Larry Abramson

Will Surveillance Disclosure Lead To More Oversight Of NSA?

Larry Abramson — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 09:23:00 +0000

When surveillance laws were revised in 2012, Congress expressed great concerns that without proper oversight intelligence agencies would engage in the sort of monitoring that has been uncovered in recent days. Congress put a number of safeguards in place, but rejected others that would have guarantee more public discussion about what the NSA does.

The History Behind America's Most Secretive Court

Larry Abramson — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 08:46:00 +0000

This week The Guardian newspaper shared with its readers a document that few people ever get to see — an order from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court telling Verizon to share countless phone records with the National Security Agency. The White House would not confirm the existence of this surveillance effort, but it insisted Congress is fully briefed about such activities. Members of Congress confirmed that they knew.

Republican Sen.

Air Force Trains Special Lawyers For Sexual Assault Victims

Larry Abramson — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 07:32:00 +0000

Many victims of sexual assault in the military say only one experience comes close to the pain of the actual crime, and that's going to court to bring charges against the attacker.

This is believed to be one reason why so few victims come forward and report these crimes, and now the Air Force is hoping a new team of lawyers will help to change that.

At Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama, a tall three-star general stands in front of a class of JAG officers — Air Force lawyers.

Women In Combat: Some Lessons From Israel's Military

Larry Abramson — Thu, 16 May 2013 16:26:00 +0000

As the U.S. moves to open up combat positions to women, it's catching up with other countries that have been doing it for years.

But the experience in these countries, including Israel, suggests that access to combat jobs doesn't lead directly to equal treatment within the ranks.

In Israel, most men and women perform compulsory military service.

Military's Sexual Assault Problem Is A Cultural One

Larry Abramson — Wed, 15 May 2013 20:47:00 +0000

Transcript

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

The Pentagon has a problem on its hands, a cultural problem. A soldier at Fort Hood, Texas stands accused of inappropriate sexual behavior. He was assigned to the Army office that tries to prevent sexual assault and help victims. That news comes not long after the arrest of an officer who ran the Air Force's sexual assault prevention office.

NPR's Larry Abramson joins us now to talk about how widespread the problem is and how the military plans to deal with it. And Larry, bring us up to date first on this Fort Hood case.

Women In Combat: Obstacles Remain As Exclusion Policy Ends

Larry Abramson — Wed, 15 May 2013 07:31:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAy7eDS8JY0

Gender Neutral: Armed Forces Submit Plans To End 'Exclusion'

Larry Abramson — Sun, 12 May 2013 09:34:00 +0000

This week, all divisions of the U.S. armed forces are supposed to submit their plans for ending "combat exclusion," the rule that says women cannot serve in most combat positions. Host Rachel Martin speaks with NPR's Larry Abramson about the implications of the change.

Sequester Has Air Force Clipping Its Wings

Larry Abramson — Sat, 11 May 2013 09:30:00 +0000

The Pentagon says the automatic budget cuts known as sequestration could leave the U.S. with a military that is simply unprepared for the most challenging combat missions. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel told Congress in April that the military is eating its seed corn.

"The cuts will fall heavily on maintenance and training, which further erodes the readiness of the force and will be costly to regain in the future," he said.

Why Sustained Action Against Syria Is More Than Air Strikes

Larry Abramson — Tue, 07 May 2013 09:11:00 +0000

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

It's MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm David Greene.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

And I'm Steve Inskeep. Two years after the start of Syria's civil war, amid allegations of chemical weapons use and reports of an Israeli airstrike, the United States still faces the same question.

GREENE: That question is what, if anything, the U.S. should do. For now, President Obama is focusing on diplomacy.

Why Chemical Weapons Have Been A Red Line Since World War I

Larry Abramson — Wed, 01 May 2013 20:51:00 +0000

President Obama has said that the use of chemical weapons could change the U.S. response to the Syrian civil war.