NewzIntel.com

Category: Security

  • MIL-OSI USA: Justice Department and City of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Seek Partial Termination of Consent Decree Covering Albuquerque Police Department

    Source: US Justice – Antitrust Division

    Headline: Justice Department and City of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Seek Partial Termination of Consent Decree Covering Albuquerque Police Department

    The Justice Department and City of Albuquerque (City), New Mexico, filed a joint motion today seeking court approval to terminate certain portions of the consent decree covering the Albuquerque Police Department (APD). The joint motion follows the independent monitor’s 20th report, also filed today, which concluded that the City and APD have reached full compliance with 99% of the consent decree’s terms, the highest level of compliance achieved by APD.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kansas Man Sentenced for Issuing Race-Based Death Threats to Multiple Black People

    Source: US Justice – Antitrust Division

    Headline: Kansas Man Sentenced for Issuing Race-Based Death Threats to Multiple Black People

    A Kansas man was sentenced today to 80 months in prison for threatening multiple Black people in and around the Wichita area, and for interfering with the housing rights of a white woman because he believed that she was dating and associating with Black people.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Peters Helps Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen Cybersecurity at U.S. Ports

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters

    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) helped introduce bipartisan legislation to strengthen cybersecurity at U.S. ports. Port security is critical to the success of our nation’s economy, supply chains, industrial base, and national security. However, cybersecurity vulnerabilities continue to threaten their security. For instance, many U.S. ports, including strategic ports used by the military, utilize Chinese-made cranes that could expose the port to malicious cyber activity and disrupt port operations. The Protecting Investments in Our Ports Act would strengthen the security of U.S. ports by requiring all applicants for competitive grant funding from the Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) to have necessary digital infrastructure or software in place to address cybersecurity threats.

    “This commonsense, bipartisan bill would help strengthen our nation’s defenses against cyberattacks by making sure ports have the necessary digital infrastructure and safeguards in place to protect both U.S. national security and supply chains as goods move throughout our waterways,” said Senator Peters.

    “Senator Peters’ steadfast approach to legislating in a technology driven age will continue to provide critical protections for U.S. Ports and the infrastructure investments being made by the American taxpayer. The Senator clearly understands that as Port investment evolves with technology, that proactive cybersecurity planning must accompany federal spending,” said Captain Paul C. LaMarre III, President of the American Great Lakes Ports Association.

    The PIDP, which falls under the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Maritime Administration, helps ports on our Great Lakes, coasts, and rivers improve the movement of goods and services. The Protecting Investments in Our Ports Act would ensure applicants of the program have certified that they have an approved National Maritime Transportation Security Plan to reduce cybersecurity risks. Peters introduced the legislation with U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX).

    In 2021, Peters helped Congress pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provided robust funding for transportation and port infrastructure projects across the country. The historic law invested more than $17 billion in U.S. port infrastructure to make needed repairs and upgrades, reduce congestion to strengthen our supply chains and expedite commerce, and lower harmful emissions near ports to reduce environmental impacts on local communities.

    As Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Peters has led also numerous efforts to ensure our nation is better prepared to defend against cyberattacks. His historic, bipartisan provision to require critical infrastructure owners and operators to report to CISA if they experience a substantial cyberattack or if they make a ransomware payment was signed into law. Peters’ bipartisan bill to enhance cybersecurity assistance to K-12 educational institutions across the country was also signed into law. Peters’ bipartisan bills to bolster cybersecurity for state and local governments, strengthen the federal cybersecurity workforce, and help secure federal information technology supply chains have been signed into law. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell, Murray, Kilmer Announce $51M Federal Grant to Repair Hood Canal Bridge

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell
    10.16.24
    Cantwell, Murray, Kilmer Announce $51M Federal Grant to Repair Hood Canal Bridge
    Hood Canal Bridge is a vital link between Olympic and Kitsap peninsulas & helps more than 30,000 daily commuters avoid a 100-mile detour around Puget Sound; As the longest floating saltwater bridge in the world, the structure is deteriorating in the harsh marine environment
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Patty Murray (D-WA) and U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (D, WA-06) announced that the Washington State Department of Transportation will receive $51,125,917 in federal funds to repair the Hood Canal Bridge.
    The funding comes from the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) Grant Program, which provides grants to nationally and regionally significant transportation projects to improve the country’s freight network.
    “Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Hood Canal Bridge will receive the repairs it needs to continue providing a vital connection between Kitsap, Jefferson, and Clallam Counties, with more than 30,000 crossings per day. Without this bridge, drivers would need to take a 100-mile detour around Puget Sound. And if the bridge’s retractable span were to fail, submarines and other vessels would be cut off from Naval Base Kitsap – Bangor,” Sen. Cantwell said. “This bridge is critical to the quality of life for residents and our national security.”
    “The Hood Canal Bridge is an absolutely critical connection for people and businesses on the Olympic and Kitsap peninsulas,” said Sen. Murray. “This is a piece of infrastructure that must remain safe and reliable so people can get to where they need to go—whether that’s work, a doctor’s appointment, or anything else. With thousands of travelers relying on this bridge just about every day, I’m proud to have worked together with Senator Cantwell and Representative Kilmer to ensure we bring these federal dollars home to replace outdated portions of this bridge.”
    “The Hood Canal Bridge is often a lifeline for folks on the Olympic Peninsula, enabling them to get where they need to go,” said Rep. Kilmer. “This federal funding is a major step toward improving the safety and reliability of the bridge, helping ensure that it will remain open, accessible and resilient for years to come. And with federal support it means this project can move forward without the costs falling solely on the backs of taxpayers in our state. That’s a win-win.”
    This project will replace over 3,400 linear feet of the western half of the bridge including the replacement of 55 reinforced concrete crossbeams and 216 prestressed concrete girder lines and the placement of nearly 4,800 cubic yards of concrete. Preliminary design work is scheduled to begin in November 2025, with project completion scheduled for June 2027. The project’s total budget is $85.2 million.
    The Hood Canal Bridge links the Olympic and Kitsap peninsulas, allowing over 30,000 motorists to get to and from work each day. As the longest floating bridge in the world over saltwater, this unique structure sits in a harsh marine environment that’s deteriorated its condition over the past 40 years. Currently, vehicles that can cross the bridge are weight-restricted at 17,000 lbs per axle or less, and overweight vehicles are forced to drive nearly 100 miles around Puget Sound.  If the bridge’s condition goes unaddressed, further deterioration and restrictions would have severe impacts on commerce and the livelihood of those who depend on the bridge every day.
    The Hood Canal Bridge also crosses a channel used by U.S. Navy submarines to reach the Pacific Ocean from Naval Base Kitsap -Bangor. Should the bridge’s retractable span become unusable, those vessels would be cut off from the base.
    Sen. Cantwell authored the INFRA Grant Program in the FAST Act of 2015, to provide grants to nationally and regionally significant freight and highway projects. This grant program was the first discretionary grant program to focus on improving the multimodal freight network and addressing freight bottlenecks. In 2022, as chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Sen. Cantwell helped secure $8 billion over five years for the INFRA Grant Program as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, a 78 percent increase in funding. Additionally, in August 2024, Sen. Cantwell wrote a letter to Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in support of the Hood Canal Bridge project’s INFRA grant application. The State of Washington has received 11 INFRA Grants, for a total of $532,300,108 since the start of the program.
    Sen. Murray, as a senior appropriator and then Assistant Majority Leader, helped secure $3.2 billion for the INFRA grant program in advance appropriations in addition to the $4.8 billion funded through the Highway Trust Fund when she helped pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, for a total of $8 billion over five years. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Strong condemns court ruling to allow non-citizens to vote in Alabama

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Dale Strong (Alabama)

    WASHINGTON – Congressman Dale W. Strong released the following statement regarding the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama’s decision to grant injunctive relief and prevent Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen from removing illegal aliens from the state’s voter rolls: 

    “Any non-citizen found voting in a federal election should be prioritized for deportation. I am appalled that the Department of Justice is litigating against states who are working to prevent non-citizens from voting. What we saw today is a continuation of the Biden-Harris Administration’s four-year campaign against the enforcement of our laws. 

    In Congress, Democrats blocked the SAVE Act, which would require proof of citizenship when registering to vote. 

    As Border Czar, Kamala Harris oversaw the worst border crisis in our nation’s history, and now her Administration is blocking states from maintaining accurate voter rolls.  

    The American people are tired of the double talk. The SAVE Act is lying in the Senate awaiting a vote. If the Democrats really believe in securing this election, Chuck Schumer must bring it to a vote immediately and end this madness.”  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Day drinkers beware, don’t drive

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    Motorists in Northland can expect to be breath tested at any time, day or night, as part of ongoing efforts to clamp down on drink driving in the region.

    Police are especially focused on those people who drink alcohol and drive during the day.

    Northland Road Policing Manager, Inspector Anne-Marie Fitchett, says day drinking and driving is a significant safety issue for Northlanders.

    “We are catching out drivers who are well over the limit at all times of the day, and not just when the sun goes down.

    “Yesterday, a person was stopped at a checkpoint at 9am and blew more than three times the legal limit.

    “Recently, we breath tested a person just before 3pm near a school, and their breath test reading was well over twice the legal limit.”

    Inspector Fitchett says drivers in Northland can expect to see checkpoints anywhere at any time.

    “Make no mistake, these drivers are out there, and we want our communities to know they are putting everyone in harm’s way with this reckless behaviour.

    “As we head to work and school, we are sharing the road with these drivers. 

    “Checkpoints are a vital tool for preventing harm on our roads and apprehending those drivers who put us all at risk.

    “It’s very simple really, if you drink alcohol to excess during the day, or at any other time, please don’t drive. And if you do, expect to be breath tested by Police.”

    ENDS.

    Tony Wright/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Police find firearm following stolen vehicle incident

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    A loaded revolver has been taken off the streets following an incident involving a stolen vehicle near Auckland Airport during the early hours of this morning.

    At about 3am, Police were alerted to a stolen Toyota Hilux travelling along Tom Pearce Drive.

    Counties Manukau West Area Response Manager, Senior Sergeant Steve Albrey, says the Police Eagle helicopter was able to gain observations on the vehicle as it continued along the road before pulling into a nearby premises.

    “Units were able to quickly block in the vehicle and arrest two people,” he says.

    “A search of the vehicle has then located a loaded revolver and a significant amount of cash.

    “We are committed to holding offenders to account for these types of crimes and delivering on our intent to keep the community safe,” Senior Sergeant Albrey says.

    A 29-year-old man will appear in Manukau District Court today charged with unlawful possession of a pistol and ammunition and unlawfully taking a motor vehicle.

    ENDS.

    Holly McKay/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Privacy Commissioner – Police well on the way to compliance; one critical step remains

    Source: Office of the Privacy Commissioner

    The notice was issued to require Police to stop unlawfully collecting photographs and biometric prints from members of the public, particularly young people, and to delete unlawfully collected material stored on their systems, including mobile phones.
    Privacy Commissioner Michael Webster says, “I’d like to acknowledge the significant work Police has done in the past two years to complete most of the notice requirements.
    “I know from their regular reporting that they’ve improved training and now have procedures and policies that help officers understand how sensitive these photos are.
    “I’ve seen that they also know they need to have a clear lawful purpose and rationale to take and retain them and have put guardrails in place to help frontline officers make good decisions about what they collect in real-time.” says the Commissioner. These steps should help ensure that unlawful collection no longer occurs.
    However, ensuring that photos and biometric prints are collected lawfully was not the only focus of the Compliance Notice. Police were also required to find and delete all unlawfully collected material currently stored on their systems. This final important requirement is proving difficult to achieve in practice given the scale and organisation of Police’s information collections. “As a result, we have granted the Police an extension until June 2025 to complete the critical task of finding and deleting unlawfully collected images,” says Mr Webster.
    A key problem is that many images have historically been stored on Police systems without the labels that would allow them to be searched automatically. In these cases, Police can’t tell what an image is of without opening each image file manually, and unless key information has been recorded with the photo it may be difficult know the purpose and rationale for collecting and retaining it.
    It’s like going to the pantry and realising that all the labels and use-by dates have been taken off the cans of food. You can’t tell what something is until you open it and even then, you may not be able to tell if it is safe to use.
    “I am concerned that the current state of Police’s information management systems and the extremely large number of stored images make it very hard to find and delete images in a practical way,” said Mr Webster.
    “These same issues may make it difficult for Police to find and use the information they have collected and retained to fight crime and keep communities safe.”
    “The development and implementation of a digital evidence management system was presented to us as a potential solution to these issues. We are concerned that investment in such a system has not proceeded. Had they had that, Police could have stored and identified photos and linked them to specific cases, which would have also meant staff would have documented the lawful purpose for taking the photo.”
    “I am encouraged that Police are continuing to look for solutions to these challenging issues. Resolving them will be fundamental to public trust and confidence in Police use of personal information and their ability to turn it into actionable intelligence that helps keep communities safer,” said Mr Webster
    About the Compliance Notice to Police
    The December 2021 Compliance Notice was the result of a joint Inquiry by OPC and the Independent Police Complaints Authority into the police practice of taking, using, and retaining photos when they didn’t have a lawful purpose for doing so.
    The Inquiry found that thousands of photographs of members of the public have been kept on the mobile phones of individual officers or, if transferred to the Police computer system, not destroyed when there is no longer a legitimate need for them.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Allens advises Multiplex on a big year of city-shaping projects

    Source: Allens Insights

    In the latest in a succession of major social and commercial infrastructure projects, Allens has advised Multiplex as Managing Contractor for the Victorian Health Building Authority’s Parkville Precinct Redevelopment – Materials Handling Building Project.

    The Parkville Precinct Redevelopment is an important step in the staged redevelopment of the Royal Melbourne Hospital and Royal Women’s Hospital.

    The redevelopment adds to a run of city-shaping commercial and mixed use residential projects in Victoria and South Australia for Multiplex. In the past 12 months, other project that Allens has advised Multiplex include:

    • Cbus Property’s $1 billion sustainable office tower at 435 Bourke Street;
    • each of Brookfield Asset Management, Citiplan and Journal Student Living’s student accommodation projects at Grattan Street and Market Way (Franklin Street);
    • OSK Property’s BLVD residential tower at OSK Property’s $3 billion Melbourne Square precinct, one of Australia’s largest development projects;
    • Chasecrown’s Parkline all-electric mixed-use luxury apartment complex in Kent Town, South Australia; and
    • City of Adelaide and ICD Property’s vibrant new mixed-use precinct, the expansion of Adelaide Central Market. 

    ‘These projects show that there remains strong private capital appetite for quality social infrastructure and commercial development projects,’ said Partner David Donnelly, who led the Allens team on each of the transactions.

    ‘We have loved partnering with Multiplex for the long term. Not only does it provide scale and efficiency benefits for Multiplex, but it provides invaluable learning opportunities for our lawyers at all levels,’ said Managing Associate Ben van Weel.

    Allens has also advised Multiplex on numerous critical infrastructure projects in recent years, including the New Footscray Hospital PPP, Frankston Hospital Redevelopment PPP, GLM 2 Social Housing PPP, the Western Sydney Airport Terminal and National Resilience Centres in Victoria, Queensland and WA.

    Allens legal team

    David Donnelly (Partner), Ben van Weel (Managing Associate), Ashleigh Blumor (Senior Associate), Tom Bleby (Associate), Soha Refaat (Associate), Lana Yang (Associate), Lisa Wang (Associate), Roberta Hernandez (Lawyer), Harrison Philp (Lawyer), Penny Hollingdale (Lawyer)

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Ray White Oakleigh faces court action for alleged misleading practices

    Source: Government of Victoria 2

    Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV) is taking Ray White Oakleigh and estate agent Nick Strilakos to the Federal Court for alleged misleading and deceptive conduct and making false and misleading statements in breach of the Australian Consumer Law.

    CAV’s Underquoting Taskforce investigated the agency and estate agent after receiving multiple complaints from prospective buyers.

    CAV alleges that Ray White Oakleigh advertised properties at prices well below their market value in at least 11 property sales across Melbourne’s southeast, in Rowville, Mulgrave, Bentleigh East, Oakleigh South and Blackburn South from February 2022 to November 2023.

    In most of these cases, after entering into agreements with sellers, the agency subsequently dropped their estimated selling prices and then advertised the properties at those lower prices. The properties then sold for prices well above the advertised price ranges.

    Ray White Oakleigh agents also sent messages to each other indicating they believed properties would sell for considerably higher prices and in some cases, taking bets or guesses on the higher price.

    In 7 of the 11 cases, the vendors agreed to pay the agency a low flat commission, typically between 2.2 to 2.5 % of the sale price, up to the vendor’s reserve. If the sale price went above the reserve, the agents would be paid a much higher rate of 22 to 25 % of the sale proceeds above the reserve. The vendors typically set their reserve prices in line with the lower estimates.

    CAV is seeking declarations, pecuniary penalty orders, adverse publicity orders and orders that the agents establish compliance and training programs.

    Penalties for making a false or misleading statement in relation to land under the Australian Consumer Law are up to $2.5 million for an individual and $50 million for a company.

    CAV Director Nicole Rich said the Federal Court action serves as a warning to real estate agents that deceptive conduct has no place in Victoria’s real estate market.

    “Underquoting is an unfair practice that can mislead prospective buyers into spending time and money on properties that were always outside their budget and can distort the market.”

    “While prospective purchasers are more likely to report suspected underquoting to us, it is very concerning to see that underquoting practices may also deceive vendors and leave them significantly out of pocket.”

    “It is critical that estate agents act in the best interests of the clients who trust them to sell their properties. This case raises serious new concerns about the impacts of underquoting.”

    “Our underquoting taskforce was recently made permanent in recognition that there is more for us to do. We continue to take a zero-tolerance approach to detect and stamp out underquoting for good.”

    CAV encourages anyone buying or selling a property to report any concerns about underquoting or deceptive practices in property sales on our website through our dedicated complaints webform.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Jokowi was once seen as Indonesia’s ‘new hope’. Instead, he leaves a legacy of democratic backsliding

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Edward Aspinall, Professor in Southeast Asian Politics, Australian National University

    As Indonesia’s president Joko Widodo (Jokowi) prepares to leave office, Indonesia is still routinely lauded as one of Asia’s most important democracies. Jokowi was first elected, in 2014, on the promise of breaking with the old Jakarta elite and making government more responsive to ordinary people.

    He was backed by many ardent supporters of Indonesia’s Reformasi movement. This movement had brought down the authoritarian leader, Suharto, in 1998 and pushed a transition to democracy in the years that followed.

    But Jokowi has overseen a serious period of democratic backsliding.

    Democratic decline

    Under his watch, the Indonesian government has hobbled democratic control institutions. This includes Indonesia’s once-lauded Corruption Eradication Commission, abbreviated as KPK.

    Security agencies such the army and the police have begun to resume a political role.

    The government has banned major Islamic organisations.

    Civil society groups speak of a dramatically narrowed civic space. They complain, for example, about the government’s increasing reliance on the Electronic Information and Transactions Law to prosecute critics of the government for defamation and its growing willingness to use violent means to respond to protests.

    Jokowi’s opponents in the political elite are routinely investigated for corruption and other alleged wrongdoing.

    In last February’s presidential election, there were widespread reports the police and other agencies were pressuring community leaders to mobilise the vote for Jokowi’s preferred candidate, Prabowo Subianto.

    How and why does Jokowi leave this legacy?

    How did a man who was once seen as a “new hope” for Indonesian democracy end up here?

    The answer is part of a global story that has become broadly familiar in recent years.

    These days, it is generally not unelected coup leaders who destroy democracy. Experiences like those of Thailand and Myanmar in recent years are, happily, no longer typical.

    Instead, elected populist leaders hollow democracy out from within. They do so by hobbling institutions, such as anti-corruption commissions, which are meant to check executive power.

    Jokowi has, in my view, followed this pattern.

    Unlike many populists, Jokowi never peppered his early speeches with angry denunciations of his opponents as traitors. He never tried to whip up vitriol against vulnerable minorities.

    Instead, he positioned himself as a leader who was uniquely able to understand and to embody the aspirations of ordinary people.

    His trademark campaign method was known as blusukan. He would drop by unexpectedly at a marketplace, for example, to chat with ordinary people about prices and other everyday matters.

    Jokowi has positioned himself as a man of the people.
    BahbahAconk/Shutterstock

    A former mayor, he was interested in the nitty gritty of governance, such as how to improve transport services or upgrade parks. He was less interested in “abstract” notions like human rights.

    The implications of this philosophy only became apparent after Jokowi was elected president.

    He retained his belief in his own unique ability to understand the aspirations of ordinary citizens, which had been long neglected by elite politicians.

    He maintained a single-minded focus on what ordinary Indonesians wanted – improved living standards and better social welfare. And he used polls to regularly monitor public opinion.

    For Jokowi, maintaining popular support and satisfying public demands was the essence of democracy. He was not interested in institutions that place limits on governmental power, which are arguably just as important to a functioning democratic system.

    For example, his government enacted legal amendments that significantly weakened the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

    Late last year, the Constitutional Court – headed by his brother-in-law – changed the the rules on candidate age limits to allow Jokowi’s son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, to stand for the vice presidency. Many Indonesians viewed this as a transparent – and successful – attempt to manipulate a key control institution for the purpose of maintaining Jokowi’s dynastic grip on power.

    Even so, as Jokowi leaves office, he does so a very popular politician.

    Prabowo as president

    Jokowi hands power to a man with an even more chequered democratic history.

    Prabowo Subianto is a former general with a record of alleged human rights abuses dating back to the late Suharto period. (Although, like other senior military officers accused of responsibility for the Suharto regime’s well-documented record of human rights abuses, he was never convicted of any crimes). Prabowo was close to the heart of that regime: indeed, he used to be Suharto’s son-in-law.

    Prabowo has promised he would provide the strong hand the country needed.
    Algi Febri Sugita/Shutterstock

    Prabowo has since reinvented himself as a fun-loving grandfather figure and Jokowi’s greatest fan, capitalising on the president’s own popularity.

    In fact, Prabowo used to be among Jokowi’s greatest rivals before becoming his defence minister in 2019.

    In previous elections, Prabowo presented himself as a firebrand populist who angrily denounced his opponents for allegedly selling Indonesia out to foreigners. He promised he would provide the strong hand the country needed to become truly great.

    We don’t know yet what kind of president Prabowo will be. His early political socialisation, as a leading elite figure close to the heart of the Suharto regime, suggests his instincts are likely to be deeply authoritarian.

    He inherits from Jokowi a country in which democratic institutions have already been seriously undermined, and a series of lessons in how to weaken them further.

    Edward Aspinall has received funding from the ARC and DFAT.

    – ref. Jokowi was once seen as Indonesia’s ‘new hope’. Instead, he leaves a legacy of democratic backsliding – https://theconversation.com/jokowi-was-once-seen-as-indonesias-new-hope-instead-he-leaves-a-legacy-of-democratic-backsliding-237319

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley Demands VP Harris Own Up for Failures as Border Czar

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

    BUTLER COUNTY, IOWA – U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) wrote Vice President Kamala Harris asking questions about the policy decisions she has made in her role overseeing border issues for the Biden administration, as well as the dangerous consequences and crimes that have ensued as a result.

    “Every community is a border community because the Biden-Harris administration has refused to enforce our immigration laws,” Grassley today said of his letter. “The federal government’s number one job is to keep its citizens safe. By reversing the effective border security policies of the Trump administration, the Biden-Harris administration has done the very opposite of protecting American citizens.”

    Grassley on a radio call this morning cited the following actions, among others, the Biden-Harris administration has taken that have weakened U.S. national security and made innocent Americans targets of otherwise preventable crimes: 

    • Ordering the Defense Department to stop building the southern border wall;
    • Blocking $2 billion previously allocated for barrier construction; and
    • Ending the Trump-era “Remain in Mexico” program.

    Click HERE for audio of Grassley discussing his letter to Vice President Harris. The full letter is available HERE and below. 

    Vice President Kamala D. Harris

    The White House

    Office of the Vice President

    1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

    Washington, D.C. 20500

    Dear Vice President Harris:

    In one of your first official public appearances, you joined President Biden in the Oval Office when he opined on the Trump administration’s immigration and border policies. President Biden dismissed the previous administration’s policies as “counterproductive to our security,” “harmful,” and a “moral and national shame.” 

    Since your first day in office, you and President Biden have worked to dismantle the Trump-era border policies and halted further construction of the border wall. The presidential proclamation terminating construction read, in part: “It shall be the policy of my Administration that no more American taxpayer dollars be diverted to construct a border wall.” This initiated a so-called “careful review of all resources appropriated or redirected to construct a southern border wall.” By April 2021, the Department of Defense (DOD) announced the cancellation of border barrier projects. In June of the same year, the Biden-Harris administration returned $2 billion to the DOD previously allocated for the purpose of border wall construction. Your administration also initiated a review of the Remain in Mexico policy, which Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Mayorkas subsequently ended in June 2021.

    Meanwhile, every fiscal year throughout your engagements, crossings from Mexico and the

    Northern Triangle markedly exceeded any year of the Trump administration. Despite the stark increase from those nations and many others, deportations and returns overall have decreased as a share of crossings. 

    Now, you are engaging in a numbers racket, telling Americans modest decreases in encounters from soaring, record highs is somehow proof that what your administration has been doing all along is working. It is not. 

    President Biden’s executive order—more than three years after your administration’s reckless reversal of key policies—is an implicit admission that he and you bear ultimate responsibility for this crisis and this disastrous approach. As a result of these slow-walked changes, our national security has been undermined and the safety of our communities has been threatened all across the country. 

    Due to the Biden-Harris administration’s failure to achieve adequate border security, illegal immigrants, including those entering from Mexico and the Northern Triangle, have been able to perpetrate heinous acts against innocent American citizens. For example:

    • On May 14, 2024, an 18-year-old Honduran national, who purportedly entered the United States illegally in April 2022, pled guilty to sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl in Waterloo, Iowa.
    • On April 2, 2024, a Honduran national, who was previously convicted of sexual assaulting a woman in Connecticut and deported, was charged for failing to register as a sex offender. He was reportedly able to re-enter the United States undetected by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and subsequently was arrested twice before being charged.
    • On February 25, 2024, a 19-year-old Honduran national was arrested for the alleged rape and aggravated assault of a 14-year-old girl at knifepoint in Louisiana. He entered the United States illegally in October 2023.
    • On May 4, 2024, a Guatemalan national was arrested for allegedly kidnapping and sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl in a van in Palm Beach County, Florida. He reportedly entered the United States illegally in January 2024, was given an immigration hearing date in 2027, and was released by DHS.
    • On June 26, 2024, a Guatemalan national was charged with alleged sexually battery of a 14-year-old girl in Okaloosa County, Florida. He was deported on February 9, 2024, before this incident, but was able to re-enter the United States untraced days later.
    • On May 8, 2024, an El Salvadoran migrant was arrested for allegedly murdering a woman and the malicious assault of two homeless individuals with a baseball bat in West Virginia. He had an extensive criminal history and was in prison in El Salvador for over twenty years for “DUI [driving under the influence], sexual assault/murder, aggravated robbery, and narcotics related crimes.” Law enforcement believes he illegally entered the United States shortly after his release from prison.

    This is just a snapshot from this year alone of the sorts of preventable tragedies, which have become all too common across the United States.

    The Biden-Harris administration’s policies—pulling resources, reversing Remain in Mexico, and stopping wall construction—are largely to blame for our open and unsafe border over the last three-and-a-half years. Because of your actions and inactions, every state is now a border state and every community is a border community.

    Given your role as the leader of engagement with this region, which the media has colloquially dubbed as “Border Czar” or “Root Causes Czar,” I ask that you provide answers to the following immigration and border policy questions by October 24, 2024.

    1. Have you engaged with your international counterparts regarding violence perpetrated against innocent Americans by citizens of their countries? Have you raised this concern with any counterpart(s)? If so, what concerns were raised and when? What was their response?
    2. In light of the Biden-Harris administration’s ending of Remain in Mexico in 2021, what data can you provide suggesting migration from Mexico has been “stemmed” as you were tasked with accomplishing prior to 2024?
    3. In February 2024, the Biden-Harris administration endorsed a proposal that, among other provisions, included a requirement that a few hundred million dollars in unspent funds be used specifically for border wall construction. As noted above, the Biden-Harris administration previously returned $2 billion allocated for the purpose of building a border wall. Did the Biden-Harris administration ever consider reversing course regarding this funding? If not, why not? If so, why has no discernable action been taken to that end?
    4. The Biden-Harris administration has auctioned off some $300 million worth of unused border wall materials for mere pennies on the dollar. Why did the Biden-Harris administration endorse a proposal asking Congress to require them to use hundreds of millions of unspent dollars for border wall construction after deciding to sit on hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of unused supplies instead of building the wall?

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Four caught illegally whitebaiting during joint operation in Southland

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Four Southland men are in the deep end following a joint operation at the Waiau river mouth yesterday.

    With two weeks until the end of the whitebaiting season, Police and the Department of Conservation completed compliance checks at the Waiau river mouth between 10pm and 1am last night.

    This is part of Operation Inaka, a joint operation between Police, the Department of Conservation, Fisheries New Zealand, and Te Rūnaka o Ōraka-Aparima.

    “The aim of this operation is to target and apprehend offenders who are partaking in illegal activity by fishing outside the legal fishing hours, participating in anti-social behaviours, or driving impaired,” says Western Southland Area Response Manager Senior Sergeant Pete Graham.

    “Four local men were discovered fishing outside of the regulated hours while we were conducting our compliance checks last night. Their nets were seized, and they will face enforcement by the Department of Conservation.”

    Penalties for people found illegally fishing whitebait can include having their fishing equipment seized and possibly destructed, while any whitebait caught would be returned to the river. They can also face a $400 fine or court prosecution.

    “Although this is a disappointing result, previous compliance checks on Sunday 18 August resulted in no issues and Police did not observe anyone illegally fishing before the beginning of the whitebaiting season on 1 September.”

    Police and the Department of Conservation will continue to work together over the whitebaiting season to monitor any unlawful fishing, or antisocial behaviour.

    “To avoid any confusion, we encourage all whitebaiters to educate themselves on the rules and regulations to ensure their 2024 whitebaiting season goes swimmingly.”

    The whitebaiting fishing season for New Zealand, the fishing season is between 1 September and 30 October. For the Chatham Islands, it is from 1 December to the last day of February.

    Whitebaiting is only permitted on these days between 5am to 8pm, or 6am to 9pm during New Zealand daylight saving. Any whitebaiting outside of these times is illegal.

    “It is important all whitebaiters comply with the whitebait fishing regulations as this will help sustainably manage this precious taonga,” said John McCarroll, Department of Conservation Operations Manager, Murihiku District.

    If you see illegal or suspicious activity this whitebaiting season, please call Police immediately on 111.

    You can also report information on 105 after the fact, and anonymously through Crimestoppers at 0800 555 111.

    Information is available on the Department of Conservation Whitebaiting website.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Arrests following burglaries in Cambridge and Hamilton

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Attributable to Detective Inspector Graham Pitkethley, District Manager Criminal Investigations, Waikato.

    Waikato Police have arrested five youths in relation to a number of burglaries in the Waikato area in the past two days.

    At around 4:20am on Monday 14 October five youths travelling in a stolen vehicle gained entry to a commercial premises in Cambridge using hammers. The premises and items inside were damaged.

    A short time later, at around 5:40am, a store on Heaphy Terrace in Hamilton was broken into, with the group stealing several items and cash from the premises, causing damage to the store.

    On Tuesday 15 October a second commercial premises was broken into in Cambridge. The group arrived in a stolen vehicle about 1.30am and again used hammers to gain entry before taking items from the store.

    The youths then allegedly travelled in a second stolen vehicle to a service station on Naylor Street where a burglary took place, causing damage to the premises and taking items.

    That same vehicle was then driven to a store on Cambridge Road, Hillcrest a short time later where hammers were once again used to gain entry to the premises and again items were stolen.

    At around midday Tuesday, Police observed a vehicle that was reported stolen, travelling in Fairview Downs in Hamilton. Police signalled for the vehicle to stop, however it failed to do so. The vehicle was located a short time later in Nawton.

    Five youths were located at a property a short distance from the vehicle, where they were taken into custody.

    All five have since been referred to Youth Aid services.

    We wish to reassure the public that Police are committed to responding to offending in our communities and to holding offenders to account for their actions.

    We encourage the public to report offending as it happens by calling 111.

    Other matters can be reported after the fact by going online to http://www.police.govt.nz/use-105 or calling 105.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Auckland Police target road safety ahead of summer

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Auckland City Police have begun a series of operations targeting drink and drug effected drivers as the evenings get warmer and lighter.

    Last week, Police spent two days conducting more than 20 checkpoints across the district.

    Auckland City’s Relieving Road Policing Manager, Acting Inspector Scott Jones, says more than 12,000 drivers were breath tested across Wednesday and Thursday last week.

    “The vast majority of motorists had made the responsible decision to drive sober, however disappointingly 18 drivers were found to be over the limit and are facing enforcement from Police.

    “It’s great to see so many people driving drink-free, but that result is still too many to be drinking and then driving on our roads.”

    Acting Inspector Jones says one driver was found to be more than double the legal limit.

    “His licence was suspended on the spot and he will be appearing in the Auckland District Court facing a charge of driving with excess breath alcohol.

    “The decision made by all 18 of these drivers has put themselves and other members of the community at enormous risk.”

    Police also issued a number of infringement notices to motorists for a variety of high-risk driving behaviours, including speeding, no restraints or driving while using a mobile phone.

    “With the summer season approaching, Police will have an increased focus on drink and drug related driving.

    “We ask that people plan ahead and make the responsible decision to appoint a sober driver or arrange other options such as public transport to get them home safely.

    “We know your whānau and friends will appreciate this, and so will we.”

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Allens advises TPG Telecom on $5.25bn sale of fibre network and Enterprise, Government and Wholesale fixed line business to Vocus

    Source: Allens Insights

    Allens has advised TPG Telecom on an agreement to sell its fibre network infrastructure and its enterprise, government and wholesale (EGW) fixed line business to Vocus Group Limited for an enterprise value of $5.25 billion.

    The sale will include all of TPG Telecom’s fibre and fixed line network infrastructure, its EGW fixed line business, its PPC-1 international submarine cable system and its wholesale broadband business, Vision Network.

    The sale price is inclusive of a potential $250 million contingent value payment related to subscriber targets for the Vision Network business.

    TPG will retain its mobile and radiocommunications network infrastructure, consumer and EGW mobile business and its consumer and small office/home office fixed retail business, including fixed wireless.

    The deal also includes a long-term strategic partnership between TPG and Vocus, with Vocus to provide TPG with ongoing access to its fibre infrastructure.

    Allens acted for TPG Telecom on the strategic review of its Vision Network business in 2022. The firm then advised TPG Telecom on negotiations with Vocus and its owners, Macquarie Asset Management and Aware Super, when the parties decided to explore a larger transaction.

    ‘This transaction demonstrates that telecommunications infrastructure continues to be a highly attractive asset class for financial investors,’ said co-lead Partner and Head of Allens’ Technology, Media & Telecommunications group, Gavin Smith.

    ‘The pace of digitisation, and the continued growth in requirements for data transmission and storage, means that the physical infrastructure underpinning that trend is highly valued.

    ‘Allens has had a long-standing relationship with TPG Telecom. We are delighted to advise it on this transformational transaction which allows it to unlock the value of its fixed line networks.’

    Co-lead Partner Julian Donnan said: ‘This deal will allow TPG Telecom to focus on its mobile and its consumer and small office/home office fixed retail business, including fixed wireless. We congratulate the teams at TPG Telecom and its financial adviser, Bank of America, with which we worked closely. We also congratulate the Vocus, Macquarie Asset Management and Aware Super teams’.

    The deal cements Allens’ position as the leading advisor on telecommunications M&A activity in Australia.

    The firm advised on all major Australian and New Zealand telecommunications tower transactions between 2021 and 2024, including: the Morrison and Future Fund investment into Amplitel (Telstra towers); the sale by TPG Telecom of its towers portfolio to OMERS/Waveconn; AustralianSuper on its acquisition of a majority stake in ATN (Optus towers) and the acquisition by ATN of Axicom; Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan’s acquisition of a majority stake in Connexa, the Spark New Zealand tower company; Connexa’s acquisition of the 2degrees NZ tower portfolio; and NorthLeaf Capital Partners and InfraRed Capital Partnerson their acquisition of Fortysouth, the Vodafone New Zealand towers business. Allens also advised Morrison and Brookfield on its acquisition of Uniti Group.

    Allens legal team

    Lead partners

    Gavin Smith, Julian Donnan

    M&A and Capital Markets

    Tom Story (Partner), Kimberley Lowrie (Managing Associate), Stephanie Rowan (Senior Associate), Harry Martin (Associate), Will Brown (Senior Associate), Sophie Stitch (Lawyer)

    Technology, Media & Telecommunications

    Jessica Mottau (Partner), Isabelle Guyot (Managing Associate), David Liao (Senior Overseas Practitioner), Alexandra Martin (Senior Associate), Isaac Nankavill (Associate), Isabelle Orazio (Lawyer), Tasnim Ahsan (Lawyer), Matilda Winnell (Lawyer)

    Competition, Consumer and Regulatory

    Rosannah Healy (Partner), Robert Walker (Partner), John Yiannakou (Managing Associate), Edison Wang (Senior Associate), Tom Hodgson (Lawyer)

    Real Estate & Development

    Victoria Holthouse (Partner), Tom Wilson (Senior Associate), Jayne Williams (Senior Associate), Alex Jeffares (Associate)

    Banking & Finance

    Alan Maxton (Partner), Sarah Denton (Senior Overseas Practitioner), Robert Lau (Senior Associate)

    Intellectual Property

    Tommy Chen (Managing Associate), Max Jones (Senior Associate)

    Employment & Safety

    Veronica Siow (Partner), Sikeli Ratu (Partner), Eden Sweeney (Associate)

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Latta Presents Paulding County Veteran with Overdue Bronze Star

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green Ohio)

    Congressman Bob Latta (R-OH5) today presented Paulding County Veteran William Young with a Bronze Star for his meritorious service in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. Young served as one of the members of the ‘B’ Company, 720th Military Police Battalion, Military Police Brigade.

    This Bronze Star awarded to Young is part of a larger effort by Latta’s office, spearheaded by a group of the members of the ‘B’ Company in their appeal to obtain the Combat Infantry Badge (CIB) to recognize their service during the Vietnam War. After Latta worked alongside the veterans, the Department of the Army concluded the men of ‘B’ Company performed actions essential to the success of the entire 720th MP Battalion during the Vietnam War, and they were recognized with Bronze Stars for their service. 

    Last year, Latta held a ceremony in the U.S. Capitol for 35 Vietnam Veterans to receive their Bronze Stars. To date, 74 Bronze Stars have been awarded to the men of ‘B’ Company. 

    “It was a true honor to present a Bronze Star to Mr. William Young, a Paulding County resident, who honorably served our great nation in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War,” Latta said. “Mr. Young was trained to be a Military Policeman (MP) but when he arrived in Vietnam, his unit became part of the Bushwhackers whose duties included heading into the jungle to interdict North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops. And since they were MPs, the Army would not issue them the Combat Infantry Badge. I was pleased to work with the veterans to make sure they received the recognition they deserve – the Bronze Star. We are forever grateful and indebted to our servicemembers for serving and sacrificing for our people and country.”

    Additional background on the Bronze Stars:

    Three years ago, Latta received a copy of a book written by Robert Bogison, entitled Up Close & Personal, that detailed the service and history of ‘B’ Company, 720th Military Police Battalion, 18th Military Police Brigade during the Vietnam War.

    The book came with a letter appealing for assistance with their effort to obtain the Combat Infantry Badge (CIB) to recognize their unique service during the Vietnam War. While they were classified as Military Police during their service, the Battalion unofficially performed infantry missions on the front lines.

    After contacting the U.S. Department of Defense and the Department of the Army to inquire as to the possibility of the group receiving the CIB recognition, officials within the Defense Department undertook an extensive search at multiple personnel records facilities to locate official documentation that could back up claims that the company performed infantry actions. The veterans group also provided documentation for the Army to consider.

    After the Department of the Army concluded ‘B’ Company performed actions essential to the success of the entire 720th MP Battalion during the Vietnam War, it was announced these individuals would be recognized with Bronze Stars for their service.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: USAF leadership engage allies, partners to counter pacing threat

    Source: United States Air Force

    U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force David Flosi are participating in an international Air Force Forum hosted by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force in Tokyo Oct. 14-16.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: No escape from Eagle’s prying eyes

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    Police arrested a gang member in east Auckland early this morning, after disturbing his dangerous late-night ride along the Southern Motorway.

    Auckland City Central Response Manager, Senior Sergeant Dave Plunkett, says a Police unit noticed a speeding motorcycle in Grafton just before midnight.

    “Police signalled for the rider to stop but he fled at speeds well over the legal road limit. We did not pursue the motorbike, due to this dangerous manner of driving.

    “However, the Police Eagle helicopter was deployed to the area and observed the motorbike as it exited the motorway towards Mount Wellington, and to an address on Panama Road.

    “Eagle directed Police ground staff to the address, where the alleged motorbike rider met them the gate and led them to the suspected motorbike in a garage.”

    The bike was impounded for six months along with another motorbike in the garage, that had multiple alerts for fleeing Police.

    The alleged rider, a 45-year-old patched Head Hunters gang member, was summoned to the Auckland District Court where he will face charges of failing to stop and dangerous driving.

    “This incident shows once again that we have no tolerance for reckless driving behaviour that puts other road users at risk,” Senior Sergeant Plunkett says.

    “Thanks to the good work of all Police staff involved, the rider will be held to account.”

    ENDS.

    Tony Wright/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Markey Maps Need for Climate Action and Highlights Federal Investments in Massachusetts Climate Resilience, Following Extreme Weather Events Across the Country

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

    Calls for more investment in resilient schools and hospitals and for a federal climate emergency declaration

    WATCH: Senator Markey, advocates discuss climate resilience

    Senator Markey joined by City Councilor Gabriela “Gigi” Coletta Zapata; Brian Swett, Boston’s Chief Climate Officer; Dwaign Tyndal, Executive Director of Alternatives for Community and Environment (ACE); and John Walkey, Noemy Rodriguez, and Roseann Bongiovanni from GreenRoots.

    Boston (October 15, 2024) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today was joined in Boston by local officials and advocates to call for increased federal investment to bolster the climate resilience of regions at risk of sea level rise – exacerbated by devastation from climate change-fueled storms, as well as highlight ongoing resiliency projects in Massachusetts, following two devastating hurricanes in the southeastern United States that are expected to cost $300 billion and have resulted in more than 250 deaths. Senator Markey announced that over the past two years, Boston, Chelsea, and Revere have already secured more than $75 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act for resiliency projects that include building resilient transportation corridors in Roxbury, greening the Chelsea Creek waterfront, and making the MBTA (Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority) Blue Line more flood resistant. In total, Massachusetts has secured approximately $200 million for climate resiliency projects from those two laws so far. Senator Markey was joined by Brian Swett, Chief Climate Officer for the City of Boston; Boston City Councilor Gabriela Coletta Zapata; Roseann Bongiovanni, Noemy Rodriguez, and John Walkey from GreenRoots; and Dwaign Tyndal, Executive Director of Alternatives for Community and Environment (ACE).

    “If we don’t drive down our emissions as a country, we could see more than six feet of sea level rise by the end of the century. That’s sunny-day flooding in neighborhoods from East Boston to Back Bay. TD Garden wouldn’t be flooded with a sea of fans—it would be flooded by the sea itself. Back Bay will go back to the bay,” said Senator Markey. “Our task is twofold. One, cut climate pollution by ushering in a clean energy revolution unlike any we’ve seen before, dismantling our dependence on fossil fuels. And two, prepare for the future by investing in resilient buildings and strong communities. Thanks in part to the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are well on our way to meet that second goal. In Massachusetts, we don’t wait, we create.”

    “Chelsea and East Boston, the two communities that we serve at GreenRoots, are frontline environmental justice communities that are disproportionately impacted by environmental assault. On a daily basis, environmental justice communities throughout the United States and in the Global South face increased frequency of severe storms, storm surge, sea level rise, drought, heat island impacts, wildfires and much more. We need federal leadership like that of Senator Markey’s to prioritize policies and investments in climate resilience and climate justice, an end to fossil fuel use, and implementing greater renewable, resilient energy,” said Roseann Bongiovanni, Executive Director of GreenRoots.

    “Many of the people here have immigrated as a result of natural disasters in their home countries, and with climate change, we know that natural disasters are only going to be increasing in number. When this happens, we need to ask the questions, ‘Where are we going to go? What is going to happen to us?’ These are the questions and worries that many of us have, not just for East Boston, but all over the country. We are the first generation feeling the effects of climate change and we may be the last generation that can do something about it,” said Noemy Rodriguez, Waterfront Initiative Organizer at GreenRoots.

    “We know that when climate change happens, the least among us are the first affected and the worst affected. We frequently say that people are a paycheck away from disaster. According to FEMA, just an inch of floodwater in a home causes roughly about $25,000 in damages. There are over 400,000 Massachusetts residents living in the hundred-year flood zone which means more than a one in four chance of having a flood during a 30-year mortgage period. If home ownership is the route to generational wealth that we would leave to the next generation, we need to be planning and prepared for this,” said John Walkey, Director of Climate Justice & Waterfront Initiatives.

    “Boston is deeply grateful for Senator Markey’s unwavering leadership in securing critical federal funds that are bolstering our city’s climate resilience. Thanks to our partners in the federal government, Boston has secured over $60 million in grants for coastal resilience projects helping us protect our neighborhoods from rising sea levels and extreme storms. However, with the increasing frequency of extreme weather, much more work remains, and additional funding is essential to fully safeguard our city and its most vulnerable communities,” said Brian Swett, Chief Climate Officer for the City of Boston.

    “We have a moral obligation to move quickly to identify all strategies and tools that are at our disposal to ensure that Boston’s forty-seven-mile coastline is resilient and to protect these residents. I want to thank Senator Markey for his leadership in the Senate, and President Biden’s leadership in securing these necessary federal funds that Boston is now being awarded, which will help protect our communities. This is our next big challenge. We need the resources, capital, and collaboration to adequately protect Boston. We need the vital investments coming down the pike from the federal government in both green and gray infrastructure to protect our future. I am hopeful, with the level of partnership and leadership on display here across all levels of government, advocacy groups and philanthropy, and I know that we will continue to lean in and get it done,” said Boston City Councilor Gabriela “Gigi” Coletta Zapata.

    “This is a reminder, a call to arms, a warning and a reality check. We may have more resources than imagination to deal with this issue. We have all the policy, the information, and the possible solutions. The struggle now is to push beyond our imagination to do what we need to get this done. This is not going to be a part of the political cycle, or fundraising cycles, but part of the continual struggle and persistence that many of us are here today are taking part in,” said Dwaign Tyndal, Executive Director of Alternatives for Community and Environment (ACE).

    The destruction of extreme weather events is disproportionately felt by Black, Brown, low-income, and immigrant communities, who are burdened by historical disinvestment and the compounded effects of legacy pollution and dangerous infrastructure sited in their neighborhoods. Under the Biden-Harris administration, including through the historic Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, federal funding has come to Massachusetts to help prevent the worsening impacts of climate change and support the Commonwealth’s climate resilience efforts, but continued federal investment in resiliency and clean energy will be needed to help avoid worsening disasters and billion-dollar storm recoveries in the future.  

    Senator Markey has been working to ensure that Massachusetts is climate resilient and prepared for extreme weather events, which are only increasing in frequency due to climate change. On October 4, Senator Markey joined Mayor Jennifer Macksey for a briefing on the Hoosic River Flood Mitigation Study, a project that aims to evaluate potential flood risk reduction measures and support development of a new flood mitigation system built with 21st-century engineering standards. Senator Markey led the effort to get the study included in the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), advocated for $750,000 in funding for the Army Corps of Engineers this year, and has secured $950,000 in the pending appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25).

    In September, Senator Markey announced a grant of $472 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to the MBTA to fully replace the North Station Draw One Bridge and renovate Platform F at North Station. The grant is the largest federal award the MBTA has won to date. The nearly half a billion-dollar grant will provide critical support for one of MBTA’s top priority projects and a vital transportation asset to MBTA’s north-side operations. It will also support more than 14,500 jobs, make the bridge more climate resilient by bringing it above projected sea-level rise, and lower emissions. 

    In August, on the second anniversary of the historic Inflation Reduction Act, Senator Markey launched his Climate Hub, a centralized site with resources to help stakeholders navigate opportunities from both the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Together, these two laws have created the largest and most significant climate and clean energy investments in history, putting the United States on a path to address the climate crisis, repair historic harms to disadvantaged communities, create good-paying union jobs in the clean energy economy, and work towards a Green New Deal future.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: NAMRU INDO PACIFIC Grows Partnership in Malaysia

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia  –  

    Capt. Andrew Letizia, science director of Naval Medical Research Unit (NAMRU) INDO PACIFIC, has described the command’s collaborations with partner nations as the lifeblood of Navy Medicine’s OCONUS research and development.

    “The best part of my job is sitting down with excellent researchers from a host nation, putting our goals and concepts on paper, designing a project, and then watching the project help meet the needs of the partners as it comes to life,” Letizia explained. “Since I first started playing with Legos many years ago, I have enjoyed building things. Watching NAMRU INDO PACIFIC build new partnerships and strengthen the previous ones brings back that same joy I felt as a kid, making all of the pieces fit together correctly to make a great creation.”

    NAMRU INDO PACIFIC partners with 10 different countries within the area of responsibility (AOR). This network of collaborators continues to grow as the scope of Navy Medicine research expands to meet the ever-evolving needs of U.S. service members. Malaysia, home to many of the U.S. Navy’s partners, is the latest of these countries to see an expansion in collaboration.

    KUALA LUMPUR
    Like many Sailors, Lt. Cmdr. Dawn Weir wakes up early to make her way to the office. Unlike other Sailors, Weir’s walk to work takes her through the bustling metropolis of Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. From her office at the U.S. Embassy, she oversees research projects in Malaysia for NAMRU INDO PACIFIC, one of Navy Medicine’s three OCONUS research commands.

    Weir, a microbiologist, is the first person to fill this brand-new billet. NAMRU INDO PACIFIC has been building partnerships within Malaysia for almost 15 years, and Weir is the first active-duty U.S. Sailor stationed in-country.

    “The best part of my job is working with our Malaysian partners,” Weir said, “to foster and strengthen existing collaborative research endeavors, as well as to expand and create new efforts to achieve both their and our research needs and objectives. I also enjoy sharing space and working with my Office of Defense Cooperation and other U.S. Embassy colleagues to support various medical lines of effort and other global health security initiatives.”

    In 2007 NAMRU INDO PACIFIC, then known as NAMRU-2, initiated a partnership with the University of Malaysia. In the years since, the partnership has grown into a much bigger relationship, spanning multiple projects and interoperability.

    “We have been working with [NAMRU INDO PACIFIC] for the past 16 years,” explained Dr. Sazaly Abu Bakar, professor and executive director of the Tropical Infectious Diseases Research & Education Centre (TIDREC) at the University of Malaysia, “and this relationship has really grown over the years. We are now at a transition point that is going to take this relationship to the next level.”

    Part of that next level involves Weir as an active-duty researcher and in-country liaison.

    “We used to have just a few projects,” added Abu Bakar. “Now we have more activities, focused on biomedical research. This shows how the relationship between the two has grown over the years.”

    NAMRU INDO PACIFIC also partners with the National Defense University of Malaysia. Brig. Gen. Mohd Arshil Moideen, dean of the university’s medical facility and defense health division, spoke highly of the partnership.

    “The collaboration includes capacity building in our research, specifically in diagnostic laboratory capabilities,” Moideen explained. “We are currently running a few major research collaborations with tropical disease, as well as entomology studies. Lt. Cmdr. Weir is here specifically for this research cooperation, and this has never happened before. This means that Malaysia is now a significant partner in term of research collaboration.”

    “A permanent NAMRU presence within Malaysia will not only enhance our ability to achieve our mission, but also demonstrates to our Malaysian partners our commitment to continue to work together to enhance health security in the region for years to come,” said Weir. “In my experience thus far, the biggest challenges have been overcoming various administrative challenges often outside of our control that impede the progress of our collaborative research goals and objectives.”

    BORNEO
    NAMRU INDO PACIFIC is also partnering on research in collaboration with The University of Malaysia Sabah, located in the Malaysian state Sabah, which lies on the island of Borneo.

    Borneo is an island east of Kuala Lumpur, and the third largest in the world. It is home to one of the most diverse ecosystems on Earth, with native flora and fauna that includes the world’s biggest flower and world’s smallest elephant. Borneo is also one of the few places where orangutans live in the wild.

    Borneo is also home to East Malaysia, comprised of 2 states and 1 federal territory, the country of Brunei and 5 provinces of Indonesia. The university has over 100 lecturers and more than 500 students, as well as a medical and nursing school.

    “We have a lot of diseases in Sabah,” explained Dr. Yosof Ibrahim, dean of UMS. “The number of research that has been done is limited, because of manpower and expertise. There are a lot more diseases that need to be discovered, identified and to be explored. Sabah has many different ethnicities. We have 32 different ethnicities. This is a challenge. Topography is a challenge. Dialect is a challenge. The way we [in Sabah] live and look at things are very different.

    “This collaboration is beneficial,” Ibrahim added, “not only to NAMRU, but to us. In a way, it opens an avenue for us to expand our research and design what our protective measures should be for rural people. 70 percent of our people are in a rural area. There is a difficulty in access to medical facilities.”

    “Malaysia is rich in culture,” said Weir, “with Malay, Chinese, Indian, and indigenous communities. This diversity fosters a vibrant social scene and a diverse and unique culinary experience! Malaysia is also home to diverse and beautiful landscapes perfect for outdoor activities like hiking, diving, and exploring national parks. I personally love the year-round warm tropical environment. Anyone who is fortunate enough to have the opportunity to visit or work in Malaysia should not pass it up.”

    NAMRU INDO PACIFIC plays an important role in the heath of those in the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) AOR. One of the most culturally, socially, economically and geopolitically diverse regions, the Asia-Pacific region is home to 38 nations and 60% of the world’s population. More than one-third of these nations are smaller, island nations, where many tropical diseases are prevalent.

    NAMRU INDO PACIFIC collaborates with partners in Singapore, Mongolia, Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Australia, Papua New Guinea and the U.S. to conduct research efforts throughout the USINDOPACOM area.

    The command’s “hub and spoke” model of operations from its headquarters in Singapore, its wide array partners in the INDOPACOM AOR and the over 375,000 U.S service members stationed in the Pacific allow the NAMRU INDO PACIFIC scientific portfolio to shift, as needed, to align with host nation and sponsor priorities while maintaining focus and efforts on U.S. health security objectives.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Parliament Hansard Report – Petitions, Papers, Select Committee Reports, and Introduction of Bills – 001419

    Source: New Zealand Parliament – Hansard

    PETITIONS, PAPERS, SELECT COMMITTEE REPORTS, AND INTRODUCTION OF BILLS

    SPEAKER: No petitions have been delivered to the Clerk, but Ministers have delivered 18 papers.

    CLERK:

    • 2023-24 annual reports of ACC, Crown Irrigation Investments, Crown Law, Inland Revenue, Kāinga Ora, LINZ, MBIE, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, NZQA, the Remuneration Authority, Stats NZ
    • Reports on the 2023-24 non-departmental appropriations for Vote Education, Vote Housing and Urban Development, and the Emergency Management and Recovery portfolio
    • Government response to the Climate Change Commission’s Monitoring report: Emissions reduction (July 2024); the ACC 2023-24 climate report and 2024-25 service agreement.

    SPEAKER: Those papers are published under the authority of the House. No select committee papers have been presented. No bills have been introduced.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Urgent joint statement: Northern Gaza is being erased – global leaders must act now to end Israel’s atrocities

    Source: Oxfam –

    Oxfam and 37 other humanitarian organisations are raising the alarm about the catastrophic situation in Northern Gaza

    The Israeli forces’ assault on Gaza has escalated to a horrifying level of atrocity. Northern Gaza is being wiped off the map. Under the guise of “evacuation,” Israeli forces have ordered the forced displacement of an estimated 400,000 Palestinians trapped in northern Gaza, including Gaza City. This is not an evacuation—this is forced displacement under gunfire. Since 1 October, no food has been allowed into the area, and civilians are being starved and bombed in their homes and their tents. 

    Hospitals, already overwhelmed, are being ordered to evacuate. They are running out of fuel and essential supplies, while doctors and nurses battle to save lives with what little they have left. The wounded flood in – children, older people, victims of Israeli airstrikes – but with no resources to treat them. 

    Dr. Mohammed Salha, acting director of Al-Awda Hospital in northern Gaza, described the dire situation: “The Israeli military has contacted us more than once to evacuate the hospital… [All] the departments are full of wounded people and we are discharging even the wounded who have minor or moderate injuries, because we do not have [enough] beds for them. I [told the Israeli military] clearly that we would not evacuate the hospital unless there are ambulances that can preserve the lives of the wounded people we have and reach another hospital that provides better service to the wounded.” 

    The world cannot continue to stand by as the Israeli government commits these atrocities. Global leaders have both a legal and moral duty to act now. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ordered Israel to take all measures within its power to prevent the commission of all acts within the scope of Article II of the Genocide Convention including “killing members of the group; causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; and imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group”. There is no evidence that Israel has adhered to these orders, and the killing of Palestinians has only intensified. 

    Any attempt to alter the territorial integrity of Gaza constitutes a blatant violation of international law. This is especially egregious in light of the recent ICJ advisory opinion, which significantly heightens the obligation of third states to take decisive action. Failure to do so risks their complicity in perpetuating the illegal occupation. 

    All parties must allow unimpeded access for humanitarian organisations to deliver aid based on need, without restricting types, volumes, or locations. Aid delivery must remain impartial and independent of military objectives to prevent its instrumentalisation or politicisation. Civilians must not be forced to flee to receive aid; those choosing to stay in their homes must be protected under international law. 

    We demand an immediate ceasefire and an end to Israel’s illegal occupation. Global leaders must act in line with the UN General Assembly Resolution on the ICJ Advisory Opinion and fulfil their obligation not to facilitate or support Israel’s illegal occupation. Third states must halt now the transfer of all weapons, parts and ammunition that could be used to commit further violations of international humanitarian law.

    This is not a time for silence – this is a time for action. The people of Gaza cannot wait. The world must intervene now before more innocent lives are lost. 

    The forcible transfer of Palestinian civilians in Gaza is a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention and does not amount to a permissible evacuation. Relocation areas have not provided safety, adequate shelter or essential services, and there has also been no guarantee that displaced populations will be able to return once hostilities end. 

    Signatories:

    1. ActionAid 
    2. Action For Humanity 
    3. Afri (Action from Ireland) 
    4. Amos Trust 
    5. Bloody Sunday Trust 
    6. Centre for Global Education 
    7. CESVI 
    8. Children Not Numbers 
    9. Christian Aid 
    10. Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) 
    11. Comhlamh Justice for Palestine 
    12. Council for Arab-British Understanding (Caabu) 
    13. Embrace the Middle East 
    14. Feminist Humanitarian Network (FHN) 
    15. Gender Action for Peace and Security (GAPS) 
    16. Global Justice Now 
    17. HelpAge International 
    18. Interpal 
    19. Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign 
    20. Islamic Relief 
    21. KinderUSA 
    22. Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) 
    23. Médecins du Monde Spain 
    24. Middle East Children’s Alliance 
    25. Muslim Aid 
    26. Novact Institute for Nonviolence 
    27. Oxfam 
    28. Plan International Jordan 
    29. Sabeel-Kairos UK 
    30. Sadaka-The Ireland Palestine Alliance 
    31. TDH Italy 
    32. Trócaire 
    33. Trinity College Dublin Students’ Union/ Aontas Mac Léinn Choláiste na Tríonóide (TCDSU/AMLCT) 
    34. Vento di Terra 
    35. War Child 
    36. War on Want 
    37. WeWorld 
    38. Welfare Association 

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Statement From Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder on PRC Military Drills Near Taiwan

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    We have closely monitored the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) exercise, JOINT SWORD 2024B, around Taiwan. This military pressure operation is irresponsible, disproportionate, and destabilizing. As the White House noted last week, it is a long-standing tradition for Taiwan’s president to deliver remarks on 10/10. It is a routine, domestic-focused address that has historically prompted little response from the PRC. Still, the PRC has chosen this opportunity to take provocative, military action.
     
    Deterrence remains strong in the Indo-Pacific, and the Department remains confident in its current force posture and operations in the region. The entire world has a stake in peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and we continue to see a growing community of countries committed to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. We will continue to work with allies and partners to advance our shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific, despite the PRC’s destabilizing behavior. The United States remains committed to its longstanding one China policy, guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the Three Joint Communiqués, and the Six Assurances.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for South and Southeast Asia Concludes Visit to Cambodia for Defense Policy Dialogue

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    Department of Defense spokesperson John Supple provided the following readout:

    Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (DASD) for South and Southeast Asia Laura Updegrove concluded her visit to Cambodia today for the first U.S.-Cambodia Defense Policy Dialogue since 2019 and for meetings with Cambodian defense and foreign policy officials. DASD Updegrove’s trip follows Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s visit to Cambodia on June 4, 2024.

    DASD Updegrove co-chaired the U.S.-Cambodia Defense Policy Dialogue, marking the third time the Dialogue has been held since its inception in 2011. The two sides discussed opportunities to strengthen the U.S.-Cambodia bilateral defense relationship, including through the resumption of military training exchanges on disaster assistance, United Nations Peacekeeping and de-mining and unexploded ordnance clearance, as well as Cambodia’s participation in U.S. professional military education (PME). The two sides also exchanged views on the regional security environment and reaffirmed their commitment to continued dialogue.

    On the margins of the dialogue, DASD Updegrove met with Minister of National Defence Tea Seiha and Prime Minister Hun Manet’s Foreign Policy Advisor Eat Sophea to discuss advancing bilateral defense cooperation in support of regional peace and security.

    During her visit DASD Updegrove also met with Cambodian graduates of U.S. PME programs, where she highlighted the longstanding defense training ties between the United States and Cambodia.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Marines Complete Typhoon Krathon Humanitarian Assistance Efforts

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    MANILA, Philippines  –  

    U.S. Marines across multiple forward-deployed commands concluded six days of foreign disaster relief efforts in the Philippines Oct. 10, 2024, supporting the U.S. Agency for International Development’s humanitarian response to Typhoon Krathon (locally known as Julian) at the request of the Philippine government.

    Marines and Sailors from Marine Rotational Force – Southeast Asia (MRF-SEA); 1st Marine Aircraft Wing (1st MAW); III Marine Expeditionary Force (III MEF); and the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (15th MEU) embarked aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4) delivered nearly 96,000 pounds of foreign disaster relief supplies to Batan Island, a remote island in the Batanes Province and one of the locations most impacted by Krathon.

    Typhoon Krathon originated 155 miles southwest of Okinawa before moving northwest, reaching peak intensity Oct. 1, with sustained winds of 195 kph (120 mph). Krathon heavily battered the northern islands of the Philippines, leading to evacuations, infrastructure damage, and food supply insecurity in affected communities.

    At the request of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin directed U.S. Indo-Pacific Command to support USAID’s relief efforts due to the unique capabilities and high state of readiness of forward-deployed U.S. Marine Corps forces.

    MRF-SEA first arrived in the Philippines in late September to participate in upcoming training exercises with the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Operating out of Fort Bonifacio, Philippines, MRF-SEA immediately began coordination with the U.S. Department of State, USAID, the AFP, and other U.S. Marine Corps units to plan support for the relief effort. Two teams of Marines and Sailors from MRF-SEA integrated with USAID and AFP personnel in Manila and Laoag to plan and prepare for the arrival of KC-130J Super Hercules aircraft from 1st MAW in Okinawa, Japan, and personnel from 3rd Marine Logistics Group.

    “Before Marine Corps aircraft ever touched down in the Philippines, Marines and Sailors with MRF-SEA were integrated with our partners in the U.S. and Philippine governments, on site at Villamor Air Base and Laoag International Airport, with the manpower and heavy equipment needed to package and move aid material,” said Col. Stuart Glenn, commanding officer, MRF-SEA. “Forward-deployed Marine Corps forces allow us to quickly respond to humanitarian missions because we’re already in the region. I am extremely proud that our team was able to set the necessary conditions to quickly provide relief to the Philippine people.”

    After arriving on Oct. 5, the cargo planes were loaded with supplies at Villamor Air Base and flown to Laoag International Airport in northern Luzon for staging and preparation to move the supplies to their final destination on Batan Island. The KC-130 crews conducted 26.2 hours of flight operations, successfully transported all aid materials to Laoag.

    As U.S. and Philippine personnel worked to move supplies north, the 15th MEU arrived aboard USS Boxer and began flight operations to support relief efforts on Oct. 8. MV-22B Ospreys, assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 165 (Reinforced), landed in Laoag, and combined teams from the 15th MEU, MRF-SEA, and Philippine Marines spent the next three days loading Ospreys, the Marine Corps’ medium-lift tiltrotor V/STOL platform, with disaster relief supplies for the final leg of the movement to the Basco Airport on Batan Island. Pilots and aircrews from VMM-165 (Rein.) conducted more than 55 flights and successfully delivered the final disaster relief material on Thursday, Oct. 10.

    “The primary focus of our mission is helping the people of the Philippines recover as quickly and safely as possible,” said Col. Sean Dynan, commanding officer, 15th MEU. “Humanitarian assistance in an expeditionary environment is what we train to do, and it is one of the reasons we are forward-deployed as an amphibious force.”

    The forward presence and ready posture of U.S. Marine forces in the Indo-Pacific region was pivotal to the rapid and effective response to Typhoon Krathon, demonstrating the U.S.’s commitment to its allies and partners during times of need.

    POINT OF CONTACT:
    Capt. Mark McDonough
    Communication Strategy & Operations Director
    Marine Rotational Force – Southeast Asia
    +1 (760) 799-4590
    mark.mcdonough@usmc.mil

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Boxer Celebrates Navy’s 249th Birthday

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    PHILIPPINE SEA  –  

    Sailors assigned to the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4) and embarked Marines, assigned to the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), held a ceremony on the mess decks to celebrate the Navy’s 249th birthday, Oct. 13, 2024.

    The theme of this year’s celebration is warfighting, strength and readiness, highlighting the Navy’s ability to operate anywhere, at any time, to promote security, deter aggression, and defend shared ideals.

    For the last 249 years, the United States Navy has been there to answer the call. From the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean, and from the skies around the world, we continue to operate in support of our Allies and Partners, defending our protected interests, bringing lifesaving supplies to those in need, and countless other missions.

    During Boxer’s celebration ceremony, Capt. Brian Holmes, commanding officer, recalled the story of Lt. Cmdr. John D. Bulkeley, a Medal of Honor recipient who showed extraordinary heroism during World War II as the commander of Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Three in the same waters that Boxer is currently operating in today.

    Under Bulkeley’s command, the PT boats of Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron Three severely damaged and destroyed multiple Japanese enemy planes, surface combatants and merchant ships, and dispersed landing parties and enemy forces for over four months in the waters surrounding the Philippines. His team was also responsible for safely bringing General Douglas MacArthur and his family out of the island of Corregidor in the Philippines, sailing through heavily-patrolled enemy waters, allowing him to evade capture and lead the counteroffensive in the Pacific that ultimately changed the course of WWII.

    “That same courage and that same determination that Lt. Cmdr. Bulkeley showed in World War II, we still celebrate today,” said Holmes. “I take great pride in knowing that we are the same Navy today that we were 249 years ago – strong, capable, and ready. I am incredibly proud to be sailing in the same waters, with the crew of Boxer and the embarked 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, where Lieutenant Commander Bulkeley and those who have gone before us so bravely operated in defense of our nation’s security.”

    The United States Navy was born through the sacrifice and determination of the men and women who served a noble cause to defend the people of the United States of America, tracing its origins back to the American Revolution.

    “Soon after the War on Independence, the U.S. Constitution empowered the new Congress to provide and maintain the Navy,” said Chief Aviation Ordnanceman Corey Gadson during the ceremony. “Acting on this authority, Congress established the Department of the Navy on April 30, 1798, and in the years that followed, the first ships were constructed: the Constellation, Constitution, Congress, Chesapeake, United States and the President, known as the six frigates.”

    In the last 249 years, the Navy has since grown to become a symbol of freedom for both the American people and the world, protecting the air and seas, deterring aggression and operating alongside our Allies and Partners in support of shared interests of peace and stability.

    “Today, we have more than 280 ships – with 77 more under construction or on order – manned and backed by more than 300,000 Sailors,” said Aviation Electronics Technician 2nd Class Alana Reyes. “We are our nation’s vital maritime maneuver force – persistent, versatile, and capable of winning any fight and ready for the challenges of the future.”

    Boxer and embarked elements of the 15th MEU are conducting routine operations in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations. U.S. 7th Fleet is the U.S. Navy’s largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, and routinely interacts and operates with allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

    Boxer is a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship homeported in San Diego. Commissioned February 11, 1995, Boxer is the sixth ship to bear the name. Boxer’s crew is made up of approximately 1,200 officers and enlisted personnel and can accommodate up to 1,800 Marines.

    For more information or imagery for USS Boxer visit: https://www.dvidshub.net/unit/LHD-4
    Follow us on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/ussboxer/
    Follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/ussboxer/

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Should King Charles apologise for the genocide of First Nations people when he visits Australia?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebe Taylor, Associate Professor of History, University of Tasmania

    King Charles and Queen Camilla will visit Australia from Friday on a five-day tour of Canberra and Sydney.

    The king will be the second ruling British monarch to visit Australia, after Queen Elizabeth II’s 16 visits over 57 years.

    These visits showcase Australians’ evolving relationship with the monarchy and our colonial past.

    Changing attitudes

    An estimated 75% of Australians greeted Elizabeth on her first tour in 1954, at events that celebrated Australia’s growth as a prosperous nation.

    Historical milestones remained central to the queen’s subsequent visits.

    In 1970, she attended the re-enactment of Captain Cook’s arrival at Botany Bay. This included depictions of shooting at First Nations actors.

    The queen’s 1986 visit included signing the Australia Act that severed Britain’s formal powers over Australia.

    Her 1988 visit coincided with the Australian bicentenary of the arrival of the First Fleet carrying convicts and officials from Britain. But by this time, many Australians had lost their royal fervour.

    Her final tour, in 2011, came 12 years after Australia had attempted to become a republic by referendum.

    The queen’s death in 2022 not only reignited questions over the future of the monarchy in Australia, it instigated a public discussion over the monarchy’s role in imperial colonialism.

    Genocide in Australia?

    On the eve of Charles’ coronation in 2023, Indigenous leaders from 12 settler states including Australia and New Zealand cosigned a letter calling on the new monarch to apologise for the genocides that British colonisation brought to their territories.

    Australia was settled in the name of the Kingdom of Great Britain. Did that settlement result in genocide?

    Recent research led by Ben Kiernan for The Cambridge World History of Genocide has investigated this question using the 1948 United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide as a framework.

    The convention defines genocide as “acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group”.

    The term “genocide” itself is modern; coined by Raphael Lemkin in 1944. The colonisation of Tasmania by the British provided Lemkin with one of the clearest examples.

    The prosecution of crimes before 1951 is not permissible under the convention, which provides a definitional framework to evaluate past events as constituent acts of genocide.

    The Cambridge World History of Genocide Volume II and Volume III demonstrate how settlers and government agents committed acts of genocide against First Nations Australians from the beginning of settlement to the late 20th centuries.

    All parts of Australia are considered. Acts conforming to the convention’s clauses include killing, forcibly removing children and inflicting destructive conditions.

    Australian historian Lyndall Ryan’s chapter, Frontier Massacres in Australia, draws on her research for a Massacre Map showing how British troops and settlers committed more than 290 massacres across Australia between 1794 and 1928.

    These massacres killed more than 7,500 Aboriginal people.

    Ryan found the massacres were not sporadic and isolated – they were planned and sanctioned killings, integral to the aims of the Australian colonial project.

    Rebe Taylor’s chapter on genocide in Tasmania details a pattern of government-sanctioned mass killings in a colony where an estimated 6,000 Palawa (Tasmanian Aboriginal) people were reduced to about 120 by 1835.

    Raymond Evans shows how as colonisation moved northward in Australia, massacres increased in size.

    Evans documents killings that persisted into the 1940s, postdating the 1928 Coniston massacre widely regarded as the last frontier slaughter.

    These findings are underscored by Tony Barta’s insight that colonists’ destructive actions constitute a record of genocidal intent “more powerful than any documented plot to destroy a people”.

    Research by Anna Haebich documents the taking of Indigenous children during the 19th century.

    Joanna Cruikshank and Crystal Mckinnon explain how these state-sanctioned removals in the 20th century were intended to eliminate First Nations people from Australia’s national life.

    The 1997 Bringing Them Home report, commissioned by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, concluded the “Australian practice of Indigenous child removal involved […] genocide as defined by international law”.

    A significant moment of resistance

    The colonial governor of Tasmania began to exile Palawa people from their land in 1829.

    More than 200 survivors of the “Black War” were removed to Flinders Island and subjected to life-threateningly harsh conditions. High death rates were caused by ill-treatment, disease and insufficient care.

    In 1846, the Palawa petitioned Queen Victoria to honour the agreement made when they were removed: that in exchange for temporarily leaving their country, they would regain their freedom.

    In this bold petition, Tasmanian Aboriginal people initiated a historic appeal to the British monarchy.

    Aware of Queen Victoria’s sovereign authority across the vast British Empire, this action marked a significant moment in their continued resistance to genocide.

    An acknowledgement of wrongs

    British sovereignty over Australia was imposed without the required consent of its First Nations. The result has been continued dispossession and suffering.

    Despite the Crown’s deferral of power to its parliament, the call for an apology from the king has immense symbolic importance.

    It is rooted in the desire for acknowledgement of wrongs. These include genocide and the continuing destructive effects of colonisation across Australia.

    Rebe Taylor receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

    Greg Lehman receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. He is a member of the Board of the Tasmanian Land Conservancy.

    – ref. Should King Charles apologise for the genocide of First Nations people when he visits Australia? – https://theconversation.com/should-king-charles-apologise-for-the-genocide-of-first-nations-people-when-he-visits-australia-239092

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CE’s speech in delivering “The Chief Executive’s 2024 Policy Address” to LegCo (1)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following is the translation of the speech made by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, in delivering “The Chief Executive’s 2024 Policy Address” to the Legislative Council this morning (October 16):

    Mr President, Honourable Members and fellow citizens,

    I. Reform and Embrace Changes to Achieve Prosperity

    1. This is my third Policy Address.

    2. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC Central Committee) adopted the Resolution of the CPC Central Committee on Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively to Advance Chinese Modernization. The Resolution calls on Hong Kong to fully harness the institutional strengths of “One Country, Two Systems” while consolidating and enhancing its status as an international financial, shipping and trade centre. It also supports Hong Kong’s position to become an international hub for high-calibre talents, to exert a greater role in our country’s opening up to the world, and to deepen collaboration within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) through better harmonisation of rules and mechanisms.

    3. In running for office, more than two years ago, I stated that “we must embrace a reform mind-set” and we “need further revamping”. I proposed to build a “result-oriented” government, setting key performance indicators (KPIs) to create a new government culture. I put forward a series of reform measures, including the establishment of Care Teams to enhance district services, introduction of the Advance Allocation Scheme to shorten the waiting time for public housing, and assistance to junior secondary students living in subdivided units (SDUs) for tackling intergenerational poverty. I believe that we must maintain our development momentum and self-renewal, and that we must embrace changes while staying principled, innovative and flexible in meeting challenges and opportunities.

    4. Regarding system reforms, I work on the principle that anything essential but lacking in the system must be established; any serious shortcomings must be rectified; any bottlenecks, weaknesses or hurdles must be overcome; and any areas in need of consolidation must be reinforced and improved. In the reform process, we have to decide what should be built from scratch, what should be overhauled to set things right, and what should be consolidated and bolstered. In taking forward reforms, we must have a systemic mind-set and manage the relationships between overall and local interests, between the present and the future, between macro and micro concerns. While we may make reference to the successful experiences of other places, we cannot adopt them directly given the differences in the basis and structure of our systems. Our reform proposals must take heed of the prevailing circumstances and be tailored to local conditions.

    5. Since becoming Chief Executive, I have carried out reforms along the above principle.

    6. On implementation of “One Country, Two Systems”, we fulfilled the constitutional responsibility to enact local legislation for Article 23 of the Basic Law; we reformed the institutional set-up of the District Councils by implementing the principle of “patriots administering Hong Kong”; we enacted a new legislation to enable an essentially automatic extension of land leases in an orderly manner for a term of 50 years to beyond 2047, manifesting the long-term adherence to “One Country, Two Systems”.

    7. On governance, we reformed the government structure and reshuffled the duties among policy bureaux, increasing their number from 13 to 15. We created three new Deputy Secretaries of Department to strengthen co-ordination of work across bureaux, setting up task forces led by the Deputy Secretaries to enhance implementation. We cultivated a government culture focusing on results. We also introduced a mechanism mobilising the Government at all levels to respond to major incidents.

    8. In economic development, we established the Hong Kong Investment Corporation Limited (HKIC) to optimise the use of government funds for the development of industries and our economy. We pressed ahead with the development of the “eight centres” and the Northern Metropolis, taking an industry-oriented approach. We set up the Hong Kong Talent Engage (HKTE) and the Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises (OASES) to strengthen our efforts in trawling for talents and enterprises. We also established Hong Kong as a regional hub for higher education.

    9. As for people’s livelihood, we implemented healthcare reform and took steps to build our primary review mechanism for drugs and medical devices. We set up a system for bringing in healthcare professionals to alleviate manpower shortage in the public healthcare system. We also launched Light Public Housing (LPH) to fill short-term gaps in the supply of public housing, and established the Task Force on Tackling the Issue of Subdivided Units. We pooled resources for targeted poverty alleviation. We established an annual review mechanism for minimum wage protection. We also rationalised traffic flow among the three road harbour crossings.

    10. Reform is a continuous process. Over the past two years, my team and I have focused on economic growth and on improving people’s livelihood through development, with the well-being of the people of Hong Kong close to our hearts. This Policy Address will deepen our reforms and explore new growth areas. Measures include building an international gold trading market, promoting high value-added maritime services, and building a commodity trading ecosystem and internationally-accredited metal warehouses. We will promulgate the Development Outline for the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park in the Loop, building a testing ground for policy and institutional innovation. We will also set up a working group on developing the low-altitude economy.

    11. In this Policy Address, I will continue to follow through the “four proposals” put forward by President Xi Jinping in his important speech delivered on 1 July 2022. I will also outline our vision and objectives for reforms and changes, as well as the related key measures and KPIs. A Supplement offering more details on the policy measures and related matters has also been compiled.

    (To be continued.)

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Course 73 ready to hit the beat

    Source: South Australia Police

    A former Victorian police officer, automotive office manager, and competitive dance instructor are among the 16 Course 73 members to graduate today from the South Australia Police (SAPOL) Academy.

    Ranging in age from 19 to 40, eight men and eight women are eager to hit the road and bring diverse backgrounds to policing, including Italian and Slovenian.

    Other graduates offer work experience as a former Police Security Officer and in Defence, as an events manager, working on oil rigs, in childcare, and in sales.

    Prior to joining SAPOL, Myah was studying as a full-time university student in Law and Criminology.

    “I believe this prior study has greatly assisted me in understanding legislation as a SAPOL member,” she said.

    “I was also working part-time as a competitive dance instructor, and at a trampoline park.

    “My most memorable experience throughout my training was the relationships that were established from the very beginning of the course that remained strong throughout.”

    Fellow graduate Craig was a serving Senior Constable from Victoria Police before deciding to pursue a South Australian lifestyle.

    “The decision to transfer was for a change of scenery for my family and I, with a goal of coastal living. I moved to South Australia with my wife and two young daughters,” he said.

    “My experiences as a police officer of seven years have assisted me throughout the recruit training process. The extra training and refreshing I experienced further developed my skills as a police officer.

    “I was drawn to South Australia itself, rostering that suits a family lifestyle, generous pay and job security.”

    Before becoming a police officer, Melanie worked full-time as an office manager in the automotive industry, also playing and umpiring netball.

    “Both experiences helped me throughout my training as being confident and taking charge were imperative to being successful, like on the netball court,” she said.

    “I was expecting the academy to be competitive, but everyone was helpful and wanted us to succeed.

    “To those thinking of joining, the academy will test you both mentally and physically, but you’re not alone, the whole academy and especially your course are there to support and help you.”

    Myah hopes to one day work in the domestic and family violence field, while Craig is interested in advancing SAPOL’s digitalised police workforce. Melanie feels experience on the road will influence her future direction but has identified community engagement as an area of interest.

    Course 73 members will be stationed at metropolitan and regional areas, including Port Lincoln, Berri and Port Pirie.

    SAPOL is currently recruiting and is keen to hear from people interested in an inspiring career with unmatched experiences and rewards.

    If you’re looking for job security, career progression pathways and a chance to make a real difference in local communities visit Achievemore – Join Us (police.sa.gov.au)

    Melanie, Myah, and Craig are among Course 73 members to graduate today from the South Australia Police Academy.

    MIL OSI News –