2013 MAY
May 17, 2013

News Wrap: Series of Explosions in Iraq Stokes Fears of Sectarian Violence
In other news Friday, it was the deadliest day in Iraq in more than eight months. A series of explosions struck Sunni Muslim areas, killing 76 people. Also, Wall Street finished with its fourth straight week of gains, encouraging hopes about the economy.

  

May 16, 2013

Obama, Turkey's Erdogan Reaffirm Urgency of Ending Bloodshed in Syria
President Barack Obama hosted Turkish Prime Minister Erdoğan at the White House where talk centered on Syria. Margaret Warner talks with Henri Barkey of Lehigh University and Steve Heydemann of the U.S. Institute for Peace about how the international community could collaborate on ending the Syrian civil war and the violence.

  

May 15, 2013

News Wrap: White House Releases 100 Pages of Emails and Notes on Benghazi Attack
In other news Wednesday, the White House released 100 pages of emails and notes on attack on the U.S. Embassy in Benghazi. The documents describe how officials developed "talking points" about the attack. Also, the UN General Assembly condemned the Assad regime forces in the Syrian civil war.

  

May 14, 2013

Is China 'Pivoting' Toward the Middle East? Author Vali Nasr Says Yes
Author Vali Nasr describes China's interest in the Middle East. As the United States eases back from involvement in the Middle East, China's influence and economic dependence in the region grows.

May 13, 2013

News Wrap: Obama Rejects Republican Claims of a Benghazi Cover-Up
In other news Monday, President Barack Obama rejected Republican claims that his administration covered up details about the attack on the U.S. Embassy in Benghazi, Libya. Also, Mr. Obama said the U.S. is working with Britain to increase pressure on the Syrian government to end the Assad regime.

  

May 7, 2013

Watch Live: Hearing on Benghazi Attack on Wednesday
Gregory Hicks, deputy chief of mission in Tripoli, Libya, reportedly told House investigators that U.S. officials in Libya knew the assault on the Benghazi compound was a premeditated terrorist attack. He testifies at a House hearing Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. ET.

May 6, 2013

News Wrap: Bomb Attacks in Iraq Kill at Least 10 People
In other news Monday, bomb attacks in and around Baghdad killed at least 10 people. Also, Robel Phillipos, a friend of Boston Bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, was released from federal custody and put on house arrest until his trial for lying to investigators.

  

May 6, 2013

Can the U.S. Avoid 'Slippery Slope' to Deeper Engagement in Syria?
Israel's latest airstrikes on Syrian military targets is another example of how Syria's civil war may be broadening beyond its borders. Jeffrey Brown talks to Michele Dunne of the Atlantic Council and Steve Clemons, foreign affairs editor at large at The Atlantic magazine, about how and when the U.S. might approach involvement.

  

May 6, 2013

Israel Targets Syrian Military Complex Outside Damascus
Israel reportedly launched airstrikes against Syrian military targets believed to be connected to Hezbollah. Jeffrey Brown reports on various responses to Israel's actions, as well as the continuing conversation within the international community about what should be done about the possible use of chemical weapons in Syria.

  

May 6, 2013

Israeli Strike on Syria Shows Growing Lawlessness Along Border, Analysts Say
An Israeli airstrike on a military research facility near Damascus, Syria, last weekend killed 42 Syrian soldiers, reported the Associated Press, and raised the specter of the Syrian conflict pulling in more regional players.

May 2, 2013

As Tensions Boil Over, How Might Iraq Prevent Return to Chronic Violence?
Ray Suarez talks with former U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker and Feisal Istrabadi, Iraq's former deputy ambassador to the United Nations, about the upsurge in Iraqi violence and boiling political pressures, how the conflict in Syria has spilled over into Iraq and whether the country is advancing towards civil war.

  

May 2, 2013

Iraq Bombarded by Deadly Sectarian Violence in Bloodiest Month Since 2008
April was the bloodiest month since 2008 in Iraq, where widespread sectarian violence killed more than 700 people. Coordinated attacks were responsible for most serious string of violence since American troops left that country almost 18 months ago. Ray Suarez reports on the sectarian fervor threatening Iraq.

  

APRIL
April 30, 2013

News Wrap: Three NATO Troops Killed in Afghanistan by Roadside Bombing
In other news Tuesday, three NATO troops were killed by a roadside bombing in Southern Afghanistan on the third day of the Taliban's spring offensive. Also, the parliament of Cyrpus narrowly passed a multi-billion dollar bailout plan to avoid national bankruptcy.

  

April 30, 2013

Obama: US Still Not Sure Who Used Chemical Weapons in Syria
WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama strongly suggested Tuesday he'd consider military action against Syria if it can be confirmed that President Bashar Assad's government used chemical weapons in the two-year-old civil war.

April 29, 2013

News Wrap: Five Car Bombs Explode in Iraq, Killing at Least 36
In other news Monday, five car bombs exploded in Shiite areas of Iraq, killing at least 36 people. In the last week, a wave of sectarian violence has claimed more than 200 lives across that nation. Also Afghan President Hamid Karzai confirmed his national security team has received payments from the CIA for a decade.

  

April 29, 2013

On Syria, U.S. Must Weigh Risks of Involvement, National Interest, Moral Values
How do the risks of the U.S. intervening in the Syrian conflict balance with the risks of doing nothing? For two perspectives, Judy Woodruff talks with Murhaf Jouejati of The Day After project and Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma.

  

April 29, 2013

Obama Raises Concerns About Syrian Chemical Weapon Use in Call to Russia
Syria's Prime Minister Wael Nader Al-Halqi survived an assassination attempt in Damascus, where he was the target of a car bombing. Judy Woodruff reports on the latest violence in the Syrian war, as well as how the U.S. is grappling with claims that the Assad regime has likely used chemical weapons in recent weeks.

  

April 29, 2013

Little Consensus Among Lawmakers on Next Steps With Syria
There appeared to be widespread agreement among lawmakers Sunday that the U.S. must respond to Syria's alleged use of chemical weapons, but there was little consensus on the steps that should be taken.

April 26, 2013

Weighing Options for U.S. Response if Syria Chemical Weapon Use Is Confirmed
How should the U.S. act if it confirms that the Syrian regime has used chemical weapons? Jeffrey Brown moderates a debate on different approaches between Kori Schake, research fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution, and David Cortright, director of policy studies at the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies.

  

April 26, 2013

White House Cautious About Syrian Chemical Warfare Claims
While heavy fighting rocked Damascus, an international war of words escalated over whether the Assad regime has used chemical weapons in the Syrian civil war. Jeffrey Brown reports on what the Obama administration considers preliminary evidence of the small scale use of sarin and the Syrian government's denial of those claims.

  

April 26, 2013

The Daily Frame
Iraqi dancers from a ballet and music school perform Thursday at al-Ribat Hall in Baghdad during an annual production marking the end of the school year.

April 25, 2013

U.S. Believes Syrian Regime Has Used Chemical Weapons, Waits for Confirmation
The Obama administration says it believes the Syrian government has used chemical weapons but requires more credible evidence. Margaret Warner talks to New York Times White House correspondent Mark Lander and Amy Smithson of the Monterey Institute of International Studies.

  

April 16, 2013

Reaction from Major Earthquake Near Iran-Pakistan Border
A major earthquake hit the Iran-Pakistan border early Tuesday morning. We're tracking the reaction and updates on its aftermath.

April 15, 2013

News Wrap: 55 Killed in Coordinated Attacks Across Iraq
In other news Monday, at least 55 people were killed in coordinated bombings and attacks in Baghdad, Fallujah, Kirkuk and Tikrit. Also, a federal judge ruled the court would not intervene in a detainee hunger strike at Guantanamo Bay, where detainees are refusing nourishment and claim mistreatment.

  

April 11, 2013

How U.S. Obesity Compares With Other Countries
After decades of rapid growth, adult obesity is stabilizing in many developed countries. Check out how U.S. obesity rates compare with the 33 other member nations of the OECD.

April 9, 2013

Filmmaker Captures Life for Syrians Whose World Has Been Blown Apart
FRONTLINE's latest documentary, "Syria Behind the Lines," explores the everyday lives of citizens caught in the midst of the country's civil war. Jeffrey Brown talks with film director and producer Olly Lambert about witnessing daily life in Syria, indiscriminate attacks on civilians and the future of the country.

  

April 9, 2013

Ten Years After Baghdad's Fall, a Look Back at the Iraq War
Ten years ago, the United States bombed and then invaded Baghdad in Operation Iraqi Freedom. But before the final combat troop withdrawal on Aug. 19, 2010, the United States and Iraq would see highs and lows in a conflict that would continue to be the subject of debate to this day. Watch a video synopsis of the Iraq war.

April 8, 2013

News Wrap: At Least 15 Dead in Syrian Car Bomb Blast
In other news Monday, a suicide car bomb exploded in Damascus, killing at least 15 people. There were conflicting reports about how many people were wounded. Also, the body of diplomat Anne Smedinghoff returned to the United States for funeral services. She was among five Americans killed by a suicide bomb in Afghanistan.

  

April 8, 2013

Syria's Displaced Battle Disease, Lack of Sanitation
Two years of civil war in Syria have killed tens of thousands and uprooted more than 4 million.

April 5, 2013

Millions of Syrians Are Uprooted But Unable to Flee Worn-torn Country
At least 3 million Syrians have been displaced from their homes but remain within their war-torn country with no way to escape. Hari Sreenivasan reports on how these Syrians face squalid conditions and health issues, while the global aid community struggles to reach them.

  

April 5, 2013

Bringing the Classroom to Jordan's Exploding Refugee Population
The number of Syrian refugees escaping to neighboring Jordan has surpassed 400,000 with thousands more arriving each day. Many of the refugees are children, who normally would be in school but instead are hunkering down in refugee camps.

April 5, 2013

Two Million Children Endangered by Syrian Conflict, Aid Group Says
Save the Children's President and CEO Carolyn Miles details the aid group's efforts to support Syrian children within the war-torn country.

April 2, 2013

A World Tour to Meet a Florist, a Barber and Other Microloan Entrepreneurs
They live continents apart -- Symon in Kenya and Bo in Cambodia -- but they have a common thread. Both started small businesses with microloans they received through the networking website Kiva.

MARCH
March 25, 2013

News Wrap: CIA Secretly Aiding Syrian Rebels
In other news Monday, The New York Times reported that the CIA has been secretly helping expand military aid shipments to Syrian rebel fighters, assisting Turkey and other Arab states in the increase of weapons and equipment. Also, the Supreme Court heard arguments about drug companies delaying the release of generic drugs.

  

March 25, 2013

New State Secretary Faces New and Old Challenges in the Middle East, Afghanistan
What does Secretary of State John Kerry's schedule say about the current U.S. foreign policy priorities? How does the current secretary compare to his predecessor? Gwen Ifill talks with Michele Dunne of the Atlantic Council and Susan Glasser of Foreign Policy about the war in Afghanistan and challenges of responding to Syria.

  

March 22, 2013

Obama Pledges Help to Jordan on the Syrian Refugee Crisis
President Obama traveled to Amman, Jordan, the first Arab country he has visited since the Arab Spring uprising two years ago. In a joint press conference with King Abdullah, Mr. Obama pledged to help Jordan with the growing Syrian refugee crisis. Judy Woodruff talks to Margaret Warner, reporting from Amman.

  

March 22, 2013

In Call Brokered by Obama, Turkey's Erdogan Gets Apology From Netanyahu
On his last day in Israel, President Obama brokered a diplomatic exchange for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, who had not talked since before nine Turkish citizens were killed in 2010. Margaret Warner reports on Netanyahu's apology, plus the president's visit to Jordan.

  

March 22, 2013

Obama and Jordan's Abdullah Discuss Peace Process, Syrian Refugee Crisis
At the end of his Middle East tour, President Barack Obama traveled to Jordan to meet with King Abdullah II. They laid groundwork for plans to address rising numbers of Syrian refugees in Jordan, to restore the Mideast peace talks and encourage Jordan's early steps toward parliamentary government.

March 21, 2013

Remembering the Faces of the Iraq War Through the Eyes of Photojournalists
In the early days of the Iraq war, photojournalists risked their lives to capture the daily existence of Iraqis in the middle of conflict. NewsHour correspondent Spencer Michels goes behind the frame to talk with photographers about communicating urgency through image and the separation between journalism and activism.

  

March 21, 2013

Obama Visit Raises Expectations of Support on Mideast Peace Dealings
Unpopular in the past in Israel, President Obama tried to engage a younger audience in Jerusalem and in the West Bank. Jeffrey Brown talks with Margaret Warner, reporting from Jerusalem, about the president's message to both sides that peace is still possible, as well as his emphasis on reciprocal confidence-building measures.

  

March 21, 2013

Obama Discourages Preconditions, Champions Change for Mideast Peace Prospects
President Barack Obama made stops in Ramallah and Jerusalem, where he held a joint news conference with President Mahmoud Abbas, met with young Palestinians and addressed a young Israeli crowd, encouraging them to not give up on peace. Margaret Warner, who is traveling with the president, reports on president's speech.

  

March 21, 2013

From War Zones to Museum Walls, Capturing the Iraq War at Eye Level
When photographers Thorne Anderson and Kael Alford travelled to Iraq 10 years ago, they went as journalists intent upon covering, as best they could, the people of Iraq as they experienced the effects of the war. Their work is now on display at San Francisco's deYoung Museum on the 10th anniversary of the Iraq War.

March 21, 2013

Veteran Iraq War Reporters Reflect 10 Years On
For the journalists covering the Iraq war, the experience was in many ways unlike any other war. If you were part of the invasion -- which began this week 10 years ago -- it often meant being "embedded" with the American military for weeks, with your gas mask never more than an arm's length away.

March 21, 2013

Obama: Mideast Peace Process Must Continue, 'Too Much Is at Stake'
President Obama made the case for restarting the peace process before Palestinian and Israeli audiences Thursday. "We cannot give up on the search for peace no matter how hard it is. ... Too much is at stake."

March 20, 2013

Looking for Evidence After Allegations of Chemical Weapon Attacks in Syria
In Syria, sketchy reports of two deadly chemical weapon attacks were blamed on rebels by the state media, but those claims seem to be highly suspect. Jeffrey Brown gets analysis from Leonard Spector of the Monterey Institute's Center for Nonproliferation and David Ignatius, a foreign affairs columnist for the Washington Post.

  

March 20, 2013

Obama Pledges 'Unwavering' Commitment to Israel's Security During Visit
President Barack Obama made his first presidential trip to Israel, where he reaffirmed the bond between the two nations. Margaret Warner, who is traveling with the president, talks with Gwen Ifill about the timing of the trip and common concerns for the U.S. and Israel, including the Syrian conflict and Iran's nuclear program.

  

March 19, 2013

Reflecting on Lessons Learned From the U.S. Invasion of Iraq, 10 Years Later
At the 10th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Judy Woodruff taks to New York Times reporter Michael Gordon and Washington Post editor Rajiv Chandrasekaran about the United States military's perspective on the conflict, the legacy left behind in Iraq and the long-lasting effects on U.S. foreign policy.

  

March 19, 2013

Hopes of Peace Slipping Away, Palestinian Factions Pursue Different Paths
In a series coinciding with President Obama's visit to Israel, Jordan and the West Bank, Margaret Warner reports on the social, territorial and ideological divides between the two top Palestinian factions, Hamas and Fatah, and why Palestinians are losing hope for a two-state solution.

  

March 19, 2013

News Wrap: Syrian Government Accuses Rebels of Chemical Attack in the North
In other news Tuesday, rebel forces were accused of launching a chemical attack in Northern Syria, but the rebels denied they fired any chemical weapons. Also, seven U.S. Marines were killed during a training exercise in Nevada after a mortar unexpectedly exploded.

  

March 19, 2013

Can a Weakened Netanyahu Take a Swing at Mideast Peace?
The hopes of left-leaning Israelis -- that President Obama's visit to Israel brings a new commitment to push the Israeli-Palestinian peace agenda -- doesn't take into account Netanyahu's changed circumstances. Margaret Warner reports from Jerusalem on the political implications of Israel's newly formed coalition government.