NPR News 2012-09-17 加文本

NPR News 2012-09-17

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Nora Raum.

The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations says the attack last week on a US consulate in Libya was spontaneous. NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports that appears at odds with what Libyan officials are saying.

Libya's president has told NPR that al-Qaeda was behind the attack, and used protests over an anti-Muslim video as a pretext. But U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice says so far the U.S sees no signs of pre-planned coordination. Still she tells Fox News Sunday, the FBI is investigating.

We obviously did have a strong security presence and unfortunately two of the four Americans who died in Benghazi were there to provide security. But it obviously wasn't sufficient in the circumstances to prevent the overrun of the consulate.

Rice says the U.S. has stepped up security in other outposts. She also insists the wave of Mideast demonstrations this week does not reflect a broad hostility toward the U.S. or its policies. Jennifer Ludden NPR News, Washington.

On another television talk show this morning, Rice said the US takes no options off the table in preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons including a military option. But she told NBC's Meet the Press, there is still time for sanctions and diplomacy to work. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared on the same program he says time is running out.

During the last 20 yards, you can't let them cross that goal line. You can't let them score a touchdown, because that would have unbelievable consequences, grievous consequences for the peace and security of us all, of the world, really.

He says the U.S. should set a clear redline that Tehran may not cross.

A top Iranian official acknowledges Iran has troops in Syria supporting Syria's president on the ground as well as financially. NPR's Deborah Amos reports.

The commander of Iran's Elite Revolutionary Guard says his forces are in Syria, providing what he called non-military assistance. Syrian activists have long charged that Iran was providing technical support, advising the Syrian government on breaking Internet codes to track them for arrest. The Iranian commander Ali Jafari denied his troops were directly part of a military offensive against Syrian rebels but rather acting as advisors. Iran is the chief ally of the Syrian regime, western government charged Iran is providing Syria with financial and military aid undercutting draconian sanctions imposed by western governments. Deborah Amos, NPR News, Antakya.

NATO officials report another so-called insider attack against its troops in Afghanistan today. They say four Americans were killed by Afghan police officers. Also today, NATO officials say they are investigating a report that a NATO airstrike killed eight women and girls in the eastern Afghanistan. 

This is NPR News in Washington.

Representatives of the Chicago Teachers Union are meeting at this hour to consider a proposed contract. If they accepted, they could vote to end a week-long strike, which means the public schools could open tomorrow. Union President  Karen Lewis says she is recommending ratification.

Space shuttle Endeavour is sitting on top of a modified jumbo jet waiting to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, its destination, Los Angeles where it will become an exhibit at the California Science Center. NPR's Nell Greenfieldboyce reports the cross country trip will take several days.

Endeavour's farewell tour will take it over many sites that are important to NASA. It's expected to do a low fly over of NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, before landing in Houston, home of mission control. Endeavor will stay there for a day before flying over a backup landing site in New Mexico and continuing on to NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in California. The plane is to fly near NASA's Ames Research Center as well as landmarks and cities that includes San Francisco and Sacramento before landing in Los Angeles. Then in mid-October, the shuttle will travel 12 miles through city streets to reach its final home. Nell Greenfieldboyce, NPR News.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is on his way to Los Angeles where he will speak tomorrow to the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. He was supposed to stop in Pueblo Colorado but decided to skip the event after a small plane crashed at the airport there. A spokesman said that Romney didn't want to get in the way of investigators or emergency responders. President Obama begins his week of campaign travel tomorrow in Ohio.

I'm Nora Raum, NPR News, in Washington.