Democratic Pakistan Bans BBC World News Over "Secret Pakistan" Documentary

Image via WikipediaAccording  to BBC News, Pakistani cable television operators have begun blocking the BBC's international news TV channel, BBC World News. This move was apparently due to a critical documentary broadcast entitled Secret Pakistan. Excerpts:

The BBC said it was deeply concerned by the move, and called for its channel to be speedily reinstated.

"We condemn any action that threatens our editorial independence and prevents audiences from accessing our impartial international news service," a BBC spokesperson said.

"We would urge that BBC World News and other international news services are reinstated as soon as possible."

The two-part BBC documentary questioned the country's commitment to tackling Taliban militancy.
[...]
The decision to block BBC World News and other international news channels comes after a media uproar in Pakistan over a Nato air strike that killed 24 Pakistani troops near the Afghan border at the weekend.

The All Pakistan Cable Operators Association announced on Tuesday that all foreign news channels airing "anti-Pakistan" content would be barred from Wednesday.

The operators called on the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) "to revoke the landing rights of foreign channels" if they are found to be "propagating" information harmful to the country.
[...]
Correspondents say it is not possible to see BBC World News in most Pakistani cities, with the ban expected to be extended to rural areas by Wednesday.

Cable Operators Association spokesman Khalid Arain said that no foreign anti-Pakistan channel would "ever" be broadcast in the country.

"We want to send them a strong message to stop this. If they don't stop this, then it is our right to stop them," he said.

Correspondents say the Pakistani government is likely to have put pressure on the operators to impose the ban.

Active link added above.  Read in full here.

The two-part documentary is, of course, now available on YouTube for everyone to see and unless pulled by BBC for copyright issues, available to anyone with access to the web. 

Secret Pakistan : Documentary by BBC Part 1
(Double Cross) | Length: 59:03
http://youtu.be/qSinK-dVrig

from BBC: In May this year, US Special Forces shot and killed Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan. Publicly Pakistan is one of America's closest allies - yet every step of the operation was kept secret from it.

Filmed largely in Pakistan and Afghanistan, this two-part documentary series explores how a supposed ally stands accused by top CIA officers and Western diplomats of causing the deaths of thousands of coalition soldiers in Afghanistan. It is a charge denied by Pakistan's military establishment, but the documentary makers meet serving Taliban commanders who describe the support they get from Pakistan in terms of weapons, training and a place to hide.

This first episode investigates signs of duplicity that emerged after 9/11 and disturbing intelligence reports after Britain's forces entered Helmand in 2006.

Secret Pakistan : Documentary by BBC Part 2
(Backlash) | Length: 58:59
http://youtu.be/G5-lSSC9dSE

from BBC: The second film in this timely and enthralling two-part documentary series reveals how Britain and America discovered compelling evidence that Pakistan was secretly helping the Taliban and concluded they had been double-crossed.

It tells the story of how under President Obama the US has waged a secret war against Pakistan. Taliban commanders tell the film makers that to this day Pakistan shelters and arms them, and helps them kill Western troops - indeed one recently captured suicide bomber alleges he was trained by Pakistani intelligence.

Chillingly, the film also reveals that, based on some evidence, Pakistani intelligence stands accused of sabotaging possible peace talks. Pakistan denies these charges, but relations between Pakistan and America now verge on hostility.

Since it is inevitable that some clips of this documentary will bleed into prime time news, I suspect that a host of foreign channels will also be banned for "propagating information harmful to the country."

Perhaps, the cable operators would like to use the following programming filler - a music video, titled "Zindagi Hai Yahan."  This has been created to showcase the treasures of the beautiful valley of Swat and promote it as a premium tourist destination in Pakistan, with assistance from USAID and the people of the United States of America:

Read more on Tourism Takes On Taliban (IPS) and USAID Support to Tourism in Swat. 

Related articles

• BBC World News blocked in Pakistan (guardian.co.uk)
• Pakistani Cable Blocks BBC Over Critical Documentary (huffingtonpost.com)
• Pakistan withdraws from Afghanistan peace conference (telegraph.co.uk)
• Threat to foreign TV channels issued (nation.com.pk)
• Pakistani Cable TV Blocks BBC Over Documentary (abcnews.go.com)

Delays in Haiti Reconstruction Connected to USAID Staffing Difficulties

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has just released its report on the post-earthquake reconstruction in Haiti. The report notes that of the total funding of $411.6 allocated for reconstruction after the earthquake, only $3.1 million or less than 1% had been expended:

As of September 30, 2011, USAID and State allocated $411.6 million for bilateral post-earthquake infrastructure construction activities in Haiti using $356.9 million in fiscal year (FY) 2010 supplemental funds and $54.8 million from regular fiscal year appropriations.9 In addition, USAID and State had obligated $48.4 million10 (11.8 percent) and expended $3.1 million (0.8 percent) of the total allocated, as shown in table 2.11.

Quick background on Haiti from GAO:

Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, with more than 75 percent of the population living on less than $2 per day and the unemployment rate estimated at 60 to 70 percent. These conditions were exacerbated when the largest earthquake in Haiti’s recorded history devastated parts of the country, including the capital, on January 12, 2010. Since then, Haiti has suffered from a cholera epidemic that has affected over 450,000 persons and caused over 6,000 deaths. In addition, Haiti has experienced political uncertainty following the earthquake. Due to the inconclusive presidential election of November 2010, the new President was not inaugurated until May 2011. On May 13, 2011, the U.S. and Haitian governments signed the Haiti Reconstruction Grant Agreement.

The GAO report cites USAID's staffing difficulties as a factor in delaying USAID infrastructure construction activities in Haiti. Excerpts below:

Within a month after the earthquake, 10 of the mission’s 17 U.S. direct-hire staff12had departed Haiti, leaving the mission with 7 staff in country to manage a program heavily involved in massive relief operations and anticipating an increase in reconstruction activities. According to mission officials, U.S. direct-hire staff were permitted to leave for several reasons, primarily because approximately 40 percent of U.S. embassy housing was damaged or destroyed, the school for mission staff children was damaged and not functional, and staff were experiencing emotional challenges after the earthquake.

To fill the U.S. direct-hire vacancies, USAID posted 10 routine agency wide job announcements in March 2010, but no U.S. direct-hire staff applied. According to USAID officials, potential applicants did not apply due to, among other things, the damaged school, uncertainty about the quality of life in Haiti, and the lack of financial or other incentives in the job announcements. In May 2010, USAID again posted the 10 job announcements and, this time, attracted a number of applicants because the postings included financial incentives and waived the requirement that successful applicants bid on positions in four USAID-designated critical priority countries—Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, and Sudan—upon completion of their tours in Haiti.

Having received a sufficient number of applicants for the May 2010 posting, the mission soon selected the staff. However, U.S. direct-hire staff did not begin to arrive in Haiti until early 2011 because, among other things, households and families had to be moved and some staff required up to 6 months in language training. In addition to filling existing positions, USAID received approval from the U.S. Ambassador to Haiti in February 2011 for 15 additional U.S. direct-hire staff to manage the surge in earthquake-related funding.14 These positions were announced and some candidates selected when the approval was granted in February 2011. Eleven had arrived as of September 2011 and, according to mission officials, all are expected to arrive in Haiti by February 2012. However, the mission will be implementing infrastructure construction activities until at least 2015, according to USAID planning documentation. During the next 4 years, U.S. direct-hire staff will have opportunities to bid for other positions at other posts. As U.S. direct-hire staff leave Haiti, the mission will need to replace them in order to continue the progress of infrastructure construction activities.
[...]
To meet the increased need for mission staff to manage the program, the agency temporarily hired or reassigned staff, including staff from its Haiti Task Team in Washington, D.C., to complete more than 400 temporary duty assignments for periods ranging from one week to several months.17For example, USAID used personal services contracts to hire staff to provide financial management expertise; assigned headquarters-based staff from its Latin America and Caribbean Bureau to manage and oversee rubble removal and other efforts; and provided fiscal year 2010 supplemental funding to an implementing organization to manage people who repaired roads, cleaned drainage canals, and performed other rehabilitation activities.

According to mission officials, planning and implementation of reconstruction activities were delayed because the few staff remaining in Haiti were heavily involved in recruiting, placing, and training temporary staff in Haiti. Senior mission staff stated that, for many temporary staff positions, the mission had to develop detailed scopes of work for the positions and then brief and train newly arrived staff on substantive issues. In addition, mission staff noted that the continuity of efforts was sometimes problematic as multiple staff, who turned over frequently, managed the efforts.

HAITI RECONSTRUCTION: Factors Contributing to Delays in USAID Infrastructure Construction | November 2011(pdf)

Related articles

• GAO Reports on Delays in US Quake Aid for Haiti (abcnews.go.com)
• Absent Haiti quake panel slows reconstruction (sfgate.com)

US Embassy Thailand Braces for More Flooding In Central Bangkok

According to the US Ambassador to Thailand, Kristie Kenney, widespread flooding has now affected many of Thailand’s 76 provinces. More than 250 people have died and nearly 3 million people are affected. The Consulate in Chiang Mai was closed for several days last week also due to flooding.

The BBC reports that Thai military and civilian volunteers are continuing their efforts to try and stop Thailand's worst floods in decades from inundating the capital, Bangkok:

Canals have been drained to allow for excessive water flow and sandbags have been piled up around the city.

Officials say the next few days are critical as high tides and bad weather combine with the arrival of run-off water from northern Thailand.

North and central provinces have until now borne the brunt of the floods.

The United States has so far contributed 3 million baht to the Thai Red Cross for relief supplies. Through the US Embassy, it has also linked up Thai officials with US disaster management officials. And the US Marines sent a team of humanitarian experts to assess next steps in US assistance and brought thousands of sandbags for use by the Thai Government. USAID in the meantime, also has civilian disaster relief experts in Thailand to work with civilian authorities and NGOs on disaster assistance.

Ambassador Kenney greets U.S. Marines at Don Muang Airport.
The U.S. Marines are part of a Humanitarian Assistance Survey Team (HAST)
to determine how the U.S. might best provide assistance to
the people of Thailand with the current flooding
Photo from US Embassy Bangkok/FB

Aerial photo of flooded areas north of Bangkok.
Photo from US Embassy Bangkok/FB
More photos here

But more rain is reportedly expected with peak floods expected in central Bangkok between October 16-18. The US Embassy's American Citizen Services Unit has released the following message: 

The Bangkok Metropolitan area has experienced localized flooding in northern and eastern areas and most reports indicate that the flooding risk for the Bangkok area will peak between October 16 -18.  As a purely precautionary measure, U.S. citizens assigned to the Embassy who live approximately 12 kilometers north of central Bangkok in Nichida Thani have the option of relocating for a few days to central Bangkok until the anticipated peak flood period subsides, should they wish to do so.  Extensive flooding in Thailand, especially in Central Thailand between Bangkok and Sukhotai, has caused considerable damage and loss of life.  In many flooded areas, surface transportation has either been suspended or diverted around those areas.  Portions of highways are closed and bus and train services linking Bangkok with points to the north are suspended.

Read in full here.

ACS Bangkok is also on Twitter. Follow them here: http://twitter.com/#!/ACSBKK

Check out the embassy's flood information here:
http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/flood_information.html
http://www.facebook.com/usembassybkk?sk=app_139229522811253

More photos of the flooding can be viewed here; photos are in FB so I cannot embed them here.

Related articles

• Will Bangkok Floodwalls Hold? (abcnews.go.com)
• VIDEO: Bangkok bolsters flood defences (bbc.co.uk)
• Bangkok braces but safe so far from floods (msnbc.msn.com)
• Floods Recede North of Thailand's Capital (time.com)
• Thailand Protects Bangkok From Flooding, 10 Provinces 'Critical' (businessweek.com)
• US Marines arrive to assess Thailand's 'worst' flood (msnbc.msn.com)

Pakistan Says "Thank You" for USG Flood Assistance by Raiding US Embassy Warehouse. You're Welcome!

Last month, the Government of Pakistan made yet another disaster declaration after massive flooding hit its Sindh Province. The floods which started in August at the beginning of the monsoon months have caused considerable damage with an estimated 434 civilians killed and with an estimated 5.3 millio­n people and 1 ,524,773 homes affect­ed.

On September 13, 2011, in response to the Government of Pakistan's disaster declaration on September 9, the United States according to the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad has immediately begun providing a broad range of assistance to Sindh communities affected by this year's floods, including food supplies for more than 50,000 families, and safe drinking water, shelter, sanitation and hygiene supplies, and basic health care for thousands more:

Already, USAID-funded food packages have reached 23,000 families in seven districts of Sindh (Badin, Mirpurkas, Tando Muhammed Khan, Tando Allah Ya, Tharparker, Umarkot, and Hyderabad). This assistance was delivered by the International Organization for Migration. USAID also paid for nearly 60 trucks to deliver relief to affected areas and 1,000 plastic tarpaulins for shelter, and is financing other efforts to coordinate relief activities.

In late September, the U.S. Consulate General in Peshawar announced that Dr. Marilyn Wyatt, wife of U.S. Ambassador Cameron Munter, visited an ongoing U.S. project to restore flood-damaged irrigation canals.  In total, the U.S. is restoring 1000 flood-damaged canals  in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and Balochistan as part of assistance to the areas affected by the 2010 floods.

Dr. Marilyn Wyatt, wife of U.S. Ambassador Cameron Munter
Photo from US CG Peshawar

The presser from CG Peshawar went on to say:

The project is one of many undertaken by the U.S. government in cooperation with Pakistan to restore self-sufficiency to farmers affected by floods.  Additional measures include providing seed, fertilizer, livestock feed, and medicine to more than 500,000 farmers in three provinces.  In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province alone, more than 400 irrigation canals in 12 districts have been restored, amounting to 12,000 kilometers.

This project funded by the American people is being implemented by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and Pakistani Provincial Disaster Management Authorities.

On October 3, the US Embassy in Islamabad announced that in all, the U.S. government is providing approximately $19 million in humanitarian assistance in response to the Government of Pakistan’s September 6 appeal and the UN’s September 18 appeal.

This includes funding for mobile health clinics that can provide health services to 500,000 people, emergency shelter kits for nearly 20,000 families, and 9,000 tons of rice to the World Food Program (WFP) which, when combined with other WFP food assistance, will reportedly meet the immediate food needs of 1.5 million people affected by flooding in Sindh Province for one month.

Just a few days prior to this October 3 announcement, the Government of Pakistan, anxious to say "thank you" for U.S. Government help in the flooding (and also for killing UBL hiding under the shadow of its prime military school), raided a U.S. Embassy warehouse in Islamabad. Under the headline, US Embassy warehouse sealed, dawn.com reports:

“We went to the warehouse on complaint of some residents of the sector and sealed the building as it was being constructed without approval of the CDA,” the authority`s Director General (Planning) Sarwar Sindhu said.

CDA officials said the warehouse was under construction and belonged to one Mehboob Elahi who had got changed the status of plot changed from industrial to warehouse a few months ago. Earlier, the place was used for a beverage factory.

Electronic media highlighted the issue throughout the day, saying that `a bunker or a hideout of Americans` had been sealed or raided.

“We had information that a building was being constructed in the industrial area in violation of CDA`s building laws on which we raided the building,” another official said.

Tribune.com subsequently reports that "a senior official of the CDA, requesting anonymity, told The Express Tribune that in addition to the warehouse in sector I-9/3, the civic body has identified three more sites where building codes are being violated by officials of the US embassy."

Oh, also that "A CDA official privy to the development said that the raiding team found concrete structures and signal jammers in the warehouse."

"US embassy Spokesperson Mark Stroh denied these claims, saying that no “illegal activities” are underway in any warehouse or official residence of the US diplomats. “Our offices are operating in the capital city with the approval of foreign ministry,” he said.

Earlier, the US embassy lodged a strong protest with the Foreign Office over the seizure of one of its warehouses in sector I-9/3 by CDA and a police team for “violations of building laws”.

On October 16, Pakistani press reports that local authorities unsealed the US Embassy’s warehouse building in Sector I-9 Industrial Area yesterday, following the intervention of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"A source privy to the developments confided to The Nation that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has directed the civic agency to consider building as a diplomatic facility and after fulfilling the defined rules in this regard it should be handed over to the embassy."

Sorry, no Team 6 members were found hidden in the pretend "bunker" or unmarked wooden crates stored in the warehouse. CDA employees must be watching a whole lot of Jack Bauer episodes.

Oh, don't get mad.  They were just trying to say, "thank you," silly! If we give them $57 million more in humanitarian assistance, will they also raid "three more sites" of the US Embassy identified by CDA authorities?

Somebody, please go write that check.

Related articles

• US embassy controlled warehouse sealed (nation.com.pk)
• Pakistan Deals With Flooding, Terrorism Accusations (npr.org)
• 'Senior Haqqani commander killed' in Pakistan - Aljazeera.net (news.google.com)
• Flood aid donors shun 'bad brand' Pakistan (msnbc.msn.com)
• UN launches appeal for flood-hit Pakistan (telegraph.co.uk)
• Pakistan flood aid relief hurt by CIA's Osama bin Laden vaccination programme (telegraph.co.uk)

"Operation Tomodachi" #Japan Earthquake/Tsunami Relief Update and Photos

U.S. Pacific Fleet forces continue to sustain efforts in support of Operation Tomodachi. As of March 25, there are 19 ships, 140 aircraft and 18,282 personnel in the area of operation. In the 12 days since Operation Tomodachi started, U.S. 7th Fleet forces have delivered over 260 tons of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief supplies to survivors of the tsunami and earthquake in support of Japan Self Defense Force efforts.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.
Photos from US Navy/Flickr

The ships supporting the operation:

USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) | USS Chancellorsville (CG 62) | USS Preble (DDG 88) | USS McCampbell (DDG 85) | USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54) | USS McCain (DDG 56) | USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) USS Mustin (DDG 89) | USS Cowpens (CG 63) | USS Shiloh (CG 67) | USS Essex (LHD 2) | USS Tortuga (LSD 46) | USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49) | USS Germantown (LSD 42) | USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) USNS Bridge (T-AOE 10) | USNS Matthew Perry (T-AKE 9) | USNS Pecos (T-AO 197) | USSN Safeguard (T-ARS 50) | USNS Rappahannock (T-AO 204) | USNS Carl Brashear (T-AKE 7)

According to the Seventh Fleet, the US forces worked together with JMSDF and commercial divers to open the harbor for operations. They took underwater surveillance imagery to detect, mark and move underwater obstacles from the channel and the vicinity of the liquid natural gas pier. The local port captain certified the channel and pier for safe navigation. A LNG tanker will enter the port for the first delivery since the earthquake. After Hachinohe harbor is clear, Navy teams will continue similar efforts in the ports of Miyako, Kamaishi, Ofunato, and Sendai.

CFAY also began transferring fresh water to two empty fuel barges, which will be used to support cooling efforts at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. A total of 500,000 gallons are being distributed between the barges that have been cleaned of fuel to support fresh water. The first Barge YOGN-115 departed Yokosuka March 25 and will be escorted by the JMSDF support ship JS Hiuchi. The second barge is scheduled to leave tomorrow. The water will eventually be used to replace the seawater currently being used in cooling efforts at the plant.

Related articles

• US Navy 7th Fleet update from Japan (uwtreasures.wordpress.com)
• U.S. brings relief, goodwill to Japan (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• US NAVY Relief Efforts In Japan - Operation Tomodachi Update (uwtreasures.wordpress.com)
• Japan: Operation Tomodachi update (waronterrornews.typepad.com)
• Operations 'Odyssey Dawn' and 'Tomodachi' - Bullets and Blankets (themoderatevoice.com)

US Embassy #Japan: Potassium Iodide (KI) Available to USG Employees/Dependents as a Precautionary Measure

No-one should take KI at this time

The US Embassy Japan indicates that its staffing level has increased by 30 percent because employees from across the US government have volunteered to come help at the mission. About 96 US government employees from outside of Japan have reportedly volunteered and are in the country to help provide assistance around the clock.  In addition, the Department of Energy has 36 personnel and 12 Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff in Japan to focus on the nuclear plant incident.  The authorized departure that was recently ordered only affected dependents of US personnel at limited posts in Japan, and all employees assigned in country are still there.

In its Fact Sheet dated March 22, 8:30 a.m. JST, the US Embassy was also careful to explain that the voluntary departure of dependents was taken "out of an abundance of caution" and that staffing level at the mission is larger now than it was prior to the earthquake.

Departure of Embassy Family Members: Given the extraordinary circumstances, the State Department and Department of Defense (DOD) on March 16 authorized the voluntary departure of eligible family members and non-emergency DOD civilians from Tokyo, Nagoya, Yokohama and the prefectures of Aichi, Chiba, Fukushima, Gunma, Ibaraki, Iwate, Kanagawa, Miyagi, Nagano, Niigata, Saitama, Shizouka, Tochigi, Yamagata, and Yamanashi. Separately, voluntary departure was authorized for eligible family members at Misawa AB (Aomori Prefecture). We took this step out of an abundance of caution, and in order to enable U.S. government officials and the uniformed military to concentrate on the tasks at hand. Our employees remain in country, and we are absolutely open for business – in fact, the number of people working at the Embassy now is much larger than before the earthquake due to the number of experts who have arrived from the United States to augment our operations in these difficult times. We look forward to our dependents returning to Japan once the situation has eased.

Its updated Travel Warning for Japan dated March 21, the embassy also announced it has provided  Potassium Iodide (KI) as a precautionary measure for United States Government personnel and dependents residing in certain districts but that "No-one should take KI at this time."

This Travel Warning replaces the Travel Warning dated March 18, 2011, in response to the situation at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the Department of Energy, and other technical experts in the U.S. Government have reviewed the scientific and technical information they have collected from assets in country, as well as what the Government of Japan has disseminated. Consistent with the NRC guidelines that would apply to such a situation in the United States, we are recommending, as a precaution, that U.S. citizens within 50 miles (80 kilometers) of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant evacuate the area or to take shelter indoors if safe evacuation is not practical.

On March 21, 2011, consistent with NRC guidelines that apply to such a situation in the United States, the U.S. Government is making available Potassium Iodide (KI) as a precautionary measure for United States Government personnel and dependents residing within Nagoya (Aichi Prefecture), Tokyo (Tokyo Capital Region), Yokohama (Kanagawa Prefecture), and the prefectures of Akita, Aomori, Chiba, Fukushima, Gunma, Ibaraki, Iwate, Miyagi, Nagano, Niigata, Saitama, Shizouka, Tochigi, Yamagata, and Yamanashi. The KI should only be consumed after specific instruction from the United States Government. While there is no indication that it will become advisable to take KI, out of an abundance of caution the United States Government is making it available to its personnel and family members to be used only upon direction if a change in circumstances were to warrant. No-one should take KI at this time. In the event of a radiological release, sheltering in place or departing the affected area remain the primary means of protection.

Read more here.

CDC: Potassium Iodide (KI) | Key Facts

• You should only take potassium idodide (KI) on the advice of emergency management officials, public health officials, or your doctor.

• There are health risks associated with taking KI.

What does KI do?

Following a radiological or nuclear event, radioactive iodine may be released into the air and then be breathed into the lungs. Radioactive iodine may also contaminate the local food supply and get into the body through food or through drink. When radioactive materials get into the body through breathing, eating, or drinking, we say that “internal contamination” has occurred. In the case of internal contamination with radioactive iodine, the thyroid gland quickly absorbs this chemical. Radioactive iodine absorbed by the thyroid can then injure the gland. Because non-radioactive KI acts to block radioactive iodine from being taken into the thyroid gland, it can help protect this gland from injury.

What KI cannot do?

Knowing what KI cannot do is also important. KI cannot prevent radioactive iodine from entering the body. KI can protect only the thyroid from radioactive iodine, not other parts of the body. KI cannot reverse the health effects caused by radioactive iodine once damage to the thyroid has occurred. KI cannotprotect the body from radioactive elements other than radioactive iodine—if radioactive iodine is not present, taking KI is not protective.

How does KI work?

The thyroid gland cannot tell the difference between stable and radioactive iodine and will absorb both. KI works by blocking radioactive iodine from entering the thyroid. When a person takes KI, the stable iodine in the medicine gets absorbed by the thyroid. Because KI contains so much stable iodine, the thyroid gland becomes “full” and cannot absorb any more iodine—either stable or radioactive—for the next 24 hours.

Iodized table salt also contains iodine; iodized table salt contains enough iodine to keep most people healthy under normal conditions. However, table salt does not contain enough iodine to block radioactive iodine from getting into your thyroid gland. You should not use table salt as a substitute for KI.

Read more here.

Related articles

• Radiation protection: How safe is potassium iodide? (slate.com)
• U.S. makes potassium iodide available in Japan (reuters.com)
• In the News: Potassium Iodide (KI) (nlm.nih.gov)

US Embassy #Japan Evacuates Dependents/Amcits to Safehaven Locations in Asia

Map Extracted from CIA World Factbook

Overnight the State Department upgraded its alert to a Travel Warning and announced the authorized voluntary departure of dependents of personnel assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, the U.S. Consulate in Nagoya, and the Foreign Service Institute Field School in Yokohama.  The dependents of US personnel assigned to the consulates in Osaka-Kobe, Naha, Sapporo and Fukuoka are excluded from the evacuation order at this time.

The on-the-record briefing conducted by the Under Secretary for Management Patrick Kennedy late last night did not identify the safehaven locations. But it looks like Seoul might be the most ideal temporary safehaven location, not only due to proximity but also because it allows U.S. passport holders to enter the country without a visa for stay of up to 90 days.  China posts are just across the water, but not sure those are designated safehaven locations.  There are also the larger posts in Manila and Bangkok, as well as Singapore as possible temporary locations.

The following is the announcement from US Embassy Tokyo on U.S. Government-arranged Transport within Asia [March 18 at 3 a.m.]

The U.S. Embassy in Tokyo informs U.S. citizens in Japan who wish to depart that the Department of State is making arrangements to provide transportation to destinations in East Asia outside Japan.

U.S. law requires that we bill all passengers for the transportation assistance provided through the U.S. government. U.S. citizens who travel on U.S. government-arranged transport will be expected to make their own onward travel plans from their arrival point. Flights began departing Tokyo on Thursday, March 17. U.S. government-arranged transport will be available from Tokyo on the evening of Friday, March 18.

U.S. citizens who have decided to depart Japan via USG-arranged transportation will find current transportation options, as well as any future scheduled flights, on the Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami webpage at travel.state.gov.

Please note: Immediate family members (spouses and children) who are not U.S. citizens must be documented for entry into their destination country and/or U.S., if that is your final destination. Travelers are permitted only one piece of luggage per person.

U.S. citizens in Japan and their friends and loved ones can enter information into a database that we can use to provide emergency consular assistance during this crisis. This is a free service, and by entering their information into Task Force Alert, you are helping us provide assistance and account for U.S. citizens in Japan. You can find more information on using Task Force Alert by visiting this website. [broken link]

The Task Force Alert is a free service that allows U.S. citizens in a crisis area and their friends and loved ones back home to enter information into a database that the State Dept can use to provide emergency consular assistance during a crisis. Here is the correct link: http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/emergencies/emergencies_5392.html

The US Embassy also announced that it has arranged for over 600 seats on several buses for transportation from Sendai City Hall to Tokyo. Priority for seats will be given to U.S. citizens and their immediate dependents. Passengers will also be required to sign a promissory note to reimburse the U.S. Government for the normal bus fare from Sendai to Tokyo.  The first buses will depart at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, March 18 in front of Sendai City Hall. Other buses may also depart on 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 19 at the same location. Check for updates here.

Updated at 8:14 pm PST to add flight destination and evac info:

The Under Secretary for Management Pat Kennedy gave another briefing on the Japan evacuation.  The original number I've seen on US citizens in Japan was from Ambassador Roos, an estimate of about 160,000. Mr. Kennedy's guesstimate today placed the number at about 90,000 Americans in and around Tokyo and about 350,000 Americans in Japan.

I marked Taipei on our map but forgot to include it when I posted this earlier. The first flight out of Japan carrying American evacuees went to Taipei with less than a hundred passengers. Another safehaven location mentioned in the briefing is Seoul. Excerpts from the briefing below:

UNDER SECRETARY KENNEDY: Okay. Flights – we put in one flight today. It left about four hours ago and it’s on its – it was en route to Taipei. The flight did not leave full. We had teams of consular officers and management personnel at both Haneda and Narita Airport, in effect sweeping for American citizens and all American citizens that we could find who wanted to be transported out, were transported. We plan to put another aircraft, at least one, in tomorrow depending upon what we assess the demand will be.

UNDER SECRETARY KENNEDY: I would say just under a hundred.

QUESTION: Okay. And these were people from --

UNDER SECRETARY KENNEDY: These were U.S. Government family members and a small number of private American citizens. The destination happened to be Taipei – (inaudible) we go and look for aircraft. It is often convenient and less costly just to find out where the aircraft’s home base is, fly it in to pick up the American citizens, and return to that location if it is the location where regular commercial transportation for onward travel where – for wherever people go. So from Taipei, they will be met by personnel from the American Institute in Taipei, pointed at hotels, showed how to get commercial onward tickets, and then it is their choice about where they want to go.

QUESTION: But that’s actually – but my question was actually just more since the Pentagon – the DOD is now authorizing – and perhaps you haven’t gotten this word, but they are now authorizing departures for all family members on the entire main island of Japan. But – so my question is actually: Is the State Department considering expanding –

UNDER SECRETARY KENNEDY: No, at this time. As we explained yesterday – and Secretary Poneman did a better job – we make a decision on the basis of the information provided to us by other U.S. Government experts. At the moment, we see no reason to extend the area, on the basis of the information we have today.

QUESTION: Can you explain why the authorized departure only covered dependents and why it wasn’t broadened to include non-emergency personnel?

UNDER SECRETARY KENNEDY: Because the – both the State Department and the Defense Department are working full out, seven by 24, in support of our Japanese ally in assisting them in dealing with the major crisis that they face. And so at the moment, it is our determination that all State Department personnel – and I believe from conversations I had with the Pentagon, which you can address it directly to them, that they have also determined that all employees, service members in that case are – constitute emergency cadre who are needed to carry out the national security and the assistance missions and the military missions that we’re engaged in.

QUESTION: So for the charter flights for today and tomorrow, are they all going to Taipei or is there any flights going to, say, South Korea or China?

UNDER SECRETARY KENNEDY: The flight that went today went to Taipei. It is likely, just because I will probably reuse the same aircraft, that at least one of those will go to Taipei tomorrow, and we’ll probably have a second aircraft, and that’s being worked on now. And I honestly don’t know where it’s going to go yet. But I can tell you that thanks to the work of the Bureau of Consular Affairs, starting yesterday, our embassies in Seoul and in – it was Seoul and – these were Seoul and AIT, the American Institute in Taiwan – were both notified, had both mobilized and have personnel who will – they’re making prearrangements with the local governments and will – and meet the aircraft to assist the American citizens.

QUESTION: Did China offer to help?

UNDER SECRETARY KENNEDY: At the moment, the – where the aircraft – the Chinese didn’t offer, and we didn’t ask, because the aircraft that were available were available out of Seoul and out of Taipei. And so we – what we want to do is move fast, get the people in, get out. If there were larger numbers, I always pick the shortest location so possibly I could even recycle the aircraft twice in a day to move more American citizens out, should that be required.

QUESTION: Please, sir, about the 50-mile radius evacuation zone. There was some suggestion that the U.S. military moved more quickly, maybe two days in advance to keep their people back 50 miles. Was the State Department slow to move and why?

UNDER SECRETARY KENNEDY: I have seen no indication, no evidence that that was the case.

QUESTION: And you feel confident the State Department moved as expeditiously as –

UNDER SECRETARY KENNEDY: This was an – a U.S. Government-wide analytical and decision-making effort, which had participation from all the agencies and parties that I identified earlier arriving at a collective decision.

   
 

Related items:
Travel to Safehaven Locations in Asia

On-the-Record Briefing with Under Secretary of State Patrick Kennedy and Deputy Secretary of Energy Dan Poneman | March 16, 2011

Check out the regular updates here.

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US Ambassador Roos issues statement on Japan's ongoing nuclear emergency

The US Ambassador to Japan, John Roos issued the following statement on March 16, 2011, JPN time:

Today our hearts remain with our Japanese friends who, after suffering this devastating tragedy just four days ago, have to undertake recovery and reconstruction and address the ongoing nuclear emergency.

We understand that many of you are anxious and have questions in the shadow of the Fukushima emergency, since we are in the midst of a complex, constantly changing, and unpredictable situation. In this fluid situation, our commitment to our citizens is to accumulate accurate information and assess it sufficiently in order to make important judgments.

Since the first reports of trouble with the reactors, American nuclear experts have worked around the clock to analyze data, monitor developments, and provide clear assessments on the potential dangers. While at times we have had only limited access to information, I am personally committed to assuring that our experts have as much access and information as possible, and the necessary resources to understand the situation. I have personally been deeply engaged in these efforts.

After a careful analysis of data, radiation levels, and damage assessments of all units at Fukushima, our experts are in agreement with the response and measures taken by Japanese technicians, including their recommended 20 km radius for evacuation and additional shelter-in-place recommendations out to 30 km.

Let me also address reports of very low levels of radiation outside the evacuation area detected by U.S. and Japanese sensitive instrumentation. This bears very careful monitoring, which we are doing. If we assess that the radiation poses a threat to public health, we will share that information and provide relevant guidance immediately.

The United States will continue to work around the clock to provide precise and up-to-date information supported by expert analysis to ensure the safety and security of our citizens and to help Japan in its time of great need. U.S. citizens in need of emergency assistance should send an e-mail to JapanEmergencyUSC@state.gov with detailed information about their location and contact information, and monitor the U.S. Department of State website at travel.state.gov.

Bold italics added.  Check out US Embassy Japan's page for current Warden Messages here.

Ambassador Roos on Twitter is here. ; but it looks like the tweets stopped on March 14.

The International Atomic Energy Agency update on 15 March 2011, 18:00 UTC confirmed the following status of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant:

• Unit 4 was shut down for a routine, planned maintenance outage on 30 November 2010. After the outage, all fuel from the reactor was transferred to the spent fuel pool.

• Units 5 and 6 were shut down at the time of the earthquake. Unit 5 was shut down as of 3 January 2011. Unit 6 was shut down as of 14 August 2010. Both reactors are currently loaded with fuel.

• As of 00:16 UTC on 15 March, plant operators were considering the removal of panels from Units 5 and 6 reactor buildings to prevent a possible build-up of hydrogen in the future. It was a build-up of hydrogen at Units 1, 2 and 3 that led to explosions at the Daiichi facilities in recent days.

A later update on 15 March 2011, 20:35 UTC says that the Japanese government requested assistance from the IAEA in the areas of environmental monitoring and the effects of radiation on human health, asking for IAEA teams of experts to be sent to Japan to assist local experts. Also that preparations for these missions are currently under way.

The LA Times points out today that "neither Japanese officials with the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency nor experts with the United Nations' International Atomic Energy Agency revised an earlier evaluation of the crisis at the Fukushima complex in northeast Japan that put the severity of the situation at 4 on the 7-point range of the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale."

Apparently nuclear incidents are rated in a spectrum rates of levels 1-7. Level 1, meaning a minor problem with little human consequence, to Level 7, on the scale of the catastrophic Chernobyl nuclear accident 25 years ago.

LAT also quotes André-Claude LaCoste, president of the French nuclear safety agency saying, "It's clear we are at Level 6."

He said that level was akin to the 1979 crisis at Three Mile Island, the United States' most serious nuclear incident, and only one degree below the 1986 catastrophe at Chernobyl, the northern Ukrainian nuclear complex where an explosion during a botched testing operation blew the roof off the reactor and released a radiation cloud that circled the Earth.

Nuclear authorities are reportedly concerned because the fuel rods in reactor No. 2 were at least partially exposed to the air for more than 14 hours, long enough for substantial melting to have occurred.

If you want to read more about the ABCs of Japan's Nuclear Reactor Disaster, click here for an explanation from the Union of Concerned Scientists that includes what happens in a partial and complete meltdown.  It also has an explainer on the effect of radioactive materials on living tissues: 

The radioactive isotopes of greatest concern in a nuclear power accident are iodine-131 and cesium-137. Iodine-131 has a half-life of 8 days, meaning half of it will have decayed after 8 days, and half of that in another 8 days, etc. Therefore, it is of greatest concern in the days and weeks following an accident. It is also volatile so will spread easily.

In the human body, iodine is taken up by the thyroid, and becomes concentrated there, where it can lead to thyroid cancer in later life. Children who are exposed to iodine-131 are more likely than adults to get cancer later in life.

Cesium-137 has a half-life of about 30 years, so will take more than a century to decay by a significant amount. Living organisms treat cesium-137 as if it was potassium, and it becomes part of the fluid electrolytes and is eventually excreted. Cesium-137 is passed up the food chain. It can cause many different types of cancer.

Read more here.

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"Operation Tomodachi" #Japan #Earthquake and Tsunami Assistance

The State Department updated its Travel Alert yesterday requesting that non-essential USG travel to Japan be deferred in light of the natural and humanitarian disaster that affected the country:

The Department of State requests all non-essential official U.S. government personnel defer travel to Japan and also urges U.S. citizens to avoid tourism and non-essential travel to Japan at this time.  Flights have resumed at all airports that were closed by the earthquake, with the exception of Sendai Airport in Miyagi Prefecture, which remains flooded.  In Tokyo, most public transportation including trains and subways are operating.  Many roads have been damaged in the Tokyo area and in northern Japan. In Iwate Prefecture toll road highways are restricted to emergency vehicles only.

I am reposting below the contact info for American citizen services:

For calls from within the U.S.      1-888-407-4747
For calls from outside the U.S.     1-202-501-4444
American Citizen Inquiries:  JapanEmergencyUSC@state.gov
Warden Message: http://tokyo.usembassy.gov/e/acs/tacs-arch.html

The US Ambassador to Japan, John Roos, also gave an update on US assistance over the weekend on March 14, Japan time:

It goes without saying that we feel great sorrow, and our hearts go out to the people of Japan and to all of those who have been affected by the events of the last few days.  Japan is our close ally and partner. President Obama spoke with Prime Minister Kan soon after the earthquake.  On behalf of the American people, he conveyed our deepest condolences, especially to the victims and their families, and offered our Japanese friends whatever assistance is needed.  I have been in constant contact with our government in Washington and the government here in Japan, including during this evolving situation with the Fukushima nuclear power plant. The United States is absolutely committed to helping Japan in any way possible to respond to and recover from the tragedy of the past few days and as Japan continues to deal with its effects.
[....]
Our consular officers in the Embassy and consulates have been responding around the clock to inquiries. This is something that they are trained to do very well, and all American citizens should feel free to utilize their services. They are also reaching out to the American citizen community, trying to push out information about what to do and what the Japanese authorities are also making available.
[...]
Because of the longstanding and close working relationship between the U.S. military and its Japanese counterparts on a daily basis, the United States military has humanitarian assistance capabilities positioned in the affected regions that are ready to support emergency relief efforts and minimize human suffering.

U.S. military assets include a wide range of equipment, air, sea, and ground capability and expertise.  Initial actions which have been undertaken by the U.S. military include the following:

• Yokota Air Base was instrumental in recovering airline traffic in the hours immediately following the earthquake.
• We immediately moved U.S. Air Force and Marine helicopter and transport aircraft from Okinawa to our U.S. military bases on Honshu.
• The USS Ronald Reagan was heading east and was immediately turned around to support our efforts here in Japan. They arrive tonight.
• We are moving Marine command and control units ready to work with Japan’s Self-Defense Forces to coordinate our efforts on the ground.
• We have units from all of our services, with a multitude of capabilities, from medical to communications to civil engineering poised and ready to support where needed.

Ambassador Roos who is on Twitter says that there are approximately 1,300 American citizens in the prefectures that were most affected by the earthquake and tsunami.  He also estimates that there are approximately 160,000 American citizens in Japan.  He tweeted that "We are working to send consular officers to these affected prefectures tonight to assist Americans in those areas."  And that "There is no double standard - what we advise our Embassy personnel will be provided to all Americans."

You can read more about the "no double standard" policy here (pdf). 

Follow Ambassador Roos on Twitter here.


CNN reported that U.S. Forces Japan, based at Yokota Air Base near Tokyo, is the lead military command for coordinating humanitarian assistance.  And that shortly after the quake struck, the air base was designated as an alternate airfield for flights that could not land at Tokyo's Narita Airport.  The military assistance operation is now officially known as Operation Tomodachi (friendship). Ambassador Roos also tweeted that over 6,000 personnel from the U.S. military are participating in some capacity in these disaster-relief operations.   

Below are some photos from the U.S. Pacific Fleet:

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.Operation Tomodachi (Friendship)|

Photos from US Pacific Fleet/Flickr

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7 FAM 1840 Consular Crisis Management - Natural Disasters

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US Embassy #Japan: Is Authorized/Ordered Departure Coming Soon?

Note for govies: Wikileaks references included below. Read with caution!

Note2: US Embassy Japan went on authorized departure on March 17, 2011

Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan said in a news conference over the weekend that "The earthquake, tsunami and the nuclear incident have been the biggest crisis Japan has encountered in the 65 years since the end of world war two."  

IEEE Spectrum also reported that starting Monday, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), Japan’s largest electric utility, and Tohoku Power Company, plan to introduce rolling power cuts throughout their areas of coverage:

"TEPCO supplies electricity to Tokyo and seven surrounding prefectures with relatively large populations, including Kanagawa, Saitama and Chiba. The measure is necessary after several of the companies’ nuclear power plants in north-eastern Japan were impacted or shut down by the 9.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Friday, as well as the tsunami that struck soon afterwards. Yukio Edano, Japan’s chief cabinet secretary, said in a press conference Sunday evening that TEPCO estimates a shortfall of roughly 10 million kilowatts when Japanese industry and businesses go back to work on Monday. Under normal conditions, the company generates some 41 million kilowatts. TEPCO plans to divide its region of coverage into 5 areas and alternately cut power to each area for 3 hours."

The US Embassy's Warden Message dated March 14 says that all of Tokyo’s 26 cities and Tama-gun are affected. Neighboring areas may experience partial blackouts as well.

Now blackouts, I'm sure folks can handle.  But on 14 March at 11:01AM local Japan time, another hydrogen explosion occurred at the unit 3 reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. IAEA says that all personnel at the site are accounted for but six people have been injured. Apparently, the core was not damaged.

Then ABC News reported that the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and other US Navy ships in the waters off the quake zone in eastern Japan were repositioned after the detection of a low-level radiation plume from the troubled Fukushima nuclear plant located 100 miles away.  According to Reuters, seventeen Americans were exposed to low levels of radiation that escaped from a quake-damaged nuclear power plant in Japan.

A wikileaked confidential cable from 2008 released by the Guardian earlier today has Japan's Lower House Diet Member Taro Kono accusing the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) "of covering up nuclear accidents, and obscuring the true costs and problems associated with the nuclear industry" (see paragraph 6). The cable which has former Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer's signoff also reports that "In describing the clout wielded by the electric companies, Kono claimed that a Japanese television station had planned a three part interview with him on nuclear issues, but had canceled after the first interview, because the electric companies threatened to withdraw their extensive sponsorship" (see paragraph 3). 

If you are not reading this from your official workstation and are not afraid to go blind, you can read the cable here.

Meanwhile, the French embassy in Tokyo has reportedly advised its nationals to leave the capital city because of threats posed by the nuclear plants 160 miles north of the capital.

According to Time.com, the German embassy made a similar announcement, saying German residents in Japan should assess if their presence in the country is necessary. If not, they should consider leaving, especially families with small children.

WSJ's Japan RealTime  quotes this advise on the Swiss embassy website: “All Swiss citizens in the crisis-stricken areas as well as in the area of Tokyo/Yokohama (are advised) to think about whether their presence in Japan is currently necessary, and, should this not be the case, to consider temporarily leaving the country. This advice is particularly meant for families with small children.”

Today, YNet reported that the families of Israel diplomats serving in Tokyo decided to return to Israel  following the massive earthquake in Japan. A Foreign Ministry official told Ynet the decision is not related to fears of a nuclear fuel meltdown in Japan.  

The United States as well as the UK have so far only advised that non-essential travel to Japan be deferred.

If I remember right, the last time we had an embassy on evacuation due to a natural disaster was shortly after the Haiti earthquake in January 2010. Japan, of course, has a much better infrastructure and well-tested disaster preparedness than Haiti. Nonetheless, with continuing after shocks, rolling blackouts, reported food and gas shortage, and the threat of a nuclear meltdown, I'm wondering if the US Embassy in Tokyo is moving to an authorized or ordered departure for family members and non-emergency personnel any time soon.  It seems to me that with the scope of the disaster, and 160,000 as the estimated number of  Americans in Japan that the embassy potentially has to track down, not having to worry about family members and nonemergency personnel in harms way would make for less nerve-racking complications at work.   

The ambassador has extraordinary decision-making authority as the senior USG official on the ground during crises.  The ambassador with the approval of the Under Secretary of State for Management (U/S Pat Kennedy) can order the evacuation of USG personnel and dependents to a temporary safe haven in the region or back to the United States (US Embassy Tunis staff was temporarily evacuated to Morocco earlier this year).  The only ones exempted from this evac order if issued are private Americans and uniformed personnel of the US Armed Forces and designated emergency-essential DOD civilians who are not under the authority of the ambassador.

But so far, no authorized or ordered departure has been announced.  

Updated @ 2:34 pm with Kono info and link on confidential cable referencing the nuclear industry in Japan.

Related post:
US Embassy #Japan Evacuates to Safehaven in Asia | March 17, 2011

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