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Tuesday

U.S. Officials Point To Iran As Growing Threat

FBI Director Robert Mueller, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and CIA Director David Petraeus appear before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence on Capitol Hill on Tuesday. Win McNamee/Getty Images hide caption

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Win McNamee/Getty Images

U.S. Officials Point To Iran As Growing Threat

Before a Senate committee on Tuesday, the director of national intelligence cited Iran's unclear intentions as the nation moves toward nuclear capability as reason to consider it a growing security threat. The annual list of U.S. security threats also included al-Qaida and the growing intensity of unrest in Syria.

U.S. Officials Point To Iran As Growing Threat

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Monday

What The FBI Wants In A Social Media Monitoring App
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All Tech Considered

What The FBI Wants In A Social Media Monitoring App

The FBI raised eyebrows last week with a document that details plans for a map-based app that would help the agency gather intelligence from sources like Facebook and Twitter. Translating tweets and developing "a dictionary of 'tweet' lingo" are among the app's desired functionalities.

What The FBI Wants In A Social Media Monitoring App

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Thursday

Obama's Military Tactics: Risky Missions, Elite Units

President Obama has called on small, elite military units to carry out several risky operations in the past year, like the hostage rescue this week in Somalia. Here, Navy SEALs are shown during a training exercise at the John C. Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. John Scorza/U.S. Navy hide caption

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John Scorza/U.S. Navy

Obama's Military Tactics: Risky Missions, Elite Units

For the president, commando raids and drone attacks are part of a new focus on "low-cost, small presence" military tactics. There have been several recent successes, though analysts are still debating the legality and long-term effectiveness.

Monday

U.S. Prepares To Redefine Mission In Afghanistan

The U.S. military wants Afghan troops to begin taking the lead role in combat operations. Here, Afghan cadets who are joining the army are shown at their graduation ceremony on Dec. 18 in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif. Qais Usyan/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Qais Usyan/AFP/Getty Images

U.S. Prepares To Redefine Mission In Afghanistan

More than a decade after the U.S. charged into Afghanistan, American troops are still in the lead combat role. But with the U.S. military planning to withdraw by the end of 2014, the Americans now want to see Afghan troops at the forefront of the fighting.

CIA Officer Charged With Leaking Information

A former CIA officer has been charged with leaking classified information to reporters. The Justice Department alleges that John Kiriakou, 47, leaked the name of a covert CIA operative and confirmed that another was involved in a counterterrorism operation.

CIA Officer Charged With Leaking Information

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Sunday

CIA Tracks Public Information For The Private Eye

A student paints the Facebook logo on a mural commemorating Egypt's revolution last spring. The team from the CIA's Open Source Center monitors social media activity overseas. Manoocher Deghati/AP hide caption

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Manoocher Deghati/AP

CIA Tracks Public Information For The Private Eye

NPR got a rare behind-the-scenes look at the CIA's Open Source Center, where research analysts troll social media for a new kind of secret — those hiding in plain sight. Nowadays, CIA analysts are also under more pressure to identify potential crises, with as little as a tweet or a status update to go on.

CIA Tracks Public Information For The Private Eye

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Thursday

U.S. To Israel: Give Iranian Sanctions A Chance

The chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin Dempsey (left), is in Israel to talk about the growing tension with Iran. Here, Dempsey speaks with Israel's top military officer, Lt. Gen. Benjamin Gantz, during a meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday. Virginia Mayo/AP hide caption

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Virginia Mayo/AP

Middle East

U.S. To Israel: Give Iranian Sanctions A Chance

The top U.S. military officer is visiting Israel and is expected to deliver the message that Washington currently favors sanctions, and not military action, in dealing with Iran's nuclear program.

U.S. To Israel: Give Iranian Sanctions A Chance

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Thursday

World

Officials React To Now-Viral Afghanistan Video

NPR's Tom Bowman updates Audie Cornish on the latest fallout from a video that is purported to show U.S. Marines urinating on dead bodies in Afghanistan — believed to be Taliban militants. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and senior military officials condemned the video as "utterly deplorable."

Officials React To Now-Viral Afghanistan Video

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The Impact of War

Experts Fear Fallout From Afghanistan Video

The Marine Corps is investigating a video that purports to depict Marines urinating on the corpses of Taliban fighters. Many worry the incident will further enflame anti-American feelings in Afghanistan, just as the U.S. tries to engage the Taliban into peace talks.

Experts Fear Fallout From Afghanistan Video

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Wednesday

Can Iran Close The World's Most Important Oil Route?

A member of Iran's navy participates in a drill on Dec. 28, 2011, in the Sea of Oman. Tehran is threatening to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, in retaliation for new sanctions by the West. Ali Mohammadi/AP hide caption

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Ali Mohammadi/AP

Can Iran Close The World's Most Important Oil Route?

Iran has threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway that handles 20 percent of the world's oil, in retaliation for a new round of sanctions. Experts say Iran has low-cost options, such as mines, to wreak havoc and potentially close the strait.

Can Iran Close The World's Most Important Oil Route?

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Why America's Spies Struggle To Keep Up
Massoud Houssani/AP Photo

Opinion

Author Interviews

Why America's Spies Struggle To Keep Up

Fresh Air

In Intel Wars, historian Matthew Aid details how bureaucratic policies and a glut of raw data have weakened the intelligence community in its war against would-be terrorists.

Why America's Spies Struggle To Keep Up

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Guantanamo At 10: U.S. Weighs Future Of Detainees

A soldier stands guard at the front gate to Guantanamo's Camp 6 maximum-security detention facility in 2009. Wednesday marks 10 years since detainees first arrived at the detention facility. Brennan Linsley/AP hide caption

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Brennan Linsley/AP

Guantanamo At 10: U.S. Weighs Future Of Detainees

It's been a decade since prisoners were first sent to Guantanamo Bay. The U.S. now must decide whether to release some of those initial detainees as part of a goodwill gesture to kick-start peace talks with the Taliban.

Guantanamo At 10: U.S. Weighs Future Of Detainees

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Monday

The Impact of War

Defense Cuts To Reshape U.S. Military Strategy

The Obama administration has laid out billions in cuts to the U.S. military over the next decade. Some say the cuts will weaken the armed forces, while others argue it's time to reconsider the type of military presence the U.S. should maintain. NPR's Tom Bowman describes the proposed cuts and their potential implications for future military operations.

Defense Cuts To Reshape U.S. Military Strategy

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Is The Arab Spring Good Or Bad For The U.S.?

The U.S. is still trying to formulate new policies for the fast-changing politics of the Middle East. Here, Hillary Clinton stands with Libyan fighters who ousted Moammar Gadhafi during an Oct. 18 visit by the U.S. secretary of state to the capital Tripoli. Kevin Lamarque/AFP/Getty Images) hide caption

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Kevin Lamarque/AFP/Getty Images)

Opinion

The Arab Spring: One Year Later

Is The Arab Spring Good Or Bad For The U.S.?

For decades, the U.S. sought stability in the Middle East. But the upheavals of the past year have left the region in flux, and the U.S. is trying to define a new policy for dealing with changes that are still playing out.

Is The Arab Spring Good Or Bad For The U.S.?

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