Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/733686
ByRobertBurns The Associated Press SAN DIEGO DefenseSecre- tary Ash Carter said Thurs- day the U.S. will "sharpen our military edge" in Asia and the Pacific in order to remain a dominant power in a region feeling the ef- fects of China's rising mil- itary might. Carter made the pledge in a speech aboard the air- craft carrier USS Carl Vin- son in port in San Diego. The Pentagon chief de- scribed what he called the next phase of a U.S. pivot to Asia — a rebalancing of American security commit- ments after years of heavy focus on the Middle East. His speech, aimed at re- assuring allies unsettled by China's behavior in the South China Sea, came three days after he made remarks at a nuclear mis- sile base in North Dakota about rebuilding the nu- clear force. Those com- ments prompted a strong reaction from the Russian foreign ministry, which is- sued a statement saying it had interpreted Carter's statement as a declared in- tention to lower the thresh- old for using nuclear weap- ons. He said the Pentagon will make its attack submarines more lethal and spend more to build undersea drones that can operate in shal- lower waters where subma- rines cannot. "The United States will continue to sharpen our military edge so we remain the most powerful military in the region and the secu- rity partner of choice," he said. He added, "We're going to have a few surprises as well," describing them only as "leap-ahead in- vestments." With a broad complaint that China is "sometimes behaving aggressively," Carter alluded to Beijing's building of artificial is- lands in disputed areas of the South China Sea. "Beijing sometimes ap- pears to want to pick and choose which principles it wants to benefit from and which it prefers to try to undercut," he said. "For ex- ample, the universal right to freedom of navigation that allows China's ships and aircraft to transit safely and peacefully is the same right that Beijing criticizes other countries for exercis- ing in the region. But prin- ciples are not like that. They apply to everyone, and ev- ery nation, equally." Carter's speech was meant to set the scene for a meeting Friday in Ha- waii with his counterparts from the 10 member coun- tries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, which focuses mainly on trade issues but in recent years with U.S. encouragement has sought to engage in a range of de- fense and military issues. The U.S. is not a member of the organization but has sought to use it as a forum for further developing secu- rity partnerships amid re- gional concern about Chi- na's military buildup. Carter has described Pentagon efforts to execute a "pivot" to Asia by shifting, or rebalancing, U.S. forces and attention toward the Asia-Pacific region after a decade and a half of Mid- east-focused strategies and operations. In April, he said he was putting "the best people and platforms forward to the Asia-Pacific" by increas- ing the number of U.S. mili- tary personnel in the region and by sending and station- ing advanced weapons sys- tem there. He said that in- cludes F-22 and F-35 stealth fighter jets, P-8 Poseidon maritime surveillance air- craft, continuous deploy- ments of B-2 and B-52 stra- tegic bombers and the new- est surface warfare ships like the amphibious assault ship USS America. Among the Asia prob- lems that have arisen for the Pentagon since Carter last met with the region's defense ministers is a sud- den and steep deterioration in relations with the Phil- ippines. When Carter visited the Philippines in April, he praised the strength of the partnership. He said his visit had inaugurated "a major new era in a long- standing alliance." He was referring to the U.S.-Phil- ippines Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement. "I'm proud to say this alli- ance is as close as it's been in years." That seeming closeness took a sharp downturn when Rodrigo Duterte was elected president in June. In early September, President Barack Obama cancelled a meeting with Duterte after the Philippine leader pub- licly called him a "son of a bitch." Later, Duterte said he regretted the comment. And just this week, Duterte said joint military exer- cises of Filipino and Amer- ican troops scheduled for next week will be the last such drills, although his for- eign secretary quickly said the decision was not final. Duterte said the Philippines will maintain its military alliance with the United States because they share a 65-year-old mutual defense treaty. FOREIGN POLICY De fe ns e se cr et ar y: U S wi ll s ha rp en ' mi li ta ry e dg e' i n As ia NELVINC.CEPEDA—THESANDIEGOUNION-TRIBUNE Secretary of Defense Ash Carter speaks to sailors on the flight deck of the USS Carl Vinson on Thursday at Naval Air Station, North Island in Coronado. By Marcy Gordon and Ken Sweet The Associated Press WASHINGTON Angry law- makers heaped another round of blistering criticism on Wells Fargo's CEO, press- ing Thursday for details about what senior manag- ers knew about allegedly illegal sales practices and when any concerns were disclosed. Chief Executive John Stumpf, newly stripped of tens of millions in compen- sation, told the House Fi- nancial Services Commit- tee that the bank is expand- ing its review of accounts and will evaluate execu- tives' roles. But as during the grilling he received last week from a Senate panel, Stumpf remained on the de- fensive. Several lawmakers, both Republican and Democrat, alleged that Wells Fargo's sales practices may have vi- olated federal laws, includ- ing the federal racketeer- ing laws, which would con- stitute a criminal offense. Federal regulators have not said if they have referred the Wells Fargo case to the Department of Justice. "Fraud is fraud. Theft is theft," committee head Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, told Stumpf. Stumpf reiterated his words of last week, that he was "deeply sorry." He said the bank was looking at accounts further back, to 2009, and that bank execu- tives' roles will be reviewed "across the board" in an in- quiry by Wells Fargo's out- side directors. U.S. and California regu- lators have fined San Fran- cisco-based Wells Fargo $185 million, saying bank employees trying to meet sales targets, opened up to 2 million fake deposit and credit card accounts without customers' knowl- edge. Regulators said they issued and activated debit cards, and signed people up for online banking with- out permission. The abuses are said to have gone on for years, unchecked by senior management. Stumpf came under a sustained assault from law- makers, who face re-elec- tion in a little over a month. He insisted that Wells Fargo had taken actions prior to 2013 to bolster its legal compliance and maintain high ethical standards. He bristled at depictions of the culture of Wells Fargo — a bank with origins in the California gold rush — as elevating sales and profits at the expense of ethics. "This is the behavior of people that we found, that we did not want," Stumpf insisted. For many of the angered lawmakers, the scandal is personal. They hold ac- counts with Wells Fargo or have taken out mortgages. "If I could, I'd pay it back," said Hensarling. Republican Rep. Patrick McHenry, who represents North Carolina — where Wells has a large presence due to its purchase of Wa- chovia in 2008 — was par- ticularly incensed. "You have broken long-standing ethical standards inside the company." McHenry said. Stumpf noted new lead- ership at the retail bank business and the acceler- ated elimination of sales goals. He said about 10 per- cent of the 5,300 fired em- ployees were branch man- agers, while others termi- nated were above that level, supervising the branch managers. He also cited the com- pensation he must return. The Wells Fargo board said it is stripping Stumpf and the executive who ran the retail banking division of millions of dollars in pay. Stumpf, who earned $19.3 million last year, will forfeit $41 million in stock awards. He also is giving up any bonuses for this year, as is Carrie Tolstedt, the former head of the retail operation. Tolstedt is forfeiting $19 million of her stock awards, and her planned departure was made immediate. MembersofCongressalso raised question whether other banks had simi- lar toxic sales cultures like Wells. "We have Wells Fargo before me, but I don't think you should be alone in this joyous experience," saidRep. BradSherman,D-California. Stumpf insisted custom- ers' loyalty to Wells Fargo remains as strong as ever. He also defended his dual roles as chief executive and chairman, positions that some critics have suggested should be split. Members of Congress also pushed Stumpf on when he informed Wells Fargo's board about the sales practice scandal, and whether Wells may have vi- olated Securities and Ex- change Commission reg- ulations by not informing investors. WASHINGTON House lawmakers heap blistering criticism on Wells Fargo CEO in sales scandal CLIFF OWEN — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington on Thursday before the House Financial Services Committee investigating Wells Fargo's opening of unauthorized customer accounts. By Muneeza Naqvi The Associated Press NEW DELHI India said Thursday it carried out "surgical strikes" against militants across the highly militarized frontier that di- vides the Kashmir region between India and Paki- stan, in an exchange that escalated tensions between the nuclear-armed neigh- bors. Pakistan dismissed the reports that India's mili- tary had targeted "terror- ist launch pads" inside the Pakistan-controlled part of Kashmir. Islamabad said instead that two of its sol- diers were killed in "un- provoked" firing by India across the border. Tensions, which are al- ways simmering between India and Pakistan, spiked after an attack earlier this month on an Indian mil- itary base in Kashmir. India accused Pakistan of sending militants be- longing to the outlawed Jaish-e-Mohammed group, headquartered in Paki- stan, to carry out the at- tack. Pakistan denied the charge. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been under heavy pressure to re- spond to the attack on the military base. Indian officials gave few details about the strikes across the disputed border late Wednesday night. "Significant casualties were caused to the terror- ists and those who sup- port them," Lt. Gen. Ran- bir Singh, director general of military operations for the Indian Army, told re- porters in New Delhi. Singh said the operations were over and India has no plans for more strikes. He said he shared details of the strikes with his Pakistani counter- part. Indian soldiers traveling on foot crossed the Line of Control into the Pakistani- controlled portion to at- tack several targets based on intelligence about im- minent attacks, said a high-ranking Indian offi- cial who would only brief reporters on condition of anonymity. He said the In- dian forces killed at least 10 people before retreat- ing back into Indian-con- trolled territory. The In- dian soldiers suffered no losses, he said. The Pakistani military flatly denied any "surgical strikes" had occurred. "There has been no surgi- cal strike by India, instead there had been cross-border fire initiated and conducted by India," a Pakistani mili- tary statement said. Pakistani officials said two of their soldiers were killed and nine others were wounded in the exchanges at five different places along the disputed border. Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif condemned the "unprovoked and na- ked aggression of Indian forces." DISPUTED REGION India says it has struck militants on Kashmir front 1/8 Pg................................$199.00 1/4 Pg................................$325.00 Half Pg...............................$485.00 Full Pg...............................$765.00 Inside Front.......................$1150.00 Inside Back........................$1015.00 Back Cover........................$1275.00 Center Double Truck.........$2175.00 New features on the wonders of fall, winter and spring in "the Tehama Country," for residents and visitors. Things to do, see . . . and experience." Advertising deadline: Monday, October 3, 2016 Format : Glossy full-color magazine high-quality stock, with high-weight cover. Published twice yearly. 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