President Presents National Medals of Science and Technology

President Presents National Medals of Science and Technology
The East Room

President's Remarks FULL STREAMING VIDEO 10:24 A.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. Please be seated. Welcome to the White House. It's an honor to be in the company of so many bright and distinguished Americans. All of you have been blessed with great talent and you have applied your talent to great purposes. Your work is making our country more competitive, more hopeful, and more prosperous. On behalf of a grateful nation, congratulations for earning the National Medals of Science and Technology.

I want to welcome your families and friends who are here with you. I know your family members are equally proud of your accomplishment. I appreciate Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez joining us; Dr. Jack Marburger, Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy; Phil Bond; Arden Bement; members of the National Science Foundation; members of the board of the National Science and Technology Medals Foundation -- they'd be the reason you're here -- (laughter) -- previous recipients of the National Medals of Science and Technology.

I want to thank the members of Congress who have joined us: Senator Barbara Mikulski of Maryland is with us; Congressman Roscoe Bartlett of Maryland; Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey of California who is coming; Judy Biggert, Congresswoman from Illinois; Congressman Rick Larsen of Washington; and Congresswoman Katherine Harris of Florida.

Over the years, the East Room has hosted some of the White House's most memorable events. Long before any President held an awards ceremony here, it was the home to Thomas Jefferson's secretary, Meriwether Lewis -- not a bad place for a guy to camp out. (Laughter.) He didn't stay here long, because in 1803, President Jefferson gave him a new assignment, a daring mission to explore the West. The President also gave him a letter of unlimited government credit to cover every possible expense. Disappointed to say, your medal doesn't come with such presidential decree. (Laughter.)

Over the centuries, the same passion for discovery that drove Lewis and Clarke to the Pacific has also led bold Americans to master the miracle of flight, to conquer dreaded diseases, and explore the frontiers of space. To reward and encourage America's spirit of innovation, Congress created the National Medal of Science and National Medal of Technology. These are the most prestigious honors the President can bestow for achievement in science and technology. Today, I am proud to recognize a diverse and deserving group of American citizens, what we call pioneers.

The laureates we honor today have made new and lasting contributions in fields from mathematics to behavioral science, to geology, to genetics. You've discovered new clues about the behavior of viruses, the workings of the human mind, and the shape of the universe. Many of your breakthroughs are changing entire industries, from airline safety to chemical production, to computer software and networking. Your efforts to improve energy development and expand health care technology and reduce auto pollution are bringing the promise of a better future to people all around our globe.

Your experiences vary widely; yet all of you share some common traits. As innovators, you heard a calling to challenge the status quo. You weren't afraid to ask important questions. You applied rigorous standards to your research. I suspect some of you suffered some setbacks, yet you didn't get discouraged. You followed where the evidence led. You revised your methods, but not your ambitions. And through a lifetime of hard work, you have produced accomplishments that will endure beyond your years.

For most of you, the journey of this day began when someone engaged your curiosity -- a schoolteacher, or a parent, or a caring adult in your community. As your interest grew, you found a mentor in your field, a generous soul who added to your experience and raised your sights. Many of you have repaid that debt by devoting a part of your career to teaching, and I want to thank you for that. I appreciate the fine example that you have set for aspiring young scientists, like those from Benjamin Banneker High School who are with us, or the Intel Science Talent Search folks who have joined us from all around our country. I want to welcome you all here. I appreciate you witnessing this important ceremony.

As you go on to greater accomplishments, I hope our recipients will continue to foster and encourage the scientists and technological leaders of tomorrow. By pursuing your curiosity, all of you have achieved historic results. You bring credit to yourselves, to your families, and to our country. You have our country's gratitude. You have earned our respect.

Once again, thank you for coming to the White House. Congratulations for your awards. The Military Aide will read the citations, and afterwards, I hope you will join us in a reception -- back there. (Laughter.)

Read the words, please. (Applause.)

END 10:40 A.M. EST For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary March 14, 2005

Madagascar's Millennium Challenge Account Compact

Statement on Madagascar's Millennium Challenge Account Compact Approval

Today, the President congratulated Madagascar on being the first country to have its Millennium Challenge Account Compact approved by the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Board and thanks the MCC Board for its diligence in this effort. The MCA is a groundbreaking development initiative that rewards countries that govern justly, invest in their people, and promote economic freedom. The $110 million program with Madagascar epitomizes this new approach, focusing on raising rural incomes and investment through a comprehensive plan that links land titling, banking, and agricultural investment.

# # # For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary March 14, 2005 STATEMENT BY THE PRESS SECRETARY

Karen P. Hughes, Dina Habib Powell, of Texas

President George W. Bush today announced his intention to nominate two individuals to serve in his Administration:

The President intends to nominate Karen P. Hughes, of Texas, to be Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy with the rank of Ambassador during her tenure of service. Ms. Hughes is currently a speaker and author, who served as Counselor to the President at the White House. Ms. Hughes has traveled to Afghanistan as part of several delegations representing the United States and the President's commitment to peace and freedom throughout the world. She is also a member of the US-Afghan Women's Council.

Before joining the Administration, she was Director of Communications for the Bush for President campaign. Prior to that, she served then Governor George W. Bush as Director of Communications. From 1992 to 1994, Ms. Hughes served as Executive Director of the Republican Party of Texas. Earlier in her career, she was a news reporter for KXAS-TV in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas. Ms. Hughes received her B.A. degree in English and her B.F.A. degree in Journalism from Southern Methodist University.

The President intends to nominate Dina Habib Powell, of Texas, to be Assistant Secretary of State (Educational and Cultural Affairs). Upon confirmation, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will appoint her Deputy Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy. Ms. Powell currently serves as Assistant to the President for Presidential Personnel at the White House. In addition, she has represented the Administration in key forums throughout the Middle East on the President's freedom and reform agenda. Previously, she served as Special Assistant to the President and Associate Director of Presidential Personnel.

Prior to joining the Administration, Ms. Powell was Director of Congressional Affairs and served as senior advisor to the Chairman of the Republican National Committee. Earlier in her career, she worked for then U.S. Majority Leader Dick Armey. Ms. Powell received her bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at Austin. She was born in Cairo, Egypt and speaks Arabic.

# # # For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary March 14, 2005 Personnel Announcement

S.CON.RES.18 budget 2006

S.CON.RES.18 Title: An original concurrent resolution setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2006 and including the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2005 and 2007 through 2010.

Sponsor: Sen Gregg, Judd [NH] (introduced 3/11/2005) Cosponsors (None)

Latest Major Action: 3/11/2005 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 51. Bill Summary & Status for the 109th Congress

(a) DECLARATION- Congress declares that this resolution is the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2006 including the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2005 and 2007 through 2010 as authorized by section 301 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 632).

Iraqi Police Arrest Saudi Bomber

Iraqi Police Arrest Saudi Bomber

KIRKUK, Iraq – Iraqi Police arrested a Saudi man carrying bombs in his vehicle yesterday attempting to enter a Kirkuk airfield.

The man was driving a vehicle carrying 14 120mm artillery rounds believed to be ready to be used as separate improvised explosive devices, multinational reports say. The rounds were defused and the driver is in the custody of the Iraqi police.

For more information please visit mnstci.iraq.centcom.mil. -30-

PRESS RELEASE MULTI-NATIONAL SECURITY TRANSITION COMMAND - IRAQ
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 14, 2005 Contact: Capt. Tim Jeffers IRAQNA Cell: 011-964-0790-191-0653E-mail: jefferstj@mnstci.iraq.centcom.mil

MORE THAN 2,900 IRAQI SOLDIERS GRADUATE

MORE THAN 2,900 IRAQI SOLDIERS GRADUATE

KIRKUSH, Iraq – More than 2,900 Iraqi Soldiers graduated today as part of the Direct Recruit Replacements program at the Iraqi Training Battalion at Kirkush Military Training Base.

These graduates, who all have prior military service, spent three weeks in basic skills refresher courses with concentrations in traffic control points, local security patrols, and fixed site security.

The soldiers will be assigned throughout Iraq to fill vacancies. -30-

March 14, 2005 Release Number: 05-03-10 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NEWS RELEASE HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND 7115 South Boundary Boulevard MacDill AFB, Fla. 33621-5101 Phone: (813) 827-5894; FAX: (813) 827-2211; DSN 651-5894

Condoleezza Rice, Karen P. Hughes

Condi Karen

Announcement of Nominations of Karen P. Hughes as Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs and Dina Powell as Assistant Secretary of State For Educational and Cultural Affairs

Secretary Condoleezza Rice Ben Frankin Room Washington, DC March 14, 2005 (12:00 p.m. EST), SECRETARY RICE: Good afternoon. In the last century, our nation advanced its principles, we debated our policies, and we welcomed dialogue.

Condi Karen 2

Condi Karen 3

We did so on every continent and we did so with people of diverse cultures, creeds, races and religions. We spoke openly and candidly and truthfully and we were faithful to the tradition that open debate is the only antidote to closed minds. As a result, we achieved must success in the last century.

But the challenges of today are much different than the challenges of yesterday and when it comes to our public diplomacy we simply must do better. Indeed, one key conclusion reached by the 9/11 Commission was that our nation must improve how we engage with the rest of the world. President Bush has outlined the charge of our times. We on the right side of freedom's divide have an obligation to help those unlucky enough to have been born on the wrong side of that divide.

To meet this charge our nation must engage in a much stronger dialogue with the world. Sadly, too few in the world today know about the goodness and compassion and generosity of the American people. Too few know of our belief that every man and woman and child has value and that every voice has value. Too few know of our deep respect for the history and traditions of others and our respect for the religions of all. Too few know of the protections that we provide for freedom of conscience and freedom of speech. And too few know of the value we place on international institutions and the rule of law. Too few know, too, that American lives have been lost so that others, including Muslims, might live in freedom and that others might have a future of their own making.

The time has come to look anew at our institutions of public diplomacy. We must do much more to confront hateful propaganda, dispel dangerous myths and get out the truth. We must increase our exchanges with the rest of the world. We must work closer than ever with educational institutions, the private sector and nongovernmental organizations and we must encourage our citizens to engage the world to learn foreign languages, to understand different cultures and to welcome others into their homes.

And to be successful we must listen. An important part of telling America's story is learning the stories of others. Our interaction with the rest of the world must not be a monologue. It must be a conversation. And as we engage in this conversation, America must remain open to visitors and workers and students from around the world. While we must never compromise our security, we must never close ourselves to the rest of the world. We need to look at the international community today and see the importance of openness.

Over and over in diplomatic meetings, I find myself at the table with leaders who were educated in an American university or an American college. Hundreds of current or former heads of state, cabinet level ministers and many other distinguished world leaders from government and business and education and the arts and sciences have participated in our International Visitor Programs. This is key to America's future, that our openness to the world is one of our strongest assets. I have said that the time for diplomacy is now. Well, the time for public diplomacy reform is also now.

Today, I am pleased to announce that President Bush intends to nominate Karen P. Hughes as the State Department's new Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy. Karen will have the rank of ambassador and, if confirmed, she will undertake a broad review and restructuring of our public diplomacy efforts. I can think of no individual more suited nor more suited for this task of telling America's story to the world, of nurturing America's dialogue with the world and advancing universal values for the world than Karen Hughes. She will be an outstanding leader of the fine men and women of the State Department who are devoted to these critical tasks.

My good friend Karen and I have traveled together with the President to many foreign capitals and she and I have worked closely on key foreign policy issues from Afghanistan to peace in the Middle East, from the President's efforts to combat HIV and AIDS to the President's agenda to encourage democratic reform and prosperity among many other issues.

Karen's communication skills and her foreign policy experience are certainly well known, but I believe the most important attribute that she brings to this job is her strong belief that almost anything can be accomplished when different people from different cultures join together to change the world for the better.

Karen knows the importance of education and she understands the power of ideas, and she believes strongly that we must mobilize young people around the globe to shatter the mistrust of past grievances and to foster a new spirit of tolerance and mutual respect.

On a personal note, Karen has taken a deep interest in the status of women in Afghanistan. She helped lead the Administration's initiative to free Afghan women from the abuses of the Taliban. She has traveled to Afghanistan three times to work on issues of importance to citizens there. Karen, you're ahead of me. I'm traveling to Kabul for the first time this week. Karen has worked in her own community to raise funds to build a school for girls and boys in northern Afghanistan.

Karen has the spirit and the drive and the determination to take on this important mission during these important times and I'm honored that she is going to take on this new challenge.

I also want to announce today the President's intention to nominate Dina Powell as Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs. Dina will serve as Karen's principal deputy and she will also have the title of Deputy Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy.

And Dina, be good to the interns in Educational and Cultural Affairs. I, myself, was an intern there in 1977.

As you know, Dina currently serves as Assistant to the President for Presidential Personnel. What you probably don't know is that Dina is an Egyptian-born Arabic speaker who has served as an effective spokesperson for the President's policies here at home and abroad, particularly on the Middle East. As an immigrant who came to the United States as a young child, Dina knows well the promise of America and she will be an effective voice as we seek to reform our public diplomacy to meet the challenges of this new century.

Thank you very much, Dina. Thank you, Karen, for serving. And now Karen for a few remarks.

MS. HUGHES: Thank you so much, Secretary Rice. I thank all of you for being here. First I want to thank President Bush for once again giving me the great honor and privilege of having the opportunity to serve my country. We had a great working breakfast with the President this morning, Secretary Rice and I, and we talked about this moment of great opportunity for freedom and the important and vital role that public diplomacy will play in that effort.

Secretary Rice, thank you for your comments and for your confidence. Should I be confirmed, one of the great joys of this new assignment would be the opportunity to work for Secretary Rice and with the wonderful team of people that she is leading here at the State Department.

As I have traveled in recent weeks, I have heard Americans in airports and restaurants, and just this weekend at a small store in Brenham, Texas, talk about our new Secretary of State and how capable and intelligent and profession and poised she always is, and how proud they are to have her represent our country. And I certainly share those sentiments.

I thank Dina Powell for being willing to take on this challenging assignment with me. Dina shares my passion for public diplomacy and she has an immigrant sensitivity and heightened sense of appreciation for the opportunity that is really the essence of our great country. Should be both be confirmed, we will make a great team and we will build on the important work done before us by our friend, Ambassador Margaret Tutwiler, during her tenure here.

I see Ambassador Ed Djerejian is here. Ed, I want to thank you and so many other individuals and institutes and think tanks who have done such thoughtful and important work in the area of public diplomacy. Our country can certainly benefit from all of them.

One of my favorite aspects of my job at the White House that Secretary Rice mentioned was the opportunity to travel to so many foreign capitals and meet with leaders and people. I always tried to slip away to walk the streets and get a flavor of life. I remember an especially beautiful summer evening in Madrid and a wonderful, peaceful Sunday morning in Shanghai.

Along the way I also met so many outstanding employees, Foreign Service and career employees of the State Department, both working in embassies around the world and here in this building. They have devoted their careers and much of their lives to the service of our country. They have vastly more experience and certainly more expertise than I do, and I look forward to learning from them. If confirmed, I will seek and I will need their guidance and their ideas and their advice to make a difference. And I'm convinced at this moment, as the winds of freedom are blowing across the world, we have an enormous opportunity to make an important difference.

If confirmed, I also look forward to working with Senators Lugar and Biden, Chairman Hyde and Congressman Lantos and other Members of Congress who have given so much leadership and thought to this very important issue of our public diplomacy.

I also want to thank my own family, especially my husband Jerry. As most of you know, I left Washington almost three years ago to spend more time with my family and to allow my son to attend high school during these critical years in Texas. Other than marrying my husband, that was the best decision I think I've ever made. I've treasured these years and now as we prepare to send my son Robert to college later this summer, I look forward to this new challenge, which my son pointed out is especially important for his own generation.

Secretary Rice mentioned my work in Afghanistan. During one of my visits there, I heard an old Afghan proverb that I think sets a good standard for our public diplomacy. The proverb counsels it takes two hands to clap. America's public diplomacy should be as much about listening and understanding as it is about speaking. And our message is much more likely to have impact among people of different countries when it is delivered with respect for their culture and their many accomplishments and with understanding of not only the reality of their lives but also of their dreams for the future.

I am eager to listen and to learn. Should I be confirmed, I plan to reach out to citizens and leaders of other countries who have important ideas to contribute and important perspectives that we need and want to hear. I grew up in an army family. I born in Paris and lived overseas in Canada and in Panama. I learned to respect people of different countries and different cultures and I learned firsthand that America's policies can be interpreted differently in different places and from different perspectives. I view America's public diplomacy as a partnership for progress, an opportunity to work with other nations and peoples to replace oppression with opportunity, tyranny with tolerance, and ultimately to overcome hate with hope.

America has often struggled to live up to our own ideals and we have much to learn about becoming better citizens of the world. We must do a better job of teaching our children to learn about different languages, and cultures, and faiths. I believe education is a vital part of public diplomacy. Our future will only be peaceful if we teach all the world's children to respect and celebrate each other's differences. America's public diplomacy is neither Republican nor Democratic, but American, and it is not merely the purview of the R family here in Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs at the State Department. Every American who travels or works abroad or welcomes an exchange student or a visitor into their home, represents America to everyone that he or she meets.

If confirmed, I look forward to working with my fellow citizens to share our country's good heart and our idealism and our values with the world. This job will be difficult. Perceptions do not change quickly or easily. This is a struggle for ideas. Clearly, in the world after September 11th, we must do a better job of engaging with the Muslim world. As the 9/11 Commission reported, if the United States does not act aggressively to define itself, the extremists will gladly do the job for us. And our public diplomacy efforts must also engage the wider world, from Europe to Latin America.

I cannot imagine anything more exciting than the opportunity to share the America I know with the people of the world, a country whose strength is our goodhearted people, a country where children, including my granddaughter, went door to door to collect money to help victims of the tsunami half a world away, where volunteers deliver meals to shut-ins and offer food to the homeless and visit prisoners, and where our government contributes billions to fight AIDS and improve basic services like water, electricity and health care that touch people's lives throughout the world.

Secretary Rice emphasized the time for diplomacy is now. Through greater use of today's technologies, the internet and satellite television, through our vital people-to-people exchanges, through more creative public diplomacy programs, we will partner in common cause with other countries to defeat propaganda with truth, to send a message of solidarity to brave men and women who are taking great risks for their own freedom, to foster greater tolerance in a world too often torn by ethnic strife, to offer life-giving information and medicine to those with diseases, to offer life-saving help to victims of hunger and other national disasters.

I'll never forget visiting a literacy program overseas where young women were learning to read and I listened through a translator as a 13-year-old girl told me of her dreams of becoming a writer and her belief that women should be able to go to school and work and choose their own husband. And as I was leaving, the translator stopped me and said she wants to tell you something else. Please don't forget them, she said. Please help them live in freedom. Freedom is the universal hope of the human heart, instilled not by any country or government but by the Creator, who cares for each of us and wants us to learn to care for one another.

We are witnessing freedom's power across the world in the courage of the Iraqi people, who went to the polls despite threats against their lives, in the voices of people in Lebanon insisting on an end to occupation. I have watched President Bush make some very difficult decisions in the cause of freedom. Thanks to his leadership and his policies, we find ourselves at an amazing moment of opportunity.

As the President has said, our goal is not to impose but to help others find their own voice, attain their own freedom and make their own way. By advancing freedom, we advance not only the cause of greater peace and security but also the cause of greater opportunity and a better life for all the world's people.

When I first went to work at the White House, I promised the President that I would always give him my unvarnished opinion. If confirmed here in the world of diplomacy at the State Department, I may occasionally have to add a little diplomatic varnish, but I will always speak from the heart and I will always do my best to stand for what President Bush has called the nonnegotiable demands of human dignity: the rule of law, limits on the power of the state, respect for women, private property, free speech, equal justice and religious tolerance.

Thank you all very much and I look forward to my confirmation hearings.

SECRETARY RICE: Thank you so much. (Applause.)

Released on March 14, 2005

61st Session U. N. Commission on Human Rights

U.S. Participation in the 61st Session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights

The 2005 meeting of the UN Commission on Human Rights will take place March 14 through April 22 in Geneva, Switzerland. The United States seeks to help the Commission better fulfill its mandate to strengthen human rights and fundamental freedoms around the world.

Consistent with our commitment to promote democracy worldwide, the United States will work with like-minded states to explore ways that the Commission can foster democratic reform. It is important that the Commission take a strong, unified stand against human rights abuses. We will work to build support for resolutions that achieve that objective.

President Bush has nominated former Senator Rudy Boschwitz of Minnesota to head the U.S. delegation to the Commission. Senator Boschwitz served as former President George Bush’s emissary to the Horn of Africa. In this capacity, he was involved in Operation Solomon, which airlifted some 15,000 Ethiopian Jews to Israel in 1991. Other delegates include Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Michael G. Kozak, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs Mark P. Lagon, and the U.S. Permanent Representative to the UN and Other International Organizations in Geneva Kevin Edward Moley.

The United States has three public delegates to the 61st Session of the Commission on Human Rights: Ms. Goli Ameri, President of eTinium; Mr. Leonard A. Leo, Executive Vice President of the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies; and, Mr. Lino J. Piedra, Executive Vice President of Griesinger Associates.

For further information, please refer to the U.S. Mission to Geneva website on the Commission on Human Rights, humanright-usa.net.

2005/320

Released on March 14, 2005 Press Statement Richard Boucher, Spokesman Washington, DC March 14, 2005

President's Statement on Karen Hughes

President's Statement on Karen Hughes

Our long-term strategy to keep the peace is to help change the conditions that give rise to extremism and terror by spreading the universal principle of human liberty. This will require an aggressive effort to share and communicate America's fundamental values while respecting the cultures and traditions of other nations.

Karen Hughes has been one of my most trusted and closest advisers, and she has the experience, expertise, and judgment to lead this critical effort. Her return to public service in this important position signifies my personal commitment to the international diplomacy that is needed in these historic times. I value her counsel and friendship, as does Secretary Rice.

# # # For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary March 14, 2005

Bradley Fighting Vehicle

Bradley 1

by Command Sgt. Maj. Steven Stuckey, Sgt. 1st Class Patrick Sandel, from 3rd Battalion, 156th Infantry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, patrols northern Iraq in his Bradley Fighting Vehicle. Sandel survived 19 roadside bomb and mortar attacks and one car bomb. This photo appeared on www.army.mil.

Mission, Provides protected transport of an infantry squad on the battlefield and overwatching fires to support the dismounted infantry; is employed to suppress and defeat enemy tanks, reconnaissance vehicles, infantry fighting vehicles, armored personnel carriers, bunkers, dismounted infantry and attack helicoptors; and performs cavalry scout and other essential (Bradley-equipped fire support and Stinger teams) missions in the 21st century. The infantry version (M2) is used most often to close with the enemy by means of fire and maneuver. The primary tasks performed by the cavalry version (M3) as part of a troop and/or squadron are reconnaissance, security and flank guard missions.

Vehicle features: Two second generation forward looking infrared (FLIR) sensors in the Improved Bradley Acquisition System (IBAS) and Commander's Independent Sight (CIV) provide "Hunter-Killer target handoff" capability with a ballistic fire control system; embedded diagnostics; integrated combat command and control (IC3) digital communications suite hosting Force XXI Battle Command Brigade-and-Below package with digital maps, messages and friend/foe situational awareness; position navigation system with GPS and inertial navigation system; and enhanced squad situational awareness with squad leader display integrated into vehicle digital images and Ic#.

Deaths of U.S. Department of State Contractors in Iraq

Deaths of U.S. Department of State Contractors in Iraq

The Department of State is deeply saddened by the deaths of two employees of Blackwater Security Consulting during a roadside attack in Baghdad on March 12. Another Blackwater employee was injured.

These men were assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Iraq to protect American diplomats. They played a vital role in our mission to bring democracy, and opportunity to the people of Iraq. We will always remember their courage, dedication, and ultimate sacrifice for their country in the name of freedom.

We mourn the loss of these brave men and extend our deepest sympathies to their families.

2005/315 Press Statement Richard Boucher, Spokesman Washington, DC Released on March 13, 2005

Treasury Department Launches Social Security Web Site

Treasury Department Launches Social Security Web Site StrengtheningSocialSecurity.gov

SAN ANTONIO - Treasury Secretary John Snow today announced the Department of the Treasury is launching a new web site, StrengtheningSocialSecurity.gov. The site will provide up-to-date information on the problems facing Social Security and the Administration's efforts to permanently fix the program through bipartisan reform.

"As I have traveled across the country these past few months, I've met people at every stop who are asking me questions about Social Security. `What can we do to improve the system for future generations? Will Social Security be there for me when I retire? Why is the program in trouble?'" said Snow. "We are launching this web site to provide Americans with the latest information so these questions can be answered. They will see where Social Security stands today and what can be done to strengthen it for the future."

The web site, StrengtheningSocialSecurity.gov, provides access to a broad array of information including speeches by the President and his Cabinet, press releases, and fact sheets. The site tracks Administration officials' Social Security events and will serve as the information center for the ongoing 60 Stops in 60 Days tour. March 11, 2005 JS-2306 FROM THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Anna Escobedo Cabral, Treasurer of the United States

Remarks by Anna Escobedo Cabral, Treasurer of the United States, before the National Association of Hispanic Publications

It is great to be with you today. I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with this great organization and your leadership for many years now. They have modeled an extraordinary commitment to the association members, and to the Latino community. I congratulate Hernan Guaracao, Eddie Escobedo and Tom Oliver for their vision, dedication and for a tremendously successful conference this year. I also want to acknowledge and thank Zeke Montes, your immediate past President, for the fine work he did and continues to do on behalf of NAHP.

As the largest minority, representing more than 14 percent of the population, wielding greater than $700 billion in purchasing power, yours is a market few can afford to ignore. Your newspapers continue to be an important medium for reaching that market.

But perhaps most important, you are all examples of how a business can do well and do good at the same time. Indeed, a core function of your mission is to inform. As one of the most important sources of information for Latino households, your continued success and viability is critical to our shared goal of improving the quality of life for Latinos.

In this there is much work for us to do. Whether it is about working to increase high school and college graduation rates, improving our access to and understanding of health care and healthy living, or helping Hispanic business owners to grow and prosper, your efforts to make sure families have the information they need to succeed makes a difference to so many lives.

The same is true for a particularly important area we have in common. Like our national Latino leaders, President Bush's Administration has been working to ensure that financial literacy is accessible to Latino families.

The challenge can be daunting at times. A few facts help illustrate the point:

When a group of Americans was given a 14-question test of their financial literacy, they answered less than half the questions correctly.
82 percent of high school seniors failed a 13-question quiz examining their knowledge of issues like interest rates, savings, loans, credit cards and calculating net worth.
An estimated 10 million Americans have no relationship with a mainstream financial service provider such as a bank or credit union. And, unfortunately, 40 percent of those unbanked are Hispanic. Clearly, we do not represent 40 percent of the population.
Finally, 75 percent of Hispanics have not accumulated enough savings for retirement. They rely exclusively on Social Security for their retirement.
As highly successful and influential individuals in the publication industry, you hold a number of competing titles: business owner, parent, son or daughter, spouse, friend, committed citizen and community leader. These and the many others that follow each of you lays the ground work for the generations to come. We share a strong commitment to family and community, across generations.

I, like you, wear a number of those hats as well. Among them, is my current position as Treasurer of the United States which affords me the opportunity to help make the President's vision of an ownership society a reality. I believe in that vision and the promise it holds for Latino families.

The President has said that if you own something, you have a vital stake in the future of our country. He believes that the federal government should change to help meet the challenges of our times. Strengthening Social Security for future generations; ensuring that the pension promises made to workers and retirees are kept; making the tax code simpler, fairer and pro-growth; reducing the burden of lawsuits on our economy; and expanding access to affordable health care options with health savings accounts are all critical milestones toward meeting the needs of Americans in our changing world. And we'll continue to work to grow the economy and hold the line on spending so that we remain on track to cut the deficit in half by 2009.

When he talks about an ownership society, I believe the President is speaking directly to the heart of Latinos. We have enormous faith and commitment in the American Dream – to work hard and produce a bounty to share with your family, to own a home, a business, to get our children through college, have access to quality healthcare, to see our parents retire with dignity, and know that our children will be able to do the same.

As a result of his vision and efforts, during the first four years of his Presidency, we saw lower taxes spur our economy back to health, we saw businesses grow, prosper and create new jobs, and we witnessed first hand a boom in homeownership.

In his second term, the President has embarked on an aggressive campaign to tackle the hard issues of our times, chief among them, Social Security reform. In that way, he reminds me of my very brave and courageous grandparents, for they had to risk all they had, they had to risk a great deal, to start a new life in the United States.

The President in his State of the Union Address called on Congress and the American people to work together to fix Social Security. It's a system in desperate need of repair. It was created in 1935, 70 years ago. And if it's not fixed now, we will end up saddling our children and grandchildren with an enormous financial burden.

Changing our Social Security system is a tremendous task that can only be done if we join together to make it happen. We all know that "En la union esta la fureza." One will not make a difference but many will. It is important for each of you to know and understand this debate, and what is at stake. Strong, independent men and women like you can change the course of history for the better for this great country and for the Latino community.

Social Security provides a critical foundation of income for retired and disabled workers – people we know and care about. Perhaps your mother and father, or an uncle or friend. Indeed, for one-third of Americans over age 65, Social Security benefits constitute 90 percent of their total income. Hispanics, African-Americans, and unmarried elderly women are even more reliant on Social Security. More than 40 percent of Latinos rely on Social Security as their sole source of revenue for retirement.

We know two things - Social Security is safe for today's seniors, but it is in serious danger for our children and grandchildren.

As you may know, Social Security is a pay-as-you-go system with today's workers paying to support today's retirees. But each year, there are more retirees taking money out, and not enough additional workers to support them. In the 1950s there were about 16 workers paying for every beneficiary. Today, there are about 3, and eventually, when today's younger workers retire, there will only be two workers to support each person on Social Security. Add to this the fact that the first members of the Baby Boom generation turn 60 next year, in 2006. You see, this is not a distant problem. It's just around the corner.

By 2018, the government will begin to pay out more in Social Security benefits than it collects in payroll taxes, and shortfalls then grow larger with each passing year.

As a result, our children get a raw deal. In order to make up the shortages, they will face significant increases in taxes, and huge cuts in benefits.

One of the tests of leadership is to confront problems before they become a crisis. President Bush came to Washington to solve problems, not pass them on to future Presidents and future generations. He knows that the longer we wait to take action, the more difficult and the expensive the changes will be. Doing nothing will cost the most in the long run, resulting in either dramatic tax increases, severe benefit cuts or both.

Any fix will require bipartisanship. There are a variety of good plans that have been proposed in the past to fix Social Security. The President will work with Congress to determine the best elements of the proposals that have been put forward. This nation must always strive to leave behind a better America for our children and grandchildren. If we invest now and work to fix the problem, we can leave them with a more secure retirement in the future.

Fixing Social Security is also going to require a productive and well-informed debate of the issues. Secretary Snow last week launched the "60 Stops in 60 Days" tour in which Administration officials will crisscross the nation to take the President's message on strengthening Social Security to the American people. Another tool in this effort to encourage a national dialogue is the Web site Treasury launched yesterday: www.StrengtheningSocialSecurity.gov. Its purpose is to provide Americans with information on the serious problems that the Social Security system faces. I encourage you to check it out.

In order to move the debate forward, the President has laid out some principles for reform as he works with Congress to find a solution.

He is committed to protecting current and near retirees. There will be no changes for those in or near retirement. No one born before January 1, 1950 will be affected.

The President has also said that he will not raise payroll tax rates because higher taxes will slow economic growth. As business people, you know only too well the potential dampening effect of increased taxes.

Another guiding principle of reform is that we must find a lasting solution – a permanent fix. The system and the American people deserve better than a band-aid approach that will find us back at square one in a few short years.

Finally, the President believes that voluntary personal accounts must be a part of the solution because they give younger workers the option to build a nest egg they can call their own. Government can't take it away, and they can pass it on to their children.

Personal retirement accounts are a better deal for the younger worker, who would be able to choose from a conservative mix of bonds and stocks that would yield a greater return than the younger worker is earning in the Social Security Trust. A young person who earns an average of $35,000 a year over his or her working career that elects to participate in the personal account option, based on conservative projections, would have nearly $250,000 saved in the account at retirement. That's the power of compound interest, something you all know a great deal about.

That money would provide a nest egg for the owner of the account and give them the opportunity to watch it grow over time at a rate greater than anything the current system can deliver. It is money that that person can pass on to whomever he or she chooses.

You know, my father worked hard all his life, and paid into the Social Security system. He filed the paperwork necessary to begin receiving benefits, but died before receiving his first check. He died the same month the checks were scheduled to start coming. He died too young, of course. We came from a very modest home. He worked hard all his life, but could never really get ahead enough to save money. Social Security was all he had to support himself in his retirement. But he died before receiving a single check. He would have given anything to be able to pass those funds on to his children. Instead, the government kept that money.

Personal retirement accounts would ensure that Latino families have a chance to save and grow their hard earned money in an account that belonged to them, that they could pass on to their children.

Change is a scary thing. Few of us are comfortable with change, but, as we learned during the course of our lives and careers, "Para nadar hay que tirarse al agua." I know that you all have had to jump in the water a few times. Here's your opportunity to jump in and make a real difference for your parents, yourselves, and your children. I am very proud of being among so many young, bright, and committed Latinos, because I know that together, we can accomplish remarkable things.

My grandmother used to say "La gallina vieja da buen caldo." Not that I am a gallina vieja by any means, and I'm not suggesting you are, but I do believe that the talent and wisdom in this room ensures we have much to look forward to in the future. The President has faith in you, as well. He is working hard to ensure that all Americans share in his vision of an ownership society. That vision holds great promise for our community.

Congratulations again for a successful conference. Thank you to each and every one of you for the work you do everyday at work, at home, and in the community.

-30- FROM THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS March 13, 2005 2005-3-13-1-17-9-28330 SOURCE: United States Department of the Treasury

S.394 OPEN Government Act of 2005

"Openness in Government and Freedom of Information: Examining the OPEN Government Act of 2005" Bill Summary & Status for the 109th Congress

"To promote accessibility, accountability, and openness in Government by strengthening section 552 of title 5, United States Code (commonly referred to as the Freedom of Information Act), and for other purposes. "

Senate Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology and Homeland Security

DATE: March 15, 2005, TIME: 10:00 AM, ROOM: SD 226

OFFICIAL HEARING NOTICE / WITNESS LIST:

NOTICE OF SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING

The Senate Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology and Homeland Security has scheduled a hearing on "Openness in Government and Freedom of Information: Examining the OPEN Government Act of 2005" for Tuesday, March 15, 2005 at 10:00 a.m. in Room 226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

Senator Cornyn will preside. By order of the Chairman

-----Tentative Witness List-----

PANEL I
Katherine M. "Missy" Cary, Assistant Attorney General of Texas, Chief Open Records Division, Austin, TX

Walter Mears, former Washington Bureau chief and Executive Editor, Associated Press, Chapel Hill, NC

Mark Tapscott, Director Center for Media and Public Policy, The Heritage Foundation
Washington, DC

Lisa Graves, Senior Counsel for Legislative Strategy, American Civil Liberties Union
Washington, DC

Meredith Fuchs, General Counsel, National Security Archive, George Washington University, Washington, DC

Thomas M. Susman, Ropes & Gray LLP, Washington, DC

H.R. 1220 Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-living Adjustment Act of 2005

CHAIRMAN BUYER OF VETERANS’ AFFAIRS COMMITTEE INTRODUCES VETERANS’ COLA BILL

H.R. 1220, the Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-living Adjustment Act of 2005

Washington, D.C. – Yesterday, Chairman Steve Buyer of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs introduced the Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2005. Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member Lane Evans, as well as Jeff Miller of Florida and Shelley Berkley, Chairman and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs, respectively, joined as original cosponsors of the bill.

“Nearly 3 million service-connected veterans and survivors of service-connected veterans will continue to utilize this resource and rely on this annual increase,” said Chairman Steve Buyer.

This bill would provide a cost-of-living adjustment to veterans’ benefits effective December 1, 2005. Additionally, the bill codifies the current disability compensation and dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC) rates. In addition to compensation, it increases the amount for additional compensation for dependants, the clothing allowance paid to veterans’ whose service-connected disability causes irreparable damage to their clothing and DIC for surviving spouses with minor children. Dependent children receiving DIC will also benefit from this increase.

The VA Committee periodically reviews the service-connected disability compensation and DIC programs to ensure that the benefits provide reasonable and adequate compensation for disabled veterans and their families. Based on this review, Congress acts annually to provide a cost-of-living adjustment in compensation and DIC benefits.

Congress has consistently provided increases in these rates for every fiscal year since 1976. The adjustment in cost-of-living is reflective of the economic shift annually. This is especially crucial to those veterans living on a fixed income. The Administration’s fiscal year 2006 budget submission includes funding for a projected 2.3 percent increase.

P R E S S R E L E A S E - Friday March 11, 2005 SOURCE: House Committee on Veterans' Affairs

CAMP FALLUJAH, Circumstances of detainee injuries under investigation

Circumstances of detainee injuries under investigation

CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq – Colonel Augustus L. Collins, commander, 155th Brigade Combat Team, of the I Marine Expeditionary Force, in the vicinity of southern Baghdad, initiated a preliminary investigation into possible mistreatment of civilian detainees by six members of his command.

The Soldiers are under investigation after it was discovered that two Iraqi civilians received minor injuries while being transported to a detention facility during an operation on Feb. 27.

The civilian detainees received immediate medical treatment.

Based on the preliminary inquiry, the commander of the 155th Brigade Combat Team initiated an investigation to look into these allegations. Further information will be made available once the investigation is complete.

For more information, please contact Maj. Sean Gibson, public affairs officer, I Marine Expeditionary Force, at GibsonSD@cemnf-wiraq@usmc.mil.

Release #050312d

Guantanamo Bay (GTMO) Detainee Transfer Announced

Detainee Transfer Announced: The Department of Defense announced today that it transferred three detainees from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to Afghanistan, Maldives and Pakistan for release. This transfer increases the number of detainees who have departed GTMO to 214.

This transfer includes three detainees found to no longer be an enemy combatant by a Combatant Status Review Tribunal.

The decision to transfer or release a detainee is based on many factors, including whether the detainee is of further intelligence value to the United States and whether the detainee is believed to pose a continuing threat to the United States if released.

There are ongoing processes to review the status of detainees. A determination about the continued detention or transfer of a detainee is based on the best information and evidence available at the time. The circumstances in which detainees are apprehended can be ambiguous, and many of the detainees are highly skilled in concealing the truth.

During the course of the war on terrorism, the Department expects that there will be other transfers or releases of detainees.

Because of operational and security considerations, no further details can be provided.

Prior to this transfer, 211 detainees had departed GTMO - 146 for release, and 65 transferred to the control of other governments (29 to Pakistan, five to Morocco, seven to France, seven to Russia, four to Saudi Arabia, one to Spain, one to Sweden, one to Kuwait, one to Australia and nine to Great Britain). Two hundred and fourteen detainees have now departed Guantanamo. There are approximately 540 detainees currently at Guantanamo.

No. 249-05 IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 12, 2005 SOURCE: DefenseLink.mil

Condoleezza Rice, Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Boris Tarasyuk

Remarks With Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Boris Tarasyuk After Meeting FULL STREAMING VIDEO

Secretary Condoleezza Rice Benjamin Franklin Room Washington, DC March 11, 2005 (2:30 p.m. EST)

SECRETARY RICE: Good afternoon. It is my great pleasure to welcome to the United States and to the State Department Foreign Minister Tarasyuk of Ukraine. We have had a very good discussion of the full range of issues in the U.S.-Ukrainian bilateral relationship.

I was able to say to the Foreign Minister how deeply moved Americans were by the expression of freedom that the Ukrainian people gave, by the example that they gave to the world of what happens when the aspirations of free people can no longer be denied. I was able to say that the United States and Ukraine, which have enjoyed bonds of friendship through our peoples for many years, now enjoy special relations in our governmental relationship. And I very much look forward to working with you, Foreign Minister.

Just earlier today, the White House announced that President Yushchenko will be visiting President Bush in April. We very much look forward to that. But this is a time when the march of freedom is progressing rapidly and remarkably. And the Ukrainian people have done their part in demonstrating that freedom matters, that freedom can bring a new energy to a people and that a great and longstanding culture like Ukraine can be reborn with an Orange Revolution in the 21st century.

Thank you very much, Foreign Minister.

MINISTER TARASYUK: Thank you. Thank you, Secretary. Good afternoon. I would like to express my gratitude to Secretary Rice for our extremely constructive and positive consultations and negotiations we had right now. I'm happy that the course of this visit in my -- new-old capacity as a Foreign Minister -- it became known to the American and Ukrainian public that the visit of President Yushchenko, the first visit of President Yushchenko, to the United States and the invitation of President Bush will take place this April 4th. And certainly, we were discussing the forthcoming visit of President Yushchenko, how to fill it with a very concrete feeling and content. We were discussing the issues of our bilateral agenda. And we agreed on some issues concerning the consultations on a visa regime. We discussed how to resolve the outstanding issues on our bilateral agenda, like provision to Ukraine of market economy status, the bilateral memorandum on the mutual access to markets in connection with WTO accession. We were discussing the gradation of Ukraine from Jackson-Vannick Amendment. Certainly, this is the issue which has to be tackled by the Congress. And yesterday, while meeting the people in the Congress, I got assurances that this issue will be resolved very soon.

In principle, we came to a conclusion that the visit of President -- forthcoming visit of President Yushchenko will be a new beginning in the Ukraine-U.S. relationship. And giving a new feeling, a new content, in the strategic partnership between our countries. I would like to say that both countries now under the new circumstances in Ukraine, after the Orange Revolution, new President, new government, we have a new environment and this environment is going to be filled with giant efforts and I suggest that United States and Ukraine be, well, partners and establish a kind of partnership for democracy.

I'm very positive and optimistic about our relationship and the forthcoming visit of President Yushchenko. And once again, Secretary, thank you very much for this constructive atmosphere you created.

SECRETARY RICE: Thank you.

MR. BOUCHER: We'll start with CNN.

QUESTION: Madame Secretary, if I might ask you to expand on your announcement about Iran and agreements with the European Union on incentives. Does this now mean that you are optimistic that Iran will abandon its uranium enrichment program and do you have a timetable for getting it to do so? How long are you going to give this new agreement?

Thank you.

QUESTION: Well, the key here was to establish with our European allies a common agenda, a common approach to the issue of getting the Iranians to live up to the international obligations which they have undertaken. And again, let's just be reminded that the Iranians have an obligation to demonstrate that they are not trying under cover of civilian nuclear power development to develop a nuclear weapon and there are grave concerns that they are trying to do that, suspicious activities that are being tracked by the IAEA, and so the European Union 3 had undertaken these negotiations.

We have said for quite a long time now that we supported this diplomatic effort and that we wanted it to succeed and that Iran ought to take the opportunity given to it. What we have tried to do in removing our objections to WTO application from the Iranians and to the provision of certain spare parts to Iranian commercial aircraft is to now more actively support that diplomatic effort.

But I want to be very clear. This is support for the European Union's effort which we hope would succeed and which we very much want to succeed, and that that is the support. There is very often too much talk about what the United States needs to do or what the European Union needs to do. We can now return the focus to what the Iranians need to do. And the Iranians need to take the opportunity that the Europeans are presenting them with to demonstrate that they are prepared to live up to their international obligations. I certainly hope that this will succeed. We are trying to help to give it its best chance to succeed. But now Iran faces a choice and the world will know whether Iran intends to do that.

We do not have a specific timetable. Obviously, these are negotiations. We will stay in close contact with our friends. This has been going on for some time. And I would think that if the Iranians are going to demonstrate that they are prepared to live up to their obligations that they would want to do that sooner rather than later.

QUESTION: (Inaudible) from Ukrainian Television. I have a question for the Ukrainian Minister.

In the future will be the meeting of the foreign ministers of the Commonwealth of Independent States and what will be the Ukrainian position on this meeting? And maybe it is time to dismiss the Commonwealth.

FOREIGN MINISTER TARASYUK: To dismiss what?

QUESTION: The Commonwealth of Independent States.

FOREIGN MINISTER TARASYUK: Well, I would like to say, being a person who was involved in to these deliberations over Ukraine's participation in CIS since the very beginning, since 1991, that CIS throughout these years proved to be ineffective, and that is why Russia was looking for another formats of meetings like custom union, economic union, the Eurasian community and now the single economic space. The position of Ukraine at this forthcoming ministerial meeting will be, well, consistent; that is, we are going to support anything which will coincide with our vision of the place and role of community and we are certainly not going to support anything which contradicts our national interests.

QUESTION: Madame Secretary, on Syria, we now have the U.S. and the Europeans and some Arab countries in agreement and a UN envoy going to Syria. Should the Syrians realize that they are now facing a completely different situation than they faced before?

SECRETARY RICE: I would certainly hope that the Syrians are getting the message that this is a completely different situation. It started with Resolution 1559, sponsored by the United States and France, but it is a Security Council resolution. And I might just note that even states that didn't vote for it are, for instance, some who abstained, have said that they are bound by that resolution. And that was the first step and that was back in the summer. I think it was perhaps not fully recognized the impact of Resolution 1559.

You then had the unfortunate circumstance of opposition figure, the former prime minister, Mr. Hariri, being assassinated. Even though no one can assign blame for that and we certainly have not accused the Syrian Government, it did highlight that the conditions that Syria has helped to produce in Lebanon are indeed destabilizing conditions, and that led then to a very rapid discussion and very rapid coming together of various members of the international community around a policy that said 1559 had to be implemented and had to be implemented without delay.

So yes, the situation is different for Syria, and if you add to that the voices of several Arab states, I would hope that the Syrians would not continue to deepen their own isolation. And this is really not about -- Syria would like to make this a discussion about Syria and the United States or Syria and France, but this is an issue of allowing the Lebanese people, without the artificial condition of Syrian troop and security presence in Lebanon, to chart their own political future.

We have just been talking about how important it was in Ukraine when people took responsibility for charting their own political future. Well, that is what the democratic path is, is to allow people the opportunity to chart their own future. Not an American path. Not a European path. But a path for local people to chart their own future. The Lebanese need to be given the same opportunity to chart their political future and it's very much time that Syria get that message.

QUESTION: My question to Secretary of State. Madame Secretary, Ukrainian officials have said today again that they want to withdraw all of Ukrainian troops from Iraq by the end of this year and complete the first phase of this withdrawal by the middle of May. What would be your comment on that and have you discussed this subject with your Ukrainian counterpart?

Thank you.

SECRETARY RICE: Well, I believe that the Foreign Minister had discussions with my colleagues at the Pentagon about this. First of all, we appreciate very much Ukraine's contribution to Iraq at a time when not that many states were all that willing to contribute to Iraq. Ukraine joined some 26 or so who did contribute to the stability of Iraq, and as a result the Iraqi people have been able to have an election, they are now in the process of forming a government, they're going to write a constitution and then they're going to have permanent elections. And so Ukraine should be proud for the role that Ukrainian forces played in that evolution in Iraq.

We fully understand that the Ukrainian Government has decided to end that troop presence. There are discussions going on about how that will be done. The one thing that I'm very certain is that Ukraine will do it in a way that does not in any way endanger the mission or endanger the forces of others there, so this is a planned effort between the two sides.

And I know also that Ukraine intends to continue to be involved in helping the Iraqi people through technical assistance, perhaps through some training, and we very much appreciate that.

So this has been handled very well. We understand the commitment that the Ukrainian Government has made to its own people, but it has been handled in a way that demonstrates that this is a relationship that is based on partnership, based on values, and where we can work together on even the most difficult issues.

MR. BOUCHER: Thank you very much.

SECRETARY RICE: Thank you.

FOREIGN MINISTER TARASYUK: Thank you. 2005/310

North Korean Human Rights Act of 2004

Report to Congress on North Korean Refugees Now Available Online

On February 22, the State Department submitted to Congress a report required by Section 301 of the North Korean Human Rights Act of 2004.

The full report, which provides an assessment of the circumstances facing North Korean refugees and an explanation of U.S. policy towards North Korean nationals outside North Korea, is now available online at state.gov/g/prm.

The report is the first of several that will be submitted to Congress in accordance with the North Korean Human Rights Act.

2005/313 Released on March 11, 2005 Media Note Office of the Spokesman Washington, DC

Shirin Tahir-Kheli

Selection of Shirin Tahir-Kheli as Senior Adviser to the Secretary of State on United Nations Reform

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has appointed Shirin Tahir-Kheli as Senior Adviser to the Secretary of State on UN Reform.

Dr. Tahir-Kheli will serve as the Secretary’s senior advisor and chief interlocutor on United Nations reform. In collaboration with the Assistant Secretary for International Organizations, Dr. Tahir-Kheli will report directly to the Secretary of State. She will engage the UN Secretary General and Secretariat on UN reform efforts, including the High Level Panel Report and the Report of the Secretary General on Reform.

Dr. Tahir-Keli will coordinate within the State Department and interagency community the U.S. government’s positions on UN reform.

Dr. Shirin Tahir-Kheli served as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Democracy, Human Rights and International Operations at the National Security Council from 2003-2005. Previously, she was a Research Professor and Founding Director of the South Asia Program at the Foreign Policy Institute of the Paul Nitze School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Tahir-Kheli served as Head of the U.S. delegation to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in 2001 and Alternate U.S. Representative to the United Nations for Special Political Affairs (1990-1993). Dr. Tahir-Kheli earned a Ph.D. in International Relations from the University of Pennsylvania and a B.A. from Ohio Wesleyan University.

2005/311 Released on March 11, 2005 Press Statement Richard Boucher, Spokesman Washington, DC March 11, 2005

Macedonian Municipal Elections

Macedonian Municipal Elections

Question: What is the U.S. position on upcoming elections in Macedonia? Is the U.S. sending election observers? What, if any, other support is the United States providing?

Answer: These are Macedonia's first municipal elections since passage last summer of decentralization legislation, which was mandated by the Framework Agreement and will strengthen democracy at the local level.

We believe that the government and citizens of Macedonia will work to ensure that the elections are conducted well. Free and fair municipal elections will be a significant step for Macedonia in Framework Agreement implementation, and will provide an important demonstration of Macedonia's ability and willingness to meet European and international standards.

Approximately 25 US participants will travel to Macedonia to join the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) observation mission for these elections, and the U.S. Embassy in Skopje will be contributing additional personnel to this effort. In addition, the US and others are working with the OSCE to support nearly 3600 non-partisan domestic observers.

Since 2000, the U.S. has funded significant technical assistance to Macedonia's State Election Commission to promote electoral reform, improve election operations, provide poll worker training, and support voter education.

2005/314 Released on March 11, 2005

Taken Question Office of the Spokesman Washington, DC March 11, 2005 Question Taken at March 11, 2005 Daily Press Briefing

Freedom Calendar 03/12/05 - 03/19/05

March 12, 1956, Ninety-seven Democrats in Congress condemn Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education, and pledge to continue segregation.

March 13, 1920, Death of African-American Republican Edward McCabe; as Kansas State Auditor was first African-American to hold statewide office in North.

March 14, 1920, Death of U.S. Senator Henry Blair (R-NH); his bill to aid public schools in the South passed three times in Republican-controlled Senate, but was repeatedly blocked by Democrat Speaker of the House.

March 15, 1842, Birth of African-American Republican Robert De Large, elected to U.S. House from South Carolina in 1870.

March 16, 1868, Death of U.S. Senator David Wilmot (R-PA), anti-slavery champion and author of first Republican Party platform.

March 17, 1825, Birth of Benjamin Turner (R-AL),
emancipated slave elected to House from Alabama in 1870; delegate to 1880 Republican National Convention.

March 18, 1877, Republican President Rutherford B. Hayes appoints African-American Republican and civil rights leader Frederick Douglass as D.C. Marshal.

March 19, 2003, Republican U.S. Representatives of Hispanic and Portuguese descent form Congressional Hispanic Conference.

“Our destiny is largely in our own hands. If we find, we shall have to seek. If we succeed in the race of life it must be by our own energies, and by our own exertions. Others may clear the road, but we must go forward, or be left behind in the race of life."

Frederick Douglass, Republican Civil Rights Activist

SOURCE: 2005 Republican Freedom Calendar

President's Statement on Madrid Train Bombings

President's Statement on Madrid Train Bombings

On March 11, we remember the lives lost one year ago in Madrid.

The bombings in Spain were a grim reminder that there are evil people in the world who are willing to kill innocent life. The terrorists hate and target every country that stands for democracy, tolerance, and freedom. They kill the innocent children and their mothers on a commuter train without conscience or mercy.

The world is united in our determination to defeat global terrorism. We share a common faith in the value of freedom and the sanctity of life. We will continue to fight terror and advance freedom so that the world will be more peaceful.

For those who lost loved ones on March 11, it has been a year of sorrow and a year of healing. I join all Americans in sending our expressions of sympathy and solidarity on this solemn day of remembrance.

May God bless the people of Spain and the souls of the departed.

# # # For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary March 11, 2005

Charles F. Conner, Robert Joseph, Paul D. Clement, Kim Wang

President George W. Bush today announced his intention to nominate four individuals to serve in his Administration:

The President intends to nominate Charles F. Conner, of Indiana, to be Deputy Secretary of Agriculture. Mr. Conner currently serves as Special Assistant to the President for Agriculture, Trade, and Food Assistance at the National Economic Council. Prior to this position, he served as President of the Corn Refiners Association in Washington, DC. Mr. Conner previously served on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry for twelve years. He earned his bachelor's degree from Purdue University.

The President intends to nominate Robert Joseph, of Virginia, to be Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security. Dr. Joseph currently serves as Senior Scholar and Director of Studies at the National Institute for Public Policy. Prior to this position, he served on the National Security Council staff as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Proliferation Strategy, Counterproliferation and Homeland Defense. Dr. Joseph was the Director and Founder of the Center for Counterproliferation research at the National Defense University and served as Professor of National Security Studies. He earned his bachelor's degree from Saint Louis University, his master's degree from the University of Chicago, and his Ph.D. from Columbia University.

The President intends to nominate Paul D. Clement, of Virginia, to be Solicitor General at the Department of Justice. Mr. Clement currently serves at the Justice Department as Acting Solicitor General. In addition, he also serves as Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University Law Center. Mr. Clement previously served as Partner and Head of Appellate Practice for King & Spalding in Washington, DC. Earlier in his career, he served as Chief Counsel for the United States Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Federalism and Property Rights. Mr. Clement earned his bachelor's degree from Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, his master's degree from Cambridge University and his J.D. from Harvard Law School.

The President intends to nominate Kim Wang, of California, to be a Member of the National Museum and Library Services Board (Library), for the remainder of a five-year term expiring December 6, 2009.

# # # For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary March 11, 2005 Personnel Announcement

Yad Vashem New Holocaust History Museum

President George W. Bush today announced the designation of a Presidential Delegation to the State of Israel to attend the Inauguration of the Yad Vashem New Holocaust History Museum on March 15, 2005.

The Honorable Michael Bloomberg, Mayor of the City of New York, will lead the delegation.

Member of Presidential Delegation and Special Representative of the Secretary of State:

Professor Elie Wiesel, Nobel Laureate, Author and Founder of the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity

Members of the Presidential Delegation are:

The Honorable Daniel Kurtzer, Ambassador of the U.S. to the State of Israel

The Honorable Fred S. Zeidman, Chairman of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council

Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis, Founder and President of Hineni International

Mrs. Norma Lerner, Owner of the Cleveland Browns

Rabbi Isaac Neuman, Rabbi Emeritus at Sinai Temple

# # # For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary March 11, 2005 Personnel Announcement

bush radio address 03/12/05 full audio, text transcript

bush radio address 03/12/05 full audio, text transcript

President's Radio Address

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Over the last few weeks, I have traveled across our nation and met with tens of thousands of you to discuss my plans for strengthening Social Security. I share a great responsibility with your representatives in Congress. We must fix the system permanently, so it will be there for our children and grandchildren.

I have been to 15 states, and I'm just getting started. On every visit, I am assuring those of you born before 1950 that Social Security will remain the same for you; no changes. No matter what the scare ads or politicians might tell you, you will get your checks. You grandparents also understand we have got to fix the holes in this vital safety net for future generations. I appreciate the wisdom of our seniors and I welcome your input on how to strengthen the system.

You younger workers know what is happening to Social Security. The present pay-as-you-go system is going broke. Huge numbers of baby boomers, like me, will be retiring soon, and we are living longer and our benefits are rising. At the same time, fewer workers will be paying into the system to support a growing number of retirees. Therefore, the government is making promises it cannot keep. Still, some folks are playing down the problem, and say we can fix it later. The fact is, we have got a serious problem and we need to fix it now. If you are in your 20s, or if you have children or grandchildren in their 20s, the idea of Social Security collapsing is no small matter, and it should not be a small matter to the Congress.

In 1983, Congress enacted what they thought was a 75-year fix to save Social Security from bankruptcy. This bipartisan solution turned out to be temporary because it did not address the system's fundamental flaws. Two years later, Social Security was headed out of balance again. Now some in Washington are talking about another 75-year fix, which means we will be back to the starting line a few years from now. We do not need a band-aid solution for Social Security. We want to solve this issue now and forever.

Putting off real reform makes fixing the system harder and more expensive. As one Democrat leader observed recently, "Every year we delay adds at least $600 billion to the cost of saving the system." And the Social Security trustees agree. Postponing reform will leave our children with drastic and unpleasant choices: huge tax increases that will kill jobs, massive new borrowing or sudden, painful cuts in Social Security benefits or other programs. Our children deserve better and we can give them better. I have told Congress all ideas are on the table, except raising the payroll tax rate. Some of the options available include indexing benefits to prices, rather than wages; changing the benefit formulas; raising the retirement age -- ideas Democrats and Republicans have talked about before.

Whatever changes we make, we must provide a better and stronger system for younger workers. And that is why I have proposed allowing younger Americans to place some of your payroll taxes in voluntary personal retirement accounts. You would have a choice of conservative bond and stock funds, with the opportunity to earn a higher rate of return than is possible under the current system. If you earn an average of $35,000 over your career, you can build up nearly a quarter-million dollars in your account, on top of your Social Security check. This would be real savings you own, a nest egg you could pass on to your children.

The American people did not place us in office to pass on problems to future generations and future Presidents and future Congresses. I will work with both parties to fix Social Security permanently. Social Security has been there for generations of Americans, and together we will strengthen it for generations to come.

Thank you for listening.

END For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary March 12, 2005

Michael D. Griffin nominated NASA Administrator

President George W. Bush today announced his intention to nominate one individual to serve in his Administration:

The President intends to nominate Michael D. Griffin, of Virginia, to be Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Dr. Griffin currently serves as Space Department Head at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. Prior to that, he was President and Chief Operating Officer of In-Q-Tel, Inc. He also served in several positions within Orbital Sciences Corporation, including Chief Executive Officer of Magellan Systems, Inc. Earlier in his career, Dr. Griffin served as Chief Engineer at NASA and as Deputy for Technology at the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization. He received a bachelor's degree in Physics from Johns Hopkins University; a master's degree in Aerospace Science from Catholic University of America; a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Maryland; a master's degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California; a master's degree in Applied Physics from Johns Hopkins University; a master's degree in Business Administration from Loyola College; and a master's degree in Civil Engineering from The George Washington University.

# # # For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary March 11, 2005 Personnel Announcement

VA Awards Grants to Mississippi Veterans Home

VA Awards Grants to Mississippi Veterans Home

WASHINGTON – Making sure the Mississippi Veterans Home remains a comfortable residence for veterans, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is targeting $1.7 million in grant money for improvements to the Jackson facility.

"This grant reflects the federal-state partnership that is honoring our commitment to care for the men and women who have served in uniform," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson. "This partnership provides a comfortable home for veterans in a time of great personal need."

The grant will pay up to 65 percent of the cost of renovations, which include a new air-conditioning system, new roofs on all buildings and new bedroom furniture in the 150-bed facility. The overall cost of the project is approximately $2.6 million.

In fiscal year 2003, VA spent nearly $784 million in Mississippi to serve nearly 244,000 veterans who live in the state. In Mississippi, the VA Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System operates medical centers in Biloxi and Gulfport. VA facilities in Mississippi provided treatment to 8,966 inpatients and 633,758 outpatients in fiscal 2003.

Information about Mississippi state veterans nursing homes is available on the Web at vab.state.ms.us. # # # March 10, 2005 SOURCE: Department of Veterans Affairs

Texas Corridor Project

Nation’s Top Highway Official Highlights Innovative Public-Private Partnership on Texas Corridor Project

During a visit to Austin, Texas, Federal Highway Administrator Mary E. Peters today focused national attention on an innovative transportation partnership that is attracting private capital to fund transportation improvements and reduce congestion in the region.

Peters joined Texas Governor Rick Perry and Ric Williamson, chairman of the Texas Transportation Commission, to announce an agreement between the state and a private consortium of engineering, construction and financial firms. The consortium, Cintra-Zachry, has proposed investing $7.2 billion to develop the approximately 600-mile, Oklahoma to Mexico portion of the Trans-Texas Corridor.

“Texas is a national example for all states and a leader in unleashing the resources, innovation and efficiency of the private sector to bring transportation improvements to the public faster and at less cost to American taxpayers,” said Peters. “Public-private partnerships in transportation hold great promise in cutting the congestion that’s choking our economy and keeping families apart from one another.”

This section of the proposed Trans-Texas Corridor will roughly parallel Interstate 35, running north-south through the state from Oklahoma to Mexico. As envisioned, the multi-use corridor would include lanes for passenger vehicles, trucks and rail and dedicated zones for water, electric, telecommunications and other utility lines.

The FHWA has worked with TxDOT on the flexibility the state needs to pursue its partnership with the private sector.

“The Bush Administration supports giving states and local governments a bigger menu of options that they can use to keep people and goods on the move,” said Peters.

Congress is now considering six-year surface transportation legislation that would fund highway, bridge and transit programs. The Bush Administration has proposed a number of provisions that would give states more opportunities to partner with the private sector and attract private investment in transportation, according to Peters.

# # # FHWA 02-05 Contact: Nancy Singer, Tel: 202-366-0660 Friday, March 11, 2005 SOUECE: U.S. Department of Transportation

Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA)

U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao Announces New USERRA Notice of Rights and Benefits

WASHINGTON—U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao today announced that a notice in poster format explaining the rights of employees under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) is now available for employers to download from the Department of Labor (DOL) Web site.

The Veterans Benefits Improvement Act, enacted by Congress in December 2004, mandates that employers provide the notice to “all persons entitled to rights and benefits under USERRA.” Employers may meet this obligation by posting the notice in a prominent place where employees customarily check for such information.

“We are committed to ensuring that our brave men and women who are protecting our country's freedoms have the opportunities they deserve when they return to civilian life,” said Chao. “We will work tirelessly to continue to keep National Guard and Reserve service members, their families and employers informed about USERRA, the law that protects their jobs and benefits.”

USERRA protects the job rights of individuals who voluntarily or involuntarily leave employment positions to undertake military service. The law also prohibits employers from discriminating against past and present members of the uniformed services and applicants to the uniformed services.

The USERRA poster is now available at dol.gov/vets/programs/poster. Employers can obtain d etailed information about USERRA by calling 1-866-4-USA-DOL or by visiting dol.gov/vets/.
This is the latest in a series of compliance-assistance efforts undertaken by the Department of Labor to increase employer awareness of USERRA. Others include: Providing briefings and technical assistance to more than 220,000 service members and others on USERRA; Distributing public service announcements to increase awareness of USERRA rights, and Publishing proposed USERRA regulations, which explain the law in plain English. Listen to the audio news release in MP3 format :43. # # #

OPA News Release: [03/10/2005] Contact Name: Mike Biddle or Dirk Fillpot Phone Number: 202-693-5051 or x4676 Release Number: 05-0338-NAT

ALBERTO R. GONZALES ON THE AL-MOAYAD AND ZAYED CONVICTIONS

STATEMENT OF ATTORNEY GENERAL ALBERTO R. GONZALES ON THE AL-MOAYAD AND ZAYED CONVICTIONS

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales today issued the following statement on the convictions by a federal jury in Brooklyn, New York, of Mohammed Al Hasan Al-Moayad and Mohammed Mohsen Yahya Zayed on charges of conspiring to provide material support to the al Qaeda and Hamas terrorist groups:

“Today’s convictions mark another important step in our war on terrorism. Those who conspire to support and finance the terrorist actions of al Qaeda and other enemies will be found and they will face justice. I thank the hardworking prosecutors and investigators who traveled the globe to bring these defendants to justice, and the jury for its careful consideration of the evidence in this case. This conviction was made possible by the valuable assistance of the German government, which arrested the defendants in Germany and then extradited them to the United States. Germany remains a key and powerful ally in the international fight against terrorist organizations.”

### 05-115 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2005 WWW.USDOJ.GOV CRM (202) 514-2008 TDD (202) 514-1888 SOURCE: United States Department of Justice

ANWR's 1002 Area

anwr.org - “1002” IS WHERE THE OIL’S AT! - The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), as it exists today, was created through the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) in 1980.

DOMENICI JOINS IN 10-12 COMMITTEE VOTE TO KEEP ANWR INSTRUCTIONS IN BUDGET RESOLUTION Budget resolution a well-worn path for ANWR since 1995

Washington, D.C. – Pete V. Domenici, a senior member of the Budget Committee and its former chairman, today joined his committee colleagues in voting to retain ANWR reconciliation instructions in the budget resolution. The committee is expected to approve the budget resolution later today. It is slated for floor consideration next week.

Domenici led a congressional delegation to Alaska this past weekend to visit ANWR and meet with the native people who live there. He spoke to his Budget colleagues about what he saw there and the appropriate use of the budget avenue for ANWR before the committee voted.

Chairman Domenici issued the following statement following the vote:

I hope today’s ANWR vote in committee will be repeated on the Senate floor next week. Today’s vote is a victory for the economy, American consumers and the people of Alaska. I will work closely with Majority Leader Frist and Senators Stevens and Murkowski to defend ANWR instructions on the floor next week.

The budget resolution is the proper avenue for ANWR. The environmentally-gentle development of oil on a 2,000-acre footprint will generate billions of dollars for the U.S. Treasury. The budget is the proper place for provisions generating receipts to offset federal outlays.

Congress passed ANWR in the Balanced Budget Act in 1995. President Clinton promptly vetoed the Balanced Budget Act. We used the budget resolution and reconciliation process then for ANWR and we have used it repeatedly since.

Now is the time for ANWR. Oil is trading above $50 a barrel, we have American boots on the ground in the Middle East, global supplies are tight and China and India are driving up demand.

ANWR – at its peak and at today’s prices – will save us nearly $20 billion annually in the purchase of foreign oil. ANWR will expand supply, stabilize prices and create hundreds of thousands of jobs. It will enhance our national security and strengthen our self-reliance. Now that I’ve seen ANWR and our technological capabilities first hand, I am more convinced than ever that now is the time to finally exercising our option to explore a small portion of this area.

Marnie Funk Communications Director Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee W: 202-224-6977 C : 202-302-5885 Press Release March 10, 2005 SOURCE: US Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

Secretary Norton to Discuss Last Weekend's Visit to ANWR's 1002 Area

What: Press Conference

Where: Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room 366

When: 12:00 p.m. Thursday, March 10

Who: Interior Secretary Gale A. Norton, Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman, Senate ENR Chairman Pete Domenici (NM), Sen. Lisa Murkowski (AK), Sen. Jim Bunning (KY), Sen. John Thune (SD)

Why: To discuss last weekend's trip to Alaska to see ANWR's 1002 Area.

In her discussion, Secretary Norton will release information highlighting the oil potential of the 1002 Area.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Shane Wolfe March 9, 2005 202-208-6416 SOURCE: U.S. Department of the Interior