The unveiling of the $100 note is the first step in a global multi-government agency public education program implemented by the Department of the Treasury, the Federal Reserve Board and the U.S. Secret Service, to educate those who use the $100 note about its changes before it begins circulating. The $100 note is the highest value denomination of U.S. currency in general circulation, and it circulates broadly around the world. Public education is an important component of the government’s redesigned currency program because a well informed public is our first and best line of defense against counterfeiting. Free training materials for cash-handlers as well as other public education resources will be available in 25 languages on April 21.

Mr. Bansal, who launched today New Hindi & Garhwali Magazine as its first issue had highlighted this subject. The State Governments should give more attention to this issue.

He said Chandigarh had assumed a metropolitan character and people of other States living here, were always eager to their native places and also eager to know about development. He said a substantial number of people of Uttarkhand were living here and hence the new magazine, rightly said, would be bridge between people and of their native places.

He congratulated the magazine team led by Mr. Kuldeep Dhasmana, Editor of the Uttarakhand Live. Mr. Kewal Sahni, Unit head of Dainik Bhaskar, Chandigarh, presided over the function.

Photo Caption:  Mr. Pawan Bansal, Central Water Resources and Parliamentary Affairs Minister with others releasing Uttarakhand Live in Chandigarh Press Club on Sunday.

“We have gathered here today to discuss issues relating to our internal security, an area that require utmost vigil, sustained and coordinated attention of both the Central and the State governments. We must periodically together review the systems that are in place for ensuring the safety and security of our country and our citizens, assess the threats that we face and take appropriate remedial action to deal with those threats. It is in this spirit that this Conference is being held. I compliment the Home Minister and his team for organizing it and for the good work that they have done in the last one year. I welcome and greet each one of you and I sincerely hope that the deliberations of this Conference will contribute substantively to the strengthening of our internal security.

All of you are aware of the major threats to our security. Hostile groups and elements operate from across the border to perpetrate terrorist acts in our country. The State of Jammu & Kashmir bears the brunt of the acts of these groups. There is insurgency and violence in the North-East. Many States are affected by Left–Wing extremism, which I have in the past referred to as the greatest threat to our internal security. There are also those trying to divide our society on communal and regional lines. Each one of these threats requires a strong effort, determination, hard work and continuous vigilance to tackle. These threats to our society, to our polity and our country constitute a challenge that we must and we shall meet effectively at all costs.

When we met last time in August 2009, I had mentioned the steps we had taken to improve our internal security environment between January and August. These included the setting up of four regional hubs of the National Security Guard at Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Hyderabad and the setting up of the National Investigation Agency. Since then we have made further progress. The Multi Agency Centre (MAC) in the Intelligence Bureau now shares intelligence with other agencies, including those of the State Governments and Union Territories on a continuous and real time basis. Reciprocally, the other agencies are also obliged to share intelligence with the Multi Agency Centre. The Centre operates on a 24 hour basis and I expect that this arrangement for sharing and exchange of information and intelligence will greatly help us not only in apprehending those responsible for acts that vitiate our security environment but also in preventing such acts. I also understand that the Ministry of Home Affairs has initiated action to set up dedicated and secure online connectivity for exchange of real time intelligence and security related information between the Centre and the States. I would urge all Hon’ble Chief Ministers to benefit from these facilities and arrangements.

We have also made progress in some other areas. To enable quick movement of anti-terrorist forces, the Director General of the National Security Guard and certain other designated officers are now empowered to requisition aircraft. The Central Industrial Security Force Act has been amended so that the Force can provide security to establishments and undertakings in the joint and private sectors. The National Investigation Agency has started its work with cases for investigation and prosecution having been assigned to it. It is my expectation that the States would make the fullest possible use of this agency so that our fight against terrorism can be a forceful and united effort.

The terrorist strikes in Mumbai in November 2008 had made us painfully aware of the need to strengthen our coastal security. The National Committee on Coastal security under the chairmanship of the Cabinet Secretary has been constituted to adopt an integrated approach to this very vital issue. The Committee has taken action to increase the level of patrolling and surveillance along the Indian coastline and bring about greater coordination between the various agencies that can contribute to security along our coasts. The issue of multi-purpose identity cards with biometric features to residents in coastal areas is expected to be completed by September 2010. The process of registration of boats and vessels has gathered momentum. Standard operating procedures have been finalized and communicated to the State Government. These and other steps being taken should help substantially in making our coastline safer and secure.

While we have made progress on different fronts, we are also aware that we have a lot more to achieve. I would like to take this opportunity to assure all of you present here that there will be no let up in our commitment and in our efforts. However, our success also depends in large measure on the response of the State Governments. While speaking to Chief Secretaries of States a few days back I had said that many issues in today’s world require a response that is coordinated not only between the affected States but also between the Centre and the States. Internal security is certainly one such issue, and for that matter a critical issue which affects the pace of our growth and development.

Apart from coordinating efforts, there are certain specific steps which the States could take. I would like to take this opportunity to urge the Chief Ministers to create Special Intervention Units in their States to enhance the speed and decisiveness of the Quick Response Teams. The States may also like to develop specialized commando forces which could be deployed to act as a deterrent to terrorist acts. I would urge Chief Ministers to make full use of the scheme formulated by the Central Government to assist the Special Branches of States in strengthening their intelligence capabilities.

A very basic pre-requisite of any internal security system is an adequate number of policemen who are well trained. The problems of inadequate number of policemen and deficiency in training of the police personnel have been underlined time and again. Unfortunately there has not been adequate progress in these areas. The figures collected by the Ministry of Home Affairs show that at the end of September 2009, about three lakh ninety four thousand of the sanctioned posts in the State and Union Territory police forces were lying vacant. This constitutes a large proportion – about 20 percent – of the total sanctioned strength. I would urge State Chief Ministers to take expeditious action to fill these vacant posts. There is also a need to ensure good infrastructure for our police forces to be effective and efficient. At present for all States as a whole, around 80 percent of the police budget is used for salaries, allowances and pensions. The States should increase the proportion of the budget earmarked for police infrastructure and police training. I hope to see greater efforts from States and enhanced allocations in State budgets for recruitment and training of police personnel and for improving the infrastructural facilities available to our police forces. We should also think of special incentives for policemen, and indeed other government officials, posted in difficult areas.

During the course of this Conference, the internal security issues that we face will be discussed in detail. I will only touch upon a few of them. As far as Jammu & Kashmir is concerned, there has been a marked decline in the number of terrorist incidents from 2008 to 2009. But, infiltration levels have shown an increase. Recently there have been some incidents which are disturbing. In the North-East also, the number of incidents has gone down in 2009 as compared to 2008. The number of incidents related to Left-Wing extremism has however increased in the same period, as has the number of civilians and security personnel killed in these incidents. This is worrisome. The Left–Wing extremists continue to target vital installations and kill innocent civilians in Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Orissa and West Bengal. The Centre and the States have to find ways and means of jointly fighting this menace. As I have said earlier, our response to Left–Wing extremism must be calibrated to avoid alienating our people, especially those in the tribal areas. It must also go hand in hand with social and economic development of areas affected by Left–Wing extremism, bringing them into the mainstream of national progress. Tribal communities in particular, should get full benefit of our development schemes and development programmes. This is only possible by improving service delivery in tribal dominated areas.

I would also like to make a mention of the menace of counterfeit currency notes. There are indications that Fake Indian Currency Notes are being printed and smuggled into India from outside our country. There is obviously a need for a coordinated approach by the Central and State agencies to tackle this menace; which has serious implications for our economy. In some instances of recovery of fake currency, especially by banks, there has been a reluctance to register the First Information Report. This has to be avoided and all such cases must be thoroughly investigated. The States could also designate a nodal agency to investigate cases of seizure or recovery of Fake Currency Notes and set up a state level committee for continuous vigilance in the matter, as has been suggested by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

We have a hard task ahead but one that can be and must be achieved with determination and coordinated action. As we deliberate upon the serious issues that constitute the agenda of this Conference, it will be in the spirit of strengthening each others’ hands. We will only succeed if we are united as a nation in addressing the concerns related to our internal security. In conclusion, I wish you all the very best in your endeavours and hope that this conference will lead to a better understanding of internal security issues and will also result in more effective responses to the threats we face as a nation.”

Defending the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) against criticism for a mistake made in its 2007 report over the rate at which the Himalayan glaciers would melt, UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner said that the panel has drawn upon the expertise of thousands of the best scientific minds for some 22 years.

“It is quite right to pinpoint errors, make corrections, and check and re-check sources for accuracy and credibility,” Mr. Steiner wrote in an opinion piece published in Turkey’s English-language Today’s Zaman.

However, the “time has really come for a reality check,” said Mr. Steiner, noting that the IPCC has acknowledged the need for stringent and transparent quality-control procedures to minimize any such risks in future reports.

“The overwhelming evidence now indicates that greenhouse-gas emissions need to peak within the next decade if we are to have any reasonable chance of keeping the global rise in temperature down to manageable levels,” he said.

“Any delay may generate environmental and economic risks of a magnitude that proves impossible to handle.”

Mr. Steiner warned that even without climate change the fact remains that a global transition to a low-carbon, resource-efficient future is necessary, given the world’s population is rise from 6 billion to 9 billion in the next 50 years.

“We need to improve management of our atmosphere, air, lands, soils, and oceans anyway,” he said. “What is needed is an urgent international response to the multiple challenges of energy security, air pollution, natural-resource management, and climate change.”

He concluded that rather than undermining the IPCC’s work, efforts should be re-doubled to support its task in assembling the science and knowledge for the fifth assessment report in 2014.

“We are considering a swap mechanism. We are keeping it on the table,” Manouchehr Mottaki said.

He added that he was set for substantive dialogue with international mediators on the resolution of Iran’s nuclear problem.

“I hope negotiations will produce good results,” he said.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Tuesday that Tehran had “no problem” with shipping out its low enriched uranium abroad for further enrichment into 20% fuel for its nuclear research reactor.

Ahmadinejad dismissed concerns that the uranium would not be returned. In such a case, Iran would continue enriching uranium by itself, he said.

Iran, which is already under three sets of UN sanctions for refusing to halt uranium enrichment, recently announced plans to build 10 new uranium enrichment facilities.

The West suspects Iran of pursuing a secret nuclear weapons program, but the Islamic republic says it needs nuclear power solely for civilian purposes.

Under a plan drawn up in October at IAEA talks in Vienna between Iran, the UN, the U.S., Russia and France, the Islamic Republic was supposed to ship out its low-enriched uranium to Russia, where it would be enriched and then sent to France where it would be made into fuel rods for an Iranian reactor.

However, Tehran rejected the proposal and suggested it could consider a simultaneous swap of its low-enriched uranium for 20%-enriched uranium, but that the exchange would have to take place on its own territory.

New York– Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today asked former United States President Bill Clinton, already deeply involved in Haiti before last month’s devastating earthquake as United Nations Special Envoy to the country, to assume a leadership role in coordinating international quake relief, from emergency response to reconstruction to launching a new funding appeal.

“Needless to say, he has hit the ground running; he will be in Haiti on Friday,” Mr. Ban told journalists after he briefed the Security Council. “In particular, he will provide strategic guidance in our work for Haiti’s early recovery and long-term reconstruction, with a special emphasis on mobilizing international support and donor funding.”

International efforts to help the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere after the 12 January quake, which killed up to 200,000 people, injured many others and left 2 million in need of aid, have faced a series of daunting challenges compounded by the enormity of the catastrophe and the lack of infrastructure in providing sufficient food, shelter and other requirements.

The two men met at UN Headquarters in New York this morning and agreed that one of the most urgent needs right now is shelter with the storm season just months away. “Important as they are, tents alone will not suffice,” Mr. Ban said.

“In meeting this and other needs, we agreed that we must move as urgently as possible to develop a clear strategy that mobilizes all UN agencies and their partners, including national governments, NGOs (non-government organizations) and the private sector,” he added.

Mr. Clinton will work together with UN Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator Helen Clark and Mr. Ban’s Special Representative Edmond Mulet. Mr. Ban asked Mr. Clinton to launch a revised flash appeal on 17 February to carry the humanitarian effort for the entire year. The original appeal launched on 15 January sought $562 million, with the bulk going to immediate needs, including food, water and shelter.

Overall the situation in Haiti is largely calm, Mr. Ban said. “Food distribution is growing smoother by the day, and we have now reached about 1 million people. Banks, markets and schools are beginning to re-open,” he added.

Mr. Ban appointed Mr. Clinton UN Special Envoy for Haiti last May, following a visit they made together two months earlier to raise awareness of efforts to help its people and Government bolster economic security.

The inter-governmental International Organization for Migration (IOM), which is coordinating the provision of shelter, estimates that 1.1 million people are displaced. Aid agencies have already distributed 10,000 family tents and more than 11,000 tarpaulins, while a further 15,000 tents are in stock and more than 40,000 should arrive in the coming days and weeks, IOM said.

On food distribution, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) has scaled up its operation with the first systematic food distribution programme using coupons, which started this weekend. The agency has now reached almost 1 million people since the quake struck, with more than 300,000 gaining access through the new distribution system in the last 72 hours.

WFP’s emergency operation has now been extended until the end of 2010 and is likely to cost over $800 million, more than double the initial budget. “The world has saved many lives in Haiti through an enormously generous and fast response to WFP’s food and logistics appeal,” Executive Director Josette Sheeran today said today. “The humanitarian lifeline is now reaching millions of destitute women and children in Haiti. We are very grateful.”

UN Children’s Fund  Executive Director Ann M. Veneman was leaving today for the Dominican Republic on the first stop of a visit to Haiti, as the agency launches a massive immunization campaign aimed at reaching 500,000 children under the age of seven.

She will arrive in Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital, tomorrow and spend the day with children in the city and visit an immunization centre for measles, diphtheria and tetanus, all of which can be deadly in times of crises. She will then return to the Dominican Republic, where UNICEF is working to supply Haitian relief efforts.

According to local sources, intense clashes between Government forces and militia groups fighting in the strife-torn central regions have also left 253 civilians wounded.

All of this “makes January the deadliest month since last August,” Andrej Mahecic, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told reporters in Geneva.

During January, some 29,000 people have been uprooted by heavy fighting in Dhusamareebb in Galgaduud region, with the internally displaced persons (IDPs) there facing difficult conditions.

“Fearful of returning to their homes, many are reported to be sleeping in the open with dwindling shelter and little water. There are also growing concerns about the health conditions of particularly vulnerable groups – such as children, women and elderly,” said Mr. Mahecic.

Also last month, over 25,000 have fled their homes to escape renewed clashes in Beled Weyne in Hiraan region, while another 18,000 are known to have been displaced in the on-going conflict in the capital, Mogadishu.

UNHCR said that worsening security has made it difficult, if not impossible, for humanitarian workers to access the needy population.

The agency plans to distribute emergency relief items and shelter material to over 18,000 people in 27 locations where the displaced are temporarily settled around Dhusamareebb and Beled-Weyne as soon as the security conditions allow.

More than 1.4 million people are internally displaced in Somalia, which has been devastated by factional fighting and without a functioning central government since 1991, owing to escalating violence and a worsening humanitarian situation.

In addition, some 560,000 Somalis live as refugees in the neighbouring countries, including Kenya, Yemen and Ethiopia.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) said it is working with its non-governmental partners in Somalia to carry out disease surveillance. There are indications that acute watery diarrhoea is widespread in parts of the country’s central and southern regions.

Staffan de Mistura (left), new Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan, meets President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai at Lancaster House, the venue for "Afghanistan: The London Conference", in London, United Kingdom. To the right of Mr. Karzai is Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. (UN)

LONDON – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called for a coherent political strategy to assist Afghanistan in its quest for peace, security and development, noting that the country’s challenges cannot be overcome by military efforts alone.

“We must recognize that while security is a major element in the transition strategy, it must not be the main and only focus,” Mr. Ban said in his opening remarks to the International Conference on Afghanistan, which he is co-hosting with President Hamid Karzai and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

“We need a coherent political strategy – not as an add-on to the military strategy, but which guides it as part of a balanced civilian and military approach, with peace and reconciliation as an integral component.”

Some 70 nations are meeting in London to discuss the way forward in Afghanistan following last year’s elections, in which Mr. Karzai won another term as President.

“This is an extremely challenging time for Afghanistan and for international engagement in the quest for peace, security and development in the country,” noted Mr. Ban. “Today’s event is a chance to look forward … to explore how to build on achievements so far.

“It is an opportunity to redefine the relationship between Afghanistan and the international community and its partners … a relationship based on strengthened Afghan leadership and an increased support role for the international community … a relationship where international efforts align with the Afghan Government’s priorities.”

The long road ahead towards recovery and institution-building, he said, must be inclusive, must strengthen governance, respect the human rights and meet the basic needs of the Afghan people. It must also foster an environment conducive to justice and accountability, an environment where corruption cannot thrive.

“We must see corruption for what it is: an assault on the integrity of the state and people’s well-being. Afghans have suffered for far too long from a culture of impunity and the lack of rule of law.

“If we are to achieve a stable and secure Afghanistan, these ills must be remedied, starting with improving the electoral process ahead of this year’s parliamentary elections,” the Secretary-General stated.

He added that despite the increasingly complex security environment, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), together with other UN partners, remains committed – for as long as necessary – to the Afghan people’s pursuit of peace and prosperity.

“The United Nations, for its part, will continue to stand with the Afghan people in building peace,” he pledged.

Yesterday Mr. Ban announced that he will appoint veteran diplomat Staffan de Mistura, a Swedish national who recently served as the top UN envoy to Iraq, to lead the world body’s efforts in Afghanistan.

During his meeting today with Mr. Karzai, the Secretary-General introduced Mr. de Mistura, who will take over on 1 March as his Special Representative for Afghanistan and head of UNAMA, replacing Kai Eide of Norway.

Mr. Ban and Mr. Karzai also discussed the UN’s role in coordinating civilian assistance, as well as the issues of good governance and the fight against corruption.

In addition, the Secretary-General underscored the world body’s readiness to support the electoral process in Afghanistan, should Kabul request assistance and subject to Security Council approval.28 January 2010 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called for a coherent political strategy to assist Afghanistan in its quest for peace, security and development, noting that the country’s challenges cannot be overcome by military efforts alone.

“We must recognize that while security is a major element in the transition strategy, it must not be the main and only focus,” Mr. Ban said in his opening remarks to the International Conference on Afghanistan, which he is co-hosting with President Hamid Karzai and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

“We need a coherent political strategy – not as an add-on to the military strategy, but which guides it as part of a balanced civilian and military approach, with peace and reconciliation as an integral component.”

Some 70 nations are meeting in London to discuss the way forward in Afghanistan following last year’s elections, in which Mr. Karzai won another term as President.

“This is an extremely challenging time for Afghanistan and for international engagement in the quest for peace, security and development in the country,” noted Mr. Ban. “Today’s event is a chance to look forward … to explore how to build on achievements so far.

“It is an opportunity to redefine the relationship between Afghanistan and the international community and its partners … a relationship based on strengthened Afghan leadership and an increased support role for the international community … a relationship where international efforts align with the Afghan Government’s priorities.”

The long road ahead towards recovery and institution-building, he said, must be inclusive, must strengthen governance, respect the human rights and meet the basic needs of the Afghan people. It must also foster an environment conducive to justice and accountability, an environment where corruption cannot thrive.

“We must see corruption for what it is: an assault on the integrity of the state and people’s well-being. Afghans have suffered for far too long from a culture of impunity and the lack of rule of law.

“If we are to achieve a stable and secure Afghanistan, these ills must be remedied, starting with improving the electoral process ahead of this year’s parliamentary elections,” the Secretary-General stated.

He added that despite the increasingly complex security environment, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), together with other UN partners, remains committed – for as long as necessary – to the Afghan people’s pursuit of peace and prosperity.

“The United Nations, for its part, will continue to stand with the Afghan people in building peace,” he pledged.

Yesterday Mr. Ban announced that he will appoint veteran diplomat Staffan de Mistura, a Swedish national who recently served as the top UN envoy to Iraq, to lead the world body’s efforts in Afghanistan.

During his meeting today with Mr. Karzai, the Secretary-General introduced Mr. de Mistura, who will take over on 1 March as his Special Representative for Afghanistan and head of UNAMA, replacing Kai Eide of Norway.

Mr. Ban and Mr. Karzai also discussed the UN’s role in coordinating civilian assistance, as well as the issues of good governance and the fight against corruption.

In addition, the Secretary-General underscored the world body’s readiness to support the electoral process in Afghanistan, should Kabul request assistance and subject to Security Council approval.

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama’s fiscal 2011 budget request calls for a record $8.8 billion for military family support programs, First Lady Michelle Obama told military spouses today at Bolling Air Force Base here.

Click photo for screen-resolution image
First Lady Michelle Obama outlines military family support measures in the fiscal 2011 budget request to members of the Joint Armed Forces Officers Wives Club during its annual luncheon, Jan. 26, 2010 at Bolling Air Force Base, Washington, DC. DoD photo by Donna Miles
(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.
The request represents a 3 percent increase over current funding, she told attendees at the Joint Armed Forces Officers’ Wives Club annual luncheon.

The budget request will include $1.3 billion to reduce shortages in military child care and ensure its quality remains high, and also increases funding for youth programs, she said.

Another provision will provide $439 million to build 10 new Department of Defense Education Activity Schools. This measure, directed by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, is part of a major, five-year effort to renovate or replace 103 of the schools by 2015.

Obama emphasized the challenges military children face, and the need to ensure they’re cared for.

“We cannot forget that military kids also serve in their own special way,” she said. “They’re just like any other child in this country – except their lives are turned upside-down every time their mom or dad is gone halfway around the world, risking their lives so that all our children can enjoy the freedoms of our democracy.”

As a result, she said, military children often experience higher levels of anxiety and a higher risk of depression than their nonmilitary classmates, and a tougher time focusing at school.

“So, we can never forget just how much these wars affect our military kids, and we all have an obligation to ensure they have the support they need at home and at school,” she said.

Based on input from military spouses, the fiscal 2011 budget request also will include $84 million for spousal career development, Obama said, including tuition assistance and a federal internship program.

Another provision will provide $14 million in new funding for Coast Guard housing.

“These are all major investments, and they are the result of military families speaking up and being heard,” the first lady said. “They are part of a larger, ongoing commitment to care for our troops and their families after the fighting ends.”

Obama said her many interactions with military families over the past year has deepened her respect and gratitude for them, and her recognition of “the spirit and strength and courage that our military families display every day.”

“You put your own priorities aside. You take care of one another. You take care of this nation,” she said. “So, as first lady, I can’t thank you enough for that sacrifice, and I promise you that I will use every ounce of my energy to make sure that America always takes care of you.”

Obama said she recognizes that providing this level of support network will require “active citizens,” as well as the government, working hand in hand.

She said she will continue making it a priority to keep asking all Americans to join in supporting military families. She noted, for example, the “Mission Serve” network she and Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, helped to launch on Veterans Day to bring civilian and military services groups together to help in supporting military members and their families.

“We’re asking Americans to engage and support military families any way they can,” she said, through job opportunities, professional services, or even babysitting or providing a home-cooked meal. “Our men and women in uniform and their families sacrifice for every single one of us, and every single one of us can do something in return, even if it’s as simple as saying, ‘Thank you.’”

Attendees at today’s luncheon said they welcomed the first lady’s commitment to military families – one they noted that she has demonstrated continually since her husband entered the presidential race.

“The fact that she’s shown such an interest means a lot,” said Meredith Simpson, whose husband, Marine Corps Capt. Neal Simpson, is a student at the Expeditionary Warfare School at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va.

Simpson is no stranger to the challenges military families face. The couple’s 3-year-old twins were born when their father was deployed to Iraq, and they were 3 months old before he met them.

Simpson said she’s encouraged by Obama’s emphasis on putting military families first – and by the example she credits the first lady with showing by putting her own family first. “That’s very promising to me,” she said.

“Today, law and justice have prevailed. As we saw from this trial, the MS-13 gang is violent and dangerous. It brings lawlessness and fear into far too many communities in this country and across our borders. But with the kind of international cooperation demonstrated by this case, we will continue to identify, prosecute, and bring to justice the leaders and organizers of this violent gang,” said Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Criminal Division. “Each and every day, the Criminal Division’s Gang Unit and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the United States are working to take violent offenders off the streets and out of our neighborhoods.”

U.S. Attorney Edward R. Ryan for the Western District of North Carolina said of today’s verdict, “Our community is a wonderful place to live, raise a family and seek a peaceful and prosperous life. These defendants and their gang clearly had criminal designs to rule this community through fear and violence for their own unjust benefit. A coalition of federal, state, local and international law enforcement joined together to meet this threat. We are very pleased with the victory that today’s verdict represents.”

“Gangs are poisonous to our communities–they feed on weakness and force people to live in fear. These convictions prove gang members can’t operate in hiding and escape getting caught,” said Owen D. Harris, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Charlotte Division. “The FBI Safe Streets Gang Task Force will not stop dismantling the hierarchy of MS-13, even if they try to rebuild. We can’t afford to let them eat away at our society–and we won’t let them.”

ATF Special Agent in Charge, Zebedee T. Graham, stated, “ATF simply will not tolerate violent crime. The message with this verdict is clear: if you use a gun to further your criminal activity or terrorize our communities, we will go after you with all of our resources and law enforcement partners.”

Julio Cesar Rosales Lopez, 24, of Guilford County, N.C.; and, Juan Gilberto Villalobos, 42; Elvin Pastor Fernandez Gradis, 34; Carlos Roberto Figeroa-Pineda, 26; Johnny Elias Gonzalez, 21; and Santos Anibal Caballero Fernandez, 24, all of Charlotte, were all convicted of conspiring to engage in a racketeering enterprise in the Western District of North Carolina, El Salvador and elsewhere, beginning at least in January 2003 and continuing through July 27, 2009. The evidence at trial proved that the MS-13 enterprise planned and committed various criminal acts, including robbery and extortion, obstruction of justice, tampering with witnesses, conspiring to distribute and possessing cocaine and marijuana, distributing and possessing with intent to distribute cocaine, illegally using communication facilities and conspiring to commit murder. Testimony and evidence introduced during the trial showed that the enterprise also communicated with its leadership in El Salvador, protected its territory, enforced discipline among members, and collected debts through a pattern of racketeering activities that included the murders of four people, attempted murder, assaults and threats of violence.

Fernandez-Gradis was convicted of two charges involving the shooting and killing of Ulisses Mayo-De La Torre in South Charlotte, N.C., on April 12, 2008. Evidence at trial showed that Fernandez-Gradis killed Mayo-De La Torre over a red shirt worn by a relative of the victim. Eyewitnesses to the murder testified that there were other incidents involving the defendant and people wearing red that day, before the murder. Caballero Fernandez, who the evidence at trial showed was present at the shooting, was convicted of being an accessory after the fact to the murder. The evidence at trial showed that Caballero Fernandez helped Fernandez-Gradis escape and took the murder weapon the next day. Caballero Fernandez was found with the murder weapon approximately one month after the murder. Both Fernandez-Gradis and Caballero Fernandez were also convicted of unlawful possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, as well as other charges.

Rosales Lopez, one of the gang’s leaders whom the evidence showed was sent by MS-13 leaders in El Salvador to run what members called “The Program” in the Charlotte area, was convicted of robbing a victim whom he suspected of dealing drugs in a Charlotte nightclub controlled by MS-13. Rosales Lopez was also convicted of being an accessory after the fact to a double homicide perpetrated by another MS-13 member in a restaurant in Greensboro, N.C., in 2007. In addition, Rosales Lopez was convicted of conspiracy to commit extortion.

Villalobos, whom the evidence at trial showed was the keeper of some of the gang’s guns, was convicted of a variety of drug and gun crimes in connection with his MS-13 membership, as well as conspiracy to commit extortion. The evidence at trial showed that Villalobos “controlled” the Mi Cabana and El Vaquero nightclubs in Charlotte on behalf of MS-13.

Gonzalez was convicted of a RICO conspiracy. In connection with that charge, the jury found that Gonzalez participated in what the evidence at trial showed was a robbery-murder of Yonni Alexander Morales Maradiaga, who was shot and killed by another MS-13 member during the robbery in East Charlotte in early August 2005. Finally, Figueroa Pineda was convicted of a RICO conspiracy, drug conspiracy, two different counts of possession with intent to distribute marijuana and possessing a gun during one of those drug crimes.

The defendants face a variety of possible sentences based on their convictions, including for some, life in prison. The defendants have been in federal custody since their arrests on the original indictment in June 2008.

Evidence presented at trial also showed that the long-term investigation of the four murders was initiated by the FBI’s “Safe Streets” Gang Task Force from North Carolina when a witness came forward and explained how the killings were part of the violent operation of a single MS-13 cell operating out of the Charlotte area. The Task Force is composed of the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, and the Gastonia, N.C., Police Department. The FBI’s MS-13 National Gang Task Force played a significant role in coordinating the international aspects of the investigation, and additional critical assistance was provided by the Transnational Anti-Gang (TAG) Center. Additional law enforcement investigative support was provided by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, as well as the Greensboro Police Department and the Durham Police Department. Substantial assistance has been afforded by the U.S. Marshals Service for the Western District of North Carolina, especially with regard to security during the two-week jury trial. The investigation of the wide-sweeping enterprise led to the prosecution of 26 alleged MS-13 members. In addition to the six defendants convicted today, 19 other co-defendants have pleaded guilty to the racketeering charges in the indictment. One defendant remains in custody in El Salvador. No sentencing dates have been set by the court at this time.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Zolot, Jill Rose and Adam Morris from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina, and Trial Attorney Sam Nazzaro from the Criminal Division’s Gang Unit.

Alejandro Enrique Ramirez Umana, also known as “Wizard,” 25, currently awaits trial for the murder of Ruben Garcia Salinas on Dec. 8, 2007, in Guilford County, on the charge of aid of the enterprise engaged in racketeering activity. The capital trial is currently set for April 2010 in U.S. District Court in Charlotte.