Stephen J. Hadley, Michael Allen, Dan Levin, John C. Rood

Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs Stephen J. Hadley announced today the appointment of Michael Allen as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Legislative Affairs.

Most recently, Mr. Allen was Special Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs where he managed congressional relations for the White House Homeland Security Council. Prior to that position, he worked for the Office of Homeland Security at the White House and in the Bureau of Legislative Affairs at the U.S. Department of State. He previously worked for Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama.

Mr. Allen received his bachelor's degree from Vanderbilt University, his J.D. from the University of Alabama School of Law, and an L.L.M. in International Law from the Georgetown University Law Center.

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Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs Stephen J. Hadley announced today the appointment of Dan Levin as Senior Associate Counsel to the President and National Security Council Legal Adviser.

Most recently, Mr. Levin served as Acting Assistant Attorney General in Office of Legal Counsel at the U.S. Department of Justice. He previously served in a number of positions within the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and served as Deputy Legal Adviser for the National Security Council. Prior to his government service, Mr. Levin was a partner with the law firm of Hale and Dorr.

Mr. Levin received his bachelor's degree from Harvard College and his J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School.

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Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs Stephen J. Hadley announced today the appointment of John C. Rood as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Counterproliferation Strategy.

Most recently, Mr. Rood served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Forces Policy. Prior to joining the U.S. Defense Department, Mr. Rood served as the Director for Proliferation Strategy, Counterproliferation, and Homeland Defense at the National Security Council. He previously served as Senior Policy Advisor to Senator Jon Kyl of Arizona, and in a variety of positions at the Central Intelligence Agency.

Mr. Rood received his bachelor's degree from Arizona State University.

# # # For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary March 21, 2005 Personnel Announcement

USCGC Munro (WHEC 724), HMS Invincible (R05) and HMS Nottingham (D91)

Coalition Maritime Forces Intercept Hijacked Vessel

USCGC MUNRO, At Sea (NNS) -- U.S. Coast Guard Cutter USCGC Munro (WHEC 724), working with British ships HMS Invincible (R05) and HMS Nottingham (D91) in the Gulf of Aden, intercepted a hijacked Thai fishing vessel at around noon March 17.

Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (COMUSNAVCENT) received telephone reports from the International Maritime Bureau’s Piracy Reporting Center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, concerning the hijacking of Thai-flagged fishing vessel Sirichai Nava 12 by three Somali crew members the evening of March 16, as well as a fax indicating that the hijackers demanded $800,000 in ransom for the vessel’s crew.

Commander, Combined Task Force (CTF) 150, under the direction of COMUSNAVCENT, tasked British Royal Navy aircraft carrier Invincible, destroyer Nottingham and Munro to investigate the situation. A Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS) team from Munro boarded Sirichai Nava, while a boarding team from Nottingham boarded a second fishing vessel, Ekhwat Patana, which was with the Thai vessel. Munro’s boarding team detained the Somalis without incident.

One of the crew members of the Thai vessel had a minor flesh wound, which was treated by the Munro boarding team. The Coast Guardsmen also discovered four automatic weapons in the pilothouse, expended ammunition shells on the deck of the vessel, as well as ammunition on the detained suspects. The three suspects were transferred to Munro pending follow-on disposition guidance from higher authority.

Munro is currently on deployment in the region and is assigned to CTF 150, which is the coalition maritime task force conducting Maritime Security Operations (MSO) in the vicinity of the Horn of Africa, Gulf of Aden, Red Sea, North Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman.

MSO are aimed at setting the conditions for security and stability in the maritime environment. Illicit activity at sea has a global impact. MSO pressurizes the maritime environment and is the single most significant component of the conventional maritime effort against terrorism.

Invincible and Nottingham are deployed to the Middle East as part of the Royal Navy Maritime Strike Force 05.

Story Number: NNS050318-01 Release Date: 3/18/2005 11:29:00 AM From Commander, U.S. 5th Fleet Public Affairs For more news from around the fleet, visit www.navy.mil/