Tuesday, January 25, 2011
IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS
Lynn: NATO Must Get Ahead of Cyber Threat
Lynn: NATO Must Get Ahead of Cyber ThreatBy Jim GaramoneAmerican Forces Press ServiceBRUSSELS, Belgium, Jan. 25, 2011 – Now is the time for NATO to get ahead of the cyber threat, Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III said here today.“The cyber threat is still maturing,” he told reporters at the European Defense Agency. “I don’t think we’re at the final stage of what that threat may look like.”NATO’s November summit in Lisbon, Portugal, crystallized NATO thinking about the cyber threat, Lynn said. The alliance’s thinking has evolved a long way from April 2007, he said, when Estonia suffered a massive denial-of-service attack. The decisions the alliance is making now are informed by that attack and similar experiences in Georgia in 2008, as well as by the constant attacks on U.S. and NATO military networks.Cyber threats have increased in numbers and sophistication, Lynn said. The “first phase” threat is “really concentrated on exploitation –- that’s threats of intellectual property, stealing military secrets, espionage,” he explained.Exploitation has moved beyond that toward the threat of denial of service, Lynn said.“That’s really what Estonia and Georgia were about -– that’s an escalation of the potential threat,” he said, adding that he sees a potential third-phase threat.“The potential exists for capabilities that are much more destructive,” he added, noting that this threat could target transportation or financial networks.“We’re largely in the exploitation/denial phase, but history will tell you that somebody will take it to the extreme,” Lynn said. “That’s a significant reason to act now – to get ahead of that kind of threat.”The United States and NATO need to put in place appropriate protections for critical networks before the threat matures, Lynn said.“The discussion for NATO today is the threshold step -- we need to be able to protect our own military networks, and we’re frankly not there yet,” he said. “I think until you are able to do that, it’s hard to look beyond for any other capabilities.”NATO nations are moving quickly and taking the threats to cybersecurity seriously, he said. The discussion in the alliance six months ago was what constituted an attack, he noted, and now the discussion is less on that than on just moving forward with defenses.Lynn said the discussion of the definition of an attack always will be around –- especially what constitutes an attack under Article 5 of the NATO Charter, which declares that an attack on one alliance member is an attack on all –- but planners are moving beyond this and simply addressing the threats. Biographies:William J. Lynn IIIRelated Sites:Special Report: Travels With Lynn
CBP Stops Destructive Beetle in San Diego, Keeps New Bug Out of U.S.(Friday, January 21, 2011)
San Diego — A U.S. Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialist from the Port of San Diego stopped a highly destructive beetle, never before seen in the U.S., from entering the country this month. click for hi-resA picture of the highly destructive beetle that was stopped from entering the U.S.A picture of the highly destructive beetle that was stopped from entering the U.S. On Jan. 3, a maritime shipping container filled with fresh bananas from Peru arrived at the Port of San Diego. During the inspection process, a CBP agriculture specialist spotted a live beetle on the floor of the container.The CBP agriculture specialist sent the beetle to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for identification. The Plant Protection and Quarantine division of USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service identified the beetle as Gymnetis pantherina and confirmed that it was the first recorded interception of this particular bug anywhere in the U.S.The beetle belongs to a family of insects that can be devastating agricultural pests, such as the Japanese beetle that is currently wreaking havoc on landscaping and trees in the U.S. They attack a wide range of plants, including not just ornamental plants but also agricultural crops and trees. The larvae will destroy the root system of plants, either killing the plant entirely or at least severely reducing the growth and yield potential of the crop. According to the USDA, the adult beetles of this family are known to attack the foliage of over 300 different species of ornamental and agricultural crops.When a container of produce is found with a pest that requires the shipper to take action, they are given the option to: return the shipment to the country of origin, treat the produce to ensure that there are no pests, or destroy the shipment. In this case, the company re-exported the produce.“Keeping this pest out of the nation saves American agricultural industry from the expense of eradication, and the hardship of finding their crops damaged by a new danger,” said Pete Flores, acting director of field operations for CBP in San Diego. “By stopping bugs at the border, before they can enter the United States for the first time, CBP officers and agriculture specialists protect this vital American industry.”U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.
U.S. Border Patrol Agents Seize Marijuana
(Tuesday, January 25, 2011)Yuma, Ariz. – U.S. Border Patrol agents from Yuma Sector seized over 1,100 pounds of marijuana early Monday morning.Agents assigned to Yuma Station were conducting line-watch patrol duties when they noticed a vehicle driving northbound away from the international boundary line. As the agents began to follow the vehicle, a burgundy 1999 Dodge Durango, the truck changed directions and drove southeast towards Mexico. Agents located the vehicle and, upon securing it, discovered 48 bundles of marijuana located inside. Both suspects returned to Mexico and evaded apprehension. bundles of marijuana seized near Yuma, Ariz.Photo Credit: Photo Courtesy of Yuma Sector Public Affairs Office The half ton of marijuana, with an estimated street value of $885,840, was turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration. The vehicle was seized by the Border Patrol.In an unrelated incident, Monday, agents assigned to Yuma Station encountered six individuals near County 23rd Street and the Salinity Canal west of the San Luis, Ariz. Port of Entry. Five of the six individuals were carrying luggage bags which contained 90 small bricks of marijuana, weighing a total of 256 pounds.The marijuana, with an estimated street value of $205,040, and the suspects, were turned over to the Yuma Narcotics Task Force.To report suspicious activity, contact the Yuma Sector Border Patrol’s toll free telephone number at 1-866-999-8727.U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.
U.S. Border Patrol Agents Seize Over 1,800 Pounds of Marijuana
(Tuesday, January 25, 2011)Marfa, Texas —U.S. Border Patrol agents from the Marfa Sector seized 1,873 pounds of marijuana in two different incidents Thursday, January 20 and Friday, January 21. Both seizures occurred at the Marfa Station’s immigration checkpoint on Highway 67 south of Marfa.A U.S. Citizen from Andrews, Texas, arrived at the checkpoint about 8:45 a.m. Thursday. A Border Patrol K-9 team conducted a cursory inspection and was alerted to the presence of narcotics. Agents discovered a hidden compartment in the bed of a Ford truck. The compartment contained 256 bundles of marijuana totaling 1,143 pounds.The drugs had a street value of 914,560.These bundles of marijuana weighing 1,143 pounds were seized by Border Patrol agents of the Marfa Station on the Highway 67 Checkpoint on January 20, 2011. The next day, agents seized another 730 pounds.marijuana seizure at Highway 67 checkpointPhoto Credit: Photo Courtesy of Marfa Sector Public Affairs Office Shortly after 9 a.m. Friday, another Ford pickup entered the checkpoint for an immigration inspection. Again a Border Patrol K-9 team was alerted the possible presence of narcotics. Agents inspected the vehicle and discovered 731 pounds of marijuana hidden in a compartment under the bed valuedaatt584,800.The driver was a U.S. Citizen from Presidio.The drivers, the vehicles and marijuana were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration.U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.
Criticisms Mean Efficiencies on Right Track, Lynn Says
By Jim GaramoneAmerican Forces Press ServiceBRUSSELS, Belgium, Jan. 25, 2011 - Members of Congress from both parties have expressed the opinion that the Defense Department has cut too much or too little from the defense budget."In Washington, if you get criticized from both sides, it usually means you have the right position," Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn said here today.Though Lynn traveled here to participate in cybersecurity discussions at NATO, he also spoke with reporters about the defense budget and the implications of Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates' decision to find and reassign $100 billion worth of efficiencies over the next five fiscal years."What we've tried to do is strike the right balance between fiscal responsibility and what is a very large deficit, and maintaining the critical capabilities we need for national defense," Lynn said.The money saved in the efficiencies stay with the services to reinvest in more critical technologies. So, Gates axed or restructured a number of weapons programs, and the services will invest the money saved in cyberdefense, long-range strike capabilities, unmanned aerial vehicles, rocket launchers, ships and refurbishing Army and Marine Corps vehicles stressed and strained by 10 years of war."We've reinvested across a large range of capabilities," Lynn said. "We're reducing layering, we're reducing headquarters, we're reducing staff. We were able to develop $78 billion in topline reductions that met some of the deficit reduction needs without compromising defense capabilities. We are moving forward with what we think is a balanced program."We think $78 billion was an impressive number, and we were able to accommodate it within the efficiencies," he continued. "It was a number we developed and worked with the White House. It was aggressive without compromising defense capabilities."All NATO nations are facing a budgetary squeeze, Lynn said, and the United States has "some concern about the level of cuts across NATO." The fiscal pinch, he said, is forcing NATO nations to think about new ways of working together to develop new capabilities."Inevitably, [the fiscal problem] leads you toward more burden-sharing," Lynn said. "I think particularly the smaller nations will move toward not seeking full-spectrum capability, but trying to identify areas where they have a comparative advantage and where they can bring more to the alliance." Biographies:William J. Lynn IIIRelated Sites:Special Report: Travels With Lynn
General Officer Announcement
Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates announced today that the President has made the following nomination: Air Force Lt. Gen. Eric E. Fiel for appointment to the rank of lieutenant general with assignment as commander, Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla. Fiel is currently serving as the vice commander, U.S. Special Operations Command, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.U.S. Department of DefenseOffice of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)
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