USA Today - Statement on U.S.-Canada Joint Arctic Survey Mission

Statement on U.S.-Canada Joint Arctic Survey Mission

Joint expedition to survey the extended continental shelf, Arctic seafloor

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U.S.-Canada Joint Expedition to Survey the Extended Continental Shelf in the Arctic

The U.S. Extended Continental Shelf Task Force, chaired by the Department of State, will conduct a joint Arctic mission with the Government of Canada this summer to collect scientific data pertaining to the extended continental shelf and Arctic seafloor.  The mission will continue the U.S.-Canada collaboration begun in 2008.  As in the past two years, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy and the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Louis S. St-Laurent will participate in the mission.  The joint operations will be conducted from August 7 to September 3.

The 2010 continental shelf survey mission will cover regions over the Canada Basin, the Beaufort Shelf, and the Alpha Mendeleev Ridge.  This joint collaboration saves millions of dollars for both countries by managing expensive Arctic field operations to maximize data collection while increasing scientific and diplomatic cooperation.  The mission will help delineate the outer limits of the continental shelf in the Arctic Ocean for the U.S. and Canada, and will also include the collection of data in the disputed area where the U.S. and Canada have not agreed to a maritime boundary.  Coastal States have sovereign rights over the natural resources of their continental shelves; both the U.S. and Canada will be collecting scientific information to satisfy the criteria for delineating the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles as set forth in the Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Both the USCG Cutter Healy and Canadian Coast Guard Ship Louis S. St-Laurent alternately will break ice for the following ship during the mission. The Healy will map the shape of the seafloor using a multibeam echo sounder while the Louis S. St-Laurent will collect multi-channel seismic reflection and refraction data aimed at determining sediment thickness.

The past two years of cooperation between the U.S. and Canada have proved to be very successful, and the United States looks forward to continuing this effort with Canada as we explore the unknowns of this unique underwater landscape. The two countries plan to continue their Arctic cooperation in 2011.
Additional information on the joint U.S.-Canadian Extended Continental Shelf cruise is available at: available

USA Today - White House / Obama signs bill to reduce government waste

President Obama put the U.S. government on a fiscal diet Thursday, signing a bill designed to cut down on government waste, fraud and abuse and ensure the most efficient use of American tax dollars.

The Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act reflects promises Obama made on the campaign trail—to make the government more transparent, efficient and responsive to the needs of the people, he said.

“The reality is that right now, in these difficult economic times, families across this country are cutting every frill and stretching every dollar as far as they can—they should expect no less from their government.”

The bill includes cuts to unnecessary or wasteful programs (including money to build a new presidential helicopter fleet) and a budget that will reduce non-defense discretionary spending to its lowest level in 50 years.

Obama said the bill puts the government on track to reach the goal of saving $40 billion by the end of the next fiscal year.

For more information on Obama’s recent economic recovery efforts, check out a video of the president’s statements today.

USA Today - White House denounces leak of Afghan war reports / White House

The White House condemned the leak of about 900,000 classified U.S. military records posted online by Wikileaks Sunday.

The documents, which cover a time period from January 2004 to December 2009, contain information about U.S. military efforts on the ground in Afghanistan, including information about civilian deaths and details about Taliban use of heat-seeking missiles, according to The New York Times, which received early copies of the reports along with London’s the Guardian newspaper and Germany’s Der Spiegel magazine.

In a statement released Sunday, President Obama’s national security advisor, Gen. James Jones, said the disclosure of these documents could put the lives of Americans and U.S. partners at risk and threaten the nation’s security.

“These irresponsible leaks will not impact our ongoing commitment to deepen our partnerships with Afghanistan and Pakistan; to defeat our common enemies; and to support the aspirations of the Afghan and Pakistani people,” he said.

The reports cover a time period before Obama announced a new strategy on Dec. 1, 2009 to increase resources in Afghanistan and increase focus on al Qaeda and Taliban safe-havens in Pakistan. While challenges lie ahead, Jones said Obama’s strategy aims to address conflicts presented by violent extremist groups, increase bilateral efforts, and support the local people.

“We are now focused on breaking the Taliban’s momentum and building Afghan capacity so that the Afghan government can begin to assume responsibility for its future,” he said. “The United States remains committed to a strong, stable, and prosperous Afghanistan.”