National Security

Foreign threats to the 2020 election looked a lot like Y2K from two decades ago: With high levels of alarm and preparation, the system held off foreign disinformation and cyberattacks.

How The U.S. Fended Off Serious Foreign Election Day Cyberattacks

7:36pm November 18, 2020

Officials feared the worst on Election Day: foreign-inspired disinformation and hacking. It didn't happen. Here's how government and private cyber sleuths helped keep the system safe.

President Trump speaks to U.S. troops at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, on Thanksgiving Day 2019. The Trump administration says it's cutting U.S. forces from 4,500 to 2,500 troops in Afghanistan, one of several abrupt military moves announced recently.

Trump Shakes Up The Military, But To What End?

4:00pm November 18, 2020

The president has taken a series of abrupt moves, firing the defense secretary and announcing troop cutbacks in Afghanistan and Iraq. Critics say these actions have no clear strategic goal.

An Afghan National Army soldier stands guard at a checkpoint near the Bagram airfield, the largest U.S. military base in Afghanistan, in April.

What Joe Biden's Presidency May Mean For Afghanistan

12:16pm November 18, 2020

Biden's record, especially as vice president, helps illuminate what he may do once he is sworn in. Amid an uptick in violence, some Afghans hope for a reassessment of the U.S.-Taliban peace agreement.

Queue Listen Now

News Brief: Christopher Krebs, Pentagon Shake-Up, COVID-19 Jobless Benefits

7:53am November 18, 2020

President Trump fires the nation's election security czar. A recent shake-up in Pentagon senior leadership raises many questions. Up to 12 million Americans could lose jobless benefits after Dec. 25.

Queue Listen Now

White House Appears To Be Behind Latest News Out Of The Pentagon

6:17am November 18, 2020

by Tom Bowman

A recent shake-up in senior leadership at the Pentagon has raised a lot of questions. Those questions increased with news about the administration's plan to pull troops out of Afghanistan and Iraq.

Queue Listen Now

Trump Tweets That He Fired Top Cybersecurity Official Christopher Krebs

8:59pm November 17, 2020

by Miles Parks

In a couple of tweets, President Trump announced that he has fired Christopher Krebs, head of the agency in the Department of Homeland Security that oversees election security.

Queue Listen Now

National security adviser Robert O'Brien arrives to speak to reporters outside the White House on Tuesday. O'Brien announced that President Trump has ordered 2500 U.S. troops to be withdrawn from Afghanistan and Iraq by Jan. 15.

Trump Administration Wants All U.S. Troops Out Of Iraq And Afghanistan By Spring

7:16pm November 17, 2020

by Dustin Jones

National security adviser Robert O'Brien said Tuesday the U.S. will reduce numbers in both Iraq and Afghanistan to 2,500 troops by Jan. 15.

National

Trump Considers Potential Actions He Might Take Against Iran Before His Term Ends

4:41pm November 17, 2020

by Greg Myre

President Trump has been talking tough on Iran throughout his presidency. Will he take any action? NPR confirmed possible moves were discussed at a White House meeting last week.

Queue Listen Now

A U.S. soldier stands at a spot struck by Iranian missiles in January at Ain al-Asad air base in Iraq's Anbar province. The attack was in retaliation for the U.S. drone strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani. The U.S. is drawing down 2,500 troop

White House Orders Thousands Of U.S. Troops Withdrawn From Afghanistan And Iraq

7:45pm November 16, 2020

by Dustin Jones

The American troop presence will decline in Afghanistan from 4,500 to 2,500, and in Iraq from 3,000 to 2,500. Senior military leaders reportedly oppose the move.

Chuck Hagel, then U.S. defense secretary, speaks during a media conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels in 2015.

Ex-Defense Secretary Hagel Says GOP Hesitation On Election Is 'Hurting Our Country'

7:37pm November 16, 2020

Chuck Hagel, who was also a Republican senator, says President Trump's moves at the Defense Department are compromising national security, too.

Queue Listen Now