Larry Abramson

Pentagon Debuts Plans For Opening Combat Positions To Women

Larry Abramson — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:51:00 +0000

Transcript

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MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

And I'm Melissa Block.

Today, the Pentagon outlined its plans for opening up nearly all military jobs to women, including combat positions. The military has until 2016 to rescind what's known as the combat exclusion, which has kept women out of combat jobs.

Joining us now to discuss these plans is NPR's Larry Abramson. And, Larry, what kinds of jobs will women be able to try to serve in?

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 16:51:00 +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.

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

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 Chemical Weapons Have Been A Red Line Since World War I

Larry Abramson — Wed, 01 May 2013 20:32:00 +0000

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

With Obama In Ramallah, Palestinians Take To The Streets

Larry Abramson — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 17:27:00 +0000

NPR's Larry Abramson is covering President Obama's visit to the Middle East. He sends this dispatch from the West Bank.

There were a lot of irritated Palestinians in the streets of Ramallah today. But it's hard to pinpoint the cause. Were they mad at President Obama, at Israel? Or were they angry at themselves?

All week long, different groups staged demonstrations against the Obama visit, here in Palestine's defacto capital city, and elsewhere, including Gaza. Mothers of those in Israeli jails demanded the release of their children.

Israelis, Palestinians Spar Over Controversial Settlement

Larry Abramson — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 18:53:00 +0000

In practical terms, a project known as E-1 would provide 3,000 or so new housing units for Israelis in an area between east Jerusalem — which the Palestinians hope will someday be their capital — and the large Israeli settlement of Maaleh Adumim.

But numbers can be deceiving: Palestinians are renewing their objections to the growing number of Israeli settlements, and many fear E-1 could tip the balance in a way that makes an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement impossible.

To understand why the Israeli government wants to build E-1, climb to the top of Mount Scopus.

After Weeks Of Wrangling, An Israeli Government Takes Shape

Larry Abramson — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:21:00 +0000

Israel appears to have a new government, nearly two months after parliamentary elections.

Since the voting in January, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been trying to put together the pieces of a puzzle that just would not fit.

If he included traditional allies, such as the religious parties, he would close out a chance of forming a government with a popular political newcomer, Yair Lapid.

A former TV newsman, Lapid is secular and centrist.

Can Kidney Transplants Help Relieve Gaza's Health System?

Larry Abramson — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 19:09:00 +0000

It's no picnic being a kidney patient even in the best conditions. But coming in for dialysis in a place like the Gaza Strip calls for a special kind of patience.

Years of war have placed a constant stress on the health system there. Thanks to a host of factors, Gaza's main hospital, Shifa Hospital, regularly faces supply shortages of medications that kidney patients need to manage nausea and other symptoms.

Dialysis machines are in constant use, and it's tough to get the parts needed to keep all of them working.

Palestinians Still Feel The Squeeze Of The Restictions On Gaza

Larry Abramson — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 08:27:00 +0000

The streets of Gaza are busy, but they are also crumbling.

Since Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip in 2007, Israel has maintained tight limits on shipments of anything that could be used for military purposes. That includes basic building materials that could be used for bunkers and rocket launching sites.

Ask businessman Ali Abdel Aal what's the toughest thing for him to find, and he'll tell you "cement and gravel."

Abdel Aal runs a busy shop selling building supplies in Gaza City. He says tunnels from Egypt help get around the Israeli restrictions.

Israel Restores Wetlands; Birds Make It Their Winter Home

Larry Abramson — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 10:46:00 +0000

Like many countries, Israel tried to drain many of its swamplands, then realized it was destroying wildlife habitats. So the country reversed course, and has been restoring the wetlands of the Hula Valley in the north.

The effort has had a huge and rather noisy payoff. Unlike many birding sites, where the creatures take off when you approach them, you can practically touch the cranes that inhabit the Hula Valley.

The thousands upon thousands of the common cranes are about as tall as a toddler and have a 6-foot wingspan.

A West Bank Story, Told Through Palestinian Eyes

Larry Abramson — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 22:33:00 +0000

The Academy Award-nominated documentary 5 Broken Cameras tells the story of Bil'in, a modest Palestinian village perilously close to an Israeli settlement in the West Bank.

After the Israeli government began putting up its West Bank separation barrier, Bil'in resident Emad Burnat picked up a video camera, and in 2005 began a multiyear documentary project.

Israelis say the barrier has been successful in preventing Palestinian attacks, including suicide bombings.

Women In Prayer Shawls Detained At Judaism's Holiest Site

Larry Abramson — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 22:12:00 +0000

Police in Jerusalem on Monday detained 10 women for wearing the tallit, a Jewish prayer shawl traditionally worn by men, while praying at the Western Wall.

The Women of the Wall have been fighting for years for permission to worship in the manner that men do at the Western Wall, the holiest site in Judaism for prayer. The stone structure is part of the retaining wall that surrounded the Second Jewish Temple, which was destroyed by the Romans in A.D.

How Do Israeli And Palestinian Textbooks Treat The Other Side?

Larry Abramson — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 22:31:00 +0000

There was some good news and bad news in a three-year study that tried to take an objective look at bias in Israeli and Palestinian textbooks directed against "the other."

The bad news isn't surprising: Each side depicts the other as "the enemy" and presents its own culture in positive terms. Both sides teach their children little about the other's religion, culture or economy.

Israeli Election Rekindles Debate Over Military Service

Larry Abramson — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 19:41:00 +0000

The rise of a new Israeli political party after last week's elections has set the stage for renewed conflict over the country's military draft.

That new party, Yesh Atid, or "There is a Future," campaigned on a promise to draft thousands of ultra-Orthodox students who are currently exempt from military service.

And with the number of ultra-Orthodox students in Israel on the rise given the community's high birth rates, this longstanding debate has become a critical post-election issue.

Outside Israel, many people think all Israelis, men and women, serve in the military.

An Israeli Political Newcomer, Who May Soon Be An Insider

Larry Abramson — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:12:00 +0000

Israel's surprisingly close parliamentary elections Tuesday have brought political attention to a man accustomed to the bright lights of television: former journalist and media personality Yair Lapid.

His Yesh Atid — or There Is a Future — Party got 19 seats in parliament, making it the second-largest voting bloc behind Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party, which won 31 seats.

Watching a video of Lapid talking to English-speaking voters in Tel Aviv last month, you can almost feel the audience fall under his spell.

Netanyahu Must Turn Fractured Results Into A Government

Larry Abramson — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 10:14:00 +0000

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

It's MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm Steve Inskeep.

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

And I'm Renee Montagne. In Israel last night a surprisingly close election. Voters appear to have reelected Prime Minister Netanyahu for another term. That was expected. But Netanyahu's right wing alliance suffered serious losses. Centrist and left wing parties defied opinion polls and won half the seats in parliament.

At $130 Million A Plane, Critics Question The Cost Of The F-35

Larry Abramson — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 20:34:00 +0000

Second of two parts

In a mile-long building on the edge of Fort Worth, Texas, an assembly line is taking shape to build the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Lockheed Martin, which got the contract to build the jet back in 2001, is slowly cranking up production.

How Good Is The World's Most Expensive Fighter Jet?

Larry Abramson — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 08:45:00 +0000

First of two parts

After years on the drawing boards and in testing labs, a new fighter plane is entering the U.S. arsenal. The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is supposed to help the Air Force, the Navy and the Marines replace their fleet of aging aircraft.

But this plane has become the most expensive military procurement program in history. While critics continue to carp about the cost, the plane is now in the skies, and the military says it's the lynchpin for future defense strategies.

On a cold fall morning at Eglin Air Force Base near Pensacola, Fla., Air Force Lt. Col.

Vets Flock To Colleges ... But How Are They Doing?

Larry Abramson — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 07:33:00 +0000

Record numbers of veterans are returning home from war and heading to college. The biggest draw: the generous benefits of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, which in three short years has helped 860,000 vets go to school.

But there's still little known about how these students are doing.

For years, Sarah Yaw has been working with veterans at Cayuga Community College, a small school in rural, upstate New York. She took a leave in 2009, around the time the Post-9/11 GI Bill went into effect.

How Big Should The U.S. Navy Be?

Larry Abramson — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 21:09:00 +0000

In many of his campaign speeches, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney likes to chide the Obama administration for cutting military spending. And Romney says one force in particular is suffering from a lack of resources.

"The size of our Navy is at levels not seen since 1916," he says in many of his stump speeches. Romney promises to rebuild the Navy until it reaches 350 ships. But does a bigger Navy make the U.S.

Romney's Defense Plans Call For Higher Spending

Larry Abramson — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 20:16:00 +0000

One area where President Obama and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney clearly disagree is defense spending. The president wants less, Romney wants more.

Pentagon Revising Cyber Rules Of Engagement

Larry Abramson — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 09:36:00 +0000

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told business leaders the Pentagon is developing capabilities to ward off attacks on the nation's infrastructure. He says foreign actors have already probed key systems that could cause damage and even death — and the Pentagon has a key role to play in stopping such efforts.

Romney, Obama Surrogates Clash Over Military Strategy

Larry Abramson — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 20:38:00 +0000

The Romney campaign is putting more meat on the bones of its defense policy, and the result is a muscular, almost hawkish posture.

Dov Zakheim, Mitt Romney's special adviser for foreign policy and national security, went toe-to-toe with Richard Verma, who plays a similar role for the Obama campaign, at a forum Wednesday.

The two tussled for over an hour in a foreign policy debate of sorts at a Washington, D.C., hotel.

Zakheim scoffed at the administration's plans for a "pivot to Asia," a rebalancing of defense forces toward the Pacific, saying President Obama could not cut the size of th

Defense Companies Hold Off On Pink Slips, For Now

Larry Abramson — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 21:02:00 +0000

Major defense companies said this week they will not send out layoff notices to warn of big job cuts in January, taking away the prospect of embarrassing layoff notices right before the November elections.

That's led to charges that the White House overstepped when it told the industry the notices are not needed.

EADS, the aerospace giant that includes Airbus, says it remains very worried about automatic cuts that could wipe out around 10 percent of the defense budget on Jan. 2, 2013.

Army Seeks To Curb Rising Tide Of Suicides

Larry Abramson — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 07:37:00 +0000

At Fort Myer, Va., a small Army base across the river from Washington, D.C., Chaplain Mark Worrell is talking to about 100 soldiers, reciting the grim numbers.

"This year, 2012, there have been more suicides in the Army than combat deaths," he says.

Worrell paces in front of the stage in a small auditorium and talks with the soldiers for more than an hour about the warning signs of suicide.

Question 21: A Matter Of National Security

Larry Abramson — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 15:51:00 +0000

Jennifer Norris was a devoted member of the Maine National Guard.

"I was ecstatic. I absolutely loved serving in the military," she says.

Norris still wanted a career in the Guard even after she was sexually assaulted by other members of the military. After she was raped, she says she got psychological counseling.

But then it came time to renew the security clearance she needed for her job as a satellite communications technician.