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  • MIL-OSI USA: Readout of Departments of Justice and Interior Roundtable on Media Coverage of Missing or Murdered Indigenous Peoples and Human Trafficking

    Source: US State of California

    Senior officials from the Justice Department and Department of the Interior yesterday convened a roundtable discussion with Tribal leaders, advocates, members of the media, and federal officials to discuss how media coverage can be channeled to help address the crisis of missing or murdered Indigenous peoples (MMIP) and human trafficking (HT).

    The virtual roundtable was organized as part of the federal  response to the recommendations of the Not Invisible Act Commission (NIAC) — a federal advisory committee established in November 2023 under the Not Invisible Act of 2019 to recommend strategies for combating violent crime on Indian lands and against American Indian and Alaska Native people. During seven field hearings across the country as well as a virtual national hearing that informed the Commission’s recommendations, people affected by the crisis of MMIP and HT shared their concerns about lack of media coverage and whether that may contribute to cases being ignored or going unsolved. The Commission in turn recommended the Justice Department and Department of the Interior hold a roundtable discussion as a step toward developing a set of best practices.

    Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and delivered video remarks.

    “Public communication, news stories, and social media can be crucial in finding and investigating cases of missing or murdered Indigenous persons,” said Attorney General Garland. “That is why, on the Not Invisible Act Commission’s recommendation, we convened this roundtable to develop best practices and guidelines to aid law enforcement, families, advocates, and journalists when a member of a Native community is reported missing. It is our hope that this convening will strengthen those partnerships, which are essential to advancing our shared goal of ending this crisis.”

    “Since day one, the Biden-Harris administration has been committed to fulfilling our promises to Indian Country,” said Secretary Haaland, who authored the Not Invisible Act while in Congress. “This roundtable is part of that promise as we act on one of the Not Invisible Act Commission’s recommendations because a crisis that exists in silence will never be solved. Today is one step of many to ensure our missing relatives’ stories are told.”

    Attorney General Garland also announced that this month, the Justice Department will award more than $210 million to American Indian and Alaska Native communities through three separate programs to support a wide range of public safety challenges. These funds will go directly to efforts to support Tribal safety. They include programs dedicated to reducing domestic violence and sexual violence, supporting victims of crime, and providing resources to law enforcement, Tribal youth programs, and treatment programs.

    Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer delivered opening remarks at the roundtable, saying “it is critical now, more than ever,” to work together to draw attention to the MMIP and HT crises. “The potential for immediate, real-time alerts makes media, particularly social media, a powerful tool to get the word out fast when emergencies happen. And the widespread use of media facilitates information sharing and collaboration that can help resolve missing persons cases.”

    Department of the Interior Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland opened the roundtable and said, “The overarching principle that guides our work is to make life better for people in Tribal communities and making sure that Indian people have the opportunity to live safe, healthy, and fulfilling lives in their tribal communities. Public safety is a big part of this, and addressing the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples crisis and human trafficking are at the forefront of our public safety work.”

    In August, Attorney General Garland and Secretary Haaland visited New Mexico to discuss efforts to confront the MMIP crisis and human trafficking with federal and Tribal leaders. Under Attorney General Garland and Secretary Haaland’s leadership, the Biden-Harris Administration has worked to address the high rates of violent crime in Indian Country.  Read more about these efforts.

    The Departments plan to publish best practices stemming from this discussion by the end of the year. To submit recommendations, email newsmedia@bia.gov no later than Friday, Oct. 4.

    Additional Background on the Departments of Justice and Interior’s commitment to addressing MMIP and HT

    Law Enforcement Collaboration: At the 2022 White House Tribal Nations Summit, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and FBI announced an agreement to provide for the effective and efficient administration of criminal investigations in Indian Country. The agreement specified that BIA’s Office of Justice Services (BIA-OJS) and the FBI would cooperate on investigations and share information and investigative reports as well as establish written guidelines outlining jurisdiction and investigative roles and responsibilities. The agreement also requires that all BIA, FBI and Tribal law enforcement officers receive training regarding trauma-informed, culturally responsive investigative approaches.

    Missing and Murdered Unit (MMU): As one of her first acts as Secretary, Secretary Haaland created a new MMU within BIA-OJS to pursue justice for missing or murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives. The MMU, headquartered in Albuquerque, provides leadership and direction for cross-Departmental and interagency work involving missing and murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives. The MMU has enabled the Interior Department to expand its collaborative efforts with other agencies, such as working to enhance the Justice Department’s National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) and working through strategic partnerships with the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Units (BAUs), the FBI Forensic Laboratory, the USMS’ Missing Child Unit (MCU) and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).

    MMIP Regional Outreach Program: Since the start of this Administration, the Justice Department has made strides in implementing systems aimed at preventing new instances of MMIP, locating individuals who are reported missing, and, where a crime has occurred, investigating and prosecuting those responsible. In Summer 2023, the Department launched an MMIP Regional Outreach Program. This program places attorneys and coordinators at U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the United States to help prevent and respond to cases of missing or murdered Indigenous people.

    Not Invisible Act Commission: The Departments worked collaboratively to stand up the Not Invisible Act Commission, which was created by legislation the Secretary led in Congress, to develop recommendations on how the federal government can combat crimes against American Indian and Alaska Native people. The Commission included federal, state, and Tribal law enforcement, Tribal leaders, federal partners, service providers, family members of missing and murdered individuals, and survivors. In 2023, the Commission held seven field hearings across the country as well as a virtual national hearing to hear directly from individuals affected by the MMIP crisis. In March, the Departments released their response to the Commission’s recommendations, which they are in the process of implementing in collaboration with Congress.

    Operation Not Forgotten: The FBI established this operation to focus resources on seeking justice for Tribal community members who have been victims of unresolved crimes. Operation Not Forgotten first surged resources to Tribal communities in 2023 with the mission of examining cases that have gone unresolved. The goal was to move those cases closer to resolution, provide services for victims, and to bring offenders to justice, who had so far escaped it. Due to the success of the 2023 operation, the FBI is currently partnering with the BIA-MMU to surge resources in 2024. BIA-MMU is providing significant intelligence and investigative support for the duration of the operation. Over 45 special agents and five intelligence personnel have deployed in support of the 2024 operation.

    White House Council on Native American Affairs: At the 2021 White House Tribal Nations Summit, President Biden signed Executive Order 14053 on Improving Public Safety and Criminal Justice for Native Americans and Addressing the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous People directing the Departments of Justice, the Interior, and Health and Human Services to work with Tribal Nations and partners to build safe and healthy Tribal communities and to support comprehensive law enforcement, prevention, intervention and support services. President Biden signed the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022 into law, which built on advancements from previous reauthorizations and included new provisions to address the crisis of MMIP across the country and re-enforced Tribal sovereignty by providing means for Tribes to address the epidemic of violence within their lands and communities. The White House Council on Native American Affairs is continuing to implement this work through its Public Safety and Justice committee, which is co-chaired by the Departments of Justice and the Interior, as part of an all of government approach to address public safety and the MMIP crisis.

    International Collaboration: The United States is also working with its international counterparts from Canada and Mexico to address public safety issues on a larger scale. In September 2023, Canada chaired the Fifth Convening of the Trilateral Working Group on Violence against Indigenous Women and Girls in collaboration with Indigenous leaders and government officials from Canada, the United States and Mexico and global subject-matter experts. Discussions at this year’s convening focused on human trafficking and access to justice. Officials from the three countries agreed to continue to protect and uphold the rights of Indigenous women, learn from and implement Indigenous-led approaches, provide accessible and culturally safe services, and support the preservation of Indigenous cultures and languages. A sixth gathering is expected later this year.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Candidate for 13th Congressional District of Florida Charged for Election-Related Threat to Former Primary Candidate and Private Citizen

    Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

    An indictment was unsealed yesterday charging a Florida man with threatening to kill his primary opponent in the 2021 election for the 13th Congressional District of Florida and a private citizen and acquaintance of his opponent.

    According to the indictment, William Robert Braddock III, 41, of St. Petersburg, and Victim 1 were candidates in the primary election to represent the 13th Congressional District of Florida in the U.S. House of Representatives. Victim 2 was a private citizen and acquaintance of Victim 1. On June 8, 2021, Braddock made several threats to injure and kill Victim 1 and Victim 2 during a telephone call with Victim 2. Specifically, Braddock threatened, in part, to “call up my Russian-Ukrainian hit squad” and make Victim 1 disappear. After making the threats, Braddock left the United States and was later found to be residing in the Philippines. Braddock was recently deported from the Philippines to the United States and made his first court appearance yesterday in Los Angeles.

    Braddock is charged with one count of interstate transmission of a true threat to injure another person. If convicted, Braddock faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida made the announcement.

    The FBI Tampa Field Office is investigating the case with support from the St. Petersburg Police Department. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, FBI’s Office of the Legal Attaché in Manila, and U.S. Marshals Service provided substantial assistance. The investigation also benefited from foreign law enforcement cooperation provided by the Philippine Department of Justice and Philippine Bureau of Immigration.

    Trial Attorney Alexandre Dempsey of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section (PIN) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlton Gammons for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case.

    This case is part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force. Announced by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and launched by Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco in June 2021, the task force has led the department’s efforts to address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers — whether elected, appointed, or volunteer — are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation. The task force engages with the election community and state and local law enforcement to assess allegations and reports of threats against election workers, and has investigated and prosecuted these matters where appropriate, in partnership with FBI Field Offices and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. Three years after its formation, the task force is continuing this work and supporting the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and FBI Field Offices nationwide as they carry on the critical work that the task force has begun.

    Under the leadership of Deputy Attorney General Monaco, the task force is led by PIN and includes several other entities within the Justice Department, including the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, Civil Rights Division, National Security Division, and FBI, as well as key interagency partners, such as the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Postal Inspection Service. For more information regarding the Justice Department’s efforts to combat threats against election workers, read the Deputy Attorney General’s memo.

    To report suspected threats or violent acts, contact your local FBI office and request to speak with the Election Crimes Coordinator. Contact information for every FBI field office may be found at www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/. You may also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or file an online complaint at www.tips.fbi.gov. Complaints submitted will be reviewed by the task force and referred for investigation or response accordingly. If someone is in imminent danger or risk of harm, contact 911 or your local police immediately.

    An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Apostolic Journey of His Holiness Francis in Luxembourg and Belgium (26 to 29 September 2024) – Courtesy Visit to the King of the Belgians and Meeting with the Authorities and Civil Society in the Castle of Laeken

    Source: The Holy See

    Apostolic Journey of His Holiness Francis in Luxembourg and Belgium (26 to 29 September 2024) – Courtesy Visit to the King of the Belgians and Meeting with the Authorities and Civil Society in the Castle of Laeken, 27.09.2024
    Courtesy Visit to the King of the Belgians
    This morning, after celebrating Holy Mass privately, the Holy Father Francis transferred by car to the Castle of Laeken for the courtesy visit to the King of the Belgians, His Majesty Philippe Leopold Lodewijk Maria and Queen Mathilde d’Udekem d’Acoz.
    Upon arrival, at 9.30, a Guard of Honour on horseback accompanied him to the main entrance of the Castle, where he was welcomed by the Belgian Royals.
    After the official photographs and the signing of the Book of Honour, the private meeting took place, followed by the exchange of gifts.
    At the end of the visit, the Pope, the King and the Queen transferred to the Grande Galerie of the Castle of Laeken for the meeting with the authorities and civil society.

    Meeting with the Authorities and Civil Society
    At 10.15, in the Grande Galerie of the Castle of Laeken, the Holy Father Francis met with political and religious authorities, businesspeople and representatives of civil society and culture.
    After the speeches of the King of Belgium and the Prime Minister, the Holy Father delivered his address.
    At the end of the meeting, after taking leave of the Royals and before returning to the Apostolic Nunciature, Pope Francis visited the Home Saint-Joseph in Brussels, a residence for elderly people in financial difficulty, where the Little Sisters of Charity are working.
    The following is the address delivered by the Holy Father during his meeting with the authorities and civil Society:

    Address of the Holy Father
    Your Majesty,Mr Prime Minister,Brother Bishops,Distinguished Authorities,Ladies and Gentlemen!
    I thank Your Majesty for your cordial welcome and kind words of greeting. I am very pleased to be visiting Belgium. When I think of this country, what comes to mind is something small yet great; a country in the west that at the same time is also at the centre, as if Belgium were the beating heart of an enormous organism.
    Indeed, it would be a mistake to judge the quality of a country by its geographical size. Belgium may not be a large state, yet its particular history has been impactful. Immediately after the Second World War, the exhausted and downhearted peoples of Europe, in beginning a profound process of peace, cooperation and integration, looked to your country as a natural location to establish key European institutions. This was because Belgium was on the fault line between the Germanic and Latin worlds, sandwiched between France and Germany, two countries that had most embodied the opposing nationalistic ideals underlying the conflict.
    We could describe Belgium as a bridge between the continent and the British Isles, between the Germanic and French-speaking regions, between southern and northern Europe. A bridge enabling concord to spread and disputes to abate. A bridge where all people, with their own languages, ways of thinking and beliefs can meet others and choose conversation, dialogue and sharing as the means of mutual interaction. A bridge where all can learn to make their own identity not an idol or barrier, but a welcoming place, from which to begin and then return; a place for promoting valuable personal exchanges, seeking together new social stability and building new agreements. Belgium is a bridge that promotes trade, connects and brings cultures into dialogue. An indispensable bridge, then, for rejecting war and building peace.
    It is thus easy to see how great little Belgium really is! How Europe needs Belgium to remind it that its history comprises peoples and cultures, cathedrals and universities, achievements of human ingenuity, but also many wars and the will to dominate that sometimes led to colonialism and exploitation.
    Europe needs Belgium in order to continue along the path of peace and of fraternity among its peoples. Indeed, Belgium is a reminder to all others that when nations disregard borders or breach treaties by employing the most varied and untenable excuses, and when they use weapons to replace actual law with the principle of “might is right”, then they open Pandora’s box, unleashing violent storms that batter the house, threatening to destroy it. At this moment in history, I think Belgium plays a very important role. It seems we are close to a world war.
    Moreover, peace and harmony are never won once and for all. On the contrary, they are a duty and a mission – concord and peace is a task and a mission – one that needs to be undertaken unceasingly, with great care and patience. For when human beings forget the memory of the past and its valuable lessons, they run the dangerous risk of once again falling backwards, even after having moved on, forgetting the suffering and appalling costs paid by previous generations. Human beings forget the past, but it is curious as there are other forces, both in society and in individuals, that make us fall repeatedly into the same mistakes.
    In this regard, Belgium is more essential than ever for keeping alive the memory of the European continent. Indeed, it provides an irrefutable argument for developing a timely and continuous cultural, social and political movement that, at the same time, is both courageous and prudent. A movement that excludes from the future the idea and practice of war as a viable option with all its catastrophic consequences.
    Furthermore, history is the often unheeded magistra vitae and Belgium’s history calls Europe to return to its path, rediscover its true identity, and invest once again in the future by opening itself to life and hope by overcoming the demographic winter and the torments of war! These are the two calamities we face right now. We are seeing the nightmare of war, which can still turn into a world war. And the demographic winter; that is why we have to be pragmatic and have more children!
    In bearing witness to its faith in the Risen Christ, the Catholic Church wishes to be a presence offering individuals, families, societies and nations a hope both ancient and ever new. A presence helping everyone to face challenges and difficulties, not with frivolous enthusiasm or bleak pessimism, but with the certainty that humanity, loved by God, is not destined to collapse into nothingness, but is eternally called to goodness and peace.
    Fixing her gaze on Jesus, the Church always recognizes herself as the disciple who follows her Master with fear and trembling. While she knows that she is holy, for she has been founded by the Lord, she experiences at the same time the fragility and shortcomings of her members; saints and sinners who are never fully up to the task entrusted to them since it is always beyond their capacity.
    The Church proclaims the good news that can fill our hearts with joy. Through works of charity and countless examples of love for our neighbour, the Church seeks to offer concrete and trusted signs of the love that motivates her. Yet, she always lives in a specific culture, within the thinking of a given age that she sometimes helps to shape and to which at other times she is subjected; and her members do not always understand and live the message of the Gospel in all its purity and fullness. The Church is holy but has sinful members.
    In this perennial coexistence of sanctity and sin, light and shadow, the Church carries out her mission, often with examples of great generosity and heartfelt dedication, but sadly, at times, with the emergence of painful counter-testimonies. I refer to the tragic instances of child abuse – also referenced by the King and the Prime Minister – which is a scourge that the Church is addressing firmly and decisively by listening to and accompanying those who have been wounded, and by implementing a prevention programme throughout the world.
    Brothers and sisters, it is shameful! It is a shame that we have to address this situation, ask for pardon and solve the problem: the shame of child abuse. We think of the time of the Holy Innocents and say, “Oh what a tragedy, what did King Herod do!” but today there is this crime in the Church. The Church must be ashamed, ask for pardon and try to solve this situation with Christian humility and by putting in all the measures necessary to ensure that it does not happen again. Someone might say to me, “Your Holiness, according to the statistics, the vast majority of abuse are in the family, in the neighbourhood, in the world of sport or in school. Yet, even one case is enough for us to be ashamed! In the Church we must ask pardon for this; others can ask forgiveness for their part. This is our shame and humiliation.
    In this regard, I was saddened to learn about the practice of “forced adoptions” that also took place here in Belgium between the 1950s and the 1970s. In those poignant stories, we see how the bitter fruit of wrongdoing and criminality was mixed in with what was unfortunately the prevailing view in all parts of society at that time. This was so much the case that many believed in conscience that they were doing something good for both the child and the mother.
    Frequently, the family and other actors in society, including within the Church, thought that in order to avoid the stigma that unfortunately fell upon unmarried mothers in those times, it would be preferable for the good of both the child and the mother that the child be given up for adoption. There were even cases in which some women were not given the possibility of choosing between keeping their children or giving them up for adoption. This is actually happening today in some cultures and countries.
    As the successor of the Apostle Peter, I pray to the Lord that the Church will always find within herself the strength to bring clarity and never conform to the predominant culture, even when that culture uses, in a manipulative way, values derived from the Gospel, drawing from it inauthentic conclusions that cause suffering and exclusion.
    I pray that the leaders of the nations, by looking at Belgium and its history, will be able to learn from it. In this way, they can spare their peoples endless misfortunes and sorrow. I likewise pray that those in government will know how to take up the responsibility, the risk and the honour of peace, knowing how to avoid the danger, disgrace and absurdity of war. I pray too that they will fear the judgment of conscience, of history and of God, so that their hearts and minds will be converted so as always to put the common good first. At this time when the economy has developed so much, I would like to point out that in some countries the most profitable investments are in arms manufacturing.
    Your Majesty, Ladies and Gentlemen, the motto of my visit to your country is “En route, avec Espérance”. The fact that Espérance is written with a capital letter leads me to reflect that hope is not merely something to be carried in our luggage on a journey. Instead, hope is a gift from God, perhaps the most humble virtue – the writer said – and the one that never fails, never disappoints. Hope is a gift from God to be carried in our hearts. I would like to leave you, then, with the following wish for you and for all those living in Belgium: may you always ask this gift of hope from the Holy Spirit, and welcome it in order to walk together with hope along the path of life and history. Thank you!

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Sues Alabama for Violating Federal Law’s Prohibition on Systematic Efforts to Remove Voters Within 90 Days of an Election

    Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

    The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a lawsuit against the State of Alabama and the Alabama Secretary of State to challenge a systematic State program aimed at removing voters from its election rolls too close to the Nov. 5 general election, in violation of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA).

    “The right to vote is one of the most sacred rights in our democracy,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “As Election Day approaches, it is critical that Alabama redress voter confusion resulting from its list maintenance mailings sent in violation of federal law. Officials across the country should take heed of the National Voter Registration Act’s clear and unequivocal restrictions on systematic list maintenance efforts that fall within 90 days of an election. The Quiet Period Provision of federal law exists to prevent eligible voters from being removed from the rolls as a result of last-minute, error-prone efforts. The Justice Department will continue to use all the tools it has available to ensure that the voting rights of every eligible voter are protected.”

    Section 8(c)(2) of the NVRA, also known as the Quiet Period Provision, requires states to complete systematic programs aimed at removing the names of ineligible voters from voter registration lists by no later than 90 days before federal elections. The Quiet Period Provision applies to certain systematic programs carried out by states that are aimed at striking names from voter registration lists based on a perceived failure to meet initial eligibility requirements — including citizenship — at the time of registration. The Quiet Period is an important protection for voters, because systematic removal programs may be error-ridden, cause voter confusion and remove eligible voters days or weeks before Election Day who may be unable to correct the state’s errors in time to vote or may be dissuaded from voting at all. States may remove names from official lists of voters in various ways and for various reasons, but they may not carry-on this kind of systematic removal program so close to a federal election.

    On Aug. 13, the Secretary of State announced the launch of a “process to remove noncitizens registered to vote in Alabama.” This was 84 days before the Nov. 5 general election. The Justice Department’s review found that both native-born and naturalized U.S. citizens have received letters stating that their voter record has been made inactive and that they have been placed on a path for removal from Alabama’s statewide voter registration list. The letter directs recipients who are in fact U.S. citizens and eligible to vote to complete and submit an attached State of Alabama Voter Registration Form. In turn, that form instructs that people may not register to vote in the 14 days before an election. This systematic voter removal program, which the State is conducting within 90 days of the upcoming federal election, violates the Quiet Period Provision.

    The Justice Department seeks injunctive relief that would restore the ability of impacted eligible voters to vote unimpeded on Election Day and would prohibit future Quiet Period violations. The department also seeks remedial mailings to educate eligible voters concerning the restoration of their rights and adequate training of local officials and poll workers to address confusion and distrust among eligible voters accused of being noncitizens.

    More information about voting and elections is available at www.justice.gov/voting. More information about the NVRA and other federal voting laws is available at www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section. The department recently announced a new guidance document addressing limits on when and how jurisdictions may remove voters from their voter lists. Complaints about discriminatory voting practices may be reported to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section through the internet reporting portal at civilrights.justice.gov or by telephone at 1-800-253-3931. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: California Man Charged in Complaint Alleging He Injured Five People in Bomb Attack in Lobby of County Courthouse

    Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

    A California man was charged today in a federal criminal complaint alleging he committed a bomb attack at a courthouse in Santa Maria, California, on Wednesday, in which at least five people were injured.

    Nathaniel James McGuire, 20, of Santa Maria, is charged with maliciously damaging a building by means of explosive.

    McGuire, who was arrested Wednesday shortly after the attack, is expected to make his initial appearance today in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles.

    “This defendant will now face justice in federal court for his alleged attack that injured at least five people and struck fear across a county courthouse and an entire community,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Attacks on our public institutions and on public servants threaten the safety of our communities and the rule of law itself. Such attacks will not be tolerated by the Justice Department.”

    According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, on Sept. 25, McGuire entered a courthouse of Santa Barbara County Superior Court and threw a bag into the lobby. The bag exploded and McGuire left the courthouse on foot. The explosion injured at least five people who were present at the courthouse at that time.

    Shortly thereafter, McGuire was apprehended and detained by law enforcement officials as he was trying to access a red Ford Mustang car parked outside the building. McGuire allegedly yelled that the government had taken his guns and that everyone needed to fight, rise up, and rebel.

    Inside the car, a deputy saw ammunition, a flare gun, and a box of fireworks. A search of the car revealed a shotgun, a rifle, more ammunition, a suspected bomb, and 10 Molotov cocktails. Law enforcement later rendered the bomb safe.

    A search of McGuire’s residence revealed an empty can with nails glued to the outside, a duffel bag containing matches, black powder, used and unused fireworks, and papers that appeared to be recipes for explosive material.

    “This defendant’s alleged misconduct was chilling,” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada for Central District of California. “Not only did he injure five people and traumatize many more, but he possessed a cache of weapons that would have allowed him to wreak even greater destruction had he not been stopped. Attacks on our courts, law enforcement officers, and other public servants are unacceptable, and it is critical that those who carry out such assaults be prosecuted to the fullest extent.”

    “The idea of intentionally setting off an explosive device to do harm and avoid justice in the process shocks the conscience,” said Assistant Director in Charge Akil Davis of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office. “Make no mistake, we are committed to holding McGuire accountable for this blatant act of violence. As always, we encourage the public to remain vigilant and to promptly report suspicious activities which could represent a threat to public safety.”

    “This was a shocking and unprecedented crime in our county, but, in spite of its audacity, the security of the Santa Maria courthouse was maintained,” said Sheriff Bill Brown of Santa Barbara County. “The suspect was swiftly apprehended by a court security officer, a sheriff’s deputy, two California Highway Patrol officers, and a district attorney’s investigator; we are proud of their resolute actions that almost certainly prevented further violence. We are also grateful for the substantial investigative assistance that has been provided by our colleagues with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and from U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada and his office.”

    If convicted, McGuire faces a mandatory minimum penalty of seven years in prison and a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    The FBI and Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Takla and Kathrynne N. Seiden for the Central District of California are prosecuting this case with substantial assistance from Trial Attorney Patrick Cashman of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.

    A complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Three IRGC Cyber Actors Indicted for ‘Hack-and-Leak’ Operation Designed to Influence the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election

    Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

    Note: View the indictment here and the FBI Wanted Poster here.

    The Justice Department today announced the unsealing of an indictment charging Iranian nationals, and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) employees, Masoud Jalili, 36,  also known as, مسعود جلیلی, Seyyed Ali Aghamiri, 34, also known as, سید علی آقامیری, and Yaser Balaghi, 37, also known as, یاسر بلاغی (the Conspirators), with a conspiracy with others known and unknown to hack into accounts of current and former U.S. officials, members of the media, nongovernmental organizations, and individuals associated with U.S. political campaigns. The activity was part of Iran’s continuing efforts to stoke discord, erode confidence in the U.S. electoral process, and unlawfully acquire information relating to current and former U.S. officials that could be used to advance the malign activities of the IRGC, including ongoing efforts to avenge the death of Qasem Soleimani, the former commander of the IRGC – Qods Force (IRGC-QF).

    As alleged, in or around May, after several years of focusing on compromising the accounts of former U.S. government officials, the conspirators used some of the same hacking infrastructure from earlier in the conspiracy to begin targeting and successfully gaining unauthorized access to personal accounts belonging to persons associated with an identified U.S. Presidential campaign (U.S. Presidential Campaign 1), including campaign officials. The conspirators used their access to those accounts to steal, among other information, non-public campaign documents and emails (campaign material). The activity broadened in late June, when the conspirators engaged in a “hack-and-leak” operation, in which they sought to weaponize campaign material stolen from U.S. Presidential Campaign 1 by leaking such materials to members of the media and individuals associated with what was then another identified U.S. Presidential campaign (U.S. Presidential Campaign 2), in a deliberate effort to, as reflected in the conspirators’ own words and actions, undermine U.S. Presidential Campaign 1 in advance of the 2024 U.S. presidential election.

    “The Justice Department is working relentlessly to uncover and counter Iran’s cyberattacks aimed at stoking discord, undermining confidence in our democratic institutions, and influencing our elections,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The American people – not Iran, or any other foreign power – will decide the outcome of our country’s elections.”

    “Today’s charges represent the culmination of a thorough and long-running FBI investigation that has resulted in the indictment of three Iranian nationals for their roles in a wide-ranging hacking campaign sponsored by the Government of Iran,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The conduct laid out in the indictment is just the latest example of Iran’s brazen behavior. So today the FBI would like to send a message to the Government of Iran – you and your hackers can’t hide behind your keyboards.”

    “These hack-and-leak efforts by Iran are a direct assault on the integrity of our democratic processes,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Iranian government actors have long sought to use cyber-enabled means to harm U.S. interests. This case demonstrates our commitment to expose attempts by the Iranian regime or any other foreign actor to interfere with our free and open society.”

    “This indictment alleges a serious and sustained effort by a state-sponsored terrorist organization to gather intelligence through hacking personal accounts so they can use the hacked materials to harm Americans and corruptly influence our election,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves for the District of Columbia. “The detailed allegations in the indictment should make clear to anyone who might attempt to do the same that the Justice Department has the ability to gather evidence of such crimes from around the globe, will charge those who commit such crimes, and will do whatever we can to bring those charged to justice.”

    As alleged in the indictment, beginning in or around January 2020, Jalili, Aghamiri, and Balaghi, working on behalf of the IRGC, commenced a wide-ranging hacking campaign that used spearphishing and social engineering techniques to target and compromise victims computers and accounts. Among the conspirators’ techniques were: using virtual private networks and virtual private servers to obscure their true location; creating fraudulent email accounts in the names of prominent U.S. persons and international institutions; creating spoofed login pages to harvest account credentials; sending spearphishing emails using compromised victim accounts; and using social engineering to obtain victims’ login information and multi-factor recovery/authentication codes. Some of the conspirators’ efforts were successful, while others were not.

    In April 2019, the Department of State designated the IRGC as a foreign terrorist organization. Among the purposes of the conspiracy were for the conspirators to: (i) steal victims’ data, such as information related to U.S. government and foreign policy information concerning the Middle East; (ii) steal information relating to current and former U.S. officials that could be used to advance the IRGC’s malign activities; (iii) disrupt U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East; (iv) stoke discord and erode confidence in the U.S. electoral process; (v) steal personal and private information from persons who had access to information relating to U.S. Presidential Campaign 1, including non-public campaign material and information; and (vi) undermine U.S. Presidential Campaign 1 in advance of the 2024 U.S. presidential election by leaking stolen campaign material and information.

    As reflected in the Sept. 18 joint statement released by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, FBI, and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency: “Iranian malicious cyber actors in late June and early July sent unsolicited emails to individuals then associated with President Biden’s campaign that contained an excerpt taken from stolen, non-public material from former Trump’s campaign as text in the emails. There is currently no information indicating those recipients replied. Furthermore, Iranian malicious cyber actors have continued their efforts since June to send stolen, non-public material associated with former President Trump’s campaign to U.S. media organizations.”

    As alleged in further detail in the indictment, the conspirators’ hack-and-leak efforts involved the conspirators emailing stolen campaign material to individuals that the conspirators believed were associated with what was then U.S. Presidential Campaign 2 and members of the media.

    First, between on or about June 27 and July 3, the conspirators sent or forwarded an unsolicited email message to personal accounts of three persons that the conspirators believed were associated with U.S. Presidential Campaign 2. The June 27 email was sent to two recipients, and then forwarded the same day to another account for one of those recipients (due to the earlier email being sent to an invalid account for that recipient). This email chain contained campaign material stolen from an official for U.S. Presidential Campaign 1 (U.S. Victim 11). Neither of the recipients replied to the conspirators’ email. In addition, the conspirators sent a follow up email on July 3rd to a third recipient’s account, and the recipient similarly did not reply to the Conspirators.

    Second, between on or about July 22 and on or about Aug. 31, the conspirators distributed other campaign material stolen from U.S. Victim 11 regarding U.S. Presidential Campaign 1’s potential vice-presidential candidates to multiple members of the news media, in an attempt to induce the news media to publish the material. In one instance, for example, the conspirators’ message stated “I think this information is worth a good [U.S. news publication] piece with your narration. Let me know your thoughts.”

    As alleged, these defendants also sought to promote the IRGC’s goals and mission by compromising and maintaining unauthorized access to the email accounts of a number of former government officials, including U.S. Victim 1, who had served in a position with responsibility over U.S. Middle East policy at the time of Qasam Soleimani’s death. Using this access, the defendants obtained information to assist the IRGC’s efforts to target U.S. Victim 1 and others, including their means of identification, correspondence, travel information, lodging information and other information regarding their whereabouts and policy positions.   

    Jalili, Aghamiri, and Balaghi are charged with: conspiracy to commit identity theft, aggravated identity theft, access device fraud, unauthorized access to computers to obtain information from a protected computer, unauthorized access to computers to defraud and obtain a thing of value, and wire fraud, all while knowingly falsely registering domain names, which carries a maximum penalty of 12 years in prison; conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; eight counts of wire fraud while falsely registering domain names, each of which carries a maximum penalty of 27 years in prison; and eight counts of aggravated identity theft, each of which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of two years in prison. If convicted, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Concurrent with today’s announcement, the Department of State, through the Rewards for Justice Program, issued a reward of up to $10 million for information on Jalili, Aghamiri, and Balaghi, the IRGC’s interference in U.S. elections, or associated individuals and entities. Also, concurrent with today’s announcement, the Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC), pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13694, as amended, and E.O. 13848 designated Jalili for being responsible for or complicit in, or having engaged in, directly or indirectly, a cyber-enabled activity originating from, or directed by persons located, in whole or in substantial part, outside the United States that is reasonably likely to result in, or has materially contributed to, a significant threat to the national security, foreign policy, or economic health or financial stability of the United States and that has the purpose or effect of causing a significant misappropriation of funds or economic resources, trade secrets, personal identifiers, or financial information for commercial or competitive advantage or private financial gain.

    The FBI Washington Field Office is investigating this case. The FBI Cyber Division and Springfield and Minneapolis Field Offices provided substantial assistance in this matter. For more information on threat activity as well as mitigation guidance, the FBI has released a Joint Cyber Security Advisory titled “Iranian Cyber Actors Targeting Personal Accounts to Support Operations.”

    The Justice Department would like to thank the following private sector partners for their assistance with this case: Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, and Meta.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tejpal Chawla and Christopher Tortorice for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Greg Nicosia of the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section are prosecuting the case, with significant assistance from Paralegal Specialists Mariela Andrade and Kate Abrey. Joshua Champagne of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section also provided valuable assistance.

    An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Readout of Departments of Justice and Interior Roundtable on Media Coverage of Missing or Murdered Indigenous Peoples and Human Trafficking

    Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

    Senior officials from the Justice Department and Department of the Interior yesterday convened a roundtable discussion with Tribal leaders, advocates, members of the media, and federal officials to discuss how media coverage can be channeled to help address the crisis of missing or murdered Indigenous peoples (MMIP) and human trafficking (HT).

    The virtual roundtable was organized as part of the federal  response to the recommendations of the Not Invisible Act Commission (NIAC) — a federal advisory committee established in November 2023 under the Not Invisible Act of 2019 to recommend strategies for combating violent crime on Indian lands and against American Indian and Alaska Native people. During seven field hearings across the country as well as a virtual national hearing that informed the Commission’s recommendations, people affected by the crisis of MMIP and HT shared their concerns about lack of media coverage and whether that may contribute to cases being ignored or going unsolved. The Commission in turn recommended the Justice Department and Department of the Interior hold a roundtable discussion as a step toward developing a set of best practices.

    Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and delivered video remarks.

    “Public communication, news stories, and social media can be crucial in finding and investigating cases of missing or murdered Indigenous persons,” said Attorney General Garland. “That is why, on the Not Invisible Act Commission’s recommendation, we convened this roundtable to develop best practices and guidelines to aid law enforcement, families, advocates, and journalists when a member of a Native community is reported missing. It is our hope that this convening will strengthen those partnerships, which are essential to advancing our shared goal of ending this crisis.”

    “Since day one, the Biden-Harris administration has been committed to fulfilling our promises to Indian Country,” said Secretary Haaland, who authored the Not Invisible Act while in Congress. “This roundtable is part of that promise as we act on one of the Not Invisible Act Commission’s recommendations because a crisis that exists in silence will never be solved. Today is one step of many to ensure our missing relatives’ stories are told.”

    Attorney General Garland also announced that this month, the Justice Department will award more than $210 million to American Indian and Alaska Native communities through three separate programs to support a wide range of public safety challenges. These funds will go directly to efforts to support Tribal safety. They include programs dedicated to reducing domestic violence and sexual violence, supporting victims of crime, and providing resources to law enforcement, Tribal youth programs, and treatment programs.

    Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer delivered opening remarks at the roundtable, saying “it is critical now, more than ever,” to work together to draw attention to the MMIP and HT crises. “The potential for immediate, real-time alerts makes media, particularly social media, a powerful tool to get the word out fast when emergencies happen. And the widespread use of media facilitates information sharing and collaboration that can help resolve missing persons cases.”

    Department of the Interior Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland opened the roundtable and said, “The overarching principle that guides our work is to make life better for people in Tribal communities and making sure that Indian people have the opportunity to live safe, healthy, and fulfilling lives in their tribal communities. Public safety is a big part of this, and addressing the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples crisis and human trafficking are at the forefront of our public safety work.”

    In August, Attorney General Garland and Secretary Haaland visited New Mexico to discuss efforts to confront the MMIP crisis and human trafficking with federal and Tribal leaders. Under Attorney General Garland and Secretary Haaland’s leadership, the Biden-Harris Administration has worked to address the high rates of violent crime in Indian Country.  Read more about these efforts.

    The Departments plan to publish best practices stemming from this discussion by the end of the year. To submit recommendations, email newsmedia@bia.gov no later than Friday, Oct. 4.

    Additional Background on the Departments of Justice and Interior’s commitment to addressing MMIP and HT

    Law Enforcement Collaboration: At the 2022 White House Tribal Nations Summit, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and FBI announced an agreement to provide for the effective and efficient administration of criminal investigations in Indian Country. The agreement specified that BIA’s Office of Justice Services (BIA-OJS) and the FBI would cooperate on investigations and share information and investigative reports as well as establish written guidelines outlining jurisdiction and investigative roles and responsibilities. The agreement also requires that all BIA, FBI and Tribal law enforcement officers receive training regarding trauma-informed, culturally responsive investigative approaches.

    Missing and Murdered Unit (MMU): As one of her first acts as Secretary, Secretary Haaland created a new MMU within BIA-OJS to pursue justice for missing or murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives. The MMU, headquartered in Albuquerque, provides leadership and direction for cross-Departmental and interagency work involving missing and murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives. The MMU has enabled the Interior Department to expand its collaborative efforts with other agencies, such as working to enhance the Justice Department’s National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) and working through strategic partnerships with the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Units (BAUs), the FBI Forensic Laboratory, the USMS’ Missing Child Unit (MCU) and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).

    MMIP Regional Outreach Program: Since the start of this Administration, the Justice Department has made strides in implementing systems aimed at preventing new instances of MMIP, locating individuals who are reported missing, and, where a crime has occurred, investigating and prosecuting those responsible. In Summer 2023, the Department launched an MMIP Regional Outreach Program. This program places attorneys and coordinators at U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the United States to help prevent and respond to cases of missing or murdered Indigenous people.

    Not Invisible Act Commission: The Departments worked collaboratively to stand up the Not Invisible Act Commission, which was created by legislation the Secretary led in Congress, to develop recommendations on how the federal government can combat crimes against American Indian and Alaska Native people. The Commission included federal, state, and Tribal law enforcement, Tribal leaders, federal partners, service providers, family members of missing and murdered individuals, and survivors. In 2023, the Commission held seven field hearings across the country as well as a virtual national hearing to hear directly from individuals affected by the MMIP crisis. In March, the Departments released their response to the Commission’s recommendations, which they are in the process of implementing in collaboration with Congress.

    Operation Not Forgotten: The FBI established this operation to focus resources on seeking justice for Tribal community members who have been victims of unresolved crimes. Operation Not Forgotten first surged resources to Tribal communities in 2023 with the mission of examining cases that have gone unresolved. The goal was to move those cases closer to resolution, provide services for victims, and to bring offenders to justice, who had so far escaped it. Due to the success of the 2023 operation, the FBI is currently partnering with the BIA-MMU to surge resources in 2024. BIA-MMU is providing significant intelligence and investigative support for the duration of the operation. Over 45 special agents and five intelligence personnel have deployed in support of the 2024 operation.

    White House Council on Native American Affairs: At the 2021 White House Tribal Nations Summit, President Biden signed Executive Order 14053 on Improving Public Safety and Criminal Justice for Native Americans and Addressing the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous People directing the Departments of Justice, the Interior, and Health and Human Services to work with Tribal Nations and partners to build safe and healthy Tribal communities and to support comprehensive law enforcement, prevention, intervention and support services. President Biden signed the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022 into law, which built on advancements from previous reauthorizations and included new provisions to address the crisis of MMIP across the country and re-enforced Tribal sovereignty by providing means for Tribes to address the epidemic of violence within their lands and communities. The White House Council on Native American Affairs is continuing to implement this work through its Public Safety and Justice committee, which is co-chaired by the Departments of Justice and the Interior, as part of an all of government approach to address public safety and the MMIP crisis.

    International Collaboration: The United States is also working with its international counterparts from Canada and Mexico to address public safety issues on a larger scale. In September 2023, Canada chaired the Fifth Convening of the Trilateral Working Group on Violence against Indigenous Women and Girls in collaboration with Indigenous leaders and government officials from Canada, the United States and Mexico and global subject-matter experts. Discussions at this year’s convening focused on human trafficking and access to justice. Officials from the three countries agreed to continue to protect and uphold the rights of Indigenous women, learn from and implement Indigenous-led approaches, provide accessible and culturally safe services, and support the preservation of Indigenous cultures and languages. A sixth gathering is expected later this year.

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  • MIL-OSI Translation: ASIA/HOLY LAND – The relic of the blood of St. Francis brought to the Holy Land, in a pilgrimage to invoke peace

    MIL OSI Translation. Region: Italy –

    Source: The Holy See in Italian

    Rome (Agenzia Fides) – “After 800 years we bring St. Francis back to the Holy Land to try to be, like him, capable of crossing borders in a wounded place, just as eight centuries ago the Poverello went on a pilgrimage to the holy places in an equally difficult time, because marked by the crusades, with the desire to build bridges and not walls”. Thus, Brother Matteo Brena, Commissioner of the Holy Land of the Friars Minor of Tuscany and coordinator of the Committee for the eight hundredth anniversary of the stigmata of Saint Francis, announces that from September 30 to October 5, together with 10 other people, including friars and lay people, he will bring the relic of the blood of Saint Francis of Assisi to the Holy Land, while war rages and while the people in these troubled territories are suffering, fear, mourning, precarious. “We leave – continues Brother Matteo – with a great desire in our hearts: to be that ‘small remnant’ that can be the bearer, in this new dramatic moment for the Middle East, of a sign of consolation and a word of hope. ‘From the wounds, new life’ was the motto of the eighth centenary of the stigmata of Saint Francis; and we, bringing to Jerusalem and Bethlehem the relic of his blood, which flowed from the signs of the passion on his body, try to tell those brothers and sisters that it is possible to inhabit the wounds with hope and with a desire for the future”. The delegation, composed of four friars and six lay people, including representatives of the Franciscan Youth and the Secular Franciscan Order, will travel between Jerusalem and Bethlehem to bring the relic to the Christian communities of the area, meeting the local people and also visiting some places that are symbols of the commitment that Christians carry out to bring peace to the land where Jesus lived. October 2 will be one of the central moments of the trip: in fact, the twinning between the Basilica of Gethsemane, a place that preserves the memory of the dramatic hours of Christ’s passion, and the Sanctuary of La Verna will be established. The twinning will also establish the bond between the two hermitages. The ceremony will be attended by Fra’ Francesco Patton, Custos of the Holy Land, and Fra’ Livio Crisci, Provincial Minister of the Friars Minor of Tuscany. “This year – adds Fra’ Brena – the Basilica of Gethsemane celebrates a century since it was built, in 1924, together with the Basilica of the Transfiguration, by the Italian architect Antonio Barluzzi, who died in 1960 in Rome in the convent of the Delegation of the Holy Land. We will therefore also include ourselves in the initiatives of this centenary.” “United in prayer, we accompany these brothers of ours on the pilgrimage between Jerusalem and Bethlehem,” affirm the Franciscan fraternities from all over Italy. Eight hundred years ago, in September 1224, Francis of Assisi received the Sacred Stigmata on Mount Verna, in the Arezzo area. On that occasion the friar was conformed to Christ Crucified and a part of his habit, soaked in the blood of the side, became an important relic, as a perpetual testimony of that event, guarded by the Friars Minor. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 28/9/2024) Share:

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL Translation OSI

  • MIL-OSI USA: Shipping Companies Sentenced to $2M Criminal Penalty for Concealing Oil Discharge

    Source: US State of California

    Two corporations that operated the motor tanker P/S Dream — Prive Overseas Marine LLC and Prive Shipping Denizcilik Ticaret — were sentenced yesterday in federal court in New Orleans to pay a $2 million criminal penalty and complete four years of probation. The companies pleaded guilty in May to charges of conspiracy, obstruction of justice and violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS). The court sentenced the P/S Dream’s Captain, Abdurrahman Korkmaz, on Sept. 10 to eight months in prison for an APPS offense and obstructing the U.S. Coast Guard’s investigation.

    The charges pertain to the investigation of the P/S Dream vessel when it was heading to New Orleans in January 2023. Senior corporate managers were aware that Korkmaz had arranged to discharge oil-contaminated waste from a residual tank on deck into the ocean. The captain ordered the crew to pump the waste overboard and clean the tank with soap. The seamen rigged a portable pump to empty the contents overboard over three days. The defendants falsified the vessel’s oil record book by omitting the discharge.

    One of the crew members alerted the Coast Guard and shared videos of the discharge and resulting oil sheen. When the ship arrived in Louisiana, another crew member came forward and gave the Coast Guard a recording of an officer discussing the discharge.

    The falsified logs, presented to the Coast Guard during its inspection, were intended to conceal the fact that the crew had dumped oil-contaminated waste overboard in violation of MARPOL Annex I, an international treaty regulating oil pollution from ships. Corporate representatives at Prive Shipping were aware that the oil-contaminated waste remained in the tank and were informed by the ship’s master that it had been dumped overboard.

    The $2 million criminal penalty includes $500,000 in organizational community service payments that will fund various maritime environmental projects in the Eastern District of Louisiana. Those projects will be managed by the congressionally established National Fish & Wildlife Foundation.

    Captain Korkmaz is a Turkish national. Prive Overseas Marine is based in Dubai and Prive Shipping is headquartered in Turkey. As a condition of probation, the corporations must also adhere to an environmental compliance plan mandating audit, safety and inspection requirements over the next four years.

    Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division and U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans for the Eastern District of Louisiana made the announcement.

    The Coast Guard Investigative Service and EPA Criminal Investigations Division investigated the case with assistance from Coast Guard Sector New Orleans.

    Senior Litigation Counsel Richard A. Udell and Senior Trial Attorney Ryan Connors of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys G. Dall Kammer and Christine M. Calogero for the Eastern District of Louisiana prosecuted the case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Florida Financial Advisor Charged with Promoting Illegal Tax Shelter, Stealing Clients’ Funds and Money Laundering

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    A federal grand jury in Gulfport, Mississippi, returned an indictment, unsealed yesterday, charging a Florida financial advisor with a years-long scheme to promote and operate an illegal tax shelter, stealing some of his clients’ funds and money laundering.

    According to the indictment, Stephen T. Mellinger III, of Florida, was a securities broker, financial advisor and insurance salesman. Beginning in late 2013, Mellinger allegedly conspired with several others to defraud the IRS by promoting an illegal tax shelter.

    Mellinger allegedly instructed clients participating in the shelter, including clients in Mississippi, to transfer money to a company controlled by Mellinger or his co-conspirators in the amount they wished to claim as a deduction on their tax returns. The conspirators then allegedly returned the money to a bank account that clients controlled less a percentage fee that they charged for their services. Even though tax shelter clients received their money back, Mellinger allegedly directed them to claim the transfer to the company as a deduction on their tax returns, and to label the deduction as a “royalty” payment. Mellinger allegedly earned more than $3 million in fees from the shelter.

    Also, in January 2016, the federal government allegedly seized funds from some of Mellinger’s clients, who were engaged in a scheme to defraud health care benefit programs, including TRICARE, the U.S. Department of Defense’s health care benefit program. Mellinger conspired with a close relative to take advantage of the seizure to steal some of the money that those clients had transferred through the tax shelter. Mellinger then allegedly laundered the stolen funds, which he knew were proceeds of healthcare fraud. Ultimately, he allegedly used some of the funds he stole from his clients to buy a home in Delray Beach, Florida.

    Mellinger was charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States, aiding in the preparation of false tax returns, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering. If convicted, Mellinger faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for conspiring to defraud the IRS, a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each substantive count of aiding in the preparation of false tax returns, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiring to commit wire fraud, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiring to commit money laundering and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each substantive count of money laundering. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee for the Southern District of Mississippi made the announcement.

    IRS Criminal Investigation and Defense Criminal Investigative Service are investigating the case.

    Trial Attorneys William Montague, Richard J. Hagerman and Matthew Hicks of the Tax Division, Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles W. Kirkham for the Southern District of Mississippi and Trial Attorneys Emily Cohen and Jasmin Salehi Fashami of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS) are prosecuting the case.

    An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Shipping Companies Sentenced to $2M Criminal Penalty for Concealing Oil Discharge

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    Two corporations that operated the motor tanker P/S Dream — Prive Overseas Marine LLC and Prive Shipping Denizcilik Ticaret — were sentenced yesterday in federal court in New Orleans to pay a $2 million criminal penalty and complete four years of probation. The companies pleaded guilty in May to charges of conspiracy, obstruction of justice and violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS). The court sentenced the P/S Dream’s Captain, Abdurrahman Korkmaz, on Sept. 10 to eight months in prison for an APPS offense and obstructing the U.S. Coast Guard’s investigation.

    The charges pertain to the investigation of the P/S Dream vessel when it was heading to New Orleans in January 2023. Senior corporate managers were aware that Korkmaz had arranged to discharge oil-contaminated waste from a residual tank on deck into the ocean. The captain ordered the crew to pump the waste overboard and clean the tank with soap. The seamen rigged a portable pump to empty the contents overboard over three days. The defendants falsified the vessel’s oil record book by omitting the discharge.

    One of the crew members alerted the Coast Guard and shared videos of the discharge and resulting oil sheen. When the ship arrived in Louisiana, another crew member came forward and gave the Coast Guard a recording of an officer discussing the discharge.

    The falsified logs, presented to the Coast Guard during its inspection, were intended to conceal the fact that the crew had dumped oil-contaminated waste overboard in violation of MARPOL Annex I, an international treaty regulating oil pollution from ships. Corporate representatives at Prive Shipping were aware that the oil-contaminated waste remained in the tank and were informed by the ship’s master that it had been dumped overboard.

    The $2 million criminal penalty includes $500,000 in organizational community service payments that will fund various maritime environmental projects in the Eastern District of Louisiana. Those projects will be managed by the congressionally established National Fish & Wildlife Foundation.

    Captain Korkmaz is a Turkish national. Prive Overseas Marine is based in Dubai and Prive Shipping is headquartered in Turkey. As a condition of probation, the corporations must also adhere to an environmental compliance plan mandating audit, safety and inspection requirements over the next four years.

    Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division and U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans for the Eastern District of Louisiana made the announcement.

    The Coast Guard Investigative Service and EPA Criminal Investigations Division investigated the case with assistance from Coast Guard Sector New Orleans.

    Senior Litigation Counsel Richard A. Udell and Senior Trial Attorney Ryan Connors of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys G. Dall Kammer and Christine M. Calogero for the Eastern District of Louisiana prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Delivers Remarks Announcing the Results of Operation North Star

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    Remarks as Delivered

    Good afternoon.

    We are here today to announce the results of the fourth phase of Operation North Star, a five-month initiative undertaken by the U.S. Marshals Service and law enforcement partners to target the most dangerous fugitives and violent offenders in 10 metropolitan areas across the country.

    Before we do, however, there are two matters I want to address:

    The first is a major law enforcement action the Justice Department has taken to counter some of the many threats Iran poses to our country.

    And the second is that we will soon mark one year since Hamas’s October 7 terrorist attack on Israel.

    First, with regard to Iran. There are few actors in this world that pose as grave a threat to the national security of the United States as does Iran, a state sponsor of terrorism.

    Iran’s malign activities are wide-ranging.

    The U.S. government is intensely tracking Iran’s lethal plotting against current and former U.S. government officials, including former President Trump.

    We are working to investigate and disrupt Iran’s funding and support of Hamas, Hizballah, and other terrorist groups.

    And we are working relentlessly to uncover and counter Iran’s efforts to stoke discord, to undermine confidence in our democratic institutions, and to influence our elections.

    As the intelligence community has reported, we are seeing increasingly aggressive Iranian cyber activity during this election cycle.

    In August, the Intelligence Community reported an ongoing effort by Iran to compromise former President Trump’s campaign and to influence the U.S. election process.

    Last week, the Intelligence Community reported that in late June and early July, Iranian malicious cyber actors sent unsolicited emails to individuals, who were then associated with President Biden’s campaign. The emails contained an excerpt taken from stolen, non-public information from former President Trump’s campaign as text in the emails. The Intelligence Community reported that there is currently no information indicating the recipients of the emails replied.

    The Intelligence Community further reported that Iranian malicious cyber actors have continued their efforts since June to send stolen, non-public material associated with former President Trump’s campaign to U.S. media organizations.

    Moments ago, the Justice Department unsealed an indictment charging three hackers working for the Iranian government with material support for terrorism, computer fraud, wire fraud, and identity theft for their roles in these cyberattacks. The three hackers are Iranian nationals residing in Iran.

    As outlined in our indictment, the defendants, Masoud Jalili, Seyyed Ali Aghamiri, and Yaser Balaghi, conspired with others to deploy a years-long, wide-ranging hacking operation on behalf of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC. The operation targeted the email accounts of current and former American public officials, journalists, and most recently, individuals associated with U.S. political campaigns.

    The defendants’ own words make clear that they were attempting to undermine former President Trump’s campaign in advance of the 2024 U.S. presidential election.

    We know that Iran is continuing its brazen efforts to stoke discord, erode confidence in the U.S. electoral process, and advance its malign activities through the IRGC, a designated foreign terrorist organization.

    The Justice Department is committed to countering the threat that Iran poses to our democracy, to our national security, and to our allies in the international community.

    As we approach the upcoming election, I want to reiterate that the Justice Department will not tolerate attempts by Iran — or by any foreign power — to interfere in our elections and undermine our democracy.

    Together with our partners across the federal government, we will use every tool we have to counter and disrupt the efforts of Iran, as well as Russia and China, to exploit our democratic system of government.

    The message of the U.S. government is clear:

    The American people — not a foreign power — decide the outcome of our country’s elections.

    Not Iran and its malicious cyber activities, as laid bare in today’s indictment.

    Not Russia, and its efforts to spread disinformation and propaganda to secure its preferred outcome in the U.S. presidential election, as laid bare in the indictment and seizures announced earlier this month.

    And not China, which continues in its efforts to exert targeted influence at the federal, state, and local levels in furtherance of the PRC’s agenda, as described in multiple previous indictments and the Intelligence Community’s recent Election Security Updates.

    These authoritarian regimes, which violate the human rights of their own citizens, do not get a say in our country’s democratic process.

    The American people — and the American people alone — will decide the outcome of our country’s elections.

    Now to the second matter.

    In just over a week, we will mark one year since Hamas’s October 7 terrorist attack on Israel.

    On October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists murdered nearly 1,200 people, including more than 40 Americans, and kidnapped hundreds of civilians.

    And they perpetrated the deadliest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust.

    We are committed to pursuing the terrorists responsible for murdering Americans — and those who illegally provide them with material support — for the rest of their lives.

    Earlier this month, the Justice Department unsealed charges against Yahya Sinwar and other senior leaders of Hamas for the October 7 attacks and for financing and directing a decades-long campaign to murder American citizens and endanger the security of the United States.

    Those charges are just one part of our effort to target every aspect of Hamas’ operations. There will be more to come.

    In the wake of Hamas’s October 7 attacks, we also saw a disturbing increase in the volume and frequency of threats here at home against Jewish, Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian communities.

    That is why, last October, I directed all of our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and all of our FBI Field Offices to meet with local law enforcement and community leaders to strengthen our response to threats of hate-fueled violence. And that is what we have continued to do in the year since.

    But we recognize that the ramifications of October 7 are still being felt in communities across the country.

    For the Jewish community, this has been a time of a renewed, deeply familiar sense of isolation and fear.

    And as we approach one year since the October 7 attacks, we do so at a time when Jews across the country will soon be observing the High Holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

    For Jews, this is a period of solemn reflection and prayer.

    It is a time to gather together to worship and to be in community with each other.

    It should not be a time of fear.

    The Justice Department has and will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute acts and threats of violence fueled by antisemitism and by hatred of any kind.

    In recent months, the Department has brought charges, obtained plea agreements, and obtained sentences for more than 35 defendants for criminal acts motivated by antisemitic hate. This is in addition to the many charges brought by our state and local partners. That work will continue.

    No person and no community in this country should have to live in fear of hate-fueled violence. 

    No faith community should have to fear that they will be attacked in their place of worship.

    The Justice Department has no higher priority than protecting the safety and civil rights of everyone in our country.

    Working to uphold that promise is our sacred responsibility.

    It is one we will never abandon.

    Protecting the safety of our people also includes combating violent crime, which is the topic of today’s third announcement to which I will now turn.

    From May to September of this year, the U.S. Marshals Service worked with state and local law enforcement partners in 10 metropolitan areas to arrest more than 3,400 fugitives and violent offenders — including more than 200 wanted for homicide. They also seized more than 500 firearms, more than $500,000 in U.S. currency, and over 450 kilograms of illegal narcotics including more than 550,000 pills of deadly fentanyl.

    The U.S. Marshals and their partners conducted this operation in Dallas-Fort Worth, Charleston, Baton Rouge, Little Rock, Phoenix, St. Louis, Birmingham, Winston-Salem, Dayton, and San Antonio.

    The arrests included a Louisiana man, wanted for domestic abuse, child endangerment, and home invasion.

    It included four people in Texas, wanted for a drive-by shooting that injured multiple children.

    It included a gang member in Texas wanted for homicide.

    It included a Virginia man wanted for sexually assaulting a child.

    It included a Missouri man wanted for opening fire at a car meet-up, shooting seven people, and killing a 14-year-old.

    These cases represent only a small fraction of the extraordinary efforts that the U.S. Marshals Service and its partners undertook during this operation.

    I am deeply grateful to every Deputy U.S. Marshal, task force officer, investigator, and police officer who carried out these arrests. They did so at great risk to themselves.

    And I am grateful to U.S. Marshals Service Director Ron Davis, for his leadership of the more than 5,500 public servants who have dedicated their careers to protecting their communities.

    This is now the fourth iteration of Operation North Star, which we first launched in 2022 to zero in on and apprehend the most dangerous fugitives and violent offenders.

    But this is the first iteration of Operation North Star since the devastating attack that took place during a U.S. Marshals task force operation in North Carolina earlier this spring.

    On that day, we lost Deputy U.S. Marshal Tommy Weeks, task force officers Alden Elliot and Samuel Poloche, and Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer Joshua Eyer.

    As we remember them, we are reminded of the enormous risks that Deputy U.S. Marshals and their partners encounter every day.

    We are also reminded of the extraordinary courage of the people who do this work, and of their loved ones.

    We could not be more grateful for their sacrifices.

    Three-and-a-half years ago, the Justice Department launched an ambitious strategy to combat the sharp spike in violent crime that had occurred during the pandemic.

    We focused our efforts on enhancing the most powerful tool we have: our partnerships with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, and with the communities we all serve.

    And then we fortified those partnerships with substantial funding from our grant-making components and by bringing to bear new technological tools that allowed us to identify and focus on those actors most responsible for committing violent crimes and take them off of our streets.

    Today, we know that work is paying off.

    Statistics released by the FBI earlier this week show an historic drop in homicides nationwide, and one of the lowest levels of violent crime in 50 years.

    And recently released data from the Justice Department’s Violent Crime Steering Committee indicates that this trend is continuing. A study of 88 cities shows that violent crime has continued to decline considerably in the first half of 2024 compared to the same time last year — including a further 16.9% decline in murder.

    Here in Washington, D.C., where we surged resources to target the individuals and organizations driving violent crime, we have seen a more than 30% decline in homicides so far this year compared to the same time last year.

    But we know that progress in many communities is still uneven. And there is no acceptable level of violent crime.

    That is why the U.S. Marshals Service launched, and continues to relaunch, Operation North Star.

    And that is why the Justice Department will continue to use every resource we have in the fight against violent crime.

    Our commitment to combating violent crime is not about statistics — it is about saving lives.

    It is about community members and law enforcement officers, who are still here to see their children grow up and to work toward fulfilling their dreams.

    The Justice Department will continue to work tirelessly to deploy our anti-violent crime strategy across our law enforcement agencies, prosecutors’ offices, and grantmaking components.

    We will work in close partnership with police and sheriff’s departments and communities across the country to go after the recidivists and gangs that are responsible for the greatest violence.

    We will continue to deploy our technological and prosecutorial resources to identify and prosecute the principal drivers of gun violence.

    And we will continue to invest in the essential programs that allow law enforcement agencies to hire more officers; to build the public trust essential for public safety; and to support the evidence-based community violence intervention initiatives that save lives.

    We will not rest until all Americans feel safe in their communities.

    And now I would now like to ask Marshals Service Director Davis to say a few words.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Leader of 2021 Tennessee Clinic Blockade Sentenced for Federal Conspiracy Against Rights and Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act Convictions

    Source: United States Attorneys General 7

    Chester Gallagher, the leader of a March 5, 2021, blockade of a Mount Juliet, Tennessee, reproductive health clinic was sentenced yesterday to 16 months in prison and three years of supervised release following his convictions for federal conspiracy against rights and Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act offenses.

    “This defendant, like everyone else, has a right to his personal views regarding reproductive healthcare, and the right to speak, write and demonstrate about those views,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “But he does not have the right to impose his views on others by using intimidation and physical obstruction to prevent access to reproductive health care. This defendant is being held accountable for leading both a conspiracy to blockade a reproductive health clinic and the actual blockade, which physically obstructed patient access. The Justice Department will continue to protect patients seeking reproductive health services and the providers delivering those services.”

    “The defendant and his co-conspirators knowingly chose to violate a law that was enacted to protect health care providers and patients in an effort to impose their views about reproductive healthcare on others” said U.S. Attorney Henry Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee. “While we are all entitled to our personal views, yesterday’s sentence is a reminder that we cannot pick and choose which laws we follow and that those who violate the law will be held accountable.”

    “This sentencing should send a clear message that the FBI will always work to bring to justice those who violate the civil rights of others,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Memphis Field Office. “The FBI will continue to investigate FACE Act violations to protect the rights of those who receive or provide lawful reproductive health care without the threat of violence or intimidation.”

    Gallagher and five co-defendants were previously convicted at trial of all charges. A sixth co-defendant previously pleaded guilty. Evidence presented at trial proved that Gallagher and his co-defendants engaged in a conspiracy to prevent employees at the Mount Juliet reproductive health clinic from providing, and patients from receiving, reproductive health services, a civil right secured by the FACE Act. As part of the conspiracy, Gallagher and others traveled to Tennessee from other states to participate in the clinic blockade, and Gallagher and another co-defendant stalled the Mount Juliet Police Department through phony negotiations. Evidence at trial further proved that the defendant violated the FACE Act by using physical obstruction to interfere with the clinic’s employees and a patient, because the clinic provided, and the patient sought, reproductive health services.

    Gallagher was also convicted of conspiracy against rights and FACE Act offenses in the Eastern District of Michigan on Aug. 20.

    The FBI Memphis Field Office, Nashville Resident Agency, investigated the case. 

    The U.S Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee and Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Hospital Authority responds to media enquiries on arrest of Yan Chai Hospital staff by Police

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Hospital Authority responds to media enquiries on arrest of Yan Chai Hospital staff by Police
    Hospital Authority responds to media enquiries on arrest of Yan Chai Hospital staff by Police
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    The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:     In response to media enquiries on the arrest of Yan Chai Hospital staff by the Police, a spokesman for the Hospital Authority (HA) gave the following response:     Regarding the patient case on May 25, 2024, involving a four-year-old girl who developed cardiac arrest following a suturing procedure in the Accident and Emergency Department of Yan Chai Hospital (YCH), two staff members involved in the suturing procedure were arrested by the Police this morning. The staff concerned will be suspended from their duties. YCH will adhere to its prevailing human resources policies in handling the case. The HA will all along fully co-operate with the Police investigation.     The patient has been receiving treatment in the Peadiatric Intensive Care Unit at Princess Margaret Hospital since May 25, 2024. She remains in critical condition and dependent on nasogastric tube feeding and ventilatory support. The HA expresses deep concern for the patient and her family and will continue to provide appropriate treatment and support.     As legal proceeding are ongoing, it is inappropriate for the HA to make further comments on the case.

     
    Ends/Saturday, September 28, 2024Issued at HKT 16:27

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Hong Kong Customs detects large-scale sea smuggling case involving cigarettes and seizes suspected illicit cigarettes worth about $45 million (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Hong Kong Customs detects large-scale sea smuggling case involving cigarettes and seizes suspected illicit cigarettes worth about $45 million (with photos)
    Hong Kong Customs detects large-scale sea smuggling case involving cigarettes and seizes suspected illicit cigarettes worth about $45 million (with photos)
    ******************************************************************************************

         Hong Kong Customs yesterday (September 27) detected a large-scale illicit cigarette smuggling case in the waters off Po Toi Island and seized about 10 million suspected illicit cigarettes, with an estimated market value of about $45 million and a duty potential of about $33 million, on board a fishing vessel.     Customs in the early morning of yesterday intercepted a suspicious fishing vessel in the waters off Po Toi Island. Upon inspection, Customs officers seized the batch of suspected illicit cigarettes inside the compartments of the vessel. Five non-local men, aged between 29 and 43, suspected to be connected with the case were arrested.     Customs will continue to trace the source and the flow of the illicit cigarettes. The likelihood of further arrests is not ruled out.     The five arrested men will be charged with one count of importing unmanifested cargoes. They will appear at the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts on September 30.     Customs will continue its risk assessment and intelligence analysis for interception at source as well as through its multipronged enforcement strategy targeting storage, distribution and peddling to spare no effort in combating illicit cigarette activities.     Smuggling is a serious offence. Under the Import and Export Ordinance, any person found guilty of importing or exporting unmanifested cargo is liable to a maximum fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.     Under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance, anyone involved in dealing with, possession of, selling or buying illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $1 million and imprisonment for two years.     Members of the public may report any suspected illicit cigarette activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

     
    Ends/Saturday, September 28, 2024Issued at HKT 16:24

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI China: People across Taiwan Strait question Lai’s civil mobilization plan

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    People across the Taiwan Strait have raised doubts about Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te’s civil mobilization plan, criticizing his thinly-veiled intention of seeking “Taiwan independence” by military means.
    At the first meeting of the island’s newly-formed so-called “Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee” on Thursday, relevant authorities announced a plan to mobilize and train about 400,000 people, including active and former substitute military service personnel, volunteers at police stations and fire departments, as well as those from private disaster-relief and charity groups.
    Lai said the core functions of this civilian force, other than handling disaster emergencies, also include “supporting military operations when necessary.”
    The move was immediately met with doubts and criticism.
    Shi Xue-qin, a Taipei resident in his thirties, expressed his concern that if young people are forced to prepare for war, the island’s industries will lack the labor force and financial resources to sustain development.
    “This does nothing to ensure Taiwan’s safety and will only severely harm its industries, economy and the future of the island’s young people,” Shi said.
    Lin Yan-chen, a Taiwan student who is studying on the mainland, said the act of binding Taiwan’s youth to the “Taiwan independence” agenda is shameful as it sacrifices the interests of a generation of young people for political gains.
    “What we truly need is development and peace, not isolation or confrontation,” Lin said.
    Yeh Yuan-chih, a Chinese Kuomintang legislator, said Taiwan already has guidelines and training systems for civil mobilization. But instead of upgrading the existing system, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities insisted on creating a new high-level committee, which is clearly a political maneuver to give a platform to those supporting “Taiwan independence,” said Yeh.
    Many said they viewed the new civil mobilization plan as Lai’s latest attempt to hijack people in Taiwan onto his “war chariot.”
    “Well, we are heading to a proxy war,” commented a Facebook user named Wu Gen-xin, under Lai’s post about the newly-formed committee.
    Li Zheng-xiu, an associate researcher of a think tank in Taiwan, said Lai has repeatedly advocated his “two-state theory” on various occasions, provoking cross-Strait tensions by triggering the mainland’s sensitivities.
    “This leads the public to wonder: does Lai truly have a vision for peace in his heart? Or does he believe that war is the only solution to resolve cross-Strait differences?” Li said.
    Observers also pointed out that Lai and the DPP were further emboldened by U.S. politicians who constantly sent wrong signals to the island.
    One such example was Robert O’Brien, a former U.S. national security adviser, who once gave a much more radical and scary version of so-called “defense resilience.”
    During a visit to the island in March 2023, he suggested that Taiwan with 1 million AK47-armed citizens on “every corner and in every apartment block” would be, as he described, “a fearful deterrent.”
    Wang Zhenwei, a research fellow with the Graduate Institute for Taiwan Studies of Xiamen University, told Xinhua that some U.S. politicians neither want to make a clear security commitment to Taiwan, preferring Taiwan to rely on self-defense, nor are they willing to see the two sides of the Taiwan Strait cooperate for peace and stability.
    Washington seeks to divert China’s strategic focus through tensions in the Strait to serve its global hegemony, Wang said.
    “If the DPP authorities insist on accommodating or even implementing U.S. intentions, they will further intensify cross-Strait tensions and threaten the safety and well-being of the people of Taiwan,” Wang said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Secretary, Dr. Devesh Chaturvedi hold a meeting with Shri Martin Raiser, Vice-President, South Asian Region, World Bank at New Delhi

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 28 SEP 2024 11:57AM by PIB Delhi

     Secretary, Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare (DA&FW) Dr. Devesh Chaturvedi held a meeting with Vice-President, South Asian Region, World Bank Shri Martin Raiser yesterday at Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi. The agenda of the meeting was to discuss the priorities of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and deepening collaboration on ongoing issues, including soil health, climate resilient agriculture and access to carbon markets and digital agriculture.

    Secretary informed the World Bank delegation about the priorities of the government in agriculture sector. He informed that the government is making efforts to achieve self-sufficiency in pulses and oilseeds, promoting of sustainable agriculture, implementing policies to overcome the challenge of small holding size, and implementing policies to improve delivery of services to the farmers and bring behavioral change at scale. 

    During the meeting, the discussion was focused on ways to ensure the benefits of the carbon credit to the small and marginal farmers; challenges of decreasing farm size; access of capital to the Farmers Producers organization; leveraging digital, and soil health infrastructure for behavioral change at scale for sustainable use of input; designing policies to incentivize farmers to adopt sustainable agriculture practices and climate smart and resilient agriculture.   

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Shri Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma Minister of State for Steel and Heavy Industries inaugurates MMMM 2024, International Conference on Process & Product innovations and open seminar on green steel production

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 28 SEP 2024 11:10AM by PIB Delhi

    Sri Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma Minister of State for Steel and Heavy Industries inaugurated the comprehensive event MMMM 2024 comprising of international conference on “Process & Product Innovations in Metal Production” and Open Seminar on Green Steel Production organised by Hyve India Ltd, IIM Delhi Chapter, Metalogic PMS, and World Metal Forum at Yashobhoomi from 27th September 2024 to 29th September 2024.

    Speaking on the occasion Hon’ble Minister of State lauded the technological Innovations and material efficiency in the steel sector that has driven the global steel production close to 2 billion tonnes from a few kgs in earlier eras and the global capacity has reached close to 2.5 billion tonnes.

    Sri Bhupatiraju Srinivasa Varma added that India’s and global demand for steel will continue to grow in times to come. Indian Steel has a bright future ahead and is currently the Second largest producer with a capacity of 178 million tonnes and production of 144 million tonnes in Fy’24.

     Minister observed that the Steel Sector is at the watershed moment in its life cycle and the future direction will be built be built on digitisation in its processes and around sustainable steel production to minimise the emission levels to reduce its environmental carbon footprints.

    Sri Bhupatiraju Srinivasa Varma reminded the industry representative present that Hon’ble PM Sri Narendra Modi had promised at COP26 on November 2, 2021 that, India will reduce the carbon intensity of its economy by more than 45 percent By 2030 and will achieve the target of Net Zero by the year 2070.

    Global steel sector on an average account for ~8 percent of total emissions with emission intensity of 1.89 tons of CO2 per tonne of crude steel produced. However, in India the sector contributes around 12% of total emissions released with emissions intensity of 2.5 tons of CO2 on production per ton of crude steel averred the Hon’ble Minister

    Considering the urgency of the issue, the Ministry of Steel has recently released a report titled “Greening the Steel Sector in India: Roadmap and Action Plan” prepared based on the recommendation of the 14 Task Forces constituted by the Ministry of steel for defining pathway towards decarbonization of steel sector. The report comprises in-depth recommendations on technologies including Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy, Green Hydrogen, Material Efficiency, Process Transition from coal based DRI to Natural Gas based DRI, Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) and the use of Biochar in steel.

    Sri N N Sinha former Secretary Ministry of Steel mentioned that there is recent report from BCG that has highlighted the companies pursuing decarbonisation pathway are able to improve their bottom line. He added that the aforesaid report also highlighted that companies may be able to improve 10% to 40% in their emission intensity by focussing on internal improvements. The Indian Steel companies now should come forward as the Government has already laid out clear pathway.

    Sri Subhankar Sen Business head BPCL said that MAK Lubricants from Bharat Petroleum are complimenting steel industry’s impressive growth, projected to reach 300 million tonnes by 2030 and the increasing focus on sustainable practices and green steel production.

     Minister of state also released the Conference Volume and Souvenir of the International Conference on PROCESS and PRODUCT INNOVATIONS IN METAL PRODUCTION organised by The Indian Institute of Metals-Delhi Chapter at the event.

     Minister of state exhorted industry that the way forward towards transition to low carbon metal production is innovation of processes, robust collaboration between metal producers both primary and the secondary, academicians, R&D organisations, capital equipment producers and the metal using sector.

     

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CE visits Sha Tin

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    Chief Executive John Lee visited Sha Tin District today and met local residents to listen to their views on the upcoming Policy Address. Secretary for Housing Winnie Ho, Secretary for Home & Youth Affairs Alice Mak, and Secretary for Labour & Welfare Chris Sun also joined the visit.

    Mr Lee called on the home of a woman with disabilities and her carer in Wo Che Estate to learn more about their daily lives. Afterwards, he went to the SAHK New Territories East Community Rehabilitation Day Centre to understand its support for carers, as well as the rehabilitation training services provided to individuals with physical and cognitive impairments. He also interacted with the service users there.

    The Chief Executive highlighted that the Government has implemented a series of measures to strengthen support for people with disabilities and their carers, including increasing the number of district support centres and quotas for rehabilitation services.

    A pilot project was launched in the third quarter of last year by establishing two integrated community rehabilitation centres, while the Designated Hotline for Carer Support 182 183 commenced operation last September, he pointed out, adding that the Government will continue to enhance relevant work to build a caring and inclusive community.

    Mr Lee and the officials then inspected a public rental housing (PRH) flat in Sha Kok Estate that was recovered and refurbished by the Housing Department as part of its efforts in combating tenancy abuse.

    He noted that the Housing Department has been taking measures to deal with the issue through preventive detection, investigations, publicity and education, and enhancement of the “well-off tenants policies” and the “addition policy” in order to safeguard the proper use of valuable PRH resources.

    He added that the department is reviewing the workflow and standards of refurbishment works for vacant flats to expedite the progress, with a view to allocating the flats to PRH applicants as soon as possible.

    Additionally, Mr Lee visited a market and a cooked food stall in Sha Kok Estate to hear the opinions of vendors and residents on the Government’s policies.

    He said: “I attach importance to policy areas closely related to people’s livelihood, such as the support for people with disabilities and the supply of public housing.

    “Through interactions with members of the public, I could feel their love for Hong Kong and their aspirations for life. My team and I will continue to listen to the views of various sectors of society, with a view to building a vibrant economy for a caring community.”

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Defending the right to abortion shouldn’t be a dangerous job

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Fernanda Doz Costa, Director of Gender, Racial Justice, Refugees and Migrants Rights Program at Amnesty International.

    Hate emails, stigmatization, death threats, stalking, burglaries, attacks, harassment at work and at home. Killings. This is what life is like for many who provide life-saving reproductive care, including abortions.

    Facilitating safe access to abortions has become an increasingly dangerous undertaking in most corners of the world, despite huge progress to expand access to healthcare.

    From the United States to Ethiopia, Colombia and Poland, those who defend the right to abortion, including health professionals such as midwives, nurses and doctors, have been facing a relentless backlash.

    In the USA, the National Abortion Federation recorded 11 murders, 26 attempted murders and 531 cases of assault, among many other types of attacks against people who facilitated abortions between 1977 and 2022. Since a devastating Supreme Court ruling two years ago greatly limited access to abortion services and created an environment of fear, there has been an increase in incidents like arsons, burglaries and death threats.

    From the United States to Ethiopia, Colombia and Poland, those who defend the right to abortion, including health professionals such as midwives, nurses and doctors, have been facing a relentless backlash.

    Fernanda Doz Costa, Director of Gender, Racial Justice, Refugees and Migrants Rights Program, Amnesty International

    In Sudan, abortion providers routinely face physical violence and public shaming.

    “A provider was shot by the spouse of a woman who sought an abortion,” one gynecologist recently told us. “There have been a few instances where service providers have been beaten by members of the public, even when just educating about contraception, or intervening in child marriage cases, especially in rural communities. So, providers are scared.”

    In other countries, such as Italy, anti-abortion activists organize online harassment campaigns against health professionals, which can have a deep impact offline. Attacks include barrages of insults, threats and trolling, and their profiles being reported to social media companies, in an attempt to get them banned from social media platforms.

    Another form of intimidation that is common across the world are aggressive anti-abortion protests and pickets outside health clinics, a strategy to terrorize both people seeking medical care, particularly those relying on public services, and the professionals trying to provide it.

    Not all is bad news. Over the last few decades, there has been a tremendous positive global trend towards advancing abortion rights around the world — in the past 30 years alone, more than 60 countries have liberalized their abortion laws. But, partly as a response to this, anti-rights initiatives continue to impede millions of people from accessing essential and vital health care. This happens even in countries where abortion services are legal on paper but challenging to access in practice.  

    Individuals and organizations advocating for limits to basic human rights have promoted an agenda that violently targets and stigmatizes anyone working to protect those in need of medical attention.

    As a gynecologist from Nigeria told us: “I face harassment and stigmatization for the work I do. The stigma is among fellow professional colleagues who make remarks that are demeaning to me. On the basis of religion, they preach to me about the sins committed for supporting abortion care, the killing of ‘the unborn children’ and the ‘hellfire that awaits all murderers.’”

    Similarly, Dr. Laura Gil, a doctor from Colombia, described the harassment and violence her and other colleagues who perform abortions face, even from colleagues: “They slashed one of my friend’s car tires. They glued shut a different colleague’s padlock so she couldn’t open her locker. When another friend who is a psychiatrist stood up for a patient who was asking to terminate her pregnancy because of a health risk, one of her colleagues hit her with a folder. All this mistreatment stems from the idea that people who do abortions are morally inferior.”

    Why does this matter? You may ask.

    When health professionals trying to care for their patients are prevented from doing their jobs, it is the most vulnerable who end up at high risk. It’s been long documented that limits to accessing abortion care particularly affect vulnerable populations who are unable to pay for the services in private – which is how many people access abortions in countries where the procedure is illegal.

    When health professionals trying to care for their patients are prevented from doing their jobs, it is the most vulnerable who end up at high risk.

    Fernanda Doz Costa, Director of Gender, Racial Justice, Refugees and Migrants Rights Program, Amnesty International

    These kinds of harassment campaign also have the pervasive effect of discouraging health professionals from pursuing certain specialities, which, in turn, greatly limits the availability of good quality accessible healthcare, as Dr. Gil told us.

    It’s a silent and dangerous rollback on human rights that is placing many lives at risk.

    Providing safe abortions should not be a risky job. In fact, in many countries it isn’t. There, doctors and nurses are able to care for their patients, provide information and advice about their options so they are able to make informed decisions about what is best for them and then access the services they need. Without harassment, hate campaigns and attacks, health professionals are able to do what they trained to do: save lives and support people to follow their lives plans as healthy and as free as possible.

    Over the many years we have been working, side by side millions of brave activists and organizations from across the world, to ensure abortion services are a reality for all, we asked many health professionals working in challenging environments why they do it, despite all the risks.

    Many told us of their unwavering commitment to dedicate their life to the service of humanity, to care for their patients, regardless of any considerations of creed, gender or any other factors.

    On international safe abortion day, let’s all do our part to celebrate and protect them.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Tigard Mother and Daughter Indicted for Holding Three Victims in Indentured Servitude in Adult Foster Care Home

    Source: United States Department of Justice (Human Trafficking)

    PORTLAND, Ore.—A mother and daughter from Tigard, Oregon were arraigned in federal court today after they were indicted for using force and threats to compel three victims, including a minor victim, to work for little or no pay in an adult foster care home.

    Marie Gertrude Jean Valmont, 66, and Yolandita Marie Andre, 30, have been charged in a seven-count indictment with conspiring with one another to commit forced labor, committing forced labor, and benefitting from forced labor.

    According to court documents, Valmont and Andre, the owners and operators of Velida’s Care Home in Tigard, began their trafficking scheme in 2023 when they convinced two adults and a child from Haiti to travel to the United States to work at Velida’s.

    In early September 2023, all three victims arrived in Portland and were immediately taken to Velida’s where they were forced to work long, difficult hours for little or no pay. Valmont and Andre are also alleged to have taken their victims’ immigration paperwork and forbade them from leaving Velida’s under any circumstances. Valmont is further alleged to have thrown items at the victims, threatened to send them back to Haiti and have them killed, and threatened to call the police and make false theft allegations against them.

    In the summer of 2023, authorities with the Oregon Department of Justice were alerted to the situation at Velida’s following the minor victim’s disclosure of her indentured servitude to a pediatrician. Shortly after, the minor victim was removed from Velida’s and placed in a foster home. On Thursday, the FBI arrested Valmont and Andre at Velida’s without incident.

    Both defendants made their first appearances in federal court today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. They were arraigned, pleaded not guilty, and released pending further court proceedings.

    Committing and benefitting from forced labor are both punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison per count of conviction.

    This case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Tigard Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Eliza Carmen-Rodriguez, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

    An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    If you or someone you know are victims of human trafficking or have information about a potential human trafficking situation, please call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) at 1-888-373-7888 or text 233733. NHTRC is a national, toll-free hotline, with specialists available to answer calls from anywhere in the country, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also submit a tip on the NHTRC website.

    If you believe a child is involved in a trafficking situation, you can also submit a tip via the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s (NCMEC) CyberTipline or call 1-800-THE-LOST. FBI personnel assigned to NCMEC review information provided to the CyberTipline.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Letter of the Holy Father to the Special Envoy to the Fifth Eucharistic Congress of Taiwan (5 October 2024)

    Source: The Holy See

    Letter of the Holy Father to the Special Envoy to the Fifth Eucharistic Congress of Taiwan (5 October 2024), 28.09.2024
    On 3 August 2024, the Holy Father appointed His Eminence Cardinal John Tong Hon, bishop emeritus of Hong Kong, as his Special Envoy to the concluding celebration of the Fifth Eucharistic Congress of Taiwan, to take place at the Exhibition Center of the diocese of Kaohsiung on 5 October 2024.
    The Special Envoy will be accompanied by a Pontifical Mission composed of the following ecclesiastics:
    1. The Reverend Francis X. HUANG, parish priest of the parish of the Most Holy Trinity, Pingtung;
    2. The Reverend Giovanni Battista BERGAMO, prefect of studies of the Redemptoris Mater Seminary, Kaohsiung.
    The following is the Holy Father’s Letter to His Eminence Cardinal John Tong Hon:

    Letter of the Holy Father
    Venerabili Fratri Nostro
    IOANNI S.R.E. Cardinali TONG HON
    Episcopo emerito Sciiamchiamensi
    «Haec est vera fraternitas, quae numquam poterit violari certamine nec frangi labore nec vinci gravamine, quia caritas Dei diffusa est in cordibus nostris per Spiritum sanctum, qui datus est humilibus, contritis, egenis, mansuetis, pacificis et ad omne opus bonum et laudem Dei die ac nocte paratis» (Thomas a Kempis, De resurrectione orationes in duas partes sectae V, 2, 6). Talis fraternitas quidem mundum ad sanitatem sanctitatemque perducere potest, ita ut unusquisque hominum hac in semita pacem et reconciliationem incarnatam inveniat. Cuius enim exemplum iam in Lucae Evangelio vidimus, dum post sua beata e mortuis resurrectione Dominus Scripturas explicans, iter cum discipulis fecit et una cum eis eodem tempore tum fraternitatem tum Eucharistiam celebravit (cfr Lc 24, 13-35), valide demonstrans id quod in alio loco promisit: “Ego vobiscum sum omnibus diebus usque ad consummationem saeculi” (Mt 28, 20).
    Novimus autem ex litteris Venerabilis Fratris Ioannis Baptistae Lee, Episcopi Hsinchuensis, Praesidis Sinensis Regionalis Conferentiae Episcoporum, proxime V Nationalem Eucharisticum Congressum celebraturum esse, qui, sicut speramus, in cordibus christifidelibus verum cultum et Eucharistiae dilectionem excitabit itemque enutriet necnon altiore usque modo hanc piam devotionem perscrutari adiuvabit.
    Ideo, memoratus Praesul humanissime quaesivit ad sollemniorem efficiendum hunc eventum, ut Nos Patrem Purpuratum eligeremus, qui inter Missarum liturgiam personam Nostram gereret fratresque in fide de Christi pace, reconciliatione et eiusdem ineffabili dilectione erga homines praeciperet. Te quidem, Venerabilis Frater Noster, qui peculiari cultu ac devotione erga Dominum Pastorem bonum eiusque Ecclesiam emines, ad dictum Congressum fidenter comiterque destinamus. Itaque, hisce Litteris virtute te Missum Extraordinarium Nostrum nominamus ad memoratum Nationalem Eucharisticum Congressum, qui proximo die V mensis Octobris in Aula exhibitionis dioecesis Kaohsiungensis celebrabitur. Sollemni Missae conclusionis praesidebis, de necessitate verae fraternitatis ad mundum sanandum in luce Evangelii locuturus.
    Nostram benignam istic adstantibus significabis salutationem, praesertim Kaohsiungensi diligenti Pastori omnibusque Fratribus in episcopatu, presbyteris, diaconis, cunctis vitae consecratae membris et christifidelibus laicis. Deinde omnes congregatos ferventer hortaberis ut sanctam Eucharistiam semper fraterno spiritu sinceraque et mutua dilectione celebrent atque pie colent, sese committentes una cum vitae sollicitudinibus intercessioni Beatae Mariae Virginis, quae tota sua vita est mulier “eucharistica” (Ioannes Paulus II, Ecclesia de Eucharistia, 53).
    Nos profecto tuam missionem precibus comitabimur, dum iam nunc enixe te, Venerabilis Frater Noster, committimus amantissimae tutelae Beatae Mariae Virginis eiusque Sponsi sancti Ioseph. Nostram denique Benedictionem prolixe tibi imprimis elargimur, cum omnibus ad quos nunc mitteris communicandam, vicissim pro gravi Nostro Petrino ministerio exercendo preces postulantes.
    Ex Aedibus Vaticanis, die XV mensis Augusti, in sollemnitate Assumptionis Beatae Mariae Virginis, anno MMXXIV, Pontificatus Nostri duodecimo.
    FRANCISCUS

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Commissioner of Police leads JPC members to witness Force mascots launching into space with satellite (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Commissioner of Police leads JPC members to witness Force mascots launching into space with satellite (with photos)
    Commissioner of Police leads JPC members to witness Force mascots launching into space with satellite (with photos)
    ******************************************************************************************

         The six-day Beijing-Jiuquan Exchange Tour held by the Junior Police Call (JPC) concluded its main itinerary today (September 28). Eighteen JPC members started their journey on September 24. In addition to visiting a number of historical and cultural sites in Beijing, the members also visited the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in Gansu Province. This not only enhanced participants’ understanding of our nation’s history and popular science knowledge, it also provided opportunities for them to have a closer understanding of our country’s latest technological developments and achievements.      The Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre is an important stop of the tour. On September 27, the Commissioner of Police, Mr Siu Chak-yee, led the delegation to witness the historic moment when the mascots of the Force and the JPC were launched into space together with a satellite.      The Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre is the birthplace of China’s aerospace industry. The whole nation rejoiced after China’s first satellite “Dongfanghong 1” was launched into space from the centre on April 24, 1970. Since its establishment in 1958, the centre has carried out numerous historic launch missions, witnessing the glorious history of China’s aerospace development.      The satellite launched today is named “Shijian Satellite 19”. Accompanying the satellite into space were the Police’s anti-scam mascot “Little Grape” and JPC mascot “Mini Bean”. The cute “Little Grape” promotes anti-scam messages, while the amicable “Mini Bean” symbolises the self-discipline and bravery of JPC members.      This was the first time for JPC members to witness a satellite launch in Jiuquan. The space flight of “Mini Bean” symbolises the infinite possibilities of the younger generation and inspires JPC members to bravely pursue their dreams and explore the unknown.      In addition to witnessing the satellite launch, the Commissioner also led the JPC members to visit the launch site of the LandSpace liquid oxygen-methane carrier rocket, launch tower of the Shenzhou manned spaceships, and astronaut dormitory “Wen Tiange” to learn about the daily lives and training of astronauts.      The delegation will return to Hong Kong tomorrow (September 29). 

     
    Ends/Saturday, September 28, 2024Issued at HKT 18:23

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: BRICS expansion process shows limits of the organization

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Wikipedia

    by Cosimo GrazianiKazan (Agenzia Fides) – The next BRICS Summit will take place from 22 to 24 October in the Russian city of Kazan.The geopolitical and economic alliance known as BRICS takes its name from the initials of its original founding countries: Brazil, Russia, India and China joined in 2006, while South Africa joined in 2010.Now the BRICS network is gradually expanding. Similar to last year’s summit in South Africa, this time too there are a number of countries that want to join the group.In Johannesburg, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Egypt and Saudi Arabia were admitted as new members.This year Turkey, Azerbaijan and Malaysia, which have submitted formal applications for membership in recent weeks, could join. But the list of countries seeking to join or being courted by the current members is long: Thailand is very interested in joining, China is pushing for Kazakhstan to join, and Algeria is expected to join, which was due to join last year but was blocked by an Indian veto.All the new countries applying to join have great geopolitical weight: Turkey and Azerbaijan are involved in the political changes in Europe and Asia, while Malaysia is a member of ASEAN, an organization that has been able in recent years to carve out an exceptional economic role for itself in a context such as the Indo-Pacific region, where the giants India and China are located.Analysts say Turkey’s application for membership is linked to its chances of gaining the desired accession to the European Union, a process in which negotiations have been stalled for about six years now. This reading is confirmed by comments made by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in a broadcast to Turkey’s Anadolu Agency on Thursday, September 19. “If our economic integration into the European Union had been crowned with membership that went beyond the customs union, we might not be embarking on this kind of search on many issues,” Fidan said.For Azerbaijan, the accession would be the final recognition of its new status as a medium-sized power at the international level, as it would take place in the same year that Baku is organizing the Cop29 on the environment and thus can also influence the global agenda to combat climate change, despite being an oil-producing country.Finally, Malaysia hopes to join the bloc to be able to act more freely in its trade relations: as explained on the website of The Diplomat magazine, Malaysia would use its membership to maintain political relations that are not too unbalanced with its trading partners, to ensure a fair distance with everyone, and to present itself as a “bridge” between this organization and ASEAN.New members mean new international weight for the organization. But such an accelerated expansion of membership also raises doubts about the real benefits that members hope to gain. Up front, there is the problem of the procedures for admitting a new candidate. As seen in the case of Algeria last year, the weight of individual states in the final decisions is still enormous, and there are no defined criteria for admission.Suffice it to say that Malaysia’s application letter was sent to Russia and not to a special body, a sign that the decision will be strongly influenced by the interests and assessments of the country organizing the summit this year.This hypothesis is confirmed by China’s announcement last July that it would admit Kazakhstan to the organization: Beijing obviously did so because it has a strong interest in integrating Kazakhstan into the organization over the other members. This year, the acceptance of the candidacy of Turkey and Azerbaijan comes at a very convenient time for Russia, as it is involved in various issues in Europe and the Caucasus, and the acceptance of Malaysia is to be seen in a dialectical relationship with the Western world in terms of enlargement.An enlargement that depends too much on the specific interests of the country organizing the summit risks making membership unbalanced in certain geographical contexts, quite unlike the “diffuse” and “balanced” enlargement that was clearly one of the selection criteria last year. This year, Eurasia is at the heart of the process, while the Indo-Pacific plays a secondary role and Africa, the Middle East and South America are left out. This would mean a reorientation towards these contexts next year, with the uncertainty that the respective relations between individual candidates and member states could slow down or block the process.Such a dynamic affects the enlargement process, but also calls into question the very nature of the organization: what does BRICS want to be? An alternative to Western organizations or just an economic platform? One answer to this question seems to be the solution found with Algeria after last year’s rejection: the country first joined the “New Development Bank” the BRICS banking institution, which also includes a South American country that has so far refused to join the bloc, such as Uruguay. Applying this solution of partial or reduced membership to other countries in the future would weaken the idea of BRICS as an alternative to the West and its international importance. (Agenzia Fides, 28/9/2024)
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    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Hong Kong Customs seizes suspected cannabis buds worth about $3.8 million (with photo)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Hong Kong Customs yesterday (September 27) detected one dangerous drugs case at Hong Kong International Airport and seized a total of about 14 kilograms of suspected cannabis buds, with a total estimated market value of about $3.8 million.

         Through risk assessment, Customs yesterday inspected a batch of air cargo consignment, declared as carrying vegetables and fruits, arriving in Hong Kong from Thailand. Upon inspection, among 53 carton boxes of goods, 2 were found containing dried seafood and mingled with the batch of suspected cannabis buds. A 58-year-old male consignee, who was suspected to be connected with the case, was subsequently arrested.

         After a follow-up investigation, Customs officers yesterday mounted a controlled delivery operation in Kowloon City, and arrested a 43-year-old female, suspected to be connected with the case.

         An investigation is ongoing. The likelihood of further arrests is not ruled out.

         Customs reminds members of the public to stay alert and not to participate in drug trafficking activities for monetary return. They must not accept hiring or delegation from another party to carry controlled items in and out of Hong Kong. They are also reminded not to carry unknown items for other people.

         Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.

         Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).   

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: 60 Years of Making a Difference: Mozambique Showcases African Development Bank’s Impactful Partnership

    Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:

    MAPUTO, Mozambique, September 28, 2024/APO Group/ —

    The African Development Bank Mozambique Country Office (www.AfDB.org) held a special ceremony on Monday to celebrate the institution’s 60th anniversary in Maputo, showcasing decades of partnership and development impact across Africa.

    The commemoration, under the theme, “60 Years of Making a Difference” brought together government officials, development partners, and key stakeholders to reflect on the Bank’s journey and its contribution to the southern African nation’s growth.

    In his keynote address, Mozambique’s Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, Adriano Maleiane, who also serves as the Bank’s Governor for Mozambique, hailed the Bank as a crucial partner in the country’s transformation.

    “The African Development Bank continues to be an essential partner in promoting transformative change and fostering sustainable development across the continent,” he said. “I am confident that our partnership will continue to strengthen and that together we will achieve our shared vision of a prosperous and sustainable Mozambique and Africa.”

    Mateus Magala, Minister of Transport and Communications and a former Vice President for Corporate Services and Human Resources at the Bank, shared his reflections on the significance of the 60-year milestone. “It is a great honor to be here as a former bank staff, and experience this wonderful moment of 60th anniversary of the Bank. In serving the bank, I found a purpose beyond profit: a cause and mission to uplift the African continent.” He emphasized: “We must all commit to addressing Africa’s development challenges and contributing to a better world by eradicating poverty and promoting economic development. The African Development Bank provides a clear path forward, offering a platform for those seeking purpose, direction, and a collective mission. Together, we can drive Africa’s transformation.”

    Macmillan Anyanwu, Interim Country Manager of the Bank in Mozambique, opened the ceremony, highlighting the institution’s transformative impact on the country and its enduring partnership with the government.

    “As we celebrate six decades of achievements, we must not lose sight of the challenges ahead,” Anyawu said, citing issues such as climate change, conflict, poverty and inequality, macroeconomic instability, and rising debt. “I wish to reaffirm the Bank’s commitment to work alongside the Government of Mozambique and other development partners to tackle these challenges.”

    The Bank has been active in Mozambique since 1977, and in 2006, it established a representative office in the country to deepen its engagement. Over the years, the bank has approved over 130 projects for Mozambique, amounting to about $3.8 billion. Ongoing portfolio includes projects worth $1.3 billion, focusing on critical sectors such as agriculture, energy, transportation, water and sanitation, social services, finance, and governance.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Statement by the Prime Minister on International Safe Abortion Day

    Source: Government of Canada – Prime Minister

    The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on International Safe Abortion Day:

    “Abortion is health care. Family planning is health care. It’s that simple.

    “On International Safe Abortion Day, we unequivocally reaffirm every woman’s right to make decisions about their body, their life, and their future. We reflect on the freedoms won by women. We recommit to the progress we can’t risk losing. And we fight – tooth and nail – to protect a woman’s right to choose.

    “Our government is proudly pro-choice and always will be. That’s why we’re taking action to expand sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care across the country. With the Sexual and Reproductive Health Fund, we are removing barriers, increasing access to these critical services, and supporting community organizations across Canada to help deliver this care. Funding includes projects to increase access to safe abortion services for women, youth, and Indigenous, racialized, and 2SLGBTQI+ communities.

    “Being pro-choice doesn’t just mean we support the right to choose. It also means we increase the choices available for women. Earlier this year, our government announced Bill C-64, the first phase of our pharmacare plan, which includes universal coverage for a range of contraception. With $1.5 billion in federal investments, we’re making contraception medications and devices free – from birth control pills, to IUDs, to implants, to the morning-after pill – so women are free to choose if, when, and how they plan their family. With this coverage, nine million women will have more choices and, importantly, more affordable choices – so their right to reproductive freedom isn’t restricted by cost. Earlier this month, we jointly announced with the Government of British Columbia our intent to work together to improve contraception and diabetes coverage for residents of British Columbia. Once Bill C-64 is passed, we intend to enter formal negotiations, and we encourage all provinces and territories to sign on.

    “Our commitment to increasing access to safe SRH services extends beyond our borders. As part of our 10-year commitment to global health and rights, we are making transformative investments to support comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights for women and girls around the world. In 2022-23 alone, our global investments to support safe abortions and post-abortion care increased by over 50 per cent. And with our Feminist International Assistance Policy, we’re playing a leadership role on the world stage to strengthen gender equality and share the message – through action and engagement – that sexual and reproductive care is health care.

    “As threats to women’s rights increase around the world, some march in celebration. Some divest and defund health services. Some may say one thing, but their actions demonstrate another. And some choose to stay silent, almost ashamed to speak up for reproductive health.

    “We will not. Because no government or politician should tell a woman what she can and cannot do with her body. On this International Safe Abortion Day, and every day, we move forward on our commitment to building a safer, fairer, and more prosperous future for everyone.”

    The Government of Canada recently launched online resources on SRH-related topics, including abortion, gender affirming care, and other sexual health care information. These resources are intended to improve access to accurate SRH information for Canadians.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves Tennessee Emergency  Declaration

    Source: The White House

    Yesterday, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that an emergency exists in the State of Tennessee and ordered Federal assistance to supplement State and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from Tropical Storm Helene beginning on September 26, 2024, and continuing.

    The President’s action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe.

    Public Assistance (Category B) emergency protective measures, including direct Federal assistance will be provided at 75 percent Federal funding for the counties of Carter, Johnson, and Unicoi.

    Public Assistance (Category B) emergency protective measures, limited to direct Federal assistance and reimbursement for mass care including evacuation and shelter support will be provided at 75 percent Federal funding for the counties of Cocke, Hawkins, and Washington.

    Mr. Darryl L. Dragoo of FEMA has been appointed to coordinate Federal recovery operations in the affected areas.

    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION MEDIA SHOULD CONTACT THE FEMA NEWS DESK AT (202) 646-3272 OR FEMA-NEWS-DESK@FEMA.DHS.GOV.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: From darkness to light: Local bakeries and homes flourish under Benin’s new urban electricity project

    Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:

    ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, September 28, 2024/APO Group/ —

    The bustling sound of dough kneading fills the air at Pierre Gbenou Tito Dossou’s bakery in Okoun-Sèmè, Benin, as the once energy-starved business now hums along smoothly. Orders for bread, croissants, and chocolate pastries are met on time, a feat Dossou attributes to a newly stable power supply.

    “I struggled with electricity shortages for over a decade,” Dossou explains, reflecting on the bakery’s early years. “Generators didn’t work, and I couldn’t connect to the grid because our area was too remote. I had to rely on weak power from neighboring connections.” His fortunes changed last year (2023) when new pylons and a large transformer brought reliable electricity to his district.

    “I felt like I won the lottery,” Dossou said with a smile. The new infrastructure brought streetlights, safer streets, and individual electric meters. “Since then, our work has been seamless. And even burglars have reduced,” he adds.

    Other residents like Moussa Moudachirou, who is in his early 30s, have also experienced a positive shift. “Before, we had to borrow electricity from neighbors, but now we’re connected to our own meter at home,” he says. Now, with his own digital and economical meter, his family’s expenses have halved. “We now last three weeks on a 5,000 FCFA top-up card,” Moudachirou explains, expressing gratitude to the project’s donors while urging them to extend the benefits to others.

    The Dossou and Moudachirou families are some of the beneficiaries of Benin’s Sub-Transmission and Distribution System Restructuring and Extension Project, which aims to improve electricity access in the West African country. The project is funded by the African Development Fund, the concessional window of the African Development Bank Group, which provided a $9.08 million loan and a $7.28 million grant, alongside a $17.79 million loan from the French Development Agency. The Benin government contributed $3.68 million.

    Launched in 2018 and slated for completion in late 2025, the project is set to increase access to electricity across Benin’s major cities and secondary towns, such as Abomey, Bohicon and Lokossa. In addition to expanding access, the project aims to improve the quality of the electricity supply and cut energy waste. In 2015, it was estimated that the Electricity Corporation of Benin’s networks were losing 23 percent of their energy.

    For many like Mouniratou Tiamiou, who once endured frequent power cuts, life has vastly improved. “Brownouts damaged our appliances, and burglars took advantage of the darkness. But since the project lit up the area, we have had no problems,” she says, thankful for the newfound security and stability the electricity project has brought to her home.

    As Okoun-Seme’s businesses thrive and homes become more secure, the project is proving to be a vital boost for Benin’s energy landscape.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Saudi Arabia: Highest execution toll in decades as authorities put to death 198 people

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Saudi Arabian authorities have put to death over 198 individuals so far in 2024, the highest number of executions recorded in the country since 1990, Amnesty International said today.

    Despite repeated promises to limit the use of the death penalty, Saudi authorities have ramped up executions while routinely failing to abide by international fair trial standards and safeguards for defendants. Executions for drug-related crimes soared this year, with 53 carried out so far – with an average of one execution every two days in July alone – rising from just two drug-related executions in 2023. Authorities have also weaponised the death penalty to silence political dissent, punishing citizens from the country’s Shi’a minority who supported “anti-government” protests between 2011 and 2013.

    “Saudi Arabia’s authorities are pursuing a relentless killing spree displaying a chilling disregard for human life while promoting an empty-worded campaign to rebrand their image,” said Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General.

    “The death penalty is an abhorrent and inhuman punishment which Saudi Arabia has used against people for a wide range of offences, including political dissent and drug-related charges following grossly unfair trials. The authorities must immediately establish a moratorium on executions, and order re-trials for those on death row in line with international standards without resorting to the death penalty.”

    MIL OSI NGO –