National Security : NPR

Ranking Terrorist Threats By Degree Of Separation

October 31, 2009 • With so many alleged plots this year, it's difficult to know how seriously to take any particular threat. So the intelligence community has come up with an informal system for ranking them.

Ranking Terrorist Threats By Degree Of Separation

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Q&A: Trying Terrorism Suspects On U.S. Soil

October 29, 2009 • Charles Swift was among a team of attorneys who successfully challenged before the Supreme Court the Bush-era military commissions set up for Guantanamo detainees. Here, he talks to NPR about what's involved in holding detainee trials in U.S. courts and the state of military commissions.

What Constitutes Justice For Guantanamo Detainees?

A "noncompliant" detainee is escorted by guards inside the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, on Tuesday. John Moore/Getty Images hide caption

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What Constitutes Justice For Guantanamo Detainees?

October 29, 2009 • The Justice Department faces a Nov. 16 deadline to present a plan for prosecuting detainees at the U.S. prison camp. Meanwhile, the national debate continues over how to administer justice to prisoners whose allegiances may or may not lie with a terrorist ideology.

President Karzai's Brother On CIA's Payroll

October 28, 2009 • The New York Times reports that Ahmed Wali Karzai, brother of the Afghan president, has been on the CIA payroll for eight years. Reporters Mark Mazzetti and Dexter Filkins talk about breaking the story, and Karzai's suspected involvement in the illegal opium drug trade.

President Karzai's Brother On CIA's Payroll

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New Face Emerges Among Al-Qaida's Leaders

October 27, 2009 • A previously little-known member of al-Qaida's inner circle has risen to become a new face of the group. Mustafa Abu Yazid has a long history with al-Qaida but now has a more public role. And his recent ties to Westerners who have trained in al-Qaida camps have U.S. intelligence officials worried.

New Face Emerges Among Al-Qaida's Leaders

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Mass. Arrest Spurs Fear Of Homegrown Terrorism

October 22, 2009 • Federal prosecutors have charged Tarek Mehanna with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists. Mehanna allegedly wanted to be a soldier for jihad and was willing to go anywhere to get the training he needed, a sign of a troubling trend: It doesn't take a recruiter to persuade someone to go to a terrorist training camp anymore.

Mass. Arrest Spurs Fear Of Homegrown Terrorism

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Hazing Probe Censure For Naval Petty Officer

October 21, 2009 • The Navy has censured the former leader of a bomb-sniffing dog unit in Bahrain following an investigation into allegations of hazing and sexual harassment. The action against Chief Petty Officer Michael Toussaint effectively ends his military career.

Hazing Probe Censure For Naval Petty Officer

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FBI Not Rushing To Make Arrests In Zazi Case

October 20, 2009 • Najibullah Zazi may be the only suspect behind bars in the alleged terrorism case, but prosecutors are convinced that he was not working alone. By holding off on making more arrests, the FBI can gather intelligence in an effort to catch all the plotters.

FBI Not Rushing To Make Arrests In Zazi Case

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For Fighter Pilots, Some Swagger, Different Jets - AEH

October 20, 2009 • Even as military aviation technology changes, skilled fighter pilots will remain an essential part of the Air Force, squadron commanders say. Physical strength and mental toughness remain central to successful fliers.

Excerpts From Flight 1549's Radio Communications

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Holder: Guantanamo Detainee Decision Soon

October 15, 2009 • Attorney General Eric Holder says the Obama administration's January deadline for closing the Guantanamo Bay detention center in Cuba will be tough to meet. But he tells NPR that a decision on which detainees will stand trial and what kind of court they will face will be made in the coming month.

Holder: Guantanamo Detainee Decision Soon

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Officials: Suspect Contacted Top Al-Qaida Leader

Terrorism suspect Najibullah Zazi arrives at the federal building for questioning by the FBI in Denver on Sept. 17. Ed Andrieski/AP hide caption

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Ed Andrieski/AP

Officials: Suspect Contacted Top Al-Qaida Leader

October 14, 2009 • U.S. intelligence officials say Najibullah Zazi, the man arrested in September for allegedly plotting to blow up targets in New York, contacted one of Osama bin Laden's right-hand men.

Officials: Suspect Contacted Top Al-Qaida Leader

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The Somali-Minneapolis Terrorist Axis

FBI Makes Another Arrest In Missing Somalis Case

October 13, 2009 • The FBI has made another arrest in its yearlong investigation into a rash of disappearances from the Somali community in Minnesota. A 26-year-old medical technician from St. Paul was arrested on Friday and charged with making false statements to FBI officials.

Capture Or Kill? Lawyers Eye Options For Terrorists

October 8, 2009 • Government lawyers are trying to decide where to detain people captured overseas in the future. No matter where the detainees are held, there are military, diplomatic, legal and political obstacles. Now the administration is thinking creatively for a Plan C.

Capture Or Kill? Lawyers Eye Options For Terrorists

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Officials Seek Plan C For Housing Terrorists

Human rights officials have begun calling Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan "Obama's Gitmo." The base, north of the Afghan capital, Kabul, holds about 600 detainees. Spencer Platt/Getty Images hide caption

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Officials Seek Plan C For Housing Terrorists

October 8, 2009 • As the Obama administration moves toward closing Guantanamo, the question becomes: Where will the U.S. hold terrorists captured overseas? There are political hurdles to holding them in the U.S., but foreign countries may not want them either.

Officials Seek Plan C For Housing Terrorists

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Law

Soldiers Blame Contractor For Exposure To Chemical

West Virginia Public Broadcasting

October 7, 2009 • On Thursday, the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs will examine the claims of hundreds of soldiers who say they were exposed to a dangerous chemical while guarding employees of a private contractor in Iraq. The contractor KBR is accused of hiding the dangers that the soldiers faced.

Soldiers Blame Contractor For Exposure To Chemical

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Saturday October 31, 2009

Ranking Terrorist Threats By Degree Of Separation

Thursday October 29, 2009

Wednesday October 28, 2009

President Karzai's Brother On CIA's Payroll

Tuesday October 27, 2009

New Face Emerges Among Al-Qaida's Leaders

Thursday October 22, 2009

Mass. Arrest Spurs Fear Of Homegrown Terrorism

Wednesday October 21, 2009

Hazing Probe Censure For Naval Petty Officer

Tuesday October 20, 2009

FBI Not Rushing To Make Arrests In Zazi Case

Excerpts From Flight 1549's Radio Communications

Thursday October 15, 2009

Holder: Guantanamo Detainee Decision Soon

Wednesday October 14, 2009

Officials: Suspect Contacted Top Al-Qaida Leader

Tuesday October 13, 2009

Thursday October 8, 2009

Capture Or Kill? Lawyers Eye Options For Terrorists

Officials Seek Plan C For Housing Terrorists

Wednesday October 7, 2009

West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Soldiers Blame Contractor For Exposure To Chemical