 27th birthday party.
Not content with just owning a yacht, Mr. Wang bought
the British company that makes the luxury boats seen in
James Bond films. In January, his company announced it
was buying a stake in a Spanish soccer club.
He is a force of nature, said Jeffrey Katzenberg, the
chief executive of DreamWorks Animation, who has known
Mr. Wang for more than three years. He is a very, very
strong personality, and he is extremely confident about what

he is doing.
Mr. Wangs father was a veteran of the Communist
Partys Long March, the arduous and deadly trek across
China in the 1930s by the Communists that hardened a
generation of revolutionaries, and Mr. Wang himself, the
eldest of five brothers, followed him into the army as a
teenager. In a 2013 appearance on state television, he
recalled marching hundreds of miles through knee-deep
snow in training exercises during Maos fanatical Cultural
Revolution.
Many people couldnt make it, Mr. Wang said, but he
did. He then spent the next 16 years rising through the officer
ranks, an experience that colleagues say informs his
management style. Even his most senior Wanda executives
are required to punch in and out, for example, and tardiness
is not tolerated, former employees say.
After leaving the military, Mr. Wang took a government
job in the northeastern port city of Dalian. His big break there
came in 1988, when he was transferred to a failing stateowned builder of residential apartment blocks. By his own
account, he secured a loan with the help of an old army
buddy and returned the company to profitability.
In 1992, the firm was restructured as one of Chinas first
shareholding companies, and over the next decade, Mr.
Wang oversaw its privatization, emerging as its majority
owner.
The mayor of Dalian for much of that time was Bo Xilai,
a politician who was the son of an influential party elder and
who would rise to the Politburo before falling from power in a
stunning corruption and murder scandal in 2012.
Mr. Wang was an extraordinary benefactor to Dalian
during Mr. Bos tenure, buying the citys soccer team, which
helped make it a national champion, and donating tens of
millions of dollars to build schools.
Since Mr. Bos fall, Mr. Wang has sought to distance
himself from him. In a recent interview, he said he struggled
during those years because he refused to pay bribes and did
not get along with Mr. Bo. That limited his access to land, he
said, which Mr. Bos administration would not sell him.
We still made money, but it wasnt a pleasant time,
Mr. Wang told Bloomberg Markets magazine.
Because the state retains formal ownership of all land in
China, those who want to build on it must have the states
blessing. Local governments have depended for years on the
sale of long-term rights to develop land to finance their
operations. But who gets which parcels, and at what price, is
as much a political decision as an economic one.
Mr. Wang says his company is so good at delivering
benefits to the cities where it builds that local governments
now compete for his business and he turns down more than
two out of every three proposals.
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We thus can take the initiative, and we have the

bargaining power, he told the students at Harvard. That
means he acquires land at less than half the cost to his
competitors, he added.
Even as property prices set records in China, the price
that Dalian Wanda paid for access to land fell by more than
40 percent from 2011 to 2014, according to its I.P.O.
prospectus.
Wang Yongping, vice chairman of the China
Commercial Real Estate Association, said local officials were
eager to work with Wanda because of the tax revenue its
projects bring them and because it has a reputation for
getting things done fast. The company can finish a Wanda
Plaza at what it calls Wanda Speed, or within 18 months.
Chinese government officials love to have
achievements when they are in office, Wang Yongping said.
Eighteen months might determine whether they can become
a district chief or a provincial party secretary.
But some in power have other reasons to root for Wang
Jianlin.
In July 2007, Mr. Wang had built only a handful of
Wanda Plazas. He had yet to make his first billion dollars,
and few outside China had heard of him or his company. The
Hurun Rich List, which tracks the net worth of the wealthiest
people in China, ranked him 148th.
But late that month, a newly formed firm in Beijing,
Minghao Holdings, acquired a 2.5 percent stake in Mr.
Wangs flagship company, Wanda Group, becoming its
largest external shareholder, according to corporate records.
There was only one other outside shareholder at the time, a
local real estate company in Dalian run by a friend.
Then, two months later, another newly established firm
in Beijing, Wugufeng Investment Consulting, took a 1.53
percent stake in the main company that Mr. Wang used to
hold his shares in Wanda Group, becoming its fifth
shareholder, the records show.
The documents do not indicate why the two Beijing
firms were invited to become early investors in Mr. Wangs
business. But the paper trail from the companies leads to
relatives of two men sitting at the time on the Communist
Partys ruling Politburo: Jia Qinglin, a longtime party boss of
the Beijing municipality who ranked fourth in the party
leadership, and Wang Zhaoguo, a senior legislator who was
the leading force behind a landmark law providing legal
protections for private property.
Wang Zhaoguos son, Wang Xinyu, was the controlling
shareholder of the first firm, which later transferred its stake in
Wanda to a young woman named Yang Xin, the records
show. Ms. Yang is the Politburo members niece, according to
Wang Zhaoan, a cousin who serves as party chief in the
familys home village in Hebei Province.
The owner of the second firm is listed in the records as
Pan Yongbin, 63, who shares a business address, staff and
94
phone numbers with a Beijing investment firm run by Mr. Jias

son-in-law, Li Botan. Mr. Pan is also listed as a board
member of several firms owned by Mr. Li, including his main
investment company.
As Wanda prospered in the years that followed, the
value of these early stakes skyrocketed.
The firm controlled by Wang Zhaoguos son paid less
than $500,000 for its stake, according to Wandas filings with
the government, though the firms own records do not show
the transaction. The documents are more complete for the
second firm, showing a payment of less than $200,000 for its
stake. Those two stakes are now worth more than $640
million and $250 million.
Neither Politburo member was in a position to directly
set the price or approve the sale of land-use rights to Wanda.
But party institutions under the two men have showered
Wang Jianlin with public recognition.
In March 2008, Mr. Wang was one of only three
mainland billionaires named to the standing committee of the
Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Congress, a national
advisory body, led by Mr. Jia, that is made up of people
whom the party leadership deems influential. The
appointment amounted to a seal of approval by top party
leaders, said one Chinese businessman who serves on a
similar body and spoke on the condition of anonymity to
protect his position.
In June 2007, Mr. Wang was also named an
outstanding private entrepreneur by a party-run industry
association, the first of five awards bestowed upon him over
the next four years from groups led by or associated with
Wang Zhaoguo.
Honors like these can signal to local officials and
potential business partners that their recipients are well
connected. At least within China, people will be much more
willing to do business with you, and much less likely to offend
you, said Victor Shih, a scholar at the University of California,
San Diego.
After the global financial crisis in late 2008, Chinas
property market took a nose dive. Real estate stocks in
Shanghai ended the year down 65 percent.
But Wanda had a banner year, breaking ground on
seven new Wanda Plaza complexes setting a record
and propelling Wang Jianlin to 20th on the Hurun list of
Chinas richest people, with a fortune estimated at $2.3
billion.
The next year, Wanda distributed shares to outsiders
again, privately selling an 8.5 percent stake in the company.
Among the eight new investors was a Beijing firm
owned through a network of holding companies by Qi
Qiaoqiao, the sister of Xi Jinping, and her husband, Deng
Jiagui.
Ms. Qi and Mr. Xi are members of a privileged elite
consisting of the offspring of senior party officials. Their now
OPS054000229
deceased father, Xi Zhongxun, was a military comrade of

Mao and later became a vice premier and a pioneer of
economic reform.
Ms. Qi worked in a variety of political and military posts
during her career before becoming a businesswoman. During
that time, her younger brother, Mr. Xi, was working his way
up through the ranks in provincial government posts.
It is not known why Ms. Qi and her husband were
offered the chance to invest in Wanda. By 2009, she was
already a wealthy investor with business relationships across
the country. Meanwhile, her brother had become Chinas vice
president and was the consensus candidate to become the
partys next leader.
Ms. Qi and Mr. Deng did not respond to a request for
comment. But records show the couple began selling off or
transferring hundreds of millions of dollars in investments in
2012 as President Xi embarked on a high-profile crackdown
on official corruption. The motivation behind this sell-off is
unclear but it had the effect of reducing her brothers political
vulnerability as his campaign targeted thousands of officials.
In many cases, the couple sold their investments to
individuals with no clear connection to them.
But the shares in Wanda valued at $240 million now,
up from the $28.6 million the couple paid for them in 2009
were transferred to a longtime business associate on Oct. 8,
2013. The records give no indication of the price paid by the
business associate, who has served the couple in various
corporate posts for more than a decade.
Another new shareholder in Wanda was an investment
fund owned in part and managed by a subsidiary of Tsinghua
Holdings, the investment arm of Beijings prestigious
Tsinghua University. At the time, the top official at Tsinghua
Holdings was Hu Haifeng, the son of Hu Jintao, then Chinas
president. There is no indication Hu Haifeng personally
benefited from or held any shares in Wanda himself.
Some of the individuals given an early chance to invest
in Wanda are difficult to identify. One of them, Jin Yi, acquired
a stake in 2009 that is now worth about $250 million. But the
address on her identity card is incomplete, and her name is
not included on the official registry of residents in the
neighborhood listed.
Corporate records indicate, however, that Ms. Jin is a
business associate of Wen Ruchun, the daughter of Wen
Jiabao, the prime minister from 2003 to 2013. Ms. Jin is listed
as one of three partners in a Beijing real estate firm alongside
Lily Chang, an alias used by Ms. Wen.
Seated between Lloyd Blankfein, the chief executive of
Goldman Sachs, and Nick Clegg, the deputy prime minister
of Britain, Wang Jianlin had little to say through much of a
panel discussion last year at the World Economic Forum in
Davos, Switzerland, the annual gathering of the wealthy and
powerful. But when a speaker suggested that Chinas focus
95
on territorial disputes diminished its influence in Asia, the

billionaire bristled.
This is a discussion on economics today and shouldnt
delve into politics, Mr. Wang snapped. You are publicly
saying bad things about China at the very least, I dont
think this is very polite.
As his fortune has climbed and his investments have
stretched overseas, Mr. Wang has emerged as an outspoken
advocate for his homeland. In interviews and speeches, he
tends to present himself as the pragmatic face of big
business in China, delivering a soothing message of
opportunity to foreign audiences anxious about the countrys
rise.
Wang Jianlin is a perfect instrument for that from the
partys point of view, said Joseph Nye, the Harvard professor
who coined the term soft power and was the panelist
scolded by Mr. Wang at Davos.
Mr. Wang is effective in part because he is no longer
simply a Chinese real estate developer. As Beijing sought to
cool its property sector in recent years, he diversified by
shifting investments abroad and into the culture and
entertainment sector, including his network of movie theaters,
which became the worlds largest in 2012 with the purchase
of AMCs 4,000-plus screens in the United States.
The strategy coincided with a policy push by the
Chinese leadership to expand the nations cultural influence
both overseas and at home, where younger generations have
increasingly turned to Western music, television and films.
A communiqu issued by the partys Central Committee
in October 2011 cited an urgency for China to strengthen its
cultural soft power and global cultural influence.
After this document, Wanda started to put a lot of effort
into developing the cultural industry, said Zhang Lihua, a
scholar at the Tsinghua-Carnegie Center for Global Policy in
Beijing.
Investors connected to senior party leaders were able
to get in early on Wandas move. In December 2010, the
investment firm of Mr. Jias son-in-law acquired a $9 million
stake in Wandas cinema subsidiary, records show. As of
Monday, the stake was worth $131 million.
The records also show another early investment that
same month by an investment fund run by New Horizon, a
private equity firm co-founded by Mr. Wens son, Winston
Wen. On Monday, that stake was valued at $526 million.
The Central Committees decision resulted in new
policies that benefited real estate companies such as Wanda.
Local governments, for example, were told to prioritize
the sale of land-use rights to companies that built projects
that promote Chinese culture. And state-owned banks were
told to offer loans for cultural undertakings at home and
abroad. The state export-import bank agreed to help finance
Wandas overseas investments, backing its acquisition of
AMC.
OPS054000230
In addition to investing in the movie industry, Wanda

has opened a series of amusement parks that promote
Chinese culture, including one that features a building in the
shape of a Chinese teapot and that Mr. Wang says will
compete with a Disneyland under construction in Shanghai.
No matter how good Disney is, it is still American
culture, he said after the groundbreaking ceremony last year.
We hope to use Chinese culture.
Xu Han, a scholar at the University of Pennsylvania
who has studied the company, said Wandas overseas
expansion was driven in part by Beijings desire to see the
nations premier companies build a presence abroad. But he
said the firm was more interested in profit than in directly
influencing public opinion about China.
The central governments objective is very clear, he
said. To have a very successful Chinese company is good
for China.
When Mr. Wang bought AMC, he retained the
American management team and emphasized that his
company would not dictate what films were shown in
American theaters.
But with China forecast to surpass North America in
box office revenue by 2018, Hollywood is already focused on
serving Chinese filmgoers and satisfying the censors who
determine what foreign films can be shown in Chinese
theaters.
Mr. Wang often notes that the Chinese market will be
twice the size of the North American market by 2023.
Foreigners need to heed this new reality, he warned
when he hosted Mr. DiCaprio and Ms. Kidman for the 2013
groundbreaking of his Qingdao studio.
Those in the world film industry who realize this first
and are among the first to cooperate with China, he said,
will be the first to reap the benefits.
The airstrikes hit the main runway, endangering one of

Yemens last usable airports and a major transit point for
global aid shipments. An airport official said the damage had
made it impossible to use the runway.
The bombings demonstrated the extent to which
Yemen has become trapped in the escalating regional proxy
war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Saudi Arabia began its
bombing campaign against the Houthi rebel movement in
Yemen last month in large part to counter what Saudi officials
saw as the influence of Iran, which has supported the
Houthis.
Saudi accusations that the Houthis were acting as an
instrument of Iranian power were viewed by many Yemenis
and Western diplomats as exaggerated or misplaced. Even
so, the war in Yemen has ratcheted up tensions, raising fears
of a broader conflict.
Yemens airspace and seas have been tightly controlled
by the Saudi-led coalition since the beginning of the
offensive. The United Nations Security Council has also
imposed an arms embargo on the Houthis.
A Saudi military spokesman told Reuters on Tuesday
that the Iranian airplane had not coordinated its landing in
Sana with the coalition authorities and had ignored warnings
to turn back.
Irans state news agency said that the aircraft was an
Iranian Red Crescent plane that had been carrying food and
medicine. A list of flights provided by a Yemeni airport official
showed that the flight had been expected and had been one
of four flights scheduled to land in the airport on Tuesday.
The purpose of the Iranian flight, operated by Mahan Air, was
listed as passenger trip.
The strikes destroyed at least one commercial plane on
the tarmac, according to witnesses.
The bombing of the airport threatened what had been
one of Yemens few lifelines for international aid shipments,
to counter what relief agencies say are critical shortages of
medicine, food, fuel and other supplies. Relief officials are
warning that the shortages are causing a humanitarian
disaster. The United Nations said on Monday that hospitals in
Yemen will shut down within a week unless they receive more
fuel.
On Tuesday, the United Nations said that new data
showed that the number of people displaced because of the
war had more than doubled in less than two weeks, to
300,000 people from an estimated 150,000 people 11 days
ago.
Mohammed Ali Kalfood reported from Sana, and
Kareem Fahim from Cairo.
Saudi-led Planes Bomb Sanaa Airport To Stop

Iranian Plane Landing
By Mohammed Ghobari And Mohammed Mukhashaf

Saudis Hit A Yemeni Airport, Possibly Closing

Aid Route
By Mohammed Ali Kalfood And Kareem Fahim

SANA, Yemen A Saudi-led military coalition carried
out at least seven airstrikes on the international airport here
on Tuesday, possibly crippling the airport in order to prevent
an Iranian airplane from landing, according to Saudi and
Yemeni officials.
Houthis, Tribesmen Battle In Central Yemen,

15 Killed
By Mohammed Ghobari
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Troops have this afternoon captured & destroyed three

camps of terrorists inside the Sambisa forest & rescued 200
girls & 93 women, defence spokesman Chris Olukolade said
in a text message, referring to the area in northeast Borno
state where the Islamists have bases.
It is not yet confirmed if the girls are the Chibok girls.
The freed persons are now being screened & profiled, he
added.
Olukolade gave no indication as to how long it would
take for the hostages to be identified.
Boko Haram claimed the abduction of 276 girls from a
secondary school in Chibok, also in Borno, on April 14 of last
year.
Fifty-seven girls escaped within hours of the attack but
219 remained in captivity.
In the weeks following the mass abduction, Nigerian
security sources and locals in Borno said there were
indications the girls had been taken to the Sambisa Forest.
But defence officials and experts agreed that they were
likely separated over the last 13 months, casting significant
doubt on the possibility that they were being held together as
a group.
Boko Harams leader, Abubakar Shekau, vowed to
marry them off or sell them as slaves.
Ayuba Alamson-Chibok, a teacher who has
campaigned on the girls behalf, told AFP that he doubts
those reportedly rescued from Sambisa on Tuesday were
from Chibok.
I believe it is not possible for our girls to be in one
place, said Alamson-Chibok, whose two cousins are among
the hostages.
Nigerias military has in the past released misleading
and inaccurate information concerning the Chibok girls,
including claims last year that Boko Haram had agreed to
their release.
The Islamists have been blamed for hundreds of other
kidnappings, especially targeting women and girls across
northeast Nigeria.
Amnesty International estimates that the Islamists have
kidnapped at least 2,000 women and girls since the beginning
of last year.
The Chibok attack brought unprecedented worldwide
attention to Nigerias Islamist uprising.
It also sparked sharp criticism of the governments initial
response to the drama, with outgoing President Goodluck
Jonathan accused of indifference and of trying to downplay
the severity of the kidnapping.
Celebrities and prominent personalities including US
First Lady Michelle Obama joined the Twitter campaign
#BringBackOurGirls that attracted supporters worldwide.
Brave sisters
Nigerian Army Says It Has Rescued 200 Girls
By Michelle Faul
LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) The Nigerian army said
Tuesday it has rescued 200 girls and 93 women in the
Sambisa Forest, but could not confirm if any of those freed
are the schoolgirls kidnapped a year ago.
The army announced the rescue on Twitter and said it
is now screening and profiling the girls and women.
More than 200 schoolgirls were kidnapped from Chibok
in northeastern Nigeria by the Islamic extremist group Boko
Haram in April 2014. The militants took the schoolgirls in
trucks into the Sambisa Forest and the girls have been
missing since then.
The plight of the schoolgirls, who have become known
as the Chibok girls, has garnered international attention and
the (hash)BringBackOurGirls campaign.
Their kidnapping brought Boko Haram to the attention
of the world, arousing outrage and even U.S. first lady
Michelle Obama got engaged, tweeting a photograph of
herself with the campaign sign.
The Nigerian army announced two weeks ago that it
would go into Sambisa Forest, which is a center for the Boko
Haram fighters, and that it believed the schoolgirls may still
be there.
Boko Haram has kidnapped an unknown number of
girls, women and young men to be used as sex slaves and
fighters. Many have escaped or been released as a
multinational offensive mounted at the end of January has
driven Nigerias home-grown Islamic militants from almost all
towns of the northeast. The only area left in control of Boko
Haram was the Sambisa Forest, a national game reserve.
of Use.
redistributed.
Nigeria Claims Rescue Of Nearly 300 Women,

Girls From Boko Haram Stronghold
AFP, April 29, 2015

Abuja (AFP) Nigerias military on Tuesday claimed
the rescue of 200 girls and 93 women from a notorious Boko
Haram stronghold, but said there was no confirmation the
hostages were those kidnapped from Chibok a year ago.
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OPS054000232
Earlier this month, countries around the globe took part

in marches and candlelight vigils to mark the first anniversary
of the kidnappings.
Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai, who was shot and
nearly killed by the Pakistani Taliban for advocating girls
education, used the occasion to renew calls for their release,
describing the girls as my brave sisters.
The 17-year-old criticised Nigerian and world leaders
for not doing enough to free the girls.
Boko Haram, whose name translates roughly from the
Hausa language as Western education is sin, is seeking to
create a hardline Islamic state and has pledged allegiance to
the Islamic State jihadist group.
The groups six-year insurgency in northeast Nigeria
has left at least 15,000 dead and some 1.5 million people
homeless.
The Nigerian military has in recent months claimed a
string of successes against Boko Haram after launching a
joint offensive against the militants with the help of soldiers
from Chad, Cameroon and Niger.
A series of towns previously under Islamist control have
been retaken, and Nigerias military has vowed to flush the
insurgents out of its bases in Sambisa in the coming weeks.
But a string of recent attacks underlined the continuing
risks posed by the Islamists.
Niger on Tuesday said 46 of its soldiers and 28 civilians
were killed in a Boko Haram attack on an island on Lake
Chad on Saturday. The assault came after 21 people were
shot dead in northeast Nigerias Yobe state on Friday, in an
attack also blamed on Boko Haram.
worldwide outcry, creating the social movement Bring Back

Our Girls.
In October, the Nigerian government announced a
cease-fire deal with Boko Haram that included the release of
the girls. Two weeks later, the terrorist organization denied
the reports and said the girls had been converted to Islam
and married off.
In a follow-up tweet Tuesday, the military said:
#Sambisa Forest: The freed persons are now being
screened and profiled. We will bring you details later. /3
#NeverAgain.
The military said its troops captured and destroyed
three terrorist camps during the operation in Sambisa Forest,
where Boko Haram is believed to have many camps on a
game preserve eight times larger than Yellowstone National
Park.
Troops captured and destroyed 3 terrorists camps
including the notorious Tokumbere camp in the #Sambisa
Forest Operation /2
In the past month, the Nigerian military, along with a
coalition of other African nations, has ramped up an offensive
against the Islamic extremist group, making some strides
against the militants. Last year, Boko Haram killed 10,000
people and forced about 1.5 million to flee for southern
Nigeria and neighboring countries.
President-elect Muhammadu Buhari, 72 who was
elected in March and takes office May 29 has pledged to
rid the nation of the terrorist group after outgoing President
Goodluck Jonathan failed to defeat the insurgents, who want
to create an Islamic territory in the region.
#Sambisa Forest: The freed persons are now being
screened and profiled. We will bring you details later. /3
#NeverAgain
Two weeks ago as Nigeria marked the one-year
anniversary of the disappearance Buhari said he would not
repeat his predecessors failed promise to find the girls.
We do not know if the Chibok girls can be rescued.
Their whereabouts remain unknown, Buhari said on April 14.
As much as I wish to, I cannot promise that we can find
them.
Campaigners replaced the slogan of Bring Back Our
Girls Now and Alive! with a new one: Never to be
forgotten.
Boko Haram, whose attacks on schools have forced
thousands away from an education, loosely translates as
Western education is forbidden in the Hausa language that
is spoken by about 40 million people in Nigeria and
neighboring Niger.
In March, the leader of Boko Haram pledged allegiance
to the Islamic State, making the Nigerian terrorist organization
the largest group yet to agree to fight under the Iraq and
Syria-based extremists.
Reports: Rescued Nigeria Girls Not Abducted

From Chibok
By Katharine Lackey
An army spokesman told the Associated Press and
Reuters that the 200 girls and 93 women rescued Tuesday by
Nigerias Armed Forces did not include any of the schoolgirls
kidnapped by Boko Haram militants last year.
In a tweet on its official account, the Nigerian Armed
Forces said: FLASH: Troops this afternoon rescued 200 girls
& 93 women from #Sambisa Forest. We cannot confirm if the
#ChibokGirls are in this group /1.
Army spokesman Col. Sani Usman told the AP that 293
people were rescued Tuesday but they are not the Chibok
girls. Reuters also cited Usman as its source.
FLASH: Troops this afternoon rescued 200 girls & 93
women from #Sambisa Forest. We cannot confirm if the
#ChibokGirls are in this group /1
In April 2014, Boko Haram kidnapped nearly 300
schoolgirls near the northern village of Chibok. Dozens
escaped, but 219 remain missing. Their kidnapping sparked a
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redistributed.
As night set in, Baltimores streets erupted. Rioters

burned and looted businesses. Others hurled rocks. Police
officers were injured, and the police commissioner said his
department was outnumbered in its own city. Gov. Larry
Hogan of Maryland activated the National Guard, sending
hundreds of soldiers into the city after dawn on Tuesday.
I condemn the senseless acts of violence by some
individuals in Baltimore that have resulted in harm to law
enforcement officers, destruction of property and a shattering
of the peace in the city of Baltimore, Ms. Lynch said in a
statement Monday night.
She continued, Those who commit violent actions,
ostensibly in protest of the death of Freddie Gray, do a
disservice to his family, to his loved ones, and to legitimate
peaceful protesters who are working to improve their
community.
Ms. Lynch, a child of the segregated South and the
daughter of a local civil rights leader, has spoken of the need
for police officers because they wield the power to
repair broken relationships. But she has also spoken
repeatedly about the police as a force for good in minority
neighborhoods.
As the unrest unfolded in Ferguson, Mr. Holder and
senior officials were livid at what they saw as an overly
militaristic response by the police. By contrast, the Justice
Department has issued no statements on Baltimores
response to the riots. And Ms. Lynch, who has a reputation
as a quiet manager who tries not to influence the thinking of
her team, offered no opinions on the matter in several
meetings, aides said.
Although she announced no plans to visit Baltimore,
she sent Mr. Davis and Ms. Gupta there. Mr. Davis, a former
police officer and chief, is a respected policing expert. His
office provides advice and money to police departments to
support community policing and is seen as an advocate for
defusing combative situations.
Last year, Baltimore officials asked Mr. Davis to
investigate the police department and recommend ways to
reduce the use of force. That investigation is in its early
stages, and Ms. Lynch is looking for ways to speed that up,
two law enforcement officials said, so that the police can start
examining their use of force sooner and begin making
changes if necessary.
Ms. Gupta, the chief of the civil rights division, is leading
the Justice Departments criminal investigation into Mr. Grays
death. She similarly led two investigations into policing in
Ferguson one that cleared the officer in the shooting death
of the black teenager, Michael Brown, and another that
accused the city of years of unconstitutional police tactics.
A former senior lawyer for the American Civil Liberties
Union, Ms. Gupta has deep ties to community and civil rights
groups and is expected to meet with those groups in
More Than 200 Killed In Niger, Boko Haram

Weekend Battle

Turmoil In Baltimore Provides Immediate Test

For New Attorney General
By Matt Apuzzo
WASHINGTON As he prepared to swear in Loretta
E. Lynch as attorney general on Monday, Vice President
Joseph R. Biden Jr. said she was uniquely qualified to bridge
the divide between minority neighborhoods and police officers
clashing over the use of deadly force.
Within hours, Baltimore was in flames, and Ms. Lynch
was consumed by an issue that could define her time in
office.
Ms. Lynchs response to the tumult in Baltimore will be
watched closely. Her predecessor, Eric H. Holder Jr., was the
face of the Obama administrations response to unrest in
Ferguson, Mo., last year after a white police officer killed an
unarmed black teenager there, and he relished the
opportunity to talk about policing and race relations. It made
him a hero of the civil rights movement but drew sharp
criticism from police groups who said the attorney general did
not do enough to support them.
Ms. Lynch, a career prosecutor, came into office
promising to strike a new tone and planned to visit police
groups this summer. But the riots in Baltimore after the death
of a black man in police custody have overtaken that timeline.
Almost as soon as she had taken her oath, there were
signs that Baltimore, which had been on edge since a 25year-old named Freddie Gray died in police custody this
month under circumstances that are still unexplained, was
about to erupt. As mourners gathered for Mr. Grays funeral,
police announced that three street gangs had pledged to
work together to take out police officers. The University of
Maryland shut down its Baltimore campus early, saying it had
been warned that the area could soon turn violent.
At the Justice Department, Ms. Lynch was met by her
civil rights chief, Vanita Gupta, and her community-policing
expert, Ronald L. Davis, for a lengthy update on Baltimore. It
was her first meeting as attorney general, and it led to an
unscheduled trip to the White House to meet with President
Obama.
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Baltimore. The trip was planned for Tuesday, but the Justice
Department made no announcement about the agenda.
Those are two people at D.O.J. who can do
something, said Judith Browne Dianis, a civil rights advocate
at the Advancement Project who said she spoke with Justice
Department officials Monday and is helping to connect them
to local leaders. Theyre reaching out, looking for the right
people. Theyre trying to find people who are doing the work
on the ground in Baltimore. They cant just talk to national
people.
Ms. Dianis said the violence seen Monday could not be
excused, but that its roots had to be understood and
addressed. Baltimore has had a long history of aggressive,
sometimes brutal behavior by its police department. The citys
mayor, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, has acknowledged the
broken relationship between residents and the police.
The Fraternal Order of Police, which represents
Baltimores officers, also applauded the Justice Departments
response. Ms. Lynch has stepped right in and is trying to use
the power and influence of the federal government to get
some order restored, said James Pasco, the unions
executive director. Shes reached out through top staff, and
were still in good communication.
Hanging over these discussions was the reality that the
federal government has few options for quelling
demonstrations that turn violent. In the most extreme case,
the 1992 Los Angeles riots, the Justice Department sent
1,000 federal agents to help gain control, but that was after
30 people died and it became clear that 1,400 National Guard
members were not enough.
The Justice Department has not discussed a similar
response in Baltimore, where the unrest, while violent, is
much smaller. The White House made clear that, while Mr.
Lynch would monitor events in Baltimore, it was a
fundamentally local problem.
I think there is the expectation that she could do some
important work in this area, Josh Earnest, the White House
press secretary, said of Ms. Lynch. But, he added, There
does need to be a commitment from local elected leaders
and local law enforcement leaders to confront this challenge
and to demonstrate some determination about trying to build
bridges with the citizens that they are sworn to serve and
protect.
Curfew Begins In Riot-torn Baltimore
By Yamiche Alcindor And William M. Welch

BALTIMORE A citywide curfew took effect Tuesday
night in tense, riot-torn Baltimore as a heavy presence of
police and National Guard troops sought to disperse
protesters.
Dozens of people remained in the streets after the 10
p.m. curfew. Officers with bullhorns and self-appointed citizen
100
peacekeepers urged them to go home, and when some failed

to disperse, police fired pepper pellets and smoke canisters.
Some protesters hurled objects at police, who held
shields and formed a line across an intersection and slowly
advanced toward protesters.
Baltimore police said on Twitter: Officers are now
advancing on the group. They remain aggressive and
disorderly.
Weve got a long night ahead of us, Maryland Gov.
Larry Hogan said earlier. Security forces will not tolerate
violence or looting, he vowed.
Hogan said a massive display of security was deployed
in the city: 2,000 National Guard troops and 1,000 law
enforcement officers.
Police Commissioner Anthony Batts said in a news
conference late Tuesday night that 10 people had been
arrested, seven of them for violations of a 10 p.m. curfew.
The Baltimore Orioles canceled Tuesdays scheduled
home game and in an unusual move said Wednesdays
game will be played in an empty Camden Yards stadium,
without spectators.
Baltimores school system announced it would reopen
for classes Wednesday.
Batts defended his agencys slow response to violence
that tore through the city a day earlier, leaving cars and
buildings gutted by fire and stores looted. Batts said the
young age of those who took to the streets with rocks and
bricks high school students, many of them caused officers
to take a measured initial response to Mondays violence.
Why didnt you move faster? Because theyre 14, 15
and 16 year old kids out there, Batts said at an afternoon
news conference, posing to himself a frequently asked
question.
Theyre old enough to know better .old enough to be
accountable. But theyre still kids, unfortunately, and we have
to take that into account when were out there.
The violence erupted on the day of the funeral for
Freddie Gray, 25, who died after suffering a mortal spinal
injury while in police custody.
Appearing with Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Batts
defended her against critics for an initially low-profile
response, calling her courageous. He acknowledged that
Baltimores police culture must change: We have more to do,
but we cant do it by destroying this beautiful city.
Overall today has been a very good day, Batts said.
Were going to be out in strong numbers making sure we
have no issues in our city.
There were some tense protests and a massive
cleanup underway. The city was going on a week-long nightly
curfew beginning at 10 p.m.
Hogan said 250 people were arrested in Mondays
violence. Police said more than 20 police were injured, and
Batts said one of them remained hospitalized Tuesday. About
OPS054000235
20 businesses and more than 140 cars burned as the

mayhem spilled into Tuesdays early hours. From 1 a.m. to 5
a.m., the citys Office of Emergency Management reported 10
major blazes.
Acts of violence and destruction of property cannot and
will not be tolerated, Hogan said. This is far from over.
President Obama promised a thorough investigation
into the death of Gray.
U.S. Justice Department officials met with members of
Grays family late Tuesday, in addition to relatives of police
officers who were most seriously injured in Mondays unrest,
a Justice official said. Vanita Gupta, chief of the departments
Civil Rights Division, and Ronald Davis, director of the
Community Oriented Policing Services office, were
dispatched to Baltimore to represent the department.
A man stands in front of a line of police officers in riot
gear as part of a community effort to disperse the crowd
ahead of a 10 p.m. curfew Tuesday, April 28, 2015, in
Baltimore. (Photo: David Goldman, AP)
Attorney General Loretta Lynch spoke with Hogan and
members of the Maryland congressional delegation to
discuss the developments in Baltimore and to offer
assistance.
Across the city, schools were closed, the National
Guard was on the streets and wreckage was everywhere.
Across the street from a burned and looted CVS store,
several people threw water bottles at officers who stood in riot
gear. At times protesters argued among themselves, some
pleading for a peaceful event and others arguing that the
police officers needed to feel the pain they have inflicted on
the community.
Still, Batts said only two arrests were made by late
afternoon. For the most part, the city has been calm today,
Batts said.
James Brown, 27, an event planner, said he believes
the situation will worsen. This is not going to end, he said.
Black men feel like we dont have rights. We are not being
heard.
Earlier, Rawlings-Blake toured the destruction.
We will not let these deplorable and cowardly acts of
violence ruin our city, she tweeted. I sincerely want to thank
all those out there cleaning up streets and sharing their love
for #OurCity. Thank you, Baltimore!
Rawlings-Blake walked back comments she made
about thugs trying to tear down the city.
I wanted to say something that was on my heart We
dont have thugs in Baltimore. Sometimes my little anger
interpreter gets the best of me, she said, pointing to her
head. We have a lot of kids that are acting out, a lot of
people in our community that are acting out.
She dismissed claims that she waited too long to send
in a heavy police and National Guard presence. She cited a
delicate balancing act between managing the problem and

making it worse.
It is very important that we respond to the situation as it
is on the ground, she said. There are always going to be
armchair quarterbacks who have never sat in my seat.
Police Capt. John Kowalczyk said the relatively light
initial police presence was because authorities were
preparing for a protest of high schoolers. A heavy police
presence and automatic weapons would not have been
appropriate, he said. Kowalczyk said police made more than
200 arrests, 34 of them juveniles.
During the mayhem, social media was alive with
#purge, an apparent allusion to the film The Purge, which
featured a 12-hour period in which all crime is legal.
Police stand guard as people protest near the CVS
pharmacy that was set on fire Monday during rioting after the
funeral of Freddie Gray, on April 28, 2015 in Baltimore.
(Photo: Andrew Burton, Getty Images)
Gray, 25, died April 19, one week after being arrested
and suffering a severe spinal injury. After Grays funeral
Monday, protests ostensibly against police violence quickly
deteriorated into devastating riots. Bands of looters, some
armed with crowbars, roamed the city, hurling rocks at police,
destroying patrol cars, smashing store windows and torching
buildings.
Residents swept glass and debris from battered
sidewalks and streets while National Guard members stood
sentry during daylight hours Tuesday.
Tanisha Owens, 30, an elementary school teacher
living in Baltimore, said she hopes young people will get a
chance to come to peaceful protests in the city and learn how
to voice their concerns.
My students see this destruction happen to their
communities and they need to also see the good side of it,
Owens said. I want them to understand that not everyone is
bad. Theres also good in their city.
Owens added that she was impressed at how quickly
people cleaned up stores affected by looting. She and several
co-workers came to the city with brooms and gloves but
found that all the places they wanted to volunteer were
already cleared of debris.
But many said they remain frustrated by what they
believe is unfair treatment of blacks by police.
We have too much violence against all the little brown
children, Mitchum Alexander, 46, of Baltimore, said. We
need to put a stop to this and educate law enforcement and
people in society so incidents like this dont occur.
Martin OMalley, former governor of Maryland and
former mayor of Baltimore, stopped by West Baltimore where
hundreds of demonstrators gathered all day.
Theres a lot of pain in our city right now, a lot of people
feeling very sad, OMalley said. We have got to come
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through this together. We are a people who have seen worst

days and we will come through this.
Yet as OMalley walked through crowds of protesters
some heckled him and told him to leave.
Wayne Gray, 47, has lived in Baltimore his entire life
and said OMalley had a chance to help the city and didnt.
Instead, Gray said OMalley didnt help improve the lives of
poor people and started the culture and policies that led to
over arresting black men.
He had a chance to fix this, Gray said of OMalley.
Hes part of the frustration that built up in these black men.
Hogan also toured parts of the city. What happened
last night is not going to happen tonight, he said.l
Many businesses, wary of a resurgence of violence that
had overwhelmed police and fire fighters, closed on Tuesday.
The list included Security Square Mall with more than
100 stores in western Baltimore. Many downtown businesses
were closed, and mutual fund houses T. Rowe Price and
Legg Mason announced that most employees were working
from home.
Jamal Bryant, a local activist and pastor of
Empowerment Temple AME Church, opened his church to
teens with no place to go due to the school closures. He
promised to conduct training on how to protest without
destroying the city.
Bryant tweeted: Were also gonna take HS students to
go clean up OUR neighborhoods. We must rise from the
ashes. Meet at @EmpowermentTem2 at 10
Obama also said economic and cultural problems must
be addressed to fully solve the problem of violence on streets
here and across the nation. Still, he stressed, thats no
excuse for the violence.
When individuals get crowbars and start opening doors
to loot, theyre not protesting, Obama said in response to a
query at a White House news conference. Theyre not
making a statement. They are stealing. When they burn down
a building they are committing arson. And they are destroying
and undermining businesses and opportunities in their own
communities.
Loretta Lynchs Supporters Have Advice For

Her On Baltimore
By Seung Min Kim

Supporters of Loretta Lynch are pushing the new U.S.
attorney general to address the simmering tensions in
Baltimore in the most direct way possible: Showing up in
person.
Some civil rights leaders and members of Congress are
calling on Lynch to soon visit Baltimore to make her presence
known in the city thats been hit with violent demonstrations
since Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man, died after
102
apparently suffering injuries while in police custody earlier this

month.
I think at some point, its important for her to go to
Baltimore, said Marc Morial, the president of the National
Urban League, said in an interview. This crisis is not just a
local crisis. This is a crisis of national dimensions.
Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-N.C.), the chairman of the
Congressional Black Caucus, agreed, with a caveat. She
needs to deploy senior staff to Baltimore, which she has
done, and at the appropriate time, I think she does need to go
to Baltimore, he said. But not this week.
Justice Department officials say there are no plans at
this time for Lynch to go to Baltimore herself. Instead, she
has sent some of her top deputies: Vanita Gupta, the head of
the departments civil rights division, and Ron Davis, the
director of community oriented policing services at DOJ; and
Grande Lum, the head of the departments Community
Relations Services office.
The violence in Baltimore quickly threw Lynch into the
first crisis of her term as the nations chief law enforcement
official as she seeks to restore order in Baltimore and probe
the circumstances surrounding Grays death earlier this
month. The Justice Department has launched a civil rights
investigation into the matter.
Even as she was being sworn in as attorney general on
Monday, it was clear the issue of police-community relations
would become one of her key markers during her tenure as
the attorney general. Lynch, the first female African-American
attorney general, appeared to make a nod to that, saying at
her swearing-in ceremony: We can restore trust and faith
both in our laws and in those of us who enforce them.
Over the past year, there have been a series of fatal
clashes between police officers and unarmed black men that
have brought to the surface deep mistrust between law
enforcement and the communities they serve.
But she is no stranger to the issue of police
confrontations and accusations of brutality. One of the key
cases that the veteran lawyer helped prosecute was that of
Haitian immigrant Abner Louima in 1999, where Lynch was
on a legal team that secured a guilty plea from a New York
police officer for sodomizing Louima with a broomstick.
More recently as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of
New York, Lynchs office was heading up the investigation
into the death of Eric Garner, a Staten Island man who died
after being placed in a chokehold by New York police. The
Justice Department is still working on that probe, and New
York Police Commissioner Bill Bratton said earlier this week
that Lynch asked him to hold off on the NYPDs own
investigation into the Garner case until the Justice probe is
finished.
She understands community concerns, said Janice
Fedarcyk, a former assistant director for the FBI in New York,
where she worked with Lynch. The now-attorney general
OPS054000237
served as the top federal prosecutor there for two separate

terms. Fedarcyk added: She understands how to reach into
those diverse communities and start a dialogue, as much as
she understands how tough a law enforcement job is.
Lynch quickly got to work Monday, briefing President
Barack Obama on the situation in Baltimore less than six
hours after she was sworn in by Vice President Joe Biden at
Justice Department headquarters. She was confirmed by the
Senate last week on a 56-43 vote, more than five months
after she was nominated by Obama in November.
On Tuesday, she directed the Justice Departments
outreach to key leaders and groups in Baltimore, as well as
telling Gupta and Davis to contact families for both Gray and
the Baltimore police officers injured in the demonstrations on
Monday.
The Justice officials sent to Baltimore met with Grays
family to express their condolences, according to a readout
from the department Tuesday night. And during their meeting
with a Baltimore police officer who is still hospitalized after
Mondays violent protests, the Justice officials reiterated that
safety of officers are a priority, according to the readout.
Though Lynch said contact with Grays family was
essential, she also added, according to a Justice Department
official: When officers get injured in senseless violence, they
become victims as well.
Lynch held a conference call Tuesday with key
members of the Maryland delegation on the current DOJ
investigations into the Baltimore police and other assistance
that the department could give. She also spoke with Maryland
Gov. Larry Hogan, according to a Justice Department official.
She assured us that the DOJ investigations of the
Baltimore City Police Department are ongoing and have her
highest priority and attention, Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.)
said Tuesday night. I feel confident that the DOJ will conduct
thorough investigations and that the findings will help provide
answers to the many questions surrounding the death of
Freddie Gray and the policies and practices of the Baltimore
City Police Department.
Those who have worked with Lynch closely in years
past describe a lawyer who keeps a steady hand, even in the
throes of crisis.
When things get hot, she gets cool and focused, said
David Barlow, a former U.S. attorney from Utah who served
with Lynch on a committee of U.S. attorneys that provide
advice to the attorney general. He, like Fedarcyk, testified on
Lynchs behalf at her confirmation hearings before the Senate
in January. She is dispassionate, cool, and steady, rather
than visceral.
And even some of her critics had no qualms with how
Lynch has handled the crisis in Baltimore so far.
Its more, I think, of a local governance and state
government issue in terms of the National Guard, in terms of
the police, said Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), who voted
against Lynch last week. But looks to me like shes

appropriately sent folks from the civil rights division and
others down there to monitor the situation. I think thats about
all she can do at this point.
Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio), the former chairwoman of
the Congressional Black Caucus, said the crisis engulfing
Baltimore and other cities nationwide goes much broader
than what Lynch and the Justice Department are able to do.
There is a role for the attorney general, no question
about it, Fudge said. Im hopeful that she will continue the
work that Holder started by holding accountable these
departments and these individuals, but I think its much bigger
than her. This is something that our nation needs to get a
hold of.
U.S. Lawmakers Seek To End Spies Mass

Collection Of Phone Data

With Deadline Near, Lawmakers Set To

Introduce Bill To End NSA Program
By Ellen Nakashima
Almost two years after the disclosure of the
governments mass collection of Americans phone records,
Congress is confronting a fast-approaching deadline to either
continue the collection or end it.
On Tuesday, a bipartisan group of lawmakers plans to
introduce a bill aimed at blocking the National Security
Agency from collecting the phone records of millions of
Americans. The effort was described by its sponsors as a
balanced approach that would ensure the NSA maintains an
ability to obtain the data it needs to detect terrorist plots
without infringing on Americans right to privacy.
Congress failed to advance similar legislation last year,
and some officials believe the agency should not face new
constraints at a time of deep concern over the threat from
terrorist groups such as the Islamic State.
But given the politics on the Hill, in which liberal
Democrats and libertarian Republicans have made common
cause, leaders on both sides of the Capitol appear to
recognize that maintaining the NSAs current authorities
might not be tenable.
[Mitch McConnell gooses Capitol Hill debate on NSA
surveillance]
The governments underlying authority to conduct bulk
collection expires on June 1, with the sunsetting of Section
215 of the USA Patriot Act.
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The act was passed after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, to
give law enforcement and intelligence officials more tools to
thwart terrorist threats. But it was also to secretly authorize a
sweeping collection of Americans phone records. The
disclosure of the program in June 2013 prompted a backlash
and led President Obama to call for changes that would end
the NSAs collection while at the same time preserving its
access to the records of terrorist suspects.
If enacted, our bill will be the most significant reform to
government surveillance authorities since the USA Patriot Act
was passed nearly 14 years ago, said Sen. Patrick J. Leahy
(Vt.), the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee. Our
bill will definitively end the NSAs bulk collection under
Section 215. The USA Freedom Act is a path forward that
has the support of the administration, privacy groups, the
technology industry and most importantly, the American
people.
Leahy, along with Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), are cosponsors of the USA Freedom Act, the legislation that is set
to be introduced Tuesday. In addition to ending bulk
surveillance, the bill would require the nations secretive
surveillance court to provide a public summary or redacted
version of significant opinions.
It would also grant technology companies more leeway
to report on the scale of national security requests for data
they receive, and it would provide for an advocate for the
publics privacy rights at the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance
Court, which generally hears only the governments side of an
argument.
The leaders of the House Judiciary Committee plan to
introduce an identical bill Tuesday. House leadership is
hopeful that the USA Freedom Act will pass, given the
adoption by a 303-121 bipartisan vote of a modified version
last year. The bill also would renew two other surveillance
powers used in such investigations that are likewise set to
expire.
It is imperative that we reform these programs to
protect Americans privacy while at the same time protecting
our national security, Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (RWis.), a lead sponsor, chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and
ranking member John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) said in a joint
statement. The bills aim, they said, is to rein in government
overreach and rebuild trust with the American people.
Failure to renew Section 215 would mean not only the
end of the NSA program but of an authority that enables the
government to obtain all manner of records or any
tangible things in national security investigations.
It would send a terrible message of congressional
inattention to its duty to keep intelligence statutes up to date if
those provisions were allowed to lapse, said Benjamin
Wittes, a senior fellow in governance studies at the Brookings
Institution.
104
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and

Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr have
introduced a bill to extend through 2020 the authority for NSA
bulk collection under Section 215. Yet even McConnell has
told reporters that some changes are likely and that he
believes the endpoint probably will be somewhere between
USA Freedom and his own bill.
Some lawmakers have also introduced a bill, the
Surveillance State Repeal Act, that would repeal the entire
Patriot Act and other surveillance laws, but prospects for that
bill appear dim, even some supporters concede.
Although Obama called for an end to the NSAs storage
of the data, he left it to Congress to figure out a way to
preserve the agencys access to the data it needs. Under the
program, each day major U.S. phone companies give the
agency all customers call detail records, or numbers dialed
and call times and durations but not actual content.
The USA Freedom Act would end bulk collection by
requiring the government to seek records from companies
using a specific selection term that identifies a specific
person, account or address and is used to limit . . . the
scope of records sought. The term may not be a phone or
Internet company. Nor may it be a broad geographic region,
such as a state, city, or even Zip code.
The bill is the result of lengthy negotiations not only
among key members of the Judiciary Committee but with
administration officials, privacy advocates and tech
companies. In the last week, sponsors won the support of the
House Intelligence Committee.
The USA Freedom Act is not as comprehensive as we
would prefer, said Harley Geiger, senior counsel for the
Center for Democracy & Technology. But CDT supports the
bill because we believe it ends domestic bulk collection under
the Patriot Act. He said if the authority is permitted to expire,
mass records-gathering could carry on under other laws.
Other civil liberties advocates say the bill does not go
far enough and they would rather see Section 215 expire.
The disclosures of the last two years make clear that we
need wholesale reform, not just tinkering around the edges,
said Jameel Jaffer, deputy legal director of the American Civil
Liberties Union. The sky isnt going to fall for the FBI if
Section 215 sunsets. The government has multiple other
authorities it can use to collect records about suspected
terrorists.
There is wide consensus that the House lacks the votes
to pass a clean reauthorization, as McConnell would like.
That prospect is also unlikely in the Senate. At this point, its
either sunset or meaningful reform, said one aide, who was
not authorized to speak on the record. Everything else fails
in one chamber or the other.
The House is in recess next week. And the effective
deadline for action is May 21 because Congress is on
Memorial Day recess until June 1.
OPS054000239
Everyone is going to be looking for a last-minute

compromise, said former NSA general counsel Stewart A.
Baker, one that can be sold as a responsible solution that
provides substantial counterterrorism coverage while adding
protections for civil liberties.
Abe faces his own trade politics at home. Japan has

longstanding protections for politically powerful farm interests.
Moreover, an aging population and changing tastes have
lowered the consumption of rice, resulting in significant
surpluses that Japan has protected with tariffs and other
supports.
Still, Obama said: I know that Prime Minister Abe, like
me, is deeply committed to getting this done, and Im
confident we will.
Chinas economic and military footprint hung over the
Abe visit. In the face of Chinas rise, Obama has sought to
display more U.S. economic and security might in the AsiaPacific region.
He said the U.S. sees China as a booming potential
market and partner for U.S. development efforts overseas,
noting that hundreds of millions of Chinese have been pulled
out of poverty in recent years. But he acknowledged some
real tensions over Chinas maritime claims.
They feel that rather than resolve these issues through
normal international dispute settlements, they are flexing their
muscles, he said. Weve said to China what we should say
to any country in that circumstance: Thats the wrong way to
go about it.
In one closely watched development, Abe sidestepped
a question on whether he would apologize for the sexual
enslavement of women by Japans army during World War II.
Abe instead said he was deeply pained by the suffering of
comfort women. He was using a euphemism for tens of
thousands of Asian women who were forced to serve
Japanese troops.
of Use.
redistributed.
NATIONAL NEWS
Obama, Abe Declare Progress, But No
Breakthrough, On Trade
By Jim Kuhnhenn
WASHINGTON (AP) President Barack Obama
acknowledged Friday the challenge he faces winning
congressional support for a major Asia-Pacific trade deal that
has become a cornerstone of his second term agenda. Its
never fun passing a trade bill in this town, the president said
as he and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declared
their determination to seeing the deal through.
Both Obama and Abe face domestic pressures on trade
that have not only created sticking points between Japan and
the U.S., but have also complicated Obamas ability to win
support for a broader 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership
agreement.
With Japan and the U.S. as the largest economies in
those negotiations, resolving their own differences could go
far in paving the way for the more extensive trade deal.
I know that the politics around trade can be hard in
both our countries, Obama said, as Abe stood by his side
during a Rose Garden news conference.
While Abes visit to the White House was not expected
to yield a trade breakthrough, the lack of a final accord
between the two nonetheless stood out given agreement in
other areas, particularly on changes to U.S.-Japan defense
guidelines an area where both countries share more
common ground. The new rules boost Japans military
capability amid growing Chinese assertiveness in disputed
areas in the East and South China Sea claimed by Beijing.
Referring to the trade barriers on vehicles that have
been one of the main sticking points in the U.S-Japan trade
talks, Obama said: There are many Japanese cars in
America, I want to see more American cars in Japan as well.
Abe said he is eager to see the early conclusion of the
Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, adding that on
outstanding issues over trade barriers we welcome the fact
that significant progress was made.
Before completing the deal, however, Obama must win
expanded negotiating authority from the U.S. Congress, a
difficult task given opposition from liberals and labor unions
who say they fear the loss of American jobs. As a result,
Obamas stiffest resistance has come from members of his
own Democratic Party.
Obama, Abe Pledge To Complete Pacific Rim

Trade Pact
Voice of America, April 28, 2015

U.S. President Barack Obama and Japanese Prime
Minister Shinzo Abe pledged Tuesday to complete a 12nation Pacific rim trade agreement even as the American
leader acknowledged there is opposition in both countries.
both our countries, Obama said at a White House news
conference after the two held private talks. But I know that
Prime Minister Abe, like me, is deeply committed to getting
this done and Im confident we will.
Abe, in the midst of a state visit to the United States, 70
years after the end of the two countries bitter World War II
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conflict, called for the early conclusion of negotiations over

the trade deal.
The two leaders did not announce any details, though,
about the remaining barriers to completing an agreement that
would open up exports for both Japanese and American
manufacturers, along with those in 10 other nations.
The Pacific trade deal, and a companion one with
European nations, has drawn opposition in the U.S. from
labor unions and Democratic lawmakers who normally are
allies with Obama, a Democrat. They contend it will cost
many U.S. workers their jobs as corporations move their
operations overseas in pursuit of cheaper labor costs.
Meanwhile, business-oriented Republicans in Congress
who often oppose Obama on a wide range of issues
generally support the pending trade agreements.
Obama said the trade bill would boost U.S. exporters
and the countrys labor market. Im confident we will end up
getting the votes in Congress, he said.
Obama and Abe cited the friendship between the two
countries, which the U.S. leader called an indestructible
partnership.
Across seven decades our nations have become not
just allies but true partners and friends, said Obama.
South China Sea
In the hour-long news conference in the sun-splashed
White House Rose Garden, the two leaders touched on a
variety of world issues. They voiced concern about Chinas
activities in the South China Sea, where Beijing has built an
airstrip and other structures on coral reefs.
Obama said the two countries are united in our
commitment to freedom of navigation, respect for
international law and the peaceful resolution of disputes
without coercion.
The two leaders said they are not opposed to the
China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, but Obama
said that like other world funding organizations, its lending
and other programs must be transparent and in line with good
governance.
Responding to one question, Abe said he is deeply
pained by Japans sexual slavery of Asian women during
World War II; but, he stopped short of a direct apology.
I am deeply pained to think about the comfort women
who experienced immeasurable pain and suffering as a result
of victimization due to human trafficking, said Abe.
State visit
The president welcomed the Japanese leader to the
White House in a pomp-filled ceremony.
In his greeting, Obama said, The United States has
renewed our leadership in the Asia Pacific. Prime Minister
Abe is leading Japan to a new role on the world stage. The
foundation of both efforts is a strong U.S.-Japan alliance.
Abe described the U.S.-Japanese alliance as more

robust than ever and said Tokyo would be at the forefront
with the U.S. in confronting global challenges.
Before their remarks, the two leaders reviewed U.S.
troops and then shook hands with many of the hundreds of
people gathered for the ceremony.
Obama and first lady Michelle Obama are hosting a
state dinner Tuesday night for Abe and his wife, Akie, at
which 300 guests are expected.
Defense agreement
Ahead of the Washington meeting, Abe and other top
Japanese officials met their U.S. counterparts in New York on
Monday and agreed to tighten their defense alliance, a move
widely seen as a response to Chinas growing power.
The revised guidelines help Japan play a larger part in
international conflicts, allowing Tokyo to come to the defense
of a third country and strengthening its role in missile
defense, mine sweeping and ship inspections.
It is the first time in 18 years the U.S. and Japan have
revised their defense guidelines. The move follows Japans
decision last year to reinterpret its pacifist constitution to allow
for collective self-defense.
Today we mark the establishment of Japans capacity
to defend not just its own territory, but also the United States
and other partners, as needed, U.S. Secretary of State John
Kerry said at a news conference.
Kerry also provided fresh assurances that a group of
islands claimed by both China and Japan fall under the scope
of a mutual defense treaty, meaning Washington is obliged to
come to Tokyos aid in the event the islands are attacked.
The East China Sea islands, known in Japan as
Senkaku and in China as Diaoyu, have become a major
irritant to China-Japan ties. China also has worsening
territorial disputes with several other neighbors in the nearby
South China Sea.
Rare honor
On Wednesday, the Japanese prime minister will
receive the rare honor of delivering a speech to both houses
of the U.S. Congress.
Abes address will be closely watched for any
comments about Japans wartime past.
Many Asian victims of Japanese imperial aggression
have criticized Mr. Abe for what they see as his attempts to
minimize his countrys wartime atrocities.
During a speech Monday in New York, Abe spoke of his
deep remorse over Japans wartime aggression; but, as in
previous remarks, he stopped short of the language used in
landmark apologies made by his predecessors in 1995 and
2005.
During a visit to the Holocaust Memorial Museum in
Washington on Monday, Abe said his heart was filled with a
solemn feeling for the victims who died.
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OPS054000241
Obama and Abe also paid an unannounced visit to

Washingtons Lincoln Memorial, one of the citys iconic sites.
They paid a quiet tribute to President Abraham Lincoln
assassinated 150 years ago this month after a bitter and
bloody Civil War.
A White House official called Mondays visit by the
president and prime minister an opportunity ... to spend time
together one-on-one at a place of historical significance for
the United States.
A joint vision statement noted significant progress

that has been made in the bilateral negotiations. But the lack
of specificity in both Obama and Abes comments Tuesday
seemed to indicate few concrete moves toward a deal took
place.
Abe said he would like to make efforts to get the deal
done. Obama, for his part, acknowledged the difficulty in
getting a trade agreement done in Washington but said he
was confident the deal would end up being the most
progressive trade bill in history.
Maggie X. Chen, an associate professor of economics
at George Washington University, told FP that the lack of
public specificity does not necessarily mean progress is
lacking.
The whole negotiations have been taking place in
secret the whole time, so we dont know the details, she
said. Im not really surprised by the lack of specificity in the
statement.
But even if the sides are getting closer, a lot of work
remains to be done in a relatively little amount of time.
Negotiations over trade pacts typically take years, not
months. And even if Japan and Washington get on the same
page, the other 10 nations involved must agree to the deal. It
also needs to be approved by Congress, which, in this
instance, might not be that difficult Republicans have
indicated that they would fast track the deal. But Obama
would have to overcome objections from his own party and
well as labor unions and environmental groups.
All of this has to get done before Obama leaves office,
giving the White House a little more than year and a half to
seal the deal. If not done by then, the next president, and his
or her team of diplomats, would forced to pick up where
Obamas negotiators left off.
There are a number of things that all need to fall into
place in a really tight timeline, Sols said.
U.S. And Japan Improve Security Ties. On

Trade? Not So Much.
By David Francis
Foreign Policy, April 28, 2015
President Barack Obama and Japanese Prime Minister
Shinzo Abe are in agreement on a overhaul of their security
relationship. On trade, despite reassurances from both
leaders, they appear to remain far apart.
Five years into negotiations on the Trans-Pacific
Partnership, a sweeping 12-nation trade pact meant to
improve market access for American goods in Asia and vice
versa, Tokyo and Washington the agreements most
important negotiators have to close significant gaps to get
the deal done by the end of Obamas term. Otherwise both
nations risk having to wait until the next U.S. president takes
office.
During a White House press conference, both leaders
said they were confident the pact would get done.
Japan and the United States, with President Barack
Obama and myself, we want to exert leadership to bring
about an early conclusion of the TPP, Abe said.
Obama added, Its gonna be enforceable. Its gonna
open up markets that currently are not fully opened to U.S.
businesses. Its gonna be good for the U.S. economy.
But Mireya Sols, a senior fellow and Japan expert at
the Brookings Institute, said the remaining points of
contention rice and cars would be the most difficult
areas for diplomats to find agreement. She called the
American grain and cars from automakers in Detroit the
usual suspects in trade beefs between the United States
and Japan.
Japanese culture is very sensitive to U.S. autos and
auto parts, Sols told Foreign Policy.
Also at issue is the size of the rice quota that the
United States would have in the Japanese market.
Those closely watching the trade deal were hoping
Obama and Abe would announce a breakthrough on these
sticking points. I think they both tried to show they they feel
optimistic to reassert the commitment to get this done. But its
a little concerning that they didnt announce they moved past
their differences, Sols said.
Obama, Abe Express Confidence On Trade
By Jordan Fabian
President Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo
Abe on Tuesday expressed confidence they could reach a
deal on trade that would pave the way toward a sweeping
new free-trade pact with a dozen Pacific Rim nations.The two
leaders said they made progress during meetings on
Tuesday, but acknowledged they must overcome political
opposition to finalize an agreement.
I know the politics around trade can be difficult in both
our countries, Obama said. Prime Minister Abe is deeply
committed to getting this done and I am confident we will.
Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the free-trade pact that is at
the top of Obamas agenda.
107
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Obama and Abe were not expected to announce the

completion of a trade agreement on Tuesday, and the
president hinted that Japanese automobile trade barriers
remain an issue.
There are many Japanese cars in America, he said. I
want to see more American cars in Japan, as well.
The visit was designed to showcase closer ties
between the U.S. and Japan on defense and move toward an
agreement on the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
The defense agreement would allow Japan to come to
the defense of the United States and its allies. It is seen as a
response to Chinese aggression in the East and South China
Sea.
Deepening cooperation with Japan is a key step in
Obamas foreign-policy pivot toward Asia, as he attempts to
boost U.S. influence in the region to counterbalance a rising
China.
But Obama said new trade and defense pacts should
not be seen as a direct threat to China.
We welcome Chinas peaceful rise, Obama said,
adding that Chinas economic boom could not have occurred
without a stable trading system and world order that is
underwritten in large part by the work that our alliances do.
The president has made an aggressive push for
Congress to pass a trade promotion authority bill that he says
is critical to finalizing the TPP.
But the measure faces opposition from Democrats and
labor unions who say new trade agreements will lead to
American jobs being shipped overseas.
Obama dismissed those concerns, as well as
complaints that the administration has not been transparent in
sharing details of the deal with lawmakers.
Its never fun passing a trade bill in this town, he said.
Because I always believe that good policy ends up being
good politics, Im confident were going to end up getting the
votes in Congress.
Obama greeted Abe during an elaborate ceremony on
the South Lawn on Tuesday morning. He called Japan one
of Americas closest allies in the world and praised Abes
leadership as the two nations seek to broaden their
partnership.
Abe said his top foreign priority was to revitalize the
alliance between the former World War II enemies.
But the visit was not without some tension. Abes views
on the use of Korean women as sex slaves by the Japanese
military during World War II has stirred tensions with South
Korea, another key U.S. partner in Asia.
Abe has faced accusations that he has tried to
downplay Japanese atrocities during the war.
The Japanese leader stopped short of apologizing for
the militarys use of so-called comfort women, but he said
he was deeply pained by their suffering and that the
Japanese government provided them with realistic relief.
Obama Welcomes Japanese Prime Minister To

White House
By Dave Boyer
Facing unresolved issues on free trade, President
Obama welcomed Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to
the White House Tuesday for an official state visit, saying the
two leaders are working to broaden our alliance for our time.
During a traditional welcoming ceremony on the South
Lawn of the White House, Mr. Obama called Japan one of
Americas closest allies in the world.
The United States has renewed our leadership in the
Asia-Pacific, Mr. Obama said. Prime Minister Abe is leading
Japan to a new role on the world stage.
Mr. Abe said U.S.-Japan relations are back on track, a
goal which he called his top foreign-policy priority.
Our bilateral relationship is more robust than ever, Mr.
Abe said.
Among the topics that the two leaders will discuss is the
proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership, a massive free trade
agreement that is encountering heated opposition from
congressional Democrats. Japanese and U.S. negotiators
havent resolved questions over tariffs on beef and auto
exports, and many U.S. lawmakers would like any deal to
address currency manipulation as well.
The two nations also announced an expanded military
cooperation agreement on Monday, which is expected to
leader to greater U.S.-Japan coordination in the South China
Sea, where China has exerted territorial claims on the
Senkaku Islands.
Mr. Obama and first lady Michelle Obama will host a
State Dinner Tuesday night for Mr. Abe and his wife, Akie.
Obama, Abe Push For Completion Of Freetrade Deal Among Pacific Rim Nations
By Dave Boyer
President Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo
Abe agreed Tuesday to join forces to push for completion of a
major free-trade deal among Pacific rim nations, starting with
Mr. Abes speech on Wednesday to a divided Congress.
The two leaders emerged from a meeting in the Oval
Office expressing a commitment to work together on the
Trans-Pacific Partnership, although U.S. and Japanese
negotiators have yet to resolve questions about tariffs on auto
and beef exports.
both our countries, but I know that Prime Minister Abe, like
me, is deeply committed to getting this done, Mr. Obama
said at a joint news conference in the White House Rose
Garden. And Im confident we will.
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Mr. Abe, who will address a joint session of Congress

Wednesday, said he is eager to conclude the TPP because
prosperity brings peace.
We will continue to cooperate to lead the TPP talks to
its last phase, he said through a translator.
Many congressional Democrats, and some
Republicans, are opposed to granting Mr. Obama tradepromotion authority that would help the administration
complete the 12-nation trade talks more swiftly.
The proposal, which would cover about 40 percent of
global trade, has been in the works since the start of Mr.
Obamas presidency.
Barack Obamas New Trade Lobbyist
By George E. Condon Jr.

National Journal, April 28, 2015
President Obama is likely to be smiling when Japanese
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe goes to Capitol Hill on
Wednesdaysomething he definitely didnt do one of the last
times a foreign leader spoke before Congress.
Back in March, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu warned Congress, Dont be fooled by the
president, and he lobbied against the White Houses efforts to
work out a nuclear agreement with Iran. Now, 55 days later,
on another controversial issuetradeAbe steps forward as
an important ally lobbying for an Obama deal.
With the administrations request for Trade Promotion
Authority hanging in the balance, the White House sees
Abes visitand his intervention with Congressas coming
at a key moment, even as the United States and Japan
struggle to wrap up their parts in the negotiations on the
Trans-Pacific Partnership, a 12-nation free-trade deal.
I dont think Abe will repeat the performance of the
previous guest, said Sheila A. Smith, senior fellow for Japan
Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. Thats not at all
in his interests, and I dont think he is inclined to identify
Japanese interests as being divergent from our
administrations. She predicted Abe will make a strong
case for TPP and will try to sell TPP to those congressmen
and women who remain a little bit on the fence.
Other analysts agree. This is not a Netanyahu
moment, Shihoko Goto, a senior associate in the Wilson
Centers Asia Program, told National Journal. With TPP,
Japan wants to move forward. America wants to move
forward. It is good for both countries. It is good for Asia. It is
good for the world, and thats what he wants to talk about.
What this speech doesnt have is the same buildup as
Netanyahus, whose appearance was marked by controversy
over the protocol of the invitation and hyped further by
subsequent boycotts. But while Abes speech wont have
nearly the same national impact, the White House hopes his
personal appeal is enough to nudge a few more members to
appreciate the economic benefits of the trade deal.
109
The fact is, for the White House, TPP remains a tough
sell in Congress where most of the presidents own party is
abandoning him on the issue.
At the same time, the TPP negotiations are stalled over
the last remaining obstaclesthe tariffs protecting Japanese
farmers and American protections for U.S. trucks and autos.
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal released
Monday, Obama acknowledged the sticking points will
probably prevent a deal from being finalized while Abe is in
Washington.
Negotiations are tough on both sides because hes got
his own politics and interests, said Obama. Japanese
farmers are tough, Japanese automakers want certain things.
I dont expect that we will complete all negotiations this
week. Though he added that the parties (are) much closer
together.
Abe has championed TPP from the start, pushing it
hard on his first visit to Washington after his election in
2013even though he has his own domestic critics, including
Japanese farmers who do not want to lower the tariffs that
protect them from U.S. competition. That is one reason why
the congressional dispute over trade is big news in Japan.
The Japanese are watching our debate here, said Smith.
They are trying to gauge whether we are well positioned to
move forward.
The speech to a joint meeting of Congressthe first
ever by any Japanese prime ministerwill be the highlight of
what is an extraordinarily long U.S. visit by Abe. It started
Monday in Boston and featured an unscheduled visit with
Obama to the Lincoln Memorial later in the day. Tuesday,
Abe will get the most pomp and ceremony a White House
can deliver, with a full formal arrival ceremony on the South
Lawn, talks in the Oval Office during the day, and a State
Dinner in the evening. Then, its to Congress on Wednesday
before leaving for New York and, later in the week, to
California.
The breadth of his schedule is designed to show the
depth of Japan-U.S. ties even as both countries mark the
70th anniversary of Japans surrender to conclude World War
II. And to both governments, nothing says that those
hostilities are long gone more than the deeper economic ties
symbolized by the TPP and the deeper military ties discussed
on Monday.
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Both sides contend the two leaders have a good
relationshipcertainly a contrast with the Obama-Netanyahu
friction. An official in the Japanese Embassy privately
boasted that they enjoy an easy compatibility that allows
them to use first names in their meetings. That recalls the
days of the Ron and Yasu show, starring President Ronald
Reagan and Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone. But it still
falls short of last decade, when President George W. Bush
delighted his Elvis-loving counterpart by taking Prime Minister
Junichiro Koizumi to Graceland.
On the personal relationship, this isnt as good as Bush
and Koizumi, said Goto. You know Obamathis is as
passionate as hes going to get.
Abes Quest To Revive Japan
By David Ignatius
It may not be obvious during Prime Minister Shinzo
Abes choreographed visit to Washington this week, but hes
a study in contradictions. The dissonance actually helps
explain how Abe is trying to revive a moribund Japan.
Abe is a deeply conservative man who has become an
accidental progressive in his drive to shake up the
Japanese economy, a close aide says. He wants to express
remorse for Japans wartime actions without formally
apologizing for them. He wants a more assertive military role
for a nation that has made pacifism part of its national
identity. He rules an aging, tradition-bound country that seeks
a vigorous, innovative future.
Abe has another anomalous trait that he shares with his
host, President Obama. In their push for the Trans-Pacific
Partnership trade deal, both appear willing to offend some of
their closest supporters. In Abes case, this has meant
confronting agricultural interests, which are a key
constituency. For Obama, it means upsetting liberal
Democrats and their trade union friends.
The Japanese leader needed to challenge Japans
political dinosaurs, a top aide explained recently in Tokyo,
because part of our economy is still mid-20th century.
The Abe visit is a reminder of the economic and
strategic importance of Japan in an Asia dominated by a
rising China. Japan was often an afterthought during its two
decades of economic stagnation. But if Abe can manage the
110
contradictions inherent in his policies and revive Japan, hell

make Americas job of containing China much easier.
Abes theme, that Japan is back, sits uneasily with
memories of Japans role in World War II. To convey his
remorse, Abe visited Arlington National Cemetery. On the
controversial issue of Korean comfort women, he repeated
Monday at Harvard the formulation he coined in an interview
with me in Tokyo: My heart aches when I think about these
people who were victimized by human trafficking and who
were subject to immeasurable pain and suffering beyond
description.
Aides say the reason Abe doesnt go further is that he
feels it would be dishonest to apologize personally for events
for which he had no responsibility. One of his close advisers
explains: He belongs to a peculiar generation that thought of
ourselves as a failed nation. Japan-hating was necessary.
Abe wants to break with that.
The Japanese leader has embraced the TPP as part of
a framework that, over the long run, can help Japan (and the
United States) compete with a surging Chinese economy. But
for both Abe and Obama, the pact will come with a severe
short-term political cost.
Abes challenge is that the trade deal will require
compromises from big power blocs that support the ruling
Liberal Democratic Party. Abe boasted in his Harvard speech
about how he had taken on these interests. I have
tenaciously engineered a series of reforms, . . . and I will be
fearless going forward. He said he wants a reformed Japan
to think of itself again as the little engine that could.
Obamas political test is similar. Liberal Democrats are
in open revolt against the Trans-Pacific Partnership, claiming
it is a secret pact that will destroy jobs and harm the
environment. A peeved Obama pushed back last week at
what he called dishonest anti-TPP arguments, calling them
a bunch of ad hominem attacks and misinformation.
After Abe leaves town, the administration will step up its
lobbying campaign with a detailed rebuttal contending that
the TPP incorporates and goes beyond the labor and
environmental protections of previous trade agreements. The
administration argues that because Canada and Mexico will
join the TPP, it, in effect, renegotiates NAFTA to include
strong and enforceable labor standards.
Japanese officials remember the days when workers in
Detroit were using sledgehammers to pound imported
Japanese cars, and theyre nervous about a backlash from
trade unions. They say that U.S. Trade Representative
Michael Froman has warned in negotiations that the hardest
issue will be labor, hoping to squeeze Japanese
concessions.
Abes visit underlines a deeper issue for the United
States in Asia. Can America maintain a network of economic
and military alliances anchored by Japan that will
convince China that its better off working within the U.S.-led
OPS054000245
system than challenging it? The best argument for the TPP is
that its a cornerstone of that network.
Abe will leave the United States grateful for Obamas
description of the indestructible partnership with Japan, but
surely wondering if Obama can deliver the votes to make that
partnership stronger.
Obama Presses Case For Asia Trade Deal,

Warns Failure Would Benefit China
President says anti-globalization sentiments from

left and right a big mistake
By Gerald F. Seib
Obama Says Asia Trade Deal With Abe Is No

Threat To China
By Angela Greiling Keane And Carter Dougherty

President Barack Obama said a far-reaching trade pact
under negotiation between the U.S. and 11 other Pacific
nations that excludes China is no threat to the worlds
second-largest economy.
The deal, called the Trans-Pacific Partnership, would
create a free-trade zone linking North American countries and
several of Chinas regional rivals, including Vietnam and
Japan. Obama said Tuesday at a White House news
conference with Japans prime minister, Shinzo Abe, that he
is confident of sealing the accord in the coming months.
The trade pact is good for Americans and American
workers regardless of what Chinas doing, Obama said. This
is not simply a defensive agreement.
U.S. and Japanese negotiators had worked intensively
on an initial trade agreement between the two countries,
intended as a foundation for the broader 12-nation pact,
before Abes visit. At the White House, the two leaders said
only that their governments had made progress in those talks.
Any U.S.-Japan deal to open access to each others
markets for products such as pork, rice and automobiles
would take effect only if its incorporated into the Trans-Pacific
Partnership.
I know the politics around trade can be hard in both our
countries, Obama said at the Rose Garden news
conference. I know that Prime Minister Abe, like me, is
deeply committed to getting this done. And Im confident we
will. Significant Progress
Abe said the U.S. and Japan are committed to the deal
and will drive negotiations on the 12-nation pact to a
conclusion.
On the bilateral outstanding issues, we welcome the
fact that significant progress was made, he said through a
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translator. We will continue to cooperate to lead the TPP

talks to its last phase.
The two nations also have new guidelines for defense
cooperation that will increase Japans military capabilities at a
time when China is claiming disputed territory in the East
China Sea and South China Sea.
A strengthened U.S.-Japan alliance poses no threat to
other nations in the region, especially China, Obama said.
Cooperation between Japan and the U.S. has helped Chinas
emergence as a global economic power by helping keep
borders and sea lanes secure, he said. China Alliances
China is also seeking to create its own economic
alliances. Along with proposed trade deals, China has lined
up 57 countries for an Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.
Neither the U.S. nor Japan has yet joined the nascent
international lending institution, intended to fund
transportation projects and other development.
This could be a positive thing, Obama said. But if its
not run well, then it could be a negative thing. And what we
dont want to do is just be participating in something and
providing cover for an institution that does not end up doing
right by its people.
Abe said hes also concerned about the banks
governance, saying it must be fair and have board review of
individual projects, especially of their impact on the
environment.
Long accustomed to bilateral disputes over myriad
products including rice and cars, the U.S. and Japan have
attempted to transcend their differences in a bid to head off
Chinese dominance in the Asia-Pacific region, said Adam
Posen, president of the Peterson Institute for International
Economics. Economic Options
They have a common interest in making sure that the
people of east Asia and south Asia have other economic
options than playing with China, Posen said.
While insisting the deal isnt aimed at circumscribing
Chinas influence, Obama has pitched the trade pact to
reticent members of Congress in strategic terms. His defense
secretary, Ashton Carter, said on April 6 that the deal is as
important to U.S. influence in the Pacific as an aircraft carrier.
The agreement would stretch beyond traditional trade
agreements that focus on tariffs to include other barriers to
commerce, such as conflicting regulations. It would also
serve as a vehicle for new rules on intellectual property and
flows of data across borders, two important issues for cuttingedge industries such as pharmaceuticals and IT services.
The U.S. and Japan have whittled down their
differences on a preliminary agreement to two main areas:
agriculture and automobiles. Rice, Autos
U.S. exporters, a constituency key to persuading
Congress to approve any deal, want lower Japanese duties
on pork, dairy products and rice. Japan is seeking the
elimination of a 2.5 percent tariff on its cars exported to the
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U.S. That matter is hung up over what fraction of those

vehicles, in an era of global supply chains and Japanese auto
factories in the U.S., must come from countries in the Pacific
trade zone.
U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman returned
last week from Tokyo where negotiators were working on
differences over cars and agricultural products.
While in Washington, Abe will address the U.S.
Congress, where members of Obamas Democratic Party
have been skeptical of pending trade deals with the AsiaPacific region and a separate pact the president is seeking
with European nations.
Obama first wants Congress to pass trade promotion
authority, also known as fast-track, which he and his allies
consider a prerequisite for approving any new free-trade
agreement. The authority would restrict Congress to an up-ordown vote on trade deals without amendments.
The Business Roundtable, a Washington-based
advocacy group for large corporations, said Tuesday its
made a six-figure purchase of advertising to run across the
U.S., pressuring Congress to pass fast-track authority.
Obama and Abe met in the Oval Office following a
formal White House arrival ceremony with military marches
and music on the South Lawn. The Obamas will host a state
dinner Tuesday night at the White House for Abe and his
wife.
The tempo of negotiations has accelerated

considerably since then, with people involved saying that an
agreement is close. Michael Froman, the United States trade
representative, flew to Japan last week for talks. Prime
Minister Shinzo Abe, who arrived in the United States on
Sunday, is scheduled to discuss the pact in Washington and
address a joint meeting of Congress. And Congress is
deciding whether to give the president fast-track authority for
such trade agreements, which would put a deal to a vote
without allowing amendments.
As the deal has come to the forefront again, the
Chinese government has changed its view.
Some of Chinas leading trade policy intellectuals now
say that they have few concerns about the agreement. They
also say that the pact could even help China, by making it
easier for Beijing to pursue its own regional agreements
without facing criticism that it should instead pursue ambitious
global free trade pacts that would require significantly
opening its markets to Western competition.
We dont think T.P.P. is a challenge to China we will
watch and study, said He Weiwen, a former Commerce
Ministry official who is now the co-director of the China-United
States-European Union Study Center in Beijing.
We are more or less neutral because we have our own
agenda, pushing forward Asean plus six and the Silk Road,
he said, referring to two of Chinas own regional initiatives. He
added that China would make sure its regional pacts
complied with global free trade rules on such deals.
The Obama administration has been trying to strike a
difficult diplomatic and legislative balance on the TransPacific Partnership. In part, it wants to reassure Beijing that
the pact is not aimed at putting Chinese trade at a
disadvantage.
T.P.P. is open architecture, and T.P.P. is really meant
to be about setting high standards for trade standards that
aspire to be equivalent to the United States, said Commerce
Secretary Penny Pritzker.
Yet congressional leaders say that administration
officials have also been happy to portray the agreement, in
private, as a geopolitical tactic to strengthen economic links
with American allies in Asia like Japan.
The United States and many of Chinas neighbors have
been increasingly worried as Beijing has asserted greater
authority in the region. The Japanese government, in
particular, has been riled by Chinas stance over disputed
airspace and islands. Countries like the Philippines have
been alarmed that Beijing has turned semi-submerged reefs
into military-grade aircraft runways in contested waters of the
South China Sea.
When the administration sells me on this, its all
geopolitics, not economics: We want to keep these countries
in our orbit, not Chinas, said Senator Charles E. Schumer of
Obama, Abe Pledge New Era In US-Japan

Relations, Tout Progress On Trade
Japanese leader faces skepticism from Democrats

on trade accord in Wednesday address to Congress
By Carol E. Lee And Colleen McCain Nelson
Once Concerned, China Is Quiet About TransPacific Trade Deal
By Keith Bradsher
WASHINGTON As Congress debates the direction
of economic policy in the Pacific, the main country worried
about an American-led trade deal has gone nearly silent:
China.
Two years ago, the prospect of the deal, the TransPacific Partnership, evoked fears in China of commercial
encirclement, particularly as the initiative followed the Obama
administrations strategic turn to Asia. Meeting with President
Obama in California in 2013, President Xi Jinping of China
made a point of asking that the United States keep him
informed on the negotiations, even though Beijing did not
want to join the nascent trade agreement.
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New York. I agree with that. But I need to be sold on the

economics.
Senior Chinese officials have started to soften on the
Trans-Pacific Partnership in recent months. In October, Zhu
Guangyao, a vice finance minister, said that the pact would
be incomplete without China, and hinted that China might
want to participate someday.
For the T.P.P., frankly speaking, there have been
internal debates within both the United States and the
Chinese government, Mr. Zhu said during a visit to
Washington. But now our position is clear: As China
becomes more open, its very important for us to be
integrated into the global trade system with a high standard.
Still, the trade deal presents some potential tensions for
China.
The United States already has free trade agreements
with half the countries in the Trans-Pacific Partnership,
notably South Korea. So the most important negotiations in
the pact involve Japan and Vietnam, which do not have such
deals.
The prominence of Japan in the trade talks has made
some Chinese officials and trade experts wary. Japan is
Chinas main political and military rival in East Asia. The free
trade agreement could give Japanese companies better
access to the American market in large, high-tech industries
that China wants to dominate, like automobile manufacturing
and telecommunications.
By agreeing to open up its financial sector, Vietnam
would also gain an advantage in exporting to the United
States in a range of low-tech goods like shoes and garments.
The trade deal could accelerate the relocation of these
industries from China, where blue-collar wages have
quintupled in the last decade, to Vietnam, where pay has
risen more slowly.
The planned trade agreement is in large part a Japan
story and a Vietnam story, said Peter A. Petri, a professor of
international finance at Brandeis University.
Others in China are suspicious of how some countries
ended up participating in the T.P.P. negotiations and others
did not.
Right now, the T.P.P. has looped in many Southeast
Asian countries, like Vietnam and Philippines, whose financial
industries actually lag behind Chinas, said Shen Guobing, a
professor at Fudan Universitys Institute of World Economy in
Shanghai. When they are allowed in, yet China is not, it
raises questions of a double standard.
Administration officials insist that all countries in the
trade agreement will meet consistent standards of openness,
and say that China made its own decision not to participate.
China has its own reasons for shying away from a
trans-Pacific trade deal extending from Chile to Japan.
Because China joined the World Trade Organization
while still clearly a developing country in 2001, it has been
able to maintain high tariffs and other import restrictions. If

China did participate in the Trans-Pacific Partnership, it would
come under pressure to remove many of its steep trade
barriers.
This is obviously an American trap for China, Mr.
Shen said, a threshold we cant possibly reach.
Jonathan Weisman contributed reporting from
Washington, and Patrick Zuo contributed research from
Beijing.
Obama Accuses China Of Flexing Muscle In

Disputes With Neighbors
By Matt Spetalnick And Nathan Layne

US, Japan Say Alliance Cornerstone Of Asia

Security
AFP, April 28, 2015

WASHINGTON (AFP) The United States and Japan
sought to reinvigorate their 70-year-old alliance in the face of
Chinas ever-increasing clout on Tuesday, as President
Barack Obama welcomed Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to the
White House.
Hailing the alliance as the cornerstone of peace and
security in the Asia-Pacific region, the two countries vowed
to counter new threats and increase military deterrence.
They pledged to forge a Trans-Pacific trade deal that
would encompass 12 countries and 40 per cent of the world
economy and back a dramatically more assertive security role
for long-pacifist Japan.
Today, the international order faces fresh challenges,
ranging from violent extremism to cyber attacks, a joint
statement said.
State actions undermine respect for sovereignty and
territorial integrity by attempting to unilaterally change the
status quo by force or coercion pose challenges to the
international order, the text said.
Such threats put at risk much that we have built. We
must and will adapt again, working in concert with other allies
and partners.
The US and Japan agreed to a new set of defence
cooperation guidelines that would reinforce deterrence by
allowing Japanese forces to come to the aid of US forces and
enable Japan to expand its contributions to regional and
global security.
It is a significant step for two countries that had been
locked in a brutal war that ended with the first and only use of
atomic bombs in combat history.
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Amid Japans territorial disputes with China, Russia and

North Korea, the US reiterated its pledge to come to Japans
defence.
During the White House visit, Obama held Oval Office
talks with Abe and offered a welcome normally reserved for
royalty or heads of state, including a full arrival ceremony on
the South Lawn and a luxurious state dinner on Tuesday
evening.
On Monday, Obama took Abe on an unannounced tour
of the Lincoln Memorial, riding together in Obamas armoured
limousine the beast to underscore their personal ties.
In the Oval Office, Obama and Abe were expected to
also touch on sensitive trade issues.
If we dont write the rules, China will write the rules out
in that region, Obama told the Wall Street Journal ahead of
the meeting.
China has increasingly been making its economic clout
felt, pushing hard for the creation of an Asian Infrastructure
Investment Bank to rival US-backed institutions.
Both Tokyo and the White House had hoped that
Obama would have authority from Congress to clinch a deal
before Abes visit, allowing a more definitive announcement.
But political wrangling on Capitol Hill means that may
not come to pass before May.
Japan sees the authority as a prerequisite to conclude
talks.
Even if progress is made, Obama has faced critics
within his own party who believe the deal would allow
American jobs to be shipped overseas.
Obama said the idea that he was trying to just destroy
the middle class or destroy our democracy is a little
unrealistic. And they know it.
Trade negotiators are still working on tough issues
linked to automobiles and agriculture. But with Obama
looking for a bipartisan trade victory and Abe keen to bolster
his domestic economic reforms, an eventual deal seems
likely.
Obama called the country one of the U.S.s closest

allies in the world and said for the Obamas it was a chance
to return the favor. The first lady traveled to Japan last year
and Obama noted in Tokyo last spring he had played soccer
with ASIMO the robot.
This visit is a celebration of the ties of friendship and
family that bind our peoples, said Obama, who said he was 6
when his mother took him to Japan.
And, he added the visit was also an opportunity for
Americans, especially our young people, to say thank you for
all the things we love from Japan. Like karate and karaoke.
Manga and anime. And, of course, emojis.
He noted the visit also has historic significance.
President Eisenhower in 1960 welcomed Abes grandfather,
then the prime minister, to the White House. They signed a
security treaty that Obama says, endures to this day,
committing America and Japan to an indestructible
partnership.
Abes visit risks being overshadowed by calls for him to
offer an apology for Japans wartime actions, including forcing
South Korean women to work in wartime brothels.
Observers said Abe is unlikely to offer any new
apologies when he delivers an address to Congress on
Wednesday, but Obama in his welcoming remarks noted that
the U.S.-Japan alliance was focused on security, fair trade,
and human rights for all, including women and girls, because
they deserve to truly shine.
Abe told the crowd that his top priority has been to
revitalize the U.S.-Japan alliance which he called more
robust than ever.
And he said new security guidelines will allow the
country to become more engaged in international
peacekeeping efforts.
The world is facing numerous challenges, more than
ever, Abe said, speaking through a translator. Japan will be
at the forefront with the United States in addressing regional
and global challenges, while developing our bilateral ties with
the United States in a consistent manner.
Obama: Japan PM Visit A Chance To Say

Thanks For Emojis
Abe Repeats Comfort Women Remorse; He

And Obama Vow To Bolster Alliance Globally,
Declare TPP Progress
By Lesley Clark
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle
Obama welcomed Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to
the White House for an official visit and state dinner with an
arrival ceremony full of pomp.
Abe and his wife, Akie, arrived on the South Lawn in a
black limousine bearing a Japanese flag and were greeted by
the Obamas. The first lady and Akie Abe stood and chatted
as their husbands inspected the military, stopping to shake
hands with guests, including what appeared to be some
school children, prompting a round of excited squeals.
Japan Times, April 29, 2015

WASHINGTON Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S.
President Barack Obama on Tuesday agreed to strengthen
the two countries alliance on a global scale under the
recently revised defense cooperation guidelines.
They also cited progress in talks toward a Pacific trade
pact but noted hurdles remain to reaching a breakthrough.
The Japan-U.S. alliance, based on an unwavering
bond, is essential to the peace and stability of the world, Abe
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told a joint news conference after his meeting with Obama

that lasted about two hours.
There is no doubt deterrence will be strengthened
further, Abe added. Obama said, We are two global
partners.
The two leaders adopted a joint statement, saying the
bilateral relationship stands as a model of the power of
reconciliation. Former adversaries have become steadfast
allies, the statement said ahead of the 70th anniversary of
the end of World War II.
The latest meeting of Abe and Obama marks a historic
step forward in transforming the U.S.-Japan partnership, the
statement went on, underscoring the close bilateral
cooperation through the Japanese policy of proactive
contribution to peace and the U.S rebalance toward the AsiaPacific region.
At a so-called two-plus-two meeting of the two
countries foreign and defense ministers Monday, Japan and
the United States revised their bilateral defense cooperation
guidelines for the first time in 18 years.
The revised guidelines will update our respective roles
and missions within the Alliance and enable Japan to expand
its contributions to regional and global security, said the
statement.
At the news conference, Obama confirmed the U.S.
obligation to protect the Japanese-administered Senkaku
Islands in the East China Sea under the bilateral security
treaty.
Article 5 (of the treaty) covers all territories under
Japans administration, the U.S. president said. The islets
are also claimed by China.
On an envisioned Trans-Pacific Partnership deal for
regional free trade, Abe said the two leaders confirmed a
swift and successful conclusion of the deal.
TPP will drive economic growth and prosperity in both
countries and throughout the Asia-Pacific region, the joint
statement said.
In recent TPP-related bilateral talks, the two countries
have made only limited progress. They remain apart over
thorny issues, such as Japans import quota for rice produced
in the United States and the treatment of U.S. tariffs on
Japanese auto parts.
The statement did not directly point the finger at China
for its expansion in the East and South China Seas or Russia
for its annexation of Crimea.
But the statement said, State actions that undermine
respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity by attempting to
unilaterally change the status quo by force or coercion pose
challenges to the international order.
At the news conference, however, Obama said he
supports a peaceful rise of China. He also said he does not
think that China will consider a stronger U.S.-Japan alliance a
provocation.
115
Abe stressed the importance of implementing the

current plan to relocate the operations of U.S. Marine Corps
Air Station Futenma, now located in Ginowan, Okinawa, to
the Henoko district in Nago in the prefecture.
Building a replacement airstrip for Futenma in Henoko
will help remove the dangers arising from the Futenma base,
Abe said. The relocation plan has drawn opposition from
locals, including Okinawa Gov. Takeshi Onaga.
At their meeting, the two leaders confirmed cooperation
on North Korea issues, such as nuclear and missile programs
and the abduction of Japanese nationals by North Korean
spies.
On the TPP, Obama and Abe declared progress in their
bilateral but stopped short of announcing a breakthrough in
negotiations that are central to a massive 12-nation trade
deal that would open markets around the Pacific rim to U.S.
exports.
Obama conceded the domestic obstacles both he and
Abe face to concluding the TPP, but said the deal would be
an integral component of his effort to increase U.S. influence
in Asia and expand markets for U.S. exports.
The politics around trade can be hard in both our
countries, Obama, who faces stiff resistance from members
of his own party, said during the Rose Garden news
conference with Abe. Its never fun passing a trade bill in this
town.
Referring to the trade barriers on vehicles that have
been one of the main sticking points in the U.S-Japan trade
talks, Obama said: There are many Japanese cars in
America, I want to see more American cars in Japan as well.
Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, adding that on
outstanding issues over trade barriers we welcome the fact
that significant progress was made.
Before completing the deal, however, Obama must win
expanded negotiating authority form the U.S. Congress, a
difficult task given opposition from liberals and labor unions
who say they fear the loss of American jobs.
Before sitting down for their Oval Office meeting,
Obama welcomed Abe with full pomp and ceremony on a
bright, dewy morning at the White House, calling the state
visit a celebration of the ties of friendship and praising the
alliance the U.S. and Japan have built over time.
Military honors and a gun salute greeted the Japanese
leader in a South Lawn arrival ceremony. A state dinner
Tuesday evening with about 200 guests will cap Abes day at
the White House.
In one closely watched development, Abe sidestepped
the question on whether he would apologize for the ordeal of
the wartime comfort women, the euphemism Japan used for
the tens of thousands of femalees across Asia who were
forced to serve in Japanese military brothels. Abe instead
said he was deeply pained by their suffering.
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Abes visit comes on the 70th year since the end of

World War II and he has faced demands that he use his trip
to address Japans use of comfort women, including females
from the Korean Peninsula, from China and other parts of
Asia. The issue has been a major irritant with South Korea,
another U.S. ally, which has demanded an apology from Abe.
It also prompted a small protest at the U.S. Capitol featuring
Lee Yong-Soo, a woman now in her late 80s who has said
that at age 16 she was taken from her home in Korea,
shipped to Taiwan and forced to serve Japanese soldiers.
The two years of servitude, she said, had destroyed her life.
Obama and Abe also embraced revisions to U.S.-Japan
defense guidelines that were announced Monday by foreign
and defense ministers from both sides. The new rules boost
Japans military capability amid growing Chinese
assertiveness in disputed areas in the East and South China
Sea claimed by Beijing. The changes, which strengthen
Japans role in missile defense, mine sweeping and ship
inspections, are the first revisions in 18 years to the rules that
govern U.S.-Japan defense cooperation.
Chinas economic and military footprint hung over the
Abe visit. In the face of Chinas rise, Obama has sought to
display more U.S. economic and security might in the Asiapacific region.
Obama rejected suggestions that trade and security
deals present a threat to China.
He said the U.S. sees China as a booming potential
market and partner for U.S. development efforts overseas,
noting that hundreds of millions of Chinese have been pulled
out of poverty in recent years. But he acknowledged some
real tensions over Chinas maritime claims.
The two leadersmeeting Tuesday was the first since
November, when they had talks in Brisbane, Australia.
No Deal, But Progress On Trans-Pacific Trade,

Obama And Shinzo Abe Say After Meeting
By Julie Hirschfeld Davis

WASHINGTON When President Obama visited
Tokyo last year, a dinner that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of
Japan had planned as a bonding session at a legendary
sushi restaurant instead became a forum for haggling over
tariff rates under a sweeping Pacific Rim trade agreement.
In the end, there was no deal.
On Tuesday, Mr. Obama and Mr. Abe emerged from an
Oval Office meeting similarly empty-handed, with unsettled
differences between the United States and Japan over
automobiles and agriculture that have hindered negotiations
over the broader Trans-Pacific Partnership with 10 other
countries.
But this time, they reported substantial progress in their
negotiations, and in a visit that spotlighted a warmer rapport,
116
made a unified call for a quick resolution to the trade pact that
faces steep political opposition in both nations.
The politics around trade can be hard in both our
countries, but I know that Prime Minister Abe, like me, is
deeply committed to getting this done, and Im confident we
will, Mr. Obama said during a news conference with Mr. Abe
in the Rose Garden.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership will help level the
playing field, Mr. Obama said, defending an agreement
many Democrats have condemned as unfair and harmful to
American workers. It will be good for the workers of both our
countries. And moreover, T.P.P. will have strong protections
for workers and the environment and help us set high
standards for trade in the 21st century.
Mr. Abes visit was an opportunity for Mr. Obama to
spotlight his pivot toward Asia and strengthen military and
economic ties between the United States and Japan at a time
when both countries are concerned with the rising influence
of China.
The two leaders cemented new military guidelines that
will allow Japans military now limited to defending its own
country to take action when the United States or another
nation it is defending is threatened.
We dont think that a strong U.S.-Japan alliance should
be seen as a provocation, Mr. Obama said. It should be
seen as a continuation of the important work that weve done
to ensure that you have a stable area.
As Ive said before, we welcome Chinas peaceful rise,
Mr. Obama continued, but he also said China has been
flexing their muscles rather than seeking normal resolutions
to territorial claims in East Asia and Southeast Asia. I dont
want to minimize, though, the fact that there are some real
tensions that have arisen with China around its approach to
maritime issues and its claims, he said.
Both leaders pointed to Mr. Abes state visit the first
by a Japanese prime minister in nine years as a historical
milestone that reflected the power of reconciliation decades
after a painful era of hostility in a year that marks the 70th
anniversary of the end of World War II.
Mr. Obama interrupted his day on Monday afternoon to
take Mr. Abe on an unscheduled visit to the Lincoln Memorial,
and Mr. Abe also went to the Holocaust Museum and
Arlington National Cemetery.
Your gesture is a powerful reminder that the past can
be overcome, former adversaries can become the closest of
allies, and that nations can build a future together, Mr.
Obama told Mr. Abe of his stop at Arlington.
The Japanese prime minister called their time at the
Lincoln Memorial an extraordinary memory to be cherished.
Our alliance is back on track, and it is even stronger,
Mr. Abe said.
Later, at a state dinner, Mr. Obama and Mr. Abe stood
near tables festooned with elaborate arrangements of orchids
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and cherry blossoms to toast their alliance with sake from Mr.
Abes home prefecture, Yamaguchi. The president recited a
haiku celebrating the friendship between the United States
and Japan, and the prime minister declared himself a diehard fan of the dark American political drama House of
Cards.
Mr. Obama said that Mr. Abe on Wednesday would
carry our partnership forward when he becomes the first
Japanese prime minister to address a joint meeting of
Congress, following in the footsteps of his grandfather
Nobusuke Kishi, who addressed the House as prime minister
in 1957.
I would like to send out a strong message that both
Japan and the U.S., which once fought with each other, now
achieved reconciliation, Mr. Abe said of his speech.
At the news conference earlier, Mr. Obama did not
ignore the substantial gaps that have divided the United
States and Japan on trade, making a reference to American
automobile makers longstanding complaint that the
Japanese market is essentially closed to their products.
There are many Japanese cars in America, the
president said. I want to see more American cars in Japan
as well.
But both men played down their differences, which also
include Japans refusal to eliminate tariffs on agricultural
products including rice, wheat, pork, beef and dairy. Instead,
Mr. Obama and Mr. Abe discussed how as the two largest
players by far in the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations,
they could bring the other countries around to a final
agreement.
We welcome the fact that significant progress was
made, in United States-Japan negotiations, Mr. Abe said.
We will continue to cooperate to lead the T.P.P. talks to its
last phase.
If Mr. Abes visit carried powerful historic significance
and the promise of closer ties with the United States, it was
also plagued by longstanding controversy. Korean-Americans
and several members of Congress pressed him to use the
occasion to make an official apology for the use of so-called
comfort women in wartime military brothels.
Mr. Abe did not offer one.
of victimization due to human trafficking, Mr. Abe said in
response to a question about whether he would apologize.
This is a feeling that I share equally with my predecessors.
He said he stood behind previous government
apologies for the issue, and noted that Japan had provided
$12 million last year for international efforts to eliminate
sexual violence during conflicts and would provide $22 million
more this year.
That fell far short of the personal apology activists have
sought.
In a statement, Korean American Civic Empowerment,

a nonprofit group, called Mr. Abes words gravely offensive
to the victims of the Japanese comfort women system.
The group called the previous apologies to which Mr.
Abe referred not clear and not acceptable to the victims,
and said it was enraged by the prime ministers mention of
how much money he has devoted to the issue.
The comfort women survivors are only asking sincere
acknowledgment and apology, not money, the statement
said.
Japanese Leader Sidesteps Apology For WWII

Comfort Women
By Nahal Toosi
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been trying to
use his visit this week to Washington to focus on the future of
his countrys military and economic relationship with the
United States.
His critics, however, want him to spend at least part of it
atoning for Japans wartime past.
During a press conference with President Barack
Obama on Tuesday, Abe was asked whether hed be willing
to apologize for Japans World War II practice of providing socalled comfort women who were by and large nonJapanese sex slaves to Japanese soldiers.
Abe sidestepped an apology.
of victimization due to human trafficking, he said. This is a
feeling that I share equally with my predecessors.
The debate over comfort women has been a central
reason for growing tensions between Japan and neighboring
Asian countries who fear he and his right-leaning government
are trying to revise history. Its an especially sensitive matter
this year, the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.
Japan has, under previous governments, repeatedly
apologized for its actions during the war. Although Abe has
said his government upholds the past statements
something he reiterated Tuesday he has hinted that he
doesnt fully support them. His references to human
trafficking trouble critics who say hes trying to avoid
admitting the Japanese military played a role in enslaving
tens of thousands of women.
His government also has sought to soften Japans
wartime portrayal, including in textbooks, and in 2013 he
visited a Tokyo shrine that memorializes some Japanese war
criminals, further stoking tensions with South Korea and
China.
Abe is expected to issue a major statement marking the
anniversary of the wars end during commemorations in
August.
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Still, countries such as South Korea, another key U.S.

ally, were hoping he would use his trip to the United States to
go further than his previous statements and make a full
apology when he delivers a speech to a joint session of
Congress on Wednesday the first such address by a
Japanese prime minister.
A South Korean diplomatic source told POLITICO that
speaking to the U.S. Congress gives Abe an international
platform, and that if he doesnt directly deal with the use of
comfort women many of whom were Korean and some of
whom are still alive it would further strain ties. South Korea
also wants Japan to offer reparations to the surviving women
out of its government coffers, noting past financial
remuneration was through private funds.
Wed like him to deliver the right message on the
history issue, the source said.
So Jung Lim, president of the Korean American
Association of the Washington Metropolitan Area, said after
the press conference that her community was not happy,
obviously with Abes avoidance of an apology. I didnt think
he would apologize, so we kind of expected it, she said. But
we were still very hopeful that he may apologize tomorrow.
Korean-American, South Korean and other activists
have been working a variety of U.S. channels to put pressure
on Abe during his visit.
Some two dozen members of the House of
Representatives signed on to a carefully worded letter earlier
this month urging Abe to use his visit to address the
historical issues, and to reaffirm past statements of apology
from previous Japanese leaders. Although its likely that Abe
will mention the war during his speech to Congress,
especially because of the anniversary, Japans ambassador
to the U.S. has suggested hes not inclined to delve into the
historical debate.
The Obama administration, mindful of the vital nature of
its relations with both Japan and South Korea, has urged the
pair to find common ground. In a call last week with reporters,
Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said the U.S.
encourages Abe to constructively address historical issues
consistent with Japans past statements and contribute to
efforts to lower tensions in the region.
Ahead of the press conference, Japan and the United
States issued joint statements laying out visions of
cooperation on multiple fronts, including economics, climate
change and nuclear non-proliferation. They also announced
updates to the guidelines governing U.S.-Japan military
relations, effectively giving Japan leeway to deploy its military
forces to defend other countries, not just itself.
The defense piece is of particular interest to China,
which has been feuding with Japan in recent years over
territorial claims to a group of islands, and North Korea,
whose growing nuclear arsenal is an ongoing irritant in the
region. In his comments Tuesday, Obama reaffirmed
Americas commitment to Japans security and urged a

peaceful solution to territorial disputes. Abe and Obama also
spoke at length about the benefits of the Trans-Pacific
Partnership, a multilateral trade deal still under negotiation
that is leading to some blowback for Obama from fellow
Democrats.
Later Tuesday, Obama will host Abe at a state dinner at
the White House. The pair also spent some time together on
Monday, when they visited Washingtons Lincoln
Memorial.The White House noted that this month marks the
150th anniversary of the end of the Civil War, as well as the
assassination of then-President Abraham Lincoln.
World War II comfort Woman Demands

Apology From Japans Shinzo Abe
Living testament to shameful episode to watch

prime ministers address from gallery
By Valerie Richardson
When Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe makes his
historic address Wednesday before a joint session of
Congress, most in the audience will be watching him. But
some will focused on Yong Soo Lee.
Ms. Lee, 86, is among the last of the surviving comfort
women, tens of thousands of Koreans and Chinese who as
girls were kidnapped and forced into farm labor and sexual
servitude for Japanese soldiers during World War II.
As such, Ms. Lee is a living testament to a disgraceful
and contentious episode in Japanese history, one that Mr.
Abe has been accused of trying to downplay.
Ms. Lee plans to attend a rally outside the Capitol and
then watch Mr. Abes speech from the gallery as the guest of
Rep. Michael M. Honda, California Democrat, a JapaneseAmerican and advocate for the comfort women.
Im a victim, survivor and witness of what the Japanese
army did, Ms. Lee said in a translated statement via email.
Advocates want Mr. Abe to acknowledge fully and
atone for Japans treatment of the women, but he gave little
ground at a White House press briefing Tuesday. His speech
Wednesday is the first by a Japanese prime minister before a
joint session of Congress since World War II.
Asked whether he would apologize, Mr. Abe said he
was deeply pained by the womens treatment but has no
plans to revisit the stance known as the Kono Statement.
who experience immeasurable pain and suffering as a result
of victimization due to human trafficking, Mr. Abe said
through a translator. This is a feeling that I share equally with
my predecessors.
Under the 1993 Kono Statement, Japan agreed that the
military was directly or indirectly involved in creating the
comfort stations, and that in many cases the women were
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recruited against their will, but Mr. Abe has been accused of
trying to placate Japanese nationalists by likening the stations
to brothels.
The Abe [administration] upholds the Kono Statement
and has no intention to revise it, Mr. Abe said. Based on this
position, Japan has made various efforts to provide realistic
relief for the comfort women.
He said Japan has committed to spending $22 million
this year on international relief efforts aimed at preventing
sexual violence against women during conflicts after
spending $12 million last year.
Throughout the history of the 20th century, womens
dignity and basic human rights have often been infringed
upon during wars, Mr. Abe said. We intend to make the 21st
century a world with no human rights violations against
women.
Jungsil Lee, president of the Washington Coalition for
Comfort Women Issues, said Mr. Abes comments Tuesday
were no different from what he has said in the past. But she
hopes he will use the joint session as an opportunity break
new ground on the issue.
I really hope that he will use this opportunity to say
more during his speech, said Ms. Lee, an art history
professor. Because we want to move on. Im kind of sick and
tired of [making] the same request. I really want to move on.
Yong Soo Lee said Mr. Abes comments Tuesday
sound as though he is a third person not related to the
issues at all. I dont believe that he is sincere.
Why cant he [be] man enough to face the truth for the
sake of this long and sad history and his country? Ms. Lee
said.
Mr. Honda sent a letter last week to Japanese
Ambassador to the U.S. Kenichiro Sasae asking him to urge
Mr. Abe to use the visit to lay the foundation for healing and
humble reconciliation by addressing the historical issues.
Editorials in The Boston Globe and The New York
Times have called on the prime minister to acknowledge the
atrocities without disclaimers or hedging.
Abe hails from a political faction in Japan that
downplays past atrocities, said the April 24 Boston Globe
editorial. It denies that Japans military created comfort
stations for its soldiers, suggesting instead that they were
merely brothels run by Korean syndicates.
Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio warned
that China is exploiting a rift between Japan and South Korea
over World War II comfort women, and he urged Mr. Abe to
address his countrys wartime past more fully in his remarks
to Congress.
Although Japan has expressed regret for atrocities
during the war, obviously something is missing because it
hasnt gone far enough for survivors, Mr. Rubio said in an
appearance in downtown Los Angeles.
Japanese officials argue that they have made

numerous statements of apology and remorse over the years.
The Japanese government helped set up a private fund in
1995 to pay for medical care and compensate the victims, but
South Koreans have argued that the funding should come
directly from the government.
Abes stance reflects the fact that many in Japan have
either grown tired of showing remorse for the past, or never
felt that remorse in the first place, said the editorial.
Jungsil Lee said that 70 years after the end of the war,
there is still little or no mention of the comfort women in
Japanese schools.
They dont even say anything about these issues in
their textbooks, Ms. Lee said. Only some portions of the
people know about it.
Her organization has spent the past week trying to build
awareness of the issue in anticipation of the prime ministers
visit. The group flew in Yong Soo Lee from South Korea for
Mr. Abes visit and arranged for an interview with the
Washington Post.
On Tuesday, the organization took out a full-page ad in
the newspaper and held a small rally in front of the Capitol.
The larger rally comes Wednesday, when Jungsil Lee says
she expected a crowd of about 700, including supporters from
as far as Chicago and Los Angeles.
The protests are spreading beyond Washington. Mr.
Abe plans to travel Thursday to San Francisco, where
hundreds of demonstrators gathered Tuesday to demand an
apology outside the Japanese Consulate.
The Japanese dont want to talk about it because its
still shameful for them, but to get over it and become a real
leader, a global leader, you have to face this, said Jungsil
Lee. You have to face it and give a relevant response to it.
Yong Soo Lee was 14 when she was kidnapped from
her familys farm and brought to a Japanese military outpost.
She was there for two years until the war ended, during
which time she was raped 40 to 50 times a day by soldiers,
said Sami Lauri, who chairs the board of the Washington
Coalition for Comfort Women Issues, the group that flew Ms.
Lee to the U.S. from South Korea for the prime ministers
visit.
Yong Soo Lee never married, which was not
uncommon for the comfort women. First, there was the
trauma associated with years of sexual abuse, and then there
was the social stigma back home in Korea.
The majority were never married. In Korea, the
mentality is that virginity is one of the most important factors
in a marriage, said Ms. Lauri. So they were victimized
twice.
There are 53 comfort women living in South Korea, and
others in China, Malaysia, Taiwan and the Netherlands. Only
two comfort women are known to be living in the United
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States, but neither wants to come forward publicly, Jungsil

Lee said.
This is a very difficult issue for them, especially when
they have a family, she said. They dont really want to
reveal this in front of their families and husbands.
White House. (Of course, none of them had actually gotten

into White House grounds).
The White House did not immediately respond to a
request for comment.
Abe arrives for talks with President Barack Obama that
are likely to include Japans new defense guidelines, as well
as Obamas efforts to strike a trade deal that would send
more cars and more farm goods to Japan. The two will hold a
press conference.
State visits have not exactly been common during
President Baracks Obama administration.
Abe and his wife, Akie, will attend the Obamas eighth
state dinner at the White House Tuesday night and will be
toasted with Dassai 23, Asahi Shuzos signature sake.
Guests will dine on a salad of sashimi salad, soup that
includes bok choy from the First Ladys garden, paired with
bamboo shoots from Hawaii the presidents home state.
Hundreds Protest Japanese Leader Ahead Of

California Visit
By Janie Har
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) Hundreds of people who
protested outside the Japanese Consulate in San Francisco
are calling on Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to apologize for his
countrys treatment of people from other Asian countries
during World War II.
Tuesdays protest by Chinese-Americans and KoreanAmericans came as Abe prepared to meet with President
Barack Obama in Washington, D.C., ahead of the prime
ministers three-day visit to California this week.
Abe has faced demands that he use this trip to address
Japans use of tens of thousands of sex slaves during World
War II to serve Japanese troops. As many as 200,000
comfort women from Korea, China and other countries were
forced into the roles. South Korea has demanded an apology.
Abe plans to travel to San Francisco and Silicon Valley
on Thursday.
redistributed.
First Lady Promotes Japanese friendship At

Immersion School Visit
By T. Rees Shapiro
First Lady Michelle Obama and Akie Abe, the Japanese
prime ministerss wife, visited a Virginia elementary school
Tuesday and spoke to students about the two countries
diplomatic ties, a mutual appreciation for organic food and
even sake.
The school event in Fairfax County coincided with
prime minister Shinzo Abes arrival in Washington to meet
with President Obama as they move to complete the TransPacific Partnership trade agreement. The tenor of the First
Ladys appearance with Akie Abe at Great Falls Elementary
which has a Japanese immersion program reflected
what Michelle Obama said was an effort to promote bringing
our two countries even closer together.
She said Japan is among the nations best friends in
the world, and that while there may be some differences
between our countries maybe we speak different
languages and eat different foods but we have so much in
common.
Abe marked her return to the school she visited
Great Falls during previous trips to the Washington region
by praising the immersion program, where students take
classes in science, math and health in Japanese. She called
the United States an important, very friendly country, and
noted that she was pleased to see American children show
interest in Japanese culture through Anime and comics.
The First Lady and Abe entered the school through the
front doors framed by two yellow banners with the message
Welcome in English and Japanese. Students clapped and
greeted them in the foyer, waving American and Japanese
flags to the thundering of traditional Japanese taiko drums.
Hundreds Invited, But Then Turned Away,

From White House Event
By Anita Kumar
WASHINGTON Hundreds of people who were
invited to the White House to watch the arrival ceremony
Tuesday morning for the visit of Japanese Prime Minister
Shinzo Abe Tuesday turned away at the gates after waiting in
line for more than an hour on a cool morning.
Those who did not make it to the South Lawn for the 9
a.m. event had already gone through a background check.
They included children, members of the military and media,
federal employees and those who work at non-governmental
organizations. Some had traveled to Washington from other
states.
The gates were scheduled to open at 7 a.m., according
to an invitation. But some who made it into the event said
they arrived as early as 6 a.m. The line to get into the White
House stretched for more than four blocks, where U.S. and
Japanese flags flew.
White House staffers did not provide a reason for
closing the gates, though they did thank people for visiting the
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Pinned along the hallways were students hand-drawn

portraits of the two women.
In a sixth-grade Japanese immersion classroom,
students gave presentations about water molecules in two
languages, part of a growing trend in public school systems to
offer programs that teach students in core subjects while
simultaneously giving them a foundation in a foreign
language.
More than 120 students in first- through sixth-grade
participate in Japanese immersion at Great Falls, Fairfax
County schools spokesman John Torre said. Another 273
take part in a sister Japanese program at Fox Mill Elementary
in Herndon. The countys Japanese program began 25 years
ago with a grant from then- Rep. Frank R. Wolf (R-Va.), said
Beatrix Preusse-Burr, a Fairfax elementary immersion
specialist.
At the time, the Japanese economy was surging and
schools leaders and lawmakers wanted students to become
competent in the language for the future, Preusse-Burr said.
It looks like any other childs school day, except for a
half-day in Japanese, she said.
Great Falls parent Caitlin Imaki said that her family
moved to the Great Falls area specifically for the elementary
schools Japanese program, and both of her children are now
enrolled in it. She said it widens students horizons from an
early age.
In addition to classroom work, sixth graders also are
able to go on a two-week trip to Japan during the summer to
practice their skills and immerse themselves in Japanese
culture. Last year, students met U.S. Ambassador Caroline
Kennedy and in the past have visited the Abe family in Tokyo.
During an assembly Tuesday, the First Lady told
students that she had recently traveled to Japan and dined in
the Abes restaurant, where the pair ate organic fare and
shared some sake (Japanese rice wine).
But dont tell the president and prime minister,
Michelle Obama told the students.
At the end of the event, Great Falls fifth-grader
Catherine Hackman announced that the school plans to plant
a Japanese Kwanzan cherry tree in a student garden.
Like our friendship, it will grow for many years to
come, Catherine said
flowing. It was a party dress pretty, polite and resolutely

traditional.
It was also a beautiful example of fashion diplomacy.
On a night when the White House was celebrating the
culture and traditions of Japan, Obama chose a gown by a
designer who was born in Japan and came to the United
States in the 1970s when he was headed to college. Shoji,
67, built his business in Los Angeles, where he gained a
reputation for gowns on the red carpet. But he is very much a
part of Seventh Avenue; he presents his collection in New
York and is a member of the Council of Fashion Designers of
America.
He is an egalitarian designer. His work is not dominated
by rarefied pieces that sell for thousands of dollars though
he produces a high-end runway collection that displays his
deft touch for detail and keen eye for figure-flattering
construction. He offers a bountiful selection of evening gowns
that are priced in the hundreds of dollars. He does not solely
create clothes for lithe professional models and their real-life
doppelgangers. He is also a reliable purveyor of glamour for
plus-size actresses and moguls such as Octavia Spencer,
Queen Latifah and Oprah Winfrey.
Shojis work is not provocative or subversive. It is
accessible. Obamas dress was directly from his fall 2015
collection, which was presented in February. It had been
dutifully altered from the more translucent runway iteration to
a discretely lined one.
Shoji was not at the White House when his dress made
its appearance at the North Portico. (Obama also wore one of
his day dresses earlier in the afternoon.) He was traveling in
Shanghai. But he noted, through his publicist, that he was, of
course, honored to have the opportunity to dress Mrs.
Obama, especially for such an important engagement.
[State dinner for Japans prime minister forgoes the
glitz]
The selection of a gown for a state dinner is always a
matter of sartorial politics, cultural exchange and U.S.
Chamber of Commerce-style marketing. The choice is, at
heart, an expression of pride in American creativity and
craftsmanship. In the past, Obama has chosen less
established designers, such as Doo-Ri Chung. And Obamas
state dinner dress was a nod to the youthful vigor of Seventh
Avenue. This time, by selecting a low-key veteran such as
Shoji, the dress served as a celebration of the workaday
traditions and longevity of this countrys garment industry.
The state dinner dress is also an acknowledgment of
the honored country an appreciation of its aesthetics and
talent. So, in the past, Obama has chosen dresses by
designers whose hyphenated lineage are part of our cultural
mosaic: She wore a draped, violet gown by Chung, who is
Korean American, to the state dinner honoring former South
Korean president Lee Myung-bak.
The Flowing Diplomacy Of The First Ladys

Dress At The Japan State Dinner
By Robin Givhan
For the Japan state dinner, first lady Michelle Obama
wore a floor-length gown in a brilliant shade of purple by
designer Tadashi Shoji. The dress was sleeveless and
feminine with a delicate V-neckline and a fitted bodice
embellished with feathery embroidery. The skirt was full and
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Obama has highlighted the work of foreign-born

designers who have set up shop in New York, underscoring
the importance of economic diversity and the fluidity of the
global marketplace. The first lady wore a dress created by
Indian designer Naeem Khan to the dinner in honor of former
Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh, and she wore a
dress from New York-based Marchesa founded by two
British designers when the White House welcomed British
Prime Minister David Cameron.
The stature of the gown also explains the profound
disappointment expressed by American designers when
Obama wore a red printed dress by British designer Sarah
Burton of Alexander McQueen when the White House hosted
former Chinese president Hu Jintao. The dress
acknowledged neither American designers nor the
international stature of New York as a fashion capital. It was a
psychic blow.
Like the inaugural gown, a state dinner dress is a
symbol. The first lady, on this night, stands in for the warmth
and humanity of the American people. She gives no formal
toast. She is not expected to talk policy or politics. She is the
gracious hostess, the charming dinner companion
uncomplicated proof of our goodwill.
Her role is, perhaps, neither modern nor politically
correct. It is wholly situated in the stereotypes of the better
half and the gentler sex. And perhaps, the days are
numbered for a role burdened with such cliches. But even if
some day soon there is a gentleman standing in this position,
a man whose tuxedo will carry significant cultural freight,
there always will be a need a desire for the civility that is
represented by the formality and pomp of the evening.
Getting dressed up doesnt change a persons
fundamental nature, but formal dress requires time and
intention. There are rules that beg to be followed. It is slow
fashion. A woman doesnt just throw on a gown, and a man
rarely keeps his cuff links and studs rolling around atop his
bureau. What to wear? What to wear? That is the fretful
lament before a formal occasion the one time when even
those who stubbornly think that fashion doesnt matter
suddenly come to the conclusion that their appearance does.
They dont necessarily want to look cool or hip or sexy.
Fashion that is too cutting edge or progressive can come
across as haughty and distant. Intellectual fashion can be
exhausting. People just want to look appropriate, which is to
say that they want to be polite. And so often, that means that
fashion at state dinners is rather dull as it was Tuesday
night. Starlets turn down the wattage. Power brokers refrain
from swaggering. Entertainers whether Ciara or Shonda
Rhimes dress for the chorus rather than center stage.
There is an overabundance of basic black.
Guests arrive for one singular evening draped in good
manners and respectfulness. And at a time when both so
regularly go missing, the value of personal diplomacy cant be

ignored.
Authorities Investigate Possible Crude Rocket

Attack At U.S. Army Base In Japan
By Douglas Ernst
Japanese authorities are investigating a possible
attempted rocket attack at the U.S. Armys Camp Zama in
Japan early Tuesday morning.
Three explosions were heard at 12:43 a.m. local time.
Investigating authorities found two pipes pointed at the
facility. A projectile was found roughly 660 meters away, NBC
News reported Tuesday.
There were no injuries reported after the explosions,
NBC reported.
Labor Leader Urges Presidential Candidates

To Oppose Trade Deals
By Amanda Becker
AFL-CIO Head Blasts Trade Pact
Labor leader calls for higher wages, warns

Democrats to not take labor vote for granted
By Melanie Trottman
Hillarys Trade Wimp-Out
She does a half-Warren on a rare bipartisan growth

opportunity.
Bob Corker Blocks Budget Deal Over

Gimmick
By Rachael Bade
Sen. Bob Corker has slammed the brakes on a muchawaited budget deal that was supposed to sail to passage
this week taking on Republican leadership, budget
negotiators and appropriators alike over what he calls a
spending gimmick that produces billions in fantasy savings.
The Tennessee Republican on Tuesday said he would
not sign a final budget deal because the agreement allows
appropriators to delay mandatory spending on some
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programs for a few years then pocket the savings to

boost domestic spending elsewhere.
Most of those savings, however, are never realized
and mostly just look good on paper.
CHIMPS is a budget gimmick that is $190 billion in
extra spending over a 10 year period, and its something our
caucus all has been for eliminating so I have concerns
about that, Corker told a gaggle of reporters Tuesday. What
Id like for our budgeting process to do is to rid itself of a lot of
the gimmicks it has used in the past to actually spend a lot
more money than people thing were spending.
Corker and Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) had both
pushed for phasing out the use of CHIMPS, or changes in
mandatory program spending, as its known in Hill parlance.
But during budget negotiations, appropriators fought
hard against Corker and Crapos move to limit them. House
Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers (R-Ky.), for example,
argued that ditching the procedure would force him to cut
another $20 billion from departments overseeing things like
commerce, justice, education and health in an already tight
budget.
Corker remains unhappy that CHIMPS is still available
to appropriators. He did not say how long hed hold up the
budget or what specifically would need to change to get his
support. Budget negotiators had wanted to release the deal
Monday night after gathering the needed signatures. They
came up short when Corker refused to sign.
His refusal to do so stops the agreement in its tracks for
the time being. Holding out could help increase Corkers
leverage since Republicans need him to advance the
blueprint.
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Tuesday
said Republican leadership is still hopeful they can vote on
the deal this week. The House, after all, goes on recess the
first week of May and a delay would push back the budget
deal until mid-May, an embarrassment for the GOP that had
originally targeted an April 15 deadline.
We hope to complete the budget conference report in
the House and Senate and go on to the appropriations
process, the Kentucky Republican leader said. Well have
plenty of disagreements over how the money is spent in the
process, but what Id like to have is an amendment process
that brings up individual bills, brings em across the floor,
theyre open for amendment, senators have an opportunity to
make their complaints.
Sen. Dan Coats (R-Ind.) said Senate leadership was
talking to members about the holdup before caucus lunches.
The relatively obscure budget provision has consistently
caused problems during negotiations over the past few
weeks, dividing not only the House and Senate but fiscal
hawks versus appropriators.
Rogers said he was counting on the CHIMPS savings
for spending bills this year.
The budget agreement that Corker refused to sign

offered a compromise of sorts, allowing Rogers to keep the
mandatory savings for the coming year, but phasing out the
use of CHIMPS in the future.
But Corker doesnt think that compromise goes far
enough. Hes hopeful he can get more changes, though he
wouldnt say exactly what he wanted, noting that I dont know
if we even have the final language.
Another GOP source following the CHIMPS issue
closely told POLITICO that the provision was still in flux
Monday.
The final budget agreement still not released publicly
also uses a war fund account to circumvent budget caps
and give the Pentagon a $38 billion raise. Corker hates this,
too.
To me the [overseas contingency account] piece, I
hate to be too pejorative, its really a slush fund.
Earlier, some had speculated Corkers objections were
Iran related, though he frowned at the suggestion and said
no, no, no.
The Senate Foreign Relations chairman authored the
Iran bill slated to hit the floor this week, which allows
Congress to approve the Obama administrations agreement
with the Persian nation to freeze its weapons systems in
return for sanctions relief. But the bipartisan deal is in
jeopardy because several GOP critics are planning to attach
poison pill amendments that would make it lose Democratic
support.
Burgess Everett contributed to this report.
This story tagged under:
Sen. Corker Holding Up GOP Budget

Agreement
By Rebecca Shabad
Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) on Tuesday stood in the
way of a budget deal between House and Senate
Republicans, refusing to sign off on a conference report that
he said relies on accounting gimmicks
The Tennessee Republican as of late Tuesday
afternoon said he was objecting to a provision in the
agreement that deals with changes in mandatory programs
(CHIMPS). Republicans were tight-lipped about the dispute,
but House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said a
House vote on the budget agreement is planned for
Thursday.
Corker has long opposed the use of changes in
mandatory programs, which appropriators rely on to offset
non-defense discretionary spending increases while
remaining under the budget cap. The Senate GOP budget
adopted in March contained a provision that would phase the
changes out.
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First of all, I havent seen the final language on the

CHIMPS issue, which was a big issue to me. Its a budget
gimmick, Corker said.
Its $190 billion in extra spending over a 10-year
period, and its something our caucus had all been for
eliminating a year ago. I have concerns about that. I dont
know that we have our final language there, but certainly that
is an important issue, he added.
Corker wouldnt say whether his objections to the
spending changes were the only thing holding up the
agreement, and dodged questions about whether the fight
was related to the Iran legislation that he is trying to shepherd
through the Senate.
Some lawmakers have derided as a gimmick another
provision in the budget that would boost defense spending
without busting sequestration caps. The deal would boost a
Pentagon fund next year to about $96 billion. Used to finance
wars overseas, some lawmakers have called it a slush fund.
A Senate Republican aide said the provision in the deal
on changes in mandatory programs is similar but not identical
to the Senate budget Corker voted for out of committee and
on the floor in March.
The deal would limit appropriators to using $19 billion
for changes in mandatory programs for fiscal years 2016 and
2017, the aide said, which is the same level in the original
resolution.
Corker voted in favor of the budget both out of
committee and on the floor last month.
After fiscal 2017, the budget would begin to phase out
changes in mandatory programs, the aide said. The Senates
budget resolution phased them out much faster.
House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers
(R-Ky.) told reporters last week he was lobbying budget
negotiators to keep the provisions in the budget. Not having
them could make the spending limits tough on appropriators,
he said.
Its almost $20 billion that we would have to find from
somewhere else and there aint nowhere else to go, Rogers
said. Im very concerned about that.
Its not the first time the CHIMPS issue has held up a
budget, as it delayed the release of one in 2011.
The delay of the budget could throw a wrench into the
House schedule, though GOP leaders could still find a way to
work around it.
If Republicans fail to adopt a budget deal this week,
aides said Tuesday they could still move forward with the first
two 2016 spending bills if the House votes on a resolution
deeming top-line spending figures for next year.
Separate from the budget, Corker, the chairman of the
Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is working on an Iran
measure that is expected to hit the Senate floor soon. The bill
would allow Congress to approve or disapprove of any
nuclear deal before sanctions are lifted.
Corker negotiated the bill with the Foreign Relations

panels ranking Democrat, Sen. Ben Cardin (Md.).
Republicans are pushing a slew of amendments to the
legislation that could jeopardize White House support, and
Democrats are demanding help from the GOP in defeating
those changes.
Cristina Marcos contributed.
This story was updated at 5 p.m.
Bob Corker Stalling GOP Budget Deal
Tennessee senator decrying gimmicks used by

his Republican colleagues
By Tom Howell Jr.
GOP negotiators struggled Tuesday to complete their
budget as a lone Republican held out, protesting what he
called gimmicks his colleagues were using.
Republicans have sidelined Democrats in the
negotiations, so they need the support of Sen. Bob Corker,
Tennessee Republican, to complete the overdue deal. But
Mr. Corker said he wasnt comfortable with shifting money to
get around budget caps.
The standoff could spoil GOP plans to vote on the
budget resolution this week and take up actual spending bills.
Mr. Corker said one reason he has not signed the deal
is because it uses Changes in Mandatory Programs, or
CHIMPS, which delay mandatory spending to free up money
for other priorities. Critics say it is a phony maneuver that
simply delays budgetary pain and results in no actual
savings.
Mr. Corker said employing the budgetary sleight of
hand would lead to $190 billion in extra spending over a 10year period.
Its something our caucus had been all for eliminating a
year ago, he told reporters. I have concerns about that.
Behind the scenes, Mr. Corker also is working to make
sure GOP amendments do not spoil a bipartisan bill he is
shepherding that lets Congress weigh in on an emerging
nuclear deal with Iran, although it was unclear if the
negotiations played a role in his budget moves.
His holdout scuttled GOP leaders hopes of unveiling a
final budget deal Monday night. Both the House and Senate
passed plans a month ago, but they have failed to meet the
April 15 deadline for a final unified agreement.
The current draft would forgo a House proposal to turn
Medicare into a voucherlike system down the road. But it
does preserve the ability to use a fast-track budget tool to
repeal Obamacare, avoiding a Democratic filibuster
though Mr. Obama would still retain the power to veto the bill.
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, California
Republican, wants the House to vote on the conference
report Thursday, clearing the way to consider 12 annual
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spending bills that Congress has struggled to pass in recent

years.
This is why you start earlier, Mr. McCarthy said,
boasting that lawmakers are kick-starting the appropriations
process earlier than any Congress since 1974.
Democrats, meanwhile, complained Tuesday theyve
been shut out of the process and will leave Republicans the
job of defending the congressional budget on their own.
They met with themselves in secret. There was no
public debate at all on this terrible budget that they have
given to the American public, Senate Minority Leader Harry
Reid, Nevada Democrat, said.
Democrats object to the GOPs defense spending
hikes, saying they should be matched dollar-for-dollar with
more domestic spending. Democrats also complained that,
as written, the Republican budgets would cut health,
education and welfare programs.
This is like Robin Hood in reverse taking from the
poor, giving to the rich, Sen. Richard J. Durbin, Illinois
Democrat, said.
The budget is nonbinding and cannot be filibustered.
But the spending bills to carry out the budget can be
filibustered, and would also have to survive a potential White
House veto.
House Republicans, anticipating the budget, have
already written and prepared for floor action two of the 12
annual spending bills, but the White House issued veto
threats on them Tuesday.
Mr. Obama, like fellow Democrats, insists Congress
spend more money on domestic priorities in this case, on
veterans medical care and clean energy sources.
Mr. McCarthy said Republicans will not try to bust the
caps set by the sequester cuts because the limits are
written into law, and they think Mr. Obama is an
uncooperative negotiator.
The president would seek tax hikes to get around the
caps, he said, and thats not gonna happen.
agreement, which would set spending levels for the coming

fiscal year and prescribe policies over the next decade
intended to balance the budget. He denounced a budget
gimmick that he said would allow Congress to spend more
now by pushing other spending until later.
But the spending pressure is accelerating. The House
and the Senate Armed Services Committees are drafting
legislation that would move what lawmakers characterize as
emergency war funds into the Defense Departments base
budget, breaking military spending caps in reality, if not in
law, and increasing the prospect of needing to raise them
again in coming years.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers is pushing measures
to speed the Food and Drug Administrations approval
process for drugs and medical devices, which would probably
require additional spending. Senators Rob Portman,
Republican of Ohio, and Mark Warner, Democrat of Virginia,
introduced legislation on Tuesday to expand Pell Grants that
the new budget deal is supposed to freeze.
From the outside, Newt Gingrich, the former House
speaker and a co-author of the balanced budget agreement
of 1997, called for doubling the National Institutes of Healths
budget.
All of those efforts would conflict with the strict domestic
spending caps established by the Budget Control Act of 2011
which the Republican budget accord did nothing to
change.
A lot of people are talking about how we can increase
money for N.I.H.; everyones for it, said Senator Patty
Murray, Democrat of Washington. But within the budget
caps, its impossible to do.
Meantime, House Republicans continue to pass a
variety of tax cuts, including a full repeal of the estate tax that
now hits only a few thousand inheritances a year.
The budgets prescriptions are not real, they are not
workable, said Representative Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland,
the No. 2 House Democrat.
The budget accord awaiting Mr. Corkers signature
would use parliamentary language called reconciliation
instructions to allow Congress this year to repeal the
Affordable Care Act using legislation that could not be
filibustered and could pass the Senate with 51 votes instead
of the usual 60. But President Obama would still veto it.
The agreement calls for the budget to balance over the
next decade by paring entitlements like Medicaid, Medicare
and Social Security by $1.2 trillion. Medicare would be cut by
$431 billion, education and job training by $162 billion.
Beyond the strict spending caps set in 2011, the Republican
budget assumes still further cuts of $496 billion to domestic
discretionary programs. Any increase in spending over those
caps would prompt automatic spending cuts, called
sequestration.
Corker Stops Progress Of Budget Deal, Even

As Pressure For More Spending Builds
By Jonathan Weisman
WASHINGTON A single senator on Tuesday
stopped the advance of a House-Senate agreement that
would ostensibly deliver the first balanced budget of this
century, but the deals fate faced far greater obstacles than
just his objections. Even before its official unveiling, the
agreement is already threatened with irrelevance amid a
bipartisan clamor for more spending in a new era of loosening
belts.
Senator Bob Corker, a Tennessee Republican and one
of the bills negotiators, refused to sign the budget
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The Republican-driven accord also rolls back parts of

the Dodd-Frank Wall Street regulatory law passed in the
aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis.
Republican leaders have given no indication that
Congress will actually draft the legislation to carry out the
cuts, such as a bill to turn Medicaid and food stamps into
block grants for the states.
And for budget hawks like Mr. Corker, even the
aspirational prescriptions in the budget accord are not tough
enough. Negotiators agreed to add $58 billion to the
Pentagons war account, money the Armed Services
Committees are already moving from that emergency
account to the Defense Departments core operating budget.
They cut a provision requiring 60 Senate votes for just such a
move.
But Mr. Corker said his real concern was over an
obscure maneuver called changes in mandatory programs,
which allows lawmakers to spend more on programs at their
annual discretion by delaying spending on some mandatory
programs that operate under fixed rules.
Its a budget gimmick, Mr. Corker said. Its $190
billion in extra spending over a 10-year period, and its
something our caucus all had been for eliminating a year
ago.
Republican leaders called the dispute temporary.
Representative Kevin McCarthy of California, the majority
leader, said the budget agreement should come to a House
vote on Thursday. Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the
majority leader, said he, too, hoped for a final vote this week.
But once it is passed, the pressure to violate it will be
immediate and intense.
Repeal of sequestration on defense, thats what needs
to be done, said Senator John McCain, the Arizona
Republican and Armed Services Committee chairman. Every
uniformed leader has testified before the committee that we
are putting the lives of American men and women serving in
the military in greater danger.
The pull on the domestic side is nearly as strong. Mr.
Portmans new student aid bill would expand Pell Grant
eligibility to high school students taking college courses,
aiming federal aid at students Mr. Portman said were more
likely to complete college.
This is not necessarily an effort to spend more; its to
spend it more wisely, Mr. Portman said, even as he
conceded that the bill would probably require more money up
front.
Legislation being drafted in the House by
Representatives Fred Upton, Republican of Michigan, and
Diana DeGette, Democrat of Colorado, would speed the
F.D.A.s medical approval process. Mr. McCarthy predicted it
would not cost more money.
But Ms. DeGette disagreed.
We do have significant new resources in the

legislation, said Matt Inzeo, Ms. DeGettes spokesman. The
bill itself would address the caps. We have been anticipating
this issue.
And Democrats are turning up the heat. President
Obama has pledged to veto any spending bill that abides by
the budgets limits, and Democrats pledged Tuesday to
uphold those vetoes.
On the revenue side of the ledger, the House is
showing little concern for the deficit. The budget agreement
projects that revenue will remain constant over the next 10
years, even though it also assumes the full repeal of the
health care law and the more than $1 trillion in taxes attached
to it.
But the House is not holding revenues constant.
Already this year, that chamber has passed $405 billion in tax
cuts, with $181 billion more approved by the House Ways
and Means Committee and awaiting floor action. That
includes, for $270 billion, the full repeal of the estate tax, even
though it has been so scaled back in recent years that it
affects only about 5,400 of the nations richest families each
year.
Despite those pressures, Mr. McCarthy was resolute
that the budgets spending restrictions would hold.
Republicans would be willing to loosen the reins if the cuts
were shifted to entitlement programs, he said, but they will
not give in to Mr. Obamas demands that some new revenue
be included in a new budget deal.
The caps will hold, he said. The caps are the law.
Bill Called breakthrough In Punishing

Retaliators Against VA Whistleblowers
By Joe Davidson
David Tharp, a Department of Veterans Affairs
psychologist, says he was so distraught by retaliation he
suffered as an agency whistleblower that he went to war for
relief.
After his complaints about research deception and
other corruption at a VA facility in Waco, Tex., the pressure
of hostilities was so intense, my wife and I decided my only
options were to quit the VA or deploy to a war zone, said
Tharp, who also is a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force
Reserve. At least in Kandahar, Afghanistan, I knew who my
enemy was. At the VA, I come back and its been a minefield
ever since and continues.
Tharps story is another in a long list from VA
whistleblowers who suffered management reprisals after
exposing agency problems.
Incredibly, even as the department has reached legal
settlements with whistleblowers who endured retaliation,
those who retaliated against them have gone unpunished,
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said a statement from the office of Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.),

chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee.
He wants to change that with legislation that could set a
precedent for the rest of government. If his legislation
becomes law, it could be a breakthrough in providing
protections for whistleblowers.
But it also could backfire.
The Veterans Affairs Retaliation Prevention Act
provides specific penalties for supervisors who take revenge
against whistleblowers. Retaliators would be suspended for at
least 14 days for the first offense and fired for a second.
It also would give preference to transfer requests from
whistleblowers. One important provision would require
supervisors to notify whistleblowers about the specific actions
taken to address their complaints. This should help stop
some of the cover-ups.
A coalition of good-government groups praised Miller
for proving a major breakthrough in the struggle [of] VA
whistleblowers to have credible rights when defending the
integrity of the agency mission.
VA doesnt think so.
The department appreciates the committees efforts,
but we believe the specific whistleblower disclosure and
protection procedures provided by this bill would be
unworkable, a VA statement said. The legislation also would
duplicate other long-standing remedies and programs
specifically created to address claims of improper retaliation
in the workplace. . . .We believe these current whistleblower
protections are effective, and VA is working closely with OSC
[Office of Special Counsel] to ensure the Department and its
employees are gaining the maximum benefits from its
remedies and protections.
But Christian Head, a VA surgeon and whistleblower in
Los Angeles, said VAs central office in Washington really
doesnt want the power to do this because it places the
responsibility on them.
VA officials would not discuss Head and Tharp. Tharp
is optimistic about the legislation, saying this bill would have
changed my life.
That wouldnt necessarily be a good thing, however.
Advocates worry that a provision of the bill could be
turned on whistleblowers. This bill, like a law aimed at VA
Senior Executive Service members that passed last year,
slashes due process rights for those accused of wrongdoing.
It allows them one week to appeal termination or a
disciplinary transfer. This severely stunted process could be
used against those it is designed to protect. Advocates say
that retribution sometimes takes the form of accusing
whistleblowers of retaliating against others.
That provision can be a two-edge sword, said Tom
Devine, legal director of the Government Accountability
Project, which signed the good-government groups letter to
Miller. Were nervous that sacrificing due process could
deprive whistleblowers of an opportunity to defend

themselves against Machiavellian charges.
But Devine also says there needs to be something
dramatic to send a message . . . there needs to be severe
consequences for retaliating against whistleblowers.
Its a work in progress, he said.
The bill has been approved at the subcommittee level,
but also will be considered by the full committee.
Another point that needs work is the provision that gives
supervisors just two business days to notify whistleblowers in
writing of whether the supervisor determines that there is a
reasonable likelihood that the complaint discloses a violation
of any law, rule, or regulation, or gross mismanagement,
gross waste of funds, abuse of authority, or substantial and
specific danger to public health and safety.
Who can determine that in two days?
Devine said the notification should indicate that the
complaint has been received.
As written now, Head said, the provision could be used
by even well-meaning managers to deny complaints simply
because they didnt have time to investigate the allegations.
Head told Congress this month that his office was
moved from the chief of staffs suite to a former storage room
after his testimony to Congress last year. He said no one was
punished for that retaliation.
Overall, however, he said the bill is a good first step
because until they [VA officials] show a willingness to punish
one individual, people are going to feel they can move with
impunity.
Im profoundly disappointed in the behavior of the
leadership of Veterans Affairs, because I think were a better
institution than this, he added, frustration clear in his voice.
All the fabulous things we have done were squandering
that goodwill on people who dont deserve it.
Floridas House Adjourns Early In Quarrel With

Senate Over Medicaid
By Lizette Alvarez
MIAMI A fight over Medicaid expansion among
Republicans in the Florida Legislature turned rancorous
Tuesday after the House of Representatives adjourned three
days early, leaving in limbo the states $77 billion budget, a
trail of unfinished bills and an unresolved feud with the
Senate over the federal program.
The surprise announcement means that the House
speaker and Senate president, both Republicans, must agree
to a special session. They must also overcome their
differences on Medicaid expansion the House opposes it,
the Senate supports it to finish the states budget by the
June 30 deadline.
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Never before has a budget come to a total standstill

over policy differences between these two chambers, the
House speaker, Steve Crisafulli, said as he stood in the
chamber.
Intensifying the battle, Gov. Rick Scott filed a lawsuit, as
promised, against the Obama administration on Tuesday,
accusing the federal government of trying to coerce the
state into accepting Medicaid expansion, which is part of the
Affordable Care Act. The lawsuit claims that such action
violated a 2012 Supreme Court ruling that made the program
voluntary for states.
The State House sides with Mr. Scott, a Republican,
saying Medicaid is too expensive and too dysfunctional. The
State Senate does not.
The federal government has made clear to Florida that
unless the Legislature moves forward with Medicaid
expansion, it could lose more than $1 billion in federal dollars
to help hospitals care for low-income patients who are
uninsured. The federal aid is scheduled to expire June 30.
The federal money for the program, called the Low
Income Pool, is discretionary; Obama administration officials
said they had advised Florida that the program would end in
2015 with the expansion of Medicaid.
Calling the move illegal and a blatant overreach of
executive power, Mr. Scott criticized the expansion idea,
saying that every part of Obamacare has ended up costing
more than was originally anticipated.
But it was the state legislative showdown that increased
the pressure. Shortly after lunch, Mr. Crisafulli sent the House
home, saying that with no agreement in sight, he did not want
to waste lawmakers time. Lobbyists scrambled to find out
what the Houses abrupt departure meant for a trail of
unresolved bills, including those on tax cuts and water policy.
Mr. Crisafulli also criticized the Senate for having done
too little work. He said senators had sandbagged the House
during the two-month session, giving House members no
inkling that they would hold the budget hostage over
Medicaid expansion.
The Senate president, Andy Gardiner, said the Houses
decision to adjourn early would accomplish little and leave
Floridians in the lurch. Nobody won today, he said.
Taxpayers lost.
The Senate, Mr. Gardiner said, will be back on
Wednesday, ready to consider bills that are in the pipeline.
Thats what the taxpayers expect, he added.
The differences over Medicaid expansion leave a $4
billion gap between House and Senate budgets that must be
negotiated to pass a state budget and send it to the governor
for his signature.
The House and Mr. Scott oppose Medicaid expansion,
saying the program is needlessly expensive and hopelessly
broken. To make up for the loss of Low Income Pool money,
the House wants to fill the gap with $600 million.
But the Senate approved a modified plan to broaden

Medicaid that would allow 800,000 Floridians to receive
coverage under private insurance so long as they worked or
attended school, and paid a small monthly premium. The
Senate plan seeks to help hospitals with the steep cost of
treating the uninsured. But it would also salvage $50 billion in
federal funds the state would receive over the next decade
that come with expansion.
The showdown in Florida is one of many playing out
across the country as Republican governors grapple with
whether, or how, to expand Medicaid.
Gay Marriage Arguments Divide Supreme

Court Justices
By Adam Liptak
WASHINGTON The Supreme Court on Tuesday
seemed deeply divided about one of the great civil rights
issues of the age: whether the Constitution guarantees samesex couples the right to marry.
The questions from the justices suggested that they
were divided along the usual lines conservative and liberal
with Justice Anthony M. Kennedy holding the controlling
vote. On the evidence of his words, he seemed torn about
what to do. But Justice Kennedys tone was more emotional
and emphatic when he made the case for same-sex
marriage. That, coupled with his earlier judicial opinions, gave
gay rights advocates reason for optimism by the end of the
arguments, which lasted two and a half hours.
The justices appeared to clash over not only what is the
right answer in the case but also over how to reach it. The
questioning illuminated their conflicting views on history,
tradition, biology, constitutional interpretation, the democratic
process and the role of the courts in prodding social change.
Justice Kennedy said he was concerned about
changing a conception of marriage that has persisted for so
many years. Later, though, he expressed qualms about
excluding gay families from what he called a noble and
sacred institution. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. worried
about shutting down a fast-moving societal debate.
Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. asked whether groups of
four people must be allowed to marry, while Justice Antonin
Scalia said a ruling for same-sex marriage might require
some members of the clergy to perform ceremonies that
violate their religious teaching.
Justice Stephen G. Breyer described marriage as a
fundamental liberty. And Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and
Elena Kagan said that allowing same-sex marriage would do
no harm to the marriages of opposite-sex couples.
Until recently, the court has been cautious and halting
in addressing same-sex marriage, signaling that it did not
want to outpace public support and developments in the
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states. Now, though, a definitive decision will probably be

handed down in about two months.
At the start of Tuesdays arguments, Chief Justice
Roberts said he had looked up definitions of marriage and
had been unable to find one written before a dozen years ago
that did not define it as between a man and a woman. If you
succeed, that definition will not be operable, the Chief Justice
said. You are not seeking to join the institution. You are
seeking to change the institution.
Justice Kennedy weighed in with skepticism as the
advocates for gay marriage made their case. He said the
definition of marriage has been with us for millennia.
Its very difficult for the court to say, Oh, we know
better, he said.
Justice Scalia echoed Justice Kennedys concerns
about the weight of history and the relative recentness of gay
marriage. About halfway through Mary L. Bonautos argument
for the recognition of a right to same-sex marriage, Justice
Scalia asked whether she knew of any society prior to the
Netherlands in 2001 that permitted same sex marriages? He
repeated Justice Kennedys observation that the definition of
marriage as between a man and a woman has been in effect
for millennia.
Later, when the lawyer for the opponents of gay
marriage began arguing, Justice Breyer forcefully questioned
why states should be able to exclude gay people from
marriage. Marriage is open to vast numbers of people, he
said. Many same-sex couples, he noted, have no possibility
to participate in that fundamental liberty and so we ask
why.
Several of the more liberal justices pressed the
opponents of gay marriage to say how, exactly, extending
marriage to same-sex couples could harm heterosexual
couples who want to marry.
Justice Ginsburg was particularly blunt on that point.
You are not taking away anything from heterosexual
couples if the state allows gay couples to marry, she said.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor seemed equally unpersuaded,
asking how denying marriage to same-sex couples
strengthens marriage for heterosexual couples.
John J. Bursch, the lawyer for the opponents of samesex marriage, argued in response that if people no longer
believe that marriage and creating children have anything to
do with each other, there will be more children born out of
wedlock, which he said was a problem for society.
In 2013, the justices ducked the question that they are
now considering. At the time, however, just 12 states and the
District of Columbia allowed gay and lesbian couples to
marry. Similarly, the court in October refused to hear appeals
from rulings allowing same-sex marriage in five states.
That decision immediately expanded the number of
states with same-sex marriage to 24, up from 19. The
number has since grown to at least 36, and more than 70
129
percent of the nation lives in states that allow same-sex

marriage.
The justices might have been content to remain on the
sidelines. But a decision in November from a divided threejudge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the
Sixth Circuit, in Cincinnati, forced their hand. The Sixth Circuit
upheld same-sex marriage bans in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio
and Tennessee, saying that voters and legislators, not
judges, should decide the issue.
The Sixth Circuits decision created a split among the
federal appeals courts, a criterion that the Supreme Court
often looks to in deciding whether to hear a case. That factor
had been missing in October.
The couples challenging the bans promptly appealed to
the Supreme Court. In January, the justices agreed to step in.
The last time the court agreed to hear a constitutional
challenge to a same-sex marriage ban was in 2012. The
case, Hollingsworth v. Perry, concerned Californias
Proposition 8, a measure that made same-sex marriage
illegal in the state. At the time, nine states and the District of
Columbia allowed same-sex couples to marry.
When the court ruled in June 2013, it did not answer the
central question in the case. A majority of the justices said the
case was not properly before them, and none of them
expressed a view about whether the Constitution requires
states to allow same-sex marriage.
But a second decision the same day, in United States v.
Windsor, provided the movement for same-sex marriage with
what turned out to be a powerful tailwind. The decision struck
down the part of the Defense of Marriage Act that banned
federal benefits for same-sex couples who are married in
states that allowed such unions.
The Windsor decision was based partly on federalism
grounds, with Justice Kennedys majority opinion stressing
that state decisions on how to treat marriages deserved
respect. But lower courts focused on other parts of his
opinion, which emphasized the dignity of gay relationships
and the harm that families of gay couples suffer from bans on
same-sex marriage.
In Tuesdays cases, the court scheduled two separate
arguments. The first, 90 minutes long, concerned whether the
Constitution requires states to issue marriage licenses to two
people of the same sex. The second, which lasted an hour,
was about whether states must recognize same-sex
marriages performed elsewhere.
The court consolidated the four cases before it, not all
of which had addressed both questions. It will almost certainly
issue a single decision covering all four, and it will be known
by the name of the one from Ohio, Obergefell v. Hodges,
No.14-556.
That case, like the one from Tennessee, Tanco v.
Haslam, No.14-562, challenged state laws banning the
recognition of same-sex marriages performed elsewhere.
OPS054000264
The Michigan case, DeBoer v. Snyder, No.14-571, was

brought by April DeBoer and Jayne Rowse, two nurses. They
sued to challenge the states ban on same-sex marriage.
The Kentucky case, Bourke v. Beshear, No.14-574,
was brought by two sets of plaintiffs. The first group
comprised four same-sex couples who had married in other
states and who sought recognition of their unions. The
second group, two couples, sought the right to marry in
Kentucky.
Michael D. Shear contributed reporting.
eternity. He could be heard shouting for minutes even after

security dragged him from the courtroom.
Proponents of same-sex marriage were first at the
podium as they challenged laws from Michigan, Ohio,
Kentucky and Tennessee. The justices are considering two
questions: whether the Constitution requires states to issue
marriage licenses to same-sex couples and whether states
must recognize same-sex marriages performed in other
states where they are legal.
A decision is expected in late June.
Bonauto argued that limiting marriage to a man and a
woman deprives gay and lesbian couples of this valued right.
To deny it leaves them with a stain of unworthiness, she
said.
Bonauto received a boost from Justice Ruth Bader
Ginsburg, who pointed out that legal views of marriage have
changed to make them more egalitarian.
But Bonauto faced repeated questions about the
historical nature of marriage as a bond between genders
which Justice Stephen G. Breyer described as the law
everywhere for thousands of years.
Suddenly, Breyer said, you want nine people outside
the ballot box to require states to change [this].
For the most part, however, it was the conservative
justices with the sharpest questioning for Bonauto.
When she said the institution of marriage would not be
harmed by gay couples being allowed in, Chief Justice John
G. Roberts Jr. stopped her.
Youre not seeking to join the institution, youre seeking
to change the institution, he said.
Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. asked if the definition of
marriage was simply a commitment between loving
consenting adults, how could a state withhold that from
siblings, or two women and two men who decided to marry.
Justice Antonin Scalia said that if the decisions on
marriage continue to be made democratically by the states,
those states could make religious accommodations that
would not be possible if there was a decision that same-sex
marriage was a constitutional right.
[Five charts plot public views]
Solicitor General Donald B. Verrilli Jr., arguing for the
same-sex couples on behalf of the Obama administration,
said many of the arguments were also made before the court
in 1967 struck down state prohibitions on interracial marriage.
Withholding marriage from same-sex couples repeats
the same discrimination, he said. I dont know why wed want
to repeat that history, he continued.
The liberal justices repeatedly pressed Bursch about
why opening marriage to same-sex couples would damage
the states interests, which he defined as encouraging
mothers and fathers to stay together to raise any children
they might have.
Supreme Court Appears Split In Hearing On

Historic Gay-marriage Cases
By Robert Barnes And Fred Barbash

Supreme Court justices broke along familiar ideological
lines Tuesday as they considered whether same-sex couples
enjoy a constitutional right to marry, with Justice Anthony M.
Kennedy in a familiar role as the apparent decider in a
landmark gay-rights case.
Kennedy asked tough questions of both sides. But it
has worked out well in the past for gay rights supporters
when Kennedy has been cast in the role of decider. He has
written each of the courts major rulings on the subject,
including the 2013 decision striking down part of the federal
law that refused to recognize same-sex marriage.
And it will be debated between now and when the court
renders its decision at the end of June which view will win
out: Kennedys interest in protecting states rights or his
sympathy for gay couples facing discrimination
Why should nine unelected justices change the
definition of marriage as only between a man and a woman
when that concept has existed for millennia? Kennedy
asked attorney Mary L. Bonauto, who is representing gay
couples in the case.
On the other end, he questioned John Bursch,
representing Michigan and other states with same-sex
marriage bans, about their procreation-centered view of
marriage. Why do same-sex couples not deserve the same
ennoblement of their relationships that others receive? he
asked.
But toward the end of the argument, Kennedys words
sounded more like those of the opinions he has written.
Same-sex couples say, of course, we understand the
nobility and the sacredness of the marriage, Kennedy told
Bursch. We know we cant procreate, but we want the other
attributes of it in order to show that we, too, have a dignity
that can be fulfilled.
The solemn, hushed nature of the proceeding was
shattered by a protester who shouted that the Bible teaches
that those who engage in homosexuality will burn in hell for
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Nobodys taking that away, said Justice Sonia

Sotomayor.
Heterosexual couples would have the very same
incentive to marry, said Justice Ginsburg.
But Bursch said the states only had to prove that their
reasons for limiting marriage to a man and a woman are not
so irrational that its unconstitutional.
Roberts asked a question that neither side had
pressed. If a woman wants to marry a man, she can. If a man
wants to marry a man, he cant. Why isnt that sex
discrimination? he wondered.
Roberts dominated the second argument, about
whether states could be forced to recognize marriages
performed in states where they were legal.
The question would be moot if the court declares a
constitutional right, but the second argument lent force to the
idea that it might be the chief justices preferred path, and
could perhaps win a wider majority.
If states are forced to recognize same-sex marriages
performed elsewhere, Roberts suggested, it would be only a
matter of time before same-sex marriage settled in as a
national norm. It would effectively allow one state or a
minority of states to set policy for the nation.
At the same time, the Roberts line of questioning
suggested he did not view that possibility with great alarm, at
least as an alternative to a court decision holding that all
states must permit same-sex marriages within their borders.
Isnt it quite rare for a state not to recognize a
marriage performed elsewhere? he asked.
He pointed out that recognizing a marriage performed
elsewhere is pretty straightforward compared to a state
allowing such marriages under its own law, suggesting it was
not as much of an imposition.
Getting married is one thing, he said. But wasnt
allowing a marriage to exist that has been performed
elsewhere just a matter of applying domestic relations law,
he asked.
The recognition of a constitutional right would mark the
culmination of an unprecedented upheaval in public opinion
about gay rights and a dramatic change in the nations
jurisprudence. Same-sex marriages were practically unheard
of in the nation until a Massachusetts court decision cleared
the way for unions there just a dozen years ago.
[A four-decade saga of one marriage]
Now, more than 70 percent of Americans live in states
where same-sex couples are allowed to marry, according to
estimates.
The questions raised in the cases that the court will
consider were left unanswered in 2013, when the justices last
confronted the issue of same-sex marriage. A slim majority of
the court said at the time that a key portion of the federal
Defense of
Marriage Act withholding recognition of same-sex

marriages was unconstitutional and in a separate case
allowed same-sex marriages to resume in California.
Since then, courts across the nation with the notable
exception of the Cincinnati-based federal appeals court that
left intact the restrictions in the four states at issue have
struck down a string of state prohibitions on same-sex
marriage, many of them passed by voters in referendums.
Many of those court decisions compared the
prohibitions to the ones on interracial marriage that the
Supreme Court struck down in 1967 in Loving v. Virginia.
Opponents say the right for homosexuals to marry is not
found in the Constitution, and thus is left to the democratic
process in the individual states.
When the Supreme Court declined to review a clutch of
those court decisions in October, same-sex marriage
proliferated across the country.
Couples may now marry in 37 states and the District of
Columbia.
Public attitudes toward such unions have undergone a
remarkable change as well. A recent Washington Post-ABC
poll showed a record 61 percent of Americans say they
support same-sex marriage. The acceptance is driven by
higher margins among the young.
When the justices declined in October to review the
string of victories same-sex marriage proponents had won in
other parts of the country, it meant the number of states
required to allow gay marriages grew dramatically, offering
the kind of cultural shift the court often likes to see before
approving a fundamental change.
The Michigan case now before the Supreme Court
involves the issuance of marriage licenses to gay couples.
The cases from Tennessee and Ohio concern whether states
must recognize same-sex marriages performed in other
states where such unions are legal. And Kentucky offers
cases that touch on licensing and recognition.
In the 2013 case striking a key part of the Defense of
Marriage Act, U.S. v. Windsor, the decision written by
Kennedy said the federal government could not refuse to
recognize or provide benefits to people in same-sex
marriages that were conducted in states where they were
legal.
Dozens of lower-court judges nationwide have read
Kennedys opinion in which he was joined by Justices
Ginsburg, Breyer, Sotomayor and Elena Kagan to mean
that state bans violate constitutional rights as well.
Withholding federal recognition of same-sex married
couples, Kennedy wrote in Windsor, places them in an
unstable position of being in second-tier marriages and
demeans the couple, whose moral and sexual choices the
Constitution protects . . . and whose relationship the State
has sought to dignify.
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OPS054000266
Kennedy, who sides with conservatives on most issues,

is the pivotal member of the court and has written all of its
modern decisions protecting gay rights, including Lawrence v.
Texas, which struck down sodomy laws that targeted gay
men.
But in his Windsor decision, Kennedy also cited the
principles of state autonomy, which states have made central
in arguments defending laws and state constitutional
amendments defining marriage as only between a man and a
woman.
Chief Justice Roberts, who dissented from Kennedys
opinion, noted in a dissent that the issue of state bans was
not before the court. Whether Roberts could be convinced to
find in favor of same-sex marriage advocates is one of the
intriguing questions of the case.
The current cases will cause Kennedy to balance his
support of gay rights with his strong views on federalism. He
noted both in his Windsor opinion, and said that DOMA was
written to convey moral disapproval of homosexuality and a
stigma upon all who enter into same-sex marriages made
lawful by the unquestioned authority of the states.
Few thought the issue would return so quickly to the
Supreme Court. Within six months of the Windsor decision,
the first federal judge had struck down a ban, in Utah.
Quickly, judges nationwide, and panels of appeals courts in
Richmond, Denver, Chicago and San Francisco, struck down
state bans.
But in November, a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals
for the 6th Circuit in Cincinnati upheld the bans in Kentucky,
Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee.
Circuit Judge Jeffrey S. Sutton, writing for himself and
Judge Deborah L. Cook, rejected the Windsor analysis that
led other appeals courts to strike down the bans on same-sex
marriage.
In his decision, Sutton repeatedly returned to the
principle of democratic action, saying advocates of same-sex
marriage would be better off by persuading their fellow
citizens than by asking federal judges to force the issue.
When the courts do not let the people resolve new
social issues like this one, they perpetuate the idea that the
heroes in these change events are judges and lawyers,
Sutton wrote. Better in this instance, we think, to allow
change through the customary political processes, in which
the people, gay and straight alike, become the heroes of their
own stories by meeting each other not as adversaries in a
court system but as fellow citizens seeking to resolve a new
social issue in a fair-minded way.
The combined cases now before the Supreme Court
are Obergefell v. Hodges.
By Lawrence Hurley
On Divided Court, Kennedy Does Not Tip His

Hand On Gay Marriage Case
By David G. Savage And Timothy M. Phelps

The Supreme Court sounded closely and sharply split
Tuesday on whether to declare that gays and lesbians have a
constitutional right to marry.
Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, who is widely expected to
be the deciding vote in the matter, did not tip his hand, giving
hope to both sides of the debate.
Early in the oral arguments before the justices,
Kennedy noted that the institution of marriage had been
defined for millennia as the union of a man and a woman.
Its very difficult for the court to say, oh well, we know better,
he said.
But later, he told a Michigan lawyer fighting to uphold
that states refusal to recognize gay marriage that the bond
between children and their parents is crucial, and that can
include children raised by same-sex couples.
He said it was the wrong premise to assume that
children benefit only from being raised by parents of the
opposite sex.
Overall, Tuesdays arguments indicated the justices
remain split over gay marriage, even as opinion polls show a
majority of Americans support the idea.
The courts four conservatives made clear they were
prepared to uphold state laws in Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky
and Tennessee that deny marriage rights to same-sex
couples.
Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. said the gay couples
are effectively asking the court to redefine the institution of
marriage. You are not seeking to join the institution. You are
seeking to change it, he told attorney Mary L. Bonauto, who
was arguing on behalf of same-sex couples.
The courts four liberal justices sounded just as the
convinced that states had no legal justification to exclude
same-sex couples from marrying.
We are not taking anyones liberty away by allowing
gay couples to marry, said Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
Justice Stephen Breyer said the court has repeatedly
ruled that Americans have a fundamental right to marry, and
that right cannot be denied for purely religious reasons, he
said.
Kennedy criticized a state attorney who said laws
against gay marriage do not involve recognizing the dignity
of committed couples.
U.S. Top Court Divided On Gay Marriage,

Kennedy Appears Pivotal
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OPS054000267
I dont understand your argument, he said. His 2013

opinion in a case striking down part of the federal Defense of
Marriage Act repeatedly said the government may not
demean the dignity of same-sex couples who had married.
But Kennedys back-and-forth comments during the
arguments left at least some doubt about whether he is
prepared to rule now that same-sex marriage is a
constitutional right.
As arguments opened, the justices struggled with the
way homosexuality and marriage have been viewed
throughout time, an unusual perspective for judges who
generally look back to the writing of the U.S. Constitution just
over two centuries ago.
You are asking us to decide it for this society when no
other society had it [gay marriage] before 2001? asked
Justice Antonin Scalia, referring to legalization of gay
marriage in the Netherlands.
Roberts said that a decision now institutionalizing gay
marriage would close debate on the issue.
If you prevail here, there will be no more debate, and
closing debates means closing minds, Roberts said.
When Justice Anthony M. Kennedy spoke for the
Supreme Court in 2013 in striking down part of a federal law
that denied benefits to legally married gay couples, he cited
two reasons: states rights and equal rights.
Now, as the justices take up the issue again, Kennedy
and the other justices must...
When Justice Anthony M. Kennedy spoke for the
Supreme Court in 2013 in striking down part of a federal law
that denied benefits to legally married gay couples, he cited
two reasons: states rights and equal rights.
Now, as the justices take up the issue again, Kennedy
and the other justices must...
Bonauto stressed that serious rights are being
compromised in many states and that it would not be fair to
tell gay couples to wait and see.
The justices now must decide whether to resolve the
national debate over gay marriage this year with a clear
constitutional ruling, or instead leave the matter to be decided
in each state by their voters or legislators.
Gay-rights advocates come to the high court riding the
momentum of court victories in dozens of states and opinion
polls showing a solid majority of Americans favor gay
marriage. Currently, only 13 states continue to enforce bans
on same-sex marriages.
But the lawyers representing Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky
and Tennessee argued that decisions about marriage laws
should remain in the hands of state authorities, not federal
judges.
They won before the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals
in November, but the justices agreed to hear appeals from
same-sex couples in each state.
Bonauto, a Boston-based attorney and a pioneer in the

legal struggle for gay marriage, won the first pro-gaymarriage ruling before the Massachusetts high court, and she
launched the successful legal attack on the Defense of
Marriage Act that denied benefits to legally married gay
couples.
She is representing two Michigan nurses who are
raising four foster children they have adopted.
She was joined by U.S. Solicitor Gen. Donald Verrilli Jr.
representing the Obama administration. He argued that the
court should set a high legal standard that presumes any
discrimination based on a persons sexual orientation is
unconstitutional.
The outcome is likely to be close. Two years ago, the
court struck down part of the Defense of Marriage Act by a 54 vote.
After Historic Arguments, Court To Rule On

Same-sex Marriage
By Mark Sherman
WASHINGTON (AP) Pivotal Justice Anthony
Kennedy, whose vote could decide the same-sex marriage
issue for the nation, did not tip his hand Tuesday in historic
arguments at the Supreme Court. But Kennedys record on
the issue could give encouragement to gay and lesbian
couples.
As advocates and protesters demonstrated outside, the
author of the courts three prior gay rights rulings talked about
the touchstones of dignity and concern for children in samesex households that drove his favorable earlier opinions.
But he also worried about changing the definition of
marriage from the union of a man and a woman, a meaning
that he said has existed for millennia-plus time.
Its very difficult for the court to say `We know better
after barely a decade of experience with same-sex marriage
in the United States, Kennedy told Mary Bonauto, a lawyer
representing same-sex couples.
The 78-year-old justices likely role as a key, perhaps
decisive vote was reinforced during arguments that lasted 2
1/2 hours in a rapt courtroom and appeared to divide the
courts liberal and conservative justices over whether the
Constitution gives same-sex couples the right to marry.
Those couples can do so now in 36 states and the District of
Columbia, and the court is weighing whether gay and lesbian
unions should be allowed in all 50 states.
Same-sex couples say, of course, `We understand the
nobility and the sacredness of marriage. We know we cant
procreate, but we want the other attributes of it in order to
show that we, too, have a dignity that can be fulfilled,
Kennedy said in an exchange with lawyer John Bursch, who
was defending the state marriage bans
133
OPS054000268
Later, Kennedy also seemed concerned about adopted

children in same-sex households if only one partner is
considered a parent. Under your view, it would be very
difficult for same-sex couples to adopt those children,
Kennedy said.
Tuesdays arguments offered the first public indication
of where the justices stand in the dispute over whether states
can continue defining marriage as the union of a man and a
woman, or whether the Constitution gives gay and lesbian
couples the right to marry. In the courts last look at same-sex
marriage in 2013, the justices struck down part of the federal
anti-gay marriage law. Federal courts with few exceptions
have relied on Kennedys opinion in that case to invalidate
gay marriage bans in state after state.
The court divided 5-4 in that case, with the liberals
joining Kennedy in the majority. Their questions on Tuesday
suggested they would vote to extend same-sex marriage
nationwide, while conservative justices questions and
comments were much more skeptical.
Justices Stephen Breyer and Sonia Sotomayor both
said marriage was a fundamental right and a state would
need a truly compelling reason to deny it to a class of people.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said heterosexual couples
would retain the same marriage benefits they currently have,
whether or not same-sex couples also could marry.
Bursch argued repeatedly that states could prohibit
same-sex unions because marriage always has been about
biological bonds between parents and their children.
Justice Elena Kagan said some people have difficulty
with that argument, finding it hardtoseehowpermitting
samesexmarriagediscouragespeoplefrombeingbonded
withtheirbiologicalchildren.
If the definition of marriage is changed, Bursch said,
thenadultscouldthink,rightly,thatthis
relationshipismoreaboutadultsandnotaboutthe kids.
The actual cases before the court involve same-sex
couples in which both partners want recognition as adoptive
parents. In one case, Detroit-area nurses April DeBoer and
Jayne Rowse are seeking joint adoption of their four children,
and Bursch was quick to say he was not talking about them.
Weallagreethattheyarebondedtotheirkidsandhav
e theirbestinterestatheart, he said.
Most of the questions from conservative justices
appeared skeptical of gay-marriage arguments.
Chief Justice Roberts said gay couples seeking to
marry are not seeking to join the institution of marriage.
Youre seeking to change what the institution is, he said to
Bonauto.
Roberts also said people would be more accepting of
change achieved through the democratic process, rather than
imposed by courts. Only 11 states have granted marriage
rights to same-sex couples through the ballot or the
legislature. Court rulings are responsible for all the others.
134
Yet the chief justice also questioned the states

argument.
If Sue loves Joe and Tom loves Joe, Sue can marry
him and Tom cant. Why isnt that a straightforward question
of sexual discrimination? he asked.
Justice Samuel Alito suggested that basing marriage on
lasting bonds and emotional commitment instead of
providing stable homes for children might open the right to
marry to siblings who live together, close friends who are not
romantically or sexually involved and groups of more than two
people.
Whatwouldbethelogic
ofdenyingthemthesameright? Alito asked.
Justice Antonin Scalia said he worried that a court
decision in favor of same-sex marriage would force ministers
to stop officiating at weddings altogether if they refused to
perform same-sex weddings. Bonauto and some of Scalias
colleagues tried to persuade him that ministers have a right to
refuse any couple for religious reasons.
Scalia also said the issue is not whether there should
be same-sex marriage but who should decide the point,
embracing the states argument.
Justice Clarence Thomas asked no questions, as is his
custom.
The session was interrupted once by a protester who
yelled that supporters of gay marriage will burn in hell. He
was removed by security.
In the last part of the session, devoted to whether states
have to recognize same-sex marriages from elsewhere, both
Kennedy and Roberts directed skeptical questions to a lawyer
for same-sex couples, Douglas Hallward-Driemeier.
Why should one state have to yield in recognizing a
marriage from another state? Kennedy asked.
And Roberts suggested that states rights would be
undermined if residents of states that forbid same-sex unions
could get married elsewhere, then return home and demand
recognition.
One state would basically set the policy for the entire
nation, he said.
People on both sides of the issue gathered outside the
marble courthouse.
Homo sex is a sin, read one sign. A man shouted into
a microphone that gays violate the laws of God, while a group
of same-sex advocates tried to drown him out by singing The
Star-Spangled Banner.
Cheers went up when the courts doors opened,
allowing a lucky few who lined up days ago to get inside.
The cases before the court come from Kentucky,
Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee, four of the 14 remaining
states that allow only heterosexual marriage. Those four had
marriage bans upheld by the federal appeals court in
Cincinnati in November, the only federal appeals court that
has ruled in favor of the states since the Supreme Court 2013
ruling.
OPS054000269
Massachusetts was the first state to allow same-sex

marriage, in 2004. As recently as last October, barely a third
of the states permitted it.
The Supreme Court decision is expected in late June.
--Associated Press writers Connie Cass, Anne Flaherty
and Sam Hananel contributed to this report
--Follow
Mark
Sherman
on
Twitter
at
http://www.twitter.com/shermancourt .
of Use.
redistributed.
History In The Balance As Divided Supreme

Court Weighs Gay Marriage
By Michael Doyle
WASHINGTON Same-sex marriage divided the
Supreme Court on Tuesday in a protracted and at times
passionate oral argument that may have tilted, ever so
slightly, toward marriage equality.
Justice Anthony Kennedy, the author of past decisions
supporting gay rights and widely presumed to be the swing
vote once more, hinted at sympathy for same-sex marriage.
Its dignity-bestowing, Kennedy said of marriage in
general, adding that gay and lesbian couples say they want
the same ennoblement.
In 2013, Kennedy deployed the term dignity numerous
times in his decision striking down the Defense of Marriage
Acts prohibition on same-sex couples receiving federal
benefits. In 2003, the Sacramento, Calif., native wrote the
decision striking down a Texas law banning homosexual
sodomy, and in 1996 he wrote a decision striking down a
Colorado ballot measure targeting gay rights.
At the same time, Kennedy underscored lingering
uncertainties Tuesday when he cautioned that the definition
of marriage as being between a man and a woman has been
with us for millennia, and its very difficult for the court to say,
Oh, well, we know better.
Amid all the pomp and carnival that accompany
landmark court cases, including flag-waving demonstrators
outside and a jam-packed press gallery inside, the two-and-ahalf-hour oral argument Tuesday revolved around marriage
limitations in Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee and Michigan.
Each of the states has restricted marriage in a variety of
ways. In 2004, for instance, 74.5 percent of Kentucky voters
135
ratified a state constitutional amendment that declares only

marriage between one man and one woman to be valid.
Questions and statements from the other justices
Tuesday showed the rest of the court split along customary
lines, with Republican-appointed conservatives opposing
same-sex marriage and Democratic-appointed liberals
supporting it.
Theres a right to marry, and thats fundamental,
Justice Elena Kagan said, citing previous Supreme Court
decisions involving prisoners and others, and everyone
should be entitled to it unless theres a good reason for the
state to exclude them.
Skeptics countered that individual states deserved the
opportunity to decide marriage policy.
People feel very differently about something if they get
to vote on it, rather than have it imposed on them by the
courts, Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. said.
Justices addressed two fundamental questions during
the argument, which was more than twice as long as the
typical Supreme Court hearing.
One is whether the Constitutions 14th Amendment,
which guarantees due process and equal protection of the
law, compels states to license same-sex marriages. The
other is whether the same constitutional protections require
states to recognize same-sex marriages performed
elsewhere.
In theory, the court could answer no to the first
question and yes to the second. This would leave intact the
laws or lower-court rulings that render same-sex marriages
legal in 37 states and the District of Columbia while allowing
the remaining states to make their own decisions.
Roberts, intriguingly, suggested that the first question
is a big step, while the question of requiring states to
recognize marriages performed elsewhere might be pretty
straightforward. The chief justices comment raised the
possibility that he might join some but not all of a narrowmajority decision backing same-sex marriage.
His conservative colleagues, Antonin Scalia and
Samuel Alito, voiced flat-out skepticism, and their votes
against same-sex marriage arent in doubt.
Im concerned about the wisdom of this court imposing
through the Constitution a requirement of action which is
unpalatable to many of our citizens for religious reasons,
said Scalia, himself a devout Roman Catholic.
All told, some 400 people fit into the courtroom for the
argument, which started shortly after 10 a.m. The audience
members included politicians and family members, ranging
from California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom to Kennedys wife,
Mary, as well as members of the public, who rotated through
temporary seats for as little as five minutes at a time.
The decorum was broken only once, a half-hour into the
argument, when a mutton-chop-wearing man stood up and
began shouting, the Bible teaches that if you support gay
OPS054000270
Roberts, Kennedy Question Gay Marriage As

Supreme Court Clash Starts
marriage, you will burn in hell, before he was forced outside.

His shouts could still be heard for several more minutes.
The man was subsequently charged with several
offenses, including making a harangue or oration, or uttering
loud, threatening or abusive language in the Supreme Court
Building.
Mary L. Bonauto of the group Gay & Lesbian Advocates
& Defenders, a longtime advocate making her Supreme
Court debut, split time with with court veteran Douglas
Hallward-Driemeier. Solicitor General Donald Verrilli Jr.
represented the Obama administration, which supports
same-sex marriage.
Former Michigan Solicitor General John J. Bursch and
Joseph L. Whalen, Tennessees associate solicitor general,
defended the four states same-sex marriage prohibitions.
Bursch argued that the state-sanctioned institution of
marriage is not all about love and commitment but rather
developed to serve purposes that, by their nature, arise from
biology. Citing an increase in the number of out-of-wedlock
births, Bursch declared that traditional marriage is required for
keeping kids and their biological moms and dads together
whenever possible.
The argument fell flat with several of the justices, who
noted that opposite-sex couples may choose not to have
children or may be incapable of it.
The multiple cases heard Tuesday were consolidated
under the name Obergefell v. Hodges. Ohio resident James
Obergefells 2013 marriage in Maryland to his ailing longtime
partner, the late John Arthur, wasnt recognized by the state
of Ohio.
Obergefell and more than 30 other gay and lesbian
plaintiffs represented in the various lawsuits were in the
courtroom, listening closely to an open argument about a
formerly hidden subject.
We had stayed in the closet for 45 years, recalled
Luke Barlowe, a Bardstown, Ky., resident and retired optician
who challenged the Kentucky marriage limitations along with
his spouse, Jim Meade.
In the jammed press section, some 118 journalists had
assembled, many seated behind pillars that obscured their
view. The court bans cameras, but in a concession to popular
interest, justices granted the same-day release of an audio
recording.
Justice Clarence Thomas, in keeping with his
customary practice, was the only one of the nine justices not
to speak or ask questions during the oral argument. In prior
written opinions, though, hes made clear his opposition to
same-sex marriage.
A decision is expected by June 30, the last day of the
courts term.
CORRECTION: An earlier version incorrectly identified
Bardstown, Ky.
By David McLaughlin and Greg Stohr

Two pivotal justices questioned the legal case for samesex marriage rights, as the U.S. Supreme Court began a
morning of arguments in a historic showdown.
Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Anthony
Kennedy suggested Tuesday that declaring gay weddings to
be a constitutional right would upend the tradition of marriage
between a man and a woman.
This definition has been with us for millennia, Kennedy
said.
This definition has been with us for millennia.
Justice Anthony Kennedy
Roberts said the basic definition of marriage is
between a man and woman. While acceptance of same-sex
marriage has occurred relatively quickly, people feel very
differently about issues they have an opportunity to vote on
rather than having a policy imposed by a court, the chief
justice said.
Youre seeking to change what the institution is,
Roberts told a lawyer for gay-marriage proponents. If you
prevail here, there will be no more debate.
Early questioning doesnt necessarily indicate which
way a justice will vote. The court is hearing 2 1/2 hours of
argument.
Kennedy is a critical vote for marriage advocates. He
wrote all three of the courts rulings expanding gay rights over
the last two decades, including the 5-4 decision two years
ago that required the federal government to recognize samesex marriages.
Members of the court often grill lawyers for both sides
of a case, and Roberts and Kennedy will have a chance to
question lawyers defending same-sex marriage bans later in
Tuesdays argument. Justice Scalia
Justice Antonin Scalia said a ruling that same-sex
couples have a constitutional right to marry would be
unpalatable to many of our citizens for religious reasons.
A decision backing gay marriage would be the
culmination of a decades-long movement that has rapidly
gained momentum in the past dozen years. The number of
states where gays can legally wed has tripled in two years to
36, and advocates want the high court to extend that to the
remaining 14 states.
Polls show record support among Americans for samesex weddings. Hundreds of companies among them,
Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Google Inc. and Walt Disney Co.
are supporting gay marriage.
The high court is hearing cases from Michigan,
Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee the states covered by a
136
OPS054000271
federal appeals court ruling that rejected marriage rights. 31

Adults
Among the 31 adults pressing suits are April DeBoer
and Jayne Rowse, nurses who have adopted four children,
two of them with special needs, and are seeking to marry in
Michigan. The Ohio case includes Jim Obergefell, who seeks
to have his name on the death certificate of his partner of two
decades, John Arthur. Obergefell and Arthur married on an
airport tarmac in Maryland in 2013 just months before
Arthurs death.
The argument follows weeks of advocacy and
anticipation, evidenced by the 140-plus briefs the court
received from outside groups and individuals. The line for at
least 50 public seats in the courtroom began forming outside
the Supreme Court Friday morning. As the argument hour
neared Tuesday morning, marriage advocates danced and
waved rainbow flags while opponents held signs decrying
homosexuality.
The lead case is Obergefell v. Hodges, 14-556.
Justices Rattle Both Sides On Same-sex

Marriage
By Josh Gerstein
Historic arguments on same-sex marriage at the
Supreme Court Tuesday left both sides with something in
each instance, really, someone to worry about.
For supporters of gay marriage, the fears were stoked
by Justice Anthony Kennedy long considered at the
vanguard of gay rights on the court who came out of the
gate early with questions about the dangers of upending the
long tradition of limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples.
The word that keeps coming back to me in this case is:
millennia, Kennedy said, referring to how long civilized
society has conceived of marriage as a bond between one
man and one woman. This definition has been with us for
millennia. And its very difficult for us to say, Oh, well, we
know better.
The scare for opponents of gay marriage came from
Chief Justice John Roberts, who suggested the case might
be resolved as a simple matter of sex discrimination
without even having to wade into the issue of how laws that
affect gays should be treated by the courts.
Im not sure its necessary to get into sexual orientation
to resolve the case. I mean, if Sue loves Joe and Tom loves
Joe, Sue can marry him and Tom cant. And the difference is
based upon their different sex, the chief justice asked. Why
isnt that a straightforward question of sexual discrimination?
Later in the arguments, as lawyers focused on the
question of whether states had to recognize marriages
performed in other states, Roberts again seemed to wander
off what many considered his ideological reservation. He
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asked a lawyer for the state of Tennessee when, apart from

gay marriages, that state last refused to recognize a marriage
conducted in another state.
The answer was 1970, but Roberts question seemed to
reflect a concern that states denying recognition to other
states same-sex marriage would be disrupting the usual
respect states show each other.
Moments later, the chief justice seemed to dismiss the
notion that accepting same-sex marriages from other states
would make it harder for states to deal with domestic
disputes, divorces, child custody and the like. It seems to me
the question of how you apply domestic relations law is pretty
straightforward, Roberts said.
It was unclear whether Kennedy and Roberts
intellectual wandering was enough to signal that many
observers were wrong to expect the court to rule narrowly in
favor of a federal constitutional right to same-sex marriage.
Both justices unexpected arguments could be feints or
reflect the kind of devils advocate questioning intended to put
the arguing lawyers through their paces. And at other points
in the arguments, the two men returned to more expected
lines of inquiry. Roberts, for example, fretted that forcing
recognition of same-sex marriages could disrespect the
democratic process. Kennedy, meanwhile, said same-sex
couples were seeking the dignity of being recognized as
married.
During two and a half hours of robust questioning, most
of the other justices seemed to stick to their ideological
corners. Justice Clarence Thomas, as usual, remained silent.
The courts usual decorum was shattered about 30
minutes into Tuesdays arguments, just as the lead-off lawyer
in favor of same-sex marriage rights, Mary Bonauto of Gay
and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders, wound up her
arguments.
The bible teaches if you support [same-sex-marriage]
you will burn in hell. Its an abomination, a man in the back of
the gallery bellowed. He continued screaming as he was led
out by court police and his somewhat-muffled shouts from
elsewhere in the building could be heard clearly in the
courtroom for several minutes thereafter.
It was rather refreshing, actually, Justice Antonin
Scalia remarked, without indicating whether he was speaking
to the mans views or the break from the monotony.
The same-sex marriage issue returned to the court
Tuesday two years after the justices handed gay-rights
advocates an incomplete victory by striking down a key part
of the federal Defense of Marriage Act, but punting on the
question of same-sex marriage nationally by dismissing a
case from California on technical grounds.
Kennedy wrote the 5-4 majority opinion in that decision,
in which the court held it unconstitutional to deny federal
benefits to same-sex couples legally married in states that
permit the practice.
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Despite a wave of lower-court rulings in favor of samesex marriage last year, the justices kept the issue at bay until
January, when they agreed to hear the four cases argued
Tuesday involving challenges to same-sex marriage bans in
Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee.
A decision from the justices is expected by late June.
Justices Torn On Gay Marriage
By Lydia Wheeler
The Supreme Court appeared sharply divided Tuesday
over whether to legalize gay marriage in the United States, as
the justices wrestled with questions of discrimination and
tradition in the most closely watched arguments of the term.
As expected, the blockbuster case fractured the high
court, with liberals on the bench voicing support for gay
marriage and conservatives backing a series of state bans on
the practice.
But the two justices seen as the most likely swing votes
Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Anthony Kennedy
asked tough questions to lawyers for both sides, leaving
uncertainty about where they would ultimately land.
And even some members of the courts liberal wing
questioned whether the matter be should be left to voters
rather than the court to decide.
Justice Stephen Breyer said heterosexual marriage has
been the accepted law for thousands of years.
Suddenly you want nine people outside the ballot box
to require states that dont want to do it to change what
marriage is to include gay people, he said. Why cant these
states at least wait and see whether if in fact doing so in other
states is or is not harmful to marriage? he asked.
Justice Anthony Kennedy, who is often the swing vote
on the court, said he keeps coming back to the word
millennia when thinking about how long marriage has been
considered a union between a man and a woman.
Though about a decade has passed since gay rights
were first challenged in court, he questioned whether thats
enough time for the separate states to engage in the debate.
I dont even know how to count the decimals when we
talk about millennia, he said. This definition has been with
us for a millenia. Its very difficult for the court to say, oh well
we know better.
But Kennedy also called into question the states
arguments that same-sex marriage could undermine an
institution rooted in the having of children.
Same-sex couples say, of course, we understand the
nobility and the sacredness of the marriage, he said. We
know we cant procreate, but we want the other attributes of it
in order to show that we, too, have a dignity that can be
fulfilled.
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At times during the unusually lengthy two-and-a-halfhour arguments, at least five out of the nine justices appeared
sympathetic to gay couples wanting the same benefits as
heterosexual couples.
Justice Elena Kagan, for example, asked how affording
gay couples the same marital benefits could harm
heterosexual marriages.
They would have the very same incentive to marry, all
the benefits that come with marriage, that they do now, she
said.
To date, roughly three dozen and the District of
Columbia allow same-sex marriage, while 13 states have
adopted state bans to keep marriage a union between a man
and a woman.
The case, Obergefell v. Hodges, stems from a 6th
Circuit Court decision to uphold bans on gay marriage in
Ohio, Tennessee, Michigan and Kentucky. The ruling put an
end to the string of victories same-sex couples have had in
challenging state bans in federal courts and ultimately pushed
the high court to take up the issue it had been avoiding.
Supporters of same-sex marriage argue that the high
courts 2013 ruling in the United States v. Windsor could
indicate how the court will rule come June. The 5-4 decision,
which struck down restrictions to federal benefits for samesex couples under the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), was
hailed as a win for the gay community.
The court has refused to rule on gay-marriage bans
until now, despite several chances to take up the issue.
Obergefell centers on two questions: whether states are
required to license a marriage between two people of the
same sex and whether states have to recognize same sexmarriage licenses from other states under the 14th
Amendment.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg suggested that the latter
question would be moot if the court issues a more sweeping
ruling in favor of gay marriage.
Still, some of courts conservative members seemed
concerned about what other types of marriage states would
be forced to recognize if a ruling in favor of the couples was
handed down
Scalia, specifically, asked about polygamists that get
married in countries that allow polygamy.
Attorney Douglas Hallwad-Driemeier also arguing on
behalf of the states said states could assert justifications for
not recognizing certain marriage licenses, but his reasoning
only sparked more questions on when exceptions could be
made.
What if one state says that individuals can marry at the
age of puberty? Justice Samuel Alito asked. Would another
state be obligated to recognize that marriage?
Probably not, Hallward-Driemeier said.
Gay rights advocates, who have compared the fight for
marriage equality to the civil rights movement of the 1960s,
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argue that the 14th Amendment of the Constitution provides

them equal protection and due process under the law to
marry.
Going into Tuesdays arguments, many observers
predicted a win for same-sex marriage supporters.
Justices, however, made clear their reservations about
such a ruling.
Chief Justice John Roberts noted that states have
quickly been changing their opinions on gay marriage. He
pointed to Maine, which passed a gay marriage ban by
referendum in 2009, but enacted a law legalizing gay
marriage in 2012.
I mean, that sort of a quick change has been a
characteristic of this debate, but if you prevail here, there will
be no more debate, he said.
The court will hand down its ruling in the landmark case
by late June.
Justices Appear Divided, Cautious On Gay

Marriage
Supreme Court weighs extending right to same-sex

marriage to entire U.S.
By Laura Meckler, Brent Kendall And Jess Bravin
Millennia Of Marriage Being Between Man

And Woman Weigh On Justices
By Peter Baker
WASHINGTON For thousands of years, in societies
around the globe, marriage has meant the union of a man
and a woman. And suddenly, said Justice Stephen G.
Breyer, you want nine people outside the ballot box to
change that by judicial fiat.
History weighed heavily on the nine members of the
Supreme Court on Tuesday as they debated whether the
Constitution guarantees gays and lesbians the right to marry.
That even Justice Breyer, clearly a supporter of same-sex
marriage, felt compelled to take note underscored the
magnitude of the issue before the court.
With intellectual side trips to Platos Greece and the
land of the Kalahari Bushmen, Tuesdays arguments
challenged the justices to decide whether they are ready or
willing to overturn not just legal doctrine but also embedded
traditions in the name of equal rights. At what point do
thousands of years no longer determine right and wrong?
And if what was wrong is now right, is it up to them, instead of
voters and legislators, to say that?
The collision of ancient understandings and modern
sensibilities put the court right in the middle of one of the most
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defining social issues confronting 21st-century America. If the

justices seemed eager to avoid a definitive ruling two years
ago, when the issue last came before them, they seemed
acutely aware on Tuesday that there may be no turning back
this time.
The prospect of breaking so decisively from the past
struck not just Justice Breyer but also several of his
colleagues, who repeatedly noted the longevity of the
institution they had been asked to address.
The word that keeps coming back to me in this case is
millennia, said Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, widely
considered the swing vote.
Every definition that I looked up, prior to about a dozen
years ago, defined marriage as unity between a man and a
woman as husband and wife, said Chief Justice John G.
Roberts Jr.
As far as Im aware, until the end of the 20th century,
there never was a nation or a culture that recognized
marriage between two people of the same sex, Justice
Samuel A. Alito Jr. said.
Youre asking us to decide it for this society when no
other society until 2001 ever had it, added Justice Antonin
Scalia.
Justice Kennedy noted that the Kalahari people of
southern Africa, without a modern government like that in the
United States, defined marriage as between a man and a
woman. Justice Alito argued that even ancient Greeks, who
engaged in same-sex relationships, did not extend marriage
to them.
Against this concern, advocates for same-sex marriage
pressed their point that history, by itself, was hardly the only
guide. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg noted that women were
deemed under law to be subordinate in marriage for
centuries. Several justices noted that blacks and whites were
not allowed to marry in some states until the court intervened
in 1967.
Times can blind, and it takes time to see stereotypes
and to see the common humanity of people who had once
been ignored or excluded, Mary L. Bonauto, a lawyer
representing plaintiffs suing to overturn state bans on samesex marriage, told the justices.
And Justice Breyer seemed to answer his own concern
later in the oral arguments when he argued that history, even
thousands of years of it, might not be enough to justify
excluding gays and lesbians from what he suggested was a
fundamental right. The answer we get is, well, people have
always done it, he said. You know, you could have
answered that one the same way we talk about racial
segregation.
The court has always skated a fuzzy line between law
and politics, judging not just what the Constitution and
statutes say but what they mean in an evolving society. And
after the explosive backlash to some of its previous landmark
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cases on race and abortion, the justices have been wary of

getting too far ahead of the country and appearing to foist
major social change rather than letting it be resolved by the
political system.
Tuesdays hearing reinforced the expectation that the
court will find a constitutional right to marry for gays and
lesbians, given Justice Kennedys past writings and the tone
of his questions and comments in court. But the court set up
the issue in a way that lets it look as if it is responding to
changing national norms rather than imposing them.
The courts decision two years ago in United States v.
Windsor threw out the heart of the Defense of Marriage Act, a
federal law that defined marriage as the union of a man and
woman, without finding a constitutional right to marry for
same-sex couples. Since that case was argued, the number
of states where same-sex marriage is legal has grown to at
least 36 from nine.
But most of those additional states now granting
marriage certificates to gays and lesbians did so only after
lower federal courts interpreted Windsor to mean that there
is, in fact, such a constitutional right. Just 11 states have
extended marriage to gays and lesbians through ballot
initiatives or legislative measures. So it was the Supreme
Courts own partial ruling in 2013 that led lower courts to rule
in favor of same-sex marriage in so many states, rulings the
court is now being asked to validate.
The opponents of same-sex marriage focused part of
their argument on that circumvention of the democratic
process. Chief Justice Roberts noted that Maine residents
voted to outlaw same-sex marriage in 2009 and then
reversed themselves and legalized it in 2012, showing that
change can happen through expressions of popular will rather
than judicial activism.
That sort of quick change has been a characteristic of
this debate, he told proponents. But if you prevail here,
there will be no more debate. I mean, closing of debate can
close minds, and it will have a consequence on how this new
institution is accepted. People feel very differently about
something if they have a chance to vote on it than if its
imposed on them by the courts.
Other conservative justices echoed that sentiment,
suggesting that those who favor same-sex marriage should
wait for the democratic process to play out. But the other side
said the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment
made it unconstitutional to prevent gays and lesbians from
enjoying the same right to marry that heterosexuals enjoy.
Waiting, they said, is not a constitutional remedy.
Gay and lesbian people are equal, said Donald B.
Verrilli Jr., the solicitor general, arguing on behalf of same-sex
marriage for the Obama administration. They deserve equal
protection of the laws, and they deserve it now.
With the end of the oral arguments, nine people outside

the ballot box will have to weigh the millenniums against the
here and now.
Supreme Court Mulls How Marriage Equality

Will Come About
By Ryan J. Reilly
WASHINGTON The Supreme Court on Tuesday
seemed to be debating how not if same-sex marriage
should become legal in every state in the country.
During oral arguments, the nine justices weighed
whether now is the right time to force states to let same-sex
couples marry, pointing to how quickly public opinion has
shifted on the issue. Thirty-seven states and Washington,
D.C., currently recognize same-sex marriage.
Justice Anthony Kennedy, who is considered a swing
vote and who was a key figure in striking down the Defense
of Marriage Act back in 2013, suggested the court may be
moving too quickly to force states to marry same-sex couples.
This definition has been with us for millennia, Kennedy
said of opposite-sex marriages. Its very difficult for the court
to say, Oh, well, we know better.
However, Kennedy noted that about 10 years had
passed between when the Supreme Court struck down
separate-but-equal racial discrimination and laws banning
interracial marriage. Thats about the same amount of time
between when the Supreme Court ended sodomy laws and
the present, he said.
The judges are considering two issues during the oral
arguments: whether states are required to offer marriage
licenses to gay couples, and whether states have to
recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states. The
court will likely issue one decision in June covering appeals
from four states Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee.
Youre seeking to change what the institution is, Chief
Justice John Roberts told Mary Bonauto, the lawyer
representing the same-sex couples. Every definition that I
looked up, prior to about a dozen years ago, defined marriage
as unity between a man and a woman, as husband and wife.
Obviously, if you succeed, that core definition will no longer
be operable.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, meanwhile, said there
have been plenty of changes to the institution of marriage,
which used to be built on dominant and subordinate
relationships.
There was a change in the institution of marriage to
make it egalitarian when it wasnt egalitarian, she said.
Same-sex unions wouldnt fit into what marriage was
once.
Did they have same-sex marriage in ancient Greece?
asked Justice Samuel Alito. He also questioned whether four
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consenting, highly educated adults, two men and two women

perhaps lawyers, he joked could ask a state to be
married.
Bonauto responded that there would be issues of
coercion, consent and family disruption that would give states
an interest in banning such unions.
John Bursch, the special assistant attorney general of
Michigan, argued in favor of states restricting marriage to
opposite-sex couples. At the crux of his argument was childrearing, and why it is in a states interest to inextricably bind
kids to their biological moms and dads.
Changing the meaning of marriage, he argued, has
long-term consequences.
The out-of-wedlock birthrate in this country has gone
from 10 percent to 70 percent from 1970 to today, said
Bursch. I think everybody would agree that thats not a good
result for children.
But that wasnt changed because of the recent gay
marriages, responded Justice Sonia Sotomayor. In
Massachusetts, weve got data that rates remained constant
since they changed their laws.
When Bursch said its been too short of a time frame to
see the effects of Massachusetts law on birthrates, Kennedy
jumped in.
Youre the one that brought the statistic up, he said.
Under your view, it would be very difficult for same-sex
couples to adopt some of these children. I think the argument
cuts quite against you.
Kennedy continued, It goes back to the basic point
where you began, where you had some premise that only
opposite-sex couples can have a bonding with a child. That
was very interesting, but its just a wrong premise.
Both sides saw reasons for optimism after the
arguments.
I think it went really well, said Marc Solomon, national
campaign director for the group Freedom to Marry. Whats
so clear to me is how completely bankrupt our opponents
arguments are. Their argument was that if you allow gay
people to marry, one might speculate that fewer straight
people will marry. Its not based on any facts, on any truth or
any evidence.
Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), who has been a leading
advocate for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality
in Congress, said he was cautiously optimistic.
Opponents of same-sex marriage were buoyed
because they believed the judges seemed skeptical of
redefining marriage.
Ryan Anderson, a fellow at the Heritage Foundation,
told supporters after he came out of the court that they can
fully expect a good decision come June.
Josh Duggar, the executive director of FRC Action,
which is part of the Family Research Council, said he also
expects the justices to side with them. Duggar is the eldest

child on the TLC reality show 19 Kids and Counting.
I think it was clear for those that were in the court of
what the mood of the court was today. And that is to take a
very careful look at the effects this decision could have on the
American family, and the fact that children, like my own three
children, are going to be faced with a very different America,
he said. A place where children are not going to grow up with
a mother and a father.
About 30 minutes into the arguments, a man in the
audience suddenly jumped up and began shouting, You will
burn in hell! Homosexuality is an abomination!
He was led out by security and could be heard
screaming in the halls for several minutes. Justice Antonin
Scalia didnt seem to mind the dust-up.
It was rather refreshing, actually he said to laughs.
Elise Foley and Amanda Terkel contributed reporting.
Supreme Court Asks Why It Should Redefine

Marriage To Include Gays
By Cheryl Wetzstein
In the most-eagerly anticipated case this term the
Supreme Court demanded to know from pro-gay lawyers why
the justices had the right to redefine an institution defined for
millennia as a male-female union.
Several justices, including Justice Anthony M. Kennedy,
asked attorney Mary L. Bonauto, who argued for the gay
couples, about why they should conclude that states had no
rational basis to define marriage as it always has been
defined.
Justice Samuel Alito said marriage laws havent been
enacted to demean people or based on irrational stereotypes,
he and other justices noted.
But perhaps more tellingly, Justice Kennedy, believed
to be the swing vote in the case, said marriage has been
understood as a male-female union for millennia-plus time,
while same-sex marriage has been a legal fact for only about
a decade in the U.S. and not much longer anywhere else.
Its very difficult for the court to say We know better,
Justice Kennedy told Ms. Bonauto.
Ms. Bonauto said it took time to see other cases of
invidious discrimination, and even if marriage laws didnt
mean to discriminate, they have that effect.
Other justices, however, stayed on that point that
same-sex marriage was unknown in human history until
recently. And yet, you are asking us to decide this issue
now for the nation, said Justice Antonin Scalia.
The justices reviewed polygamy, states rights, the fate
of ministers who object to same-sex marriage, and whether
the intent of the combined lawsuit, Obergefell v. Hodges, was
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to have gay couples join marriage or redefine marriage into

something new.
While many justices peppered Ms. Bonauto with
questions, it was mostly the female justices, as well as
Justice Stephen Breyer, who questioned the states lawyer,
John Bursch.
Justice Elena Kagan asked how same-sex marriage
would alter heterosexual marriage, while Justice Ruth Bader
Ginsburg opined that including gay couples in marriage is
not taking away anything. Justice Sonia Sotomayor
questioned why marriage doesnt bind gay parents to their
children like it does with biological parents.
Mr. Bursch responded to or parried virtually all the
queries, sticking to his argument that states and the people
have the right, through the democratic process, to determine
marriage laws, and the high court should not intervene.
Referring to no-fault divorce laws as an example, Mr.
Bursch said the changes wrought by court-ordered same-sex
marriage would only appear over generations.
Changing marriage from an institution that is childcentric and based on lifelong commitment, to one that is more
adult-centric and based on ephemeral emotional ties would
be a fundamental change and one that is best left to the
people to debate and decide, Mr. Bursch.
U.S. Solicitor General Donald Verrilli argued that samesex couples have the right to marry and it was untenable to
think they can be denied such a right or be asked to wait
for the people to decide.
Before he spoke, however, a man began shouting in
the chamber that homosexuals are an abomination to God
and will burn in hell for eternity. The man was promptly
removed but his voice echoed through the distant hallways as
Mr. Verrilli made his arguments.
Lawyers also argued whether states can deny
recognition to gay marriages from out of state.
That session reviewed other differences in state
marriage law such as age and cousin relationships as
well as how wrong it would be for one state to legalize gay
marriage not just for itself, but for all states.
Justice Sotomayor noted that since states accept each
others birth certificates, why not marriage certificates
It seemed there was a consensus that which way the
court ruled on the question of marriage rights, the marriage
recognition question would follow suit.
The landmark case pits gay couples against the states
of Michigan, Tennessee, Kentucky and Ohio, where
lawmakers and voters have agreed that marriage is only the
union of one nan and one woman.
A decision is expected by the end of June.

TUESDAYS ORAL arguments before the Supreme
Court on the constitutionality of same-sex marriage illustrated
a perhaps underappreciated benefit of bringing such a
momentous question before the justices: It enabled both
sides to present their best arguments, at length, in a setting
that guaranteed they would be thoroughly tested and probed.
No citizen who cares about this issue could fail to learn from
this debate among lawyers and justices.
And the main lesson was how little remains of the
argument against recognizing a right to same-sex marriage
under the Constitution. As presented by John J. Bursch, a
special assistant attorney general of Michigan, this argument
consisted basically of two points: First, because of the unique
procreative potential of heterosexual unions, the people of his
state and others were not acting irrationally when they voted
in 2004 to define marriage as a one-man/one-woman
institution; and, second, it should be left to each states
political process, not the court, to determine whether this
definition should change.
Mr. Bursch didnt bother to offer civil unions as a
compromise, much less to suggest that there is anything
morally wrong with homosexuality. Couples who brought this
case before the court, he said, have bonded with their kids
and have their best interest at heart. He even implied that
the justices should refrain from ruling in favor of gay marriage
because it might get voted in by the states anyway, and very
quickly, at that.
In short, gay men and lesbians entered this battle in full
control of the moral high ground, which is both as it should be
and, in historical terms, astonishing a revolution in public
opinion wrought through the persistence and courage of a
generation of people who were willing to stand up and insist
on the truth that they are not invisible and that they deserve
full inclusion in the American community.
As for the actual objections Mr. Bursch raised: The first
has lost force as more unconventional families, including
those headed by same-sex couples, have proved quite
capable of producing and raising well-adjusted children. The
second is weightier, yet public opinion has likely already
shifted against the position a majority of Mr. Burschs state
found reasonable 11 years ago. This point, which he
conceded, put him in the awkward position of asking the court
to postpone the inevitable. This, at a time when a ruling
against a right to same-sex marriage could cast unions
already sanctioned by lower courts into limbo.
As Justice Elena Kagan pointed out, We dont live in a
pure democracy; we live in a constitutional democracy. In
such a system, fundamental individual rights are not subject
to the vagaries of majoritarian politics. The courts exist to
vindicate them, without delay, which is what we both hope
and expect the Supreme Court to do in this case.
A Rout At The Supreme Court On Gay

Marriage
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A Landmark Gay Marriage Case At The

Supreme Court
mind, the lawyers defending the bans insisted that each state
should be allowed to make its own decision about same-sex
marriage. John Bursch, a special assistant attorney general in
Michigan arguing on behalf of his states ban, asked the
justices to give way to the democratic process, which he
said forces neighbors to sit down and civilly discuss an issue
and try to persuade each other through reason, love and
logic.
To this nave and oversimplified view of how statesponsored discrimination actually works, Justice Elena Kagan
had an apt rejoinder:
Mr. Bursch, we dont live in a pure democracy, she
said. We live in a constitutional democracy. And the
Constitution imposes limits on what people can do, and this is
one of those cases.

The lawyers defending state bans on same-sex
marriage before the Supreme Court Tuesday morning tried
their best to put a friendly face on their arguments. But if
anyone doubted the depth of the discrimination that gays and
lesbians continue to face across America, an outburst
partway through the arguments provided a bracing reminder.
At the close of the first half-hour, a man in the back of
the gallery began shouting that same-sex marriage violates
the teachings of the Bible, and that its supporters will burn in
hell. After he was dragged out kicking and screaming, Justice
Antonin Scalia quipped, It was rather refreshing, actually.
The hecklers tirade, which cut through some of the
courtroom tension, made one thing clear: Opponents of
marriage equality are not going down without a fight. And that
is one of the major reasons the court needs to resolve, finally,
the question it has been dodging for more than four decades:
Is there a constitutional right to same-sex marriage?
In 1972, the justices summarily dismissed a petition
asking them to grant that right, finding that the case did not
present a substantial federal question.
Since then, the legal landscape has changed greatly. In
1972, no state permitted same-sex marriages. Today, 36 do,
as does the District of Columbia. But 13 states ban it (its
status in Alabama is unclear). Couples from four of those
states Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio and Michigan are
asking the court to rule that the bans violate constitutional
guarantees of due process and equal protection.
For two-and-a-half hours more than twice as long as
a typical oral argument the justices weighed two questions:
Does the Constitution require states to license marriages
between people of the same sex, and if not, must states at
least recognize lawful same-sex marriages performed in other
states?
The conservative justices, not normally eager to
acknowledge legal traditions outside the United States, cited
everyone from the ancient Greeks to the hunter-gatherers of
the Kalahari in making the argument that marriage has been
universally understood to be between a man and a woman.
This definition has been with us for millennia, said
Justice Anthony Kennedy. Its very difficult for the court to
say, oh, well, we we know better. Justice Kennedy has
written three of the courts major gay-rights rulings, and his
vote will very likely determine the outcome here. But his
questions on Tuesday gave fewer clues than many had
hoped as to where he would come down this time.
In 2013, when the court voted 5-4 to strike down the
heart of the federal Defense of Marriage Act, Justice Kennedy
emphasized the equality and dignity of same-sex couples, but
also the importance of respecting states rights. With this in
Approve Same-sex Marriage: Our View
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Anyone who wants to understand the stakes in the
potentially historic gay marriage cases argued Tuesday
before the Supreme Court should look first to the four children
of April DeBoer and Jayne Rowse.
Each child was once a baby in danger of being left
without a good home. One was abandoned after delivery by a
drug-addicted prostitute. Another was given up by a
homeless mother with psychological impairment.
OPPOSING VIEW: Let voters decide
But DeBoer and Rowse, nurses in Hazel Park, Mich.,
who have lived together for a decade, saved them through
adoption.
By virtually any measure, children like those deserve
the protections of marriage and adoption, as do DeBoer and
Rowse. But Michigan prohibits same-sex marriage, and the
state also bars unmarried couples from adopting each others
kids, so each mother had to adopt two of the children
separately. If anything happened to either mom, the survivor
would have no guaranteed parental right to two of her
children.
DeBoer and Rowses case was among four before the
Supreme Court on Tuesday, giving the justices a chance to
remedy an injustice that affects tens of thousands of people
children and adults by recognizing a constitutional right
to gay marriage.
The court, usually wary of getting too far ahead of
public opinion of such deeply personal issues, began leaning
in that direction nearly two years ago when it struck down the
federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which had defined
marriage as between a man and a woman. But it shied away
from deciding whether states could similarly limit the practice.
Since then, both public opinion and legal precedent
have moved with astonishing speed. Then, same-sex
marriage was legal in just 12 states. Now, thanks mostly to
appellate court rulings that relied on the Supreme Courts
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logic two years ago in United States v. Windsor, it is legal in

37 states that are home to more than 70% of Americans. Just
a decade ago, a Gallup Poll found just 37% of Americans
supported gay marriage. While strong pockets of resistance
remain, including in the more than two dozen states that
passed explicit bans on gay marriage after DOMA was
enacted in 1996, an ABC News/Washington Post poll last
week found support nationally had risen to 61%.
That should make the court comfortable doing the right
thing, particularly because tens of thousands of same-sex
couples are now legally married. But its the Constitution that
matters, and there the case is just as strong, simply because
a guarantee of individual freedom is at the Constitutions
heart. More explicitly, the 14th Amendment safeguards
individual rights by barring any state from making a law that
denies citizens equal protection or due process, which is what
gay-marriage bans seek to do.
Conservative jurists who insist on the original meaning
of the Constitution argue that those who ratified the
amendment written after the Civil War to guarantee the
equal rights of black Americans never imagined it would
require states to redefine marriage. But neither would they
have imagined that the Supreme Court would have relied on
the amendment in 1954 to require school desegregation, or
again in 1967 to strike down laws in 16 states that banned
interracial marriage. Then, as in the current cases, the court
tried to move slowly, but in the end, it protected the right of
people to manage their lives as they wish without government
interference.
Opponents also insist that voters, not the courts, should
decide whether same-sex marriage should be legal, a point
Justice Antonin Scalia made during arguments Tuesday.
Justice Anthony Kennedy, whose vote is likely to be decisive,
echoed the idea when he said its very difficult for the court to
take a we know better approach.
Actually, its not that the court knows better; its that
the justices job is to ensure that the law of the land reflects
the Constitutions guarantee of personal freedom, regardless
of what the person happens to be black or white, gay or
straight.
Social scientists overwhelmingly say, and Americans
increasingly agree, that sexual orientation isnt a choice, that
its an immutable part of who people are when theyre born.
A fundamental civil right is just that; its not subject to a
plebiscite, and a majority cannot take it away. When the court
issued its 1967 Loving v. Virginia decision striking down the
state laws against interracial marriage, more than 70% of the
nation still opposed marriages between blacks and whites.
The court was correct to recognize a fundamental right to
marry then, and it would do well to do the same thing now.
USA TODAYs editorial opinions are decided by its
Editorial Board, separate from the news staff. Most editorials
are coupled with an opposing view a unique USA TODAY

feature.
To read more editorials, go to the Opinion front page or
sign up for the daily Opinion e-mail newsletter.
Outside Supreme Court, Gay-marriage

Supporters Jubilant And Expectant
By David A. Fahrenthold
The cheers followed them down East Capitol Street,
then around the corner toward the court. The Tennessee
plaintiffs walked between long separated lines of spectators,
drawing kisses and applause from the staid, suited lawyers
line and shouts of Give em hell! from the scruffier line for
the public.
Were Tennessee! shouted Abby Rubenfeld, one of
their attorneys. She held up her hand for high-fives, like a
basketball player coming in for warm-ups. Were gonna win!
On Tuesday morning, in the hours before the Supreme
Court heard a landmark case that could legalize same-sex
marriage nationwide, the mood outside the court was
expectant and jubilant at once. Encouraged by past rulings,
many supporters of same-sex marriage were confident that
their side would win.
I just think the time is right. The law is right, and the
Supreme Court is giving all the signs, Rubenfeld said in an
interview. The days cases involved plaintiffs from four states:
Tennessee, Kentucky, Michigan and Ohio. The court wants
us to win.
That mood carried through the day as hundreds
mainly supporters of same-sex marriage crowded the
sidewalk outside the court. Their cause has advanced so fast
that, in this case, it seemed as if it had outrun history itself:
People were so sure the court will rule their way in June that
they were celebrating now.
Even before the justices had heard the first word of
argument.
Its a celebration. It feels like a rally. It feels like a Pride
[Day], and in a lot of ways it is, said Callie McLoughlinMcKee, 36, who had come from Ann Arbor, Mich.
Around her, couples carried signs with the number of
years they had been together. The Gay Mens Chorus sang
We Shall Overcome. Several people brought their dogs.
There were costumes: men in nuns habits, a man in a tutu, a
girl in a unicorn mask. It was the kind of event where even the
Westboro Baptist Church could be happily mocked.
Let it go! Let it goooooo! Kick em out and slam the
door! sang Shirley Phelps-Roper, a leader of the famously
anti-gay church. She was singing an alternative version of the
song Let It Go from the movie Frozen, while holding four
anti-gay signs at once.
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McLoughlin-McKee was nearby. She works in theater.

She could not stand by and do nothing. I dont think they
should be able to take Disney from us, she said. They cant
take musicals from the gays. Thats just over the line.
So she jumped in and belted out the original Disney
lyrics, trying to drown out the Westboro version. Not on my
bucket list, she said afterward.
The crowd also included smaller but vocal groups of
people opposed to same-sex marriage. Some were well
organized. The Alliance Defending Freedom showed up early
with a small podium, ponchos, doughnuts, a pallet of bottled
water, Band-Aids, avocados, knives for cutting avocados,
sweatshirts, blankets and tarps. They wanted to have enough
stuff to share, one staffer said, even with their opponents.
(Were not really enemies, she said. Were just on different
sides.)
That groups speakers focused on states rights, saying
that the definition of marriage should be left to voters, state by
state. The nine unelected justices arent the Supreme
Policymakers, said Caleb Dalton, one of the groups lawyers.
In other places outside the court, Orthodox Jews and
Christian groups shouted biblical condemnations. But even
among those groups there was some pessimism about their
chances in court.
Oh, extremely small, said Buddy Fisher, a salesman
from North Carolina and the leader of a Christian group called
Itching Ears Ministry. With God, all things are possible. But
no, this battle was lost in America when the 26th state
accepted same-sex marriage.
Some people, on both sides, had already spent days
outside the court, staking out a spot on the sidewalk or in a
line.
Ever since I was a little boy, I just wanted to see Mary
Bonauto argue this case, said Sean Varsho, a law student
who had come from Chicago and spent four days in front of
the court with the Districts professional line-standers. Varsho
sneaked away to Starbucks at 5 a.m. to put on a suit to see
Bonauto, a legendary lawyer involved in a a number of gay
rights cases. He was sure she will win. One hundred
percent, Varsho said.
Its just like, you know, this special piece of history that
nobody else has, Varsho said, meaning the moment in the
courtroom, where no cameras are allowed. When they win,
he added, hell be able say, I was there.
On the court sidewalk, the two camps mostly talked
past each other the hope of saving a soul was dim on both
sides. When people began filing into the court, for instance,
Fishers group of Christians began shouting insults at them
through a bullhorn. The spectators, heading in, turned their
cellphone cameras toward the court. They controlled the
video of this moment, if not the audio.
The last to go in were spectators in the three-minute
line, who would wait to be allowed to watch the arguments
for just three minutes. One of them was Rio Franciosa, 26, a
student from New Jersey who had come with his boyfriend.
While he waited, he walked up to taunt the taunters.
How many of you smoke marijuana? yelled Jesse
Morrell, clutching a bullhorn.
Yeah! Franciosa yelled.
How many of you think its okay to be gay?
Yeah! Franciosa yelled. Gay marijuana for all!
They argued more, about who in the crowd deserved
Gods love.
Youre a false prophet! Morrell shouted back.
Im a prophet! Franciosa yelled back, delighted at the
promotion. He went back to the three-minute line.
That three minutes is going to be the best three
minutes of my life, he said.
Later in the day, when the arguments were over, the
crowds turned to watch the court, waiting for the plaintiffs and
their attorneys to emerge.
Love must win! the pro-same-sex-marriage crowd
chanted.
Dont end debate! the opponents chanted back.
Finally, the plaintiffs emerged, celebrities for the day,
and held a news conference. What would be the impact if the
ruling went against you? a reporter asked.
It was the question nobody in the happy crowd had
wanted to contemplate. At the back of the crowd of plaintiffs,
73-year-old Luke Barlow spoke up. He was one of the
Kentucky plaintiffs, who has been with his husband for 47
years and now wants his out-of-state marriage recognized in
his home state.
Dont ask me that! he said.
Outside The Supreme Court, love Conquers

Hate
By Dana Milbank
The biblical-marriage demonstrators were outnumbered
5-to-1 or more outside the Supreme Court Tuesday morning,
but they were not lacking in vitriol or vulgarity.
Homo Sex is Sin, proclaimed a banner rising high
above First Street NE. A sign showed stick figures in an analsex position and the words Fag is Sin. Dirty Homo, Stop
Sinning, proclaimed another large banner. A woman holding
a sign that said Fags Are Beasts led a group of
demonstrators in singing a parody of the Sam Smith and
Mary J. Blige tune Stay With Me called Fag Marriage, It
Cant Be, and in a parody of Green Days American Idiot:
You wanna be an American sodomite/One nation controlled
by fag media.
With opponents like these, is it any wonder that the
cause of gay equality is prevailing? Inside the marble temple,
the justices were hearing oral arguments in a closely watched
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same-sex marriage case (Obergefell v. Hodges) that many

expect will make such marriages legal coast to coast. Even if
the high court doesnt go that far yet, the nation is undeniably
headed in that direction.
The scene that played out in front of the court Tuesday
showed why: Gay and lesbian demonstrators were taunted
as perverts and an abomination to God, but they
answered, for the most part, with laughter and song.
Jesus Christ was not pro-homosexuality! a man in
military fatigues and sunglasses shouted into a portable
sound system that squealed with feedback. If he had been
he would have been suing for gay wedding cakes!
The man, who would identify himself only as Jeremiah
from Tennessee, was part of a Facebook group that
organized a conservative protest outside the court. Jeremiah
held himself out as a superior example of masculinity to those
on the other side of the argument. This is what a man looks
like, you fags, he said.
Gay-rights activists chanted back at him: We are all
Gods children.
You poor homosexuals, Jeremiah continued, you
dont know the difference between the digestive system and
the reproductive system . . . You think an orgasm is love. You
think ripping open the anus of another man is love.
The gay-rights activists formed a line that snaked
around Jeremiah, and they sang, softly: This little light of
mine, Im gonna let it shine.
Ive got good news for the homo, Jeremiah taunted.
You can be homo no mo.
Some of the gay-rights activists laughed at his play on
words. They surrounded him with rainbow flags and Human
Rights Campaign banners. They chanted love conquers
hate.
God bless you, one gay-rights demonstrator told him.
We love you, another said to him.
This is how gay men and lesbians won the battle for
gay marriage in American public opinion: not with
belligerence, but by peaceful example.
There were perhaps 3,000 people outside the court, on
both sides of First Street, and the minority of demonstrators
opposed to same-sex marriage provided many provocations,
from the God Hates Fags poster to a homemade sign that
spelled marraige wrong. But most of the gay marriage
supporters didnt take the bait. They answered with signs that
said Love Wins and Make Love Legal and Keep Calm
and Marry On. Their rainbow-hued action was more carnival
than demonstration. Several couples strolled about with signs
saying how long 28 years, 39 years they had been
together. A young girl carried a sign that said, 2 Moms + 3
Kids = 1 Happy Family.
Directly in front of the court, separated by about 20 feet,
was a podium for the same-sex marriage groups and one for
the traditional marriage groups. On the latter stage, influential
pastor Dan Cummins set the tone with his assertion that
whats at stake this week is whether the Supreme Court
removes the final benchmark of any civilized nation.
The same-sex marriage demonstrators often reacted
playfully. One woman approached another holding a sign
saying I was queer, then I found Jesus, and said: Jesus
had two dads, and he turned out great. Near Maryland
Avenue Northeast, where nine members of the infamous
Westboro Baptist Church were singing parody songs about
fags, a large man, wearing a tutu and carrying a purse,
danced along while a pair of lesbians sang the original words.
At the other end of the block, where Jeremiah was delivering
progressively more vulgar jeremiads about genitalia and
feces, a soft-spoken man approached and introduced himself
as a gay Christian.
Jeremiah thundered into the microphone: Theres no
such thing as a gay Christian! You are criminals against
God. Jeremiah informed the gay activists that they would
burn in hell when a fiery-eyed Jesus returns. The Supreme
Court will not deliver you on Judgment Day.
Here on earth, though, the judgment is turning against
such venom.
Twitter: @Milbank
Read more from Dana Milbanks archive, follow him on
Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook.
Could Supreme Court Take Gay Marriage Off

The Table In 2016?
By Linda Feldmann
In recent times, a conventional wisdom has begun to
take hold on same-sex marriage: that come June, the
Supreme Court may recognize a nationwide right to such
unions, and if it did, that would let Republican presidential
candidates off the hook.
The American publics support for gay marriage has
grown dramatically in recent years, and is now at around 60
percent. Approval by young voters, those age 18 to 29, is
closing in on 80 percent. Those numbers formed an arresting
context to the arguments Tuesday at the Supreme Court on
same-sex marriage.
Public opinion has rendered its verdict on the morality
of gay and lesbian relationships, writes Republican pollster
Whit Ayres in his new book 2016 and Beyond. The only
question is whether the Republican Party will acknowledge
and adapt to this new reality.
If the Supreme Court legalizes gay marriage nationally,
the Republican presidential field will probably splinter
though all within the context of opposing the decision.
Some candidates are likely to call the matter settled
law and try to change the subject. Think Sen. Marco Rubio of
Florida and likely candidate Jeb Bush, the former governor of
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Republicans Try To Have It Both Ways On Gay

Marriage
Florida. Both men seem to have their eye on general election

voters even as they focus on the primaries. In recent days,
Senator Rubio has said he would be willing to attend a gay
wedding, and that he believes gay people are born that way.
In January, when same-sex marriage became legal in
Florida, Mr. Bush said that we have to respect the rule of
law and called for respect on both sides of the issue.
But other Republicans making a more focused appeal
to social conservative voters candidates like Sen. Ted Cruz
of Texas would be expected to double down on their
opposition to same-sex marriage. Last week, Senator Cruz
filed two bills, including an amendment to the Constitution,
aimed at protecting states that still ban gay marriage.
Other likely candidates former Sen. Rick Santorum of
Pennsylvania, former Gov. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas, and
Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana are also firmly wooing
religious conservative on this issue. Last week, Governor
Jindal penned an op-ed in The New York Times with the
headline, Im Holding Firm Against Gay Marriage.
In the GOP primaries and caucuses, which begin early
next year, opposing gay marriage is the safe position. About
two-thirds of Republican voters oppose gay marriage. And in
states that hold caucuses, which favor the most diehard
political activists, strong social conservatism is the safe
position.
The challenge, then, will be for the eventual Republican
nominee to pivot toward a general electorate that is far more
accepting of gay marriage, without alienating social
conservatives. But Republicans also need to attract far more
young voters than they have in recent cycles and a bloc
that overwhelmingly supports gay marriage.
In the long run, a Supreme Court that legalizes gay
marriage nationwide takes Republicans off the hook, says
Democratic pollster Celinda Lake. But, she adds, there will
still be many other issues affecting the lesbian, gay, bisexual,
and transgender community that remain to be resolved, such
as workplace discrimination and transgender rights
regardless of what the Supreme Court does on gay marriage.
And of course, the high court may uphold the gay
marriage bans at issue in some states. The justices were
sharply split in Tuesdays arguments. Justice Anthony
Kennedy, considered the swing justice in the case, raised
questions about changing the definition of an institution,
marriage, that has been around for millennia. One possibility
is for the justices to keep the marriage bans in place but
require states to recognize gay marriages that take place outof-state, the other question before the court Tuesday.
If the Supreme Court comes in with anything less than
full recognition of same-sex marriage rights in June, the issue
will burn hot all the way to Election Day.
By Eli Stokols
Days before the Supreme Court heard oral arguments
Tuesday in a case that could make gay marriage the law of
the land, a number of Republican presidential candidates
spent the weekend in Iowa, assuring social conservatives that
they wont ever give up the fight.
Theres just one thing: Its getting harder to believe
them.
Sure, they all continue to publicly support traditional
marriage, and some will eagerly throw red meat to their
audiences about the assault on religious freedom, but, for all
but a few candidates, their personal commitment to that
position, long a pillar of conservative orthodoxy, is less and
less convincing.
Scott Walker told reporters hes attended the reception
for a gay couple after missing the wedding ceremony itself.
Marco Rubio said he would go to a gay wedding in a
heartbeat but believes marriage itself should remain between
a man and a woman. Jeb Bush said on Tuesday hes never
been to a gay wedding but that of course hed attend one if
invited.
Like Bill Clinton explaining in 1992 that he once smoked
marijuana but didnt inhale, Republicans are struggling with
one of 2015s first cultural litmus tests, not wanting to offend
social conservatives, a dominant force, especially in Iowa and
South Carolina, or to upset the GOPs donor class thats
increasingly pushing candidates to better align their position
with the nations broader, rapidly changing electorate.
That awkwardness youre seeing comes from the
collision of conviction and calculation, said John Weaver, a
Republican strategist who advised John McCains
presidential campaigns. Were seeing that all of these
candidates are uncomfortable when they have to answer
what seems like an easy question.
Look no further than Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who last
week told gay donors who hosted a fundraiser for his
campaign that hed love his daughter just as much if she
were a lesbian; as soon as that statement leaked, he
slammed the media for making too much of it and went right
back to railing against the cultural forces threatening
traditional marriage, asking his audience in Iowa to pray
about the Supreme Court case at hand.
I dont understand how he can say that to gay donors
in New York and then fly to Iowa and ask everyone to drop to
their knees and pray that the Supreme Court upholds
traditional marriage, Weaver said. It looked like he was
trying to have his wedding cake and eat it, too.
As Cruz and other traditional marriage hard-liners took
the stage in Iowa last weekend, Bush was eating lettuce
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wraps served by a drag queen before a number of reporters

and cameras at a restaurant on Miamis South Beach, a
mecca for gays.
The tableau served as a symbol of Bushs quiet
evolution on the issue. While he publicly maintains his
opposition to same-sex marriage, reaffirmed over the
weekend by a surrogate he sent to Iowa, Bush is sending
signals that he may be more accepting of marriage equality
the strongest signal, perhaps, coming when he referred to
the issue using that term favored by LGBT advocates than
hes able to let on.
His use of that term, marriage equality that was a
first for a Republican, said Gregory Angelo, executive
director of Log Cabin Republicans, a group of LGBT
Republicans. In general, it reflects a degree of far greater
shrewdness in how potential candidates are talking about this
issue as a whole. Youre not seeing the same stridency that
marked the opposition to marriage equality in 2012.
Carly Fiorina, who will announce her own run for
president next week, is the only Republican in the 2016 field
who fully supports marriage equality. But among the leading
candidates, Bush has been the most impressive to Angelo.
There is a respect, a sympathy and an understanding
that Jeb Bush has on this issue, Angelo said. We think its
terrific that hes hired a communications director who is
openly gay and stood by him.
Beyond Communications Director Tim Miller, who is
gay, Bushs inner circle of staffers have all expressed strong
support for marriage equality, including Mike Murphy, hired to
run his messaging shop, who wrote about the GOPs need to
evolve on policy following Mitt Romneys defeat in 2012.
The Republican challenge is not about better voterturnout software; it is about policy, Murphy wrote after the
2012 election. We repel younger voters, who are much more
secular than their parents, with our opposition to same-sex
marriage and our scolding tone on social issues.
Bushs spokeswoman has already disavowed a
statement he made as Floridas governor opposing special
designations and protections for a class of people who
engage in what he then termed sodomy.
Republicans changing their tone may simply be
following the money.
2012 was a race to the bottom with every candidate
trying to outdo the next in expressing their opposition to
same-sex marriage and LGBT freedom, said Margaret
Hoover, president of America Unity Fund, an organization
founded by billionaire hedge fund manager Paul Singer that
works for full freedom and equality for LGBT Americans, with
special focus on Republican leaders. The temperature has
really changed.
Singer has found support from other hedge fund
managers who have pooled their resources to defend
Republicans who back same-sex marriage from primary
148
challenges; and hes also made large contributions to another

bipartisan group, Freedom to Marry, looking to advance
marriage equality nationally and in the states.
Winning Singers personal support would only add to
Bushs war chest, already anticipated to surpass his rivals;
but his camp isnt the only one courting the conservative
billionaire, whos already met with all of the top candidates,
and other billionaire bundlers like Seth Klarman and Dan
Loeb, another hedge-funder known for asking any candidate
who enters his office where they stand on gay rights.
A few donors, speaking anonymously, said they believe
Bush is more supportive of marriage equality than hes letting
on, likely a shrewd calculation to appease the right given his
other vulnerabilities immigration reform and Common Core
with conservative primary voters.
Others arent so sure, citing Bushs quick defense last
month of Indiana Gov. Mike Pence and the controversial
religious freedom law he signed that many believe sanctioned
discrimination against gays; days later, as controversy drove
Pence and Indiana lawmakers to ratchet back the law, Bush
walked back his hearty endorsement, saying he thought the
embattled governor would be in the right place by the end of
the week.
In reality, hes sending mixed signals, one donor said
of Bush. It shows how tough its proving to be, trying to walk
this tightrope.
For his part, Walker didnt weigh in on the Indiana
controversy and his response to the court ruling allowing
same-sex marriages to begin in Wisconsin he expressed
his own support for traditional marriage but promised, in a
measured tone, to follow the law was recognized by one
LGBT advocate as a blueprint for other candidates.
At last weekends Iowa Freedom Summit, Sen. Rand
Paul made a statement with what he didnt say, eschewing
any mention of same-sex marriage, but rallying the crowd
with a strong stance against abortion.
Even Cruz, who vows to fight on if the Supreme Court
rules in favor of marriage equality in June, has moderated his
stance, shifting from advocating a constitutional amendment
defining marriage as between a man and a woman to one
that merely leaves the question to the states.
Aside from [Mike] Huckabee, [Rick] Santorum, and
maybe [Bobby] Jindal, none of the candidates really care
about this issue anymore and want it to go away as quickly as
possible, said a Republican staffer inside a major LGBTadvocacy organization who asked not to be identified.
Theyve seen the polling numbers and realize that this one is
a lost cause.
Recent polls show 59 percent of Americans support full
marriage equality, including 52 percent of Republicans under
50.
Rubio, whos defining himself as part of a new
generation of leadership, has also been sending mixed
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signals in an effort to avoid undermining his own fundamental

argument and his chances in Iowa.
He hired a deputy campaign manager, Rich Beeson,
who is among 300 prominent Republicans who signed an
amicus brief in support of gay marriage filed to the Supreme
Court; Rubio has been meeting regularly with the Log Cabin
Republicans and even acknowledged in a recent network TV
interview that homosexuality isnt a choice but something
people are born with. In another interview that same
weekend with the Christian Broadcasting Network, he spoke
to a far different audience in far different terms.
You would have to really have a ridiculous and absurd
reading of the U.S. Constitution to reach the conclusion that
people have a right to marry someone of the same sex,
Rubio said.
However varied and conflicting these public statements
are, the dissonance shown by Republicans mirrors that of
Democrats just one presidential election cycle ago. If Hillary
Clintons campaign wants to trumpet her full-throated support
of marriage equality in 2016, Republicans will be happy to
point out that her newfound conviction on the issue, finally
aligning herself with broad public opinion, is no profile in
courage.
It does seem a bit odd that Republicans are being
criticized for expressing the same views that every
Democratic presidential candidate said was their deep moral
conviction in 2008, said Stuart Stevens, a strategist for
Romney in 2012.
Hillary Clinton followed Rob Portman, Barack Obama
followed Joe Biden, said Stevens. [I] couldnt begin to
assume what they truly believe.
Well, in the Bob Jones case, the Court held that a

college was not entitled to tax-exempt status if it opposed
interracial marriage or interracial dating, Alito said. So would
the same apply to a university or college if it opposed samesex marriage?
Verrilli was forced to admit that it is possible.
You know, I I dont think I can answer that question
without knowing more specifics, but its certainly going to be
an issue, Verrilli said. I I dont deny that. I dont deny that,
Justice Alito. It is it is going to be an issue.
Churches Brace For Same-Sex Marriage

Ruling
Religious groups that oppose gay unions reemphasize teachings, fine-tune their message
By Tamara Audi
Obama Administration Names 2nd Group Of

Promise Zones
By Darlene Superville
WASHINGTON (AP) The Obama administration on
Tuesday announced its second round of Promise Zones,
singling out eight economically struggling communities for
special government attention as they work together to reduce
poverty and crime, increase economic and educational
opportunities and attract private investment.
The six cities, one rural area and one tribal community
named by Housing Secretary Julian Castro and Agriculture
Secretary Tom Vilsack are:
-Camden, New Jersey
-Hartford, Connecticut
-Indianapolis
-Minneapolis
-Sacramento, California
-St. Louis and St. Louis County, Missouri
-Pine Ridge Indian Reservation of the Oglala Sioux
Tribe, South Dakota
-South Carolina Low Country
From my time as mayor to my tenure as secretary, Ive
seen firsthand how a Promise Zone designation can spark
progress and possibilities in underserved neighborhoods,
Castro said. A ZIP code should never limit the hopes that
folks have for themselves or for their children.
San Antonio, the city Castro led as mayor before he
joined Obama administration, was among the first five
Promise Zones that Obama announced last year.
Seven zones are still to be named, for a total of 20 over
a three-year period.
Obamas Solicitor General Admits Religious

Colleges Could Lose Tax-Exempt Status For
Opposing Same-Sex Marriage
By Chuck Ross
Daily Caller, April 28, 2015
Religious colleges and universities could lose their taxexempt status for opposing same-sex marriage if the
Supreme Court rules that it is a constitutional right, the Court
heard Tuesday.
U.S. Solicitor General Ronald Verrilli made that
surprising admission during a line of questioning during his
presentation of the federal governments case in Obergefell v.
Hodges. The case tests whether states are obligated by the
14th amendment to recognize same-sex marriages.
Following up on a question from Chief Justice John
Roberts, Justice Samuel Alito asked whether the Courts past
decision to require religious institutions to support interracial
relationships and marriages would also apply to the issue of
same-sex marriage.
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Besides San Antonio, Philadelphia, Los Angeles,

southeastern Kentucky and the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
were among the first five zones named.
Under the program, communities designated as zones
receive preferential treatment when applying for federal
grants, benefit from more coordinated government assistance
and would be singled out for possible congressionally
approved tax incentives.
The federal government and local leaders in these
communities work together to increase economic activity and
educational opportunities, attract private investment, reduce
violent crime, improve public health and address any other
priorities that the communities identify.
of Use.
redistributed.
climate change and be a reversal of todays clean energy

economy. The NRDC was among the groups on the USA
Today ad.
This is a fundamentally dangerous course to set that
would require ignoring or contradicting ... stated U.S. energy
policy, our international climate commitments, and the
promise of the clean energy economy and if embraced would
rock our planet to its core by catastrophic, avoidable climate
disruption, Matzner wrote.
Judge Sets Deadline For Deadline To Release

Hillary Clinton Emails
By S.A. Miller
The State Department has about three weeks to
propose a date by which it will release tens of thousands of
work-related emails former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
sent or received on her personal account, a federal judge
said in an order issued Tuesday.
Clintons former agency has pledged to use Freedom of
Information Act procedures to process for release about
55,000 pages of emails the former secretary turned over in
December after a State Department official asked four former
secretaries to return copies of any official records they had.
Clinton has since declared her candidacy for the Democratic
presidential nomination
State officials have said the email review process would
take several months, except for one batch of Benghazi- and
Libya-related messages slated to be released sooner.
However, State has so far declined to promise any specific
date or even month for release of the smaller or larger batch
of emails.
That decision may not be completely up to the agency,
since various Freedom of Information Act lawsuits are
pending for some or all of the Clinton emails.
U.S. District Court Judge Rudolph Contreras issued his
order Tuesday in one such suit, filed in January by Vice News
reporter Jason Leopold. That suit sought all of Clintons
emails for her four years as secretary, as well as emails for
many of her closest staffers.
At or before the May 19 status hearing, Defendant
shall provide a proposed schedule of production for Secretary
Clintons e-mails, wrote contreras, an appointee of President
Barack Obama. The judges written order (posted here)
formalized a verbal order he gave at a hearing earlier this
month.
A State Department spokesman declined to comment,
citing a policy of not issuing statements on pending litgation.
Justice Department lawyers contend that Leopolds
request is too onerous. Contrerass order instructs the two
sides to confer again about narrowing the request.
SEC Is Set To Propose New Rules On

Executive Compensation
Proposal makes it easier for investors to determine

whether pay aligns with a firms financial results
By Andrew Ackerman And Joann S. Lublin
Green Groups Push Obama On Arctic Drilling
By Devin Henry
More than a dozen conservation and environmental
groups are pushing President Obama to prevent oil drilling in
the Arctic Ocean.
The groups took out an advertisement in USA Today on
Tuesday saying drilling in the Arctic is not worth the risk of
negatively affecting the climate or creating an oil spill in the
ocean.
The ad comes as Shell looks to begin drilling in the
Arctic Ocean off the northern coast of Alaska.
Environmental groups asked the Securities and
Exchange Commission this week to investigate whether Shell
has done enough to explain the risks associated with drilling
there.
Earlier this year, the Interior Department announced a
plan to allow drilling in three areas off the coast of Alaska
while banning it elsewhere. Republicans have said the plan is
too restrictive and called for expanded drilling.
In a blog post, National Resources Defense Councils
Beyond Oil director Franz Matzner wrote that drilling in the
Arctic would essentially assume a total failure to address
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A federal appeals court panel considering a separate

FOIA suit issued an opinion last week (posted here)
reminding the State Department it has a legal duty to fulfill
FOIA requests for the Clinton emails in the shortest amount
of time.
Read more about: Hillary Clinton, State Department,
2016 Elections, 2016 Presidential Campaign, Emails
GOP Has Few Options To Get Clinton Emails

Short Of Arresting Her
By Anita Kumar And William Douglas

WASHINGTON If Republican lawmakers really want
to read Hillary Clintons missing emails, they have a long way
to go to get their hands on them.
Congressional power only goes so far. The Republicancontrolled House of Representatives could vote to sue the
former secretary of state to force her to turn over the emails
or her computer server. But legal experts say that could take
years, well after the 2016 presidential race is over. And the
other options throwing her in a Capitol jail cell or getting the
Justice Department to prosecute her appear unlikely.
Their ability to get things enforced is virtually zero,
said Stanley Brand, a Washington lawyer who served as
general counsel to the House. They dont have any attractive
options.
The House Select Committee on Benghazi subpoenaed
the emails while asking that Clinton voluntarily turn over her
personal email server to a neutral, detached and
independent third party. Clintons attorney told the committee
she gave work emails to the State Department, then
permanently deleted all emails from the server and refused to
turn over the server to Congress.
Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., said recently that the
committee cant subpoena the server, but that most experts
believe the full House could. The decision on how to proceed,
he said, is up to House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio.
We asked that that server be turned over to the
inspector general, a neutral detached independent third
party, Gowdy told Fox News. And they rejected that offer.
So, whether or not the speaker is going to decide to amp up
that request will be up to him.
The resolution that created the committee in May 2014
says the panel can authorize and issue subpoenas, including
the production of such books, records, correspondence,
memoranda, papers and documents as it considers
necessary. But it may not have the power to subpoena
items, including a computer server.
Boehners office declined to comment for this story but
told others last week he was considering whether to
subpoena the server.
151
If Clinton still doesnt turn over the emails or the server,

legal experts say the House has few options beyond suing
her.
Thats what it did in two recent cases.
The Democratic-controlled House voted to hold Harriet
Miers, counsel to President George W. Bush, in contempt in
2008 after she failed to appear and produce documents
relating to the firings of nine federal prosecutors. The case
was eventually settled, with Miers agreeing to testify in
transcribed interviews under the penalty of perjury but without
the public present while lawmakers received long sought-after
documents.
The Republican-controlled House voted to hold
Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt in 2012 over his
failure to respond to a subpoena for documents relating to the
Justice Departments response to the botched Fast and
Furious gunrunning operation. That case is still pending.
Charles Tiefer, a professor at the University of
Baltimore School of Law who served as solicitor and deputy
general counsel of the House, said a lawsuit involving Clinton
would be complicated by the fact that the committee never
actually subpoenaed the server.
It wasnt a meaningful subpoena, he said. Theres no
precedent in history for a subpoena to tell someone to turn
something over to a third party.
The only other options the House has available: Order
the sergeant at arms to arrest Clinton and put her in the
Capitol jail, an action that hasnt been used in more than a
century, or ask the U.S. attorney to prosecute her, though
federal prosecutors have often declined to pursue such
cases.
In recent weeks, a federal prosecutor declined to
charge former Internal Revenue Service official Lois Lerner
on contempt after determining she did not do anything wrong
when she refused to testify about the IRS possibly targeting
of conservative nonprofit groups.
Democratic lawmakers have blasted all the requests as
partisan attacks. The committees investigation, they say, is
on track to last longer than inquiries of Iran-Contra, the John
F. Kennedy assassination, Watergate or the Sept. 11, 2001,
terrorist attacks.
Unfortunately, it appears that the Select Committee on
Benghazi has now become a taxpayer-funded effort to
damage Hillary Clintons campaign for president, said Rep.
Elijah Cummings of Maryland, the top Democrat on the
committee.
After Clinton declined to turn over anything further to
the committee, the panel formally asked her to appear before
lawmakers for a private interview by May 1. Her office said
she would appear before them publicly.
Secretary Clinton already told the committee months
ago that she was ready to appear at a public hearing,
spokesman Nick Merrill said. It is by their choice that hasnt
OPS054000286
happened. To be clear, she remains ready to appear at a

hearing open to the American public.
Gowdy last week asked her to appear for two public
hearings instead of a private one. He plans to schedule the
first hearing the week of May 18.
In Los Angeles, a Clinton fundraising dinner will be held

by Cheryl and Haim Saban, an entertainment mogul who
created the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. The billionaire
couple, through their family foundation, donated between $10
million and $25 million to the Clinton Foundation, making the
couple among the philanthropys biggest benefactors. Haim
Saban frequently invites the former first lady to his annual
foreign policy meetings in Washington.
Casey Wasserman, a sports and entertainment
executive, is a co-host of the Los Angeles dinner.
Wasserman is the president and CEO of the Wasserman
Foundation, which has donated between $5 million and $10
million to Clintons foundation. He is the grandson of the late
Hollywood studio chief Lew Wasserman, who received the
Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Bill Clinton in
1995.
For now, the Clinton campaign has set a modest goal of
$100 million for the primary and is only accepting donations
of $2,700, the maximum an individual donor can contribute
during the primary season. The initial fundraisers are part of
the campaigns Hilstarters program, which seeks donors
who can raise 10 maximum-donation checks each. Those
who meet the goal will be invited to a finance leadership
summit with Clinton on May 14 in New York.
Other than during her four years at the State
Department, Clinton has taken little break from fundraising
over the past three decades, raising hundreds of millions of
dollars for her husbands two presidential campaigns, her
Senate races and her first White House bid. After leaving her
post as secretary of state in 2013, Clinton quickly moved into
raising money for the foundations endowment, in many
cases scheduling small events with donors to the charity in
the same cities as her paid speaking engagements.
--Follow Ken Thomas https://twitter.com/kthomasdc and
Lisa Lerer on Twitter: https://twitter.com/llerer
of Use.
redistributed.
Clinton Fundraisers Show Scope Of Family

Network
By Ken Thomas And Lisa Lerer

WASHINGTON (AP) Hillary Rodham Clinton is
tapping some of the biggest donors to her familys
philanthropy for her presidential campaign, even as the
charity is under scrutiny over its own fundraising practices.
Starting what could be a $1 billion-plus fundraising
effort, Clinton began raising money for her presidential bid
Tuesday in New York, the state she represented in the
Senate. The hosts connections with the Clinton Foundation
show how intertwined the charity is with Clintons political
career. Even her campaign finance director, Dennis Cheng,
had a leading fundraiser role at the foundation before
departing for the campaign.
The former secretary of state has faced persistent
questions about the foundations acceptance of donations
from foreign countries and its corporate ties in recent weeks.
And as she starts holding fundraisers this week, plenty
of overlap can be seen between long-term political donors
and foundation funders.
In New York, Clintons first event was at the home of
fashion designer Lisa Perry, a longtime Democratic donor to
Hillary Clintons campaigns, and husband Richard C. Perry. A
hedge fund executive, Richard Perry has donated between
$250,000 and $500,000 to the Clinton Foundation, according
to the foundations voluntary disclosures, and supported
Hillary Clintons Senate and presidential bids.
A second event is co-hosted by Alan Patricof, the
finance chairman for Clintons Senate campaigns. He and his
wife donated between $100,000 and $250,000 to the
foundation.
One of Clintons fundraisers in Washington on
Thursday will be at the Georgetown home of Elizabeth
Frawley Bagley, a longtime Clinton friend who served as
ambassador to Portugal. Bagley and her husband, Smith,
have donated between $1 million to $5 million to the
foundation.
Next week, Clinton will raise money in San Francisco
alongside Susie Tompkins Buell, co-founder of the Esprit
clothing line and a top donor to Ready for Hillary, the super
PAC that helped lay the groundwork for a Clinton campaign.
Buells family charity has donated between $5 million and $10
million to Clintons foundation, records show.
Hillary Clinton 2016: Keystone Foe Tom Steyer

To Host Fundraiser
By Elana Schor
Hillary Clintons silence on the Keystone XL pipeline
wont stop her from visiting billionaire environmentalist Tom
Steyer next week for a fundraiser that suggests the
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controversial oil artery may be no obstacle in her courtship of

greens.
The May 6 fundraiser at the home of Steyer and his
wife, Kat Taylor, is billed as an afternoon Conversation With
Hillary, and it comes as the former hedge fund manager
winds down climate policy work at his nonprofit with a busy
2016 campaign season ahead.
Steyer suggested in September that Clinton could
benefit from a left-leaning primary challenger, but his
NextGen Climate super PAC welcomed her into the
presidential race on Twitter earlier this month.
Yet it may be a mistake to read any anti-Keystone
message in Steyers hosting a gig for Clinton. The former
secretary of State has underscored repeatedly that she would
not weigh in on the $8 billion pipeline before President Barack
Obama makes his final call.
And, indeed, the man she hopes to succeed also has
stopped by Steyers San Francisco home to raise funds while
keeping his intentions on Keystone an enduring mystery.
Clintons fundraiser with Steyer will be followed on May
7 by an appearance at the home of longtime friend and
vocal Keystone opponent Susie Tompkins Buell, cofounder of the Esprit clothing company.
Thats where we see an opening to talk about the future in a

convincing way.
But the narratives that the Republicans are beginning to
tell about Clinton are also divergent in message and
emphasis, in biography and presentation forcing the party
to pick just one course from a menu of possibilities. Across
the GOP, from campaign masterminds to grass-roots
activists, there is growing debate about which candidate
could be Clintons sharpest foil.
Some guys will take a sledgehammer towards her;
others will use a stiletto, said David Carney, a veteran
Republican consultant. There will be lots of strategies in the
back alleys as they figure out how to do it.
Republicans near-uniformity on key issues has
intensified the competition to be viewed as the one best
poised to beat Clinton, in which their personal backgrounds
and political presentations are important differentiating
factors.
Republicans also feel an urgency to start defining
Clinton in a negative light before her candidacy is fully
formed. Clinton is only now reemerging from a political winter
since her 2008 campaign.
Her GOP foes have amped up their rhetoric; this month
in New Hampshire, they tested one attack line after another.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who has been perhaps the most
combative anti-Clinton voice, quipped that she would need
two campaign planes one for her and her entourage and
one for her baggage.
Clinton has noticed. The Republicans seem to be
talking only about me, she recently said with a smile. I dont
know what theyd talk about if I wasnt in the race.
Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) argues that the GOPs
Clinton fixation will hurt them. If they spend all their time
attacking Hillary, its great news for us, he said. Let her lay
her agenda out there. I cant tell you today where one
Republican stands on an issue, but I know the little joke lines
they use on Hillary. That is a missed opportunity for them.
In subtle ways, each GOP hopeful is trying to use his or
her own attributes to build a unique case against Clinton.
Rubio (R-Fla.) has presented the most vivid contrast,
making his generational differences with Clinton a
centerpiece of his nascent campaign. Announcing his
candidacy in Miami this month alongside his wife and four
children, he defined the coming election as a generational
choice about the kind of country we will be.
Rubio who at 43 is young enough to be Clintons son
called the 67-year-old Democrat a leader from yesterday .
. . promising to take us back to yesterday. He talks casually
about his affinity for football and rap music (he counts the
rapper Pitbull as a friend), signaling to young people that he is
not their fathers country-club Republican.
[Marco Rubio: A man in a hurry]
Republicans Chart Divergent Paths To Take

On Hillary Clinton
By Philip Rucker And Robert Costa

For Marco Rubio, his contrast with Hillary Rodham
Clinton is generational. Shes so yesterday, the youthful
Florida senator says, while Im a leader for the future.
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker roots his comparison with
the Democratic presidential front-runner in class and
background, arguing that he is an everyman outsider and that
Clinton is a lifelong Washington insider.
And Jeb Bush sees a winning pitch in holding up his
concrete accomplishments as Florida governor against
Clintons less tangible record and casting himself as
accessible and her as secretive.
Clintons official entrance into the 2016 presidential race
and her dominance in early polls has crystallized the
challenge for the nearly two dozen Republicans hoping to
take her on: How to beat her?
The contenders and their advisers agree on an
overarching objective to portray Clinton as a tired
throwback to an earlier era, a liberal artifact who has been
around too long, whose ideas are outdated and whose
political baggage is heavy.
Whatever you associate with Hillary Clinton, whether
its Bill Clinton or Barack Obama, its the past, said Sean
Spicer, the Republican National Committees chief strategist.
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Walker (R-Wis.) is emphasizing his Midwestern,

devoutly Christian upbringing and relatable suburban lifestyle.
He often mentions his coupon-aided purchases at Kohls and
Jos. A. Bank and his hobby of riding Harley-Davidson
motorcycles. On the stump, Walker, 47, derides Clinton as a
fixture of the East Coast political elite. I doubt the
presumptive nominee for the other party has ever been to
Kohls, Walker joked this month.
Some conservatives say the easiest approach is to go
back to the well by questioning the character of Clinton and
her husband.
Character is everything and gets at the deeper
reservations out there, said R. Emmett Tyrrell Jr., editor of
the American Spectator, a conservative monthly magazine
that has long clashed with the Clintons. Rand Paul is making
a proper issue of it and Jeb Bush should, too. Remind
people about the dignity his family has shown in the White
House.
Polling suggests character is a potential vulnerability. A
Quinnipiac University survey of registered voters last week
found that 54 percent do not view Hillary Clinton as honest or
trustworthy though a larger majority, 62 percent, said she
has strong leadership qualities.
There are other contrasts, too. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.)
is making ideological overtures, portraying Clinton as a
paragon of liberal orthodoxy dating to Lyndon B. Johnsons
War on Poverty and pledging to scale back social programs
and eviscerate the federal bureaucracy.
Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee is playing
up his personal and political past with the Clintons. He
recently boasted that he was the only Republican contender
who has run against the Clinton political machine and
defeated it by being elected that states governor in 1998 a
point he plans to underscore by launching his campaign May
5 from Hope, Ark., the birth place to both him and Bill Clinton.
Who can effectively attack Hillary Clinton without
coming across as a jerk? asked Hogan Gidley, a Huckabee
adviser. Mike Huckabee has that ability; he has that
winsomeness.
Further afield is a galaxy of conservative stars who are
attacking Clinton to generate attention for their long-shot bids.
Businesswoman Carly Fiorina has won notice for brashly
belittling Clintons tenure as secretary of state.
For Bush , the contrast with Clinton is less visceral.
Both are personally wealthy, heirs to political dynasties and
favorites of their respective party establishments. So Bush is
trying to portray Clinton as an imperial politician with a thin
governing record. His advisers say he hopes to undercut
Clintons argument that she has the know-how to make
Washington work better by showing that he had more
palpable achievements as governor.
Bush also plans to field questions from voters and
reporters at every turn, hoping that his openness will draw
attention to Clintons more tightly controlled manner. He

indicated this approach with one of the first moves of his
presidential exploration.
Jeb started it in December when he announced he was
going to release his e-mails, said Scott Reed, a longtime
GOP operative. That was the first strategic move to hot-box
Hillary.
One challenge for Republicans is that Clinton is a
tougher target than she was in her polarizing early years on
the national stage. As first lady in the 1990s, she was a
partisan warrior, leading an unsuccessful fight for universal
health care and sparring with the vast right-wing conspiracy,
as she put it. But following a tour as secretary of state that
softened those edges, she is campaigning as a worldly and
wise grandmother.
Another hurdle is the historic nature of Clintons
candidacy. Her bid to become the first female president is
likely to stir enthusiasm among female voters in particular.
Republicans are struggling to criticize Clintons qualifications
without seeming to dismiss the potential of a woman in the
Oval Office.
Republican pollster Kellyanne Conway, who has been
conducting focus groups of independent women in swing
states, said there is a gender tug. The imperative, she said,
is to separate Clinton from her possible place in the history
books.
Intelligent, strong, thoughtful, confident thats
what you hear from a fair number of ticket-splitting women,
Conway said. But then you also hear, calculating,
conniving, yesterdays news. Republicans need to ask not,
Do you want a woman to be president? but, Do you want
that woman?
The distinctions among Republicans reflect the roiling
intraparty debate about how best to build a winning coalition
after two straight presidential election losses and about who
could lead it. In past cycles, Republicans have turned to their
eminences George H.W. Bush in 1988, Bob Dole in 1996,
John McCain in 2008 but this time, there is no candidate
who could claim to be the next in line.
Whenever you have elections about generational
change, its frequently been the Democrats doing so an
older Republican versus a younger Democrat, former
Mississippi governor Haley Barbour said.
Consider 1992, when Bill Clinton, a 46-year-old baby
boomer with a common touch, swept the first President Bush
out of the White House. In The War Room, a documentary
chronicling Clintons campaign, adviser James Carville
sneered of Bush: He reeks of yesterday. He has the stench
of yesterday. He is so yesterday, if I think of yesterday, if I
think of an old calendar, I think of George Bushs face on it.
Now, as Bill Clintons wife tries to return to the White
House, the parties roles are reversed.
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We have a huge field, and its all about the future, said
Reed, the Republican strategist. Whoever can capture that is
well on their way to being the nominee.
155
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From:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Subject:
Date:
Attachments:
DRAFT - (U//FOUO) NOC Note (Update): Civil Disturbance - Baltimore, MD (NOC 0413-15)
image001.jpg
DRAFTwhen would you like to release?

Update: On 28 Apr 2015, a mandatory curfew went into effect from 2200 0500 EDT. The curfew is expected to remain in
effect for the next seven days. In response to the declared State of Emergency, 2,000 National Guardsman are on State
Active Duty supporting the Baltimore Police. In addition, over 1,000 law enforcement officers from the Maryland State Police
and surrounding jurisdictions are deployed across the city. Baltimore Public Schools will re-open today. The Maryland State
EOC remains at Partial Activation with a FEMA Region III Liaison. There have been no requests for Federal assistance.
Several peaceful demonstrations, including a march to City Hall, occurred prior to the curfew. City officials report few isolated
incidents of violence as the curfew took effect, but no major incidents during the overnight period. The Baltimore Police
characterize the city as stable.
Update (1919 EDT, Mon, 27 Apr 2015): The Governor of Maryland, at the request of the Mayor of Baltimore City, has signed
an Executive Order declaring a State of Emergency. The Governor has called the Maryland National Guard into action and
State service.
Update (1846 EDT, Mon, 27 Apr 2015): The Governor of Maryland has dispatched the Maryland State Police in a supporting
role on the ground, as well as other resources and equipment from various state agencies. The Governor has put the
Maryland National Guard on alert.
Update (1814 EDT, Mon, 27 Apr 2015): The violent activity continues in northwest Baltimore with the destruction of vehicles
and looting of businesses.
played.
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FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY

Component Highlights
As of 3:00 a.m. EDT, Wednesday, April 29, 2015
NRCC: Not activated; NWC: Watch/Steady State
Significant Events:
Civil Unrest Baltimore, MD (FINAL)
Riots and unrest continue in Baltimore, MD
2,000 SAD National Guardsmen and 1,000 extra LE officers supporting Maryland State Police
144 vehicle and 19 structure fires reported
Field Health Services conducted 389 patient transports
Baltimore public schools will be open today
Oriels baseball game will be played today; closed to the public
Citywide Curfew remains in effect
MD EOC activated to Level II (Partial Activation)
Governor of MD declared a State of Emergency on April 27
FEMA Region III LNO deployed to MD EOC
No requests for FEMA assistance
Significant Weather:
Rain and thunderstorms Southeast
Rain/Snow Northern Intermountain into Northern Rockies
Rain Pacific Northwest, Southern Rockies, Tennessee and Ohio Valleys
Red Flag Warnings none
Elevated Fire Weather none
Space Weather no space weather storms were observed for the past 24 hours; no space weather storms
are predicted for the next 24 hours
Tropical Activity: No activity affecting U.S. territories or interests
Earthquake Activity:
Domestic: No significant activity affecting US territories or interests
International: M7.8 Nepal- Update from April 27 (FINAL)
Occurred April 25, 48 miles NW of Kathmandu, Nepal at a depth of 9.3 miles
Nepal Government reports 4,682 (+867) fatalities, and 9,240 (+2,240) injuries and extensive damage
An estimated over 8 million people impacted; 1.4 million requiring food/shelter assistance
Six aftershocks over magnitude 4.0 reported in past 24 hours
Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) including US&R VA-TFI (USA-1) arrived April 28
CA-TF2 (USA-2) scheduled to arrive today
Next of kin notifications were made for the four American citizens who were at Everest Base Camp
The airport is operational and running at capacity
International assistance is being coordinated from multiple countries
Declaration Activity:
Major Disaster Declaration Request Kentucky
Governor requested a major disaster declaration as a result of severe winter storm, flooding, landslides,
and mudslides during the period of Mar 3- 9, 2015
Specifically requesting Public Assistance for 68 counties; Hazard Mitigation for the entire commonwealth
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INCIDENT DETAILS (UPDATE #3): (1951)

Protestors have departed 7th and H Street, NW and are now walking westbound on G Street from 10th Street,
NW; expect rolling road closures.
MPD is advising for commuters to use New York Ave, Massachusetts Ave, 10th & 5th Street, NW, as alternate
routes.
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Social media reports the protestors are a part of the DC Ferguson Rally in Support of Freddie Gray.
INCIDENT DETAILS: (1919)
Metro Police (MPD) reports a large group of protestors are blocking the intersection of 7th and H Street, NW.
Police is on the scene; avoid the area.
SOURCE OF INFORMATION: MPD / Social Media

SIGNIFICANCE: Awareness
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routes.
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MPD reports protestors have now gathered at Lafayette Park and are standing in front of the White House.
The protestors (approx. 100 200) have departed the Wilson Bldg. and are walking westbound on H Street
from New York Ave, NW.
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MPD reports protestors have now gathered at the John A. Wilson Building located at 1350 Pennsylvania Ave,
NW; the Wilson Bldg. houses the Executive Office of the Mayor and Council of District of Columbia.

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routes.
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The protestors have departed Lafayette Park and are now walking NB on 16 h Street, NW.
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routes.
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routes.
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routes.
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routes.
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routes.
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From:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Subject:
Date:
NCR Watch Desk SPOT Report #004-20150429 (DC) Demonstration Anticipated Protest Gallery Place Metro Stop
DATE/TIME: April 29, 2015 1815 EDT

TYPE OF INCIDENT: Demonstration
INCIDENT DETAILS: Social media and open source media reports that various local
groups are planning a demonstration at 1900 tonight at the Gallery Place/China Town
Metro stop in support and to show solidarity with Baltimore City demonstrators. Protestors
plan to rally at the Metro stop and march to the White House. Numbers of protestors are
unknown at this time- but may be significant. Commuters are advised to avoid the area.
SOURCE OF INFORMATION: Social Media
ACTIONS/FOLLOW-UP: Additional information will be passed when available.
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Watch Analyst/NCR Watch Desk

Office of National Capital Region Coordination
FEMA
Phone (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
OPS054000336
From:
Subject:
Date:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
; DiFalco, Frank; Gramlick, Carl; (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)



Executive Summary
0600 EDT 29 April 2015
Civil Disturbance - Baltimore, MD. The mandatory curfew from 2200 0500 EDT
went into effect on 28 Apr. Several peaceful demonstrations, including a march to
City Hall, occurred prior to the curfew. City officials report few isolated incidents of
violence as the curfew took effect, but no major incidents during the overnight
period. The Baltimore Police characterize the city as stable.
NOC Note (0445 EDT 29 Apr) Civil Disturbance Baltimore, MD (0413-15)
NOC Note (1646 EDT 28 Apr) Service Weapon Discharge Detroit, MI (0414-15)
None
AWARENESS (0500 EDT 25 Apr) M7.8 Earthquake - Kathmandu, Nepal (0405-15) On 25 April
at 0211 EDT, a M7.8 earthquake struck 48 miles northwest of Kathmandu, Nepal (pop.
1,003,285) at a depth of 9.3 miles. UPDATE (0310 EDT 29 Apr) As of 1630 EDT 28 Apr, the
Government of Nepal reports 4,682 (+867) fatalities and 9,240 (+2,194) injuries, including
four (n/c) U.S. citizens. Three of the four deceased are in U.S. Embassy custody; the fourth is
enroute to the embassy. The Swiss Embassy reports additional fatalities on Mount Everest.
Open sources report a landslide struck the village of Ghodatabela, Nepal, located north of
Kathmandu; approximately 250 people are missing. The Department of State reports more
than 100 U.S. citizens and 58 third-country nationals are being housed at the American Club,
where the U.S. Embassy set up emergency services. Embassy Kathmandu reports the
number of U.S. citizens requiring shelter is declining. At current rates of consumption,
OPS054000337
Embassy Kathmandu has sufficient Meals Ready-to-Eat to last eight days. Food procured on
the local economy is expected to last an additional two to three weeks. Embassy water wells
are able to meet current requirements and the Embassy has sufficient fuel to last 31 days.
USAID/OFDA Disaster Assistance Response Team personnel, including two teams (134 pax
and 12 canine teams) of urban search-and-rescue specialists from CA and VA have arrived.
Commercial flights continued to arrive and depart from Nepals international airport in
Kathmandu, but many have been delayed or rerouted to allow for relief and evacuation
flights
Incident Monitoring

UPDATE (0445 EDT 29 Apr). The mandatory curfew from 2200 0500 EDT went
into effect on 28 Apr. The curfew is expected to remain in effect for the next seven
days. In response to the declared State of Emergency, 2,000 National Guardsman
are on State Active Duty supporting the Baltimore Police. In addition, over 1,000
law enforcement officers from the Maryland State Police and surrounding
jurisdictions are deployed across the city. Baltimore Public Schools will re-open on
29 Apr. The Maryland State EOC remains at Partial Activation with a FEMA R3
Liaison. Several peaceful demonstrations, including a march to City Hall, occurred
prior to the curfew. City officials report few isolated incidents of violence as the
curfew took effect, but no major incidents during the overnight period. The
Baltimore Police characterize the city as stable.
Closed Incidents
CLOSED - MONITORED (1646 EDT 28 Apr) Service Weapon Discharge - Detroit,

MI (0414-15) On 27 Apr, an ICE ERO, serving an arrest warrant on a subject wanted for
armed robbery and weapons charges, discharged his service weapon resulting in the death
of the 20-year-old subject. Incident occurred in the northwest area of Detroit, MI. This
incident was reported in the 28 Apr DHS Press Clips.
OPS054000338
None
Principal Locations
POTUS: NCR (RON)
VPOTUS: NCR > Wilmington, DE (RON)
S1: NCR (RON) Brief: Book Only
Seven-Day Outlook
29 Apr 0900 EDT: NOC Tour - Mr. Raheem Murad, HHS Branch Chief
30 Apr 1230 EDT: NOC Tour - NORTHCOM J35 Staff (2) (b) (6), (b) (7)(C) )
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

R/
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Duty Director
NDD Desk: 202-447-4407
NOC watch (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
WARNING This document is FOR OFFICIAL USE O L (FOUO) it contains information that may be exempt from public release under the Freedom of
DHS official.
OPS054000339
From:
Subject:
Date:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
; DiFalco, Frank; (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)



1400 EDT 29 April 2015
Civil Disturbance - Baltimore, MD. City officials reported a few (isolated) incidents last
night, but no major incidents took place. Baltimore Police characterized the city as
stable.
None
None
AWARENESS (0500 EDT 25 Apr) M7.8 Earthquake - Kathmandu, Nepal (0405-15)

On 25 April at 0211 EDT, a M7.8 earthquake struck 48 miles northwest of Kathmandu,
Nepal (pop. 1,003,285) at a depth of 9.3 miles. UPDATE (0310 EDT 29 Apr) As of 1630
EDT 28 Apr, the Government of Nepal reported 4,682 (+867) fatalities and 9,240
(+2,194) injuries. Four (n/c) U.S. citizens are confirmed killed (three remains are in U.S.
Embassy custody; the fourth is enroute to the embassy). The Swiss Embassy reports an
unknown number of additional fatalities, possibly including some U.S. citizens, are still
on Mount Everest. DOS reports more than 100 U.S. citizens and 58 third-country
nationals are being housed at the American Club, where the U.S. Embassy set up
emergency services. Embassy Kathmandu reports the number of U.S. citizens requiring
shelter is declining. At current rates of consumption, Embassy Kathmandu has sufficient
Meals Ready-to-Eat to last eight days. Food procured on the local economy is expected to
OPS054000340
last an additional two to three weeks. Embassy water wells are able to meet current
requirements and the Embassy has sufficient fuel to last 31 days. UPDATE (0946 EDT
29 Apr) U.S. assistance includes: 1) $10 million in USAID disaster assistance
funding, 2) Two USAID/OFDA Disaster Assistance Response Teams, consisting of
128 Urban Search and Rescue Specialists and 12 Canine Search Teams (now incountry), 3) Two U.S. Army Green Beret Teams (diverted from previously-scheduled
in-country training to support mountain search and rescue efforts), 4) USAIDsupplied plastic sheeting, tools, rope, and medical supplies, and 4) a DOD Joint
Humanitarian Assessment Support Team (scheduled to arrive 30 Apr).
Incident Monitoring

UPDATE (0445 EDT 29 Apr). The mandatory curfew (2200 0500 EDT) remains in
effect through 5 May. 2,000 National Guardsman and over 1,000 law enforcement
officers from the Maryland State Police and surrounding jurisdictions are supporting the
Baltimore Police. Baltimore Public Schools re-opened today. The Maryland State EOC
remains at Partial Activation with a FEMA R3 Liaison.
Closed Incidents
None
None
Principal Locations
OPS054000341
POTUS: NCR (RON)

VPOTUS: Wilmington, DE (RON)
S1: NCR (RON) Thu 0500 prod call 0830 brief
S2: NCR (RON) Thu book only
Seven-Day Outlook
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
sr
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

Duty Director
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
message. Thank you.
OPS054000342
From:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
; Gramlick, Carl; (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

Subject:
Date:
; DiFalco, Frank; (b) (6), (b) (7)(C


Executive Summary
2200 EDT 29 April 2015
Civil Disturbance - Baltimore, MD. The situation in Baltimore was reported as stable
on 29 Apr with no major incidents. Small scale, largely peaceful demonstrations took
place during the afternoon (all characterized as non-violent). A large march from
Baltimore Pennsylvania Station to City Hall was ongoing at 1940 EDT.
None
None
AWARENESS (0500 EDT 25 Apr) M7.8 Earthquake - Kathmandu, Nepal (0405-15) On 25 April at 0211
EDT, a M7.8 earthquake struck 48 miles northwest of Kathmandu, Nepal (pop. 1,003,285) at a depth of 9.3
miles. UPDATE (0310 EDT 29 Apr) As of 1630 EDT 28 Apr, the Government of Nepal reported 4,682
(+867) fatalities and 9,240 (+2,194) injuries. Four (n/c) U.S. citizens are confirmed killed (three remains are in
U.S. Embassy custody; the fourth is enroute to the embassy). The Swiss Embassy reports an unknown number
of additional fatalities, possibly including some U.S. citizens, are still on Mount Everest. DOS reports more
than 100 U.S. citizens and 58 third-country nationals are being housed at the American Club, where the U.S.
Embassy set up emergency services. Embassy Kathmandu reports the number of U.S. citizens requiring shelter
is declining. At current rates of consumption, Embassy Kathmandu has sufficient Meals Ready-to-Eat to last
eight days. Food procured on the local economy is expected to last an additional two to three weeks. Embassy
water wells are able to meet current requirements and the Embassy has sufficient fuel to last 31 days.
UPDATE (0946 EDT 29 Apr) U.S. assistance includes: 1) $10 million in USAID disaster assistance funding,
2) Two USAID/OFDA Disaster Assistance Response Teams, consisting of 128 Urban Search and Rescue
Specialists and 12 Canine Search Teams (now in-country), 3) Two U.S. Army Green Beret Teams (diverted
from previously-scheduled in-country training to support mountain search and rescue efforts), 4) USAIDsupplied plastic sheeting, tools, rope, and medical supplies, and 4) a DOD Joint Humanitarian Assessment
Support Team (scheduled to arrive 30 Apr).
OPS054000343
Incident Monitoring
MONITORED (1701 EDT 27 Apr) Civil Disturbance - Baltimore, MD (0413-15) UPDATE (2200 EDT
29 Apr). Baltimore was relatively during the daylight hours on 29 Apr. Small scale, largely peaceful
demonstrations took place during the afternoon (all characterized as non-violent). A large march from
Baltimore Pennsylvania Station to City Hall was ongoing at 1900 EDT. Large-scale demonstrations are
expected for this weekend. The mandatory curfew from 2200 0500 EDT remains in effect through 5
May. 1,950 National Guardsman are on State Active Duty supporting the Baltimore Police. Over 1,000
law enforcement officers from the Maryland State Police and surrounding jurisdictions are deployed
across the city. Baltimore Public Schools re-opened on 29 Apr.
avian influenza (HPAI) H5 infections have been reported in U.S. domestic poultry, captive wild birds, and wild
birds. These detections began in Dec 14. As of 21 Apr 15, USDA APHIS and state Departments of
Agriculture have reported 119 detections in the U.S. This virus has been detected in 17 States. The risk to
humans is characterized as low (no human infections have been recognized with these outbreaks and there is
no immediate human public health concern). Additional H5 info: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/h5/.
UPDATE (2300 EDT 22 Apr) WHO nine-country total (19 Apr): 26,079 cases (+253 since 12 Apr) and 10,823
deaths (+119 since 12 Apr).
Closed Incidents
None
None
Principal Locations
POTUS: NCR (RON)
VPOTUS: Wilmington, DE (RON)
S1: NCR (RON) Thu 0500 prod call 0830 brief
S2: NCR (RON) Thu book only
OPS054000344
Seven-Day Outlook
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Duty Director
NOC: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
WARNING This document is FOR OFFICIAL USE ONL (FOUO) it contains information that may be exempt from public release under the Freedom of
DHS official.
OPS054000345
(FOUO)
(U) SUBJECT: DC National Guard Rally Support 292100ZAPR15 (1700 EDT)
(U) 292100ZAPR15, the DC National Guard notified NGCC that Metropolitan Police
Department (MPD) requested support for the DC Ferguson Rally in Support of Freddie
Gray. The rally is expected to begin at 1900 hrs on 29 APR 15 at Gallery Place with
activists marching to the White House. The MPD requested 200 pax on the evening of 30
APR 15 to 2 May 15. NGCC will continue to monitor and provide updates as necessary.
(FOUO)
(FOUO)
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OPS054000346
h Ave
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OPS054000347
OPS054000348
OPS054000349
From:
Subject:
Date:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)



o Avian Flu U.S.
o VBIED Attack on U.S. Consulate Irbil, Iraq
o Cyber Security
o Global Terrorism
Postal Shipments
Mass Transit

Other Impacts of Southwest Border Events
Two small gangs formed following the break-up of a drug cartel are behind the
violence in the northeastern state of Tamaulipas, a spokesman with the Mexican
National Security Commission said on Tuesday Latin American Herald Tribune
o The Ciclones and Metros gangs are clashing in the border region with the U.S.,
he said
One gang is based in Matamoros (across from Brownsville, TX), and the
other operates out of Reynosa (across from McAllen, TX)
o However, the gangs power has been greatly diminished by the arrests of 13
leaders and the killing of another, he said
o Tamaulipas for years has been a battleground between the Gulf and Los Zetas
drug cartels
[Back to Top]

The death toll from Nepals devastating earthquake could reach 10,000, the prime
minister said on Tuesday Reuters
o The death toll is now 5,507, with about 8,000 people injured, but the tally could
rise as information from remote villages has yet to come in The Guardian
The United Nations said 8 million people were affected by the quake and
OPS054000350
1.4 million people were in need of food

o Some 250 people are believed missing following a mudslide and avalanche
Tuesday in an isolated, rural village Associated Press
Ghodatabela village is located along a popular trekking route, but it was
not clear if the missing included foreign trekkers
o All climbers on the Nepal side of Mount Everest have left the mountain after
dozens of climbers were killed or injured when an avalanche swept across the
base camp area
Teams attempting to climb the north side of Everest, the Tibet side, were
called back to their base camp over the weekend
o More than 100,000 people have already left Kathmandu, as desperate living
conditions and fears of disease and a breakdown of law and order sparked an
exodus
Officials estimate the number could reach 300,000, more than a 10th of
the citys population
International aid has finally begun arriving, days after Saturdays 7.8 magnitude
quake, but disbursement is slow
o Officials acknowledged they were overwhelmed by the scale of the disaster and
asked for special relief materials and medical teams
However, Nepals government said it now has enough expertise in the
country for search-and-rescue efforts Associated Press
o While aid has begun arriving in the capital, including food, medical supplies,
tents and dogs trained for rescue efforts, authorities are struggling to deliver
the relief further afield
A crush at the main international airport, where relief material and rescue
teams are flying in while thousands of residents are trying to leave, has
slowed the flow of aid
[Back to Top]
Scattered outbreaks of resistance flared as an overnight curfew settled Tuesday night
over Baltimore, but it appeared authorities would prevent a repeat of Monday nights
rioting and looting NBC News
o Arrests were made among a group of about 100 people who defied the curfew
and became aggressive towards police, throwing items at officers Baltimore
Sun
The 10 p.m.-to-5 a.m. curfew was instituted for the next week after rioting Monday
resulted in 144 vehicle fires, 15 structural fires and 235 arrests, including 34 juveniles
Baltimore Sun
o One person is in critical condition after one of those fires
o The ATF deployed its national response team to help investigate the fires
Baltimore Sun
The Metro was operating Tuesday but bypassed three stations: Mondawmin, PennNorth and Upton Market WJZ
o Buses were also operating with several diversions, and the Mondawmin Station
was closed
o Light rail was operating as normal
Public schools were scheduled to reopen Wednesday morning
o The Baltimore Orioles planned to play Wednesdays game in a CamdenYards
OPS054000351
closed to the public, but Thursdays double-header will be open to the public
About 2,000 National Guard members were activated to work with police, providing
additional security for critical infrastructure and any possible flashpoints WBAL
o Other responders include: over 400 State Troopers and other allied law
enforcement officers; 300 law enforcement officers from Pennsylvania, 150
from New Jersey and 45 from the District of Columbia; and multiple fire units
from surrounding counties
o Maryland also deployed its Capitol Police to secure state buildings
[Back to Top]

Kentucky
The H5N2 avian influenza virus made its Kentucky debut with a detection in two wild
waterfowl in McCracken County, signaling the pathogens easternmost appearance in
the U.S. CIDRAP
o The birds were found within the Mississippi flyway, where this strain of avian
influenza has previously been identified
Wisconsin (Social Media)
A seventh case of the virus was detected in Wisconsin Tuesday Twitter [WBAY-TV 2]
o The latest case is in a 108,000 turkey flock in Barron County
o This is the third reported case in Barron County, while there are two outbreaks
in Jefferson County and one each in Chippewa and Juneau counties
About 1.3 million birds are affected
[Back to Top]

NOC 0376-15: VBIED Attack on U.S. Consulate Irbil, Iraq
Kurdish authorities arrested five men they say carried out a car bombing on behalf of
the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) that killed two Kurds outside the U.S.
Consulate in Irbil on April 17 Reuters
o Four are Kurds from Irbil, highlighting the threat posed by homegrown militants
in the relatively safe region
The fifth was an Arab from elsewhere in Iraq
o The suspects include a leader that made contact via Facebook with a Kurdish
militant, a cleric from Irbil who joined ISIL and encouraged him to conduct
attacks in that city
The cleric put the leader in touch with an Arab in Kirkuk who gave them
the car bomb, which they parked across the street from the consulate
and detonated remotely
[Back to Top]
Cyber Security (Social Media)

A distributed-denial-of-service (DDoS) attack against the Rutgers University
computer network has caused ongoing interruptions in Internet service since Monday
Twitter [NJ.com]
o Students have reported periodic outages in WiFi service, e-mail and Sakai, a
resource tool used by both faculty and students
o A previous DDoS attack in March crippled Internet-based services at both
Rutgers University and Fairleigh Dickinson University
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OPS054000353
From:
Subject:
Date:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)



o Avian Flu U.S.
o VBIED Attack on U.S. Consulate Irbil, Iraq
o Cyber Security
o Global Terrorism
Postal Shipments
Mass Transit

Other Impacts of Southwest Border Events
Two small gangs formed following the break-up of a drug cartel are behind the
violence in the northeastern state of Tamaulipas, a spokesman with the Mexican
National Security Commission said on Tuesday Latin American Herald Tribune
o The Ciclones and Metros gangs are clashing in the border region with the U.S.,
he said
One gang is based in Matamoros (across from Brownsville, TX), and the
other operates out of Reynosa (across from McAllen, TX)
o However, the gangs power has been greatly diminished by the arrests of 13
leaders and the killing of another, he said
o Tamaulipas for years has been a battleground between the Gulf and Los Zetas
drug cartels
[Back to Top]

The death toll from Nepals devastating earthquake could reach 10,000, the prime
minister said on Tuesday Reuters
o The death toll is now 5,507, with about 8,000 people injured, but the tally could
rise as information from remote villages has yet to come in The Guardian
The United Nations said 8 million people were affected by the quake and
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1.4 million people were in need of food

o Some 250 people are believed missing following a mudslide and avalanche
Tuesday in an isolated, rural village Associated Press
Ghodatabela village is located along a popular trekking route, but it was
not clear if the missing included foreign trekkers
o All climbers on the Nepal side of Mount Everest have left the mountain after
dozens of climbers were killed or injured when an avalanche swept across the
base camp area
Teams attempting to climb the north side of Everest, the Tibet side, were
called back to their base camp over the weekend
o More than 100,000 people have already left Kathmandu, as desperate living
conditions and fears of disease and a breakdown of law and order sparked an
exodus
Officials estimate the number could reach 300,000, more than a 10th of
the citys population
International aid has finally begun arriving, days after Saturdays 7.8 magnitude
quake, but disbursement is slow
o Officials acknowledged they were overwhelmed by the scale of the disaster and
asked for special relief materials and medical teams
However, Nepals government said it now has enough expertise in the
country for search-and-rescue efforts Associated Press
o While aid has begun arriving in the capital, including food, medical supplies,
tents and dogs trained for rescue efforts, authorities are struggling to deliver
the relief further afield
A crush at the main international airport, where relief material and rescue
teams are flying in while thousands of residents are trying to leave, has
slowed the flow of aid
[Back to Top]
Scattered outbreaks of resistance flared as an overnight curfew settled Tuesday night
over Baltimore, but it appeared authorities would prevent a repeat of Monday nights
rioting and looting NBC News
o Arrests were made among a group of about 100 people who defied the curfew
and became aggressive towards police, throwing items at officers Baltimore
Sun
The 10 p.m.-to-5 a.m. curfew was instituted for the next week after rioting Monday
resulted in 144 vehicle fires, 15 structural fires and 235 arrests, including 34 juveniles
Baltimore Sun
o One person is in critical condition after one of those fires
o The ATF deployed its national response team to help investigate the fires
Baltimore Sun
The Metro was operating Tuesday but bypassed three stations: Mondawmin, PennNorth and Upton Market WJZ
o Buses were also operating with several diversions, and the Mondawmin Station
was closed
o Light rail was operating as normal
Public schools were scheduled to reopen Wednesday morning
o The Baltimore Orioles planned to play Wednesdays game in a CamdenYards
OPS054000355
closed to the public, but Thursdays double-header will be open to the public
About 2,000 National Guard members were activated to work with police, providing
additional security for critical infrastructure and any possible flashpoints WBAL
o Other responders include: over 400 State Troopers and other allied law
enforcement officers; 300 law enforcement officers from Pennsylvania, 150
from New Jersey and 45 from the District of Columbia; and multiple fire units
from surrounding counties
o Maryland also deployed its Capitol Police to secure state buildings
[Back to Top]

Kentucky
The H5N2 avian influenza virus made its Kentucky debut with a detection in two wild
waterfowl in McCracken County, signaling the pathogens easternmost appearance in
the U.S. CIDRAP
o The birds were found within the Mississippi flyway, where this strain of avian
influenza has previously been identified
Wisconsin (Social Media)
A seventh case of the virus was detected in Wisconsin Tuesday Twitter [WBAY-TV 2]
o The latest case is in a 108,000 turkey flock in Barron County
o This is the third reported case in Barron County, while there are two outbreaks
in Jefferson County and one each in Chippewa and Juneau counties
About 1.3 million birds are affected
[Back to Top]

NOC 0376-15: VBIED Attack on U.S. Consulate Irbil, Iraq
Kurdish authorities arrested five men they say carried out a car bombing on behalf of
the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) that killed two Kurds outside the U.S.
Consulate in Irbil on April 17 Reuters
o Four are Kurds from Irbil, highlighting the threat posed by homegrown militants
in the relatively safe region
The fifth was an Arab from elsewhere in Iraq
o The suspects include a leader that made contact via Facebook with a Kurdish
militant, a cleric from Irbil who joined ISIL and encouraged him to conduct
attacks in that city
The cleric put the leader in touch with an Arab in Kirkuk who gave them
the car bomb, which they parked across the street from the consulate
and detonated remotely
[Back to Top]
Cyber Security (Social Media)

A distributed-denial-of-service (DDoS) attack against the Rutgers University
computer network has caused ongoing interruptions in Internet service since Monday
Twitter [NJ.com]
o Students have reported periodic outages in WiFi service, e-mail and Sakai, a
resource tool used by both faculty and students
o A previous DDoS attack in March crippled Internet-based services at both
Rutgers University and Fairleigh Dickinson University
OPS054000356
OPS054000357
BALTIMORE UNREST
WEDNESDAY 04/29/2015
Baltimore Burning: International observers
lament the state of American society, urging
the US to return to peaceful protest and
warning that the violence will spread unless the
nation acknowledges systemic failings and heals
its democracy. Egypts Al-Youm7 depicts a
revolution in the US against racist police.
Russias Izvestiya posits: Not a week passes
without an African American being killed in the
US. Italys Corriere della Sera watches as rage
sets the city on fire. The UAEs Gulf News
reflects, While police atrocities against minorities
cannot be supported, there can be no justification
Source: Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung, Germany
for violence. The UKs Times counsels
Americans to recover the tradition of peaceful protest. Movements may be born out of outrage, but
they are sustained by discipline and purpose. Austrias Kleine Zeitung finds a silver lining as the
#BlackLivesMatter Twitter campaign proves that online activism can actually work. The UKs
Financial Times maintains that youth can be channeled towards constructive protest by
inspirational leaders and calls on President Obama to step forward to handle Americas troubling
racial tinderbox.
Austrias Der Standard fears Baltimore is a bad omen as desperation fuels a new wave of
violence. Germanys Sueddeutsche Zeitung urges the US to recognize that there is obviously a
flaw in the system Otherwise, not only Baltimore will burst in flames. The UKs Independent
declares, It is time for America to acknowledge its desperate, forgotten neighbourhoods and
reform absurdly harsh prison sentencing norms. Chinas Xinhua focuses on judicial disparities,
admonishing: When people develop no trust in a system, it will not be respected or obeyed
anymore. Germanys Tagesspiegel sighs, America did not learn its lesson not from Ferguson,
not from Baltimore It seems that America no longer has the strength for the necessary reforms.
Indonesias Kompas warns that failure to apply the law equally to all citizens, including police,
would be a stain on US democracy, a country that shouts about democracy for all.
OFFICIAL USE ONLY
OPS054000358
Message:
Our thoughts continue to be with the family of Freddie Gray [and with] the police officers
who were injured in the disturbances. (President Obama)
The Department of Justice has opened an investigation, working with local law enforcement
to find out exactly what happened, and there should be full transparency and accountability.
(President Obama)
The overwhelming majority of the community in Baltimore handled this appropriately
expressing real concern and outrage over the possibility that our laws were not applied evenly
in the case of Mr. Gray, and that accountability needs to exist. (President Obama)
In the White House, we brought together a task force made up of law enforcement and
community activists which has come up with very constructive concrete proposals that if
adopted by local communities, states and counties, and by law enforcement in general would
make a difference. (President Obama)
As a country we have to do some soul searching Without making any excuses for criminal
activities that take place in these communities, we also know that you have impoverished
communities that have been stripped away of opportunity, where children are born into abject
poverty. (President Obama)
If we think that were just going to send the police to do the dirty work of containing the
problems that arise there without as a nation and as a society saying what can we do to
change and lift up those communities, and give those kids opportunity, then were not going to
solve this problem. (President Obama)
White House Blog with video
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE . RAPID RESPONSE UNIT . (b)
OFFICIAL USE ONLY
(6), (b) (7)(C)
OPS054000359
OPS054000360
Garmatz US Courthouse, City Crescent Building and the US Customs House (All Level IV
Facilities).
FPS have integrated representatives into the Governor of Marylands Operations Center
and sent NPPDs Baltimore Protective Security Advisor has been integrated into the Mayors
Emergency Operations Center. FPS and IP continue to work in close coordination with State
and Local partners to monitor the situation and prepare for a large demonstration this
Saturday.
Status of federal facilities are open today for normal business (with telework policy
instituted as appropriate).
OPS054000361
OPS054000362

OPS054000363

3
OPS054000364

OPS054000365
routes.
OPS054000366
OPS054000367
From:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Subject:
Date:
Attachments:
UPDATE #2 NCR Watch Desk SPOT Report #005-20150429 (DC) - Police Activity / Protestors - 7th & H Street NW
image003.png
DATE/TIME: April 29, 2015
1938 EDT
TYPE OF INCIDENT: Police Activity / Protestors - 7th & H Street NW

INCIDENT DETAILS (UPDATE #2):
MPD is advising for commuters to use New York Ave, Massachusetts Ave, 10th & 5th Street, NW, as alternate routes.
Social media reports the protestors are a part of he DC Ferguson Rally in Support of Freddie Gray.
Metro Police (MPD) reports a large group of protestors are blocking the intersection of 7th and H Street, NW. Police is on the scene; avoid the area.
cid:image003 png@01D082B1.7F227010

(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

Watch Analyst / NCR Watch Desk
FEMA, DHS
Phone: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
OPS054000368
From:
Cc:
Subject:
Date:
Attachments:
Importance:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
; Marrone, Christian; Yee, Britton; Barry, Patrick; Chavez, Richard; Silvers, Robert; Rosen, Paul; Gray,
Eugene; Taylor, Francis X
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C) ; DiFalco, Frank; Gramlick, Carl; (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
(FOUO) 28 April 2015 Demonstration Could Impact Public Safety in Washington, DC.
Tuesday, April 28, 2015 5:39:04 PM
28AprilJIB 04272015 5.docx
High
The below FBI WFO WRTAC Joint Intelligence Bulletin was provided by NPPD / IP / NICC.
BLUF: On 04/28/2015, a review of social media suggested that an unidentified group planned to
conduct a First Amendment-protected event to protest the death of Freddie Gray in Washington,
DCs Chinatown area at 6pm on 04/28/2015. A review of available information suggested no
formal connection to the riots in Baltimore, MD, although we remain concerned that unaffiliated
individuals could potentially use this event to commit acts of violence in the Chinatown area.
The complete Joint Intelligence Bulletin from the FBI WFO and WRTAC is attached and below BB
friendly.
VR,
NDD/(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Joint Intelligence Bulletin

28 April 2015
(U//FOUO) 28 April 2015 Demonstration Could Impact Public Safety in Washington,

DC.
(U//FOUO) Following the recent violent events in Baltimore, MDincluding direct attacks on law
enforcement officials and other violent criminal activitythe Federal Bureau of Investigation
Washington Field Office (WFO) and the Washington Regional Threat Analysis Center (WRTAC)
continue to monitor reporting for indications of violent activities in Washington, DC. At this time,
we have no information suggesting violent behavior is planned for Washington, DC. However,
planned demonstrations may be exploited by individuals seeking to justify criminal or terrorist
activity.
(U//FOUO) On 04/28/2015, a review of social media suggested that an unidentified group
planned to conduct a First Amendment-protected event to protest the death of Freddie
Gray in Washington, DCs Chinatown area at 6pm on 04/28/2015. A review of available
information suggested no formal connection to the riots in Baltimore, MD, although we
remain concerned that unaffiliated individuals could potentially use this event to commit
acts of violence in the Chinatown area.
(U)Similar First Amendment-protected events have occurred throughout Washington, DC since

the officer-involved shooting in Ferguson, MO occurred in August 2014. First Amendmentprotected events with similar intent are expected to continue. Although a select number of
demonstrations have resulted in public safety disruptions in Washington, DC, demonstrations have
been peaceful in nature, with no incidents of violence reported. It is noted thatin the past,
participants in similar demonstrations nationwide have attempted to disrupt economic centers
OPS054000369
(such as shopping malls, transportation, and sporting events) in response to the St. Louis grand
jury decision.
(U) This information is not intended to associate otherwise protected First Amendment activity
with criminality or a threat to national security, but instead is included only for the purpose of
providing situational awareness of activities that may lead to violent action, such as use of force,
destruction of property, or expression of true threats, as has occurred recently within the region.
(U) Administrative Note: Law Enforcement Response

(U//FOUO) Information contained in this intelligence bulletin is for official use only. No portion of this bulletin
should be released to the media, the general public, or over nonsecure Internet servers. Release of this material
could adversely affect or jeopardize investigative activities.
OPS054000370
From:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C) ) on behalf of(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Subject:
Date:
(FOUO) Baltimore Police Department Explanation of Curfew and CI Threats Priorities in the city - 28 Apr 15
NOC SWO,
The IP/PSA for Baltimore, MD has forwarded an email which was pushed out to the
Baltimore Business Community, further clarifying the curfew in effect as well as CI
threats/priorities in the city (see below).
If you have any questions or concerns about this matter, contact the NOC IPNICC at
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
V/r,
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Center
Distro:
NICC
). If you are not an
prohibited.
Dear all,
Please see below for an update we have just received from the BPD:
All:
OPS054000371
Today the BPD is focused on working with local and State partner agencies and the Maryland
National Guard to protect critical infrastructure and assets around the City, while at the same time
being prepared to respond to any additional activity. We will also be focused on enforcement of the
curfew, which is in effect from 10pm until 5am every day for one week starting today unless
rescinded by the Mayor. We have received questions about how the curfew will impact businesses
that are typically open after 10pm. There is an exception to the curfew for persons going to and
from work. This would apply to individuals that own small businesses. Business owners and
decision-makers, as well as all other residents, are encouraged to monitor @BaltimorePolice for
updates on any activity. The Orioles game scheduled for today has been postponed. Below
represents a summary of information gathered from social media about possible activity today. We
are continuing to monitor and will deploy resources accordingly.
Based on Internet Chatter.Various threats exist towards law enforcement as such

a high level of situational awareness is warranted.
Based on Internet Chatter.Special attention should be given to Malls, Shopping

Centers, Video Games stores and Shoe Stores throughout the city. (Shoe City,
Footlocker & DTLR)
Security Square Mall Closing today
East Point Mall has elevated concerns
Looking into chatter about:
Penn Station
Eastside Destruction
Reisterstown Plaza Mall
Promoted/Advertised or Internet Chattered Events:
(No info on attendees at this point)
2:00 Meet at Vanguard School @ 5000 Truesdale then start at Parkside Shopping Center @
5100 Sinclair Ln. (Possible looting and destruction)
3:00 - Baltimore Bloc @ Mount & Presbury (Protest)
3:30 - Baltimore Purge @ Northern Pkwy, Owings Mills Mall, Roger Station, Alameda
(Possible looting and destruction)
6:00 Baltimore Peoples Power Assembly @ 300 E. Madison (Protest)
Thank you on behalf of the BPD for promoting peace and encouraging constructive activity to begin
cleaning up and healing our City. Please continue to urge for peace, and please continue to ask
parents to keep their children close today.
Director of Government Affairs

Baltimore City Police Department
OPS054000372
From:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C) ) on behalf of (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Subject:
Date:
Attachments:
(FOUO) IP/PSA - Situation Report #2 - Civil Disturbance - Baltimore, MD - 28 Apr 15

SituationReport #2.doc
NOC SWO,
The IP/PSA Baltimore, MD has forwarded Situation report #2 from the City of
Baltimore Mayors Office of Emergency Management (See Attached).
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
V/r,
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Center
Distro:
NICC
If you are not an
prohibited.
OPS054000373
From:
To:
Cc:
Subject:
Date:
Attachments:
(b) (6), (b
Spaulding, Suzanne; Schneck, Dr. Phyllis; Hess, David; Harris, Steven; Clark, Ronald Dr.; Ebert, Brian
Durkovich, Caitlin; Ozment, Andy; Wenchel, Rosemary; Solheim, Linda; Sutherland, Daniel; Toeppen, Lyndsey;
Touhill, Gregory (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Wombacher, Matthew; Brown, Ian
(FOUO) NPPD LEADERSHIP: Violent Activity - Baltimore, MD - 28 Apr 15
NICC Quicklook 20150427 Baltimore Protest.pdf

NPPD Leadership,
Below is an update on the violent activity in Baltimore, MD. The NICC has been
actively coordinating with the PSA-Baltimore, PSCD Operations, ISCD Regional
Commander for Region 3, FPS and the NCCIC to gather information on activities
throughout this event. The NICC also responded to a NOC Request for Information
related to the events in Baltimore. The full response to the NOC RFI is included
below for your awareness. A GIS product indicating infrastructure in the area,
provided by PSCD, is attached for your awareness. The NOC posture for this event is
Monitored.
Background:
By the afternoon of Monday, 27 April, various protests around Baltimore grew
increasingly violent as individuals began setting buildings and cars on fire and
throwing objects at law enforcement personnel. Open sources indicate 15 police
officers have been injured. By early Monday evening, officials postponed the
Baltimore Orioles Chicago White Sox Major League Baseball game as the situation
near Camden Yards was deemed unsafe. On Monday evening, the city activated its
Emergency Operations Center. The Governor of Maryland has declared a state of
emergency and activated National Guard units to assist in restoring order.
Going Forward:
The PSA Baltimore reports Baltimore city representatives have indicated Maryland
Transit Administration (MTA) will be running as scheduled Tuesday and the city
will be open. Baltimore city schools will be closed. Some downtown businesses are
considering late openings.
USCG Sector Baltimore reports they intend to limit routine operations in Baltimore
City and limit response to urgent Search and Rescue distress cases until the city is
brought back under control.
Below is the information compiled in response to the NOC RFI (DHS Component
Actions in Response to Violent Activity Baltimore, MD):
--------------------------------
Federal Protective Service (FPS)
OPS054000374
The NPPD/FPS has enhanced the protection of high-risk federal facilities in the
Baltimore metropolitan area. FPS has deployed additional law enforcement officers
to the Fallon Federal Building (31 Hopkins Plaza), Edward Garmatz US Courthouse
(101 West Lombard Street), City Crescent Building (10 South Howard Street) and the
US Customs House (40 South Gay Street). At this point there has been no damage or
demonstrations directed toward these facilities.
FPS will have a total of 30 law enforcement officers in Baltimore by 0600 EDT, April
28, 2015.
The Baltimore Federal Executive Board (FEB) has called an emergency meeting to
reconsider the closing of Baltimore federal buildings tomorrow. The timeline for a
decision is unknown. The FEB has previously determined federal buildings in the
Baltimore area would be open on time tomorrow (Tuesday).
Office of Infrastructure Protection (IP)
Protective Security Coordination Division (PSCD)

PSCDs Infrastructure Protection/Protective Security Advisor (IP/PSA) Baltimore has
been in close contact with Baltimore Police Department and the MCAC (State Fusion
Center), receiving updates on the protests to include number and location of
protestors, damage to infrastructure, number of arrests, and injuries to police,
protestors, and bystanders. He has also been confirming reports from various other
sources, and directing all appropriate information to the NICC. IP/PSA Baltimore
has also requested a GIS product from PSCD geospatial analysts regarding
infrastructure of interest in the affected area, and provided it to the NICC and
various Baltimore and Maryland state public safety agencies.
The GIS Quick Look has been shared with officials from the below listed
agencies:
o Baltimore Police Dept.

o Baltimore Office of Emergency Management
o Baltimore Fire Department
o Maryland State Police
o Maryland Coordination and Analysis Center (State Fusion Center)
o Governors Office of Homeland Security (HSA)
o Maryland Emergency Management Agency Maryland Joint Operations
Center
- GIS product attached
OPS054000375
The IP/PSA Baltimore also offered to provide any further assistance as needed.
Infrastructure Security Compliance Division (ISCD)
ISCD Region 3 has reached out to respective Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism
Standards (CFATS) covered facilities that may be impacted by this event. Outreach
was in the form of situational awareness emails to ensure that if something should
impact the security risk management program associated with their facility they are
to advise/notify ISCD Region 3 Chemical Inspectors according to their security plan.
Currently, ISCD Region 3 has reached out to five CFATS covered facilities in area
affected and has only received three responses back as of this time. ISCD Region 3
will continue to monitor and provide update/s where necessary or applicable.
Office of Cybersecurity & Communications (CS&C)
NCCIC has requested information on impacts to assets in the immediate area from
our law enforcement and ISAC partners. At this time there are no negative effects
impacting cyber or communication being observed or reported. The NCCIC actively
monitoring.
--------------------------------
The NICC continues to actively coordinate information on activities and impacts
related to this incident and will provide updates as warranted.
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

If you have any questions or concerns about this matter, contact the NICC at
Thank you.
V/R,
NICC Watch Operations
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Email: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
For more information on the NICC go to:

DHS National Infrastructure Coordinating Center
If you are not an
OPS054000376
From:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Subject:
Date:
Attachments:
(FOUO) Situation Report #3 - Civil Disturbance - Baltimore, MD - 28 Apr 15

SituationReport 3.doc
NOC SWO,
The IP/PSA Baltimore, MD has forwarded Situation report #3 from the City of
Baltimore Mayors Office of Emergency Management (See Attached).
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
V/r,
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
7)(C)
Center
Distro:
NICC
distribution, questions, or comments to the NICC by phone(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
If you are not an
prohibited.
OPS054000377
From:
To:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Cc:
Marrone, Christian; Rosen, Paul; Silvers, Robert; Yee, Britton; Taylor, Francis X; Bradsher, Tanya; McNamara,
Phil; Clark, Ronald Dr.; Chavez, Richard; DiFalco, Frank
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C) ; Gramlick, Carl; (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Subject:
Date:
(FOUO) Update - Baltimore Civil Disturbance - 2030 EDT 28 Apr

Chief of Staff,
The following is an update regarding the situation in Baltimore:
Baltimore Civil Disturbance

Situation Update 28 Apr 2030 EDT
SUMMARY
The situation in Baltimore was mostly peaceful during daylight hours on Tuesday.
The city has an ongoing 9 p.m. curfew for juveniles and has instituted a 10 p.m. 5 a.m. curfew for
all citizens through 4 May.
The Mayor of Baltimore declared a State of Emergency for 7 days (through 4 May). The Governor
declared a State of Emergency on 27 Apr.
BCFD responded to 19 structure fires and 144 vehicle fires on Mon night/Tues am.
The city reported 20 police officers injured, two of whom remain in Shock Trauma
o Several other injuries; no incident-related fatalities reported.
247 arrests, 181 males, 51 females, 3 juveniles. 12 were in processing (gender unknown).
Baltimore City Public Schools were closed Tuesday. Status for Wednesday is TBD.
Governors Office of Community Initiatives organized 2,600 volunteers who volunteered for
clean-up Tues morning.
Tow trucks, solid waste, and street sweeper crews worked through Tuesday to clear streets of
debris.

1,000 National Guardsmen, with a target of 2,000 troops activated by the end of Tuesday;
Over 400 State Troopers and other allied law enforcement officers including officers
from Montgomery, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Howard, Prince Georges, and Harford
counties;
OPS054000378
300 law enforcement from Pennsylvania, 150 from New Jersey, and 45 from DC;
MD Capitol Police deployed to secure state buildings in Baltimore;
37 fire engines, eight truck companies, and two heavy rescue units from surrounding
counties;
Twelve (state) Emergency Support Functions have been activated at the State Emergency
Operations Center at the Maryland Emergency Management Agency.
Open source media reports BATF is supporting arson investigations.
No request for FEMA assistance.
USCG Update (28 Apr)

USCG reports all personnel in Baltimore are accounted for.
Commander, Sector Baltimore declared the City of Baltimore and Baltimore County off limits
to personnel both in a personal and operational capacity through 03 May.
Commander, Sector Baltimore directed personnel that live within these affected areas to
exercise extreme caution traveling to and from their residences and ordered personnel not to
travel in uniform.
Sector Baltimore is conducting normal operations. Units responding to SAR and pollution will
and other areas near reported rioting. Sector Baltimore has not increased FPCON.
The assaulted CG Yard member was released by the hospital Mon night and escorted by CGIS
to the CG Yard. The member was evaluated by the CG Yard clinic duty corpsman and stayed
in the barracks overnight Monday.
Weather Forecast
Tues night: Mostly clear, with a low around 47. Northwest wind 3 to 8 mph.
Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 71. Northwest wind 3 to 6 mph.
Wednesday Night: A chance of rain after 3am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 58. Southwest wind
around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
VR,
Brian
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Duty Director
Unclas (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
OPS054000379
From:
Subject:
Date:
on behalf of Suitland Megacenter

*Information Only*-Spot Report-Region 11- 15S029298
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
*For Information Only*-Spot Report

Suitland MegaCenter 15S029298
Event ID 15029298
Operator 83
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

1. Crime/Incident:
Special Detail : Baltimore
2. Summary:
The following units have deployed to Baltimore, MD, and are on scene at 31 Hopkins Plaza for a special detail.
District Commander 11V10 (F. Muccino)
Inspector
Inspector
Inspector
Inspector
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
3. Date/Time of Incident:
04/28/2015 @ 14:07 Eastern
4. City/State:
Baltimore, MD
5. Point of Contact:
6. Case Control Number:
7. Incident Activity Code:
8. Building Name:
9. Address:
31 Hopkins Plaza, FOB, Baltimore, MD
10. Agent/Officer Assigned:
11. Prepared By:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
12. Megacenter Notification:

04/28/2015 @ 14:07 Eastern
13. Authorized By:
Regional Director 11V1 (M Morales)
14. Transmitted:
4/28/2015 @ 14:23 Eastern
15. Spot Report #:
15S029298
Suitland MegaCenter
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
PROPERTY OF THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY (FOUO) Protect it from
unauthorized disclosure in compliance with applicable orders, statutes, and regulations.
This message (including any attachments) may contain confidential and/or law enforcement sensitive (LES)
information intended for a specific individual and purpose, and should be considered For Official Use Only
(FOUO) DHS 11042.1 (03/05)
OPS054000380
From:
Subject:
Date:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C) ) on behalf of Suitland Megacenter

*Information Only*-Spot Report-Region 11-15S029366
*For Information Only*-Spot Report

Suitland MegaCenter 15S029366
Event ID 15029366
Operator # 139
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

1. Crime/Incident:
Special Detail : Baltimore
2. Summary:
The following units have deployed to Baltimore, MD, and are on scene at 31 Hopkins Plaza for a special detail.
Area Commander 11V16 (C Beatty)
Inspector
Inspector
Inspector
Inspector
Inspector
3. Date/Time of Incident:
04/28/2015 @ 18:42 Eastern
4. City/State:
Baltimore, MD
5. Point of Contact:
6. Case Control Number:
7. Incident Activity Code:
8. Building Name:
Garmatz Courthouse
9. Address:
31 Hopkins Plaza, FOB, Baltimore, MD
10. Agent/Officer Assigned:
11. Prepared By:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
12. Megacenter Notification:
04/28/2015 @ 20:31 Eastern
13. Authorized By:
14. Transmitted:
4/28/2015 @ 20:33 Eastern
15. Spot Report #:
15S029366
Suitland MegaCenter
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

PROPERTY OF THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY (FOUO) Protect it from
unauthorized disclosure in compliance with applicable orders, statutes, and regulations.
This message (including any attachments) may contain confidential and/or law enforcement sensitive (LES)
information intended for a specific individual and purpose, and should be considered For Official Use Only
OPS054000381
OPS054000382
From:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Subject:
Date:
Attachments:
Baltimore Infrastructure Graphic

NICC Quicklook 20150427 Baltimore Protest.pdf
SBS,
Baltimore infrastructure graphic provided by DHS Office of Infrastructure Protection (OCIA).
NOC Watch is working on a graphic of all DHS activity locations in Baltimore.
R/
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Duty Director
NDD Desk: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
OPS054000383
THE HOMELAND SECURITY
NEWS CLIPS
PREPARED FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY BY BULLETIN INTELLIGENCE (b)
TO:
THE SECRETARY AND SENIOR STAFF
DATE:
TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015 5:00 AM EDT
(6), (b) (7)(C)
TODAYS EDITION
Leading DHS News
Man Shot To Death By Federal Agent In Detroit (WP/AP) ........... 4

Federal Agent Fatally Shoots Fugitive In Detroit During Arrest
(FREEP) ............................................................................... 4
Federal Officer Shoots, Kills Detroit Man One East Side (DETN) 5
Federal Agent Kills Detroit Fugitive Wanted In Pizza Delivery
Robbery (MLIVE) .................................................................. 6
ICE Officer Faced With A Threat Fatally Shoots 20-Year-Old
Man In Detroit CBS Detroit (WWJTV) ............................... 7
ICE Agent Carrying Out Warrant In Detroit Shoots, Kills Man
(AP) ....................................................................................... 7
Update: Federal Agent On Police Task Force Fatally Shoots
Man (DEDLNDET) ................................................................ 8
Immigration And Customs Enforcement Agent Carrying Out
Warrant In Detroit Shoots, Kills Man (WDIVTV) .................. 8
Immigration And Customs Enforcement Officer Shoots, Kills
Suspect On Detroits West Side (WXYZTV) ........................ 9
20-year-old Suspect Fatally Shot By Fugitive Task Force Officer
(WJBKTV) ............................................................................. 9
Seven Police Officers Injured In Violent Clash Near Mondawmin
Mall (BSUN) .......................................................................... 9
Protests Erupt In Baltimore After Funeral Of Suspect Killed In
Police Custody (BLOOM) ................................................... 10
Violence In Baltimore: 7 Police Officers Injured In Clashes
(NYDN) ............................................................................... 10
Police Say Credible Threat Of Gang Attacks; Protester In
Video Says Of Police, We Going At Them (BACP) ......... 11
Baltimore Police: Rival Gangs Join Forces To take Out Cops
(WT) .................................................................................... 11
LAPD Officers To Ride In Pairs After Baltimore Police Warn Of
Gang Threat (LAT) ............................................................. 12
Freddie Gray Is Mourned At Funeral In Baltimore (NYT) ........... 12
Amid Violence, Factions And Messages Converge In A Weary
And Unsettled Baltimore (NYT) .......................................... 14
Baltimore Police, Protesters Clash; 7 Officers Hurt (USAT) ....... 14
Protests Continue In Baltimore; Police Say Rocks, Bricks
Thrown At Officers (WP) .................................................... 15
Lynch Faces Baltimore Riots On Day 1 (POLITICO).................. 16
Chaos In Baltimore As Dozens Clash With Riot Police; Multiple
Officers Injured (WT) .......................................................... 17
Hogan Says State Is Prepared To Help Baltimore If Violence

Erupts (BSUN) .................................................................... 18
Violence, Looting In Baltimore After Freddie Gray Funeral, 7
Officers Hurt (LAT) ............................................................. 18
Dozens Of Anne Arundel County Officers Sent To Assist In
Baltimore Protests (CAPGAZ)............................................ 19
Brutal Videos Capture Baltimore Violence: People Are Getting
Kicked In The Head Out There! (BLAZE).......................... 20
7 Police Officers Injured In Violent Protests In Baltimore
(POLITICO)......................................................................... 20
Clashes In Baltimore After Funeral Of Man Who Died In
Custody (YAHOO) .............................................................. 21
Police, Protesters Clash In Baltimore After Freddie Gray
Funeral (HUFFPOST) ........................................................ 22
Freddie Gray Protests Show How Much America Has Changed
(+video) (CSM) ................................................................... 23
Clashes Erupt On Streets Of Baltimore (HILL) ........................... 24
Bloods, Crips Team Up To Take Out Baltimore Cops
(CALLER) ........................................................................... 24
Downtown Businesses Pick Up The Pieces From Weekend
Protests, Prepare For More (BALBIZ)................................ 25
Violence Erupts After Funeral Of Baltimore Man Who Died In
Police Custody (REU)......................................................... 25
Freddie Gray Funeral Draws Mournful Throng In Baltimore
(USAT) ................................................................................ 25
Freddie Grays Funeral Draws Thousands In Baltimore (WSJ).. 26
Riot Erupts After Funeral For Man Hurt In Police Custody (AP). 26
Friends, Family, Activists Bid Farewell To Freddie Gray (BSUN)27
Al Sharpton To Visit Baltimore, Seek Answers In Freddie Grays
Death (BSUN) ..................................................................... 28
Listen To How Baltimore Mayor Is Clarifying Her Controversial
Remarks On Protesters Who Wished To Destroy
(BLAZE) .............................................................................. 29
Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Child Migrants Without Lawyers Pay A High Price (POLITICO). 29

Silk Road Judge Denies Retrial Despite Agents Alleged
Corruption (WIRED) ........................................................... 31
Customs and Border Protection
OHare Latest Airport To Offer Speedy Passport Control App

(USAT) ................................................................................ 32
OPS054000384
Tamerlan Tsarnaevs Mother-in-law: Islam Was His obsession

(BOSH) ............................................................................... 51
In Defense Of Boston Marathon Bomber, Lawyers Make Case
Against Older Brother (LAT) ............................................... 52
Boston Bombers Lawyer Urges Unrelenting Punishment Over
Death (REU) ....................................................................... 53
Tsarnaev Defense: Spare Him The Death Penalty, Put Him In
Supermax Prison (CSM) .................................................... 53
Republicans Seek New Limits On Guantanamo Prisoner
Transfers (REU) ................................................................. 54
Bill Would Withhold Defense Funding Until Congress Gets
Answers On Bergdahl Swap (WT) ..................................... 54
Rieder: Why Charlie Hebdo Deserves Free Speech Award
(USAT) ................................................................................ 55
Search Warrants: Accused Ohio Terror Suspect Hid Identity
(HC/AP)............................................................................... 56
Defense Seeks Light Sentence In Virginia Terror Support Case
(HC/AP)............................................................................... 57
Man Stripped Of Citizenship Due To Terrorist Tie (HC) ............. 57
Hezbollah Supporter Gets Five Years In Prison For Lying To
Get Citizenship (SAEXPNWS) ........................................... 57
Families Briefly Reunited At Border Following Deportations

(HC/AP)............................................................................... 32
Transportation Security Administration
Air Marshals Have To Be Smart, Fit And Good Shooters

(MILTIMES) ........................................................................ 32
Knives, Skulls And Other Bizarre Items Uncovered By The TSA
(NYPOST)........................................................................... 34
Man Nabbed With Loaded Gun At BWI (WP) ............................. 35
Baltimore Man Arrested At BWI Airport For Gun With Filed-off
Serial Number (BSUN) ....................................................... 35
Man Tries To Sneak Loaded Gun Past TSA At BWI (WBALTV) 35
Man Caught With Loaded Gun At BWI Airport Arrested
(WUSATV) .......................................................................... 35
Man Arrested After Bringing Loaded Gun To BWI Airport
(WMARTV) ......................................................................... 35
Baltimore Man Arrested For Bring Loaded Gun To BWI
Checkpoint CBS Baltimore (WJZTV) .............................. 36
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Severe Storms May Return Monday Night, Tuesday In New

Orleans, Baton Rouge, North Shore (NOTP) .................... 36
Wildfire Burns Near Many Homes In Suburban Los Angeles
(AP) ..................................................................................... 37
Wildfire Burns Near Los Angeles, Threatening Upscale Homes
(REU) .................................................................................. 37
Other Cyber News
House Passes Info Sharing Bill, Ball In Senate Court

(POLITICO)......................................................................... 58
Sharing Threat Intel Is Voluntary In New Bills (CQRC)............... 59
Poll: Cyber Should Top Congresss Tech Agenda (HILL) .......... 60
FBI To Create Pool Of Contracted Cyber Experts (FEDTIMES) 60
Agent Who Supervised Investigation Of JPMorgan Cyberattack
Takes A New Job (NYT)..................................................... 61
US Coast Guard
Coast Guard Suspends Search For 4 Missing Off Alabama

Coast (AP) .......................................................................... 37
Hope Fades For 4 Lost At Sea After Storm Blasts Alabama
Regatta (USAT) .................................................................. 38
Countering Violent Extremism
Secret Service
Week Ahead: Agencies Face Grilling Over Gyrocopter (HILL) .. 38
How The Islamic States Slick Recruiting Campaign Threatens

To Radicalize Americans (HUFFPOST) ............................ 61
National Protection and Programs
National Security News
Syrian Opposition Forces Seize Military Base (WSJ) ................. 62

Al Qaidas Nusra Advances In Northern Syria, Capturing
Another Government Base (MCT) ..................................... 62
Tensions Rise On Israel-Syria Border After Infiltration Attempt,
Airstrikes (WP) .................................................................... 63
Why Iran Is Standing By Its Weakened, And Expensive, Ally
Syria (CSM) ........................................................................ 64
U.S., Allies Conduct 31 Air Strikes In Syria, Iraq: U.S. Military
(YAHOO/REU).................................................................... 65
Car Bombings In Iraqs Capital Kill At Least 20 Civilians (AP) ... 65
EU, Ukraine Leaders Meet As Shelling Worsens, One Ukrainian
Soldier Killed (REU)............................................................ 66
Ukraine Leader Sees Country Ready For EU Entrance In 5
Years (AP) .......................................................................... 66
Vitali Klitschko, Former Heavyweight Champ, Says Ukraine
Cant Take On Russia Alone (WT)..................................... 67
Tears Replace Cheers In Re-enactment Of Farkhundas Killing
In Afghanistan (NYT) .......................................................... 68
In Historic Sea-change, US, Japan Revise Defense Ties
(YAHOO) ............................................................................ 69
Vegas Sets Up Concentric Security For Upcoming Megafight

(HC/AP)............................................................................... 39
Directorate For Management
House HS Subcommittee Takes Hard Look At DHSs

Procurement Processes (HOMESECT)............................. 40
Federal Government Fails Basic Openness Test (LAT) ............. 45
Terrorism Investigations
In Quest To Avoid Death Penalty, Defense Paints Tsarnaev As

Follower (BOSGLOBE) ...................................................... 46
Tsarnaevs Lawyers Focus On Chaotic Upbringing In Case
Against Death Penalty (NYT) ............................................. 47
Dzhokhar Tsarnaevs Lawyers Argue Against Death Penalty
(WSJ) .................................................................................. 48
Boston Marathon Bomber Tries To Avoid Death Penalty (USAT)48
Good Kid: Lawyer Pleads For Boston Marathon Bombers Life
(AP) ..................................................................................... 50
Jurors Hear About Tamerlan Tsarnaevs Widow, Katherine,
Who Married Him Despite Family Disapproval
(BOSGLOBE) ..................................................................... 50
OPS054000385
US Sends $10M In Aid To Quake-hit Nepal (HILL) .................... 88

U.S. Families And Aid Groups Send Support To Nepal (USAT) 89
Death Toll Tops 4,300 In Nepal Earthquake (WP)...................... 89
Britain Sends Gurkha Soldiers For Nepal Quake Aid (AFP) ...... 91
Google And Facebook Help Nepal Earthquake Survivors And
Contacts Connect (NYT) .................................................... 91
Nepal Quake: Tent City Springs To Life In Katmandu,
Transforming Park (LAT) .................................................... 92
White House Omits Tibet From Earthquake Condolence List
(POLITICO)......................................................................... 93
Islamic State Kills Five Journalists Working For Libyan TV
Station-army Official (REU) ................................................ 93
U.N. Says Israeli Military Actions Killed 44 Civilians In Schools
In Gaza War (NYT) ............................................................. 93
Israel Fired On 7 UN Schools In Gaza In 2014 War, UN Probe
Found (HUFFPOST) .......................................................... 94
UN: Israeli Military Killed 44 Palestinians At UN Shelters (AP) .. 94
Dozens Of Soldiers, Civilians Killed In Fresh Boko Haram
Violence (YAHOO) ............................................................. 95
Senate Committee Weighs U.S. Probe Of All Police Killings Of
Minorities (USAT) ............................................................... 96
Tulsa Undersheriff Stepping Down In Wake Of Oklahoma
Shooting Case (WSJ) ......................................................... 96
Tulsa Undersheriff Resigns Amid Allegations He Falsified
Training Records Of Eric Harris Killer (HUFFPOST) ........ 97
Court Orders LAPD To Turn Over Video Said To Show Mans
Police Beating (LAT)........................................................... 97
Settlement Expected Over U.S. Allegations That Sheriffs Dept.
Targeted Minorities (LAT)................................................... 97
Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush Back Patriot Act Ahead Of NSA Phone
Snooping Debate (WT)....................................................... 98
Ex-CIA Officer Disputes Leak Damage (POLITICO) ................ 100
New Guidelines Allow Japan To Defend Allies, Be More

Involved In Humanitarian Missions (WT) ........................... 70
U.S., Japan To Unveil New Defense Guidelines Amid Chinas
Rise (REU).......................................................................... 71
US, Japan Announce New Security Agreement (WSJ) .............. 71
US, Japan Boost Defense Ties With Eyes On China, NKorea
(YAHOO/AP)....................................................................... 71
Japan And U.S. Set New Rules For Military Cooperation (NYT) 72
With Japanese Leaders Visit, A Chance To Look Back And
Move Forward (WP) ........................................................... 73
Obama Gives Japans Abe An Impromptu Tour Of Lincoln
Memorial (BLOOM) ............................................................ 73
Obama, Japanese Leader Visit Lincoln Memorial (USAT) ......... 74
Obama, Abe To Dine On Fusion Food With Hawaiian Twist
(AFP)................................................................................... 74
A State Dinner Preview, Toro Tartare Included (NYT)................ 74
Barack Obama State China Sports Hawaii Blue (AP) ................ 74
Japans Wartime Past Still A Volatile Issue As Prime Minister
Visits Obama (WP) ............................................................. 75
Moment Of Clarity For US-Japan Bilateral Relations
(BANGPOST) ..................................................................... 77
Drone Flyer Surveilled American Embassy Housing Facility,
Buzzed Sendai Nuclear Plant: Blog (JAPAN) .................... 78
Asean Stops Short Of Harder Line On China (WSJ) .................. 78
Kerry, Iran FM Hold Nuke Talks In NY As Senate Weighs Move
(AP) ..................................................................................... 79
Kerry Says Iran, World Powers Closer Than Ever To Historic
Nuclear Deal (REU) ............................................................ 80
As Senate Debates Iran, Energy Secretary Vows To Stay
Open With Congress (CSM) ............................................ 80
GOP Wont Commit To Help Democrats Reject Iran
Amendments (POLITICO) .................................................. 81
Iran Slams Nuclear Powers, Israel At UN Atomic Treaty Meeting
(YAHOO) ............................................................................ 82
Top Iranian General: America Was Behind 9/11 Attacks
(POLITICO)......................................................................... 82
Yemen Crisis Looms As Kerry Meets With Iranian Counterpart
On Nuclear Deal (NYT) ...................................................... 82
U.S. Blames Houthi Battlefield Moves For Renewed Saudi
Strikes (REU) ...................................................................... 83
Kerry: Will Urge Iran FM To Push Yemen Rebels To Talks (AP)83
Yemen Crisis Spills Into New Iran-US Nuclear Talks (AFP) ....... 83
Saudis Pound Arms Depots In Yemen As Bread, Medicine Run
Short (REU) ........................................................................ 84
Nepal Scrambles To Organize Quake Relief, Many Flee Capital
(REU) .................................................................................. 84
State Department Says Four U.S. Citizens Dead After Nepal
Quake (YAHOO/REU) ........................................................ 84
Nepal Earthquake Death Toll Tops 4,000 (HUFFPOST/AP) ...... 84
Death Toll In Nepal Surges Amid Hunt For Survivors (USAT) ... 86
Villages Near Nepal Earthquakes Epicenter Are Desperate As
Death Toll Tops 4,000 (NYT) ............................................. 86
More U.S. Military Assets On The Way To Help Nepal
Earthquake Relief (WT) ...................................................... 88
U.S. Pledges $10 Million In Relief To Nepal (WSJ) .................... 88
National News
Obama Presses Case For Asia Trade Deal, Warns Failure

Would Benefit China (WSJ).............................................. 101
Trans-Pacific Partnership Puts Harvard Law School Rivals On
Opposite Sides, Again (NYT) ........................................... 101
Rep. Patrick Murphy Sides With Liberals, Opposes Obama On
fast-track Trade Authority (PMBCHPST)........................ 102
Obama Warns Of Anti-Globalization Sentiment In Both Parties
(BLOOM) .......................................................................... 103
Killing Asia Trade Deal Will Benefit China (USAT) ................... 103
Obama: Trade Critics Being Unrealistic (HILL) ....................... 103
Trade Deal Needed To Curb China, Obama Says (POLITICO)104
Meet The Critics Of President Obamas Trade Deal (TIME) .... 104
Dem Infighting Heats Up Over Trade Deals (CALLER) ............ 106
Pols, Activisits Slam Dastardly And Evil Trans-Pacific
Partnership (NYOBS) ....................................................... 106
Rep. Newhouse Supports Fast Track For Trans-Pacific
Partnership (YAKIMA) ...................................................... 108
Guest Editorial: Trade Authority Creates Jobs, Growth For
Nation And State (YAKIMA) ............................................. 108
The Best Case For Obamas Trade Deal Has Nothing To Do
With America (VOX) ......................................................... 109
OPS054000386
The TPPs Success Means Getting The Rules Right (HILL) .... 109
Whats The Rush On The Trade Fast Track? (WILNJ)............. 110
President Obama: Catholics Oppose Fast Tracking The TPP
(HUFFPOST) .................................................................... 111
As Trade Talks Heat Up, Obama Wants U.S. Cars On Japans
Streets (MCT) ................................................................... 112
Japans Massive Trade Opportunity (WP) ................................ 113
Massive Trade Deal Could Come Down To Two Things: Rice
And Cars (POLITICO) ...................................................... 114
Japan Taps Lobbyists To Bolster U.S. Ties (CQRC)................ 115
Obama Rips House Republicans Budget Bills Over Spending
Limits (WT) ....................................................................... 116
Republicans Close In On Budget Deal (HILL) .......................... 117
Republicans In House And Senate Agree On A Budget (NYT) 117
GOP Budget Dodges Fights Over Entitlements, Defense
(POLITICO)....................................................................... 118
Bob Corker Puts Brakes On Budget Deal (POLITICO) ............ 119
Obama Proposes That Medicare Be Given The Right To
Negotiate The Cost Of Drugs (NYT) ................................ 120
U.S. To Set Tougher Standards For Companies Running
Medicaid (WP) .................................................................. 121
Supreme Court Throws Out Obamacare Contraception Ruling
(HUFFPOST) .................................................................... 122
Supreme Court Tosses Ruling In Favor Of ObamaCare

Mandate (HILL)................................................................. 123
Supreme Court Tells Another Court To Reconsider Obamacare
Mandate For Religious Groups (WT) ............................... 123
Lynch Sworn In As Attorney General, And A Full Agenda Awaits
(MCT) ................................................................................ 124
Loretta Lynch Is Sworn In As Attorney General (WP) .............. 125
Loretta Lynch Sworn In As U.S. Attorney General (HUFFPOST)125
Joe Biden On Loretta Lynch: Its About Time (POLITICO) ..... 126
Loretta Lynch Sworn In As New US Attorney General (AP) ..... 126
Loretta Lynch Is Sworn In As Attorney General (NYT) ............. 127
Pope Francis Steps Up Campaign On Climate Change, To
Conservatives Alarm (NYT) ............................................. 127
Obama Expects Climate Change To Be On Agenda When
Pope Visits (WSJ)............................................................. 128
Blame Game: Climate Change Causing Extreme Weather
(USAT) .............................................................................. 129
New Study Links Weather Extremes To Global Warming (NYT)129
Scientists To Investigate Government Climate Data
Tampering (CALLER) .................................................... 130
Senators, Including Franken, Want To Close GI Bill Loophole
For For-profit Colleges (MINNST) .................................... 131
Corinthians Last Rites (WSJ).................................................... 131
LEADING DHS NEWS
Craig said his police department also would investigate

the shooting by the ICE agent.
Its a tragedy. Im committed that we get to the truth,
he said.
No members of the law enforcement task force trying to
serve the warrant were hurt.
The shooting in Detroit follows a number of fatal
shootings by law enforcement officers in other cities.
Marches, disturbances and even violence followed last
summers shooting death of black 18-year-old Michael Brown
by a white Ferguson, Missouri, police officer.
Rioters in Baltimore torched a pharmacy, set police cars
on fire and threw bricks at officers following the funeral
Monday for Freddie Gray, who died earlier this month in
police custody there.
redistributed.
Man Shot To Death By Federal Agent In Detroit

DETROIT A 20-year-old man was shot to death
Monday by a federal agent serving a warrant at a west side
Detroit home.
The man, whose name was not released, was wanted
on armed robbery and weapons charges, U.S. Immigration
and Customs Enforcement spokesman Khaalid Walls said in
a statement.
Members of the Detroit Fugitive Apprehension Team
were allowed into the home shortly after 1 p.m. Monday,
Detroit Police Chief James Craig told reporters.
Im also told the agent may have been faced with a
threat and it was at that point that he decided to use deadly
force, Craig said.
The man was pronounced dead at an area hospital.
Walls said the agent, whose name also has not been
released, is an ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations
officer.
Responsibility reviews the matter, said Walls.
People from the neighborhood gathered outside the
house after the shooting. Several jostled momentarily with
officers and others openly wept, according to video broadcast
on local media.
Federal Agent Fatally Shoots Fugitive In

Detroit During Arrest
Detroit Free Press, April 27, 2015

An attempt to capture a fugitive turned deadly today on
Detroits west side, where a federal agent fatally shot a man
who was wanted for a number of crimes, police said.
The incident happened at around 1 p.m. on the 9500
block of Evergreen near West Chicago.
According to Detroit Police Sgt. Cassandra Lewis, a
fugitive task force had gone to a home to arrest a 20-year-old
4
OPS054000387
man when one of the task force members an officer with

the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was
faced with a threat and opened fire.
There was no forced entry, Lewis said. One of the
ICE officers was faced with a threat and made the decision to
use lethal force to eliminate the threat.
Lewis did not elaborate, noting she did not have details
as to what transpired before the wanted fugitive was shot.
She said the DPD will investigate the shooting to determine if
the force was justified.
We dont know all of those details right now, Lewis
said.
She said she did not know how many times the man
was shot, if he had a weapon or what the threat was. The
mans name has not been released by authorities.
According to Lewis, the victim had several outstanding
arrest warrants for crimes including armed robbery and
weapons violations.
Yellow police tape blocked off the area this afternoon
and about 60 peopleboth relatives and community
memberswere gathered outside the home, some chanting
at times.
Youre supposed to protect and serve the people, one
woman yelled. Not take them out.
Marked and unmarked law enforcement vehicles were
parked on the street as officials investigated.
Lee Snipes, 43, of Detroit, said his cousin was the man
killed.
Snipes said he arrived on the scene as his cousin was
being brought out of the house on a stretcher and said there
was blood everywhere.
ICE officials confirmed that it was one of their officers
who fired the fatal shot. The officer is part of the Detroit
Fugitive Apprehension Team.
Responsibility reviews the matter, ICE spokesman Khaalid
Walls said in a statement. Due to this ongoing review, no
further details will be released at this time.
Maurice L. Hardwick, founder of the Live In Peace
Movement, said he was called to the scene to help keep the
peace.
He said some people are upset and questioning
whether the shooting was justifiable or criminal.
The facts have not been found, he said.
Todays shooting comes as law enforcement struggles
to overcome an image problem exacerbated by recent police
brutality incidents nationwide, including the highly publicized
I cant breathe incident in which a New York man died after
a police officer put him in a choke hold last August.
Detroit police commissioner Ricardo Moore said todays
incident triggered more fear and anxiety in a community
already struggling with poverty, crime and joblessness.
When I first heard about this, my initial reaction was,

Here we go again. But this time its in my own backyard,
said Moore, noting he isnt passing any judgment on law
enforcement until he gets more information about the
incident.
My heart goes out to the ... family and the community
on this situation, Moore said. I would like to see the facts
presented forthright.
Todays shooting comes one week after a former
Inkster police officer was charged with assault and
mistreating a prisoner for allegedly punching a motorist in an
incident that was caught on video.
In announcing the charges, Wayne County Prosecutor
Kym Worthy said: The job of a peace officer can be
dangerous. But we cannot tolerate those who abuse their
authority, violate their oath and prey on citizens rather than
protecting them. We cannot turn our heads when the law
enforcer becomes the law breaker.
In a separate case, however, Worthy said no criminal
charges will be authorized against two officers who were
videotaped by a citizen punching and kicking a carjacking
suspect as they arrested him. Police said the suspect had
allegedly carjacked a grandmother and her two children
before police chased him down. Worthy said the suspect
resisted arrest.
Federal Officer Shoots, Kills Detroit Man One

East Side
Detroit News, April 28, 2015

Detroit A 20-year-old armed robbery suspect was
fatally shot Monday by a federal officer on the citys west side,
angering residents who had to be placated by the citys police
chief.
The Detroit Fugitive Apprehension Team, a task force
that included officers from the Detroit Police Department,
Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Marshals,
were serving an armed robbery warrant in the 9500 block of
Evergreen at the time of the shooting around 1:13 p.m.,
Detroit Police Chief James Craig said.
The officers were allowed into the home to conduct their
search, Craig said.
The incident comes at a time of heightened tension
between police and black communities in some U.S. cities,
spurring a national debate about race and police tactics.
In the Detroit incident, the suspect was black, as was
the federal agent who shot him.
The ICE agent was met by the suspect who I was told
presented a threat, and the officer used lethal force, he said.
The suspect was taken to a local hospital and
pronounced dead.
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OPS054000388
Responsibility reviews the matter, agency spokesman

Khaalid Walls said in a written statement. Due to this
time.
Craig said he was called to the scene by Assistant
Police Chief Steve Dolunt after a crowd gathered and
became agitated.
Television cameras captured officers holding back
people as they tried to maneuver past yellow crime scene
tape.
They were very excited, Craig told The Detroit News.
Craig met with family members of the man who was
killed. Television cameras rolled as he explained to them and
dozens crowded around him: Its tragic. Any time a parent
loses their child, its a tragedy. Im committed that the
investigation will be thorough, and I will have a conversation
with the prosecutors office.
Teria Kellom said her brother Terrance Kellom was
fatally shot. He was staying at his fathers house when
officers arrived, saying they had a search warrant, she said.
Her father first told police his son wasnt there, Kellom
said. She said she asked to see the search warrant and
officers told her they would show her father the warrant after
family members left the home. Officers then went inside to
search for her brother, Kellom said.
The last thing I heard was: Come out or Ill shoot.
Kellom said. They shot him 10 times. They shot him
and then they put the handcuffs on him.
Craig said the suspect was wanted for armed robbery
of a pizza deliveryman, felony firearm and as an habitual
offender.
According to the Michigan Department of Corrections,
Kellom absconded from probation in August for a carrying
concealed weapons conviction in 2013. According to his
MDOC file, Kellom was 5-foot-10 and 145 pounds.
His father, who was at the scene, was also wanted for
a nonviolent felony ... a fraud case, Craig said. We decided
not to arrest him because of the circumstances. We can
always pick him up later; we decided to let him properly
grieve for his son.
Several police cars and caution tape blocked off
Evergreen at West Chicago on the otherwise busy street with
vinyl-sided bungalows.
One man in the crowd yelled: The (ICE agent) shot
that guy for no reason.
Craig told him: Were going to interview all the
witnesses. I cant say what happened.
Craig said the federal agent involved in the shooting is
African-American.
After the incident, Craig told The News members of the
crowd had expressed concerns about controversial officerrelated shootings nationally.
They had some issues about police-involved shootings

in other parts of the country, Craig said. Just by talking to
them, they calmed down.
Ron Scott of the Detroit Coalition Against Police
Brutality took issue with the shooting Monday, saying fugitive
apprehension is not a license to kill.
appalling, distressing and despicable that another young
with multiple gunshots, Scott said in a statement. The
coalition is working with the family ... We demand, and we will
obtain, justice in this case.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of
Inspector General will investigate the incident, while Detroit
Police conduct a criminal investigation, Craig said.
Detroit Police Commissioner Ricardo Moore, who
represents District 7 where the shooting occurred, offered his
condolences and said he will ask for details about the task
force.
My heart goes out to the ... family and the community
on this situation, Moore said in a statement. I would like to
see the facts presented forthright, beginning with the task
force Memorandum of Understanding.
Craig said he expects to hold a meeting with community
residents within 48 hours.
cwilliams@detroitnews.com
(313) 222-2311
Read or Share this story: http://detne.ws/1zgmoua
Federal Agent Kills Detroit Fugitive Wanted In

Pizza Delivery Robbery
MLive, April 28, 2015

DETROIT, MI Tension filled a Detroit neighborhood
Monday afternoon after a federal agent killed a fugitive inside
his home.
The shooter, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement
agent, was with a multi-agency, U.S. Marshals Servicesponsored fugitive task force intending to arrest the man in
connection with an outstanding armed robbery and felony
weapons charge.
ICE officials are refusing to discuss details of the
incident but say it will be investigated internally.
Law enforcement havent said if its believed the slain
man had a weapon but say the ICE agent felt threatened.
More than 40 people, including Detroit police officers,
intertwined hands and formed a prayer circle outside the
dead mans home about 6 p.m. Monday.
Detroit Police Chief James Craig said the man killed by
the federal agent had outstanding warrants connected with
the armed robbery of a pizza delivery driver. He also has
multiple prior felonies.
Police havent confirmed the victims ID.
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Police didnt force there way into the home, Craig said,
but did intend to make an arrest. The ICE agent at one point
felt threatened by the suspects actions and opened fire,
Craig said.
No one has elaborated on what the dead man did that
was perceived as threatening.
The suspect was pronounced dead after being
transported from the scene by ambulance.
Once I got to the scene, certainly the family was upset,
as you would expect, and I did meet with family members,
Craig said. He told them Detroit police would investigate the
shooting and turn their findings over to the Wayne County
Prosecutors Office for review.
Additionally, Craig said, the federal government will
perform and internal investigation focuses on the shooting of
the suspect by an ICE agent.
Responsibility reviews the matter, ICE spokesman Khaalid
Walls said in a prepared e-mail statement. Due to this
time.
The Detroit police captain of the Sixth Precinct, where
the shooting occurred, as well as community police officers
for the neighborhood, responded to the scene to meet with
concerned residents.
A vigil for the slain man is tentatively scheduled for
Wednesday.
WWJs Russ McNamara reported Craig was trying to

calm neighbors at the scene expressing anger and
frustration as they demanded answers.
One woman shouted at the chief as she described what
she claims happened.
It was 10 bulletsand did it take 10 bullets? When he
came out, they didnt have the handcuffs on him! she said.
They shot him! He was not able to run to do nothin. Yall
didnt give him a chance!
Craig promised a thorough investigation.
Were gonna interview all the witnesses. I cant say
what happened inside that home, Craig said. Let us do our
job. Well do it as quick as we can. I dont want this to be a
two, three-month (investigation).
And at the appropriate time well turn our investigation
over to the Wayne County Prosecutors office who will make
a decision on whether a crime was committedThat is not
my decision, he added.
There were other people inside the home at the time of
the shooting, but no one else was hurt including members
of the task force.
ICE spokesman Khaalid Walls released the following
statement Monday evening: During a multi-agency
enforcement action today at a Detroit residence, an ICE
Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officer fatally
wounded a fugitive wanted on state armed robbery and
weapons charges.
Responsibility reviews the matter. Due to this ongoing review,
no further details will be released at this time.
No names have been officially released, although the
Detroit Coalition Against Police Brutality put out statement
identifying the victim of the shooting as Terrence Kellum.
appalling, distressing, and despicable that another young
with multiple gunshots, said coalition spokesperson Ron
Scott. The coalition is working with the family, and they will
release a statement soon regarding this matter. We demand,
and we will obtain, justice in this case.
With emotions running high in the neighborhood, Chief
Craig said he would plan a community outreach meeting at a
nearby church. Note: WWJ and CBSDetroit.com earlier
reported the suspect who was shot was 18 year sold, based
on erroneous information from the Associated Press. The
story has been corrected.
ICE Officer Faced With A Threat Fatally

Shoots 20-Year-Old Man In Detroit CBS
Detroit
WWJ-TV Detroit, April 27, 2015

DETROIT (WWJ) An Immigration and Customs
Enforcement (ICE) officer shot and killed an 20-year-old man
Monday afternoon on Detroits northwest side.
Police say the agent part of a fugitive task force
involving ICE and officers with the Detroit Police Department
was attempting to serve an armed robbery warrant at a
home in the 9500 block of Evergreen near W. Chicago when
the shooting occurred.
I am told there was no forced entry into the residence,
that they were allowed inside, said Detroit Police Chief
James Craig. And Im also told that the agent may have
been faced with a threat, and it was at that point when he
decided to use deadly force.
Craig would not talk more specifically about that alleged
threat.
The suspect a black man had a prior criminal
record including weapons charges, according to police.
ICE Agent Carrying Out Warrant In Detroit

Shoots, Kills Man
OPS054000390
DETROIT (AP) An 18-year-old man has been shot to

death by a federal agent at a home on Detroits west side.
Detroit police say the U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement agent and other officers in a task force were
carrying out a warrant Monday afternoon when the shooting
occurred.
Detroit Police Chief James Craig tells reporters that the
shooting is under investigation.
Craig says he has spoken with the immediate family of
the man who was shot and killed. He also says he is
committed to having a conversation with the Wayne County
prosecutor who will make the ultimate decision on what
should happen next.
The Associated Press is awaiting comment Monday
from a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
spokesman.
No members of the police task force were hurt.
redistributed.
WWJ reports that Detroit Police Chief James Craig said

the ICE agent, who shot the man was responding to a
threat. He did not immediately elaborate.
WWJs Russ McNamara reported that Craig was trying
to calm neighbors at the scene who were demanding
answers. Craig promised a thorough investigation.
Let us do our job. Well do it as quick as we can. I dont
want this to be a two, three-month (investigation), Craig said.
Immigration And Customs Enforcement Agent

Carrying Out Warrant In Detroit Shoots, Kills
Man
WDIV-TV Detroit, April 28, 2015

An 18-year-old man has been shot to death by a U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer at a home on
Detroits west side.
Police Chief James Craig said a fugitive task force was
serving an armed robbery and weapons charges warrant
Monday afternoon at a home in the 9500 block of Evergreen
Road when the shooting happened.
Craig said the officer and other members of a fugitive
task force were inside the home when, at some point, the
officer felt threatened and shots were fire.
Im told there was no forced entry to the residence, that
they were allowed inside. Im also told that the agent may
have been faced with a threat. It was at that point that he
decided to use deadly force, Craig said.
Craig didnt say if the man who was killed had a
weapon, but said he has spoken with the immediate family of
the man who was shot and killed.
Just pray for us all. The family is really devastated. Im
at a loss for words. Another young death, the mans cousin,
Lee Snipes, said.
Several family members of the man and neighbors in
the area were at the scene, visibly angry with police.
Its tragic. Any time a parent loses their child, its tragic.
I just want to say this, Im committed that the investigation is
thorough, that its timely, and that I have a conversation with
the Wayne Country Prosecutors Office. Kym Worthy. Im
committed to that. Ill be talking to the prosecutors office this
afternoon about this very case. Were going to interview all
the witnesses. I cant say what happened, Craig said.
Statement from ICE:
During a multi-agency enforcement action today at a
Detroit residence, an ICE Enforcement and Removal
Operations (ERO) officer fatally wounded a fugitive wanted
on state armed robbery and weapons charges.
--Khaalid Walls, ICE spokesman
Update: Federal Agent On Police Task Force

Fatally Shoots Man
Deadline Detroit, April 28, 2015

Update, 6:50 p.m. Monday: Khaalid Walls, a
spokesman for the U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement agency, issued this statement:
During a multi-agency enforcement action today at a
Detroit residence, an ICE Enforcement and Removal
Operations officer fatally wounded a fugitive wanted on state
armed robbery and weapons charges.
Meanwhile, a source says that the man charged at
officers with a hammer.
Original article:
A federal law enforcement agent shot and killed a man
Monday on Detroits northwest side, WWJ reports.
WWJ reports that the agent with Immigration and
Customs Enforcement (ICE), was part of a joint federal task
force that was serving an armed robbery warrant in the 9500
block of Evergreen near W. Chicago around 1 p.m.
June West, a spokeswoman for the Detroit Police
Department, told Deadline Detroit that the task force came to
the house to arrest the 20-year-old man on the warrant, which
also included a felony firearm charge. She said Detroit Police
homicide investigators were at the scene and the department
was committed to gathering all the facts in the case.
She said there was no forced entry into the house.
Authorities have not yet said if the man was armed.
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Immigration And Customs Enforcement

Officer Shoots, Kills Suspect On Detroits
West Side
Sources tell FOX 2 Kelom, who had a criminal history

that included robbery and weapons charges, approached the
agent with a hammer.
Once the investigation is complete, the Wayne County
Prosecutors Office will decide whether the agents actions
were warranted or charge worthy.
Police is supposed to protect and serve, Lakeisha
Watkins said. Sometimes they make mistakes too.
Craig says his department plans to hold a
neighborhood meeting in the next 48 hours so that they can
work on the relationship because its something that is
important to him.
WXYZ-TV Detroit, April 28, 2015

DETROIT (WXYZ) An Immigration and Customs
Enforcement officer shot and killed a suspect while serving a
warrant, according to police.
It happened in the 9500 block of Evergreen near Joy on
Detroits west side.
Were told the ICE officer was serving the warrant to 19year-old Terrence Kellum as part of task force investigation.
Police say he was allegedly wanted for armed robbery.
The task force was known as D-FAT which stands for
Detroit Fugitive Apprehension Team. I tincludes members of
Detroit Police and U.S. Marshals.
Craig also said the officers were allowed inside, and
one agent may have been threatened, and thats when he
opened fire.
I am committed that the Detroit Police Department will
do a very thorough and very timely investigation, Craig said.
He also said he is committed to having a conversation with
the Wayne County Prosecutor who will make the final
decision on what will happen next.
Seven Police Officers Injured In Violent Clash

Near Mondawmin Mall
By Erica Green
Seven police officers were injured Monday afternoon in
riots that began near Mondawmin Mall and were spreading
toward downtown. One officer was unresponsive and others
suffered broken bones, police spokesman Capt. Eric
Kowalczyk said.
Smoke filled the air as police responded with shields
and a tactical vehicle. Demonstrators pelted officers with
rocks, bricks and bottles and assaulted a photojournalist, and
officers fired back with tear gas and pepper balls.
Demonstrators set a police vehicle ablaze at North and
Pennsylvania avenues. Nearby, they looted a CVS drug
store. The largest group of demonstrators had reached
Howard and Centre streets shortly after 5 p.m., traveling
about 3 miles, according to police reports.
Kowalczyk called the demonstrators lawless
individuals with no regard for the safety of people that live in
that community and said they would be identified and
arrested.
Police said via Twitter many of the rioters were
juveniles and urged parents to bring their children home.
The incident stemmed from a flier that circulated widely
among city school students via social media about a purge
to take place at 3 p.m., starting at Mondawmin Mall and
ending downtown. Such memes have been known to
circulate regularly among city school students, based on the
film The Purge, about what would happen if all laws were
suspended.
The flier included an image of protesters smashing the
windshield of a police car Saturday during a march spurred
by the death of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old man who
suffered a spinal cord injury earlier this month after being
arrested by city police.
Kowalczyk would not speculate on whether the incident
was related to Grays death.
20-year-old Suspect Fatally Shot By Fugitive

Task Force Officer
WJBK-TV Detroit, April 28, 2015

A 20-year-old man was fatally shot by a fugitive task
force officer trying to serve a warrant in Detroit Monday.
Police say the Terrence Kelom charged the officer with
a hammer leading to the west side shooting.
They are saying it was an old warrant that he had was
the reason he came, said Lakeisha Watkins, the victims
cousin. But that boy was changing his life around. He has a
baby, a little girl due any day now.
Family members say he was a good kid who made
some bad decisions. They said police had no reason to shoot
the man also known as TT in front of his parents and sister.
He was reaching for his father when they killed him,
said Larry Watkins, his uncle. That boy had nothing in his
hands. And they did that. They executed him. Ten shots,
thats execution.
Detroit Police Chief James Craig spent much of
Monday trying to restore the calm in the 9500 block of
Evergreen. It is where a Detroit fugitive apprehension team
went to serve an arrest warrant and the ICE agent shot and
killed a man.
I am told there was no forced entry into the residence,
Craig said. That they were allowed inside and let in. I am
also told the agent may have been faced with a threat. It was
at that point he decided to use deadly force.
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The threat prompted police to urge downtown

businesses and institutions to close, including the University
of Maryland, Baltimore, Lexington Market, a city courthouse
and businesses including T. Rowe Price and Venable LLP.
Two city recreation centers in West Baltimore, the Robert C.
Marshall Recreation Center in Upton and Lillian Jones
Recreation Center in Sandtown-Winchester, closed early.
Police were preparing for rioting to make its way
downtown, with officers in helmets and carrying shields
stationed at Lexington Market and the Inner Harbor. All but
one gate to Oriole Park at Camden Yards was closed, with a
game set to begin at 7:05 p.m.
Public officials condemned the riots.
Were in a code red crisis, the Rev. Jamal H. Bryant,
who hours earlier delivered Grays euology, said on CNN. Its
disappointing.
Bryant said a group of men from the Nation of Islam
planned to build a human wall to stop the mob from coming
downtown. Violence is not the answer, he said.
City Council President Bernard C. Jack Young on
Facebook urged the community to stop the violence.
The World is watching us to see if we do what took
place in 1968, he said, referring to riots that crippled the city.
We literally destroyed our neighborhood and business. We
never really recovered from that.
City schools officials said staff were working to ensure
students passed safely between school buildings and bus
stops and would make grief counselors available for students.
We are deeply concerned about our students and
community, and we hope to treat this situation not only as a
teachable moment but also a time for thoughtful reflection on
how we can reduce conflict and violence in our society,
schools officials said in a statement.
City officials said roads near Mondawmin Mall are
closed, as well as and North and Pennsylvania avenues.
Downtown streets were also closed, including Fayette St.
between President and Gay streets near police headquarters.
Also closed is the southbound Jones Falls Express exit for
Fayette Street.
The Metro was shut down between the Mondawmin
and Lexington Market stations.
A post on the University of Maryland Baltimores
website said it was closing early based on a recommendation
from city police. The campus will also stop shuttle service.
UMB posted the following notice on its website:
Due to reports from the Baltimore Police Department
(BPD) concerning scheduled activities today beginning at 3
p.m., UMB will close today at 2 p.m. at the recommendation
of the BPD. These activities may be potentially violent and
UMB could be in the path of any violence. The safety of our
students and employees is of paramount importance please
vacate the campus as soon as possible.
T. Rowe Price closed its downtown offices at 2 p.m.

after receiving what a spokesman called credible
information about protests and large crowds expected
downtown.
We took this step out of an abundance of caution and
to honor our commitment to the safety of our associates,
spokesman Brian Lewbart said in an e-mail.
Venable closed at 2 p.m., also citing an abundance of
caution, spokesman Chris Till said.
Baltimore City District Court closed at 2:30 p.m.,
officials said.
Robert Thomas, director of the Lexington Market, said
the downtown market was closing three hours early at 3 p.m.
Were relying on police intelligence, Thomas said. Its
too unpredictable. We want to make sure the public is safe as
well as the employees.
Thomas said the market closed early on Saturday
during the massive protest that marched past the building. He
said the market had five windows broken during the protest.
The incident also prompted Baltimore County Executive
Kevin Kamenetz and Del. Adrienne Jones to postpone an
event in Timonium calling on Gov. Larry Hogan to release
$68 million in schools funding.
Baltimore County Councilman David Marks addressed
possible demonstrations at Towson Town Center on his
Facebook page: Our office is getting some questions about
possible demonstrations at Towson Town Center Mall and
other locations. I talked to the Towson police captain and
much of this is Internet chatter, but the precinct has engaged
mall management and will be prepared.
Baltimore Sun reporters Kevin Rector, Ian Duncan,
Yvonne Wenger, Jessica Anderson, Eduardo A. Encina and
Justin Fenton contributed to this story.
Protests Erupt In Baltimore After Funeral Of

Suspect Killed In Police Custody
By Dashiell Bennett
Hundreds of young people battled with police officers
near a mall in Baltimore hours after the funeral of Freddie
Gray, a black man who died after suffering a severe spinal
cord injury while in police custody earlier this month.
Local news video showed protestors hurling rocks,
attacking police cars, and even chasing officers down the
street. Reports said that at least one officer was hurt.
SWAT teams with riot gear were deployed to try to
control the crowds, with little success. Officers were also
seen hurling objects back at the crowds.
Violence In Baltimore: 7 Police Officers Injured

In Clashes
By Doyle Murphy
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Police Say Credible Threat Of Gang Attacks;

Protester In Video Says Of Police, We Going
At Them
New York Daily News, April 28, 2015

Protesters destroyed police cars and injured seven
officers one severely during violent clashes between
cops and crowds in Baltimore following the death of a black
man fatally injured in police custody.
People armed with rocks, bricks and boards stormed
the streets on Monday shortly after the funeral for Freddie
Gray.
The crowds are filled with lawless people, a police
official said.
What we do know is they are criminals, police Captain
Eric Kowalczyk said at a news conference.
VIDEO SHOWS RT REPORTER ROBBED DURING
BALTIMORE PROTESTS
Officers would respond with appropriate force to quiet
the neighborhoods, he said.
Youre going to see tear gas, Kowalczyk said. Youre
going to see pepper balls.
It wasnt immediately clear how all the officers were
injured, but people have been throwing rocks and bricks,
police said.
They have broken bones one is unresponsive,
Kowalczyk said. This is not OK.
BRATTONS ADVICE TO EMBATTLED BALTIMORE
POLICE: LISTEN
Live video from the shocking scene showed people
smashing the windows of a police car before climbing on top
and jumping up and down.
More video shows a car in flames. Police confirmed one
of their cars had been set on fire.
The protests had been peaceful until recently. On
Monday morning, police issued a statement, claiming they
had a credible threat several gangs in the city planned to
align to take-out cops. The alliance included members of the
Black Guerilla Family, Bloods and Crips. Baltimore cops
warned police agencies across the country should be on
alert.
Gray was stopped after a foot chase on April 12. A cell
phone video of the bust showed Gray screaming as officers
loaded him into a van. He suffered a severed spinal cord at
some point while in police custody and was eventually
transported to a hospital. He slipped into a coma and died a
week later.
His family had urged people to protest peacefully, and
demonstrations had been nonviolent until recently. On
Monday, people battled officers near the Mondwamin Mall.
Officers swarmed the area to protect residents and were
attacked without provocation, authorities said.
Police advised drivers to avoid the surrounding streets,
and some people were reportedly leaving the city to avoid the
chaos.
Baltimore City Paper, April 27, 2015

The police this morning announced a credible threat
posed by members of the Black Guerilla Family, Bloods, and
Crips joining together to take-out law enforecement officers.
Other sources claiming gang ties have told City Paper they
are aware of a truce to protest the death of Freddie Gray, the
25-year-old who died from a severed spine in police custody,
but know of no plans for violence.
Video captured by City Paper during a demonstration
outside the Western District on Wednesday shows a
protester, claiming to be a member of Black Guerilla Family,
standing atop a barricade and chanting Black power! before
saying, All that gang shit, all that red and that blue shit, that
shit out the window right now, you feel me?
We going at them, he continued, gesturing toward the
officers behind his back. We going at them. Thats our target,
yo. We not each others targets no more. (Stream the full
video below.)
City Paper also talked on Saturday to two other people
who claim to have gang ties. They confirmed that city gangs
have called a truce, but did not say that they were going to
target police, framing it more as a show of respect for Freddie
Gray, while also acknowledging that such a truce is hard to
keep.
This is Baltimore, were all rough here, said a man,
who did not want to give his name, sitting in the middle of
Pratt Street, wearing all red, during Saturdays protests.
Baltimore Police: Rival Gangs Join Forces To

take Out Cops
By Andrea Noble
Rival gangs with national affiliations have teamed up in
an effort to take out law enforcement officers, according to
an alert issued Monday by the Baltimore Police Department.
The department said it has received credible
information that gangs including the Bloods, the Crips and the
Black Guerrilla Family have entered into a partnership to
take out law enforcement officers.
The threat comes the same day as the funeral of
Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man who died from spinal
injuries sustained after he was taken into custody by
Baltimore police this month.
Police did not say whether the threat is believed to be
related to the Gray case, which remains under investigation.
Unrest took hold of Baltimore streets over the weekend
as protesters demonstrated to speak out against police
brutality and demand answers about how Gray was injured
during his encounter with police.
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The demonstrations turned violent when a small group

broke off from the more than 1,200 protesters who gathered
Saturday outside City Hall and smashed some storefront
windows and damaged police cars.
Police said 34 people were arrested and six police
officers sustained minor injuries.
Baltimore police did not indicate in their alert Monday
whether the threat against officers is localized to the
Baltimore area or is thought to be a national threat.
This is a credible threat, the alert stated. Law
enforcement agencies should take appropriate precautions to
ensure the safety of their officers.
A short time earlier, friends, neighbors, activists and

government officials from the local level to the White House
filled New Shiloh Baptist Church and filed past the open,
white coffin bearing the body of Mr. Gray, whose death on
April 19 fed claims of discriminatory and brutal policing, and
set off a week of protests here. The church, with seating for
2,200, was filled to overflowing for the funeral, with many
people standing inside and more standing outside, unable to
crowd in.
The Rev. Jamal Bryant, delivering the eulogy, spoke of
the plight of poor, young black men like Mr. Gray, living
confined to a box made up of poor education, lack of job
opportunities and racial stereotypes the box of thinking all
black men are thugs and athletes and rappers.
He had to have been asking himself: What am I going
to do with my life? the Mr. Bryant said. He had to feel at age
25 like the walls were closing in on him.
Even as the family and speakers the church called for
calm, the Baltimore Police Department announced what it
called a credible threat that street gangs have entered into a
partnership to take out law enforcement officers. Warned of
possible violent by policy, the University of Maryland campus
in downtown Baltimore closed early as did the Mondawmin
Mall in Northwest Baltimore, which was few blacks from the
funeral. Officers with riot shields deployed after reports of a
planned protest in the northwest part of the city. Some
officers were injured after rocks were thrown by protesters,
who taunted police from a distance. who also stoned a city
bus and passing vehicles.
In the church, Mr. Bryant told mourners that black
people must take control of their lives and force the police
and government to change. This is not the time for us as a
people to be sitting on a corner drinking malt liquor. This is
not the time for us to be playing lottery, he said.
Get your black self up and change this city, he said. I
dont know how you can be black in America and be silent.
With everything weve been through, aint no way in the world
you can sit here and be silent in the face of injustice.
He also took a swipe at the news media for heavy
coverage of scattered violence that marred protests over the
weekend. Its easy for the news to capture young people
rioting and looting. Its easy to show that, but you aint ever
going to say why, he said.
When society is sick and mean, the innocent will be
slain, the Rev. Jesse Jackson told the congregation. He
noted the contrast between Baltimores poor, overwhelmingly
black west side, and the citys bustling, prosperous
downtown.
Sixteen thousand abandoned or vacant homes, 25
percent unemployment we dont need more police, we
need more jobs, he said. Why cant the west side get the
same things downtown gets?
LAPD Officers To Ride In Pairs After Baltimore

Police Warn Of Gang Threat
By Richard Winton
The Los Angeles Police Department ordered officers
Monday to ride in pairs while in cars after Baltimore police
received what they considered a credible threat against all
law enforcement officers.
The so-called Blue Alert went out to officers nationwide
and was passed on to LAPD officers after Baltimore police
warned law enforcement agencies across the country that
they had gathered intelligence about a credible threat by the
Black Guerilla family, Crips and Bloods to take out law
Most Los Angeles police officers on patrol already ride
with a partner, but the directive ensures that everyone does.
The information was relayed amid escalated tension
between police and demonstrators protesting the death of
Freddie Gray, a Baltimore man who suffered a fatal spinal
cord injury while in police custody. Some marches have
turned violent, and several officers have been injured.
The notice came as Grays funeral took place. He died
April 19, a week after his arrest.
Freddie Gray Is Mourned At Funeral In

Baltimore
By Sheryl Gay Stolberg
BALTIMORE Thousands of mourners crowded into a
church here on Monday to bid an emotional goodbye to
Freddie Gray, the 25-year-old who died from a spinal cord
injury while in police custody, and to demand reforms in law
enforcement and far beyond it.
But shortly after the funeral, Baltimore police in riot gear
clashed with rock-throwing teenagers not far the church,
injuring several officers. The group continues to be violent
and aggressive, the police said. They are disobeying
dispersal orders.
12
OPS054000395
William Murphy Jr., a lawyer who is representing Mr.

Grays family and is a fixture in Baltimore legal and political
circles, spoke of a blue wall culture of police officers
covering for one anothers wrongdoing.
Its got to be torn down, he said to a rousing ovation,
calling for a special prosecutor to look into police brutality.
The eyes of this country are all on us, because they
want to see whether we have the stuff to make this right, he
said. They want to know whether our leadership is up to the
task.
Much of that leadership was seated in the pews,
including Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, and
Representative Elijah E. Cummings, Democrat of Maryland,
who was one of the speakers. Also among the mourners
were Kweisi Mfume, a former congressman and president of
the N.A.A.C.P.; three aides to President Obama; and several
family members of others killed by the police in various parts
of the country, including Erica Garner, daughter of Eric
Garner, who died after a police officer put him in a chokehold
last year on Staten Island.
Next to Mr. Gray in the white coffin was a white pillow
bearing a picture of him, floating among clouds and flanked
by doves, with the words Peace yall.
Richard Shipley, Mr. Grays stepfather, his voice barely
audible, read a poem written by Mr. Grays sisters, Missy and
Carolina. The tears I have cried for you could flood the
earth, it said.
Before the funeral began, Melissa McDonald, 36, a first
cousin, remembered Mr. Gray, as others did, as a funny,
easygoing man with a big heart who had dreams beyond the
West Baltimore neighborhood where he had been arrested
twice on drug charges before the police stopped him in what
ultimately became a fatal encounter this month.
He was just bubbly. He was a good student. He had
dreams. He had aspirations. He didnt want to be in the hood
forever, she said. No, he didnt make the best choices, but
he was a loving spirit and a giving soul.
Ms. McDonald said she believed that Mr. Gray died for
a reason to bring attention to police treatment of young
black men. Freddie always said he had a purpose in life; I
believe that purpose has been served, she said, adding that
family members were dismayed by the violence that erupted
over the weekend.
As the mayor issued a call for peace, the Baltimore
police said Sunday that 35 people 31 adults and four
juveniles had been arrested, and that six officers had
sustained minor injuries Saturday night as demonstrators
smashed a storefront window, threw rocks and bottles, and
scuffled with officers in riot gear outside Camden Yards, the
Orioles downtown baseball stadium.
The authorities described the fracas as isolated
pockets of chaos after a largely peaceful march through
downtown. Appearing at a church with a congressman and
two dozen religious and community leaders, Ms. RawlingsBlake accused protest leaders from outside Baltimore of
inciting the violence with inflammatory language.
Many of the people who werent from our community
were, in essence, trying to hijack the very raw emotions of
some of those who live in Baltimore and were expressing
anger over the death of Mr. Gray, Ms. Rawlings-Blake said.
Some of the people from outside were inciting, she said,
with go out there and shut this city down kind of messaging.
Mr. Bryant led some early demonstrations in Baltimore,
but skipped the protest on Saturday and appeared at night at
City Hall with the mayor to appeal for calm.
The New Shiloh Baptist Church, a well-known
congregation in Northwest Baltimore, was led for decades by
the Rev. Harold A. Carter, who preached on the radio. His
son, the Rev. Harold Carter Jr., presided over Mr. Grays
funeral.
Mr. Bryants spokeswoman said Sunday night that
members of a group called Families United for Justice, which
represents family members of other black men who died after
confrontations with the police, would be in attendance to
support the Gray family.
The Rev. Al Sharpton, who has so far stayed out of the
Baltimore protests, said on Monday that he had been asked
by many in the Baltimore area to get involved, and that he
intended to do so, citing reports unconfirmed that the
police might not finish an inquiry by Friday.
Mr. Sharpton said he intended to come to Baltimore this
week to have a meeting with grass-roots activists and faith
leaders to schedule a two-day march in May from Baltimore
to Washington. He said the march would bring the case of
Mr. Gray and other black men who have died after
encounters with the police to the attention of Loretta
Lynch, who was sworn in as attorney general on Monday and
who he said must look and intervene in these cases.
Baltimore has a history of tense relations between the
police and black residents, and while Ms. Rawlings-Blake and
the police commissioner, Anthony Batts, have said they are
trying to make improvements, Mr. Grays death has clearly
opened a deep wound in this city in which nearly two-thirds of
the population is black.
Mr. Gray was chased and restrained by the police on
bicycles at the Gilmor Homes, a public housing development
in Northwest Baltimore, on the morning of April 12; a
cellphone video of his arrest shows him being dragged into a
police transport van, seemingly limp, and screaming in pain.
The police have acknowledged that he should have
received medical treatment immediately at the scene of the
arrest, and have also said that he rode in the van unbuckled,
prompting speculation here that he may have been given a
rough ride, in which he was intentionally jostled. After
officers got him to the police station, medics rushed him to
13
OPS054000396
the hospital, where he slipped into a coma and died on April

19.
Six officers have been suspended with pay while the
Baltimore Police Department carries out a criminal
investigation. (Some demonstrators on Saturday carried signs
reading, No paid vacations.) The Justice Department is also
reviewing the case for possible civil rights violations, and Mr.
Grays family has hired a third party to conduct an
independent investigation.
The police have said they will wrap up their inquiry on
Friday, and will submit the results to the states attorney for
Baltimore Marylands name for the local prosecutor who
will consider whether to bring criminal charges.
We are about to go to a funeral tomorrow where a
family has lost their son, Mr. Cummings, the congressman,
said on Sunday, appearing alongside the mayor. And I dont
want us to lose sight of that: 25 years old, 145 pounds. A
family lost their son. They will forever mourn for what could
have been. I did not come here to ask the public to be
respectful of the family. Ive come to beg that.
The protests show little sign of abating. The same
group that organized Saturdays demonstration, Black
Lawyers for Justice, based in Washington, is planning
another march and rally outside City Hall for this Saturday. It
is advertising the march with fliers that declare shut em
down! in bold capital letters.
Richard Perez-Pena contributed reporting from New
York.
standing near a car burning outside her house. Its just now
boiling over.
Minutes later, Representative Elijah E. Cummings, a
Democrat from Maryland, appeared in the middle of a
spontaneous march. He was surrounded by several hundred
people, walking arm in arm down West North Avenue,
singing, Im going to stay on the battlefield.
They walked away from the police gathered just a few
blocks away. Every few steps, more people joined the group.
A man in a blue shirt locked arms with a man in a gray suit; a
man rolled forward in a wheelchair.
Were out here, and this is peaceful, Bishop Walter S.
Thomas, pastor of the New Psalmist Baptist Church, shouted
to the crowd. After a pause, they continued, singing This
Little Light of Mine. Helicopters shined spotlights on the
group, the thwack-thwack of their rotors competing with the
music.
The march ended at New Shiloh Baptist Church on
North Monroe Street, where people raised their hands in a
moment of silence to commemorate Mr. Gray, who died a
week after his arrest. Several of the ministers, led by the Rev.
Ron Owens, convened a meeting with some of the young
rioters. While about 50 people sat in pews, six or seven
young men went to the front of the church with the ministers,
where they laid out their own mix of chaos and calm.
A couple of the young men wore bandannas to hide
their identity. The young men identified themselves as
members of the Crips, Bloods and Black Guerrilla Family
street gangs. One of the Crips members, who called himself
Charles, wearing a red Chicago Bulls Derrick Rose T-shirt,
said the gang members had taken to the street because
there is only so far that you can push people into a corner.
Were frustrated, he continued, and thats why were
out there in the streets.
Then he described how he and some Bloods had stood
in front of black-owend stores to protect them from looting or
vandalism. He said they had made sure no black children, or
reporters, were hit by rioters. They pointed them toward
Chinese- and Arab-owned stores. Charles said Mr. Gray had
brought gangs together.
I rolled over here on a truck, and I was the only Crip
and everybody else was Bloods. And they didnt do anything
to me. Were together in this.
Amid Violence, Factions And Messages

Converge In A Weary And Unsettled Baltimore
By Ron Nixon
BALTIMORE The middle-aged woman buried deep
in a crowd of protesters near the intersection of North Fulton
and West North Avenues held up a yellow sign with black
lettering. One side issued a demand: Stop the lethal force.
The other provided what could be seen as an ominous
warning: Pow pow you reap what you sow.
All around, not far from the Gilmor Homes, the public
housing development where Freddie Gray was arrested
before suffering a spinal cord injury in police custody, the
battle between chaos and calm raged.
Young men, some in surgical masks, pulled cases of
water from a looted convenience store while peaceful
protesters from 300 Men March, a local anti-violence group,
tried to persuade women and children to go back inside after
ambulances slowly moved through streets marked by burned
or abandoned cars.
This is what you have from years and years of police
brutality and abuse in this city, said Deontrae Lucas,
Baltimore Police, Protesters Clash; 7 Officers

Hurt
By John Bacon And William M. Welch

Protesters in Baltimore hurled rocks at police, destroyed
at least two patrol cars and looted a store as demonstrations
escalated Monday over the death of a black man in police
custody.
14
OPS054000397
Police said seven officers were injured.

Dozens of people could be seen throwing bricks, rocks
and other objects at officers, just hours after funeral services
for Freddie Gray. Some demonstrators attacked a stopped
police car, leaping on the roof and hood and smashing
windows. Minutes later another police car was engulfed in
flames.
Police officers moved in and took down several people
near the damaged car.
A group of people is now looting a store in the area of
North Ave and Pennsylvania Ave., police said on Twitter.
They urged citizens to avoid the area. Aerial video from local
TV news showed a crowd appearing to loot a pharmacy with
no police visible.
Baltimore police Capt. Eric Kowalczyk said seven
officers were injured. He said one officer was unresponsive
and others had broken bones. He condemned criminals who
violently and without provocation attacked our police officers.
He said officers would respond with tear gas and
pepper balls.
We will continue to keep the city safe, he said.
Numerous police officers in riot gear responded to the
demonstrations near a mall in northwest Baltimore. Police
described many of the protesters as juveniles.
Several juveniles are part of these aggressive groups.
WE ARE ASKING ALL PARENTS TO LOCATE THEIR
CHILDREN AND BRING THEM HOME.
A flier circulated on social media called for a period of
violence Monday afternoon to begin at the Mondawmin Mall
and move downtown toward City Hall, Associated Press
reported. Outside the mall, a young person threw a flaming
trash can at the line of officers.
The University of Maryland Baltimore shut down its
campus, hours after city police announced a credible threat
that local gangs were targeting police officers.
The police department said the Criminal Intelligence
Unit had obtained information indicating members of various
gangs including the Black Guerilla Family, Bloods and Crips
have entered into a partnership to take out law enforcement
officers.
The group continues to be violent and aggressive. They
are disobeying dispersal orders. We are working to evacuate
our injured officers.
The department said law enforcement agencies and
officers should take appropriate precautions. It was not clear
if the threat to officers was directly tied to the concern for
safety at the school.
The campus shut down at 2 p.m. at the
recommendation of the BPD. The school cited unidentified
activities (that) may be potentially violent and UMB could be
in the path of any violence.
The safety of our students and employees is of

paramount importance please vacate the campus as soon as
possible.
The schools alert was issued shortly after the funeral of
Freddie Gray, which drew thousands of mourners to the
downtown Baltimore church.
Grays death April 19 while in police custody set off a
week of protests. Most of the protest were quiet until
Saturday night. That protest began peacefully with more than
1,000 people rallying at City Hall. Police Commissioner
Anthony Batts said he moved through the crowd, promising
that his office was making systemic changes.
Freddie Gray protests turn violent, Baltimore officers
injured http://t.co/S1dXtx80gI https://t.co/9J62086SQC
Rocks and other debris flying at North Monroe and
Gwynns Falls pic.twitter.com/Pb0r1fkQgI
Batts, who is black, said the organized protest had
essentially wrapped up when tense confrontations resulted in
violence. He has blamed the violence on agitators.
The protesters became very violent. They began to
throw objects, Batts said Saturday night. They picked up
aluminum barricades and smashed windows at our bars and
pubs.
Patrol cars were smashed. Six police officers suffered
minor injuries; 34 people were arrested.
Batts said some residents moved between police and
the angry crowd, urging the protesters not to damage the city.
He commended police officers for showing tremendous
restraint and city residents for helping tamp down the unrest.
I am proud of our residents and our police officers,
Batts said. The vast majority of residents out here did a good
job. ... A small number of people felt like they had to turn this
into an ugly day.
Contributing: Associated Press
Protests Continue In Baltimore; Police Say

Rocks, Bricks Thrown At Officers
By Dana Hedgpeth And Clarence Williams

Baltimore police on Monday afternoon clashed with
small groups of young protestors who tossed rocks and bricks
at officers and damaged police cruisers, injuring several
officers.
Police said that seven officers have been hurt in
incidents near the Mondawmin Mall in the Reisterstown Road
area. Some suffered broken bones and one officer is
unresponsive, police said in an afternoon press conference.
Television images showed youths jumping on a police
cruiser and smashing the cars windows, and police said the
protestors had set small fires and looted at least one store.
Dozens of police officers wearing helmets and riot gear lined
up to confront groups of youths.
15
OPS054000398
Right now our focus is making sure that the people

who live in that community are safe and that our officers are
safe, Baltimore police Capt. Eric Kowalczyk said in a press
conference. We will find the people that are responsible and
we will put them in jail. Right now its a group of lawless
individuals with no regard for the safety of the people who live
in that community.
The tensions came after the funeral of Freddie Gray at
a Baltimore church. Hundreds had gathered to pay their
respects to Gray, 25, who died in police custody making
his death the latest flashpoint in a national debate over police
treatment of racial minorities.
Authorities shut down transit in the area, including the
Mondawmin Metro Station and continued to pour in additional
resources as protest groups defied orders to disperse.
Gray died April 19, a week after he was arrested on a
West Baltimore corner, pinned to the ground and dragged to
the back of a police wagon. Police said he died of severe
injuries to his spine and both federal and local authorities are
trying to determine how the injuries occurred.
Police officials also said Monday theyve received
credible information that various gangs, including the Black
Guerilla Family, the Bloods and the Crips, have entered into
a partnership to take-out law enforcement officers.
Baltimore police advised law enforcement agencies to
take appropriate precautions to make sure their officers
were safe.
No further details were immediately available as to
where or when the incidents might occur or when the threats
were received.
Amid concerns about the protests, some business
decided to close early.
T. Rowe Price closed its downtown Baltimore offices at
2 p.m. Monday, based on credible information received
earlier today predicting additional protest activities and very
large crowds gathering in the downtown vicinity , said
company spokesman Brian Lewbart in a statement.
We took this step out of an abundance of caution and
to honor our commitment to the safety of our associates,
Lewbart said.
Gallery Place mall at the Inner Harbor closed Monday
afternoon and Johns Hopkins Universitys Carey Business
School closed their Harbor East campus due to
demonstrations, officials said.
The University of Maryland Baltimore campus also
closed at 2 p.m. as university officials cited a
recommendation by city police. School spokesman Alex
Likowski said police warned of activity that could become
violent, but he could not specify what the potentially
dangerous events were.
We have to trust them that when they have good
credible information, we have to take them at face value.
Over the weekend, there were protests in Baltimore that

at times turned violent with damage done to police cars and
some vandalism of outdoor patios near the baseball stadium.
Peter Hermann, Julie Zauzmer and Hamil Harris
contributed to this report.
Lynch Faces Baltimore Riots On Day 1
16
By Kendall Breitman And Jennifer Shutt

Attorney General Loretta Lynch barely had the chance
to settle into her new office at the Justice Department before
she was asked to take up a racially and politically charged
topic: the violent and escalating riots in Baltimore.
I condemn, the new attorney general said in a
statement Monday night, the senseless acts of violence by
some individuals in Baltimore that have resulted in harm to
law enforcement officers, destruction of property and a
shattering of the peace in the city of Baltimore. Those who
commit violent actions, ostensibly in protest of the death of
Freddie Gray, do a disservice to his family, to his loved ones,
and to legitimate peaceful protestors who are working to
improve their community for all its residents.
Lynch assured President Barack Obama that she was
monitoring events in Baltimore and that the DOJ stood ready
to help, the White House said in a statement.
Numerous policing issues had surfaced around the
nation during the time Lynch was awaiting a vote in the
Senate. In her confirmation hearing, Lynch said, One of my
key priorities would be to work to strengthen the vital
relationships between our courageous law enforcement
personnel and all the communities we serve.
On Monday, she addressed some of the same themes:
In the days ahead, I intend to work with leaders throughout
Baltimore to ensure that we can protect the security and civil
rights of all residents. And I will bring the full resources of the
Department of Justice to bear in protecting those under
threat, investigating wrongdoing, and securing an end to
violence.
Obama spoke earlier with Baltimore Mayor Stephanie
Rawlings-Blake, who has struggled to contained protests that
turned ugly after the funeral of Gray, a 25-year-old black man
who died of a spinal injury on April 19 while in police custody.
Top presidential adviser Valerie Jarrett also spoke with
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, the White House said; Hogan
later said he spoke with the president as well.
Hogan announced Monday evening that he had
declared a state of emergency and activated the National
Guard. Todays looting and acts of violence in Baltimore will
not be tolerated, he said. There is a significant difference
between protesting and violence and those committing these
acts will be prosecuted under the fullest extent of the law.
As of Monday night, at least 15 police officers had been
injured in the unrest, which also involved violence, looting, the
OPS054000399
vandalizing of police cars and the setting of fires. At least two

officers were reported hospitalized.
Speaking at a news conference Monday night,
Rawlings-Blake announced a weeklong, city-wide curfew and
rebuked those who are participating in violent protests, calling
them thugs.
Too many people have spent generations building up
this city for it to be destroyed by thugs, who in a very
senseless way are trying to tear down what so many have
fought for, she said.
Rawlings-Blake said there was a very clear difference
between the peaceful protesters, who have been marching
for answers and justice following the death of Gray while in
police custody, and those people who have been burning
police cars and vandalizing businesses.
She said the actions taken by violent protesters are not
acceptable and will impact the community for years.
Later Monday, Hogan appeared to cite fault with
Rawlings-Blake, saying that he was communicating with the
National Guard and other members of law enforcement when
Rawlings-Blake finally called to request help.
Hogan, a Republican who took office in predominantly
Democratic Maryland in January, later tried to walk back the
comment by saying he and the mayor are on the same team
and that he knows city officials have done everything in their
power to get this under control.
He also spoke with Obama. Hogan said the president
supported the decision to send National Guard troops into the
city 100 percent, but urged Hogan to exercise due
restraint.
I assured him the last thing we want to do is escalate
the violence, Hogan replied.
On Capitol Hill, Marylands two Democratic senators
denounced the violence that broke out Monday afternoon but
stressed that most of the demonstrations following Grays
death have been peaceful. Barbara Mikulski, Ben Cardin, and
other Democrats from the states delegation asked the
Justice Department last week to investigate the
circumstances of Grays death and whether his civil rights
were violated.
Former Maryland Gov. Martin OMalley also weighed in:
Im saddened that the City I love is in such pain this night. All
of us share a profound feeling of grief for Freddie Gray and
his family. We must come together as one City to transform
this moment of loss and pain into a safer and more just future
for all of Baltimores people.
The White House said in its statement that the DOJ is
probing Grays death.
Mikulski said Monday that whatever should come out
of that investigation should go forward.
The images of the violent clashes in Baltimore were in
sharp contrast to Lynchs words earlier in the day, when she
spoke emotionally at her swearing-in about the promise her

agency holds to be a force of positive change.
She implored her DOJ colleagues, to not just represent
the law and enforce it, but use it to make real the promise of
America, the promise of fairness and equality, of liberty and
justice for all.
On Saturday, Rawlings-Blake said she had instructed
police to allow protesters to exercise free speech.
Its a very delicate balancing act, because, while we
tried to make sure that they were protected from the cars and
other things that were going on, we also [as a result] gave
those who wished to destroy space to do that as well,
Rawlings-Blake said.
On Monday, she assailed the media for treating those
remarks as if they were meant to give permission for
violence.
The very blatant mischaracterization of my words was
not helpful today, Rawlings-Blake said. I was asked a
question about the property damage that was done. In
answering that question I made it very clear that we balance
a very fine line between giving peaceful protesters a space to
protest. What I said is, in doing so, people can hijack that and
use that space for bad. I did not say that we were accepting
of that.
Obama sent Broderick Johnson, chairman of the My
Brothers Keeper Task Force, a White House initiative to
promote the well-being of minority men, to Grays funeral on
Monday.
Among other things, Mondays violence led to the
postponement of the baseball game between the Baltimore
Orioles and the visiting Chicago White Sox, with the
possibility that Tuesdays Orioles-White Sox game would be
moved to the Washington Nationals stadium. On Saturday,
spectators had been asked to remain inside Baltimores
Camden Yards at the end of a game against the Boston Red
Sox because of mayhem nearby.
Theres so many things that go on that you get
challenged with, obviously this is a different level, Orioles
Manager Buck Showalter was quoted as saying by The
Associated Press. Theres not a lot of experience with it.
Seung Min Kim contributed to this report.
Chaos In Baltimore As Dozens Clash With Riot

Police; Multiple Officers Injured

Dozens of people sparred with police in riot gear
outside a mall in northwest Baltimore, where police reported
multiple officers had been injured.
Some threw rocks and bricks at the officers, who were
wearing helmets and face shields. Protestors jumped on a
police car and destroyed it, set another ablaze and looted a
CVS Pharmacy.
17
OPS054000400
Baltimore PoliceCapt. Eric Kowalczyk said seven

officers were injured. He said several officers have broken
bones, and one officer is unresponsive.
He also said officers would use tear gas and pepper
balls to disperse unruly crowds.
Baltimore Police said outside agitators were
responsible for the violence. They also said in a tweet that
juveniles were contributing to the aggression and asked all
parents to locate their children and bring them home.
Baltimore Police took to Twitter to give running updates
of the situation:
The group in the area of Gwynns Falls & Liberty
Heights has become very aggressive and violent. We are
continuing to deploy resources, read one tweet.
Several officers have been injured. The crowd is not
obeying our dispersal orders, said another.
Despite having rocks, bricks, and other items thrown at
us officers are using fire extinguishers to put out small fires
in the area, police added.
A group is now looting a store in the area of North Ave
and Pennsylvania Ave. Avoid the area, said another tweet.
One man held his arms up as the police moved toward
him, an action that has been repeated throughout the rallies
for Freddie Gray, who died of spinal injuries while in police
custody.
Earlier, a small group of mourners started lining up
about two hours ahead of Grays funeral Monday.
The Baltimore Orioles are scheduled to host the
Chicago White Sox at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on
Monday night at 7:05 p.m.
injuries sustainted after he was arrested by Baltimore police

in an April 12 incident.
Like Baltimore officials including Batts, Hogan
emphasized the role of outside agitators in spite of the fact
that all but three of the 34 arrested in Saturdays rioting were
Maryland residents.
There were agitator groups from all over the country
that came in and some of them are really radical anarchist
groups and communist organizations, the governor said. He
said many local residents tried to stop them but that some
young folks were incited to violence.
It was just folks trying to take advantage of the
situation, he said.
Hogan said he has been communicating regularly with
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and sees the states role as
to support city officials without interfering with their decisions.
He said the state had provided about 100 law enforcement
officers to back up the citys efforts to prevent violence.
We were in constant contact with the city and provided
all the assistance that they asked for, he said.
Hogan noted that on Tuesday he will sign several bills
related to issues of police conduct, including one lifting the
liability limit for lawsuits against local governments and
another creating a legal framework for the use of body
cameras by police agencies to record interactions with the
public.
The governor said the bills arent a panacea for the
problems of conflicts between police and the public.
It isnt going to solve the entire problem, but it at least
chips away at parts of the situation, he said.
Hogan Says State Is Prepared To Help

Baltimore If Violence Erupts
Violence, Looting In Baltimore After Freddie

Gray Funeral, 7 Officers Hurt

State authorities are ready to help Baltimore deal with
any recurrence of the violence that broke out Saturday
evening after a day of peaceful protests, Gov. Larry Hogan
said Monday.
Hogan, appearing on WBALs C4 Show with former
state Sen. Clarence Mitchell IV, said that he is monitoring the
situation on an hourly basis and that the state has its
emergency operations center up and running.
Well be prepared if in fact we have some situation that
gets out of hand, Hogan said.
Mitchell had asked the governor what the state would
do if the public reacts negatively to the results of a police
investigation ordered by Baltimore Police Commissioner
Anthony W. Batts. The investigation follows the death of
Freddie Gray from injuries he received while in police custody
Funeral services were held for Gray, 25, on Monday
eight days after he died at Shock Trauma as a result of spinal
By Michael Muskal
Police and angry teenagers faced off in Baltimore on
Monday, hours after thousands of mourners called for justice
and peace during the funeral of Freddie Gray, whose death is
the latest flash point in the continuing unease between parts
of the African American community and police.
Television images showed protesters throwing rocks
and other debris at police who were set to respond with tear
gas and pepper spray, Capt. Eric Kowalczyk said during a
televised news conference.
At least seven officers suffered broken bones during the
confrontation, the spokesman said. Television showed some
individuals looting a drug store and at least one police car
burning.
This is a group of lawless individual with no regard for
people, Kowalczyk told reporters. We dont know who is out
there. We do they are criminals and have attacked officers
without provocation.
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OPS054000401
The unrest slowly built up steam in the early afternoon,

beginning with a few individuals confronting a phalanx of
officers then growing to hundreds of people swarming
through the area that serves as a transportation hub for
nearby schools and for the Mondawmin Mall.
A flier circulated on social media called for
confrontations Monday afternoon to begin at the mall then
move downtown toward City Hall. There have been a number
of similar calls, many citing The Purge, a movie based on
the idea of a temporary suspension of all law.
The latest violence comes about two weeks after Gray
was arrested by police and fatally injured in an incident that
has enflamed the city. Over the weekend, 35 people were
arrested and six offciers injured in demonstrations.
Hours earlier, officials from city government to the
White House attended the funeral service for Gray, who died
April 19 of a severed spine, a week after he was arrested by
police. Gray, hands cuffed behind his back and later
restrained by leg irons, was apparently injured during
transport, slipped into a coma and died.
In a footnote to the growing unease, Baltimore police
announced they had received a credible threat that three
violent gangs, the Black Guerrilla Family, the Bloods and the
Crips, were working together to take out law enforcement
officers. It was unknown if the threat was connected to Grays
death.
Mourners gathered in the morning for the televised
funeral service, which lasted almost two hours. It drew such
dignitaries as Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and Rep.
Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) as well as a host of civil rights
leaders including the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Dick Gregory,
Maryland Rep. John Sarbanes and former Maryland
Representative and NAACP leader Kweisi Mfume.
Grays family sat in a front pew of the sanctuary that
holds more than 2,000 people. Eight floral arrangements
surrounded Grays white coffin in front of the pulpit. Screens
on the walls showed the words: Black Lives Matter & All
Lives Matter, which have become slogans at demonstrations
around the country in the past year since a white police
officer shot an unarmed black man in Ferguson, Mo. That
case was followed by demonstrations over the deaths of
blacks in Staten Island, Cleveland, Tulsa, Okla., and South
Carolina.
The eyes of this country are all on us, because they
want to see whether we have the stuff to make this right,
William Murphy Jr., a lawyer who is representing the Gray
family, told the mourners.
We need justice not just for Freddie Gray, for the
Freddie Grays to come, he said.
We will not rest until we address this and see that
justice is done, Cummings said of the Gray case. And so,
this is our watch. We will not fail you.
The investigation is continuing into the incident that

began April 12 when Gray was walking with a friend and
made eye contact with police. Both fled and police gave
chase, catching Gray.
Video of the arrest shows Gray with his hands cuffed
behind him being put into the police van. The wagon stopped
at least twice. At one stop, Gray was taken out by police,
placed on the ground and his legs put in irons. He was
returned to the van. At the second stop, another prisoner is
put in the van, separated by a metal barrier.
Throughout, Gray said he needed medical attention and
at one point asked for an inhaler, police said.
On Friday, Baltimore Police Commissioner Anthony
Batts said he was appalled that Gray did not receive proper
medical care immediately. He also said officers should have
given Gray timely medical care during the transport to the
police station.
Batts also said there are no excuses for Gray not being
buckled in a seat belt while in the van.
Exactly what happened to Gray remains a mystery that
will be answered when the full autopsy is released.
Officials have said he died of a severed spine,
confirming the familys original claim. The family also has said
Grays voice box was crushed and his neck snapped before
he slipped into a coma and died a week after his arrest.
Baltimore officials are scheduled to submit their findings
into the death by Friday. Five of the six officers have been
interviewed by police as have several witnesses, including
some who shot video of at least one of the stops made by the
van.
Erica Garner, 24, the daughter of Eric Garner, who died
in New York police custody, attended Grays funeral. She
said she came after seeing the video of Grays arrest.
Its like there is no accountability, no justice, she said.
Its like were back in the 50s, back in the Martin Luther King
days. When is our day to be free going to come?
Civil rights leader the Rev. Al Sharpton said Monday he
plans to visit Baltimore this week to discuss Grays death. In a
statement, Sharpton said he also wants to plan a two-day
march in May from Baltimore to Washington.
Dozens Of Anne Arundel County Officers Sent

To Assist In Baltimore Protests
By Brandi Bottalico
Annapolis (MD) Capital Gazette, April 28, 2015
Dozens of Anne Arundel County police have been sent
to assist Baltimore Police during Freddie Gray riots that have
continued.
Baltimore City Police are currently involved in activity at
Mondawmin Mall, where seven police officers have been
injured as of Monday afternoon, according to The Baltimore
19
OPS054000402
Sun. Police urged downtown Baltimore businesses to close in

light of the threat.
It is unkown whether any of the injured officers were
from Anne Arundel County, said Lt. T.J. Smith, an Anne
Arundel County police spokesman. Smith said the officers
sent as support will not affect police presence in the county.
Our staffing levels are fine, he said in an email.
These are additional officers.
Anne Arundel County officers were also sent to assist
Baltimore City police on Saturday, Smith said.
There were no Annapolis police officers sent to assist in
the Baltimore riots, said Cpl. Amy Miguez, Annapolis police
spokeswoman.
Anne Arundel County schools superintendent George
Arlotto also issued a statement Monday afternoon cancelling
40 upcoming field trips to Baltimore due to the unrest in
Baltimore.
Other videos showed looters damaging businesses and

stomping on cars.
As police moved to halt the violence, chaos erupted.
Baltimore-based photographer J.M. Giordano said on
Twitter that he was beaten by police while taking photos of
the protests, and that an Associated Press photographer was
arrested.
The attack was purportedly caught on camera watch
the video below (content warning: strong language and
violence):
Giordano later tweeted that he was OK.
Later in the evening, a Russia Today reporter was
attacked and robbed as she recorded footage of the protests.
Police Commissioner Anthony Batts said roughly 1,200
officers were deployed downtown and across the city to try
and keep the peace. At least five officers were injured and 12
people were arrested. Batts said he believes the very violent
agitators are not from Baltimore.
Im proud of our residents, Batts said. The majority of
the people here did a great job.
But Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said she was
profoundly disappointed.
Unfortunately a small group of agitators turned what
was otherwise a peaceful demonstration into a violent protest.
This is something thats unacceptable to me and everyone
who lives in Baltimore, she said.
The chaotic scene Saturday night prompted the first
public remarks from Grays twin sister, who pleaded for peace
at a news conference alongside the mayor.
My family wants to say, can you all please, please stop
the violence? Fredricka Gray said. Freddie Gray would not
want this.
This story has been updated.
Brutal Videos Capture Baltimore Violence:

People Are Getting Kicked In The Head Out
There!
By Zach Noble
BALTIMORE (TheBlaze/AP) Police, photographers,
protesters and baseball fans all were exposed to the
violence.
Protests ripped through Baltimore on Saturday as a
furious crowd railed against the death of Freddie Gray.
Gray, a black man, died after his spine was apparently
broken during his April 12 arrest.
The circumstances surrounding his death are not
entirely clear, but the six officers involved have been
suspended as the city investigates.
The Baltimore Sun reported that protesters, some
1,200-strong, called cops Killers! and shouted, Theres
blood on your hands! and Sellout! as police in riot gear
closed in Saturday afternoon.
A video posted to YouTube purports to show protesters
attacking bar-goers in Baltimore, hurling massive trash cans,
empty bottles and other debris at bewildered bystanders.
In the video, one man who confronts protesters is
quickly overwhelmed and beaten. Other shots show beer
bottles raining down on a woman in a wheelchair.
Images via YouTube
At the end of the video, the person recording heads
back inside the bar, where it appears not everyone is aware
of the violence going on right outside.
People are getting kicked in the head out there!
someone yells.
Watch the video below (content warning: strong
language and violence):
7 Police Officers Injured In Violent Protests In

Baltimore
By Kendall Breitman
Seven police officers have been injured in violent
protests in Baltimore, according to Police Capt. Eric
Kowalczyk, and one officer is unresponsive.
Kowalcyks update comes after city police broke up a
crowd of rioters who were smashing a police car on live
television, and the same day as the funeral of Freddie Gray,
the 25-year-old black man who died of a spinal injury on April
19 while in police custody.
Protesters were seen destroying a police car on live
video taken via helicopter. Shortly after, Kowalcyk said that
Baltimore police will find the people responsible for the
damage and violence and put them in jail. He called them a
group of lawless individuals.
20
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Kowalcyk said that the Baltimore Police Department

had received an unspecified threat on Monday morning that
was determined to be credible and police responded with
the appropriate precautions, such as alerting other local law
officials.
Kowalczyk offered no update about the size of the
protests, saying only that they involved a large group of
people over a significant area and that officers intend to quell
the violence aggressively, but humanely.
Youre going to see tear gas, youre going to see
pepper balls, were going to use appropriate methods to
ensure safety, he said.
After his news conference ended, CNN showed live
overhead footage of rioters looting a CVS pharmacy.
On Saturday, Baltimore Mayor Stephanie RawlingsBlake said that she had instructed police to allow protesters
to exercise free speech.
Its a very delicate balancing act, because, while we
tried to make sure that they were protected from the cars and
other things that were going on, we also [as a result] gave
those who wished to destroy space to do that as well,
Rawlings-Blake said.
President Barack Obama sent Broderick Johnson, the
chairman of the My Brothers Keeper Task Force, a White
House initiative to promote the well-being of minority men, to
Grays funeral on Monday.
Clashes In Baltimore After Funeral Of Man

Who Died In Custody
AFP, April 28, 2015

Baltimore (AFP) Violent street clashes erupted in
Baltimore on Monday after friends and family gathered for the
funeral of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man whose
death in custody triggered a fresh wave of protests over US
police tactics.
Police said at least seven officers were injured one of
them was unresponsive as youths hurled bricks and bottles
and destroyed at least one police vehicle in the vicinity of a
shopping mall not far from the church where the funeral took
place.
Local and state police in riot gear were struggling to
restore order, with rioters refusing to heed dispersal orders.
We have seven officers injured during the course of
this. They have broken bones, one is unresponsive,
Baltimore police captain Eric Kowalczyk told reporters.
Youre going to see tear gas. (...) Were going to use
appropriate methods to ensure that were able to preserve the
safety of that community.
NBC affiliate WBAL described one man being arrested
within seconds of him telling its reporter that he had been hit
in the head with debris.
21
The violence followed both Grays funeral and a

message on social media announcing a purge street
slang for random acts of lawlessness when schools let out
for the day.
Fear of unrest prompted the University of Marylands
downtown campus and several businesses to shut down
early.
Earlier in the day, thousands of people arrived at the
New Shiloh Baptist church to pay final respects to Gray, who
died on April 19 of severe spinal injuries, a week after his
arrest in Baltimore, north of Washington.
His death was the latest in a string of high-profile
confrontations between African Americans and police,
including the fatal shooting of unarmed teenager Michael
Brown in August in Ferguson.
Grays death sparked heated demonstrations over the
weekend in the blue-collar port city, and police said some 34
people were arrested and six officers injured in street
violence.
Police meanwhile announced they had received a
credible threat that several known criminal gangs in
Baltimore had entered into a partnership to take out law
Corrosion of justice
Friends, family and strangers came together Monday to
bury Gray, who lay in a casket next to a Los Angeles Dodgers
baseball cap and a sign reading Peace yall.
Crowds swayed to hymns at the service, chanting,
Justice shall prevail, peace will prevail in the church, where
a photo of Gray was displayed among floral wreaths.
Im here to pay my respects, said Kenny Nicholson, a
friend of Grays who attended with his wife.
Supporters, many dressed in all white, filled the
buildings 2,200 seats and hundreds of others stood, with the
words Black lives matter and all lives matter projected on
the wall.
Civil rights activist Jesse Jackson denounced the
epidemic of murders in the country.
We have become too violent, too full of hate, Jackson
told reporters before the service.
We need training, employment, housing, access to
health, a reconstruction project. Poverty is a weapon of mass
destruction.
Grays family lawyer echoed calls for reform, and called
for police across the country to wear body cameras to capture
confrontations with suspects.
We are here because of Freddie Gray, but we are here
because there are a lot of Freddie Grays, attorney William
Murphy said at the service.
There is a corrosion of justice around here, he added,
calling for the appointment of a special prosecutor to look into
Grays death.
Protests turn violent
OPS054000404
White House cabinet secretary Broderick Johnson was

at the service, according to a senior administration official.
Heather Foster, an advisor in the White House office of
public engagement was also present, along with
Congressman Elijah Cummings, who gave an emotional
address to the crowded room.
Grays death sparked days of protests last week, and
turned violent late Saturday.
Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, who
attended Grays funeral, had called for calm Sunday.
I hope that as the eyes of the country are on Baltimore,
that we see very clearly that this is a community thats willing
to confront tough issues, thats willing to demand
accountability, but also demands peace and progress at the
same time, she said, according to the Baltimore Sun.
Tensions have risen in Baltimore since Grays death,
which lawyers said was caused when 80 percent of his spine
was severed following his arrest.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the
incident, and six officers have been suspended with pay.
Police confirmed Gray requested medical help and an
inhaler after he was detained and said he should have
received medical attention sooner.
They also revealed that Gray, contrary to policy, was
not buckled into his seat in the van, which made at least three
unexplained stops on its way to the police station.
Grays arrest was caught on video by bystanders, and
he can be heard howling in apparent pain as his limp body is
dragged by police.
Police, Protesters Clash In Baltimore After

Freddie Gray Funeral
By Arthur Delaney
BALTIMORE Groups of police officers in riot gear
chased groups of angry protesters near the Mondawmin Mall
on Monday after the funeral for Freddie Gray, the 25-year-old
who died in police custody last week. Many of the protesters
appeared to be teenagers.
At least two officers were injured, and at least one
civilian appeared to be unconscious. The civilian was being
carried in a blanket by police.
Riot fears had prompted the shopping mall to close
earlier Monday. Greg Harris, a spokesman for the
Mondawmin Mall, said the mall made the decision in
consultation with police and decided to close, at least in part,
because of social media threats that there would be a riot at 3
p.m.
As the hour approached, large crowds of police and
teenagers gathered outside the mall as a helicopter circled
overhead. The teenagers started throwing objects as police
fastened riot helmets.
22
James MacArthur of The Baltimore Spectator, which

tracks crime and politics in the city, tweeted a video from the
scene shortly after 3 p.m.:
Earlier in the day, Baltimore police released a statement
saying gangs, including the Black Guerilla Family, Bloods and
Crips, were partnering to take out law enforcement.
Gray died last week after suffering serious spinal
injuries while in police custody. Six Baltimore police officers
involved have been suspended.
See the latest updates from Baltimore below:
Brittany Smith said she attended Freddie Grays funeral
Monday morning before heading to the Mondawmin Mall,
where a riot was planned, according to information that had
been spread on social media via #JusticeForFreddieGray.
I didnt think they were gonna go through with it,
Smith, 18, told HuffPost in an interview Monday afternoon.
Smith, a student at Baltimore City Community College,
said she just wanted to see what would happen, adding she
is sympathetic with people who are angry about Grays death.
They feel like they didnt have no justice for Freddie
Gray.
Arthur Delaney
Eeeyikes. Police car on fire in Baltimore.
pic.twitter.com/Q5fLrz2ByN
jennifer bendery (@jbendery) April 27, 2015
Baltimore Police said that seven officers were injured
during clashes with demonstrators on Monday, including one
who was unresponsive.
Baltimore Police say one of the seven officers injured
so far today is unresponsive. This is a bad, bad situation.
Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) April 27, 2015
After almost 90 minutes of chaos, police achieved
relative control over a debris-strewn stretch of Reisterstown
Road between Liberty Heights Avenue and Gwynns Falls
Parkway. A standoff continued.
Arthur Delaney
HuffPost reports:
The Freddie Gray protests escalated outside
Baltimores Oriole Park at Camden Yards Saturday night to
such a degree that the team announced at the bottom of the
ninth that fans would not be allowed to leave the stadium at
that time.
Read more here.
Protestor pic.twitter.com/99hkdxe8T3
julia craven (@CurlyCrayy) April 27, 2015
The Baltimore Sun reports:
A large group of juveniles and police in riot gear
clashed near Mondawmin Mall on Monday afternoon, while
the University of Maryland, Baltimore, and numerous
downtown businesses closed early out of fears of violence.
Police responded with shields and a tactical vehicle as
they were pelted with rocks and bottles. An officer was injured
in the melee, police said via Twitter.
OPS054000405
Lexington Market, a city courthouse and businesses

including T. Rowe Price and Venable LLP said police warned
them of large gatherings and protests downtown, days after
protests over the death of Freddie Gray turned destructive.
According to widely circulated flier, a high school
purge was to take place at 3 p.m., starting at Mondawmin
Mall and ending downtown. Such memes have been known
to circulate regularly among city school students, based on a
film The Purge, about what would happen if all laws were
suspended.
Read more here.
pic.twitter.com/MqmpIRuf6Z
Arthur Delaney (@ArthurDelaneyHP) April 27, 2015
Cops chasing kids #MondawinMall #Baltimore
pic.twitter.com/TsazZwPz3L
julia craven (@CurlyCrayy) April 27, 2015
One of our officers has been injured at Mondawmin
Mall. The group continues to throw bricks and other items at
police officers.
Baltimore Police (@BaltimorePolice) April 27, 2015
these fundamental issues so long pushed into the shadows.

The pastors and activists who have led Black Lives Matters
rallies from Ferguson to Baltimore have been adamant that
this conversation must happen peacefully, if not always
lawfully. But they are just as determined that the conversation
must take place, however wrenching it might be.
All night, all day; were gonna fight for Freddie Gray,
has been the mantra in Baltimore.
What we are seeing with Black Lives Matter is a
combination of highly localized issues, said Manuel Pastor, a
sociologist at the University of Southern California in Los
Angeles, to Mother Jones. And there is no shortage of police
community tension around the country that people can be
part of. So people have local handles but they are really seen
as part of a broader national challenge.
Each protest has been its own ecosystem flexible
enough to be as potent in Madison, Wis., (6 percent black) as
it is in Baltimore (65 percent black). It is civil rights,
outsourced to the camera-toting masses and repackaged for
the new century.
In Ferguson, Black Lives Matter spoke to the sense of
impotence that came with the black communitys own selfdisenfranchisement; local elections since have seen a rise in
black participation and could hold the seeds of change.
In New York, it spoke to a city that had swung so far
toward get-tough law-and-order policies that many minorities
and liberals said common sense and humanity had been lost.
In Madison, it laid bare the roots of inequality in a
progressive college town.
For Baltimore, Black Lives Matters has meant squaring
the image of Next Baltimore a city on the rise among
Millennials with the racial tensions of the past. Indeed, the
general outlines of Mr. Grays story are not unfamiliar. The
Baltimore Sun recently ran a list of other men who had
sustained traumatic injuries in similar circumstances riding
in the back of a Baltimore Police Department van, cuffed and
unbuckled.
But like the others, Baltimore has also had elements of
the universal in its recent strife. In Madison and North
Charleston, both men fled rather than risk being arrested for
relatively minor infractions. In New Yorks Staten Island, Eric
Garner resisted arrest because he was frustrated at the
number of times he felt he had been unnecessarily harassed
by police.
Gray had a knife in his pocket, but he, too, fled simply
when he made eye contact with police according to reports.
Danielle Hall, a friend of Grays, told the Associated
Press that there is so much mistrust of law enforcement in the
rough West Baltimore neighborhood she comes from that
many residents believe its safer to run from police. People
run every day from the police. Why wouldnt you run when
every time you turn, youre getting harassed? Ms. Hall said.
Freddie Gray Protests Show How Much

America Has Changed (+video)
By Mark Sappenfield
Eight months ago, the future of the civil rights
movement that convulsed Ferguson, Mo., remained an open
question. The daily protests had captured the nations
attention and spread to cities nationwide, but how would a
leaderless and spontaneous outpouring of outrage survive?
Could anything actually change?
The protests in Baltimore this weekend are the latest
proof that something has already changed.
In the end, it seems, it has not mattered that the groups
that came together in Ferguson have not been able to spawn
an organized national movement of the scope that Martin
Luther King Jr. did in the 1960s. What has mattered most is
that several quintessentially 21st-century tools social
media, smartphones, and 24-hour news channels have
combined explosively with a longstanding trend of police
violence that seems increasingly dissonant amid improving
race relations and declining crime.
This past week, that trend has added the name Freddie
Gray to the list of black men whose deaths have recently
brought attention to the issue of police violence. He died a
week after sustaining a major spinal injury while in Baltimore
police custody and protests have been going on ever since.
Those protests hint at how a leaderless movement has
survived and evolved. It has adapted.
Police shootings, of course, are nothing new. Neither
are tensions between the black community and police. But
Black Lives Matter has become the crucible to address
23
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Why stop when you already know what theyll do to you?

Rough you up, throw you on the ground?
Some residents say Baltimores recent get-tough-oncrime era which helped launch the citys new renaissance
also strained relations with law enforcement. Bishop Douglas
Miles, a community leader, told The Washington Post that
that time set the tone for how the police department in
Baltimore has reacted to poor and African American
communities since then.
The same could be said nationwide. Sen. Rand Paul
(R) of Kentucky likened the mandatory minimum sentencing
guidelines that emerged in the get-tough-on-crime 1990s to
Jim Crow, noting that 1 of 3 African-American males cannot
vote because of them. On one hand, violent crime has
dropped consistently, reaching levels not seen since the
1970s. But Senator Pauls shift signals that, to many, the
pendulum has swung too far in the other direction. A 2014
poll by Reason magazine found that 77 percent of Americans
favor ending mandatory minimum sentencing.
That general trend suggests an openness to the
message behind Black Lives Matters. But can a protest
movement that pulses into life with police shootings but then
goes dormant in the interim actually get what leaders say
they want police reform?
So far, no, says Delman Coates, senior pastor at Mt.
Ennon Baptist Church in Clinton, Md.
The Democrat-led Maryland General Assembly did not
allow any of the 17 police accountability measures that were
introduced during this legislative session to even come up for
a vote, he writes in the Baltimore Sun. The people who
marched, testified and called their legislators were asking
only for accountability, transparency and for their voices to
matter.
But others who participated in the protests last week
suggest that change comes precisely in these ways.
Justice is not just convicting the officers or getting a
settlement for Brother Grays family or anything like that, Ray
Kelley, a member of a community group No Boundaries, told
WJZ-TV. Justice is changing the policies and creating the
legislation so we dont have to go through this every time
there is this type of situation.
with rocks, and the Sun reported they were also hit with
bottles.
Some of the projectiles that were thrown at Baltimore
Police pic.twitter.com/Z2HJr7EZKq Athena Jones
(@AthenaCNN) April 27, 2015
Capt. Eric Kowalczyk, a police spokesman, said seven
officers have been injured in the clashes so far.
Youre going to see us use appropriate measures like
tear gas and pepper balls, he said.
Officers were wearing riot gear including face masks
and shields and were accompanied by at least one tactical
vehicle, according to footage broadcast on CNN.
Baltimores police spokesman said that at least seven
officers had been injured, including one officer who is
currently unresponsive.
Officer
is
down.
Badly
injured.
pic.twitter.com/5lCOTJMS2a Erica L. Green (@EricaLG)
April 27, 2015
Protests have been taking place in Baltimore since the
death of Gray, who suffered from an injured spinal cord when
he was arrested on April 12.
Gray died a week after he was arrested. Police said in a
report of the arrest that Gray was taken into custody without
force or incident. He was buried on Monday.
The protests and clashes with police have heightened
tensions in Baltimore.
On Monday, Baltimore police said that there was a
credible threat to law enforcement because they said three
gangs had entered into a partnership to take-out law
Police van on fire as well as car on W North #Baltimore
#BaltimoreRiots pic.twitter.com/SYuurFzUbG Victoria
Bekiempis (@vicbekiempis) April 27, 2015
Bloods, Crips Team Up To Take Out

Baltimore Cops
By Alex Griswold
According to a public warning from the Baltimore police,
the notorious and rival gangs the Bloods and the Crips have
joined forces to take out the police. (VIDEO: MSNBC: U.S.
Police Founded On Anti-Blackness, Go On Slave Patrols)
Baltimore Police Department tweeted out what they
called a credible threat against the force Monday morning:
Please see the attached credible threat to law
enforcement: http://t.co/YxhgmPMM1U
Baltimore Police (@BaltimorePolice) April 27, 2015
The Baltimore Police Department / Criminal
Intelligence unit has received credible information that
members of various gangs including the Black Guerilla
Family, Bloods, and Crips have entered into a partnership to
take out law enforcement officers, the statement reads.
Clashes Erupt On Streets Of Baltimore
By David Mccabe
Police clashed with young people on the streets of
Baltimore on Monday amid the funeral service for Freddie
Gray, a 25-year-old black man who died while in police
custody.
Young people converged with police near the
Mondawmin Mall shopping center, according to The
Baltimore Sun. Live footage on CNN showed police being hit
24
OPS054000407
This is a credible threat. [Bold in the original] Law

enforcement agencies should take appropriate precautions to
ensure the safety of their officers.
The threats against police come in the wake of protests,
violence, and controversy over the death of African-American
man Freddie Gray in police custody. CNN correspondent
Athena Jones noted that this was the exact opposite of what
Grays family was calling for: They dont want to see any
violence, and have said [it] over and over again (VIDEO:
Baltimore Mayor: Space Was Provided To Those Who
Wished To Destroy)
The Daily Beasts Kate Briquelet also reported early
Tuesday morning that the notorious Bloods and Crips were
working in tandem with the Nation of Islam in peace-keeping
efforts. the Bloods and the Crips can help rebuild their
community, she quotes one Nation of Islam imam as saying.

Freddie Gray Funeral Draws Mournful Throng

In Baltimore
By Greg Toppo And John Bacon

BALTIMORE Thousands of mourners and
supporters descended Monday on New Shiloh Baptist Church
for the funeral of Freddie Gray, a young black man whose
death while in police custody sparked daily and sometimes
chaotic protests.
While the funeral was taking place, the Baltimore Police
Department announced a credible threat, saying a group of
gangs had entered into a partnership to take out law
The threat added to the tension that has gripped the city
since Gray died April 19 after being critically injured a week
earlier. He had suffered a severe spinal cord injury during or
immediately after his arrest; it was not clear what caused the
injury.
The funeral drew a packed house in the 2,300-seat
church. Speakers included the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who said
Gray was a victim of inequality. He said Grays poor, west
side neighborhood needed investment, jobs and better
housing.
Why wasnt Freds side of town developed? Jackson
asked. Why cant the west side get what downtown gets?
He cited 110 deaths at the hands of police since 2010.
Fred wasnt No. 1, he was number one-one-one, Jackson
said.
We are here because we feel threatened, Jackson
said. All of our sons are at risk.
Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., said justice was needed
not just for Gray, but for everyone. He said too many young
people are dying at the hands of police.
Ive often said that our children are the living messages
we send to a future we will never see, Cummings said. But
now our children are sending us to a future they will never
see. Theres something wrong with that picture!
He quoted the Bible: Do you know what I want? I want
justice, oceans of it. I want fairness, rivers of it. Thats all.
Thats what Freddie wanted.
William Murphy, lawyer for the Gray family, told the
throng that the blue wall of police solidarity had to be
toppled.
We wouldnt be here today if it wasnt for video
cameras, Murphy said. While the world watches, we have to
step up to the plate as giants. Not as political midgets.
Downtown Businesses Pick Up The Pieces

From Weekend Protests, Prepare For More
By Sarah Meehan
Baltimore Business Journal, April 27, 2015
It took 22 workers 40 hours to clean up the mess after
looters trashed a 7-Eleven at Baltimore and Howard streets
on Saturday. By Monday morning, business was returning to
normal, but employees were still restocking shelves that had
been tipped when weekend protests over Freddie Grays
death took a violent turn.
And there could be more disruption on the way.
With more planned protests decrying the death of the
25-year-old, other businesses were still bracing for more
fallout. T. Rowe Price Group Inc. sent employees home early,
and local institutions including the University of Maryland,
Baltimore closed early Monday.
Heidis Brooklyn Deli was closed Sunday after the
Eutaw Street eatery was robbed Saturday. The shop was
only open about an hour on Monday before closing again to
avoid protests.
Kara Buckler, an employee at Heidis, said a group of
about 15 people burst into the restaurant Saturday at about 7
p.m and demanded the manager open the cash register. She
didnt know how much money was stolen.
Baltimores Inner Harbor, usually buzzing around
lunchtime, was quiet Monday afternoon. The Baltimore
Convention Center was in between citywide conventions
the next one, the Food Safety Summit, starts April 28.
Few tourists could be picked out among the scant
crowd downtown; there were about as many police as there
were visitors at the Inner Harbor amphitheater.
Violence Erupts After Funeral Of Baltimore

Man Who Died In Police Custody
25
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Murphy called for more black police officers, body

cameras for officers and a special prosecutor until the
problem is solved.
Murphy told USA TODAY the family wants justice for
their son. And they want this to be a lesson that we learn in
this country about how to be just and more effectively just.
Jamal Bryant, pastor of Empowerment Temple AME
Church in Baltimore, told USA TODAY that Grays family was
very fragile, very broken, very overwhelmed by Grays
death.
He was just an everyday person, had a loving
girlfriend, a loving family, five beautiful sisters, Bryant told
USA TODAY. He was really trying to eke out for himself what
was going to be the next chapter of his life. He was really
going through his own rites of passage, trying to figure out
manhood in a broken land of boy dreams.
After the funeral, Grays long funeral procession rolled
by Vanessa Singleton, who shouted: No justice, no peace!
Singleton explained that her son was killed by police in
2010 during what officer said was a break-in, she said.
He was 26, the same age as Freddie Gray, Singleton
said. Nothing ever happened. I didnt even get a vigil,
something to say my son was killed.
Bacon reported from McLean, Va.
Freddie Grays Funeral Draws Thousands In

Baltimore
Service comes after largely peaceful protests

erupted in pockets of violence
By Scott Calvert
Riot Erupts After Funeral For Man Hurt In

Police Custody
By Jessica Gresko And Tom Foreman Jr.

BALTIMORE (AP) Rioters looted stores and hurled
rocks and bricks at Baltimore police Monday, injuring several
officers just hours after thousands mourned the man who
died after suffering a severe spinal injury in police custody.
Seven officers were hurt. Some had broken bones, and
one was unresponsive, said Capt. Eric Kowalczyk. Television
footage showed a police cruiser in flames and a CVS drug
store being overrun. Officers using shields and wearing
helmets used pepper-spray in an effort to keep the rioters
back.
A helicopter circled overhead as groups of rioters
moved through the city. One group piled onto and rode a car
as it drove down the street.
26
Mondays riot was the latest flare-up over the

mysterious death of Freddie Gray, whose fatal encounter with
officers came amid the national debate over police use of
force. Tensions have escalated in the days since in a city with
a history of friction between police and the communities they
serve.
Many who had never met Gray gathered earlier in the
day in a Baltimore church to bid him farewell and press for
more accountability among law enforcement.
Early in the service, the attorney representing Grays
family, Billy Murphy, received a standing ovation after calling
on the six officers who arrested him to tell the public what
happened.
This is our moment to get at truth. This is our moment
to get it right, Murphy said.
The 2,500-capacity New Shiloh Baptist church was
filled with mourners. But even the funeral could not ease
mounting tensions.
Police said in a news release sent while the funeral was
underway that the department had received a credible
threat that three notoriously violent gangs are now working
together to take out law enforcement officers.
A small group of mourners started lining up about two
hours ahead of Mondays funeral. As they began filing into
the church, the white casket with Grays body was opened,
flanked by floral arrangements. A rope was placed in front of
the casket to prevent people from getting too close. One
person used a cellphone to take a photo of the body.
Placed atop Grays body was a white pillow with a
screened picture of him. A projector aimed at two screens on
the walls showed the words Black Lives Matter & All Lives
Matter.
The service lasted nearly two hours, with dignitaries in
attendance including former Maryland representative and
NAACP leader Kweisi Mfume and current Maryland Rep.
John Sarbanes.
Erica Garner, 24, the daughter of Eric Garner, who died
in New York police custody, attended Grays funeral. She
said she came after seeing video of Grays arrest, which she
said reminded her of her fathers shouts that he could not
breathe when he was being arrested on a city street.
Its like there is no accountability, no justice, she said.
Its like were back in the `50s, back in the Martin Luther King
days. When is our day to be free going to come?
With the Rev. Jesse Jackson sitting behind him, the
Rev. Jamal Bryant gave a rousing and spirited eulogy for
Freddie Gray, a message that received a standing ovation
from the crowded church.
Bryant said Grays death would spur further protests,
and he urged those in the audience to join.
Freddies death is not in vain, Bryant said. After this
day, were going to keep on marching. After this day, were
going to keep demanding justice.
OPS054000409
Bryants oratory mingled mourning with tradition: each

statement punctuated with raised arms and Amen! from the
audience.
Gray was arrested one week before he died when
officers chased him through a West Baltimore neighborhood
and dragged him into a police van.
Police said Gray was arrested after he made eye
contact with officers and ran away. Officers held him down,
handcuffed him and loaded him into the van. While inside, he
became irate and leg cuffs were put on him, police have said.
Gray asked for medical help several times, beginning
before he was placed in the van. After a 30-minute ride that
included three stops, paramedics were called.
Authorities have not explained how or when Grays
spine was injured.
Police acknowledged Friday that Gray should have
received medical attention on the spot where he was arrested
before he was put inside a police transport van handcuffed
and without a seat belt, a violation of the police departments
policy.
--Associated Press writer Amanda Lee Myers contributed
to this report.
of Use.
redistributed.
Friends, Family, Activists Bid Farewell To

Freddie Gray
By Jean Marbella
In a funeral service Monday that was both personal and
political, family, friends and strangers alike said farewell on
Monday to Freddie Gray, the Baltimore man whose death
from injuries sustained in police custody has sparked a
national furor.
With everything that weve been through, aint no way
you can sit here and be silent in the face of injustice, Rev.
Jamal H. Bryant exhorted in an impassioned eulogy at New
Shiloh Baptist Church on the citys west side.
Packed into the church were activist Dick Gregory and
members of the family of Trayvon Martin. Also in attendance
were politicians, from Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake to her
predecessor, Sheila Dixon, who drew rousing applause from
the crowd; Congressmen Elijah Cummings and John
Sarbanes to the former representative, Kweisi Mfume; much
of the City Council to several representatives from the Obama
administration, including Broderick Johnson, a Baltimore
27
native who heads the presidents My Brothers Keeper

initiative to empower black youth.
But it was Grays family, his mother, father, stepfather,
grandmother and sisters who much of the crowd was there to
embrace, figuratively and literally. They caused something of
a bottleneck, filing into the church, spending a solemn or
emotional moment in front of Grays casket, and waiting to
offer a hug or a few words to the grieving relatives.
Im here to support Freddie Gray and his family and
hoping we get justice, said Masherra Hunt, 24, who brought
her one-year-old daughter Harmony to the service, which she
termed amazing.
It really moved me, the Windsor Mill resident said.
Indeed, speaker after speaker drew both cheers and
tears.
The eyes of the country are all on us, former judge
and Gray family attorney William Billy Murphy told the
crowd. They want to see if we have the stuff to get this right.
Murphy denounced the blue wall that he said protects
police from accountability.
Lets dont kid ourselves. We wouldnt be here today if
it wasnt for video cameras, he said of the cellphone
recordings made by bystanders of Grays arrest on April 12.
Instead of one cover-up behind that blue wall after another
cover-up behind that blue wall and one lie after another lie,
now we see the truth as never before. Its not a pretty
picture.
Gray was transported in a van to the Western District
police station, emerging with what turned out to be a severed
spinal cord and crushed voicebox, dying a week later.
Since then, protesters have taken to the streets to
demand more information on how he became so grievously
injured in police custody. On Saturday, the largest protest yet,
demonstrators filled the streets, leading to the arrests of 35
people and vandalism of stores and police cars. But Murphy
challenged the media for focusing on the half of a percent of
people who dont know how to act.
Amid the fiery speakers, the crowd fell silent to listen as
Grays stepfather Richard Shipley quietly read a poem he
said the family wrote for their lost loved one.
Youre still here in my heart and mind, he read. I feel
you, and this gives me strength and courage. The tears Ive
cried for you could flood the earth, and know you have wiped
each one away.
Cummings called for oceans of justice and rivers of
fairness, saying that is what Gray would have wanted.
Ive often said that our children are the living messages
we send to a future we will never see. But now our children
are sending us to a future they will never see, he said.
Theres something wrong with that picture.
His voice quavering, Cummings said he put his own
nephew in the grave four years ago blasted away, still
dont know who did it.
OPS054000410
For me, I am in the twilight years, but I am telling you

we will not rest, we will not rest until we address this and see
that justice is done, he said.
Its our watch. We will not fail you, Cummings said,
addressing Grays mother, Gloria Darden.
Two hours before the service, dozens of people were
lined up at the door waiting to be let in so they could pay last
respects to Gray in what became a two-hour viewing. On
entering they passed a half dozen white-clad nurses holding
out boxes of tissues.
Inside, video screens to the left and right of the stage
alternated the message BLACK LIVES MATTER and & ALL
LIVES MATTER, as mourners solemnly filed in, filling the
long center aisle.
An hour before the service began, about 75 members
of Grays extended family came in together , escorted by
ushers in dark suits and white gloves, stopped at Grays
casket, pausing to show their respect, and began filling row
after row of the center section reserved for them.
By the time they were all seated, a 36-member choir on
the stage had begun a rousing version of the gospel hymn
Do Not Pass Me By, turning the mood from solemnity to
celebration.
Inside, some of Baltimores most prominent ministers
formed a semi-circle behind Grays casket: Frank Reid III,
Harold A. Carter, Jr., and Bryant among them, as well as
Rev. Jesse Jackson.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson was one of a contingent of
visitors The Rev. Jamal Bryant and the Empowerment
Temple brought in to speak to a group of reporters in a
smaller chapel in the church, addressing what ET
spokeswoman Nicole Kirby called the larger story behind
Grays death.
Jackson, who flew in from Chicago for the event, said at
a press conference before the service there are two
Baltimores: the one that includes the Inner Harbor and other
high-profile tourist areas and the Baltimore that features
16,000 vacant lots and thousands of lives too often deemed
expendable.
He called for special prosecutors who can devote all
their energies to cases such as Grays and more programs
that produce training for jobs helping to cure inner-city ills
such as the continuing presence of lead paint in older
buildings.
Also joining the press conference were families who
had relatives killed by police, representing a group called
Families United 4 Justice.
Erica Garner, 24, whose father Eric Garner was killed in
a videotaped police encounter in Staten Island, said his death
turned me into an activist overnight.
Wearing a pair of dark glasses, she said she felt a
connection to Grays family.
I want to stand with other families like mine, she said.
Constance Malcolm also came down from New York.

Her 18-year-old son Ramarley Graham was mistakenly killed
by N.Y.C. police in June 2012.
This opens up old wounds, and no matter how hard
you try not to be angry, it makes you angry she said. Were
being harmed by the people who are supposed to protect us.
We cant even tell our children to run to the police when
theyre in trouble because were afraid the cops might shoot
them.
Garner said that even though her father was 63 and
weighed 350 pounds, he was a teddy bear, but that police-in
their instinctive fear of black men, didnt take the time to look
past his size, and Malcolm said her son was not the gang
member police believed him to be.
Why hire officers who are basically afraid of the
communities theyre serving in? a tearful Malcolm said.
Longtime activist Dick Gregory, 82, was warmly
applauded by those at the service. Afterward, he told The
Baltimore Sun, he thinks Grays death could prove to be a
turning point.
I came in from California because this is important to
me, he said. This is something that happens every day.
But I think this could be the one that breaks it open, he
said. Theres something in the air.
Gregory surveyed the crush of people who upon exiting
the service congregated around the doorway to watch Grays
casket make its final journey, to Woodlawn Cemetery.
This, Gregory said, helps heal.
Al Sharpton To Visit Baltimore, Seek Answers

In Freddie Grays Death

Civil rights leader, the Rev. Al Sharpton, said Monday
he plans to visit Baltimore this week to help push police for
answers in the death of Freddie Gray.
Sharpton said he also wants to plan a two-day march in
May from Baltimore to Washington, expressing frustration in
the lack of answers into Grays death. The 25-year-old man
died April 19, a week after he suffered spinal cord injuries
while in police custody.
Police Commissioner Anthony W. Batts has said police
expect to present a report on Grays death to the states
attorneys office by Friday. Its unclear when the report will be
made public.
I have been asked by many in the Baltimore area since
day one to get involved in the justice for Freddie Gray
movement, Sharpton said in a statement.
Sharpton, president of the National Action Network,
said hes discussed the situation on his radio and TV shows
and been in touch with activists in Baltimore, but hes resisted
becoming personally involved. That changed, he said, when
he learned that the report may not be released on Friday.
28
OPS054000411
I am saddened and disappointed that there now may

not be a report released on May 1, he said. It is concerning
to me that a deadline that the police themselves had set and
announced they have now conveniently changed.
Sharpton said the march from Baltimore to Washington
is designed to call attention to Gray as well as others
before him, including Walter Scott, who was shot by a police
officer in North Charleston, S.C. to Loretta Lynch, the
incoming U.S. attorney general.
Ms. Lynch, in her new role that we all supported, must
look and intervene in these cases, Sharpton said. Justice
delayed is justice denied.
Sharpton said hes been invited to Baltimore by the
Rev. Westley West of Faith Empowered Ministries and former
state Sen. Larry Young, who hosts a radio call-in show on
WOLB.
Fellow civil rights leader, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, said
he also has been invited to Baltimore to push for justice in
Grays case.
how property damage can happen during a peaceful protest.

It is very unfortunate that members of your industry decided
to mischaracterize my words and try to use it as a way to say
that we are inciting violence, there is no such thing.
Rawlings-Blake also said officers were not ordered to
hold back on violent so-called protesters.
IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS

ENFORCEMENT
Child Migrants Without Lawyers Pay A High
Price
By David Rogers
Without an attorney, child migrants from Central
America face overwhelming odds in seeking relief from U.S.
immigration courts, according to newly released government
data that paint a far grimmer picture than what the Justice
Department has admitted in federal court.
Since last July, 352 children without lawyers have
succeeded in having their removal proceedings terminated or
administratively closed two measures of potential progress
toward asylum or special immigrant juvenile status. At the
same time, 4,711 children without counsel were ordered
removed or compelled to accept voluntary departure an
outcome that surrenders the defendants right to appeal in the
future.
Thats a 13-fold difference and a world apart from
whats still a difficult experience for those who can find a
lawyer.
In the same nine-month period, 2,459 children with
legal counsel succeeded in having their removal proceedings
terminated or administratively closed seven times the
number for children without lawyers. Just 1,096 were ordered
removed or took voluntary departure, less than a quarter of
the total for child migrants without legal representation.
When broken down court-by-court, the odds are even
longer, especially in the South. Indeed, the disparities pose a
real challenge for President Barack Obama, who promised
equal treatment and compassion for the children.
The latest data were released to POLITICO under a
Freedom of Information Act request filed after a March court
hearing in Seattle, where Justice is fighting a lawsuit
challenging Obamas decision last summer to expedite
deportation proceedings for the children without first assuring
them legal counsel.
The president has since sought more funding for the
childrens legal representation, albeit with limited success
given opposition from Republicans in Congress. The Seattle
lawsuit argues that the numbers are still inadequate and the
Listen To How Baltimore Mayor Is Clarifying

Her Controversial Remarks On Protesters Who
Wished To Destroy

Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake strongly
condemned the violent thugs who were rioting in the city
streets on Monday, issuing a mandatory curfew and clarifying
her recent remarks about protesters who wish to destroy.
In addition to the governor of Maryland agreeing to
deploy the National Guard in Baltimore, the mayor said
residents will be subjected to a week-long, mandatory curfew
from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., which could be extended if need be.
However, the curfew doesnt go into effect until Tuesday
night.
Rawlings-Blake also rebuked the media for what she
called a mischaracterization of her words about giving
protesters space.
For context, heres exactly what she said over the
weekend:
While we tried to make sure that they were protected
from the cars and the other things that were going on, we
also gave those who wished to destroy space to do that as
well. And we work very hard to keep that balance and to put
ourselves in the best position to deescalate, and thats what
you saw.
During a press conference on Monday, she clarified
those remarks.
I made it very clear that we balance a very fine line
between giving peaceful protesters space to protest. What I
said is, in doing so, people can hijack that and use that space
for bad, the mayor said. I did not say that we were accepting
of it, I did not say we were passive to it. I was just explaining
29
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deportation proceedings violate the childrens rights to

counsel and due process under the Constitution.
An important test is whether the children have adequate
access to two major paths of relief, each expanded under a
2008 human-trafficking law.
The first is to apply for asylum, given the increased
gang violence and drug trafficking in Central America, which
contributed to the surge in border crossings last year. The
second rests more on each childs direct family situation and
his or her ability to qualify for special immigrant juvenile
status, a step toward permanent residency.
Each has its challenges. The 12-page application for
asylum must be in English and ultimately can require
significant documentation. Pursuing special immigrant
juvenile status might seem easier but first requires a child to
navigate a thicket of state courts to secure the required
predicate order a nearly impossible task in some
jurisdictions.
Much, too, depends on the immigration judges
willingness to allow extra time by granting continuances or
suspending the removal proceedings by administratively
closing the process.
Practices vary from court to court. Many judges favored
continuances, allowing them to maintain some oversight. In
the case of children without counsel, a sympathetic judge
might do this, in fact, for the good of the child so that he or
she is not lost in the asylum system.
But given the record surge of cases after Obamas
order, more judges are under pressure to clear their dockets,
and the administrative route is more frequent in some courts.
The numbers are not dispositive of relief granted, but when
combined with the number of terminated cases, the data
serve as a good indicator of how the children are faring.
Certainly in making its case in Seattle, Justice has
spoken in the context of administrative closures. And in the
March hearing, the department argued that this path is readily
available to all children seeking asylum.
They attend the hearing, they tell the judge that they
have a fear of removal to their home country, and the judge
administratively closes their removal proceedings. I think
thats it, Deputy Assistant Attorney General Leon Fresco told
U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Zilly, who is presiding in
the Seattle case.
Later, Fresco returned to the same subject, assuring
Zilly that an immigration judge can close the proceedings
without the child having the burden of presenting expert
testimony. More than likely, Your Honor, the judge would
ask, Are you afraid to go home? Yes. Why? Because they
shot my parents. Okay. You get asylum, Fresco said,
according to the court transcript.
Veteran immigrant-defense attorneys were furious at
the time, saying Justice had grossly understated the hurdles
facing the children. POLITICO submitted its FOIA request to
try to test the conflicting claims against the governments own

data.
The Executive Office of Immigration Review, which
oversees the immigration courts, responded by providing a
computer run for the outcomes of more than 8,660 cases for
unaccompanied children from last July 18 through April 14.
Still pending in the courts are an estimated 18,000-plus cases
not included in the FOIA reply. But the raw data provided by
EOIR filled more than 320 pages and covered both outcomes
for individual courts and whether the child defendant did or
did not have legal representation.
The numbers plainly show that children with lawyers
have fared far better than those without. All this has
happened when the special protections under the 2008 law
have been hotly contested by Republicans in Congress. And
it would appear that some judges have chosen to effectively
negate those protections for children without counsel.
Consider, for example, the outcomes of cases in
Atlanta and Miami immigration courts, both under the same
11th Circuit court of Appeals.
Since July, Atlantas court has issued 324 removal
orders for children without lawyers, versus only one case
where the removal proceedings were closed or terminated.
Down the road in Miami, the same data shows that 188
children without legal representation were ordered removed,
while 73 succeeded in having their hearings closed or the
cases terminated.
The administration would argue that the EOIR numbers
are overly bleak in that so many children were ordered
removed in absentia when they failed to show up in court in
the first months after Obamas order.
The outcomes are more equitable for those children
who do appear with or without a lawyer, Fresco assured
Zilly in the March hearing. And in defense of his exuberance
about the asylum process, it was later said that Fresco was
speaking in shorthand and only about those immigration
courts operating under the more liberal regime of the Ninth
Circuit on the West Coast.
This approach makes some sense from a purely tactical
standpoint. The child plaintiffs in the lawsuit are drawn heavily
from areas like Los Angeles and Seattle, where the pace of
removal orders has been much slower. But even in these
more liberal jurisdictions, the EOIR numbers show that child
migrants with lawyers are far more successful in having their
cases closed or terminated than those children without legal
representation.
In Los Angeles, just eight children without lawyers have
had their removal proceedings terminated since July,
compared with 223 for those with lawyers.
But for Obama, the bigger issue is one of governing the
whole country, not just the Ninth Circuit. The question then is
whether his administration in trying to win a short-term
30
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legal advantage has turned a blind eye to the even greater

inequities for the children elsewhere in the country.
The EOIR data clearly highlights these disparities. And
the issue will be important to the next stage of the Seattle
case where immigrant rights attorneys hope to certify an
expanded class of child plaintiffs and make the suit a national
class action.
Its not clear yet how far Zilly, who was nominated by
President Ronald Reagan, is willing to go. But in an April 13
ruling, he denied Justices motion to dismiss the entire suit,
saying the right-to-counsel claim was too vital to be put off
and deserved an answer.
During the March hearing and again in his opinion, Zilly
also hinted that the government should consider having at
least a staff attorney in each immigration court to advise the
child of his or her rights during the removal proceedings.
The removal proceedings at issue in this case pit
juveniles against the full force of the federal government,
Zilly wrote. The government initiates the proceedings, it is
represented in them, and its discretion in executing removal
orders is insulated from judicial review. Moreover, courts
have repeatedly recognized with only a small degree of
hyperbole that the immigration laws are second only to the
Internal Revenue Code in complexity.
Silk Road Judge Denies Retrial Despite

Agents Alleged Corruption
Wired, April 28, 2015

Just two months after Ross Ulbricht was convicted of
running the billion-dollar online black market for drugs known
as the Silk Road, he was offered what looked like a slim new
hope of a retrial: Charges that two of the agents involved in
investigating the anonymous drug market had themselves
engaged in massive corruption, including blackmailing
Ulbricht and stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars of the
sites bitcoins. But now the judge in the case has made it
clear that neither those new corruption charges nor a pile of
other complaints from Ulbrichts defense is going to win Silk
Roads creator a second chance at freedom.
In a ruling filed Monday afternoon, judge Katherine
Forrest denied a motion from Ulbrichts defense for a new
trial, shooting down a series of arguments made by his
defense team. Those arguments had included that the
prosecution gave the defense insufficient time to review the
evidence in the trial, that warrantless investigative attempts to
identify the Silk Road server had violated Ulbrichts fourth
amendment privacy rights, and that new corruption charges
against a Drug Enforcement Administration agent and Secret
Service agent required a new examination of whether the
case had been tainted.
Forrest was utterly unconvinced. The evidence of
Ulbrichts guilt was, in all respects, overwhelming. It went
31
unrebutted, she wrote in her ruling. This motion for a new

trialdoes not address how any additional evidence,
investigation, or time would have raised even a remote (let
alone reasonable) probability that the outcome of the trial
would be any different.
Forrest wrote in her ruling that the defense hadnt
proven that it had insufficient time to examine any of the
prosecutions evidence or what significant argument it would
have raised had it had the time. And she emphasized that
any additional argument would have had to combat the
overwhelming evidence of Ulbrichts guilt, which included the
fact that he was arrested with his hands on the keyboard of a
laptop full of his recorded chat logs and personal journal from
his time running the Silk Roads massive drug operation. The
Government presented overwhelming evidence of Ulbrichts
guilt. Ulbricht was caught red-handedlogged in and chatting
[under his pseudonym the Dread Pirate Roberts] on a
personal laptop, which Ulbricht unquestionably owned, filled
with Silk Road files, she writes. In the face of this mound of
evidence, there is no faint possibility, much less reasonable
probability, that the jury would have reached a different
verdict.
She went on to attack an argument the defense had
made against the legality of law enforcements investigative
techniques. In a motion to suppress evidence and declare a
mistrial, the defense had pointed to communications from a
Department of Homeland Security agent who had attempted
to circumvent the anonymity software Tor used by the Silk
Road. But just as in the pre-trial, when the defense made a
similar claim about the FBIs attempts to locate or hack the
Silk Roads server, the judge caught Ulbricht on a
technicality: He had claimed no privacy rights to that server.
Doing so, after all, would have incriminated him. Defendants
pre-trial suppression motion was denied principally on the
basis that he had failed to establish a personal privacy
interest in any Silk Road servers or the items thereon,
Forrest wrote. That has not changed: defendant still has not
provided an affidavit attesting to his personal privacy interest
in the affected servers at the relevant time.
Finally, Forrest also shot down the defense arguments
that the two allegedly corrupt agents in the case had
somehow planted evidence or otherwise dirtied the
investigation. She pointed out, as the prosecution had done
since the allegations against the two agents were first made
under seal last year, that the two agents had been part of a
separate, Baltimore-based investigation, rather than the New
York-based team that had ultimately busted Ulbricht. The
Rogue Agents did not participate in the [Southern District of
New Yorks] investigation of Silk Road that resulted in
defendants arrest and indictment, and none of the evidence
at defendants trial came from theBaltimore investigation in
which the Rogue Agents participated, she wrote. That the
Rogue Agents may have exceeded the scope of their
OPS054000414
authority in theBaltimore investigation does not, in any way,

suggest that Ulbricht was not the Dread Pirate Roberts.
She went on to point out that one of the charges
against those agents, the DEA special agent Carl Force,
included that Ulbricht had paid him for counterintelligence
information about the law enforcement investigation of the
Silk Road. Force was, in essence, allegedly working as the
Dread Pirate Roberts mole inside the DEA. The
investigation of SA Force is, if anything, inculpatory as it
suggests that Ulbricht, as DPR, was seeking to pay law
enforcement for inside information to protect his illegal
enterprise, she adds.
Ulbrichts defense team didnt immediately respond to
WIREDs request for a comment on the judges ruling.
Forrests decision against Ulbrichts call for a new trial is
perhaps no surprise. It comes after no less than five other
calls for a mistrial from Ulbrichts defense, all of which she
rejected. The defense has nonetheless vowed to appeal the
case, a decision that will fall to a panel of three appellate
court judges. Ulbricht was convicted in February of all seven
counts against him, including narcotics trafficking and money
laundering conspiracies, and even a kingpin charge usually
reserved for mafia dons and drug cartel leaders. He faces
sentencing on May 15, though his defense has asked for that
date to be delayed to better argue against the prosecutions
calls for a life sentence.
The criminal case against Carl Force and the allegedly
corrupt Secret Service agent Shaun Bridges, meanwhile, will
continue to proceed in the Northern District of California,
where charges were filed against them late last month. But
regardless of those two agents guilt or innocence, it seems
Ulbrichts own guilty verdict is now one step closer to finality.
Canadian citizens with both a valid Canadian passport and

B1 or B2 visa status.
MPC is already available at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson,
Miami and Seattle-Tacoma airports. For those who dont wish
to use the app, 34 airports around the world offer Automated
Passport Control (APC) kiosks that allow travelers to submit
their Customs declaration form and biographic information.
Families Briefly Reunited At Border Following

Deportations

SAN DIEGO (AP) Families disrupted by deportation
were able to reunite briefly during a special event at the
U.S.-Mexico border.
U-T San Diego reports (http://bit.ly/1J3W1ax ) that a
rusty gate at Border Field State Park was opened Sunday for
Childrens day, a Mexican holiday that celebrates children
and family.
Event organizer Father Dermot Rodgers said the brief
reunions were also meant to draw attention to what he called
a broken immigration system.
The gate has only been opened once before, in 2013,
since the border fence went up in the mid-1990s.
Four families were given just minutes to embrace loved
ones. For some, it was their first chance to meet up in years.
Many of the families were separated when relatives
were deported to Mexico after living in the U.S. without
documentation.
redistributed.
TRANSPORTATION SECURITY
ADMINISTRATION
CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION

OHare Latest Airport To Offer Speedy
Passport Control App
Air Marshals Have To Be Smart, Fit And Good

Shooters

Chicago OHare International Airport has become the
fourth facility in the United States to offer travelers access to
the Mobile Passport Control app, which speeds the return of
U.S. citizens back into the country. The app is available for
free in the iTunes and Google Play stores.
The app, developed by Airside Mobile in partnership
with Airports Council International-North America, allows
travelers to skip Customs and Border Protection (CBP) lines
by sending their passport information and customs
declaration form to the agency via a smartphone or tablet
before landing. After submitting the form, CBP sends a
barcode that is scanned by agents in the MPC express lane.
It can be used by U.S. citizens with a valid passport and
Military Times, April 27, 2015

The gray Atlantic rolls in breakers 50,000 feet below.
Five hours still to go. The movie credits have rolled. Someone
is snoring. How is Warren Haines different from the several
hundred other passengers in this transcontinental steel tube?
Im not sleeping.
In fact, Haines is paid to stay awake. As a federal air
marshal, he blends in with airline passengers and relies on
his training, including investigative techniques, criminal
terrorist behavior recognition, firearms proficiency, aircraftspecific tactics, and close quarters self-defense measures, to
protect the flying public.
Its his job to keep an eye on all goings-on in the skies,
friendly or otherwise. Its a job that gives him the chance to
32
OPS054000415
extend into his civilian career the spirit of his service as a

Special Forces medical sergeant in the Army National Guard.
For those whove seen enough of Liam Neeson to
consider the position, theres good news: The Transportation
Security Administration, which runs the air marshal program,
says it plans a hiring wave in the near future, the first such
round since 2011.
But the competition will be stiff. Last time around, the
agency received between 35,000 and 45,000 applications for
just a few hundred positions.
What it takes
But if youre transitioning out of the military, you may
have better-than-average odds of making the cut.
There is a very natural fit for those individuals who
have served in uniform, who understand sacrifice and selfless
service, who can work with autonomy while protecting the
values of the nation, said Mark Escherich, TSAs veterans
program manager.
More than any single aspect of the job, that spirit of
service is what seems to draw veterans. It is a position
where you are extensively involved in implementing our
national security agenda, Escherich said. What you are
going to do each day may be relatively unknown, but you will
always be significant to the safety of our nation.
Relatively unknown can span a wide range of
circumstances. Some events may be easy to anticipate
the passenger whos had one too many of those tiny whiskey
bottles, or the altercation when elbows collide in seats that
the airline has jammed too close together.
Then there are the events that may be less easy to
anticipate.
September 2014: A federal air marshal is put into
quarantine in Houston after being jabbed with a syringe by a
passenger from Nigeria. Unprovoked, the attacker managed
to fire off an unknown substance into the agents arm.
The mystery fluid eventually was deemed harmless, but
thats the kind of scenario that keeps Haines wide awake on
the job. Its never what you are expecting. It is always
something different, so you have to maintain that internal
state of readiness, he said.
Spidey sense
Federal air marshals have been aloft since 1962 and
have taken a prominent place in the public eye since 9/11.
While much is assumed about the air marshals job, a lot
must be inferred. TSA wont even say how many marshals
are on the rolls, let alone how many ride on any given flight
though the agency acknowledges its always more than one.
With 100,000 commercial flights on the move on any
given day, however, its presumed that not every flight has a
marshal on board.
When the wheels leave the ground, Haines said he
typically does not sit around looking for bad actors; mostly, its
just the opposite.
I get to know what normal is, he said. If you know

what normal is, then you are going to know what is not
normal.
An aircraft is a tight, confined space, with people
behaving in predictable patterns. When something is amiss,
there is a Spidey sense, like some sort of breeze sweeps
through the place and you know something is a little bit
different, Haines said. Its something a lot of people in law
enforcement understand.
The reward for such vigilance comes in between
$40,000 and $100,000 a year, with average pay around
$62,000 a year, according to Payscale.com.
Getting an edge
So how do you get on the inside track when TSA starts
hiring? Escherich advises checking the Office of Personnel
Management job descriptions and guidelines. They can tell
you exactly how to word your rsum. Also, keep in seriously
good shape TSA sets a high bar in that regard.
Beyond these, the basics include:
The ability to analyze problems, gather pertinent data,
and plan and organize work.
A bachelors or higher-level degree in any field from an
accredited college or university or a combination of
experience and education.
Top-secret security clearance is a must, as is peak
physical performance, firearms proficiency and the ability to
travel constantly.
The travel requirement is significant, not just because
an air marshal is away from home many who have worn a
military uniform are used to this but because the marshals
very often are left to fend for themselves.
It takes an incredibly disciplined person to do this job,
because you are expected to act appropriately in a lot of
environments where there is not a lot of supervision right
there with you, said Haines, who is based in Virginia.
You have to ensure that no matter where you are in
the world, you are getting the rest you need, maintaining your
fitness, and thats hard. If you are in a foreign country and the
hours are off of what you might normally enjoy, it takes a
special kind of person to maintain that level of discipline, he
said.
For those who can maintain it, TSA offers the possibility
of upward mobility. Taking an air marshal job doesnt have to
mean youll be flipping the pages of SkyMall forever.
People who continue with the operational presence for
as long as possible typically understand that they wont be
out in the field offices forever, Escherich said. You will be
promoted into more leadership roles, dealing with more
budgets and schedules and such. The presence of the desk
does become a little more prevalent.
33
OPS054000416
Knives, Skulls And Other Bizarre Items

Uncovered By The TSA
New York Post, April 27, 2015

If you have ever stood in line at airport security, you will
know that no matter how many signs they post, or how curtly
they shout at you, there is always that one person who fails to
follow the directions about what you can and can not pack
into your carry-on bag.
Just last month a man was cited when officers
discovered a loaded gun in his toiletry bag as he was passing
through security at Ronald Reagan Airport in Washington,
D.C. It doesnt take a genius to know that as a regular
passenger, you cant bring a deadly weapon on board. But
flying in the face of common sense and despite the fact
that it could be against the law or potentially lead to criminal
charges and huge fines people attempt to take crazy
things on planes all the time. Firearms and ammunition are
just the tip of the iceberg.
In fact, there are so many scary and strange items, the
people at the TSA (Transportation Security Administration)
have decided to show the world, via Instagram, the insane
stuff people try to smuggle through the scanners, whether
intentional or not. Here are our top 20 things discovered by
the TSA. Hand-grenade
This scary looking grenade was found in a carry-on bag
at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. Thank goodness it
was inert which, by the way, doesnt matter to TSA. No
bueno. Smoke bomb
A live, purple smoke grenade, usually used by the
military, was discovered inside a checked bag at Las Vegas
McCarran International Airport last month. This passenger will
just have to buy his smoke grenade when he gets to his
destination. Throwing knives
These scary looking blades were inside a carry on bag
at Chicago OHare International. The more frightening thing?
They can be carried in checked baggage. Six-bladed
throwing star
Someone at Los Angeles International Airport
attempted to take this six-blade throwing star through airport
security in July 2012. Live eels
Its not quite snakes on a plane, but these live eels were
hidden inside a checked bag leaving Miami International
Airport in 2012. The owner also attempted to smuggle 163
tropical fish and 22 invertebrates out of the country. Propane
tanks
These three full and highly flammable propane tanks
were inside someones carry on bag going through a TSA
checkpoint at Oakland International Airport. Perhaps there
was a grill in the persons checked bag. Avalanche charge
This homemade avalanche charge, used for setting off
an avalanche, was found inside a carry-on bag at Anchorage
34
International Airport. The TSA was not amused, and the

passenger was arrested. Throwing axes
These deadly, sharp tactical throwing axes were inside
a carry-on bag at Baltimore Airport. Sickle
This sickle was found in a carry-on at Newark
International Airport last year. We are assuming the offending
passenger was not the Grim Reaper. Suicide bomber vest
Discovered in March 2013 inside a checked bag at the
Indianapolis International Airport, luckily this vest was just a
dummy used as a training aid that belonged to an explosives
trainer. Anti-tank weapon
This AT4 anti-tank weapon was hidden in a checked
bag at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Pennsylvania in
2012. It was expended, but still prohibited. Snakes
This passenger was no Samuel L. Jackson (who
starred in Snakes on a Plane), but he had seven of these
small, very much alive slithery fellas stuffed into nylon
stockings and shoved down his pants as he attempted to
board a flight in Miami in August 2011. We really hope the
TSA agent asked, Are those snakes in your pants, or are you
just happy to see me? Meat cleaver
The owner of this cleaver tried to carry it on a flight from
Newark International. No dice. If you must cut some meat,
you will have to do it at your final destination checking it is
just fine. Leather glove with finger spikes
Who knew Wolverine flew commercial? Maybe the
owner of this crazy-looking glove was just a massive X-Men
fan. Whatever the case, this gnarly looking device was
confiscated at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth Airport in February
2013. Cannon barrel
Isnt that heavy? Not something you see every day, let
alone in someones luggage, but this centuries-old cannon
barrel was found in a bag at Kahului Airport in Hawaii. Stun
gun
Is it makeup or is it a stun gun? This crafty-looking
personal protection device was very cleverly disguised as a
lipstick, but it was still spotted and disallowed on board a flight
from Chicago Midway. Human skull
In April 2013, TSA officers discovered these grim
human remains in clay pots during a security check at Fort
Lauderdale International Airport. The traveler who owned the
pots had no idea about the skull inside. Small dog
Back in February, this poor little chihuahua climbed into
his owners suitcase while she was packing for a trip and she
accidently locked him in. The stowaway was discovered by
scanners at New Yorks La Guardia Airport as the bag went
through security. The pup was ok and happily reunited with
his owner. Signal flares
These seven high-powered signal flares and a launcher
are usually used by the military. Not what you expect to find
in a carry-on bag at Norfolk international Airport. ??????
The TSA arent really sure what this is. But theyre
positive its not allowed in a carry-on.
OPS054000417
Man Nabbed With Loaded Gun At BWI
Legal firearms are allowed to be transported if empty, in

a required case, and declared to an airline. They are not
allowed to be brought through security in carry-on bags.
Watson was released from custody on Saturday,
according to online court records, but could not be reached
for comment.
Court records did not list an attorney for Watson.
By Ashley Halsey Iii

A Baltimore man was arrested Friday after he tried to
sneak a loaded handgun past a security checkpoint at
Baltimore Washington International-Marshal Airport (BWI),
the Transportation Security Administration said Monday.
Authorities said Tyriece Watson, 22, was intercepted
Friday afternoon when he tried to slip a 9mm pistol loaded
with 11 rounds of ammunition past security in a bag he
intended to carry onto his flight. The outline of the weapon
was detected when the bag passed through an X-ray
machine.
The serial number had been filed off of the gun, the
TSA said. It is illegal to alter the serial number of a firearm.
The TSA said that alteration raised suspicions that the
attempt to carry the weapon aboard was intentional rather
than an oversight.
Maryland Transportation Authority Police confiscated
the firearm and arrested the man on a variety of weapons
charges.
The police said Watson was charged with illegally
possessing and transporting a gun, interference with airport
security procedures and removing the guns serial number.
The gun was one of 57 firearms confiscated at the
nations airports last week, the TSA said. In addition to
criminal charges, passengers caught with weapons at TSA
checkpoints are subject to civil penalties of up to $11,000.
Man Tries To Sneak Loaded Gun Past TSA At

BWI
WBAL-TV Baltimore, April 28, 2015

Transportation Security Administration officers caught a
Baltimore man trying to sneak a gun past a security
checkpoint at Baltimore Washington International-Thurgood
Marshal Airport.
TSA officers said they detected the 9mm handgun
loaded with 11 rounds of ammunition among the mans carryon items as he was passing through the airport checkpoint on
Friday. The serial number had been filed off the gun.
The TSA officer who was staffing the checkpoint X-ray
machine detected the handgun inside the travelers carry-on
bag as it passed along the conveyor belt.
TSA officers contacted Maryland Transportation
Authority Police, who responded to the checkpoint,
confiscated the firearm and arrested the man on a variety of
weapons charges. There was no impact to airport operations,
officials said.
TSA officials said passengers who bring firearms to the
checkpoint are subject to criminal charges from law
enforcement and civil penalties from TSA of up to $11,000.
Firearms, firearm parts and ammunition are not
permitted in carry-on bags, but can be transported in checked
bags if they are unloaded, properly packed and declared to
the airline, officials said.
Baltimore Man Arrested At BWI Airport For

Gun With Filed-off Serial Number

A 22-year-old Baltimore man was arrested at BWI
Thurgood Marshall Airport after security officers located a gun
in his carry-on bag, according to local and federal law
enforcement.
Tyriece Watson had the 9mm handgun in his carry-on
bag with 11 rounds of ammunition in it when he tried to pass
through a Transportation Security Administration security
checkpoint at the Anne Arundel County airport about 1:19
p.m. Friday, the TSA and Maryland Transportation Authority
Police said on Monday.
The guns serial number had been filed off, MdTA
Police said. Serial numbers allow federal and state law
enforcement officials to track weapons.
Airport operations were not impacted, police said.
Watson was charged with transporting a handgun on
his person, interference with airport security, possessing a
weapon while prohibited from doing so, and removing a
manufacturers identification number from a firearm, MdTA
police said.
Man Caught With Loaded Gun At BWI Airport

Arrested
WUSA-TV Washington, April 27, 2015

BALTIMORE, Md. (WUSA9) A Baltimore man was
arrested after being caught at the Baltimore Washington
International Airport Friday with a loaded gun, officials with
the Transportation Security Administration said.
The man was caught trying to sneak the gun past a
security checkpoint at the airport, officials said.
TSA officers found the 9mm gun loaded with 11 rounds
of ammunition in with his carry-on items. Officials said the
serial number had been filed off of the gun.
The gun was found when his carry-on bag was going
through the X-ray machine on the conveyor belt.
Man Arrested After Bringing Loaded Gun To

BWI Airport
35
OPS054000418
WMAR-TV Baltimore, April 28, 2015

A Baltimore man was arrested Friday after trying to take
a loaded gun through a security checkpoint at BWI Airport.
Transportation Security Administration officers detected
the 9mm handgun loaded with 11 rounds of ammunition in
the mans carry-on items. The serial number had been filed
off the gun, TSA officials said.
A TSA officer saw the handgun inside the carry-on bag
on the X-ray machine. Maryland Transportation Authority
Police responded to the checkpoint, confiscated the gun and
arrested the man on weapons charges.
According to the TSA, Firearms, firearm parts and
ammunition-are not permitted in carry-on bags, but can be
transported in checked bags if they are unloaded, properly
packed and declared to the airline.
Forecasters said large severe thunderstorms that

developed this afternoon off the upper Texas coast will likely
grow in number and eventually move into west and southwest
portion of the forecast area either late this evening or around
midnight, according to a Monday afternoon forecast
discussion message.
Some thunderstorms already had redeveloped north of
Baton Rouge on Monday afternoon, prompting severe
thunderstorm warnings.
One such warning was issued late Monday for portions
of West Baton Rouge, East Baton Rouge and Iberville
parishes, until 6:15 p.m. At 5:27 p.m., Doppler radar indicated
a storm capable of producing quarter size hail and damaging
winds in excess of 60 mph near Ramah, or 14 miles
northeast of Catahoula. The storm was moving east at 45
mph.
A flash flood watch remains in effect for all of
southeastern Louisiana and the Mississippi Gulf Coast until 1
p.m. Tuesday. Forecasters expect another 1 to 3 inches of
rain over much of the area, with some wide areas seeing as
much as 4 inches and a few locations registering as much as
6 inches of rain, forecasters said.
Regardless of whether these amounts are realized or
exceeded, there will be maximized rainfall efficiency that
could drop some 2 to 4 inch amounts in a one- to two-hour
period, the discussion message said. For that reason, the
flash flood watch is obviously needed tonight into at least
early Tuesday morning.
The expected second round of heavy rain follows the
passage of a strong squall line of thunderstorms throughout
south Louisiana on Monday morning. That system was
embedded with several possible tornadoes, resulting in
numerous reports of damage from Baton Rouge through the
New Orleans area, including a dozen rail cars apparently
blown off the Huey P. Long bridge in Elmwood.
National Weather Service meteorologists were out
inspecting damage in Kenner Monday afternoon, in part to
determine whether it was caused by a tornado.
Gov. Bobby Jindal declared a state of emergency late
Monday, part of the process needed to make damage from
the storms eligible for Federal Emergency Management
Agency disaster aid.
Forecasters said record rainfall was measured at Louis
Armstrong New Orleans International Airport for the 24 hours
ending at 4 p.m. Monday, with 1.74 inches of rain, compared
to the previous record for Apr. 27 of 1.24 inches, set in 1949.
The forecast area remains in a marginal to slight risk of
severe thunderstorms through tonight, the forecast
discussion message said. Improvement will be on the
horizon starting Tuesday afternoon, and especially going into
Tuesday night and Wednesday, as the storm system moves
east of the forecast area and much drier air moves in.
Baltimore Man Arrested For Bring Loaded Gun

To BWI Checkpoint CBS Baltimore
WJZ-TV Baltimore, April 27, 2015

BALTIMORE (WJZ) A Baltimore man was arrested
Friday afternoon after Transportation Security Administration
caught the man trying to sneak a gun past security at
Baltimore-Washington
International-Thurgood
Marshal
Airport.
Officers detected the loaded 9mm handgun in the
mans carry-on items as he was passing through security.
The serial number had been filed off.
TSA officers contacted Maryland Transportation
Authority police who responded, confiscated the firearm and
arrested the man on weapons charges.
Passengers who bring firearms to the checkpoint are
subject to criminal charges from law enforcement and civil
penalties from TSA up to $11,000.
Firearms, firearm parts and ammunitionare not
permitted in carry-on bags, but can be transported in checked
bags if they are unloaded, properly packed and declared to
the airline.
FEDERAL EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT AGENCY
Severe Storms May Return Monday Night,
Tuesday In New Orleans, Baton Rouge, North
Shore
By Mark Schleifstein
New Orleans Times-Picayune, April 27, 2015
Severe thunderstorms and heavy rainfall remain a
threat for New Orleans, Baton Rouge, the north shore and
other parts of southeastern Louisiana on Monday night (Apr.
27) and Tuesday, according to the Slidell office of the
National Weather Service.
36
OPS054000419
In a separate hazardous weather outlook message,

forecasters said that by Tuesday morning, the worst of the
weather would have moved into St. Bernard and
Plaquemines parishes and into Jackson and Harrison
counties in Mississippi.
The primary threat will be damaging winds, large hail,
continuous lightning, very heavy rain and isolated tornadoes,
the outlook message said.
Wildfire Burns Near Many Homes In Suburban

Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES (AP) Ten threatened homes were
briefly evacuated before firefighters surrounded a wildfire that
burned in a heavily populated suburban neighborhood of Los
Angeles.
Some 200 firefighters with help from water-dropping
helicopters had the blaze contained about 90 minutes after it
broke out San Fernando Valley community of Granada Hills.
Heavy flames burned on a hillside near a mansion with
a swimming pool and tennis court where a line of firefighters
sprayed water to protect it.
No homes or other structures were damaged and no
one was been injured.
Fire officials said the neighborhood had done an
excellent job of clearing brush around homes and that helped
keep the fire in check.
redistributed.
Wildfire Burns Near Los Angeles, Threatening

Upscale Homes
By Dan Whitcomb
US COAST GUARD
Coast Guard Suspends Search For 4 Missing
Off Alabama Coast

DAUPHIN ISLAND, Ala. (AP) As torrential rain and
heavy winds battered Alabamas coast Monday, the U.S.
Coast Guard suspended its search for four people missing
after a deadly weekend storm killed two people and played
havoc with a yearly sailboat race in Mobile Bay.
The agency said the search in which divers were
sent down to sunken boats would resume as soon as the
weather allows.
37
Crews have been searching for four boaters still

missing after the powerful storm capsized several sailboats,
killing at least two mariners, in a Saturday regatta.
The weather was much worse Monday than during
Sundays search efforts, which included volunteers with
boats, so the Coast Guard asked residents and visitors to
walk the shore and look for signs of survivors or anything that
washed up.
The Coast Guard said one person initially believed
missing had been found safe at home following a check of
people who had registered for the race.
One skipper told The Associated Press her crew had 15
minutes warning of the storm Saturday afternoon, but the
wind nevertheless hit so suddenly and with such force that
her 34-foot racing cruiser nearly capsized.
Within seconds, said Susan Kangal, 52, it went from
probably 15 to 20 miles per hour to 73 miles per hour. It just
shot off the charts. And thats when you couldnt see
anything. Everything went white, (the) boat slammed to its
side.
She added, It was frightening because at that point ... I
was laying on the back of the boat, between the wheel and
the aft of the boat, and was standing up straight looking down
at the water watching the water starting to ease over the
side.
The Coast Guard said it would not release the names of
the dead or missing until all the families are notified. The
agency released a statement on behalf of the families
thanking emergency response agencies and asking prayer
for their loved ones.
The National Weather Service said heavy rains were
possible through Monday night.
On shore, about 20 relatives of the missing gathered at
the state-run Dauphin Sea Lab to await word of loved ones.
This very difficult, very difficult for all of them, said
Michael Brown of the American Red Cross. There is still
hope. The Coast Guard has told them they are doing an
active search and rescue.
The annual race, sponsored by Mobile-area yacht clubs
on a rotating basis, begins in the middle of Mobile Bay.
Sailboats ranging from small catamarans to single-hull craft
capable of carrying a half-dozen people or more race
southward through the shallow waters toward Dauphin Island,
a barrier island on Alabamas coast.
More than 100 sailboats and as many as 200 people
were participating in the 57th running of the race when the
storm hit. Some skippers were able to lower sails and return
safely to shore, but other boats capsized in fierce winds.
Steve Zito, commodore of the Mobile Yacht Club, had
seven passengers on his boat when the storm hit.
We were just finishing the race and the wind picked up.
I cranked the engine and lowered the sails. It was a massive
black wall of water and rain coming right at us, he said.
OPS054000420
Ive never seen conditions this intense. It came on so

fast, he said.
Gary Garner, commodore of the Fairhope Yacht Club,
which organized the race, said members were heartbroken
over the tragedy.
We are helping and cooperating fully with the U.S.
Coast Guard and other authorities in accounting for all of the
sailors, he said in an emailed statement.
Weather Service meteorologist John Purdy said
Sunday that the storm moved quickly eastward through
Louisiana and Mississippi, prompting a severe thunderstorm
watch at 1:36 p.m. Saturday and a warning less than an hour
later.
The National Weather Service then issued a special
marine warning around 3 p.m. for boaters on several
waterways including Mobile Bay, warning of a line of
thunderstorms producing gusty winds, high waves,
dangerous lightning and heavy rains. The notice urged
boaters to seek safe harbor immediately.
When storms are moving quickly as in this case, things
will change very rapidly especially if you are on a boat in the
open waters, Purdy said.
redistributed.
to complete the race, when the weather turned. A wall of

waves quickly sank their 23.5-foot boat and the 22-foot boat
of friends they were sailing with.
It was just unbelievable how high the waves were,
Rhonda Gilreath said. They were just bashing you from
every side.
The couple struggled in the water for two hours,
convincing each other not to give up, before help arrived.
We knew we were totally lost at sea, she said.
The search for the missing pressed on. Cap. Duke
Walker said more than 3,000 square miles had been covered
by early Monday. Determining who was missing was a
difficult task with 119 boats registered for the race had
provided no crew lists to race organizers, he said.
We are very grateful for the continued assistance of
state, local agencies and Good Samaritans who helped
individuals in distress, Walker said. He warned, however,
that volunteers should provide assistance on land only,
saying weather conditions were expected to deteriorate
through the day.
Hope Fades For 4 Lost At Sea After Storm

Blasts Alabama Regatta
By Tim Devaney And Lydia Wheeler

The gyrocopter that evaded security and landed on the
lawn of the U.S. Capitol will be the focus of a heated
congressional hearing on Wednesday.
Furious with the security breakdown in their own
backyard, lawmakers will grill the Secret Service, U.S. Capitol
Police and Federal Aviation Administration for answers.
The House Oversight and Government Reform
Committee hearing will provide an opportunity for lawmakers
to consider whether new regulations are needed to close
loopholes in security exploited by the gyrocopter.
House Oversight Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah)
has said that Doug Hughes, the postman who piloted the
gyrocopter, should have been blown out of the air.
Hes lucky to be alive, because he should have been
blown out of the air and very well could have been, Chaffetz
told reporters.
Chaffetz criticized the security agencies for not doing
more to stop the gyrocopter before it reached the Capitol
lawn. In a briefing with lawmakers, the Secret Service and
Capitol Police said they were tracking the flight, but did not
want to shoot it down above a populated area where it could
have injured people on the ground.
Rep. Elijah Cummings (Md.), the committees top
Democrat, called it a wake-up call.
SECRET SERVICE
Week Ahead: Agencies Face Grilling Over
Gyrocopter
By Usa Today
Coast Guard rescue teams were racing the clock
Monday in the search for four people believed missing in
Alabamas Mobile Bay since a storm late Saturday tore
through a sailboat regatta.
At least two people were killed. More than 40 people
have been pulled from the bay by rescuers and good
Samaritans, the Coast Guard said.
The list of missing dropped to four from five when a
man contacted authorities to say he had been not been lost,
the Coast Guard said Monday.
Rescuers have searched thousands of square miles
since a line of thunderstorms roared through the area with
wind gusts of up to 70 mph. The 55th annual Dauphin Island
Race had drawn more than 100 sailboats to the area. Other
boats also were caught in the storm.
Several rescue boats, planes and helicopters aided the
search.
Families of the missing huddled at the Coast Guard
station, waiting for word. Initially, there was optimism as
dozens of sailors were plucked from the rugged seas.
Randy Rutledge and Rhonda Morgan Gilreath of Rome
Ga., told al.com they were 15 minutes from the island, about
38
OPS054000421
The lawmakers said at the very least they should have

been notified about the security threat, even though officials
decided not to shoot it down.
Hughes, a postman, flew the gyrocopter to the steps of
Congress to deliver letters about campaign finance reform to
lawmakers.
According to reports, Hughes notified authorities of the
trip in advance.
In other news, the Supreme Court on Tuesday will hear
arguments in what could be a landmark ruling on gay
marriage. The justices are considering the constitutionality of
state bans on same-sex marriage and whether states are
required to recognize same sex-marriage licenses from other
states under the 14th Amendment.
In 1993, Fan Man James Miller guided his powered

parachute to land next to a Caesars Palace outdoor ring
where Evander Holyfield and Riddick Bowe were brawling.
Ringside fans and security pummeled Miller, who was
arrested for the stunt.
In 1996, rapper Tupac Shakur was killed in a drive-by
shooting after Mike Tyson knocked out Bruce Seldon at the
MGM.
In 1997, bedlam erupted inside and outside the ring
when Tyson was disqualified for biting Evander Holyfields
ears. Thousands of people stampeded through the MGM
Grand hotel lobby.
Last year, a scuffle in the elbow-to-elbow crowd leaving
a Mayweather-Marcos Maidana fight and a loud noise that
officials blame on a partition falling to the floor, not a gunshot
spurred a panicked stampede in a food court area outside
the arena. Officials said about 50 people were treated for
minor injuries.
Weve had times when it doesnt quite go according to
plan, Schofield acknowledged. Weve learned.
Officials wont say much about the details of how theyll
protect the scene and the army of celebrities in town.
But Deputy Clark County Fire Chief Erik Newman said
about 300 firefighters in his department will be on duty or
stand-by.
I think well have the most millionaires and billionaires
in one place in the country, Newman said.
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority
reported last week that virtually all 150,000 hotel rooms in the
city were sold for fight weekend.
Las Vegas police have almost 2,500 sworn officers.
Theyll get help this week from the Nevada Highway Patrol,
neighboring Henderson and North Las Vegas police, and
federal agencies ranging from the FBI to the Department of
Homeland Security.
Were a community that knows how to handle large
events, Schofield said. We do them a lot.
Indeed, Las Vegas draws 340,000 people for its annual
New Years Eve fireworks party on the Strip, 200,000 to a
weekend-long Electric Daisy Carnival and almost 120,000 for
a NASCAR race.
Tim Jeffery, vice president of security for the MGM
Grand Hotel & Casino, said fight fans and tourists will notice
lots of security officers in bright yellow-green shirts on
pedestals, but wont see behind-the-scenes preparation.
Ticket-holders wont be able to bring bags or backpacks
and will pass through metal-detectors, Nevada Athletic
Commission Executive Director Bob Bennett said.
People without a fight ticket will be cleared out of the
shopping area between the arena and casino. Afterward,
ticket-holders will be directed out of the arena through the
closest door to their seat.
NATIONAL PROTECTION AND

PROGRAMS
Vegas Sets Up Concentric Security For
Upcoming Megafight
By Ken Ritter, Associated Press

LAS VEGAS (AP) Manny Pacquiao and Floyd
Mayweather hadnt even decided how much it would cost
home viewers to watch their fight when the head of the
Nevada Athletic Commission started planning security for
their big bout.
Five times in the 10 weeks since the two welterweights
set a date for their long-awaited fight, commission chief
Francisco Aguilar has convened state, federal and local
police, fire, tourism and fight officials for one thing: to keep
hundreds of thousands of people outside the ring safe.
Boxing, particularly in big matches like this one, poses a
special challenge to Las Vegas officials.
Were not preparing for a fight night. Were preparing
for a fight week, Deputy Las Vegas Police Chief Gary
Schofield said, pointing to a series of events, including
Fridays weigh-in at the MGM Grand hotel. As a security and
crowd-control measure, advance tickets ($10 face value) will
be required for the first time.
He described a security plan of concentric circles.
The Athletic Commission handles security inside the
ring. The hotel and police have responsibility for the arena
and hotel, which is Las Vegas biggest, with 5,005 rooms.
Police, along with state and federal agencies, are in
charge outside all the way out to the airport, Interstate 15
and the neighborhoods, Schofield said.
The overall goal is to maintain the integrity of the
event, Aguilar said. Las Vegas is a brand. To protect the
brand, you have to protect the event.
Fight nights havent always gone so smoothly.
39
OPS054000422
Newman, the deputy fire chief, said he sees after-fight

events and overcrowding at clubs and hotels as the biggest
security challenge.
There will be a lot of people outside, Bennett said.
The access to alcohol and partying around town could create
some turmoil.
redistributed.
DIRECTORATE FOR MANAGEMENT

House HS Subcommittee Takes Hard Look At
DHSs Procurement Processes
Homeland Security Today, April 28, 2015

The chairman of House Committee on Homeland
Security Subcommittee on Oversight and Management
Efficiency harshly criticized the Department of Homeland
Securitys (DHS) department-wide acquisition processes last
week during an acquisition oversight hearing on how
effectively DHS is safeguarding taxpayer dollars.
A broken acquisition process delivers tools that are
late, cost more and do less than anticipated. Watchdogs
continue to find failures in DHSs management of its
acquisitions, which is unacceptable and puts taxpayer dollars
at risk, said subcommittee chairman Scott Perry (R-Pa.).
This hearing will examine DHSs major acquisition
programs and processes and what must be done to fix longstanding problems and achieve better outcomes for the
American taxpayer and frontline personnel, Perry stated.
Each year, DHS invests billions of dollars in its major
acquisition programs to help execute its many critical
missions. In fiscal year 2014 alone, DHS planned to spend
almost $11 billion on these acquisition programs, and the
department expects it will ultimately invest more than $200
billion in them, said Michele Mackin, director of Acquisition
and Sourcing Management at the Government Accountability
Office (GAO).
DHS and its underlying components are acquiring
systems to help secure the border, increase marine safety,
screen travelers, enhance cyber security, improve disaster
response and execute a wide variety of other operations,
Mackin said.
Each of DHSs major acquisition programs generally
costs $300 million or more and can span many years, she
explained to the subcommittee, noting that, We have
reported that DHSs acquisition policy is generally sound, in
that it reflects key program management practices, but, Due
to shortfalls in executing the policy, we have highlighted DHS
acquisition management issues on our high-risk list and made
numerous recommendations to improve acquisition
management practices.
40
While In recent years DHS has taken steps to improve

acquisition management by dedicating additional resources to
oversight and documenting major acquisition decisions in a
more transparent and consistent manner, Mackin said,
many of our recommendations have not yet been
implemented, including that DHS ensure all major acquisition
programs fully comply with DHS acquisition policy.
Mackin told lawmakers that, In its April 2015 report,
GAO reviewed 22 major programs at DHS and found that two
of them were on track to meet schedule and cost
parametersthat is, the initial schedules and cost estimates
DHS leadership approved after the department revised its
acquisition policy in November 2008.
However, she said, GAO was unable to assess six
programsfour of which are in Customs and Border
Protectionbecause DHS leadership had not yet approved
baselines establishing their schedules and cost estimates as
required by DHS policy. The remaining 14 programs had
experienced schedule slips, or schedule slips and cost
growth. On average, these program milestones slipped more
than three-and-a-half years, and their life-cycle cost estimates
increased by $9.7 billion, or 18 percent.
GAO had reported in 2012 that three key factors
increased the likelihood that schedules will slip and costs will
grow: shortfalls in program office staffing; gaps between
needed and expected funding for programs; and changes to
program requirements.
GAO found that these issues remain prevalent
department-wide, Mackin said. In March 2015, GAO
reported that DHS has taken steps to improve oversight of
major acquisition programs, such as defining the role of the
senior acquisition official within each component and clearly
defining roles and responsibilities of headquarters staff who
carry out day-to-day oversight of these programs.
Yet, Despite these efforts, Mackin said, DHS lacks
key information necessary to manage its programs. For
example, GAO found ambiguity across DHS testing
assessments in that they did not always clearly identify
whether the systems tested met all of their key performance
parameters (that is, the capability or system attributes that are
required to successfully meet the DHS mission).
In addition, Mackin explained, DHSs official system
for acquisition program reportingwhich feeds into required
congressional reportsis hampered by data problems, such
as inaccurate lifecycle cost estimates. As a result, the most
recent data provided to DHS and congressional decision
makers for oversight, through the fiscal year 2014
Comprehensive Acquisition Status Report, were not
consistently accurate and up-to-date.
Finally, Mackin told the subcommittee, DHS does not
have information on operations and maintenance costs for 42
operational programs for which the normal documentation
requirements were waived in 2013. GAO found that only one
OPS054000423
of these 42 programs has an approved life-cycle cost

estimate. Operations and maintenance costswhich can
account for more than 80 percent of program lifecycle costs
could run in the billions of dollars for these 42 programs.
In Fiscal Year 2014, DHS still lack[ed] written guidance
for a consistent approach to day-to-day oversight, according
to an earlier GAO audit, which stated, Federal standards for
internal control call for organizations to define and document
key areas of responsibility in order to effectively plan, direct
and control operations to achieve agency objectives.
Meanwhile, for the second straight year, DHS achieved
a much sought-after clean audit of its financial statements by
independent auditor KPMG.
The audit found DHSs financial statements were in
order. The auditors certified they had reasonable assurance
that what they saw on DHSs books is correct, said Chip
Fulghum, DHSs chief financial officer and acting
undersecretary of management.
I am pleased to announce that for the second year in a
row, our audit firm KPMG, working in conjunction with our
Office of Inspector General, has issued the Department of
Homeland Security an unqualified audit opinion essentially
a reasonable assurance from our outside auditors and the
departments Inspector General that our financial statements
are accurate, Fulghum said, adding that, For the third
largest department of our government consisting of 22
components, 240,000 personnel, a 60 billion dollar budget
and six core financial systems and hundreds of feeder
systems, I consider this a remarkable achievement.
Acquisition problems
Nevertheless, while GAO said DHS has taken steps to
improve oversight of its major acquisition programs in recent
years, it still hasnt implemented many of GAOs previous
recommendations for reform.
Todays [GAO] report shows that the Department of
Homeland Security still has some serious challenges with its
major acquisitions, said Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), former
chairman and now ranking member of the Senate Committee
on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Whether
its purchasing ships or aircrafts, cybersecurity technology,
passenger and baggage screening devices or a host of other
goods and services to carry out its missions, the department
needs strong procedures to make sure the government and
taxpayers are getting what they pay for.
While I believe significant progress has been made on
this front in recent years, Carper said, the departments
procedures for approving and overseeing major acquisitions
need to mature, as the GAO report shows. I share GAOs
encouragement that the departments leadership has
acknowledged the importance of improving acquisition
management. I have seen first-hand the commitment [DHS]
Secretary [Jeh] Johnson and Deputy Secretary Alejandro
Mayorkas have to making further progress on this effort. Ive
also spoken with the newly-confirmed Under Secretary for

Management Russell Deyo about his plans to address the
concerns identified by GAO.
Carper was especially incensed about GAO having
found that DHS needs to develop more realistic baselines for
the cost and schedules of major acquisitions, improve testing
and ensure that senior DHS leaders and Congress have
complete and reliable data on the status of major
acquisitions.
An earlier GAO audit found DHS has defined the role
of the Component Acquisition Executive, the senior
acquisition official within each component, and established
monthly meetings to discuss programs that require
management attention, but the department has not defined
all of the roles and responsibilities of the Office of Program
Accountability and Risk Management (PARM)the lead body
responsible for overseeing the acquisition process and
assessing the status of acquisition programsand other
headquarters organizations.
GAO further disclosed found officials involvement and
relationships with components varied significantly and that
DHS does not have a structure in place for overseeing the
costs of 42 programs in sustainment (that is, programs that
have been fielded and are operational) for which acquisition
documentation requirements were waived in 2013.
Sustainment costs can account for more than 80
percent of total costs, but all but one of these programs lack
an approved cost estimate. GAO said cost estimates are
necessary to support decisions about program funding and
resources.
GAO audit report revealed, The most recent data that
PARM provided to DHS and congressional decision makers
for oversight were not consistently accurate and up-to-date.
Specifically, PARMs FY 2014 Comprehensive Acquisition
Status Report (CASR), which was based on FY 2013 data,
contained inaccurate information on DHS acquisition
programs. To develop the CASR, PARM drew from DHSs
official system for acquisition program reporting, the Next
Generation Periodic Reporting System (nPRS); however, the
system is hampered by data issues, including inconsistent
participation by program officials responsible for entering the
data.
Further, GAO stated, DHS has not provided useful
information for certain CASR reporting requirements. DHS
interpreted one requirement in a way that eliminated the need
to report cost, schedule, or performance changes for almost
half of the programs in the CASR. Holding programs
accountable for maintaining their data in nPRS and providing
decision makers with more in-depth information would
enhance future acquisition reports and render the CASR a
more effective instrument for DHS and congressional
oversight.
41
OPS054000424
GAO recommended DHS take a number of actions

including developing written guidance for a consistent
approach to oversight, addressing programs in sustainment
and enhancing data quality and reports to Congress.
DHS concurred with GAOs recommendations.
Former acquisition officials discuss the issues
As DHS did, I [also] agree with GAOs
recommendations (they were, and are, typically very helpful),
however, I would add one thing DHS needs people to
effectively carry out everything that is on paper (rules,
guidelines, etc.), Homeland Security Today was told by
former DHS Chief Procurement Officer Dr. Nick Nayak, who
along with former DHS procurement ombudsman Jose
Arrieta, wrote their report, Partnering with Industry is Key to
Improving Acquisition Outcomes, in the Aug./Sept. 2014
issue of Homeland Security Today.
Nayak explained that, There simply are not enough
cost estimators or program management people to carry out
the oversight everyone wants.
DHS programs are large and complex, much like DoD,
and they simply do not have the capability (through people) to
get every single thing done, Nayak said, emphasizing that,
The limited people in place perform heroically because
they are mission driven to protect the country [but] they are
stretched so far that it is humanly impossible to sustain that
level of performance over time.
And it all leads to another problem, Nayak said, which
is employee burnout, low morale and ultimately high
turnover.
Everyone has good intentions, and sometimes you just
need more people, Nayak said.
Similarly, Cedric J. Sims, the first executive director of
DHSs Office of PARM, where he served for three years, told
the subcommittee, There were pockets of excellence across
DHSs programs, but there were also some very troubled
programs. Despite its large budget, DHS had very little
department-wide institutionalization of process disciplines,
standards and tools for IT programs. Coincidentally, GAO had
just delivered a letter to DHS in September of 2010, advising
the Secretary of Homeland Security, to strengthen its
requirements development process. In the letter, perennial
program management deficiencies were highlighted. The
confluence of events was a clear call to action for reforms in
program management.
Sim said that in order for acquisition practices to
continue to mature in terms of process and oversight, DHS
must continue to work collaboratively with partners across the
homeland security enterprise. During his tenure, Sim said
none of the maturation, or any of these improvements in
oversight, could have occurred without the on-going discipline
of reviews, done both internally by DHS and its components,
and externally by GAO and Inspector General.
42
Rep. Curt Clawson (R-Fla.), a member of the House

Committee on Homeland Security who introduced the DHS
Private Sector Office Engagement Act to improve private
sector engagement in protecting the homeland, said, With
more than 85 percent of critical infrastructure owned by the
private sector, DHS needs a robust mechanism to
understand the needs of the private sector Having come to
the Congress as a former CEO, this is the kind of partnership
our marketplace needs to help our economy grow.
Over the last several years, the quality, quantity and
strategic engagement from DHSs Private Sector Office has
significantly decreased, added House Committee on
Homeland Security Chairman Rep. Mike McCaul (R-Texas).
While the department has recently taken to steps to improve
private sector input, such as assigning private sector loan
executives to TSA and CBP to promote travel and tourism,
more can and should be done.
Nayak and Arrieta wrote in their Homeland Security
Today report that partnering with industry is key to improving
acquisition outcomes, and that DHS is supposed to be
training its acquisition workforce to be smarter and faster.
At DHS, Nayak and Arrieta wrote, the acquisition
process is fundamental to achieving [DHSs] mission. The
department has over 1,400 contracting professionals, 8,500
acquisition professionals managing approximately $17 billion
a year in spending, and does business with over 15,000
companies. At DHS, the contracting workforce is not in the
business of simply contracting for products and services; [its]
also supporting 505 program offices that secure our borders,
protect our transportation system, seize drugs, protect our
airspace, etc.
To combat market pressures, they said, DHS has
developed a unique way to train its acquisition workforce to
be smarter and faster. DHS has developed an innovative
approach to fill a gap in acquisition training that has existed
forever across government agencies lack of industry
understanding. By focusing on quality communications with
industry, DHS will be able to minimize the negative impact of
brain drain, the changing marketplace and declining budgets.
Nayak and Arrieta said its necessary to partnering with
industry to manage challenges.
Federal acquisition and contracting training classes, as
well as daily on-the-job training, develop the contracting
workforces understanding of procurement law, public policy
and mission all of which are necessary, they wrote, noting
that, In most places, there is nothing in training curricula that
focuses on developing an understanding of industry, raising
questions about how the contracting workforce responds to
thousands of requests for proposals every year. DHS has
injected industry perspective in a sampling of courses offered
at the Homeland Security Acquisition Institute.
According to Nayak and Arrieta, Today, DHS is
spending 17 billion more a year teaching acquisition
OPS054000425
professionals about how industry does business, including

concepts such as how companies determine to bid on a
requirement, the best approach to minimizing proposal costs
in order to maximize competition, and how to minimize or
eliminate protests through effective communication.
They added that, DHS has been able to address the
systematic and market convergence pressures immediately
by partnering with industry associations to develop industry
led seminars for the workforce the cost is almost zero, and
the impact is immediate. The seminars, they explained,
focus on developing DHS acquisition professionals
understanding of the marketplace and create a safe
environment outside the acquisition process for contracting
professionals to learn about their potential industry partners
and to gain valuable experience before ever soliciting them
for a requirement. They are even frank discussions about
contracting and acquisition issues that nobody typically talks
about until they are adverse in nature.
At DHS, Nayak and Arrieta said, we tested this
approach with excellent results for our contracting
professionals. It also had the unintended positive result of
industry executives learning about DHSs acquisition
processes by being around our contracting professionals.
Through our Procurement Liaison Office, we developed
seminars on a range of topics that we felt would develop our
workforces understanding of strategic challenges they and
industry were facing in the current federal bidding
environment.
Continuing, Nayak and Arrieta said in their exclusive
Homeland Security Today report that, The business of the
federal government requires agency officials to balance
mission need, procurement law, public policy and dealings
with industry. The complexity thats created by these
intersecting priorities creates a challenging environment for all
stakeholders, including legal officers, program officials,
contracting professionals, industry, Congress and even the
public. Furthermore, the brain drain in the acquisition
profession and changes in the federal marketplace are
challenging the existing system.
Further, Nayak and Arrieta said theres also a problem
with government acquisition brain drain. They noted that, In
every magazine, newspaper and blog on federal contracting,
you will find an article about transforming the acquisition
workforce. Why? Because acquisition professionals are
important. The federal acquisition process is a business
executed and managed by people. Annually, the federal
government spends $500 billion through the acquisition
process. In total, across the federal government, there are
40,000 contracting professionals, about 30 percent of whom
are eligible to retire in five years.
Meanwhile, 30 percent of the acquisition workforce has
less than five years of work experience. Furthermore, it takes
about five years to provide adequate training and experience
to develop a competent contracting professional.

Government-wide, however, one in four individuals with less
than five years of experience is jumping to the private sector.
The acquisition community across government must directly
address the challenge of this brain drain.
Furthermore, they wrote, Systemic market pressures
are also creating headaches for government officials across
the government in acquiring goods and services to support
their agencys mission. Budget growth is not expected for
years to come, and in many instances budgets are declining.
Declining budgets require agencies to achieve the same
mission with fewer dollars.
And, they stated, Declining budgets will add to the
challenges already facing acquisition functions across the
government. Less money significantly increases competition
from industry for all contract opportunities, which in turn
increases the importance of market research for both
government acquisition professionals and industry. The
impact of declining budgets on both government and
industrys integration of the sales function and the proposal
into a single capture contract will be dramatic. Set-aside
decisions in this environment will reshape long term
investment strategies.
Federal market research practices and private sector
capture decisions will have an immediate and long term
impact on investments in specific mission areas, Nayak and
Arrieta said, adding, The inability to understand and execute
market research effectively will negatively impact an agencys
ability to acquire goods and services in a reasonable amount
of time. And due to market convergence, market research will
have to be done in concert with industry for the entire industry
space unrelated to a specific procurement.
Furthermore, they stated, the rapid convergence of
technology and professional services marketplaces is
dramatically changing the way federal contracts are
structured, awarded and managed, and will have a dramatic
impact on how we do business over the next 10 years.
There is a light at the end of the proverbial tunnel,
though, Nayak and Arrieta said. Through partnership, we
believe the contracting professional of the future will be able
to significantly reduce the time it takes to award major
acquisitions. We believe that the new generation of
contracting professionals armed with knowledge of industry
trends will better support the mission of protecting the
homeland.
Finally, We also believe this knowledge will help the
next generation of contracting professionals make
adjustments as the industrial base changes not after it
changes as this will give our professionals and industry
partners the ability to spend more time communicating before
a requirement hits the street. It will also reduce the time from
when a Request for Proposal is let to when a contract is
43
OPS054000426
awarded to less than six months on major complex

requirements.
The former two top DHS acquisition officials said,
Acquisition professionals of the future will be developed at
DHS in partnership with industry.
Building acquisition policy
Before he stepped down in May 2014 as the longest
serving policy chief at DHS, then Assistant Secretary for
Policy David Heyman exclusively talked to Homeland
Security Today about DHSs 2014 Quadrennial Homeland
Security Review (QHSR) which Heyman was one of the
chief architects of as it related to future DHS acquisition
efforts.
This year, and as a result of substantial work we did
over the last several years to build better strategic and
analytic capability, the 2014 QHSR is focusing on what is the
risk environment that we operate in now and over the next
four or five years, and the strategic shifts that must be made
in our homeland security posture to adapt to that risk
environment, Heyman said.
Over the last couple of years, he said, we spent a lot
of time improving and building our risk analytics, and we have
national risk assessments, and we have a homeland security
strategic environment analysis theres a lot of background
material to this homeland security review.
Emerging from out of all that, Heyman said, are
strategic shifts in our homeland security posture in a number
of areas, to include our counterterrorism posture and what we
do in terms of preventing terrorism and violent extremism.
Heyman also said, We spend some time talking about
managing biological threats. Were focusing on the
international flows, that is to say things that move in and
across our borders, and the dramatic shifts that weve seen in
terms of the volume and intensity of movements of goods and
people. We have a section that focuses on public and private
partnerships and the importance and the approach we should
be taking in terms of working with the private sector. And then
a section on cybersecurity and critical infrastructure
protection.
And within each of those areas which we spent a
substantial amount of time studying over the last couple of
years, there are recommendations on how to shift what we
should be doing in homeland security over the next four
years, Heyman said.
Howard Steinman, a principal with A.T. Kearney with 20
years of consulting experience, including IT program and
portfolio management for large government and private
sector clients who has directed multiple engagements for
clients across DHS, and Christian Hagen, a partner in A.T.
Kearneys strategic information technology practice where he
advises many of the worlds largest organizations across
multiple industries, including government and defense
contractors, wrote about how DHS can unlock the value of its
IT investments in the March 2014 issue of Homeland Security

Today.
DHS invests approximately $6 billion a year between
10 percent and 15 percent of its annual budget on largescale information technology (IT) systems, Steinman and
Hagen wrote. And, This investment makes it possible for IT
to support a wide range of mission operations across the
departments 23 component agencies, which greatly rely on
this support for critical duty functions that include border
security, cybersecurity, emergency response, and preventing
and deterring terrorist and chemical, biological, radiological
and nuclear attacks.
With such a sizeable technology investment, it is
critical that DHS maximize IT program value and better
manage related IT expenditures, especially in the current
fiscal environment, they noted. In recent years, DHS has
reviewed component programs and acquisitions with an eye
toward increasing IT oversight, and that these reviews led to
governance improvements at the program and portfolio level
and consolidated infrastructure investments. They also
prompted DHS to eliminate or restructure underperforming
investments and reduce operational costs and duplication.
Nevertheless, Steinman and Hagen wrote in
Homeland Security Today, DHS continues to strive to
improve outcomes and affordability by better defining and
maximizing its IT value.
The first step in defining IT value as the measurement
of IT efficiencies and effectiveness is to establish the current
state baseline, Steinman and Hagen wrote. It is likely that
quantitative and qualitative data exists across the
organization, which may help leaders make informed
decisions. But if this data doesnt exist, it is important to ask
the right questions to obtain the necessary information.
Steinman and Hagen observed that, Lack of complete
and reliable data is a challenge for government and
commercial organizations. Recent Government Accountability
Office reports show DHS is no exception. But DHS can build
off of its successes in increasing IT oversight, and it can
benefit from a proven and repeatable approach to assessing
IT function to unearth and/or substantiate data about IT
operations and procedures to identify how to better enable
DHS missions.
One approach, they wrote, is to gather the necessary
data by looking at an IT program through six different IT
transformation framework perspectives to drive improvement
in capabilities and affordability.
These perspectives, Steinman and Hagen wrote,
provide a fact-based, transparent view of DHS IT operations,
showing where on the stages of excellence it stands in each
area. By making clear which aspects need minor tweaks or
major overhauls, DHS is better positioned to be cost efficient
and effective.
44
OPS054000427
Employing these six perspectives could result in

annual savings of 5 percent to 15 percent in IT procurement
costs, Steinman and Hagen wrote.
In concluding, Steinman and Hagen wrote that, By
optimizing their internal and external workforce, DHS IT
executives potentially can save up to 50 percent of what the
department spends annually on IT services and labor.
Once DHS IT executives have employed an IT
transformation framework to thoroughly assess these six
aspects, it will know where to begin to make the changes
needed for IT to more efficiently and effectively support the
missions of the components. The assessments would provide
a number of fact-based options to implement needed IT
changes.
DHSs challenge, they said, is to organize the options
into discrete areas of improvement as well as into short-,
medium- and long-term projects so they are better managed.
This will allow the most urgent to begin immediately, and set
the department on the path to unlocking the value of its IT
investments.
Not satisfied with the DHS procurement processes, last
November, Rep. Curt Clawson (R-Fla.), a member of the
Homeland Security Committee, introduced the DHS Private
Sector Office Engagement Act to improve private sector
engagement in protecting the homeland. Committee
Chairman McCaul co-sponsored the bill, which Clawson said
would improve private sector engagement with DHS.
The legislation would:
Require DHS to analyze and report on the economic
impact of changes in homeland security policy including all
new regulations;
Direct the department to determine what actions are
needed to reduce associated burdens on the private sector
including unnecessary barriers to private sector job creation;
Authorize the Private Sector Office for four years with
the streamlined functions of economic impact analysis and
business liaison responsibilities;
Authorize the Loaned Executive Program to provide top
executive-level and subject matter experts from the private
sector an opportunity to share their expertise with DHS;
Require the department to coordinate private sector
efforts, with respect to functions of the department and
throughout all department components, to identify private
sector resources and capabilities that could be effective in
augmenting Federal, State, and local government agency
efforts to prevent or respond to an incident;
Require DHS to promote existing public-private
partnerships and develop new public-private partnerships to
address homeland security challenges;
Put accountability mechanisms in place such as a
strategic plan with objective outcome-based performance
metrics to be validated by the GAO; and
Prevent the Private Sector Office from duplicating

procurement liaison functions.
Federal Government Fails Basic Openness

Test
By Scott Martelle
Youd think that if you were going to get a timely and
adequate response to a Freedom of Information Act request
from the federal government, it would be from the Department
of Justices Office of Information Policy, which oversees the
governments compliance with FOIA requests.
But if you thought that, youd be wrong.
According to the FOIA Project, operated by Syracuse
Universitys Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse,
the Office of Information Policy was one of 10 agencies that
failed to adequately respond to a basic FOIA request, a
remarkable failure rate thats nearly half of the 21 agencies
queried. Only seven of the agencies fully complied in a timely
manner.
And what information was sought in those FOIA
requests? We asked for copies of the electronic files the
FOIA offices themselves use to keep track of FOIA requests,
according to the FOIA Projects website. Each agency got the
same request, all submitted via the method each agency said
it preferred (email, fax, or an online system).
The CIA flat out rejected the request it received, arguing
that it would require an unreasonable effort because it
would require creation of a new record. When the FOIA
Project pointed out that federal law says electronic data is a
record, the CIA still rejected the request, which the project is
appealing.
The most responsive departments were the Army,
Bureau of Land Management, Department of Homeland
Security, the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division and
its Management Division, Fish and Wildlife and the U.S.
Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Three agencies never responded at all: the Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and two Justice
Department offices, the Executive Office for United States
Attorneys and the National Security Division.
The requests were made in late January. Under FOIA,
agencies must respond to a request within a month, but in
2014 there was a governmentwide backlog of 160,000
requests. Each year the number of requests and the
backlog grows.
And remember, this isnt government information its
the American publics information. But it shouldnt be a
surprise that compliance is so weak under the Obama
administration which, despite the presidents promises of
openness, could well go down as one of the most secretive
administrations in U.S. history.
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OPS054000428
TERRORISM INVESTIGATIONS
for radical Islamists is to sentence him to spend the rest of his

life in prison.
Bruck said Tsarnaev would likely end up in the federal
supermax prison in Colorado where, the Globe has reported,
inmates spend 23 hours a day in their cells.
He goes here and hes forgotten. No more spotlight,
Bruck said. No martyrdom.
The first witnesses called by the defense were people
from the areas Muslim community who had contact with
Tamerlan Tsarnaev in the time leading up to the bombing.
Laith Al-Behacy testified he was at the Islamic Society
of Boston mosque in Cambridge in 2012 when the imam
drew a parallel between the lives of the Rev. Martin Luther
King Jr. and Mohammed, whom Muslims revere as the
prophet of Islam.
The older Tsarnaev brother became furious that the
imam was comparing the founder of Islam with a nonbeliever, he said.
He didnt like that, and he told people we shouldnt do
that. ... He looked at everyone in the mosque and said you
should kick him [the imam] out, he should go, Al-Behacy
testified. Instead, he said, Everyone looked at him
[Tamerlan] and said, you go.
Al-Behacy also said he was at work in his store after the
bombing when the elder brother walked in. Al-Behacy asked
him about the bombing, and he replied that he did not know
anything about the incidents.
So youre not the one who did it? Al-Behacy said he
jokingly asked.
Al-Behacy described him as always proud of his
muscles and his voice. So when he talks, he was loud.
Loay Assaf said he was giving the presentation that set
the older Tsarnaev off.
King had a cause and fought for a just cause and we
can see the fruit of his effort, Assaf said, summarizing his
presentation.
Tsarnaev stood up and he was fired up very hot. You
could see his face tomato red, Assaf recalled. Even his
stance was a fighting stance. I later learned that he was a
boxer.
Tsarnaev called Assaf a hypocrite, but the
disagreement ended without violence, Assaf said.
Bruck said Tsarnaev relatives from Russia would be
called to testify about how the elder brother was
unreasonable and fanatic about his views on Islam. Other
relatives will describe how he went into the forest of his
homeland looking for jihad, Bruck said.
The evidence will show that if Tamerlan hadnt been in
the picture, Dzhokhar wouldnt have done any of this, Bruck
said. Youll see Tamerlan was planning to wage jihad in
Russia back when Dzhokhar was a 17-year-old senior at
Cambridge Rindge and Latin School.
In Quest To Avoid Death Penalty, Defense

Paints Tsarnaev As Follower

Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev belonged
to a dysfunctional family in which his older brother had taken
an outsized role, giving him unusual sway over his younger
brother, who followed him into radical Islam and the plot to
decimate a crowd of innocent spectators at the race,
Tsarnaevs defense attorney said Monday.
The man who led, conceived this plan is beyond our
power to punish, attorney David Bruck said, referring to
Tamerlan Tsarnaev, who was killed in a confrontation with
police in Watertown several days after the terror attack.
When Tamerlan said it was time, his little brother went with
him. And when he did, he was all in.
Continue reading below
To bolster that claim, the defense showed jurors 22 emails the brothers exchanged between 2011 and 2013. In
them, the older brother usually included links to Islamic and
radical Islamic websites.
After receiving one that discussed martyrdom, the
younger brother replied, Thanks, its interesting, according
to a defense experts testimony in US District Court in Boston.
The defense also called eight witnesses including
the mother of Tamerlan Tsarnaevs widow all of whom
testified about Tamerlan Tsarnaev and his commitment to
Islam and strong personality. None of the witnesses talked at
any length about Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.
Less than 20 percent of Mass. residents believe the
convicted Marathon bomber should be put to death,
according to a Globe poll.
The two bombs planted by the Tsarnaev brothers on
April 15, 2013, near the Marathon finish line killed three
people and wounded more than 260 others, including 17 who
were maimed. The brothers also murdered an MIT police
officer several days later.
In the first phase of the federal death penalty trial,
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 21, was convicted in early April. Now, in
the second phase, the jury is deciding whether he should get
the death penalty or life in prison without parole.
The prosecution called witnesses last week to show
that he deserved the death penalty. The defense on Monday
began to make its case that he should be spared.
In his opening statement, Bruck acknowledged the
horrific nature of the attack, saying, No punishment could
ever be equal to the terrible effect of these crimes on the
innocent people who were killed or hurt, or their families.
But he also argued that the best way to ensure that
Tsarnaev fades from memory and doesnt become a martyr
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OPS054000429
Bruck on Monday also gave jurors a brief family history.

He said Dzhokhar was born in Kyrgyzstan, and the family
moved in 2000 to Dagestan to escape the violence of the
Russian war on Chechen separatists. In 2002, they
immigrated to the United States, settling in Cambridge.
Bruck said Tamerlan was an unusually strong influence
on his younger brother because their father, Anzor, was
mentally ill and incapable of fulfilling a paternal role. Adding to
the internal family chaos and magnifying Tamerlans influence
was their mother, Zubeidat, who pinned her familys hopes for
success on Tamerlan.
Tamerlan loved and adored his mother so much, said
Bruck, adding that Zubeidat has also been diagnosed with
severe mental health problems. That was the atmosphere of
maternal delusion in which Dzhokhar grew up.
When Tamerlan failed to succeed and the familys
hopes collapsed, along with Tamerlans boxing career,
Zubeidat turned to Islamic fundamentalism, started wearing
black clothing all the time, and made sure that the pivotal
figure in her life and in Dzhokhars followed her path.
Now Tamerlan is in charge, Bruck said. The last adult
family member in Dzhokhars life.
In contrast, he said, Dzhokhar was widely known as
the quiet, helpful kid [who] did his homework [and was] loved
by his teachers, appreciated by friends.
No one will say you should feel sorry for him ... but at
the end of the day, the evidence will show Dzhokhar was a
19-year-old little brother, Bruck said.
The three people killed in the bombing were Krystle
Marie Campbell, 29, who grew up in Medford and was a wellknown restaurant and event caterer; Lingzi Lu, a 23-year-old
Boston University graduate student from China; and Martin
Richard, an 8-year-old Dorchester boy. MIT Police Officer
Sean Collier was killed by the brothers several days after the
bombing as they sought to get a second gun before heading
to New York to sow more destruction.
Tamerlan Tsarnaev was killed when the fleeing
brothers were confronted by police in Watertown. He was
shot by police and run over by his own brother. Later that
same day, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was found hiding in a boat
stored in a back yard not far away in Watertown.
The first phase of the trial lasted five weeks. The
defense did not contest Tsarnaevs guilt. After 11 hours of
deliberation, the seven-woman, five-man jury on April 8 found
him guilty of all 30 counts he faced, including 17 that carried
the possibility of the death penalty.
The second phase of the trial began last week, when
prosecutors presented their case for the death penalty over
three days, once again calling witnesses to testify about the
terrible carnage at the bombing scene and the tragic loss of
all four who were killed.
A Boston Globe poll found that although nearly a third
of Massachusetts residents say they support the death
penalty for egregious crimes, less than 20 percent believe

Tsarnaev should be put to death a level of support that has
eroded over recent months as the jurys decision on his fate
nears.
Almost 66 percent of Bostonians and nearly 63 percent
statewide favor a life sentence, the Globe poll found.
Tsarnaevs Lawyers Focus On Chaotic

Upbringing In Case Against Death Penalty
By Katharine Q. Seelye And Jess Bidgood

BOSTON The atmosphere in Courtroom 9, the
scene of almost unbearable sorrow over the last several
weeks, changed abruptly Monday morning as defense
lawyers formally began their attempt to save Dzhokhar
Tsarnaev from the death penalty.
David Bruck, one of Mr. Tsarnaevs lawyers, opened
the defense by acknowledging that jurors had seen more
pain, horror and grief in the courtroom than they might have
thought possible as victims and families have told the jury
about the devastating losses and enduring pain inflicted by
Mr. Tsarnaev when he set off bombs at the Boston Marathon
in 2013, killing three people and wounding 264 others.
But he quickly pivoted to Mr. Tsarnaevs brother,
Tamerlan, 26, whom he described as the mastermind of the
attack, with unrivaled power to influence his younger brother,
known as Jahar. He suggested to the jurors that their
decision on sentencing should be shaped by a question
about both brothers: If Tamerlan hadnt been in the picture,
Mr. Bruck asked the jurors, would Jahar have done this on
his own?
Over the last several weeks, the defense has
telegraphed that it would blame the domineering Tamerlan for
leading his little brother astray. But in his opening Monday,
Mr. Bruck also added a new element to the defense
argument against sentencing Jahar to death that life in
prison would be a living hell. He showed photographs of the
supermax prison in Colorado where he would be sent, photos
that made its remote location in the Rockies look like Siberia.
And while the defense faces an enormous challenge as
it seeks to create a more sympathetic portrait of Mr.
Tsarnaev, it opened its case Monday as a new Boston Globe
poll showed that just 19 percent of people in Massachusetts
and 15 percent in Boston favor giving him the death penalty.
Analysts say a certain number of people are moral absolutists
against the death penalty under any circumstances but that
the astonishingly low numbers in this case are more
attributable to two other factors: a sense that life in prison
would be worse than death for one as young as Mr.
Tsarnaev, and a fear that executing him would make him a
martyr.
47
OPS054000430
No punishment could be equal to the crimes the

brothers committed, and there can be no evening of the
scales, Mr. Bruck said. Theres no point in trying to hurt him
as he hurt because it cant be done.
Instead of trying to do that, he said, the jury should
sentence him to life in prison, because there, he would fade
away into obscurity. Mr. Bruck showed on a screen an aerial
view of the United States Penitentiary Administrative
Maximum Facility in Florence, Colo., which is known as ADX
and is the nations toughest federal prison. It houses other
convicted terrorists and would be where Mr. Tsarnaev would
live out his years, in solitary confinement 23 hours a day.
He will never hurt anyone or ever be heard from
again, Mr. Bruck said. He goes here and hes forgotten. No
more spotlight, like the death penalty brings. His legal case
will be over for good, meaning, he said, that Mr. Tsarnaev
will not be writing an autobiography or giving interviews, and
he will not become a martyr.
Mr. Bruck then reached back into history. He described
the nomadic life and turbulent history of Mr. Tsarnaevs
family, ethnic Chechens who were driven from their homeland
in the 1940s by Stalin. Showing the jury a map with the routes
of the familys many forced dislocations across Russia and
Asia, he said the map gives you some sense of the instability
and turmoil in which these children first entered the world.
The family eventually found its way to Cambridge,
Mass., when Dzhokhar was 8 the same age as Martin
Richard, a spectator at the marathon, when he was killed by a
bomb set by Mr. Tsarnaev.
Over time, Mr. Bruck said, Mr. Tsarnaevs family began
to struggle. As his mother, Zubeidat, saw her dreams of
America crumble, Mr. Bruck said, she turned to
fundamentalist religion and convinced Tamerlan to follow
along. Both parents had severe psychiatric disorders, he
said. After a decade in Cambridge, his parents divorced and
moved back to Russia, leaving Dzhokhar in Tamerlans care.
The younger brother, he argued, was a good kid
caught up in a troubled family.
Experts have long said that humanizing Mr. Tsarnaev
was vital to convincing jurors to forgo the death penalty and
sentence him to life in prison. But it is likely to be a struggle.
The jury convicted Mr. Tsarnaev, 21, on April 8 of all 30
counts against him in connection with the bombings. The
sentencing phase began last week, with the government
calling 17 witnesses over three days to show why he
deserved the death penalty. Federal prosecutors said that his
crimes were particularly heinous and depraved and that he
was unrepentant; jurors saw a picture of Mr. Tsarnaev in his
holding cell, thrusting his middle finger in an obscene gesture
at a surveillance camera.
Mr. Bruck addressed that photo in his opening
statement, saying that a fuller video showed that that
shocking gesture wasnt quite as advertised. In Mr. Brucks
telling, Mr. Tsarnaev had just had his handcuffs removed and
finally had the use of his hands, so he started fiddling with
his hair, then peered into the camera as if it were a mirror.
He flashes the peace sign, and for a split-second, sticks out
his middle finger. To whom? To himself. He dismissed the
incident as having shown that Mr. Tsarnaev was simply a
teenager, acting like an immature 19-year-old.
A major part of the defense will focus on Mr. Tsarnaevs
youth he was 19 at the time of the bombings. Mr. Bruck
said that experts would testify about the development of the
brain, and how adolescents have bad judgment and make
bad decisions. They are, he said, like a powerful car, with
unreliable brakes.
The defense case is expected to take two to three
weeks, after which the government will have a chance for
rebuttal before closing arguments from both sides.
Dzhokhar Tsarnaevs Lawyers Argue Against

Death Penalty
Blame placed on older brother; man wholed this

crime is dead
By Jennifer Levitz And Jon Kamp
Boston Marathon Bomber Tries To Avoid

Death Penalty
By G. Jeffrey Macdonald
BOSTON Attorneys for Boston Marathon bomber
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on Monday told a jury deciding whether
to put him to death that there is no punishment they can give
him that will equal the pain hes caused his victims.
There is no sense in trying to hurt him as he hurt them
because it cant be done, attorney David Bruck said in
explaining why the 21-year-old should be spared the death
penalty.
Bruck presented the opening statement for the defense
in the penalty phase of Tsarnaevs death penalty trial. The
same 12 jurors who convicted him on all 30 counts will soon
decide whether he will be executed or sentenced to life in
prison with no chance for parole.
Bruck told jurors that no one forced Tsarnaev to do
what he did, but the jury should consider more than the
crimes he committed.
Its more complicated than just the crimes themselves,
he said.
He said Tsarnaev was responsible for so much pain,
horror and grief that no punishment could equal his crimes. It
is impossible to try to avenge the victims to even the score,
he told the jury.
48
OPS054000431
He showed aerial photos of ADX Florence, a supermax

facility in Colorado where Tsarnaev would spend the rest of
his life. Sending him there would mean he could never hurt
any one again, could not do media interviews and could not
write an autobiography. He would also avoid heroic status
among extremists.
No martyr, Bruck said.
Bruck said the jury will hear how his muscular older
brother, Tamerlan, had taken control of the family when their
mentally ill father could no longer handle that traditional
patriarchal role, a strong feature of their Chechen culture.
Tsarnaev never defied his brother, who couldnt hold a
steady job and was obsessed with jihad to the point of almost
thinking about nothing else.
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was a good kid, Bruck said.
Dzhokhar really was what he appeared to be a lost
teenager.
He said life in prison would be best for everyone as
Tsarnaev would be locked away and never be heard from
again.
His last chance happened when he was 19, Bruck
said, and he will never be given another.
Bruck said the jury will hear how his muscular older
brother, Tamerlan, had taken control of the family when their
mentally ill father could no longer handle that traditional
patriarchal role, a strong feature of their Chechen culture.
Tsarnaev never defied his brother, who couldnt hold a
steady job and was obsessed with jihad to the point of almost
thinking about nothing else.
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was a good kid, Bruck said of .
Dzhokhar really was what he appeared to be a lost
teenager.
He said life in prison would be best for everyone as
Tsarnaev would be locked away and never be heard from
again.
His last chance happened when he was 19, Bruck
said, and he will never be given another.
Defense attorneys used their first witnesses Monday to
paint a picture of an older brother who was quick to anger,
bully and insist on conformity to a fundamentalist style of
Islam.
Witnesses said Tamerlan was at one time an outgoing
partier, but came to renounce alcohol and marijuana at the
same time he started wearing traditional Islamic dress around
2011. Two witnesses recalled him standing up and
interrupting Friday sermons at the Islamic Society of Boston
mosque in Cambridge.
In one Jan. 2013 sermon, Loay Assaf tried to compare
Martin Luther King Jr. to the prophet Mohammed. But
Tamerlan angrily leapt to his feet, shouted and shook two
fingers in Assafs direction. He objected to the comparison of
the prophet to a kafir, or infidel.
He was fired up, very hot I could see his face was
made to red, said Loay Assaf, an imam who gives monthly
sermons at the Cambridge mosque. Even his stance was
fighting stance.
Abderrazak Razak said hed Tamerlan get angry at the
Cambridge store where he sells Middle Eastern foods and
halal meat. When he was selling halal turkeys at
Thanksgiving one year, Tamerlan grew angry and rebuked
him.
He yelled at me that this is haram, that it is not right to
sell turkeys, Razak said. In the witness box, he stood and
showed what Tamerlan did with his hands and arms, pointing
a finger accusingly and waving his long, muscular arms.
Prosecutors pushed back by downplaying the
testimony.
All you can tell us is that in 2012 Tamerlan Tsarnaev
told you that Thanksgiving is not an Islamic holiday, and you
shouldnt sell turkeys, said Assistant U.S. Attorney William
Weinreb in cross-examining Razak.
Yes, Razak said.
Since Tsarnaevs trial began March 4, the defense has
argued that Tsarnaev was the lesser of two perpetrators in
the April 15, 2013, bombings that left three dead and more
than 260 injured. But jurors have heard few details about his
relationship with his older brother, alleged mastermind
Tamerlan Tsarnaev, because discussion of family history was
off limits n the guilt phase.
Now family history and other potentially mitigating
factors are fair game for the defense to press. Relatives of
Tsarnaev arrived in Boston from Russia last week and are
expected to testify.
Defense attorneys face an uphill challenge, according
to Chris Dearborn, a criminal defense attorney and professor
at Suffolk University Law School.
Hes now been convicted, Deaborn said. The only
thing you can do to save his life from a defense perspective is
to try to find some aspects of his character, his characteristics
or his development that would mitigate the acts he
committed.
They have to walk a fine line between humanizing the
kid and not painting him as a normal kind of kid because hes
clearly not, Dearborn said. The better bet is to focus on how
influenced he was and how things that happened historically
in his life contributed to that influence.
Tsarnaev entered the courtroom at 9:55 a.m. wearing
his usual black sport jacket. Under his jacket, he wore a blue,
v-necked T-shirt. His wavy hair was a bit messy as usual. His
face was clean-shaven around his goatee.
He did not look at the galley as he walked to his seat,
even though he has family members in the United States who
have come from Russia to support him. None of his family
members were noticeably present in the galley.
49
OPS054000432
The courtroom was packed to capacity. Members of the

general public also gathered in a separate courtroom to
watch proceedings on a monitor.
and siblings before settling in the U.S. in 2002 when he was

8, the attorney said.
Bruck showed the jury photos of the Supermax prison
in Colorado, where Tsarnaev would probably serve his
sentence if he were given life instead of the death penalty.
Tsarnaevs existence there would be austere, with most
of his time spent in solitary confinement and his
communication with the outside world severely restricted,
Bruck said.
Tsarnaev was a 19-year-old college student at the time
of the bombing. His brother, 26, was killed days after the
attack when he was shot by police and run over by Dzhokhar
during a chaotic getaway attempt.
All eight witnesses called by the defense focused not on
Dzhokhar but on Tamerlan specifically, his aggressiveness
and deepening fervor.
Loay Assaf, an imam, said that three months before the
bombing, Tamerlan became furious and interrupted a prayer
service at a local mosque after Assaf likened the Rev. Martin
Luther King Jr. to the Prophet Muhammad. Assaf said
Tamerlan took a fighting stance and began pointing at him
and shouting.
He said, Youre a hypocrite, insulting me with this,
Assaf said.
Tamerlan Tsarnaevs mother-in-law, Judith Russell,
testified that Tamerlan became increasingly strident about
religion and the U.S. He talked about this countrys influence
and harm to Islamic countries, she said.
The prosecution made its case in the penalty phase last
week, calling victims and family members to the stand to
recall the attack in hair-raising detail.
Prosecutors painted Dzhokhar Tsarnaev as an
unrepentant killer, showing the jury a photo of him giving the
finger to the security camera in his jail cell three months after
his arrest.
Bruck downplayed the gesture, saying Tsarnaev was
just acting like an immature 19-year-old.
redistributed.
Good Kid: Lawyer Pleads For Boston

Marathon Bombers Life

BOSTON (AP) Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar
Tsarnaevs lawyers pleaded with a jury Monday to spare his
life, portraying him as a good kid who was led down the
path to terrorism by his increasingly fanatical older brother.
David Bruck delivered the defenses opening statement
in the penalty phase of Tsarnaevs trial, saying there is no
punishment Tsarnaev can get that would be equal to the
suffering of the bombing victims.
There is no evening the scales, Bruck said. There is
no point in trying to hurt him as he hurt because it cant be
done.
Tsarnaev, 21, was convicted earlier this month in the
twin bombings that killed three spectators and wounded more
than 260 other people near the marathons finish line on April
15, 2013. He was also found guilty of killing an MIT police
officer during the Tsarnaev brothers getaway attempt.
This stage of the trial will determine whether he is
executed, as prosecutors are demanding, or spends the rest
of his life behind bars, the sentence Bruck urged the jury to
impose.
His legal case will be over for good, and no martyrdom,
just years and years of punishment, the lawyer said. All the
while, society is protected.
Bruck focused heavily on Tsarnaevs now-dead older
brother, Tamerlan, depicting him as a volatile figure who led
the plot. He said Tamerlan was consumed by jihad and had
power over an admiring Dzhokhar.
Bruck said Tamerlan was loud and aggressive, got into
fights, failed at everything he did and never held a steady job,
while Dzhokhar was a good student in high school, was loved
by his teachers there, had many friends and never got in
trouble.
He was a good kid, the lawyer said. But he said
Dzhokhar started going downhill in college, when his parents
divorced and returned to Russia, and he was left with
Tamerlan as the de facto head of the family.
Bruck said the bombing would not have taken place if
Tamerlan hadnt led the way.
Tamerlan went to Russia for six months in 2012 hoping
to join jihadi fighters and returned to the U.S. even more
radicalized, Bruck said. He said Russian relatives will
describe how fanatical he seemed during that visit.
Bruck said Dzhokhar grew up amid turmoil and
instability. He was born in the former Soviet republic of
Kyrgyzstan, then moved from place to place with his parents
Jurors Hear About Tamerlan Tsarnaevs

Widow, Katherine, Who Married Him Despite
Family Disapproval

The mother of Tamerlan Tsarnaevs widow testified
Monday that her family opposed Katherine Russells
relationship with him but could only watch as the ties between
them deepened to include conversion to Islam, a child, and
then marriage.
Judith Russell testified in the death penalty trial of
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, Tamerlan Tsarnaevs younger brother,
50
OPS054000433
as defense lawyers began their effort to convince a jury that

he should get life in prison without parole, rather than death
for the Boston Marathon terror bombing.
Russell was among a wave of witnesses called by the
defense who testified Monday about Tamerlan Tsarnaev and
his commitment to Islam and strong personality. None of the
witnesses talked in any lengthy fashion about Dzhokhar
Tsarnaev. The focus on Tamerlan Tsarnaev came after the
defense said in its opening statement that Tamerlan had
been the leader in the bomb plot and Dzhokhar was a
follower.
Judith Russell said her daughter was a sophomore at
Suffolk University in Boston when she met Tamerlan
Tsarnaev, a relationship the family opposed because he
focused only on his prospective boxing career, cheated on
her, and committed an act of domestic violence against her.
But Russell said her daughter would not listen. During
her junior year, she became pregnant, left school, and
married Tsarnaev shortly before their child was born. She
also, at her husbands urging, researched and then converted
to Islam, Russell said.
Dzhokhar Tsarnaevs lawyers called eight witnesses, all
of whom testified about Tamerlan Tsarnaevs commitment to
Islam and strong personality.
I wasnt against her adopting Islam, because theres
nothing wrong with Islam, said Russell, an emergency room
nurse. But I was concerned about the whole package.
She said that her daughter and granddaughter lived
with her for 10 months after the childs birth and that
Tsarnaev visited on the weekends. But after nearly a year,
Judith Russell said, she told the couple it was time for
Tamerlan Tsarnaev to take care of his family.
Katherine Russell moved to Cambridge and was living
there at the time of the bombing, which killed three and
wounded more than 260 othres.
Neither Katherine Russell nor any of her family
members have ever spoken before at length about the
Tsarnaevs.
Judith Russell said she did not immediately draw a link
between her son-in-law Tsarnaev and the bombings until
several days after the attacks. She said she did not recognize
him in photos of the bombers released by the FBI.
Several days after the bombing, the Tsarnaev brothers
killed an MIT police officer in Cambridge, but were then
confronted by police in Watertown. Tamerlan Tsarnaev died
in the confrontation when he was shot by police and run over
by his brother. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was captured later the
same day.
Katherine Russell called her mothers Rhode Island
home that day and spoke with a sibling. Katie thinks
Tamerlan is dead, Judith Russell said she was told.
The Russells contacted the FBI, but they already knew
who they were and why they were calling them, she said. The
Russells were escorted to Cambridge from Rhode Island

where they were reunited with their daughter and
granddaughter at the Cambridge police station.
Since the bombings and the death of her husband,
Judith Russell said, her daughter has remained committed to
her Islamic faith and is now working. Shes getting her life
together, the mother said. She is healing from this
experience.
Russells best friend from childhood, Gina Crawford,
also testified, describing how their close friendship withered
as both Tamerlan and her friends new faith gained in
importance. She was asked by defense attorney Judy Clarke
when the relationship between the two became serious.
I knew it was pretty serious when she got pregnant,
Crawford said, drawing laughter from some jurors.
Crawford said she only met Tamerlan Tsarnaev once,
when he came into the Starbucks where she worked to buy
drinks for Katherine and himself.
She spoke a lot about her religion, and how she
thought it should be, Crawford testified, adding that
Katherine Tsarnaev also tried to convert her to Islam.
Crawford testified that she texted her friend on April 15,
2013, after the bombing. Katherine Russell replied by saying
that she was at work with her daughter eight miles away at
the time. She also replied that Tamerlan was home in
Cambridge.
Later that day, Katherine Russell sent another text, one
that Crawford found strange, where she wrote that a lot more
people are killed every day in Syria and other places. ...
Innocent people.
Tamerlan Tsarnaevs Mother-in-law: Islam Was

His obsession
Boston Herald, April 28, 2015

Dzhokhar Tsarnaevs defense team today called
Tamerlan Tsarnaevs mother-in-law to the stand in the first
appearance by any family member of the Boston Marathon
bomber and his late co-conspirator brother.
Judith Russell testified that for Tamerlan, Islam,
became a sort of, I dont know, obsession.
The defense said in their opening statement today that
they would paint a portrait of Tamerlan as obsessed with
jihad.
Russell is mother of Katherine Katie Russell,
Tamerlans widow. Their daughter is now 4 1/2.
Russell, who had never publicly spoken since the
bombings, described Tamerlan as transforming into a radical,
growing his hair and beard, and said her daughter was really
cut off from a lot of things she was involved in before.
Katherine Russell started to learn about Islam, her
mother said. That was a change. She hadnt been religious
as a child. She owned the book Islam for Dummies.
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Two years after the bombings, Katherine Russell

who dropped out of Suffolk University in her junior year to
marry Tamerlan when she became pregnant is still a
practicing Muslim.
Russell said she vocally opposed Tamerlans selfish
solo trip to Russia in 2012, which lasted six months, and
during which, according to the defense, he became
radicalized.
And, the mother-in-law said, she found Tamerlans
constant blather about politics annoying. Although he had a
certain charm, she said, I was not pulled in.
She was happy the couple took a break after Tamerlan
cheated on Katie, but Russell lamented she couldnt keep
them apart.
Three days after the bombing, the FBI released photos
of their bombing suspects.
I saw the pictures. Id never met Dzhokhar and I didnt
think it was him (Tamerlan), Russell testified, beginning to
weep.
That night, before authorities had put names to their
faces, the Tsarnaevs fled in a bloody crime spree, killing MIT
officer Sean Collier and engaging in a violent Watertown
showdown that left MBTA officer Dic Donahue wounded.
These days, Russell said, her daughter is healing from
this experience. She is getting her life together and is lighter
in spirit and more like the Katie we knew.
The defense team today began the fight to save
Dzhokhars life today by showing jurors a bleak, desolate
photo of what hes willing to endure over death: the
Supermax federal prison for terrorists in Florence, Colo.
He was a good kid, said anti-death penalty attorney
David I. Bruck said in his 47-minute opening statement. His
last chance came when he was 19, and he will never be
given another.
In Supermax. Bruck assured jurors hearing from the
defense for the first time in the sentencing trial, Tsarnaev, 21,
will fade into oblivion unable to do interviews, write his
autobiography or enjoy so much as a view of the outside
world.
We have now seen more pain, more horror, more grief
in this courtroom than any of you would have ever thought
possible, Bruck said. Whether you vote for death is up to
each one of you, but the man who conceived, planned and
led this crime is beyond our time.
Bruck was referring to Tamerlan, 26, who Dzhokhar ran
down and killed three days after the April 15, 2013, terrorist
attack.
Tamerlans influence over Dzhokhar, raising him in the
vacuum left by their mentally ill parents, is expected to take
center stage in testimony all week week.
Tamerlan had power over Dzhokhar, Bruck told the
jury.
And Dzhokhar, he said, was a lost teenager with very

little motivation to do anything on his own.
Bruck said witnesses will include relatives of the
Tsarnaev brothers from Russia, who will testify through an
interpreter.
They will give context to why Tamerlan set himself and
his brother on this terrible course ... Tamerlan was obsessed
with jihad, Bruck said. And they will tell the court how
fanatical and unreasoning Tamerlan seemed to be during a
visit abroad in 2012.
Witnesses also will include friends of Dzhokhar from the
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.
And at least one expert in the neurological development
of teens will testify describing, Bruck said, that adolescents
are like cars with really powerful engines and faulty brakes.
The Herald reported today that such testimony has
been key in capital cases involving teens since the Supreme
Courts landmark decision in Roper v. Simmons, which
outlawed the death penalty for defendants under 18.
In its decision, the court cited research that has found
the brains of young adults undergo development throughout
late adolescence. Some experts say that development
continues well into the 20s.
Dzhokhar was 19 when he and Tamerlan committed
the bombings.
In Defense Of Boston Marathon Bomber,

Lawyers Make Case Against Older Brother
By Richard A. Serrano
Hoping to save Dzhokhar Tsarnaev from the death
penalty, lawyers for the convicted Boston Marathon bomber
aggressively portrayed his older brother, Tamerlan, as the
brains and muscle behind the 2013 terrorist attack, revealing
for the first time that Tamerlan initially planned to strike in
Russia but returned to this country because he could not find
a holy war there.
Defense attorneys also argued to the jury that a
sentence of life in prison with no chance of parole would be
an even harsher punishment for the 21-year-old Russian
immigrant, who after the attack that left three people dead
and more than 260 others wounded had voiced a desire to
die as a martyr.
Showing jurors pictures of the federal supermax
prison in Colorado where Tsarnaev would probably serve
out his sentence defense attorney David I. Bruck zoomed
in on a picture of a small window grate that he said allowed
just a small amount of sunlight each day.
He goes there and hes forgotten, Bruck said. No
more [media] spotlight, like the death penalty brings. His legal
case will be over for good, and no martyrdom. Just years and
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years of punishment, day after day, while he grows up to face

the lonely struggle of dealing with what he did.
For much of the day, the defense focused on Tamerlan
Tsarnaevs activities, promising to reveal classified FBI
reports about the older brothers six-month trip to Russia.
In January 2012, Bruck said, Tamerlan left his family
to go to Russia and go into the forest to join radical jihad
fighters. He had been planning to wage jihad in Russia. He
told people he had gone overseas to die, but returned
because he said he could not find a holy war.
The defense also displayed emails Tamerlan sent from
Russia to Dzhokhar, describing his growing religious beliefs.
I am doing well, he told his younger brother. I am
educating myself more and more. In order for an Islamic
society to emerge, Islamic spirit and thinking must reign
amongst the population. And here in the Caucasus there are
still very many people who live in ignorance.
In another email to Dzhokhar, Tamerlan praised former
Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden as a lion with a tender
heart. He attached a link to articles describing Bin Ladens
Apocalyptic Dream of America. Tamerlan told his brother
the articles were a must read.
When he returned to Boston, Bruck said, Tamerlan
was picking fights with people about religion. He was
aggressive and extreme, and walking around dressed in
flowing white robes like a Muslim sheik.Tamerlan was a
very tough guy, a boxer. He was suspended from high school
and arrested for assaulting a fellow student, and he assaulted
his girlfriend.
Bruck said Tamerlan scanned the Internet, viewing
pictures of Middle East massacres and jihadi insurgents.
Tamerlan, Bruck said, wanted to learn about men who must
stand up and fight. That was his world.
Defense witnesses testified they noticed a change in
Tamerlan after he returned from Russia.
A former acquaintance, Robert Barnes, said he ran into
Tamerlan at Angelos Pizza in Cambridge, Mass. Tamerlan
wore a beard and a long white robe, he said, and boasted
that he no longer drank alcohol or smoked pot. I cant or
dont do that stuff anymore, he told Barnes.
Barnes said Tamerlan had some criticisms about what
the United States government does abroad.... He was
definitely very passionate about it.
Loay Assaf, a visiting iman at a Cambridge mosque,
said Tamerlan interrupted Friday services twice.
Once Tamerlan shouted at him as the iman discussed
the upcoming November 2012 elections, Assaf said. The
older brother stood up and he was shouting at me. He was so
angry and saying, This is not Islamic, this is wrong. He kept
repeating this.
In January 2013, Assaf was comparing the Rev. Martin
Luther King Jr. with the Prophet Muhammad when Tamerlan
jumped up, screaming.
He was fired up. Very hot, Assaf said. You could see
his face was red.... Even his stance was a fighting stance.
You could tell he was a boxer. And he kept saying, This is
not Islamic, This is not right and Youre a hypocrite.
Judith Russell, a Rhode Island registered nurse and
Tamerlans mother-in-law, said: Over time, he became much
more religious. He would talk about it every time.
The family opposed his six-month trip to Russia. We
thought it was very selfish because it was a vacation,
basically, she said.
Gina Crawford of Rhode Island, a close friend of
Tamerlans wife, Katherine, said she texted her shortly after
the Boston bombings.
Katherine told her Tamerlan was at home in
Cambridge, Crawford said. Then Katherine added about the
Boston attack, A lot more people are killed in Syria.
Boston Bombers Lawyer Urges Unrelenting

Punishment Over Death

Tsarnaev Defense: Spare Him The Death

Penalty, Put Him In Supermax Prison

The final act of the Dzhokhar Tsarnaev trial began
Monday with his defense team laying out in its opening
statement why its client should be spared the death penalty.
In front of a courtroom at almost full capacity, defense
attorney David Bruck opened the morning session with a soft
and measured plea to the jury to instead sentence Mr.
Tsarnaev to life in prison for participating in two bombings
near the Boston Marathon finish line in April 2013 that
resulted in three deaths and more than 260 injuries.
About three weeks ago, a jury convicted him on all 30
charges related to the bombings, triggering a sentencing
phase in the trial to determine his punishment: either death or
life in prison without the possibility of release. Last week, after
three days of testimony, the government rested its case in
that phase, calling for Tsarnaev to receive the death penalty.
For the defense, the sentencing phase will allow it to
address issues its been able only to dance around so far in
the trial. Since the first round of opening statements in early
March when defense lawyers essentially admitted
Tsarnaevs guilt their primary goal has been to spare his
life.
In his almost hourlong opening statement, Mr. Bruck
began by acknowledging the horror of the bombings and the
suffering of the hundreds of victims that the jury has been
hearing about throughout the trial.
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But he also used that graphic testimony to make the

point that the death penalty can never match or cancel out
the suffering of the bombing victims.
Youve now seen more pain and more horror and more
grief in this courtroom than any of you will have thought
possible, Bruck said to the jury. There is no evening the
scales, theres no point hurting him the way others were hurt
because it cant be done. All you can do is make the best
choice.
The sentencing phase also enables the defense to dig
into an argument it touched on but lightly in its initial defense
that is, the role of his older brother and co-bomber,
Tamerlan. According to the defense, Tamerlan Tsarnaev was
the radicalized mastermind of the bombings who pressured
his younger brother into helping execute his own personal
jihad.
No one is going to claim that Tamerlan forced
Dzhokhar to commit these terrible crimes, said Bruck. But
the evidence will show that if Tamerlan hadnt led the way,
Dzhokhar never would have done any of these things.
How do we know this? he added. Because
Tamerlans motivation to carry out this attack was so much
stronger and had been building for so much longer.
The first slate of witnesses on Monday saw the defense
aggressively pursue a strategy of portraying Tamerlan as an
imperious, irascible man who grew increasingly radical over
the years.
The first three witnesses were men who saw Tamerlan
shout down an imam twice in the months before the
bombings: Laith Albehacy, Abderazak Razak, and Loaf
Assaf, the imam whom Tamerlan confronted.
In late January 2013, Mr. Assaf described Tamerlan
interrupting a sermon he was giving comparing the prophet
Muhammad to Martin Luther King Jr.
He was fired up, very hot, and he was shouting, This is
wrong, recalled Assaf. He kept saying,This is not Islamic,
this is not right, you are a hypocrite, and people at the time
were telling him to shut up and sit down.
Judith Russell mother of Katherine Russell,
Tamerlans widow testified later in the afternoon that he
tried to talk to her about Islam and politics every time I saw
him.
He always wanted to talk about how Islam was good,
and over time it came to seem an obsession, Ms. Russell
said. Over the time I knew him, I saw a progression in the
intensity of his beliefs.
In his opening statement, Bruck also outlined how the
defense plans to show how the Tsarnaev brothers turbulent
and nomadic childhood disrupted by decades of conflict and
forced migration in their native Chechnya helped contribute
to their final decision to commit the bombings.
On the day the defense began to make its case that
Tsarnaev should be spared the death penalty, another poll
was released showing that less than 20 percent of

Massachusetts residents believe he should be put to death
for this crime.
These results which continue a trend among
residents in the region favoring life in prison over death for
Tsarnaev also found that, despite these specific opinions on
Tsarnaev, nearly a third of respondents support the death
penalty for the most egregious crimes.
To voters, it would seem death is too easy an escape,
said Frank Perullo, president of Sage Systems, which
conducted the poll for The Boston Globe.
Near the end of his opening statement, Bruck tried to
show just how punitive life in prison would be for Tsarnaev.
He showed the court aerial pictures of the sprawling, snowcovered federal super maximum security prison in Florence,
Colo. The prison also known as ADX Florence or the
Alcatraz of the Rockies houses the male inmates in the
federal prison system deemed most dangerous and in need
of the tightest control.
This is where the government keeps other terrorists
who used to be famous but arent anymore, he told the jury.
He then moved to another photo, a close-up of a small
barred window staring up at the sky. The window, Bruck said,
represents inmates only contact with the outside world for the
majority of their sentence. Communications would be strictly
limited in the facility, he added, and a camera in his cell would
watch him 24 hours a day.
No matter what [Tsarnaev] does now, no matter what
regrets he feels, no matter how he matures, no matter what
amends he might want to make, his last choice came when
he was 19, and he will never have the chance to make
another choice again, said Bruck.
Republicans Seek New Limits On Guantanamo

Prisoner Transfers
By Patricia Zengerle
Bill Would Withhold Defense Funding Until

Congress Gets Answers On Bergdahl Swap
Rep. Mac Thornberrys draft of the annual defense
authorization bill released Monday would withhold a portion of
Defense Department funding until the administration answers
questions about the prisoner swap of Guantanamo Bay
detainees in exchange for Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl.
The chairmans mark from the Texas Republican who
leads the House Armed Services Committee contains nine
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sections that would extend restrictions on Guantanamo Bay

transfers or implement additional reporting requirements to
understand how often detainees are joining terrorist groups
after being released. The restrictions on the release of
Guantanamo Bay detainees would extend for the remainder
of President Obamas term, effectively squashing his
campaign promise to close the prison if passed.
The draft bill requests documents relating to the
administrations transfer of five Gitmo detainees to Qatar in
May 2014 in exchange for the release of Sgt. Bergdahl, a
former al Qaeda prisoner of war who was suspected of
leaving his post in Afghanistan. Sgt. Bergdahl is currently
awaiting an Article 32 hearing on charges of desertion set for
July in San Antonio.
The transfer occurred without the required 30-day
notification of Congress, angering many lawmakers on both
sides of the aisle. It was also suspected that one of the
detainees in the swap had already returned to terrorism in
January, though the administration did not confirm those
reports.
The bill requests the administration to provide
correspondence between the Defense Department, Justice
Department and other government agencies leading up to the
swap.
Since the Department of Defense has failed to comply
with the committees requests, this section would prohibit the
obligation or expenditure of 25 percent of the funds
authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made available for
the Office of the Secretary of Defense for fiscal year 2016
until the submission of all required correspondence, the bill
says.
The bill is asking specifically for documents relating to
the prisoner swap between Jan. 1, 2013 and June 1, 2014.
The government would have 30 days from the passage of the
bill to provide the documents, including specifically an email
exchange described in congressional testimony last summer.
The bill also asks for un-redacted copies of documents
related to the prisoner swap to be provided to the House
Armed Services Committee and threatens to withhold a
portion of funds if the administration does not comply.
The administration has said there was not time to notify
Congress in the urgent prisoner swap that was necessary for
Sgt. Bergdhals health and safety. Since then, the president
has complied with the notification requirements but has kept
up a high-rate of releases, transferring 22 detainees in the
last two months of 2014 and six so far this year, according to
New York Times data.
The committee also has concerns regarding the
departments recent actions related to the transfer of other
detainees from Guantanamo Bay and the implications for
U.S. national security, the bill says.
The bill would prohibit the government from transferring
any detainees to countries where other prisoners have
returned to terrorism after their release. It would also prevent

the government from releasing any detainees to combat
zones.
The chairmans mark would also create two new reports
on Guantanamo Bay prisoners: one on all contact between
released detainees and individuals associated with terrorist
groups and a second, quarterly report on the amount of time
that elapsed between a prisoners release and his return to
terrorism.
In addition to new restrictions, the bill also extends the
requirement through Dec. 31, 2016, for the defense secretary
to provide Congress a 30-day written notice addressing how
the department will mitigate recidivism risks prior to releasing
any detainee. It also extends the ban on transferring
detainees to the U.S. for any reason and the ban on any new
construction in the U.S. to house Gitmo prisoners.
The chairmans mark is the draft of the annual defense
authorization bill that touches every part of the military. The
full House Armed Services Committee will debate Mr.
Thornberrys draft and make changes to it Wednesday. The
Senate Armed Services Committee will also markup a
version of the annual defense policy bill, but their debate will
be closed to the press.
Rieder: Why Charlie Hebdo Deserves Free

Speech Award
By Rem Rieder
A debate has erupted over the decision by PEN
American Center to give its annual Freedom of Expression
Courage Award to the French satirical newspaper Charlie
Hebdo.
It was at the offices of Charlie Hebdo that an assault by
Muslim extremists in January left 12 people dead, including
the publications top editor and a number of prominent
cartoonists.
Their sin? Publishing images of the prophet
Mohammed, which is extremely offensive to many Muslims.
PEN says on its website that for 90 years, its mission
has been to ensure that people everywhere have the
freedom to create literature, to convey information and ideas,
to express their views and to make it possible for everyone to
access the views, ideas and literatures of others.
Cartoonists gunned down for expressing their views
sound like worthy recipients of the award.
Not according to six novelists, who announced they
were stepping down as literary hosts of PENs gala dinner in
New York City on May 5.
Their beef?
A hideous crime was committed, but was it a freedom
of speech issue for PEN America to be self-righteous about?
Peter Carey, one of the protesting writers, said in an email
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interview with The New York Times. He said, All this is

complicated by PENs seeming blindness to the cultural
arrogance of the French nation, which does not recognize its
moral obligation to a large and disempowered segment of
their population.
Another of the dissenting writers, Rachel Kushner,
lambasted Charlie Hebdo for its cultural intolerance and its
embrace of a kind of forced secular view. (The other
protesting writers are Michael Ondaatje, Francine Prose, Teju
Cole and Taiye Selasi.)
Another writer, Deborah Eisenberg, said in a letter to
PEN that she found the irreverent newspapers treatment of
the Muslim faith insulting to what she called the
marginalized, impoverished and victimized Muslim
population.
To its credit, PEN is hanging tough. This is a welldeserved award, and the critics are off the mark. Freedom of
expression would hardly be a big deal if it were only the
freedom to be politically correct, to express opinions that are
weak tea, tepid sentiments that everyone can embrace.
And Charlie Hebdo hardly has reserved its fire for the
Muslim faith. It sees itself as an equal opportunity offender,
and the Catholic church is often on the receiving end of its
barbs.
The PEN award, and the fact that Charlie Hebdo has
continued to publish after the devastating assault, are critical
ways to underscore the notion that its not OK for violent
zealots to impose their will with assault weapons and
beheadings, that religious beliefs, no matter how deeply held,
confer no mandate to kill what you dont like.
Andrew Solomon, PENs president, and Suzanne
Nossel, its executive director, said in a letter to PENs board
that you hardly have to agree with all of Charlie Hebdos work
to see it as a worthy recipient of a free speech award.
There is courage in refusing the very idea of forbidden
statements, an urgent brilliance in saying what you have been
told not to say in order to make it sayable, they wrote.
They said they believe Charlie Hebdo did not aim to
insult Muslims, but rather to reject forcefully the efforts of a
small minority to place broad categories of speech off-limits,
no matter the purpose, intent or import of the expression.
Solomon told the Times the group had heard little
criticism since the award was announced in March, and the
numerous other literary hosts were still on board.
Perhaps the most eloquent and trenchant support for
the award came from someone who knows a little about
threats from zealots: Salman Rushdie, who went into hiding
for years in the wake of a fatwa a religious order for his
death by Irans then-religious leader Ayatollah Khomeini
after the publication of Rushdies book The Satanic Verses.
This issue has nothing to do with an oppressed and
disadvantaged minority, Rushdie wrote in a letter to PEN. It
has everything to do with the battle against fanatical Islam,
which is highly organised, well funded, and which seeks to

terrify us all, Muslims as well as non Muslims, into a cowed
silence.
Rushdie, a former president of PEN, made clear why it
was critical that the organization not back down,
If PEN as a free speech organization cant defend and
celebrate people who have been murdered for drawing
pictures, then frankly the organization is not worth the name,
he said, adding pointedly, What I would say to both Peter
and Michael and the others is, I hope nobody ever comes
after them.
Search Warrants: Accused Ohio Terror

Suspect Hid Identity
By Andrew Welsh-Huggins, AP Legal Affairs Writer

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) An accused Ohio terrorist
misled authorities about his identity and tried to have his slain
brothers Facebook martyrdom photo deleted to avoid police
scrutiny, according to newly unsealed search warrants.
Abdirahman Sheik Mohamud also trained two
associates in Ohio on how to shoot guns after he allegedly
trained with terrorists in Syria and communicated with his
brother online about supporting terrorism, the warrants show.
Mohamud, of Columbus, has pleaded not guilty to
federal charges of supporting terrorism, supporting a terrorist
group and making a false statement involving international
terrorism. Prosecutors said he lied to an Ohio FBI agent by
saying he had been in Istanbul when he was really in Syria.
Mohamud, 23, is accused of receiving terrorism training
on weapons, combat and tactics in Syria, then returning to
the U.S. with plans to attack a military base or a prison.
Mohamud, a U.S. citizen originally from Somalia,
wanted to kill three or four American soldiers execution
style, according to an indictment earlier this month
A message seeking comment was left Monday with
Mohamuds attorney, who has said hes sifting through a
thousand pages of government documents related to the
case. Sam Shamansky has called the indictment a cherrypicked document as significant for what it didnt say as what
it did. Hes described Mohamud as a normal 23-year-old kid.
Mohamuds brother, Abdifatah Aden, also from Ohio,
was killed in battle in Syria in June 2014, according to the
government. He had fought with Jabhat al-Nusrah, a State
Department-designated terrorist group, according to his
brothers indictment.
Events leading to Mohamuds arrest began around
September 2013 when he communicated online with his
brother about plans to travel to Syria to fight, the indictment
said. They later talked about ways Mohamud could support
him financially, according to the government.
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Shortly before leaving for Turkey on his way to Syria in

mid-April 2014, Mohamud texted his brother a picture of a
computer tablet he had bought, according to a Jan. 30
document filed as part of a search warrant request. The
government said the brother planned to use the tablet to raise
money for his terrorist fighting.
During a Feb. 20 interview with the FBI, Mohamud
identified himself as Aden, then admitted his true identity
when challenged, according to the document.
On Feb. 26, Mohamud told his brother hed been
questioned by the FBI. He said he had nothing to hide, but
Im very careful now, the document said.
redistributed.
sway over fighters with Hezbollah, which is considered a

terrorist group by the U.S.
Under the recommended sentencing guidelines,
Allouche faced six months to 12 months behind bars, but
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Roomberg successfully argued
for a stiffer sentence.
Over the objections of Allouches lawyer, Cynthia Orr,
Senior U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth, a former
member of the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court,
gave Allouche five years in prison. He also invalidated the
American citizenship Allouche got after marrying a U.S. Army
officer and moving here. Army Lt. Col. Jennifer Danko
divorced him after initially withholding from superiors what
she knew about his past.
Orr argued that Allouche, a contract translator who was
at one time imbedded with U.S. troops, helped them as they
fought the enemy in Iraq. Orr said Allouche has not been
involved in terrorism but noted that his habit of embellishing
his background is what got the government on his tail.
Roomberg countered that Allouche could have gotten
access to sensitive information, noting trial testimony showed
Allouche donned a uniform to impersonate a U.S. Army major
and presented false credentials to get access to at least one
San Antonio military base.
The only ... army he fought with is Hezbollah,
Roomberg told the judge. He never fought for the U.S.
At trial, prosecutors also said Allouche is a Hezbollah
sympathizer who hung the groups flag in his garage, had it
as his computers screensaver, was on the website for AlManar Hezbollahs TV station so much that he
bookmarked it, and had a DVD of Al-Manar a piece of
terrorist propaganda in his home.
In February, jurors found Allouche guilty of falsely
claiming he was still living with Danko so he could get U.S.
citizenship. He also was convicted of withholding his prior
membership in the Amal militia as he sought a national
security clearance for more contract work with the Defense
Department as a linguist.
Allouche was acquitted of a charge that alleged he
wrongly procured U.S. citizenship by answering no when he
was asked on a naturalization form, Have you ever been a
member of or in any way associated (either directly or
indirectly) with a terrorist organization?
During deliberations, the jury was confused whether
Amal was a terrorist organization and asked for clarification.
The judge told the jury to rely on the evidence they heard and
saw during the week-and-a-half trial.
Defense Seeks Light Sentence In Virginia

Terror Support Case
By Larry O'Dell, Associated Press

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Defense lawyers are asking a
judge to go easy on a Virginia woman who pleaded guilty to
lying to federal investigators about supporting the Islamic
State militant group.
Heather Elizabeth Coffmans attorneys filed papers
Monday recommending a sentence of three years and 10
months, which is the low end of a guideline range that
extends up to four years and nine months. The 30-year-old
Coffman will be sentenced in U.S. District Court in Richmond
on May 11.
Prosecutors say Coffman promoted the extremist
organization on Facebook and offered to use her contacts to
help an undercover FBI agent and his fictitious friend travel to
Syria to join the group.
In their sentencing memo, Coffmans attorneys describe
her as a gullible loner who got caught up in a radical cause
without fully understanding the implications.
redistributed.
Man Stripped Of Citizenship Due To Terrorist

Tie
Houston Chronicle, April 28, 2015

SAN ANTONIO A San Antonio man was sentenced
Monday to five years in prison and stripped of his U.S.
citizenship for lying about his prior affiliation with Hezbollah.
Wissam Allouche, 46, said nothing at his sentencing
while his lawyers said they plan to appeal. Allouche has been
adamant that he is innocent. Prosecutors claim that in the
1980s, Allouche was the commander of the now-defunct
militia group known as Amal in his native Lebanon and had
Hezbollah Supporter Gets Five Years In Prison

For Lying To Get Citizenship
San Antonio Express-News, April 28, 2015
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A San Antonio man was sentenced Monday to five

years in prison and stripped of his U.S. citizenship for lying
about his prior affiliation with Hezbollah, the Shiite militant
group.
Wissam Allouche, 46, said nothing at his sentencing.
Allouche has been adamant that he is innocent and his
lawyers said they plan to appeal. Prosecutors said that in the
1980s Allouche was the commander of the now-defunct
militia group Amal in his native Lebanon and had sway over
fighters with Hezbollah, which is considered a terrorist group
by the U.S.
Under the recommended sentencing guidelines,
Allouche faced six months to 12 months behind bars, but
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Roomberg successfully argued
for a stiffer sentence over the objections of Allouches lawyer,
Cynthia Orr.
Senior U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth, a former
member of the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court,
handed down the five-year sentence. He also invalidated the
American citizenship Allouche got after marrying a U.S. Army
officer and moving here. Army Lt. Col. Jennifer Danko
divorced him after initially withholding from superiors what
she knew about his past.
Orr argued that Allouche, a contract translator who was
at one time embedded with U.S. troops, helped them as they
fought the enemy in Iraq. Orr said Allouche has not been
involved in terrorism but noted that his habit of embellishing
his background is what got the feds on his tail.
Roomberg countered that Allouche could have gotten
access to sensitive information, noting trial testimony showed
Allouche donned a uniform to impersonate a U.S. Army major
and presented false credentials to get access to at least one
San Antonio military base.
The only army he fought with is Hezbollah,
Roomberg told the judge. He never fought for the U.S.
At trial, prosecutors also said Allouche is a Hezbollah
sympathizer who hung the groups flag in his garage and had
it as his computers screen saver and was on the website for
Al-Manar (Hezbollahs TV station) so much that he
bookmarked it.
In February, jurors found Allouche guilty of falsely
claiming he was still living with Danko so he could get U.S.
citizenship. He was also convicted of withholding his prior
membership in the Amal militia as he sought a national
security clearance for more contract work with the Defense
Department as a linguist.
But he was acquitted of a charge alleging he wrongly
procured U.S. citizenship by saying he had never been a
member of or been associated with a terrorist organization.
During deliberations, the jury asked for clarification as to
whether Amal was a terrorist organization. The judge told
jurors to rely on the evidence they heard and saw during the
week-and-a-half trial.
OTHER CYBER NEWS

House Passes Info Sharing Bill, Ball In Senate
Court

The House passed cybersecurity legislation Thursday
for the second Congress in a row sending the Senate a
clear message: Your move.
The difference? House GOP leadership cant blame
Democrats if the bill stalls again.
Instead, this go around will be the first attempt in three
Congresses to pass major cybersecurity legislation with
Republican leadership in the Senate as well as the House.
House Republican leaders have been taking a victory
lap on the bills all week, even before their ultimate passage
Wednesday and Thursday. Both House Speaker John
Boehner (R-Ohio) and House Majority Leader Kevin
McCarthy (R-Calif.) put out statements praising their body for
bringing bipartisan cyberthreat information sharing legislation
to the floor, both iterations of the bill passing by wide margins.
Republicans have led efforts to bolster Americas
cybersecurity while protecting citizens privacy, Boehner
wrote at the start of the week, referring to House cyber efforts
dating back to when he took the gavel in 2011.
Unfortunately, Senate Democrats did nothing, he added.
But despite pledges from Senate leaders, the timeline
for bringing information sharing to the upper chamber
continues to slip.
When the Senate bill, CISA, advanced from the Senate
Intelligence Committee in March (before any House bills were
marked up), Chairman Richard Burr said the goal was to
have the bill on the floor after the Easter/Passover recess in
mid-April. Now, insiders say the best case scenario for cyber
is likely to be May.
I think its one of those things where we probably will
take up in the near future, Senate Majority Whip John
Cornyn (R-Texas) told POLITICO. We [confirmed Attorney
General-designate Loretta] Lynch today, well do Iran and
well do probably trade, and I would think [cyber]s probably
one of the candidates for being next in line.
Senate leaders insist the issue will still be top of mind.
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) predicted the
Senate will take up the Intelligence Committees bill before
Memorial Day, when Congress next takes a recess.
We have a few things to do first. I think [Senate
Majority Leader Mitch] McConnell wants to do it this work
period and so do I, Reid said, regarding information sharing.
Were committed to doing [a bill].
The House Intelligence Committee and House
Homeland Security Committee each drafted versions of
cyberthreat information sharing bills that sailed through the
body this week, 307-116 and 355-63, respectively. The
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debate was almost entirely laudatory and the limited

amendments allowed for consideration sped through mostly
on voice votes.
The vote total was even stronger than the April 2013
vote on the bills predecessor, CISPA, which passed 288-127
before the Edward Snowden revelations vaulted surveillance
into Americans consciousness.
Democrats in the House were eager to point out that if
this bill doesnt succeed, no one can blame their partys
leadership in the Senate.
When the shoes on the other foot, its an opportunity
for those people who have been critical to demonstrate
leadership, said House Homeland Security ranking member
Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) This is an opportunity for
Republican leadership in the Senate to take care of business,
and if not, then it would be a failure on their part to do so.
I dont think that problem was with the Democratic
Senate in the last session, I think the problem was there were
still significant privacy issues that had yet to be resolved, but
we have largely resolved them, said Intelligence Committee
ranking member Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), who voted against
CISPA in 2013 but developed and strongly supported his
committees bill. I think were looking at a very likely passage
and Im optimistic well get to the goal line this year.
But the calendar in the Senate is not information
sharings friend. Lawmakers have to finish up a bill on the
Iran nuclear deal, giving the president fast-track trade
authority, reach a deal on the budget with the House, and
then there are deadlines fast approaching like transportation
policy authorization and perhaps the biggest wild card for
information sharing: the sunset of the U.S.s surveillance
authorities at the end of May.
And the most determined opponent of the Senate
information sharing bill, written by the Intelligence Committee,
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), pledged today that he would not
let the bill sail through the upper chamber as easily as it did
on the other side of the Capitol.
When this bill comes to the floor of the U.S. Senate,
this is going to be a robust debate, Wyden pledged Thursday
morning at an event put on by the Computer and
Communications Industry Association. And it is going to take
a fair amount of time, this is not, on my watch, going to be a
bill that flies through the United States Senate lickety-split.
Wyden has major concerns with the privacy protections
in the bill, which he calls a surveillance bill by another name.
He said those reservations have only gotten stronger since
he was the sole no vote on the Senate Intelligence
Committees markup of CISA.
The PATRIOT Act and its surveillance authorities will
expire June 1, already setting up a debate in Congress over
surveillance. On Tuesday, McConnell introduced a bill to
reauthorize the controversial act with no changes angering
privacy advocates and moderates who wanted a healthy
debate over the provisions. That could help bring supporters

on both sides of the aisle to Wydens cause, he
acknowledged to POLITICO later Thursday.
Given the fact that we came within three votes of major
reform [last year], for the Senate Republican leadership to
now say well go backward and defend domestic surveillance
as a simple reauthorization would do, thats pretty jarring
stuff, Wyden said.
Already in the House, some Republicans joined
Democrats concerns over the bill. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.)
took to the floor during Democrats time to debate the rule on
the bills on Wednesday as one of only a handful of
lawmakers who got to speak out against the bill.
On Thursday, he said its not surprising both support
and opposition for the bill is bipartisan.
The collection of data, your personal information, and
the potential misuse by your government cross party lines.,
Issa aid. Some Democrats are willing to give up your privacy
for security, some Republicans are willing to give up your
privacy for security. Im hoping that the Senate will begin
erring more toward protecting the American peoples privacy
in a cyber world and not simply assume that because we
cannot stop cyberattacks, there is no privacy.
House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mike
McCaul (R-Texas) said lawmakers intentionally moved
cybersecurity quickly to the floor to avoid a surveillance proxy
fight.
The plan was we were going to do these on separate
tracks, which is why were doing this now; [surveillance
reform] comes later, McCaul said. I think we successfully
persuaded the members that this [information sharing bill] is
not a surveillance bill.
And if the Senate doesnt pass it, House Republicans
cant blame Democrats, he acknowledged.
Then the Senate as an institution [will be] to blame,
because it doesnt work very quickly, McCaul said. I
certainly hope they would at least pass our House Intel and
Homeland Security bills, pass it through the Senate and send
it to the White House, because I have assurances the White
House will sign those into law.
Sharing Threat Intel Is Voluntary In New Bills
59
By Shawn Zeller, Roll Call Staff

Neither cybersecurity bill passed by the House last
week would require that companies share information about
cyber-threats. Its voluntary.
But if companies choose not to participate, the
congressional sponsors will likely blame the Houses decision
to adopt amendments to both measures sunsetting them after
seven years.
During the floor debates over their bills, both
Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes of California
OPS054000442
and Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael

McCaul of Texas tried unsuccessfully to block the
amendments. A majority of both Republicans and Democrats
disagreed and voted for an amendment by Republican Rep.
Mick Mulvaney of South Carolina to the Nunes bill.
The next day, McCaul protested but accepted a voice
vote in favor of Mulvaneys amendment to his bill.
Mulvaney said it made good sense to force Congress to
ensure the bill was working as intended. But Nunes and
McCaul argued companies wouldnt take the time to set up
systems for sharing information, or take the legal risk of doing
so, if Congress might kill the liability protections after seven
years.
Companies bolstered that view with their protests. As
the amendments were coming up for consideration, groups
including the Securities Industry and Financial Markets
Association and the Financial Services Roundtable, which
represent banks and investment firms, urged a no vote.
That prompted McCaul, whod said during a Rules
Committee markup earlier in the week that he could accept a
seven-year sunset, to do an about-face on the floor. Since
the time the Rules Committee discharged the amendment,
theres been tremendous opposition from industry which
concerns me about the participation in this program and the
success of this program, he said.
According to the poll 56 percent of voters approve of

the rules, while 27 disapprove. Another 17 percent had no
opinion.
Republicans in Congress have floated a number of
proposals to block the rules, but those have little chance of
getting past a presidential veto. A half dozen lawsuits have
also been filed to challenge the rules.
Lawmakers are just beginning to gear up for debate
about surveillance reform, as the June 1 deadline nears to
reauthorize portions of the Patriot Act, which forms the legal
basis for the domestic surveillance program that collects bulk
phone records of Americans.
According to the poll young people (17 percent) and
males (16 percent) are most likely to say surveillance reform
should be a top priority.
The online poll surveyed 1,595 registered voters from
April 17-20 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2
percent.
FBI To Create Pool Of Contracted Cyber

Experts
Federal Times, April 27, 2015

The FBI will be releasing a solicitation next week to
contract with cyber experts who can provide support services
and expertise to the bureau on an as-needed basis.
The winning contractors will work with several law
enforcement and intelligence bureaus including the
intelligence branches; national security branch; the criminal,
cyber, response and services branch; science and
technology branch; inspection division; and internal policy
office to provide a pool of technical subject matter experts
that can work directly with the FBI.
Related: FBI adding cyber special agents to
investigations
The contractor shall have the ability to recruit, retain
and replace operational SMEs with a wide range of [law
enforcement/intelligence community] backgrounds to fulfill
task order requests of varying scope and complexity,
according to a synopsis of the upcoming RFP.
Work will include consultations, data collection and
analysis, intelligence interviewing, training, policy
development and assistance with project implementation and
management.
Contractors must be eligible for Top Secret clearance
and able to work with sensitive compartmented information
on a task order basis.
Related: DHS RFP will ask for cybersecurity research
support
The final contract will have a $10 million minimum and
$100 million maximum.
The RFP is expected sometime before May 6, with
awards in the August-September timeframe.
Poll: Cyber Should Top Congresss Tech

Agenda
By Mario Trujillo
Four in 10 voters believe cybersecurity should be at the
top of Congresss technology agenda this year, according to
a new poll.
According to a Morning Consult poll, a plurality of voters
believe preventing cyber attacks should be the main priority
for Congress on the technology front, followed by approving
data security standards (20 percent). Surveillance reform
ranks third with 10 percent, followed by net neutrality (8
percent) and drone regulations (7 percent). Another 14
percent did not have an answer.
The House passed a pair of cybersecurity bills last
week that are meant to increase information sharing between
the government and the private sector. The Senate has yet to
act.
Much of the technology focus earlier this year was on
the Federal Communications Commissions net neutrality
rules, which would reclassify broadband Internet under
authority governing traditional telephones. The rules are
meant to give the agency more authority to enforce rules that
bar service providers from prioritizing any bit of Internet traffic
above another.
Amazon.com Widgets
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Agent Who Supervised Investigation Of

JPMorgan Cyberattack Takes A New Job
at K2, Mr. Berglas will find himself working on digital security

from the other side, advising companies that either have been
breached or are trying to avoid it.
By Matthew Goldstein
A top federal agent who was helping to oversee the
criminal investigation into the hacking attack against
JPMorgan Chase last summer is leaving for a job with a
private investigation firm.
Austin P. Berglas is leaving the Federal Bureau of
Investigation after nearly 16 years to take a job with K2
Intelligence, a corporate investigations firm. K2 is expected to
announce the hiring of Mr. Berglas, who served in the Army
before joining the F.B.I., on Tuesday.
Mr. Berglas will serve as a senior managing director
and head of United States cyber investigations for the firm.
K2, co-founded by Jules B. Kroll and his son Jeremy,
recently announced that it had received a major investment
from the American International Group, the insurance giant.
The Krolls formed K2 after the family sold its corporate
investigations firm Kroll to Marsh & McLennan for $1.9 billion
in 2004.
The new firm, which now has about 300 employees
working in offices around the world, is moving to position itself
as a leader in digital security. The firm hopes that in hiring Mr.
Berglas, who most recently was the assistant special agent in
charge of cyber investigations for the New York office of the
F.B.I., will strengthen its reputation in online security
investigations and help it recruit other investigators.
Mr. Berglass departure from the F.B.I. is not likely to
affect the investigation into the breach of JPMorgan, which
resulted in hackers gaining access to email addresses and
phone numbers for 83 million households and small
businesses. For some time now, federal authorities have
been confident that they will be able to identify and file
criminal charges against some of the hackers, possible as
soon as next month, said two people briefed on the matter
but not authorized to speak publicly.
The F.B.I. has already been concerned about losing top
talent to the private sector, which can pay big salaries to hire
investigators at a time of rising worry over hackers and data
breaches.
In 2013, Mr. Berglas caused a bit of a stir in the hacker
world when he told The Huffington Post that the F.B.I. had
effectively neutralized Anonymous, a confederation of socalled hacktivists, as a source of major online attacks. Mr.
Berglas said a series of arrests the F.B.I. had made of some
Anonymous members had proved to be an effective
deterrent.
More recently, Mr. Berglas has taken part in a
campaign by the F.B.I. to encourage United States
companies to be more proactive in reporting data breaches
and intrusions by hackers to federal authorities. In his new job
COUNTERING VIOLENT EXTREMISM

How The Islamic States Slick Recruiting
Campaign Threatens To Radicalize Americans
By | By Kevin Johnson
WASHINGTON The arrests of six Minnesota men
accused earlier this month of attempting to join the Islamic
State group, highlights an unprecedented marketing effort
being waged by the militant group in Iraq and Syria, U.S. law
enforcement officials and terror analysts said.
Its a campaign that is finding resonance from urban
metros to the American heartland.
This is not so much a recruitment effort as it is a global
marketing campaign, beyond anything that al-Qaida has ever
done, said a senior law enforcement official.
The official, who is not authorized to comment publicly,
said the Islamic States slick multimedia productions, its use
of social media and personal peer-to-peer communication
are proving to be effective parts of a sophisticated program
aimed at the West.
I dont think there has been one case in which we
havent found some connection to the videos or other media
the group has produced, the official said.
Federal authorities have identified more than 150 U.S.
residents who have sought to join the ranks of the terror
organization or rival groups in Syria. There is evidence that
about 40 of those have traveled to the region and returned to
the U.S. Most have been charged; an undisclosed number
are free and subjects of intense surveillance, the senior
official said. The smallest subset of the group, an estimated
dozen, represents those who have actually joined the fighting
ranks.
But the official said that the breadth of the ongoing
inquiries suggests that the actual numbers of Islamic State
sympathizers, or those contemplating travel to join the group
and other rival organizations, are likely much higher.
The threat posed by aspiring foreign fighters has been a
blinking red light within the nations counterterrorism network
for months. But the flurry of new cases suggests a persistent
problem for law enforcement officials who fear that some of
the recruits could launch attacks against U.S. targets when
they return home or will be inspired to lash out on their own.
They are young women and men who are responding
to the call to join violent jihad abroad at an alarming rate,
Assistant Attorney General John Carlin, chief of the Justice
Departments National Security Division, told a homeland
security summit last weekend. He said the federal
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OPS054000444
government has brought 35 such cases involving aspiring

foreign fighters, many of whom have been arrested before
leaving the country.
FBI Director James Comey also has expressed serious
concern.
Varied nature of threat
A series of criminal cases filed in the past month
highlight the varied nature of the threat facing the U.S., and
ISILs aggressive pursuit of U.S.-based and other converts.
In the most recent Minnesota case involving six young
suspects, all intercepted by authorities before their planned
travel to Syria, U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger said the militants
demonstrated a powerful recruiting tool that it is difficult to
counter.
Luger described a so-called peer-to-peer or brotherto-brother campaign in which the close group of suspects
engaged in the radicalization of each other, providing
encouragement during each phase of a nearly year-long
mission to reach Syria.
At the same time, the group also was getting support
directly from the battlefield. Abdi Nur, a former associate of
the Minnesota suspects, slipped past authorities last May and
is believed to be in Syria with the terror group.
Since Nur reached Syria, Luger asserted that the
suspected terror operative has been serving as the chief
foreign fighter recruiter for his former associates in
Minneapolis.
Michael Leiter, former director of the U.S.
Counterterrorism Center, said the recruiting strategy,
personal outreach efforts, application of slick YouTube
productions and other social media, represents an
unmatched level of sophistication demonstrated by terror
organizations in the aftermath of 9/11.
Al-Qaida in Pakistan represented Version 1.0, with its
static video of (Osama) bin-Ladens face. Al-Qaeda in the
Arabian Peninsula became Version 2.0, with (American
cleric) Anwar al-Awlaki using graphics and the online
magazine Inspire to reach potential English-speaking
converts. Think of ISIL as Version 3.0.
While officials believe that the U.S. will never produce
the volume of recruits being drawn from Western Europe,
where a disaffected Muslim population and a lack of
integration has helped contribute thousands of foreign
fighters to the Islamic State, Leiter and others said the U.S.
nevertheless remains an important focus.
Terror sympathizer back in the U.S.
Among the most striking of the recent foreign fighter
cases brought by federal prosecutors involves Abdirahman
Sheik Mohamud.
The 23-year-old Columbus, Ohio, man, charged last
week, returned from Syria last year. While there, he allegedly
joined his brother, Abdifatah Aden, and received some
training in a camp operated by the Al-Nusrah Front, an
affiliate of al-Qaida and rival of the Islamic State. Following

Adens death last June, Mohamud returned to the U.S. and
began discussing an unspecified attack against the
homeland.
Although the outlines of the plot remain under
investigation, Mohamuds alleged interest in such an attack
strikes at the heart of a long-held fear by U.S. authorities: a
terror sympathizer back in the U.S., searching for a target.
According to court documents, Mohamud talked about
doing something big in the United States.
In conversations with one government informant who
believed the suspect was attempting to recruit him for a U.S.based attack, Mohamud wanted to go to a military base in
Texas and kill three or four American soldiers executionstyle.
The senior law enforcement official, who is familiar with
Mohamuds case, said such suspects who have
demonstrated a greater commitment by traveling to the region
and returning are generally graded higher as possible
threats. The official cautioned that investigators are still
gathering information on the extent of Mohamuds activities.
We have very little patience for letting subjects plan,
mature and develop, the official said, adding that the
suspects planning and known travel activities are dictating
the timing of recent arrests across the country.
Mohamud has pleaded not guilty. His attorney, Sam
Shamansky, declined comment.
Hoffman said Mohamuds alleged designs on a
potential U.S. target, as described in court documents, were
too opaque to assess as a credible threat.
I want to know a lot more. The good news is that
were catching them, but that may be just the tip of larger
problem.
NATIONAL SECURITY NEWS

Syrian Opposition Forces Seize Military Base
Capture comes two days after rebels took over a

strategic town
By Raja Abdulrahim
Al Qaidas Nusra Advances In Northern Syria,

Capturing Another Government Base
By Mousab Alhamadee And Roy Gutman

ISTANBUL Islamist rebels led by al Qaidas affiliate,
the Nusra Front, widened their hold Monday on Syrias Idlib
province, capturing another government base and pressing
an offensive near Ariha, a town of 70,000 that has been
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primarily in government hands since the uprising against

President Bashar Assad began in 2011.
The latest rebel advance came 48 hours after
insurgents seized the strategic town of Jisr al Shughour,
which controls the main overland supply route to the
governments military bases in Idlib province. A month ago,
rebels captured the provincial capital, Idlib city.
The opposition Masar Press agency reported that the
rebels had killed 135 government soldiers at the Qarmeed
military base, a former brickworks, and captured seven
government tanks, a large number of artillery pieces and a
sizable quantity of weapons and ammunition.
Unlike the capture of Jisr al Shughour, where U.S.equipped moderate fighters affiliated with the Free Syrian
Army played a major role in the fighting, the force at Qarmeed
was led by Nusra and included Ajnad al Sham, an Islamist
group based in Hama province, the Rahman Brigade,
affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, and the Haqq Brigade,
local Islamist group from Idlib province.
Photographs taken for McClatchy by a Syrian freelance
photographer showed the Nusra forces driving captured
armored personnel carriers around the base and loading
captured ammunition onto trucks to be used in other
offensives.
SANA, the official Syrian news agency, made no
mention of the loss of Qarmeed but reported that government
forces had attacked Islamic State extremists in Idlib province,
killing scores of terrorists in different areas.
Nusra, which broke from the Islamic State in spring
2014 but remains on the U.S. list of foreign terrorist
organizations, said its suicide bombers played a major role in
capturing the base.
We bombarded the base with 70 artillery shells since
last night, then one fighter drove a car bomb and exploded it
at the main gate, Abu El Khir El Edilbi, a Nusra commander,
told a Masar reporter. He said that 40 fighters equipped to
commit suicide then entered the base and seized the main
gate as well as two checkpoints.
When government troops regrouped at a former
storehouse, Nusra sent in a car bomb that killed a large
number of troops there.
Government soldiers who survived the attack escaped
in the direction of the next base to the west, Msaibin.
Opposition media activists reported late Monday that rebels
were focusing attacks on Msaibin, which lies just two miles
east of Ariha, the last major city remaining in government
hands in the province.
Taking Msaibin looked to be a formidable challenge,
however. An estimated 600 government troops are believed
to be holed up there, along with a large number of artillery
pieces. The bases is now under siege and can be reached
only by helicopter, however.
Refugees from Ariha now sheltering in Turkey and who

are in touch with relatives in the town said there are signs that
morale is sapping among government forces and that base
officials have sent signals that theyd like to make a deal in
order to escape with their lives.
Another major obstacle to a further rebel advance is the
Mastuma military base, just a mile from Qarmeed. In a live
report from the scene, Orient TV, a Syrian opposition
television channel, said Monday evening that rebel forces
were shelling Mastuma and may assault it during the night.
Meanwhile, in Darkoush, a town not far from Jisr al
Shughour, local rescue squads were still combing the rubble
for survivors after government aircraft bombed the central
square, destroying a school where internally displaced
families had fled from other war zones. At least 34 civilians
were killed in Darkoush and 10 in the village of Joseph in the
Zawiyah mountains, according to multiple reports from the
scene.
Tensions Rise On Israel-Syria Border After

Infiltration Attempt, Airstrikes
By Ruth Eglash
JERUSALEM Israeli forces were on heightened alert
on Monday along their countrys northern border with Syria
after the military reported thwarting a militant attack with
airstrikes.
Details about the late Sunday incident were not clear,
but unrest from Syrias civil war has occasionally spilled over
into the heavily guarded border zone near the Israeli-held
Golan Heights.
Arab news media have run stories on airstrikes
allegedly carried out by Israel in the past few days against the
Hezbollah militia, an Iran proxy, and Syrian army targets.
A statement from the Israeli army on Sunday said its
forces had come across a group of armed terrorists who had
approached the border with an explosive device intended to
be detonated against [Israeli] soldiers.
Israel said its aircraft responded with strikes, but it did
not confirm casualties or identify the group that allegedly
attempted the border attack. Israeli media said four men were
killed.
Israeli media reported Monday night that two of the four
men were the sons of a former political prisoner from the
Druze village of Magdal Shams, on Israels side of the Golan
Heights. The family left Israel for Syria in the 1980s. There
was no official confirmation of their identities, however.
Amos Gilad, director of the political security staff at the
Defense Ministry, told state radio that it was too early to
determine who was behind Sundays infiltration attempt but
that Israels response is usually strong and sharp,
strengthening its deterrence.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote in a

Twitter post, Any attempt to hurt our soldiers or civilians will
be met with a firm response, such as the [military] operation
tonight that foiled an attempted terror attack.
On Saturday, Arab media reported that Israeli airstrikes
hit Hezbollah and Syrian army sites north of Damascus, the
Syrian capital. Reports said the targets were Syrian army
divisions thought to be in possession of strategic weapons
and long-range missiles. The Israeli military did not respond
to the claims.
On Monday morning, after the border incident, Arab
media again reported an airstrike in the same area near
Syrias Qalamoun mountains aimed at Syrian army and
Hezbollah weapons stocks. Israel denied Mondays reports,
attributing any such attack to the civil war in Syria between
the government of President Bashar al-Assad and rebel
factions.
There is a question mark over all these incidents, but,
on the surface, it does seem to follow a pattern that we have
become used to over the past two years with Israel using
its air power to prevent the transfer of weapons to Hezbollah,
Jonathan Spyer, director of the Rubin Center, a think tank at
Israels Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, said in an interview.
Although Israel has officially denied any connection to
the airstrikes in Syria, Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon told a
forum in Tel Aviv on Sunday night that Israel would not allow
quality arms to be transferred to Hezbollah.
He accused Iran, which backs the Assad regime, and
Hezbollah of trying to establish a terrorist infrastructure along
our border with Syria.
During the four years of civil war in Syria, there have
been at least eight unconfirmed reports of Israeli airstrikes on
Hezbollah weapons consignments. Hezbollah has been
heavily involved in the fighting in Syria, supporting Assads
regime.
In January, tensions between Israel and Hezbollah
ratcheted up after Israeli helicopters fired missiles at the
groups vehicles traveling in a Syrian-controlled portion of the
Golan Heights. Six Hezbollah fighters were killed, as well as a
senior Iranian military commander.
Israel and Hezbollah fought a three-week war in
summer 2006. Recent Israeli military assessments suggest
that Hezbollah still poses the biggest threat to Israels
security.
Why Iran Is Standing By Its Weakened, And

Expensive, Ally Syria
By Nicholas Blanford
Beirut, Lebanon Iran has proven critical in helping
keep President Bashar al-Assad in power after four years of
bloody war, dispatching thousands of soldiers and
64
paramilitary fighters to bolster Syrias flagging army and

billions of dollars in loans to prop up its economy.
Yet, despite this massive show of support, the Assad
regime in the past month has lost ground against opposition
forces in a series of battlefield reversals. And, crucially, it
faces a serious shortage of fresh soldiers and militiamen
willing to continue fighting, making it ever more reliant on Iran,
its close ally of 35 years.
Iranian officials have declared that Syria is of supreme
strategic importance, and appear unwilling to reconsider the
military option in defeating the anti-Assad rebels. The
question is how much longer Iran, a country burdened by
international sanctions, can afford to continue allocating
funds, materiel, and manpower to Mr. Assad while incurring
ever greater animosity and now blowback from the
regions Sunni states.
The Iranians could probably provide additional foreign
fighters but at a certain point the marginal utility of
additional foreign forces becomes smaller and smaller, says
Robert Ford, a senior fellow with the Washington-based
Middle East Institute and US ambassador to Syria between
2010 and 2014. Its not that the rebels will overwhelm the
regime, but I think the regimes position becomes harder and
harder as the war of attrition slowly slides against it.
The Syrian Army is estimated to have suffered 80,000
to 100,000 dead and wounded in four years of war, dealing a
punishing blow in terms of manpower and morale. To
compensate for the weakened army, the Iranians brought in
thousands of Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps soldiers,
fighters from Lebanons militant Shiite Hezbollah party, and
Shiite paramilitary forces from Iraq and Afghanistan. It also
helped establish the 80,000-strong National Defense Force
militia composed of Assad loyalists, mainly Alawites, a Shiite
splinter sect to which Assad belongs.
While Irans military aid has bought the Assad regime
some breathing space, it still lacks sufficient strength to
launch multiple offensives and is forced to choose carefully
where to deploy its forces.
There is not a critical mass available [for Assad] to
achieve victory, says a former Syrian official who requested
anonymity. To prevail, 200,000 to 300,000 mothers need to
be convinced to send their sons to fight. But why would a
Sunni mother and father send their son to die for Bashar alAssad?
The critical manpower shortage is compounded by the
recent coordination on Syria policy between the regions
Sunni powerhouses Saudi Arabia and Turkey in
cooperation with Jordan and Qatar.
In early March, Saudi Arabias new monarch, King
Salman, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan,
agreed on the necessity of enhancing support to the Syrian
opposition in a way that aims at yielding results.Strategic
bridge to Hezbollah
OPS054000447
Those results have been quick to materialize. In just the

past month, the Assad regime has lost the city of Idlib in the
north, Bosra ash-Sham in the south, and the Nasib border
crossing with Jordan. On Saturday, rebel groups captured
another northern town, Jisr al-Shughour. In the south, an
Iran-led offensive in Deraa and Quneitra provinces has
stalled against tougher than expected opposition, while a
much-anticipated Hezbollah-led offensive in the Qalamoun
region north of Damascus appears to have been postponed.
The capture of Jisr al-Shughour means that anti-Assad
forces control the two largest urban areas in Idlib Province. It
also allows them to mount a westward offensive on Latakia, a
regime stronghold on the Mediterranean coast. If the rebels
succeed in driving Assads forces further south from Idlib, the
link between Damascus and the northern city of Aleppo
would become perilously thin.
Syria represents the vital geo-strategic cog connecting
Tehran to Hezbollah, the nucleus of an axis of resistance
against Israel and Western ambitions for the Middle East.
In February 2014, Mehdi Taeb, a senior Iranian cleric,
underlined the importance of Syria to Iran in stark terms,
saying it is a strategic province for us.
If the enemy attacks us and wants to take either Syria
or [the Iranian province of] Khuzestan, the priority is to keep
Syria, he said. If we keep Syria, we can get Khuzestan back
too, but if we lose Syria, we cannot keep Tehran.Iran doesnt
need Aleppo
Diplomatic sources in Beirut estimate that Iran spends
between $1 billion and $2 billion a month in Syria in cash
handouts and military support. Staffan de Mistura, the United
Nations envoy to Syria, recently told a private gathering in
Washington that Iran has been channeling as much as $35
billion a year into Syria, according to one of the participants at
the meeting.
Iran has always considered Syria its gateway to the
Arab region. I dont think that assessment has changed, says
Randa Slim, a Hezbollah expert and a director at the
Washington-based Middle East Institute.
Still, Assads recent setbacks in the south and north of
the country may compel Iran to reconsider its military options
in Syria, including the possibility of advising Assad to
abandon Aleppo if the rebels extend their reach in Idlib
province.
The loss of Aleppo, Syrias largest city and the countrys
commercial engine, would represent a major psychological
blow to the regime. But Irans strategic interests in Syria do
not require Assads control over the entire country, only the
vital corridor connecting Damascus to Tartous on the
Mediterranean coast, which runs adjacent to the border with
Lebanon. That corridor would enable Iran to continue
providing weapons to Hezbollah.
Iran is not committed to the person of Bashar alAssad. Theyre committed to preserving their interests in
Syria, says Karim Sadjadpour, senior associate in the Middle

East Program of the Carnegie Endowment for International
Peace.No partners other than Assad regime
However, Iran has invested so heavily in the regime
to the exclusion of other parties in Syria that Tehran has
little choice but to double down on its embattled ally.
Outside the regime, Iran has no contacts in Syria.
Syrian businessmen trade with other Arab countries, says
the former Syrian official, adding, ironically, that the billions of
dollars handed by Iran to Syria is financing Syrian imports
from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, not from Iran.
If the nascent deal between Iran and the international
community over the Islamic Republics nuclear program is
concluded in the coming months, it could end the crippling
sanctions on Tehran, swelling the countrys coffers once
more. But the combination of a more assertive Sunni regional
alliance against Assad and the desperate shortage of
manpower to fend off anti-Assad rebels potentially bodes ill
for the Syrian regime and Irans reach into the Levant in
the long term, analysts say.
I often think of this situation as the German army in
World War I in 1917 being slowly ground down on the
Western Front, says Ford, the former ambassador to Syria. I
think its a slow progression, and the Iranians can slow it
further, but I would be surprised if they can reverse this.
U.S., Allies Conduct 31 Air Strikes In Syria,

Iraq: U.S. Military

Car Bombings In Iraqs Capital Kill At Least 20

Civilians
By Sameer N. Yacoub
BAGHDAD (AP) A series of car bombings targeting
busy commercial areas in Iraqs capital killed at least 20
civilians Monday, officials said.
The deadliest attack took place Monday night when a
car bomb exploded on a commercial street in Baghdads
western district of Mansour, killing 10 people and wounding
25, police said. Security forces sealed off the area, which is
often packed with nighttime shoppers.
At least 20 cars were set ablaze by the blast, which
damaged several shops and restaurants. Police said four
children were among the wounded.
An hour later, a car bombing on a commercial street
killed three people and wounded 12 in Baghdads Amil
neighborhood, police said.
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Earlier Monday, another car bomb exploded in

Baghdads Bayaa district near a real estate office in an area
where dozens gather every day. A police official said that
blast killed seven people and wounded at least 16.
Medical officials confirmed the casualty figures. All
officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not
authorized to release information.
Nobody claimed responsibility for the attacks. Baghdad
has seen near-daily attacks as security forces struggle to
dislodge the Islamic State group from vast areas in northern
and western Iraq seized by the extremists during a stunning
blitz last summer.
___
Associated Press writer Sinan Salaheddin contributed
to this report.
redistributed.
Ukraine last year reversed track and sealed an

association agreement with the EU. European Council
President Donald Tusk said at a news conference after the
talks that Brussels wanted a deep and comprehensive free
trade agreement to apply as of Jan. 1.
Poroshenko said Brussels had an important role to play
in ensuring that Ukraines course toward the EU was smooth.
Help from the EU should enable strengthening the faith
of Ukrainians in the irreversibility of Ukraines future in the EU
and the need to endure a sometimes painful but not
insurmountable process, he said.
Efforts to reform Ukraines corruption-ridden economy
to become more compliant with European standards have
been slow, however, since Poroshenko came to power.
Ukraine has qualified for billions in international credit
by agreeing to implement deep structural reforms and slash
government spending.
The visit to Kiev by top European officials, who also
included EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker,
came as the security situation remains tense in the east.
A Ukrainian military spokesman said Monday that the
town of Avdiivka, near the rebel regions largest city of
Donetsk, was hit by Grad rocket fire, the first use of that
weapon in the conflict since February. Casualty information
was not immediately available.
International observers from the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe said in a daily report that
they saw intense clashes Sunday at a flashpoint in the
seaside village of Shyrokyne. Monitors described the clashes
as the worst it had seen since fighting began in the area in
mid-February 2015.
The mission said it observed dozens of tank shots and
the deployment of plenty of other weapons proscribed under
a February peace deal agreed by the warring sides and
overseen by France, Germany and Russia.
U.S. State Department spokesman Jeff Rathke said in
Washington that Russia has deployed more air defense
systems into eastern Ukraine and positioned several near the
front lines.
Kiev would like to see international peacekeepers on
the ground, but that proposal has been greeted with hostility
by Russia and coolness by Western countries.
Tusk said he was concerned about the renewed unrest
and urged Russia to abide by its commitments to uphold the
peace process.
--Bradley Klapper in Washington contributed to this
report.
of Use.
EU, Ukraine Leaders Meet As Shelling

Worsens, One Ukrainian Soldier Killed
By Pavel Polityuk
Ukraine Leader Sees Country Ready For EU

Entrance In 5 Years
By Peter Leonard
KIEV, Ukraine (AP) Ukraines president said at a highlevel summit with European Union officials Monday that his
country will be able to meet conditions to apply for EU
membership within five years.
While Kiev looks to the distant future, however, anxiety
is heightening over the souring security situation in the east of
the country, where fighting continues to rage between
government and separatist forces.
Speaking at the start of talks in Kiev, President Petro
Poroshenko called on the EU to support his initiative to
deploy international peacekeepers in war-stricken regions.
European leaders have to date resisted such appeals.
Guiding Ukraine toward integration with Europe was at
the heart of the movement that culminated in last years
toppling of former President Viktor Yanukovych, who
provoked anger by canceling plans to deepen trade ties with
EU.
In an opinion piece published in the Guardian
newspaper before the summit, Poroshenko described the
revolt against Yanukovych as an affirmation of the European
values of fairness and the rule of law.
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redistributed.
His 6-foot, 7-inch frame and sculpted jawline jumped

out at international photographers as he marched arm in arm
with the activists who drove Ukraines pro-Russia president,
Viktor Yanukovych, from power.
In the chaotic weeks that followed, Mr. Klitschko ran for
mayor and won. His boxing legend intersected with the
currents of Ukrainian activism in a way that drew
comparisons to Muhammad Alis rise as a political voice
among Americans in the 1960s.
There has even been talk that Ukraines presidency
could one day be within Mr. Klitschkos 80-inch reach.
Fighting for investment
Mr. Klitschko is soft-spoken. For now, he said, he just
trying to make a mark by pushing local reforms to attract
badly needed Western investment to Ukraine.
His swing through Washington this week is driven in
part by a desire to hype positive changes he said he has
managed to make after just one year in the mayors seat.
He wants Western tech firms to take note, so he
penned an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal last week
touting Kievs creation of a one-stop shop for investors to
clarify and streamline the regulatory process for registering
foreign representatives and offices.
About 90,000 students graduate each year from Kievs
universities, he wrote. Corporate tax rates have been cut from
23 percent to 18 percent. City procurement operations are
now online in the interests of total transparency.
Its not easy to make change, Mr. Klitschko told The
Times. We have to realize and make Ukraine as a modern
European democratic country.
I have a will, he said. And its not just me alone; 45
million Ukrainians have exactly the same vision.
But that vision is at risk of being held hostage by the
conflict raging in Ukraines east.
Slow-footed sanctions
Mr. Klitschko said he doesnt like complainers and he
doesnt want to be an empty critic. He and others in Kiev
have great appreciation for the help the U.S. is giving to
Ukraine, he said.
But when it comes to sanctions as a tool to deter
Russia from annexing large swaths of eastern Ukraine,
Washington and the EU were simply too slow to take serious
action, he said.
We were talking about sanctions a pretty long time ago
and people didnt realize, Mr. Klitschko said.
A 14-month-old war that has killed more than 6,000
people in eastern Ukraine may have been avoided, he said, if
Washington and its allies moved more swiftly to confront
Moscows spin and weapons.
Without a propaganda machine and brainwashing,
without financial support and weapons delivery, this conflict
would have never existed, Mr. Klitschko said.
Vitali Klitschko, Former Heavyweight Champ,

Says Ukraine Cant Take On Russia Alone
By Guy Taylor
The stakes have always been high for Vitali Klitschko
from the nine times he defended his heavyweight boxing
title right through his emergence as a major opposition figure
on Ukraines violent political scene.
But when it comes to going pound-for-pound against
Russian political, economic and military aggression, the 43year-old former champ turned mayor of Kiev says the stakes
have never been higher.
How the situation in Ukraine develops will decide the
future of the European Union, the future of the West and the
future of democracy in the world, Mr. Klitschko said.
This is not just a local conflict, he stressed in an
interview Monday with The Washington Times. Its a conflict
between East and West.
Whats needed, Mr. Klitscko said, are wider, deeper
and better-coordinated U.S. and EU sanctions on Moscow,
as well as more direct support for Ukraines military in the
fight against Russia-backed separatists in the nations east.
If Ukraine will be alone in this fight, he said in English,
it will be a tragedy for all our countries.
He is not the only Ukrainian leader to make such
pronouncements. But Mr. Klitschkos voice carries a special
kind of weight because he is the only one who was worldfamous long before the pro-Western uprising that toppled
Ukraines government last year.
He is the only one who lasted six rounds against former
heavyweight champ Lennox Lewis in 2003 one of just two
losses in his 45-fight career. Mr. Klitschko knocked 41
opponents out cold and reigned as champion from 2008 to
2013.
The power of his fists aside, it was unprecedented that
Mr. Klitschko worked on a Ph.D. in sports science along the
way that won him the nickname Dr. Ironfist.
His younger brother Wladimir is still in the fight game. A
current champion, he defended his titles Saturday before a
sold-out crowd at Madison Square Garden. That Mr.
Klitschko was in his brothers corner at ringside, seemed only
to add to the Schwarzenegger-like mystique he carries in
Ukrainian politics.
He was still a boxer when he worked his way into Kievs
city council in the mid-2000s and later into the nations
parliament. But it wasnt until political hell broke loose in
Ukraine last year that Mr. Klitschko suddenly emerged as a
dominant opposition figure.
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After Moscows annexation of eastern Ukraines

Crimean Peninsula in March 2014, the U.S. and the EU
imposed sanctions on a small number individuals and
businesses close to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The list was expanded to roughly two dozen in July,
after a rocket that U.S. officials say was fired by Russiabacked separatists shot a Malaysia Airlines flight out of the
sky over eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 onboard.
Mr. Klitschko said the asset seizures and travel bans on
Mr. Putins associates have not been enough. He suggested
that Moscows propaganda campaign is only expanding and
reaching directly into Kiev.
He pointed to the deaths this months of two pro-Russia
journalists in the city. The killings of Oles Buzina and Oleh
Kalashnikov triggered international headlines and
speculation.
Mr. Putin appeared on television to claim the killings
were political. Mr. Klitschko said he believes it was
subversive Russian propaganda.
I think its provocation manipulation from Russia, to
make it look like there are extremists or some people who
hate Russians and are against Russian language and
nationality, he said. This puts oil on the fire of the Russian
propaganda machine.
U.S. officials, meanwhile, say Russia-backed rebels are
blatantly violating a February cease-fire in eastern Ukraine,
but there seems to be little momentum toward an increase in
sanctions.
Obama administration officials say sanctions will be
lifted only if Moscow adheres to the February cease-fire.
On Monday, Rep. Mac Thornberry, Texas Republican,
released his so-called chairmans mark for the National
Defense Authorization Act, which calls for providing lethal
weapons to the military and national security forces of
Ukraine. It authorizes $200 million to do more to provide
Ukraine with military training and assistance to defend itself
from Russian aggression.
The Obama administration opposes sending weapons,
fearing it will provoke more aggression from Moscow. Mr.
Obama instead rallied European allies for the existing
sanctions.
A diverse mix of U.S. and EU-based companies are
heavily in Russias economy. Mr. Klitschko said he
understands the sensitivities, but he suggests the stakes are
simply to high.
Many people in the world are afraid of triggering a new
circle of military escalation, he said. I remember this from 30
years ago, when it was the Soviet Union against the United
States and everyone was afraid of a thermonuclear war.
Nobody wants to return to that time, Mr. Klitschko
said. But if we talk about support for Ukraine, we talk about
sanctions.
I understand its painful, but we defend European

values, he said.
We defend all of Europe.
Tears Replace Cheers In Re-enactment Of

Farkhundas Killing In Afghanistan
By Rod Nordland
KABUL, Afghanistan They killed Farkhunda again,
but this time there were tears in the crowd rather than cheers.
Men pummeled her with rocks and paving stones,
knocked her down, kicked her, ripped her head scarf off, all
the while shouting religious slogans and denouncing her as a
blasphemer. Blood tangled her hair and made a red mask of
her bruised face.
Since it was a re-enactment of the real crime, the mob
of men outside a mosque in central Kabul on Monday
skipped some of the specifics the parts where the actual
attackers had dragged Farkhunda behind a car, or tossed her
off a bridge, among other acts. But they did douse the actress
Leena Alam, who was playing Farkhunda, in a liquid meant to
symbolize gasoline, and buried her in a pile of ashes.
There were even real policemen present, doing what
their colleagues had done on March 19 in the same place:
standing aside. Some of them, however, were seen to be
teary-eyed this time.
The killing of Farkhunda, a 27-year-old Islamic law
student who was falsely accused of burning a Quran, has
sparked numerous protests and galvanized womens activists
more than almost anything that has happened since the days
of the Talibans public executions of women. In addition, the
attorney generals office announced that formal charges were
brought Monday against 49 participants in the killing, 19 of
them police officers accused of failing to try to stop it.
The attack, as well as the re-enactment on Monday that
was commissioned by a coalition of rights groups, took place
at the Shah-do Shamshira Mosque, famous for its flocks of
pigeons and legions of pigeon-feeders, and the adjoining
shrine of the same name, which means the King of the Two
Swords. Both events were documented by hundreds of
bystanders with their cellphones; after the real killing, many of
those videos were posted on YouTube and social media sites
by attackers who were proud of their roles in the crime.
That all changed when the authorities admitted that no
Quran had been burned, and that Farkhunda had actually
been a devout Muslim who got into an argument with a
vendor at the shrine because she viewed his sale of goodluck charms to be un-Islamic. That vendor, Zainuddin, started
the accusations against her, and he was among the first to be
arrested.
Since then, Farkhunda herself has been transformed
once a pariah, now a martyr and many advocates for
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womens rights say they have been energized by how many

men have been drawn to their cause since her death.
We dont want this case to be forgotten, said Alema, a
member of the Justice for Farkhunda Committee, who like
many Afghans uses only one name. We want Farkhundas
name to stay alive in history, she added.
Mohammad Sajid Arghandaiwal, another activist, said:
Farkhunda has sacrificed her life for the rights of other
women. Its the start of a revolution.
Mondays re-enactment was conceived by the Justice
for Farkhunda Committee as a way to keep up pressure on
the government, as activists worried that more than a month
after the episode, no formal charges had yet been filed. A few
hours after the re-enactment, the authorities announced the
charges against 49 suspects.
There are rays of hope in this case, said Ramin
Anwari, one of the organizers. But why has it taken them this
long to start court proceedings?
On the morning of the re-enactment, Ms. Alam woke up
with butterflies in her stomach. Though she is an experienced
film actor, she said it was proving a tough role. For one thing,
Ms. Alam had been among the mourners at Farkhundas
burial, and it was the first real dead body she had ever seen,
she said.
Then, Ms. Alam prepared for the role by watching as
many of the videos of the actual attack as she could, and
what really struck her was how Farkhunda had never wept
throughout the sustained abuse. I kept thinking how powerful
and brave she was, and she never ever cried, bearing all that
pain, with so many attacks, Ms. Alam said.
She and her fellow actors agreed then that there would
be no crying during their performance, but in rehearsals, they
all kept bursting into tears. The workers, my director,
everyone, we were just mental, she said. One person would
cry, then she did. I kept saying, Dont make me weak, I dont
want to cry.
During the re-enactment, some of her fellow actors got
a little too into character, she said, and though their rocks and
clubs were made of sponge or foam, her face began to sting
from all the blows, and she came away a bit bruised.
Spectators often gasped because it seemed so real, and
even some of the policemen were seen to be weeping.
Honestly, I could not stop my tears myself, Mr. Anwari
said, even though he had already seen rehearsals. The
crowd was really emotional, people around me were crying,
they were literally shaking they were so moved.
Like many activists, Mr. Anwari expressed suspicion
about the governments intention in prosecuting Farkhundas
abusers. We want the police to reveal the names of those
arrested, and they dont want to, he said.
At the news conference Monday to announce the
charges, an emissary from the attorney general suddenly
rushed in and was seen writing a quick note to the agencys

spokesman that read, in Dari, Dont give out their names.
Asked why not, Baseer Azizi, a spokesman for the
attorney general, said the Afghan Constitution prohibited the
release of suspects names although that has not deterred
the authorities in many previous cases.
Some of the names that surface in Farkhundas case
are likely to be controversial, like that of Sharaf Baghlani, who
is said to have taken to Facebook right after the attack to
boast of his role in it, and described himself as an official of
the National Directorate of Security, the Afghan intelligence
service. I am proud to say I am the one who personally killed
Farkhunda, he reportedly wrote, according to those who saw
the posting before it was taken down.
The directorate has disavowed Mr. Baghlani, despite
pictures showing him brandishing the agencys standardissue handgun under his dark suit jacket. Later, he posted on
Facebook that someone had previously hacked his Facebook
account and that he had not posted the message.
Mr. Baghlani admitted, however, that he had been
charged in Farkhundas murder.
It would be unjust to give me more than two years in
prison, because I only kicked her two times, he wrote in a
post made while he was supposedly in prison.
At the end of the re-enactment, Ms. Alam was buried in
ashes to symbolize how Farkhunda had died, as a
loudspeaker blared out an actual audio recording of the
attack. She rose again to shake off the ashes, joining with a
group of other women who reduced the men around them to
shame.
Then Ms. Alam did what she had tried so hard not to
do. I couldnt help it, she said. She burst into tears, crying
inconsolably as the company helped her down from the
stage.
Jawad Sukhanyar and Ahmad Shakib contributed
reporting.
In Historic Sea-change, US, Japan Revise

Defense Ties
By Jo Biddle And Dan De Luce In Washington

AFP, April 28, 2015
New York (AFP) The United States and Japan
unveiled new rules for defense cooperation Monday in a
historic move that will give Japanese forces a wider global
role amid concerns over Chinas rising sway.
Under the revised guidelines, Japan could come to the
aid of US forces threatened by a third country or, for example,
deploy minesweeper ships to a mission in the Middle East.
US Secretary of State John Kerry and Defense
Secretary Ashton Carter revealed the new rules alongside
Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and Defense
Minister Gen Nakatani after talks at a New York hotel.
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Although officials said the new doctrine is not aimed at

China, there has been increasing concern over moves by
Beijing to try to scoop up disputed areas of the South China
and East China Seas.
But they pointedly made mention of North Korea as
another source of tension in the region.
Kerry stressed that the United States saw the disputed
Senkaku Islands, known in Chinese as the Diaoyus, as firmly
under Japans control.
Washington commitment to Japans security remains
ironclad and covers all territories under Japans
administration, including the Senkaku Islands, Kerry said.
The sovereignty of the isles have been a source of
friction between Tokyo and Beijing for decades.
Historic transition
Today we mark the establishment of Japans capacity
to defend not just its own territory, but also the United States
and other partners as needed, Kerry told a joint press
conference.
This is an historic meeting. Its a historic transition in
the defense relationship between our two countries.
The guidelines came a day before US President Barack
Obama rolls out the red carpet at the White House for
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Kerry paid tribute to Japans expanded role in
international peacekeeping in far-flung places such as South
Sudan, adding that Tokyos defense capabilities had been
transformed during a period of evolving risks and dangers
both in the Asia-Pacific and across the globe.
Japans Nakatani said that since 1997, when the
defense ties were last revised, the security environment in
the United States and Japan has changed dramatically.
The new guidelines would draw a picture of the JapanUS alliance for the next decade and beyond, Nakatani said.
In an implicit reference to China, Kerry said: We reject
any suggestion that freedom of navigation, overflight and
other unlawful uses of the sea and airspace are privileges
granted by big states to small ones, subject to the whim and
fancy of the big state.
Under the previous rules, Japanese forces could assist
American troops only if they were operating in the direct
defense of Japan.
Kishida stressed the importance of the rule of law,
adding we cannot let unilateral action to change the status
quo... be condoned.
The amended guidelines were drawn up to reflect a
reinterpretation of Japans constitution by Abes government
last year allowing for collective defense.
Carter said the new rules removed the constraints of
geography, adding that US-Japan cooperation had now
moved from being locally focused to globally focused.
Missile defense
The new guidelines would allow us to modernize the

US-Japan alliance... helping us open new areas of military
cooperation, both in the Asia Pacific and around the globe,
he said.
A US official earlier indicated that Japan would now be
able to defend US ships engaged in missile defense activities
near its territory.
It means that Japan can respond to attacks on third
countries if they are in close association with Japan and if
those attacks directly affect Japanese security, the official
added.
One possible scenario could have Japan shooting down
a missile headed toward the United States, even if Japan
itself was not under attack, officials said.
The reinterpretation of the constitution and the new
defense guidelines are part of Abes bid to soften Japans
constitutional commitment to pacifism.
The United States imposed the principle after World
War II, but now strongly supports Japans new approach.
Tokyos readiness to embrace what Abe calls proactive
pacifism comes amid growing anxiety in Japan and across
Asia over Chinas rising military and economic might.
The new guidelines could make Japan a more active
and equal military partner in other areas too such as cyber
security and surveillance satellites.
New Guidelines Allow Japan To Defend Allies,

Be More Involved In Humanitarian Missions
U.S. and Japanese leaders on Monday announced a
new set of guidelines to enhance the alliance between the
two countries, marking the first revision in the defense
posture in 18 years.
The new guidelines are expected to increase Japans
global presence in peacekeeping and humanitarian issues,
as well as strengthen the partnership between the U.S. and
Japan in fields like space and cybersecurity.
They will also let Japan defend other countries against
attacks. In addition to responding to attacks on allies in the
region, the changes also mean Japan can defend U.S. ships
operating in the waters near Japan if needed, a Defense
Department release said.
Japan and the United States will coordinate and share
information more closely in missile defense, and Japan will be
able to shoot down missiles headed for U.S. territory, the
release said.
The guidelines on the U.S.-Japan relationship were first
implemented in 1978 and last updated in 1997. Defense
Secretary Ashton Carter said Monday at a press conference
in New York that the new guidelines reflect how much the
region has changed in nearly two decades.
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OPS054000453
They were good guidelines, Mr. Carter said. But

today weve agreed to new guidelines that will give us new
opportunities to do new things.
In addition to changes in the region, Mr. Carter said the
world has also changed the both countries face threats in
new domains and new capabilities.
Secretary of State John Kerry pointed to Japans
increased international role over the past decade, including
establishing a national security council, sending forces to Iraq
and Kuwait, and participating in Operation Enduring
Freedom.
The new security posture announced Monday, he said,
will help to ensure our future is even more successful and
more productive than our present or our past.
The new guidelines are a result of negotiations between
Mr. Carter, Mr. Kerry and their Japanese counterparts in New
York City as part of the so-called 2+2 talks.
The updated security posture solidifies changes to the
guidelines recommended in October 2013 by the security
consultative committee to ensure that the alliance continues
its vital role in deterring conflict and advancing peace and
security, according to a Defense Department statement.
Gen Nakatani and Fumio Kishida, the Japanese
counterparts to the U.S. defense secretary and secretary of
state, were in New York as well participating in the talks.
The announcement of a new security posture comes as
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe begins his trip to
Washington on Tuesday with a meeting at the White House
and a State Dinner on Tuesday evening. Mr. Abe is also
expected to address Congress during the trip on Wednesday.
U.S., Japan To Unveil New Defense Guidelines

Amid Chinas Rise
By Arshad Mohammed
US, Japan Announce New Security Agreement

role
Pact would give Japans military a bigger global
By Julian E. Barnes
US, Japan Boost Defense Ties With Eyes On

China, NKorea
By Matthew Lee
NEW YORK (AP) The United States and Japan are
boosting their defense relationship, allowing Japan to play a
71
bigger role in global military operations with an eye on

potential threats from China and North Korea.
Before Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visits
Washington this week, the two countries foreign and defense
ministers met in New York on Monday and signed off on
revisions to the U.S.-Japan defense guidelines. They are the
first changes to the rules that govern U.S.-Japan defense
cooperation since 1997 and will be subject to security
legislation pending in Japans parliament.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said the shift marks
a historic transformation in the post-WWII relationship
between Tokyo and Washington that recognizes the evolving
risks and dangers both in Asia-Pacific and across the globe.
He said the alliance had matured to one of the strongest on
earth and that the changes would allow the U.S. and Japan
to better manage growing threats in the region and
elsewhere.
The world has changed much since 18 years ago,
said Defense Secretary Ash Carter. We face new threats,
new domains, new geographies.
Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida agreed,
saying that the security situation around Japan is becoming
more harsh and difficult.
The revisions boost Japans role in missile defense,
mine sweeping and ship inspections amid growing Chinese
assertiveness in disputed areas in the East and South China
Sea claimed by Beijing. The new arrangements also allow
Japan to dispatch its armed forces beyond the region for
logistical backup of U.S. militarys global operations, in distant
areas including the Middle East.
Japans military role is currently limited to its own selfdefense, and the countrys war-renouncing constitution still
prohibits pre-emptive strikes, leaving any offensive action to
the U.S. The United States has nearly 50,000 troops based in
Japan.
U.S. officials say the most significant part of the
revisions is the elimination of current geographic limits on
activities by the Japanese self-defense forces. Those details
remain to be worked out, but the U.S. foresees Japanese
forces playing an international role in peacekeeping,
humanitarian and disaster relief operations and ballistic
missile defense.
The changes will allow Japan to shoot down a ballistic
missile headed toward the United States even if Japan itself
is not threatened, officials said. In addition, Japan also could
come to the defense of U.S. ships engaged in ballistic missile
defense near Japan and the Japanese military will be able to
respond to attacks on third countries if they are in close
association with Japan and if those attacks directly affect
Japanese security, the officials said.
Importantly for Tokyo, the revisions come with a
renewed pledge of the U.S. position that the Senkaku Islands
a group of small, uninhabited islands in the East China
OPS054000454
Sea fall under Japanese administration and are within the

scope of the U.S.-Japan mutual defense treaty. The foreign
and defense ministers said they oppose any unilateral action
that seeks to undermine Japans administration of these
islands. China also claims the islands, which Beijing calls
Diaoyu, and the dispute has been a major irritant in
Japanese-Chinese relations.
The revisions recommit both the U.S. and Japan to
realign American forces in Japan, including the controversial
replacement facility for Marine Corps Air Station Futenma and
the movement of Marines from Okinawa to Guam.
The revisions will also permit closer U.S.-Japan sharing
of information gathered in intelligence, surveillance and
reconnaissance operations, and they will be allowed to do
more in co-development and co-production of weapons and
in other forms of defense industrial cooperation. They also
will coordinate more closely in cybersecurity and in space,
including in satellite early warning.
To coordinate the revised strategy, the U.S. and Japan
will create an Alliance Coordination Mechanism, which will be
standing body for coordinating defense activities in peacetime
and in war.
U.S. officials said China would be briefed on the details
sometime this week.
___
Associated Press writers Robert Burns and Matthew
Pennington contributed to this report from Washington.
redistributed.
Japan And U.S. Set New Rules For Military

Cooperation
By Julie Hirschfeld Davis And Michael R. Gordon

WASHINGTON President Obama and Prime
Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan have reached an accord to
tighten defense cooperation and are pressing toward an
agreement to tear down trade barriers between their two
countries and across the Pacific Rim, as both leaders move
to counter rising economic and military threats from China.
On the eve of a formal state visit by Mr. Abe to the
White House, American and Japanese officials announced an
agreement on Monday that would expand the reach of
Japans military now limited to its own defense allowing
it to act when the United States or countries American forces
are defending are threatened.
The agreement reflects worries about North Korea and,
especially, China, whose territorial claims in the South China
Sea and growing military spending have upset its neighbors.
With Chinas growing assertiveness and North Koreas
nuclear and ballistic missile programs, Japan, like a lot of
72
allies, wants to be there for us so well be there for them,

said Michael J. Green, the senior vice president for Asia and
Japan Chair at the Center for Strategic and International
Studies. It allows the U.S. military to plan Japan in, so that
when we turn to them and say, Can you deal with our left
flank?, the Japanese, in principle, now can do that.
The pact is most likely to be the only concrete deal Mr.
Obama and Mr. Abe strike in a visit Tuesday that will feature
a formal South Lawn arrival ceremony, an Oval Office
meeting, a news conference and an elaborate state dinner for
some 200 guests in the ornate East Room.
But the gathering is an opportunity for Mr. Obama to
press his pivot toward Asia, by strengthening economic and
military ties that can counterbalance Chinas rising influence.
He will use it to build momentum for his trade agenda,
including legislation to give him fast-track power to move
agreements through Congress without amendments, and the
largest such pact he is seeking, the trans-Pacific Trade
Partnership with Japan and 10 other Pacific Rim countries.
In pushing for the trade power and the agreement itself,
Mr. Obama has been making the case in urgent terms that
the United States must play a leading role or see itself
eclipsed by China.
in that region, Mr. Obama told The Wall Street Journal in an
interview on Monday. We will be shut out American
businesses and American agriculture. That will mean a loss
of U.S. jobs.
The president is facing strong opposition to his trade
agenda from many Democrats in Congress, and while the
trade authority legislation has begun to move forward, he is
unlikely to be able to extract critical concessions from Japan
until he has secured the power to complete the broader
agreement. White House officials said they do not expect a
breakthrough while Mr. Abe is visiting.
On Tuesday, Mr. Obama and Mr. Abe will discuss
disputes between their two nations over trade including
tariffs on American automobiles and Japanese agriculture
products whose resolution are widely seen as a
prerequisite for sealing the accord. Officials from both
countries are close to clearing away those disagreements.
Behind the scenes on Monday, American and
Japanese officials huddled to try to make progress in the last
hours before Mr. Obama and Mr. Abe were to meet face to
face.
I do not anticipate that all those gaps will be bridged,
Josh Earnest, the White House press secretary, but Im
confident that theyll get extensive high-level attention.
The military agreement announced on Monday replaces
guidelines geared exclusively toward the defense of Japan
with new rules that eliminate any geographic restriction.
Now Japanese forces also could aid American ships
involved in missile-defense activities in the region, or Japan
OPS054000455
could intercept a missile heading for the United States. That

is a very big change from being locally focused to being
globally focused, Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter said at
a joint news conference in New York with Secretary of State
John Kerry and their Japanese counterparts.
Sheila A. Smith, a senior fellow for Japan studies at the
Council on Foreign Relations called the deal a very
significant transformation between the United States and
Japan. Its about deterrence and de-escalation, to guard
against the risk that something small could quickly become a
major armed conflict.
Senator John McCain, the Arizona Republican who
leads the Armed Services Committee, praised the new
guidelines as a historic moment.
Mr. Green said the guidelines are a break with Japans
inward-looking defense posture that dates back to its
determination after the end of World War II that they didnt
want to get pulled or entrapped into a fight with anyone,
anywhere, ever again.
Mr. Abes visit, which coincides with the 70th
anniversary of the end of the war, has also raised questions
about what the prime minister will say about his countrys
history. South Koreans, Korean-Americans and American
lawmakers have called on Mr. Abe to use his speech to a
joint session of Congress on Wednesday to apologize for the
Japanese militarys use of so-called comfort women as sex
slaves.
On Monday afternoon, as Japanese and American flags
flew side by side near the White House, Mr. Obama made an
unscheduled stop with Mr. Abe at the Lincoln Memorial,
where Lincolns second inaugural address urging
reconciliation and healing is etched into the marble.
Julie Hirschfeld Davis reported from Washington, and
Michael R. Gordon from New York.
record gives reason to worry about his commitment to such

clarity. In his speech Wednesday, and in a historical
assessment he is preparing to deliver this summer, it is
important that he reaffirm Japans understanding of and
remorse for its wartime offenses.
But if were looking at history, we ought not neglect the
seven decades since 1945, either. Japan utterly transformed
itself from a militaristic, imperialist society into a peaceable
democracy, a reliable U.S. ally and a good neighbor to other
Asian countries. To the extent it has regained influence, it is
through economic prowess and development aid, not military
might. Like Germany, in fact, it has been reticent to a fault in
foreign affairs.
Now, like Germany, Japan is gingerly moving toward a
more assertive role in the world, in ways that other
democracies in Asia ought to welcome. Mr. Abe is seeking to
reinterpret Japans peace constitution, unchanged since
Americans wrote it during the postwar occupation, to allow
Japan to aid allies, including the United States and South
Korea, in times of need. He has reached out to Australia,
India and other democracies while China seeks to expand its
influence in the service of a very different political philosophy.
He also is negotiating a free-trade agreement with the United
States and 10 other Pacific nations that, if he delivers and
Congress does not torpedo the deal, could further open
Japans lucrative markets to U.S. products.
Ordinarily the United States finds itself pressing allies to
increase their defense spending and play a larger role in
maintaining peace and stability beyond their borders. Now
comes Japan, already doing the former (if modestly) and
offering to do the latter. Especially as other allies, such as
Britain, retrench and turn inward, the United States should
welcome the opportunity this presents.
Obama Gives Japans Abe An Impromptu Tour

Of Lincoln Memorial
With Japanese Leaders Visit, A Chance To

Look Back And Move Forward
By Angela Greiling Keane

President Barack Obama and Japanese Prime Minister
Shinzo Abe sprung a surprise on tourists in Washington
Monday with an unannounced trip to the Lincoln Memorial.
Shortly after Abe arrived in the capital, the two leaders
jumped into a motorcade for the short trip from the White
House to the memorial to the 16th U.S. president, Abraham
Lincoln, which sits on the western end of the National Mall,
adjacent to the Potomac River.
Obama escorted Abe up the center of the memorial
steps, which had been cleared of tourists. Obama gestured
toward the Mall as they got to the top.
Taking foreign dignitaries on the tourist route may be
emerging as an Obama signature move. Last year, he took

IN ADVANCE of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abes
address to a joint meeting of Congress on Wednesday the
first ever by a Japanese leader much of the conversation
in this country has centered on history. Will Mr. Abe reiterate
his nations apology for its behavior in World War II and, if so,
what words will he choose? South Korea, colonized by Japan
during the first half of the 20th century, has been
campaigning vigorously to keep history in the spotlight during
Mr. Abes visit.
To an extent, this is unsurprising. Seventy years after
the end of the war, commemorations are planned in several
countries. The last surviving victims of Japanese aggression
Korean comfort women, American prisoners of war
want clarity before their generation exits the stage. Mr. Abes
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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Martin Luther

King Jr. Memorial, situated just south of the Mall.
Abe, who is staying at Blair House, the guest residence
across Pennsylvania from the White House, will get a more
formal official arrival ceremony Tuesday morning and a state
dinner Tuesday night.
Obama, Japanese
Memorial
Leader
Visit
links Japan and the United States, with a touch of influence

from President Obamas home state of Hawaii.
For starters guest chef Masaharu Morimoto, star of Iron
Chef, will rustle up his fusion take on a salad classic the
Toro Tartare and Caesar Sashimi Salad.
The salad is wrapped in a clear acetate and tied with
Mizuhiki cord emulating a gift to be opened, according to the
program.
Then a consomme will be given a twist with bok choy
and Wailea hearts of palm and bamboo shoots from Hawaii.
This is served with a crisp Hawaiian pineapple tempura
topped with a sliver of cured ham from Virginia.
The main course will be roasted American wagyu beef
with Spring vegetables.
For dessert the American-style cheesecake will get a
spin with the addition of silken tofu and soymilk and a
selection of seasonal berries from Florida.
All the dishes will be served on a new 11-piece State
China Service, which was designed by Michael Smith in
consultation with First Lady Michelle Obama.
Instead of opting for the traditional primary red or blue
normally seen, the First Lady opted for a blue inspired by the
waters off the coast of Hawaii a Kailua blue.
The food will be washed down with sake Dassais 23
for a toast a Freeman 2013 Ryo-fu Chardonnay and a
2010 Morlet Pinot Noir.
Lincoln
By David Jackson
WASHINGTON President Obama and Japanese
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe staged an early get-together
Monday at the Abraham Lincoln Memorial.
With Abes state visit set for Tuesday, the unscheduled
trip gave the leaders a chance to spend time together oneon-one at a place of historical significance for the United
States, the White House said in a statement.
It noted that this month marks both the 150th
anniversary of the Civil Wars end as well as President
Lincolns passing.
Abes state visit, including a more formal meeting with
Obama, starts Tuesday morning with a welcoming ceremony
at the White House. The Japanese leader will be the guest of
honor at a state dinner that night.
Among the topics of Tuesdays Obama-Abe meeting: A
proposed trade deal involving the United States and Asian
nations, and U.S. military assistance to Japan.
During their visit to the Lincoln Memorial, Obama and
Abe could be seen looking at the walls where the words of
the Gettysburg Address and the second inaugural speech are
etched.
The leaders paused at the top of the memorial steps,
not far from where Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered his I
Have A Dream speech in 1963. They gazed down the Mall at
the picture-perfect view of the Washington Monument and the
U.S. Capitol dome in the distance.
The presidential entourage included National Security
Adviser Susan Rice and the U.S. ambassador to Japan,
Caroline Kennedy.
Before leaving the Lincoln Memorial, Obama and Abe
could be seen speaking with park rangers.
A State Dinner Preview, Toro Tartare Included

The White House led a walk-through of a state dinner
on Tuesday honoring Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan.
The menu includes toro tartare and Caesar sashimi salad,
upper right, and American Wagyu beef tenderloin.
But perhaps most notable will be the unveiling of the
presidential china. Designed in part by Michelle Obama, the
new dinnerware will feature a more modern look with touches
of gold and Kailua blue a nod to the waters off President
Obamas home state, Hawaii.
The set will also include an individual tureen for the first
time, making it easier to serve soups.
I will compliment my wife, Mr. Obama said in a video
about the new dishes. Its very nice.
Barack Obama State China Sports Hawaii Blue
Obama, Abe To Dine On Fusion Food With

Hawaiian Twist
By Darlene Superville
WASHINGTON (AP) The official state china of
President Barack Obamas administration is a moderninspired service trimmed in a blue that recalls the waters of
his native state of Hawaii, and Japanese Prime Minister
Shinzo Abe will be among the first guests to eat from it at a
state dinner Tuesday in his honor.
AFP, April 28, 2015

Washington (AFP) High politics will dominate
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abes visit to the White
House on Tuesday, but there will still be time for some haute
cuisine.
At a state dinner Abe, US President Barack Obama and
hundreds of other guests will tuck into an array of food that
74
OPS054000457
Michelle Obamas office said the first lady chose whats

been dubbed Kailua Blue to distinguish her familys china
from the red, green, blue and yellow used on more recent
state services. Kailua is the upscale bedroom community of
Honolulu where Obama and his family spend Christmas
vacation.
William Allman, the White House curator, said the
modern and fresh blue was making its first appearance on
White House china.
Mrs. Obamas main goal was to create a modern
service that is completely compatible and interchangeable
and usable with all the historic china services that are used
for official entertaining, Allman said Monday during a preview
of the Japanese state dinner.
A fluted band of Kailua Blue, framed by a textured gold
rim and a simple gold inner line, appears on all pieces of the
service, except for the dinner and serving plates. The solid
white dinner plates are edged in gold; the service plates have
a wide gold rim and the presidential coat of arms at the
center.
Each 11-piece setting includes a first for presidential
tableware an individual tureen that can be used for soup,
dessert or any other dish that the chefs get creative and
decide they would like to serve with a little panache in an
individual serving size, Allman said.
The White House did not disclose the cost of the china
service, which can accommodate 320 people.
It was paid for from a private fund that is administered
by the White House Historical Association and used to
acquire fine and decorative arts for the presidential mansion.
The association did not respond to requests for comment on
the purchase price.
The state china service then-first lady Laura Bush
unveiled in January 2009 cost $493,000.
The approximately 200 people invited for Tuesday
dinner in the East Room will be among the first guests to eat
from the new china. The menu features Caesar sashimi salad
presented in the style of a Japanese gift, Wagyu beef and an
American-style cheesecake made using tofu and soymilk.
Obama will toast Abe with sake, a Japanese beverage
made from rice.
Japanese Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto was brought
in as a guest chef to help the White House kitchen staff
prepare the meal.
After dinner, cast members from the film adaptation of
the musical Jersey Boys will perform in the State Dining
Room.
The decor celebrates a late-arriving spring and
Washingtons famed cherry trees, a gift from Japan more
than 100 years ago. Dinner tables will be decorated with
arrangements of orchids, cherry blossoms and other flowers.
Its a welcoming, not just of our visitors but of our

visitors to spring, said outgoing White House social secretary
Jeremy Bernard.
Planning for the Obama state china began in the fall of
2011 when Mrs. Obama and family friend Michael Smith, who
redecorated the Oval Office and the Obama familys private
residence, began gathering feedback from the White House
residence staff, including the chefs.
Pickard China, of Antioch, Illinois, was brought in to
consult on the project and produce the dinnerware.
The company, based in Mrs. Obamas native state, has
made dinnerware for use at the Camp David presidential
retreat in Maryland and aboard Air Force One, but it had
never made any of the official White House china.
Presidents arent required to have a state china service
and some, including Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush,
had none.
Betty Monkman, a former White House curator and
author for the White House Historical Association, said state
china services have been purchased for a variety of reasons,
including a presidents desire to have their stamp on
something thats left behind.
They also were bought to increase the number of place
settings or replace broken, damaged or missing pieces.
If youve seen our state dinners, we really do a lot of
mixing and matching sometimes because we really do not
have enough, sometimes because were trying to create a
new modern, different, edgy kind of look, Mrs. Obama told
Architectural Digest when she previewed the Obama state
china for interior design journalists and bloggers last week.
This Kailua Blue is one of those colors that will complement
some of the other pieces already in the collection in a way
thats elegant, and I think it will be timeless.
--Follow
Darlene
Superville
on
Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/dsupervilleap
of Use.
redistributed.
Japans Wartime Past Still A Volatile Issue As

Prime Minister Visits Obama
By David Nakamura And Anna Fifield

Seventy years after the end of World War II, President
Obama will welcome Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to
the White House on Tuesday for a state visit to highlight new
75
OPS054000458
partnerships on defense and economics with the United

States most durable ally in Asia.
But the success of the visit for the Obama
administration could turn on how Abe handles another, more
incendiary, geopolitical issue his countrys imperial
wartime past.
Abes ambivalent signals about Japans wartime
behavior, along with his push to reassert the nations role in
the security of the region after more than half a century of
pacifism, have alarmed its neighbors, including China, but
especially South Korea, another crucial U.S. ally.
Since Abe reassumed power in 2012, relations between
Tokyo and Seoul have been mired in distrust and bitter
recriminations, forcing Obama into the uncomfortable role of
mediator. Last year, on the sidelines of an international
security summit at the Hague, Obama took time to broker an
unusual trilateral meeting with Abe and South Korean
President Park Geun-hye in a bid to warm their ice-cold
relationship.
The implications are broad as the Obama
administration seeks to refocus and intensify its foreign
policy efforts in Asia, a strategy aimed at deepening regional
alliances to confront Chinas growing military and economic
clout.
Beijing, recognizing the discord, has sought to exploit
the mistrust and sow doubts about U.S. standing, foreign
policy analysts said.
Obamas personal engagement helped open minimal
lines of communication between Japan and South Korea, but
tensions are high as Washington rolls out the red carpet for
Abe, who will become the first Japanese prime minister to
address a joint meeting of Congress on Wednesday.
Ahead of the visit, South Korean diplomats have
lobbied administration officials, Congress and the news
media, making clear their expectations that Abe apologize for
Japans wartime operation of comfort stations that forced up
to 200,000 women into sexual slavery. Many conservatives in
Japan contend that the women were prostitutes, and some
say other countries, including Korea and the United States,
did similar things during the war.
During remarks to students Monday at Harvard
University, Abe said: My heart aches when I think about the
people who were victimized by human trafficking and who
were subject to immeasurable pain and suffering, beyond
description. On this score, my feeling is no different from my
predecessor prime ministers.
Abe emphasized that he has repeatedly affirmed a
1993 statement by former Japanese chief cabinet secretary
Yohei Kono that the military had forced women into brothels
during the war, contradicting previous statements from the
government.
But that is unlikely to satisfy the South Koreans, who
have doubted Abes sincerity. Abes grandfather, Nobusuke
Kishi, served as prime minister more than half a century ago

on a nationalistic platform aimed at restoring Japans military,
which had been downgraded by the United States and the
war.
Japanese school textbooks have misrepresented some
of the atrocities, and Abe in 2013 visited the Yasukuni shrine,
which honors the nations war dead, angering Seoul and
Beijing. (He passed up chances to visit the shrine last year,
paving the way for two meetings with Chinese President Xi
Jinping.)
Citing Abes historical revisionism, a senior South
Korean diplomat told The Washington Post last week: We
expect to hear Prime Minister Abe say something that would
go in the direction of outlining this concern.
Our bar is not high, the diplomat added, speaking on
the condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of
the issue. He said Seoul expects Abe to endorse previous
statements of contrition from Kono and two former Japanese
prime ministers in a clear and unambiguous way.
White House aides are wary of the potential for the
issue to overshadow the concrete accomplishments of the
trip, which include the formal release in New York on Monday
of revised bilateral defense guidelines that would give the
Japanese Self-Defense Forces power to act when U.S.
forces are threatened by a third country.
The administration also hopes to make progress with
Japan on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a 12-nation freetrade and regulatory pact that Obama has called one of his
top priorities.
Obama aides declined to say whether they had
specifically asked Abe to apologize during his visit. Abe and
Obama visited the Lincoln Memorial on Monday afternoon,
but they did not address reporters.
We always stress that its important to address history
questions in an honest, constructive and forthright manner
that promotes healing, but also in a way that reaches a final
resolution, said Evan Medeiros, Asia director at the National
Security Council. So were very supportive of diplomatic
efforts between Japan and [South Korea] to improve their
relationship.
Korean American organizations have pressured
lawmakers on Capitol Hill to demand that Abe apologize.
Rep. Michael M. Honda (D-Calif.) sent a bipartisan letter
signed by 25 House members to Japanese Ambassador
Kenichiro Sasae calling on Abe to lay the foundation for
healing and humble reconciliation by addressing the historical
issues. An activist group brought Yong Soo Lee, 86, who
was a teenager forced to work in the comfort stations, to
Washington last week to tell her story.
Abe aides said the prime minister, who has been
practicing his congressional speech in English, will deliver an
upbeat message to Congress, lauding 70 years of liberal
76
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democracy and economic transformation, and close

cooperation with the United States.
On the nations wartime history, the speech is expected
to be modeled on an address he gave to the Australian
Parliament last year, in which Abe expressed remorse for
Japans aggression singling out two chapters that were
particularly deadly for Australian troops but did not
apologize.
Abe is likely to follow that template in Washington,
possibly mentioning the American prisoners of war who died
in the Bataan Death March.
It will be a deep reflection of the wartime past and an
appreciation for the help and support that the United States
extended to Japan, and a pledge for the future, said an Abe
adviser, who was not authorized to speak on the record. This
is a golden opportunity for Abe to show how balanced he is,
that hes not an extremist and not challenging the world order
but is here to safeguard the existing order.
Obama administration officials said privately that they
expect Abe to address the thornier issues of the Korean
comfort women at a joint news conference at the White
House after his bilateral meeting with Obama on Tuesday.
But whether he will go far enough to satisfy Seoul
remains unclear. The two countries have had several rounds
of discussions aimed at resurrecting a fund to provide
reparations to the comfort women and their families; a
previous plan was rejected by Seoul after Tokyo refused to
accept full responsibility and use public money.
Park is scheduled to visit the White House in June, and
Xi will arrive in September on his first state visit to
Washington.
Some people get emotional, Sasae, the Japanese
ambassador, said at a briefing last week at the National
Press Building. But I dont think this is a security question, to
be honest . . . I dont see all those issues about so-called
history will be major issues to address or even stumbling
blocks moving ahead.
He added: To be honest, this is not something we
need to focus on as part of the major agenda between
Washington and Tokyo.
Steven Mufson contributed to this report. Fifield
reported from Tokyo.
Mr Abes visit to the US comes at a time when friction

between the two countries is at an all-time low. The trade and
economic disputes that incited tensions and a sub-genre of
paranoid movies about Japan in the 1980s, when nine
members of Congress even smashed a Toshiba radio with
sledgehammers, rarely make an appearance nowadays.
Those past disputes probably explain why former prime
minister Yasuhiro Nakasone, though a political soul mate of
then-president Ronald Reagan, was never invited to address
a joint session of Congress. Today, however, the bilateral
relationship is very different. Japans economic interests are
more closely aligned with Americas the country is poised to
join the US-initiated Trans-Pacific Partnership, which will
create a vast free-trade zone among a dozen Pacific Rim
countries and the two sides strategic visions for Asia are in
near-harmony.
Moreover, the long-simmering dispute over the US
Marine Corps base on Okinawa, which had roiled bilateral
relations during the years the Democratic Party of Japan was
in power, has been settled amicably, with the US agreeing to
move the base to a less populated part of the island. Of
course, some Okinawa residents remain opposed to the US
bases continued presence on their island, but most
Japanese recognise the need for this tangible symbol of their
alliance with America, which remains the bedrock of Japans
national-security strategy.
The two sides increasingly similar views on
international security issues as well, particularly where China
is concerned, no doubt also contributed to the decision by the
US Congress and President Barack Obamas administration
to honour Mr Abe. Both Mr Abe and Mr Obama are focused
on creating a durable structure of peace for all of Asia, and
Mr Abe has been eager for Japan to play a more active role
in this regard, and in supporting its allies. That stance is
making the alliance much more a partnership of equals than it
has been for the last six decades.
In Americas view, the reinterpretation of Article 9 of
Japans peace constitution that Mr Abe undertook thereby
allowing Japans self-defence forces to aid allies under attack
and to assist the US and other allies in meeting their
commitments to securing Asias peace was long overdue.
That bold policy initiative has no doubt endeared Mr Abe to
US diplomats and military strategists, as well as secured both
open and sometimes tacit approval from Japans Asian
neighbours.
Increased military cooperation with the US is
particularly important now, given American worries about
many of its other strategic partners readiness. Even the
United Kingdom, long seen as Americas closest ally, now
seems intent on undermining its ability to work cooperatively
with the US in times of crisis, even in meeting its Nato
commitments, because of severe cuts to its military budget.
Moment Of Clarity For US-Japan Bilateral

Relations
Bangkok (THA) Post, April 27, 2015

On April 29, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will
address a joint session of the United States Congress. The
Japan-US alliance is now 63 years old, but this will be the first
time that a Japanese leader will be accorded this high honour
from the American government and people.
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OPS054000460
Other allies are also increasingly regarded in the US as free

riders on Americas military might.
Mr Abes commitment to the rules and institutions of the
post-1945 world order, which helped bring Japan out of the
ruins of World War II and has allowed China to rise so
peacefully, gives the US another reason to honour him. Like
the US, Japan has many concerns about the parallel
institutions including the Asian Infrastructure Investment
Bank and the Brics countries New Development Bank that
China is creating.
Having benefited so much from the post-war global
order, most Japanese share Mr Abes view that Chinas
efforts to replace it with one more to its liking is both unwise
and dangerous for Asia. Indeed, countries that have decided
to cooperate with China in creating rival multilateral
institutions should ask themselves a simple question: Would
a world order designed by China allow for the rise of another
power to challenge it in the way the US-led world order
allowed for Chinas three-decade-long boom?
To answer that question, one can look to the writings of
the Chinese strategist Yan Xuetong, whose book
Ancient Chinese Thought/Modern Chinese Power
argues that all countries must recognise and accept Chinas
centrality to the world as the Middle Kingdom. Moreover,
China has thus far shown little interest in discussing the
standards by which the multilateral institutions it has launched
will be governed or, indeed, the extent to which they will be
truly multilateral.
Mr Abes visit to the US thus comes at a moment of
clarity in bilateral relations. Both countries seek to create a
viable structure of peace for Asia, one that allows China to
continue to grow and prosper, but that prevents any one
country from claiming hegemony. And both favour a rulesbased Asian trading order that reinforces the global norms
that have served the world so well since World War IIs end.
In honouring Mr Abe with an address to Congress, the US is
really honouring the values and vision that both countries
share.
2015 Project Syndicate
by landing a drone with a slightly radioactive payload on top

of it, has said he did it to protest Japans use of nuclear
power, police said, adding they are investigating his plans for
other attempted fights.
According to a blog posts written by Yamamoto, a
resident of Obama, Fukui Prefecture, which hosts several
nuclear power plants, he used a drone to take close look at
Kyushu Electric Power Co.s Sendai nuclear power plant in
Kagoshima Prefecture last October.
He attempted to take aerial footage of the complex but
his drone failed to reach a reactor building, one blog post
says.
In another post last November, Yamamoto pondered
whether Washington was meddling with Japanese nuclear
power policy, writing, Is the United States an enemy, too?
and Its unclear whether the United States is applying
pressure to resume operations of nuclear power plants now.
He also detailed an apparent reconnaissance visit to
the American Embassy housing compound, a gated facility in
Roppongi, writing, I should check out a takeoff point so that I
can release it here instead of at the prime ministers office,
depending on the situation.
A small four-rotor drone carrying a container of sand
with trace amounts of cesium was found on the roof of the
prime ministers office on Wednesday, sparking concerns that
terrorist attacks could be made via the small, unmanned
aircraft.
Yamamoto, who turned himself in to Fukui police on
Friday, said he planted the drone on the prime ministers
office on April 9, meaning it sat on the roof unnoticed for
nearly two weeks.
Police think he began preparing for the flight last fall
and initially attempted to do it on Dec. 24, when Prime
Minister Shinzo Abe launched his new Cabinet, to apparently
protest the governments push to restart nuclear power plants
idled in the wake of the triple core meltdown in Fukushima in
2011.
The launch of the new Cabinet is set for Dec. 24
Yamamoto blogged in November. I should carry it out this
day.
Yamamoto said he actually tried to fly a drone to a park
near Abes office on Dec. 24 but gave up because it was too
stressful.
He also appeared to be wrestling with his conscience.
Should I do that again? he wrote before turning
himself in, followed by No . . . I wouldnt.
All 48 of Japans commercial reactors remain offline
ever since the 2011 Fukushima nuclear crisis shattered
Japans nuclear safety myth. Kyushu Electric plans to restart
one of the two reactors at the Sendai plant in July.
Drone Flyer Surveilled American Embassy

Housing Facility, Buzzed Sendai Nuclear Plant:
Blog
By Liars N. Fools
Japan Times, April 27, 2015
A man arrested for landing a drone with radioactive
sand on top of the prime ministers office might have targeted
a U.S. diplomatic housing facility in Tokyo for the stunt and
tried to film a nuclear power plant in Kagoshima as well,
sources close to the matter said Monday.
Yasuo Yamamoto, 40, who was arrested Saturday on
suspicion of obstructing duties at the prime ministers office
Asean Stops Short Of Harder Line On China

78
OPS054000461
Philippines warns of worsening situation in South

China Sea
By Ben Otto And Jason Ng
Kerry, Iran FM Hold Nuke Talks In NY As

Senate Weighs Move
By Bradley Klapper And Deb Riechmann

WASHINGTON (AP) The Obama administration
moved on two fronts Monday to advance its nuclear
diplomacy with Iran, with talks between top U.S. and Iranian
diplomats and an aggressive effort to sell the emerging deal
to skeptical American lawmakers and constituencies.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Iranian Foreign
Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif met at the residence of
Irans ambassador to the United Nations in New York for the
first time since April 2, when world powers and Iran sealed a
framework agreement that would limit Irans ability to build a
nuclear weapon. They now have little more than two months
to meet their own June 30 deadline for a comprehensive
accord.
Neither man spoke to reporters as the meeting got
underway, but earlier Kerry told a U.N. conference on nuclear
non-proliferation that a deal would make the world a safer
place. I want you to know the hard work is far from over and
some key issues remain unresolved, he said. But we are, in
fact, closer than ever to the good comprehensive deal that we
have been seeking. And if we can get there, the entire world
will be safer.
In Washington, lead U.S. negotiator Wendy Sherman
told a conference of reform Jews that diplomatic collapse
would leave Iran perilously close to nuclear weapons
capacity. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz said a final
agreement would in some ways be tougher than what the
U.S. has outlined thus far.
All the activity was taking place before the Senate
begins debate Tuesday over empowering Congress to review
and possibly reject any nuclear pact. Republican presidential
candidates are lining up to oppose any deal with a
government the U.S. considers the worlds leading state
sponsor of terrorism and to show their support for Israel.
Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida wants to require Irans
leaders to publicly accept Israels right to exist, a nearly
impossible mandate. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas hopes to put
the onus on advocates to win congressional approval of a
deal, and not on opponents to gather enough votes for
rejection.
But even as the legislation moves forward, House
Speaker John Boehner privately acknowledged to a gathering
79
of the Republican Jewish Coalition over the weekend that his

party doesnt command enough votes to override a
presidential veto of any resolution disapproving of an Iran
deal, BloombergView reported. Boehners spokesman,
Michael Steel, didnt dispute the report.
Obviously, it takes only a fraction of the House and
Senate Democrats to sustain a veto, but it is impossible to
say whether they will or not until we know what the final `deal
looks like, Steel said.
Kerry and Zarif reconvened after their marathon
negotiations in Switzerland with several questions
outstanding. Particularly problematic for President Barack
Obama and his team are how quickly sanctions would be
eased for Tehran in exchange for nuclear concessions, and
how to snap economic restrictions back into place quickly if
Iran is caught cheating.
At a breakfast meeting with journalists, Moniz, a former
MIT physics department head, provided some new detail on
the combination of technical limits that the U.S. says would
keep Iran at least a year away from assembling enough fissile
material for one nuclear weapon for at least a decade.
Hours after the framework was announced, the U.S.
said Iran would be permitted to keep 6,104 centrifuges
installed. Of these, a little more than 1,000 could be kept at
Irans deeply buried facility at Fordo that may be impervious
to U.S. or Israeli air attack. None of those would be permitted
to enrich uranium, material that can be used in a nuclear
warhead.
Moniz said no advanced centrifuges can be installed or
developed at that site for 15 years. And in a new twist, he
said only one-third of the 1,000 centrifuges there can actually
spin over that period. The rest will be just sitting there, he
said.
The details are significant because they provide another
piece of how American officials calculate that theyd have
enough time to detect any Iranian push toward a bomb and
respond. Tehran says its program is solely designed for
energy, medical and research purposes, but Washington and
many other governments distrust Irans motives.
Nowhere does skepticism seem higher than on Capitol
Hill, where lawmakers are wrestling with how tough to make
legislation on Iran that has gained the tacit approval of
Obama.
Proponents of the bill are trying to discourage any
changes to the legislation. They recognize that politically
driven amendments could undermine Democratic support
and sink the carefully crafted measure.
Anybody who monkeys with this bill is going to run into
a buzz saw, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South
Carolina, a possible White House candidate, warned ahead
of this weeks debate.
Sherman, the State Departments undersecretary for
political affairs, said if talks fail to produce a final deal, Iran
OPS054000462
would be two to three months from being able to produce

enough material for a weapon.
Speaking to the Religious Action Center of Reform
Judaism in Washington, she said the president would
reconsider support for the bill if it is distorted by amendments.
There will be a lot of pretty awful amendments, quite frankly,
and well see where we end up, Sherman said.
The bill was approved 19-0 by the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee. It has 62 co-sponsors from both
parties.
The legislation would block Obama from waiving
congressional sanctions for at least 30 days while lawmakers
weigh in. And it would stipulate that if senators disapprove the
deal, Obama would lose authority to waive certain economic
penalties an event that would certainly prompt a
presidential veto.
Among proposed additions to the bill are demands that
Iran release any U.S. citizens it is holding and refrain from
any cooperation with nuclear-armed North Korea. Another
insists that any agreement be treated as an international
treaty, requiring two-thirds ratification by the Senate.
Another set of amendments would block any sanctions
relief for Iran until it meets goals the U.S. set years ago as
negotiating stances and has long since abandoned.
--AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee in New York
contributed to this report.
of Use.
redistributed.
Kerry Says Iran, World Powers Closer Than

Ever To Historic Nuclear Deal
By Louis Charbonneau And Arshad Mohammed

As Senate Debates Iran, Energy Secretary

Vows To Stay Open With Congress
By Francine Kiefer
Washington This week, the full Senate will debate a
carefully crafted, bipartisan bill that requires Congress to have
a say in any final deal to prevent Iran from gaining a nuclear
weapon. Critics of a deal abound, raising specific questions
80
about its workability as well as broader regional issues such

as Irans refusal to recognize Israel.
The go-to man for Congress on the details about Irans
nuclear program is US Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz, a
nuclear scientist and former physics professor at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The affable physicist,
who is playing a key role in the international negotiations, has
become a laymans translator for all things nuclear.
In a Monitor breakfast with reporters on Monday, he
pledged to be completely open with Congress and
addressed several issues raised by skeptics:
The scope of a deal, or even no deal. The Obama
administration and its international partners are limiting the
negotiations specifically to the issue of Irans nuclear
capability not larger concerns, as some lawmakers want.
For instance, several Republicans this week are
expected to introduce unrelated poison-pill amendments to
the Iran bill. One would require Tehran to recognize Israel.
Another would require the administration to certify that Iran is
not supporting terrorist activities against the United States.
Secretary Moniz did not directly speak to those points,
but commented that dealing with a nuclear Iran, or even one
on the threshold of nuclear capability, would make it a lot
harder to address other problems involving Iran than dealing
with an Iran without that capability.
As for those who seek to scuttle a nuclear agreement
altogether, Moniz said the world failed to follow through on a
tough deal with Tehran a decade ago, when Iran had less
than 200 centrifuges and virtually no enriched uranium. Now
it has nearly 20,000 centrifuges and 10,000 kilograms of
enriched uranium.
Failure to completely dismantle the Fordow nuclear site.
Some lawmakers are upset that the framework agreement
with Iran announced on April 2 leaves the once covert site of
Fordow in place, though it would be converted to only
peaceful nuclear research.
Moniz pointed out that Fordow would be shut down as
a nuclear enrichment facility, and could not do even nuclear
enrichment research and development. It will be subject to
continuous surveillance. We have complete confidence in its
not being an enrichment site, he said.
Only a one-year breakout period. Requiring Iran to
stay at least one year away from acquiring enough fuel to
make a nuclear weapon is not a long enough time period,
critics say.
Moniz emphasized that the breakout time is calculated
by using only US estimates, and that those calculations are
not shared with the Iranians. He described the calculations as
conservative, as is the definition of breakout not the time
to get to a nuclear weapon, but to the fuel required to get to a
first weapon.
Inspections and sanctions. Theres an obvious
disconnect between Washington and Tehran on these two
OPS054000463
key issues. Washington says inspectors should be able to go

to any location of suspicion; Tehran says military bases are
off limits. Washington says sanctions relief will come as
Tehran demonstrates it is living up to an agreement; Tehran
wants immediate relief.
Moniz was less definitive on these issues. On
inspections, he said there will be a process in place for
showing reasons to access an area. No one or two countries
would be able to block that process. Clearly, verification will
require access to any place where there is a sound reason for
suspicion.
As for sanctions a direct concern for Congress, which
has voted to impose sanctions and whose eventual approval
will be needed to lift them its no secret that sanctions
relief is one of the issues still to be worked out, Moniz said.
But in the end, we plan to be completely open to the
members because thats what theyre going to need to look
at.
GOP Wont Commit To Help Democrats Reject

Iran Amendments
By Burgess Everett
Democrats are demanding that Republicans help them
rebuff hot button amendments to a bipartisan nuclear review
bill. But GOP leaders, on the eve of the first potential votes on
the measure, have refused to commit to working in tandem,
according to sources in both parties.
The bill, which enjoys broad bipartisan support, would
allow Congress to review and potentially reject a nuclear
agreement with Iran. Democrats want assurances from
Republican leaders that GOP amendments requiring Iran to
recognize the state of Israel or demanding the release of
Americans held by Tehran will be defeated resoundingly with
no votes from both sides.
Weve told them that if this is going to evolve into a
scenario where its Republicans taking the stronger positions
and trying to make us look weak, this process is going to slow
to a crawl, said Democratic Minority Whip Dick Durbin of
Illinois. We need a bipartisan spirit for this to end well.
With most amendments likely to require 60 votes to
pass, the Senates 46 Democrats can single-handedly parry
some of them. But Democrats dont want to shoulder all the
political blame for party-line votes against Israel or the
release of American prisoners that could easily translate into
attack ads. By Monday evening, no Democrats had filed any
amendments.
The White House has warned that many of the
additions or changes fall outside of the scope of current
nuclear talks, and adding them to the bill would very likely
revive President Barack Obamas veto threat and undermine
Democratic support for the measure.
81
Sources said Republicans have made no assurances

that problematic amendments will be rejected, potentially
opening up a free-for-all on the floor that could unravel the
entire measure.
I dont doubt the president when he says: We can
reach a point where I cant sign it, Durbin added.
Republicans scoffed at the idea that Senate Majority
Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and his leadership team
would whip the GOP caucus against its own amendments.
And McConnells top lieutenant predicted that some
amendments could ultimately be attached to the bill.
Some of em might pass. I think its going to be an
interesting dance, said Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn of
Texas. There are some that are interesting, that will be hard
to vote against.
Presidential hopeful Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) is leading the
charge with seven amendment offerings, including the
proposal requiring Iran recognize Israel, another that would
force Iran to release prisoners including a Washington Post
reporter and one that would keep all economic sanctions in
place unrelated to nuclear activity. Another GOP senator
seeking the White House, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, is pitching
an amendment that would require congressional approval of
any Iran deal, a reversal of the current bill that would allow
Congress to disapprove the lifting of legislative sanctions, a
move that would likely kill any nonproliferation deal with
Tehran.
GOP Sens. Cory Gardner of Colorado and Tom Cotton
of Arkansas have a proposal that would require the
administration to certify that Iran and North Korea arent
exchanging ballistics information, while Sen. Mike Lee (RUtah) wants the Obama administration to confirm that Iran
isnt making any headway on its missile program. And Sen.
Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) is seeking to treat the nuclear
agreement like a treaty, thus requiring the OK from 67
senators to be put into effect.
Up to this point, Sens. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and Ben
Cardin (D-Md.) have managed to keep a bipartisan coalition
backing the bill intact. And, in separate interviews on Monday,
Cardin and Corker said they believe that a bipartisan bloc of
senators will materialize to beat back amendments that could
imperil the bills veto-proof majority.
There are a number of people that understand that this
bill needs to be dealt with in a balanced way and I believe
theres enough senators on both sides of the aisle to assure
that occurs, Corker said.
But some of those very amendments are being pushed
by GOP members of the committee like Johnson, Gardner,
Rubio and Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming, who wants the
bill to validate that Iran is not directly conducting terrorism
against the United States. And since Republican senators
generally dont like the contours of a political agreement with
Iran that would scale back some of the countrys nuclear
OPS054000464
ambitions, the GOP may not be particularly amenable to

taking the presidents views into account.
Cardin said hes pretty confident that wont be the
case and that the bill will stay clean.
Were going to need Republicans, Cardin said. I think
Sen. Corker has support from the Republican side to beat
back poison pill amendments.
Iran Slams Nuclear Powers, Israel At UN

Atomic Treaty Meeting
By Louis Charbonneau
Top Iranian General: America Was Behind 9/11

Attacks
By Nick Gass
The commander of Irans ground forces said that
American officials planned and executed the terrorist attacks
of Sept. 11, 2001, to justify military intervention in the region.
These wars and these threats stem from a
comprehensive American strategy. After the fall of the Soviet
Union, the Americans felt that a new force was beginning to
materialize, namely the union between Sunnis and Shiites,
said Ahmad Reza Pourdastan in an interview with Irans
Arabic-language Al-Alam state news network.
The basis of this force was the blessed Islamic
Revolution in Iran. This force is Islam, or the Islamic world. In
order to prevent this force from materializing, the Americans
did many things, Pourdastan said, according to a translation
of his remarks by the Middle East Media Research Institute.
The first thing they did was to plan and carry out the
events of 9/11, in order to justify their presence in Western
Asia, with the goal of ruling it, he said.
He also brought up the possibility of terrorist attacks in
Saudi Arabia, predicting that Houthi rebels equipped with
Yemens arsenal of weapons could deal lethal blows to the
kingdom.
Personally, I feel that if Saudi cities were targeted by
bombings and missiles, it would be difficult for the officials
there to withstand this, he said.
The brigadier general also warned Islamic State
militants against attacking Iran.
If [ISIL] threatens to come within 40 kilometers of our
borders, we shall confront them and make them witness the
might and capabilities of the Muslim soldiers, he said.
Yemen Crisis Looms As Kerry Meets With

Iranian Counterpart On Nuclear Deal
82
By Michael R. Gordon And Thomas Erdbrink

Secretary of State John Kerry held his first meeting with
his Iranian counterpart on Monday since an initial nuclear
accord was announced in Lausanne, Switzerland, early this
month.
Yet while the main focus was on overcoming the
obstacles to a final agreement to constrain Irans nuclear
program, the crisis in Yemen also cast a shadow over the
meeting.
I am confident that Yemen will be mentioned, Mr.
Kerry told reporters shortly before meeting with Foreign
Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif of Iran.
Yemens future should be decided by Yemenis, Mr.
Kerry added, not by external parties and proxies.
More than 1,000 people have been killed since Houthi
rebels, who practice a variant of Shiite Islam, swept from
Yemens north, taking advantage of years of infighting among
Sunni leaders. A coalition of Arab countries, led by Saudi
Arabia, is trying to push back the Houthis, who American
officials assert have been sent arms and money by Iran.
Last week, Saudi Arabia announced that it was shifting
to a new phase of military intervention in Yemen in which its
airstrikes might be suspended if the Houthis ceased their
attacks. But the clashes and the bombing have continued.
On Monday, Jamal Benomar, the departing United
Nations envoy on the crisis, warned of a new danger that
efforts to impose an arms embargo on Yemen might worsen
the humanitarian crisis.
Mr. Benomar said that he had told the Security Council
in a private meeting that the application of a new targeted
arms embargo could inadvertently restrict the flow of muchneeded commercial goods and humanitarian assistance to
Yemen, including food, fuel and medical supplies among
others.
So far, there are no signs that the differences over
Yemen have interfered with the United States and Irans
push for a nuclear agreement, which has a deadline of the
end of June for completion. Iran badly wants economic
sanctions to be lifted as soon as possible as part of a nuclear
accord.
And the Obama administration has been at pains to
persuade Saudi Arabia and other Sunni Arab states that its
quest for a nuclear agreement does not mean that it is nave
about Irans support for President Bashar al-Assad of Syria,
its backing of militias in Iraq or its aid to the Houthis.
Yet the crisis has underscored the sharp divide
between the United States and Iran on regional issues, even
though they share a common foe in the Islamic State.
In his remarks on Monday, Mr. Kerry defended Saudi
Arabias handling of the crisis, saying the Saudis had been
prepared to engage in political talks until the Houthis pressed
their offensive.
OPS054000465
What happened was the Houthi began to take

advantage of the absence of air campaign, moving not only
additionally on Aden, but moving in other parts of the country
and shifting artillery, Mr. Kerry said, referring to the Yemeni
port city of Aden. So that elicited a further response.
In Tehran, Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari, head of the
150,000-strong Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, said that
the Saudi airstrikes were shameless. He asserted that the
Saudi leadership was on the verge of collapse and would be
toppled soon, God willing.
General Jafari is officially in charge of protecting Irans
revolution and leadership, and of directing the regional efforts
of the elite Quds Force, the unit involved in supporting,
advising and, some say, leading Shiite and other militias in
the region.
In a sign of deteriorating relations, Irans supreme
leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, publicly attacked Saudi
Arabia for the first time in a speech recently, naming the
country directly and saying that it was as bad as Israel.
Mr. Kerrys meeting with Mr. Zarif was held in the
residence of the Iranian ambassador to the United Nations
and on the margins of a review conference on the Nuclear
Nonproliferation Treaty. Afterward, a State Department official
said little beyond calling the meeting productive.
The Obama administrations efforts to negotiate deeper
cuts in the nuclear arsenals of the United States and Russia
have been stymied by Moscow. So Mr. Kerry announced a
modest gesture to try to show that the United States was still
interested in more far-reaching measures. The dismantlement
of nuclear warheads that are being taken out of service, Mr.
Kerry said, would be stepped up by 20 percent.
Mr. Zarif used his speech to the nonproliferation treaty
conference to lash out at Israel. Israels possession of
nuclear weapons, he charged, was the greatest danger to
the treaty.
Michael R. Gordon reported from New York, and
Thomas Erdbrink from Tehran. Somini Sengupta contributed
reporting from the United Nations.
to push the Shiite rebels it supports in Yemen back to the

negotiating table.
Kerry said he would raise the issue with Iranian Foreign
Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif when they see each later
Monday. While the meeting will primarily focus on nuclear
talks, Kerry said he would bring up Yemen because of Irans
role in backing the Houthi rebels. He said the Houthis used a
pause in Saudi-led airstrikes that was intended to provide
space for talks on a political solution to increase the territory
under their control.
Kerry said he would certainly urge that everybody do
their part to try to reduce the violence and allow the
negotiations to begin.
of Use.
redistributed.
Yemen Crisis Spills Into New Iran-US Nuclear

Talks
By Jo Biddle And Carole Landry

AFP, April 28, 2015
New York (AFP) US top diplomat John Kerry met his
Iranian counterpart Monday hoping to push forward tough
nuclear negotiations as they reach the final phase, but also
aiming to ease unrest in Yemen.
The secretary of state huddled with Irans Foreign
Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif for the first time since they
hammered out the groundbreaking parameters for a final deal
to curb Irans nuclear ambitions during marathon eight-day
talks in Switzerland earlier this month.
Since the talks under the aegis of the P5+1 group
resumed in earnest in the fall of 2013, the US has insisted
they are solely focused on the nuclear program.
But increasingly, US officials have acknowledged that
discussions on other burning concerns, such as the growth of
Islamic militants in Iraq and the unrest in Yemen fueled by
Iran-backed Shiite militias, have bled into the talks between
two nations who do not have diplomatic ties.
Kerry said ahead of the talks that he was confident that
Yemen will be mentioned certainly, because Iran is obviously
a supportive party to the Huthis.
I will certainly urge that everybody do their part to try to
reduce the violence and allow the negotiations to begin, he
told reporters, adding that the future of Yemen must be
decided by Yemenis and not external parties and proxies.
Iran and the United States along with world powers are
locked in a tough cycle of negotiations seeking to reach a
deal by June 30.
U.S. Blames Houthi Battlefield Moves For

Renewed Saudi Strikes

Kerry: Will Urge Iran FM To Push Yemen

Rebels To Talks
By Matthew Lee
NEW YORK (AP) Secretary of State John Kerry says
he will use a meeting with his Iranian counterpart to urge Iran
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Saudis Pound Arms Depots In Yemen As

Bread, Medicine Run Short
Shedding Armageddon fears

Kerry and Zarif met at the New York residence of Irans
permanent representative to the United Nations, fresh from
addressing a UN conference on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation
Treaty.
The vast majority of the world has come to the
conclusion - united around the belief that nuclear weapons
should one day be eliminated, Kerry told the conference.
Today the race to nuclear arms that once sparked the
fear of imminent Armageddon in billions of human beings and
hearts, that has been supplanted in a wary but steady
march... toward the promise of peace.
While the global community was closer than ever to a
deal with Iran, Kerry said the hard work is far from over and
some key issues remain unresolved.
If we can get there, the entire world will be safer, he
insisted.
Lower-level negotiations resumed last week in Vienna
after the April 2 breakthrough in Lausanne, but little has
trickled out about the discussions.
The 75-minute meeting was productive, a senior State
Department official said, adding the two men had discussed
the outcomes of last weeks talks and a path forward.
Under the agreed parameters, Iran, which denies
seeking the atomic bomb, is set to scale down its nuclear
program for 10 to 15 years or more, and allow closer UN
inspections.
The exact details of how this will work, in particular the
scale and timeframe under which the powers will lift painful
sanctions slapped on the Islamic republic, still need to be
nailed down.
But the deal under negotiation has raised hackles both
at home and abroad.
Allies such as Saudi Arabia and Israel remain wary of
US rapprochement toward Iran, while many US lawmakers
are concerned about lifting sanctions on Americas long-time
foe and have demanded a say on any final deal.
Chief US negotiator Wendy Sherman said the
parameters, announced two weeks ago in Lausanne, offer
the best chance at preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear
weapon.
The alternatives fall far short of what well have if were
able to turn the political framework into a comprehensive
agreement, she told a Jewish lobby group.
Without a deal, Iran would ramp up its number of
centrifuges used to enrich uranium to 100,000 from about
19,000 currently, it would expand its fissile material stockpiles
and the international community would have no oversight.
With a deal, we will have eyes into every part of Irans
nuclear program from cradle to grave, Sherman said.
By Mohammed Mukhashaf
Nepal Scrambles To Organize Quake Relief,

Many Flee Capital
By Gopal Sharma
State Department Says Four U.S. Citizens

Dead After Nepal Quake
By Emily Stephenson
Nepal Earthquake Death Toll Tops 4,000

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) Shelter, fuel, food,
medicine, power, news, workers Nepals earthquake-hit
capital was short on everything Monday as its people
searched for lost loved ones, sorted through rubble for their
belongings and struggled to provide for their families needs.
In much of the countryside, it was worse, though how much
worse was only beginning to become apparent.
The official overall death toll soared past 4,000, even
without a full accounting from vulnerable mountain villages
that rescue workers were still struggling to reach two days
after the disaster.
Udav Prashad Timalsina, the top official for the Gorkha
district, where Saturdays magnitude-7.8 quake was centered,
said he was in desperate need of help.
There are people who are not getting food and shelter.
Ive had reports of villages where 70 percent of the houses
have been destroyed, he said.
Aid group World Vision said its staff members were
able to reach Gorkha, but gathering information from the
villages remained a challenge. Even when roads are clear,
the group said, some remote areas can be three days walk
from Gorkhas main disaster center.
Some roads and trails have been blocked by landslides,
the group said in an email to The Associated Press. In those
villages that have been reached, the immediate needs are
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great including the need for search and rescue, food items,
blankets and tarps, and medical treatment.
Timalsina said 223 people had been confirmed dead in
Gorkha district but he presumed the number would go up
because there are thousands who are injured. He said his
district had not received enough help from the central
government, but Jagdish Pokhrel, the clearly exhausted army
spokesman, said nearly the entire 100,000-soldier army was
involved in rescue operations.
We have 90 percent of the army out there working on
search and rescue, he said. We are focusing our efforts on
that, on saving lives.
Saturdays earthquake spread horror from Kathmandu
to small villages and to the slopes of Mount Everest,
triggering an avalanche that buried part of the base camp
packed with foreign climbers preparing to make their summit
attempts.
Aid is coming from more than a dozen countries and
many charities, but Lila Mani Poudyal, the governments chief
secretary and the rescue coordinator, said Nepal needed
more.
He said the recovery was also being slowed because
many workers water tanker drivers, electricity company
employees and laborers needed to clear debris are all
gone to their families and staying with them, refusing to
work.
We are appealing for tents, dry goods, blankets,
mattresses, and 80 different medicines that the health
department is seeking that we desperately need now,
Poudyal told reporters. We dont have the helicopters that we
need or the expertise to rescue the people trapped.
As people are pulled from the wreckage, he noted,
even more help is needed.
Now we especially need orthopedic (doctors), nerve
specialists, anaesthetists, surgeons and paramedics, he
said. We are appealing to foreign governments to send these
specialized and smart teams.
About 7,180 people were injured in the quake, police
said. Poudyal estimated that tens of thousands of people had
been left homeless. We have been under severe stress and
pressure, and have not been able to reach the people who
need help on time, he said.
The arrival of relief flights has caused major backups at
Kathmandus small airport.
Four Indian air force aircraft carrying aid supplies and
rescue personnel were forced to return to New Delhi on
Monday because of airport congestion, Indian defense
ministry spokesman Sitanshu Kar said. India planned to
resend the planes later Monday night when the situation was
expected to have eased.
Nepal police said on their Facebook page that the
countrys death toll had risen to 3,904 people. That does not
include the 18 people killed in the avalanche, which were
counted by the mountaineering association. Another 61

people were killed in neighboring India, and Chinas official
Xinhua News Agency reported 25 people dead in Tibet.
Well over 1,000 of the victims were in Kathmandu, the
capital, where an eerie calm prevailed Monday.
Tens of thousands of families slept outdoors for a
second night, fearful of aftershocks that have not ceased.
Camped in parks, open squares and a golf course, they
cuddled children or pets against chilly Himalayan nighttime
temperatures.
They woke to the sound of dogs yelping and
jackhammers. As the dawn light crawled across toppled
building sites, volunteers and rescue workers carefully shifted
broken concrete slabs and crumbled bricks mixed together
with humble household items: pots and pans; a purple
notebook decorated with butterflies; a framed poster of a
bodybuilder; so many shoes.
Its overwhelming. Its too much to think about, said
55-year-old Bijay Nakarmi, mourning his parents, whose
bodies recovered from the rubble of what once was a threestory building.
He could tell how they died from their injuries. His
mother was electrocuted by a live wire on the roof top. His
father was cut down by falling beams on the staircase.
He had last seen them a few days earlier on Nepals
Mothers Day for a cheerful family meal.
I have their bodies by the river. They are resting until
relatives can come to the funeral, Nakarmi said as workers
continued searching for another five people buried
underneath the wreckage.
Kathmandu district chief administrator Ek Narayan
Aryal said tents and water were being handed out Monday at
10 locations in Kathmandu, but that aftershocks were leaving
everyone jittery. The largest, on Sunday, was magnitude 6.7.
There have been nearly 100 earthquakes and
aftershocks, which is making rescue work difficult. Even the
rescuers are scared and running because of them, he said.
We dont feel safe at all. There have been so many
aftershocks. It doesnt stop, said Rajendra Dhungana, 34,
who spent Sunday with his nieces family for her cremation at
the Pashuputi Nath Temple.
Acrid, white smoke rose above the Hindu temple,
Nepals most revered. Ive watched hundreds of bodies
burn, Dhungana said.
The capital city is largely a collection of small, poorly
constructed brick apartment buildings. The earthquake
destroyed swaths of the oldest neighborhoods, but many
were surprised by how few modern structures collapsed in
the quake.
On Monday morning, some pharmacies and shops for
basic provisions opened while bakeries began offering fresh
bread. Huge lines of people desperate to secure fuel lined up
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outside gasoline pumps, though prices were the same as

they were before the earthquake struck.
With power lines down, spotty phone connections and
almost no Internet connectivity, residents were particularly
anxious to buy morning newspapers.
Pierre-Anne Dube, a 31-year-old from Canada, has
been sleeping on the sidewalk outside a hotel. She said shes
gone from the best experience of her life, a trek to Everest
base camp, to the worst, enduring the earthquake and its
aftermath.
We cant reach the embassy. We want to leave. We
are scared. There is no food. We havent eaten a meal since
the earthquake and we dont have any news about whats
going on, she said.
The earthquake was the worst to hit the South Asian
nation in more than 80 years. It and was strong enough to be
felt all across parts of India, Bangladesh, Chinas region of
Tibet and Pakistan. Nepals worst recorded earthquake in
1934 measured 8.0 and all but destroyed the cities of
Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Patan.
The quake has put a huge strain on the resources of
this impoverished country best known for Everest, the highest
mountain in the world. The economy of Nepal, a nation of
27.8 million people, relies heavily on tourism, principally
trekking and Himalayan mountain climbing.
___
Associated Press writers Muneeza Naqvi, Tim Sullivan
and Ashok Sharma in New Delhi contributed to this report.
The button below indicates how much has been raised
on Crowdrises Nepal Earthquake Relief page. Click to visit
the site and donate.
redistributed.
Villages like this are routinely affected by landslides,

and its not uncommon for entire villages of 200, 300, up to
1,000 people to be completely buried by rock falls, Darvas
told AP.
The magnitude-7.8 earthquake hit Nepal Saturday,
toppling buildings in the impoverished nations capital of
Katmandu and triggering an avalanche that buried part of the
base camp at Mount Everest.
Climbers from around the globe travel to scale Mount
Everest, the worlds highest peak, and among the 18 people
killed in the avalanche there were Google executive Daniel
Fredinburg, who was part of a Google team attempting to
create a Google street map of the trek to Everest Base
Camp, and Marisa Eve Girawong, an emergency room
physicians assistant serving as a base camp doctor for the
Seattle-based Madison Mountaineering expedition company.
Climber Carsten Pederson, who survived the avalanche
that hit the base camp, told CNN that he witnessed people try
to flee the rush of ice and snow.
They were trying to outrun the avalanche and you
cannot, CNN quoted Pederson as saying. So many people
were hit from behind, blown off the mountain, blown into
rocks, hit by debris, tents were flying off.
Deputy Inspector General of Police Komal Singh Bam
said Monday that Nepals death toll had risen to 3,218
people. In addtion, at least 18 people died in the avalanche
on Mount Everest, another 61 were killed in India and 20
more people were reported dead in Tibet.
Officials say more than 100 aftershocks have rocked
Katmandu since Saturday, including one that was magnitude
6.7, impeding the rescue work. Thousands of people have
been driven to sleep out in the open having either lost their
homes or fearing an already damaged structure might
collapse on top of them.
Hundreds are trying to flee the terror of the city,
jamming the the roads out of town.
We are escaping, Krishna Muktari, a small grocerystore owner told Reuters. How can you live here? I have got
children, they cant be rushing out of the house all night.
The hospitals are overwhelmed by the number of
injured and are running low on supplies, as well as running
out of room for the tragic number of corpses. Many areas of
the city are without power or water and food supplies are
running low.
International assistance has begun to arrive as
government agencies and aid groups rush doctors,
volunteers and equipment into Katmandus reopened
international airport.
Death Toll In Nepal Surges Amid Hunt For

Survivors
By William Cummings
Even as rescuers desperately search for survivors who
may be buried amid the rubble in Katmandu or trapped in
remote mountain villages, officials announced that more than
3,300 people are now confirmed dead after the earthquake
that struck Saturday.
The death toll could rise further after officials are able to
assess the damage to the communities nestled within the
countrys mountains. Efforts to reach those villages have so
far been hampered by landslides that have blocked many
mountain trails.
Matt Darvas, a member of the aid group World Vision
told the Associated Press that many of those villages will only
be accessible by helicopter.
Villages Near Nepal Earthquakes Epicenter

Are Desperate As Death Toll Tops 4,000
By Thomas Fuller And Ellen Barry
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SAURPANI, Nepal Five hours by car from
Katmandu, then by foot for several miles past the spot where
the road is blocked by boulders and mud, people from the
villages near the epicenter of Nepals powerful earthquake
are burying their dead, despairing of help arriving anytime
soon.
On Monday afternoon, Parbati Dhakal and several
dozen of her neighbors walked two hours down a jungle path,
carrying 11 bodies attached to bamboo poles. They stopped
at a riverbank where they lowered the dead into holes.
One of the villagers pointed to the people gathered
there and identified them, one by one: Father just buried;
mother just buried; sister just buried.
Back in Saurpani, an ethnic Gurkha village at the
epicenter of Saturdays quake, Ms. Dhakal said, we have no
shelter, no food and all the bodies are scattered around.
Two days after Nepals worst earthquake in 80 years,
the official death toll had risen to more than 4,000, and
humanitarian aid was starting to flow to the capital.
Katmandus airport had been so overloaded by aid and
passenger planes that incoming flights sat for hours on the
runway. Nepali expatriates were flying in, desperate to track
down family members, and setting off down the airport
access road on foot, rolling suitcases behind them.
But outside the capital, many of the worst-hit villages in
the ridges around Katmandu remain a black hole, surrounded
by landslides that make them inaccessible even to the
countrys armed forces. The Nepali authorities on Monday
began airdropping packages of tarpaulins, dry food and
medicine into mountain villages, but an attempt to land
helicopters was abandoned, said Brig. Gen. Jagadish
Chandra Pokharel, an army spokesman.
The government is only gradually getting a grasp of the
destruction in these isolated places. It is nearly impossible to
identify which villages are most in need, and how many may
be dead or injured, said Jeffrey Shannon, director of
programs for Mercy Corps in Nepal.
Right now, what were hearing from everybody,
including our own staff, is that we dont know, he said. As
people start to travel these roads, to reach these
communities, you run into landslides. Theyre simply
inaccessible, the ones that need the most help.
The chief bureaucrat in Gorkha district, Uddhav
Timilsina, said rescue crews were unable even to distribute
relief, because they are confronting as many as eight to 10
landslides between one village and its nearest neighbor. He
said 250 deaths had been reported so far, but that it would
take more time to get an accurate count.
Phone lines are down, electricity is out, roads are
blocked, so what can we do? he said.
In interviews, residents of hard-hit villages said their
plight had not been in the foreground during the early days of
87
the crisis. Prakash Dhakal, a native of the village of Saurpani,

was in Katmandu when the earthquake struck, and visited a
government office on Sunday to plead with an official to send
help.
I asked them to send 25 young people to help bury our
dead and search for the injured, Mr. Dhakal said. They told
me, We cant even rescue the injured in Katmandu. How do
you expect us to do anything for you now?
As assessments of the earthquakes destruction
proceeded, Irina Bokova, head of the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, said in New
York on Monday that almost all the temples in Katmandus
Durbar Square had fallen.
She added that one of Hinduisms holiest sites, the
Pashupati temple in the Katmandu Valley, and Lumbini, a
pilgrimage site in the southern plains believed to be the
Buddhas birthplace, had been spared.
About 90 percent of Nepals troops, who number
90,000, have been mobilized for disaster relief since Sunday,
General Pokharel said. Most of that force has been
concentrated in Katmandu, though, and the army had only 12
operational helicopters available at the time of the disaster.
India has since donated six more.
Some 650 injured people have been evacuated from
villages to Katmandu, he said. He added that most of the
injured had been trapped in buildings, and had head injuries
and broken limbs.
We are trying to use our aviation assets so we would
recover them alive, he said.
In the past, Nepals government has made some
attempt to consolidate thousands of tiny villages that dot its
mountain ridges, some of them more than a days hike from
the nearest road.
Though the road system has expanded rapidly,
attempts to attract mountain villagers to cities and towns
where they could receive government services have mostly
failed, Mr. Shannon said, perhaps because they lack the
money to buy land elsewhere.
The upshot, he said, is a population so cut off from the
central government that most do not have Nepali citizenship
cards.
All these people, they are just invisible, he said.
The residents of Saurpani, as they made their way
down to the banks of the Daraudi River with the bodies of
their relatives, described a landscape of destruction. There
had been 1,300 houses in Saurpani, but one resident,
Shankar Thapa, said, all the houses collapsed.
Villagers said luck seemed to determine who lived and
who died. Nar Bahadur Nepali, a 37-year-old farmer, said
most of the structures in his village had collapsed, including
his house.
We survived because there was a wedding in the
village, and we were out in an open area, he said. At least 60
OPS054000470
or 70 more people would have died had it not been for the
wedding, he said.
The earthquake that hit on Saturday, shortly before
noon, had a magnitude of 7.8, and early reports suggest that
those villages that were damaged were nearly obliterated.
Sumzah Lama, who is from a village near the Tibetan
border, was nursing her young daughter when the quake hit.
Her pelvis was fractured on both sides, and she said she
believed that her husband and three other daughters all died
in the earthquake.
The hills all came down, she said, from a hospital bed
in Katmandu.
Dawa Janba, who lives about two days walk from his
home village of Langtang, said he looked down from a
helicopter on Sunday as he was being medically evacuated
to Katmandu, and saw that the whole valley has been
destroyed.,
He added that it seemed unlikely that more than a few
of the 600 residents of Langtang would have survived.
There is nothing left to go back to, everything is
destroyed, said his wife, Karchon Tamang. Everything was
moving and smashed apart.
Along the hills and valleys at the epicenter on Monday,
relatives were making their way back home from Katmandu,
where they had been working when the earthquake struck.
Dulbahadur Gurung, 27, walked two hours from where
the bus dropped him off and was planning to walk an
additional three hours to reach his village, Ranchok. Fifteen
bodies had been recovered there, so far. Before the quake
there were about 150 houses.
They told me theres nothing left, he said.
Thomas Fuller reported from Saurpani, and Ellen Barry
from Katmandu. Reporting was contributed by Hari Kumar
from New Delhi, Poypiti Amatatham from Bangkok, Chris
Buckley from Katmandu, and Somini Sengupta from the
United Nations.
Monday night. That plane is carrying the Fairfax County

Urban Search and Rescue Team and 45 square tons of
cargo.
The Virginia-based search and rescue team consists of
57 personnel, while the L.A. team has 47, Col. Warren said.
Each team also has six dogs to assist in search and rescue
operations.
Secretary of State John Kerry said Monday during a
press conference in New York that the U.S. would be sending
an additional $9 million in aid to Nepal, bringing the total U.S.
financial contribution to more than $10 million.
In addition to American personnel traveling to the
country, there are also two teams of Green Berets who were
conducting training operations in the country but have since
been re-tasked to support earthquake relief, Col. Warren
said. Some of the teams, who were conducting high altitude
training, will be assisting on popular trekking routes in Nepal,
including one to the Everest Base Camp.
The C-130 that brought those two dozen special forces
personnel to Nepal will stay on the ground in Nepal for the
next 48 hours to evacuate any U.S. citizens who may have
been injured in the disaster, Col. Warren said.
In total, there are more than 160 U.S. personnel who
will be on the ground in Nepal, Col. Warren said.
A 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit Nepal on Saturday.
More than 4,000 people are dead as a result of the tragedy
according to current estimates, though death tolls have
continued to rise in recent days.
More U.S. Military Assets On The Way To Help

Nepal Earthquake Relief
US Sends $10M In Aid To Quake-hit Nepal
U.S. Pledges $10 Million In Relief To Nepal

dead
State Department says four U.S. citizens among the
By Felicia Schwartz
By Rebecca Shabad
The United States is sending $10 million in aid to Nepal
following a devastating earthquake over the weekend.
Secretary of State John Kerry announced $9 million in
aid on Monday, in addition to an initial $1 million in assistance
that was offered Saturday.
The $1 million was sent to relief organizations in Nepal
that are working to meet humanitarian needs following the
magnitude-7.8 earthquake.State Department acting
spokesman Jeff Rathke told reporters Monday that the extra
$9 million is primarily being used to support the U.S. disaster
response team that is helping with search and rescue efforts.
The Pentagon said more U.S. military assets are on the
way to Nepal on Monday to assist in the aftermath of a
massive earthquake that left thousands dead.
A second C-17 military aircraft left March Air Reserve
Base in California on Monday carrying about 50 personnel,
including the Los Angeles Search and Rescue team. The
plane is expected to arrive in Nepal on Tuesday, Pentagon
spokesman Col. Steve Warren said.
The Pentagon said Sunday that a military aircraft
carrying nearly 70 personnel left Dover Air Force Base in
Delaware that morning and is expected to arrive in Nepal on
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This is our initial response. I wouldnt expect it to be the

end, though, Rathke said when asked if the U.S. would offer
additional aid.
The U.S., he said, will coordinate with Nepals
government, other nations and the United Nations to
determine additional needs.
More than 4,000 people are believed to have died as a
result of the earthquake, The Associated Press reported
Monday.
route to Nepal on Monday. The task forces, which work in

coordination with the U.S. Agency for International
Development, came from Fairfax County, Va.,and Los
Angeles County. Each county sent a team of 57 people
including firefighters, doctors, structural engineers and search
dogs.
This type of team is trained and equip to respond to all
types of search-and-rescue including large scale collapsed
buildings and other similar situations, said Dan Schmidt, a
spokesman for Fairfax County Fire and Rescue.
In cities across the country, others are also helping out.
Hearts with Hands, a relief organization based in
Asheville, N.C., is raising money to help victims of the
earthquake. The groups director and president, Greg Lentz,
said the organization would like to raise $100,000 for supplies
for the victims and plans to purchase water, food, blankets
and tarps.
American Leprosy Missions, a Christian group based in
Greenville, S.C., began working in Nepal more than three
decades ago. Now, the group is working to support the
people in Nepal as its staff and partners in Katmandu
mobilize relief efforts. The groups CEO, Bill Simmons, said
employees on the ground are coordinating with their partners
to find the most strategic ways to help.
Nepalese families living in the United States are also
leading efforts. A small Nepalese community of fewer than 50
families in Nashville, Tenn. pooled together $5,000 to send to
the Red Cross in Katmandu, said Ghanshyam Bhatt,
president of Nashville Nepalese Association.
The clips we watch and the news we hear I cant
describe it, Bhatt said. Its awful. People are dying there
...There are still people alive under the rubble. The rescue
operation is not enough.
Contributing: Julie Ball of The Asheville Citizen-Times,
Ron Barnett of The Greenville News and Anita Wadhwani of
The Tennessean.
U.S. Families And Aid Groups Send Support

To Nepal
By Yamiche Alcindor
People and aid groups across the United States are
stepping up to help Nepal as the death toll soars past 4,000
from Saturdays massive earthquake there.
Search-and-rescue personnel, medical teams and other
trained American workers deployed soon after the disaster.
Several organizations also sprung into action collecting
money, supplies, and essential equipment to send to the
South Asian country.
Generosity and support during times of crisis is a
hallmark of American history, said Ken Isaacs, vice president
of programs and government relations for Samaritans Purse,
a Christian aid organization. Nepal is very much the perfect
storm of disasters. It is a cataclysmic earthquake. It is the
disaster that disaster planners have been thinking about and
studying for decades.
Samaritans Purse has deployed several staffers
including an orthopedic surgeon, doctors and nurses who
plan to provide emergency care through local partner
hospitals in Nepal. The group is also providing supplies like
buckets, clean water and plastic tarps for 30,000 households,
Isaacs said.
Lutheran World Relief, another aid group, is also on the
ground trying to meet basic needs such as the distribution of
water filtration units and quilts, said Nicole Hark, the groups
deputy regional director for Asia and the Middle East. The
group has a permanent office in Nepals capital, Katmandu,
that works on a number of issues including long term
development, food security and disaster risk reduction.
Soon after Saturdays earthquake, their staffers began
communicating with partner groups in Nepal and thinking
about how to help those affected get basic needs like food
and shelter, Hark said.
On a basic human level, you cant control what
happens in terms of natural disasters, she said. Your heart
goes out to people in this situation because it is something
that could affect anyone.
Meanwhile, two search-and-rescue teams from Virginia
and California that deploy during international crises were in
Death Toll Tops 4,300 In Nepal Earthquake
By Rama Lakshmi And Annie Gowen

BHAKTAPUR, Nepal In the chill of a post-rain
morning, Punya Ram Kawang, a teacher, was standing
before a mound of rubble in his torn neighborhood Monday,
trying to figure out how to grieve.
His house was a pile. His neighbor, who is 70, was
wailing and wiping her eyes with the hem of her sari. Around
the corner, four temples of his city revered, loved by all
were gone. In the heart of this UNESCOhonored place, a swirl of bricks engulfed a precious
idol. Mighty stone lions now guarded steps to nowhere.
Ive lost count of how many things to weep about,
Kawang said. What do I do? Do I cry over the ancient
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temples? Do I cry about my neighbors and friends or my own

home, which is now in ruins?
Three days after the terrible earthquake shook Nepal
killing more than 4,300 people, toppling centuries-old
monuments and engulfing Mount Everests base camp in an
avalanche the scope of the devastation was becoming
clearer.
International aid was beginning to arrive, and rescue
crews in Nepal expanded helicopter searches Monday into
mountain villages thought to be the worst hit from the
powerful earthquake and where scores are feared dead.
The army ramped up efforts to rescue in remote areas
and were able to bring few survivors today, said an official at
Nepals National Emergency Operation Center. In some
areas, only houses that have concrete pillars still stand.
Everything else is destroyed.
Throughout the country, food, water and medicine ran
low, and makeshift tent camps sprang up for those whose
homes were lost and for those too scared to return home to
unsteady structures. Hospitals overflowed with patients.
Electricity and telephone service was sporadic in Kathmandu,
the capital. Smoke from mass cremations wafted over the
devastation after skies cleared following torrential rain.
[World Heritage sites before and after]
Aftershocks continued. In Kathmandu, nearly 10,000
displaced people set up a tent city in the middle of a large
soccer field and army grounds, colorful trekking tents belying
the grim nature of their circumstances.
The place had only three filthy bathrooms, according to
pharmacist Lok Bahadur Khadka, who had taken refuge there
with his extended family 30 people living under one fairly
large tent. Nepalese army soldiers brought food a potato
dish and crunchy puri, a fried bread. The dispossessed
residents pushed and shoved one another for the hot meal,
their first since Saturday.
Col. Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman, said
Monday that the U.S. military has sent two cargo planes to
Nepal, with about 130 personnel. They include a U.S.
disaster team and two urban search-and-rescue teams, one
of them from Fairfax County, Va.
A 26-person U.S. Army Special Forces team, which
was in the country for a joint training mission when the quake
occurred, will be reassigned to help victims, partly in the
Everest region. Rescuers there were able to bring down
dozens of climbers who had been trapped in camps above
the site of a deadly avalanche Saturday that killed at least 19.
More remain missing.
Among those killed in the Everest region were at least
four U.S. citizens, according to the State Department,
including one who had not previously been identified. They
were listed as Dan Fredinburg, a Google executive from the
San Francisco Bay area; Marisa Eve Girawong, a physicians
90
assistant from Seattle; Thomas Ely Taplin, a filmmaker from

Colorado; and Vinh B. Truong.
Sitanshu Kar, a spokesman for Indias Defense
Ministry, said on Twitter that Indian air force pilots have been
flying rescue sorties over the countrys rugged terrain with
their Nepalese army counterparts, dropping supplies and
ferrying out more than 100 people. Several other nations
have provided aid, including China, Pakistan, Sri Lanka,
Bangladesh and Israel, as well as the European Union.
Kathmandus small airport the main lifeline for the
capital struggled to handle the influx of flights, and many
workers were not at their posts; they were either casualties of
the quake or dealing with the aftermath. Thousands more
people crowded in, hoping for a flight out. Planes brought
sobering reminders that the full reckoning of the tragedy is
not over: cadaver-sniffing dogs from India and equipment
from Europe and elsewhere for field hospitals.
Of Nepals 75 districts, about 30, mostly in the western
and central regions, have suffered damage in the quake. But
communication remained difficult, complicating assessments
on the scope of the needs, according to Save the Children,
an international aid group. Nearly 1 million children have
been affected in the disaster, according to UNICEF, and
many of them are sleeping outside in the cold and rain with
their parents.
In Kathmandu, the 5th-century Pashupatinath Temple
became a scene of mass cremation; several pyres along the
Bagmati River filled the air with the smell of burning flesh and
incense. Relatives gathered around their loved ones, with one
woman collapsing when the body of her brother was brought
in on a bier. My little brother was not even married, and now
you are taking him away? she wailed.
The temple has performed 286 cremations since the
earthquake, with dozens more to complete, according to
Shambu Prasad Poudel, the duty officer for the cremation
grounds welfare office.
We do not have enough labor, management or
coordination of the cremation activities, he said. The
numbers are overwhelming.
Many of the mourners did not wait for the temple,
merely wading out into the river mud and burning the bodies
themselves, he said.
The historic temple managed to withstand Saturdays
devastating earthquake, even as portions of the countrys
historic sites did not. The capitals Durbar Square was
wrecked, and the landmark Dharahara Tower fell.
In Bhaktapur, four of the temples in its majestic Durbar
Square built by Nepalese kings collapsed, leaving
heaps of rubble strewn with priceless carvings of elephants
and lotus blossoms. Many spectators came to see the
damage Monday, surveying it with their hands touching their
cheeks and with some silently weeping. For the Nepalis,
these losses were simply unimaginable.
OPS054000473
Any time I see it, it feels like my heart has stopped

beating, said Rajesh Pradhan, 47, who owns a small cafe at
the square. Hundreds of years, gone. This earthquake has
cut off the right arm and the left arm of Nepals tourism
industry. How will we rebuild?
Nepal, one of the worlds poorest countries, has long
depended on tourist dollars from Mount Everest climbers and
others visiting the heritage sites to boost its economy
800,000 foreigners visited in 2013, according to the Tourism
Ministry.
In the lanes of homes near the temple complex,
Kawang, the teacher, led a group of volunteers looking for
those still trapped, though they had slim hopes of finding
anybody alive.
They had rescued a young man Sunday and had gone
on to pull out 22 bodies. Armed with saws, shovels and metal
rods, they moved through the street past drooping power
lines still wet from the nights rain toward a mound. There,
the faintest contours of a hand were visible. The 23rd body.
Everywhere around me I see destruction, Kawang
said. I have lost everything. But I have to remind myself I
have a social responsibility, too. I cant sit holding my head in
horror forever.
Gowen reported from Itanagar, India. Anup Kaphle,
Missy Ryan, Carol Morello and Brian Murphy in Washington
and Daniela Deane in London contributed to this report.
An aid plane from Britain carrying medics and rescue

experts landed in Nepal earlier on Monday.
A swift and effective UK response to the Nepal
earthquake means help is already reaching all those affected
by this terrible disaster, International Development Secretary
Justine Greening said.
But as the devastating scale of the crisis becomes
clearer, we are stepping up our efforts, she said.
Google And Facebook Help Nepal Earthquake

Survivors And Contacts Connect
By Karen Zraick
In decades past, after a large-scale natural disaster, the
people affected and their friends and loved ones often
struggled to reconnect. In New York City after the Sept. 11
attacks, for example, phone lines were disrupted and people
resorted to pinning missing-persons posters around the city.
But now technology and social media are transforming
the ways individuals and organizations regroup after disasters
and allowing people quicker access to information.
This became clear in the response to the devastating
earthquake in Nepal, as technology companies deployed
apps to connect people in the earthquake zone with their
panicked friends and relatives. Google and Facebook are
among the companies that have introduced apps designed
for disasters.
Arjun Vatsa, 27, a business development consultant
who lives in New York City, was frantic when he heard the
news of the earthquake on Saturday morning. He was
worried about 20 or so of his schoolmates from India who
now live in Nepal.
It was very scary, he said.
He logged on to a group chat on WhatsApp, a
messaging app, and then to Facebook and news sites. Soon
enough, Facebooks Safety Check tool appeared in his news
feed, identifying friends who might be in the affected areas,
based on location data and profile information.
When the tool is deployed, it contacts those users and
asks them to update their status so their friends will know if
they are safe. The tool can also be used to check on other
users.
When someone marked themselves safe, it started
showing up automatically in my notifications, so that was
really helpful, Mr. Vatsa said. That was a great way of using
social media in a different way. In times of disaster,
something like this becomes very useful.
Facebook said millions of users in Nepal, India, Bhutan
and Bangladesh had been marked as safe, and their status
had been relayed to tens of millions of people as of Monday
afternoon.
Britain Sends Gurkha Soldiers For Nepal

Quake Aid
AFP, April 28, 2015

London (AFP) A military transport plane laden with
supplies and dozens of Nepalese Gurkha soldiers is to take
off from a British air base on Monday headed for their
homeland.
The Boeing C-17 transport plane will carry more than
1,100 shelter kits, including plastic sheeting and rope, and
1,700 solar lanterns, the Department for International
Development said in a statement.
A British defence ministry spokesman told AFP there
would be dozens of Gurkha engineers on board to assist
relief efforts after a devastating earthquake that killed more
than 3,800 people.
The Gurkhas are soldiers from Nepal who serve in the
British army and around 2,700 are currently enlisted.
They are renowned for their ferocity, loyalty and razorsharp kukri fighting knives. They first served as part of the
army in British-run India in 1815.
Gurkha veterans have been involved in a long
campaign to demand better pension arrangements. It is only
since 2007 that they have had the same pay and conditions
as British soldiers.
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Google and the Red Cross took a slightly different tack,

assembling databases with the names of people in affected
areas. As of Monday afternoon, the list compiled by the
International Committee of the Red Cross had 1,385 people
registered as missing and 241 registered as alive and safe.
That site allows users to input and search data.
Anna K. Nelson, a spokeswoman for the organization,
said the effort to restore family links was vital in humanitarian
disasters.
Often, before someone wants a drink of water,
something to eat, or a blanket to sleep on, they want to know:
Where is my husband? Where is my child? Where is my
mother? Thats why efforts to restore family links are so
important, Ms. Nelson said in an email.
Googles Person Finder was tracking about 6,300
records as of Monday evening. Anyone can enter a persons
name, biographical information and photograph into Googles
database. You can specify whether you are that person, are
seeking information about that person or have reason to
believe the person is either alive or missing. Google does not
review or verify the data.
The database can be searched online or by texting a
name to a designated phone number. The idea is to
centralize information so that users do not have to seek out
multiple sources.
Googles tool can also accept data from other registries.
The common format used, called PFIF, was established by a
group of volunteers after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, according
to Google. After that disaster, multiple lists of missing people
sometimes created confusion, pointing to a need for a central
database.
The tool was first introduced in 2010 after the
devastating earthquake in Haiti, and it was used again the
next year after the major earthquake in Japan.
Nongovernmental organizations can embed Person
Finder on their websites to get the information to a wider
audience.
Payal Patel, a product manager for Person Finder, said
it is an open-source tool that other developers and
organizations can use and adapt as they see fit. It is available
in Nepali, Hindi and several other languages.
Were very saddened by the disaster and just doing
our little bit to try and help, she said.
I felt the ground moving from side to side and I just ran
out of the store and onto the street screaming, said Tamand,
20, a management major at Katmandus British College. I
only realized that it was a serious earthquake afterwardsit
felt almost like a bad dream when it was happening.
Tamand is part of a very large family, and she and her
sisters and cousins find themselves part of an even larger
community now, sleeping outdoors in central Katmandu,
where thousands of displaced Nepali families have gathered
in row after row of tents because their homes are either nonexistent or unsafe.
Everything is destroyed inside our home, Tamand
said of her familys five-bedroom house. My mother and
father and my aunt, they had a talk on Sunday morning and
said that we had to leave the house behind.
On Monday afternoon, Tamand and six of her sisters
and cousin-sisters, as she calls her cousins, tried to make
the most of life in the new tent city. They sat in a circle, joking
and gossiping, or eating instant noodles they made with
boiled water.
In some ways, the afternoon felt not unlike an ordinary
day off from school or work, Tamand said except that on a
normal holiday or weekend, the night would end with her
being safe in her bed.
Night time gets colder here, Tamands 16-year-old
sister Sunita said. And its less safe to walk around than my
home.
The young women said that while most people living in
the tent city are decent and helpful, there are some
troublemakers from whom they would prefer to keep their
distance.
When night comes, Sony Tamand said, we stay close
to the safety of our father and brothers.
The tent city where the Tamands are staying is on a
large, grassy rectangle known as Tundhikel, which serves as
Katmandus Central Park and is where public festivals are
traditionally held. Shortly after the earthquake struck on
Saturday afternoon, families left homeless by the destruction
were directed to Tundhikel by the Nepalese army.
It was only after the largest of many aftershocks, a
magnitude 6.7 jolt on Sunday afternoon, that the entirety of
the park became filled with tents.
Tents are in great demand throughout Katmandu, with
many poorer families waiting in long lines just to receive tents
from nongovernmental organizations such as the Red Cross
or from the Indian army, which is in Nepal to help with
earthquake relief.
At one point, in the Bagbazar Sadak neighborhood,
residents mobbed an army jeep handing out tents made of
plastic sheets. Eventually, the vehicle was forced to drive
away to keep the crowd from getting out of control.
Nepal Quake: Tent City Springs To Life In

Katmandu, Transforming Park
By Michael Edison Hayden

Sony Tamand was helping her aunt run her popular
general store on Saturday afternoon when everything began
to shake.
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Nowhere in this city is safe, said Sagar K.C., 33, a

volunteer for the Red Cross who was in Bagbazar Sadak at
the time of the incident.
The tent city might be the closest thing to security in
such a chaotic time.
When a small aftershock hit around 9:30 p.m. Monday,
screams pierced the darkness, but many people remained
calm. Among them was Rasan Thama, 27, a laborer, who
brought his family to the camping ground at Tundhikel to
escape the danger of objects falling on them at home during
an aftershock.
You see? Its time for earthquakes, Thama said,
pointing to his daughter, Rana Thama, 9, who was huddled
safely against her mother, wearing a maroon winter coat. Its
better to be here where its safe.
But for how long? For Sony Tamand and her family, the
tent city represents home for the foreseeable future.
Right now were together and Im happy, Tamand said
of life in Tundhikel. For me, its better not to think about the
future right now.
Hayden is a special correspondent.
highlighted so that they receive the appropriate attention and

relief support.
President Obama has walked a diplomatic tightrope on
Tibet since taking office. In a news conference in China last
November, the president said, We recognize Tibet as part of
the Peoples Republic of China, but added that he did
encourage Chinese authorities to take steps to preserve the
unique [Tibetan] culture.
Much to the chagrin of the Chinese government,
however, Obama has also met multiple times with the Dalai
Lama, a spiritual leader who serves as the face of Tibetan
separatism though the White House is always careful to
avoid provoking Beijings ire by, for instance, limiting press
availability and choosing low-profile meeting venues or
avoiding sensitive times.
In 2010, Obama delayed a meeting with the Tibetan
spiritual leader until after he had met with then-Chinese
President Hu Jintao. Hus successor, Xi Jinping, is scheduled
to visit the United States in September for his first official
state visit.
Saturdays earthquake in Nepal was the regions largest
in generations. The United States has already planned $10
million in aid, as well as two urban rescue crews. More than
4,000 deaths have been reported in Nepal, the epicenter of
the quake, with more expected to come as the rubble is
cleared.
White House Omits Tibet From Earthquake

Condolence List
By Adam B. Lerner
Press Secretary Josh Earnest made a subtle omission
during his press briefing Monday.
The White House spokesman offered the U.S.
governments deepest condolences to the families of
those who died in Nepal, but also the families of those who
died in India and Bangladesh. But he neglected to mention
another region directly affected by the earthquakes
devastation dozens of deaths have been reported in Tibet,
an autonomous region contested by separatists and the
Chinese government.
Earnests phrasing Monday echoed a statement made
Saturday by NSC spokesperson Bernadette Meehan, who
referred to widespread damage and loss of life in Nepal,
India and Bangladesh.
Though the final death toll in each country is not yet
clear, the Associated Press reported on Monday that the
Chinese government had identified 20 deaths in Tibet, while
only two were reported in Bangladesh on Saturday.
On Sunday, the Guardian published Chinese state
television footage of the earthquakes damage in Tibet.
Tibetan officials do not believe Earnests statement was
an accident. Tibetan areas across the Nepalese border have
been severely affected as well, the Dalai Lamas
representative in Washington, Kaydor Aukatsang, told
POLITICO. We believe that all affected regions should be
Islamic State Kills Five Journalists Working

For Libyan TV Station-army Official
By Ayman Al
U.N. Says Israeli Military Actions Killed 44

Civilians In Schools In Gaza War
By Somini Sengupta
UNITED NATIONS Israeli military actions killed 44
Palestinian civilians who had sought refuge in seven United
Nations schools during last summers conflict in Gaza, the
United Nations said Monday in releasing findings of an
internal inquiry.
It also said that weapons had not been found inside
those United Nations schools, but rather in three other United
Nations-run schools that were vacant at the time, that were
used by Hamas militants to stash arms and that were
probably sites from which rockets were fired at Israel.
The internal inquiry is the first United Nations report to
come out of the 50-day Gaza conflict last summer between
Israeli forces and Palestinian militants affiliated with Hamas
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and other groups, which devastated the Mediterranean

territory of 1.8 million people.
The conflict left more than 2,200 Palestinians dead, and
72 were killed on the Israeli side, including 66 soldiers.
It sharply raised tensions between Israel and the United
Nations, which is responsible for administering an array of
services to Palestinians in Gaza. United Nations officials said
they had repeatedly communicated the locations of facilities
harboring civilians to the Israeli military.
The United Nations released a summary of the inquiry
along with a letter about its findings by Secretary General
Ban Ki-moon to the Security Council, criticizing the Israelis for
attacking inviolable facilities of the organization in Gaza and
criticizing Hamas for unacceptable misuse of those facilities.
Neither the summary nor Mr. Bans letter explicitly
accused the antagonists of having violated international law,
emphasizing that the board of inquiry was not a court. But the
finding that Israeli actions killed civilians who had taken
shelter in schools may serve to buttress the Palestinian
Authoritys intention to hold Israel accountable at the
International Criminal Court, which it officially joined this year.
Israels Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it was
studying the summary and noted that it clearly documents
the exploitation by terrorist organizations of U.N. facilities in
the Gaza Strip.
Only the summary of the findings from the 207-page
report was made public. Mr. Bans spokesman, Farhan Haq,
said the secretary general was weighing whether the United
Nations should press for reparation for the losses that it has
sustained, but declined to say whether he would seek
compensation from Israel alone, or also from Palestinian
militants.
Israel paid a record $10 million to the United Nations for
damage to its sites in a 2009 military action in Gaza. Both the
death toll and the damage to United Nations sites were
considerably less.
The inquiry into the 2014 conflict, led by a Dutch
general, Patrick Cammaert, found that the seven schools
used as emergency shelters faced in some instances a
barrage of high-explosive projectiles, mortar rounds, and in
one instance a precision-guided missile that landed five to
six meters from the school gate, killing 15 people nearby.
The board looked at episodes in Gaza from July 8 to
Aug. 26, 2014. In addition to the 44 killed, the United Nations
found that 227 had been wounded.
The report summary said Israeli military officials
informed the board that United Nations sites were not their
targets and that they were instead aiming at Hamas arsenals.
Mr. Ban described United Nations premises as places
of safety.
It is a matter of the utmost gravity that those who
looked to them for protection and who sought and were
granted shelter there had their hopes and trust denied, he

wrote.
The report also found that Hamas militants had
endangered United Nations facilities by storing weapons in
three empty schools that were not being used to shelter
civilians. The fact that they were used by those involved in
the fighting to store their weaponry and, in two cases,
probably to fire from is unacceptable, he said.
Israel Fired On 7 UN Schools In Gaza In 2014

War, UN Probe Found
By Michelle Nichols
UN: Israeli Military Killed 44 Palestinians At UN

Shelters
By Cara Anna
UNITED NATIONS (AP) A U.N. inquiry has found that
at least 44 Palestinians were killed and at least 227 injured by
direct mortar strikes and other Israeli actions while
sheltering at U.N. locations during last years Gaza war. The
Palestinians said they would give the findings to the
International Criminal Court.
The independent board of inquiry also said that
Palestinian militant groups hid weapons at three empty U.N.
schools in Gaza and that in two cases Palestinian militants
probably fired from the schools.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Monday that
he deplores the deaths, calling U.N. locations inviolable.
Ban also said the Palestinian militants use of them was
unacceptable.
The 2014 war was the most devastating for Gazas 1.8
million people, killing more than 2,200 Palestinians, a majority
of them civilians, according to U.N. figures. Seventy-two
people were killed on the Israeli side, including 66 soldiers.
In one case, the new inquiry says, a U.N. girls school
was hit by 88 mortar rounds fired by the Israeli Defense
Forces. In another case, another girls school was hit by
direct fire from the IDF with an anti-tank projectile. A third
girls school was hit by an IDF missile.
At a coed college, one block was damaged by a
projectile fired by an Israeli tank.
On July 30, Israeli strikes tore through the walls of the
Jebaliya Elementary girls school, which was crowded with
sleeping war refugees. Some 3,000 Gazans had sought
refuge there. A series of Israeli artillery shells hit before
daybreak. A classroom became a scene of bloodied clothing,
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OPS054000477
bedding and debris. The inquiry says 17 or 18 people were

killed, including a U.N. staff member and two of his sons.
No prior warning had been given by the government of
Israel of the firing of 155 MM high explosive projectiles on, or
in the surrounding area of the school, the inquiry says.
A spokesman for the U.N. agency for Palestinian
refugees said in a statement, The inquiry found that despite
numerous notifications to the Israeli army of the precise GPS
coordinates of the schools and numerous notifications about
the presence of displaced people, in all seven cases
investigated by the Board of Inquiry when our schools were
hit directly or in the immediate vicinity, the hit was attributable
to the IDF.
Spokesman Chris Gunness added, In none of the
schools which were hit directly or in the immediate vicinity,
were weapons discovered or fired from.
The inquiry also found weak security at the U.N.
schools where weapons were found. It said in two cases that
a Palestinian armed group likely fired from two of the
schools.
The U.N. released its summary of the report but said
the full 207-page report is private. The inquiry looked at 10
incidents. Bans statement stressed that the board of inquiry
does not make legal findings and was not tasked with
addressing the wider issues of the Gaza war.
Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki said, We will
take the report and will present to the International Criminal
Court, especially that they are looking these days at our
request to do a preliminary study. The Palestinian Authority
became a member of the court this month in an effort to
pressure Israel..
Malki also praised the U.N. for releasing the report after
a delay, saying he had been worried that Israel was trying to
suppress it.
In a statement, Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman
Emmanuel Nahshon said, All of the incidents attributed by
the report to Israel have already been subject to thorough
examinations, and criminal investigations have been
launched where relevant. ... Israel makes every effort to avoid
harm to sensitive sites.
Nahshons statement added, The executive summary
of the report clearly documents the exploitation by terrorist
organizations of U.N. facilities in the Gaza Strip.
Sami Abu Zuhri, a spokesman for Hamas, the militant
Islamic group that rules Gaza, said the U.N. report was a
clear condemnation of Israel. On reports that militants used
U.N. schools to store weapons he said: Hamas has no
information about this.
--Associated Press writers Ian Deitch in Jerusalem and
Karin Laub in Amman, Jordan, contributed.

of Use.
redistributed.
Dozens Of Soldiers, Civilians Killed In Fresh

Boko Haram Violence
By Aminu Abubakar
AFP, April 28, 2015
Kano (Nigeria) (AFP) Boko Haram gunmen killed
dozens of soldiers and massacred civilians in a weekend
attack on an island on Lake Chad, after 21 people were shot
dead in northeastern Nigeria.
The region has been relentlessly targeted by Boko
Haram throughout the jihadist groups six-year uprising, but
there has been a lull in violence in recent weeks.
A coalition of troops from Chad, Cameroon, Niger and
Nigeria has claimed major victories over the rebels since
February, reportedly flushing the militants out of areas they
previously controlled.
But the latest unrest highlighted the continuing and
grave threat posed by Boko Haram, an extremist group which
has killed at least 15,000 people and forced 1.5 million from
their homes.
Island attack
Islamist fighters travelling in motorised canoes stormed
the island of Karamga on Lake Chad before sunrise on
Saturday.
Troops from Niger stationed on the island were caught
off guard and suffered heavy losses, said Umar Yerima, a
fisherman who witnessed the raid but managed to escape.
Nigers military has confirmed the attack but defence
officials were not immediately available to provide a death toll.
A security source in Chad who requested anonymity
said Niger lost 48 soldiers and another 36 were missing.
Another source, an official from southeastern Nigers
Diffa region, said the toll was much higher at 80 dead and
some 30 missing.
Yerima told AFP the Islamic State group-allied militants
turned their guns onto civilians after overpowering the
troops.
Some sought to escape by plunging into the lake but
gunmen stood on the shore shooting them...
They would aim their gun from the edge of the lake
and shoot any head that emerged from the water, shouting
Allahu akbar (God is greatest), he added.
They burnt the entire village and went on a shooting
spree. Many residents were burnt alive in their homes.
Yerima said he managed to stay out of sight by hiding
in the long grass that lines the waters edge.
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The gunmen remained on a rampage until about

roughly midday (1100 GMT), withdrawing when a military jet
started bombarding the area, according to Yerima, who
estimated the civilian death toll was huge but could not
provide specifics.
The security source in Chad said an aerial
bombardment on the island was carried out by Chadian
helicopter gunships based in Diffa.
Returnees killed
Suspected Islamists disguised as soldiers on Friday
intercepted a group of people trying to return to their homes
to collect abandoned food supplies in northeastern Nigerias
Yobe state.
The men, 21 of them, were stopped at Bultaram
(village) by gunmen we believe are Boko Haram who shot
them dead, said Baba Nuhu, an official with the Gujba local
government in Yobe state.
Nuhu and Haruna Maram, the brother of one of the
victims, spoke to AFP from Yobes capital Damaturu, where
many Gujba residents have sought refuge from the violence.
My brother and 20 others wanted to bring back their
grains to augment their lean food supplies, Maram said.
Unfortunately, they were killed by (the) same Boko Haram
we ran away from.
Gujba is one of a handful of districts in Yobe that Boko
Haram captured during its sweeping offensive last year.
It was also the scene of a gruesome massacre at an
agricultural college in 2013 that targeted students sleeping
their dormitories.
Warning
Following the purported victories secured in the joint
offensive, Nigerias military and outgoing President Goodluck
Jonathan have encouraged those displaced by the uprising to
return home.
But community leaders in the embattled region have
warned civilians are still at risk, especially those returning to
remote areas like Gujba where the militarys deployment has
typically been thin.
Many experts agree that Boko Haram is likely to
transition from capturing and holding territory a tactic seen
from mid-2014 and revert to a pattern of hit-and-run attacks.
Analysts say boastings from regional armies should be
treated with caution, as the Islamists are far from defeated
and can easily regroup, especially if there is a let-up in the
military pressure.
Nigerias president-elect Muhammadu Buhari, an exarmy general, takes office on May 29. He has vowed to fight
Boko Haram more effectively than Jonathan.

WASHINGTON The Senate Judiciary Committee is
considering whether to require Justice Department review of
any killing of a minority by a police officer.
Sen. Chuck Grassley, R.-Iowa, chairman of the Senate
panel, said Monday staff is discussing a number of options
following a rash of high-profile cases of police officers using
lethal force against minorities in Ferguson, Mo., New York,
Baltimore and other cities. The deaths have prompted
nationwide concern about police use of force, especially
against black men.
Grassley said staff on the Senate Judiciary Committee
is examining what, if anything, lawmakers should do. He said
the committee is in the preliminary stages of its review, and
could decide not to proceed on any of the options currently
being discussed. A decision on whether to act could come as
soon as the end of May.
The Iowa Republican said one plan being considered is
whether to require the Justice Department to conduct a
review when a minority is killed by a police officer. Currently,
the Justice Department has the legal authority to get involved
and investigate if it believes a federal law has been violated.
Grassleys plan would make that involvement mandatory
even if a federal law hasnt been broken.
He declined to outline other things being considered by
the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Its something we got to think about and not have a
hasty action, and that doesnt mean were going to have to
take action, Grassley told reporters Monday. Im not one to
pile on police because I expect (the police) to protect me. But
some of the stuff you see on television is very nerve-racking
and very difficult to say that common sense was used.
The Justice Department did not immediately return calls
seeking comment on Grassleys remarks.
James Pasco, executive director of the Fraternal Order
of Polices Washington office, said Grassleys proposal
triggering a review of minority and police-related killings
would be a violation of the Constitution because it creates a
special class of citizens, rather than mandating equal
treatment for all people by federal, state and local law
enforcement. The Fraternal Order of Police is the largest
police labor organization with 335,000 members nationwide.
We do not believe that any group should be deprived
or any group should be over-served, Pasco said.
Grassleys proposal would result in taking much
needed federal resources away from the true federal mission
and would put them instead in the position of secondguessing state and local law enforcement, he said.
Senate Committee Weighs U.S. Probe Of All

Police Killings Of Minorities
Tulsa Undersheriff Stepping Down In Wake Of

Oklahoma Shooting Case
By Christopher Doering
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Move follows leak of a 2009 internal investigation

into actions of reserve deputy Robert Bates
By Ana Campoy
U.S. Magistrate Judge Alicia G. Rosenberg directed the

department to turn over footage from a security camera to
Alfords attorney, Caree Harper. Prosecutors last week
charged Officer Richard Garcia with assaulting Alford under
color of authority.
Today a judge validated my clients right to have a
copy of the raw video footage of the brutal beating that
included him being kicked and hit by members of the Los
Angeles Police Departments Newton Division, Harper said.
I said six months ago that if Chief [Charlie] Beck were
sincere about transparency he would have released the video
then. He wouldnt have made me compel the production of
evidence showing what was done to my client.
Under the order, Harper can pick up the video
Wednesday. She said she will have a forensic expert on hand
to examine it. A prior order forbids the public release of the
video.
Police officials who saw the video of the arrest
described it as disturbing in earlier interviews with The Times.
The sources said the video showed an officer kicking or
stomping on Alford, and later hitting him repeatedly with his
elbows in the head and upper body. Garcia has pleaded not
guilty to the criminal charge.
Beck last week acknowledged the public interest in
viewing the footage of the Oct. 16 incident, but he said Los
Angeles County Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey has been very, very
clear that she does not want that video out there. Releasing
the footage before the officers trial, Beck said, could taint the
jury pool or otherwise interfere with the case.
My desire here is justice, Beck told reporters. I know
that there are other things that could be met by the release of
the video.... But I want to get justice. And I think thats what
this city deserves.
Last week, Beck said that after watching the video, he
called Lacey and asked her office to not only look at this
case but to file criminal charges....I was shocked by the
content of the video.
Garcia, who has been with the LAPD for a decade, has
not worked in the field since the October incident.
Three other officers and a sergeant who were also
involved in the arrest remain out of the field and assigned to
their homes, pending ongoing internal affairs investigations
by the LAPD. Beck declined to discuss the actions of the
other officers but said they were not nearly as culpable as
Garcia.
Times staff writer Kate Mather contributed to this report.
For more Southern California crime news, follow
@lacrimes
Tulsa Undersheriff Resigns Amid Allegations

He Falsified Training Records Of Eric Harris
Killer
By Katie Sola
Tulsa Country Undersheriff Tim Albin has resigned after
documents revealed he unfairly promoted Robert Bates, the
volunteer reserve deputy who mistakenly shot Eric Harris
earlier this month.
Tulsa World reports that recently released documents
show Albin falsified Bates training records and quashed his
colleagues concerns about the deputy.
Sheriff Stanley Glanz announced Albins resignation
today at a County Board of Commissioners meeting.
Bates, a 73-year-old insurance executive, shot and
killed Harris on April 2. Bates says he meant to Taser Harris
but grabbed his handgun by mistake. Bates was charged with
second-degree homicide April 14, and turned himself in.
Since the shooting, questions have arisen as to why
Bates was participating in an undercover gun buy, and
whether he had the training and expertise required to do so.
Tulsa World reports that internal reports revealed Bates
had inadequate training to work as a reserve deputy. The
Sheriffs office reportedly ordered his training records to be
falsified.
According to a 2009 report, Bates superiors believed
he received preferential treatment from the department. As an
example, he used his private vehicle to make traffic stops.
Albin allegedly told another deputy who complained, You
need to stop messing with him because he does a lot of good
for the county.
Court Orders LAPD To Turn Over Video Said

To Show Mans Police Beating
By Richard Winton
A federal magistrate ordered the Los Angeles Police
Department on Monday to give an attorney video footage that
she says shows her client being assaulted by an LAPD officer
in South L.A.
Clinton Alford, the man being struck in the video, is
suing the department, its chief and officers for violating his
civil rights. He says he was riding his bicycle on the sidewalk
along Avalon Boulevard near 55th Street last October when
officers attacked him.
Settlement Expected Over U.S. Allegations

That Sheriffs Dept. Targeted Minorities
By Abby Sewell
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Los Angeles County supervisors are expected to vote
Tuesday on a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice
over allegations that sheriffs officials systematically targeted
racial minorities in the Antelope Valley.
After a two-year investigation, the justice department in
2013 accused the county and the cities of Lancaster and
Palmdale of waging a campaign of discrimination against
African American residents, particularly those living in lowincome subsidized housing.
Federal officials said some sheriffs personnel in the
Antelope Valley had engaged in a pattern or practice of
unconstitutional and unlawful policing regarding stops,
searches and seizures, excessive force, and discriminatory
targeting of voucher holders in their homes.
That targeting often took the form of teams of armed
sheriffs deputies accompanying county housing agency
investigators on surprise inspections of Section 8 housing,
looking for violations of housing rules. Some city and county
officials at the time argued that the compliance checks were
needed to root out abuses in the program.
The federal investigation also found that African
Americans were disproportionately more likely to be stopped
and searched than other residents and that deputies had
used excessive force against handcuffed detainees.
The details of the settlement slated for approval
Tuesday have not been publicly released, but a county official
who spoke on condition of anonymity said the settlement will
require the sheriffs department to comply a list of
requirements relating to training, use of force and community
engagement. The county will be subject to ongoing
monitoring and will be required to collect data to show its
progress.
The settlement will also include monetary
compensation to people whose rights were found to have
been violated, but the amount of that payment has not been
released. The justice department initially had demanded that
the county and cities of Lancaster and Palmdale pay $12.5
million to residents whose rights were violated.
The official said the county is still working out a
separate settlement agreement that will pertain to the
Housing Authority. That settlement could include payments to
people who lost their housing vouchers as a result of the
raids.
A spokesman for Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich,
who represents the Antelope Valley, declined to comment
prior to the vote.
Community activists in the Antelope Valley said
relations with the sheriffs department have dramatically
improved as a result of the justice department investigation
and a separate lawsuit that was filed by community groups in
2011.
Palmdale resident V. Jesse Smith, one of the founders

of The Community Action League, an advocacy group for
minorities in the Antelope Valley and plaintiff in the lawsuit,
said that the situation had improved dramatically since then.
One of the terms of the settlement with the city of
Lancaster was the creation of a working group composed of
city officials and members of the action league and NAACP.
The group meets monthly to talk about community
concerns. Relations with the sheriffs stations in Palmdale
and Lancaster have also improved dramatically, Smith said.
The reforms made as a result of the lawsuit and DOJ
investigation, he said, have broken down the walls of
distrust, and were finally able to have a dialogue rather than
a monologue.
Maria Palomares, an attorney with Neighborhood Legal
Services of Los Angeles, who represented plaintiffs in the
lawsuit, said her organization, which used to be flooded with
complaints about the Section 8 raids, is no longer getting
calls from residents complaining of deputies showing up with
guns blazing.
Palomares said she still hears complaints of racial
profiling in the Antelope Valley, but she said the Section 8
compliance checks are no longer used as a as a tool to
discriminate against black and Latino families.
Sheriff Jim McDonnell and representatives of the justice
departments civil rights division could not be reached for
comment.
Follow Abby Sewell on Twitter at @sewella for more
county news.
Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush Back Patriot Act

Ahead Of NSA Phone Snooping Debate
Rand Paul dissents; other 2016 Republican

hopefuls sitting on the fence
By Seth Mclaughlin
The defense hawks are on the rise in the Republican
presidential field, defending the Patriot Act just as Congress
prepares for a make-or-break debate over the future of the
NSAs phone-snooping program.
Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Sen. Marco
Rubio of Florida and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush have
sided with the hawks, saying the world is getting more
dangerous, and the ability to suss out terrorist plots demands
the kinds of powers the government has claimed in the Patriot
Act, including bulk collection of records of Americans
behavior.
Fighting a lonely battle against them is Sen. Rand Paul,
Kentucky Republican, who says its time for the Patriot Act
powers to expire.
98
OPS054000481
The rest of the likely Republican field is trapped in

between the two poles, calculating the politics and political
ramifications of siding with the hawks or the civil libertarians.
The libertarians say they fear the hawks are winning.
In a post-ISIS world, I think a lot of Republicans are
inching in the way of Sen. Tom Cotton and away from Sen.
Rand Paul, said Matt Welch, editor-in-chief of libertarian
magazine Reason, alluding to the divide in the GOP. Rand
Paul is essentially surrounded and outnumbered on the
issue.
For the four Republican senators in the field three of
them announced candidates the issue will hit home
quickly. The snooping powers provision of the Patriot Act is
set to expire June 1, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch
McConnell, Kentucky Republican, last week introduced
legislation to extend bulk collection powers through 2020.
Mr. Rubio, an announced candidate, has said the U.S.
cannot afford to ignore another lesson of 9/11 and curtail
intelligence-gathering capabilities.
Mr. Graham said last week that the nations ability to
monitor foreign fighters who have Western passports and
access to our country is being challenged unlike any time I
have seen.
So the last thing I want to do is reduce those
capabilities, said Mr. Graham, who is pondering a White
House bid.
The bulk-collection powers of the Patriot Act were
exposed by former federal contractor Edward Snowden, who
revealed that the National Security Agency was collecting and
storing five years worth of records of Americans phone calls,
including numbers involved and time and duration of the calls.
The information is queried when the government says it has
reason to believe a number is important to a terrorist
investigation.
The NSA says there havent been any serious abuses,
but civil rights overseers say the information hasnt been
particularly useful to stopping any attacks either, and they
have recommended that the program be shut down.
Caught in the middle are those such as Sen. Ted Cruz,
a Texas Republican and presidential candidate who in the
past called for changes to the Patriot Act but whose
spokesman this month declined to say where he stands on
the renewal debate.
Mr. Welch said he will be looking at Mr. Cruz as a
barometer for where Republicans are on the issue.
It will be interesting to see, Mr. Welch said. He is a
pretty canny operator. He detects open space in certain
debates that he can occupy.
Representatives for other likely Republican contenders,
including Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and former Arkansas
Gov. Mike Huckabee, did not respond to emails seeking
comment.
99
President Bush signed the USA Patriot Act officially

known as the Uniting and Strengthening America by
Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and
Obstruct Terrorism Act less than two months after the
Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Key provisions of the bill deal with roving wiretaps,
tracking of suspected lone wolf terrorists and empowering
law enforcement officials with the ability to obtain records that
they see as relevant to an investigation after securing an
order from a federal court.
The bill passed the Senate by a 98-1 vote, with support
from Mr. Graham as well as then-Sens. Hillary Rodham
Clinton of New York and Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania. It
passed the House on a 357-66 vote.
Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Graham and Mr. Santorum also voted
for a four-year extension of the law in 2006, as did then-Rep.
Bobby Jindal, who is now governor of Louisiana and is
considering a bid for the Republican White House
nomination.
A spokesman for Mr. Jindal did not respond to requests
for comment, nor did a spokesman for Mr. Santorum.
In 2011, the House passed another four-year extension
by a 250-153 vote. The Senate approved it by a vote of 7223.
Mr. Rubio did not vote in 2011, and Mr. Paul opposed
the bill, asking on the floor of the upper chamber, Have we
not gone too far?
Are we so afraid that we are willing to give up all of our
liberty in exchange for security? Mr. Paul said at the time.
[Benjamin] Franklin said: If you give up your liberty, you will
have neither. If you give up your liberty in exchange for
security, you may well wind up with neither.
This month, Mr. Paul ramped up his opposition again.
I will oppose reauthorization of the Patriot Act, Mr.
Paul said.
He took to Twitter over the weekend to take aim at the
Patriot Act, vowing to end all illegal domestic spying
programs, and took a shot at Jeb Bush, saying, Sadly, one
GOP candidate thinks the NSAs violation of your rights is
very important. Tell him he is wrong.
Mr. Bush is likely to take the most heat over the Patriot
Act because it was his elder brother, George W. Bush, who
as president signed it into law and who began some of the
bulk-collection activities that have soured so many
Americans.
Jeb Bush recently drove home his support in an
interview with the Michael Medved Show, saying Mr.
Obamas continuation of the NSA snooping program is the
best part of the Obama administration.
Even though he never admits it, there has been a
continuation of a very important service, which is the first
obligation of our national government, which is to keep us
safe, Mr. Bush said. And the technology that now can be
OPS054000482
applied to make that so, while protecting civil liberties,

[is]there, and hes not abandoned them even though there
was some indication that he might.
U.S., who worked at a facility that has been open to us since

1992.
Manners also said the government was exaggerating
the impact of disclosing aspects of Merlins work with the U.S.
and the general outlines of his identity. That information (but
not Merlins true name) appeared in Risens book in 2006,
after the Times declined to publish similar details in 2003
following pressure from the George W. Bush administration.
The ex-CIA officer also repeatedly suggests that the
government is presenting Sterlings leak as devastating, while
playing down the impact of similar disclosures that higherlevel officials have made over the years with or without official
authorization.
While such disclosures are not helpful, they happen all
the time (and sometimes the UnIted States quietly endorses
the disclosure read any of Bob Woodwards books, or look
at Agency collaboration on the film about the Bin Laden
raid), Manners wrote.
One lingering question from Sterlings trial is just how
successful Merlins operation against Iran was. The
government presented no evidence at the trial that the
Iranians adopted the designs Merlin dropped in a mailbox at
an Iranian mission in Geneva and there was no firm indication
that anything happened with the designs after they were
delivered.
Manners, who was considered as a prosecution witness
but not called at trial, doesnt dig into that issue in his letter,
but suggests that the government views leaks of programs
that succeed far less gravely than leaks about those that fail.
Sentencing guidelines suggest a sentence for Sterling,
48, of about 20 to 24 years in prison, although in theory he
could receive up to 100 years. However, neither side has
recommended a specific sentence for the former CIA officer,
who is African American and was fired from the agency after
complaining about discrimination. (His discrimination lawsuit
was thrown out on state secrets grounds.)
Prosecutors are not pressing for a sentence in the
guidelines range, but havent said how much below or above
that the judge should go. The defense says that sentencing
range is based on espionage cases and is far too severe for a
leak case, but prosecutors say the damage in a leak case can
actually be more severe than when an American turns over
national security secrets to a foreign government.
The defense has suggested a sentence for Sterling no
more severe than that imposed on three different individuals
who admitted to mishandling or leaking classified information
and received sentences ranging from no prison time to twoand-a-half years. The no-prison-time sentence was handed
down just last Thursday as part of a plea deal former CIA
director and retired Army Gen. David Petraeus cut to resolve
an investigation into his provision of notebooks containing
highly classified information about his command in
Ex-CIA Officer Disputes Leak Damage

A former CIA officer is disputing the U.S. governments
claims that a fellow CIA spys leak of an agency operation
targeting Irans nuclear program did grave damage to U.S.
national security.
The disagreement is over the impact of disclosures by
ex-CIA officer Jeffrey Sterling, who was convicted in federal
court in January of giving New York Times reporter James
Risen details about an effort to provide the Iranians with
flawed nuclear designs that they might adopt, setting back
their alleged nuclear weapons program.
After a two-week trial in Alexandria, Va., the jury found
Sterling guilty of nine felony counts related to the leak.
In a court filing last week, prosecutors urged a severe
sentence for Sterling, arguing that Sterlings disclosures did
enormous damage. As a result of the defendants conduct,
every intelligence service in the world knew what we did and
how we did it....The potential damage is uncontrollable and
potentially limitless, the Justice Department team wrote.
However, in a letter the defense submitted as part of a
sentencing filing last week, former CIA officer David Manners
called some of the governments claims overwrought
hyperbole.
Manners said the kind of trickery involved in the attempt
to dupe the Iranians into using bad nuclear weapons designs
is commonplace, so discussing its use publicly doesnt
dramatically diminish its effectiveness.
Such operations date back at least to the Trojan War,
they surely are ongoing in many different forms and venues,
and they will continue be [sic] conducted in the future,
Manners wrote to U.S. District Court Judge Leonie Brinkema.
It is something that any competent intelligence service
guards against. The Iranian intelligence service is competent
and reasonably sophisticated. They are quite good at
deception and aware it can be used against them.
In his letter (posted here), Manners also takes issue
with the governments contention that the disclosure of the
role a Russian scientist codenamed Merlin played in the
operation put him and his wife in danger of being killed by the
Russians. Manners notes that after the fall of the Soviet
Union, the U.S. publicly struck a cooperation agreement with
the nuclear laboratory where Merlin worked a deal which
had scientists there regularly sharing information with the
U.S. national lab in Los Alamos, N.M.
Despite the governments dark suggestions, Merlin and
his family are not in danger from the Russians, Manners
wrote. The Russians are not going to harm an emigre
scientist, one of many such scientists who relocated to the
100
OPS054000483
Afghanistan to Paula Broadwell, who at the time was his lover

and biographer.
Sterlings defense notes in its filing (posted here) that
as part of the plea deal Petraeus was charged only with a
single misdemeanor count of mishandling classified
information, even though he acknowledged lying to the FBI
about his handling of the records.
Mr. Sterling revealed the names of no covert personnel
and never lied about his actions to the FBI. General Petraeus
was sentenced to probation. Mr. Sterling should not receive a
different form of justice than General Petraeus, Sterlings
lawyers wrote.
Still, there are distinctions between the cases.
Petraeuss lover was an Army reservist with a security
clearance, though it seems unlikely she was authorized to
have access to all of the highly sensitive information in the
former Afghanistan commanders personal notes. And the
government has said none of that classified information
appears in his biography.
Sterling is set to be sentenced on May 11.
NATIONAL NEWS
Obama Presses Case For Asia Trade Deal,
Warns Failure Would Benefit China
President says anti-globalization sentiments from

left and right a big mistake
By Gerald F. Seib
Trans-Pacific Partnership Puts Harvard Law

School Rivals On Opposite Sides, Again
By Jonathan Weisman
WASHINGTON In the early 2000s, after Michael
Froman decamped from the Clinton Treasury Department for
Wall Street, he called his old law school colleague Lori
Wallach, now an anti-globalization activist, with an unusual
proposal.
Would she fly to Citigroups training center in
Westchester County, N.Y., to explain to company executives
from around the world that liberal activists who had derailed a
World Trade Organization expansion were not all fuzzyheaded anarchists and should be taken seriously?
Really? she recalled shouting incredulously to the
assistant who took the call, before making an offer she
figured he would have to refuse. Tell them my speaking fee
is $20,000, and I need a private plane right to Westchester.
Demands met, her assistant shouted back, We
shouldve asked for $50,000.
101
Ms. Wallach, the longtime leader of Public Citizens

Global Trade Watch and a skeptic on what she calls job
killing trade agreements, and Mr. Froman, the United States
trade representative trying to land the largest trade accord in
a generation, have occupied different worlds and economic
stratospheres since their days at Harvard Law School.
But their lives keep intersecting in policy imbroglios.
Officials in Mr. Fromans office who dispute Ms. Wallachs
version of the Citigroup episode denounce her as an
alarmist demagogue whose organization has used distortion
and scare tactics to discredit free trade. Ms. Wallach and her
liberal allies call Mr. Froman a toady to corporate America
and arrogant to boot.
As Congress considers giving another Harvard Law
colleague from that era, President Obama, special fast track
authority to negotiate a 12-nation Pacific trade accord, the
two lawyers find themselves on opposing armies in one of the
biggest legislative fights of the Obama presidency. Among
those nations are Japan, Australia and Chile, and smaller
economies like Brunei, Peru and Vietnam.
Loyalties to the two opposing forces are stark.
Ive questioned Froman on Brunei. Ive questioned him
on food safety. Ive questioned him on not doing anything
when Peru walked back from environmental regulations.
Nothing, fumed Representative Rosa DeLauro, Democrat of
Connecticut, a fierce foe of the trade promotion authority
legislation nearing House consideration and of the 12-nation
Trans-Pacific Partnership that such authority would ease to
completion.
By contrast, Lori Wallach? Shes got such granular
knowledge, she said. Shes my source of information and
knowledge.
Republicans have lauded Mr. Froman for his full-throttle
effort to secure the trade accord and his constant availability
to them. Likewise, Representative Charles B. Rangel of New
York, a Democrat more open to the trade bills, shrugged off
the hostility expressed by many in his party.
When Im asking burning questions about human rights
and labor rights and the environment and communist
Vietnam, I know Im dealing with a professional, he said of
Mr. Froman.
Clearly, though, many lawmakers have lost patience
with Mr. Froman. As a result, a hard-fought compromise on
the trade promotion bill approved by the Senate Finance and
House Ways and Means committees last week practically
legislates better relations.
One unusual provision says that if members of
Congress request a meeting or ask the trade representative a
question, his office has to respond. The bill would also allow
congressional aides with the proper security clearance to go
into rooms with the Trans-Pacific Partnership texts and read
them without lawmakers or officials from the trade
representatives office present.
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This is not personal, said Senator Bernard Sanders,

independent of Vermont and another opponent of the trade
effort. Its clearly the rules that have been established in
terms of transparency. Its been a disgrace, frankly.
Fomenting much of that umbrage is Ms. Wallach,
whose tactics, detailed treatises and Capitol Hill briefings
have torn apart the chapters of the Pacific accord that have
leaked out. She has castigated Mr. Fromans tight control
over the contents of the agreement and dismissed efforts by
Republicans and Democrats to find common ground as
smoke screens for a big-business agenda.
In
February,
using
the
email
address
michaelfromanustr@gmail.com, Public Citizen emailed a faux
Valentine, ostensibly from Mr. Froman, saying: If I have
betrayed your trust, I am sorry that you feel that way. Ive
been so focused on convincing you to take the Fast Track trip
with me and buy those trade deals I love, Ive said some
things that, in retrospect, were not true.
Specifically, Public Citizen accused him of
misrepresenting the results of past trade agreements.
Ms. Wallachs role as antagonist to Mr. Froman has
been decades in the making. At Harvard, the two ran in very
different circles. The closest they came was a small campus
building that housed both The Harvard Law Review, where
the future president and his future trade negotiator were
editors, and the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau, where she was an
officer.
As for the future president, Ms. Wallach worked with
him during a divisive campaign to bring more diversity to the
Harvard Law faculty and again on an effort to save Harvards
program advising law students on public interest careers, said
John Bonifaz, a campaign finance reformer and Wallach ally
who was at Harvard at the time.
Mr. Froman was part of neither effort.
He was more a corporate law type, Mr. Bonifaz said.
A lot of people at law school were focused on going out and
making a ton of money.
In fact, that was not Mr. Fromans initial career path.
Straight out of law school, he went to Albania to help that tiny
impoverished nations legal system. He spent most of the
1990s in the Clinton administration, at the White House and
at Treasury, finally following Treasury Secretary Robert E.
Rubin to Citigroup in 2001, only to return to Washington in
2009 to join the Obama White House as an emissary to
international economic organizations.
Through it all, his path kept crossing Ms. Wallachs. In
1998, she bedeviled the Clinton administration with her
campaign to deny the president new fast-track trade
authority, a fight her side won. In 1999, as Mr. Rubins chief of
staff at Treasury, Mr. Froman clashed with her over
international efforts to expand the World Trade Organization,
a campaign that died after anti-globalization activists rioted in
Seattle.
Recalling her appearance before Citigroup executives

at Mr. Fromans behest, she said that ultimately she did not
take the $20,000 speaking fee, settling for her standard,
much smaller amount and a commercial flight. She told the
executives that trade agreements were protecting
corporations at the expense of poor people, keeping
pharmaceutical prices high and access to food difficult.
A spokesman for the trade representatives office,
Matthew McAlvanah, took issue with Ms. Wallachs account.
Mr. Froman doesnt recall Ms. Wallach from law
school, he said. He does remember that she attended a
Citigroup meeting but that her demands for a private jet and
an exorbitant speaker fee were rejected. She participated
anyway.
Their last one-on-one meeting took place three years
ago, when he was Mr. Obamas emissary to the Group of 20
and Group of 8 international economic organizations. The
meeting was cordial but unproductive, she said. Late last
year, Mr. Froman attended a meeting of liberal and labor
groups to pitch fast-track status and the Trans-Pacific
Partnership negotiations, running into Ms. Wallach again.
He had his head handed to him, she recalled.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership would be the most
significant trade deal since the North American Free Trade
Agreement of 1993, linking nations representing 40 percent of
the worlds economic output.
Many of those negotiating partners especially Japan
have said they cannot agree to enter the partnership
unless Congress grants the president trade promotion
authority, which would allow Congress an up-or-down vote on
the final accord without the right to amend it. Without such
authority for the president, negotiators would be afraid to sign
off on an agreement, only to see it muddied by Congress.
If they like the trade agreement, they like Mr. Froman,
said Senator Richard Durbin of Illinois, the Senates No. 2
Democrat and a skeptic on free-trade agreements. The
critics say he is too secretive, and I think the administration is
trying to change that now.
Ms. Wallach said she offered advice to her old
adversary a year ago that he should have taken: Publish the
text of the trade agreement. If the accord was so great, then
everyone should be able see it, she says she told him.
Otherwise, people would believe what they wanted to believe.
He declined, much to her advantage.
If I was the White House, I wouldnt want him on the
Hill anymore, she said, with some good cheer. For obvious
reasons, Im for having him there every day.
Rep. Patrick Murphy Sides With Liberals,

Opposes Obama On fast-track Trade
Authority
Palm Beach (FL) Post, April 27, 2015
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Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Jupiter, said today he opposes

giving President Barack Obama fast-track authority to
negotiate the massive Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade
deal.
That puts Murphy, who recently launched a 2016
Senate campaign, on the same side as most congressional
Democrats, including liberal Rep. and potential Democratic
primary foe Alan Grayson of Orlando. Labor unions and other
key Democratic constituencies have said the emerging trade
deal would threaten U.S. jobs.
Obama is relying primarily on majority Republicans to
grant him trade promotion authority, which would allow him
to submit a Trans-Pacific Partnership deal to Congress later
this year for an up-or-down vote without amendments. But
with some conservatives and tea party Republicans balking at
handing Obama more executive power, the president will
likely need some Democratic support as well.
The Constitution grants Congress the authority to
regulate trade, and it greatly concerns me that we are being
asked to establish a framework for a deal that is almost
done, Murphy said in a statement released by his office.
Further, I have consistently said that I would oppose
any trade deal that fails Florida jobs, labor standards, or the
environment, and with limited amendments and debate, I
cannot support granting this authority. Florida workers and
businesses can compete and win against any foreign
competition when we have fair trade deals that create a level
playing field and hold our foreign competitors accountable.
Murphy represents a Republican-leaning Palm BeachTreasure Coast House district. He has broken with Obama
and most Democrats on issues such as delaying portions of
the Affordable Care Act, building the Keystone pipeline and
scaling back some Dodd-Frank financial regulations.
the two countries plan to talk about the remaining differences

in their Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement negotiations.
As members of his own party object to the accord, the
president repeated his frequent argument that China will step
in to fill the void if the U.S. cant complete the deal with 11
other Pacific Rim countries.
Hillary Clinton, Obamas former secretary of state and
the leading contender for the Democratic presidential
nomination in 2016, has declined to take a position on the
trade deal or on legislation before Congress to grant Obama
fast-track negotiating authority for the deal.
Obama didnt criticize her for withholding backing for
the trade deal.
She said what she should be saying, which is that she
is going to want to see a trade agreement that is strong on
labor strong on the environment, helps U.S. workers, helps
the U.S. economy, Obama said. Thats my standard as well,
and Im confident that standard can be met.
Clintons husband, former President Bill Clinton,
successfully won passage of the North American Free Trade
Agreement in 1994 and she praised that trade treaty while he
was in the White House and during the early years afterward.
She cooled toward free trade as a presidential candidate in
2007 and 2008, as then-candidate Obama criticized the
NAFTA treaty.
Killing Asia Trade Deal Will Benefit China
By David Jackson
President Obama says only China will benefit if the U.S.
cant strike a free trade deal with Asian nations.
in that region, Obama told The Wall Street Journal in an
interview Monday. We will be shut out American
businesses and American agriculture. That will mean a loss
of U.S. jobs.
Many Democrats opposed the proposed Trans-Pacific
Partnership, saying free trade deals ship U.S. jobs overseas.
In his interview, Obama lumped the opposition to free
trade along with Republican objections to the Export-Import
Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
There has been a confluence of anti-global
engagement from both elements of the right and elements of
the left that I think are a big mistake, Obama told the Journal.
Obama Warns Of Anti-Globalization Sentiment

In Both Parties
By Angela Greiling Keane

President Barack Obama said the rising antiglobalization sentiment in factions of both political parties
risks a withdrawal by the U.S. from global economic
competition and stymied growth.
Obama, speaking Monday in an interview with the Wall
Street Journal, cited opposition to free trade deals by some
Democrats and attempts by Republicans to cut the ExportImport Bank as evidence.
There has been a confluence of anti-global
engagement from both elements of the right and elements of
the left that I think are a big mistake, Obama said.
Obama spoke on the eve of Japanese Prime Minister
Shinzo Abes visit to the White House, where the leaders of
Obama: Trade Critics Being Unrealistic
By Jordan Fabian
President Obama on Monday warned his critics on
trade that if a pact with Pacific Rim nations collapses, China
will boost its economic influence over the United States.
in that region, Obama said in an interview with The Wall
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Street Journal. We will be shut out American businesses

and American agriculture. That will mean a loss of U.S. jobs.
Obama has made an aggressive push to Congress to
pass trade promotion authority, which would allow lawmakers
to sign off on new trade agreements, but not offer
amendments to them. His administration says the bill is
crucial to finalizing a pair of international agreements at the
top of his agenda.
But the president faces staunch opposition from many
Democrats and labor unions, who worry new deals with
European and Asian nations would hurt U.S. workers. Some
conservative Republicans who are wary of globalization, and
are reluctant to grant Obama additional powers, also oppose
the legislation.
The president said those lawmakers are making a big
mistake in opposing trade promotion authority.
What we cant do, though, is withdraw, Obama said.
There has been a confluence of anti-global engagement
from both elements of the right and elements of the left that I
think are a big mistake.
The Senate Finance Committee last week passed the
fast-track trade bill with bipartisan support, clearing the way
for a floor vote. But the House Ways and Means Committee
cleared the measure with just two Democratic votes,
foreshadowing a tough fight to get the bill through the lower
chamber.
Several high-profile Democrats, such as Sen. Elizabeth
Warren (D-Mass.), have spoken out against the bill. Hillary
Clinton, the overwhelming favorite to become the Democratic
presidential nominee in 2016, has withheld judgment until a
broader trade agreement is reached.
Obama said he shares Clintons standard on trade;
that any agreement must be strong on labor strong on the
environment, helps U.S. workers, helps the U.S. economy.
The president once again criticized his opponents on
the left who have said the deal would hurt U.S. workers,
saying he has proven his commitment to the middle class
through the economic stimulus, auto bailout and other
policies.
To believe some of the rhetoric that has been coming
out of opponents that Im trying to just destroy the middle
class or destroy our democracy is a little unrealistic. And they
know it, he said, adding that he takes the criticism
personally.
Obama on Tuesday will host Japanese Prime Minister
Shinz Abe for a state visit, when they will discuss some of
the sticking points between their two nations on the 12-nation
Trans-Pacific Partnership. Obama said the two sides are
close to reaching an agreement that would bring them one
step closer toward finalizing the deal.
his own politics and interests, he said. Japanese farmers
are tough, Japanese auto makers want certain things. I dont
expect that we will complete all negotiations [this week] I

will say that the engagement has brought the parties much
closer together.
Trade Deal Needed To Curb China, Obama

Says
By Maura Reynolds
President Barack Obama intensified his push for a
Pacific trade pact on Monday, warning that without it, China
could come to dominate the region by using its size to
muscle other countries in the region around rules that
disadvantage us.
in that region, Obama said in an interview with The Wall
Street Journal. We will be shut out American businesses
and American agriculture. That will mean a loss of U.S. jobs.
Democrats are deeply divided over the proposed TransPacific Partnership, an agreement among 12 nations to lower
trade barriers, as well as over giving Obama the authority to
fast-track the approval process. Critics including unions and
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) have said that the
agreement could costs jobs in the United States.
In recent days Obama has heightened his rhetoric in
favor of the trade deal, calling out his critics for suggesting
that he is undermining the economic foundation of middleclass Americans.
What I take personally is this notion somehow that
after 6 years of working to yank this economy out of a ditch,
strengthening middle-class homeownership, making sure that
their 401(k)s have recovered, making sure that weve got
much better education systems and job-training systems,
fighting for the minimum wage, fighting for a vibrant auto
industry, that after all the work that I have done and we have
done together to make sure that middle-class families have
greater stability, that to believe some of the rhetoric that has
been coming out of opponents that Im trying to just destroy
the middle class or destroy our democracy is a little
unrealistic. And they know it, Obama said.
Obama is expected to discuss trade during meetings
this week with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe; the two
leaders are working to complete a bilateral agreement that
would pave the way for the larger Trans-Pacific Partnership
pact.
Meet The Critics Of President Obamas Trade

Deal
TIME, April 27, 2015

Barack Obama speaks at a ceremony at CIA
headquarters in McLean, Va. on April 24, 2015.
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Republicans in Congress are poised to give President

Obama broad powers to cement a legacy-defining free trade
deal with Pacific countries.
Backed by major conservative and business groups,
bills to grant the president fast-track authority passed through
Republican-led House and Senate committees last week with
enough Senate Democratic support for eventual passage,
unless the bill changes dramatically on its way to a final vote
or Republican support crumbles.
Not every member of the GOP on Capitol Hill is gung
ho about the idea. Its unclear exactly how many, but
estimates of GOP opponents range from as few as a dozen
to two dozen to as many as 60, according to various news
reports. The lower estimates are likely not enough, but the
higher ones could sink the bill, which is designed to allow
Obama to sign the Trans Pacific Partnership, a 12-country
trade deal that would affect about a third of the worlds trade.
Critics fear that fast-track authority would further
exacerbate income inequality and cut deeper into a
manufacturing sector that bled millions of jobs last decade.
Ohio Rep. David Joyce said he doesnt understand why his
fellow Republicans support trade promotion authority (or
TPA) which would limit debate in Congress by allowing the
president to negotiate deals that could only be voted up or
down without amendment when they oppose Obamas
negotiations on Irans nuclear weapons program.
I find it sort of humorous that they dont trust the
president on Iran or anything else but theyll trust him with
TPA, which I think could really do severe damage to our
country and to manufacturing as a whole, says Joyce, who
counts himself among about a dozen GOP opponents.
Tucked in between Cleveland and Akron and spread
into the northeast tip of the state, Joyces district boasts a
manufacturing economy composed of 1,500 companies
responsible for around 65,400 jobs and $930 million in
wages, according to his office. I never believed the president
had this authority to begin with, says Joyce. So you start
with that premise. And then in the last 28 months as Ive
worked the district, Ive learned more and more
manufacturers say this just hasnt worked for us.
Some pro-trade economists criticize opponents like
Joyce for listening to politically active but less important
sectors of their state. Two of the top five industries that gave
the most money to Joyces reelection campaign last year
were manufacturing companies and transportation unions,
according to the Center for Responsive Politics. And while the
manufacturing sector employs about 13 percent of his states
workforce, Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, a fierce
TPA opponent, tells TIME that the industry matters to us as
much or more than other state in the country.
Im sure Ohio thinks of itself as a manufacturing state,
says Gary Clyde Hufbauer, senior fellow at the Peterson
Institute for International Economics. Its not. Nobody is
today. Manufacturing is down to about 11% of employment in

the U.S.
There are many strong service industries in the US
which will export abroad who are totally underrepresented in
the political debate, he adds. The political debate is all
centered on manufacturing and agriculture. And services,
which is two thirds of our economy, is pretty well forgotten.
The TPP deal the Administration has been negotiating
for nearly five years would affect a broad swath of
international law concerning a host of issues including those
concerning labor, the environment, intellectual property,
agriculture, data exclusivity and investor-state arbitration
among others. Peter Petri, a Brandeis University professor of
international finance whose models have been used by the
Chamber of Commerce, says that the Trans Pacific
Partnership will set the benchmark for global trade rules in
relatively new areas in the services, investment and internet
industries in which America has a competitive advantage.
Global rules are becoming steadily less relevant in
these areas because they were negotiated 20 years ago,
Petri tells TIME. So we are heading for anarchy of sorts, with
big countries deciding on an ad hoc basis on how to deal with
each new technology, transaction and company, based on
their narrow, short-term advantage. For the US, this may
mean keeping a few more jobs in low-wage industries, but it
will frustrate our most important global industries, and
probably weaken the world economy for everyone.
But even by Petris calculations the macroeconomic
effect for the trade deal would be modest, adding about $77
billion per year to U.S. real incomes by 2025. And there will
be winners sophisticated equipment manufacturers for
everything from turbines to medical equipment to heavy
earth-moving machines and losers, including producers of
furniture and basic consumer electronics, according to
Hufbauer. A Peterson Institute study says the U.S.
manufacturing sector will contract by $44 billion, while
companies in the services industry will expand by $79 billion.
Brown, who wears a canary in a cage pin to display his
solidarity with workers rights, argues that TPP will be a
disaster, with broad, long-lasting negative consequences for
both his state and country.
Fundamentally what these trade agreements have
done is encouraged companies to follow business plans,
which were sort of unknown until 20 years ago, where you
shut down production in Steubenville or Toledo and move it to
Wuhan or Mexico City and sell the products back into the
United States, says Brown.
They talk about increased exports, but thats a lot like
saying well the Tigers got 5 runs, but the Indians got 7, adds
Brown of the United States Trade Representative office,
which has been lobbying Democrats. So youve got to talk
exports-imports and every trade agreement we pass, we end
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up losing more jobs good-paying manufacturing jobs, often

union jobs, sometimes not.
The debate will only heat up in next several weeks
when TPA heads to the floor of the Senate and House. While
Boehner and other Republicans in leadership continue to
push the bill, Brown will headline an AFL-CIO event in
Cleveland on May 4 in protest. Meanwhile Joyce will lay low
he doesnt plan on attending any trade-specific events
back home next week.
board with the deal, but many Democrats fear that TPP would
lead to outsourcing of U.S. jobs to countries with lower labor
standards.
In their letter, Warren and Brown argue that the
American people deserve a chance to have an open debate
on those issues, which can only happen if the details of the
agreement are made public. (RELATED: Trade Bill Puts
Boehner and Pelosi Between Barack and Their Parties)
It is currently illegal for the press, experts, advocates,
or the general public to review the text of this agreement,
they point out. And while you [Obama] noted that Members
of Congress may walk over and read the text of the
agreementas we have doneyou neglected to mention
that we are prohibited by law from discussing the specifics of
that text in public.
While the general public is prohibited from seeing the
deal, though, the senators indignantly note that, executives
of the countrys biggest corporations and their lobbyists have
already had significant opportunities not only to read it, but to
shape its terms through advisory committees that are
primarily composed of corporate representatives.
Warren and Brown also took issue with Trade
Promotion Authority (TPA) legislation, also known as fasttracking, which would allow Obama to present the deal to
Congress for an up-or-down vote with no opportunity for
amendments.
Not only would fast-tracking prevent Congress from
modifying objectionable aspects of TPP, they warn, but it
would apply to future deals, as well. Because TPA would
remain in effect until 2021, it could grease the skids for
approval of any additional trade agreements that might be
advanced through the next two presidencies.
Dem Infighting Heats Up Over Trade Deals
By Peter Fricke
Democratic opponents of the Trans-Pacific Partnership
free trade agreement struck back over the weekend at
President Obamas suggestion that they are either
misinformed or dishonest.
Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Sherrod
Brown, two of the TPPs leading opponents, sent the
president a sharply worded letter Saturday taking issue with
derisive comments he made on two separate occasions the
day prior, according to HuffPost.
During an address to the progressive group Organizing
for Action Friday, Obama defended the TPP against liberal
objections, saying the deal has strong provisions for workers,
strong provisions for the environment so when people say
that this trade deal is bad for working families, they dont
know what theyre talking about.
Although he did not mention any opponents by name,
Obamas comments were clearly directed at Sen. Elizabeth
Warren, with whom he has repeatedly sparred over the issue
in public comments.
In a subsequent call with reporters Friday, The
Washington Post claims that Obama further disparaged
Warren and her allies, saying their oft-repeated complaints
about a lack of transparency are dishonest.
The [criticism] that gets on my nerves the most is the
notion that this is a secret deal, Obama said during the call.
The real motivation for such claims, he contended, is to boost
fundraising by spreading misinformation that stirs up the
base but doesnt serve them well.
Warren and Brown seem to take umbrage at that
statement in their letter, saying, We respectfully suggest that
characterizing the assessments of labor unions, journalists,
Members of Congress, and others who disagree with your
approach to transparency on trade issues as dishonest is
both untrue and unlikely to serve the best interests of the
American people.
The TPP is a draft agreement among 12 Pacific
countries including the U.S., Japan, and Australia that
calls for eliminating tariffs and other trade barriers, as well as
cooperating to create legal and regulatory coherence that
would make trade more efficient. Republicans are largely on
Pols, Activisits Slam Dastardly And Evil

Trans-Pacific Partnership
By Jillian Jorgensen
New York Observer, April 27, 2015
The New York City Council may not get an actual vote
on the controversial Trans-Pacific Partnershipbut today
members and other activists rallied for the passage of a
resolution urging Congress to shoot down what they deemed
a job-killing deal that would wreck the environment.
Lets be honest: TPP is bad for people. TPP is bad for
the environment. TPP Is bad for democracy. Lets be honest,
its kind of the most dastardly and evil thing you can imagine,
Josh Fox, the filmmaker behind the anti-fracking documentary
Gasland
, said at a rally on the City Hall steps this afternoon.
The free trade pact between the U.S. and 11 other
nations has garnered intense opposition, particularly from
labor unions. Others have pointed to potential environmental
impacts. Opponents of the trade deal say it is being
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negotiated in secretand have derided President Barack

Obamas request to have fast-track authority over the treaty,
which would give him alone the power to negotiate the deal
and leave Congress with only a yes or no vote, and no ability
to make amendments.
Zephyr Teachout, a Fordham University law professor
who mounted a left-wing primary challenge to Gov. Andrew
Cuomo, compared the trade pact to the Supreme Courts
decision in Citizens United, which critics argue has funneled
too much corporate cash into politics.
The TPP, if it gets passed, will be known as
Congresss Citizens United, because it is giving corporations
greater power, foreign corporations, multinational
corporations, greater power than citizens, Ms. Teachout
said.
Councilman Donovan Richards, chair of the
environmental committee, said the fast-track alone is a sign
somethings not right.
You automatically know something is wrong with it,
and obviously theres some secrecy. Theres some things
being hidden from us, Mr. Richards said.
Mr. Richards made reference to the citys lone elected
official who has been visibly supportive of the TPP
Congressman Gregory Meeks, whose district overlaps with
his own. Mr. Richards wondered how Mr. Meeks could
support the TPPwhich opponents say will send jobs
overseaswhen they represent an area with high
unemployment rates.
Mr. Meeks has heard an earful from his colleagues of
latereceiving letters urging him to change his mind. Today
Pete Sikora of the Communications Workers of America said
if Mr. Meeks remains in support, he could face consequences
on Election Day.
Greg Meeks needs to understand something: we are
losing our jobs to this deal, maybe this coalition here needs to
consider whether Greg Meeks needs to lose his job, Mr.
Sikora said.
Mr. Meeks, meanwhile, said that while the Council
members and activists were rallying, he was holding a
meeting with constituents about the trade deal. He said most
people simply dont know much about the deal but are
receptive when learn more.
The overwhelming majority are very supportive of the
presidents trade agenda, because its part of his overall
agenda of bringing back the economy of the United States,
Mr. Meeks told the Observer in a telephone interview.
He argued the trade deal would be good for the local
economy by increasing importing and exportingnoting his
district includes the John F. Kennedy International Airport
because one in five city jobs are related to trade. And he
said the trade pact would make it easier for local small
businesses to create goods and sell them overseas.
What are the problems oftentimes, is that the markets

in some of these other countries are not open to us, he said,
even as the U.S. is open to other nations. He also argued the
pact would beef up requirements of other nations to pay their
workers more, helping to even the playing field.
Asked why so many of his fellow Democrats saw the
trade deal in a totally different light then he did, Mr. Meeks
pointed to the influence of his good friends in labor.
Labor is really, really, really, really tough on this
particular issue on the politics, Mr. Meeks said.
The congressman said that while activists have
denounced negotiations as secretive, details have always
been available to members of Congress. He said airing more
publicly would tip the nations hand in negotiations. He said
he supported fast-tracking the trade pact because the same
has been afforded to other presidents.
I think that he should be given the authority to have a
negotiation and then bring it back to the House and then all of
us can vote up and down whether we approve, Mr. Meeks
said.
Ms. Teachout said she hoped Mr. Meeks would be
open to changing his position, and said with grassroots
outreach like that around New Yorks fracking ban, the deal
could be stopped.
I dont think this is a minor concernI think this is a
disaster. I think more and more staffers are hearing that. I
hear Meeks is open, and I hope hes open. But I think youre
going to hear more and more protesting. Im going to be
sending out emails to Meeks constituents for sure, Ms.
Teachout told the Observer after the rally.
She noted that one of the trade deals biggest
supportersbesides
Mr.
Obamais
Republican
Congressman Paul Ryan.
Paul Ryan is not popular in New York State, and an
alignment with the hard-right Republicans does not make you
look good as a New York politician, she said.
But Mr. Meeks is not totally alone in his support of the
trade dealthough few other elected officials in New York
have joined him in supporting it, the Kathryn Wylde, president
of the business group Partnership for New York City, urged
the Council not to pass its resolution in testimony today.
Countries negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership
purchased 25 percent of the New York Metro regions
exported goods in 2013. When it comes to export of services,
firms in New York Cityin finance, technology, media,
business and professional services, and real estatehave a
substantial footprint in global trade, accounting for $31.9
billion, or 58 percent of the states total exports, Ms. Wylde
said in her testimony.
The resolution was introduced by Councilwoman Helen
Rosenthal, and is slated to be voted on by the full Council
tomorrow.
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This story has been updated to include an interview

with Mr. Meeks and the testimony of Ms. Wylde.
primer on the subject produced by the nonpartisan

Congressional Research Service.
Rep. Newhouse Supports Fast Track For

Trans-Pacific Partnership
Guest Editorial: Trade Authority Creates Jobs,

Growth For Nation And State
Yakima (WA) Herald-Republic, April 28, 2015

WASHINGTON, D.C. In an op-ed in Sundays
Yakima Herald-Republic, U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse
announced his support for congressional fast-tracking of the
controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal.
Effectively negotiated trade treaties have the potential
to help recapture recently lost market share over time by
reducing trade barriers and opening markets, the Sunnyside
Republican wrote. Approval of (trade promotion authority)
will allow effective negotiation of high-standard trade deals
that can boost jobs and our economy.
Trade promotion authority, or fast track, would be an act
of Congress to voluntarily give up some of its legislative
authority to allow the White House to negotiate a trade deal
with foreign countries. By fast-tracking the proposal,
Congress will only get to vote up or down on the proposal
instead of being allowed to tack on amendments.
However, Congress can lay down specific objectives in
the trade deal that the president must follow in negotiations.
The president is also required to give regular updates to
congressional leaders on the negotiations.
President Barack Obama has been calling on Congress
to grant him the authority, but there has been pushback from
within his Democratic party that could derail those fast-track
efforts. Big labor groups such as the AFL-CIO, which usually
have the presidents back, have called the proposal
undemocratic and bad for American workers.
The divide is over whether the trade deal, similar to
other deals such as the North American Free Trade
Agreement, will tear down barriers to foreign markets for
American businesses or if it will undermine certain elements
of the economy for the benefit of a handful of specific
interests.
Newhouse said the deal will eliminate tariffs and other
barriers to allow state growers and manufacturers to compete
in an Asian-Pacific market with a booming middle class of
consumers.
The population of the Asia-Pacific middle class is
expected to reach 1.2 billion by 2020, comprising half of the
worlds middle-class consumers, Newhouse wrote.
Washington is well-positioned to sell products to this growing
market, and American agricultural producers and businesses
cannot afford to miss the opportunity to strengthen trading
ties.
For more on the history of fast-track or Trade Promotion
Authority, which dates back to the 1930s, click here to read a
By Rep. Dan Newhouse

Yakima (WA) Herald-Republic, April 28, 2015
Businesses, farmers and agricultural producers in
Washington state are renown for producing high-quality
manufactured goods, services, and agricultural products.
Washington increasingly plays the role of international
supermarket for customers in fast-growing nations on the
Pacific Rim, creating jobs and economic growth here at
home. Not only does Washingtons competitive export
economy rely on a steady supply chain in order to meet
international demand and demonstrate reliability as a
consistent trading partner, but the future of the states trade
economy depends on creating a level playing field with
overseas competitors. As one of the most trade-supported
states in the country, Washingtons economy is poised to
benefit from approval of trade promotion legislation currently
being debated in Congress.
Washingtons engagement in global trade has an
enormous, positive impact on the states economy: according
to a recent study, 40 percent of jobs in the state are tied to
international trade. As one of the worlds foremost agricultural
regions, Central Washington produces an incredible variety of
crops, including potatoes, hay, wheat and more than 300
specialty crops such as cherries, hops, apples, mint and wine
grapes. Washington fruit and hay producers export one-third
of their harvests to international customers. Expanding Asian
economies provide an important market for our states
diverse array of products. Last year, Washington exported
$8.9 billion in agricultural goods, a significant portion of the
states total value of $90 billion in exported products and
services.
Congress is debating legislation that would authorize
trade promotion authority (TPA), which allows Congress to
set standards for the president to negotiate the best possible
trade agreements. This legislation ensures such an
agreement will be debated and approved or rejected by
Congress. Approval of TPA will strengthen the U.S. position
in negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which
would establish a trade agreement between the United States
and 11 other countries in the Asia-Pacific region, including
crucial markets such as Japan, Australia, New Zealand,
Canada, and Mexico. The Trans-Pacific Partnership region
counts for 40 percent of the worlds gross domestic product.
The population of the Asia-Pacific middle class is
expected to reach 1.2 billion by 2020, comprising half of the
worlds middle-class consumers. Washington is wellpositioned to sell products to this growing market, and
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American agricultural producers and businesses cannot

afford to miss the opportunity to strengthen trading ties.
This year, many farmers, manufacturers and retailers in
Washington are still dealing with the loss of market share, the
loss of export sales and delayed production from the recent
months-long slowdown at West Coast ports due to a labor
dispute. I saw firsthand the devastation caused by the
slowdown at the ports, from apple processors in Yakima
where inventory was stacked to the ceiling with nowhere to
go, to the impact on potato growers and manufacturers
unable to ship their finished products. I worked with my
colleagues in Congress to urge the president to negotiate an
end to the slowdown. The damaging incident underscores the
importance of expanding access to international markets to
grow our regions commerce and support jobs and economic
opportunity.
Effectively-negotiated trade treaties have the potential
to help recapture recently-lost market share over time by
reducing trade barriers and opening markets. Approval of
TPA will allow effective negotiation of high-standard trade
deals that can boost jobs and our economy. American
producers just need a level playing field, less obstructed by
tariffs and barriers, to sell the highest quality products to
international markets. Congress should approve TPA to
strengthen Americas hand in trade negotiations and better
position our economy to engage in the global market.
liberal trading order could have some second-order

advantages, too.
Cowen concludes:
Poorest country = biggest gainer. Isnt that what we are
looking for? And if you are a deontologist, Vietnam is a
country we have been especially unjust to in the past.
Yes, I am familiar with the IP and tech criticisms of TPP,
and I agree with many of them. But if you add those costs up,
in utilitarian terms I doubt if they amount to more than a
fraction of the potential benefit for the ninety million people of
Vietnam. TPP is more of a no brainer than a close call.
What youll notice about Cowens case is that its based
on the welfare of people who live outside the United States,
which is, unfortunately, a mode of argument that tends to hold
almost no weight in American politics unless someone is
trying to justify a war.
My sense of the TPP, at this point, is that the
arguments made by both its critics and its supporters about
the trade deals likely effects on the US are overstated. TPP
just isnt going to matter very much for the US economy one
way or the other. But it might matter quite a bit for non-US
economies.
The TPPs Success Means Getting The Rules

Right
By Scott Paul
President Obama believes the Trans-Pacific
Partnership (TPP) will strengthen regional security in Asia as
well as the U.S. economy, hedge against Chinese influence,
and speed along economic reform in Japan. But experience
has shown that grand assertions like these rarely hold up
against the scrutiny of time.
And with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abes state
visit just around the corner, indicating a trade deal is close at
hand, its worth exploring these claims in depth.
Lets start with the purported economic benefits. The
study cited often by proponents of the TPP (the Petri study)
shows even under its rosiest scenario only nominal economic
benefits for the U.S. economy and that the U.S.
manufacturing trade deficit will rise. But that study was
concluded before the recent devaluation of the Japanese yen
and the strengthening of the U.S. dollar, which is likely to
widen American trade gaps even more.
The costs of trade agreements that sacrifice American
manufacturing capacity are clear because were still living
with them. The wave of U.S. factory closures that accelerated
after NAFTA went into effect only sped up when China
entered the World Trade Organization in 2001. Weve lost
more than 5 million manufacturing jobs since then, not to
mention significant global export market share. Those trends
would certainly continue under the TPP, given the currency
The Best Case For Obamas Trade Deal Has

Nothing To Do With America
By Ezra Klein
Vox, April 27, 2015
Economist Tyler Cowen makes the simplest, and
perhaps most persuasive, case for the Trans-Pacific
Partnership trade deal that Ive seen.
His argument? Vietnam. The country is very poor, very
big, and, according to simulations run by the Peterson
Institute for International Trade, likely to be the biggest
beneficiary of the TPP.
Heres why:
Vietnam does a lot of trade with the United States.
There are strong protections against footwear and
apparel, which are key exports for Vietnam.
Vietnam is well-placed to gain from Chinas rising labor
costs.
Vietnam has a lot of trade protections on its own market
that TPP will reduce.
There will be powerful scale effects in Vietnams
principal production clusters.
The other issue is that Vietnam is not a very free or
well-governed country, and so a structure that forces better
economic management and labor practices consistent with a
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gaps and structural issues left unaddressed in the proposed

deal.
This offshoring has in turn had a direct effect on our
national security. A shrinking defense industrial base
ultimately means more dependence on imports and
potentially dangerous gaps in our militarys domestic supply
chain. But, similar to the TPPs description as a mandatory
complement to the Pentagons pivot to Asia, there were
plenty of security promises made during the sale of NAFTA
and Chinas entry into the WTO. They have been
conveniently forgotten by the TPPs proponents, but provide
important context for the claims being made in favor of
todays deal.
For instance, the effects of NAFTA accelerated rather
than reversed, as its advocates claimed it would waves of
drug-related violence and undocumented migration that still
trouble the United States and Mexico today. China,
meanwhile, is no more open politically nor appreciatively
more cooperative on international matters than it was when it
joined the WTO. In some ways, the economic strength China
has derived from flaunting its international obligations has
made it even more defiant. And in blunt terms, we didnt just
feed that beastwe stuffed its mouth full by championing its
WTO ascension without establishing trade and currency rules
with tougher terms and legitimate consequences.
Counterfactuals can be tricky, but I believe it would
have saved a lot of American jobs if our negotiators and
political leaders took the time to negotiate a more stringent
set of rules in both of those historical instances. Yet we may
be about to conclude a TPP that repeats those mistakes.
During Abes visit, Obama is expected spend a
significant amount of time praising his counterparts reform
plan as a necessary shot in the arm for one of the worlds
largest economies, and will argue that the TPP will help to
speed those reforms along. Yet one of the pillars of
Abenomics appears to be an undervalued yen, which will only
widen our bilateral trade balance and economic tensions
between our countries. While enforceable objective criteria on
market access and rules against currency manipulation would
expedite these reforms, Abe and Obama appear to have
rejected that approach.
That leaves us with the false choices TPP proponents
have laid out: Support the agreement or turn your back on
trade; oppose the agreement and turn your back on Asia by
allowing China to write the rules.
But the real choice is about getting the rules right.
China would welcome a TPP agreement that lacks currency
disciplines, because it will permit mercantilists (like China) to
continue exporting their unemployment problems to the
United States. The TPP wouldnt make Japans growth any
less dependent on racking up a trade surplus with the United
States, which would be a setback for the true goals of
Abenomics.
On the eve of Abes state visit, theres little hope the

administration will stop making grandiose claims about things
the TPP will never do. But we must insist they at least get the
rules right. It will be American manufacturers, businesses,
and workers who suffer if they dont.
Paul is president of the Alliance for American
Manufacturing, a non-profit, non-partisan partnership formed
in 2007 by some of Americas leading manufacturers and the
United Steelworkers.
Whats The Rush On The Trade Fast Track?
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By Kevin P. Gallagher
Wilmington (DE) News Journal, April 28, 2015
President Obama is rushing to sell the country a new
trade pact, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), with Pacific
Rim countries such as Japan, Malaysia, Peru, Chile, and
more. His goal is to convince Congress to provide him with
Fast Track trade authority, which would require Congress to
vote on the TPP within 90 days of its submission and prohibit
all amendments. After six years of negotiations, TPP talks are
almost complete.
Amidst his full-court press, the key point is getting lost:
The TPP will bring little in terms of economic benefits for the
majority of Americans, but involves considerable risks.
For these two reasons, the vast majority of members of
Congress from the Presidents own party opposes Fast Track
authority for the TPP. During the past six years of TPP
negotiations, they pushed without success for a deal that
would lessen the downside risks and safeguard the core
values of American capitalism at home and abroad.
Interestingly in these generally very partisan times, a sizable
number of Republican members of Congress are also greatly
concerned about this both Fast Track and the TPP.
In any negotiation, a key question is: Whats in it for me
in this case, the U.S. economy and the American people? A
look at the numbers is very revealing. An official U.S.
government study undertaken by U.S. Department of
Agriculture shows that the TPP would have no economic
benefits
for
the
U.S.
economy
http://www.ers.usda.gov/media/1692509/err176.pdf. USDA
concluded that the TPP is unlikely to have substantial
macroecononomic effects.
Specifically, USDA found that the TPP trade deal with
Japan and other Asian nations, even under the unlikely
scenario that if it slashed all tariffs and tariff-rate-quotas U.S.
firms had to pay to zero, that would alter U.S. GDP by 0.00
percent in 2025. You read that right 0 percent. It doesnt get
any lower than that.
Given those sobering numbers, it is no surprise that the
Obama administration, rather than using its own studies, likes
to cite work by the Washington-based, pro-trade Peterson
Institute for International Economics. Its study reveals that the
proposed TPP trade deal with a number of Asian countries
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would boost U.S. GDP by a mere 0.38 percent way out in

2025.
That sounds a tad better until you realize how small
this projected GDP boost is, if it indeed materializes in ten
years from now. It approximately equals the amount that
Americans will spend on St. Patricks Days, over-the-counter
teeth whiteners, and tattoos by the time the TPPs benefits
are supposed to materialize.
With the economic gains so small, and even then only
materializing in a decade from now, it is no wonder that
members of Congress at least want to make sure the
agreement at a minimum does not put U.S. businesses or
workers at a disadvantage or undermine the public health,
safety and environmental policies on which Americans rely.
And even that is in question, given the recently leaked
text of the TPPs investment chapter. It would provide other
nations corporations operating here with new rights not
available to U.S. firms under U.S. law. This includes the right
to skirt our courts and go before foreign tribunals to demand
compensation from U.S. taxpayers for federal, state and local
policies that apply to domestic and foreign firms alike that the
foreign firms believe undermine their new TPP privileges.
This is not a road to create more fairness and higher
standards, but an avenue to hollow out and undermine
American achievements made to date.
The key point is this: By the administrations own data,
as detailed above, it does not have a case to seriously pursue
a trade deal never mind one that is breathtakingly large in
scope.
All the envisaged deal would seem to really achieves is
making corporations even freer in their pursuits, while citizens
would continue to have a hard time to make ends meet.
Given the Administration has not been is not willing to work
toward a more lucrative deal that balances the rights and
interests of citizens and corporations, Members of Congress
are right to preserve their constitutional trade authority and
oppose Fast Track.
President Obama: Catholics Oppose Fast

Tracking The TPP
By Stephen Seufert
In an interview on MSNBCs Hardball, President
Obama defended the Trans-Pacific Partnership(TPP)-claiming only labor and some progressives opposed it. That
simply isnt the case. For years, Catholics in particular have
been consistently vocal in opposing several provisions of the
far-reaching, multinational TPP trade proposal. Some of the
most controversial provisions of the TPP deal with medical
care, immigration and the environment: issues Catholics, and
other faith groups, care deeply about. With the livelihood of
millions being affected in any final trade deal, Catholics
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voiced concern over President Obama seeking fast track

trade promotion authority (TPA) from Congress.
Catholics who believe in promoting the common good
will continue to oppose fast track authority and the TransPacific Partnership as a whole until the secretive process
surrounding its passage cease immediately.
The United States Conference of Catholic
Bishops(USCCB) issued a statement on the presidents
proposed TPP trade agreement. While the USCCB took no
stance on fast tracking the TPP, it stated, we are concerned
about the moral and human implications of the limits and
parameters that may be set in the pending legislation for the
rapid negotiation of such specific agreements, and their
potential effect on human life, human dignity and the right of
people to participate in decisions that impact them.
At the 9th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade
Organization (WTO), Archbishop Silvano M. Tomasi, the
Permanent Observer of Holy See to the United Nations in
Geneva, delivered a critique of trade deals like the TPP.
Archbishop Tomasi stated the most damaging concessions
developing countries make in regional and bilateral
agreements are those enhancing the monopolies on lifesaving medicines, which reduce access and affordability and
those that provide excessive legal rights to foreign investors.
An article for the Guardian earlier this year confirmed
the fears of Archbishop Tomasi. Leaked documents of the
TPP included provisions which protect pharmaceutical
monopolies and delay the release of cheaper drugs in
Australia.
The Columban Center for Advocacy and Outreach
wrote an article last October expressing concerns the TPP
would weaken environmental standards and allow
corporations to operate in partner countries with little
oversight. Furthermore, they claim provisions in the TPP
would put the legal rights of corporations over that of
individuals and governments.
In February, Catholic groups joined an interfaith
coalition in writing a letter to members of Congress asking
them to oppose fast track. The letter stressed trade deals
must be mutually beneficial to all countries and peoples,
particularly those living in marginalized communities, not just
the wealthy. The letter went on to compare the TPP to the
controversial history of the North American Free Trade
Agreement(NAFTA).
Sister Simone Campbell, executive director of
NETWORK and leader of Nuns on the Bus, recently wrote
an article for The Hill in which she laid out the Catholic
opposition to fast-tracking the TPP. Sister Campbell believes
a trade deal affecting millions cant be negotiated in secret.
She states, Let the voices of all people be heard so that we
might look out for our livelihoods and protect one another.
Prior to this article, NETWORK, along with several other
Catholic groups, released a statement in March declaring the
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TPP investment chapter unjust. The statement claimed the

chapter would put profit before people.
Michael Sean Winters of National Catholic Reporter
makes a political case for opposing the TPP in his latest
article. Winters calls on Democrats to show unity in opposing
the TPP because the deal goes against the very principles
President Franklin D. Roosevelt built the modern Democratic
party upon: working to uplift the average citizen. Winters
points to former governor of Maryland and likely 2016
presidential candidate, Martin OMalley, as a Catholic political
leader opposed to fast tracking the TPP.
On April 16th, after it was announced a deal had been
reached to introduce fast track authority legislation in
Congress, Pennsylvania Democratic Senator and Catholic,
Robert Casey said, Over and over again, weve been told
that trade deals will create jobs and better protect workers
and the environment. Those promises have never come to
fruition.
On Tuesday, Catholic and Anglican bishops in New
Zealand urged greater transparency surrounding the TPP
negotiations. While they acknowledged the right of
governments to promote trade, the bishops were concerned
with the lack of transparency and public involvement during
negotiations. Furthermore, while they acknowledged
traditional trade deals are done in secret; the TPP could
infringe on the domestic laws of individual nations. The
bishops were also concerned the TPP will adversely affect
the poor.
Catholics committed to the common good reject the
assumption by President Obama only labor and progressive
groups primarily care about controversial provisions of the
Trans-Pacific Partnership. Catholics have voiced their
concerns about the TPP in the past and will continue to do so
in the hopes their voices will be finally heard.
As Trade Talks Heat Up, Obama Wants U.S.

Cars On Japans Streets
By Rob Hotakainen
WASHINGTON When Japanese Prime Minister
Shinzo Abe goes to the White House on Tuesday, hes likely
to get an earful on one topic: cars.
President Barack Obama has complained recently that
the United States isnt selling enough American cars in Japan
and that he wants to open up the auto market as part of a
new trade pact called the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Obama is pounding the message for a simple reason.
After spending nearly his entire presidency touting the
proposed 12-nation deal as an economic gold mine, the
outcome now hinges largely on one participating nation:
Japan.
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As they seek to wrap up the long talks, U.S. negotiators

are zeroing in on two key products, trying to strike a deal that
would send more cars and more farm goods to Japan.
With the United States now providing less than 1
percent of all cars sold in Japan, its a heavy lift, with many
Japanese consumers regarding American cars as too big and
too unreliable. The dismal sales of American cars in Japan
have frustrated U.S. officials for decades. Some trade experts
say the president lacks the power to change the situation
anytime soon, with a new trade pact or not.
Just like last April, when Obama went to Japan to meet
with Abe, expectations grew in the past few weeks that the
leaders might be ready to shake hands on a deal during
Abes visit to Washington.
But after Michael Froman, the U.S. trade
representative, went to Tokyo last week and failed to reach a
breakthrough, the White House said Friday that no
announcement was coming this week.
We are not there yet to a final deal and more work is
needed, Caroline Atkinson, deputy national security adviser
for international economics, said in a conference call.
Abes U.S. visit includes stops in Washington, Boston,
San Francisco and Los Angeles.
On Tuesday, the prime minister will meet privately with
Obama in the Oval Office and theyll conduct a joint news
conference. Abe will have lunch at the State Department with
Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State John Kerry.
On Tuesday night, the White House plans a state dinner for
Abe with nearly 300 guests.
Its the first time that Obama will host an official visit by
a Japanese head of state.
This is going to be an historic visit for this
administration, said Evan Medeiros, the National Security
Councils senior director for Asian affairs.
Trade wont be the only issue awaiting Obama and
Abe.
James Schoff, senior associate in the Asia program for
the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said the
main focus would be on Japans new defense guidelines,
which could allow the country to cooperate in international
peacekeeping efforts. With Abes visit coinciding with the 70th
anniversary of the end of World War II, Obamas team plans
to highlight the reconciliation between former adversaries.
On Wednesday, Abe will become the first Japanese
leader to address a joint session of Congress. Republicans
last week advanced Obamas request for trade promotion
authority, which would limit debate on trade pacts and make it
easier to pass the Trans-Pacific Partnership. When House
Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, extended the invitation to
Abe, he said it would be a good opportunity for the prime
minister to discuss ways to open markets.
Twice in the past two weeks, Obama has noted the lack
of U.S. cars in Japan.
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You go out on the street right now and you look at all
the cars that are passing by, youll see Hondas, youll see
Toyotas, youll see Nissans, the president said in a speech
Thursday. Those are all fine cars; nothing wrong with that.
But when you travel to Tokyo, you dont see Fords. You dont
see Chevys. You dont see Chryslers. So why would we want
to maintain the the current status quo, where people are
selling a bunch of stuff here and we cant sell there?
U.S. autoworkers complained last year that the situation
had grown so lopsided that only one American car is sold in
Japan for every 130 Japanese cars sold in the United States.
The U.S. sold 20,185 cars, 1,304 trucks and seven
buses to Japan in 2013, the last year for which statistics are
available, according to the Japan Automobile Manufacturers
Association USA.
Ron Bookbinder, general director of the association,
said Japanese automakers were providing Americans with
the vehicles they wanted but that U.S. automakers were not
giving Japanese consumers the tiny cars they desired.
Last year, he said, U.S. companies offered only 10
models for the 93 percent of the Japanese auto market thats
composed of small cars.
Free trade benefits companies that are ready to
compete, Bookbinder said. But the Detroit Three
automakers havent been interested in selling in Japan.
Many U.S. officials have long said the Japanese market
is effectively closed to imports. Japan imposes higher tax
rates on large cars to discourage their use. And Japanese
dealerships often refuse to sell foreign cars, which must be
retooled to meet different safety and pollution standards.
Some trade experts say Obama is making a mistake by
raising expectations that U.S. auto sales will increase in
Japan under a new trade deal.
Its an idiotic statement for the president to make its
embarrassing, said Clyde Prestowitz, a labor economist who
worked as a trade negotiator for the Reagan administration.
The most competitive auto producer in the world today is
Hyundai, which is based in South Korea. Theyre not even
trying to sell in Japan. So if Hyundai cant sell there, how can
the president say that Ford and GM and Chrysler are going to
sell there?
Gary Clyde Hufbauer, senior fellow with the Peterson
Institute for International Economics, said the two remaining
headline issues for the trade deal focused on the U.S.
desire to sell more pork and cars in Japan. He said he
thought the two sides were very close to reaching an
agreement, but he predicted that nothing will be finalized until
this summer.
He also thinks the president is misleading the public by
suggesting the current fleet of U.S. cars would begin selling in
Japan.
What might happen is that the U.S. will be just great at
building the next generation of all-electric or hybrid cars and
they will be a big seller, Hufbauer said. But you know,

theres a lot of over-promising that goes on, as well as a lot of
baloney on the opposition side.
With the 2016 elections rapidly approaching, some say
the Obama team must quicken the pace on negotiating the
deal before the political season makes progress impossible.
You cant take too long getting to an agreement. You
cant keep perpetually postponing it, said Douglas Paal, vice
president for studies and director of Carnegies Asia program.
Lesley Clark contributed to this report.
Japans Massive Trade Opportunity
113
By Paul Ryan
When Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visits the
White House this week, President Obama should offer him a
warm welcome and a friendly challenge. Right now, the
United States is negotiating a historic trade deal with Japan
and 10 other countries on the Pacific Rim, and one of the key
remaining issues is whether Japan will open its agriculture
and auto markets to U.S. products. While Abe is in town, the
president should urge Japan to drop the trade barriers and
close the deal.
This trade agreement, the Trans-Pacific Partnership,
would give a boost to both of our countries. The TPP would
tear down trade barriers that block U.S. exports to many
Asian markets. This is a big opportunity for the United States.
By 2030, Asias middle class will have grown to 3.2 billion
people. Thats more than 10 times the projected size of North
Americas middle class. If we want to create more jobs in the
United States, we need to make more things in the United
States and sell them overseas to Asia, especially.
But Japan may need the TPP even more than we do. In
the past 20 years, its economic growth has been close to nil,
for a number of reasons: an aging population, a shrinking
workforce and a rigid, overregulated economy. When he ran
for office, Abe promised to slay this stagnation with the three
arrows of his platform, now known as Abenomics: fiscal
stimulus, monetary expansion and structural reform.
Abe has kept his promises mostly. Last year, he
approved a $29 billion stimulus package, big by Japanese
standards. And the Bank of Japan has cranked up the
printing presses: The yen is trading around its lowest level
against the dollar since 2007. But the structural reform Abe
promised has been slow to arrive. And no surprise, the lack of
reform has meant a lack of results. Over the past six years,
the United States has learned the same lesson: Spending
and printing money can provide a sugar high, but only real
reform can promote a healthy economy.
Luckily, a solution is within reach: the TPP. This highstandard agreement will require all member countries to
dismantle many of the trade barriers that hobble their
economies. Japan is a prime example. The country lays huge
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tariffs on American foodstuffs and erects all sorts of barriers

to keep out American autos; some tariffs can exceed 700
percent. Japan lobbied hard to join the TPP talks but still
hasnt committed to eliminating these barriers.
To his credit, while campaigning for reelection last year,
Abe pledged to complete the TPP. With his decisive victory,
he can claim a mandate for closing the deal. But the world is
still wondering whether hell make good on that promise. Abe
has shown impressive leadership, but the farm lobby and car
companies have a lot of sway in Tokyo. Japan will shake off
its decades-long stupor only if it takes on the special interests
and opens these crucial markets to its trading partners. Such
change is always difficult, but the upside of removing these
barriers far outweighs the downside.
Completing the TPP would strengthen Japans
economy and its national security. The U.S.-Japan alliance is
the hub of the Asia-Pacific order. The United States has
pledged to defend Japan in case of attack, and in exchange,
Japan allows the United States to station roughly 50,000
troops on its islands. As a result, U.S. forces can maneuver
throughout the region, protecting sea lanes and maintaining
order.
A rising China is trying to test the boundaries of that
order by asserting control over disputed territory and
pressuring its neighbors to grant special privileges to its
products. In fact, China is negotiating trade agreements all
over the world and trying to rig the rules in its favor. So our
two countries have to ask ourselves, Is China going to write
the rules of the global economy, or are we?
If the United States and Japan lock arms, we can resist
Chinas bullying and reassert leadership in the Asia-Pacific. In
the long term, a successful TPP would be a sign of renewed
vigor in our alliance in which all our allies could take
comfort. And in the near term, the clearest sign of a
successful state visit would be a firm commitment from Abe to
eliminate the farm and auto barriers.
The United States is waiting. The world is watching.
And for both countries, the opportunity is huge. Shinzo Abe is
a once-in-a-generation leader with a once-in-a-generation
opportunity. He put it best when he said, Without action,
there can be no growth. I can think of no better reason to
drop the trade barriers and complete the TPP.
Secretary of State John Kerry and, last but not least, a state
dinner with nearly 300 guests.
But behind the scenes, White House officials are
working feverishly to unsnag a trade deal with Japan and 10
other Asia-Pacific countries that would be the largest such
agreement in history. The two major hold-ups: rice and cars.
Washington wants Japan to raise the cap on the
amount of rice the U.S. can sell to the country without tariffs,
which can top 778 percent. Tokyo wants the U.S., long
protective of its auto industry, to drop tariffs on cars, trucks
and auto parts.
While Obama and Abe will discuss the agreement, they
are not expected to reach a breakthrough on the outstanding
issues; thats the job of Obamas top trade official, Michael
Froman, and his Japanese counterpart, Akira Amari. But a
Japanese official close to the negotiations told POLITICO the
talks have progressed far enough that the two countries are
likely to clinch a deal in the next few weeks, removing the
biggest hurdle to inking the broader pact, which, in turn, could
happen by late May.
The latest that both sides will try to conclude their talks
is by the next Trans-Pacific Partnership ministers meeting,
the Japanese embassy source said. Top trade officials could
wrap up work on the massive Asia-Pacific trade agreement,
which would cover an estimated 40 percent of global gross
domestic product, at the end of next month in Singapore.
But the pact is riding largely on whether the U.S. and
Japan can resolve their differences over agricultural and
automobile import tariffs, which the two nations had hoped in
recent months would be accomplished by the time Abe came
to Washington. While the two leaders talk, U.S. and
Japanese trade officials will also be meeting this week in the
nations capital to try to hammer out details like how much
U.S. rice Japan is willing to accept and a mechanism that
would prevent a surge of Japanese autos into the U.S.
Rice and cars have always been a sticking point in U.SJapanese trade relations: Japan is very protective of its
home-grown rice industry, which is ingrained in the countrys
culture, while the U.S. doesnt want Toyota and Honda to
undercut the iconic Ford and Chevy pickup truck industry.
Obama said Monday that both sides were getting closer
to a deal, but he did not expect one to be announced while
Abe is in town.
his own politics and interests, Obama said in an interview
with The Wall Street Journal. I dont expect that we will
complete all negotiations, but I will say that the engagement
has brought the parties much closer together.
Obama again pressed the case for his trade agenda in
the face of stiff opposition from fellow Democrats in
Congress, warning that China will write the rules of trade in
the region if the TPP talks fail.
Massive Trade Deal Could Come Down To Two

Things: Rice And Cars
By Adam Behsudi
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will get the royal
treatment this week during his U.S. visit: an arrival ceremony
on the South Lawn; an Oval Office meeting and press
conference with President Barack Obama; a State
Department lunch with Vice President Joe Biden; and
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We will be shut out American businesses and

American agriculture. That will mean a loss of new jobs, he
told the newspaper.
A deal between the two countries could be hastened by
the House and Senate markups last week of so-called fasttrack trade legislation that would expedite Congress approval
of the TPP and another huge pact Washington is negotiating
with the European Union. The trade promotion authority bill
would allow unamendable deals to be sent to lawmakers for
an up-or-down vote, giving negotiating partners like Japan
assurances that they can put their best offers on the table.
Over the past several weeks, Abes visit was seen as a
potential handshake moment in the trade talks.
The fact that they couldnt bring this together for the
prime ministers visit, I think its a missed opportunity, Mireya
Solis, senior fellow and Japan expert at the Brookings
Institution, said, noting that the last time a Japanese leader
visited Washington was nine years ago. I was actually
hoping they could at least announce they are very close to
reaching a deal, she added.
Whatever progress is made on trade this week, it may
be overshadowed by security developments. Japan unveiled
new defense cooperation guidelines this week that would give
Tokyo a stronger hand over regional military affairs and
deepen its strategic ties with the U.S.
Both issues could come up when Abe addresses a joint
session of Congress and talks to business CEOs at the U.S.
Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday.
I think the expectation on our part is for the prime
minister to really make the case why our relationship is so
important in the Asia-Pacific region, said Rep. Charles
Boustany, a co-chair of the Japan Caucus and an outspoken
supporter of the Asia-Pacific trade deal.
The House Ways and Means and Senate Finance
Committees approval of fast-track legislation last week was
important to showing other nations the U.S. is putting its full
weight behind moving the trade agenda forward, the
Louisiana Republican said.
Boustany said he hoped the visit would give Abe the
opportunity to elevate the TPP to a place that hopefully gives
him the space to make the kind of decisions he needs to
make.
Abes ruling Liberal Democratic Party faces fierce
pressure from the countrys powerful agriculture lobby to
prevent a surge in foreign commodities from destroying the
livelihood of smaller-scale Japanese farmers, especially
those that raise sensitive products, including rice, dairy, beef,
pork and wheat.
Right now, the agricultural talks are focused mainly on
Japans rice market, which the White House is working to pry
open by lowering import tariffs. Japanese officials are
considering offering the U.S. more access through a quota
that wouldnt be subject to duties.
The U.S. dairy industry is also pushing for more access

than Tokyo has been willing to provide.
The Administration has made significant progress in
dairy, but what Japan has done so far is not enough, said
Jaime Castaneda, senior vice president for strategic
initiatives and trade policy at the National Milk Producers
Federation.
Our industry will be keeping a close watch on any
growth limitation on any dairy product.
The U.S. is also pushing Tokyo to address policies and
regulations that U.S. automakers say keep them from selling
cars in Japan.
Meanwhile, Japan has been pushing for the immediate
elimination of a 2.5 percent tariff on auto parts and a
reasonable phase-out period for duties on car and light truck
imports.
Japan Taps Lobbyists To Bolster U.S. Ties
By Kate Ackley
The government of Japan knows its way around K
Street.
In the months leading up to Japanese Prime Minister
Shinzo Abes visit to Washington this week, the country spent
more than $1.2 million on lobbying, law and public relations
firms, according to documents filed with the Justice
Department.
As the country navigates numerous policy issues,
including a massive trade deal with the United States, it relies
on the hired help of such firms as Akin Gump Strauss Hauer
& Feld, Hogan Lovells and the Podesta Group. Japan
enlisted the Daschle Group, the firm of former Senate
Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., just this month.
This is a big week the first time in over 50 years that
a Japanese prime minister has addressed a joint session of
Congress, said Akin Gump partner Scott Parven. It comes
at a critical time geopolitically and economically. Its a good
time to reinforce the critical nature of the alliance to the Hill
and to stakeholders in Washington.
K Street operators, such as Parven, offer on-the-ground
intelligence about Congress and the executive branch that
diplomats and other Japanese officials might otherwise miss.
They also help forge ties and set up meetings with
government officials, think tank policy wonks, corporate
lobbyists and journalists.
Their ambassador and staffs often arent as wired as K
Street firms, said James Thurber, who runs American
Universitys Center for Congressional and Presidential
Studies, about foreign countries lobbying in general.
Ambassadors dont always know how to bring people
together that have the same message and to build coalitions.
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Masato Otaka, a spokesman for the embassy, said in

an email that Japans lobbyists gather information on the
political situations and developments in the U.S.
Abe during his trip will discuss the ongoing TransPacific Partnership trade deal and other tricky policy issues
with President Barack Obama, and he will take center stage
on Capitol Hill with his address to Congress on Wednesday.
Even policy opponents of Japan and the TPP deal on K
Street say the visit is pivotal, especially as Congress
considers fast-track trade authority aimed at helping prime
the Hill for TPP and other potential deals.
Its a critical visit for Abe and Obama to put a gloss on
Japans refusal to open its markets and to put a gloss on how
great TPP is, said Kevin Kearns, president of the U.S.
Business and Industry Council, which opposes the TPP deal.
Kearns group launched inside-the-Beltway ads this
week calling Japan a currency manipulator. The real purpose
of the ad is to prevent Obama and Abe from just putting out
their propaganda sheets, Kearns said.
On the other side, the Daschle firms registration for
Japan, filed under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, said
that the embassy of Japan had not yet signed a formal
contract and did not disclose any fee arrangement. But Tom
Daschle himself is registered to lobby for the government.
The Daschle Groups activities may include
communications on behalf of the Embassy of Japan with
officials in U.S. executive branch departments and agencies,
with members and staff of the U.S. Congress, and with other
individuals and organizations involved in governmental or
public policy matters, the FARA filing said.
Obama Rips House Republicans Budget Bills

Over Spending Limits
By Ben Wolfgang
With House Republicans set to move two key
appropriations bills this week, the White House has come out
swinging with a public relations offensive picking apart the
Republican budget line by line an indication that President
Obama will take a tougher stance on spending this time and
could be cracking the door to another government shutdown
fight.
The Obama administration maintains it wont accept
any bills that keep sequestration-level spending limits in
place, a blanket declaration that analysts say all but
guarantees a high-stakes confrontation with Republicans over
the next few months as the fiscal year heads toward its Sept.
30 end.
Although the president has yet to formally threaten to
veto any specific pieces of legislation, Office of Management
and Budget Director Shaun Donovan has detailed the
administrations objections to Republican-backed spending
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bills in lengthy letters to leading House members. The letters

also lay out the White House alternatives to Republican
proposals major spending increases paid for in part with
tax hikes.
Administration officials say the strategy is designed to
show congressional Republicans that Mr. Obama is serious
about rejecting any spending plans that keep sequestration in
place, setting the stage for a budget battle that is more
contentious than processes of the past several years. The
presidents proposed budget calls for about $74 billion in
spending above the sequestration caps, with the new money
divided almost equally between defense and nondefense
spending.
The president has been clear he wants to work with
Congress to replace these [sequestration] cuts. We thought it
was important to continue driving home the point that the
president is very serious about what he will accept and what
he wont accept, an administration official said Monday.
The automatic budget cuts known as sequestration
came about as a consequence of the debt ceiling fight
between the White House and congressional Republicans in
2011. That fight led to the Budget Control Act, legislation that
called for a supercommittee to cut $1.5 trillion from the
federal budget over the next decade. The committee
ultimately failed to find the cuts, causing the automatic
spending restrictions to go into effect.
The House is set to vote this week on the two
appropriations bills that stick to those spending levels, one to
fund veterans programs and the other to provide funding for
energy programs, to safely guard the nations nuclear
weapons and other priorities.
The measures will come to the House floor this week.
But the White House and Democratic leaders on
Capitol Hill strongly oppose the two bills. The administration
has suggested that Mr. Obama will veto the measures,
though official veto threats have yet to be issued.
Specialists say the White Houses position, and Mr.
Donovans letters in particular, could lead to the kind of bitter
budget fight reminiscent of 2013, when the federal
government was forced to shut down after the two sides
failed to reach agreement before the fiscal year ended.
This kind of blanket statement from the White House
that they will not allow the sequester to take effect or approve
bills that stick to the sequester levels that certainly sets up
a more confrontational debate on the issue, even in an overall
environment that I think a lot of people would say is less
confrontational than it has been, said Joshua Gordon, policy
director at the Concord Coalition, a nonpartisan organization
that tracks federal budget issues.
In his letters to House Republican leaders, Mr.
Donovan detailed the specific objections of the White House,
spelling out the spending increases Mr. Obama wants
instead.
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House Republicans budget, for example, would spend

$14 billion less on pre-K education, medical research and job
training than the spending plan released by the president this
year. It also would spend billions of dollars less on some
aspects of national defense, taxpayer services,
counterterrorism operations, transportation infrastructure and
other areas, Mr. Donovan said.
The bills released so far, along with the targets for the
remaining bills, show that the Republican budget funding
levels will force cuts compared to the presidents budget in
areas important to the economy and the middle class, he
said.
Meanwhile, Republican leaders say Mr. Obamas
desired spending increases and the tax hikes to pay for them
are dead on arrival.
According to the presidents budget request, these
fabricated additional funds would come primarily through tax
increases that are not, and will never become, current law,
said Jennifer Hing, spokeswoman for the House
Appropriations Committee.
Tom Howell contributed to this report.
with the other chamber, the tool only requires a majority vote
in the Senate.
The ObamaCare plan could change, however, if the
Supreme Court rules in June against the Obama
administration in the King v. Burwell case. A ruling against the
administration could take away subsidies from people in 37
states, many of them led by GOP governors, that help cover
the cost of ObamaCare on state-based health exchanges.
Aides confirmed Republicans dont plan to use the
reconciliation process to cut Pell Grants or food stamps.
House GOP leaders have expressed a desire for
flexibility in the reconciliation process. While budget
negotiators might provide policy recommendations to
accompany reconciliation instructions, those policy changes
will be left up to authorizing committees this summer.
The Associated Press was the first to report some of
the budget details.
Reconciliation was a major hurdle for GOP negotiators
because the separate House and Senate budgets adopted in
March contained very different approaches.
While the House budget issued reconciliation
instructions to 13 different authorizing committees, the
Senates blueprint issued them only to two that have
jurisdiction over healthcare.
The release of the deal will come about a month after
the original blueprints were adopted, and just a few days
before the House is set to vote on the first two 2016 spending
bills.
It also comes just a few weeks past the April 15 legal
deadline to adopt a joint conference agreement. Republicans
originally eyed that date as their original goal, but an Easter
recess delayed work on the final agreement.
Though striking a budget agreement is a major test for
the GOP majority, the real fight will come later this year, when
Republicans will work to pass a series of spending bills that
Obama could veto.
Republicans Close In On Budget Deal
By Rebecca Shabad
House and Senate Republicans are closing in on a
budget deal, signaling confidence that they can muscle a joint
blueprint through Congress for the first time in a decade.
Negotiators are expected to release the agreement as
early as Monday night, according to congressional aides, with
GOP leaders planning to hold votes on the resolution by the
end of the week.Aides say the final resolution will drop the
Houses plan to transition part of Medicare into a premiumsupport program by 2024. Senate Republicans facing
reelection in 2016 had balked at that proposal, viewing it as
politically risky.
For fiscal 2016, which will start on Oct. 1, Republicans
have made clear that they want to stick to the $1.017 trillion
discretionary budget cap set by a 2011 law. The
sequestration ceiling limits the Pentagon to $523 billion in
spending next year, while capping non-defense domestic
programs at $493 billion.
To circumvent the Pentagons cap, Republicans plan to
include a provision in the budget deal that hikes a war fund to
about $96 billion, aides said.
Defense hawks in the House won the extra war funding
last month, beating back objections from fiscal hawks who
complained it would increase the deficit by roughly $20 billion.
Republicans also plan to use a budget procedure
known as reconciliation to send a repeal of ObamaCare to
President Obamas desk, aides said. Once authorizing
committees produce deficit-cutting bills and conference them
Republicans In House And Senate Agree On A

Budget
By Ashley Parker
WASHINGTON Republican negotiators on Monday
reached a compromise on a joint budget between the House
and the Senate, the first common congressional budget in a
decade.
The deal would increase military spending and take aim
at President Obamas signature health care law. It would also
cut education and entitlement programs, like Medicare, but
negotiators dropped a proposal by Representative Paul D.
Ryan, Republican of Wisconsin and a former chairman of the
House Budget Committee, to turn Medicare into a largely
private voucher program.
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Under the deal, Congress would use a procedural

process known as reconciliation to repeal, or at least begin to
undo, the Affordable Care Act. With reconciliation, Senate
Republicans would need only a simple majority vote to push
through legislation to repeal the health care law because it
would not be subject to a probable Democratic filibuster.
The budget compromise was expected to be released
as early as Monday night, with a vote in the House coming as
early as Wednesday.
Senator Bernard Sanders, a Vermont independent who
caucuses with the Democrats and is the ranking member of
the Budget Committee, will not sign the conference
agreement, a spokesman said.
The Republican budget moves this country in exactly
the wrong direction, Mr. Sanders said in a statement. This
budget is the Robin Hood principle in reverse. It takes from
the poor and gives to the rich.
GOP Budget Dodges Fights Over Entitlements,

Defense
By Rachael Bade
Forget about Paul Ryans Medicare privatization plan.
The same with other entitlement reforms. And never mind
offsetting defense spending increases.
In almost every instance, sources describe a GOP
budget deal in which political practicality beats out ideology
as Republican leaders tack toward the partys center now that
theyre in control of both chambers. The final agreement was
expected to be unveiled Monday evening until Sen. Bob
Corker (R-Tenn.) announced he would not sign the deal
without explanation.
The agreement will be unwelcome news for gung-ho
conservatives and fiscal hawks both in Washington and
around the country whove called for Republicans to exercise
their new power to enact sweeping GOP priorities. And it is
unclear if Corker is holding the budget because of such
provisions he believes are fiscally irresponsible; he dislikes
that Republicans are circumventing budget caps by funneling
money into a war account.
But with Republicans hoping to keep control of the
Senate in the coming election, and the party still smarting
over losing battles with President Barack Obama on
government spending and immigration, the GOP is
coalescing around a budget that avoids the biggest fights.
Dropping both Ryans Medicare premium support
language and instructions for more than a dozen House
committees to squeeze more savings out of government
programs will help protect vulnerable Republicans,
particularly in the Senate, from Democratic attack ads in the
coming election. And moving to protect billions in additional
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Pentagon spending will bolster support with defense hawks in

both chambers.
With no Democrats expected to vote for the GOPs
spending blueprint, leadership is making sure the rank and
file are happy at the expense of party firebrands who wanted
Republicans to go much further to overhaul the nations
finances.
Its ironic that we have a conference committee trying
to get together to balance the budget in 10 years, yet were
not willing to do anything today to balance the budget, said
Rep. Ral Labrador (R-Idaho) at a Heritage Foundation event
last week, bemoaning that the budget doesnt tackle
entitlement or welfare reform and does not reduce spending
next year. Maybe the conference committee should just stop
meeting and tell the American people the truth: that we in
Congress are incapable of keeping our promises.
Still, leadership is calculating that any conservative
defections can be offset by votes from moderates and
defense hawks. And Republicans will tout the fact that their
budget balances in a decade. Striking a final agreement is a
win for leadership, which has said all along producing a final
blueprint is a top priority. Senate budget staff often brag that
the last time Congress passed a balanced budget was the
year Apple released the iPod.
Right now, I think weve got to look at whats possible
when you have an Obama presidency what can you get
done? said Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), a budget
conferee, when asked about whether he felt the deal should
have tacked further right on entitlement reform. He expects
the budget to pass both chambers easily this week.
But even centrist groups focused on the deficit would
like Congress to do more to rein in the national debt.
Political irresponsibility beat out fiscal responsibly,
said Maya MacGuineas, president of the bipartisan budget
bulldog Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget
(CRFB), upon hearing about the deal. The choices they
made are not the ones that will hold them on the fiscally
responsible path that the budget claims it would. They took
the easy route; not the one that would actually help put the
budget back on track.
But a more austere budget may not have been
possible. Defense hawks, adamant that the military needs
more resources to maintain readiness and combat threats like
ISIL, had banded together and threatened to vote against the
deal if it didnt protect an extra $38 billion in Pentagon money
from a Senate budget point of order. Republicans cant afford
to lose their support; both budgets barely squeaked by in their
respective chambers, and the final agreement drops the point
of order.
And, the half-dozen Senate Republicans up for
reelection in swing states in 2016 will get to avoid tough votes
that could be used against them on the campaign trail.
Negotiators dropped Ryans plan, which had been included in
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the Houses version of the budget, but not the Senates.

Moderates like Sen. Susan Collins of Maine had expressed
reservations about it being in the budget.
I do believe that would be a mistake and send the
wrong message to a lot of seniors, Collins told POLITICO. I
really have doubts about privatization.
House negotiators also dropped their plans to give
instructions to more than a dozen committees to find budget
savings under their own jurisdiction, using a procedure called
reconciliation.
Passing a final budget unlocks reconciliation, a rare
fast-track procedure that would allow the Senate to pass
major deficit-reduction legislation by simple majority instead
of having to clear the typical 60-vote threshold.
House leadership had stressed over and over again
that it wanted to keep its options open to use this tool for
different things beyond just an Obamacare repeal, flirting with
the idea of tax reform, for example. Thats why its
reconciliation instructions went to a full range of committees
from Transportation to Agriculture and Oversight.
The Senate, however, zeroed in on health care, giving
instructions to only two committees that would have the
authority to move an Obamacare repeal.
Groups like CRFB wanted lawmakers to use the
procedure to pass entitlement reforms, preferring the House
approach. But the budget deal goes with the Senate
approach, focusing on health care, according to a Republican
aide familiar with the deal.
MacGuineas is unhappy with the move They appear to
be running away from entitlement reform now that they have
the opportunity to make some of their own impact if they
were serious they would have used reconciliation and every
tool possible to move in that direction.
The Senate, meanwhile, dropped two provisions to rein
in spending.
At the insistence of the House negotiators, Senate
negotiators ditched their point of order for extra defense
funding inserted to please deficit watchers like Sens. Pat
Toomey of Pennsylvania and Corker.
Corker on Monday night refused to sign the conference
agreement, holding up the deal that GOP budget negotiators
and leadership in both chambers had hoped to release
Monday evening.
His office would not say what his concerns were or
whether he planned to eventually sign the agreement, but
Corker has told POLITICO previously that to me the
[overseas contingency account] piece, I hate to be too
pejorative, its really a slush fund.
And just hours before the final agreement was
supposed to be signed Monday, negotiators were said to still
be unsure of the final fate of an obscure budget provision that
postpones some mandatory spending in the next budget
year. On the Hill, its called changes in mandatory spending,
or CHIMPS, and deficit hawks have long considered it a

budget gimmick.
Although it allows appropriators to delay mandatory
spending for a few years, and use the savings to spend
more on discretionary programs, budget hawks dont view the
savings as real because the government will still have pay for
the mandatory programs sometime in the future.
Corker and Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) had introduced
provisions to phase out CHIMPS or limit its use in the name
of fiscal transparency. But House Appropriations Chairman
Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) balked and pushed hard against it with
other appropriators. He said throwing out CHIMPS would
force him to cut another $20 billion from domestic programs
next year when the purse strings were already tied extremely
tight.
Negotiators would not say how the CHIMPS dispute
would turn out though sources following the matter on the
Hill expected a compromise of sorts, suggesting it was
unlikely to affect 2016 numbers but could phase it out in the
future.
Conservatives did get a win with the budget focused on
an Obamacare repeal, a key priority for the House Freedom
Caucus.
But one GOP source said that does not mean
leadership has ruled out using the procedure to instead pass
a fix to King v. Burwell. The Supreme Court case, a ruling
on which is expected in June, could knock down the health
subsidies awarded through federal Obamacare exchanges,
leaving about 8 million people without money they were
counting on to pay their health bills.
Republicans could decide use the procedure to move
legislation to help those millions and forgo the repeal.
Bob Corker Puts Brakes On Budget Deal
By Rachael Bade
Sen. Bob Corker is holding up a much-awaited GOP
budget deal, barring Republican leadership and top budget
negotiators Monday night from filing the agreement that was
weeks in the making, his office confirmed to POLITICO.
The Tennessee Republicans office would not say why,
but his refusal to sign on to the deal stops the agreement in
its path for the time being. Corkers vote is needed to
advance the fiscal blueprint, which GOP leadership hopes to
pass this week before the House goes on recess the first
week of May.
Rumors are running wild among budget followers both
on and off the Hill that it could be related to his objections to
provisions in the budget that boost Pentagon spending
without offsets, allow appropriators to use a budget trick he
abhors or even have nothing to do with the budget deal at
all, but Iran.
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The Senate Foreign Relations chairman authored the

Iran bill slated to hit the floor this week, which allows
Congress to approve the Obama administrations agreement
with the Persian nation to freeze its weapons systems in
return for sanctions relief.
Republican critics of the Iran deal are plotting to try to
trample it with amendments that, if adopted, could tank the
bipartisan agreement Corker carefully crafted with his
Democratic counterpart, Ben Cardin (D-Md.). Corker and
other supporters had made a tentative plan to band together
to defeat such amendments, including one that would make
Iran recognize Israel.
But POLITICO reported Monday night that GOP
leadership is refusing to help the Democrats defeat them,
jeopardizing the deal. Corker said earlier Monday that he
hadnt spoken to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (RKy.) about how to proceed on Iran amendments.
Of course, the issue could be totally unrelated. After all,
Corker disagrees with a number of budget provisions
expected to be in the budget deal and holding out could
help increase his leverage.
The agreement that has yet to be released publicly is
said to use a war fund account to circumvent budget caps
and give the Pentagon a $38 billion raise.
Corker has told POLITICO previously that the ploy is a
budget gimmick.
To me the [overseas contingency account] piece, I
hate to be too pejorative, its really a slush fund.
It could also be related to an appropriations fight that
has rankled the budget negotiators over the past few weeks.
Corker is a fierce critic of an appropriations budget trick
that he and Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) tried to restrict in the
Senate budget. It became one of the last sticking points
between negotiators and was said to still be fluid Monday,
according to one GOP source following the matter.
On the Hill, its called changes in mandatory spending,
or CHIMPS, and deficit hawks like Corker have long
considered it a budget gimmick.
Although it allows appropriators to delay mandatory
spending for a few years, and use the savings to spend
more on discretionary programs, budget hawks dont view the
savings as real because the government will still have to pay
for the mandatory programs sometime in the future.
But appropriators fought hard to get the Corker and
Crapo language dropped. House Appropriations Chairman
Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) said throwing out CHIMPS would force
him to cut another $20 billion from domestic programs next
year when the purse strings are already tied extremely tight.
Negotiators would not say how the CHIMPS dispute
would turn out Monday evening though sources following
the matter on the Hill expected a compromise, suggesting it
was unlikely to affect 2016 spending bills but could be phased
out in the future.
Burgess Everett contributed to this report.
Obama Proposes That Medicare Be Given The

Right To Negotiate The Cost Of Drugs
By Robert Pear
WASHINGTON Embedded in President Obamas
budget request to Congress is a paradox. He proposes a
major new initiative to develop drugs tailored to the genetic
characteristics of individual patients, but he expresses deep
concern about the costs of such specialty medicines for
consumers and for the Medicare program.
He has asked Congress to let Medicare officials
negotiate prices with drug manufacturers a practice
explicitly forbidden by current law. At the same time, the
administration, through the National Institutes of Health, is off
and running with its precision medicine initiative, meant to
develop personalized therapies like those now on the market
to treat illnesses like cancer and cystic fibrosis at a cost of
tens of thousands of dollars. Prices over $50,000 or $100,000
a year are not unusual.
Mr. Obama announced the precision medicine initiative
in his State of the Union address and followed up with a $215
million proposal, now under review in Congress. The proposal
has received broad bipartisan support and has generated
excitement among scientists, who are drafting plans to
explore the molecular and genetic basis for disease with a
national research cohort of a million or more volunteers.
The possibilities are boundless, Mr. Obama said at a
recent White House event. Precision medicine gives us one
of the greatest opportunities for new medical breakthroughs
that we have ever seen, he said.
If the initiative is successful, scientists said, it could lead
to new diagnostic tests and treatments for cancer, heart
disease, diabetes, Alzheimers and other illnesses. One-third
of the money would be used to seek cancer treatments using
genetic information.
The excitement of scientists and patients advocates is
tempered by the knowledge that personalized medicines
already on the market are costly. Patients often pay much of
the expense out of pocket.
Dr. Francis S. Collins, the director of the National
Institutes of Health, expressed concern about the price of
these drugs. Is that the path that precision medicine
inexorably is going to take? I would certainly hope not, he
said.
Long term, Dr. Collins said, its likely that this
approach can reduce health care costs by providing a more
effective way to treat disease in an individualized way, so that
treatments are more likely to work for a subset of individuals
who have a particular form of a disease or disorder.
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However, he went on, Id be reluctant to say that in the

short term those kinds of rewards are going to occur. Id love
it if they did.
Every month researchers report that they have
discovered genetic factors that appear to increase the
likelihood that a person will develop some type of cancer or
other disease. And every month consumer groups, doctors,
health insurance companies or state officials express alarm
about the skyrocketing cost of the specialty drugs.
Planning for the precision medicine initiative is going
like gangbusters, said Sharon F. Terry, chief executive of the
Genetic Alliance, an advocacy group for patients. But I have
grave concerns about the cost of medicines that will be
developed. The prices that weve been seeing for these
treatments are just not sustainable.
Mr. Obama pointed to cystic fibrosis as a disease that
was being treated effectively with a drug that helps people
with specific mutations in a particular gene. One of those
patients, William Elder Jr., attended his State of the Union
address.
What Mr. Obama did not say is that the list price for a
one-year supply of the drug, Kalydeco, is $311,000,
according to its manufacturer, Vertex Pharmaceuticals.
Cystic fibrosis clogs the lungs with mucus. Mr. Elder,
27, said in an interview that the cost of his treatments had
been covered by insurance, and he described the drug as a
godsend. He vividly recalled the day in 2012 when, after
numerous hospitalizations, he was able to breathe through
his nose for the first time in years. It was exhilarating, he
said.
Five years after passage of the Affordable Care Act,
drug prices are emerging again as a political issue. On a
presidential campaign stop in Iowa this month, Hillary
Rodham Clinton said the government needed to drive a
harder bargain with drug companies. In the latest monthly poll
by the Kaiser Family Foundation, the health care priority cited
most often, by Democrats and Republicans alike, was making
high-cost drugs affordable to people who need them.
The cost of analyzing a persons genes, using a
technique known as DNA sequencing, has declined sharply
in recent years, but the cost of medicines that target specific
genes or mutations is high and climbing higher.
A few examples show how expensive these drugs have
become.
For a standard course of treatment with Blincyto, a new
leukemia medicine sold by Amgen, the price is about
$178,000, the company said. The government designated
Blincyto a breakthrough therapy and gave it accelerated
approval in December after finding that it may offer a
substantial improvement over available therapies.
For Xalkori, a lung cancer drug made by Pfizer for
people with a genetic abnormality detected in a government-
approved test, the list price is $12,000 a month. Treatments

typically last seven months, the company said.
And for Gleevec, a targeted therapy to treat a certain
type of chronic myeloid leukemia, Novartis charges $9,210 a
month, and most patients will need lifelong therapy, said Eric
Althoff, a spokesman for the company.
All four companies Vertex, Amgen, Pfizer and
Novartis said they had patient assistance programs to
provide financial help or free medicines to people who could
not afford the drugs.
Despite such programs, Dr. John D. Bennett, president
of the Capital District Physicians Health Plan, which serves
460,000 people in upstate New York, said: The rising cost of
specialty drugs has the potential to bankrupt our health care
system. What good is a miracle drug if you cant afford it?
More than 40 million people have prescription drug
coverage through Medicare. The overall cost has been
significantly less than originally projected in 2003. But an
influential federal panel, the Medicare Payment Advisory
Commission, told Congress last month that the use of highcost drugs poses a big challenge for the government and for
Medicare beneficiaries, who typically pay 25 percent to 33
percent of the cost of specialty drugs.
It would be unfortunate if we make scientific progress
and then price patients out of the drugs we develop through
that progress, said Dr. Peter B. Bach, director of the Center
for Health Policy and Outcomes at Memorial Sloan Kettering
Cancer Center in New York.
U.S. To Set Tougher Standards For Companies

Running Medicaid
By Jay Hancock
HARTSVILLE, Tenn. Lynda Douglas thought she
had a deal with Tennessee. She would adopt and love a tiny,
unwanted, profoundly disabled girl named Charla. The private
insurance companies that run Tennessees Medicaid
program would cover Charlas health care.
Douglas doesnt think the state and its contractors have
held up their end. In recent years, she says, she has fought to
secure essential care for Charla.
If you have special-needs children, you would not want
to be taking care of these children and be harassed like this,
Douglas said. This is not right.
Across the country, state Medicaid programs, which
operate with large federal contributions, have outsourced
most of their care management to insurance companies like
the ones in Tennessee. The companies cover poor and
disabled Medicaid members in return for fixed payments from
taxpayers.
That helps government budgets but sets up a potential
conflict of interest: The less care these companies deliver, the
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more money they make. Nationwide, such firms had

operating profits of $2.4 billion last year, according to
regulatory data compiled by Mark Farrah Associates and
analyzed by Kaiser Health News.
In an attempt to manage that tension, Washington
regulators are about to initiate the biggest overhaul of
Medicaid managed-care rules in a decade. Prompted by the
growth of Medicaid outsourcing and concerns about access
to care, the regulations are expected to limit profits and set
stricter requirements for quality of care and the size of doctor
networks.
We want the enrollees to have timely access to
integrated, high-quality care, James Golden, who oversees
Medicaid managed care for the Department of Health and
Human Services, told a group of insurance executives in
February.
Tennessee Medicaid contractors operated by
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, UnitedHealthcare and
Anthem are among the most profitable Medicaid plans in
the country, according to data from Milliman, a consulting
firm.
State officials point to data on quality and survey results
as evidence that the companies are doing a good job while
allowing the state to spend far less on Medicaid than
predicted. In a survey last year, more than 90 percent of
customers using TennCare, as the program is known, said
they were very satisfied or somewhat satisfied, officials note.
TennCare Director Darin Gordon worries that new
federal rules could hinder states from improving Medicaid
quality while controlling costs. Dont hamstring us, he said.
But doctors and patient advocates say state savings
and insurer profits come at the price of inadequate physician
networks, long waits for care and denials of treatment.
Answering another question in the survey, 30 percent of
adults said the quality of their TennCare care last year was
fair or poor.
More than half of Medicaid beneficiaries in the nation
now receive coverage from managed-care companies. That
shift helped prompt inquiries by the HHS inspector general
last year that found widely varying state requirements for
access to doctors and poor information for members on
where to find them.
Policy experts believe that the proposed rules, expected
soon, will set stricter standards.
In Tennessee, where TennCares member-per-doctor
ratio for primary care is one of the worst among states that
have such rules, views diverge sharply on whether those
rules are necessary. Many, like Lynda Douglas, say the
system is far from adequate.
Douglas, 69, knew that she wanted to adopt Charla a
decade ago, as soon as she took the girl for foster care from
the state. Charlas problems include cerebral palsy, a badly
curved spine and frequent seizures. She is 16, cannot speak,

weighs less than 80 pounds and loves Barney the dinosaur.
Douglas, who lives about an hour east of Nashville, was
grateful that TennCare contractors sent daytime nurses to
monitor Charlas seizures and maintain a tube that delivers
medicine or nourishment eight times a day.
Then, more than a year ago, UnitedHealthcare reduced
the nursing to one hour a day, even though Charlas condition
hadnt improved. Douglas protested with the help of the
Tennessee Justice Center and a pro bono lawyer and won.
But TennCare appealed. It took two more rounds of
adjudication before a judge ruled in Douglass favor late last
year.
The managed-care companies are making a mint
down here, Douglas said. Theyre getting rich at the
expense of the kids. This is not right.
UnitedHealthcare made an operating profit of $236
million last year on revenue of $2.8 billion in its Tennessee
Medicaid business, according to state filings. Anthems
operating profit for TennCare came to $53 million on revenue
of $946 million. BlueCrosss operating profit for TennCare
was $121 million on revenue of $1.8 billion. Those results do
not include expenses for taxes, depreciation and other items
not directly related to health coverage.
Our care teams worked with the family and with
[Charla Douglass] physicians and other providers to assure
that her services were appropriate, UnitedHealthcare said in
a statement. The plan followed TennCares contract and care
guidelines, it said.
Gordon, the TennCare director, rejects suggestions that
managed-care networks are inadequate or that contractors
deny needed care.
TennCare members sometimes have trouble seeing
specialists, but so do patients in commercial plans, he said.
Like many state Medicaid directors, he wonders how HHS
can publish network rules for 50 states with widely varying
geographies and health systems.
He also doesnt accept that Medicaid plans need rules
that limit profits and force them to spend a minimum portion
of revenue on medical care. Written the wrong way, the
standard could discourage spending on coordinators who
improve care quality at decreased cost, he said.
Yeah, were a little concerned, he said. There are
some things that we think may have adverse effects.
Kaiser Health News is a national health policy news
service. It is an editorially independent program of the Henry
J. Kaiser Family Foundation.
Supreme Court Throws Out Obamacare

Contraception Ruling
By Lawrence Hurley
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But the groups said those extra steps created an

unjustified substantial burden and called for the same kind
of across-the-board exemption that houses of worship
received under the law.
Lower courts have generally ruled in favor of the
Obama administration, arguing that the extra form does not
constitute a substantial burden for companies and
organizations.
That bit of paperwork is more straightforward and
minimal than many that are staples of nonprofit organizations
compliance with law in the modern administrative state, U.S.
Circuit Judge Nina Pillard wrote.
Nationally, insurance companies have seen few
employers seeking exemptions from the birth control
mandate, according to a survey released last week by the
nonprofit, nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation.
All the carriers interviewed indicated that the number of
employers requesting accommodation represented only a
small fraction of their consumers and that they had very few,
if any requests for the religious accommodation, the report
found.
The study also found widespread issues of compliance
with the contraception mandate, even five years after its
passage into law.
While the provision was meant to provide free or lowcost birth control, the report found that many women still face
limitations in obtaining coverage.
This story was updated at 2:44 p.m.
Supreme Court Tosses Ruling In Favor Of

ObamaCare Mandate
By Sarah Ferris
The Supreme Court on Monday gave new life to a
lawsuit challenging ObamaCares contraception mandate,
striking down a previous ruling in favor of the federal
government.
The justices asked an appeals court in Cincinnati to
reconsider a legal challenge that the Catholic ministries in
Michigan and Tennessee filed against an ObamaCare
provision that requires employers to cover birth control for all
workers.The justices asked the lower court to reconsider the
case in light of last years landmark ruling on the
contraception mandate. That decision, issued last June, held
that the arts-and-crafts retailer Hobby Lobby could opt out of
the contraception mandate for religious reasons.
Since then, religious-affiliated companies and
organizations across the country have pushed new legal
challenges of the provision.
Religious freedom groups on Monday quickly cheered
the courts decision.
The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which filed an
amicus brief in the case, called it a strong signal that more
courts will ultimately take their side in the longstanding fight
against the ObamaCare mandate.
It makes it less likely that lower courts will accept
arguments the Supreme Court has rejected over and over
and over again, the groups senior counsel, Mark Rienzi,
wrote in a statement.
Mondays Michigan Catholic Conference v. Burwell
ruling marks the sixth time that the court has thrown out
decisions that upheld Obama administration policies, sending
the cases back to the lower courts for reconsideration.
The court also gave hope to Catholic groups last month
when it struck down a lower courts ruling requiring the
University of Notre Dame to follow the birth-control mandate.
That court will now revisit the case from the Roman Catholic
university.
The Michigan Catholic Conference, which describes
itself as the official voice of the Catholic Church in Michigan,
had joined with other Catholic ministries to demand an
exemption from the financial penalties for not providing
contraceptives in employee healthcare plans.
Under current law, the groups can receive an
exemption by writing a letter to the Health and Human
Services Department or filling out a two-page form to
document their objections.
Supreme Court Tells Another Court To

Reconsider Obamacare Mandate For Religious
Groups
By Tom Howell Jr.

The Supreme Court on Monday told yet another lower
court to reconsider cases from Catholic groups who object to
the part of Obamacare that requires employers to insure birth
control as part of their health plans.
Justices told the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth
Circuit to revisit its earlier decision in favor of the Obama
administration it wants religious nonprofits to comply with
its contraception mandate under a compromise framework
by applying the high courts decision last year in the Hobby
Lobby case.
In that decision, a divided court said closely held
corporations do not have to insure forms of contraception that
violate their moral or religious beliefs.
Several religious nonprofits are still fighting the
administration in court, however, and hoping for a similar
showdown before the justices.
Nonprofits like the Michigan Catholic Conference,
whose objections were kept alive by Mondays order, have
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told the Supreme Court they are complicit in sin under an

arrangement extended by the administration.
And theyve cheered a string of Supreme Court orders
that have put the mandate on hold while circuit-level courts
reconsider previous orders against the complaining groups.
Since December 2013, the justices have issued some form of
relief from the mandate to Little Sisters of the Poor in
Colorado, Hobby Lobby, Wheaton College in Illinois, Notre
Dame University in Indiana and Archbishop David A. Zubik
and the Diocese of Pittsburgh.
The government keeps making the same bad
arguments and the Supreme Court keeps rejecting them
every single time. This is because the government can
obviously come up with ways to distribute contraceptives
without the forced involvement of Catholic ministries, said
Mark Rienzi, senior counsel for the Becket Fund for Religious
Liberty, which closely tracks the cases.
And theyve cheered a string of Supreme Court orders
that have put the mandate on hold while circuit-level courts
reconsider previous orders against the complaining groups. In
March, the justices issued a similar order in favor of Notre
Dame University in Indiana.
Under Obamacares existing rules, faith-based
nonprofits must file objections to providing contraceptive
coverage in writing either to the Health and Human Services
Department or to their insurer or third-party administrator.
The nonprofits do not have to manage or pay for the
coverage their female workers receive, but objecting groups
say the notification still forces them to violate their beliefs.
The administration is still writing regulations to handle
objecting corporations, so faith-based groups say as of right
now theyre getting even worse treatment.
They want the administration to give them the type of
blanket exemption from the mandate that houses of worship
enjoy.
So far, circuit-level courts have tended to side with the
government, saying the nonprofits are not asked to do much
more than a bit of extra paperwork.
Religious liberty advocates are hopeful, though, they
will see a split in the circuit course that compels the Supreme
Court to take up their pleadings.
ending a drawn-out Capitol Hill struggle that began with

Lynchs nomination last Nov. 8. Since then, political
calculations made by both parties held her fate hostage and
foreshadowed further complications ahead.
Its about time, Biden said.
Time, however, is something Lynch might not have a lot
of.
The Obama administration has less than two years
remaining in office and faces a Congress controlled by
Republicans.
Tops on Lynchs to-do list are concerns such as finding
a new Drug Enforcement Administration chief who can
handle the agency following revelations about DEA agents
participating in overseas sex parties. Shell face tough
decisions about secret surveillance programs, asset seizures
and the sprawling federal prison complex, which accounts for
nearly one-third of the Justice Departments annual budget.
Of particular public concern will be how she manages
the Justice Departments response to a spate of allegations
about police violence against minorities, beginning last
August in Ferguson, Mo. On the very day that Lynch was
sworn in, a funeral took place just 40 miles from the nations
capital for Freddie Gray, a black resident of Baltimore who
died from a spinal cord injury while in police custody. The
funeral followed a weekend of street demonstrations.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest on Monday
acknowledged that Lynch could help address the community
distrust that has arisen in some cities.
I think there is the expectation that she could do some
important work in this area, Earnest said.
Under former Attorney General Eric Holder, the
departments Civil Rights Division undertook a record number
of investigations into a pattern or practice of discriminatory
behavior by local agencies.
We can imbue our criminal justice system with both
strength and fairness, for the protection of both the needs of
victims and the rights of all, Lynch said during brief remarks.
We can restore trust and faith both in our laws and in those
of us who enforce them.
She was accompanied to her swearing-in by her 83year-old father, Lorenzo; her brother Leonzo; and her
husband, Stephen Hargrove, as well as friends and
colleagues. Crowded into the wood-paneled Attorney
Generals Conference Room at the Justice Department, they
listened as she cast her rise as a classic American tale.
If a little girl from North Carolina who used to tell her
grandfather in the fields to lift her up on the back of his mule,
so she could see way up high, Granddaddy, can become the
chief law enforcement officer of the United States of America,
then we can do anything, Lynch said.
She praised her mother, Lorine, who was unable to
travel, as having raised a daughter whom she always told,
Lynch Sworn In As Attorney General, And A

Full Agenda Awaits
By Michael Doyle
WASHINGTON Loretta Lynch made history Monday
as she became the nations first female African-American
attorney general, who now must confront a litany of legal,
political and management challenges.
Vice President Joe Biden swore in the 55-year-old
Baptist ministers daughter, a native of Greensboro, N.C.,
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whatever the dream, whether lawyer, prosecutor or even

attorney general, of course you can.
Lynch replaces Holder, whose tenure since January
2009 was marked by acrimonious relations with
congressional Republicans amid what Biden termed a
climate of political hostility. The Senate confirmed Lynch last
Thursday on a 56-43 vote, more than two-and-a-half months
after her Jan. 28 confirmation hearing.
Democrats contributed to the confirmation delay by
deciding not to take up her nomination last year, while they
still controlled the Senate. Republicans unhappy with the
Obama administrations immigration policies then put her off
until an unrelated anti-human trafficking bill was finished.
Even though Loretta Lynch had to wait an unduly long
amount of time, America will find that she is worth waiting for,
asserted Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer of New York, a
longtime supporter.
Nonetheless, she may not get much of a political
honeymoon as the 83rd attorney general.
Lynch will confront all of her challenges while serving a
lame-duck president and dealing with a House of
Representatives and a Senate controlled by Republicans who
want to keep the administration on the defensive.
Were responsible for ensuring (the) laws are faithfully
implemented and carried out by the executive branch,
Republican Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa, the chairman of
the Senate Judiciary Committee, said at the National Press
Club on Monday. Its something that I dont think Congress
does enough of.
Lynch graduated from Harvard College and Harvard
Law School. She then served as a prosecutor in the Eastern
District of New York, based in Brooklyn, for 11 years,
handling myriad gun, narcotics and organized crime cases.
Her first stint as U.S. attorney, in the Eastern District of
New York, came during the final years of the Clinton
administration. She then went into private practice before
returning in 2010 as U.S. attorney in Brooklyn.
The U.S. attorneys job put Lynch atop a staff of about
170 attorneys and 150 support personnel. At the Justice
Department, she will oversee about 114,000 employees and
a budget of about $28 billion.
Some changes are already afoot. Holders politically
connected chief spokesman, Brian Fallon, has left the Justice
Department to take the top press secretary job with Hillary
Clintons presidential campaign.
With her husband at her side, along with her 83-yearold father, Lynch repeated the oath of office to Vice President
Biden during a ceremony at the Justice Department. Among
those in attendance were FBI Director James Comey and
Valerie Jarrett, a senior adviser to President Obama.
Its about time, Biden said as the packed attorney
generals conference room erupted in applause. Its about
time this woman is being sworn in. . . . This is a woman who
is incredibly qualified.
In her remarks, Lynch thanked Biden for his support
and counsel during the confirmation process. And its been
quite a process, she said to laughter.
Although Lynch was confirmed last week by a 56-43
vote, her nomination took nearly six months to reach the
Senate floor, with lawmakers repeatedly delaying the
process. The nomination also became tangled in politics over
legislation specifically a human-trafficking bill and when
it would come to the floor.
Lynch faces a host of challenges as she replaces
former attorney general Eric H. Holder Jr.
The department is under increasing pressure to weigh
in on excessive use of force by local police officers and is
overseeing several closely watched civil rights investigations.
Although Lynch has voiced strong opposition to the
legalization of marijuana, the department will also have to
contend with a changing landscape across the country, as
several states take more relaxed positions.
The Justice Department, meanwhile, is devoting
increasing resources to tackling cybercrime and preventing
cyberattacks.
On Monday, Lynch, 55, who twice served as U.S.
attorney for the Eastern District of New York in Brooklyn,
thanked her mother, a school librarian, and her father, a
fourth-generation Baptist minister who she said had traveled
to Washington to be at every hearing, every vote. Her
father, the Rev. Lorenzo Lynch, stood near her and held a
Bible on which she swore the oath of office.
Im here to tell you, if a little girl from North Carolina
who used to tell her grandfather in the fields to lift her up on
the back of his mule so she could see way up high
granddaddy can grow up to become the chief law
enforcement officer of the United States of America, we can
do anything, Lynch said.
Loretta Lynch Sworn In As U.S. Attorney

General
Loretta Lynch Is Sworn In As Attorney General
By Sari Horwitz
After months of delay by the Senate, Loretta E. Lynch
was sworn in Monday morning as the 83rd attorney general,
the first African American woman to serve as the nations top
law enforcement official.
By Jennifer Bendery
WASHINGTON Loretta Lynch was sworn in as U.S.
attorney general on Monday, becoming the first AfricanAmerican woman to fill the position.
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It seems like such an understatement to say my heart

is full, but it is, Lynch said. I have to thank the president for
his faith in me and asking me to lead the department that I
love to even greater heights.
Lynch, who until now was U.S. attorney for the Eastern
District of New York, was confirmed by the Senate last week
after months of GOP delays. Many Republicans voted
against her confirmation, not because she lacks the
qualifications but because they are mad about President
Barack Obamas recent executive action on immigration.
Lynch will defend the action in her new role.
During her remarks Monday, Lynch ticked off some of
her priorities as attorney general: fighting crime,
strengthening victims rights, combating cyberattacks and
ending the modern slavery of sex trafficking.
At the heart of that for me certainly is the desire to
leave this world a better place for us having been a part of it,
she said. The challenge in that, for you, for me, for all us that
love this department and love the law, is to use the law to that
end. To not just represent the law and to enforce the law, but
to use it to make real the promise of America, the promise of
fairness, the promise of equality, of liberty and justice for all.
Lynch added, If a little girl from North Carolina who
used to tell her grandfather in the fields to lift her up on the
back of his mule so she could see way up high, Granddaddy,
can grow up to become the chief law enforcement officer of
the United States of America, we can do anything.
Vice President Joe Biden swore in Lynch during a
ceremony at the Justice Department. Sen. Patrick Leahy (DVt.), one of her strongest proponents in the Senate, was also
in attendance.
Ladies and gentleman, its about time. Its about time
this woman is being sworn in, Biden said to applause,
turning to Lynch. We got tired of this wait. But you showed
such grace and such humility during this whole process.
Lynch replaces outgoing Attorney General Eric Holder,
who announced his resignation in September. Holder stayed
on the job until Lynch was confirmed.
We can protect the most vulnerable among us from the

scourge of modern-day slavery so antithetical to the values
forged in blood in this country. We can protect the growing
cyberworld. And we can give those in our care both protection
from terrorism and the security of their civil liberties, she
said.
My friends, we will do this as we have accomplished all
things both great and small: working together, moving forward
and using justice as our compass, added Lynch, a former top
prosecutor in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Lynch endured months of nomination drama in the
Senate that was largely disconnected from her own
credentials. Rather, her legal endorsement of Obamas
executive actions on immigration triggered a wave of
Republican opposition. Her nomination also got swept up in a
Senate-created drama over a human-trafficking bill.
Its about time this woman is being sworn in, Vice
President Joe Biden said, as he conducted the ceremony on
Monday.
Lynch said that while time on Earth is short, the values
we hold dear will live on long after weve left the stage.
She hearkened back to the days of her grandfather,
who was a sharecropper and pastor in her native state of
North Carolina.
Because Im here to tell you, if a little girl from North
Carolina who used to tell her grandfather in the fields to lift
her up on the back of his mule so she could see way up high,
granddaddy, can grow up to become the chief law
enforcement officer of the United States of America, we can
do anything, she said.
Loretta Lynch Sworn In As New US Attorney

General
By Eric Tucker
WASHINGTON (AP) Loretta Lynch was sworn in
Monday as the 83rd U.S. attorney general, the first AfricanAmerican woman to serve as the nations top law
enforcement official.
Speaking before family members, Justice Department
lawyers and supporters, Lynch said her confirmation as
attorney general showed that we can do anything and
pledged that the agency would use justice as our compass
in confronting terrorism, cyberattacks and other threats facing
the country.
We can imbue our criminal justice system with both
strength and fairness, for the protection of both the needs of
victims and the rights of all. We can restore trust and faith
both in our laws and in those of us who enforce them, Lynch
said, an apparent reference to ongoing efforts to repair
relations between police departments and minority
communities that they serve.
Joe Biden On Loretta Lynch: Its About Time
By Nick Gass
Loretta Lynch was officially sworn in Monday as the first
female African-American U.S. attorney general, after nearly
six months of politically contentious debate over her
nomination.
Well here we are, Lynch said with a laugh as she
began her speech, in which she thanked her family, President
Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and Sens. Chuck
Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) for their support.
The new attorney general struck an optimistic tone in
her remarks, pledging that the country can balance protection
from terrorism and maintain civil liberties.
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Vice President Joe Biden administered the oath of

office to Lynch at a Justice Department ceremony, calling
Lynch an incredibly qualified selection. He said Lynch had
shown grace during the months-long confirmation process, in
which her nomination became caught up in Congress a
dispute over human trafficking legislation.
The 55-year-old Lynch was confirmed by the Senate on
Thursday. She replaces Eric Holder, who left the position
Friday after serving as attorney general for six years.
Ladies and gentlemen, its about time its about time
this woman is being sworn in, Biden said to applause.
She was previously the U.S. attorney for the Eastern
District of New York, which encompasses much of New York
City, and is expected to serve as the top federal law
enforcement official for the remainder of the Obama
administration.
Lynch isnt expected to make radical departures from
Holders agenda, but has said she hopes to have a
productive relationship with Congress. Holder frequently
clashed with Republicans on Capitol Hill and was held in
contempt during a document dispute stemming from the Fast
and Furious federal investigation into gun trafficking.
The Harvard-educated Lynch grew up in North Carolina
during the civil rights movement of the 1960s, the daughter of
a librarian and a fourth-generation Baptist preacher who
Biden said would take his child to the courthouse to observe
important cases.
I am here to tell you, if a little girl from North Carolina
who used to tell her grandfather in the fields to lift her up on
the back of his mule, so she could see `way up high,
Granddaddy, can become the chief law enforcement officer
of the United States of America, then we can do anything,
Lynch said.
redistributed.
Her nomination was also a rare instance of President

Obama reaching outside his inner circle to fill a crucial post.
Unlike Eric H. Holder Jr., whom she succeeded, Ms. Lynch
has no personal ties to Mr. Obama or the White House.
Ms. Lynch said prosecutors were driven by a desire to
not just represent the law and enforce it, but use it to make
real the promise of America, the promise of fairness and
equality, of liberty and justice for all.
Pope Francis Steps Up Campaign On Climate

Change, To Conservatives Alarm
By Coral Davenport And Laurie Goodstein

WASHINGTON Since his first homily in 2013, Pope
Francis has preached about the need to protect the earth and
all of creation as part of a broad message on the
environment. It has caused little controversy so far.
But now, as Francis prepares to deliver what is likely to
be a highly influential encyclical this summer on
environmental degradation and the effects of human-caused
climate change on the poor, he is alarming some
conservatives in the United States who are loath to see the
Catholic Church reposition itself as a mighty voice in a cause
they do not believe in.
As part of the effort for the encyclical, top Vatican
officials will hold a summit meeting Tuesday to build
momentum for a campaign by Francis to urge world leaders
to enact a sweeping United Nations climate change accord in
Paris in December. The accord would for the first time commit
every nation to enact tough new laws to cut the emissions
that cause global warming.
The Vatican summit meeting will focus on the links
between poverty, economic development and climate
change, with speeches and panel discussions by climate
scientists and religious leaders, and economists like Jeffrey
Sachs of Columbia. The United Nations secretary general,
Ban Ki-moon, who is leading efforts to forge the Paris accord,
will deliver the opening address.
Vatican officials, who have spent more than a year
helping Francis prepare his message, have convened several
meetings already on the topic. Last month, they met with the
administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, Gina
McCarthy.
In the United States, the encyclical will be accompanied
by a 12-week campaign, now being prepared with the
participation of some Catholic bishops, to raise the issue of
climate change and environmental stewardship in sermons,
homilies, news media interviews and letters to newspaper
editors, said Dan Misleh, executive director of the Catholic
Climate Covenant in Washington.
But the effort is already angering a number of American
conservatives, among them members of the Heartland
Loretta Lynch Is Sworn In As Attorney General
By Matt Apuzzo
Loretta E. Lynch, a career federal prosecutor, was
sworn in Monday as the nations 83rd attorney general, as
Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. told a room full of Justice
Department officials: She is one of you.
Ms. Lynch worked her way up at the Justice
Department, starting as a prosecutor and ultimately serving
two stints as United States attorney in Brooklyn. Her
confirmation last week was the first time in nearly two
centuries that a United States attorney was elevated directly
to the position of attorney general. The last time was in 1817,
when President James Monroe chose William Wirt, the top
prosecutor in eastern Virginia, for the job.
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Institute, a libertarian group partly funded by the Charles G.

Koch Foundation, run by the billionaire industrialist Koch
brothers, who oppose climate policy.
The Holy Father is being misled by experts at the
United Nations who have proven unworthy of his trust,
Joseph Bast, the president of the Heartland Institute, said in a
statement. Though Pope Francis heart is surely in the right
place, he would do his flock and the world a disservice by
putting his moral authority behind the United Nations
unscientific agenda on the climate.
The institute plans to hold a news conference and panel
event in Rome on Tuesday in protest of the Vatican summit
meeting.
But climate policy advocates see a scheduled address
by the pope to Congress in September as a potent moment
about 30 percent of members of Congress are Catholics,
more than belong to any other religion, according to a study
published this year by the Pew Research Center.
Speaker John A. Boehner, Republican of Ohio, invited
the pope to speak to Congress, but some Catholics say that
Mr. Boehner should prepare for some uncomfortable
moments. Mr. Boehner, who is Catholic, has often criticized
the Obama administration for what he calls its job killing
environmental agenda.
I think Boehner was out of his mind to invite the pope
to speak to Congress, said the Rev. Thomas Reese, an
analyst at the National Catholic Reporter. Can you imagine
what the Republicans will do when he says, Youve got to do
something about global warming?
In addition, a number of Catholics including Jeb
Bush, Marco Rubio, Bobby Jindal, Chris Christie and Rick
Santorum are gearing up to compete for the Republican
presidential nomination, and most of them question the
science of human-caused climate change.
Several conservative Catholic intellectuals who expect
the popes message to bolster the vast majority of scientists
who hold that climate change is induced by human activity,
including Robert P. George, a Princeton law professor, have
published articles reminding Catholics that papal
pronouncements on science are not necessarily sound or
binding.
Maureen Mullarkey, a painter and writer, said in the
conservative journal First Things that Francis sullies his
office by using demagogic formulations to bully the populace
into reflexive climate action with no more substantive guide
than theologized propaganda.
Timothy E. Wirth, vice chairman of the United Nations
Foundation, said: Weve never seen a pope do anything like
this. No single individual has as much global sway as he
does. What he is doing will resonate in the government of any
country that has a leading Catholic constituency.
Francis, however, is not the first pope to push an
environmental message. His predecessor, Pope Benedict
XVI, called the green pope by some, wrote about the

environment and the impact of climate change in documents
that have been collected in a book, The Environment. But
Catholic and climate policy experts acknowledge that those
works had little substantive impact on global warming policy.
Francis policy moves on climate change, particularly
his use of the encyclical, go far beyond what has come
before. Catholics point to other papal encyclicals that have
had public policy impacts: Pope Leo XIIIs 1891 encyclical on
labor and workers rights is believed to have spurred the
workers rights movement and led to the creation of labor
unions.
I think this moves the needle, said Charles J. Reid Jr.,
a professor at the University of St. Thomas School of Law.
Benedict was an ivory-tower academic. He wrote books and
hoped they would persuade by reason. But Pope Francis
knows how to sell his ideas. He is engaged in the
marketplace.
Francis, who chose the name of St. Francis of Assisi,
the patron saint of animals and the environment, has had far
more influence on the church and public. Born in Argentina,
Francis draws cheering crowds from around the world and
millions of followers to his social media accounts. He has
been embraced for his humility, antipoverty agenda,
progressive statements on social issues and efforts to reform
the Vatican bureaucracy.
This month he said in a Twitter post: We need to care
for the earth so that it may continue, as God willed, to be a
source of life for the entire human family.
The popes influence on the Paris climate accord may
be strongest in Latin America. In past years, Latin American
countries have resisted efforts to enact climate policy, arguing
that developing economies should not have to cut emissions
while developed economies continue to pollute.
But over the past year, some Latin American
governments have signaled a willingness to step forward on
climate policy, and this year Mexico became one of the first
nations to submit a plan ahead of the Paris talks.
This pope is more than just a church leader he is a
political leader, particularly in Latin America, said Romina
Picolotti, president of the Center for Human Rights and
Environment in Argentina. Youth in Latin America are really
following him closely.
Obama Expects Climate Change To Be On

Agenda When Pope Visits
By Gerald F. Seib
128
OPS054000511
Blame Game: Climate Change Causing

Extreme Weather
Kevin Trenberth, climate analysis chief at the National

Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo., gave it a
mixed review.
The paper is interesting and has some results that may
be reasonably OK, he said. However, the paper is based
almost entirely on models with little or no validation or
relations to the real world. None of the models do
precipitation realistically, and some are quite bad.
By Doyle Rice
Man-made global warming is responsible for about 75%
of all hot-temperature extremes worldwide in the past 100
years, according to a study published Monday in the British
journal Nature Climate Change.
It is also responsible for about 18% of heavy rainfall, the
study said.
Even worse, climate change will cause higher
percentages of extreme weather in future decades. For
example, by the middle of this century, if temperatures
continue to increase, about 95% of all heat waves and
about 40% of precipitation extremes will be due to human
influence.
Man-made climate change is caused by the burning of
fossil fuels such as gas, coal and oil, which release
greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide into the atmosphere,
warming the globe to levels that cannot be explained by
natural variability.
The studys scientists used 25 climate computer models
to test their theories. Lead author Erich Fischer, a climate
scientist at ETH Zurich, a Swiss university, said the models
agree remarkably well on the change in heavy rainfall and
hot extremes at the global scale.
The idea that almost half of heavy rainfall events would
not have occurred were it not for climate change is a sobering
thought for policymakers seeking to mitigate and adapt to
climate change, wrote Peter Stott of the United Kingdoms
Hadley Centre in a commentary that accompanied the study.
This research looked only at extreme heat and
precipitation. We do not look at droughts like the one in
California or tropical cyclones (hurricanes), Fischer said. In
fact, we argue that not all kinds of weather necessarily
become more extreme.
Experts not affiliated with the study said the research
was sound, if unsurprising. Past research from the United
Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has
shown that heat waves and heavy precipitation can be
attributed in some part to global warming, said Roger Pielke,
a University of Colorado professor of environmental studies.
This paper is perfectly consistent with that review,
Pielke added. He also acknowledged there has been no solid
link between climate change and increased levels or intensity
of floods, tornadoes, droughts or hurricanes.
These new results should come as no surprise to
anyone who has been following the science of climate
change and variability, said research meteorologist Martin
Hoerling of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration.
New Study Links Weather Extremes To Global

Warming
By Justin Gillis
The moderate global warming that has already
occurred as a result of human emissions is responsible for
about 75 percent of daily heat extremes, and about 18
percent of precipitation extremes, scientists reported Monday.
Especially hot days of a sort that occurred only once
every 30 years or so before the Industrial Revolution are now
occurring every six or seven years, the scientists found. Such
scorching days could become near-annual events by late this
century even if emissions are brought under control, the
researchers said, and could occur several times a year if they
are not.
The new research builds on those predictions of
frequency and attempts to answer the question: To what
degree are the changes attributable to human-caused climate
change?
People can argue that we had these kinds of extremes
well before human influence on the climate we had them
centuries ago, said Erich M. Fischer, lead author of a study
published Monday by the journal Nature Climate Change.
And thats correct. But the odds have changed, and we get
more of them.
The study by Dr. Fischer and his colleague Reto Knutti,
of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, is not
the first to attribute large-scale changes in extreme weather
to human influence on the climate. But it is among the first to
forecast, at a global scale, how those extremes might change
with continued global warming.
The question is important because while a gradual
increase in average temperatures can have profound
ecological consequences, it is weather extremes that have
the greatest effect on human society. A 1995 heat wave in
Chicago killed hundreds of people, and a 2003 heat wave in
Europe killed an estimated 70,000.
Scientists believe both were made more likely by the
human emissions that are warming the planet, and heat on
that scale will become commonplace if emissions are allowed
to continue unabated. For now, though, such heat extremes
Chicago temperatures were near or above 100 degrees for
129
OPS054000512
four days running that July are still rare, which makes them
difficult to study in a statistical sense.
For their paper, Dr. Fischer and Dr. Knutti focused on
more common heat and precipitation extremes, the sort
occurring about every three years. To perform a global study,
they defined extremes not on an absolute scale, but in terms
of what local weather is like after all, a hot day in North
Dakota might be pretty routine in Texas.
These weather extremes still have important
consequences, even if they are not as severe as those of
great heat waves. Such hot days can, for example, cut farm
yields sharply and drive up food prices.
The researchers found that 75 percent of the daily heat
extremes in the present-day climate were a consequence of
the planetary warming that has occurred since the 19th
century, a global average rise of about 1.5 degrees
Fahrenheit. They found a smaller effect on precipitation, but it
was still significant, with about 18 percent of the extremes in
todays climate attributable to global warming. That is a
planetary average, Dr. Fischer said, with the effect being
small in some regions and much larger in others.
If efforts to control emissions are unsuccessful, and
temperatures by the end of the century rise as much as some
experts fear, both heat and precipitation extremes will
skyrocket, with human-caused global warming likely to be
responsible for half the precipitation extremes and perhaps
90 percent of the heat extremes in that climate, the
researchers found.
The change being seen today in precipitation patterns
was predicted decades ago, based on the elementary fact
that warmer air can hold more moisture. Other researchers
have found that the increase is leading to heavier rainstorms
across large parts of the United States, with the biggest effect
occurring in the Northeast. At the same time, warmer
temperatures are worsening the effects of droughts when
they do occur, as in California over the last few years.
The bottom line is that things are not that complicated,
Dr. Knutti said. You make the world a degree or two warmer,
and there will be more hot days. There will be more moisture
in the atmosphere, so that must come down somewhere.
of the University of Buckingham, said in a statement released

by The Global Warming Policy Foundation.
While we believe that the 20th century warming is real,
we are concerned by claims that the actual trend is different
from or less certain than has been suggested, said
Kealey, who has been appointed chairman of the
foundations investigative task force. We hope to perform a
valuable public service by getting everything out into the
open.
Climate agencies, like NOAA and NASA, routinely
make adjustments to raw temperature readings to get rid of
biases in the data. Scientists say that making adjustments is
important to making the temperature record more accurate,
but some question the size of the adjustments made by
climate agencies.
Scientists skeptical of man-made global warming tend
to argue that such adjustments pretty much always increase
the warming trend in the data to reinforce the theory that
human activities are the main cause of warming in the past
few decades.
NOAA, for example, has been criticized for lowering
past temperatures and raising more recent ones both of
which create a more prominent warming trend. Recently, Dr.
Roy Spencer, a climatologist at the University of Alabama in
Huntsville, found that NOAA had adjusted U.S. Corn Belt
summer temperatures to create a warming trend that didnt
exist in the data last year.
I was updating a U.S. Corn Belt summer temperature
and precipitation dataset from [NOAAs National Climatic
Data Center] website, and all of a sudden the no-warmingtrend-since-1900 turned into a significant warming trend,
Spencer wrote on his blog in March.
Spencer noted that NCDCs adjustments made the
warming trend for the region increase from just 0.2 degrees
Fahrenheit per century to 0.6 degrees per century.
Science blogger Steven Goddard (a pseudonym) has
long documented temperature adjustments made by NCDC.
Goddard told The Daily Caller News Foundation in February
that NCDC pulls every trick in the book to turn the US
cooling trend into warming.
Kealeys task force is accepting evidence from skeptics
and non-skeptics alike to get to the bottom of the data
controversy. Kealey says the task force will help the public
understand the challenges in assembling climate data sets,
the influence of adjustments and modifications to the data,
and whether they are justifiable or not.
Evidence of data tampering put together by Goddard
and others have even sparked interest from Republican
lawmakers in both chambers of Congress. Republicans have
vowed to hold hearings on climate science, including how
government agencies make adjustments to temperature data.
Scientists To Investigate Government Climate

Data Tampering
By Michael Bastasch
Government climate agencies may be tampering with
temperature data to make global warming seem more
extreme than its actually been. At least, thats what a panel of
veteran scientists has been assembled to investigate.
Many people have found the extent of adjustments to
the data surprising, Terence Kealey, former vice-chancellor
130
OPS054000513
@caerbannog666 expect there to be congressional

hearings into NASA altering weather station data to falsely
indicate warming & sea rise
Dana Rohrabacher (@DanaRohrabacher) February
20, 2015
The NOAA justifies these data adjustments for a
number of reasons. The agency gathers data from thousands
of weather stations, ocean buoys, ships and other sources to
put together comprehensive global temperature trends. Its
not a perfect system, and individual weather stations and
such can have their temperatures influenced by being in a
city or airport this tends to make the region seem warmer
because of the urban heat island effect.
Lots of other adjustments have been made to take into
account the different technologies and techniques for
measuring temperatures. For example, the biggest
temperature adjustment made by NOAA is to take into
account the changes in the time of day temperatures have
been observed over the decades.
For whatever reason, more thermometer readings are
taken in the morning now, as opposed to the afternoon this
created a cooling bias in the data that needed to be
corrected, according to NOAA. The agency compensates by
cooling past data relative to the present.
Goddard says the adjustments serve to create a major
warming trend that just isnt present in the raw data.
The raw data shows cooling since the 1920s,
Goddard said. NCDC does a hockey stick of adjustments to
reverse the trend. This includes cooling the past for time of
observation bias, infilling missing rural data with urban
temperatures, and doing almost nothing to compensate for
urban heat island effects.
Among the top for-profit recipients of Post-9/11 GI Bill

funds, seven of the eight companies are currently under
investigation for deceptive and misleading recruiting or other
possible violations of state and federal law.
According to a 2013 analysis from the Department of
Education obtained by the Center for Investigative Reporting,
133 for-profit colleges received more than 90 percent of their
revenues from taxpayers when Department of Defense and
Veterans Affairs benefits were counted as federal education
assistance. Another 292 institutions received more than 85
percent.
President Obamas 2016 budget proposes closing the
90/10 loophole, but the letter asks that the Department of
Education include the amount and percentage of institutions
revenues that are received from all federal educational
programs. That data currently is not public.
Last year, Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson
sued the Woodbury-based Globe University and its sister
school, the Minnesota School of Business, accusing the
schools of using high-pressure sales tactics to mislead
criminal-justice and other students about their job prospects
after graduation. Many of them were veterans using their GI
Bill benefits.
Corinthians Last Rites
The feds and Kamala Harris put 16,000 students on

the street.
Senators, Including Franken, Want To Close GI

Bill Loophole For For-profit Colleges
By Mark Brunswick, Star Tribune

Minneapolis Star Tribune, April 28, 2015
A group of 20 U.S. senators, including Minnesotas Al
Franken, sent a letter to Department of Education Secretary
Arne Duncan last week asking him to assist in closing a
loophole that allows for-profit colleges to count GI Bill benefits
as nonfederal funding in their revenue breakdowns.
Its called the 90/10 rule. Its intended to cap federal
funding for for-profit colleges at 90 percent of their revenue.
The other 10 percent needs to come from sources other than
the federal government. But right now, tuition assistance for
service members and the GI Bill are not included in the
calculation.
The letter raises concerns that active-duty service
members and veterans have been targeted by some for-profit
colleges because of the attractiveness of access to their GI
Bill funding.
131
OPS054000514
From:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Subject:
Date:
Attachments:
FEMA Component Highlights for Tuesday, April 28, 2015

FEMA Component Highlights 04-28-2015.docx
FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY

Component Highlights
As of 3:00 a.m. EDT, Tuesday, April 28, 2015
NRCC: Not activated; NWC: Watch/Steady State
Significant Events:
Civil Unrest Baltimore, MD
Violent activity erupted in Baltimore, MD on April 27, 2015
Multiple vehicles and buildings were set on fire
Multiple altercations occurred between police and rioters; 15 police officers reported
injured
Over 20 arrests reported
MD EOC activated to Level II (Partial Activation)
Governor of MD declared a State of Emergency
MD National Guard activated in support of Maryland State Police
Citywide curfew in effect this evening from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m., will remain in effect
for 1 week
Baltimore City public schools will be closed today
Significant Weather:
Severe thunderstorms possible Lower Mississippi Valley to Southeast
Rain Pacific Northwest, Southwest, Northern/Southern Plains, Upper Mississippi Valley,
Tennessee Valley, Southeast & New England
Red Flag Warnings none
Elevated Fire Weather none
Space Weather no space weather storms were observed for the past 24 hours; no space
weather storms are predicted for the next 24 hours
Tropical Activity: No activity affecting U.S. territories or interests
Earthquake Activity:
Domestic: No significant activity affecting US territories or interests
International: M7.8 Nepal- Update from April 27
Occurred April 25, 48 miles NW of Kathmandu, Nepal at a depth of 9.3 miles
Nepal Government reports over 3,815 fatalities, over 7,000 injuries and extensive damage
An estimated over 8 million people impacted; 1.4 million requiring food/shelter assistance
Aftershocks continue
Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) including US&R VA-TFI (USA-1) will arrive
OPS054000515
OPS054000516
FEMA Daily Situational Awareness Report

Tuesday, April 28, 2015
FEMA Headquarters
NRCC: Not activated; NWC: Watch/Steady State (24/7)
N-IMAT East 1: Green / Available
N-IMAT East 2: Blue / Reconstituting
N-IMAT West: Green / Available
5 Joint Field Offices; 11 Major Disaster Declarations; 0 Emergency Declarations
Civil Unrest - Baltimore, MD
Situation:
Violent riots & looting erupted in Baltimore, MD yesterday following the funeral of a local citizen who died
while in police custody
Law enforcement vehicles & approx. 20 structures were burned
Widespread property damage to local businesses
Rioters targeted first responders
Fifteen police officers & one firefighter injured; three police in serious condition
Several additional injuries reported; no incident related fatalities
State Response:
MD Governor declared a State of Emergency for Baltimore
MD State EOC activated to Level II (Partial Activation); Baltimore City EOC is Fully Activated at Level 1
MD National Guard activated 1,950 personnel to assist State & City Police
MEMAC & EMAC resources requested for law enforcement/EMS assistance
Baltimore City public schools closed today; State Offices on liberal leave
Citywide curfew in effect starting tonight (10:00 pm - 5:00 am EDT) for 1 week
School aged curfew begins at 9:00pm
BCFD responded to 19 structure fires and 144 vehicle fires; Tow trucks, solid waste, and street sweeper crews
are working to clear streets of debris
Incident Management Assistance Team from Howard/Harford counties activated at Level 3
FEMA Region III remains at Watch/Steady State
FEMA Region III LNO deployed to Maryland SEOC
No request for FEMA assistance
Region I
RRCC Status: Green / Not Activated; Watch: Maynard MOC (24/7)
IMAT-1: Green / Available
Current Situation: No significant activity
Ongoing PDAs: None
Open Disasters/Emergencies (DR/EM):
FEMA-4207-DR-VT
FEMA-4208-DR-ME
FEMA-4212-DR-RI
FEMA-4213-DR-CT
FEMA-4209-DR-NH
FEMA-4214-DR-MA
Region II
RRCC Status: Green / Not Activated; Watch: (24/7)
Ongoing PDAs: None
Open Disasters/Emergencies (DR/EM): FEMA-4204-DR-NY (Closing April 30)
OPS054000517
Region III
IMAT-1: Blue / Deployed to WV
Current Situation: Civil Unrest, Baltimore, MD
Ongoing PDAs:
State
Event/Date
IA/PA
WV
Rain & Flooding Apr 8, 2015
PA
Open Disasters/Emergencies (DR/EM): FEMA-4210-DR-WV
# of Counties
Requested Completed
12
12 (+4)
Start/End
Date
4/21-4/28
Region IV
IMAT-3: Red / Not Mission Capable (Personnel Shortage)
Current Situation: Marginal risk of strong storms along the Gulf Coast and Florida where tornadoes, hail,
damaging winds and flash flooding will be the main threat
Ongoing PDAs:
# of Counties
Start/End
State
Event/Date
IA/PA
Date
Requested Completed
KY
Severe Weather/Snow Storm, March 4-7, 2015
PA
2
0
TBD
Open Disasters/Emergencies (DR/EM): FEMA-4211-DR-TN
FEMA-4215-DR-GA
Governor requested a major disaster declaration as a result of severe winter storm, flooding, landslides, and
mudslides during the period of Mar 3- 9, 2015
Specifically requesting Public Assistance for 68 counties; Hazard Mitigation for the entire commonwealth
Region V
Ongoing PDAs: None
Open Disasters/Emergencies (DR/EM): None
Region VI
RRCC Status: Green / Not Activated; Watch: Enhanced Watch (Extended dayshift); Denton MOC (24/7)
IMAT-3: Red / Not Mission Capable (new team in training April 6 July 24)
Current Situation:
Showers and strong thunderstorms possible across portions of southeast Louisiana
Ongoing PDAs: None
Region VII
Ongoing PDAs: None
Region VIII
OPS054000518

Ongoing PDAs: None
Region IX
IMAT-1: Red / Non-Mission Capable (staffing shortage)
Ongoing PDAs: None
Open Disasters/Emergencies (DR/EM): FEMA-4201-DR-HI
Region X
RRCC Status: Green / Not Activated; Watch: Bothell MOC (24/7)
Ongoing PDAs: None
OPS054000519
From:
To:
Subject:
Date:
Attachments:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
FEMA Daily Situational Awareness Report for April 28, 2015

FEMA Daily Situational Awareness Report 04-28-2015.docx

Tuesday, April 28, 2015
FEMA Headquarters
N-IMAT East 2: Blue / Reconstituting
Civil Unrest - Baltimore, MD
Situation:
Violent riots & looting erupted in Baltimore, MD yesterday following the funeral of a local
citizen who died while in police custody
Law enforcement vehicles & approx. 20 structures were burned
Widespread property damage to local businesses
Rioters targeted first responders
Fifteen police officers & one firefighter injured; three police in serious condition
Several additional injuries reported; no incident related fatalities
OPS054000520
State Response:
MD Governor declared a State of Emergency for Baltimore
MD State EOC activated to Level II (Partial Activation); Baltimore City EOC is Fully
Activated at Level 1
MD National Guard activated 1,950 personnel to assist State & City Police
MEMAC & EMAC resources requested for law enforcement/EMS assistance
Baltimore City public schools closed today; State Offices on liberal leave
Citywide curfew in effect starting tonight (10:00 pm - 5:00 am EDT) for 1 week
School aged curfew begins at 9:00pm
BCFD responded to 19 structure fires and 144 vehicle fires; Tow trucks, solid waste, and
street sweeper crews are working to clear streets of debris
Incident Management Assistance Team from Howard/Harford counties activated at Level 3
FEMA Region III remains at Watch/Steady State
FEMA Region III LNO deployed to Maryland SEOC
No request for FEMA assistance
Region I
Ongoing PDAs: None
FEMA-4207-DR-VT
DR-NH
FEMA-4208-DR-ME
FEMA-4209-
FEMA-4212-DR-RI
DR-MA
FEMA-4213-DR-CT
FEMA-4214-
Region II
Ongoing PDAs: None
OPS054000521
Region III
Current Situation: Civil Unrest, Baltimore, MD
Ongoing PDAs: See Attachment
Region IV
Current Situation: Marginal risk of strong storms along the Gulf Coast and Florida where
tornadoes, hail, damaging winds and flash flooding will be the main threat
FEMA-4215-DRGA
Governor requested a major disaster declaration as a result of severe winter storm, flooding,
landslides, and mudslides during the period of Mar 3- 9, 2015
Specifically requesting Public Assistance for 68 counties; Hazard Mitigation for the entire
commonwealth
Region V
Ongoing PDAs: None
Region VI
RRCC Status: Green / Not Activated; Watch: Enhanced Watch (Extended dayshift);
Denton MOC (24/7)
OPS054000522
Current Situation:
Showers and strong thunderstorms possible across portions of southeast Louisiana
Ongoing PDAs: None
Region VII
Ongoing PDAs: None
Region VIII
Ongoing PDAs: None
Region IX
Ongoing PDAs: None
Region X
RRCC Status: Green / Not Activated; Watch: Bothell MOC (24/7)
OPS054000523

Ongoing PDAs: None
OPS054000524
OPS054000525
Subject: FEMA Region III Spot Report 15-080 (CIR #2, #5, #12, & #14): Baltimore City Protests &
Violence (Update #5)
Importance: High
REPORT 15 - 080
SPOT REPORT: Update 5
CIR(s) TRIGGERED: #2 Any declaration of an emergency by the President,
a State Governor or County Government. Additionally, any Small Business
Administration (SBA) Declaration issued by the SBA Administrator ; #5
Changes in Emergency Operations Status EOC activation level at the State or
County level; #12 Fires in urban areas within the Region that reach three (3)
alarms. Forest and rural areas fires that trigger additional CIRs; #14 Districtwide school closures that are not related to snow emergencies
STATE: Maryland
INCIDENT: Law Enforcement
REPORT DATE/TIME: Tuesday, April 28, 2015 / 5:37 a.m.
INCIDENT DESCRIPTION: (Updates in RED)
Baltimore Mayors Office of Emergency Management reports:
Eight active structure fires; Approximately twenty structure fires since
onset of incident; Numerous mutual aid resources utilized; One fire
department vehicle damaged
Three Alarm fire at Federal Street and North Gay Street
Numerous vehicle fires
Fifteen Baltimore City Police Department officers injured; Three in
Serious condition
Several institutions are on lock-down, including Maryland Institute
College of Arts and John Hopkins University
Baltimore City Public Schools are closed on Tuesday, April 28th
Several injuries reported; no incident related fatalities reported
Local State of Emergency declared for seven days beginning April 27th
City of Baltimore EOC is at LEVEL I (FULL Activation)
Local bus routes have major delays in affected area and are diverting
around Mondawmin area; All other public transportation are operating
on regular schedule
Local debris removal from city streets being coordinated
One emergency shelter opened at The War Memorial
OPS054000526
MEMAC and EMAC resources requested for law enforcement assistance

Anticipated that city hospitals may experiencing difficulties with staffing
due to security concerns
Maryland SEOC reports
State Government offices located in Baltimore City only will be closed
from 6:00 a.m. through the end of day shift for April 28th
Baltimore Federal offices will be operating under the Liberal Leave
Policy for Tuesday, April 28th
Three State shelters (Coppin State university / Jewish Community Center
/ UMBC) have been placed on stand-by
450 Maryland National Guard members will be deployed with Maryland
State Police by 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, April 28th; commander Kate
Hession (SEOC)
Baltimore County, Anne Arundel, and Howard Counties supporting
additional firefighting resource requirements; Prince Georges County
standing by to provide additional support
District of Columbia and Pennsylvania providing 84 law enforcement
personnel by 9:00 a.m. Tuesday, April 28th
Montgomery, Anne Arundle, Howard, Prince Georges, Harford
Counties , and Baltimore County supporting with 233 law enforcement
personnel by 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 29th
District of Columbia deploying three engines, one heavy rescue, and one
Battalion Chief to Baltimore City under firefighting mutual aid
agreement
Garrett, Allegheny, Washington, Fredericks, Prince Georges, and
Montgomery Counties providing law enforcement resources to
Baltimore City Police Department
Update #4 (11:12 p.m. / April 27th)

Protests, looting, and violent activities continuing in City of Baltimore.
Additional law enforcement resources requested by Baltimore City Police
Department. Garrett, Allegheny, Washington, Frederick, Prince Georges, and
Montgomery Counties in Maryland are providing assistance. Approximately,
OPS054000527
5,000 Maryland National Guard members on alert with some currently

activated in support of the Maryland State Police.
Two Baltimore Police Department Officers are reported hospitalized.
Three Alarm fire at Federal Street and North Gay Street confirmed related to
riot activities. Property damage is wide spread in protest areas with additional
fires set by individuals participating in the rioting with rioters sabotaging fire
department efforts. Increased numbers of arrests and injuries have been
reported. Baltimore government vehicles and buildings targeted.
Curfew in place for all individuals under 18 yrs old. Curfew issued for
tomorrow night (28th) from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. and will continue for up to
one week.
Baltimore City schools will be closed on Tuesday, April 28th.
During 8:50 p.m. press conference, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan,
announced that Maryland National Guard will provide assistance to Maryland
State Police and Baltimore City Police Department.
Attorney General Loretta Lynch released the following statement:
I condemn the senseless acts of violence by some individuals in
Baltimore that have resulted in harm to law enforcement officers,
destruction of property and a shattering of the peace in the city of
Baltimore. Those who commit violent actions, ostensibly in protest of
the death of Freddie Gray, do a disservice to his family, to his loved
ones, and to legitimate peaceful protestors who are working to improve
their community for all its residents.
The Department of Justice stands ready to provide any assistance that
might be helpful. The Civil Rights Division and the FBI have an
ongoing, independent criminal civil rights investigation into the tragic
death of Mr. Gray. We will continue our careful and deliberate
examination of the facts in the coming days and weeks. The
departments Office of Community Oriented Policing Services has also
been fully engaged in a collaborative review of the Baltimore City
Police Department. The departments Community Relations Service has
already been on the ground, and they are sending additional resources as
they continue to work with all parties to reduce tensions and promote the
safety of the community. And in the coming days, Vanita Gupta, head of
the Civil Rights Division, and Ronald Davis, Director of Community
Oriented Policing Services, will be traveling to Baltimore to meet with
OPS054000528
faith and community leaders, as well as city officials.

As our investigative process continues, I strongly urge every member of
the Baltimore community to adhere to the principles of nonviolence. In
the days ahead, I intend to work with leaders throughout Baltimore to
ensure that we can protect the security and civil rights of all residents.
And I will bring the full resources of the Department of Justice to bear in
protecting those under threat, investigating wrongdoing, and securing an
end to violence.
Media reports three alarm fire at Federal Street and North Gay Street. Active
looting is being reported on camera by local and national media.
During 8:00 p.m. press conference with Baltimore Mayor, Honorable Stephanie
Rawlings-Blake, fifteen officers were reported injured. A curfew is issued for
the city to combat looting of local businesses and destruction of government
vehicles and buildings. The City of Baltimore has requested assistance from
the Maryland State Police.
The Baltimore Orioles game is cancelled for Monday night.
Maryland SEOC has increased to LEVEL II (PARTIAL ACTIVATION) as of
7:15 p.m.
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has declared a State of Emergency and 7:15
p.m. and has activated the National Guard to address the growing violence and
unrest in Baltimore City. An 8:30 p.m. press conference is scheduled for
Governor Hogan, Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford, and National Guard Adjutant
General Linda Singh, to address the situation and State response. The Mayor
of Baltimore City, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, has declared a State of
Emergency as of 5:30 p.m.
Media reports at least six police officers have been injured and have been
transported to local hospitals, and at least 35 individuals have been arrested
(Baltimore Sun). Earlier in the day National and local Media
(FoxNews/CNN/Baltimore Sun) reported intelligence reports that several
criminal gangs (Black Guerrilla Family, the Bloods, and the Crips) have
advocated violence against Baltimore City Police Officers. The majority of
the incident is occurring near Mondawmin Mall and Camden Yards. Media
Fans attending the Orioles game have been sheltered in place. Metro train
OPS054000529
protests.
Initial Information (5:36 p.m. / April 27th)
City .
Coordinates: N/A
Fatalities. NA
Injuries. Fifteen Baltimore City Police Officers reported injured; Three in
serious condition. Civilian injuries number and conditions unknown.
Evacuations. NA
CIKR Impacts. NA

SOURCE OF INFORMATION: Maryland SEOC / Baltimore Mayors Office

of Emergency Management / NICC / National and Local Media / NC4
OPS054000530
OPS054000531
REPORT DATE/TIME: Tuesday, April 28, 2015 / 7:00pm

INCIDENT DESCRIPTION: (Updates in RED)
Mayor of Baltimore declared State of Emergency @ 5:30 p.m. on April
27th.
City of Baltimore EOC is at Level I (Full Activation)
Maryland Governor declared State of Emergency @ 7:15 p.m. on April 27th
Maryland SEOC increased to LEVEL II (PARTIAL Activation) @ 7:15
p.m. on April 27th.
FEMA Region III RWC remains at Normal Operations. RRCC is not
activated. FEMA Region III LNO is deployed to the Maryland SEOC
There have been no requests for FEMA assistance
Tonights Orioles/White Sox game has been postponed. Wednesdays game
will be closed to the public.
National Guard (R3 DCE reporting):
Total activation increased to 1,950 personnel on State Active Duty. No
Anticipated requirements for Title 10 Support.
NG will deploy to the following locations: Baltimore Inner
Harbor/Harbor Place, BPD Western District, Baltimore City Hall,
Harbor East, Harbor East, UMD Shock Trauma Center, Johns Hopkins.
The Curfew (10 PM to 5 AM) applies to all persons within the City of
Baltimore including those travelling through the City, excluding only:
Public safety officers, Persons working for the federal, state, and local
law enforcement, Legislative offices and their aides, Persons employed
by a Health Care Facility who are travelling to or from the Health Care
Facility, Persons going to and from work, Persons suffering a health
emergency who are travelling to a Health Care Facility, Individuals
traveling through Baltimore City via Interstate 95 who are not driving
into the City
Maryland SEOC reports (SITREP #3 / 7:00 p.m. April 28th):
State is monitoring social media and tracking various threats, bracing for
increased activity this evening.
MD SEOC continues to coordinate resource requests. Several MEMAC
and EMAC requests submitted for security of critical infrastructure and
government facilities. Maryland National Guard providing security at
some health facilities, including pharmacies.
OPS054000532
Transportation Update:
Light Rail: Full Service, operating as scheduled. Single tracking
from Mount Washington to Lutherville.
Metro: Mondawmin, Penn North, and Upton closed. Service
operating as scheduled. Access to the bridge at Rogers Avenue
Station has been closed.
Bus: Bus Loop at Mondawmin Closed, 15, 20, 44, and 57 diverted
away from Security Mall commencing at 1pm. Normal bus
service into Mondawmin (by passing the loop). Busses are
bypassing all locations with protest activity.
Mobility: Operating full service with no reported disruptions. There
are nine (9) site closures reported.
Baltimore Federal offices will be operating under the Liberal Leave
Policy for Tuesday, April 28th
VA Regional Office, VA Benefits Academy, U.S. District
Courthouse, DOJ Office for Immigration Review, HHS-Center for
Medicare & Medicaid Services in Baltimore is closing at noon
today, Social Security Administration is closing at noon today
Howard Co has activated its EOC to a Level 3 to monitor and assist
Baltimore City with Public Safety Activities.
Out-of-state EMAC law enforcement assets are being provided by:
DC: 45
NJ: 150
PA: 300
Staging area is Lot A at Camden Yards stadium
MEMA continues to employ a variety of state and local solutions to feed
and house out-of-state law enforcement assetsincluding NG facilities.
No Hospital or EMS issues to report
State Government offices located in Baltimore City only will be closed
from 6:00 a.m. through the end of day shift for April 28th
Three State shelters (Coppin State university / Jewish Community
Center / UMBC) have been placed on stand-by
Baltimore Mayors Office of Emergency Management reports (SITREP #2
/ 6:00 p.m. April 28th):
Transportation: Removed 30 burned vehicles from the streets. 64
burned vehicles still require removal
OPS054000533
Public Works: Trash pick-up is on normal schedule. 20 Cleaning crews

are on the street. Pro-active boarding of damaged buildings are currently
being done. 21 Investigators are on street assessing damage. Majority of
clean-up has been accomplished. Unable to board-up CVS at
Pennsylvania/North due to safety concerns.
Firefighting: All fire companies are back in their respective stations. 2
injured firefighters reported. BCFD under normal operations.
Lodging for mutual aid law enforcement agencies is being coordinated at
this time.
All donation and volunteer request will be directed to contact 311
Nursing homes are secure and have no requests at this time.
Customers with prescriptions at vandalized pharmacies have been
assigned to pharmacies at other locations.
Baltimore City Public Schools are closed on Tuesday, April 28th.
Baltimore City schools will be open on April 29th.
Contingency plans in place to increase 911 call takers if 911 call volume
significantly increases Tuesday (April 28th) night.
BCFD responded to 19 structure fires. 144 vehicle fires reported. One
patient in critical condition as a result from a dwelling fire on N
Smallwood.
3 alarm fire at 2111 W. Pratt St
BPD will be looking into the ability to have residents and business
owners report damage and other related issues online.
Incident Management Assistance Team from Howard/Harford Counties
activated in the EOC.
One emergency shelter opened at The War Memorial (no residents at
this time)
Field Health Services has completed 389 patient transports with 43
transports remaining as of 6:00 p.m.
Several institutions are on delayed opening/closed, including Maryland
Institute College of Arts (Liberal leave) and Johns Hopkins University
(Baltimore City classes and operations will open at 12 noon)
Several Baltimore City Police Department officers injured
Several injuries reported; no incident related fatalities reported
Anticipated that city hospitals may experiencing difficulties with staffing
due to security concerns. City hospitals requesting to be advised on safe
travel routes for staff.
OPS054000534
Virginia EOC reports:

VDEM Regional Coordinator has deployed to Maryland EOC as
Virginia liaison.
VDEM EMAC Coordinator is helping Maryland coordinate EMAC
requests.
Virginia evaluated local law enforcement assets for potential response to
requests for assistance.
Virginia is providing resources to outfit 180 National Guard units.
Virginia National Guard is transporting the equipment, using four (4)
personnel and two (2) vehicles with trailers. The personnel and
equipment have arrived at the staging area in Maryland.
Coordinates: N/A
Fatalities. NA
Injuries. Several Baltimore City Police Officers reported injured. Civilian
injuries number and conditions unknown.
Evacuations. NA
CIKR Impacts. NA

Activated. The Region III RWC is at Watch Steady State. FEMA LNO
Deployed to MD SEOC.
SOURCE OF INFORMATION: Maryland SEOC / Baltimore Mayors Office
of Emergency Management / NICC / National and Local Media / NC4 /
Virginia SEOC
OPS054000535
From:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Subject:
Date:
FW: INITIAL - INFO ALERT - D5 - SEC BALTIMORE - BALTIMORE RIOTS

FYSA
Very Respectfully,
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
DHS National Operation Center

Coast Guard Desk
((b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

-----Original Message----From: LANTWATCH
Sent: Tuesday, April 28, 2015 1:08 PM
To: AACC-Pages
Subject: INITIAL - INFO ALERT - D5 - SEC BALTIMORE - BALTIMORE RIOTS
UNCLAS//FOUO
CCIR TRIP: INFO ALERT
INITIAL:
281652Z - D5 reports that Commander, Sector Baltimore has declared the City
of Baltimore and Baltimore County off limits to personnel both in a personal
and operational capacity through 03MAY15 due to the significant credible
threats to law enforcement personnel and recent riots in Baltimore.
Commander, Sector Baltimore also directed personnel that live within these
affected areas to exercise extreme caution traveling to and from their
residences and ordered personnel not to travel in uniform. Commander, Sector
Baltimore will re-evaluate the threat levels to personnel and provide
updates as conditions warrant.
Sector Baltimore is conducting normal operations. Units responding to SAR
and pollution will include the riots in Operational Risk Management
discussions for cases in the inner harbor and other areas near reported
rioting. Sector Baltimore has not increased FPCON.
v/r,
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

Command Duty Officer
USCG Atlantic Area Command Center
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

Warning: This document is FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY (FOUO). It is to be
controlled, stored, handled, transmitted, distributed, and disposed of in
accordance with Coast Guard and DHS policy relating to FOUO information.
OPS054000536
From:
To:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Subject:
Date:
FW: UPDATE 1 - CCIR GEN #4 - CG YARD - BALTIMORE, MD

(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
FYSA
Very Respectfully,
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
DHS National Operation Center

Coast Guard Desk
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
-----Original Message----From: LANTWATCH

Sent: Tuesday, April 28, 2015 12:28 PM
To: D05-DG-AACC-LIMDISPERS
Cc: National Command Center
Subject: UPDATE 1 - CCIR GEN #4 - CG YARD - BALTIMORE, MD
UNCLAS//FOUO
CCIR TRIP: GEN #4 - Assault of a CG member (LIMDIS)
UPDATE 1:
281421Z - SFLC Baltimore reports the assaulted CG Yard member (female non-rate) was released by the hospital
last night and escorted by CGIS to the CG Yard. The member was evaluated by the CG Yard clinic duty corpsman,
who determined her condition was stable. The member stayed in the CG Yard barracks overnight with an
appointment to return to the CG Yard clinic this morning.
Sector Baltimore has resumed normal operations. Units responding to SAR and pollution will include the riots in
Operational Risk Management discussions for cases in the inner harbor and other areas near reported rioting.
Sector Baltimore has not increased FPCON.
_________________
INITIAL:
272330Z: D5 received a report from Sector Baltimore on a member (Female Non-Rate) assigned to the CG Yard
who was assaulted by rioters. The member is currently hospitalized, receiving stitches and is expected to be
released this evening. The member had her car and wallet stolen during the assault. CGIS has been notified.
Sector Baltimore is releasing AWS messages to all personnel to keep them updated on command intentions and the
current situation in the area. They Sector advised that the local Stations will only respond to urgent SAR tonight
and the Sector Command Center is monitoring the situation through the night and will release AWS messages as
necessary and in the morning. They report that all CG units are currently safe and secure.
v/r,
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

Command Duty Officer
OPS054000537
USCG Atlantic Area Command Center

(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

Warning: This document is FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY (FOUO). It is to be controlled, stored, handled,
transmitted, distributed, and disposed of in accordance with Coast Guard and DHS policy relating to FOUO
information.
OPS054000538
OPS054000539
OPS054000540
SOURCE OF INFORMATION: MPD / DCHSEMA

(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

Watch Analyst / NCR Watch Desk
FEMA, DHS
2
OPS054000541
OPS054000542
OPS054000543
OPS054000544
From:
(b) (6), (
Subject:
Date:
Attachments:
NCCIC/NCC Situational Awareness - Updated Curfew Guidance - Civil Disturbance - Baltimore, MD

image001.png
cid:image003.png@01D081C6.2469DE10
NCCIC/NCC WATCH COMM-ISAC SITUATIONAL

AWARENESS
To NCC Communication ISAC Industry Reps and Government Reps,

The NCC Watch received additional curfew guidance, and felt it was important to share the
below information with all our COMM-ISAC Industry and Government Representatives.
Below are key points regarding the curfew. This information was provided by the Public
Safety Advisor (PSA) in Baltimore:
1. The night-time curfew applies for all citizens (with exceptions of emergency personnel and
those commuting to and from work for essential functions, including students traveling to/from
classes).
2. Non-essential business operations should be suspended from 10:00 p.m. until 5:00 a.m. This
includes restaurants, entertainment venues and bars, which should be closed during these times.
Please ensure visitors and patrons have enough time to travel before the curfew begins.
3. For essential business operations, employees traveling to and from work during the curfew
should have a valid picture ID (presumably a drivers license) and a document from their
employer stating their need to work during curfew hours with dates and employee hours.
4. Drivers or individuals may be stopped by law enforcement and should be prepared with the
information above to avoid arrest.
The curfew will begin today, Tuesday, April 28th at 10:00 p.m. and be in place for
approximately one week (or until needed).
Should you have additional questions, or concerns then please contact the NCC Watch at
(b) (6), (b) (7)(
Best Regards,
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
OPS054000545
OPS054000546
From:
(b) (6), (
Subject:
Date:
Attachments:
NCCIC/NCC Situational Awareness Update - Civil Disturbance - Baltimore, MD

image003.png
NCCIC/NCC WATCH COMM-ISAC SITUATIONAL

AWARENESS UPDATE
To NCC Communication ISAC Industry Reps Only and Government Reps Only,
The NCC Watch received several questions to the RFI and Advisory that was sent out earlier
today, and felt it was important to share the below information with all our COMM-ISAC
Industry and Government Representatives.
QUESTION:
What protocols should be followed in the event communications service providers need to
dispatch technicians during the curfew hours?
RESPONSE:
The Director of the Downtown Baltimore Coalition/Partnership advised the National

Infrastructure Coordinating Center (NICC) of the following:
At this morning's City-EOC Briefing that question was posed in general terms relative
to any entry protocol into city or secure parts of the city.
Answer: Entry into any secure areas of the city would be permitted under 3 instances:
1) Medical Emergency
2) Going to work
3) Returning home from work
Consensus was received as to the above by all EOC officials, however, this protocol could be
modified at the direction of the Mayor's Office or the PC's Office. If this protocol changes the
Public Safety Advisor will be notified by the EOC and will push additional guidance to the
NICC, the NICC then notify the NCC Watch, and the NCC Watch will distribute additional
guidance accordingly. However, at this time it is not expected to change, for at least tonight's
curfew, but could be modified if necessary as the week continues.
If have additional questions, or concerns then contact the NCC Watch at (b) (6), (b) (7)(C) or
email at(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
OPS054000547
OPS054000548
From:
(b) (6), (b
Subject:
Date:
Attachments:
NCCIC/NCC Watch RFI 007 - Civil Disturbance - Baltimore, MD

oledata.mso
image003.wmz
image006.png
image007.wmz
image008.png
NCCIC/NCC WATCH COMM-ISAC RFI
To NCC Communication ISAC Industry Reps Only and Government Reps Only,
Info Addressees Listed Below
Please see the below NCCIC/NCC Watch RFI 007 for Civil Disturbance in Baltimore, MD
National Cybersecurity & Communications Integration Center

NCC Watch Communications ISAC
PHONE: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
NCC WATCH COMM-ISAC REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)

Rioting Baltimore, MD
RFI #: 007 RFI Date: 04/28/2015 RFI Time: 07:45 EDT
INFORMATION REQUESTED:
The National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center (NCCIC)/National
Coordinating Center for Communications, (NCC) Watch is requesting information on any
issues/unmet needs and impacts to communications infrastructure or services, both internal to
providers or external to customers, and IT/cyber issues associated with the ongoing civil
disturbance in Baltimore, MD.
The NCC Watch will follow up on Tuesday, April 28, 2015 at 11:45 EDT with an NCC Watch
Advisory summarizing all reported feedbacks.
INCIDENT:
Various locations in Baltimore, MD
KNOWN CAUSE:
Man-made
DURATION:
Ongoing
CURRENT ACTIONS:
The NCC Watch will continue to monitor the situation for impact to communications
infrastructure and service.
SOURCES:
OPS054000549
OPS054000550
From:
Subject:
Date:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
; DiFalco, Frank; Gramlick, Carl; (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)



Executive Summary
0600 EDT 28 April 2015
Civil Disturbance - Baltimore, MD. Governor of Maryland declares State of

Emergency; places National Guard on State Active Duty. Citywide curfew instituted
from 2200-0500 EDT.
NOC Note: US Coast Guardsman Assaulted Baltimore, MD (0413-15-002)
NOC Note: Civil Disturbance Baltimore, MD (0413-05)

None
AWARENESS (0500 EDT 25 Apr) M7.8 Earthquake - Kathmandu, Nepal (0405-15) On 25 April
at 0211 EDT, a M7.8 earthquake struck 48 miles northwest of Kathmandu, Nepal (pop.
1,003,285) at a depth of 9.3 miles.UPDATE (0400 EDT 28 Apr) Damage assessments and
rescue operations continue. The Government of Nepal reports 3,815 (+1,527) fatalities and
7,046 (+1,466) injuries. Power outages continue and cell phone and internet service are
intermittent. The airport is running at capacity. Disaster support aircraft continue to be
given priority; however, commercial flights are arriving and departing regularly. The Turkish
Red Crescent delivered 1000 blankets and 320 food packages. Thirty-six medical personnel
are on standby with a 50-bed field hospital, medical equipment and volunteers. Finland has
coordinated a 29-member search and rescue team and will deliver an x-ray unit to the
Norwegian hospital in Nepal. Poland plans to send a search and rescue team with 81
firefighters, along with emergency medics. All Department of State staff have been
accounted for, including embassy personnel, USAID staff and Peace Corps volunteers.
USAID/OFDAs first Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) is scheduled to arrive in
Kathmandu early 28 Apr with 57 urban search-and-rescue specialists from Fairfax County Fire
and Rescue.
Incident Monitoring
OPS054000551
Update (0300 EDT 28 Apr). On 27 Apr, in response to civil disturbances across the
city, the Governor of Maryland declared a State of Emergency and placed units of
the Maryland National Guard on State Active Duty. Maryland State Police, as well
as local law enforcement from surrounding jurisdictions are providing assistance to
Baltimore PD. The State EOC has been activated. A city-wide curfew is in effect
from 2200 0500 EDT daily. Baltimore City public schools have been ordered
closed on 28 Apr. No information regarding major public events (e.g., Baltimore
Orioles scheduled game at Camden Yards).
Closed Incidents
CLOSED - MONITORED (2152 EDT 27 Apr) US Coast Guardsman Assaulted

Baltimore, MD (0413-15-002) On 27 April, at 1700 EDT, a female Coast Guardsman
(E-3) assigned to CG Yard Curtis Bay was assaulted and robbed while walking her dog in
the vicinity of the ongoing civil disturbance in Baltimore. The victims wallet, car keys,
identification and vehicle were stolen. The victim was injured in the assault; she is
conscious and was transported to a local hospital escorted by Coast Guard Investigative
Service. Coast Guard Investigative Service Baltimore is coordinating with local law
enforcement to respond to the incident to provide assistance, and to facilitate the transport
of the E-3 to the CG Yard for her safety and after care.
CLOSED - MONITORED (1330 EDT 27 Apr) Severe Weather - New Orleans, LA

(0412-15) NWS reports a band of severe thunderstorms with locally damaging winds and
possible tornadoes is transiting southeast Louisiana. (UPDATE 2030 EDT) As of 1950
EDT, FEMA R6 reports: Governor of LA declared a State of Emergency for severe
weather. Downed trees and power lines. No fatalities or injuries. Damage assessments
ongoing. No unmet needs and no requests for FEMA assistance. All State EOC remain at
Normal Operations. As of 8:00 p.m. EDT this evening, DOE Eagle-I indicates
approximately 150,400 customers remain without power across FEMA Region VI
(Majority in LA 130K down from 24 peak of 200K). NWS SPC storm reports indicate
one preliminary tornado touchdown, 33 high-wind reports, and 10 quarter-golf ball sized
hail reports on 27 Apr. Severe weather watches/warnings have expired for this evening;
however, severe weather is expected to continue in the area. UPDATE (0300 EDT 28
Apr) FEMA reports power outage numbers continue to decrease; LA down to 91K
and TX down to 13K. No fatalities or injuries reported and no requests for FEMA
assistance. A Slight risk for severe weather continues over the Gulf of Mexico into
the Southeast.
OPS054000552
CLOSED - COS RFI (2034 EDT 27 Apr) DHS Component Actions Relative to Civil
Disturbance in Baltimore, MD (0413-15-001) Suspense: 0300 EDT 28 Apr.
CLOSEOUT (0400 EDT 28 Apr) Responses received, consolidated and forwarded to
SBS along with an OCIA infrastructure graphic and a NOC Watch graphic of DHS
field activities in Baltimore.
CLOSED - NOC RFI (1509 EDT 24 Apr) DHS Personnel Footprint in Australia,
New Zealand, France, and United Kingdom (0402-15) Requested DHS components to
validate personnel numbers in the above four countries for the period 24 Apr - 8 May
2015. Tasker sent 1509 EDT 24 Apr. Suspense: ASAP UPDATE (0309 EDT 26 Apr)
Still awaiting USSS, Policy and S&T validations. Interim graphic provided to CT Staff.
UPDATE (1228 EDT 27 Apr) S&T validation received. UPDATE (1620 EDT) PLCY
response rcvd. CLOSEOUT (2359 EDT 27 Apr) No validation received from USSS.
Principal Locations
POTUS: NCR (RON)
VPOTUS: NCR (RON)
Seven-Day Outlook
30 Apr 1230 EDT: NOC Tour - NORTHCOM J35 Staff (2) (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

R/
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Duty Director
NDD Desk: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
OPS054000553
From:
Subject:
Date:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
DiFalco, Frank; (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)



1400 EDT 28 April 2015
Civil Disturbance - Baltimore, MD. The Governor-declared State of Emergency is for a

seven day period (27 Apr - 4 May). MD National Guard activated (800 personnel).
Citywide curfew in effect (2200-0500 EDT).
None
None
AWARENESS (0500 EDT 25 Apr) M7.8 Earthquake - Kathmandu, Nepal (0405-15)

On 25 April at 0211 EDT, a M7.8 earthquake struck 48 miles northwest of Kathmandu,
Nepal (pop. 1,003,285) at a depth of 9.3 miles. UPDATE (0400 EDT 28 Apr) Damage
assessments and rescue operations continue. The Government of Nepal reports 3,815
(+1,527) fatalities and 7,046 (+1,466) injuries. Power outages continue and cell phone
and internet service are intermittent. The airport is running at capacity. Disaster support
aircraft continue to be given priority; however, commercial flights are arriving and
departing regularly. UPDATE (0900 EDT 28 Apr) USAID/OFDAs first Disaster
Assistance Response Team (DART) arrived early this morning (28 Apr) with 57
urban search-and-rescue (SAR) specialists and six Canine Search Teams (from
Fairfax County VA Fire and Rescue). A second DART, consisting of 77 SAR
specialists and six Canine Search Teams (from California) was scheduled to arrive
this morning. Two U.S. Army Green Beret Teams, already in-country for mountain
OPS054000554
training, have been diverted to support SAR efforts. Open source reported three
civilian helicopters successfully evacuated all 170 stranded climbers from Mt.
Everest Camp #1 (elevation of pickup site = 19,685).
Incident Monitoring

UPDATE (1230 EDT 28 Apr). Maryland National Guard, Maryland State Police,
and law enforcement agencies from surrounding jurisdictions continue to provide
assistance to Baltimore PD. State EOC remains at Full Activation. Baltimore City
public schools are closed today (28 Apr).
Closed Incidents
None
None
Principal Locations
POTUS: NCR (RON)

VPOTUS: NCR (RON)
S1: NCR (RON) Wed 0500 prod call (book only)
OPS054000555
S2: NCR (RON) Wed book only
Seven-Day Outlook
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
30 Apr 1230 EDT: NOC Tour - NORTHCOM J35 Staff (2) (b) (6), (b) (7)(C) )
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
sr
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

Duty Director
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
message. Thank you.
OPS054000556
From:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Cc:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Subject:
Date:

; Gramlick, Carl; (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

Executive Summary
2200 EDT 28 April 2015
Civil Disturbance - Baltimore, MD. The situation in Baltimore was mostly peaceful
during daylight hours on Tuesday. The city has an ongoing 9 p.m. curfew for
juveniles and has instituted a 10 p.m. 5 a.m. curfew for all citizens through 4 May.
Assets assigned: 1,000 National Guardsmen, with a target of 2,000 troops activated
by the end of Tuesday and 895 additional law enforcement personnel form other
counties and states.
NOC Note Service Weapons Discharge (1646 EDT) Detroit, MI Shots fired by
ICE ERO Officer resulting in death of suspect.
None
AWARENESS (0500 EDT 25 Apr) M7.8 Earthquake - Kathmandu, Nepal (0405-15) On 25 April at 0211
EDT, a M7.8 earthquake struck 48 miles northwest of Kathmandu, Nepal (pop. 1,003,285) at a depth of 9.3
miles. UPDATE (0400 EDT 28 Apr) Damage assessments and rescue operations continue. The Government
of Nepal reports 3,815 (+1,527) fatalities and 7,046 (+1,466) injuries. Power outages continue and cell phone
and internet service are intermittent. The airport is running at capacity. Disaster support aircraft continue to be
given priority; however, commercial flights are arriving and departing regularly. UPDATE (0900 EDT 28
Apr) USAID/OFDAs first Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) arrived early this morning (28 Apr)
with 57 urban search-and-rescue (SAR) specialists and six Canine Search Teams (from Fairfax County VA
Fire and Rescue). A second DART, consisting of 77 SAR specialists and six Canine Search Teams (from
California) arrives tomorrow (29 Apr). Two U.S. Army Green Beret Teams, already in-country for mountain
training, have been diverted to support SAR efforts. Open source reported three civilian helicopters
successfully evacuated all 170 stranded climbers from Mt. Everest Camp #1 (elevation of pickup site =
19,685).
OPS054000557
Incident Monitoring
MONITORED (1701 EDT 27 Apr) Civil Disturbance - Baltimore, MD (0413-15) UPDATE (1230 EDT 28
Apr). Maryland National Guard, Maryland State Police, and law enforcement agencies from
surrounding jurisdictions continue to provide assistance to Baltimore PD. Baltimore City public schools
were closed on 28 Apr, Scheduled to be open on Weds.
Closed Incidents
CLOSED - NOC Note (1646 EDT 28 Apr) Service Weapon Discharge - Shots Fired by ICE ERO Officer
- Detroit, MI (NOC 0414-15) On 27 April, an ICE ERO Officer serving an arrest warrant on a subject
wanted for armed robbery and weapons charges discharged his service weapon resulting in the death of
the 20-year-old arrest warrant subject. Incident occurred in the northwest area of Detroit, MI. This
incident was reported in the 28 Apr DHS Press Clips.
None
Principal Locations
POTUS: NCR (RON)
VPOTUS: NCR (RON)
S1: NCR (RON) Wed 0500 prod call (book only)
S2: NCR (RON) Wed book only
OPS054000558
Seven-Day Outlook
30 Apr 1230 EDT: NOC Tour - NORTHCOM J35 Staff (2) (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Duty Director
NOC (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
DHS official.
OPS054000559
OPS054000560
OPS054000561
OPS054000562
From:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C) on behalf of(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Subject:
Date:
Attachments:
NOC 0413-15 Violent Activity - Baltimore MD_DHS Locations

NOC 0413-15 Violent Activity - Baltimore MD DHS Locations.pdf
NOC 0413-15 Violent Activity - Baltimore MD DHS Locations.jpg
NDD,
Please see attached map in jpeg and pdf formats.
Thank you,
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

NOC GIS Desk Officer
Office of Operations Coordination and Planning
Desk: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
OPS054000563
OPS054000564
From:
To:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C) on behalf of (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Subject:
Date:
Attachments:
NOC 0413-15 Violent Activity - Baltimore MD_DHS LocationsZoom

NOC 0413-15 Violent Activity - Baltimore MD DHS LocationsZoom.pdf
NOC 0413-15 Violent Activity - Baltimore MD DHS LocationsZoom.jpg
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
NDD,
Please see attached maps zoomed in on DHS Locations near civil disturbances in Baltimore in pdf
and jpeg formats.
Thank you,
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

NOC GIS Desk Officer
Office of Operations Coordination and Planning
Desk: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
OPS054000565
OPS054000566
From:
Subject:
Date:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)



o Avian Flu U.S.
o Severe Weather New Orleans, LA
Postal Shipments
Mass Transit

Nepalese officials scrambled on Monday to get aid from the main airport to people left
homeless and hungry by a devastating earthquake two days earlier, while thousands
tired of waiting fled the capital Kathmandu for the surrounding plains Reuters
o Long queues had formed at Kathmandus Tribhuvan International Airport,
which was hobbled by a series of aftershocks that forced it to close several
times
The official death toll from the earthquake soared past 4,000 people, though that
number is expected to climb significantly Associated Press
o Among the victims were 18 people killed when an avalanche swept through the
Mount Everest base camp in the wake of the earthquake, with an additional 51
injured and an unknown number of people missing (Social Media) Twitter
[ABC News]
Helicopters have started to rescue as many as 150 mountaineers stranded
above base camp at camps 1 and 2 (Social Media)
o The State Department says at least four Americans have died in Nepals
earthquake, all at the Mount Everest base camp
About 3,000 Americans citizens reside in Nepal, and 3,000 to 4,000 Americans usually
visit the country during the current peak tourism season (Social Media)
o The U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu said it was sheltering 305 U.S. citizens (Social
Media) Twitter [CNN Breaking News]
About 150 Americans are sheltering at a Phora Durbar compound
(Social Media)
OPS054000567
The State Department issued a travel alert Monday about the risks of travel to Nepal
and recommending U.S. citizens in the country exercise caution when traveling in or
planning departure from the country following the earthquake Kansas City InfoZine
o The alert recommends that those in a safe location shelter in place, while others
should consider evacuating
The U.S. Agency for International Development is contributing $10 million in
assistance for response and recovery efforts
o The money will be used to address immediate, life-saving priorities, including
search-and-rescue efforts, emergency shelters and clean water
Two teams of American Green Berets already in Nepal for a training mission were
reassigned to help with earthquake rescue efforts NBC News
o The two 12-man teams are expected to join in the search-and-rescue missions in
the area around the Mount Everest base camp
Two Air Force C-17 cargo planes, carrying disaster relief teams and search-and-rescue
equipment, were expected to arrive in Kathmandu on Monday night EDT
o The two planes are from Dover Air Force Base in Delaware and March Air
Force Base in Los Angeles, CA, and are carrying more than 100 rescue
workers
There are six rescue dogs with each team
o A C-130 cargo plane, also on the ground in Nepal, is on standby to help with the
medical evacuation of Americans if needed
[Back to Top]

Riots erupted on the streets of Baltimore late Monday as people clashed with police,
several of whom were injured CNN
o The Governor of Maryland declared a state of emergency and activated the
National Guard
The city earlier activated its Emergency Operations Center WBAL
o The Mayor of Baltimore announced a mandatory curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
daily, effective for one week starting Tuesday
The city already has a mandatory curfew for young people on school
nights: 9 p.m. for children under 14, while teenagers 14-16 have to be
inside by 10 p.m.
People looted local stores, including Mondawmin Mall, and several structure and car
fires were reported
o A flier circulated on social media earlier Monday called for a period of violence
Monday afternoon to begin at Mondawmin Mall and move downtown toward
City Hall Associated Press
Businesses and higher education institutions in downtown Baltimore closed early
Monday, and suburban school districts canceled field trips to the city through the
week
o The Baltimore Orioles postponed their home game Monday evening
o Baltimore City Schools will be closed Tuesday
Morgan State University dorms were reportedly on lockdown overnight, according to
social media users (Social Media) Twitter
o Rioters reportedly reached the Northwood off-campus housing facility (Social
Media) Twitter
Fifteen police officers were injured, two of whom remain hospitalized
OPS054000568
o There were no immediate reports of injuries among the rioters

Earlier in the day, the Baltimore Police Department said it had received a credible
threat that three gangs were teaming up to take out officers
o It did not say where the information came from, nor whether the threat was tied
to the recent death of man in police custody
[Back to Top]

Iowa
Avian flu outbreaks were reported at five more Iowa facilities Monday, with more
than 6 million birds infected Des Moines Register
o New cases announced Monday include: 250,000 on a farm with young hens in
Osceola County; 240,000 commercial laying hens in OBrien; 98,000
commercial laying hens in OBrien; 1.7 million commercial laying hens in
Sioux County; and 3.8 million commercial laying hens in Sioux County
The most recent outbreaks are not within quarantined areas, officials said
o All told, the number of infected laying hens and turkeys in Iowa has now jumped
to 10 million at eight locations, including about 9.6 million egg-laying hens
The virus has wiped out about 20% of the 60 million egg-laying hens in
Iowa, the nations largest producer of eggs, in a matter of days
Minnesota
The Governor of Minnesota approved a month-long extension to a state of emergency
Monday to battle bird flu, which has wiped out about a fifth of the turkey population
in the nations largest turkey-producing state WCCO (AP)
o Fifty-five turkey farms had been hit as of Monday, costing farmers more than 3
million birds
Infected flocks have been slated for slaughter faster than the state can
euthanize them to contain the virus
State agencies leading the response efforts originally asked for about $900,000, but
state budget officials said Monday they need $7.3 million over the next year
[Back to Top]

NOC 0412-15: Severe Weather New Orleans, LA
TheGovernor of Louisiana declared a state of emergency after strong storms passed
through areas of Louisiana on Monday WDSU
Widespread damage, outages and road closures were reported throughout parishes
in Louisiana, with damaging winds and several inches of rain reported
Assumption and Lafourche parishes also declared states of emergency, and more
parishes were anticipated to do so as well
The weather knocked out power to over 159,000 homes and businesses in Louisiana The
New Orleans Times-Picayune
More than 87,000 Entergy customers remained without power Monday night
(Social Media) Entergy Louisiana [Outage Map]
About 3,700 customers of Beauregard Electric Co-operative were also without
power Beauregard Electric Co-operative [Outage Map]
Flights were canceled and delayed as a result of a power outage at Armstrong
International Airport Monday morning, but electricity was restored by the
OPS054000569
OPS054000570
From:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Subject:
Date:
RE: (FOUO) NOC 0413-15-001 DHS Component Actions in Response to Violent Activity - Baltimore, MD
Received thank you for your response.
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Assistant Senior Watch Officer

(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
From:
Sent: Tuesday, April 28, 2015 1:51 AM
To: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
0413-15-001 DHS Component Actions in Response to Violent Activity Baltimore, MD
(b) (6), (b) (7
NOC SWO
Please see the following input from the NCCIC:
NCCIC has requested information on impacts to assets in the immediate area from
our law enforcement and ISAC partners. At this time there are no negative effects
impacting cyber or communication being observed or reported. We are actively
monitoring.
V/R,

(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Email: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

If you are not an
prohibited.
OPS054000571
From: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

To: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Subject: (FOUO) NOC 0413-15-001 DHS Component Actions in Response to Violent Activity - Baltimore,
MD
Received much appreciated.
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Assistant Senior Watch Officer

(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
From:
Subject: (FOUO) NOC 0413-15-001 DHS Component Actions in Response to Violent Activity - Baltimore,
MD
(b) (6), (b) (7

NOC SWO,
Please see the following responses regarding NOC Number 0413-15-001:
Federal Protective Service
The NPPD/Federal Protective Service (FPS) has enhanced the protection of high-risk
federal facilities in the Baltimore metropolitan area. FPS has deployed additional law
enforcement officers to the Fallon Federal Building (31 Hopkins Plaza), Edward
Garmatz US Courthouse (101 West Lombard Street), City Crescent Building (10
South Howard Street) and the US Customs House (40 South Gay Street). At this
point there has been no damage or demonstrations directed toward these facilities.
FPS will have a total of 30 law enforcement officers in Baltimore by 0600, April 28,
2015.
The Baltimore Federal Executive Board (FEB) has called an emergency meeting to
reconsider the closing of Baltimore federal buildings tomorrow. The timeline for a
decision is unknown. The FEB has previously determined federal buildings in the
Baltimore area would be open on time tomorrow.
Office of Infrastructure Protection
OPS054000572
Protective Security Coordination Division

PSCDs Infrastructure Protection/Protective Security Advisor (IP/PSA) Baltimore has
been in close contact with Baltimore Police Department and the MCAC (State Fusion
Center), receiving updates on the protests to include number and location of
protestors, damage to infrastructure, number of arrests, and injuries to police,
protestors, and bystanders. He has also been confirming reports from various other
sources, and directing all appropriate information to the NICC. IP/PSA Baltimore
has also requested a GIS product from PSCD geospatial analysts regarding
infrastructure of interest in the affected area, and provided it to the NICC and
various Baltimore and Maryland state public safety agencies.
The GIS Quick Look has been shared with officials from the below listed
agencies:
o Baltimore Police Dept.

o Baltimore Office of Emergency Management
o Baltimore Fire Department
o Maryland State Police
o Maryland Coordination and Analysis Center (State Fusion Center)
o Governors Office of Homeland Security (HSA)
o Maryland Emergency Management Agency Maryland Joint Operations
Center
- GIS product attached
The IP/PSA Baltimore also offered to provide any further assistance as needed.
Infrastructure Security Compliance Division
ISCD Region 3 has reached out to respective Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism
Standards (CFATS) covered facilities that may be impacted by this event. Outreach
was in the form of situational awareness emails to ensure that if something should
impact the security risk management program associated with their facility they are
to advise/notify ISCD Region 3 Chemical Inspectors according to their security plan.
Currently, ISCD Region 3 has reached out to five CFATS covered facilities in area
affected and has only received three responses back as of this time. ISCD Region 3
will continue to monitor and provide update/s where necessary or applicable.
National Infrastructure Coordinating Center

The NICC is continuing to actively monitor the situation for potential infrastructure
impacts of the situation.
OPS054000573
If any additional inputs are received we will forward that information immediately.
V/R,

(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Email: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

If you are not an
prohibited.
OPS054000574
OPS054000575
IC3 NCR SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS REPORT (#001)

Incident Name: Baltimore City Demonstrations
Situational Analysis Report #: (001)
Report Date: 04/28/2015
Issue Time: 3:00pm
Current Situation Overview:
This report is to provide situational awareness to NCR Emergency Management communities regarding the
operational status of jurisdictional Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs), requests for resources and
NCR-based support postures for operations currently underway in Baltimore City pertaining to
demonstrations. Demonstrations have resulted in a declaration of a State of Emergency and activation of
the Maryland National Guard by Governor, Lawrence Hogan.
Media outlets (CNN) report that a protest march is currently being arranged that will begin in Baltimore
City and end within the District of Columbia on Saturday, May 2, 2015. The march follows a series of public
demonstrations and civil unrest that are impacting the Baltimore City. Baltimore City issued a Local State of
Emergency and has an active curfew in effect from 10:00pm to 5:00am, beginning Tuesday, April 28, 2015
and running through the next seven (7) days.
DC HSEMAs EOC will be activated on Saturday, May 2, 2015 from 9:00am to 9:00pm, in an abundance of
caution for anticipated protest or demonstration activity, concurrent with events already scheduled in the
District. These events include: SHAW Funk Parade & Fair (anticipated attendance of 20,000+ participants),
Avon 39-Walk to End Breast Cancer (10,000+ participants), and the Congress Heights Parade (3,000+
anticipated participants).
Potential Impacts:
The District of Columbia (DC) and surrounding NCR jurisdictions are currently providing resources for
operations involving law enforcement, critical infrastructure, fire, and emergency medical services for
stabilization activities within Baltimore, per request for resources issued by the Maryland Emergency
Management Agency (MEMA) on April 28, 2015.
Additional NCR jurisdictions may be requested to provide Emergency Support Function (ESF) support, per
Maryland Emergency Management Assistance Compact (MEMAC) request and the developing situational
needs, to stabilize the situation in Baltimore City, which may diminish resources available within the NCR.
Current Support provided by NCR jurisdictions by ESF:
ESF 4
- DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services (FEMS): 1 engine, 1 heavy rescue truck, 1
Battalion Chief, and a total of 20 personnel
- Prince Georges County: 4 engines, 1 truck, 1 Chief
ESF 13
- Prince Georges County Police Department: ~ 40 police units
- Metropolitan Police Department: 1 Commander, 1 Lieutenant, 4 Sergeants, 27 Officers
OPS054000576
IC3 NCR SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS REPORT (#001)

- Montgomery County Police Department: 45 Officers
Current EOC Statuses:
Baltimore City EOC Activated
MEMA State EOC (SEOC) - Activated
DC HSEMA JAHOC Open, Monitoring (24hours/7 days)
Prince Georges County EOC Monitoring
VDEM Open, Monitoring
VDOT NOVA Open, Monitoring
Affected Areas of the (NCR):
Additional NCR jurisdictions may be requested to provide ESF support, per Maryland Emergency
Management Assistance Compact (MEMAC) request and the developing situational needs, to stabilize the
situation in Baltimore City.
OPS054000577
City of Baltimore
Mayors Office of Emergency Management
Unclassified/For Official Use Only
SITUATION REPORT # 2
Civil Unrest
April 2015
1100 hrs - 4/28/2015
New Information in RED
CONTENTS
CONTENTS.................................................................................................................................................. 1
SUMMARY .................................................................................................................................................. 2
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES ....................................................................................................................... 2
EMERGENCY SUPPORT FUNCTION (ESF) REPORTS ......................................................................... 4
ESF #1: Transportation [Lead: Department of Transportation (DOT)] .................................................... 4
ESF #2: Communications [Lead: Mayors Office of Information Technology (MOIT)]......................... 5
ESF #3: Public Works [Lead: Department of Public Works (DPW)]....................................................... 5
ESF #4: Firefighting [Lead: Baltimore City Fire Department (BCFD)]................................................... 5
ESF #5: Information and Planning [Lead: Mayors Office of Emergency Management (MOEM)] ........ 5
ESF #6: Sheltering and Mass Care [Lead: Dept. of Housing and Community Development (DHCD)] .. 6
ESF #7: Resource Support [Lead: Mayors Office of Emergency Management (MOEM)] .................... 6
ESF #8: Health and Medical [Lead: Baltimore City Health Department (BCHD)] ................................. 6
ESF #9: Search and Rescue [Lead: Baltimore City Fire Department]...................................................... 6
ESF #10: Hazardous Materials Response [Lead: Baltimore City Fire Department (BCFD)] .................. 6
ESF #11: Public Information [Lead: Baltimore Police Department (BPD)] ............................................ 6
ESF #12: Energy [Lead: Department of Public Works (DPW)] ............................................................... 7
ESF #13: Law Enforcement [Lead: Baltimore Police Department (BPD)] .............................................. 7
ESF #14: Recovery [Lead: Mayors Office of Emergency Management]................................................ 7
ESF #15: Donations and Volunteer Management [Lead: Office of Human Services] ............................. 7
ESF #16: Animal Protection [Lead: Baltimore City Health Department] ................................................ 7
1
OPS054000578
City of Baltimore
SUMMARY
Peaceful protests have turned violent in Baltimore City, with protesters looting, destroying
property, and actively trying to injure police officers. Several fires have been intentionally set,
debris is blocking roadways, and nearly all businesses in the city have closed. The majority of
incidents are concentrated in the western side of the city, specifically the West North Ave
corridor and the Mondawmin Mall area; however impacts have been felt citywide. Multiple
public safety mutual aid partners have been deployed to support Baltimore from across the
region, including the National Guard.
The Mayor and Governor have declared a State of Emergency, and a curfew has been placed on
the entire city beginning at 10:00pm until 5:00 a.m. 4/28/15 to 5/04/2015.
Current operations are focused on responding to major emergencies, securing the city, and
returning to normal operations.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Support and ensure continuity of public safety operations.

Protect Critical Infrastructure sites and Key Resources citywide.
Support and enable the re-opening and resumption of all city activities.
Clear all roadways of debris and blocking materials.
Assess and document all damage citywide.
2
OPS054000579
City of Baltimore
BCFD responded to 19 structure fires
One patient in critical condition as a result from a dwelling fire on N Smallwood.
3 alarm fire at Gay and Federal Streets
144 vehicle fires
19 police officers injured; 2 in serious condition
Several institutions are on lock-down, including MICA and Johns Hopkins University.
Current Power Outage Status
Less than 5 customers out in Baltimore City
Communication
A WebEOC event titled Protests 2015 has been created.
http://eoc.baltimorecity.gov
Closures
Baltimore City Public Schools are closed Tuesday April 28, 2015.
Liberal Leave is NOT in effect for non-essential City of Baltimore employees.
Casualties
Several injuries; no incident related fatalities reported at this time.
Declarations
Local State of Emergency Declared for 7 days.
State of Emergency declared by Governor Hogan.
Curfew
A curfew has been placed on the entire city beginning at 10:00pm until 5:00 a.m. 4/28/15
to 5/04/2015.
EOC Activation
City of Baltimore EOC is at Level 1, Full Activation.
The State of Maryland Emergency Operations Center has raised to a State Response
Activation Level 3 status as of Monday - April 27 , 2015 @ 17:00hrs in support of law
enforcement activities in Baltimore City
Weather Forecast
Tuesday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 66. North wind 13 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph.
Tuesday Night
3
OPS054000580
City of Baltimore
Mostly clear, with a low around 49. Northwest wind 5 to 9 mph.

Wednesday
Sunny, with a high near 72. Northwest wind 3 to 6 mph.
Wednesday Night
A chance of rain after 3am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 55. South wind around 6 mph.
Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Thursday
A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 65. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Thursday Night
A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 50. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Friday
Friday Night
Saturday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 71.
Saturday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 52.
Sunday
Sunday Night
Monday
EMERGENCY SUPPORT FUNCTION (ESF) REPORTS
ESF #1: Transportation [Lead: Department of Transportation (DOT)]
The majority of city roads are open; working in concert with DPW to clear roads of
debris in the morning.
All interstates open.
MTA
o Local bus Major delays
o Metro Subway - operating on regular schedule
o Light Rail - operating on regular schedule
o MARC Train - operating on regular schedule
o Mobility - operating on regular schedule
o Commuter Bus - operating on regular schedule
The following lane/road closures remain in effect:

two lanes east bound Fayette Street between Gay and President Street curb and travel lane
Baltimore Street between Gay Street and President Street closed to through traffic
Southbound President Street between Fayette Street and Baltimore Street curb lane
Also, several streets remain closed in west Baltimore. Please proceed with caution today when traveling.
4
OPS054000581
City of Baltimore
ESF #2: Communications [Lead: Mayors Office of Information Technology (MOIT)]
911 operating with no difficulties, however high call volume.

311 now accepting the new call types for debris blocking roadways.
BPD will be looking into the ability to have residents and business owners report damage
and other related issues online.
Credible threats of a cyber-attack aimed and the city and police networks have been
received.
ESF #3: Public Works [Lead: Department of Public Works (DPW)]
The Debris Management Center will be activating at Park Terminal to coordinate and
manage the clearing of city roadways.
Tow trucks, solid waste, and street sweeper crews are working on clearing streets.
Citizens cleaning their neighborhood streets are encouraged to push debris to the curbs
and put a service request into 311.
No water pressure issues.
Working to hire emergency contracts for assistance with debris removal.
ESF #4: Firefighting [Lead: Baltimore City Fire Department (BCFD)]
Responded to 19 structure fires.

Responded to 144 vehicle fires.
40 suppression units from other jurisdictions were utilized.
3 fire stations were evacuated as a result of the protests (23, 13, and 52). 52 remains
evacuated, the others have returned.
Putting in a request for 4 state fire marshals.
One fire department vehicle (Battalion Chief car) damaged by thrown rocks.
Incident Management Team activated at Oldtown.
ESF #5: Information and Planning [Lead: Mayors Office of Emergency Management
(MOEM)]
All emergency support functions activated at this time.

Incident Management Assistance Team from Howard/Harford Counties activated in the
EOC.
5
OPS054000582
City of Baltimore
ESF #6: Sheltering and Mass Care [Lead: Dept. of Housing and Community Development
(DHCD)]
No report at this time.
ESF #7: Resource Support [Lead: Mayors Office of Emergency Management (MOEM)]
Numerous mutual aid requests, MEMAC and EMAC requests being filled.
See WebEOC for request status.
MEMA Regional Liaison operational in the EOC.
Ongoing need for nourishment for law enforcement officers being handled by BPD
logistics section.
ESF #8: Health and Medical [Lead: Baltimore City Health Department (BCHD)]
The Health Commissioner has reached out and made contact with all city hospitals.
Druid Clinic is closed and its staff has been relocated to Eastern.
Senior Centers are closed.
Field Health Services operating.
City Hospitals who are having trouble getting staff in, and/or security concerns, or
physical plant issues should contact the Baltimore City EOC and ask for the Health
Department Rep at 410-396-9273. In the event the Health Department cannot be reached
contact EMRC.
ESF #9: Search and Rescue [Lead: Baltimore City Fire Department]
Components of the Urban Search and Rescue team has been activated to assist with
logistics.
ESF #10: Hazardous Materials Response [Lead: Baltimore City Fire Department (BCFD)]
No significant hazardous materials incidents at this time.
ESF #11: Public Information [Lead: Baltimore Police Department (BPD)]

Numerous media and interview requests being handled.
Joint Information System activated.
6
OPS054000583
City of Baltimore
ESF #12: Energy [Lead: Department of General Services (DGS)]
Fallsway, Lewin, and York fueling stations open 24/7.

BGE reporting less 5 customer outages in the city at this time.
BGE liaison working remotely with the EOC.
ESF #13: Law Enforcement [Lead: Baltimore Police Department (BPD)]

Law Enforcement - Additional Units
120 MSP Troopers by 0130 Hrs
By 0900 Hours - District of Columbia 42, Pennsylvania Police 42 Total 84
By Noon Tomorrow - Montgomery County 40, Anne Arundle 35, Balt. County 55,
Howard 40, PG 40 and Harford 23 Total - 233
Total by noon tomorrow Estimated = 437
National Guard - To be deployed with MSP determining locations now...
o 50 By 0130
o 300 By 0300
o 450 By 0900
Berlin 6
Harford Co Sheriff 25
Charles Co 23
Dauphin Co 3
MDTAP 15
MSP 145
ESF #14: Recovery [Lead: Mayors Office of Emergency Management]
IMAT working in concert with MEMA on recovery issues and planning.
ESF #15: Donations and Volunteer Management [Lead: Office of Human Services]
MOHS looking at ways to coordinate the need for help cleaning up.
ESF #16: Animal Protection [Lead: Baltimore City Health Department]
Police resources requested to assist with protecting the zoo.
7
OPS054000584
Virginia Emergency Operations Center (VEOC)

Virginia Emergency Response Team (VERT)
Spot Report #2
2015 Baltimore Civil Unrest
28 April 2015 1500 hrs
New information in bold
Summary
Due to civil unrest situation in Baltimore, Maryland, the Mayor of Baltimore City, Stephanie
Rawlings-Blake, declared a State of Emergency as of 5:30 p.m. yesterday. Maryland
Governor Larry Hogan declared a State of Emergency at 7:15 p.m. last night and activated
the Maryland National Guard to assist Maryland State Police and Baltimore City Police. At
least twenty officers have been injured during the unrest, according to media. A curfew has
been issued for the city to combat looting of local businesses and destruction of government
vehicles and buildings. The City of Baltimore has requested assistance from the Maryland
State Police. Maryland has requested mutual aid assistance through the Emergency
Management Assistance Compact (EMAC).
VERT/VDEM/VEOC
VDEM State Coordinator briefed Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland
Security on the situation and Virginias response to requests for assistance
from Maryland.
VDEM Regional Coordinator has deployed to Maryland EOC as Virginia

liaison.
VDEM EMAC Coordinator is helping Maryland coordinate EMAC requests.
Virginia evaluated local law enforcement assets for potential response to

requests for assistance.
VDEM hosted a Region III Lead State EMAC Conference Call.
VDEM continues to participate in regional conference calls.
ESF #7 Logistics
Virginia is providing six (6) non-lethal weapons kits to outfit 180 National Guard
units. Virginia National Guard is transporting the equipment, using four (4)
personnel and two (2) vehicles with trailers. The personnel and equipment have
arrived at the staging area in Maryland.
Prepared by: VERT Planning Section
Approved by: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C) , VERT Coordinator
Spot Report # 2
2015 Baltimore Civil Unrest
OPS054000585
From:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Subject:
Date:
Attachments:
The Homeland Security News Briefing for Tuesday, April 28, 2015
dhsclips150428.doc

DATE: TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015 5:00 AM EDT

LEADING DHS NEWS:
+ ICE Agent Fatally Shoots Detroit Man While Serving Arrest Warrant.
+ Governor Calls In National Guard As Violent Rioting Breaks Out In Baltimore.
+ Jesse Jackson, Cummings Among Speakers At Emotional Funeral Service.
+ Sharpton To Visit Baltimore, Plans Two-Day March To Washington.
+ On Her First Day As Attorney General, Lynch Steps Into The Fray.
+ Mayor Accuses Media Of Mischaracterizing Her Comments.
+ Politico Analysis: Child Migrants Without Attorneys Face Tough Legal Challenges.
+ Judge Says No Retrial For Ross Ulbricht.
+ Mobile Passport Control Available At Chicago OHare.
+ Border Gate Opened For Brief Family Reunions.
+ FAMS A Very Natural Fit For Veterans.
+ Top 20 Prohibited Items Discovered By TSA Discussed.
+ Firearm Found At Baltimore Airport.
+ Severe Weather Threatens Millions Of Americans.
+ Wildfire Erupts In Southern California.
US COAST GUARD:
+ Coast Guard Temporarily Suspends Search For Missing Boaters.
SECRET SERVICE:
+ Lawmakers Expected To Grill Security Agencies About Gyrocopter In Hearing.
+ Security Preparations For Upcoming Boxing Match Discussed.
DIRECTORATE FOR MANAGEMENT:
+ DHS Acquisition Processes Discussed At House Hearing.
+ LATimes Reporter Discusses FOIA Request Compliance.
+ Defense Urges Jury To Spare Tsarnaevs Life, Send Him To Supermax Prison Instead.
+ NDAA Act Would Further Limit Obamas Power To Transfer Detainees.
+ Reider: Charlie Hebdo Deserving Of Freedom Of Expression Award.
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+ Ohio Terror Suspect Accused Of Lying To FBI.

+ Virginia Terror Suspect Seeks Light Sentence.
+ Man Sentenced For Tie To Hezbollah.
OTHER CYBER NEWS:
+ Prospects For Cyber Bills In Republican-Controlled Congress Discussed.
+ FBI Solicitation To Seek Cyber Experts.
+ Former FBI Cyber Investigations Assistant Special Agent Taking Private Sector Job.
+ ISIL Waging Unprecedented Marketing Effort To Lure Aspiring Fighters.
+ Syrian Rebels Capture Strategic Military Base In Northwest.
+ Israeli Troops On High Alert Along Syrian Border After Thwarted Militant Attack.
+ CSMonitor Analysis Questions How Long Iran Can Continue Its Support For Assad.
+ Coalition Conducted 31 Airstrikes Against ISIL From Sunday To Monday.
+ Series Of Car Bombings Kill At Least 20 Civilians In Baghdad.
+ Violence Clouds Ukraine-EU Summit.
+ Kiev Mayor Discusses Conflict With WTimes.
+ Farkhundas Killing Reenacted As Afghan Attorney General Announces Charges.
+ US, Japan Announce New Guidelines For Defense Cooperation.
+ Kerry: Iran Deal Closer Than Ever.
+ Kerry, Zarif Discuss Crisis In Yemen.
+ Amid Pleas For Aid, Frantic Search For Earthquake Survivors Continues In Nepal.
+ ISIL Militants Slit Throats Of Five Libyan Journalists.
+ UN: Israel Killed 44 Civilians Seeking Refuge At UN Schools During Gaza War.
+ Boko Haram Kills Dozens Of Soldiers, Civilians In Lake Chad.
+ Grassley Weighs Requiring DOJ To Probe Any Police Killing Of A Minority.
+ Tulsa Country Undersheriff Resigns.
+ Federal Judge Orders LAPD To Provide Video Footage Of Alleged Attack To Attorney.
+ Graham, Rubio, Bush Back Defense Hawks In Debate Over NSA Surveillance.
+ Former CIA Officer Disputes Leak Damage.
Leading DHS News:

ICE AGENT FATALLY SHOOTS DETROIT MAN WHILE SERVING ARREST WARRANT. The AP
(4/27) reports that an ICE agent serving an arrest warrant on Detroits west side shot a 20-year-old man
to death Monday. ICE spokesman Khaalid Walls is cited saying in a statement that the man was wanted
on armed robbery and weapons charges. Detroit Police Chief James Craig is quoted saying, The agent
may have been faced with a threat and it was at that point that he decided to use deadly force. Walls is
quoted saying, Any time an ICE officer or special agent discharges their firearm in the line of duty, the
ICE Office of Professional Responsibility reviews the matter. Craig indicated that his department would
also investigate the incident.
The Detroit Free Press (4/27, 957K) reports that the Detroit Fugitive Apprehension Team attempted to
arrest the man; Detroit Police Sgt. Cassandra Lewis is quoted adding, There was no forced entry...One
of the ICE officers was faced with a threat and made the decision to use lethal force to eliminate the
threat. Around 60 people gathered outside the residence, some chanting at times. One woman is
quoted saying, Youre supposed to protect and serve the people...Not take them out. Maurice L.
Hardwick, founder of the Live In Peace Movement, is cited saying that some people are upset and
questioning whether the shooting was justifiable or criminal. The Free Press notes the shooting comes
amid law enforcement struggling to overcome an image problem exacerbated by recent police brutality
incidents nationwide.
The Detroit News (4/28, Williams, 523K) notes that the shooting [angered] residents who had to be
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placated by the citys police chief. Craig is cited saying he was called to the scene by Assistant Police
Chief Steve Dolunt after a crowd gathered and became agitated. Craig is quoted saying at the scene,
Its tragic. Any time a parent loses their child, its a tragedy. Im committed that the investigation will be
thorough, and I will have a conversation with the prosecutors office. Craig also noted that the federal
agent involved in the shooting is African-American, as was the victim.
MLive (4/28, 803K) cites Craig saying the man killed had outstanding warrants connected with the armed
robbery of a pizza delivery driver as well as multiple prior felonies. Law enforcement sources have not
said whether its believed the slain man had a weapon but say the ICE agent felt threatened. Over 40
people, including Detroit police officers, intertwined hands and formed a prayer circle outside the dead
mans home about 6 p.m. Monday.
WWJ-TV Detroit (4/27, 34K) reports on its website that a statement by the Detroit Coalition Against Police
Brutality identified the victim as Terrence Kellum, though the mans name has not been officially
released. Coalition spokesperson Ron Scott is quoted saying, In light of national incidents, we find this
latest shooting appalling, distressing, and despicable that another young black man has to be killed in his
house in front of his family with multiple gunshots...The coalition is working with the family, and they will
release a statement soon regarding this matter. We demand, and we will obtain, justice in this case.
Also reporting this story were another AP (4/28), Deadline Detroit (4/28, 210), and the WDIV-TV Detroit
(4/28, 292K), WXYZ-TV Detroit (4/28, 101K), WJBK-TV Detroit (4/28, 170K), and WHIO-TV Dayton, OH
(4/28, 134K) websites.
GOVERNOR CALLS IN NATIONAL GUARD AS VIOLENT RIOTING BREAKS OUT IN BALTIMORE.
The alarming situation in Baltimore overwhelmingly dominated the news cycle, with reports of violent
rioting generating extensive cable coverage and front-page reports, and the network newscasts devoting
17 minutes and 40 seconds of combined airtime to the story. Calls for restraint are being ignored, said
ABC World News (4/27, lead story, 2:20, Muir, 5.84M) in its lead story, adding that horror was erupting
across Baltimore, as the city erupted in rock-throwing, rubber bullet-shooting chaos, all in broad
daylight.
The Baltimore Sun (4/28, Dance, 802K) notes that as night fell, 15 police officers had been injured in a
clash with school-age children that began around 3 p.m., and two remain hospitalized. Police
spokesman Capt. Eric Kowalczyk said one officer was unresponsive and others suffered broken bones.
Bloomberg News (4/27, Bennett, 3.81M) reports SWAT teams with riot gear were deployed to try to
control the crowds, with little success, and the New York Daily News (4/28, Murphy, 3.79M) notes some
people were reportedly leaving the city to avoid the chaos.
Earlier yesterday, the Baltimore City Paper (4/27, 214K) reports, police announced a credible threat
posed by members of the Black Guerrilla Family, Bloods, and Crips joining together to take-out law
enforcement officers. Meanwhile, other sources claiming gang ties have told City Paper they are aware
of a truce to protest Freddie Grays death. The Washington Times (4/28, Noble, 641K) says Baltimore
police did not indicate in their alert Monday whether the threat against officers is localized to the
Baltimore area or is thought to be a national threat, but the Los Angeles Times (4/28, Winton, 4.03M)
reports that the LAPD ordered officers Monday to ride in pairs after receiving a so-called Blue Alert
about the gang threat, which went out to officers nationwide.
The New York Times (4/28, Stolberg, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) notes that police also said that a
flier circulated on social media called for a period of violence on Monday afternoon to begin at the
Mondawmin Mall and move toward City Hall downtown. Last night, says the New York Times (4/28,
Nixon, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) in a separate story, several...ministers, led by the Rev. Ron
Owens, convened a meeting with some of the young rioters, a couple of which wore bandannas to
hide their identity. The Times adds that the young men identified themselves as members of the Crips,
Bloods and Black Guerrilla Family street gangs.
The CBS Evening News (4/27, lead story, 3:15, Reid, 5.08M) showed Kowalczyk saying, Youre going to
see tear gas. Youre going to see pepper balls. Were going the use appropriate methods to preserve the
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safety of the community. USA Today (4/28, Bacon, Welch, 5.01M) reports Mayor Stephanie RawlingsBlake called the rioters thugs and said the city was imposing a 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew starting
Tuesday. She also said she asked Gov. Larry Hogan to send in the Guard.
The Washington Post (4/28, Hermann, Harris, Helsey, 5.03M) quotes the mayor as saying, Too many
people have spent generations building up this city for it to be destroyed by thugs who, in a very
senseless way, are trying to tear down what so many have fought for. ... Tearing down businesses,
tearing down and destroying property things that we know will impact our community for years. The
New York Times (4/28, Stolberg, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) reports that a White House official
said President Obama had spoken to Ms. Rawlings-Blake and stood ready to provide assistance as
needed, though officials were not specific. Politico (4/27, Breitman, Shutt, 1.11M) notes that, according
to the White House, top presidential adviser Valerie Jarrett also spoke with...Hogan, who later said he
spoke with the president as well.
The Washington Times (4/28, Noble, 641K) quotes Hogan as saying of the rioters, These malicious
attacks against law enforcement and local communities only betray the cause of peaceful citizens
seeking answers and justice following the death of Freddie Gray.
Hogan, says the Baltimore Sun (4/27, Dresser, 802K), appeared on WBALs C4 Show, and said that he
was monitoring the situation on an hourly basis and that the state has its emergency operations center
up and running. As the Los Angeles Times (4/28, Hennigan, Bierman, 4.03M) reports, thousands
National Guard soldiers and police officers across the mid-Atlantic began mobilizing in the evening
as...Hogan later declared a state of emergency to stem the racial unrest, which had overwhelmed the
1,500 deployed officers. Hogan said at a news conference, I have not made this decision lightly. ... The
National Guard represents that last resort to restore order. The Annapolis (MD) Capital Gazette (4/28,
Bottalico, 5K) reports dozens of...police from neighboring Anne Arundel County had already been sent
to assist Baltimore Police.
The Blaze (4/26, Noble, 1.87M) remarked on a video posted to YouTube which purports to show
protesters attacking bar-goers in Baltimore, hurling massive trash cans, empty bottles and other debris at
bewildered bystanders. One man who confronts protesters is quickly overwhelmed and beaten, while
other shots show beer bottles raining down on a woman in a wheelchair. NBC Nightly News (4/27, lead
story, 3:40, Costello, 7.86M) reported last night, The situation is so volatile in Baltimore our own satellite
truck was hit with rocks and the cab was looted. Similar accounts of the violence appear this morning in
Politico (4/27, Breitman, 1.11M), AFP (4/28), Huffington Post (4/27, Delaney, 194K), Christian Science
Monitor (4/26, Sappenfield, 539K), The Hill (4/27, Mccabe, 533K), and the Daily Caller (4/27, Griswold,
366K), among other news outlets.
Even before the violence restarted yesterday, the Baltimore Business Journal (4/27, Meehan,
Subscription Publication, 30K) reports, few tourists could be picked out among the scant crowd
downtown; there were about as many police as there were visitors at the Inner Harbor amphitheater.
Juan Williams said on Fox News Special Report (4/27, 1.53M), What weve seen here now is anarchy
take hold and you need a strong force. You dont need to make a mistake of making the government or
the police into some oppressive force, a provocative presence as we saw back in Ferguson with the
militarization of the police.
Charles Krauthammer said on Fox News Special Report (4/27, 1.53M), Theres a total failure of
leadership here. People can look at the scenes and they know that theres a city out of control on the
ground, but also its out of control at the level of governance. You have to show up. You have to have the
governor out there and the mayor out there and police chief out there speaking, even if its every if you
dont have a lot of new information, you have to assure people you know what is going on and you have
a plan. ... You need somebody to give a sense of control.
Brian Mooar said on MSNBCs The Ed Show (4/27, 444K), This is a situation that has a lot of history
behind it. This is not just an isolated incident here. This is a community that doesnt trust the police,
doesnt trust the system to bring them justice. At the same time, its a police department that says
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everything is fine, that theres no problem.

Tom Fuentes said on CNNs The Lead (4/27, 320K), What I think is happening over several days is
almost an intimidation of police. Theyve been afraid to put too many police out there. Theyve been
afraid to put body armor or helmets on because it looks mean. Theyre afraid to use armored cars for
protection because it looks militarized, and now they are in a position where theyre weak and theyre not
really able to make the arrests that they need to make right now for people that are throwing bottles and
bricks and other debris at them. ... I think the police have allowed the narrative of how mean they are and
how all of this is their fault, I think theyve taken it a little bit too far and have not protected the
community.
JESSE JACKSON, CUMMINGS AMONG SPEAKERS AT EMOTIONAL FUNERAL SERVICE. As
Reuters (4/28) reports, the rioting broke out just blocks from the site of Freddie Grays funeral, then
spread to other neighborhoods. The CBS Evening News (4/27, story 2, 2:20, Andrews, 5.08M) said at
the funeral service, while all of the speakers called for non-violent protests...there was no masking the
sense of anger in the community.
At the funeral, USA Today (4/28, Toppo, Bacon, 5.01M) reports, the Rev. Jesse Jackson said Gray was
a victim of inequality, asking, Why wasnt Freds side of town developed? ... Why cant the west side get
what downtown gets? Jackson cited 110 deaths at the hands of police since 2010, adding, Fred
wasnt No. 1, he was number one-one-one. ... We are here because we feel threatened. ... All of our
sons are at risk. The Wall Street Journal (4/28, Calvert, Subscription Publication, 5.68M) quotes Rep.
Elijah Cummings as saying during the service for Gray, We will not rest until we address this and see
that justice is done.
The AP (4/28, Gresko, Foreman) reports that the attorney representing Grays family, Billy Murphy,
received a standing ovation after calling on the six officers who arrested him to tell the public what
happened. The Baltimore Sun (4/28, Marbella, Pitts, 802K) notes the Rev. Jamal H. Bryants
impassioned eulogy, in which he said, With everything that weve been through, aint no way you can
sit here and be silent in the face of injustice. The CBS Evening News (4/27, story 2, 2:20, Andrews,
5.08M) showed Rev. Bryant saying, I dont know how you can be black in America and be silent. ... Get
your black self up and change this city.
The New York Times (4/28, Stolberg, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) notes that Bryant came back to
the neighborhood after the burial on Monday afternoon to appeal for calm, and said he would send
teams of men from his church, the Empowerment Temple, to help keep the peace. NBC Nightly News
(4/27, story 2, 1:45, Holt, 7.86M) interviewed Bryant, who said of the violence, The family was very clear
and we have been that today would be a moratorium, that there will be no protests, no marches, no
demonstration, as it was the familys request. For us to be returning from the burial grounds and to be
met by this news is completely unnerving and its unfortunate, not just for this city but also for the family.
SHARPTON TO VISIT BALTIMORE, PLANS TWO-DAY MARCH TO WASHINGTON. The Baltimore
Sun (4/28, Wenger, 802K) reports the Rev. Al Sharpton said Monday he plans to visit Baltimore this
week to help push police for answers in the death of Freddie Gray. Sharpton said he also wants to plan
a two-day march in May from Baltimore to Washington, expressing frustration in the lack of answers into
Grays death.
Sharpton said on MSNBCs Rachel Maddow Show (4/27, 769K) last night that if the objective is justice
and changing the accountability of law enforcement, we cannot do it in violent way or becoming like what
we are fighting. This goes through the history of the civil rights movement. ... Youve always had people
that have out of frustration, acted in a way that ends up adding more than it ends up solving the
problem.
ON HER FIRST DAY AS ATTORNEY GENERAL, LYNCH STEPS INTO THE FRAY. USA Today (4/28,
Bacon, Welch, 5.01M) notes that Attorney General Lynch, who assumed her new position yesterday,
dispatched the Justice Departments civil rights chief and director of the agencys community policing
office to Baltimore in wake of rioting there, and condemned senseless acts of violence. Added Lynch,
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In the days ahead, I intend to work with leaders throughout Baltimore to ensure that we can protect the
security and civil rights of all residents. ... And I will bring the full resources of the Department of Justice
to bear in protecting those under threat, investigating wrongdoing, and securing an end to violence.
Politico (4/27, Breitman, Shutt, 1.11M) notes that in a statement, the White House said Lynch had
assured...Obama that she was monitoring events in Baltimore and that the DOJ stood ready to help.
MAYOR ACCUSES MEDIA OF MISCHARACTERIZING HER COMMENTS. The Blaze (4/27, Howerton,
1.87M) reported that Mayor Rawlings-Blake yesterday rebuked the media for what she called a
mischaracterization of her words about giving protesters space. Her original comment was, While we
tried to make sure that they were protected from the cars and the other things that were going on, we
also gave those who wished to destroy space to do that as well. Yesterday, she said, I did not say that
we were accepting of it, I did not say we were passive to it. I was just explaining how property damage
can happen during a peaceful protest. It is very unfortunate that members of your industry decided to
mischaracterize my words and try to use it as a way to say that we are inciting violence, there is no such
thing.
Steve Hayes, on Fox News Special Report (4/27, 1.53M), described Rawlings-Blakes claim that those
who wish to destroy are being given space to do so a jarring comment, adding, Its hard to imagine a
public official saying something like that, which I think could effectively be seen as a green light for this
kind of destruction.

POLITICO ANALYSIS: CHILD MIGRANTS WITHOUT ATTORNEYS FACE TOUGH LEGAL
CHALLENGES. Politico (4/27, Rogers, 1.11M) reports that child migrants from Central America who lack
legal representation face overwhelming odds in seeking relief from US immigration courts, according to
newly released government data that paint a far grimmer picture than what the Justice Department has
admitted in federal court. According to Politico, since last July, 352 children without attorneys have
succeeded in having their removal proceedings terminated or administratively closed two measures of
potential progress toward asylum or special immigrant juvenile status, while at the same time, 4,711
children without counsel were ordered removed or compelled to accept voluntary departure an
outcome that surrenders the defendants right to appeal in the future. That is a 13-fold difference and a
world apart from whats still a difficult experience for those who can find a lawyer.
JUDGE SAYS NO RETRIAL FOR ROSS ULBRICHT. Wired (4/28, 4.16M) reports that neither new
corruption charges against DEA and Secret Service agents involved in the Silk Road investigation nor a
pile of other complaints from Ulbrichts defense is going to win a retrial for Silk Road creator Ross
Ulbricht. Judge Katherine Forrest is quoted saying in her ruling, The evidence of Ulbrichts guilt was, in
all respects, overwhelming. It went unrebutted...This motion for a new trialdoes not address how any
additional evidence, investigation, or time would have raised even a remote (let alone reasonable)
probability that the outcome of the trial would be any different.

MOBILE PASSPORT CONTROL AVAILABLE AT CHICAGO OHARE. USA Today (4/27, 5.01M)
reports that OHare International Airport in Chicago has become the fourth facility in the United States to
offer travelers access to the Mobile Passport Control app. The app allows travelers to skip CBP lines
by submitting passport and customs information to the agency via a smartphone or tablet before
landing.
BORDER GATE OPENED FOR BRIEF FAMILY REUNIONS. The AP (4/28) reports that a gate at Border
Field State Park in San Diego was opened on Sunday during a special event in which families
disrupted by deportation were able to reunite briefly. The event coincided with Childrens Day, a
Mexican holiday that celebrates children and family. Father Dermot Rodgers, who organized the event,
said the brief reunions were also meant to draw attention to what he called a broken immigration
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system.

FAMS A VERY NATURAL FIT FOR VETERANS. The Military Times (4/27, 756K) discusses the
opportunities and demands of the Federal Air Marshals Service, noting that the TSA says it plans a
hiring wave in the near future, the first such round since 2011. Applicants transitioning from military
service have better-than-average odds of making the cut, as the job is a very natural fit for those who
understand sacrifice and selfless service, who can work with autonomy while protecting the values of
the nation, in the words of TSA veterans program manager Mark Escherich. Escherich also says, It is a
position where you are extensively involved in implementing our national security agenda, adding, What
you are going to do each day may be relatively unknown, but you will always be significant to the safety
of our nation.
TOP 20 PROHIBITED ITEMS DISCOVERED BY TSA DISCUSSED. The New York Post (4/27, 3.15M)
provides a top 20 list of prohibited items discovered by the TSA, as disclosed on the agencys
Instagram account. The article highlights unusual weapons, animals, and other items.
FIREARM FOUND AT BALTIMORE AIRPORT. The Washington Post (4/27, Halsey, 5.03M) Dr.
Gridlock blog reports that Tyriece Watson of Baltimore was intercepted Friday afternoon when he tried
to slip a 9mm pistol loaded with 11 rounds of ammunition in his carry-on bag past a security checkpoint
at Baltimore Washington International-Marshal Airport, according to the TSA. The agency noted that the
guns serial number was filed off. The firearm was confiscated and Watson arrested on a variety of
weapons charges.
The Baltimore Sun (4/27, 802K) and the WBAL-TV Baltimore (4/28, 146K), WUSA-TV Washington (4/27,
95K), WMAR-TV Baltimore (4/28, 35K), and WJZ-TV Baltimore (4/27, 69K) websites also report this
story.

SEVERE WEATHER THREATENS MILLIONS OF AMERICANS. NBC Nightly News (4/27, story 7, 2:10,
Holt, 7.86M) broadcast that more than 16 million people were under the threat of severe weather last
night, as strong storms were descending on Americas southern region. Stormy weather had already cut
a path of destruction...in Texas, noted NBC, which added that rain and heavy winds caused problems
yesterday in Louisiana. Also yesterday, efforts to rescue four missing sailors in Alabama were hampered
by severe weather.
ABC World News (4/27, story 6. 0:40, Muir, 5.84M) broadcast that storms from Texas and Louisiana had
weakened somewhat last night. But, added ABC, future intense storms could soon hit parts of both
states. The sailor rescue effort in Alabama was also noted by ABC and by the CBS Evening News (4/27,
story 10, 1:05, Pelley, 5.08M), which broadcast, Stormy weather...forced the Coast Guard to suspend its
search yesterday for four people who went missing this past weekend.
In a separate report, ABC World News (4/27, story 5, 1:50, Muir, 5.84M) broadcast that severe storms
were moving across the South last night. Similar coverage appeared in another report aired last night
by the CBS Evening News (4/27, story 11, 0:30, Pelley, 5.08M).
According to the New Orleans Times-Picayune (4/27, Schleifstein, 733K) website, Louisiana Gov. Bobby
Jindal declared a state of emergency late last night. Doing so is part of the process needed to make
areas suffering storm damage eligible for FEMA aid.
WILDFIRE ERUPTS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. ABC World News (4/27, story 8, 0:25, Muir, 5.84M)
broadcast, More than 200 firefighters responded yesterday, after a wildfire erupted in Southern
California. The fire, added ABC, is now contained. The AP (4/28) and Reuters (4/28, Whitcomb) also
cover this story.
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US Coast Guard:
COAST GUARD TEMPORARILY SUSPENDS SEARCH FOR MISSING BOATERS. The AP (4/28)
reports that the Coast Guard has suspended its search for people who went missing after a weekend
storm killed two people and played havoc with a yearly sailboat race in Mobile Bay. The search would
resume as soon as the weather allows, according to the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard also released
a statement on behalf of the families thanking emergency response agencies and asking prayer for their
loved ones.
USA Today (4/27, 5.01M) reports that Coast Guard rescue teams were racing the clock Monday in the
search. Rescuers and good Samaritans have pulled over 40 people from the bay, according to the
Coast Guard.
ABC World News (4/27, story 7, 0:30, Muir, 5.84M) and the CBS Evening News (4/27, story 10, 1:05,
Pelley, 5.08M) briefly discussed this story in their broadcasts.
Secret Service:
LAWMAKERS EXPECTED TO GRILL SECURITY AGENCIES ABOUT GYROCOPTER IN HEARING.
The Hill (4/28, Devaney, Wheeler, 533K) reports that the gyrocopter incident will be the focus of a
heated congressional hearing on Wednesday, as lawmakers furious with the security breakdown in
their own backyard will grill the Secret Service, US Capitol Police, and the FAA. The House Oversight
committee hearing will provide an opportunity for lawmakers to consider whether new regulations are
needed to close loopholes in security exploited by the gyrocopter. Lawmakers contend that at the very
least they should have been notified about the security threat even if security agencies decided not to
shoot the gyrocopter down. Committee chairman Jason Chaffetz is quoted saying gyrocopter pilot Doug
Hughes is lucky to be alive, because he should have been blown out of the air and very well could have
been.

SECURITY PREPARATIONS FOR UPCOMING BOXING MATCH DISCUSSED. The AP (4/28, Ritter)
discusses security preparations for the upcoming boxing match between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd
Mayweather, saying that the sport poses a special challenge to Las Vegas officials. Deputy Las Vegas
Police Chief Gary Schofield escribed a security plan of concentric circles, both within and outside the
venue. DHS is listed among the entities that will assist Las Vegas police with security over the course of
the week.
Directorate For Management:

DHS ACQUISITION PROCESSES DISCUSSED AT HOUSE HEARING. Homeland Security Today
(4/28) reports that US Rep. Scott Perry, chairman of the House Homeland Security Oversight
subcommittee harshly criticized DHS acquisition processes in a hearing last week. Perry is quoted
saying, watchdogs continue to find failures in DHSs management of its acquisitions, which is
unacceptable and puts taxpayer dollars at risk. GAO director of acquisition and sourcing management
Michele Mackin is quoted saying, We have reported that DHSs acquisition policy is generally sound, in
that it reflects key program management practices, though Due to shortfalls in executing the policy, we
have highlighted DHS acquisition management issues on our high-risk list and made numerous
recommendations to improve acquisition management practices. DHS CFO Chip Fulghum is quoted
saying that KPMG gave DHS an unqualified audit opinion for the second year in a row.
LATIMES REPORTER DISCUSSES FOIA REQUEST COMPLIANCE. Scott Martelle of the Los Angeles
Times (4/28, 4.03M) says in an opinion piece that DHS and USCIS were among the most responsive to
FOIA requests issued by the FOIA Project, which requested copies of the electronic files the FOIA
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offices themselves use to keep track of FOIA requests. Others rejected the request, or never responded.
Martelle says that weak FOIA compliance shouldnt be a surprise as the Obama Administration,
despite the presidents promises of openness, could well go down as one of the most secretive
administrations in U.S. history.
DEFENSE URGES JURY TO SPARE TSARNAEVS LIFE, SEND HIM TO SUPERMAX PRISON
INSTEAD. The Boston Globe (4/28, Wen, 886K) reports David Bruck, a defense attorney for Boston
Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, told jurors Monday at the start of the penalty phase of the trial
that Tsarnaev belonged to a dysfunctional family in which his older brother had taken an outsized role,
giving him unusual sway over his younger brother, who followed him into radical Islam and the plot to
decimate a crowd of innocent spectators at the race. To support that claim, the defense showed jurors
22 e-mails the brothers exchanged between 2011 and 2013, in which the older brother usually included
links to Islamic and radical Islamic websites.
The New York Times (4/28, Seelye, Bidgood, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) says that the
atmosphere in the courtroom, which has been the scene of almost unbearable sorrow over the last
several weeks, changed abruptly Monday morning as defense lawyers formally began their attempt to
save Tsarnaev from the death penalty. Bruck began his defense by acknowledging that jurors had seen
more pain, horror and grief in the courtroom than they might have thought possible, according to the
Times, but quickly pivoted to Mr. Tsarnaevs brother, Tamerlan, 26, whom he described as the
mastermind of the attack, with unrivaled power to influence his younger brother.
Bruck told jurors, referring to the younger Tsarnaev by his nickname, the Wall Street Journal (4/28, Levitz,
Kamp, Subscription Publication, 5.68M) reports, Jahar did not defy Tamerlan to his face, not ever.
Bruck also repeatedly told the jury that life in the Federal supermax prison in Colorado was sufficient
punishment for his client, showing them stark photos of the facility at the start and close of his opening
argument.
He went on to argue, USA Today (4/28, MacDonald, 5.01M) reports, that if he were sent to the supermax
prison, Tsarnaev could never hurt any one again, could not do media interviews and could not write an
autobiography, and he would also avoid heroic status among extremists. Said Bruck, No martyr.
In addition to the defenses opening argument, the AP (4/28) reports, the jury also heard from eight
witnesses, all of whom focused not on Dzhokhar but on Tamerlan specifically, his aggressiveness
and deepening fervor. Loay Assaf, an imam, testified that three months before the bombing, Tamerlan
became furious and interrupted a prayer service at a local mosque after Assaf likened the Rev. Martin
Luther King Jr. to the Prophet Muhammad. Assaf said that Tamerlan took a fighting stance and began
pointing at him and shouting, saying, Youre a hypocrite, insulting me with this.
In a separate story, the Boston Globe (4/28, A1, Wen, 886K) reports Judith Russell, the mother of
Tamerlan Tsarnaevs widow, also testified Monday about Tamerlan, telling jurors that the family opposed
Katherine Russells relationship with him because he focused only on his prospective boxing career,
cheated on her, and committed an act of domestic violence against her.
Russell went on to say, the Boston Herald (4/28, 709K) reports, that for Tamerlan, Islam, became a sort
of, I dont know, obsession. She also testified that she vocally opposed Tamerlans selfish solo trip to
Russia in 2012, which lasted six months, and during which, according to the defense, he became
radicalized.
Regarding that trip to Russia, the Los Angeles Times (4/28, Serrano, 4.03M) reports, Tsarnaevs defense
revealed for the first time that Tamerlan initially planned to strike in Russia but returned to this country
because he could not find a holy war there. During his opening argument, Bruck promised to reveal
classified FBI reports about the older brothers six-month trip to Russia.
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In its coverage of Mondays proceedings, Reuters (4/28, Malone) notes that a Boston Globe poll released
Monday showed that use of the death penalty remains highly controversial in Massachusetts, with only
19 percent of respondents supporting a death sentence for Tsarnaev.
Also making note of the polls findings in its coverage of the trial, the Christian Science Monitor (4/27,
Gass, 539K) says that the polls results which continue a trend among residents in the region favoring
life in prison over death for Tsarnaev also found that, despite these specific opinions on Tsarnaev,
nearly a third of respondents support the death penalty for the most egregious crimes. Frank Perullo,
president of Sage Systems, which conducted the poll for The Boston Globe, said of this finding, To
voters, it would seem death is too easy an escape.
NDAA ACT WOULD FURTHER LIMIT OBAMAS POWER TO TRANSFER DETAINEES. Reuters (4/28,
Zengerle) reports that the proposed 2016 National Defense Authorization Act would renew the ban on
spending to transfer Guantanamo Bay prisoners to the US, and would also rescind presidential authority
to unilaterally transfer detainees. Detainees would also be prohibited from being transferred to combat
zones, and the Defense Secretary would be required to certify that any transferred detainee would be
monitored in their country of placement. There are 122 detainees remaining at Guantanamo, and 57 of
them have been approved for release.
The Washington Times (4/28, Klimas, 641K) reports the bill would also withhold a portion of Defense
Department funding until the administration answers questions about the prisoner swap of Guantanamo
Bay detainees in exchange for Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl.
REIDER: CHARLIE HEBDO DESERVING OF FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AWARD. In his column for
USA Today (4/28, 5.01M), Rem Rieder defends the decision by PEN American Center to give its annual
Freedom of Expression Courage Award to the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo. Noting that six
novelists have said they will step down as literary hosts of PENs gala dinner to protest the decision,
citing Charlie Hebdos insults to the Muslim faith, Rieder disagrees, arguing that cartoonists killed for
expressing their views sound like worthy recipients of the award.
OHIO TERROR SUSPECT ACCUSED OF LYING TO FBI. The AP (4/28, Welsh-Huggins) reports newly
unsealed search warrants allege that accused Ohio terrorist Abdirahman Sheik Mohamud misled the FBI
about his identity, lied to the FBI by saying he had been in Istanbul when he was really in Syria, and
tried to have his slain brothers Facebook martyrdom photo deleted to avoid police scrutiny. Warrants
also show that he communicated with his brother about supporting terrorism and trained two people in
Ohio on how to shoot guns.
VIRGINIA TERROR SUSPECT SEEKS LIGHT SENTENCE. The AP (4/28, O'Dell) reports attorneys for
Heather Elizabeth Coffman, who pleaded guilty to lying to federal investigators about supporting the
Islamic State militant group, are seeking a sentence on the low end of the guidelines: three years and 10
months. Coffman, who was accused of offering to help an undercover FBI agent and his fictitious friend
travel to Syria to join the group, is described by her lawyers as a gullible loner.
MAN SENTENCED FOR TIE TO HEZBOLLAH. The Houston Chronicle (4/28, Contreras, 2.29M) reports
Wissam Allouche received five years in prison and was stripped of his U.S. citizenship for lying about his
prior affiliation with Hezbollah. Prosecutors say he commanded the now-defunct militia group known as
Amal in his native Lebanon and had sway over fighters with Hezbollah, but he maintains hes innocent.
The San Antonio Express-News (4/28, Contreras, 670K) also covers this story.
Other Cyber News:

PROSPECTS FOR CYBER BILLS IN REPUBLICAN-CONTROLLED CONGRESS DISCUSSED.
Politico (4/27, 1.11M) says that with the Houses passage of cybersecurity legislation last week, this go
around will be the first attempt in three Congresses to pass major cybersecurity legislation with
Republican leadership in both chambers of Congress. House Republican leaders have been taking a
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victory lap on the bills all week, even before their ultimate passage. Insider sources are cited saying
the best case scenario for passage of cyber legislation is likely to be May. Politico says House
Democrats are eager to point out that if this bill doesnt succeed, no one can blame their partys
leadership in the Senate.
Sunset Amendments Approved Despite Criticism. Roll Call (4/28, Zeller, 99K) reports that although
neither cyber bill requires companies to share cyber threat information, Congressional sponsors of the
bills will likely blame the Houses decision to adopt amendments to both measures sunsetting them after
seven years if companies choose not to share. Both Intelligence committee chairman Devin Nunes and
Homeland Security chairman Michael McCaul tried unsuccessfully to block the amendments, arguing
that companies would not devote resources to establishing information sharing systems if liability
protections may expire; however, a majority in both parties voted for the amendments. Industry groups
bolstered Nunes and McCauls view by urging no votes on the amendments.
The Congressional Quarterly (4/28, Subscription Publication, 967) says that its clear that majorities of
both parties believe in greater cooperation between business and government...to fight the hackers,
but the passage of two bills rather than one presents an ambiguous answer to the question of how the
process will work. CQ says the differences between the bills are significant, with one allowing liabilityprotected sharing with any non-DOD Federal agency and the other requiring companies to deal with
DHSs National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center.
Poll: Plurality Of Voters Say Cybersecurity Should Top Congressional Tech Agenda. The Hill (4/28,
Trujillo, 533K) reports that according to a poll by Morning Consult, four out of 10 voters believe
cybersecurity should be at the top of Congresss technology agenda this year. Approval of data security
standards came in second, while surveillance reform ranked third.
FBI SOLICITATION TO SEEK CYBER EXPERTS. The Federal Times (4/27, Boyd, 118K) reports that, in
an upcoming solicitation, the FBI will seek to contract with cyber experts who can provide support
services and expertise to the bureau on an as-needed basis. Tasks will include consultations, data
collection and analysis, intelligence interviewing, training, policy development and assistance with project
implementation and management.
FORMER FBI CYBER INVESTIGATIONS ASSISTANT SPECIAL AGENT TAKING PRIVATE SECTOR
JOB. The New York Times (4/28, Goldstein, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) reports that, after almost
16 years with the FBI, Austin P. Berglas is leaving for a job with K2 Intelligence, where he will serve as a
senior managing director and head of United States cyber investigations. Berglas, who most recently
was the assistant special agent in charge of cyber investigations for the New York office of the FBI, was
helping to oversee the criminal investigation into the hacking attack against JPMorgan Chase last
summer. The FBI previously has been concerned about losing top talent to the private sector.

ISIL WAGING UNPRECEDENTED MARKETING EFFORT TO LURE ASPIRING FIGHTERS. The
Huffington Post (4/28, Johnson, 194K) reports that law enforcement officials and terror analysts say the
arrests of six men from Minnesota for allegedly attempting to join ISIL highlights an unprecedented
marketing effort being waged by the militant group in Iraq and Syria. One senior law enforcement official
is quoted saying, I dont think there has been one case in which we havent found some connection to
the videos or other media the group has produced. Over 150 US residents have been identified as
seeking to join ISIL or rival groups in Syria; evidence suggests that about 40 of those have traveled to
the region and returned to the US; most of the latter have been charged, but an undisclosed number
are free and subjects of intense surveillance. A flurry of new cases of aspiring foreign fighters
suggests a persistent problem for law enforcement officials in the event that some may attack US
targets or be inspired to lash out on their own.
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SYRIAN REBELS CAPTURE STRATEGIC MILITARY BASE IN NORTHWEST. The Wall Street Journal
(4/28, Abdulrahim, Subscription Publication, 5.68M) reports a coalition of Syrian rebels said Monday they
had captured that al-Qarmeed military base in Idlib province. With the bases capture, McClatchy (4/28,
Alhamadee, Gutman, 32K) reports the rebels, led by the Nusra Front, widened their hold on Idlib
province.
ISRAELI TROOPS ON HIGH ALERT ALONG SYRIAN BORDER AFTER THWARTED MILITANT
ATTACK. The Washington Post (4/28, Eglash, 5.03M) reports that Israeli forces along the countrys
border with Syria were on heightened alert Monday after the Israeli army said it beat back a militant
attack with airstrikes. In a statement Sunday, the Israeli army said that its forces had come across a
group of armed terrorists who had approached the border with an explosive device intended to be
detonated against [Israeli] soldiers. While Israel said its aircraft responded with strikes, it did not
confirm casualties or identify the group that allegedly attempted the border attack.
CSMONITOR ANALYSIS QUESTIONS HOW LONG IRAN CAN CONTINUE ITS SUPPORT FOR
ASSAD. A Christian Science Monitor (4/27, Blanford, 539K) analysis questioned how much longer Iran,
which has proven critical in helping keep President Bashar al-Assad in power after four years of bloody
war, can afford to continue allocating funds, materiel, and manpower to Mr. Assad while incurring ever
greater animosity and now blowback from the regions Sunni states. According to diplomatic sources
in Beirut, Iran spends between $1 billion and $2 billion a month in Syria in cash handouts and military
support, but Assads recent setbacks in the south and north of the country may compel Iran to
reconsider its military options in Syria. Nonetheless, Iran has invested so heavily in the regime to the
exclusion of other parties in Syria that Tehran has little choice but to double down on its embattled
ally.
COALITION CONDUCTED 31 AIRSTRIKES AGAINST ISIL FROM SUNDAY TO MONDAY. Reuters
(4/28) reports that according to the US military, the US-led coalition conducted 31 airstrikes against ISIL
from Sunday to Monday morning, including five strikes in Syria and 26 in Iraq.
SERIES OF CAR BOMBINGS KILL AT LEAST 20 CIVILIANS IN BAGHDAD. The AP (4/28, Yacoub)
reports that at least 20 civilians were killed in a series of car bombings targeting commercial areas of
Baghdad on Monday. No one claimed responsibility for the bombings, but the AP notes that the city has
seen near-daily attacks as security forces struggle to dislodge the Islamic State group from vast areas in
northern and western Iraq seized by the extremists during a stunning blitz last summer.
VIOLENCE CLOUDS UKRAINE-EU SUMMIT. Reuters (4/28, Polityuk) reports that Ukrainian President
Petro Poroshenko met with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and European
Council President Donald Tusk on Monday for talks on boosting trade links and peace efforts.
Meanwhile, pro-Russian rebels intensified attacks in the east and southeast, killing one Ukrainian soldier
and wounding three others.
The AP (4/28, Leonard) reports that at the meeting, Poroshenko announced that Ukraine will be able to
meet conditions to apply for EU membership within five years. Ukraines leader also called on the EU to
support his initiative to deploy international peacekeepers in his countrys war-torn areas saying, Help
from the EU should enable strengthening the faith of Ukrainians in the irreversibility of Ukraines future in
the EU and the need to endure a sometimes painful but not insurmountable process.
KIEV MAYOR DISCUSSES CONFLICT WITH WTIMES. In an interview with the Washington Times,
(4/28, Taylor, 641K) former boxing champion and current Kiev mayor, Vitali Klitschko, said that the
conflict in Ukraine is not just a local conflict. ... Its a conflict between East and West. Klitschko stressed
that the development of the situation in his country will decide the future of the European Union, the
future of the West and the future of democracy in the world. While appreciative of US support, Klitschko
criticized Washington and the EU for being too slow to impose sanctions on Russia and stressed the
need for increased international aid.
FARKHUNDAS KILLING REENACTED AS AFGHAN ATTORNEY GENERAL ANNOUNCES
CHARGES. The New York Times (4/28, Nordland, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) reports on a
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reenactment of the killing Farkhunda, the Afghan woman who was stoned and beaten to death after she
was falsely accused of burning a Quran. Mondays reenactment was conceived by the Justice for
Farkhunda Committee as a way to keep up pressure on the government, as activists worried that more
than a month after the episode, no formal charges had yet been filed. However, a few hours later, the
attorney generals office announced that formal charges were brought against 49 participants in the
killing, 19 of them police officers accused of failing to try to stop it.
US, JAPAN ANNOUNCE NEW GUIDELINES FOR DEFENSE COOPERATION. A day before the
President is to host Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the White House, Secretary of State Kerry,
Defense Secretary Carter and Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and Defense Minister Gen
Nakatani announced new guidelines for defense cooperation under which Japan. Media reports cast the
announcement as historic, with most noting that it will allow Japan to play a larger global role. For
example, AFP (4/28, Biddle, De Luce) calls the agreement, known as the Joint Defense Guidelines, as a
historic move that will give Japanese forces a wider global role amid concerns over Chinas rising sway,
and the Washington Times (4/28, Klimas, 641K) says the guidelines are expected to increase Japans
global presence in peacekeeping and humanitarian issues, as well as strengthen the partnership
between the US and Japan in fields like space and cybersecurity. In addition, they will let Japan defend
other countries against attacks.
Reuters (4/28, Mohammed) says Kerry called the revision of the guidelines, which is the first since 1997
an historic transition, and the Wall Street Journal (4/28, Barnes, Subscription Publication, 5.68M)
quotes Kerry as saying, Today, we mark the establishment of Japans capacity to defend not just its own
territory but also the U.S. and other partners as needed. ... The guidelineswill enhance Japans
security, deter threats and contribute to regional peace and stability.
Meanwhile, the AP (4/28, Lee) reports that Kerry said the US-Japan alliance had matured to one of the
strongest on earth and that the changes would allow the US and Japan to better manage growing
threats in the region and elsewhere. The AP also reports that Carter said, The world has changed much
since 18 years ago. ... We face new threats, new domains, new geographies.
While the New York Times (4/28, Davis, Gordon, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) says the agreement
reflects worries about North Korea and, especially, China, whose territorial claims in the South China
Sea and growing military spending have upset its neighbors, AFP (4/28, Biddle, De Luce) notes that
officials said the new doctrine is not aimed at China. However, Kerry stressed that the United States
saw the disputed Senkaku Islands, known in Chinese as the Diaoyus, as firmly under Japans control,
saying that Washingtons commitment to Japans security remains ironclad and covers all territories
under Japans administration, including the Senkaku Islands. Likewise, Reuters (4/28, Mohammed)
reports that Carter said that while the guidelines were not specifically aimed at China, The answer for
this region isnt for anybody to throw their weight around.
An editorial in the Washington Post (4/28, 5.03M) argues that with Japan modestly increasing its
defense spending, and offering to play a larger role in maintaining peace and stability beyond [its]
borders, the US should welcome the opportunity this presents, particularly as other allies, such as
Britain, retrench and turn inward.
Obama, Abe Make Unannounced Visit To Lincoln Memorial. Bloomberg News (4/28, Keane, 3.81M)
reports that while the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is scheduled to receive an official arrival
ceremony tomorrow and state dinner tomorrow night, after he arrived in Washington on Monday, the
President took him for an unannounced visit to the Lincoln Memorial. USA Today (4/28, Jackson, 5.01M)
notes that a statement from the White House said the unscheduled trip gave the leaders a chance to
spend time together one-on-one at a place of historical significance for the United States, and noted
that this month marks both the 150th anniversary of the Civil Wars end as well as President Lincolns
passing.
State Dinner To Feature Food Linking Japan And US. AFP (4/28) reports that Tuesdays state dinner
will feature an array of food that links Japan and the United States, with a touch of influence from
President Obamas home state of Hawaii. Guest chef Masaharu will rustle up his fusion take on a salad
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classic the Toro Tartare and Caesar Sashimi Salad, followed by a consomme with a twist with bok
choy and Wailea hearts of palm and bamboo shoots from Hawaii. Roasted American wagyu beef with
Spring vegetables will be the main course and desert will be American-style cheesecake with the
addition of silken tofu and soy milk and a selection of seasonal berries from Florida. The New York
Times (4/28, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) also previews the menu for Tuesday nights dinner.
The AP (4/28, Superville), meanwhile, reports that Abe will be among the first guests to eat from the
official state China of the Obama Administration, which is a modern-inspired service trimmed in a blue
that recalls the waters of his native state of Hawaii. According to the First Ladys office, she selected
whats been dubbed Kailua Blue to distinguish her familys china from the red, green, blue and yellow
used on more recent state services.
Japans Wartime Past Threatens To Overshadow Accomplishments Of Abes Trip. The Washington
Post (4/28, A1, Nakamura, Fifield, 5.03M) reports in a front-page story that the success of the visit for
the Obama administration could turn on how Abe handles Japans imperial wartime past, and White
House aides are wary of the potential for the issue to overshadow the concrete accomplishments of the
trip. The Post added that Abes speech to Congress is expected to be modeled on an address he gave
to the Australian Parliament last year, in which Abe expressed remorse for Japans aggression
singling out two chapters that were particularly deadly for Australian troops but did not apologize.
Koike: Abes Visit Comes At a Moment Of Clarity In US-Japanese Relations. In an op-ed for the
Bangkok Post (4/27, Koike, 15K), Yuriko Koike, Japans former defence minister and national security
adviser, writes that Abes visit to the US comes as friction between the two countries is at an all-time
low. Koike describes this as a moment of clarity in bilateral relations, adding that Abes address to a
joint session of Congress is an honor never before bestowed on a Japanese leader, and with it, the US
is really honouring the values and vision that both countries share.
Japanese Drone Pilot May Have Targeted US Embassy Housing Compound. The Japan Times
(4/27, Fools, 6K) reports that according to sources, Yasuo Yamamoto, the man arrested for landing a
drone with radioactive sand on top of Prime Minister Shinzo Abes office may have targeted the
American Embassy housing compound in Tokyo, and tried to film a nuclear power plant in Kagoshima
as well.
Asean Declines To Take Hard Line Against Chinas South China Sea Claims. The Wall Street
Journal (4/28, Otto, Ng, Subscription Publication, 5.68M) reports that despite warnings from the
Philippines that the worsening situation in the South China Sea will have global repercussions, the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations elected not to take a harder stance against China over its
territorial claims in the region.
KERRY: IRAN DEAL CLOSER THAN EVER. The AP (4/28, Klapper, Riechmann) reports Secretary of
State Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif met Monday in New York. While neither
spoke to reporters, earlier Kerry told a UN conference on nuclear non-proliferation that a deal would
make the world a safer place. Said Kerry, I want you to know the hard work is far from over and some
key issues remain unresolved. Kerry, Fox News Special Report (4/27, 1.53M) reported, added, But we
are, in fact, closer than ever to the good, comprehensive deal that we have been seeking. And if we can
get there, the entire world will be safer. James Rosen reported that the US top negotiator at the Iran
talks, Wendy Sherman, said today without this deal presently on the table, Iran will be able to develop
enough weapons grade plutonium to build two nuclear bombs a year.
Reuters (4/28, Charbonneau, Mohammed) reports that a senior State Department official said the
meeting between Kerry and Zarif was productive.
Moniz Vows To Be Completely Open With Congress. The Christian Science Monitor (4/28, Kiefer,
539K) reports that as the Senate prepares this week to debate a bipartisan bill that requires Congress to
have a say in any final nuclear deal with Iran, Energy Secretary Moniz has become the go-to man for
Congress on the details about Irans nuclear program, and, in a briefing with reporters on Monday, he
promised to be completely open with Congress. On the issue of inspections, Moniz said there will be a
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process in place for showing reasons to access an area. No one or two countries would be able to block
that process.
Politico (4/27, Everett, 1.11M), meanwhile, reports that Senate Democrats are demanding that
Republicans help them rebuff hot button amendments to the bill, but GOP leaders have refused to
commit to working in tandem, according to sources in both parties. Minority Whip Durbin said, Weve
told them that if this is going to evolve into a scenario where its Republicans taking the stronger
positions and trying to make us look weak, this process is going to slow to a crawl. We need a bipartisan
spirit for this to end well.
Iran Calls For No Limits On Transfer Of Nuclear Technology. Reuters (4/28, Charbonneau) reports
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, speaking Monday on behalf of the 120-nation NonAligned Movement at a UN non-proliferation conference, said there should be no limits on the transfer of
nuclear technology to Non-Proliferation Treaty signatories. We call upon the nuclear-weapon states to
immediately cease their plans to further invest in modernizing and extending the life span of their nuclear
weapons and related facilities.
Iranian General: US Was Behind 9/11 Attacks. Politico (4/27, Gass, 1.11M) reports the commander of
Irans ground forces, Ahmad Reza Pourdastan, said in an interview with Irans Arabic-language Al-Alam
TV network that US officials planned and executed the 9/11 attacks to justify military intervention in the
region. These wars and these threats stem from a comprehensive American strategy. After the fall of the
Soviet Union, the Americans felt that a new force was beginning to materialize, namely the union
between Sunnis and Shiites, said Pourdastan.
KERRY, ZARIF DISCUSS CRISIS IN YEMEN. During talks Monday in New York, the New York Times
(4/28, Gordon, Erdbrink, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) reports Secretary of State Kerry and Iranian
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif discussed the crisis in Yemen. Kerry told reporters before the
meeting, Yemens future should be decided by Yemenis, not by external parties and proxies. He also
defended Saudi Arabias handling of the crisis, saying the Saudis had been prepared to engage in
political talks until the Houthis pressed their offensive. Reuters (4/28) quotes Kerry as saying, The
Saudi shift...was predicated on the notion that people would freeze in place. But what happened was the
Houthi began to take advantage of the absence of air campaign, moving not only additionally on Aden,
but moving in other parts of the country.
The AP (4/28, Lee) reports Kerry told reporters before the talks that he would urge Zarif to pressure the
Houthis to return to the negotiating table. AFP (4/28, Biddle, Landry) quotes Kerry as saying, I will
certainly urge that everybody do their part to try to reduce the violence and allow the negotiations to
begin.
The talks in New York came as Reuters (4/27, Mukhashaf) reports Saudi-led aircraft continued Monday to
strike Houthi targets, including the area around the presidential compound in Sana.
AMID PLEAS FOR AID, FRANTIC SEARCH FOR EARTHQUAKE SURVIVORS CONTINUES IN
NEPAL. Robert Engel reported on NBC Nightly News (4/27, story 3, 3:10, Holt, 7.86M) that the
earthquake brought Nepal to its knees, leaving thousands dead and much of this already-poor country
without power or clean water. Engel described, In more remote and inaccessible villages, the toll is still
unknown. Meanwhile, the US Embassy in Kathmandu has opened its doors to shelter American
citizens.
Scott Pelley reported on the CBS Evening News (4/27, story 4, 3:20, Pelley, 5.08M) reported that the
death toll has passed 4,000 and that in some villages, three-quarters of the buildings collapsed, while
survivors are being airlifted to overwhelmed hospitals in the capital Kathmandu. Holly Williams added
that a lot of international help has been slowed down and even turned away because Kathmandus
airport is simply too small to cope with all the traffic, and was also damaged in the earthquake. Reuters
(4/28, Sharma) cites a senior interior ministry official who says the death toll could go as high as 5,000.
In a separate dispatch, Reuters (4/28, Stephenson) also reports that according to the State Department,
four Americans were killed in the earthquake or its aftermath.
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The AP (4/28) notes aid is coming from more than a dozen countries and many charities, but Lila Mani
Poudyal, the governments chief secretary and the rescue coordinator, said Nepal needed more. Said
Poudyal, We are appealing for tents, dry goods, blankets, mattresses, and 80 different medicines that
the health department is seeking that we desperately need now. ... We dont have the helicopters that we
need or the expertise to rescue the people trapped. USA Today (4/28, Cummings, 5.01M) reports that
Matt Darvas, a member of the aid group World Vision told the Associated Press that many...villages will
only be accessible by helicopter.
The New York Times (4/28, Fuller, Barry, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) says that outside the capital,
many of the worst-hit villages in the ridges around Katmandu remain a black hole, surrounded by
landslides that make them inaccessible even to the countrys armed forces. The Times adds that Nepali
authorities on Monday began airdropping packages of tarpaulins, dry food and medicine into mountain
villages, but an attempt to land helicopters was abandoned.
The Washington Times (4/28, Klimas, 641K) reports that the Pentagon said more US military assets
were on the way to Nepal on Monday to assist in the aftermath of a massive earthquake that left
thousands dead. The Times adds that a second C-17 military aircraft left March Air Reserve Base in
California on Monday carrying about 50 personnel, including the Los Angeles Search and Rescue team.
On its website, the Wall Street Journal (4/28, Schwartz, Subscription Publication, 5.68M) quoted Defense
Secretary Carter as saying, We expect to be doing more as and when called upon.
Moreover, notes The Hill (4/27, Shabad, 533K), the US is sending $10 million in aid. Secretary of State
Kerry announced $9 million in aid on Monday, in addition to an initial $1 million in assistance that was
offered Saturday. State Department acting spokesman Jeff Rathke said yesterday, This is our initial
response. I wouldnt expect it to be the end, though.
Meanwhile, says USA Today (4/28, Alcindor, 5.01M), people and aid groups across the US are
stepping up to help. Samaritans Purse has deployed several staffers including an orthopedic surgeon,
doctors and nurses who plan to provide emergency care through local partner hospitals in Nepal.
Lutheran World Relief is also on the ground trying to meet basic needs such as the distribution of water
filtration units and quilts. Hearts with Hands is raising money to help victims of the earthquake, and
American Leprosy Missions...began working in Nepal more than three decades ago, and now...is
working to support the people in Nepal as its staff and partners in Katmandu mobilize relief efforts.
The Washington Post (4/28, A1, Lakshmi, Gowen, 5.03M) reports that Sitanshu Kar, a spokesman for
Indias defense ministry, said on Twitter that Indian Air Force pilots had been flying rescue sorties over
the countrys rugged terrain with their Nepalese Army counterparts since Sunday, dropping supplies and
rescuing more than 100 people.
AFP (4/28), meanwhile, reports that a Boeing C-17 transport plane laden with supplies and dozens of
Nepalese Gurkha soldiers is to take off from a British air base on Monday headed for their homeland.
The plan will carry more than 1,100 shelter kits, including plastic sheeting and rope, and 1,700 solar
lanterns.
The New York Times (4/28, Zraick, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) reports on efforts from technology
companies to devise ways to help users in affected areas connect with friends and loved ones around
the world, and vice versa. Googles Person Finder was tracking about 6,100 records as of 2:30 p.m.
Monday, Eastern time. Facebook also started a fund-raising drive for the International Medical Corps
on Monday, and said it would match every dollar donated, up to $2 million. The matching funds are to be
distributed to local relief and rescue organizations.
On ABC World News (4/27, story 4, 2:15, Muir, 5.84M), Alex Marquardt reported that with all the
powerful after shocks, so many are afraid of sleeping inside at home and theyve built...makeshift tents in
big, open spaces turning them into tent cities. The Los Angeles Times (4/28, Hayden, 4.03M) describes
one such tent city, which serves as Katmandus Central Park and is where public festivals are
traditionally held.
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Four Americans Killed In Mount Everest Avalanche. Scott Pelley reported on the CBS Evening News
(4/27, story 5, 3:15, Pelley, 5.08M) that the Pentagon is sending 130 rescue workers to Nepal.
Elizabeth Palmer reported that 18 people were killed, among them Americans at the Mount Everest
base camp where hundreds had gathered in preparation for the climb to the summit. An airlift has
rescued more than 100 climbers stranded high up on the mountain but nobody really knows how many
climbers may be left on the mountain and the weather is about to turn bad. On ABC World News (4/27,
story 3, 2:35, Muir, 5.84M), Terry Moran reported that among the four Americans killed were Marisa Eve
Girawong, a medic from New Jersey; Tom Taplin, a 61-year-old filmmaker from California; and 33-yearold Google executive, Dan Fredinberg.
On the CBS Evening News (4/27, story 6, 1:55, Pelley, 5.08M), Jon Kedrowski, an American survivor,
described the avalanche as a force of air that was blown across the glacier sort of like in a bomb
fashion. Kedrowski added that a lot of injuries were from debris, smaller rocks and people getting head
injuries, even being maybe impaled like a tent pole, just by falling debris.
Earnest Leaves Tibet Out Official List Of Condolences. Politico (4/27, Lerner, 1.11M) remarks on
White House press secretary Josh Earnests subtle omission during his press briefing Monday. Earnest
offered the US governments deepest condolences tothe families of those who died in Nepal, but also
the families of those who died in India and Bangladesh. However, he neglected to mention another
region directly affected by the earthquakes devastation dozens of deaths have been reported in Tibet.
ISIL MILITANTS SLIT THROATS OF FIVE LIBYAN JOURNALISTS. According to a Libyan army
commander, ISIL militants have cut the throats of five journalists working for Barqa TV, a Libyan TV
station, Reuters (4/28, Al-Warfalli) reports. Faraj al-Barassi, a district army commander in eastern Libya,
said that the bodies of the five journalists, who had been missing since August, were found outside the
city of Bayda.
UN: ISRAEL KILLED 44 CIVILIANS SEEKING REFUGE AT UN SCHOOLS DURING GAZA WAR. The
New York Times (4/28, Sengupta, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) reports that 44 Palestinian civilians
were killed by Israeli military actions while seeking refuge in seven UN schools during last summers
siege of Gaza, according to UN findings of an internal inquiry released on Monday. The report found that
weapons had not been found inside those United Nations schools, but rather in three other UN schools
that were vacant at the time. Only the summary, which was released along with a letter from Secretary
General Ban Ki-moon to the Security Council, of the 207-page report was made public. The Times notes
that neither the summary nor Bans letter explicitly accused the antagonists of having violated
international law, but that the findings may serve to buttress the Palestinian Authoritys intention to hold
Israel accountable at the ICC.
Reuters (4/28, Nichols) reports that the findings also showed that at least 227 were injured at UN
emergency shelters. Ban criticized Israel for attacking UN shelters and stated, I am dismayed that
Palestinian militant groups would put United Nations schools at risk by using them to hide their arms.
The AP (4/28, Anna) reports that the probe found that Palestinian militants in two cases had probably
fired from the vacant schools. Referring to one case where 18 people were killed at an elementary school
sheltering 3,000 Gazans, the inquiry said that no prior warning had been given by the government of
Israel of the firing of 155 MM high explosive projectiles on, or in the surrounding area of the school.
BOKO HARAM KILLS DOZENS OF SOLDIERS, CIVILIANS IN LAKE CHAD. AFP (4/28, Abubakar)
reports that Boko Haram killed dozens of Niger troops and civilians in an attack on a Lake Chad island
over the weekend. Security sources say at least 48 soldiers were killed while 36 were reported missing
when the Islamist fighters stormed the island of Karamga via motorized canoes before going on a
shooting spree killing dozens of civilians. The attack came one day after Boko Haram shot 21 people
dead in northeastern Nigeria on Friday.
GRASSLEY WEIGHS REQUIRING DOJ TO PROBE ANY POLICE KILLING OF A MINORITY. USA
Today (4/28, Doering, 5.01M) reports Senate Judiciary Chairman Charles Grassley said Monday that the
OPS054000602
committee is considering whether to require Justice Department review of any killing of a minority by a
police officer. Grassley said panel staff are discussing a number of options following a rash of highprofile cases of police officers using lethal force against minorities.
TULSA COUNTRY UNDERSHERIFF RESIGNS. The Wall Street Journal (4/28, Campoy, Subscription
Publication, 5.68M) reports Tulsa Country, Oklahoma Undersheriff Tim Albin has resigned following the
leak of documents regarding the promotion of Reserve Deputy Robert Bates, who accidentally killed a
man earlier this month. The Huffington Post (4/27, Sola, 194K) reports that the Tulsa World says
documents show Albin falsified Bates training records and quashed his colleagues concerns about the
deputy.
FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS LAPD TO PROVIDE VIDEO FOOTAGE OF ALLEGED ATTACK TO
ATTORNEY. The Los Angeles Times (4/28, Winton, 4.03M) reports US Magistrate Judge Alicia
Rosenberg has ordered the Los Angeles Police Department on Monday to provide video footage to an
attorney who says it shows her client Clinton Alford being assaulted by Officer Richard Garcia last
October. Alford is suing the department, its chief and officers for violating his civil rights. He says he was
riding his bicycle on the sidewalk when officers attacked him.
Los Angeles County Expected To Settle With DOJ Over Sheriffs Targeting Of Minorities. The Los
Angeles Times (4/28, Sewell, 4.03M) reports Los Angeles County supervisors are expected to vote today
to settle with the Justice Department over allegations that sheriffs officials systematically targeted racial
minorities in the Antelope Valley.
GRAHAM, RUBIO, BUSH BACK DEFENSE HAWKS IN DEBATE OVER NSA SURVEILLANCE. The
Washington Times (4/28, McLaughlin, 641K) reports that as Congress prepares for a make-or-break
debate over the future of the NSAs phone-snooping program, defense hawks are growing within the
likely Republican presidential field. Sens. Lindsey Graham, Marco Rubio, and former Florida Gov. Jeb
Bush have sided with the hawks, saying the world is getting more dangerous, and the ability to suss out
terrorist plots demands the kinds of powers the government has claimed in the Patriot Act, while Sen.
Rand Paul is opposing them, arguing that its time for the Patriot Act powers to expire. The remainder of
the likely GOP field is trapped in between the two poles, calculating the politics and political
ramifications of siding with the hawks or the civil libertarians, and the libertarians fear the hawks are
winning.
FORMER CIA OFFICER DISPUTES LEAK DAMAGE. Politico (4/27, Gerstein, 1.11M) reports in its
Under The Radar blog that a former CIA officer is disputing the U.S. governments claims that a fellow
CIA spys leak of an agency operation targeting Irans nuclear program did grave damage to U.S.
national security. The disagreement is over the impact of disclosures by former CIA officer Jeffrey
Sterling, who was convicted in federal court in January of giving New York Times reporter James Risen
details about an effort to provide the Iranians with flawed nuclear designs that they might adopt, setting
back their alleged nuclear weapons program. A Federal jury in Alexandria, VA found Sterling guilty of
nine felony counts related to the link. In a court filing last week, Federal prosecutors urged a severe
sentence for Sterling, arguing that Sterlings disclosures did enormous damage, but in a letter the
defense submitted as part of a sentencing filing last week, former CIA officer David Manners called some
of the governments claims overwrought hyperbole.

OPS054000603
OPS054000604
From:
Subject:
Date:
Attachments:
)
Virginia Briefing Report April 28 2015
VBR 28 April 2015.doc
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Information, articles, and resource documents within this report are from open sources. Opinions/views
are not those of the Commonwealth of Virginia or the Virginia Department of Emergency Management and
are solely for informational purposes.
Additional information can be found in the attached document.
Leak at DuPont Plant injures workers, promptsevacuation: Twenty-two people were transported to
area hospitals after a liquid-heating fluid leak at the DuPont Plant off Jeff Davis Highway, according
to Chesterfield Fire and EMS spokesman Jason Elmore. Twenty of those injured were DuPont
employees or contractors. Two of them were Chesterfield firefighters. Also, an additional 12 workers
were assessed on scene but were not transported. The condition of the workers taken to the hospital has
not been released. WTVR Full Story; WWBT Two firefighters, 20 others taken to hospital in
Chesterfield DuPont leak; Richmond Times-Dispatch 22 monitored after fluid leak at DuPont facility
Red Cross of Virginia helps Nepal earthquake victims: The American Red Cross is committing
$300,000 to response operations in Nepal. Field assessment teams are on their way to Nepal and the
organization has sent more than 19,000 relief kits containing clothing, kitchen sets, mosquito nets,
personal hygiene items and covers for shelters. Many people have reached out to the local chapter of
the Red Cross asking how they can help. Anyone interested may make a donation to disaster relief,
international services or Nepal earthquake relief on the Red Cross website. WSLS Full Story
Police, citizens work together in Richmond: We cant breathe a sigh of relief yet. As Baltimore burns
with an outrage that has become sadly familiar with protests, rioting, looting and a state of emergency
in the aftermath of the unexplained death of a man in police custody Richmond is not so far removed
from its days as a homicide capital to feel complacent about its relationship between the community and
police. Richmond Times-Dispatch Full Story
Alleged terrorist to be arraigned in Richmond: A Russian captured in Afghanistan in 2009 while
allegedly fighting with the Taliban is set to be arraigned today on charges in a new 15-count indictment.
Irek Ilgiz Hamidullin, 55, was captured by American and Afghan forces in 2009 and arraigned in U.S.
District Court in October on a 12-count indictment. Richmond Times-Dispatch Full Story
FBI police officer killed in Stafford: A Maryland man has been charged with first-degree murder in
connection with the Monday morning slaying of an FBI police officer in Stafford County. Jeremy Brown,
29, of 110 Abby Lane in south Stafford was gunned down as he was leaving his home at 5:01 a.m.,
Stafford Sheriffs spokesman Bill Kennedy said. Freelance-Star Full Story
Phone call prompts elementary school lockdown: A phone call prompted a code red lockdown at
Gordon-Barbour Elementary School in Gordonsville Monday. According to the Orange County Sheriff's
Office, around 11:15 a.m., a call was received stating that there had been a shooting at the school.
Orange County Public Schools say the call was made to the Gordonsville Town Hall. The Orange
County Sheriff's Office, the Gordonsville Town Police, the Orange Town Police, and the Virginia State
Police searched the school. Nothing was found and the school was returned to normal operation at
noon. WVIR Full Story
Four treated for minor injuries after poultry plant chemical leak: A fire official says four workers
suffered minor injuries following a small chemical leak at a poultry plant in Harrisonburg. Harrisonburg
Fire Chief Larry Shifflett says some vapors leaked from an ammonia line as workers at Shenandoah
Processing were draining the line on Monday morning. Fox DC Full Story
Baltimore enlists National Guard and curfew to fight riots and looting: Governor Larry Hogan
OPS054000605
activated the National Guard yesterday, and the city of Baltimore announced a curfew for all residents as
a turbulent day that began with the funeral of 25-year-old Freddie Gray, the nations latest symbol of
police brutality, ended with rioting by rock-throwing youths, widespread looting, and at least 15 police
officers injured. New York Times Full Story; CNN Baltimore riots: A timeline; The Associated Press
Credible gang threat against Baltimore police
Obama pledges help for Baltimore: President Barack Obama is pledging the federal government's help
to respond to riots that have broken out in Baltimore following the funeral of Freddie Gray. Obama spoke
yesterday with Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. The White House says the mayor updated
Obama on the situation and that Obama told her his administration would provide assistance as needed.
Obama's senior adviser also spoke Monday with Maryland Governor Larry Hogan. Lynchburg News &
Advance Full Story
National accreditation board suspends all DNA testing at D.C. crime lab: D.C. Mayor Muriel E.
Bowser ordered the audit by the ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board last month after the U.S.
attorneys office said it had discovered numerous errors in some of the labs DNA analyses. The audit,
which was published Friday, criticized the labs practices and said they were not in compliance with FBI
standards. The Washington Post Full Story
Nepal troops ready aid for remote quake-hit villages: Preparing to make a push into the most isolated
parts of quake-devastated Nepal, soldiers today are readying food, water, and other emergency supplies
to be loaded onto helicopters in this small town near the earthquake's epicenter. Gorkha, which would
barely count as a village in much of the world, is the district's administrative, transport and trading center
for surrounding tiny villages. It was being used as a staging post to get rescuers and supplies to those
remote communities, some of which are believed to be nearly completely destroyed. Associated Press
Full Story; Air Force Times Special Forces helping rescue Nepal earthquake survivors; US News &
World Report Nepal earthquake triggers substantial economic aftershock
Are drones the future of disaster relief? Drone technology may be the future of disaster response and
recovery, according to a new study commissioned by the American Red Cross. Measure, a 32 Advisors
Company, and the American Red Cross, recently released a 52-page report based on extensive
research and industry collaboration examining the humanitarian, safety, and economic benefits of using
drones to aid disaster relief efforts. Homeland Security Today Full Story
Memo shows special treatment for Oklahoma reserve deputy: Several members of an Oklahoma
sheriff's department raised serious concerns years ago about the performance and training of a volunteer
deputy in the department now charged in the fatal shooting of a restrained suspect, according to a report
released Friday that attorneys for the dead man's family said outlines a 2009 internal investigation.
Associated Press Full Story
FirstNet approves framework, will release draft documents: The First Responder Network Authority
(FirstNet) took another step toward deploying a nationwide public safety broadband network last week,
voting to release a special notice requesting feedback on draft RFP documents. At a special meeting on
April 24, the FirstNet board of directors also approved a third public notice requesting further discussion
with the emergency response community regarding the definition of public safety entity" in FirstNets
enabling legislation. Emergency Management Full Story
'Extremely dangerous' mile-wide tornado (TX): The storm knocked out power to more than 30,000
people in Texas, according to online reports compiled from local power companies. Austin Energy
reported the most affected, with 7,600 without power. NBC Full Story; The Weather Channel Severe
storms pummel Texas, multiple tornadoes confirmed
Bad weather complicates search for missing boaters (AL): Thunderstorms and high waves
complicated Monday's search for four missing boaters in Mobile Bay, Alabama, who have been missing
since powerful storms capsized their sailboats during an annual race Saturday. At least two other boaters
have been confirmed dead from the accident. Associated Press Full Story
OPS054000606
Nine states running out of water: For many states, the rainy season is over, and most of the Western
United States is now locked into a fourth consecutive year of drought. The imminent dry summer is
particularly foreboding for California, where more than 44% of land area is engulfed in an exceptional
level of drought. This was the highest such share nationwide and the kind of water shortage seen only
once a century. 24/7 Wall Street Full Story
High winds wipe train cars off bridge near New Orleans: Thunderstorms carting powerful winds and
heavy rain created a jaw-dropping scene in the New Orleans area yesterday, as high winds pushed train
cars right off an elevated train track. The Weather Channel Full Story
Red Cross reorganization leads to failure (LA): Two parish homeland security directors said the
American Red Cross failed its first test in disaster response since the reduction of staff at the Northeast
Louisiana chapter in Monroe last summer, criticizing the performance of the agency following last weeks
storm that swept through the region. The News Star Full Story
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

VEOC Watch Officers
OPS054000607
From:
To:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Cc:
Subject:
Date:
Attachments:
Virginia Spot Report #2 - 2015 Baltimore Civil Unrest

Spot Report #2 - 2015 Baltimore Civil Unrest 4-28 - Copy.docx
Good afternoon,
Virginia Spot Report #2 for the civil unrest in Baltimore is attached a copied below. New
information is in bold. The next Spot Report will be issued as new information becomes
available.
Summary
Due to civil unrest situation in Baltimore, Maryland, the Mayor of Baltimore City, Stephanie
Rawlings-Blake, declared a State of Emergency as of 5:30 p.m. yesterday. Maryland Governor
Larry Hogan declared a State of Emergency at 7:15 p.m. last night and activated the Maryland
National Guard to assist Maryland State Police and Baltimore City Police. At least twenty
officers have been injured during the unrest, according to media. A curfew has been issued for
the city to combat looting of local businesses and destruction of government vehicles and
buildings. The City of Baltimore has requested assistance from the Maryland State Police.
Maryland has requested mutual aid assistance through the Emergency Management
Assistance Compact (EMAC).
VERT/VDEM/VEOC
VDEM State Coordinator briefed Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland
Security on the situation and Virginias response to requests for assistance from
Maryland.
VDEM Regional Coordinator has deployed to Maryland EOC as Virginia liaison.
VDEM EMAC Coordinator is helping Maryland coordinate EMAC requests.
Virginia evaluated local law enforcement assets for potential response to requests
for assistance.
VDEM hosted a Region III Lead State EMAC Conference Call.
VDEM continues to participate in regional conference calls.
ESF #7 Logistics
Virginia is providing six (6) non-lethal weapons kits to outfit 180 National Guard units.
Virginia National Guard is transporting the equipment, using four (4) personnel and two
(2) vehicles with trailers. The personnel and equipment have arrived at the staging area
in Maryland.
Thank you,
VERT Planning Section
OPS054000608
City of Baltimore
SITUATION REPORT # 2
Civil Unrest
April 2015
1200 hrs - 4/28/2015
New Information in RED
CONTENTS
CONTENTS.................................................................................................................................................. 1
SUMMARY .................................................................................................................................................. 2
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES ....................................................................................................................... 2
EMERGENCY SUPPORT FUNCTION (ESF) REPORTS ......................................................................... 4
ESF #1: Transportation [Lead: Department of Transportation (DOT)] .................................................... 4
ESF #2: Communications [Lead: Mayors Office of Information Technology (MOIT)]......................... 5
ESF #3: Public Works [Lead: Department of Public Works (DPW)]....................................................... 5
ESF #4: Firefighting [Lead: Baltimore City Fire Department (BCFD)]................................................... 5
ESF #5: Information and Planning [Lead: Mayors Office of Emergency Management (MOEM)] ........ 6
ESF #6: Sheltering and Mass Care [Lead: Dept. of Housing and Community Development (DHCD)] .. 6
ESF #7: Resource Support [Lead: Mayors Office of Emergency Management (MOEM)] .................... 6
ESF #8: Health and Medical [Lead: Baltimore City Health Department (BCHD)] ................................. 6
ESF #9: Search and Rescue [Lead: Baltimore City Fire Department]...................................................... 6
ESF #10: Hazardous Materials Response [Lead: Baltimore City Fire Department (BCFD)] .................. 6
ESF #11: Public Information [Lead: Baltimore Police Department (BPD)] ............................................ 7
ESF #12: Energy [Lead: Department of Public Works (DPW)] ............................................................... 7
ESF #13: Law Enforcement [Lead: Baltimore Police Department (BPD)] .............................................. 7
ESF #14: Recovery [Lead: Mayors Office of Emergency Management]................................................ 7
ESF #15: Donations and Volunteer Management [Lead: Office of Human Services] ............................. 7
ESF #16: Animal Protection [Lead: Baltimore City Health Department] ................................................ 8
1
OPS054000609
City of Baltimore
SUMMARY
Peaceful protests have turned violent in Baltimore City, with protesters looting, destroying
property, and actively trying to injure police officers. Several fires have been intentionally set,
debris is blocking roadways, and nearly all businesses in the city have closed. The majority of
incidents are concentrated in the western side of the city, specifically the West North Ave
corridor and the Mondawmin Mall area; however impacts have been felt citywide. Multiple
public safety mutual aid partners have been deployed to support Baltimore from across the
region, including the National Guard.
The Mayor and Governor have declared a State of Emergency, and a curfew has been placed on
the entire city beginning at 10:00pm until 5:00 a.m. 4/28/15 to 5/04/2015.
Current operations are focused on responding to major emergencies, securing the city, and
returning to normal operations.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Support and ensure continuity of public safety operations.

Protect Critical Infrastructure sites and Key Resources citywide.
Support and enable the re-opening and resumption of all city activities.
Clear all roadways of debris and blocking materials.
Assess and document all damage citywide.
2
OPS054000610
City of Baltimore
BCFD responded to 19 structure fires
3 alarm fire at Gay and Federal Streets
144 vehicle fires
19 police officers injured; 2 in serious condition
Several institutions are on lock-down, including MICA and Johns Hopkins University.
Current Power Outage Status
Less than 5 customers out in Baltimore City
Communication
A WebEOC event titled Protests 2015 has been created.
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

Closures
Baltimore City Public Schools are closed Tuesday April 28, 2015.
Liberal Leave is NOT in effect for non-essential City of Baltimore employees.
Casualties
Several injuries; no incident related fatalities reported at this time.
Declarations
Local State of Emergency Declared for 7 days.
State of Emergency declared by Governor Hogan.
Curfew
A curfew has been placed on the entire city beginning at 10:00pm until 5:00 a.m. 4/28/15
to 5/04/2015.
EOC Activation
City of Baltimore EOC is at Level 1, Full Activation.
The State of Maryland Emergency Operations Center has raised to a State Response
Activation Level 3 status as of Monday - April 27 , 2015 @ 17:00hrs in support of law
enforcement activities in Baltimore City
Weather Forecast
Tuesday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 66. North wind 13 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph.
Tuesday Night
3
OPS054000611
City of Baltimore
Mostly clear, with a low around 49. Northwest wind 5 to 9 mph.

Wednesday
Sunny, with a high near 72. Northwest wind 3 to 6 mph.
Wednesday Night
A chance of rain after 3am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 55. South wind around 6 mph.
Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Thursday
Thursday Night
Friday
Friday Night
Saturday
Saturday Night
Sunday
Sunday Night
Monday
EMERGENCY SUPPORT FUNCTION (ESF) REPORTS
ESF #1: Transportation [Lead: Department of Transportation (DOT)]
The majority of city roads are open; working in concert with DPW to clear roads of
debris in the morning.
All interstates open.
MTA
o Local bus Delays around North Avenue / Pennsylvania Avenue
o Metro Subway - operating on regular schedule
o Light Rail - operating on regular schedule
o MARC Train - operating on regular schedule
o Mobility - operating on regular schedule
o Commuter Bus - operating on regular schedule
Removed 30 burned vehicles from the streets
64 burned vehicles still require removal
The following lane/road closures remain in effect:

two lanes east bound Fayette Street between Gay and President Street curb and travel lane
Baltimore Street between Gay Street and President Street closed to through traffic
4
OPS054000612
City of Baltimore
Southbound President Street between Fayette Street and Baltimore Street curb lane
North Avenue closed in both directions from Carey St. to Whitelock St.
Also, several streets remain closed in west Baltimore. Please proceed with caution today when traveling.
ESF #2: Communications [Lead: Mayors Office of Information Technology (MOIT)]
911 operating with no difficulties, however high call volume.

311 now accepting the new call types for debris blocking roadways.
BPD will be looking into the ability to have residents and business owners report damage
and other related issues online.
Credible threats of a cyber-attack aimed and the city and police networks have been
received.
Threat of the Purge on Lexington Market
ESF #3: Public Works [Lead: Department of Public Works (DPW)]
The Debris Management Center will be activating at Park Terminal to coordinate and
manage the clearing of city roadways.
Tow trucks, solid waste, and street sweeper crews are working on clearing streets.
Citizens cleaning their neighborhood streets are encouraged to push debris to the curbs
and put a service request into 311.
No water pressure issues.
Working to hire emergency contracts for assistance with debris removal.
Trash pick-up is on normal schedule.
20 Cleaning crews are on the street.
Pro-active boarding of damaged buildings are currently being done.
21 Investigators are on street assessing damage.
ESF #4: Firefighting [Lead: Baltimore City Fire Department (BCFD)]
Responded to 19 structure fires.

Responded to 144 vehicle fires.
40 suppression units from other jurisdictions were utilized.
3 fire stations were evacuated as a result of the protests (23, 13, and 52). 52 remains
evacuated, the others have returned.
Putting in a request for 4 state fire marshals.
One fire department vehicle (Battalion Chief car) damaged by thrown rocks.
Incident Management Team activated at Oldtown.
All fire companies are back in their respective stations.
2 injured firefighters reported.
BCFD under normal operations.
5
OPS054000613
City of Baltimore
ESF #5: Information and Planning [Lead: Mayors Office of Emergency Management
(MOEM)]
All emergency support functions activated at this time.

Incident Management Assistance Team from Howard/Harford Counties activated in the
EOC.
ESF #6: Sheltering and Mass Care [Lead: Dept. of Housing and Community Development
(DHCD)]
No report at this time.
ESF #7: Resource Support [Lead: Mayors Office of Emergency Management (MOEM)]
Numerous mutual aid requests, MEMAC and EMAC requests being filled.
See WebEOC for request status.
MEMA Regional Liaison operational in the EOC.
Ongoing need for nourishment for law enforcement officers being handled by BPD
logistics section.
Lodging for mutual aid law enforcement agencies is being coordinated at this time.
ESF #8: Health and Medical [Lead: Baltimore City Health Department (BCHD)]
The Health Commissioner has reached out and made contact with all city hospitals.
Druid Clinic is closed and its staff has been relocated to Eastern.
Senior Centers are closed.
Field Health Services operating.
City Hospitals who are having trouble getting staff in, and/or security concerns, or
physical plant issues should contact the Baltimore City EOC and ask for the Health
Department Rep at 410-396-9273. In the event the Health Department cannot be reached
contact EMRC.
Field Health Services has 439 transports scheduled through their operations.
Health Centers are closed.
Nursing homes are secure and have no requests at this time.
Planning for mental health recovery is being started.
ESF #9: Search and Rescue [Lead: Baltimore City Fire Department]
Components of the Urban Search and Rescue team has been activated to assist with
logistics.
ESF #10: Hazardous Materials Response [Lead: Baltimore City Fire Department (BCFD)]
6
OPS054000614
City of Baltimore
No significant hazardous materials incidents at this time.
ESF #11: Public Information [Lead: Baltimore Police Department (BPD)]

Numerous media and interview requests being handled.
Joint Information System activated.
ESF #12: Energy [Lead: Department of General Services (DGS)]
Fallsway, Lewin, and York fueling stations open 24/7.

BGE reporting less 5 customer outages in the city at this time.
BGE liaison working remotely with the EOC.
Windshield replacements are underway for BPD and BCFD windshields
ESF #13: Law Enforcement [Lead: Baltimore Police Department (BPD)]

Law Enforcement - Additional Units
120 MSP Troopers by 0130 Hrs
By 0900 Hours - District of Columbia 42, Pennsylvania Police 42 Total 84
By Noon Tomorrow - Montgomery County 40, Anne Arundle 35, Balt. County 55,
Howard 40, PG 40 and Harford 23 Total - 233
Total by noon tomorrow Estimated = 437
National Guard - To be deployed with MSP determining locations now...
o 50 By 0130
o 300 By 0300
o 450 By 0900
Berlin 6
Harford Co Sheriff 25
Charles Co 23
Dauphin Co 3
MDTAP 15
MSP 145
ESF #14: Recovery [Lead: Mayors Office of Emergency Management]
IMAT working in concert with MEMA on recovery issues and planning.
ESF #15: Donations and Volunteer Management [Lead: Office of Human Services]
MOHS looking at ways to coordinate the need for help cleaning up.
All donation and volunteer request will be directed to contact 311
7
OPS054000615
City of Baltimore
ESF #16: Animal Protection [Lead: Baltimore City Health Department]
Police resources requested to assist with protecting the zoo.
8
OPS054000616
From:
To:
Subject:
Date:
Attachments:
Bulletin Intelligence
DHS@BulletinIntelligence.com
dhsclips150418.doc


LEADING DHS NEWS:
+ DOJ Urges Appeals Court To Lift Injunction On Deferred-Action Program.
+ Grassley Wants DHS To Suspend Visa Broker Under FBI Investigation.
+ White House Installs Anti-Climb Spikes.
+ Missouri National Guard Called Ferguson Protesters Enemy Forces.
+ Woman Attacked Man With Pen In Air Rage Case.
+ Justice Departments Criminal Chief Pledges Greater Transparency.
+ DOJ: Probes Could Result In Harsher Penalties For Banks.
+ Fed Judge Says FBI Violated The Rights Of Wealthy Malaysian Businessman.
+ Hickton To Co-Chair National Heroin Task Force.
+ WPost: World Has Stake In Helping Africa Build Firewall Against Infectious Disease.
+ Liberian Official Says Country Tired From Ebola Fight.
+ California Officials Declare Disneyland Measles Outbreak Over.
+ Victims Family Asks Prosecutors To Not Pursue Death Penalty For Tsarnaev.
+ Ohio Terrorism Suspect Pleads Not Guilty.
+ Media Mark 20th Anniversary Of Oklahoma City Bombing.
+ Australia Arrests Five Teenagers For Plotting ISIL-Inspired Attack.
OTHER CYBER NEWS:
+ NYTimes: Media Must Redouble Efforts To Protect Against Hacking.
+ Children Especially Vulnerable To Identity Theft.
+ ISIL Claims Responsibility For Attack On US Consulate In Erbil.
+ US To Take In Up To 2,000 Syrian Refugees This Year.
+ US Troops Arrive In Ukraine For Training Exercises.
+ Obama Indicates Willingness To Sign Bill On Iran Nuclear Deal.
+ Obama, Renzi Pledge Cooperation On Libya.
+ Obama Invites GCC Leaders To White House, Camp David.
+ Zarif Details Irans Four-Point Peace Plan For Yemen.
+ North Korea Warns Lippert That He Could Face A Bigger Mishap.
+ Abe Plans To Proceed With Relocation Of US Military Base.
+ Lew Urges Greece To Reach A Deal With Creditors.
+ State Department Calls For Release Of Chinese Journalist.
OPS054000617
+ Taliban Denies Responsibility For Deadly Suicide Attack In Afghanistan.

+ Lieberman Denounces EU Proposal To Label Israeli Settlement Products.
Leading DHS News:

DOJ URGES APPEALS COURT TO LIFT INJUNCTION ON DEFERRED-ACTION PROGRAM. The
Justice Department on Friday, in a rare oral argument before a three-judge panel of the Fifth Circuit
Court of Appeals, urged the court to lift a lower court ruling that has blocked implementation of
President Obamas deferred-action program, the Washington Post (4/18, Nakamura, 5.17M) reports. The
New York Times (4/18, Shear, Subscription Publication, 9.97M) reports that, if the DOJ fails in their bid
to reverse the judges preliminary injunction, Mr. Obamas immigration efforts could remain in legal limbo
for months.
The Los Angeles Times (4/18, Hennessy-Fiske, 3.49M) reports that the judges two appointed by
Republican presidents, one by Obama were randomly selected from among 15 on the conservative
U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. The panel did not rule on the stay from the bench and it is not clear
how soon a decision will be rendered. The Wall Street Journal (4/18, A4, Koppel, Subscription
Publication, 5.67M) reports that the three-judge panel was composed of Fifth Circuit Judges Jerry Smith,
appointed by President Ronald Reagan; Jennifer Walker Elrod, appointed by President George W. Bush;
and Stephen Higginson, appointed by Obama.
In a related article, the Los Angeles Times (4/18, Hennessy-Fiske, 3.49M) examines how the Deferred
Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) would impact immigrants
across the country, noting that DAPA would not provide a path to citizenship, but would make some
applicants eligible for three-year work permits. Likewise, the Wall Street Journal (4/18, Meckler,
Subscription Publication, 5.67M) details how the GOP continues to grapple with immigration issues as it
courts Hispanics.
GRASSLEY WANTS DHS TO SUSPEND VISA BROKER UNDER FBI INVESTIGATION. ABC News
(4/17, Mosk, Ross, 3.41M) reported Senate Judiciary Chairman Charles Grassley wants the Department
of Homeland Security to revoke its certification of Noble Outreach, a company led by a former White
House military aide who is the subject of a criminal investigation by the FBI for allegedly taking millions
from foreign investors after promising them an easy path to the foreign investment visa program, known
as EB-5. Grassley said theres no reason why DHS officials could not at least suspend a regional
centers certification when there is evidence of fraud, adding, Fraud does not promote economic
growth.
WHITE HOUSE INSTALLS ANTI-CLIMB SPIKES. Homeland Security Correspondent Jeff Pegues
reports for CBS Evening News (4/17, story 3, 2:10, Pelly, 5.08M) that the Secret Service and the
National Parks Service plans to install temporary steel spikes around the White House perimeter fence to
stop intruders from climbing the fence.
MISSOURI NATIONAL GUARD CALLED FERGUSON PROTESTERS ENEMY FORCES. CNN (4/17,
Starr, Bruer, 2.05M) reported on its website that internal mission briefings showed the Missouri National
Guard had used highly militarized words including enemy forces and adversaries when referring to
protesters rioting in Ferguson, Missouri. However, CNN noted superiors had told troops to rein in the use
of this language, which they were concerned would have an effect on the perceptions of its deployment.
Oklahoma Deputy Speaks Out About Accidental Shooting. In its lead story, NBC Nightly News (4/17,
lead story, 1:50, Holt, 7.86M) reported on the networks interview with Robert Bates, the Oklahoma
volunteer deputy who mistook his gun for his taser before shooting and killing 44-year-old Eric Harris
during a sting operation. During the interview with NBCs Matt Lauer, Bates identified that his taser was
tucked in a protective vest and his gun was positioned at his side. Bates noted that he had read
several cases about officers making a similar error and had previously not understood how such a
mistake could happen, then added, You must believe me, it can happen to anyone.
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In a followup segment, NBC Nightly News (4/17, story 2, 2:35, Holt, 7.86M) reported that questions
continue to pop up about the training that Bates received. NBC noted that state records indicate Bates
had almost 300 hours of training since 2008; however, Tulsa County Sheriff Stanley Glanz stated earlier
this week that his office cannot find all the records because the previous instructor no longer works for
the department. According to the broadcast, Bates flatly denies that any of his records have been
falsified. NBC added that Bates is expected to be arraigned next week and intends to plead not guilty.
According to Reuters (4/18, Gonzales) the family of Eric Harris has stated they have independent
confirmation that Bates training records have been falsified.
ABC World News (4/17, story 4, 1:55, Muir, 5.84M) reported that Bates responded to accusations that he
received the deputy position because of his financial support for the department, saying that the
characterization is unfair. The AP (4/18) notes that Rep. Mike Shelton and the American Civil Liberties
Union have requested an independent investigation of the Tulsa County Sheriffs Office.
Black Officer On Scene After Walter Scott Shooting Under Scrutiny. The New York Times (4/18,
Fernandez, Subscription Publication, 9.97M) discusses the racial problems black officers face in largely
white police departments while reporting Clarence Habersham Jr., the first officer to arrive on the scene
after the fatal police shooting of unarmed black man Walter Scott is under intense scrutiny. The Times
notes that while Habersham is black, a number of black leaders and lawyers critical of him are
demanding prosecution for what they say was his failure to provide Scott with adequate aid.
Baltimore Town Hall Meeting With DOJ Officials Includes Allegations Of Police Misconduct. The
Washington Times (4/18, Ybarra, 644K) reports a town hall meeting between Baltimore citizens and
Justice Department officials on Thursday was characterized by allegations of police misconduct.
According to the Times, Hundreds of people, most of them blacks, said they were fed up with how the
Baltimore Police Department officers have beat them, disregarded their rights, or made them feel afraid.
California AG Wants More Police Training To Prevent Bias. The Los Angeles Times (4/18, Finnegan,
3.49M) notes California Attorney General Kamala Harris on Friday urged law enforcement agencies
across the state to conduct more extensive training for police officers to combat racial and ethnic bias.
While the Times notes her direct influence with law enforcement is limited, Harris pledged to start in my
own backyard by focusing first on the 300 special agents that work for her office.
Investigator: City Of Oakland Failing To Discipline Problem Police. Reuters (4/18, Levine) reports
Edward Swanson, an investigator appointed by a Federal judge, said Thursday that the city of Oakland,
California had repeatedly failed to properly discipline problem police officers and that the city attorneys
office mishandled cases.
Debate Rages Over Who Can View Footage From Police Body Cameras. The Washington Post (4/18,
Hermann, Davis, 5.17M) reports public officials are struggling to balance the transparency offered by
footage from police body cameras with respecting the privacy concerns of law enforcement, which it
notes was an issue that became an afterthought amid the rush to pin cameras on officers shirts.
However, the Post warns, The move toward secrecy is dashing any hope that the public would have
instant replay following allegations of police conduct.

WOMAN ATTACKED MAN WITH PEN IN AIR RAGE CASE. ABC World News (4/17, story 9, 1:35,
Kerley, 5.84M) reported on an air rage case that occurred before takeoff on a Southwest Airlines jet. A
women attacked the man sitting next to here with a pen because of loud snoring. Reporter David Kerley
said the woman was escorted off the plane, not charged, and put on a later flight to New Hampshire.

JUSTICE DEPARTMENTS CRIMINAL CHIEF PLEDGES GREATER TRANSPARENCY. The New York
Times (4/18, Protess, Subscription Publication, 9.97M) reports Leslie Caldwell, the head of the Justice
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Departments criminal division, revealed Friday plans for prosecutors to do more to demystify their
corporate cases and better explain why a company received a certain penalty. The Times notes that
while the Justice Department is skittish about discussing investigations that never materialized into a
criminal case, Caldwell claims more transparency is necessary because an opaque or unreasoned
enforcement action carries little deterrent effect.
DOJ: PROBES COULD RESULT IN HARSHER PENALTIES FOR BANKS. The Wall Street Journal
(4/18, Viswanatha, Subscription Publication, 5.67M) reports Leslie Caldwell, the head of the Justice
Departments criminal division, said Friday that new investigations into currency rigging could be less
favorable to banks that had previously reached settlements with the department on other misconduct in
an attempt to discourage repeated rule breaking.
FED JUDGE SAYS FBI VIOLATED THE RIGHTS OF WEALTHY MALAYSIAN BUSINESSMAN. The
AP (4/18, Ritter) reports that a Federal judge ruled the FBI violated the rights of Wei Seng Paul Phua,
a wealthy Malaysian businessman. The judge says that evidence seized in July from Phuas luxury
Caesars Palace villa is inadmissible if the government presses forward with charges that Phua was
running an illegal gambling business. The AP says the FBI agents posed as Internet repairmen to get
into his suite during the World Cup soccer tournament in the summer of 2014.
HICKTON TO CO-CHAIR NATIONAL HEROIN TASK FORCE. The AP (4/18, Mandak) reports US
Attorney David Hickton, Pittsburghs top federal prosecutor, will co-chair a national Heroin Task Force
just as Pittsburgh and its suburbs respond to a rash of 12 overdoses that killed two people earlier this
week.

WPOST: WORLD HAS STAKE IN HELPING AFRICA BUILD FIREWALL AGAINST INFECTIOUS
DISEASE. In an editorial, the Washington Post (4/18, Board, 5.17M) says international help is needed
to improve local health-care systems in Ebola-impacted countries that proved inadequate when the
virus began to spread. According to the Post, a much-strengthened system of surveillance to spot any
resurgence is especially needed. The Post argues that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) too a small but important step by announcing it will help set up an African CDC...But the rest of
the world also has a stake in making sure that the region builds a better firewall against infectious
disease.
LIBERIAN OFFICIAL SAYS COUNTRY TIRED FROM EBOLA FIGHT. Reuters (4/18, Zweynert) reports
that while Liberia has been more successful in treating Ebola than neighboring countries Sierra Leone
and Guinea, the Liberian Health Ministry deputy incident manager for the Ebola outbreak, Miatta
Gbanya, said that the country still has huge needs fighting Ebola and that Liberia is exhausted from the
fight.
CALIFORNIA OFFICIALS DECLARE DISNEYLAND MEASLES OUTBREAK OVER. The California
Department of Public Health on Friday declared an end to a large measles outbreak that started at
Disneyland in December and sparked a national debate about vaccinations, the AP (4/18) reports.
State officials said no new infections have been reported for the past 42 days or two incubation
periods meaning the outbreak is over in the U.S. However, the disease is still active in the Canadian
province of Quebec, where 159 people were sickened.
Despite the announcement, the Los Angeles Times (4/18, Lin, Mcgreevy, 3.49M) reports that officials
warned that its still possible for measles to make a new resurgence in California as the measles
vaccination rate is too low in the state.
Reuters (4/18, Dobuzinskis) also reports on the story.
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VICTIMS FAMILY ASKS PROSECUTORS TO NOT PURSUE DEATH PENALTY FOR TSARNAEV. All
major networks and multiple news outlets covered the request written in the Boston Globe by the a
victims family that the government not seek the death penalty for convicted Boston Marathon bomber
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.
ABC World News (4/17, story 11, 0:35, Muir, 5.84M) reported that the family of the Boston Marathon
bombings youngest victim, Martin Richard, penned some powerful words in the Boston Globe urging
the Department of Justice to take the death penalty off the table. CBS Evening News (4/17, story 5,
0:35, Pelly, 5.08M) added that the family stated, the pursuit of the death penalty could bring years of
appeals and prolong reliving of the most painful days of our lives.
According to NBC Nightly News (4/17, story 8, 1:55, Holt, 7.86M), the Richard family gave an emotional
plea to Federal prosecutors not to pursue the death penalty for Tsarnaev. The family wrote that they
understand all too well the heinousness and brutality of the crime and the reasons the Federal
government is seeking the death penalty; however, the Richards argue that as long as the defendant is
in the spotlight, we have no choice but to live a story told on his terms, not ours.
The New York Times (4/18, Seelye, Subscription Publication, 9.97M) reports the Richards sent an open
letter to the Department of Justice that was published on the front page of Fridays Boston Globe,
requesting that the DOJ take the death penalty off the table. According to the Times, Carmen M. Ortiz,
the United States attorney for the District of Massachusetts, stated that she had discussed the case with
bombing survivors and victims and listened to the views of them all. Ortiz added, we will continue to do
all we can to protect and vindicate those injured and those who have passed away. According to the
Boston Herald (4/18, 777K), Ortiz pledged to vindicate those hurt in the bombing; however, she did not
directly address the comments by the Richard family, saying that she was legally bound from addressing
the Richard familys comments.
The Wall Street Journal (4/18, Kamp, Subscription Publication, 5.67M) reports the death penalty topic is a
significant hurdle that the prosecution must overcome even thought the jury, made up of residents in a
state that has banned the death penalty, were selected based on their ability to consider the death
penalty.
The Washington Post (4/18, Berman, 5.17M) also reports on this story.
Defense To Call Local Iman To Testify. The Wall Street Journal (4/18, Levitz, Subscription Publication,
5.67M) reports that the defense team has summoned Iman Ismail Fenni of the Islamic Society of Boston
to testify during the death-penalty phase of Tsarnaevs trial. The Journal notes that Fenni is the leader of
a mosque where Tamerlan Tsarnaev occasionally worshiped.
Boston Officials Plan For 2015 Marathon On Monday. The Boston Globe (4/18, Irons, Finucane,
1.03M) reports that Boston officials expect the second Boston Marathon since the bombing in 2013 to
be an enjoyable, upbeat day. According to the Globe, Mayor Martin J. Walsh stated that significant
resources have been committed to Marathon security.
OHIO TERRORISM SUSPECT PLEADS NOT GUILTY. ABC World News (4/17, story 6, 0:20, Muir,
5.84M) reported that a 23-year-old Ohio man pleaded not guilty to terror charges in court today.
According to ABC, the suspect reportedly learned hand-to-hand combat, trained with powerful
weapons, and allegedly planned to target US soldiers at a Texas military base.
The Wall Street Journal (4/18, Dolan, Grossman, Subscription Publication, 5.67M) says the case is
unique, noting the Justice Department claims the suspect, a Somali native, succeeded in reaching Syria
and received training from extremists.
CNNs Situation Room (4/17, 554K) and Fox News Special Report (4/17, 1.53M) also reported on the
story.
MEDIA MARK 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF OKLAHOMA CITY BOMBING. Anna Werner reported for CBS
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Evening News (4/17, story 6, 2:40, Pelly, 5.08M) on the unforgettable scenes from the bombing of the
Federal building in Oklahoma City that occurred 20 years ago this weekend. Werner focuses her
reporting on the trials the survivors have faced since the attacks.
NBC Nightly News (4/17, story 10, 3:20, Holt, 7.86M) also covered those lost in the attacks, noting For
those who survived, this is a tough milestone, but it is also a moment to honor their extraordinary
resilience.
AUSTRALIA ARRESTS FIVE TEENAGERS FOR PLOTTING ISIL-INSPIRED ATTACK. The AP (4/18,
Gelineau) reports that Australia arrested five teenagers on Saturday over suspicions that they were
plotting an Islamic State-inspired terrorist attack at a Veterans Day ceremony that included targeting
police officers Australian Federal Police Acting Deputy Commissioner Neil Gaughan told reporters that
while Australia has no information that it was a planned beheading at this point in time, some evidence
that we have collected at a couple of the scenes, and some other information we have, leads us to
believe that this particular matter was ISIS-inspired.
Other Cyber News:

NYTIMES: MEDIA MUST REDOUBLE EFFORTS TO PROTECT AGAINST HACKING. The New York
Times (4/18, Board, Subscription Publication, 9.97M) reports the hacking attack on French television
network TV5 Monde is a warning that media networks everywhere must redouble efforts to protect their
systems. According to the Times, while ISL-affiliated hackers are suspected in the act, hijacking a
network can require little more than a couple people with computers.
CHILDREN ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE TO IDENTITY THEFT. The New York Times (4/18, Lieber,
Subscription Publication, 9.97M) Your Money blog by Ron Lieber reports that recent hacking episodes
affect children disproportionately because identity thieves because children have clean credit reports and
minors dont check their credit reports or review monthly bills the way grown-ups do. Freezing a childs
credit account is an option, Lieber says, but this wont stop all kind of thefts.

ISIL CLAIMS RESPONSIBILITY FOR ATTACK ON US CONSULATE IN ERBIL. ISIL claimed
responsibility for an attack on the US Consulate in Erbil, Iraq where a car bomb exploded outside the
compound. While the topic was the only international event to be covered by all three major network
news broadcasts, reports were brief, and the topic garnered just one minute and 50 seconds of
combined coverage. Print reports were limited, with the major dailies primarily mentioning the attack in
passing as part of articles focusing on the larger conflict in Iraq.
State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said in a statement that A vehicle-borne improvised
explosive device (VBIED) was detonated directly outside an entry point on the perimeter of the US
Consulate, AFP (4/18) reports. Harf added that We appreciate the rapid response of the Kurdistan
Regional Government authorities to this matter and we will work with them to investigate the incident to
determine the facts behind the explosion.
Reuters (4/18) reports that SITE, a jihadist monitoring group, said that ISIL claimed responsibility for the
attack via Twitter, where it said that its fighters were able to detonate a car bomb on the building of the
American Consulate in the city, which led to killing and wounding many of them.
ABC World News (4/17, story 7, 0:10, Muir, 5.84M) reported the massive car bomb killed three people
and injured at least five, including one American.
The Wall Street Journal (4/18, Bradley, Majeed, Subscription Publication, 5.67M) reports that
eyewitnesses and local security officials said that the bomb detonated about 100 yards from the
consulates rear entrance, near a popular caf, however, the CBS Evening News (4/17, story 2, 0:20,
Pelly, 5.08M) reported the vehicle never got even close to the fortified compound.
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Deputy Secretary for Iraq and Iran Brett McGurk said via Twitter that all consulate personnel had been
accounted for and that there were no reports of injuries among them, McClatchy (4/18, Prothero,
Subscription Publication, 17K) reports. McClatchy further notes that the attack is the first direct assault
on U.S. facilities in Iraq since the Islamic State took control of much of the northern and central areas of
the country last summer, and only the second bombing in Irbil, which is considered so safe that the
United States moved many of its diplomats here from Baghdad when the Islamic State captured the city
of Mosul and threatened Baghdad last year. Similarly, Richard Engel reported for NBC Nightly News
(4/17, story 4, 1:20, Holt, 7.86M) that the State Department says no consulate staff members were
injured, adding that a nearby caf appeared to take the brunt of the explosion.
Thousands Flee Anbar As Iraqi Forces Battle ISIL Near Ramadi. Reuters (4/18) reports that Iraqi
forces battled ISIL militants less than half a kilometer away from Ramadi on Friday amid warnings from
local authorities that the Anbar provincial capital is in danger of falling to ISIL unless reinforcements are
sent quickly.
The Washington Post (4/18, Morris, 5.17M) reports that the families fleeing the violence choked
checkpoints leading to Baghdad on Friday as Anbar provincial governor Suhaib al-Rawi described their
flight as a human disaster on a scale that Ramadi has never witnessed. The situation is critical right
now, Rawi said, Such a large wave of displacement has never happened in the history of the city.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 4,250 families have fled their
homes in the Ramadi area since April 8, AFP (4/18) reports, noting that this is the same day that Iraqi
Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said that Iraqi security forces would next seek to retake Anbar province
from jihadists.
The New York Times (4/18, Arango, Subscription Publication, 9.97M) reports that the unfolding crisis in
Anbar...suggests that the battle could be a monthslong, grinding affair, adding that the Iraqi
governments struggles in Anbar also raise anew the question that has become a difficult one for
American military planners advising the Iraqi government and coordinating an intensified campaign of
coalition airstrikes: What role, if any, should Shiite militias, backed by Iran, play in the fight for the Sunni
heartland of Anbar? The Times notes that some Anbar officials and tribal leaders have called for the
Iraqi government to send the Shiite militias to aid in the fight.
Police: Bombings Kill At Least 40 Across Baghdad. The AP (4/18, Yacoub) reports that Iraqi officials
said that at least 40 people were killed in a series of bombings that ripped through Baghdad on
Friday. The deadliest attack occurred inside a car dealership in the Shiite neighborhood of Habibya in
eastern Baghdad, where police said a car bomb killed 15 people and wounded 26 others.
Iraq Claims Its Forces Killed Top Saddam Hussein Aide. David Martin reported in the lead story for
the CBS Evening News (4/17, lead story, 2:25, Pelly, 5.08M) that Iraqi officials say their forces killed a
man with former Saddam Hussein aide al-Douris distinctive red hair and mustache during an
operation near Tikrit, although Martin noted that DNA tests have not been completed.
The AP (4/18, Abdul-Zahra, Salama) reports that Salahuddin province Gov. Raed al-Jabouri said that alDouri was killed by Iraqi troops and Shiite militiamen in an operation in the Talal Hamreen mountains east
of Tikrit, Saddams hometown, while senior commander Gen. Haider al-Basri told state TV that troops
opened fire at a convoy carrying al-Douri and nine bodyguards, killing all of them.
The New York Times (4/18, Arango, Subscription Publication, 9.97M) notes that news of Mr. Douris
death has been announced several times by different authorities over the years, and officials cautioned
that confirmation would not come until DNA testing had been conducted, while Reuters (4/18, Sameer,
Coles) adds that al-Jabouri also said that Iraq is conducting DNA tests to confirm that the man killed was
indeed al-Douri and that results will be released soon. Speaking to Arabiya TV, al-Jabouri said Al-Douri
is the biggest mastermind behind all attacks that undermined Iraq. This news will have an impact on the
morale of the fighters.
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McClatchy (4/18, Prothero, Subscription Publication, 17K) reports that a photo distributed via Twitter of
the mans body closely resembled al Douri, including notable red hair and a red beard, but adds that
no official photo was released.
However, Centcom spokesman Col. Patrick Ryder said Friday that while the US is certainly aware of
who he is and the role he played within the Hussein regime, he is unable to corroborate reports of
Douris death, the Washington Post (4/18, Morris, Murphy, 5.17M) reports. The Post notes that while
Ryder referred to Douri as a high-value individual, he did not comment further on his current
importance or what role he was playing in the insurgency.
ABC World News (4/17, story 8, 0:20, Muir, 5.84M) noted that al-Douri once had a $10 million bounty on
his head and was the king of clubs in that infamous set of playing cards used by the Defense Department
to help troops identify key members of Husseins team.
US TO TAKE IN UP TO 2,000 SYRIAN REFUGEES THIS YEAR. The New York Times (4/18, Sengupta,
Subscription Publication, 9.97M) reports that the US is scheduled to take in its largest group of Syrian
refugees to date--up to 2,000 by the fall of this year, compared with a total of about 700 since the civil
war in Syria began four years ago, amid increasing pressure from the United Nations for Western
countries to shelter 130,000 Syrian refugees over the next two years. However, the plan has met with
pushback from Republican lawmakers in Congress, who are increasingly vocal about the fear that
terrorists may sneak in with the refugees, the Times notes. However, Principal Deputy Assistant
Secretary Simon Henshaw said that The question is not whether we take them in, but ensuring that we
admit refugees in a way that is safe and consistent with our national security interests, adding that
Accepting refugees is an American tradition with bipartisan support in Congress.
US TROOPS ARRIVE IN UKRAINE FOR TRAINING EXERCISES. The AP (4/18, Heintz) reports that
about 300 US Army paratroopers arrived in Ukraine on Friday, where they will participate in training
exercises with national guard units, a move criticized by Moscow and eastern Ukraines Russia-backed
separatist rebels.
The Kremlin said Friday that the arrival of American military trainers could potentially destabilize the
situation in eastern Ukraine, where the fragile ceasefire agreement between Kiev and Russian-backed
separatists is barely holding, the New York Times (4/18, Roth, Subscription Publication, 9.97M) reports.
However, the Times says that the training program is modest assistance to Ukraines war effort, falling
short of the lethal aid, like sophisticated antitank weapons, that Ukrainian politicians and soldiers on the
front lines have requested from the United States.
Progress Cited In Gas Talks Between Russia, Ukraine. Reuters (4/18, Croft) reports that the European
Commission said Friday that expert-level talks gas talks between Russia, Ukraine, and the European
Commission made progress Friday. Commission spokeswoman Anna-Kaisa Itkonen told the
Commissions daily news briefing that the experts will continue, expressing hope that there will be talks
at the political level very soon, although she added that there has been no date set for the next meeting
at that level.
Klimkin: Ukraine Wants ICC To Investigate War Crimes In Crimea, Eastern Ukraine. Reuters (4/18,
Deutsch) reports that Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin said in an interview prior to a meeting with
the International Criminal Court that Ukraine wants the court to investigate alleged war crimes in Crimea
and eastern Ukraine, expanding an existing probe to also consider allegations of Russian involvement in
the conflict.
Steinmeier Says Germany Will Aid Baltics In Countering Russian Propaganda. The Wall Street
Journal (4/18, Troianovski, Subscription Publication, 5.67M) reports that German Foreign Minister FrankWalter Steinmeier said during a tour of the Baltic region that Germany will help train journalists from
Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia and provide Russian-language content to help counter Russian
propaganda in Eastern Europe.
OBAMA INDICATES WILLINGNESS TO SIGN BILL ON IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL. Reuters (4/18, Mason,
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Rampton) reports that President Obama said at a White House news conference on Friday that Sens.
Bob Corker and Ben Cardin have agreed to protect a bill aimed at allowing Congress to review any final
agreement reached on Irans nuclear program from any amendments aimed at killing the negotiations.
The final product that emerged out of the Corker-Cardin negotiations, we believe, will not derail the
negotiations, Obama said, adding that he will sign the bill assuming that what lands on my desk is what
Senators Corker and Cardin agreed to.
The Wall Street Journal (4/18, Lee, Solomon, Subscription Publication, 5.67M) reports that Obama
appeared to suggest that Iran could receive immediate sanctions relief if a final deal is reached, saying
that negotiators are seeking formulas that get to our main concerns while allowing the other side to
make a presentation to their body politic that is more acceptable and that our main concern here is
making sure that if Iran doesnt abide by its agreement that we dont have to jump through a whole bunch
of hoops in order to reinstate sanctions. However, the Journal notes that a White House official later
said that the President will not accept a deal that does not include the phased lifting of sanctions.
Zarif: Iran Will Engage In Unlimited Enrichment If Negotiations Fail. The New York Times (4/18,
Gladstone, Subscription Publication, 9.97M) reports that Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif warned
Friday in an interview with Euronews that if negotiations to reach a final nuclear agreement fail, Iran will
engage in unlimited atomic fuel enrichment, reiterating that there would be no phased removal of
sanctions to ensure Iranian compliance.
Obama: Surprised Russia Did Not Lift Ban On Missiles To Iran Sooner. The AP (4/18, Pickler)
reports that President Obama also weighed in on Russias announcement earlier this week that it would
lift a five-year ban on delivery of anti-aircraft missiles, saying that he is frankly surprised that Russias
ban held this long. According to Russia, the preliminary nuclear agreement made its 2010 ban on
sending missiles to Iran no longer necessary.
OBAMA, RENZI PLEDGE COOPERATION ON LIBYA. The AP (4/18, Superville) reports that President
Obama told journalists Friday that he and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi have agreed to work
together even more intensively to encourage cooperation on threats coming from Libya, including the
growing ISIL presence there, as well as additional coordination with other partners in how we can
stabilize what has become a very deadly and difficult situation.
Reuters (4/18) reports that Obama further urged Gulf nations Friday to exert their influence to help reach
a political solution in Libya, which he called an area of great concern. We will not be able to solve the
problem with just a few drone strikes or a few military operations, Obama said, The answer ultimately is
to have a government that can control its own borders and work with us. Thats going to take some time.
Renzi, AFP (4/18, Cartillier) reports, said in his remarks that restoring stability in Libya is the only way to
solve the migrant crisis in the Mediterranean.
Meanwhile, in a separate report, AFP (4/18) adds that the United Nations said Friday that it is working to
narrow differences between Libyas rival parliaments over an agreement aimed at forming a unity
government.
OBAMA INVITES GCC LEADERS TO WHITE HOUSE, CAMP DAVID. The AP (4/18) reports that
President Obama has invited the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council to meetings at the White
House on May 13 and Camp David on May 14. Among topics on the agenda, the AP notes, are
negotiations over Irans nuclear capabilities and the turmoil in Yemen are likely to feature.
ZARIF DETAILS IRANS FOUR-POINT PEACE PLAN FOR YEMEN. Reuters (4/18, Charbonneau)
reports that Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif submitted a letter detailing Irans four-point
peace plan for Yemen to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday. In his letter, Zarif
called for an immediate ceasefire, an end to all foreign military attacks, humanitarian and medical
assistance for Yemen, and a resumption to a national dialogue aimed at establishing an inclusive unity
government.
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AQAP Seizes Weapons Depot In Mukalla. The AP (4/18, Al-Haj) reports that al Qaeda in the Arabian
Peninsula seized a large weapons depot in Mukalla on Friday, where security officials said that the
group took control of dozens of tanks, Katyusha rocket launchers and small arms.
Residents of the city said that AQAP seized the depot without resistance, AFP (4/18) reports, noting that
until Friday, the camp in eastern Mukalla had remained loyal to President Abedrabbo Mansour al-Hadi
and was the only military site not taken over by Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.
Meanwhile, the New York Times (4/18, Cumming-Bruce, Subscription Publication, 9.97M) reports that the
Yemeni army handed over control of a group of oil fields to a coalition of armed tribes on Friday in an
attempt to keep the fields from falling into the hands of Al Qaeda or other militant groups amid the chaos
of a continuing bombing campaign led by Saudi Arabia. The Times says that the decision to hand over
protection of the oil fields to the coalition illustrates how the fight is degenerating into a contest among
local armed groups filling the void left by the collapse of the Yemeni state.
Yemeni Civilians Express Terror, Despair In Online Postings. The New York Times (4/18, Mackey,
Subscription Publication, 9.97M) reports that even as Saudi Arabias ambassador in Washington offered
an upbeat assessment this week of the air campaign in Yemen led by his nation, Yemeni civilians
expressed their terror and despair in messages posted online. In Taiz, residents reported heavy
fighting on Friday, while in Sanaa, residents reported that the intense bombardment there was taking a
psychological toll.
Officials: US Navy Not Participating In Yemen Naval Blockade. The Washington Post (4/18, Lamothe,
5.17M) reports that US military officials said Friday that the U.S. Navy has seven combat ships in the
waters around Yemen but that U.S. troops are not participating in a Saudi naval blockade in the region.
The Post notes that while the US Navy regularly patrols the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea around
Yemen...the ships there now are deployed at a sensitive time with the Saudi Navy blocking deliveries to
Yemens ports.
Pakistan Agrees To Help Enforce Arms Embargo On Houthi Rebels. McClatchy (4/18, Hussain,
Subscription Publication, 17K) reports that Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharifs office said late
Thursday that Pakistan has agreed to help the Saudi-led coalition enforce an arms embargo against
Houthi rebels in Yemen, although sources in the Pakistani armys military operations directorate say that
Pakistan still is declining a Saudi request to contribute ground forces and attack aircraft to the Saudi-led
coalition of 10 Arab nations and has not drawn up any contingencies to deploy ground troops or
warplanes to Saudi Arabia.
Saleh Denies Reports He Is Seeking To Leave Yemen. Former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh
said Friday that is not seeking to leave Yemen, denying Gulf media reports that he seeking safe passage
for himself and his family, Reuters (4/18, Mokashaf) reports. Im not the type who goes looking for a
place to live in Jeddah, Paris or Europe. My country is my birthplace. The person who can say to Ali
Abdullah Saleh leave your country has not been and will not be born, Saleh wrote on his Facebook
page.
Hezbollah Blames Saudi Arabia For Spread Of Extremism, Civilian Deaths In Yemen. The AP (4/18,
Mroue) reports that Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah launched his harshest criticism yet of
Saudi Arabia on Friday, blaming the kingdom for the spread of extremist ideology in the Muslim world
and the killing of civilians in Yemen. Addressing hundreds of supporters at a rally in Beirut to support
Yemens Houthi rebels, Nasrallah warned that Saudi Arabia will soon realize that the only choice left is
a ground operation in Yemen, warning that such an invasion will be costly and will end with a defeat.
NORTH KOREA WARNS LIPPERT THAT HE COULD FACE A BIGGER MISHAP. Reuters (4/18)
reports that North Koreas Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea said Friday that
Ambassador Mark Lippert needs to drop the bad habit of rashly engaging in scheming chatter distorting
the truth and instigating war by taking issue with us, warning that next time, he could face a bigger
mishap than getting cut in the cheek by a South Korean citizen. The threat by the North Korean
propaganda unit followed a speech by Lippert on Wednesday, in which he said that North Korea should
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work to improve its human rights record and take steps to end its nuclear program. A State Department
spokesperson said that the remarks by North Korea is consistent with the regimes rhetoric.
ABE PLANS TO PROCEED WITH RELOCATION OF US MILITARY BASE. The Wall Street Journal
(4/18, Sekiguchi, Subscription Publication, 5.67M) reports that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said
Friday that he plans to proceed with plans to relocate the Marine Corps Air Station Futenma base in
Okinawa after he failed to reach an agreement on the issue in his first meeting with Okinawa Gov.
Takeshi Onagafor. Abe said that relocating the base is the only conceivable solution to reduce danger
to residents of the densely populated city center.
LEW URGES GREECE TO REACH A DEAL WITH CREDITORS. The AP (4/18, Crutsinger, Wiseman)
reports that Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew urged Greece on Friday to reach a deal with its creditors,
warning that a default would create immediate hardship for Greece and damage the world economy.
Lew told reporters that he stressed this during a series of one-on-one meetings, including discussions
with Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis.
STATE DEPARTMENT CALLS FOR RELEASE OF CHINESE JOURNALIST. McClatchy (4/18,
Leavenworth, Subscription Publication, 17K) reports that a Chinese court sentenced Gao Yu, a 71-year
old journalist who has long been a thorn in the side of the Chinese Communist Party, to seven years in
prison Friday on charges that she disclosed state secrets to a U.S.-based Chinese-language news
outlet. McClatchy notes that rights groups and media organizations characterized Gaos trial as a
mockery of justice and a reflection of Chinese President Xi Jinpings efforts to quash voices even mildly
critical of the party.
AFP (4/18) reports that the State Department called Friday for the Chinese authorities to release Ms Gao
immediately and respect Chinas international human rights commitments. A Sate Department official
said that the conviction is part of a disturbing pattern of government action against public interest
lawyers, Internet activists, journalists, religious leaders and others who peacefully question official
Chinese policies and actions.
Zhu: AIIB Aims To Enhance, Not Overthrow International Finance System. The AP (4/18,
Pennington) reports that Chinas Vice Finance Minister Zhu Guangyao said Friday that the proposed
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank is intended to complement and not replace the Word Bank and
Asian Development Bank, the leading shareholders of which have expressed concerns over the new
banks governance standards. In remarks to the Atlantic Council think tank, Zhu said that China wants
to improve and enhance the current international financial system, rather than overthrow it.
TALIBAN DENIES RESPONSIBILITY FOR DEADLY SUICIDE ATTACK IN AFGHANISTAN. The AP
(4/18) reports that Nangarhar provincial police chief Gen. Fazel Ahmad Sherzad said Saturday that at
least 22 people were killed and more than 40 wounded in an attack on a bank branch in Jalalabad.
According to Sherzad, the attacker riding a motorbike detonated his explosives while both military
personnel and civilians were waiting to receive their salaries from the bank.
Reuters (4/18) reports that a spokesman for the Taliban denied the groups involvement in the attack.
LIEBERMAN DENOUNCES EU PROPOSAL TO LABEL ISRAELI SETTLEMENT PRODUCTS. The
New York Times (4/18, Hadid, Subscription Publication, 9.97M) reports that Israeli Foreign Minister
Avigdor Lieberman angrily denounced a letter signed by more than a dozen of his European
counterparts asking that the European Union require products made in Israeli settlements be labeled
differently from those made in Israel on Friday, saying that if the European Union wanted to differentiate
products made in Israeli settlements in the West Bank, it should just stick a yellow star on the products, a
pointed reference to the stars Jews in Nazi-occupied Europe were forced to wear.
WPost Analysis: Iqrit A Reminder Of Expectations For Joint List Party. The Washington Post (4/18,
Taylor, 5.17M) reports that Ayman Odeh, the leader of the third-largest faction in Israels newly elected
Knesset, may be able to help Israels Arab Christians in their campaign to return to the village of Iqrit,
which is now considered government land. The Post says that Iqrit serves as a reminder both of Israeli
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Arabs fresh clout and the considerable expectations they have now placed on Odeh and his party,
adding that while his Joint list party is likely to struggle to make an impact in the Knesset Odeh is
currently using his visibility to highlight specific problems for the Arab community.
Palestinians, Israeli Troops Clash At Protest Marking Palestinian Prisoners Day. AFP (4/18) reports
that Palestinian protesters and Israeli troops clashed in the West Bank Friday during demonstrations to
mark Palestinian Prisoners Day. According to an AFP correspondent, Israeli troops opened fire with tear
gas on over 100 Palestinian protesters near the village of Bilin after some threw stones. AFP notes that
the current number of Palestinian prisoners is the highest for at least five years, according to figures
from rights groups.
Researchers Say Hackers Have Penetrated Israeli Military Networks. Reuters (4/18, Menn) reports
that security researchers at Blue Coat Systems Inc. say that hackers have successfully penetrated the
Israeli militarys computer networks using widely available pre-existing attack software included in emails
designed to trick the receiver into opening them, allowing the software to establish a gateway for further
access. Israeli military officials said that they are not aware of hacking on military networks, Reuters
notes.

the Web at BulletinIntelligence.com, or called at (b) (6)
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Attachments:
dhsclips150425.doc


LEADING DHS NEWS:
+ Obama Defends Intelligence Community, Vows Review After Hostages Killed In Drone Strike.
+ DHS Celebrates Unity Of Effort.
+ Johnson: Number Of Illegal Immigrants Drops.
+ Court Says Mexican Family Can Not File Lawsuit Against US Border Agent.
+ Baltimore Police Admit Failures In Arrest Of Freddie Gray.
+ Scientists Discover Super-Volcano At Yellowstone.
+ Eric Holder Bids Farewell To Justice Department.
+ Possible Serial Shooter Loose On Denver Freeways.
+ CDC Issues Alert Over Indiana HIV Outbreak, Hepatitis C Epidemic.
+ Study Highlights Dangers Associated With Fake, Poor Quality Drugs.
+ Italy Arrests Nine Members Of Suspected Al Qaeda Cell.
+ Saudi Arabia Says ISIL Directed Shooting Of Police Officers In Riyadh.
+ France Launches Formal Investigation Into Suspect In Thwarted Church Attack.
+ Former Guantanamo Detainees Protest Outside US Embassy In Uruguay.
+ Canadian Court Grants Bail To Former Guantnamo Inmate.
+ Statue Of Liberty Evacuated Over Bomb Threat.
+ After Captivity, Victim Of Extremism Expresses Understanding Of ISIL Recruits.
+ Iraqi Forces Make Gains Against ISIL In Ramadi.
+ UN Invites Syrian Factions To Talks In Geneva.
+ Pentagon: Tensions Easing As Iranian Ships Turn Away From Yemen.
+ Talks On Final Nuclear Deal With Iran End On Positive Note.
+ US Takes Over Chairmanship Of Arctic Council Amid Tensions Over Ukraine.
+ EUs Move To Combat Migrant Crisis Garners Praise, Criticism.
+ Ceremonies Around The World Mark 100th Anniversary Of 1915 Armenian Massacres.
Leading DHS News:
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OBAMA DEFENDS INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY, VOWS REVIEW AFTER HOSTAGES KILLED IN

DRONE STRIKE. On the day after the White Houses announcement that two hostages were killed in a
drone strike against an al Qaeda target in Pakistan, media coverage focused on President Obamas
expression of confidence in the US intelligence community and promise of a review of the incident.
Reporting highlighted criticism of the drone program, including the targeting aspects and the secrecy
surrounding the operations. While Friday evening and Saturday mornings coverage was lighter than the
day of the announcement of the deaths, the major print dailies covered the story and the three broadcast
networks combined for six minutes of coverage.
On NBC Nightly News (4/24, story 5, 2:10, Holt, 7.86M), Chris Jansing reported that Obama reaffirmed
his faith in the nations spy agencies as he, according to the AP (4/25, Pickler, Superville), defended US
intelligence operations. During a speech at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence that
commemorated the agencys 10th anniversary, Obama said, We dont take this work lightly. And I know
that each and every one of you understand the magnitude of what we do and the stakes involved and
these arent abstractions and were not cavalier about what we do.
According to Politico (4/24, Wheaton, 1.11M), Obama repeated his pledge to review what happened.
Were going to identify the lessons that can be learned and any improvements and changes that can be
made. MSNBC (4/25, Roth, 777K) reported on its website that Obama put a positive spin on the
upcoming review. The President said, This self-reflection, this willingness to examine ourselves, to
make corrections, to do betterthats part of what makes us Americans.
In an analysis piece, the New York Times (4/25, Baker, Davis, Subscription Publication, 12.24M)
highlights the difficulty faced by Obama, noting, rarely has a president wrestled with the grim trade-offs
of war as publicly and as agonizingly as Mr. Obama. The Times says the deaths of the hostages
underscored that there is no such thing as near certainty in war, even when using precision
instruments like the drones.
Bill Plante reported for the CBS Evening News (4/24, story 5, 2:40, Pelley, 5.08M) that in the weeks
leading up to the strike, intelligence officials had seen only four people enter or exit the suspected al
Qaeda compound near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, none of which they believed to be civilians,
leading the CIA to order whats known as a signature strike, which targets a location rather than
specific people. The CIA, Plante added, was shocked when the bodies of Warren Weinstein and
Giovanni Lo Porto were pulled from the rubble.
The CNNs Situation Room (4/24, 554K) indicated that while the strike also killed two American
terrorists, including Adam Gahdan, who became the public face for al Qaeda, US officials say that
Gahdan was not targeted in the strike and that the White House was unaware that he was in the
compound at the time.
The Wall Street Journal (4/25, Shah, Barnes, Subscription Publication, 5.68M) reports some critics of the
current US approach to drone strikes and hostages indicate the government does not have a sufficient
policy on the issue and, knowing Weinstein was a captive, should have led to more care. Similarly, the
AP (4/25, Lee) reports the accidental killing of the hostages has put a new spotlight on the Obama
administrations reliance on drones in the battle against terrorism and has raised pressure...to revise
the nations oft-criticized strategy for dealing with abducted Americans and their families. According to
officials, a nearly yearlong, interagency review of the hostage policy is to be completed this spring.
Brian Ross reported for ABC World News (4/24, story 8, 1:10, Muir, 5.84M) that during his captivity,
Weinstein was a man in despair, saying it seems that I have been totally abandoned and forgotten
even as his family fought to secure his return. In the wake of Weinsteins death, Ross said that his
widow, Elaine Weinstein, now says that one of the big obstacles to securing her husbands freedom
was the inconsistent and disappointing help they received from the US government. Ross noted that
her criticism seemed to get short shrift at the White House, where White House Press Secretary Josh
Earnest said that he thinks anybody can understand how frustrated the family feels.
On the CNNs Situation Room (4/24, 554K), Jim Scuitto reported the Weinstein family paid a ransom in
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an attempt to secure his release, but now fears the money may have gone to the wrong people after his
captors made new demands for a prisoner exchange following the payment. Meanwhile, the Wall Street
Journal (4/25, Shah, Subscription Publication, 5.68M) reports Weinsteins captors received $250,000 in
2012 after promising to release the aid worker. A man who said he acted as a middle man with al Qaeda
in negotiations said the group did not release Weinstein after receiving the money.
State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf spoke with the CNNs Situation Room (4/24, 554K) about the
Weinstein familys criticism of their treatment by the US government, saying that while she doesnt know
exactly which departments the criticism was directed at, Secretary [of State] Kerry feels strongly about
the kind of assistance we give to these families of hostages who are taken overseas, adding that the
State Department is in regular contact with the families, as are other parts of the
government...including the FBI. Harf added, This is the reason were doing this interagency review, to
see what we could do better, noting that the State Department has reached out to 82 families of former
hostages so they can play a role in the review and give input as to how things could be done
differently.
USA Today (4/25, Korte, Today, 5.01M) reports the incident is also prompting calls for a hostage czar to
coordinate the governments efforts, but the Administration stopped short of endorsing that approach
Friday. Earnest said he wouldnt rule out a czar, but the White House is also considering a fusion
cell. Reuters (4/25) and The Hill (4/24, Fabian, 469K) note Earnest said the cell would include the FBI,
Defense Department and intelligence community which, according to the Washington Times (4/25,
Wolfgang, 641K), he added would enable a whole-of-government response to overseas hostage
events.
Fox News Special Report (4/24, 1.53M) said the drone program has been shrouded in secrecy and the
Washington Post (4/25, Miller, Tate, 5.03M) reports the announcement of hostage deaths has also
revived questions about why the White House has been unwilling to provide details about dozens of
strikes over the past decade where there is abundant evidence that civilians were killed. Obama
signaled that this weeks disclosures are not likely to lead to a further lifting of the secrecy surrounding
the drone program. The President said, A lot of our work still requires that we maintain some things as
classified. We cant always talk about all the challenges.
In an editorial, the New York Times (4/25, Board, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) argues it was
important to see candor and remorse from President Obama as he apologized for the death of two
hostages held by Al Qaeda...in a drone strike near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border in January.
However, the Times warns, the administrations account...raises serious questions about the accuracy
of the drone program.
Despite the high profile failure, according to the New York Times (4/25, Shane, Subscription Publication,
12.24M), by most accounts, hundreds of dangerous militants have, indeed, been killed by drones,
including some high-ranking Qaeda figures. The Times says most security experts still believe that
drones...still offer at least the chance of greater accuracy than other means of killing terrorists. However,
the Times adds, without detailed, reliable intelligence, drones make it possible to precisely kill the
wrong people.
In a separate story, the New York Times (4/25, Walsh, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) discusses the
success of drone strikes against al Qaedas top leadership in Pakistans tribal belt. The Times says the
strikes have diminished and dispersed the militant groups upper ranks and forced them to cede
prominence and influence to more aggressive offshoots in Yemen and Somalia. A US counterterrorism
official said, Core Al Qaeda is a rump of its former self.
Officials: No New Information About American Hostage Caity Coleman. On ABC World News
(4/24, story 9, 0:55, Ross, 5.84M), Brian Ross reported that US officials say they have no new
information about the plight of another American hostage, Caity Coleman of Pennsylvania, who is
currently believed to be being held by the Taliban along with her Canadian husband. Ross noted that
footage released by the family showed that Coleman, who was pregnant when she was taken hostage,
has since given birth.
OPS054000631
DHS CELEBRATES UNITY OF EFFORT. The Washington Post (4/25, Markon, 5.03M) notes in its
Federal Eye blog that top Homeland Security officials this week celebrated the one-year anniversary
of the Unity of Effort program designed to tackle DHSs epic management challenges and better
integrate its often highly independent components, although they acknowledge more challenges lie
ahead.
JOHNSON: NUMBER OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS DROPS. The Washington Times (4/25, Dinan, 641K)
reports Homeland Security Secretary Johnson indicated Friday that the number of illegal immigrants is at
its lowest in years along the Southwest border judging by the number being apprehended.
COURT SAYS MEXICAN FAMILY CAN NOT FILE LAWSUIT AGAINST US BORDER AGENT. The AP
(4/25, McGill) reports a Federal appeals court ruled Friday that US Border Patrol agent Jesus Mesa Jr.
can not be sued in US courts by the family of slain Mexican teenager Sergio Adrian Hernandez Guereca,
who in 2010 was killed on Mexican land from a gunshot from Mesa who was in US territory. The AP says
the ruling reversed an earlier ruling in favor of the Guereca family. The article says the proposed suit was
based on a Fourth Amendment claim, but the Appeals Court ruled it invalid because it does not apply to
a Mexican citizen on Mexican soil with no significant connection to the US.
BALTIMORE POLICE ADMIT FAILURES IN ARREST OF FREDDIE GRAY. The major print dailies and
all major broadcast networks reported on comments by Baltimore officials on the arrest of Freddie Gray,
who died as a result of a spinal cord injury following the arrest. In its lead story, the CBS Evening News
(4/25, lead story, 2:15, Pelley, 5.08M) reported that police admitted that Gray was injured before he was
carried to the police van, and according to Deputy Police Commissioner Keven Davis, the scene of his
arrest is exactly where Freddie Gray should have received medical attention and he did not.
Commissioner Batts added that police employees failed to get him medical attention in a timely manner
multiple times, including after requests for medical attention by Gray. Batts added that police were not
disclosing all information because they did not want to jeopardize any possible prosecution.
Also in its lead story, ABC World News (4/24, lead story, 2:20, Muir, 5.84M) reported that police
confirmed the arresting officers did not follow procedures when arresting Gray. According to Batts, Gray
was not buckled in the transportation wagon as he should have been. No excuses for that, period. the
broadcasts notes that protesters claim Gray was the victim of whats known in the Baltimore as a rough
ride, a police transport with erratic driving and short stops designed to cause injury.
According to NBC Nightly News (4/24, story 3, 2:20, Holt, 7.86M) reported Mayor Stephanie RawlingsBlake and community leaders are pleading for calm as the city prepares for what may be its most
massive protest yet, with Rawlings-Blake stating, if youre going to come here, come to help us, not to
hurt us. NBCs Tom Costello reported that protesters are promising to ratchet up the pressure on
Saturday.
The AP (4/25, Myers, Foreman) reports the police department has come under intense scrutiny
following Grays death from an unexplained spinal injury. According to the AP, Rawlings-Blake noted
that the seat belt policy was in place because of an incident that happened previously, likely referring to
the death of Dondi Johnson in 2005 from a spinal injury during his transport by police while handcuffed
and without a seat belt.
A piece in the New York Times (4/25, Babcock, Corrales, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) reports that
Rawlings-Blake urged the community to have patience as investigators completed the investigation.
The Mayor admitted she did not know how or why the tragedy occurred, but added that it occurred while
Gray was in police custody. I know that this is unacceptable, and I want answers. The Times notes that
Grays funeral is scheduled for Monday, with a wake scheduled for Sunday.
The Washington Post (4/25, Hermann, Wiggins, 5.03M) reports top officials in Baltimore have
acknowledged that Gray was not treated properly during his arrest and they are continuing a probe on
how he suffered the severe spinal injury. The Post notes that Rawlings-Blake has dismissed calls to
fire Batts, saying that he is in the midst of reform efforts that she believes have driven down complaints
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of excessive force.
A second piece in the Washington Post (4/25, Hermann, 5.03M) discusses how police and the community
knew Freddie Gray, highlighting Grays numerous police encounters and the high-poverty
neighborhood in which Gray lived.
NYTimes Profiles Baltimore Polices Broken Relationship With Community. The New York Times
(4/25, Stolberg, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) profiles the relationship Baltimore police have with
their community, which involves a history dating back to a least 1980 of officers being aggressive,
sometimes brutal and then being cleared of wrongdoing. The Times posits that the history helps
explain the long-simmering anger that boiled over this week after the death of Gray. The Times notes
that Rawlings-Blake has said there is a broken relationship between majority black residents and the
citys police force. The story profiles how Baltimore police have interacted with the community over the
past decades, noting the zero-tolerance policing policy from 1999 to 2007 under the leadership of
former Mayor Martin OMalley.
FBI Starts Preliminary Investigation Into Tulsa County Sheriffs Office. The CBS Evening News
(4/24, story 2, 1:50, Pelley, 5.08M) reported the FBI has interviewed current Tulsa County Sheriffs office
employees about reserve deputy Robert Bates, who accidentally shot and killed Eric Harris when he
mistook his gun for his taser, as part of a preliminary investigation into possible public corruption at the
office. The broadcast noted that while the sheriffs office has insisted Bates was well trained, a 2009
internal probe into Bates training found that he received special treatment. Tulsa County District
Attorney Stephen Kunzweiler released a statement on Friday, saying, I am highly concerned about
recent allegations that have surfaced, and I have been in contact with independent law enforcement
agencies regarding further investigation into these matters.
Lawyers For Harris Family Release 2009 Probe Of Robert Bates. The Wall Street Journal (4/25,
Campoy, Koppel, Subscription Publication, 5.68M) reports that lawyers for the family of Eric Harris
released the findings of a 2009 internal investigation into Bates training. According to the Journal, the
2009 investigation found that Bates did not complete the full training required for his certification that he
was able to perform advanced reserve deputy duties, that his trainer was pressured to sign off on the
certification, and the former reserve deputy program head was reassigned after complaining about the
departments treatment of Bates.
Long Beach Police Shoot, Kill Unarmed Man. The Los Angeles Times (4/25, Rocha, 4.03M) reports
that Long Beach police officers shot and killed an unarmed man, 19-year-old Hector Morejon, on
Thursday when responding to a report that people were trespassing and vandalizing a vacant
apartment. According to the Long Beach Police Department, the officer was looking into an apartment
when Morejon bent his knees and extended his arm as if pointing an object which the officer perceived
was a gun.
Police Shooting of Unarmed Man In 1858 Convulsed New York. The New York Times (4/25,
Blumenthal, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) recounts a 1858 incident in New York in which a relative
rookie police officer, Robert Cairnes, arrested and subsequently shot and killed an unarmed man
running away. According to the Times, the shooting of the suspect convulsed New York at the time in a
manner similar to the recent police shooting in South Carolina.

SCIENTISTS DISCOVER SUPER-VOLCANO AT YELLOWSTONE. ABC World News (4/24, story 6,
0:15, Muir, 5.84M) reported scientists discovered a super-volcano 28 miles underneath Yellowstone
National Park that has enough magma to fill the Grand Canyon eleven times over. It hasnt erupted in
640,000 years.
The CBS Evening News (4/25, story 11, 0:35, Pelley, 5.08M) reported that The worlds largest volcano
has a name and its called Yellowstone National Park. CBS said on Friday the next eruption by the
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super-volcano has the potential to change life on Earth.

The AP (4/25) reports the magma chamber is four times larger and deeper than the known magma
chamber above it and the discovery fills a missing link in Yellowstones volcanic network.

ERIC HOLDER BIDS FAREWELL TO JUSTICE DEPARTMENT. The AP (4/25, Tucker) notes an
emotional Attorney General Eric Holder bid farewell to the Justice Department Friday after outlining
what he said were his major accomplishments and telling staffers that they helped produce a golden
age in the departments history.
The Washington Post (4/25, Horwitz, 5.03M) describes Holders six-year tenure as one marked by
accomplishments that made him a liberal icon, as well as controversy that turned him into one of the
most divisive figures in the Obama administration and a lightning rod on Capitol Hill.
Politico (4/24, Gerstein, 1.11M) added in its Under The Radar blog that Holder proclaimed the agency
had undergone a renaissance during his tenure after suffering for years with low morale and political
meddling but notes he made no reference to the controversies that have dogged him during his six
years or to his rancorous relationship with House Republicans.
According to the The Hill (4/24, Byrnes, 469K) Briefing Room blog, Holder celebrated his final hours as
attorney general Friday by declaring himself free from his role as the nations top law enforcement
official and removing his Free Eric Holder wristband, which was part of an inside joke among Holders
top aides and supporters as they waited for the Senate to vote on his replacement, Loretta Lynch, whom
the Senate confirmed this week in a 56-43 vote.
Loretta Lynch Unlikely To Depart Much From Holders Path. The AP (4/25, Tucker) reports Loretta
Lynch will have limited time in the twilight of the Obama administration to craft ambitious new policy
proposals and is seen as unlikely to depart in radical ways from Holders priorities after she is sworn in
as attorney general on Monday. But in nuanced ways, the AP notes, Lynch has also created space
between herself and the outgoing attorney general, particularly her support of the death penalty and her
unequivocal opposition to the prospect of marijuana legalization.
POSSIBLE SERIAL SHOOTER LOOSE ON DENVER FREEWAYS. ABC World News (4/24, story 11,
1:30, Karlinsky, 5.84M) reported on a possible serial shooter on Denvers freeways. Reporter Neal
Karlinsky said that Cori Romero was shot in the neck on Wednesday night while driving north of Denver.
ABC says Romero is in the hospital but should recover. ABC adds that police said they are investigating
reports of three other incidents in the same general area and while its unclear those were gunshots,
investigators are worried about a possible serial shooter.

CDC ISSUES ALERT OVER INDIANA HIV OUTBREAK, HEPATITIS C EPIDEMIC. The Hill (4/24,
Ferris, 469K) reported that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an urgent
warning to health officials across the country on Friday about how to deal with HIV and hepatitis C
outbreaks among injection drug users.
The AP (4/25, O'Malley) notes the CDC issued its alert in an effort to prevent similar outbreaks
elsewhere, as Indianas rural Scott County experiences nearly daily increases in new HIV infections tied
to intravenous drug use. Under the headline Health Officials Worry As HIV Cases In Indiana Grow,
TIME (4/24, Sifferlin, 19.57M) reported the disturbing trends in injection drug use in a county of only
4,200 people reveal the latest tally of 142 new HIV infections in Scott County is all the more alarming.
The Wall Street Journal (4/25, Campo-Flores, Subscription Publication, 5.68M) and Reuters (4/24, Bailey)
also report on the outbreak and CDC alert.
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STUDY HIGHLIGHTS DANGERS ASSOCIATED WITH FAKE, POOR QUALITY DRUGS. NPR (4/24,
Sohn, 1.52M) Goats and Soda blog examined how the global battle against many deadly diseases is
being hampered by a pandemic of fake and poor-quality medicines. According to a special supplement
published in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, in 16,800 samples of anti-malarial
and anti-tuberculosis medicines, antibiotics and anti-leishmaniasis drugs, testing showed that between 9
and 41 percent of the medications failed to meet quality standards. Experts claim that the bad drugs not
only fail to make patients better, but they can also help breed superbugs that become more resistant to
the real stuff. The article includes a Q&A with NIH infectious diseases specialist Joel Berman, a coeditor of the supplement, who discussed the ramifications of the special issue.
ITALY ARRESTS NINE MEMBERS OF SUSPECTED AL QAEDA CELL. Richard Engel reported for
NBC Nightly News (4/24, story 4, 2:15, Holt, 7.86M) that Italy conducted police raids in seven areas
today, detaining 9 suspected members of an al Qaeda terror cell. According to prosecutors, the suspects
were part of a fundraising cell for al Qaeda in Pakistan...in direct contact with Osama bin Ladens inner
circle.
The Wall Street Journal (4/25, Zampano, Subscription Publication, 5.68M) adds that Italy issued a total of
18 arrest warrants for suspected members of the cell, some of which are currently believed to be in
Pakistan.
The New York Times (4/25, Povoledo, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) reports that Italian authorities
began their investigation into the cell in 2005, after which it continued for seven years, focusing on
Sardinia but also touching cities elsewhere in Italy, before winding down after 2012. At that point, Italian
prosecutor Mauro Mura said the suspects desisted from further activity and became more prudent and
less active, because they discovered they were under surveillance. After that, Danilo Tronci, another
prosecutor who worked on the case, said that prosecutors spent more than two years quietly building
what they hoped would be an airtight case.
ABC World News (4/24, story 7, 0:15, Muir, 5.84M) also reported briefly, noting that the suspects were
believed to have plotted an attack against the Vatican in 2010, although the AP (4/25) adds that the
Vatican downplayed the significance of the alleged plot, quoting Vatican spokesman Rev. Federico
Lombardi as saying From what it appears, this concerns a hypothesis that dates from 2010 which didnt
occur. It has therefore no relevance today and no reason for particular concern.
SAUDI ARABIA SAYS ISIL DIRECTED SHOOTING OF POLICE OFFICERS IN RIYADH. The AP (4/25,
Batrawy) reports that Saudi Arabias Interior Ministry said Friday that the two men suspected of shooting
two police officers in Riyadh on April 8th are believed to have been operating under orders from
members of the extremist Islamic State group in Syria in retaliation for Saudi Arabias participation in the
US-led coalition conducting airstrikes against ISIL.
The New York Times (4/25, Hubbard, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) reports one of the militants, who
has been arrested and is identified by state media as Yazid Mohammed Abdulrahman Abu Nayan, told
the police that he and an accomplice who remains at large had received guns, cash and instructions from
the Islamic State.
The Wall Street Journal (4/25, Omran, Subscription Publication, 5.68M) notes that Saudi officials also
acknowledged that they were aware that Nayyan spent time in a US jail and was placed under a travel
ban after he caused a commotion on a United Airlines flight, although Interior Ministry spokesman Maj.
Gen. Mansour al-Turki said that He didnt show signs of extremism.
FRANCE LAUNCHES FORMAL INVESTIGATION INTO SUSPECT IN THWARTED CHURCH
ATTACK. The AP (4/25) reports that France has launched a formal terror investigation into Sid Ahmed
G., a 24-year-old student who was arrested earlier in the week over charges that he was allegedly
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planning an attack on a church. The student is facing eight charges, including killing in relation to a
terrorist enterprise as well as attempted homicide, possession of weapons, theft and criminal
association.
Reuters (4/25) reports that the suspect was arrested after he apparently accidentally shot himself and
called for an ambulance, after which investigators followed a trail of blood to his car, where they found a
cache of weapons and bullet-proof vests.
FORMER GUANTANAMO DETAINEES PROTEST OUTSIDE US EMBASSY IN URUGUAY. The Miami
Herald (4/25, Haberkorn, Prengaman, 676K) reports that four freed Guantanamo Bay detainees
protested outside of the US Embassy in Uruguay on Friday, demanding to speak with the US
Ambassador to Uruguay. Adel bin Muhammad El Ouerghi, one of the freed detainees, said that the men
had been asked to leave the Metro hotel, a budget inn where he and some of the other five former
detainees periodically stayed and that the United States should help the men financially.
CANADIAN COURT GRANTS BAIL TO FORMER GUANTNAMO INMATE. The New York Times
(4/25, Austen, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) reports a Canadian court on Friday ordered the release
of Omar Khadr on bail pending an appeal of his conviction by an American military tribunal despite
opposition from the Canadian government. The Times notes Khadr was the only Canadian to have been
held at the Guantnamo Bay detention center and adds his case raised questions about whether it was
appropriate to charge a former child soldier with murder for fighting against military forces in combat.
Hennepin County Sheriffs full-time liaison to the Somali community.
STATUE OF LIBERTY EVACUATED OVER BOMB THREAT. Reuters (4/25, McGurty, Kearney,
Wulfhorst) reports law enforcement evacuated tourists visiting the Statue of Liberty from Liberty Island in
New York Harbor on Friday. Reuters cites Wall Street Journal reports that a bomb threat and a
suspicious package led to the evacuations.
While spending just 15 seconds each covering the issue, both the CBS Evening News (4/24, story 6,
0:15, Pelley, 5.08M) and ABC World News (4/24, story 12, 0:15, Muir, 5.84M) note no explosives or
bombs were found during the search.

AFTER CAPTIVITY, VICTIM OF EXTREMISM EXPRESSES UNDERSTANDING OF ISIL RECRUITS.
The New York Times (4/25, De Freytas-Tamura, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) profiles Ahmad Walid
Rashidi, who was captured by ISIL while attempting to help a British-Danish family recover their twin 17year-old daughters, who had traveled to Syria to become jihadist brides of fighters for the Islamic state.
During his captivity, Rashidi said that he was jailed, tortured, and hauled in front of a Shariah
court...which threatened to behead him, but that he nonetheless found himself being drawn to the
Islamic State. After his experience, Rashidi, who is now back in Denmark, says he can understand the
motivations of those drawn to ISIL, noting how in his own move to Denmark he had grown to resent
what he saw as a lack of understanding among Westerners about the wars being fought in Afghanistan
and the Middle East.

IRAQI FORCES MAKE GAINS AGAINST ISIL IN RAMADI. The AP (4/25, Yacoub) reports that Iraqi
police Col. Mahdi Abbas said Friday that Iraqi security forces successfully recaptured the key al-Houz
bridge following fierce clashes with IS militants in western Ramadi. The AP notes that Iraqi soldiers and
police have successfully secured Ramadis city center and pushed the militants out of other areas of the
city in recent days, but McClatchy (4/25, Prothero, Subscription Publication, 32K) reports that the
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inability of rank-and-file security forces to hold on to territory without outside assistance is raising doubts
among U.S. officials and other Western advisers about the long-term stability of the area.
ISIL Ambush Kills Iraqi General, Three Officers. The AP (4/25, Abdul-Zahra) reports that Iraqi Brig.
Gen. Hassan Abbas Toufan and three of his staff officers were killed in an ISIL suicide bombing on an
army convoy north of Fallujah on Friday. According to a member of the Iraqi 1st division and an
intelligence officer, both speaking on condition of anonymity, the suicide bomber attacked the convoy of
Humvees and then militants opened fire.
UN INVITES SYRIAN FACTIONS TO TALKS IN GENEVA. Reuters (4/25, Miles, Nebehay) reports that
United Nations spokesman Ahmad Fawzi said Friday that Staffan de Mistura, the UN envoy to Syria, has
invited representatives from Syrias government and major opposition groups to participate in separate
talks in Geneva in May, the latest attempt to negotiate a solution to the Syrian civil war. Fawzi told
reporters De Mistura hopes to be able to present a document outlining a political transition for Syria to
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon by June 30.
Guterres, Jolie Criticize Security Council Over Handling Of Syrian Refugee Crisis. The New York
Times (4/25, Gladstone, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) reports that Antnio Guterres, the United
Nations high commissioner for refugees, in remarks to the UN Security Council on Friday, warned that
the situation in Syria and Iraq has become utterly unsustainable, calling the refugee crisis in the region
a cancer that risks spreading and metastasizing. Other officials addressing the council, including
UNHCR special envoy Angelina Jolie, leveled similar criticisms, although the Times notes that Jolies
remarks were in some ways the most eagerly anticipated because of her celebrity aura as well as
among the harshest.
ABC World News (4/24, story 10, 0:25, Muir, 5.84M) reported that Jolie blasted the United Nations
Security Council on their handling of the Syrian refugee crisis, while NBC Nightly News (4/24, story 7,
0:45, Holt, 7.86M) reported that she did not mince words. We cannot look at Syria and the evil that has
arisen from the ashes of indecision and think this is not the lowest point in the worlds inability to protect
and defend the innocent, Jolie said.
The AP (4/25, Anna) reports that Jolie said the councils powers lie unused because its members cannot
agree on how to address the conflict, adding that she would like to see the foreign minister of each of
the 15 council members come to the table to negotiate a political solution.
Observatory: Islamic Militants Advance In Idlib Province. AFP (4/25) reports that the Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights said Friday that al Nusra Front and other allied Islamist groups have
managed to seize three checkpoints around the large town of Jisr al-Shughur during a joint offensive on
the Syrian governments last remaining bastion in Idlib province. According to Observatory director Rami
Abdel Rahman, There are very fierce clashes ongoing since the early morning as well as intense aerial
bombing.
Observatory: ISIL Claims To Shoot Down Syrian Government Aircraft In Sweida Province. AFP
(4/25) reports that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Friday that ISIL militants shot down a
regime aircraft east of the Khalkhalah airport in Sweida province on Friday. Observatory Director Rami
Abdel Rahman said that the fate of any crew members remains unknown, but pro-IS accounts claimed
the pilot had been captured. Meanwhile, AFP notes that Syrian state TV reported that the aircraft
crashed due to technical problems while completing a training exercise and that the search for the pilot
was ongoing.
PENTAGON: TENSIONS EASING AS IRANIAN SHIPS TURN AWAY FROM YEMEN. The AP (4/25,
Burns) reports that Pentagon spokesman Col. Steve Warren said Friday that a nine-ship Iranian convoy
potentially intended to deliver weapons to Yemens Houthi rebels had reversed course, heading back in
the general direction of Iran. While Warren said we do not know their future intentions, he added that
Its fair to say that this appears to be a de-escalation of some of the tensions that were being discussed
earlier in the week.
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The Washington Post (4/25, Lamothe, 5.03M) reports that the USS Theodore and USS Normandy are
both also heading back to the Persian Gulf, leaving seven other U.S. combat ships in the waters off the
coast of Yemen.
Saleh Calls For Return To Political Dialogue In Yemen. Reuters (4/25) reports that former Yemeni
President Ali Abdullah Saleh called Friday for Yemens warring factions to return to a dialogue to
negotiate a political solution to the conflict,.
In his statement, Saleh urged his rebel allies Friday to heed UN demands to withdraw from territory
seized in months of fighting, so Saudi-led air strikes can end and reconciliation begin, AFP (4/25, AlJabiri) reports. Saleh further called on all parties without exception... to talk and show forgiveness,
adding that he will forgive everybody in the interests of the nation.
UN Estimates At Least 550 Civilians Killed In Yemen Conflict. The AP (4/25, Al-Haj, Michael) reports
that the United Nations said Friday that Yemens war is wreaking a particularly bloody toll among
civilians, estimating that more than 550 have been killed in the past month, including 115 children.
According to a new report by Amnesty International, the Saudi-led air campaign against Yemens Houthi
rebels has transformed many parts of Yemen into a dangerous place for civilians, forcing millions to
live in a state of utter terror, afraid of being killed in their homes.
Iran Summons Saudi Diplomat Over Interception Of Planes In Yemen. Reuters (4/25) reports that the
Iranian Foreign Ministry summoned the Saudi charge daffiares on Friday over the interception of Iranian
planes carrying humanitarian aid to Yemen. According to a report on the Students News Agency ISNA,
Saudi fighter jets have blocked two Iranian planes, which were carrying wounded Yemenis who had
been treated in Iran and also carrying humanitarian and medical aid, from landing in Yemen and forced
them to return home, adding that an unnamed Iranian official called the incident brazen interference in
Yemens state affairs and also a violation of Yemens airspace.
TALKS ON FINAL NUCLEAR DEAL WITH IRAN END ON POSITIVE NOTE. The AP (4/25, Jahn)
reports that two western diplomats familiar familiar with negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program
say that the first round of Iran nuclear talks aimed at turning a tentative agreement into a final deal has
been positive and indicates an agreement can be reached by the June 30 deadline. According to the
diplomats, the three-day round of talks that ended Friday focused mostly on the pace of lifting
sanctions.
Reuters (4/25, Hafezi) reports that Iranian senior negotiator Abbas Araqchi told reporters that negotiators
were making good progress on a final deal, saying that The Europeans and Americans made good
clarifications about lifting of the sanctions and that negotiators had begun drafting the final text. Reuters
notes that this round of meetings included bilateral meetings with the European Unions political director
Helga Schmid and Under Secretary Wendy Sherman, with Secretary of State Kerry and Iranian Foreign
Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif expected to meet next week.
US TAKES OVER CHAIRMANSHIP OF ARCTIC COUNCIL AMID TENSIONS OVER UKRAINE. The
New York Times (4/25, Myers, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) reports that Secretary of State Kerry
assumed chairmanship of the Arctic Council on behalf of the US on Friday at a meeting that
underscored how the deterioration of relations between the West and Russia over Russias intervention
in Ukraine has strained the councils mission as a changing climate has intensified economic and political
competition in the Arctic. In his remarks, Kerry outlined what he called an ambitious set of goals,
focused on ocean safety and security, economic development and, in particular, several steps to address
climate change as part of President Obamas push for stronger international action.
AFP (4/25, Biddle) quotes Kerry as saying that One of the biggest challenges everybody has talked
about today is climate change. The numbers are alarming and thats putting it mildly...As we take
necessary steps to prepare for climate change, we also have a shared responsibility to do everything we
can to slow its advance, and we cannot afford to take our eye off that ball.
The AP (4/25, Klapper) notes that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov did not attend the meeting,
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citing a scheduling conflict, but that he and Kerry spoke by telephone Wednesday on the Arctic Council
and other matters. Regarding Ukraine, Kerry told a news conference following the Arctic Council
meeting on Friday that he challenged Lavrov, saying the pressure for a Russian withdrawal from
eastern Ukraine must be maintained.
EUS MOVE TO COMBAT MIGRANT CRISIS GARNERS PRAISE, CRITICISM. Reuters (4/25,
Nebehay) reports that the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights spokesman Adrian
Edwards welcomed the European Unions move to triple the size of its naval search and rescue mission
in the Mediterranean, hailing it as an important first step toward collective European action on the
migrant crisis, but warned that Ultimately the test will be whether we see reduction in lives lost, effective
access to protection in Europe without having to cross the Mediterranean, and an effective Common
European Asylum System, which truly lives up to its commitments of solidarity and responsibilitysharing.
However, Bloomberg News (4/25, Yoon, 3.81M) reports that other UN officials criticized the European
Unions response to the migrant crisis in the Mediterranean Sea for emphasizing border protection
without a comprehensive plan to resettle refugees. Notably, Francois Crpeau and Maria Grazia, UN
experts on migrants rights and human trafficking, said Friday that The emergency funding increase may
not be enough if the number of migrants and asylum seekers arriving by boat continue to rise. Instead,
they said, the EU needs to move beyond emergency mode to produce a more comprehensive policy
that would include a massive resettlement policy over the coming five to six years to welcome all those
in need of international protection and offer durable solutions for themselves and their children, adding
that The EU must acknowledge the needs of its low-wage labor market, and should quickly open many
more legal migration avenues for more migrants at all skills levels.
Similarly, the New York Times (4/25, Yardley, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) reports that many are
calling for a more holistic response, including overhauling its asylum system and expanding channels of
legal immigration, because the problem of illegal migration will only worsen, while the Wall Street
Journal (4/25, Dalton, Subscription Publication, 5.68M) adds that the EUs plan was similarly criticized by
refugee advocates and experts, who expressed concern that the patrols will be run primarily by Frontex,
the EU agency tasked with controlling the EUs borders.
CEREMONIES AROUND THE WORLD MARK 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF 1915 ARMENIAN
MASSACRES. Ceremonies around the world on Friday marked the 100th anniversary of the massacre
of 1.5 million Armenians by Ottoman Turks during World War I amid tensions as a wide array of world
leaders, although not President Obama, chose to recognize the killings as a genocide, drawing anger
from Turkey, a distinction that the New York Times (4/25, Herszenhorn, Subscription Publication,
12.24M) says remains a source of bitter enmity and continues to roil politics in Asia Minor and beyond.
The Wall Street Journal (4/25, Parkinson, Subscription Publication, 5.68M) reports that over a dozen
world leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Francois Hollande,
attended the commemoration in Armenia, which is seeking to use the centennial to win international
recognition of the massacres as a genocide. Historians, the AP (4/25, Demourian) notes, widely view the
events, during which an estimated 1.5 million died, as a genocide, but Turkey vehemently rejects the
charge, saying that the toll has been inflated, and that those killed were victims of civil war and unrest.
Reporting on the commemorations, NBC Nightly News (4/24, story 6, 0:30, Holt, 7.86M) noted that Pope
Francis recently called the massacre the first genocide of the 20th century.
McClatchy (4/25, Gutman, Subscription Publication, 32K) reports that Armenias national church
canonized the victims en masse as martyrs even as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan chided
Armenia and the Armenian diaspora for focusing only on their losses during what he called a relocation
of the Armenian population to the farther parts of the empire. Thirty million people died, and why are
you highlighting the Armenian citizens? Erdogan asked, noting that More than 4 million Muslims died
during the war.
While the New York Times (4/25, Yeginsu, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) reports that Turkey moved
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up a ceremony to commemorate the Battle of Gallipoli to coincide with the centennial of the Armenian
genocide, prompting some criticism that it was attempting to draw international attention away from the
Armenian centennial, the Washington Post (4/25, Murphy, 5.03M) adds that Turkey also offered
groundbreaking outreach even as it rejected any links to the sin of ethnic purges, sending Volkan
Bozkir, the minister in charge of Turkeys relations with the European Union, to attend a memorial
gathering in Istanbul. The Post notes that this marks the first time that a top Turkish official attended a
memorial gathering in Istanbul by the Armenian Patriarchate. At the memorial, Bozkir said We respect
the pain experienced by our Armenian brothers...We are in no way opposed to the commemoration of
this pain.
German Parliament Likely To Recognize Massacre Of Armenians As Genocide. The AP (4/25)
reports that German parliamentary speaker Norbert Lammert said Friday as Parliament began debate on
a non-binding motion to acknowledge the Armenian massacres as a genocide that while Germany
cannot lecture anyone about dealing with their past...we can, through our own experiences encourage
others to confront their history, even when it hurts.
Although a formal vote on the resolution will not occur before the summer, the Wall Street Journal (4/25,
Thomas, Peker, Subscription Publication, 5.68M) reports that the resolution has widespread support
among lawmakers and that there is little doubt what the outcome of the vote will be.
However, AFP (4/25) reports that German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier rejected the use of
the term genocide to describe the massacres on Friday, just one day after German President Joachim
Gauk used the term at a memorial ceremony on Thursday.
Turkey Condemns Putins Calling 1915 Massacres Genocide. Reuters (4/25) reports that the
Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday that it rejects and condemns Russian President
Vladimir Putins use of the word genocide to describe the 1915 massacres of Armenians by Ottoman
Turks, saying Considering the mass killings, exiles...that Russia has carried out in the Caucasus,
Central Asia and in eastern Europe over the past century...we think it should be the one that knows best
what a genocide is and what its legal dimensions are.
AFP (4/25) reports that Putin used the term once during the ceremony in Armenia, noting that Turkey said
that it also rejects and condemns Frances unfair and biased approach.

.
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From:
To:
Subject:
Date:
Attachments:
The Homeland Security News Briefing for Sunday, April 26, 2015
Sunday, April 26, 2015 6:54:29 AM
dhsclips150426.doc

DATE: SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2015 7:00 AM EDT

LEADING DHS NEWS:
+ LATimes Analysis: Fewer Detentions At Border A Bit Of Good News For Administration.
+ Baltimore Protests Over Grays Death Begin Peaceful, Turn Violent.
+ NYTimes Analysis: Drug Czars Experience Evidence Of Changing Policies.
+ In New Book, Women Recount Being Held Hostage By Cleveland Bus Driver.
+ Indiana HIV Outbreak Tops 140 Cases.
+ Graaff Tapped As New Chief Of UN Ebola Mission.
+ Lawmakers Have Little Enthusiasm For CIA Drone Program Reforms.
+ Former Guantanamo Detainees Continue Protest At US Embassy In Montevideo.
+ Supermax Prison Designed For Solitary Confinement; Likely To House Tsarnaev.
OTHER CYBER NEWS:
+ DOJ Close To Issuing First Sanctions For Hackers.
+ Kerry: US Approves $1 Million In Aid For Nepal After Earthquake.
+ Officials: Russian Hackers Gained Access To Obamas Unclassified Emails.
+ US-Backed Syrian Rebels Join With Nusra Front To Seize Strategic Town.
+ ISIL Claims Responsibility For Three Car Bombs At Iraq-Jordan Border Crossing.
+ GOP Presidential Contenders Criticize Iran Framework Agreement.
+ Mexico Endorses New Anti-Corruption Measures.
+ Texas Trade Group Arrives In Cuba.
Leading DHS News:

LATIMES ANALYSIS: FEWER DETENTIONS AT BORDER A BIT OF GOOD NEWS FOR
ADMINISTRATION. The Los Angeles Times (4/26, Tanfani, 4.03M) reports the number of immigrants
caught crossing the southern border of the US have fallen dramatically since their peak last June and
adds the The announcement was intended as a bit of good news at a tough time for the Obama
administrations immigration initiatives.
BALTIMORE PROTESTS OVER GRAYS DEATH BEGIN PEACEFUL, TURN VIOLENT. Reporting of a
planned protest in Baltimore over the death of Freddie Gray during an encounter with police focused on
the progression of the demonstrations from peaceful to violent. The major print dailies and wire services
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all provided coverage of the protests and the three network news broadcasts combined for six minutes
and 45 seconds of coverage.
The New York Times (4/26, Stolberg, Southall, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) reports that the turnout
of demonstrators on Saturday was among the largest since Grays death, and featured a racially
diverse crowd that had participants from Baltimore and throughout the nation.
At the time the network evening newscasts aired, the protests had been overwhelming peaceful but hints
of violence began to break out. NBC Nightly News (4/25, story 2, 2:50, Alexander, 7.86M) reported that
several thousand people took the street of Baltimore on Saturday, marching from where Freddie Gray
was arrested to city hall. NBC noted that Police Commissioner Anthony Batts was in the crowd taking
heat and holding hands. According to NBC, the protests were very vocal yet peaceful; however, NBC
News noted that protesters were having a confrontation with police near Camden Yards during the
broadcast.
According to the CBS Evening News (4/25, story 3, 2:10, Axelrod, 5.08M), the crowd was large and loud
as they marched to city hall, with the protesters angry about the death of Freddie Gray. The broadcast
noted there was a tense scene developing at Camden Yards where protesters and police have
clashed with bottles and cones being thrown.
Highlighting the progression from peaceful protests to violence, the AP (4/26) reports that after a day of
peaceful demonstration, pockets of protesters smashed out police car windows and storefronts,
causing at least two people to be hurt and others to be detained. The AP notes that the mayhem began
near Camden Yards where a Major League Baseball games between the Baltimore Orioles and the
Boston Red Sox was played. The article reports that scores of officers rushed to the scene and formed
a line three officers deep, which scattered protesters momentarily before they returned yelling, What
do we want? Justice! When do we want it? Now!
According to USA Today (4/26, Alcindor, 5.01M), Baltimore police have reported that some of the
protesters on Saturday were turning violent, breaking windows and throwing items at police. USA
Today notes that the Baltimore Sun posted video of a man smashing a trash can on the window of a
police car while others were climbing on cars. The article notes numerous tweets of the events, with
some citing that protesters were throwing rocks and other items. The article adds that Malik Shabazz of
Black Lawyers for Justice helped keep the peace by ordering protesters to stop as they began kicking
cars in the stadium parking lot. USA today also relays a Baltimore Sun report that said Grays family
members quickly helped calm the crowd after there was an outburst during a day of peaceful marching.
The Baltimore Sun (4/26, Wenger, Puente, Rector, Campbell, Green, 802K) reports the peaceful protests
turned confrontational as dark fell and demonstrators started smashing the windows on police cars,
blocking traffic near the Inner Harbor and shouting, Killers! at officers. The Sun notes that over 100
officers in riot gear began making arrests and blocking off portion of streets as the police department
responded to a crowd that was becoming unruly. The article detailed the outbursts from demonstrators
and responses from police near the end of the day, including the evacuation of shoppers from the Gallery
at Harborplace after windows at one of the stores were smashed. However, the Sun reports that the
brief flare-up was an anomaly during an otherwise peaceful march.
Reuters (4/26, Johnson) reports that in a statement at a news conference, Mayor Stephanie RawlingsBlake said, After a week of peaceful demonstrations I am profoundly disappointed to see the violence in
our city this evening. Rawlings-Blake asked the demonstrators to please stop the violence, saying that
Freddies father and mother does not want violence, violence does not get justice. Reuters notes that
local television stations WBAL and WJZ showed video of the outbursts, with protesters throwing crowdcontrol barrier at officers and police in riot gear pushing protesters away from the area. Rep. Elijah
Cummings stated the violence could distract from the pleas for justice over Grays death.
The Washington Post (4/26, Hermann, Cox, Halsey, 5.03M) also reports on how six hours into a
remarkably peaceful demonstration, the protests suddenly turned violent when the protesters began
clashing with fans attending the baseball game. The Post reports that during a later news conference,
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Batts stated that twelve people who appeared to be causing the most trouble were arrested but the rest
of the crowd dispersed. Until the events of Saturday evening, the Post notes that the march had been
the antithesis of Ferguson where protesters clashed with police clad in riot gear. The Post also details
the earlier part of the days demonstration, noting how protesters showed a desire to avoid violent
confrontation and that police had refrained from arresting protesters who had laid down in the middle of
an intersection.
Police Believe Individual May Have Filmed Incident. ABC World News (4/25, story 2, 1:45, Vega,
5.84M) reported Baltimore police have released surveillance video that was filming across the street from
where Freddie Gray was arrested and are asking for help identifying [a] man captured on that video.
According to ABC News, police believe that person may have filmed the encounter.
Linderman: Each Death Makes The Skepticism And Outrage Harder To Overcome. In a piece for
the AP (4/26, Linderman), Juliet Linderman notes that Batts is frustrated after a two-plus years on the
jobs that the people of Baltimore have lost their faith in justice. Linderman states that each death of a
black man at the hands of the police department is making it harder to overcome mistrust that has
developed over the years. Linderman notes the Batts recently told the AP that distrust is so pervasive
that his best efforts are falling short.
NYTimes: Astounding Shortfall Of Black Men In Civic Life A Catastrophe. In an editorial, the
New York Times (4/26, Board, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) labels the astounding shortfall of black
men in civic life a catastrophe, and asserts, The missing men should be a source of concern to political
leaders and policy makers everywhere. The Times adds, the many grievous cases of unarmed black
men and boys who were shot dead by the police...show how the presumption of criminality, poverty and
social isolation threatens lives every day in all corners of this country.
Police Killings In Albuquerque Cause Schism Between Law Enforcement Agencies. The Los
Angeles Times (4/26, Duara, 4.03M) reports that over the recent months, the Bernalillo County District
Attorneys office and the Albuquerque Police Department have been locked in a conflict over last years
fatal police shooting of James Boyd, a mentally ill man who was illegally camping at the edge of town.
The Times details how Albuquerques chief prosecutor, Kari Brandenburg, vowed to keep public her
investigation of the police involved in the incident, and soon became the subject of claims by the police
department that he was involving in bribing officials because of her sons alleged transgressions.
Tulsa County Sheriffs Memo Notes Concerns Over Reserve Deputy Bates. The AP (4/26,
Juozapavicius) reports that a 2009 memo by the Tulsa County Sheriffs Office says that Robert Bates,
among other things, had inadequate training for a role as an advanced reserve deputy. According to the
AP, the 2009 report concluded that though Bates didnt receive special treatment by being admitted to
the program, he had received special treatment in ways such as department leaders ignoring
complaints about his performance. The AP adds the records from the Sheriffs Office show that Bates
has donated tens of thousands of dollars in cars, SUVs and equipment over the last decade.
WPost: Fairfax Sheriffs Inaction Is Merely Delaying Day Of Reckoning. In an editorial, the
Washington Post (4/26, Board, 5.03M) criticized Fairfax County Sheriff Stacey A. Kincaid for her
defensive response following the death of a mentally ill inmate at the Fairfax County jail almost three
months ago. Rather than delay that day of reckoning, the authorities in Fairfax would be wise to be
proactive, transparent and accountable, concluded the Post, but So far those qualities are lacking.
NYTIMES ANALYSIS: DRUG CZARS EXPERIENCE EVIDENCE OF CHANGING POLICIES. In a
1,339-word story, the New York Times (4/26, Schwarz, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) describes the
personal experience with addiction of Michael Botticelli, the director of the White House Office of National
Drug Control Policy, informally known as the drug czar. As the first person in substance-abuse
recovery to hold the position, the Times says his history is considered evidence that the government is
moving toward addressing drug abuse more through healing than handcuffs.
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IN NEW BOOK, WOMEN RECOUNT BEING HELD HOSTAGE BY CLEVELAND BUS DRIVER. The
Washington Post (4/26, Jordan, Sullivan, 5.03M) features an excerpt adapted from Hope: A Memoir of
Survival in Cleveland, in which Amanda Berry, 29, and Gina DeJesus, 25, recount their experiences
being held hostage by Cleveland bus driver Ariel Castro for a decade and their ongoing struggle to
recover and rebuild their lives.

INDIANA HIV OUTBREAK TOPS 140 CASES. Indiana Health Commissioner Jerome Adams revealed
on Friday that the number of HIV cases in the state has reached 142, Reuters (4/26, Bailey) reports.
While the epicenter of the HIV outbreak remains in Scott County, officials confirmed at least five cases in
neighboring Jackson County. Adams said, We likely havent reached the peak of this outbreak, but we
hope to soon through the continued comprehensive response made possible by the joint efforts of so
many people and organizations.
GRAAFF TAPPED AS NEW CHIEF OF UN EBOLA MISSION. Peter Jan Graaff, of the Netherlands, was
named on Saturday to serve as the UNs new chief of mission to fight Ebola, replacing Ismail Ould
Cheikh Ahmed at UNMEER, after the Mauritanian diplomat was appointed to special UN envoy for
Yemen, AFP (4/26) reports. Graaff previously worked for the WHO in several African countries,
Afghanistan and Haiti, and led the Civil Affairs and Development team for the United Nations Assistance
Mission in Afghanistan, or UNAMA.
LAWMAKERS HAVE LITTLE ENTHUSIASM FOR CIA DRONE PROGRAM REFORMS. In an 1,824word story, the New York Times (4/26, Mazzetti, Apuzzo, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) reports the
CIAs drone program has unwavering support from Capitol Hill, noting that the veneer of congressional
oversight has led lawmakers to...defend it vigorously in public and to authorize its sizable budget each
year. The Times adds that despite promises from Obama to reform the program in 2013, White House
officials have shown little enthusiasm for ensuring that many of them are adopted.
FORMER GUANTANAMO DETAINEES CONTINUE PROTEST AT US EMBASSY IN MONTEVIDEO.
The AP (4/26) reports that four former Guantanamo Bay detainees are continuing their protest in front of
the US Embassy in Montevideo, where they camped out overnight after beginning their protest on Friday.
The former detainees are demanding more help from both the Uruguayan and the U.S. governments for
adapting to life in their new home in Uruguay, and insisted would stay until they met with the U.S.
ambassador.
SUPERMAX PRISON DESIGNED FOR SOLITARY CONFINEMENT; LIKELY TO HOUSE TSARNAEV.
The Boston Globe (4/26, Abel, 886K) reports on the stark and solitary conditions for high-profile
prisoners at the US Penitentiary Administrative Maximum Facility (Supermax or ADX as its known) in
Florence, Colorado. The prison houses over 400 prisoners who are required to spend 23 hours a day
alone in their 7-by-12-foot concrete cells, are isolated from almost everyone, and receive almost no
natural light or exercise. The Globe says it is likely that convicted Boston bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev will
end up at ADX after he is sentenced to either death row or life in prison without parole.
Other Cyber News:

DOJ CLOSE TO ISSUING FIRST SANCTIONS FOR HACKERS. In its Briefing Room blog, The Hill
(4/25, Devaney, 469K) cited ABC News reporting that the Department of Justice is close to issuing the
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first round of economic sanctions against foreign entities over hacking complaints, which could include
freezing hackers assets.

KERRY: US APPROVES $1 MILLION IN AID FOR NEPAL AFTER EARTHQUAKE. A 7.8-magnitude
earthquake struck Nepal around noon on Saturday, killing nearly 2,000 people and marking the worst
quake for the region in over 80 years. Aftershocks continued throughout the day as residents of Nepal
prepared to spend the night outside, too afraid to sleep indoors. Reports focused on the climbing death
toll and widespread devastation caused by the earthquake, widely noting Secretary of State Kerrys
announcement that the US has pledged $1 million in aid for Nepal, the anticipated deployment of
American search and rescue teams, and the death of American Google engineer Dan Fredinburg, who
was killed in an avalanche on Mount Everest triggered by the earthquake. Reporting on the earthquake
dominated both print and television reporting on Saturday evening, leading the three major network news
broadcasts and garnering a combined 11 minutes and 25 seconds of coverage, compared to six minutes
and 45 seconds of coverage on continuing protests in Baltimore over the death of a suspect in police
custody.
The AP (4/26) reports both Kerry and the White House expressed their sympathy for the victims of the
earthquake and pledged their support for Nepal on Saturday. Reuters (4/26) quotes Kerry as saying, We
are working closely with the government of Nepal to provide assistance and support, while NSC
spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan added in a separate statement that the US stands ready to assist the
government and people of Nepal and the region further. According to Kerrys statement, the US has
authorized an initial $1 million in aid and is preparing to deploy disaster response and rescue teams to
Nepal, while Cater Evans reported for the CBS Evening News (4/25, story 2, 1:55, Axelrod, 5.08M) that
dozens of American first responders are now on alert, waiting for orders to travel to Nepal.
The Washington Post (4/26, Gowen, Lakshmi, Kaphle, 5.03M) further cites the State Department as
saying that USAID is preparing to deploy a disaster response team to Nepal and is also likely to deploy
a specialized urban search-and-rescue team. The AP (4/26, Katz) notes that the international aid effort
is being hindered by the fact that the most convenient pathway into Nepal one of the worlds poorest
countries was not available because the international airport in Kathmandu was shut down.
Charlie DAgata further noted in the lead story for the CBS Evening News (4/25, lead story, 3:30, Axelrod,
5.08M) that the Embassy in Nepal has advised Americans to shelter in place if theyre in a safe location
and is currently conducting accountability checks of US citizens.
The New York Times (4/26, Barry, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) reports that the most terrible
damage on Saturday was to the oldest part of the city, where four of the areas seven Unesco World
Heritage sites were severely damaged, including the Dharahara Tower. Police said Saturday that they
had pulled around 60 bodies from the rubble of the tower. The Times notes that there has been concern
for years about an earthquake of this magnitude in western Nepal, with many fearing an immense
death toll because of unregulated construction.
Similarly, the Washington Post (4/26, Achenbach, 5.03M) reports that experts say geology, urbanization,
architecture and building codes have conspired to increase the vulnerability of the Nepalese, noting that
while scientists, engineers and government officials have worked in recent years on retrofitting schools
and hospitals to make them sturdier in a temblor a trend of rural to urban migration driven by civil unrest
has pushed people into newly constructed, unreinforced-masonry buildings that in many cases are not
designed to withstand the strong motion of a quake.
The AP (4/26, Borenstein) adds that, just one week before the quake, about 50 earthquake and social
scientists from around the world came to Kathmandu, Nepal, to figure out how to get this poor,
congested, overdeveloped, shoddily built area to prepare better for the big one, a repeat of the 1934
temblor that leveled this city.
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Kelly Cobiella reported in the lead story for NBC Nightly News (4/25, lead story, 2:55, Alexander, 7.86M)
that the 7.8 quake shook so violently, witnesses say people jumped out of buildings to avoid being
crushed and rattled parts of five countries. In the lead story for the CBS Evening News (4/25, lead
story, 3:30, Axelrod, 5.08M), Charlie DAgata reported that the earthquake triggered chaos on the
streets of the capital Kathmandu, with survivors describing scenes of panic and mayhem as people
scattered on the streets to avoid being crushed by toppling buildings, including centuries-old temples
and monuments like the early 19th century Dharahara tower in central Kathmandu.
According to Inspector Yurvaj Khadka of Nepals national police force, the death toll had reached 1,430
on Sunday, including 348 in Kathmandu alone, the AP (4/26, Gurubacharya, Naqvi) reports, while
nearly 5,000 injured swarmed hospitals. However, in an updated report posted early Sunday morning,
the AP (4/26, Gurubacharya, Daigle) said that the death toll now stood at nearly 2,000 people, adding
that there was more order to the rescues effort on Sunday as teams fanned out across the city.
Earthquake Triggers Avalanches On Mount Everest, Killing American. In the lead story for ABC
World News (4/25, lead story, 3:05, Vega, 5.84M), Hamish Macdonald reported that the earthquake was
so powerful it unleashed massive avalanches 100 miles away on Mt. Everest, where Reuters (4/26,
Sharma) reports an Indian army mountaineering team has reported discovering 18 bodies on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Nepals Tourism Ministry confirmed that there had been at least 10 deaths, including
American Google engineer Dan Fredinburg, who died of head injuries sustained in an avalanche that
buried a portion of the base camp.
Ang Tshering of the Nepal Mountaineering Association, said that the avalanche began on Mount Kumori,
a 7,000-meter (22,966-foot) -high mountain just a few miles (kilometers) from Everest, gathering strength
as it headed toward the base camp, the AP (4/26, Sullivan, Gurubacharya) reports, where survivors
reached via the Internet described a scene of terror as the snow and ice roared through the nearby
Khumbu Icefall and into base camp.
The Washington Post (4/26, Holley, 5.03M) reports that Nepalese Tourism Ministry spokesman
Gyanendra Shrestha warned that the death toll could rise. The Post adds that it is currently unclear if
helicopters will be available to help rescue those stranding at the base camp, given the devastation in
and around Kathmandu, although the New York Times (4/26, Harris, Subscription Publication, 12.24M)
cites Ang Sherpa, an experienced guide for Everest climbers, as saying that a helicopter rescue
operation to the base camp was planned for Sunday morning, he said, when a full tally of the dead and
injured should become available.
OFFICIALS: RUSSIAN HACKERS GAINED ACCESS TO OBAMAS UNCLASSIFIED EMAILS. The
New York Times (4/26, Schmidt, Sanger, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) reports that senior American
officials have acknowledged that the Russian hackers that got deeply into the State Departments
unclassified system are also believed to have gained access to the email archives of people with whom
President Obama regularly communicated, thereby gaining access to emails that the president had sent
and received. While the hackers are not believed to have reached any classified information, the Times
says that officials have conceded that the unclassified system routinely contains much information that
is considered highly sensitive: schedules, email exchanges with ambassadors and diplomats,
discussions of pending personnel moves and legislation, and, inevitably, some debate about policy.
US-BACKED SYRIAN REBELS JOIN WITH NUSRA FRONT TO SEIZE STRATEGIC TOWN.
McClatchy (4/26, Alhamadee, Gutman, Subscription Publication, 32K) reports that US-backed Syrian
rebels joined forces with al Nusra Front on Saturday to capture the strategic town of Jisr al Shughur in
Syrias Idlib province, a gain that all but closes the governments land supply routes to two major bases
in the west of Idlib...both of which are surrounded by rebel forces and can now be supplied only by air.
While McClatchy says that the precise role of the moderate rebels and Nusra in the battle was in
dispute, it adds that the effort to take the town was apparently aided by U.S.-supplied TOW anti-tank
missiles and accounts of the fighting made clear that U.S.-supplied rebel groups had coordinated to
some degree with Nusra.
The New York Times (4/26, Barnard, Saad, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) notes that the US
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provided a small number of TOW antitank missiles to some rebel groups last year, but that those
groups were subsequently largely routed or co-opted by the Nusra Front, further complicating what was
already a murky battlefield that has left American officials wary of providing more robust aid to
insurgents.
The AP (4/26, El Deeb) adds that the takeover of Jisr al Shughur prompted retaliatory government air
raids in the town center as many as 30 airstrikes according to one activist group that left an
unknown number of people killed and wounded.
Arab Media Reports Israeli Airstrikes On Syrian Government Targets. The Los Angeles Times (4/26,
Sobelman, 4.03M) reports that Arab media and pro-opposition sources in Syria say that Israeli
warplanes struck military targets in Syria early Saturday, targeting several bases belonging to Syrian
missile brigades in the mountainous Qalamoun region near the Syrian-Lebanese border. Video posted
online by Syrian pro-opposition sources showed columns of smokes rising from what was said to be the
base of a Syrian army brigade, but the Times notes that it wasnt immediately clear who was behind the
strike, and conflicting versions of events were heard among the warring factions in Syria. Israels official
position is that it is not involved in the Syrian civil war, and the Israeli military declined to comment on the
reports.
Two Swedish Hostages Released In Syria. The AP (4/26) reports that the Swedish Foreign Ministry
announced Saturday that two Swedish national taken hostage in Syria have been released and are now
back with their families, expressing gratitude to Jordan and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud
Abbas for their aid in negotiating their release.
While the ministry did not identify the hostages, Reuters (4/26) cites Swedens TT news agency as
reporting that that they were abducted in Syria by al Nusra Front in 2013.
ISIL CLAIMS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THREE CAR BOMBS AT IRAQ-JORDAN BORDER CROSSING.
Reuters (4/26) reports that ISIL has claimed responsibility for three suicide car bombs that struck the
Tureibil border crossing between Iraq and Jordan on Saturday, an attack that the AP (4/26, Salaheddin,
Yacoub) reports resulted in the deaths of at least four Iraqi soldiers, according to Iraqi officials. ISIL
claimed responsibility for the attack via Twitter, saying that it was perpetrated by Belgian, French and
Senegalese militants and claiming a much higher death toll. According to a translation of the statement
by SITE Intelligence group, the men targeted the dining facility, an army patrol and the border crossing
itself.
In a separate report, Reuters (4/26) cites an unnamed Jordanian official as saying that Jordan has
increased security at the Tureibil crossing following the attack.
GOP PRESIDENTIAL CONTENDERS CRITICIZE IRAN FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT. The Washington
Post (4/26, Gold, 5.03M) reports that Republican presidential contenders sought to outdo each other in
opposition to the Iranian nuclear framework agreement before a record crowd at this weekends
meeting of the Republican Jewish Coalition. While the Post notes that the organization will not take
sides in the GOP primary the presidential hopefuls are hoping to win the support of the wealthy
individuals who make up the groups leadership, many of which have expressed concern that the
nuclear deal will allow Iran to continue developing nuclear capability.
MEXICO ENDORSES NEW ANTI-CORRUPTION MEASURES. The Washington Post (4/26, Partlow,
5.03M) reports that Mexican President Enrique Pena Nietos government has endorsed new anticorruption measures that many hope will begin to rebuild Mexicans lack of trust in their government
following months of scandals and public outcry. The Post says that the new anti-corruption system,
which still needs approval by a majority of the states, is designed to give more authority and
independence to investigative bodies and will allow audits of government spending...to occur more
frequently and at the state level.
TEXAS TRADE GROUP ARRIVES IN CUBA. The AP (4/26) reports that a Texas trade delegation
arrived in Havana on Sunday in hopes of building a front-of-the-line position for renewed trade with the
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Caribbean nation long isolated by a U.S. embargo. Texas-based Tri-Dimension Strategies President
Cynthia Thomas, who is leading the delegation, said that previous visits to Havana were about making
introductions, getting to know one another, finding the right comfort zone, but that this visit, which the
Dallas Texas Morning News said was the first since the US and Cuba agreed to renew diplomatic
relations, is occurring in a different environment all around. We understand the Cubans are more
excited about doing business, Thomas said, We are, too.

.
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From:
To:
Subject:
Date:
Attachments:
The Homeland Security News Briefing for Thursday, April 23, 2015
dhsclips150423.doc

DATE: THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015 5:00 AM EDT

LEADING DHS NEWS:
+ House Approves Cybersecurity Legislation.
+ Continuing Coverage Of Secretarys Appearance At RSA Conference.
+ Deputy Secretary Participates In Homeland Security Academic Advisory Council Meeting.
+ Smuggled Artifacts Returned To Egyptian Officials.
+ Karnes Detainee Discusses Hunger Strike.
+ Officials Say Far Fewer Central American Migrants Expected This Year.
+ Mobile Passport Control Available At Chicago Airport.
+ Airline Passenger Entertainment Network Security Discussed.
+ Severe Weather Forecast Across South, Midwest.
+ New Jersey Homes Evacuated Over Landslide Danger.
+ USGS Researchers Say Earthquakes Threaten 140 Million Americans.
+ Napa Seeks FEMA Funding For Earthquake Repair.
+ Putnam County Approves Cleanup Funds.
+ Florida Emergency Chief Calls For Flexibility In Emergency Warning Systems.
+ Small Business Owners Say H-1B Quota Hurting Them.
+ Atlanta Mayor To Announce Immigrant Integration Partnership With Administration.
+ Brooks Criticizes Rubios Immigration Record.
+ Arpaio Testifies At Contempt Hearing.
+ Sessions Wants Floor Debate On Lynch Nomination Before Vote.
+ Tievsky: DC Council Should Not Make E-Verify Mandatory.
US COAST GUARD:
+ Coast Guard Museum Association To Launch National Fund-Raising Campaign.
+ Grounded Freighter Refloated On St Lawrence Seaway.
+ Simulated Sinking Exercise To Be Held On Mississippi River.
SECRET SERVICE:
+ House Oversight Lawmakers Discuss Gyrocopter Incident After Classified Briefing.
+ Streets Near White House Closed Due To Suspicious Package.
+ OIG: Broken Alarm System At Former Presidents Home Not Replaced For Over A Year.
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+ Study Provides First Evidence New Ebola Drug Works.
+ Sierra Leone Searching For People Who Fled Quarantine.
+ CDC, USDA: Potential Bird Flu Vaccine Under Investigation.
DIRECTORATE FOR MANAGEMENT:
+ GAO: DHS Making Progress, But Still A Long Way To Go On Acquisition Reform.
+ 2016 Appropriations Discussed.
+ Defense Shows Tsarnaev Acting Like Restless, Immature Teenager.
+ Capitol Police Investigating Powdery Substance Found In Doyles Office.
+ Ellison: Terror Recruits Not Be Found In Normal Social Institutions.
+ French Authorities Arrest Student On Suspicion Of Planning Terror Attack.
+ WPost A1: Pentagon Racing To Move Gitmo Detainees.
OTHER CYBER NEWS:
+ Carter To Unveil Pentagon Cyberstrategy On Thursday.
+ Collegiate Cyber Exercise To Be Held This Weekend.
+ IC3: Public Officials At Risk Of Cyberattack.
+ Role Of Sibling Ties In Terrorist Recruitment Discussed.
+ Taliban Seeks To Rival ISILs Brutality With Attacks Targeting Hazaras.
+ Dempsey Apologizes To Mother Of Fallen SEAL For Comments About Ramadi.
+ Carter: Europes Military Spending Too Low.
+ Russia Sending More Air Defense Systems Into Ukraine.
+ Carter Expresses Concern About Suspected Arms Shipments From Iran To Houthis.
+ Iran Talks Resume In Vienna.
+ NYTimes Analysis: Differences And Distrust Remain Between Obama, Netanyahu.
+ Holbrooke Criticized White House In Secret Audio Diary.
+ Ethiopians Protest ISILs Killing Of Christians.
+ Nigeria Storms Last-Known Boko Haram Stronghold.
+ China: North Korea Could Have 20 Nuclear Warheads.
+ Abe, Xi Discuss Goal Of Improving Relations.
+ Radioactive Drone Lands On Japans PM Office.
+ USA Today Analysis: Mood In Cuba Shifts From Optimism To Impatience.
+ Politico Analysis: Greece Could Set Off Next Big Financial Meltdown.
+ Senate Republicans Seek To Fully Preserve NSA Surveillance Powers Under Patriot Act.
+ Jeb Bush: Best Part Of Obama Administration Is Continuation Of NSAs Metadata Program.
+ Senate Republicans Move To Preserve NSA Phone Surveillance Program Intact.
+ Privacy Advocates: Too Much Information About NSA Surveillance Remains Secret.
+ Amid Growing Protests In Baltimore, Police Union Weighs-In On Suspects Death In Custody.
Leading DHS News:

HOUSE APPROVES CYBERSECURITY LEGISLATION. The House has passed a measure to make it
easier for companies to share information about computer security threats without facing lawsuits.
Reuters (4/23, Zengerle) reports that the measure passed 307-116 with strong bipartisan support, adding
that the Administration has expressed some concern about the bill but supported its passage, saying the
remaining problems could be fixed before final passage. The Wall Street Journal (4/23, Paletta,
Subscription Publication, 5.68M) also notes the Administrations concerns with the bill, including a
change it wants to make to the current version of the bill that would limit legal liability from shareholder
lawsuits if a company doesnt take sufficient steps to protect consumer data.
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The New York Times (4/23, Steinhauer, Weisman, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) says the measure,
which came after years of false starts and bitter disappointment for the Obama administration, is similar
to a measure approved by the Senate Intelligence Committee and headed for that chambers floor this
spring, adding that if the House and Senate agree on final legislation, it would be the federal
governments most aggressive response yet to a spate of computer attacks.
Recalling several recent high-profile cyberattacks, such as the breaches at Target, JPMorgan Chase,
Home Depot and Sony Pictures Entertainment, the Washington Post (4/23, Nakashima, 5.03M) reports
that House aides said they felt confident that legislation would be passed this year, not only because of
greater awareness of cybersecurity brought by those intrusions, but also because they had worked, they
said, to address privacy concerns raised in the past. Echoing those concerns about privacy, the AP
(4/23, Dilanian) reports, House Intelligence Committee chairman Devin Nunes and the bills chief
sponsor said, This bill does not provide the government with any new surveillance authorities, adding,
To the contrary, it includes robust privacy protections.
But Greg Nojeim, senior counsel at the Center for Democracy & Technology, said the bill could allow the
government to create a vast database which could be used for unrelated criminal investigations, AFP
(4/23) reports. Said Nojeim, That makes the bill look as much as a surveillance bill as a cybersecurity
bill. He also said that provisions that appear to shield companies which seek to hack back after a
cyberattack create insecurity.
USA Today (4/23, Kelly, 5.01M) reports that the House will take up a separate, similar bill on Thursday
that was approved unanimously last week by the House Homeland Security Committee, with an eye on
merging the two measures and taking them into conference with the Senate to craft compromise
legislation. USA Today adds that while both the House and Senate bills offer liability protection to
companies to shield them from lawsuits that could arise from the sharing of business records with the
government and with one another. A key difference is that while the Senate bill requires any
information shared by private companies to first go through the Department of Homeland Security, the
House measure would allow companies to share their cyber-threat information with any civilian agency.
Bloomberg News (4/22, Strohm, 3.81M) reports that while privacy groups still have concerns with both
House cybersecurity bills, a coalition of 39 industry trade groups representing almost every sector of the
US economy sent a letter to lawmakers on Tuesday supporting both House bills. The letter, which was
signed by the US Chamber of Commerce, American Petroleum Institute and the Telecommunications
Industry Association, said that the bill gives businesses legal certainty that they have safe harbor
against frivolous lawsuits when voluntarily sharing and receiving threat indicators and defensive
measures in real time and taking actions to mitigate cyber-attacks. A similar letter sent to lawmakers by
36 privacy organizations and 19 security researchers, including the ACLU, said that there is potential for
government overreach given revelations about surveillance programs by Edward Snowden.
Congressional Quarterly (4/23, Subscription Publication, 967) says the passage of HR 1560 makes
evident a change in approach on cybersecurity legislation.
CONTINUING COVERAGE OF SECRETARYS APPEARANCE AT RSA CONFERENCE. The
Washington Post (4/22, Hicks, 5.03M) Federal Eye blog continues coverage of DHSs plans to open an
office in Californias Silicon Valley to recruit talent from the technology sector and build relationships with
the industry, as announced at the RSA conference by Secretary Johnson. Johnsons remarks at the
conference also encompassed the Administrations growing opposition to highly advanced encryption
methods that prevent both hackers and law-enforcement from accessing private records, which has
caused privacy advocates to bristle. Johnson is quoted saying, our inability to access encrypted
information poses public safety challenges, adding, in fact, encryption is making it harder for your
government to find criminal activity, and potential terrorist activity. Johnson nonetheless urged tech
experts to take up government service and help strike a balance between the basic, physical security of
the American people and the liberties and freedoms we cherish as Americans.
The New York Times (4/22, 12.24M) Bits blog discusses the Secretarys appearance in a broader report
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on the state of the tech industry. The Times cites Johnson saying the goal of a DHS satellite office in
Silicon Valley is threat sharing. Johnson is also cited saying that it was time companies started sharing
threat data with the government and vice versa; Johnson is quoted saying, government doesnt have all
the answers and we definitely dont have all the talent, adding, it has to be a partnership.
The Hill (4/22, Bennett, 469K) quotes Johnson: I understand the importance of what encryption brings to
privacy. But, imagine the problems if, well after the advent of the telephone, the warrant authority of the
government to investigate crime had extended only to the U.S. mail.
The International Business Times (4/23, 774K) reports that Johnson also announced that Homeland
Security is nearing a decision on a replacement for Larry Zelvin as National Cybersecurity and
Communications Integration Center director Larry Zelvin; Johnson didnt specify who is under
consideration.
The AP (4/23, Bailey) provides an overview of cyber threats discussed at the conference.
DEPUTY SECRETARY PARTICIPATES IN HOMELAND SECURITY ACADEMIC ADVISORY
COUNCIL MEETING. The Homeland Security Today (4/23) reports that Deputy Secretary Mayorkas
participated in a meeting of the Homeland Security Academic Advisory Council in order to highlight
DHSs commitment to working with the academic community on a wide range of homeland securityrelated issues. Mayorkas is quoted saying, in the three years since its establishment, the Homeland
Security Academic Advisory Council has made invaluable contributions to the Department, and adding
that, the council is a key asset to the department and our efforts to engage with colleges and universities
around the country.

SMUGGLED ARTIFACTS RETURNED TO EGYPTIAN OFFICIALS. The AP (4/23) reports that US
officials have returned dozens of illegally smuggled artifacts to Egyptian officials, including a GrecoRoman style Egyptian sarcophagus, at the National Geographic Society in Washington, DC. ICE is cited
saying its investigation has identified a criminal network that smuggled and imported more than 7,000
artifacts from around the world. The investigation has resulted in four indictments, two convictions and
16 seizures totaling about $3 million.
National Geographic (4/23, 32.75M) reports that HSIs investigation is the first in the U.S. to identify a
complex network of artifact smugglers, importers, dealers, and collectors. The majority of investigated
artifact trafficking cases involve objects from the Middle East, where wars and general unrest have
fueled the chaos that enables looters and smugglers to plunder an increasing number of documented
and undocumented archaeological sites. ICE Director Sarah Saldaa was among the officials present at
the repatriation ceremony. Egyptian ambassador to the U.S. Mohamed Tawfik thanked those involved in
the investigation, as their tireless work, while often unseen, is nothing short of vital for the preservation
of ancient cultures around the world.
The International Business Times (4/23, 774K) reports that when HSI special agent Brenton Easter
uncovered the sarcophagus on Sept. 8, 2009, after months of investigation, it had been slapped with a
few false shipping labels. The sarcophagus was one part of a $2.5 million collection of items recovered
as part of Operation Mummys Curse. The investigation is part of a new kind of campaign to dismantle
the global antiquities-trading networks that inadvertently help fund terrorist organizations. Easter is
quoted saying, the target now, the goal, is to dismantle the entire transnational criminal organization. So
were trying to take out the whole network.
Xinhua (CHN) (4/23, 12K) quotes Saldaa: preserving mankinds cultural heritage is an increasingly
difficult challenge in todays society. To think that some of these treasured artifacts were recovered from
garages, exposed to the elements, is unimaginable.
The China Daily (4/23, 18K) also reports this story.
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KARNES DETAINEE DISCUSSES HUNGER STRIKE. The Los Angeles Times (4/23, Hennessy-Fiske,
4.03M) discusses the detention of Central American families at the Karnes County Residential Center.
Delmy Cruz of Los Angeles, who participated in a hunger strike to demand better conditions at the
facility, says in an interview that she recently returned to Honduras to retrieve her son, who was being
recruited in a gang. Cruz describes her journey to the US and surrender to the Border Patrol, at which
point she was placed in a hielera for two days and from there I was sent to Karnes. Cruz describes
conditions at Karnes as horrible...especially for the kids, theyre just suffering in here, and says her son
was traumatized in Honduras by what happened to him. But now hes locked up and more traumatized.
Cruz decided to do a hunger strike because of the injustices that are happening to kids inside. Cruz
adds, we came here looking for help and instead theyre just detaining us.

OFFICIALS SAY FAR FEWER CENTRAL AMERICAN MIGRANTS EXPECTED THIS YEAR. The AP
(4/23, Galvan) cites top officials saying that far fewer migrant children and families are expected this
year compared to last years influx. ICE deputy director Daniel Ragsdale is quoted saying at the Border
Security Expo in Phoenix, Im happy to say all the work weve done last year is bearing fruit. Border
Patrol deputy chief Ronald D. Vitiello is quoted saying, This year is far better off than last year. A
Migration Policy Institute study found that increased enforcement by the governments of the U.S.,
Mexico and some Central American countries has slowed the influx. Immigrant advocates criticize the
governments response, arguing that most of the children were fleeing extreme violence and threats and
should have been granted asylum.
Politico (4/22, Samuelsohn, 1.11M) quotes Border Patrol chief Michael Fisher telling the Senate
Homeland Security committee that Im confident at this point based on where we are halfway through
this year that we will not see the level of unaccompanied childrenthat we saw last year. Immigration
experts are cited saying the decline had little to do with improving conditions in the Central American
countries, but rather with tougher Mexican and US enforcement. Sen. John McCain, whose question
prompted Fishers projections, is cited saying he would continue to advocate changing the 2008 TVPRA,
as its now been distorted to the point where we have a flood of children on our border that is to a huge
extent expensed to the taxpayer and a violation of our territorial sovereignty.
The Arizona Republic (4/23, 1.27M) says another wave of migrants has started, with migrants once
again fleeing in large numbers from Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala before it gets too hot.
Juan Sheenan, the representative for Catholic Relief Services in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, is quoted
saying, from Honduras, the numbers are bigger than last year...we are still seeing the same amount of
kids and families being returned to Honduras as last year. However, not nearly as many are reaching
the U.S. border because far more are being caught in Mexico and sent back to their home countries.
The Republic says that apprehensions of unaccompanied children and families are down 45 percent and
30 percent, respectively, so far this year. The numbers of Central Americans turning themselves in at
the U.S. border though still significant is not expected to be nearly as large as last year.
MOBILE PASSPORT CONTROL AVAILABLE AT CHICAGO AIRPORT. The Chicago Tribune (4/22,
Karp, 2.74M) reports that US and Canadian passengers traveling to Chicagos OHare International
Airport can now submit customs forms through a mobile device through the Mobile Passport Control
program. OHare is the fourth airport in the US to offer Mobile Passport Control service.

AIRLINE PASSENGER ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK SECURITY DISCUSSED. Fox News (4/22,
9.4M) reports that a GAO report stated that security issues with passenger Wi-Fi and In-flight
Entertainment networks (IFE) on several models of aircraft could allow hackers to access critical avionics
systems and hijack the flight controls. The FBI and TSA were thus prompted to advise airlines to look
out for evidence of tampering or network intrusions. Fox News says airline security researcher Chris
Roberts jokingly tweeted about tampering with aircraft equipment, leading to his being detained and
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banned from all United flights; the incident underscores the growing concern in the aviation industry
over how hackers can commandeer a plane.
The International Business Times (4/23, 774K) cites the FBI/TSA notification stressing that neither
agency possesses information indicating that a hacker plans to take control of a planes navigation
system, though they are seriously investigating warnings from Chris Roberts. Roberts tweet came
less than two months after the GAO blasted the lax cybersecurity measures that the Federal Aviation
Administration relies on.

SEVERE WEATHER FORECAST ACROSS SOUTH, MIDWEST. NBC Nightly News (4/22, lead story,
1:45, Holt, 7.86M) reported in its lead story about the threat of dangerous weather, strong storms and
the potential for tornadoes popping up across the United States from Texas to Connecticut in what is
looking like a several-day outbreak. NBCs Al Roker said there was a tornado watch and tornado
warning, respectively, for northern Texas and Amarillo, as well as the risk of strong storms from
Lubbock, Houston, Austin, but we also have an enhanced risk, including Dallas, with 22 million people
under weather advisory. The report added that the storm will move east on Thursday, and also noted the
risk of severe storms in the Midwest on Friday.
ABC World News (4/22, story 3, 1:05, Muir, 5.84M) reported on damaging winds across the northeast,
with winds in Philadelphia gusting up to 70 miles per hour. ABC News also noted the risk of tornadoes in
the Texas Panhandle, with systems moving into the Southeast on Thursday carrying large hail, strong
winds, and, potentially, a brief tornado.
NEW JERSEY HOMES EVACUATED OVER LANDSLIDE DANGER. NBC Nightly News (4/22, story 10,
0:20, Holt, 7.86M) reported on an evacuation order given to a community in Florence Township, New
Jersey on Wednesday. According to the report, the order to evacuate was spurred by worries that hillside
homes will slide into the Delaware River below, after heavy rainfall led to a landslide.
USGS RESEARCHERS SAY EARTHQUAKES THREATEN 140 MILLION AMERICANS. The AP (4/22,
Chang) reports that more than 143 million people in the Lower 48 states now live on shaky ground,
earthquake scientists say. According to USGS researchers, thats because more people have moved
into the quake-prone West Coast and some quake zones were recently expanded. The latest figures by
the USGS, Federal Emergency Management Agency and California Geological Survey were reported
Wednesday at a Seismological Society of America meeting in Pasadena.
In its coverage, Reuters (4/22, Caspani) adds that the joint report by the agencies estimated that up to 28
million people could experience strong earthquakes at some point in their lives, and the long-term
estimated value of building damages from earthquakes is $4.5 billion.
The Los Angeles Times (4/22, Lin, 4.03M) notes that the new figure is a sharp jump from FEMAs 1994
estimate that just 75 million Americans in 39 states were at risk from earthquakes.
NAPA SEEKS FEMA FUNDING FOR EARTHQUAKE REPAIR. The Napa Valley (CA) Register (4/23,
Yune, 45K) reports officials in Napa, CA have outlined a $12 million cost for both completed and
planned repairs following an earthquake eight months ago. According to the Register, the estimates are
for 35 projects, the largest of which is a $6.4 million project for utility repairs. City officials hope FEMA will
reimburse 75% of the related costs, the article notes, and will appeal for extra funding to replace rather
than repair pipes at 17 sites.
PUTNAM COUNTY APPROVES CLEANUP FUNDS. The Cookeville (TN) Herald-Citizen (4/23, Stovall,
31K) reports that the Putnam County Commission has approved the release of $1.35 million in county
funds to clean up debris from ice storms in February, of which the majority will be reimbursed by FEMA.
The article notes that the funding will be provided to Texas-based contractor TFR Enterprises, as well as
to a company which monitors cleanup and reimbursement to notify FEMA.
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FLORIDA EMERGENCY CHIEF CALLS FOR FLEXIBILITY IN EMERGENCY WARNING SYSTEMS.

McClatchy (4/22, Ohl, Subscription Publication, 32K) reports on comments by Don Hermey, emergency
management director for Manatee County, FL before Congress on Wednesday, in which he told
lawmakers that weather forecasters should take advantage of all available technology to more efficiently
warn people of dangerous storms. Comparing youth interest in social media and older citizens reliance
on TV and radio, Hermey told the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, Weve
got to figure out how to best accommodate all those needs out there, so flexibility and the funding to
support that flexibility is critically important.

SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS SAY H-1B QUOTA HURTING THEM. The AP (4/23, Rosenberg) reports
that some small business owners say H-1B quotas are keeping them from finding the highly skilled help
they need. Thousands of such business owners are waiting to see if their job candidates are among the
85,000 who get H-1B visas this year. According to Babson College professor Phillip Kim, small
businesses in particular struggle to find skilled workers because many talented people are recruited by
big companies or start their own. A 2011 GAO report is cited saying large companies get a
disproportionate share of visas.
ATLANTA MAYOR TO ANNOUNCE IMMIGRANT INTEGRATION PARTNERSHIP WITH
ADMINISTRATION. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (4/23, 985K) reports that Atlanta Mayor Kasim
Reed is preparing to announce a new partnership with the Obama administration on efforts to integrate
immigrants in the local community on Thursday. Reed has been vocal in his support for the Presidents
immigration policy, and is part of a large group of mayors, county officials and others representing 73
municipalities across the country that has filed court papers in support of the presidents actions.
BROOKS CRITICIZES RUBIOS IMMIGRATION RECORD. The Washington Times (4/22, Sherfinski,
641K) discusses comments by US Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL) on a Washington Times radio show that
Republicans like Marco Rubio in the United States Senate...led the effort to open the floodgates of
immigration through the Senates comprehensive bill of 2013. Brooks added, and he wasnt alone, if my
memory serves me correctly. The Times says many conservatives have been upset with Mr. Rubios
handling of the issue; Brooks is quoted saying the Republican Party must make sure that we elect
Republicans who believe in border security and understand that this huge influx of both illegal alien
labor coupled with lawful immigration is doing great damage to American families who are having a hard
time finding jobs. Brooks also expressed displeasure with Congressional Republican leadership, who
decided that in order to placate the United States Chamber of Commerce, theyre going to let the states
do our job.
ARPAIO TESTIFIES AT CONTEMPT HEARING. The AP (4/22, Jacques Billeaud) reports that Maricopa
County Sheriff Joe Arpaio has completed his first day of testimony in a hearing to decide whether he
should be held in contempt of court for violating orders to stop his immigration patrols. Arpaio testified
for about an hour, and is expected to testify again Thursday. The AP says the normally defiant and
tough-talking Arpaio was more mild-mannered and meek than usual, and frequently said I dont recall
in response to questions.
The Arizona Republic (4/22, 1.27M) reports that the second day in the hearing began with a wrench
thrown at the defense table as one of the sheriffs lead attorneys, Tom Liddy, partially removed himself
from the case. Liddy is employed by Maricopa County and said he was concerned there could be a
conflict of interest between the county and the Sheriffs Office. Furthermore, retired deputy chief Brian
Sands, another defendant in the case, said it was not his duty to implement training that would have
reflected a courts order, claiming that it was typically his subordinates responsibility to implement
training materials, and that he didnt know why the training module was never completed.
SESSIONS WANTS FLOOR DEBATE ON LYNCH NOMINATION BEFORE VOTE. Congressional
Quarterly (4/23, Subscription Publication, 967) reports that Sen. Jeff Sessions, one of the most
outspoken critics of Loretta Lynchs nomination for attorney general due to her support for the
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Presidents executive actions, said he is not inclined to force the Senate to go through the full, timeconsuming cloture procedure before a final confirmation vote, but he would like to discuss the issue on
the floor before a vote. If other Republicans agree, that would move up the timetable on Lynchs
confirmation, possibly to this week. Sessions is quoted saying, its nothing against [Lynch] personally,
but its the presidents agenda. Congress needs to defend its powers, its own legitimate powers...and we
shouldnt be taking action that advances the presidents unlawful action.
TIEVSKY: DC COUNCIL SHOULD NOT MAKE E-VERIFY MANDATORY. Charles A. Tievsky, chair of
the Washington D.C. Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, writes in The Hill (4/23,
Tievsky, 469K) Congress Blog that an opinion piece by Center for Immigration Studies policy analyst
Jon Feere suggesting that the DC Council mandate the use of E-Verify by employers demonstrates
again that misinformation and a desire for a quick fix leads to bad policy choices. Tievsky says E-Verify
is no panacea, and would cause more ills than it would cure. Tievsky says that E-Verify places the
burden entirely on the employee to fix erroneous information, which Tievsky says is often a
government record problem on the part of DHS and the Social Security Administration, who are not
necessarily known for their swift responses or sterling customer service. Tievsky also mentions the very
real and potentially substantial staff training and administrative costs and far-reaching regulatory
compliance commitments the mandate would impose on employers.
US Coast Guard:
COAST GUARD MUSEUM ASSOCIATION TO LAUNCH NATIONAL FUND-RAISING CAMPAIGN. The
Washington Post (4/22, Lamothe, 5.03M) reports that the Coast Guard Museum Association will launch
its first national fund-raising campaign in Washington on April 29 for the national Coast Guard museum.
The goal is to open the museum by 2018; museum association officials say they have about $25
million, and need $100 million. Former commandant and retired Adm. Robert J. Papp Jr. is quoted
saying, its going to be tight, but we have an awful lot of enthusiastic people who are going to be working
on this. The museum will highlight Coast Guard heroes such as Signalman 1st Class Douglas Monro,
the only member of the service to ever earn the Medal of Honor, as well as events such as the
Hurricane Katrina rescue effort.
GROUNDED FREIGHTER REFLOATED ON ST LAWRENCE SEAWAY. The AP (4/23) reports that the
Coast Guard indicated that a salvage crew has refloated a freighter which ran aground under the
Thousands Islands Bridge on the St. Lawrence Seaway. The bulk carrier Juno was refloated
Wednesday morning; the vessel was carrying a load of sugar to Toronto when it lost steering and
grounded; no injuries were reported.
SIMULATED SINKING EXERCISE TO BE HELD ON MISSISSIPPI RIVER. The AP (4/23) reports that
the Coast Guard has announced that Federal, state and local agencies will participate in a training
exercise simulating the sinking of a large passenger vessel on the Mississippi River near Memphis. The
exercise will involve about 450 people, 10 response boats and a helicopter searching for and recovering
300 mannequins.
Secret Service:
HOUSE OVERSIGHT LAWMAKERS DISCUSS GYROCOPTER INCIDENT AFTER CLASSIFIED
BRIEFING. Politico (4/23, 1.11M) reports that House Oversight chairman Jason Chaffetz said multiple
errors were committed in responding to the gyrocopter incident and he wants more answers from
security and law enforcement officials, particularly from the FAA and North American Aerospace
Defense Command. Chaffetzs comments came after a classified briefing for himself and ranking
Democrat Elijah Cummings by Secret Service Director Joseph Clancy and US Capitol Police Chief Kim
Dine. Legislators were sharply critical of the U.S. Capitol Police and the Secret Service for failing to
notify them of the incident, which shut down a portion of the Capitol complex. However, Chaffetz said
judgement calls were made not to shoot down the gyrocopter, though Chaffetz is convinced that
federal agencies had the ability to do so. The Oversight Committee has reportedly scheduled a hearing
for next Wednesday to hear from all six agencies involved with the security incident.
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The AP (4/23) reports that top security agencies feared harming tourists on the National Mall if they tried
to shoot Doug Hughes down, according to lawmakers. Chaffetz said a lack of communication and some
human error by Capitol Police and others enabled Hughes to fly through restricted airspace for 30 miles.
The AP says the FAA, NORAD, and the US Park Police did not attend this Wednesdays briefing, irking
lawmakers. Secretary Johnson is quoted saying last week that we are a democracy. We dont have
fences around our airspace, so weve got to find the right balance between living in a free and open
society, and security and the protection of federal buildings.
STREETS NEAR WHITE HOUSE CLOSED DUE TO SUSPICIOUS PACKAGE. Reuters (4/22) reports
that a suspicious package led to the temporary closure of streets near the White House, but the area
has since been cleared. Agency spokeswoman Nicole Mainor is cited saying the package was cleared
at 1:20 p.m., and there were no reports of other problems.
OIG: BROKEN ALARM SYSTEM AT FORMER PRESIDENTS HOME NOT REPLACED FOR OVER A
YEAR. The Washington Post (4/23, Leonnig, 5.03M) reports that according to a DHS inspector generals
report scheduled for release Thursday, the Secret Service took more than a year to replace a broken
alarm system at former president George H.W. Bushs home in Houston. The delay raised concerns
within the Secret Service about the safety of the Bush family and the residence. In 2010, an agency
expert warned that the system was aging and likely to fail, but Secret Service officials rejected his
request to replace it. The system stopped working in September 2013 and was not replaced for at least
13 months. Secret Service spokesman Brian Leary is quoted saying the agency has already taken
steps to fully address the reports recommendations. An anonymous DHS official is cited saying Director
Clancy has discovered significant problems in agency technology; the official adds that Clancy and
Secretary Johnson have made White House and protected residence upgrades a top priority.

STUDY PROVIDES FIRST EVIDENCE NEW EBOLA DRUG WORKS. The New York Times (4/23,
Grady, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) reports a study in monkeys offers the first evidence that the
new drug TKM-Ebola-Makona works against the strain causing the current outbreak in West Africa. Six
monkeys received the drug three days after being infected with a very high dose of the virus. The
monkeys that got the drug survived, but all three untreated monkeys died.
SIERRA LEONE SEARCHING FOR PEOPLE WHO FLED QUARANTINE. AFP (4/23) reports seven
people fled a slum in Sierra Leone that was placed under quarantine. Authorities are hunting the
individuals who left the Moa Wharf township after a family member who tested positive for the virus
died.
CDC, USDA: POTENTIAL BIRD FLU VACCINE UNDER INVESTIGATION. USA Today (4/23, Madhani,
5.01M) reports that although the risk to humans from the current avian flu crisis remains low, a senior
Center for Disease Control official said yesterday that the agency is preparing for the possibility of
infection in humans just in case. The CDC is closely studying the virus and researching a potential
vaccine, which could be used for humans if needed. Meanwhile, the USDA said Wednesday that it is
working on a potential vaccine that could be used to inoculate poultry from H5N2.
The AP (4/23, Karnowski) reports that Dr. Alicia Fry, an influenza expert at the CDC, noted that it is
standard CDC protocol to create a human vaccine for all new flu viruses. The genetic markers of the
H5N2 virus dont seem to be associated with transmissibility to humans, Fry said. Regardless, the CDC
is preparing a seed strain, essentially a pure sample of the right viruses that could be the foundation for
a vaccine.
Reuters (4/23, Steenhuysen, Davis) reports that the primary concern is that the H5N2 virus will mutate
and gain the ability to infect humans. Dr. Fry said, At this point we dont know very much about these
viruses, as they have only recently been identified.
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USA Today (4/22, Doering, 5.01M) reports that warmer temperatures should help arrest the avian
influenza virus spreading through U.S. poultry operations, but it could flare up again this fall, government
officials warned Wednesday. The virus thrives in cool weather and longer days with more ultraviolet
light from the sun also will help to kill the virus.
Also covering this story are the AP (4/23, Karnowski), Reuters (4/22, Polansek, Huffstutter), CNN (4/22,
Christensen, 3.17M), Bloomberg News (4/22, Ruitenberg, 3.81M), Bloomberg News (4/23, Durisin,
3.81M), HealthDay (4/23, Reinberg, 16K), and Minneapolis Star Tribune (4/23, Hughlett, Olson, 1.29M).
Directorate For Management:

GAO: DHS MAKING PROGRESS, BUT STILL A LONG WAY TO GO ON ACQUISITION REFORM.
Federal News Radio (4/22, O'Connell, 11K) reports that according to a new GAO report, DHS is making
progress on acquisition reform, but it still has a long way to go. Of 22 DHS programs reviewed, 14
encountered schedule slips and seven also saw cost growth by an estimated $9.7 billion, while only
two were likely to meet initial schedule and cost parameters in DHS current acquisition policy. Six
programs could not be evaluated because DHS leadership failed to approve baseline schedules or cost
estimates as required by DHS policy. The report is quoted recognizing the leaderships steps taken to
address these issues, but it will likely take years to fully resolve the challenges. DHS acting deputy
under secretary for management Chip Fulghum is quoted telling the House Homeland Security Oversight
subcommittee, as GAO recognized, we have already taken significant steps to improve acquisition
management, such as dedicating additional resources to acquisition oversight and documenting major
acquisition decisions in a more transparent and consistent manner.
2016 APPROPRIATIONS DISCUSSED. Congressional Quarterly (4/23, Subscription Publication, 967)
reports that immigration enforcement will continue to be the main point of contention over the fiscal 2016
bill, as Republicans remain eager to keep fighting the executive actions. However, it is too soon to tell
whether Republicans efforts will once more push DHS to the brink of a shutdown, but the GOP will
express its disapproval in some way. While appropriators may try to encourage state and local
governments to detain undocumented immigrants convicted of felonies while they await deportation,
Secretary Johnson is cited saying that any kind of mandate could run into constitutional problems.
Appropriators may also craft their legislation in response to alleged Secret Service misconduct and
security lapses, hinting that they intend to take action to correct its culture. Other than immigration and
the Secret Service, lawmakers said they were generally satisfied with the administrations $41.2 billion
request.
Another Congressional Quarterly (4/23, Subscription Publication, 967) reports that the House
Appropriations committee voted to adopt 302(b) allocations for subcommittees that would freeze funding
levels for most federal programs while providing targeted increases for certain measures. All
Democrats on the committee opposed the allocations, which they said would be inadequate because
they would lock in sequestration spending levels. The blueprint would cut money for the Department
of Homeland Security by nearly $400 million from the level approved in the fiscal 2015 wrap-up measure
enacted in March.
DEFENSE SHOWS TSARNAEV ACTING LIKE RESTLESS, IMMATURE TEENAGER. The CBS
Evening News (4/22, story 5, 2:10, Pelley, 5.08M) reported the defense lawyers for Boston Marathon
bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev tried to explain a crude gesture that Tsarnaev made to a courthouse
camera and was shown to the jury by prosecutors. ABC World News (4/22, story 6, 1:50, Muir, 5.84M)
reported the defense showed a video of that same moment, meant to show Tsarnaev in a different light
as he was preening, staring right into the camera, flashing the V sign before that gesture. A restless,
immature teenager.
The New York Times (4/23, Seelye, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) says that defense attorneys tried
to blunt the shock value of the incendiary photo. Although the judge did not allow defense attorney
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Miriam Conrad to characterize the fleeting gestures...she clearly hoped the larger context would cast
some doubt on the prosecutions contention the day before that Mr. Tsarnaev had one more message to
send.
Describing the photo as a crucial piece of evidence in the trials penalty phase, the Los Angeles Times
(4/23, Serrano, 4.03M) reports that defense attorneys tried to downplay prosecution claims that their
client had shown anger and defiance at the US when he raised his middle finger at a surveillance
camera, and said he may instead have been upset or depressed over a conflict with a guard.
And, in an apparent attempt to press the argument that Tsarnaev was a kid who was led astray by his
big brother, the AP (4/23, Lavoie) reports, Conrad asked Assistant US Marshal Gary Oliveira, who was
in charge of operations at the prison the day the video was made, if he knew how old Tsarnaev was at
that time. When he said he didnt, Conrad asked, You dont know that he was 19 years old?
The Boston Globe (4/22, Wen, Valencia, 886K) reports that jurors openly wept Wednesday as they
listened to testimony about forever-changed family holidays, altered routines, and the ongoing mental
anguish endured by those who lost or nearly lost a loved one in the Boston Marathon bombing and
its aftermath. The Globe says that shattered families, in various stages of healing, were a central theme
of the prosecutions case Wednesday, as family members of the late MIT police officer Sean Collier and
bombing victim Lingzi Lu were among the witnesses to testify.
The Boston Herald (4/23, 709K) says Colliers family members brought jurors to tears while sharing the
pain his loss brought to the family. Colliers stepfather, Joe Rogers, testified that the murder left
Colliers mother, Kelly, with post-traumatic stress disorder and caused her to be bed-ridden for months.
Reuters (4/23) reports ballroom dancer Adrianne Haslet-Davis, who lost a leg in the bombing, also
testified Wednesday, breaking down in tears as she described the days events. She said she thought
she was dead because she couldnt hear herself scream after the bomb went off. She also testified that
her husband, who was also seriously wounded in the attack, has since bravely checked himself into a
mental hospital.
On NBC Nightly News (4/22, story 3, 2:10, Holt, 7.86M), Pete Williams reported, Prosecutors may rest
their case in the penalty phase tomorrow, and the defense will on Monday begin presenting what could
be two weeks of testimony delving into Dzhokhar Tsarnaevs background.
USA Today (4/22, MacDonald, 5.01M) also provides coverage of Wednesdays testimony.
CAPITOL POLICE INVESTIGATING POWDERY SUBSTANCE FOUND IN DOYLES OFFICE.
Politico (4/22, French, 1.11M) reported that a powdery substance found in the office of Rep, Mike Doyle
is under investigation by US Capitol police. According to public information officer Lt. Kimberly
Schneider, the Hazardous Incident Response Team responded to a report of a powdery substance in
the Cannon House Office Building on Wednesday. Schneider said, The immediate area is restricted
until the investigation is complete.
ELLISON: TERROR RECRUITS NOT BE FOUND IN NORMAL SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS. The
Minneapolis Star Tribune (4/23, Sherry, 1.29M) reports that Rep. Keith Ellison authorities need to be
even more resourceful and creative to get to the places outside normal social institutions, where the most
disaffected, depressed youth are skulking including online. In an interview with the Star-Tribune,
Ellison said, The people who get recruited are operating outside of the regular mosque structure, the
regular community center structure, adding that such young people are worrisome because of all the
efforts local law enforcement, the Obama administration, Minnesota imams and Ellison himself have
made to let kids know there are other options when they feel disenchanted. Ellison said, I dont know
how we talk to them. I dont know how we get through to them. ... People like me need to be
communicating a message that there is a good life to be lived.
FRENCH AUTHORITIES ARREST STUDENT ON SUSPICION OF PLANNING TERROR ATTACK.
Scott Pelley reported on the CBS Evening News (4/22, story 3, 1:35, Pelley, 5.08M) that according to
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French authorities, a terror plot failed when a suspect who planned to shoot up at least one church shot
himself instead. Elizabeth Palmer added that Sid Ahmed Ghlam phoned the Paris ambulance service
on Sunday claiming hed been shot by a robber, but French officials say he actually shot himself by
accident. On ABC World News (4/22, story 7, 1:55, Muir, 5.84M), Terry Moran said Ghlams plan was to
kill Christians in churches as they worshiped on Sunday morning. Lester Holt reported on NBC Nightly
News (4/22, story 8, 0:20, Holt, 7.86M) reported that the 24-year-old Algerian had also allegedly killed a
woman before accidentally shooting himself.
Greg Palkot reported on Fox News Special Report with Bret Baier (4/22, 1.53M) that French police say
they found an arsenal of weapons, ammunition, bulletproof guests and documents linked to ISIS and Al
Qaeda inside Ghlams home, and the New York Times (4/23, Breeden, Subscription Publication,
12.24M) reports that according to authorities, Ghlam had expressed the desire to leave for Syria and
had been flagged by police services as a security risk.
WPOST A1: PENTAGON RACING TO MOVE GITMO DETAINEES. The Washington Post (4/23, A1,
Ryan, Goldman, 5.03M) reports on its front page that the Pentagon is racing to move dozens of
detainees out of Guantanamo Bay...before lawmakers can block future transfers and derail President
Obamas plan to shutter the detention facility. A defense official said, I am aware of the clock ticking. Its
going to take high-level leadership, and its going to take some big asks to some countries. According to
the Post, the White House still faces the issue of what to do with detainees on trial in military
commissions or who are too dangerous to release.
Other Cyber News:

CARTER TO UNVEIL PENTAGON CYBERSTRATEGY ON THURSDAY. The Washington Post (4/23,
Nakashima, 5.03M) reports Defense Secretary Carter will unveil a Pentagon cyberstrategy Thursday
that stresses deterrence, private-sector partnerships and transparency. A senior official said the
unclassified version of the strategy will make sure people understand that were thinking very
consciously about deterrence and all the components of it.
The AP (4/23, Baldor) says the strategy lays out for the first time publicly that the U.S. military plans to
use cyberwarfare as an option in conflicts with enemies. The more open approach is in part due to the
Pentagons desire for more transparency in its cyber mission and in order to provide some deterrence
to advsersaries, officials say. Another first is a small section on U.S. concerns about continued
cyberespionage by China against U.S. companies and agencies; the section says the US will continue
to try to work with Beijing to foster greater mutual understanding and transparency to reduce the risks
of misperception and miscalculation.
Bloomberg News (4/23, Lynch, 3.81M) reports that Carter will make a pitch for a new collaboration with
Silicon Valley to gain access to the latest technology and talent as the U.S. seeks to prevent catastrophic
cyber-attacks. Carter will visit Silicon Valley Thursday, the first official visit in 20 years by a Pentagon
chief to the Northern California region. Carters call for closer ties is likely to meet resistance from hightech executives still fuming over the government spying disclosed by Edward Snowden.
The Los Angeles Times (4/23, Hennigan, 4.03M) says the visit underscores a long-delayed shift in
Pentagon priorities to recognizing cyberattacks as a major threat to US national security.
The Wall Street Journal (4/23, Cameron, Subscription Publication, 5.68M) reports that the Pentagon also
plans to open a Silicon Valley, as well as provide venture capital in order to access commercial
technology for more advanced intelligence and weapons systems. However, both the technology and
venture capital communities are resistant, as they are wary of becoming entangled in the DOD
bureaucracy and uncertain budget prospects. The Journal says hundreds of companies in various
industries already have Bay Area offices in order to increase access to new technologies; BMNT
Partners managing partner Peter Newell is quoted saying, the only folks that dont have that presence
are the government, adding, Im surprised its taken them so long to have this epiphany.
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Reuters (4/23) reports that Carter acknowledges that he will have to make clear to the tech sector that
they share common values in the wake of the Snowden disclosures. Carter is quoted saying, are there
suspicions? Are there issues that arose...obviously in the case of the Snowden case? No question about
it.
COLLEGIATE CYBER EXERCISE TO BE HELD THIS WEEKEND. A Rochester (NY) Democrat and
Chronicle article published in USA Today (4/22, Mandelaro, 5.01M) discusses a Rochester Institute of
Technology cybersecurity teams participation in the upcoming Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition
championships in San Antonio, Texas. The RIT team won in 2013 and finished in second place last year.
IC3: PUBLIC OFFICIALS AT RISK OF CYBERATTACK. The Hill (4/23, Viebeck, 469K) reports that an
FBI partnership is warning public officials of their increased risk of cyberattack when their personal
information is available on the Internet. The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) warned public and
law enforcement officials Tuesday to beware that criminals could use their viability to launch online
attacks. Hacking collectives may exploit publicly available information identifying officers or officials,
their employers, and their families, the alert stated. These target groups should protect their online
presence and exposure. The Hill notes that IC3 is a partnership of the FBI and the National White
Collar Crime Center, a congressionally funded non-profit corporation.

ROLE OF SIBLING TIES IN TERRORIST RECRUITMENT DISCUSSED. The AP (4/23, Forliti, Farhang)
discusses Adnan Abdihamid Farah and his brother Mohamed Abdihamid Farah, two of the six
Minnesota men of Somali descent charged this week with terrorism-related offenses, accused of
attempting to travel to Syria to join the Islamic State group. The Farahs family expressed shock to see
the men caught up in a terror investigation, though those who track such cases advise that its not
uncommon for sibling relationships to play a role in recruiting. Another of the six, Guled Ali Omar, is
reportedly the younger brother of Ahmed Ali Omar, a fugitive who joined al-Shabab in 2007. Ayan Farah
said she thinks her sons were set up, a reaction echoing some in the Somali community who
suggested the role of an FBI informant in the case was entrapment.

TALIBAN SEEKS TO RIVAL ISILS BRUTALITY WITH ATTACKS TARGETING HAZARAS. The New
York Times (4/23, Nordland, Sukhanyar, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) reports that in what some see
as a bid for attention, the Taliban has been kidnapping and beheading members of Afghanistans
Hazara ethnic group. The Times, which cites several recent examples of Hazaras being kidnapped and
killed, quotes Shahgul Rezaye, a Hazara member of Parliament, as saying, The Taliban are trying to
send out a new message that they are similar in their brutality to ISIS. ... Theyre trying to show they are
as bad as ISIS. According to the Times, the violence has galvanized the Hazaras, who have staged
daily protests in Kabul and blocked Parliament with demonstrators who stood and held empty bowls to
signify their unsuccessful effort to get the government to help.
DEMPSEY APOLOGIZES TO MOTHER OF FALLEN SEAL FOR COMMENTS ABOUT RAMADI. The
Washington Times (4/23, Chasmar, 641K) reports Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey issued
an apology to the mother who accused him of trivializing the fall of Ramadi, where her son became
the first Navy SEAL to die in the war. Debbie Lee penned an open letter to Dempsey, in which she said
he owed an apology to the families whose loved ones blood was shed in Ramadi, according to Fox
News. Dempsey apologized in the form of a letter on Monday, saying, I do apologize if Ive added to
your grief, adding that Lees son and so many others died fighting to provide a better future for Iraq.
Police, Residents Return To Ramadi As Iraqi Forces Make Gains. Reuters (4/23) reports Iraqi forces
pushed ISIL back from some locations in Ramadi as, according to the Washington Post (4/23, Morris,
5.03M), thousands of police officers and residents return to the city after fleeing ISILs offensive last
week. Iraqi Maj. Gen. Mohammed Khalaf Saeed, the head of Anbar Operations Command, said about
5,000 police officers, which make up almost the entire force, left their positions. Officials indicate the
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returning officers and additional reinforcements have led to an improvement of the security situation, but
it remains unsettled.
CARTER: EUROPES MILITARY SPENDING TOO LOW. Reuters (4/23, Alexander) reports Defense
Secretary Carter said Wednesday that Europe should increase defense spending to confront current
challenges. While addressing a group of students training as military officers, Carter said Europe is not
doing enough and the military spending is too low. Carter added that Europe has to have the military
power to be a capable ally of ours and we see that slipping.
RUSSIA SENDING MORE AIR DEFENSE SYSTEMS INTO UKRAINE. The New York Times (4/23,
Gordon, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) reports Russia has continued to deploy air defense systems
in eastern Ukraine and has built up its forces near the border, according to US officials on Wednesday.
The Times says the movement is a major concern because it has significantly reduced the amount of
warning...if Russian forces and separatists mount a joint offensive. Reuters (4/23, Wroughton) reports
State Department spokesman Marie Harf said, This is the highest amount of Russian air defense
equipment in eastern Ukraine since August.
CARTER EXPRESSES CONCERN ABOUT SUSPECTED ARMS SHIPMENTS FROM IRAN TO
HOUTHIS. The AP (4/23, Baldor) reports Defense Secretary Carter on Wednesday expressed concern
that Iranian ships heading toward Yemen may be carrying advanced weapons for Houthi rebels, but said
the decision to send a US aircraft carrier to the region gives the President options. In his first public
comments on the Iranian convoy, Carter told reporters...that he is not prepared to say whether the US
would be willing to forcibly stop and board one of the Iranian ships if it tries to cross into Yemen, but said
the US has options. Carter added that the US is now focused on trying to get the parties back to the
table. Carter, Reuters (4/23, Stewart) reports, also called on Iran to avoid fanning the flames in Yemen
by sending arms to the Houthis.
Carters comments came as CNNs Situation Room (4/22, 554K) reported that the Iranian convoy
head[ed] closer and closer to nine US warships off the coast of Yemen. Jim Sciutto reported that
among the Iranian convoy, its not just cargo ships, it also includes small Iranian warships. State
Department spokeswoman Marie Harf reiterated Wednesday that the US is not there to intercept Iranian
ships. ... The purpose of moving them is only to ensure the shipping lanes remain open and safe.
The Washington Post (4/22, Deyoung, Al-Mujahed, 5.03M), meanwhile, notes briefly in a report on the
situation in Yemen that Secretary of State Kerry is expected to meet next week in New York with
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
Also on Wednesday, Reuters (4/23, Lawder) reports House Speaker Boehner said he believes sending
US warships into waters off Yemen was the right thing to do. Meanwhile, The Hill (4/22, Wong, 469K)
reports Rep. Randy Forbes criticized the Administration on Wednesday for refusing to acknowledge it
deployed a US aircraft carrier to the Gulf of Aden in response to Irans support for Houthis rebels in
Yemen. In a statement, he said, Unfortunately, as has so often been the case, this White House
refuses to speak candidly with the world even about the deployment of an American aircraft carrier. Even
when it does the right thing, the Administration fails to communicate its intentions to the world.
According to Forbes, the Administration is refusing to acknowledge the deployment in response to Iran
in its desperation to get any nuclear deal.
Despite US Pressure, Saudis Continue Airstrikes In Yemen. Despite announcing plans to cease its
airstrikes in Yemen on Tuesday, Saudi Arabia on Wednesday continued to carry out strikes. None of the
networks covered the story last night, but reports this morning note that Riyadh has been under
increasing pressure from the Administration to halt the strikes over concerns about civilian casualties.
Bret Baier reported on Fox News Special Report (4/22, 1.53M) that despite an earlier pledge to end the
month-long campaign in Yemen, Saudi-led forces, with the aid of American intelligence, pounded Shiite
rebels throughout Yemen yesterday.
According to the Wall Street Journal (4/23, Almasmari, Fitch, Subscription Publication, 5.68M), US
officials have been pressing Saudi Arabia to halt the strikes. But Saudi Ambassador to the US Adel al-
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Jubeir said his country would continue to use force in response to Houthi aggression. Jubeir was shown
on CNNs Situation Room (4/22, 554K) saying, The Houthis should be under no illusion that we will
continue to use force to stop them from taking Yemen over by aggressive actions. The Ambassador, the
Washington Post (4/22, Deyoung, Al-Mujahed, 5.03M) reports, said, The decision to calm matters now
rests entirely with the Houthis and also called on Iran to be wise and not add to the problems.
The New York Times (4/22, Schmitt, Gordon, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) says Riyadhs
resumption of airstrikes just hours after it abruptly declared a halt...reflected the difficulty of finding a
political solution to the crisis, and also showed the challenges facing the Obama administration as it
increasingly relies on allies in the Middle East. While Jubeir did not mention the intensifying
international pressure, including from the Obama administration, to stop airstrikes, the Times reports
that an array of senior American officials have spoken with senior Saudi officials in recent days,
including Secretary of State Kerry and CIA Director Brennan. According to the Christian Science Monitor
(4/23, Luck, 460K), exiled Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi has also expressed concern to
Riyadh over the humanitarian cost of the aerial campaign and called for restraint.
The AP (4/23, Al-Haj, Rohan) reports Jubeir criticized the Houthis for talking about mediation while
persisting in attacks and expressed doubt they would adhere to any cease-fire or power-sharing deal
after violating dozens of previous agreements. According to Reuters (4/22, Mukhashef), a Yemeni
official said the parties are discussing a seven-point peace plan offered by Oman, but AFP (4/23,
Timberlake) reports Houthi leaders demanded a Saudi-led coalition completely end its attacks as a
condition for UN-sponsored talks.
US Drone Strikes Kill Six In Yemen. Jim Sciutto reported on CNNs Situation Room (4/22, 554K) that
the US continued to carry out drone strikes inside Yemen on Wednesday. Two strikes in the
southeastern part of the country killed six suspected militants. Despite the US pullout of special forces in
the country, US forces are still maintaining the ability to carry out counterterror operations.
Arab Military Leaders To Set Up Panel On Regional Force. AFP (4/22) reports military chiefs from
the Arab League agreed Wednesday to form a panel to examine all aspects of building a region-wide
military force aimed at combating jihadists. However, it was not immediately clear when the committee
will actually be formed.
IRAN TALKS RESUME IN VIENNA. The AP (4/23) reports talks resumed Wednesday in Vienna between
Iranian and Western negotiators. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and EU official Helga
Schmid met yesterday, and Undersecretary Wendy Sherman is expected to join in today. AFP (4/23,
Sturdee) reports Araghchi told the official IRNA news agency on Wednesday that he is seeking clear
and precise information on the details of when sanctions will be lifted under a possible deal. Reuters
(4/22, 11:56 a.m. ET, Nasralla) quotes him as saying, All the economic sanctions should be lifted on the
day that the deal is implemented.
Graham: Congress Should Reject Deal That Doesnt Require Inspections. USA Today (4/23, Troyan,
5.01M) reports Sen. Lindsey Graham urged Congress on Wednesday to reject any deal that doesnt
allow for inspections of the countrys military facilities. Said Graham, If there is a bipartisan group of
senators rejecting the deal, they need to start over and get a better deal. To reject the deal doesnt mean
thats the end of negotiations. It simply means, get a better deal.
NYTIMES ANALYSIS: DIFFERENCES AND DISTRUST REMAIN BETWEEN OBAMA,
NETANYAHU. The New York Times (4/23, Davis, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) reports that while
the Administration is working to publicly mend fences with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
and demonstrate its support for Israel, there are substantive policy differences, exacerbated by
longstanding distrust between President Obama and the Israeli leader. With a full-blown public
reconciliation unlikely for now, according to the Times, the Administration is engaged in an aggressive
effort to assuage the concerns of American Jewish groups and pro-Israel lawmakers.
HOLBROOKE CRITICIZED WHITE HOUSE IN SECRET AUDIO DIARY. The New York Times (4/23,
Rosenberg, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) reports Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, the former
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special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, record[ed] a secret audio diary, detailing his
frustrations with the White House. The tapes, featured in a documentary about Holbrooke, indicate the
diplomat believed the Administration considered the militarys opinion too much and placed too much
importance on domestic political concerns. In one statement, Holbrooke said, They dont have a deep
understanding of the issues themselves, but increasingly, theyre deluding themselves into thinking they
do.
ETHIOPIANS PROTEST ISILS KILLING OF CHRISTIANS. The Wall Street Journal (4/23, Press,
Subscription Publication, 5.68M) reports that over 100,000 Ethiopians protested ISILs killing of Ethiopian
Christians in Libya and the Ethiopian governments failure to raise living standards with poverty fueling
the flood of migrants through dangerous regions. The march turned violent when protesters clashed with
police who arrested at least 100 people.
The New York Times (4/23, Fortin, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) reports the threat of violence,
mistreatment, mass deportations or, as in Yemen, outbreaks of war, young Ethiopians are still desperate
to leave their country, where one-third its citizens live below the poverty line.
NIGERIA STORMS LAST-KNOWN BOKO HARAM STRONGHOLD. Reuters (4/23, Abdallah) reports
that Nigerian forces invaded the last-known Boko Haram stronghold in the Sambisa forest on
Wednesday, according to military sources. Intelligence officials had believed the forest is where the 200
girls abducted by the terrorist group were being held and used as human shields, but US drones have
failed to find them.
CHINA: NORTH KOREA COULD HAVE 20 NUCLEAR WARHEADS. In a front-page story, the Wall
Street Journal (4/23, A1, Page, Solomon, Subscription Publication, 5.68M) reports Chinese estimates
provided to US nuclear experts indicate North Korea might have 20 nuclear warheads and the ability to
double the size of its stockpile by next year. The Journal notes the figures represent a North Korean
capability to jeopardize the regional security of the US and allies.
New Deal With US Allows South Korea To Perform Nuclear Research. The Wall Street Journal (4/23,
Gale, Kwaak, Subscription Publication, 5.68M) reports the US and South Korea on Wednesday reached
a new nuclear energy cooperation agreement that permits Seoul to perform nuclear research. The
agreement does not allow South Korea to produce nuclear fuel, but discussions on that issue with regard
to energy use will continue. The New York Times (4/23, Choe, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) says
the new treaty, which is subject to review by Congress, leaves open the possibility that South Korea
could enrich uranium for civil nuclear energy in the future through consultations with the United States.
ABE, XI DISCUSS GOAL OF IMPROVING RELATIONS. Reuters (4/23, Sieg, Kapoor) reports
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping held discussions on Wednesday
while at a summit in Indonesia. Abe said the two leaders vowed to strive for improved relations and
promote mutually beneficial strategic ties in an effort to achieve regional stability.
The Wall Street Journal (4/23, Otto, Hayashi, Subscription Publication, 5.68M) reports Yasuhisa
Kawamura, the Japanese Foreign Ministry press secretary, said, Both sides took a keen interest in
improving relations. Kawamura indicated Abe drew attention to tensions in the East China Sea and
proposed a new emergency communication system between the countries.
WPost: China Must Realize Ideals And Words Cannot Be Jailed. The Washington Post (4/23,
5.03M) editorializes that Chinas rulers never seem to understand that it is impossible to bottl[e] up the
ideas that underlie freedom and democracy. The Post calls on China to release its political prisoners
and realiz[e]...that the strong nation they aspire to be must rest on a healthy and open society.
RADIOACTIVE DRONE LANDS ON JAPANS PM OFFICE. Wolf Blitzer reported on CNNs Situation
Room (4/22, 554K) that in Japan, a drone carrying radioactive material landed on the roof of the Prime
Ministers residence, where he and his staff members work. Authorities say that the 20-inch fourpropeller device was carrying a camera, four flares, and a bottle containing cesium. Will Ripley reported
that the incident comes on the same day a Japanese court ruled on the restarting of two nuclear
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reactors. A move seen as controversial by many Japanese, still reeling from the aftermath of the
Fukushima disaster.
USA TODAY ANALYSIS: MOOD IN CUBA SHIFTS FROM OPTIMISM TO IMPATIENCE. In a USA
Today (4/23, Gomez, 5.01M) piece, reporter Alan Gomez uses a first person account of trips to Cuba to
illustrate that the atmosphere among the Cuban population has shifted from optimism, when the US
and Cuba announced efforts to reestablish diplomatic relations, to impatience. USA Today says the
impact of talks between the US and Cuba on the daily lives of Cubans has so far been non-existent.
Pope To Visit Cuba On Way To US. NBC Nightly News (4/22, story 11, 0:20, Holt, 7.86M) reported
Pope Francis will visit Cuba before he arrives in the US in September. The Pope has been credited with
helping to restore relations between the two countries. Reuters (4/23, Pullella) notes that Vatican
spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said Francis received invitations from the Cuban government and
Cuban Roman Catholic Church. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said, The presence of his
holiness in Cuba will be memorable. He will receive the warmest hospitality of the Cuban people.
POLITICO ANALYSIS: GREECE COULD SET OFF NEXT BIG FINANCIAL MELTDOWN. In an
analysis piece, Politico (4/22, Emmott, 1.11M) compared Greeces potential default or exit from the
euro to the Treasury Departments decision to let Lehman Brothers go down. According to Politico,
Greece is where the next big financial meltdown might begin. Politico said despite earlier optimism that
a deal would be reached over Greeces debt, reality is about to reassert itself. The car crash is looking
the much likelier outcome.
SENATE REPUBLICANS SEEK TO FULLY PRESERVE NSA SURVEILLANCE POWERS UNDER
PATRIOT ACT. In what the Los Angeles Times (4/23, Bennett, 4.03M) describes as the opening salvo
in a battle over government surveillance powers, Senate Republicans have introduced a measure to
preserve intact the National Security Agencys authority to store and search domestic telephone
records. Late Tuesday night, in what the Times describes as an unusual procedural move, Majority
Leader McConnell, backed by Intelligence Committee chairman Richard Burr, moved to ask the full
Senate to reauthorize Section 215 of the Patriot Act without changes and without consideration by any
Senate committee, which drew criticism from Sen. Patrick Leahy, who said GOP leaders are trying to
quietly pass a straight reauthorization of the bulk collection program that has been proven ineffective and
unnecessary.
Reuters (4/22, Hosenball, Zengerle) reports Burr acknowledged that prospects for their measure are dim,
the bills introduction would create parameters for the debate over how to address the limits of
surveillance. But, if it were to pass, former intelligence officials said Obama could face pressure to sign
the bill, or one similar to it, to avoid being blamed for a potential future terrorist attack that occurred after
the surveillance program ended.
Although a bipartisan group of House members was set to introduce legislation later Wednesday that
would end data collection under Section 215, the AP (4/23, Dilanian) says the move by McConnell and
Burr shows that there is support in the leadership for maintaining the status quo. The AP points out that
if no legislation is passed the Patriot Act provisions would expire in weeks, affecting not only the NSA
surveillance but other programs used by the FBI to investigate domestic crimes, which puts considerable
pressure on lawmakers to pass some sort of extension.
While McConnell is charging forward with a full reauthorization of the Patriot Act program, the first
serious push to say anything about the NSA this year, the Huffington Post (4/23, Watkins, 194K) says
that no one in Congress seems exactly sure whos primarily responsible for addressing the pending
expiration of the NSA program, though most agree that someone, somewhere should do something.
While Burr said NSA oversight really falls to the House and Senate Judiciary committees, Senate
Intelligence Committee ranking Democratic member Dianne Feinstein said her panel was considering its
own measure. And Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Chuck Grassley, who is considered a
particularly critical player in the battle over reform, said that he hadnt pushed forward with a reform
proposal because he was waiting to hear from Burr and the Intelligence Committee.
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JEB BUSH: BEST PART OF OBAMA ADMINISTRATION IS CONTINUATION OF NSAS

METADATA PROGRAM. The Washington Times (4/23, Chasmar, 641K) reports that former Florida
Gov. Jeb Bush on Tuesday praised the continuation of the NSAs controversial spying program as the
best part of the Obama Administration. CNN reported that Bush, speaking on the Michael Medved radio
show, said, I would say the best part of the Obama administration would be his continuance of the
protections of the homeland using, you know, the big metadata programs, the NSA being enhanced. ...
Even though he never defends it, even though he never openly admits it, there has been a continuation
of a very important service, which is the first obligation I think of our national government is to keep us
safe.
SENATE REPUBLICANS MOVE TO PRESERVE NSA PHONE SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM INTACT.
In what McClatchy (4/23, Bennett, Subscription Publication, 32K) describes as the opening salvo in a
battle over government surveillance powers, Senate Republicans have introduced a measure to
preserve intact the National Security Agencys authority to store and search domestic telephone
records. The measure to extend the NSAs so-called bulk collection of phone records was not
considered by any Senate committee. Tuesday night, Majority Leader McConnell moved to ask the full
Senate to reauthorize Section 215 of the Patriot Act without changes. The move drew criticism from
Sen. Patrick Leahy, who said GOP leaders are trying to quietly pass a straight reauthorization of the
bulk collection program that has been proven ineffective and unnecessary.
Republicans Divided Over NSA Renewing Surveillance Programs. Politico (4/23, Byers, Tummarello,
1.11M) reported that with the May 31 deadline to extend the NSAs surveillance powers looming,
Republicans are in a state of disarray on the issue, with some, including Senate Majority Leader
McConnell and Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr wanting to reauthorize the bulk collection
of phone records, and others including presidential candidates Sens. Ted Cruz and Rand Paul and
many House Republicans wanting to effectively end it. Politico said the divide highlights the persistent
divisions between libertarian-leaning Republicans...and GOP national security.
PRIVACY ADVOCATES: TOO MUCH INFORMATION ABOUT NSA SURVEILLANCE REMAINS
SECRET. Privacy advocates and civil liberties groups say too much about government surveillance
remains secret for the public to fully evaluate its reach or effectiveness, the AP (4/23, Tucker) report. As
Congress considers extending the NSA surveillance programs, critics say important information about
the program remains censored, the release of information has been selective, and the ongoing trickle of
once-secret memos has raised concerns about how many other potentially illuminating records might yet
remain outside the publics reach.
AMID GROWING PROTESTS IN BALTIMORE, POLICE UNION WEIGHS-IN ON SUSPECTS DEATH
IN CUSTODY. Television and print coverage of the death of Freddie Gray, who was injured in the
custody of Baltimore police, focuses largely on the growing protests and on the fact that while five of the
six officers involved in the arrest have given statements to investigators, the sixth has refused. All three
networks covered the story Wednesday evening CBS led with it and devoted just over five minutes of
combined time to it more than the night before.
David Kerley reported on ABC World News (4/22, story 4, 2:00, Muir, 5.84M) that amid growing protests
over Grays death, the police union says Gray was not wearing a seat belt and it believes he was not
injured during the arrest, but in the van in which he was placed afterwards, but they just dont know
how. That explanation was not enough for citizens, who are pouring out onto the streets. The protests
have so far been peaceful and the hope is that it stays that way, as the protesters await even more
answers. Chip Reid reported in the lead story for the CBS Evening News (4/22, lead story, 2:45, Pelley,
5.08M) that Gene Ryan, President of Baltimores Fraternal Order of Police, launched a spirited defense
of the officers and in a statement likened the protesters to a lynch mob.
USA Today (4/23, Bacon, Eversley, 5.01M) says protesters are demanding an explanation of how and
why [Gray] died while in police custody, while Reuters (4/22, Simpson) reports that according to CNN,
the protesters chanted Justice for Freddie, and called for the six officers to be charged with first-degree
murder, and the Washington Post (4/23, A1, Schwartzman, 5.03M) reports in a front-page story that in
addition to the six officers involved in Grays arrest, protesters expressed anger toward the citys mayor
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and police commissioner, whom they accuse of withholding key facts about the case. That both are
black is of no apparent reassurance to an African American community that for generations has viewed
the police with unceasing mistrust.
Lester Holt reported on NBC Nightly News (4/22, story 6, 0:20, Holt, 7.86M) that all but one of the six
officers involved in Grays arrest have given investigators official accounts of the incident, and USA
Today (4/23, Bacon, Eversley, 5.01M) says Michael Davey, attorney for the officers said the sixth opted
not to give a statement.
The Baltimore Sun (4/23, Fenton, George, 802K) reports that Kevin Harris, spokesman for Baltimore
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, said the Mayor is frustrated by the sixth officers refusal to give a
statement. Harris, who called the officers decision not to speak unfortunate, said, The mayor is
frustrated by that. ... We know there are questions that people still have. We know the best people to
answer those questions are the people who are there. The Sun also discusses Rawlings-Blakes efforts
to change provisions of the Law Enforcement Bill of Rights, which she blamed for the delay in
investigators hearing from the officers.
Hogan Wont Order Additional Investigation. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said Wednesday he will not
order additional investigation into Grays death beyond the four already underway, the Baltimore Sun
(4/23, Cox, 802K). In an interview with the Sun, Hogan said, We dont want to politicize the issue. ... You
dont want to have too many people involved. ... It just slows things down. Hogan, who expressed
confidence that Rawlings-Blake and States Attorney Marilyn Mosby will get to the bottom of how Gray,
25, received fatal spinal cord injuries while in police custody, added, Were prepared to assist in
anyway possible, but we dont want interfere with the process.

.
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From:
To:
Subject:
Date:
Attachments:
The Homeland Security News Briefing for Tuesday, April 21, 2015
dhsclips150421.doc

DATE: TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2015 5:00 AM EDT

LEADING DHS NEWS:
+ New Screening Requirements Announced For Airport, Airline Workers.
+ Directors Visit To Karnes Facility Discussed.
+ DHS OIG Report Finds Fault With Largely Empty ICE Charter Flights.
+ Texas Legislature Considering Border Security Measures.
+ Blast Of Severe Weather Threatens Eastern US.
+ Fifteen Georgia Counties Eligible For Winter Storm Recovery Aid.
+ Another Tennessee County Eligible For Winter Storm Recovery Aid.
+ McCaskill: Rubio Folded Like A Cheap Shotgun On Immigration Reform.
+ Christie Outlines Nuanced Immigration Enforcement Views In New Hampshire.
SECRET SERVICE:
+ Washington Post Journalist Wins Pulitzer For Secret Service Stories.
+ Secret Service Successfully Intercepts White House Fence Jumper.
+ Gyrocopter Pilot Says He Wouldnt Have Been Responsible If Shot Down.
+ Preparations For Papal Visit To Philadelphia Discussed.
+ House To Deal With Two Cyber Bills This Week.
+ Off-Shore Drillings Cybersecurity Concerns Discussed.
+ Following Criticism Over Ebola Outbreak, WHO To Overhaul Handling Of Epidemics.
+ Bird Flu Outbreak Spreads To Iowa.
+ Six Somali-American Men Arrested For Trying To Join ISIL In Syria.
+ Penalty Phase Of Tsarnaev Trial To Begin Tuesday.
+ New York Man Sentenced To 25 Years For Attempting To Join AQAP.
+ Unsealed Court Documents Reveal New Details About Ohio Terror Suspect.
+ Canadian Official: Number Of Canadians Trying To Join Militant Groups On The Rise.
OTHER CYBER NEWS:
+ RSA Conference Discussed.
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+ Vulnerability Of Airplane Computer Systems To Hacking Up For Debate.

+ WSJournal Analysis: US Muslims Divided Over Administrations CVE Plan.
+ Alabama Woman Believed To Have Fled To Join ISIL.
+ Media Analyses: Additional US Ships On Yemeni Coast A Warning To Iran.
+ Turkey Trains Syrian Rebels Despite US Concerns Over Mission.
+ Shiite Militias Give Body Believed To Be Douri To Iraqi Government.
+ Air Force Officer Calls ISIL Threats Against US Personnel A Display Of Cowardice.
+ ISIL Claims Responsibility For Afghanistan Attack That Killed 33.
+ US Begins Training Ukrainian National Guard.
+ US To Send $18 Million In Food, Health, Shelter Aid To Ukraine.
+ Pentagon: ISIL Has Gained A Toehold In Libya.
+ Netanyahu Granted Two Week Extension To Form New Government.
+ North Korea Threatens US Ambassador To South.
+ Abe Restatement Of Japans WW2 Apology Statement Sparks Concerns.
+ Pincus: US, Russia Exploiting Loophole In New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.
+ Roll Call Analysis: Congress In No Hurry To Move Policing Legislation.
+ NYTimes A1: 1.5 Million Black Men Missing Largely Due To Early Death, Incarceration.
+ DOJ Wont Intervene In Investigation Of Suspects Death In Baltimore Police Custody.
+ FBI Clears Tulsa Reserve Deputy Of Civil Rights Violations In Suspects Death.
Leading DHS News:

NEW SCREENING REQUIREMENTS ANNOUNCED FOR AIRPORT, AIRLINE WORKERS. The
Washington Post (4/21, Halsey, 5.17M) reports that the TSA is imposing more stringent regulations for
screening airport and airline workers, as announced by Secretary Johnson, months after the discovery
that a baggage handler allegedly participated in a gun smuggling ring in Atlantas airport. Johnson is
quoted saying that immediately following the incident...TSA increased the random and unpredictable
screening of aviation workers at various airport access points to mitigate potential security
vulnerabilities. The regulations are also a reaction to a separate incident in which an FAA employee
allegedly used a badge to access a secure area at the same airport...and then flew to New York with a
gun in his carry-on luggage. One of the new rules stipulates that airport and airline employees traveling
as passengers will no longer be permitted to bypass the scrutiny faced by other passengers. TSA
acting deputy administrator Mark Hatfield Jr. is quoted saying, Were not creating any new whole-cloth
federal regulations, adding, were moving within existing authority.
The Wall Street Journal (4/21, Carey, Subscription Publication, 5.67M) reports that Johnson also directed
the TSA to require criminal history checks every two years for all airport employees with unsupervised
access to sensitive areas. Airport re-vetting policies to date followed different procedures and time
frames, but will now be standardized ahead of a long-term goal of enabling the TSA to have real-time
access to criminal complaints or infractions against airport workers. The Journal notes that
recommendations were devised by an advisory committee Johnson convened earlier this year.
The Hill (4/21, Laing, 224K) quotes Johnson saying, These steps follow a 90-day Aviation Security
Advisory Committee (ASAC) comprehensive review conducted at my request in January 2015. I also
asked the ASAC to identify other trends to determine if additional risk-based security measures, resource
reallocations, new investments or policy changes are necessary. Johnson thanks the ASAC and adds
that their recommendations validate TSAs risk-based approach to passenger screening and will help
strengthen the overall security of our commercial aviation network.
USA Today (4/20, Jansen, 4.95M) quotes Johnsons statement: I am confident that the potential insider
threat posed by aviation industry employees will be significantly mitigated as a result of these
recommendations. Sen. Bill Nelson, ranking Democrat on an airline oversight committee, is quoted
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calling the measures a decent first step, while aviation security expert Jeff Price said the measures
would increase industry costs and decrease efficiency, and this DHS announcement doesnt have the
impact that I thought it would.
Politico (4/21, 669K) reports that Nelson and Sen. Chuck Schumer were two Senate Democrats who
were quick to praise the action.
CNN (4/20, Zamost, Griffin, 2.05M) reports that ASAC concluded that full screening of airport employees
nationwide would not appreciably increase the overall system-wide protection. The ASAC report is
quoted saying, no single measure can provide broad-spectrum protection against risks or
adversaries...therefore, risk-based, multi-layered security offers the greatest ability to mitigate risks
through the application of flexible and unpredictable measures to protect commercial aviation. US Rep.
John Katko, House Homeland Security Transportation Security subcommittee chairman, is quoted saying
that I look forward to having a meaningful dialogue with airport stakeholders and the TSA on what can
be done, going forward, to improve employee vetting and screening for those with access to sensitive
and sterile parts of airports. US Rep. Kathleen Rice, ranking member of the same subcommittee, said
the report made it clear that the TSA must do more to neutralize the insider threat and prevent security
breaches like we saw in December.
The New Orleans Times-Picayune (4/21, 621K) reports that Jim Caldwell, air service development and
marketing manager at Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport, claims his airport has already implemented
most, if not all, of the new security procedures while a New Orleans International Airport spokeswoman
said officials will assess the new requirements to determine what changes need to be made.
Also reporting this story were the AP (4/21, Caldwell) and Reuters (4/20).

DIRECTORS VISIT TO KARNES FACILITY DISCUSSED. The Huffington Post (4/21, Planas, 281K)
reports that ICE Director Sarah Saldaa made an unpublicized visit to the Karnes County Residential
Center on Friday. ICE did not comment on reports of protests at the facility; and agency statement is
quoted saying, At the start of her tenure at ICE, Director Saldaa announced her intention to visit all ICE
residential and detention facilities as her schedule allows...this long-planned tour of the Karnes facility
was one such visit. The statement adds, Director Saldaa has every confidence in the staff and
contractors at the Karnes facility to maintain a healthy and safe environment for residents in which issues
and concerns are addressed quickly and appropriately as they arise. The Huffington Post says the
agencys account contrasts sharply with recent complaints from mothers and their children detained at
the facility. One detainee told The Huffington Post that she tried to speak to Saldaa on Friday, but was
only able to recite her own name during a brief encounter.
DHS OIG REPORT FINDS FAULT WITH LARGELY EMPTY ICE CHARTER FLIGHTS. The
Washington Post (4/20, Hicks, 5.17M) Federal Eye blog reports on a DHS inspector generals report
which found that ICE may be wasting loads of money flying illegal immigrants home on expensive but
largely empty charter flights. The report is cited saying that better logistical planning for deportation
flights could have saved ICE up to $41 million. Auditors found that ICE spent about $116 million on
flights that were at least 20 percent under full capacity, with over a third of the nearly 7,500 flights
reviewed being at least that empty. ICE argues that delaying trips to fill more seats could prove more
costly in the end, saying in a statement that the agency strongly disagrees with the reports use of
empty seats on flights as a measure of efficiency...chiefly because delaying the removal of individuals in
order to fill empty seats causes the agency to incur ancillary costs that may exceed the cost of the
seats.
The Daily Caller (4/21, Stoltzfoos, 318K) reports that aside from the flights, ICE Air is understaffed and
its employees undertrained, so the entire process is apparently inefficient. The Daily Caller also notes a
chart in the report titled Questionable Detainee Transfers which highlights several reported flights
where the detainee travels back and forth repeatedly to the same destinations.
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The Washington Free Beacon (4/21, 104K) says the inspector generals report also found that the
agencys database for tracking the transfer of detainees is riddled with errors, leaving ICE unsure of a
detainees criminal history, gang affiliation, or even gender. The report is quoted saying, the lack of
reliable data limits the ability of management to make informed decisions regarding how many planes it
needs to transport the current level of detainees, whether it should revise the frequency of its flights, and
how to improve operations overall.
The Charleston (SC) Post and Courier (4/21, 295K) says in an editorial that rather than grumbling about
reduced budgets forced by automatic spending cuts agreed upon by the White House and Congress,
Federal agencies could just do a better job of managing the resources they have. The Post and Courier
cites the OIG report as an example of the cavalier attitude federal managers sometimes display toward
getting value for money.
The International Business Times (4/21, 1.19M), Federal News Radio (4/21, 11K), and i360 Gov (4/20)
also report this story.

TEXAS LEGISLATURE CONSIDERING BORDER SECURITY MEASURES. The Houston Chronicle
(4/21, Cervantes, 2.28M) reports that the Texas state Senate easily approved a border security bill
granting major new powers to Texas DPS officers and Army National Guard troops along the southern
border. The bill somewhat mirrors a measure approved by the state House in March; debate between
lawmakers has included tense arguments about efforts to enhance border enforcement as prospects
for federal comprehensive immigration reform worsen, and about whether DPS is being given too much
new power and money without enough oversight.
The Dallas Morning News (4/20, 1.13M) reports that another measure seeks to create a compact with
other states to address the federal governments failure to secure the U.S.-Mexico border by means of
a dedicated border security force--with the ability to enforce federal immigration laws. While many
particulars of the bill still have to be sorted out, the measure underscores the Senates willingness to
hear some of the more contentious immigration ideas out there. On the other hand, given time and
procedural hurdles, the idea is a long way from becoming a reality.

BLAST OF SEVERE WEATHER THREATENS EASTERN US. ABC World News (4/20, story 3, 1:45,
Muir, 5.84M) broadcast that a blast of severe weather was moving eastward last night. The system
caused problems in Georgia yesterday.
The CBS Evening News (4/20, story 10, 1:05, Pelley, 5.08M) broadcast that it had its eye last night on a
line of severe weather in the East last night. Yesterday, added CBS, there was large hail in Georgia.
NBC Nightly News (4/20, story 5, 1:00, Holt, 7.86M) broadcast that tornado watches were in effect in nine
states last night.
FEMA Administrator: Get Somewhere Safe In Storm Warning Zones. Two Weather Channel (4/20,
2:49 p.m. EST, 9.84M) hosts spoke yesterday with FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, who urged
viewers not to venture outside if a storm or tornado warning has been issued in their area. Fugate
stressed, Get off the roads, get somewhere safe, stay there so we can minimize the impacts. Fugate
added, Downed power lines can still be deadly even after the storm passes through. Video of the same
interview was posted to the MSN (4/20, 7.01M) website yesterday.
FIFTEEN GEORGIA COUNTIES ELIGIBLE FOR WINTER STORM RECOVERY AID. The Atlanta
Journal-Constitution (4/21, Malloy, 988K) reports that FEMA can help pay recovery costs in parts of
Georgia hit by a mid-February winter storm. Yesterday, President Obama signed a Federal disaster
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declaration that covers 15 Georgia counties. Jim Butterworth, who directs the Georgia Emergency
Management Agency, said, This Federal assistance will be of great help. Butterworths comment is also
noted by the Coosa Valley (GA) News (4/21).
The WJCL-TV Savannah, GA (4/21, 2K) website, meanwhile, points out that FEMA Administrator Craig
Fugate has named Benigno Bern Ruiz as the Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery
operations in the affected area. WXIA-TV Atlanta (4/21, 42K) also covers this story on its website.
ANOTHER TENNESSEE COUNTY ELIGIBLE FOR WINTER STORM RECOVERY AID. The AP (4/21)
reports that Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam says Hardin County is now eligible for FEMA assistance as it
recovers from a February winter storm. According to the AP, 36 counties are currently covered by a
presidential winter storm disaster declaration.

MCCASKILL: RUBIO FOLDED LIKE A CHEAP SHOTGUN ON IMMIGRATION REFORM. McClatchy
(4/21, Wise, Subscription Publication, 17K) reports that US Sen. Claire McCaskill slammed Marco
Rubio on ABCs This Week, saying Rubio took a principled, courageous stand on immigration reform
and we passed a comprehensive bill in the Senate but then folded like a cheap shotgun when criticized
by the Republican party base and Rush Limbaugh. McCaskill added that Rubios decision to stop
advocating for immigration reform was old politics and the stalest trick in the book. McClatchy notes
that McCaskills remarks came after host Martha Raddatzs requested a response to Rubios criticism of
Hillary Clinton as a leader of yesterday; McClatchy adds that McCaskill is expected to take a vocal role
in the Clinton campaign.
CHRISTIE OUTLINES NUANCED IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT VIEWS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.
An Asbury Park (NJ) Press article published in USA Today (4/20, Jordan, 4.95M) reports that 2016
presidential hopeful Chris Christie strayed from the hardline, conservative orthodoxy on immigration
during his two trips to New Hampshire last week. Christie urged practical reforms beyond the Secure
Fence Act of 2006; in his more nuanced view, Christie contends that cracking down on U.S.
employers who ignore immigration laws is a better way to stop new arrivals and that it is Obamas job to
work with Congress to forge a workable immigration solution. Rutgers University political scientist David
Redlawsk is quoted saying that with his poor results in polls, Christie is trying to find ways to
distinguish himself from the pack, at least a bit. The Press says that Republican activists in New
Hampshire had a mixed reaction to Christies stance.
Secret Service:
WASHINGTON POST JOURNALIST WINS PULITZER FOR SECRET SERVICE STORIES. The
Washington Post (4/20, Farhi, 5.17M) reports that Washington Post journalist Carol Leonnig was
awarded the Pulitzer Prize in the national reporting category for her series of articles detailing
revelations about the Secret Service. Leonnig spent months gaining the trust of normally reticent
Secret Service agents, resulting in bombshell stories about lapses in presidential security that shook
the faith in what was commonly viewed as an elite and selfless agency. The Post notes that in the wake
of Leonnigs reporting, President Obama replaced more than half of the services senior leadership,
including its director. Leonnigs work turned up more than just embarrassment among agents she
contacted about the 2012 prostitute scandal, as several expressed deeper concerns about the agencys
protective abilities; Leonnig is quoted saying, they saw serious security risks, adding, there was a lot of
distrust among the rank-and-file agents about the people who were running the agency. The Post also
notes the small town of sources Leonnig cultivated within the Secret Service.
The Politico (4/21, 669K) On Media blog notes that Leonnig was awarded despite significant scrutiny
over those reports and pushback from the Obama administration. Several aspects of the reporting have
been questioned, but the Post has continuously and fiercely defended Leonnigs reporting, with top
editors saying that investigative stories are often disputed and the Post has corrected stories where
needed. Washington Post executive editor Martin Baron is quoted saying, It takes a gutsy journalist to
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dig beneath the surface of an organization like the Secret Service...Its anything but transparent. It
deflects and stonewalls inquiries from the press. It closes ranks when challenged, determined to maintain
its Hollywood image. But Carol documented startling weaknesses and failures at the agency that had
gone unaddressed and undisclosed. Her work led to sweeping leadership changes at the agency and will
translate into greater safety for the president and others protected by the Secret Service.
The AP (4/20) quotes Leonnig saying in the Post that her reporting involved so many risks by public
servants who placed their trust in her. Because of them and the work of other reporters, Leonnig said
we were able to peel back the layers of this secretive agency and get the administration to focus on the
very strong likelihood that the agency was not all it pretended to be and that posed serious risks for the
president.
The Washington Post (4/20, 5.17M) The Fix blog presents an edited audio interview with Leonnig about
the Secret Service stories. In the interview, Leonnig describes how she gained the confidence of her
sources while the Secret Service was trying to look for people that were leaking information that was
embarrassing and they wanted to try to punish those people. Leonnig emphasized that sources who no
longer worked for the agency helped her out of a commitment to restoring the agency to its original
glory. Finally, Leonnig said she believes Director Clancy accepted the director position out of a sense of
duty and because he genuinely cares about the Secret Service, though she expressed concern that
his senior management team did not inform him about the alleged drunken driving incident for five days,
when her sources informed her two days after it happened.
SECRET SERVICE SUCCESSFULLY INTERCEPTS WHITE HOUSE FENCE JUMPER. The CBS
Evening News (4/20, story 4, 0:25, Pelley, 5.08M) reported, Well, this time the secret service got their
man, a fence-climber at the White House was intercepted last night shortly after he dropped to the lawn.
Today a judge ordered 54-year-old Jerome Hunt of California to stay away from the White House. He
pleaded not guilty to unlawful entry. He has to wear an electronic monitor. Last September man went
over the fence and made it all the way inside the mansion with a knife.
The AP (4/21) reports that Hunt was arrested for unlawful entry, a misdemeanor, and released from jail
Monday on the condition that received a mental health evaluation as well as submit to GPS monitoring
and stay away from the White House. The AP cites court record saying Hunt was apprehended by
uniformed Secret Service officials after he made it over the fence.
Reuters (4/21) quotes Hunt saying, they have a good protective system for the president. They acted
real fast.
The Washington Post (4/20, Martin, 5.17M) and a WUSA-TV article published in USA Today (4/20,
Burdine, 4.95M) also report this story.
GYROCOPTER PILOT SAYS HE WOULDNT HAVE BEEN RESPONSIBLE IF SHOT DOWN. ABC
World News (4/20, story 10, 1:35, Muir, 5.84M) reported on a stunning new video of the gyrocopter
landing on the Capitol lawn, taken by the pilot, Doug Hughes, who is in Florida under house arrest. ABC
(Gutman) interviews him, asking, What if you had been shot out of sky, and lost control and smashed
into a crowd of people? Hughes said, If I get shot by a sniper, then its the responsibility of the sniper.
Gutman countered, No, its your responsibility because you decided to fly over Washington, DC, to
which Hughes responded, No. Anybody who has a weapon is responsible for pulling the trigger.
Reuters (4/21) reports that Hughes has no regrets regarding his flight, saying in an ABC Good Morning
America interview that if Americans are prompted to change campaign finance, then its worth it, even if
I lose my job, even if I go to jail.
PREPARATIONS FOR PAPAL VISIT TO PHILADELPHIA DISCUSSED. Religion News Service (4/20,
Mccauley, 5K) discusses the logistical preparations for Pope Francis visit to Philadelphia, which might
rival the miracle of Jesus feeding the 5,000. RNS says security stakes are high, both for the pontiff and
the estimated 1.5 to 2 million fans from at least 150 countries, and design schematics need to be OKd
by the Secret Service. Desiree Peterkin Bell, communications and strategy director for Philadelphia
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Mayor Michael Nutter, could offer no estimate of the visits cost to the city, but said that its federal
designation as an international event qualified it for assistance on the security side. Bell added that
Philadelphia is experienced in holding events for crowds of 1 million-plus, though this event differs in
the number of security agencies involved, including DHS, the Secret Service, and other Federal, state,
local, and international agencies.

HOUSE TO DEAL WITH TWO CYBER BILLS THIS WEEK. Roll Call (4/20, 102K) reports that House
lawmakers return to the Capitol Tuesday for just three days to deal with the Protecting Cyber Networks
Act and the National Cybersecurity Protection Advancement Act of 2015. There is controversy
surrounding the PCNA, as the ACLU is concerned that some information shared with the government
could be used to go after whistleblowers even though the bill contains a whistle blower protections
section. The second bill is similar to the cyber-networks bill, but it would use the Department of
Homeland Security as an intermediary for sharing the electronic information in exchange for protection
from civil suits for companies.
The Hill (4/20, Bennett, 224K) reports that the Financial Services Roundtable has launched a Stop Cyber
Threats advertising campaign Monday in advance of votes on the two bills to be held Wednesday and
Thursday. FSR head Tim Pawlenty is quoted saying, cyber threat information-sharing legislation is long
overdue and Congress must continue to work together to get it over the finish line.
The Politico (4/20, 669K) Under The Radar blog says a bill approved last month by the Senate
Intelligence Committee alarms transparency advocates and some lawmakers because it could create
the first brand-new exemption to the Freedom of Information Act in nearly half a century. A FOIA
exemption in the House Intelligence cyber bill was taken out, according to a spokesman. Sens. Mazie
Hirono and Martin Heinrich, two Democratic members of the Senate Intelligence Committee, objected to
the FOIA exemption in the Senate bill as we are unconvinced that it is necessary. However, a
spokesman for committee chairman Richard Burr said the exemption is meant to encourage as much
sharing of cyber-threat indicators as possible in order to reduce cyber-attacks on our homeland.
The Hill (4/21, Bennett, 224K) also notes Heinrich and Hironos remarks over the bill, reporting that more
Democrats are signaling they will try to amend a major cybersecurity bill when it hits the Senate floor in
the coming weeks. The senators say that the bills provisions do not adequately direct companies to
remove personally identifiable information when sharing cyber threat indicators with the government and
the bill also lacks a directive that the Department of Homeland Security scrub cyber threat indicators for
unnecessary personally identifiable information before sharing that information with other areas of the
federal government.
The Hill (4/20, Viebeck, 224K) reports that hacker collective Anonymous voiced opposition to CISA. A
leading Anonymous Twitter feed is quoted saying the bill before Congress would authorize secrecy
and surveillance, not cyber security. Other Anonymous affiliates slammed CISA in a video, arguing it
directly attacks our constitution...if this bill is passed, many of the privacies that we all enjoy on the
Internet will be gone and forgotten.
OFF-SHORE DRILLINGS CYBERSECURITY CONCERNS DISCUSSED. Reuters (4/20) notes that April
20 marked the fifth anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon disaster, and adds that off-shore drilling comes
with new potential cybersecurity concerns on top of environmental risks. A report last year from Willis
Group said that too much of the energy sector is uninsured against major cyber attacks, which may
threaten a major energy catastrophe on the same scale as Exxon Valdez or Deepwater Horizon.
DHS data is cited saying 32 percent of critical national infrastructure attacks targeted energy firms in
fiscal year 2014, which Willis Group views as a time bomb.

FOLLOWING CRITICISM OVER EBOLA OUTBREAK, WHO TO OVERHAUL HANDLING OF
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EPIDEMICS. The WHO said Monday that it will overhaul the way it deals with epidemics, the New York
Times (4/21, Fink, Subscription Publication, 9.97M) reports. The WHO declaration comes in the wake of
criticism that it was slow and ineffective in the crucial early months of the Ebola crisis. In a statement,
Director General Dr. Margaret Chan said, The world, including W.H.O., is ill-prepared for a large and
sustained disease outbreak, adding, We commit to expanding our core staff working on diseases with
outbreak potential and health emergencies, so we will have skilled staff always available.
BIRD FLU OUTBREAK SPREADS TO IOWA. The CBS Evening News (4/20, story 5, 0:20, Pelley,
5.08M) reported that on April 20 the US Department of Agriculture announced an outbreak of [H5N2]
bird flu at a huge chicken farm in Osceola County, Iowa, where more than five million hens will have to
be destroyed.
The New York Times (4/21, Nixon, Subscription Publication, 9.97M) reports that Wisconsin Gov. Scott
Walker (R) declared a state of emergency because of the outbreak and authorized the National Guard
to help local officials in affected counties.
The AP (4/21, Pitt) reports that the outbreak has cost affected Midwestern states about 7.8 million turkeys
and chickens since March. Additionally, the AP writes that the virus was confirmed in another turkey
farm in Minnesota and a backyard flock of mixed birds in Wisconsin on Monday.
The Los Angeles Times (4/21, Parker, 3.49M) reports that this is the second reported outbreak in Iowa
this month. According to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, no humans have
been infected with the H5N2 strain of the bird flu.
Also covering this story are the Wall Street Journal (4/21, Bunge, Subscription Publication, 5.67M),
Bloomberg News (4/20, Durisin, 2.94M), Reuters (4/20, Polansek), CNN (4/20, Ford, 2.05M), TIME (4/21,
19.19M) and the Des Moines (IA) Register (4/20, Eller, 297K).
SIX SOMALI-AMERICAN MEN ARRESTED FOR TRYING TO JOIN ISIL IN SYRIA. On the CBS
Evening News (4/20, story 6, 2:05, Pelley, 5.08M), Scott Pelley reported that six Somali-American men
have been charged with attempting to enlist with ISIL, and Lester Holt reported on NBC Nightly News
(4/20, story 4, 0:25, Holt, 7.86M) that four of the men, all of whom are ages 19 to 21, were arrested in
Minneapolis, while two others were arrested in San Diego, where investigators say they were trying
fake documents to get into Mexico then make their way in to Syria.
The New York Times (4/21, Shane, Subscription Publication, 9.97M) reports that according to Andrew M.
Luger, the US Attorney for Minnesota, a linchpin in the recruitment effort was a young man, Abdi Nur,
21, who left Minneapolis in May and successfully reached Syria. Luger said the Nur was an active
recruiter who offered both inspiration and practical advice to those who wanted to follow his path. On
Fox News Special Report with Bret Baier (4/20, 1.53M), Luger was shown saying, What is remarkable
about this case is that nothing stopped these defendants from pursing their goal. They never stopped
plotting another way to get to Syria to join ISIL. They were not confused young men. They were not
easily influenced. These are focused men who are intent on joining a terrorist organization.
Noting their determination to join ISIL in Syria, the Los Angeles Times (4/20, Lee, Perry, 3.49M) says
according to the criminal complaint, in various instances over a 10-month span, the men tried to arrange
overseas flights from Minneapolis and John F. Kennedy airport in New York, where they then planned to
eventually make their way into Syria.
The Minneapolis Star Tribune (4/21, McEnroe, 1.37M) profiles Fadumo Hussein, the mother of Guled
Omar, one of the six men arrested by FBI agents, noting that Luger said Omar was remarkable because
he allegedly never stopped plotting, and was determined to find a way to leave the U.S. by any means
possible.
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Reuters (4/21, Bailey) adds that the men received support in their attempts from another group member,
Abdi Nur, who has stayed in contact with them since he left the US last year and joined ISIL in Syria,
according to prosecutors. Nur was charged for his support of ISIL in November.
Richard T. Thornton, the FBIs special agent in charge of its Minneapolis division, said in a statement
about the arrests, Bloomberg News (4/20, Harris, 2.94M) reports, Preventing terrorism is the FBIs
highest priority, adding, Disrupting individuals from traveling to join and fight for ISIL is an important part
of our counter-terrorism strategy.
Wolf Blitzer reported on CNNs Situation Room (4/20, 554K) that the new arrests bring the total of young
Americans planning to join ISIL in recent months to nearly 30.
The Wall Street Journal (4/21, A1, Grossman, Kesling, Audi, Subscription Publication, 5.67M) describes
the arrests as one of the largest groups of suspects charged for attempting to join extremist groups
fighting in Iraq and Syria. USA Today (4/19, Johnson, Bacon, 4.95M) also notes that the latest arrests
follow a string of recent ISIL-related cases, charging men and women throughout the country with
various attempts to join the group or carry out attacks in the name of the terror organization, including
at least nine Minnesotans.
Highlighting the number of Minnesotans who have been arrested for attempting to support terrorist
groups, the AP (4/21, Forliti) notes that the Minneapolis area is home to the largest concentration of
Somali immigrants in the US, and, since 2007, more than 22 young Somali men have also traveled
from Minnesota to Somalia to join the militant group al-Shabab.
Luger said of the local phenomenon during his press conference Monday, the Christian Science Monitor
(4/20, Maza, 380K) reports, To be clear, we have a terror recruiting problem in Minnesota. I urge anyone
who is concerned about their young son or brother to reach out.
While Mohamud Noor, executive director of the Confederation of Somali Community in Minnesota, said in
a statement Monday that the community was stunned and saddened by the latest arrests, the St. Paul
(MN) Pioneer Press (4/21, Eccher, 524K) reports, Omar Jamal, a Somali community activist, said that
the US has failed miserably to counter the Islamic States sophisticated propaganda and that law
enforcements approach wasnt deterring potential recruits.
Politico (4/21, Gass, 669K) also covers this story.
PENALTY PHASE OF TSARNAEV TRIAL TO BEGIN TUESDAY. David Muir reported on ABC World
News (4/20, story 8, 1:35, Muir, 5.84M) that the penalty phase in the trial of convicted Boston Marathon
bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev will begin on Tuesday. Tom Llamas added that while prosecutors will try to
convince jurors to sentence Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to death, a growing number of his victims oppose that
sentence. Bill and Denise Richard, who lost their son in the bombings, said it could bring years of
appeals and prolong reliving the most painful day of our lives. Federal prosecutors say theyve been in
contact with the victims and they understand their concerns, but they told me point blank today, they are
pursuing the death penalty. A Washington Post (4/21, 5.17M) editorial calls the Richards appeal
extraordinary, adding that it adds a new dimension to this highly charged issue and should give pause
to those who think justice for Mr. Tsarnaev cannot be served by a life sentence.
The AP (4/21) adds that Jessica Kensky and Patrick Downes, a married couple who lost limbs in the 2013
Boston Marathon attack, has joined the Richard family in opposing the death penalty for Tsarnaev. In a
statement to the Boston Globe (4/19, Moskowitz, 1.03M), they wrote, If there is anyone who deserves
the ultimate punishment, it is the defendant. However, we must overcome the impulse for vengeance. In
separate comments to the newspaper, Kensky thanked the Richards for bravely [taking] the lead in
starting a public conversation around this important issue in a way that was elegant, respectful and
strong, while Downes said, We believe the [Department of Justice] has the power to make decisions
that could change how this moves forward.
In a column for Bloomberg View (4/20, Feldman, 99K), Noah Feldman questions whether victims should
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have a say in sentencing, noting that given the official theory that the wrong belongs to the American
people, because terrorism aims to affect the whole public, not just the victims and their families, it
would seem that their opinions shouldnt get special weight. But Feldman points out that its worth
noting that the US capital punishment system as it exists today backslides on the theory of public harm
through victim impact statements. He concludes that if we want focus on public solutions to public
harms, we should let government officials make this decision, but if we want to acknowledge that even
public tragedy has a private face, we should listen to the [victims] call for mercy.
Noting that the guilt phase of the trial was considered a slam dunk for prosecutors, especially after his
lawyers bluntly admitted during opening statements that he participated in the deadly 2013 attack, the
AP (4/21, Lavoie) says that the outcome of the penalty phase is much more difficult to predict. The AP
notes pressure from victims and their families for Federal prosecutors to drop their pursuit of the death
penalty, as well as recent public opinion polls that have shown that a majority of Boston-area residents
oppose the death penalty for Tsarnaev.
Citing Federal records, the Boston Globe (4/20, Valencia, Wen, 1.03M) reports that the death penalty is
supported only one out of three times that it is brought before jurors, but legal specialists say these
statistics, while showing the daunting task facing prosecutors, may have little relevance in Tsarnaevs
trial because his case is singular in many ways, noting that few federal death penalty cases involve the
death and maimings at celebrated public events like the Marathon.
According to the Los Angeles Times (4/20, Serrano, 3.49M), while Federal prosecutors are likely to offer
new details about Tsarnaevs embrace of violent Islamic radicalism and anti-Americanism, his defense
team probably will respond by calling old friends and associates to portray the Russian immigrant as a
troubled college student, lured away from typical youthful pursuits like Facebook and Twitter by a
domineering older brother who masterminded the attack.
Noting that defense attorneys did not present a strong argument in support of their client during the guilt
phase of the trial, Reuters (4/21, Malone) cites David Weinstein, a lawyer in private practice in Florida
who brought death penalty cases in prior work as a state and Federal prosecutor, who said, Youre
going to see more emotion in the testimony, adding, You can push the envelope a lot more in terms of
what youre presenting during sentencing.
Citing the sentencing of Oklahoma City bombing conspirator Terry Nichols to life rather than death, as
many jurors saw that as a greater punishment, the Wall Street Journal (4/21, Levitz, Subscription
Publication, 5.67M) says that there could be a similar outcome in this trial, as experts say that while the
legal system views execution as the ultimate punishment, some jurors may see a lifetime of confinement
as the more punitive option.
The Boston Globe (4/18, Wen, 1.03M) profiles Janet Vogelsang, a seasoned social worker, who
previously testified nearly a decade ago, trying to persuade jurors to feel sympathy for Zacarias
Moussaoui, and is now part of Tsarnaevs defense team. According to the Globe, Vogelsang is
probably a major architect of the defense teams strategy, as she is nationally known for assembling
biopsychosocial assessments through which she has delved into the troubled lives of heinous
criminals to try to convince jurors not to impose the death penalty.
Second Marathon Since Attacks Held Monday. Meanwhile, ABC World News (4/20, story 7, 0:25, Muir,
5.84M), NBC Nightly News (4/20, story 8, 0:20, Holt, 7.86M), and the CBS Evening News (4/20, story 11,
2:30, Pelley, 5.08M) reported on Mondays running of the Boston Marathon.
The NBC Nightly News (4/20, story 8, 0:20, Holt, 7.86M) noted that a number of survivors of the bombing
ran in todays marathon, while both ABC World News (4/20, story 7, 0:25, Muir, 5.84M) and the CBS
Evening News (4/20, story 11, 2:30, Pelley, 5.08M) profiled Boston Marathon bombing survivor Rebekah
Gregory, who was injured along with her five-year-old son Noah, and completed three miles of the race,
on the advice of her doctors. CBS recalled the Gregory decided last November to have her damaged leg
amputated, because, as she explained, I was on pain medicine every four hours. I was totally immobile.
I was in a wheelchair for the majority of the time, and that was not okay with me.
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In its coverage of the marathon, USA Today (4/20, MacDonald, 4.95M) says that unlike last years race,
when residents, spectators and runners defiantly joined the event to show they would not be cowed by
terrorism, this years marathon has fresh resonance as a symbol of hope and peace for a city trying to
return to normal. But, USA Today says, this years race is also markedly different because one thing is
coloring all else: the ongoing federal trial of Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.
But the Christian Science Monitor (4/20, Gass, 380K) says that while the trial has dominated headlines in
Boston and around the country for months, the Marathon on Monday provided something of a respite
for Bostonians weighed down by weeks of emotional testimony.
The AP (4/21, Golen) similarly says that nothing in more than a century has done more to shape how the
Boston Marathon is perceived and how it will look in the future than the twin explosions at the finish line
in 2013, noting that since the attacks, the marathon became a touchstone for the resiliency of a city and
its signature sporting event.
Regarding safety precautions taken at this years race, the Boston Herald (4/21, 777K) reports that
thousands of law enforcement officers including from out-of-state departments [were] on duty
across the Boston Marathon route, and State Police Col. Timothy Alben assured prior to the race, I can
tell you there are no active threats against this venue or this race today. We have plenty of people out
there.
NEW YORK MAN SENTENCED TO 25 YEARS FOR ATTEMPTING TO JOIN AQAP. The AP (4/21)
reports Marcos Alonso Zea of Brentwood, Long Island was sentenced Monday to 25 years in prison after
he was thwarted in his attempt to fly to Yemen to join Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and then
admitted continuing to plot with others to assist them. Federal prosecutors said that Zea flew to London
on his way to Yemen in January 2012, but was rejected by customs officials in London and returned to
the United States, where he continued participating in the conspiracy and was arrested in October
2013. In sentencing Zea, US District Court Judge Sandra Feuerstein rejected an appeal for lenience
from Zeas attorney, Marc Bogatin, who argued that despite the guilty plea, his client had not actually
committed any violent acts that would require him to receive the maximum penalty.
Reuters (4/20, Raymond) adds that Zea also supported Justin Kaliebe, then 18, who attempted a similar
trip to Yemen in January 2013, according to prosecutors, but was arrested and later pleaded guilty to
attempting to provide material support to AQAP.
In a statement following Zeas sentencing, the Wall Street Journal (4/21, O'Brien, Subscription
Publication, 5.67M) reports, US Attorney Loretta Lynch said that he presents a chilling reminder of the
danger presented to the United States by homegrown terrorists.
The New York Post (4/21, 3.27M) also covers this story.
UNSEALED COURT DOCUMENTS REVEAL NEW DETAILS ABOUT OHIO TERROR SUSPECT.
Citing newly unsealed court papers, the Wall Street Journal (4/21, Dolan, Subscription Publication,
5.67M) reports Abdirahman Sheik Mohamud, the 23-year-old Ohio man charged last week with providing
material support to terrorists, hosted a shooting group at a local gun range three months after he
returned from Syria, where he trained with the Nusra Front. FBI Special Agent Stephen Flowers
explained the events significance in court documents, saying, Organizing weapons training is consistent
with individuals who previously obtained training from...training camps to, upon return to their homeland,
seek to recruit a group of young male adults in order to lead them to be like-minded jihadist believers
prepared to fight.
CANADIAN OFFICIAL: NUMBER OF CANADIANS TRYING TO JOIN MILITANT GROUPS ON THE
RISE. Reuters (4/21, Ljunggren) reports that Michel Coulombe, head of the Canadian Security
Intelligence Service, told a Senate panel on Monday that in the past few months, the number of
Canadians traveling to join militant groups in Iraq and Syria has increased 50 percent, saying, The
terrorist threat to Canadas national security interests has never been as direct or immediate.
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Other Cyber News:

RSA CONFERENCE DISCUSSED. USA Today (4/20, Weise, 4.95M) advises readers to not be
surprised to get news of more cyber breaches and hacks this week, as cybersecurity firms like to
publicize their discoveries at the annual RSA Conference. USA Today says the security of The Internet
of Things is likely to be a trending topic at the conference. USA Today also says this week should also
bring word of movement within the white-hot world of security companies.
The Wall Street Journal (4/21, Yadron, Subscription Publication, 5.67M) reports that according to Amit
Yoran, president of RSA, the cybersecurity industry has failed at protecting systems, saying in an
interview that even organizations that are investing millions and millions of dollars in security, theyre still
getting compromised on a consistent basis. DHS adviser Jeff Moss is quoted saying that the security
industry is not really fixing the patient. Yoran and Moss are cited saying that commercial softwares
flaws make it difficult for any technology to secure it after the fact; furthermore, competition between
security companies prevents them from advising customers to boost their security by using competitors
technologies as well as their own.
VULNERABILITY OF AIRPLANE COMPUTER SYSTEMS TO HACKING UP FOR DEBATE. The
Washington Post (4/20, Peterson, 5.17M) The Switch blog discusses the possibility of hacking airplane
computer systems, saying the ease of doing so is up for debate. While separating in-flight
entertainment systems and flight-related systems separate may limit the access of attackers, not all
planes seem to be designed with that in mind, including the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Some cybersecurity
experts worry that firewalls for cockpit systems may not be enough, quoting a GAO report saying that
because firewalls are software components, they could be hacked like any other software and
circumvented. Boeing and Airbus defended their systems security in response to the GAO report;
Boeings statement is quoted saying, multiple security measures and flight deck operating procedures
help ensure safe and secure airplane operations.

WSJOURNAL ANALYSIS: US MUSLIMS DIVIDED OVER ADMINISTRATIONS CVE PLAN. The Wall
Street Journal (4/21, Audi, Subscription Publication, 5.67M) reports on divisions within the US Muslim
community over the Administrations Countering Violent Extremism, or CVE, plan, noting that some
community leaders argue the plan casts unfair suspicion on Muslims, while others view the plan as an
opportunity for Muslims to be heard and protect their own communities.
The AP (4/21, Abdollah, Marcelo) reports that many American Muslims have felt confusion since the
Administration announced the Countering Violent Extremism program; Californian Sameer Mohiuddin is
quoted saying, when youre going to come present a program and say its specially geared to prevent
growing extremism in the Muslim community, youre by default saying my community is more
predisposed to extremism. It sets people off. The AP says Los Angeles is where leaders face the
biggest challenge with buy-in on CVE...and where the programs success or failure will likely be decided.
Civil liberties groups are cited warning Muslims to be wary of the programs law-enforcement leadership
structure, though law enforcement officials differentiate outreach from intelligence gathering.
The AP (4/20, Press) discusses the CVE program in a Q&A format.
ALABAMA WOMAN BELIEVED TO HAVE FLED TO JOIN ISIL. The AP (4/21, Swant) reports that the
daughter of a Muslim couple in Alabama fled a Birmingham suburb to join the Islamic State group in
Syria after being recruited on the Internet, according to attorney Hassan Shibly, a spokesman for the
family. Shibly is cited saying the young woman, identified only as Hoda, left after being brainwashed for
an unknown amount of time; Shibly added that the family has been in contact with U.S. law enforcement
and government officials since she disappeared.
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MEDIA ANALYSES: ADDITIONAL US SHIPS ON YEMENI COAST A WARNING TO IRAN. The
Administrations announcement that it is sending the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt and a
guided missile cruiser to the waters off Yemen is being cast as a show force amid fears that Iran is
sending arms to Houthi rebels. The move was reported on two of last nights network news broadcasts
and is widely reported this morning on print media. ABC World News (4/20, story 6, 0:15, Muir, 5.84M)
called the move a show of force, and the Wall Street Journal (4/21, Nissenbaum, Subscription
Publication, 5.67M) says it is meant to serve as a deterrent to Iran.
According to NBC Nightly News (4/20, story 2, 1:55, Holt, 7.86M), the US ships are positioned to
intercept a convoy of Iranian freighters suspected of carrying weapons bound for Yemen. ... Senior
defense officials tell NBC News that a convoy of freighters suspected of carrying weapons appears to be
headed from Iran to Yemen, and, in addition to the US, a coalition of war ships from Egypt, Saudi Arabia
and United Arab Emirates have a blockade in place to interdict any arms shipments. NBC warned that
a military confrontation between the US and Iran could not come at a worse time, but US officials
suspect, or at least hope, the Iranians are playing game of cat and mouse.
In a report titled Warning Iran, US Sends Two More Ships To Yemen, the New York Times (4/21, Shear,
Rosenberg, Subscription Publication, 9.97M) says the deployment of US ships serves as a warning to
Iran about its shipments of weapons to Houthi rebels. While the Administration cast the deployment
primarily as a show of force, it acknowledged that the flotilla could be used to interdict any arms
shipments. An unnamed US official is quoted as saying, This is really about sending a message. It is a
message to our partners that we are in this and willing to support. It is a message to the Iranians that
were watching.
USA Today (4/21, Brook, 4.95M) similarly reports that US defense officials said the Roosevelt is tracking
a convoy of Iranian ships headed to the Gulf of Aden, carrying suspected arms for the Houthis, but
Kevin Corke reported on Fox News Special Report (4/20, 1.53M) that the Defense Department has
confirmed the Roosevelt was sent to intercept any ships that may be carrying weapons to assist the
Houthi rebels. Reuters (4/21, Alexander, Stewart), however, reports Pentagon spokesman Army Col.
Steve Warren denied that the ships were deployed to intercept Iranian arms shipments to the Houthis.
Additionally, AFP (4/21) quotes an unnamed official as saying, To speculate on boardings would be
premature. The Washington Times (4/21, Klimas, 644K), Newsweek (4/20, Mosendz, 118K), and The
Hill (4/20, Wong, 224K) also report the Pentagons denial that the ships plan to intercept the Iranian
convoy, while Jim Sciutto reported on CNNs Situation Room (4/20, 554K) that the US ships are there to
keep the Straits [of Hormuz] open, because the US is worried the Houthis may close off the strategic
waterway.
The AP (4/21, Baldor) reports White House spokesman Josh Earnest would not comment specifically on
any Navy movements in Yemeni waters, but said the US has concerns about what he called Irans
continued support for the Houthis. Said Earnest, We have seen evidence that the Iranians are
supplying weapons and other armed support to the Houthis in Yemen. That support will only contribute to
greater violence in that country. These are exactly the kind of destabilizing activities that we have in mind
when we raise concerns about Irans destabilizing activities in the Middle East.
On CNNs Situation Room (4/20, 554K), Sen. John McCain said the Roosevelts presence to potentially
intercept Iranian warships is a bit ominous, describing it as a very serious, serious situation, and Voice
of America (4/20, Seldin, 70K) says the rising tensions over Yemen appear to be pitting the United
States against Iran in a sensitive showdown in the Gulf of Aden. The Daily Caller (4/20, Wenig, 318K)
notes that US officials have expressed concern over Iran covertly supplying Houthi rebels with
weaponry, saying it could ignite direct conflict with Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, according to a report by the Huffington Post (4/20, Watkins, 281K), Iranian representatives
discouraged Houthi rebels from taking Sanaa last year, US officials say. The newly disclosed
information, it says, casts further doubt on claims that the rebels are a proxy group fighting on behalf of
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Iran, suggesting that the link between Tehran and the Houthis may not be as strong as some have
asserted.
The announcement of the deployment came as Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote in
an op-ed in Mondays New York Times that a nuclear deal between Tehran and the West could lead to
regional cooperation, beginning with the crisis in Yemen. Asked about Zarifs proposal, Reuters (4/21,
Mohammed) reports the State Department said Monday that it could consider talking with Iran about
regional stability, but made a distinction between talking with Iran and working with it. Spokeswoman
Marie Harf said, Weve always said we wont be coordinating or working with the Iranians, and theres a
difference between discussing and working with. At the White House, AFP (4/21) reports, Earnest said it
was a little ironic for Zarif to be calling for a diplomatic resolution in Yemen while at the same time his
country continues to supply arms to one party. The Washington Times (4/21, Taylor, 644K) also reports
on Zarifs op-ed.
Michael Crowley writes for Politico (4/20, Crowley, 669K) that the crisis in Yemen has emerged as a
surprise complication for US-Iranian relations as the Administration seeks to conclude a nuclear deal
with Tehran. But for now, administration officials and outside experts say, tensions over Yemen dont
threaten to derail a nuclear deal.
More Than Two Dozen Killed In Airstrike On Yemeni Capital. In what appeared to be the deadliest
airstrike in Sanaa since a military alliance led by Saudi Arabia began its air campaign against the Shiite
Houthi rebels more than three weeks ago, the Washington Post (4/21, Al-Mujahed, Naylor, 5.17M)
reports that at least 25 people were killed and more than 250 were wounded Monday in a strike on the
Yemeni capital. The airstrike, which targeted a weapons depot, came a day after rebel leader AbdulMalek al-Houthi pledged to press ahead with his campaign despite the coalition strikes. Reuters (4/21)
posted a similar report on the airstrike.
The New York Times (4/21, Kalfood, Fahim, Subscription Publication, 9.97M) reports that the airstrike
set off a huge explosion...flattening homes close to the site and shaking buildings as far away as the
outskirts of the city. While the residents of Sanaa have been caught in the rhythms of an insistent and
repetitive war, Mondays explosion was different, dealing a new psychological blow as its shock wave
knocked residents from their chairs and beds and shattered windows more than a mile away.
Obama, UAE Crown Prince Discuss Regional Security. The AP (4/21) reports that regional insecurity
and the Iran nuclear talks topped the agenda during the Presidents meeting Monday with UAE Crown
Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the White House said. The two did not make any public
remarks after the meeting, but Reuters (4/21, Rampton) quotes a White House statement as saying they
reaffirmed their mutual commitment to close defense and security cooperation. Reuters also notes that
the President will meet with the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council at the White House next month.
Moniz: Inspectors Need Full Access. Bloomberg News (4/21, Snyder, Lakshmanan, 2.94M) reports
that in an interview Monday with Bloomberg TV, Energy Secretary Moniz said inspectors will need full
access as part of any nuclear deal with Tehran. We expect to have anywhere, anytime access, Moniz
said. Inspections, he added, would be part of a well-defined process with a well-defined end time for
access to places that are suspected of out-of-bounds activities. According to Bloomberg News, Moniz
said he thought it would take Iran at least six months to meet the terms of a deal sufficient to warrant
relief from the sanctions.
Iran Charges Washington Post Reporter With Espionage. On NBC Nightly News (4/20, story 8, 2:00,
Holt, 7.86M), Lester Holt reported that Iran has charged Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian with
espionage and writing stories critical of the government. White House press secretary Josh Earnest
called the charges absurd, and called for them to be immediately dismissed. Nancy Cordes added
that Secretary of State John Kerry raised Rezaians case with Iranian leaders during their last round of
nuclear negotiations. And it is sure to come up again...when those talks resume in Vienna tomorrow.
The Washington Post (4/21, Morello, 5.17M) reports that according to Rezaians lawyer, an indictment
alleges that he gathered information about internal and foreign policy and provided it to individuals with
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hostile intent, but included no evidence to justify the accusations. The New York Times (4/21,
Gladstone, Erdbrink, Subscription Publication, 9.97M) notes that one of the counts...accused Mr.
Rezaian of having broken the law by writing a letter to President Obama. Earnest said that while the
Administration has not seen the actual charges, if the reports are true these charges are absurd, should
be immediately dismissed, and Jason should be freed immediately.
According to USA Today (4/21, Yu, 4.95M), Rezaian was informed of his charges after his lawyer visited
him Monday for 90 minutes, his first consultation with a lawyer since the arrest on July 22. The Hill
(4/20, Carney, 224K), meanwhile, reports in its Floor Action blog that Sens. Marco Rubio and Mark Kirk
doubled down Monday on a push to get President Obama to tie Rezaians release to the ongoing Iran
nuclear talks, calling the charges against him the latest example of the true nature of the Iran regime.
TURKEY TRAINS SYRIAN REBELS DESPITE US CONCERNS OVER MISSION. The Washington Post
(4/21, DeYoung, 5.17M) reports that in a joint US-Turkish program, Turkey will begin to train around 200
Syrian opposition fighters next month, despite ongoing Turkish disagreement with the Obama
administration over the enemy they will combat when they finish the six-week course. In an interview on
Monday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that his government will plan to train and equip
around 2,000 over the year. While the US has authorized US-funded training of the moderate Syrian
opposition only to fight against ISIL, Cavusoglu said that combating ISIL is a priority, but that the forces
will also fight the Syrian military.
WSJournal Slams Obamas Syria Policy. In an editorial, the Wall Street Journal (4/21, Subscription
Publication, 5.67M) says that the latest chemical violation of Syrian President Bashar Assads regime
reflects the failure of the Administrations policy of diplomacy to disarm the country of its chemical
weapons. The Journal predicts that Assad will continue gassing Syrians while President Obama,
meanwhile, continues to tout the situation as a disarmament policy win.
SHIITE MILITIAS GIVE BODY BELIEVED TO BE DOURI TO IRAQI GOVERNMENT. The Washington
Post (4/21, Morris, 5.17M) reports that Shiite militiamen have handed over to the Iraqi government the
body of a man they claim is Izzat Ibrahim Douri, a former top military commander under Saddam
Hussein. The Post notes that there is no solid confirmation that the man is Douri, and some observers
have expressed doubts that the 72-year-old, whose death has been announced on numerous occasions
in the past, would have been on the battlefield at all, allegedly fighting alongside Islamic State militants.
AIR FORCE OFFICER CALLS ISIL THREATS AGAINST US PERSONNEL A DISPLAY OF
COWARDICE. In an op-ed for USA Today (4/21, 4.95M), Michael Bob Starr, a Colonel in the US Air
Force and the B-1 bomber wing commander at Dyess Air Force Base, calls ISILs mining of the Internet
for personal information on US military personnel in order to threaten them and their families a display of
cowardice, adding that he will not be intimidated by the actions of cowards. Starr adds that he will
continue to tell stories about our servicemen and women, and expresses hope that others choose to do
the same.
ISIL CLAIMS RESPONSIBILITY FOR AFGHANISTAN ATTACK THAT KILLED 33. Jennifer Griffin
reported on Fox News Special Report with Bret Baier (4/20, 1.53M) that in Afghanistan this weekend, a
suicide bomber on a motorcycle killed 33 people, wounding 100 in Jalalabad. ISIS took responsibility.
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said that there are some situations in which we believe
individuals claim a link to ISIL without a lot of credibility nearly because they sense a propaganda victory
embedded in that claim.
US BEGINS TRAINING UKRAINIAN NATIONAL GUARD. The Washington Times (4/21, Klimas, 644K)
reports that on Monday, about 300 members of the US Armys 173rd Airborne Brigade began a sixmonth operation to train about 900 of Ukraines national guardsmen in a variety of skills, the Pentagon
said. Spokesman Col. Steve Warren said, As weve said for months, this latest training, which is as
valuable in peacetime as it is in times of conflict, is to establish a professional force that protects and
defends Ukraines people as well as the countrys sovereignty.
US TO SEND $18 MILLION IN FOOD, HEALTH, SHELTER AID TO UKRAINE. The AP (4/21) reports
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the White House said Monday that Vice President Biden informed Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko
during a telephone call that the US will send nearly $18 million in aid to provide shelter, food vouchers,
potable water and health and sanitation in regions affected by the fighting between government forces
and pro-Russia separatists.
PENTAGON: ISIL HAS GAINED A TOEHOLD IN LIBYA. The Washington Times (4/21, Klimas, 644K)
reports that the Pentagon said Monday that ISIL has gained a toehold in Libya, suggesting that the
terrorist group is spreading from the Middle East into North Africa. Pentagon spokesman Col. Steve
Warren said ISILs expansion into Libya goes beyond just a re-branding effort, suggesting the group is
actually spreading into new territory. Nonetheless, Warren said that the USs focus in the fight against
the Islamic State is in Iraq and Syria, but said a new authorization for the use of military force currently
being considered by Congress would give the president more power to fight the Islamic State wherever
they are.
New Video Highlights Growing ISIL Threat In Libya. Brett Baier reported on Fox News Special Report
(4/20, 1.53M) that there is a renewed sense of revulsion tonight across much of the world following the
release of another video showing ISIL terrorists murdering Christian hostages. Jennifer Griffin reported
that when asked about the latest ISIL execution video in Libya today, President Obama did not respond
but White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest later added, The United States condemns in the
strongest terms the brutal mass murder by ISIL-affiliated terrorists of what the murderers claim are
Ethiopian Christians in Libya.
When asked about the future of Libya in light of ISILs beheading of Ethiopian Christians on Sunday, Sen.
John McCain on CNNs Situation Room (4/20, 554K) said that he would not send US troops into Libya
but that the US needs to assist other countries in the region to try and stabilize the situation there.
NETANYAHU GRANTED TWO WEEK EXTENSION TO FORM NEW GOVERNMENT. The Los Angeles
Times (4/21, Sobelman, 3.49M) reports that Israeli President Reuven Rivlin has given Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu, who is struggling to form a government, an extension to complete negotiations
for a new ruling coalition. While Netanyahu has held talks with the five conservative parties he refers to
as his natural partners, a month of negotiations have yet to yield an agreement with any of them to join
a ruling coalition. Meanwhile, Politico (4/20, Lerner, 669K) noted that rumors have circulated that the
center-left Zionist Union, the second largest party after election day, might take part in a national unity
government with Netanyahus Likud, but Zionist Union leader Isaac Herzog denied these rumors and
restated his partys intention to join the opposition.
NORTH KOREA THREATENS US AMBASSADOR TO SOUTH. On CNNs Situation Room (4/20, 554K),
Brian Todd reported that North Korea has threatened US Ambassador to South Korea after only weeks
after he was attacked by someone with a knife. Todd said North Korea praised the attack in a
government press statement and warned that if he doesnt watch himself... in the future, he might have
to deal with something far worse.
ABE RESTATEMENT OF JAPANS WW2 APOLOGY STATEMENT SPARKS CONCERNS. The
Washington Post (4/21, Fifield, 5.17M) reports that ahead of the 70th anniversary of Japans World War
II surrender, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is preparing a statement to reflect Japans officially
stated remorse for its wartime aggressions. However, some like former Prime Minster Tomiichi
Murayama, who wrote Tokyos 1995 landmark apology, worry that Abe may try to dilute the sentiment by
avoiding the key words of colonial rule and aggression, choosing to focus on Japan as a a peaceloving nation. The Post adds that in doing so, Abe risks tipping East Asia into a new era of bad feeling.
PINCUS: US, RUSSIA EXPLOITING LOOPHOLE IN NEW STRATEGIC ARMS REDUCTION TREATY.
In his column for the Washington Post (4/21, 5.17M), Walter Pincus criticizes the Air Forces plan to
spend billions of extra dollars so that a president 10 or more years from now can have two options if he
or she wants to use bombers to attack an enemy with nuclear weapons, asking how many nuclear
options does that future president really need to deter a nuclear attack or respond to one? Pincus
argues that efforts by the US and Russia to modernize their nuclear-capable long-range cruise missiles
and bombers actually lets them take advantage of a loophole in the 2010 New Strategic Arms Reduction
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Treaty, adding that while the treaty may have been a step forward to Obamas goal of a weapons-free
world, the price he paid has turned out to be two steps backward.
ROLL CALL ANALYSIS: CONGRESS IN NO HURRY TO MOVE POLICING LEGISLATION. Roll Call
(4/20, Zeller, Subscription Publication, 102K) reported that in the immediate wake of the Michael Brown
shooting in Ferguson, Missouri, it seemed a bipartisan consensus had emerged in Washington that
something was deeply wrong with law enforcement in majority-black communities, and Congress is in
no hurry to move on legislation. Roll Call says the Republican decision to let the issue go is surprising
because of the momentum that built after Ferguson and the death at the hands of police of another black
man, Eric Garner, in New York City. While Republicans view policing as a strictly local issue,
Democrats say it also shows that the GOP figures the people who protested last year arent its voters,
anyway.
NYTIMES A1: 1.5 MILLION BLACK MEN MISSING LARGELY DUE TO EARLY DEATH,
INCARCERATION. A front-page story in the New York Times (4/20, A1, Wolfers, Leonhardt, Quealy,
Subscription Publication, 9.97M) reports that there 83 black men between 25 and 54 for every 100 black
women in the same age group, and the remaining men 1.5 million of them are, in a sense, missing,
due to early deaths or because they are behind bars. The Times calls the figures a measure of the
deep disparities that continue to afflict black men disparities being debated after a recent spate of
killings by the police and the gender gap is itself a further cause of social ills, leaving many
communities without enough men to be fathers and husbands.
DOJ WONT INTERVENE IN INVESTIGATION OF SUSPECTS DEATH IN BALTIMORE POLICE
CUSTODY. While print coverage is relatively light this morning, all three network news broadcasts led
with coverage of the death of Freddie Gray, spending seven minutes and 35 seconds on the story. Much
of the coverage focuses on comments from police and city officials about the investigation into Grays
death and the still-unanswered question of how he sustained the injury which led to his death.
Mary Brandenberger, spokeswoman for the Justice Departments Office of Community Oriented Policing,
said that it would be premature for the Department to intervene in the investigation. The Baltimore Sun
(4/20, 810K) reports that while Brandenberger said, It would be premature for our office to do so as we
are in the middle of the collaborative reform process, Baltimore City Council President Bernard C. Jack
Young said he continues to support a broader, civil rights probe into the police department, a step he
requested in October before Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake asked federal officials for a collaborative
review. Young said that while Grays death does not heighten the need for such a probe because there
are too many unanswered questions, Baltimore police should not be the agency investigating those
questions.
The New York Times (4/21, Stolberg, Subscription Publication, 9.97M) says Rawlings-Blake on Sunday
vowed the city would conduct a thorough investigation to make sure the facts come out. RawlingsBlake told MSNBC on Monday that she told the police department to cooperate with the states
attorneys office in an investigation, saying, Weve already indicated that we will also have independent
eyes take a look at this. ... This is not the first time that I have asked for independent review, so we can
make sure we are getting this right for the people.
David Muir reported in the lead story for ABC World News (4/20, lead story, 2:35, Muir, 5.84M) that there
is an intense focus on several videos of Grays arrest. David Kerley added that an autopsy shows Gray
suffered a severe spinal injury, adding that an attorney for Grays family says the burden for that injury
belongs to the police. Kerley added that the question of where Gray suffered the injury remains
unanswered. While Baltimores Mayor says the injury happened in the van, that still seems unclear,
and in the lead story for the CBS Evening News (4/20, lead story, 2:05, Pelley, 5.08M), Chip Reid
reported that while protesters want to know exactly how he died, at a press conference today, there
were only partial answers.
In a separate story, the Baltimore Sun (4/20, 810K) reports that in the first account of Grays arrest,
police wrote in charging documents filed in District Court, that he was arrested without force or incident
for having a switchblade knife and suffered a medical emergency during transport. Police said at a news
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conference on Monday that Gray repeatedly asked for medical care and did not receive it during the
arrest that preceded his death. Police Commissioner Anthony W. Batts said policies relating to prisoner
transports and when officers should call medics for suspects are being reviewed. USA Today (4/21,
Bacon, Welch, 4.95M) adds that Batts said investigators are still trying to determine how Gray suffered
his injury, and that he appeared to have been breathing and talking on his own when placed in a police
van after being taken into custody on April 12, and the Washington Post (4/21, Bever, Ohlheiser, 5.17M)
notes that Deputy Police Commissioner Jerry Rodriguez said that police had no evidence of any use of
excessive force at this point, including from the preliminary results of the autopsy, which found a very
tragic injury to his spinal cord, which resulted in his death.
In the lead story for NBC Nightly News (4/20, lead story, 2:55, Holt, 7.86M), Tom Costello reported that
this is only the most recent case of alleged police brutality here. According to the Baltimore Sun, over
the past four years more than a hundred people have won court judgments or settlements related to
police brutality or civil rights violations.
FBI CLEARS TULSA RESERVE DEPUTY OF CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN SUSPECTS DEATH.
David Muir reported on ABC World News (4/20, story 2, 0:25, Muir, 5.84M) that the FBI has cleared
Tulsa, Oklahoma reserve deputy Roberts Bates of any civil rights violations related to the shooting
death of Eric Bates.
Meanwhile Tulsa County, Oklahoma Sheriff Stanley Glanz on Monday apologized to Harris family, but
continued to defend the reserve program and his department generally, the New York Times (4/21,
Prez-Pea, Subscription Publication, 9.97M) reports. Speaking during a press conference, Glanz said,
We are sorry Eric was taken from you. I am sorry we were involved, and my sympathy goes out to that
family, but when he was asked whether Bates, who apparently mistook his gun for a Taser, should
have been working as a reserve deputy, he said, Yes, he should have been, adding that the reserve
program is vital to the office, and USA Today (4/21, Bacon, Winter, 4.95M) says Glanz said there is no
evidence that any training records for Reserve Deputy Robert Bates were falsified, a contention raised by
lawyers for the Harris family.

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From:
To:
Subject:
Date:
Attachments:
The Homeland Security News Briefing for Wednesday, April 22, 2015
dhsclips150422.doc

DATE: WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2015 5:00 AM EDT

LEADING DHS NEWS:
+ Secretary Speaks At RSA Conference.
+ 27 Charged With Marriage Fraud In South Florida.
+ Army Personnel Accused Of Selling High-Tech Military Equipment.
+ Some Border Area Residents Object To Border Patrol Checkpoints.
+ Undocumented Man Arrested For False US Citizenship Claim.
+ TSA To Add Employees At Salt Lake City Airport After Congress Members Complaint.
+ Charges Yet To Be Filed Against Groping Suspects.
+ Strip Search Lawsuit Settled.
+ Port Of Portland Officials Examining New Airport Worker Screening Recommendations.
+ TSA, FBI Alerting Airlines To Watch For Evidence Of Passenger Wi-Fi Tampering.
+ Millions Of Americans Brace For Severe Weather.
+ US Senate Banking Committee To Conduct Flood Insurance Fraud Allegations Probe.
+ USCIS Says Some Gang Members Given Dreamers Protections.
+ Knight In Heated Exchange With Anti-Immigration Protester.
+ Arpaio Contempt Proceeding Discussed.
+ McCain: Republicans Must Address Immigration.
+ Walker Contemplates Limits On Legal Immigration.
+ Bush Says He Would Overturn Executive Actions.
US COAST GUARD:
+ Coast Guard Pilots New Book Cites Lessons Learned From Plane Crashes.
+ Coast Guard Helicopter Crew Suffers Laser Strike.
+ Florida Nelson Wants Data Regarding 11-Year-Old Oil Leak.
+ Hartford Courant: Coast Guard Museum Could Help Revitalize Downtown New London.
+ House Poised To Vote This Week On Two Cyberthreat Sharing Bills.
+ Administration Proposes $15 Billion Overhaul Of Nations Energy Infrastructure.
+ Expert Says Smart Cities Vulnerable To Hacking.
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+ Prosecution Says Tsarnaev Unrepentant, Unchanged.

+ Lawyers For Chicago Teen Arrested For Trying To Join ISIL Argue For His Release.
+ Kansas Man Pleads Not Guilty To Attempting To Bomb Fort Riley.
+ California Man Seeks To Have 2007 Terrorism Conviction Overturned.
+ Bin Ladens Bodyguard Asks For Release From Gitmo.
+ Ohio Man Accused Of Terrorist Plot Taught Group How To Shoot Guns.
+ University Of Alabama Student Joined ISIL.
OTHER CYBER NEWS:
+ White House Hopes Silicon Valley Can Create Strong Yet Penetrable Encryption.
+ Huawei CEO Critical Of Chinas Push For Domestic Technology.
+ Cybersecurity Experts Discuss Alternatives To Password Process.
+ Cyber Experts To Participate In NATO Cybersecurity Exercise.
+ Cylance CEO: North Koreans Hackers Liked Phished For Login Information At Sony Pictures.
+ Authorities Investigating MH 370 Faced Cyberattacks.
+ ISIL Media Efforts Boosting Groups Expansion.
+ Obama: US Ships Off Coast Of Yemen To Protect Navigation.
+ US Coalition Carries Out 22 Strikes In Iraq.
+ Conflicting Reports Over Whether Al-Baghdadi Was Injured.
+ Thousands Return To Ramadi After Iraqi Military Retakes Key Areas.
+ ISIL Bans Archaeology, Hotels.
+ LATimes Urges Congress To Vote On AUMF.
+ Eastern Europe May Be Doubting US Security Commitment.
+ Questions Raised About Administrations Timeline For Irans Nuclear Program.
+ US Envoy Urges North Korea To Learn From Iran Talks.
+ Obama Proposes Nuclear Power Cooperation Agreement With China.
+ Egyptian Court Sentences Morsi To 20 Years In Prison.
+ Japanese Officials Believe New Laws Could Force Tokyo Into Conflicts.
+ Amnesty International Criticizes Administration For Not Taking Action Following Senate CIA Report.
+ Federal Prosecutors Seek Severe Sentence For Former CIA Officer In Leak Case.
+ McConnell Fast-Tracks Bill That Would Extend Patriot Act Provision Through 2020.
+ Holders DOJ Frequently Backed Use Of Force By Police Before Supreme Court.
+ DOJ Investigating Death Of Man In Custody Of Baltimore Police.
+ Tulsa Reserve Deputy Pleads Not Guilty To Manslaughter.
Leading DHS News:

SECRETARY SPEAKS AT RSA CONFERENCE. USA Today (4/21, Weise, 4.95M) reports that
Secretary Johnson announced at the RSA conference that DHS plans to open a satellite office in Silicon
Valley. USA Today says the move is a peace offering to the tech community, which was angered by
Edward Snowdens revelations of government surveillance. Johnson reportedly seeks ways for DHS to
work with companies racing to encrypt their files, also due to Snowden, in the belief that the
departments inability to access encrypted information poses public safety challenges. The office will
also help DHS entice top Valley tech talent to come work for it, in the new United States Digital Service.
Johnson is quoted saying, I hope some of you listening will consider a tour of service for your country.
Reuters (4/21) says a satellite office would be unprecedented, and a signal of the governments intent to
improve relationships with the tech industry. Johnson is quoted saying, We want to strengthen critical
relationships in Silicon Valley and ensure the government and the private sector benefits from each
others research and development, adding that we want to convince some of the talented workforce
here in Silicon Valley to come to Washington. The new U.S. Digital Service provides the option for talent
to flow and rotate between private industry and our government teams. Regarding encryption, Johnson
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is quoted saying, The current course we are on, towards deeper and deeper encryption, in response to
the demands of the marketplace, is one that presents real challenges to those in law enforcement and
national security. Furthermore, Encryption is making it harder for your government to find criminal
activity...we need your help to find the solution.
The San Jose (CA) Mercury News (4/22, Nelson, 936K) says the satellite offices placement highlights
DHSs growing presence in detecting and preventing cybercrime. Johnson is quoted saying, In the
name of homeland security, we can build more walls, erect more screening devices, interrogate more
people and make everybody suspicious of each other, but we should not do this at the cost of who we
are as a nation of people who cherish privacy and freedom to travel, celebrate our diversity and who are
not afraid.
The Hill (4/22, Viebeck, 224K) says Johnsons appearance at the RSA conference was focused on
pitching the idea that Silicon Valley and the government can work as partners. Johnson is quoted
saying, My message to you today is this: government does not have all the answers or all the talent,
adding, Cybersecurity must be a partnership between government and the private sector. We need each
other, and we must work together. There are things government can do for you, and there are things we
need you to do for us. However, Silicon Valley and the federal government still appear far apart on
most issues.
The San Francisco Business Times (4/22, Parker, Subscription Publication, 58K) quotes a DHS tweet
saying that At #RSAC, Sec. Johnson announces #DHS will open satellite office in Silicon Valley to help
serve our friends there. #DHSatRSA Another tweet is quoted saying, At #RSAC, Sec. Johnson
announces #DHS will open satellite office in Silicon Valley to help serve our friends there. #DHSatRSA
Federal Computer Week (4/21, 263K) reports that Johnson also announced he will soon hire a new
leader for the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center.
KGO-TV San Francisco (4/22, 4K) also discusses Johnsons remarks on its website.

27 CHARGED WITH MARRIAGE FRAUD IN SOUTH FLORIDA. The Miami Herald (4/22, 694K) reports
that 27 have been charged in South Florida with marriage fraud, including organizers, recruiters and
unlawful immigrants. The three main defendants are accused of charging a fee to arrange fraudulent
marriages between U.S. citizens and undocumented aliens, as well as notarizing phony marriage
licenses, completing necessary immigration paperwork and preparing the participants for their interviews
with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. ICE investigated this case.
ARMY PERSONNEL ACCUSED OF SELLING HIGH-TECH MILITARY EQUIPMENT. The Denver Post
(4/22, Mitchell, 804K) reports that two sergeants at Fort Carson in Colorado and two others are accused
of ties to a ring that sold high-tech military equipment to China, Russia, and Ireland. Bond has been set
for all four suspects. US Attorney John Walsh is quoted saying the items ranged from MREs to sensitive
technology, and was mainly sold on eBay. HSI is among the agencies that investigated this case.

SOME BORDER AREA RESIDENTS OBJECT TO BORDER PATROL CHECKPOINTS. The Christian
Science Monitor (4/21, 380K) reports that some residents of US border areas are partaking in an
unusual protest movement by refusing to answer questions about their citizenship when stopped at
Border Patrol checkpoints north of the US-Mexico border. The Monitor notes the broad array of
outcomes, from detentions, even arrests, to agents [waving] the protesters through. The Monitor says
that such checkpoint conflicts are understandable in whats become a 100-mile wide, 2,000-mile long
US conflict zone, and the post-9/11 expansion of Border Patrol powers have led some to feel a
troubling sense of the borderlands as US territory slowly slipping under a paramilitary thumb. Doyle
Amidon, patrol agent in charge at the Falfurrias, Texas checkpoint, is quoted saying, Some people do
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get upset and say they dont have to answer all our questions, and theyre right, to a certain extent,
adding, But we have the right to be there, and we can ask questions about where youre going.
Arivaca Protesters Want Closer Monitoring Of Agents. The AP (4/22) reports that residents of
Arivaca, Arizona who have protested a Border Patrol checkpoint for the past year want to monitor
agents from 20 feet away, a much closer position than they can now. A Federal judge in Tucson will
decide on an injunction request against Border Patrol regulations requiring protesters to be 150 away.
The request was made in a lawsuit filed by two Arivaca residents, which is ongoing.
UNDOCUMENTED MAN ARRESTED FOR FALSE US CITIZENSHIP CLAIM. The Washington Times
(4/22, Chasmar, 644K) reports that Orlando Castaneda-Diaz, a Mexican citizen who entered the US
illegally over a week ago, was reportedly arrested after presenting Border Patrol agents with a drivers
license identifying himself as an Edinburg, Texas resident named David. The only problem was the
Border Patrol agents knew David, a fellow agent assigned to the Falfurrias area. Castaneda-Diaz
admitted to having a birth certificate and Social Security card identifying him as David which he bought
for $2,000 from a man in Matamoros, Mexico.

TSA TO ADD EMPLOYEES AT SALT LAKE CITY AIRPORT AFTER CONGRESS MEMBERS
COMPLAINT. The Salt Lake (UT) Tribune (4/22, 405K) reports that Rep. Jason Chaffetz complained to
the TSA about security lines at Salt Lake City International Airport so long that passengers offered
upwards of $50 to other passengers in order to move ahead in line and not miss their flights. In
response, the TSA plans to add as many as 20 full-time equivalent employees there. After meeting with
Ron Malin, TSA Federal security director for Utah, Chaffetz is quoted saying, I applaud the decision.
Chaffetz added that Malin is committed to making the TSA screening operation, including TSA PreCheck, work consistently and effectively. His commitment to keep the Pre-Check lines open during
advertised hours will ensure passenger safety and preclude a repeat of unexpected line closures and
delays. Chaffetz also expressed satisfaction with the TSAs decision to add dogs to the airports
screening process.
CHARGES YET TO BE FILED AGAINST GROPING SUSPECTS. The Hill (4/22, Laing, 224K) reports
that charges have yet to be filed against two TSA agents at Denver International Airport who were fired
for allegedly plotting to grope male passengers. A spokeswoman for the Denver District Attorneys office
indicated that officials initially could not press charges because no passengers had identified themselves
as victims. However, recent media coverage has prompted a number of people to report to the Denver
police department that they may have been a victim...this has enabled the investigation to be reopened.
Once the investigation is complete, a detective will present the case and we will review it to see if the
new information is enough to support filing a criminal charge(s). TSA officials are cited saying the agents
were terminated as soon as the groping allegations against them were validated.
STRIP SEARCH LAWSUIT SETTLED. The AP (4/22, Williams) reports that Shoshana Hebshi, who was
strip-searched at a Detroit-area airport, has settled a lawsuit filed on her behalf, according to the ACLU.
Hebshi will be given $40,000 as compensation for being humiliated on the 10th anniversary of the 9/11
terrorist attacks after armed agents forced her from a plane at Detroit Metropolitan Airport, made her
undress during a search and held her for hours. Hebshi, of Jewish and Saudi Arabian descent, claims
she was ethnically profiled based on her dark complexion.
PORT OF PORTLAND OFFICIALS EXAMINING NEW AIRPORT WORKER SCREENING
RECOMMENDATIONS. The Oregonian (4/22, 950K) reports that officials with the Port of Portland are
still trying to determine how heightened screening requirements recommended for airline and airport
workers would affect Portland International Airport operations. Port spokesman Steven Johnson said his
agency still needs to meet with TSA officials to better understand the specifics and any needed
changes. The Oregonian briefly reviews the recommendations made by Secretary Johnson; an
unidentified TSA official is cited saying the recommendations are not mandatory and are unfunded.
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TSA, FBI ALERTING AIRLINES TO WATCH FOR EVIDENCE OF PASSENGER WI-FI TAMPERING.
Wired (4/22, 4.24M) reports that in response to reports that passenger Wi-Fi networks make some
planes vulnerable to hacking, the TSA and the FBI have issued an alert to airlines advising them to be
on the lookout for evidence of tampering or network intrusions. The agencies noted that media claims
that a plane can be commandeered through passenger networks remain theoretical and unproven, but
the media publicity associated with these statements may encourage actors to use the described
intrusion methods.

MILLIONS OF AMERICANS BRACE FOR SEVERE WEATHER. ABC World News (4/21, story 4, 0:55,
Muir, 5.84M) broadcast that millions of Americans were bracing for severe weather last night. Hail could
fall today in some parts of Texas and Oklahoma, as it did yesterday in Alpharetta, Georgia.
US SENATE BANKING COMMITTEE TO CONDUCT FLOOD INSURANCE FRAUD ALLEGATIONS
PROBE. Newsday (4/22, Ryan, 1.41M) reports a congressional staffer says the US Senate Banking
Committee has agreed to investigate FEMAs response to Superstorm Sandy-related flood insurance
fraud allegations. The investigation was requested last month by US Sens. Charles Schumer and Kirsten
Gillibrand of New York and Robert Menendez and Cory Booker of New Jersey. Newsday, which points
out that FEMA has been working to settle the flood insurance dispute, says the congressional probe will
focus on how long it took the agency to call for an investigation of fraud allegations.

USCIS SAYS SOME GANG MEMBERS GIVEN DREAMERS PROTECTIONS. The Washington Times
(4/22, Dinan, 644K) reports that a letter from USCIS chief Leon Rodriguez released on Tuesday by
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles E. Grassley revealed that Emmanuel Jesus RangelHernandez, the man accused of murdering a former contestant on Americas Next Top Model was
already a known gang member when he received DACA protection. Rodriguez is quoted saying in the
letter that based on standard procedures and processes in place at the time, the [deferred action]
request and related employment authorization should not have been approved. In addition, the letter
admitted that another 20 immigrants with potential gang ties have also been approved. RangelHernandezs status was revoked on March 5, a month after hed already been arrested by police and
accused of killing the former contestant and three others. The Times says the admissions are a serious
black eye for Mr. Obamas amnesty program.
McClatchy (4/21, Subscription Publication, 17K) reports that when Rangel-Hernandez applied for and was
granted DACA status in 2013, he was listed in a federal crime database as a known gang member.
McClatchy says it is unclear whether his background check failed to discover the record in the database
or whether an adjudicator approved the application despite knowledge of the gang ties. Grassley and
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) highlighted the Rangel-Hernandez case after being told of it by a Federal
whistleblower.
WSOC-TV Charlotte, NC (4/22, 196K) quotes Sen. Grassley on its website: This statement by USCIS
confirms what we have feared that USCIS is not doing a thorough job reviewing the individuals who it
allows to stay in this country under the presidents deferred action program. Its no secret that USCIS
staff is under intense pressure to approve every DACA application that comes across their desk, and
based on this information, its clear that adequate protocols are not in place to protect public safety. The
fact is that this tragedy could have been avoided if the agency had a zero-tolerance policy with regard to
criminal aliens and gang members.
KNIGHT IN HEATED EXCHANGE WITH ANTI-IMMIGRATION PROTESTER. The Hill (4/21, Devaney,
224K) reports that in a video posted on YouTube over the weekend, Rep. Stephen Knight (R) got into a
heated exchange with an anti-immigration protester over the weekend. Knight, an Army veteran and
longtime LA police officer, denied accusations that he voted for amnesty and told one protester, If
you touch me again, Ill drop your ass.
OPS054000690
ARPAIO CONTEMPT PROCEEDING DISCUSSED. The Los Angeles Times (4/22, Muskal, 3.49M)
reports that on Tuesday, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio faced what may be his most demanding
and dangerous opponent: U.S. District Judge G. Murray Snow, who will decide whether to hold Arpaio in
contempt for violating the judges order barring sheriffs department policy on immigration patrols.
Arpaio has acknowledged disobeying the judges order and also accepted responsibility for some other
issues, but has refused to comment on the current proceeding.
The AP (4/22) reports that Sgt. Brett Palmer, former supervisor on Arpaios immigrant smuggling squad,
provided a rare glimpse into the inner workings of Sheriff Joe Arpaios office on Tuesday. Palmer
described the prevailing ethic at the sheriffs office as that its our duty to make the sheriff look good to
the media and the public.
Reuters (4/22) reports that Palmer said his push for training for deputies to comply with the court order
was obstructed because it was contrary to the goals and the objectives of the sheriff.
MCCAIN: REPUBLICANS MUST ADDRESS IMMIGRATION. The Hill (4/22, Carney, 224K) Floor
Action blog reports that Sen. John McCain said Tuesday that Republicans must address the immigration
issue as we are losing support in the Hispanic community, further advising that we need to do it in a
constructive fashion, or we do not win the 2016 election. McCain expressed worry that GOP
presidential candidates could hurt their party if they criticize immigrants too harshly, adding that one of
2012 Republican nominee Mitt Romneys biggest mistakes was his expressed support for selfdeportation.
WALKER CONTEMPLATES LIMITS ON LEGAL IMMIGRATION. Politico (4/22, Breitman, 669K) says
Republican hopeful Scott Walker is under fire for what a former aide calls an Olympics-quality flip-flop
on immigration. After distancing himself from prior statements supporting a pathway to legal status for
undocumented immigrants, Walker appeared to go a step further by saying on Glenn Becks radio show
that he supports limits on legal immigration. Walker is quoted saying, it is a fundamentally lost issue by
many elected [politicians] today is what is [legal immigration] doing for American workers looking for
jobs, what is this doing to wages, and we need to have that be the forefront of our discussion going
forward. Walkers aides stated he has laid out similar positions before. Former Walker aide Liz Mair is
quoted tweeting, Im extraordinarily glad I dont have to defend a) that level of policy gymnastics or b)
that specific dubious policy.
The Hill (4/21, McCabe, 224K) Ballot Box blog quotes Walker: in terms of legal immigration, what we
need to approach that going forward is saying, we will make adjustments.
Bloomberg Politics (4/21, Weigel, 169K) reports that Sen. Jeff Sessions told reporters that he fully
agreed with Walker. Sessions was enjoying his unexpected new role as policy adviser to a
Republican presidential front-runner, as Walker, alone among the 2016 contenders, had talked to
Sessions about immigration policy. Bloomberg also says Walkers stance puts him at odds with the
Koch networks, just a day after David Koch told reporters that he was inclined to back Walker.
BUSH SAYS HE WOULD OVERTURN EXECUTIVE ACTIONS. The Hill (4/22, Kamisar, 224K) Ballot
Box blog reports that Jeb Bush said in an interview that Federal courts may strike down President
Obamas executive actions on immigration, but if they did not he said he would act. Bush is quoted
saying, yes I would, its possible that by the time the next president arrives the court will overturn those.
US Coast Guard:
COAST GUARD PILOTS NEW BOOK CITES LESSONS LEARNED FROM PLANE CRASHES. The
Pensacola (FL) News Journal (4/21, Davis, 119K) reports on Dave Moore, a Coast Guard pilot who wrote
a new book on how to be an effective leader and team member, citing lessons hes learned in
surviving two plane crashes and performing search and rescue missions with the Coast Guard. The
article notes that Moore survived his first plane crash in December 1997. Moore remarked that an NTSB
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investigator had told him after the crash that there was no reason that he should be alive.
COAST GUARD HELICOPTER CREW SUFFERS LASER STRIKE. The AP (4/22, Press) reports that a
Coast Guard helicopter crew reportedly suffered a laser strike from an unknown ground source when
conducting a training flight in Port Angeles, Washington. Crewmembers in the back of the helicopter
reported the laser strike; the crew landed safely after the incident.
FLORIDA NELSON WANTS DATA REGARDING 11-YEAR-OLD OIL LEAK. The New Orleans TimesPicayune (4/22, 621K) reports that US Sen. Bill Nelson has asked DHS to release all videos and
photographs of what he terms an 11-year-old leak from a Taylor Energy Co. platform downed by
Hurricane Ivan in 2004. The Times-Picayune cites AP reporting from last week saying the leak is 20
times more substantial than previously reported. Nelson is quoted saying, oil infrastructure in the gulf
this is just unbelievable operated by the Taylor Energy Company continues to leak crude oil since one
of the hurricanes years ago. An Interior Department official is cited saying a United Command is
operating daily overflights of the oil sheen and the department is working to garner a response to Sen.
Nelsons report.
HARTFORD COURANT: COAST GUARD MUSEUM COULD HELP REVITALIZE DOWNTOWN NEW
LONDON. The Hartford (CT) Courant (4/21, 557K) says in an editorial that the National Coast Guard
Museum could help New London, Connecticuts downtown take a great step forward. The Courant says
that with new housing and arts facilities, and excellent train and ferry connections, the Coast Guard
Museum could mean a great deal to the old whaling city.

HOUSE POISED TO VOTE THIS WEEK ON TWO CYBERTHREAT SHARING BILLS. Reuters (4/21,
Zengerle) reports the House is expected on Wednesday to consider and pass with support from both
Republicans and Democrats cyber threat sharing legislation approved unanimously last month by the
House Intelligence Committee. A companion bill is also making its way through the Senate, where it is
also expected to win easy approval. Reuters notes that while previous bill have stalled in the past, recent
major cyberattacks, such as last years Sony hack, have provided the issue with greater urgency.
However, The Hill (4/22, Bennett, 224K) reports that a tidal wave of privacy-related amendments has
been submitted for the two House cyber bills scheduled for votes Wednesday and Thursday. For
example, Rep. Justin Amash (R-MI) submitted 11 privacy-focused amendments for the Homeland
Security panels bill that would strengthen language requiring personal information be stripped from the
shared data and clarify that the government could only use the data for cybersecurity purposes. Reps.
Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) and Jared Polis (D-CO) submitted similar privacy-focused amendments for the
Intelligence bill.
In a separate story, The Hill (4/22, Bennett, 224K) adds that lawmakers will get to vote on whether the
Houses two major cybersecurity bills should sunset after seven years after the Rules Committee
approved the amendment, however, none of Amashs amendments will make it to the floor.
The Hill (4/22, Bennett, 224K) notes that Congressional offices are being flooded with competing letters
ahead of nearing votes on major cybersecurity legislation, as privacy advocates sent every House
member and every senator a letter urging a no vote on companion bills from the House and Senate
Intelligence committees, because, the advocate argue, the measures wouldnt restrict sensitive data
from getting quickly to the intelligence community.
However, Reuters (4/21, Rampton) reports in another story that while the White House said Tuesday that
it has some concerns about the House bill approved by the Intelligence panel, it supports its passage.
Specifically, The Hill (4/22, Bennett, 224K) reports, the White House warned that liability protections for
companies might go too far, because overly broad liability protections in both House bills could remove
incentives for companies to protect their customers personal information and may weaken cybersecurity
writ large.
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In yet another story, The Hill (4/21, Bennett, 224K) describes potential passage of the House bill as big
win for industry groups, following a years-long push from the business community to make
cybersecurity a top priority.
Cyber Threat Sharing Bills To Be Debated Wednesday, Thursday. Congressional Quarterly (4/22,
Subscription Publication, 967) reports that the House Rules Committee has approved debate rules for
the Protecting Cyber Networks Act and the National Cybersecurity Protection Advancement Act; debate
is scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. The key differences between the bills is that
the NCPAA extends liability protection to companies that share cyber threat information with DHSs new
cyber threat center, whereas the PCNA does the same for sharing with any federal agency, except the
Defense Department. The other major difference is that the NCPAA only allows the data to be used for
cybersecurity purposes, whereas the PCNA would allow government agencies to use the data they
receive for some law enforcement purposes.
ADMINISTRATION PROPOSES $15 BILLION OVERHAUL OF NATIONS ENERGY
INFRASTRUCTURE. Reuters (4/22, Volcovici, Gardner) reports that on Tuesday, the Administration
unveiled its plans to modernize the nations energy infrastructure under its Quadrennial Energy Review.
The report calls for more than $15 billion in new spending or tax credits for the overhaul. Among the
priorities laid out in the QER are grid modernization, transportation infrastructure expansion, and more
flexibility for the President in tapping the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
The Hill (4/21, Henry, 224K) reports that Vice President Biden began selling the plan on Tuesday,
pitching it as a pro-business, pro-middle-class economic driver at a utility provider in Philadelphia.
Biden said, Investing in our infrastructure creates a virtuous cycle creating good paying jobs, attracting
companies to America and expanding the ones who are here.
Politico (4/21, Restuccia, Schor, 669K) reports that as part of the program, the Administration calls for
spending as much as $3.5 billion to replacing older national gas pipelines, but that amount is just a
fraction of what it would take to replace the hundreds of thousands of miles of decades-old cast-iron and
bare-steel natural gas distribution pipes. A full replacement would cost $270 billion, according to the
QER, and the whole proposal immediately ran into GOP skepticism.
FuelFix (4/21, 7K) reports that on Monday, Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz said in an interview with
Bloomberg News, Modernizing the electricity grid is critical.
Bloomberg News (4/22, Sink, 2.94M) notes that the QER was unveiled by Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz
and Vice President Joe Biden at Peco Energy Co. in Philadelphia. The vice president noted that more
electricity is being generated from solar and wind, which are challenges to the grid. Biden said, How
and where were producing energy is changing and our energy infrastructure has to keep up.
The Washington Examiner (4/22, Bedard, 315K) reports that the QER warns that the aging electric grid,
which provides most electricity to the nation, faces threats from terrorism and storms caused by climate
change that could knock out Wall Street, hospitals and the Internet if left unfixed. The report states,
Modernization of the grid has been made all the more urgent by the increasing and now virtually
pervasive dependence of modern life on a reliable supply of electricity.
The Washington Times (4/22, Wolfgang, 644K) reports Republican leaders signaled theyre open to
working with the White House on the mammoth task of rebuilding decaying infrastructure. In a statement
Rep. Fred Upton and Rep. Ed Whitfield said, While we share our differences with this administration
regarding energy policy, when it comes to the transmission, storage, and distribution of our resources,
we can all agree that targeted changes to our laws and polices are necessary.
The AP (4/22, Dale) reports, Administration officials have been meeting with major utility firms, experts
and other stakeholders to assess the nations energy situation and analyze future needs. A White House
press release that accompanied the report said, Responding to these trends and issues will require
that we address the growing vulnerabilities posed by climate change, the evolving energy mix, cyber and
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physical threats, growing interdependencies, aging infrastructure, and workforce needs.

The Washington Examiner (4/22, Siciliano, 315K) reports the Obama administration snuck in two new
climate change-related programs into its Quadrennial Energy Review. Included with the review were
two new executive actions: one addressing climate change resilience, and another for clean energy
improvements in rural America. The Department of Energy will lead a climate change resilience
partnership with a mix of the largest municipal, investor-owned and rural cooperative utilities in the
country to address the energy problems caused by global warming. The Examiner notes the second
program would fund rural electric infrastructure through the Department of Agricultures electricity
program.
The Philadelphia Inquirer (4/22, Maykuth, 617K) reports that prior to Bidens address, he and Moniz
toured Pecos transmission system operations control room, where dispatchers manage the flow of
electricity across the companys high-voltage system. Biden and Moniz were joined by Mayor Nutter
and Denis OBrien, senior vice president of Pecos parent company, Exelon Corp.
The Washington Post (4/21, Mooney, 5.17M) and the Morning Energy blog of Politico (4/21, Dixon,
669K) also provide coverage of the QERs release.
EXPERT SAYS SMART CITIES VULNERABLE TO HACKING. The New York Times (4/21, Perlroth,
9.97M) reports that according to computer security expert Cesar Cerrudo, smart cities may be vulnerable
to cyberattack. Cerrudo, who demonstrated last year how traffic control sensors were vulnerable to
interception due to a lack of encryption on the part of one company, ran the same tests in San Francisco
and found that, one year later, they were still not encrypted. Cerrudo is cited saying he was
increasingly uncovering similar problems in other products and systems incorporated into smart cities.
PROSECUTION SAYS TSARNAEV UNREPENTANT, UNCHANGED. In the lead story for CBS
Evening News (4/21, lead story, 2:25, Pelley, 5.08M), Don Dahler reported Prosecutors came out
swinging at the start of the penalty phase in the trial of Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.
ABC World News (4/21, story 5, 2:05, Muir, 5.84M) reported prosecutors said Tsarnaev was willing to
cross every line for, quote, glory and, according to the New York Times (4/22, Seelye, Subscription
Publication, 9.97M), is unconcerned, unrepentant and unchanged. Prosecutor Nadine Pellegrini began
by revealing a picture of Tsarnaev in his holding cell three months after the bombing, in which he is
seen holding up his middle finger to the surveillance camera. Pellegrini said, Without remorse, he
remains untouched by the grief and the loss he caused, and he remains the unrepentant killer.
Reuters (4/21) adds that in apparent anticipation of the defense teams argument that Tsarnaev had been
radicalized and coerced into taking part in the bombings by his older brother, Tamerlan, Pellegrini argued
that Tsarnaevs actions could not be blamed on his troubled past, telling the jury, You may hear about
family dynamics, family history, family dysfunction, She added, But many people, millions of people, I
would venture, face troubles throughout their lives. Who among them murders people with a bomb?
NBC Nightly News (4/21, story 2, 2:40, Holt, 7.86M) reported the day also featured gut-wrenching
testimony of survivors. Justice Correspondent Pete Williams said, Some jurors wiped away tears today
as victims who were seriously injured by the bombs recounted the terror, the chaos and excruciating
pain.
The AP (4/22, Lavoie) says that the penalty phase opened in dramatic fashion as Federal prosecutors
then began trying to drive home the horror of the attack by calling to the stand witnesses who lost legs
or loved ones in the bombing.
The Boston Globe (4/21, Wen, 1.03M) reports the prosecutions first witness was Celeste Corcoran, who
lost both legs in the bombing, and her daughter, Sydney, was also seriously injured in the attack, nearly
dying from blood loss. Corcoan testified, I unfortunately remember every single detail. I didnt pass out. I
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remember being thrown up in the air landing hard.

The Boston Herald (4/22, Boss, 777K) adds that Corcoran broke down crying as she recalled a doctor
telling her both her legs needed to be amputated and she had to sign her OK.
USA Today (4/21, MacDonald, 4.95M) reports US District Court Judge George OToole walked jurors
through factors they must consider in the first stage of their analysis, explaining that intentional killing or
recklessness, coupled with at least one aggravating factor such as targeting an especially vulnerable
victim, can justify a death sentence.
The Los Angeles Times (4/22, Serrano, 3.49M) adds that OToole told the jurors that the decision was
theirs alone, but added that a death sentence must be unanimous and come only after the jurors
conclude that the aggravating factors in Tsarnaevs crimes outweigh any mitigating factors the defense
brings up, such as his troubled relationship with his older brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev.
The Wall Street Journal (4/22, Kamp, Subscription Publication, 5.67M) also covers this story.
Death Penalty Opponents Protest Outside Courthouse. In a separate story, the AP (4/22, Marcelo)
reports death penalty opponents are renewing their calls for mercy for Tsarnaev, as more than a dozen
protesters held signs and banners outside the federal courthouse Tuesday, continuing demonstrations
that have taken place, off and on, throughout the trial. Some of the protesters promised theyd be a
regular presence as the trial resumes.
Marcus: Neither Flinch Nor Mourn If Tsarnaev Receives Death. In a Washington Post (4/22, 5.17M)
column, Ruth Marcus says while ordinarily, the views of crime victims such as the families of Boston
Marathon victims should carry weight, the bombing was an offense against the nation. Marcus says it
is fitting that a federal jury is empowered to make the final decision and she would neither flinch nor
mourn if the death penalty is imposed.
LAWYERS FOR CHICAGO TEEN ARRESTED FOR TRYING TO JOIN ISIL ARGUE FOR HIS
RELEASE. The AP (4/22) reports Thomas Durkin, a lawyer for Mohammed Hamzah Khan, a suburban
Chicago teenager accused of trying to join ISIL, told a Federal judge Tuesday that his client isnt
dangerous and should be released to get counseling on critical thinking. Following the hearing, Durkin
told reporters that the irrationality the 19-year-old displayed in assessing Islamic State is a feature of his
age group, and that it doesnt make them crazy, it just makes them teenagers.
Durkin has also moved to suppress Khans statements to FBI agents when he was arrested and
questioned on Oct. 4 at OHare International Airport as he and his 17-year-old sister and 16-year-old
brother were trying to board a flight to Vienna with a connection to Istanbul, the Chicago Tribune (4/21,
Meisner, 2.32M) reports. Durkin argued that agents never told Khan he was free to leave, only that they
intended to release him to his father, and it wasnt until 12:30 a.m. the next day, after 10 hours of
questioning, that Khan was finally read his rights and signed a written waiver of them. According to FBI
reports, after his initial interview at the airport, Khan was taken for a bite to eat at a McDonalds
restaurant in the airports Terminal 5, where he requested an apple pie and a Coke and talked freely with
agents for two more hours.
And in a motion filed late last week, the Chicago Sun-Times (4/22, Seidel, 1.11M) reports, Durkin made a
new bid for [Khans] freedom while he awaits trial on charges they argue should be dismissed on First
Amendment grounds. Arguing that Khan believed he had a religious obligation to emigrate to an Islamic
Caliphate when he attempted to travel to Middle East, Durkin wrote, While it is easy to disagree with
Mr. Khans unpopular religious beliefs and label them misguided simplistic, or even fundamentalist, it
cannot be said that [they] were not sincerely held and that is all that must be shown.
KANSAS MAN PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO ATTEMPTING TO BOMB FORT RILEY. The AP (4/22)
reports John T. Booker, the Kansas man accused of trying to set off a bomb at Fort Riley in support of
ISIL, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to three Federal charges of attempting to use a weapon of mass
destruction, attempting to damage property by means of an explosive, and attempting to provide material
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support to the ISIL. The AP notes that Booker has waived a detention hearing and will remain in custody
pending trial. If he is convicted, he could be sentenced to life in prison.
Reuters (4/21, Bailey) also covers this story.
Federal Investigators Use Of Informants, Undercover Agents Questioned. Citing Bookers case as
an example, the Wall Street Journal (4/22, Hong, Subscription Publication, 5.67M) reports that the
widespread use of informants and undercover agents in the arrests of suspected ISIL supporters in the
US is generating criticism that Federal investigators are luring people into crimes. Wadie Said, a
professor at the University of South Carolina School of Law who has studied terror informants, says,
Theyre playing on peoples frailties, especially the younger types with mental and emotional problems.
But the Journal quotes FBI spokesman Paul Bresson as saying of the use of informants and undercover
agents, Agents and prosecutors are well-trained and are wholly mindful of the law with respect to the
entrapment issue.
CALIFORNIA MAN SEEKS TO HAVE 2007 TERRORISM CONVICTION OVERTURNED. The AP (4/22,
Elias) reports Hamid Hayat, a California man convicted in 2007 for attending terror-training camps in
Pakistan and returning to the US with plans to launch an attack, faces a key courtroom test on
Wednesday as he seeks to have his high-profile conviction overturned. His lawyers will argue that
their clients trial attorney was incompetent, failing to uncover evidence they say proves his innocence,
but Federal prosecutors have argued in court papers that they provided ample evidence of Hayats guilt
during the 2007 trial. The AP recalls that the high-profile investigation and prosecution started with a
paid informants now-discredited claims that he saw high-ranking al-Qaida officials attend a Lodi mosque
in the late 1990s. Hayat, his father, and four other men connected to that Lodi mosque were arrested
after Federal investigators said it served as the center of a Central California terrorist sleeper cell.
BIN LADENS BODYGUARD ASKS FOR RELEASE FROM GITMO. The Miami Herald (4/22,
Rosenberg, 694K) reports Guantanamo detainee Abdul Rahman Shalabi, a suspected Osama bin
Laden bodyguard, asked a parole board on Tuesday to release him to Saudi Arabia. An intelligence
profile of Shalabi says he probably continues to sympathize with extremists, but it is uncertain if he will
reengage if released. Shalabis lawyer said her client is a teacher of Islam, which he believes is a
religion of peace, not war, and agrees to take part in Saudi Arabias rehabilitation program.
OHIO MAN ACCUSED OF TERRORIST PLOT TAUGHT GROUP HOW TO SHOOT GUNS. The Wall
Street Journal (4/22, Dolan, Subscription Publication, 5.67M) reports Abdirahman Sheik Mohamud, the
Ohio man accused of planning an attack in the US after returning from training with extremists in Syria,
taught a group of people how to shoot at a gun range. FBI Special Agent Stephen Flowers wrote in court
documents that Organizing weapons training is consistent with individuals who seek to recruit a group
of young male adults in order to lead them to be like-minded jihadist believers prepared to fight.
UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA STUDENT JOINED ISIL. Anderson Cooper reported on CNNs Anderson
Cooper 360 (4/21, 686K) that a 20-year-old University of Alabama dropout used her college tuition
money to join ISIS. Pamela Brown reported that the young woman, considered quiet and shy by
classmates is now a potential national security threat. A family spokesperson said Hoda Muthana fled to
Syria in November after communicating with members of ISIS online.
Other Cyber News:

WHITE HOUSE HOPES SILICON VALLEY CAN CREATE STRONG YET PENETRABLE
ENCRYPTION. Reuters (4/21) reports White House cybersecurity policy coordinator Michael Daniel said
at the annual RSA Conference on Tuesday that the Administration hopes that Silicon Valley can help
develop a system with strong encryption that could be accessed legally by one party without opening the
door to others. Noting that the issue has been a contentious one as Federal law enforcement officials,
including FBI Director James Comey, have criticized companies like Apple and Google for increasing
encryption in a post-Snowden world, Reuters adds that Daniel said he was trying to start a broad public
discussion on the issue.
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HUAWEI CEO CRITICAL OF CHINAS PUSH FOR DOMESTIC TECHNOLOGY. Reuters (4/21) reports
that Huawei rotating CEO Eric Xu told the publication that China ensures its long-run information security
only if it keeps its market open and lets the best technology products be available. Xus remarks are a
rare occurrence of a high-level Chinese CEO openly calling the countrys information security policy into
question, Reuters says. Xu is quoted saying, if were not open, if we dont bring in the worlds best
technology, well never have true information security, adding, even if you localize, make your own
CPUs (central processing units), make your own operating systems, make your own database software,
it would still be at a grade school level, (with) your (security measures) transparent to the college
students...the only way you can answer the security problem is to keep improving your technology.
Reuters adds that Xus stance conflicts with the fact that Huawei would theoretically be a big beneficiary
of the governments push for domestic technology.
CYBERSECURITY EXPERTS DISCUSS ALTERNATIVES TO PASSWORD PROCESS. USA Today
(4/21, Weise, 4.95M) cites cybersecurity professional saying the simple user name and password
process will soon seem a quaint relic of an easier, simpler time; however, what they dont agree on is
what comes next. Some favor biometrics while others look to smart data; regardless, Joe Public
seemingly has little appetite to do much about the current state of cybersecurity as even the most basic
step, creating a password, lags.
CYBER EXPERTS TO PARTICIPATE IN NATO CYBERSECURITY EXERCISE. The AP (4/22, Tanner)
reports that cybersecurity teams from 16 nations will participated in the Locked Shields 2015 exercise in
Estonia as part of NATOs efforts to upgrade its capability to counter potentially debilitating hacker
attacks. The drill comes at a time of heightened tensions in Eastern Europe, where NATO forces work
to deter Russian aggression after its intervention in Ukraine. Cyber expert Rob Pritchard is quoted
saying, Russia is currently looming large on the NATO radar, and the exercise is likely to simulate
attacks similar to those used by the Russian state, and state-backed actors. Liisa Past, a spokeswoman
for the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence in Tallinn, is quoted saying the exercise
is based on a completely fictional scenario.
CYLANCE CEO: NORTH KOREANS HACKERS LIKED PHISHED FOR LOGIN INFORMATION AT
SONY PICTURES. Politico (4/22, 669K) reports that according to research by security firm Cylance,
North Korean hackers likely used fake Apple ID emails sent to IT administrators at Sony Pictures
Entertainment in order to steal login information and gain control of the companys computer network.
Cylance CEO Stuart McClure is cited saying that, in analyzing a database of Sony emails, we started to
realize that there was constant email around Apple ID email verification, and it was in a number of
inboxes. The new evidence casts an interesting sidelight on claims that the attack was highly
sophisticated and would have defeated cybersecurity controls at even a government security agency, as
phishing is a relatively simple technique.
AUTHORITIES INVESTIGATING MH 370 FACED CYBERATTACKS. The Hill (4/21, Viebeck, 224K)
reports that international authorities investigating the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370
faced a series of cyberattacks from hackers seeking to infiltrate their systems. Costin Raiu of
Kaspersky Lab is quoted saying that following the disappearance of MH370, we noticed a spike in the
attacks by Naikon, an Asian hacking group, which hit military, police and civilian aviation units, as well
as political offices. The attacks were intended not just to gather information about the planes
disappearance, but also to collect information from the international partners involved in the
investigations.

ISIL MEDIA EFFORTS BOOSTING GROUPS EXPANSION. USA Today (4/22, Dorell, 4.95M) reports
that despite the US-led strikes, ISIL is continuing to spread throughout the world, aided by slick
propaganda videos. The videos, experts say, are used to attract potential recruits and scare citizens in
areas theyre hoping to conquer.
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OBAMA: US SHIPS OFF COAST OF YEMEN TO PROTECT NAVIGATION. The AP (4/22, Baldor,
Lederman) reports the Administration yesterday played down the role of the US aircraft carrier being
positioned off the coast of Yemen, saying the USS Theodore Roosevelt will primarily be there to protect
freedom of navigation. While White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the Roosevelts primary
purpose is to ensure goods can transit safely through the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, he also said a
specific arms shipment from the Iranians, intended for the Houthis, would be a pretty clear violation of the
United Nations Security Council embargo.
Meanwhile, the President said in an interview with MSNBCs Hardball (4/21, Matthews, 713K), Theres a
reason why we keep some of our ships in the Persian Gulf region, and that is to make sure that we
maintain freedom of navigation, and what weve said to [the Iranians] is that if there are weapons
delivered to factions within Yemen that could threaten navigation, thats a problem. And were not
sending obscure messages. We send them very direct messages about it. Reuters (4/22) also reports
the Presidents remarks, as did NBC Nightly News (4/21, story 6, 1:55, Holt, 7.86M), which also reported
that for now the Iranians show no signs of challenging the blockade, inching along at five knots just
outside Yemens territory waters to avoid any military confrontation with US or coalition forces. Officials
[at the Pentagon] are confident the Iranians have a plan, they just dont know what it is.
Martha Raddatz reported on ABC World News (4/21, story 6, 1:10, Muir, 5.84M) that the Pentagon is
saying...if those Iranian ships...are interdicted, it is likely our allies, the Saudis, who would board the
convoy of ships. The US ships are there as largely as a show of support and to send that message of
Iran to stay away. Jim Sciutto similarly reported on CNNs Situation Room (4/21, 554K) that US defense
officials say it would be extremely unlikely to have a US warship actually board an Iranian warship,
adding that the move is about sending a message to Iran. But Jennifer Griffin reported on Fox News
Special Report (4/21, 1.53M) that the White House said it is quote not even close to making a decision
about boarding and conducting a search of the Iranian vessels.
At the Pentagon yesterday, USA Today (4/22, Brook, Jackson, 4.95M) reports, spokesman Col. Steve
Warren said, We are continuing to watch this Iranian convoy. The Washington Times (4/22, Klimas,
644K) quotes Warren as saying, The Iranian ships are certainly one of the factors, but they are not the
reason the US naval ships are there.
A Wall Street Journal (4/22, Subscription Publication, 5.67M) editorial says Iran is unlikely to take the US
naval ships deployment as a serious threat because no one in the region believes the President will
respond militarily, which it also plans for the current state of the Middle East. Lehigh University professor
Henri J. Barkey writes in the Washington Post (4/22, 5.17M) that the nation-state as we know it is
vanishing in the Middle East, and it is difficult to see how Humpty Dumpty will ever be put back together
again. The Arab Spring, he argues, shook some of these societies to the core, precipitating their
disintegration, but it was ISILs rise that truly laid bare the incoherence of the existing states.
David Ignatius writes in his Washington Post (4/22, 5.17M) that during an upcoming summit with Gulf
leaders at Camp David, the President will try to convince them that the US is truly committed to their
security. Though they recently got offended when they hear[d] Obama say, as he did to Tom Friedman
of the New York Times, that the biggest threats that they face may not be coming from Iran invading...
[but from] inside their own countries, Ignatius says such straight talk is part of a real friendship, and a
real alliance.
Saudis Abruptly End Airstrikes In Yemen. Saudi Arabias announcement Tuesday that it is ending its
nearly month-long air campaign in Yemen is being cast by media outlets as unexpected and likely the
result of growing criticism over civilian casualties. The airstrikes, says the New York Times (4/22, A1,
Fahim, Mazzetti, Subscription Publication, 9.97M) reports, have touched off a devastating humanitarian
crisis and threatened to ignite a broader regional conflict, and US officials said...pressure [was] applied
by the Obama administration...to end the airstrikes. A statement from the Saudi Defense Ministry said
the campaign had achieved its objectives, but it was unclear exactly how much the airstrikes had
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advanced Saudi Arabias stated goal of helping restore the Yemeni government. The Times notes that
Secretary of State Kerry, as well as CIA Director Brennan, have held a number of discussions in recent
days among American, Saudi and United Arab Emirates officials about ending the bombing campaign
amid concerns for civilian casualties.
McClatchy (4/22, Rosen, Allam, Landay, Subscription Publication, 17K) says the Saudis abruptly
suspended the campaign just one day after airstrikes hit a Houthi arsenal in Sanaa, igniting massive
explosions that killed at least 25 people, wounded hundreds of others and devastated surrounding
civilian neighborhoods.
The Washington Post (4/22, A1, Al-Mujahed, Naylor, 5.17M) reports on its front page that the Saudis
announcement comes amid rising doubts among Riyadhs allies over the objectives and fallout of the
campaign. But the Post notes that before yesterdays announcement, rumors had swirled that
intermediaries were helping the Houthis and officials in Riyadh set the terms for a possible cease-fire and
peace talks. On Fox News Special Report (4/21, 1.53M), Jennifer Griffin reported Houthi leaders say a
political deal has almost been reached.
The Wall Street Journal (4/22, Omran, Fitch, Entous, Subscription Publication, 5.67M) reports the Saudi
Embassy in Washington said Riyadhs focus will now shift from military operations to the political
process, adding that the move came at the request of Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi.
The AP (4/22, Batrawy, Al-Haj), meanwhile, notes that Saudi Brig. Gen. Ahmed Asiri told reporters the
campaign would be scaled down, but did not confirm whether they would stop altogether. He is quoted
as saying, There might be less frequency and the scope of the actions might be less, but there will be
military action. Also reporting Asiris remarks, AFP (4/22, Timberlake, Al-Nahhas) says the Saudis have
left open the option of resuming strikes. Nevertheless, Reuters (4/22) reports the White House
welcomed Saudi Arabias announcement, as did Iran, according to a separate Reuters (4/22) report.
Before this, we said the crisis in Yemen had no military solution, and...a halt to killing innocent and
defenseless people is absolutely a step forward, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Marzieh
Afkham said.
On CNNs Situation Room (4/21, 554K), Sen. Lindsey Graham called the Saudis abrupt end to the air
campaign strange at best, adding, I thought they were going to do this until the Houthis were repelled.
The Christian Science Monitor (4/21, Murphy, 380K) reports that despite Saudi Arabias claim that it has
achieved its goal, Yemen is as muddied as when the shooting began.
US COALITION CARRIES OUT 22 STRIKES IN IRAQ. AFP (4/22) reports that on Tuesday, the US-led
coalition carried out 22 strikes in Iraq within a 24-hour period against ISIL targets, including a bomb
factory, IS units and equipment north and west of Baghdad. The larger-than-usual number of strikes
came after the coalition carried out 26 from Sunday to Monday.
CONFLICTING REPORTS OVER WHETHER AL-BAGHDADI WAS INJURED. The Christian Science
Monitor (4/21, Lindsay, 380K) reports that an Iraqi official recently told The Guardian that ISIL leader Abu
Bakr al-Baghdadi had been seriously injured by a US-led airstrike in March. On Tuesday, Brig. Gen.
Saad Maan, a spokesman for the Iraqi interior ministry, also confirmed the reports on BBC News.
However, the US has denied knowledge of Baghdadis injury and said that he was not the target of the
March 18 airstrikes, with Pentagon spokesman Col. Steve Warren saying, We have no reason to believe
it was Baghdadi. ISIL has reportedly been scrambling to find someone who could replace Baghdadi,
who has not resumed the day-to-day operations of the organization and in the past few weeks.
THOUSANDS RETURN TO RAMADI AFTER IRAQI MILITARY RETAKES KEY AREAS. The AP (4/22,
Salama) reports that thousands of people who had fled Ramadi after ISIL overran the city two weeks ago
are now turning around and heading back toward Ramadi following the Iraqi militarys announcement late
Monday that it had retaken key areas in and around the city. Meanwhile, some suspicious of the
announcement continue to flee, spurring frantic two-way traffic on a rickety, makeshift bridge over the
Euphrates River that has turned into a scene of chaos.
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ISIL BANS ARCHAEOLOGY, HOTELS. The Washington Times (4/22, Ernst, 644K) reports that official
ISIL documents show that the group has banned archaeology for fear that it would encourage idol
worship, which is forbidden in Islam. Documents also show that the group outlawed hotels so that the
structures could be rented out to families. Researcher Aymenn Al-Tamimi told CNN that ISIL tries
initially when they seize control, to portray themselves as more just, more fair to the inhabitants than the
previous ruler.
Germany, Iraq Call On UN To Protect Cultural Sites. AFP (4/22) reports that Germany and Iraq called
on UN member-states to take action against ISILs destruction of Iraqi cultural sites, arguing that it was
tantamount to a war crime. Officials from the two countries presented a draft resolution to the General
Assembly urging the body to prosecute perpetrators of cultural vandalism and prevent the trafficking of
stolen artifacts.
LATIMES URGES CONGRESS TO VOTE ON AUMF. In an editorial, the Los Angeles Times (4/22,
3.49M) writes that Congress should pass legislation to authorize the Administrations use of military force
against ISIL as a means to limit the USs expansion in the region. The Times argues that Congress
should act to not only to assert a constitutional prerogative but to help ensure that the U.S. isnt again
drawn into a lengthy and bloody war in the Middle East as the proposed new three-year authorization
would rule out enduring offensive ground combat operations.
EASTERN EUROPE MAY BE DOUBTING US SECURITY COMMITMENT. The Washington Times
(4/22, Klimas, 644K) reports that some Eastern European countries along the border with Russia may
be tempted to switch sides as evidenced by Latvias recent parliamentary election which favored a
Russian-friendly party and Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban making large deals with Moscow and
criticizing Western sanctions. According to experts, the moves suggest a broader problem of a lack of
trust in the U.S. commitment to protect them if they are attacked.
Zeman: Putin Would Not Attack Baltics. In an interview with the AP, (4/22, Janicek) reports that Czech
President Milos Zeman said that he doubts Russia could start a war by attacking any of the NATO
member states because Russian President Vladimir Putin is not suicidal being aware of the
consequences this would have. Zeman warned that if Putin were to attack, an appropriate military, not
just a political and economic, reaction would take place. Speaking on the recent public dispute with the
US ambassador to Prague, Andrew Schapiro, Zeman said, The Vienna Convention strictly forbids
ambassadors of any country from interfering in the internal affairs of the host state. Mr. Schapiro either
unknowingly or on purpose violated this agreement and that disqualifies him as a professional.
Poland To Purchase US Missiles, French Helicopters. Reuters (4/22, Szary, Goettig) reports that
Poland announced plans to buy Raytheons Patriot missiles from the US and French Airbus helicopters
amid tensions with Russia. The $8 billion in deals signify Poland taking on larger role in Europes
defense industry.
AFP (4/22) reports that Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski said the decision for the massive defense
deal is being made at a time of deterioration of security due to the Russian-Ukraine conflict.
Komorowski added that he will meet in Washington in May to hold talks on the contract with the
Administration.
QUESTIONS RAISED ABOUT ADMINISTRATIONS TIMELINE FOR IRANS NUCLEAR PROGRAM.
Bret Baier reported on Fox News Special Report (4/21, 1.53M) that President Obamas public position
for much of his Administration that Iran was a year away from having the ability to build a nuclear bomb
is being called into question tonight. Kevin Corke reported that the US had believed for quite some time
that Iran was two to three months away from having the material to create a nuclear weapon. When
asked about the discrepancy over the Administrations Irans nuclear timeline, White House Deputy
Press Secretary Eric Schultz said, There are separate assessments for the amount of time it would take
Iran to acquire enough fissile material versus how long it would take to weaponize.
The New York Times (4/22, Sanger, Broad, Subscription Publication, 9.97M), meanwhile, reports that
when diplomats at the Iran talks in Switzerland pummeled Department of Energy scientists with difficult
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technical questions like how to keep Irans nuclear plants open but ensure that the country was still a
year away from building a bomb the scientists at times turned to a secret replica of Irans nuclear
facilities built on the Oak Ridge nuclear reservation in Tennessee, which they say helped them come up
with what they told the President were the best reasonable estimates of Irans capabilities. Energy
Secretary Moniz said in an interview that as the Obama administration sought technical solutions at the
talks, diplomats would have been stumbling in the dark if we didnt have this capability nurtured over
many decades. While he would not discuss the Oak Ridge facility, he said more generally that the
atomic labs give the United States the capacity to carry through in one of the most complex armscontrol efforts in history.
Obama: Russian Sale Of Missile Defense System To Iran A Concern. The President, asked in an
interview with MSNBCs Hardball (4/21, Matthews, 713K) about Russias sale of a missile defense
system to Iran, said, This is a sale that has been pending for six years. In fact, the Russians stopped it
at my request as we were putting together the sanctions that ultimately brought the Iranians to the table.
You know, its of concern. We object to it particularly because right now were still negotiating to make
sure that they dont get a nuclear weapon, but as I said before...we have to keep this in perspective. Our
defense budgets just a little under $600 billion. Theirs is a little over $17 billion. Even if they have got
some air defense systems, you know, if we had to, we could penetrate them. The Washington Times
(4/22, Boyer, 644K) also reports his remarks.
US Says It Wont Link Nuclear Talks To American Prisoners. The Washington Times (4/22, Boyer,
644K) reports that amid growing pressure to use the nuclear talks with Iran to demand the release of
Americans imprisoned there, the White House refused again Tuesday to link the two issues. Press
secretary Josh Earnest said, The fact that Iran engages in a wide variety of other behaviors that are
concerning to us is not a reason to break up those [nuclear] negotiations. In fact, it is a very strong
incentive for those negotiations to succeed.
The New York Times (4/22, Gladstone, Subscription Publication, 9.97M) reports that the family of one of
the Americans currently held in Iran, Amir Hekmati, sent a letter to congressional leaders on Tuesday,
dictated by him over the phone from prison, denouncing what he called Irans serial hostage-taking and
mistreatment and demanding tougher pressure on the Iranian authorities to release him and two other
American prisoners as part of the nuclear negotiations. Officials at the State Department and White
House, says the Times, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Mr. Hekmatis letter.
US ENVOY URGES NORTH KOREA TO LEARN FROM IRAN TALKS. The AP (4/22, Pennington)
reports US Ambassador Sydney Seiler on Tuesday urged North Korea to learn from the emerging
nuclear deal with Iran that Washington is willing to engage its adversaries if it has a credible partner to
negotiate with. Seiler, the US envoy to long-stalled six-party talks, also cited Cuba and Burma as having
responded to our offer to reach out a hand to those who would unclench their fist.
OBAMA PROPOSES NUCLEAR POWER COOPERATION AGREEMENT WITH CHINA. Reuters (4/22,
Rampton, Mason) reports that a 30-year cooperation agreement with China on nuclear power proposed
by the President on Tuesday would, if approved by Congress, permit the transfer of material, reactors,
components, and technology between the US and China.
Report: Hundreds Of Chinese Cities Fail To Meet Pollution Standards. A report released Tuesday by
Greenpeace East Asia says that according to air pollution data from the Chinese government, more than
90 percent of 360 Chinese cities failed to meet national air quality standards in the first three months of
this year, the New York Times (4/22, Wong, Subscription Publication, 9.97M) reports. Greenpeace East
Asia researchers ranked 360 cities after looking at levels of fine particulate matter called PM 2.5, and
found that the average concentration of PM 2.5 in the 360 cities was 66 micrograms per cubic meter,
nearly twice the national standard of 35 micrograms per cubic meter. In addition, 32 cities met the
national air quality standard, while 141 cities, or nearly 40 percent, had PM 2.5 levels that were more
than twice the standard.
NYTimes Analysis: China Facing A Job Market Mismatch. The New York Times (4/22, Gough,
Subscription Publication, 9.97M) reports on a job market mismatch in China, noting that while its
OPS054000701
agriculture and manufacturing sectors are declining and its services business, which includes industries
like logistics, retail, information technology and sanitation, is booming, driving job creation across the
entire economy, workers are not easily making the switch, and soaring university enrollment means
new graduates often struggle to find the high-paying white-collar jobs they were expecting. The Times
says the Chinese job markets lopsided pockets of supply and demand, poses a critical test for policy
makers.
FBI Probe Finds Chinese Spy Working For State Department. Catherine Herridge reported on Fox
News Special Report with Bret Baier (4/21, 1.53M) that an FBI investigation of a State Department
contractor shows that a Chinese interpreter was paid thousands of dollars to provide information on US
persons and a US government employee. State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf confirmed that
the translator, Xiaoming Gao, was an employee of the contract interpreter until February 2014 and not
employed here anymore. Despite the FBI probe, the Justice Department declined to prosecute.
EGYPTIAN COURT SENTENCES MORSI TO 20 YEARS IN PRISON. The New York Times (4/22,
Kirkpatrick, Thomas, Subscription Publication, 9.97M) reports that an Egyptian court on Tuesday
sentenced deposed President Mohamed Morsi to 20 years in prison. Morsi was convicted, along with a
dozen other defendants, of inciting violence and directing illegal detentions and torture related to a
night of bloody street fighting between Mr. Morsis supporters and opponents outside the presidential
palace in December 2012. The Times says the ruling demonstrates the determination of the
government of the current president, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, to crush the Muslim Brotherhood, and adds
that the convictions are likely to deepen the alienation of Mr. Morsis supporters, and make the chances
of any reconciliation even more remote.
NYTimes Decries Life Sentence For American Protester In Egypt. An editorial in the international
edition of the New York Times (4/22, Subscription Publication, 9.97M) criticizes an Egyptian courts
decision to sentence Mohamed Soltan, an American citizen who took part in demonstrations against the
coup which removed Morsi from office, to life in prison, noting that Soltan is one of thousands who have
unfairly been sentenced to life in prison, or death, for exercising their right to denounce their authoritarian
rulers. The Times calls the situation particularly galling considering the Obama administrations decision
to continue giving Egypt $1.3 billion annually in military aid despite its abysmal human rights record.
JAPANESE OFFICIALS BELIEVE NEW LAWS COULD FORCE TOKYO INTO CONFLICTS. Reuters
(4/22, Kubo, Kelly) reports Japanese officials believe their country could be drawn into conflicts in the
South China Sea under Prime Minister Shinzo Abes plan to become involved in non-combat roles in
conflicts away from Japan. Japanese Defense Ministry spokesman Hirofumi Takeda said it is not
possible to predict individual situations, saying, A judgment would be made based on the specific and
concrete circumstances.
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL CRITICIZES ADMINISTRATION FOR NOT TAKING ACTION
FOLLOWING SENATE CIA REPORT. Reuters (4/21, Hosenball) reports Amnesty International criticized
the Administration on Tuesday for granting de facto amnesty to people involved in the CIAs enhanced
interrogation program even after the Senate Intelligence Committee released a report last year that
concluded that the CIA had misled the White House and American people on its interrogation
techniques. The human rights group went on to say that the Justice Department must reopen and
expand its investigation into the CIA program, and bring to justice in fair trials all the persons,
regardless of their level of office or former level of office, suspected of being involved in the commission
of crimes under international law, such as torture and enforced disappearance.
The authors of the 140-page report concluded, The Hill (4/22, Hattem, 224K) reports, Failure to end the
impunity and ensure redress not only leaves the USA in serious violation of its international legal
obligations, it increases the risk that history will repeat itself when a different president again deems the
circumstances warrant resort to torture, enforced disappearance, abductions or other human rights
violations.
FEDERAL PROSECUTORS SEEK SEVERE SENTENCE FOR FORMER CIA OFFICER IN LEAK
CASE. The Washington Post (4/22, Zapotosky, 5.17M) reports that Federal prosecutors on Monday
OPS054000702
urged a judge to impose a severe sentence on former CIA officer Jeffrey Sterling, who was convicted
of giving classified information to a New York Times reporter, arguing that the officers case was unique
and that a stiff penalty would dissuade others with access to government secrets from giving them
away. Prosecutors did not recommend any specific prison term for Sterling, 47, but they said they
thought the probation office had correctly calculated the federal sentencing guidelines range as 19 years
and seven months on the low end and 24 years and five months on the high end. Sterling was convicted
of nine criminal counts in January after jurors determined unanimously that he gave classified
information to a Times reporter about a secret operation to put faulty nuclear plans in the hands of
Iranian officials.
Politico (4/22, Gerstein, 669K) reports in its Under The Radar blog that a Federal jury in Alexandria
convicted Sterling on nine felony counts stemming from the governments claims that he told Times
journalist James Risen about the highly classified effort to use a former Russian nuclear scientist to give
Iran flawed nuclear weapons designs in the hope that Tehran would adopt them, setting back the
countrys nuclear work. In a sentencing memo filed on Monday, Federal prosecutors said federal
sentencing guidelines call for Sterling to receive between about 20 years and 24 years in prison, and
they urged US District Judge Leonie Brinkema to make an example of Sterling in order to discourage
other government employees with access to classified information from taking a similar course.
The AP (4/22, Barakat) reports that Sterling is scheduled to be sentenced next month. Federal
prosecutors cited testimony during the trial from former national security adviser and Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice that the plan was one of the best options the U.S. had in its admittedly limited ability to
confront Irans plans to build a nuclear weapon as part of their argument for a severe sentence.
MCCONNELL FAST-TRACKS BILL THAT WOULD EXTEND PATRIOT ACT PROVISION THROUGH
2020. The Washington Post (4/21, Nakashima, 5.17M) reports Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell
introduced a bill Tuesday night that would extend Section 215 of the Patriot Act through 2020, putting
McConnell and Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr, the bills co-sponsor, squarely
on the side of advocates of the National Security Agencys continued ability to collect millions of
Americans phone records each day in the hunt for clues of terrorist activity. The Post notes that in filing
the bill, McConnell and Burr invoked a Senate rule that enabled them to bypass the traditional committee
vetting process and take the bill straight to the floor, which provoked a swift response from Sen.
Patrick J. Leahy, the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, who has been working with other
panel members on legislation to end the governments mass collection of phone and other records for
national security purposes.
Roll Call (4/22, Dennis, Subscription Publication, 102K) cites a statement from Leahy, in which he said,
Republican leaders should be working across the aisle on legislation that protects both our national
security and Americans privacy rights, but instead they are trying to quietly pass a straight
reauthorization of the bulk collection program that has been proven ineffective and unnecessary. And
more, they are attempting to do so without the committee process that the Majority Leader has promised
for important legislation. This tone deaf attempt to pave the way for five and a half more years of
unchecked surveillance will not succeed.
The National Journal (4/22, Subscription Publication, 111K) reports that privacy advocates also
immediately assailed McConnells bill, citing Harley Geiger, policy counsel at the Center for Democracy
& Technology, who described the bill as a kick in the stomach as it makes no attempt to protect
Americans privacy or reform ongoing NSA surveillance programs that do not provide any tangible benefit
to national security.
Meanwhile, Politico (4/22, Byers, Tummarello, 669K) says that Republicans are in a state of disarray on
surveillance reform, citing McConnell and Burrs efforts, but noting that Presidential candidates Ted
Cruz and Rand Paul want to effectively end it, as do many House Republicans, while Senate Judiciary
Chairman Chuck Grassley, who will be a key player in any legislation, hasnt decided what to do.
According to Politico, the divide highlights the persistent divisions between libertarian-leaning
Republicans who see NSA spying as a threat to Americans privacy and GOP national security hawks
who dont want to tamper with the US intelligence apparatus.
OPS054000703
The Hill (4/22, Carney, 224K) Floor Action blog also covers this story.
HOLDERS DOJ FREQUENTLY BACKED USE OF FORCE BY POLICE BEFORE SUPREME COURT.
The New York Times (4/22, Apuzzo, Liptak, Subscription Publication, 9.97M) reports that while Attorney
General Holder has frequently criticized the excessive use of force by police in Cleveland,
Albuquerque, Ferguson, Mo., and beyond, before the Supreme Court, his Justice Department has
supported police officers every time an excessive-force case has made its way to arguments. Though
DOJ has opened more than 20 civil rights investigations into local law enforcement practices, it has
staked out positions that make it harder for people to sue the police and that give officers more
discretion about when to fire their guns. The Times adds that Holder is seen as an ally in that regard
by police groups, which has rankled civil rights lawyers, who say the government can have a far greater
effect on policing by interpreting law at the Supreme Court than through investigations of individual
departments.
DOJ INVESTIGATING DEATH OF MAN IN CUSTODY OF BALTIMORE POLICE. As Baltimore officials
conduct their own probe into the death of Freddie Gray, who died earlier this month after being injured
while in the custody of Baltimore police, the Justice Department announced Tuesday that it has launched
an investigation to determine whether police committed any civil rights violations. Only two of the network
news broadcasts covered the story Tuesday evening, and at two minutes and 20 seconds, coverage was
brief although it led one network. Print coverage focuses heavily on the DOJ probe and on promises by
Baltimore officials that the citys investigation will be transparent.
The Baltimore Sun (4/22, Donovan, Puente, 810K) reports that the DOJ investigation comes amid a
public outcry over Grays death, adding that the announcement came minutes after several members
of Marylands congressional delegation had asked the US Justice Department to open a criminal and civil
rights investigation. The AP (4/22) says the investigation will look for civil rights violations in the
treatment of Gray, who after being placed in a transport van, was rushed to the hospital in critical
condition about 30 minutes later and died Sunday of what police described as a significant spinal injury.
A report on the CBS Evening News (4/21, story 3, 0:35, Pelley, 5.08M) briefly noted the DOJ
Investigation, while in the lead story for NBC Nightly News (4/21, lead story, 1:45, Holt, 7.86M), Tom
Costello reported that demonstrators have been peaceful, but determined to get answers, adding that
with the eyes of the country on Baltimore, the police insist their investigation will be transparent and they
say it will be honest and complete. The New York Times (4/22, Prez-Pea, Subscription Publication,
9.97M) says city officials have moved quickly to release information, and Mayor Stephanie RawlingsBlake and Police Commissioner Anthony W. Batts have promised a thorough and transparent
investigation into the circumstances surrounding Mr. Grays death as they have appealed for calm.
The Washington Post (4/22, Berman, 5.17M) reports that Rawlings-Blake and Batts said the results of the
local investigation would be given to prosecutors by May 1 to determine whether any criminal charges
were warranted, and USA Today (4/22, Johnson, Eversley, 4.95M) notes that six Baltimore officers
have been suspended pending the outcome of the local investigation.
The New York Times (4/22, Stolberg, Nixon, Subscription Publication, 9.97M) reports that Grays death
has fueled debate on whether African-American leadership here can better handle accusations of police
brutality than cities like Ferguson, Mo., and North Charleston, S.C., with their white-dominated
governments, while a Washington Post (4/22, 5.17M) editorial says that while the speed of the official
response in Baltimore is promising, as are pledges of a transparent and thorough investigation from the
mayor and other city leaders, the measure of justice in Baltimore will be whether police and prosecutors
can determine precisely what happened during the arrest and in the back of that police van and respond
appropriately.
OMalley Urges Transparency In City Investigation. The Washington Post (4/22, Wagner, 5.17M)
reports that former Maryland Governor and Baltimore Mayor Martin OMalley said Tuesday that Grays
death is a tragic loss of life and urged city officials to be as transparent as they possibly can be about
an ongoing investigation. OMalley said, I trust that the city with openness and transparency will
OPS054000704
conduct a thorough investigation as quickly as they can, adding, Its troubling whenever theres a loss
of life, and its particularly troubling if its in a custodial situation or a police-involved situation.
TULSA RESERVE DEPUTY PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO MANSLAUGHTER. Lester Holt reported on
NBC Nightly News (4/21, story 3, 0:25, Holt, 7.86M) that Tulsa, Oklahoma reserve deputy Robert Bates,
who claims he mistakenly shot a suspect dead when he mixed up his gun and Taser, pleaded not guilty
to a charge of second degree manslaughter and asked permission to take a vacation to the Bahamas,
which the judge approved.
Ryan Owens reported on ABC World News (4/21, story 2, 1:55, Muir, 5.84M) the judge told Bates hes
free to leave the country, and the family of Eric Harris, the man he killed cant believe it, and USA
Today (4/22, Bacon, 4.95M) says that Bates vacation request drew an angry response the Harris
family, who said in a statement, Whether intended or not, Mr. Bates vacationing in the Bahamas at this
time sends a message of apathy with respect to the shooting and Erics life. ... At a time when we are still
mourning the death of a loved one that he shot down in the street, Mr. Bates will be relaxing and enjoying
his wealth and privilege. A brief report on the CBS Evening News (4/21, story 3, 0:35, Pelley, 5.08M)
noted Bates plea.

.
OPS054000705
From:
Subject:
Date:
Attachments:
)
Virginia Briefing Report April 23 2015
VBR 23 April 2015.doc
(b) (6), (b) (7)
Information, articles, and resource documents within this report are from open sources. Opinions/views
are not those of the Commonwealth of Virginia or the Virginia Department of Emergency Management and
are solely for informational purposes.
Additional information can be found in the attached document.
Hazardous Weather Outlook: Strong winds are possible in Southwest and West Central Virginia today.
West to northwest winds of 15 to 25 mph, with gusts of 35 to 40 mph are expected from late morning
through the afternoon. The strongest wind gusts will be at the higher elevations. Temperatures will
remain below seasonal April values. A Freeze Warning is in effect from midnight tonight until 9 a.m.
tomorrow in Southwest and West Central Virginia. A Freeze Watch is in effect in West Central and
Northwest Virginia through tomorrow morning. This weekend, showers and thunderstorms are expected
Saturday in Southwest Virginia. There is a chance of strong to severe storms with damaging winds,
large hail, and a potential for isolated tornadoes. NWS Offices Blacksburg VA; Morristown TN;
Charleston WV; Sterling VA; Wakefield VA; Hydrometeorological Prediction Center; Storm Prediction
Center
Law enforcement technologies: Governor McAuliffe announced on Tuesday the creation of a special
sub-panel of the Secure Commonwealth Panel that will focus on the use of emerging technologies by law
enforcement agencies. The 31 members of the group will explore constitutional, personal privacy,
economic, and public safety issues related to the use of new and increasingly sophisticated technologies,
weighing their benefits as well as their challenges. Office of the Governor Press Release; Richmond
Times-Dispatch Consensus grows in favor of body cameras for law enforcement
Suspected shoplifter killed during struggle with officer: State police say an 18-year-old shoplifting
suspect was fatally shot during a struggle with a Portsmouth police officer yesterday morning. The
incident started around 7:35 a.m. at the Frederick Boulevard Wal-Mart when security alerted Portsmouth
police of an alleged shoplifter leaving the store. WAVY Full Story
Truck hauling propane gets stuck: A truck hauling 1,300 gallons of propane is teetering off a low lying
bridge. A Rockbridge County official says the driver made it across once to make a delivery, but got
stuck coming back. WDBJ Full Story
Marines hold training exercise in Lynchburg, Natural Bridge: The United States Marine Corps is
holding a "Realistic Urban Training Exercise." The operation takes them away from their normal routine
on a military base to practice their skills in an area that's unfamiliar. During its visit to Lynchburg, the
Marines held a "meet and greet" with people in the community. WDBJ Full Story
Arresting officers provide statements (MD): Five of the six officers suspended with pay after their parts
in arresting Freddie Gray have provided statements to investigators, the Baltimore Police Department
said Wednesday. The department will not release personnel records or photos because doing so would
violate the law, the police said in a statement. CNN Full Story; Associated Press Mans death after
arrest reveals Baltimore dynamics
Offshore reef system (MD): While the Ocean City Reef Foundation is in the midst of one of its biggest
projects ever, with tons of concrete pipes getting deployed on the various artificial reef sites off the coast,
it continues to get a major contribution from an unlikely source. For about five years, a Parkside High
School welding teacher has had his students making large steel structures to submerge on the vast
network of artificial reefs emerging off the coast of Ocean City. Coast Dispatch Full Story
WWII aircraft to penetrate D.C. airspace next month: The sensitive airspace over Washington is about
OPS054000706
to be penetrated by a huge flight of World War II-era airplanes brought together to honor veterans and
mark the 70th anniversary of the end of the war in Europe in 1945. The Arsenal of Democracy Flyover is
scheduled to begin at 12:10 p.m. May 8, when more than 50 vintage bombers, fighters, and trainers will
fly south along the Potomac River and over the Lincoln Memorial and the Capitol building. The
Washington Post Full Story
Businesses in three WV counties eligible for disaster loans: Governor Earl Ray Tomblin says
businesses in three West Virginia counties damaged by severe storms in early March are eligible to
apply for low-interest loans. The earlier disaster declaration approved by FEMA made public assistance
available to 29 counties for infrastructure and cleanup efforts. Associated Press Full Story
Virus briefly shuts down state education computer network (WV): A state public education network
was overloaded last week by what some school officials believe to be an Ohio County student who used
a virus to render computing services inoperable for about 20 minutes. Charleston Daily Mail Full Story
Indiana HIV outbreak worsens: The HIV outbreak in southern Indiana is worsening. On Tuesday the
state's Department of Health reported 135 cases of the virus, 46 more than two weeks ago. The outbreak
is being spread by drug-users sharing dirty needles to shoot up drugs, particularly the painkiller Opana.
CBS News Full Story
Chiles Calbuco volcano erupts: Chile's Calbuco volcano erupted twice in 24 hours, the country's
National Geology and Mining Service said early this morning. The agency said it was evaluating the
spectacular nighttime eruption, but indicated it was "stronger than the first one." CNN Full Story
China warns on rising North Korea nuclear capability: Chinese nuclear experts have warned that
North Korea may already have 20 nuclear warheads and the capability to produce enough weaponsgrade uranium to double its arsenal by next year. Wall Street Journal Full Street
Arrests of ISIS recruits soar: A year after ISIS became a household name in America, using brutality
and savvy propaganda to challenge al Qaeda and its affiliates for jihadist adherents, U.S. prosecutions of
would-be recruits have exploded. CNN Full Story
With bird flu spreading, USDA starts on potential vaccine: The U.S. Department of Agriculture is
working on a vaccine to counter a deadly strain of bird flu, as losses to poultry producers mount. The
process, though, is fraught with questions about which birds would get the vaccine, how it might affect
exports, and whether it would be effective against the rapidly spreading strain. Associated Press Full
Story
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

VEOC Watch Officers
OPS054000707
From:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Subject:
Date:
Attachments:

Monday, April 27, 2015 6:45:57 PM
image001.jpg
Update: The Governor of Maryland has dispatched the Maryland State Police in a supporting role on the ground, as well as
other resources and equipment from various state agencies. The Governor has put the Maryland National Guard on alert.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
businesses.
played.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Coordination:
OPS054000708
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
OPS054000709
From:
Subject:
Date:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

Monday, April 27, 2015 5:33:47 PM

area.
Hamburg Street.
to high school.
- WUSA
- WBAL-TV
- KFMB (AP)
OPS054000710
OPS054000711
From:
Subject:
Date:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

Monday, April 27, 2015 5:33:47 PM

area.
Hamburg Street.
to high school.
- WUSA
- WBAL-TV
- KFMB (AP)
OPS054000712
OPS054000713
OPS054000714
OPS054000715
OPS054000716
OPS054000717
From:
To:
Subject:
Date:
Attachments:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
FEMA Daily Situational Awareness Report for April 27, 2015

Monday, April 27, 2015 5:27:30 PM
FEMA Daily Situational Awareness Report 04-27-2015.docx

Monday, April 27, 2015
FEMA Headquarters
N-IMAT East 2: Blue / Demobilizing from GA
M7.8 Earthquake Nepal (Final)

Occurred April 25th at 2:11 a.m. EDT, approx. 48 miles NW of Kathmandu, Nepal at a
depth of 9.3 miles
Nepal government reports 3,350+ fatalities, 6,000+ injuries and extensive structural
damage
8M people affected by event; 1.4M require food/shelter assistance
USAID/OFDA deployed one Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART), including
US&R VA-TF1 (USA-1) arrive tonight (4/27)
OPS054000718
USAID/OFDA deployed CA-TF2 (USA-2) scheduled to arrive 4/28
Region I
Ongoing PDAs: None
FEMA-4207-DR-VT
DR-NH
FEMA-4208-DR-ME
FEMA-4209-
FEMA-4212-DR-RI
DR-MA
FEMA-4213-DR-CT
FEMA-4214-
Region II
Ongoing PDAs: None
Region III
Current Situation: Riots, Looting, & Police activity in Baltimore, MD
Region IV
OPS054000719

Current Situation: Strong storms possible over southern Mississippi, coastal Alabama,
western Florida Panhandle, and the southeast peninsula where damaging winds and flash
flooding will be the main threat
GA
FEMA-4215-DR-
Region V
Ongoing PDAs: None
Region VI
RRCC Status: Green / Not Activated; Watch: Enhanced Watch (Extended dayshift);
Denton MOC (24/7)
Current Situation:
Showers and thunderstorms continue for Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas; flash
flooding possible
Severe weather threat continues for Louisiana; damaging winds, flash flooding, and large
hail also possible
Ongoing PDAs: None
Region VII
Ongoing PDAs: None
OPS054000720
Region VIII
Ongoing PDAs: None
Region IX
Current Situation: Elevated Fire Weather for portions of Southern California coastline
Ongoing PDAs: None
Region X
RRCC Status: Green / Not Activated; Watch:
Ongoing PDAs: None
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
MOC (24/7)
OPS054000721
From:
To:
Cc:
Subject:
Date:
Attachments:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
FEMA Region III Spot Report 15-080 (CIR #2 & #5): Maryland SEOC at Level 3 (Update #1)
Monday, April 27, 2015 8:09:05 PM
image001.jpg
Good evening,
Please see the latest update from FEMA Region III regarding the escalating situation in Baltimore
Maryland. The Mayor of Baltimore is currently conducting a live interview on CNN regarding the
situation.
The Governor has declared a State of Emergency and has activated the National Guard to address
the growing violence and unrest.
FEMA Region III and the NWC will continue to monitor this event and pass any updated information
OPS054000722
OPS054000723
protests.
Previous Information
City .
Coordinates: N/A
Fatalities. NA
Injuries. NA
Evacuations. NA
CIKR Impacts. NA


Local Media / NC4
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

FEMA Region III Watch Center
Watch: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
DISTRIBUTION:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
OPS054000724
From:
To:
Cc:
Subject:
Date:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
FEMA Region III Spot Report 15-080 (CIR #2 & #5): Maryland SEOC at LEVEL II (Update #3)
Monday, April 27, 2015 10:26:19 PM
Good evening,
Region III update #3 report is included below regarding the situation in Baltimore, MD.
In addition to the report below, the following was confirmed at the Mayors Press Conference this
evening:
- The National Guard has 5,000 members that are available for use at the discretion of the
State of Maryland
- The National Guard is activated in support of and will be following the direction of the
Maryland State Police
- A citywide curfew will be in effect starting tomorrow, from 10:00 p.m. until 5:00 a.m. (the
OPS054000725
OPS054000726
The Department of Justice stands ready to provide any assistance that

might be helpful. The Civil Rights Division and the FBI have an
ongoing, independent criminal civil rights investigation into the tragic
death of Mr. Gray. We will continue our careful and deliberate
examination of the facts in the coming days and weeks. The
departments Office of Community Oriented Policing Services has also
been fully engaged in a collaborative review of the Baltimore City
Police Department. The departments Community Relations Service has
already been on the ground, and they are sending additional resources as
they continue to work with all parties to reduce tensions and promote the
safety of the community. And in the coming days, Vanita Gupta, head of
the Civil Rights Division, and Ronald Davis, Director of Community
Oriented Policing Services, will be traveling to Baltimore to meet with
faith and community leaders, as well as city officials.
As our investigative process continues, I strongly urge every member of
the Baltimore community to adhere to the principles of nonviolence. In
the days ahead, I intend to work with leaders throughout Baltimore to
ensure that we can protect the security and civil rights of all residents.
And I will bring the full resources of the Department of Justice to bear in
protecting those under threat, investigating wrongdoing, and securing an
end to violence.
Media reports three alarm fire at Federal Street and North Gay Street. Active
looting is being reported on camera by local and national media.
Update #2
During 8:00 p.m. press conference with Baltimore Mayor, Honorable Stephanie
Rawlings-Blake, fifteen officers were reported injured. A curfew is issued for
the city to combat looting of local businesses and destruction of government
vehicles and buildings. The City of Baltimore has requested assistance from
the Maryland State Police.
The Baltimore Orioles game is cancelled for Monday night.
Update #1
Maryland SEOC has increased to LEVEL II (PARTIAL ACTIVATION) as of
7:15 p.m.
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has declared a State of Emergency and 7:15
p.m. and has activated the National Guard to address the growing violence and
unrest in Baltimore City. An 8:30 p.m. press conference is scheduled for
OPS054000727
Governor Hogan, Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford, and National Guard Adjutant
General Linda Singh, to address the situation and State response. The Mayor
of Baltimore City, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, has declared a State of
Emergency as of 5:30 p.m.
Media reports at least six police officers have been injured and have been
transported to local hospitals, and at least 35 individuals have been arrested
(Baltimore Sun). Earlier in the day National and local Media
(FoxNews/CNN/Baltimore Sun) reported intelligence reports that several
criminal gangs (Black Guerrilla Family, the Bloods, and the Crips) have
advocated violence against Baltimore City Police Officers. The majority of
the incident is occurring near Mondawmin Mall and Camden Yards. Media
Fans attending the Orioles game have been sheltered in place. Metro train
protests.
Initial Information
City .
Coordinates: N/A
Fatalities. NA
Injuries. Fifteen Baltimore City Police Officers reported injury. Civilian
injuries - unknown.
Evacuations. NA
CIKR Impacts. NA

Local Media / NC4
OPS054000728
From:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Subject:
Fw: (U//FOUO) [Los Angeles Joint Regional Intelligence Center (JRIC)] |Notification: Baltimore Gang Threat to
Law Enforcement Unclear, Violence Escalating in Baltimore Nevertheless
Monday, April 27, 2015 9:49:51 PM
Date:
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | NOT FOR THE MEDIA

For your situational awareness, please see attached
************************
From: jric
Subject: (U//FOUO) JRIC Notification: Baltimore Gang Threat to Law Enforcement Unclear, Violence Escalating
in Baltimore Nevertheless
This is a Joint Regional Intelligence Center (JRIC) notification regarding: Baltimore Gang Threat to Law
Enforcement Unclear, Violence Escalating in Baltimore Nevertheless.
(U) On 27 April 2015, the Baltimore Police Department released a media relations statement titled Credible Threat
to Law Enforcement. The agency believed members of gangs including the Black Guerilla Family, Bloods, and
Crips had entered into a partnership to take out law enforcement officers.
(U//FOUO) A separate law enforcement agency familiar with this purported threat has evaluated the source of this
claim to be non-credible.
(U) Regardless, at least seven police officers in Baltimore have been injured during escalating 27 April rioting, at
least two of them seriously.
(U) News agencies reported that fliers were circulated in schools in the Baltimore area calling for a purge in
Baltimore at 1500 EDT, 27 April. This refers to the fictional film The Purge and its sequel, in which government
and public safety services are shut down temporarily to allow for a prescribed period of anarchy. The timing and
location of the violent rioting approximately coincided with the timing and location described in the fliers.
(U) Hoax purge claims are not uncommon and are often shared widely through social media. Similar claims,
including one which generated significant law enforcement and media response in Louisville, Kentucky, in August
2014, have not resulted in criminal or any other activity.
(U//FOUO) This information is current as of 1530 PDT, 27 April 2015. The JRIC will continue to monitor and
provide updates, especially any related to the seven-county AOR, as needed.
Warning: This document is Unclassified//For Official Use Only (U//FOUO). It contains sensitive information that
cannot be released to the public or other personnel outside of the public safety community.
OPS054000729
From:
To:
Subject:
Date:
Attachments:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C) on behalf of(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
FW: (U//FOUO) NOC Note (Initial): Violent Standoff Between Protesters and Police - Baltimore, MD (NOC 041315)
Monday, April 27, 2015 6:37:18 PM
image001.jpg
FYSA. MD EOC is activated
From: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
To
MD (NOC 0413-15)
NOC
The Maryland State Emergency Operations Center has been activated with Maryland Emergency
Management Agency staff and representatives from key state agencies I dont have a listing of
those agencies.
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

From: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
To
MD (NOC 0413-15)
Im getting details for you,
brian
OPS054000730
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

From:
On Behalf Of
To: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
MD (NOC 0413-15)
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Can you confirm the EOC has been activated? Heard a report from NBC4 Newscast.
From:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

Cc: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Subject: Re: (U//FOUO) NOC Note (Initial): Violent Standoff Between Protesters and Police - Baltimore,
MD (NOC 0413-15)
From: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
To: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
MD (NOC 0413-15)
Brian
v/r
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

OPS054000731

Desk: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
From:
Cc: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
(NOC 0413-15)
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Coordination:

(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
OPS054000732
OPS054000733
From:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Subject:
Date:
Fw: [Maryland Statewide (SW) ALERT NETWORK]

Monday, April 27, 2015 9:54:47 PM
For your situational awareness, please see attached

************************
Original Message
From: SWAN
To: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C) (FTA)
Subject: SW ALERT
[SWAN]MD GOVERNOR SIGNED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER - STATE OF EMERGENCY FOR BALTIMORE

CITY. THE MD. NATIONAL GUARD HAS BEEN ACTIVATED.
OPS054000734
OPS054000735
From:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Subject:
Date:
Initial - District 5 - Civil Disturbance - Baltimore, MD

Monday, April 27, 2015 10:30:30 PM
UNCLAS FOUO
BLUF: USCG Sector Baltimore monitors civil disturbance in Baltimore, MD.
USCG Sector Baltimore is monitoring the ongoing riots in Baltimore City. As

of 9:30 PM local, there is no direct maritime nexus for the riots nor
requests for USCG support/resources. USCG Sector Baltimores intention is to
limit routine operations in Baltimore City and limit response to urgent
Search and Rescue distress cases until the city is brought back under
control. USCG Sector Baltimore will continue to monitor and will evaluate
routine operations in Baltimore city on a case-by-case basis and take
appropriate account for the safety of responders.
On 27 April 2015, CGIS RAO Baltimore was notified that a female E-3, assigned
to the USCG Yard, was a victim of an assault and robbery while running an
errand to a grocery store in the vicinity of ongoing civil disturbance in
Baltimore. The E-3's wallet, car keys, identification, and vehicle were
stolen. The victim was injured in the assault and has been transported to a
local hospital for treatment. The incident is suspected of being directly
related to the ongoing civil disturbance in Baltimore. CGIS RAO Baltimore
coordinated with local law enforcement to respond to the incident to provide
assistance and to facilitate the transport of the E-3 to the USCG Yard for
her safety and after care. The E-3 was examined and released by the
hospital to the custody of the CGIS agents who transported her to the USCG
Yard. USCG Yard is making arrangements to transport the E-3 to a hospital in
the Glen Burnie, MD, area for follow-up examination and stitches for a
laceration. CGIS will follow-up with the E-3 and local law enforcement.
Very Respectfully,
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

//Coast Guard National Command Center
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
UNCLAS FOUO
OPS054000736
OPS054000737
From:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Gramlick, Carl; (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

Subject:
Date:

Monday, April 27, 2015 10:06:07 PM

Executive Summary
2200 EDT 27 April 2015
Violent Activity Baltimore, MD (27 Apr) Gov of MD declared State of

Emergency, called MD NG into action and State service. Citywide curfew for one
week from 2200-0500 begins on 28 Apr.
7.8 Magnitude Earthquake - Nepal 3,350 fatalities, 6,800 injured. Two USAR teams
(131 personnel and 12 Canine Search Teams) en-route, scheduled to arrive at 1945 EDT
27 Apr and 0545 EDT 28 April.
NOC Note USCG Member Assaulted Baltimore, MD
NOC Note - Violent Activity Baltimore, MD
None
AWARENESS (0500 EDT 25 Apr) 7.8 Magnitude Earthquake - Kathmandu, Nepal (0405-15) On 25
April at 0211 EDT, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck 48 miles northwest of Kathmandu, Nepal (pop.
1,003,285) at a depth of 9.3 miles. UPDATE (0400 EDT 27 Apr) Damage assessments and rescue operations
continue. Power outages continue and cell phone and internet service are intermittent. The earthquake
triggered a massive avalanche that struck the Mt. Everest base camp, killing 17 (-1) people, including 4 (+3)
U.S. citizens. Open source reports approximately 60 Americans may be stranded in the Liping area of Kodari,
Nepal, on the Nepal/Tibet border. All Department of State staff in the country (232 personnel) have been
accounted for (including embassy staff, USAID staff, AND Peace Corps volunteers. The USAID International
Search & Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) task force has deployed and is in transit. The task force (USA1) consists of 54 personnel and 6 Canine Search Teams. A second INSARAG based in CA received
deployment orders. USA-2 consists of 77 personnel and 6 Canine Search Teams. USAID has deployed one
Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to Kathmandu. UPDATE (1630 EDT 27 Apr) 3,350 fatalities,
6,800 injured. First cadre of DART, including Fairfax USAR, scheduled to arrive at 1945 EDT 27 Apr
and 0545 EDT 28 April.
Incident Monitoring
MONITORED (1701 EDT 27 Apr) Violent Activity Baltimore, MD (0413-15) 1701 EDT: (Update 2015
EDT). Up to 15 police officers have suffered injuries to include broken bones. Two remain
OPS054000738
hospitalized. Several police and other vehicles destroyed. Limited looting and burning of businesses.
Violence escalated after schools let out. The violence is approximately 2 miles from Camden Yards.
The MD Transit Administration closed metro rail stations in the vicinity until further notice; however,
service was reported restored at 2015 EDT . The Governor of MD dispatched the MD State Police in a
supporting role on the ground, as well as other resources and equipment from various state agencies.
The State of MD EOC has been activated. The Baltimore Orioles game scheduled for 1905 EDT was
cancelled. The Governor, at the request of the Mayor of Baltimore City, has signed an Executive Order
declaring a State of Emergency. The Governor has called the MD National Guard into action and State
service. The mayor is implementing a city-wide curfew from 2200-0500 for one week beginning 28
April. Baltimore City Public Schools will be closed Tuesday. State to ask for up to 5,000 officers from
other States (via EMAC).
MONITORED (1330 EDT 27 Apr) Severe Weather - New Orleans, La (0412-15) The NWS reports a
band of severe thunderstorms with locally damaging winds and possible tornadoes is transiting
southeast Louisiana today. (UPDATE 2030 EDT) As of 1950 EDT, FEMA R6 reports: Governor of LA
declared a State of Emergency for severe weather. Downed trees and power lines. No fatalities or
injuries. Damage assessments ongoing. No unmet needs and no requests for FEMA assistance. All State
EOC remain at Normal Operations. As of 8:00 p.m. EDT this evening, DOE Eagle-I indicates
approximately 150,400 customers remain without power across FEMA Region VI (Majority in LA
130K down from 24 peak of 200K). NWS SPC storm reports indicate one preliminary tornado
touchdown, 33 high-wind reports, and 10 quarter-golf ball sized hail reports on 27 Apr. Eleven rail cars
were blown off the tracks (off the Huey Long Bridge) in Elmwood, LA . Severe weather
watches/warnings have expired for this evening; however, severe weather is expected to continue in the
area. A Slight risk for damaging winds, large hail, and isolated tornadoes continues over the Gulf of
Mexico States into the Southeast tomorrow, April 28.
Closed Incidents
MONITORED CLOSED (Not on COP) (2152 EDT 27 Apr) USCG E-3 Assaulted and Robbed
Baltimore, MD (0413-15-002) USCG female E-3 assaulted and robbed in the vicinity of the civil
disturbance in Baltimore. On 27 April, at 1700 EDT, a female USCG E-3 assigned to the CG Yard
Baltimore was the victim of an assault and robbery while walking her dog in the vicinity of the ongoing
civil disturbance in Baltimore. The E-3s wallet, car keys, identification, and vehicle were stolen. The
victim was injured in the assault and has been transported to a local hospital for treatment. The member
is conscious and was transported to a local hospital escorted by United States Coast Guard Investigative
Service. The incident is suspected of being directly related to the ongoing civil disturbance in Baltimore.
Coast Guard Investigative Service Baltimore is coordinating with local law enforcement to respond to
the incident to provide assistance, and to facilitate the transport of the E-3 to the CG Yard for her safety
and after care.
OPEN - COS RFI DHS Component Actions Relative to Violent Activity in
OPS054000739
Baltimore, MD (0402-15) Suspense: 0300 EDT 28 Apr.
OPEN - NOC RFI DHS Personnel Footprint in Australia, New Zealand, France, and
United Kingdom (0402-15) Requested DHS components to validate personnel numbers
in the above four countries for the period 24 Apr - 8 May 2015. Tasker sent 1509 EDT 24
Apr. Suspense: ASAP UPDATE (0309 EDT 26 Apr) Still awaiting USSS, Policy and
S&T validations. Interim graphic provided to CT Staff. UPDATE (1228 EDT 27 Apr)
S&T validation received. UPDATE (1620 EDT) PLCY response rcvd. Awaiting
USSS.
Principal Locations
POTUS: NCR (RON)
VPOTUS: NCR (RON)
S1: NCR (RON) Tue 0500 prod call (book only)
S2: NCR (RON) Tue 0830 book only
Seven-Day Outlook
29 Apr 0900 EDT: NOC Tour - Mr. Raheem Murad, HHS Branch Chief (
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Duty Director
NOC: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
DHS official.
OPS054000740
From:
To:
Subject:
Date:
WTOP
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
News Alert: University of Md., Baltimore to close for afternoon

Monday, April 27, 2015 2:24:56 PM
Forward to a Friend | Unsubscribe
University of Md., Baltimore to close for afternoon
University of Maryland, Baltimore campus will close Monday at 2 p.m. at the

recommendation of Baltimore Police. Thousands of people are in Baltimore for the funeral
of Freddie Gray.
Read more: http://bit.ly/1b7fmvU
For more information visitWTOP.comor tune to 103.5 FM.
Please do not reply to this email, as the reply will not be read. To contact WTOP Radio, please click here. WTOP Radio
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OPS054000741

SUBJECT: (U) CCIR TRIP # 5 - Maryland State of Emergency Declaration
272330ZAPR15 (1930 EDT)
Open-source media is reporting the governor of Maryland has declared a State of
Emergency due to ongoing civil unrest in the Baltimore area. The NGCC will
continue to monitor this situation and provide updates as necessary.
OPS054000742
OPS054000743
OPS054000744
From:
To:
Subject:
Monday, April 27, 2015 9:28:31 PM
image001.jpg
image002.gif
Date:
Attachments:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Brian
FYI, social media users reporting receiving alert from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore that hooded
men with guns were making their way northbound on North Broadway, near the university's hospital
http://bit.ly/1DvrKwz.
v/r
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

Desk (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
From: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

To: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
MD (NOC 0413-15)
Also, just be mindful that there is an Emergency Operations Center for Baltimore city, and a state
Emergency Operations Center, media uses the phrase generically. At the State Emergency
Operations Center outside the city are AOR and statewide agencies and is active in a monitoring
capacity.
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

NO OFFICE NUMBER (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
OPS054000745
OPS054000746
OPS054000747

From: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

To: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
MD (NOC 0413-15)
Im getting details for you,
brian
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

From: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C) On Behalf Of (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
To: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
MD (NOC 0413-15)
OPS054000748
Can you confirm the EOC has been activated? Heard a report from NBC4 Newscast.
From:
To: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Subject: Re: (U//FOUO) NOC Note (Initial): Violent Standoff Between Protesters and Police - Baltimore,
MD (NOC 0413-15)
From: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C) l

To: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
MD (NOC 0413-15)
Brian
v/r
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

Desk: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
From: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C) d

Cc: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
(NOC 0413-15)
OPS054000749
Coordination:

(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
OPS054000750
From:
To:
Subject:
Monday, April 27, 2015 5:31:50 PM
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
Date:
Brian
v/r
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

Desk: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
From: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

Cc: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
(NOC 0413-15)
Coordination:

OPS054000751
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
OPS054000752
OPS054000753
From:
To:
Subject:
Date:
Attachments:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

Spot Report # 1 -Civil Unrest in Baltimore, Maryland
Monday, April 27, 2015 10:50:03 PM
Spot Report 1 - Baltimore Maryland Unrest April 27, 2015.docx
As of 2230 hours 4/27/15:
Due to civil unrest situation in Baltimore, Maryland, The Mayor of Baltimore City, Stephanie
Rawlings-Blake, declared a State of Emergency as of 5:30 p.m.; the Governor Larry Hogan has
declared a State of Emergency at 7:15 p.m. and has activated the Maryland National Guard to
assist Maryland State Police and Baltimore City Police.
During an 8:00 p.m. press conference the Mayor reported that fifteen officers have been
injured during the unrest. A curfew was issued for the city to combat looting of local
businesses and destruction of government vehicles and buildings. The City of Baltimore has
requested assistance from the Maryland State Police.
VDEM is in receipt of the following EMAC requests (and current status) from Maryland:
1. One Type IV EMAC A Team (2 person team) - email sent to all of Virginia EMAC A Team
members and also to all Region III EMAC POC's. DC and PA have responded that they
are also sending out request to their A Team personnel.
2. 500 Mobile Field Force Personnel with helmets, shields, batons & gas masks
VDEM is in contact with VSP and continues to provide coordination concerning EMAC. We are
awaiting a coordination call with Region 3 EM leadership and a separate coordination call as
needed between VDEM and VSP.
Further information will be provided if significant and as it becomes available.
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
SSDO/VERT Coordinator
Virginia Dept of Emergency Management
VEOC 24/7 (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE
The information in this email and any attachments may be confidential and privileged. Access to this email by
OPS054000754
anyone other than the intended addressee is unauthorized. If you are not the intended recipient (or the employee or
agent responsible for delivering this information to the intended recipient) please notify the sender by reply email
and immediately delete this email and any copies from your computer and/or storage system. The sender does not
authorize the use, distribution, disclosure or reproduction of this email (or any part of its contents) by anyone other
than the intended recipient(s). No representation is made that this email and any attachments are free of viruses.
Virus scanning is recommended and is the responsibility of the recipient.
OPS054000755
From:
To:
Subject:
Date:
Attachments:
(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

The Homeland Security News Briefing for Monday, April 27, 2015
Monday, April 27, 2015 4:57:58 AM
dhsclips150427.doc

DATE: MONDAY, APRIL 27, 2015 5:00 AM EDT

LEADING DHS NEWS:
+ Baltimore On Edge As Protests Over Grays Death Take Violent Turn.
+ Aide To Senator Charged With Meth Possession; Intended To Distribute In Exchange For Sexual
Favors.
+ Continuing Coverage Of Cybersecurity Experts Hacking Tweet.
+ FEMA To Conduct June Oil Train Derailment Drill In Wisconsin.
+ Drought Impacting Power Generation In West.
+ H-1B Program Focus Of Intense Debate.
+ EB-5 Financing For Arizona Hospital Discussed.
+ Hardline Immigration Bills At Impasse In Texas Legislature.
+ Kirsanow: Increased Immigration Bigger Threat To Blacks Than Police Abuse.
+ WSJournal Refutes Sessions And Walker, Argues Skilled Immigrants A Boon To Nation.
US COAST GUARD:
+ Two People Dead After Storm Capsizes 10 Boats In Alabama.
+ As US-Cuba Relations Improve, US Sees Flood Of Cuban Migrants.
+ Tsarnaevs Attorneys Prepare Arguments Aimed At Avoiding Death Penalty.
+ Officials Say ISILs Sophisticated Recruiting Campaign Poses Threat In US.
+ Judge Signs Order Sealing Information In Fort Riley Bombing Case.
+ One Of Six Charged With Trying To Join ISIL To Be Extradited From California To Minnesota.
+ Panel To Recommend Families Of US Hostages Not Face Prosecution For Paying Ransom.
+ Malaysian Authorities Arrest 12 In ISIL Terror Plot.
+ Former Gitmo Detainees In Uruguay Continue Protest.
+ Law Enforcement Warned Of Possible ISIL Terror Plot.
+ Man Charged With Threatening To Blow Up IRS Building.
+ FBI Preparing For All Star Game.
+ Group Apologizes For Invitation To Event With Navy SEAL Who Killed Bin Laden.
OTHER CYBER NEWS:
+ Carter Unveils New Strategy For Cyber-Conflict, Seeks To Rebuild Trust With Silicon Valley.
OPS054000756
+ Russian Hackers Read Obamas Unclassified Emails.

+ Amendments Could Sink Senate Bill On Iran Nuclear Deal.
+ WPost Analysis: Assads Hold On Power More Tenuous Than Ever.
+ Group Says 34 Killed In Syrian Airstrikes.
+ Israel Says It Launched An Airstrike Yesterday On Syrian Border.
+ Obama Exempted Drone Operations In Pakistan From Tighter Rules.
+ Putin: Intel Found That US Helped Separatists In North Caucasus In Early 2000s.
+ Saudi-Led Coalition Escalates Airstrikes In Yemen, Targets Sana.
+ US, World Move To Deliver Aid After Devastating Earthquake Hits Nepal.
+ Southeast Asian Nations Disagree On Response To Chinas Actions In South China Sea.
+ Noose Tightens Around Greece As Impasse Over Debt Continues.
+ Police Body Cameras Raising Questions Over Distribution Of Footage.
+ Asian And Pacific Islander Groups Call For Justice For Slain New Yorker.
+ Khamenei Criticizes US Police Treatment Of Black Americans.
+ Newly-Released Report Details Bush Administrations Surveillance Program.
Leading DHS News:

BALTIMORE ON EDGE AS PROTESTS OVER GRAYS DEATH TAKE VIOLENT TURN. Coverage of
protests in Baltimore over the death of Freddie Gray, which included reports on all three network
newscasts last night, paints the picture of a city on the edge, with fears that Saturday nights violence
could explode anew with unforeseeable consequences for the entire community. This morning, for
example, the Washington Post (4/27, Hermann, 5.03M) describes city residents as shaken by the
violent protests, while the Baltimore Sun (4/26, Wenger, Campbell, 802K) reports that Mayor
Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and a coalition of two dozen interdenominational leaders issued a call for
peace yesterday. According to the Wall Street Journal (4/27, Calvert, Subscription Publication, 5.68M),
the call was signed by 24 Christian, Jewish, and Muslim leaders in Baltimore, including the Rev. Harold
Carter of New Shiloh Baptist Church, where Grays funeral is scheduled for this morning. The Christian
Science Monitor (4/26, Lindsay, 460K), meanwhile, noted that Grays sister, Fredericka, spoke at the
news conference held by the mayor to dissuade protesters from turning to violence in her brothers
name. She said, My family wants to say: Can yall please, please stop the violence? Freddie Gray
would not want that. ... Violence does not get justice.
The CBS Evening News (4/26, story 6, 1:55, Albert, 5.08M) noted that Grays still unexplained death a
week ago after suffering a spinal injury in police custody lead to an eruption of anger, but 90 minutes
before dusk a mob near the Camden Yards baseball stadium attacked police cars, threw bottles, rocks
and cones at police and looted several nearby businesses. NBC Nightly News (4/26, story 5, 1:45, Mott,
7.86M) also remarked on the violent, chaotic end...to what had been peaceful protests throughout the
day in Baltimore, leading to 34 arrests, 1,200 police deployed in all, some in riot gear, to restore calm.
On Sunday, store front windows are boarded up, as friends and family gathered for the wake of Freddie
Gray. The Baltimore Business Journal (4/27, Sullivan, Subscription Publication, 30K) notes that the
Orioles vs. Red Sox game went on and became a hotspot for protesters who tried to disrupt the game.
Following the game, Orioles fans were asked to stay in the stadium until officials deemed it safe to
leave.
On CBS Face The Nation (4/26, Schieffer, 2.64M), Rep. Elijah Cummings said, I was [at the protests] all
day. It was very peaceful all day, thousands of people. Then at the end there were a few people who
said, We are going to turn this city down, were going to close it down. Next thing you know we had few
people, mainly from out of town, to come and decide to beat up on police, cars, throwing all kinds of
projectiles. It could have been worse. The Baltimore Sun (4/27, Wenger, 802K) notes that Cummings, a
Maryland Democrat who represents Baltimore, said many in the city deserve credit for remaining
peaceful in the face of great frustration over Grays death. Cummings, who is considering a run for US
Senate, called police-community relations the civil rights cause for this generation. Of the mayor and
the police response, Cummings said, I think they are doing the best they can under the circumstances,
OPS054000757
though the Police Department needs a top to bottom review. AFP (4/27) quotes Cummings as saying,
We have got to take this department apart and try to figure out what is wrong and what is right. ... This is
a significant moment. If we dont correct this, it will only get worse.
The Washington Post (4/27, Hermann, 5.03M) reports that both city leaders and the NAACP blamed the
violence on outside agitators, and on its website, WBAL-TV Baltimore (4/26, 146K) noted a similar
police statement that echoed that view about the origin of the violence, asserting that groups of outside
agitators led to small pockets of protesters engaged in criminal activity. But despite police
Commissioner Anthony W. Batts insistence that a minority of out-of-town instigators caused the
violence, the Baltimore Sun (4/26, Wenger, Campbell, 802K) reports, online court records Sunday
showed that only three of those arrested during Saturdays protests were from outside Maryland.
Voice of America (4/26, Nordwall, 63K) reports that protesters have been demanding justice in daily
demonstrations since Grays death on April 19. Gray was taken into custody April 12 after initially
running from police, and died a week later from what a family attorney said was a nearly severed spinal
cord. However, how he was grievously injured while in police custody remains unclear. On its website,
People (4/27, Dennis, 45.74M) noted that DOJ is reviewing the case for any civil rights violations, and
Grays family is conducting their own probe. NPR (4/26, Neuman, 1.52M) noted that Batts
acknowledged on Friday that Gray did not receive timely medical attention for his spinal injury.
On its website, Al Jazeera America (4/26, 133K) reported that William Murphy, Jr., an attorney
representing the Gray family, said Grays spine was 80 percent severed at the neck, and that the family
believes police are keeping the circumstances of Freddies death secret until they develop a version of
events that will absolve them of all responsibility. Grays cousin, Melissa Ealey, told Al Jazeera that no
crime perpetrated could warrant such abuse. ABC World News (4/26, story 5, 1:40, Rivera, 5.84M),
meanwhile, showed Gray family attorney Jason Downs saying, We are going to continue to push the
Baltimore Police Department into giving us the information and giving us the truth.
The Baltimore Sun (4/27, Scharper, 802K) reports that yesterday, family, friends and hundreds of
strangers streamed into the small wooden chapel for five hours, walking, one by one, to the gleaming
white casket that contained the slim body of Freddie Gray, dressed in a white baseball cap, spotless
sneakers, blue plaid tie. Grays boyish face appeared at peace a sharp contrast to the events that
precipitated and have followed his death. The AP (4/26, Gresko, Foreman) notes mourners also
gathered outside, some of them holding signs that read, We remember Freddie and Our Hearts Are
With The Gray Family.
USA Today (4/27, Bacon, 5.01M) reports that in Baltimore yesterday, Activist Jamal Bryant, pastor of
Empowerment Temple AME Church, told his congregation Sunday that somebody is going to have to
pay for Grays death. Bryant added that if youre black in America, your life is always under threat.
NYPD Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence and Counterterrorism John Miller said on CBS Face The
Nation (4/26, Schieffer, 2.64M), I would give very basic advice [to police departments across the US]:
Create your relationships [with the community] under non-stressful situations. These crises represent an
opportunity to build dialogue with the key community leaders. But the problem is when you try to develop
those relationships after some terrible event has happened.
On CNNs State Of The Union (4/26, Acosta, 420K), musician John Legend said, I think, for too long, the
police have treated black people as though our lives are not as valuable, as though we are enemies in
our communities rather than community members. We need our police to look at us as community
members they care about and want to keep safe and healthy. We need police that treat us with the same
fairness they would treat any other person, and far too often that hasnt been the case.
Photojournalists Complain About Police Violence. The Baltimore Sun (4/26, Rector, 802K) reports
that a photographer for Reuters was detained and another for the Baltimore City Paper was thrown to
the ground by Baltimore Police officers while covering protests over police brutality late Saturday, they
said. J.M. Giordano, a photo editor at City Paper, said he was hit in the head with multiple police
shields had his face pretty much smushed down on the ground, and sustained multiple bruises after
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several officers rushed at him as he shot pictures.

The Chicago Tribune (4/27, Serpick, 2.74M) notes that in a video shot by City Paper Managing Editor
Baynard Woods you can see Giordano, wearing a green jacket, and a protester, both of whom had just
been knocked to the ground by police, being beaten as Woods yells, Hes a photographer! Hes press!
Wood said that the Reuters photographer who was standing nearby did get arrested and taken away in
the police van, and was later released and cited for disorderly conduct.
The AP (4/27, Myers) identifies the Reuters photographer as Sait Serkan Gurbuz, who says police
detained him as he shot pictures of the scuffle. Reuters says Gurbuz was cited with failure to obey
orders.
Police Commissioner Praises Departments Response As Scary Good. The Baltimore Sun (4/27,
Rector, 802K) reports that in an internal email to police officers, Baltimore Police Commissioner...Batts
praised his departments response to protests in the city on Saturday as scary good. In an email
obtained by the Sun, Batts wrote, In more than 30 years of law enforcement experience, Ive been
involved in many protests. Today, the restraint, professionalism, and attention to duty you demonstrated
were nothing short of remarkable. ... I am proud and truly humbled to lead this organization. You stood
tall in the face of challenge after challenge and you were a credit to the city and your families today.

AIDE TO SENATOR CHARGED WITH METH POSSESSION; INTENDED TO DISTRIBUTE IN
EXCHANGE FOR SEXUAL FAVORS. NBC News (4/27, 2.54M) reports on its website that Fred Pagan,
a personal assistant and office administrator for US Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS), was charged with
methamphetamine possession; officials are cited saying Pagan intended to distribute the drugs in
exchange for sexual favors. Pagan was arrested after HSI and police searched his home in Washington,
DC. The search was prompted by customs agents interception of a package addressed to Pagan
containing a substance which tested positive for the controlled substance GBL; according to court
documents, Pagan allegedly admitted that he intended to distribute both the GBL and
methamphetamine in exchange for sexual favors.
An article from The Clarion-Ledger of Jackson, Mississippi published in USA Today (4/24, Pender,
5.01M) cites an HSI agents affidavit saying Pagan admitted to receiving previous shipments of GBL
from China, while the methamphetamine was shipped from California. Cochran spokesman Chris
Gallegos is quoted saying, Sen. Cochran is disturbed and deeply saddened by the arrest of his longtime aide Fred Pagan...and is suspending him of all duties pending the outcome of this case.
The Washington Post (4/24, Hsu, Debonis, 5.03M) reports that on Thursday, HSI agents served an early
morning search warrant on Pagans home, finding plastic bags with about 181.5 grams of a substance
that tested positive for methamphetamine, according to HSI special agent Mark Waugh.
Also reporting this story were Politico (4/27, 1.11M), Reuters (4/25), and Roll Call (4/27, 99K).

CONTINUING COVERAGE OF CYBERSECURITY EXPERTS HACKING TWEET. The Los Angeles
Times (4/27, Martin, 4.03M) continues coverage of cybersecurity expert Chris Roberts, who was
questioned by the FBI after tweeting while on a United Airlines flight that he could hack into the airlines
onboard system to trigger the oxygen masks to drop. United responded by banning Roberts from their
flights. The Times says airlines, airplane manufacturers and makers of onboard Wi-Fi systems quickly
insisted that it cannot be done, though security experts say nothing is impossible. The day before
Roberts tweet, the GAO released a report saying modern planes are increasingly connected to the
Internet, opening the risk that hackers could access the aircrafts avionics system. The FBI and TSA
warned airlines to be on the lookout for any suspicious activity involving travelers connecting unknown
cables or wires to the [in-flight entertainment] system or unusual parts of the airplane seat.
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FEMA TO CONDUCT JUNE OIL TRAIN DERAILMENT DRILL IN WISCONSIN. The Milwaukee Journal
Sentinel (4/26, Bergquist, Stephenson, 784K) reported that FEMA will be conducting a mock derailment
involving oil trains with state and local authorities June 9-10 in the La Crosse area. The agency selected
a city in New Jersey as the location for an oil train derailment drill it conducted last month. The drill was
one of the Federal governments first efforts at disaster planning for an oil train disaster in an urban
area.
A related Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (4/26, Stephenson, Bergquist, 784K) article noted that US Sen.
Tammy Baldwin and US Rep. Ron Kind, both Wisconsin Democrats, recently wrote to President Obama
and urged him to improve oil train safety as quickly as possible. The lawmakers letter, according to
the Journal Sentinel, echoes growing public concerns about the sudden influx of oil trains. The Journal
Sentinel, which did not mention FEMA in this article, pointed out that the Milwaukee Common Councils
Public Works Committee is scheduled to hold an oil train hearing this Wednesday.
Illinois Officials Increasingly Concerned About Oil Train Safety. The Chicago Tribune (4/26,
Gathman, 2.74M) reported on how local officials in the Illinois cities of Aurora, Naperville, and Elgin are
becoming increasingly concerned about oil train safety as such trains carry crude oil from North
Dakota...through the heart of Illinois. The Tribune coverage does not mention FEMA.
DROUGHT IMPACTING POWER GENERATION IN WEST. The Washington Post (4/27, Frankel, 5.03M)
reports that the drought has made it far more difficult to generate electricity at hydroelectric plants, such
as the Hoover Dam, across the West, limiting an inexpensive and pollution-free energy source that once
was considered endless. The 53 hydropower plants run by the US Bureau of Reclamation across the
West are producing 10 percent less power than a few years ago, despite rising demand.
Meanwhile, the New York Times (4/27, Nagourney, Healy, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) reports that
the drought, and coming water rationing, is sharpening the deep economic divide in this state, illustrating
parallel worlds in which wealthy communities guzzle water as poorer neighbors conserve by necessity.
Now the state is looking to force its biggest water users, which include some of the wealthiest
communities, to bear the brunt of the statewide 25 percent cut in urban water consumption. However,
there remain questions about whether the fines that accompany the rationing will be effective with
wealthy homeowners.
The Palm Springs (CA) Desert Sun (4/27, James, 85K) reports that in national forests across California,
many pipelines are siphoning off water from wells and springs under expired permits. The pipelines run
to the tanks of water districts, as well as to cabins, neighborhoods, and properties such as cemeteries,
lodges and ranches. In an investigation, the paper obtained records for 1,108 water-related permits of
which 616 are listed as expired. Now, some former Forest Service employees say its urgent that the
agency take a hard look at permits issued years or decades ago.
WSJournal Opinion: Effort To Save Delta Smelt Not Working. In an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal
(4/27, Subscription Publication, 5.68M), Allysia Finley, an editorial writer for the paper, writes that
California has pumped 1.4 trillion gallons of water into San Francisco Bay since 2007 to protect the Delta
Smelt. Despite that effort, however, Finley says that recent surveys have suggested that the number of
Smelt has plummeted, and that the US Fish and Wildlife Service suggests that the fish is now in danger
of extinction. Finley says that despite the massive costs of supporting the fish, the policy has been
ineffective.

H-1B PROGRAM FOCUS OF INTENSE DEBATE. The Minneapolis Star Tribune (4/26, 1.29M) says
the H-1B program is the focus of intense debate in Congress and keen interest in Minnesota, where
companies have come to rely more on the visas in recent years. An increase in the programs visa cap
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is tied up in stalled efforts to pass comprehensive immigration reform; bipartisan momentum was
building to deal with the two issues separately, but a bill to increase the H-1B cap met with major
pushback in committee as critics cited a study which suggested that a relatively high number of U.S.
science and technology graduates do not work in their fields as evidence that American candidates for
such jobs are not in short supply. A recent controversy involving Southern California Edison didnt help
the pro-increase argument.
Small Business Owners Said To Complain About H-1B Cap. The AP (4/27) reports that some small
business owners contend that H-1B caps are keeping them from finding the highly skilled help they
need. Babson College entrepreneurship professor Phillip Kim is cited saying that small business
struggle in particular with finding skilled workers because many talented people are recruited by big
companies or start a company. A 2011 GAO report is cited saying that large companies get a
disproportionate share of visas, and that between 2000 and 2009, less than 1 percent of the companies
with visa approvals hired nearly 30 percent of all H-1B workers.
EB-5 FINANCING FOR ARIZONA HOSPITAL DISCUSSED. The Arizona Daily Star (4/27, 211K)
discusses the use of the EB-5 program to secure financing for development projects, including a hospital
in Arizona. The Daily Star says the program didnt get much use until the recession hit and sent project
developers looking for nontraditional means of funding. The program has reached its 10,000-application
cap for the second year in a row. Pima County (Arizona) Supervisor Ray Carroll, who helped bring
about the hospital, is quoted saying, EB-5 visas are obviously a godsend for rural infrastructure across
the United States.
HARDLINE IMMIGRATION BILLS AT IMPASSE IN TEXAS LEGISLATURE. The Dallas Morning
News (4/26, 1.09M) reports that the clock is starting to run out for the passage of contentious
legislation offered by tea party Republicans. The Morning News says undocumented college tuition and
sanctuary city bills are languishing in the Senate and lacking traction in the House with only five weeks
left in the legislative session. However, the diminishing prospects doesnt mean theyve lost their
emotional punch, and the impasse highlights a simmering divide in the GOP between Republicans
hopeful of boosting outreach to Hispanic voters and others responding to the GOPs conservative base.
KIRSANOW: INCREASED IMMIGRATION BIGGER THREAT TO BLACKS THAN POLICE ABUSE.
The Washington Times (4/27, Howell, 641K) reports that economic and civil rights experts argued that
the increased immigration spurred by the Presidents executive actions poses a bigger threat to the
black community than police brutality or racial profiling. Peter Kirsanow of the US Commission on Civil
Rights is quoted saying it is a bigger threat to black livelihood, adding that it dwarfs police brutality
when you look at the hundreds of thousands of blacks thrown out of work over the years as a result of
the competitive pressure the downstream effects are profound.
WSJOURNAL REFUTES SESSIONS AND WALKER, ARGUES SKILLED IMMIGRANTS A BOON TO
NATION. In an editorial, the Wall Street Journal (4/26, Subscription Publication, 5.68M) responds to
allies of Sen. Jeff Sessions (R) who have taken issue with the editorial boards criticism of his claims that
Americans with degrees in science and technology are unable to find jobs in their field. The Journal says
that the definition of STEM jobs used by Sessions to argue against allowing immigrants with high-tech
skills to work in the US are flawed. Overall, the Journal says that skilled immigrants are a boon to the
nation.
In a related editorial, the Wall Street Journal (4/27, Subscription Publication, 5.68M) takes issue with Gov.
Scott Walkers agreement with Sessions that skilled immigrants are costing Americans jobs.
US Coast Guard:
TWO PEOPLE DEAD AFTER STORM CAPSIZES 10 BOATS IN ALABAMA. The CBS Evening News
(4/26, story 7, 1:55, Glor, 5.08M) broadcast, Two people are dead and several missing after a powerful
storm capsized at least 10 boats during a Saturday afternoon event in Alabamas Mobile Bay. A rescue
effort led by the US Coast Guard brought at least 40 people to safety.
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A report aired by NBC Nightly News (4/26, story 3, 2:10, Alexander, 7.86M) showed US Coast Guard
Sector Mobile Commander Duke Walker noting that two patrol boats were among resources being used
in the rescue effort.
ABC World News (4/26, story 3, 1:45, Llamas, 5.84M), which also took note of the Coast Guard rescue
effort, broadcast that the boating event happened in a region which faced more than 300 severe
weather reports in the last 48 hours.
In a follow-up report, ABC World News (4/26, story 4, 1:00, Llamas, 5.84M) broadcast, And that powerful
storm in Alabama, one of many causing damage this weekend, especially along the Gulf and all across
the South. Millions of people were in the threat zone last night, added ABC.
According to the CNN (4/26, Digiacomo, Hassan, Ellis, 3.17M) website, Walker said authorities are still
looking for five missing people. Walker also commented on the 40 people who have already been
rescued, saying, Our guys worked hard and long to accomplish that task. He added, This is an awful
tragedy and our hearts go out to the families.
Coast Guard Searching For Missing. The AP (4/27, Nelson-Gabriel) reports that Coast Guard crews
searched for five people missing Sunday after recovering two bodies after the storm capsized sailboats
competing in a regatta in Mobile Bay, Alabama. Gary Garner of the Fairhope Yacht Club, which
organized the competition, said members are heartbroken and we are helping and cooperating fully
with the U.S. Coast Guard and other authorities in accounting for all of the sailors. Authorities have been
searching the waters with boats and planes, including areas near Dauphin Island where anxious family
members have gathered at a Coast Guard station awaiting updates. Coast Guard Capt. Duke Walker is
cited saying officials are focused on finding the missing, though spokesman Seth Johnson is cited
saying Sunday that the Coast Guard will investigate the weather conditions and the decision to go
ahead with the regatta.
Reuters (4/26) quotes Walker saying, were working our hardest, still, to bring those still missing back to
their families. Coast Guard spokesman Carlos Vega is cited saying rescue vessels and aircraft searched
for missing people through the night, and covered 1,779 square miles by Sunday morning.
AS US-CUBA RELATIONS IMPROVE, US SEES FLOOD OF CUBAN MIGRANTS. Peter Alexander
reported on NBC Nightly News (4/26, story 7, 2:20, Alexander, 7.86M) that in an unintended
consequence of Americas improving relationship with Cuba, there has been a flood of migrants trying
to reach the US illegally. Mark Potter added that the Coast Guard says its seeing a steady increase in
Cubans sailing rickety boats to the United States. While current US law says that almost all Cubans
arriving in the United States are allowed to stay here indefinitely, with better diplomatic relations
between the US and Cuba, some question whether that law, known as the Cuban Adjustment Act,
should be restricted to no longer accept those just seeking a better life.
Miami Herald Analysis: Removal Of Cuba From Terror List Not Expected To Spark Business
Activity. The Miami Herald (4/27, Whitefield, 676K) reports that analysts do not expect Cubas removal
from the list of state sponsors of terrorism to set off a business stampede. The impact of the de-listing
will be muted because theres still a thicket of sanctions imposed under the embargo, the Helms Burton
Act and other US laws that remain in effect, including provisions that require US banks to block
transactions with Cuba or Cuban nationals that arent in the permitted category.
TSARNAEVS ATTORNEYS PREPARE ARGUMENTS AIMED AT AVOIDING DEATH PENALTY. The
AP (4/27, Lavoie) reports that attorneys for convicted Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev will
begin presenting witnesses this week in the penalty phase of his trial as they try to make their case that
he should be sentenced to life in prison not death for his role in the deadly 2013 attack. The AP
notes that Tsarnaev was convicted of 30 federal charges in the twin bombings that killed three people
and injured more than 260 on April 15, 2013, and that 17 of those charges carry the possibility of the
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death penalty. Federal prosecutors called 17 witnesses over three days, mainly victims who lost loved
ones or limbs in the explosions.
Tsarnaev Relatives Arrive In Massachusetts. The Boston Globe (4/25, Wen, 886K) reports that
Tsarnaevs relatives are under federal government protection in a Revere, MA hotal, officials said
Friday, and are widely expected to assist the defense team as it prepares to present its case next week
that Tsarnaev should be spared the death penalty. Revere Police Chief Joseph Cafarelli said on Friday
that six people he described as witnesses in the Tsarnaev trial are staying at the local Hampton Inn.
Several of Tsarnaevs relatives arrived in Boston Thursday, according to a person familiar with the
case, and although Tsarnaevs attorneys have declined to comment, legal experts say defense
attorneys in death penalty cases typically solicit family members to testify about a clients childhood and
personality prior to their crimes.
The Boston Herald (4/27, Kalter, 709K) reports that media had swarmed the hotel since the family
members were taken there from Logan International Airport on Thursday and there was a large security
detail inside. The manager of the Hampton Inn said they had seen cancellations as a result of hosting
Tsarnaevs kin.
The Huffington Post (4/25, McLaughlin, 194K) reports that it is unknown if Tsarnaevs family members
arrived merely to support him in court with his life on the line, or if some members will be called to testify
on his behalf. Tsarnaev has extended family in southern Russia, sisters living in New Jersey and an
uncle in Maryland, but so far, no relatives have ventured into court.
The Boston Herald (4/27, Sweet, Cassidy, 709K) reports that Robert Blecker, a criminal law professor at
New York School of Law, said that with time running out, putting Tsarnaevs family members on the
stand could be worth the risk if it sways just one juror to spare his life. Were talking about the one or
two jurors in whose mind this is a close call, Blecker told the Herald, adding, Could that tip the
balance? Yes. Blecker said the defense can risk alienating four or five jurors by putting family members
on the stand if it creates a reasonable doubt for just one juror because swaying one member of the jury
would be enough to prevent a unanimous death penalty ruling.
In his column for the Boston Globe (4/26, Cullen, 886K), Kevin Cullen writes that Tsarnaevs attorneys
face the Herculean task of humanizing the inhumane. Tsarnaevs attorneys have mostly played ropea-dope so far, absorbing one shot after another, conserving their energy, but the penalty phase of the
trial is what they have been waiting for, and unlike the prosecution, they dont have to win everybody
over. Cullen notes that they only need one, one of the 12 jurors, to say no to the death penalty, either
because that juror believes there is something in Tsarnaevs life or character that mitigates what he did,
or because that juror thinks death is too easy for him.
Bostons Muslim Community Chafes Under Spotlight. The AP (4/25, Marcelo) reports that Bostons
Muslim community has been once again thrust into the spotlight as the death penalty trial of Tsarnaev
nears its conclusion amid rising concerns of terrorist recruitment in America. The AP notes that
newspaper op-eds, advertisements and social media posts have highlighted connections between
Boston-area mosques and terrorists and suspected terrorists, despite efforts locally to denounce them.
The AP adds that Boston is one of three cities along with Los Angeles and Minneapolis where the
Obama administration is piloting a controversial new program to tackle extremist group recruitment
before it takes root, and that local Muslims expressed frustration this week that the local community
continues to be painted with the same broad brush.
OFFICIALS SAY ISILS SOPHISTICATED RECRUITING CAMPAIGN POSES THREAT IN US. USA
Today (4/26, Johnson, 5.01M) reports that a recent string of terror-related cases in the U.S., including
the arrests of six Minnesota men accused earlier this month of attempting to join the Islamic State,
highlights an unprecedented marketing effort being waged by ISIL, U.S. law enforcement officials and
terror analysts said. It is a campaign that is finding resonance from urban metros to the American
heartland, This is not so much a recruitment effort as it is a global marketing campaign, beyond anything
that al-Qaeda has ever done, a senior law enforcement official said Thursday. The unnamed official
said the Islamic States slick multimedia productions, its use of social media and personal peer-to-peer
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communication are proving to be effective parts of a sophisticated program aimed at the West. USA
notes that FBI Director James Comey also has expressed serious concern, saying ISIL and similar
terror-support inquiries are ongoing in each of the bureaus 56 field divisions across the country.
Startup Incubator Seeks To Boost Muslim Entrepreneurs To Limit ISILs Appeal. Newsweek (4/27,
Walker, 175K) reports that over the past two years, tech companies and governments have tried to
counter ISILs digital strategy, with limited success, so one group is trying something new. Affinis Labs,
a startup incubator, was founded by Shahed Amanullah, a former senior adviser for technology at the
State Department, and Quintan Wiktorowicz, a former senior director for community partnerships at the
White Houses National Security Council. Their mission is to pull together Muslim entrepreneurs to build
social networking tools that help reduce the allure of ISIL, and it is currently working with eight
businesses, including a Muslim dating site and a Kickstarter for Muslims. The goal is to help Western
Muslims find like-minded individuals instead of resorting to extremist groups for a sense of belonging.
JUDGE SIGNS ORDER SEALING INFORMATION IN FORT RILEY BOMBING CASE. The Topeka (KS)
Capital-Journal (4/24, Fry, 117K) reports that US District Judge John W. Lungstrum on Friday signed an
order sealing sensitive information in the case of a man charged with attempting to detonate a bomb at
Fort Riley. On Thursday, US Attorney Barry Grissom, along with two assistant U.S. attorneys and two
trial attorneys, filed a motion seeking the protective order for discovery in the case of John T. Booker Jr.,
20. According to terms of the order, Federal prosecutors will share declassified investigative materials
and sensitive law enforcement materials with Bookers defense attorneys and members of the defense
team. Booker is charged with one count of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction, one count
of attempting to damage property by means of an explosive, and one count of attempting to provide
material support to the Islamic State extremist group.
ONE OF SIX CHARGED WITH TRYING TO JOIN ISIL TO BE EXTRADITED FROM CALIFORNIA TO
MINNESOTA. The AP (4/24) reports from San Diego that a man accused of trying to travel to Syria to
join the Islamic State group is going to be sent from California to Minnesota to face charges. US
Magistrate Judge Karen S. Crawford in San Diego signed a warrant for the removal of Mohamad Farah.
The FBI arrested Farah and Abdurahman Daud last weekend in San Diego. The two are among six men
charged in a criminal complaint unsealed Monday with conspiracy to support a foreign terrorist
organization. The four others were arrested in Minnesota.
Reuters (4/24, Graham) reports that Farah, 21, waived his rights to seek bail and to fight extradition on
Friday.
Figure In ISIL Case Charged With Tweeting Threats. The Minneapolis Star Tribune (4/24, Furst,
1.29M) reports that Mahamed Abukar Said, who made death threats on Twitter against federal law
enforcement officials in connection with the case against six Minneapolis men accused of trying to join
ISIL now faces federal charges of his own. Said, 19, was charged on Friday with two criminal counts for
threatening to assault and murder a federal law enforcement officer. According to the criminal
complaints, Said tweeted a photo of the governments confidential informant in the case against the six
defendants accused of conspiring to join ISIL, and he also threatened federal prosecutors with a
massacre, investigators allege.
The AP (4/24, Forliti) reports that Said was charged with threatening law enforcement officials and
writing on Twitter that a massacre would happen if authorities did not free six men who were arrested
earlier this week and accused of trying to travel to Syria to join the Islamic State group. According to an
FBI affidavit, Said used his Twitter account to threaten to kill a federal law enforcement official and
demand that the men be freed. In one tweet on Wednesday, writing the Feds are getting two choices.
Either they gon free my bros or the gon have a massacre happen then they gon take me too. Said also
used Twitter to retaliate against a man who cooperated with authorities, the affidavit said, and posted a
picture of the informant on Thursday.
PANEL TO RECOMMEND FAMILIES OF US HOSTAGES NOT FACE PROSECUTION FOR PAYING
RANSOM. Jeff Glor reported on the CBS Evening News (4/26, story 3, 1:40, Glor, 5.08M) that the US is
reviewing its hostage policies. Julianna Goldman called the review an acknowledgment that government
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officials need to be more sensitive to the families of US hostages abroad, adding that according to a US
official, while the Administration will still retain a no-ransom policy, the review will likely recommend
that families not be threatened with prosecution.
Brian Ross reported on ABC World News (4/27, story 6, 1:50, Llamas, 5.84M) that three senior White
House officials tell ABC News a White House review of hostage policy could lead to an end to these
threats, and on its website, ABC News (4/27, 3.69M) quoted one senior official as saying, There will be
absolutely zero chance of any family member of an American held hostage overseas ever facing jail
themselves, or even the threat of prosecution, for trying to free their loved ones.
Weinsteins Family Paid $250,000 Ransom In 2012. Glor also reported on the CBS Evening News
(4/26, story 3, 1:40, Glor, 5.08M) reported that the family of Warren Weinstein paid a ransom,
$250,000, in 2012, but Weinstein was never returned.
MALAYSIAN AUTHORITIES ARREST 12 IN ISIL TERROR PLOT. The Wall Street Journal (4/27, Ng,
Subscription Publication, 5.68M) reports that Malaysian police have arrested a dozen suspects who they
say planned to attack government targets around Kuala Lumpur at the behest of a senior ISIL leader in
Syria who called for attacks on secular Muslim nations deemed to be enemies of the group.
FORMER GITMO DETAINEES IN URUGUAY CONTINUE PROTEST. The AP (4/27) reports that four
former Guantnamo Bay prisoners protested for a third day in a row Sunday in front of the US Embassy
in Uruguay, saying that Washington owes them housing and financial support due to their prolonged
incarceration. In a statement released Sunday, the men argued that the US cant leave their errors to
other people, referring to Uruguays support for the former detainees, vowing to remain in front of the
embassy in Montevideo until they meet with the US ambassador.
LAW ENFORCEMENT WARNED OF POSSIBLE ISIL TERROR PLOT. Jeff Glor reported on the CBS
Evening News (4/26, story 4, 1:05, Glor, 5.08M) that US law enforcement officials have been warned of
a possible ISIS terror plot against the US military and law enforcement facilities. Jeff Pegues added that
while authorities have not identified any specific suspects or targets, information from communication
involving known ISIS associates overseas, specifically mention the state of California, and as a result of
that, security has been ramped up at airports across that state. Pegues added that these are not new
threats. For some time now ISIS has been attempting to inspire lone wolf attacks here in the US. The
Department of Homeland Security says it will adjust security measures as necessary.
NYPD Commissioner William Bratton said on CBS Face The Nation (4/26, Schieffer, 2.64M), I think that
ISIS has clearly ramped up the encouragement of terrorist acts. Those that travel to that part of the world
to fight and then seek to return home, the homestead, those that are here, they seek to inspire. Some of
that invective has been directed very specifically at police and military. In New York City some months
ago, we saw that turn into action where an individual madman attacked police officers with a hatchet and
severely injured one of them. NYPD Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence and Counterterrorism John
Miller added, This is a little bit of the new normal.
CNN (4/25, Perez, Prokupecz, 3.17M) reported on its website, The FBI is investigating a possible ISISinspired terrorist threat that one official said focused on parts of California.
The Hill (4/27, Byrnes, 469K) reported in its Blog Briefing Room blog, FBI Director James Comey has
said investigations of suspected ISIS supporters are underway in all 50 states. Reuters (4/26, Maler,
Hosenball) also covered the CNN report on the FBI investigation.
Reuters (4/26) reported that a law enforcement official in Los Angeles denied there was a specific threat
to the Los Angeles airport.
MAN CHARGED WITH THREATENING TO BLOW UP IRS BUILDING. The AP (4/27) reports Morris
Whitehead, who told the FBI his name is Squirrel, has been charged with calling the FBI and threaten
to blow up the Internal Revenue Service building in Miami.
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FBI PREPARING FOR ALL STAR GAME. WCPO-TV Cincinnati (4/27, Mirfendereski, 110K) reported,
Its taken local officials and the feds more than a year to develop a plan to keep fans safe during the
2015 All Star Game in Cincinnati. The FBI recently held a two-day training session...for local police
departments, fire departments, bomb squads, other public agencies and MLB officials who will have a
role in security. Special Agent Rick Maier, who is in charge of the FBI involvement in the event, said
The event itself has a higher visibility, and that in itself makes it more of a potential target for terrorist or
criminal activity. While the FBI is focused on detecting and deterring potential threats, Maier said,
Were also prepared for if things dont go well.
Hennepin County Sheriffs full-time liaison to the Somali community in Minneapolis.
GROUP APOLOGIZES FOR INVITATION TO EVENT WITH NAVY SEAL WHO KILLED BIN LADEN.
The Washington Post (4/27, Lamothe, 5.03M) reports that the conservative group ForAmerica, which
invited donors to make a $50,000 contribution in exchange for a weekend of shooting guns with Robert
ONeill, the Navy SEAL veteran credited killing al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden expressed regret
Sunday for the way it promoted the event, saying it did not consult him before invitations were sent. An
invitation promoted the event as A Special Weekend with Robert ONeill, the Man who Shot Osama bin
Laden, and promised time with him in clay, pistol and machine gun fun shooting competitions.
ForAmerica founder Brent Bozell said in a statement that his team got a little ahead of itself in putting
out the invitation.
Other Cyber News:

CARTER UNVEILS NEW STRATEGY FOR CYBER-CONFLICT, SEEKS TO REBUILD TRUST WITH
SILICON VALLEY. The New York Times (4/27, Sanger, Perlroth, Subscription Publication, 12.24M)
reports that as he toured Silicon Valley last week to announce a new military strategy for computer
conflict, Defense Secretary Carter acknowledged...the need to rebuild trust with Silicon Valley, whose
mainstays like Apple, Google and Facebook (whose new headquarters he toured) have spent two
years demonstrating to customers around the world that they are rolling out encryption technologies to
defeat surveillance. Carters careful appeal was part of a campaign last week by government officials
trying to undo the damage from Edward Snowdens revelations, and while he got a respectful hearing,
Jeh Johnson, the secretary of Homeland Security, and a group of other government officials ran into a
buzz saw of skepticism at the worlds largest conference of computer security professionals, just 30 miles
to the north.
RUSSIAN HACKERS READ OBAMAS UNCLASSIFIED EMAILS. Jeff Glor reported on the CBS
Evening News (4/26, story 5, 0:15, Glor, 5.08M) reported that US officials have confirmed that Russian
hackers read some of the Presidents unclassified emails when they breached the White House archives
last year. According to officials, no classified emails were compromised.
Kristen Welker reported on NBC Nightly News (4/26, story 4, 2:20, Alexander, 7.86M) that a recent cyber
attack was more extensive than originally thought and that is raising questions about the governments
ability to protect the Presidents correspondence, adding that while the hackers only got unclassified
emails...even those files can contain sensitive information, like the Presidents schedule.

AMENDMENTS COULD SINK SENATE BILL ON IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL. The AP (4/27, Riechmann)
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reports that backers of the Senate bill to give Congress the power to review and possibly reject an Iran
nuclear deal, including Sens. Lindsey Graham and Robert Menendez, are contending with colleagues
determined to change the legislation in ways that could sink it. The AP highlights some of the
amendments being offered and notes that while the measure cleared the Senate Finance Committee on
a unanimous vote, some lawmakers want changes that could cost them the support of President Barack
Obama, who grudgingly backed the measure, and his fellow Democrats. Meanwhile, The Hill (4/26,
Carney, 469K) reported that conservative Republicans are looking for options that would place
Democrats between the proverbial rock and a hard place, forcing them to choose between opening
themselves up to attack by voting against the amendments, or angering Obama and [Minority Leader]
Reid by backing them.
The New York Times (4/27, Steinhauer, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) reports that the GOP
amendments threaten to peel away bipartisan support for the measure, which was begrudgingly
accepted by the White House. The Times says Democrats who support the underlying bill said
emphatically last week that they would abandon a bill with any legislative ornaments they disliked, and
notes that the impending debate over the amendments highlights challenges facing the legislative
philosophy of [Majority Leader] McConnell, who has vowed to have a generous amendment policy.
Senate Armed Services committee member Lindsey Graham said on Fox News Sunday Morning Futures
(4/26), The outline of a good deal would make sure no sanctions are lifted until theres full compliance
by the Iranians to the inspection regime. ... Before the inspection regime is dismantled down the road in
the future, there has to be a certification that Iran is no longer a state sponsor of terrorism. Those three
things must happen.
Kerry, Zarif To Meet At UN Monday. The AP (4/27, Lee) reports that the State Department said
Secretary of State Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will meet Monday on the
sidelines of a UN conference on the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. This will mark the first time Kerry
and Zarif have met since they laid out the framework for a nuclear deal earlier this month.
McCain Says Agreement Will Result In Iran Having A Nuclear Capability. When asked about the
controversy surrounding the Iran nuclear framework, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John
McCain said on CNNs State Of The Union (4/26, Acosta, 420K), I think George Schultz and Henry
Kissinger were correct in the op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, where they said these negotiations began
in order to rid Iran of ever having a nuclear capability to delaying Iran from having nuclear a nuclear
capability abilities. I can assure you, if this deal goes through the way it appears it is, you will see a
nuclear armed Middle East and thats dangerous.
In an op-ed for the New York Times (4/27, Subscription Publication, 12.24M), Soner Cagaptay, a senior
fellow at The Washington Institute; James F. Jeffrey, the former American ambassador to Iraq, Turkey,
and Albania; and Mehdi Khalaji, a Shiite theologian, that while the Obama Administration hopes an
agreement on Irans nuclear program will have a transcendental effect on Iran and convince it to
abandon its imperial aspirations in return for a sense of normalcy, Iran is a country seeking to assert its
dominance in the region and it will not play by the rules, and should not be expected to compromise its
principles any time soon.
Bush 43 Argues Against Lifting Iran Sanctions. The New York Times (4/27, Horowitz, Haberman,
Subscription Publication, 12.24M) reports that in remarks to the Republican Jewish Coalition on
Saturday, former President George W. Bush offered rare remarks about foreign policy, arguing against
the lifting of sanctions against Iran. While Bush said he would not criticize President Obama, he
offered comments that many in the audience viewed as a tacit critique of his successor, voicing
skepticism about the Obama administrations pursuit of a nuclear deal with Iran. Bush questioned
whether it was wise to lift sanctions against Tehran when the Islamic government seemed to be caving
in, and suggested that the United States risked losing leverage if it did so.
Israel To Take Part In UN Non-Proliferation Conference For First Time In 20 Years. In a move aimed
at promoting a dialogue with Arab states, a senior Israeli official said Israel will participate as an observer
in a nuclear non-proliferation conference set to begin at the UN on Monday, Reuters (4/27, Williams)
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reports. Israel never joined the Non-Proliferation Treaty and has not attend gatherings of treaty
signatories since 1995 to protest resolutions it says were biased against it. According to the Israeli
official, We think that this is the time for all moderate countries to sit and discuss the problems that
everyone is facing in the region. ... I see this, coming as an observer to the conference now, as trying to
demonstrate our good faith in terms of having such a conversation.
WPOST ANALYSIS: ASSADS HOLD ON POWER MORE TENUOUS THAN EVER. The Washington
Post (4/27, Sly, 5.03M) reports that amid rebel gains in Syria, including the capture of Jisr al-Shughour,
President Bashar al-Assads regime appears in greater peril than at any time in the past three years.
However, while the rebels have made significant advances in both the north and the south of the
country, some observers say the prospect of a government collapse in Damascus is still remote, as the
capital is well defended, and the rebels gains have come mostly on the periphery of the country, where
the regimes supply lines are stretched.
GROUP SAYS 34 KILLED IN SYRIAN AIRSTRIKES. Reuters (4/27, Westall) reports that according to a
group monitoring the war in Syria, at least 34 people were killed in Syrian air strikes on the town of Jisr
al-Shughour, which was seized by Islamist fighters on Saturday. According to the group, 20 airstrikes
since Saturday killed at least 34 people including insurgents and civilians, some of whom were children.
ISRAEL SAYS IT LAUNCHED AN AIRSTRIKE YESTERDAY ON SYRIAN BORDER. The AP (4/26)
reports that the Israeli military announced yesterday that it had launched an airstrike on its border with
Syria after spotting militants carrying a bomb in the Israeli-held Golan Heights. According to the Israelis,
a group of armed terrorists was approaching the border with an explosive intended to target Israeli
troops, and Israeli aircraft targeted the squad, preventing the attack. Reuters (4/26, Fisher-Ilan) runs a
similar story, while AFP (4/26) notes Israel made no mention of any casualties.
The Los Angeles Times (4/27, Sobelman, 4.03M) reports the incident occurred just east of Majdal
Shams, a Druze village on the Israeli side of the Golan Heights that Israel captured from Syria in 1967
where fierce fighting between opposition forces and loyalists of the Syrian regime for control over the
Golan strategic plateau in southern Syria has brought the conflict to the border area, now an open and
lawless frontier.
The New York Times (4/27, Kershner, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) notes that Israel has accused
Iran of helping Hezbollah set up a militant network on the Syrian side of the lines in the Golan Heights,
with the aim of attacking Israeli targets. The Times adds that other airstrikes in Syrian territory that were
attributed to Israel have gone unanswered, but the once-quiet cease-fire line in the Golan Heights has
been increasingly destabilized by the Syrian civil war.
OBAMA EXEMPTED DRONE OPERATIONS IN PAKISTAN FROM TIGHTER RULES. The Wall Street
Journal (4/27, Entous, Subscription Publication, 5.68M) reports that current and former officials say that
while the President made rules governing the US drone program tighter in 2013, he secretly approved a
waiver that gave the CIA more leeway in Pakistan to strike suspected militants. While the tighter rules,
which required that targets were posing an imminent threat to the US, were aimed at reducing the risk of
civilian casualties, the CIA was not held to that standard in Pakistan.
McCain, Kasich Say Pentagon, Not CIA, Should Be Running Drone Program. The revelation that a
US counterterrorism attack resulted in the death of two hostages, has prompted calls for the US drone
program to be moved from the CIA to the Pentagon, a sentiment that was evident on the Sunday talk
shows this week. The Huffington Post (4/26, Barron-Lopez, 194K) reported that on CNNs State Of The
Union on Sunday, McCain said the Americans deaths were obviously preventable, adding that there
was an obvious breakdown in intelligence. McCain, the Post added, argued the CIA might not be the
right agency to handle the drone program, saying, Its really not the job of an intelligence agency, and
Reuters (4/27, Cowan) reports that McCain said, I think it should be conducted and oversight and
administered by the Department of Defense.
The Washington Times (4/27, Richardson, 641K) reported that Ohio Gov. John Kasich expressed the
same view on CNNs State Of The Union, saying, I dont believe the drone program should be run out of
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the CIA. The CIA is an intelligence-gathering operation. The drone program should be operated
exclusively out of the Pentagon. The Air Force has the capability of doing extensive targeting. You dont
have those capabilities in the CIA.
PUTIN: INTEL FOUND THAT US HELPED SEPARATISTS IN NORTH CAUCASUS IN EARLY 2000S.
The AP (4/27, Vasilyeva) reports that in a new documentary that aired last night on state TV, Russian
President Vladimir Putin says intercepted calls showed that the US helped separatists in Russias North
Caucasus in the 2000s, underscoring his suspicions of the West. In an interview, Putin says that
Russian intelligence agencies had intercepted direct contacts between the separatists and US
intelligence officials in Azerbaijan during the early 2000s, proving that Washington was helping the
insurgents. Remarked Putin, They were actually helping them, even with transportation.
Bloomberg News (4/26, Agayev, 3.81M) reports that Russias southern periphery is closer to open war
than at any time since the 1990s, as hostilities between Azerbaijan and Armenia are mounting 21 years
after a cease-fire froze a conflict that flared in the dying days of the Soviet Union. The new upswing in
violence now threatens to put some of those investments at risk and destabilize a region that separates
Russia from Turkey and Iran.
SAUDI-LED COALITION ESCALATES AIRSTRIKES IN YEMEN, TARGETS SANA. The New York
Times (4/27, Al-Batati, Fahim, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) reports that the Saudi-led coalition
bombed Sana on Sunday, striking a military base and the presidential palace in the capital. The coalition
also carried out airstrikes across several provinces, suggesting that the Saudi air offensive is
broadening, rather than...scaling back despite Riyadhs claims of focusing on a diplomatic solution and
humanitarian relief. The Times notes that the violence heightened in recent days as it became more
apparent that the warring parties were locked in a standoff. Meanwhile, on Sunday, at least seven were
killed and dozens wounded in escalating violence in Taiz.
Yemen FM Rejects Peace Talks Request From Saleh. Reuters (4/27, Aboulenein) reports that
Yemens foreign minister, Riyadh Yaseen, rejected a call for peace negotiations on Sunday from former
president Ali Abdullah Saleh, calling them unacceptable after all the destruction Ali Abdullah Saleh has
caused, adding that there can be no place for Saleh in any future political talks. Yaseen reiterated that
Operation Decisive Storm has not ended and that his government will not deal with the Houthis
whatsoever until they withdraw from areas under their control.
AFP (4/27, Al-Haidari) reports that new UN envoy to Yemen, Mauritanian diplomat Ismail Ould Cheikh
Ahmed, sought to launch peace talks between the Houthis and the Yemeni government. The Houthis
have called on the end of airstrikes as a condition for entering UN-sponsored talks.
Former UN Envoy: Yemeni Warring Parties Were Close To Deal When Airstrikes Began. In
comments made to the Wall Street Journal (4/27, Lauria, Coker, Subscription Publication, 5.68M), former
UN envoy to Yemen, Jamal Benomar, said that Yemens rival factions were close to agreeing to a powersharing deal when the Saudi-led airstrikes started a month ago, effectively derailing negotiations.
Benomar, who mediated the talks, said that the bombing campaign has led to a fallout over the key issue
of the executive bodys make-up to lead Yemens transition.
US, WORLD MOVE TO DELIVER AID AFTER DEVASTATING EARTHQUAKE HITS NEPAL. In the
lead story for the CBS Evening News (4/26, lead story, 3:30, Glor, 5.08M), Jeff Glor reported that
according to Nepalese authorities at least 2,000 people are confirmed dead after a massive
earthquake. In the lead story for NBC Nightly News (4/26, lead story, 3:20, Alexander, 7.86M), Peter
Alexander put the death toll at more than 2,500, and Richard Engel added that Nepal is bracing for
worse to come. In a separate story for NBC Nightly News (4/26, story 2, 2:15, Alexander, 7.86M), Ian
Williams reported on search and rescue efforts adding that open spaces here are packed. The people
who lived through Saturdays earthquake too afraid to return to their homes. They are preparing to live
outdoors right now, terror heightened by another aftershock on Sunday, the most powerful of over a
dozen.
ABC World News (4/26, lead story, 2:40, Marquardt, 5.84M) described the tremors following Nepals
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most powerful earthquake in 80 years, with rescue teams...digging furiously through the rubble for
anyone who may still be alive. Remarking on the growing sense of despair in Kathmandu, the New
York Times (4/26, Fuller, Harris, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) notes the already difficult situation in
much of the capital, where safe shelters are scarce, was made worse Sunday when rains began to pour
down on huddled masses. Moreover, it is increasingly evident that authorities here were ill-equipped to
rescue those trapped and would have trouble maintaining adequate supplies of water, electricity and
food. The Washington Post (4/27, Lakshmi, Gowen, 5.03M) reports that in the capital, food and water
supplies ran low. Price gouging began. Electricity was intermittent. Rescuers battled to make it to
residents of remote villages. Also reporting on the devastation, among other news outlets, were the
Christian Science Monitor (4/26, 460K), Los Angeles Times (4/27, Makinen, 4.03M), Reuters (4/26,
Sharma, Miglani), AP (4/27, Gurubacharya, Daigle), USA Today (4/27, Mandaro, 5.01M), and Wall Street
Journal (4/27, Pesta, Mandhana, Subscription Publication, 5.68M).
In a separate story on the CBS Evening News (4/26, story 2, 2:25, Glor, 5.08M), Glor reported that there
is a search for survivors from the quake-triggered avalanches on Mount Everest, and Charlie DAgata
added that at least three Americans were killed when one such avalanche. Rescue helicopters reached
the mountain today, but teams have had to battle against rough weather to evacuate badly wounded
survivors. The Americans killed in Nepal, says the Los Angeles Times (4/27, Jennings, 4.03M), were a
Santa Monica couple visiting the country, Michelle Page, 58, and Daniel Adams, 65.
The AP (4/27) reports that the Pentagon says a US military plane has departed from the Dover Air Force
Base in Delaware bound for earthquake-stricken Nepal, carrying 70 personnel, including a US Agency
for International Development disaster assistance response team, a Virginia-based search and rescue
team and 45 tons of cargo. USA Today (4/27, Brook, 5.01M) notes the cargo jet is also carrying
journalists, and that the DOD effort comes after the US Embassy in Nepal announced it had already
released an initial $1 million for immediate assistance. Meanwhile, in aid from other countries, the
United Arab Emirates deployed an 88-member search-and-rescue team to Nepal on Sunday, and the
Emirates Red Crescent also sent a team. The Washington Times (4/27, Klimas, 641K) runs a similar
story this morning.
USA Today (4/27, Madhani, Hjelmgaard, 5.01M) reports that relief groups...say there is still time to save
lives, as government agencies and aid groups began rushing doctors, volunteers and equipment into
Nepal as Katmandus international airport reopened. The AP (4/27, Katz) says substantial logistical
hurdles remain, but there were hopeful signs as Kathmandus international airport reopened...and some
aid vehicles were able to travel overland from Indian to the stricken Nepalese city of Pokhara. In a
separate dispatch, the AP (4/27, Katz) reports that UN spokeswoman Orla Fagan, who is heading to
Nepal, said preventing the spread of disease is one of the most important tasks facing aid workers who
are arriving, said yesterday, There are 14 international medical teams on the way and either 14 or 15
international search-and-rescue teams on the way. ... They need to get in as soon as possible. They will
use military aircraft to get them into Nepal.
The New York Times (4/27, Scott, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) reports that several of Nepals
neighbors have sent immediate help. India said that it had deployed 13 military transport planes and a
40-person disaster response team, while China said that a search and rescue team had already reached
Katmandu.
On Fox News Sunday Morning Futures (4/26), former US Ambassador To Saudi Arabia Robert Jordan
talked about the devastating earthquake, stating, We have access to our military personnel who are
very, very helpful in situations like this. Its really an opportunity for America to make friends by aiding in
a time of terrible necessity. This reminds me of the tsunami aid we provided some years ago. This is a
terrible tragedy, but its one where we can actually make a difference. America is very good at mobilizing
and dispatching aid. Well obviously have many challenges because of the terrain in Nepal, but this is
something that our military, with State Department guidance, are very much up to.
On CBS Face The Nation (4/26, Schieffer, 2.64M), Orla Fagan, public information officer at the UN Office
for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said, Teams are being mobilized, there are international
operations underway. India sent in three very large military helicopters. Other nations are planning to do
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the same. ... What theyre looking for now is how to shift the materials to remove the debris, to start the
search and rescue operation to get as many people out of the rubble as possible, and to clear dead
bodies out of the way to address the threat of disease outbreak.
Also on CBS Face The Nation (4/26, Schieffer, 2.64M), Chris Skopec, senior director for emergency
preparedness and response with the International Medical Corps, said, The International Medical Corps
is on the ground and weve reached the epicenter of the earthquake. We brought medical relief to treat
patients and were trying to assess the extent of the damage to see how best we can mobilize resources.
... First and foremost, we need more resources on the ground. We need human resources doctors,
nurses as well as pharmaceutical and medical supplies. We need the ability to bring clean water to the
people that need it the most.
SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS DISAGREE ON RESPONSE TO CHINAS ACTIONS IN SOUTH
CHINA SEA. The Wall Street Journal (4/27, Otto, Ng, Subscription Publication, 5.68M) reports the
southeast Asian nations are divided over how to respond to Chinas actions in the South China Sea,
noting that during a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on Sunday, the Philippines
pushed the group to stand up to China, while Malaysia sought to downplay the situation.
Chinas First-Quarter GDP Growth Rate Appears Overstated. The Wall Street Journal (4/27, Magnier,
Subscription Publication, 5.68M) reports that Chinas claim of 7 percent first-quarter GDP growth appears
to be overstated, noting that Chinas numbers have not shown the sharp fluctuations seen in other
economies, and its methodology appears to be inconsistent. However, the Journal notes that efforts by
economists to determine its actual growth rate have proven difficult.
Paulson: China Becoming An Enemy Is Not Inevitable. In an interview with the Christian Science
Monitor (4/26, Marquand, 460K), former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said, The level of
understanding between China and the US is not where I think it should be, considering how important the
relationship is, adding that there is as big a risk of exaggerating Chinas strength as there is in
underestimating its potential. This is a country that has huge challenges, an economic system that has
run out of steam, which it needs to reboot. Paulson also said that China becoming an enemy is not
inevitable. As a matter of fact, it is unthinkable We do have a lot of shared interests with China. But
those interests dont make a lot of difference unless you turn them into tangible accomplishments. We
need to do things that bring our countries closer together.
NOOSE TIGHTENS AROUND GREECE AS IMPASSE OVER DEBT CONTINUES. Bloomberg News
(4/26, Chrysoloras, 3.81M) reports that Greece will look for ways to assemble enough cash to pay its
pensioners and employees this week, after euro area finance ministers on Friday said they wont
disburse more aid until bailout terms are met. At the IMF, the consensus appears to be that a Greek
default would be systemically manageable, UBS Chairman Axel Weber told the Swiss newspaper Neue
Zuercher Zeitung, while the Governing Council of the European Central Bank may debate on May 6
whether to raise the haircut on Greek collateral posted against Emergency Liquidity Assistance, a
decision that could worsen the countrys cash squeeze. Reuters (4/27, Koutantou) notes that Greek
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke on the phone yesterday, and
agreed to stay in touch in coming days.
POLICE BODY CAMERAS RAISING QUESTIONS OVER DISTRIBUTION OF FOOTAGE. The New
York Times (4/27, Williams, Subscription Publication, 12.24M) reports that while police departments
nationwide are rushing to equip officers with body cameras, their adoption has created a new conflict
over who has the right to view the recordings. While the move to adopt them is just taking off, there is
already a battle in state legislatures over the control of their footage.
ASIAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER GROUPS CALL FOR JUSTICE FOR SLAIN NEW YORKER. WPIXTV New York (4/27, Gurley, 22K) reported on its website that more than 50 Asian and Pacific Islander
groups from across the nation have released an open letter calling for justice for Akai Gurley, whose
was killed by NYPD Officer Peter Liang on November 20, 2014. Liang was unarmed, and the groups
who have signed the letter represent diverse constituencies across all regions of the US.
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KHAMENEI CRITICIZES US POLICE TREATMENT OF BLACK AMERICANS. In a press release

posted on Irans Tasnim News Agency (4/27), Ayatollah Khamenei criticizes US police forces for violence
against black Americans. Khamenei told a gathering of police officials in Tehran on Sunday, In the US,
whose president is now a black man, black people are being persecuted, ignored and humiliated by
police, as such behavior has also caused unrests.
NEWLY-RELEASED REPORT DETAILS BUSH ADMINISTRATIONS SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM.
McClatchy (4/26, Doyle, Subscription Publication, 32K) reports that a July 2009 report prepared by the
Offices of the Inspectors General of the Department of Defense, Department of Justice, Central
Intelligence Agency, National Security Agency, and Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which
details the George W. Bush administrations aggressive surveillance program has been made public.
The previously secret report criticizes former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales for misleading
Congress in his testimony about the program, noting that while Gonzales was in the difficult position of
testifying about a secret program in a public hearing, he had a duty not to be misleading in his
testimony about the events that nearly led to mass resignations of the most senior officials of the Justice
Department and FBI. Investigators further concluded the Justice Department should have more
carefully and thoroughly reviewed the programs legality.


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(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

USFA Fire Watch Desk Daily Report April 29, 2015

on behalf of (b) (6), (b) (7)(C E

(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

For your situational awareness

(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

Fire Program Specialist

(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

USFA Fire Watch Desk Daily Report April 30, 2015

on behalf of (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

For your situational awareness

(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

Fire Program Specialist

(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

on behalf of(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

DHS National Operations Center

For your situational awareness

(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

Fire Program Specialist

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UNCLASSIFIED / FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

Updated Information in Blue

State and Area Response / Significant Assets Assigned

Federal Protective Service

DC Metropolitan Police (MPDC) report a DC Ferguson Rally in Support of Freddie Gray

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UNCLASSIFIED / FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

Distribution: DHS HQ Leadership, DHS Component Leadership, DHS Component

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Senior Watch Officer

UNCLASSIFIED / FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

(b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

If you have anything you can add, please let us know.

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From: (b) (6), (b) (7)(C)

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Distribution: DHS HQ Leadership, DHS Component Leadership, DHS Component

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(U//FOUO) NOC Note (Update): Violent Activity - Baltimore, MD (NOC 0413-15)

UNCLASSIFIED / FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

The Governor will hold a press conference at 2030 EDT.

The NOC will continue to monitor and provide updates as warranted.

The State of Maryland Emergency Operations Center has been activated.

The NOC will continue to monitor and provide updates as warranted.

There is no request for federal assistance.

The NOC will continue to monitor and provide updates as warranted.

The NOC will continue to monitor and provide updates as warranted.

Source: Open source media.

IWW: No intelligence implications at this time.

NPPD: NICC and NCCIC notified.

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Senior Watch Officer

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(U//FOUO) NOC Note (Update): Violent Activity - Baltimore, MD (NOC 0413-15)

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The State of Maryland Emergency Operations Center has been activated.