National Security

Former Vladimir Putin Ally Died From 'Blunt Force Trauma,' Police Say

8:18pm March 11, 2016

by Mary Louise Kelly

Police say a one-time ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, found dead in a Washington, D.C., hotel last fall, was killed by "blunt force trauma." Who was Mikhail Lesin, founder of the pro-Kremlin RT network, and what could his death mean in the context of today's muscular conduct by Moscow around the world?

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Leaked Documents Reveal Information About ISIS Recruits

5:14pm March 10, 2016

The German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung obtained a trove of digitized documents, which lists information about ISIS recruits from around the world. The paper's foreign editor says the documents reveal new insights into the bureaucracy of the terrorist group.

Russia's Vladimir Putin makes a speech in 2009 after receiving an award in Dresden, Germany, where he served as a KGB officer during the Cold War.

Spy Vs. Spies: Why Deciphering Putin Is So Hard For U.S. Intelligence

9:53am March 10, 2016

by Mary Louise Kelly

How do you spy on a country when decision-making is concentrated in the mind of one man? U.S. spooks' traditional tools — from NSA intercepts to satellite imagery to espionage — are coming up short.

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'The Obama Doctrine': Examining White House Foreign Policy

7:00am March 10, 2016

Steve Inskeep talks to Jeffrey Goldberg, who dives deep into President Obama's eight years in a cover story for The Atlantic magazine.

National

U.S. Hopes ISIS Prisoner Will Lead Americans To Chemical Weapons

5:04pm March 09, 2016

by Tom Bowman

The Pentagon says its forces could prevent dangerous attacks in Iraq if they knew where the stockpiles were. U.S. special operators are trying to capture some ISIS leaders alive for questioning.

U.S. Airstrikes In Somalia Target Al-Shabab Training Facility

10:30am March 08, 2016

U.S. airstrikes against the militant Islamist group in Somalia killed at least 150 militants. Steve Inskeep talks to Seth Jones of the Rand Corp. about U.S. interests in Somalia.

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National

Does Encryption Make Phones 'Warrant-Proof?' Fact-Checking The FBI

4:30pm March 07, 2016

by Aarti Shahani

FBI Director James Comey says encryption is making phones "warrant-proof," and it will allow criminal suspects to conceal evidence in a way that's unprecedented in American history. NPR checks on the validity of his claim.

Recenty released letters from former al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden show he warned against declaring an Islamic state too soon. He also feared that rival jihadist groups could battle each other, as has happened between al-Qaida and ISIS.

Osama Bin Laden Warned Of Civil War Between Jihadi Groups

12:54pm March 07, 2016

by Mary Louise Kelly

The recently released bin Laden papers include letters in which the al-Qaida leader warned against establishing an Islamic state too soon. He also feared conflicts between rival Islamist groups.

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President Obama has recently vowed again to close the U.S. prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, which has been used to detain prisoners from the invasion of Afghanistan and the War on Terror since early 2002.

The Case For Closing — And Keeping Open — Guantanamo

11:28am March 06, 2016

by NPR Staff

President Obama recently announced a plan to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Three people with close ties to the issue share their views on whether or not to close the detention center.

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Rep. Issa Criticizes FBI's Strategy To Get Into Terrorist's iPhone

5:44am March 03, 2016

David Greene talks to Rep. Darrell Issa about his perspective on encryption, specifically the showdown between Apple and the FBI over unlocking the iPhone of one of the San Bernardino shooters.