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Mr. Bacon: Good afternoon.
Secretary Cohen is arriving in Brazil this afternoon after his visit to Argentina and Chile. As you probably know, over the weekend he made some comments about the force redeployments in the Gulf and I just wanted to bring you up to date on where we stand.
To put it in the proper context, as you know, since the end of the Gulf War we've followed a policy of containing Iraq from attacking its neighbors and from retaining or reconstituting its weapons of mass destruction. There's been absolutely no change in that policy.
The pillars of the containment policy have been robust forward presence of American military forces, rapid reinforcement capability to build those forces up when necessary, and support of the United Nations Security Council resolutions and mandates. The pillars of that containment policy have not changed either.
What President Clinton has decided to do, is to reduce the current force there to its pre-crisis levels of about October of last year. Last year we had 18,000 to 19,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines in the Gulf. We began to build up in response to the problems over inspections and reached a peak force of about 44,000. Today there are about 36,000 or 37,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines in the Gulf.
We will continue to maintain a robust force in the Gulf. That force will ensure stability, but we will not maintain a full contingency size force as we have over the last couple of months.
So, as you know, the INDEPENDENCE carrier battle group is leaving the area. It's gone through the Strait of Hormuz, and it is still in the Central Command area of responsibility, but it will pass out of that area of responsibility tomorrow and head back to Japan.
There will be a second carrier there, the STENNIS, and we will maintain a presence of one carrier there on station in the Gulf for the foreseeable future. We also will be able to add a second carrier very quickly, in a matter of days, from the Mediterranean or elsewhere.
Second, the Air Expeditionary Force in Bahrain will leave as scheduled in early June and we will revert to our earlier policy of sending Air Expeditionary Forces to the Gulf on a periodic basis to set up for 30-45 days or longer and train in the area.
Third, we will reduce our ground troops in Kuwait by about a brigade. As you know, we surged the ground troops there to almost a division level at one point, to pick up the prepositioned equipment in Kuwait and train with Kuwaiti troops in the desert. We have an INTRINSIC ACTION task force there of about 1200 people and that will remain. We're also leaving behind a rocket battery, an MLRS -- Multiple Launch Rocket System -- battery, and increasing our helicopter presence there with eight Apaches.
We're also leaving behind a very powerful force of cruise missiles that will be about double the size of the cruise missile force before the crisis began last fall, and we have the ability to surge that to four times what it was last fall. So we have one, on-station the ability to exert a swift and powerful strike if we have to; and also the ability to increase that cruise missile force very, very rapidly.
The ability to increase the force rapidly -- rapidly redeploy in the face of increased tension is key to the President's decision to maintain a powerful force in the area, although a somewhat reduced force from the current levels, but to be able to bring that force back up to a higher level if necessary.
The President approved these redeployments because they allow us to protect our interest in the Gulf while reducing the wear and tear on the forces that have been patrolling there since early November when we began the buildup.
I think the events of the last months and, in fact, the last year, show that the U.S. and the international community are ready to enforce the United Nations Security Council mandates, and we will continue to maintain a force that can do that and continue our ability to reinforce that force very, very quickly.
With that, I'll take your questions.
Q: The F-117s... is that (inaudible) going home?
A: Although the President has made a broad decision, the deployment orders have not been written yet so I can't get into exact details of timing, but ultimately the forces that we sent over there to reinforce, including the F-117s, will be coming back. But I can't give you specific dates at this stage.
Q: Does that mean the EISENHOWER then will be going only to the Med. It will not be going, when it deploys, to the Gulf?
A: She will be going to the Med, as currently planned. And she will then constitute a backup force that will be able to make it into the Gulf rapidly.
Q: Does that include also the B-52s that we sent to Diego Garcia?
A: Ultimately we'll be drawing down many elements of the force. As I say, because deployment orders haven't been signed, I don't want to get into the exact details at this time.
Q: Can you give us any rough number of basically how many planes are coming back? There's the AEF and then there's the...
A: There are 43 planes in the AEF, but I don't have a global figure at this stage and I'd rather wait until the deployment orders are actually worked out and signed.
Q: You did mention earlier that pre-crisis there were 18,000 to 19,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen. Now, after the draw down, just a general sort of overview, how many do you expect to have remaining in place, generally?
A: It will vary from a day to day basis, but it will be around 20,000 -- sometimes a couple [of thousand] more, sometimes a couple of thousand less. But we'll be moving back to an area of around 20,000, give or take a couple of thousand on either side.
Q: And just to reiterate that the U.S. believes that this is fully capable of meeting any challenge, these 20,000...
A: Absolutely. We will continue to patrol the no-fly zone under SOUTHERN WATCH, which is absolutely crucial to containing Iraq. We will continue to patrol the Gulf aggressively, the sea lanes in the Gulf aggressively. We will continue to have ground forces exercising in Kuwait, and we'll continue to have air expeditionary forces and other forces moving in and out for training missions as necessary.
Q: Can you go through the Army part of this in Kuwait again? I just didn't follow what you...
A: Currently there are between 6,000 and 7,000 troops in Kuwait. When we finish the redeployment it will be down to about 1,200 troops which is the INTRINSIC ACTION Task Force.
As you know, one of the things we've done since the Gulf War to improve our military posture in the Gulf is to preposition a division's worth of armor equipment in the Gulf. So, we have task forces going over very regularly to train with the prepositioned equipment, and that's what the INTRINSIC ACTION exercises do.
Q: There will always be an INTRINSIC ACTION task force there?
A: Generally, there will be. Nearly always. I can't say there won't be a day or two, but our goal is to have people training there on this equipment, and we've been doing that even before the earlier crisis.
Q: Didn't you say last week, I think it was that someone was headed over there for training to Kuwait?
A: I think the group just arrived. I think a task force just arrived within the last week or so -- 1200 people.
Q: When did the President make this decision?
A: He made it, I believe, last week. At the end of last week.
Q: What type of time line are we talking about from when the orders are actually given to the time when our troops are scaled down? Four weeks? Six weeks?
A: It will be relatively soon. I would say in the next three weeks or so.
Q: I'm unclear on the number of people there now. You were saying 34,000, 35,000. Are you still counting the INDEPENDENCE...
A: Yeah, I'm still counting the INDEPENDENCE because technically the INDEPENDENCE is still in the Central Command area of responsibility. That is, she has not transited yet into the Pacific Command area. So although she's steaming away from the Gulf with, I believe, four combatants and several support ships, she's still in the Central Command area.
Q: Once that transition is made, then the total will be...
A: Well, that alone is about 7,000 people. I think the INDEPENDENCE battle group has about 7,000 people. So I think there are now about 37,000 people there and that will drop it down to 30,000, as of tomorrow.
Q: Before this buildup there were occasionally gaps, time periods of several weeks or even months when we had no carrier there. Is that contemplated now, or is the decision to make sure we always have at least one?
A: For the foreseeable future we'll have at least one carrier there.
Q: If the threat has diminished, why the need to double the number of Tomahawks in theater?
A: What has happened, of course, is that Iraq has been complying with the UN mandates to allow inspectors to do their job. What we found over the years is that Saddam Hussein will do bad things from time to time and be threatening either to his neighbors or to the UN. We want to be in an unambiguous situation where we're able to respond very quickly and very forcefully, and increasing the number of cruise missiles there does that. It has a ready, powerful, and very swift force on station all the time.
Q: Richard Butler, the chief arms inspector, was in Sidney, and said that he will be presenting fresh evidence that Iraq is maintaining illegal weapons stores including, he said, some recently declassified U-2 photographs. Do you have any information or can you describe in any way what those photographs might show?
A: I cannot. I think I'll have to leave it up to the UN Special Commission, UNSCOM, to release those and to describe what Mr. Butler has in mind.
Q: Can you give us a ball park range on the number of crews we have in the area?
A: I can't right now. It's a large number.
Q: Back when they were discussing the draw down of the forces they said another prong of the policy would be to move away from using military force as a threat, to move toward something more positive than using threatening military force. Can you elaborate on that other prong?
A: What I want to say is that our policy is unchanged. It's a policy of containment. We've made it very clear by our force movements in the past and by our actions in the past that we're willing to use military force if necessary to contain Iraq from either attacking our forces, attacking neighboring countries, or from reconstituting its weapons of mass destruction. The drama now, in the Gulf, is whether Iraq will comply with the UN Security Council resolutions to abolish its weapons of mass destruction program. That's what the inspectors are trying to discover, what Iraq is doing with its weapons of mass destruction.
One of the main ways to enforce those resolutions right now is through the economic sanctions that apply to Iraq. I think the international community has made it very clear over the last couple of months that those sanctions will remain as long as Iraq refuses to comply with the UN mandate, and the principal mandate -- although there are many others -- but the principal mandate is to stop work and abolish its weapons of mass destruction program. There are many others that have to do with accounting for Kuwaiti POWs, returning equipment, etc. But the one that has really galvanized the world's attention is their weapons of mass destruction program.
Q: So in other words if they don't abide by this, instead of rattling our sabers we'll reinforce the sanctions? In other words, use that as the argument to get...
A: Well, I think, that we've made it very clear in the past that we're willing to respond to provocative action by Iraq. That policy has not changed. We will do what we can to reinforce the UN's ability to do its job, and I don't want to speculate about what's going to happen in the future. I hope, since Saddam Hussein has said that he wants the sanctions lifted, I assume that means that he'll continue work to abolish his weapons of mass destruction program, and let the inspectors in so they can see what progress he's making. And if he has made progress, then the UN will have to decide what to do next.
Q: Can you give an assessment of the Iraqi military force? Has there been any movement? Has it been relatively quiet? Any threatening actions towards anyone at all?
A: It's been relatively quiet recently.
As you know, back in the fall they made public threats about shooting down Operation SOUTHERN WATCH planes, about trying to shoot down U-2s flying in support of the United Nations. That bellicose rhetoric stopped last fall when we sent a carrier into the Gulf in November. And they have basically moved their forces away from a crisis posture starting in the late winter/early spring after the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan reached the inspection agreement with Iraq.
Q: Any violations of the Northern or Southern no-fly zones in the last four weeks?
A: Not that I'm aware of, no.
Q: What about the smuggling? I think the CENTCOM CINC complained recently that that was on the rise again. Are we doing anything... We're downsizing the force, are we doing anything to try to tighten up the embargo?
A: You're talking about the maritime interdiction force. There was a very sharp reduction in the amount of oil being smuggled out of Iraq in the spring. In February, March. And it fell to about ten percent of what the levels had been in December or early January.
Since then it has risen maybe three-fold from its low, but it still may be a third to 40 percent of what it was at its peak, as I recall, and that's some figures I looked at last week. I'm not aware that things have changed that rapidly since. So there is less smuggling getting through. There are a number of reasons for this. One is we are more aggressively policing the smuggling ban, and we've been boarding some ships recently. We've been doing that for a long period. I think for a while we'd assigned an additional ship to the maritime interdiction force.
But the main reason that the shipping went down along the smuggling routes was that Iran became less compliant in allowing the Iraqi smugglers to hug the Iranian coast. To a certain extent they have eased up a little, but I believe the smuggling is still less than it was at its peak.
Q: How much was this decision influenced by the strain on readiness that the deployments had created within the U.S. military?
A: Well, it was a factor, and the President has addressed that. He, a couple of days ago, noted that we ask our forces to do a lot, they have longer deployments, and that he and his military advisors were looking at ways to reduce the strain of these deployments.
But the fact of the matter is that we ought to remember what our pattern's been in the Gulf since the end of the Gulf War. That is we've maintained a very powerful force in the Gulf. The composition of that force has varied from time to time, but it's been an extremely powerful force. That force has been made more powerful over time as we've added prepositioned equipment, expanded SOUTHERN WATCH, etc. We've always had an ability to surge that force in response to current conditions, and we did surge that force in late 1997 and early 1998 in response to Saddam Hussein's refusal to allow the inspectors to do their job. We surged the force in October of 1994 when we had intelligence suggesting that Iraq was about to attack Kuwait again. We've surged it several other times since 1994. We've always surged it and then brought it back to a robust level, but a smaller level, and that's what we're doing this time.
So I think everybody anticipated that at some point, after the inspection crisis was over, we would reduce the force to a more reasonable level. What we've done here is while reducing the force, we have actually strengthened our rapid strike capability by dramatically increasing the number of cruise missiles we have in the theater.
Q: Will the F-117s be brought back as part of the draw down?
A: Eventually they will, but I don't have anything specific on that now.
Q: JSTARS also, will that stay as a key asset in the theater, or will that be brought down?
A: I can't get into the details because the deployment orders haven't been signed.
Q: On the cruise missiles, to follow up on Jamie's question. He asked about Diego Garcia and the B-52s and the cruise missiles there. Are you talking about naval cruise missiles primarily, or are you talking about both?
A: Well, largely about naval cruise missiles.
Q: Why did the INDEPENDENCE battle group, why was its departure date, it seems actually moved up. I think the 27th was the date for departure.
A: I think the 27th was always the date for departure out of the Central Command area of responsibility. That's basically when she passes by India.
Q: So this is a scheduled departure.
A: Yes. As you know, she's going back to Japan, and then to the U.S. to be decommissioned, and she'll be replaced by the KITTY HAWK in Japan.
Q: Can you just get us, later, some sort of rough number on the number of cruise missiles since you've made such a point about saying they would double and ...
A: I can't promise that I'm going to be able to give you any figure...
Q: Is it possible to explain to the average person why if you're not increasing the ships there how you're possibly doubling the cruise missiles if they're largely naval cruise missiles?
A: Well you can put more cruise missiles on each ship. Or you could have different ships.
Q: That's what you're doing.
A: Or you could have ships carry more cruise missiles. That would be the easiest way.
Q: A question, if you can solve some confusion in my mind over the shipment of the satellites when they go to China. Does the Department of Defense guard these satellites still, from the time they leave the U.S. until they're blasted off?
A: My understanding is that there is a chain of custody for these satellites to go over there. We have people there on the ground during the setup period and actually until the launch takes place.
Q: When you say we, you mean the Defense Department?
A: The Defense Department does, yes.
Q: Another question on China. There was a report in the London Daily Telegraph over the weekend that Iran had concluded a secret deal with China to get chemicals that could be used for the production of nerve gas. Do you have any comment on that at all?
A: I don't.
Q: Do you have any evidence to suggest that's true?
A: I can't comment on secret intelligence reports.
Q: Did that chain of custody get affected at all when primary responsibility for these things went from the Defense Department over to the Commerce Department?
A: One of the conditions is that there are Defense Department people on the ground watching these, or monitoring what happens there. My belief is that the chain of custody was not changed. What was primarily changed was the licensing authority.
Q: There was a report in the Washington Times that NSA and DISA are investigating that failure of the beeper satellite to see if it was knocked out by hackers. Do you know if that's true?
A: I'm afraid I don't. I'll try to find out.
Q: I have a question on the article yesterday in the Post regarding Colombia. Can you explain to us exactly the JCET program and how does that apply to Colombia?
A: Sure. First of all, let me give you a broad overview of the JCET program. It is a fairly important program to train our special operations forces. JCET stands for Joint Combined Exchange Training. We conduct such training all around the world. In fiscal 1997 we conducted such training in 101 countries.
The fundamental requirement of this Joint Combined Exchange Training is that we derive greater benefits from it, the majority of the benefits from the training, as opposed to the host country. This is training that is designed to help our special operating forces improve their language facility. As you know, all special forces are supposed to be fluent in another language. It's to give them an opportunity to learn about the geography, topography of other nations, and to build up relationships with the military in other nations in case they're called upon to do hostage rescue operations or evacuations of American citizens or peacekeeping work or help training with forces of other nations.
So this is a program that has been going on for some time and it's a very extensive worldwide program and one that's fundamental to training for the special operations forces.
I should also point out that all JCET missions, as they're called, are reported to Congress every year, so there's nothing secret about this program. It's a program that is made very public to Congress every year.
In Colombia, we have had JCET programs going on for several years, but it's actually a relatively small part of our overall military involvement in Colombia. In the current fiscal year, which is fiscal 1998, we plan to have six JCET missions in Colombia involving 32 people -- a total of 32 people and six missions. That is dwarfed by our counter-narcotics program in Colombia which will involve 18 separate deployments involving 252 people in Colombia.
Now the counter-narcotics program is under another program. It's separate from the JCET program. In Colombia, we have worked on counter-terrorism training with Colombia forces and we've also worked on hostage rescue training with Colombian forces. I think anybody who's followed the kidnappings in Colombia recently can appreciate that hostage rescue training is something that is worth doing in Colombia and could be helpful to American citizens in that country.
The JCET training has been suspended temporarily during the current election campaigns in Colombia, but my anticipation is it will start again after the campaign is over.
Q: Do you have any mechanisms set-up to make sure that the soldiers you might be training was under the JCET program? In other words the Colombian soldiers have not been involved in the past with any type of human rights violations, which was seen to be some of the preoccupation, even of the Clinton Administration.
A: Yes we do. First of all, all of the JCET missions have to be approved by the Ambassador, so there is an in-country stamp and review of the programs. They're also all approved by the Special Operations Command in Tampa, Florida. We are now creating a new approval level at the Office of the Secretary of Defense that will be done in the Special Operations/Low Intensity Conflict area -- SOLIC, it's called.
In addition, we follow the State Department's human rights rules in designing these programs and picking the people who will participate in the programs, and also in selecting the curriculum for the programs. We make it very clear that it's important for military organizations to follow human rights rules and to follow the rule of law.
So we do make an effort to make sure that the training is limited in its scope, that it benefits American forces, and that we are working with people who are not, have not been involved in human rights abuses in the past.
Q: When was this new level of oversight instituted?
A: It's in the process of being instituted now. I'm not sure it's up and running but I think it will be in the next month or so.
Q: That will be then the Assistant Secretary for Special Operations will have to give his stamp as well?
A: Right.
Q: Talk about the number of trainers in Colombia, it's sort of a moving target that goes up and down and it's always hard to see a trend. Do you have a current number and is there a trend?
A: You mean the current number of people right there in Colombia? It does go up and down depending on what we're doing. It ranges generally from 175 to 275 at any given time, and the latest figure I have is for the end of March and it was for 216. I'll try to get a more updated figure.
Now a lot of these people actually run or maintain radar stations in Colombia. That's one of the main tasks of American officials.
Q: ... the assignment of this third level of oversight for the JCET programs? If you already have two, an ambassador signing off and the command in Florida signing off, why do you need a third?
A: Secretary Cohen felt that in light of the growing congressional interest in the program, and there has been increased congressional interest in the last several months, particularly related to Indonesia and now Colombia, that it was appropriate that he have somebody in his immediate office, in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, monitoring this program. It's no lack of confidence or lack of support for the Special Operations Command, it's just an effort to have a central clearinghouse right here in Washington to make it easier to get information about the program, to answer congressional questions, and easier for him to find out what's happening.
Q: When did he make it?
A: I said he made it, I would say two or three months ago. It might have been less. It should be up and running in the next month or so.
Q: A related question. What do you say to people on the Hill who say, when they try to clamp down on IMET or change IMET and you go to JCET as a way around it?
A: They're entirely separate programs. The JCET program is designed specifically to help us train our own special forces in ways that are valuable to us and valuable to people in other countries as well. This clearly is a program that foreign militaries find beneficial because they invited us to come in and do these programs in 101 countries in fiscal 1997. But, it's mainly something that helps our forces learn to do the jobs they may be called upon to do around the world.
Q: Could you address the broader point? When you listen to the critics of JCET in Indonesia and in other countries, the gist of the criticism -- it seems to be -- that having U.S. forces train with other forces gives some sort of endorsement, some sort of Washington approval to these forces, some of which later turn out to be involved, or are accused of being involved in unsavory activities. Does this carry some sort of message of approval from Washington of these units, or is that the perception?
A: We believe that this training is important for a number of reasons and the primary one is that it trains our forces to do jobs they may be called upon to do around the world. In addition, we think it is a way for our forces to work shoulder-to-shoulder in parachute training or hostage-taking training, or counter-terrorism training with other forces, and in so doing, to teach them the values that we think are important to our military, and that we think help make our military the best in the world.
One of those values is respect for human rights. We stress that in our training when we deal with other forces.
I think, that it is -- it should be obvious that you have a better ability to convey that message if you have communications with other forces than if you don't have communications with the other forces. And I think also that that message is frequently more convincing when it comes military-to-military than when it comes through other channels to the military. We believe that that's been one of the valuable aspects of this training. It's something that we watch and it's something that we care a lot about.
Q: Have you been contacted by Ken Starr's office in recent days? If so, about what?
A: I don't think I want to get into issues about my legal history or lack of legal history.
Q: The JCET program, is there some program with the Japanese defense forces?
A: I'm not aware that we do work with Japanese defense forces, but I'll try to find that out. I don't have here a complete list of the 101 countries with which we've been dealing, but I will check into that.
Q: I read in the New York Times today that, in Japan, a driver for the Aum Shinrikyo Cult testified apparently some months back that he took part in an attempted germ attack on several locations around Tokyo including the U.S. naval base at Yokosuka. I'm curious, first of all, whether you have any information that would corroborate whether or not such an attack took place; and two, does this point out any problems with vulnerabilities or offer any other lessons about the threat from germ warfare from terrorists?
A: First of all, I think, both the President and the Secretary of Defense have made it very clear that we do live in a grave new world, and one aspect of that grave new world is the ability or willingness of terrorists to use chemical or biological weapons.
We have no evidence in relation to your particular question about Japan, that U.S. forces were exposed to biological agents in Japan. That is to say, that there was no contemporaneous or later health information or other evidence suggesting that they were exposed to biological agents.
Now, the article made it very clear that many of the efforts by this cult were failures, for a variety of reasons. I think that highlights a point, that although use of biological weapons is a real threat and one we take very seriously and one we're working very aggressively to combat in a variety of ways including new medical force protection plans for our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines, it's not always easy to deliver this stuff. One of the poisons or biological agents they tried to deliver was a version of botulinum toxin, and that is very susceptible to sunlight. They tried to spray it out of a truck driving around an American military base in Japan, according to the story, but it apparently didn't work either because they had the wrong agent or because the agent was quickly incapacitated by heat and other natural elements.
Q: You just added a qualifier, according to the story. Do you have any knowledge, does the U.S. have any knowledge that it actually took place?
A: As I said, the Navy had no information at the time. We've had no evidence that anybody was exposed, and that is health evidence, reports for sick call, etc. My understanding is that we learned this the same way the New York Times did which is through the testimony that had been given by members of this very deadly cult.
Q: You're sort of skipping a little step. No health effects, but, when you heard this testimony, were you able to determine whether, indeed, this group's truck was driving around base trying to do this?
A: This happened a number of years ago, and it wasn't something that happened recently. I think the story made it very clear, that this happened in the early '90s. I should say that since that time we have improved our ability to deal with chemical and biological weapons in a number of ways. One is that we have improved our detection capability. We did not have significant detection capability in Japan at that time, now we do. We're putting detectors on all ships as they come in for overhaul so they will be able to detect whether they're subject to chemical or biological attack to a greater degree than they were in the past. We're also -- in the newer ships they have over-pressure which makes it possible to operate in an environment that's more secure from biological attack. Ships have special washing systems on them that allow them to wash themselves down very quickly with seawater which I gather is something that is quite damaging to a lot of chemical and biological agents.
But you know that Secretary Cohen spoke about this a couple of months ago at the National Press Club; the President spoke about it at the Naval Academy last week. We are making many efforts in this field to protect our soldiers. The most fundamental one is anthrax, the vaccination program we've started for the total force.
Q: Is Yokosuka now, was it at the time, a closed base in the sense that nobody...
A: Yes. It was at the time and it's still a closed base.
Q: So you don't have any evidence that any truck was able to get on the base and drive around...
A: We do not.
Q: There's a rumor floating around that Acting Army Secretary Mike Walker's going to resign. Do you have any...
A: I can't help you with that rumor.
Q: The number that you gave for the folks in Colombia, is that a combination of the anti-drug, or counter-narcotics and the JCET...
A: The JCET people move in and out. I think that this year we're planning on a total of 32 in six separate JCET missions, so you can see it's pretty small.
Q: Right.
A: They move in and out. At any given time, there are a certain number of people in Colombia and most of them are working on counter-narcotics. The number I gave you was as of March 31st, and that was 216.
Q: But is that primarily the counter-narcotics...
A: Yes. Our main relationship with the Colombian military is in the counter-narcotics area.
Q: So about 32 of that number would be...
A: Well, the JCET is separate. They're doing separate things. They do work on some counter-terrorism. But none of our forces in Colombia [are] doing anything with counter-insurgency. We do not have advisors in Colombia working with the Colombian military on counter-insurgency operations.
Q: Just a clarification of the 32 number, do you mean 32 people all together next year?
Q: So we divide the six into 32 and get a rough average number of people per mission?
A: Yeah, approximately five and a third people per mission. [Laughter]
Q: The Saudis have come to the conclusion that the investigation of [the] Khobar bombing is over and that nobody except Saudis were involved in it. I see the Saudis sending their Foreign Minister to Iran, to Tehran today. I just would ask, certainly those explosives had to come from somewhere outside of the country and there's been a lot of indications that the Iranians were helpful in financing it. Do you have a reaction to that?
A: My reaction is the reaction I give you every time you ask me such a question, which is the Justice Department is still investigating this and they're the people who should talk about the progress on the investigation.
Press: Thank you.


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The TSC-40 is a 40-item self-report measure of symptomatic distress in adults arising from childhood or adult traumatic experiences. It measures aspects of posttraumatic stress as well as other symptoms found in some traumatized individuals.
Respondents are asked to rate how often they have experienced each symptom in the last two months using a 4-point frequency rating scale ranging from 0 ("never") to 3 ("often"). In addition to yielding a total score (ranging from 0 to 120), the TSC-40 has six subscales: Anxiety, Depression, Dissociation, Sexual Abuse Trauma Index, Sexual Problems, and Sleep Disturbances. According to the authors, this measure is intended exclusively for research purposes.
How often have you experienced each of the following items in the past two months?
"Feeling isolated from others"
0 = never to 3 = Often
The TSC-33 is an earlier version that does not contain the Sexual Problems and Sleep Disturbances subscales.
Elliot, D. M. & Briere, J. (1992). Sexual abuse trauma among professional women: Validating the Trauma Symptom Checklist - 40 (TSC-40). Child Abuse & Neglect, 16, 391-398.
Briere, J. N., & Runtz, M. G. (1989). The Trauma Symptom Checklist (TSC-33): early data on a new scale. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 4, 151-163.
Norris and Hamblen (2004) (PDF) p. 86.
Norris, Fran H. & Hamblen, Jessica L. (2004). Standardized self-report measures of civilian trauma and PTSD. In J.P. Wilson, T.M. Keane & T. Martin (Eds.), Assessing psychological trauma and PTSD (pp. 63-102). New York: Guilford Press. PILOTS ID 18638
Available for download at www.johnbriere.com/tsc.htm*
Measure availability: Information on measures is available to everyone. However, the assessment tools themselves can only be distributed to qualified mental health professionals and researchers. We maintain measures developed by affiliated staff of the National Center for PTSD.


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Section 5: Options for Media and Public Relations Activities
Some participating organizations will have greater capacity to mount a wide-ranging and sustained effort to promote the Guidelines in their communities. This User's Guide is designed to give you a large menu of options from which you can choose according to your organization's needs and resources.
Internal Outreach: Creating Excitement From Within
Support from within an organization is crucial to the success of any outreach. Buy-in from internal stakeholders (e.g., your staff, volunteers, allies from other groups, and board of directors) will help increase overall awareness of the Guidelines as staff and leadership spread the word to their constituents and external partners. Ultimately, you will depend on these on-the-ground "ambassadors" to pass out new literature, explain the value of the Guidelines, and assist in evaluating the success of your efforts. Here are some ways to engage and sustain the support of internal audiences:
- E-mail lists. Create a physical activity Listserv or e-mail distribution list of all those who may serve as advocates and champions of the Guidelines. Provide regular communication about Guidelines outreach activities and use this channel to encourage coordination among staff and relevant partners.
- Newsletters. Produce a content-rich monthly report that highlights best practices, success stories, and upcoming events and activities supporting the Guidelines. If your organization produces a newsletter, take the opportunity to incorporate information about the Guidelines and various ways for staff members to become more active. Refer newsletter recipients to Supporter organizations and resources, where staff can learn more about ways to incorporate physical activity into their daily lives.
- Flyer. Develop and distribute flyers (print and/or electronic versions) announcing upcoming activities, seminars, or workshops. Encourage your organization's staff to disseminate this information through every available channel and to recruit individuals throughout the community.
- Announcement boards. Post announcements about upcoming related events on bulletin boards where staff and program participants can easily view them. Showcase information and photographs from previous events on announcement boards to encourage involvement in future activities. You might also use the announcement boards to highlight staff members who have been particularly instrumental in promoting and supporting the program (e.g., "Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Champion of the Month").
External Outreach: Utilizing Media and Public Relations
Incorporate our key messages into information about your activities and share them with the media. This can be a powerful and cost-effective way to reach the public. Send press releases or call specific reporters to pitch story ideas, or offer editors a bylined article, letter to the editor, or op-ed (Opposite the Editorial article), for publication from one of your leaders.
Checklist for Getting Started
- Research the media in your area (local television, radio, community newspapers, church bulletins, school papers, etc.) that would be interested in covering health related stories.
- Consider other local leaders (e.g., political leaders, physicians and nurses, retired athletes) in your area who would be interested in your story and who would enthusiastically share your message.
- Determine the types of communication that would be most appropriate for each media outlet (telephone call, e-mail, press release, oped, advertisement, direct mail, etc.).
- Brainstorm various ways to increase media coverage (host an event, invite reporters to moderate or sit in on a seminar or workshop, etc.).
- Develop a plan for periodically bringing local media up to date on your activities and accomplishments with regard to the Guidelines.
Building Relationships With Media To Raise Awareness About the Guidelines
Local publications tend to be small and understaffed. Consequently, they are constantly in search of compelling stories or exciting news. As chronic disease accounts for a large percentage of all American deaths and because obesity is a rapidly growing problem in this country, many journalists are now more interested in covering these issues. Your organization's involvement in the outreach of the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans will likely get their attention, as they offer simple and solid solutions to help prevent or delay chronic disease and obesity. Use the Guidelines to draw attention to the fact that physical activity has a profound effect on health.
Use the Guidelines to draw attention to the fact that physical activity has a profound effect on health.
Familiarize yourself with the publications and other media outlets that serve your community and the editors and reporters who work there. Identify those reporters and editors who might cover health topics. Introduce yourself to them and stay in touch on at least an occasional basis to remind them that your organization is an information resource for them. Make their jobs easier by shaping the information about the Guidelines as clearly and concisely as possible. Their readers are your target audiences, and like you, these reporters and editors feel an obligation to publicize issues that affect the local community.
Checklist for Utilizing the Media: Building Strong Relationships
- Be mindful and respectful of reporters' and editors' deadlines. Try to find out what days or what times of day are most convenient to contact specific media representatives who would likely be interested in the Guidelines. Keep this information on file so that it is available to all your staff members.
- Be responsive. If you receive a media inquiry, return the call as soon as possible.
- Demonstrate a willingness to provide reporters with useful information and credible sources concerning the Guidelines.
- Train spokespersons who can talk articulately and concisely about your organization's role in the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans outreach.
- Stick closely to the universal messages whenever you discuss the Guidelines with media.
- Communicate your health and physical activity related story in a straightforward manner, providing reporters with specific information they have requested.
- Pitch the right people the right story. Make sure to research the most appropriate contact for a particular story and be prepared to offer compelling, newsworthy, and accurate information.
- Provide frequent updates and establish a pattern for continuous and regular contact.
- Make useful information available on your organization's Web site. Add information and links to your organization's existing Web site that promotes regular physical activity. Consider linking to the Guidelines Web site at www.health.gov/paguidelines. Highlight descriptions of workshops and seminars offered throughout the community and maintain a calendar of upcoming events and activities. Enable staff members and partners to post testimonials about their involvement, recruitment efforts, and successes.
Media Tools and Methods for Effective Outreach
Before contacting a reporter or editor, it is valuable to develop media tools that tell the press what is new, interesting, and exciting about your organization's involvement in the outreach associated with the Guidelines.
Media Tools
- Press releases. Issuing a press release is a quick and effective way to publicize a specific event or activity that your organization is sponsoring to promote the Guidelines as a way to encourage people in your community to become more physically active. Press releases are most often used with print media. If you are communicating with a television or radio station, you will probably want to send a personalized letter. However, the station may request a press release for further information on the event.
- Fact sheets. Fact sheets will provide basic, objective, detailed information about the Guidelines. Usually a single page, a fact sheet supplements the information in a pitch letter or news release. It adds credibility to any accompanying public service announcements, media kits, oped pieces, or other timely materials. In addition, reporters may not have time to read over all the materials, so an easy-to-read, bulleted fact sheet can facilitate coverage.
- Letters to the editor. Letters to the editor provide an easy way for you to voice your opinion to policymakers and to educate people in the community about physical activity issues. Use these response letters to correct facts in an inaccurate or biased news article, to explain the connection between a news item and your activities, or to praise or criticize a relevant article. You may send the editor as many different letters on the same subject as you have allies to write and sign them. Keep it simple and brief. Most newspapers have requirements for lengthusually no more than about 200 words, which is about one double-spaced typed page of text. Most important, don't be discouraged if your letter is not printed. Keep trying. You may want to submit a revised letter with a different angle on the issue at a later date.
- Opeds. Opeds express a strong opinion on an issue, backed by well-researched, documented facts. While a letter to the editor provides a concise and direct response to a specific article or broadcast, the op-ed is more detailed, and may incorporate more than one article or study. We recommend that you ask a board member or a local politician to sign the oped. The prominence of the signee will go a long way toward improving your chances of getting the piece published, but even more important is his or her credibility or recognized authority to offer the opinion.
- Desk-side briefings. Arrange in-person meetings with reporters to introduce yourself and provide background on the Guidelines. This is a great opportunity to give reporters a fact sheet, press release, or any other basic information you have about your organization's efforts and successes in engaging in the Guidelines outreach.
- Editorial board meetings. Arrange meetings about the Guidelines with the editorial boards of local community publications to familiarize them with your organization's activities and events. The more useful information you can provide in this one-on-one setting about the Guidelines, the greater the likelihood of generating media interest.
- Public service announcements (PSAs). Like advertisements, PSAs are an effective means to communicate a focused message. PSAs come in print, radio, or television formats. Working with a local television station or production company, consider developing 15- and 30-second PSAs that feature a prominent spokesperson and/or local personalities who have benefited from physical activity. Remember that testimonials from adults who meet the Guidelines are particularly effective in motivating less active adults to get involved in the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans outreach.
Publicizing Events
- Supporter promotions with media. If you are planning a high-profile rollout event to showcase the Guidelines, you may want to explore various sponsorship opportunities with local media. In return for helping to publicize the event, you would offer various media outlets the opportunity to become in-kind sponsors. Specific benefits might include the opportunity to display the outlet's logo on event signage, T-shirts, and various printed materials; feature its reporters or on-air personalities at public events; and present awards to noteworthy participants. To enhance your chances of garnering interest in the Guidelines, be sure to contact media outlets that have a good track record in being involved in community service programs (many local TV and radio stations have a special interest in promoting health care awareness). With such a partnership, you can leverage a great deal of publicity free of charge for your work.
- Community events. Whether you are considering a physical activity seminar or workshop, a contest or award ceremony, community events are a wonderful way to generate local interest in the Guidelines and promote physical activity. These events provide not only an excellent forum for generating visibility but an opportunity for educating target audiences about the wide array of services offered through your organization. This type of informational outreach should be supported by success stories highlighting the achievements of people who have improved their health, changed their exercise habits, boosted their energy levels, and generally improved their overall quality of life. Each event presents an opportunity for your organization to promote physical activity.
Community events are a wonderful way to generate local interest in the Guidelines.
Regular physical activity needs to be made an easy choice for Americans.
Specific promotional opportunities may include but should not be limited to the following:
- Challenge events. Publicize your organization's participation by making it a community event. Kick off this friendly competition by announcing the competition theme, goal, and activities during a press conference. Follow the press conference with a 30-minute walk.
- Press conferences with political leaders. Ask your mayor or governor to speak about the importance of the Guidelines and physical activity for Americans. Invite members of your community, as well as local press representatives.
- Contests and award ceremonies. Host a contest that culminates in a high-profile awards ceremony to recognize exceptional participants and program organizers.


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Some are seeing red over "pink slime."
The uproar continues over lean finely textured beef, which has been used for decades in meat processing to prevent E-coli contamination.
"It is beef and they go through a process to remove the fat tissue and they go through a process to remove that and then add that into the ground beef," said Jeni Tackett, RD LD, with Trinity Regional Health System.
But, it's come under fire recently and for the first time ever the U.S. Department of Agriculture has given schools the option to purchase beef that doesn't contain the filler.
According to the USDA, Iowa is among three states that will possibly still serve it up next school year as a part of the National School Lunch Program.
South Dakota and Nebraska will also.
Most states opted out altogether of serving the beef byproduct.
Davenport Public Schools will continue to serve it.
"It's generally recognized as safe and it's inspected by the USDA, so we consider it safe in the food supply here," said Micki Carrington, head of Food and Nutrition Services for Davenport Public Schools.
There is a federal cap of 15-percent on the amount of filler that can be contained in a single product.
But, Carrington says there's no way to know exactly the amount that's being served up in schools.
"We really don't know because in order to find out you have to contact direct manufacturers and it's hard to go all the way back because they might have purchased beef that might have had it in it," she said.
While the unknowns might scare some parents, some nutrition experts say the focus should be on something else.
"How can we start using more whole food and promoting more fruits and vegetables and meats that haven't been through the ringer because those are healthier for all of us," said Tackett.
Bettendorf Public Schools head nutritionist, Cindy Jacobsen, tells us she doesn't want to continue to purchase ground beef that contains the so-called "pink slime."
She says, according to an email she received in March from the State of Iowa, the ground beef will not contain this filler.
No one with the state got back with us.


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Shamus Cooke: The stage is set, and the main actors in Congress and in the corporate establishment are ready to perform, having rehearsed behind closed doors for the coming assault on organized labor's most powerful sector, public workers.
Obama's Tiny Jobs Ideas for Main Street, A Big Spending Freeze for Wall Street
Robert Reich: President Obama today offered a set of proposals for helping America's troubled middle class. All are sensible and worthwhile. But none will bring jobs back. And Americans could be forgiven for wondering how the President plans to enact any of these ideas anyway, when he can no longer muster 60 votes in the Senate.
Half Measures and Lukewarm "Reform" Won't Save the Middle Class
The 30-year class war the rich launched against the working people in this country (and reached its apogee during the George W. Bush years), has left the middle class reeling and wounded. Only bold federal action that puts something concrete in the palms of middle-class Americans can begin to turn these dire social conditions around.


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Three years ago, Ford stole a march on the automotive and marketing worlds by launching its new Fiesta subcompact into the North American market not with a 60-second TV commercial, or two-page color spreads in major consumer magazines, or even with blazing billboards that no one could miss.
Instead, Ford recruited 100 influential bloggers, gave them each their own European-spec Fiesta to drive for a while, and asked the digital literati to spread the good word about the means for Ford's re-entry into an important U.S. product segment — one that it essentially had left unfilled since selling the last of the original American version of the Fiesta in 1980.
"Fiesta Movement" was just the beginning of Ford's determined leadership of social-media marketing and created an auspicious entry for the new car. Bloggers typically loved the vehicle, generated a lot of buzz about it, and prompted thousands of Americans to become "handraisers" for the new U.S.-spec model even before it began rolling off Ford's assembly line in Mexico in volume in early 2010.
"Fiesta Movement was a groundbreaking campaign that put Ford on the social-media map," Scott Monty, Ford's manager of digital and multimedia communications, told me."
But fast forward to today. Sales of Fiesta fell by 44 percent in April compared with a year earlier, Ford reported this week; they are down by 30 percent year-to-date compared with 2011; and Ford expects Fiesta's "normal volume" to stay at this level for the rest of the year, Ken Czubay, the company's U.S. sales vice president, told reporters.
In fact, Fiesta has experienced one of the most hyperbolic sales arcs of any significant new model in recent years. Propelled by the "Movement," Fiesta enjoyed a steep takeoff, selling more than 23,000 units in just the second half of 2010, and soon skyrocketing by nearly 300 percent for all of 2011, to a total of more than 69,000 sales for the year. Then came this year's sales slump, which is a steep drop for a model that is only two years old.
What happened?
Simple, Ford executives say: When gasoline prices spiked a year ago, Fiesta was broadly available to Ford buyers while the new Focus compact wasn't yet in full-volume production; so small-car intenders gravitated toward Fiesta.
Now that the completely overhauled Focus is popular, and well-stocked at Ford dealers, buyers of fuel-efficient cars are favoring Focus in big numbers over Fiesta, so the subcompact's monthly sales comparisons have suffered significantly.
"Fiesta comparisons to last year are pretty tricky," Czubay said. Last spring, as Ford was winding down availability of the old model of its popular Focus nameplate, buyers interested in good fuel economy in a small car only had Fiesta to look at in a Ford dealership. "But now Focus is on dealers' lots [and] consumers have a great choice between Fiesta and Focus, and they're choosing Focus" more often, Czubay explained.
Ford executives said they aren't concerned about this "rebalancing" because the sales are going to Ford anyway. Fiesta sticker prices start at just $13,200, according to Edmunds.com, while Focus retail prices begin at $16,500. But they're more comparable on fuel economy: Fiesta provides 29 mpg in the city and 38 mpg on the highway, while Focus numbers are 26 mpg and 36 mpg. The larger Focus is favored by the baby-boomer cohort who comprise the majority of new-car buyers these days, noted Erich Merkle, head of Ford's U.S. sales analysis.
But last spring's gas-price spike and the Fiesta-Focus dynamic may not comprise the entire picture behind the little car's decline.
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About AQ
About Aquinas
About Grand Rapids
Adult Undergraduate
Financial Aid
A-Z Dept. Listing
Course Catalog
Service Learning
International Programs
Campus Life
Residence Life
The Moose
Grand Rapids, Michigan (February 9, 2007) -
February 9, 2007 - Aquinas College Assistant Professor of Spanish Dr. Mary Orlicki was honored Thursday, February 8, 2007 with a Michigan Campus Compact Faculty/Staff Community Service-Learning Award at the 11th annual Institute meeting in Livonia. This prestigious annual award is the highest MCC bestows on faculty and staff in the state of Michigan. Dr. Orlicki was designated by peers as the faculty/staff person on campus who has made the most outstanding contributions in service-learning and community service. This award recognizes her influence on and engagement of students to be involved in community service or service-learning through modeling, instructing and/or special projects. Dr. Orlicki was nominated by Mr. Eric Bridge, Coordinator of Service Learning at Aquinas.As professor of the Oaxaca, Mexico course, Dr. Orlicki thoughtfully and intentionally designed her course with service-learning components. Last year, she coordinated cultural dinners, conducted fair trade fundraisers and accompanied her students to Oaxaca, Mexico. She challenged her students to integrate their intellectual preparation with practical experience and to become personally involved with Spanish speaking people in the community. Dr. Orlicki's passion is clearly evident to her students, and her personal engagement and advocacy for social justice are unparalleled.Michigan Campus Compact promotes the education and commitment of Michigan college students to be civically engaged citizens, through creating and expanding academic, co-curricular and campus-wide opportunities for community service, service-learning and civic engagement.


text: Helping You Achieve Your Goals First Heritage Credit operates branch offices in Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee and Alabama. However, we recognize you may not have time during the day to call or visit one of our branches to apply for a loan. That's why you can now apply online today! Our mission is to provide our customers with a convenient and dependable source for additional cash when they need it. If you are interested in applying for a loan online, just click on the "Apply Online" tab at the top of the page or fill out the form to the right and click "Apply". We take pride in providing fast, friendly service--- so don't hesitate to apply! Whether your credit is excellent or you've had past credit problems, all applications will be considered. We are happy to offer our services to you and look forward to hearing from you! Equal Credit Opportunity Act: The federal Equal Credit Opportunity Act prohibits creditors from discriminating against credit applicants on the basis of religion, national origin, sex, marital status or age; because all or part of the credit applicant's income derives from any public assistance program(s); or because the credit applicant has, in good faith, exercised any right under the Consumer Credit Protection Act. The federal agency that administers compliance with the laws concerning this creditor is the Federal Trade Commission, Equal Credit Opportunity, Washington, DC 20580.


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Fantasia De Luxe Hotel
Kusadasi, Aegean Coast (Bodrum), Turkey
Fantasia De Luxe Hotel Introduction
Located by the glimmering seashore, this luxurious hotel is set in sumptuous gardens of colourful blooms shaded by date and palm trees and offers a choice of restaurants and a golden expanse of private beach. Enjoy the superb sports and fitness facilities, admire the panoramic views or relax with a cool drink in a selection of bars. Children will be kept busy too with a range of entertaining activities from beach sports to discos, games and competitions. Experience the service, opulence and splendour of 5 star luxury situated in the midst of ancient cities and a short distance from modern shopping malls and the clear waters of the Aegean.
Fantasia De Luxe Hotel Facilities
• Hotel room for up to 3 (max 2 adults/1 child) consists of • Twin beds or 1 double bed • Satellite TV • Safety deposit box • Minibar • Tea & coffee making facilities • Bath, shower and wc • Hairdryer • Balcony or terrace • Air conditioning • Family rooms for up to 4 adults and Single rooms available at a supplement
• Games rooms • Turkish bath • Massage • Mini football • Watersports from beach (under separate management) • Diving school
All Inclusive means
• Meals: Full board with buffet-style breakfast, lunch and dinner. Snacks 3pm-5pm. Midnight snacks 11.30pm-12.30am. • Drinks: Unlimited locally produced alcoholic drinks and soft drinks 10am-midnight. Afternoon tea 5pm-6pm. • Activities: Tennis, gym, sauna. • Children: Hotel kids' club, playground, mini disco, ice-cream 3pm-5pm. • Entertainment: Regular day and evening entertainment.
• Swimming pool • FREE sunbeds and parasols • Private man-made beach • Indoor pool • Internet café • TV lounge • Hairdresser • Beauty salon • Laundry service
For Children
• Separate children's pool • Video games • Children's menu
Key Facts
• On the beach • Main resort area: 5 kms • 333 rooms • Child age: 2-12 years • Official rating: 5 star • Some facilities and activities may incur a local charge
Meals and Drinks
• Buffet restaurant • 3 à la carte restaurants • Snack restaurant • 2 pool bars • Cocktail bar • Beach bar
If you are interested in this holiday, please select your preferred travel options from the panel on the left.


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Week of OCTOBER 24, 2011
Students in the mountain biking class enjoy the fall foliage at Pine Hill Park in Rutland. Learn more about the class below.
Green Mountain College Announces Affordability Plan
Green Mountain College announced at fall open house last week that it is enhancing its current commitment to assisting families in paying for a GMC education by mounting an ambitious multi-year affordability plan. The plan addresses academic merit scholarships, Make-a-Difference scholarships, and need-based grants to attract the most motivated and prepared students. All of the affordability strategies being implemented are designed to assist in lowering the average debt for all graduating students.
The affordability plan will continue to make Green Mountain a valued choice for Vermonters, students from across the US and around the globe. Mapping affordability starts with the prospective student's basic financial understanding (sometimes referred to as "financial literacy"). With just basic knowledge of total "net" cost, families can better appreciate the value and the impact of a successful GMC undergraduate experience and future prospects for graduate school placement and the working world.
See the whole plan here
Outdoorsman, Author Steve Rinella Presents "Hunting for Food: An Ancient Path through Modern Life"
Steven Rinella is an avid outdoorsman with a deep respect for wildlife. He's also a hunter. Rinella will present a talk "Hunting for Food: An Ancient Path through Modern Life" in the Gorge from 7 to 8 p.m. tonight.
Rinella uses humor punctuated with stories of amazing and sometimes absurd adventures, ranging from falling through the ice in Michigan to getting poisoned by wild mushrooms in Alaska. Above all, he is a serious journalist and incisive observer. Rinella is the author of
The Scavenger's Guide to Haute Cuisine
(Miramax Books, 2005) and
American Buffalo: In Search of a Lost Icon
(Random House, 2008). The latter title won the Sigurd F. Olson Nature Writing Award and the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Award. His writing has appeared in a wide variety of popular publications, including
The New Yorker
The New York Times
, and Salon.com, along with traditional hunting and fishing publications such as
Field and Stream
Rinella's visit, his second to GMC, is sponsored by prof. Jim Harding's NRM 3065: Hunting—History, Ethics, and Management class.
Provost Appointed Board Chair of AASHE
Green Mountain College Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. William Throop was elected chair of the board of directors of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) effective Jan. 1, 2012 during the organization's annual conference in Pittsburgh earlier this month.
AASHE was founded in 2005 to help coordinate and strengthen sustainability efforts in higher education across the nation. Since that time it has grown to more than 1100 institutional members and become a thought leader on sustainability.
Dr. Throop holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from Brown University, and he is a nationally recognized scholar in environmental ethics. He is one of the principal architects of the College's Environmental Liberal Arts (ELA).
Faculty Colloquium: Matt Mayberry
On Wednesday, October 26 from 12 – 1 p.m. in Terrace 124, prof. Matt Mayberry (business) will kick off the 2011 Faculty Colloquium Series, discussing a framework for GMC's strategic planning process through a systems lens to help develop an overall goal for Green Mountain College that could be realized by 2017.
There will be an opportunity for discussion following the presentation.
Bubriski Receives Praise from Congressman
Prof. Kevin Bubriski recently received a commendation from Congressman John Garamendi for his contribution to the Peace Corps Writers 50th Anniversary Celebration held September 22 in Washington D.C.
Bubriski's book
Portrait of Nepal
was based on his return in 1984 to the country he had served as a Peace Corps volunteer years earlier.
Portrait of Nepal
was chosen to be part of a special Library of Congress Peace Corps collection of 284 books published between 1964 and 2011.
"Whatever the subject, these books are representative of the creativity, scholarship, and knowledge of the developing world of authors with Peace Corps service," according to the Library of Congress.
Bubriski was also a featured guest at a September 23 event hosted by the India China Institute and The New School at the Theresa Lang Center in New York. Bubriski launched his new book
at the event which was headlined by a conversation with Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, prime minster of Nepal and vice-chair do the Unified Communist party of Nepal, titled "What is the Relevance of Marxism in the 21st Century?" Panelists included attorney, sociologist and educator David Van Zand and Andrew Arato, professor of political and social theory.
Bubriski also has nine photographs in the show "Photographing the Street: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka" at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. The exhibit opened October 15 and will be on display through October 28. It will then travel to all the eight SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) countries over the next three years.
Stories Out of School
by Bruna Lobato
Last Wednesday, faculty members Laird Christensen, Sarah Mittlefehldt, Jen Sellers, and John Van Hoesen shared their graduate school experiences in an East Room forum. The event, sponsored by Career Services, was designed to help GMC students get into a graduate school, give advice on how to finance their studies, and show how to be "someone in a crowd" through sharing their experiences from school.
"It was a very informative, interactive, and accessible opportunity, and was a good way to bridge the gap between students and faculty. And it was fun," said Tom Timon '14.
All the professors emphasized the importance of building a good relationship with your college professors, doing volunteer work, developing network connections, and having a good story to tell from your years in college.
"Apply to a range of schools: big, mediocre, and small ones," moderator Bill Throop, GMC's provost, suggested. "Also, always check if the program is accredited."
The biggest advantage of being in a small liberal arts college is that you can be close to your professors, learn a lot from their experiences, and even be able to get letters of reference from renowned faculty.
"Come to our next 'Stories Out of School,' but remember that you don't have to wait for it! Go talk to your favorite professors whenever you can," said Throop.
Students Gain Many Skills in Mountain Bike Class
Soil, water, and flora/fauna ecology, as well as special event assistance and service opportunities are just a few of the highlights for those enrolled in the essentials of mountain biking this fall. During labs, students ride primarily at Pine Hill Park in Rutland, but also spend time in the campus bike shop located in the basement of Dunton developing mechanical acumen.
"Students gain confidence and can save a lot of money through learning how to fix bikes, which provides avenues for employment as cycling is becoming a growing avenue for outreach programming in the United States" says instructor Tom Stuessy.
Stuessy also mentions that the course's curriculum covers land access, protection, and how community and state politics in tandem with professional organizations play a major role in the development of sustainable trail systems.
"Students learn about area resources and how profound a simple activity like cycling can be in developing social capital and creating opportunities for all walks of life to engage their community; cyclists or not."
The adventure education program plans to offer the course every other fall and non-majors are welcome to enroll.
Roots of Creation to Play at GMC
The self-described "reggae-jam dubtronica hybrid" band Roots of Creation will come back to GMC this Wednesday, October 26 at 9 p.m. in the Gorge.
Roots of Creation create their sound from a plethora of styles. Starting with a strong base in reggae and roots-rock, they tastefully add elements of dub, electronica and dance to guitar-heavy progressions. This New Hampshire quartet is known not just for their music, but their intoxicating live performances as well.
Roots of Creation has played with bands such as Eek-a-Mouse, the RZA, the Wailers, Toots and the Maytals, Israel Vibration, and Bassnectar, just to name a few. Make sure to join them this Wednesday!
Vermont Migrant Farmworker Solidarity Project
On Tuesday, Oct. 25th, the Vermont Migrant Farmworker Solidarity Project will be giving a presentation in the East Room from 6-7pm. Danilo Lopez, a farmworker leader, will share his personal story, and talk about environmental and social justice issues in Vermont. This talk is free and open to the public.
Transfer Student Social
In honor of GMC's new transfer students, join Career Services for a social on Wednesday, October 26 to meet fellow transfers and enjoy some refreshments.
Please RSVP by October 24 to
Visual Arts Internship Presentations
Visual Art Internship Presentations will be held in Griswold 2 at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday October 26. All arts-related majors are invited to join faculty and presenters at dinner in Withey beginning at 5:30 p.m.
Poultney Woodshed Project Meeting
On Thursday, Oct. 27 from 7 - 8:30 p.m. in the East Room, there will be an information session for landowners, the greater Poultney community, and the GMC community to talk about our work on developing a local community-scaled energy movement based on sustainable forestry, and the College's efforts in seeking local, sustainable sources of biomass for our new plant.
Film Screening: "A Civil Action"
On Wednesday, October 26 at 7:30 p.m. in Terrace 124, students of environmental law and policy invite you to a free screening of the film "A Civil Action" staring John Travolta. This film depicts a real life case from Massachusetts where a small group of residents banded together to fight against companies who polluted their water wells with toxic chemicals. Following the film, environmental law students will lead a brief discussion.
For more information, please contact Sam Edwards at
Moses Coffeehouse Grand Opening
Join fellow students for good coffee and casual conversation during the grand opening of the Moses Coffeehouse this Friday, October 28 from 7 p.m. – midnight. The coffeehouse is located in the basement of Moses Hall (the side facing North).
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Join CPB on October 29 for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, and check out the debut of Ackley's new projector and screen for a real movie-going experience. Wear your costume and enjoy the show!
In the epic finale, the battle between the good and evil forces of the wizarding world escalates into an all-out war. The stakes have never been higher and no one is safe. But is Harry who may be called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice as he draws closer to the climatic showdown with Lord Voldemort. It all ends here.
Showtimes are at 7:30 and 10 p.m.
Thinking of studying abroad in Spring 2012?
You need to start planning now! Even if you won't be traveling with a GMC-sponsored program, it's not too late to get your courses pre-approved and apply your non-GMC financial aid to your program. If you plan to study abroad with a non-GMC program in the spring, you need to submit an "Intent to Participate" form by November 1 and complete all paperwork by December 1 to receive course pre-approval and help from the financial aid office to transfer your non-GMC aid.
Make an appointment to meet with Anne Colpitts, director of international programs, as soon as possible at
3 vs. 3 Basketball Tournament Signup
Students Casey McGill and Emma Lord will be raising money for the Poultney Food Shelf with a 3 vs. 3 basketball tournament on November 11 from 7 – 10 p.m. in the Waldron Gym. There will be a registration fee of $15 for teams of three. First and second place finishers will receive a gift card for a local business.
To sign up, contact Emma Lord at
or Casey McGill at
. Students can also stop by Moses 357 to register.
Prof. Laird Christensen
(English, environmental studies), spent October 22-24 at the Glen Brook Writers Retreat in Marlborough, NH. Now in its 26th year, Glen Brook draws together nature writers and editors from around the Northeast for a weekend of discussions, workshops, and readings. This year Laird read from a new essay, "If a Tree Falls in the Forest" — a reflection on federal attempts to manage logging practices in ways that attempt to maintain endangered species habitat.
Prof. Paul Hancock
(economics) and Karrah Johnston '11 co-presented a paper at the 2011 Conference of the Union for Radical Political Economics on Saturday, October 1 at St. Francis College in Brooklyn, N.Y. Their paper was titled "Forced March: Immigration Policy, I.C.E. and the Increased Oppression of Low-Wage Migrant Labor." Jennifer Rosenbaum, counsel for the National Guestworker Alliance, was a co-presenter. The conference theme was "The War on the Working Class."
Christina Fabrey
, director of academic support services, is a contributing author to a new book titled
The AD/HD Awareness Book Project: 365 Ways to Succeed with AD/HD
. This book, containing contributions from co-authors in the fields of medicine, nursing, coaching, nutrition, therapy, research, and education, presents practical tips and strategies that individuals can use to improve the daily management of AD/HD. The book was released on October 11, 2011 in celebration of National AD/HD Awareness Week.
Prof. Teresa Coker
(environmental education) attended the North American Association of Environmental Education's Annual Conference in Raleigh, North Carolina Oct. 12 - 15 where she co-presented "Making a Case for EE in Academia." She also was elected chair of the Professional Development and Teacher Education Special Interest Group.
Prof. Philip Ackerman-Leist
(environmental studies, farm and food director) was recently the keynote address at the Mother Earth News Fair in Seven Springs, Penn., with a presentation titled "Playful Practicality." Additionally, he presented at the "Seeding the Change" conference at Dickinson College with a presentation titled "The Practical Arts & the Liberal Arts: Cross-Pollination on the College Farm."
Later this week, Philip will be heading to Lakeside, Montana to give a keynote address titled "Sustainability Begins at Home" for the annual AERO meeting.
Steve Rinella to speak at GMC
GMC's Mountain Bike Class
Roots of Creation at GMC
Faculty Notes
Men & Women's XC
10/30, 11 a.m. (men) & 12 p.m. (women) NAC Championship
Men's Soccer
10/25, 3:30 p.m. at New England College
Women's Soccer
10/25, 3:30 p.m. at New England College
Women's Volleyball
10/26, 7 p.m. vs. Paul Smith's
10 a.m. - 2 p.m.,
Wellness Center
Fire Dancing
5:30 - 7 p.m.,
Bogue Movement Studio
Jazz Band
6 p.m., Ackley Stage
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
7 - 8:30 p.m.,
Bogue Movement Studio
Steve Rinella:
Hunting for Food
7 - 8 p.m., Gorge
Horray for Play
11:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.,
Withey Lobby
Guided Meditation
3 - 3:30 p.m., Ackley Chapel
Shakti Tribal Dance Practice
4 - 5:30 p.m.,
Bogue Movement Studio
Choir Rehearsal
4 - 5:30 p.m., Ackley 330
Vermont Migrant Farmworkers
Solidarity Project Presentation
6 - 7 p.m., East Room
7 - 8 p.m., Ackley Chapel
Open Chapel
8 - 10 p.m., Ackley Chapel
Faculty Colloquium:
Matthew Mayberry
12 - 1 p.m., Terrace 124
Academic Skills Workshop:
Microsoft Powerpoint
1 - 2 p.m.,
Graphics Lab, Griswold Library
Power Yoga
1:30 - 2:30 p.m.,
Bogue Movement Studio
Massage Therapy
and Reflexology
3 - 8 p.m., Wellness Center
Resume & Cover Letter Tutorial
4 p.m.,
Room 2, Griswold Library
4:30 - 5:30 p.m.,
Bogue Movement Studio
Shakti Tribal Dance - Beginners
6 - 7:15 p.m.,
Bogue Movement Studio
Transfer Student Social
6 - 7:30 p.m.,
Moses Writers Lounge
Visual Arts
Internship Presentations
6:30 p.m., Griswold 2
Zazen Meditation
7 - 7:30 p.m., Ackley Chapel
Shakti Tribal Dance - Advanced
7:30 - 9:30 p.m.
Bogue Movement Studio
Film Showing:
"A Civil Action"
7:30 p.m., Terrace 124
Roots of Creation
9 p.m., Gorge
Tea and Brown Bag Lunch
12 - 1 p.m., Ackley Chapel
Breath of Life
12:15 - 12:45 p.m.,
Withey Lobby
Poultney Woodshed
Project Meeting
7 - 8:30 p.m., East Room
Relaxing Yoga
7 - 8 p.m.
Bogue Movement Studio
Open Chapel
8 - 10 p.m., Ackley Chapel
Horray for Play
11:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.,
Withey Lobby
Chiropractic Services
1 - 5 p.m.,
Wellness Center
2 - 3 p.m., Ackley Chapel
Guided Meditation
3 - 3:30 p.m., Ackley Chapel
Shakti Tribal Dance Practice
4 - 5:30 p.m.,
Bogue Movement Studio
Grand Opening:
Moses Coffeehouse
7 p.m., Moses Coffeehouse
Contemporary Dance
12 - 3 p.m.,
Bogue Movement Studio
CPB Movie: Harry Potter
7:30 & 10 p.m.,
Ackley Theater


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GeneCoDis2 API
The service provides analysis of genetic sequence data to identify those associated with biological features, known as annotations, that frequently appear together. It then ranks these sets of genes based on the statistical significance of the frequency of co-occurrence. The results indicate the strength of association between biological annotations and a research project's identified set of genes. API methods support analysis of statistical relationships between genetic sequences based on multiple repositories of data documenting statistical relationships. A request can specify the organism genome to be the focus of analysis along with the statistical algorithm and method to apply plus the gene sequence and set of biological annotations to consider. Results suggest statistical associations between those annotations within the specified sequences for the specified organism.
Followers (0)
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Developers (0)
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API Mashups (0)
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Source Code
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Sorry, no resources found for this API.
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Contacting Crayola Customer Service Center
Contacting Crayola Customer Service Center
For more than 100 years, Crayola has been the leading brand of crayons in the industry. The company has moved beyond crayons and started making products, such as creative toys, crafting activities and art tools. Regardless of the products, Crayola creates products that allow customers to dream, pretend, play, discover and explore. If you need to contact the customer service department to discuss a product, you can reach out by phone, email, traditional mail or through social media.
Contact Info:
Phone Contact Numbers
The customer service department is available to assist customers Monday through Friday 9am to 4pm, EST.
- Customer Service: 1-800-272-9652
Mailing Address
CrayolaCorporate Headquarters1100 Church LaneEaston, Pennsylvania 18044-0431
Crayola LLCAttn: Consumer AffairsP.O. Box 431Easton, PA 18044-0431
Official Website
Customers visiting the official Crayola website http://www.crayola.com/ have the opportunity to print coloring pages, browse products, view galleries, create crafts and shop online. There are sections of the website specifically for parents, educators and kids, called the Kids' Playzone.
Social Media
Customers reaching out to the customer service department through social media have the ability to post a question for all to view or send a direct message to the customer service department. We noticed several conversations where customer concerns were addressed in a timely manner. In fact, the average response time was less than 24 hours.
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/crayola
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Crayola
- YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/crayolallc
Customer Service Email
When customers want to connect with the customer service department, you will need to utilize the feedback form on the website. The information needed to send you message, includes your contact information, the question and the type of question you are asking. We sent a message asking if items purchased online are eligible for in-store returns. We received an immediate response stating the customer service department would respond within 48 hours.
- Customer Service: http://www2.crayola.com/canwehelp/contact/ask.cfm
Our Experience
When we contacted the customer service department, the first thing we encountered was an automated system. In order to reach the customer service department, you can stay on the line or press six (6). We made our selection and waited less than 90 seconds. After the customer service agent answered the call, we asked about the warranty of products purchased online. The agent explained the warranty and suggested we read the Crayola FAQs http://www.crayola.com/faq/ in the event we needed additional questions answered. The overall customer service experience was better than expected. What are your thoughts relating to your experience? We want to hear from customers just like you. Take a moment to share your thoughts with us in the comment section.


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Register now for free, or sign in with any of these services:
Want to set your local edition?
Select an edition for more focused local news coverage when you visit NOLA.com.
Don't worry. You can change this setting at any time to another local edition.
Thunder get Paul. Hornets get $$$ because they are broke.
Thunder get Paul. Hornets get $$$ because they are broke.
ha ha, this dude said "Their not going nowhere" --and you guys made fun of Oklahoma, nice.
I wish they'd continue to broadcast the games on Cox in OKC.
We should trade him to Seattle for $ $ $
is this game going to be on national TV ?
we need to watch it in OKC w/o League Pass. . . just sayin
Not much of a fan my self, they would probably fare better in Oklahoma City.
with tickets being $8 each I bet the crowd will look good tonight?
Just my opinion, we have bigger fish to fry during the next 10 years. Bigger issues to address than an NBA team.
i bet the lakers win tonight.
Let's be number one in low attendance.
Yeah Nolatalks371, they will probably go back to OKC where they will sell out a lot of games and have consistent large crowds. It's okay with me as long as we get to keep the Saints, the Tigers, and the Zephyrs. Actually, I'm ready for Miles to leave so I should say the Tigers minus Les Miles.
Wow, the Hornets are really making us proud this year. I can't wait until they come back to Oklahoma City. Playing the Mav's on a Saturday night, the Ford Center would have had 19,000 people on the inside and 10,000 more on the outside trying to get in. I sure hope Peja stays healthy all season. Go Hornets ! ! ! ! !
Man, the Hornets are kicking some butt and taking names. Too bad they aren't in OKC so the sell-out crowds can shake the walls with support for these guys.
Dat dirty dirty doing it's thang. I can't wait until NBA's all star weekend... dead people gettin shot up all over the place.
Them fools straight got gatted . . .
this is a huge waste of money, let's send the Hornets back to OKC where they belong. We should focus all of our efforts and resources on the Saints. I'm hard pressed to find any Hornets fans on the coast anyway - waste of money in my opinion.


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I know this week's Douchebag Decree
doesn't come out until tomorrow, but I thought we could take a minute
to prepare for it by discussing an O.G. Douchebag who has made some new
gender waves over the past few days: Rush Limbaugh.
Limbaugh (a.k.a. Sir Douche-yness) has noticed a (gasp!) gender gap in
his approval ratings as of late, and is planning to host a women's summit
in order to figure out what he can do to get some ladies in his corner
(you know, where he can better explain our shortcomings to us). An
actual quote from rushlimbaugh.com:
Go! Go! Go have a listen to the first-ever Bitch radio episode.
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Have an idea for the blog? Click here to contact us!


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Waikane attractions are listed below. Find things to do in or near Waikane, HI for your upcoming individual or group travel for Waikane visitors. We also offer the great discounts on Waikane Hawaii hotel and motel rooms.
Attractions + Things To See in Waikane
... Next 6 Things to see > [1 - 6 of 30]


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Prepping Nettles for Pizza?
I've been seeing lots of nettles are our local farmers' market and would like to make a pizza utilizing them this weekend. I haven't worked with them before, but it sounds like getting rid of the stinging element is as simple as a blanch for ~1 minute in boiling water? After that I was planning to saute them in duck fat with garlic and hot chilis before topping the pie.
Any advice for prepping or recommendations for nettle pies?
Talk is closed, but that doesn't mean the conversations have to stop!
Check out this post for a more thorough explanation, and jump onto our Facebook page or our Twitter feed to keep the conversations going!


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Wildmind Meditation News
Oct 12, 2013
Buddhism, Christianity share goals: Dalai Lama
globalpost: The Dalai Lama told Mexicans on Saturday that Christianity and Buddhism coincide in their pursuit of human happiness.
Both religions promote "love, compassion and self-discipline" that lead to happiness, the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader told some 3,000 people.
More than 90 percent of Mexico's 118 million people are Catholic.
With his usual smile and good humor, the Dalai Lama said that for decades, Christian leaders have been interested in some Buddhist teachings.
Christianity promotes the concept of a transcendent and unique God as creator, while Buddhism refutes the existence of a creator.
The Dalai Lama's trip, which began Friday, marks his fourth to Mexico…
Wildmind Meditation News
Sep 24, 2011
Ex-convict teaches yoga to help calm violence in Mexico's prisons
Lauren Villagran: Teenage boys shuffle into a cramped room. Wearing the same navy blue sweatpants and white undershirts, they sit cross-legged on yoga mats laid out on the floor. Thick scars on forearms and biceps are apparent as they stretch their hands to their knees and shut their eyes.
Yoga instructor – and ex-convict – Fredy Díaz Arista begins guiding a meditation aimed at relaxing the group of 10 young offenders. Among them and their peers, about 300 youth in this Mexico City jail, the crimes range from drug abuse to robbery, assault, and murder.
"How long can you stand yourselves with your…


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Respond, React, Re-impress: Five Minutes in Action
Sat, Apr 24, 2010
Works from the MCA collection serve as a springboard for this workshop that introduces and explores the five-minute curriculum — a technique for generating relevant and engaging curriculum possibilities. Artists and teachers Nathan Diamond and Cheryl Pope lead teachers on a tour of the MCA with an eye toward classroom application. Educators engage in guided discussion while viewing exhibitions to develop a series of five-minute concepts. This collaborative workshop provides educators with a wealth of ideas that are rich in curricular connections.
MCA teacher programs are free for Illinois teachers. Participants receive CPDUs. Vouchers for free parking in the MCA garage are provided pending availability.
Pre-registration is required. Call 312.397.3838 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.