NPR News 2013-09-02 加文本

NPR News 2013-09-02

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Barbara Klein.

The White House has submitted a formal request to Congress for an authorization to use military force in Syria. This after President Obama announced today he’ll seek congressional approval for a limited strike on Syria in response to an alleged chemical weapons attack on neighborhoods outside Damascus. NPR's Tamara Keith reports Republican leaders in the House say they'll take up the measure the week of September 9th.

In a statement, House GOP leaders say they are glad President Obama is seeking authorization, and that by waiting until the week of September 9th, he'll have more time to make his case to both Congress and the American people. Congresswoman Barbara Lee, a California Democrat, also says the president is doing the right thing.

“This is a democracy, and under democracy, you know, the voices and the will of people need to be heard through their congressional representatives.”

Many in Congress and in the American public remain skeptical of intervening in Syria. Others who support military involvement say the president should have gone around Congress, and that waiting another week and a half is a mistake. But in a statement, Senate

Minority Leader Mitch McConnell says

“The president's role as commander-in-chief is always strengthened when he enjoys the expressed support of the Congress.” Tamara Keith, NPR News.

NPR's Peter Kenyon is in Beirut. He tells us Syria's opposition rebels were hoping for more immediate action.

And we’re getting some reaction from the Syrian opposition and from the rebels. Abu Ofmahn, who's a leader of a rebel brigade in Damascus suburbs, we reached him by Skype, and he said he's trying to put a good face on it.

He says they’re still hopeful that the strike will take place; it’s just matter of time. But he also emphasized that any delay is greatly increasing pressure on the rebels. The upper hand has been with the Syrian army lately, and there could be a move not to try and consolidate that advantage.

President Obama's address today was televised on Syrian state media with translation.

In Florida's Panhandle, a somewhat grewsome investigation is underway at a now-closed reform school. It's being led by a forensic anthropologist. NPR's Greg Allen reports researchers hope to recover unidentified remains of dozens of boys.

During the 100 years it was open, the Dozier

School for Boys became notorious in Florida for the harsh treatment residents received there. Florida and the US Justice Department are funding an investigation that will seek to determine who's in 50 unmarked graves and how they died. University of South Florida forensic anthropologist

Erin Kimmerle says the driving forces behind the investigation though, are the families.

“There are sobbing families asking for repatriation and to have their brothers and uncles exhumed and ultimately buried next to their mothers and in family plots.”

Researchers are creating a database that will compare the DNA of the recovered remains with families of boys known to have died at the school. Greg Allen, NPR News, Orlando.

This is NPR.

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The US embassy in the Philippines is warning that the threat of violence and kidnapping of foreigners is rising in the southern part of the country. As Simone Orendain reports from Manila, today's warning follows bombings in the region several weeks ago.

The warning urges US citizens to use extreme caution when they travel to the Zamboanga Peninsula and the rest of Mindanao. It refers to increased tensions due to recent bombings. In late July and early August, 18 people died and dozens were injured in several bombings in commercial areas and on main roads in Mindanao. Last week the Philippine military's chief of staff confirmed a new group allegedly trying to form an Islamic state was behind at least one attack. The Philippines is in the final stage of forging a permanent peace deal with the country's largest Muslim rebel group based in the south. Negotiators say the bombers are trying to derail the talks. For NPR News, I'm Simone Orendain in Manila.

Endurance athlete Diana Nyad is once again trying to swim the Florida Strait from Cuba to Key West. She was forced to abandon her last attempt because of jellyfish stings. This time she's wearing a silicone mask, a full bodysuit, gloves and booties. Before taking off earlier today, Nyad said she fell prepared.

“I'm ready and the jellyfish protection that we've spoken about [is] better than it's ever been. I think it's gonna help me get through those animals.”

Nyad said she expects it to take about 18 hours to swim the nearly 110 miles of shark- and jellyfish-infested waters.

I'm Barbara Klein, NPR News in Washington.