India America Today Issue: 14 March 2020

March 2020

Issue No. 14

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Coronavirus and Economic Imperialism of China

Washington, DC - Global Strat View, a freshly minted virtual think-tank here hosted its debut event at the National Press Club, to look at the origin and rapid spread across the globe of the deadly COVID-19, the Coronavirus, since its outbreak in Wuhan, China, last December, The question, “Is the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) of China making it harder to contain COVID-19?,” was examined by a panel of experts as they looked at the relationship between China’s model of international development and economic statecraft with the ongoing coronavirus outbreak which has spread to more than 100 countries and infected more than 150,000 people worldwide in just a few months.

The panelists were Jennifer Huang Bouey, MD, PhD ,Senior Policy Researcher, Tang Chair in China Policy Studies, RAND Corporation;

Daniel Kliman, Senior Fellow and Director, Asia-Pacific Security Program, Center for a New American Security (CNAS); and Paris Huang, White House Correspondent, Voice Of America, Chinese Branch. Nico Pandi, Jiji News Media of Japan, moderated the hour long discussion.

With 70 nations in its fold and $80 billion budget, BRI aims to connect continents and thus influenced the spread of COVID-19, said Bouey, adding, “Due to lack of a vaccine or antidote to COVID-19, Bouey said the only way out is social distancing.”

Echoing Bouey’s opinion, other experts have blamed Chinese regime’s BRI project as not only facilitating the spread through various ways but also making it difficult for those financially indebted (to China) nations to contain the spread of the virus.

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President Trump Declares National Emergency Over COVID-19 Washington, DC - US President Donald Trump on March 13, declared a national emergency to help handle the growing outbreak of coronavirus.

The declaration - “two very big words”, according to Trump - allows the federal government to tap up to $50billion in emergency relief funds.

As the US faces growing cases of COVID-19 deadly virus and rising death toll, the expected move loosened regulations on the provision of healthcare and could speed up testing - the slow pace of which was criticized widely.

Several US states under the leadership of their respective governors, have taken measures to stem the infection rates, including banning large gatherings, sporting events and closing schools. The virus originated in China last December, but Europe is now the “epicentre” of the global pandemic, the head of the World Health Organization noted recently, as several European countries reported steep rises in infections and deaths.

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President Donald J. Trump signs the proclamation declaring a National Emergency Concerning the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Outbreak on Friday, March 13, 2020, in the Oval Office of the White House.

CREDIT:OFFICIAL WHITE HOUSE PHOTO BY SHEALAH CRAIGHEAD

The 1988 Stafford Act gives the president alone the ability to direct the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to coordinate a national response to “natural catastrophes” within the US.

02

OPINION

EDITORIAL

Time to Guard Against Fakes, Look for Lifesaving Facts US President Donald Trump announced a nationwide coronavirus emergency which he noted could last until the end of the summer or even longer. Listing the advisory for his fellow citizens, the president said Americans over the next 15 days should not gather in groups of more than 10 and avoid bars, restaurants, food courts, gyms and crowds.

Announcing new guidelines at the White House, Trump said the country is facing “an invisible enemy” that is “so contagious.”

New recommendations by Trump: All older Americans are urged to stay home, while work and schooling for everyone should be from home Discretionary travel, shopping trips and social visits should be avoided and people should stay away from nursing homes or retirement facilities Anyone in a household who tests positive for the virus should remain at home along with everyone who lives there With the government machinery slowly getting into full gear, the scenario is rife with misinformation as populations face sequestered existence in their homes.

With many states closing access to public places, employers letting work from home and schools going for virtual classrooms, most of the information is consumed online.

Reports emerge of sham cure hawking, religious sentiment-mongers touting miracle protection and cures while officials are not sure of facts as politicians make statements for their own electoral benefits.

Under such circumstances, it is imperative duty of the journalism community to make sure the population is fed fact-based and experts-vetted information on the prevention and more prevention as there is no cure yet on the horizon.

Amol Rajan, Media editor on the BBC put it in right perspective: “Much of the fake news is spreading through private forums - whether chat rooms online or on WhatsApp, a platform for encrypted messages.

Some of these messages clearly come from disreputable websites, such as the disgraceful InfoWars, which has linked the response to coronavirus to some kind of malign plot by Bill Gates. If you look to Infowars for reliable information, your judgement isn’t up to much.”

With Coronavirus sending fear of the unknown and confusion in the face of lack of authentic knowledge, there is a blend of politically motivated conspiracy theories and a conspicuous downplay of the seriousness of the pathogen causing the outbreak. Certain vested interest groups challenged scientific accounts of the emergence of the new coronavirus, and debunked factsubmissions by experts instead blaming governmental or individual agendas.

With the shortcomings of current responses to misinformation in the context of the pandemic COVID-19 spread, time is right for the elected members of government and other watchdogs of democracy to guard against some of the fake news propagators as selfregulation seems to have exhausted its possibilities in those quarters.

INDIA AMERICA TODAY

MARCH 2020

Efforts to Develop Coronavirus Vaccine

This illustration reveals ultrastructural morphology exhibited by coronaviruses. A novel coronavirus, named Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 was identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness first detected in Wuhan, China, in 2019. The illness caused by this virus has been named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). CREDIT: CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION ILLUSTRATION

Washington, DC - Army researchers are taking a “whole of government” approach with other agencies, including the National Institutes of Health; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; industry; and academia in the US and abroad to detect, prevent and treat COVID-19, said Brig. Gen. Michael J. Talley, commander of Army Medical Research and Development Command and Fort Detrick in Maryland. The Army held a Pentagon press briefing recently to discuss their effort in developing a vaccine against the novel coronavirus, COVID-19.

The work being done by Army researchers is a collaborative effort with those partners to ensure there’s no duplication, added Dr. Nelson Michael, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research at Walter Reed Army

Founder Editor:

Institute of Research.

Regarding potential vaccines, robust testing will be underway soon, he said.

The first phase of testing has already started: testing potential vaccines in mice to see what their response is and making sure it’s safe, Dr. Kayvon Modjarrad, director of Emerging Infectious Diseases at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research said.

The next phase would be testing in larger animals that are more similar to humans, including monkeys, he said.

Modjarrad said he didn’t want to speculate when human testing would begin.

There’s a good possibility that the outbreak could slow down over the warmer months and then start again later in the year when it gets colder — if it follows the pattern of some past

coronaviruses, he said.

It’s likely that clinical trials will take some time, he said. It could be a year to 18 months before a vaccine is proved safe.

Michael said a risk/benefit analysis would be done to ensure the benefits far outweigh risks.

For now, the best thing people can do is wash their hands frequently, even if they don’t touch anything, he said, adding that hugging and kissing also should be avoided.

Also, be sure to stay home if sick, Michael added.

Currently, the risk to Americans is low, he said. America has the best emergency medical treatment and intensive care in the world so the American public should be reassured.

(David Vergun)

TEJINDER SINGH Editorial Consultant : RAJESH SUNDARAM News Contributor:

(Community Affairs)

(editor@indiaamericatoday.com)

Managing Editor :

Publisher: India America Today LLC.

Consulting Editor :

SHIPRA MATHUR

Founder Co-Editor:

LAURIE B.

Editorial Cartoonist:

MITA ROY (Madhumita Roy)

(publisher@indiaamericatoday.com)

POONAM SHARMA

Health Editor: Dr. DEEPAN CHATTERJEE Fashion Editor:

JYOTI MAHAJAN

Editor, Visuals:

SIRMUKH MANKU

SURINDER P SINGH

EU and Balkan Affairs Editor: BORKA RADOVANOVIC

UK/European Correspondent: ANNA SOULIS

Foreign affairs Editor, Brussels (Belgium) :

ALIA PAPAGEORGIOU Web Development & Layout Producer :

SIMOS PALAIOGIANNIS

ISSN 2168-2135 Homepage: www.indiaamericatoday.com © 2019 India America Today

04

OPINION

INDIA AMERICA TODAY

MARCH 2020

Right and Duty to Inform

Failure of the US Liberals to Accept Trump as Elected President

by Neera Kuckreja Sohoni, PhD Neera Kuckreja Sohoni has a Ph.D. in economics and is a published author.

San Francisco - The laudatory role of the media as the pivotal fourth estate has been accepted for a long time, and yet its current state of health globally is impaired. Reporters worldwide, regardless of democracies or authoritarian nations, are suspect and under fire. A recent essay in The Hill suggests local journalists are facing a new survival risk, and claims the greatest threat to working in journalism is public contempt and distrust in what journalists have, or choose, to say.

When mischievous elements in society, workplace, and in schools and colleges take to violent means to intimidate journalists, print media seems suddenly moved and sits up to take note of its rights to free speech. But their zeal disappears when the ones attacked or prevented from speaking are conservatives.

While we are all for boycotting extremists and fundamentalists on both sides of the political spectrum, we should be equally unanimous in rejecting violence and other means to preempt speech, whatever its color or ideological leaning.

This is where the fourth estate seems to be faltering. Its role of vigilance and commitment to “truthiness” to use a trite term are seriously contestable. Journalists and journalism, much like our polity and politics, are hopelessly onesided with no enthusiasm to present news and cover events objectively and non-vindictively.

The print and electronic media’s pro-Liberal stance is what one easily overlooks until one opts to become a Conservative. That “unfortunate” choice exposes one to name-calling, physical threats, even social boycott and intimidation.

In California, for instance, there is ample anecdotal evidence suggesting how journalists much as common citizens are afraid to

speak up or air their views. One can’t “out” oneself as a conservative or support Trump without being called fascist, Nazi, racist and so on. Forced to remain in hiding, one is no longer free to call out one’s favorite horse in the local, state and national elections. While we freely decry China, Russia, India, Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and a host of African, Asian, European and Latin American nations for being non-democratic, authoritarian and danger zones for journalists, we continue to foster the myth that we in the US are a free thinking society.

That is no longer true, if it ever was.

Our differentiation from regressive and oppressive regimes seems increasingly to be one of degrees rather than of kind, which is both tragic and indefensible, Whereas all previous elections in America have created schisms and incompatibilities, Trump’s election has met with unprec-

CREDIT:IMAGE BY DIMITRIS VETSIKAS FROM PIXABAY

edented resistance verging on unacceptance of Trump, not only by the losing candidate and her party, but also by the media pundits who somehow feel hurt, bewildered and insulted to their core by the fact that one such as Trump can occupy the White House.

As a commentator recently opined, in previous times when their candidate lost, the losing party and its leadership accepted the loss and tried to move on, keeping their eye on the ball and the next election. In Trump’s case, no such concession occurred. Instead as seen in Hillary Clinton’s constant carping or in “Why-Trump Never-Trump” democrats’ relentless resistance, there is no sign of or hope for acceptance.

Worse, instead of responsible opposition, Trump’s opponents have committed from day one to reject, short-circuit and end his presidency through incendiary

means such as impeachment. Failure to impeach once evidently is not enough as they are ready to undertake the costly exercise repeatedly.

It is easy to concede that Trump is no one’s dream candidate or anywhere close to the nation’s image of a leader (one could argue whoever was or is!).

On the other hand, it is never worthy of a democracy when the losing party continues to question an elected leader’s legitimacy. However skewed and defective, polls are the only way in which to throw out anyone deemed unworthy by gathering a majority of votes against the person. Until then, it is best to bide one’s time.

Back to journalists and to their growing fear for their lives and their profession. While one needs to condemn as reprehensible a climate of fear directed against journalists, their refusal to “admit” Trump into their consciousness and forever

banish him from their “haloed inner circle” is the real travesty and irreparable loss to us as an enlightened non-despotic polity. Our lack of confidence in the electoral system cannot spill over into media’s en masse negation of a president’s validity.

Democracy’s underlying tenet is to seek voter support and let the candidate securing majority vote rule. It is not to have the victor and his rule ceaselessly degraded, misrepresented and sabotaged. If we blame Trump for lying a million times, facts and truth are hardly sacrosanct when it comes to the press. Even as journalists seek federal and state support for right to inform the public, it is fair for consumers of journalism to remind them of wherein lie their own flaws and culpability.

For each of us, professional and freelance journalists, our rights are predicated on our duties, no less nor more.

MARCH 2020

INDIA AMERICA TODAY

FOCUS

05

Coronavirus and Economic Imperialism of China Washington, DC - Global Strat View, a freshly minted virtual thinktank here hosted its debut event at the National Press Club, to look at the origin and rapid spread across the globe of the deadly COVID-19, the Coronavirus, since its outbreak in Wuhan, China, last December, The question, “Is the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) of China making it harder to contain COVID-19?,” was examined by a panel of experts as they looked at the relationship between China’s model of international development and economic statecraft with the ongoing coronavirus outbreak which has spread to more than 100 countries and infected more than 150,000 people worldwide in just a few months.

The panelists were Jennifer Huang Bouey, MD, PhD ,Senior Policy Researcher, Tang Chair in China Policy Studies, RAND Corporation; Daniel Kliman, Senior Fellow and Director, Asia-Pacific Security Program, Center for a New American Security (CNAS); and Paris Huang, White House Correspondent, Voice Of America, Chinese Branch. Nico Pandi, Jiji News Media of Japan, moderated the hour long discussion.

With 70 nations in its fold and $80 billion budget, BRI aims to connect continents and thus influenced the spread of COVID-19, said Bouey, adding, “Due to lack of a vaccine or antidote to COVID-19, Bouey said the only way out is social distancing.”

Echoing Bouey’s opinion, other experts have blamed Chinese regime’s BRI project as not only

Nico Pandi, the moderator.

(L-R) Daniel Kliman, Jennifer Huang Bouey, and Paris Huang.

facilitating the spread through various ways but also making it difficult for those financially indebted (to China) nations to contain the spread of the virus.

Kliman, another panelist, blamed the BRI project for undermining governance in BRI partner countries, especially in developing countries. Without mincing words, Kliman said, “Chinese practices sometimes weaken governance, especially in the developing world, where you see potential for corruption, co-optation of local elites, a

CREDIT:TEJINDER SINGH

loss of kind of transparency.”

“Better governance, more transparency tends to help countries and governments combat epidemics, and so to the extent that you see a weakening of governance where China is operating in developing countries this may make it harder not only to detect but also to combat coronavirus going forward,” elaborated Kliman.

“China’s economic statecraft promotes putting some countries on the horns of a dilemma in terms of how they deal with this virus,”

CREDIT:TEJINDER SINGH

said Kliman, as those nations don’t want to antagonize the Chinese regime to whom they owe loans and find themselves in this loop of “debt trap.”

Citing the example of South Korea, one of the largest trading partners of China, Kliman said, “The South Korean government has really struggled to both address coronavirus domestically while not trying to antagonize China out of fear of economic retribution,” adding, “And this has caused political blowback against the current administration in South Korea.”

South Korea is witnessing widespread criticism of President Moon Jae-in over not closing its border with China in time to rein in the spread of the deadly virus.

Highlighting the influence of geopolitical equations on the international organizations, Kliman pinpointed “real-world impact of China’s co-optation of international organizations, that the World Health Organization, which China heavily influences, was fairly slow to address coronavirus.”

Criticizing the policies of the Chinese regime as the world reeled under the onslaught of a killer virus, Kliman said, “Initially, I would say, it played down the scope and need for a forceful response.” “My own take would be that there is some kind of political calculation in it, that the WHO has been slow to kind of label at a pandemic—and part out

of concerns Chinese Communist Party in Beijing would see this as detrimental to China’s image.”

On the offer from the US for early cooperation to help contain the virus, Kliman said, “China was unable to cooperate with the US to combat this virus, refusing CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) help.”

“China first avoided taking responsibility, then went on offensive on the source of the virus,” said Kliman, noting that all these factors “show limitations on China’s leadership qualities for the century.”

Huang, White House Correspondent for the VOA, Chinese Branch chronologically listed the mention of COVID-19 from the White House especially President Donald Trump.

“In his State of the Union address (on February 4), President Trump did mention the COVID-19 fight in China,” noted Huang, while more recently, the Trump administration has been quite vocal and working to reign in the spread.

Huang also agreed with Kliman that under the BRI, “Chinese bring their own labor, locals are scared about the virus spreading,” while in most of the countries, “BRI brings in corruption.”

The event was moderated by Nico Pandi of Jiji media ( Japan) and was attended by journalists while it was also live-streamed on Facebook.

MARCH 2020

INDIA AMERICA TODAY

AFGHANISTAN

07

Taliban Agreement Is Afghanistan’s Best Chance for Peace: Esper Washington, DC - The joint declaration between the United States and the Afghan government is the best chance to bring peace to Afghanistan and return US service members home, Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper said during a news conference recently.

Under the agreement signed Saturday in Doha, Qatar, the Taliban must negotiate with the Afghan government and agree not to allow the country to be used as a haven for terrorists intent on attacking the United States and its allies.

If the Taliban honors the agreement, all foreign troops may be out of Afghanistan in 14 months.

Army Gen. Mark A. Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and veteran of many tours of duty in Afghanistan, also supported the declaration. “A negotiated political settlement is the only responsible way to end the war in Afghanistan,” he said during the news conference.

Milley reiterated that the

declaration would not have been possible without the thousands of soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who have served and sacrificed over the last 18 years.

Washington, DC/Kabul/Doha Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg thanked US and NATO service members who have served and are serving in Afghanistan on a day of tremendous hope for peace.

Introduced in Afghanistan’s capital of Kabul by Army Gen. Austin S. Miller, commander of the Resolute Support mission, the two men talked about the joint declaration signed between the United States and the Taliban in Doha, Qatar.

Both stressed to the service members from 25 countries that the declaration is conditions-based and that coalition nations and the Afghan government will hold the Taliban to the agreement’s conditions.

Esper and Stoltenberg also emphasized that the coalition — including the United States — will continue to support the Afghan government as the process moves ahead.

“All NATO allies and partners, we are ready to continue to provide support for Afghanistan, but also to adjust and reduce our presence there if the conditions are met, because everything we do here will be conditions based,” Stoltenberg said.

Esper assured the service members that an end to the fighting will happen only when Afghans decide for themselves to lay down their arms and come together as one people.

“We’re at that moment,” he said.

“That is why the best path forward for the future of this country is through a political settlement.”

The agreement, Esper said, respects the integrity of the Afghan people “and preserves the accomplishments that we and our Afghan partners have fought so hard to achieve.”

American service members came to Afghanistan after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, that killed 2,977 people in New York, the Pentagon and Pennsylvania. The attacks were planned and directed from Afghanistan by al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. Since then, almost 800,000 US troops have served in Afghanistan.

“Over 20,000 of our veterans have been wounded here in combat and forever bear the scars of this conflict,” Esper said. “And nearly 2,000 brave Americans made the ultimate sacrifice on Afghan soil by laying down their lives in defense of freedom.”

Coalition partners made similar commitments and sacrifices.

Army Gen. Mark A. Milley, the

Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper and Army Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, speak to reporters at the Pentagon, March 2, 2020.

CREDIT: LISA FERDINANDO

He said the United States owes an extraordinary debt of gratitude to America’s sons and daughters who made the ultimate sacrifice and to their families who have given their all

to this nation.

But Esper said the declaration is just a first step. The US and other coalition forces will continue to support Afghan security forces against terrorists whenever they emerge. “My message to the coalition was to stay vigilant because we still have a long and difficult mission ahead of us,” the secretary said.

There were reports of Taliban attacks on government troops today.

US officials are watching the situation closely. Milley said the Taliban is not a monolithic group. Some of the terror groups under the rubric of the Taliban are only loosely controlled. Afghan and coalition forces will examine the attacks to figure out who is responsible and take the necessary steps against the perpetrators.

Both Esper and Milley cautioned people not to expect an absolute cessation of violence in Afghanistan.

“This is a significant step forward, … and it’s going to lead to inter-Afghan

dialogue and ultimately leads to a peace agreement,” Milley said. “But to think that (the violence) is going to go to zero immediately, that probably is not going to be the case.”

Through this process, the United States will secure its national security interests, they said. Of primary importance is ensuring Afghanistan is not a base for terrorism. “We’ll maintain whatever capabilities necessary to defend the United States against terrorists,” Milley said.

Esper said the number of US troops in Afghanistan will be reduced, and that process is starting. “The agreement says that we reduce down to 8,600 it within 135 days … and that drawdown would begin in the first 10 days,” he said. “My instructions to the commander was, ‘Let’s get moving.

Let’s show our full faith and effort to do that.’”

The secretary said the coalition forces can still conduct the necessary missions with a force of 8,600.

US, NATO Leaders Thank Troops for Afghanistan Service

An Army crew chief overlooks mountain ranges while flying over southeastern Afghanistan following a key leader engagement, Oct. 9, 2019. CREDIT: ARMY MASTER SGT. ALEJANDRO LICEA

chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also noted the sacrifices. “We owe a debt of gratitude to America’s sons and daughters who paid the ultimate sacrifice in Afghanistan, and to the many thousands who served over the past nearly 19 years,” he said in a written statement.

“The only responsible way to end the war in Afghanistan is through a negotiated political settlement. Today is a reflection of the hard work of our nation’s military, the US De-

partment of State, intelligence professionals and our valued partners.

The United States is committed to the Afghan people, and to ensuring that Afghanistan never becomes a safe haven for terrorists to threaten our homeland and our allies,” Milley added.

Esper told the service members in Kabul that there is still a long way to go. “All of our decisions moving forward are conditions-based and require the Taliban to maintain the

ongoing reduction in violence,” he said. “If the Taliban fail to uphold their commitments, they will forfeit their chance to engage in negotiations with the Afghan government and will not have a say in the future of this country.”

But if the Taliban live by the agreements, the United States will begin a deliberate phase with redeployment of US troops from Afghanistan, initially reducing the force to 8,600, the secretary said. “As we do this, we will work closely with our allies and partners to reduce their forces as well in a proportional manner,” he added.

Still, even as the process begins, US and NATO forces will continue their train, advise and assist mission. “We will not hesitate to strike terrorist threats throughout the country as they emerge,” the secretary said.

“Central to our agreement with the Taliban are measures to prevent the use of Afghan soil by terrorist groups or other individuals who seek to harm the United States or our allies.

“Should that ever become compromised, we will take all necessary measures to protect our homelands and our people,” Esper said.

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AFGHANISTAN

INDIA AMERICA TODAY

MARCH 2020

Afghan, US, NATO Officials Call Declaration a Path for Peace Kabul - Under an agreement signed in Doha, Qatar, all foreign troops may be out of Afghanistan in 14 months, officials said in the Afghan capital of Kabul.

A fghan President A shraf Ghani, Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg all said that any withdrawal would be conditions-based, and the Taliban would have to negotiate with Afghan officials for the process to move forward.

Esper and Stoltenberg traveled to Kabul to meet with Afghan leaders and discuss the joint declaration.

Un d e r t h e d e c l a r a t i o n , the Taliban have agreed to counterterrorism guarantees, Afghan-to-Afghan negotiations, a ceasefire and condition-based withdrawal of foreign forces.

“Today’s release of the joint declaration between the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the United States marks a pivotal moment in the peace process,” Esper said during a ceremony at the Afghan palace. “Our declaration acknowledges the deep bond shared by Afghan and U.S. forces, and reflects our commitment to working together to achieve a sustainable, negotiated agreement that ends the war, for the benefit of all Afghans. Central to this agreement are measures to prevent the use of Afghan soil by terrorist groups or other individuals who seek to harm the United States or our allies.”

Esper said the result of the weeklong ceasefire in the country were encouraging.

But the Taliban do not get a free pass. “We call on the Taliban to abide by their commitments as outlined in the agreement with the United States, to include maintaining the ongoing reduction in violence across the country,” Esper said. “As intra-Afghan negotiations progress, the United States will watch the Taliban’s actions closely to judge whether their efforts towards peace are in good faith.”

If the Taliban uphold the agreement, the United States and other members of the coalition will begin a conditions-based reduction in forces, the secretary said. “However, should the Taliban

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper (L-R)

NATO allies and partners went into Afghanistan together. ...

When the time is right, we will leave together. This will only happen when we are sure that the Afghan forces no longer require our support, and that Afghanistan will never again become a platform for international terrorists.” fail to honor their commitments, they will forfeit their chance to sit with fellow Afghans and deliberate on the future of their country,” he added. Moreover, the United States

would not hesitate to nullify the agreement.”

Stoltenberg said all NATO nations and partners in the coalition welcome the declaration, calling it

a victory for peace and the Afghan people.

He noted that Afghanistan is a very different country from what it was in 2001. “It is no longer a safe haven for international terrorists, terrorists who conducted the attacks against the United States and threatened people across the globe,” the secretary general said.

“The security we have helped the Afghan forces to build has underpinned political, economic an d so c ia l p ro g re ss. Ch i l d mortality has dropped dramatically.

Life expectancy has increased significantly, and millions more Afghans are in school, including girls.”

While the agreement is between the United States and the Taliban and the Afghan government, NATO will conform with it, Stoltenberg said.

“NATO will reduce its presence in Afghanistan step-by-step and conditions-based and reflecting

CREDIT:DOD

the progress we see on the ground,” he said. “NATO allies and partners went into Afghanistan together.

We will adjust our presence together. When the time is right, we will leave together. This will only happen when we are sure that the Afghan forces no longer require our support, and that Afghanistan will never again become a platform for international terrorists.”

The road to peace will not be easy, Esper said. Violence and civil war in Afghanistan goes back long before the al-Qaida attack on the United States in 2001.

“Achieving lasting peace in Afghanistan will require patience and compromise among all parties,” the secretary said. “But for the first time in many years, Afghanistan has a real path toward the future this country deserves. We look forward to the coming weeks and months with great optimism, as we advance these important efforts to finally achieve peace.”

MARCH 2020

by Borka Radovanovic EU and Balkan Affairs Editor

Belgrade, Serbia - An international workshop recently here brought together various stakeholders including public sector organizations, civil society organizations, media industry and academia. Under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture and Media of Serbia, the workshop/training on “Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its implications for Media and Information Literacy (MIL) and Freedom of Expression (FoE)”, was held on January 22-24 earlier this year.

Deciding to focus on the IT sector as one of the most significant pillars of economic growth and smart living, the Government of the Republic of Serbia organized the workshop as an opportunity for media actors to delve more deeply into the challenging digital framework, and study its impact on our ability to participate responsibly in the media environment.

Freedom of expression as basic precondition of any democracy has been increasingly put under test nowadays by emerging technologies including Artificial Intelligence (AI). Governments worldwide are catalyzing efforts to respond to the AI challenges in the media ecosystem such as determining content and access to information by content personalization and customization, monitoring and targeting.

W hile content creation and moderation tools, facial and speech recognition, smart search systems, editorial curating assistants, can make media professionals’ daily routine easier, they can nevertheless raise various issues of human rights including, freedom of expression.

With this backdrop, on the regulatory level, dialogue through international organizations such as the UN, the UNESCO, the OSCE and the Council of Europe (CoE) is stepping up in order to find common denominator for dramatic changes that AI has brought to the media environment.

The Government of the Republic of Serbia focuses on the IT sector as one of the most significant pillars of economic growth and smart living.

Its commitment to regulating AI has been demonstrated recently by the adoption of AI strategy on the national level. In addition, the

INDIA AMERICA TODAY

TECHNOLOGY

09

Serbia Showcases AI in Media and Information Field

Ministry of Culture and Media, in cooperation with international organizations, continuously monitors the directions of information and media development, and at the same time recognizes the importance of strengthening the capacities of all actors in the field of media and information in order to keep up with international trends and take timely actions.

Already while doing a search on the internet, algorithms affect search results, and personalizing content using artificial intelligence greatly affects a person’s right to be informed, which often weakens the pluralism of ideas that one can be exposed to. It is necessary for us to better understand this area, and in particular its impact on freedom of expression.

Prior to arranging this workshop, a needs assessment exercise was performed and targeted program created by a panel of seven reputed experts, led by Professor I. Kushchu, the CEO of TheNextMinds.

The workshop contained practical and theoretical insights on

CREDIT: IMAGE BY GERD ALTMANN FROM PIXABAY

fundamentals of AI, Machine Learning and participants also acquired skills in understanding the interactions of AI and human rights, in general, and freedom of expression in particular. They have also been developing skills to deal with issues related to regulation of emerging technologies. The workshop helped participants identify how AI tools and techniques may influence media and information landscape for now and in the future, and how they can get prepared for it for better MIL education.

More specifically the following topics were covered: • A Nontechnical coverage of AI Foundations, Machine Learning together with data science, IoT, the Cloud and automation.

• Common AI practices influencing Education, Human Rights, and Ethics *Human Centric AI *Content generation and content dissemination *Content monitoring, evaluating and

manipulations *Recommender systems *Personalization and customization • How AI and the emerging technologies are influencing the MIL, HR, FoE and Ethics. *Evidences from MIL: How AI Boost to MIL will Practically Empower Citizen and How AI Can Support MIL *Evidences from Ethics of developing and using responsible AI systems *Evidences from HR and FoE: AI Disruption and Human Rights, and Freedom of Expression, *Approaches to AI RegulationComparison of USA, China, EU countries, and others, FoE protection in artificial intelligence environmentlegislative, regulatory and policy responses Impact: This capacity building exercise could set an inspiring example for other public sector organizations in Serbia but also internationally thus triggering more AI related activities in other parts of the government. This can

also incite confidence in the public sector in working with technology and AI experts in explaining needs and requirements and evaluating suggested solutions. This could lead to better combining activities and implementations relevant to AI and making more skillful and informed decisions.

The Next Steps The experience of this significant workshop may lead to various important initiatives to promote and monitor development of AI in Serbia in such a way that AI is human centric and helps empower the members of the society through sensitivity to MIL, Ethics and FoE. Moreover, AI technologies follow and fit EU recommendations especially in terms of societal needs and regulations.

In order to perform such initiatives, the Ministry hinted that it would take a lead role in partnering various relevant organizations and build upon knowledge and experiences of some of the participants who took part in this workshop.

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OPINION

MARCH 2020

The Anatomy of a Riot and of a Democratic Polity Gone Awry

by Neera Kuckreja Sohoni, PhD Neera Kuckreja Sohoni has a Ph.D. in economics and is a published author.

New Delhi - Coinciding with President Donald Trump’s India visit, a storm was brewing in the capital city of New Delhi and was set to explode. Sure enough it did. Now, with over 600 in jail, over 300 injured, and as of date nearly 50 dead, habitats charred, the post mortem continues in print, visual and digital media.

In hushed or loud tones within homes or in media, pundits and politicians alike are desperate to pin the blame on someone. The conspiracy theories run two-ways.

One theory suspects the opposing parties to the Prime Minister Modi and the ruling Bharatiya Janata party (BJP), who chose the moment of Trump’s arrival to use hostile violent protests as a compelling way to undermine Modi’s credibility as a popular leader and challenge his presentation of India as a secular democracy.

The other theory entirely ignores the Trump visit link instead presenting the riot outbreak as a calculated sadistic way of the ruling party to punish Delhi’s residents for giving the Aam Adami Party (AAP) a landslide electoral victory and decimating Modi’s party.

In the former version, opposition parties mobilized anti-Modis to carry out “resistance” much like the American anti-Trumpers did and continue to do in the US. In the latter version, Modi’s supporters and BJP leaders deliberately provoked counter-resistance to the resistance movement. In this divisive setting, the controversial, poorly explained and inadequately understood Amendment to the Citizenship Act (ACA) worked like a match to a pile of dry timber.

The genesis of ACA lies in the politics underlying Indian and South Asian demographics and socio-religious ethos. A Hindu majority country but characterized as secular, India is eternally sitting on a time bomb that is quickly and cheaply triggered by something as trivial as a rumor of a measly piece of beef being thrown into a temple, or a shred of pork flung into a mosque. India’s inter-faith tension gets exacerbated by the internal politics of neighboring countries.

Non-Muslim minorities in

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every neighboring country viz., Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, etcetera, have experienced victimization, genocide and eviction. Except in the most recent large-scale oppression and eviction of Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar, minority Muslim’s expulsion from self-proclaimed Islamic countries is rare.

With the above in mind, in its manifesto for the 2014 Indian general election, the BJP promised to provide a “natural home” for persecuted Hindu refugees specified as Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Jains, Parsis, and Buddhists. After failing to deliver on that promise in an earlier tenure, the BJP government passed a bill amending the existing Citizenship Act in both Houses, which after receiving the President’s assent, went into effect on January 10, 2020.

The Amendment makes those Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan who fled religious persecution and took refuge in India on or before December 31, 2014 eligible for fast-track citizenship, with the residence requirement reduced from 11 years to 5 years.

In a country the size of India, the demographic impact of the bill reportedly is miniscule impacting no more than about 32,000 persons. But opposition can always be stirred up by miscreants and idealists whether for noble or ignoble reasons. Because Muslims from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan

CREDIT:IMAGE BY DIMITRIS VETSIKAS FROM PIXABAY

are not offered eligibility for citizenship or for its fast-tracking under the new Act, the Amendment has provoked strong criticism. Questioning the exclusion of Muslim minority sects such as Ahmadiyyas in Pakistan and Hazaras in Afghanistan, critics have condemned it as racist, fascist, and a blatant attempt to saffronize and Hinduize India.

The Government has defended by countering that the three countries cited in the Act have declared themselves as Islamic States, which by definition makes them protective of all Islamic people and sects, to the exclusion of all Non-Islamic people. A more reasonable charge is that the Amended Act does not include migrants from non-Muslim countries fleeing persecution to India, particularly Rohingya Muslim refugees from Myanmar, Hindu refugees from Sri Lanka, and Buddhist refugees from Tibet/China.

In defense one can argue that the Act is not intended nor does it claim to be all encompassing. It targets and is limited (one could add for now?) to just those three countries and the six faiths listed.

Such limited enactments are neither unconstitutional nor unusual as seen for example in the USwhere its Religious Persecution Relief Act of 2016 declares, “Syrian nationals who are religious minorities in their country of origin shall be classified as refugees of special humanitarian concern” and “eligible for priority processing.” If non-Syrians regard that as fascist and racist, that does not make it so!

In tandem with the Amended Act, in November 2019 the BJP Government declared its intention to implement nation-wide the compilation of a National Register of Citizens (NRC), the process for which was delineated by the Citizenship rules enacted in 2003, and in that sense it is not a recent innovation or aberration inflicted on the nation by BJP. The NRC is meant to document all legal citizens while enumerating those that are not so identified as illegal immigrants or “foreigners”.

The BJP’s rush to implement it, without first clarifying and publicizing its intent, scope, eligibility criteria, documentation and residency requirement made it ill-thought and disastrous.

Widely perceived as confusing, arbitrary, and socially disruptive, the measure has caused heartburn as many feel they are at risk of being deemed “foreigners” merely because their documents are deemed inadequate. Confounding this confusion is the deliberate misrepresentation in political and media circles that the NRC discriminates against, and incriminates Muslims.

With misgivings not always grounded in facts, the phobia and “Zionism” implied or associated with the two initiatives has put India squarely in the line of fire.

Starting with Assam, open protests against the CAA/NRC have surfaced in New Delhi and in other key cities and states with students, political and human rights activists taking to the streets claiming the

laws marginalize, and are prejudicial to, Muslims.

Proponents have led equally passionate and loud marches throughout India. Clashes among supporting and opposing groups were and continue to be instigated and inflamed by appealing to the old Hindu-Muslim divide sentiment.

On February 24 in particular, wishing to damage Modi’s openly favorable and extravagant wooing of Trump, violent clashes surfaced or were consciously triggered among CAA’s opponents and proponents in some parts of Delhi where people of all faiths live cheek by jowl in passive peace that is vulnerable to planned or spontaneous, external or indigenous provocation.

Fiery vituperative speeches by self-serving elected representatives from BJP, and either ignored or secretly endorsed by the police and by other political players and communal forces, caused mayhem. Beastly acts of violence disrupted the coexistence of people of all faiths in the affected “sensitive” areas.

Eager to find scapegoats for what happened, at whose directive or with whose calculated negligence, the media blamed BJP-led Central Government, whose Home Minister holds the law and order portfolio with the Police and Intelligence reporting to him. So if no preventive or punitive action was taken to quell the riots, he is culpable. But most punditry failed to charge the opposition parties with complacence or even complicity.

Whenever communal disturbance occurs, Indian leaders have always known or should know how to respond. They need to act with alacrity to defuse the situation by being at the site personally and leading peace marches and interfaith dialogue to achieve immediate truce and prepare to return to normalcy.

As Delhi burnt, and thousands of SOS calls to Police to intervene or send ambulances and fire brigades stood unanswered, and elected representatives chose to stay away, the savagery and damage to property and human life worsened.

Amidst the charred ruins of city dwellings, schools and shops, and injured bodies, lie the sad trails of twin legal initiatives gone wrong, and a democratic polity gone awry.

MARCH 2020

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HEALTH

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Government Departments Take Coronavirus Response Measures

Washington, DC - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is closely monitoring an outbreak of respiratory illness caused by a new coronavirus, named 2019-nCoV, that was first detected in Wuhan City, in China’s Hubei province and which continues to expand, according to the CDC’s website.

Chinese health officials have reported thousands of infections with 2019-nCoV in China, with the virus reportedly spreading from person to person in many parts of that country. Infections with 2019nCoV, most of them associated with travel from Wuhan, also are being reported in a growing number of international locations, including the United States, according to the CDC. March Air Reserve Base in California and DOD stand ready to provide housing support to Department of Health and Human

Services personnel as they work to handle the arrival of nearly 200 people, including State Department employees, their families and US citizens evacuated from Wuhan, Alyssa Farah, DOD press secretary, said in a statement recently.

“DOD has assessed this support will not negatively impact readiness or critical operations, and we stand ready for their arrival,” she stated.

HHS is responsible for all care of the evacuees, she noted. Therefore, DOD personnel will not be directly in contact with the evacuees, and evacuees will not have access to any base location other than their assigned housing.

Should routine monitoring of the evacuees identify ill individuals, HHS has procedures in place to transport them to a local civilian hospital, she continued.

“DOD will work closely with our

interagency partners and continue to monitor the situation,” Farah said in her statement. The department’s primary responsibility at this time is the safety of our force, our families and our base communities.”

The CDC noted on its website that it is closely monitoring the situation and working with the World Health Organization and state and local public health partners to respond to this emerging public health threat and contain it.

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that are common in many different species of animals, including camels, cattle, cats and bats, according to the CDC. Rarely, animal coronaviruses can infect people and then spread. That was the case with the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome and the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronaviruses.

CREDIT:GERD ALTMANN FROM PIXABAY

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HEALTH

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Pentagon Issues Flexible Instructions on Response to Coronavirus

Washington, DC - The US Department of Defense (DOD) has issued instructions to the armed services and department heads on how to respond to the implications of the growing coronavirus outbreak.

The department issued memos responding to the need for operations to continue during the outbreak. The DOD documents build on messages from the Office of Personnel Management issued earlier.

Signed by Alexis Lasselle Ross, performing the duties of the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, a force health protection memo charts a range of options commanders and directors may use in the situation.

Local commanders are to craft responses to the threat in local areas.

“The Department of Defense has outlined a specific risk-based framework to guide planning, posture and actions needed to protect DOD personnel and support mission assurance in response to the novel coronavirus disease,” the memo says. “DOD component heads and military commanders should follow these risk-based measures, with appropriate consultation and coordination, to protect the health and safety of the workforce.”

The measures are flexible, tailored and incremental and should be tied to the level of exposure in the various communities.

On the civilian side, component heads must ensure the continuity of operations. They also must assess the readiness of the workforce for effective telework. Finally, they must communicate good health and hygiene habits to minimize transmission of the virus.

DOD is a worldwide organization and the virus outbreak is in different stages in different parts of the globe.

“This outbreak is dynamic and manifests differently by location, setting, population and individual,” a second memo on force health protection from personnel and readiness says. “As a result, responses to (coronavirus) will need to be flexible, tailored and incremental.”

The memo covers aspects from before the outbreak through all levels of infection. The memos describe when employees can use telework, weather and safety leave,

This scanning electron microscope image shows SARS-CoV-2 (orange)—also known as 2019-nCoV, the virus that causes COVID-19—isolated from a patient in the US, emerging from the surface of cells (green) cultured in the lab.

CREDIT: PHOTO COURTESY THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES

how telework should work, what happens under a quarantine order, care for family members affected, use of alternate work schedules and more.

In the military force health protection area, there are five levels of action: 1. The first is prior to community transmission and is labeled routine.

Commanders should review and update installation plans and work to maximize telework possibilities.

2. The second is when community transmission begins and is labeled limited. Commanders need to re-emphasize health and hygiene and ensure service members and employees avoid contact with sick people.

3. The third is labeled moderate and is when there is increased community transmission. This level allows commanders to restrict service members from travel. They should also ensure that personnel protective equipment is available for high-risk personnel.

4. Sustained community transmission is labeled substantial. This fourth

level of action allows commanders to declare public health emergencies and place limits on access to the installations. Commanders should consider what needs to change in regard to the force exercise program.

For those overseas, commanders may want to consider authorized and ordered departure actions.

5. The fifth and final level of action is labeled severe. It is for widespread community transmission. This allows

restricting movement, canceling non-mission essential activities, cancellation of exercises, canceling all non-essential leave or travel and instituting a quarantine.

(Jim Gramone)

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MARCH 2020

HEALTH

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Pentagon Confronts Coronavirus Head-On Washington, DC - The Defense Department is taking positive action to protect people, safeguard critical national security missions and capabilities and support the whole-ofgovernment approach to confronting the spread of the coronavirus, or COVID-19, DOD spokesman Jonathan Rath Hoffman said recently.

Combatant commanders have the authority to take measures to protect personnel from exposure to the new virus, Hoffman said during a press briefing with other DOD officials at the Pentagon. That may mean modifying, postponing or cancelling some training, he said.

Training continues on a smaller scale in South Korea, Hoffman said, though a larger joint exercise was postponed late last month. The commander of US Forces Korea has been at the forefront of DOD’s response in containing COVID-19, he said, having “taken measures that have been highly, highly aggressive and effective in confronting it and helping secure his personnel from exposure.”

Planning continues for other exercises, he noted, such as the De-

office buildings in the world, Hoffman said educational materials are being distributed and good hygiene practices are being reinforced. The visitor entry process is under evaluation, he said, and people are practicing social distancing for meetings and briefings. One example of that distancing effort is that chairs in the press briefing room are now spaced six feet apart.

Across the force, three active-duty service members — one in South Korea, one in Europe and one in the US — four family members, one government civilian and one contractor have so far been diagnosed with COVID-19, said Air Force Brig.

Gen. Paul Friedrichs, the Joint Staff surgeon, during the briefing. “All are doing well at this point,” he said.

Credit: Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

cerned now, that exercise is good,” said Navy Rear Adm. William D. Byrne Jr., the vice director of the Joint Staff.

At the Pentagon, one of largest

fender 2020 division-size exercise scheduled for this spring in Europe.

“A lot of folks get a vote in as far as participation [in joint exercises] is concerned, but as far as we’re con-

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Trump Launches Ivanka Led W-GDP for Women

Washington, DC - US President Donald Trump recently announced the launch of the new Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative (W-GDP) to empower women in developing countries, a plan on which his daughter and official advisor, Ivanka has been working for a year. Signing the National Security Presidential Memorandum in the Oval Office at the White House, President Trump said, “The W-GDP will coordinate efforts across the federal government and work with other nations, organizations, and privatesector partners to help women in developing countries fully and freely participate in their local economics.” Global leaders and development pundits welcomed the

announcement. Christine Lagarde, Head of International Monetary Fund (IMF) welcomed the launch in a tweet: “I very much welcome the launch of The Women’s Global Economic Empowerment Initiative #WGDP, which will help to advance this critically important agenda.”

Welcoming the W-GDP initiative, Nisha Mandani, the founder of Our Aim Foundation shared her belief: “Empowered Women are Powerful.”

Mandani further noted that her organization is “diligently working in Malawi, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the US.” She emphasized the sustainability factor with “strong boots on the ground,” as a sure success method for “partnering with the stakeholders (villagers) works (Page 07) wonders”

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www.indiaamericatoday.com

Issue No. 02

Washington, DC - The United States miral Philips Davidson, Commander handed over the first Chinook transport of the US Indo-Pacific Command helicopter to India at the Boeing facility (USINDOPACOM) highlighted the in Philadelphia in the presence of Indi- growing bilateral relationship between Padma Shri t an Ambassador Harsh V Shringla. Tak- the two countries. During a CongresPresidenJ. Trump Indian American ing part in the India-Chinook Transfer sional hearing at the US Senate Armed Donald s the addresse Ceremony at the Boeing Defense facil- Services Committee, one of the top Indicted inTuesday Largest nation Jan. ity on January 31, 2019, Ambassador Pentagon brass stressed the importance Fraud evening, Case from Shringla lauded growing industry part- of the inaugural 2+2 Ministerial in New 8, 2019, Office nerships between the two democracies Delhi last September and signing of the the Oval and commended Boeing for their com- Communications Compatibility and White of the stressing mitment to the Make in India initiative Security Agreement (COMCASA) in House, to pass of Indian Prime Minister Narendra 2018 as pivotal moments in the bilateral the need n that 26-27 (Page 15) Modi. In a related development, Ad- relationship. legislatio the DC ent workers ngton, will address and Washi ds of US governm first payday A New Year’s security rian their shutdown thousan missed humanita partial while our Resolution for January ed on the in crisis ued year as border. s continu of the your Heart southern agencie ng contin HOUSE id of federal l bickeri White House

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by Dr. Presid declared no ment unless of volunte dozens of food for dly repeate ing the governMexico-border said that pack bags for his Washington, DC – Legal experts and ees nt Bank,working to reopen a few miles rat funding employ hand, are Preside got staff. he federal general 0 arebeneficiaries responded with r, Democ crats the other affectedthe 800,000 to the nation, 350,00 a positive ary reaction as the US Departwall. OnHouse Speake Pelosi alone House the Demo wn. Finally Of - Female , about of tempor fellow White blame d shutdo ingHomeland Security (DHS) ment of unpaid nia Nancy away, border, ty Leader going hed - a kind are continu Trump govern ment to approve announced new rules reversing the from Califor Minori York, Chuck the Farmers n at the in refusing it includes over furloug- while the rest New for the the situatio a crisis of atight ca Rema with Senate order by which US Citizenship and Trump from by Dr Shipra Mathur nt the crisis, rat consol sitting they Preside budget unless wall, his Calling itarian the soul,” Trumpa lay-off Democ er (D-N.Y.) tions that kind ofImmigration Will Ameriof hope? over- Services (USCIS) seto work.a band-aid n a “human a crisis of wall through reject a federalg for a border t declara .

Schum lects H1B petitions under the H1B and Senate Free ed to ensure In a Beaco Abraham project hope was heart and pay for the American be House a bill to capretfundin rats continu for the project. their adaman and the advanced degree to would of fund the tion, theingly passed regular

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Democ g down on Schumer stuck ay life, employ Releasing the new procedures, L. this be hugely federal ips in everydimpasse. Radha to put defence breakin n. Pelosi andfund his border Priyankalegislati Gandhi Francis Cissna, the USCIS Director would prompt a the Area Food hardsh sight to the wall, decided as this to call shutdow refusal to said, “These simple and smart changes Later end in h, head of Capital Vadra on the 2019 and would back burner s and ting Trump by their ersial of time.” live are a positive benefit for employers, waste president of controv legal battle. inute first the Muthia Lok Sabha Scenario IAT AttendLa Soirée wall, promp the the foreign workers they seek to emg “a total in rts meetin rats accused tantrum.” end lengthy an eight-mOval Office Suppo y Tree Marc ploy, and the agency’s adjudicators, In ation h 2019 Democ g a “temper to be no in from the – A Holida helping the H1B visa program work will have a greater chance of selection help ensure that H1B visas are award- likely increase the number of petig Celebr throwin there seemed wn went . address Lightin better.” in the H1B lottery in years of excess ed to the most-skilled or highest-paid tions for beneficiaries with a master’s Thus the shutdo the longest Issue as as Commenting on the post-imple- demand for new H-1B visas.” petition beneficiaries.” or higher degree from a US institution No. in sight of history 03 mentation effects of the new regisOn April 18, 2017, President Effective April 1, USCIS will first of higher education to be selected unthe annals Inte tration system, Cissna noted it, “will Trump issued the Buy American and select H1B petitions (or registrations, der the H1B numerical allocations,” rnatlower overall costs for employers and Hire American Executive Order, in- once the registration requirement is according to the USCIS. iona US Continues Legal l Wom increase government efficiency.” structing DHS to “propose new rules implemented) submitted on behalf The rule was published in the www. new guidance, to supersede of all beneficiaries, including those Federal Register on January 31, and Air India Process for Arrested “We are alsoen’s furthering india Day President and issue amer rules and guidance that may be eligible for the advanced will go into effect on April 1, though Jai Hind TakesIndian Students (Donald) Trump’s goal of :improving or revise previous icato Wash to day.c our immigration system by making if appropriate, to protect the interests degree exemption. USCIS will then the USCIS announced it, “will be Grea om Wom ington, DCa simple adjustment to the H1B cap of US workers in the administration ter Heig of select from the remaining eligible pe- suspending the electronic registra- March hts a recenen’s Day andselection process,” said USCIS chief, our immigration system.” The execu- titions, a number projected to reach tion requirement for the FY 2020 signifi tly releas good is the month adding,news “As a result, US employers tive order specifically mentioned the the advanced degree exemption. cap season to complete user testing cant past decad in 2019 of Intern progre ed repor to employ workers H1B program and directed DHS and “Changing the order in which and ensure the system and process and the e. The ss seeking towar t shows that isforeign that dataational (Page 08) with adUS higher degree other agencies to “suggest reforms to USCIS counts these allocations will are fully functional.” legalmaster’s or discrim Law 2019:World from gende there Bank The studyination acrossA Decad Group r equali has been US Ann $ 2.50 e of Reform’s Wome ty in measu a Job, 187 oun the Visa red eight economies measu n, Business Runn Getting Paid, Fees ces indica and Valid Pensio ing a Busin Gettin tors: over the pastres gender Going ity interac n. These ess, Manag Married, Places 10 years. in Paki Changes tion of indica Havin , Startin ging and finish stan Asset wome tors are g Child g s struct Denm n with their Wash and Gettin ren, 100 in ark, Francecareers. Six the law as ured to measu recent ington, DC Europ they start, re g a - First equal the index, , Latvia, Luxem trip to ly travele 16-17 the ean legal rights which d lady of 83.75, causes promote for a two-d Melan bourg nation progre in the means they and s - Belgiu ss 125 in the United opioid : children’ three of her ay, three- ia Trump eight m, give Swede s well-b “Be Best” state road while the list with States measured wome n - score the media low plaidabuse. Wearin eing, Our n and campa barrie significant a score ranks 63 areas. With AIM possib to cover g a blue online bullyin includ heels, men ign rs at differe progre of 71.25. in the Foundat trench a score cans to le. In 2017, this very list.

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International Women’s Day:

A Decade of Reform

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Washington, DC - March is the month of International Women’s Day and good news in 2019 is that data from a recently released report shows that there has been significant progress toward legal gender equality in the past decade. The World Bank Group’s Women, Business and the Law 2019: A Decade of Reform measures gender discrimination across 187 economies over the past 10 years.

The study measured eight indicators: Going Places, Starting a Job, Getting Paid, Getting Married, Having Children, Running a Business, Managing Assets and Getting a Pension. These indicators are structured to measure the interaction of women with the law as they start, progress and finish their careers. Six European nations - Belgium, Denmark, France, Latvia, Luxembourg and Sweden - score 100 in the index, which means they give women and men equal legal rights in the eight measured areas. With a score of 83.75, the United States ranks 63 in the list. India ranks 125 in the list with a score of 71.25. This study shows that while significant progress has been made, women still face barriers at different stages in their working life.

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Washington, DC - First lady Melania Trump recently traveled for a two-day, three-state road trip to promote three of her “Be Best” campaign causes: children’s well-being, online bullying and opioid abuse. Wearing a blue trench coat and yellow plaid heels, she was accompanied by aides including Chief of Staff Lindsay Reynolds and Communications Director Stephanie Grisham.

At her first stop: Tulsa, Oklahoma, she visited the Dove School of Discovery, and in the pre-K classroom, one of the kids quipped: Where is the president? “He’s in the Oval Office,” she replied.

Speaking at her town hall meeting, the First Lady said, “I’d also like to take a moment to challenge

the media to cover this very real issue as often as possible. In 2017, we lost at least 72,000 Americans to overdoses—that’s 197 lost American lives per day – more than 8 lost lives per hour,” she said.

Challenging the press “to devote as much time to the lives lost – and the potential lives that could be saved – by dedicating the same amount of coverage that you do to idle gossip or trivial stories,” the First Lady said, “When we see breaking news on TV, or the front pages of newspapers – it is my hope that it can be about how many lives we were able to save through education and honest dialogue.” “I wish the media would talk about more and educate more especially the children,” she said. (Page 4)

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Vin Gupta Reiterates Learn, Earn and

India Reacts as US Intends AMERICAGSP TODAYProgram to INDIA Terminate 3925 HALSEY STREET

Washington, DC/New Delhi – The Indian government reacted with caution and played down the impact on its economy as the United States on Monday (March 4) announced the termination of India’s preferential trade treatment according to a statement from the office of US Trade Representative (USTR). Indian government confirmed receiving the letter saying, “United States of America today has given a 60-day withdrawal notice to India on the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) benefits extended by US.” Commenting on the US action, Indian Federal Ministry of Commerce and Industry said, “In India’s case the GSP concessions extended by the US amounted to duty reduction of only USD 190 million per annum.” India’s Commerce Secretary Anup Wadhawan downplayed the impact on bilateral trade relations saying, “Our trade relations remain cordial with the US. There is no disruption on trade talks.”

Addressing the US trade concerns

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gressional leaders President Trump wrote, “I am providing notice of my intent to terminate the designation of India as a beneficiary developing country under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program.”

Elaborating on the reasons for taking this step, the US president said, “After intensive engagement between the United States and the Government of India, I have determined that India has not assured the United States that it will provide equitable and reasonable access to the markets of India.”

President Trump in his letter to the lawmakers’ leaders concluded, “I will continue to assess whether the Government of India is providing equitable and reasonable access to its markets, in accordance with the GSP eligibility criteria.”

The process for evaluating India’s position started in April 2018 when the US launched an eligibility review of India’s compliance with the GSP market access criteria. Noting that India implemented “a wide array of trade

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The department is taking these precautions because COVID-19 is a new virus and scientists are still learning about how easy it is to spread, Friedrichs said. “And in particular, in an environment like this — enclosed spaces — we’re trying to figure out the best way to mitigate

the risk until we have solid data on that,” he added.

All 13 of DOD’s clinical labs can run the necessary tests to determine whether a person has COVID-19, the general noted.

“The Department of Defense has had plans for dealing with disease outbreaks like this for years,” Friedrichs said. Each base has a plan that is coordinated with local authorities, he added.

“If we go back to any successful response, it starts with a strong local public health authority and good plans that are not unique to one employer, like the DOD, but to the whole community,” the general said.

Friedrichs later told reporters that the No. 1 thing he’d like to know about COVID-19 is whether it’s seasonal. “Because if it is seasonal, then it will start to burn out in the next couple of months,” he said. “And that buys us a little bit more time until the fall when it comes back. And that means that we have more time to work on medical countermeasures, work on vaccines, and all the other things that we have for the flu.”

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MARCH 2020

Focus on Short-Term Goals in Quantum Science Washington, DC - The Defense Department is focusing a lot of effort on an array of technologies involving quantum science, but the department’s chief technology officer says it’s important to be realistic about timelines for the most fantastic applications of that technology — and to focus on what’s plausible in the short term for best equipping the warfighter.

During testimony recently before the House Armed Ser v ices Committee, Michael D. Griffin, undersecretary of defense for research and engineering, said quantum computing and quantum communication are not beyond the boundaries of physics, but are still long-term prospects for use in the department.

“We caution that the hyperbole surrounding these topics may be getting ahead of their military and economic utility,” Griffin wrote in testimony he submitted to Congress.

Instead, Griffin said, the department is focused on quantum technology that’s going to be of use to the force in the shorter term.

“First and foremost [are] quantum clocks to give us timekeeping, precision, synchronized timekeeping and precision [that are] two, or possibly even three, orders of magnitude better than we have today,” Griffin told lawmakers. “That’s critically important for maintaining communications in a GPS-denied environment where we might have to fight a war.”

Quantum sensors for inertial navigation or navigation by

Quantum technology is important to the US military, but DOD officials say the most spectacular realization of that technology is years away and the Department must focus on what’s possible now.

CREDIT: C. TODD LOPEZ, DOD

other means, as well as quantum magnetometers to improve navigation information, are also critical technologies, Griffin said.

“These are the things that we will see in the next few years and where we are focusing a substantial amount of our effort,” Griffin said.

In the department’s fiscal year 2021 budget request, Griffin said, DOD

has asked for $23 million to further the development of an enhancedstability atomic clock that will provide a constant connection to sensor networks and encrypted communication channels that support DOD’s most critical missions.

Griffin also said the department is focusing on modernizing space

architecture, both offensive and defensive hypersonics capabilities, and microelectronics as priorities.

“We rely on our commercial partners completely for everything we do in microelectronics, and none of our systems will work without it,” he said. “So, we are fully embracing the need to be able to produce trusted microelectronics on a risk-assessed

basis all the way from initial design right through fabrication and assembly,” he said. “That’s a critical area, and our industrial base is under siege from abroad.”

The FY2021 budget request includes $597 million to improve security related to the department’s use of microelectronics.

(C. Todd Lopez)

US Seeks to Maintain Credible Nuclear Deterrent Washington, DC - The United States maintains a robust nuclear arsenal that consists of ground-based, air-launched and sea-launched weapons. Together, it’s commonly called the “nuclear triad,” and it remains the centerpiece of the US nuclear deterrent. The triad is fast approaching the end of its service life and must quickly be replaced before it’s lost.

Victorino G. Mercado, currently performing the duties of the assistant secretary of defense for strategy, plans and capabilities testified today before the House Armed Services Committee, subcommittee on strategic forces. He told lawmakers that efforts to replace the triad are not part of an arms race.

“The US seeks only what it needs to maintain a credible nuclear deterrent,” he said. “In contrast to Russia, who maintains about 2,000

The nuclear-powered, fast-attack submarine USS North Dakota pulls into its homeport at Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Conn., Jan. 31, 2019. The sub was returning from the US European Command area of responsibility. Credit: Navy Cmdr. Jason M. Geddes

non-strategic nuclear weapons and are pursuing and fielding other novel nuclear capabilities, we have no desire or intent to engage in an arms race nor match weapon-for-weapon the capabilities being fielded by Russia.”

The DOD’s fiscal year 2021 budget request for nuclear forces, Mercado said, is $28.9 billion, or 4.1% of the total DOD request. The funding request to modernize the existing triad is about 1.7% of the budget request,

he added. “The nation’s nuclear modernization program is affordable,” he said.

Mercado said that after decades of deferred recapitalization of the nuclear triad, the US must move ahead with modernizing its nuclear forces. Additionally, as defined in the Nuclear Posture Review, the US must also pursue additional flexibility with systems like the sea-launched cruise missile, he said, “to ensure that there are no gains to be made through the use of any nuclear weapon, strategic or otherwise.”

As part of the modernization of the triad, the DOD is asking for around $2.8 billion for the B-21 Raider longrange strike bomber. The Air Force eventually expects to purchase 100 of the aircraft, which will carry the B6112 and B83 nuclear gravity bombs, as well as the long-range standoff cruise

missile. The Department also seeks funds for the procurement of the Columbia-class ballistic submarine for $4.4 billion and the groundbased strategic deterrent for $1.5 billion. The ground-based strategic deterrent is expected to replace about 400 Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles.

“Nuclear attack is the only existential threat to the United States, and our nuclear arsenal is the nation’s only ultimate insurance policy against such an attack,” Mercado said. “Our nuclear triad underwrote every US military operation around the world and also provided extended deterrence guarantees to over 30 allies and partners, precluding the need for them to pursue their own nuclear arsenals. This is the return on investment of our nuclear forces.”

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Pentagon Adopts 5 Principles of Artificial Intelligence Ethics

Washington, DC - The US Defense Department has formally adopted five principles for the ethical development of artificial intelligence capabilities. Artificial intelligence is the department’s top technology modernization priority, DOD Chief Information Officer Dana Deasy said recently.

The new principles lay the foundation for the ethical design, development, deployment and use of AI by DOD he said. “These principles build upon the department’s long history of ethical adoption of new technologies,” he added.

The Defense Innovation Board spent 15 months developing the principles, and consulted with leading AI and technical experts, as well as with current and former DOD leaders and the American public. Those principles, Deasy noted, apply to the use of AI in both combat and noncombat situations.

The five AI ethical principles, based on recommendations from the Defense Innovation Board, are: 1 .Responsible DOD personnel will exercise appropriate levels of judgment and care while remaining responsible for the development, deployment and use of AI capabilities.

2. Equitable The department will take deliberate steps to minimize unintended bias in AI capabilities.

3. Traceable The department’s AI capabilities will be developed and deployed such that relevant personnel possess an appropriate understanding of the technology, development processes and operational methods applicable to AI capabilities, including with transparent

The Defense Department officially adopted five principles for ethical artificial intelligence.

and auditable methodologies, data sources and design procedures and documentation.

4. Reliable The department’s AI capabilities will have explicit, well-defined uses, and the safety, security and effectiveness of such capabilities will be subject to testing and assurance within those defined uses across their entire life cycles.

5. Governable The department will design and engineer AI capabilities to fulfill their intended functions while

possessing the ability to detect and avoid unintended consequences, and the ability to disengage or deactivate deployed systems that demonstrate unintended behavior.

Air Force Lt. Gen. Jack Shanahan, director of the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center, said AI is a powerful emerging and enabling technology that is rapidly transforming culture, society, and eventually, even warfighting.

“Whether it does so in a positive or negative way depends on our approach to adoption and use,” he said. “The complexity and the speed of warfare will change as we build an AI-

CREDIT: DOD GRAPHIC

ready force of the future. We owe it to the American people and our men and women in uniform to adopt AI ethics principles that reflect our nation’s values of a free and open society.”

Shanahan also said that he believes, and leaders in the Defense Department believe, that the nation that is first to master AI will be the one that prevails on the battlefields of the future.

“We also believe that the nation that successfully implements AI principles will lead in AI for many years,” he said. “The US military intends to do just that.”

(C. Todd Lopez)

Aerial Refueling, Sealift Capability Vital to Readiness Washington, DC - Aerial refueling and sealift forces require attention so they can meet current and future challenges, the commander of US Transportation Command told lawmakers.

Army Gen. Stephen R. Lyons testified recently at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the defense authorization request for fiscal year 2021 and the Future Years Defense Program. ‘’Aerial refueling as a force element is the most-stressed force element in the Transcom portfolio, both for day-today operations as well as for high-end conflict,’’ he said.

The KC-46 Pegasus is an important aspect of aerial refueling tanker modernization, he said. However, delays in delivery of capable KC-46s, combined with reductions of KC-10 Extenders and KC-135 Stratotankers, have created ‘’a critical and deepening gap’’ in aerial refueling capability for the next five to seven years, the general told the senators.

All three aircraft are used for aerial refueling, with last year’s delivery of the first KC-46 marking the start of

A KC-46 Pegasus refuels a B-2 Spirit over California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains, April 23, 2019

replacing the aging KC-10 Extender, which entered service in 1981, and the KC-135 Stratotanker, which entered service in 1957. A solution for the KC-46 delivery delays will likely be retention of 13 KC-135s and 10 KC-10s that were slated for retirement, Lyons said.

The No. 2 readiness concern is the

strategic sealift fleet, which is responsible for moving about 90% of wartime cargo, the Transcom commander said. ‘’The current readiness of our fleet is below where it needs to be,’’ he added.

Sealift readiness rates have declined to 59% compared against a goal of 85%, with vessel material condition and age as the primary factors. By the mid-

CREDIT: CHRISTIAN TURNER, AIR FORCE

2030s, more than half of the sealift fleet will be unusable, Lyons told the Senate panel in his written testimony.

Most sealift ships are reaching the age at which maintenance and repair costs are escalating and service-life extensions will not yield proportional increases in readiness, he added.

To increase fleet readiness, the gen-

eral said Transcom is working with the Navy to buy seven used vessels.

He said he anticipates the purchase of the first two in fiscal year 2021.

With 85% of US forces stationed in the United States, it is Transcom’s job to project and sustain the force globally in support of the secretary of defense’s strategic priorities. ‘’Power projection is a distinct US comparative advantage,’’ Lyons said, noting that reliance on allies and partners increases that advantage.

Lyons provided senators with some of US Transcom’s recent achievements.

With a no-notice alert, the 1st Brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division was moved to the US Central Command area of operations from the United States in less than five and a half days, he said.

In 2019, he said Transcom: Moved 43 brigades overseas; Moved 26 million square feet of cargo worldwide; Refueled multiple bomber and fighter aircraft, dispensing 956.6 million gallons of fuel; and Transported 1.9 million passengers.

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Progress in Trans-State Professional License Agreements for Military Spouses Washington, DC - The Defense Department - working with state governments - is making it easier for military spouses’ professional licenses to be accepted in their new state when service members are transferred, a DOD official said.

Marcus Beauregard, the director of the Defense-State Liaison Office, said that this is particularly important because military families move frequently, and 34% of spouses need licensure reciprocity when they move.

About 53% of military spouses with professional licenses are in health-related occupations; 28% in education; 4% in crafts and trades; and 15% in other occupations, he told reporters at the Pentagon recently.

The number of licenses required by any given state varies, he said. For example, North Carolina has 200 licensed occupations.

Ideal ly, Beauregard said, changes in state law would include endorsement of current licenses from out of state, temporary licensing , and an ex pedited application process for military spouses.

Reciprocity is made possible by state compacts — agreements among states that take precedence over indiv idual states’ laws.

Compacts can allow a licensed person to move from the issuing state and work in another state.

Beauregard noted that compacts and state practices vary.

For example, he said, Arizona has adopted universal licensing, which has expanded license reciprocity to anyone who becomes a state resident. Once a background check is completed and a fee is paid, new residents can obtain a license from Arizona. Florida has a similar process.

Uta h ha s a n eve n m o re progressive approach, Beauregard said. Since 2012, Utah has allowed transferring military spouses to come into the state to work using the license issued by another state.

Texas has developed a standard of ‘’substantial equivalency’’ for licensed occupations, he said. That means when a military spouse moves to Texas from another state, Texas’ appropriate professional board will know if the state that

Family members prepare to greet deployed service members at March Air Reserve Base, Calif., Oct. 28, 2017

issued the original license is equivalent to the Texas license. If it is, Texas will issue a license to the military spouse without a lot of paperwork or undue delay.

Ohio, on the other hand, provides a temporary license provision, recognizing a license from out of state as good for six years.

There’s been a lot of progress on reciprocity, but more work still needs to be done. Beauregard noted. The nurse licensure compact is probably the most progressive,

he said. It has been approved in 34 states and is being considered by about 10 others. ‘’We’ve received lots of positive feedback from the governors that they want to continue working with us as a result of the letter we sent them,’’ he said.

Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper added family readiness as a line of effort in the National Defense Strategy, Beauregard said.

As part of that effort, the Defense Department delivered a report to Congress and state governors:

‘’Military Spouse Licensure: State Best Practices and Strategies for Achieving Reciprocity.’’

DOD has been working on this since 2011, Beauregard said, and a 2017 University of Minnesota study on the results of these efforts found significantly mixed results. ‘’There were lots of circumstances where [licensure] boards may have interpreted the broad law differently than we had anticipated and really did not make it much easier for military spouses,’’ he said. ‘’And we also found that

CREDIT: AIR FORCE STAFF SGT. OZ SUGUITAN

implementation of those laws was not consistent throughout the states.’’

In 2018, the service secretaries wrote to the National Governors Association saying the military spouse licensure and education would be considered as part of mission-basing in the future. ‘’That got the attention of the states, and we saw a lot more activity happen in 2018 and 2019,’’ Beauregard said.

DOD’s Military OneSource website maintains an up-to-date look at what’s changing in the states.

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Officials Describe Missile Defense Efforts

Space Force Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond, chief of space operations, signs the US Space Command sign in the Perimeter Acquisition Radar building at Cavalier Air Force Station, N.D., Jan. 10, 2020. CREDIT:AIR FORCE SENIOR AIRMAN MELODY HOWLEY

US Will Not Let China, Russia Deny Its Space Superiority The Army test fires Patriot missiles at Redstone Arsenal, Ala., March 27, 2019 CREDIT: JASON CUTSHAW

Washington, DC - Defending the homeland and deployed forces, allies and partners from missile threats of any type is the military’s top priority.

The Defense Department continues to invest in technologies that accomplish this, particularly in the space-based sensor-tracking of advanced cruise missiles and hypersonic threats, said Rob Soofer, deputy assistant secretary of defense for nuclear and missile defense policy.

Soofer and DOD officials testified recently at a hearing before a House Armed Services Committee subcommittee on strategic forces.

DOD also plans to field 20 additional ground-based interceptors to address rogue-state missile threats coming from North Korea, he said. The department is also deploying additional advanced radars in Alaska.

Air Force Gen. Terrence O’Shaughnessy, commander of the US Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command, described a layered missile defense system that can detect threats from the sea, land, air, space and cyber domains.

While ground-based interceptors can intercept missiles now, a next generation interceptor will be needed in the future as adversaries’ missiles become more advanced, he said.

Navy Vice Adm. Jon Hill, director of the Missile Defense Agency, said a year ago the

ground-based, midcourse defense system successfully intercepted an intercontinental ballistic missile target.

Later this year, Missile Defense Agency will be preparing for initial fielding of the Long Range Discrimination Radar, he said.

MDA is also working to integrate various missile defense systems, including the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense and Patriot Missile Defense System, he said.

Army Lt. Gen. Daniel Karbler, commander of the US Army Space and Missile Defense Command, said air and missile defense is among the Army’s top six modernization priorities.

Examples of the work being done by the Army is testing of the first five prototype systems of interim, mobile, short-range air defense, he said.

Also, the Army selected the Iron Dome Weapon System as the indirect fire protection against cruise missiles, he said.

The Army is also experimenting with highenergy lasers, which are a low-cost complement to kinetic energy weapons to counter artillery, rocket, mortars, cruise missiles and unmanned aircraft threats, he said.

To sum up, Karbler said the Army is working on defensive and offensive systems to counter missile threats in all phases of flight, including pre-launch; all-weather conditions; and in any denied, degraded or contested environment.

Washington, DC - Space systems underpin virtually every weapon system in the Defense Department’s arsenal, a senior DOD official recently told Congress.

But many systems were designed for an era when there were few threats in space, Dr. James H. Anderson, performing the duties of deputy undersecretary of defense for policy, said at a hearing of the House Armed Services Committee’s strategic forces subcommittee.

This is not the case today, he added, as China and Russia both seek to be able to deny the United States and its allies the advantages of space.

China and Russia are developing sophisticated on-orbit capabilities and an array of counterspace weapons capable of targeting nearly every class of US space asset, Anderson told the House panel. They are expanding their space capabilities, he said, and have created military space forces that they are training and equipping to prevail in future crises and conflicts.

The United States is responding by “transforming its space enterprise, fielding resilient architectures, developing space warfighting expertise and working closely with allies in combined operations,” he said.

The fiscal year 2021 defense budget request provides $18 billion for space programs, including $111 million to support stand-up of the US Space Force, Anderson said. It also provides funding for the new space combatant

command — US Space Command — and the Space Development Agency, which will accelerate the development and fielding of military space capabilities necessary to ensure US and allied technological and military advantages.

In his written testimony, Anderson said the United States is actively pursuing opportunities with allies and partners to build combined space operations and interoperable, or even integrated, architecture. The flagship of this integration is the Combined Space Operations Center at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, with embedded British, Canadian and Australian exchange personnel working side by side with US personnel.

“We have recently added Germany and France to the Combined Space Operations initiative,” he noted.

Space Force Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond, chief of space operations, also testified.

“We can no longer assume that our space superiority is a given,” he said. “If deterrence fails, we must be ready to fight for space superiority.”

US Space Command, along with the Space Force will deter aggression from conflict and do so from a position of strength, the general said. “Accordingly,” he added, “we will remain ready to defend US and allied freedom of action in space. We will deliver space combat power for the joint and coalition force and we’re going to develop joint warfighters to serve in, to and from the space domain.”

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OPINION

by Richard M. Rossow A senior adviser and holds the Wadhwani Chair in USIndia Policy Studies at CSIS

Washington, DC - Dur ing President Donald Trump’s visit to India last month, the failure to produce a long-awaited agreement to resolve a set of trade irritants was notable. The fact that goods trade between the two countries hit a record $92 billion in 2019 eased concerns— real trade flows also seemed to be doing fine. However, a closer look into the numbers reveals a worrying trend: a steep drop in trade in the second half of the year. Some potential reasons for this drop are outside the direct control of either nation, but the imposition of trade barriers is worsening. And this can be controlled.

There are strong global headwinds against expanded i n te r n at i o n a l t r ad e f l ow s .

Globally, economic grow th remains relatively depressed; the International Monetar y Fund (IMF) pegged global growth in 2019 at 2.9 percent, with a slight recovery expected in 2020. The COVID-19 virus is starting to impact travel and some aspects of the commercial environment. For example, India has just banned the export of certain active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) used in

INDIA AMERICA TODAY

MARCH 2020

US-India Insight:

Gravity Hits US-India Goods Trade

President Donald J. Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi embrace at the conclusion of their joint press statement Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020, on the lawn of Hyderabad House in New Delhi.

CREDIT: OFFICIAL WHITE HOUSE PHOTO BY SHEALAH CRAIGHEAD

production of medicines that can treat COVID-19; Germany has banned export of some types of medical gear for the same reason.

And US-China trade tension has firms on edge as they ponder future supply chains. India does hope to benefit from changing supply chains through the “Make in India” program, but so far, this has not happened.

India’s domestic political u n re s t ov e r re c e n t p o l i c y

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choices such as the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the imposition of communications and political controls following the lifting of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir have also raised questions about India’s direction. At the ver y least, violence in the national capital has occasionally caused some business leaders to consider postponing—or cancelling— visits to India that could drive

new business.

In 2018-19, the United States replaced China as India’s top goods trade partner, a position it had lost over a decade earlier.

India remains the United States’ ninth-largest goods trade partner.

But the two nations have a growing range of trade disputes driven by their respective trade deficits. The US deficit in goods trade in 2019 was $866 billion.

India’s deficit in goods trade was $150 billion. While there seems to be a massive difference in scale, the narrative changes when comparing these trade balances to the nation’s GDP. The US deficit was 4.5 percent of GDP, while India’s was 5.8 percent of GDP. The steps both nations have taken to reduce imports and improve their respective trade balances are well-documented in Dr. Alyssa Ayres’ recent article, “A Field Guide to US-India Trade Tensions.”

Despite global headwinds and a range of trade barriers imposed by both nations, the real story on goods trade remained remarkably positive during most of 2019. In March 2019, bilateral goods trade crossed the $90 billion mark for the first time during any 12-month period. While the United States still had a $21 billion trade deficit

during that 12-month period, US exports grew by an astounding 26 percent, while imports from India grew by a solid 13 percent.

The bilateral trade story began to change around mid-year.

While bilateral trade grew 5.2 percent during the year to $92 billion, growth was not equitably sustained throughout. During the first six months of 2019, bilateral trade was $47 billion. But this contracted to $44 billion for the last six months of 2019, a reduction of nearly 8 percent. The US trade balance with India also worsened during the year. The total trade deficit with India in 2018 was $18.5 billion but grew to $23.2 billion in 2019. While that number obviously pales in comparison to the $346 billion goods trade deficit with China or the $100 billion trade deficit with Mexico, it is the 11th-largest deficit with any trade partner.

It is difficult to determine which of the factors outlined above have contributed most to the decline in trade. But for policymakers in both nations, there is a clear delineation bet ween those i ssues that can be controlled—like the establishment of trade barriers— and those which cannot.

(Courtesy: CSIS)

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COMMUNITY

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Lawmakers Clark, Kennedy Visit Westborough Gurdwara

Westborough, MA - On February 23rd, 2020, in the Westborough New England Sikh Study Circle Gurdwara Sahib (NESSC) parking lot, two spots closest to the door remained blocked off to the public with traffic cones.

The occasion?

For the first time in the NESSC’s history, two members of Congress, Congresswoman Katherine Clark and Congressman Joe Kennedy visited a Sikh place of worship, our Gurdwara. Also attending were Westborough Police Chief, Jeffrey Lourie, Sergeant Michael Daniels, and Selectman Syed Hashmi. The Gurdwara committee President, Baljit Singh Nijjar, Nishkam TV students (the world’s first Sikh TV channel run by Khalsa school students), and other volunteers greeted them as they entered the large, majestic building.

Congresswoman Katherine Clark and Congressman Joe Kennedy took a tour. They met with the management of all the four Gurdwaras in Massachusetts. They observed the Sikhs during their weekly community service, including the preparation of the meal that the Gurdwara serves to the congregation, called Langar in the Sikh native language Punjabi.

Afterward, they went into a classroom of Khalsa School (which runs every Sunday) where the class was being held. According to a student in the class, “The teachers gave a brief description of the Khalsa School. They further explained other extra-curricular activities held at the Gurdwara.” Students also read the Mool Mantar, the opening message of the Gurus, as ordained at the beginning of the Sikh scriptures.

The highlight of their visit was when Congressman Kennedy and Congresswoman

Katherine Clark with Nishkam TV Team

Book presentation to Katherine Clark and Joe Kennedy by Baljit NijjarPresident of NESSC

Clark addressed the assembled congregation in the Divan (main) hall. They gave heartwarming speeches to the assembled congregation. They spoke about their political ideology and the ethos of Sikhism, giving anecdotes about the importance of diversity and the immigrant experience.

Congressman Kennedy eulogized the efforts of Dilip Singh Saund, the first Sikh member of the United States House of Representatives, more than half a century ago. Facts pertaining to prevalent issues faced by Sikhs in the US were also part of his address. Congresswoman Clark spoke about the teachings of Sikhism that include the

Katherine Clark and Joe Kennedy in Diwan Hall

oneness of all humanity and compassion towards all faiths.

The team of Nishkam TV gave a tour of their TV recording studio. The Nishkam TV talent team had the opportunity of interviewing Congresspeople who left the Gurdwara with new knowledge of the Sikh community in Massachusetts and books about Sikh heritage, given to them by the congregation.

“As members of the community, we really enjoyed watching the elected officials take an interest in our community. I hope that this visit will bring more awareness about the Sikhs. We hope that it will inspire everyone

Joe Kennedy with Khalsa School Students

to learn more about us, perhaps look us up on the Internet, or watch recordings of the Congress people’s visit and other interesting content, not just related to Sikhism, on Nishkam.tv and our YouTube channel” said Nishkam TV students.

(Note from Harneet Kaur, Nishkam TV: Anyone is always welcome to visit us and share Langar at the New England Sikh Study Circle Gurdwara Sahib, located at 168 Flanders Road, Westborough, MA, on Wednesday and Friday evenings anytime from 7 – 8:30 pm, or Sundays, any time from 8:30 am - 1:30 pm)

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MITA ROY UNPLUGGED

by Mita Roy Mita Roy Unplugged is a new series by Mita (Madhumita) Roy. An award winning first woman political cartoonist of India, she stirs up political world with her brilliant satirical depictions. She was initiated into the world of cartoons by her distinguished father who was a professional cartoonist. Roy has been felicitated with “Pride of the Nation Award” and “Matrishree Award,” among others.

She was staff cartoonist at India’s leading newspapers, the Pioneer (Lucknow) and Amar Ujala (New Delhi). She has also freelanced for several magazines namely Blitz, Dharmyug, Sunday Mail, Cruising Heights. Her work has been discussed in Ritu Gairola Khanduri’s Caricaturing culture in India: Cartoons, history and the modern world, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 2016 (2014).

INDIA AMERICA TODAY

MARCH 2020