Military 2013 Archive | PBS NewsHour

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	2013 JUNE June 19, 2013 Obama Calls for Dramatic Decrease in Nuclear Weapons President Barack Obama said the U.S. could reduce its stockpile of long-range nuclear weapons by up to a third, and called upon Russia to make similar cuts. Margaret Warner gets reactions to Mr. Obama's call from former State and Defense Department official Eric Edelman and Joseph Cirincione of the Ploughshares Fund.

	June 19, 2013 Gwen Ifill Hosts a Reddit 'Ask Me Anything' Gwen Ifill will answer your questions on reddit during her first "Ask Me Anything" session beginning at 1 p.m. EDT Thursday. Is there anything you've always wanted to know about the PBS NewsHour and Washington Week journalist? Ask her anything!

	June 18, 2013 At Guantanamo, Red Cross Defends Keeping Detainee Records Confidential The pre-trial hearing on the five suspected 9/11 plotters continued Tuesday at the U.S. base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba -- without the accused present. The day focused on why the International Red Cross opposes requests to disclose its confidential condition reports on Guantanamo detainees.

	June 17, 2013 Live-Blog: Gitmo Hearing on Suspected 9/11 Mastermind, Co-conspirators The alleged mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks on the United States and four suspected co-conspirators appear in a Guantanamo court Monday for the first time since detainees went on a hunger strike earlier this year. We'll be live-blogging events.

	June 16, 2013 Alleged 9/11 Plotters Have Another Day in Guantanamo Court Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, identified in the 9/11 Commission Report as the "principal architect of the 9/11 attacks," is slated to appear in court with four suspected co-conspirators on Monday. PBS NewsHour will live blog the hearing from Fort Meade via closed-circuit TV feeds from Guantanamo.

	June 10, 2013 What Should Be Up for Public Debate When It Comes to Secret Surveillance? Did Edward Snowden give Americans vital information about how they're being watched or did he put national security at risk? Gwen Ifill moderates a debate on the public and political oversight of U.S. intelligence with former Democratic congresswoman Jane Harman and James Bamford, author of "The Shadow Factory."

	June 10, 2013 Former National Intelligence Director: Leaked Details Help Enemies Duck Scrutiny The former National Intelligence director says the government needs to take some of the mystery out of U.S. intelligence programs, but not secret aspects of how they work. Judy Woodruff talks to retired Adm. Dennis Blair about implications of NSA contractor Edward Snowden's revealing the existence of surveillance programs.

	June 10, 2013 NSA Contractor Edward Snowden Is Source of Leak on U.S. Surveillance Programs Edward Snowden, a 29-year-old NSA contractor, came forward as the whistleblower who revealed the existence of secret government surveillance programs that collect data on millions of phone calls and online communications. Judy Woodruff reports on Snowden's defense of his decision, as well lawmakers' response to the programs.

	June 7, 2013 Mass Collection of Communication Data Speeds Inquiries, Prompts Privacy Debate What are the origins of the NSA's surveillance programs, how do intelligence officials use the information and what questions may arise about the cost of privacy? Jeffrey Brown talks with two reporters who have been covering the story, The Wall Street Journal's Siobhan Gorman and Charlie Savage of The New York Times.

	June 7, 2013 Obama Administration Defends Surveillance Programs "They quite literally can watch your ideas form as you type." That's the memorable closing quote from an unnamed "career intelligence officer" who provided the Washington Post with details about a secret government program to collect information Americans put online.

	June 6, 2013 'Bad to the Very End': Author Reflects on the Long, Deadly Road to WWII Victory In honor of the 69th anniversary of D-Day, Ray Suarez talks to historian Rick Atkinson about his new book, "The Guns at Last Light," which chronicles the brutal fight for victory at the end of World War II.

	June 6, 2013 NSA Secretly Collected Millions of Phone Records in Counterterrorism Effort The National Security Agency has secretly collected data about millions of domestic and international calls by Verizon customers. Jeffrey Brown gets debate on the privacy and civil liberty concerns from Kate Martin of the Center for National Security Studies and former NSA official Col. Cedric Leighton.

	June 6, 2013 Rick Atkinson on Understanding the 'Morally Indefensible' Actions of WWII Knowing what we know now, says author Rick Atkinson, it might be easy to judge the actions taken during World War II, such as the deplorable treatment of black soldiers and the firebombing of inhabited cities.

	June 5, 2013 News Wrap: U.S. Soldier Pleads Guilty to Killing 16 Afghan Civilians In other news Wednesday, Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales pleaded guilty to killing 16 Afghan civilians last year. Bales recalled entering two villages at night and shooting his victims. Also, anti-government protesters in Turkey called for the ousting of police chiefs over their violent crackdown on demonstrations.

	June 4, 2013 Top Brass Reject Overhauling Military Justice System to Reduce Sexual Assault The military's top leaders rejected Senate proposals to remove commanders from their role in adjudicating service personnel who are accused of serious crimes while in uniform. Gwen Ifill gets two views on possible solutions from Eugene Fidell of Yale Law School and retired Maj. Gen. Charles Dunlap of Duke University Law School.

	June 4, 2013 Military Calls Sexual Assault 'Like a Cancer' Military leaders said Tuesday that sexual assault in the ranks is "like a cancer" that could destroy the force, but they rejected far-reaching congressional efforts to strip commanders of some authority in meting out justice.

	June 4, 2013 Watch Senate's Hearing on Sexual Assaults in Military Top military brass, military lawyers and victims' advocates testified on Capitol Hill Tuesday on the issue of sexual assaults in the military.

	June 3, 2013 Trial Begins for Bradley Manning Over Leaked Classified Documents The court martial of Army Pfc. Bradley Manning opened in Fort Meade, Md. Three years ago Manning was arrested for allegedly leaking 700,000 U.S. government documents to the website WikiLeaks. Ray Suarez takes a closer look at the trial with Arun Rath, who has been covering the story for FRONTLINE.

	June 3, 2013 News Wrap: Fort Hood Shooting Suspect Able to Represent Himself in Court In other news Monday, a judge deemed Army Maj. Nidal Hasan competent to represent himself at his trial for the 2009 deadly shootings at Fort Hood. Also, a fire at a poultry plant in China killed at least 119 people. Survivors reported that only one exit was unlocked.



	MAY May 28, 2013 Is U.S. Less Secure After Chinese Hack Weapons Designs? A new report shows Chinese hackers accessed designs for more than two dozen U.S. weapons systems. To learn what this breach means for U.S. security, Jeffrey Brown talks with Dmitri Alperovitch of CrowdStrike, a cyber security company, and James Lewis, a director at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

	May 27, 2013 Honor Flights Serve Those Who Have Served With a Trip to Remember The non-profit program Honor Flight gives veterans the opportunity to fly to Washington, D.C., to see the memorials dedicated to the wars in which they’ve served. For many veterans, especially those who have served in World War II, this may be the only chance they will get to see these memorials. Jeffrey Brown reports.

	May 27, 2013 On Memorial Day, a Reminder to Remember 'Profound' Human Cost of War President Barack Obama observed Memorial Day by visiting graves of troops killed in Iraq and Afghanistan at Arlington National Cemetery and meeting with family members of the fallen. The president urged Americans to not take for granted the sacrifices made by U.S. troops. Gwen Ifill reports on ceremonies around the nation.

	May 26, 2013 Do You Have an Honor Flight Group in Your State? "It was your duty, it was your country," World War II veteran Marvin Murphy recently said about his mindset and that of other service members. Murphy, 85, who lives in Arizona, was one of 30 men taking part in the "Honor Flight" program, which brings veterans to the War World II and other memorials in Washington, D.C., for free.

	May 24, 2013 What's Next for the U.S. Drone Campaign as Obama Tries to End a Decade of War? According to reports, U.S. drone attacks on militants in Pakistan, Yemen and elsewhere are conducted by both the CIA and the U.S. military, but will eventually be handled solely by the Defense Department. New York Times reporter Mark Mazzetti talks to Jeffrey Brown about the CIA's shifting role in the fight against terrorists.

	May 24, 2013 In Preventing Sexual Assault, Military Must 'Go Beyond Training' With sexual assaults in the military on the rise, Congress and Defense Department officials debate what should be done to prosecute perpetrators and prevent assaults from happening in the first place.

	May 23, 2013 Top Brass, Lawmakers Grapple With Rising Levels of Military Sexual Assault With sexual assaults in the military on the rise, Congress and Defense Department officials debate what should be done to prosecute perpetrators and prevent assaults from happening in the first place. Kwame Holman reports on efforts to subdue the crisis.

	May 23, 2013 Former Air Force Servicewoman Feels Disposed of, Betrayed Jessica Hinves joined the military for what she hoped would be a lifelong career in the Air Force. Two days after completing her basic training, she was assaulted by a fellow airman. To her surprise, her case was never brought to court. Her career was cut short due to the post traumatic stress disorder that followed her ordeal.

	May 23, 2013 Obama Defends Drone Strikes But Says No Cure-All On the defensive over a trio of controversies, President Barack Obama refocused the debate Thursday with a speech laying out his administration's rationale for the use of unmanned drone strikes against terrorism targets abroad.

	May 23, 2013 Watch Live: Obama Addresses Drones, Gitmo Watch a live stream in the player above of President Barack Obama's speech at the National Defense University, scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m. EDT Thursday.

	May 17, 2013 As Outrage Grows, Military Makes Addressing Sexual Assault Top Priority Defense Secretary Hagel said he'll do everything necessary to fix the military's sexual assault crisis, but offered no new solutions during a briefing at the Pentagon. Some members of Congress are advocating a solution that lies partly outside the command ranks. Margaret Warner talks with The Wall Street Journal's Julian Barnes.

	May 17, 2013 Military Sexual Assault Crisis Prompts Congress to Act President Obama summoned Pentagon leaders to the White House Thursday to discuss what Joint Chiefs chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey declared a crisis: sexual assaults in the military. At the center of the debate: should military commanders be stripped of their sole authority to decide whether complaints of sexual assault go forward?

	May 15, 2013 New Sexual Assault Allegations Against Those Charged With Prevention, Protection Two members of the military responsible for preventing sexual assaults and protecting victims are facing allegations that they committed sex crimes. A recent Pentagon survey found that 26,000 service members were sexually assaulted in 2012. For more, Margaret Warner talks with Craig Whitlock of The Washington Post.

	May 9, 2013 Champion of Military Sexual Assault Awareness Questions if Change Is Possible Tuesday should have been a good day for Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif. Her signature issue in Congress -- reducing sexual assaults in the U.S. military -- had just been forcefully endorsed by the president and secretary of defense. But Speier was not optimistic that major change is coming.

	May 7, 2013 Report on Military's Growing Number of Sexual Assaults Draws Presidential Rebuke A new Pentagon report finds the official number of sexual assaults in the U.S. military rose to nearly 3,400 in 2012, while up to 26,000 cases went unreported. Ray Suarez talks to Time magazine's Mark Thompson about whether adjudication of sexual assault up the military chain of command affects the number of crimes reported.

	May 1, 2013 The True Un-Hollywood Story of a Sisterhood's Hunt for Bin Laden The HBO documentary "Manhunt" details the the grueling work by CIA agents in the search and capture of Osama bin Laden.



	APRIL April 23, 2013 Book Examines the Blurring Line Between Soldiers and Spies Since 9/11 Attacks How did the U.S. intelligence community embrace a more operational role in the days after September 11? Margaret Warner talks to New York Times national security correspondent Mark Mazzetti, who explores that transition in his new book, "The Way of the Knife: The CIA, a Secret Army, and a War at the End of the Earth."

	April 23, 2013 'The Way of the Knife' Examines Conflict Between CIA, Pentagon Margaret Warner talks to Pulitzer Prize winning author Mark Mazzetti on his new book "The Way of the Knife: The CIA, a Secret Army, and a War at the Ends of the Earth." Mazzetti talks about the competition between the CIA and the Pentagon in the years following 9/11 as the global manhunt for terrorists intensified.

	April 23, 2013 Gitmo by the Numbers The prison at Guantanamo Bay holds 166 detainees captured and transferred to Cuba in coordination with U.S. counterterrorism operations abroad. How big is the place and how long are inmates closed in their cells? We have more stats here.

	April 22, 2013 Does Force-feeding Guantanamo Prisoners on Hunger Strike Violate Their Rights? Over half of the inmates at Guatanamo Bay Prison are refusing to eat, protesting the length of their detention, legal limbo and quality of life. Ray Suarez talks with Carol Rosenberg of the Miami Herald about the origins of the protest and the question of self-determination when it comes to the prisoners' hunger strike.

	April 22, 2013 Guantanamo Bay Hunger Strike Grows as More Than Half of Prisoners Refuse Food At Guantanamo Bay, the number of prisoners protesting their detentions has skyrocketed. Eighty-four of the 166 captives have gone on hunger strike and 16 are being force-fed. Ray Suarez reports on the recent upheaval at Guantanamo and actions by the military to keep detainees from starving to death.

	April 18, 2013 How Are Drones Used in the U.S.? How are drones used in the United States and how far are we from miniature helicopters flying up to our windows and peeking in?

	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 'Shepherd in Combat Boots': Korean War Army Chaplain Awarded Medal of Honor Army chaplain and Catholic priest Father Emil Kapaun received the military's highest honor, the Medal of Honor, 60 years after he died as a prisoner during the Korean War. Kapaun took care of wounded soldiers even though it compromised his own safety. Jeffrey Brown has more on Kapaun and an excerpt from the White House ceremony.

	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 4, 2013 With Military Training Cutbacks Coming, How Are You Affected by Sequestration? The residents of the Hampton Roads area of southeastern Virginia, with its large military presence, are on edge: sequestration is going into effect.

	April 2, 2013 VA Backlog Files Stacked So High, They Posed Safety Risk to Staff Almost one million veterans are waiting for their benefit claims to be processed, according to an investigation by the Center for Investigative Reporting. One regional office in North Carolina was so overrun with claims folders that the sheer weight of their content actually exceeded the load-bearing capacity of the building.



	MARCH March 29, 2013 Returning Veterans Face Huge Backlog, Disorganization in Fight for Benefits Returning from combat, many veterans face another battle: waiting for medical claims to be processed. A recent report found that 245,000 veterans wait a year or more for help from the Veterans Administration. Hari Sreenivasan talks with veterans and Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki about the delays and backlog.

	March 29, 2013 Veterans Voice Frustration Over Benefits Backlog to VA Secretary Shinseki Nearly 250,000 veterans wait more than a year before receiving their earned benefits, according to an investigation conducted by the Center for Investigative Reporting. PBS NewsHour spoke to several veterans and brought their concerns to VA Secretary Eric Shinseki.

	March 28, 2013 Southeastern Virginia's Military Industry Feels Effects of Sequester While the sequester debate continues in Washington, communities in parts of the country are already feeling the automatic budget reductions. Cathy Lewis of WHRO reports from Southeastern Virginia on how furloughs and cutbacks could affect the backbone of the local economy.

	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 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 Car Bombs and Suicide Attacks in Baghdad Mark 10th Anniversary of U.S. Invasion On the 10th anniversary of the U.S. invasion into Iraq, Baghdad suffered a day of bombs and bloodshed. Judy Woodruff offers an update on the new violence, as well as a recap of the conflict that began a decade ago, then talks to Jane Arraf of Al Jazeera in Baghdad for more on day-to-day life and how Iraqis regard the war today.

	March 18, 2013 Ten Years Later: Was Iraq a War of 'Choice' or of 'Necessity'? The first chords of the Iraq War struck on March 19, 2003. Ten years later the question remains: Was the Iraq War a "war of choice," or a war of necessity?

	March 13, 2013 Survivors Share Experiences of Sexual Assault in the Military Women in combat zones are more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier than killed by the enemy. Of nearly 4,000 reports of sexual assault in the military last year, only 191 defendants were convicted. Judy Woodruff reports on testimony from male and female sexual assault victims about attacks they suffered while in the military.

	March 6, 2013 House Moves Up Vote on Spending Bill as Snowstorm Bears Down on DC House Republicans will hold a vote Wednesday on their stopgap measure to keep the federal government funded past March 27. The legislation, which seeks to remove the prospect of a potentially calamitous government shutdown, locks in post-sequester spending levels, but includes protections for defense and veterans programs.



	FEBRUARY Feb. 28, 2013 Bradley Manning Leaked Classified Documents to Spark 'Debate' on Foreign Policy Bradley Manning, the U.S. Army private charged with leaking documents to the website WikiLeaks, pleaded guilty to 10 of 22 charges, admitting he violated military regulations, but not federal espionage laws. Judy Woodruff interviews Charlie Savage of the New York Times and Arun Rath of FRONTLINE for impressions of Manning.

	Feb. 26, 2013 Did Embattled Confirmation Process Weaken New Defense Secretary Hagel? The Senate voted to confirm former Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel as the next defense secretary by a vote of 58-41, after 18 Republicans joined with Democrats to end a filibuster blocking the nominee. Judy Woodruff talks to Mark Thompson of Time magazine about whether the confirmation fight affects Hagel at the start of his tenure.

	Feb. 26, 2013 Obama Visits Virginia Shipyard to Put Sequester Squeeze on GOP President Obama will visit a Virginia shipyard Tuesday to warn of the negative consequences from automatic spending cuts set to take effect later this week, in a bid to pressure congressional Republicans to accept a deal to replace the sequester that includes a mix of revenues and reductions.

	Feb. 25, 2013 Despite Gloomy Urgings, No Signs of Give From Congress on Sequester In a meeting with the nation's governors, President Obama urged members of congress to forget politics and get back to governing to prevent automatic spending cuts. Jonathan Weisman of the New York Times and Margaret Talev of Bloomberg News talk with Judy Woodruff about the effects of the sequester and how it may get resolved.

	Feb. 25, 2013 Debt, Deficits and the Defense Budget As Washington debates deficit reduction proposals, a Council on Foreign Relations backgrounder explains the so-called "sequestration" automatic budget cuts and how they might impact national security.

	Feb. 25, 2013 Prospects for Deal to Avert Sequester Appear Grim A central question hangs in the air as the week begins. (And, no, it doesn't involve the First Lady's appearance at Sunday's Oscars.) Can President Obama and Congress defy the odds and come to a deal before Friday, when $85 billion in automatic cuts to defense and domestic spending are scheduled to begin taking effect?

	Feb. 20, 2013 Defense Secretary Panetta Warns Automatic Spending Cuts Could Mean Furlough Automatic spending cuts will take effect in March if a budget deal cannot be reached. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has said he may resort to furloughing the department's civilian workers. Judy Woodruff assesses what the cuts would mean for the U.S. military with Ashton Carter, deputy secretary of defense.

	Feb. 18, 2013 Documentary 'Invisible War' Reveals Culture of Sexual Assault in the Military The soaring rate of sexual assault within the ranks of the U.S. Military has been the subject of studies and a congressional hearing. Academy Award-nominated director Kirby Dick explores the topic in his new documentary, "The Invisible War," nominated for Best Documentary Feature at this year's Academy Awards.

	Feb. 18, 2013 'The Invisible War' Changing the Conversation on Rape in the Military Lawmakers are paying close attention to a new Academy Award-nominated documentary that exposes a persistent climate of rape within the U.S. military. NewsHour senior correspondent Judy Woodruff talked with a pair of Democrats, along with filmmakers and experts, last week after a screening of "The Invisible War."

	Feb. 18, 2013 The Oscar Documentaries, Part 3: 'The Invisible War' Sexual assault within the U.S. military has been the subject of scandals, studies and a recent congressional hearing. But it's perhaps never been so thoroughly investigated and dramatically presented as in the documentary, "The Invisible War," which has been nominated for an Academy Award.

	Feb. 15, 2013 To Reid's Disgust, Senate Republicans Delay Vote on Hagel Republicans used a procedural move to block a vote on the confirmation of Chuck Hagel as defense secretary. But the high drama does little to change the bottom line: Hagel is still likely to be installed as defense secretary.

	Feb. 14, 2013 Defense Secretary Nominee Hagel Faces More Hurdles in Bid for Nomination Chuck Hagel's nomination as defense secretary was delayed when Senate Republicans called for a filibuster. Outgoing secretary Leon Panetta, due to leave his post Feb. 14th, will stay until his successor is confirmed. Jeffrey Brown has the latest with Time Magazine’s Mark Thompson and Public Radio International's Todd Zwillich.

	Feb. 12, 2013 Navy SEAL Who Killed Osama Bin Laden Faces Insecurity, Financial Challenges Ray Suarez talks with journalist Phil Bronstein who wrote an Esquire profile of the Navy SEAL credited with killing Osama bin Laden. Since the SEAL -- known as "the shooter" -- retired from service, but he's been met with significant challenges, or as Bronstein writes, "no landing pad in civilian life."

	Feb. 12, 2013 White House Press Secretary Jay Carney Offers State of the Union Preview Judy Woodruff gets a preview of President Obama's first State of the Union of his second term from White House Press Secretary Jay Carney, who offers a sense of what Americans can expect from the speech, as well as the president's reactions to critics.

	Feb. 11, 2013 News Wrap: Dozens Hurt in Mississippi Tornado In other news Monday, a string of tornadoes whipped through Mississippi Sunday, injuring 60 people and damaging or destroying 200 homes. No fatalities were reported. Also, former U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Clinton Romesha was awarded the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest honor, by President Obama in a ceremony at the White House.

	Feb. 11, 2013 Medal of Honor Recipient Clinton Romesha Sees Fellow Soldiers as Heroes Former Army Staff Sgt. Clinton Romesha will enter the annals of military history Monday when he is awarded the Medal of Honor for his valorous actions in one of the bloodiest battles of the war in Afghanistan. President Barack Obama will present the award to Romesha today. You can watch the event live here at 1:15 p.m. ET today.

	Feb. 8, 2013 Defense Secretary Panetta's Tenure Spanned Social Changes, World Strife Leon Panetta, who became defense secretary in 2011, implemented major policy shifts on gays serving in the military and women in combat roles, in addition to dealing with Afghanistan, China and Israel.

	Feb. 8, 2013 Panetta's Tenure as Secretary of Defense Defense Secretary Leon Panetta oversaw changes in policy on women in combat and gays in the military. He traveled to Europe, Asia and the battlefield of Afghanistan, among other places. See some highlights of his tenure here.

	Feb. 5, 2013 Leaked Drone Memo Creates More Questions Than Answers Until now, it was not known what legal framework the U.S. government operated under when ordering the killing of its citizens. But last night, NBC News published a secret but unclassified Justice Department memo that outlines the administration's legal case for some of these killings.

	Feb. 4, 2013 Chris Kyle, Among Deadliest American Military Snipers, Shot by Fellow Veteran Chris Kyle, a celebrated Navy Seal known as one of the deadliest snipers in U.S. military history and a best-selling author, was killed by a 25-year-old Marine veteran at a shooting range in Texas. Jeffrey Brown talks to Melissa Repko of the Dallas Morning News about Kyle's efforts to help other veterans rehabilitate after war.

	Feb. 1, 2013 Hagel Endures Rough Ride at Nomination Hearing Welcome to the other side of the dais, Chuck Hagel. The former Republican senator from Nebraska faced a barrage of tough questions Thursday, mostly from GOP members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, who took aim at Hagel's past comments and votes on Israel, Iran and nuclear weapons.



	JANUARY Jan. 31, 2013 Chuck Hagel Defends Record at Confirmation Hearing Former Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel, nominee for secretary of defense, faced pointed questioning at his confirmation hearing. Fellow Republicans, including Sen. John McCain, interrogated Hagel on his past opposition to the surge of U.S. troops into Iraq. Judy Woodruff reports on the contentious exchanges in Congress.

	Jan. 31, 2013 Live Blog: Hagel Confirmation Hearing as Secretary of Defense Former Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., faced questions on possible looming spending cuts at the Pentagon and his support for U.S. ally Israel during his confirmation hearing Thursday to become secretary of defense.

	Jan. 29, 2013 Iraq War Vet Receives Rare Double Arm Transplant Former solider and Iraq war veteran Sgt. Brendan Marrocco is the recent recepient of a double arm transplant, which took place at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Marrocco lost all of his limbs during a roadside bomb attack in the spring of 2009. Gwen Ifill talks with Dr. Jaimie Shores, director of hand transplantation at Johns Hopkins.

	Jan. 29, 2013 In Some States, Political Ads Take Aim at Defense Secretary Nominee Chuck Hagel Political ads both on TV and in newspapers have been launched against Chuck Hagel, nominee for Secretary of Defense. Judy Woodruff talks with New York Times reporter Jim Rutenberg about who may be behind the campaigns and what affect they may have.

	Jan. 29, 2013 Defense Department Budget Will Be Major Questioning Point for Nominee Hagel Confirmation hearings will soon begin for former Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel, tapped to replace Leon Panetta as Secretary of Defense. Hagel will likely face sharp questioning, especially about the Pentagon's budget crisis. Kwame Holman reports on the defense department's budget shortage.

	Jan. 24, 2013 'Everyone Is Entitled to a Chance': Panetta Lifts Ban on Women in Combat Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says he will lift a 19-year ban on servicewomen serving in combat. Jeffrey Brown reports that this move may open up more than 200,000 jobs to women. Gwen Ifill looks at the implications of Panetta's decision with Col. Ellen Haring of the U.S. Army and former Marine Corps officer Wade Zirkle.

	Jan. 23, 2013 Exploring Technology, Effectiveness, Consequences of Drone Warfare PBS's NOVA explores the pros, cons and controversies of drone warfare, as well as the technology behind drone strikes. Jeffrey Brown discusses with Seth Jones of RAND Corporation and Chris Anders from the American Civil Liberties Union.

	Jan. 23, 2013 Defense Secretary Leon Panetta Lifts Armed Services Ban on Women in Combat Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta decided to lift the ban on women in the military serving in combat, opening thousands of front line jobs to women and reversing the 1994 policy that kept them out of those positions. Gwen Ifill talks with James Kitfield of National Journal about the historic change and implications.

	Jan. 23, 2013 News Wrap: Extreme Cold Whips Northeast and Midwest In other news Wednesday, subzero temperatures in parts of the Northeast and Midwest caused 15 states to issue wind chill warnings. Also, the U.S. Air Force vowed to put an end to all sexual misconduct within its ranks. It received some 800 reports of inappropriate behavior in 2012 alone.

	Jan. 23, 2013 Targeted Killings The United States adopted targeted killing as an essential tactic to pursue those responsible for the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. See how it's evolved since then in this Council on Foreign Relations backgrounder.

	Jan. 22, 2013 U.S. Air Force Band Gives Honor to President, Motivates Military After weeks of planning, hundreds of members of the U.S. Air Force Band and Honor Guard stationed in the Washington, D.C., area are set to march down Pennsylvania Avenue to play for President Barack Obama during the 2013 Inaugural parade.

	Jan. 16, 2013 Gen. Stanley McChrystal on 'Task' of Afghanistan, Responsibility and Resignation As commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, retired Gen. Stanley McChrystal butted heads with President Obama over how many U.S. troops should be committed to war efforts. Publicity on that disagreement ultimately led to his resignation in 2010. Margaret Warner talks to McChrystal and his new memoir, "My Share of the Task."

	Jan. 15, 2013 More U.S. Troops Died by Suicide Than in Afghanistan Combat in 2012 Suicides by active duty U.S. troops last year exceeded the number of servicemen and women killed in combat in Afghanistan. Ray Suarez talks to psychiatrist and retired U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Stephen Xenakis, who says more than half of the soldiers who killed themselves had already sought help from a mental health professional.

	Jan. 15, 2013 The Wilderness After War: Living with PTSD Hart Viges, Mark Wilkerson and Jessica Goodell all volunteered for the military. They all chose to go to war, and they have all suffered from PTSD. But none of them fully recognized it until after they were home.

	Jan. 14, 2013 News Wrap: Military Suicides Outnumbered Combat Deaths in Afghanistan in 2012 In other news Monday, the Associated Press reported U.S. military suicides hit a record in 2012, with 349 deaths. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta called the rash of military suicides an epidemic. Also, government officials in Beijing admitted for the first time that the city was suffering from extreme smog.

	Jan. 9, 2013 Anticipating Withdrawal, Weighing Options for U.S. Troop Levels in Afghanistan While the White House considers how the U.S. military might best make its Afghanistan exit, Judy Woodruff gets two views on the topic from Bing West, author of "The Wrong War: Grit, Strategy and the Way Out of Afghanistan" and former Defense Department official Celeste Ward Gventer.

	Jan. 9, 2013 White House Says All U.S. Troops Might Leave Afghanistan by End of 2014 A national security advisor told reporters the White House was considering complete withdrawal of U.S troops in Afghanistan after 2014, including non-combat soldiers. Meanwhile, the U.S. and Afghanistan governments debate whether American soldiers will have legal immunity under Afghan law after 2014. Judy Woodruff reports.

	Jan. 8, 2013 Only Suspect Held for Benghazi Consulate Attack Gets Release From Custody Dozens of people may have been involved in Sept. 11 attacks on a U.S. consulate in Benghazi, but authorities have been unable to identify them from the security tapes. Gwen Ifill talk to McClatchy Newspapers' Nancy Youssef about efforts in Libya to find the attackers.

	Jan. 8, 2013 News Wrap: Judge Says WikiLeaks Soldier Received Harsh Treatment After Arrest In other news Tuesday, a U.S. Army judge ruled that Pfc. Bradley Manning, convicted of leaking classified documents to Wikileaks, was treated too roughly after his arrest, but she wouldn't dismiss the charges against him. Also, the U.S. military may not leave any troops in Afghanistan after 2014, according to an advisor.

	Jan. 8, 2013 Hagel Nomination to Face GOP Challenge Republicans are certain to explore former Sen. Chuck Hagel's past statements about Israel and his votes against imposing unilateral sanctions on Iran when he comes before the committee for his nomination hearing.