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Gen. Antonio Indjai (left), Guinea-Bissau's army chief of staff, at the funeral of the country's late president, Malam Bacai Sanha, on Jan. 15, 2012. The U.S. says Indjai has been involved in drug trafficking, an allegation he denies. He recently eluded a

U.S. Faces Fight At Intersection Of Crime And Extremism

3:27pm May 06, 2013

by Tom Bowman

The Justice Department says about half of all international criminal organizations have links to extremist groups, such as Hezbollah, the Taliban and FARC rebels in Colombia. But diffuse priorities are hindering U.S. efforts to combat this growing problem of transnational, organized crime.

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Kerry's Visit To Russia A Chance To Talk Syria, Mend Fences

9:47am May 06, 2013

by Michele Kelemen

Secretary of State John Kerry sets off for what he calls "a long overdue" trip to Russia on Monday, and Syria is likely to top the agenda. But U.S.-Russian relations are frosty these days. The U.S. is imposing targeted sanctions on Russian human rights violators, while Moscow is preventing American families from adopting Russian children.

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Syrian Rebel Leader: We Won't Share U.S. Arms With Extremists

11:01am May 05, 2013

by NPR Staff

The U.S. says it will consider arming the rebels if it can confirm Bashar Assad's regime used the nerve gas sarin in recent attacks. But there's a danger that any weapons the U.S. provides could fall into the wrong hands.

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As a prisoner of war, Sub Lieut. John Pryor encrypted information and requests for supplies in letters sent from a German camp to his family in Cornwall.

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World War II Code Is Broken, Decades After POW Used It

6:04am May 05, 2013

by Bill Chappell

It's been 70 years since the letters of John Pryor were understood in their full meaning. That's because as a British prisoner of war in Nazi Germany, Pryor's letters home to his family also included intricate codes that were recently deciphered by codebreakers for the first time since the 1940s.

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On Mexico Trip, Obama Maintains Economic Focus

11:53am May 04, 2013

by Carrie Kahn

President Obama is in Costa Rica to discuss regional cooperation and security with regional leaders. This follows talks he had in Mexico with President Enrique Pena Nieto. During his two-day visit, Obama tried to steer the focus away from contentious issues like immigration and drug violence.

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Places Transformed: Syrian Refugees Overwhelm Camps, Towns

11:53am May 04, 2013

The fighting in Syria has created tens of thousands of refugees seeking shelter in neighboring Jordan. Host Scott Simon talks with NPR's Deborah Amos about a refugee camp in northern Jordan that has quickly become the second largest such camp in the world. Then we hear voices from a small town in southern Lebanon, where recently arrived Syrian refugees now outnumber the Lebanese residents.

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Diplomacy, Sanctions And A Nearing Red Line With Iran

2:30pm May 03, 2013

Sanctions have hurt the Iranian economy, but have so far failed to convince Tehran to abandon nuclear ambitions. A report from the Iran Project argues that it's time to re-examine the balance of sanctions and diplomacy. Others argue it's time to consider military options.

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'Cracking Sound' Heard Before Bangladeshi Building Collapsed

12:14pm May 03, 2013

Reporter Jim Yardley of The New York Times has learned a lot about the man who owned the building in Bangladesh which collapsed last week, killing more than 500 people. He talks to David Greene about the owner's place in a corrupt system, and the challenges facing the country's garment industry.

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Obama Encourages U.S., Mexico To Focus On Economic Relations

12:14pm May 03, 2013

by Carrie Kahn

President Barack Obama is in Mexico for talks with President Enrique Pena Nieto and a speech to young people. His trip aims to highlight the strong ties between the neighbors as well as the need for continuing cooperation on security and immigration matters.

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Syrian refugees shop at a makeshift grocery store at the Zaatari camp in March.

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Sea Of Syrian Refugees Threatens To Overload Jordan

9:23pm May 02, 2013

More than half a million refugees have crossed into Jordan, and the number is expected to rise rapidly. Jordanian officials say the influx is threatening the stability of the kingdom.

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