Search results for

Hamid Karzai has led Afghanistan through the transition from Taliban rule and two years of reconstruction. Now he's preparing Afghanistan for its first democratic election. He spoke recently with NPR's Renee Montagne about the future of his nation.

There are an estimated 6,000 western private security contractors in Iraq. Often times, the line between defense and offense can blur as contractors are drawn into heavy firefights with insurgents. There's no real authority structure to control these contractors, and some U.S. lawmakers worry that it's setting a dangerous precedent in a war zone. NPR's Eric Westervelt reports.

The nation's gross domestic product, or value of goods and services, grew at a 4.2 percent annual rate during the first three months of the year, an improvement over the end of 2003 but not as strong as many analysts were expecting. The Commerce Department's prime price index, omitting food and energy, rose 2.3 percent, compared with 1.5 percent in the fourth quarter. NPR's Jim Zarroli reports.

We hear excerpts from the commission investigating U.S. counter-terrorism efforts in the intelligence and law enforcement communities. The panel also inquires into what changes have been made to ensure future attacks are stopped. Among the speakers we hear from include George Tenet, director of the CIA in both the Clinton and Bush administrations; and Robert Mueller III, Director of the FBI from June 2001-August 2001.

Five Marines die Sunday in fierce fighting near Iraq's border with Syria. And Spain says it will start bringing its 1,300 troops home from Iraq as soon as possible. Spain's prime minister says he does not believe the United Nations will be able to take over the occupation of Iraq. Hear NPR's Cheryl Corley and Jerome Socolovsky.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews the debut album by the Eagles of Death Metal called Peace Love Death Metal. The group's drummer is Josh Homme, the singer-guitarist of the hard-rock band Queens of the Stone Age.

The American intelligence community was sharply criticized at recent hearings of the commission investigating the Sept. 11 attacks. CIA Director George Tenet conceded his agency failed to translate knowledge of the dangers posed by al Qaeda to an effective defense of the nation. He also said it will take five years to develop a clandestine service capable of fully dealing with terrorist threats. NPR's Brian Naylor speaks with Daniel Benjamin, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

U.S. troops in Iraq have some tasks that aren't in line with traditional warfare -- establishing checkpoints and searching for improvised explosive devices. These often require soldiers to be out in the open and vulnerable. NPR's Anne Garrels profiles the soldiers who protect their fellow soldiers: snipers.

NPR's Robert Siegel talks with Alan Klapmeier, CEO and co-founder of Cirrus Aircraft, which makes an airplane equipped with its own parachute. Over the past week, two different Cirrus pilots encountered in-flight emergencies and brought their planes safely to the ground by deploying their on-board parachutes -- only the second and third emergency uses of the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS). This technology was first used in an emergency in October 2002.

Hoping to end a tense stalemate in Iraq's Sunni Muslim stronghold of Fallujah, U.S. Marines and a representative of the U.S. occupation authority hold direct talks with a delegation of insurgents. Marines maintain their one-sided cease-fire, and continue to surround the city. Hear NPR's Melissa Block and embedded KPBS reporter Eric Niiler.