National Security

Questions Abound Over Why Bergdahl Left Afghan Post

12:40pm June 05, 2014

by Tom Bowman

A classified Pentagon investigation suggests Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl walked off his post in Afghanistan, though it does not conclude he deserted. He was held captive for 5 years.

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If It Comes Time To Negotiate With Terrorists, Never Say Never

12:40pm June 05, 2014

Steve Inskeep talks to negations expert Amos Guiora, who is a professor at the University of Utah, and author of Tolerating Intolerance: The Price of Protecting Extremism.

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National

Despite Video Of Bergdahl's Release, Questions Dog His Capture

9:40am June 05, 2014

by Tom Bowman

Questions surround Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl's initial disappearance. Bergdahl has said he was captured by the Taliban while lagging behind on a patrol, but many wonder whether he planned to desert.

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Political Division Over Effect Of Swapping 5 Detainees For POW

7:04pm June 01, 2014

In exchange for the release of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the U.S. transferred five detainees from Guantanamo to Qatar. NPR's Arun Rath speaks with Kabul correspondent Sean Carberry about the swap.

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Who Won The War In Afghanistan? Perhaps No One

6:20pm May 31, 2014

The U.S. is re-assessing what it has accomplished in more than 12 years of war in Afghanistan. NPR's Arun Rath speaks with Hassan Abbas, professor at the National Defense University and author of The Taliban Revival.

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National

Border Agency Revises And Makes Public Its Use Of Force Policy

7:07pm May 30, 2014

by John Burnett

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Gil Kerlikowske has released documents regarding the use of force along the U.S.-Mexico border.

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Obama Calls For Further Support Of Syrian Rebels: What's Changed?

6:17pm May 28, 2014

Steve Inskeep of NPR's Morning Edition spoke with President Obama shortly after the president's speech to West Point graduates. He offers a brief preview of that conversation.

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Senate Advances Judicial Nominee Who Wrote Drone Strike Policy

9:21pm May 21, 2014

by Carrie Johnson

The Senate will consider a judicial nominee who wrote legal advice approving drone strikes against Americans overseas. Critics question executive branch authority to execute citizens without trial.

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Greenwald On NSA Leaks: 'We've Erred On The Side Of Excess Caution'

4:24pm May 14, 2014

Journalist Glenn Greenwald says he and his team weighed the public's interest against the potential harm to innocent people when deciding how many of Edward Snowden's leaked documents to make public.

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The mock villages at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif., are meant to simulate urban environments that soldiers might encounter in Afghanistan.

National

Training For An Uncertain Military Future In The Calif. Desert

10:51am May 13, 2014

by NPR Staff

The military's training center at Fort Irwin in California is complete with mock Middle Eastern villages. But as the U.S. combat mission in Afghanistan winds down, how will this facility change?

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