Military Special Operators Provide Decisive Capability, Says Senior U.S. And NATO Commander

Donna Miles at the American Forces Press Service offers the below piece:

WASHINGTON, July 2, 2013 - Special operators, working together through the NATO Special Forces Headquarters, have provided the decisive edge during NATO missions in Europe, Afghanistan and Africa, and continue to improve their capabilities across the land, air and sea domains, the senior U.S. and NATO commander in Europe said today.

"These 'quiet professionals' provide unique current and emerging capabilities that enable our team to respond rapidly and precisely in ways no one else can," Air Force Gen. Philip M. Breedlove, NATO's supreme allied commander for Europe and commander of U.S. European Command, noted in a blog posting. "As our military teams across the alliance find more efficient and effective ways of providing the right forces at the right place and at the right time, we will increasingly look to our special operators to get the job done."

Breedlove praised the role of special operators after presiding today over the NATO Special Forces Headquarters' change of command ceremony. Air Force Lt. Gen. Frank J. Kisner passed command to Navy Vice Adm. Sean A. Pybus.

Breedlove (seen in the above DoD photo) recognized the operational support the headquarters has provided more than 2,200 allied and partner special operations service members serving in Afghanistan under the International Security Assistance Force mission. Meanwhile, the NATO Special Forces Headquarters has provided special operations expertise to Operation Unified Protector in Libya, Operation Ocean Shield off the Horn of Africa, Operation Active Endeavor in the Mediterranean Sea and other NATO missions, he said.

The general attributed much of the success of these missions -- and future ones -- to the NATO Special Operations Forces Training and Education Program. This initiative is "the centerpiece of building and sustaining allied and partner SOF capability," he said, with more than 3,500 special operations personnel from 34 nations graduating from the program's 26 courses that span the spectrum of special operations capabilities.

Breedlove singled out examples of these capabilities across the region. Members of U.S. Special Operations Command Europe, based in Stuttgart, Germany, "are accomplishing great things every day on the ground, in the air and on the seas across the European theater and beyond," he said.

New aircraft arriving in the theater will bring additional capability, specifically in support of crises response, disaster preparedness and emergency airlift missions, he noted. The first of two CV-22 Osprey aircraft at the British Royal Air Force base at Mildenhall, United Kingdom, represent "a first for U.S. special operations aviation in Europe, providing transformational vertical-lift capability to our theater," he said.

Also arriving are the first of 12 MC-130J Commando II aircraft, "uniquely capable of low-visibility, low-level aerial refueling missions for special operations helicopters and tilt-rotor aircraft, as well as infiltration, exfiltration and resupply of ground and maritime special operations forces," the general said.

"These aircraft bring new capabilities to our theater that are welcome additions," Breedlove said. "These important upgrades will allow our special operators to fly further, faster, higher and longer than ever before, dramatically increasing our theater special operations capabilities and range of modern support to our European partners."

Meanwhile, Special Operations Command Europe continues to focus on expanding theater-wide SOF capabilities. Efforts to train, develop and enable European allies and partners "thickens our lines," Breedlove said.

In Afghanistan, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force's Combined Special Operations Task Force 10, led by the only U.S. special operations forces serving under NATO operational control, includes special operators from Croatia, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Macedonia, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. Breedlove recognized the contributions the element is making across nine Afghan provinces, with "profound effects on enabling the Afghans to assume full responsibility for their national security."

Navy Special Warfare Unit 2, Special Operations Command Europe's maritime element, also remains heavily engaged in Afghanistan, Breedlove noted. Teamed primarily with Romanian and Polish forces and Afghan law enforcement officials, they are "bringing some very bad people to justice," he said.

Meanwhile, the unit has built strong relationships with allies from Greece and Denmark and Norwegian navy special warfare teams to create "a theater maritime response capability second to none," Breedlove said.

Looking to the future, Breedlove said coalitions will remain the cornerstone of international military missions. Just as in current operations, he said special operators will be looked to "to get the job done."

"From what I have seen thus far, our quiet professionals in NATO and Eucom are exactly the right people to meet this challenge," he said. "They are a special breed, and I'm grateful for what they bring to our team." 

Note: The top DoD photo show U.S. Navy SEALs in training.

Southern Partnership Station Confronts Transnational Crime

Donna Miles at the American Forces Press Service offers the below piece:

WASHINGTON, March 18, 2013 - Working with three Central American counterparts to help them build capability to counter transnational criminals, participants in Southern Partnership Station 2013 are supporting U.S. Southern Command's outreach to the region, and by extension, U.S. national security, a Southcom official told American Forces Press Service.

After completing the first stop of their visit, to Belize, participants arrived last week in Guatemala, where they will remain through the month's end, reported Navy Cmdr. Robert Skinner, maritime plans chief for Southcom's future operations directorate. They then will continue on for bilateral engagements in Honduras before wrapping up the overall mission in late May.

Throughout the U.S. 4th Fleet operation, the focus is on building partner-nation capacity to help regional nations better stand up to challenges than transcend their national borders, Skinner said.

To support the mission, USNS Swift, a high-speed catamaran, left Mayport, Fla., in mid-February with an embarked command element and members of every military service and participants from the Coast Guard, the FBI and other government agencies.

The assigned units are focusing on locally identified needs, such as port security, noncommissioned officer professional development, operational risk management, medical readiness, outboard motor maintenance and patrol-craft operation, Navy Lt. Cmdr. Corey Barker, the 4th Fleet public affairs officer, reported.

In Belize, Seabees from Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit 202 built an open-bay structure to support Belize Defense Force operations while members of Riverine Squadron 2 helped their Belizean counterparts improve skills in interdiction and security team inserts and extractions on the water.

Meanwhile, agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service's Security Training Assistance and Assessment Team Atlantic spent almost three weeks sharing law enforcement techniques with Belizean coast guard and police forces.

With the mission now unfolding in Guatemala, about 150 service members are concentrating their efforts on explosive ordnance disposal teams and riverine and law enforcement operations. Additionally, Seabees are helping to improve infrastructure at the Guatemalan military's Kaibil base.

"Swift is a unique platform that allows us to make lasting bonds with our partner nations in Latin America," said Navy Cmdr. Bob Poling, the mission commander. "What we do on this deployment will make a difference and it will have a lasting impact on our partners in the region."

The Southern Partnership Station mission is part of Southcom's broader Partnership of the Americas maritime engagement strategy, Skinner explained. Adopted in 2008, the strategy provides a coordinated, holistic approach to U.S. maritime engagement in Central and South America and the Caribbean.

Other key elements of the strategy include Continuing Promise, which features medical services and humanitarian and civic activities, and Southern Seas, which encompasses a variety of large-scale, multilateral exercises and exchanges designed to improve operational readiness and enhance relationships in the region, Skinner said.

Southern Partnership Station is more bilateral in nature, offering an opportunity for participants to focus on specific capability gaps partner nations identify. This, Skinner said, helps to make them stronger partners and enables them to play a greater role in confronting transnational criminals and drug traffickers that no single country can confront alone.

The mission, along with other Southcom-sponsored engagements in the theater, also promotes regional interoperability so nations can better work together to address these challenges, Skinner said.

"We feel we have common interests and security concerns," he said. "The transitional challenges we have requires cooperative action among the different states. And by building up our partner nations, we are multiplying our own capabilities downrange."

Southern Partnership Station also makes an important statement in reaffirming the United States' commitment to its regional neighbors, Skinner said.

"We want to be an enduring partner," he said. "We want to be their partner of choice."

(Navy Lt. Cmdr. Corey Barker, public affairs officer for the U.S. 4th Fleet, and Air Force Master Sgt. Chris Stagner contributed to this article.)

Note: In the above U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Ashley Hyatt a U.S. Navy sailor pulls rear security on a rivercraft in Corozal, Belize, during joint river operations as part of Southern Partnership Station 2013 in the U.S. 4th Fleet area of responsibility, Feb. 25, 2013.

Southern Partnership Station is an annual deployment that exchanges training and expertise between U.S. military and civilian agencies and their counterparts in Central and South America and the Caribbean.

Justice Rolls Slowly In Alleged 9/11 Suspects Case

Donna Miles at the American Forces Press Service offers the below piece:

FORT MEADE, Md., Feb. 15, 2013 - The latest round of pre-trial hearings for the alleged 9/11 mastermind and four accomplices wrapped up yesterday at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, much as it started: with hours of wrangling over legal and privacy issues and continued protests by the defense team that the system is rigged.

Army Col. James Pohl, the commission judge, concluded four days of pre-trial hearings in the case against Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (seen in the above photo at the time of his capture), and accomplices Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin Attash, Ramzi Binalshibh, Ali Abdul Aziz Ali, and Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi.

All five defendants were captured in Pakistan in 2002 and 2003 and have been confined at Guantanamo Bay since 2006.

They were charged during their arraignment in May 2012 with terrorism, conspiracy, attacking civilians, attacking civilian objects, intentionally causing serious bodily injury, murder in violation of the law of war, destruction of property in violation of the law of war, hijacking or hazarding a vessel or aircraft. The prosecution has since requested that the conspiracy charge be dropped.

Among the most significant developments during this week's proceedings was the revelation that microphones as well as cameras have been hidden in several locations around the detention facility -- including inside what looked like smoke detectors in rooms where defense attorneys meet with their clients.

Detention officials told the court these measures were taken for security reasons only, and prosecutors insisted that they have never eavesdropped on privileged conversations between the defendants and their counsel. The defense, however, called the mere presence of the microphones an ethics violation that undermines their ability to provide a valid defense.

Pohl ordered that the microphones be removed from rooms where the attorneys meet with clients, and agreed to a defense request that they be held so they can be inspected later, if the defense wishes to.

Defense attorneys also charged that the defendants' property, including confidential mail from their lawyers, had been seized from their cells this week while they appeared in court. Bin Attash, who was among those who reported missing items, stood up and began to address the judge about the matter. Pohl threatened to have him removed from the courtroom if he did not sit down, but assured him he would have an opportunity to speak later, under oath.

Navy Lt. Cdr. George Masucco, the detention facility's assistant staff judge advocate, told the court that the guards seized what they believed to be contraband materials during routine safety inspections earlier this week. Among the suspect material was a photo of the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, a metal pen, toilet paper that had English writing on it and mail that had not been properly marked to indicate it had been reviewed for content.

Masucco confirmed during cross examination that some of the challenged materials, including the photo, did, in fact, have the proper markings. However, he noted that some of those stamps didn't conform to established detention center requirements, such as the reviewer's initials.

Defense Attorney Cheryl Bormann argued that repeated inspections of the same materials by guards who rotate through assignments at Guantanamo Bay amounts to harassment. This led to a long discussion about the difference between an inspection and a search, and who needs to be present when one is conducted.

Army Brig. Gen. Mark Martins, chief prosecutor for the Office of Military Commissions, told the judge the camp commander would conduct an investigation to determine facts regarding the latest seizures. That information will be reported to the court within seven days, he said.

In addition, Pohl gave the defense a week to come up with recommended language about inspection protocols, and said the prosecution will get a week to comment on it. Based on that input, the judge said he will make a ruling to clear up future confusion.

In another matter, Navy Cmdr. Walter Ruiz, one of the defense attorneys, told the judge he had not received the support he needed within the timeframe he needed it, including security clearances for the translator he had requested.

Retired Navy Adm. Bruce MacDonald, the convening authority for the commissions, disputed Ruiz' claim, telling the court during testimony delivered via teleconference that he had complied with the defense's requests. MacDonald said he will step down from his three-year appointment when it expires March 21, before the next series of pre-trial hearings, scheduled for April.

All five defendants appeared in the courtroom yesterday. Mohammed, with a bright red beard, wore a traditional white turban and, in a concession the court granted at an earlier pre-trial hearing, a camouflage vest.

More Pretrial Hearings Kick Off For 9/11 Suspects

Donna Miles at the American Forces Press Service offers the below report:

FORT MEADE, Md., Jan. 28, 2013 - Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (seen in the above photo at the time of his capture), the self-proclaimed mastermind behind the 9/11 terrorist attacks, along with four co-defendants charged with planning and carrying out the attacks, acknowledged to the judge today that they understand and have no questions about their rights.

Army Col. James Pohl, the judge, opened four days of pretrial hearings at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, affirming that the defendants understand they have the right to attend the proceedings and may voluntarily skip most proceedings. In outlining the rights, Pohl also made clear that opting out of court could hurt the defense, while recognizing that the accused could be compelled to come to court when specific issues are discussed.

Pohl asked each defendant -- Mohammed, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin Attash, Ramzi Binalshibh, Ali Abdul Aziz Ali, and Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi -- to affirm that they understand these rights.

Bin Attash, the only defendant to offer more than a simple "Yes," told Pohl he and his fellow defendants have "no motivating factors to come to court." He complained that the prosecution does not want the defendants to hear or understand what is going on or to speak during the proceedings.

Bin Attash also expressed frustration that after a year and a half of association, the defendants have not established trust in the attorneys involved. "The attorneys are bound, but we are bound also," he told the court.

Much of today's discussions involved whether the prosecution and defense teams need to go into a closed session to discuss what issues they can address in open court. That includes one of the most controversial aspects of the hearing: information about the defendants' detention at so-called "black sites" operated by the CIA before they were transferred to the Guantanamo Bay facility.

Portions of the proceedings were blocked out by loud static to keep the statements out of the public record. This also prevented the audio from being heard by families of 9/11 victims at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and watching via closed-circuit television here and at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.; Fort Hamilton, N.Y.; and Fort Devens, Mass.

Reporters covering the proceedings at Guantanamo Bay and from a media center at Fort Meade also heard the static.

This led Pohl to question during the hearing who has a right to turn on a light that generates the static sound and also institutes a 40-second delay in the audio feed. After closing today's opening session, he brought together the prosecution and defense teams to work through these issues.

All five defendants at today's hearing were captured in Pakistan in 2002 and 2003 and have been confined at Guantanamo Bay since 2006. They were charged during their arraignment in May 2012 with terrorism, conspiracy, attacking civilians, attacking civilian objects, intentionally causing serious bodily injury, murder in violation of the law of war, destruction of property in violation of the law of war, hijacking or hazarding a vessel or aircraft.

This round of commission hearings will continue through Jan. 31, with the next slated for Feb. 11 to 14.

Today's hearings began three days after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia overturned the conviction of Ali Hamza Ahmad Suliman al Bahlul of Yemen. The court ruled that the charges of conspiracy, providing material support for terrorism and soliciting murder did not qualify as war crimes when Bahlul committed them.

A military commission found him guilty of conspiracy with Osama bin Laden and others to commit murder of protected persons, attacking civilians and other crimes in November 2008. He was also found guilty of solicitation to commit murder of protected persons, to attack civilian objects, and to commit acts of terrorism.

In addition, the commission found him guilty of providing material support for terrorism by supporting al-Qaida through meeting with the highest-ranking members of the organization and creating al-Qaida propaganda, including a widely distributed propaganda video, "The Destruction of the American Destroyer U.S.S. Cole." All offenses were in violation of the Military Commissions Act of 2006.

He was sentenced to life in prison.

NORAD Prepares To Track Santa's Worldwide Christmas Eve Flight

Donna Miles at the American Forces Press Service offers the below report:

Aerospace Defense Command has stood sentry for more than a half century, defending the United States and Canada against attack. But in the coming days, the command here will move into full throttle to conduct its most celebrated mission: tracking Santa Claus on his yuletide journey.

In a YouTube video posted on the NORAD website, Army Gen. Charles H. Jacoby Jr., commander of NORAD and U.S. Northern Command, places a call to the North Pole to describe the "NORAD Tracks Santa" mission to the big man himself.
Jacoby assures Saint Nick that he and Canadian Air Force Lt. Gen. J. A. J. Parent, the NORAD deputy commander, "want to make sure you have everything you need to deliver gifts to all the good boys and girls."

"We at NORAD are ready to make sure that you are tracked and safe when traveling around the world and when you enter North American airspace," Jacoby said. "From the time you leave the North Pole until the time you get back, we are going to keep an eye on you to make sure you are safe."

Parent explained how NORAD will rally its detection and monitoring capabilities to track Santa's worldwide journey. Arctic experts will monitor ice floes and shipping lanes near the North Pole, and weather teams will stay on top of weather patterns to help his navigation. Tracing the infrared signature from Rudolph's nose, satellite operators will follow the sleigh's flight. Radars stretching across Canada and Alaska and on Aegis cruisers at sea will signal when Santa leaves the North Pole and approaches North America.

"We are going to make sure you get to every house. Don't worry about the journey," Jacoby tells Santa. Evoking the NORAD and Northcom motto, he adds, "We've got the watch."

Based on past years' response, the public will be captivated.

During December 2011, the NORAD Tracks Santa website registered 18.9 million visitors from 220 countries and territories. More than 1 million Facebook followers became "fans" of NORAD Tracks Santa. On Dec. 24 alone, volunteers took 102,000 phone calls and responded to 8,000 emails, reporting on Santa's whereabouts.

Not bad for a program started on a lark in 1955 when a local newspaper ad misprinted the phone number for children to call Santa.

Air Force Col. Harry Shoup, a father himself, was on duty when the calls started coming in to what was then the Continental Air Defense Command Operations Center. Rather than turning the children away, Shoup played along, offering assurance that Santa was on track to make his scheduled deliveries.

The tradition continued, even as the command merged with its Canadian counterpart in 1958 to form NORAD, and has enthralled the young -- and the young at heart -- around the globe ever since.

Technology and social media have expanded the program's reach exponentially, offering updates on Santa's whereabouts by phone, online and through mobile apps.

The website offers reports in eight languages and volunteer translators at the call center take calls in several languages.

This year, Marisa Novobilski, lead coordinator, is expecting the highest participation ever. "In the past few years, the growth has been amazing," she said. "We want to take that to the next level, reaching even more people."

She credited the army of volunteers that makes it possible -- so many that she finds herself having to turn many away -- and 52 different companies and organizations that contribute technology and know-how to support the project.

"The outpouring is immense," Novobilski said. "It's unbelievable, the way people contact us to ask what they can do to help."

Early indications show 2012 will be a banner year. The NORAD Tracks Santa website has already registered almost 2.1 million visitors since it launched Dec. 1. The Facebook page has registered more than 1 million "likes," and the new NORAD Tracks Santa apps have been downloaded by more than 1.6 million users. The project also has almost 95,500 Twitter followers.

With Santa still at the North Pole, visitors are discovering a plethora of other treats, from holiday music by military bands to activities and games in addition to information about the NORAD mission.

But beginning at 6 a.m. EST on Christmas Eve, NORAD Tracks Santa will move into high gear. The first of about 1,200 volunteers from the base and community will begin cramming into the Leadership Development Center on Peterson Air Force Base, which will temporarily be transformed into the NORAD Tracks Santa operations center. The center expanded into a third room last year, with 30 additional phones and computers added to the effort.

Armed with telephones and laptops, volunteers will pull shifts through the night, answering phone calls and emails from children around the world as they check on Santa's globe-circling sleigh ride. They'll send Tweets reporting Santa's location and upload images gathered by webcams to the website to pinpoint the sleigh's location.

Some of the callers and web visitors, Novobilski knows, will be young military children, wanting to make sure that Santa will pay a visit to their deployed parents. "You get a lot of heartbreaking calls," she said. "But we tell them that Santa visits everyone who believes."

Novobilski said she's been overwhelmed by the program's impact, and how it has made NORAD a household name among people who might never have heard of the command or its mission when it's not tracking Santa.

"This is a goodwill program that reaches so many people across the globe," she said. "You are educating people about our missions and you are having fun while doing it. At the end of the day, everyone is smiling. So as busy as everybody is, and as crazy as things can get, we all know that this is making a difference."

Note: The photo above shows volunteers at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado are gearing up to answer phone calls and emails fromm children around the world checking on Santa's whereabouts during the "NORAD Tracks Santa" event in 2011. The U.S. Air Force photo was taken by Tech Sgt. Thomas J. Doscher.

Classified Information Plays Central Role In Both 9/11 And WikiLeaks Cases

Donna Miles at the American Forces Press Service offers the below piece:

FORT MEADE, Md. - Pretrial hearings for two major court cases – one involving the alleged perpetrators behind the 9/11 terror attacks and the other involving the soldier charged with the largest intelligence leak in U.S. history – are converging this week as attorneys operating in two very different legal systems focus on the issue of classified information in the courtroom.

The pre-trial hearing for Khalid Sheik Mohammed (seen in the above photo), who has confessed to planning the 9/11 attacks "from A to Z," and four others who allegedly trained, financed or arranged transportation for the 19 hijackers entered its fourth day today at Naval Air Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Mohammed's codefendants in the case are his nephew, Ali Abdul Aziz Ali; Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak bin Attash, charged with selecting and training some of the hijackers; and Ramzi Binalshibh and Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi, accused with helping finance the attacks.

 

Meanwhile, here at Fort Meade, the second day of pre-trial hearings continued for Army Pfc. Bradley Manning (seen in the above photo). He is an Army intelligence specialist accused of downloading and transmitting classified information to the whistle-blowing group WikiLeaks while he was deployed to Iraq.

The legal systems being used to prosecute these cases are significantly different.

Manning, as a member of the U.S. military, is subject to the Uniformed Code of Military Justice. This system has roots dating back to the Revolutionary War to promote good order and discipline in the armed forces. The 9/11 defendants, on the other hand, will be tried through a military tribunal governed by the Military Commissions Act of 2009.

Manning is charged with aiding the enemy; wrongfully causing intelligence to be published on the Internet, knowing that it is accessible to the enemy; theft of public property or records; transmitting defense information; and fraud and related activity in connection with computers. The charges against him also include violation of Army Regulations 25-2 "Information Assurance" and 380-5 "Department of the Army Information Security Program."

If found guilty, Manning could receive up to life in prison. He also could be reduced to E-1, the lowest enlisted grade, and face a total forfeiture of all pay and allowances and dishonorable discharge.

Military commissions, on the other hand, apply to "an alien unprivileged enemy belligerent who has engaged in hostilities, or who has purposefully and materially supported hostilities against the United States, its coalition partners or was a part of al Qaeda."

The 9/11 defendants were captured in Pakistan between 2002 and 2003 and have been confined at Guantanamo Bay since 2006.

They were charged during their arraignment in May with terrorism, conspiracy, attacking civilians, attacking civilian objects, intentionally causing serious bodily injury, murder in violation of the law of war, destruction of property in violation of the law of war, hijacking or hazarding a vessel or aircraft. If found guilty, they could receive the death penalty.

A casual peek into the courtrooms gives a glimpse into one of the most obvious differences between the UCMJ and military commission processes.

By law, Manning is not required to attend proceedings regarding his case, but a military lawyer with more than 20 years experience said on background that he's never seen a service member not attend. Photographers outside the courtroom yesterday captured images of Manning being escorted from the courtroom in his Army dress blue uniform with gold-colored private first class rank on his sleeves.

Army Col. James Pohl, the judge presiding over the 9/11 case, ruled earlier this week that the defendants don't have to attend their court sessions, as long as they sign a waiver form each morning they choose to skip. When they do elect to attend, they can dress as they choose – as long as their attire doesn't include U.S. military uniform items or prisoner garb in a color that would misrepresent their security status at the detention facility.

Mohammed quickly took advantage of both rulings. He opted out of court the first day after Pohl ruled that he could – the day the judge also took up the wardrobe issue. Yesterday, Mohammed initially elected not to attend the third day of pre-trial hearings, then showed up later that morning wearing a camouflage vest over his traditional white tunic.

Most of the distinctions between the UCMJ and military commission legal processes are less obvious to those without legal training, and the discussion could fill textbooks. One big question being debated during the 9/11 hearings, for example, is whether the defendants have constitutional rights.

However, a central concern in both the Manning and 9/11 cases is the issue of how classified information is dealt with in court.

Today, the fourth day of pretrial hearings for the 9/11 suspects continued to focus on the balance between protecting classified information that, if made public, could jeopardize U.S. national security, and the constitutional mandate that court proceedings be open to the public.

The prosecution and U.S. government lawyers say protections are needed to prosecute the case without disclosing classified information that would threaten U.S. national security.

In contrast, the defendant's defense teams accused prosecutors of using an overly broad banner of national security to safeguard information vital to providing a solid defense. Echoing them were lawyers representing the American Civil Liberties Union and media groups, who said the government wants to squelch information the public deserves to know.

Pohl is expected to rule this week on a protective order the prosecution has requested to spell out what provisions are protected and what aren't.

A central issue in both the 9/11 and Manning cases involves information regarding the defendants' detention. For Manning, that involves time when he was allegedly mistreated while being held in a Marine Corps brig at Quantico, Va. Of primary concern regarding the 9/11 defendants is time they spent in the hands of the CIA before being transferred to Guantanamo Bay.

Both cases also require hammering out details about witnesses who can be called. In Manning's case, for example, some witnesses' names have been redacted from the motion and are considered to be classified as secret. At Guantanamo Bay, the issue involves whether the defense is required to give the prosecution a heads up about what the witnesses it calls are likely to say –something the government would weigh in deciding whether to fly a witness to the courtroom.

Meanwhile, Army Col. Denise Lind, the judge hearing he Manning case, ordered the prosecution yesterday to release hundreds of emails about his incarceration to the defense team. Lind's ruling covered all but 12 of about 600 emails covering a range of issues: from Manning's visitor list and provisions to ensure he had proper uniforms to plans for responding to protesters and media queries. These emails, added to ones already in the possession of Manning's defense attorneys, bring to 1,200 the total number of emails that will presumably be used to argue that their client was treated illegally.

Lind also issued rulings that would allow parts of CIA, FBI and Department of Homeland Security documents used in the case to be redacted.

Ironically, the only concrete decision made during the 9/11 hearing today had nothing to do with the court proceedings. Rather, it involved the cleanup of administrative space the defense teams have complained are plagued with rat droppings and mold. Although base officials had declared them safe, a defense lawyer told Pohl the space is making her staff sick.

A Navy officer promised a comprehensive cleanup before the next series of pre-trial hearings, assuring the court that occupational health experts will verify that they they're up to standards.

9/11 Defendant Condemns Military Tribunal Process

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

FORT MEADE, Md., Oct. 17, 2012 - The self-described mastermind in the 9/11 terrorist attacks condemned the military commissions process today for the second time since the pre-trial hearings for him and four other codefendants began this week.

Army Col. James Pohl, the judge overseeing the case of Khalid Sheik Mohammed and four others charged with planning and conducting the 9/11 attacks, gave Mohammed the
opportunity to address the court at Naval Air Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The defendant, wearing a camouflage vest Pohl granted him permission to wear and arriving late for court today after initially electing to skip it, unexpectedly raised his hand during the afternoon session indicating that he wanted to speak.

Pohl called a recess so his defense team could ascertain their client's intention before giving Mohammed the floor.

Speaking through an interpreter, Mohammed accused the U.S. government of using national security concerns as a guise to circumvent a legitimate legal process. He said the prosecution is being subjective about what activities it conducts and information it protects in the interest of national security.

"The president can take someone and throw them in the sea in the name of national security," he said, a reference to al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden's burial at sea. Mohammed went on to charge that the U.S. government is so focused on the 3,000 people killed on 9/11 that it has justified killing "millions" in the name of national security.

"Your blood is not made out of gold and ours out of water," he charged.

Pohl, clearly not anticipating the tirade, made clear that it won't tolerate others. "This is a one-time occurrence," he told David Nevin, Mohammed's learned counsel, after Mohammed finished speaking.

Pohl emphasized that he would never allow the court proceedings to be disrupted again to allow any of the defendants to express their personal thoughts about how the proceedings are going.
He also underscored that his failure to interrupt Mohammed should not be construed as an endorsement of anything he said.

Mohammed's commentary was the second time this week that he condemned the military commission process. During the first day of pre-trial hearings, he told Pohl, "I don't think there's any justice in this court."

Mohammed's comments came at the end of a day in which only one of the five 9/11 defendants, Ali Abdul Aziz Ali, initially elected to attend court. Mohammed skipped yesterday's session and initially opted do the same today. However, he informed the guards that he had changed his mind and appeared in court an hour-and-a-half into today's session.

Three other defendants, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak bin Attash, Ramzi Binalshibh and Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi, waived their right to attend today's hearing.

All five of the defendants were captured in Pakistan between 2002 and 2003 and have been confined at Guantanamo Bay since 2006.

They were charged during their arraignment in May with terrorism, conspiracy, attacking civilians, attacking civilian objects, intentionally causing serious bodily injury, murder in violation of the law of war, destruction of property in violation of the law of war, hijacking or hazarding a vessel or aircraft.

The third day of their pretrial hearings continued to focus today on the balance between protecting classified information that, if made public, could jeopardize U.S. national security, and the constitutional mandate to make court proceedings public.

Hina Shamsi, representing the American Civil Liberties Union, argued this morning that the proceedings should be open, objecting to measures she called "categorical suppression of information that has largely been made public."

Shami called the closed sessions, and a 40-second delay in the audio feed, an attempt to censor the defendants' testimony about their torture and detention while in U.S. custody, particularly by the CIA.

Later in the day, the court security officer demonstrated how this works, cutting the microphone to Navy Lt. Cdr. Kevin Bogucki, Binalshibh's military counsel, when Bogucki referred to enhanced interrogation methods. As it became clear that Bogucki was speaking in hypothetical terms, the CSO restored the audio and Pohl asked Bogucki to repeat what he had said for the court record.

James Connell, Ali's learned counsel, told Pohl he believes the defense teams has the right and obligation to challenge the classification of information relevant to their cases. He said previous questions to the convening authority about why some information is classified have been met with "silence."

Department of Justice attorney Joanna Baltes argued that protective measures are required so the government can prosecute the case without disclosing classified information that threatens U.S. national security. She said these measures, including the audio delay and soundproof gallery for court observers, are the only reason the sessions can be as open as they are.

Baltes also defended a protective order the prosecution has requested to ensure that the U.S. government is able to prosecute the case without compromising national security interests.

Pohl is expected to rule on a protective order tomorrow.

Task Force Stems Precursor Chemical Trafficking In Asia-Pacific

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

CAMP SMITH, Hawaii, Aug. 2, 2012 - A little-known organization with U.S. Pacific Command is bringing together military and law-enforcement capabilities to combat drug-related transnational crime in the Asia-Pacific region that has a direct impact on U.S. security.

Joint Interagency Task Force West's major concern is precursor chemicals that are trafficked to the Western Hemisphere to produce methamphetamine, the task force director, Coast Guard Rear Adm. James Rendon, told American Forces Press Service.

These chemicals, frequently shipped from China, are sent to illegal laboratories in Mexico and Central America, where they are used to manufacture the highly addictive stimulant referred to on the street as "meth," "glass" or "tik."

Eighty percent of the methamphetamine that makes its way to the United States transit through Mexico, Rendon reported.

Illicit drugs have long represented a threat to the United States, where drug abuse takes a heavy personal toll on users and their loveed ones. But society at large suffers, too, not only from petty crimes committed by addicts to fund their habits, but also from even-more-insidious activities conducted by transnational crime rings bankrolled by the drug trade.

"There is a link, absolutely," Rendon said. "For transnational criminal organizations, there are no boundaries."

That gives them wide berth to gain power and influence that ultimately destabilizes governments and provides a funding source for extremism, he said. So, recognizing the link between drug trafficking, U.S. national security and regional stability, JIATF West is working hand in hand with its U.S. interagency and regional partners to confront this scourge.

JIATF West is one of three joint, interagency task forces with similar missions. JIATF South, based in Key West, Fla., is focused largely on cocaine trafficking within U.S. Southern Command's area of responsibility. Joint Task Force North at Fort Bliss, Texas, part of U.S. Northern Command, concentrates predominantly on drug trafficking and other transnational threats along the southwestern U.S. border.

By law, the Defense Department is barred from actively conducting law enforcement. But it contributes to those efforts largely by sharing intelligence about drug flows or shipments of precursor chemicals, Rendon said.

"We have a very capable intelligence directorate, which has at its disposal all the tools ... to be looking for things that just don't look right in terms of shipments going across the Pacific," he said.

JIATF West passes this information through the interagency and to partner nations so their law enforcement entities can disrupt and seize shipments, typically after arriving at their destination ports, he said.

This collaboration is paying off, Rendon reported. Since 2010, JIATF West contributed to the seizure of about 1,500 metric tons of precursor chemicals used to produce methamphetamine. So far this fiscal year, he estimated that the task force has helped prevent production of up to 200 metric tons of methamphetamine.

To support this effort, an equally important part of JIATF West's mission is to help regional partners improve their domestic counternarcotics capabilities. "We meet with our partner nations, we assess what their needs are and then we do our best to support their needs," Rendon said.

Training packages, often delivered by Army Special Forces teams, range from tactical to classroom training tailored to an individual country's requirements, he said. Courses can cover anything from marksmanship to mission planning. More recently, U.S. FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration officials have begun providing fraudulent document training to help partners follow the illicit money trail.

JIATF West also focuses heavily on the maritime domain and helping partner nations build capacity within their maritime police or coast guards. This runs the gamut, from deploying trainers to help nations close capability gaps to helping them develop the physical infrastructure and bases needed to project power within their sovereign waters.

Meanwhile, JIATF West also is supporting capacity-building through other base development projects. Rendon recently returned from Indonesia and Thailand, where the task force, working through the U.S. embassies in those countries, established training centers where law enforcement officials can learn tracking and interdiction techniques and apply them in realistic training scenarios.

Rendon said he's been impressed that partner nations recognize the negative impact of trafficking on their own countries and are dedicated to doing their part to control it.

One of his goals, he said, is to partner with China -- which has a huge chemical manufacturing base -- to stem the diversion of some of these chemicals for illicit uses. Rendon plans to travel to China in September with R. Gil Kerlikowske, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, to address this challenge, along with other demand and supply side issues.

"We are hopeful that China will want to engage with us," he said. "There is something in it for them just as much as there is something in it for us. And the bottom line is methamphetamine is just a horrible drug that has so many negative consequences related to the health, the safety and security of citizens of all countries."

As JIATF West and U.S. partners in the Asia-Pacific region experience success, Rendon recognizes that the traffickers continue to adapt their practices to avoid detection and interdiction. He compared it to the "balloon effect," in which pushing at one spot on a balloon causes it to bulge out on the other side, signifying a change of tactics.

"So we are constantly looking for ways to keep up with their tactics," he said of the traffickers.

The impact of these and other capacity-building efforts extends beyond the partners' own borders, Rendon said, contributing to regional stability.

"Everything that we do is in support of U.S. interests, but also in promoting regional stability and security within the Asia-Pacific region," he said. "The Asia-Pacific region has a drug problem itself. And so we work with various countries and train those various countries in a spectrum of topics to help their law enforcement be able to combat transnational organized crime."

Note: In the above DoD photo by Air Force Captain Kati Pinckney Navy SEALs operating in support of Joint Interagency Task Force West Train with counternarcotics forces in the Asia-Pacific region to help them improve their riverine operations to stem the flow of precursor chemicals

U.S. Paves Way For Counter-Drug Cooperation Success In Africa

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
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STUTTGART, Germany, June 29, 2012 - Last October, when U.S. Africa Command was garnering unprecedented international attention during its campaign to protect Libyan civilians from Moammar Ghadafi's violent crackdown against a rebellion, the command achieved another, less headline-dominating victory.
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A team from the guided-missile cruiser USS Anzio and U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Safety and Security Team 91104 dispose of bags of illegal narcotics Oct. 15, 2009, during counterpiracy operations off the coast of Somalia. The team seized and disposed of 4 tons of hashish. Photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Matthew Bash (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

Police in Cape Verde, a small group of islands off Africa's west coast, seized an estimated 3,300 pounds of cocaine in the country's largest-ever drug bust. The cocaine had originated in South America and was transiting through Cape Verde bound for Europe, Africom officials said.
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And as confirmed by an International Institute for Strategic Studies report in April, proceeds from shipments like this one are a major funding source for terrorist activities.
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Thanks in large part to the new Africom-funded Counter-Narcotics and Maritime Security Operations Center in Cape Verde, profits from the $100 million in captured cocaine there never made it into terrorists' hands.
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The center, built with about $1.5 million from Africom and formally presented to the Cape Verdean government in May 2010, is enabling the country's police, coast guard and military to collaborate more closely to crack down on illicit trafficking, piracy and other transnational threats, U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Mark Huebschman said.
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"We feel that interagency center was a key asset that helped facilitate this very significant drug seizure," Huebschman, chief of Africom's counternarcotics and law enforcement assistance division, told American Forces Press Service.
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The center features inter-island communications relays that give Cape Verdean government agencies and offices the ability to share information and coordinate their activities against narco-trafficking and other illegal activities, Huebschman explained.
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To complement its operations, the United States also helped Cape Verde upgrade its tiny, four-craft patrol boat fleet and donated another small high-speed vessel.
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As a result, Cape Verde is better equipped to monitor and patrol its vast territorial waters and economic exclusion zone, with the United States providing only a supporting role, Huebschman said.
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Army Gen. Carter F. Ham, Africom's commander, called these efforts an example of the capacity-building initiatives that are helping Africans to solve African problems.
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Testifying before the House Armed Services Committee in February, Ham called narcotics trafficking a destabilizing influence throughout Africa, particularly in West Africa.
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"The Africans are not the overall consumers of these drugs that are coming from Central and South America," he told the House panel. "But they are the transit point for the narcotics that go into Europe."
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Yet the consequences impact Africa directly, he said, breeding corruption and undermining good governance wherever illegal narcotics flow.
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"That," he told Congress, "works contrary to our national interests."
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As narco-traffickers move cocaine shipments through West Africa, their counterparts in Afghanistan and Pakistan are increasingly funneling heroin shipments through East Africa, Huebschman reported. In addition, traffickers are beginning to pay couriers in drugs rather than cash, he said, creating new local markets for drugs on the continent.
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Africom is working with its African partners to confront narcotrafficking head-on, while also drawing on resources and expertise from its staff representatives from the Drug Enforcement Agency, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, FBI and Coast Guard, all of which have reach-back to their agencies in the United States.
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"This is really a problem we have approached through a whole-of-government effort," Huebschman said.
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The efforts run the gamut, from training to building capacity within partners' civilian law enforcement agencies or equipment for them to operate, to minor construction projects to establish bases for their operations.
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"We also do projects that promote information sharing, like computer systems and telecommunications systems," Huebschman said. "All are geared toward providing these law enforcement agencies with an enhanced capability to be able to attack these drug-trafficking organizations."
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For example, officials used high-tech full-body scanners provided by Africom and ICE-led training to interdict a drug courier at one of Nigeria's international airports almost immediately after putting the system into operation, Huebschman reported.
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The scanners have proven so successful in supporting Nigeria's counternarcotics efforts that the United States last year removed Nigeria from its list of major illicit drug-producing and drug-trafficking countries.
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Meanwhile, Africom continues to promote cooperation among its African partners so they can provide a unified front to address the problem.
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For example, law enforcement officials from seven West African countries met in Sierre Leone in December to explore ways to curtail drug trafficking in the region. The conference, organized by the U.S. State and Justice departments under the auspices of the West Africa Cooperative Security Initiative, focused heavily on the need to combat transnational organized crime activities, particularly corruption, in West Africa.
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A new strategy document developed through that initiative is designed to take this effort to the next level by leveraging ongoing efforts by international partners and organizations: G8 partners, The European Union, the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States, among them.
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"We're trying to approach this problem from an international perspective, and to leverage all the resources and capabilities that these various countries and agencies bring to this challenging problem," Huebschman said.
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Meanwhile, rather than basking in the glory of their recent cocaine interdiction, the Cape Verdeans are continuing to exercise with their counterparts from the United States and Europe to improve their maritime security operations.
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They recently took part in the multinational Saharan Express 2012 exercise, part of the Africa Partnership Station mission focused on combating illicit activities -- such as illegal fishing, narcotics-trafficking and piracy -- that are endangering the maritime security in many of the participant nations.
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Ten regional militaries participated in the training, conducted off the coasts of Cape Verde, Mauritania, Senegal and The Gambia, with scenarios that included visit, board, search and seizures, search-and-rescue scenarios, medical casualty and radio communication drills, and information management practice techniques.
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"We live in a world that is confronted with many problems like piracy, drug trafficking, terrorism, organized crime," said Col. Alberto Ferdandes, chief of staff for the Cape Verde armed forces. "It's necessary for each of us to find a solution to respond to these problems in an efficient manner, we need to have a communal response and it is important that we are all prepared so we can produce a unified action."
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"We all know that illegal fishing threatens the food security of our countries," agreed Senegalese Chief of Naval Staff Adm. Mohamed Sane. "Illegal acts like immigration, arms trafficking, pollution, piracy and terrorism threaten social stability. No maritime power can face these challenges alone."
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(Navy Lt. Nathan Potter, public affairs officer for Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet Public Affairs, contributed to this article.)

Surviving Families, Victims Of Terrorist Attack On The USS Cole Seek Justice

By Donna Miles, American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 19, 2012 - Family members who lost loved ones during the USS Cole attack and two survivors urged yesterday that justice be served in the quest to ensure a fair trial for the accused mastermind of the attack.

The family members and survivors appeared grim-faced, and some choked with emotion as they spoke to reporters at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, following the second day of a pretrial hearing for Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri.

Nashiri is charged with several crimes, including a role in the Oct. 12, 2000, attack on the Cole as it was refueling in Aden Harbor, Yemen. Suicide bombers detonated an explosives-laden boat directly against the ship's port side, killing 17 sailors and wounding 37 others.

Among the survivors was James Parlier, the ship's command master chief petty officer, who worked directly for the Cole's captain and traveled to Guantanamo Bay to watch the pretrial proceedings.

Parlier admitted yesterday that seeing Nashiri during his first visit to Guantanamo Bay since Joint Task Force Guantanamo was stood up "brings up a lot of raw emotion."

"This is a long process, and it has been tough for all of us," he said, noting that the attack affected not only the sailors killed and their families, but also their shipmates, who continue to suffer from physical injuries or post-traumatic stress disorder.

"Every person on that ship lost something," agreed Ronald Francis, a retired sailor whose 19-year-old daughter, Seaman Lakeina Francis, died aboard the Cole. "Everyone is now affected by the outcome of the USS Cole bombing."

Olivia Rux said her life hasn't been the same since her husband, Petty Officer 2nd Class Kevin Rux, an electronic warfare specialist, "was murdered" during the attack. She shared with reporters the emptiness she feels and her personal struggle as one of the family members left behind "to figure out where I belong in this society that has been overlooked."

Rux dismissed defense arguments during the pre-trial hearing that the military commission process is being rushed, denying Nashiri the opportunity to receive a fair trial.

She recalled the painful wait for news after the attack, not yet knowing if loved ones and shipmates were alive or dead, and the agony of having to bury their loved ones. "Where is the justice in that?" she asked.

Francis questioned, after hearing members of the defense team challenge the fairness of the military commission system, who's thinking about those whose lives were cut short, or were left behind. "When the defense talks about justice, where is the justice [for the] sailors aboard that ship?" he said.

He said he wanted to "see the process and justice done – not only for my daughter, but for all the shipmates that were on that ship."

Eleven years after the attack, Master Chief Petty Officer Paul Abney, who was sitting in the ship's mess when the explosion occurred, said he traveled to Guantanamo Bay to seek closure. "I am here to witness justice and to see this process to take place," he said.

He disputed the defense team's arguments that military commissions aren't legitimate court proceedings and insisted that alleged terrorists don't deserve the right to be tried in the United States.

Abney also scoffed at the notion that Nashiri, as a defendant, is likely to have access to national secrets that even he isn't entitled to because he has no need to know. "It doesn't feel fair," he said, "but that's the process and the rules."

He commended the efforts those conducting the commission are making to ensure that Nashiri receives a fair trial. "They are doing their job to be as fair and honest as possible, and we need to let the process go as it was set up at this place, in this time," he said.

Parlier agreed that the legal process has been "more than fair, I believe, with Nashiri." But he made no secret of what he hopes the outcome will be.

"I pray to God that we do prove that he worked with [deceased al-Qaida leader Osama] bin Laden and his cell, creating the nightmare for us that he did," Parlier said. "And I pray that one day, as an older man, that I see him receive the justice that he deserves."

Jesse Neito, whose son, Petty Officer 2nd Class Mark Neito, was killed in the attack, lamented that justice has been "slow, very slow." He expressed hope that he "will be able to see and be alive when the outcome resolves itself."

Rux was more direct. "I have nothing but time to wait until that detainee draws his last breath," she said.

Pretrial Proceedings Begin For Alleged USS Cole Attack Mastermind

By Donna Miles, American Forces Press Service

FORT MEADE, Md., Jan. 17, 2012 - The commander of the U.S. detention facility at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, defended the new policy that allows government officials to monitor prisoners' mail during the opening day of pretrial proceedings for the alleged mastermind in the USS Cole bombing.

Navy Rear Adm. David Woods, commander of Joint Task Force Guantanamo Bay, testified today in response to a motion by the defense at the military commission hearing for Abd al-Rahim Hussein Muhammed al Nashiri. Army Col. James Pohl ruled during proceedings at Guantanamo Bay that Woods should explain the policy he instituted last month.

Woods, one of the highest-level officials to testify in a military tribunal, said the new policy balances his responsibilities to facilitate attorney-client communication while also ensuring security, safety, force protection and good order at the facility.

Woods told Navy Lt. Cmdr. Stephen C. Reyes of the defense team the new policy allows members of a team that reviews detainee privileges to conduct a "plain-view review" of written communications not marked as protected attorney-client information. The review, he said, is designed to ensure this correspondence does not include physical or "information contraband" such as maps of the detention facility.

Woods disputed the defense position that the policy violates client-attorney privilege, or that reviewers must read the material in full to make a determination. He also denied that the policy restricts access between detainees and their lawyers.

One of its benefits, he said, is authorizing guards to search the plastic bins reserved for legal paperwork and correspondence in detainee living spaces. Guards reportedly have found contraband stowed in these "legal bins" in the past.

Woods acknowledged that the policy depends on the professionalism of the privileged review team, as well as their contractual commitments, to ensure their review is conducted properly and ethically. He noted that reviewers, all civilian contractors, must sign a non-disclosure agreement that bars them from sharing this information, particularly with prosecuting attorneys associated with the case.

The prosecution called the defense's request for Woods to appear before the court irrelevant to the case because Nashiri hasn't been subject to mail searches.

However, officials said Pohl's decision to call him likely was made because what happens in the Nashiri case – the first to go through a revised military commission system -- is likely to set the precedent for trials to follow. Army Col. John Head, deputy chief of staff for the convening authority, told reporters the defense's request likely is intended to institute an across-the-board process that ensures all detainees receive equal treatment.

Pohl is expected to render a decision tomorrow, the second of two days of a pretrial hearing to consider 10 motions in the case.

Nashiri, 47, is charged with "perfidy," or treachery; murder in violation of the law of war; attempted murder in violation of the law of war; terrorism; conspiracy; intentionally causing serious bodily injury; attacking civilians; attacking civilian objects; and hazarding a vessel.

The charges arise out of an attempted attack on the USS The Sullivans in January 2000 and an attack on the USS Cole in October 2000, during which 17 U.S. sailors were killed and 37 more wounded. Nashiri also is accused of involvement in an attack on the MV Limburg, a French civilian oil tanker, in October 2002 in which one crewmember was killed and about 90,000 barrels of oil spilled into the Gulf of Aden. If convicted, Nashiri could be sentenced to death.

Nashiri did not enter a plea during his arraignment at Guantanamo Bay in November.
Although the defendant was in the room during today's proceedings – albeit it out of camera view for remote viewers for most of the hearing – all the activity revolved around the prosecution and defense teams.

Pohl rejected two defense motions: one to allow Nashiri to be unrestrained during his meetings with his legal counsel, and one to establish an enclave – a protected network within the larger Defense Department computer network – in an effort to keep DOD from monitoring the defense counsel's computers and electronic communications.

Pohl dismissed civilian defense counsel Richard Kammen's argument that defense counsel should be able to meet with unrestrained detainees in locked-room meetings, as representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross are able to.

The current policy requires detainees to be shackled and in an unlocked room during meetings with their attorneys, enabling guards to enter the room and for attorneys to exit quickly in the event of a disturbance, the prosecution noted.

Anthony W. Mattivi, a member of the prosecution team representing the Justice Department, expressed concern that changing the current policy could put the guards at increased risk and said Woods should be the one to make any changes to the policy, not the court. "That's not his call," Mattivi said of Kammen. "It's the commander's."

Pohl agreed, ruling to keep the current policy intact.

The judge, however, left the door open for a possible request by the defense for an enclave or other security remedy for its electronic communications in the future, while acknowledging that even material in enclaves is subject to monitoring.

Kammen compared the encryption system the defense now uses to protect sensitive materials to putting them in a locked drawer in an office, then handing the government the key to the drawer and leaving the office door open. "It's the appearance of confidentiality without the substance," he told the court.

Lockhart argued that an enclave isn't necessary because encryption already ensures the maximum security possible for the documents. Pentagon computer security expert Adam Bennett, whom she called to the stand, said it's virtually impossible for government officials to access encrypted information or open documents – including those used by the defense team – without the password and encryption software needed to access it.

Both the defense and prosecution, as well as the judge, recognized that all material on DOD networks is subject to routine, noncontent-related screening to prevent viruses and cyber attacks.

In other motions considered today, Pohl granted a motion supporting more public access to court proceedings. Currently the proceedings are broadcast from the court at Guantanamo Bay via closed circuit to just three locations in the United States. Two of those sites are here at Fort Meade in a theater and training-room facility. Another, at Norfolk Naval Base, Va., is reserved for families of USS Cole victims as well as crewmembers aboard the vessel during the attack.

Pohl also moved that unofficial transcripts of the proceedings, posted online while the official transcript remains classified, may be referred to by both legal teams during the trial.

Speaking to reporters after the hearing, Kammen said the defense considered today "on balance, a very successful day," while acknowledging that some of the motions made could ultimately delay the trial, possibly as far out as 2015.

Kammen called military commissions "at best, a second-class system of justice" and said they are designed to be secretive and provide expedient justice at the expense of transparency and fairness. He added that the defense team today fought for things it wouldn't have had to in federal court, and accused the government of blurring the line between classified and embarrassing information.

Army Brig. Gen. Mark Martins, chief prosecutor for the Office of Military Commissions, disputed Kammen's charges, noting that the prosecution team in the commissions operates much like prosecutors in federal courts. They play no part in handling defendant's correspondence or defense attorney's emails, don't communicate with facility personnel about contacts with an accused legal materials and aren't privy to those materials, he said.

Martins said proceedings like today's are designed to ensure legal issues are resolved in a way "consistent with the fair, transparent and accountable administration of justice under the rule of law."

Despite the manpower and expense associated with the commission proceedings, Martins said the United States has a responsibility to follow them through. "Not only must we continue to pursue the truth for the surviving family members of victims who have been rendered silent, but we must also pursue it because that is what justice requires," he said. "A civilized and open society facing very real and modern security threats can demand no less."

Investigating Officer Recommends Court-Martial For Suspected Wiki-Leaker PFC Bradley Manning

By Donna Miles, American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Jan. 13, 2012 - The investigating officer has recommended that Army Pfc. Bradley Manning face a general court-martial for charges of leaking classified documents, Military District of Washington officials announced yesterday. Army Lt. Col. Paul Almanza issued his recommendation yesterday, concluding that reasonable grounds exist to believe that Manning committed the alleged offenses, officials said. The 24-year-old intelligence analyst is suspected of leaking military and diplomatic documents to the whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks in what officials believe is the biggest intelligence leak in U.S. history. WikiLeaks, in turn, released thousands of these documents, including classified records about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, on its website last year. Manning faces more than 20 charges alleging he introduced unauthorized software onto government computers to extract classified information, unlawfully downloaded it, improperly stored it, and transmitted the data for public release and use by the enemy. Almanza's report concluded that the charges and specifications are in proper form for the case to move forward, officials said. His recommendation follows eight days of pretrial proceedings during Manning's Article 32 hearing, with both prosecution and defense delivering their closing statements Dec. 22. An Article 32 hearing, often compared to a civilian grand jury, is a pretrial hearing to determine if grounds exist for a general court-martial, the most serious of courts-martial. The special court-martial convening authority, Army Col. Carl Coffman, will now review Almanza's report, officials said. He will determine if the charges should be handled at his level or forwarded to Army Maj. Gen. Michael S. Linnington, the general court-martial convening authority. If convicted of all charges, Manning would face a maximum punishment of life in prison. He also could be reduced to E-1, the lowest enlisted grade, and could face forfeiture of all pay and allowances and a dishonorable discharge, officials said.

Pretrial Wraps Up For Alleged Document Leaker

By Donna Miles, American Forces Press Service

FORT MEADE, Md., Dec. 22, 2011 - The prosecution and defense rested today after delivering their closing statements in the Article 32 hearing of a soldier charged with leaking hundreds of thousands of classified documents.

Today's session, which adjourned at about 10:30 a.m., wrapped up eight days of pre-trial proceedings in the case against Army Pfc. Bradley E. Manning that began Dec. 16.

An Article 32 hearing, often compared to a civilian grand jury, is a pretrial hearing to determine if grounds exist for a general court martial, the most serious of courts martial.

The investigating officer, Army Lt. Col. Paul Almanza, now has until Jan. 16 to issue his recommendations to the Special Court Martial Convening Authority, a Military District of Washington spokesperson told American Forces Press Service.

Alamanza may ask for an extension, if needed, the official said.

His report will recommend that the case be referred to a court martial, or that some or all of the charges against Manning be dismissed.

The Special Court Martial Convening Authority, Army Col. Carl Coffman, will then provide Alamanza's recommendation to the General Court Martial Convening Authority, and indicate whether he concurs with it, the MDW official said.

Manning, an intelligence analyst, is suspected of leaking military and diplomatic documents to the whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks in what officials believe is the biggest intelligence leak in U.S. history.

WikiLeaks, in turn, released thousands of these documents, including classified records about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, on its website last year.

At the time, then-Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and other senior defense officials condemned the organization's actions, claiming the act put deployed service members at an increased risk.

The Article 32 hearing marked 24-year-old Manning's first appearance in a military court since his arrest in Iraq in May 2010.

He faces more than 20 charges alleging he introduced unauthorized software onto government computers to extract classified information, unlawfully downloaded it, improperly stored it, and transmitted the data for public release and use by the enemy.

The charge of aiding the enemy under Article 104 of the Uniformed Code of Military Justice is a capital offense; however, the prosecution team has said it won't recommend the death penalty, a legal official said.

If convicted of all charges, Manning would face a maximum punishment of life in prison. He also could be reduced to E-1, the lowest enlisted grade, face a total forfeiture of all pay and allowances and dishonorable discharge, officials said.

Defense Secretary Panetta Pays Tribute To Fallen U.S. Sailors From First Barbary War In Tripoli

By Donna Miles, American Forces Press Service

TRIPOLI, Libya, Dec. 17, 2011 - Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta paused during his historic visit here to lay a wreath on the graves of U.S. sailors lost aboard the USS Intrepid more than 200 years ago.

Panetta, the first defense secretary to set foot in Libya, said he felt honored to pay respects to heroes of the United States' first overseas wars, interred in Tripoli's Protestant cemetery.

The crew aboard the Intrepid was on a mission Sept. 4, 1804, to destroy pirate ships moored in Tripoli harbor during the First Barbary War when their vessel exploded.

Navy Lt. Richard Somers, its commander, and his dozen officers and sailors were killed.

"These brave sailors from the Intrepid, who died in the service of their country, have our nation's enduring respect and gratitude," the secretary said in a statement released after today's visit.

"Having sailed into harm's way to secure our nation's interests, they volunteered for a dangerous mission and paid the ultimate price," he said. "Their courage, and that of their fallen sailors and Marines, have forever emblazoned the shores of Tripoli in our nation's conscience."

Panetta expressed appreciation that despite differences in U.S.-Libyan relations over the years, the Libyan people have maintained the cemetery with the respect and honor it deserves and designated it a protected historic property.

The United States looks forward to working with the Libyans "to ensure that this very special place remains an honored and protected landmark for both of our nations," he said.

Panetta called the Libyan people's efforts to restore the cemetery "a symbol of the vales we share, including an appreciation of the need to honor those who have sacrificed their lives in the pursuit of a cause greater than ourselves."

He reflected on the thousands of Libyans who gave their lives for Libya's liberation as well. "They sacrificed so that Libya and her people could have a new era of hope and opportunity," he said. "Because of their sacrifices, the torch of freedom burns brightly here in Libya."

The 2012 Defense Authorization Act, as passed by the House in December, includes a provision that requires the Defense Department to begin the process of identifying and returning Somers and his sailors to the United States.

Specifically, the bill instructs the secretaries of defense and the Navy to report back to Congress on the feasibility of recovering and positively identifying the missing commandos.

The above Defense Department photo of Leon Panetta is by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo.

President Marks 10 Years Of Service In Afghanistan

By Donna Miles, American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Oct. 7, 2011 - President Barack Obama marked the 10th anniversary of the war in Afghanistan today by honoring those who have served there and noting their efforts toward bringing the war to a responsible end from a position of strength.

Operation Enduring Freedom, launched in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, targeted al-Qaida and its Taliban protectors in Afghanistan.

The initial volley began Oct. 7, 2001, with 15 land-based bombers and 25 Navy strike aircraft from carriers targeting al-Qaida Taliban-held airfields, terrorist training camps, command-and-control nodes and anti-aircraft positions. In addition, U.S. and British ships and submarines launched some 50 Tomahawk missiles.

The effort combined air power, precision-guided munitions and state-of-the-art communications with thousands of Afghan warriors on horseback or on foot.

Initially, the operation involved a relatively small force � a few hundred special operations forces and thousands of Afghan forces in the Northern Alliance supported by powerful U.S. air support. U.S. Marines and soldiers joined the force to confront extremist elements throughout Afghanistan.

Later, Operation Enduring Freedom shifted to a broader-based effort aimed at creating conditions in Afghanistan that gave people hope for the future and an ability to reject terrorists and their activities.

Ten years later, Obama noted progress in taking the fight against violence extremism to the source.

"In delivering justice to Osama bin Laden and many other al-Qaida leaders, we are closer than ever to defeating al-Qaida and its murderous network," he said.

Despite what he acknowledged to be "enormous challenges" remaining in Afghanistan, he cited progress made. "We've pushed the Taliban out of its key strongholds, Afghan security forces are growing stronger, and the Afghan people have a new chance to forge their own future," he said.

In doing so, working with the Afghan people and a coalition of dozens of nations around the world in Afghanistan and beyond, "we have shown that the United States is not and never will be at war with Islam and that we are a partner with those who seek justice, dignity and opportunity," Obama said.

Looking to the future, Obama said the United States is putting "a difficult decade" behind it as it works toward "responsibly ending today's wars from a position of strength."

"As the rest of our troops come home from Iraq this year, we have begun to draw down our forces in Afghanistan and transition security to the Afghan people, with whom we will forge an enduring partnership," he said.

On the 10th anniversary of the war's beginning, the president said he and First Lady Michelle Obama "join all Americans in saluting the more than half a million men and women who have served bravely in Afghanistan to keep our country safe, including our resilient wounded warriors who carry the scars of war, seen and unseen."

"We honor the memory of the nearly 1,800 American patriots, and many coalition and Afghan partners, who have made the ultimate sacrifice in Afghanistan for our shared security and freedom," he continued. "We pay tribute to our inspiring military families who have persevered at home with a loved one at war."

Obama also reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to provide 9/11 generation veterans the "care, benefits and opportunities they deserve." In addition, he expressed thanks to diplomatic, intelligence, homeland security and law enforcement professionals who have worked tirelessly over the past decade to protect the United States and save American lives.

"Thanks to the extraordinary service of these Americans, our citizens are safer and our nation is more secure," he said. "As we reflect on 10 years of war and look ahead to a future of peace, Michelle and I call upon all Americans to show our gratitude and support for our fellow citizens who risk their lives so that we can enjoy the blessings of freedom and security."

The above Defense department photo by Air Force Senior Airman Grovert FuentesContreras shows Sgt. Andrew Wall, Security Forces team leader attached to Provincial Reconstruction Team Zabul, providing security for his civil affairs teammates during a visit to the district center in Shinkai, Afghanistan, Oct. 4, 2011. Wall is deployed from Charlie Company, 182nd Infantry Division, Massachusetts National Guard.

Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld Reflects On Changes Caused By 9/11

By Donna Miles, American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9, 2011 - The morning of the 9/11 attacks, then-Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld was hosting a breakfast meeting at the Pentagon, warning members of the House Armed Services Committee about the dangers of major cuts to the defense and intelligence budgets.

His new book, "Known and Unknown," recounts Rumsfeld's foreboding comments.

"Sometime within the coming period," he told his guests, "an event somewhere in the world will be sufficiently shocking that it will remind the American people and their representatives in Washington how important it is for us to have a strong national defense."

Just as the meeting was wrapping up, that event began to unfold as a group of al-Qaida members launched the largest terror attack ever to take place on American soil.

Rumsfeld's senior military assistant, Navy Vice Adm. Edmund P. Giambastiani Jr., passed him a note to tell him that a plane had crashed into New York City's World Trade Center, the former defense secretary recalled during a recent interview with The Pentagon Channel and American Forces Press Service.

Then news arrived of the second World Trade Center attack.

"At that point, it clearly was not an accident," Rumsfeld said.

Rumsfeld was watching television images of the attacks with his intelligence briefer when he felt the Pentagon building shake. He bounded down the outer "E" ring hallway to find out what had happened, encountering such heavy smoke that he had to go downstairs and ultimately, outside the building.

"There was smoke and flames and people ... coming out of the building and being pulled out of the building, wounded," he said.

With first responders not yet on the scene, Rumsfeld joined others tending to the wounded. But as emergency workers arrived, he headed back to his office to communicate with President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney, and "making decisions about what needed to be done at the Pentagon and elsewhere at the Department of Defense."

Before reentering the building, Rumsfeld bent over to pick up one of the thousands of pieces of metal strewn across the ground near the crash site. Ten years later, it sits mounted on a wooden plaque in his Washington office, an ever-present reminder of that day that changed America, and especially, its military.

Rumsfeld recalled this week the chain of events that began immediately after the attacks. Not knowing if another attack was on the way, authorities grounded all commercial aircraft. Military aircraft were sent into the skies with orders to shoot down any aircraft that didn't comply and appeared to pose a threat.

"That was an enormous decision for a president [and] for a vice president to pass that instruction down, and for the pilot of those aircraft," Rumsfeld said. "Fortunately, it didn't have to be done.... None of our military pilots had to shoot at an American aircraft filled with innocent people because it was headed for a target that was of importance to the United States."

Based on continuity-of-operations plans developed during the 1980s, Rumsfeld was among the Cabinet members expected to move to secure locations outside Washington in the event of an attack. Instead, he sent Deputy Defense Secretary Paul D. Wolfowitz, so he could remain at the Pentagon.

Despite a building still smoking and burning, Rumsfeld called a news briefing that evening at the Pentagon. The goal was two-fold, he explained. The American people needed to know what had taken place at the Pentagon. But he had a message for the terrorists who had masterminded the attacks, too.

"I was convinced it would not be a good thing for the terrorists to believe that they had shut down the Department of Defense [and] the Pentagon, so we made a decision to have a press briefing there," he said. "I indicated at that briefing that the Department of Defense would be operating that night and the next morning and we would not shut the place down."

Even as fire marshals urged evacuation, Rumsfeld and his staff of essential personnel remained at their Pentagon posts.

Rumsfeld admitted he was surprised to hear that al-Qaida had successfully launched the attack from within the United States. The Defense Department had always been organized and trained to deal with external threats. Internal threats were considered the domain of the FBI and state and local police.�

"So what we had was a very different situation," Rumsfeld said. "We had an external enemy that had successfully attacked our country, not from outside, but from within the country."

Bush opted to deal with the attackers, not as common criminals or a hostile foreign nation, but as an enemy network hostile to the United States, Rumsfeld said.

Rumsfeld said his past experience as a Middle East envoy for President George H. W. Bush convinced him that when dealing with terrorists, the attacker always has the advantage.

"They can attack at any time, using any technique in any location, and it is not possible to defend everywhere, at every moment of the day or night against every conceivable type of attack," he said.

That, Rumsfeld said, requires going on the offensive.

"If you were going to protect the American people, you had to do more than try to defend," he said. "You had to put pressure on [terrorists] all across the globe and make everything they do more difficult: make it harder to raise money, harder to train, harder to talk to each other, harder to move from place to place.

"And only by doing that could you hope to ... protect the American people and our interests and our friends and allies in a reasonable way."

Looking back, Rumsfeld said he never imagined on 9/11 that the United States would go a full decade without experiencing another attack on the homeland.

Of the many attempts, all were foiled, he said. But just as other parts of the world have faced terror attacks, Rumsfeld said he's not convinced the United States couldn't be hit again.

"There could be a terrorist attack as we sit here today, because it is not possible to defend everywhere, and they only have to be right once," he said. "We can be right dozens of times, but if they are right once, they have success."

Rumsfeld recalled his major objective at the Pentagon before 9/11: to transform the Defense Department into a 21st-century organization better suited to the current world.

After 9/11, Rumsfeld said many thought that effort would have to be sidelined.

"But it turned out to be just the opposite," he said. "In fact, the events of September 11th provided an impetus to transform the department."

Rumsfeld rattled off just a few of those sweeping changes made to posture the military for post-9/11 threats. Large Army divisions have been subdivided into more flexible and agile brigade combat teams. Special operations forces, now also joined by Marine special operators, have increased in numbers, authorities and equipment. U.S. forces have been "rebalanced" around the world to better deal with 21st-century challenges and threats.

"So I feel that, rather than preventing the department from transforming, September 11th really did provide a sense of urgency," Rumsfeld said. [It] "helped people who had a traditional way of doing things recognize that we were facing a new kind of enemy and we needed to deal with asymmetrical threats as well as conventional threats. And we had to be able to do it with a great deal more skill and agility and speed."

This transformation, he said, has impacted the fighting force as well. Rumsfeld, who served both in uniform and as defense secretary before the days of the all-volunteer force, said today's service members have a sense of pride and purpose in serving their country in uniform.

"They all have a dedication and a patriotism and an aspect of their personalities that caused them to volunteer, to want to be involved in helping to serve our country," he said. "We have a military that ... has been tested in battle, that is stronger and more resilient and healthier as an armed force" than during any previous conflict."

The chapter of Rumsfeld's book about 9/11 and its aftermath, "The Agony of Surprise," is posted on his website at www.rumsfeld.com. The Pentagon Channel will air portions of its interview with Rumsfeld beginning Sept. 9 and continuing through the 9/11 weekend.

In the above DOD photo by Donna Mills, a twisted piece of metal he picked up on the morning of 9/11 from the grounds of the Pentagon at the American Airlines Flight 77 crash site serves as a constant reminder to former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld about the need for continued vigilance in standing up to terrorists.