Background Briefing by Senior Administration Official, 12/31/09
10:36 A.M. HAST SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:
Background Briefing by Senior Administration Official, 12/31/09
10:36 A.M. HAST SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:
President Obama Signs Alabama Disaster Declaration
The President today declared a major disaster exists in the State of Alabama and ordered Federal aid to supplement State and local recovery efforts in the area struck by severe storms and flooding during the period of December 12-18, 2009. Federal funding is available to State and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe storms and flooding in the counties of Barbour, Butler, Clarke, Coffee, Conecuh, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Escambia, Geneva, Henry, and Pike. Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide. W. Craig Fugate, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named Michael Bolch as the Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in the affected area.
President Obama Signs Alabama Disaster Declaration
The President today declared a major disaster exists in the State of Alabama and ordered Federal aid to supplement State and local recovery efforts in the area struck by severe storms and flooding during the period of December 12-18, 2009. Federal funding is available to State and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe storms and flooding in the counties of Barbour, Butler, Clarke, Coffee, Conecuh, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Escambia, Geneva, Henry, and Pike. Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide. W. Craig Fugate, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named Michael Bolch as the Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in the affected area.
President Obama Signs New York Disaster Declaration
The President today declared a major disaster exists in the State of New York and ordered Federal aid to supplement State and local recovery efforts in the area struck by severe storms and flooding associated with Tropical Depression Ida and a nor’easter during the period of November 12-14, 2009. Federal funding is available to State and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe storms and flooding associated with Tropical Depression Ida and a nor’easter in the counties of Nassau and Suffolk. Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.
President Obama Signs New York Disaster Declaration
The President today declared a major disaster exists in the State of New York and ordered Federal aid to supplement State and local recovery efforts in the area struck by severe storms and flooding associated with Tropical Depression Ida and a nor’easter during the period of November 12-14, 2009. Federal funding is available to State and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe storms and flooding associated with Tropical Depression Ida and a nor’easter in the counties of Nassau and Suffolk. Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.
Statement from the President on Preliminary Assessments from Reviews Ordered on the Christmas Day Incident
This morning, I spoke with John Brennan about preliminary assessments from the ongoing consultations I have ordered into the human and systemic failures that occurred leading up to the attempted act of terrorism on Christmas Day and about our government-wide efforts at continued vigilance on homeland security and counterterrorism efforts. In a separate call, I spoke with Sec. Napolitano to receive an update on both the Department of Homeland Security review of detection capabilities and the enhanced security measures in place since the Christmas Day incident. I anticipate receiving assessments from several agencies this evening and will review those tonight and over the course of the weekend.
Statement from the President on Preliminary Assessments from Reviews Ordered on the Christmas Day Incident
This morning, I spoke with John Brennan about preliminary assessments from the ongoing consultations I have ordered into the human and systemic failures that occurred leading up to the attempted act of terrorism on Christmas Day and about our government-wide efforts at continued vigilance on homeland security and counterterrorism efforts. In a separate call, I spoke with Sec. Napolitano to receive an update on both the Department of Homeland Security review of detection capabilities and the enhanced security measures in place since the Christmas Day incident. I anticipate receiving assessments from several agencies this evening and will review those tonight and over the course of the weekend.
Statement by National Security Council Spokesman Mike Hammer on the Detention of Human Rights Activists in Russia
The United States expresses dismay at reports that authorities in Moscow prevented Russian citizens from exercising their right to assemble peacefully.
Message from the President to the CIA Workforce
Earlier this morning, the President sent this message to the CIA workforce in relation to yesterday’s attack in Khost Province, Afghanistan: To the men and women of the CIA: I write to mark a sad occasion in the history of the CIA and our country. Yesterday, seven Americans in Afghanistan gave their lives in service to their country. Michelle and I have their families, friends and colleagues in our thoughts and prayers. These brave Americans were part of a long line of patriots who have made great sacrifices for their fellow citizens, and for our way of life. The United States would not be able to maintain the freedom and security that we cherish without decades of service from the dedicated men and women of the CIA. You have helped us understand the world as it is, and taken great risks to protect our country. You have served in the shadows, and your sacrifices have sometimes been unknown to your fellow citizens, your friends, and even your families. In recent years, the CIA has been tested as never before. Since our country was attacked on September 11, 2001, you have served on the frontlines in directly confronting the dangers of the 21st century. Because of your service, plots have been disrupted, American lives have been saved, and our Allies and partners have been more secure. Your triumphs and even your names may be unknown to your fellow Americans, but your service is deeply appreciated. Indeed, I know firsthand the excellent quality of your work because I rely on it every day. The men and women who gave their lives in Afghanistan did their duty with courage, honor and excellence, and we must draw strength from the example of their sacrifice. They will take their place on the Memorial Wall at Langley alongside so many other heroes who gave their lives on behalf of their country. And they will live on in the hearts of those who loved them, and in the freedom that they gave their lives to defend. May God bless the memory of those we lost, and may God bless the United States of America. President Barack Obama
Understanding China’s Political System
Opaque and shrouded in secrecy, China's political system and decision-making processes are mysteries to many Westerners. At one level, China is a one-party state that has been ruled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) since 1949. But rather than being rigidly hierarchical and authoritarian, which is often the assumption, political power in China now is diffuse, complex, and at times highly competitive. Despite its grip on power, the Party and its senior leaders (the Politburo and its Standing Committee) are not always able to dictate policy decisions as they once did. Instead, present-day China's political process is infused with other political actors that influence and sometimes determine policy. Three other main actors co-exist with the Party at the top of China's political system. Chief among these is the muscular state government bureaucracy, whose structures closely parallel the Party's throughout China, operating in a largely separate but interlocking way to implement and administer state business. Another key institution is the People's Liberation Army, operating again largely separately and with a tenuous distinction between civilian, military, and Party leadership. Completing the top political institutions is the National People's Congress, constitutionally the highest organ of state power but in practice the weakest of the top political institutions. Other political actors in China include: provincial and local officials; a growing body of official and quasi-official policy research groups and think tanks that feed proposals into the policy process; a collection of state sector, multinational, and even private business interests exerting pressure on policy decisions; a vigorous academic and university community; a diverse media that informs public opinion; and an increasingly vocal and better-informed citizenry that are demanding more transparency and accountability from government. New forms of communication and information availability also have pressured the PRC government to make changes in its political system, and have provided the Party with new means of maintaining political control. The political story in China today is the extent to which these multiple actors and changing circumstances have helped blur the communist regime's lines of authority. Chinese politics is further complicated by other factors. In the absence of a more formalized institutional infrastructure, personal affiliations can play a significant role in political decisions, adding unpredictability to an already murky process. In addition, discipline between the different levels of party and government structure can be tenuous, leading to ineffective implementation of policy and, in some cases, serious problems with corruption. Despite its internal problems, the PRC's Communist Party-led political system has proven exceedingly resilient to past and current challenges, but nevertheless is under stress and undergoing reluctant transition. Ironically, the Party's commitment to remaining in power appears to be forcing it to adapt continually to changing circumstances and to make incremental compromises with other participants in the political process when it is pragmatic to do so. A better understanding of how China's political system functions, as well as what are its strengths and weaknesses, may help U.S. lawmakers make more effective policy decisions that directly benefit U.S. interests.
Security Classification Policy and Procedure: E.O. 12958, as Amended
Largely prescribed in a series of successive presidential executive orders issued over the past 50 years, security classification policy and procedure provide the rationale and arrangements for designating information officially secret for reasons of national security, and for its declassification as well. President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued the first executive order (E.O. 8381) in 1940. Current security classification policy may be found in Executive Order 12958, which was signed by President William Clinton on April 17, 1995. It “prescribes a uniform system for classifying, safeguarding, and declassifying national security information.” As issued, E.O. 12958 declared, “If there is significant doubt about the need to classify information, it shall not be classified.” Additionally, the order stated “If there is significant doubt about the appropriate level of classification, it shall be classified at the lower level.” President George W. Bush amended Executive Order 12958 via Executive Order 13292 on March 25, 2003. E.O. 13292 made many changes to E.O. 12958, and eliminated both of the aforementioned “significant doubt” provisions. On May 27, 2009, President Barack Obama ordered a review of E.O. 12958. The assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (commonly known as the National Security Advisor) is required to submit to the President “recommendations and proposed revisions” to E.O. 12958 within 90 days. President Obama signed an executive order on December 29, 2009, that revoked E.O. 12958 and “prescribes a uniform system for classifying, safeguarding, and declassifying national security information.” The order made a number of significant changes to current information policies, such as (1) requiring the establishment of a National Declassification Center at the National Archives; (2) ending the E.O. 13292 policy of empowering the Director of Central Intelligence to block declassification actions; and (3) declaring that “no information may remain classified indefinitely.” The President's accompanying memorandum to agency heads orders that a “backlog” of 400 million pages of records be made available to the public by December 31, 2013. This report will not be updated.
Statement by the Press Secretary on the Death of Former Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid
The people of the United States join Indonesians in mourning the death of former President Abdurrahman Wahid.