NPR News 2012-09-06 加文本

NPR News 2012-09-06

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Lakshmi Singh.

President Obama has just arrived in Charlotte, North Carolina, a day before he delivers his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention. But tonight, all eyes will be on the president's former political adversary, a now staunch supporter, Bill Clinton. I spoke with NPR's Debbie Elliott a short time ago about what's some voters are expecting to hear this evening from the former president.

I think there is a really high expectation that President Clinton will be able to lay out why Democrats so do want to have the answers to the nation's economic woes. Everyone I spoke to, all of the delegates say, you know, we had a great economy during the Clinton Administration, He can get up there, he can articulate what the country is going through in a way that no one else can. And he can make the case that another four years of the Obama Administration is the right path for the country.

Our people are expecting details more than the rhetoric that they have been hearing.

Most of the delegates that I spoke with, say they are looking forward to curing some economic nitty-gritty that they think President Clinton is the one Democrat who can lay out a clear vision of what President Obama has done in the last four years that got the economy moving again and even though there are some frustration, with how slow the economic recovery has been. They expect Bill Clinton to convince voters that this is the right course and that they just need to be patient with the president. That's NPR's Debbie Elliott in Charlotte.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, President Obama's former chief of staff, is stepping down as the campaign's national co-chair. He is going to raise money for the pro-Obama super PAC Priorities USA Action. The super PAC funded by GOP's strategist  Karl Rove, is starting a new $6 million ad purchase on the Obama campaign's forward slogan. NPR's Esphy Dultei has details.

The Crossroads GPS Social welfare group has run more than $50 million in TV ads, attacking President Obama this election cycle. But those ads ended last month as rules requiring disclosure of the group's donors kicked in with approachable election day. American Crossroads is relayed super PAC, which must disclose its donors each month. It has played a minor role so far on the Presidential ad campaign. The new spot is only the second major ad run by the group this year and attacks Mr. Obama for his heal care plan and for his economic record.

All while Obama racked up 5 trillion more in debt. Is that really forward or backward?

The ad is running in battleground states over the next ten days. Esphy Dultei NPR News.

At last check on Wall Street, Dow was up 15 points at 13,051; NASDAQ was down three; and the S&P 500 also down a point.

This is NPR.

Insider attacks on NATO troops in Afghanistan threatened to undermine cooperation with the Afghan side in the fight against the Taliban. Well, Teri Schultz talks to the head of NATO's military operations in Afghanistan, General John Allen about his efforts to protect allied forces when their trainees turned against them.

Allen says his troops are taking new measures constantly against the threat of the rogue attacks from inside the  Afghan National Security Forces. While many of these steps are not publicised, one that has been announced by the Pentagon is stationing what are being called guardian angels wherever there is concern in Afghan soldier would have the chance to turn on its counterparts. Without giving away operational details, Allen explains what this will mean.

If we see something going wrong in terms of an insider beginning to reveal himself that we are postured in that relationship to be able to take immediate action as necessary to defend the force.

Allen says while he is training his troops to better protect themselves, Afghan security forces need to have a bias toward protecting them too. For NPR News, I'm Terri Schultz, in Brussels.

The Afghan government says it has fired hundreds of soldiers who have been revetted following that surge in insider attacks against coalition forces. The Defense Ministry says many of those troops were dismissed because their documents were forged or incomplete.

A 7.6-magnitude earthquake has struck Costa Rica. There are now reports of fatalities, but again, no immediate reports of major damage.

At last check, US stocks were mixed with the Dow gaining nine points, it's 13,045; NASDAQ down five at 3,070; and the S&P 500 off a fraction of a point.

I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News.