| Friends Happy New Year! Below please find information on the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 as well as some end of year highlights. National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 Saturday, President Obama signed into law H.R. 1540, the “National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012." This bill includes provisions related to Iran, specifically sanctions on foreign financial institutions that do business with the Central Bank of Iran (CBI), including for oil transactions. The United States has already had sanctions on CBI and Iran’s oil industry for decades -- so to make this legislation effective, the Obama Administration worked closely with Congress to shape the Iran provisions so that this new tool would increase the likelihood that other countries would stop doing business with CBI and Iran’s oil sector. This is important because the most effective approach is one that involves multilateral participation and is timed and phased to avoid negative repercussions to international oil markets and instead focus pressure on Iran. For three years, President Obama has led an unprecedented effort to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Through a two-track policy -- one track increasing the pressure on Iran to induce it live up to its responsibilities in the international community and the other track offering a very credible option for engagement, provided Iran accepts its responsibilities to the international community -- the United States has built a strong international coalition against Iran’s nuclear weapons aspirations. As a result, Iran now faces the toughest sanctions regime in the world and is more isolated diplomatically, both regionally and globally. The measure signed into law Saturday can be a significant escalation in the pressure on Iran, and President Obama has made clear that the United States is committed to increasing the pressure on Iran until it changes course. Exclusive Behind-the-Scenes Photos from 2011 The White House Photo Office compiled some of their favorite images from 2011, with commentary from Chief Official White House Photographer Pete Souza. You can view them on our Flickr feed, or on WhiteHouse.gov. Go behind the scenes to get a glimpse of some incredible moments from the year. 
"This is a composite of several images of the President and his national security team during a series of meetings in the Situation Room of the White House discussing the mission against Osama bin Laden on Sunday, May 1. We put this together so in addition to the previous, now iconic image of this day, people might have a better sense of what it's like in presidential meetings of historic significance." (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza) In Case You Missed It Here are some of the top stories from the White House blog: Weekly Address: Working Together in the New Year
President Obama tells the American people that, by joining together, we can move past the tough debates and help to create jobs and grow the economy in the new year. More Than 1.9 Million Records Released
A new release of White House visitor records brings the grand total of records that this White House has released to more than 1.9 million. Intern Picks: Must-See White House Videos of 2011
After much debate, the interns in the White House Office of Digital Strategy decided on their 10 must-see White House videos of 2011. Best Regards, Jarrod Bernstein
Director of Jewish Outreach
Office of Public Engagement | The White House
Jarrod_N_Bernstein@who.eop.gov
http://www.whitehouse.gov/americanjewishcommunity Please do not reply to this email. Contact the White House The White House • 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW • Washington, DC 20500 • 202-456-1111 | 
